Crusoe in South East Asia

Thank you to those who were kind enough to donate to the Crusoe Rainy day fund. The Sponser a Crusoe project has been established.

Also have heard of a lot of you out there setting your home pages to robintino.co.uk and bookmarking the site. I approve of this and will try and keep up the content.

I promised some of you more epic youtube so here is:

Spoke to my Dad yesterday on the phone and the conversation went a bit like this:”What the hell? Your going to North Korea? Don’t do it son!”

Had to let him know it was actually North VIETNAM I was flying to (Hanoi to be precise). Just imagined visiting North Korea and meeting Kim Jong II and checking out his Nuclear Reactors (its Chem eng isnt it?)….Not really my cup of tea to be honest.

Clearly, my Dad doesn’t read my blog!

p.s North Korea is next year Dad!

Crusoe meets Kim Jong II —–>

Bought my plane ticket today from Singapore to Hanoi city in Vietnam. Cost quite a bit (£85) but figured I’m not likely to make this trip again any time soon so may as well spend a little more money that I don’t have. Considering Black Bazil spent £30 on a cake  my plane flight =2.5 cakes which really isn’t that expensive! Just to help anyone wanting to travel in the area I bought the ticket through Tiger Airways, a subsidary of Singapore Airlines. (So hopefully there planes won’t be falling to pieces)

Got banned from google adsense today. Going to have to find a new way to fund this blog…..

So in the mean time, why not consider donating? As Tesco says Every little helps….or as I say….Give me money!

Donate!

“Japan’s economy in record plunge “

according to BBC news. This is good news for travellers to Japan as currency exchange rates will favour the traveller…so now looks like a good time to visit. (congrats MC-Ubuntu) I visited Japan in 2006 and had an amazing time I’ll never forget. However, I was fortunate to have someone paying most of my way and accomodation provided. If this had not been so my bank account will now be much redder (broker).

Can’t wait til I can afford to go back. But will never be the same as last time.

“Indonesia air crash kills scores”

At first glance I thought this was a passenger jet however turns out it was a military transport. Lately I have become more afraid of flying. I’m not sure why. When chosing airplane operators consider how safe they are. I know chances are small that something go wrong but who wants up to wind up dead in a plane crash. Who said I’m not cheery?

Reporters ‘can cover Burma trial’

On my travels I am not passing through Burma. To be honest it looks like a terrifying place for foreigners. There is currently a call not to travel there by the opposition leader opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. She is currently on trial for being the opposition. Some democracy….

I think I’d be pushing it to visit Burma. I’m not suicidal…

Well thats the news. Now to go out and make it by having another awesome day at my department.

I got a nasty bout of food poisoning the other day from a Tesco Prawn salad. Avoid these like the plague-in actual fact….I think they have the plague….

Have never had food poisoning like this, massive fever and projectile vomiting. Not my cup of tea. Everybody knows how when us limey-white people go travelling in South East Asia our immune system can get annilated by dodgy food (e.g Tarantulas). It was bad enough getting ill in the comfort of my own home. Imagine how bad it would be getting ill in somewhere far far away.

Therefore my advice:

1. Be really carefull what you eat.
2. Boil that Son of a bitch like theres no tomorrow.
3. Carry loadsa immodium. Its a lifesaver!

This is a delicacy in parts of Cambodia. Apparently tastes great with Garlic and salt. Will compare to GBK if I find any in Cambodia…

Thats right. Those are massive great big spiders....bbq style

Today, Crusoe went with MC-Ubuntu and Justin Blade to eat at the frikin’ awesomeness that is GBK.

Crusoe reccomends the Avaccado Bacon while MC-Ubuntu had the Mexican. 

Justin Blade reccomends the Garlic Mayo Burger, and he knows his stuff.

Click here to get a voucher. We did, and it rocked.

Mmmmmm GBK

This was until the police started a hate campaign against cyclists. As a cyclist this greatly annoys me. We are doing good for the environment, and living life in a much healthier fashion. In actual fact I think they should ban cars all together in city centres, but thats another story…. On my way in to Uni this morning I took  a quieter route as the traffic was pretty hectic. On this route there is a 5m stretch where to get from one road to another, you must cross over a wide pavement area. Anyway, as I approached the pavemented area,  I saw about 4 police waiting for me. I was pretty surprised by this and quickly dived for cover behind a parked car. (much to the surprise of the people in it!) Peaking out from behind the bumper I  saw the police bollocking a cyclist who had tried to escape. Generally a harsh fine is given of around £30 (a lot of money to students) 

Needless to say, in future I think I will go back to dicing with death against the buses and trucks on the main road than by taking the quiet roads. As for what happened to the cyclist I don’t know as I didnt want to hang about and see and risk getting nailed by the police.

This country is mad. Maybe David Cameron can help us? He seems cycle friendly….or better still, Crusoe for Prime Minister!

Conservative Leader-David Cameron

Just read an article on BBC news:

“Nearly 500 Britons went missing abroad last year, according to figures obtained by the BBC. Many were found alive within days, some were discovered dead, but for lots of families it is a story without an ending.”

There is no doubt that care must be taken when travelling, especially when travelling alone. Many people have been shocked when I have told them about my travel plans, asking me If I was scared about travelling so far away alone. However, I rarely worry about my safety and fear doesn’t hold me back…. Until I thought about this BBC article! I realise you have to be careful when travelling and not take unnecessary risks. So in response to the people that would rather stay at home and not travel my response is:

1. I love life just as much as you do but without wanting to sound like a hyperchondriac nobody is TOTALLY safe wherever they are! Chances are you might get hit by a car or contract some new exciting strain of swine flu or whatever the bug of the year thats going round…  
2. If you don’t take risks your life is going to be wasted! To ensure the highest degree of safety you could argue that by permenantly staying indoors life will be a lot less dangerous. While this undoubtably may be true, the price to pay is way too much! As I was always told by my Mum: Nothing ventured, nothing gained…. (even though I dont agree with a lot of stuff she says, this is one I do. ) (Excuse the cheesieness!)

I guess this is just my next venture!

End Note (To all the families who have missing people out there I hope they can find peace and be re-united.) + Long may I continue to be safe.

Link to BBC news article

Love them or hate them, travel guides can be incredibly useful! I have used them when traveling through Japan (2006) and later in Eastern Europe (2007+2008).

However, its important to remember that the book is only a guide and that you don’t need to only do things from the book and that if you want to eat at that restaurant, just because its not in the guide book, it doesn’t matter! Part of travelling is about being free and independant. But there will also be times when your a bit tired/malnurished when you want to go somewhere where you (hope) won’t get ripped off and that (hopefully)the food will be good. This is when you’d look in the guide book.

I recently got The South East Asia on a shoe string guidebook and found it be very helpful.

You can buy it from the link below:

Here is the Lonely Planet Guide book:
Southeast Asia on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)

The Rough Guide South East Asia on a Shoe String Travel guide:
Rough Guide to South East Asia on a Budget (Rough Guide Travel Guides)