As Daniel likes to keep reminding me I should be updating this more. I'm now in Laos after travelling from Bangkok through Cambodia into Vietnam and then up to Hanoi before crossing into Laos yesterday. Starting with Cambodia... Was a lovely place in general, seeing Angkor Wat was really quite special especially as we spent both sunrise and sunset there and visited a lot of the other temples in between. After the day at the temples we went out for a few (or quit...

Been a busy few weeks so haven't had much of a chance to blog. Today is my last day with the Mirror Foundation volunteering. Spent my second week here staying in one of the local villages building the water system. Was good to be out there but the work was hard. Turned out we were carrying sand, rocks and some concrete cylinders to be made into a water tank up a pretty big hill. Spent my birthday digging a trench back down the hill to lay the pipe in! Birthday w...

Up in northern Thailand volunteering now. In the last few days I've taught in a special needs school, and some other schools. Had some quite rough experiences, turns out that kids need a lot to do to last an hour. One class ended with a few of us looking at each other mouthing the word "Ideas?" The cold bucket showers and the very thin mattress on concrete take some getting used to but starting to get there now. Next week is our homestay where we go up...

In Bangkok now. Celebrating Chinese New Years in Beijing was mad. Kids seemingly as young as 8 setting off fireworks in the middle of the pavements, was like walking through a minefield. Got to Beijing airport the next day still feeling slightly hazy! Flight was good, managed to maintain my 100% record of getting extra leg room from emergency exits/main doors on this trip. Had a walking tour with local guide Willie (thats the name he gave his real name was about...

Thought I'd add a few more things from the land of China before I move on. Responding to some of the comments I've had: Despite facebook being banned some news does still get through mostly via the Chinese newstation that is ominously called CCTV! Yes the scorpion on a stick was alright, crunchy and spicy! The silk worm lavae was adequately described by someone I was travelling with as " Like a ball of leather filled with pus" And Grandma as far as I...