Not like any other capital i've ever seen. No highrise buildings, no mcdoogles or bugger king in sight (although I did see a kfc), PP is the real deal. A swirling chaotic mass of human weirdness. The bikes swerve and jostle like crazed giant ants, the people are friendly, warm, some badly deformed, always laughing, shouting, selling, hassling. Its mad, mad, mad. But what can you do in PP (apart from watch the amazing lilfe unfold around you)? Well of course there is the jovial highlight known a Toul Sleng (formely Security Prison 21 under the Khmer Rouge) - the Genocide [View Full Entry]

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Welcome to Cambodia people! Siem Reap is the town nearest to the Angkor Temples so here I am! Well its pretty wild compared to the well ordered Malaysia and the touristy Thailand. Clouds of dust fill the streets, small children work all hours of the days trying to shift nick nacks to the tourists, drugs are offered blatantly in the street (hey sir, you wan cocaine and lady? er, can I have a lady made out of cocaine? apparently not), tuk tuk drivers are like vultures to those new in town laden with backpack. Man its got atmosphere! Went out to [View Full Entry]

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Just a quick update - I am now back in Bangkok after the cooking course in Chang Mai. It was really good, we got to cook some staple Thai dishes, such as Thai green curry and pad thai. Sleeper back last night and I am now reallly knackered, my body doesnt know whether to eat, sleep, or be sick - haha...anyway tomorrow I am off to Cambodia to see the temples at Angkor. The journey is 7am to 7pm, if it goes to plan! Wish me luck. [View Full Entry]

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Here's some pics of the temples in bangkok....they were pretty awesome. (damn it seems i cannot access them in this internet cafe - they will have to wait) I have gone up to Chang Mai to soak up some culture. Had a maaaaasssssaaaagggeee earlier (of the clean kind!). It was lush, got bent around and pounded a bit and rubbed down all over with oil (ooo er). The woman didnt really speak any English but funnily enough she did know how to call me 'santa claus', another beard reference! Off on a cooking course tomorrow, really looking forward to doing something [View Full Entry]

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Welcome to Bangkok.....intense, vibrant, smelly, noisy, everything is here! Well I got the sleeper train from Surat Thani for the 12 hours journey to Bangkok....what a plesant journey, lounging in my own little bunk with a curtain for privacy, managed to sleep well and be refeshed for the Bangkok madness! Once in the capital I got an 'ordinary bus' to the area known as Banglampuh, basically this is where all the budget hotels are and it has become a backpack mecca. It also contains the famous Khoa San Rd (pronounced cow san) that you might have seen in the movie the [View Full Entry]

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Man I loved Georgetown....sleepy, colonial vibe, with amazing indian food. Had to really drag myslef away. Not really that much to do in the town except eat and chat, and watch the footy of course! Hooked up with a cool Welsh lass called Emma. We got the bus out to Malaysia's biggest buddhist temple, and blimey it was big, it even has its own train to take you to the upper section! Also took a trip out to Penang hill to check out the sunset and view. Well i missed to sunset but the view was quality with the whole of [View Full Entry]

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Melacca is an old ex colonial town on the west coast of Malaysia that overlooks the famous Melacca straights, a really important trade route since the 1400s. So as you might expect it has been controlled by various European powers - firstly the Portuguese, then the Dutch, and finally us lot! All this considered the town is something of a melting pot architecturally and cuturally. Anyway history lesson over! I am staying at a place called Shirah's Guesthouse owned by an Indian guys who calls himself Steve! We were greeted (Pontus and myself) with a beers and a joint and a [View Full Entry]

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Hi folks, well its been a while but I have been incommunicado on a little desert island with no tinternet (well there was one place but it was slower that the old dial up days). Also I have drowned my phone in the sea so no photos until i can get a new phone :( First things first, we went to Taman Negarra, a 130 million year old rain forrest. Not really on my list but ya gotta try stuff out. Anway, it was hot hot hot, wet, crawling with stuff everywhere, and pretty interesting (for a day or two!). Pontus [View Full Entry]

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Went out on the motorbike yesterday and saw some awesome views on the plantations (see photos). Loved burning around the highlands on the little Honda Dream - might have to get one when back home. Managed to do a big unintentional wheelie whilst going up a steep hill and breaking the mud guard on the bike. Despite all the rumours of getting ripped off for damage to a bike the shop said no probs, dont worry about it! Bit of waterfall trekking today, let down by garbage! Had some lush indian food eaten straight off a banana leaf. Best thing has [View Full Entry]

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Hey guys thanks for your comments and messages.. KL was fun but loud crazy and smelly. The traffic was unbelievable and I am sure lots of people die there. Who knows whether the drivers will stop for a red light or not! Ate some yummy indian food, went the worlds largest Bird Park and generally walked the city and fended off people trying to sell me ladies perfume on Petaling St. Not sure KL has the most fun things to do of any big city but it was a cool place to start being fairly easy to figure stuff out. 3 [View Full Entry]

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