http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/IanDoesAsia/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from IanDoesAsia en-us Fri, 25 Dec 2009 07:49:26 +0000 Fri, 25 Dec 2009 07:49:26 +0000 Itrsquos back better and longer than before. I've also attached some of my favourite photos from the trip including many which haven't been published online before. See if you can make it to the bottom I dare youLooking back Indie and I finished our trip one week ago in Krakow Poland. Since then wersquove both been spending time with family and friends enjoying home life once again. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/blog-92878.html written two days ago As I write this we are on a train to Krakow Poland. We are leaving Romania after six chilledout days here. We have had some welcome time to relax and enjoy the autumn colours after travelling so frequently and far across the former Soviet lands. Irsquove caught up with old friends Indie has made some new ones and together wersquove revelled in the cool atmosph http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Muntenia/Bucharest/blog-91921.html I promised I would write about our adventures in picturesque St. Petersburg. This is followed by one of Indiersquos funniest entries yethellip Letrsquos goIndie the resourceful desi Russia has been quite an expensive country to travel across certainly compared to other countries wersquove visited in Asia. Train tickets have eaten up most of our budget but fortunately we have had a se http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Russia/Northwest/Saint-Petersburg/blog-91327.html In a nutshellHaving been in Russia for ten days my impression of this country has improved rapidly. For a start in Moscow we were very lucky to be hosted by a Russian friend and her family. After four actionpacked days in the capital we set off to see two traditional Russian towns Vladimir and Suzdal. There we saw stunning churches and attractive streets before catching an overnight train http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Russia/Northwest/Saint-Petersburg/blog-89335.html For the last four days we have been enjoying Moscow in the September sun. What wersquove seen and done since arriving here is worthy of a blog entry in itself so Irsquoll save it for laterhellip For the moment herersquos how we spent almost four days travelling here by train during which time we witnessed Central Asia unfold into Siberia we saw miles and miles of Siberian nothingness http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Russia/Northwest/Moscow/blog-89036.html We are in Kazakhstan the land of Borat. Wersquove been here for two days chilling out seeing the sights of Central Asiarsquos wealthiest city Almaty. Wersquove also been preparing for our travels through Russia. Later today we catch a train to Novosibirsk. Getting to Siberia is something that greatly inspires us. In the meantime herersquos what wersquove been up to recentlyh http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kazakhstan/blog-87351.html Where the hell is Kyrgyzstan ldquoWhere the hell is Kyrgyzstanrdquo Thatrsquos what a mate asked me in the travel literature section of Borders last year. The guy who asked me this is a wellinformed wellread Joint Honours graduate for the Strathclydegrads contingent the guy was Michael Collins. He was by no means the only person who gave me a blank look when I said Irsquod be t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/blog-86124.html We are in Kyrgyzstan. At last. Since I last wrote we have spent a night in a Kyrgyz yurt on the banks of the most beautiful lake I have ever seen. We also went on a scenic mountainous bus trip to the Pakistani border. We saw aweinspiring mountains some over 7000 metres and drunk tea in the middle of a field near Tajikistan with Chinese Tajik and Pakistani guys.Words cannot do it justice http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/blog-84100.html Kashgar when did Central Asian become lsquoChinesersquo For the last five days we have been in Kashgar an exotic city the westernmost in China. The region we are in Xin Jiang is predominantly Muslim and in very sense it is more Central Asian than Chinese. As Indie highlighted in his last political opinion piece some of you may call it a rant Kashgar represents a land that has b http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Xinjiang/Kashgar/blog-82812.html Ni haoWe are thoroughly enjoying China. As I write this we are in the far West of China in Kashgar a Silk Road trade route city near the borders with Kyrgyzstan where we are going soon Pakistan and India. This is the most westerly city in China and it is genuinely a world away from Beijing where we spent four actionpacked days this week. After Beijing we spent a day in Urumqi the ca http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Xinjiang/Kashgar/blog-82302.html We are in China again. Tonight we travel to Beijing but for the last two days we've been in the capital of Yunnan province. Despite being August in Southern China it is very mild here. Kunming is known as the 'Spring City' within China because of it's yearround mild sunny climate and it's elevation of almost 2000 metres makes it more airy than you'd expect from a provincial capital.Planes http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Kunming/blog-81208.html Amo a Laos We are in the Peoplersquos Democratic Republic of Laos. I love this country and so does Indie. We are not alone there are many travellers here from all over. In spite of this Laos remains the most peaceful quiet country I have ever experienced. After the lively frenetic noise of Vietnam and also Phnom Penh this country is a relative oasis of calm. Even its capital Vientian http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-79903.html Silence is golden We have fled the stench and noise of Phnom Penh. Now we find ourselves in the relative tranquility of Laos. We arrived yesterday after another epic bus journey and Laos is a refreshing change from the other countries wersquove visited so far. People seem to be warmer more genuine and there is much less traffic. We love it Our travelling companions On Cambodian buses we h http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/South/Pakxe/blog-78454.html Phnom Penh is a city of many smells Unfortunately most of them are awful. The Cambodian capital is a place of stark contrasts every so often you catch glimpses of real material wealth but most of the time you see object poverty. You walk past an opulently decorated flashy bar which plays Western music and sells cocktails and aromatic cuisine all priced in dollars. On the same street just http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/South/Phnom-Penh/blog-77714.html Arduous travelWe are in Cambodia. After 2 weeks in Vietnam we took a boat trip along the Mekong arriving in Phnom Penh yesterday. The last time I wrote we were in Hoi An in central Vietnam. 2 overnight journeys later we arrived at Saigon or Ho Chi Minh Cityas itrsquos been known since reunification of the North South of the country. The 1st journey took us to a hectic coastal city call http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/South/Phnom-Penh/blog-76608.html Since I last wrote Indie and I have travelled around 800km south. We are currently in the quiet trading town of HoiAn in Central Vietnam. In the last week we have visited the picturesque highlands of Sapa bribed a ticket inspector to let us stay on a train pissed off a couple more of the locals seen mysterious caves temples and ruins and bought loads of tailormade clothes. Oh and our wal http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/South-Central-Coast/Hoi-An/blog-74765.html The journey has commenced. We are now in Hanoi the bustling crowded capital of Vietnam. I landed in Beijing four days ago upon meeting Indie we headed directly south towards the city of Nanning near the Vietnamese border. Highlights of our 28hour journey were remarkably plentiful the Chinese lsquohardsleeperrsquo trains may be crowded but they are lively and comfortable. I found http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Red-River-Delta/Hanoi/blog-72761.html