all along the mekong

HCM is by far the most buzzing and atmospheric city I have been to. It is one of those places where it feels like anything could happen around the next corner. There is something to amaze you at every turn from communist poster propaganda to a plethora of motorbikes. After a few days in the city we decided to head to one of the great rivers in Asia, the mekong river.

not having any transport in Vietnam we opted for a simple tour to take care of all the stresses for us. A couple of hours on a mini bus and we were straight onto a boat cruising down the river, witnessing first hand the size of the river and the people who rely on it for trade. At one point we switched from our motorized boat into a traditional Vietnamese sampan. The boat took us down a waterway off of the main river and we got to enjoy  a peaceful and  idyllic ride with tropical trees and plants surrounding us. This was by far the highlight on our tour

The tour also featured some exotic fruit tasting, an authentic Vietnamese meal (apparently), a ride in a tuk tuk and a visit to a coconut factory. The tour was a slightly different experience as for the most part we had not used tours to organize visits.The time on the water was awesome, As I tend to like anything involving water, but some of the tour was a bit lacklustre.I would have preferred to go by ourselves, although the tour was relatively cheap and saved us some hassle.

Having experienced our first tour we gave another one a chance, this time to the cu chi tunnels, a remnant of a guerilla warfare in the Vietnam war. our guide described the tunnel complex as hell on earth to US soldiers and it definitely looked like it from our perspective. The traps are lethal and inflict severe wounds to any unfortunate enough to be caught by them. The tunnels are an impressive feat and you can even go through some of the widened ones. It is pretty cool to crawl through the old tunnels, not for claustrophobia sufferes though, and gives you some idea of the conditions in the war. Tanks and recreations of the war are dotted about and our guide gave us some informative details of the sites significance and importance in the war. Also if your a gun fan you can even let fly some bullets with a choice of guns on a shooting range. If your dream is to shoot an AK-47, head to the cu chi tunnels.

To summarize our couple of days doing tours in Vietnam I would say this,great locations which are must do's in HCM and doing tours is helpful. although I'm not sold on them, I think not having freedom to walk at your own pace can be irritating, and the tours reminded me a bit of school trips. Still I can't really complain as they did introduce me to some great sights

Good Morning Vietnam and several thousand bikes

In a lot of my previous posts I've mentioned the general hustle and bustle of Asian Cities, whether its the mass of people or the hectic traffic. I would like to state these prior descriptions are inaccurate compared to the overwhelming number of bikes on the road in Vietnam. My first introduction into the Vietnamese traffic was an interesting one for sure. Arriving in Ho Chi Minh city (formally Saigon) the sheer number of bikes surrounding you is incalculable. The myriad of bikes carry an astonishing amount ranging from plastic bottles to entire families. If you stand long enough on any street corner in HCM, you are in for a treat as inevitably you will be left incredulous as to the array and quantities the Vietnamese can load onto a bike. The second thing you will want to do is cross the road, just to see how the chaos reacts to your presence. Even crossing the road in Vietnam is exciting.

Traveling to Vietnam has been a relatively recent ambition of mine. My first glimpse into the country was from the top gear special, where the presenters used bikes to travel the length of the country. Having watched the program my immediate reaction was simply I want to go there. Vietnam looked as if it had everything you could want, whether it being acquiring a tailored suit to eating exotic food. Another compelling factor for me was to see one of the last communist countries still operating today. Vietnam alongside Laos, China and Cuba are the only remaining communist governments in power today. Reading about revolutionary leaders and highly socialist regimes has long been fascinating for me, a chance to see it first hand is a great opportunity.

After accustoming to the inconsistent traffic of Vietnam we headed to our first destination of the day, the war remnants museum. Visits to this museum are imperative, for many people Vietnam is not seen as a country but as a war. The museum gives powerful insight into the horrors of warfare. The most harrowing exhibit was the effects of agent orange, a toxic herbicide that left large deformities to those unfortunate enough to be exposed to it. The effects of the herbicide are still being felt today whether new generations showing side effects from the toxin. The exhibit features foetuses that have been corrupted and deformed by the herbicide, it is a particularly gruesome display. The museum also features many pictures and statements of various torture techniques used by the U.S. Military such as water boarding. There were many tearful people from a variety of nations, who could see the atrocities committed in this country. I would not state it was just the American military who performed such acts, The museum does have a bias towards it though. A visit to the museum may not be a comfortable one, but it is most definitely a necessary one.

Moving along to a less macabre topic, one of the greatest attractions Vietnam has is its multitude of parks. In the U.K. our parks tend to be a dull and wearisome visit, Conversely Vietnam's parks are full of life and people genuinely enjoying themselves in green spaces. There are numerous exercise machines, exercise classes take place here and Badminton players are sharpening their skills on the nets. It is great to see people having fun in their parks and enjoying their public spaces. A second great thing about the park is the local students trying to hone their English skills. These students will approach you in the park and ask to speak with you. Speaking to the locals about where each of you come from and what living there is like, is one of the experiences I will certainly remember. 

To finish the day in Vietnam, we went to a water puppet show. Usually this a tradition which is usually performed in the north of the country, fortunately for us the popularity of such shows mean it is being shown in the south as well. The show consists of puppeteers controlling their puppets whilst underwater, a feat not to be scorned at. It is very impressive how they can manipulate the puppets expertly, whilst focusing on not emerging to the water surface. The show is definitely worth seeing even if you cannot comprehend the language (it's all in vietnamese), the show has something for everybody and is quite the spectacle.

elephants and temples

After seeing one of nature's most picturesque waterfall displays at Erawan National Park it was time to get up close with some equally impressive animals. As we were in Thailand, this of course means going to meet with elephants. The place we had chosen was Elephant world located in Kanchanaburi Provence. There is much ethical ambiguity of riding elephants for tourism in Thailand, some condemn the practice others applaud it. Not wanting to sit in one of the basket seats we opted of spend the day with the elephants at elephants world.

Here's a bit of information about Elephants world, it is a non profit organization founded in 2008. In essence it is a retirement home for elephants from the tourism or other  industry that have become too old and tired to perform the tasks set for them. In previous years Elephants have been used in the logging industry, which has since been made illegal circa 1989 in Thailand. Elephants are no longer financially viable as they used to and many end up abandoned, I feel this is a tragedy to happen to such majestic animals who have been embedded in Thai culture for countless years. Elephants world cares for these retired and abandoned elephants, with guests working for them, through preparing food, washing them and feeding them.

Immediately as you enter you will see elephants roaming around the complex, the baby elephant is a particularly special sight to see. After a briefing about the animals and the days activities,  first we fed the elephants, a unique experience and the elephants do live up to the stereotype as gentle giants.We proceeded to watch the elephants have their morning bath, making for some great photo opportunities. Throughout the day we prepared food and gathered resources for the elephants. The cherry on the cake was swimming and bathing with the elephants, you even get a short bare back ride on top of them. I would encourage other travelers to head here if they would like to see elephants, as you are helping rather than hindering these gentle creatures.

After our time in Kanchanaburi we were heading to Ayutthaya, an ancient capitol full of working temples and ruins to act as reminder as to the former opulence of this city. It was previously a premier trading city in south east asia, but sadly no longer. Walking around the parks you will witness the various ruins and again makes for ample photography practice. Ayutthaya is a pleasant place to simply stroll around and come across a something that grabs your attention. The ruins and temples are not the most spectacular in all of Thailand, but they do provide a nice getaway from the tumult of Bangkok. The markets were also by far the coolest we came across in Thailand, hands down I had the best food here. Its worth a visit just for the markets.

To summarize Thailand I would say The country certainly has a lot to offer to the whole spectrum of travelers. There are the pristine beaches, the striking landscapes, exotic wildlife, Exquisite food and a mix between the modern and the old. I enjoyed my time in Thailand, but I don't crave to go back there as with some of my other travel destinations. Thailand has a large tourist industry directed at westerners and a sense of adventure can sometimes be lost.  However this shouldn't detract from the multiple offerings of the country as it is still a gateway to south east Asia

Bridge over the River Kwai

After our time in Bangkok, we were off to Kanchanaburi home of the famous river and the infamous bridge. Our main reasons for coming to Kanchanaburi was for both the history and the elephants. We decided to omit the beach resorts in southern Thailand as we weren't keen for full moon parties or a party atmosphere. Don't get me wrong I've nothing against the beaches on southern Thailand, in fact the beaches do look extraordinary and I would like to visit them, we just preferred to head to Kanchanaburi Provence.

The region features the famous river Kwai and we were lucky enough to stay on the river itself. The guesthouse had rooms floating on the river an are accessible by a pier. It was a cool place to relax, as speed boats raced past and occasionally somebody might go for a swim. I decided against it, the river is not exactly crystal clear. Best of all about the guesthouse it was only a short walk away to the bridge.

The bridge was originally constructed in world war 2 by 16,000 prisoners of war and over 90,000 Asian workers, a large amount being slaves. The bridge is a part of the death railway that goes through Thailand and Myanmar. The railway is named as such due to the shear number of people who dies trying to complete this railway for the empire of Japan, mostly the Asian workers. The original bridge was bombed by American Soldiers and what we see today is the reconstruction by the Japanese.

The bridge itself is traversable on foot as metal plates have been put across the length of the bridge. The railway track is also operational, with trains traveling on it just as they had done in WW2. The bridge offers spectacular views of the river and walking across it gives you a chill, thinking about how many lives had been lost in order to create this railway. The bridge was a sombre experience, but I am very glad we went there a I do enjoy learning about the history of the second world war. In the U.K. we tend to learn about the western fronts and do not particularly focus on the east and the pacific. The accompanying museums by the bridge are also a great way to learn about the history of this area. The common wealth war graves located about a mile away from the bridge also give you a notion of just how many people died in the creation of the bridge and railway

The next day lead us from a historic lesson into one of natures masterpieces. The Erawan national park is located just over an hour away from kanchanburi, and is accessible by the local buses. The park has 7 tiers of different waterfalls, each as magnificent as the last. The ascent to the top was well worth the effort required as you are rewarded with stunning views and even a swim in the natural pool. The waters are perfect from colour to temperature and a each tier there is the opportunity of swim by the respective waterfall.  You can even get a cheeky jump into them off of nearby rocks. The local wildlife are also something to watch out for in this park. The local monkeys hang about looking for any cast away food, best not to feed them though. The waterfalls are a great day out and being able to swim in a natural pool beneath a waterfall in Thailand is about as good as it gets.

Bangkok Bound

If there is one country that is synonymous with backpacking it has to be Thailand. Thailand summons up thoughts of the quintessential travelling experience, whether it be riding a tuk tuk or just relaxing on the beach with a beer in hand. As we designed our trip, Thailand was one of the first countries we listed as wanting to visit, and the first place to visit was of course Bangkok.

Bangkok is one of the most visited cities in the world, It is the gateway to other regions of Thailand as well as being a city to explore in its own right. So after a relatively short flight from Nepal, we arrived in Bangkok and straight onto the MRT. Its essentially the same as the tube in London, except its overground and much newer. The MRT is a great way of getting around the city and has stops in most major areas, it is direct method of travelling, but not the most picturesque.

For our initial stay in Bangkok, we omitted visiting the famous Khao San road. I know its the usual place for backpackers to stay, but we decided to go against the status quo. We stayed in Silom instead and as it turned out stayed in the coolest hostel we had ever visited. It's called the mile map hostel, it offers cheap room rates, alongside a world map theme. Various different maps and globes adorn the place and the hostel has a pretty laid back vibe. Another plus of staying here was the famous Thai street food, just a short walk down the street lead us straight to a delicious Tom Yum soup. Our introduction into south east Asia was going pretty well, clean and efficient transport, great hostel and cracking food.

First day in Bangkok and we went straight for the grand palace, all dressed up due to their clothing policies. I can respect the dress code, but it did not help with the humidity. Getting to the Palace we opted for the boats that transport people along the Chao Phraya river. Floating down the river you can see the multiple sky scrapes and other features of the city, such as china town. The most spectacular thing you'll see on the boats though is Wat Arun also known as the temple of dawn. The temple dominates your attention from the second you see it. It is a striking temple and looks fantastic as you cruise along the river.

  Grand is the optimum description for this palace, featuring some truly extravagant buildings and statues, no expense was spared in this creation. The gilded architecture and jade Buddhist sculpture make this complex a must see for any Bangkok visitor. The former home of the kings of Thailand eludes grandeur at each turn, and despite the relatively high entrance price, it is definitely worth going.

The following day we went to see Khao san road, we felt we should at least witness the place to see what all the fuss is about. The place does have a travel buzz circulating around it with numerous western travelers strolling around, seeking out food or a cheap souvenir. Khao San road was a culture clash, where Thailand meets the west. In truth I'm glad we saw the famous road and even more glad we did not stay here. There was nothing necessarily wrong with the place, it just wasnt for us. After Khao san road it was onto the siam shopping centre. Comparing places as "just like in a sci-fi film" has grown both outdated and cliche. That being said it is exactly how I would describe it here.Anything you could want is in this place and the whole atmosphere is just awesome. There are ice rinks, cinemas and ample shopping. Siam is now the bench mark I will compare any shopping center to, after visiting here.

Bangkok is a buzzing city that has excitement flowing through it. The city is the start to many adventures in Thailand and it felt just like that for us. Bangkok was a great start and now it was time to see  more of Thailand

Final days in Kathmandu

Our time in Nepal was already a thrilling experience, a mixture of adrenalin sports and exposure to a whole new culture. After our return from the Bungy jump, we began to look forward to some of the landmarks and sights of Kathmandu again. First place to go to the Boudhanath.

Even the taxi over to Boudha introduced a new perspective on the treatment of cows. Having lived a significant portion of my life in rural somerset, seeing cows is a pretty common sight to me. Although I have never seen one dictate traffic by simply refusing to move. The predominantly Hindi majority place great reverence towards these animals and was  a high contrast to how we perceive cows in Britain, Seeing a cow position itself freely in the middle of the road and the drivers negotiating around the animal was not unexpected, but still a nice surprise on our journey.

The Boudhanath Stupa was again festooned in the iconic prayer flags and featured the famous eyes of buddha. Boudhanath is one of the most popular and important buddhists sites in Nepal, there was no shortage of Monks here. You are even able to walk on top of the stupa, making sure you do so clockwise. There are also numerous shops, restaurants and hotels located around the square, meaning plenty of opportunities to pick up some food or a souvenir. Boudhanath is a grand and spiritual place, just as swayambhunath. I think overall I preferred Swayambhunath, mainly due to its views of the valleys and of course its resident rhesus monkeys. Boudhanath is still a must do in Kathmandu and walking around the Stupa and spinning the prayer wheels is a great experience.

That night we got the privilege of seeing an epic thunderstorm. Watching from our rooftop garden in Thamel, we were treated to spectacular lightning seldom seen in the U.K. I have always enjoyed a good thunderstorm and this one didn't disappoint. Moreover, the weather the following day was blue skies and pleasant temperatures. In essence the perfect day to visit the garden of dreams. The gardens are close to Thamel and have been helped maintain by the Austrian government. It seemed a strangle collaboration, but did not detract from the gardens. The various elephant statues, ponds full of gold fish and exotic flowers created a peaceful environment to simply sit back and relax. Amazingly you could not even hear the chaotic traffic outside of the gardens walls.After a few hectic days in both Nepal and Egypt, the gardens were great just to sit back and relax. unfortunately the weather turned on us later, so we treated back to Thamel for some dinner and more shopping. I  managed to get a good price on a singing bowl, I had been seeking one for quite some time.

Our final day in Kathmandu and also in Nepal, and we decided to go to Durbar Square. The square is filled with an assortment of temples and palaces. The museum in particular gave great insight into the history of Nepal. The square was another highlight and even the stray dags seemed to be enjoying their surroundings

The architecture in Durbar Square was outstanding and is worth a visit, to simply learn more about Nepali culture and History. Now there was just the walk back to the guesthouse, and we stumbled across another smaller Buddhist temple. The ubiquitous flags adorned the place and some of the local children were playing some football. For me this was an example of a city, where you can take one turn and be lead to something unexpected and magnificent.

My only regret about my visit to Nepal was I wish it were longer. I thoroughly enjoyed my time here and feel more educated and cultured than before I came out here. Seeing the country where Buddhism began alongside its spectacular architecture and natural surrounding was truly special. We spent the majority of our time in Kathmandu and did not get to see as much of the country that we would have liked. However this does have the added bonus that we will have to come back to this magnificent country and do one of its famous hiking trails. Visiting Pokhara, the lowlands and the Himalayas will have to wait until I return here, so for now I will remember my own time here and fondly reminisce about this country. Nepal did have one final send off for us, on the plane to our next destination, we did get to witness the Himalaya mountain range from the plane., serving as further enticement back to this mystic and exciting land.

Bungy Nepal

One thing I was really looking forward to in Nepal was doing what all backpackers do, the bungy jump. The company offering the bungy (The last Resort) is a great project, funds from their activities are spent on local infrastructure and other projects such as healthcare. All the Staff are local Nepalese and these guys were great, really helped in the experience for me .knowing that some of the money is also going to a good cause was great, I could have an adrenaline fueled jump and it would help the local villages

The last Resort is located near the Tibet border and is about a 3 hour drive from Kathmandu. Approaching the base the first thing you notice is the bridge. The length of the bungy is 160 metres and from my perspective It looked much higher than this. Crossing the bridge for the first time was a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Looking straight down you can see the mighty Bhote Kosi. .There was a mixture of responses from people crossing ranging from "I can't believe i'm doing this" to "Holy F***, no F****** way". For us though we wouldn't be jumping that day, we had opted for an overnight stay and to do some canyoning.

After sorting ourselves out and dumping our bags in the tent (more about this later), we got our wet suits on and headed to the waterfalls. These were only a 10 minute walk away through the local Nepalese village and with our guide giving us advice on what to do. Canyoning is a mix of abseiling and sliding down streams, I've done some abseiling in the past, but never down a waterfall. Feeling confident though I headed down the waterfall and immediately slipped on the rocks. Not the best start, although I could only improve from here. Next you slip and slide towards the next descent. Whilst this was cool, it was all about the abseiling. After the shaky start I found my feet and began abseiling successfully down, and in the next five descents there were no incidents. The descents are pretty impressive, with the final one being 45 metres, a cracking finish to the canyoning. Abseiling down with dense forest surrounding you is great and at the end you are further rewarded by ending at the river. My first canyoning experience was incredible, definitely something to do in the future. If you abseil down there is only one way to get to the top, a 15 minute walk through the forest. Even walking on an empty stomach didn't bother me in this environment.

There was nothing to do now, but sit back, enjoy the beautiful surroundings, and relax. The tent was another highlight, not a simple pop up two man tent, this was a luxury safari tent with a full double bed inside. Doing the overnight stay gives you time to chill out and enjoy your surroundings. A delicious buffet was cooked for breakfast, lunch and evenings. everything is taken care here, so all you have to do is enjoy whatever activities you want.

The next day and the daunting jump. Breakfast was a tense affair for all those jumping, with awkward chat and few bites of toast. The briefing for the jump consisted of the jump master giving a brief, taking our weights and issuing the immortal phrase " waddle like a penguin, fly like an eagle". I remember being more excited then scared, but a little fear is a good thing and adds to the experience. When my time came, I was 100% determined to do it and love every second of it. I did the penguin waddle up to the edge of the platform and then came the countdown 1 2 3. Free falling is incredible and something I think all prospective traveler should consider. Plummeting towards the Bhote Kosi river, my adrenaline levels were at their peak. It is hard to convey the experience of bungy jumping, my advice go out and do a bungy.


A video of the bungy is shown once you get back to the base. I was immensely proud that I had done a full dive and not some weird belly flopping thing. One of the guys even complimented me on my form. Not sure it was that good, but the compliment was nice all the same. Two spectacular days of adrenaline sports, luxurious living with friendly people was the cherry on the cake in Nepal. On the minibus back to Kathmandu, thoughts turned to other ventures in Nepal and we couldn't wait to explore more of this fantastic country.

Entering Nepal or How I learned to love Traveling

What me and Diana would have probably said about Nepal before any research or going there. It is landlocked between China and India and is the home of Everest. I'm not exactly sure why I was drawn to coming to Nepal on my Travels, When I was younger I envisioned Australia and Thailand as the ultimate backpacker experience. Well all I can say is I was glad I was so wrong. Nepal is now in my favorite countries after visiting here. But like most epic journeys these days, my time in Nepal began with a plane ride.

The trip to Nepal was by far the longest transit I have experienced. From Cairo we transferred at Doha airport and stayed the night. It was a pleasant enough airport, but still it was an airport. Although we knew about this transfer beforehand it was still tedious waiting through it, yet I did finish a few books after it. when we boarded the plane we were looking forward to the relative comfort of our airplane.

Kathmandu has long been infamous for its runway at Tribuvhan airport. numerous accidents have occurred here and it is known as one of the hardest runways to land and take off. Most recently the terrible incident that resulted in 19 fatalities. As we arrived to land the weather took a turn for the worse and after circling for about an hour, the pilot had no choice but to head for India to refuel. The disappointment of missing half a day in Nepal was negated by a want to land safely, but I was still Itching to visit my first country in Asia.

Again it was evening when we landed and were taken swiftly to our hospital in a 4x4 that looked as if it had seen better days, regardless we were happy for the car and enjoyed a peaceful trip to our Hostel located in Thamel.

Me and Diana work up the next day to the sound of rain against the window, threw back the curtain and saw an epic downpour. Living in Britain you do get used to the rain and it doesn't really bother us, so unconcerned we went straight into Thamel. The internet told us beforehand Thamel is the place for any budding tourist to stay in Kathmandu. We set off to explore the wonderful shops and had the banter with the local shopkeepers. I learnt one of life's truly important lessons here, how to haggle. I found I was pretty good at it (or at least I though I was), but it was so much fun being able to negotiate on anything, something we need to bring back in the U.K. most of the first day we pent just shopping and eating. The momo's were amazing, there types of dumplings but filled with flavour. Diana even got a pashmina, however the jury is still out if its genuine, although she still likes it all the same.

Second day and it was off to Swayambhunath, colloquially known as the monkey temple. I have been to some pretty striking monuments around Europe and more recently the Pyramids of Giza, for me though Swayambhunath was the most impressive I had ever seen up to this point. The steps leading up to the place where even fantastic. 365 steps looking at various statues along the way and even spotting an eagle hunting in the sky. The temple is adorned with the famous prayer flags and the great stupa with Buddha's eyes. Every inch of this place is spectacular from the prayer wheels to the spectacular views across the Kathmandu valley. Having never seen a monkey outside of a zoo, I was hoping I would get to see one and trust me you will see many. You can get unbelievably close to them, and they may get very close to you if you have any food. The temple from its hill top surroundings, local wildlife and to its beautiful architecture were outstanding. I cannot recommend this place highly enough, It was like nothing I had ever experienced and I would love to go there again.

I had enjoyed Nepal from the word go and in just two days we began to love it here. the next few days were full of even more excitement and introductions to a great culture. Nepal has so much to offer and I have the privilege to recall my time there. I'm looking forward to talking more about it in my next entry.

midnight plane to cairo

The first Place I visited on my Travels was the Egyptian city of Cairo. Needless to say I was highly anticipating visiting there. Before I visited, Cairo used to conjure images of deserts, the Nile and of course the Pyramids. Seeing the last remaining ancient wonder of the world was going to be, in my mind, an unparalleled experience. At the end of may we departed Heathrow airport for the start of three months worth of traveling.

When I arriving in Cairo the very first thing we noticed was just how high the temperature was. I know Egypt is a desert country, but still the heat was ferocious. The plane had landed in the evening and the temperature was hovering just above 30 C. In the subsequent days this would rise to 42 C as a minimum. Luckily we had booked a hostel beforehand who had kindly arranged a driver to take us directly to the hostel, which was situated in downtown Cairo. Arranging transportation from the airport is an absolute must for 2 very good reasons. Firstly we had no idea where we were going and wouldn't have liked to explain this to a taxi driver. Secondly the roads in Cairo are by far the worst I have ever witnessed. For most of the journey to the hostel the road had three lanes, although Cairo drivers do not abide by one driver per lane. Cars drove alongside one another 5 abreast with lots of near collisions. I would never want to drive on these roads, I was so glad to have a veteran of Egyptian driving take us to our hostel.

The hostel itself was fairly basic, two beds, an AC unit, breakfast and a communal wash area. I'm not somebody who particularly cares about luxury so this hostel was great for us at only 5 ponds a night. Plus the guys who worked there were some of the most genuine people we met on the trip. They gave out brilliant advice and in Cairo that advice goes a long way. For example they taught us how to cross the roads and handle the people who wanted to drag you off to some tea shop in the middle of nowhere, but more about that later. In fact I felt incredibly sorry for these guys, I had one conversation about  why British people were not coming to Egypt anymore. I told him after seeing the revolution the year before on the news, people were worried about any potential dangers of visiting. I omitted discussing any attacks on embassies as a potential reason why, not wanting to appear facetious. He assured me that things have calmed down a lot since then and there was little risk. However when walking down the Street the local people appeared desperate for any gains from tourism. At first this wasn't too bad but after 5 days of hearing "come look at this" we got very annoyed. Egypt has long thrive on its tourism industry and has experienced declines, I can't say if you were heckled as frequently before the revolution. A month later the second more violent revolution had begun in Egypt and I wasn't surprised at the time as the country was going through difficult times and seemed to me that promises of the first revolution had not come to fruition.

Our first place to visit in Cairo was the world famous Egyptian museum. We entered (with a student price of course) and immediately saw the grandeur of the building and its surroundings. We would have admired the outside longer if not for the burning heat. The contents of the museum range from different periods of Egyptian history. There is so much to see in this museum and there were one particular highlight for me which was the Mummified bodies placed in glass cabinets in rooms of the main museum. you have to pay more for this privilege but is definitely worth it. Looking at these mummified remains gave a us a glimpse into the burying ritual and I can't think of many other places were something like this would be on display. The Museum was brilliant even if we didn't fully understand what significance the artifacts had.

Our second day was pyramid day, our method of transportation was the local bus. for starters we could not understand where the buses were going as it was all in Arabic. we had to change bus at least three times to get to the pyramids with help from some of the locals. I do not recommend doing this, it is crowded, hot and we were constantly worried about where we were going. once we arrived at the pyramids we met a supposed government agent. He even showed me his ID which looked like an expired library card. we tried to shake this guy off, but he was persistent, so I resorted to the age old trick of getting angry. needless to say this worked and we witnessed the pyramids without an annoying tour guide. Next was the other annoying guys who would try to steal your tickets, They an be pushy and demand to see your tickets and walk off with them. Completely ignore these guys or report them to the tourist police as they seriously will piss you off. You can buy a ride on a camel or horse at the pyramid complex as well, we didn't do this due to a lack of funds and were concerned about the animals well being, but other people looked like they were having fun.

The pyramids and sphinx are majestic, you can get up close to the pyramid and even enter the two largest ones. The sphinx looks fantastic and was my personal favourite construction there. The pyramids are great to marvel at and up close you can see just how long and arduous completing them would have been. It was sweltering heat that day and we had had trouble with a few people in the complex which slightly detracted from the experience. That being said though the pyramids our outstanding and despite some of the problems of Cairo I was very pleased and privileged  to go and see them. My advice though, go see them with an authorized tour, it will be a smoother process and much fewer problems with the hawkers.            

After the museum and pyramids we still had 3 days left in Cairo, In truth I wish we had only stayed 3 days here. Even the Hostel guides said two days was all was needed to see the attractions. Despite this we went off around the city looking for adventure, this grew tiring after constantly being accosted in the street. A lot of the people are genuine and are interested in where your from and what your doing, but this does grow monotonous. on several occasions you will be asked to go to a tea shop or papyrus museum with what appears to be a friendly local. These are almost always traps and do not go with them. They will offer you free items and blackmail you to give them money. we entered one tea shop and a man gave us a "free" picture. He then insisted we made a generous donation to his daughters wedding. I declined this offer and insisted i did not want the photo, he wasn't particularly amused, but then neither was I. Crossing the road in Cairo can be a peril. just like the aforementioned traffic drivers can be dangerous. There are not traffic lights in the main areas like Talaat Harb Street or Tahrir Square. When crossing you have to be decisive and just go for it, the cars will stop for you. If you cross with trepidation the cars will keep going, it can be very daunting. Follow the locals across and it should be okay. we did find some nice areas of the city like the garden city and the views of the Nile were spectacular.Our area was also a bit annoying for food, The GAD restaurant was nice but to be honest I can have Mcdonalds and KFC at home. We struggled to find authentic cuisine, which was disappointing. After 5 days we had had enough of Cairo and were looking forward to our next destination.

My overall thought on Cairo were mixed, on the one hand I had seen the pyramids, the Nile and the museum. on the other hand there was a lot of heckling and searing heat often made Cairo seem unbearable. Cairo was not an outstanding city or me, the main attractions are of course the old monuments and relics. I would recommend going to Petra or Alexandria for a few days. In hindsight I wish we had done this, but it does lead for further exploration in the future. Don't be put off going though by this blog entry, the pyramids are brilliant and it is worth going just for them.                                                                                                                                                                                                              

reminiscing about previous travels

Today I have been thinking about my previous travels and thought I would start a blog and write about what I got up to. In the summer of 2013 me and my Girlfriend began our travels in Cairo and ended up in Beijing by the end of it. We went through South East Asia, Australia, the pacific and finally into China. For three months we stayed in hostels, dined on street food and found incredible experiences. I will write later about what we got up to in each individual place, but for now I've got my exams to study for.