We are in Seoul on our way to Kunming and have still not seen one of our riders, Phil Heneghan. We are also due to meet up with John Hartigan from the USA. John turned up at Seoul having come back in time travelling westwards whilst we have gone forward 7 hrs. Phil eventually turned up at baggage reclaim in Kunming. Our flight was in at 10 but we were slowed down getting from airport by Phil having to go back in to reclaim something he had in his hand luggage and had to be sent to the hold. We found that is why we missed him at Heathrow since he was finding a way of keeping his object. Met our guides David, who happens to be the cousin of Tony our 2009 guide, and Michael ... read more

A one week tour around the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District followed by the Morecambe Bay. The group of ten riders set off from Billington, Nr Blackburn and cycled through the Hodder and Ribble Valleys to Hawes for an overnight stay at the Youth Hostel. The hostel is to be recommended with good clean accommodation and good food. The 600 year old Castle Bolton beckoned and its cafe for a pit stop before the steep climb at Redmire over to Grinton for lunch. Eat little and often is the key to hills. A long haul up the valley of Swaledale is rewarded with coffee and scones in Thwaite before the hard climb to Tan Hill for a quick beer. Drink and eat, drink and eat. A long fast descent to Kirkby Stephen in the sun ... read more

Bright, clear day again as we set off on ’MV Lord of the Isles’ to Colonsay, where we are also to visit Oronsay on foot as we did with Erraid yesterday. Due to the ferry timetable we will stay on the island until tomorrow night. I do not think this large ferry will pay for itself today since there are only four cars a small lorry, two bicycles and a handful of foot passengers. We must almost equal the crew. The journey goes down by Kerrera, Seil, Easdale and Luing islands, which are interesting to see from another angle. The ferry on its outward leg goes through the Great Race at the Gulf of Corryvreckan with its turbulent water and dangerous tidal streams. Even a boat of this size was being thrown about needing constant steering ... read more

Yesterday we went into Tobermory for a meal and walked into the MacDonald Arms only to be met by Rob, whose house we stayed on in Portree, Skye. He had been skippering a boat with a group of young people all week. They were from all walks of life and had been observing and recording dolphins and whales in the Western Isles for statistical purposes. Amongst the team was a young lady from Low Moor, Clitheroe, who is an ecologist. It certainly is a small world. We also met a nice young American man whose base is in Washington DC, but appears to travel the world working out of his rucksack advising on charity and trustee projects etc. An interesting life I suppose but I am sure it will get lonely at times. We were away ... read more

A day off today since we are travelling to Oban to continue our visit to the remaining Inner Hebrides, missed on the way North due to the Ferry Timetable. We went to see the film “Whisky Galore” last night which was based on the story of the SS Politician, which went down off Eriskay Island in 1941, which is just above Barra and across the sound. The ship hit the rocks full of whisky but but just before it went down the locals salvaged several hundred crates of whisky and hid them from the authorities who chased them down with limited success. The film stars notables such as James Robertson Justice and Gordon Jackson, is quite humorous and was filmed in Castlebay on the south of Barra. The town has has changed a bit with more ... read more