Hoggtrotters

February and I just don't see eye-to-eye! It's been a long time coming but we just don't get on. She insists on throwing everything at me – dark nights, cold days, rain, frozen fingers and soggy feet. We, having just enjoyed a wonderful Festive Season with our wonderful kids and grandkids, now look into the long dark tunnel which will lead to a breaking Spring. February agrees with me that she has little to offer except the gradual lengthening of days and the distant promise of a beautiful Spring. So, its time to pack the backpacks and head off to warmer climes dragging ourselves away from our loved ones. South East Asia should fit the bill! After a mammoth journey, offset by the fact that we were travelling on the A380-800 super jumbo all the way ... read more

And so on to Borneo. The mere mention of that name conjures up images of virgin jungle and exotic wildlife of varying shades of rainbows! How naïve! We arrived at KK from KL - I hope you are now ‘up to speed’ with the acronyms, dear reader! - and were surprised to find a fairly modern, compact and business like town - at least on the surface! The transport system is chaotic as we were to find out later. Most travel around Sabah is best done by air as there are precious few roads. Those that there are tend to be pitted with craters or simply run into stretches without any kind of surface whatsoever. There are four wheel drive ‘taxis’ which run between the main towns - KK, Kudat, and Sandakan! We had sat and ... read more

Sihanoukville is familiar territory to us. We had stayed here on our previous trip and had decided that this was the ideal place to ‘hole up’ and recouperate from our travels thus far. It was great to have a comfortable bed, cheap food and a lovely beach nearby (Otres Beach). As we arrived we could feel the ‘relief of the familiar’ and celebrate the fact that, for a while at least, we were going to stay put. The Mekong had taken a good deal out of us! Having visited the local pharmacy, for Janie, it became apparent that it was possible to buy ANY drugs, including really heavy duty ones, for a few dollars. In fact you can buy ANYTHING here for a few dollars! Our resort, The Beach Club, is a lovely friendly place run ... read more

Downwards and downwards we circled like a tiny drunken fly. Our 40 seater turbo prop plane from Saigon seemed happier in the air and seemed to want to stay aloft little longer but as we twisted and turned - in a loose figure-of-eight pattern - we saw the tiny jungly island which is Phu Quoc. Covered with rich, dark green vegetation it rose up us from below us. Finally we landed at ‘Phu Quoc International Airport’, a small but well constructed terminal which announces proudly ‘We have money here!’ The airport constitutes one of the few scars on the landscape but as you get to know the island you can see that ‘development’ is the name of the current game. At the moment this is a prime holiday destination for the Vietnamese but very soon all ... read more

'Oh, it's good to touch the Green, Green Suites of home!' So the famous Tom Jones song goes - with a little adaptation by my good self! But it really is a little like 'coming home'! Danny Yum, the security guard/kitchen porter/waiter/odd job man/ and various other responsibilities, gives us each a huge bear hug and greets us like long-lost relations - and I'm not even convinced he was here when we last stayed! Lang, the charming young Vietnamese receptionist, has a hugh smile and greets us through misty eyes! If we ever had any doubt about it, we have been sorely missed! We have arrived at the Green Suites, carrying our backpacks through a mass of late night diners who sit on primary school sized plastic chairs in the tiny alleyways and gradually spread and ... read more