We’re now back in Bangkok and have met up with Claire and Mat from team Shanti Shanti on the Rickshaw Run. Today we celebrate Claire’s birthday. Yesterday we celebratedValentines day by going ten pin bowling while drinking six litres of Singha followed by a visit to an Irish pub for Toad in the Hole, Bangers and Mash, Stuffed Yorkshire Puddings and Steak Pie. Who said romance is dead?
One of the things I love about travelling is the amount of like minded people you meet. Striking up a conversation with a complete stranger is never a problem. We met a German couple, Dirk and Sabrina on the bus up here and then spent a pleasant evening with them at the night market. A couple of days later we met and English couple at one of the temples. On top of that we’ve met so many friendly people from all over in the guesthouse while eating, drinking and playing pool. In fact I had loads of practice playing a…
…in England, as I am reliably informed. It hasn’t, however, in Kanchanaburi. It’s about 30 degrees and really rather humid. In fact I’m trying to decide how to cool down next. Go for a swim in the River Kwai or take my third shower of the day. We came to Kanchanaburi with the intention of staying three days. It has now been a week and I would stay for longer if it wasn’t for all the other places I want to see in Thailand. It isn’t that there is so much to do, but rather the place is just so…
Excuse the week or so since my last post. It has taken me a while to collect my thoughts. When I arrived in Bangkok I spent several days doing nothing. I was really lazy, lacking energy to do anything (apart from buy the coolest Transformers t-shirt ever). Initially I couldn’t understand why but it occurred to me that I was suffering from reverse culture shock having left India. I saw so much in India. There was so much to take in, yet so little time. All the madness blurs together and becomes normal. Once I arrived in Bangkok, along with…
Poised on the Ganges, Varanasi, the most holy of all Indian sites, is so surrounded in hype that I actually left the place a little disappointed. That said, thinking back now it was a great experience. Maybe it was the disappointment of leaving the beautiful Himalayas and and the frustration re entering the tourist trap hell that we’d experienced in the Golden Triangle. The evening of the day we arrived we wandered up to see some of the Ghats (steps that go down into the river) to witness a spectacle that I still don’t understand. There were many groups of…
From one of the best journeys to one of the worst? How much would you expect to pay for a helicopter ride out of the Himalayas? 25 quid can’t be bad can it? I didn’t think so either and despite a lot of worrying as to whether the chopper would leave or not due to the mist we found ourselves strapped into the back of a 5 seater, single engined… something. Sorry not enough of a nerd to name helicopters on sight. The journey was absolutely amazing from the moment we gracefully took off, all the while flying along valleys…
Our first sunny day in Darjeeling, typically, was the day we were leaving. For the first time we could see the snow capped peak the world’s third largest mountain, Kangchenjunga. We didn’t have time to take in the views however as we had a shared jeep booked to take us to the capital of Sikkim, Gangtok. The drive over was fantastic. Three hours of beautiful mountain roads that often had me fantasising of a shinny red Integrale… Upon arrival we picked a nice sounding hostel we found in the Rough Guide. It was a good choice. Not only are the…
… starts tomorrow with what is promised to be a mighty fine Chicken Byriani. As more teams arrive in Cochin I’m starting to get quite excited. This blog will remain quiet for the next 2 – 4 weeks as I attempt to drive 2000 miles in a Rickshaw. See our team page for updates: www.shesagoa.com