Goodbye Asia......

So, before I move onto the next part of this epic journey, I thought I would write down what my highlights have been through each country. Please keep in mind that there have been so many....this is really just small list I can remember off the top of my head!

VIETNAM:

• Arriving in Saigon. After never traveled to another Asian city, this was quite the introduction! I couldn't get over the amount of people, the amount of motorbikes, the amount of noise, the amount of Traffic Lights that are blatantly ignored and the amount of street hustlers trying to sell you watches/sunglasses/purses/bags/hammocks/bracelets/necklaces etc etc etc! To some people, that may have been really annoying, and to me it was at first. But after a while, you learn to enjoy it as being hassled and nearly run over every day is all part of Saigon experience!
  

• Hoi An. A nice escape from the big cities, and a great 10k bike ride to the beach. And seriously, if wanted anything made, and i mean ANYTHING, this is THE place to go. There are Tailors on every corner just begging for your buisiness.
  

CAMBODIA:

• Angkor Wat. Few people could come away from seeing one of the big wonders of the world and not count it as a highlight. Even though it was a touch over 40 degrees when I went, it really was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. The only down side is every single temple I see from now on is a bit of a let down!

• The boat/pickup truck journey from Siem Reap to Battambang. This is still one of my favorite backpacker stories to tell people, especially now being in Europe. The boat being overcrowded, then getting bogged, us 50 odd passengers being taken off, then being dumped in the back of two pick ups and driven along THE WORST road in the history of roads, all the way to Battambang.

• Sihanoukville. The combination of a nice beach, hanging out with two cool people (Leanne and Mary Liz), and being annoyed by Cambodian children all day certainly made this place a highlight. If you are going to Cambodia, get there now before the rest of the world finds it!

LAOS:

• Lao New Year. Spending Lao New Year (otherwise known as The Water Festival) in Vang Vieng is an experince I know I will never forget. Not being able to walk down the street without having some child/teenager/adult throwing a giant bucket of water on you was just simply bizarre, but a hell of a lot of fun.

• Elephant Mahot Training. This will always be one of the most amazing things I have ever done. Learning how to ride Elephants and then taking them into a river on a 40 degree day to wash then was simply mind blowing.

• Luang Prabang. The books and people don't lie, this really is one of the stunning and laid back places I have ever been too. Just remember not to go to a restaurant when your starving for two reasons: 1) your waiter will probably be asleep and you will have to wake him to serve you & 2) Its Lao time! Its ready when its ready!

CHINA

• Lost In Translation. The many many sign you see that have been translated into English from Chinese. Theres nothing better when you open a restaurant Menu and read "Steam Dumping Soup", or when your walking near a lake and you see a sign that says "Careful When Slipping". One of my favorites was at Beijing's brand new internation Terminal, built especially for the Internation community comming for the Olympics...and on each escalator at both ends it states "Please Mind Oldster and Child". Now if thats not offensive to the over 65's..then what is???

• The Yunnan Province. Seeing "Real China" in all its glory. People working in the fields by hand & ladies in traditional dress. Also the lovely toilets, the constant spitting and the staring. All part of the China Fun!

• Shanghai. For a last minute city added due to the earthquake, and somewhere I was not particularly looking forward to visiting, I actually became quite fond of in the 10 days I was there. It probably helped that I met some awesome people to hang out with, but the city itself has an undeniable charm about it that I just can't quite put my finger on.
  

I must say that by the end of China, I was ready leave Asia behind me. 3 months of travel in Asia does take it out of you (I will be kind of happy never to eat rice EVER again!). However, I really can't wait to get back to this region and see some of the places I missed out on such as Tibet, Burma, Thailand, the South East Asian Islands, North and South Korea and Japan.

So, onwards and upwards towards Europe now!