Egypt

We landed safe and sound with Egypt Air. There were no chickens in boxes as certain English and Swiss people said there could be :-) After checking into the hotel we went for a walk and within 5 mins had someone taking us to his mates shop for a cheap taxi service!! We get there and are presented with Egyptian tea and told to sit down while they explain the tours. We had other westerners in there as well so felt we could kinda trust these guys a little more than a National Government!!

We ended up buying some Egyptian Art and booking a tour for that night to the Pyramids for the "Sound & Laser" show!! The show was good but started to get quite cold. It would have been amazing to watch Pink Floyd play there back in1999-2000 New Years. Back to the hotel for sleep.

The next morning we were back at the same place for a day trip to Memphis, Sukara Pyramid and Giza Pyramids. Sukara Pyramid was cool and we both dressed up and had our photos taken with a Camel.

Next onto Memphis (Ramses the second or something). On the way there our taxi driver over took another taxi and realised that he new the other driver so started chatting (while still over taking). I was thinking "thank god this is a one way street", next thing this huge bloody truck (that was going way to fast) zoomed up behind as and looked like it had lost its brakes!. It swerved around us and was heading into the river when it veered in front of us (missing by only a few inches) and slammed into a house!!!! Carly and I both looked at each other knowing how close we were to being served up in the next donor kebab!!! Egypt driving sucks!!!

We made it to Memphis only just in one piece. Snapped a few photos and went looking for our driver. We find the poor sod preying hard core to Allah.....the way I was feeling I was nearly on my knees joining in!

Next the Giza Pyramids......these are absolutely amazing!!! (no trucks this time) Since I was a little boy I have always wanted to go here..... it was all I expected it to be. We walked around the first Pyramid and had this dodgy little man take us to one of the queens smaller pyramid. He and his mates had opened the door (so I think) are were ushering us in. Carly waited outside (Cu Chi Tunnel still has her spooked) while I went down. I walked down this 45 degree angled path down into the chamber. Snapped a few photos and came out as it was getting to bloody hot. We walked around snapping more photos of the Sphinx and Pyramids then back to the taxi for the hotel....absolutely stuffed by now.

That night we walked down the Nile stopping at a few places for drinks. It was very romantic so I guess it had to be done!

The next morning we got up and headed for Cairo Museum. This place is huge!!!! It has so many exhibits that most of them don't have any information about what they are or who had anything to do with there creation!!! The best exhibit by far would have been Tutankhamen. It was one of the only rooms that was temperature controlled and you could tell why!! This dude was 19 years only when he died after sitting on the throne for 6 years and he had a sh!t load of gold that he took with him!!!!
Next (after 2 1/2d hours at the museum) we were off to the Cairo Bazaar. This place had about a million guys all screaming trying to sell you everything from used undies to cooked sweet potatoes (the later we did buy). After a while we found a Tea House that we sat at. We both ordered Egyptian Mint Tea and a pipe to smoke. This pipe is like one of those flash water bongs that you would have seen on a movie involving Arabs all sitting around smoking. I ordered apple flavour and guess what....it tasted just like apples!!!!! By this time we are both getting sick of seedy men so head back to the hotel.

That is what we have been up to thus far. Tonight we meet our tour group and tomorrow morning we head off to Jordan.

Tiger Temple

Carly and I have been wanting to go to the Tiger Temple here in Thailand for about 12 months since we watched a travel show on TV3 back in NZ.

The day finally had arrived since we said we would go with Kristy and Boom.

We caught PT (Public Transport), a bus, from the Southern Bus terminal heading for Kanchanabery. It was meant to take 2 hours but being we are in Thailand we are on Thai time so it took 3 hours.....quite short really.

From the bus stop in Kanchanabery all four of us hailed two cyclos to take us to a hotel a their recommendation. We felt sorry for the poor guys as Boom and I are not the smallest guys and it was about 38 degrees out.

The hotel turned out to be really nice. It was set on the river and our bungalows were on stilts over the water. The time was about 2.30pm so we booked to be picked up at 3.30pm to go to the Temple.

The ride out was quite eventful as the taxi was a Ute that 8 of us on the back of (seats provided). For no apparent reason the tail gate would just decide to open up. First time I think Boom nearly smudged his paints (I nearly did) being he was sitting right next to it.

We made it safe and sound to the temple and after paying the entry fee were pointed in the direction of huge gates. Walking through the gates all of our eyes are scanning the area to see if tigers were hiding in the scrub all around us. It was quite nerve racking until Carly read the leaflet we were all given telling us we had to walk down the road 400m to enter the temple.....at least one of us was onto it!

On entering the temple we are confronted with heaps and heaps of wild life. There were; Water Buffalo, Wild Pigs, Deer, Elk. Chickens, Horses, Cows etc etc but flag all that boring stuff we are here for tigers. We walk down this kinda canyon and as we come around the corner there are about 10-12 tigers walking around and sitting while westerners are going up to them getting their photos taken......the heart skips a beat as this cats are big!!!

We all line up and hand over a donation of 100 Baht each. Carly and Kristy are off first lead around by temple volunteers getting their photos taken with different tigers. Carly look a bit scared but sorry Peter and Wendy she was on her own then!!!!

Next mine and Boom's turn. It looked guy how the volunteers lead everyone around by holding their hand but as soon as I walked past the rope my hand was out wanting to be lead. You really realise that man sits very low down on the food chain if it was left up to brute strength. To say I was nervous would be wrong. When you walk up to these huge cats you understand that over the next few mins what ever happens is out of your control. I know I patted a few tigers as I have the photos but I could not tell you what they felt like (I can't remember) it all just seemed like a dream.

After our photos we headed up to the main area and found were the cubs were kept. Not long after that they walked all the adults back to their enclosures right past us.....absolutely amazing!!!!

In the next few months people will not be allowed to go near the tigers. They are building an island for them were they will release the wild animals we saw earlier so the tigers will learn to hunt for themselves. Eventually to be released back into the wild. So on that note we all felt kinda special to experience something like this!

Yes when we got back to town we all went and had a few drinks.....Quite a few!!
The next day back on a bus for Bangkok. Just short overnight visit but well worth it!!

Thailand - Bangkok

It's been awhile since I have added anything to this site so I will run over things quickly of what we have been up to.

Well we made it back to Bangkok after I had food poisoning in Laos. Carly had to leave me Laos after we discovered that I could not travel. All was good when I got back to the hotel and threw up about 7 times (including a bit of blood) and it was a race against time to catch up to Carly who had a 3 hour head start before our flight from Udon Thani. I made it to the airport before her so we both landed in Bangkok together.

We meet up with Steve and Claire again but being I was still on the sick side I could not join them all for drinks. All good though as Kristy and Boom were arriving tomorrow and needed to be in good shape for them.

The next day we wake up and Carly is jumping over the moon as she is going to see Kristy and Boom. She has been counting down this day since we left NZ nearly 3 months ago!!!! Come 3pm we are waiting in Gulliver's pub on Kho San Rd playing cards with one eye on the door. When they finally arrived Carly is jumping up and down like a kid at Christmas time.....very very funny.

That night we all (Carly, Kristy, Claire, Steve, Boom, Barry, 4 other people as have forgotten there names and myself) go to Pad Pong and see the red light district of Bangkok....a bit of an eye opener but well worth the visit!!! Again could not drink to much due not not being well but I eat my first solid meal in 3 days :-)

The next day we all went to the weekend markets at the other end of Bangkok. There are something like 10,000-15,000 stalls at this bloody this so as you can imagine it's a monster!! The boys thought wisely and let the girls all shop together while we just wondered!! We were there for the good side of 3 hours and only got in about 3 rows (out of a possible 30 rows) and decided it was too hot for shopping and needed to get an air con car back to the guesthouse.

That night we all got on the booze properly!!! Sat the whole night at Gulliver's Pub and drank until closing time. Barry thought it would be funny if he brought some Grasshoppers for us all to eat. Yes I eat one but had to spit out half as it was just wrong!! Carly and Boom also ate one each (Boom's the smallest he could find in the bag) while good old Barry munched on them all night! Needless to say it was a very good night that was bound to end with some Bad hang overs!!!

The next day we (Carly, Kristy, Boom and myself) took things slowly and went to the biggest mall in Asia (newly built about 3 months ago). We walk around the Aquarium down the bottom then checked out the rest. It killed the good side of half the day and was in air con so all good.

I has been decided that the four of us will go up to Kanchanabery tomorrow to the Tiger temple. Looks like we will stay the up there as we will be pushing it to do in one day.

Laos - Vang Veing

Well after a short bus ride (4 hours) we landed in Vang Veing. Brenton had told us about this place a couple of years ago so were very keen to do some tubing down the river.

On first arriving the picture I had in my head was totally different of what it was really like. Brenton I think the place has grown up since you were here!!! No longer is it one street but about 7 streets with bars bars and more bars all playing "Friends"!! We saw Ross and Rachel break up about 4 times while there!

We meet back up with Steve and Claire or more to the point they found us in a bar over looking the river having a few quiet ones. Later that night after 1, 2, 3, 4 or more beers we all decided to go tubing down the Mekong.

Up at 8.15am to someone banging on the door. It was Barry (whom we meet on the bus up and had a few with last night whom we also had to carry home after he fell in the drain) asking if we wanted breakfast.......being we did not have to be tubing until 10am we declined and told him to go back to bed....the dude was still drunk and looked like he could use the sleep.

Come 9.30am (and the extra 1 hour and 14 mins sleep) we headed down to the tubing place. come 10.30am and everyone from the night before is there. All in all about 10 of us that all piled into the tuk tuk to head down the river.

15 mins up the road we were in the river. Now you have to uderstand that this river is not fast. It's not long before you hear the locals yelling "Beer Laos, Bear Laos" trying to entice you into their side stalls and sell you the infamous Beer Laos (quite a good drop actually). Plotted along the way are swings and flying foxes that you can use that drop you into the middle the river.

It was not long before the group decided to take advantage of the locals selling Beer Laos. Well the I'll cut a very long story short as the tubing took 7 hours we floated down the river. No one got hurt but we all had a heap of fun. We stopped at 5 places down the river probably spending more time drinking than floating. The sun was out in full force and had to apply sunblock about 7 times. Carly got Burnt on her belly but looks funny. She looks like a Zebra because of the way you sit in the tub.

We are doing the same river tomorrow but this time kiaking. Everyone else is heading up to the north of Laos. As we only have 10 days in Laos this is as far as we will travel.

Thailand to Laos

We landed back in Thailand (Bangkok) with about 2 hours to spare for our connecting domestic flight up to Udon Thani (northeast of Thailand). On getting through customs we get to the domestic terminal to find out that our flight had been delayed and will not be leaving until 8.40pm (6 hours away)....great more down time in an airport. The flight went well except that they don't allocate seats so it's a mad dash for the best places (we were up the front!!!!). At Udon Thani we were approached by a German guy that owned a Guesthouse. IT was only 550 Baht for the night and he said he would drive us in the morning to the bus stop.....score. The place was so nice we decided to stay 2 nights and just chill before using the dreaded buses of Laos.

Come day 2 in Udon Thani "Thomas" as he said he would, drove us to the bus stop giving us instructions on what to do when we get across the boarder into Laos (also on what not to do!). I have to say that "Udon Thai House" in Udon Thani needs a good comment. The whole time we were there we felt looked after and the atmosphere was brilliant. Big thumbs up to Thomas the German as he has an excellent place that I would not hesitate to use again....enough of the free plug for UDON THAI HOUSE.....that's......UDON THAI HOUSE!!!!

We get across the friendship bridge into Laos within about 2 1/2 hours from Undon Thani. We get a taxi for 220Baht that will take us to Vientiane from the boarder. The taxi driver drives up with what can described as a "Smash up Derby" car. It's this old Toyota (don't know the model it's that old) that would have failed a warrant in NZ back in 1960 (that's when you could buy them down the local pub for $10/year). Needless to say the little bomb did the job and got us (Carly, myself and the lady that scammed a ride) to Vientiane and the driver even took us to an area that had good guesthouses.

That night we went down the Mekong River for dinner. Very cool to sit and watch the sun set over the river while all the local people are out flying there kites. After a very good meal of Chicken Wings, that Peter would be stoked about, we headed back to the hotel.

On the way back Carly still wanted a couple more drinks at this pub we ended up walking past. Being that I'm getting over the flu (man illness) I thought it would be rude not to. While we were still into our first pitcher we saw Steve and Claire (who we travelled with heaps through Vietnam) walk into the pub. It just so happened that they had replied to an email Carly had sent them saying they would meet us at that pub (Of which Carly had not seen yet). Well we must have looked like 2 losers waving like idiots when they were expecting us...oh well nothing new in that regard :-)

Yes we had quite a few drinks and by the time we walked out were arm in arm promising to meet each other in Vang Vieng (the next stop in Laos).

All in all Laos so far has been good. There does not seem to be the poverty that is in your face like Cambodia. I think 1 more night here then off to Vang Veing.

Hong Kong

Well after China we flew down to Hong Kong.

I started to get the flu and by the second day it had kicked in fully!! We decided to treat ourselves and splashed out for a nice hotel. Being we only had 3 nights why not :-)

First day we caught this cable car that hits 45 degree angle up Victoria peak. It was really nice up the top but still cold (not as bad as Beijing) and the weather was a bit crap so could not see all the sky scrapers of Hong Kong properly.

From there down the bottom to go to the longest escalator in the world, it was 800m long, while we never went the full distance it felt like we were on it for ages!!!

By this time starting to get quite sick so but to the room for an early night.

The next day I spent in bed as the flu had hit me with full force (Man sickness as Carly calls it).

For the last day we got up and had to see some more of the city. We went to Kowloon and found some markets that we roamed around for a while. I have to say that even though I could not taste much the food was still awesome!!!!!

So in Hong Kong we never got to do a lot of the things we were planning on doing like; Eating at Jackie Chan's restaurant, getting across to the mainland, check out electronics stores or go to the Aquarium. We still had fun and am glad we could just chill for R & R in somewhere nice.

Next we are off to Bangkok to head through to Laos!!!

The Sleeping Giant (Beijing, China)

Well after we flew out of Saigon we had to stay the night in Bangkok airport as our flight did not leave until 11.10am the next morning. We thought it best if we hired one of the day rooms for 8 hours. At last that way we can get some sleep.

Flight was non eventful and arrived in Beijing at around 7pm (7 hours behind NZ/ 6 hours behind Aussie). I got off the plane to -2 degrees wearing a T-Shirt, shorts and jandals......... Not the sharpest tool in the shed with that thinking. Did not do anything that night except eat tea and go to bed!!

The next day we got up about 10am (we needed the sleep) and headed to Tienanmen Square. Did not see any tanks rolling down the road but can see how 1,000,000 people could fit in it.......it is massive!!!

Just across the road we find the Forbidden Palace. It closes in 4 hours so thought that would be heaps of time to see it. Boy were we wrong!!! 3 hours into it and we find our legs are sore and just want to find some place warm. It really blew our minds the scale of the Forbidden City/Palace. In the 3 hours we spent there we probably only saw 3/4's of it.

Day 2 Beijing
Up at 7am for our Secret Wall Tour. Carly booked us on it the night before and were told there are no other tourists around and we will go to the original Wall. Well again were we in for a shock!!!! After 2 hours of driving out of Beijing we get dropped off at this remote looking village where a little old man is waving and ushering us to follow him.

I come to look around the group and realised that they all look really really fit!! Bad new for Carly and I we are on another trip that involves a lot of trekking!!! A quick walk (up hill) of about 2km's and we arrive at the Great Wall. At first I thought "Is that it?" but on climbing onto the wall you can take in the scope of how huge this thing really is!!! It stretched as far as the eye could see and all that was going through my head was "how far of this are we walking/climbing?". Our little guide speaks Chinese to us again ushering us to move on. So on we go climbing this wall that is stretching up this mountain.

Now Shane my friend you said to me you wanted to run this monster of a thing. I thought you were nuts then but now I know you should be locked up and have the key thrown away!!!!!

After getting to the top of the peak my lungs were bursting with fire, my legs were going on strike and I was getting pissed off that the English guy next to me was calmly chatting away the whole time with a smoke in his mouth (In his defense he is a great guy that we got on the booze with after the trek). We were looking out over the wall and see that it disappears over this mountain ridge. Again it is mind blowing. I think if I was a Mongolian coming in to invade China for Gangus khan and seen this wall, I would have high tailed it back to my village in Mongolia.

After walking up and down 2 huge peaks we were lucky enough to walk down into the valley and follow a frozen river back to the village for lunch. I think Carly and I enjoyed the frozen river more being there were no hills. Also it was fun watching Neil (English guy spoken of earlier) falling over on the ice and in the water.

Needless to say we did not go to the tourist part of the Great Wall where everything is all gilts a glam. Where you having people selling you all type of creature comforts for your leisurely stroll up the gentle gradient. I think I prefer seeing the Wall with the fire burning in my lungs as it gives you a real appreciation of what scope this wall is.

We spent our last day walking around Beijing taking in the city and the spitting. That night we caught up with the people we went on the trek with by going out for Peaking Duck. The restaurant was nice but can't really comment on the food as we all walked out after checking out the prices. McDonald's was great though and are planning to to try Peaking Duck in Hong Kong.