"Oooops where are we this week?" Williebobs's Profile

We left England on a ferry at the start of July 2003, planning to travel overland to Cape Town. However, instead of turning right in Turkey, we went straight on and a year and a half later we had reached Singapore overland instead. And still going....

In order, we have traveled through the following countries:
England, Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, [Germany], Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria,[Germany], [Austria], [Germany], Denmark, Sweden, [Germany], Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, [Croatia], Bosnia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, [India], Andaman Islands, [India], Bangladesh, [India], Nepal, Tibet, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, US, Canada, home (the catch with the world being round)
(there's a map at http://www.zyworld.com/williebobs/oooops.htm )

Salty sea dog, Avis Island

Netherlands
Germany (Bavaria)
Switzerland (mountains)
Austria (mountains)
Croatia (coastline)
Bosnia (people and mountains)
Romania (people)
Turkey (such variety)
Iran (people)
Sri Lanka (mountains and beaches)
Bangladesh (food and people)
India (crazy things and some great beaches)
China (really crazy things)
Laos (snooooze)
Burma (wonderful people)
USA (really, really crazy things, and food)
Italy (food in Sicily in particular)

Is this really edible? (China)

Bread and curry in Bangladesh
Fried rice and potato in Sri Lanka
Samosa (sweet and savoury in Pakistan
Salt and pepper prawns in Goa
Lobster in Goa
Beer in Czech Republic and Poland
Fried fish and onion rolls in Istanbul
Appenzeller cheese in Switzerland
Masala dosa in India (particularly in Calcutta)
Dal, rice and pickle in Amritzar, India
Scampi in Croatia
Spring rolls in Vietnam
Noodles in Sechaun, China
Coffee in Amsterdam
Tea in Sri Lanka
Sausage, onion and potato in Germany
Felafel rolls in Tehran, Iran
Kawa green tea in Peshawar, Pakistan
Cakes in Amsterdam, Bandladesh and Turkey
Cashews in Goa
Macaroons in Tebriz, Iran
Dates in Bam, Iran
Burgers in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Bombay mix in Madras and Calcutta, India
Fruit juices in Spencer Plaza, Madras, India
Cha ca in Hanoi, Vietnam (no purple sauce please)
Chicken with sun dried chillies in Burma
Pretty much everything in the USA (if you're ok with big)

Static in Benapole, Bangladesh

1. Tehran, Iran (everything)
2. Dhaka, Bangladesh (chokka)
3. Amsterdam, Netherlands (3 chances of getting run over: tram, car, bike)
4. Calcutta, India (disorganised chaos)
5. Delhi, India (organised chaos)
6. Hanoi, Vietnam (tricky motorbikes)
7. Bangkok, Thailand (excitable drivers)

Another busy day in Goa

Lord of the Rings, JR Tolkien
Kim, Rudyard Kipling
Woodbrooke, David Thomson
Girl with the Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier
Diary of a young girl, Anne Frank
Swiss Family Robinson, Johann David Wyss
Best of Roald Dalh, Roald Dahl
Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
Moonfleet, John Meade Falkner
Little Indescretions, Carmen Posadas
Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens
Moby Dick, Herman Melville

Could be worse....

Amsterdam
Capuchin Crypts in Brno
Bars in Krakow, Poland
Ice caves in Werfen, Austria
Cowbells and camping in Swiss mountains
Countryside and castles in Romania
Sarajevo, Bosnia
Crossing the Bosphorous in the evening from Istanbul to Asia: sunsets and mosques unforgettable
Ezerum Old Houses Restaurant, Turkey
Ancient towns in Iran (particularly Bam and Yazd)
Bazaar in Kerman, Iran
Peshawar bazaar, Pakistan
Gate closing ceremony, Pakistan/India border
Golden Temple, Amritsar, India
Horse and cart to the palace in Mysore, India
Mountain toy train then horse and cart to Fernhill Palace, Ooty, India
Having early horses saddled and waiting for us on a misty morning at Fernhill Palace, Ooty, India
Beach bars and sunsets in Palolem, Goa, India
Backwaters in Kerala, India
Mountains and beaches of Sri Lanka
Camping on deserted paradise beaches, Andaman Islands, India
Colonial buildings, and food in Calcutta, India
Paddleship through the Sundurbans, Bangladesh
Seeing Will on TV ("Akash/CRI Pump") in Nepal
Everest from our sleeping bags
Tibetan monasteries
Hanoi
Seas around the world (deep blue Indian Ocean; turquoise Andaman Sea; dark green Vietnamese)
Si Phan Don, Laos (doesn't get much more relaxing than this)
Tubing in Vang Vien, Laos
Speedboat from Xieng Kok to Huay Xai (Laos)
Inle Lake, Burma
Petronas Towers at night, Kuala Lumpur
Niagara Falls frozen
Any restaurant in India

In emergency....

- Food
Rubber tyre style cuttlefish in Croatia
Gristle and goat kebabs in Chios, Greece
Tripe kebabs in Turkey
Sheep head restaurants in Iran
Brain rolls in Iran
Ghee sweets in India
Lapsy candy in Nepal
Purple sauce with the Cha Ca in North Vietnam
Razor fish sauce in Laos (was it from Vietnam?)
Tomato and lettuce on a chocolate and honey pancake, Malaysia

- Other
Horrible touts in Sri Lanka (the worst)
Non-stop bus beeping in Bangladesh and Vietnam
Human excrement in India and Tibet
Humidity in Bangladesh (April) and Vietnam (July)
General hassle in Delhi
Cockroaches (particularly on boats and in beds in India)
Communal toilets in Tibet
Make-up on babies, India

We passed....

"You've been away for how long? How do your family cope without you?" (Iran)

"Yes, you're from England and you speak English, but what is your mother-tongue?" (lots of places)

"Something for your daughter, perhaps?"