No lady boys this time

Back into noisy, polluted Bangkok. We end up in go in an 'entertainment' district. The sort of place where the girls end up with the desperately old, desperately inexperienced or just the desperate. Found good bar with live music and lots of pretty girls. Despite being in the target client group I don't get hassled (unfortunately). Marilyn doesn't get fondled either unlike 15 years ago when she was in a dodgy Bangkok bar.

Last year Marilyn spent her birthday in a minivan travelling across British Guiana for 22 hours. This year she spent 13 hours on a plane and the time change ate up the rest of the day

Up at 5am tomorrow to get a bus to Northern Thailand and on to Laos

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Living on a big yellow truck

 

The idea of traveling and living with a group of strangers was more than a little daunting.   The reality was a delight - brilliant company, great organization and lots of excitement.   There is probably no better way of seeing Africa and getting to stay in national parks.

 

A leader and driver are provided but the rest is diy.   A daily rota gives everyone a task and a responsibility - cooking, washing up, security or cleaning the truck.  This is essential to keep the costs down and to give the group the feeling that we are 'all in this together'

Everything is down to the atmosphere the leader establishes, and the people.  Just one or two arseholes could destroy the trip for everyone.   Our leader 'Gracie' used a yellow card system,  anyone could be nominated for one during dinner.  They then have a chance to defend themselves and then the nomination gets put to the vote.   Mostly it is a fairly hilarious process but it does give the chance to air things that could otherwise fester and become a problem.  When (rather than if) you get 3 red cards your punishment is to buy everyone a shot.  But it's your choice what goes in it.   My concoction of Ugandan rum, vodka and brandy with a large dash of chili powder went down well!!

 

 

We travelled from Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda

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Gorillas in the pouring rain

Our arrival is  causing much bemusement  in a small village where we are starting our trek to see Rwanda's gorillas.     We are following the Shinda  group  (these are the ones that Dian Fossey studied).     Just ten of the gorrila groups can each be visited by 8 people a day.   It’s probably one of the few wildlife viewing things you can do guilt free - the 500$ a day permit means that someone is making a lot of money and that person will be inclined to try and stop  poachers destroying  his money making scheme

Trackers are already way up in the mountain trying to locate the group.  We start off with guides and armed guards.   The latter is  supposedly to save us from elephants and buffalo but really to protect us stumble upon armed poachers or wandering Congolese guerrilllas.

After a couple of hours we hear a noise and though the trees I can make out the black shape of a gorilla.   It’s partly hidden but an exhilarating experience and I think 'well that’s my money's worth'.  The next moment we are surrounded by gorilla’s -  mothers with babies, adolescents and several silver backs.  We are meant to be 7 meters away but no-one told the gorillas and they even brush past us.  All the activity is because it has started to rain and gorillas hate getting wet.  For the next 20 minutes they huddle under trees looking extremely miserable

As soon as the rain stops they start getting active and the chief silverback comes through with his favorite family

It’s all deeply moving especially looking deep into their eyes.  There is definatly some sort of understanding or connection that goes back to a common ancestry.    It’s difficult to believe that I belong to the same species that will kill these creatures for a hand or foot trophy!!

 

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French Edinburgh

We are in a Wethersppon's Pub in Edinburgh watching France thrash Scotland at rugby. It all gets very confusing when the majority of people cheer every time France makes a good move. First I think maybe Scotland isn't playing, then that Scottish fans have given up supporting their national teams unable to withstand the constant disappointment and heartache. It gradually dawns on me that I am standing amongst 100s of French people - this was about the time they started singing the Marseillaise . No idea what they are doing here, maybe its another Scottish/French plot to invade England


Liked Edinburgh a lot but the grey granite along with the grey skies can be a bit gloomy

The Scottish Parliament is even crappier than I imagined. Managing to be nondescript and oppressive at the same time. Still if you only spend 414M pounds on a public building (original price 50M) you cant expect to have an impressive building which doesn't drop beams and water onto your MPs
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