http://blogs.BootsnAll.com/mark/ India, S.E. Asia, and beyond en-us 2005-05-26T16:15:47+05:00 http://blogs.BootsnAll.com/mark/archives/012717.shtml Phonservan and the surrounding district is the most heavily bombed area on the planet, thanks to a illegal bombing campaign carried out by the USA during the Vietnam war. Today the area is still heavily covered with buried cluster bombs... Mark 2005-05-26T16:15:47+05:00 http://blogs.BootsnAll.com/mark/archives/012716.shtml 4-6th March I was a bit disappointed with Louang Phrabang. The guidebooks had built the place up so much that I was expecting this amazing enchanting town. In reality its a pleasant small town, in a pleasant setting but certainly... Laos Mark 2005-05-26T15:57:31+05:00 http://blogs.BootsnAll.com/mark/archives/012715.shtml 2-4 March 2005 Two days in Vang-Vien basically involved me, two Germans and a kiwi, drinking copious amounts of Beer Lao whilst drifting down the river in giant inner tubes. A phenomenon known as tubing. We were told when we... Laos Mark 2005-05-26T15:50:21+05:00 http://blogs.BootsnAll.com/mark/archives/012714.shtml Border crossing was a disappointment; I had been looking forward to complete chaos where traffic changes from driving on the left to the right. The reality however is very organized a boring, Goddamn traffic lights! Upon arriving in Vientiane my... Laos Mark 2005-05-26T15:42:07+05:00 http://blogs.BootsnAll.com/mark/archives/010077.shtml What am I up to? I had already agreed to meet Jilly, Chrissy, Pete, Stuart and Hannah (Friends from home) in Vietnam in early March so it would make sense for me to be heading North. Oh no! I’m heading... Thailand Mark 2005-04-01T16:41:34+05:00 http://blogs.BootsnAll.com/mark/archives/010076.shtml Going to make these entries short and sweet as I am sooooooooo far behind. Ayuthaya 15-17th Feb Jenny and I traveled up to Ayathaya together by local bus. Auythaya was once the capital of Thailand way before Bangkok existed. However... Thailand Mark 2005-04-01T16:14:59+05:00 http://blogs.BootsnAll.com/mark/archives/009554.shtml Kanchaniburi I get a tourist mini bus from bangkok to Kanchaniburi. Mistake! They crowd more people on the mini bus than you would normally expect on a full sized bus. Only two hours though so its hust about bearable except... Thailand Mark 2005-03-18T17:17:25+05:00 http://blogs.BootsnAll.com/mark/archives/009553.shtml Bangkok 8th -12th Feb 2005 Arriving in Bangkok after India was a huge culture shock. I have spent so much time surrounded by chaos, filth, broken infrastructure, and crumbling buildings that I forgot what the real world was like. This... Thailand Mark 2005-03-18T15:54:06+05:00 http://blogs.BootsnAll.com/mark/archives/008883.shtml Market stalls, Mysore. Ambitious rickshaw wallah. Madurai. Temple complex. Madurai. Holy man. Trishy Temple complex. My kind of temple! Temple complex, Trishy. Landscape Hampi Bullock cart, Hampi. Street scene, Hampi Goats transported by conacle. Hampi. Ancient ruins. Hampi. Chai... India Mark 2005-02-27T11:59:52+05:00 http://blogs.BootsnAll.com/mark/archives/008867.shtml Market stalls, Mysore Fishing Nets, Fort Kochi, Kerela. Fisher Men repairing nets, Kerela. Backwaters, Kerela.... India Mark 2005-02-27T11:08:51+05:00 http://blogs.BootsnAll.com/mark/archives/008861.shtml Shiva's Chariot Gokarna Street scene Gokarna Om Beach Gokarna Overloaded truck. Gokarna Buffalo Racing, near Mangalore Buffalo Racing, near Mangalore Buffalo racing team Buffalo racing team Smile Ladies!... India Mark 2005-02-27T10:41:26+05:00 http://blogs.BootsnAll.com/mark/archives/008856.shtml Chennai 4th – 6th Feb 2005 The bus journey to Chennai takes us north-bound along the coast road, here we are witness to more tsunami relief camps. One thing that strikes me is that the relief camps have been located... India Mark 2005-02-27T09:53:14+05:00 http://blogs.BootsnAll.com/mark/archives/008439.shtml Manmallepuram 3rd -5th Jan 2005 The bus journey from pondicherry to Manmallepuram took us along the coast road which was beautifull. The landscape however, was scared by numerous temporary settlements of tents. These were obviously there to house tsunami survivors... India Mark 2005-02-15T17:39:06+05:00 http://blogs.BootsnAll.com/mark/archives/008305.shtml 1st - 3rd FEB 05 From Trishy we get a bus to Pondicherry the ex French enclave on the eastern coast of Tamil Nadu. The bus driver was without a doubt the worlds most dangerous driver and by the time... India Mark 2005-02-11T14:51:38+05:00 http://blogs.BootsnAll.com/mark/archives/008304.shtml Trishy 30th Jan – 1st Feb 2005 Trishy is another temple town north east of Madurai, we arrive early afternoon on the 30th, check in to a barely passable guesthouse (the TV swung it) and proceed to do nothing much... India Mark 2005-02-11T14:39:50+05:00