Crossing the border from Laos into Thailand reminded me of stepping from Nicaragua to Costa Rica - literally a line in the ground, or in this case the Mekong River, marks a noticeable increase in wealth and prosperity. My entry point in Thailand was Chiang Khong, a relatively unremarkable river-side border town in the north-east corner. I’d gotten up early to make sure I could catch the boat across the river and get myself to Chiang Mai (the main city in Thailand’s northern provinces) in time to meet up with Sarah who was, in a somewhat more glamorous fashion, jetting in [View Full Entry]

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Of any country I’ve considered visiting on this trip I think Laos is the one that I’ve heard the most mixed reactions about … and they always seem to be at one of the extremes - it’s either loved or loathed. Peaceful Unspoiled Paradise or Impossible Communist Backwater. The really annoying thing is none of this had helped me make my mind up on whether or not to go… But with just over a week apart from Sarah whilst she was meeting friends in Thailand, and concerned that I might just miss out on something if I didn’t go for a [View Full Entry]

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There’s such a well trodden backpacker / tourist trail around much of South East Asia now that escaping the crowds whilst still managing to visit interesting areas is a difficult if not impossible challenge. One place that still seems to be slightly less discovered than the rest though, is the island of Borneo. When I think of Borneo I see David Attenborough in black and white, trying to be very reserved and, well… English, but clearly struggling to cover up his excitement as he talks excitedly in that slightly breathless, hushed voice of his. It conjures up images of impenetrable jungle, [View Full Entry]

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Well this is just a token blog to completely cheat and colour the whole of Australia red on my blog map when all I’ve really done is spend 4 days in Melbourne and 5 days in Sydney. When I bought my round-the-world ticket for this trip I wasn’t sure what I was going to be doing after New Zealand, but with some free flights included in the price it made sense to put Melbourne and Sydney in there… even if has only ended up being for a flying visit - the rest of Australia will have to wait. Fortunately Sarah and [View Full Entry]

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Ha ha - the revelations in the last blog certainly resulted in a fair few messages from various people for which I’m really grateful to you all. Thanks for the good wishes… things are still going well! It also resulted in that particular blog getting something like 400 hits in a week which is pretty incredible given my highest ranking blog to date (Peru) has only had 700 hits in 5 months! So thanks - I’m chuffed… and a little shocked! Who are you all?! Anyway enough of the personal life. I feel over exposed! So how do I sum up [View Full Entry]

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I’ve been considering over the last few days whether or not I should let you all in on a secret… and I’ve decided, in the interest of being as honest as possible in this blog (and because you'll probably realise sooner or later!), that I really should. You see when I wrote my last New Zealand blog I was at Auckland airport waiting for a flight... but I didn’t specifically mention where to. I’ve actually spent the last week in the tropical paradise of Fiji… and the reason: well it was because of a girl. But I guess I ought to [View Full Entry]

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To be honest I left South America feeling a bit low. It was such a big part of the trip and was the original reason that I’d decided to travel, so for it to suddenly be over seemed to leave me slightly depressed. I was basically suffering from a state of “I’m not ready to finish up yet but will anything on the rest of my travels impress me as much?!”. But if there’s a place that can completely wipe away any such blues with its amazing scenery, relaxed and friendly locals and thrill-a-minute activities its got to be New Zealand [View Full Entry]

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Próspero Año Nuevo! Yes as I reach the last day of my time in Latin America I figure it’s appropriate to prove that I have at least mastered a little of the language whilst I’ve been out here. Okay so that wasn’t too taxing but in the interest of preserving my core group of readers back home (and some of my dignity) we’ll leave it in English from here on I think. As I said, it’s my last day before heading on to New Zealand, but before I get all nostalgic and try to decide on a way to sum up [View Full Entry]

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...here are a few photos from the last week James and I spent in Uruguay. The lemon detox thing has been completed... result: I don't feel any different... well maybe a bit more in touch with my feminine side!! and maybe a bit less squidgy round the edges....! ;-p But it did make coming back to Buenos Aires for James’ last meal yesterday evening a real treat to look forward to. La Cabrera is one of the best steak restaurants in BA at the moment - and that's saying something - with what can now sit at the top of the [View Full Entry]

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So - Ushuaia… the southernmost town of note in the world… situated at the base of the large island known as Tierra del Fuego (land of fire), which forms the tip of South America’s “cone”. Ushuaia itself is a busy port town, with a population of some 45,000 catering for a thriving shipping and tourism industry (this is of course the jumping off point for most tourists heading to the Antarctic). It is, by and large, a pretty unimpressive looking town, but its beauty lies in its setting. From the base of the mountains behind it, it looks south over the [View Full Entry]

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