First leg of the Grand Tour completed.

So, we are back in Bangkok, having spent a month traversing across south east Asia. Being British, and therefore weather obsessed, we're pleased to report that it's a balmy 32 degrees and I'm currently sitting by the pool in my bikini writing this. Oh, sorry, did someone mention they're scraping ice off the car windscreens in London?!

Our trip across Thailand, Laos, Vietnam was very special, in spite of the hospitalisation due to dengue fever. There was a lot of travelling, and a lot of activities to partake in, mainly fantastic, sometimes exhausting, generally brilliant. Northern Thailand was wonderful, so much more chilled out than Bangkok, although I have a small issue with the Buddhist monk who gave us all a cotton bracelet for luck and healthy and happy travels in the monastery above Chang Mai, maybe my bracelet was prayed over by the monk who was on his i-phone during evening prayers? Or maybe I shouldn't have done Gangnam style in the cave temple in Laos.....





Sunset over Chang Mai from the Buddhist Monastery.


After Chang Mai, we moved on to lovely, lovely Laos. Beautiful country, wonderful people, and two days on a boat travelling up the Mekong river. I've written quite a lot about Laos in a previous post, so won't bore everyone by reiterating it here.

Vietnam: well, what can I say? We arrived in Hanoi to cloud, humidity, bonkers traffic and a thousand honking horns. Vicky went out to buy a new day bag, and had to abandon mission when she couldn't cross the intersection to get to the bag shop. After the tranquility of Laos, this was what I believe is known in common parlance as a head f**k. The following day we were off somewhere far more civilised, an overnight stay on a boat in Halong Bay. Incredible food, stunning scenery, did we really have to go back to Hanoi?





Ladies who sail (and drink $100 worth of cocktails)

Back in Hanoi, we saw a very dead Ho Chi Minh in his mausoleum, and only got told off three times there, for wearing sunglasses, talking, and not moving fast enough. Honestly, Communists alive are no fun, but dead, they're even more bossy.

It was at this point I started to feel dreadful, and now we faced the train journey from hell. We got the overnight train from Hanoi to Hue, four in a cabin, me with a raging fever, blinding headache and throwing up every twenty minutes. Our tour guide Kung, a total legend, came in every four hours, bathed me with cold towels and gave me paracetamol, which I'd promptly vomit back up. Upon arrival in Hue, the doctor was summoned and misdiagnosed respiratory tract infection. I dosed myself up on his quack drugs, spent all day in bed, and prepared to undertake the four hour bus journey to Hoi An.

Hoi An, beautiful little town, picturesque French colonial buildings, and a great hospital. On our second day, thanks to the power of the Internet, I realised I have all the symptoms of malaria. Instant panic: I don't want to go home/die/not be able to have a beer. The subsequent trip to the hospital reveals I have dengue fever and have to be instantly admitted. I scream and cry as they put the cannula in my hand to attach the drip, then have to phone my parents to tell them I'm in hospital in Vietnam. It could be worse, I tell them. It could be prison. Again, I've already written extensively about the hospital, so I won't repeat it here.

Discharged on the Sunday, we charged to the shops, restaurants and beach to make up for lost time.




Eating my first Asian meal (stuffed squid) in DAYS.

We then flew to Cambodia to meet up with rest of the group. The temples at Angkor Wat were one of the things I was most looking forward to, and I was determined not to miss them. I even managed a beer on my first night in Cambodia (yay me!) the following morning we got up to do the temple fatigue tour, four in one day. And then, despite a very early start the day after, we headed to pub street for shots, shits and giggles. Messy.

A tired and slightly hungover group assembled in the hotel lobby at 4 45am on the morning of Thursday 29 November for something very special. We were off to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat. Words cannot describe how beautiful it was, so I've posted a picture below:





Then off to another bloody temple, which actually turned out to be my favourite, the 'Tomb Raider' temple, where they made the film.











Then finally back to the hotel for breakfast, bed and recovery from the early morning, before a trip out to a massive, massive lake and floating village.





Our boats private masseur. 12 years old and utterly adorable.


Poor bastard will be a handbag before the year is out.


Then a final dinner in Cambodia, with the two ladies who had had a birthday on the tour getting cake and behaving very ladylike with it.




After a $5 pedicure, it was time for more beer, then back to the hotel. Sleep, a flight to Bangkok, and all of a sudden it was our last night as a group. Tears, laughter, hugs, and promises to keep in touch all round.



I can honestly say, that our group was fantastic. Despite the disparity in ages, our oldest member being in her 70's, and the youngest just 24, we had a total ball. Dave, Diana, Pat, Bob, Taryn, Simon, Juliet, Sam, Paul, Rebecca, and a special shout out to our tour guide, Kung, you made a good trip simply GREAT. Thank you all.