QUESTIONS ABOUT MY TRAVELS...

OK this post is for people who want to ask me anything about my travels.

Questions anyone...

THE MYSTERIOUS NINJA

Ok I am back from my travels.

I wanted to do a post to try and discover the origins or failing that the identity of the Mysterious Ninja...

I had a pretty good idea who it was, then upon returning to work found it not to be...

So who is he/she? I imagine it's a guy.

Any ideas anyone? I doubt the mysterious ninja would want to divulge or he/she would only simply become "The Ninja".

Wot's bin appenin...

Since I last talked, I have done about 10 flights. This travelling malarkey is quite hard work, but some of the things I have seen you would not believe...

Been around Melbourne, Australia, Been all over New Zealand - Mount Cook was the highlight. Absolutely great place New Zealand. Very cheap and friendly and beautiful - apart from Christchurch which was very much like England. Needless to say I did not like Christchurch.

Singapore was great. So much so I am flying back there tomorrow for an extra trip. I think it's my favourite place in the world right now.

Vietnam was a big culture shock. My travel comapanion Lee departed Singapore a week early to be with his girlfriend in Thailand - leaving me to explore Vietnam on my own. The first thing you notice is the traffic in Saigon. Crossing the road is a true 50/50 live or die situation. It's 99percent motorbikes - no one wears crash helmets, and there is usually about three or four people to a bike. Took me a while to get used to it but now I can get about like the locals :)

I managed to single handedly wreck my hotel room in Saigon. I could not get any hot water in my shower so I punched the wall as you do. I broke a tile and ruptured the water pipe - causing a torrent of water to fly out of the wall at an alarming volume. By the time I located the main water tap and turned off the water, the place was pretty flooded. I did what any person would in this situation. I did a runner. Escaped on the back of a motorbike without paying hehe. I hope they don't catch up to me.

I also visited Nha Trang and Hanoi in Vietnam - Nha Trang was very touristy. I stayed in a island called Vinpearl island. I managed to kick everyones ass at water soccer and water volleyball - even the aussies!

Hanoi was also great - pretty much like Saigon. Loads of shops and markets. Found loads of cheap Hong Kong movies. I got about 20 titles for about 3 quid. You can get anything you want there - no questions asked.

Vietnam is the cheapest place I have ever been. I beer will set you back about 40p. A meal about a quid. And it's so friendly ;) I already miss it.

Currently in Thailand hanging out with Lee and his girlfriend. Only six days left :(

I had better end here - going to go and explore the Thai nightlife :)

Phil

Yeah, Yeah...

...So I have not updated this blog for ages. I have been since been to several places such as the Philippines, Hong Kong and Australia and am currently in New Zealand.

I lost my phone way back in Shanghai so cannot take any more pics. Lee has been taking loads though - over 300! So I will post these once I am back in 3 weeks! The time is going far too fast, but I cannot deny I am having a great time. Spent far too much money though, my ambition to stick to 30 quid a day soon went out the window, I think yet another loan is on the cards.

The Philippines were so beautiful, I did not want to leave there. Boracay island is the most amazing place I have ever been to. So my mind is still there.

Anyway, off to traverse Wellington today. Have one minute of internet time left so I will end here and will try and update soon :)

See y'all. And no I don't know who the weird Ninja guy is either.... Very mysterious...

BEIJING TO SHANGHAI

Finally had time to update my blog. This blog website is partly blocked in China, I can send blogs but cannot view them, so apologies if I have not responded to any messages.

Last time I left you all, I was in Beijing, about to climb the great wall with Lee. Well climb it we did.

We left on a falling apart minibus and speeded towards the great wall which was a good three hours away. The drivers in China are nuts so it was a farily harrowing ride.

Once we arrived, we caught a cable car and began to walk and climb along the 10 Kilometre section of the wall. Before long we were followed by two ladies who became our guides. We didn't ask for this service but there was no way to get rid of them so we let them follow us. Finally, they tried to sell us some maps and T-shirts etc. They were such nice people trying to earn a living so we bought some junk and said goodbye to them. A few minutes later more people appeared to be our guides and sell us crap. This happened several times throughout the journey. I did feel for them all though as they were mostly poor farmers trying to make a living, and if anything they added to the whole experience. The great wall was definately my biggest highlight so far, although my legs ached for two days afterwards!

The next day we caught the train to Shanghai where we have been ever since. Shanghai is vastly different. It is much more alive then the capital, and spares no expense in showing it's wealth. Taking a walk along The Bund was just mind blowing, and contrasts sharply with the slums dotted all over the city. Poverty is rife here too, and I lost count of the number of times I was approached by beggers and hawkers as I explored.

We have spent five days here and head off to Hong Kong tomorrow if all goes well.

Phil Wyatt

Monday October 29th 2007

Dear All...

So we arrived in Beijing. The whole Heathrow thing went very smoothly which is a first for me.

We finally touched down in China on the Monday morning of the 22nd October. We managed to navigate the coach and subway trains without too much difficulty and finally arrived at out Hotel, which is hidden down an ancient looking alleyway in the heart of Beijings poorer district.

It is such a fascinating place. Unfortunately looking like an 'alien' it's very difficult to blend in. Walking down the streets it's only a matter of minutes before someone tries to sell us something or take us on a tour of some kind. But it's not too much of a problem as everyone seems so polite here.

On the Monday evening we met a couple of students who wanted to practise their english with us. They were very nice people, and wanted to come for a drink with us. Before we knew it they had shown us to a back room of this tea house where an entire tea ritual was performed in front of us by a beautiful Chinese girl. She spent an hour with us letting us sample loads of different Chinese teas. It was more fun then it sounds as everyone was so nice. Then they showed us the bill which was 3000 Yuan (about 200 quid!) Bloody expensive tea that, and how could we refuse as everyone was so poilite! We could have done much better things with that money and beautiful Chinese girls then having a cuppa... The students wouldnt split the bill with us either as they were far too broke...

Today was spent exploring the Forbidden city which was fascinating. Avoiding the street hawkers is becoming an Art form. I swear I saw one of the Chinese students from yesterday trying to convince a couple of dumb looking Westerners to come have a nice cup of Cha with them.

Anyway I must stop for now, I am off to a Kung Fu demonstration and the walking ten kilometres along the great wall tomorrow. Just have time for some good old PG Tips

Talk soon,

Phil

Dear all....

I thought I would start this blog a few days before I embark on my epic trip around Asia and the Antipodeans. My flight leaves this coming Sunday 21st October.





I have two Credit cards, two months unpaid leave, 14 flights, 2 trains, 2 ferries and a big packet of Imodium to get me through. I hope I can update this blog fairly regularly to keep you all up to date, although some places I am going to don't have Internet, and predictably, some times I will be far too lazy.

I have been planning and fine tuning this trip since July, so hopefully nothing can go wrong ;)

My companion for the journey is a filmmaker friend of mine called Lee, who has done lots of work in Asia - including several music video shoots - so he knows his way around a lot of the places we are going.

I had a scare recently with Visa problems - the lack of one to be precise! I obtained my Chinese visa fairly easily via a trip to London, but did not have time to get my Vietnamese visa the same day. I sent off for it by post, and then came the major post strike! So I was on tender hooks the last few days hoping my passport would come back in time. Thankfully I got it last weekend. If that is the only panic I have during this trip, all will be well.

The first leg of my jouney will be mainland China. I will be flying into Beijing and getting a train down to Hong Kong through Shanghai.

PHIL WYATT
Cambridge, UK.
18th October 2007


NEXT TIME:

ARRIVING IN CHINA

DOING THE TOURISTY STUFF