Can you believe it has almost been 6 months already?! Well, sometimes I can, and sometimes I can't. It is a strange thing that happens to your body clock when you travel - not only does time bear no relevence to what you are doing (a prime example is the regular weekly 15-20 minute conversation regarding what day it is), but for the first time in my life, I am able to get up every morning at between 6am and 7am without an alarm clock. Fascinating how such a change in lifestyle can all of a sudden reverse a life long habit of sleeping in late, and finding it hard to get up in the mornings. So, along with my new found 'skill' I have also found a deep and unerring hatred of cockerels. They are everywhere - always with a few hens and chicks in tow, and always right outside whichever hostel/hotel/homestay/cell window I happen to be dozing in in the morning. And avian flu is supposed to be a bad thing...? Hmmm...
So, what else can I report?
OK, Six months in and I can confirm that:
- I have not yet grown a beard, although the eternal lazy man's stubble has kicked in.
- I have not now got long hair.
- I am now a sandal wearer, and I am not afraid to admit it.
- I do not spend most of my time contemplating the myteries of life (or indeed any of my time).
- I do spend most of my time wondering what is going on.
- I still find museums very boring.
- I haven't converted to any weird religion.
- I don't get bored of the beach.
- Asia is hot.
- My sandles make my feet smell.
- My feet are in tatters - a total mess of blisters, sores and (still) swollen ankle.
- I have lost about 5kg, but have no idea where.
- I am becoming more of a 'doofus' everyday. Apparently.
- I do actually miss work. Well, not work exactly, but the feeling of doing something like work. Strange.
- No matter how much you soak them, you can never get the smell of 5 months travel from a pair of sandals.
- Travelling independantly with no prebooked onward flights, or hotels is far cheaper and easier than you imagine.
- Asia is cool.
On top of these facts, I can list a few other pointless and trivial things, just to pad this mail out...
If you were wondering why there is a lack of photos on the blog, then I can only apologise - there seems to be a small problem with travelling and photos... Let me explain:
The digi cam photos from the first 5 weeks in India (totalling about 500, and including the few which are listed on this website) were transferred to CD, which after a few weeks of travelling was found to be cracked and unreadable by Windows. I'll have to see if I can sort that one out when we get back.
The digi cam photos from the following 10 weeks (including the remaining India photos, all of Southern Thailand, all of Singapore, and most of Malaysia) was accidently deleted (doofus), and unrecoverable.
The SLR has been used to take some wicked photos. Well, it would have done if the zoom lens we had bought (with a special filter to enhance the colours) had had the special filter fit correctly - instead of bringing the colour out in the photos, the lens instead washed all the colour out. Ultra woundage.
Oh well - I heard someone say once - 'What's for you won't go by you'. If that fits to this situation, then I guess I will use it. But it doesn't get over the fact that we lost some pretty decent photos...
I guess the silver lining is that there is less material with which to bore you all when we get back.
Damn it!
Other usless information - top two worst journeys:
Siliguri to Kolcatta (India) bus - 12-14 Hours local bus - 'asian' sized leg room; sweltering heat; and to top it all off, an over eager horn-pressing driver, who didn't seem to stop hooting throughout the long long night (except when the Bollywood movie was on at full volume).
Dompu to Mataran (Indonesia) bus & ferry & bus - The ticket for this was arranged at the pretty hard to reach Lakey Beach in the south of the Indonesian island of Sumbawa through our helpful beach bungalow manager. As I had a little bit of 'squirty bum' (as the aussies put it), we thought a little bit of luxury for a 12 hour journey would be in order - a coach with a toilet!!! Yes, all expenses were paid to book the 'Super Executive' coach from Dompu in Sumbawa to Mataran in Lombok, to ensure as pleasent a journey as possible - with no 'complications'.
We were very much looking forward to the pleasures of luxury living as our experience with the local transport had been pretty bone shaking, to say the least - not to mention the sometimes aggresive touting that a few of the locals like to push on the travelling westerner (but that is another story).
I had never travelled on a 'Super Executive' caoch before, and was all the more eager to settle down to a good nights sleep, and easy access to the neccessary ablutions, if needed.
Well, it didn't get much more luxury than the Rasa Sayaw Super Executive coach. We got to spend our 12 hours on the bus right next to the toilet, sharing the same 5 foot square space (enclosed, for some reason, from the rest of the bus) with 4 grown adults (smoking), one small child (crying), and several boxes (inanimate). Needless to say, all we needed was an ever-honking-horn, and we would have been totally sent over the edge.
Well, that was this morning (and last night), and this is now - 20:25 in an internet cafe in Lombok, and about ready to sleep.
al
:o)
Canopy walk in Borneo - 40Ms high over the quickly decreasing rainforest. The view is spectacular and we are glad to have been able to see it now - the government is allowing massive deforestation for the cultivation of Palm tree plantations to produce palm oil. The effect on the wildlife is devastating, and the number of rhino, elephant and orang-utan are diminishing at sickening rates... 
A stunning view from a river boat in the rainforest.
