Síle & Bruce’s Travel Blog

We are in Goa at the moment, its very laid back here. We are staying at jerrys place, yes the owners name is jerry and his sons have funny names, well one anyway john all good, the other Genesis (Sing it Phil). Anyway on with the story. We met this english chap Dale from oxford, he has been coming to india for 15 years and knows jerry very well. Jerrys sister and husband owns a guest house across the road, when dale overheard how much we were paying a night, he told us its cheap as chips, ” I think jerry undercuts his sister sometimes, just to piss her off” all good for us I said. When jerrys sister first met her now husband alex he was a professional football who played for India. His then and now hero is Kevin Keegan, the geordies favourite. Jerrys sister and alex had two boys, the first one they call Kevin and yeap you guessed it the second they called Keegan. Dale was invited to kevins wedding a couple of years ago. Dale wrote to Mr keegan and told him the story of his indian friends, unfortunately mr keegan couldn’t be arsed to reply. So dale got some to write a letter pretending to be Kevin keegan. He presented at their wedding an made a quick speech. Apparently the picture is framed and on the wall in the house. Quality.

Well, we are of to sunny or rainy india tomorrow . After 3 months in aus we decided instead of working lets get back on the travelling trail. Its going to be a big slap around the face with the culture bat but thats what we are after. Flying in to mumbai 6pm wednesday. We haven’t got a clue what or where to go but I guess that will sort its self out when we get there. It kind of feels like we are leaving again for the first time and heading out to craziness. Looking forward to a lamb samosa and kingfisher beer chaser! If it all gets abit much we are going to head straight to goa for a 2month beach chill down and kingfisher chaser.

Australia has been good, not what we expected, but then not sure what we expected. The best experience was buy the van and living like tinkers for the last 2 half months. Most of the people we met with coffin dodgers in caravans but you know they have interesting stories to tell. Fraser Island was cool, alot of people had told us to head there and it was well worth it. 

Its been quality staying with some old friends I haven’t seen for a long time. We have eaten some strange stuff on our travels but I think aus so far has it, maybe the old minds got back into the western way but vegiemite and cheese sausage? They are an aquired taste, I personally found them better cold. Best beer in aus, I would say Tooheys new or tooheys extra dry, good beers. Best slang words would be ” No dramas” its cool don’t worry about it or Bogan, which translates to a good old british pikey chav.

Well thats about it, bit gutted we are missing japan but where we are heading to is going to be just as mad

Regards to everyone

Shee and Bruce

Well it was until a few days ago, by which time I had spent 5 hours in the water trying to get up on the board, ended up busting two fins on the back of it (due to fatigue) and realized my nipples and chest had turned into a tandoori oven. Walking back to the guest house down beat with my tail between my legs Shee tried to console me by trying not to laugh to much and explaining I should of had a lesson in the first place like she suggested.

But anyway bali’s great, everywhere we have been is pretty cool, we left koh tao and head back to pattaya to see my 3 uncles. Linz had sorted us the best room we’ve had so far which was abit of a treat. we spent 5 days there in which time they took us on a tour of some very entertaining drinking establishments, the one with a jacuzzi in was the standout of the night. Cheers for a good tour guys!

So we left there and flow to Kuala Lumpur. Really enjoyed it great blend of people, amazing buildings, got some great photos. We were going to cruise overland from there all they way to bali, but time wasn’t on our side, so we opted for 6 weeks in bali and islands east of. We have found a great guest house with a pool for 4 quid a night, top stuff and are meeting some really interesting characters.

Hope alls well back home

Take it easy Sile and Bruce

Yes its true people, in this crazy country the locals and alike have come up with a novel and sometimes ear bleeding sound track for those already horn fuel streets. Vehicle reversal music. Heres the top 3

1. Jingel Bells

2. Happy Birthday to you

3. We wish you a merry christmas

Im not sure this will be beaten!

What a great place Hoi An was, it was still 46 in the shade, but a slick 5km bike ride out of town and you land on a storming beach with an array of quality seafood restaurants. Hoi An was a chilled out affair, we met some decent people there which we got slighty pissed with on more than one occasion, ask sile about the big bamboo, Its a drink!!

We managed to blag a hotel with sky, bathtub and swimming pool for 5 pounds a night. Hoi An was also good for some local tradtional munch out affairs, including White Rose, bit like Wonton stuffed with pork and topped with fried onions and also Cau Lao which is a soup with chunky noodles, croutons and sliced pork, top stuff.

But a trip to Hoi An was not complete until we bought some hand made clothes. I spent a few quid on a 3 piece (Pimp) suit which looks the nuts, chacoal grey with a dark green lining. Its on the ship for 3 months. Sile bought a stunning greeny blue dress which I will look forward to seeing her in when we get back and also a spot on green winter jacket all made to measure, so we’re gonna look storming on all those formal nights out. We spent 8 days in Hoi An and have just arrived in Hanio the capital after a 16 hour bus jounrney from the deapths of a ditch.

After days of negotiations and drunken ramblings with our saigon mates, juen and salvidor, I finally persuaded them to let me in the football team for easter sundays crunch match at the stadium near the airport. Playing full back for the dragons was a real challenge but after months away from the pitch in london playing for emap rocketeers, i was up for the game. With professional photographer S.Joyce on the sidelines all of the action was documented include the kit, which was abit of a snug fit. Unfortunately we lost 3-0, the first goal was a complete fluffage by there stand in goalkeeper and the 3 was a disputed penalty. Overall though it was a brillant experience playing 90 minutes with the locals, never thought for one minute it would happen so all good. Pics to follow.

Im never gonna complain about bus trips in the uk again, Lands End to John O’Groats is a walk in the park compare to the journey we injured about a week ago. VIP bus from laos to bangkok, Vip, I don’t think so, we didn’t feel very important, more like cramped. About 3 hours in my tummy decided to expand some what, which for the next 3 hours would become a major concern for myself and my underpants. Lucky as time went by the trouble subsided after another 3 hours it gave me the green light, and i was back in the room. We struggled into bangkok and got a quick connection to the cambodian border, where phase 3 of the journey would start. Local propain rally taxi (express) I have never seen a highway stroke dirt track like it, unbeliveable. The taxi drivers horn had given up the ghost 2 hours in and instead of a loud blast it had turn into a quiet whimper. By the way, sile’s remarks about me having to wear a sports bra are unfounded, my peks are in good shape due to the healthy 7 pints a day of local beer i am consuming, they’re in good shape. Siem Reip was good, im not a religous person but sites we visited were pretty awsome, it was like been in Indiana Jones and the temple of doom. We headed to the capital where I was looking forward to another couple of days on the bike, I quickly decided against that when we entered the place. It is a complete free for all on the roads, drive the wrong way up a dual carriage way or take the whole family for a bit of dinner, record so far is 6 people on one bike.

We are now at the coast and back on the bike and enjoying the beach and local curry and beer, 50p for a pint of ankor draft. (Back of the net) Hope everyones well. Take it easy

On our honda stepthrough tour of the captial Vientiene we decide to head out of the city to a budda park 30kms south east of the city. The roads are another story (could of done with a motocross bike). we had been told by an english lady that the beer lao factory was on the way to the budda park, quite an ideal situation im sure you can imagine, but also that they give you beer and a tour of the factory, and guess how much it cost. Not a penny. So we pull up at the factory, through a door, where we are greeted by a lady who ushers out into a garden where she promptly asks us to sit down. Im not going to argue with this lady as I think she might have a few treats in store, and sure enougth 2 minutes later she reappears with two bottles of beer lao, a questionaire and beer lao stickers. Brillant. We slurp down the beer and then are taken into the factory for a quick tour. Interesting fact: They actually brew and can Calesburg beer there. Anyway I asked her if i could take a few snaps for the collection but was denied, had to take it on the chin as she had layed on a good spread.

Its very good, 5% with a crisp clean taste and get this it cost 40p a bottle. Back of the net. Its to easy to have a drink in this country. Sile made me buy a bottle of whiskey the first night we got to vang vieng, with two cokes it cost 3.20 or something, and its good gear. Laos has been a mixed bag. When we crossed the border into huay xai it was roasting, 35 plus. we spent 2 days there and then got the 2 day slow boat down to luang prabang, stopping over night in pak beng, tiny place run of generators, at 11.30 the place just shuts down, quite strang. Anyway, we were really looking forward to luang prabang as it is bigged up in the travel book. What a let down, it was freezing which was not ideal and the prices were sky high. It was a blaytant tourist trap, bit annoying. Anyway we have ended up in a place called vang vieng which is sweet as a nut. Alot cheaper and lots of bars, restaurants also things to explore like caves and lakes and more bars etc etc…

We went to see Thai boxing on Friday, what a night. The great thing about Thai boxings rules are, that there are no rules. The stadium was quality, wooden framed corrugated Iron roof. Ringside seats and a stall to get a few sherbets from. As the snake charmer style music sang out the first fighters appeared. Starting out all slow and sort of movin to the music, I was beginning to think we had been done, but then all of a sudden, smack and kick. The fight explored into a kicking and punching feast. Round three and things were getting abit hairy for the fighter in red, 30 seconds to go in the round and out of no where a full force elbow crack onto the jaw and done goes the blue fighter! Hes out cold for a full 6 minutes. The commentator grabs the mic and trys to assure everyone that the fighters alright. Carried out on a stretcher and left in the docs room, (a hut with a red cross painted on it). After 6 minutes hes up and about with a ciggy on the go. Quality