1st Port of Call - Bangkok, Thailand

Straight to the Kiwi bar for the rugby (second half!)
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Well - we're off - the trip has begun in earnest.

Off to a less-than-auspicious start - flight delayed, long wait at immigration and 'baggage reclaim', resulting in missing the first half of the All Blacks/Springboks game/war. We found a bar - the kiwi bar on soi8 (not the one we were looking for) which made it the perfect place to see the disgruntled New Zealanders vacating the pub and leaving us to celebrate a rare defeat for the sombre all blacks!!

Then off to the train station to get our sleeper tickets to the Laos border - wasn't to be - sold out!!! We are now booked on two seats for a 12-hour overnight journey with no beds - should be "fun".

Cocktails at the Mango Tree
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Next to O'Reilly's - our favourite Irish haunt next to Patpong. Very quiet, lacking in atmosphere. Met up with Kris and Marshall from Hong Kong and went to The Mango Tree for some delicious Thai food and then through the delights of Patpong market and to yet another Irish bar - Molly Malones for a live band and some pool.

Day Two - started off with a nice breakfast at Suk11 (nice guesthouse) for me (Sam didn't make it out of her comfy bed) and to Khao San Road for shopping and dossing around in 'air-conned' Internet cafes(where I am right now, funnily enough). Off to the train station in a couple of hours for our daunting train journey. Can't wait to finally arrive in Vientiane, Laos.

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Just after leaving the Internet cafe, I braved the hairdressers (which had only clippers; no scissors!!)but didn't go for the full-on head-shaving as Sam said she would have to take pictures of me ... perhaps in Vietnam...we'll see.

Got a taxi straight to Soi4 (the home of Hanrahans Irish bar) had our roast beef and apple pie / Cornish ice cream !!! just before getting to the train station for our 12 hour overnight journey to Nong Khai - Thai/Laos border.