I have been elected to write the story of when we climbed the mountain. It was bloody hard, but we did it! It was every bit as amazing as we hoped it would be. After the fiasco that was trying to organise our own independent trip up Mount Kinabalu we decided to just head to the Park HQ which is at 1700m and try and organise it there. The Lonely Planet had filled us with hope that we could just rock up, chose a guide, buy a permit and off we go. It certainly wasn’t that easy but we managed it. Unfortunately Stu was still complaining of feeling ill, although the squits had long since passed. But we hoped that a few days of healthy mountain air and clean living would sort it out. So with ... read more

Right then cowboys and cowgirls it has been a long time since we last spoke. How are you’ all doing? Well, considering that we have not kept you in touch with our travel progress I must first apologise. “Sorry.” Secondly I will inform you of the reason why - we have been rushed off our feet recently, meetings (Getting to know all about the wonderful animals out there in this world), deadlines (Catching international flights from tropical destination to beach paradise) and of course presentations for the boss (Well we can’t divulge that information - top secret). I am confident that all of you out there in the powerful world of business, with the ever pressured turmoil of juggling your busy career, can empathise with us. So with out further a do, or a don’t, lets ... read more

Congratulations Marie and Ben on the birth of your baby girl on 26th March 8lbs 4oz !! Our next plan was to head for Thailand's southern beaches and perhaps do some island hopping on the west coast, which by all accounts, and from previous experiences, we had heard was the best. Less developed, more chilled. After the trek we returned to Chang Mai for one night only. We were dusty, dirty and tired. We decided to give the 'Smile' - not! a miss and booked into the 'Green Tulip' - a lurid lime green building, but new and modern inside, with comfy beds (no bugs!). It had shared bathrooms, but they were so clean and plentiful we decided to give it a go. After 2 nights of sleeping in huts on the floor in the jungle ... read more

I have just spent the last 1 hour writing this blog then accidently managed to loose it all...despite the autosave feature! So the second time round might be a bit rubbish and much shorter!! Hi to everyone, I have a few things to say first: Happy Birthday MARK you old git! ...hugs from me and kisses from Stu xxxxx Marie and Ben....we are thinking of you, our fingers are crossed. Sorry we haven't been in touch but we have been moving around a fair bit and haven't had time. Also the internet has been more expensive in Thailand....and often slower. Thank you to everyone who has sent us messages, its great to get them. Hope you all had a good easter! Apologies in advance to Powells...for the lack of school boy humour compared to Stu's blog, ... read more

For all you lovers out there, a blog surrounded with hearts, kisses and little bit of love. We arrived in Phnom Penh on the day before Valentines day after being dropped off by our tour company at a hotel that they suggest we stay in. No, No No we have booked a far cheaper place around the corner that was suggested to us by our Halong Bay buddies, Darren and Amanda. We took a Tuk Tuk (Not east to say with these teeth) over to our hotel, the Okay guesthouse and were pleasantly surprised with our room and accommodation. A lovely stately room with black teak furniture and amenities that we are becoming used too. As we had arrived in a fresh new country with empty bellies with thought that a quick jaunt around the town ... read more