Just a quick note to let you all know that we have now left China and are sitting pretty in Luang Probang, reputed to be the 'prettiest' town in ASIA !!
To be fair we have seen nicer, the hotel we are in is excellant.
Tomorrow we move south towards the plain of jars.
We are sat just above the 19th Parralel right next to the Mekong river.....
Pictures to follow !!!
We also visit the COPE Laos site which is our chosen charity for the rally in the next 48 hours, so....
If you have not yet done so, go to justgiving.com/myescape
AND put a bit of cash to a very deserving cause.
Thanks all....
Friday, August 28, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Going with the 'Asia Flow'
Its been a while since I had the chance to put anything on the blog, connectivity here is just not at all what I thought it would be.....
We are nearly at the end of the China tour, its been a real mixed bag of sights and sounds, when I get the chance I will add some photos, for now words will have to do.
We are sat in Kunming, Pat is recovering from a fever she has been carrying along for a couple of days, we had to get the doctor to check her out, her temperature hit 40 degrees plus, so it was down to the local clinic for a couple of hours of drips and injections to see her right.
She feels in words 'shit' but I think she is on the mend.
We have two or three more days in China, we have been to the most easterly part of the china wall, been to see the terracotta warriors, driven along with Yaks, and eaten them!! We had the chance to go into the Dinosaur park to see the oldest near complete skeletons of 170 million year beasts in Asia, and your allowed to touch bones.....
We got caught up in a storm that would strip the paint of the average car, luckily theres not too much average about tiny.....
We have looked on as baby Giants Pandas have played silly games without a care in the world, seen more Buddhist monks and temples than I care to mention AND have become skilled in the art of driving in China, hence the term Asia Flow, no right of way, no inch given, plenty just taken for granted, its been an eye opener to the best way not to drive, how on earth they survive a life time of driving is beyond me.... if you have ever considered driving in China, bring something along that is as big as a tank or something you don't care for too much.....
Tiny has so far managed to survive all thrown at him BUT it has been a challenge !!!
As we prepare to depart China, Rachie and Tom are also parting company from us, with Rach flying onto Bangkok for some R and R before heading home and Tom taking his chances in Laos for a while...
Its a sad departure, as in effect it leaves just Macbeth and us out of the original line up heading south, with Macbeth having to move quite quickly through the next couple of countries and us determined to slow down, it will lead to us travelling the same roads at different speeds, and ultimately making the final run into OZ on our own.....
Not really the plan but as we have taught our NAVO Chinese guide one English saying, its that 'Shit happens', and so we will press on as per the plan and see how it goes.
All in all, a great reminder that we on the other side of the Bamboo curtain really have led sheltered lives............
We are nearly at the end of the China tour, its been a real mixed bag of sights and sounds, when I get the chance I will add some photos, for now words will have to do.
We are sat in Kunming, Pat is recovering from a fever she has been carrying along for a couple of days, we had to get the doctor to check her out, her temperature hit 40 degrees plus, so it was down to the local clinic for a couple of hours of drips and injections to see her right.
She feels in words 'shit' but I think she is on the mend.
We have two or three more days in China, we have been to the most easterly part of the china wall, been to see the terracotta warriors, driven along with Yaks, and eaten them!! We had the chance to go into the Dinosaur park to see the oldest near complete skeletons of 170 million year beasts in Asia, and your allowed to touch bones.....
We got caught up in a storm that would strip the paint of the average car, luckily theres not too much average about tiny.....
We have looked on as baby Giants Pandas have played silly games without a care in the world, seen more Buddhist monks and temples than I care to mention AND have become skilled in the art of driving in China, hence the term Asia Flow, no right of way, no inch given, plenty just taken for granted, its been an eye opener to the best way not to drive, how on earth they survive a life time of driving is beyond me.... if you have ever considered driving in China, bring something along that is as big as a tank or something you don't care for too much.....
Tiny has so far managed to survive all thrown at him BUT it has been a challenge !!!
As we prepare to depart China, Rachie and Tom are also parting company from us, with Rach flying onto Bangkok for some R and R before heading home and Tom taking his chances in Laos for a while...
Its a sad departure, as in effect it leaves just Macbeth and us out of the original line up heading south, with Macbeth having to move quite quickly through the next couple of countries and us determined to slow down, it will lead to us travelling the same roads at different speeds, and ultimately making the final run into OZ on our own.....
Not really the plan but as we have taught our NAVO Chinese guide one English saying, its that 'Shit happens', and so we will press on as per the plan and see how it goes.
All in all, a great reminder that we on the other side of the Bamboo curtain really have led sheltered lives............
From behind the Bamboo curtain
Toms not too tired as we sit for 5 hours on the Xian expressway, whilst they untangle a couple of lorries that had 'met' each other higher up in the pass, in the end it took 17 hours to drive to Xian.....
Rainbow falls, taken from up on high....
The calm before the storm.... Horizontal rain and sand mixed with winds like we have never encountered, a few hundred Kilometers east storms killed many.....
Tiny felt very small against the back drop of the Chinese high plains, we managed some serious mountain climbing up to 12000 feet at one point.
AS ever the defender enjoyed the up more then the down !!!!
Everything in China grows big, except of course the Chinese, this critter was about 10 cms long.
Only found here, human face bamboo, you need a vivid imagination to see the faces!!
Yakity yak tiny talks back, these are seriously tough yaks braving -40 to +40, they are proper cute as well, such a shame that the next day I was eating some.....
They really are pretty things and they come in black !!!
150 million years ago this fella would have ruled the world.....
Everythings gotta eat....
High mountain plains as we head ever easterly.
Chengi research center is the home to the majority of the remaining Great Panda, they eat a bit......
The slightly less well known, Chinese red panda, grabbing a minute as we watched on.
Smoke a bit do the Chinese, at 30p a packet its not surprising they nearly all do it, no complaints here though.
One of six terracotta Generals....
A few of the thousands of the famous terracotta army slowly being uncovered in Xian.
And Finally......The wall !!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Tiny takes on BIG RED
After two days of Chinese red tape and over 1000 Kms of flat lands we can finally announce that we are in CHINA !!
Its a whole different ball game to back packing.........
Its amazing that it has taken so long to finally be able to contact the outside world, it was a totally unexpected internet blackout, we should now be back to regular posts.
We passed Hami yesterday and for the first time things are looking a little less barron and a little more green.
Its also our first opportunity to announce that we have lost a team car, with Rachael and Toms Baja Bug finally succuming to the Kaz roads and not making the China tour start date, a bitter blow for us all as the bug was a real eye catcher.
Rachael (The owner) has put a brave face on the whole thing with Tom trying his best to keep the bug going its been a tuff couple of days for them.
The inital idea was to buy an alternative form of transport, not at all easy and as soon as the locals see a pale face the prices triple !!
At the moment they are getting along with local transport and ad hoc support from us and Macbeth.
On a more positive note the NAVO tour guide is well crafted and speaks near on perfect English so getting along so far has been easy.
Keep following us, if you have not put your hand in pocket yet, dont forget !!
www.justgiving/myescape.com
Should be close enough !!
Its a whole different ball game to back packing.........
Its amazing that it has taken so long to finally be able to contact the outside world, it was a totally unexpected internet blackout, we should now be back to regular posts.
We passed Hami yesterday and for the first time things are looking a little less barron and a little more green.
Its also our first opportunity to announce that we have lost a team car, with Rachael and Toms Baja Bug finally succuming to the Kaz roads and not making the China tour start date, a bitter blow for us all as the bug was a real eye catcher.
Rachael (The owner) has put a brave face on the whole thing with Tom trying his best to keep the bug going its been a tuff couple of days for them.
The inital idea was to buy an alternative form of transport, not at all easy and as soon as the locals see a pale face the prices triple !!
At the moment they are getting along with local transport and ad hoc support from us and Macbeth.
On a more positive note the NAVO tour guide is well crafted and speaks near on perfect English so getting along so far has been easy.
Keep following us, if you have not put your hand in pocket yet, dont forget !!
www.justgiving/myescape.com
Should be close enough !!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Photo Album - a snap shot of the journey so far
The ark ??
Bit of a wide load then.......
My head up the arse of the T3 !!
The M32 deep in Kaz
The Bug taking on Kaz, off road....
That cant be the way....can it ??
OMG how smooth is this !!
Any port in a storm, seeking shade at 39 degrees...
Tiny gets his feet wet in the Caspian Sea
Tiny looking up for it....just as well !!
Tiny getting a late night FIX !!
Poor lad was proper poorly....
The real way of spelling Kazachstan...
The floating bridge that broke Tiny.....
Traffic cop in Kaz, at least this one did not need a payment....
The bug draws smiles.....mission accomplished !!!
First glance of Russia.
Goodbye Turkey.
Not big, hard or Clever.
Tom......it needs oil not water !!!!!
Watching you, watching us!!
Next time.........
The 'Blue' mosque in Istanbul.
Free camping, North Turkey.
Entering Asia.
Tom......it needs oil not water !!!!!
Watching you, watching us!!
Next time.........
The 'Blue' mosque in Istanbul.
Free camping, North Turkey.
Entering Asia.
Bit of a queue to get into Turkey.....(4 hours)
Mark, I cant find the spark plugs on this TDI anywhere!!!!
Pats a bit Tired....
Might be waiting for us.......then again
Mark, I cant find the spark plugs on this TDI anywhere!!!!
Pats a bit Tired....
Might be waiting for us.......then again
Ploughing on through Kaz
The Kaz roads have been slowly killing us all, waiting to hear if the Bug has survived recent attempts to revive it after a major oil leak.
Defender doing OK, gaining more and more respect for
kaz drivers, one false move here and your either in a ditch, a car killing pot hole or meeting a lorry coming up the wrong side of the road.
We are about to enter Almaty, with one more days drive to China....
Defender doing OK, gaining more and more respect for
kaz drivers, one false move here and your either in a ditch, a car killing pot hole or meeting a lorry coming up the wrong side of the road.
We are about to enter Almaty, with one more days drive to China....
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