Wednesday, August 22
Tuesday, August 14
THE JUMP!!!
Macau, Monday August 13th 2007 (not a Friday).
Macau tower's 61st floor is the location, 233 meters into the air.
The temperature is 29.8 C with a wind speed of 14.8 kmph south west.
The Missiom: Jump from the worlds highest Bungy platform at 233 meters above ground
Why Live On The Edge... WHEN YOU CAN JUMP OFF!
Gungzhao, Peter & Eddy, to Hong Kong and Macau!
(But the story will follow)
Wednesday, August 8
I can see her vag... Dirty pole (Just kidding) :P
Since leaving Datong we set course for the wonders of the Teracotter army in Xi'an, arriving and spending two nights at the bell tower hostel, we shopped, explored super huge shopping centres, explored the area, heck, we even managed to convince some shop workert to start dismantling entire shelving racks all in the name of a lost magnet...
But anyway, our real reason for being there was the plant pot army, however after taking some local busses we arrived, paid our way in, then bluntly, confronted with a giant roofed pit containing a few hundred of the teracotter warriors. Slightly dissapointed we returned to Xi'an a few hours later and decided to ease our unrest wth some retail therapy and a trip to a strange chinese club... Mirko then made friends with some locals who, finding out our origin, continued for the following hour or so about nothing other than manchester united. YAWN!!!
The next and last day in Xi'an saw us all splitting and doing our own things, Miika, Mirko and Cherry heading off together, me exploring more shops, small markets, haggling over small pot bellied buddahs and finally completing the latest harry potter instalment over an iced vanilla latte in a strangely shaped starbucks!
Departing overnight we arrived in our destination of Chengdu, where we have been based the last three nights four days, exploring (kind of) on the first, visiting the pandas (Sooo amazing and amazingly lazy Ol) on the second not to mention purchasing the latest movie releases on dvd... the next entailed our depart from miika and cherry, who have now continued forth upon their own path of adventure seperate from myself and mirko.
The 'Grand Buddah' himself!
The third day also encompassed a trip to the famous 'Grand Buddah' via a series of local busses and transport, and funnily enough, bumping into two Polish girls (Anna and kasia) whom i had met some time ago randomly in the middle of the Mongolian Gobi desert... Small world. So visiting the buddah with the girls we returned to Chengdu via a jet propelled rickshaw (yes it really was), the no 13 bus and then a 2hour long distance bus bound for Chengdu west bus station!
Moments before the Rickshaw gained its rocket booster!
And finally today, lazing in on our first lie in for about a week, we later set out for the Wenshu monk temples to meet Anna and Kasia, meeting up we explored the Monistery and its gardens, rescued an inverted turtle before eating in a vegiterian resteraunt (allegidly), despite being very tempted to order either the 'spring rain bamboo' or the appealing 'pheonix of the moon' dishes, we settled on garlic prawns... (We got a mass of lobster and noodles soaked in ginger...).
Kasia in the Free Life Garden!
And now after checking out the girls hostel, simm's hostel, we chatted on politics and the eu before we said our goodbyes and they left for their flight.
Simms Hostel!
But now were back at the loft (our very modern and always lively hostel) whiling away the time before our 22:30 two day tarin ride to Gungzhao!
So, a few days before my next post... enjoy the quiet! ;)
Danny!
xxx
You've just got to love that Chinglish!!!
Sunday, August 5
Wednesday, August 1
OMG... I can post a blog in china!!!
Atop a mighty sand dune!
-Travelled for two days From Mongolia into China by tarin, and for some un-beknown reason, treated somewhat like celebrities/side show whilst we were waiting in a small village for our train to beijing. (we drew more of an audience than the local festival)
The Jinning Festival... (No wonder we drew a crowd)
-Arrived in Beijing, found our accomidation at the Leo guesthouse, then set off to purchase the latest HP Book!!! We sampled copious omunts of tea, Jasmin, Dradon, Green you name it (no gunpowder to be found though), generally bumming around.
It's Grid Face!
-Spent the next day trecking around the Great wall, or as our area was known as, 'The Secret Wall", twas actually really cool, the whole part of the wall was actually old, delapidated and crumbling, a hell of a hike to reach the top but it was worth it. Crazy wildlife aswell, stupidly noisey crickets, bat shaped butterflies and oddly large snakes...
Alas, The Great Wall!!!
-The last day in beijing saw each of us splitting up to explore beijing at our own pace, unsure about what the others had planned i paid visits to the forbidden city, some massively huge funky gardens, the winterpalace, some small meiandering hutongs, a small tea shop then back to the hostel bumping into mirko and eating food.
My Tea-lady friend!
-Leaving that night we were unluckily caught up in a massive thiuunderstorm, so managing to miss our bus to the train station for our train towards Pingyao mirko and i hailed a taxi (who's wiondow wipers were well, not working whatsoever) and somehow managed to dart our way onto the train moments before it left the station. (oh what a fun night that was, sleeping on a stupidly crowded train).
Thunderstorm + Broken wiper = DOOM!!!
-And know were here in pingyao, after a local girl helped us purchase tickets to pingyao, weve spent the day in this somewhat very typical looking 'movie set' chinese village incased within a giant wall. The night called for traditional chinese massages and a well deserved sleep.
Ping Yao and some of its many lanterns!
finally on to today, weve hired bikes and will spend the day cycling until the time calls for us to depart towards our next destination, Xi'an, and the teracoter (excuse the spelling) army!
Time is drawing to a close...
Danny!
Friday, July 27
Living life the Mongolian way!
After a vodka fueled night we arrived into UB got ourselves overnight stay, although as we arriver at 6am we chilled on the sofa drinking tea and watching cnn and a man dressed as an alligator before the cable blew, so in went my 8movies in one dvd, which we were fine with until i switched on the kettle and it blew the power too the whole building! (how many languages can you say whoops in???). Oh and managed to watch the transformers movie... was soooooo COOL!!!
Then began our 6night 7day desert treck through the gobi desert, the gang plus Heban (a korean traveler) it was full of fun, horse rides, suicidal goats, star gazing, korean wrestling, camels (oh the pain) Mongolains, nasty buiscuits and of course lots and lots of sand!!! (we even climbed to the top of some perfect Dunes)
The gobi was surprisingly fun ill admit, chasing sand twisters, sleeping inside woolen Ger tents, sleeping on the floor, getting eaten by desert mice, and even playing doctors with a sick mongolian baby (ok that one was a little more serious). But all in all its been pretty worthwhile! Heh, youd be surprised the things you can amuse yourself with in the middle of knowhere!
One noght we gopt lucky with our Ger... we got an electric light!!!
Off to Beijing next, lovely multiple day journey on the trains yet again!
Such is life!
Danny!!!
xxx
Sorry about the random photos... cant load up the images so have no idea what im uploading till its on here!!!!
Monday, July 16
Russian Trains, Lurkers, Polish Parties & Finns!
But yes, the train was fun (minus the facet we passed through six different time zones that proved hell to adapt too), we were the only english people, outnumbered only by russians and the large and very hospitabal group of polish that were also aboard the train. We spent some nights sleeping, others drinking vodka, well rather warm beer (пиво), some singing polish songs and others just chatting away to the people we met. Most of which proved to be very interesting characters indeed. more will be nexplained later.
But after five nights on the train we arrived form Mosocw to Irkutsk, said goodbye to our new found friends, mainly our polish translator friend Kasia, found our hostel, checked into Hazel's little gingerbread house (Hazel being the nickname we gave our russan extreme sports hostess whom fancies a bit of mirko...), were stuffed with pancakes, met up again with Kasia, went for GORGEOUS russian meal before heading for home meeting three other Finns (Whom we were to travel with to Lake Baikal and Olchin Island the next day) Linda, Walter and Nanne. The next morning we were stuffed with yet more pancakes curtousey of Hazel before we were shuffled off via minibus (Kasia also on board randomly) were we everntually arrived at the island and our fishing village hosts house (But only after being stranded without a bus for three hours). We swam in the freezing cold of lake Baikal (supposedly doing so adds a year to your life) before heading back for beer.
Next day it was off for a tour of the island where we were shown all of the sights and even made an apperance on a russian tv documentary before heading back for a sauna (complete with birchleaves) and a ngiht of beer filled, vodka drinking, champaign in my eye night of fun, all rounded off with a very long game of nothing other than the infamous 'The Question Game' (just ask dean, 'how wide...'), all this whilst my swim shorts almost burnt to a cinder... now they come complete with fron ventilation system!!!
Next morning, all feeling a little worse for wear, plus breakfast was as 8am and wed only got to bed at 4, before being once again bundled into a vam after bidding farewell to Kasia and the Finns, (well ubtil our train to Mongolia on the 18th of august, to which theyre in the next compartment). Sleeping most of the return journey we arrived back in Irkutsk and returned to Hazels grotto where we are to spend to more nights before our departure to Ulan Batar, the capital of the land of the Mongs!!!
Wow what an adventure eh!
Speak soon,
Danny & the Gang!
xxx
Sunday, July 8
From Russia With Love!
Yesterday was fun, went to a Featus museum, lots of strangely pickeled deformed babies in jars.... STRANGE!!! watched Elton John in concert... FOR FREE! lol, even though it was raining the russians were still full of groove and grooveness, kinda odd considering there usually rather glum and stand-offish!!!
God, last night at the hostel was fun, lots of vodka (well everydays full of vodka but you know) erm, yeah theres like 28 aussies here and they were all in our room last night, was ace guess what there favourite word is... Tis BOLLOCKS!!!! Wow Deanus would be proud!
Hey they even knew of the potter puppet pals, somehow managed to initiate a mass sing song of our favourite potter jingle, me taking on the role of Harry!
Harry potter, harry potter ooooo!!!
Was ace, hope all is well back in the land of Eng!!!Speak to you soonage!Danny!xx
But now as i said im residing in Moscow, leaving our buddies Alex, K and the aussie tour group behindmade way for the station. Anyway moscows not quite got the charm of St petersburg but hey not that bad... even though i only had 2 hours sleep from the overnight train! :s
Did the sight seeing thing today, missed Lenins corpse, they closed it up as we got there, damn 13.00 closing time! Had a great meal, with a rather cheeky waitress who was all for entertaining us whilst we ate, as well as cheekily hiding miikas flip flop!!!!! Met a few more english lasses back at the hostel, there dopin a similar thing to us but ending in aus with a work visa i think, given a few tips and pointers for asia. Met a few more people doing the trans siberian like us but a day or too later!
Heh, mirkos currently having fun with the local pussy (cat), spanish guys have decided i dont need a light on to use the computer and the rest of our gangs cooking some dodgey russian noodles!
Been on the hunt for an eng lang cinema whilst in russia, theres lots of them, but none in english. the price is bout 2pound 50 for an adult ticket too! Kinda gutted theres masses of adverts for the transformers movie... and unless i want to watch a dodgey dub, then no thanks. (Ratatoouilee or however its spelt is also pretty big too). anyone heard of a film called stardust???
Anyway, gunna head off and freshen up, off on the Trans siberian all the way to Irkutsk tomorrow... That means a lovely 5 day non stop train ride... But dont worry, weve stocked up on the essentials, foods provided on the train with endless amounts of hot water, so were prepared with our copious amounts of teabags and bottle of vodka! And for those that arent usre we can look after ourown company have no fear, were not anything like what you think!!!
Take care chaps and chapettes,
speak to you in mebe a week!
Danny!!!
xxx
Monday, July 2
Way Hei, Suomi!
Met up with the rest of our party, Mirko that day then Cherry and Lee when they arrived that evening, since then weve done alot of swimming in lákes, eaten masses of extremely freshand healthy food (no ham and cheese baguettes here) cycled a fiar bit, met up with random finnish girls and spent the day lazing around a rather large water park. last day here today, Dean already departed for his return flight too, hes really had an amazing time... Not that he really wanted to go home, he's well and truly been bitten by the travel bug!
Speaking of Dean he has been ace to travel with... Even if he did look like a Sweedish lady, (hums: Duh duh, duh duh...) :P
Off to Russia on the 4th, should be fun, bought our tickets today, so were deffinately off... the only problem being the lack of hostel availability (?) but it should prove fun to find!
Speak soon guys and gals!
Danny!
xx
Sunday, June 24
Budapest and beyónd!
But on with the story.
After booking the tickets to go caving within the confides of Budapests extensive cave network, Miika and Me jumped at the chance to go considering two years ago we missed out, however Dean was a little reluctant and decided against the idea of crawling through small holes. Anyway themorning we awoke, Myelf and Dea took a trip to the Schensel (something like that) Turkish baths in budapest, it was great thermal pools, mineral pools, and the water was fantastically hot, you could easily come here and not freeze in the winter.
After spending numerous hours at the baths it was time to leave, so leaving dean to explore the city on his billytod i made way to the caving meeting point, first there befotre the arrival of several norwegian individuals, miika and then a bunch of yet more americans. Setting off from the meeting point we followed our love smitten guide to the caving site via a series of busses, once there we geared up and set off into the caves...
The whole experience was fantastic, dark, not damp climbing, crawling, sliding and squeezing, i never knew id be able to fit through some of the gaps id gotten through, including the smallest of which being one known as the Winnie the pooh hole, known so because of te amount of people that get stuck there!
Lasting for a tad over three hours when we eventually emerged we grapped some quick beers before heading back to budapest by foot, taking the odd photo along the way and even having a mini feast on mc donalds cheeseburgers too.
The next morning it was time for me and Dean to leave Budapest, and make way to our new dstination, Prague a small city ´but needing to take a 6 hour train journey to reach it. Arriving in Prague at somewhere around 21.30 we had envisioned arriving at our hostel relativley easily... two hours later, we eventually did. (thanks to the road not existing on any maps). That night we decided to only spend one noght at the apple hostel, complete lack of atmosphere and a rather un friendlzy receptionist... however i did get my revenge! Moving the next morning to the much more social A Plus hostel, we checked into our room, when we entered we were greeted by about 6 english uni grads all scantily clad and passed out all over the room, great.
later that day we wandered round Pragues streets exploring and eating ice cream... i even checked out one of the interactive art exhibitions that was on, dare you take a peep inside...
Eventually the time came to depart for Berlin, so we returned to the train station, and boarded our train for Berlin, four hours later we arrived, found our hostel (again it was off the map) then dispersed for food with our Dansih roomie Kasper before heading out tro a live music show that lasted till the early hours.
For todays plans, were checking out a free tour of Berlin and leaving this great city at about 11pm to make way for our next destination... Sweden!!!
Catch you all soon!!!
Danny
Tuesday, June 19
Dubrovnik, ,Split and on to Budapest
Well the bus ride was ok... unless you count being stuck inbetween two very large and very sweaty individuals, yes, lots of fun... However the second half of the coach ride got better... minus them charging a euro to put my bag on the bus (what was a 23 euro ticket not enough) anyway it took us around a very large cove and some time later we caught our first sights of Dubrovnik and its old quarter... little did we know what was coming next...
The next morning we were off again however, destined for our next croatian destination, Split, however this required catching a ferry between the two places, which was great really and the sun made it all the better... we even met an english couple who lived in a town twinned with 24 of the 27 eu countries... theyd also gate crashed the queens birthday party dont you know... Such rebles eh! but alas, the ride gave us all chance to relax... Dean more so than the rest of us!
The next morning our watre rafting trip didnt quite work out as we didnt recieve the info we needed in time, so, day free we set off to explore the rest of what split had to offer! Mainly small market stalls selling all manner of items, and the old roman palace complete with underground chabers and art museums...
Dean became strangely fixated with this rock...
Friday, June 15
Well moving on, moving on!
Wait, this looks familiar...
Eventaually we aquired ourselves a taxi ride for 20euros, with our own personal three toothed, 100miles per hour driver, across another border to our newest destination, but that wasnt until we were searched by the police for various substances at the border crossing... Oh and we even got a new set of passport stamps!
Our three toothed driver!
Arriving at another very hot beach location we found some accomodation, grabbed a burger, then made our way off to another beach for yet some more swimming... we even did a couple of 7meter jumps too! then it was off to explore the castle like summit as the sun began to set!
Atop the fortress.
Watching the sun set.
However now its time to go, were going for a biite to eat then its bed time... Weve got a lovely 5am bus to catch to Dubrovnik tomorrow!
Guessing game.
You''ll go to Croatia near Montenegro and Bosnia and Hertzegovina and see the coast - you''ll then go to Zagreb and get the train or something to Hungary and on to Bratislava then to Praha where you'll decide one of the following 2:
Poland then onto Finland via the Baltic States
or;
Germany and onto Finland via Sweden
These options will probably depend on money and how much Danny wants to see the Baltic States. Personally I'd be stuck - the Baltic states are amazing but I'd want to go on the ferry in the summer cuz its so beautiful and could even meet Mirky while your in Sweden.
Well thats my guess anyway.
Miss you's all and love you's all - in the entirely non - commital way to danny and dean. Danny stop chasing girls with boyfriends - ah well - see you all in 12 days hopefully.
love and kisses
Cherry
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Silly Dean face...
"would you please mind putting some credit on the phone, the cards in the kitchen (i think...), but the charger works"
What a silly chap he is hey!!!
Thursday, June 14
Bye bye corfu, hello ......
Sruting their 'Greek Stuff'
But arising at 5am this morning we caught a bus to the harbour and caught a small boat from corfu to our next destination, once we arrived at the harbour it was off through passport control and onto a seemingly endless 8hour bus journey that could have proved to be quite fatal, considering the number of severe drops over the edges of the road edge cliffs.. no room for error here!
Sleepy faces at passport control.
Anyway, im not giving thename of the place were in away now, but it is fantastic, weve got ourselves a decent set of digs for the night, for a two floor, two bedroom, two bathroom complete with kitchen , lounge six sofas and a tv guess how much we paid... Yup thats right, 40 euros, no not each, thats in total between the three of us!!!! Not bad huh!
Well weve already had a meal and a wander around tonight, off to bed soon for another early morning tomorrow, but we should however be arriving in croatia no later than saturday!
Theres a really big clue in this picture...
Ciao for now chapps and once again chapettes, and enjoy the challenge!!!
Danny!