Groundhog days

It feels like we're stuck in groundhog day,since i last put pen to paper we have been desperately trying to reach the Laos border but due to the weather (monsoon) what a great idea to travel through south China in the monsoon when it is more than likely you will spend days travelling a few 100ks due to the roads which are dirt tracks in places,oh! and of course landslides several of them by the way.Also due to the 2008 Olympics there is a lot of advertising about it and there seems to be major road construction in places,we seem to run parallel to a road under construction on our travels yesterday.I've had three wet evenings of camping,one of those nights i slept on the truck because my tent had not dried out enough so just a bit tired of the rain in the evenings and as lovely as it is to wake up to the sound of the rain splashing onto my tent,i'm tired of little streams of water flowing between my ground sheet and tent.

As much as i've mastered the fine art of camping and using a wet wipe to wash,camping in the monsoon for prolonged periods is not to be recommended.Thankfully we had accomadation last night,had a hot shower and change of clothes the first in about four days so nice to be dry and in clean clothes.We are 50k from the Laos border.I really don't mind the rain but it's no good if your camping for days in the back of beyonds that is south China.Our rooms were very interesting last night,i would say this establishment offers rooms at an hourly rate rather than a nightly rate (if you know what i mean).We seemed to have hit upon the red light district of town (i'll let the adults explain that one to the chaps).Odd little place,it's got chickens running wild in the streets,tiny horrible little dogs and men wearing what look like wicker baskets on their heads for motorcycle helmets,strange i know!! They still spit on the streets so got to watch your step.Each country we have passed through they seem to favour some kind of animal running around in the streets.Here it's chickens,in India it was the sacred cow,in Turkey it was cats and dogs.Tibet it was the Yak and pigs,it's all a bit mad.

This morning has cheered me up to no end had local breakfast and then headed to the local food market where we stocked up on fruit and veg,i went very hungry yesterday and at times find it difficult to stick to food that suits me best,mainly due to whats available.The market was so alive with people doing there morning shopping and fish in basins waiting to be someone's lunch.Also saw massive cured ribs of beef that were as tall as me.Food really cheap here got enough fruit for two people for a couple of days for no more than three pounds,it's the way to shop here.The supermarkets are full of processed crap with too much packagaing which is a sin,because it gets dumped on the street.I have to say the Chinese are better at disposing of their waste.

Not sure how long we will be here,hopefully the next time we speak i'll be in Laos and hopefully celebrating my birthday somewhere exotic (thats not a hint either ) Take care Ave x x x x x x x x

Back again and while i have you here,we are spending the weekend here.We need further paperwork to get us into Laos.I thanked John our guide through China for giving us the oppurtunity to stay yet another few days in China,just a shame about the location.Not the best of guides but still a nice guy and i have to remember China is in control of our stay,things are very offical here if we need an extra bit of paper then so be it.At least we've been up graded to a far nicer hotel.There is a swimming pool nearby,one or two of the others have gone to check it out.So swimming might be part of the Sunday morning plan and then breakfast in the market.I don't think there is a great deal to do here for intertainment.Lots of shops selling mobile phones not sure what thats all about but good internet connections,(i may be on the buttons again tomorrow).The chinese like their computers,gaming is big here,lots of internet locations,come evening they are normally packed out.Another thing of all the foreign countries i've been in no english magazines or papers sold here.China shelters what filters through from the rest of the world.You can easily forget what day it is and what is happening outside this country.Even the internet here does not allow you to view the bbc pages.Interesting,i've been reading a book by Bill Bryson called "Downunder" in preparation for visiting Oz it was something he had written that made me feel the same about China.Oz like China is a huge and vast country sheltered from the rest of the world,there is things going on here that the west know nothing about and in China i seem to have forgotten time more,not sure if it is because i've been on the road awhile.Downunder is a good read if you want to know the low down on Oz,although i didn't read the last little bit,i just covered the cities.I've moved unto a book titled The girl in the photograph,not sure who the author is but it gives an account of the Vietnam war from a casualty,a young girl who got injured and was photographed running away naked with fear in her face,it's what happened to her and her life since that day.I seem to be enjoying reading travel books and history these days,i've forgotten whats good in the world of fiction.Two of the girls from the truck have bought the latest Harry Plopper,i meant Potter novel,so it's doing the rounds at the moment and all who read it are under oath not to discuss it with non-readers/yet to read latest novel.It's on the book list.

Going try and upload photos so keep checking the site out for new pics,later folks      Ave    x x x x x x xx x