Okay, so checking into the Fawlty Towers hotel is kind of a strange experience - reading the hotel service guide it instructs you to call Manwell for anything you need... quite funny - but actuall the hotel was very nice!

The town itself it a complete tourist trap and very westernised, everywhere western menus, and almost everyone was able to take money off you in English...

There is a main 'rip off' street - West Street which has an amazing array of shops, all of which start with a price about 4 times what they expect you to pay.

We spent the first day just wandering around and buying some 'stuff' finishing in the evening with a trip comorant fishing - which was amazing - but looked a little cruel. The guide books describe these birds as 'trained' not to eat the fish they catch - but rather to return them to the fisherman. In reality - they actually have their throats wired so they can't swallow and the fisherman hooks out the fish... Nice ! Not...

After this we went to a 'special' restaurant as Adrian had been going on about trying Snake and Dog !... This meal proved to be a little too much for about half the group, which disappeared shortly after the snake man cut the head off the snake and started to skin it while it was still twitching...

Luckily the dog was prepared out of sight !

I wouldn't judge the chinese for eating such things, the culture is simply different.. millions of people died here from famine within living memory - these people have - through necessity, obtained a very broad view of where they are in the food chain and where animals are. I was actually more shocked that the people in the group couldn't stomach the idea that all the food they eat involves an animal being killed. Why should the fact that it is done in front of us - change the way we feel about it.. A Cow is a lovely cuddly looking animal, and it gets killed for us to eat steak - I think if people can't handle that they really shouldn't eat meat - and not be the hypocrit who convinces themselves meat comes from Tesco - not the Cow...

Okay rant over... the snake tasted good - very lean.. The dog was like very fatty pork.. getting the paw was a short straw Sam was lucky enough to get - I wasn't keen on it.. Just to top off the experience - we had frogs legs and snails too - not done the french way... the chinese way.. I found the Frogs legs ok - not really enough meat to warrant the effort, and I avoided the snails after other people said they were rough (who said they liked the french ones).

The night ended in alcohol abuse at a bar, with very friendly staff.. one girl loving tequilla a little too much 'Snow' was encouraging us to have way too many... I bailed after not too long.

Next day we went Kyaking - awesome - long river - my own boat - it was great.. got a bit burnt - as always.
Then the next day we did some cycling to Moon hill, and had lunch in our local guides house - all very good.. we then went on to a guesthouse to stay in a village overnight - this was the village with a cooking school.

We all went to the cooking school and cooked a load of local dishes which was fab - I have the recipes... just have to try and remember how to cook them when I get home.. Inluding the local specialty - beer fish - although I am not sure I will be able to get hold of carp!...

This first trek is fast coming to an end - and we will soon be heading to Hong Kong - where I join my second trip!