Until next time…

Hi everyone!

Just a quick update to get some photo’s on.

Travelling through Europe still (It’s only day 3)! First night in Belgium and second in Germany, camping all the way and so far – It’s FREEZING!! Apart from that everything is great!

So Far…

After travelling through the stunning but very very wet and cold countries of Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary and Romania we decide to leg it through Bulgaria to the warmer climate of İstanbul, Turkey. But not before we are stung wıth a parting gift from Romania (in the form of a dodgy border guard who invented a ‘fine’ for not having the correct paperwork (given that it does not exist makes thıngs rather difficult). Finally after a hours of waiting around, İ think they gathered that we were up for sleeping there rather than paying, and we were able to move on, free of charge. Zipping through Bulgaria (Who so have been the most welcoming and friendly people by far, even to the extent of the police guarding us at night and brınging the Mayor to greet us while we free camped in the middle of their village!) we were all glad to get to İstanbul, where everybody had a couple of days to explore the city, dry their gear out and get started on their suntans.

Everybody ıs all fit and well apart from a few colds, Lesley hurtıng her ankle, and the odd hangover!

Until next time…

So Far…

Since arriving in Istanbul, Turkey has provided nothing but the best to date, the hospitality has been astounding.

The weather improving tenfold, we were finally able to swim and sunbath. We have pretty much followed the route we intended as described on the website, with a few extra stop-offs along the way.

From Hammans (Turkish baths) to Mudbaths (along the banks of the river), from Ruins to Beautiful Beaches, BBQ’s to Spit Roast Lambs, Paragliding to Hot Air Ballooning, 2 sprained ankles and 1 broken leg (and she’s still here)! Getting sunburnt to freezing our butts off again, Turkey has got to go down as one of the ‘favourites’.

A few more days to go (in Eastern Turkey) and then we are off to Iran; we will be there anything from 2 weeks to a month, depending on how we feel when we get there. Next update will probably be from Pakistan (so no panicking if you don’t hear from us for a while, we’re not sure how easy it will be to find internet access en route).

So far…

And we thought the Turkish were welcoming!  The Iranian’s have proved to be trying to make our stay even more enjoyable (if that’s possible)!  Our first few days were spent in Tabriz.  OK, yes, there may have been a bit of a demonstration thing going on (nothing to do with foreigners at all), but we thought it was damn considerate of them to trash every other building and vehicle on the street ‘except’ ours! – (Now ‘that’ wouldn’t have happened in many other places in the world)!. 
We then moved on to what we can only describe as the most stunning scenery we could have expected – or ‘not’ expected to see in all of Iran. The lush green valleys around Kaleybar provided awesome views as we hiked up to Babak Castle, Iran’s most impressive ruined fortress. From there we dropped down to the Caspian Sea and were amazed to see the land dominated by rice paddies. We then stopped off for a couple of days in the relaxed mountain retreat of Masuleh, a tiny village built into the side of a steep mountain. 
Once again, I can only stress that our expectations have been totally blown away, the extra stay has been more than worth it.  Although in saying that, it’s not all been smooth sailing, there have been a few bottom lips dropping (mine included!) as the girls struggle to come to terms with their new outfits (covered from head to toe in a black nun-like attire, complete with socks, in +30°C  heat no less)!!!  Although Iran has obviously relaxed somewhat in certain areas, the majority have not, so when in Rome…
Currently now in Esfahan, chilling out for the next few days, nobody’s mobile phone appears to be working and internet cafes are few and far between, but rest assured, were having a great time!

Until next time…

So far…

Well ‘The Gauntlet’ has been run! Northern Iran posed absolutely no problems at all, in fact the closest we came to anything remotely dodgy was when they decided to stop us at the ‘last’ checkpoint and insist that we couldn’t possibly go any further with out a police escort (this would be in the last hour before the border – never mind the 2 day drive it took to get there)! We were then made to wait around for them to get organised enough to sort a guard out for us, which put us so far behind we ended up driving all bloody night! All was well though and we ended up camping at the border – complete with our very own armed guards!

The next morning it was into Pakistan and through the Balochistan desert (complete with two independent land rovers who seemed to have taken shelter behind us…) As good as Iran was, it is still an alcohol free zone and we were fully covered in 40 plus degree heat – So it wasn’t ‘THAT’ good! We’re out of there!

Our first night in Pakistan was spent at an hotel en-route where we had our first taste of ‘bucket showers’ and then into Quetta where we had our first ‘drink’ in weeks, which coincided with the kick off to the World Cup. Now in Islamabad for a few days (which funny enough also coincided with the World Cup…)!!!

We have now entered the world of meat and chickens hanging up outside un- refrigerated and it’s a bit of a struggle to find food (well ‘our’ type of food), to cook. A lot have also had the first real case of being sick (which is never nice at the best of times let alone when your travelling in these conditions) but it’s all part of it and pretty unavoidable in these parts.

The locals have once again been wonderfully welcoming and very friendly, and the scenery more than makes up for any discomfort.

After Islamabad we are off to the Karakoram Highway and then into India (We are going to give Peshawar a miss due to the current situation there).

Most phones seem to be working here and everything is going well.

So far…

After a few days in Islamabad, it was off to the Karakoram Highway. This has been without a doubt one of the most stunning places of our journey so far, up amongst some of the highest peaks in the world.

The scenery was simply breathtaking and the people (and know I keep saying this)! even more friendly. After a few days of trekking, jeep safari’s and glaciers we (had to) make our way back down. As we were so close it seemed silly not to try to get into Kashmir, managing to travel through the Pakistan administered side until being turned away at the disputed border region close to India. Although very green and lush with beautiful valleys and tiny villages, it was very sobering to see first hand the destruction from the earthquake, still very real and apparent so many months on.

We bid farewell to Pakistan as we have just now entered India, and it has to be said that the people of Pakistan could not have been more welcoming and not once did we feel, contrary to popular beliefs, threatened in any way while travelling through.

So far… India – they say you either love or hate it.

The complete contrasts within this country are incredible. From one extreme to the other, India has it all. We have seen some of the most beautiful sites and symbols man has ever made, from Fairytale Lake Palaces in Udaipur to the world’s greatest symbol of love - the mighty Taj Mahal, all of them built and maintained with special care and attention but surrounded by towns so filthy it’s hard to imagine if you haven’t seen it for yourself.

Open sewers running through almost every street, rotting rubbish everywhere you look, and the smell is sometimes unbearable. We have seen some of the most naturally beautiful women ever, that make our so-called super models look simply sad by comparison. You see the poor living in conditions so horrific it wouldn’t have even occurred to us that it were possible, let alone an environment they accept (not that they have a lot of choice) and make the best of. You see people dressed in the most stunning vibrant colours, cleaner than clean, taking pride in what they can control.

The countryside however is so green and clean, every patch of land ploughed and planted to an almost manicured effect. The heat is sometimes unbearable and the high humidity leaves you soaked in sweat 24 hours a day. We have eaten some of the best food so far and had some of the best service, where they bend over backwards and go out of their way to ensure you are happy with everything. We have seen some of the worst driving possible, navigated some of the most difficult roads so far (well Steve, Noel, Peter and Caroline have), stayed in some of the worst places and seen children and animals in conditions that only NSPCC and RSPCA should deal with.

The smells, the sights, the people, the noise, the hassle, the things that make you gasp in wonder and cringe in disgust, the good and the bad - India is without a doubt an incredibly interesting and fascinating country and is well worth experiencing. Just entered Nepal now, so everything is nice and relaxed again!

So far…

Due to a delay in being allowed to enter China, we now found ourselves with enough time in Nepal to attempt some of the big treks like the Anna Perrna Circuit and Mt Everest Base Camp Trek.

A few of us decided to trek to base camp while the truck carried on around Nepal.

To begin with, as hard as it is in places, it is extremely ‘do-able’. You need only to be in good health and have a basic fitness level, you DO NOT need to be a real fitness freak, well, you probably do if you want to carry all your own gear and do it on your own, but if your looking for the easier option like we were, then you simply hire a guide and a couple of sherpa’s, and you’re off.

We started off waiting at the Kathmandu Airport from 5.30am for our 30-minute flight to Lukla (the start of the trek). Passing the Himalayan Range with issued cotton wool shoved in our ears, as the plane was so old and noisy, vibrating vigorously the whole way.

Picking up our two Sherpa’s at Lukla we began the trek straight away.

Due to the risk of altitude sickness, we took things very slowly right from the start, there was no rushing at all, so you had plenty of time to look around and appreciate the beautiful surroundings.

The Sherpa’s carried all of our gear and our Guide walked with us, organising all of our accommodation and meals etc. It was teahouses and rooms the whole way, complete with Yak dung fuelled fires, full menus to choose from and hot showers available at all times – No roughing it at all!

We walked for a total of 10 days in the end, 7 up and 3 back down. And between 2-5 hours of actual walking a day going up and 6-8 hours a day coming down.

Because we took it so slowly, luckily none of us had any adverse effects with the altitude, and the walking itself was, although very hard in places, still very manageable as long as you took your time (even if you took twice as long you’d still get there by lunch time with the rest of the day to fill in).

The weather was perfect for us and the views spectacular the whole way.

It was incredible seeing the Sherpa’s working, re-supplying the huts and maintaining the trail, no Gore-Tex wet weathers or North Face thermals for them, ill fitting gumboots or flip-flops and a tee-shirt it was, carrying between 80 – 120 kilos in a basket on their backs, strapped to their heads.

To sum up, we couldn’t recommend it enough!

If you are very fit you can easily do it on your own, you don’t even have to have a guide let alone Sherpa’s (and it’s a lot cheaper this way). But if you’ve just sat on an overland truck for 3 months over indulging and not doing a lot of (if any)! exercise, we would recommend taking the easier option!

A few things we picked up along the way if anybody is considering doing it next time:

Allow a few days either side for flight cancellations to Lukla due to bad weather

Sit on the left side of the plane if you can going out and the right coming back for a view of the Himalayas.

Take loads of books and some cards etc., as there is a lot of down time while acclimatising to the altitude.

It only takes a day to organise all the permits and flights etc.

Wait and buy all your trekking gear in Nepal if you need anything as they have everything and it is very very very cheap!

Buy as much as you can in Kathmandu, although everything is available on the trail is gets more expensive the higher up you go (chocolate, film, batteries, loo roll etc.).

160 people a month do the trail at this time of year and 7000 a month do it in the high season (October) - we had everything to ourselves and we hardly saw other trekkers at this time of year. The weather was great for us, but apparently it is clearer more often in October.

Take a bit of spare cash with for things like hot showers which you pay separately for, extra drinks and snacks etc.

We all drank the local water, un-treated and had absolutely no problems - up to you though!

We loved every minute of it and couldn’t reccomend it enough - even the hard bits!

Until next time…

So far…

After leaving India, Nepal certainly is ‘a breath of fresh air’. Hardly any hassle to speak of, nice, polite and extremely friendly people.

A clean, green, beautiful country. It’s in-expensive, the food is fantastic, the environment eco-friendly and the country crammed packed with things to do, from trekking, to rafting, mountain biking, motor biking, visiting temples, taking a flight over the Himalayas, bathing with elephants, to exploring the various National Parks etc.

Half way through the trip (and running a little behind schedule as we were delayed entering China) Nepal has been a welcome break from truck life, we have all had a bit of space and time to do our own thing (mainly over-indulging in the fantastic party city of Kathmandu in the various bars and restaurants)!

After spending a week unwinding and relaxing in Kathmandu, the truck was off to the beautiful lakeside town of Pokhara, set high in the mountains, surrounded by the famous Anna Purna Circuit. After a week of trekking and relaxing, it was off to Bardia National Park, one of Nepal’s largest wildlife reserves. Safari treks, rafting trips and elephant rides filled in the days spent here, and then it was decided to head back to Kathmandu for the remainder of our stay in Nepal.

Now that we are all rested up it is with anticipation we look forward to be on the move again! Tibet next week!!!

Until next time…

(Apologies for the lack of photos attached, I was away snapping away on the trail)!

So far…

Our last few days were spent in Nepal, up near the Tibet/Nepal border, waiting to cross through. We were finally allowed to proceed up to the Friendship bridge (Border) where we had to wait the entire day. Last thing, as we were preparing to camp on the bridge (we had got this far and we weren’t moving)! They allowed us through to the other side, where they then locked our vehicles in their compound, took our passports off us and made us wait in a horrible little two-bit town, with a filthy, smelly, expensive hotel to stay in, for a total of 4 days, while our Chinese guide (compulsory to have when travelling through China on private vehicles) had a ‘paper war’ with them. FINALLY!!!!! We were allowed to go through, very begrudgingly, when they clearly couldn’t find any other ’so called’ necessary ‘permits’ for us to obtain.

Tibet has been amazing. The views are some of the best in the world. We crossed over a plateau and then proceeded onto Mt Everest Base Camp, The North Face side. We took the four-wheeled drive access road (what’s the point in having a 4 wheel drive if you don’t use it)! And it was incredible. The views and surroundings were unlike anything we had ever seen, miles and miles, in every direction, of the most beautiful scenery imaginable, unique to this area.

Physically it has been the toughest part of our journey so far, here is where we got into real ‘Overlanding’ The truck was bogged down a few times and it took us hours and hours of digging and sand matting to get it out.

We then had to sand-mat hours through areas of impassable terrain, dragging sand mats thick with mud, gathering a million rocks (well it felt like it)! And digging constantly. All in all, it only took a couple of days to get through, but the thing that made it most difficult was the fact that it was all done at an altitude of over 5000 meters!

Everything is physically harder to do at this altitude, simply breathing and moving about can be difficult for most people, let alone digging a 18 ton truck out of the mud for two days straight. Most people were fine (although it was very difficult to sleep at night and we all had at least a bit of a headache) but a few suffered from altitude sickness, nothing serious, but it was very unpleasant for them.

The longer we spent at the height and the more physical exercise we did (not that we had a lot of choice in the matter)! the more acclimatised we all became, so it got easier for most people.

Driving to the last village at the foot of Mt Everest, no vehicles were allowed past this point, so it was either walking the last two hours or taking a pony and trap to Base Camp. The views were great and being that close to the highest mountain on earth was a wonderful experience.

That night we bush camped at 4900m half way up a pass as it got to late to carry on. The next morning we were completely blown away by the views we were treated to. We had inadvertently camped at a place with the some of the most spectacular views in the world. All of Mt Everest was on show in it’s full glory, bathed in the morning sun, and as if that wasn’t enough, the Himalayan Mountain Range was in complete view as far as the eye could see! It was simply incredible, and a perfect end to a few very challenging but very satisfying days.

Currently on route to Lhasa, were we can get out of the high altitude for a while and relax.

Until next time…

So far…

Wow, what a Bureaucratic nightmare China has turned out to be!

First we were delayed entering for weeks, and then we had to sit and wait at the Nepal/Tibet border for ages, by which time we had lost much of our ‘Government approved length of stay’ in China. When we applied to extend our stay, they made it as difficult as possible, tried charged an extortionate rate, and nothing was ever actually going to be ‘guaranteed’.

This has to be the first Country we have come across (including other Communist countries) where you can’t bribe, blag or beg your way out of a situation. You never get to literally even ‘see’ the people you are trying to deal with, they are so far removed from everything.

After a lot of time wasting and deliberation we decided to gap it for the border to be out by the original exit date given. And although disappointing (the non-government Chinese people seemed lovely), it’s naturally not entirely unexpected on an expedition of this nature.

Anyway, it was all worth it just for what we saw in Tibet!

So after travelling 3000kms in 5 days, through the mountains, on crap roads, with blowout after blowout, busted springs and at the longest, 20 hour drive days, we made it to the China/Laos border in time to exit by the date required.

It certainly wasn’t the nicest experience, but by now it’s getting to be a distant memory.

Now it seems we have really entered South East Asia, Laos is a beautiful country and the people are lovely. The terrain is lush, green and very tropical and it’s getting more and more touristy by the minute (not that we are complaining, how good it is to rediscover ice cold beers, bacon)! So far our days in Laos have been filled with a lot of chilling out in bars and restaurants, markets, temples, river boat rides, tubing, kayaking, caving and trekking and the odd elephant ride through the jungle.

The pace is very easy going and we are all happy to be nearing the beaches and islands again.

Have now just entered Cambodia,

So Far..

Cambodia was a great country, the people were lovely, the pace was nice and easy going and we’ve hardly pitched a tent since Laos. Angkor Wat was absolutely incredible! Every square inch carved in detail. One of the largest, most impressive ruins in the world without a doubt.

Although there was (and always is) the option to do things on the cheap, we have most definately entered the real touristy places, with prices to match. Still, the novelty of ice cold beers, CLEAN cutlery, ice, milk, cheese, fine wines and the option of good western food hasn’t quite worn off, so it’s all good!

Thailand is without a doubt everything we’ve heard it was and more.

Proper tarmac roads consistently through out, not even so much of a pothole in sight - a first on the trip so far!

Bangkok was one of the most modern cities we have come across, with all electronics dirt-cheap.

The little islands dotted around the big touristy places looked exactly like they were out of a post card. Laid back atmosphere, beautiful, white sandy beaches and turquoise coloured water, teeming with tropical fish.

Our days in Thailand have been mainly filled with short drive days, long stays on the islands, sunbathing, swimming, snorkelling, diving, dive courses, boat trips, sight seeing, massages, and rock climbing.

Our hotels have been right on the beaches, under palm trees. We’ve had real cocktails (served the way you always wanted)! Wonderful seafood (fresh fish, lobster, tiger prawns, oysters and crabs etc. until we are ‘almost – but not quite’ sick of them)! And the Thai people have been a pleasure to meet.

Our lifestyle in Thailand has been in true ‘holiday mode’!

Just entered Malaysia ,

Wow…! Made it!

Rather delayed, but it’s not like we were in a hurry…!

Back to Indonesia…

The diving was fantastic and the people… challenging to say the least!  The beaches were perfect and the weather couldn’t be better!

We got as far as West Timor (which was lovely) when trouble broke out in East Timor so we decided due to safety, not to take any undue risks by entering. So a quick flight to Darwin it was.

Ahhhhh….. Australia!

How good was it to land on Aussie soil after what seemed like a lifetime in some regards and such a short time in others! It finally sunk in that our Expedition was coming to and end.

The Aussie Officials were great (how good was it to be back in the world of English speaking Professionals)! And we were soon under way after adhering to their very strict standards.

The Aussie Outback is truly one of the world’s most spectacular places. It was simply amazing. Camping in perfect conditions, with the clearest star filled skies we have ever seen.

Arriving safely in Sydney was a great end to journey of a lifetime…

To Kev (in the 4×4 vehicle) thank you for all your help and congratulations for driving from B to A!

To all those who put the extra effort in, Thank you!

Karen and Will

So far…

Into Malaysia where it was back to being amongst some of the politest people in the world again.  Hospitality like we haven’t seen since our Iran days. Malaysia is a beautiful country, very green and clean and Kuala Lumpur turned out to be a fantastic city to party in!

Singapore is an experience! The cleanest place, surely, in the world, with huge fines for littering, jay walking etc. (just about anything that is not considered ‘proper and correct’). The city at night was one of the most attractive we have seen on this trip, it was quite expensive compared to what we’ve been use to. Definitely worth a visit though, the shopping alone was fantastic! (that might have been why we found it so expensive - it is ‘the’ place to shop)!

The parts of Indonesia we have experienced have been a bit of a mixture for all of us, Sumatra was back to basics and considered by many the highlight so far, complete with stunning scenery and very welcoming people.

Where as in Java and Bali, although very beautiful, we have all been constantly bombarded with ‘hawkers’ (locals selling any and everything from tee-shirts to tours’) every time we stepped out onto the streets. From what we are told, since the Bali bombings, tourism here has been almost non-existent by comparison to what it use to be, forcing the locals to be more aggressive in their selling techniques as the competition is fierce, and they are all desperate just to make ends meet. The flip side to this for us, means the beaches are almost deserted and very beautiful, and the cost of living cheap. The sunsets on these islands have been simply stunning, more so than anywhere else so far.

One thing alot of us have noticed, is that, as we have been subjected to some of the most incredible scenery that the world has to offer, we are finding it harder and harder to be ‘impressed’. Had we started off going this way, we would have been in awe of all the natural beauty in the landscape we are now in.  This is something we have all realised and are working hard on trying to correct! All it takes is a reminder that we could be back at work (God Forbid)! to jolt us out of our spoiltness and make us appreciate how bloody lucky we all are. After all, the hardest decisions we have to make on a daily basis is whether to sunbathe on the beach or by the pool? Should we go diving today or will our sunburn be too uncomfortable in our wet suits? What restaurant to eat at and what cocktail to have…

The rest of Indonesia to go…