We've made it!!

34 weeks of travelling across 15 countries overland from London to Singapore on buses, trains, boats and motorbikes! More importantly NO flights. Well apart from the one that we are about to get on today to whisk us off to Auckland, New Zealand to begin our working holiday visa for 12 months. So normal life here we come.

Since the last blog update we have been down the west coast of Thailand and Malaysia Island hoping, snorkelling and eating lots of amazing food! We went to Trang, which is on the main land, it was Chinese New Year and we explored the so called "waterfall road" very nice. Next to Ko Muk, then Ko Bulone, Ko Lipe, the islands are so easy to explore and there are various companies eager to help ferry you across the seas to reach these islands. We then crossed into Malaysia via another island, doing passport control on the beach which was a first. Onto Pulau Langkawi, a large island on the North West coast, there we hired a motorbike to explore the island for a day and considering how developed the island was it was still very peaceful with lots of jungle. More island hopping to Pulau Penang, where there were three separate religious and cultural celebrations and ceremonies occurring. Luckily we got to witness a lot of (to us) random events, thousands of people walking the streets in procession, people doing a 12 hour walk towards a ceremony barefoot (makes the walkathon in trainers look like a piece of piss!), and people with long skewers pierced through their cheeks and tongues, ouch! Then we headed to the beach, a small island called Pulau Pangkor, and enjoyed some sunbathing, swimming and sunsets with cocktails. After four days we were ready for the cities, so we went to Melaka a world heritage and historic city, with lovely wooden façades, shutters and some of the nicest streets to walk around. After 7 months or longer of a NO shopping policy, the gloves were off, surrounded by independent boutiques and amazing shops I begun to fill my imaginary New Zealand wardrobe! Like a kid in a sweet shop.

Which is what Craig felt like when we came to Singapore, we've just finished three solid days of shopping! With dozens of massive 3-6 storey shopping centres it's hard not to bankrupt yourself whilst buying amazing clothes. Not all that cheap, there is a massive sale on due to the new year (Chinese year of the dragon!). Last night we celebrated the end of our overland journey by having a cocktail at the top of the new Sands Leisure Park, the big building with a boat at the top! Beer costing S$20. Unfortunately we both forgot the camera so I've only got memories, they will have to do! We went from the top of the world to the bottom, by finishing the night having a bucket of beer costing S$6 with the drunk Chinese by our hostel.

As we won't be coming home for a long time yet I thought that it would be good to have a "conversation" summary of our trip thus far:

Q. What's the best country of the trip so far?

Has to be a tie between Mongolia and china. Mongolia surpassed all of my expectations for such an undeveloped area. The likes of which I am sure I will never see again. And china well just because it was mental. Masses of people, huge areas and the diversity within the country. It was like traveling through Europe if it was one country. The variance in cultures, food, people and landscape was huge.

Really liked the Baltics too although now I'm not playing by my own rules!

Q. Where would you like to visit again?

Probably china. As it is so massive that we weren't able to even see 10% of it!

Q. What was the worst journey on a bus/train? And the best?

Obviously the 16 hour hard seat sleeper train in china was the worst for me! One to never be repeated. Best is the cargo boat we took from china to Thailand. Down the Mekong the river boarders Burma and Laos. No villages, people or boats. Certainly no other tourists. It was an amazing way to enter into Thailand.

Q. What was the best food that you've eaten? And the worst! Spiciest!

The best food would be either the food in Berlin or Malaysia. Worst by a mile is the mush and maars milk food served up in Mongolia. Not famed for their cooking skills or blend of spices everything comes overly cooked (reminded me of some home cooking! Just joking mom!) So that the water doesn't harm you, smelling of horse milk and cheese. Which you are force fed as is customary. I can still smell and taste it now yuck

Q. Favorite city?

Small place called jinghong in the south of china. So green and peaceful. Something not often witnessed in china!

Q. Best beach/island?

Ko wai. In Thailand.

Q. Where was the hottest place? And the coldest place?

Hottest place was probably Saint Petersburg and Moscow. We came totally unprepared for the 35+ degree heat. Coldest place is a tie up between sleeping in a tent in 4 layers of clothing in Mongolia. Or sharing an air conditioned room with Craig at 16 degrees!! Hehe

Q. What was the strangest thing that you have seen/done on the trip?

Sitting in a lovely restaurant eating Thai food whilst watching a naked man run by being wiped with a hanky by another man chasing him. And 3 hours later buying that man a drink and having a great night out in some night clubs! He was dressed for most of it by that point! Naked mike as we came to call him!

Bumping into a guy called Ben (hope you're reading this!) in Russia, Mongolia, china, Cambodia and Laos. Totally by chance every time our trips took totally different paths but kept crossing over. It's a small small world.

Q. What was the best adventure trip you had?

The horses in Mongolia, a walking trip in china purely for the number and variance of wild flowers we saw and the bikes in Laos.

Q. What's the scariest thing you had to do on the trip?

Driving a bloody bike for 2 months. Still waiting to look back with nostalgia on that one!

Q. What will you miss from travelling? What will you not miss?

I'll miss the warm weather. Good food. Changing our minds and plans at the drop of hat.

Won't miss carrying around a heavy burdening backpack. Packing and unpacking it constantly. That is a nightmare and not a fun part of the trip.

Q. What do you miss most from home? (Aside from friends and family of course!)

The gym! Hehe. Salads and spring time. Especially the sound of songbirds. Strange huh?!?!?

Q. coldest swim? Warmest dip!

A very brisk cold quick swim in Lake Baikal. This eventually in winter freezes over so people can drive on it! That felt like being burnt! Hottest swim was probably the waters in Thailand

It's not much, but it will have to do, we've got a flight to catch so must finish. I'm not going to do the blog whilst I'm in New Zealand, but I will resurrect it for the trip in a years' time.

Byeeee. Thanks for reading.

Sarah and Craig (who only helped with the editing…boring old man!)