We were up early to catch our bus to Halong bay. The drive took us through many towns and villages all looking a little tired and warn down, but each busy with people and buzzing with mopeds. After a while the bus pulled over and we were ushered off, we were not told why, or what would happen next, so we all stood on the roadside with our bags looking a little lost. It took some time for us to realise that we had been dropped at another bus station. It was just an open front shop with a lady sat behind a desk with a telephone so it was a little difficult to tell. After a 45 minute wait another bus turned up and the driver waved us on. We were driven down a very ... read more

At 10.20am we heard a knock at the door. There was Pete looking all fresh faced and wide awake - we could have done with an extra few hours but got up to join him for breakfast. Pete had been looking forward to his breakfast of fruit and yogurt which he remembered from his last trip, but as his breakfast was placed in front of him last nights late night caught up with him and he couldn't face eating a thing. After a long walk through shopping areas selling everything from jumpers to guns Pete felt the overwhelming urge for a nap. Was this last nights late night or was this the jet lag kicking in? In the evening we caught a taxi to the city and met a friend of Pete’s at the red sky ... read more

After breakfast I made I quick dash to a local stall to buy some trousers. As I child I had always wanted a pair of trousers like MC Hammer and now at 30 I was the proud owner of a pair. We wanted to visit some temples, but on our way to the first one we found out that it was a very important Buddhist day. Now we wondered if we would be allowed into any of the temples. When we arrived at Wat Thepthidaram we were relieved to find that there were no restrictions for visitors. Its a very impressive temple covering many floors. each floor also has different levels. There are many corridors to walk around and at each end of every corridor is a statue of Buddha. At the top we went outside ... read more

We couldn't go too far the following day as we needed to be back at the embassy to pick up our visas. After spending some time around the local markets we caught a much cheaper metered taxi to the embassy. The visa was a lot quicker to pick up than to arrange and we were soon staring at the very impressive looking stamp in our passports. We had been told that sourcing our malaria tablets while in Bangkok would not be a problem. Since arriving we had been to many places, but couldn't find it anywhere. At a pharmacy near the embassy we were advised to visit the hospital. The pharmacist gave us directions and looked relieved when we left taking off her surgical mask as we closed the door. The receptionist at the hospital told ... read more

When we arrived at Gem and Kieran’s Hilda was cleaned and ready to be picked up. The money had not cleared yet so we were pleased when she fitted in their secure underground car park. We spent the afternoon trying to sort through our stuff, throwing away what wasn't needed and trying (and failing) to fit the rest in our rucksacks - this would take many attempts! In the evening we went to Bryony and James' for dinner and some of Bryony's rather strong cocktails - we were not used to such luxury. The remainder of our time in Melbourne was spent re-packing our bags, going for dinner and drinks down Ackland street, visiting great city rooftop bars such as Madame Brussels with its tennis theme, Astroturf flooring and staff dressed in tennis outfits and spending ... read more