Dungroovin round the World
In and around World
OK so we're close to the off and all of a sudden it's real!! All the favourite tunes are on the ipod (can I really live a year without hearing Deep Purples' Speed King??) I've spent so much time wrestling with Indiarails' reservation service that Kim is threatening to buy me an anorak and note book. (For revenge I've booked her cattle class - squat toilet from Bombay to Jodphur!!!)
We're packing the last of the house and realising how tough it is going to be to be away from home friends and family for a whole year. This is my last week at work for a year...I can hardly believe it!
On the other hand we have the adventure of a lifetime awaiting us ....or until the cash runs out! (probably about a month from now and we'll have to hide in Penge for the rest of the year) So now we need to finish moving out, cut our packing from three wardrobes down to two rucksacks and try and be on the plane on time....next stop Mumbai.
We hope that this will be a useful resource for those other "older" travelers who want to set off on such an adventure. Like you we have scoured all the travel books for advice and found that the advice for every sticky situation (no money, train, lost flight tickets, where to store your stuff for a year) is the same, "contact your parents" I'd need a bloody good medium as mine have been dead 10 years!!
So here's to you potentially intrepid traveler, just bloody well go for it.
Route taken and entries by Real Traveler dungroovin
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1
Mumbai
Dirty, Dirty, Dirty, Spit, spit, spit, honk, honk honk, smelly, smelly, smelly, but, enough about Kim, It's a Typical Stinking, F***ing, hot day he... Continue reading »
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2
Goa and Gokarna
The flight to Goa has been comfy and short, my favourite kind!!
Arrived in Goa right at the start of their season and the difference between... Continue reading »
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3
Kerala
Kerala
Our train was due to leave Gokarna at 01:43!! We arrive prompt at 12:30, the train arrives promptly at 04:00.
Amazingly, t... Continue reading »
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4
Jodphur
We took a flight from Kerala to Mumbai and stayed in the fairly awful Host Inn. (Cockroach city!! perhaps they mean a host of cockroaches) The room... Continue reading »
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5
Jaisalmer
We arrive in Jaisalmer at 07:00 after racing through the streets of Jodphur in the dead of night (hair raising) in a rickshaw to pick up our night... Continue reading »
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6
Jaipur
We arrived in Jaipur after a fairly sleepless night on the train as Kim again sees a mouse! I think mouse= no roaches and would prefer that b... Continue reading »
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7
Agra
Arrival in Agra was pretty striaghtforward, the bus hesitated just long enough for us and our stuff to get chucked into the main street. We hopped... Continue reading »
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8
Varanasi
We rickshaw to the station at Agra, the place is quite an experience. As the only white couple amongst hundreds of families camped on th... Continue reading »
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9
Darjeeling
We debate long and hard about whether to rickshaw or taxi to the station, we opt for taxi. Boy! was that ever a good move. Hacking thro... Continue reading »
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10
Calcutta
Just a week or so left in India. We've got tired now of the constant stink and hassle. All the little things that were quite endea... Continue reading »
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11
Bangkok/Chiangmai
On the flight it becomes clear we have some "trainees" amongst the flight staff. They are unprepared fr the experienced freeloader. &nbs... Continue reading »
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12
Chiang Mai/Chiang Khong
We're staying in Chang Mia for a few days to celebrate the Kings 80th Birthday. The town is dressed up beautifully with lots of lanterns part... Continue reading »
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13
Louang Prabang/Viang Vieng
The boat trip to Louang is a real experience. It's a less than sturdy vessel and is packed, with few concessions to comfort with around 200 p... Continue reading »
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14
Vang Vien/Vientiane
From the balcony of our room in the evening we can watch all the little hut camps and river side bars start to light up, eventually the whole river... Continue reading »
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15
Ventian/Bangkok
Getting out of Lao is much much easier than getting in. The border is at the beautifully named friendship bridge. You just pass the raz... Continue reading »
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16
Hanoi
Our taxi ride to BKK airport is hair raising, the guy doesn't slow below 140KPH even when Kim is hitting him in the back of the head and screaming... Continue reading »
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17
Nha Trang
We had a slight altercation with a cabby leaving Hanoi as he tried to bump the price up, we had him stop and pulled all our luggage out in the midd... Continue reading »
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18
Mui Ne
The trip to MuiNe is around 4.5 hours by bus. Funny but trips like this seem really easy now whereas 4 hours on a bus in the UK would have se... Continue reading »
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19
Ho Chi Minh City
One of the most remarkable things about the trip to Saigon is the number of Churches we pass, all of which are absolutely packed, in fact ther... Continue reading »
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20
Phnom Penh
Saigon has been a fantastic place to stay and we can't help thinking we're leaving a little too early, on the other hand it's very exciting moving... Continue reading »
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21
Sihanoukville
We have a 4 hour bus trip to get here. The tuk tuk mafia are waiting for us. In serried ranks they await the arrival of the bus, then cl... Continue reading »
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22
Siem Reap
Our trip to Siem Reap requires a return journey to Phnom Penh which we're happy about as we grew to really like the city. We're travelling "M... Continue reading »
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23
Poipet and Thai border
The trip to Poipet and the Thai border is quite something. It takes us all of 2 minutes to agree that the car was the way to go. The ro... Continue reading »
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24
Soi Dao, Rayong, Pattaya
We took a taxi from the Thai/Cambodia border town of Poipet to of all places the Soi Dao Golf club to meet my sisters friends Basil and Pet. ... Continue reading »
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25
Trang
A three hour bus trip to Bangkok we arrive in incredible heat, then a short tuk tuk to the subway where an idiot guard insists on "searching" our r... Continue reading »
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26
Island Hopping Ko Kraddan, Ko Ngai
Dear blog forgive us, for it is full 20 days since last we blogged.
We have been sorely tried as in thine wisdom thou hast seen fit to... Continue reading »
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27
Hat Yai to Penang
We returned to Trang town to pick up transport to Malaysia via Hat Yai. Dropped off from Koh Lipe on the mainland we've made great time, "Is... Continue reading »
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28
George Town
We get to Butterworth for the car ferry around 1PM and cross the bay seeing the most enormous jellyfish we've ever seen on the way. Once dr... Continue reading »
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29
Cameron Highlands
Well that was a bloody trip and a half...........We bundled on the bus in Butterworth, it's hot but raining, very steamy. When we get on the... Continue reading »
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30
Kuala Lumpur
Arrived in Kuala Lumpur after a long and torturous trip down the mountains. When we stop for a drivers pee break the change in temperature fr... Continue reading »
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31
Singapore
Just another short six hour bus trip!!
Starts out nice and early and we have the usual chaos at the bus station, no one knows where the... Continue reading »
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32
Beautiful Beautiful Bali
OOOOOH Bali is sooooooo lovely!! Immigration is the toughest yet and a real pain but ubnderstandable given the damage the Bali bombers have done to... Continue reading »
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33
Perth
So here we are hanging off the other side of the World....weird feeling. We arrive in Perth and if we thought we'd experineced horrendously complic... Continue reading »
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34
Cervantes
So we're off on the road. The road is bloody long mind. We get to Cervantes which is a tiny town living mainly off its proximity to the... Continue reading »
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35
Kalbarri (Plague of flies)
Long drive to Kalbarri takes the whole day as we rocket through the huge W Australian landscape. It's a little overwhelming at times but the... Continue reading »
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36
Monkey Mia (flies flies flies)
Another day of driving through endless wilderness gets us to White shell beach in time for lunch. It's just what it says on the tin, an endle... Continue reading »
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37
Carnarvon
Lots and lots of rain that we passed through our way up the sharks bay peninsular has flooded out the road at a number of places and under the... Continue reading »
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38
Coral Bay
We roll into Coral bay quite late and check into the nicest site. Coral bay is every bit as beautiful as it sounds.
Lovely turquoise wa... Continue reading »
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39
Broome
It's a long haul to Broome and we stop off in Karatha where we meet Jay who's traveling up and down the coast looking fior work sleeping in a roll... Continue reading »
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40
Fitzroy Crossing
At last we're moving away from the coast and into the outback proper. Lots of people have told us to avoid Fitzroy Crossing, suggesting its s... Continue reading »
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41
Kununurra The Kimbereleys
Kununurra the gateway to the kimberley mountains is a pleasant enough little town and we manage to get ourselves a stunning spot to camp right on a... Continue reading »
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42
Katherine
On the road to Katherine we cross the border into the Northern territory and our efforts in making an early start are all as nothing as we have to... Continue reading »
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43
Kakadu
We spend our first night on the outskirts of the Kakdu in a road house van lot. A bit cheerless but we just crash out after the long drive.&n... Continue reading »
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44
Darwin
Easy drive to Darwin and we decide to camp on the outskirts for the last couple of days with the van. We've done around 5000ks over 28 days i... Continue reading »
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45
Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef
Bloody amazing!! We're wandering through customs, the customs guy grabs one of our packages.
"What's this?" he says after close s... Continue reading »
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46
Cape Tribulation
It's called Cape Tribulation because all Captain Cooks' trials and Tribulations began when he got here. In my minds eye when I think of... Continue reading »
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47
Atherton Table lands
Setting out from Port Douglas we wind and climb into the tablelands. It's amazing how quick the scenery and the climate changes, we go from beachy... Continue reading »
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48
Whitsundays and Kepple Coast
Townsville is the start of the "Gateway to the Whitsundays" and a lovely spot it is too! The weather back at the coast is just perfect high 20s ear... Continue reading »
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49
Fraser Island and the Capricorn Coast
We stop off at Hervey Bay just across from Fraser island just in time for a spectacular sunset and spend the following day walking the coast. ... Continue reading »
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50
Brisbane and the Gold Coast
Off toward Brissy via the Australia Zoo. The zoo is great very very "hands on" The whole eco warrior bit must be very inspiring for the young... Continue reading »
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51
NSW and Sidney
We are up at dawn in order to get on the road from Byron and find a spot to watch the big game. We get onto the highway and just motor all day.&nbs... Continue reading »
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52
Christchurch And the Banks Peninsular
WEeeeeeell, don't that put the dink in co-inky dink? We're sitting in Sidney Airport nursing coffee when Pete walks by who we have not... Continue reading »
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53
Queenstown
In Queenstown we camp in a site set between a beautiful lake and a sheer mountain wall the peak of which is reached by an almost vertical looking c... Continue reading »
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54
Crown Mountains and Franz Josef Glacier
We decide to take the scenic route, driving right across the South Island via the Crown Mountain Range road. The road climbs very very steeply inde... Continue reading »
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55
Kaikoura
We cut right back across the country again to Kaikoura. On the way we get caught in torrential rain, a cattle round up and more marvelous mou... Continue reading »
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56
Picton and Wellington
On to Picton another spectacular drive along the coast. It easily rivals the trip we did from LA to Sanfrancisco for sheer magnificence if no... Continue reading »
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57
Lake Taupo and Rotorua
We manage to travel part way toward Lake Taupo through our hangovers and come to a stop at the Wellington boot throwing capital of the world. ... Continue reading »
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58
Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsular
Ok so that was 11676 Ks and 65 days and nights in a 6 meter campervan and we both lived!!!
We bid a fond farewell to Lola our last van... Continue reading »
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59
Nadi
Bula!!! (Pron BOOLAH!! with gusto) Bula my friends, welcome, welcome to Fiji!
We arrive in Fiji after a nightmare-ish flight which has... Continue reading »
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60
Nacula and Bounty Islands
We're up pretty early to get packed and head to the marina where we need to pick up our boat to the islands. The trip takes around five hours... Continue reading »
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61
Los Angeles and San Diego
There's a huge scrum of photographers outside the Santa Monica restaurant next to our hotel.....they run to the parking lot and back to the front d... Continue reading »
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62
Moseying into Tucson
Well howdy agin pardners, it's been a while since we could lowg owan to the darn intreenate so scuse me ifn i gits confused. Our great pals M... Continue reading »
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63
Tombstone to Roswell (They call me the space cowboy)
Tombstone!! Wow it's strange to come to yer actual site of yer actual Gunfight at The OK Coral just a day after visiting the filmset! C... Continue reading »
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64
San Anatonio
It's a long very very hot drive from New Mexico across the huge Texas plains to San Antonio, but the city when we arrive is worth it! What a... Continue reading »
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65
Austin
Oh Boy Austin, Austin Texas!! Home of the SRV statue (very nice) and some of the coolest rockingest venues on earth. In fact the live m... Continue reading »
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66
Lafayette and Cajun Country
Louisiana, Cajun country, land of the bayou, where every one is Y'all. Again an old school hotel with complimentary wines fo' y'all everynagh... Continue reading »
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67
The Big Easy
New Orleans, The Big Easy, The Crescent City, so absolutely bloody stunning they had to name it three times. Just the funkiest most vibrant place w... Continue reading »
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68
Pensacola
WE MUST BE BLOODY NUTS!! Out of New Orleans we feel like some beach. We take coast road through Bay St Louis and long beach and biloxi, all v... Continue reading »
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69
Tuscaloosa and the Mississippi Delta
Through storms and torrential rain out of Florida into Alabama, through Mobile with more Spanish and French colonial buildings, they had Mardi... Continue reading »
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70
Home of the Delta Blues
Well, the Mississippi delta is shining like a national guitar. It's beautiful country, thick, jungle green and silver with standing glistenin... Continue reading »
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71
Memphis
The heat has triggered severe weather warnings, it's over 100 again today as we roll up highway 61. We've been on this road for a couple of d... Continue reading »
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72
Oklahoma
The weather finaly breaks, it rains and rains and rains. The temp guage in the car falls below 70 for the first time since we picked it up in... Continue reading »
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73
Branson Miss.
Driving to Branson (We thought it was Branston....sob!!) The road cuts through some spectacular scenery and the town itself is a kind of vegas with... Continue reading »
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74
St Louis
The hotel is a stunner (Thank you Hotwire.com) right on the Mississippi river and we look from our room straight through the magnifiscent gateway a... Continue reading »
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75
Chicago (our kinda town)
Back on route 66 we stop off in Elkhart, a lovely one horse town with the Horse Feathers diner. All home prepared home cooked stuff it's real... Continue reading »
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76
Gor Blimey! London!!
Amazing sin't it? The technology we take for granted nowadays. 10 years ago the concept of being able to chat to someone with live video from... Continue reading »
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77
Niagara Falls (Upsidaisy)
It's around 85 degrees, we can feel the sun burning our faces as it hammers down out of a cloudless sky, but we're being soaked by heavy, persisten... Continue reading »
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78
Toronto
It's a pretty easy drive to Toronto and we find our way to our city centre hotel without too much trouble. Thanks to hotwire.com the place ha... Continue reading »
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79
Kingston Ontario
We've driven the coast of Lake Ontario and stopped for lunch at Cape Hope, picturesque, tiny; then travelled on to Kingston over the cable fer... Continue reading »
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80
Albany
We cross back into the USA and barrel down the highway into New York State. The trees here are just starting to don their fall finery and hug... Continue reading »
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81
New York, New York
Well we've been away from home 11 months today, at times recently it's felt like it and we've both missed home, felt tired of the constant travel a... Continue reading »
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