Pilgrims’ Progress

Not That We’re Counting!

For those who ask about maths, here ya go….!!!!!! (as at 18/02)

the countable stuff:

how many children: 8 (haven’t lost any yet - OK, lost one for an hour)

how many days away:

how many miles traveled: GPS man needs to update this

how many hours on transport: 47 as of 24 October…then gave up counting!

types of transport:
Aeroplane x2
Junk Bicycle (6 tandems, 18 solos, 3 tandems with extra seat, 4 bamboo baby seats)
Boats
~barge pushed by tugboat x1
~bumboat x3
~ferry x15
~glorified canoe x1
~hydrofoil x1
~junk x1
~paddle boat x4
~slow boat x3
Bus x57 (both local and express…and an overnight sleeper)
Bus (double-decker) x8
Bus (trolleybus) x4
Cyclo (high-seated Phnom Penh variety) x4
Elephant x4
Escalator (the longest outdoor one in the world) x1
Escalator (the deepest into the earth) x1
Fast lift x2
“Golfcart” at border x1
Horse x3 + one horse and cart
Motorbike x4
Motorhomes x2
Open back truck x1
Oxcart x1
Private car x13
Taxis x39 (need three at a time in some places!), Taxivan x3, Taxitruck x3
Tow truck x2!!!!
Train:
~daytime x4
~overnight x8
~LRT x3
~skytrain x1
~underground/Metro x7(Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Beijing, Moscow, St Petersburg, Berlin) - multiple trips on each
Tram x3
Tram (double decker) x1
Trishaw (low-seated Penang sort) x3
Tuktuk x25
Vans x18

temperature extremes: so far just hot - high 30s (aircon set at 25*C felt like a fridge….later set at 31*C and is still considerably cooler than outside)….update December dropped to 12*C mornings in Laos…..brrrrrr for a couple of weeks…..down to single digits in Yangshuo, China in March….to 3*C in Tianenman Square….ten below in Mongolia

how many places slept in: 59 (aeroplane, Singapore, Melaka, KLx2, Cameron Highlands, Ipoh, Penang, train, Bangkok, train, Chiang Mai, Mae Tang region x2 villages, Pakbeng, Luang Prabang x2, Phonsavanh x2, Vientiane, train, Bangkok, Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Kampot, Saigon, Vung Tau x2, Saigon, train, Hanoi x2, Nanning, Yangmei, Guilin, Yangshuo, sleeper bus, Guangzhou, Hong Kong x2, train, Shanghai, train, Xi’an, train, Beijing, Ulaanbaatar x2, train, Orkhon, Moscow, St Petersburg, Tallinn, Riga, bus, Berlin x4, Leipzig)
This does not take into account the times we have to change rooms in an establishment (every day in one place in Hanoi!) or go to the same place twice after a trip away.

how many arguments: 0 (a few tense moments, but no arguing yet - not between the adults anyway!….can it be? three months and we’re still best friends….four months, one week update:1)

how much money spent: $0 -  if only! Singapore worked out at NZ$30 per person per day all up. Malaysia was much much  much much much much cheaper. By Thailand it was costing under NZ$7 per person a day.

how many photos taken: will post total at the end

long haul trips - number of hours travelling time:
(excludes waiting time!!)
Auckland to Singapore 3+8 = 11
Singapore to Melaka 7+1 (train and bus) = 19
Melaka to Kuala Lumpur 3 = 22
Kuala Lumpur to Cameron Highlands 7 = 29
Cameron Highlands to Ipoh 3 = 32
Ipoh to Penang 3 = 35
Penang to Bangkok 1/2 + 22 (ferry and train) = 57.5
Bangkok to Chiang Mai 11 = 68.5
Chiang Mai to Chiang Khong via Chiang Rai 3+3 on one day = 74.5
Chiang Khong to Luang Prabang 8+9 (yes, two days) = 91.5
Luang Prabang to Phonsavanh 8 = 99.5
Phonsavanh to Vientiane 11 = 110.5
Vientiane to Bangkok via Nong Khai 14 = 124.5
Bangkok to Siem Reap 5+4 (train and taxi) = 133.5
Siem Reap to Phnom Penh 6 = 136.5
Phnom Penh to Kampot 4 1/2 = 141
Kampot to Phnom Penh  3 1/2 = 144.5
Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 7 = 152.5
HCMC to Vung Tau 1 = 153.5
Vung Tau to HCMC 3 = 156.5
HCMC to Hanoi 43 = 199.5
Hanoi to Halong Bay 4 = 203.5
Halong Bay to Hanoi 4 = 207.5
Hanoi to Nanning 7 = 214.5
Nanning to Yangmei 3 1/2 = 218
Yangmei to Nanning 3 = 221
Nanning to Guilin 5 = 226
Guilin to Yangshuo 2 = 228
Yangshuo to Guangzhou 10 = 238
Guangzhou to Hong Kong 3 = 241
Hong Kong to Shanghai 20 = 261
Shanghai to Xi’an 20 = 281
Xi’an to Beijing 11 = 292
Beijing to Ulaanbaatar 30 = 322
Ulaanbaatar to Orkhon 8 = 330
Orkhon to Darkhan 1 = 331
Darkhan to Moscow 91 = 422
Moscow to St Petersburg 8 = 430
St Petersburg to Tallinn 8 = 438
Tallinn to Riga 5 = 443
Riga to Berlin 21 = 464