It's a measure of how chilled Laos is when...you have to wake drivers from hammocks strung inside their tuk-tuks...the breakfast you ordered arrives at lunch...and the unofficial national dress appears to be Hawaiian shirts! As we've willingly slipped into slow motion since arriving, we decide to extend our visas - it may take the ten extra days for the next meal to arrive:) We rise up from the sleepy south to the capital city of Vientiane. La ville CAPITALE Vientiane is a lower case version of typical Asean capital cities - it's between the size of a large town and a [View Full Entry]

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If I was to compare SE Asia to a compilation of musical genres...Vietnam's chaotic energy with undertones of cynical agression would scream punk...Cambodia's persevering struggle to overcome loss would be singin' the blues...And, Laos' laidback attitude would have to be reggae. We had absolutely no preconceptions about this small country congested between dominating land masses in every direction. But, without any expectations, Laos would soon become the utopia we have been searching for. It is, simply, the most relaxing traveling experience in SE Asia and, within an hour of arriving, we ar [View Full Entry]

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We celebrate six months travels with sad smiles. Still appreciating every moment, but aware we're now half the world away from...whatever happens next. Thoughts of home have gradually faded with time - nostalgia...it's not what it used to be! And, we've come to realise there are few things that we actually miss. The exception, of course, is family and friends. We've sorely missed family occasions from new births to age old anniversaries. And, while we've made new friends in fair weather, absent ones are always on our minds. Fortunately, we've seen familiar faces in Brazil and will soon [View Full Entry]

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At first, crossing the transparent border that separates Vietnam from Cambodia feels like a seamless transition between two countries cut from the same cloth. Our boat meanders a course against currents of Mekong River that have migrated all the way from Tibet, passing similar tropical landscapes thriving in the moist heat and familiar figures crowned in conical straw hats. But, as we travel inland, subtle threads of difference start unraveling. By the time we've reached the capital, Phnom Penh, it's obvious that, while Cambodia shares the same staple ingredients as its Asean neighbour, it [View Full Entry]

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Same-same but different We put a great divide between north and south Vietnam that exchanges anagrams from Hanoi to Hoi An. Like many countries, there's a disparity between the two poles that smiles more brightly on the south - the weather and the people feel instantly warmer. Really old skool - Hoi An Hoi An is an historical old town steeped in centuries of Vietnamese culture. The streets are decorated with antiquated houses and ornate temples that lead to a picturesque riverside market. At night, the water reflects glowing lanterns from rows of traditional handicraft stalls that line th [View Full Entry]

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Good morning Vietnam! As we step out of Hanoi airport in the early hours of the morning we are greeted by two assaults to the senses that will become synonymous with SE Asia. The thick aired humidity, which feels like a thousand strangers touching you at the same time, and the deafening sound of an overcrowded city. I immediately get the horn... That is, the ear piercing alarm that echoes relentlessly from a million mopeds vying for space on the suicidal roads. It's Vietnam's only defensive driving technique and deemed safe enough to supercede the rules of red lights, blind overtaking [View Full Entry]

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We leave New York on a Tuesday morning and arrive in Tokyo on Wednesday afternoon - having sacrificed sleep for films and a free bar. What immediately strikes us about Japan is the peaceful serenity, especially having come from the chaos of Rio and NYC. Manners maketh Japan The people are impeccably polite and the city is immaculately clean. Passengers sit in virtual silence on the ultra-efficient trains. Pedestrians walk on organised sides of the pavement. And, no one crosses the street without the green light's permission. Social etiquette reigns supreme - although exceptions to this rul [View Full Entry]

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I got chills, they're multiplying It's hard to believe that we were sunning ourselves on Copacabana Beach only hours before we land at JFK Airport (the F stands for fucking freezing!). It's -3C in New York and my tan starts fading as soon as we step off the plane. We're staying on Manhattan's Westside (where else) but, since we've arrived too early to check-in, we're forced out into the cold breach. Decide to visit the nearby Natural History Museum - it's surprisingly awe inspiring and makes our own version look like an ancient relic. Wander and wonder at prehistoric skeletons and [View Full Entry]

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Rain it on Rio We leave the Bahia sunshine for a rainy day in Rio...again! It's our second visit to the so-called Cidade Maravelosa but, in Dickensian terms, our Great Expectations fall on Hard Times. With the weather crying down on Christ's statue we seek santuary in a Churrasco restaurant. It's an all you can eat BBQ that raises the steaks - even Chris would struggle to stay the endless courses of meat. In an effort to save money we stay in a 12-bed dorm, which would give an insomniac nightmares (if that isn't a contradiction). And, I find that cigarette [View Full Entry]

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Episode Three: Trancoso Trancoso is a magical village, which centres around a grassy common that could easily be mistaken for a typical English country green...straight outta Trumpton! During the day, unbridled horses graze on the square leading to a whitewashed church settled on a cliff edge - which even a blind man could see is a bluff overlooking the ocean. Stand at the end and you can see a tricolor band of rainforest, sand and sea - bearing the green, gold and blue colours of the Brazilian flag. By night, the trees sheltering the high-end restaurants and guest houses that surround [View Full Entry]

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