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We have stayed in quite a few dodgy accommodations during our trip, some dirty, some noisy, some too hot, but there was one place in the sleepy seaside town of Hokitika in South Island New Zealand that was particularly memorable. Not because it was dirty, or even dodgy, but it was just plain spooky. It wouldn’t have mattered if it was dirty because we were staying in our own tent on the lawn.
We were making the trip down the West Coast towards Franz Joseph after picking up some food in …

When we first set out on our trip, I was looking forward to having my first real culture shock.  To a certain extent, our first stop Hong Kong was our first experience, mainly with the food. We had somewhat naively expected the food to be like our local Chinese takeaway at home. This was not the case; instead we were treated to chicken’s feet on street stalls and the smell of shrimp paste in the air. Donna also found herself to be a bit of a minor celebrity, with the …

Travelling gives you the luxury of meeting new people.
Before embarking on a trip, hope and pray you like the people you do meet because it’s not going to be the last you see of them. I don’t know if it is because we cling to our photocopied or otherwise ligit copies of Lonely Planet but these days most of us are heading in the same direction.
It might just be a faded concept that the travelling folk are all hippies with backpacks that whip out a compass and let the wind …

A street scene in Siem Reap in Cambodia. You never get sunsets like you do in SE Asia and this is an example of street life as the sun was setting. Lovely small town with great bars, cafes, restaurants and of course the Temples of Angkor.
Conked out from the power cut, G tries to find some refuge on the cold tiled floor with not much on as a long night of 40C  with no air-con or electricity kills us. Disgustingly sweaty, we both jumped into the pool the minute the …

This is wee Buddha bum. All the kids in Vietnam were cute (although after teaching them for four months I can also say slightly annoying at times too) but Buddha is one of my favourites. Everytime he ran into the water his shorts would fall down round his ankles… giving us a different type of full moon…something I giggled at the whole day.
The joys of the sleeper bus. This picture was taken while I was conked out on our journey to Mui Ne. A rare occasion that we got a …

Here are a few of the best bits of 2010 in photographs. Behind every picture there’s a witty story usually so do read on through them and enjoy!

Hong Kong. The beginning of the trip and the beginning of my stardom among the Asian population. This woman purposely made her way over to me to ask could she get a photograph with me. So started a wave of Asian men and women asking me for a pic with them…or just randomly taking photos of me in the street. Oh to be …

The day has finally arrived.
We’ve been on the road for one full year today. Both of us want to reflect on some of our favourite bits we might have missed out on during our travels and our hopes for what’s to come in 2011.
Donna…
From the first sip of Magners at Belfast City Airport waiting to board the first plane of our big adventure to the 1.5 ltr of water I’m drinking typing this on New Zealand’s Interisland ferry, a lot has happened in the past year!
Sitting in the bar excited …

Ok so my job might not be as exciting as the TV show title it rips off but it’s worth a mention on this blog.
Yes it’s a secret that I’m blogging while I’m in work…but to be honest I don’t think it’s that big of a deal really. That’s where working attitudes differ between Australia and the UK.
I’m no Belle deJour but I have been working in a call centre for a financial company for 6 weeks now. It was tough getting back into the routine of working life…especially after a month of thai partying …

Two new countries bring a whole new set of observations on the way of life in S.E Asia.
So far between Laos and Vietnam I’ve noticed:
1. Most towns must have one sign maker who is rolling in it. Every guesthouse has the exact same font and style of sign. This man is one lazy, yet extremely rich guy.
2. The amount of effort put into the napkin industry is impressive. I’ve not seen displays like it in other cafes, bars or restaurants anywhere else. Majorly impressed people.
3. There’s a gap in the …

A list of things I’ve noticed one month into the trip that are a little different to home:

Men carry their girlfriend’s handbag. They don’t just hold it by their side but actually put it over their arm and walk down the street masculine as ever.
All soft drinks from the street stalls come in old school glass bottles. So many people can be seen walking around with a sprite in a plastic sandwich bag filled with ice.
The majority of pavements are not used for actual walking. Most thai people travel by moped …