From the dark side of Cambodia to the Land of "She'll be right...no worries"

26/01/05 Wednesday (Day 58)

Off to Phnom Penh by bus again. On arrival we decided to stay in a guesthouse by the lakeside.


(Roadside on the way to Phnom Penh)


(Sunset from my Lakeside Guesthouse, Phnom Penh)

27/01/05 Thursday (Day 59)

We had a leisurely stroll to the S-21 camp in central Phnom Penh where Polpot's Khymer Rouge interrogtated and executed around 17000 prisoners. Apparently out of 17,000 prisoners brought there only 7 survived. Not exactly the most uplifting of experiences but definitely interesting.


(A Rather sobering picture of a death torture victim from the s-21 interogation camp)


(A picture of some young Khymer Rouge mercenaries)

28/01/05 Friday (Day 60)

Today we decide to visit the killing fields as we simply didn't have the stomach for it the previous day. Surprisingly its not as moving as S-21 probably due to the lack of man-made physical structures and background information (its basically a field with alot of hollows in it) .


(The Killing Fields)

Later we head back to town to explore the grand palace.

29/01/05 to 04/02/05 (Days 61 to 67)

Head for the sandy beaches of Sihanoukville, Cambodia. We eventually set up camp at the beautiful serendipity beach and apart from a single boat trip out to some of the islands (which culminated with three of us being driven back to our guesthouses on the back of the same moto) our time here is reasonably subdued, taken up mainly with some beach lazin and reading. I do manage to finish Angela's Ashes however and I simply can't understand what all the controversy was about. Personally I thought it was superbly written and simply hilarious in parts.


(Boat moored on the shores of the Island we visited)


(View of serendipity beach from Eden Bar)

05/02/05 Saturday (Day 68)

I finally leave Sihanoukville by taxi, all the way to Kampot.

The drive was a bit of a hairy experience to say the least, with the driver sitting up front wedged in between two passengers (he's sharing the driver's seat with one of them). His foot is firmly on the gas all the way. This guy thinks nothing of overtaking against clearly visible and extremely proximate on-coming traffic (invaribly buses and trucks). Over-taking on a bend and just below the crest of a hill are other favourites of his.

Eventually we get there in one piece.

06/02/05 Sunday (Day 69)

Off to Bokor hill-station resort on the back of a pick-up truck its a long bumpy ride but well worth it for the clean air and breathtaking scenery.


(View from Bokor hillstation just outside Kampot)

07/02/05 Monday (Day 70)

Head for Phnom Penh in order to catch the bus to Saigon

08/02/05 Tuesday (Day 71)

Up bloody early again at 5am to catch my bus at 6.30am only to be told that my guesthouse failed to confirm my place on the bus the previous day and so I'm stuck in Phnom Penh for one more day.

The whole place is celebrating the chinese new year so I ramble around town watching the celebrations and spend a few minutes in the national museum.


(TET celebrations in Phnom Penh)


(I finally bagged a full house)


(National Museum, Phnom Penh)

09/02/05 Wednesday (Day 72)

Finally I head for Saigon.

10/02/05 Thursday (Day 73)

After an hour on the phone changing flight dates I head off to the reunification palace (which is not really very palatial as it happens) and went on from there to the War Remnants Museum and stayed there until they kicked me out.


(View from the roof top of the reunification palace)


(The not very palatial looking reunification palace, Saigon, Vietnam)


(The traffic parts around me in Saigon)


(Traffic chaos, Saigon)

11/02/05 Friday (Day 74)

Off to visit the Cu Chi tunnels with two American guys I met on the bus to Saigon. After a short Pro VC propaganda video we were taken on a tour of the tunnels including a winding stretch which is 120 meters long and was bloody tough going as you have to squat down and scurry along. Our guide was practically running through it, I was the first in line behind him but I simply couldn't keep up. I was absolutely banjaxed at the end of it.


(Bat in the Cu Chi Tunnels)

On the way back we're dropped at the war remnants museum and I decide to go in again as I hadn't a enough time yesterday to read everything.

Its an excellent museum with lots of great photographs, which show the casualties and cruelties of war in vivid detail, mostly taken by the Americans or their allies.

12/02/05 Saturday (Day 75)

On the road again this time to the beach resort of Muine, Vietnam. Hired a bicyle and went for a short spin when I got there.


(Kids swimming, Muine, Vietnam)

13/02/05 Sunday (Day 76)

I got a moto driver to give me a tour of the main sights. Personally I thought that while the red sand dunes were quite impressive the rest were nothing special.


(Me on top of the red sand dunes, Muine, Vietnam)


(Look no hands)


(Fishing Boats, Muine)

14/02/05 Monday (Day 77)

Just relaxed in the sun for the day.


(Late evening in Muine)

15/02/05 Tuesday (Day 78)

I hire a 15 speed mountain bike, but unfortunately only 5 of the gears actually worked. Anyway I still manage to take in the Cham Tower before cycling 20Km inland towards a lake the lonely planet refers to. All I find when I get there however is a dried out valley. As its the dry season I imagine the lake has evapourated. Ah well at least I got some excercise.


(Local transport, Muine)

I am yet again totally wiped out when I finally get back to the guesthouse. But myself and the very strong Irish/Australian contingent decide to go for the seafood hotpot tonight and that puts me right back on track. Pure splendacious.

16/02/05 Wednesday (Day 79)

Off to Dalat a resort town up the mountains further north.

17/02/05 Thursday (Day 80)

Hired a mountain bike and toured around the city. This place is pretty hilly so its a 15 speed in good working order or nothing (you'd kill yourself on a single speed in this place.


(Crazy House, Dalat, Vietnam)


(Crazy House, Dalat, Vietnam)


(Old Steam Engine, Dalat, Vietnam)


18/02/05 Friday (Day 81)

Paid a visit to Lang Bian mountain and one of the local waterfalls.


(Me on top of Lang Bian Mountain, Dalat)

19/02/05 Saturday (Day 82)

Spent some time on the net uploading photos etc and later met some of the Irish contingent for some lunch and drinks.

20/02/05 Sunday (Day 83)

Off to Nha Trang.

Met some more Irish people. I tell you for a small little nation we sure do manage to get around.

21/02/05 Monday (Day 84)

Not much done

22/02/05 Tuesday (Day 85)

I'm on the bike again and off to Long Son Pagoda and the hot springs to soak in some mineral mud baths which are apparently good for the circulation???

23/02/05 Wednesday (Day 86)

Out in the Nha Trang Sailing club.

24/02/05 Thursday (Day 87)

Rose at 6am to catch bus to Hoian.

25/02/05 Friday (Day 88)

Arrive Hoian and spent most of the day cylcing around the old town. Hoian is a nice quaint little place but not worth spending alot of time here unless you intend getting a suit tailored or some shoes custom made at knock down prices.


(Fisherman, Hoian)

26/02/05 & 27/02/05 (Days 89 & 90)

Just my luck another case of the dreaded big D and I'm stuck here for another two days afraid of my life to venture too far from the toilet and the comfort of my hotel room.

28/02/05 Monday (Day 91)

Walked around the centre of the beautiful city of Hue.

01/03/05 Tuesday (Day 92)

Hired a mountain Bike and cycled off to see the citadel.


(Inside the Forbidden Purple city, Hue)


(Bridge accross the Song Houng River, Hue)


(Water Family, Hue)

02/03/05 Tuesday (Day 93)

Cycled out into the local countryside to see Thanh Toan bridge, its not much to look at itself now, but it was a nice cycle with some great views on the way....off to Hanoi at 5.30 pm.


(Thanh Toan, Covered footbridge, just outside Hue)


(Duck herder spotted on the way back from the foot bridge)

Random Quote #1 "You can always rely on the Americans to do the right thing once they've exhausted all the alternatives" (Winston Churchill, 1943 as seen on the wall of my hostel in Hue, Vietnam)

03/02/05 Thursday (Day 94)

Myself and Stewart (UK) went to see Ho Chi Minh's Mauseleum.


(Ho Chi Minh, Mauseleum, Hanoi)

Later we hit the town and amongst other places we tried out the New Century Nightclub (serious military style bouncers). I'd say we were easily the only non-vietnamese in this rave house which must be the only establishment i've ever been to where the water costs more than the beer.

My mouth was all dried up from the amount of beer comsumed at that point so I badly needed some water.....imagine my frustration at such sharp practices....what can a man do....I simply had to have another beer...at least that would create the allusion of hyrdration.

04/02/05 Friday & 05/02/05 Saturday (Days 95 & 96)

Off to Halong Bay which proved to be the highlight of my time in Vietnam.


(Fruit Sellers, Halong Bay)

The views are simply quite breath-taking. We sailed out through the bay and stayed on Catba Island for the night and sailed back the following morning.


(Halong Bay)


(Me in the front of the boat Halong Bay)

06/03/05 Sunday (Day 97)

We decided to do something cultural on this night so we headed off to take in a vietnamese water puppet show....which was certainly different.


(Water Puppets, Hanoi, Vietnam)

Later we ended up in the "Half man half noodle" pub which is fast becoming our favourite pub in Hanoi. On the night in question I remember asking the barman "what time does this place close?"...."Whenever the last customer leaves" was his response..fair enough says I.

As the night wore on...into the morning the conversation was wearing a bit thin with a great deal of repitition and nonsensical ramblings....so I excused myself for a few minutes and went out for air.

As soon as i got outside I noticed this Vietnamese guy who is acting in the most peculiar manner.He's got an old black bike with what looks like a cage attached to it... but more interesting than that he's armed with a flashlight, a net and another net attached to a thin length of bamboo and he's rummaging around in the alleyway with all this paraphernalia. What's going on? Bear in mind it's 4.30 in the morning at this stage.

I asked the two marijuana vendors, who are perched on the doorstep of the pub puffing smoke out of two bongs each of which closely resembles a didgereedoo, what the story is...but they don't even know what day it is...so I hurry back inside and ask the barman. "Oh their selling marijuana" he tells me. He's obviously thinking of the two boys so I drag him outside and point out our mysterious friend. "Rat Catcher" he informs me as natural as you like before re-entering the pub. Back inside he informs me that it tastes and looks like chicken. He's eaten it many times apparently and in all likelihood so have I as our friend the rat catcher sells his catch to some of the local restaurants. Oh well.....I did get a few good photos...feast your eyes.


(The Rat Catcher, Hanoi)


(The Rat Catcher's cage, Hanoi)

07/03/05 Monday & 08/03/05 Tuesday (Days 98 & 99)

The bus journey from Hanoi, Vietnam to Vientiane, Laos was an absolute nightmare...much worse than the Thailand to Cambodia crossing. The vietnamese bus drivers basically just stranded us at the Laos border... a bit of an inconvenience to say the least. Up until this point I was in total disagreement with the many people I'd met who said that the vietnamese were all crooked bastards. While I could see how a single incident like this might be enough to turn some people against an entire nation I have to say it was my only really bad experience while in Vietnam. I'd been there 30 days and for the most part found the vietnamese people to be very friendly people....sure they want to make money who doesn't....but most of them won't rob you for it.

Now I must confess I was going to launch into a bit of a rant at this stage but almost four months down the line I just don't see the point any longer. Looking back at it now it just seems like a minor inconvenience and a bit of an experience. Anyway one way or another we (all 18 of us) did manage to find our way to Vientiane eventually.

09/03/05 Wednesday (Day 100)

After the previous 30 hour bus ordeal I decided to go for a herbal sauna/massage at one of the local brothels.....sorry did I say brothel I meant monastery the Wat Sok Pa Luang to be exact...easy mistake to make. Funnily enough I met about half of the people from the previous days bus journey there also....great minds.

10-12/03/05 Thursday-Saturday (Days 101-103)

Hired a bike, cycled about and saw some sights. Theres not really that much to see in Vientiane but it does have the cheapest and most reliable internet connections in Laos so I decided to stick around for a few days.


(Patuxai in Vientiane, a replica of the Arc the Triomphe)


(Sign beneath Patuxai must have been taken straight out of a guide book without much consideration for what it actually means)


(View of Vientiane from the roof of Patuxai)


(Phat That Luang, Temple, Vientiane, Laos)

13-15/03/05 Sunday - Tuesday (Days 104-106)

I travelled further north to Vang Vieng with Yuval this Israeli guy I met. While there we hired some bikes and travelled out to see the caves and the so called blue lagoon. We also watched the bats stream accross the sky out of their caves in the mountains at sunset.

Vang vieng is much talked about but theres really not that much here. Personally I thought it was a bit tacky...although theres a place there that does a great Calzone.

16/03/05 Wednesday (Day 107)

We both caught the bus to Luang Prabang. I'd heard that it was standard operating procedure to have an armed guard on the bus along this route...but I saw no sign of him. However just before we arrived in Luang Prabang this really young looking guy in front of us stands up to get off the bus and before he leaves he pulls his trusty AK-47 from the overhead compartment.


(Local village kids in Laos watch us curiously as our bus makes a stop at the side of the road)

Later in Luang Prabang we walked around town and visited the night market.


(Night Market, Luang Prabang)

17-19/03/05 Thursday - Saturday (Days 108-110)

We spent these three days exploring the sights of Luang Prabang. Amongs other things we climbed up to the top of mount Phu Si (a hill overlooking the town), visited Kuang Si waterfall, the royal palace museum and various temples dotted around the town.


(Kuang Si Waterfall, outside Luang Prabang)


(Phu Si, Luang Prabang, Laos)

20/03/05 Sunday (Day 111)

Finally we caught a slowboat up the Nam Ou river to Nong Khiaw. It was a pretty cramped 6 hour trip but well worth it.


(Some locals we passed on our way up river)

Nong Khiaw is a very isolated beautiful little place which is fairly cut-off from the rest of Laos.


(Nong Kwiaw)

21-24/03/05 Monday - Thursday (Days 112-115)

I took the slowboat a further one hour north to the even more isolated village, Muang Ngoi Neua.


(Mong Ngoi Neua, Laos)

On my first day there I trekked off to the local caves and a nearby village on my own.


(Cows in Mudbath)

Later I arranged for a guide to take myself and a few people I'd met on a longer trek up into the hills. This proofed to be quite interesting as we trekked through some local villages and a great deal of dense jungle before arriving at a village high up in the mountains where the chief had arranged a shindig for us.


(Locals, in Hill Village)


(Matt shows the local kids his ipod)


(Myself and Matt Drink the cocktail prepared by the village chief)

25/03/05 Friday, (Day 116)

Unfortunately I have to leave Laos a little earlier than I hoped as I must collect a replacement credit card in Chiang Mai, Thailand. So off to Udomxai on the first leg of my journey back into Thailand.


(Udomxai, Laos)

26/03/05 Saturday, (Day 117)

For the second leg of the journey I caught yet another bus to Luang nam tha.


(Road Conditions on the way to Luang Nam Tha)


(Local Lads look on curiously as we make a short stop)

27/03/05 Sunday, (Day 118)

.....and yet another bus to Hui Xai the cross-over point for the Laos/Thai border.


(Jaysus whats the hold up)

28/03/05 Monday, (Day 119)

Crossed by boat from Hui Xai (Laos) to Chiang Khong (Thailand) and got the 9am bus to Chiang Mai.

29/03/05 Tuesday, (Day 120)

After hiring a really good 24 speed hybrid I spent the day cycling around the old town. There is alot to do in Chiang Mai and the old part of the town is really quite nice.


(Sunset, Chiang Mai)

30/03/05 Wednesday, (Day 121)

I cycled up Doi Suthep, which turned out to be a bit more difficult than anticipated. Its 16Km up to the temple of Wat Suthep and a further 3Km to Buphing palace. The downhill run was pretty good craic though. When I finally got back my face was covered in white salt from all the perspiration. Thats never happened me before..but I suppose the fact that this place is really bloody hot even when your standing still didn't help.


(Wat Suthep, Chiang Mai)


(Wat Suthep, Chiang Mai)

31/03-03/04/05 Thursday-Sunday (Days 122-125)

The highlights of the next few days included participation in an Irish Pub quiz where I'd just wandered in for a quite pint of Guinness while I wrote up my diary and had some NZ/Scot&UK expats take pity on me and put me on their team and a visit to Chiang Mai Zoo. So nothing spectacular I'm afraid. Finally I set off by train for Bangkok at 9.50 pm on Sunday.


(Gorilla, Chiang Mai Zoo)


(Flamingos, Chiang Mai Zoo)

04/04/05 Monday (Day 126)

I arrived in Bangkok at 12.45 in the afternoon and caught the connecting train to Butterworth, Malaysia at 2.45 pm.

05/04/05 Tuesday (Day 127)

22 hours later upon arrival in Butterworth I get a bus the remainder of the way to Kuala Lumpur. The buses here are something else this thing was a full size coach with a total of only 27 seats on board in rows of three. On each seat there's a lever you can pull which allows you to relax in true "Friends" style.

Upon arrival in KL I book into the Pudu hostel directly accross the road from the bus station.

06/04/05 Wednesday (Day 128)

Wandered around the city and took in the Petronas Towers, independence square(not much to talk of) and KL Communication Tower.


(Me at the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia)


(Petronas by night from the KL radio communication tower)

07-08/04/05 Thursday-Friday (Days 129-130)

While in Singapore I visited the Battle Box which is situated on Fort Canning Hill and is the command post from which the allies surrendered to the Japanese back in 1942 and I also had a stroll around the old colonial symbol that is "Raffles Hotel".

Random Quote #2: "Providence conducted me along a beach, in full view of five miles of shipping,...five solid miles of masts and tunnels,....to a place called Raffles Hotel where the food is as excellent as the rooms are bad. Let the traveller take note. Feed at Raffles and sleep at the Hotel de L'Europe." This was a quote I came accross in Raffles Museum and is taken from the book "From Sea to Sea" by Rudyard Kipling.

A variation of this quote was subsequently used by the management of Raffles in a number of advertisements. An advertisement appearing in 1905 read as follows;

The truth must be told "Providence led me to a place called Raffles Hotel where the food is as excellent as the rooms are good. Let the traveller take note. Feed at Raffles and sleep at Raffles" From "Sea to Sea" by Rudyard Kipling.



(The Battle Box, Fort Canning Hill, Singapore)


(View of Raffles from the Hotel accross the road)

09-17/04/05 Saturday-Sunday (Days 131-139)

On arrival in Perth I booked into the "Underground Backpackers" which proved to be a bad decision. A grand place if you intend spending absolutely all your time pissed and living in squalor.

On my second day I moved into the much cheaper and more orderly Aberdeen Lodge, strolled around town paying a visit to the Art Museum and King's Park.


(Bell tower, Perth)

For the next few days I was hit with a bad case of the big D (again) and unfortunately I didn't manage to do much of note apart from visit my relatives the Ryans. Now normally I have a pretty voracious apetite but due to my condition at the time (which for obvious reasons I decided not to discuss over the dinner table) I wasn't able to make the most of the meal which the Ryans had prepared for me. But apart from that we had a great Chat and guess what Hugh's brother Pat sounds exactly like him...now isn't that amazing.

18/04/05 Monday (Day 141)

On my first day back in action I decided to head south to Manjimup of old time tobacco fame for at least 3 weeks of apple picking.

19/04-23/05/05 (Tuesday-Tuesday) (Day 142-178)

Three weeks turned into five as things were going well and during this 36 day period I was holed up at "The Tobacco Park Hostel" about 10km outside of town.

While I tried my hand at a variety of jobs I spent most of my time picking apples for the dynamic Rob Taylor. Myself and Daniel (German guy whose sense of humour left alot to be desired) worked together for most of the 36 days and if memory serves correctly I belief that in between shooting various pests with Robs 22 and developing an extensive line in bullshit we managed to pick some apples.

Belief it or not this period did have some highlights. Rob took myself and Daniel out to tea (when they say "tea" in Oz they mean a slap up meal) one night and dropped us off at the pub afterwards while returning later to ferry us both home. Its amazing but when your stuck in the middle of nowhere with precious little in the way of real entertainment something like this makes a big difference....suffice is to say that the rest of the gang back at the hostel were extremely jealous.'


(Me at Windy Harbour)

Also a few days before I left Manjimup Rob took us both out to Windy Harbour on the coast where himself and his wife Catherine treated us to a feed of Marron and some barbecued steak and sausages washed down with some Red wine.....scrumptious.


(Me and Rob perched on the swings outside his aptly named holiday home "Tellataylortwo")

24/05/05 Tuesday (Day 179)

Rob was good enough to drive me back to Perth and Daniel came along for the ride.

Later that night myself and Daniel went to see "Star Wars Episode 3: Return of the Sith", which is probably the best Star Wars film of the lot (although perhaps after 36 days couped up in Manjimup any sort of entertainment would appear wonderful)

So there you have it, i'm afraid i'll have to leave it there for now but fear not there's plenty more to come as I've sense been through the red centre of Oz and down the east coast as far as Sydney....next stop New Zealand.