http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/mod83/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from mod83 en-us Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:57:50 +0000 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:57:50 +0000 Hi all My travel notes are a slight departure from the norm this time round as I decided to visit Myanmar over Easter home to an oppressive military regime and target of an international tourism boycott. My reasons for going are set out below and I attempted to minimise the amount of money I gave to the regime though this was not always straightforward.Burma will be here for many years so http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Burma/blog-262965.html Solo backpacking 19th July 31st July 2006Hi ho from The Lao People's Democratic Republic where's the hell's Laos Map. One of the last quiet places on Earth only a million visitors make it to this landlocked communist state each year. The exFrench colony still feels like a secret and lives up to all the hype you hear on the backpacker trail. Plus although it's the least visited and po http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/blog-86012.html January 3rd 2006 9th July 19th July 2006. After seeing the North at Christmas I'm back in 'Nam now primarily so I can use the phrase back in 'Nam but also to check out Saigon and some of the coastal towns. I suffered couple more traumas this week as if various tropical diseases and snakes in backpacks weren't enough during my travelshellip I can afford nicer hostels but find myself wit http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/blog-86010.html Solo backpacking 29th June 9th July 2006Johm riab sua from Phnom Penh Cambodia's capital back here after 2 days in the equally unpronounceable beach town of Sihanoukville The trip began with the notorious border crossing the transition from Thailand is far from graceful or gradual Cambodia hits you like a wet Mekong River trout to the face. Poipet the infamous border town is very m http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/blog-85998.html Solo backpacking 15th June 29th June 31st July 10th August 2006It's not every week you get to cuddle a tiger ride an elephant and bike and raft through the jungle ... On my first couple of days here I saw the Grand Palace a massive golden reclining Buddha and a huge weekend market just on the city outskirts which aside from a puppy and kitten section has a big 'bra section' in which http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/blog-85995.html EMAIL 8 Friday February 2ndClashing with the British Ambassador saturating the Hong Kong press again selling a hole wild monkeys and awesome Year of the Dog celebrations an eventful month in Honkers.Yesterday Phil and I went with some friends to the beach 25c in midWinter ha and achieved two world firsts we sold a hole twice and photographed a Buddhist monk in the said hole. It wa http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Hong-Kong/blog-64581.html A 24hour train doorsteptodoorstep all of Chinese civilisation literally whizzing past on a direct route to Beijing. I went for the cheap sleeper option which was fine although the squat toilet was pretty foul by the next day and as I was on the top bunk I kept banging my head on the roof. The sadistic driver seemed to have a penchant for hard braking causing the carriages to suddenly ba http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangxi/Yangshuo/blog-54835.html 26th December 2005 Email JournalIt was an intense first night in Hanoi a real assault on the senses. I also got my testicles grabbed by a passing bloke on a scooter. I was all up for exuding cultural sensitivity treading lightly and with humility in a country that noone could even visit 20 years ago and then someone goes and grabs your jiblets on Christmas Eve. Itrsquos not what you want r http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Red-River-Delta/Hanoi/blog-34159.html EMAIL 5 Thursday November 17th PeepsHowrsquos Ingerland working outMy schoolrsquos currently on total lockdown itrsquos lsquoshowtimersquo as the school inspectors prowl the corridors lurk in dark corners lsquoshadowrsquo selected students inspect teacherrsquos records and generally strike terror deep into the hearts of all my colleagues. Irsquove never seen anything li http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Hong-Kong/Kowloon/blog-32193.html EMAIL 1 Thursday August 25th.How's tricks guysThis place is nuts loads to tell coming to the end of our training told everyone my name was 'tommy' which has kept me highly entertained. Amazing how quickly itrsquos all become so normal and Irsquove just scored a LUSH city apartment living with a textbook hippy ginger scouser called Danielle Naturally.The flight experience was comed http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Hong-Kong/Kowloon/blog-23485.html HOLA met some awesome people here in Barcelona and would you check out the weather proper quality.... a week's solo backpacking has been a welcome change from a spooky weekend spent alone in my 1200 capacity halls kakking myself every time the flats creaked or made a noise... apologies in advance for any typos keyboard is littered with crazy etc... In fact a lot of http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Catalonia/Barcelona/blog-12792.html EMAIL HOME 3405 dobry denrsquo from Prague everybody wersquove been having such a ball in Czech rep. this week 14 of us our hostel is tremendous the architecture incredible the beerrsquos cheaper than the water and Irsquove slept a total of 15 hours in 4 days.Saw two of the creepiest things Irsquove ever seen this week. First we were walking past the telecommunications tower http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Czech-Republic/Prague/blog-12791.html Solo Adventure in Egypt Tom GrundyEMAIL ONE of TWOFri 17 Dec 2004 1921pm Cairo.Hey dudesI'm in bloody Egypt aint I am minus any underwear and cash cards but have been gallivanting around the pyramids the nile and all manner of museums. Read onhellip.. It was pleasant charter flight full of package tourists was at Brum airport from 4am. full of screeching children checking in for Lap http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/blog-10298.html Sponsored hitchhike to Morocco Tom Grundy ldquoNous faisons lrsquoautostop au Maroc pour un organisation benevolerdquo I ineloquently announced to a burly trucker with my GCSE French spluttering back into life. All the truck drivers on board fitted the stereotype neatly yet despite their tattooridden bearded meaty brinkofviolence appearance they were all incredibly friendly and sym http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Morocco/blog-10295.html Development work in India by Tom GrundyTo be fair 45c is just unnecessary. Therersquos really no need for such blistering heat particularly when yoursquore a ginger fairskinned Brummie. When I landed in Delhi this summer India was approaching the end of its worse heat wave in decades. The hot and sticky humidity made my month of backpacking around the North a bit of a sweaty struggle. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jodhpur/blog-10294.html Tom GrundyA hygiene freak I hated hot weather emitted impressively highpitched squeals in the presence of most insects and didnrsquot like children much. Initially teaching in a rural Ugandan school didnrsquot seem particularly alluring. Nevertheless Irsquod dropped out of University ten days before Fresherrsquos Week with an unprecedented desire to do take a year out to do something http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Uganda/blog-10293.html