World Tour 2007/2008

Back to Reality

2008-08-22T02:31:00.000-07:00

I wasn't going to write another blog here, for a few reasons. Mainly that I felt that I'd just kept ranting how good things were at every stop and I'd seen most of you to tell you about my final leg and wasn't sure how many of you had been arsed to keep reading my long passages.

It was a definite shame not to finish off my stories of Nepal as it was the place which changed my life and made me see things differently. I'd met and had had some of the best times ever in my adventure playground. The challenge, and I mean challenge of the Annapurna circuit deserves a passage as does the Chitwan Jungle, but these will have to wait as I get down here what has happened in the past few months ending in last week touring the UK with Brett, Liisa and Kaisa. Liisa was the girl that I'd done my Everest trekking with.

Liisa and Hans were the best people I met the whole time whilst travelling and when Liisa and I said we'd meet again in the future, like many promises you make when travelling, I thought it would never happen. I find that quite sad, because the people that I say I want to keep in touch with and see again are people I genuinely, really want to keep in touch with and see again - I will always keep my promise and Liisa kept hers and it was amazing to spend more time with this special person who just always seems to be happy and willing to give anything a go.

Before I go onto last week - which has opened my eyes to something very important to me, something I've been blinkered to for years and was struggling to understand for the last few months, I am going to describe some of the events that built up to my return to reality....

When I returned home earlier than planned I was determined to keep busy and the travelling ethos alive. I hope to keep this alive as I return back to the daily routine of work by filling my spare time with events that keep reminding me why I'm alive. I've done that this summer and I hope the people I've shared my time with see that I've changed and that they keep reminding me of that, if I start to slip back into a place that they know I don't really want to be.

Last summer was pretty difficult for me with the break up but with my friends help, I kept afloat and I even started to live a life that I had ditched years ago in search of a life I wanted back then - its taken a full year to realise what I really want in life and it hit me last week travelling around with three fantastic guys having a time that ticked almost every box for what I wanted.

When me and Brett returned from Ibiza and having had the time we'd had we were on a high for months - once my impending travels came nearer we were both a bit sad as we knew we would never in our lives have another summer like it, with so many memorable events. Well I have to say that we have totally eclipsed last years memories and as I write this I cannot help but think that our sadness that this summer is drawing to a close and that we will never ever be able to have another summer like it. Its particularly difficult for me who has to return to a structured job after hundreds of days of fun and adventure - every single day since November 17th 2007 (when Rob and I boarded that Boeing 747) has been a new adventure, bringing thousands of happy memories and teaching me just as many lessons in life.

Like I said I was wanting to keep busy for the time I was home, hoping to enjoy my own country as much as the others that I'd visited to open my eyes to what is achievable nearer to home - and I think I've done just that.

Obviously I've had many fantastic times with other people, been away with my sister and her kids in the middle of Wales, enjoying baby Sam and catching up with Rick. I had the most touching moment of my life the other week when I fed Sam then cradled him in my arms until he fell asleep - this was an amazing moment for me. I'd never really wanted to do this with any other babies, even my sisters. Quite frankly it scared the shit out of me and I was pretty immature about the whole thing. My travelling has matured my mind and made me see things differently and I'm' so glad it has, because those moments spent with Sam will forever stay in my mind. Let there be many many more. I'm very close to Rick and hope I can be close to Sam enjoying as many moments with him and Rick as I can without being in their faces.

Its the lead up to the week with Brett, Liisa and Kaisa that I want to illustrate here so these moments won't figure here, but I want you to know they significantly contribute to my thousands of happy memories.

Brett and I had some catching up to do and Brett has been awesome in embracing the give anything a go attitude - something I think is the number one attribute someone should have. Brett booked two days off every week and we took off to discover new adventures, friends and experiences. To list everything we have done would be a bit arsey but speaking from my point of view, I've seen two different guys emerge from this summer. There isn't one thing we haven't thrown ourselves into 100% and not one trip that hasn't lifted the standard of fun from the previous weeks.

The Wednesday before Liisa and Kaisa arrived I was wandering around Leeds in the sun which we hadn't seen for a while and thought it would be good to have a few evening drinks with Brett as a warm up for the week ahead. That night we ended up in a bar where a band from York, Section30 were giving an unplugged session as the headline act with the drum kit hadn't turned up. They were glad to see some Leeds support coming through the door and once Brett and I hit the chaos button, everyone was drinking with us and Brett jumped on stage to give Leeds its first taste of The Deal - and he didn't disappoint. Chants of 'Brett, Brett, Brett' were ringing out across the bar. At the end of the night the band invited us to their next gig in York. That was it - I'd booked a hotel an hour later and the first night with Liisa and Kaisa was going to be in York.

When Friday arrived, it was nice to see Liisa again and was good to meet Kaisa, who Liisa had talked very highly of and missed whilst in Nepal. Before long once we'd fixed the shat nav we were in York and we were all excited for the week ahead. We went for a few cheeky Magners in the center before heading over to see Section30 - Brett and I were wondering if they would even remember us. Remember us - as soon as the cab pulled up we were greeted to a 'Rock God reception', people seemed to emerge from everywhere shouting 'Brett' and 'Pete' hugging us and high fiving us - I honestly couldn't believe it. We saw the band and went crazy on the gold Tequila dancing on the dance floor with the band in the middle of their set - what an amazing time. We then headed back to town to party. See the photo's on my Facebook.

We did the touristy thing in York then headed back to mine for a steady night before our trip upto the Edinburgh festival - what a trip. I totally loved Edinburgh and the Fringe was unreal - the first night we saw a couple of acts which were actually very funny - a good choice girls. I thought that Brett and I were pretty shit at making decisions but we just seem to always go with the flow and have good times - and we did. We had a few drinks before heading back to the hostel and listen to our first nightly chorus of Brett snoring - 3 hours sleep.

After a really really good nights sleep, we headed for breakfast then for a walk around Edinburgh to get a good feeling for the place. We watched a few street acts then walked around the entertainment for a bit. We split up for a while to go see some different sites before meeting to see our first show of the day - it was billed as the funniest most bazaar show you can see on the Fringe - and it was half right - bloody bazaar but shit. It was the longest hour of our lives and I couldn't stop laughing at how shit it was. After this we headed for some food when we all felt tired - it just seemed that we'd peaked too soon and we were all ready for an early night. Then suddenly Kaisa suggested that we all hit the Vodka RedBulls. That we did and that lit the blue touch paper - that night we saw some more acts which were just average but when we hit the E4 underbelly it all went west - we just seemed to turn on the magic - we started playing drinking games and before long our table was the most lively with more and more people joining us to join the fun. That night compares with the pool scene in Ibiza 2007, but we had showers although they were cold! Only me and Brett will know that joke - if only the shower had worked! I was like a mas possessed trying to get everyone to join in with us - total chaos.

When we got back to our 8 bed dorm we suddenly realised that there were 9 bodies in the room - we all managed to keep our beds but it was a funny moment especially as Frergyl ended up sharing a bed with his friend who was hot and called heaven!

The following day we said goodbye to Edinburgh -I will be back to the Fringe one day, to head to Perthshire for a couple of days to do some canyoning and see some more nice scenery. The canyoning was again a brilliant experience and was fun. The visit to Perthshire was short and sweet as we wanted to break up the drive home and stop half way we headed back down after lunch the following day. The blues started to kick in that it was all over and there would be no more partying and suddenly the girls pulled it out of the bag - 'guys lets head straight back to Leeds for another night of chaos'. We didn't need telling twice - we were now in high spirits and singing and playing games all the way back down.

It was on that journey home as I was reflecting on the week - Brett and I had had some good serious conversations - I'd been searching for an answer all summer about that one last piece of the jigsaw that was missing from my life. My life is as good as it gets - totally awesome but a partner to share moments with would be the icing on the cake - I'm not in any rush, but it was playing on my mind what I really wanted in a girl - I had the mold of Emily and wasn't sure how I could fill that, but this week made me realise in a very happy, weight lifted form my shoulders way, that Emily was the wrong girl for me, and I have been given a second chance to find that special person.

For the past couple of weeks its been creeping in to my mind every now and then that as my return to work looms, I'm returning back to my old life with the biggest thing missing - but it hit me this week travelling with such fantastic girls that everything I've been searching for in a partner was wrong and I now know just what I need in life.

Liisa, Kaisa - Keep in touch, you guys can come visit anytime. Hopefully one day we all meet again - maybe see you New Years?

'I just tonight to last forever, but I know it won't.
Let us share something together, memories that I want.
For years I've being waiting for this moment lets hope I don't choke.'
Pete Sutcliffe, Summer 2008 (The Deal, Don't Choke)

Wind of change!

2008-06-09T06:53:00.000-07:00

About time! I hear you say - Yes you're right, its been an age since I updated here, but you have to remember that time isn't your enemy its your best friend! I have literally been having the time of my life - I honestly thought things couldn't get any better for me when I returned to Nepal, but how I was wrong - it changed how I was looking at life and I still feel the same.
Keep on reading and see the following blogs to see the path I have taken to get to this liberating feeling - it wasn't easy but the light is finally here!

When I got back to Nepal with Dan I was eager to fulfil my hunger that I had been holding back until Dan got out, so we could experience the adventures together - I have had so much to say about my adventures and sometimes I cannot believe myself what I'm telling people. It sounds like my stories are far fetched, so to once again have someone to share those moments with, to know they did happen, when I reflect on them, was going to be great.

In the first two weeks in Nepal, I was again taken aback by everything this simple country had to offer and we had an amazing time in Chitwan - such a good time that it started to hit me what I was thinking about life. The problem was that I had loved writing my blogs and journal and hearing how some of you guys were enjoying reading it, but I kind of had a writers block. That felt shit for me, knowing how much enjoyment I was getting from writing, but I just couldn't find the words to put together a picture that I was seeing, doing and feeling.

The words didn't come to me until I was sat 2 feet above the Sun Koshi river on a 10 day expedition down one of the top rafting rivers on the planet, with some of the top guys in the world. The words, emotions and learning hit me in the face like the rapids had been doing for the first few days on this amazing experience. This is why the next couple of blogs will be a bit disjointed - I will write about our expedition down the 'River of Gold' from the foot of the Himalayas to the shimmering plains of India first, and follow with my next installment about the Chitwan Jungle!

I was having the most fantastic time since travelling - I had realised that while travelling solo gained me great independence and some of the best friends I have ever met, I realised that I need to travel in the company of someone with the same infectious hunger for adventure that I have, and indeed Dan 're-pack ya bag agen man' Akkermans has that hunger. This leg of the trip was having me question for the first time, my life! I didn't know if it was because I was experiencing such a good place with a guy with the same symmetry for that adventure, or that I'm at the crest of my time out and the thought of returning to normal life is is creeping into my mind - Don't worry - it didn't take anything from my adventure, in fact it probably enhanced it, but I felt that I was moving higher up a scale that I thought ended some time ago.

My thoughts and emotions were coming to the front of my mind and a no holds barred attitude was taking a grip. I have done some reckless things this year that I would never publish here and that the old Pete would have never done, but I have loved doing those things and when I look back I can look back with a smile. I was once asked, why do wrong things always feel so good? Well for starters, do what you're told and you'll soon grow old - I don't want to grow old in spirit - I want to keep living. You have to do things in life that make you feel alive, there is no point in living if you cannot feel alive so remember one thing: Don't live life, Love it!

When we met Liisa and Hans at the airport in Kathmandu on their return from Thailand, it was brilliant to see them - I honestly thought I'd not see these fantastic people again and while writing this up in my journal sat on a golden sandy beach while sat under the canopy of the raft on day 1 of our 10 day rafting trip, Hans is sat to my right sharing another adventure of proportions of 'serious shit'! Unfortunately Liisa had to return to Finland, so couldn't share this trip and like Hans and I said that evening something was missing.

Before we embarked on our rafting trip in our chartered raft with crew, we had a send off for Liisa in Thamel that will stand out at the best night I've had while been on the road. We were a bunch of fun loving laid back guys and that night of us all been together for the last time was done justice. I'm hoping to see Liisa and Hans again and fortunately, Liisa is coming to the UK in August for some more great times, so roll on the good times of summer 2008.

I have a real hunger for more travel now I've spent time with such like minded people and I want to keep the search for fun times and adventure alive whilst back in the UK. I maybe back in the UK but my sabbatical is not over and I want to keep surpassing the objectives that I set myself on my departure. I've experienced that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and have learnt that when your dead, you live no longer. So that's it, I'm telling you all to get out there and feel alive, break those shackles. I keep saying this and I'm hoping it not getting boring, but I have realised that I didn't and a lot of people I knew didn't always see how good things can be if we make the effort - good times won't find us, we must go in search of them and the searching is what becomes the good times whilst stumbling upon those great times.

For the rafting, and like we did with the rest of this trip, we decided that we wanted to do things differently, so we chartered the raft and crew for ourselves. We invited Hans, who is up for everything and paid for Ram, our mountain guide to come along to form 'Team Koshi' for 10 days of pure fun and an adventure that none of us had ever experienced before in our lives. If I had to recommend anything from Nepal, the rafting expedition would be it.

The description for the Sun Koshi apart form being one of the worlds best exhibition river (Sorry expedition river - I know someone who that will make smile), is a river which rapids grow on the way down, with the first couple of days easing the crew into the challenge of the grade-5 rapids to be encountered!

The first day involved a drive into remote central eastern Nepal to the foot of the Himalayas before lunch then after packing our raft with all the food and equipment that 7 guys could possibly need, stuffed into barrels and strapped to the spine of the raft we set off on our 10 day jaunt to our takeout point 290km away staring down the Indian plains in the South! Travelling through villages and mountains only assessable by foot, raft or helicopter! We were remote, very remote and all we had was what we carried aboard Noris our faithful raft. Noris was named after his manufacturer NRS.

The first afternoon was a nice introduction and there were whoops of joy from the group and a Shaka-laka-boom as we took on some small rapids as looseners for things to come. The standing waves in these small unclassified rapids were already head high! This was going to be mega. Amrit our river guide allowed us to swim in the water in deeper sections as we drifted on our backs past rice paddy fields and fields being ploughed by water Buffalo. The only thing to challenge us that day was the baking sun that gave us all a reminder of who was the boss - the elements, which we were going to learn the ultimate lesson time after time as it was us verses nature.

That night we set up camp on the whitest beach I've ever seen and once we'd set up our tents we helped the our crew; guide, support guide and cook, set up their sleeping arrangements. They were under the upturned raft - immediately we said we all like to spend a night under the raft as it was totally basic. Little did we know that the night we decided to do this later in the trip would be one that will stick in my memory for ever.

The following day we travelled farther into remote Nepal and passed villages where all the children would run to the river banks to enthusiastically yell hello and wave to us like crazy - it was very touching especially to see their little smiling faces as they tried to climb into the raft after swimming out across this raging river to greet us.

The kids were like little otters. They could swim against the current and in the rapids with no fear - they truly were river people who lived on the river. It provided their food and income and the only way to cross it to get to a neighbouring village was to swim across this mass of water or take a dug out canoe. All the way down the river we had fun with the children who were fascinated by us westerners and Noris. These people living so simply yet were seemingly so happy. This cemented the feelings which I were having for the hunt for true happiness in my life.

Like I said in my last blog, Great Britain is great and it is such a great place to be, but our lives in GB have weights that can bring us down and I am determined to fight against this happening on my return to reality - and that's just it, its reality to us, how we know it and how we have created it. We just need to unshackle from that burden and keep it real.

Not for the first time in Nepal I was having pangs of Fraser Island. It was again a totally basic experience, sharing an adventure of these proportions with a group of like minded people with my passion for a good time and adventure was superb. Team Koshi had taken the first couple of days to bond seamlessly, but we were now one and were all having such a great time - the crew even said that we were so different to any group they'd ever had. Other groups just get drunk on a night and suffer in the day - we, well we were off the alcohol, but having a time that even surprised the crew - they'd never had a group as infectiously enthuastic as us. The crew were joining in our antics and we just threw caution to the wind and did what we choose to do to have the best time.

This feeling I was getting reinforced my feelings of the importance of my friends and family. You are all great and it probably is why I'm friends with you, but you all add to what I need, to have a good time with everything I do.

That night, once we had set up camp, we decided to head back into the water with just our life jackets on and swim across the river. The river was fast and it was great fun. Getting out about 100m down river as the strength of the current had taken us well away from our entry point. Dan and I had promised his wife that we'd look after each other, so for everything we did on the trip we were not far behind each other, which included been in on the rapids....

For the following couple of days the rapids and scenery got more and more awesome, there were photo opportunities at every corner. We spent a lot of time in the water and at one point Amrit was joking when he said yes to us swimming one particular rapid which looked large. I just took off over the edge before he could say I'm joking and that was it, I heard an 'oh shit' from Dan as he said that he'd promised Kate that we'd be together on everything as he jumped over. Amrit saw the need to be there with us as the rapid was quite large so he was with us as we were getting smashed by the rapids. That was another experience that will stay with me forever - an element of my craziness coming out - I live for moments like that.

By the time we reached the rapid we had all been waiting for, the grade-5 rapid, we were a unit working well in the raft and we had had no outs at that point. Our river guide told us that we had to get the rapid spot on or we would get pulled down into a big hole on the right that would flip the raft. And we don't want to do that with all our gear in the raft.

He'd had an experience the previous season where the raft had flipped when the rapid was running at grade 6 (commercially un runnable - but his clients convinced him to run it). All 8 of those on board didn't climb out of the river until 4km down river!

I thought he was bigging the danger of the hole up, but as we hit the rapid called Harkapur and broke through the 6 foot+ wall of water at the start of the rapid, we shook off the water from our helmets just in time to see us getting pulled towards the hole and hear Amrit shout a 'hard back'. Dan and I were paddling like crazy as we, being at the front could see the hole. The team did well and managed to paddle safely through the rapid and avoid the hole and any losses of personnel. We then had about 30m to prepare for the second section with a huge wave train and bend to ride out. The jubilation on our success of both sections was immense - however, this feeling of emotion was to be eclipsed by our achievement on Thorung La.

Have a look at these to see the Harkapur and Sun Koshi;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZcFcsiZTX0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGUpI-bDXBk

You will see from the videos, which aren't ours, how big some of the rapids were - Its such a great feeling as we were riding the rapid train staring up at these walls of water and literally carving through some of them - Dan and I both had a superb time at the front - the front work harder, get wetter but get to stare into the face of these waves and look back at them with a crazy grin that says what ever you can do wave, it ain't gonna be enough because we are one team and here we come - on the trip none of us went in involuntarily, but I'm sure that if we did then either myself or Dan would have been there for the other one.

The following day we spent a lot of time working hard and playing hard - some of the winds that were coming north from India were strong and at some points on some of the lakes we were going backwards as we were trying to paddle them, but in-between we spent a lot of time in the water generally having a riot. Once we got to the camp for the night we all went to find some shade from the baking sun and all fell asleep on the rocks in the shade of a lonesome tree. When I woke and saw everyone spread out on the rocks it hit me how basic this trip was. We'd all managed to find comfort on rocks and shade for us to all sleep for a while.

We decided that this night was the one which we were going to sleep under the raft with the crew and so set up our sleeping arrangements for the night. Well this was going to be a night to remember. As the food was cooking and the light had gone, we were watching a storm some distance away in the distant mountains. As we were settling down the wind suddenly started roaring and as I gave Hans a look of what the hell, the raft took off. I managed to grab the webbing to try to stop the raft but there was no stopping the gale force wind - a shoulder season monsoon had hit us with no warning! The raft was picked up like a piece of litter and with me still having a hold was thrown across the beach - When I recovered to look for everyone else I couldn't see, the sandstorm that was whipping us made it impossible to see anything. Just then another gust flipped the raft again and that was it I was off. Ram came running under the raft with me and suddenly Hans appeared and Ram thought I was injured because of the tears running down my face and the fact that the boulders that we'd tied to the raft that had taken three of us to move had being flying through the air still attached to the raft - I was fine, it was just the funniest thing that had ever happened to me. When the wind stopped as fast as it came we ventured out to see that Dan had had the same idea to preserve our equipment and he'd jumped on our gear - he was totally covered by an inch of sand! We had to search in the driving rain for our sleeping mats and life jackets but all we managed to loose was one sleeping mat - not bad to say the whole camp had been destroyed!

The memory of those events will stay with me for as long as I have my memory and so many times on this trip, I've experienced things that will stay with me for ever. Needless to say that soaking wet and covered in sand we didn't get much sleep that night.

Even though we were tired the next day we had a lot of rapids to run. As far as the number of quality rapids go, this day was the best and that was probably just as well to keep the adrenaline up to keep us all awake. For lunch we stopped at a beautiful beach with an amazing waterfall which we climbed up to to refresh in. After lunch we passed a local village where the crew decided to stop to talk to a local girl who offered herself to us westerners for 1000Rs - Quite expensive I thought especially as she kept yakking up flem and spitting it on the rocks in front of us. I'm not sure if it was a local thing to show she was cool or something but we were eager to get paddling fast and disappear from sight, but the crew were getting satisfaction out of watching me squirm as they told her I was game but would only pay 800!

After nearly been thrown to the local woman we reached the jungle corridor, where the mountains gave way to dense jungle with some pretty large grade 4 rapids. I could just see the Green Barrets gliding this section of river on a jungle training exercises. The scenery was amazing and the rapids threw up some good sections.

The next day Amrit let me guide the raft down some rapids - this was hard work but was fun. I had explained how fancy becoming a river guide and he said I was pretty good and handled the raft well and with 6 weeks training with them I could have my ticket.

Later in the day and with Amrit knowing how mad we were for being in the water, he said we could jump from the cliff side into the river. This was again a brilliant thing and looking back on the video it was quite high. Again both Dan and I weren't far appart and we both were asking Amrit for bigger jumps - I'm sure that he thought we were a little mad.

For the remainder of the trip it was much of the same with the scenery changing again towards the end as we concluded our 290 km journey and approached India's dusty plains. The trip was one long lads holiday - no alcohol but just the best time ever. Adrenaline, adventure, friendship and lots of fun. I will be repeating an expedition trip again, but it would have to be pretty special to come close to the trip we had on the 'River of Gold' in summer 2008.

When I was planning to embark on this trip, in my research I read that you should never give people a timescale as to your return as its too fixed - you never know when you are ready to return and should never fix yourself by time - when travelling, time doesn't matter - your only governed by light and dark. All the time that I have being travelling I've had so many thoughts about my return home, when it would be and what I would do on my return. Well I am now feeling better than I ever have in my life, yea, I have deep scars from my past but I feel so ready for everything, ready to be a different person who achieves much more than I did before but with less of the effort, hassle and stress. I've learned to notch back and when the pressure is stacked, don't look back! I see that being home is time to fold the hand that I've been playing with and be dealt the next one. I'm back, in more ways than one, I am capable of a lot and now is my time to deliver.

In my next blog I will cover Chitwan and my feelings and experiences whilst in the middle of the wild Jungle of Nepal - Did they see the elusive tiger..... till next time.

Surfing With Seals

2008-04-07T07:09:00.000-07:00

Well my roller coaster just keeps rolling on and I just keep coasting through life.

The insurance debacle got deeper and deeper as I was trying to recover and lower my blood pressure and I ended up facing a brick wall trying to fight the fight in a country where communication is very poor - they have only had mobile phones in Nepal for three years! My parents worked tirelessly to keep me on the road but like the fool I am I didn't leave any backup plans should such a problem arise.

I've always said 'it's not the mistakes that you make which you should be judged on, its how you deal with them that makes you.' I'd planned bigger things in Nepal with Dan and was looking forward to travelling with someone again, and especially someone like Dan with the same infectious enthusiasm for this type of adventure - hence his £300 insurance policy - what the hell do you thinks gonna happen Dan? Then again its me your gonna be heading out with so check the policy covers for all hell breaking loose! Cannot wait big man!

Anyway like I said I was needing to be in Nepal for April and the budget was gone so I thought it best to return home to take the fight to the insurers and transfer some cash for the final blow out in Nepal. I changed my ticket from Thailand to Manchester and headed home. The flight was brill as I had got an upgrade to first class but was still dressed like I was in the hills - the looks I got! A tramp in first class! I'd decided to make my own way from Manchester to my parents doorstep - for two reasons really - one it was carrying on the travelling ethos of doing what were doing, keeping on going, and I was gonna keep it going even though I was back in England - adventure should never stop. Secondly - its mega easy to get across the UK after what I've been through so why not.

It was such a good feeling of 'good ol' England, cannot be beaten' that feeling was to get stronger over the few weeks I was home as I met some of you guys. The first accent I heard was of a Manc. it was like hearing an angel sing - Northern grit, even though it was the wrong side of the Pennines! I collected my 25kg of baggage, strapped it to by back and headed off to the train station on my journey home. My first pang of 'God I'm home' was when I saw a group of lads getting off our train with their Reebok trakkies tucked in their socks with R 'n B thumping out on their mobiles - The local tribal people of England - Chavs!

It made me smile tho' and I thought even Britain, sorry Great Britain is special. I used to be very against the term Great Britain as I'm proud to be from England, but Great England doesn't sound as good, and this nation, as I hope you get to see in this blog is bloody Great!

When I got home my mum had dashed out of work to see me and it was great to see them, my sister and bro-in-law and especially their kids.

I let a few people know I was back in GB and they were surprised to hear I was back on home soil and they were keen to hear my stories - especially my evacuation - the stuff that only legends are made up of and not unbelievable stuff for Pete Sutcliffe, wanderer, explorer and adventurer - I'm glad of everything that's happening - I don't want a normal life. Live life or die trying - I almost did and its made me see some things more clearly.

Now let me say that there are some people that I have seen and many that I won't get chance to see but I want you all to know that I do want to see you equally as much, but I had to keep doing what I was doing, keeping on going and the trip west with Rick and James was ideal to keep the adventure alive, but kept me from catching up with you all - when I return next time we will meet for sure - although I maybe off the ale, sorry scale!

I had some fantastic reunions with some of you and had some really good catch ups. Ash - your a legend - the night with you and Rob was my booziest night in months and my hangover was mega, but the time we had catching up and chatting about how I was feeling about everything that had happened to me in the last 12 months was brilliant - keep in touch guys, I look forward to seeing you when I'm back.

I drank a lot of beer catching up with you guys and England definitely does have a drink culture, as well as some of the worlds best ale. If someone wants to meet - its over a beer - anyone for a coffee?

When I met Rick and Katy - again to later head to the pub, I was taken aback by Katy - 5 months pregnant and looking so well. To me this was brilliant as I had been looking forward to seeing Katy and wishing them all the best. To see the bump and how well she was looking was good as I would have arrived back with the baby already arrived - another reason why been back for a short spell was fantastic.

At the pub we decided that I was going to go west (south west actually) with Rick and James for a weeks surf trip in the early English springtime. This was just perfect timing as I didn't want to come home and sit around, I wanted to keep experiencing new adventures; and Rick, James and surf were the perfect recipe.

It was gonna be another road trip for me and Rick like we'd done the previous year driving non-stop to Thurso, but this time towards Lands End and I was just a passenger! The journey down went fast as we had a good chat and listened to some quality music - I've missed music so much and didn't realise it until I deleted all my songs from both my ipod and pc -what a dick.

When we got there we had a walk along the beach as the sun was going down then retired to the camper van for some beers - yes more bloody beer. When James called to see if we needed anything from the supermarket, we said we could do with a bottle of malt - which was strange really that we all felt the urge so become accustomed to having a wee dram of angels tears every now and then. By day 3 we had to purchase a second bottle and this time as we were splitting the cost we opted to take Tesco's dearest bottle. It turns out that that selection was a good one for us novice connoisseurs to have picked as its been voted the worlds best single malt whisky! (I've since been informed that I was mistaken - must have been pissed at the time of finding my information)

On the first morning Jimmy and Rick got up for an early surf - 6am, to avoid the inevitable crowds at the sheltered spot, Putsborough picking up great swell. I didn't go in as I didn't have hood and gloves or booties - the Celtic Sea is not the Indian Ocean that Bali sits in!

At about 11am we decided we should head to the pub to warm up and to get a pub lunch - which involved some local real ale! We headed down to Croyde a lovely country village and into the Thatch to have a couple there (hours that is - do you think we just drank all week?) and some ales before heading back for an afternoon surf - I'm not sure if it was the beer but I decided I was gonna squeeze into James's size 7 booties and brave it with no hood or gloves in Ricks winter suit and on Fat Red his short board - not good for beginners. I managed to paddle out to the breaking waves and managed to duck dive the waves pretty well when I got dizzy and fell off the board! Another Peter moment - was it the cold or alcohol? I don't know, but I decided to sit out that afternoons session too, as I knew for sure I wouldn't be insured in the UK!

After that session we headed to the Thatch for some more real ale and also see if we could see some real Devon pasty! Well, the single one amongst us! We went for more beer and to play Perudo (liar dice) - your getting the picture of this week already. Three good mates away surfing and lots and lots of beer - great preparation for the Annapurna circuit! People in the pub were giving us some looks - not disapproving, no, but looks of, those guys are having so much fun, I want some of that. It was just as Rick put it like we were three boys on a school trip and had managed to sneak away from the main group to have our own naughty adventure. The set-up in the camper was ace - just like a little base! James in the bunk, which was subject to the laugh of the week - 'you in the bunk...' more later on that.

We stayed at Putsborough until Monday when we headed down to Cornwall - after my experience in the cold sea I decided I was gonna wait to buy some gloves etc for the winter conditions.

We headed to another sheltered bay which was sheltered from the south westerly winds and this bay, Harlyn was a real nice spot with a nice grassed car park - important when changing. The camp site, Porthcothan, five minutes away was also a little gem - £10 for the three of us and it was pretty much deserted - after driving around for an hour hearing 'sorry no groups' or 'families only' we thought we would end up in a dump - but no, the owners must have taken a shining to my beard when I turned up at their doorstep in the dark and really treated us well - I would recommend that site. We even discovered on the second night that it had a pub a stones throw from it.

The first full day at Harlyn we went for a walk down to Porthcothan bay near to the campsite for a walk to clear the heads form the previous nights lager, whisky and Perudo. Little did we know we'd spend the whole morning beach combing finding rope, hooks, nets all sorts of rubbish but rubbish we could enjoy collecting - we headed for a cliff walk and then headed back to the van to have lunch and head for a surf.

That night we went to the pub for 'one' pint, ended up eating there and staying for about half dozen in the pub. When we left it was dark so Rick decided to tell ghost stories as we walked up the road - much to the displeasure of me and James - it was pitch and the stars were all out. Yet another starry starry night on a special leg of my trip. We got back to the van and its hazy but we pretty much got straight into bed , however I wouldn't be surprised if we'd not had a dram of whisky and a few games of Perudo.

The following day I'd got some winter gear and was straight into the waves with Rick and James like a giddy Labrador. It was the first time that I'd been out back with these guys just chilling - literally, in the Celtic sea. I was using Rick's LK board and knew it would be difficult to catch waves, but with guidance from James and Rick I picked out the waves and when I heard a 'paddle dude its yours', I took off on a monster and was dumped straight to the deck - 5 foot deep water and I hit the bottom! Air ambulance please! - Not this time but when I surfaced looking like a fool I could just see James and Ricks faces thinking the same as me - how cool this adventure was and I was now in the water out back with them!

We stayed out all day then headed back to the van for the nightly visit to the pub. Again on the way back Rick suggested we should all tell a ghost story each, but had to wait until we were in the van with the lights out! Rick told his story and James had either passed out or wasn't interested, so for my story I thought I had to make James the subject - as well as lightening the whole thing, so my story was about a trio of guys who were away for the week staying in our VERY campsite... you get the picture. And the guy in the top bunk heard the psycho say 'oi, you in the bunk, I'm gonna cover you in spunk!' - Well the van erupted in laughter and it took us ages to calm down and get a good nights sleep in preparation for the following days surfing.

The next day we did the same but I hired more of a beginners board to give me more of a chance and it was better. Just when we thought hanging out back waiting for the magic carpet to take us on that ride, thinking that things couldn't be any better, a little dome head popped up with big bushy eye brows - no not Rick (sorry Rick couldn't resist), a seal. He kept popping up to take a look at us as we were dressed in attire that maybe mistaken for a seal with the rubber suits and hoods - I was in my element - totally stoked - didn't I say Britain was Great.

As we got out of the sea after another good session I again, as I have many times this year on my travels, had that warm glow of satisfaction inside.

As it was our last night we decided to stay in the van and have a Perudo marathon - we're not just hooked on alcohol, no, we're now hooked to Perudu. Rick, James and I all have addictive personalities and a lot of people I know get bored of me when I latch onto to something I love - no, not ale but Perudo and we all loved it equally. We were a great trio for this week, all with the same agenda and it worked a treat.

We woke up on the final morning all a little thick headed, packed up and headed to Haryln and the swell had dropped off so we decided to head north checking out some spots on the way - we ended up back at Putsborough, which was quite fitting as it was where the adventure kicked off. After a couple of hours there and me meeting a guy who suggested from what he was hearing about me and the life learning from my travels, I should go find God, we set off on our journey home. Rick and I having had such a good week were in high spirits and played our collection of Cd's at full volume all the way home - it probably helped keep us awake - we got in at 12:30am and hit the sack - What an amazing week.

I'm not sure if its because I knew that my adventure was continuing or that I've ignited something inside me, which I hope burns forever, but I've really enjoyed been back and have thrown myself deeper into whatever I've being doing. Britain IS Great and has so much to offer, I've heard people moaning about the cold, the wet, the traffic etc - you've got to piss with the cock you've got, so make the most of what we've all got on this fantastic island.

Rick and James, I raise a glass of single malt to you. Shake a dice and decide where we're off next. I crashed your little adventure, but am glad I came back when I did - You are two of the people I regretted not sharing my experiences with this year and in a twist of fate we did. The times we shared literally going west compares equally with any other I've had on this adventure - let there be many more!

Standing In The Footsteps Of Hillary.......Well Nearly

2008-03-14T22:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm back from the Everest base camp trek. How did it go, I hear you say? Well would anything I do be straight forward or not be an adventurous journey which added to my collection of great stories that I have to bring back to keep you bored for hours?

Read about the trek to see if I came back a wreck!

I thought I knew what 'real' adventure was before I got to Nepal, but doing the Everest base camp trek had taught me 'real' adventure - and an adventure wouldn't be, without the story being almost unbelievable - then again, with me, anything can happen!

Our first day started early 5am for the flight to Lukla, the start of our base camp trek. We were all very excited and hauled our heavy rucksacks onto the airport scales - mine was 15kg! We got into the departure lounge - no real security here and no 100ml liquid limit- we were all carrying 3 litres of water each. We quickly discovered that our flight would be delayed as the weather was too bad in Lukla to make the landing.

A few cups of tea and two hours later we were heading to our plane. We were lucky - some treks start days late due to the weather so 2 hours was not really a delay.

When we got to our plane we could have being rock stars getting onto a 10 seater private jet, except for it being about 30 years old and looking tired - we were in for a flight experience of a lifetime - little did I know that my journey would only be one way by plane!

The plane sat our group as well as a party of Swiss and French heading for the Cho La Pass to Mt Gokyo (5483m), then to base camp. I was sat within touching distance of the pilot and couldn't believe it. I may have well being sat with them - they were both looking very casual - wearing jeans and I could see every dial and instrument. I've longed to see a cockpit as an adult since I saw one as a kid and took no notice. I also wanted to see how a plane was really flown especially at the critical stages, landing and takeoff. Notice I say landing - I don't have any terrorist tendencies.

The plane, a 30 year old propeller driven one, sitting only one person on each side was quite shaky and I was sat at the side of the propeller and was hoping that it held in place or at least I'd have a faster exit from this world than the others - decapitation by propeller - mega.

The flight was amazing and my eyes never left the cockpit, watching the activities of the pilots, except to look at the giant mountains as they came into view on our left. Our guide Ram had requested that we sit on the left so we could get the best view and we did, 8000m snow capped mountains!

Ram was superb for the whole of our trip and he was on the button with every decision he made for, and with the team. I cannot express enough how much respect I have for the 25 year old Himalayan mountain guide.

There was a worrying moment as I spotted another plane only about 50m away form us, but this is normal due to the landing strip at Lukla been in a valley. What did this mean? I found out soon enough when the plane suddenly dropped over a mountain to reduce its altitude for final approach - the strip was below us, by some way and was on the side, I mean side, of a mountain!

The pilot made his approach and I could see out of the cockpit window that at the end of the short runway was a rock face! We hit the tarmac and hurtled towards the rock face. Just as I realised as the runway was not long enough we took a sudden turn to the right and came to a stop in the parking area - what an experience - I couldn't wait for the take off back to Kathmandu off the side of a mountain.

We quickly collected our bags minus Liisa's which was still in Kathmandu and headed for a nearby Tea House for breakfast and to await for the arrival of Liisa's bag. Liisa's bag turned up about 2 hours later on a following flight and we set off in the footsteps of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on the route they took in 1953.

We set off from Lukla to Phakding, which was to be out first nights stop on this 14 day adventure, which, according to Hans was going to be 'serious shit Pete'.

Within 10 minutes of us setting off at a reasonable pace, the rain started and we quickly found out that it was not going to be a walk in the park. There was only myself and Ram carrying a rucksack rain cover and Ellen, a late addition to the group and Hans not having waterproof jackets, which I thought was a little crazy.

I was surprised that there were not many other tourists on the route, but maybe with the delay for Liisa's bag they had already got a good start on us. When we got to the Tea House for our first nights stay there was only one other trekker - a Dutch guy who was only going as far as Tengboche as he was just preparing to summit the Mera Peak, leading a group to raise money for Nepali orphanages.

We had a good chat to Harry and posed for a photo for his website before heading to bed. Once we got settled and had finished laughing about Harry's guide telling us 'don’t take pills on the hills' (however I was to later to stop taking my anti-malaria pills) and about Nepal’s anti-terrorist unit being the worlds best, the local disco started. A disco in the middle of the Himalayas - what next?

Day 2 was known to be the most difficult, and it was. It was a 3 hour constant uphill slog up to Namche Bazaar. It was difficult, however, we all did well and took it at a reasonable pace, despite the cold wind and later at altitude, the snow.
Although it was cold it was not too bad as long as we kept moving. When we got to our lodge at Namche, which was more like an alpine village rather than a Sherpa village, there were more tourists staying in the lodge. There were a group of Irish girls who had dangerously run up following their irresponsible guide and an English couple.

Rebecca was from Dewsbury and had lived in Idle so knew Saltaire well - It was great talking to her and she sounded just like my cousin Jo. We chatted for ages talking about home, our plans for when we return and where we'd been. I think it was just comforting for us both to hear such familiar accents that kept us talking all evening but she also had an interesting occupation - she was a professional author who had had 3 title published and one of the books 'e11even terrible months' sounded like a good read featuring local people and areas - always a winner with Yorkshire folk.

The following day was a scheduled rest day. The idea is to trek to altitude without packs on and come down to sleep - this is supposed to help reduce the chances of AMS (acute mountain sickness). I awoke with what felt like the mother of all hangovers so I took some 'pills on the hills' which made me feel better - I did decide tho' to ditch my anti-malaria tablets as I thought these were making me feel a little lousy too. After breakfast we set off to gain altitude where we would get our first glimpse of Everest. After about 40 minutes Liisa was struggling with her knee which she thought could be a problem so the girls opted to return to the lodge - this was safe as the lodge was still in site and wasn't too far down. Myself, Hans and Ram continued to the higher altitude to aid acclimatisation.

Once we reached the top we could see good view of Everest and Ama Dablam a really interesting shaped peak. We sat at a tea house for a while and drank ginger tea to spend as long as we could at this altitude. Ginger and garlic is supposed to be good at preventing the symptoms of AMS. After our tea we headed down to meet the girls and relax for the afternoon.

We managed to make good use of the last shower for the remaining 11 days! The next day we awoke all feeling the benefits of a rest day and set off to Tenboche - again we bumped into Harry and pretty much followed them to Tengboche.

Tenboche has a Monastery for the Sherpa’s which was destroyed by fire many years ago, and which was re-built for the Sherpa people with the help of Edmund Hillary.
For most of that days trek we had magnificent views of Everest, Ama Dablam, Nuptse and Lhotse. It was on this day that I first realised the tranquility of the mountains, the vivid colours, the cold, crisp silence, even though the wind seemed to have quietened down. For some time the atmosphere seemed very spiritual as I took a rest to let the others to come over the last steep ridge - This was a moment I had to myself and one that I will remember for a long time.
Hans had also realised on this day, anything from China was crap. 'Fuck China, Free Tibet' - He was hurting badly from first his Chinese made trousers having no stitching in the groin and then by his serious sunburn even though wearing some factor 90 sun cream again made in China!
That night it was much colder and our Tea House was much busier, but we managed to get a good spot around the fire until it was time to crawl into bed - We decided that our rooms looked like giant wooden coffins!

The following day Liisa was ill and although she wanted to continue myself and Hans decided that the group should take an unplanned rest day for Liisa to rest.

We said good luck to Harry and then spent the day pottering about and managed to send some postcards, yes postcards, before returning to the lodge to watch ‘A Fish Called Wanda’ while sat around the fire. Liisa later said that we being firm and making the decision to stay had helped her a lot.
The next day, day 6 we were all feeling pretty fit except Ellen who was suffering mild symptoms of AMS. Later that evening she took some Diamox. On this day we would break the 4000m mark. The day was very easy and it seemed that I had managed to get my breathing pattern right. At altitude the body goes through physiological changes to deal with altitude, but it needs time.

That night we got to a lodge with no one else there. At this height there are no trees therefore much less O2 - almost 50% less than at see level and no firewood. Instead the locals use dried Yak shit! (A female Yak is called a Nak). The sky was very clear and I could see thousands of stars brightly - like on Cathedral beach on Fraser Island but colder as we were now at temperatures well below zero. Further up without wind chill, the temperature was to get to -16 degree C.

Day 7 was another scheduled rest day. We realised how little O2 there was in our room that morning when the lighter Hans had brought along wouldn't work in our room but it would outside! The Diamox had worked for Ellen and we were all raring to go up to 5000m for our acclimatisation. After about an hour something in my leg popped! It felt like my cruciate ligament had given way. I tried to go on but knew that this would be worse for me than rest, so Liisa headed back to the lodge with me to have a look at it and strap it up - we were fortunate enough to have Liisa with us as she was a Physio - they get everywhere Michelle - I'll be surprised if you didn't know each other some how.

Fortunately it wasn't my cruciate ligament but Liisa suspected I may have a problem with a tendon. We rested for the rest of the morning trying not to sleep (that’s the altitude) and waited for the others to get back. For the remainder of the day we played cards and a nice American guy CJ, from New York joined us later on. That afternoon Hans was suffering from the affects of been up at 5000m but he rested in the afternoon and was ok later in the evening.

The next day, with the help of Liisa's strapping and some Ibuprofen, the knee felt better however it kept reminding me every now and then that it was sore. We started early for our long walk to 4950m. Our last sleep before reaching Everest base camp - morale was high in the camp and we were all relatively fit. This stretch was easy - too easy I thought, as I was doing it, shouldn't I be feeling a little AMS? My breathing was good, my head was good and our pace was good - maybe it was the adrenaline of the next day's achievement that was keeping us together.

At 4800m we walked through a memorial ground with dozens of memorials for people who had died tackling Everest - 8 people a year die doing the base camp! The memorial ground was totally silent and I had a walk around and felt total respect for these fallen adventurers who had died while fulfilling their passion and dreams - I could now imagine, at least a bit, the pull of such a feat as I was feeling the same for the Base Camp.

That evening I had a chill and that is where it all started to go wrong, seriously wrong. I went to bed early and got into my sleeping bag to warm through and shivered myself to sleep. At about 1.30am I woke feeling like all hell was about to break loose in my mind. I was spaced out and couldn’t walk without nearly collapsing. The team was really worried and Ram gave me a Diamox, which didn't work and I was to have the worst night of my life! I was feeling sick, dizzy and generally spaced out - I apparently had a conversation in the middle of the night with Ram and Hans which I cannot remember, but was just saying how it was 'serious shit' over and over again.

As I didn't improve Ram decided at first light that I needed an evacuation from the mountain as I was showing serious symptoms of AMS. So day 9 was a decent to the next village, as I had picked the only village on the mountain side to get ill with no communications. Ram took my bag and ran down to the next village, but I cannot really remember much more about the climb down except when we got to the bottom Ram said he'd called for the evac. and Ellen should go with me? This was a strange request, but as we later found out there was an emergency within her family and she needed to return home – it was all happening on our watch.

If I hadn't got ill, Ellen wouldn't have found out about her family emergency until we returned to Lukla on the 16th!

We sat and waited for the air lift but it was cancelled due to the weather so we headed further down for my benefit to reduce altitude.

On the was down we had to stop as my lungs were cramping and as I was explaining to Liisa, her nose started bleeding quite badly and the weather was closing in. The whole situation seemed hopeless. We continued down to our planned lodging and I again had a poor night. Before I want to bed I had news that my insurance company had changed their mind about my cover.

The next day we decided that we would try bribing the helicopter pilot who came to collect Ellen to take me also, but when he arrived he refused as he'd loose his job.

After Ellen's dramatic evac. we headed down further so I could check my policy and call my insurance to get the correct story. Finally I got confirmation of my cover and the emergency airlift was called in. Usually AMS symptoms lesson as you get lower but by breathing had got worse on the way down so an airlift was still necessary.

The flight back to Kathmandu was amazing - once more it felt like I was in a war movie flying feet above the Himalaya mountains and low in the valleys seeing the Himalayas in a way not many other people get to see - what an experience - if I wasn't feeling so ill then I could have been a pleasure flight, but a bloody expensive one $5500, which the insurance company has since informed me that I was not covered for!

When I got to Kathmandu I was rushed to the waiting doctor, David a doctor from the US. He said I was very lucky as I had the symptoms of serious AMS and most likely had a cerebral oedema which of I had stayed for a couple more hours at that height would have lead to a coma and eventually death - I told you anything can happen to me.

I'm ok now, I have a raised blood pressure (not sure if that’s for the credit card bill I’ve got or AMS) and the doctor prescribed rest so that’s what I'm doing until the remaining team members return tomorrow.

I have once again had more learning to take with me from the past two weeks. I have learnt how important teamwork is to get through the toughest moments with everyone standing up to be counted as the right moment all for the benefit of the team or another individual. I have also realised that I have been part of a great team more than once, I have taken the bond for granted in the past and it has taken this to realise how important teamwork and trust in others is to achieve favorable results.

One big thing that I have realised is how important the people that surround you are – without the people around you, you will find it hard to get through the hard times. Cherish your family, friends, colleagues and loved ones and let them know that.

“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of my team.”

Top Of The World!

2008-03-02T04:18:00.000-08:00

So, I've been in Nepal for just over a week now - what do I think of it? It's the best place on earth that I have ever visited! From the moment that I saw the highest mountain range in the world, at eye level while on my approach to Kathmandu, I knew I had done the right thing sticking with the journey - and quite simply I feel that once I have 'done' Nepal (and Tibet) there is nothing more that the adventurer within needs to see. I know its a bold, blinkered statement and there are many places I haven't seen in this colourful, eventful, fantastic world, but, I have finally realised that it is this kind of adventure that I crave.

In my first week I have met some fantastic people. I made the effort to brave the streets on my first day so as not to become a prisoner in my room - Thamel - where I am staying is a very nice, safe place with plenty, but not too many, tourists. The sounds, sights and smells sent me into a sensory overload - how can anywhere be like this - the 3rd poorest country on earth and yet so rich in culture - begs the question, money or happiness?

When I had wandered around the city, getting lost like in Bali so as to experience more that this wonderful place has to offer, I returned back to the hotel so see the travel rep that they had to discuss what options they had for me joining group activities. The options and activities out here are just up my street and are endless in Nepal.

I immediately signed up to the 4 day kayaking clinic and expresses my interest in doing the 10 day rafting trip and the Everest Base Camp trek. The rep said he had a couple of guys going on the 3rd of March - tomorrow, going on the Everest trek! Raj, the rep, introduced me to the other guys, A Dutch guys called Hans and a Finish girl called Liisa. The are both really nice people and they said they'd love me to join them on the trip - so there and then we signed up to the Everest Base Camp trek! We wasted no time in getting to know each other and headed our for the day in Kathmandu, to go bowling - yes bowling in Nepal - Hans and I couldn't believe how surreal it was. Later we headed out for a meal and a few drinks to christen the latest European team to scale to Everest Base Camp (5500m ish). We had a good evening and the following day I just relaxed and did some shopping to buy some gear for the trip. I was supposed to be going out for a meal with Liisa but the river guide was operating on Nepali time and was 30mins late for our meeting - I agreed that I'd see him at 6.30am the following day for my Kayaking clinic.

I took to Kayaking like a duck to water - rolled over and stuck my head under the water! This was a shock to me in the cold water and the time under the water seemed like minutes rather than the 5 seconds that it most likely was. I spent the next 2 days getting my balance and practicing the very difficult eskimo roll. While on the trip I managed to grab a 2.5 hour trip with a group down the river I was on - this good was fun. We had lost glasses and a busted up nose, the works - the river classification here is real and not bigged up like back home - grade 3 here is like what back home we are led to believe is grade 4.

Mt first night at the clinic I was cooked for by a local family - the entire family was there - grandparents, parents, aunties, uncles... you get the picture. The children loved me and I adored their dirty little faces as I helped them with their English home work - I was humbled by the entire experience deep in central Nepal - and I bet the children couldn't wait to go to school the following day to tell everyone that they'd had an English guy help them with their english home work - it made me realise how rewarding it must be to teach English to children like this.

I then spent the night on a little wooden shelf in the equipment shed - it was fantastic and possibly the best evening of my life - I was in a dusty little shed on a shelf feeling a glow of pleasure inside me. The following afternoon, after a very cold day in - sorry under the water, the guide leader told me about a trip he had going down the Bhote Kosi river. The Lonely Plannet guide book say the following about it. 'The Bhote Kosi is the steepest river rafted in Nepal - technical and TOTALLY committing, The Bhoti Kosi is one of the best short rafting trips to be found ANYWHERE in the world.' How was I not going - rafting is my real passion and I could do kayaking, sorry drowning in the warmer weather.

So that was it - I was off down one of the worlds most technically demanding rivers.

I met the team at the rafting HQ in Kathmandu, they were a great bunch of guys. An Australian brother and sister, Danny and Nicki, a Canadian, Kev and a Danish couple Maria and Peter. All of us but Peter and Maria has some good river time under our belts and it was needed for this trip. Day one we ran the top section of the upper Bhote Kosi and the commands were coming thick and fast as we as a team tackled well the relentless rapids. There was no time to think about anything else other than focus on Ahmed's commands to ensure that we got into the correct position for the next rapid. Like I said it was relentless - one rapid followed another and it was important that we hit each rapid right so we didn't get hung up or worse still flip into the glacia fed grade 4/5 river! The guide book was right, the Bhote Kosi was totally committing.

We all worked well as a team and it was good to raft with experienced rafters as we cleared the first section with only one mishap with Danny getting spun out on one of the bigger rapids as we used a rock to turn us down one of the many grade 4 rapids. He was front right (the front have it worst with no foot grip) and I was front left. We both lurched to the side and Danny disappeared over the rock and under the raft! We worked well to keep the raft on course while we pulled Danny back aboard.

After the upper section we headed back to setup our camp and got some beers and camped on a ledge above the river - we all had a good chat and an early night for the full upper section of the Bhote Kosi the following day.

The next day a few of the team switched around on the raft but I hung on to the front left - I love that position being able to read the rapids.

It was a totally different river even though we had rafted the top section already - the dam had been opened and the water flow was different - we all had to react a lot faster and got hung up a few more times. We lost Kev in a similar scenario to how Danny was lost the previous day and we struggled to get him back into the raft - he was a big guy -6ft 4" and we didn't line up correctly for the next rapid and got hung up quite badly - we all had to get out of the raft and precariously balance on a tiny rock.

The rapids got bigger in the lower section and there were a couple of grade 5's that we had to portage around as the week before our support kayaker got caught in a hole under one of the drops!

As you can probably tell this was another highlight for me - rafting on one of he worlds best rivers in a country well known for world class rafting throughout the white water world!

After the rafting, we headed back to Kathmandu and I was again glowing inside satisfied that I had had an amazing time and had met some fantastic people! That night we went out to celebrate - the guys were such nice people, and we ended up staying out until 3.30am getting destroyed on cocktails then hitting the only open club in Thamel - when we left the club the whole town was derelict and silent. We got back to the hotel and had to knock up the security and night porter to let us in. The following few days I relaxed in preparation for Everest Base Camp.

I've had a chat to Liisa and Hans and they both said it would be nice if I'd travel down through Malaysia and Thailand with them before I come back up to Nepal to meet Dan, one of he guys from my Foundation Degree course, for 7 weeks in adventure heaven!

Bring it all on - this place rocks - I hope your all well and loving the blogs. Keep it real, I'll be home soon enough to catch up with you all - the thoughts of that is keeping me going - you all uniquely give me inspiration to keep going and you should take something from that - your amazing people!

Wish me luck for Everest!

Indonesian Stoke

2008-02-17T00:42:00.000-08:00

So its been a long time, ok, ok, I know I'm being crap but we are travelling at 100mph and internet hasn't been good in Indonesia, but here's my lengthy blog.

A lot has changed since the last entry; one of us has achieved all we came to achieve on this year of discovery and adventure so from here, Singapore, we part company as one of us returns home.

Once outside the airport in Bali, it felt that I had returned to a second home - everything was how I remembered. The mopeds buzzing around the roads like flies, the happy smiling faces if the Balinese and that familiar smell of the Island of the Gods hit me immediately. The smell is one that fades in your memory but it is engrained in the back of your mind to be retrieved at the next whiff of it. An emotional sensory stimulant.

We got into a cab and headed to a hotel called Segara Agung - a place that Rick & Katy stayed in 2005 and which was a nice place to kick back and prepare for the hard slog.

The first night we just sat outside drinking Bintang, 70p for a wine bottle sized drink (there's no Bint without the tang). We sat out on the veranda and chatted, taking everything in and reflecting on our magnificent time in Australia - what would the next leg bring? Danger? Hate? Terrorists? No - none of that but you will hear more on that later.

The following day we walked down the beach - down memory lane for me - I knew it wouldn't be pleasant for me but it did give me a feeling of happiness inside that I'd at least had the pleasure of spending a short but beautiful time with Emily.

The walk took us past the 'New Banjar' beach bar that we'd sat with our close friends with on our first day in Bali in 2005 and were introduced to Bintang and played catch-up with their world travels - oh how I have so much to tell everyone when I return. The New Banjar had been replaced by a hotel chain and it had lost its charm but the memories remain of the 4 special friends on that special stretch of beach.

The walk continued down the beach past the Hyatt where we stayed and spent a fantastic night with Rick and Katy the night before the wedding - one of the best nights in memory. We continued past the hardest bit for me the Villa Gardens where the ceremony took place - I just stood for a few moments to think things through and could see us there.

But that was it - I was here to come back with some more memories and stories and felt like it had been good to return to perhaps bury the demons.

A quote I read while reading one of the guide books says 'to find yourself, you must first get lost'. We did just that. We were wandering around the residential streets for 4 hours, experiencing things that three years ago I didn't get the chance to experience. The best part of that mini adventure for both of us I think was that an elderly Indonesian man invited us into his house to show us his paintings - like most people are in Bali, he wasn't on the sell, but was proud of the paintings that he had done. He showed them to us and he couldn't speak a word of English. It was our first experience of an Indonesian home. His bed was some thin card on the living room floor! This was moving to see how simple their culture can be.

Once we got to the hotel we had some beers and swam in the pool for a while, introducing Asia to a craze that is sweeping Australia and soon to be the world - The Marlin. The video clip is a classic and Roscoe, Matt and Ryan, the pioneers of the Marlin would have been proud of our effort.

We ended the night in a restaurant where I'd been before but again it had been renovated. The food was fantastic tho' and the investment, although changing Sanur is sad for the memories, its great for Bali, as the place is busy and had a vibe about it with many new restaurants and bars.

It was in this restaurant were we got talking to the waitress Agung which finished with an invite to her family temple later in the week to see the religious celebrations of the Balinese Christmas - of which they have 2. Agung said she'd dress us in traditional Balinese costume and take us to her family temple and the mother temple Basikh.

That first day alone was a mammoth one for me. The emotional memory rollercoaster and the taste of and promise of getting deeper into the Balinese culture.

The following say we just relaxed by the pool but decided to head down to a local bar on the beach that evening. When we got there the bar was only inhabited by locals. Within 2 minutes I'd been invited to play pool on the dodgiest pool table ever - I'm rubbish at pool and when I found myself almost 8 balling one of the local sharks on this shocking table I thought to myself that maybe I should throw the game, I didn't - instead I potted the black and promptly was drinking some local rice spirit with the guys while Rob beat the other guys at pool.

The guys worked for the local surf agency taking surfers out onto the Hyatt reef. They asked if we surfed, but we didn't fancy a reef break because of the dangers - did I say I wouldn't surf a reef break - watch this space.

They took us to a local bar where we had some more drinks and chatted to them some more before they dropped us off at our hotel - such great guys - we're really getting amongst the locals and they were superb.

We both awoke with slight hangovers and again just chilled by the pool and repeated the routine of eating out and having a few extra drinks after. We walked up the main road and ended up in a nice restaurant which was busy with couples and the menu looked good so we ate there. We ate and had a few more drinks. Before we knew it music was the pumping out and the couples had gone and the place was just full of Indo girls checking us out - mega. Due to the night before we were tired so took the girls checking us out as a compliment and made a mental note of the place and left - we later found out that the place called 'Zoo' turned into a whore house at 11pm - so I’d say a lucky escape, although I'm sure a few of the guys reading this think we should have capitalised on this opportunity.

We decided that we'd spent enough time chilling out and our feet were getting itchy to move on so we booked white water rafting, a 3 day surf school and a trip to the Gilli Islands - the guide book says that it’s easy to play Robinson Crusoe here - and it is. We'd also agreed to meet Agung to firm up arrangements for the temple visit so we ate at the restaurant again - by the time we'd finished our food and were carrying on drinking, there was only ourselves and 3 ladies sat behind us - we struck up conversation about the band that were playing and ended up joining them for drinks. The triplet was made up of an ex-pat German called Seigried and two Taiwanese girls, Serena a student and Sheryl an English teacher.

Serena and Sheryl took us to a local late bar, Double Dutch, which played live music and we had more drinks and had a good time with the girls meeting their Indonesian friend - Indonesian girls are simply smokin'. She was the hottest girl I've seen while travelling. She had perfect English and unusual for an Indonesian of that age she had a brand new car. She gave us all a lift back to our hotels and we arranged to go for dinner with the girls the following day to a Mexican that played live music - they love live music in Bali.

The following day we got up early with hangovers to do our rafting trip which was tame but good fun as there were only 2 of us in the raft and it meant that we could hit the rapids a little harder as we rode higher in the water. The river guide knew we were a little crazy and were experienced by the way we were shifting our way around the raft and didn't enjoy portaging the rapids, so for the last large rapid he let us sit up to take it full on - the other groups all had to sit inside their rafts to take the drop.

We got back to the hotel and crashed out until it was time to meet Serena and Sheryl. We called them to find out their hotel and met them a little late as we had to pay for our surf school and Gilli trips. Again we had a good night and met some more of the girl’s friends, more ex-pats.

Again we awoke with hangovers and were met by Agung, who introduced us to her brother, Agung.?

First they dressed us in the traditional Balinese dress before taking us to their family temple - I think the family name is Agung and we went to the Agung temple. When we arrived there were hundreds of people there all bearing offerings to the Gods - it’s very hard to explain but the whole thing was amazing. We were the only westerners there and we were getting some looks but this experience wasn't daunting, it was good to experience what been in the minority was like.

After a while and after some traditional Balinese dances which told historical stories, we got let into the temple for the service. I watched this service with intrigue as to the format - again we were experiencing something very few people get to do - if you are not following the religion you are not meant to go into the main temple, but I think that because we were making the effort with the dress they knew we wanted to experience the culture and not just be tourists to get snaps for the album.

I must admit that I felt like Bruce Parry and thought how amazing his adventures must be - seeing first hand culture like this does something inside you that opens you up to the world’s experiences that you may normally shy away from.

Then we went to the mother temple Basikh to do the same service, before heading back to Agung's parent’s house to eat the traditional celebration food. They lived in the grounds of a school on the mountain side and we sat in one of the class rooms to eat. The school was one room with 6 desks in it with plastic chairs. Fantastic.

Two days later and after a 12 hour trip (we'd been told it was 6) we found ourselves on the Gilli's. These were simply amazing. Three islands off the North West coast off Lombok. There was no fresh water - cold salt water showers, no electricity - diesel generators and no motorised transport. On our way over on the little wooden boat while being tossed by the waves I couldn't help but think of Charlie Sheen in Platoon.

The accommodation was very basic - just wooden huts and the island was quiet - only 200 - 300 inhabitants! On our first day we walked around the circumference of the whole Island in just over an hour before getting the boat to Gilli Trawangan the party island, to party - little did we know that that night was the night off - so we had a quiet night before heading back to Gilli Meno for our final night.

On that last night we managed to negioate a good rate for a better room - about 5 quid. When we got to our room we could see a gaggle of locals sat around a TV so we went to investigate - they were watching local football so we sat with them until the satellite moved out of range and headed out to find a restaurant on the beach. On the way back we bumped into some more locals who invited us to sit with them. They were just doing their regular nightly thing hanging out together drinking a fruit juice that wasn't alcoholic but gave a natural high.
They were drinking liters of the stuff and eating a local delicacy cow skin in chili peppers! Needless to say they invited us to try their food and drink and then we really did start to feel like Bruce Parry might. Sampling tribal food!

I will never forget that night and I regret not having my camera to take a photo of us and out new friends all sat crossed legged on the ground passing the juice around like a peace pipe! Mega.

When we got back from the Gilli's - another 12 hours we headed straight to Kuta - the busy noisy alternative to Sanur - for our surf lessons the following 3 days.

The surfing was great fun and it was good to be taught the correct technique and we both caught some good clean waves. The following day the lesson taught us more theory and technique but the waves were not as good and although we caught some good waves we struggled to have as much fun as the first day.

The group had started off with 10 and on the final day there were only two of us - myself and a cool Canadian guy called Derek. Kuta was flat so they decided that we had advanced enough to take a surf trip to the Nusa Dua reef break to surf the more consistent waves there where the wind conditions were correct.

Nusa Dua is an 800m paddle out to the reef and it was hard work but my swimming stamina has improved and before long I was catching my first reef break. Oh the stoke. It was hard paddling against the current trying to take us into the rocks and back out to the lineup so I only got chance to try catch about a dozen waves in 2 hours but the success rate of actually riding the waves was about 80-90% - It was the shit.

After Kuta we headed into Java - Billed a scary place that we shouldn't travel to.

I know we didn't stay there long but the main difficulty was the language barrier which was quite large and the reason for leaving early was due to serious floods and landslides in west Java.

We felt no threat what so ever and the people seemed as friendly as the Balinese. It’s sad that people see the Muslim faith as been universally bad - it’s a minority of fanatics that put a fantastic place like Java off limits to many travelers and this is wrong.

While there we endured some very long bus journeys and some rest days. We also climbed Gunung Bromo an active volcano that only erupted in 2004 - It was a hard day as we had to be up at 2.30am to see the sunrise over the Tengger massif.

The following day we decided to head for Singapore where Rob would get an onward flight home and I would head into Nepal to carry out some world class rafting, Kayaking and maybe trek the Annapurna Circuit.

It’s going to be hard going solo, but I’m going to give it my best shot for all the people I want to be sharing this experience with who cannot be here.

'do it for ya friends, see it through 'till the end'

Bye bye Oz, hello Bali

2008-01-29T22:02:00.000-08:00

We've only bee in Bali a few days, but I feel that I have to write a blog as I already have so much left to say from Australia.

Our last week in Australia was a mad one - it was the last week as we decided to bring our flights forward two weeks as we just seemed to be hanging about having seen everything and had pretty much spent up.

After leaving our friend Matt we headed down the Great Ocean Road to see the Limestone formations of the 12 Apostles, London Bridge etc, stopping on the way to see Bells Beach - the one from the end of Point Break. We had a good time there and enjoyed getting back into camping - we'd really got to enjoy the outdoor life. The Great Ocean Road was billed as one of the best coastal routes in the world - well it must have been only number 2 at best, as the Pacific Highway in California knocked spots off of it - it was still very good to see and the weather was fine during the day but got cold at night - about 16 degrees! While on the Great Ocean Road we decided that we would change our flight as we had done everything we wanted to, and could afford to in Australia. We made the call and brought our flight forward two weeks. - The excitement started again in anticipation of our new adventures - Asia!

There was one small hitch - we must first sell the car. We headed back to St Kilda to reduce the price to a more realistic one - we'd try to sell it for more than we paid for it - cheeky but just typifies us. Anyway, the reductions worked well because in the first 3 hours we had 2 calls. We had driven up to see Matt to say bye so arranged to meet the prospective buyers the following day. We had another massive night at Matt's meeting Benny again - yes he was working and Heath - another crazy Aussie - he really liked our company and we spent the night playing drinking games with Whiskey and Vodka! Heath was a legend on the guitar and could play most of the songs we were asking him to play - we had a drunken sing song and dance about while Ben went to bed at about 3am as he had to be up at 4am! Needless to say when we went upto the house at 4:45am to get some more beer, Ben's alarm was going off waking the whole house - You had to be there but it was so funny. We called it a night soon after as we realised that we had a big day the following day to sell the car.

We cleaned the car and headed down to St Kilda to meet the guys who'd called. As it turned out someone else called and it ended up with there been 2 groups of people looking at the car at the same time and wanting it - in Oz you need to have a safety certificate to sell a car but the Irish guys wanted the car at the published price without one - done deal. We spent the night in a hostel in the city where we met some interesting characters.... We headed into St Kilda for one last time and while in St Kilda we called into to sell our cricket tickets to Fletch - so we'd miss the MCG - I'll be back soon to have my date with the MCG. We said bye to Hayley and Carly and headed to do the exchange. Job done and we were $1500 better off. We'd lost on the car but it was going to cost us $5500 to hire and most cars from Cairns end up at the side of the road so we were pretty pleased with ourselves as $1500 goes a long way in Bali. That was it then - back packs on (18kg), we headed upto meet Matt again - Roscoe was having a party and we just had to go to see the guys off one last time - and in style. As well as seeing the guys off the rest of the Hervey Bay crew Chewing Gum and Celina were there too which was great.

The party was again off the scale - we drank our last slab of Aussie beer - Hahn was the discovery for us and partied hard into the night. You need to see the photo's and video's - but we've been to some awesome parties in Australia.

The next day we said goodbye to everyone and especially the Hervey Bay gang. It was a little sad to say bye to Rosco, Matt & Ryan - I cannot believe how such good guys they are and how much fun they have added to Australia - I really do hope they stay in touch and take up our offer for them to come stay with us in England so we can show them a good time in England. We had one last photo together in front of the Troopie and that was it - we headed off for our next adventure.

The 6 hour flight felt quite long and nothing to report really except that I had a a good chat to the girl checking us in and we seemed to get good treatment on the plane - good leg room and all the trimmings that our ticket told us we would have to upgrade for! You learn to be a cheeky twat when backpacking and we pretty much managed to do Australia for half of what people have told us we would need. We don't feel that we have missed out on anything from our plans so we really got into it.

For me, when we got to Bali it felt from the familiar smells and sounds that I'd returned to a second home. As you maybe aware, Bali is where I came to get married in 2005, so emotions were running a bit high - but this time it would be different and I'd leave Bali with a whole set of memories - if they are anything as good as Australia, then we will have had the most unbelievable time.

'I don't know whats going on....'

2008-01-17T17:58:00.000-08:00

Hi all - hope the new year is shaping up well for you all.

Here's a little update to how our travels have gone since Sydney. Before we left our kind hosts in Sydney we went to watch Australia v India in the New Years test match - the atmosphere was a lot tamer than the Headingley party atmosphere, but the ground was an amazing arena for cricket - 35,000 people - mostly Australian, so the atmosphere was still very good! The Indians gave the Aussies a run for there money - they didn't turn upto the first test, but we saw some good cricket and the Aussies being frustrated by some good Indian Batting - we're off the the Mecca of cricket next week the MCG! 100,000 people capacity and supposedly electric!

Before we left Sydney to head to Canberra, Elaine and Jez took us out for the day to see the sights of Sydney properly - I absolutely loved Sydney and the sights were fantastic - especially the ladies on Manly beach!

We said good bye to Elaine and Jez and we thank them for their time and hospitality. Without them we would have missed a big part of what had made our trip special. We then headed to Canberra to the Indonesian embassy to get our 60 day visa - we found that the visa system is a farce - we should have gone to the embassy in England, although the visa is only valid for a month when issued - so we need to re-think our strategy, wither leave Indo and return on another 30 day visa, or add another country to our itinerary - any suggestions?

On our last morning before we left Canberra, we discovered that a funnel web spider had made its way into our car - it can kill a man in 90 minutes! - you should have seen our faces! Canberra was a pretty non descript place - just Government House and civil service offices - pretty much it.

We were aiming to hit Melbourne at the weekend so we could join the girls for a house party and BBQ that they were having. We spent a few nights camping on the coast and drove through a bush fire on the way to Melbourne.

When we met the girls in Sydney, they said we could stay with them in St Kilda for a bit while in Melbourne. St Kilda is like Headingley - young people and nightlife.

Our plan was to get to Melbourne early so that we could have time to sell our car as Melbourne is one of the hardest places to sell, due to the market being a buyers one, with it being a major exit point for Australia.

On the first night we gave our car a really good clean and then chilled out and watched a couple of DVD's with the girls, before getting an early night for the party the following day.

The house the girls are staying in is amazing - it is Victorian with wood panel walls and antiques everywhere - the owner is an antiques collector. Antiques and party, I hear you say!?

We got up and Hayley took us around St Kilda's hostels and notice boards to put up notices advertising our car. We then nipped to stock up on food and beer for the BBQ and then decided we'd crack open another Hahn and start the boozing early. By the time people arrived we were quite drunk but the party was still tame at this point. We cooked food and before long the party was pumping, especially the music - after a while, Brett a friend of the girls turned up and thought it would be good to get some poppers! Once you pop you cannot stop! It was piss funny watching people pass them round. At about 2am everything just went crazy and the lounge was full of people dancing on the antique furniture, with drinks everywhere.

We were the first drinking and the last to stop - we were still up at 5am having another BBQ finishing off our slab of beer.

The next couple of days after the party, we relaxed and took it easy. On our last night before we headed to see the guys we'd gone to Fraser with, we went out with Fletch - one of the other guys that lived with the girls. Carly and Fletch were the other two tenants and were really nice guys.

We started at the pub where Fletch had worked up until the week before, before he left after having an all night lock in! It was a typical night - boozy and we seemed to get very pissed and separated all leaving separately.

By the time I had wandered back and found my way around St Kilda, then broken into the house through a window, Rob has been gone about an hour - he'd been put in a taxi, with no money, by an Irish guy and been kicked out of the taxi somewhere in St Kilda. He'd been walking around trying to find the house. I went to look for him and could hear him shouting for me. I'm surprised we didn't get arrested. We were shouting trying to locate one another at 3am, when the police drove to the gate of a park I'd been walking past - I dashed into the shadows as we've heard the cells here aren't too pleasant out here! I found Rob sitting in the middle of a roundabout one street away from the house.

The following day we went to the cinema with Carly and Fletch to watch I Am Legend, before heading upto the mountains to Matt's house to meet him and Ryan for a roast that Matt's mum had cooked

We'll update before we fly out of Australia on the 12th Febuary to Indonesia, but from now on, photo's will be posted less often as I am having to post them home, so be patient but keep upto date with the blog - and keep in touch - its good to hear what you guys are upto.

Simply Different!

2008-01-03T15:27:00.000-08:00

Here's our latest blog, which covers our Christmas and New Year - and what a time it was! It's a long one but I wanted to cover Christmas and New Year in detail as it was without a doubt one of the highlights - I never expected Australia to hold so much for us - if the rest of the trip holds this many good times then we will be blown away! (Hopefully not in Kuta!)

After Fraser Island we headed down the coast stopping at various National Parks and camp sites trying to hit Sydney for New Year. We'd got a loose arrangement with our friend Matt (there's your mention you 'orrible man), to collect him from Wollongong, which we renamed Wollondong - and actually got confused with the name so were telling people we were heading down to the dong! Classic!

We had no idea what to do for Christmas but we couldn't be arsed with the massive crowds and the huge rip off that Christmas was making the camping grounds, so we decided to stock up on food, water, wine and beer and head off into the wilderness for an, off the wall Christmas, away from the commercial chaos (apart form alcohol) that we were used to. Just us in the middle of a National Park! It cost us $90 each for a weeks supply of food, including masses of meat for the Christmas Day BBQ and copious amounts of alcohol - Another bargain!

We got there Christmas Eve and set up our camp in the 30 degree heat, played stick cricket using the esky and an empty beer box as wickets (Hahn Super Dry - what a beer - no hangovers!) and lit a camp fire after going on the hunt and finding a pile of logs nearby! As it got dark, and after a slab of Hahn, we couldn't resist some of the meat we'd got for Christmas lunch, we'd got far too much, so we had burgers and sautéed potato (yes we are now culinary one stove, two pan specialists). After this, and to avoid the Mozzies (we were right next to a river - what a setting for Christmas), we retreated to the tent to play cards and sat up to wait until Christmas Day - we had no signal on our phones either, which made the whole wilderness experience.

We slept till quite late Christmas Day, 11:30am - I think is was because we'd freaked ourselves out in the middle of the night while going for a toilet break, seeing the massive eyes in the torchlight of a wild cat eating the remains of our tea! First job was to build a fire that we could keep going all day, just like back home, but for a different reason - to cook Christmas lunch on! We went gathering wood in true Ray Mears stylie, leaves and pine needles to get it going then small twigs, getting larger until the logs. The fire was as good as he could have built - except we needed matches! - However, thinking about it we should have used Rob's magnifying glass on his army knife.

Once the fire was lit it was time to hit the Hahn again, still sleepy eyed, but hey, it was Christmas and we were doing it so differently and loving it so much. We played a little more stick cricket, but due to the beers we soon started loosing the ball and had to go bush whacking in true Taipan country - either we are getting brave, or the beer made us stupid, but we did manage to loose 1 ball and find 4 - I guess that told us whether we should have been looking for our ball in the bush! God knows what we would have done if one of us had got bitten - mega!

After we'd fed the fire some more wood to get the hot plate hot, we carved our names into the picnic area we were near and wrote in charcoal - "Rob and Pete 25/12/2007". After this - about 3pm it was time to start our Christmas feast - it was so tasty, we'd got some superbly flavoured kebabs and seafood. We're used to cheap simple dishes - this was luxury! Its amazing how back home we spent so much on things, yet we have adjusted to this simple live easily and we are not bothered about the luxury - what life learning! We decided to have a true feast spending ages cooking everything two at a time so we could spread out the whole experience and take in what was happening. After lunch we played more stick cricket but after the litre of Rose wine it just wasn't happening, so we sat and talked for a bit around the fire about us, what was going on and what thoughts we were having about back home - but its difficult with so long to go to have any idea about what we want to do back home but we both have some interesting life changing thoughts! Eventually it started to get dark so we retreated to the tent, and played cards until we fell asleep. - What an amazing Christmas - I love been around the family and friends at Christmas, but this was definitely special as it was just so simple and stress free, at one with nature.

We headed down to Wollongong in preparation to meet Matt, and stayed a night at 7 mile beach. As we'd not had any mobile signal we hadn't been in touch with Matt so didn't know his plans were not to meet us until later, so we called Elaine and Jez - A Bradford couple living in Sydney. Elaine is the sister of robs mums friend from work. They had offered us their garage (carpeted with beds and a fridge with a toilet attached, minus Black Widdows! - so luxury for us campers) over the New Year, as they has 4 girls from Bradford coming up from Melbourne who had first dibbs on their spare room. Elaine said we could go there early and Matt could join us later getting the train up the coast. So that was it we headed up to Sydney.

Elaine and Jez are fantastic people and it was good to hear a friendly accent - we went to the pub with them on our first night for some beers and we bought them tea for letting us stay for free over the New Year - very generous!

We headed into Sydney for a walk around to take it all in and look at the sales - we thought we may need something smarter than short shorts (we don't want to be untanned down to our shins by wearing boardies!). We had lunch in Sydney, which is such a great city - it had such a great feel to it. We then met Elaine and Jez in a Sydney FC supporters pub to watch Sydney take on Adelaide at soccer - the fans are quite hardcore and the atmosphere was boisterous, but nothing like the crowds in England.

The following day the girls were arriving but by the time me and Rob had got back from the beach they had arrived, after a 10 hour drive, and hit the town. The 4 had turned into 5, Gemma, Louise, Sarah, Ginge and Harris.

The day after, Matt was arriving. We waited for Matt and headed for the beach - which was very nice but the waves were small, we love playing in waves and body surfing them into the shore. However, there was a storm brewing off Fraser so we were guaranteed some big waves after the New Year - Fraser Island had been evacuated!

It was really good to see Matt as he is a good guy who likes to have a laugh and was the last person to see us off in the UK, taking us to the airport. He even said he'd collect us when we get back, nice one!

When we got back from the beach, Elaine and Jez had got a BBQ going so we all sat out and had a few beers and an early night in preparation for the New Years Eve celebrations. We had no plan of what to do, but knew we wanted to see the display but had no idea where to get the best view or when to go - luckily the girls were planners and had everything planned - including an early start - 8am! As we had no idea we decided we'd go with the girls as they seemed to have everything covered. Entry times, train routes, food, water... we had nothing. Oh well 'If ya don't know, go with the flow!' and we did.

When we got to the Botanical gardens there was a 2 hour queue in the hot morning sun and once the park had 22,000 people in they would shut the gates, we just hoped as we got close we weren't 21,999! Rob and I managed not to burn - we're quire brown now so I think our skin is more used to the Aussie sun - the girls looked very pink the next day!

Once we got in and had picked our spot, a nice shady spot under a tree on a grassy verge just at the top of the stairs down to the harbour front and infront of the bar, we just had to wait for the bar to open - at 2pm! Needless to say we were all a little thirsty by the time the bar opened.

Although we were in the park for over 12 hours the day went fast as we all had a good laugh getting to know about each others travels and catch up with things back home with Matt. A few of the girl’s friends turned up Aaron, Eamon and Christine. Aaron was a real good laugh and he spends a lot of time in Leeds so we hope to meet him when we get home.

The atmosphere was electric - 22,000 people all waiting for the same thing - it was like a festival with so many people having a good time yet like Cafe Del Mar everyone waiting for the grand finale in a loved up mood - it was really unreal and I’ve never experienced anything like it.

Our phones are crap and even during the day we couldn't get a service to wish people a happy New Year - we're not even sure 4 days after that our phones are working as Rob got a text yesterday from New Years Eve!

By the time the 9pm show started we had all had a few beers (we were getting 4 every time we went to the bar) and I managed to find an optimum spot just as it started, as I was on the way back form the loo. I was in the middle of thousands of people in awe at the kids display - I just thought what the hell is the midnight one going to be like and the hairs stood up on the back of my neck!

Not long after the kids display, we headed down to the harbour front, right opposite the bridge with the Sydney high rise buildings to our far left and the Opera house to the left of the bridge - people had paid thousands for a view like this and we were just there for free! Some of the people who were sat on the slope took a disliking at our good fortune and started throwing drinks over us, so there were nearly fireworks before midnight when security had to calm the whole thing down.

At midnight the display was unbelievable - I’ve seen it on TV and the TV does nothing for the atmosphere of 22,000 people going wild all wishing each other happy New Year - what an unforgettable experience - it was a long hard wait but worth it for the 12 minutes at the end!

After the fighting our way out of the crowds in the park we were all a bit jaded so headed home.

New Years Day we headed to the beach and the storm had produced some huge swell - about 3m the lifeguard board said. We went straight into the sea drawn like moths to a light and immediately felt the strongest rip ever - I'm surprised the beach wasn't closed - but then again it was a bank holiday and..... tourism pays! We managed to get out of it but people were been dragged back into it before then, the Baywatch style rescue started - the life guards were in the water pulling and pushing people out of the rip and for the rest of the afternoon the made a man line into the sea stopping people drifting out with the rip.Most of the life suars seemed like girls, so it was really like Bay watch! We caught some good waves here and I even managed - I don't know how - to get sat on the top of a wave and ride it until it broke - more stoke! The face of some of the waves was 2m+ crazy but good exercise, especially for the lungs and fun.

That evening we chilled out as Matt and the girls were leaving the following day and watched some Australian comedy - which I’m sure would go down well back home - it was quite amusing.

Those of us that could manage to leave our pits hugged good bye to the girls, who said we could use their garden in Melbourne, before we had to say good bye to Matt for him to go down to Wollongong - We got to the platform and his train arrived so we didn't get chance to say thanks for the company and the good time - Cheers Matt - see you in sunny England next November - at Manchester Airport ;)

2007 Summary

2008-01-02T01:46:00.001-08:00

You’ll have to draw you own conclusions as to what type of year 2007 has been for me. I’m not sure myself, one thing for sure, is that there have been a lot of people this year that I should thank for been around and this is what I want to do here.

2006 ended with me breaking my ankle at a works party, which resulted in me needing surgery to repair the break. This was followed by 8 weeks off work, followed by a further 12 weeks of physiotherapy. The events of that stage of 2007 made me realise a few things about my life – mainly, things can never be as bad as they seem in normal day-to-day life – things can always be worse.

I battled hard for my Foundation Degree to catch up on the missed teaching and assignments, which were only average. This meant that a good result was needed in the exams for me to pass. Like I said earlier, I’d stopped worrying about trivial things in my life (even wanting children had entered my mind, and this was huge for me).

I completed my exams and all that was left to do, was wait and enjoy the summer. The course had been over 3 years and I had made some really good friends – Brett, Luke, Dan and John. It was a little sad to say goodbye to these guys as I thought I’d never see them again in any other way other than a professional mannor. I was pleased when these guys made it to my leaving do and made the effort to keep in touch!

About a month after my exams, Emily, my wife told me that she wasn’t happy enough with the way our relationship was going and she wanted us to split up. My life was shattered. Everything I’d worked towards since I was old enough to have aspirations (and I’d achieved), rapidly fell to pieces. I had lost the most precious thing in my life, my rock, the person I could let the entire world fall down around me and not flinch, so long as I had them to hold, had gone.

Things could have gone two ways for me; I could have stopped living and crawled into a hole of self pity or I could have stood up to be counted for – I had never given up on anything in my life, so, although I was still hurting very badly, I tried to focus in the things I had left in my life; my family, friends and job.

The marriage was over. I had so much fight in me to rescue things, but Emily seemed to have done her thinking and fighting was not an option.

Not long after the start of all this I got a call from the University saying that I’d achieved a Distinction and managed to achieve the top mark in our year, getting a personal commendation from the Dean of Engineering. I was proud of this, but at that time I would have traded it to be back in my own life.

Everything in the break up was happening very fast. I got my head down at work and buried myself in that. I’d moved teams earlier in the year to do more of a role that I wanted to do. I quickly became one of the team and brought a different set of skills and attributes to the table. Together, the team me, Garry and Gerry played hard and worked hard. This made the things that were going on in my home life have less of an impact, as work became something of a distraction. A huge thanks to Garry and Gerry – simply the best people I have and I think I will, ever work with.

From the breakdown emerged, the best and I hope long lasting friendship I had ever had. A guy from the course, Brett Kirk, who had been and was still going through, a very tough marriage break-up himself, made the biggest effort of all my friends, (you all know who you are, and I’m grateful for the time you have given me) to keep me off the ground. I am so indebted to Brett for this and regret that I couldn’t have understood his situation earlier and been there for him, at probably the toughest time of his life. We had a few good nights out and then followed them with days out in the county side where we would talk for hours as well as think lots about our lives.
Brett and I were the guys on the course who seemed to have the most fun and never expected to do as well as we did but we finished up been the top two in the group at the end of the course.

Brett pretty much dragged me to graduation, we were the only two there from the group. I’m glad he did because this was the start of the light at the end of the tunnel. We had a great night and one of the phrases of the year came from my hung-over conversation with the ticket office. ‘I don’t no!’

About 2 weeks after graduation me and Brett found ourselves in Ibiza on a 2 minute decision and one phone call. That was it; Ibiza was possibly the most emotional week of 2007 for me and I suspect Brett too.

We let our hair down this week and were just ourselves – it was awesome. We realised that we’d both been something else for someone else for so long, and now the real guys were coming out. Don’t get me wrong, I’d wanted to be what I had been and the life I had, I had dreamed of since I was a kid.

We met some of the best people ever in Ibiza, especially Pete Osbourne, a Captain serving in the British army in Iraq. He said that mine and Brett’s company was just what he wanted, but his company and Brett’s was just what I needed. Pete was the most inspirational person that I have ever met and such a great bloke. He made me feel good in myself again if only for a week, but he gave me so much more fight to go home with. I’ll never forget the email he sent me once we were back. That week I’d started to live again, thanks to Pete and Brett! This was just as well as this week could have made or broke me, but I arrived home a different person. I’d learned that you can only worry about things in your own control. I’d come to realise that nothing matters except what I want. I know that sounds selfish, but I’d tried things so differently and ended up in a heap with nothing, except me and what I did.

Before I’d gone to Ibiza, Rob and I had been discussing the possibility of leaving everything behind for a year to travel Australia, Asia & India. After Ibiza and Pete Osbourne’s inspiration, I’d decided that I was going whatever happened. The house had sold and I only had a week to move out and find somewhere to live. I had an offer at home, but I’m not sure if it was a pride thing or I just wanting more privacy, but I wanted to live away from home. Someone once told me ‘you find out who your true friends are when you really need them’ – and I have this year.

The night after I had moved out and spent some time at my parents, Michelle, a friend of Emily’s who had become a friend of mine, called out of the blue to offer me her spare room. I was nearly in tears at this kind offer. Even prior to this I thought Michelle was a superb person and this just cemented it. Michelle deserves all the happiness she can get in life as she’s such a lovely person.

Soon after Ibiza I told work that I was gong away for a year and would like to return to work there. They worked hard to secure me a sabbatical, especially Graeme, but one of the conditions was that they had to find a suitable replacement. They couldn’t find a replacement with the right skills to fit into my shoes; however Graeme pushed and secured my sabbatical. So that was it – we were off. The flights were booked and we were in off in November 2007 to return 52 weeks later. Thank you Graeme – I know how you love adventure – I I’ll do it properly down here for sure!

This is where I write this as 2007 comes to a close. We’ve not been out here long but we’ve met the most mature 18 yr olds I’ve ever met, 3 guys from Melbourne, Roscoe, Matt & Ryan. These three have had the adventure of a lifetime and travelled for a year in their own country in ‘Troopie’ their 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser. Their story has inspired me so much for the months ahead – such great guys.

I’ve not felt homesick, but I’ve done a lot of thinking about me when I return home, what I’m going to do, and what I must do, thoughts may change, but it’s a starting point. I’ve also spent a lot of time thinking about the people who have helped me through this tough year – a big thanks to you all. Obviously I’ve done much thinking about Emily. How we may have done things wrong and I would have loved to have given things a second chance… but where do chances stop?

I have no ill feelings towards Emily, I have admiration and respect for the decision that she made. I feel for her as she’s going through the rough at present and I would have loved to have been there for her in this difficult time. I’m glad we are still close friends and were until I left, but I cannot see how this can be when I return as I still have love for her and it would be crushing to see her having what I wanted, with another person. I hope we can remain good friends and wish her all the best.

So that’s it, my 2007 summary. I may do a 2008 one, but then again the year maybe uneventful.

This is here is not about sympathy, it’s about my year 2007, simply year of 2 halves. Its my honest thoughts and I thought it would be wrong putting them here – but then one of the people I have the utmost respect for said, ‘Pete, its you, its your honest thoughts. Don’t worry what people think’.
2007 is the worst year of my life, but I’m discovering new friends at every corner. Maybe me and Emily should have lived things out differently, I will next time.

No sympathy, read the lows and see the highs. I’m doing what I feel and keeping it real. I’m not great, but here’s to 2008.

“Anyone can give up; it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength.”

Happy New Year

2007-12-29T03:55:00.000-08:00

Here's us wishing you all a happy New Year, hoping that 2008 is a great year for you all.
Check out our latest photo's - be patient there's loads and some repeat, but look through them. Also check out our new video clip section on here - these are uncensored so apologies for the language - but some of these are hilarious - put the volume up!

We will post more here soon about our Christmas and New Year experiences and I am going to put my 2007 summary here too - it's giving gratitude to the people who I must give it to, for the past year.

Fraser!

2007-12-14T18:27:00.000-08:00

Ok - so I'm missing lots out - but then we have done so much and the internet is so expensive I cannot possibly tell you about all our traveling adventures. Hovever, our trip to Fraser Island deserves and entry of its own.

So here's how we did Fraser Island (Fraser). We'd met three awesome Aussie guys from Melbourne who had a totally kitted out troop carrier - It had $70k of modifications done when new. The 'Troop' was ace and was to prove itself on Fraser.

We'd met the guys at Arlie beach and ended up going for a few drinks with them. They were very friendly and we then bumped into them again at Finch Hatton Gorge while swimming in the pools - These guys love water. We spent another boozy night with them and witnessed the best storm we'd ever seen - it was verging on a hurricane. We spent the night in the car and the next morning the trees had been uprooted! Anyway, the guys said that they were off to Fraser and if we'd fancy it, they'd like us to join them in a few days. So that was it - we weren't going on any crappy tourist trip for $180 for one night, no we were going to kill Fraser Island for a week for only $100 all in! This was one of the best trips I've ever taken, excellent company and a bargain.

We decided to meet the guys at Hervey Bay the day before we were due to go to Fraser for a night out and sort out food, fuel and our gear into Troopie. At the site we'd pitched next to two Swiss girls who were doing the same route as us, Chewing Gum (as we christened her, because we didn't know her name) & Selina. We managed to convince them to join us for a night out in the Bay and after an Australian family domestic, where a guy broke his sons nose, we headed out.

We awoke the next day feeling a little hungover, but looking forward to Fraser. We packed up and said good bye to the Fresh Prince and Chewing Gum and Selina, before heading off to the Kingfisher barge.

When we got to Fraser we headed straight to the east side of the Island where we were going to camp, stopping at lake Wabby on the way. This lake was at the side of a 30m sand dune! It just looked like something from Star Wars and all we needed were Ewoks! We spent the afternoon there before heading to the beach to set up camp. We should have had a permit for the beach camping but managed to go the whole time without getting fined.

The next day we headed upto the Maheno shipwreck and on the way there were planes landing on the beach - this was surreal and there were near misses with planes which we got a video clip of. Fraser is also an Air force low altitude training area and Australian fighter jets kept passing only 20m above the beach. We then headed back inland to an other lake - Like I said, the guys and us love water like us so we were drawn to it like a magnet. On the way to this lake we had to stop to let a 2m tree python cross the path - we all got out for a look and me and Rob are obviously getting used to the threat of all the creatures as we were only feet away from it and didn't know at this point which type of snake it was, but the Aussies seemed ok with it so...

We didn't swim at the lake as it was quite weedy and had resident turtles - these guys were ace and we just sat and soaked up the magnificent surroundings. We did a lot of this all week and it enabled me to do lots of thinking and just grasp what I was doing.

On the way back to our campsite for the night, 'Cathedral beach', (so called because of the bus loads of girls that turn up every day) we bumped into a couple who had got bogged down in the sand. Fraser is supposedly got more sand than the Sahara, and is just a huge sand bar so the roads are just soft sand - Mega. We pulled the couple out and pulled them back to Cathedral as their clutch had burnt out. When we got back - Mick - the guy we'd pulled out - gave us so much alcohol - he gave us a slab of beer, a slab of Bundy (rum) and Coke and a bottle of scotch. Needless to say that night, the spag bol and red wine night, we ended up getting destroyed and singing songs to Ryan's guitar playing before crashing the backpackers private tour party, then heading to the beach for a beach party - this was ace and the stars were like i've never seen before. Fraser was about this for me - doing things that i've never done before and doing things that some people will never get the chance to do.

Needless to say one of us had to go that step too far and Rob ended up 'crabbing' on all fours around the beach - classic. We awoke the next day to the smell and sight of regurgitated spag bol in our tent!

The following day none of us were up to much and we only managed to go about 1km up the beach to the next beach camp and just chilled out at our best camp site. We set the tarp up under some trees and just sat and slept looking out over one of the most beautiful landscapes i'd ever seen. We played beach cricket, recreating the Ashes, Oz vs England. This day was relaxing and we decided that we liked the site so much we would stay another night.

The next day we headed up to India heads - the best point and one of the highest, where we could see Tiger Shark, Dolphins, Turtles and Rays - we managed to see all but the dolphins and the sighting of the shark was only for a few minutes - but no swimming in the sea at Fraser. We then headed up to champagne pools - the only safe saltwater to swim in on the island - because of the sharks and killer rips. We continued upto Orchid beach where we climbed around to Waddy point and just sat in the shade in silence admiring and absorbing our surroundings - this was emotional for me - what a week we were having - the best ever and i'd realised some important things. I was grateful that we were part of the Australian guys adventure, and was seeing how much of a good time can be had for very little cost. We then headed back to camp for an early night for our trip south to Eli Creek.

Eli Creek was another special place - it just reminded me of my childhood playing in the stream with Rick and Ryan. We walked up the waist deep water through the jungle then just laid on our fronts to glide sown the creek's pure fresh water - amazing! We played football - Aussie Rules - for a bit, then headed to lake Boomanji and spent the afternoon there in the Orange / brown water - This was when I thought of my 2007 summary for the new year - I may post it here, its a roller coaster of a read but its my honest thoughts so hey...

The next day we headed to another lake Boomabeen (renamed bring-a-beer). This was a fantastic setting only us there and turquoise waters and white sand. We then headed for lake McKenzy (Voted to have one of the top 10 beaches in the world - and I know why). This was another fantastic day - we just took an esky of beers and ball games with us and spent the entire day drinking and playing on the beach before heading to near by Central Station (renamed Gash Central because of all the babes on the beach at Lake McKenzy).

We had our last night on the island before departing and heading back to Hervey Bay for another night out to say good bye to Rosco, Matt & Ryan. Again this was a messy night but no crabbing.

We bumped into the guys and Chewing Gum and Selina further down the coast and are now on the goldie, we've just bumped into chewy again and the guys are up the coast at Surfers so I can see us heading up there tonight for another night out with them - Melbourne is gonna be fun when we meet up with them - we are heading back upto Brisbane on Monday so I can tick off one of my objectives, to meet with the building services institution to discuss prefabrication - apparently the money is really good down here - so Garry and Gerry this is where its at!

So that's it - apologies for spellings and grammar as this is very rushed.

One thing i've learned at Fraser - take time enjoy everything - beauty can always be found!

We are struggling to get our photo's up loaded because of the quantities and sizes so we are having to post disks home - so photo's should follow shortly.

A long time gone - its 30 degrees here!

2007-12-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

Ok - so we're into our third week now and this is our first contact. Pretty crap, I know, but we have been travelling at a rate of knots and have spent most of the time in the outback - no internet or where the internet was rubbish.

Where shall I start - I am bound to forget loads here but hey, I can fill you in along the way and when we get back.

We started in Cairns on the back of a Cyclone which meant th,e weather was a bit changeable - it was hot and humid and there were heavy showers on and off. The scenery was quite different to how I had thought it would be, as it has along the whole trip so far. My bag failed to turn up in Cairns so I spent 4 days walking around in the same clothes, but I had managed to pack some shorts and a T-shirt - Thanks Graeme for the advice.

We spent those 4 days acclimatising after hours of travelling and hunting around the hostel notice boards trying to find a car to travel down the coast in. After 3 days of hunting for a car and nearly being ripped of by a car dealer trying to sell us an illegal death trap for a small fortune, we got wise and looked at the local classifieds, which is where we found the Fresh Prince. A 1993 Ford Fairland. He smelt a bit funky and fresh hence the name, but he came with a 12 month guarantee, breakdown cover, was road legal but has a drink problem - he loves fuel.

On our last night in Cairns we meet some German and Australian guys in our dorm who were meeting some girls they had met on a diving trip and the asked us along, for a night in Cairns, as they knew their way about. They were wary of us English as they think we are all football hooligans, but they were soom calmed once we turned on our beer guzzling and quickly all got destroyed on the Aussie pop. We met loads of people that night and there were so many nationalities it was surreal. There were people form every corner of the globe and it reminded me of Ibiza - every one was so friendly and just up for a bloody good time. They had a gold fish race and they named them after famous people from the different nations - the American one - which got a big boo, was called George Fishy Bush! Mega!

The next day we headed out on the road upto the Daintree Forest after buying a load of camping gear for our first night of camping. When we saw the first beach we had to stop to take photo's and just get out for a stroll along it as it was amazing. The Daintree is one of the only places in the world where rainforest meets the beach. It was a moment for us realising what we were doing - we were blazing a trail and it started here!

From here we spent out first night camping along side a river - it was a bit scary as there were croc warning signs everywhere! We met some Germans - they are all over Australia in great numbers too.

The next day we found a secluded beach and had a nice swim and lunch - we were even brave enough to get naked and enjoy nature at its best - we later found out that it was croc breeding season as well as the season when we shouldn't be swimming because of the deadly stingers - box jelly fish!

From here we camped a few more times and headed inland to the outback to innot hot springs to spend a day or so experiencing the outback and also chill out in some natural hot springs. It was here that out pleasant neighbour said he'd fucking kill us if we stole any of his gear as his wife was scared that we were gonna rob them!

We again headed inland the next day to thre Undara national park where we visited the lava caves. We had a 2 hour tour which was long enough as there is only so much you can see from a cave! We atayed in the park that night which was in the middle of nowhere but we were getting used to all the noises at night now when walking through the bush at night. We also experienced our dearest drinks yet $13.50 for 2 beers! Australia is quite expensive - everything is a rip off unless its used by the locals.

I think I've gone on enough for now, I will try to catch up with our travels on the blog later this week and we will try upload some photo's too.

Oh yea - some comments from you guys on our blog and emails from you would be good too!

See ya & Keep it real!

Send Off

2007-11-13T12:40:00.000-08:00

A big thanks to all of you who made it to the leaving bash and a thank you to all of those of you who wanted to be there but couldn't.
It was a great night and it was especially good to get out again with the guys from the Bailey degree. Great learning, great experience, great future!
Lets hope this is the line for our year out and we wish you all a great year and hope it treats you well -just remember, nothing is ever as bad as it seems and you can get through to the end!
The photo's from that night are on here (see Pete's Photo's on right) as will be the ones from our journey.

Remember we will be looking forward to your comments and help on our decisions (see the regular surveys) and we will keep in touch as much as we can.

It was sad to say see ya to you guys but its not for long and it means that it will be fun catching up with the years stories when we are back.

A big thanks for all your support and good wishes this year and although its work - I'll miss the team, Garry, Gerry, Graeme, Laura & the rest - Colin, it could be worse. We've had a great crack this year. Keep it real.

Oh yea one more thing. Keep a Friday free in November 2008 - probably 21st for the mother of all welcome home sessions!

The Tickets Are Now Bought - Leaving Date Brought Forward!

2007-10-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

So the tickets have tonight been bought. The intended departure date of 24th November has been brought forward and the route in Oz changed slightly. All in all, its worked out quite well and cheaper thanks to Stewart our STA Travel advisor who was awesome and gave us lots of advice about timing for the better weather and general traveller know how. He even offered us the big red sofa in their shop next time one of us finds ourselves homeless after a night on the tiles (One to remember Rob!)- So a big thanks to Stewart.

The country route is as before but we will be traveling clockwise around Oz to avoid typhoon season in Cairns, still hitting Sydney for New Years eve celebrations as well as the New Years Test match! From then we will depart from Melbourne, for the toughest leg -Asia, mostly on foot, hopefully, and public transport - 7 months! We will then, to keep it cheap, fly to Delhi and trek to Nepal after a short train ride! Once we have treked around Nepal and done some whitewater sports, we will cut back across India for the final trek to Mumbai for the trip home!

We're quite excited now and quite frankly we cannot wait, although its gonna be quite emotional for me (Pete) leaving you lot behind!

Keep in touch by this blog, email (Pete - psutcl2000@lineone.net) and facebook. We'll be in touch as often as we can be and will keep sending stories and photo's back.

Below are rough dates of when we'll be there just in case any of you want to meet up with us! I've done it before so. Do what you feel - keep it real, come join us!

Australia 19/11/07 - 12/02/08
Indonesia 12/02/08 - 12/04/08
Malaysia 12/04/08 - 12/05/08
Thailand 12/05/08 - 12/06/08
Laos 12/06/08 - 12/07/08
Vietnam 12/07/08 - 12/08/08
Cambodia 12/08/08 - 12/09/08
Nepal 12/09/08 -12/10/08
India 12/10/08 - 08/11/08

Counting Down!

2007-09-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

So, the sabbaticals have been applied for, so it must be time to start the blog for our world tour! Tickets are yet to be bought but the rough route is as follows:

Australia
Indonesia
Malaysia
Thailand
Laos
Vietnam
Cambodia
Nepal
India

More will be posted here as things develop and the tour kicks off.

Do what you choose, and you will NEVER loose!