With the help of two young Chinese (especially the young girl) we know where to catch the bus from and what time it leaves 1050am. There is only one bus to Wuyi Shan daily, so we must be on it. Breakfast this morning from a local bakery (cosy Y10 =$2) soft rolls with sausages and an egg. Trying to kill time before we go to the bus station – we have about 10-hour ride ahead of us. We are struggling to get used to our backpacks, but all the time taxis cost less than $2, we will be using them. Caught the bus successfully, but why, oh why, did no one tell us it was going to take 15 excruciating hours? Because we don’t speak Chinese that’s why. The bus cost Y124 ($27) and was another ... read more

Tony woke me about 5.30 am – apparently he couldn't sleep due to my snoring!! Decided to get up anyway & get an early start – going to catch a ferry to Macau today. Ate breakfast in our room (we bought cereal & milk yesterday) & were on our way by 7 am. Our first stop was the KCR station to see if we could buy train tickets for our trip to Shenzhen tomorrow. We had to walk a long distance through a flyover and several hotel lobbies before we found it, and then discovered you buy your tickets on the day. Tony yelled at me and made me cry. We then caught the ZMTR from Prince Edward Station to Sheung Wan, which is where the Macau ferry leaves from. The ferry costs HK141 (about $25) ... read more

Siem Reap was friendly laid back little down in those days so after breakfast we walked down to the markets near the river it is a hot 35-degree day and we can walk the streets with out the harassment we received in Hanoi. The markets were ok I bought a few bits and pieces and gave a little money to the land mine victims and lunch was pleasant, we returned to the hotel to chill until dinner time. We ventured back to a restaurant bar in the town centre for dinner that night which was apparently a favourite haunt of Angelina Jolie when she was filming Tomb Raider. Mark is sick again, so he decided to return to his hotel while I headed on to a night club, not sure what I expected but old perverts ... read more

On arrival back in Thailand we returned to our previous accommodation in Soi 11 this time checking into a better room with power points, it is a necessity as Mark is carrying a digital camera and mobile phones lol. We then went out for a few beers asking the local tuk-tuk drivers where to go but basically just chilling out. The next day was a veg day, we wandered through the shops on Sukhumvit Road before arranging a flight to Chiang Mai in the nations north then booked a room at Eagle House Hostel No.2. We arrived in cooler, quieter Chiang Mai around midnight and decided to visit the night market down near the river, things were winding down, so we moved on to the Nice Illusion night club which was welcoming aberration in the quiet ... read more

Mark Meyer and I are travelling to the countries of South East Asia I was bumped to another domestic flight but we will meet up in Sydney for the international portion of our journey to Thailand. The flight took nine hours and Mark didn’t like anything about the trip I can’t see him flying British Airways again in a hurry. The terminal was modern and clean so the walk outside was a shock to the system as the humidity was high and the noise pollution high. This is mark’s first trip to Asia so it must be a bit of a culture shock for him. We caught the airport bus to Sukamvit Road from where it was a short walk to our accommodation in Soi 11. My first impressions are of a hodgepodge of modern skyscrapers, ... read more