Odyssey Overland - London to Australia 2010

In the jungle, the mighty jungle

2010-10-29T22:48:00.001-07:00

From KK we headed across to Sandakan where we arrived in time to visit the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary for the morning feeding. Our visit started with an excellent video about the work that the Sanctuary does in terms of rescue, rehabilitation and where possible, release of orangutans, and then headed to the feeding areas. As is the case with all wildlife viewing, there is no guarantee that the animals will turn up, and at the morning feeding only two of the younger orangutans were hungry, with more coming along to the afternoon feeding. Watching them is fascinating – whether it is as they delicately peel a banana with their lips, move so easily through the trees, or just hang around on the many ropes that they can use to get to the feeding platform.

After a very early start to get to Sandakan most of us retired to the pool at the hotel and lounged the rest of the day away, while the tireless Barry and Pauline headed off to explore the walking trails nearby.

The next morning it was time to head for our jungle safari in the Kinabatangan Jungle. Expectations ranged from excitement (Simon) to terror (Ben) as we boarded the boat that would take us up the river to the camp. But as the wildlife spotting started, even Ben warmed up to the idea of spending a couple of days here! We came upon a family of Proboscis monkeys and saw many different species of birds including the distinctive hornbills.

The accommodation at the camp is very basic, but you barely get time to use it anyway as there is a full programme of wildlife viewing opportunities – boat-based and walking safaris are regularly scheduled during your stay, including at night where the walking safari gives you a great chance to get up close to some of the nocturnal or sleeping animals of the jungle.

It was however on the boat based trips during the day that we saw two things which were highlights for everyone – a wild orangutan feeding on fruits high up in a tree, and a huge salt water crocodile! Here is a selection of the (many) photos from our time in the jungle:

The morning of our departure, after another boat safari, the staff at the jungle camp threw off their hangovers (they had been celebrating a birthday the night before) and challenged the “tourists” to a game of football. Fortunately we had by now been joined by Taylor who, along with Katie, has just recovered from their ascent of Mt Kinabalu and can now walk up and down stairs! That certainly had our goalie sorted! As for the rest of the “tourist” team, it is fair to say that what they lacked in skill, speed and fitness they made up for in enthusiasm. The staff team had the advantage of deciding when the game was over (ie after they scored another goal), so it was a disappointing end for the tourist team, but a great morning of entertainment for everyone!

From the jungle we headed to Sandakan for a night but more importantly, a shower! No-one was in a particularly explorative mood, so the delights of Sandakan remain undiscovered! An early night for everyone as they prepared for an early flight to KK, and of course a final night out to celebrate the end of this epic journey! 23 countries, 29 weeks, amazing.

Hikes, caves, cities and passport stamps

2010-10-23T21:35:00.001-07:00

After leaving Kuching and our helpful taxi driver behind, we headed to the town of Bintulu by boat and bus. Arriving after dark we checked into the hotel and went looking for somewhere to eat which, on this occasion chose us rather than us choosing it, as we walked through a restaurant only to have our way barred by the table they rapidly set up for us! Fortunately the food was lovely, although the TV in the background was a little disturbing and reminded us how far we are from home! Dogs popping balloons and kids in suits puckering up to kiss adult presenters – it was all a bit strange.

Bintulu is a fairly unremarkable town in its own right, although it does have an interesting night market and plenty of karaoke opportunities if that floats your boat, but our reason for being there was to visit Similajau National Park which is only a 40 minute drive away. We set off early in the morning and after a breakfast of omelette (or perhaps more accurately described as fried egg), Sergeant Major Parry rounded up the troops and we marched off into the jungle. I am pleased to report that everyone survived, with only a few red faces and proclamations that Ben was about to “die from sweat”, oh, and a few aching muscles the next day. It was a lovely walk, hugging the coast for much of it, and culminating in a deserted beach. Unfortunately no nice boatman arrived to take us back, so it was another hot and sweaty walk back, or in SM Parry’s case, a run.

The river

Swinging suspension bridge

The happy hikers (early on, before the sweat hit!)

Our own private beach

Ben and Lesley hit the waves

Some of the bridges needed a little bit of work...

Taxi drivers like to demonstrate their, um, personal style...

From Bintulu we headed further east, our next destination was Niah National Park. Famous for its cave which now houses millions of bats and swiftlets, it is also the place where the oldest human remains in South East Asia were found, over 40,000 years old. We stayed in a lovely national park cabin with a living area and kitchenette, which was incentive enough to do a bit of cooking, and so we enjoyed a bbq and salad, it was great to have a bit of “truck food” again!

BBQ! With no BBQ grid available, one had to be fashioned out of sticks. Ah, we always make a plan.

National park accommodation

Our living room

The cave entrance is magnificent, a huge cavern over 40 metres high and 300 metres wide, with poles precariously hanging from the ceiling where brave souls climb up to harvest the swiftlet nests for the culinary delight of birds nest soup (perhaps unsurprisingly a soup made from bird saliva has not rated as a must-do in terms of food for us!). Barry and Pauline walked through the cave and reached the Painted Cave on the other side with its ancient rock paintings, and Lesley decided to go for a run up a hill that ended up being slightly more hectic than she had envisaged with ladders, mossy logs as bridges and shoe-consuming mud! It was a great place to relax as well and indulge in our favourite pastime at the moment, trying to sift through the thousands of photos to put together the highlights for our families and friends!

Ben in the cave

The cave mouth

Exploring the cave

The river at sunset

After three national parks in a row, it was time to head for the cities. We stopped for one night in Miri, time to stock up on snacks and catch up on internet and laundry. We managed to sneak in a couple of glasses of wine and a couple of beers at a nearby restaurant, and even some Mexican food.

Leaving Malaysia behind for a couple of days we crossed the border into the tiny Islamic sultanate of Brunei and headed for the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan (fortunately referred to as BSB). To describe BSB is difficult – there are signs of obvious wealth (historically derived from oil and gas) but it doesn’t have the brashness of Baku. There are seemingly run-down stilted villages on the water, yet almost every one has a satellite dish. While drinking alcohol in public is illegal, in other aspects it is a relaxed city where we were never made to feel unwelcome nor out of place. The best way to view the city is by boat, and the whole group went out on a boat trip on the river which gave us great views of the impressive Omar Ali Saifuddin mosque, the stilted villages on one side of the river and the business district on the other. It is a fascinating city to wander around, and a visit to the mosque is a must-do. While being one of the strictest mosques that we visit, the staff were very friendly, even helping the girls get dressed into their robes and scarves. Inside the mosque contains some fascinating elements, including a rather incongruous looking escalator!

The Omar Ali Saifuddin mosque in the background, stilted houses in the foreground

Chief photographer Barry

Another impressive mosque

Speedboats are the preferred mode of transport zipping constantly from the business district to the stilted villages

A great place to ride your bike

Stilted houses

On our boat trip around the city

A local fisherman

How else would you stop for fuel in a speedboat?

The impressive gold domes of the mosque

At night

Roberta, Lesley and Pauline getting dressed for the mosque

After the chilled atmosphere of BSB we caught the bus to Kota Kinabalu. 8, yes 8, passport stamps later we arrived in late afternoon. Historical events have led to Brunei being split into two parts, with the Sarawak province of Malaysia in the middle, therefore to travel from BSB to KK the most direct route you need to – exit Brunei, enter Sarawak, exit Sarawak, enter Brunei, exit Brunei, enter Sarawak, exit Sarawak, enter Sabah province – and each of those entries and exits requires a stamp! It is a great way to fill up a passport, although for those of us with very limited space remaining in our passports it was a bit of a source of consternation!

Kota Kinabalu, again fortunately known by its initials only, is a funky town which has a definite party atmosphere on a Saturday night (and, as it turns out, also on a Sunday morning, right outside the hotel!). We headed to the waterfront area for drinks overlooking the South China Sea and dinner. The waterfront caters for a huge range of different cuisines, although many chose to stick to local food anyway! Lesley and Simon got their long awaited curry, and Ben had, well, another burger! KK is an interesting town to wander around, and the Sunday market which takes place directly outside the hotel gives us all plenty to look at and listen to!

Party time in KK

From here we head to Sandakan, another fantastic orangutan sanctuary and the jungle again! Time is just flying and it is hard to believe that we have less than a week to go…

Monkeys, Orangutans and Cats

2010-10-15T03:35:00.001-07:00

A short flight from the mainland saw us arrive into Kuching, the capital of the Sarawak province of Malaysian Borneo, and famous for having the world’s first (and perhaps only?) Cat Museum. But a visit to the Cat Museum (and the fascinating sounding Timber Museum) had to wait as we headed off early the next morning to Bako National Park.

They love their cats in Kuching with cat statues everywhere

Bako is home to Proboscis Monkeys as well as many smaller creatures including the flying lemur. After a rather exciting boat trip through the breaking waves, we had a day and half in the park to explore its many trails in search of wildlife, beaches and stunning views. Fortunately the wildlife played along and even sitting at Park HQ there was plenty to see.

Wild seas on our arrival at Bako

Slopping through the mud, lucky Maggs wasn't here!

The boats

Strange looking Proboscis Monkeys

Wow!

Flying lemur hiding during the day

Spectacular scenery

It's not all boardwalks, but there is still plenty to be seen close to Park HQs where the walking is easy

The group all headed off on a guided night walk for the chance to see some of the park’s nocturnal creatures.

Returning to Kuching we had the privilege to visit the Semenggoh Orangutan Sanctuary and were treated to a fantastic display of these human-like creatures socialising, feeding and at times, posing! A very special experience and rated as one of the highlights of the whole expedition.

Ben and Simon (oh, and some Orangutans)

Richie, the alpha male

You wouldn't think a creature of that size could peel a banana so delicately, but he can

120kg of power earns you a bit of respect from the park wardens!

Mother and baby

Just hanging around!

From Kuching we continue further east for some more national parks and hopefully more fantastic wildlife viewing.

Has it been six months already?

2010-10-14T19:20:00.001-07:00

With fond farewells, promises to keep in touch, and a million shared memories it was time for the group to go their separate ways after an epic journey which started on the 18th of April this year. 6 months and 23 countries later, the 2010 expedition has drawn to a close. Thanks to everyone for making it another great expedition!

But the journey isn’t over for everyone just yet. Kirsten has headed to Borneo and Brunei with Roberta, Lesley, Ben, Simon, Barry and Pauline for three weeks exploring the fascinating Sarawak and Sabah provinces, and the tiny country of Brunei. Keep watching this blog for amazing photos of the wildlife and cities along their way.

And what about the rest of the group? Some are starting anew in Australia or NZ, some are returning residents after a long absence. Some are saving for their next expedition (Africa next year), while others have decided to potter around South East Asia for a bit longer on their own. Some are visiting friends and relatives in Australia before heading back to the UK, some haven’t quite decided yet what they want to do! And special mention has to be made of Simon who will be heading to Cape Town straight after Borneo to join Pete and Kirsten on the Cape Town to Cairo expedition which leaves in early November!

PS - If you want to follow the blog for the Africa expedition it is http://odysseyafrica2010.blogspot.com.

National Parks and Beach Heaven

2010-10-08T02:14:00.001-07:00

Khao Sok National Park was our next stop after the islands, and a great chance for everyone to catch up on what the others had been up to for the last week. We stayed at a very nice tree-house resort on the river, a very tranquil spot. Many took advantage of the river to have a refreshing swim (the sea surrounding the Thai islands is decidedly lukewarm!), and some went tubing down the river. It was a very different experience from Vang Vieng, involving far less beer and far more wildlife. Spurred on by our very own snake man, Pete, our guide happily found us several pythons, and even caught one for us to have a close look at. It was a wonderfully relaxing morning, floating down amongst the stunning limestone cliffs and through the jungle. Others headed off into the jungle for walks, and some decided to take advantage of their balconies overlooking the river and catch up on a bit of reading.

After two nights at Khao Sok we loaded up into minibuses and headed to our penultimate country, Malaysia. Another nice easy border crossing and we headed to Pulau Penang, an island off the coast of Malaysia, accessed from the mainland by an impressively long bridge, and to the city of Georgetown.

Nowhere that we visit in Malaysia has a more colonial feel than Georgetown. With the Barclays Bank sitting on the corner of Downing Street (and of course, with a name like Georgetown), the British influence is still present, but in the mix you also have some stunning Chinese temples and buildings, as well as an Indian and Malaysian feel. It is a true melting pot of cultures, and a lovely town to spend a day or so wandering around. Being a regular stop on the cruise ship circuit seems to have had quite a marked effect on the prices of food and drinks everywhere, but if you are willing to be a little more adventurous, the night market has a great selection of food, a very funky atmosphere and more reasonable prices. While not all of us got into the groove quite as much as Barry and Pauline, who never need much of an excuse to demonstrate their not inconsiderable dancing skills, it was a fun place to spend the evening.

From Georgetown we headed across the Malaysian peninsula, to the stunning Perhentian Islands. Unspoilt by the mass tourism of the Thai islands (there are no roads on the island, no cars, and no-one trying to get you to buy anything as you lie on the beach), we stay at a very simple “resort” right on the beach. Monkeys and sugar gliders, monitor lizards and the occasional snake make their way past the cabins. Behind the cabins there is nothing but jungle which is crossed by walking trails which many of the group took advantage of. Just around the corner from our accommodation is a wonderful swimming beach with white sand and turquoise water. For those feeling a bit more active, there is incredible snorkelling just off the beach, with huge Hawksbill turtles, mercifully small sharks, and an incredible array of brightly coloured reef fish (including plenty of Nemos!). The islands are also a great place for diving, even if the current on the day did make Roberta’s ascent a little more rapid than planned! It is a beach paradise, and rated by most as a trip highlight which, given everything we have seen in the last five and a half months, is quite an endorsement!

Our Super VIP bus to the Islands

Kylie, Heather and Neill on the speedboat

Stunning beaches

The Petronas Towers a la Ben

Sergeant Major Parry and Maggs out for a jog

After all that beach paradise it was time to get back to the jungle, this time, Taman Negara, “oldest jungle in the world” (although arguably this is not the only jungle that claims this…) After a convoluted day of travel, we arrived as the sun was setting and everyone headed off to bed for an early night.

After a good night’s rest in airconditioned comfort we set off en mass to the canopy walkway, even Neill and Simon joined us, both of whom prefer to be firmly on land. A very sweaty walk through the jungle (signposted as a 1.2km walk, until halfway when it was signposted as being 1.5km further!) and we arrived at the start of the canopy walk. It is the world’s longest hanging bridge canopy walkway, and everyone had a great time swaying through the tree tops, trying to keep their balance and many trying not to look down!

The Odyssey Overland 2010 Group!

Several of the group decided to continue walking through the jungle. Dennis, Barry and Pauline eventually returned by boat, soaking wet and accompanied by a Malaysian TV crew! Just another random adventure!

We are now in Kuala Lumpur and being back in the big city is quite a shock after the last couple of weeks of beach and jungle, but I am sure the Petronas Towers, electronics stores and funky vibe will more than make up for it!

Tuk tuks and Temples, Museums and Beaches

2010-09-25T04:24:00.001-07:00

From the peace and tranquillity of Jungle Beach, we set off for the hectic city of Saigon. Officially known as Ho Chi Minh City since 1975, but still referred to locally as Saigon, it is a crazy hectic city dominated by motorcycles. Everything gets transported on motorbikes – from whole families, to furniture, upside-down chickens and pigs, to food stalls. There are thousands of them on every road. It makes crossing the road seem an impossible feat, but with you heart in your mouth you step off the curb and just keep walking. Somehow, miraculously, you arrive at the other side of the road unharmed. What appears chaotic to us is actually quite organised and the motorbikes happily swerve around you and continue on their way.

Wiring, Saigon style

Saigon is home to one of the most interesting museums that we visit along the route, the War Remnants Museum. It is a harrowing place to visit, with some horrific photographs and a somewhat one-sided view of events during the Vietnam War, but as many of the group have memories of seeing reports about the war on TV, it was a must-see. For those interested in seeing a bit more about the war, the day trip to the Cu Chi tunnels gives you the chance to see the terrain in which the ground war was fought, and to see the ways in which bamboo in particular was used to kill and maim. The tunnels themselves are certainly not for the claustrophobic, the entrances have been widened to accommodate the western tourist, but as you go further and further they return to their original size, far too small for most to get through.

Joy looking a tiny bit apprehensive before heading down into the Cu Chi Tunnels

Ben showing just how small the tunnels are

Saigon has a great night food market, with tanks of fresh seafood available to choose from, some things you would expect to see like fish and crabs, and some less appetising species like eels and frogs! But all the food isn’t that adventurous, plenty of nice restaurants and western food if a burger is what you crave (and after travelling for nearly 5 months now, the western-food-cravings seem to come around quite often…)
We had three nights in Saigon, and even those who were dreading being in a big city for a couple of days were won over by the crumbling charm of Saigon.

From Saigon it was time to head for country number 19 – Cambodia. Another country with a very difficult past, Cambodia is host to one of the world’s most impressive sights – Angkor Wat – the largest religious building in the world and a highlight for many on the expedition. But our first stop in Cambodia was the capital, Phnom Penh. Prior to the Khmer Rouge the population of the city was over 2 million, swelled by refugees from the Vietnam War, however when the Khmer Rouge took over in 1975, they virtually emptied the city, killing many of the residents, particularly the educated. We visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, which is housed in a former school that became Security Prison 21 (S-21), the country’s largest centre of detention and torture during the Khmer Rouge rule, with over 17,000 people being detained there before being taken to the Cheong Ek killing fields. It is another harrowing but worthwhile visit, although after our time in Vietnam and now in Cambodia it is hard to come to terms with the atrocities that man can commit against fellow man.

Tuk tuks and motorbikes rule the streets here

S-21 Museum

The Killing Fields

It is perhaps surprising that despite the damage done to Phnom Penh under the Khmer Rouge, the impressive Royal Palace still remains, sitting elegantly near the riverfront. The Royal Palace hosts the Silver Pagoda, so named for the silver tiles on the floor, each weighing in at 1kg, for a total of 5 tonnes of silver in the pagoda. It is also home to the Emerald Buddha, and other incredible bejewelled Buddhist images.

For those into their food, no visit to Phnom Penh is complete without a meal at Friends, a restaurant set up to provide training and employment for former street kids, it is a great place to sample some unusual takes on local dishes, and maybe even a pineapple and chilli margarita. Another rather nice spot for a G&T or two is the Foreign Correspondent’s Club, with lovely views over the river, high ceilings, comfortable furniture and dark wood everywhere, it has a very colonial feel! Simon was keen to celebrate his 50th there, and happy hour seemed as good a time as any to get together and raise a toast!

After two big cities on the trot, it was time to head for somewhere smaller, and so next stop was Battambang, a small town which has a really relaxed feel and was a great place to celebrate Simon’s birthday (again!) and also Taylor’s birthday, with a bit of cheese and biscuits. Many people ventured out to see the surrounding sights, I am not sure Kay will ever be the same again after her Bamboo Train ride!

Battambang is the starting point for a boat trip up to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat. It is a local style boat which is a great chance to see how life works along the river as we stopped off to do deliveries, pick up passengers from the middle of the river and powered through floating villages, complete with floating pig pens, shops and schools. As we got closer to Siem Reap we left the river system and joined Tonle Sap Lake, the largest body of fresh water in south east Asia, and the source of livelihood for many of the local residents mainly through fishing, but increasingly through tourism. Arriving at the dock for Siem Reap was an adventure all on its own, as the boat docked it was stormed by local tuk tuk drivers keen for you to hire them to take you into town. Fortunately our transfer was pre-arranged, as their aggressive approach didn’t endear them to any of us, and we were able to walk relatively calmly past them to our transport.

Our hotel in Battambang had been one of the more basic that we had stayed in, with only a fan to combat the not inconsiderable heat, however our hotel in Siem Reap was at the other end of the scale with a lovely shaded swimming pool and attached restaurant with the best steaks we have seen since departure! It would have been a lovely place just to chill for a couple of days, but with Angkor Wat waiting it was an early start for the whole group the next morning as they headed off in tuk tuks to see the incredible temple complexes, accompanied by a local guide to explain why the temples were built and what the carvings and symbols mean. Wandering through the temples is an unforgettable experience, and a highlight for many.

Heather at Ta Prohm (aka the Lara Croft Temple)

Kaye and Simon at Ta Prohm

We had two full days in Siem Reap, some people choosing to go out to Angkor Wat in the afternoon we arrived as well as each of the days we were there, while others were templed-out after the full day tour. The town itself is dominated by restaurants and bars, and a night market full of clothing and souvenirs of varying quality and taste! Lesley headed off on a bike again, managing to lose Ben along the way who eventually returned to the hotel in the back of a tuk tuk with a broken chain. Maggs had headed off to a local silk factory, while others chose to enjoy the pool and chill time. Although we are travelling as a group, the experience that each person has along the way is up to them. Certain times, such as Angkor Wat, the whole group will head off on an activity together, but most of the time each person will head off to do what interests them in each place that we visit. The advantage of having the group is that there is almost always someone who wants to do the same thing as you if you fancy a bit of company or to share the cost!

Next stop – Bangkok! The capital of Thailand is a huge, sprawling city, with a spiritual heart evidenced by the fabulous wats (temples) that seem to be on every corner, and a darker heart in the backpacker dominated Khao San Road area (for anyone who has read The Beach, this is where he stayed in Bangkok), and in the seedier red light areas of Patpong Road and surrounds. Highrises dominate the skyline, there are countless luxury hotels particularly along the river, yet there are also local food stalls on every corner with plastic chairs to sit on the footpath and eat your cheap barbequed chicken or noodle soup. As most of the group this year prefer countryside and natural beauty to cities, Bangkok was always going to be a tough sell! Taking a boat up the river past the temples or up to the floating markets is a great way to see the city. The Skytrain is another great way to get around, and it puts the Tube in London to shame – it is air-conditioned! Most people ventured to the main temples and palaces, while others who have been to Bangkok before decided to visit the tranquil Jim Thompson’s House. Some took the opportunity to visit the seemingly endless technology stores, get a massage or even a haircut…

We spend three full days in Bangkok to give everyone the chance to see and experience the city. Anyone who found the city a bit hectic could relax in the knowledge that Beach Week was just around the corner! But first we headed north west from Bangkok to the town of Kanchanaburi. Most famous for being the location of the Bridge over the River Kwai, it is a great place to spend a couple of days exploring the local area on foot or bike, or doing a cooking course at our fabulous guesthouse.

The Bridge over the River Kwai

Watching Ben reclaim his key from the river, with the aid of a helpful boatman!

Briefly back to Bangkok to catch our transport down to the islands, then it was time to chill. Beach Week is everyone’s chance to find their own slice of paradise on the islands of Thailand. Whether it is a Full Moon Party, or a secluded beach with with a single beach hut restaurant that floats your boat, there are limitless options. Some of the group had family fly over from the UK or NZ to meet them for a week on the beach and a bit of home after 5 months on the road, some decided to do their scuba diving qualification course, and others headed for the beach with a view to doing no more than reading their book and working on their tan.
Here are some photos of the crew’s little slice of paradise!

The return of the Odyssey Blue (and one of the Odyssey Crew)

2010-09-01T02:38:00.001-07:00

Phu Hin Bun National Park in Laos is one of the little gems that we have discovered over the years. A short long boat ride from where our bus dropped us off, and we arrived at our “resort” which consists of very basic bamboo huts, great food and lovely views down the river and is a great place to spend a couple of days relaxing and enjoying the surroundings.

The main attraction in the area is the Kong Lor Cave, an amazing tunnel formed by the Hinboun River. The only way to explore the cave is to take a longtail boat through the cave. It is at first a little disconcerting speeding through in complete darkness, illuminated only by the torches held by the boat driver and his assistant, but after a while your eyes adjust and you can see more of the amazing caverns that you are travelling through. We stopped at some illuminated stalactites and stalagmites that were very impressive to wander around, and then we continued our journey through the cave, eventually emerging some 7.5km later. A quick bite to eat and a snake sighting, and then it was back into the boats for the journey home which seemed to go far more quickly as we travelled downstream.

After a brief stay in Savannakhet it was time to cross into country number 18 - Vietnam. Given our experiences of borders in the Stan countries and of course China, it is always a pleasure to go through these much more straight-forward borders, even if we did have to pay an additional $1 each to be processed through at lunchtime!

For most, the name Vietnam immediately brings to mind the Vietnam War, and there are plenty of historically important sites to visit such as My Lai and the Cu Chi tunnels, however it does appear that the national psyche is firmly routed in the present, and as foreign tourists we have all been made very welcome (even Ben, our American) and there is a genuine friendliness and enthusiasm from the local people to show you their country (and often to sell you things as well!).

Our first stop in Vietnam was Hue, located on the Perfume River it was the former centre of the Nguyen empire and has plenty of temples, pagodas and even a remarkable citadel and imperial city to show for it. Many of the group took the opportunity to join one of the many tours out to the temples and pagoda, while others chose to cycle 15km (quite a feat in this heat, and perhaps unsurprisingly led by Lesley) to the beach. Along with the joy of finding decent cheese and wine in Laos, our excitement at seeing a beach is perhaps a little bewildering, but as we had not seen the ocean since departure, it was really quite exciting! Sure, we have seen seas (the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea and where the Aral Sea used to be), lakes (Song Kol and Issyk Kol, as well as countless others) and rivers from the Rhine to the Mekong, but this is the first time we have seen walty water with waves on a sandy beach! Oh, the excitement! Ben spent his time reverting to his not so distant youth by building intricate sandcastles (usually then demolished by Simon), while others just enjoyed the warm water and the sand between their toes.

Hue was also the place where a couple of members of the group re-joined us. Mike and Alice had ventured off to Hanoi (as had Dennis who had also visited Sapa and would be joining us in Hoi An), and Simon had been back to Luang Prabang to get Ben's diary (amongst other reasons). And of course Pete, who had been stuck in Lhasa since late July, had finally made it out of China and into Nepal after a swift bit of road building after yet another landslide, and arrived into Hue. Pete's reappearance seemed as good a reason as any for a party, and the 2010 expedition debut of the Odyssey Blue cocktail. Suffice it to say that a good time was had by all, and there were a couple of sore heads the next day. Check out the passenger blogs for more dodgy photos!

The city of Hoi An sits in an enviable position on the Thu Bon River, with the beach only 5km down the road. It is a wonderful city to spend a couple of days or more, with so much to do and see it is hard to know where to start! As the hotel had a swimming pool, it made the choice even more difficult!

One of Hoi An's most striking features is the number of tailors - it seems that almost every shop can produce you any outfit in any colour and any size, all in about 12 hours! Many of the group headed off to choose designs and materials for their new clothes or new shoes (after 4 months of travelling, our existing clothes are getting a little too familiar!).

Some managed to avoid the tailoring shops completely (more difficult than it might sound) choosing rather to hire bikes and cycle around the town and nearby villages, or down to the beach. James, Kay, Mike and Alice took off on a day trip to My Lai, which they found harrowing but worthwhile. Another group headed off to the My Son ruins, the most important remains of the ancient kingdom of Champa which was an interesting precursor to Angkor Wat which we will be visiting in Cambodia in the coming weeks. After the success of the last cooking course in Luang Prabang in Laos, Kylie, Neill, Katie, Taylor and Kay went to Cham Island and enjoyed a great day involving a boat trip, a magic table (apparently) and some lovely food which they prepared, although Neill was upset not to be allowed to wield a knife!

Walking around Hoi An at night is a lovely way to spend the evening. With the temperature and humidity a little more reasonable, the lanterns and decorations are stunning, and happily, for sale!

As you can imagine, all this activity is exhausting! How best to relax? How about a couple of days on the beach with nothing more to worry about than turning up to meals on time (and even then the staff will come and find you to make sure you don't miss out). With a beautiful deserted beach, calm warm water and the sun shining, it wasn't difficult to enjoy our time at Jungle Beach. A highlight from last year's trip, it has not let us down, and everyone has thoroughly enjoyed themselves and won't easily forget the amazing phosphorescence in the water at night and the bonfire on the beach. The most challenging part? Making sure that everyone gets on the bus tomorrow morning heading for Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) and we don't have any stowaways left in the camp!

Relaxation and adventure activities? We must be in Laos!

2010-08-20T03:53:00.001-07:00

Laos has a reputation of being the most chilled country in South East Asia, and so far it has not disappointed! One of our favourite quotes is “An adventure is not an adventure when it is happening. Adventure is physical and emotional discomfort, recollected in tranquillity.” (Tim Cahill), and we think that looking back, some of people’s highlights and most memorable moments will be from China – the incredible Mogao Caves, the spectacular scenery through Tibet, the Giant Pandas of Chengdu, the mighty Everest, maybe even the efforts to get the stuck trucks out on a high mountain pass – but there was a general sense of relief as we crossed the Laos border heading for Luang Nam Tha, our first destination.

Immediately upon crossing the border the scenery changed. Villages stretched along the road with bamboo huts on stilts, and lush green hills stretched as far as the eye could see. Gone was the overt police presence of China, and while the people we passed going about their daily business continued to be friendly as they had been in China, there was a feeling that we were more welcome in Laos, a country that is firmly convinced of the value of external tourism.

However if people thought they were going to just lounge around for three days catching up on facebook and blogs now that they were no longer blocked, they were wrong! One of the best things about South East Asia is all of the adventure activities available. Lesley (or Sergeant Major Parry as Simon now refers to her) led some of the troops off on a 30km bike ride on our first day. The second day saw everyone head off on a kayak or day hike, with 7 of the group opting for both hiking and kayaking combined with an overnight stay in a local village. A fantastic time was had by all, and many were eagerly awaiting their next chances to get active!

Ben, Roberta, Simon & Jim

Lesley & Ben

Ready to kayak:

Dennis and the local whiskey

Roberta, putting to one side the hygienic issues of all sharing the same straw...

Home for the night

Lesley and Jim don't look to sure about the longtail boat...

Lunch, served on banana leaves and cooked by the local guides

Explaining the plants and how they are used

Sergeant Major Parry and Ben

Kaye returning by tuk tuk

Cycling through the countryside is a great way to see it

From Luang Nam Tha we headed a little more off the beaten track and visited the town of Nong Khiaw. A sleepy little place, we had lovely bamboo bungalows overlooking the river, and most people took the chance to relax in the hammocks on their balconies, while others walked up to the caves or explored the town itself.

The view from our little slice of paradise on the river at Nong Khiaw

Our main reason for visiting Nong Khiaw is so that we can approach Luang Prabang by river, and so the morning of our departure saw us manhandling our bags (which seem to be getting heavier by the day) down a muddy slope to the awaiting boats. As the boatmen looked on in awe at the amount of luggage that we have, we boarded and took our seats for the journey. Some of the kayakers had complained that there was not enough whitewater when they had been out several days previous, however we saw plenty on our way to Luang Prabang, and the skill of the captains was easy to see as we skirted around whirlpools and avoided unseen obstacles. The scenery is spectacular, jungle clad mountains climbing right out of the river with cliffs high above, but getting a glimpse into the routines of those who call the riverside their home is fascinating. Fisherman (and fisher-boys) out in boats, women washing clothes or children at the river’s edge, kids playing around and throwing themselves into the water, pausing only to wave at us as we go past.

Longtail boats on the river

Dramatic scenery along the river

After a couple of hours on the river we reached the Pak Ou caves, an important religious site in Laos, these caves are dominated by hundreds of Buddha statues, often partially broken, and were a great chance to stretch our legs before the final stretch to Luang Prabang.

The further south we have come in Laos, the more Western tourists we have found. It has come as quite a shock not the be the “celebrities” anymore, but rather one of many. We try to make sure that as well as seeing the most popular sites (they are popular for a reason!) we also head off the beaten track as much as we can, something that we can often do more easily because we are travelling as a group. But Luang Prabang is very firmly a tourist town, and it is easy to see why. It has a lovely feel to it, plenty of activities in the nearby rivers and mountains, and a fantastic night market which lured many of us back night after night.

Fancy some snake wine? Or perhaps scorpion wine?

With many of the group having hiked and / or kayaked in Luang Nam Tha, Luang Prabang was the time to embark on different activities. Several of the group went to a cooking course which included a walk around the fresh food market (the meat markets of Central Asia had hardened us to the sight of heads and hoofs, unlike some of our cooking course companions!), and then a short tuk tuk ride out to the cooking school. Set in wonderful grounds, it was a great opportunity to learn a bit about Lao cooking, and have a lot of fun, and then of course a huge meal accompanied by the obligatory Beerlao (or cheeky glass of white).

Neill, at his happiest with a huge cleaver... Kylie does well not to look too scared!

Charcoal braziers

Learning about the ingredients

Fresh greens in the market - beware of the bitter ones!

The French influence in Laos meant that our culinary highlights did not end there as we celebrated Kaye’s birthday with wine and cheese (proper cheese! No offense meant to Georgian salty cheese, however the excitement at being able to eat cheddar, brie, camembert and blue cheese was quite something!)

Elephant riding is not something you get the chance to do everyday when living in the UK, so many took the opportunity when it presented itself. The highlight was washing the elephants, something which Ben seemed to find both terrifying and hilarious all at the same time, as did those watching him clambering to find the part of the elephant that was above the water. The photos give you some idea, but the videos which will hopefully appear on some of the blogs should give the full picture!

Ben, Maggs and Simon on the elephants

Roberta & Kylie

Heather, Roberta and Kylie

Taylor & Katie

Ben & Maggs

With shopping, cooking and elephants all ticked off, it was time to head for Vang Vieng. This backpacker’s mecca in the middle of Laos is undoubtedly a strange place, and is not for everyone. Gone is the feeling of spirituality and village life that is present through so much of Laos, replaced by backpackers lying on cushions in restaurants watching re-runs of Friends. On first appearances it is a little difficult to understand why anyone would make more than a fleeting visit to this town, however when some of the group went tubing (floating down the river on an inner tube, stopping off at bars along the way, many of which have swings, ziplines or slides out into the water) it became clear why some people find themselves stuck in Vang Vieng for days, or even weeks. One full day in the town was enough for us though, and it was only a short hop down to Vientiane, Laos’ super-relaxed capital city.

Vientiane is a wonderfully compact city, and our hotel is very centrally located, so most of the amenities are close at hand including the lovely public swimming pool which was a very welcome source of respite from the 35 degree heat and humidity and the bowling alley which was host to an hilarious night of bowling accompanied by the obligatory cheesy 80’s music.

Not all of the sights in Vientiane are close by however, and Sergeant Major Parry led the troops off again (the TOAST club – The Odyssey Adventure Sports Team) for a 50km round trip bike ride to the Buddha Park. The Park is home to a wide variety of large concrete Buddhist statues, and is a great place to wander around for an hour or so. Those who chose the tuk tuk option to get to the park potentially enjoyed it a bit more! Vientiane’s French history is wonderfully demonstrated by its very own Arc de Triomph, although it is fairly clear that the signwriter is immune to its charms as he all but calls it a concrete monstrosity on the plaques at its base. Nonetheless, the views from the top are lovely, and it is certainly an unexpected sight to see.

From Vientiane it is time to get off the beaten track again, and so we are heading to Phu Hin Bun National Park for some jungle and cave time before we make the crossing into Vietnam and hopefully join up with Pete again!

Planes, trains & automobiles

2010-08-08T04:27:00.001-07:00

China. The oldest continuous civilisation in the world, and one of the fastest growing and developing countries in the world; a population of over 1 billion, yet wide open spaces abound if you know where to look; China is a land of contrasts and is a fascinating part of our journey from London to Australia. This said it has always had its challenges; permits and big drives are the major two.

We enter China over the Tourgart Pass, closed for years to foreign tourists, it’s only with special permits and the assistance of a local agent that we are able to enter this way. As borders go it is one of the longest as it is 80km from where you leave stunning Kyrgyzstan till the third and final check point and immigration post to officially enter China. Once through it is a short drive to Kashgar a fascinating introduction into China and the local Uighur people. While it still maintains a vaguely Central Asian feel, it is very definitely a Chinese city. After the relatively similar cuisines of the Central Asian countries, the appearance of Chinese food on the menu was a very welcome change! We had four nights in Kashgar which gave everyone time explore this great city as well as time to catch up on their washing and emails, and also meant that the crew had time to sort out the paperwork for the truck (China certainly does love paperwork!) and also sit a “driving test” which consisted of reading a comic book covering various aspects of road safety (although we did have a little difficulty working out what was meant by the ambulance that was going around a corner too fast and spilling rolls of carpet out of the back...)

Kashgar is also home to one of the greatest markets in Central Asia which has been operating for thousands of years, a great place to visit on Sundays, the main market day. As you wander the aisles (it is all very organised now, quite different from the market we had visited in Ashgabat) it really does seem that there is nothing you couldn’t buy. From tools to tomatoes, clothes to fridges, knives and noodles, the variety of goods available is incredible, and the best way to experience it is to get lost in the market wandering from stall to stall, chatting to the stallholders, and maybe even buying a thing or two.

Kashgar market:

Our next destination in China was Turpan, a three day drive away along the northern Silk Road. It was during this drive that we experienced the first of the roadworks that were to be a feature of our time in China. We estimate that we have seen more than 2,500km of roadworks – not so great for us this year as it caused major delays but for the coming years the roads will be amazing and our drive times will greatly reduced not to mention silky smooth!

Roadworks have been a feature of our time in China:

This was also where we encountered Mr Green Fence who has put up amazing fences next to all the new roads making it all but impossible to head off to many of the stunning bushcamps we have found over the years. But as always we made a plan and after a couple of tries found two stunning bushcamps along the way en route to Turpan.

Awesome bushcamp:

The road to bushcamp:

Getting set up, all hands on deck:

A bushcamp friend:

Turpan is located in the second lowest depression on earth (after the Dead Sea), reaching 154m below sea level just outside the city itself, and is also the hottest place in China with temperatures reaching as high as 45 degrees in the height of summer. Turpan is also our base from where we visit the Jaiohe Ruins. The town of Jaiohe was home to over 6,500 citizens during the Han dynasty (around 200 AD) and thanks to the dry desert heat it is one of the world’s best preserved ancient cities. We braved the heat in the late afternoon to wander the streets of the town. As we continued further into the ruins the buildings were increasingly well preserved, with the highlight being the monastery and stupa at the end of the town.

At the Jaiohe Ruins:

Ben getting into the posing-for-photos vibe:

The Jaiohe stupa:

After the heat of Turpan it was time to continue our journey east, and we spent two days driving to Dunhuang. The size of China is not to be underestimated, and there are some long drive days involved! Dunhuang is a lovely city and one of the highlights of our time in China was a visit to the Mogao Caves, one of the most impressive sights we have seen. Unfortunately cameras are not allowed inside, and words cannot do justice to the incredible sculptures, carvings, frescoes and decoration inside the caves.

The spectacular entrance to one of the Mogao caves:

From Dunhuang we headed for Tibet but with a slight twist; due to a military exercise our planned route to take us to Golmud and then on to amazing Lhasa was closed which forced us to change our route as we had to drive a 1,000km detour to get around the military exercise – not ideal when you consider the big distance we travel anyway in China but any overland journey covering as many miles as we do has to expect some complications and Tibet is always an area where we expect these with high roads, mountain passes prone to landslides and other road complications, but it is all part of the adventure!

A tiny landslide, a hint of what was to come...:

For the first part of the drive we were on boring motorway which made the miles flash by but there was not much to be seen. Just after lunch this started to change as we turned of the highway and headed for the hills on a narrow road with spectacular views of mountains and lakes with stunning yellow fields of rapeseed flowers making it a photographer’s paradise. Sadly due to the change being sprung on us last minute we did not have the time to explore as we went through this section as we had not allowed the extra days in the schedule and everybody was very keen to get to the iconic city of Lhasa.

Spectacular lake views:

The drive though through to Lhasa is stunning with many passes crossed of more than 5,000m, with each of these high points covered in prayer flags and rock cairns built by local travellers and pilgrims en route to Lhasa and the Jokhang Temple, the most holy of all monasteries in Tibet. To see hundreds of pilgrims walking, cycling and in some extreme cases prostrating themselves en route to Lhasa is a moving experience.

Prayer flags dominate every mountain pass:

Lhasa the capital of Tibet autonomous region and situated at 3,800m above sea level has always been a mystical destination dreamed about by most intrepid travellers. Names like the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera and Drepsung monasteries, debating monks and so the list goes on. This amazing city has so much to offer. We based ourselves right in the heart of Lhasa for 4 nights giving everybody loads of time to go off and explore. Pictures below give you a good idea of what it is about, but only by walking the Barkhor Circuit around the Jokhang Temple, exploring the Potala Palace or sitting and watching monks debate at the Sera Monastery can you start to understand and appreciate Lhasa.

The mighty Potala Palace:

Inside Potala Palace:

Incredible decorative doors:

Inside Jokhang Temple:

Jokhang restoration:

Pilgrims outside Jokhang:

Debating monks at Sera monastery:

Passionate about their topics:

But seemed to be having fun at the same time:

The Lhasa market full of amazing produce:

After Lhasa it was time to head off for another highlight on our journey which is a visit to Everest Base Camp (known locally as Qomolongma Base Camp). En route we stopped off in Shigatse another funky Tibetan town with more stunning monasteries and the palace of the Panchen Lama. Our intrepid walkers headed off and walked the walls surrounding the temple complex, a holy cora in itself with thousands of prayer wheels and the devoted slowly making their way around.

After an early breakfast of banana pancakes we headed off towards Everest; as it takes a while to get there we spend one night bushcamping in the Everest National Park before starting at the early hour of 4am the next morning to drive to basecamp.

Entering Mt Qomolangma National Park:

The road to Everest:

View from our bushcamp inside Everest Park:

As we left camp in the dark and wound our way up the switchbacks in the dark we had a steady rain (and some snow!) and many people worried that with the weather as it was all we would see was clouds and not the mighty Everest. But mountains are strange things and when after a couple of false sightings by some in the back we finally came round a rocky corner to have the mighty Everest appear in front of us. The expedition’s mountain luck was definitely with us as we all hopped out and gazed up in admiration at the peak which even though we were at 5,000m above sea level still rose up more than 3,700m in front of us.

Our first glimpse of the mighty mountain:

After a lengthy photo session we drove a bit further up to Rongbruk Monastery the highest monastery in Tibet and possibly in the world. The site of mighty Everest through the flags and roof line of the monastery is great.

Rongbruk Monastery:

It is only a short hop from the monastery to our “hotels” for the night at base camp. These canvas tents with a yak dung burning stove in the middle are run by local people who become your family for the time you are there as they prepare your meals, look after you and even in some cases, tuck you into bed. After some quick negotiations and an inspection of the various hotels we ended up with five people in each tent. As the afternoon slowly progressed more and more of the mountain disappeared behind a wall of cloud, with most of the group choosing to hike up to Everest base camp anyway we all prayed to the mountain gods to give us a clear mountain. And so we waited until about 7 that evening when suddenly our local innkeeper said the mountain was clearing again and did it clear, we even had a near full moon to add to the fantastic sight. The pictures below try to do it some justice but the scale and beauty of it are best appreciated standing and gazing up and the highest point on earth.

There she is!

Mighty Everest:

From Everest we wandered back down the mountain and headed for the town of Gyantze where possibly we had our worst hotel experience to date. Sure to happen on any trip once or twice, this hotel had since the previous years’ visits managed go totally down the drain, but was decided to tough it out and spend the night. Those who decided to head for the local monastery and hill fort were rewarded with an amazing afternoon seeing a monastery very different in style from what we had seen in Lhasa and Shigatse and a fort which was at one stage occupied by the British.

From Gyantze we headed off on our toughest part of the expedition as we attempted to cross the Tibetan plateau and drive through eastern Tibet. This section has been closed to western tourists since 2008 but thanks to our local agent’s contacts in Tibet and Beijing we had been granted permits and so we set off. Before leaving we had been advised that heavy flooding and associated landslides had damaged the road we planned to drive but that these would be fixed by the time we arrived and with Chinese road building skills this seemed highly possible and so we set off. This sector's roads are always challenging but take you through stunning Tibetan hamlets and amazing mountain scenery well worth the bumpy ride and tough going.

Images of Tibet:

And then it started to rain just before we started to climb over the Budrangla pass (another 4,900m pass). About half way up we were waved down by a truck coming the other way saying a truck had slid off the muddy road higher up the pass and the road was blocked, not the greatest news but sort of expected in these parts. After discussing it briefly we decided to drive further up the pass and see what the problem was exactly and how we could help to reopen the pass. Having got as far as we could up the pass and reaching the back log of trucks and cars we decided to set up camp for the night and investigate the following morning. So with fantastic views down the valley and curious locals coming to see what we were having for dinner we spent the night and then after a breakfast of bacon and eggs headed to the top of the pass to clear the road.

On the way up to the Budrangla pass:

Mud, mud, glorious mud and one articulated truck firmly stuck in the ditch on the side of the road with hundreds of people standing around discussing but not doing to much to help and so the Odyssey crew stepped in and started to coordinate things, not too easy when you don’t speak the language and the locals always seem to take the most illogical way to try and get the truck out. Six hours later and after trying to pull the truck out with other trucks we went to man power with close to 100 people playing tug of war on the end of a long rope. Seems unlikely that that many people could pull 30 tonnes of truck out of the mud, but that is what happened and as soon as we get back into YouTube land where the site is not blocked by local government we will upload the link to watch this amazing tug of war. So the truck is out and the road is open, well not quite as thanks to a unique queuing tradition in this part of the world we had a massive traffic jam and so the Odyssey team had to jump in again. With some diplomatic (and some very undiplomatic) discussions we finally managed to clear the way so that traffic could come down the pass towards us so that we would be able to head up the pass and with the Odyssey team really upsetting the ruling elite in their Land Cruisers as we prevented them from charging up the pass and creating another traffic jam (the new slogan “China – giving Land Cruiser drivers a bad name” should be on most Land Cruisers out here) we finally started slip sliding out way up the pass helping trucks out as they got stuck as we wound our way to the top. Calypso our great truck soldiered through only needing a slight group shove once to get us to the top where we were rewarded with amazing views and more importantly a great sense of achievement. Unfortunately for Dennis he underestimated Calypso, and consequently now owes the entire truck a drink for his lack of faith in her ability to get to the top without getting properly stuck! (We’ll have a couple of G&Ts please!)

The way back down from the Budrangla pass:

Perhaps vehicles like these might be part of the problem?

As we wandered on through this stunning part of the world word got through that the road had been further damaged by floods and landslides ahead and that we should expect delays. As we have said before this is all part of the adventure, though in past years we have never had floods and landslides to this extent, but Mother Nature is Mother Nature. Arriving in Nyingchi our worst fears were confirmed with the town full of people waiting for the road to open with all sorts of rumours about what had happened to the road going around. With no other option and after a bit of a search we installed ourselves in a hotel and started to wait and on day 3 got the terrible news that a bridge had collapsed and the road would be closed indefinitely which forced us to turn around and head back for Lhasa, not a bad place to head for but also sadly meaning we would have to re route. After looking at many options and taking into account that to detour around the broken bridge would mean close to a 2-week, 3,500km detour and significant backtracking we made the decision to leave Calypso behind and hop over eastern Tibet by plane to Chengdu. From Chengdu we will hire buses and use the occasional train, but we will still do the entire route as planned in South-East Asia, just not with the truck (but as the buses have air-conditioning it is not exactly bad news!). It is always hugely sad when an expedition has to make a plan like this but is part and parcel of an expedition of this nature, but as always the show must go on. So after a final party around the truck in a hotel parking lot in Lhasa and a couple of farewell tears, it was time to part company with Calypso our faithful truck. Nobody believed us when we said that they would become attached to a big blue truck!

And so the group headed off to Chengdu, a big bustling Chinese city with many attractions to keep everyone busy including a Giant Panda sanctuary. Chengdu has a population equivalent to approximately half the population of Australia, and it appears that most of the population also own a car! After the cool of the mountains in Lhasa it was a surprise to get off the plane and find that it was hot and humid. But the weather didn’t put anyone off, and the group headed off to enjoy this busy yet laid back city. For some, the presence of McDonalds was too inviting, and so they missioned off for a Big Mac and a McFlurry, others headed to the People’s Park for a bit of outdoor karaoke (sadly only watching), and a cup of tea. Chengdu has amazing Taoist temples to explore, as well as a genuine reproduction Chinese town within a town, full of fancy restaurants and souvenir shops (and a Starbucks or two!).

Chengdu at night:

By the river:

In the People's Park:

Chairman Mao:

In the Cultural Park:

The McDonalds crew:

The next morning we headed off to the Giant Panda Sanctuary – it was amazing to be able to get so close to these wonderful creatures, and watch them play and eat (mainly eat really, as they get through up to 60kg of bamboo per day). For some it was the highlight of the trip so far, and all of us ended up with far too many photos of pandas!!

Giant pandas:

Having used planes and automobiles in recent days, it was time to add to the trilogy with a train journey. The trip from Chengdu to Kunming takes over 18 hours and so we had booked sleeper berths, although they are little different from European style sleeper carriages! We have now arrived in Laos, and everyone is looking forward to the next phase of our epic journey.

Horse riding, hiking, fancy dress and feasts – welcome to Kyrgyzstan

2010-07-13T21:37:00.000-07:00

We are now in China! After an epic border crossing, we finally reached our first Chinese city, Kashgar, and took a couple of days to catch up on washing, shopping and Internet as Kyrgyzstan has amazing mountains and trekking but is not to hot on the Internet or washing front. It has been a busy couple of weeks…

As mentioned in our previous post, the trouble in the south of Kyrgyzstan necessitated us altering our route slightly and detouring via Kazakhstan to enter Kyrgyzstan from the north rather than driving through the Ferghana Valley and the cities of Osh and Jalal-Abad in the south. Sadly a small troubled area of this fantastic country has been media hyped to the extent that the world considers the whole country at war. Very sad when you think that a large number of the local people earn their living from tourism, thanks to the likes of the BBC and CNN their tourist industry has been knocked back years for a couple of headlines and the same pictures of a couple of burnt out houses. So off to get Kazakh visas. Obtaining a Kazakh visa in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, should be a straightforward process taking only 24-48 hours, however it was not to prove so in our case. Firstly Pete had been to the embassy at 5am in the morning and put his name on the list which is rather fiercely protected by the other people in the queue. Then, after waiting till about 11am, he was able to submit our applications. Luckily he had not forewarned the others in the queue that he would be submitting 22 applications, or it is pretty certain that he would never have gained entry! With the applications submitted he was told to come back the following day to collect the visas. All going well so far... By the next day we had all joined him in Tashkent and were eagerly awaiting the visas… but it was not to be as we went to the embassy to pick them up only to be informed “no visas today, come back tomorrow at 10am”. In typical Central Asian fashion there was no explanation given. So we returned to the hotel and made plans to go back to the embassy the next day. The next day, we again queued, and were told, once again, no visas today. As it was Thursday by now, and our Uzbek visas expired on the Saturday we appealed to the guard at the gate to be let in to get our passports back in order to apply for Uzbek visa extensions. After finally gaining entry we were told that it would be no problem to return our visas until someone worked out that our passports, considered to be high value passports, were locked in the Consol’s safe, and he had the keys with him in Kyrgyzstan where he was assisting in the evacuation of Kazakh nationals from Osh. The lady at the embassy shrugged her shoulders and said he might be back the next day and we should come back at 10am on Friday morning. So we now had no passports and still no visas. Time for another night in the hotel in Tashkent. Friday rolled around and we headed to the embassy at 10am. And again at 12pm. And again at 3pm. We finally received our passports back at 4.30pm on the Friday afternoon, complete with Kazakh visas (the only ones issued in Tashkent that week, thanks only to Pete’s patience at the embassy, other travellers who jumped up and down and yelled at the staff weren’t so lucky!) and we loaded up the truck and headed for the border. But the fun didn’t stop there.

We had been told by the Kazakh embassy that we could use the border post closest to Tashkent which had only just re-opened, however when we arrived there we were advised that the border was not open to foreigners or to vehicles. So we headed 60km back down the road towards Samarkand to cross at a border that was more foreigner and vehicle friendly. We had again been told that the border was open on the Uzbek side until 8pm, and on the Kazakh side until 9pm. So we managed to get through the Uzbek side in record time, only taking about an hour and two cans of beer, and then we crossed the short no-mans land to the Kazakh side. Which was locked. What they had not mentioned when telling us the closing times of the borders is that they were using local time for both and there is a 1 hour time difference between the two countries. And so it was that we found ourselves camping in no-mans land between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan accompanied only by a couple of long distance truckers and some bemused border guards. All part of the fun and we made the most of the situation and had a lovely beef stir fry and an early night to await the border opening in the morning…

All roads lead from Tashkent

The Kazakh border finally opened at 7am the next day and we were processed through quite quickly again, this time the only cost was a couple of soft-drinks and a tennis ball for the sniffer dog.

Kazakhstan is one of the best known of the Stan countries, perhaps only thanks to Borat, although it is also the 9th largest country in the world. In previous years we have also visited Kazakhstan as a detour – the nature of our trans-continental journey means that our itinerary can, and does, change. Unfortunately we have never been that enamoured of Kazakhstan and after a road rage incident and being hit up for a rather large bribe, our opinion hasn’t changed much, and we were keen to get through as quickly as possible and into Kyrgyzstan. We spent only one night in Kazakhstan, camping in a field next to a surprisingly busy railway line, and then we were up early to head for the Kyrgyzstan border, where our guide Erkin was awaiting us.

Finally in Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan is often named as people’s favourite country at the end of the expedition, and it is looking a safe bet again this year. Amazing mountains, friendly locals, some interesting food, fermented mares milk comes to mind and just so much else to offer. Our first night in Kyrgyzstan was spent in Bishkek. The city has several monuments and museums to visit, but the highlight for many is the Metro Bar which serves western food, has a pool table and shows the football on the TV. And so we whiled away our evening there, chatting to expats and fellow travellers, and getting beaten at pool by some ladies who were rather interested in selling their wares to Neill much to his horror or so he says, but fortunately he was rescued by his “wife” (for the night) Lesley.

From Bishkek we headed away from cities for a while and camped for a night on the shores of Lake Issyk Kol, the second largest alpine lake in the world after Lake Titicaca in South America. We set up camp right on the shores and made ourselves at home. A couple of braver souls went for a swim, Mike made sure that Heather was one of them. Issyk Kol was the first of the many fishing competitions between Neill and Erkin, with Neill invariably “second winning” as Ben would call it. Fortunately we were able to buy some smoked lake trout and weren’t relying on them to bring home the dinner! Falling asleep to the lapping of the waves against the shore it was great to be back camping in a stunning location.

Chilling the wine

Camping at Issyk Kol

From Issyk Kol we headed up into the spectacular Diety Orgus gorge. This spectacular gorge offers some of Kyrgyzstans premium trekking and horse riding, with walks and rides to suit everybody. As we were to be here for four nights of bushcamping we set up the camp with a shower tent, kitchen tent and the rest of the tents spread around the grassy field by the river. Fortunately the rain held off until we had all set up, but then it bucketed down, and while we sat in the truck playing cards or under the awning debating whether the rain could get any heavier (the answer is yes, it could!) we didn’t notice that a small lake had formed with Mike’s tent as an island in the middle! A quick dash out into the rain and we dragged the tent to safety on slightly higher ground, and amazingly everything inside was still dry. We love our new tents!
Diety Orgus

Beautiful Kyrgyz horses

Mike's Tent

Spectacular Camping in Diety Orgus

The paparazzi at Diety Orgus as Neill attempts to make fire

Relaxing at Diety Orgus

The spectacular gorge

Our intrepid horse riders Simon & Alice

The group divided up for trekking and the hardcore trekkers set off the next morning with Erkin our trekking guide for a epic trek to an alpine lake well above the snow line where the lake was only just beginning to thaw, hard going but everybody who did the trek came back with rave reviews. Others did smaller treks anything from one hour to half days. This is such great trekking that even folks who were not big walkers said they could have happily spent another day. As for the horse riders there were mixed experiences. Simon and Alice were eventually seen walking home after having a number of issues with their horses which were just not prepared to turn around and head back, but all agreed that even someone who had never ridden a horse could have a go and have a blast.

Quiz night at Diety Orgus hiding from the rain

Heather the pancake flipper

Hi-ho, Hi-ho, it's off to work we go...

Camping in Diety Orgus

After Diety Orgus we thought it was time to treat everyone to a hotel and so we headed down to Karakol and a lovely homestay, after a quick visit to Kochkor, home to a fantastic felt shop selling locally made felt products, and a statue of Lenin to add to our Russian statue photo collection.

Lenin in Kochkor

Karakol gave us time to get washing done and spend a bit of time in a hot shower. It also seemed like the right time to sit in the shade with a chilled Georgian white wine, or two, or three. Much silliness ensued, and a great night was had by all as we wandered into the town to eat in one of the many local cafes, some of us even found ourselves guided to a restaurant by a man on a tractor after the one we were aiming to go to was closed! It is the random things like this that happen along the way that make the journey so unforgettable!

From Karakol we headed back into the Kyrgyz countryside and up to Lake Song Kol. Frozen during the long winter, the fertile plains around Song Kol are used as summer grazing for herds of goats, sheep, cattle, yaks and horses that are brought up from the lowlands. Families bring their yurts on the back of trucks in flat-pack form, it apparently only takes 20 minutes to put them together.

A yurt arriving at Song Kol

Heather on the road to Song Kol

Road to Song Kol 2

A great opportunity to use the roof seats

Our first yaks

Heading down in Song Kol

Camping on the plains surrounded by snow-capped mountains and herds of grazing animals tended by children as young as 5 who are as comfortable on a horse (or in some cases more comfortable) as they are on their own feet, this is another magical place, and we spend three nights bushcamping, giving everyone plenty of time to wander the hills, visit a yurt and sample fermented mare’s milk and go horse riding.

All that snow came in useful for something

A spectacular campsite

Taylor chillin' with his new friends

A time to relax

Song Kol is also famous for its storms

Fresh snow on the hills

Katie & Kirsten enjoying some mulled wine

Song Kol is also the place where we organise a game of Ulan Tuk, the traditional Kyrgyz game involving incredible horsemanship and a goat carcass. We had invited some other travellers to join us for the game, and the players brought their friends, wives and children, and the crowd cheered for their chosen team. With no field of play designated, some of the group chose the top of the truck as the safest place to observe, while others enjoyed the thrill of running out of the way of galloping horses. In the end it was a 4-1 victory (or was that the England score?), and the winning team took home the goat (very much tenderised) and the prize money.

Goat polo, an amazing and unusual spectacle

Goat Polo

Goat Polo spectators

Lesley just chilling on the roof

The victorious team

Presenting the prizes

Another highlight for the group was watching Roberta out-gallop two of the men from the local yurts in a game of "catch and kiss" Kyrgyz style which they had been sure they would win easily (should we have mentioned her jockey past? Nah, more fun not to!). It was hilarious to watch, although we were a bit concerned when the game continued off over the hills as her pursuers desperately tried to catch her, but she returned safe and victorious.

Catch & kiss Kyrgyz style

Ned was a hit again, don't worry Darrell, we got him back

We then settled down to a fantastic lamb potjie (a South African stew which is cooked by layering ingredients in a cast iron pot and cooked slowly over a fire for hours), with many proclaiming it to be the best meal of the trip so far (and there have been some amazing meals to choose from!). While some of the group played card games on the truck (it can be a bit chilly at 3,000+ metres even in June), Ben and Erkin headed off to the yurt of the winning team to enjoy the many dishes cooked from the goat, washed down with a bit of vodka of course!

Our last night up at Lake Song Kol seemed like as good a time as any for a bit of a fancy dress party. After pulling names out of a hat, we had all been shopping in the market in Karakol for clothes which the locals might not consider to be fancy dress, but we did! When the time came, we gathered around our host for the evening, Pete, and watched with nervous excitement (or is that terror?) as the bags were distributed…

Cowboy Barry

The results are best explained by the photos below… Suffice it to say that a great night was had by all, popcorn, fruit punch and a sing-along topped it all off.

Like Christmas, but scarier

The boys

The girls

Ben

Lady Maggs

Alice

Our very own tarot reader, Pauline

Hippy Kay

Prisoner Lesley

Roberta

How to embarrass your guide, Erkin

Hello Sailor, it's Dennis!

Nick

Taylor Beckham

Simon

Pilates instructor Katie

Kirsten & Bumblebee Kylie

Alice & Mike

Our very own girl band, Katie, Alice & Heather

Perfect outfits for horse riding!

Lesley, is that breaking and entering or aiding & abetting escape

Pauline & Dennis dancing with a local visitor

Kyrgyzstan is a country of incredible landscapes and some of the friendliest people we come across on our journey of 27,000km. It was with some sadness that we headed down from Song Kol and towards the Chinese border. We had one final bushcamp on the way to the border before an early start to another border crossing day of “hurry up and wait”. With two checkpoints on the Kyrgyzstan side and three on the Chinese side, it took us a full day to gain entry to China! We are here for the next 6 weeks, and with so much to see and do while we are here it is going to be another busy time!

Beautiful Kyrgyzstan

2010-06-26T21:07:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update as internet access is very difficult to get when you are up in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan! We had a fairly eventful trip through Kazakhstan and were all relieved to arrive into Kyrgyzstan. A quick stop in Bishkek and then it was time to head up into the mountains to see what this beautiful country is really all about. Everyone has been having a fantastic time trekking, horse riding or just chilling with a book and a glass of wine and admiring the incredible scenery, and everyone is definitely in love with Kyrgyzstan (Mike has even given it an 11 out of 10!). We are heading back into the hills again today heading for Lake Song Kol, so we will give you the full run down on Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and no-mans-land when we cross the border into China next weekend!

Seas and deserts; Silk Road cities and the World Cup

2010-06-17T20:09:00.001-07:00

Greetings from Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan and sorry for the break in updates but our last couple of weeks have been interesting and a bit challenging thanks to extreme temperatures and changing itineraries as a result of the unrest in southern Kyrgyzstan amongst other things, but more on that later.

Our optimism at the end of the last blog post that we were going to be boarding the ferry from Baku in Azerbaijan to Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan that evening was sadly premature. The process of getting onto one of the ferries across the Caspian Sea sounds ridiculous when it is explained to you – there is no schedule, you go down to the port, chat to the port captain, he might say there is a ship due to depart that day but that doesn’t actually mean that there is going to be a ship that day that you are able to board. The ferries can be diverted to Kazakhstan at short notice, or could be loaded with petrol, in which case no passengers are able to be carried. You could be told in the morning that there is no ship, and by that afternoon you could be boarding the ship which has now come into port. Basically total chaos, but all part of the adventure. The once you are on board the fun keeps going; the ship takes approximately 16-20 hours to make the crossing, but then you need to be allowed into port.

And so it was that we found ourselves in Baku for 3 nights rather than just the 1 night that we were originally planning. Baku fuelled by its oil money is a great spot but even a small three star hotel costs US$140. The first ferry that we were due to get on was carrying petrol, so no passengers. The second ferry was diverted to Kazakhstan so not much good to us. To add to the excitement we had only booked one night’s accommodation at the ridiculous cost and now were struggling to get hotel rooms as there was a major oil and gas conference on in the city for 4 days and every hotel was booked to the max. But as always we made a plan after getting hold of our hotel manager we organised enough beds for one of the extra nights (albeit with some thermarests on the floor, not what you would expect in a flash city like Baku, but as we do we made a plan). Then the ferry let us down again and so now for the next plan after more negotiations with the hotel manger tents were put up in the courtyard (well at least for the wise, those who chose to sleep out under the stars provided excellent meals for the local mozi’s with some people looking like they had come down with the measles the next morning). Although we always aim for double / twin share accommodation, everyone was happy to do what needed to be done and share, or camp as required. All part of the adventure, and at least we still had a bathroom and internet! A journey as involved and as off the beaten track as this always has a bit of a twist as we go along, but as is so often said the adventure is best relived after the event and feel fairly certain that our ferry crossing story will be told to many after this epic journey.

At 5am on the last morning in Baku we were spurred into action by a call from Mike, Dennis and Neill who had slept on the truck down at the port with Pete to make sure that the ferry didn’t leave without us. After wiping the sleep from our eyes and gathering up our daypacks we walked down to the port, about a 15 minute walk that was pleasant enough at that early hour when the heat and humidity of Baku has not had a chance to really get going. And then we waited. “Hurry up and wait” was to be a feature of the next 3 days...
By 10am we were all processed out of Azerbaijan, on board the ship and exploring the facilities on the ship. Although the floor plan on display on the wall names a “music hall” and a “cafe”, these are barely recognisable as such and could perhaps be better described as “room with chairs” and “room with chairs and tables where you could maybe get tea”. This is no cross channel ferry or cruise ship! As for the toilets on offer – perhaps better left to the imagination, after a bit of swift negotiation one of the ship’s crew moved out of his en-suite cabin in return for some vodka money and voila, we had secured a more acceptable toilet for the group, or at least one that had been cleaned in the last 3 years...

Calypso boarding the ferry:

We had a wonderfully smooth crossing, with bright sunshine on deck and a cooling breeze which made it a very pleasant place to sit and read and watch the Caspian Sea float by. Arguably a lake, the Caspian Sea is landlocked, fed mainly by the Volga River, and is approximately 28 metres below sea-level. It is bordered by Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Russia, and as well as being a rich source of oil and gas, it is also claimed that it is the source of 90% of the world’s caviar including the famous beluga caviar.

After a lunch of hotdogs, and a dinner of pot noodle (the only cooking facility available to us on the ferry was an electric kettle), most of the group set up their thermarests on the deck and slept under the stars, with the lights of the oil rigs drifting past.

Cocktails on deck, thanks Captain Dennis!:

It was about midnight when we dropped anchor and ground to a halt. And there we stayed for 16 hot and breeze-less hours. I am sure you can imagine the excitement when finally we lifted anchor and headed off, but all we did was sail for a further 2 hours before we dropped anchor again. Frustrating and, by now in sight of the port and having been told that we would be pulling into port as soon as the previous ferry had loaded up (although we were to find out in Ashgabat that the real reason was because the port was in lockdown because the President of Turkmenistan was in Turkmenbashi to open a new school – the lockdown was so strict that people staying in hotels in the city were ordered to stay inside with the curtains closed for 2 days), we all spent time looking through the binoculars trying to use all our powers of telepathy to get it to move. Eventually (and it really does feel like a long time when you are just waiting and have no control over what is happening), we started moving again about 10pm, and finally docked at 11pm. Not known for their efficiency, the Turkmenistan border was not as bad as expected and we were finally all through the border, with the truck and our new local guide Dovran, by 2.30am. A short drive away from the port we pulled off the road and set up tents as quickly as possible to try to get some sleep.

Due to the delays in getting across the Caspian, we had to alter the itinerary slightly in Turkmenistan as the timing of our visas in both Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan dictated what we had time to do. And so it was an early start after only a couple of hours sleep and then we started the drive to Ashgabat. There are really only two main roads in Turkmenistan – one that goes east to west and one that goes north to south – and so road signs are not a major feature on the landscape. As our guide helpfully said, if you are on a big road and heading east then you are heading for Ashgabat.

Ashgabat is a bizarre oasis in the desert. Where we had been driving through villages of dust and poverty, on arriving in Ashgabat you are greeted by gold statues, fountains and French-designed marble buildings. Our hotel was right in the centre of things, and was an unexpected slice of luxury even if the pool was closed for cleaning. The cooler desert night gave people the chance to wander around, although everyone had to make sure they were back in the hotel (or a nightclub, in Ben and Simon’s case) before the 11pm curfew after which time you are not allowed to be walking on the streets. The gawdy flashing neon lights that light up the Arch of Neutrality upon which a gold statue of the former President stands is reminiscent of Las Vegas, and although you are not allowed to take a photo of any government buildings including the Arch from the street, many of the hotel balconies afforded an excellent view!

A highlight of our journey through Central Asia is a visit to the Sunday market in Ashgabat. Want to buy a camel? No problem. Spare parts for a Russian tank? Third aisle on the left. Fruit and veg, carpets and clothing, jewellery and cars; almost everything is for sale at the market. It is a really fascinating place to wander around for a couple of hours, so very different from the way we shop in our home countries (England, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, USA, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in case you want to know!). A few people walked away with necessities or small souvenirs, but everyone heeded Pete’s advice that there wasn’t room in the truck for a camel.

Neill and his new goat friend:

Ashgabat is a desert city and is very very hot even at this time of year – in summer it can reach 55-60 degrees Celsius, we were only experiencing high 30’s early 40’s. The heat affects everyone differently, but unfortunately some of our more active members were quite badly affected and suffered an uncomfortable couple of days.

Heading north from Ashgabat we started to cross the Karakum Desert, said to be the hottest desert in Central Asia. I think we all agree! After an afternoon of driving through sandstorms and past camels and the occasional town, we arrived at our destination, the gas craters of Darvaza. There are three craters – the first is fairly small and filled with water (and the plastic bottle rubbish which is unfortunately a common sight outside of the cities), the second is larger and more impressive with gas bubbling through the mud at the bottom. However the third crater is what we really come here to see and so after setting up camp our local guide organised for a huge 6-wheel-drive Russian truck to come and pick us up and bounce us over the dunes to the crater. Set alight in the 1970’s in order to stop the gas leaking out of the crater in raw form, the burning gas crater is a truly unique sight, the pictures do it more justice than words.

Heather & Alice:

Pete turning into Dennis!

Darrell leaping into the pit of fire (well, not really, just the right camera angle!):

Our journey continued north as we were heading for Moynaq, the former fishing village in Uzbekistan which is now over 60km away from any water thanks to the shrinking of the Aral Sea. But first we had to contend with another border crossing. Our exit from Turkmenistan was uneventful enough, and then we reached the Uzbek border post of Khojeli, a little-used border that had certainly never seen the likes of an overland truck before! After a difficult start when the customs officials took exception to us setting up lunch in their shed (something which we have done with no incident at countless borders before), things were going a bit better until the thorough search of each person’s medications yielded a single valium tablet for which the person carrying it had no prescription. Threats of jail time were bandied around and passports confiscated, but Pete’s patience and friendliness won out and after destroying the tablet and filling in a long report about the efficiency of the border, we were all once again aboard our trusty Calypso, who was not the cause of the delay for the first time!

Continuing north through the desert after a hot night in bushcamp we reached our destination of Moynaq. The sight of fishing boats rusting in a desert is both strange and sad as you consider the whole town’s livelihood was taken away from them when the sea receded, but it is certainly an unforgettable sight.

After a very welcome swim in one of the irrigation canals just south of Moynaq we continued further south heading for Nukus, a town with an unexpectedly good art museum. The collection features many works that were banned during Soviet times as they did not conform to the requirement that art should demonstrate the gloriousness of the Soviet ideal (happy workers and all that). Even for those not too interested in art itself, the stories around the pieces were often fascinating and gave an insight into the cultural challenges that artists suffered during those times.

From Nukus we headed to Khiva, the first of the three Silk Road cities we visit in Uzbekistan. After the heat of the desert and some rather hot nights in bushcamp, the prospect of several nights in a hotel with showers and even some air-conditioning was very welcome! Each of the Silk Road cities that we visit has its own personality. In Khiva we stay at a hotel within the old city walls which, together with the minarets and madrassas were restored during Soviet times. As a result of this and the fact that most of the city is set up entirely for tourists, the place feels a bit like a museum or a film set but it provides a great introduction to the history of these cities as you can start to get a feel for what they must have been like in years gone by. Our local guide, Alex, is a wealth of information on the history and architecture of the Silk Road cities and many of the group took advantage of the walking tour which he provided, although the heat (which continued to be in the 40’s) sent some of the group (and the crew!) scurrying for the shade and cold drinks in the internet cafe. Sadly Khiva was where we said goodbye to Darrell who returned to the UK for family reasons, we will miss his chirpiness and ability to make friends wherever he went and always be on a quest for the “stories”.

From Khiva it is a fairly long drive to Bukhara through yet more desert! The temperature continued to be in the 40’s, and even the locals seemed to think it was unusually hot... At the height of the Silk Road trading, Bukhara was home to more than 60 caravan-sarais which provided lodging for the traders from India, China, Iran and other countries as they travelled along the largest transcontinental trade path in the history of humanity, connecting Europe and Asia and at times stretching as far as from Rome to Japan. First referred to as the silk roads (there are many paths, Bukhara sits on one of the main ones) by Marco Polo, as the name would suggest, silk was the prime object traded along these routes. At times replacing even gold as a measure of currency, silk could be used to pay for horses, maintenance of servants or even used as a pay-off for crimes committed.

Dennis and Neill:

Watching football in the courtyard in front of the hotel:

Bukhara is more of a living city than Khiva, again it is home to some beautiful buildings and a huge amount of history, but it seems to be more alive than Khiva as the local people go about their business, shop in the market and eat at the restaurants around the pond. Our hotel was right in the centre of things, built around an old madrassa, breakfast was served on a balcony surrounded by incredible decoration and a distinct air of history (and, happily, a TV in the foyer so the world cup games could be watched! Shame about the results...). Another walking tour was available for those who wished to find out more, and those who braved the heat came back full of knowledge!

Group photo time!

One of the highlights of Bukhara is sitting around the pond at one of the many restaurants and watching the passing parade of locals and tourists, many from other Central Asian countries or other cities within Uzbekistan. Local Uzbek food (well at least the food offered to us as tourists although it does seem the locals are all eating the same as us) can be fairly limited, but often delicious. Shashlik (meat on a skewer), Lagman (noodle soup with meat and vegetables), Shorpa (like Lagman without the noodles), Manti (meat filled dumplings, a cross between ravioli and Chinese dumplings), tomato and cucumber salad (with the ever-present if not slightly unwelcome dill as an accompaniment) and bread are our staples for our time in Uzbekistan, although occasionally a restaurant will offer something slightly different and everyone will jump at it! There are also a few places that offer international food, although sometimes it doesn’t quite live up to expectations, like ordering risotto and getting something resembling fried rice instead.

Changing money:

Maggs getting into the swing of things:

Neill with the equivalent of $50 in local currency… you need a bag just to carry the cash!

During our time in Khiva and Bukhara the tensions in the southern Kyrgyzstan town of Osh escalated again. We were due to cross from Uzbekistan into Kyrgyzstan at Osh in a week or so. While it is always very difficult to get a true picture of the situation by watching TV news reports which tend to be quite sensationalist, discussions with our local agents in Kyrgyzstan confirmed that the area was best avoided and so it was time to "make a plan", and so we decided upon a small re-routing which would take us from Tashkent in Uzbekistan, into Kazakhstan for a 2-day transit before heading into Bishkek in the north of Kyrgyzstan, far from the regional troubles in Osh. So with Pete off to Tashkent to organise Kazakh visas for everyone, it was time for Kirsten to fly solo on the drive from Bukhara to Samarkand, our final Silk Road city. In Uzbekistan, a country which rarely sees female drivers at all, a female driving a truck is quite a novelty, and caused increased chaos on the roads (more than usual, which is hard to imagine in Uzbekistan, a land of seemingly no road rules!) as other vehicles had to drive alongside us, overtake us and be overtaken by us just to get a good look and wave to us. Even police vans transporting prisoners danced around us for a look and local officials under instruction not to stop foreign registered tourist vehicles let their curiosity get the better of them and pulled us over to find out more!

Samarkand is the most visually impressive of the three cities, with the Necropolis and Registan Square being two of the highlights amongst many. Most of the group joined the city tour and enjoyed the slightly lower temperatures (35 degrees, hard to believe we will all be cold again next week when we are in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan) as they wandered the sights.

Next stop Kazakhstan... well, first we need the Kazakh Consol to return with the keys to his safe to let us have our passports back and hopefully our visas!

The land of shepherds and Bentleys

2010-05-31T23:32:00.001-07:00

Leaving Tbilisi behind we once again headed east, this time towards the Azerbaijan border. We stopped off briefly at Signagi, a hilltop village which was formerly the capital city of the region, and which the President decided should be restored to its former glory. It is a source of much pride to the Georgians, although to outsiders it perhaps feels a bit like walking through a museum as there seems to be all the facilities a village would need, but none of the people! Nonetheless it was a pleasant place to wander around, and for our hardworking bar lady Katie and her crew of happy helpers, it was a chance to buy up all the beer from each shop so that we could have stocks on board before crossing into the ever-expensive Azerbaijan.

One last bushcamp in Georgia saw an unwanted visitor – the rain. We have continued to be unbelievably lucky with the weather, but as we rolled out the tarpaulin over the kitchen, everyone went delving into their bags for wet-weather gear which had been just taking up room until now. Fortunately it wasn’t long until the rain abated (as did the lightning much to Heather’s relief) and we awoke to a cloudy, but happily dry sky in the morning.

It was an early start as we headed to the border, mindful of both the time difference between Georgia and Azerbaijan and the tendency for the 10am changeover of border guards in Azerbaijan to cause a standstill in proceedings for about an hour. Arriving so early seemed to catch the border guards a little unawares and as they rubbed their eyes (either in disbelief or to get the sleep out of them, it was never clear which) they stamped our passports and we were through. But, as was the case in Turkey, the difficulty is getting Calypso through. Not a truck, not a bus, registered in the UK, right hand drive, oh, it is all so confusing! As Pete waited patiently and was shuffled from desk to desk drinking copious cups of tea, the reason for the hold-up became clear. A very embarrassed border guard explained that they could not process Calypso because they did not have any paper onto which to photocopy all the relevant documents. Don’t worry, said Pete, I have paper on the truck that you can use. Unfortunately pride would not allow them to accept, but several more cups of tea later the paper arrived by taxi and we were stamped through and into Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan which gained its independence from Russia in 1991 has substantial oil and gas deposits which render it a wealthy state, however travelling through the countryside from the border with Georgia it is hard to imagine as you sit stationary in the truck waiting for yet another herd of sheep or cattle to be cleared off to the road by the shepherds their donkeys or horses and rather fearsome looking dogs.

An Azeri rural traffic jam:

As we are only allowed to have the truck in Azerbaijan for a limited time, a bureaucratic restriction that does not reflect how welcome we we were made to feel by all the border staff, we are unfortunately restricted in how much of the country we can see. Our first night in Azerbaijan was spent at Sheki, where we stayed at the Karavansaray Hotel. Karavansaray is the name given to the old hotels that were established along the silk road and provided a chance to restock and of course to trade. In Sheki there are two remaining Karavansarays, the Upper Karavansaray where we stayed has been fully restored and converted into a modern hotel, set around a lovely courtyard full of blooming roses, with a shady garden and restaurant out the back.

The Karavansaray:

Sheki is also home to the Khan's Summer Palace dating from the late 1700's which is well worth a wander round to see the magnificent decoration.

From Sheki we headed further east towards Baku, but with a stop off at one of our favourite bushcamps on the whole route. We turned off the main road and headed up a long slow dirt track before cresting the hill and finding what we were looking for - a prairie-like scene dotted with active mud volcanoes. There are other places in Azerbaijan to see this natural phenomenon, but what makes this so special is that it has not yet been discovered by any other tourists. The only other people we saw during our stay there were local shepherds and of course the police who came to find out who we were and what we were doing, have a drink with us and wish us all the best.

Mud volcanoes are caused by natural gas leaking up to the surface, these volcanoes of cold, wet mud bubble every now and then, usually covering whoever is staring into them with a fine splattering of mud. For those who ventured too close to the more active ones, the thin crust gave way, covering Pete up to the knees in mud and relegating his flip flops to the depths of the earth... Ned nearly fared worse when only the top of his little gnome hat was still to be seen after he went for a mud bath. Who would have thought that playing with mud was still such fun when you were adults?

Heather, having studied mud volcanoes at uni, was very excited about the mud!:

Oops, what happens when you fall through the crust:

Darrell, aka the Monster from the Deep:

Pete explaining to Darrell that covering him with mud was perhaps not the cleverest idea!

Leaving the mud volcanoes behind it was only a short hop into Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Baku is a very visible demonstration of the wealth of this oil-rich country. Armani and other boutiques line the boulevard, shiny new BMW, Porsche and 6.3 litre AMG Mercedes 4x4s roam the streets and restaurant, hotel and bar prices are at London levels or higher; it is such a marked contrast from the rural areas that we travelled through on our way from Georgia. The city is used to oil workers with lots of excess cash, so it was the perfect opportunity for Darrell, Mike and Pete to go into a Bentley garage to try to get a test-drive of a convertible Continental GT. If it had been a Saturday they would have been successful! Unfortunately as Darrell would now be in Turkmenistan on “oil business”, Saturday would be too late. But the manager has assured them that anytime they come back they are welcome to come in and drive any of the cars!

Baku has an historic centre with the Maiden's Tower an easily recognisable landmark, and a maze of old streets to wander around and get lost in, and the boulevard that winds along the seafront is dotted with bumper cars and pirate ships and young couples in love.

Although Azerbaijan is a Muslim country, it is really only the call to prayer in Baku that would give you any indication as beer and spirits are freely available in bars and restaurants and you can even get ham on your pizza. It is going to be quite a contrast when we finally get across the Caspian to Turkmenistan, hopefully the ferry is going to be sailing tonight with us on board!

The most hospitable nation on earth?

2010-05-26T06:07:00.000-07:00

For most people, "Georgia" conjures up images of deep south America. But for anyone who has been lucky enough to visit the former Soviet state of Georgia (საქართველო), the name will instead lead to memories of food, wine, amazing scenery and incredible hospitality.

We crossed the border into Georgia with very little hassle other than a Georgian border guard who seemed convinced that our passports were forgeries and so looked through them with a thoroughness we have never experienced before! But everyone went through without too much difficulty, and as soon as we were clear of the border compound we picked up our local guide, Zaza, who would travel with us during our time in Georgia. Having a local guide on board is a fantastic way of finding out about the country, and Zaza is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about his country. Also, in Georgia where the writing is completely unique, it is also very handy to have him along for translation purposes!

Pete & Zaza:

After a brief lunch stop at one of the best preserved Roman forts in the world, we headed to Batumi and our "luxury yacht" hotel. Well, you can't believe everything you read can you, but after several nights in bushcamp, anything with an ensuite and a shower is a bit of a luxury! After everyone got settled in we retired to the deck to drink our first Georgian wine as the sun set over the Black Sea.

Darrell & Ben enjoying some Georgian wine:

The Georgians are passionate about their food and wine, and to give everyone an introduction we walked along the promenade to a boat restaurant (there is a bit of a nautical theme in Batumi!) where we had a massive feast of local food and wine. Suffice it to say the wine took its effect there was much dancing (including some Morris Dancing from Nick, and a bit of ballroom dancing from Barry & Pauline), and a great time was had by all.

Nick & Joy ballroom dancing:

And then the Morris Dancing commenced...

It was a very quiet group on the truck the next morning as we started to climb into the mountains towards the village of Mestia. Officially called a "motorway" in the local tourist publication, we had suggested that anyone afraid of heights sit on the left hand side of the truck, and as we started climbing further up it became clear why! The scenery is incredible, the road is also incredible in its own way, and it was a great time to get everyone up on the roof seats (although Neill might not have agreed when he was driven through a waterfall!)

Not a bad spot for lunch...

A road was only built into the village of Mestia in the 1930's, before then it was even more isolated. Cows and pigs roam the streets during the day, and live in the gardens at night. Siege towers, some constructed as many as 600 years ago in order to protect wives, children and valuables in times of invasion (or in some cases disputes with neighbours) dominate the sky line. Old Soviet building projects lie abandoned on the river's edge, and a fancy new hotel financed by American money looks out of place sitting high on a hill with a commanding view over the town. And all around there are snow capped mountains; it really is a very special place. But scenery aside, one of the most special parts of our time in Mestia is the hospitality of our host, Nino. Mestia is the first of our homestays in Georgia and Nino sends us off to stay with her relatives all over town, but we all head back to the main house in the evening for another amazing Georgian feast. With breakfasts also of epic proportions, it seemed a good idea to head off for a walk to burn off some of that meat and cheese-bread which is the local speciality. Some of the group headed up to the cross high on a hill - including th Suffolk Mountain Goat himself, Simon. Others took a short jeep ride before starting a walk up to a glacier.

Others had a day trip up to Ushguli, the highest permanently occupied village in Europe (depending on where you think Europe ends of course!) with two of the group managing to negotiate a ride in the more comfortable Army 4WD both up and down the mountain! For those not wanting to go so far afield, it was a great chance to wander around the town and observe a lifestyle that is so different from our own.

Winding back down the mountain from Mestia we briefly stopped off at Zugdidi so that Darrell, Kaye and Rich could head to Tbilisi, Darrell to fly back to the UK for a week, and Kaye and Rich to head to the Chinese embassy in Tbilisi. After waving them goodbye as they boarded the overnight train, Calypso took the rest of us to a new bushcamp beside the Senaki fort. It was another great bushcamp, and a relaxed start in the morning gave everyone the chance to wander through the fort which featured not one but three thick walls to prevent invasion, and a partiuclarly well-preserved tunnel linking it to the river.

From Senaki we drove into Kutaisi, and our first proper market. Imagine rows of tables on which everyone can set out their produce, allowing you the chance of walking around to find the best tomatoes, or the freshest lettuce before starting to haggle on the prices. It is a great way to shop, far better than buying everything wrapped in polystrene and cling film. The meat market can be a bit off-putting for some people, as the animals heads are on display and entire carcasses hang from the ceiling, but it hasn't caused anyone to become vegetarian yet! After a couple of hours of wandering the market and doing a big shop for the coming days, we headed to Uplistsicke where we set up bushcamp and had the chance to wander through the ancient caves.

It was to be a leisurely start the next day, but unfortunately courtesy of some new sandals and dewy ground, Nick dislocated and broke his toe, and so we packed up as quickly as possible and headed off to the "Legal Law Person Military MOD Hospital" (yep, that is actually its name) in nearby Gori where we also stopped off to take a photo of the group in front of the statue of Gori's favourite son, Stalin. While Nick received some very thorough treatment involving significantly more plaster than would be utilised in the UK for such an injury, the rest of the group had a tour of the Stalin Museum. It is a fascinating museum not from the point of view of what is on display, but rather the way in which it is explained that, in essence, Stalin was just misunderstood.

Georgia is a small country, but is blessed with many spectacular mountains, and so after Gori we headed up to Kazbegi (or the town that is also known as Stepantsminda) past Georgia's premier ski resort, through some interesting Soviet tunnels and up and over a mountain pass of 2,400m, the highest we have been to date (seems crazy to think that we will be another 3km higher than this in July!). Home to a church on a hill made famous by the cover of the Lonely Planet for Georgia it was another great opportunity for the group to go walking in the hills and all the group made it to the top. You only have to read Kay & James' blog to understand how proud Kay was of herself!

To say that we have been lucky with the weather is an understatement. However our luck had to end, and the heavens opened in the evening, but with the kitchen / shower tent up and the side awning protecting us, we were still able to enjoy a fantastic meal of traditional Georgian shashlik (pork cooked on a skewer over a fire) prepared by Zaza.

After 4 nights of bushcamping (albeit with the electric shower up and running everyone survived without too much difficulty!) we headed down to Telavi, and another homestay. Where the homestay in Mestia is small and cozy, the one in Telavi is grand and impressive. The home of a former high-ranking official, the corninces, chandeliers and sweeping staircases have to be seen to be believed! While the surroundings might be different, the hospitality remains the same and we settled in for another Georgian feast, supplemented by a beautifully decorated cake to celebrate Kirsten's birthday.

Georgia claims to be the home of wine (although there seem to be a couple of countries that lay similar claims), and so a visit to Georgia would not be complete without visiting a winery or two. Our first stop was a regular on our expedition, a small family-run winery. Wine tasting might mean tiny pourings in posh small glasses in other parts of the world, but at this winery it is large pourings in tumblers, and as many refills as you like! The winery makes both European and Georgian style wines, and we all got to sample plenty of both (except for the driver of course - we might be adapting to the Georgian style of driving, but not to that extent!). As usual a full spread of cheese, tomatoes and bread was laid on for us; Georgia is definitely not the place to lose weight!

The second winery was a slightly posher experience (they provided strawberries and champagne flutes and had amazing 400 year old pottery jars for storing the wine), but the wine took a backseat to the cute little puppy!

As we poured ourselves back into the truck it was only a short drive to one of our favourite bushcamps just outside Telavi. Another amazing meal later (Zaza cooked shashlik again as he was unhappy with the one he had cooked for us in Kazbegi) and a good night's rest set us up for the big event - a village party complete with a lamb cooked on the spit and local families invited to join us.

After putting the lamb on to cook at midday the boys took time out to play a game of football with the local lads where we unveiled our secret weapon - Taylor. "He's quite good at goalkeeping" said Zaza, "He should be, he used to play for Scotland" was our response! Even with our secret weapon it was perhaps the fitness of our forwards (and centres and backs for that matter) that gave the locals a chance and we only scraped victory winning by 8 goals to 7.

With the games out of the way (we were never going to win the wrestling were we?) it was time to get to the serious work of preparing a feast to live up to the hospitality that has been shown to us. With the lamb being regularly basted in a secret Odyssey blend of herbs, spices and beer the salads, potatoes, ratatouille and mint sauce was prepared by cook group. As out guests arrived with wine and children in hand, the feast began, and carried on for several hours around the campfire. Very little Georgian is spoken by our group, and very little English by the Georgians who joined us, but conversations, dancing and laughs flowed freely. It was a great night that will be remembered by everyone for many years to come.

We needed Zaza to write the welcome message! And Pete did an excellent job of watching over the lamb:

The capital city of Georgia, Tbilisi, is a funky city with lots to see and do particularly when we made sure our visit coincided with the Independence Day celebrations so have been treated to military fly-overs and army parades. We are to be celebrating three birthdays in Tbilisi and the return of Darrell so it is sure to be a fairly hectic couple of days here! Fortunately we are staying in a lovely hotel so everyone can recover in comfort!

Possibly the coolest entrance to a nightclub ever?

26 days in... Look where we have been so far!

2010-05-14T04:45:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Asia, farewell Europe

2010-05-14T03:08:00.001-07:00

Crossing from Bulgaria to Turkey is always a bit of an adventure as the customs staff don’t really know what to classify us as – truck, or bus. We had all the paperwork that we required, we just needed someone in Ankara to give the border guards a number to write into Pete’s passport which would show the authorisation for Calypso to enter Turkey. Unfortunately Ankara’s computer system went down… and the waiting began… Fortunately we were entertained by the rally cars doing a two week race from Austria to Jordan – after we got chatting to a couple of the guys who were having their own challenges getting across the border we Odyssey-ed their cars with our new stickers, and even signed one of the cars.

6 hours later… we were in! The customs guards took pity on us and decided that we had been at the border for long enough and they didn’t want to search us, and then we had the final 4 hour drive into Istanbul.

Istanbul’s historical significance is unquestionable – as the crossroads between Europe and Asia it has been the centre of empires and religions, and continues to be a fascinating melting pot of the two very different cultures. The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cisterns and Topkapi Palace were highlights for those who had not visited before, and boat trips up the Bosphorous, fish sandwiches by the Galata Bridge and exploring the streets on the other side of the Golden Horn were enjoyed by those who had visited before.

Images of Istanbul:
Istanbul from the Bosphorous:

The Blue Mosque:
Inside the Blue Mosque:
Inside the Hagia Sophia / Aya Sofia:

The Spice Market:

Darrell, Alice, Neill & Mike enjoying a cup of Turkish Tea:
The fish market:

Fish sandwiches:

Istanbul has an official population of around 7 million people, but the actual population is far higher and the city is sprawled over a vast area. Dividing the two sides and continents is the Bosphorous and as we crossed over into Asia with a toot of the horn, there was excitement amongst everyone on board and the feeling that now the journey into the unknown was really starting!

After the hectic tourist town of Istanbul, our next stop in Turkey was Akcakoca, a small town on the Black Sea coast of Turkey. As we drove through, we felt like celebrities as it seemed like the whole town was standing on the street watching open-mouthed as we drove past. A popular resort town for Turkish people, they don’t see the likes of us very often, and we can be sure the town is still talking about the big blue truck now. Our two nights in Akcakoca give everyone a chance to relax in the sun, and enjoy an amazing view from their tents…
Leaving the Black Sea (well, for now anyway, we will be returning to it’s shores again later in Turkey, and in Georgia), we wound our way down to Goreme, in the Cappadocia Region of Turkey. Many people have seen images of the amazing rock formations, however seeing them from a hot air balloon, or hearing a local guide explain how the formations occurred and what it was like to live in one of the underground cities that dot the area gave a whole new perspective. The underground city was particularly interesting as we tried to imagine 7,000 people living in a system of caves up to 6 levels below the ground, together with their livestock…the general consensus was that we were glad the smell no longer remained!

Our local guide Adil explaining how the ventilation shafts worked for the underground cities:

Not all the tunnels were this small!

Hot air ballooning is a highlight every year, the early start is more than made up for by the amazing feeling of floating silently above the rocks.

Another thing for which the region is famous are the carpets. We have the opportunity to go along to see how carpets are made in the area, and to see the range of carpets produced, along with the opportunity to buy them (and to have a free lunch!). After a lot of deliberation several people bought carpets and sent them home, a little present waiting for them when they get back from their travels!

A traditional Turkmen style-carpet, soon to be resident in South Africa!

Our final stop in Turkey before crossing into Georgia is Sumela, famous for its monastery clinging high to the hills. It is a long drive from Goreme, so we spent two nights bushcamping along the way, and the first bushcamp was high on a mountain pass at 2,200m – not high compared with where we will be going, but as the fog rolled over the peak and the temperature plummeted it was such a contrast from earlier that day when we had been wandering around town wearing t-shirts. We have been blessed with amazing weather so far on the journey and the next morning was no exception as we woke up to a gorgeous sunny day, not a cloud in the sky or a breath of wind, and surrounded by hills and mountains. Most of the group headed off to explore the nearby hills, whether embarking on a 2.5 hour hike to the top of a 2,900m peak, or just having a bit of a wander on the more gentle slopes.

Odyssey Overland 2010:

From the mountain pass we wound our way down towards the Black Sea again, stopping off in another bushcamp in a picnic area – Omar, the grandson of the owner, was delighted to see us back again as he remembered us helping him with his English homework on the expedition in 2008, although it as hard to recognise him as he has grown about 2 feet since then!

At Sumela Monastery:

Tomorrow is our first former Soviet state border crossing as we head into Georgia, the home of wine (well, so they claim), and of Georgian hospitality… everyone should expect to leave again about 2 stone heavier!

Happiness is… Bulgaria

2010-05-05T12:06:00.001-07:00

Bucharest can be a challenging city – along with most of Romania it appears not to pander to tourists… or in fact to provide any information unless absolutely necessary! We had three nights in Bucharest, and many people found one day in the city to be enough as it gave them enough time to visit the Peasant Museum (mixed reviews) and the Palace of the People (recommended by everyone who went). We all met up at one of the city’s oldest and most beautifully decorated restaurants for a meal, accompanied by traditional Romanian music downstairs, and later some flamenco-style dancing upstairs which gave Maggs, Nick, Ned (the gnome) and a couple of others the chance to show off their dancing skills!

It was a fairly quiet day for many of the group the next day, with most people choosing to enjoy the sunshine which has been following us across Europe (long may it continue!), catch up on some washing, read, sort out photos, and in the case of some of the lads, help to wash Calypso (which of course ended up in the inevitable water fight).

Washing the truck, Darrell and Mike-style:

It was then time to leave another country and head to Bulgaria. A couple of days into the expedition we had received an email from a new campsite near the village of Veliko Tarnovo. Pete had been to the village before and was keen to visit again, so the group agreed that we would head off to the new campsite, site unseen. After a painless border crossing we wound our way through the hills, mostly in the right direction - all the instructions for how to reach the campsite had been given in English, but most of the roadsigns were in Cyrillic! When we arrived at the campsite in the early afternoon we were rewarded with spectacular views over the rolling Bulgarian hills, plenty of opportunities for walks, and even a spot of fishing for Darrell and Neill. And we were also given an incredibly warm welcome by our hosts who could not do enough for us while we were there, providing a taste of the local firewater, Rakea (general consensus was that it wouldn't become anyone's drink of choice), and a full cooked breakfast the next day for anyone missing beans, sausages and bacon.

Camping Veliko Tarnovo:

It was quite difficult to convince everyone to get back on the truck after breakfast with some of the group suggesting they would be happy to stay there and we could pick them up when we came through with the 2011 expedition! But finally everyone was on board and we took a short drive into the town of Veliko Tarnovo itself. It is safe to say that the town was not designed with overland trucks in mind, narrow cobbled streets and low overhanging buildings! We managed to navigate through without incident and everyone had a couple of hours to wander around the beautiful town on another lovely sunny day.

Veliko Tarnovo:

After four nights in organised campsites it was time to go bush again, so we found the most level piece of ground possible near a lake on the way to the Turkey border, set up camp, launched the boat, and made a campfire to cook a barbeque feast celebrating our last day in Europe (according to Mike who is, at this moment, still in Europe as we haven't yet crossed the Bosphorous into Asia, but don't tell him!

"Don't splash me, I will get in in my own time"

Ben could run, but not fast enough...

Out in the boat

Darrell demonstrating how to cast off... just a little too close to the trees...

A barbeque feast (or as both Pete and Neill are South African, perhaps better known as a braai feast)

Into the wilds – Eastern Europe and bushcamping

2010-05-04T03:42:00.001-07:00

Leaving Germany we headed for the Czech Republic and it’s capital Prague. It is an incredibly beautiful city with the Charles Bridge and Prague Castle being two of the best-known sites, but one that unfortunately is firmly on the tourist trail with school groups, stag parties and bus loads of tourists from all over Europe cramming the streets. So it gave many of the group who have been there before the opportunity to explore some of the lesser known sights away from the crowds. As it is so crowded and many people have been there before we only stay for two nights before heading to Budapest, the capital of Hungary.

The square in Prague:

In Budapest we stay at a lovely campsite close to the town centre where we we pitch the tents on a terraced hill in a forest. We arrived on a sunny Saturday afternoon and after a bit of fancy driving by Pete (with the guard from the American Embassy and a growing crowd looking on with interest), we were able to squeeze our way past the randomly parked cars at the campsite entrance. Many of the group chose to take a bus into town to wander around the city, so chilled and calm after the crowds of Prague with wonderfully ornate buildings and the Danube River flowing through it's heart, while others took advantage of the hills near the campsite to get some exercise and be rewarded with fantastic views.

The Budapest campsite:

Kylie, Kaye, Katie & Alice at the top of the hill behind the campsite (well, whether it was actually at the top, or just a nice viewpoint on the way up is still under debate!):

Out of Hungary and into Romania - and our first bushcamp. Well, it was sort of a bushcamp as there were port-a-loos if you dared, but most only ventured in once! We were camping in the spectacular (but unfortunately named) Turda Gorge. After setting up camp we were amazed to see parasailers descending upon us - the local mountain rescue guide who also operates hiking tours and parasailing jumps off the escarpments. Every year's group is different, and this year we have a lot of the group who are keen walkers (including Ned, our new truck gnome - check out Mike's blog for more information), so the next morning, after a hearty bowl of porridge, most of the group headed off with two guides to walk to the top of the escarpment. Apparently the walk was "easy" and a "10 year old child could do it", however you can judge for yourself that those who ventured off very much earned their lunch when they returned 3 hours later!

Our campsite in Turda Gorge:

The intrepid hikers:

The smallest of the hikers catches a lift with Mike:

On the way up:

Spectacular views from the top of the escarpment:

Everyone made it, even Ned:

What goes up…

After dropping the tents and packing away camp we had a short hop down to Sighisoara, a world heritage town in the hills of Transylvania. Along the way we stopped to do lunch along the road, and were swamped by local onion sellers and their kids. It is always amazing when you stop at a seemingly deserted location, within minutes there is guaranteed to be a crowd. While cook group prepared lunch of hot dogs, other members of the group used their very best sign language and hand gestures to negotiate to buy onions (no onions were purchased, we were definitely getting "tourist prices"), and gave some helpful advice about how to avoid producing more mouths to feed.

The old town of Sighisoara is famous for being the birthplace of Vlad Dracul, the man now popularly known as Dracula thanks to Bram Stoker (although only the name seems to bear any relation to the truth!) The sun was shining again in the afternoon when we arrived and wandered up to the clock tower and the impressively decorated church on the top of the hill. It is a lovely town, and also home to a great pizza restaurant (well the food is great, but the staff leave a bit to be desired!) where we met up for a meal (don’t worry, traditional Romanian cuisine is sampled in Bucharest).

The next morning brought our first… rain! This has been the driest start to one of our expeditions which has been great, and the fact that the rain chose to visit us on a hotel night was even better! We stay in a hotel only a short walk into town, and everyone was delighted to have an ensuite and endless hot water!

Before anyone books on the expedition, and before we start off from London, we make sure that everyone is aware that our itinerary can, and does, change, sometimes because we decide to change it, and other times because someone else decides to change it for us! Romania saw our first change of the latter variety as we were due to visit Rasnov Fortress, just south of Brasov, however a rather grumpy policeman informed us “no”, and turned us around.

As close as we got to Rasnov fortress:

The choice was given to the group – bushcamp nearby (where ominous black clouds were gathering), or head into Bucharest a day early. The general consensus was to head to Bucharest, so we kept going, and arrived into the Bucharest campsite late in the evening where we would be staying for 3 nights to give everyone the chance to see the city, and catch their breath a bit. We do run through Europe very quickly – this expedition is about getting to the wilder, less-touristed places where the truck and our style of travel really comes into it’s own and once we hit Turkey we slow the pace down and spend time really getting to understand the countries that we travel through.

Cathedrals, strudel and smoky beer

2010-04-23T04:19:00.001-07:00

As we write this we are sat in the glorious sunshine in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, and one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It has been a whirlwind week as we head through Europe at quite a pace so that we can spend our time in the countries that everyone has really come along to experience – those east of Turkey. This is a great time for everyone to get used to setting and taking down camp, and life on the road.

Our first night is spent in a lovely campsite in Tournai, Belgium. And it was here that we were very happy to be able to unveil our new tents! They are easy to put up and take down, and spacious inside – plenty of room for two people and their bags. And best of all, no tent pegs unless it is really blowing a gale!

As everyone set about mastering the tent poles (there is a knack) the crew prepared the now legendary first night meal of soup, spaghetti bolognese, and as it was Margaret’s birthday, a celebratory chocolate cake. After dinner most of the group headed into town to sample one or two of the local brews for which Belgium is famous.

It was a very relaxed start the next day as we waited at camp for two more of our group to arrive (and marvelled at Darrell’s bedding). Kylie and Neill had been travelling in South America before the expedition and got stuck in Madrid when the European airports closed due to the Icelandic volcanic ash. Fortunately they were able to make their way to the front of a very long queue to board a 20 hour bus from Madrid to Brussels, and from there a train to Tournai to catch up with us. We were now only missing Dennis who was stuck in Abu Dhabi on his way to London to start the expedition (happily he has now caught up with us in Prague!).

Happy roof crew, Taylor & Neill

From Tournai we head for Cologne. Famous for its magnificent gothic cathedral and perhaps less so for its chocolate museum, it is a very chilled city to have a wander around. On the second night we all met up for a meal at a local beer hall where you can order sausage by the metre, accompanied by sauerkraut and fried potatoes, and of course the produce of their brewery.

Bamberg, a picturesque town in Bavaria which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a highlight every year. Off the main tourist trail, the town straddles the Regnitz River with infinitely photographable buildings and bridges, cobbled streets, a Romanesque and Gothic cathedral, and its famous smoky beer. Opinion is firmly divided as to whether beer that tastes a bit like bacon is a good thing or not, but it had to be tried, as did the apple strudel. Bamberg is a very friendly town, with the local bus driver going out of his way to make sure some of the group got home from a night out, and Darrell managing to get a lift from the mayor!

Are we the only people in the UK going on holidays today?

2010-04-18T02:01:00.000-07:00

And we are off! After months, if not years of planning by everyone, the 2010 group on the road! We met up with most of the expedition members this morning (unfortunately some have been stranded by the airline shutdowns and we are going to be meeting them along the way) and we are heading for Dover, and then on to Australia!

Sure beats flying!

Less than 8 weeks to go!

2010-02-23T05:32:00.000-08:00

It is now less than 8 weeks (well 54 days to be precise, not that we are counting of course!) until we head off on our 2010 London to Australia expedition, and time seems to be flying past even faster than ever.

We had a pre-departure meeting on Sunday and met most of the expedition members, and looks like we have yet another great group! Everyone is in the midst of their preparations so vaccinations, travel insurance, filling in visa applications and of course working out what on earth to pack were the major topics of conversation! Most people are both excited and a bit nervous, it is a huge undertaking to head off for six months into countries many people have never heard of, but once we are on the road all those nerves will disappear!

On the Odyssey front we are in pre-departure mode ourselves as we get our big blue truck Calypso ready to take another group two-thirds of the way around the world. We are also busy with all of the logistics side of things - many people are surprised at how much organisation goes into an expedition like this. I guess if it was easy, everyone would be doing it!

Again this year we are hoping to get quite a few of our expedition members to run their own blogs. Once we are on the road we will set up links to their blogs from ours so that you can follow their Odyssey experience and find out more about our expeditions from a different perspective.

102 Days to Go!

2010-01-06T02:21:00.000-08:00

At Odyssey, our New Year's Resolutions definitely included "travel more", and with only 102 days to go, it isn't long until we head off from London to drive to Australia! Time is flying, and there is so much preparation to be done, but all the hard work is going to be worth it on April 18th when we jump aboard our faithful Calypso and head for Dover.

We won't have too much to add to the blog between now and departure, but keep an eye out once we set off and follow us as we head for Australia.