Hear, Hear!

Food for thought as I prepare to head back to Fiji on Saturday...

MARCH 2011: Vietnam

01/03

The bus was a bit cramped on the way to Dalat,

It parked up- we found a room as easy as that!

Great spring rolls, and a free countryside ride,

But no haggling the price to Hanoi- we tried!

02/03

We walked round Dalat, found Windy as a guide,

Him and Denis took us for a test motorbike ride!

Afternoon was chilled, the weather not so fine,

Then we almost couldn’t pay for some Dalat wine!

03/03

Phuong and Chan took us to further sights in Dalat,

Coffee plantations and more- Pat didn’t like that,

But cheered up when it became more about the ride,

Now chilling in the homestay- it’s windy outside!

04/03

Pat’s back hurt after brick factory work- too tall,

Some ‘pho bo’, then swimming in a waterfall!

Birds copying calls, python thick as a log,

Dinner at a local place with ostrich, deer and frog!

05/03

Had sizzling beef and a baguette in the morn,

Learnt how to make instant noodles, and grow a peppercorn,

From a rubber tree, we watched white sap fall,

Veal BBQ, then played and watched football!

06/03

Pat rode a memorial tank, the weather was fine,

Minority village gave us some rice wine,

We drove through lush jungles under the sinking sun,

Hotpot, then after dinner karaoke was fun!

07/03

We saw a bamboo pipe and learned to make rice wine,

With Hina, Danny, Thinh, Tham- the end of the line,

It was foggy up the mountains, but the boys got through,

Salt-pepper-tapioca-lime- great with lamb BBQ!

08/03

Dennis told 5 different trails at Hamburger Hill,

On the motorbike today, I felt quite a chill,

When in minority villages, they gathered in a group,

Khe Sanh War Museum, then for dinner rice soup!

09/03

At the cemetery, incense burned; there was no sound,
Then Vinh Moc- tunnels where people lived underground,
Random family gave us rice wine, and each a portrait,
Though full, squid noodles at dinner were still great.
10/03
From the ocean back to the mountains again,
Beautiful valley views despite fog and rain,
We saw a cave that stored weapons down the Ho Chi Minh trail,
Lots of riding- we finished lunch and dinner without fail!
11/03
To see one cool cave, we climbed quite a height,
Then boating through a cave filled with rainbow light,
Playing with a cute baby in a wool hat was fun,
At dinner, a shouting man said he owned everyone!
12/03
Bo ne, then Dong Luc Junction, where young people died,
Then a whole village surrounded us from every side,
Ho Chi Minh's homeland, a cow on a bike,
Then a goat burned black- a sight we didn't like!
13/03
For the first time in a while, it was sunny outside
Which made for a more pleasant ride,
At a holy fish stream, I played a wooden recorder,
Salty green mango was our last local food order!
14/03
Some pho for breakfast, then time to 'de toi'
All the way to our final stop, Hanoi.
Pressies for Pat, we met Hina and Danny once more,
Karaoke was fun, but pricier than before!
15/03
Lazy days watching movies because of the rain,
Getting to the market and buying jeans was a pain,
But it wasn't long before we were up in the sky,
Bidding Vietnam- and our travels- a fond goodbye.

FEBURARY 2011: Thailand/Cambodia/Vietnam

01/02

Towards Chiang’s Mai wats, we decided to head,

But ended up in a fair few bars instead,

The papaya salad and laab had spice,

And the night market’s ‘kho soi’ tasted nice!

02/02

We learned to be an elephant owner for the day,

First we fed them, then made sure their health was OK-

This involved checking toenails, tearducts and poo,

Then we bathed them, rode them, and swam with them too!

03/02

Today, just relaxing in bars was nice,

An older English couple gave us some advice,

Chinatown’s night markets- a buzzing sea of red,

But we were tired, so soon went home to bed!

04/02

The bus station’s queue was a lot of fun- NOT!

Then the bus to Phayao was sticky and hot,

With an older couple, we shared a bottle of gin,

Passing BM Pub, we decided to go in!

Where Thai young people plied us with drink,

So I lost both m shoes and could no longer think!

05/02

Today we both woke up feeling like hell,

Neither of us could remember the night well,

We ventured out to have mushy fish laap for tea,

Met Gary and Lisa for drinks, but were very sleepy!

06/02

Feeling better, we went for lunch by the lake,

The lemon juices took a long time to make!

Via the White Temple, Gary drove us to Chiang Rai,

A few drinks at Peace Bar made the evening fly

(Poor Gary stayed up late and nearly saw a dog die!)

07/02

To watch the Superbowl, we were up early today,

Lisa’s masseuse bent and rubbed me every which way!

Beer and tasty eats at the night market was fun,

Coconut Bar, then drinking at our place ‘til 1!

08/02

Though the ‘northern style’ laab was a dear price,

The laundry was cheap, which was very nice!

Off to China on a whim, Gary bought us a round,

Feeling tipsy, by bus we were Bangkok bound!

09/02

Spent our last hours in Bangkok in the MBK,

A small wait for the train, then on our way,

Sunsets and a friendly Thai man to Aranaya Prathet,

Then ‘Tom Yam’ and Chang- Thai things I’ll never forget!

10/02

At the Cambodian crossing, many tricks were tried,

No pricey minibus for us, but a taxi from outside!

First Angkor beer, and amok was wonderful,

Then cheap beers, free popcorn and vodka red-bull!

11/02

Our driver Ang took us to Angkor Wat at sunrise,

‘Aspara’ carvings at Angkor Thom- nice surprise!

Hot afternoon, so we slept for an hour or two,

Then in the evening tried a Khmer barbeque!

12/02

By night we were tired- it had been a long day,

Many temples, and a landmine museum on the way,

After dinner and a few drinks, we were home-bound,

Then we met a cool couple- tequilas all round!

13/02

Floating villages were not worth the expensive price,

Hanging at Ang’s home with his friends, beer and chicken was nice,

When dancing in the club, Aree was keen,

As we drank and shouted ‘chow moi’ in between!

14/02

Off to Phnom Penh, a six-hour bus ride,

Saw a disturbing bike accident on the roadside,

The evening meal by the river was great,

Though cocktails were cheap, we didn’t stay late!

15/02

For lunch, we headed to a Chinese joint,

Wontons in duck soup, and dim sum did not disappoint!

Tuol Sleng museum was a tragic and ghostly sight,

Then street-stall fried noodles and a sausage at night.

16/02

The Killing Fields are now a peaceful place

But have a past of brutality and disgrace,

In one Irish pub, all the Strongbow cider was gone,

In another, Guinness steak pie,  and hockey was on!

17/02

Today we left Phnpm Penh for Sihanoukville,

Buying lobster from a beach hawker was brill,

Dip in the warm sea, then fruit shakes with rum,

Then a seafood barbcue- yum yum YUM!

18/02

Early start for Skype, then dodgy noodle soup,

Manicures and pedicures from the hawker troop,

For dinner, the biggest papaya salad EVER,

Then an early night, despite my every endeavour!

19/02

Mango and baguette for breakfast, minus eggs,

Then Noa came to ‘cotton’ the hairs off my legs!

Hawker abuse, sunbathing, playing in the sea,

Using the internet for a drink or three!

20/02

Pat taught me how to stand on his shoulders in the sea,

Back to the recently opened café until 3,

We walked to discover this beach never ends,

In the evening, we made funny Finnish friends!

21/02

Two monks chanted while a lady prayed on her knees,

Then we got asked for a photo by some Japanese!

Down the beach’s other end, found a hut with a view,

In the evening, we had a fresh fish barbecue!

22/02

Poached eggs for breakfast that I had to teach,

Then in the afternoon, we explored the untouched beach,

Over beers, we heard about the owner’s life-

Vietnamese occupation, and other strife.

23/02

All day long bus to Vietnam today,

Moto to Sihanoukville, then we were on our way!

The slow border crossing was a pain and a pity,

But it wasn’t long ‘til we reached Ho Chi Minh City!

24/02

With our Finnish friends, we had beers and ‘pho’,

At night, we walked through the city’s neon glow,

Bar-hopping, the bad music made the boys want to cry,

Then pencil portraits of Paavo, Yussi and I!

25/02

Fancy post office- parcel home cost a bunch,

Went to the War Museum- closed for lunch!

Minibus to Vung Tao, pizza restaurant to eat,

Stalls lined the wide beach, hotels lined the street.

26/02

On Vung Tao beach, crab, beer, Vietnamese being merry,

Instead of a bus back to Saigon, we took a quick ferry,

A successful War Remnants Museum trip,

Lots of beer after chips with guacamole dip!

(I gave Patrick a bit of lip…)

27/02

We went to Ben Than Market in a cyclo

Where we had fruit shakes and delicious ‘pho’,

At 3pm, we headed to Mui Ne by bus,

And found the Finnish guys in front of us!

Beers at Joe’s, then a place by the sea,

Where a Russian belly dancer came to join the party!

28/02

Our morning search for poached eggs was not a success,

Then we told tales of Paavo’s drunkenness!

Sand-boarding down windy dunes until sunset,

Then dinner at Joe’s with friends we won’t forget.

JANUARY 2011: Thailand

01/01

Our heads were still in quite a bad way,

So we decided to chill and go shopping today,

Everyone was delicate, with no need to worry,

We liked the papaya salad and green curry!

02/01

From the Golden Mount, we had a great city view,

Saw two malls, and took a ferry ride too!

Met Surya in the eve- Changs ‘buy one get one free’

When he left, three more bars then 7-Eleven party!

03/01

Today we took a visit to the MCB,

Bought a camera for Pat, and a watch for me,

We dipped our feet in water for little fish to eat,

The foot massage and Thai massage were sweet!

04/01

We got horribly lost en route to Surya’s place,

But it was worth it to see baby Neth’s face,

We chilled with pizza to watch ‘Slumdog Millionaire’

Our night train to Chumphon had an uncomfortable chair!

05/01

We shared a motorbike to the beach, bags in tow,

In Hat Thung Waen Lun, the pace was slow,

Exhausted by Bangkok, we took a 9 hour rest,

Our evening Tom Yum soup has been the best!

06/01

It was cloudy today, so we decided to leave,

Shared tuk-tuk was cheaper than bike- we won’t grieve!

We were helped by our guesthouse owner Mr. Tan,

After 2 mussel omelettes, I’m now a huge fan!

07/01

Rocky boat ride to Ko Tao, but I managed to survive,

Then Mr. J gave us a room- an underground dive!

We had nachos and beers ‘cos it rained outside,

The night’s duck curry is one of the best I’ve tried!

08/01

We found a dive school that was friendly and cheap,

Phoenix Divers will take us to the deep,

Sat on the beach, then watched a dive DVD,

I tried hard not to let it scare me!

09/01

Had bedbugs last night, which were not very nice,

Today we had videos with diving advice,

Then it was time to try our first dive in the pool,

I’d thought I’d freak out, but it was actually cool!

10/01

After looking at dive tables to help us survive,

It was time for our first two ocean dives!

The first was quite shallow, 12m for the second!

After dramatic Fiji news, our beds beckoned!

11/01

Two deep dives this morning; now we’re certified,

I felt so relieved and happy I could’ve cried!

We started drinking early to celebrate,

Watched our dive video, but didn’t go to bed too late!

12/01

Felt a bit rough, but luckily it was sunny,

Our ‘200%’ spicy waiter was funny!

We swam in the sea, and chilled by the pool,

Beach games and a dog friend at sunset were cool.

13/01

Raindrops hit the roof and the sky looked hazy,

Today was always destined to be lazy!

We spent most of the day stuck to a chair,

Watching ‘Blood Diamond’ and ‘Up In the Air’.

14/01

Better weather, so we rented an ATV,

At one restaurant, I couldn’t tell sky from sea!

Our cheeky waiter made us try a fresh chilli,

We watched him throw fire as we drank ourselves silly!

15/01

Woke up feeling in the worst possible way,

In the afternoon, we took a taxi to Chalok Bay,

Chilling in the sea at sunset was nice,

Pat liked the ‘laab’ so much he ordered it twice!

16/01

Bad head cold today- am especially sneezy,

So we laid on the beach and took it easy,

After the restaurant lady made our favourite fare,

We watched the moonlit sea from a beachside chair.

17/01

This morning, we took the Ko Phan-gnan boat,

There were so many people, I’m surprised it could float!

We found a nice (if loud) bungalow by the sea,

Felt a bit merry after a Phan-ngan Iced Tea!

18/01

We chilled on the beach under a blue sky,

Pat burnt his back, I burnt my tummy and thigh!

Had a few rum and cokes beside the sea,

After tasty Tom Tam, watched a bit of Disney!

19/01

We left Chaloklaam for Than Sadet-

Probably the best place we’ve stayed in yet!

At the Full Moon Party, drinking buckets was fun

And we danced until the dawn of the rising sun.

20/01

Four hours of sleep, so today was slow,

We watched ‘Aladdin’ from our bungalow,

Pat tried the bacon sandwich- now he can’t get enough,

We dipped into the sea to stop feeling to rough!

21/01

I was woken by beautiful, bright streaks of sun,

Bacon sandwich for Pat- then another one,

Both burnt red raw- too long on the beach,

When you touch our burn, it makes us both screech!

22/01

Than Sadet was great, Plaa a lovely host,

But Bob and Colleen were further up the coast!

Catch up over beers, then a swim in the sea,

Thai dancing was good, and the buffet tasty!

23/01

Grey cloud overhead said an on and off storm,

Lucky we had Thai cooking lessons in the warm!

Three bottles of wine, five courses of food,

Watching films with lightning outside felt good!

24/01

Our breakfast was lovely, the weather was not,

Thai massage was vigorous, the herbal balls hot!

For dinner, an appetizer then a main course

We brought new meaning to ‘eat like a horse!’

25/01

Once again, today brought lots of rain,

So until 3pm, we played Euker again,

We watched ‘Hotel Rwanda’, all four on a bed,

Tonight we shared our meals instead!

26/01

One last breakfast, then a swim in the pool,

Speedboat made me feel sick, but was cool,

Our villa in Ko Samui blew me away,

As did dinner’s chillies- like Bob’s yesterday!

27/01

The weather stayed nice today for a change,

Spying water-buffaloes in the ocean was strange,

I watched the different ways Thai fishermen fish,

Then enjoyed many a beautifully presented dish!

28/01

Another chilled day, because it was cloudy,

Just relaxed on the sofa- less than rowdy,

Leftovers for lunch, then watched Murray play,

Fried snapper and more to finish the day!

29/01

We bid Tal and the rest of her team goodbye,

To the al-fresco airport- then up in the sky!

Bangkok’s Chatachak Markets- huge in size,

The Four Seasons pool was a lovely surprise!

Though the State Hotel took offense to my shoes,

The restaurant was worth it for the brilliant views.

30/01

Bob secured us a late checkout- nice of him,

After cheap eats outside, we went for a swim,

Back to Kho San Road to watch Murray lose,

Then bus to Chiang Mai, after a fair bit of booze!

31/01

Off to Chiang Mai’s old city in a ‘song-taa-ou’,

Then Patrick slept for an hour or two!

Eating ‘tom ka gai’, I got chatting to a guy

Who told me about a strange hotel in Chiang Rai!

DECEMBER 2010: China/Laos/Thailand

01/12

Arriving into Chengdu, we were picked up right away,

Hotpot had me gasping and fearing I’d die that day,

We tried to find our way home to no avail,

But found a market with pig snouts for sale!

02/12

We went to see the pandas at the breeding base,

Then for lunch, to another hotpot place!

The short train ride to Chongquing was plush and great,

Tina’s Hostel was COLD, and not easy to locate!

03/12

Pat tried his best noodles yet, spicy and red,

Two hotpot broths, one with a fish’s head!

Motorbike ride with backpacks- pure exhilaration,

We were thrilled to make It alive to the station!

04/12

Our 24 hour train ride to Kunming took a while,

Pat’s poop interruption from a guard was vile!

We tried to teach English to a sweet Chinese guy,

At Kunming station, taxis kept driving by!

05/12

Around Kunming’s main square, we had a roam,

After a beer, we bought gifts for those at home.

I thought my odd ashtray was a winner,

Grilled goat’s cheese and sautéed spinach- nice dinner!

06/12

The price of sending gifts home was dear,

So we consoled ourselves with a Dali beer!

I’m amazed they got Italian food so right,

Feeling sick, we’re in Kunming for one more night.

07/12

We stayed in the hostel all day ‘cos it was too cold,

With a few travelers, mutual stories were told.

I fainted on the bus from standing up so long,

Then we boarded the sleeper bus to Jinghong!

08/12

Arriving in Jinghong, we finally felt the heat,

Fried bread, milk and noodles were cheap to eat.

Thai food was followed by beer after beer,

Eating with locals at midnight was cool but queer!

09/12

A little hungover, we woke up at midday,

Neither of us were in a great way,

My chicken curry in a coconut was great,

Feeling lazy, we were in bed by eight.

10/12

Our aim today was to bike to Gasa Hot Springs,

But the road was too busy, amongst other things,

Including a complete blank of my PIN number-

But a bottle of Bordeaux made for a nice slumber.

11/12

We finally saw the Gasa Hot Springs today

With more confident riding and an easier way,

I was even able to cycle in Jinghong,

Then we celebrated with beers all night long.

12/12

We took a small local bus to Damenglong

Or it might not be- we could be wrong!

Ants covered a biscuit I tried to eat,

So we had some noodles from the street.

13/12

When we ventured outside, the weather was hot,

So though we intended to bike, we did not,

After our shrimp lunch, we chilled by a pagoda tree,

And now we’re relaxing with a beer or three!

14/12

We bussed it back to good old Jinghong,

Then stayed in Mekong Café all day long!

Lime chicken and lemon beef with beers,

The neon river bar strip hurt our ears!

15/12

Finally left Jinghong, and were Mengla bound,

Freshly-made noodles are the best we’ve found,

A group practiced Tai Chi under the stars,

And we finally found some karaoke bars!

16/12

To Luang Prabang, Laos, we got the bus,

At the borders, everyone kept waiting for us!

Got our first (crowded) tuk-tuk, haggled our room down,

Then enjoyed some BeerLao’s and pizza in town!

17/12

We had a beer in a café French style,

Our minibus seemed to take a while

To Vang Vieng; we realized in a hurry

It’s for tourists only- and nasty curry!

We also couldn’t help but wonder why

They show endless repeats of Family Guy!

18/12

Today started cloudy, then out came the sun

So we went tubing, which was a lot of fun!

Floating to a bar in a rubber ring,

Though the rocks beneath made my bottom sting!

19/12

We got the bus down Vientiane way

But found it hard to find a place to stay.

Our room is grotty, but we liked one bar,

We were emotional about opportunities afar!

20/12

At the Thai Consulate, there was a queue,

For lunch, baguettes and a croissant or two!

Drunk after a few beers and Long Island Iced Teas,

Laap and papaya salad were great, but SPICY!

21/12

After retrieving our Thailand visa with ease,

We had baguettes, spring rolls and Long Island Iced Teas!

At the back of the Don Det sleeper bus-

No-one has worse luck with seats than us!

22/12

One minibus, the boat- we were on our way

To Don Det, finding a river hut in which to stay,

Many beers, then in the hammock for sunset,

After bad meals, we ended with a cheesy baguette!

23/12

We hired a bike to Don Khon- first I was jumpy

But then the road was smoother- before it got bumpy!

We thought we’d try something new- Indian food,

Writing journals has put me in a sleepy mood!

24/12

Today was chilled- we weren’t in a hurry,

For lunch we had laap and Thai green curry,

We tubed with beers, and relaxed on the sand

After our campfire party, we could not stand!

25/12

We woke up on Christmas Day feeling rough

Lion whiskey made swimming from the island tough,

I left a gross part of me in the Mekong,

Christmas dinner of laap didn’t feel too wrong!

26/12

The plan was to fish in the early eve,

But unexpectedly, Mr. Hoy took some leave,

So we chilled in hammocks by our bungalow,

Then the best laap yet after a friend in the know!

27/12

We cycled to Long Beach for a blissful boat ride

To see dolphins- they were far, but did not hide!

Fishing with Mr. Bounsom was a Lao highlight,

Even if we had to walk our bikes back at night!

28/12

After a breakfast of delicious noodle soup,

We headed back to Pakse with a large (heavy!) group,

Great tom yum soup, then many mozzie bites,

Feeling tired, we have called it an early night.

29/12

Noodle soup was cheap; the bacon sarnie was swell,

We had one last BeerLao before bidding farewell!

Leaving Laos, we had to pay immigration,

Once in Thailand, we met a monk at the train station!

30/12

Arrived in Bangkok, then met with Matt and Coco,

In Chinatown, a noodle soup lady went loco!

In Kho San Road, buckets were pretty strong,

These and a beer tower- the night was long!

31/12

Predictably, today was very slow

At midnight, we were at a ping-pong show!

Danced in the street with both Thai and ‘fa-rang’,

‘I Love You, Baby’ is what Coco and I sang!

NOVEMBER 2010: Nepal/China

01/11

Today was much better than yesterday,

But as I walked, my ankle began to give way,

The evening coffee and rum made me forget all that,

And we were taught the proper way to eat ‘dal bhat’!

02/11

To make up for yesterday, we had an early start,

But it was tough- we ended with a quick-beating heart!

Whiskey and beer was how we ended the day,

And Pat learnt ‘poker’ the Nepalese way!

03/11

The mountain climb to Upper Pisang was scary,

But close to great views and the monastery,

Yak curry for dinner, from freshly killed yak,

But we were tired, so quickly hit the sack!

04/11

Today our walking was much more energetic,

Must be alcohol that makes us feel pathetic!

We enjoyed rum and coffee- our last dose,

But the vegetable thurkpa tasted gross!

05/11

We walked to 4000m to acclimatize,

Then blessed by a 94-year-old monk who was wise,

With free popcorn, we watched ‘Touching the Void’,

Low quality dinner, but we’re not annoyed!

06/11

An easy walk to Yak Kharka, single file

Four popcorn bowls, and a movie Bollywood style!

I felt refreshed after our short afternoon stroll,

With my dal bhat, Suyra brought bowl after bowl!

07/11

Reaching High Camp was our main aim

Thorong-Phedi, we tested if we were game.

But the climb up there was very steep,

Our headaches meant an early sleep!

08/11

The star-filled morning was tough- after a tea stop

We were able to power on to the top!

We killed our calves on the long way down,

Then beers and sucrati with Sylvan in town.

09/11

At Muktinath temple, Suyra gave a blessing

And a bracelet that means I’m always confessing!

The laddo on Kagbeni’s statue was long

And the wind in the Jomsom valley was strong!

10/11

Suyra’a birthday- to Pokhara we flew,

Trying ‘gyoza’ was something new,

With two friends we boated on the lake

Before stuffing Suyra’s face with cake!

Whilst drinking beer and apple brandy,

We discussed the meaning of ‘ragging’ and ‘randy’!

11/11

We travelled to Chitwon Park by bus

And Suyra and Sau came along with us,

For sunset, beer and a riverside flow,

Then onto a ‘Tharu’ dancing show!

12/11

The day started with a peaceful canoe ride,

If rhinos charged, we had to zig-zag and hide,

In the river, our first rhino in the wild,

From an elephant’s back, we saw a mama rhino and child!

13/11

We went to a museum of all things Tharu

Then headed on the bus back to Kathmandu,

We tried the city’s ‘momos’ and ‘aloo’

Then to ‘Tom and Jerry’s’ for a beer or two!

14/11

Around Thamel, we had a shop and roam

Before we were taken to Sau’s family home.

The warmest family, and the best dal baht yet

Then we left for Hong Kong on a jumbo jet!

15/11

To our Hong Kong hotel, we caught the metro,

Pat found a tick between two toes!

Deep fried squid and crispy pork- good grub

Then we shared a Magners in an Irish pub!

16/11

Medium spicy noodles were hot as hell,

In the train-gap, one of my flip-flops fell!

At Peak Tower, lit-up Hong Kong was a sight

Then a bucket of Carlsberg to end the night.

17/11

Our pork rice noodles had no flavor,

A Chinese lady granted a McFlurry favour!

We tried a brand new beer, ‘Blue Ice’,

In Wan Chai, the ‘2 for 1’ bar was nice!

18/11

Bye bye, Hong Kong- off to mainland China,

Then red bean soy milkshakes in a Chinese diner,

The server tried-but didn’t block Facebook from us,

To Xiamen in a people carrier, then bus!

19/11

Into Xiamen early, but there were no rooms free,

We people- watched with some Tsing Tao’s by the sea,

A hotel was suggested, but it was hard to find,

The owner spoke no English, but was very kind!

20/11

I tried my first ‘Oreo’ blizzard- it was sweet!

We saw old Chinese groups playing cards on the street.

A Chinese kid liked play-shooting,

And we boarded the 34 hour train to Beijing!

21/11

In the morning, mist cloaked the countryside,

As I contemplated the hours left to ride!

We chilled on our bunks, instant noodles for tea-

Shame they switched the lights off so early!

22/11

Arriving into Beijing, we could feel the frost,

The subway was PACKED, and we got a bit lost!

I bought a jacket for 100 Yuan, hard to beat,

Harry Potter was great, but we didn’t eat!

23/11

Though a cold, cloudy day, we didn’t care,

We still headed towards Tian’namen Square,

Delicious dumplings of roast duck and lamb,

Then we fell for an 80 pound tea-shop SCAM!

24/11

We retrieved some of our tea-house money,

Forbidden City was grand- nice that it was sunny!

The roasted duck pancakes tasted fantastic,

Then we saw live scorpions on a kebab stick!

25/11

We weren’t sure what to do or where to go,

So we decided on an acrobatics show!

Then into a bar, where a cockatoo went ‘peep peep’,

Then to another where ‘Jaeger-bulls’ were cheap!

26/11

To the Great Wall, a bus then random car,

But the views from the Wall were spectacular,

Very cold, but it was just us and the wall-

Shame I didn’t like the evening dumplings at all!

27/11

Worm-like noodles for lunch that had some spice,

The paintings were bought were very nice!

Our train to Xian so far isn’t that boring,

I just wish the man below would stop snoring!

28/11

Arrived in Xian at 5, headed to the Bell Tower,

Eventually found somewhere, slept for a few hours,

We finally satisfied our pizza craving,

Early night for us- too tired for raving!

29/11

We visited the Terracotta Warriors of ancient China,

For pure numbers and detail, there’s nothing finer,

We even got to see archeologists excavate,

Mashed strawberry yam, I did not rate!

30/11

In Xian’s oldest restaurant, we had two bread rolls

That we broke into small pieces in a bowl,

Then they added a tasty mutton-beef stew,

Now we’re on the night train to Chengdu.

OCTOBER 2010: India/Nepal

01/10

We visited the site of the Bodhi tree

Where Buddha’s enlightenment came to be.

After passing the unique monasteries in town,

At Giant Buddha’s shoulder, the sun slid down.

02/09

After a breakfast of momos and pakora,

We thought we’d check out the cave temples’ aura.

On the way, we saw mud huts and greenery,

Kid beggars didn’t disturb peaceful scenery.

03/09

I thought I’d finally try some ‘butter tea’-

Unfortunately, it’s not for me!

Lassi’s and momo’s were the orders of the day-

Varanasi, we’re on our way!

04/09

Stuck in ‘Sleeper’ when we couldn’t find 3AC,

We were exhausted on arrival in Varanasi,

So we slept all day before grabbing a bite,

And the rooftop sunset was a pretty sight.

05/09

Ganges views from Lotus Lounge were nice,

The vibe was so chilled, we went there twice!

Dasaswemdth Ghat had us in a trance

With the ‘ganga aarti’ of fire and dance!

06/09

Boating along the Ganga’s ghats was fun,

At dawn, up came a shocking pink sun,

Pizza at Assi Ghat- surprisingly sublime,

Now to Agra- on the RIGHT carriage this time!

07/09

Arriving at sunrise, we saw a Taj silhouette,

Then headed a bit closer for the sunset,

Our rooftop café had a great Taj view,

And we saw elephants stomping down the street too!

08/09

I woke up to my eyes being swollen and red,

Walking to Agra Fort, we passed the burning dead,

The fort was immense, then a shoddy Fatehpur bus,

Now our hotel is taking good care of us!

09/10

At a Fatehour mosque, we were tricked by our guide,

His tempting offer of a ‘pregnant frog’ was denied!

We found peaceful ruins; Pat bought a candlestick,

Babies made the long Jaipur bus go quick!

10/10

We caught a second sitting train

To Sawai- we’d happily do it again!

Nice desert views until we reached our stop,

Then we drank beers on the rooftop!

11/10

We went tiger-spotting in Ranthambore,

But we saw none, which made us sore.

During the night, I started to feel sick-

I hope that my recovery is very quick!

12/10

We were supposed to be in Bundi today,

But last night I was in a bad way.

No safari jeeps were free this afternoon-

I just hope we see a tiger soon!

13/10

We saw a tiger when we went on safari again

And met an Indian with a  million dollar note on the train!

The fumes on the bus were hard to take,

But it was worth it to sit by Bundi Lake.

14/10

In Udaipur, we enjoyed rooftop views

And the City Palace was designed to confuse!

The city is in fairy-light festival mode

As Hindus (and !!) danced with sticks on the road!

15/10

An auto-rickshaw took us to a fountain

Then we saw Lake Pichola from a mountain.

At night, Shasi’s cooking school was good,

A lovely, brave lady, and so much food!

16/10

After a slow morning, we strolled through the city,

Flies ruined our lemon chutney- a pity,

We smoked apple hookah and drank some beer

And left on the night bus to Jaisalmer.

17/10

The road to Jaisalmer was a little bumpy.

We made a few hotel touts grumpy!

With a camel driver, we booked a desert ride,

Let’s just hope tomorrow he’s waiting outside.

18/10

We took a jeep to our camels out of town,

A desert oasis pool swim cooled us down.

After riding King Kong, my thighs felt tight,

Sunset over the dunes, then the moon shone bright.

19/10

King Kong’s silhouette at dawn- my waking sight,

Sunny’s donkey relationships didn’t sound right!

Pat and Art killed live chickens for our tea,

We enjoyed one barbecued, one in a curry!

20/10

At the gypsy village, as we heard a lady sing,

A gypsy girl taught me how to shake my thang!

Another group joined us on our last night,

Sunny’s ‘banana’ motions were an interesting sight!

21/10

Early next morning, we headed back into tpwn

In a random jeep Sunny had flagged down,

Pizza for lunch- we’re sick of curry and rice,

Before the Bikaner train, stuffed tomatoes were nice.

22/10

At Bikaner station, we met a nice teacher,

But one museum man was a bit of a preacher!

We were our hotel’s first foreign guests,

On the Amritsar bus, I managed to rest!

23/10

A cycle rickshaw to the Golden Temple Gate,

Breakfast free at the Temple- the sweet rice was great!

Border closing ceremony- over the top,

The temple/theme park was a random stop!

24/10

Sweet rice and a new korma for breakfast- wa-hey!

Poor Pat was feeling in a bad way,

We leave for our final stop, Delhi, tonight,

Our rickshaw driver nearly started a fight!

26/10

We thought the Delhi arrival would be stressful today,

But so far, no hassle, it’s been OK!

One day left in India- we ate Western food,

The day ended with room service and a sleepy mood.

27/10

Breakfast was confusing and continental,

The Palika Bazaar was a bit mental!

In contrast, Connaught Place was grand-

There we enjoyed the live jukebox band!

28/10

We bid goodbye to India,and flew

(With free beer on the way!) to Kathmandu,

We met Suyra and Sau- our hotel was nice,

Pat haggled trekking gear to a good price!

29/10

We had a seven hour long bus journey today

And saw beautiful scenery on the way.

We enjoyed ‘dal bhat’ with an Everest beer,

Then early bedtime to lose my trekking fear!

30/10

Our first day of trekking- the weather was fine

A four-hour trek, then chilling in the sunshine,

Before beers and ‘sucrati’ in a dingy bar,

The night produced ‘thurkpa’ and one lone star.

31/10

I started off feeling a little sick,

But luckily I got over it quick!

By eve the wind whistled and it was cloudy,

We learnt the words ‘laddo’ and ‘machickni’!