pollywotsit

Foggy, dismal and pretty depressing in Sheffield at this time of year, when the sun doesn't shine! But all is OK as I am going to AFRICA within a week. I AM GOING ON HOLIDAY BY MYSELF, ALONE, WITH NO-ONE GOING WITH ME! I will hopefully meet up with like minded travellers. I am all inoculated up - everything is up to date; typhoid, tetanus, polio, all the hepatitis, diphtheria, polio, didn't need yellow fever, and my malaria tablets start on Wednesday! I have 3 initial challenges 1st how much I can get in to my smallest rucksack; this is because I get notoriously bored waiting for baggage at any airport so always try to fly light! 2nd is accepting my small rucksack is not big enough! 3rd packing; I normally do this around 40 minutes ... read more

I realise that 2 out of the three headline words could be titles for the most recent panorama production but don't get excited. All I am discussing here is elephants. Traveling alone can make for some very strange feelings and none more so than trying to decide what to do,or where to go. Days out normally involve discussions with friends or family... Here,the closest I have to a friend is the Russian lady who was having problems with judicial happenings and tits. So, when it came to wanting to spend a day with elephants I had to try to decide myself if me visiting these elephants was going to harm them in any way. I found another traveller who had been and he described his visit as a journalist; he was encouraging,so I went. Before arriving ... read more

Since seeing documentaries about Cambodia many years ago, featuring the floating villages, I have wanted to see them. It was one of those dreams that I didn't really think would come true. But it did, yesterday. And it was absolutely amazing. I loved every minute of it. I'll try not to bore you to death! The tuk-tuk driver from the hostel was great, again, and took me to Tonle Sap, near Sim Reap; it was a bumpy journey and when we arrived I was greeted by a long line of boats. Some big, some small, but all of them had a smiley happy owner with it. The cost to go to the village was just $1, I am sure that was wrong, but that is all he charged me at the ticket office near the boats. ... read more

10 hour bus trip today from bangkok to sim reap, had a few stops, sorted a Cambodian visa and crossed the border with no problems. It was a lot easier than I imagined, but was surprised at the amount of younger people getting worked up about it and couldn't decide if to go by taxi or bus after the border crossing. I had decided on taxi and clubbed together with a guy from Barcelona ( who moaned at everything!) and a young Japanese girl who kept shaking her head and saying "this don't make sense" Which was cute! At the border it was stinking hot, but I remembered you at home and smiled, and enjoyed it! In Cambodia today it is a huge festival for sending gifts to dead ancestors and it made me think, what ... read more

What a wonderful day yesterday, trip to London, beers with a lovely friend, and then arrived at the million mile long queue at border control (they were quick tho which is good as I'd lost track of time chatting away!) The flight was only memorable by the fact that I woke up having poured vodka on my leg... knew I was sleepy. As I am typing this accompanied by Thais, geckos and CHANG beer there could be Interesting sentences by the end. Oman. What is there to say about that? It is made of sand and ants That's it Both flights were long haul flights, a 7 hour and a 6.5 hour. Both were nearly empty too. Could lay down over 4 seats in the middle on the 2nd flight, that is why I didn't spil ... read more