Blogs that weren't (by Joe and Laura)

Through the trip, we've considered putting together blogs on a whole load of things. Some made it to the www, others didn't. Below are some of the worthy thoughts that through lack of research, inspiration or general laziness never got there …

India

Sacred cows (right):
Cows roam the streets, highways, towns, beaches, parks and train platforms everywhere you go in India - they are one of the striking images and memories.

A question of caste:
The Indian caste system remains a major factor behind huge social divides. The upper castes invariably receive a top-level education second to none, and the lower castes often no formal education at all.

Pick-pocketed .. .twice:
I felt like an idiot as I was pick-pocketed twice in the space of 24-hours at a festival in Pushkar, Rajasthan (fortunately I didn't lose much - either time).

Indian railways:
India has a fantastic rail network, but trying to reserve a ticket is an incredible journey through a complex maze of catch22 bureaucratic hoops.

S.E. Asia

Piss-poor pudding:
After terrific cakes in India, we noticed a rather disappointing lack of dessert on the menus of S.E: Asia.

Waterways (left):
Whether it be the Mekong River, the Mekong Delta or the Kok River in Bangkok - waterways are a major means of public transport in S.E. Asia. Perhaps there's a lesson for London?

Too much sticky rice:
Sticky rice is eaten with absolutely every meal in Laos - they love it; Laura liked it; I absolutely hated it.

Kids on mopeds:
Mopeds are everywhere in S.E. Asia, but the remarkable thing is the age of the kids who drive them in Laos or Cambodia - we regularly saw kids as young as 6 or 7 whizzing around town.

Parasols and pale faces (right):
S.E. Asian ladies like to keep their faces pale and untanned - they love their parasols (they even drive mopeds with them) and whitening cream is a widely available beauty product.

Cambodia's young population:
Cambodia's genocidal and war-torn history is clear in its population stats, which show over 50% of the population is under 15. There's also a very high female to male ratio.

Australia and NZ

Australia's urban - rural divide:
We were hugely impressed with Sydney and Melbourne, but provincial urban Australia is a different matter - we didn't have enough time to get to know it, but it sure looks and feels like Redneck Street, Hicksville, Chav County.

Great Ocean Road:
Went on a 2-day drive along the scenic Great Ocean Road, west of Melbourne. An impressive construction, blasted out of the cliffs but leading to nowhere much, it was built to provide work for 1st World War veterans in the early 1920's.

Me and my kite (left):
We spent happy hours flying a stunt kite we bought in Christchurch on New Zealand's many spectacular (and windy) beaches. However, the kite was was pretty quick and, unfortunately, I kept wiping out seagulls.

Auckland:
We were pleasantly surprised at New Zealand's only major city. It has plenty of restaurants, shops and bars, an impressive business centre, nice docklands and is set stunningly on an incredibly thin strip of land between huge oceans to the East and West.

S. America

Who let the dogs out? (right):
There are masses of dogs (domesticated, wild, cute, intimidating) in every town we visited in Chile and Argentina. Like or loathe them, there is barking through the night and dog-poo on the streets (masses of it).

Red winos:
Lots of nice red wines in Argentina mostly produced around the city of Mendoza in the West. We sampled most of them (several times each).

Vegetarianism in S. America:
They just don't get it. They don't think of chicken as a 'meat' and regularly put ham in 'vegetarian' salads. Poor veggie Laura has been flummoxed several times.

Old bangers (left):
There are masses and masses of old cars in South America. They are often 'souped up' with raised rear axels, flashy paint jobs and loud engines.

Brazilian energy:
Brazil is quite progressive in 'green' energy sources. Hydro-electric power produces a large part of its electricity, and many Brazilian cars have been converted to run on alcohol from sugar cane as well as petrol.

Brazilian beach life:
… is fabulous, and has a unique character. The beaches we saw were beautiful and the beach bars and resorts around them very lively (even though it wasn't great weather or high season).

La Paz:
Bolivia's capital is an amazing city. It stands 4000 metres high in the Andes with buildings sprawling up the sides of the enormous 'bowl' in which it lies. It's population is predominantly indigenous with its own unique culture and it is full of fascinating street markets.

Joe and Laura