Hi everyone,

Sorry for not keeping the blog bang smack up to date, but booked myself on a 4 day 3 night tour of the Mekong valley 4 days ago and it was real intensive. Up at 6am each day, then coaches, boats, floating markets, rice factories, coconut sweet factories, local cuisine meals at lunch and dinner. Hardly had any time to myself, but met a good bunch of fellow travellers from all over the world and of all ages.

Get this, the trip included all meals, accomodation, boats, coaches and the like and was USD45 in total, unbelievable.

The trip ended this morning in Chau Doc Vietnam and onto a fast water boat which went for 5 hours up the Mekong river crosing the Cambodian boarder and finished up in Phnom Penh the capital around 2pm.

I got off, found a hotel in the centre, good old lonely planet book and then did a walking tour of the city. Amazing place with unusual history, most recently thanks to the Khymer Rouge and Pol Pot.

Stunning to think that in the Khymer Rouge reign all the peole were outed into the fields to work and that the city had a population of only 50,000. Its now almost 2 million.

The roads in the country are being improved, but also known for some real rough terrain, especially if you go off track, you may get blown up by a landmine....

So in pushing the boundaries a little I have rented a 250 Enduro trails bike for a week. Leaving big backack in the hotel which I will come back to in 7 days and going touring. Just me, the bike and a small backpack. Clothes and other essentials to be bought on the way. A real back to basics week.

If you dont get anymore updates on the blog it will be because I have fallen down one of the huge potholes in the roads or been blown up by a landmine......or maybe both!!!!!!

Oh, last night I had a massage...a normal one guys...christ this bird was walking up and down my spine and the back of my legs for 20 mins. I thought I was going to snap in half......good job it wasnt a Manx bird I thought or she would have broken me and the $%&$^&^&ing table too..... mind you it was brillant, although I didnt like the bit when she clicked/snapped each of my toes and fingers joints.....arthritis will be setting in soon, mind you at my age its overdue anyhow.

I promise to keep the blog more up to date and to get the photos on as soon as I can.

Hope all is well with everyone, oh its plus 30 degrees here and beer is 50p a pint and the Pilgrims are still in the FA cup. AM I IN HEAVEN????

cheers for now out for a beer and some fried frog...

Steve