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Assault And Batteries
Arriving in Nong Khiaw, northern Laos, we subject ourselves to a legalised assault, then sit back to watch the world go by. It goes by sedately.
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Bussed A Move
Another full day’s bus travel takes us from Luang Namtha to Nong Khiaw, passing through lots of local villages. We manage to retain all our fillings, just.
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The Lost Symbol
There’s no denying the richness of the research and history here, though as is typically the case with Dan Brown it is used to dress up a routine thriller, this time with an unusually anti-climactic finale. The final reveal manages to be both confused and trite, with plenty of mixed messages and an ending that […]
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Virtual Light
As a straightforward thriller, albeit with an interesting McGuffin, this could easily be a pretty run of the mill story. However, Gibson’s language drips with distinctive grace-notes, which taken together weave a rich tapestry of the near-future, without succumbing to the need to invent hundreds of new words to sound futuristic. A novel you can […]
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Sabaidee Laos
Crossing the border into Laos sees me almost adopt a new Scandinavian identity, before becoming very well acquainted with fellow passengers on a bus with a load that would have made Atlas shrug.
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Long Tail Sally
In which we make our way from Thaton to Chiang Rai with 12 foreigners and lots of baggage in a boat designed for 10 locals and some fruit, along a river shallow enough that you could do a reasonable impression of Jesus. Cue grated nerves.
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On The Road Again
In which we travel from Chiang Mai to Thaton in a mosquito enclosure on wheels and see some of the beautiful northern Thai countryside.
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Equilibrium
One week into the trip, I reflect on the ways in which travel improves me as a person.
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Northern Soul
In which I try for a long time to describe Chiang Mai without using the word “love”, then give up and use it in the first sentence.
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Scenic Route
It’s hard to get lost in a city centre that’s bounded by a square of four very obvious, very ancient walls, but we managed it tonight.
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Travel Game: King
The Thai people love their king and aren’t afraid to show it, inspiring a fun new travel game.
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Taken For A Ride
In which we are taken for a ride, literally, make an unexpected purchase and meet a modern day Kharon.
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Accidental Activism
In which we visit the markets, have a BBQ, try not to take sides in Thai domestic politics and are driven around Bangkok on motorised tricycles.
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The Getaway
Day one of Monkey And The Benj Hit The Road almost stops before it starts at a Qantas check-in desk, then picks up the pace with alacrity on arrival in Bangkok.
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Down, Under, Over And Out
Reflecting on the six month backpacking adventure that turned into a five year stay, as I prepare to leave Australia for an extended period of time.
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Super Storm
I don’t know what Australia has done to piss off Mother Nature recently, but the worst floods in Queensland in 40 years, more flooding in New South Wales and forest fires in Western Australia are being followed by Cyclone Yasi, a mega storm on the scale that you might expect from Roland Emmerich. To get […]
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Retrieving The Past
The discovery of 95% of my website from way back when on the Internet Archive has given me a new task. Unfortunately, the site was only archived, not edited or improved.
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Howdy!
Technology and travel stories from a global roaming, kangaroo loving, sake drinking gaijin pom.
Check out my projects and my resume, take a look at some code on Github and feel free to contact me.