chipsandgravy

It’s been a long time since I wrote a blog on a bus. Proably since South America. We’re on a proper double decker bus like the ones we used to travel on in South America with comfy seats, snacks and a toilet that really smells and doesn’t have a locking door (obviously). We’ve just left a town called Sukhothai, Thailand and are bound for Bangkok. In South American bus styleee we have already sat through three movies in a variety of languages, none of which were played the entire way through. Fortunately though they have now put on a dvd that works, unfortunately it is literally the worst form of entertainment possible. If you are not familiar with what constitutes entertainment in Asia (and I’m not talking about what you’re thinking about) it is normally a ... read more

Nam ’71, I was posted out at Camp Hollaway in the Central Highlands. We were on a counter guerrilla operation in the jungle. But that was no mission man, it was suicide. It was a set up. There was Charlie all around us. There was no way out man. We were just like sitting ducks on a Mississippi hog farm. Not one person came back alive from our platoon that day apart from Rocky and I. I carried that boy over my shoulder for 9 days through the bush. We had to drink each others urine to stay alive. That kid nearly broke my spleen but I had to carry him, I made a promise to his Momma. You weren’t there, you don’t know what it was like man………. Uh sorry about that. I was just ... read more

It’s just turned 12 noon and we’re still in our PJ’s, sat on our balcony overlooking lake Toba on the beautiful island of Sumatra, Indonesia. There is an old Indonesian guy in the room next to us singing along to the Smiths, the sun is shining; the temperature is perfect and the scenery stunning. Judith’s relaxing, having a cup of tea, reading the Lonely Planet and Footprint guidebooks planning the next leg of the trip. She’s debating whether we should head to Bali or travel straight to Cambodia. I on the other hand am desperately trying to clench my butt cheeks together as hard as I can to stop a repeat of what has made me so well acquainted with the toilet in the past 24 hours. We arrived in Sumatra about a week ago and ... read more

G’day Bro’s Happy Valentines Day! Yes they even celebrate this crap here in New Zealand. Oh yes and there are Easter eggs in the shop already. How splendid. It is more like England out here than you think. Eerily like England. They drive on the left, there’s an obesity problem, erm people speak English. Actually I think that’s about it. We have just arrived in South Island and have pulled in to a delightful campsite on the river front about 30km from the Marlborough Sound. No its not a music festival sponsored by a tobacco company, no no no, it’s a series of bays, islands, coves and waterways formed by the sea flooding its deep valleys after the ice ages, or summat. I’m not saying that our trip has turned into a year long Geography field ... read more

Happy New Year Comrades O…M…G I am like so travel (holiday) fatigued right now. I am looking forward to going back to work for a bit of a break. I’m going to totally like rest up in this hostel for a few days just to get my breath back and get me undies washed an that cos I’ve been turning them inside out for a few days now and I can’t remember which way up they are supposed to be. I’m not holiday fatigued really but I do need to wash me duds. Why am I telling you about my grundies you ask? I don’t know. Why don’t you ask your local MP or whatever. We’re in Boquete, Panama. Judith’s bricking it, thinking we’re going to end up in that prison of Prison Break season 2. ... read more