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Archive for December, 2006

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Defecting

Sunday, December 31st, 2006

Sorry everyone but i ran out of picture space on this blog so i have defected to another one for my main blog. http://www.planetranger.com/legon/

So no more comments on this blog please.

Vientiane – Wat Si Saket and co.

Thursday, December 28th, 2006

My legs have been getting such a workout these past few months thanks to all the walking and cycling i’ve been doing – they have almost stopped resembling knitting needles with apples spiked halfway down (my knees). Almost.

Vientiane is such a small capital that most of the sites can be tackled on foot or bike. We chose the latter because at least it provides some modicum of relief from the sweltering heat.

On our first day of sightseeing we visited Wat Si Saket. Built in 1818 this is surprisingly the oldest temple in the city. In 1788 Vientiane became a Siamese vassal state, pledging loyalty to its stronger neighbour to the south-west. 1827 witnessed a failed rebellion against Siam led by King Chou Anouvong. The uprising was crushed with impunity, effectively razing the city to the ground. Thanks to an architectural similarity to early Thai temples Wat Si Saket was spared whilst all around it was levelled.

For the rest of this post please go here.

Where’s Wally?

Monday, December 18th, 2006
Where is he? China: Nanning Where has he been? Cambodia (flag soon!) tmpphpfvt0i3.jpg Vietnam images.jpg Laos Thailand_flag_300.png Thailand malaysia.gif Malaysia aboriginal.gif Australia ... [Continue reading this entry]

Laos – NOT the most bombed country in the world

Monday, December 18th, 2006
Laos is a small, landlocked state nestled among its more recognisable neighbours of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar/Burma and China. It is a largely forgotten country that few people have heard of, can identify on a map, or pronounce its name ... [Continue reading this entry]

Dribbling on the sleeper train from Thailand to Laos

Saturday, December 16th, 2006
After spending far longer in Thailand than originally planned, though not at all frustrated by this (flexibility is the key to travel), i was moving onto country four of my journey. It took Ruth and I 600km and 13 hours ... [Continue reading this entry]

Ko Pha-Ngan – has anyone seen my shoe?

Friday, December 15th, 2006
Another awesome time on this party island. I don't need to go into too much detail. The full moon party was wicked as were the nights leading up to it, partying on the beach, meeting new people (hello Charlotte from ... [Continue reading this entry]

Delaying the inevitable

Tuesday, December 12th, 2006
Try and hold back the tears family and friends - looks like i won't be home for quite some time. First my friend Indy decided to get married in April in India, since i was scheduled to be in dehli ... [Continue reading this entry]

Ko Phi Phi…

Monday, December 11th, 2006
....one of my favourite places in the world. I already described it in a previous post so i won't go into detail. We left Phuket via boat and lay on the front listening to music, catching some rays and chatting to ... [Continue reading this entry]

Phuket – Samui’s sister?

Monday, December 11th, 2006
I arrived in Phuket and checked into the hotel Ruth and Sam were in; an amazing place called the Phulin Resort which was a 3-star, way-out-of-my-budget, package hotel - in essence i was taking a holiday from travelling. I'll keep ... [Continue reading this entry]

Visa run to Burma and the Politics of Naming

Thursday, December 7th, 2006
The new travelling trio (Ruth, Sam and I) left separately to Phuket. They travelled via plane and i went by bus, both because i am petrified of flying still, and i needed to get a visa extension. The nearest country ... [Continue reading this entry]