The Great Escape

Spent a couple of days on all kinds of boats on the Mekong Delta. Really enjoyed it although the last hotel we stayed in was a rat infested dump. They made a big thing about staying in this floating hotel. It was filthy. Don't think they ever changed the sheets. We could hear the rat in the bathroom trying to get in. We saw his evidence in the morning!

Took the fast boat to Cambodia. Crossing the border was easy. Stayed in the capital, Phnom Penh for a few days. This country has been through a lot. They are very poor. The Teoul Slong torture museum and the killing fields were shocking. Went onto Siem Reap. Excited about seeing Angkor Wat but it was ridiculously hot in Cambodia. We got up at 6am and by 7.30am we were sweating at 36 degrees. We only managed half a day and Dean sat in the tuk tuk with the driver for the last two temples.

Flew to Bangkok and stayed in the notorious Khoa San Road...nightmare!! Full of bars and stalls, people getting tattoos in the street. Lots of wierdos (tourists not locals). Got no sleep as they party all night here. Moved to Siam Square next day. Much better. Took the river boats to sightsee and had a nose down Pat Pong at night.

Had a late flight to Mumbai, India. Landed at 3.30am and did'nt get out of the airport until 6am.....welcome to India!! An hour late we eventually checked into our hotel......another dirty rat room. We are worn out and in need of some home comforts so we have decided to come home a few weeks earlier.

After moving hotels again we have loved Mumbai and vowed to come back to India in a couple of years to finish what we started....

Looking forward to coming home

Juliet and Dean
x

Hi all,

Still having a really great time in Vietnam. We left the madness of Hanoi on the 2nd and took the overnight train to Sapa. This is where all the local villages are and we were able to hire a guide to have a look around. We arrived just as the goverment were making a delivery of supplies and not wanting to let the kids carry all the heavy stuff....we offered to help. After a mile uphill with blazing heat we had to ask where the hell the school was!!

We moved onto the old capital city of Hue on the 5th and did some amazing tours. The old forbidden city was really interesting - its where the old kings used to live with their many many (100+) wives. We also went to the tombs (which are really big) of 2 of the kings - Minh Mang and Khai Dinh.

After Hue we went to Hoi An. Quite possibly the nicest place we have been to in Vietnam. Its set on the river and has got old French buildings which are now local restaurants and bars. We stayed here for Chinese New Year (of the Tiger) which went off with a bang. The locals put floating candles in the river at 11pm and then at 12...set off a massive firework display before singing Abba's Happy New Year! Funny but really nice. We had a few relaxing days in Hoi An around the 4* hotel down the road. The pool was amazing and some days we just had it to ourselves.

We both really fancied doing scuba diving so we headed to Nha Trang which is the prime diving spot. What we didnt know was that this is where the Vietemese come for their holidays. It was a bit packed on the beach but still nice. The hotels were charging ridiculours prices for basic rooms so we didnt stay long. We did, however, manage to go diving. It was amazing! Boat ride out, all the gear (no idea), private tuition, 45min dive with instructor, lunch and snorkling gear for 30pound! One of the best things we have done.

At the moment we are in Ho Chi Minh City....but everyone here still calls it Saigon. We had a trip to the Cu Chi tunnels yesterday which was fascinating. How they built those tunnels is unbelivable....250km of them. We went undergound for 100m and couldnt wait to get out. Dark, cramped and damn right hot! We also went to the War Musuem afterwards which, to be honest, was a bit grim. It had very bad propaganda....

Anyways, its 11am here and we have decided to have a day at the water park!

Off to the Mekong Delta tomorrow before heading into Cambodia.

Hope everyone is well.

Dean & Juliet.

Hanoi is crazy but first we have to tell you about Hong Kong. Loved it, loved it, loved it. Did all the touristy things like getting the tram up to the Peak for great views of the harbour, watching the light show at night, riding the trams, walking around the parks and haggling in the night markets. One of my favourite things were the escalators they had in the steep streets. You just jumped on and they took you up the hill past all the restaurants and shops and you could see people getting their hair done - it was fascinating.

We had some great food. At lunchtime we ate with all the locals in canteen type places. The food was cheap and delicious. At night we went for international food around Soho.

We had a couple of excursions, a hairy double decker bus ride up the winding roads to the Stanley, a seaside resort also known for its markets. One day we took a ferry to Lantau Island to see the Big Buddha. He is huge. We then took a 4 mile cable car ride over the mountains and sea back to the centre. It was very steep and high up and the wind was blowing the car a bit but the scenery was great.

We took the short flight to Hanoi, Vietnam into a culture shock. There are so many cars, motorbikes, cyclos and bikes all fighting for road space and all very found of using the horn!! Trying to cross the road is an experience. There are no gaps so you just have to start walking, don't look back and hope for the best.

We went further north to Halong Bay and took a 2 day tour on a junk. Had our own little cabin with private bathroom and everything. It was very quiet and peaceful, a huge contrast to Hanoi. We will be getting the overnight train tonight up to Sapa which is an old hill station and where all the minority people live (old village tribe). We are hoping to fit in the water puppet show before we go.

After that if we have'nt been run over by motorbikes we will be heading South.

Hi all,

Sorry for the delay in updating. Having a really good time in Australia...although it has been very very hot. Landed in Sydney on the 4th Jan and met mum (Mavis) at the airport...she didnt look too bad after her 24hr flight. Felt like we did loads in Sydney...all the sights, beaches (Manly, Bondi and Coogee) and even had time to go and see the Kangaroos, Koalas and Tazmanian Devil in the wildlife park. Great fun. It was too hot somedays with temperatures reaching 35degrees.

Headed off to the outback on the 11th - Alice springs only to find out it was even hotter! Stayed in Kings Canyon for 1 night, Ayres rock for 2 before setting back to Alice Springs. Long long drives but really enjoyed it....even if I did keep an eye open for red back spiders at all times!!!

We are in Port Douglas now and have been upgraded into a deluxe villa....you should see it. Its like a house...2 floors and all the mod cons and a fantastic pool view. Loving it. Very tropical weather around here, 1 minute the sun is blazing and the next its raining...like it is at the moment. Oh well...its still 32degrees.

Looking forward to going to Hong Kong in the next few days but hoping to get a snorkling trip in on the barrier reef first.

Hope the weather is getting better at home.

Dean, Juliet and Mavis.

Can't begin to tell you how much we have enjoyed New Zealand. We left Wellington in the North Island and took the Interislander ferry to the South Island. Its one of the most scenic ferry journeys in the world as you pass through the Malborough Sounds (small green mountains rising out of the sea). We had the perfect day for it. We are still loving the camper van. We share the driving but I get shouted at a bit (Juliet). Had some fantastic walks, one of the best was the Queen Charlotte track.

We headed down the East Coast where one of the highlights was doing a heli hike up the Franz Josef Glacier. We took a very small (and very scary) helicopter up to near the top of the glacier and then went hiking over the ice with boots and crampons. We slid through ice caves and generally had a great time although it was sometimes unnerving as the ice is currently retreating and every now and then you got an ice fall that sounded like an avalance.

We were in Queenstown for Christmas. Went out for dinner on Christmas Eve at a nice restaurant on the lake with the sun shining. Christmas Day we drove to a quiet bay hoping to sunbathe and swim but it was a little cloudy. We did have xmas dinner in the campervan. Managed to find some Turkey - all the Kiwis have Ham.

We drove a really scenic route to Milford Sound where the scenery and nature is really wild and beauiful. We went kayaking on the Sound which was a really nice way to see it and had seals swimming round the kayaks.

In Wanaka for New Year where Dean did a tandem skydive. It was a perfect sunny day so he had great views of the lake. He was scared but loved it once the shute opened (45 second freefall). Have a look at the pics. We met some friendly Kiwis on the campsite who invited us to join them for drinks on New Years Eve. One of them even played the bagpipes at midnight.

We're in Christchurch now and have to hand back our camper tommorow. Then we fly to Sydney and a new adventure begins.....

Happy New Year to all our friends and family at home. Take care on the ice.

Juliet and Dean
x

ps - Bungy jump video link below: