London to Australia 2009

The end of an epic journey… and the next adventure!

2009-11-21T18:08:00.001Z

We had one last night out in the funky city of KK which is so cool that Jen and Debbie are still there now catching their breaths from this epic journey and maybe recovering from our final night.

A night to be remembered, we started with drinks on the deck with a sunset that played ball giving the appropriate end to this add-on-Odyssey. Next, a few doors down we sat down to dinner and then back to the loft for drinks and dancing on the balcony. Heading off to “Bed” which sounds sensible if it hadn’t been the name of the club just down the road…

The topic for the evening was mostly dominated by the time gone past. Hard to comprehend everything we had been through we discussed the highs and the lows, the people and woes. What a trip!

I’ll say again this has been an amazing adventure, made by the people and the places we visit. Good byes are hard at the end and must be said. Dehydration from deserts and altitude were replaced with tears that night as the final bell rung for the end of the biggest overland route in the world.

Thanks again to everybody, not just the Borneo bunch who joined us for the 21-day add-on.

Extra thanks to Robin who lent a hand packing the truck up in Melaka.

Cher and I are now holed up in a hotel in Kuala Lumpur finishing the final bits and getting the truck ready for shipping back to the UK where it will be made race ready for the next incredible trip from London to OZ.

We will be running the Africa trip next year. Back to our home country and familiar surrounding it’s bound to be another epic adventure to heart of the dark continent.

Brunei & The Borneo Jungle

2009-10-30T07:59:00.001Z

Our last night in dry Brunei, we hired a couple of the local water taxis to whizz us around the stilted villages. Being such a small country they use every available space, water or not, schools, hospitals and shops balance precariously on wooden and concrete legs as densely populated as any housing estate. The taxis all boast wooden construction with beefy outboards, a great improvement on the normality of the London Taxi as you bounce across the wakes from the other boats as the public transport systems swarms around. A few minutes downstream we caught an amazing view of the Sultan’s Palace. As the sun went down the light on the South East Asia’s biggest mosque dazzled the skyline, looking bizarre amongst all the wooden shanty houses.

From our brief stop in Brunei we bussed to KK (Kota Kinabalu for the longwinded tongues) it was a journey in itself. Check out of Brunei, check into Malaysia, drive for a bit, check out of Malaysia, check into Brunei, check out of Brunei, check into Malaysia, check into Saba Province...... two less pages in our passports we arrived in KK.

KK was a welcome change and a stunning sunset over the water set the scene for a wild night on the rather exclusive waterfront complex the tourists in this town call home. The next day was a bit of a blur for some who only squinted at the sunlight before returning to their darkened rooms. For those now poorer from the night before, a great seafood market is set up on the waterfront every evening serving some of the most reasonable and tasty fish we have found, tuna steaks for less than a dollar kept everybody happy.

But Borneo is largely about the jungle and the animals, and so after two nights in KK we headed back to the jungle and another orang-utan sanctuary in the little town of Sepilok. We caught the early morning flight from KK to Sandakan to catch the 10 am feeding. Our tickets granted us two feeding times with most folks coming back in the afternoon to watch these amazing human like primates.

Sepilok is also the jumping off point for one of the highlights of the trip to Borneo, a two night stay in a Jungle Camp deep within the Kinabatangan Jungle.

Arriving at the jungle camp was a bit of a shock to the system, definitely no WIFI here we suspected as we checked into our rough and ready accommodation. Mattresses on the floor, up to 6 people in a hut with a mosquito net for each, no door, no windows, chicken mesh for ventilation. We headed down to the evening briefing and after being served coffee and crumpets began to think that maybe this would be OK.

The briefing was great as a well spoken guide explained our program for the next 3 days and 2 nights. He also did a great job of explaining what we could expect to see and different times which may have raised the bar a bit but gave us all something to look forward to. Splitting into 2 teams, Scorpions and Tarantulas (sounds a bit like school camp) we headed off on our first night safari after a very tasty dinner.

Piling into boats we took off in opposite directions and into the jungle. 2 guides per boat, one armed with a spot light, did an amazing job of finding all manner of wildlife. Sleeping birds, water monitor lizards and some were even lucky enough to spot a Python eating a rodent.

With our appetites whetted there were no complaints about the early morning call to go for another longer trip down the river, steaming coffee and tea with bread and jam made the 6 o’clock start to the day even bearable.

Again the two teams headed in different directions and with sightings on both side closely matched it was only the fantastic glimpse of the Unicorn by team Tarantula that put them in the lead by one....

This area just seems to teem with nature and with the local guide’s uncanny ability not only to spot the birds and beasts but rattle off the Latin names was amazing making for an interesting ride again. The photos will do it all justice.

Then a cooked breakfast and a bit of a break and chill time before heading once more into the jungle by boat and then by foot. Wearing rubber boots we trudged through the undergrowth with our guide explaining all kinds of interesting plants and bugs, some folks even got to handle a scorpion and we got to do a bit of scratch and sniff nature, a small millipede that when provoked smells just like marzipan! Christmas in the jungle anyone?

We had a total of 7 jungle adventures at Uncle Tan’s as well as many very tasty meals, the guides were young but very knowledgeable, helpful and fun. On our last day after another boat safari where we managed to spot a wild orang-utan, we came back for a last breakfast of fried tasty stuff. Leaving the camp by boat with the staff playing the guitar and singing a not half bad rendition of James Blunt’s “Goodbye my friend” we were sorry to leave the jungle and crazy camp behind us.

From there we would be heading to the city of Sandakan.

Borneo - Sarawak

2009-10-20T17:23:00.003+01:00

Some folks just can’t get enough and so together with 8 of the expedition members we headed back into Malaysia to set off on a 3-week optional add-on to Malaysian Borneo and Brunei. We arrived in Johor Bahru mid Deepavali (Festival of Lights to you and me) and this border town in peninsular Malaysia was in full swing! We were staying in a budget hotel right near the middle of town; of questionable integrity the taxi driver informed us with a nod and a wink, this was the local knocking shop. Nice. But apart from booming music out in the street it was fine enough.

JB, as the locals call it, does have one redeeming feature and that is the amazing seafood. Heading down to the waterfront that evening we ate an incredible meal of fresh seafood, Debbie devoured two crabs which looked fantastic as did the rest of the food fresh and being well-priced it was a winner of a meal.

The next afternoon we shook off our strictly overland roots and caught a jet plane from JB to Kuching, the only city the world to boast a museum dedicated exclusively to cats. It is a quaint and quirky place and a great introduction to Borneo. Checking into our backpackers we met up for drinks and a chat in the restaurant next door, very cosmopolitan it all felt a bit out of place but was another great evening before heading into the rainforest we came here to see.

The next morning we piled into a minivan that would take us to the boat terminal as Bako National Park can only be accessed by speed boat. A great park and one of the few places in the world you can spot Proboscis monkeys in their natural habitat.

We had all been warned about the ever present Macaque Monkeys that call the park their home but the little critters were more than a handful. Ruling the roost by flashing their teeth they think nothing of stealing an unguarded drink as Jen found out to her horror as one stole her beer and downed it! Chips, chocolate or anything that even looked like food would be snatched from the unwary hand. The entertainment value was high too as they groomed and played around the hostels amongst the shouts of panic from the new arrivals not yet used to the antics of the local thieves. One actually jumped on Denis to grab his can of Seven Up; the shysters had no fear!

That evening we had a BBQ , roast lamb, veg, potatoes and salad as we watched the light disappear over the limestone cast and sea while keeping a wary eye out for the little robbing hands of the monkeys.

The jungle changes its face at night and we headed off on a guided night walk. Our guide was excellent first taking us to a tree and showing us a baby pit viper and then all manner of bugs, scorpions and other creatures only apparent to the well trained eye but easy to see once pointed out. An hour and a half later we returned to our accommodation, fed, watered and entertained.

All the parks in Borneo that we visit have very well developed walking trails, well mapped and marked, its easy if not sweaty to get around. One group took the “easy option” choosing a trail that promised to bring you out a secluded beach. At only 800 metres how hard could it be? The bit they failed to read is the expected time to the beach was an hour of hard slog. Proving a challenge the shortest walk available was likened to near death experience by some. More trekking, some of us did the round route over 5km while others took the easier options to explore the park. We were all very lucky to at some point see the famed proboscis monkey. Watching their human like ways can keep you entertained for hours as they swing around the trees, squabble and squawk, it’s a great thing to see.

Back on the boats we head back to Kuching, a longhouse visit is on the cards as an optional activity but we had no takers instead choosing to head off to the Semenggoh Orangutan Sanctuary for the first of several encounters with these majestic creatures that we are hoping to have during our time in Borneo. We were in luck, with the alpha male turning up for a feed, and also mothers and babies. Watching their human-like interactions is a great way to spend a morning or afternoon!

Kuching also provided a great opportunity to catch up on emails while exploring the town and enjoying the great food available, and a couple of folks even found time to go to the cinema and relax before the next adventure.

A full day of travel to Bintulu was an adventure in itself and early start we were dropped off at the ferry terminal pilling into the first class airconditioned upper deck we were treated to an hour of pop videos and then a thrilling episode of GI JOE, while skimming over the South China Sea. We soon found ourselves back into the estuaries again and the boat began to roll a little bit less. But more adventure awaited us as the boat's engines came to a stop mid river. A smaller vessel resembling something out of the Jetsons pulled up alongside of us as we were instructed to swap boats. Hair-raising to say the least, we managed the change in transport without incident.

Then onto a public bus for the last 3 hours and we arrived in Bintulu, then taxis to the hotel and we checked in and headed to the night market across the way for a yummy meal.

At 10am the next day we piled into taxis to head for the Similajau National Park for a bit of a walk. Cher and I had been shopping the day before for a picnic. Maybe choosing the 13km round trip was a bit ambitious but a gruelling 7-hour walk through the jungle punctuated by a rather lovely lunch on an isolated beach saw us all huffing and puffing as we waited on the taxi back to Bintulu. A good warm up for other jungle treks to come.

Back in our minivan heading for Niah National Park we were in a for a bit of treat booking into private chalets with aircon and all we had another bbq on the first night, fish and sticky chicken wings went down a treat, topped of with a few duty free vodkas around the fire it was another enjoyable night.

The next day saw a lazy morning with breakfast from the canteen in the park and then leftovers from the BBQ for lunch. At 3 most of us met up to explore the incredible cave system that makes this park famous. The second largest cave mouth in the world, it leaves you lost for words as you enter its abyss. Famous for swiftlet nest harvesting, long poles hang from the ceilings of the the gigantic caverns, a good network of stairs allows you to explore nearly the entire cave, rather trying, although most of us were there until after dark when the swiftlets return and the bats depart in a flurry of activity.

The next morning we left for Miri to ready ourselves for the trip to Brunei, which we do tomorrow. So that’s all for now.

The end of an epic journey!

2009-10-20T17:03:00.002+01:00

We head for the border of Singapore in a 40-seater coach, with more than 2 seats each we roll along as a group for the final time. So much has happened in the last 6 months there is just no way to put it all into perspective. This blog and all the others put together could never catch the magic that happens on a long journey like this. It’s not always a rabbit that pops out of the hat, sometimes we find ourselves in for a spot of bother; a storm mid way through a BBQ, or getting the truck stuck down to the front /back/both axles, being caught on a public bus with no tickets mid eastern Europe... This is an expedition with so many days in different crazy places, you would be a fool to think it would run just as planned. But, all said and done, this has been a very successful trip, with only one detour around the pesky Turkmenistan (closed due to swine flue, the only country in the world to do so). The forced change to our route brought us to the incredible Aral Sea, and the opportunity to see Karakalpakstan, for most onboard a major highlight of the trip! Exploration and adventure is what we do, and it’s been one epic journey. To bring it all back we planned one final night.

Meeting up in the hotel “conference” room we had our final round of Odyssey Blue’s, cost price liquor from the restaurant we would be visiting later made this all possible (Singapore taxes alcohol like boxing taxes brain cells).

Not quite cocktail glasses, our plastic cups had umbrellas, cherries and straws to give the clunk of cheers a bit of a rev, mixed with all the skill mustered by two overland drivers, in the heart of the Colonial district these were going to be cheap drinks with a punch. Soon the sorry goodbyes became lively chat, not far off the first day in the back of the truck when we all first met, now nearly 6 months ago. Strangers then, friends now.

Walking down the jostling streets, Singapore has so much to offer. We had been limiting ourselves to the food halls which serve up a vast array of dishes at affordable prices, those heading home soon watching their spends nearly as much as those who plan to travel on further. But tonight we were going a bit more upmarket. Eventually we arrived at the infamous Raffles Hotel, no front door entry for us, we scampered around the back to the Long Bar to enjoy a 20 US dollar Singapore sling, this is a must do if you can do drink. Arriving in our shorts and flip flops (though the boys had their best shirts and the girls definitely didn’t look like they had been free camping for a week), I’m sure the staff were nowhere near surprised when a peanut fight broke out.

From there we headed across the street to a restaurant. Sitting down to our final meal together pawing over the menu, a photo appeared on the projector screen dated 12th April 2009. Who were these pasty looking people? Bumbling about this big blue truck not yet called home. On the photos went, experience after experience. If you hadn’t been on board the random photos drew little attention from the other diners, apart from the odd breathtaking view over mountain peaks and grass lands there was little that outsiders could relate to, but each photo bought back a memory now, maybe forgotten because of the others stacked on top.

It’s been a great trip, not everybody made it to the end, some folks just aren’t cut out for this type of expedition. But one and all this trip has changed all our lives forever, seeing things in oneself and others and the crazy world around us. It has been a trip of a lifetime. The faces of Odyssey 2009 below, now part of a rather exclusive club. London to Australia. Done properly. Odyssey Style.

This has been a great trip for Cher and I, we would like to thank all the guys in the back for their help and support along the road, we could not have done it without you.

We are currently running the 3 week Borneo add-on for 8 of the guys and will start posting the blog any day now, so far we have had a close encounter with a 120kg Orang-utan and boat hopped mid-river, so it is bound to be another good trip!

Malaysia

2009-10-05T11:51:00.001+01:00

Another great easy border and we were rubber stamped back into the Muslim World. Malaysia is a well organised and clean country with friendly people and the most expensive booze on the planet, well not quite, but pricey after all the cheap countries we have been through. We start by heading for the mixing pot of George Town. Pulau Penang is a small island linked to the main land by a 13km bridge. Having been inhabited by the French, English, Chinese, Portuguese and of course Malay culture for hundreds of years it’s a fascinating town to wander. Crumbling colonial architecture suffers the back drop of sky scrapers and apartment blocks. We always seem to find ourselves here over Ramadan and the streets are littered with people and fire crackers.

Colonial Georgetown:

But a definite Chinese influence:

And French? Or is it Portuguese?

The bridge from the mainland:

Georgetown skyline:

Our period style hotel hinted at the former grandeur of this once strategically important town. Just across the street is the best Chinese market we have seen on this trip and having spent over a month in China that says a lot. Most folks chose to eat here the first night as we had arrived in the early evening. The karaoke was in full swing and the food came with the full night market ambience. The next day Cheryl had copied some walking tour maps for everybody to explore the city and old fort. Most folks set off early to avoid the midday sun, choosing to catch up on movies and internet in the cool of the air-con rooms over the hottest time of the day. Nasi Lemak is a favourite local breakfast, dried anchovies fried with peanuts served with rice and curry, and it sets you up for day of exploring the Malay way, or from little India you could have a Roti Canai, flat breads with curry dipping sauce, not quite Kelloggs and milk but local and tasty. The mixture of food, as one would expect, is as vibrant as the mix in culture and architecture.

A lazy day and we were off again, this time driving down to a sleepy hollow called Kuala Besut, from here we catch the ferry to the Perhentian Islands. The moment you step onboard the ferry the fun starts. The 16-seater ferries with 400 horse power two-stroke motors on the back can get a corpse’s heart pounding as we blasted our way over to the crystal clear diving and swimming heaven of Pulau Besar. If diving is not your thing then try a snorkel over some of the most beautiful coral around, teeming with fish, no swim is ever the same, white sandy beaches are only a short walk away with a great array of restaurants to choose from.

The thriving metropolis of Kuala Besut...

Speed boats to the Perhentian Islands:

Beautiful beaches, and a great place to chill:

David and Alex who are keen divers, and Corrie who had recently completed her open water diving qualifications were booking dives left right and centre. Amy, Debbie, Denis, Louise and Robin all chose to have a taster dive and then truly hooked, advanced to the full open water qualifications, so their island break was a little more stressful than the others given the course work involved, but two dives every day made for great fun, if a little tiring.

Other folks pottered about snorkelling and sunbathing, walking the numerous treks on the island and eating in the different restaurants. Four nights saw us back on the boat zooming across the water and heading for Kuantan.

Camping on the coast again we were beginning to push the beach envelope a bit though it was nice to sit around a fire and chat after all the hotel hopping and nights out. With not many more nights of camping left on this trip we took the chance to prepare roast chickens in the magic pot, with spuds and veg drowned in gravy it was a winner of a meal.

Our last two nights of camping take us to the incredible Taman Negara Rainforest. They say Taman Negara is one of the oldest rainforests in the world as it was never affected by the ice age, up for debate and all that it, is a sight to behold. Swelteringly hot we headed across the river and into the park for a morning jungle trek. Much hype about blood thirsty leeches had everybody well prepared in hiking boots and woolly socks that did nothing to help with the stuffy heat but once we entered the jungle canopy we were lost in the world of giants.

Information boards en route make for interesting reading but our purpose was to get to the jungle canopy walk. Tiny rope bridges give you a bird’s eye view of the forest, slightly nerve wracking (especially when you have Denis behind you who had mistaken this all for a very elaborate bouncing castle), we wobbled from tree to tree. There were definitely a few sighs of relief as we made it to the end of the 300 metre canopy walk.

Everybody dripping in sweat, most of us chose to take the boat home while Tee and Le headed for another trek further into the jungle and Jen chose to have a wander back to get a few more photos.

For our last camp dinner we made a traditional South African chicken Potjie with rice, filling and honest it went down a treat. The next morning we had baked omelette and that was the end of the big black pot that fed us so well for so long. Packing up the camp for the last time we jumped in the truck and headed for Kuala Lumpur.

Farewell camping and truck food, and thanks for the memories...

Kuala Lumpur or KL as it known is a big crazy city, after spending time in rural Malaysia this is a breath of not so fresh air, here you can by all the big name brands from Gucci to Burberry, sitting in the stand-still traffic we were caught amongst massive designer shops, as Monica’s eyes began to glass over David wondered where to hide the credit cards, this is another town you can shop till you drop in or just wonder the vibrant streets. The Petronas Towers which dazzle the sky line (best viewed from the top of the KL Tower) put scope to this sprawling metropolis.

Shopping!

And the mighty Petronas Towers, once the tallest buildings in the world:

Reading a brochure we discovered the Theme Park in the Time Square building, all adults of course we don’t normally find ourselves heading to that type of attraction...but what caught our eye was the Super Sonic Odyssey. Surely this is a sign that we must partake in these shenanigans?

Dubbed the longest indoor rollercoaster in South East Asia which left us wondering exactly how many indoor rollercoasters there were in South East Asia exactly, we purchased our adult pass all rides tickets and scrambled the four floors to the top of the main attraction. The Supersonic Odyssey (painted blue and all!) did not disappoint, screams from start to finish and maddened grins we ran from ride to ride until our churning stomachs could take no more.

Supersonic Odyssey:

KL has great night markets for a cheaper eat or world class restaurants so finding food is no fuss with the massive selection on offer. Sitting on the corner of a street with the hustle and bustle about you eating with the locals is part of the experience. For a meal with a view you can follow Robin and Alex’s example and dine at the very top of the KL TV tower stunning views surround the all-you-can-eat buffet which had Alex going for second’s third and fourth helpings.

The Muslim history is also worth a visit, Dave and Monica spent many hours wandering about. The night life is rampant if not a bit pricey but a few hangovers in the morning proved not every body had spent their travel budgets just yet. We were lucky enough to be in town for the Chinese Closing of the Gates of Hell Ceremony ( I hope they remembered to lock it once closed), dragon dancers in the streets with massive bands of drummers topped off with a spectacular fireworks display it was a lucky night to be in town. Three nights here and most folk’s pockets were getting a bit empty so we drove down to Melaka.

This would be our last drive in the truck as from Melaka we use private buses to get us to our final stop in Singapore. A sad day indeed as we say good bye to our faithful transport that never seriously let us down once.

Melaka is a large sprawling town, but we stay in the funky Chinatown bit, looking more Chinese than some parts of China, it’s a great place to explore… And do those last little bits of shopping before heading to Singapore.

Thailand

2009-10-05T11:18:00.003+01:00

From Siem Reap we head for the border with Thailand, a walk-through border which is always a pleasure, we were done in hour and on our way to Bangkok. The change as you hit Thailand is immediate, four lane highways with road signs and everything. Arriving in Bangkok in the late afternoon we checked into our little hotel in Banglamphu only a short walk to the famous Khao San Road and transport routes we were set to explore this city.

There is a lot of history and culture about as well as shopping from markets or super centres. The sex trade that once the city was most famous for is still around but not as in your face as times gone by. Jen who had visited the city years ago and was not able to walk the streets for gawkers and whistlers was pleased to be able to roam freely in this now multicultural and very accepting city, so accepting you have to give every girl a double take, check those feet sizes and adams apples lads, this is lady boy country.

The first day five folks headed off to the tiger sanctuary, run by monks it gives you the chance to get up close and personal with the mammoth beast, the photos do it all justice.

For others, just roaming the jostling streets with food stalls and clothes and every manner of which what available at a bargain price. In Thailand they say: other countries have copy right, we have right to copy, and it is only to true with amazing prices on genuine Ray bans, Gucci, Levis and every other big brand name you choose. A mad computer shopping frenzy evolved with great deals and a massive range we have now effectively doubled the number of note books in any wifi spot on route.

The food is great here to with all the western options but the Thai food is to die for, my pet nit noy, if you don’t like it spicy is bound to get a laugh from your waiter but after a the food en route most of us can handle a good handful of chilli with only breaking a little sweat.

We did have one slight problem with the truck, a young hoodlum decided to tag the side with a bit of paint, which made a great start to the morning, but luckily our hotel who was watching the truck had somebody come and remove the offending matter, but as good often pops out of bad, while lending a hand with said removal a TV crew approached, wanting to interview the crew, I quickly made my excuses and volunteered our four most appropriate representatives (the four I thought were least likely to hang draw and quarter me) and the Odyssey Overland TV premiere was all set up, meeting at seven the following evening a pretty professional looking crew arrived and it was all lights camera action with some tough questions being answered at peoples favourite spots around the truck, it was a random experience really, with a couple gins to start it turned out to be good fun. Jen, Paul, Robin, Elaine and Abby did a sterling job.

Our last night in Bangkok and still no Ping Pong, its strange how nearly everybody just cant resist witnessing this, Cher and I went last year with the group and swore blind never again, but there we found ourselves with this years group arguing the door price of the show at the same seedy little spot. They water down your vodka and serve beer by the tiny glass at ten times the price assuming everybody who comes must be stupid, and truth be told we probably all are. But worth a quick laugh you will just have to go see the goings on for yourself.

A relaxed start in the morning saw us heading for the beaches and Thailand’s white sandy miles. Karri kip kaan is about half way to the Thai islands and a quaint little tourist town aimed more at the local market which made a nice change. Our hotel on the beach had air-con, a pool and even a Jacuzzi sort of thing, if all that was not enough a walk up monkey mountain or a trek to the Buddha caves kept most amused for our short stay. We cooked off the truck one night for a bit of a change, mussels in their shells, kilos of prawns on the bbq and fish in foil silenced any grumbling tummies and conversation until the lot was gone.

From there to Surat Thani, a bit of a dive of a place but our stopping point to jump on the ferry, this is also a chance to fend for yourselves as what you do for the next 6 nights is up to you as we headed off to explore the Thai islands.

Dave, Monica, Denis, Louise and Richard headed to the opposite coast and the beaches of Krabi. Paul, Alex, Robin, Elaine and Abby headed for a posh resort up north on Ko Samui, Corrie went to join some friends out from the UK on Ko Tao and do her diving course, while Jen headed for the quiet beaches of Ko Pha Ngan and Debbie headed back to Vietnam. I’ll ask each group to write a few lines and select a photo or two and I’ll post when I can. Cher and I took the chance to play catch up with all the admin while sitting on a white beach sipping ice cold drinks, could be worse I guess!

Alex's Experience
What follows goes to anyone who's lucky enough to be booked on the London to Oz trip next year or those considering a stay on the fabulous Island of Koh Samui.

The choice of the resort was very important to me, as I wanted to relax primarily but at the same time have a good time. So if, like me, you are looking for a stunning sea view from the balcony of your bungalow in the morning, have access to a very nice swimming pool with jacuzzi and waterfall, a buffet breakfast (included) in the morning, a beautiful beach with jet-skies available (1700cc) and nice restaurants, smoothies, massages in the relaxing area of Lamai then Orchid Suites resort should definitely be considered. See pictures for a little flavour of the area of Lamai and the resort itself...

Corrie's little piece of paradise

Jen's quiet beach haven

David & Monica visit Railay

The Penis (and Fanta) shrine on the beach at Phra Nang, on Railay...fishermen (Buddhist and Muslim alike) leave offerings to the spirit of a drowned Indian princess

Sunset on the West Beach at Railay...just gorgeous

The Odyssey Overland Thailand "Office"

Cher and I headed back early to Surat Thani and we collected the group early the next morning. We had a bit of a mix up with visas, Cher and I having been here numerous times before, and Thailand being such a major tourist destination, who would have thought that they would go and change their visas stays for land borders, instead of getting the expected 30 days we ended up with 15 despite our best protests, meaning we had to leave Thailand a day early. Not wanting to cut the “Thai Island Time” short, we collected the group from the morning ferry and ran for the border. A bit of drama but what can you do, one out of 23 can’t be all that bad.

From Thailand it was into Malaysia…

Cambodia

2009-09-24T11:26:00.002+01:00

Having been away from the truck for the duration of our travels in Vietnam everybody was looking forward to reuniting with their home for the last 5 months. It was a nice change to be using trains and air-conditioned buses for a while but home is where the mess is, and the fruit somebody forgot to throw out two weeks ago... which strangely to this date nobody has owned up to. But after a spring clean for the back of the truck, everybody was settled in once more.

We spend only 6 nights in Cambodia and will be looking into extending our itinerary for next year as it is a country with so much to offer. One of the most advanced civilisations on the planet a couple of thousand years ago, Pol Pot and his merry men dragged the entire country down kicking and screaming in only 2 years and 8 months. Taking the country back to year 0, ridding the people of pesky ideas such as science or technology, medical doctors and even machinery were just some of his initiatives. They removed all the tyres from all the cars (except of course for his) and made them into shoes so the peasants could work the fields, as was true and right, for only the uneducated were pure and absolutely no threat to Pol Pot’s political regime. Well that’s my take on it, read the books they will amaze and horrify you and all this was going on only 30-odd years ago while the world politely looked the other way.

We had 3 nights in Phnom Penh, the capital city on the edge of the Tonle Sap River.

If you are going to do one thing in this town it is a visit to the Killing fields and S-21 Museum. During the Pol Pot regime anybody who was seen as a threat was taken to one of the many killing fields or prisons around the country, tortured, made to reveal anybody else who may be a threat and then killed. S-21 which was an old high school (before school was banned) was used as a detention centre for high profile prisoners, scientist or ex members of government and the like. Entire families were incarcerated, young and old and made to reveal friends and other family members before finally being sent to the killing fields. The killing fields, of which there are many around Cambodia, were a series of mass graves. It’s not a happy tour to do, but the grainy black and white photos that line the wall in their thousands take you to the other side of the human psyche, the place that is so dark we dare not glance around us, but hopefully if you have seen this little picture of true horror it would be harder for something like this to go unnoticed again. Our local guide helped us put in it all into perspective.

A local perspective - the guide at the S-21 museum:

Harrowing images:

The killing fields:

There are a lot of not-so-depressing sides to the city, promoting cafe culture is big on the list as Cambodia becomes more cosmopolitan, but the best place to catch the mood for this town is down on the river front at the FCC. The Foreign Correspondents Club has played a major part through nearly all the troubles and was a place journalist met to swap stories. Now a very trendy bar with great river views we all met up on the 3rd night for cocktails. “Odyssey Blues” were shaken up as we announced the winners of the blog competition...

And the winners are... Paul’s and Monica’s blog came first and last or last and first but either way were the only two up to date. Louise’s blog was close in the running with her humorous account of Bamberg now only 4 months and a couple of weeks back, while Amy tried to fool the judges with a snappy shot of Vietnam. Tee and Le have only just had their blog linked; we suspect foul play from the CIA. Paul and David will be enjoying a couple of dives in Malaysia on the Odyssey account while Monica will spend a day at the local beauty salon pampering herself back to perfection. Thanks for all your effort guys; a lot of people have been enjoying the read.

Another fun thing to do is go for a bit of a shoot up. The army offers up the opportunity to fire numerous guns all in the name of a good cause and at paper targets, good fun for a couple of minutes, I think Louise may be a natural...

So after the antics of the capital we head for Battambang, a sleepy little place slightly off the tourist track. The main reason we headed this way was to make another boat trip possible. These countries have had rivers for years and highways only recently and as such the rivers form a major part of the infrastructure and introduce us to a different way of life. The boat left early the next morning taking some 6 hours to get to Siem Reap, passing through floating villages and jungle. Everybody who went seemed to really enjoy the experience, with the floating pig sties being nearly as big on Denis’ list as the logistics of on-board pool table was on Paul’s.

Siem Reap has moved on leaps and bounds in the last little while, the gate way to the incredible Angkor Wat complex of temples it is rapidly becoming a tourist mecca. We were happily staying just outside of town at a rather posh lodge, only a five minute transfer from the centre but quite and idyllic as you floated around the pool or enjoyed drinks at the bar. With a restaurant serving up yummy food it was a hard push to leave but the bright lights lured most of us for a drink and a party or bit of an explore in the backpacker vibey centre.

A bit of rain...

But Angkor Wat is what we came here for. Not the most popular decision ever made by the Odyssey crew, we sent the group off to see sunrise at the temples followed by a tour of the surrounding Wats. Rated as one of the best sunrises in the world I’m sure it would have been if it was not pouring with rain and only a dull grey glow slowly lighting up the still incredible ruins. Anyway, the group managed to bribe the tuk-tuk drivers to bring them back for the buffet breakfast. After filling up on eggs and ham they all headed back out to finish the tour which everybody who was still talking to me seemed to have enjoyed.

What Angkor Wat would look like if the sun had been shining...

Sunrise over a slightly soggy Angkor Wat:

The incredible temples:

Three nights in Siem Reap gave the group a day for the temples and then another to explore the town. We also gave the truck the biggest clean since the start of the trip kindly helped by the friendly staff at our lodge. Everything was shiny and new once more and we were ready to hit the road.

Next to Thailand, Lady Boys, Ping Pong, Tigers, Graffiti and the Odysseyers finally getting their big TV break…

Vietnam

2009-09-16T12:10:00.000+01:00

Cher arrived with the group in Hue, a big city on the edge of the Perfume River with loads of history to keep you entertained as it was the DMZ or demilitarized zone after much fighting during the Vietnam War. The war is not forgotten in this part of the world, and constant reminders pop up, whether it be a deformed person begging in the street or one of the many museums reflecting on the tough times this country endured.

My favourite take on the Vietnam war was offered up by our local guide in Cambodia, “When America fought with China in Vietnam”, which just leaves you with the feeling that the years of heart ache and trouble these people have lived through was a result of them being the pawns in a worldwide chess game that ended in stale mate. But the people who have seen hard times and still live with many consequences are happy; happy to be alive and happy to be free.

With only 2 nights in Hue, the biggest attraction is the citadel. Most the group had a wander around until the heat of the day had them peeling off back to the hotel to enjoy some aircon and ready themselves for the afternoon. Laos has good infrastructure but Vietnam is leaps and bounds ahead and the bright lights of the shops had nearly everybody parting with a bit of cash. Vietnam is also a country of tailors, custom made clothes are cheap as chips, and although we would be heading to Hoi An next which is the mother of all tailor towns, a few people could just not help but be measured up for that little black dress they had been missing since packing their backpack back in April.

The only way to travel!

A thumbs up from the locals:

After a bit of a wild night at the DMZ bar a slightly worse for wear group arrived at the idyllic sea side town of Hoi An. Hoi An is touristy but nice, a perfect beach stretches for miles just on the edge of town with sun loungers and parasols to relax on or jet skis to get the heart pounding all available on the beach. But first, back to the clothes. Every second shop in this town is a tailor, they make lovely clothes to your shape and size for pennies, as most people were down to a couple of well worn t- shirts and slightly grubby shorts this was the perfect place to stock up on a couple of skirts, tops or whatever you so fancy. To be fair, most of the lads still look like we dragged them through Central Asia behind the truck, but most of the girls are looking rather flash in their new attire.

From Hoi An we head for Nha Trang, but as we hadn’t had the greatest experiences there last year we decided to try something a little bit different. A private beach 60km north of the busy city is a place called Jungle Beach. Built by a crazy Canadian he has created his version of paradise. All construction is from bamboo and palm fronds, you check in to your idyllic beach hut, each one nestled in the jungle so as not to notice the other, they feed you three meals a day, which was an incredible selection seafood salad veg and meats. The beach is wide and sandy, the beach umbrellas are moved every so often by the staff to keep you and your belongings in just the right amount of shade, there are boats to paddle and li-los to float on, fresh fruit is served mid afternoon, they bring it to you. Moving from your hammock to the beach to the restaurant is pretty much all you have to worry about, and the entire place is wi-fi so you can keep up with the world that disappears into an “who cares” haze around you. Bloody brilliant. We had only 3 nights there but some folks have spent more than a month and you can see why.

Tim, catching up on some of the huge amount of admin and organisation that goes into an epic journey like this!

Beach huts:

Stunning beaches, blue skies and sun loungers... just about perfect!

For those who find all this lazing about too much, you can follow the lead of Denis and Dave and just dig a really big hole in the beach and bury yourself or you can go trekking up into the hills and jungle behind to find the troops of monkeys swinging from tree to tree.

In the evenings the shallow water lends itself to an evening swim with the incredible phosphorescence illuminating your limbs as you move, the bonfire on the beach is the perfect place to relax and chat with fellow travellers as the stars appear above.

Leaving such a paradise is difficult, and on the morning of departure we had to force most people back onto the bus before heading for the complete other side of the coin, Ho Chi Minh City.

Saigon as it is called by nearly everybody is a crazy but cool place. Busy 24/7 you can but marvel at the throngs of scooters zooming around the town. To cross a road in this part of the world you just walk, there is no gap in the traffic, you maintain a steady pace and everybody just weaves around you, nerve-racking at first, but the little green man has been made nearly redundant in this city.

Motorcycle mahem in Saigon:

Having three nights here you have to plan your time, just wandering the streets you could take up an entire day, but here is so much to see and do.

One group of us headed off down to the Cu Chi tunnels, this was a strategic area during the Vietnam War and the Vietcong dug an incredible 200km of tunnels in a quite a small area. We had a half day trip with the opportunity to clamber down some of the bigger tunnels and see some of the ingenious if not hideous traps the locals used on the unfortunate GI’s. Our guide gave us a good run down of it all not leaving out any of the gory details. Then a boat trip up the Saigon River until we joined the mighty Mekong once more. Approaching a city as large as this from the water gives you a great new perspective.

Going:

Going:

Gone!

Remnants of the jungle warfare:

Onto the river:

It's not all about the war...

Bowling, Saigon-style!

The War Remnants Museum is another must see, depressing as it is, and told from the other side it brings home the realities of an ugly war. Most folks made the effort to go and take a look, not a happy experience but one well worth the effort.

Unfortunately must-see but not-so-happy experiences were to be a bit of a trend as we headed for Cambodia and its very recent grizzly history.

Laos

2009-09-14T16:49:00.000+01:00

The Chinese border was a bit formal as usual but not longwinded which was a pleasure. We stamped out and headed for Laos. What a change, smiley happy people greeting you at the border, visas on application, no file of permits with red writing! The entire group sighed a collective breath of relief as finally the holiday was about to begin.

Central Asia and China are some of the most interesting places you can travel, nearly guaranteed to get you a few dinner invites as you have experienced a country and people that few have heard of never mind seen. But it can be hard and it can be challenging, this is what makes it so special. Laos is a well trodden path with luxury’s such as English menus, western style loos, heck sometimes even the staff in the hotel can speak perfect English. Still interesting and fascinating, we try and get off the beaten track and find new and exciting experiences, but this is the time to wind down and enjoy. Nearly all the accommodation is hotels now, some fancy, some simple, but all good and clean.

Roadside lunch:

Lush valleys on our way through Laos:

Laung Nam Tha is our first stop for rest. We had bought some food at a local market in China but as plans changed we cooked up the lot at our accommodation and made ourselves at home in the small guest house we filled to the brim. The owner could be seen peeking out the window wondering if we had moved into stay as this was his first experience of an Overland truck in this part of the world. The following day some folks rented cycles and motor bikes and set off around the town to explore the rice fields and villages that surround this quaint little place. Recharged and ready to go we headed further into Laos.

Staying off the beaten track we drove through the hills and dense jungle to a village called Nong Khiew, a tiny place perched on the edge of the Mekong offering one of the most scenic boat rides in Laos, seven hours of river life and jungle surround you until you pop out at Luang Prabang. We booked everybody on the boat that took a far shorter route than the truck. It felt like an episode of Top Gear as Cher and I made sure everybody was on board safely and then ran back to the truck to start the race. 3 hours into our drive, with the road now following the river we spotted two boats in the distance and moments later we over took to assure our victory as a madly waving group of Odyssey travellers responded to the blasts from the truck’s horn. Cher and I arrived just in time to order a cold beer and look suitably relaxed, as the group docked at Luang Prabang.

Boarding the boats to Luang Prabang:

Stunning scenery along the river:

We hire our own boats to make sure we have plenty of room!

Riverside villages:

Temples along the river:

Piling into three-wheel motor bike taxis called Tuk Tuks we made our way through the pretty town to our hotel just on the outskirts. Checking in we discussed the next day’s activities. With so much on offer different groups headed off and do different thing whether it be kayaking down the river, swimming in waterfalls or doing a bit of shopping – it’s all here and easy enough to sort out and do. 3 nights to explore the town and enjoy the food is plenty as we prepare to head for Vang Vieng.

Waterfalls near Luang Prabang:

Luang Prabang is home to many beautifully decorated Wats or temples:

Beers by the river:

Vang Vieng is a backpacker hot spot, the law seems to have forgotten about this town or chooses to turn a blind eye. We booked into a rather posh resort to avoid the string of bars playing all the latest pop music. Everybody was pleasantly surprised by the restaurant leaning out over the river and manicured lawns. Now out of China we could buy cheese again not just lumps of pressed pre sliced stuff but blue and brie, camembert and gorgonzola. A cheese and wine evening was on the cards so we set it up for the following evening. Bicycles are also available for rent and many a cave is available to explore.

Restaurant overlooking the river - all rather civilised!

But the big must in this part of town is the tubing. The story goes years ago local people would use old tractor tubes to fish in the river; some travellers arrived and asked if they could borrow the tubes to float down the river and watch the world go by. As they were floating along they saw farmers and fisherman cooling beers in the water and so paddled over to purchase a few and so began what is today a marauding crowd of young and old floating on tubes from restaurant to restaurant, bar to bar, using the mud slides and tree swings to toss themselves into the river. Great fun, but probably not a approved by the UK health and safety commission, the life jackets are a welcome upgrade from last year. Much fun was had by all with a couple of hangovers thrown in to remind you not to have so much fun to soon again.

Stunning waterfalls and pools, and ropes to swing into the water on:

Vientiene is only a short drive away and the capital of Laos, filled with expats it does not take long to see why. Western shops and restaurants can be diluted with a visit to Buddha Park or one of the many Wats. But the comforts of home are all here left over from the predominantly French influence. Most folks took the time to visit the Buddha Park and balance the culture with a fun day at the water park. We had three nights of aircon and comfy beds before heading off into the jungle proper.

Parked up in Vientiane:

Amazing sculptures in the Buddha Park:

The next bit I don’t even want to write about in case somebody finds out what magic has eluded the Lonely Planet for so long. Will they bring tubes and beer to this little spot? I hope not. But in the centre of Phu Hin Bun National Park is a tiny eco resort. From these rickety cabins you can take a trip to a cave system stretching 7 kilometres before it spews you out in a jungle wonderland. But first we had to get there. A 5-hour drive brings you to where the truck has to stop. We then grab all our gear and pile into long tail speed boats, skimming only millimetres above the water with the boats propelled by what appear to be strimmer engines attached to propellers rather than grass cutters, whisk you up the river. Through villages and jungle, fallen trees and sandbanks cause havoc for the boat men as the wind further into the dense interior.

Long tail boats:

Our trusty boatman:

Stopping at a very small lodge with great friendly staff we checked into our basic accommodation.

Seems to be comfortable enough though!

The next morning we were back in the boats again to venture to the mouth of the cave and transfer into different boats. This is where it all got a bit interesting and when most wished they had bought a big, big torch. The river men who take you through the cave are different from the others as they have to be very specialised in what they do. They both have torches left over from the mining operations in 1850, well not quite candles and a parakeet, but not far from it. Long tail boats again, they pilot you through the narrow channels and vast caverns that make up this incredible system. At the half way point they have lit part of the cave and walking up the slippery slope we explored all the stalactites and mites. Then boats again until a good half hour later we could see the dazzle of light on water once more, lunch is served and then you get to do the entire thing again. A bit hair raising on the way back as you go with the flow but it was a great exciting and beautiful thing to do.

Into the caves:

The day before we had spotted a piglet roast on the menu and by the time we got back we had two piggies on the stick roasting slowly over the fire. Sitting on the deck overlooking the river with the smell of the hog roast lingering in the air made for a great night after a great days, no vegetarians on board was handy but I’m sure they would skewer a pumpkin too if the need be.

Swims and rowing in a small canoe that Denis dutifully sunk, the sun slowly waned and with full tummies we settled down for the following day and nearly the end of Laos.

Savannakhet is just a stopover point as we prepare to head for Vietnam. Vietnam is a bit fussy about letting foreign vehicles in and after a few inquiries we found it possible only with a police escort, well maybe not, we seem to attract enough attention with just our big blue truck.

So a sad good bye for now to Calypso and after one night in town everybody apart from Rich and myself (now promoted to temporary navigator and drivers dogsbody) boarded a private bus to Hue in Vietnam as Rich and I were going to drive down to Cambodia, leave the truck there and then play catch-up to rejoin the group in Hoi An.

China

2009-09-14T16:30:00.001+01:00

China is an incredible country and months could be spent travelling its vast deserts and jungles, but we would be heading on a southerly route for 39 days travelling across some well-trodden paths and some not so well trodden, but Exploration and Adventure is what it says on the side of the box and China truly did deliver.

Across the longest border I have ever seen – it is literally a 2-hour drive from check point to check point the change was immediate from the lush green we had seen in Kyrgyzstan. The Tourgart Pass has kept China safe from invasion from the west for thousands of years and the dusty road now even makes it a tough place to cross. Our first taste of Chinese bureaucracy was saved by a hail storm. At the second check point (one of four) we were asked to remove all baggage from the truck and take it for X-Ray but the X-Ray machine was outside and just as they were getting done with thoroughly searching Pauls bag (he had an ukulele in his bag, never leave home without one) one almighty storm blew in from no where and the hail belted down sending border guards and all running for cover. This threw a bit of a spanner in the works for the very young looking Chinese officials and after much umming and ahhing they just waved us on to the next check point. So the day went on, formalities for formalities sake, until late afternoon we had entered China and the Xianjan Province.

We had picked up our new local guide Vanessa, a definite must in a country were even guessing the road signs is an impossibility and ordering food can land you with literally anything on your plate.

Making our way to Kashgar we were greeted by an all singing and dancing staff, they came outside and sang and danced for us on arrival, we checked in to garish Chinese style hotel, not my taste in decor I have to say but we soon got accustomed to the elaborately plaster and painted ceilings and headed out to explore Kashgar.

Welcome to China:

The main market in Kashgar has been in existence for thousands of years and walking the maze of vendors was an experience enjoyed by most but the night market and food was the highlight for all, after so many meals of Plov and Shashlik the Central Asian staple, the elaborate and spicy food of China had people drooling as they pawed over the menus.

Crossing through town presented its own set of problems in the form of electric scooters, the city streets are bustling with bikes but not one makes a sound, a bizarre experience but crossing the road is a perilous activity as you rely completely on your sight as the silent bikes fly up and down. We had 3 days here as we readied ourselves to drive across the vastness that is China.

A walk around the old town that sadly was rocked by a massive earthquake last year throws you back a thousand years as tradesmen beat out copper plates on the pavement and blacksmiths hone knives that are famous the world over, the market is a sprawling maze selling everything from paper clips to massive swords, animal fur to live animals of all descriptions. It is wild and crazy and what made this city famous.

From Kashgar we started our journey through China. Turpan is the second lowest point on the planet and a truly appropriate spot to start if you plan on driving to the roof of the world. Turpan is also the hottest place in China and proved itself just so. A night here gave us the chance to wander around the Jinghong ruins, a massive city hued out of the ground but the staggering heat sent most straight to the ice-cream seller.

On from Turpan driving through the desert, hundreds of kilometres of flat straight road bought us to Dunhaung.

China is big into tourism, but tourism based solely on the local population with their closed border policy that is now only slowly opening up, and so with the massive expanse of land available they have made theme parks out of entire cities, Dunhuang is one of these and even if it is not built to suit western tastes it is to be marvelled at. Doubling prices in high season is seen as quite acceptable, capitalism at its best, which caused a bit of upset on a few occasion. On one afternoon we were heading out to the massive sand dunes that surround the city, a natural wonder with a ticketing office the prices had doubled only the week before. The young lady behind the counter totally unabashed pointed at the new sign despite our best protest. So a few folks decided to set off to find a gap in the fence, while others paid their way. Random and bizarre are the best words to describe what we found inside, thousands of camels ready to ride greeted you at the gate, only outnumbered by the masses of locals wearing their specialist sand shoe covers in bright orange, activities were not short on the list, a quad bike ride through the dunes was possible as long as you were happy to trust the driver, or drive yourself while he lent over your shoulder and held the handle bars... A few of us did a five minute flip in a micro light which was great but the highlight for most was the sand tobogganing; walk a steep set of stairs nearly to the top of a dune, fling yourself on a bamboo”toboggan” and fly down a slope, it was one hell of a slog to the top but most folks found themselves running up and down repeatedly until their legs would not make the trip. Next was the crescent lake, a beautiful blue lake surrounded by sand with a 1,000 year old pagoda and then a few cold beers and home, the entry price may have been doubled but it was one of the most random screams we have had this trip.

Next to the Great Wall, albeit only the ruins, but it was a great experience to camp so close to so much history.

We now started our climb to the roof of the world, China was not going to make it easy though. The first big road we were going to drive was closed all day due to road works. Chinese-style they just open the gates at night and its every vehicle for yourself as you drive some of the worst roads I have ever seen, in the dark, luckily both Cher and I can drive so we took it in turns throughout the night to arrive safely at our first bush Camp in the Tibetan region. Hiding ourselves behind some hills we thought we had found a good secluded spot, but as if by magic strangely dressed folks started to appear as if from nowhere. Standing, staring, and then coming closer and giving us a hand to put the tents up. Not quite sure what to make of theses friendly people the situation took a bit of getting used to, we had been watched from afar before but this was pretty much in your face. Eventually entire families arrived to watch our antics. Cooking that night you felt the urge to give an explanation of why you were cutting the carrots just so as 10 women stood and quacked at you, all at a respectable distance just fascinated by our peculiar behaviour. Our first introduction to Tibetan people and our first night at sleeping at 4,000 metres was an odd one but enjoyable and everybody soon became very attached to the wonderful people of Tibet.

At this stage we also picked up our Tibetan Local guide Dawa. We now had two local guides on board which is a great treat, Vanessa to help us with the Chinese and Dawa to explain all the strange sights and sounds of Tibet. A great help on the truck too, he would spring about the place helping with everything he could while we all struggled in the thin air.

Our local guide explaining the history and culture of Tibet:

Next to Lake Namsu, the highest lake in the world, which would take us to just below 5,000 metres, a good time to test your stamina as now the air is very thin and even though we had made this ascent over 5 days going up and down slowly to give our bodies every chance to acclimatise we would be seeing how we would cope with Everest base camp. Most folks were pleasantly surprised with how well they handled it, but walk a bit and then rest was definitely the best option. Even talking you would find yourself having to stop, gulp some air and carry on.

A night at the lake and then down again to Lhasa.

Lhasa had been on many peoples’ lips for so long everybody was really excited to arrive and drive down past the Potala Palace, steeped in history and controversy, and now having quite a bond with the local people we were surprised to find a massive army presence in the town. After the riots last year China has clamped down and their presence is truly felt. Not to be put off we checked into our hotel in the heart of the old town and planned our next 3 days of activities.

Debating monks - despite the language barrier, it is fascinating to watch:

Town was in full swing as we had managed to arrive on Tuesday, the next day was the 15th of the month and a Wednesday, a double whammy on the Tibetan calendar the incense burners were billowing smoke as the pilgrims threw themselves on the ground outside the Johang Temple. Doing this up to a thousand times a day, it’s as much a work out as it is a religious exercise and you find yourself dumb struck and in awe of the peoples’ devotion. As we toured the temple we jostled with the pilgrims in what is one of the most incredible buildings I had ever seen. We found ourselves walking from room to room, nearly not saying a word as Dawa fought to make himself heard over the chanting and praying.

A walk around Barkor Street surrounded us with thousand of bits and bobs to buy from your typical tourist tat to fabric woven from yaks hair and handmade saddles. Not only tourists shop in this part of town.

The next morning we headed for the Potala Palace. 100 million steps and several litres of sweat saw you arrive at the main gates. We chose to arrive as a group but travelled around in small clutches so as not to get ushered out by the money hungry staff. It’s an incredible building but you can’t help but find yourself wondering what we would have found in its days of former glory and not just a tourist Mecca.

The first two days we had planned a major attraction either morning or night as due to the new ticketing laws groups must travel as groups and you all have to be with a local guide. So the spare time was divided up amongst the many other temples and sights and Dawa made himself available to show those interested the what’s what of Lhasa.

So on the last day most people just relaxed or shopped or whatever they may so have chosen, though I would say it was probably more shopping as the next morning the luggage locker was stuffed to the brim as we started our journey to the mighty Mount Everest.

Two days of driving would see us ascend from the 3,800 metres to base camp at 5,150 meters, now well acclimatized only the truck would cough and splutter as the oxygen thinned on the way up. The second night of camping we managed to enter the park as Dawa was friends with guys of the gate so we were able to camp at the base of the 160 switchbacks that would snake us over the hills and to the base of the top of the world.

Slow going we stopped off at a view point. Staring at a cloud covered mountain range our hearts began to sink but suddenly the cloud cleared for just a moment and we caught our first sight of Everest. Known as Chomolungma by the locals, a far more fitting name meaning mother goddess of the universe. The mountain is as elusive as it is dangerous. Hundreds of people die every year to reach it peak and thousands make this bumpy drive and never even catch a glimpse of the summit.

Lady luck was by our side, as when we arrived the clouds would clear and close around the peak, cameras flashed and flashed as we booked into our hotels for the night. Our hotels, sporting names like the Yak hotel or Himalaya Hotel were not quite what one would think… Made from yak hair woven into mats and with a burning stove in the middle they were homely as you like. In the evening the hostess would arrive to tuck in your quilts as you bedded down for the evening around the slow burning stove.

As the mountain was clearing we thought best make use of our time and caught a bus ride to the mountain climbers camp, this is as close as you can get without forking out the US$20,000 ticket to climb the mountain itself. We arrived in good cheer but were soon lined up by the officials at the gate. Our intended local guide had fallen ill just before we arrived and Dawa was sent in his place, but the permit we had to enter base camp had the intended guides name on it. So in true Chinese fashion as the paper work was not 100% we were all refused entry. The stone that says Everest was 50 metres past the barrier and this is a tick box photo everybody wants to have but despite all our begging and pleading there was not a stone to be moved with this little man with big power. So we made the best out of what we had and climbed the hill just behind the gate post and watched what we came to see.

The next morning a couple of us decided to walk up to the base camp gate to watch the sunrise. We woke at five that morning and made the slow trek up the windy slope, slow going with all this lack of air and blindingly cold the standing water around us had frozen. Climbing our little hill behind the gates we waited for the show to begin. The stars up here are incredible, with so little pollution and sky in the way they burn brighter than nearly anywhere on the planet. Shooting stars lit up the sky as the first morning light crept in. The sight that greeted us I have never even seen a photo of. The white jagged peaks stretching off to the right and Everest without a cloud in sight. Absolutely magic.

Walking back to the camp, everybody was out, some still wrapped in sleeping bags to ward off the chill, photos from the night before were frantically being deleted to make room for the mountain as naked as a new -born child.

Down the mountain we wove to the viewpoint for lunch, once again the clouds had gathered, and everybody realised, despite the Chinese silliness, just how lucky we had been. From here we had one camp and then back into a now familiar Lhasa for one night to scrub up at our comfy hotel and then back to the bush.

We had five nights of bush camping ahead of us though a few were rained out and we found ourselves in little local hotels , we were the first overland company to drive this leg and even though it was hard going and our truck suffered a bit of bang and bounce and even a rather dramatic puncture, it must be one of the most scenic stretches of road in the world as you wind your way up monster mountains through dense jungles and barren grassy plains surrounded by snowy peaks and amazing settlements, it’s a part of the journey we will never forget.

That tiny speck on the road is the truck! Gives you an idea of the scale of the mountains around:

Ouch:

But Shangrila was our next big destination. Staying in a quaint guest house all made of wood we had two nights here to explore the town and temples. It was also the wonderful Cheryl’s Birthday and celebrations were held in the appropriate fashion, a group meal out we ordered a set menu for all followed by dancing and drinking until the small hours of the morning.

It was also the drop off point for people wanting to hike the Tiger leaping gorge, as I did not go along for that check out http://teeandle2009.blogspot.com/2009/08/china-yunnan-tiger-leaping-gorge.html .

We took the short drive to Liejang. Another world heritage site history and more shopping and then to Dali. Dali is yet another Chinese tourist town but on a much smaller scale and a nice end to the touristy side of Yunan province.

From the quaint little town we headed for Kunming. Kunming is the biggest city on the South Western side of china and after so much rural driving the smog on the horizon was an interesting change. We only had two nights here though even in two years you would not see it all. Kunming gave everybody a chance to stock up with provisions before we headed down south out of China and into a much more relaxed Laos.

China is an incredible country to travel and hopefully this blog has given you some idea of what it is like, but to get a true picture you will just have to get out here and see it for yourself on one of our future expeditions!

Kyrgyzstan

2009-08-21T10:28:00.013+01:00

To start with an apology is seldom any way to start but sometimes you just have to. We haven’t updated the blog since being in China, and over the last month and half I have dreamt up a thousand excuses, but none seem worth writing down now. So please accept our apologies, China has kept us running and driving and looking and seeing until now, in Southeast Asia, we have finally caught up with ourselves.
Our last entry took us out of the amazing Uzbekistan and the great Silk Road cities, too hard to describe to your friends, and never done justice with a photo, just a must see experience. Then from the grandeur of human feats we crossed the border to the works of nature, a land hardly touched, and one of my favourite places in the world. Kyrgyzstan is a wonderful place, if ever anybody asks where they should visit amongst the Stans, it is always first on my list.

Crossing the border with all the usual formalities we met up with our local guide Asel. She is probably one of the best guides we have on this route, not only for her in depth knowledge of the flora and fauna, facts and figures, but for honest heartfelt love for her country and the easy and relaxed fashion she introduces this diverse place to you, and she is truly barking mad in the most wonderful way. Osh the first town we head into gives you a shock of culture, even though more than half the population is Uzbek, the easy smiles and relaxed way is definitely Kyrgyz. A night in town, the chance to change money, the lack of any mammoth tourist attraction gives way to this scenic country.

Given I’m now sitting in Laos, I’m not going to try and give you a blow by blow account of Kyrgyzstan but rather some kind of feel for the country and a taste of one or two of our adventures till the Tourgart pass and the mammoth that is China.

To try and explain the thoughts on Kyrgyzstan is too hard, but if I could choose another life maybe I would choose to have it here. Most of the country is one big pasture, short stubby lush green fields dotted by herds of goats, sheep (fat tail Asian sheep,) and some of the most sought after horses in the world, now banned from export, the countryside stretches to the base of peaks over 5000 metres, snow capped and dazzled by the summer sun. In winter I’m sure it’s not as idyllic, as temperatures reach 20 below and their world is blanketed by deep snow and freezing winds. But all these conditions have lead to a special and very nomadic way of life that influences every aspect of their being.

As the snow melts every year, the people leave the towns and villages and follow their herds to greener pastures, moving from their fixed abodes into traditional homes for the summer, the yurt.
A yurt is a photographers dream inside and out, constructed of a wooden lattice work, covered in felt, bound in rope and waterproofed with mutton fat, heated with a slow burning fire of, well sheep shit, it’s well worth a visit to enjoy the hospitality of the locals, but can be hard on the western nose if truly traditional.

The herders move higher and higher until the pastures are above 3000 metres. All this said and nothing of the people, open friendly and honest, a visit to a yurt will always see you fed even it is only an offering of a piece of bread or a full spread of honeys, jams, compotes and cream washed down with tea, or for the very brave, fermented mares milk, you have to try it to see if you like it.... But back to our route.
From Osh we start heading for the mountains and vast plains that make Kyrgyzstan so unbelievably scenic. Two bush camps, one at a massive hydro electric dam, saw swimming this year but rain the last, take it as it comes, but the sapphire blue water and harsh brown rock is a dazzle to the eye no matter the weather. Then, a slip face that is best explained with photos and then to lake Songkul.
The road to Songkul is never an easy one and Asel was frantically chatting to the locals in the villages all the way up. The season was later this year and the road we had hoped to pass was definitely closed with a massive avalanche, destroying some of the already precarious mountain pass, but another was open, so we would carry on to another village. Driving up the small track and winding through pastures into the mountains it was quite clear the weather was not in our favour, even though we were enjoying bright sunny days so early in the year, the snow had kept falling until only recently and snow melt was in full swing. At one point the road had been washed away but we managed to find our way round through a dodgy looking bit of mud that had the lads in the back strapping on their boots to dig the truck out. But Calypso, our faithful truck, bounced her way through the axle deep bog to regain the firm footing of the road. On we pushed through the mud and bumps until we met the end of the road, truly and completely. Two big trucks on their way to a quarry had been running ahead of us, one had gotten itself well and truly stuck trying to get around where the road had been washed away. Keen to turn and head for another road, a driver ran over to us and with a quick exchange of words, Asel turned and smiled at me... yes of course we would help.
We have been stuck before on this trip and a helpful local to pull you out makes light work of a big job, so tit for tat, we lent a hand and a tow rope and a little bit of our time and smiles all round we were on our way, but how were we to know we were setting a trend...
So around we went and started heading for another side of lake Songkul, if I didn’t love the place so much I may well have thrown in the towel at this point, but having been there before and knowing what we would miss we had to keep on going.
So bumpy, bumpy around the town and villages we headed for the road that was sure to be open and gladly enough it was. Slowly we climbed the dusty track, dust turning to mud, rain turning to sleet, sleet turning to snow. Praying for no opposing traffic we climbed from 1000 metres above sea level to above three, through walls of ice and snow and washed out roads to eventually reaching the top of a mountain and then slowly back down onto the plains, but of course not without a bit of adventure. Along the road a man was standing, waving, pointing, at his truck, stuck in the mud... Asel smiled, we complied..., and accepted his invitation for us to camp near his yurt. The welcome of his warm fire if it was still snowing when we arrived was very appealing (snow cancels out the smell of sheep shit fires and mutton fat damp proofing).
Around a bend and over a hill we hit the plains surrounding the amazing Lake SongKul. Held holy by the locals, not even fishing is allowed, vast green plains hemmed by sparkling snow capped peaks, herds and yurts dotting the awe inspiring landscape, horsemen riding wild ...Well nearly, as the weather was so late this year only a couple of white yurts dotted the landscape, though beautiful, huge storms could be seen building in the west before they barraged down the 90km lake. The weather was kind now, but it could soon become very angry, and, well, it was just bloody freezing.
Fair is fair we plan for this weather and the Odyssey group got things rolling, tents were pitched, the kitchen tent went up as well as the kitchen tarp, a fire pit was dug and the rain seemed to hold off. The sun went down along with the temperature as a warming curry was prepared on the fire, an early night for most apart from the few who spent some time drinking by the glow of the last embers.
Not to get us down, even Odyssey can’t plan the weather (though we do try really hard, apologies in advance), Asel and I headed off early the next morning to speak to some locals and see what fun could be organised. Trekking is very possible in this part of the world, walking along the lake edge is easy going, straight up a mountain is a bit harder, but both will be an experience you will never forget amongst all this nature, horse riding for those who are able is a great way to explore this paddock that stretches to the lower reaches of monster mountains, but the biggest thing to see up here is goat polo. The national sport of Kyrgyzstan it is a sight to behold, not easy to explain, probably impossible to describe, photos can only do it so much justice, but it is something you have to see while you are here.
After walking for too long, we got to the first yurt, a gift of bread but no horses to hire, we set off again, so it went on for several hours. What was becoming quite clear is that the people had not gotten this far up the mountain yet, and their thousands of animals were still making the slow trudge up the hills around us. People and animals trek for weeks to nourish themselves on the lush surroundings after summer snow melt. We were just too early for the season this year. So back to the truck, only two horses in tow after the ten we had wanted, it was time to make some decisions.
We had seen Songkul even if we had not experienced all it had to offer, the weather was changing too fast for trekking, and after the photos of last year’s game of goat polo and horse riding, a quick vote was cast. The quickest de-camp in the history of Odyssey; we left only foot prints and were gone. Back down the mountain, back through the snow and sleet into the dust, nobody to rescue, following tiny roads in incredible scenery we headed for the valley of yurts and horses.
Planing works, but luck sometimes falters the best plans, 6 hours later we were heading up a narrow gorge, the road was bad, worse and worse still, until even our Calypso said no more. Maybe with a few hours of filling in the water-washed gulley we could have gone further, but walking the road a few kilometres, while everybody pitched camp, revealed a definite no-truck-road that would have scared the wits out of the best jeep in the world. So an amazing camp with a vista over mountains and farm fields got us no closer to Goat Polo.
Sometimes you just have to phone the boss, well that what I explained to Asel, which she duly did, and got shouted at for even contemplating taking our group up into the valley, but it worked out okay, as she merely explained that it was all my idea and she had said no, but I insisted. If she hadn’t been such a wonderful person, and told me exactly what she had just said to her boss, I may well have thrown her off a cliff, but Asel, well you will just have to wait till you meet her (to be fair we had spoken to some locals who had said my truck would make the road without any problems and this was definitely the place to go).

So bad calls all round, but our agency sourced some good advice, and as it turned out, a distant meadow we watched the sun dance over as it set, was guaranteed to be jam packed with yurts, smelly goats and good times, so off we went the next morning.

Lunch time found us clawing slowly up a grassy hill, a few rivers crossed, now only at 2000m, the weather was far kinder and the scenery and surrounds were dotted with goats, sheep and herds of beautiful horses, some a hundred strong, this is what we had signed up for. Pitching camp in the afternoon warmth we headed up for a meeting with the head honcho which leads me to try and explain the game of goat polo.

Goat polo is not for the faint hearted, it is the traditional and national sport, but not played every afternoon like kicking around a ball. It’s an exercise in the amazing skills of horsemanship these people learn from a very young age (you start on a donkey and slowly move up); they are truly born in the saddle. A horse is one of the most important things they own, cars are run down and poorly maintained, horses are groomed, fed and loved to perfection. A good polo horse is worth a fortune and revered by all.
The playing field is as far as the eye can see, the rules are few and far between, if at all. The controversial point is the ball, and where the goat comes in. Its not a waste and it’s not cruel, animals are killed for food every day and at some point this poor little bugger is going to get eaten, ask Paul, he chose to visit a yurt after the game and got served half a goats head. Anyway a goat is killed in the normal way. A small prayer is offered, you respect animals if you spend all your time looking after them, the head and lower half of the legs are removed and the carcass becomes the ball.
For the goals a small blanket is laid some distance off from the spectators. In terms of spectators all the local people have been invited, this is a game saved for celebrations and festival, so when we arrive and offer to pay for the goat it is a true treat for everybody and a great chance to have a practice. So the ball or goat is taken off some way and placed on the ground, the word is given and two teams of two go charging off into the distance, reach out of their saddle in a superhuman act, grab the goat and start to make their way back to the mat or goal on the ground. The point of the game is to reach the carpet and toss the goat onto it, normally at full gallop. What happens in-between is anybody’s guess, as the two teams wrestle, barge and fight to gain control of the goat. Amazing to watch. I’ll let the photos try and give you some idea of the goings on. After the goat polo the players joined us for a game of Volley ball which was a scream, even though they had all been riding and wrestling they still managed to score a few worthy points against us.
So another afternoon of fires and food and one of Cheryl’s incredible fire baked breads, we all settled in for an early night before another day of Kyrgyzstan.

With the weather calmer than at Songkul people headed off for treks in the morning, rolling hills reach on and on and a good compass is important to find your way back to the truck, Tee and Le were gone for most the day and Paul enjoyed a short walk over a hill and far away.

Horses are another great draw card, so we hired several. Louise and Corrie headed off into the distance while Alex in his always relaxed manner swung himself astride and gently cantered around the camp only to return a few moments later, Denis had his first horse experience too, at full gallop bare foot.... Odyssey does not condone this reckless behaviour, but Dave was off next in his sandals riding like a pro, I think it was the stopping that ended up as the main problem. But a good day of fun and relaxing, with a bit of excitement thrown in, and the most incredible lamb shank stew, saw us heading for Bishkek.If Tian Shan had us too relaxed, Bishkek can quickly fix that. Driving through the country side you would never believe the thriving metropolis that is Bishkek, four lane roads packed with Mercs and Beamers, horns honking all around at the throws of people busily walking en route to who knows where, flashing neon lights and five storey malls, with fast food joints on every corner.Happily we were staying just on the edge of the madness in a quiet little hotel. Just a hop and a skip from a large mall or short taxi journey into the full swing of things. Three nights here and I think we were all quite happy to be on our way, stocked up with luxury items we headed once more for the expanse of the countryside.I’m not going to run you through all our other adventures, in the hope I can get this blog up this afternoon, but a brief run down is from Bishkek we headed to lake Issy kul, the second highest alpine lake in the world. Then to a small town called Karakol and then to Diety Orgus.

Diety Orgus is another alpine retreat for herders with their yurts, completely different from before, we camp in a deep valley. Surrounded by green forests and rolling lawns, another great place for trekking and horse riding. As it turned out we were not the only overlanders on site, camping some way down was a Drago group. Unfortunately they had had some truck hassles, and were in two minivans making the best with what they had (mostly a large bowl of punch). Always keen to show our hospitality we invited the lot around for a Pub quiz evening kindly put on by Amy and Emma. It was a great night with two bonfires roaring around the camp and plenty of punch. The final winning team was a combination of Drago and Odyssey travellers which only fuelled the party lasting on into the small hours of the morning.Then down the mountain again, across some awful bridges, to Kochkor and another lovely homestay. One more sleep till China had everybody on the edge of their seat as we headed for the Tourgart Pass.

Uzbekistan

2009-06-29T15:47:00.014+01:00

Kungard is a dusty town far from anywhere with not too much to see apart from a lively market selling everything you might need in this neck of the woods. So basically tomatoes, cucumbers, bits of meat you can’t and don’t care to recognise and bread, so all stocked up we headed for the desert that was once the Aral Sea.

The road was not too bad and arriving in the town of Moyneq we were greeted by the rusting town sign with a jumping fish emblem and all. The little town could have been any fishing village with lime white walls blue roofs and windowsills, nearly abandoned now the only form of income is cotton crops which grow studded in the arid soil the irony being what destroyed the town so long ago is now their only income. We had not been here before and did not know what to expect but it will definitely be another stop next year, again the photos tell the story better than I ever could.

Not far from the sunbaked harbour we found a reservoir and shelter from the wind that whips tons of dust into the sky from the parched ground. The locals sat and stared at us as we stared out over the incredible scenery.

We all left with a feeling of wonder – a beautiful place with such a sad story, a desert littered with sea shells and rusting hulks and struggling people.

The group at the Aral Sea - an Odyssey First!

So from Moyneq we headed for Nukus the former capital of Karikalpakstan we found a bush camp with a twist just before the main centre. As most of this area is planted to crops we drove down a farm road and asked a the lady of the house if we were welcome to stay and much to our delight we spent the night in the farm yard with our local guide making us Plov a traditional rice dish. The girls had a go at cotton field weeding which was as rubbish as it sounds while the boys dug in the loo and shower as we made ourselves at home.

Into Nukus the next morning early I sorted out a few paper work problems with the truck while the group went to the Stavotsky art Museum, Nukus ‘s only claim to fame. During the Soviet era art was tightly controlled and works that were not deemed fit for the public eye were either destroyed or, luckily, sent to be locked away in Nukus, they now have some 90,000 pieces, a selection of which you can view over the four floors of this incredible art museum.

Back on track we started our tour of the silk road cities. Khiva the smallest of the lot gives you a taste of the incredible architecture and history of the Silk Road, a full day tour conducted by our local guide gives the full story.We stayed in a small family run hotel and after our adventures in Kazakhstan, the air-conditioned rooms dotted around a central court yard were a welcome relief! That night we had a group meal of local delicacies and a show normally saved for weddings preformed by an Uzbek Dancing family.

From Khiva it was off to Bukhara, another incredible Silk Road city.

And them off to Samerkand. In each city we supply a tour that you may join for the entire day or just a morning, there is so much to take in you actually have to have the occasional break and check your mails in the internet cafe or sit and read a book. The Registan Square is the most decorative of the all the Silk Road cities and is a sight to wonder at.

Tashkent is the next big city modern in its own way and run down in another, we had one night here before we headed for Fergana and then The Amazing Kyrgyzstan.

An unexpected detour into Kazakhstan!

2009-06-27T11:13:00.014+01:00

From Baku we would be catching the ferry across the Caspian. The Days of the P&O ferry from Dover were long since gone and it took a full two days to organise our ferry crossing but it was done in the end and we were running on schedule.

As the Turkmen border was closed we were heading for a Overlanding first, a few independent travellers may have ventured to Actau but it was last of any interest to tourist in the Soviet days when good communists were sent to its pretty beaches on their yearly summer break, the not so good ones were sent to Siberia for a slightly more extended holiday, but on we go.
Having no information on a town or city is always tricky but Exploration and Adventure is what it says on the side of the can so off we went.

The ferry crossing was an experience on its own, never knowing what to expect we take all our own food on board for three days even if we only expect to be out at sea for one. As it turned out this ferry had a nice galley but we chose to eat the truck food as we had it on board, the cabins were nice and clean too, which made a welcome change from Cher and my previous experience of Caspian “cruising”, so far so good, sunset on the Caspian is a sight to be remembered and folks were treated to a tour of the bridge and engine rooms all rather civilised; but we missed out on dinner with the captain as nobody had packed the fancy clothes.

The fun started on the second morning of the cruise as rumours spread of our arrival time, the most optimistic and laughable was at 4pm. How right they were though, as the city of Actau came into view over the Starboard bow at 3 and sure enough we were in spitting distance of the port by four, people were packing their bags and readying for a night on the town until the ungodly sound of the anchor being weighed rattled across the bout. Unfortunately I had been here before off the port of Turkmenbashi and had a sinking feeling, not in the literal sense, luckily, but they same cold fear, as last time we had looked towards the shore for three long days with no joy.

But in a sense we were luckier this time as at 12 that night there was a bang and a clatter as the cleaning staff arrived at our cabins, some folks with only a few moments of sleep were asked to leave their rooms as the vacuuming began and the anchor was shipped and we steamed into port, by two in the morning we were bussed from the boat to customs which slowly opened .By four we had cleared customs and the tea was on the gas cooker in the parking lot. Not much fun but as we had all expected the worst this was still sort of OK. But the big fun was still to come as I ran around to sort out the truck and found to my horror that even though the customs was open to clear people at 3 in the morning nothing could happen with our vehicle until 9am.

The photos tell the story better than I can.
So with a bounce in our step we headed into Actau to find a hotel as soon as we could and even though the accommodation was not up to our normal standard the promise of a mattress and pillow was all that was needed for people to get a good night’s rest.

So uncharted territory now we headed out for Beyneu. The road left a lot to be desired and we drove for about four hours before finding a bush camp in the wacky desert, the steppes as they are known, are massive expanses of open land with nothing to block your view except for the curve of the earth itself, making a person feel rather insignificant. The crazy rock formations scattered around with massive boulders worn nearly perfectly round by wind erosion are bizarre but the show stopper that evening was the incredible electric storm, photos nor words will ever do it justice as the wind howled and the sky rumbled with such force that the ground literally rattled beneath us; spectacular and scary the full force of nature shook us all.

The next day we returned to the sorry excuse for a road that had now turned into a mud bath, we slipped and skidded our way on to another camp, some amazing ridges turned up where the ground had been forced up in flat slabs but apart from the odd herd of camels it was only the horizon that watched us bounce our way slowly along.

One more camp and a quick look at the truck as we had bought bad diesel along the way and we were in Beyneu, a mud bath in the middle of nowhere. There was a surprisingly nice hotel given where we were, but we had to split the group unfortunately and some folks were in a small B&B, nice in itself but with the fiercest owner ever. Scowling at their dirty feet and yelling and screaming I’m sure everybody ate all their vegetables that night.

From Beyneu to the border the road was only marked as a jeep track and we were all relieved when in fact it turned out to be better than anything we had seen so far in Kazakhstan so we stopped at a local burial ground for a photo stop and the rolled onto the border for lunch. The border did not give us too many hassles though they were a bit shocked to see us. From here we rolled onto Kungard and the disappearing Aral Sea but more in the next Blog entry .

Azerbaijan

2009-06-27T10:33:00.006+01:00

Azerbaijan is a radical change from Georgia, in the Muslim world once again and even though crossing the border the vegetation is still nice and green the desert slowly starts to raise its beaten head.

Sheki is a small town at the base of the Caucasus Mountains labelled the most picturesque place in Azerbaijan, a cup of tea on the Main square is a treat not to be missed. We stay in an old Caravansarai here, at one stage these massive buildings were dotted all along the Silk Road. Caravans of camels would arrive and traders would take a break from the slog of the desert road and dry heat and while camels watered they would trade goods and prepare for the next part of the trip.

The Khan's Summer Palace in Sheki:

Amazing decoration inside the palace:

The Caravansarai:

The inner courtyard:

From Sheki we head for Baku and the oil fields but not without stopping at the remarkable mud volcanoes for maybe our most surreal bush camp.

Driving onto Baku the wind started to pick up rocking the truck with its violent gusts, a missed turn turned out lucky as we drove into the middle of an oil field full of nodding donkeys; the ground scarred with streaks of oil, the wind blowing clouds of dust as the unmanned machines sucked oil from the earth was an experience in its own right.

Baku is an oil rich city; massive buildings and every designer shop you could imagine make it a great place to explore, though it has the price tags to match its lavish style! A night at a beach resort was marred by the wind but the following day was pleasant and everybody got a chance to explore the city or lie at the pool.

Fun fair on the edge of the Caspian:

The locals always seem to have plenty of time to sit, chat and play:

Amazing buildings:

Gold fountains... plenty of money in Baku!

The Maidens' Tower in Baku:

Georgia

2009-06-10T12:30:00.024+01:00

Crossing the border from Turkey into Georgia, sees us leaving the Muslim world (for the time being) and heading into a pinnacle of Christianity. Devout Roman Catholics, the Georgians are an amazing, friendly and welcoming bunch. We met our local guide, Zaza, at the gate after passing customs, and he greeted us with a big bag of potato bread.

Zaza our guide loves his food and wine

Not far from here is the town of Batumi where we spend the night aboard our charted luxury yacht. A bit of a quirky stop, but the introduction to Cha Cha, the local fire water, and a great traditional Georgian night out went down a treat.

John at the wheel of our boat hotel.

Zaza, our guide, stays with us throughout our time in Georgia, and with a passion hard to beat, shows us this incredible country. From Batumi we head for the Svaneti region of Georgia, towering peaks as we enter the Caucasus mountain range are tipped in snow. The road up to Mestia is an experience in itself, as we bounce ourselves from sea level to 1,400m. Surrounded by seven peaks ranging from 4,000m to 5,000m, we are treated to a clear sky.
This is our first homestay. While it is a guesthouse in one way, with at least ten tooth brushes in each bathroom it makes you wonder where the usual guests of the house are. The plus side of this type of rooming is that we experience a real part of the local community. Nino, our hostess in Mestia, does all she can to make one welcome (and fat!). Her cooking is to die for, and the Georgian feast mentality is alive and well, as dish after dish of steaming food arrives, us all tucked up in her modestly sized dining room, with the aga stove making us warm as toast.

A local house in Mestia.

Local square and guest house in backround.

The next highlight is Ushguli. Tucked far up in the mountains at above 2,000m, it is a road the truck would never pass. Bundling everybody into 4x4s, the three hour drive is a tough experience, but you are rewarded by the highest permanently inhabited village in Europe. A community of cheese-makers, sometimes cut off from all civilisation for up to six months by

snow, this is a special place.

The Road to Ushguli if you can call it.

Seige towers dot every montain hamlet.

A 4x4 jeep like the ones we used to drive up to Ushguli

Amazing treking options from fairly easy to the really hectic!!
Treking up and above the snow line.

The Cross the finsihing point

Two nights of Nino’s food was all our stretching stomach could bear, so we headed for a bush camp in the mountains to break up the drive on bad roads the next day. Perched on a ledge to rid us of sleep walkers, we set camp and lit a fire. As we watched the sun fade, and slowly the white mountains around us, we were treated to a sea of dazzling stars, with no moon in sight.

Bush camp.

Stopping off in the former capital of western Georgia, Zugdidi, the group had their first taste of a proper Asian Market, and Cher and I did a quick food shop.
From there we headed for an underground cave system nestled in a forest, and one of the few places you can still see dinosaur foot prints. Worth a quick look, and a joy as the park was so happy to have us there they did not bother to charge, and then gave us permission to camp in the forest. It was a leisurely afternoon and evening, with an abundance of dry wood and a fire that crackled late into the night.

From here we headed to Gori and the Stalin Museum, a fascinating, one-sided tribute to the dictator in his birthplace, and a chance to see his death mask. We headed for a soviet style hotel, maybe a wonder once, but now just a chance for a bed and wash and quick goodbye.

Kazbegi next, and nobody, not even me, was prepared for the drive. Snaking our way up into the mountains we passed a ski resort, soviet structures loomed from the snow as we were surrounded by the white stuff, some staring to melt and reveal the rubbish from a season of happy dwellers. The road soon turned rough, as we drove through metre-high snow beds on either side, as we went higher and higher, further and further, into the depths of what appears to be nowhere. Where the mountain was too steep, tunnels are dug, covered in snow and poorly maintained.

The Russian military highway to Kazbeki :)

The tunnels

Tim doing a roast leg of pork while the group is off trekking

Jen in the hills and the Church of Kazbeki in the distance

Zaza assured us they had stood for a hundred years and would stand for a hundred more. Kazbegi is in a valley, once more surrounded by hills and snow, surprisingly warm in the day, the temperature drops to freezing at night. Trinity Church is the main pull here, used on the cover of the current Lonely Planet, the paper and plastic cannot do this amazing part of the country any justice. A hard slog up through snow and dirt brings you out on top of the world, which inspired Jennifer to break out in song, “The hills are alive with the sound of music”, though she was met with the deathly silence only this type of isolation can bring.

Driving down the mountain, we were heading for Tbilisi, a thriving metropolis with a continental feel with an amazing history. We booked into a hotel for three night’s, it was a good time to catch up on laundry, a good shower and night life of the city. Cafe culture is alive and well, and the options are numerous. A quick walking tour by our local guide to orientate us all, and we were settled in. This was also the place I would be applying for our Azeri visas, and giving the group

some frusrating news!

Tbilisi full of old churches and cobbled streets

Turkmenistan had closed its borders due to the Swine Flu threat, and we had no choice but to reroute through Kazakhstan.Looking at in after the even you can actual understand why Turkmenistan is the only country in the world to have closed its borders and because of this we will be back there if they will let us in next year. Route changes are always avoided where possible, but Central Asian politics are buoyant, and we are always ready to make another plan and keep on going, all part and parcel of trans –continental journeys. But more about our adventures in Kazakhstan and a visit to the Aral Sea later in the blog a bit latter.

Local art on the bridges

The local bar we frequent in Tbilisi reminds you of years gone by.

From Tbilisi we headed for Telavi. Georgia is famous for its wine and makes claims to discovery of the purple juice of the Gods, some 9000 years ago. Fact or fiction, they have had plenty of time to refine their simple, but effective ways. We always like to visit the winery owned by Noona, a little old lady with a heart of gold and hands of steel. She has been making wine all her life. We visited her farm where she and her husband still toil away, but produce thousands a litres of fine red wine and the local fire water Cha-Cha.
As the wine is scooped out of the huge pottery demijohns berried in the earth, with an old bucket jugs are cleaned with Cha-Cha, the local white spirit and then filled to the brim, then decanted into shallow earthen wear bowls the traditional Georgian wine glass/cup. As the tasting begins, fresh bread from her traditional oven is served with cheeses and salads as we sample the entire selection. No spittoons and tasting glasses here.

The Local family who look after us every year!

Tasting wine out of a georgian wine horn, used for extended

toasts and must be finished at the end of the toast!

Wine in the sun, messy!!

Amazing bread and cheese with the wine

A tank of Cha-Cha and Zaza I would imagine telling how goo it is!!

We had another reason to celebrate this fine day, apart from the 120 litres of wine we now had loaded on board the truck, it was the big 30 for Amy, and a celebration was in order. A fancy dress was the call for the evening as we rolled into a bush camp not far from the winery.

A pit was dug for a bonfire and Zaza, our local guide, made us all Shashlik, a central Asian delicacy, enjoyed by everybody. Amy’s selection of the theme “ Bad Taste” is easily achieved in the local markets!!

Zaza gets ready to make shashlik

After the party we headed for a homestay in Telavi, giving everyone a glimpse of former soviet style. Fooled by the meek and mild exterior, people were impressed by the grand interior and reminds you of a difficult past for this part of the world where some had so much and others so little.
The next morning we made a late start as we headed for the border, with one more bush camp, the amazing people and scenery of Georgia was left behind, as we head for Azerbaijan.

I'll apologise at the end of this entry for my tardy posting of the blog and can only ask you to patient, broad band internet is long forgotten and even finding an internet cafe that is able to upload more than email is hard work stretching to impossible, so please be patient. We are looking after 22 great people at the same time which too takes a little bit of our time. But thank you for reading and I hope some of our adventures inspire you to join this incredible trip. Tim and Cher (Crew 2008 and 2009)

Turkey

2009-06-09T14:19:00.027+01:00

The Turkish border is our first biggy. The rules change every year and even as they try and align themselves with Europe, the bureaucracy at the border never ceases to amaze. 3 hours later, 3 hours better than last year, we were waved through customs and heading for Istanbul.
For me, Istanbul is where the trip truly starts. Europe is an incredible place to travel and easily do-able, on a short hop flight with the likes of Squeazy Jet. Istanbul to is a good weekend break, but having driven through France, Belgium, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, not even the cover of the Lonely Planet can prepare you for the sudden and definite change. Minarets reach for the sky, while loud speakers blare out for the afternoon call to prayer.

Our dress code changes too, as we try and respect the culture around us. Even though Istanbul is touristy, it is so vast and impressive, that the tourists cannot dilute the culture change.
Three things are a must in Istanbul, and having four nights and three days, we have plenty of time to tick all the tourist boxes plus a bit more.
On an Odyssey tour we do not lead our group of twenty two around the town on a whistle stop tour (we don’t even have an umbrella or a microphone!). Each time we arrive at a new city Cheryl finds a map of the area, we mark all sights, roads and train stations, list bus numbers and stops, give everybody an idea of their bearings and then you are free to explore at your own leisure. If your life would be complete never setting foot into a museum, again you simply find somebody in the group who would like to walk the markets or streets, and if museums are your thing, there is sure to be another who has done the same reading as you, and you can explore together. A museum in this town and a bar in the next, is the wonder of travelling in a group of like-minded travellers. This is travelling not touring.

The Aya Sophia, a building to wonder at from the outside and marvel at from the inside, is Istanbul’s biggest attraction. First a church and then later a mosque, the frescos contrast with the words from the Koran, gold embossed on massive disks.
The Blue Mosque, built opposite, is just as incredible and many folks chose to explore its wonders.

The Grand Bazaar should be where the latter word was started, as touts call out your nationalities by chance and greet you in what they think would be the most appropriate manner, greetings range from the Aussie “Good day mate” to the much enjoyed, by Paul “konichiwa” from Japan. Haggling at the markets is an art. Denis confused the issue, by several times at first offering more, and then coming in low and hard, he managed to add to his hat collection.

Crazy markets, shopping with the locals

The fish role an Istanbul lunch for lots of locals and travellers
in the know!

The luggage locker was bulging by the time we left, but it was smiles all round as a taste developed for the Silk Road and its amazing food.
From the bustling streets of Istanbul, we head for the quiet coastal town of Ackakoca, on the edge of the Black Sea, a welcome change from the hooting horns of the city. We take two nights to relax and enjoy a fish BBQ.

Just chilling

Fun with the truck boats on the Black Sea

Turkey is a country that offers more than the blue water and white sand so often seen in glossy magazines. Heading for Goreme sees us leaving the mountains of the coast and arriving in what could be best described as a scene from “star trek”. Kapadokea (or Cappadocia) is well travelled by tourists, but not yet in the limelight of the world as it should be. An extensive cave system some that used to hold 300 people in their own community, covers the land of fairy towers and lunar landscapes, best described by photographs. We had a full day tour with an English guide to help us understand the wonders.

In the tunnels of an underground city

We have four nights her to sort ourselves out and to explore the area, visiting a carpet shop and pottery workshop to further understand the country’s culture and beauty.

Hot air-ballooning is a must in this part of the world, as you drift silently above the surreal world below.

A expensive optional activity but so worth it!

Whirling Dervishes and David learns to belly dance!

From Goreme we head for the vibrant city of Trabzon and on to the Sumela Monastery. Spot a foreign tourist here and you are doing well.

From Goreme we cross some high mountains en route to Sumela

Truck is helped out of the mud by friendly local and tractor!
Trabzon is a local gem of busy streets and amazing shops, all clean and polished, greet you as you round nearly every corner, not blighted by rude tourists. Debbie took a chance asking to take photos in a local Halva (local sweet) shop and was welcomed in with warm greetings and left with gifts of nougat and halva.

Then off to Sumela Monastery where we had two nights to explore and relax. The monastery, perched high up on the mountain side, is a Unesco World heritage site, and with its 12th century frescos, and is a sight to be seen before believed.

Lunch on the Black Sea coast on the way to Georgia

Georgia and all its funky adventures coming soon!!

Romania to Bulgaria

2009-04-30T11:58:00.006+01:00

From Hungary we crossed into Romania. This is people’s first culture shock; crossing the border the change is immediate. Romania is a poor country that is EU affiliated and has had some investment but not nearly as much as other countries. The housing though still showing soviet style and grandeur with fluted roofs and gables is run down to the point of the plaster falling off the walls. Little old ladies litter the streets with wrinkled faces, stooped backs and calloused hands, signs of hard toil in the fields and home. Horse carts become a usual form of transport, with ox drawn plows working the fields.

As the world gets wilder around us we make use of the great hospitality and open spaces of these beautiful lands. Bush camping is a special part of the trip, travelling as a group of 22 people we provide our own security and are free to camp nearly were we like. Romania is littered with farms so we pulled of the main drag and wound our way up a quiet village road, people on the street gave us a brief glance and they looked away as if a great big blue overland truck drove their streets every day, a polite Romanian custom, though I’m sure the road side benches are kept busy with the stories for months!

Pulling up a dusty road we happened upon a large field lying fallow. There was a farmer’s house nearby so Cher and I headed off to ask the farmer permission to spend the night. He duly agreed and after checking we had sufficient food and water wished as a good evening. A couple of the farmers’ kids arrived with a soccer ball and a bunch of the guys kicked a ball around the field with them while we prepared a chicken curry with all the trimmings.

With bush camping we tend to leave fairly early so as it was only a short hop to the town of Sighisoara we decided to stop by the Turda Gorge: famous for its walking and beautiful scenery, some folks packed a sandwich for lunch and wandered up the gorge along the river, others chose to lie around in the sun.

Sighisoara

Arriving in Sighisoara we checked into our hotel for the night just a short walk from the town centre. Sighisoara is an ancient walled city with an interesting past. Around the wall are a series of towers and each tower housed a different guild, copper smith, black smith etc. If the town was under threat the horn would blow and each guild would rush to their tower to protect their homes. Walking the wall and climbing the steps to enjoy the views is a great way to spend the day. The town has another claim to fame with it being the birthplace of Vlad Tepes the character Bram Stoker based the infamous Dracula on. Dracula jokes were coming on thick and thin with the cringe meter rising...

At around five that evening we headed out of town to a bush camp Cher and I had found earlier in the day. Once again on a farmer’s land, we were camping next to several small dams. The farmer was a keen fisherman and had erected a series of bridges from which to fish which offered great photo opportunities. I’ll let the photos explain.

It was also our first opportunity to have a BBQ. Pork Ribs, homemade (truck made) Burger patties Garlic bread local mushrooms Coleslaw and baked (Braai) Potatoes. With this feast set for kings and watching the sun go down over the hills in the distance, bush camping was really starting to grow on everyone.

No visit to Transylvania would be complete without a visit to Bran Castle, the home of Vlad Tepes. We stop at the castle for a couple of hours, enough time to explore the castle and enjoy the Dracula tat on sale.
We had planned to spend a night in the hills en route to Bucharest, but after driving for a few hours we were making good time so we headed straight into the massive city to a camp site just on the outskirts in a lovely soviet style camp site. Pulling out the Poetjie pot for the first time, a traditional cast ion pot, we made a South African dish with chicken, potatoes, rice and vegetables that went down a treat.

Bucharest, the capital of Romania, is a world apart from the rural country side we grown accustomed to. The next day, folks caught a bus into the city which with its French style arcutecture and dramatic setting was once known as “Little Paris”. The city sprawls and is a busy place with hooting horns and rushing cars, and its metro system and other good transport links make it a great place to explore. The tree-lined boulevards and parks are a walkers dream, and there are plenty of museums and other sights to explore. The Peasant Museum was raved about by many, and no visit to Bucharest would be complete without seeing the Parliament Palace (formerly called the People’s Palace), which is the most striking symbol of Nicolae Ceausescu's legacy (and the dictator’s megalomaniac vision), and which at 3.76 million square feet stands as the world's second largest office building after the U.S. Pentagon, and took 20,000 workers and 700 architects to build at a time when the country was gripped by poverty.

Parliament Palace:

The following day we met for a late lunch in Romania’s oldest beer hall, first established in 1875 it has been restored to its former grandeur. Great service and delicious traditional food were enjoyed by all, finally leaving the restaurant several hours later we had a light dinner of soup, cheeses and bread in the evening.

Driving into Bulgaria the next morning the change was apparent again as the roads slowly worsened after the border crossing as we rolled into the mountains of Bulgaria. Heading up to a thousand metres on a windy road with switch back after switch back we soon disappeared into the clouds as we climbed the mountain. The temperature dropped and thoughts turned to the nights camping that lay ahead. Rounding a bend in the road we suddenly began to see snow all around on the ground and trees and the flakes were blowing about the windshield and windows. The silence in the back was solid as people began to dream of a warm radiator in cosy hotel. Passing the thousand metre mark we began our decent from the clouds and little patches of sunshine began to appear and by the time we reached plains en route to Turkey there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

When we had driven this road before, we had noticed a golden dome and ornate spire reaching from the trees. As we were running ahead of schedule we decided to go and explore the small village near the road nestled in the mountains. Following signs that we could not read we suddenly happened upon an incredible building, built in 1902 to commemorate the Ottoman Wars and the awful loss of life. It was as beautiful inside as it was out with its frescoes and ornate styling. After meeting the locals and having a good wander around we headed for our bushcamp. Being able to just head off to find new amazing sights and experiences is all part of the benefits of our style of travel! More to come soon just struggling to find time to sit and write about our epic journey!! We move through Western Europe at quite a pace as it is so easy to access and travel around, however now that we have reached Turkey, we slow right down and really take the time to explore and experience the fascinating culture, sights and people of the countries we visit.

London to Hungary

2009-04-30T11:51:00.006+01:00

The whole group met for the first time early on Easter Sunday morning, though there had been some Facebook chatter and pre-departure meetings in the weeks leading up to the trip. Nervous laughter and curious glances were the order of the day, as everybody got to meet the fellow travellers that they would be sharing tents, truck and experiences with for the next 6 months as we drive half way around the world.

The drive to Dover was a foggy experience with low clouds blocking most of the views. Conversation was rampant as pre-trip experiences were swapped and everyone realised they had been going through the same packing woes as the others. As usual, we have a great mix of people onboard, from all backgrounds and age groups. It was smiles all round!

The Dover to Calais ferry crossing is always an emotional moment. As the white cliffs disappeared into the fog bank, many folks took a quiet moment to reflect on the journey ahead, while others took advantage of the onboard bar.

Arriving in Calais, we rolled off the ferry and headed through France and just across the border into Belgium. Our first night of camping, and a warm welcome from the camp owners, saw nervous faces, as tent buddies paired up and the tent demonstration got under way. It’s never easy the first time you erect your tent, but luckily the weather gods were being kind and it was a pleasant evening. After a while the tents were sorted and we sat down to a meal together, quick and easy this time as cook group were fighting with tent pegs and poles, so Cher and I threw together a mushroom soup for starters, followed by salad and spaghetti bolognaise. Sitting around on our super comfy camp chairs, more stories were swapped and a few beers, teas and coffees enjoyed, with most people retiring early, exhausted after all the frantic organising over the past while that pre-empts any six month trip.

The following morning we made an early start, after worming the truck out of a well organised campsite, never meant for vehicles the size of our trusty truck “Calypso”. Calypso, our vehicle so named after Odysseus’s lover while he was exploring the world, proved a hit on the autobahns of Germany as we travelled for Cologne the next day.

En route we stopped for a lunch break: while in civilisation we stop at fuel stations with parking and toilet facilities. We normally rustle up a lunch of fresh bread, cold meats, salads, cheese and condiments, though we throw in the odd Pasta salad and the like to keep things interesting. Mid-way through preparing lunch, a large German Tour bus pulled in alongside of us and, feeling friendly, some of our guys gave a friendly wave and received a few back. Driving a vehicle so different from everything else on the road attracts a fair bit of attention and soon we had a few questions flying away from our fellow (if air-conditioned) travellers. Lunch went on as normal until the kind German lady arrived with a bucket of left over potato salad – no one was quite sure what to do but it seemed rude to send it away. Next a cabbage salad arrived, still polite, it was accepted... Then there was another salad, then a fresh loaf of rye bread and to top it all off an entire baked ham, with mustard, no less. Never to look a gift horse in the mouth (though this was a first for me on the road!) we gorged ourselves happily.

Koln (Cologne) is a wonderful old city and the campsite is only a short tram ride away from the magnificent Dom (cathedral), so after setting up camp, everybody headed off into town to explore. The Dom was the tallest building in Europe until the building of the Eiffel Tower, and it is quite a sight to behold.

Cologne Cathedral:

Meeting up in the evening for our first group meal in a restaurant, we headed down to a local German Brau house, small glasses of beer and large servings of sausage sauerkraut and pork knuckle were the order of the evening. Stories were swapped after the day exploring around the town; with the favourite attraction being the pay loos at the coffee shop across the road from the Dom with automatic frosting loo doors, this was going to be a tough crowd! The Sion Brau Haus Is a great place to judge peoples appetites as their signature dish is a 1.4kg pork knuckle. Watching four of the boys wolf them away was a bit of a worry as kitty would never stretch to a kilo of meat for each person each evening, but we would have to see what we could do!

From Koln we headed up to Bamberg one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and a Unesco world heritage site. Once more the loos were a hit but the more manageable size of the city with its stunning views and quaint streets and the Danube winding its way through the centre meant many a happy hour was spent wandering the streets and exploring the town. We had two nights here giving us plenty of time to explore and enjoy this picturesque little place.

Bamberg:

A fair day’s drive and we headed into the Czech Republic and arrived in Prague, another incredibly beautiful city with a full day to explore. The weather turned foul and a few braved the rain while others tucked up in a cosy Pub for the afternoon. Prague is a city you could spend a week in and enjoy every day but with it being such an easy weekend break from the UK (and very full of tour groups from all over Europe!) we only spend two nights here and everybody was happy to pack up and go and run away from the rain.

Prague:

From one big city to another: Budapest, the capital of Hungary, loomed in the distance after a full day on the truck. We stay in a lovely little campsite which operates as a ski lodge over the winter months. The campsite is terraced, shaded by trees and though it is hard work to hump your tent up the stairs you are rewarded with your own alcove with a pretty view. The next morning we headed down into town and were pushed around the streets by an informal bike race: the cyclists of Budapest had decided to reclaim the roads from the cars and turned out in their thousands, it was quite a spectacle as the city descended into chaos. Voted by the group as the best camp so far we celebrated Debbie’s birthday in style with a chicken stir fry on the truck and Birthday cake for dessert.

Budapest:

AUSTRALIA HERE WE COME!

2009-04-12T21:55:00.000+01:00

The expedition members 2009:

We are on the road! After an early start on Easter Sunday morning we headed for Dover and the ferry across to France. A short drive took us to Belgium for our first night... Updates to come, things are rather busy at the moment as everyone gets used to life on the road

Our departure point, London Victoria Station:

Calypso, our faithful truck, with her smiling face and sun god for good luck:

Time to load up, and off we go:

London to Australia leaves 12 April 2009

2009-01-07T17:21:00.000Z

In preparation for the expedition leaving on the 12 April 2009 this will be the official Odyssey Overland blog for this journey. The crew will update this as often as possible while traveling, sure to be some great photos and interesting stories as we travel along.