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rus / eng

DANIELLE MURDOCH TRIP.     14 january - 7 october 2008.      26900km!!!                         RUS - ENG

THAILAND - LAOS - CAMBODIA - VIETNAM - CAMBODIA - KOREA - RUSSIA - MONGOLIA - RUSSIA

So everyone, if you didn't already know - last year i started this little infatuation with traveling to Europe on a motorbike. but first i had to learn how to ride a bike, then buy one and finally learn how to maintain the bike.... now i am sitting in an Internet cafe somewhere in Thailand...by the way the word 'Internet' is so far the only English word printed..... with my bike! i think i just ticked off a few of my goals.

After a all night flight (which i did manage to get some sleep) and then 4 hours of sitting in a international food hall watching Thai TV. I  finally managed to get my bike out of customs without having to pay a huge import duty!.. I'm not sure what people are talking about, when they say that it cost a lot of money to bring your own bike - Ive managed to get my bike here and out of customs well under $1000.

now there is a reason why that i had to take my own bike..... if you clearly remember that I'm short! and i have modify my bike to suit me. don't laugh!

So after having left the airport and found a gas station, i then pieced my bike together and set off for what i thought was north.... a few stops later i finally match a town's name with one on my map! Now i am out of Bangkok and somewhere east of it! Ive since decided that
ill find north tomorrow!

holly crap! there where some hairy moments heading out of Bangkok, while i was getting use to Thai driving!.....

Right now feeling pretty tense at the moment - I'm not sure if its nerves, tiredness or just plain excited! but I'm thinking its a mixture of all three! I just can not believe that i am here! is it a dream???
 

i just need a good night sleep.... but Ive been invited out to watch a band play tonight....i need sleep before hand. I do hope i wake up in time to see them.
 

OK,

 so Ive been traveling around for almost three weeks... Ive traveled about - well just over 2000km.i think my trip really started when i hit the Thai Burma boarder in a town called Mae Sot. The mountains in Thailand are just amazing. the hill villages are just spectacular. They use these giant leaves layered like shingles for there roof cladding's. most of these villages are refuges from Burma.

 As i traveled north, through little villages called Mae Sariang ( where an old Italian guy tried to get me drunk in the afternoon - then offers for me to stay in his room with him - he was a nice guy... and i do believe it was in good intentions!) to Mae Hong Son. Just before i got to Mae Hong Son, i tried to turn off the main road.... i had to stop and a barrier, the guy at the post, said to me.... " bang bang" i think i understood that!  the Burma and Thai gangs are fighting again. In Mae Hong Son, i stayed a couple of days so i could visit the hill tribes around the boarders. One of the tribes i did visit was the long neck. I felt so stupid going there... it was like i was in a huge fish bowl and i was the shark... they are only there because of people going to look at them.... i wish i hadn't gone.

 From there i headed over to Chiang Mai.. i ended up staying there way longer than i wanted... i was waiting on my Laos visa and while i was there i got pretty sick. so i guess it was good timing!

 it was so good to head north again and get out of the city. i headed up to a small town called Tha Ton, which has a huge Wat (temple) on the hill side. it has nine level to it...

 he next day i headed up to a small town called Mae Salong... its way up in the mountains.. and its a very pretty Chinese village. I stayed in a really cool guest house. and it was only $2 a night. there i meet some really great people from all around the world. It rained for about three days so i had to stay for the entire time.... but believe me.... it is the best place to be stuck it! i went for a 12 km walk in the rain with a couple of Spanish people and a french chick. We got so muddy....  and we couldn't wash our clothes due to the rain...

oh did i mention to you.... it was so cold up there... i kept dreaming about pumpkin soup. i guess a good Thai curry is just as good.

today... i finally left Mae Salong, and now I'm in Mae Sai, Thailand's most northern town. on the way here i took a mountain road... i had to cross a army barrier with a sign saying Thai army in training..... the guy let me through... then i was on my own... now one else was on this road. the road got smaller and smaller..... windier and windier.... steeper and steeper... to the point that it was a continuous turn to the left turn to the right.... i finally then passed the Thai army in training... then i had to cross another barrier, where the checked my passport. So I'm finally here... i will turn south tomorrow.... and head for Laos boarder. This town is a trading town....and that is it!

Danielle Murdoch

THAILAND - LAOS - CAMBODIA - VIETNAM - CAMBODIA - KOREA - RUSSIA - MONGOLIA - RUSSIA

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