1. Train Tibet-Lanzhou, China.
Tibet is since June 2006 connected via railway to
the rest of China. Although a long detour to go
to Kunming, we preferred to exit Tibet overland
in this way. The train climbs very gradual to the
Qinghai Plateau over a 5100m pass, making it
the highest railway in the world.
The compartments have oxygen supply on demand.






















2. Traditional raft, Lanzhou, Gansu prov, China.
We got another visa extension here and spent
a day visiting a pagoda park and a very interesting
provincial museum with the oldest pottery in the
world and many fossils from dinosaurs among others.

On the bank of the Yellow River we found this raft, 
made of bamboo and pig's skin floaters.





































3. Five Flower Lake, Jiuzhaiguo, Sichuan prov, China. 
On our way from Lanzhou to Chengdu we paid a visit
to this park, an UNESCO World Heritage site.
A very beautiful landscape with many lakes,
waterfalls and forested (snow) mountains.
Jiuzhaiguo got it's name ('9 village valley') from the
nine Tibetan villages that once occupied this valley;
three of them are still there and form an open air
museum. 























4. Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center,
Chengdu, Sichuan prov, China.
Sichuan province still has some areas where this gentle
and cute giant appears in the wild. To prevent the animal
from becoming extinct breeding programmes have been
put in place in special reserves.
They need a lot of bamboo, which is not very nutritious
and to save energy they just sit on the ground and eat the
young shoots that they have received or gathered around
them, carefully selecting the best ones and parts:
Ah, what a life!!

































5. City gate, Kunming, Yunnan prov, China.
Yunnan is an autonomous province with the most
minorities in China and therefore different from
the rest of China.
It's capital, Kunming, city of Eternal Spring, still has
a very pleasant atmosphere although it has grown
just like any other Chinese town.
We spent a week here mainly collecting visas
and getting our bikes serviced.



































6. Lai Chau, Northwest Vietnam.
The North is inhabited by numerous hilltribes
with mainly the women still wearing their distinctive
costumes whether at home, at the market, in the field,
along the road or in town where they try to
sell their handicrafts.
These women wear funny black tubes woven into
their hair and topped with a silvery bowl.

























7. Mai Chau, Northwest Vietnam.
The border region towards Laos is very hilly
and almost completely covered with bamboo
forests. The bamboo is cut and floated down
on the river to factories where they are further
cut into all kinds of different sizes and shapes.
In surrounding villages smaller scale production
is done and collected by trucks.






























8. Pathet Lao caves, Viengxay, Sam Neua prov, Laos.
From 1964 until 1973 in the Vietnam War
the leaders of the communist Pathet Lao party
hid into caves in this area after having been
bombed out of their former base on the
Xiengkhoung plateau by the US airforces that
backed the Royalist party.
After the ceasefire they built normal houses
in front of their caves.
The whole area including caves for military,
hospital, administration and even a Chinese
Embassy supported a community of
about 20.000 people.



















9. Morning fog, Xiengkhouang prov, Laos.
Both in North Vietnam and Laos morning fog
in the winter is normal and hangs in the lower
parts of the valleys. The road most of the time
climbs out of these valleys and follows ridges
requiring strenuous cycling but providing
beautiful views.






















10. Plain of Jars, Xiengkhouang prov, Laos.
These granite jars are grave markers, mysteriously
grouped and spread over several sites in this area.
Standing stones in the Hintang Archeological Park
in nearby Sam Neua province had a similar function.
In both cases the local legends are far more interesting
than the scientific explanation.
Some of the jars for example are said to have been
created from buffalo skins, put outside for drying.
Other cracked ones the remainder of a party where
animals fell on them, laughing at their drunken masters
leaving horses without their horns and cows and
buffalos without their teeth.....!!




















11. Bomb samples, Phonsavan, Xiengkhouang prov, Laos.
After the end of French Indochina, Laos was created as a
buffer zone to communist Vietnam and in the Vietnam War
a neutral zone.
Vietnam forces sought refuge and support in North Laos and
moved their troops through South Laos along large parts of
the Ho Chi Minh trail.
This was reason for the US to start a Secret War, by now not
so secret anymore. In the 9-year carpet bombing campaign
70% of all Vietnam War bombs were dropped on Laos territory,
more than in all European countries together during WWII.
Fragmentation bombs were used on a large scale and
UneXploded Ordinances are still causing many deaths esp
among children. Clearing is being done by organisations
supported by European countries and Japan.
American aid is considered so little that it equals charity. 























12. Wat Xieng Thong, Luang Prabang, Laos.
The city of Luang Prabang is on the UNESCO World
Heritage List and has many temples.
Built in 1560 this one is the most beautiful.
We stayed in a guesthouse overlooking the
Mekong river and enjoyed the food and sites
in and around the city for some days.
Many more tourists (a lot of Thai groups also)
crowded the streets especially at night,but
the atmosphere is still there.
















13. Tad Xay waterfall, Phu Khao Khouay NP, Vientiane prov, Laos.
This National park is only 90km away from the capital Vientiane.
The park has 50-odd wild elephants and we spent one night
in a watchtower hoping to see some of them at a salt lick
in the evening, but only heard some noise in the morning.
The elephants came down from the hills and invaded fields
endangering village people and destroying their crops.
A Western supported Community Based Tourism programme
helps the villages cope with the new situation.
We stayed 2 nights in a village and visited some very nice
waterfalls and cliffs hidden in the jungle.
Back in Vientiane we treated our bodies on a traditional
herbal sauna and massage.
















14. River View Guesthouse, Bangkok, Thailand.
Our favourite new place to stay.
Luxury hotels as well as bustling Chinatown
with shops and restaurants nearby and
surrounded by little meandering streets
with scrap shops featuring any motor part
you can imagine and a morning market 
just around the corner.
The view from the top floor restaurant is as
good as the Hilton or Sheraton and takes you
away from the city noise.

























15. Swissotel Stamford, Singapore.
Always good to see a city's skyline by night.
We wined and dined here on Christmas' Eve
celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary.

Let's go: