Sihanoukville, Cambodia

hi from Cambodia. After leaving Kho Chang, we took several dodgy transportation into the border, we slept one night in a very simple and not so clean accomodation in Kho Kong and this morning we took a boat to Sihanoukville !! it took us forever !! The beach here is just awesome, especially if you go away from the tourisitic spots. Tomorrow we are moving into a nice bungalow by a cliff near the sea and catch some sun in the beach. The country is just great but a bit more pore than Thailand. Tourism is coming more and more and this beautiful place will soon be a next Pattaya ... But so far so good, food amazing and people really friendly !! more soon. Will try and put some pics up in the near future, but I need a fast connection and things in Cambodia are kind of slow and I'd rather spend some valuable minutes catching sun in the beach !!

O.

----------------

hola desde Sihanoukville en Cambodia !! estoy bien, despues de hacer noche en un chamizo en un pueblo de la frontera, esta manyana hemos llegado en barco hasta aqui. Es un pueblo aluciante, con el agua supertransparente y tranquila. La comida es buenisima, y lo malo es que mas gente se esta dando cuenta de esto y se esta empezando a llenar, pero supongo que esto pasa en muchas partes del mundo !! de momento manyana mas, a dormir en una choza al lado del mar y a levantarse pronto para ir a hacer deporte !!

O.

Kho Chang, Thailand

hi all,

after leaving Bangladesh and my luxurious lifestyle I went to Bangkok. There I met Javi and his brother Chiqui, who were travelling from India. It was pretty cool to meet somebody who I had last seen in London and was one of my best friends, and it's cool since I'll be hanging out with him in some legs of my trip. Anyway, Bangkok was not so interesting for us, and next morning we hit the road for Kho Chang, a little island in Thailand but next to Cambodia. It took us ages to get here (10 hours) but definitely worth !! We are staying at a very cheap hut in front of the beach (literally 10 feet away) and we sleep hearing the ebb and flow of the sea. The water is amazing and we did sport in the morning today (swimming and running!!). We also took some motorbikes and we went round the island !! This was great fun and we were pretty fast !! Answering some people now and doind this little report to keep up updated and now off to eat some good seafood !!
Ah, tomorrow is my 31st birthday and I think we are going to chill out here !! more soon,

O.

-----------------------------

hola a todos,

despues de encontrarme con Javi y Chiqui en Bangkok, estuvimos alli solo una noche y luego nos piramos para una islita (tambien de Tailandia) a 10 horas en autobus, camion y barquita que se llama Kao Chang. Es superbonito, muy tranquilo y estamos en una cabanya literalmente en frente del mar. Son dos camas y una ducha de agua fria, pero estupenda para nosotros !! hoy hemos ido a nadar y a correr y luego hemos alquilado unas motos y hemos dado una vuelta a la isla !! en plan americano !!
estoy muy bien, manyana es mi cumple y creo que nos quedamos aqui. Mas pronto !!

O.

The Sundarbans, Bangladesh

back in Dhaka from a 3 day trip to the Sundarbans ('beautiful forest' in bengali) !! This is the natural habitat of the Royal Bengal Tiger, and it's been really good fun. Aftera 9 hour trip by bus to Khulna, there I met with the rest of the bunch who was going there: 4 norwegian girls, John and Jonathan (a father and his son) from London, Phil, a chap from Bristol, Jack a dutch journalist and Gamini (the ambassador of Sri Lanka in Bangladesh) and his wife. All have very fascinating stories and it was great fun. We talked a lot and we got to know each other and share little adventures. Anyway, from Khulna we set off in a boat up to Sundarbans, the very bottom of Bangladesh. I had my own little cabin and it was very clean (not to be assumed here in Bangladesh !!). The thing is that there are very few tigers in Bangladesh (between 150 and 450) and we didn't see any. The total number of tigers in the world is around 6,000 or 7,000, so not that many.
Been really great and had some very memorable stories, like going in a canoe through a creek at sunset in complete silence and swimming with the embassador and Jack in the sea !!
Back now in Dhaka, and off tomorrow to Bangkok, more from there then !! All is great and don't forget, enjoy the ride !!

O.

-------------------------------------

ya estoy de vuelta en Dhaka (he llegado a las 4.30am !!) de mi viaje a la tierra del tigre de bengala, en el sur del pais. Desafortunadamente no vimos ninguno (solo hay entre 150 y 450 en todo el pais) pero estuvo muy bien y he conocido a gente muy interesante. Ah, y me banye en la playa con el embajador de sri lanka y un periodista holandes !! curiosisimo !!
Manyana me voy a Bangkok, solo estaremos alli una noche y luego a Cambodia a ver que tal. Pero seguro que va a estar divino !!
a ver si la semana que viene pongo las fotos en este blog. Estoy bien, como bien, conozco a mucha gente y me lo paso de cojon !!

O.

Dhaka, Bangladesh (2)

all,

I've been three days teaching in the slum school and it's been great and very eye-opening !! The kids were starting to know how to pronounce my name and to communicate with me. I even got a valentine's card from two girls there !! But I think it's time to move on and go and see the Bengal tiger. Off tomorrow morning, on an arranged trip (coz going on my own would have been a lot of hassle since you need to get loads of permits and police here are very corrupt). Ah, I think I am going with the ambassador of Sri Lanka in Bangladesh, a good opportunity to make buddies with him do serious networking !!! yah, right ... The other day was trying to get a flight out from Dhaka into Bangkok. The funny thing is that nobody wanted to take cash, and it was a real hassle. It took me 4 hours travelling back and forth and checking banks. The bad thing is that things are very inneficient, but the good is that people are amazingly friendly.
Been hanging out with some of the expats, because this is the only thing you can do here when the sun goes down. Some of them live in real luxury homes, and we go to the Nordic Club to drink beer coz you cannot get them in the streets or restaurants. Funny enough you come here thinking of them as nose-up people, but you soon realise that if you have to live here for more than 6 months, you have to do it like that ... Anyway, speak more soon, after Sundarbans !!

O.

--------------------------

ahora un pelin en castellano. Despues de pelearme (son unos melones) para conseguir un billete de avion, y un viaje a la zona del tigre de Bengala, al final lo he conseguido y me voy manyana !! El 23 me voy a Bangkok a seguir mi viaje. Clarisimamente lo mejor ha sido ver a los chavales de la escuela, que son supermajos. El ultimo dia ya me sabia algunos nombres y jugaba y pintaba con ellos !! Pero creo que es mejor seguir mi camino.
Estos dias he estado saliendo con gente occidental que lleva aqui varios meses. Inevitablemente te vas con ellos a cenar a sitios caros y ir en sus coches, que la gente local no puede ni permitirse sonyar con ellos, pero si vives aqui mas de medio anyo es la unica manera ....
Bueno, estoy divinamente !! un besote,

O.

Dhaka, Bangladesh

Hi all,

got to Dhaka yesterday, after the friendly guys at the border let me in without a visa but giving them 50 usd in cash... They came to pick me up by car and off we went to the richest part of Dhaka, when I am lodged. It's a fascinating city, with loads and loads of people. There is a lot of poor people and lots of contrast with the kids beging in the street and the expats living in huge and nice complexes. Anyway, the advantage is that I had a driver for myself, and he took me everywhere in the city, we saw the parliament and then we took a trip along the river where some down-and-outs wash themselves and the clothes there. We had some interesting bangali food and then went back home.
Today I've been teaching in the morning at a school. It's one of the highlights of my trip I reckon, as kids are so curious and nice !! I am the only white person in the school and since I am bald they think I am pretty funny and want to touch me !! And the most funny thing is that bengalis cannot pronounce properly 'b' or 'd' or 'l', so when they play and they say 'Simon says walk' I only can laugh when they start doing as if 'working'.... After the school I've been checking things to do in Bangladesh. I think I am off to Bangkok on the 23rd but before will go and see the Bengal tiger in Sundarban on a boat trip. That should be fun !!!

more soon,

Oscar.
------------------

Ahora un pelin en castellano. Despues de que la gente majisima de la frontera me dejara pasar, me vinieron a recoger en coche al aeropuerto. Luego tuve un conductor particular que me llevo por todas partes en Dhaka (la capital del pais), comimos comida superpeculiar con la mano (la derecha, pq la izqda es para ir al lavabo, y ojito con confundirse en la mesa ...), y fuimos dando un paseo por el rio. Todo estupendo, hoy me estoy mirando que hacer los proximos dias, pero de momento los tres proximos dias estare dando clases de mates y ingles en una escuela. Los ninyos son la leche de majos y es altamente interesante y divertido !!

Estoy estupendamente, algo mas dentro de unos dias,

O.

home in London

goodbye to Can Padlock at 15 Whittlesey street in London, where I've spent some great moments with my housemates and friends.

trip gear

this is what I expect to wear on my trip, same as last year in Hawaii !!

barcelona

Spending my last days in Barcelona before I leave for Bangladesh on my first round the world trip. Saying goodbye to family and friends and chilling.

Here's a copy of my trip, the route might change a wee if I decide to go to Africa, and so will the dates probably, but it's a good indication of where will I be in the world !!


BA145
SUN 12 FEB
LONDON (HEATHROW) to DHAKA (BANGLADESH)
1445
0625

CX754
SAT 08 APR
BANGKOK to HONG KONG
1115
1510

CX107
SAT 08 APR
HONG KONG to AUCKLAND
2055
1145


QF116
THU 04 MAY
AUCKLAND to BRISBANE
0630
0805

QF794
MON 08 MAY
BRISBANE to CAIRNS
0900
1125

QF925
WED 17 MAY
CAIRNS to SYDNEY
1320
1620

LA800
TUE 30 MAY
SYDNEY to SANTIAGO,CHILE
1030
1245

LA530
SAT 03 JUN
SANTIAGO,CHILE to LIMA
2005
2250

LP564
MON 28 AUG
LIMA to CARACAS
1245
1745

LA561
MON 18 SEP
CARACAS to SANTIAGO,CHILE
1055
1735

LA750
SAT 18 NOV
SANTIAGO,CHILE to SAO PAULO (GUARULHOS)
0730
1210

IB6844
THU 21 DEC
BUENOS AIRES (INTERNATIONAL) to MADRID
2230
1430

IB4176
FRI 12 JAN
BARCELONA to LONDON (HEATHROW)
1640
1755