2002-2005 (c) GetJealous.com, All rights reserved. http://www.getjealous.com/lothar/rss.xml RUNNER-UP IN THE 2006 NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE (Awarded: according to a message on my Message Board). And it has been described as "a very informative blog" by well-known travel writer Peter Moore. Countries visited -- lifetime: 72! Countries visited -- this trip: 30 (sort of...). Departed Sydney on 14 May 2006. Travelled via Los Angeles - London - Oslo - Copenhagen - Vienna - Cairo & then on an overland truck safari through twelve African countries, for 126 days, surviving numerous mechanical problems & many other setbacks. From the train toilets in Egypt, to seeing guns drawn in Kenya. I was stranded for a week in Moyale in Ethiopia (shudder!), survived encounters with wild elephants in Zambia & rolled a Quad bike in Namibia. October-December: I took a road trip from Cape Town to Durban & then started back-packing, visiting Swaziland, Mozambique & Lesotho. On New Year's Day, I arrived in Singapore & then flew to Thailand, made a border crossing into Myanmar & then into Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Republic of Korea & People's Republic of Korea (Country #72, sort of)... I was kicked by a horse, mauled by a kitten (which left a permanent scar), chased by a camel, attacked by a monkey, high-fived a goat, kidnapped a chicken, had my head licked by a cow, confronted by an elephant, bitten + scratched by a lion, adopted a chameleon, licked by a cheetah, intimidated by a goose, took a tiger for a walk, had my finger bitten by a nasty little dog & cuddled a panda cub. I scored two goals in a Kenyan football game, was drugged in a Thai bar, bowled 181 in a Laos ten-pin centre & I also sung Karaoke (badly) on the Yangtze River... Returned to Australia on Sunday 8 April 2007. Please post messages to me on my Message Board. Nice Driveway! Greg Eccleston Greg@castingcouchproductions.net http://www.getjealous.com/lothar http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=315134&go=lothar DAY #329, Saturday 7 April; Seoul, Korea. Packed my backpack for the final time. After killing a few hours, I headed out to catch the bus to the airport. On the way there, I stopped @ a point overlooking a scenic canal & took my final selfie for the trip. A gaggle of six young girls called out to me (in English), so I duly approached them & took a selfie with the most outgoing of them. T... http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=315134&go=lothar Sat, 7 Apr 2007 12:00:00 GMT http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=312247&go=lothar DAY #323, Sunday 1 April; Beijing, China. Said a melancholy goodbye to Joana & soon after to China, as I boarded a plane to Korea -- COUNTRY #71. A short flight & a bus ride saw me arrive @ my final destination for this journey. Ah, Seoul. One of the largest cities in the world & home of the 1988 Olympic Games. Being here means that I fulfilled a lifetime ambition -- I have now visited E... http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=312247&go=lothar Sun, 1 Apr 2007 12:00:00 GMT http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=301318&go=lothar DAY #320, Thursday 29 March; Beijing, China. Caught the subway in Beijing for the first time -- always a minor triumph conquering another transport system -- heading north. My destination was the Olympic precinct, home of the Stadium and various other new sporting venues. There was no public transport to that area, a rail line is being built. So I caught a train to the closest station, walk... http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=301318&go=lothar Thu, 29 Mar 2007 12:00:00 GMT http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=299815&go=lothar DAY #316, Sunday 25 March; Beijing, China. 502 days until the Beijing Olympics; 14 days until I return to Australia; About six hours until the end of my hangover. I missed saying goodbye to most of my Tour group, due to the last of the above factors. Shortly after noon, I moved from my hotel room into a hostel in a hútòng (alleyway) around the corner. Hostel life promised to be different ... http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=299815&go=lothar Sun, 25 Mar 2007 12:00:00 GMT http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=298997&go=lothar DAY #315, Saturday 24 March; Beijing, China. The Great Wall of China can NOT be seen from space; this is an old myth, long since disproven. Indeed, some travellers I have known report that due to mist & fog, you can't see it from about three metres away. Fortunately for me, I was to be viewing the Wall on a clear & sunny day. On the last day of my China Overland tour, we departed @ 06:30 ... http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=298997&go=lothar Sat, 24 Mar 2007 12:00:00 GMT http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=296597&go=lothar DAY #314, Friday 23 March; en route Xi'an -> Beijing, China. "You say you want a revolution Well, you know We all want to change the world" Arrived in Beijing @ 06:45. We piled into taxis to go to our hotel, with directions given to the drivers by Jerry the guide, yours truly riding with Terry & Janet. We were dropped off outside a duck restaurant, with two hotels nearby. After waiting ... http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=296597&go=lothar Fri, 23 Mar 2007 12:00:00 GMT http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=295252&go=lothar DAY #310, Monday 19 March; Yangtze River, near Fengdu, China. Off the boat & onto (another) bus & headed to Chongqing. I was looking forward to being back in a big city -- the NRL (Rugby League) Season had started in Australia, but I had no idea of the results! When the ill-fated 'Super League' was up and running in 1997, one of their claims was that it would be big in China. The Penrith pl... http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=295252&go=lothar Mon, 19 Mar 2007 12:00:00 GMT http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=293572&go=lothar DAY #303, Monday 12 March; LiJiang, China. I do indeed like Chinese, but I was getting weary of Chinese buses & trains. Departed LiJiang, our group back-tracking via Dali -- where I visited Café de Jack again & failed to either unearth the mystery of the missing "No Shitting In The Toilet" sign or exchange some books -- & then returned to Kunming, three separate bus trips later. Tuesday 13... http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=293572&go=lothar Mon, 12 Mar 2007 12:00:00 GMT http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=290921&go=lothar DAY #300, Friday 9 March; LiJiang, China. Departed LiJiang for the Shangri-La region in Yunnan Province, China. There seems to be several places that call themselves Shangri-La. I think that the original is in Tibet. We were headed to Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hu Tiao Xia) -- which isnt all that far from Tibet -- for a three-day trek. I was slightly worried. Apart from being sick, I am not ... http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=290921&go=lothar Fri, 9 Mar 2007 12:00:00 GMT http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=287674&go=lothar DAY #296, Monday 5 March; Kunming, China. Day three in China & I was having trouble acclimatising. We visited a local market, saw gerbils, tortoises & nunchakas for sale -- as you do. I had lunch @ McDonald's -- as you don't do, it was my first time eating @ this chain this entire trip. But I can report that the burger tasted exactly like it does anywhere else in the world. After killing ... http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=287674&go=lothar Mon, 5 Mar 2007 12:00:00 GMT