Still on my mini-holiday with mum, we headed over from Railay to Phi Phi island. My parents had visited Phi Phi when they back-packed South East Asia in the 80s. We were both curious to visit the place: my mum wanted to see how the new ‘poster child’ for Thai island tourism had changed and I … More Thailand Part 4: Eid al-Fitr in the Deep South (Krabi to Malaysia 26/06/16-07/07/16)
Crossing into Thailand from Laos a few months ago had prepared me for the shock getting off the boat back into Thailand and returning to the 21st Century. Air-conditioned shops, petrol stations, coffee stalls and western food outlets. I cycled onto a perfectly flat four-lane road and almost head first into a car. Whoops. I’d … More Thailand Part 3: Beach Bumming with Mum (Myanmar to Krabi 11/06/16-25/06/16)
A year ago I turned 23 in Turkey. I’d spent the night camping in petrol station owned by a lovely Kurdish family who invited me to dinner and gave me a sheltered pitch from the rain. On the 31st I woke up on my 24th birthday and started my day just as I start most … More Myanmar Part 2: Please, not the Police! (Dawei to Thailand 31/05/16-11/06/16)
I was more excited crossing into Myanmar than I remembered being at a border for a long time. Perhaps because it’s the first country on this trip that I never planned on cycling in. I’d considered it as a distant possibility before I left but it seemed like too complicated a country to ride. There … More Myanmar Part 1: Meditation with the Farting Monk (Thailand to Dawei 19/05/16-30/05/16)
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. That’s what I learnt in Chiang Mai. I’ve summoned the mental strength to cycle across vast deserts and over huge mountain ranges but when it comes to resisting a social drink in good company… I simply can’t. My plan after Songkran festival was to get back into … More Thailand Part 2: The Gypsy Curse (Chiang Mai to Myanmar 17/04/16-18/05/16)
I received my Laos exit stamp and walked out towards the Mekong. I crossed this same border 5 years ago – but last time you had to take a boat across. Now there’s a long ‘friendship bridge’ connecting the two countries at their most northern shared border crossing. I quickly jumped on my bike and started … More Thailand Part 1: Drowning in Songkran Festival (Laos to Chiang Mai 01/04/16-16/04/16)
The was a long no-man’s-land between Vietnam and Laos. It took me a while to cross as there was a mountain pass in the middle. When I dropped over the top I reached the first Laos checkpoint. I’d heard the guards from a mile away. They had crates of beer stacked up and were yelling at the … More Laos: The Dirtiest of Dirt Roads (19/03/16-30/03/16)
Wow. A blog title that doesn’t begin with the ‘C****’ word? That feels a little strange to type. Four months ago I crossed into China from Kazakhstan and now I’m finally out the other side. The South-East Asia adventure begins here in Vietnam. I was a little nervous at the border. Officially you have to … More Vietnam: Familiar Faces in the Black Hmong Tribe (09/03/16-19/03/16)
I left the Americans’ farm and began my last push to the border. I’d given myself two half days but that was all I felt I could afford. I hadn’t had a day off since Shangri-La but progress was slow in the mountains and time was ticking. I feel like I’ve been under time pressure … More China Part 8: The Escape (Lincang to Vietnam 26/02/16-09/03/16)
The last blog ended by the Yangtze river. From there I turned west to climb over the last mountains separating me from Dulong valley. I was advised not to take the road by the family I stayed with but as usual that just made me more keen to try it out. I guess that’s become … More China Part 7: Cock-fighting in Dulong Valley (13/02/16-25/02/16 Judianzhen to Lincang)
JKB's Bike Ride 