andycoll

As l am back traveling again and don't have access to my free library books l have fallen back on the trusty Kindle to kep me going. I have just read 'The Black Angel' followed by 'The Unquiet'. Books 5 and 6 in John Connolly's Charlie Parker series. It has been about 14 years since I first read them and l had forgotten how good his early stuff was. Now for a change of pace, and don't laugh, l have started War and Peace by Tolstoy. I still have 39 hours of reading to go. I think I might break this up by reading a few other books here and there. I have 6 more weeks of my trip to go so my aim is to finish it before then.

Posting some pics of Galle Fort taken this morning and afternoon in the members photos section if any bodies interested.

Having a cold beer here in my new room in the Frangipani hotel in Galle Fort. After an early morning walk around the wall in the cool of a lovely breeze and a filling breakfast I moved into my new room. Aircon, tv, fridge and balcony, beauty. About 1pm I set off on the long trip into the city. As we fort people refer to the area about 500 metres from the front entrance, on the other side of the Galle cricket ground. I needed a local charger, check, thongs or sandals take your pick, check and some beer, check, six 500ml Lion Lager cans. Back to room, beer in fridge, switch on aircon, didn't effing work, no tv either. So after cooling down under the fan for awhile l went out for a feed and then for a few beers at a rooftop place with a lovely cooling breeze. Back to room, finally found one of the owners and got aircon working, tv will have to wait. Galle fort is very small and very nice, Cartegena in Colombia is bigger and better but also a long way away. Although those Colombian women were better looking, oh so hot. If l remember to take my tablet out on my morning walk l will post some pictures.

Sitting in a very basic room in Galle, Sri Lanka after one of those days. I arrived in Sri Lanka on Tuesday night, caught a taxi to Negombo to a hotel I had booked for 5 nights. Arrived at 11pm and it was closed. Banged on the door, the taxi driver blew his horn, rang the hotel, nothing. So I got a room in a cheap place just up the road, went back next morning, open. No explanation although the man there spoke little english so l checked in anyway. Negombo is crap so after two more nights I checked out and headed for Colombo. Big mistake, some muslim holy man is in town to lead prayers or something and not a room to be had. So I made one of those mistakes I am prone to when things start going wrong and listened to the tuk tuk driver. I said, take me back to the train station and I will catch the train. However traffic was shit and he talked me into letting him drive me to Galle. About 120km in a tuk tuk, 6000 rupee. Well what a trip, about a third of the way into it a copper stopped him at a checkpoint and took his licence for driving in the wrong lane, not the wrong side of the road just the right lane instead of the left where apperently tuktuks and motorbikes should be. Still we continued on. About 30 minutes later another copper standing on the other side of the road tried to pull him over but we just kept going. Anyway after a long ,and interesting drive we finally made Galle alive. I got him to drop me outside the fort and made my way to the Frangipani hotel where I am booked into from Sunday. They didn't have any good rooms left so I am in a basic room,no tv or fridge, for tonight and move into a better room tomorrow. Still, it looks very nice here.

Thanks for that info Biggles. I will look at doing it that way for my trip next time.

Sorry about the photo, I was trying to find something else. But If your interested, Wyatt Earp is buried in a Jewish cemetry in San Francisco

On my last three trips to Vietnam I have gone the Visa on Arrival route. Easy to get the letter of introduction on the net and only 16USD for the letter plus 25USD at immigration at the airport, total AUD cost of about $60. The only hassle has been the upto half hour delay waiting for the visa at the airport and the fact that is a full page sticker in your passport. For my upcoming trip I decided to move into the 21st Century and get an online visa. Bit of messing around putting it together but now I have done it once it will be easier in future. But the effing cost, $107, what a ripoff, around $47 more allowing for exchange rates. Thank goodness my Sri Lanka visa was free. Still, it was good practice, especially when I have to get a Myanmar visa for a trip there next year for ANZAC day.

Just finished this. Ben Elton back to his best.

Just finished the latest book in John Connolly's marvelous Charlie Parker series. As well as a great read it was a proper book. 690 pages, and not that weak large type and double spacing designed to turn a 200 page book into a 400 page book. You get your money's worth with this book, although as l borrowed it from the library perhaps thats not quite correct in my case.

Danang has a beach which goes on and on.

Just got a shock. Went to the toilet, flushed and go to wash my hands. No water. Wtf, I thought that was tomorrow. Go downstairs, apparently just the pump needs work.luckily as I am the only person staying here we should have enough water for tomorrow.

Yes, it's gone. I remember those days, a long time ago, when you could go from SuperGirl to SuperBaby with a pit stop at the Carousel Bar in between. Alas, now just memories.

As hinted at earlier, SuperGirl A Go Go is closed.

My gogo friend says that the new owners are the same people that run Panda, and it will be a 'Super' place for the Chinese. Believe it or not.

Just completed booking airfares for a trip later in the year. Melbourne - Colombo - Bangkok oneway, $460 AUD.

Sitting in the departure lounge at Don Monkey waiting to catch my flight to Danang.

Please let me know if the pages turned themselves.

Well, if you like the first one then you have a lot more to go, which is always a good thing.

I am in Sandakan, Borneo, for ANZAC DAY, tomorrow. Went and visited the orangutan sanctuary and Sun Bear conservation parks this morning. Unfortunately I don't know how to transfer my pictures to this tablet so can't show. The orangutan nursery was interesting, although a bit like being at a zoo. Was about a metre away from a mum and her baby whilst on the board walk which was good, although I don't think the mother was all that happy. Unfortunately I couldn't back up to a wider area for her to pass because of the people behind me so in the end she went bush. The sun bears were disappointing. Now I need to find a bar to watch the Richmond Melbourne game at. Sandakan is not a jumping place but I will try the bar at the Four Points in town.

'BORDER' by Don Winslow. The final book in the Art Keller series about the futility of the War on Drugs in North America. Excellent three book series.

Not unsurprising but disappointing nevertheless.

28 days till Patts.

Sitting at home watching a Janis Joplin doco I recorded a few days ago.

Yes I enjoy it. My problem is I keep coming up with so many ideas of where to go and what to do that I find it hard to keep up with myself. When I was working I didn't have enough time, now I'm retired I don't have enough money for everything I want to do. I am usually researching holidays a couple of trips in advance. I have to stop myself over researching things. After this I have to organize my letter of introduction for my VOA in Vietnam for my next trip and then that's it for that trip.

I'll have to pop my head in next time I'm in town to see if it's attracting a regular clientele or just the occasional passer bye.