http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Orla---Steve/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Orla Steve en-us Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:51:54 +0000 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:51:54 +0000 So it was another early start up at 7 o'clock so we could get some breakfast at the market and make it back to the hotel in time for the 830 speedboat.We had a 7 hour journey ahead of us but it was pleasant. Going anywhere by boat avoids crazy drivers bumpy roads and dust.The border crossing between Vietnam and Cambodia was like none we've ever seen before with lots of boats and coconut trees http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/South/Phnom-Penh/blog-118399.html Here's a piccie of the ring Steve presented Orla with at the summit of Mount Kinabalu. How could she resist http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Mount-Kinabalu/blog-138777.html En route to Dalat we stopped for 15 minutes to look at a Cham tower and also had a lunch stop at about 11am We finally arrived in Dalat at 2pm. The minute we got off the bus the heavens opened. The bus had stopped at their affiliated hotel which was too expensive for us so we dashed across the road and into a rundown looking hotel charging 5 a night much more our style We asked to lo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Central-Highlands/Da-Lat/blog-115741.html The bus took about 5 hours to get to Ho Chi Minh City. It dropped us off in the heart of backpackersville and close to a couple of decent cheap hotels we had read about in our guide book. Outside 1 a tout told us it was full. Of course we didn't believe him but when we went in to check the receptionist confirmed what he said. The tout waiting outside said he would show us another hotel ne http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-116347.html We got the sleeper train to Hue at 8pm. Before the train left Steve went to buy beer from a vendor on the platform. The beer was very expensive just like railway stations everywhere and he tried haggling with the lady unsuccessfully. When he tried charming her she threatened to charge him extra Onboard we were joined in our compartment by a middleaged German woman Charlie and her Am http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/North-Central-Coast/Hue/blog-115716.html We landed in Hanoi airport at about 4pm. We'd booked a hostel over the internet and the owner David arranged a free taxi to pick us up which was great.We were staying at AZ Queen's Hostel in the Old Quarter. When we checked in David's sister was on reception and she made us cup of tea lovely We started to browse through tour brochures in reception then she said we could take the inform http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Red-River-Delta/Hanoi/blog-115701.html So much for the bus taking 10 hours We arrived at Shenzhen 14 hours after boarding and a horrendous night. The journey was really uncomfortable the beds too short the road so bumpy we got about 2 hours kip all night. We couldn't wait to get off.We walked to border immigration which was a quick painless process and made our way to Noble Hostel in Causeway Bay. Our 'Rough Guide' said it w http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Hong-Kong/Hong-Kong-Island/blog-115472.html At Guilin airport there was a CITSoperated shuttle bus to the city centre. We explained that we wanted to get a bus to Yangshuo so the shuttle stopped near the train station where the Yangshuo buses also congregate. As soon as we approached the station a tout intercepted us and told us the bus was about to leave and cost 50 Yuan. We knew it sounded too much and had read in the guide book th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangxi/Yangshuo/blog-111520.html Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Koh ChangMissing all our family and friends. We raised a toast to you all from Khlong Prao beach this morning. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central-Thailand/Ko-Chang/blog-113468.html The bus took 5 hours to get to Wuhan from Yichang 1 hour of it spent crawling through Wuhan traffic. When we arrived no taxis would take us to Wuhan Pathfinder Hostel eventually a woman in a private car who was hanging around the taxi rank took us for 20Y which is way too much for the length of journey. She didn't know where it was and we had a badly printed map from the internet. We took a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Hubei/Wuhan/blog-111508.html Our flight arrived in Chongqing about 20 minutes early which was great as we hadn't anticipated being in bed until about 2am. The taxis are very efficiently organised at the airport and we just needed to tell an official where we were going she wrote it down and passed it to the metered taxi driver. Seemed easy except our driver was a complete git. First of all he drove to the petrol station http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Chongqing/Chongqing/blog-111462.html The flight only took about an hour from Chengdu and there was an airport transfer bus to Lijiang centre where numerous taxis were available so it was a pretty easy journey. The taxi dropped us just outside the old quarter as it is pedestrianised then we made our way through narrow streets and alleyways to our chosen guesthouse 'The First Bend Inn'. We've no idea how we found it it was pure http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Lijiang/blog-111452.html We stayed in a place called Mix Hostel but again because we'd booked a double room they actually put us in a hotel just down the road. It's a good way to get to stay in a hotel for cheaper cheaper priceWe went with Darryl for a walk around the area near Wenshu Temple which wasn't far from Mix. It's an arty area and all looked quite new although it has been built in a traditional style. W http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Sichuan/Chengdu/blog-109745.html We arrived in Datong really early in the morning something like 630 and found the CITS office in the station. Three other backpackers also made their way into the office and we sat while the guide explained our tour options. We all signed up to go to Yungang Caves and the Hanging Temple leaving at 9 o'clock. CITS told us there were no train tickets left for onward travel to Xian so we wo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shanxi/Datong/blog-109244.html We arrived at UB train station at 8am and were met by a guide and driver from Black Ibex. They took us to our hotel Ulaanbaatar Hotel we were amazed and delighted that we seemed to be staying in the poshest hotel in the city George Bush has stayed here and while we were there the Korean Minister for Security was also there.We checked into our luxury pad and Orla got excited about the fre http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Mongolia/Ulaanbaatar/blog-99460.html We left the hostel at 0640 Orla was in a terrible state of shock finding she is up earlier everyday travelling than she ever is for work at homeIt took 3 hours in a cramped minibus to get to Jinshanling our starting point for our walk of the Great Wall. Our bus driver was a maniac so the drive seemed longerA German girl called Andrea asked if she could walk with us. She was really nice http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Beijing/Great-Wall-of-China/blog-99963.html Arrived in Beijing 330pm really looking forward to our stay in China. Wow What a difference After the quiethardly a sole for miles Mongolia the hustle bustle of Beijing's main train station was quite daunting. The place was buzzing we just stood in the plaza outside the station taking it all in for a few minutes. After composing ourselves we found a very friendly taxi driver who had hea http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Beijing/blog-99955.html Got on train number 4 bound for Beijing at 2100 then it left at 2135. After the evil Tobias at Intourist had sent us 2nd class ticket vouchers even though we'd paid for 1st class and he'd ignored our complaint letter we were amazed and delighted to find our 1st class berth. Two beds bunks an armchair and table plenty of luggage space and a shared washbasin room with the couple next door http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Russia/blog-97078.html Arrived in Moscow and found our hostel Godzillas. Hostel ok but got eaten alive by mosquitoes on our first night welcome to travellingWe'd been up at 5 in the morning to catch our flight from Heathrow so were obviously delighted when the party people and the customary guitarplayer were in the kitchen next door to our room until 6 the next morning Orla asked for a new room the next day http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Russia/Northwest/Moscow/blog-93707.html In the final stages of preparations for our roundtheworld trip. Three weeks to go and counting Still the big hairdryer debate rages on It's the debate that's big not the hairdryer http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Wiltshire/Swindon/blog-82876.html