TravelBlog » MYLO

MYLO - NEIL MILUM & SAM BROWN

So, here we are!! Firstly, thanks for taking the time to log on. This obviously means you have nothing better to do right now but that's OK, it's nice to know you're even slightly interested in the progress of our journey. However, I also know that some of you will be skimming through all the descriptive b*?@!cks in order to see who will win the sweepstake as to whether it's malaria or a shark that's responsible for our first hospitalization. Either way it's good to have you along.
All going well, our journey (which departs on the 11th October '07) will take us across 6 different continents and into at least 14 different countries. We'll be dipping our toes into the Pacific, Atlantic (north & south) and Indian Oceans, visiting numerous famous world landmarks and participating in various personal challenges and some foolish capers.
Our first entry will detail a comprehensive itinerary of when and where we'll roughly be throughout the coming year, however this is obviously subject to change!
Also, for those of you who doubted our, and particularly my, ability to pack a medium sized rucksack for a years travel, there is a contents list in the first entry of everything we'll be carrying. I'll make no apologies for some of the items that hardened travellers would consider luxuries. After much reading and deliberation we came up with these items which we thought would best aid us throughout the different locations/situations we'll find ourselves in. For some items I've given an explanation which may or may not be obvious but I thought some of you would be curious as to why we've taken what we have. Any mistakes in this area I'm sure you'll read about in due course.
We'll take this opportunity so say a general fond farewell to all of you that know us and we hope to find you safe and well on our return............

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Joined on: March 30th 2007
Last Login: May 7th 2008

Blog Entries: 24
Photos: 648

TB Code: [blogger=35320]
Status: BLOGGER

Blogs & Travel Journals

by MYLO, order by Date newest first.

By MYLO
April 29th 2008

Blog 23: VISIONS OF CHINA Part 2 - Landscapes Sichuan Style and A Warrior's Birthday

Asia » China » Pingyao

Above the clouds

Our second of the two flights that would take us to Jiuzhaigou was delayed due to weather conditions at the receiving airport. However, after several hours we were descending between mountains on our approach to Jiuzhai airport, some 3500m above sea level; it was snowing! We were in the northern Sichuan Province, and with no visas being issued at present, it would be the closest we would get to Tibet. We jumped in the taxi already shivering uncontrollably. With the short snow flurry over, the road conditions were fine, but for some reason unknown to us, our driver was not happy [View Full Entry]

By MYLO
April 21st 2008

Blog 22: VISIONS OF CHINA Part 1 - Crouching Toilets, Hidden Guidebook

Asia » China » Guangxi » Guilin

Visions of China

In an attempt not to be too negative, I had to be persuaded to keep the title of the last blog as 'Good Morning Vietnam' instead of my preferred 'Good Riddance Vietnam'. However, as we boarded the train at Hanoi, that's kind of how we felt..... BUT! there's a lot to be said for the phrase 'better the devil you know' and our relief to be leaving Vietnam was born more out of the fact that we'd escaped without loss of valuables or limbs, rather than looking forward to China. Don't get me wrong, China has always held a fascination for [View Full Entry]

By MYLO
April 15th 2008

Blog 21: Good Morning Vietnam.

Asia » Vietnam » Hanoi » Hoan Kiem

Our first morning in Nam.

Before we begin, grab yourself a FLASK of tea; it's a long one! Our passage across the watery border into Vietnam went surprisingly smoothly. We continued to follow the Mekong River for several hours to a place called Chau Doc where we spent our first night in Vietnam before making our way further south to Can Tho. It was here we would encounter our first episode of that struggle (we'd hoped to have left behind) to negotiate our own way through this country without incident. We were shown to our guesthouse room by a friendly man, who as well as giving [View Full Entry]

By MYLO
March 27th 2008

Blog 20: Year Zero

Asia » Cambodia » Phnom Penh

Cambodian fisherman

There were 18 of us on the small boat out of Siem Reap, and as we picked up a few locals en route things became a little cramped. Once across the Tonle Sap lake and moving down river towards Battambang, things slowed up somewhat as we passed through many small communities living in floating villages. Our boat, containing mostly Westerners, was of great interest to the kids both in and on the water waving frantically as we passed. One small boy chose not to wave, instead pulling his shorts to one side and exposing himself to Sam, which was only ever [View Full Entry]

By MYLO
March 19th 2008

Entry 19: Cambodian smiles.

Asia » Cambodia » Siem Reap

Darleen
"If I tell you capital of England, you buy my bracelets"

On the 14th of March at 5:30am we were sat on the train awaiting our 6am departure out of Bangkok. The six hour train journey would take us to Aranya Prathet, six kilometres from the Thailand - Cambodia border. A six hour ride that for the first three I had some guy sat next to me chanting; I felt like I was being exorcised. We had mixed emotions as the train made its way past towns, villages and fields. We were happy to be leaving Thailand, there were good moments, but on the whole it had been a frustrating and disappointing [View Full Entry]

The magnificent South Gate at Angkor Thom

By MYLO
March 13th 2008

Entry 18: Temples, tigers, monkeys & massages.

Asia » Thailand » Central » Bangkok

Temples and Buddhas

For the next ten weeks or so we'll be travelling overland as we make our way from Thailand to Hong Kong. So this will be the last time (for a while) you'll hear me bleat on about flights. After the hellish 'flap' from Sydney to Bangkok, we thought two flights of an hours duration each (Phuket to Bangkok - Bangkok to Chiang Mai) would be easily negotiated. It's not that I'm a bad flier (or up until now I wasn't) it's just that, well, I'm a control freak who gets a little uncomfortable when my own destiny is in someone else's [View Full Entry]

By MYLO
March 4th 2008

Entry 17: Thais, Lies and Bellyaches.

Asia » Thailand » South » Ko Phi Phi

Long tails with limestone karsts in the background.

The coach journey south was our introduction to some of Thailand's lies and scams. Our VIP coach trip from Bangkok to Krabi, which wasn't VIP at all (no suprise there), promised to depart around 19:30 hrs and arrive approximately 09:30 hrs the next morning. Now, this being Thailand, I for one would not expect those timings to be accurate. However, more than failing to deliver, this trip deliberately deceived everyone on board when we were all prematurely dumped at 06:30 hrs at a roadside cafe. Only once our bags were offloaded and the coach disappeared, were we given an explanation. A [View Full Entry]

By MYLO
February 19th 2008

Entry 16: "One night in Bangkok" (ok maybe four)

Asia » Thailand » Central » Bangkok

Tuk tuk
Less likely to turn over than an ambulance with LLoyd driving...

Our flight from Auckland to Bangkok took us first to Sydney, and flying over the Opera House and The Harbour Bridge on a clear afternoon felt like a home coming. But with just three hours in the airport before continuing on to Thailand there was no time for sentimental visits, instead we would just view the City longingly from the airport departure lounge. Then followed the worst flight I've ever been on. After a dodgy take off (I'm no expert, but that was bad) we were warned that we may experience some turbulence on a few occasions during the flight. In [View Full Entry]

By MYLO
February 14th 2008

Entry 15: NZ - The Sequel.

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Abel Tasman National Park » Marahau

Into the South Island

Arriving on the South Island via the 'InterIslander' ferry is a beautiful introduction to the more relaxed pace of life in the second half of NZ. You come through the Marlborough Sounds to get to the port of Picton. The Malborough Sounds are previously hilly areas that had been flooded thousands of years ago by the rising sea, leaving islands and waterways that are low in population and very scenic. We stayed in amongst the Sounds for our first night before heading south. You really need either a boat, or a week and a kayak, to make the most of the [View Full Entry]

By MYLO
January 28th 2008

Entry 14: Oh my God I can't believe it, I've never been this far away from home!!

Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Wellington

Maori
Even their greetings are aggressive.

Flew into Auckland with a somewhat bumpy landing - remembering that the next plane we fly in, we may not still be on board for the landing!! My first impression of New Zealand (NZ) is that it's like Wales, but the fauna is more exotic and the coastal waters are turquoise in colour. We stayed in the city for a night, but we'll be back here for a few days before flying to Bangkok, so the next day we picked up our home for the next month and headed north. The campervan is a little older than the others and a [View Full Entry]