A quick search of this website reveals that, aside from an American chap working in Turkmenistan posting his contact details, the last tourist entry for this country was September 2001. So it's hardly surprising then that of all the places we'd planned to visit on this trip the one that aroused the most curiosity amongst our friends prior to departure was undoubtedly Turkmenistan. Those who had heard of it (and they were by no means the majority) had heard of it only in the context of some outrage enacted by the eccentric (some would say insane) president - the ice hotel [View Full Entry]

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We thought that after 5 months of travelling we'd be starting to feel a little road weary but now that we've reached that minor milestone, far from been tired of living out of a backpack our first few days here in China have left us really really excited about the next 10 weeks in the middle Kingdom. We've spent the last 2 weeks racing across the western deserts of this vast country in order to get to Beijing (where we're currently at) in time to meet my mother, who has arrived safe and well. But to talk about China too much [View Full Entry]

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After a stupendous couple of weeks in the more remote regions of what is by any standards a pretty remote country, Kyrgyzstan, we're now back in the southern capital of Osh getting ready to cross into China via the Irkeshtam pass. When I say getting ready all I really mean is finishing this asap so we can get some sleep b4 the taxi arrives at 2 tomorrow morning. A tad expensive though as we couldn't find anyone to share costs with. Anyone fancy a trip to China tomorrow? Just turn up at the Taj Mahal hotel. The Kyrghz border closing at [View Full Entry]

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So we finally managed to escape Istanbul (mid March), albeit visaless, and continue our Turkish travels after two somewhat frustrating weeks. We aren't complaining really (well not too loudly anyway) as Istanbul should be high on everyone's list of places to spend a little quality visa limbo time, but if I ever run into that Mr B again..... With visa worries temporarily forgotten we set off for a destination I've been dying to visit for, well let's see now, just about all of my life - Gallipoli! A mere 7 hour bus trip from the metropolis brought us to the village [View Full Entry]

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Ah, I see from Rob's previous blog that I have been implicated as a partner in crime for the tardiness of our travel updates ("we" blew it??). To be fair, it hasn't always been due to someone procrastinating. 8 months sounds like a lot of time to be taking off but we are constantly amazed at how little time we have left at the end of the day for reading and writing when there are so many kilometres to be spanned, places to visit, people to see.........I can't explain. Internet availability and connections have also been patchy. I'm currently on a [View Full Entry]

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Before we left on our travels we'd discussed the prospect of eating out - everyday. Well, 4 months down the road, I can assure you it's been all good - we haven't missed doing dishes and there's one less thing to squabble over. There has been the odd day when we wished we had access to a kitchen to whip up some decent pasta or some spicy Malaysian curry but on the whole we have been quite happy letting someone else do the drudgery of cooking and cleaning whilst we lounge away on divans laden with food and drink like nobles [View Full Entry]

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Hi all Remember how we promised to get things up to date before leaving Iran? Well, we blew it I'm afraid and a proper rundown of the last 6 weeks in Turkey and Iran (as well as KP's foodie post) will just have to wait until we hit Uzbekistan. We're in Mashad, north west Iran, right now and will get up at the ungodly hour of half 4 tomorrow morning (20th April) to catch our taxi to the Turkmen border. From there we'll be whisked away by our local guide to the ancient city of Merv, which hasn't been properly inhabited [View Full Entry]

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Here's a helpful hint to start our first blog update in a month - the next time you're in Istanbul looking for an Iranian visa what ever you do don't try to find it in the Iranian consulate cause it ain't there! And if you should ever bump into Mr B from that consulate (bad form to mention his full name but Kiwis will get it when I say that it sounds just like what everyone gets at the warehouse) flee as fast as you can (but not before giving him a cheery wee poke in the eye from me) before [View Full Entry]

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Arrived in Hama with a grumpy husband in tow. We left Beirut on a servis (essentially a shared taxivan) and the driver had charged us USD10 each whıch we stupidly agreed to wıthout negotıatıon. 10 dollars would be consıdered faırly good value for a 4 hour journey anywhere ın the developed world but thıs beıng Lebanon, we found out latterly from the other passengers we shouldn't have paıd more than 7 dollars. I couldn't be fagged going after the guy after a 4 hour journey and those who know Rob wıll know how much he loves confrontatıo [View Full Entry]

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So our saviour wished us as he waved us off after showing us where we had taken a wrong turn. In the suburbs to the east of central Beirut, the lingua franca of many of it's inhabitants is french (arabic ıs reserved for speakıng to the servants and the hoi polloi), and in Gemmeyzeh where we lived, one could be forgiven for mistaking it for a Parisienne quarter in France. Walkıng through the area, we would come across old women natterıng to each other ın French across theır geranıums, hıp young women talking ınto theır cellphones at top speed - [View Full Entry]

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