Reflections

I have said many times in this blog and to others I have met during and since my time in SE Asia that I started writing this blog so that G could keep track of my life whilst she rode through Vietnam. This would mean our calls were less about the day to day and more about how we were and we could talk about more meaningful things than missing each other as we did.   My intentions on setting out were utterly selfish in that I paused my life in UK to enter a world that I could not have possibly dreamed of and nor one that some times now I think actually was reality.   There are many people to thank from my children, family, friends and others that I had no idea would read what I have written but the stats below show some of my posts have caught others imaginations   What a wonderful world 18 Nov 2010 1,001 Pageviews

Back in the saddle 6 Dec 2010 645 Pageviews

What a ride! 29 Nov 2010 607 Pageviews

The next leg to Thailand 6 Dec 2010 479 Pageviews

Paradise - sshhhhhhh 15 Mar 2011 451 Pageviews

Battambang and its offerings 29 Nov 2010 404 Pageview Many more people have been involved in my travels more than I could have ever wished for and there are some moments that stand out even in amongst a trip full of magical moments. I have never really written about Poh a thriteen year old boy who befriended us, and many other westerners in Phnom Penh. I hope that he is well and healthy and through generosity of foreigners, travellers and tourists manages to get his education off the streets and into school. Everyday he peddles books from a tray round his neck but his charm, cheek and persistence meant I would go next door to the shop to get his daily coke and let him play racing games on my phone or laptop. Why? because Poh symbolised Cambodia, it is a country that is ripe for western aid and imperialism through development agencies, it is ripe for raping its natural resources yet I implore anyone who reads this to let Cambodia find its own feet in the world, stop the child exploitation and sex tourist trade but let the smiles and beauty of its people shine through. They have emerged from horror blinking into a society that is both religious and unsteady. It needs support but not dominance. Cambodia is the most awesome nation I have ever been to and I would tomorrow go again to experience more of its splendour and isolation. When I think I have it tough I think of Poh, whose home is with his grandparents, whose school days are the street, whose english already has sarcasm and wit and whose strengh I admired. Once and only once in that week in the capital did I see him as a child laughing and playing with his siblings in the grounds of S21...the irony is there for all to see. The mechanic who knew from sign language what I needed done to fix my front rack. The norrie train and its sad demise in the face of the race for speed, access and imported wealth The kindness of our friend outside Bangkok demonstrated how Thailand could still be the land of smiles. The chilli levels still make my toes and tongue curl but it has increased my tolerance no end. Our epic ride across central penisula Thailand through the rain and storms on our longest day will live with me for the mental strenght my angel brought to bear and who managed me throughout the trip. We were there for each other 100% and we ebbed and flowed like I have with no other, 102 days together and only 1hr and 45 mins apart in that entire time...that beats Relate and any other counselling model I know to determine can 2 people work together and be together physically, emotionally and intellectually. They can if they feel they have nothing to prove to each other only to themselves. Stopping in the Tsunami centre in Thailand was another moment in that it humbled me more than any other event or activity. The Blue Mansion on Penang was utterly beautiful and should be on everyones list of places to see before their maker decides their sell by date is up. Being paddled in a canoe through Jurrasic Park Meeting Rashid and his friends and that continuing ebased relationship has shown that some things do and are meant to be. Seeing and understanding what a song bird is and how they compete, I dont understand it but in some way can relate to its simplicity Riding a wide berth round men walking their prize and highly decorated Bulls at 7am along the side of a dual carriageway into a city Tioman, the island on which I proposed to Georgie will have different and lasting memories as will the Sunday morning in March when she said yes and a new chapter began... Thank you for reading this and sharing my journey, it wont make a Hollywood film, but when you love someone and you know in your head, your heart and your gut that it really is love, it can make you do the craziest of things... Take care, be safe and live life everyday