tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83059492652743598862024-03-05T07:42:50.453-08:00Odyssey Overland - Bangkok to IstanbulOdyssey Overlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704432117667366839noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8305949265274359886.post-91953116452427406652015-12-01T11:43:00.001-08:002015-12-01T11:43:48.268-08:00The Greatness of Georgian Grapes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Welcome to Georgia” was the greeting from
the stamp-wielding immigration official – always a good sign. He even tutted at
the handiwork of his Uzbek counterpart when he discovered that the entry and
exit stamps from there had not been neatly placed next to each other in our
passports. Friendly AND organised, yey!<br />
<br />
It should’ve been the easiest and quickest border crossing of the trip, except
the Azeri truck x-ray revealed something very odd: a bionic cat (?!). Will was
so baffled that he asked them to scan it again. But there it was, with
individual vertebrae, cat-shaped and nesting impossibly in the space where the
ceiling meets the wall. A total mystery!<br />
<br />
The persistent heavy rain that had been with us since leaving Baku continued
into Georgia, curtailing any plans for a forest camp and instead giving us our
first taste of Georgian hospitality at a couple of homestays in Lagodekhi. Our
unflappable guide, Zaza, adapted quickly to the change of plan and soon had us
pointed in the right direction for dinner options.<br />
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Just outside of town is a nature reserve which was to be the next day’s
challenge for those prepared to get wet.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very pretty and very drenched forest</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obligatory doggy companion</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice umbrella Rob & Jen!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quasimodo, I mean Julia, negotiating the swollen river edge</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julia, Jo & Ed getting assistance from their guide</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uncanny</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forest mushrooms</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our generous hosts with the finished mushroom product</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ratty & Rosie drying out</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who needs a calculator?</td></tr>
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I’m not sure, but we think Ed may have cut his leg on the walk…<br />
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Anyway, a short drive along narrow, hairpin bends and cloud-smothered roads
took us to Sighnaghi. Here we were in homestays again, this time with extremely
narrow doors! It made me wonder if they have a hidden camera, waiting for
someone with a backpack to get pinned in the doorway like a turtle…</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Signaghi walls</td></tr>
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Our delicious group meal slash wine tasting evening involved some fancy dress,
due to it being Halloween. The Origami Army made masks for everyone but they
tended to hamper the wine drinking and were soon discarded. Sorry, priorities!</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Telavi isn’t far from Sighnaghi so we took
our time, meandering the backroads for a bit of history and, you guessed it, more
wine. First stop was the monastery at Gremi, which dates back to the 16<sup>th</sup>
century.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then it was onto Napareuli for very
informative introduction to Georgian wine making. We were also given the chance
to try chacha, the local firewater. The food presented to us was incredible and
was to become the physical representation of the Georgian generosity throughout
our stay. That and the vast quantities of wine provided everywhere. A huge
percentage of the population make their own wine and are understandably proud
of their long wine-making history.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivlSrOk-TQTREVAXasoRrxwDXbO5ePr5_cMpH6s79YFKAz3elmRre8qMcQ_i_GLILJ_7iFlk33v35fUMmcy7B-q4LRo61zQcfIHPXvuP-rrMGqyONcydgR-oDTFDKNcrLBM45yd4rX93g/s1600/24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivlSrOk-TQTREVAXasoRrxwDXbO5ePr5_cMpH6s79YFKAz3elmRre8qMcQ_i_GLILJ_7iFlk33v35fUMmcy7B-q4LRo61zQcfIHPXvuP-rrMGqyONcydgR-oDTFDKNcrLBM45yd4rX93g/s320/24.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1stqwHJ8E7pJmJkwXQvJZKsKuOpcyJnBYyc-Z2NzyC-IsseCgB91BD0sH6Cmf4caapyGIVd9VCYPGhhgMdu2-WAzxuEGPTUAoUu6LwRQX9cRDSAZjPhBoOfE3iveZSqv6tYHp6Hrhew0J/s1600/25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1stqwHJ8E7pJmJkwXQvJZKsKuOpcyJnBYyc-Z2NzyC-IsseCgB91BD0sH6Cmf4caapyGIVd9VCYPGhhgMdu2-WAzxuEGPTUAoUu6LwRQX9cRDSAZjPhBoOfE3iveZSqv6tYHp6Hrhew0J/s320/25.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A kvevri</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="hascaption"><span lang="EN-AU">Kvevris are earthenware
vessels still used in Georgia today for the making, aging and storing of wine.
They are either buried in the ground or set in the floors of wine cellars, and
come in a variety of sizes, from 20 litres to 10,000 litres.</span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5GWS3t5HwKpGCFa5gYEBfskLo6K9V1RIkYKUEX-Wf_iCmrX3cahlOCS5kBxQZ9Yp-F0q_Dk4gx33XUBDvPi8J-dxzOn-kLJSVqkZtrZDkLVHLuwnAbiJztAUALQsypBfauHNbxFkdv73p/s1600/26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5GWS3t5HwKpGCFa5gYEBfskLo6K9V1RIkYKUEX-Wf_iCmrX3cahlOCS5kBxQZ9Yp-F0q_Dk4gx33XUBDvPi8J-dxzOn-kLJSVqkZtrZDkLVHLuwnAbiJztAUALQsypBfauHNbxFkdv73p/s320/26.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cross section of a working kvevri</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63D9krtwMK83mK1NtJmNsl4PsD_nGsdItI6awa1rWNrtB7z2RNk9AcXTOYJR4XW-j4hpor7nDUJJPgU4gjoJeN_FoGcAsCq5e0bSs8nGyNhlMGQWjHl7ZpmHG9qAhWmu_R5uw39rlKh8E/s1600/27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63D9krtwMK83mK1NtJmNsl4PsD_nGsdItI6awa1rWNrtB7z2RNk9AcXTOYJR4XW-j4hpor7nDUJJPgU4gjoJeN_FoGcAsCq5e0bSs8nGyNhlMGQWjHl7ZpmHG9qAhWmu_R5uw39rlKh8E/s320/27.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tops of buried kvevris</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rLKmTKa6o1SeA4m2JH7pvUewFUnRKPLw0GfnPLB22Rn3QFkpSo5P9EdY3R-q05IymAuDa-Wg4o6R0aPC0I3MueXJd9gKlfjOdyTBo0tcqbNp0fPxvC3Yx6gXB1noQHFfVBimWNAxa4rn/s1600/28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rLKmTKa6o1SeA4m2JH7pvUewFUnRKPLw0GfnPLB22Rn3QFkpSo5P9EdY3R-q05IymAuDa-Wg4o6R0aPC0I3MueXJd9gKlfjOdyTBo0tcqbNp0fPxvC3Yx6gXB1noQHFfVBimWNAxa4rn/s320/28.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making bread</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJgvtZUq49azGPHUasNbJDS3hlsicnWFQSqOrLN0SJsN9gNNVmKcCk7PZLKh8IiSlmXxtxfUOFQxpmlyNrbpvJbS-sur4sE1Kw-LwfzW17aWU2OuL-V134aSvMPbgwpRfyNFc_syWHaD9/s1600/29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJgvtZUq49azGPHUasNbJDS3hlsicnWFQSqOrLN0SJsN9gNNVmKcCk7PZLKh8IiSlmXxtxfUOFQxpmlyNrbpvJbS-sur4sE1Kw-LwfzW17aWU2OuL-V134aSvMPbgwpRfyNFc_syWHaD9/s320/29.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone getting a bit merry!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_seash7CFHHOW7UqvqqbGd7bYo9i-A5fnrSx0HN_ecxaChu1V1y8mNale7LI1xD2rSiGObFrw-MsDk2CPH3QOhhGrkkDOUYnHg-d9G4dU7aCZ2HnqyYV3YE3-drGjyTXswPBrRnkHn7XS/s1600/30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_seash7CFHHOW7UqvqqbGd7bYo9i-A5fnrSx0HN_ecxaChu1V1y8mNale7LI1xD2rSiGObFrw-MsDk2CPH3QOhhGrkkDOUYnHg-d9G4dU7aCZ2HnqyYV3YE3-drGjyTXswPBrRnkHn7XS/s320/30.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julia, Jen, Rob & Peter</td></tr>
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Just as we were all starting to look a bit vampiric from lack of sunlight,
Georgia pulled her socks up and let us see the stunning vistas at last. Waking
up in Telavi, a glance out the windows revealed the snow-capped Caucasus
Mountains along the horizon. Eagerly, we piled into Penelope for the short drive
to Tbilisi. The road wound its way up into the hills more, towards a clear
frosty line in the forest… and then we were in a winter wonderland, bathed in
sunshine!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7gjUjOhqiJjGglxVTDv6eoKCWQWS2aSprrEpr9t-BiiI8_aw7iSN__mt81rCwKVlWinRvAuPprED64J58v0BpmXnHxIQNlr7ULrxf_QkZxEcxOAr1MA0vQssLkCfgJkYTnWv04zwolDD/s1600/35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7gjUjOhqiJjGglxVTDv6eoKCWQWS2aSprrEpr9t-BiiI8_aw7iSN__mt81rCwKVlWinRvAuPprED64J58v0BpmXnHxIQNlr7ULrxf_QkZxEcxOAr1MA0vQssLkCfgJkYTnWv04zwolDD/s320/35.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wwlD_xsDkKsCTqZMTfmVJlw_y6HUhLVL9yLDr_-ihK5Se9DUUap-wnDIk5ral4NU4tmdbXY-17oPp_nXgVcNWeFE-OImsh2bg-d0fbtZU0CwAb-19mgmB867vXsw8m150OsSyqihj-vs/s1600/36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wwlD_xsDkKsCTqZMTfmVJlw_y6HUhLVL9yLDr_-ihK5Se9DUUap-wnDIk5ral4NU4tmdbXY-17oPp_nXgVcNWeFE-OImsh2bg-d0fbtZU0CwAb-19mgmB867vXsw8m150OsSyqihj-vs/s320/36.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will & Rob the Elder having a snowball fight</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwhIBofPWD1fvHmq1VsxKzXWXpu56anpj7YPogbJOGVAA31r8W9PXj2jk1B54Qh2pccEL-_5Oew25w08i-raEerNwEiMM1moxodBHCknyW2N0oAFITJts9rdLN6QD4O6jNJaKzONesKFU/s1600/37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwhIBofPWD1fvHmq1VsxKzXWXpu56anpj7YPogbJOGVAA31r8W9PXj2jk1B54Qh2pccEL-_5Oew25w08i-raEerNwEiMM1moxodBHCknyW2N0oAFITJts9rdLN6QD4O6jNJaKzONesKFU/s320/37.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a mood lifter!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDyMQ27BAbFPjRShnYfBBy94xuO741qA6fpa6mOkOWwSK0rsR2PT3IQeCYNTqi1bdsCsRPMWRxJKZ68D3tvv2xuu6tFSkUWYPSQ6U_KQ_L_mTPidKprAFaEHVSY5r7fI4xZBsjQKKoGPQ/s1600/39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDyMQ27BAbFPjRShnYfBBy94xuO741qA6fpa6mOkOWwSK0rsR2PT3IQeCYNTqi1bdsCsRPMWRxJKZ68D3tvv2xuu6tFSkUWYPSQ6U_KQ_L_mTPidKprAFaEHVSY5r7fI4xZBsjQKKoGPQ/s320/39.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martha, ready to engage</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgPFzBvHpOi7ewZ8piWv_1QCrauIsDF7k5CuYoFokefOKLNeX3T_CRcMmVpBF7goafQmrvvWnlW-7k6BBwAobfMKj-COjqhHqmwycn7Ql7-uGHprjtRa4krHhdQxkE_qyCIML2-7zW977/s1600/40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgPFzBvHpOi7ewZ8piWv_1QCrauIsDF7k5CuYoFokefOKLNeX3T_CRcMmVpBF7goafQmrvvWnlW-7k6BBwAobfMKj-COjqhHqmwycn7Ql7-uGHprjtRa4krHhdQxkE_qyCIML2-7zW977/s320/40.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Georgian script is intricate and looks rather like something Tolkien would come up with</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
Tbilisi, which hit the international news back in June after deadly floods
helped a number of zoo animals to escape, is a funky place with plenty to keep
our bunch occupied for the 2 night stay. Zaza led a city tour soon after we
arrived so everyone could get their bearings.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkW-6_qx7yUCxeogo9jqKql0oD1JE_vq7XKzl_9q3MJTuu2SGVXy7fn62CEa7_4Wx-wCWVUp2-eUvNGgDeKsNibSsOcu3cgi8MAqxOosXPeaSfN2eMZJGqPTBNdb1GK0slwmIWajL8UEN2/s1600/59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkW-6_qx7yUCxeogo9jqKql0oD1JE_vq7XKzl_9q3MJTuu2SGVXy7fn62CEa7_4Wx-wCWVUp2-eUvNGgDeKsNibSsOcu3cgi8MAqxOosXPeaSfN2eMZJGqPTBNdb1GK0slwmIWajL8UEN2/s400/59.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Say cheese!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjduyhbJOtqj0oRN1536Yp1q4coVqRdDxpTwPRxGjgjCi2eGI85gJc6TQUaPadfhfWNvfJjEL-h5hdy9-6yDQEjXnYkTCdh8dHPCxKPgNrEZ9uv_Fgls9DjGGKr9zkhPOcAbYlmjxvR0AEr/s1600/60.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjduyhbJOtqj0oRN1536Yp1q4coVqRdDxpTwPRxGjgjCi2eGI85gJc6TQUaPadfhfWNvfJjEL-h5hdy9-6yDQEjXnYkTCdh8dHPCxKPgNrEZ9uv_Fgls9DjGGKr9zkhPOcAbYlmjxvR0AEr/s320/60.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King of the Castle, John</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLm5getNIB8wQsRKg9orFOJH3sIM9jC1Ygouan7kI-4hPaaRDmVegPlFvUMt0EqJCepCAF2sb9KatWdkzyBxMM9QyD35szXgWZGSJhDBe0tieVsVppBvPGWWWM15YDWS5q4eltA6XVbZIA/s1600/64.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLm5getNIB8wQsRKg9orFOJH3sIM9jC1Ygouan7kI-4hPaaRDmVegPlFvUMt0EqJCepCAF2sb9KatWdkzyBxMM9QyD35szXgWZGSJhDBe0tieVsVppBvPGWWWM15YDWS5q4eltA6XVbZIA/s320/64.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jen & Rob</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUR3b7pqWnyvXxnEamMOIti3z3I5ZIC-EkRTLHBJABxxzx6i8VOl9m4sHiaFE7YpgorxtnZjJI2kzvpdWNu5v7d5GmFrM2allJbGbHqk1eRcUtKBg-wVM4JNnKQMfYpBBTTC1OrLDtroD/s1600/65.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUR3b7pqWnyvXxnEamMOIti3z3I5ZIC-EkRTLHBJABxxzx6i8VOl9m4sHiaFE7YpgorxtnZjJI2kzvpdWNu5v7d5GmFrM2allJbGbHqk1eRcUtKBg-wVM4JNnKQMfYpBBTTC1OrLDtroD/s320/65.JPG" width="217" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Locals getting a bit handsy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhceqTLpT-VIvP3KehjloKDO0ikirHmifGaAUnfnyNBFj31uLY1xN9cb2sdIFZ2PAgxEycpELRgm9pJDycoeIGSsICtZfBgJss-03JQGuHyHVU2pzqbTpsSkNAp03NWHLE2Y6oPewzYRLLL/s1600/66.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhceqTLpT-VIvP3KehjloKDO0ikirHmifGaAUnfnyNBFj31uLY1xN9cb2sdIFZ2PAgxEycpELRgm9pJDycoeIGSsICtZfBgJss-03JQGuHyHVU2pzqbTpsSkNAp03NWHLE2Y6oPewzYRLLL/s320/66.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marie getting Central Asia off her boots</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VZ_buxiEkvxPe71YZX4aWBFWejeyIBmOPaJBGURQJoumYzezDmOiBk0Mn-FJzvnezPEsNTUct_Yvk89g-AGaUGNY1HrKUYQLwQeF-xIY8vVYpbcU_rhkEmTn5sy6VFgCbKyDK_bDlJaJ/s1600/67.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VZ_buxiEkvxPe71YZX4aWBFWejeyIBmOPaJBGURQJoumYzezDmOiBk0Mn-FJzvnezPEsNTUct_Yvk89g-AGaUGNY1HrKUYQLwQeF-xIY8vVYpbcU_rhkEmTn5sy6VFgCbKyDK_bDlJaJ/s320/67.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Churchkhela store. It's made from grape must, or juice, nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts or sometimes raisins) and flour. The nuts are threaded on a string, dipped in grape juice and dried in a sausage shape</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjktUBoATXtTBPMnyTeEc2BXkLdi7RL5LnZS7rBYFglBwdqF7ZyPFuO6eCzwaOnVyzWACuMbdTE5-W27HxqH5rjvI0q3C3yk4sWiMJzTPollstaPBVVJu8ZrCTvC_UCCS1KLveNSZRnAeaj/s1600/68.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjktUBoATXtTBPMnyTeEc2BXkLdi7RL5LnZS7rBYFglBwdqF7ZyPFuO6eCzwaOnVyzWACuMbdTE5-W27HxqH5rjvI0q3C3yk4sWiMJzTPollstaPBVVJu8ZrCTvC_UCCS1KLveNSZRnAeaj/s320/68.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The KGB bar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
There’s some great graffiti/street art around:</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Light and music fountain show</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrFM3oVMQPFJYU3iX4KaDF-QM3AfccHPz0p2pShBXhD4msxkorMFEfvlfGoB53gS-jwZtFfCjrArLuhsymZvBMFZJ9O2neTmOcp5MKqyARDrfd8nQGN_y_PGWxuxugP4VGTSzUBKQR47b/s1600/76.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrFM3oVMQPFJYU3iX4KaDF-QM3AfccHPz0p2pShBXhD4msxkorMFEfvlfGoB53gS-jwZtFfCjrArLuhsymZvBMFZJ9O2neTmOcp5MKqyARDrfd8nQGN_y_PGWxuxugP4VGTSzUBKQR47b/s320/76.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Elder was pleased with his feast of chicken!</td></tr>
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Our next destination was Kutaisi, considered by some historians to be the final
destination of Jason and the Argonauts. On the way we had two stops scheduled
and with bonus unscheduled Ed-related drama, it turned out to be quite a
jam-packed day!<br />
<br />
We couldn’t drive through Gori without stopping to learn (albeit an unbalanced
account) of its most famous son at the Stalin museum. Just as tickets were
being bought, it became apparent that Ed wasn’t doing so well. Remember I said
we thought he may have scratched his leg in the forest? Despite his best
efforts to put a brave face on it, he’d developed a nasty infection which, as
the diagnosis later showed, had spread through his whole body. Yikes. So, off
to the hospital, with Kat and Zaza in attendance.<br />
<br />
A little shaken, we continued our tour, before having lunch and driving up the
road to see the ancient rock-hewn town of Uplistsikhe (best pronounced while
doing your best Sean Connery impersonation).</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTBeXUt4Do7-p9wN6ss9025HyfuPht_vTZt3dYpQ0m2qoUeVoUv45K2xwo6ea77RqGNX5kf2QqEVXd8QSktvFqc25zGNlGNDfpaXcoc18SZ9-3KTmxAl9OxY4pVGAG-dmrYDChwI8vH0G/s1600/77.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTBeXUt4Do7-p9wN6ss9025HyfuPht_vTZt3dYpQ0m2qoUeVoUv45K2xwo6ea77RqGNX5kf2QqEVXd8QSktvFqc25zGNlGNDfpaXcoc18SZ9-3KTmxAl9OxY4pVGAG-dmrYDChwI8vH0G/s320/77.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gori</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1wRo-wQSW5EQeb2tSoBnVoIGc9GRlCf3HnDUHVC4obkD9Um7SrQt5U07GxEbEDt2dr7iygFX66Wt2usNeDJsvu2MEy01j5RiAbkgUsz7rjdIy8EEdhz0yrYgEMHct9ak2SNo78dFdHwhx/s1600/80.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1wRo-wQSW5EQeb2tSoBnVoIGc9GRlCf3HnDUHVC4obkD9Um7SrQt5U07GxEbEDt2dr7iygFX66Wt2usNeDJsvu2MEy01j5RiAbkgUsz7rjdIy8EEdhz0yrYgEMHct9ak2SNo78dFdHwhx/s320/80.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A young Stalin, quite handsome for a cobbler's son-turned-dictator</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKzosSvvminvK9Y_fzBXxKqGu3-9K7f_8jSakshZKQf9lUt7Id624OM5s7eZhjOwuVFytG9Y-KgeT6u6rvcEU-ZAZH_vlYlEQrHqedjkqmLzRLJfRixkCkV_xgvGQVJnLBcsNE-iPCjE4l/s1600/81.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKzosSvvminvK9Y_fzBXxKqGu3-9K7f_8jSakshZKQf9lUt7Id624OM5s7eZhjOwuVFytG9Y-KgeT6u6rvcEU-ZAZH_vlYlEQrHqedjkqmLzRLJfRixkCkV_xgvGQVJnLBcsNE-iPCjE4l/s320/81.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stalin & Lenin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNi7ts5z-0u34ArxVbIgrFCRpDcvByJKjfSFzk9l3LEyjJILEHMqBfFSUdTTrGlcEPCyGcPaRDuOBxSCO45xfu-ZBHm4lXoB9cZXhLcR9I3lxpz3Z9EynlIZz5SD5C6Kx0-xPU3BedN9vT/s1600/82.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNi7ts5z-0u34ArxVbIgrFCRpDcvByJKjfSFzk9l3LEyjJILEHMqBfFSUdTTrGlcEPCyGcPaRDuOBxSCO45xfu-ZBHm4lXoB9cZXhLcR9I3lxpz3Z9EynlIZz5SD5C6Kx0-xPU3BedN9vT/s320/82.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stalin's railway carriage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-lmePBkYoUS-sqhbhJRmNgcdJsojs713oFu0ocSy1fktBBUepBvwkotMZ53jnwd5WZlad8TS_xCv2ZT2i_0fnpYtpyHAvL81vVrpb8sncpVMonOqlTPdJ4imWDt6jUuSCTI8-klPgrj-e/s1600/83.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-lmePBkYoUS-sqhbhJRmNgcdJsojs713oFu0ocSy1fktBBUepBvwkotMZ53jnwd5WZlad8TS_xCv2ZT2i_0fnpYtpyHAvL81vVrpb8sncpVMonOqlTPdJ4imWDt6jUuSCTI8-klPgrj-e/s320/83.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peter, whose disdain for Stalin outstripped everyone else's!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaCPW8m4ybR4svx1m4CQ-SDVTQsEogIUbZkZ6mOfSOn5_Yxal_khR9f__Y9mLI1mOsCgxihT6HS6q6JmSl0LoAQR0nxtS6CcMBoCwZwZki4zsXYNz4qaZmyebopyHvxU4k8BUL04tvAFQ/s1600/85.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaCPW8m4ybR4svx1m4CQ-SDVTQsEogIUbZkZ6mOfSOn5_Yxal_khR9f__Y9mLI1mOsCgxihT6HS6q6JmSl0LoAQR0nxtS6CcMBoCwZwZki4zsXYNz4qaZmyebopyHvxU4k8BUL04tvAFQ/s320/85.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A decadent mid-drink drive (not for the crew though!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vVdzN6tzpj9LqbsKz8n5A_3aIODBo4p3k0TiPUZ77zAB5rPXM9waY0t_Lq1hK6NJ8nAVv1xoBB9H1hYE4CgW-9GFywXkeeJlB35x1webhxzLCgZz9Uq3f35kh7gOr0evq0Dh4vwD_Ioz/s1600/86.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vVdzN6tzpj9LqbsKz8n5A_3aIODBo4p3k0TiPUZ77zAB5rPXM9waY0t_Lq1hK6NJ8nAVv1xoBB9H1hYE4CgW-9GFywXkeeJlB35x1webhxzLCgZz9Uq3f35kh7gOr0evq0Dh4vwD_Ioz/s320/86.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puppy intermission!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1FwzwU_sjyeXgmX34xs4FyCEUw4r1Wi_gnwcyT4-lvG3BOaHZVUvzNP1IKRbpfsRHa11pdGOgK5KCcHzBkESRaTMe1CHP5rQuNWdrpnnSMeExHKExFBXNVpF1OEm6h-TybU6yiLqfcuv/s1600/87.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1FwzwU_sjyeXgmX34xs4FyCEUw4r1Wi_gnwcyT4-lvG3BOaHZVUvzNP1IKRbpfsRHa11pdGOgK5KCcHzBkESRaTMe1CHP5rQuNWdrpnnSMeExHKExFBXNVpF1OEm6h-TybU6yiLqfcuv/s320/87.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good place to build your rock-hewn town</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFwVog6oRwW1BxN3P5SOVOuORl3qX8NNZx-i42tK8xJF4NOVV_q4wHyhwqh5P6GLfhGbhKMu4R29JvX-0pH-pityMZUMVeJncDK7sM7KHyQX24EeTDz-JK8VcxmF6f730SHdYZKiZyFil/s1600/88.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFwVog6oRwW1BxN3P5SOVOuORl3qX8NNZx-i42tK8xJF4NOVV_q4wHyhwqh5P6GLfhGbhKMu4R29JvX-0pH-pityMZUMVeJncDK7sM7KHyQX24EeTDz-JK8VcxmF6f730SHdYZKiZyFil/s320/88.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2ucAx3iRMer3Uf4LKqH_baxCxEc4FBzBhGp28GZXYVtJBJs4lGutd7x6Q-TgZexH8rlhxzeCtdp_ANoLhMrCT6nRiygJ-4QgoNDJatuveGDPj6Pnvkj2rxB_PjpbOmBXydxpHMEDFS-U/s1600/89.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2ucAx3iRMer3Uf4LKqH_baxCxEc4FBzBhGp28GZXYVtJBJs4lGutd7x6Q-TgZexH8rlhxzeCtdp_ANoLhMrCT6nRiygJ-4QgoNDJatuveGDPj6Pnvkj2rxB_PjpbOmBXydxpHMEDFS-U/s320/89.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8-XQTAwOQvbq2fjxvLtUUvJ3oV6HW-b76IaFFwKshBY2ywAdV9vlxXAcN9YI5PpwpDs_qaO0nQC1MDT4ntRdZgdfowLMEAm21q9DPeBkJWo7_w54DaKjczdBwZxJ_PZvUff4MT-4THqG/s1600/90.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8-XQTAwOQvbq2fjxvLtUUvJ3oV6HW-b76IaFFwKshBY2ywAdV9vlxXAcN9YI5PpwpDs_qaO0nQC1MDT4ntRdZgdfowLMEAm21q9DPeBkJWo7_w54DaKjczdBwZxJ_PZvUff4MT-4THqG/s320/90.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jen</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMTXYsWriVw19nRa5U_l4cSAmILAfblDmdixIXmYhd2N7n8Aj_mtIP4iB1BCtp78oRTjtY0vfd15qRQsre37Bm5IGF7Kh6lxTmp9YoUwUcVn2KJS088xUBrcIKYInKOX8Vi2h9-lbr0dL/s1600/91.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMTXYsWriVw19nRa5U_l4cSAmILAfblDmdixIXmYhd2N7n8Aj_mtIP4iB1BCtp78oRTjtY0vfd15qRQsre37Bm5IGF7Kh6lxTmp9YoUwUcVn2KJS088xUBrcIKYInKOX8Vi2h9-lbr0dL/s320/91.JPG" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John, Eamonn & Kent</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvwFkaV-ZdV-vgmJ0v6dlfS3gnZB7PXoUfQOU33uQKvKCLWEbS95bEQihZTYQSwcPFNOjuEkxB0h_CkJ3GEdJvwMbjNzLEQtLNs3wTpmjD3XgeS5jZzJR0QnS6N9btmPq2_F2T4WCGhXW/s1600/92.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvwFkaV-ZdV-vgmJ0v6dlfS3gnZB7PXoUfQOU33uQKvKCLWEbS95bEQihZTYQSwcPFNOjuEkxB0h_CkJ3GEdJvwMbjNzLEQtLNs3wTpmjD3XgeS5jZzJR0QnS6N9btmPq2_F2T4WCGhXW/s320/92.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKHgnJHhVMnh2mYxlcaqwjAlkzyBiBAZaLAiLwlUh-qvbt65GE_ZWQl5lH20dysvdGQKOXhxJHB6yTlfN0AUx90kW3nfIUub5p3F1tgwlOOx8mFXYifMX4ADHzPA7kmK0IB4SIyw6rdz6P/s1600/93.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKHgnJHhVMnh2mYxlcaqwjAlkzyBiBAZaLAiLwlUh-qvbt65GE_ZWQl5lH20dysvdGQKOXhxJHB6yTlfN0AUx90kW3nfIUub5p3F1tgwlOOx8mFXYifMX4ADHzPA7kmK0IB4SIyw6rdz6P/s320/93.jpg" width="233" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kent enjoying the sunshine</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Kutaisi provided the last homestay of the trip, the host family outdoing themselves with the khachapuri and breakfast spreads. Georgia is not somewhere you come to lose weight. With news from the hospital, it was decided that Ed and Kat would stay behind until Ed was well enough to catch up with the trip in Istanbul.</span><br style="font-family: inherit;" /><br style="font-family: inherit;" /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Most of the rest of the group made the most of the free day by going on a tour of two monasteries and the Prometheus Caves, a seriously impressive section of walkable caverns about 20km out of town.</span><br style="font-family: inherit;" /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDT26aFWjUWAPYTLXTS4vR2dB4NY-D8f4Pc-iTEj-h53DYftahmq2kz24yVetHL-xBn1Np4r3TvvWiXTXGjuxOsKdG5UZNCcF0WYhwW5kypMXhzvnOUcbX3xn3eYZ1yzzOszxZFb_izvV/s1600/94.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDT26aFWjUWAPYTLXTS4vR2dB4NY-D8f4Pc-iTEj-h53DYftahmq2kz24yVetHL-xBn1Np4r3TvvWiXTXGjuxOsKdG5UZNCcF0WYhwW5kypMXhzvnOUcbX3xn3eYZ1yzzOszxZFb_izvV/s320/94.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fountain, Kutaisi</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga7UDotoVRaEh16-OcGXAdA251KVjlXTIsoREnfexsImP4InF_lOBKJw1zm1f7EuH1Qpzhpd50hSkHO3Q29ucTomnQkNgk1FpBOVkAxlJfmOihhPC4I5IYBnJ0mKFNvAmNBiV_e5MuwmDz/s1600/95.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga7UDotoVRaEh16-OcGXAdA251KVjlXTIsoREnfexsImP4InF_lOBKJw1zm1f7EuH1Qpzhpd50hSkHO3Q29ucTomnQkNgk1FpBOVkAxlJfmOihhPC4I5IYBnJ0mKFNvAmNBiV_e5MuwmDz/s320/95.JPG" width="176" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1,140km from Istanbul</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPAze68pKntW5LPtUdqe9AhlrYbe_apQuNOuXv45aLtblNDWhob-1GZ0gpQTg_ROVjGTqVhHlbgTiva8pgz8pqKs3kcn9VAmpySljJcwhc4O7_IUGvYa5CHVO9eXW_F10J5RC7YAjlI-nl/s1600/96.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPAze68pKntW5LPtUdqe9AhlrYbe_apQuNOuXv45aLtblNDWhob-1GZ0gpQTg_ROVjGTqVhHlbgTiva8pgz8pqKs3kcn9VAmpySljJcwhc4O7_IUGvYa5CHVO9eXW_F10J5RC7YAjlI-nl/s320/96.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Descending into the caves</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before we knew it, our time in Georgia was drawing to a close. Batumi, on the
Black Sea coast, was our final stop and we enjoyed the laid-back, seaside
atmosphere. Another free day gave the group time to explore the town with its
nifty architecture, to visit the botanical gardens, or even take a bracing
swim! Zaza joined us for a final Georgian meal as a group – he’d been spending
quite a lot of time either going to or conversing with the hospital, bless him.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMEcoK1cLiuk1dMOu_W_LeyY3NXP5KO7qzeIguZFBjwhrsnumTYFfcTDgVuAkM7oj-YBVkaMw9MxHAgA504GeWMp4PWSjMgbOyztI0Sec5AySdHsvyfurXXRX6Q7dnvz6QSTck_3jEohxu/s1600/118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMEcoK1cLiuk1dMOu_W_LeyY3NXP5KO7qzeIguZFBjwhrsnumTYFfcTDgVuAkM7oj-YBVkaMw9MxHAgA504GeWMp4PWSjMgbOyztI0Sec5AySdHsvyfurXXRX6Q7dnvz6QSTck_3jEohxu/s320/118.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eugene & Rob the Elder brave the Black Sea in November</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martha lining up the perfect shot</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53XSLlkYgaM7UJeHk43Su3APyOhYlXr0YFHocH3rijZiUxY0xIqUfEt44Vj7zdfmq0PyuDhihrDHjLOWVRFPPlDTJo0h0v6zU4C8KA_c9NH25lIF9cPj65gQdWLzNwgeeqsTR-n1u7fqe/s1600/129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53XSLlkYgaM7UJeHk43Su3APyOhYlXr0YFHocH3rijZiUxY0xIqUfEt44Vj7zdfmq0PyuDhihrDHjLOWVRFPPlDTJo0h0v6zU4C8KA_c9NH25lIF9cPj65gQdWLzNwgeeqsTR-n1u7fqe/s320/129.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob playing with his food</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheers Georgia!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
<br />
Massive shout-out to Zaza for being cool, calm and collected, as well as
extremely informative and kind, and for going above and beyond in making
arrangements for Ed and Kat. Thank you!</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Odyssey Overlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704432117667366839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8305949265274359886.post-4700788434150460192015-11-25T05:09:00.000-08:002015-11-25T05:09:16.115-08:00Traversing Turkmenistan & Sailing to Azerbaijan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Uzbekistan had one more gift before we left: a news article
about how farmers had been made to glue already-picked cotton back onto the
plants so that when the president visited, the fields looked presentable!<br />
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
The Uzbek-Turkmen border involved quite a process yet again – it didn't take as
long as crossing into Kyrgyzstan but it was freezing cold and, due to another
roving president, the search was extra thorough. We amused ourselves by holding
a long jump competition in the corridor and cooing over a German Shepherd puppy
whose owner was stuck behind us in the queue. The reaction to Rob and Jen's
rats is usually good value too – pets as we know them are not common in Central
Asia, let alone pretend rodent pets, so customs officials don't really know
what to make of them. Then Peter got pulled into an interrogation room, but
fortunately it was only because they knew he was a teacher and wanted some
English lessons!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
Finally we were through and a waiting Slava welcomed us to Turkmenistan. Our
first night was to be spent bushcamping south of Daşoguz. Normally it's not so
cold in October but the temperature plunged to -5C, freezing the water in the
washing up bowls as well as the condensation on the inside of our tents. It was
particularly brutal for the cook group!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKg7XwjHkv4YyQuRk2l7UL4_TUn2he3SVsaHRh-bs_a0bVTQNAm_uvXCuGkpoRGopJOBBeKKeMMcmNSgs76QEEOq0qRqp3uy49SP1jJvZeCNJ2fSVVpP4Mxu4FzlgKlBstFYBNFDJruKw4/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKg7XwjHkv4YyQuRk2l7UL4_TUn2he3SVsaHRh-bs_a0bVTQNAm_uvXCuGkpoRGopJOBBeKKeMMcmNSgs76QEEOq0qRqp3uy49SP1jJvZeCNJ2fSVVpP4Mxu4FzlgKlBstFYBNFDJruKw4/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Into the desert</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8acNdOFOoV0SSfosFO14mXt1xpdm-CqhGt3jxW-rdsplME2M2-HesSNtPJpL5xJp9YGXDkwO200eibk3pRNKUf5ECRE9o5sqZECCHnBMVkcmkMx4_7Qs7UUwh4b5fKEGPuLERPZB_GJZe/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8acNdOFOoV0SSfosFO14mXt1xpdm-CqhGt3jxW-rdsplME2M2-HesSNtPJpL5xJp9YGXDkwO200eibk3pRNKUf5ECRE9o5sqZECCHnBMVkcmkMx4_7Qs7UUwh4b5fKEGPuLERPZB_GJZe/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Setting up camp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6iQLvm0v5VL0ZLQIzEyNsX3tnjdb9vQMSjpOMyZvq3iZFvE0XnufckZqjtwFxGANhC6-8wNi6cEyhARk4yL02ELqhrsEC7-61fMjRA0-X1UEaQafnHQflQ4nTHDzR2j-YELuFi8sOMERU/s1600/3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6iQLvm0v5VL0ZLQIzEyNsX3tnjdb9vQMSjpOMyZvq3iZFvE0XnufckZqjtwFxGANhC6-8wNi6cEyhARk4yL02ELqhrsEC7-61fMjRA0-X1UEaQafnHQflQ4nTHDzR2j-YELuFi8sOMERU/s320/3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sand dune surfing anyone?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6uEWPLrUCaTmiaTlNEIlOuXAPU_54bQJNFivduUhh14wJB1W9BGsbTvG3ReEmyrFXaKSYPzWRc1M91loqUciqlgzRNF_yOZAJaFB0jahqMGfAyE1_J9EDKMIcUvnxzrzxtysc5Aiy26I/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6uEWPLrUCaTmiaTlNEIlOuXAPU_54bQJNFivduUhh14wJB1W9BGsbTvG3ReEmyrFXaKSYPzWRc1M91loqUciqlgzRNF_yOZAJaFB0jahqMGfAyE1_J9EDKMIcUvnxzrzxtysc5Aiy26I/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fire was a priority for frozen hands</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJBIRltzSKfD_0tITXNs4rv1bI2SZvQFZvI0osc3QwPh_y1MB-2wJduUn-9QXN3pQiQezqJPnd9_5V6tlltBG2-DbF9OJg8kvxsueLuWmvPYLH322bZNDD2Aj4K0ExsMRoFuJmnjuD-yG/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJBIRltzSKfD_0tITXNs4rv1bI2SZvQFZvI0osc3QwPh_y1MB-2wJduUn-9QXN3pQiQezqJPnd9_5V6tlltBG2-DbF9OJg8kvxsueLuWmvPYLH322bZNDD2Aj4K0ExsMRoFuJmnjuD-yG/s320/5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A particularly brutal cook group session</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6hIMojIcBZ3C184jnq7WtqPrQARuvoP2Ogbm99Pwj_9hEfTyZYTdLLmxNZ7lf3puUlfGOCT4OL10MKSstGv5bhYdzp-9N7eR5_sK8k4dOoPBwtv9axxX7EHG5hbIHylWCVQi-EuMSiEN/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6hIMojIcBZ3C184jnq7WtqPrQARuvoP2Ogbm99Pwj_9hEfTyZYTdLLmxNZ7lf3puUlfGOCT4OL10MKSstGv5bhYdzp-9N7eR5_sK8k4dOoPBwtv9axxX7EHG5hbIHylWCVQi-EuMSiEN/s320/6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Izzie & Rob in the tent huddle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3kF8Jh3bbgZere0ztAxGQNJQlGFcyuuYBsGO_dazh8KjYvNKejYfJWJnlhjMDPq874mPFKw4DX3bnO-CRSt-xo2VocHfo3nNXzUl5mKADy43NseCNHaqOwz-la-2PFzAD9DKUmwVEuHs/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3kF8Jh3bbgZere0ztAxGQNJQlGFcyuuYBsGO_dazh8KjYvNKejYfJWJnlhjMDPq874mPFKw4DX3bnO-CRSt-xo2VocHfo3nNXzUl5mKADy43NseCNHaqOwz-la-2PFzAD9DKUmwVEuHs/s320/7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eamonn and his beer enjoy the sunset</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUq5G3cbs1ZOjeT0ZR0hHtaq86yIRI9lyMY4_ZryhbQQRjLVizqECgeuq_NWIzfwhztNjMJJVToFqEiKAC3WbZc4d1r6PCSRhusMJkZfn5WBFqwZhd-gA3Gt1aGYKnlrzJEeLzGBd_pfUa/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUq5G3cbs1ZOjeT0ZR0hHtaq86yIRI9lyMY4_ZryhbQQRjLVizqECgeuq_NWIzfwhztNjMJJVToFqEiKAC3WbZc4d1r6PCSRhusMJkZfn5WBFqwZhd-gA3Gt1aGYKnlrzJEeLzGBd_pfUa/s400/8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what bush camping is all about!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 105%;"><br /></span></span>
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<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 105%;">Driving south across the centre of the country took us
through the Karakum (or black sand) Desert.</span><!--EndFragment--> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiJXrrZGQTJzyZI-3pW-Zck-nSknB5svW3yIwZCmmXXj1v7CuKhhdlLEztHEt2i09mmCdQml7smiEigDg1Dd2MK4wUqzDcuNd_WgHOkIhcWaKhoZXy6PvPgSBq2zKECd1-Vw94_oP83x9/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiJXrrZGQTJzyZI-3pW-Zck-nSknB5svW3yIwZCmmXXj1v7CuKhhdlLEztHEt2i09mmCdQml7smiEigDg1Dd2MK4wUqzDcuNd_WgHOkIhcWaKhoZXy6PvPgSBq2zKECd1-Vw94_oP83x9/s320/9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dromedary camels replace the bactrians from further east</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBGNecZF9KPD6Ir1fQ9uKDabJ8h9q6XsCNO5p61EPRvh5ngIf_LbnFY2IhyvBc-zD2nMfz1Bxt4g9vWBAEYYpZlj7ECCfF26atvF40yfyJVdvqKtonl-o7yTdjgunU-juLT_J7s7M4ue1/s1600/10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBGNecZF9KPD6Ir1fQ9uKDabJ8h9q6XsCNO5p61EPRvh5ngIf_LbnFY2IhyvBc-zD2nMfz1Bxt4g9vWBAEYYpZlj7ECCfF26atvF40yfyJVdvqKtonl-o7yTdjgunU-juLT_J7s7M4ue1/s320/10.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Desert morning</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUgvJuPGOFK_A9sVR7GkytqvQ0y5o_8mp2j3y4YwV7g8FRneU1KwwNTIz-VHF1VT_ceD0zUolAlI0o3HklaGk3Rb6YQYiOSD2Ir2sz0zUMsjeV2DERYmWHwpC9uVM10n7Sm2DfFby91td/s1600/11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUgvJuPGOFK_A9sVR7GkytqvQ0y5o_8mp2j3y4YwV7g8FRneU1KwwNTIz-VHF1VT_ceD0zUolAlI0o3HklaGk3Rb6YQYiOSD2Ir2sz0zUMsjeV2DERYmWHwpC9uVM10n7Sm2DfFby91td/s320/11.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bush camp number 2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKIprHf1u7jNZl2Jkw-dd1M3M4OJRXP-ZGRqcfY1biHdj5F_vaYInJvtx7ViHK37rLf-IEOI6oDnjL3j2RdAB6EKS14rk0NB3FATwkZFJZxAZHzorxtcQfmoxTGBRjDQWJ78IQ-tcb4GQk/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKIprHf1u7jNZl2Jkw-dd1M3M4OJRXP-ZGRqcfY1biHdj5F_vaYInJvtx7ViHK37rLf-IEOI6oDnjL3j2RdAB6EKS14rk0NB3FATwkZFJZxAZHzorxtcQfmoxTGBRjDQWJ78IQ-tcb4GQk/s320/12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXAdDGNfEC7qrmg6hGWwQsbILHc0hBqOcpaZxR1OOWJTfddFzxti4VPuwU0ao89ec8Cqm4d2GzqCVm74LRHsCFKCI3lZsko1lE3bqBXWG93_v2MI2ppRGsPW1WdDm1mCVrdLTaQz1zKUg/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXAdDGNfEC7qrmg6hGWwQsbILHc0hBqOcpaZxR1OOWJTfddFzxti4VPuwU0ao89ec8Cqm4d2GzqCVm74LRHsCFKCI3lZsko1lE3bqBXWG93_v2MI2ppRGsPW1WdDm1mCVrdLTaQz1zKUg/s320/13.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
After pitching our camp for the night, we discovered the bleached bones of a
camel lying nearby. Naturally, this led to game of camel-hip-bone tennis, until
a jeep arrived to shuttle us to the main attraction.<br /><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here, in the middle of nowhere, is one of the most bizarre sights in the world.
In 1971, a Soviet mining project caused an underground cavern to collapse. The
resulting gas crater was set alight and has been burning ever since. The
immense heat creates quite an updraft and, as well as being mesmerised by the
view, we all enjoyed “spit roasting” in the waves of heat!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVk0gVk7EvLIbD3YsDOcLqGyKEUWh0Bq4f2zVKeq8MvTmqPZzlODR-Nrv318P166OL12H6ab7x2ONFpImJYarouoecr1gOymYprSGn7NyzKVgUMV6VYbM1x-IBUsFdG7UGd5ZHECQRuR2/s1600/14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVk0gVk7EvLIbD3YsDOcLqGyKEUWh0Bq4f2zVKeq8MvTmqPZzlODR-Nrv318P166OL12H6ab7x2ONFpImJYarouoecr1gOymYprSGn7NyzKVgUMV6VYbM1x-IBUsFdG7UGd5ZHECQRuR2/s320/14.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Darvaza gas crater, or the "door to hell"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOpxFWUresVQIyuZ48kewXc1SVyrQdhzQdyBhtP1iMAajaNlESOa9eax7aDrzz66R729hJeFenD-gc8VbV8b1ituriSj_f3RKt4FLv2Hj6fsG-YnlQneTrCVdsCGNbVYY7-iWAjT5X7EI/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOpxFWUresVQIyuZ48kewXc1SVyrQdhzQdyBhtP1iMAajaNlESOa9eax7aDrzz66R729hJeFenD-gc8VbV8b1ituriSj_f3RKt4FLv2Hj6fsG-YnlQneTrCVdsCGNbVYY7-iWAjT5X7EI/s320/15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhflSgoQCaE_Xat-iDajyHlSRrHHKP2S2R0HsZutIncRMA3X14v6_RvKS2n4MYYCGn5l26nU797qXrmlJ_nqzHWhhVbZnj1fAYPEPuTcrW7SldpAp5hxCtVDReDMYeQ5D5VS6WABW_yKPyy/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhflSgoQCaE_Xat-iDajyHlSRrHHKP2S2R0HsZutIncRMA3X14v6_RvKS2n4MYYCGn5l26nU797qXrmlJ_nqzHWhhVbZnj1fAYPEPuTcrW7SldpAp5hxCtVDReDMYeQ5D5VS6WABW_yKPyy/s320/16.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eamonn & Kat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMAq_L7eQ8-vHBzCYon4gaTRfsZNgFMdYOd4Ti1OHhaZlslRitlsy-rowGPQQJLpOWkZ2dx3i0m3YmRUPZFXguizov3_XvH3hyphenhyphenB1Thyc4WkbhMceklxCC-ckCd9bq7Zot14rilqktVNzfC/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMAq_L7eQ8-vHBzCYon4gaTRfsZNgFMdYOd4Ti1OHhaZlslRitlsy-rowGPQQJLpOWkZ2dx3i0m3YmRUPZFXguizov3_XvH3hyphenhyphenB1Thyc4WkbhMceklxCC-ckCd9bq7Zot14rilqktVNzfC/s320/17.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anil</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbVSFR61Ex8-TmuPeAqXKBhz6RF32KS3kN7lQXoi5-xutJmoCy-Hn-5xgUHDgFdi9R5ZaL7t4d4ILFCI2MVckHFbub6JrCQERRYHqujxju1rTnXSPtn8VnNg1B2AGMSue61zf_Qe3kAji/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbVSFR61Ex8-TmuPeAqXKBhz6RF32KS3kN7lQXoi5-xutJmoCy-Hn-5xgUHDgFdi9R5ZaL7t4d4ILFCI2MVckHFbub6JrCQERRYHqujxju1rTnXSPtn8VnNg1B2AGMSue61zf_Qe3kAji/s320/18.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John, Kelly, Eugene, Kent, Anil, Maree & Martha by the edge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9nTQqtZ3nNCVM15WAB0U0hJsTL4d7DQ6UQDNUVl665lRX3BSxgETMKEF-ABWR3LS4b694oifh5wiZ9PC5bcsb7pN1FnZEzQBFE_HUVfX-sVgI_VbBcQBeYEjiEbxsHzpZfyB0uUpaObFq/s1600/19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9nTQqtZ3nNCVM15WAB0U0hJsTL4d7DQ6UQDNUVl665lRX3BSxgETMKEF-ABWR3LS4b694oifh5wiZ9PC5bcsb7pN1FnZEzQBFE_HUVfX-sVgI_VbBcQBeYEjiEbxsHzpZfyB0uUpaObFq/s320/19.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxfCWCvJAhrwYLdnf4UTd9w45aoxmF8m4MOq8FUWt-OVkwmiNFBxg10vEwWbmtPPii9aCLq60_4rPaC9T4eHcf__u38bcBIcuwXw-nuxQsvnH1Cb15SyeeU5128QJEzTRick5U62W50w2/s1600/20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxfCWCvJAhrwYLdnf4UTd9w45aoxmF8m4MOq8FUWt-OVkwmiNFBxg10vEwWbmtPPii9aCLq60_4rPaC9T4eHcf__u38bcBIcuwXw-nuxQsvnH1Cb15SyeeU5128QJEzTRick5U62W50w2/s320/20.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Elder</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdeWI6G6tpxBM5MX7uPm8uCBg-s81MU3Y69WEFOu_pJoZRTH4jJInz-2EhYkpcZa4hGlkQZVuA5_HukuD6sqSZu9TwluK43yIVE3g4uU9bf-Q29yucptDNICuRhutYFTGzVTeIJTyddtY4/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdeWI6G6tpxBM5MX7uPm8uCBg-s81MU3Y69WEFOu_pJoZRTH4jJInz-2EhYkpcZa4hGlkQZVuA5_HukuD6sqSZu9TwluK43yIVE3g4uU9bf-Q29yucptDNICuRhutYFTGzVTeIJTyddtY4/s320/21.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kat & Ed pose for a family portrait</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHv1yAhhfw0OxrqS-G037stE5TwDLAZP7wLlZCHvbjXriSPwgS72RpuG2Q98nQ8sEYwnQdDRMY-1wParTu_Tarq861A4nDnt0lxUZf-F7NqJLNRnvujcFnAUN0InEDTmwpA7ptqXi2Pgm3/s1600/22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHv1yAhhfw0OxrqS-G037stE5TwDLAZP7wLlZCHvbjXriSPwgS72RpuG2Q98nQ8sEYwnQdDRMY-1wParTu_Tarq861A4nDnt0lxUZf-F7NqJLNRnvujcFnAUN0InEDTmwpA7ptqXi2Pgm3/s320/22.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Younger, Jen & the rats</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiYkTb8iIDIHP9dZIC7NBpSNktoRTBB12nWGiTmaBhHJdzOM2cXNGTaibZhb1AWMGLj3wWuckIQvJTQgA01jLosgN_52J8_DZ3X5WwFSUDAYY82jJ0FGgwrC-7dcbfBxua2PJGFQE_C2AE/s1600/23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiYkTb8iIDIHP9dZIC7NBpSNktoRTBB12nWGiTmaBhHJdzOM2cXNGTaibZhb1AWMGLj3wWuckIQvJTQgA01jLosgN_52J8_DZ3X5WwFSUDAYY82jJ0FGgwrC-7dcbfBxua2PJGFQE_C2AE/s320/23.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After another - fortunately milder - night in the dunes, it
was time to hit the record-breaking capital, Ashgabat. Nicknamed the White
Marble City due to the quantity of imported Italian marble, it really is odd to
see rising out of the desert. The Guinness World Records website says that if
the marble was laid out flat, there would be one square metre of marble for
every 4.87 square metres of land. Apart from the marble, there are also a host of
other weird and wonderful structures, giving the place a unique character.<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4k2T9_GMG8RDs2q6095-jeCgJ7r1o6JOMAPjBuHIMk9h7e24BiDsZ1Rd2dw1gxuqqsFxXxByBpHP5N8UqX7_ug6XdOJG4XJ957vosmp0FhXKx8cPWpJn6Ska7Dewe1XEH315lz5c4-C0R/s1600/24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4k2T9_GMG8RDs2q6095-jeCgJ7r1o6JOMAPjBuHIMk9h7e24BiDsZ1Rd2dw1gxuqqsFxXxByBpHP5N8UqX7_ug6XdOJG4XJ957vosmp0FhXKx8cPWpJn6Ska7Dewe1XEH315lz5c4-C0R/s320/24.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTwLXex5kjQ5z8poNvMIcYzQtFSeG0u85a3-cnc9_v1wzLPaUduOFezuPSXceMavwpAQ9nexID-_UkjDy-9RM_aTs399EhSN6iLyoyO0r-KdxruD3dQ3GUsBUf6790jcvUgmBYJEil1TZ/s1600/25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTwLXex5kjQ5z8poNvMIcYzQtFSeG0u85a3-cnc9_v1wzLPaUduOFezuPSXceMavwpAQ9nexID-_UkjDy-9RM_aTs399EhSN6iLyoyO0r-KdxruD3dQ3GUsBUf6790jcvUgmBYJEil1TZ/s400/25.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWVYDjsdwj9iU0hSu6TbDPtSperiVG1chfgaFwr_onMqhCCxsAgFOYuuR4eldYU32Y3P9Y7cA0wia3Gs-L32X-l4R4MO3QFX3kW9LhQvjnTmNMZWK85wFZ2MAFhFOj34w__LM4-nV5xjF/s1600/26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWVYDjsdwj9iU0hSu6TbDPtSperiVG1chfgaFwr_onMqhCCxsAgFOYuuR4eldYU32Y3P9Y7cA0wia3Gs-L32X-l4R4MO3QFX3kW9LhQvjnTmNMZWK85wFZ2MAFhFOj34w__LM4-nV5xjF/s320/26.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-CWii3AhpLGZWdP7DNG3-aj5jmR3u56bPRtLBsVxIgcnOYsBLqZgC1jbz_POf2GCMPnueEKPD5B3NHUvm3-0xODJiiYrf3She6O_5obEcDxNPCCt3-DYS121t9kc3GolCh_0sXjqGDgZ/s1600/27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-CWii3AhpLGZWdP7DNG3-aj5jmR3u56bPRtLBsVxIgcnOYsBLqZgC1jbz_POf2GCMPnueEKPD5B3NHUvm3-0xODJiiYrf3She6O_5obEcDxNPCCt3-DYS121t9kc3GolCh_0sXjqGDgZ/s320/27.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHdCBkKKmY3xCADJkL7Cfct-hcPUq-uWne1iIZY6pc3bpqmz5AbBy-nPd9bcNj0ZoNFVqnfqjLApWBtGFgqGbBfCvynPZpRrmTJbPx2KDF3EvHq_0S3_JRy39_6MpIJFZic4yCHN2fI10/s1600/28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHdCBkKKmY3xCADJkL7Cfct-hcPUq-uWne1iIZY6pc3bpqmz5AbBy-nPd9bcNj0ZoNFVqnfqjLApWBtGFgqGbBfCvynPZpRrmTJbPx2KDF3EvHq_0S3_JRy39_6MpIJFZic4yCHN2fI10/s320/28.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZohxigDFPqSsxZ2vrJV4hr7Fgyfd86CvhKsaVH-TI_l0eHG7_Ci0-_ynx6JK3_DJALcY11yiW7gfPBxjNJ0r6UYkPm_C3XHeO0uALdqV0KigeN3oOQOcmFFkUj8ezUJ6MoDLMNdiveZts/s1600/29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZohxigDFPqSsxZ2vrJV4hr7Fgyfd86CvhKsaVH-TI_l0eHG7_Ci0-_ynx6JK3_DJALcY11yiW7gfPBxjNJ0r6UYkPm_C3XHeO0uALdqV0KigeN3oOQOcmFFkUj8ezUJ6MoDLMNdiveZts/s320/29.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_281fZbbyU54n2Fc9IdwhUUZMmQ8h2Hgk00whQAxyGU8fKzmHLITd9C2cySpEIYHkxJAzhoWtK7Oo-nHgNYCVGgbwviz1krSKgE8o4bWtaHAyHyYfXMsvs-PNHrOUlvRLYXZ8Cpi1WV1/s1600/30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_281fZbbyU54n2Fc9IdwhUUZMmQ8h2Hgk00whQAxyGU8fKzmHLITd9C2cySpEIYHkxJAzhoWtK7Oo-nHgNYCVGgbwviz1krSKgE8o4bWtaHAyHyYfXMsvs-PNHrOUlvRLYXZ8Cpi1WV1/s320/30.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An indoor ferris wheel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_6dDQcB8vGFJL5xxk1dN4OIBHYSkISjTbtlIMr7R5ttaBd5xEiwWG2yT5vpuc1DB2mxLay-KeQ8YbyiUNbcpphBesR6qjiiMw-w7sRDR0U8P-9V-Pt2qCQ0FGf57h8GN9Ku-4l0dsUqx/s1600/31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_6dDQcB8vGFJL5xxk1dN4OIBHYSkISjTbtlIMr7R5ttaBd5xEiwWG2yT5vpuc1DB2mxLay-KeQ8YbyiUNbcpphBesR6qjiiMw-w7sRDR0U8P-9V-Pt2qCQ0FGf57h8GN9Ku-4l0dsUqx/s320/31.jpg" width="309" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Neutrality Monument, built by the ex-president</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0oyB_olUXYGAY2jzp1XRb7nMN9OCgOoFAFmY7_eg-6TzEqkYtiY0nHsQyOPF2mDa6mduIzWq-nccTRmtR0FoJnlFHnBlcJVrVN1OGHcDhb9ERn9jrX-fISS22MHkXOBNo67wPrC5zL3u/s1600/32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0oyB_olUXYGAY2jzp1XRb7nMN9OCgOoFAFmY7_eg-6TzEqkYtiY0nHsQyOPF2mDa6mduIzWq-nccTRmtR0FoJnlFHnBlcJVrVN1OGHcDhb9ERn9jrX-fISS22MHkXOBNo67wPrC5zL3u/s320/32.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is topped by his statue which used to rotate throughout the day to face the sun</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IvzgmOhVCKLhCD65CA96F9x6l28-BgNUbsWbYNkLp9UXxtZbPtznnODz4abIwXeKqGqLjwR-6hnuKjVjv85zvTk9tke9S57CmFMF4BKkH4NwsMNuS7XXIiHIAoeLyFMAbdCxshYUNTF1/s1600/34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IvzgmOhVCKLhCD65CA96F9x6l28-BgNUbsWbYNkLp9UXxtZbPtznnODz4abIwXeKqGqLjwR-6hnuKjVjv85zvTk9tke9S57CmFMF4BKkH4NwsMNuS7XXIiHIAoeLyFMAbdCxshYUNTF1/s320/34.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ed & Rob the Younger</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpykTw7oev6tG89NfKg1-RDgtF4o1QOHsdzQU9iMC6d1yE2TwG3bRBerb34Tpu9XndWH0LMoTfHtJRKitlDVDwW5X-AcmidGzWgYaxy3Q9b-UOLGvWRqAffF-fonHOmLFaLgtN4Dcjn_f/s1600/35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpykTw7oev6tG89NfKg1-RDgtF4o1QOHsdzQU9iMC6d1yE2TwG3bRBerb34Tpu9XndWH0LMoTfHtJRKitlDVDwW5X-AcmidGzWgYaxy3Q9b-UOLGvWRqAffF-fonHOmLFaLgtN4Dcjn_f/s320/35.jpg" width="249" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julia at the Ruhnama Monument</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<![endif]--><!--StartFragment--><!--EndFragment--></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The </span>Ruhnama or Book of the Soul, was written by the ex-president
as “spiritual guidance for the nation”. Mandatory reading for many people, at
one point it was part of the driving test exam! Each evening at 8:00 pm, the
cover of the mechanical monument opens and a recording of a passage from the
book is played.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw26gbPhTtOVRx2TMwlMWRnK8yR2QsKMpZp6N8ZQnnSf6anb9Qfta9urhRBd3Vd14mnbPqYkZvFGMjIXvtJQuFAJHtW8oNbyiGuTq_YiDvaJDVLKWTlWgXCvbWIjPJ7qQaGIM8wdyETgyz/s1600/36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw26gbPhTtOVRx2TMwlMWRnK8yR2QsKMpZp6N8ZQnnSf6anb9Qfta9urhRBd3Vd14mnbPqYkZvFGMjIXvtJQuFAJHtW8oNbyiGuTq_YiDvaJDVLKWTlWgXCvbWIjPJ7qQaGIM8wdyETgyz/s320/36.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ertugrul Gazi Mosque, built to resemble the Blue Mosque of Istanbul</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPRJ0TUID-6B37htrdKZPSajZMmuKWKE7Ngv4NhxkNqomZ2-X49dYKl3WWKngUMJmdN3Zsi6Btax6q9thZQxi52ITe4UeoIBUpPaGyfkbJ9pofXpwK6b7stlxtgT4MX2iPK2CEr8P_vgn/s1600/37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPRJ0TUID-6B37htrdKZPSajZMmuKWKE7Ngv4NhxkNqomZ2-X49dYKl3WWKngUMJmdN3Zsi6Btax6q9thZQxi52ITe4UeoIBUpPaGyfkbJ9pofXpwK6b7stlxtgT4MX2iPK2CEr8P_vgn/s320/37.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For scale - the group on their city tour. The mosque was built to hold up to 5,000 worshippers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEf1tMCclfczEkCpymOvsyT-Mb14ESo__vio2XA0xJKafN83nEPYB925jXfpIZIppRB8jEUUCyJz6LaMZfqD-R6h7bstFzKx1wwD0Sfuq9Uphf2n43y5wG3saPbg0k70D98s2xLIYlkfH1/s1600/38.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEf1tMCclfczEkCpymOvsyT-Mb14ESo__vio2XA0xJKafN83nEPYB925jXfpIZIppRB8jEUUCyJz6LaMZfqD-R6h7bstFzKx1wwD0Sfuq9Uphf2n43y5wG3saPbg0k70D98s2xLIYlkfH1/s320/38.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPV1LNTbBb6xiEMn4TGSVboksjuZmCC7LT6seJlsVkqx4y2SElPdpP90d-X5oAvvxYzxWq-CO4jKQd-2ApBCU2dhELS9S4V_o4gjmSPyyuURa5n4hUNRG-DPgOY2JzTPB2fycWznb30i7Q/s1600/39.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPV1LNTbBb6xiEMn4TGSVboksjuZmCC7LT6seJlsVkqx4y2SElPdpP90d-X5oAvvxYzxWq-CO4jKQd-2ApBCU2dhELS9S4V_o4gjmSPyyuURa5n4hUNRG-DPgOY2JzTPB2fycWznb30i7Q/s320/39.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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To continue west, our route would take us to Azerbaijan,
across the Caspian Sea. This part of the trip is always a bit of an unknown,
with no real schedule for the boats and a lot of “hurry up and wait”. To get
any news of a ferry, Slava made contact with the port of Turkmenbashi, and in
the hopes of one being imminent, we covered as much distance as we could. <o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQG_gkt1Trv4-oe_94bDlpxCPIxq-TQ1CFvHtqtnX6Z7qFL0N8chGZzEWX9afzdyKW42swTBPRlpcJjGJ2w3f43V8DLKn7NilDzujucDXOAR6ycGch_9kw1C7oagVBYF1DRy73biInblx/s1600/40.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQG_gkt1Trv4-oe_94bDlpxCPIxq-TQ1CFvHtqtnX6Z7qFL0N8chGZzEWX9afzdyKW42swTBPRlpcJjGJ2w3f43V8DLKn7NilDzujucDXOAR6ycGch_9kw1C7oagVBYF1DRy73biInblx/s320/40.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A whole lot of nothing out the window...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQbjT36FonXLyYQeQptsoesU4el66nlRkXM-mYlQ5cbZju9PNMt6RAZep3-sIHMH2yG6uIiQRV64y8Fklun-5d76t9K3TM4EaHotTCC5LIo31LpUhV7-n7IwH8fM8VKdaGoZG3EwFKR90/s1600/41.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQbjT36FonXLyYQeQptsoesU4el66nlRkXM-mYlQ5cbZju9PNMt6RAZep3-sIHMH2yG6uIiQRV64y8Fklun-5d76t9K3TM4EaHotTCC5LIo31LpUhV7-n7IwH8fM8VKdaGoZG3EwFKR90/s320/41.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and a long drive day tends to lead to inventive methods of amusement</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
With dusk approaching, we searched for a bushcamp but with strong winds blowing
sand across the road and visions of flying tents in our heads, the options
seemed limited. Then Slava spotted a cemetery/pilgrimage site. Not nearly as
creepy as it sounds, it was perfect, with wonderfully generous hosts happy for
us to set up camp behind their building (not to mention providing us with more
melons than we could possibly eat). Plus, the presence of the dead acted as an
infallible security system.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8C0EaaQ477Hqhf0t6GOO8SYK-MSzTdqEh9bRsV4YzX_iQTbQbP189KSyREC0ItzoI6QzcX2W3GDBtfsC4dAUBmNMaVOWHuU1vp0gRy7zoDnjHu_OsPhQf5yq4LHI05la9Z7fzgsC96KmI/s1600/42.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8C0EaaQ477Hqhf0t6GOO8SYK-MSzTdqEh9bRsV4YzX_iQTbQbP189KSyREC0ItzoI6QzcX2W3GDBtfsC4dAUBmNMaVOWHuU1vp0gRy7zoDnjHu_OsPhQf5yq4LHI05la9Z7fzgsC96KmI/s320/42.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martha & Kat with the ladies of the house</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2H7rkX_s6ctZfpcPdms8jVgPr2JN5qMuec8HM_DlF-IgawFMdhuD7_NfLy1YllYNsZPJqMRV5KfEminz9PP__URgI4dbqgaJ0q2_OgZj8I8Q1LKBrcbc5WizPMflbp9_gGVX0_ExK00w/s1600/43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2H7rkX_s6ctZfpcPdms8jVgPr2JN5qMuec8HM_DlF-IgawFMdhuD7_NfLy1YllYNsZPJqMRV5KfEminz9PP__URgI4dbqgaJ0q2_OgZj8I8Q1LKBrcbc5WizPMflbp9_gGVX0_ExK00w/s320/43.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our lovely hosts insisted on a group photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We optimistically carried on into town the next morning, straight to the port.
After a wait long enough for a decent session of frisbee and football, we were
informed that there was no ferry, with a storm on the other side holding things
up.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfe9DN_z99A-866CYtwdmRaVdPE1LbIzGTbWJ6p9UMWKHk-3FX2gPEjwsBXHT2WDDrXJbCFe4tYQkt2uG_02NpH5ykHLTF_0CYWyE74ee6rfOgixxhhWGZ90enaIM3vup94T4InckpDQc/s1600/44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfe9DN_z99A-866CYtwdmRaVdPE1LbIzGTbWJ6p9UMWKHk-3FX2gPEjwsBXHT2WDDrXJbCFe4tYQkt2uG_02NpH5ykHLTF_0CYWyE74ee6rfOgixxhhWGZ90enaIM3vup94T4InckpDQc/s320/44.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rusting hulks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At this point, everyone opted for a night in a hotel, or at least the hotel
parking lot. After a very odd meal, we were invited to join in with a Turkmen
birthday celebration, safe in the knowledge that a comfy bed awaited once the
partying was done. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXMwbUaia13ixERwt0ToUlLs7fZ4Ipaw0EIEerAlowS4gEDioIzG_PDlllILP6i25LNAn_i1aat8gVkpIsmcKFaKwAYXwPGlfyIJ0KEujWGJK8raNDTeOhw7GrAuGG1_1T1aCUyPzR_Rcy/s1600/45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXMwbUaia13ixERwt0ToUlLs7fZ4Ipaw0EIEerAlowS4gEDioIzG_PDlllILP6i25LNAn_i1aat8gVkpIsmcKFaKwAYXwPGlfyIJ0KEujWGJK8raNDTeOhw7GrAuGG1_1T1aCUyPzR_Rcy/s320/45.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our hotel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_CNSyE85uDn5zw2DpqarIsXLZSDrH0SarjjoQva7vvMlidHmMhnEZD1UZ9JUy-dTEuETUGW7dHyw7XpTDofT12AxH35a8s4KKJaATF32Cy9dV_jePL5xb7RvDtE8NsKIqMJ37aMeCM1e/s1600/46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_CNSyE85uDn5zw2DpqarIsXLZSDrH0SarjjoQva7vvMlidHmMhnEZD1UZ9JUy-dTEuETUGW7dHyw7XpTDofT12AxH35a8s4KKJaATF32Cy9dV_jePL5xb7RvDtE8NsKIqMJ37aMeCM1e/s320/46.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of the Caspian</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuo29NjXkHG_2kMQ5exdsqxw19wWsV1V1w6dY-uhkhipG1QuutVQkRfQEfw1Q3VjPLERT8QvIF-c4IyFzBVmx8SW0BkvhjJuLZkgsfYZHTr8hLxN_hz0-Vc2hyphenhyphenblmbm9Jh88Q2aM-z24s/s1600/47.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuo29NjXkHG_2kMQ5exdsqxw19wWsV1V1w6dY-uhkhipG1QuutVQkRfQEfw1Q3VjPLERT8QvIF-c4IyFzBVmx8SW0BkvhjJuLZkgsfYZHTr8hLxN_hz0-Vc2hyphenhyphenblmbm9Jh88Q2aM-z24s/s320/47.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBkyKPpuL5msnKTL-mdPzECVd4PeEd9TSqr4qQP5WsTHiu-ShvADJ461m-b3qjWN0cGXxdrfGTuIjosIQ9HVc3bUHwGA_ZX9lP9ave91_u5GtjH94iwnqN-bcpfABTir22fe-XbpyFS-n/s1600/48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBkyKPpuL5msnKTL-mdPzECVd4PeEd9TSqr4qQP5WsTHiu-ShvADJ461m-b3qjWN0cGXxdrfGTuIjosIQ9HVc3bUHwGA_ZX9lP9ave91_u5GtjH94iwnqN-bcpfABTir22fe-XbpyFS-n/s320/48.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Younger, Will, Jo & Martha enjoying the celebratory atmosphere</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvW9dwe-Y2t6nblP_QmVRVvAvoQIaSRY7mRJzZI4MYk0z1yyFwX7vTuJvjcG1EJ-E3wQ4vQKACwsUX4rOIflsI0VePQEqj6wQYV_SkHduW7hNEUvo-a1mZifLEEidzZ3wuGj4UYny1NJs1/s1600/49.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvW9dwe-Y2t6nblP_QmVRVvAvoQIaSRY7mRJzZI4MYk0z1yyFwX7vTuJvjcG1EJ-E3wQ4vQKACwsUX4rOIflsI0VePQEqj6wQYV_SkHduW7hNEUvo-a1mZifLEEidzZ3wuGj4UYny1NJs1/s320/49.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kat & Jen make a nest in Penelope</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 105%;">Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. I got call from Slava
in the middle of the night and we rushed off to the port to arrange passage on
the boat that had now arrived. We were told to be down at the docks with the
truck, ready to load at 4am. Everyone blearily emerged after their rude
awakening, we jumped through all the hoops and... not a passport was stamped
until 7... and then we didn't set sail til 1pm. So it goes!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 105%;"><br /></span></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise from the deck</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penelope had to be parked diagonally with only inches to spare front and back</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peter with Turkmenbashi in the background</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8SBnnd-fKO4XmAX6VP9XI9Z-NlMFcOwj_jvlCdFWTX1b_gxuTlJXGl8D8iggDOmEUhLYDZaQPgm6hmBEOYocOW-cLcXRnte5NAc_L4a14oKOm-rAdYCd62RS-xRih5XgxUSGgv2wQo3S/s1600/53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8SBnnd-fKO4XmAX6VP9XI9Z-NlMFcOwj_jvlCdFWTX1b_gxuTlJXGl8D8iggDOmEUhLYDZaQPgm6hmBEOYocOW-cLcXRnte5NAc_L4a14oKOm-rAdYCd62RS-xRih5XgxUSGgv2wQo3S/s320/53.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jo</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Our vessel was comfortable enough, once we'd negotiated some cabin space off
the crew. Supplies had been bought in case there was no food available but our
crossing price turned out to include 3 meals a day. Chicken featured heavily,
but it was very tasty, so only poor Kat was unsatisfied by the arrangement.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the move!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mop on a rope, not sure why, maybe it was really dirty?</td></tr>
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<!--StartFragment--><span style="line-height: 105%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That evening, the engines stopped and we stayed there
until 6 the next morning. Something to do with the storm, we think, but our
Russian wasn't good enough to really establish. By breakfast we were on our way
again, creeping towards Baku. It was a great time to read or catch up on sleep
lost in the immigration hall. Between laptops and Will's little projector,
there were two movie rooms set up, the choice being a documentary about Georgia
or a Back the the Future marathon.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 105%;"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59wDF0tgzYudm9bMQBukMWJ070irGMduPUm_NS6xWO_2TR97v9c1akJD95mDCThS7ug-vEeXk8WOF79MmsGj5LFkXZRZolm2zg9ASGbIRbDUkuFnc0s0R9McWFKgnC_MU1PXkqKUyO3f4/s1600/56.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59wDF0tgzYudm9bMQBukMWJ070irGMduPUm_NS6xWO_2TR97v9c1akJD95mDCThS7ug-vEeXk8WOF79MmsGj5LFkXZRZolm2zg9ASGbIRbDUkuFnc0s0R9McWFKgnC_MU1PXkqKUyO3f4/s320/56.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset from our stationary position at sea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0cxLjJM_I0CelaAWUz2HpKGOCkq6Noal-AcgpUGnNA77yxhROnj-rBhbTN4Uuh5IxtdYYJZx7vkLl4Titg44I4TRrKquWTC3dji2d6NLITIJGznYCYPzr9tvY3d4oaJPtxKfTTrlWFUA/s1600/57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0cxLjJM_I0CelaAWUz2HpKGOCkq6Noal-AcgpUGnNA77yxhROnj-rBhbTN4Uuh5IxtdYYJZx7vkLl4Titg44I4TRrKquWTC3dji2d6NLITIJGznYCYPzr9tvY3d4oaJPtxKfTTrlWFUA/s320/57.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kat, John & Kent in their cabin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWJbHw_p2q3CdvWfjhpJuTfF288zhmO4e-ivhF7TjJpCUUGC4Rvaby_B_bVWsOYg7iPjh9a9ixwj8wOpqMeEsPdotqh-QLG1-oDH8V0aUUHzUws-H2QGQcE2RSJ_XZlRdVoDQ2y-pjpXW/s1600/58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWJbHw_p2q3CdvWfjhpJuTfF288zhmO4e-ivhF7TjJpCUUGC4Rvaby_B_bVWsOYg7iPjh9a9ixwj8wOpqMeEsPdotqh-QLG1-oDH8V0aUUHzUws-H2QGQcE2RSJ_XZlRdVoDQ2y-pjpXW/s320/58.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob & Jen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtgo3x9PrgVdTf5hy00WQ51BQn_Ly-aY_t-jSWDN_sFWfiStsj0tb-uiqtL4Nctad9HUf0uLCum77q3nngnL_FWAgBurpGIGNYMiY_348WSViXglLYVG1sI8TUALySsPQIacUQfZBG_66u/s1600/59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtgo3x9PrgVdTf5hy00WQ51BQn_Ly-aY_t-jSWDN_sFWfiStsj0tb-uiqtL4Nctad9HUf0uLCum77q3nngnL_FWAgBurpGIGNYMiY_348WSViXglLYVG1sI8TUALySsPQIacUQfZBG_66u/s320/59.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ed & Eugene</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But inevitably cabin fever start</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">ed to set in. I realised we'd reached this
point when Eamonn, lying on his bunk and trying to balance a tall carton of
apple juice on his forehead, called out, “Look Kat, I’m a juicy unicorn!”. Oh
dear.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
In keeping with the theme of midnight shenanigans, the eviction notice came
shortly before 12. Everything was shoved back in bags and we all stumbled
through a much friendlier immigration system into the cold Azeri night. The
dock being far outside of Baku, it was basically morning before we reached our
hotel beds (the taxi drivers mistaking Amber Hotel for Empire Hotel did not
help!) for a few more hours sleep.<br /><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hitting the streets, it quickly became clear we were in a totally different
world now. A mix of cosmopolitan and affluent, historic and heritage: Baku is a
happening place.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJk48o5pEpy4XEO90mZem5dCuF9htUMQMdvkP0hrNjrxs7fKGnCSR_hGw7_gXjawyhrFID2NEymjKPEarzsm1Y1F9y43yBTAAhQRqsQkJufkYQEcwKSExNKEwq4CiinCacvN7_Rk5idmh/s1600/60.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJk48o5pEpy4XEO90mZem5dCuF9htUMQMdvkP0hrNjrxs7fKGnCSR_hGw7_gXjawyhrFID2NEymjKPEarzsm1Y1F9y43yBTAAhQRqsQkJufkYQEcwKSExNKEwq4CiinCacvN7_Rk5idmh/s320/60.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNM2772pXJhvMdOu9Lg3MsD-c2qO10-lvZ7mne31giE7r9Lv838YdUmBWo2cWxr90C7KiWiXN7AoR7S7efrzo877SM9QZ0g-jLC9zfKPmGne_mg5EzIGbdw8ICQG69NqOWLTdkL1KMvN7_/s1600/61.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNM2772pXJhvMdOu9Lg3MsD-c2qO10-lvZ7mne31giE7r9Lv838YdUmBWo2cWxr90C7KiWiXN7AoR7S7efrzo877SM9QZ0g-jLC9zfKPmGne_mg5EzIGbdw8ICQG69NqOWLTdkL1KMvN7_/s320/61.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhATBIg7Vk9bTHuYcmHjnBxIPn80GA-v6hXvEFCfi_Qx3XgqWBgFSJws9Ihw4c3MyuCn1NHDWLLenghuLvqdbjFK8TFcahrH4OB6bQdBvuejPWq4L_j181xrTcVs9nYSzlKHOogHfaVJBO7/s1600/62.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhATBIg7Vk9bTHuYcmHjnBxIPn80GA-v6hXvEFCfi_Qx3XgqWBgFSJws9Ihw4c3MyuCn1NHDWLLenghuLvqdbjFK8TFcahrH4OB6bQdBvuejPWq4L_j181xrTcVs9nYSzlKHOogHfaVJBO7/s320/62.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maiden's Tower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKG1fpGdtELmJqqozNVVvLRr6XOzs6uXnp9sESEC5V8f2gC43iVEtt2etrTqnXWtHCtOXGRu6Y2tEPNKp81KCGYsC2q5jFDVv-9Jpvv7Qgl0_oDuUw9JEBDkaryeVLMQOj-9F4-YFSTq_/s1600/63.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKG1fpGdtELmJqqozNVVvLRr6XOzs6uXnp9sESEC5V8f2gC43iVEtt2etrTqnXWtHCtOXGRu6Y2tEPNKp81KCGYsC2q5jFDVv-9Jpvv7Qgl0_oDuUw9JEBDkaryeVLMQOj-9F4-YFSTq_/s320/63.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzqQF5YdqenJxosPu-EAFGmz7J5yP5mG4i2iEjVwMbBTj8h01Dwj0AUYZ0L8iUoLZGSZtl-f8iR9lTwhMpphnHI4oL5WDTMogqOPQlB6C4eK9SvJzLatvkt9hcVeKqaqa6D8yttBZ5iw_/s1600/64.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzqQF5YdqenJxosPu-EAFGmz7J5yP5mG4i2iEjVwMbBTj8h01Dwj0AUYZ0L8iUoLZGSZtl-f8iR9lTwhMpphnHI4oL5WDTMogqOPQlB6C4eK9SvJzLatvkt9hcVeKqaqa6D8yttBZ5iw_/s320/64.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martha in the old town</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flying carpets</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kent</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNpteh836-1OVM3x6n8mfSH_vhOv_gDW7Qy5FxxzQb0gc-Jpk-jkjflW6spAKRtERas7ctu2FGbm6DOvxn13h2MLdeYUpXNQdK2C_avYwh1bt3ztZ42My3VtKhamxV4vYD8J9Z_emTdnV/s1600/69.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNpteh836-1OVM3x6n8mfSH_vhOv_gDW7Qy5FxxzQb0gc-Jpk-jkjflW6spAKRtERas7ctu2FGbm6DOvxn13h2MLdeYUpXNQdK2C_avYwh1bt3ztZ42My3VtKhamxV4vYD8J9Z_emTdnV/s320/69.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxT5X9JKx51k5NFaqhvYcqGqC00QKTRkiw_blsBfe3JBEDBUAy3bKh8ezDF-NplJA34OlpTDLbVnGwmuQmwc4zxpF3Rr4fKbFeD2n8CTw3WrCCzITYfWOsuHEBN4TtTshWyPBKPm-g2x4/s1600/70.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxT5X9JKx51k5NFaqhvYcqGqC00QKTRkiw_blsBfe3JBEDBUAy3bKh8ezDF-NplJA34OlpTDLbVnGwmuQmwc4zxpF3Rr4fKbFeD2n8CTw3WrCCzITYfWOsuHEBN4TtTshWyPBKPm-g2x4/s320/70.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVid5AZcPRgvChAzBUkCea22zbJBM36BguheuCWHlMixrCV7fgQ2bt5w_wWMSWHIjk8LOwyGdY6N0u03VumE7V07C1yKuGR_nCMoao5hYAzav0wQLe4c0sfJbpQDg-pa67x0U6zbtIKOxV/s1600/71.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVid5AZcPRgvChAzBUkCea22zbJBM36BguheuCWHlMixrCV7fgQ2bt5w_wWMSWHIjk8LOwyGdY6N0u03VumE7V07C1yKuGR_nCMoao5hYAzav0wQLe4c0sfJbpQDg-pa67x0U6zbtIKOxV/s320/71.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not sure if zoo is what they meant...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
Due to rules restricting Penelope to 72 hours in the country, our time in
Azerbaijan was limited. From Baku we drove first south, to visit the ancient
petroglyphs of Gobustan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and then on to our night
stop in Sheki.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEkJMru7zLPL2IjSaupHfREdN4lbX_16-acXOO0HcsMWQwBUhlnfhmygBERyDW-w6ns2Z-h1JhYnl9QegpmCOq13lGa64ZViolU5hyZyKG6T99py-8Rj2DINRqJDlO05rdS6sPQ7FQ3OP/s1600/72.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEkJMru7zLPL2IjSaupHfREdN4lbX_16-acXOO0HcsMWQwBUhlnfhmygBERyDW-w6ns2Z-h1JhYnl9QegpmCOq13lGa64ZViolU5hyZyKG6T99py-8Rj2DINRqJDlO05rdS6sPQ7FQ3OP/s320/72.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtqR1c0yNi1ZUuXJHrCpa2ziqG26yCqxabbds3lXedS6McPbHAil-ltfoOfz9vmyurOYot5LyfEcG9Yl957XfH5UHeKpBmmmtt2TV2POCPFHtGi8oy3ygDCT4ynuFr8RmcQvXtDbOuBp1/s1600/73.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtqR1c0yNi1ZUuXJHrCpa2ziqG26yCqxabbds3lXedS6McPbHAil-ltfoOfz9vmyurOYot5LyfEcG9Yl957XfH5UHeKpBmmmtt2TV2POCPFHtGi8oy3ygDCT4ynuFr8RmcQvXtDbOuBp1/s320/73.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The petroglyphs date back to 10,000BC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRslBcWZcbe8krRy570mOdpMQrvkIxLqVC42HmTcrsPzHDS_LbtnY3efDimJny7fe2t2NiJI2B1PbCeT7y6_dsEH2qKgccy94Iin7NJoPrJHvP_Y0zQUnW9uqUn7iIrGCcdOcyxABrhcXQ/s1600/74.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRslBcWZcbe8krRy570mOdpMQrvkIxLqVC42HmTcrsPzHDS_LbtnY3efDimJny7fe2t2NiJI2B1PbCeT7y6_dsEH2qKgccy94Iin7NJoPrJHvP_Y0zQUnW9uqUn7iIrGCcdOcyxABrhcXQ/s320/74.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holes to collect rain water</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivgWNIIkYtHwyrB9ZKmvgF1ZrpEEmNAHnRQXzBwBt9HMrWfyrqspd-XOBY4fmZiCdgO4f7_fssi0KjSmUH_Wpw12LRTnjIBxQj685-Sn_5Lw5w81ETfwZYlTXFhM_sqm0-UrHUL5sHFN0N/s1600/75.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivgWNIIkYtHwyrB9ZKmvgF1ZrpEEmNAHnRQXzBwBt9HMrWfyrqspd-XOBY4fmZiCdgO4f7_fssi0KjSmUH_Wpw12LRTnjIBxQj685-Sn_5Lw5w81ETfwZYlTXFhM_sqm0-UrHUL5sHFN0N/s320/75.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5vyQVExXy7-bnUWDXzvxFXVFz9bHmMks0i6ouuAIS4V-O0w38y9TK7aM2KveRQToxASu0jW79YKepEryyUeBzX3e5Fv5vSbkWBFNrI39V0gyI4Xubslnfc7ZG7vRHVVbGn8a7wjK74gRk/s1600/76.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5vyQVExXy7-bnUWDXzvxFXVFz9bHmMks0i6ouuAIS4V-O0w38y9TK7aM2KveRQToxASu0jW79YKepEryyUeBzX3e5Fv5vSbkWBFNrI39V0gyI4Xubslnfc7ZG7vRHVVbGn8a7wjK74gRk/s320/76.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFjkl3-Dy8rPl_nXbLz6Q3WuOB9UDLU30NxAgYHWBBNjobbexFPg1atAbDYkrEMYqcrehGiQx6FTKoEq2QVEcNDvPas4Cod_1H8PcFd_k2DAXiCorVCLn6bP-ve-qTz9wsuJgEv9j8Lf3W/s1600/77.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFjkl3-Dy8rPl_nXbLz6Q3WuOB9UDLU30NxAgYHWBBNjobbexFPg1atAbDYkrEMYqcrehGiQx6FTKoEq2QVEcNDvPas4Cod_1H8PcFd_k2DAXiCorVCLn6bP-ve-qTz9wsuJgEv9j8Lf3W/s320/77.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The place was overrun with cats</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsrkfyAnstFodJvQXGM3gqQh4Fkr1WCXo-1LJO9Lhx5DsPX5IYuKKgkQW2bMhQCn6xSLouEy-NfV9_jAiIhhd30T34lCeujJSTmVociiFwu3zYwwHDSZInjXXQFg09RRBCh7cN74lZ3ov/s1600/78.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsrkfyAnstFodJvQXGM3gqQh4Fkr1WCXo-1LJO9Lhx5DsPX5IYuKKgkQW2bMhQCn6xSLouEy-NfV9_jAiIhhd30T34lCeujJSTmVociiFwu3zYwwHDSZInjXXQFg09RRBCh7cN74lZ3ov/s320/78.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lucky there are lots of cat lovers on the truck!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 105%;">Sheki was a prominent market stop on the Silk Road and
we were lucky enough to stay in one of the surviving Caravanserais</span><!--EndFragment--> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eamonn & Jen at the gates</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Caravanserai courtyard where traders would sell their wares</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard to beat that for a hotel reception!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tucking into some Azeri food</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our rooms led off this passageway</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
Then it was back on Penelope and off to our penultimate country: Georgia!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Odyssey Overlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704432117667366839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8305949265274359886.post-87114407044378814282015-11-13T09:28:00.000-08:002015-11-13T09:28:03.057-08:00Unreal Uzbekistan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Just outside of Osh, we said goodbye to the wonderful Begaim
and Kyrgyzstan. After a thorough search (Julia's photos from a Gay Pride event
were the subject of some scrutiny!), we picked up the first of our Uzbek
guides, Farrukh, and drove to Fergana. Here, Farrukh welcomed us to the country
by a) organising a money change which almost turned us all into
millionaires</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">and b) cooking up some
delicious plot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0csvi3cm7cRQZ4eSDklbYdHaaW-BtEzKWCSgIKN3VT7EbJu6S67QFYSs-LP6_luVSew07wKdu9qu7Z-W6Xyrk-SVnGRVuAwVCMsaQL4tWec0vRIGTrO_0PGQEuxHRR7zeKRxfpop_FPG/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0csvi3cm7cRQZ4eSDklbYdHaaW-BtEzKWCSgIKN3VT7EbJu6S67QFYSs-LP6_luVSew07wKdu9qu7Z-W6Xyrk-SVnGRVuAwVCMsaQL4tWec0vRIGTrO_0PGQEuxHRR7zeKRxfpop_FPG/s320/1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maree and all her Uzbek som</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdJTcwaFSgKjj77OXqP_eBxNEKcjKFFhmDVMbvwbduR9rumzdjznDnah4ot8a43Vi1Qg-d-XoDqUyXZ6e5W2ksGdS64OU8w8T91WMfy0DeOdgIf5hp9oHQh3iExYFpuTvBSQlhrrs19WTd/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdJTcwaFSgKjj77OXqP_eBxNEKcjKFFhmDVMbvwbduR9rumzdjznDnah4ot8a43Vi1Qg-d-XoDqUyXZ6e5W2ksGdS64OU8w8T91WMfy0DeOdgIf5hp9oHQh3iExYFpuTvBSQlhrrs19WTd/s320/2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farukh preparing traditional plov (lamb and rice pilau)<span style="text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjeKTRptuZPfoqWvTy20uOPk2nGEb6r-SZ6oEcgiLs0M_VjSgYU5IbIDiRBh0MaE8FTAlZcGdHIGhN0fSM6DFC2xKcT6RKI8RcIuuaWR_40yOBEFzFCOcYGcp7pkblKNu4vSJts9aYCzPX/s1600/3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjeKTRptuZPfoqWvTy20uOPk2nGEb6r-SZ6oEcgiLs0M_VjSgYU5IbIDiRBh0MaE8FTAlZcGdHIGhN0fSM6DFC2xKcT6RKI8RcIuuaWR_40yOBEFzFCOcYGcp7pkblKNu4vSJts9aYCzPX/s320/3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The group tucking in</td></tr>
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<br />
Next stop was Tashkent, but the journey there was not made together. Between
Fergana and Tashkent is the Kamchik Pass, over which vehicles carrying more
than 5 people are not allowed. So, under the cover of darkness, Will and I took
Penelope over the pass ahead of the group. The checkpoint at the top is
unavoidable and there was a tense wait in the queue as we mentally urged the
occupants of other vehicles not to draw too much attention to us by staring.
Our innocent faces seemed to do the trick and in the early hour we were through
and winding down the other side of the pass. The group followed with Farrukh
the next morning in a convoy of taxis, stopping on the way at a silk factory
and the Palace of Khudáyár Khán in Kokand.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorting the silkworm cocoons</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNhuFz91jv-FYMFR8rT_Lv_VBFkIVGxVKUKYQTjuHsnQANakkldbrIz-ZZfQsqFlSu9bMOjE6gjesPcq6kjonoSJEBOJ9_BZABl667Ljxaob5SrDVWuHle1pZGIayggD8QQdaxi9Pkn8RH/s1600/5.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNhuFz91jv-FYMFR8rT_Lv_VBFkIVGxVKUKYQTjuHsnQANakkldbrIz-ZZfQsqFlSu9bMOjE6gjesPcq6kjonoSJEBOJ9_BZABl667Ljxaob5SrDVWuHle1pZGIayggD8QQdaxi9Pkn8RH/s320/5.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfwwfC4LADKln5RKuakSN3gxRMbHW6HwEXo9oi1Szwqn_ANm-fVdGVb4PU6ls3G8ok0mPNR0_l0RNCnVSgBpa6G-9yC8ehpAXyBEPzzVhwopaSqzn_DjzGxDda6cK1SA9GpeZLAfUYjBgg/s1600/6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfwwfC4LADKln5RKuakSN3gxRMbHW6HwEXo9oi1Szwqn_ANm-fVdGVb4PU6ls3G8ok0mPNR0_l0RNCnVSgBpa6G-9yC8ehpAXyBEPzzVhwopaSqzn_DjzGxDda6cK1SA9GpeZLAfUYjBgg/s320/6.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boiling the cocoons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPcCMa0KWxo8xPW6ZfEMiUkcwKwgxa88pVg-QBU12v4dYw-l4EvAD0v4oVzWg-4wZOLo7NM9Jdn3NsOhuJze26SnH3FtyjugGyd3T-LiAkRxC9rqudMlk22q094bAZ7YjClhmD5OJnwRr/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPcCMa0KWxo8xPW6ZfEMiUkcwKwgxa88pVg-QBU12v4dYw-l4EvAD0v4oVzWg-4wZOLo7NM9Jdn3NsOhuJze26SnH3FtyjugGyd3T-LiAkRxC9rqudMlk22q094bAZ7YjClhmD5OJnwRr/s320/7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Learning about the silk-making process</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBdWiRgz1Ro6nUWofp9lq7zktkvNiwGWHLgy1GdjOYMlQYcKkLPnJ5TIYQ5TetgSA6HdAKpqhF_dMmKAjpAjHpJ-N0qIm5AATdNxw9E7EcRGf4mk7RYL7xS872nwEAhtunChJXHLHm6GC/s1600/8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBdWiRgz1Ro6nUWofp9lq7zktkvNiwGWHLgy1GdjOYMlQYcKkLPnJ5TIYQ5TetgSA6HdAKpqhF_dMmKAjpAjHpJ-N0qIm5AATdNxw9E7EcRGf4mk7RYL7xS872nwEAhtunChJXHLHm6GC/s320/8.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looms</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1KSIps9AlmKCwGh2rm34C2tr048re03UsWyx5xgDwwzZOABNqphSTQ5_cIOQqGyhsmajxkJA5ZSclscTMFN9nmbY-IHeO9bZL5VDC300lVqBSY5mffmF8cPhfxjt0A7dotHHBtZW2pcM/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1KSIps9AlmKCwGh2rm34C2tr048re03UsWyx5xgDwwzZOABNqphSTQ5_cIOQqGyhsmajxkJA5ZSclscTMFN9nmbY-IHeO9bZL5VDC300lVqBSY5mffmF8cPhfxjt0A7dotHHBtZW2pcM/s320/9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished product</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27UJJmnOMT79zFRvtmIUpVb8uMS5ENN4wDoyZjoQCmTy5uq2LzAFfywsXOUPenQ93VinLwnzhaG2YTY7jxVEfCAoI4XnEOjOVN81ckQj5qITpk-UJqNNkf0AkPIPiiwlnzcjhGeUerOhM/s1600/10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27UJJmnOMT79zFRvtmIUpVb8uMS5ENN4wDoyZjoQCmTy5uq2LzAFfywsXOUPenQ93VinLwnzhaG2YTY7jxVEfCAoI4XnEOjOVN81ckQj5qITpk-UJqNNkf0AkPIPiiwlnzcjhGeUerOhM/s320/10.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jen being a goof in the gift shop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimuh45XrpC-150XHa_Ahk6gnkfUVAWmyVxb6V_OwO2i1QcactTXU13p1QO90AEwpxeLDj0s3qdvZj69YtMtrsIX6-MKzYDNsac59UWlvV7_3jGw3LngKqh21xtym2ipUIH61HYYgHUeDJr/s1600/11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimuh45XrpC-150XHa_Ahk6gnkfUVAWmyVxb6V_OwO2i1QcactTXU13p1QO90AEwpxeLDj0s3qdvZj69YtMtrsIX6-MKzYDNsac59UWlvV7_3jGw3LngKqh21xtym2ipUIH61HYYgHUeDJr/s320/11.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Khan's Palace, Kokand</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0UwBng4YpbkGYa351YAW4Gzgv72A5lxjFR0mVPxonEvDj5k7yjiJNHQTWfc5CpzElKl2f72ELUM4JTPUnaD6STRNdYYhrVET-Jfzkh3JxqZBFsvkqnIO_zRP2vn0-P-rPk1W6DfOjP7sv/s1600/13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0UwBng4YpbkGYa351YAW4Gzgv72A5lxjFR0mVPxonEvDj5k7yjiJNHQTWfc5CpzElKl2f72ELUM4JTPUnaD6STRNdYYhrVET-Jfzkh3JxqZBFsvkqnIO_zRP2vn0-P-rPk1W6DfOjP7sv/s320/13.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0AcIC2TuT2eBv5qhy_ARVhRE-nLj6I3Z3GcmRmMHn3j_A-lcrCqv_kVBfT2gPuX58TbnmmwjscAVdpeI01GdDLohSzaFxS81RzfTYjFtsmDWRmxoVvjKO8xFAsavWI3dLXNo321gjDTWC/s1600/14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0AcIC2TuT2eBv5qhy_ARVhRE-nLj6I3Z3GcmRmMHn3j_A-lcrCqv_kVBfT2gPuX58TbnmmwjscAVdpeI01GdDLohSzaFxS81RzfTYjFtsmDWRmxoVvjKO8xFAsavWI3dLXNo321gjDTWC/s320/14.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The group in one of the surviving 19 rooms - there were once 113! Many of the cities of what we now know as Uzbekistan were completely trashed by Genghis Khan and his descendants in the 13th Century</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfQdRGSpPuDyaJYbVoUIZ0Hu1YSmUTafXcnaIhNbw1Q02p57HSoeZL41VBky7-zYRZyAqoLlBcgdCMPXtGnPh-hdopMEwngJKdIf4Q028ml8CsR1L0Li4d6TM09LI58wdSo8HKzMo01xj/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfQdRGSpPuDyaJYbVoUIZ0Hu1YSmUTafXcnaIhNbw1Q02p57HSoeZL41VBky7-zYRZyAqoLlBcgdCMPXtGnPh-hdopMEwngJKdIf4Q028ml8CsR1L0Li4d6TM09LI58wdSo8HKzMo01xj/s320/15.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQl9yp2BFhm_Dzr4fgq4O5Sdup7FFJ8pc6Rnw1_Qt5uIiIAllFbtjWCfUkbUyc-Q3afCs7QLPvewEVVr0aBV6s6D4qvvBsYa7DjjiA_YwPqnGfV_ZNjxgK7rL29QQDdfW9H-LbNauuVuX4/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQl9yp2BFhm_Dzr4fgq4O5Sdup7FFJ8pc6Rnw1_Qt5uIiIAllFbtjWCfUkbUyc-Q3afCs7QLPvewEVVr0aBV6s6D4qvvBsYa7DjjiA_YwPqnGfV_ZNjxgK7rL29QQDdfW9H-LbNauuVuX4/s320/16.JPG" width="311" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm not sure if Ratty & Rosie have some big news or something...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmhI4YTwcQ0zLToK8BfyN8medDoeY2QN2XjzDgeexiWjAGRxJyp5Rb1BU7yhy-XEFCgBkCpgtb2FRXnmnvdm-W3k2KDYY-eHFcluL6jiYbHhHBEgsLHgy_WV66OR5emLEukKCv5_KNx_4/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmhI4YTwcQ0zLToK8BfyN8medDoeY2QN2XjzDgeexiWjAGRxJyp5Rb1BU7yhy-XEFCgBkCpgtb2FRXnmnvdm-W3k2KDYY-eHFcluL6jiYbHhHBEgsLHgy_WV66OR5emLEukKCv5_KNx_4/s320/17.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of a shield</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In Tashkent, we met our new guide Bek while Farrukh went home to his newborn son (armed with a few name suggestions!). We also had to say a very sad farewell to Anil, who had made the difficult but brave decision to return to the US due to health concerns. It was a pleasure, Anil, and you will be missed immensely!</span><br style="font-family: inherit;" /><br style="font-family: inherit;" /><span style="font-family: inherit;">The show must go on. Our morning in the capital was grey and rainy, but the impressive sights remained undiminished.</span><br style="font-family: inherit;" /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Elder, John & Maree shelter from the rain</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">From here we enter the heart of the Silk Road – the
incredible cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, centres of learning and
craft, fought over for centuries, destroyed and rebuilt. The sun came out for
us in Samarkand, where almost a full day was dedicated to a tour of the city, including
its rightfully famous landmarks: the Registan, Timur's mausoleum Ger-e Amir,
and the Bibi-Khanym Mosque.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUaex-4IcQLjf-XczrOh8L7z0DKHZ-v_9-WTsSLjdBqXSTf7ctdHSiLhgPEI_wjENYlU_mU6TNPY0xHzxzbtDoUppniM-_sXIPV10MYsazIHPlgSowc8Y70ASSEJtwhyphenhyphenZiBvy2pDKuVTE/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUaex-4IcQLjf-XczrOh8L7z0DKHZ-v_9-WTsSLjdBqXSTf7ctdHSiLhgPEI_wjENYlU_mU6TNPY0xHzxzbtDoUppniM-_sXIPV10MYsazIHPlgSowc8Y70ASSEJtwhyphenhyphenZiBvy2pDKuVTE/s400/21.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Registan Square</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kent & Eamonn</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bek & the group</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUXec-_yHVdnQqmX47kq-pNLizZoYOZzah8_e9YRTeQFZPkTQgGsIOWvxW1AqGP6XcBkwfKghdUa5p3Wk51POP6c8mdPT6WUotMJkakGmDccO9nxyPh6jAOKMs9XkT4QkG1ZWZjGPx899/s1600/28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUXec-_yHVdnQqmX47kq-pNLizZoYOZzah8_e9YRTeQFZPkTQgGsIOWvxW1AqGP6XcBkwfKghdUa5p3Wk51POP6c8mdPT6WUotMJkakGmDccO9nxyPh6jAOKMs9XkT4QkG1ZWZjGPx899/s320/28.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standard way to carry money around</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFOX6S392ym8CUM2tACkEQzKtcfQGVGdKEAFRCO95Q_-sCwuVQouxr5wZURlRnnwOoddmjMSkPhRMnioT6Fw_gbn7p-OD8UhJ_k4qpevWxjeAQxnXbFUEZaLERGmKokCM-U9vz46nSzZXT/s1600/35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFOX6S392ym8CUM2tACkEQzKtcfQGVGdKEAFRCO95Q_-sCwuVQouxr5wZURlRnnwOoddmjMSkPhRMnioT6Fw_gbn7p-OD8UhJ_k4qpevWxjeAQxnXbFUEZaLERGmKokCM-U9vz46nSzZXT/s320/35.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maree, Rob the Elder, Ed & Jo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKmZN_EKwyZqboapq72FYy2AUk4QSWEl7U0MwfYRj4NXxuunTpF2fAg-JswwIR0SxoK3XgjgB1EJnpNt90NpkmOwSAja_ORwcGgMuBiHP3WH9fRGk_EPH7xxuwOmFTt1UH8cB62e2EkR3/s1600/39.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKmZN_EKwyZqboapq72FYy2AUk4QSWEl7U0MwfYRj4NXxuunTpF2fAg-JswwIR0SxoK3XgjgB1EJnpNt90NpkmOwSAja_ORwcGgMuBiHP3WH9fRGk_EPH7xxuwOmFTt1UH8cB62e2EkR3/s320/39.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Younger gets into the Uzbek spirit</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_gEpI8vVmGqPRi_V4gArddbbRh5z3SzmInZYMiGyudRb7OR3F5mBx5EXHB_8w4ts-tfpHTWGbYa2wFgMco3QW60ZS7wJklOkIeudttNi2Rq5oCcokTn-OvJbRopWfH2gD3RF7A7Vxa6E/s1600/42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_gEpI8vVmGqPRi_V4gArddbbRh5z3SzmInZYMiGyudRb7OR3F5mBx5EXHB_8w4ts-tfpHTWGbYa2wFgMco3QW60ZS7wJklOkIeudttNi2Rq5oCcokTn-OvJbRopWfH2gD3RF7A7Vxa6E/s320/42.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Elder and his hat</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The group admiring the ceiling</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6bompYVoBH6RDoWyPFv4ah1IwzcYBMdz3YTLMTmI-m3x382x7wJA8V4zwbjdvJoFG35brbnK2igHdHA68bHsGGjK81T2T7hff8XauDW6Te3_DQWUv8U7zvpS6xOtBMxXzkSSQogeROXm/s1600/46.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6bompYVoBH6RDoWyPFv4ah1IwzcYBMdz3YTLMTmI-m3x382x7wJA8V4zwbjdvJoFG35brbnK2igHdHA68bHsGGjK81T2T7hff8XauDW6Te3_DQWUv8U7zvpS6xOtBMxXzkSSQogeROXm/s320/46.JPG" width="249" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Timur</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRmXrx6Aos-_rS8v2zoHrbJrtdAEy2cnxvVbISZB3_ESCjzROzYq-pSGp4KOBCHbQSMLh0q8cR_UlYKqMhzXbHntMrHMjEQobh5BS66rIWbswuafE6ehjA2MCQfPKI9gvpekayq24bxHk/s1600/47.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRmXrx6Aos-_rS8v2zoHrbJrtdAEy2cnxvVbISZB3_ESCjzROzYq-pSGp4KOBCHbQSMLh0q8cR_UlYKqMhzXbHntMrHMjEQobh5BS66rIWbswuafE6ehjA2MCQfPKI9gvpekayq24bxHk/s320/47.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colourful fountains</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">
We continued west to Bukhara for a stop of 3 nights, much to the delight of
everyone. After another comprehensive walking tour of the historic sights with
Bek, the group was free to explore as long as they were back in time for the
vodka tasting evening!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymZCg2ZeIoIgi2bx1l1nNXOW1MEqQ34sHoTyztbMy625R0ERsqmLya9FB8Uv4zfBqIWJcVqJM8Kh-qwpHlZq4sK3kot4Ptvt8NGjWc2I6gRuevV1dE-m2H65ApBJA87gXOoJFs78_6p7l/s1600/49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymZCg2ZeIoIgi2bx1l1nNXOW1MEqQ34sHoTyztbMy625R0ERsqmLya9FB8Uv4zfBqIWJcVqJM8Kh-qwpHlZq4sK3kot4Ptvt8NGjWc2I6gRuevV1dE-m2H65ApBJA87gXOoJFs78_6p7l/s320/49.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kat, Kelly & Eugene. Kat who is vegetarian often struggles to find good food (i.e. not a plate of french fries!). These vege kebabs were a massive hit</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_jAyJ3pv_0MLMq9OJJ02_Fx4n3rLInoMt69JISyi_06P2c636jUHByUvlpohds9fExwMv2VlTIMqZ4C1yZULqIIn-lqtJu-pHx6JStlOdvI24mP5EIVjpdFrUNJio2Om5opPVazI6HN3/s1600/50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_jAyJ3pv_0MLMq9OJJ02_Fx4n3rLInoMt69JISyi_06P2c636jUHByUvlpohds9fExwMv2VlTIMqZ4C1yZULqIIn-lqtJu-pHx6JStlOdvI24mP5EIVjpdFrUNJio2Om5opPVazI6HN3/s320/50.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jo, Julia & Martha with the Bukhara skyline</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mZYFws7PCP8bEKsC6XI9xVgPyADJWaFQF34leL2cSjCNgCrT4x0z1v9R3ssJVLUd8qQaThrJuxt_YLaUNGhqdomgg4d99b5RCriMO2rBO3dxj_62qqvA6xBzc5t2-ccvdZO7vpa8gdXP/s1600/51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mZYFws7PCP8bEKsC6XI9xVgPyADJWaFQF34leL2cSjCNgCrT4x0z1v9R3ssJVLUd8qQaThrJuxt_YLaUNGhqdomgg4d99b5RCriMO2rBO3dxj_62qqvA6xBzc5t2-ccvdZO7vpa8gdXP/s320/51.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Both here and Samarkand are popular wedding venues for Uzbeks</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ratty & Rosie check out some carpets</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kat & a cat</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martha & Bek</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Younger found a hat to match his beard</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kent & a camel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3iKzxKNtbgFzpdG8fa_5jzz_5dc1LLn2yk3pRmBnDCDVhuVQuuYZaUDZBX07j-tyuTmeNUCaDWyac03cHZjOuu6d-xQ3CoZSly4b_fEviq8IsxBqvW0AGmYZxljc1k4BHBbUmlBDQI5A/s1600/67.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3iKzxKNtbgFzpdG8fa_5jzz_5dc1LLn2yk3pRmBnDCDVhuVQuuYZaUDZBX07j-tyuTmeNUCaDWyac03cHZjOuu6d-xQ3CoZSly4b_fEviq8IsxBqvW0AGmYZxljc1k4BHBbUmlBDQI5A/s320/67.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jo & Julia</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We had a surprise guest for the vodka tasting, which was a hit and involved reviews such as, “tastes like balls of air in my mouth”, “like vodka, only better”, “it's invading my personal space” and “quite horrible, has every bad attribute”.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Action Anil! Guarding the vodka</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGaQyAslUjLhULSy_PQKYSwI4xyQX-WkmZt2pTxPUDSPV_VA-CDubzIcgQmVBa2GxUZBW3PIK2B96DXba6FSnUkDjykTvjHSFeWYiIfGJnwnHrC43wFrR2r7IAiWfsDcPu_hugQlXxChg_/s1600/70.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGaQyAslUjLhULSy_PQKYSwI4xyQX-WkmZt2pTxPUDSPV_VA-CDubzIcgQmVBa2GxUZBW3PIK2B96DXba6FSnUkDjykTvjHSFeWYiIfGJnwnHrC43wFrR2r7IAiWfsDcPu_hugQlXxChg_/s320/70.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dressed up for the party</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0GY5-QQ8MnNIv484-wqmv9NM9VAM226peqQnl3jZawouLsgvEQ5MUvGlCvw6Nu5qMlpbFGzNyED-bt_Sc5fCAS-FH6thObPV08j95efILGKIUKVxJQvss_HO_UT66bkDyBdOow9HCNG6/s1600/71.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0GY5-QQ8MnNIv484-wqmv9NM9VAM226peqQnl3jZawouLsgvEQ5MUvGlCvw6Nu5qMlpbFGzNyED-bt_Sc5fCAS-FH6thObPV08j95efILGKIUKVxJQvss_HO_UT66bkDyBdOow9HCNG6/s320/71.jpg" width="272" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maree dancing with Anil again, assisted by Will</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5quw8l_0XlgJ7Gh3mGg6S0eMnWersSk8HXyarxaLFb2cJ5OqAoBPnEdiBx5lqBdaT72gnQwkVAw2rYVleuqZhWuushqlaTbC754gYq69BCp7lQ2HPrgNU_ZbOfS_LiEzgnajUCXVj3wz/s1600/72.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5quw8l_0XlgJ7Gh3mGg6S0eMnWersSk8HXyarxaLFb2cJ5OqAoBPnEdiBx5lqBdaT72gnQwkVAw2rYVleuqZhWuushqlaTbC754gYq69BCp7lQ2HPrgNU_ZbOfS_LiEzgnajUCXVj3wz/s320/72.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out at the group meal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Our last stop in Uzbekistan was Khiva, along a road which skirts the Kyzylkum (or red sand) desert.</span><br style="font-family: inherit;" /><div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset over the Oxus river</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Two nights in Khiva left time for shopping after Ali's tour of Itchan Kala, the walled inner city. The many handicraft and trinket stores lining the streets offered a wide range of gift ideas, and bargains were to be had with it being the very end of the tourist season. A few months ago these cities were sweltering, but now we are all having to rug up every morning.</span><div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpTROg2zrY7ns60L2HoNA6wAozbxfRxmn_ioxM4Asa3WqXDXUseKBOEX-C2L9c68qunD50V2DJgnO0UzQn2-lZrGb_g1iNDNmNEWCNKX_nqTROycSEQXddwbwktPV6nxezZi_vOyzGNya/s1600/80.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpTROg2zrY7ns60L2HoNA6wAozbxfRxmn_ioxM4Asa3WqXDXUseKBOEX-C2L9c68qunD50V2DJgnO0UzQn2-lZrGb_g1iNDNmNEWCNKX_nqTROycSEQXddwbwktPV6nxezZi_vOyzGNya/s320/80.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hats galore</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKDwnz-tkDzAkPMmTBo7awEfRB2VrIokMQyvnlOYV8kfjUA8vdxmOO229brViW1pVxo7ljBPXvCxnqMx4KD0DJ4eCFTQKGkM9ToK7KFV387UmlLltmLksIyfqzh2OkOvUEFUFFzVoeqpO/s1600/81.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKDwnz-tkDzAkPMmTBo7awEfRB2VrIokMQyvnlOYV8kfjUA8vdxmOO229brViW1pVxo7ljBPXvCxnqMx4KD0DJ4eCFTQKGkM9ToK7KFV387UmlLltmLksIyfqzh2OkOvUEFUFFzVoeqpO/s320/81.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The puppet making process</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPeDMKEk1qUZT0mmIfV8glfs8OboTJ08-bWQ15d1T4B3D9QrhENRGb56hivSq2AJopw-GnuZbFBxlUASTpC216XH5mzpH-yNmeXx0wSjpO3MJ_3D-Lo5-9nw6Qe2sFev067V_Sg5AmE2s-/s1600/82.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPeDMKEk1qUZT0mmIfV8glfs8OboTJ08-bWQ15d1T4B3D9QrhENRGb56hivSq2AJopw-GnuZbFBxlUASTpC216XH5mzpH-yNmeXx0wSjpO3MJ_3D-Lo5-9nw6Qe2sFev067V_Sg5AmE2s-/s320/82.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A puppet-maker helps Will find the perfect clothes for his puppets</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CaRibY56v1zrO_d0Sczp1RjtNVSuWfsceZcHuGhrtQuY6XfXJ-SGSoAO64qVhAId-R__RWLWjHxQ4LH-6o_q6AV8pjHXobSlcV6wsh8zZ-iS9N9IiG249wkP-Ib0pXiJaiwqvVheQxpr/s1600/83.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CaRibY56v1zrO_d0Sczp1RjtNVSuWfsceZcHuGhrtQuY6XfXJ-SGSoAO64qVhAId-R__RWLWjHxQ4LH-6o_q6AV8pjHXobSlcV6wsh8zZ-iS9N9IiG249wkP-Ib0pXiJaiwqvVheQxpr/s320/83.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ali telling the group about Djuma Mosque</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eamonn wearing the queen's jewellery </td></tr>
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Khiva is very close to the border with Turkmenistan, though how long the border
crossing will take is anyone's guess. A land of mystery, its capital Ashgabat
described as a cross between Las Vegas and Pyongyang, we are all very
interested to discover what our next destination has in store!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
Odyssey Overlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704432117667366839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8305949265274359886.post-72039596056371671882015-11-01T02:57:00.001-08:002015-11-01T02:57:34.185-08:00Crazy about Kyrgyzstan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ah, bureaucracy. It took us 45 mins to
enter China and over 7 hours to leave. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Apparently, the total of nearly 10 hours
isn't even a bad crossing for the Torugart </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pass.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our introduction to Kyrgyzstan was both
beautiful and brutal, with the setting sun </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">lighting the mountains on fire while
simultaneously dropping the temperature massively. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hats and gloves and scarves and thermals
were all dug out of bags when we arrived at the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">caravanserai at Tash Rabat. Sleeping bags
followed, everyone fluffing them up for their </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">first use in months. Our night was to be
spent in yurts, heated by yak dung stoves. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">After a wonderfully different dinner - a
fairytale-like array - a few hardy souls sat </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">around the fire before joining the rest as
everyone dived into their beds.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcETSATYDeJKDYPmZkamnGgEEBZq_7dlZaqWe1byKwqbVjiJt9JNpRl5WDDe2HQmW-wqX4SNmqljsfIlnyz9FNqv5wq27vUkYBKpJh3mFmfgfTnFeycDobP-WGGyOScTN5Ib_mKySDjhjn/s1600/01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcETSATYDeJKDYPmZkamnGgEEBZq_7dlZaqWe1byKwqbVjiJt9JNpRl5WDDe2HQmW-wqX4SNmqljsfIlnyz9FNqv5wq27vUkYBKpJh3mFmfgfTnFeycDobP-WGGyOScTN5Ib_mKySDjhjn/s320/01.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our yurt accommodation</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5zxZbv-DvUstpp1jXbR107PDwWu5QFujmuUFIykxK6DcbyQmXYYvUkhVjJ4EDPOjvXHv1Zol-kcwoMzIiiqhiB8bs2fKHp9gePbBYZ7eUEq06Lv9LMDKhTskGQKKy4EKJCfHHif-3mjx/s1600/02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5zxZbv-DvUstpp1jXbR107PDwWu5QFujmuUFIykxK6DcbyQmXYYvUkhVjJ4EDPOjvXHv1Zol-kcwoMzIiiqhiB8bs2fKHp9gePbBYZ7eUEq06Lv9LMDKhTskGQKKy4EKJCfHHif-3mjx/s320/02.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eamonn & Anil getting comfortable</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnI_4rBoC-eeUNL6qwRg8tDq6ku4ZNLRDNUeIJhjlAvtHmouTIXoS2JrspSH0uLwJquZMHnmUCMuXFhJ7W7-rx8jP3jGuKkJXmn6dS4v4-GuKZyL6z3pAyU6bFK7ak3owOKVgCkX7uck-h/s1600/03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnI_4rBoC-eeUNL6qwRg8tDq6ku4ZNLRDNUeIJhjlAvtHmouTIXoS2JrspSH0uLwJquZMHnmUCMuXFhJ7W7-rx8jP3jGuKkJXmn6dS4v4-GuKZyL6z3pAyU6bFK7ak3owOKVgCkX7uck-h/s320/03.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner - a lovely change from Chinese food!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFjzSMP5JT4cWpZ6lBkTb3kyYDT97jR9fU-zOUmKX88ZSwGAIqMd8z7qF8kSILk6rr8DjTxeJX3obRTEofLukvD64ekO_QKJTjKLm5Dv8hSHFfj5Pj-vw-atj90BAreE2ALOCuNZ2xWNr/s1600/04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFjzSMP5JT4cWpZ6lBkTb3kyYDT97jR9fU-zOUmKX88ZSwGAIqMd8z7qF8kSILk6rr8DjTxeJX3obRTEofLukvD64ekO_QKJTjKLm5Dv8hSHFfj5Pj-vw-atj90BAreE2ALOCuNZ2xWNr/s320/04.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will enjoying the warmth of the moonlit fire<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the light of morning we were able to
fully appreciate the valley we were in. Some of </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">the group got up early for a bracing walk
and after breakfast our guide Natasha gave us </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">a tour of the 10th century caravanserai.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6DzFyLtolOwQGPy9Rkc1-EPZKcFwzYhr-Laatjr_WsGA2clBU2QPEtz9-r23qvK3R2Wv-c6KlIlV-P_8wgBd-gO9tjN_v2H0t0mKFZQgnbi4UwsQ_eMNADfA8V4YLdSYGigKP1JUkfdFI/s1600/05.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6DzFyLtolOwQGPy9Rkc1-EPZKcFwzYhr-Laatjr_WsGA2clBU2QPEtz9-r23qvK3R2Wv-c6KlIlV-P_8wgBd-gO9tjN_v2H0t0mKFZQgnbi4UwsQ_eMNADfA8V4YLdSYGigKP1JUkfdFI/s400/05.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The caravanserai in its superb setting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZOSFRrLb0nNXqoD4jE982rCVN7ez712svm-UvsYGLGnbF0LRwt_BecvMOy6Njkp5g6rkOBWyCc_Bf4kwdL32LehpmcscA8aszd905yGDzkLAGn8__L-NaEjiuGFAoDjSxegrlShn57usu/s1600/06.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZOSFRrLb0nNXqoD4jE982rCVN7ez712svm-UvsYGLGnbF0LRwt_BecvMOy6Njkp5g6rkOBWyCc_Bf4kwdL32LehpmcscA8aszd905yGDzkLAGn8__L-NaEjiuGFAoDjSxegrlShn57usu/s320/06.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Younger, Jen, Maree, Eamonn, Julia & Martha inside the caravanserai</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_VU80r-E6IeiZCc-Ffe0ir82wAuhJJsp0EoJ7RBqt6lds3cPT6a0cA8Jco-JVfJmGYvmq6cwXD1yiJ1cFGNIdxgimQE1lCDW5QhntXNyrBQuRmqJFOoFpye_jOVxgkKPTLouAD5-2TXz/s1600/07.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_VU80r-E6IeiZCc-Ffe0ir82wAuhJJsp0EoJ7RBqt6lds3cPT6a0cA8Jco-JVfJmGYvmq6cwXD1yiJ1cFGNIdxgimQE1lCDW5QhntXNyrBQuRmqJFOoFpye_jOVxgkKPTLouAD5-2TXz/s320/07.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ed & Kat pose outside</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz0_hmJWUZbmyaxb7G2KmqpXFp1bw5MoBc6QFttTyIM120e-HwCOqUKMvyYkycW9iywUcAUoqnswmhteblgZ6TgdvTN5HAodcxjtvq-2hahiikuGP6oj8OSeh2lsZEXLvjmR3QO4IIV26O/s1600/08.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz0_hmJWUZbmyaxb7G2KmqpXFp1bw5MoBc6QFttTyIM120e-HwCOqUKMvyYkycW9iywUcAUoqnswmhteblgZ6TgdvTN5HAodcxjtvq-2hahiikuGP6oj8OSeh2lsZEXLvjmR3QO4IIV26O/s320/08.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Younger and Ed overlooking the camp</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkPMU5De-RMr6mVRBrSDhUNU2zoC3f3xpbHRsV3ZMQcW3lCIBQtg2MiinQAHiOrqF9JNlSgmT6kqb_gnR63tH5tYESxT3HN2cShdpLDWB1AoV2TK5S5KMfgH7DFoamBL0JdlhGZG42UfqN/s1600/09.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkPMU5De-RMr6mVRBrSDhUNU2zoC3f3xpbHRsV3ZMQcW3lCIBQtg2MiinQAHiOrqF9JNlSgmT6kqb_gnR63tH5tYESxT3HN2cShdpLDWB1AoV2TK5S5KMfgH7DFoamBL0JdlhGZG42UfqN/s320/09.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penelope and our yurts</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmKz8iHOB5jXsZMoUCBocG8_GB7g97jQ4gURoKDK8P4xPA_bNituXr9IoBFavQ1fcVSU0CkMVH_TY2lTWFLhPfKgXd91vtFayTShKZhGjgPQHSdGmJSzgH-tfTbv-6xtvbbgQjaS_NHg7/s1600/10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmKz8iHOB5jXsZMoUCBocG8_GB7g97jQ4gURoKDK8P4xPA_bNituXr9IoBFavQ1fcVSU0CkMVH_TY2lTWFLhPfKgXd91vtFayTShKZhGjgPQHSdGmJSzgH-tfTbv-6xtvbbgQjaS_NHg7/s320/10.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Izzie giving a baby yak a bit of attention</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then it was time to head deeper into
Kyrgyzstan, towards Kochkor, where we were spending </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">the night at a lovely homestay. We were
bounced around a bit; parts of the road were </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">decent, while other sections seemed like
someone had just poured a strip of broken tar </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">down over the un-compacted terrain.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFqJyLhXYWkGC83KLaAuXojpkp1mGaXRKzpoI3ypBvsOlUJPXJAuafQ7YdcqVAjZo5TYtCto7BFcxKplbp-qF9jJDB1GMKD3V2Ar2fvtiMlOBdZ1PHj3So6xQJpxZHWon8q1emDb4llWc/s1600/11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFqJyLhXYWkGC83KLaAuXojpkp1mGaXRKzpoI3ypBvsOlUJPXJAuafQ7YdcqVAjZo5TYtCto7BFcxKplbp-qF9jJDB1GMKD3V2Ar2fvtiMlOBdZ1PHj3So6xQJpxZHWon8q1emDb4llWc/s320/11.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carl the Camel leads us onward</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6sBLYJ6M3JqCcfVVWjmDY8Bbyp4rBSjsmR9KLgdESDc-Z_lBjW1VS4pBAfDKFYGQou6XyvIXRT6sXiuQ-VoVh4X45PkyQvpbiEweJJwWcl102hI2vbe9a0q7BUyLuXO6P3v8M8Rt0lbAv/s1600/12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6sBLYJ6M3JqCcfVVWjmDY8Bbyp4rBSjsmR9KLgdESDc-Z_lBjW1VS4pBAfDKFYGQou6XyvIXRT6sXiuQ-VoVh4X45PkyQvpbiEweJJwWcl102hI2vbe9a0q7BUyLuXO6P3v8M8Rt0lbAv/s320/12.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With a long nomadic history, horses and horsemen dominate the rural areas of the country</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3_WSsjVFbUboVrhfsNHMZ9N-uSovgS88W2Nppblz8RLXc4Znm0O3tY9awerSfNCdd29a9kF9Xv9s8pZruWYwKCGSe0ud4B5e4urgUGJ-YHvbdw4ATCw1rKI6VWSz-mfph_9quadeGQy4/s1600/13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3_WSsjVFbUboVrhfsNHMZ9N-uSovgS88W2Nppblz8RLXc4Znm0O3tY9awerSfNCdd29a9kF9Xv9s8pZruWYwKCGSe0ud4B5e4urgUGJ-YHvbdw4ATCw1rKI6VWSz-mfph_9quadeGQy4/s320/13.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvVCnKnhF0FusXYb9OCFXeeULRjFp0BLF3pTRD3iH8s-LNJ6CEArv1q1kiMax1m27m13QVJTBCYSyVApas5_12lX2BoGZVSaBsnU_Hnce8bvAko2mKp-zSMaVZ2IZw703wI7-hEkSG1cNO/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvVCnKnhF0FusXYb9OCFXeeULRjFp0BLF3pTRD3iH8s-LNJ6CEArv1q1kiMax1m27m13QVJTBCYSyVApas5_12lX2BoGZVSaBsnU_Hnce8bvAko2mKp-zSMaVZ2IZw703wI7-hEkSG1cNO/s320/17.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John tries out a hat at the felt factory co-operative in Kochkor</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The next day took us first along the shore
of lake Issyk Kul, where we had lunch, and </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">then up into the mountains again, to spend
a couple of nights at a wonderful </span>bush camp<span style="font-family: inherit;"> in </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">the gorge of Jeti Orguz.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEierj-zsepEyxJmqsCve3RERQzKvgCGsGw_vNhvLokcrXijm09BqT5vYcHa3bdxCeJqTxsurjoyDni7qOFqDfi8NnLY7sCF5QBTEUAtf1HP_bSoa2utyzCtnEcNsBe2jB1MrxwMfVcdNHki/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEierj-zsepEyxJmqsCve3RERQzKvgCGsGw_vNhvLokcrXijm09BqT5vYcHa3bdxCeJqTxsurjoyDni7qOFqDfi8NnLY7sCF5QBTEUAtf1HP_bSoa2utyzCtnEcNsBe2jB1MrxwMfVcdNHki/s320/18.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Seven Bulls rock formation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_y1OnAe0QSQMboO8smH3-IR2oig8e5m2Kf2IQ48Ql8we_D1OQzqzzFQ4kwfxwz-dljpBYBK80gMI7pr277gwgZnS15Ky9_yDVsbu4IZbUfIaLMWl2sm-reXCST9XU0gandJteSKESfTX/s1600/19a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_y1OnAe0QSQMboO8smH3-IR2oig8e5m2Kf2IQ48Ql8we_D1OQzqzzFQ4kwfxwz-dljpBYBK80gMI7pr277gwgZnS15Ky9_yDVsbu4IZbUfIaLMWl2sm-reXCST9XU0gandJteSKESfTX/s320/19a.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will helps guide Penelope up the first of 5 wooden bridges on the road up to camp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuKiU0rsh99XSLOx-VFsyUNqbYV8_NdHCpgMARiQYokLKe_Zt3Rqqvh2NnoaasWOj6CGGgRC5xJQQ0BN5rj0rnjf0NchwpBDVTZjX1QZ3qsck6PhFL0LV1H4xdtQbJt6wFOXWDn5fSwDF/s1600/19b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuKiU0rsh99XSLOx-VFsyUNqbYV8_NdHCpgMARiQYokLKe_Zt3Rqqvh2NnoaasWOj6CGGgRC5xJQQ0BN5rj0rnjf0NchwpBDVTZjX1QZ3qsck6PhFL0LV1H4xdtQbJt6wFOXWDn5fSwDF/s400/19b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhub1E0mumxWogI95k3iLG2bDQNxNpUzwLqdKdPlbhhNEXdcOW5KqVqoho-VxcW7GBJSCOEJBvX0L3PJ00eHynxwBvyQxclHbq27dROGH-wvwMM5LKiUaVYhh-F55tbH1opDMMC18bxX2Mp/s1600/20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhub1E0mumxWogI95k3iLG2bDQNxNpUzwLqdKdPlbhhNEXdcOW5KqVqoho-VxcW7GBJSCOEJBvX0L3PJ00eHynxwBvyQxclHbq27dROGH-wvwMM5LKiUaVYhh-F55tbH1opDMMC18bxX2Mp/s320/20.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtIHYrFXvHW-I6I4Q7fLAJihm8n-miMwUCDQNYK2pFnQ4BueE935Bh9bApEjUggme5laXtZU6Tqo1QEMIsIwjNJC7lpdEPBucJhR-lzNlKVu-p4P6Zo8mmTprb1ccnBqhjtDPgXFHYYi3/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtIHYrFXvHW-I6I4Q7fLAJihm8n-miMwUCDQNYK2pFnQ4BueE935Bh9bApEjUggme5laXtZU6Tqo1QEMIsIwjNJC7lpdEPBucJhR-lzNlKVu-p4P6Zo8mmTprb1ccnBqhjtDPgXFHYYi3/s400/21.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Superlatives came flying from every mouth -
this really is a stunning part of the world. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Many of the group took themselves off on
walks or longer hikes into the surrounding </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">forest. It was great to stretch our legs
after the long drive days of western China.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHXVkdel28Y7PWlfnhdfIUtCJN7BDF4XoExxtJGsdkz1bBNlMfwvIfMIT2xaFZ2jmlAtkcKzV7oQI_oCcZgq7Lu8lHZaqMxJDaUzRWoH35M_vdDusm1tBgDx647mNj9z_qngzMmWu-dEg/s1600/22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHXVkdel28Y7PWlfnhdfIUtCJN7BDF4XoExxtJGsdkz1bBNlMfwvIfMIT2xaFZ2jmlAtkcKzV7oQI_oCcZgq7Lu8lHZaqMxJDaUzRWoH35M_vdDusm1tBgDx647mNj9z_qngzMmWu-dEg/s320/22.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a bad place to sleep</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPABadkkoXPYSqbUTGAYSq3kZHSx8ahett7lhyS_uz0s_NO_cakciw_mEa4V9RG-xCZFmMO8f-JGLFS96zEmO31WHiAzy0fW_1uUX4pGbFgbLmglU6OowbJnEKnam89OjMiHL3EYCEgSO/s1600/23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPABadkkoXPYSqbUTGAYSq3kZHSx8ahett7lhyS_uz0s_NO_cakciw_mEa4V9RG-xCZFmMO8f-JGLFS96zEmO31WHiAzy0fW_1uUX4pGbFgbLmglU6OowbJnEKnam89OjMiHL3EYCEgSO/s320/23.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eamonn caught out with a biscuit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bzIwBT2K43tT4JesuEP8k6Xt3GprHaAjg027SsckYd5rNu92Te2I9nuVNT2lv0zAgPy77i9Ve_tbd4TSdGqekua_aPdWtxV1OVoE_at2FPSKQB-Mzt_1dP_YhiJig4lV2ZPWK5ir__oy/s1600/24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bzIwBT2K43tT4JesuEP8k6Xt3GprHaAjg027SsckYd5rNu92Te2I9nuVNT2lv0zAgPy77i9Ve_tbd4TSdGqekua_aPdWtxV1OVoE_at2FPSKQB-Mzt_1dP_YhiJig4lV2ZPWK5ir__oy/s320/24.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Natasha leading a trek</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTa4uVfYuzUs-8MSxl6L6e6POd2jvZaz7HXUi-_5SiAS-dpUril62GFFfLEzJV9OU3qsIsHJ_mkUIeTG6dTbYmr9iA9sHc66xZegxEj4Nkl7S9jvYm9IhZ_N40QVuxoM4ZH5awzx0dfyBR/s1600/25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTa4uVfYuzUs-8MSxl6L6e6POd2jvZaz7HXUi-_5SiAS-dpUril62GFFfLEzJV9OU3qsIsHJ_mkUIeTG6dTbYmr9iA9sHc66xZegxEj4Nkl7S9jvYm9IhZ_N40QVuxoM4ZH5awzx0dfyBR/s320/25.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kent and Will setting up the spit roast lamb</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT4Xd_3ShLp8IQyC7z9ci0AtYpa2K0kMwJMqopSUgozlqzIkEsAG3FwCHKz1QIVWIm1hHFmg-DyWKYsuAFgVByKWuhJSkcy0ENfxjcwuotSxdUZxYTr7ixwIO5s47Mp45_5qS-EixSEMSR/s1600/26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT4Xd_3ShLp8IQyC7z9ci0AtYpa2K0kMwJMqopSUgozlqzIkEsAG3FwCHKz1QIVWIm1hHFmg-DyWKYsuAFgVByKWuhJSkcy0ENfxjcwuotSxdUZxYTr7ixwIO5s47Mp45_5qS-EixSEMSR/s320/26.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ratty & Rosie appreciating the view with Rob the Younger</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We were treated to an eagle hunting display
in the afternoon and also given the </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">opportunity to hold the magnificent raptor.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GyUbu8ZyD1h39iswtGaGmpgtjC_VNh5dUNmIVLhGvJ2MrubICzNmVpypE_1OhWTXEyznLcODfzwT9DzRWv-yd_W2kkbjfVCyC5yziLVqEyYLlx6oabYs5MAzb_TtGOlBwhBL4o7bVXMv/s1600/27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GyUbu8ZyD1h39iswtGaGmpgtjC_VNh5dUNmIVLhGvJ2MrubICzNmVpypE_1OhWTXEyznLcODfzwT9DzRWv-yd_W2kkbjfVCyC5yziLVqEyYLlx6oabYs5MAzb_TtGOlBwhBL4o7bVXMv/s320/27.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFA8AxmIRFCCCmyhSVEq-W9c-VQkrpwHDrKJpNJSE06KCtbbnJak6jjxbcf4ibA2NNhUEDg5tR0cH1SffXyP2lXALcuG4_hY5PfnO5usU1RMaQOOr3iCe9E4DnT1AHfWRtj2ZcMOpWTzdI/s1600/28.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFA8AxmIRFCCCmyhSVEq-W9c-VQkrpwHDrKJpNJSE06KCtbbnJak6jjxbcf4ibA2NNhUEDg5tR0cH1SffXyP2lXALcuG4_hY5PfnO5usU1RMaQOOr3iCe9E4DnT1AHfWRtj2ZcMOpWTzdI/s320/28.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob, Maree & Martha</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6WtLyh-1rMYH3i1Z0kNGrfjCSwGZAw4pjCXBswjavBNyK6rSP8B_WfN-SXpjZyxtnudUVJ_v5wqndWTWQl1cHjOgx3QJpENtFaYFEoMelR1ZWhHolgASHJk3QWBoyBvYSZHtH0yMv8Bk/s1600/29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6WtLyh-1rMYH3i1Z0kNGrfjCSwGZAw4pjCXBswjavBNyK6rSP8B_WfN-SXpjZyxtnudUVJ_v5wqndWTWQl1cHjOgx3QJpENtFaYFEoMelR1ZWhHolgASHJk3QWBoyBvYSZHtH0yMv8Bk/s400/29.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The group, revitalised by the fresh air</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then it was back down the gorge and east to
the town of Karakol, where autumn was in </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">full swing and trees were laden with apples
and walnuts. In fact, falling walnuts tumbling from the roof gave the homestay
an exciting element!</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvmTKbUw-ZathGB8ASWh5prseop26JLK4DI1lcvJIE1fVxFKa-ViYTY_BrTMyX4K6-NbIOC8KsQ47a-W0xELQkSRb4kWhutlng8PVXr_Zb00N0Cj2Whzx6my3x0p7hHz4PEFquCy-qCDYn/s1600/30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvmTKbUw-ZathGB8ASWh5prseop26JLK4DI1lcvJIE1fVxFKa-ViYTY_BrTMyX4K6-NbIOC8KsQ47a-W0xELQkSRb4kWhutlng8PVXr_Zb00N0Cj2Whzx6my3x0p7hHz4PEFquCy-qCDYn/s320/30.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homestay garden</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_pTkm19u4S6sn9cIXf6lWgFEI1JB9eiNEPvUwHY3tZ57fzOzC2jF6d5taKdB7K3M_Q7x6gZu9wNv_-7oPYtfA_E2a-_usNzEsm49K8YQTK2Q8rKAZ-3WILsI7yGf1PEmx0IUuw00g-Sy/s1600/31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_pTkm19u4S6sn9cIXf6lWgFEI1JB9eiNEPvUwHY3tZ57fzOzC2jF6d5taKdB7K3M_Q7x6gZu9wNv_-7oPYtfA_E2a-_usNzEsm49K8YQTK2Q8rKAZ-3WILsI7yGf1PEmx0IUuw00g-Sy/s320/31.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy fruit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUYvLmU2Uq54Uzt3IbT5vgzGV2xTsfSKbKOXOz0Hdn779sU4XuaWqvo3VnvmNyg1cQ90elb4AcfFFUFUj-AvL_k74eScZxkE5ZZJzm63vRVZu4b1-n5AUtLacT2mrs7cTJZffP6rvy8hq/s1600/32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUYvLmU2Uq54Uzt3IbT5vgzGV2xTsfSKbKOXOz0Hdn779sU4XuaWqvo3VnvmNyg1cQ90elb4AcfFFUFUj-AvL_k74eScZxkE5ZZJzm63vRVZu4b1-n5AUtLacT2mrs7cTJZffP6rvy8hq/s320/32.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karakol</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLxf3klo3vO1fQ90lX0i8xhkVKQslepcZRXb6N5CqYBcvL7e0dqZO7ZL_0HcpAMk7B51pwuBWS9eO5McPuR9ZTxBenkTy51nFFW49-nvwwT17oUEFKfOnQ5XyaKByRJTxV97Ymq85gqsY/s1600/33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLxf3klo3vO1fQ90lX0i8xhkVKQslepcZRXb6N5CqYBcvL7e0dqZO7ZL_0HcpAMk7B51pwuBWS9eO5McPuR9ZTxBenkTy51nFFW49-nvwwT17oUEFKfOnQ5XyaKByRJTxV97Ymq85gqsY/s320/33.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from town</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our next adventure had us leaving Penelope
behind for two nights and jumping on Russian </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">monster trucks up the rough road to Altyn
Arashan. These things are incredible, taking </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">on huge rocks and steep slopes with ease.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-WfVaUu09fcYOAz-JNZzq7JLE09eGkAGRqVgxmrhwpUIUEBKvx8E7fxo7N1oeAkrtUf0c7wDEhZV4BHY_EfNy36Q4B4YTwd-Xjn_lF1XYKW0NP2tzrIKAI1XDi1OeU8FQPt6lAGvLNZb/s1600/34.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-WfVaUu09fcYOAz-JNZzq7JLE09eGkAGRqVgxmrhwpUIUEBKvx8E7fxo7N1oeAkrtUf0c7wDEhZV4BHY_EfNy36Q4B4YTwd-Xjn_lF1XYKW0NP2tzrIKAI1XDi1OeU8FQPt6lAGvLNZb/s320/34.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jen & Kat and their monster truck</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4fuswvQV98qdaBMkIkMK8l3tA1vFwTVjAj77aFzQTthlIA5_pAedciA-06I88iBvgpmycj0_4UhLIgdFYvL35Zhr6KeGD_ljNZdjt9mQov2k3DQR-6nOpHf0sDrqmuqRYYtOvVM42slz/s1600/35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4fuswvQV98qdaBMkIkMK8l3tA1vFwTVjAj77aFzQTthlIA5_pAedciA-06I88iBvgpmycj0_4UhLIgdFYvL35Zhr6KeGD_ljNZdjt9mQov2k3DQR-6nOpHf0sDrqmuqRYYtOvVM42slz/s320/35.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The group enjoying the scenery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBPzZvEg9WBiepUIrBQZQVm000TtPKGorLA98IxDcyiQOht7bw99J1izCEevKNp6LOG0t-FN-YanYSj3Pm9VMLNLGnEQpL9cnmL3a5lEDFEgf2FGV88LnHJG4PYtORx9zQ6nTC5jZ5pEB/s1600/36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBPzZvEg9WBiepUIrBQZQVm000TtPKGorLA98IxDcyiQOht7bw99J1izCEevKNp6LOG0t-FN-YanYSj3Pm9VMLNLGnEQpL9cnmL3a5lEDFEgf2FGV88LnHJG4PYtORx9zQ6nTC5jZ5pEB/s400/36.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our mountain refuge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Most of the group again donned their
walking boots and headed off on hikes. Altyn </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Arashan is situated near a hot spring, so
the evenings were spent soaking weary feet </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">before gathering around the warm stove for
some hearty food.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAheyGAGfznYuM4Z-jGX-RdtcdlcKLcPID207Tf919MHvSLAIayG4fDY_H7OnlCrocj4O6MnUjJIfxH7uWhylFU8Ac8o4KBx9vSjx0aYZtbfO-EtYJMKhl6b8kjuZQqY_eK5MTmiVQa25P/s1600/37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAheyGAGfznYuM4Z-jGX-RdtcdlcKLcPID207Tf919MHvSLAIayG4fDY_H7OnlCrocj4O6MnUjJIfxH7uWhylFU8Ac8o4KBx9vSjx0aYZtbfO-EtYJMKhl6b8kjuZQqY_eK5MTmiVQa25P/s320/37.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anil actioning his way through the wilderness</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MqA_Q0T2er7VCJLCyR970swBm0OhVw6GgDITWQHMEZFwZqtFLOBPLgtymlBuG5HUrATiFrYPoZtrDEMeV-Gx6HMuHkYYvhIKDNBbiyovcK0iaWdp50YaS4_Y8vH_rxZDNh5KX0A9PmyN/s1600/38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MqA_Q0T2er7VCJLCyR970swBm0OhVw6GgDITWQHMEZFwZqtFLOBPLgtymlBuG5HUrATiFrYPoZtrDEMeV-Gx6HMuHkYYvhIKDNBbiyovcK0iaWdp50YaS4_Y8vH_rxZDNh5KX0A9PmyN/s320/38.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelly, having a Sound of Music moment</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaj7gYB0-M2V107ZIi-H0NpM_MZ70McsNg2ZewmgJO9010Q_BwVVZFue2n8F_N2Wijm_47yRFCuqWGA8NZG37kc8eVCpzaEulQBClRqoN83NH3sFMtCAS-7bDWnxSTRUzghaoRj-hMNPf3/s1600/39.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaj7gYB0-M2V107ZIi-H0NpM_MZ70McsNg2ZewmgJO9010Q_BwVVZFue2n8F_N2Wijm_47yRFCuqWGA8NZG37kc8eVCpzaEulQBClRqoN83NH3sFMtCAS-7bDWnxSTRUzghaoRj-hMNPf3/s320/39.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9CWjXvPz7C8q5axJaadNZXsF0zh-M16Vg4vLceRGeEFQ3Mu9SIZuRHBNN16otm6X8KFOuVsBapZBJx69yt-AyCzxldLDEp5WRhUxpwCgF2sNGW40leoJAlASAModdkTPcgbdY-IEgg7Nr/s1600/40.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9CWjXvPz7C8q5axJaadNZXsF0zh-M16Vg4vLceRGeEFQ3Mu9SIZuRHBNN16otm6X8KFOuVsBapZBJx69yt-AyCzxldLDEp5WRhUxpwCgF2sNGW40leoJAlASAModdkTPcgbdY-IEgg7Nr/s320/40.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3d2cHgNvRckHh-ypG0MEmw4SF8jeqxOGQ6fftpq-Y7akoEfY22mHRYRqNSRZ4tUXeiucyV7ZiYk-aAw5QmxRQkwPbgzvcJhbXXZucDshS1azfrJqNAQz4S6BSAbNeYdksSK1ejNnm1-A/s1600/41.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3d2cHgNvRckHh-ypG0MEmw4SF8jeqxOGQ6fftpq-Y7akoEfY22mHRYRqNSRZ4tUXeiucyV7ZiYk-aAw5QmxRQkwPbgzvcJhbXXZucDshS1azfrJqNAQz4S6BSAbNeYdksSK1ejNnm1-A/s320/41.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anil, Jo, Julia & Peter on their hike</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3BJFA9dVMUWUHfPYF-X1QD5cjhRvm7mJ4fCr21RKwNduKLhadMCVeWVbniS7GkI1xXMBGEonUM6tx9_cPaS2_iqOD458UBg6aV8wUp54svFlgwKesiJQJ9k5y88Eodg1FvPw6ProvZ-cQ/s1600/42.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3BJFA9dVMUWUHfPYF-X1QD5cjhRvm7mJ4fCr21RKwNduKLhadMCVeWVbniS7GkI1xXMBGEonUM6tx9_cPaS2_iqOD458UBg6aV8wUp54svFlgwKesiJQJ9k5y88Eodg1FvPw6ProvZ-cQ/s320/42.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eamonn posing with the scenery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingH0pBd1Rov-OMZwCUDPsGrNPyffGTJfNHHk6M9tAeBwvq99MicPU0FcSNPTDbjYILL2BtPHuhiNZu10LmC27frZLGEfosqolq2mxS1m5ZiBnl5IIZ-tMKVjz0GLCvuY5fe4IOcC6BLLi/s1600/43.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingH0pBd1Rov-OMZwCUDPsGrNPyffGTJfNHHk6M9tAeBwvq99MicPU0FcSNPTDbjYILL2BtPHuhiNZu10LmC27frZLGEfosqolq2mxS1m5ZiBnl5IIZ-tMKVjz0GLCvuY5fe4IOcC6BLLi/s320/43.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jen & Kent taking it all in</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7beaqSaa-fl9MC1NNkhq7Ha-AXOSSpYQl8Jgs1bgxMjR31tZWkqscHO44-5J6PO9bpwH1uhymeJELoRk9cSkewKIa33LZFytLFeADNVHkSi8o7UqaAo2rEi2RMctqwL-T7txvMpB5g3Mv/s1600/44.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7beaqSaa-fl9MC1NNkhq7Ha-AXOSSpYQl8Jgs1bgxMjR31tZWkqscHO44-5J6PO9bpwH1uhymeJELoRk9cSkewKIa33LZFytLFeADNVHkSi8o7UqaAo2rEi2RMctqwL-T7txvMpB5g3Mv/s320/44.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kat washes her boots after misjudging a muddy section</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyadSE0QNYltpAUyiZk49JE-BysRxkqVgkDpmVPfGSMttXgv8WX08mx9fpE0VYDrY7u-tqkfDdHTPeTZReDtI55aHJJwSnQaXS0CTNQbDqKce5wjuQZn2Q64HB-KL8ER50mjOAh4tLGBIi/s1600/45.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyadSE0QNYltpAUyiZk49JE-BysRxkqVgkDpmVPfGSMttXgv8WX08mx9fpE0VYDrY7u-tqkfDdHTPeTZReDtI55aHJJwSnQaXS0CTNQbDqKce5wjuQZn2Q64HB-KL8ER50mjOAh4tLGBIi/s320/45.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the sun went down it got pretty cold, pretty fast!<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Back on Penelope, we were off to Bishkek,
where there was chance to do laundry and </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">access that other essential, wifi! The
group had a free day to explore the city and its </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">bustling market.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5kMIb7qJSMOjtcAO7RcthcsVoWVhC2r_90P_wORTeHoFIXcCgxzgepeukopbToLsdhnsTnuULVo2h8-J4G86tuW-amIKCsHSQvAI4y9W7J-3LSSqRqj62k6gIq6B3RZC_iGFRJstRTgC/s1600/46.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5kMIb7qJSMOjtcAO7RcthcsVoWVhC2r_90P_wORTeHoFIXcCgxzgepeukopbToLsdhnsTnuULVo2h8-J4G86tuW-amIKCsHSQvAI4y9W7J-3LSSqRqj62k6gIq6B3RZC_iGFRJstRTgC/s400/46.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Autumn colours by Lake Issyk Kul</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRhE6MG5lUAIBzlcCQpWLXKsMaaNcTggnXo7KzIcOPlxlYtLjQOLKMfE7iUf_YzU3E7_eJlXi5Xn30_HxwpYGmAATocCuMZOAoswBLY7bcMV7bJFc5fXJ2p46ee9CstssKWNn-OPIUq6t/s1600/47.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRhE6MG5lUAIBzlcCQpWLXKsMaaNcTggnXo7KzIcOPlxlYtLjQOLKMfE7iUf_YzU3E7_eJlXi5Xn30_HxwpYGmAATocCuMZOAoswBLY7bcMV7bJFc5fXJ2p46ee9CstssKWNn-OPIUq6t/s320/47.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manas, Kyrgyzstan's national hero</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh85hUFQZgcVmykLisNkxEKG4_WGq_4_J9Dhl91ecVbL7nxmUCP8JfMxKHAt1xTt640n8TBNFB04Dei4KfsHZro-ARTxYTuzKqAVtuK59TimQb1ODQEJvNBHi1XkleIJbT3-Mb2svUt1r7g/s1600/48.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh85hUFQZgcVmykLisNkxEKG4_WGq_4_J9Dhl91ecVbL7nxmUCP8JfMxKHAt1xTt640n8TBNFB04Dei4KfsHZro-ARTxYTuzKqAVtuK59TimQb1ODQEJvNBHi1XkleIJbT3-Mb2svUt1r7g/s320/48.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dried fruit and nuts, Osh market, Bishkek</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYbkdmhjFulG_Mjp3eVusHLcYlv3pZrHc26ivcO4tXh7AGhCCdjrhfNVOLyvc4cFHJhpCQ61nJVOPFCiCuiJlfOMqjbUNTqzwjUFibGV0ZecXEHIEZ69dwWOamhHnOWTxuoJaB8WF4mQC/s1600/49.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYbkdmhjFulG_Mjp3eVusHLcYlv3pZrHc26ivcO4tXh7AGhCCdjrhfNVOLyvc4cFHJhpCQ61nJVOPFCiCuiJlfOMqjbUNTqzwjUFibGV0ZecXEHIEZ69dwWOamhHnOWTxuoJaB8WF4mQC/s320/49.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After being in the wilds, these vehicles were an odd sight!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At this point, Natasha had to leave us and
we got a new guide, Begaim, who would take us <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">south to Arslanbob via a bushcamp.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRr5LEHbi6-fIT4olLGCqtJNLl7Fw5ocN8jCNV4jQ3PzGrfxklEg7me2lmzI03_gtA0WA3xq3V9Y9HHhxI8njG4rGIFSp99Kxd9wGEauIlCmJzzsLvgMwlhSxbpDxKcvw1SdfYZ49rXX9/s1600/50.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRr5LEHbi6-fIT4olLGCqtJNLl7Fw5ocN8jCNV4jQ3PzGrfxklEg7me2lmzI03_gtA0WA3xq3V9Y9HHhxI8njG4rGIFSp99Kxd9wGEauIlCmJzzsLvgMwlhSxbpDxKcvw1SdfYZ49rXX9/s320/50.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ratty & Rosie reading up on the region</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKRw1tcOUo9AUSmWq91F7Vqa0_eaHnw6wDfP3jTiqm9H9cP-JeF1u-thXf_tpVRIkNAbs-Yf587oGT5tCZiwLlmzzOogC8gu4XF214hy5zq1WD8FEKri69r-fLtBi8i6A00rSodcZXcWS/s1600/51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKRw1tcOUo9AUSmWq91F7Vqa0_eaHnw6wDfP3jTiqm9H9cP-JeF1u-thXf_tpVRIkNAbs-Yf587oGT5tCZiwLlmzzOogC8gu4XF214hy5zq1WD8FEKri69r-fLtBi8i6A00rSodcZXcWS/s320/51.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The route took us over another snowy mountain pass, but it was t-shirt weather by the time we camped!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUT8nUZ9o5GmnJ0-acBvq7bPpt3veN1OGfvq6CzyAgJ27LZqYg6rm0XD6JD7Gj8jyklY9Zfio0K7yRIPiJQgPAI5J8tkaLReXPAR95MU2pHhuisxj4g5o-BZhTfkjKWDgZysAzG3Cr2ORX/s1600/52.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUT8nUZ9o5GmnJ0-acBvq7bPpt3veN1OGfvq6CzyAgJ27LZqYg6rm0XD6JD7Gj8jyklY9Zfio0K7yRIPiJQgPAI5J8tkaLReXPAR95MU2pHhuisxj4g5o-BZhTfkjKWDgZysAzG3Cr2ORX/s320/52.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frequent stops were necessary for herds of sheep</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVlk4vxzWHZSr7s856q7W6gFDrqpyFfq7Vzjt-p7fphqBy0snHaLe4JrelwGPmwVH2oQ8ROTP7fUNYH2SXkyYUxchi5sJJHn4AtlYVgEpkwFl_dMjAmikzLwc0aXeAl3fS4XglHYZ95L4/s1600/53.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVlk4vxzWHZSr7s856q7W6gFDrqpyFfq7Vzjt-p7fphqBy0snHaLe4JrelwGPmwVH2oQ8ROTP7fUNYH2SXkyYUxchi5sJJHn4AtlYVgEpkwFl_dMjAmikzLwc0aXeAl3fS4XglHYZ95L4/s320/53.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming down from the pass</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVAQEskvZWJsY090BMp1qjI7rFtVXS-JnhvMeyE4dkTlabkfEhMj346S0kjA46pcQialyWqjOmBPlTd9UReRZXe7QabRAUvztQn6CFU7HmVRZ3gbV03CfKmhyphenhyphenZL5XYpbwLC-eqZ0nck3qJ/s1600/54.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVAQEskvZWJsY090BMp1qjI7rFtVXS-JnhvMeyE4dkTlabkfEhMj346S0kjA46pcQialyWqjOmBPlTd9UReRZXe7QabRAUvztQn6CFU7HmVRZ3gbV03CfKmhyphenhyphenZL5XYpbwLC-eqZ0nck3qJ/s320/54.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Begaim assisting Rob the Elder, Anil, Ed and Rob the Younger buying fermented mare's cheese balls from a roadside stall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWr5waoqfS86uTHv48rO5r20OCBcA1PNWwMusfQwyE504qVGMs8XBQyC2Wo8Tgxa-rxjrvUdruhFbgnlzsPMSFZr-1_9acCDEST_pWmOXITKoSPCa678oSzRTrPRvwwxaQUFn3JvVyfej2/s1600/55.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWr5waoqfS86uTHv48rO5r20OCBcA1PNWwMusfQwyE504qVGMs8XBQyC2Wo8Tgxa-rxjrvUdruhFbgnlzsPMSFZr-1_9acCDEST_pWmOXITKoSPCa678oSzRTrPRvwwxaQUFn3JvVyfej2/s320/55.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kyrgyz flag</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xtjyJP-5ZbV4P70efzoLPJIov_TtpzKIDITSbJCoYMyN94wvkE6fQpj0Tnp8y86xQBdtp9TrMdJi-MKIuiu5f-czrP-wFSC6oJe5kvpAxX_6oy8vR2zdoeWNlpGTKcIYd_i_Wf6VwxUx/s1600/56.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xtjyJP-5ZbV4P70efzoLPJIov_TtpzKIDITSbJCoYMyN94wvkE6fQpj0Tnp8y86xQBdtp9TrMdJi-MKIuiu5f-czrP-wFSC6oJe5kvpAxX_6oy8vR2zdoeWNlpGTKcIYd_i_Wf6VwxUx/s400/56.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunchtime!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbw4Z9fA1aKYpoolcKUkXIKgmQ5Le3l23JRL-zr4rtxvTDvCpholWHkYyX_XUiFaZA5nPPdhK-zuwkLKyhK-AxUR95Eb_XQmPQ2_tApvMtonKiBbZdEOuukIdcHbczNVs32gnG7LBKVXZ1/s1600/57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbw4Z9fA1aKYpoolcKUkXIKgmQ5Le3l23JRL-zr4rtxvTDvCpholWHkYyX_XUiFaZA5nPPdhK-zuwkLKyhK-AxUR95Eb_XQmPQ2_tApvMtonKiBbZdEOuukIdcHbczNVs32gnG7LBKVXZ1/s320/57.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone tucks in</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaN_ZDgLuNpJHZ1AVi22NyOKSci6Yl12Fda4jttr3vhtK7q_ZOjah_a4si6_Ac7FX43IYtJh3iByfzm0Ngq05EW37B2h35OR-FCVNXX0JB3pxgyUnnORN6r-1vLIr_vZNqg4wQyncGChL/s1600/58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaN_ZDgLuNpJHZ1AVi22NyOKSci6Yl12Fda4jttr3vhtK7q_ZOjah_a4si6_Ac7FX43IYtJh3iByfzm0Ngq05EW37B2h35OR-FCVNXX0JB3pxgyUnnORN6r-1vLIr_vZNqg4wQyncGChL/s320/58.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will flying some Chinese kites</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOm3fVWwoK60knMgXgX6S2IZ3I00u455uezFu7HyNjOXwCQfl3mctb3m6Hl70v7TwF8QVafOENKB8kiA-HZyBrn_RV-zrjz6SBBw8RrT8OePDLdOjQ8tVjpPlN96a4Jof4EfXEqNmgenwO/s1600/59.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOm3fVWwoK60knMgXgX6S2IZ3I00u455uezFu7HyNjOXwCQfl3mctb3m6Hl70v7TwF8QVafOENKB8kiA-HZyBrn_RV-zrjz6SBBw8RrT8OePDLdOjQ8tVjpPlN96a4Jof4EfXEqNmgenwO/s320/59.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Izzie attempting to get some higher ground for the kites while Jo makes a sandwich</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweMCe-NHuVxeuzy1pFRcpmYZbvE582Xm_wQ7deRPO2MDuQ_HfSSmMgYMdX9fTa5XH1NG0C6BoZpGnhjvKMqKEQtkw_h2hnFCFGjAi9r_q6mx0BaHUF4GvU_4pV7EOUJiz_wTUxodMmQIF/s1600/60.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweMCe-NHuVxeuzy1pFRcpmYZbvE582Xm_wQ7deRPO2MDuQ_HfSSmMgYMdX9fTa5XH1NG0C6BoZpGnhjvKMqKEQtkw_h2hnFCFGjAi9r_q6mx0BaHUF4GvU_4pV7EOUJiz_wTUxodMmQIF/s320/60.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tortugal Dam was so beautiful that it made Kent and Rob the Elder strike the same pose</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv9LaXZrAHZNiI8Sha_zltywjad3L2EfR-NgnIy4UqOImSf5O_hPZo7675IvqgfybnPymVL4FlNb2RXx_icoS5jFuLNhq8HhG16toMJldXhEWmZAKYB9334D0JkZ57Fu9OqodeSJxMJCe4/s1600/61.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv9LaXZrAHZNiI8Sha_zltywjad3L2EfR-NgnIy4UqOImSf5O_hPZo7675IvqgfybnPymVL4FlNb2RXx_icoS5jFuLNhq8HhG16toMJldXhEWmZAKYB9334D0JkZ57Fu9OqodeSJxMJCe4/s320/61.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQiZT2PPbf3q06idlCKlD_JFyoaiaWdV8IQGIFhu-auIwRFczuzjOfPxbipiZEONLFm2N4O-j3c2s0vqbXqou5xzW3TE6n9RtlDivfDyZ_OsKKjYElcemBMcrOCGb5d1CyUf69FH5JiAB/s1600/62.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQiZT2PPbf3q06idlCKlD_JFyoaiaWdV8IQGIFhu-auIwRFczuzjOfPxbipiZEONLFm2N4O-j3c2s0vqbXqou5xzW3TE6n9RtlDivfDyZ_OsKKjYElcemBMcrOCGb5d1CyUf69FH5JiAB/s320/62.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our bush camp </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3Vb82FQvBqvKPOPuHnrF3ormtbXE2jRBzokY0R0Kmwj5t8l47nwjEzGwy8TcFbMPsBh3U2FoTVvLn-qrcq33ZxT_VeKwqgs1EEt-uaBf-bPGdm4QywLQRDZHOQ8aDUJaP54E5SaRDfPr/s1600/63.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3Vb82FQvBqvKPOPuHnrF3ormtbXE2jRBzokY0R0Kmwj5t8l47nwjEzGwy8TcFbMPsBh3U2FoTVvLn-qrcq33ZxT_VeKwqgs1EEt-uaBf-bPGdm4QywLQRDZHOQ8aDUJaP54E5SaRDfPr/s320/63.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eugene, evidently very pleased with the path he had cleared to his tent</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5RLYchUISDLrtGmSjBKRNsm2hPmoaoODkalGfU2PJm0Cf6yDWv6LpVDMLwXR8YvS7LBn_n84FPtYl-RfmgXXoCtd16K1sp66VUl5dz-P8nUgZkfKhESvK8Qxu1qe-zIt7_Z8xXt77cmL2/s1600/64.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5RLYchUISDLrtGmSjBKRNsm2hPmoaoODkalGfU2PJm0Cf6yDWv6LpVDMLwXR8YvS7LBn_n84FPtYl-RfmgXXoCtd16K1sp66VUl5dz-P8nUgZkfKhESvK8Qxu1qe-zIt7_Z8xXt77cmL2/s320/64.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzryit5NMGGIcAxQwHb3SKeqGJjsAfMMua_phpiSGc3lypx6FiLP2MqPrpqE2uoN-o9AXFqdNZC3BxKlyoRUECMDc29a-11gHwhntBrHI3EdwtK-ewZ_kpTUe5IxXCXm3kJte_KGRDwhMH/s1600/65.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzryit5NMGGIcAxQwHb3SKeqGJjsAfMMua_phpiSGc3lypx6FiLP2MqPrpqE2uoN-o9AXFqdNZC3BxKlyoRUECMDc29a-11gHwhntBrHI3EdwtK-ewZ_kpTUe5IxXCXm3kJte_KGRDwhMH/s320/65.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We continued onto the sleepy town of
Arslanbob the next day, where there was more walking on the agenda, as well as
horse riding and a chance to experience rural Kyrgyz life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3I42cRsbyjwFg56kIugGOuE1pOIl2qi9nxo8h0RxtiKW7NZdAFtNUA9ea3k5dQeCdKPgUZmEprFVQ_IwG59D9kAoR63Ok-gEFBax-FeYX0i-0-yBMStUAkF_r9yTW3maY3Eq7RU2DuG4_/s1600/66.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3I42cRsbyjwFg56kIugGOuE1pOIl2qi9nxo8h0RxtiKW7NZdAFtNUA9ea3k5dQeCdKPgUZmEprFVQ_IwG59D9kAoR63Ok-gEFBax-FeYX0i-0-yBMStUAkF_r9yTW3maY3Eq7RU2DuG4_/s320/66.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arslanbob</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJZhR2zz4thJ8xzLNz3m1Q8H-OdLyv6Yq8R3F_QnG5jeLEfhfw8y61EeZR__f00XB3Zf4_NfjM_G_XnILvmqOx5B6y74rvNT4GVUpl6EzcPQqt9yhx-VBlX3U-BPhWktbKtAN-wVZ_7HV/s1600/67.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJZhR2zz4thJ8xzLNz3m1Q8H-OdLyv6Yq8R3F_QnG5jeLEfhfw8y61EeZR__f00XB3Zf4_NfjM_G_XnILvmqOx5B6y74rvNT4GVUpl6EzcPQqt9yhx-VBlX3U-BPhWktbKtAN-wVZ_7HV/s320/67.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pDLdReNqYKOMRQfZJpOEaS3fnvWhzI-en-6GgHgQ5j6AxK8XIvjKsFEp9SGyv7XB9Pi4z7AEE8EWDC9EaUoPfybx5goDPbFTWbSBVzZF8Xc0lZPBpY86i4KgYM3zx2VMOWnN4L0t-NQn/s1600/68.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pDLdReNqYKOMRQfZJpOEaS3fnvWhzI-en-6GgHgQ5j6AxK8XIvjKsFEp9SGyv7XB9Pi4z7AEE8EWDC9EaUoPfybx5goDPbFTWbSBVzZF8Xc0lZPBpY86i4KgYM3zx2VMOWnN4L0t-NQn/s320/68.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Younger and his trusty steed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn5wbVS52z7J2awPg5CtnoddizVkpvMjeT_gozIMi1aFsf4bOBGYJxR3Kv-3ea9qC5QUt0lpHitZDHghbpf0vLva_hS1MR-a77i2n5971Q-iDaD0i7UP_J4gccGPpQB6tmq6wKWJcB1wXT/s1600/69.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn5wbVS52z7J2awPg5CtnoddizVkpvMjeT_gozIMi1aFsf4bOBGYJxR3Kv-3ea9qC5QUt0lpHitZDHghbpf0vLva_hS1MR-a77i2n5971Q-iDaD0i7UP_J4gccGPpQB6tmq6wKWJcB1wXT/s320/69.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anil & Julia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisHNrSqS9ttJLAedXxfhRbKEUaFAYw8-GIgiXHdD7psKDosnBbCBMCPN42_5TEwHEVZyC8A5qw_-EI4vEN9VYP2AbHF_hQFy32C4yVUjULH8m1Um_FNQRGvgISLpEErZEoHMy4D5W4KgR/s1600/70.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisHNrSqS9ttJLAedXxfhRbKEUaFAYw8-GIgiXHdD7psKDosnBbCBMCPN42_5TEwHEVZyC8A5qw_-EI4vEN9VYP2AbHF_hQFy32C4yVUjULH8m1Um_FNQRGvgISLpEErZEoHMy4D5W4KgR/s320/70.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In a delightful development, love has blossomed aboard Penelope! Congratulations to Kelly & Eugene!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9gRI0tPn4b-VC0XnKBJLds43AHQjxYf7CihczBEJYtndqcC-BNpLvbyajCsuPtUYhIEA5AAmMivJJNDXLqpUY6zjpvWYFnU7INnAjU43DRBPtDJRCdW7FEkrHeu42Baepch1zkaIqF4N6/s1600/71.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9gRI0tPn4b-VC0XnKBJLds43AHQjxYf7CihczBEJYtndqcC-BNpLvbyajCsuPtUYhIEA5AAmMivJJNDXLqpUY6zjpvWYFnU7INnAjU43DRBPtDJRCdW7FEkrHeu42Baepch1zkaIqF4N6/s320/71.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking to the waterfall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdUfgmoYdivg0b3_wL2jSeW2wYds0BcNZ3AN21d01QPNKZfcI_EQktHp37kJ4FryUhXc9495XE0FPmLmLma_oVszDaatadzAxN0KdXWyWi4g20yAVDeNFouO0XtBfQE099MStyD_csJ8B/s1600/72.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdUfgmoYdivg0b3_wL2jSeW2wYds0BcNZ3AN21d01QPNKZfcI_EQktHp37kJ4FryUhXc9495XE0FPmLmLma_oVszDaatadzAxN0KdXWyWi4g20yAVDeNFouO0XtBfQE099MStyD_csJ8B/s320/72.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_B50M_jUAp4WGrPJ3-CLqJYQGhrQ2L1EoBSVoNNxOQOboSV2JvhPnMvHODD_sHRflfSJx9Yu9yugwX6TnnbFs9fEiesCkWoRoiwCgqZ-PAGhq9rnshC0uH5Y3KRrPWo2w2xcVqVnWqS-/s1600/73.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_B50M_jUAp4WGrPJ3-CLqJYQGhrQ2L1EoBSVoNNxOQOboSV2JvhPnMvHODD_sHRflfSJx9Yu9yugwX6TnnbFs9fEiesCkWoRoiwCgqZ-PAGhq9rnshC0uH5Y3KRrPWo2w2xcVqVnWqS-/s320/73.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martha & Begaim take lunch at a local chaikhana or teahouse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ukV3j03WBEgc6mNS305JfcDLuZAoGpUJ9tFIC7dr021jczrt-n-jPKirmLYk9FRKTgm7qEK80Rl_LVxtYmVlr9ycW9O5ZBxvih6nj8WSPtx_9wrWL67bpx2sVBf1uihPZQx78FfbKqMg/s1600/74.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ukV3j03WBEgc6mNS305JfcDLuZAoGpUJ9tFIC7dr021jczrt-n-jPKirmLYk9FRKTgm7qEK80Rl_LVxtYmVlr9ycW9O5ZBxvih6nj8WSPtx_9wrWL67bpx2sVBf1uihPZQx78FfbKqMg/s320/74.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warm, fresh bread - yum!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSyF7LNHQSm5BsSZ2bGyJoBMeEwCBw04TRdzFSB0NvF9edbv0Hl4lF8a2k762I9RNjHejWHOdLWwYw49koTJFoM3fbF1SwZ2vPat1jTLxX4d6bMwOGEe_mtSbd-0FOPfynx_uVk3NYFbxX/s1600/75.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSyF7LNHQSm5BsSZ2bGyJoBMeEwCBw04TRdzFSB0NvF9edbv0Hl4lF8a2k762I9RNjHejWHOdLWwYw49koTJFoM3fbF1SwZ2vPat1jTLxX4d6bMwOGEe_mtSbd-0FOPfynx_uVk3NYFbxX/s320/75.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local kids</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our time in what has become everyone's
favourite country was coming to an end, woe. From Arslanbob we made our way to
Osh, stopping en route to baffle the locals with a roadside lunch stop.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCoywC03SllO5rn1OlllngKIjE_IcBZJS95p2K-3FDmn9nS-uAlulBBhV3bOz-xrVy-hNVwTiL2Spi3JDm5GG41nB_m2Eudk8Rx9Lwr5SFF_4-RU0k-ykgZmJB9UlhtWPByeLYx15Pv72/s1600/76.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCoywC03SllO5rn1OlllngKIjE_IcBZJS95p2K-3FDmn9nS-uAlulBBhV3bOz-xrVy-hNVwTiL2Spi3JDm5GG41nB_m2Eudk8Rx9Lwr5SFF_4-RU0k-ykgZmJB9UlhtWPByeLYx15Pv72/s320/76.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ed, Maree & Julia get chopping</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWfGt7kbrFbVDScVnHz9QVvrEUtaHShWEHL6EvoKYEOGhXco2QvIWlcLqjw7SCOxjtHkk5zQYWFjdY1RWoUAW2vxS-trqRL4TfYKiDysgio35z8STLf33FDF4BbMd6RY7Hx4YTH7KaUPY0/s1600/77.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWfGt7kbrFbVDScVnHz9QVvrEUtaHShWEHL6EvoKYEOGhXco2QvIWlcLqjw7SCOxjtHkk5zQYWFjdY1RWoUAW2vxS-trqRL4TfYKiDysgio35z8STLf33FDF4BbMd6RY7Hx4YTH7KaUPY0/s320/77.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penelope and some meandering cows</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh607DqOnVgw1t_8OWmSMPdfObAqD5eMLxqMywU-RLFo16njIxbVQO8TJdW5GiqFTHi75qxTHXz5Q0J3cpihKdYXdW1pYMcIFg19jGB7c9ELRPwuUX4W7HIypVKROG9-TYfBVFztV1CKxet/s1600/78.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh607DqOnVgw1t_8OWmSMPdfObAqD5eMLxqMywU-RLFo16njIxbVQO8TJdW5GiqFTHi75qxTHXz5Q0J3cpihKdYXdW1pYMcIFg19jGB7c9ELRPwuUX4W7HIypVKROG9-TYfBVFztV1CKxet/s320/78.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Osh market</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MUGFhj41LhQyDswFpvGL726ktI0jcoFDTpN7ziY3kXwbMcG4WW0-EVMxOL-Nezp34inGDvMZjIopYrrbLQ4rr3lFvWX84OUPJUFqMRTu99Qu8rt8L6x-i8z0eFTYbyOtsTK9FXzb_KFf/s1600/79.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MUGFhj41LhQyDswFpvGL726ktI0jcoFDTpN7ziY3kXwbMcG4WW0-EVMxOL-Nezp34inGDvMZjIopYrrbLQ4rr3lFvWX84OUPJUFqMRTu99Qu8rt8L6x-i8z0eFTYbyOtsTK9FXzb_KFf/s320/79.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Younger clutching our dinner!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here we are staying the night before
crossing into Uzbekistan, which will be covered in the next instalment. Here's
a wee taster:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvagUEE2ewKqodtm5YiFBv-pxEwJRaR9XenDJog6x1ZYiouXDjiAHpt7_lz2goKzhiaFHi0EQCCskeRL8mpivHnbSuAJEh87dnlykreMNPccXgvSbZj_UyIKOlJOa81uwGVF0tpCUPxgvz/s1600/80.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvagUEE2ewKqodtm5YiFBv-pxEwJRaR9XenDJog6x1ZYiouXDjiAHpt7_lz2goKzhiaFHi0EQCCskeRL8mpivHnbSuAJEh87dnlykreMNPccXgvSbZj_UyIKOlJOa81uwGVF0tpCUPxgvz/s320/80.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Odyssey Overlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704432117667366839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8305949265274359886.post-12337338074705208582015-10-04T05:01:00.001-07:002015-10-04T05:01:31.524-07:00Of Palaces & Deserts: Western China<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Last heard from in Lanzhou, our intrepid
group waved goodbye to Penelope, me and my very own personal Chinese guide,
Cathy, at the station. The three girls were off to Golmud while Will and Anita
took everyone to Tibet.<br />
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span><span lang="EN-AU">
Taking the train was a bit of change of pace and the group enjoyed the scenery
as it changed more into that of a high plateau. Snowy mountains and yaks
everywhere!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGU6g-6fM1EMASpI-dxvlToqvU_rpvfn4ts3MVh2RxwzjMsvp7Z8fr7zD2J2W6KOzcHUMdtNGJAEBz-_6it0bxLOS5dV46OMPQ5ssORjCGSJMIZcFqmr5AHWSt3LAr-nELyWqOabMxpf1/s1600/02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGU6g-6fM1EMASpI-dxvlToqvU_rpvfn4ts3MVh2RxwzjMsvp7Z8fr7zD2J2W6KOzcHUMdtNGJAEBz-_6it0bxLOS5dV46OMPQ5ssORjCGSJMIZcFqmr5AHWSt3LAr-nELyWqOabMxpf1/s320/02.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peter, Jo & Kent check out the train</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_yO73CMsObkuz2M51oZjTY1fruwzqN1lO2vF7oy7r7f-8yMVIcP2FTfh29OfGdg6bVUSTd5OUZgGMHMAp9WhA8pYVFZLuwVP1RLyLcaqu5-5KjYHwgOnsC_KyWZc-jU-K49-R7jBQKT5f/s1600/03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_yO73CMsObkuz2M51oZjTY1fruwzqN1lO2vF7oy7r7f-8yMVIcP2FTfh29OfGdg6bVUSTd5OUZgGMHMAp9WhA8pYVFZLuwVP1RLyLcaqu5-5KjYHwgOnsC_KyWZc-jU-K49-R7jBQKT5f/s320/03.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yaks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXLquXcBCQyA-GMOLCUgCoKWqsguP4PTB46TfvwfenUbXVM8HbAfd3Sk4MOlsJnUrMyPZ0fNAyHyiwM07c-l6ixlXuBrLcY9R-j4MVnZf4hbC1SjUOGcI8mSL8YXo_JcHexP6vy4JTlEE/s1600/04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXLquXcBCQyA-GMOLCUgCoKWqsguP4PTB46TfvwfenUbXVM8HbAfd3Sk4MOlsJnUrMyPZ0fNAyHyiwM07c-l6ixlXuBrLcY9R-j4MVnZf4hbC1SjUOGcI8mSL8YXo_JcHexP6vy4JTlEE/s320/04.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelly tries out the supplied oxygen - the train goes over 5,000m</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_0-zs-tYXx6bCnYLiYL4HziRb_-WUvUD3ETMlZdtdRnyuCw_QMf4pKb70U32EqPaAaxbp76UXfERol4DACWij2gRwBmFiSEpGJdbjqVdEScT4eMryBTK-ztfZOQTxIohIdigzDgKS8Sc/s1600/05.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_0-zs-tYXx6bCnYLiYL4HziRb_-WUvUD3ETMlZdtdRnyuCw_QMf4pKb70U32EqPaAaxbp76UXfERol4DACWij2gRwBmFiSEpGJdbjqVdEScT4eMryBTK-ztfZOQTxIohIdigzDgKS8Sc/s320/05.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eugene, Will, John, Jo & Anil in their compartment</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUSJk8jmMH9EtLR7Cvfel7Yms_qkdPca0zgDLjPixUxUr4jc8yc422zKw6Bsvww1u97P-YRoQfRzUyW9ViVNZgKqEvkiQWMyOwK0M7CbkNNNDqM3CXtPCT9Ry__ccWbzg2879tn62Yadr_/s1600/06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUSJk8jmMH9EtLR7Cvfel7Yms_qkdPca0zgDLjPixUxUr4jc8yc422zKw6Bsvww1u97P-YRoQfRzUyW9ViVNZgKqEvkiQWMyOwK0M7CbkNNNDqM3CXtPCT9Ry__ccWbzg2879tn62Yadr_/s320/06.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eamonn on the top bunk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHkUwKVZUahtXhubWQKuXxsWgxo9EC3VKwntD_O1LHmbrDG4V47_VldYLBg1uf5ikjG8rowjUH5isQeDdLx_7ojTixP7iQLzrj2q-aFGGgb0KBH6K8EtwvYQRX4RBeT_7x6ri7q3uP0nh/s1600/07.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHkUwKVZUahtXhubWQKuXxsWgxo9EC3VKwntD_O1LHmbrDG4V47_VldYLBg1uf5ikjG8rowjUH5isQeDdLx_7ojTixP7iQLzrj2q-aFGGgb0KBH6K8EtwvYQRX4RBeT_7x6ri7q3uP0nh/s320/07.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset over one of Tibet's many lakes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">
The bunks were 3 high this time so everyone had fun performing in an Odyssey
version of Cirque du Soleil while getting to bed.</span><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span><span lang="EN-AU"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">The train got into Lhasa mid-morning, leaving the group the rest of the day to
acclimatise to the higher elevation, wander around and tuck into the different
cuisine.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7WjiahjjguAbsAkzLXI8k0PcYLquN33_hk-H8_M_AgUGj8saabXsZkO4LPQftr79XfK4b0CiwVBrXIeAh4d9Ptjdz-h1X0RvzVTHj3V5YvKa68NiyclZlS03Epso7OvYUAWrRACEL-tDG/s1600/08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7WjiahjjguAbsAkzLXI8k0PcYLquN33_hk-H8_M_AgUGj8saabXsZkO4LPQftr79XfK4b0CiwVBrXIeAh4d9Ptjdz-h1X0RvzVTHj3V5YvKa68NiyclZlS03Epso7OvYUAWrRACEL-tDG/s320/08.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prayer flags</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEYjd6WiqOkS_ivLHZGJSFt2hurss3br-9FWxcIrFKRV5DgdfTz_dzEuYPjxFvVKpGBRWvELyzaYJit0rabcTWFt0XfPecfA5Ewe4TJUVc5zz5h_2NnQ6bukRsQ0sw15Wugt-fOsQ6rVoc/s1600/09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEYjd6WiqOkS_ivLHZGJSFt2hurss3br-9FWxcIrFKRV5DgdfTz_dzEuYPjxFvVKpGBRWvELyzaYJit0rabcTWFt0XfPecfA5Ewe4TJUVc5zz5h_2NnQ6bukRsQ0sw15Wugt-fOsQ6rVoc/s320/09.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beer from the Roof of the World</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">
The next day was dedicated to the towering 13 storey Potala Palace, winter
residence of the Dalai Lamas, and Jokhang Temple, the spiritual heart of Tibet.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0fvryUDkhLvcMgbFTM78J0o0EKvwDElvueT3bJMww_rkssyqPiuPhpwSOfGRjc4CepBPmv7DX1b9a_RRfE-Wj7dSLAbYEZXIJQkcfxWvsYLRboQhtY7LfL3V2rfrpNkcBvptrX2-EgF0/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0fvryUDkhLvcMgbFTM78J0o0EKvwDElvueT3bJMww_rkssyqPiuPhpwSOfGRjc4CepBPmv7DX1b9a_RRfE-Wj7dSLAbYEZXIJQkcfxWvsYLRboQhtY7LfL3V2rfrpNkcBvptrX2-EgF0/s320/10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelly, Anil, Eugene, Jo, Eamonn, Kat, Will, Rob the Elder, Maree, Rob the Younger, Jen & Ed outside the Potala Palace</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7ZBb9thgbFpYT34pdKuSC9inuxOdNipcESGprSX4RTrNEpx5hoZdTSvGA-sWRXOiO-kUunWdnpJaH0vQ40OV_ChNlAKFWZfhmKbA0g0Bm5nAPrF2KmEiqjyGX82Do0mKBcRWyJ_YRWDr/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7ZBb9thgbFpYT34pdKuSC9inuxOdNipcESGprSX4RTrNEpx5hoZdTSvGA-sWRXOiO-kUunWdnpJaH0vQ40OV_ChNlAKFWZfhmKbA0g0Bm5nAPrF2KmEiqjyGX82Do0mKBcRWyJ_YRWDr/s320/11.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The long stairway up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffl428yJYQVDCKT4zVUiYkRTe87D7GzasaYlVT8lUnJrIT2RQYthrHiEWuCX2SryxR9ArxftTWu-ZwAqxZfT7dHEjyV948dj2XiaO_wzh3J6I9HWpjUccRkJVCxz-YHS_eN741PIUwzL9/s1600/12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffl428yJYQVDCKT4zVUiYkRTe87D7GzasaYlVT8lUnJrIT2RQYthrHiEWuCX2SryxR9ArxftTWu-ZwAqxZfT7dHEjyV948dj2XiaO_wzh3J6I9HWpjUccRkJVCxz-YHS_eN741PIUwzL9/s320/12.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Potala in the sunshine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSa6CuIGfHW1XRQY-2aljtbnigQqy3HMfBxrVZRcJKsWc0b3VunP5b3eYuELrNqocLK7-cVuqBKfG9iGoaQjchOh-m84OpWbAyI5a_kaWViuxJmZpEcuHIx6qLe91FsMJXjrRHzN-qteF/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSa6CuIGfHW1XRQY-2aljtbnigQqy3HMfBxrVZRcJKsWc0b3VunP5b3eYuELrNqocLK7-cVuqBKfG9iGoaQjchOh-m84OpWbAyI5a_kaWViuxJmZpEcuHIx6qLe91FsMJXjrRHzN-qteF/s320/13.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eugene and action Anil at Jokhang</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-GsbkXLf8mQGKKnsJ6-2u9JNLCjZU3LRQ1PA1fDAWi4ChnkeePLFX-7eV19S-DOjP8Not3fIgu11ondYW4mxwsXj20_o8Rid9bLANLgOlmBVOEoNLZZJF6LWQSRbzzBBIEU8gkZwsTzcd/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-GsbkXLf8mQGKKnsJ6-2u9JNLCjZU3LRQ1PA1fDAWi4ChnkeePLFX-7eV19S-DOjP8Not3fIgu11ondYW4mxwsXj20_o8Rid9bLANLgOlmBVOEoNLZZJF6LWQSRbzzBBIEU8gkZwsTzcd/s320/14.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ladies walking clockwise around the temple, gaining karma in the act of Barkhor kora (pilgrim circuit)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYu3EKgFKPD1KRFQLQ93RIBR-gAdUm-RzoWZNwKOxc7hSe4gQefqtrTWWFYqHAFmhgbn1iqKxKyUNJNgHIa7Dc8ve2C2KeL4ShxWDSgg-bpCihZ4eCJlFyMmZOpvfwRoslmRFA8WdyvQZv/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYu3EKgFKPD1KRFQLQ93RIBR-gAdUm-RzoWZNwKOxc7hSe4gQefqtrTWWFYqHAFmhgbn1iqKxKyUNJNgHIa7Dc8ve2C2KeL4ShxWDSgg-bpCihZ4eCJlFyMmZOpvfwRoslmRFA8WdyvQZv/s320/15.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The giant bell at Jokhang Temple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1bNKotbAVCf5CRJOH-BsjRmgXmvKikW6JShNPXsrmfy2LZce0oB_euu80zOTApps7scp56gBRVTw3aFfFA4EqYWH4Dq1ROCiGoeYj1PVCOOuOsSsdR9dzrwa17vtlfCHr7Kh1OoUYTV7M/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1bNKotbAVCf5CRJOH-BsjRmgXmvKikW6JShNPXsrmfy2LZce0oB_euu80zOTApps7scp56gBRVTw3aFfFA4EqYWH4Dq1ROCiGoeYj1PVCOOuOsSsdR9dzrwa17vtlfCHr7Kh1OoUYTV7M/s320/16.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will, for scale</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUs73GZdWbkiQwoHirxOxrBquxNyQZX-mkc5B-cUfbCbXM1NJyc2ArKuaWxalpfwX7qBGhb69CsWwYo13UWsSslKgXE2JjK6Avcrh5Perr3xYXk5F0j5QeEHsOxLW3IIuysvLidwztHxa3/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUs73GZdWbkiQwoHirxOxrBquxNyQZX-mkc5B-cUfbCbXM1NJyc2ArKuaWxalpfwX7qBGhb69CsWwYo13UWsSslKgXE2JjK6Avcrh5Perr3xYXk5F0j5QeEHsOxLW3IIuysvLidwztHxa3/s320/17.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Devotees performing kora outside the temple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">
The second full day took the group to Norbulingka, the Summer Palace of the
Dalai Lama, and Sera Monastery to see the debating monks.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVY6pbxWZ9dIK5TfvuX6yuDpPIvJyhxA4REziY9lmIfTrgFbsLZX8OAiO-pOdtUX8kwhVbJmCcjsAIshAdslqjOqqmUbrgIDnXumXArcRbrotFrmt8t25BKvvR-s2sEwRgFw_qES2f-rQh/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVY6pbxWZ9dIK5TfvuX6yuDpPIvJyhxA4REziY9lmIfTrgFbsLZX8OAiO-pOdtUX8kwhVbJmCcjsAIshAdslqjOqqmUbrgIDnXumXArcRbrotFrmt8t25BKvvR-s2sEwRgFw_qES2f-rQh/s320/18.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Summer Palace gardens</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUHEpDq3gQ1w0zYcXIVL_Uks1JB4HXzLSbdABNxYKNAEZ_EEPaAV9K8Ur1WZ_vJIxbpJVtQWbgsIxtSV_mgf_tPnKXtKLLM8iDjhfisdUOZA8Jy-GLb_t5hKqRiyetBNOiriK2qK7uusD/s1600/19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUHEpDq3gQ1w0zYcXIVL_Uks1JB4HXzLSbdABNxYKNAEZ_EEPaAV9K8Ur1WZ_vJIxbpJVtQWbgsIxtSV_mgf_tPnKXtKLLM8iDjhfisdUOZA8Jy-GLb_t5hKqRiyetBNOiriK2qK7uusD/s320/19.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful ceiling artwork at Norbilingka</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhXysWiIyNipxBiGbaoJ3fgDkTyiuKvwK-zgc3x83bDEQlSFVcXKJZAxivcnkEGZXPNYaUvlEJ65u6HMCZ4IkjS9aHR64qQ8Pwb6jsRu-ctED9FkCZMAISxLZXUGShV-mN72jcolJTUtO/s1600/20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhXysWiIyNipxBiGbaoJ3fgDkTyiuKvwK-zgc3x83bDEQlSFVcXKJZAxivcnkEGZXPNYaUvlEJ65u6HMCZ4IkjS9aHR64qQ8Pwb6jsRu-ctED9FkCZMAISxLZXUGShV-mN72jcolJTUtO/s320/20.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGck1sHyWGKf1A-Mojloyi40l4CNkXwnSmY4ltJaYkjeWWgExrXUtdwqZKobm64g8qz4L8J4ausGEEad0UALvnPGgokm9d5GsWcGrXIb-lbzAHH40KSFBQC24BTqXb_T6mSUt47NJyBZF8/s1600/21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGck1sHyWGKf1A-Mojloyi40l4CNkXwnSmY4ltJaYkjeWWgExrXUtdwqZKobm64g8qz4L8J4ausGEEad0UALvnPGgokm9d5GsWcGrXIb-lbzAHH40KSFBQC24BTqXb_T6mSUt47NJyBZF8/s320/21.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The debating monks at Sera Monastery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">
For some lucky members of the trip, this was their second time in Lhasa. They
took the opportunity to explore the lesser seen attractions, go on excursions
outside of the city or simply wander the streets</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and alleys soaking up the
atmosphere.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7UEVvixdXLORa_dAjGG24HAUre3gTvGNNJsfnRpgmE54WDxB0Z90RG2BwqDS5JYozNvpbNzUqgcX-LQqbjDH0UVxJ8e38VD_DmADklL3qxxeJJ8Jwzdh0oKxrflR_iHqM_kAnppXBXQ-/s1600/22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7UEVvixdXLORa_dAjGG24HAUre3gTvGNNJsfnRpgmE54WDxB0Z90RG2BwqDS5JYozNvpbNzUqgcX-LQqbjDH0UVxJ8e38VD_DmADklL3qxxeJJ8Jwzdh0oKxrflR_iHqM_kAnppXBXQ-/s320/22.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spinning the prayer wheels</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXlx2Zhu_OvX1uM6Lqta5Xom-QR8yS8lkev6y-oLntjBmSJEb_L6Dfy40gBRUrRWgtw4_ZNAMrcNgGigOJM7UAKKKygYrhgnnnBoXhMSns77vje1gnd8GxI6rjBpO4X44gAOdxHYJzcaqC/s1600/23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXlx2Zhu_OvX1uM6Lqta5Xom-QR8yS8lkev6y-oLntjBmSJEb_L6Dfy40gBRUrRWgtw4_ZNAMrcNgGigOJM7UAKKKygYrhgnnnBoXhMSns77vje1gnd8GxI6rjBpO4X44gAOdxHYJzcaqC/s320/23.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jo being shown around a local man's house</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJuNeaINI75p1IPEjlThOW27l0PSWmcfb0zqW7LJLOMna34ejNquUxOLFvGBHS1pRlHNrnIflhsvPUjgDpj92SuWblelcerY8-JEAVp_r2HKZmxxC_OBDTL6gnpLPVwAmzq-oUdZJZA9x/s1600/24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJuNeaINI75p1IPEjlThOW27l0PSWmcfb0zqW7LJLOMna34ejNquUxOLFvGBHS1pRlHNrnIflhsvPUjgDpj92SuWblelcerY8-JEAVp_r2HKZmxxC_OBDTL6gnpLPVwAmzq-oUdZJZA9x/s320/24.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yak pats drying on a wall, to be used later as fuel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">
On the final full day, a visit to the nunnery was arranged, with the afternoon
free and then an evening of champagne and pass the parcel (followed shortly
afterwards by a session of gift bartering/swapping!).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-OlTZHaEeT34hLcg3TvMUZGCpa6Jjih6qH5VnyuggFTsJx3RYe5c7JGXIB0RqhBwS10ovHMIYYA02uplh4zrbDeIgWWJcZ5Yg1umlhzNWvq71YOmkTgi4xylGnxKQtFH1bs-W55sVzcoK/s1600/25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-OlTZHaEeT34hLcg3TvMUZGCpa6Jjih6qH5VnyuggFTsJx3RYe5c7JGXIB0RqhBwS10ovHMIYYA02uplh4zrbDeIgWWJcZ5Yg1umlhzNWvq71YOmkTgi4xylGnxKQtFH1bs-W55sVzcoK/s320/25.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julia at the nunnery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbOvzxv7GaLzrEzMb6ROedF2Oi6WaoudXGkBCtcjRZZd5z9-e9-fiUSReXXdlhR6DmG1BVY-AQ0jbr5xRliPtYFZ7LRSTdRDHBuJMM5I4ZtutywPoY6qV3glf3b8bkhZ7cQ58SR_R5kJxb/s1600/26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbOvzxv7GaLzrEzMb6ROedF2Oi6WaoudXGkBCtcjRZZd5z9-e9-fiUSReXXdlhR6DmG1BVY-AQ0jbr5xRliPtYFZ7LRSTdRDHBuJMM5I4ZtutywPoY6qV3glf3b8bkhZ7cQ58SR_R5kJxb/s320/26.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nuns chanting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Ls0aHCX-A1mZ8kqtJAEg_ARYTrI1sach5Rdr5WG042zyHH83o0Zd3XzoyzE2NP9lmiBB9jHyy77BaywVERQQ9iGt7LlHT9SpqDYrMj16MN-jVlRJoiZYThwmJ5SyxOtH05iQgaRS1T3J/s1600/27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Ls0aHCX-A1mZ8kqtJAEg_ARYTrI1sach5Rdr5WG042zyHH83o0Zd3XzoyzE2NP9lmiBB9jHyy77BaywVERQQ9iGt7LlHT9SpqDYrMj16MN-jVlRJoiZYThwmJ5SyxOtH05iQgaRS1T3J/s320/27.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0hfo5PJGNBzhyzTfeQW8Se-ZlWQeYEXiJfpsm7jxQuYaArqxUdqpN2BDspht-r8Hv040hrNLFJjckaa0YeXVBUL_gyGGX2sbxSfPc1hJWBcit_dFWzbh_L_wLLi1uZWCwW2ykMVyNHdX/s1600/28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0hfo5PJGNBzhyzTfeQW8Se-ZlWQeYEXiJfpsm7jxQuYaArqxUdqpN2BDspht-r8Hv040hrNLFJjckaa0YeXVBUL_gyGGX2sbxSfPc1hJWBcit_dFWzbh_L_wLLi1uZWCwW2ykMVyNHdX/s320/28.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Younger making friends with a yak</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIgEbwp8CKfOXeFyt3zMA324sd0ed9imPIxKmza9khSjdjyKcIjSU_rRd1krQnXeAM5ykGL_54_GU_sxK2CfLri0VnPmvWppHCvIZBdIoU70zW-_eAeaKK3-WZxf-oOOIV290T1GkcqJ8/s1600/29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIgEbwp8CKfOXeFyt3zMA324sd0ed9imPIxKmza9khSjdjyKcIjSU_rRd1krQnXeAM5ykGL_54_GU_sxK2CfLri0VnPmvWppHCvIZBdIoU70zW-_eAeaKK3-WZxf-oOOIV290T1GkcqJ8/s320/29.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statue-making workshop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFiowl4YGkEY5lR1_rsOF2X9aHmlqjfArju2GoOazqNxoXrPMWeQbwqci45xoyDmrpeAnieijm_wrB7N6iUCkHRaZzsc5oXSLwNnUv1NYlRn5_iTgNST_vDmT-r9s5TrLun9sYpDzC6uB2/s1600/30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFiowl4YGkEY5lR1_rsOF2X9aHmlqjfArju2GoOazqNxoXrPMWeQbwqci45xoyDmrpeAnieijm_wrB7N6iUCkHRaZzsc5oXSLwNnUv1NYlRn5_iTgNST_vDmT-r9s5TrLun9sYpDzC6uB2/s320/30.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelly, Anil, Rob the Younger, Jen, Maree and Ed look on as Rob the Elder tears into the parcel with more glee than his expression would suggest!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-zyBYHjgqVTBSVCORSUkjrFeNS8SNPNieST8HizIHuRLud3IdwA7aOy7SIc1Kk2R9X45DMTJDUW0QG_FO8ECZIalLjibczdYj3923x5iKzlcQGI-k6ayYkVjnDXDHeTfWuja801OQvHf/s1600/31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-zyBYHjgqVTBSVCORSUkjrFeNS8SNPNieST8HizIHuRLud3IdwA7aOy7SIc1Kk2R9X45DMTJDUW0QG_FO8ECZIalLjibczdYj3923x5iKzlcQGI-k6ayYkVjnDXDHeTfWuja801OQvHf/s320/31.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martha (visibly gleeful) with the champagne</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">
After one more morning in Lhasa it was time to board the train again for the
trip back to Golmud and the waiting Penelope.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0OA-oWf9d60eL10UVjqJJSgoUw8T7XOvNgFhRTGXmyb3ArVfcdVBl4C7nQ7v_QCsWRFK4cCzm9OhdufFy7NZN6MUOUy8Yz6_E6OGT1GFnUZdnAPgmZKLWK1iqKusc5C41k2-Yud0a1c0K/s1600/33.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0OA-oWf9d60eL10UVjqJJSgoUw8T7XOvNgFhRTGXmyb3ArVfcdVBl4C7nQ7v_QCsWRFK4cCzm9OhdufFy7NZN6MUOUy8Yz6_E6OGT1GFnUZdnAPgmZKLWK1iqKusc5C41k2-Yud0a1c0K/s320/33.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Tibetan scenery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">
Penelope had been having a little fun herself too, with other vehicles to
overtake…</span><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span><span lang="EN-AU"><br />
</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEico6mOhGmiZn9fGpJXBrAoyjPs6BYls6G9gvZnsLXjH9lGUbeptyMpuhPEf-eyCgXSl-KLq74PRzJNUfIc2HvjapECZsANhLHZgI_Lnumn2MPuC5HsO8Ke33HRDEKd8n_FUrvf5v0zeFeU/s1600/34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEico6mOhGmiZn9fGpJXBrAoyjPs6BYls6G9gvZnsLXjH9lGUbeptyMpuhPEf-eyCgXSl-KLq74PRzJNUfIc2HvjapECZsANhLHZgI_Lnumn2MPuC5HsO8Ke33HRDEKd8n_FUrvf5v0zeFeU/s320/34.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's a car stacker and a half!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXjErN7mYrvKEiEqNqSK9WxxI9YsljmhGUuG6XDQbXLfLt_kOqCb0Yq78bGr5UHLwzj8bND4AiqYavWxDF4gMtvRNXXwuxryKu8LWle2uu1sETJBbPzT7p6JmBAB3lP5ngKPY0fvYycXKl/s1600/35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXjErN7mYrvKEiEqNqSK9WxxI9YsljmhGUuG6XDQbXLfLt_kOqCb0Yq78bGr5UHLwzj8bND4AiqYavWxDF4gMtvRNXXwuxryKu8LWle2uu1sETJBbPzT7p6JmBAB3lP5ngKPY0fvYycXKl/s320/35.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alien ruins?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">
…and some interesting road signs en route. Once in Qinghai province, the signs
were in Tibetan and Mongolian script, as well as Mandarin and English.</span><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span><span lang="EN-AU"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">I picked everyone up from the station in Golmud at a very unfriendly hour and
after a little more sleep we all hit the road again, reunited. I was very
excited to see them all and hear all the tales from Tibet, especially after a
few days by myself! The road to Dunhuang went over a few high passes and we
even got a bit of sleet, making for some very cold bush toilet stops. Gone are
the handy frequent service stations of eastern China – here the options are few
and far between, and often it’s much much more pleasant to stop in the wild
anyway!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7g_AzoqYwvzePUohprCo-zOvb9JQuKc_-5u1r3nBNH7-28Xkww3kSuYobTPy50AKPDoLwC8lgnHOmrl9I0wLUBg43I2Mt40RUoiK5orQu_DYfc5flF740LBkC44OfAQbC2ftSXLtW_Imd/s1600/36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7g_AzoqYwvzePUohprCo-zOvb9JQuKc_-5u1r3nBNH7-28Xkww3kSuYobTPy50AKPDoLwC8lgnHOmrl9I0wLUBg43I2Mt40RUoiK5orQu_DYfc5flF740LBkC44OfAQbC2ftSXLtW_Imd/s320/36.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowing in the desert</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdJtA8tpsrhGwGcihE2-eARPqjnR33EO57eWpkVdQ1gxTt7oLOoK0zCmOVfo-hojjvIQEWFL7y1pGE-uK6qsvqM5RbnBLioltRytNSXAk5sZPXbFPg20uB24zeZoQTCKfuWGavUeR9sYK/s1600/37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdJtA8tpsrhGwGcihE2-eARPqjnR33EO57eWpkVdQ1gxTt7oLOoK0zCmOVfo-hojjvIQEWFL7y1pGE-uK6qsvqM5RbnBLioltRytNSXAk5sZPXbFPg20uB24zeZoQTCKfuWGavUeR9sYK/s320/37.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Girls to the right of the truck, boys to the left!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">
Despite the miserable weather on the way, our late afternoon arrival into
Dunhuang was bathed in glorious sunshine.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis909Lf9twdlMdruL6y5NORxMAYk3zLWKr9L12fHsCvZcV5WcsQfUna5vRenbVC4uccdbZrHNugspUhXqSnaoNCLYY9EEK4F-dA05VZ1Ju3IxAsM4maMg-QsSw_0TyQkBGeZCLCJQQ6Ckv/s1600/38.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis909Lf9twdlMdruL6y5NORxMAYk3zLWKr9L12fHsCvZcV5WcsQfUna5vRenbVC4uccdbZrHNugspUhXqSnaoNCLYY9EEK4F-dA05VZ1Ju3IxAsM4maMg-QsSw_0TyQkBGeZCLCJQQ6Ckv/s320/38.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sand dunes run right to the edge of town</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The night market in Dunhuang provided excellent lamb skewers with flat bread. Anil lived up to his name again, this time in the culinary department, and went for lamb brains. There was also a great selection of dried and fresh fruit to balance out all the meat!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_TxqxigOpm8LE2YkyIBOwSbZ0W_4otvZtjh4Zx-kfl526szIux9kjimkkLpRAny8IruC7IZISoFtNNR2pZdYoBEVtW2Fw2_ht4zEPEyM0CEJbP2SYuiWIEeIEuqhUUh3prnvTA448AeEP/s1600/39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_TxqxigOpm8LE2YkyIBOwSbZ0W_4otvZtjh4Zx-kfl526szIux9kjimkkLpRAny8IruC7IZISoFtNNR2pZdYoBEVtW2Fw2_ht4zEPEyM0CEJbP2SYuiWIEeIEuqhUUh3prnvTA448AeEP/s320/39.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span><span lang="EN-AU">We had 2 nights in Dunhuang, with a free morning to romp around the dunes and then
an afternoon trip out the Mogao Caves.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPtj9cjw2QyRTg0sViMAoWWGXzLW0yPGKxcbJK9PXyV8pMJ1ZUQt60OL37OEw37Wa2XG3qLHImA4aiNnGGbw7KmsytyD3kLuCWBLbd018F_4beAwdt4fg7JZUD2KPFECUxAb2vcUCiULBP/s1600/40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPtj9cjw2QyRTg0sViMAoWWGXzLW0yPGKxcbJK9PXyV8pMJ1ZUQt60OL37OEw37Wa2XG3qLHImA4aiNnGGbw7KmsytyD3kLuCWBLbd018F_4beAwdt4fg7JZUD2KPFECUxAb2vcUCiULBP/s320/40.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crescent Lake, in the middle of the dunes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFOneMQU9cYPb6DSrIfKjjQ4J7x9lFlqCDhw8M6MZ73ISy8kN5NicgKI2ZQh-N0WZfzO6xP0V7FHQyQQkyUbGSzvOPq4vnuYYT-s_kqsAirFkeRnClPlc7Vj3yrifNQgV8Aaql_5KCystE/s1600/41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFOneMQU9cYPb6DSrIfKjjQ4J7x9lFlqCDhw8M6MZ73ISy8kN5NicgKI2ZQh-N0WZfzO6xP0V7FHQyQQkyUbGSzvOPq4vnuYYT-s_kqsAirFkeRnClPlc7Vj3yrifNQgV8Aaql_5KCystE/s320/41.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anil, Kelly and Jo take a ride on some Bactrian camels</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2J9U4_2iImUsp1-aeFP9Yd3kl6TpgQfIK99Cnwa3zLPOsSTK0uEpLfainYYFdzLH9tFnfUfqlv_A5fek1INiI088ZuG8DyV8B0O2RSdvbXpGQK2Bu5bCad1R3p3oh4cRk61c_En-evb_/s1600/42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2J9U4_2iImUsp1-aeFP9Yd3kl6TpgQfIK99Cnwa3zLPOsSTK0uEpLfainYYFdzLH9tFnfUfqlv_A5fek1INiI088ZuG8DyV8B0O2RSdvbXpGQK2Bu5bCad1R3p3oh4cRk61c_En-evb_/s320/42.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0mzlXmBSWEXxR56hnJHJOXQZnVtw3YbQvXa10aShlI3zb43ZCRY3i7tYz2VwH9H5x6J4PWOGgKvzXhJLELSZY1i8mbvG2MBRNu7LCSsqdF_0ABnWKlnQSq_YThVwHgVZ5pjblPUFRFzt/s1600/43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0mzlXmBSWEXxR56hnJHJOXQZnVtw3YbQvXa10aShlI3zb43ZCRY3i7tYz2VwH9H5x6J4PWOGgKvzXhJLELSZY1i8mbvG2MBRNu7LCSsqdF_0ABnWKlnQSq_YThVwHgVZ5pjblPUFRFzt/s320/43.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEWpxojpPwgxrLHg9VD8W3oOmTE3sJ2RXOeopM5V1lFE6mCtuwGWDFZn3nVqz7YiyRmP53_W-P68u3g56BCo0lvxPawDxLQCKel38sex6Qc-4eVf8aLLiv6SbPs4Jyvyp9lCPUvcz9YikQ/s1600/44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEWpxojpPwgxrLHg9VD8W3oOmTE3sJ2RXOeopM5V1lFE6mCtuwGWDFZn3nVqz7YiyRmP53_W-P68u3g56BCo0lvxPawDxLQCKel38sex6Qc-4eVf8aLLiv6SbPs4Jyvyp9lCPUvcz9YikQ/s320/44.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of Crescent Lake from the top</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSXVqMy9ExpPlW09N5HgSf7WvIMg8wkvyneKzCJjHvTFneWswiVRXifb73nXp3SWR593jXqDpIZGwVTd9ZQmz9TjtnFLhXygB1aFlLYeJsCcXMYn2LBdjf2pTTOgdWZ0r7KRleHYGZpnp/s1600/45.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSXVqMy9ExpPlW09N5HgSf7WvIMg8wkvyneKzCJjHvTFneWswiVRXifb73nXp3SWR593jXqDpIZGwVTd9ZQmz9TjtnFLhXygB1aFlLYeJsCcXMYn2LBdjf2pTTOgdWZ0r7KRleHYGZpnp/s320/45.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kat, Eamonn the frog and Jen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">
The Mogao Caves were built into a 1700m section of canyon wall as places of
refuge and Buddhist prayer for those making the long difficult journey along
the Silk Road. Today, the main section has has the front reconstructed to make
it more accessible but much of the original interior remains. Unfortunately, as
with sites in Tibet, photos were not permitted inside.</span><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span><span lang="EN-AU"><br />
</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJ_lZ3gpiyLUgTTrAzeSeInlYaW2ETHk4B8krUL7t3nxWAYJuTgxpOOvsH7bO740hsLZJ0lmXsETIp4WX8cSUudGNmTjf8mYt0KtmyPBpMKng7_k29AnACt5BGLFXQG9BvTm6JV6vddrG/s1600/46.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJ_lZ3gpiyLUgTTrAzeSeInlYaW2ETHk4B8krUL7t3nxWAYJuTgxpOOvsH7bO740hsLZJ0lmXsETIp4WX8cSUudGNmTjf8mYt0KtmyPBpMKng7_k29AnACt5BGLFXQG9BvTm6JV6vddrG/s320/46.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inaccessible caves</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4PkSe8aZuIPQSOK89zsB4rry9nlXDMd0CVjQEztHusbhGcfhu0GaEiBjSTcM1bJejTBELBRHvv42NOUmUXF_lfhshk6Jd2vpJcy6sAomnCFh51eX8dfpUVGH0r8HHCRc4tC6klSpP1ub/s1600/47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4PkSe8aZuIPQSOK89zsB4rry9nlXDMd0CVjQEztHusbhGcfhu0GaEiBjSTcM1bJejTBELBRHvv42NOUmUXF_lfhshk6Jd2vpJcy6sAomnCFh51eX8dfpUVGH0r8HHCRc4tC6klSpP1ub/s320/47.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrances to the many monasteries and rooms</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">
The drive to Turpan was our longest yet, with a very early start. Due to China
operating on one single timezone, the further west we headed the later the
sunrise, meaning we could enjoy it on the road.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5yLp-GaXc_H4S6034mvSGHwd6s4Yb7F5C4yOX10AURSBUiUj_lBGkQmfAAnm2KwcUUH-RpakaR3td0AtCPmjW9OGtVBaMmq9Bf8FklGT7JaUY2Je2s282MXbJb-lKw6FssIJeiRTP3j5V/s1600/48.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5yLp-GaXc_H4S6034mvSGHwd6s4Yb7F5C4yOX10AURSBUiUj_lBGkQmfAAnm2KwcUUH-RpakaR3td0AtCPmjW9OGtVBaMmq9Bf8FklGT7JaUY2Je2s282MXbJb-lKw6FssIJeiRTP3j5V/s320/48.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNobN_3hyHBGbwY27JGxcvm4iRADySAzBDyc2amk1PpNEwrC6VYG9yMyu4JscTzAzz6HV4J1wHIuxuPkHsid3Nh577ufVhzMmRIhrVit96Re5nk0-qwOIxp0iAs-9a2_CODfIEnGYRZozl/s1600/49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNobN_3hyHBGbwY27JGxcvm4iRADySAzBDyc2amk1PpNEwrC6VYG9yMyu4JscTzAzz6HV4J1wHIuxuPkHsid3Nh577ufVhzMmRIhrVit96Re5nk0-qwOIxp0iAs-9a2_CODfIEnGYRZozl/s320/49.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We passed what we think must be the largest wind farm in the world. We got a real idea of the size of the blades!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmjZHCLfkrssijLXAW8zKyXVQZjIeNxobz6T4iwR2M9lEu_UiZGva-6fhK4sOZ0c8N6V69K_1VdulfwEl6hM9MJx3Q7uinh6fDKRfaLC_VloWK73jIeW8TGswUzfIY6qWbcmZz01uXMZZ/s1600/50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmjZHCLfkrssijLXAW8zKyXVQZjIeNxobz6T4iwR2M9lEu_UiZGva-6fhK4sOZ0c8N6V69K_1VdulfwEl6hM9MJx3Q7uinh6fDKRfaLC_VloWK73jIeW8TGswUzfIY6qWbcmZz01uXMZZ/s320/50.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jen having a moment with the truck donkey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">
Turpan was a great place to spent a couple of nights. We were now in Xinjiang
province, the final one before we cross into Kyrgyzstan. Predominately Muslim,
everyone was dressed up and on the streets, ready for the 5 days Korban
festival (or Eid-Al-Adha). It was an interesting time to visit!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ey-23452nNDcJHQZz3ZVlxPt9dEgCiZ0CkE8Jj2CwhkYL-o5prKNPSvfazhcjZRejgW9UI-x5M8t-FtfRGcvdQuiEVSu69pnbzSRST_uaS0gIFQzoScN0D0ovam2mIvT2KiqnFS1f3H9/s1600/51.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ey-23452nNDcJHQZz3ZVlxPt9dEgCiZ0CkE8Jj2CwhkYL-o5prKNPSvfazhcjZRejgW9UI-x5M8t-FtfRGcvdQuiEVSu69pnbzSRST_uaS0gIFQzoScN0D0ovam2mIvT2KiqnFS1f3H9/s320/51.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The back streets of Turpan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFyd36-o-XxW9NN1RDdplDXdY8pwo5-Q7LGfaHS6axGpwVbe0tAEcQ0vbwLCPF2jBOiXOSt0kBLSrQ3k-9ufEe2xviacLd63Mkp12MnE1T-kj20wvz7Hhy14HYebG-215nIetHNsatCdC/s1600/B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFyd36-o-XxW9NN1RDdplDXdY8pwo5-Q7LGfaHS6axGpwVbe0tAEcQ0vbwLCPF2jBOiXOSt0kBLSrQ3k-9ufEe2xviacLd63Mkp12MnE1T-kj20wvz7Hhy14HYebG-215nIetHNsatCdC/s320/B1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kat, Eamonn, John, Ed, Maree, Kent, Rob the Elder and Eugene toasting to Turpan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">
We took a morning trip out to the ruined city of Jiaohe, one of the largest,
oldest and best preserved ancient cities in the world. Its buildings are
remarkably well defined considering the age and the exposure to the elements.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41qzMASuJdL8Si8XllZ3VC6iesQBgOF7VGw1SWyo_dVbq16QeGVlhqhnCOxQ_DVFZnvwvtveOwOsJCVK9pYpZQlmu0tC7tXz9uI4GbWT7f9kZW39oyHQtDDHFoZoSaaE-bjlc6UjN_cMp/s1600/52.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41qzMASuJdL8Si8XllZ3VC6iesQBgOF7VGw1SWyo_dVbq16QeGVlhqhnCOxQ_DVFZnvwvtveOwOsJCVK9pYpZQlmu0tC7tXz9uI4GbWT7f9kZW39oyHQtDDHFoZoSaaE-bjlc6UjN_cMp/s320/52.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jiaohe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicE7mNZJe3IgatrY-9vJp2dOzkvMgL7oT0sV-C-uUGci1iHwpONwReXbCHosFw9V5V2OF8WbYwTQnRloJxvBVsZJW-O9PyYHg5oNCxPqac64xmz2DF83k3qzg6OhEDbqKeJYL7QO6fTTRl/s1600/B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicE7mNZJe3IgatrY-9vJp2dOzkvMgL7oT0sV-C-uUGci1iHwpONwReXbCHosFw9V5V2OF8WbYwTQnRloJxvBVsZJW-O9PyYHg5oNCxPqac64xmz2DF83k3qzg6OhEDbqKeJYL7QO6fTTRl/s320/B2.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peter, very pleased with his pineapple ice cream</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 107%;">
In the afternoon, some members went to look at the the karez irrigation system,
only found in the Central Asian region. Developed by the Uighurs as a means to
get underground water to their farmland, it doesn’t require pumps, relying only
on gravity.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9_vldi9cvlAc5gGFGaY-H6ohPYMvD4WF2dpa9cfI7Wf7g_4RjBhACyEfdQXXWaVMYH16N7jcOiVpUhlTFOUUgmPrkoGcDDwzUiBQeugiGmlcBfWebfpsugk3_mkpFd-X-LrbZKq_ZIWh/s1600/53.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9_vldi9cvlAc5gGFGaY-H6ohPYMvD4WF2dpa9cfI7Wf7g_4RjBhACyEfdQXXWaVMYH16N7jcOiVpUhlTFOUUgmPrkoGcDDwzUiBQeugiGmlcBfWebfpsugk3_mkpFd-X-LrbZKq_ZIWh/s320/53.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The karez system, Turpan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrcNRxU4ifMoEN5bd2ez4pzlwwpWJemyEAND2iaNxDVRLYLGjPYRKy1V1wsaFqrS4gjXzaHMJ9cNjreefs5dYl91MHLzl5d7LerPzwjjOs05fCzB61p4IQuj6uBC93-SkZiB-90qMiv107/s1600/54.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrcNRxU4ifMoEN5bd2ez4pzlwwpWJemyEAND2iaNxDVRLYLGjPYRKy1V1wsaFqrS4gjXzaHMJ9cNjreefs5dYl91MHLzl5d7LerPzwjjOs05fCzB61p4IQuj6uBC93-SkZiB-90qMiv107/s320/54.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 107%;">Turpan is only just above sea level, so it was very enjoyable to wander around
town and to enjoy the mild weather before we hit the mountains of Central Asia
proper.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTTguLLKb0v-WMiVLkY4AEUGu-Zptn0GszUsFv3Bu2BeqtTsFKMMvtbCr2zhdO6TOe2KjQpD-Z4cEqIH2HjUql5xYFU_rjL-SnoLrVpLmIxnDxWDI-DavsYRCUiZzYxsB20_DLpN5GBwr/s1600/55.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTTguLLKb0v-WMiVLkY4AEUGu-Zptn0GszUsFv3Bu2BeqtTsFKMMvtbCr2zhdO6TOe2KjQpD-Z4cEqIH2HjUql5xYFU_rjL-SnoLrVpLmIxnDxWDI-DavsYRCUiZzYxsB20_DLpN5GBwr/s320/55.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drying grapes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PY-nBd1y0fJ4qSplI_GUdsOIB5pOO8wE3SjzXaIwUy02WiQQ8IfR1GlMV7fI4hnrR8ygtuf-iwqaDKJTSiw3UifFWghELEbNg0LclZdCE4m_wJi-g6v9O_t-L5Dc0jcb0cIyXnQmVJ8q/s1600/56.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PY-nBd1y0fJ4qSplI_GUdsOIB5pOO8wE3SjzXaIwUy02WiQQ8IfR1GlMV7fI4hnrR8ygtuf-iwqaDKJTSiw3UifFWghELEbNg0LclZdCE4m_wJi-g6v9O_t-L5Dc0jcb0cIyXnQmVJ8q/s320/56.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mosque</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijftCXPxAiSHAJOokLboZf0Oua1LPDwbbIhsGDgXKQpEvXxnHXjVCRksjo7Ra91xIeplHj9y7L7cFM0AoMQvL8HxNSNXbdrr6n7vjvWBozle1IRls3lu7Bn_bPkwg4tkVaZ-daUodCuxSZ/s1600/57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijftCXPxAiSHAJOokLboZf0Oua1LPDwbbIhsGDgXKQpEvXxnHXjVCRksjo7Ra91xIeplHj9y7L7cFM0AoMQvL8HxNSNXbdrr6n7vjvWBozle1IRls3lu7Bn_bPkwg4tkVaZ-daUodCuxSZ/s320/57.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emin minaret</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 107%;">
Our last stop in China was Kashgar, closer to Pakistan and Afghanistan than
most of the rest of China, and closer to Moscow than Beijing. We definitely
felt like we had left China proper and were somewhere in-between there and
Central Asia. R</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 107%;">oad signs were now in Arabic and Mandarin and had no English at
all.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 107%;">
China is enormous and nowhere is this more evident than in the far West, with
Kashgar two full days drive from Turpan. The road skirts the edge of the
Taklamakan Desert to the south and is framed by snow capped mountains to the
north – spectacular for sure, but also rather repetitive after 2 days!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxV3KlB8v3CclbpAw_ZePyXDJoGIU_orMYT4nfcTWoV7iixrtrnldo6_vLy2thswgBsGuzQxHOAaLHbLscVJ0CXCBT_EgeFiSnrfZC9QHIVbXPvbCebXnUThqRYUpymxZKqQ3emh09LSe/s1600/B3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxV3KlB8v3CclbpAw_ZePyXDJoGIU_orMYT4nfcTWoV7iixrtrnldo6_vLy2thswgBsGuzQxHOAaLHbLscVJ0CXCBT_EgeFiSnrfZC9QHIVbXPvbCebXnUThqRYUpymxZKqQ3emh09LSe/s320/B3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ratty and Rosie take a ride on Carl the Camel (who is now enjoying himself strapped to the top of Penelope!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pczDKRnW2q2iP7pExv5a7xy-h5QY8K21VRWtIX-28fQx9EEjHkvLWwrEbLP0oC3RORrjfK2efbXRvXnOtQml-mkhlbeRMPWpKli8j672fc2w1LI1PaU78ZPB1WOABkyr9WV6jV1rW8WN/s1600/B4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pczDKRnW2q2iP7pExv5a7xy-h5QY8K21VRWtIX-28fQx9EEjHkvLWwrEbLP0oC3RORrjfK2efbXRvXnOtQml-mkhlbeRMPWpKli8j672fc2w1LI1PaU78ZPB1WOABkyr9WV6jV1rW8WN/s320/B4.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multicoloured mountains</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 107%;">
Kashgar is a place name from the tales of the exotic, like Timbuktu, and
probably just as remote. We had 2 full days to explore, with the first being a
Sunday, which meant a visit to the Sunday livestock bazaar.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-81QLof6lw7Mm7RFJUwPb2WiVt2jvh0__KSBdWicbqYCvzfmnlsUB3PHnBgF5nejm-xThm4tV2hcJA-mAXmc_aVlWjBty61iirRbQN7oR_Xo9EBkJCoq-c4eCUQDJM_1Rb5aW9Nv85o5i/s1600/58.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-81QLof6lw7Mm7RFJUwPb2WiVt2jvh0__KSBdWicbqYCvzfmnlsUB3PHnBgF5nejm-xThm4tV2hcJA-mAXmc_aVlWjBty61iirRbQN7oR_Xo9EBkJCoq-c4eCUQDJM_1Rb5aW9Nv85o5i/s320/58.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A row of sheep butts</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnZvIoi6tEhD7ibxmDoSXHuT8Sfh9RuLw7BKa5f69954q0ygWQSRmp6-Hs3mbgnAH1chywKX3pmwNsjJSHJi5K6epZdHoyi5WLjCRKlNOrarU2mAkC_UzzyH_OiPWMMW7jnQDyVqZ5UU6/s1600/59.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnZvIoi6tEhD7ibxmDoSXHuT8Sfh9RuLw7BKa5f69954q0ygWQSRmp6-Hs3mbgnAH1chywKX3pmwNsjJSHJi5K6epZdHoyi5WLjCRKlNOrarU2mAkC_UzzyH_OiPWMMW7jnQDyVqZ5UU6/s320/59.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More sheep</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqACpxSx66Z3dxGImddWoQauR8F056VQEihFFcEQwqZF3bSUaW2PnSkTPDB78AE_OCFs1Skax2zCD6Gbyy9jwchwrScEaeS9eKBqeUCoEN-77iPe8X-Ux1mB0FEOHiQTb9eP4Uzu6lDkJ/s1600/60.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqACpxSx66Z3dxGImddWoQauR8F056VQEihFFcEQwqZF3bSUaW2PnSkTPDB78AE_OCFs1Skax2zCD6Gbyy9jwchwrScEaeS9eKBqeUCoEN-77iPe8X-Ux1mB0FEOHiQTb9eP4Uzu6lDkJ/s320/60.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julia makes a friend</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzvsr9fMFRcfke4zlaD5WZkImwNydrLqwS9zd1-VAsBhxRKqVyUPgUnWDmCmdpGo4K8Qgy0tVVqOWEvadp0Wl6vrGqaU_YyWjrcRUeOvLMauUR3CTKo2Q-yMuuc6o8mE-aqDXnw5J73jX3/s1600/61.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzvsr9fMFRcfke4zlaD5WZkImwNydrLqwS9zd1-VAsBhxRKqVyUPgUnWDmCmdpGo4K8Qgy0tVVqOWEvadp0Wl6vrGqaU_YyWjrcRUeOvLMauUR3CTKo2Q-yMuuc6o8mE-aqDXnw5J73jX3/s320/61.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Elder, Maree, Ed, Eugene & Kelly having fun on their "taxi"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkI9ZK_RHj9gzHCRv8PYcFiQ5vvcxa7G3rRCDbbg0yaOfqWCisRCh6b5zig1lIt4I2falZeClfdIqEiKcG0Bmm5kETfpXa3D1AzE-yhNstFbDIyBJuL89tXWC9kPV_lhNMed-Yn-e4SQoj/s1600/62.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkI9ZK_RHj9gzHCRv8PYcFiQ5vvcxa7G3rRCDbbg0yaOfqWCisRCh6b5zig1lIt4I2falZeClfdIqEiKcG0Bmm5kETfpXa3D1AzE-yhNstFbDIyBJuL89tXWC9kPV_lhNMed-Yn-e4SQoj/s320/62.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abakhaja tomb</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh53PtVLvpNmCPyNIFKwzAyec9mGn55BlZMgIVppESqme_xGHnC-Gfucp8QiojGOECQIsUeNF9Y0QOHR7izW2YzukqpnnyhgaAG5xDpWUsQ-WFbB9jiQo7i9AjR64to_kgjfye6EcVDU3K/s1600/63.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh53PtVLvpNmCPyNIFKwzAyec9mGn55BlZMgIVppESqme_xGHnC-Gfucp8QiojGOECQIsUeNF9Y0QOHR7izW2YzukqpnnyhgaAG5xDpWUsQ-WFbB9jiQo7i9AjR64to_kgjfye6EcVDU3K/s320/63.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRuFA7Ry_BxMtf0U042M5PtVI2Om2n18iJ0JBpQHuLRJOEoKzgDp0I-3tNWgG60nEZF7shHXcF6CVDDJ_RTEAZHKWXiuxbujG8X2YbEASN4A-A5c-2MG0zXB1wUtriAhbeCwJ3bnCa1wK/s1600/64.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRuFA7Ry_BxMtf0U042M5PtVI2Om2n18iJ0JBpQHuLRJOEoKzgDp0I-3tNWgG60nEZF7shHXcF6CVDDJ_RTEAZHKWXiuxbujG8X2YbEASN4A-A5c-2MG0zXB1wUtriAhbeCwJ3bnCa1wK/s320/64.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dressed up for the festival</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL40Dxqv8ciiA6UjwnwyWbJ9t590Aaw9YkERiMHNnaYNUMLwgeSsw42QJO5FjH-sdsLFmeiU_WuUb1G3JONyTO570HNGy1iFLAPtCm3C6jBvySnwJrU64mYrJ-bcOvrvO88JPMtELxG-Ol/s1600/65.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL40Dxqv8ciiA6UjwnwyWbJ9t590Aaw9YkERiMHNnaYNUMLwgeSsw42QJO5FjH-sdsLFmeiU_WuUb1G3JONyTO570HNGy1iFLAPtCm3C6jBvySnwJrU64mYrJ-bcOvrvO88JPMtELxG-Ol/s320/65.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street barber</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWqXdATG4_3ZWgSwMHkdLF91eQYkH7OI-dK1pEjVCgJL4OIV98iCKiMROU9mq3Y4D5KeyMmi1bMaYaPcPUHMT-ilKE8AW0dA097-UOH-MnwP2vN9Vz6oyeWKCm5ViaYVBD3n1jNIgen3g/s1600/66.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWqXdATG4_3ZWgSwMHkdLF91eQYkH7OI-dK1pEjVCgJL4OIV98iCKiMROU9mq3Y4D5KeyMmi1bMaYaPcPUHMT-ilKE8AW0dA097-UOH-MnwP2vN9Vz6oyeWKCm5ViaYVBD3n1jNIgen3g/s320/66.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martha and a big teapot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiiFjlgjzdENB1DhregRAcw6ygYsA2exd7zdSlMTvSyjUFPm0wqkDn9W_3GkPkklSuKx-GhjCgpCksm18XCceFARvTPcZjquUx1T6YYFyftFZIaXeSUpVmhTJ9x29mp3CfZH4GGE9pPeSU/s1600/67.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiiFjlgjzdENB1DhregRAcw6ygYsA2exd7zdSlMTvSyjUFPm0wqkDn9W_3GkPkklSuKx-GhjCgpCksm18XCceFARvTPcZjquUx1T6YYFyftFZIaXeSUpVmhTJ9x29mp3CfZH4GGE9pPeSU/s320/67.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Uighur musical instrument shop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDW9AX6XBKhuahhVZcOSaUVoz5_pYbQttFz3Mvi9WQZRh8NOWv_DBsjiZpotqimc0enaCCTrSPXuarRuypUrdCVAIMgVf7WUdHsDq_gZTwK9yLuc3laABmUx_8A6Km7czjC3fbMTGmzLJF/s1600/68.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDW9AX6XBKhuahhVZcOSaUVoz5_pYbQttFz3Mvi9WQZRh8NOWv_DBsjiZpotqimc0enaCCTrSPXuarRuypUrdCVAIMgVf7WUdHsDq_gZTwK9yLuc3laABmUx_8A6Km7czjC3fbMTGmzLJF/s320/68.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will tries out a hand made instrument</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuVWp5rQb6Altih3Ew6Iehdyc3qoWJltjrW0h56dA5WkJ9JMjiHJNWZ-LjDziUzxk6TNs_mZOnReaOAtyXa9_YUMoCmBCiwGPHL_pCIFhlNiSandXqnMYtHR67v-DHqGSIjngoQGfF0iA/s1600/69.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuVWp5rQb6Altih3Ew6Iehdyc3qoWJltjrW0h56dA5WkJ9JMjiHJNWZ-LjDziUzxk6TNs_mZOnReaOAtyXa9_YUMoCmBCiwGPHL_pCIFhlNiSandXqnMYtHR67v-DHqGSIjngoQGfF0iA/s320/69.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street donut stall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodXa3Iurgo3z8sMupa3m0IEwvDY81BKMoBuhXRuoLjl_9eCTGYLRUQVvRbuBtheNbu2HNInF7FRft3jdUmIdEI6JiDRAdCjWlsGG75hTnaLea3nT60RH0iCzjRwfYfGNXe2oY-Z9Fi7cX/s1600/70.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodXa3Iurgo3z8sMupa3m0IEwvDY81BKMoBuhXRuoLjl_9eCTGYLRUQVvRbuBtheNbu2HNInF7FRft3jdUmIdEI6JiDRAdCjWlsGG75hTnaLea3nT60RH0iCzjRwfYfGNXe2oY-Z9Fi7cX/s320/70.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John trying to order food</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGpiJJwS-TghEOf_Ls3s97HQLdXXaDTXLIJPv3DEXfhdGDkTJjJzmzjcnVNHzoIOARuZrfUol-GtUMRYv6SuFUXkNkhJPOO1nu177w8PPv2EsQeDaXfUXq2gpB-mKIKD3v7gnhyphenhyphen8O2nVb/s1600/71.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGpiJJwS-TghEOf_Ls3s97HQLdXXaDTXLIJPv3DEXfhdGDkTJjJzmzjcnVNHzoIOARuZrfUol-GtUMRYv6SuFUXkNkhJPOO1nu177w8PPv2EsQeDaXfUXq2gpB-mKIKD3v7gnhyphenhyphen8O2nVb/s320/71.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ed all dressed up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 107%;">
With our time in China at an end, we had to bid farewell to the wonderful
Anita. We will miss her terribly and we’re very grateful for all her help and
patience!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQm9yJLIZYe_8Gmqq8UhugDMaWWGnSFonzxTCKupaPTMwsA4ROgtVrVyPTgMjll5iPgIfLWiABMFXLmAttx2Ef4j3HrGZ2MUgD4LFTkgYnZxfR3zq6GSDGkKmwEiTEJmga21YEW6VciQx/s1600/72.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQm9yJLIZYe_8Gmqq8UhugDMaWWGnSFonzxTCKupaPTMwsA4ROgtVrVyPTgMjll5iPgIfLWiABMFXLmAttx2Ef4j3HrGZ2MUgD4LFTkgYnZxfR3zq6GSDGkKmwEiTEJmga21YEW6VciQx/s320/72.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anita and her cake (it was also her birthday the day after she left us)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 107%;">
So, a thank you also to China for being a varied and fascinating host. Now we
begin the next stage of the journey, across the notoriously bureaucratic
Torugart Pass into Kyrgyzstan, where there will be less tarmac and more
burrowing into cozy sleeping bags!</span></span><br />
</div>
Odyssey Overlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704432117667366839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8305949265274359886.post-70537972479173266192015-09-18T01:28:00.000-07:002015-09-18T01:29:00.085-07:00The Aliens have Landed<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Time to leave Laos – China day had arrived,
and Jen and Eamonn were excited!<br />
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX4P7A4_WPtNbxaXfWVfjkcn8T4xRZbZvWgUVufRC49C4CpJtQegy6iL_4qamK1SBSk2Rl197x5ozIgWUJ1ffJI17T-6yVaQSKADHfWzo_S-1wSK5FeVAI7Hkd6wra2RbhgAda9hY_cXOe/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX4P7A4_WPtNbxaXfWVfjkcn8T4xRZbZvWgUVufRC49C4CpJtQegy6iL_4qamK1SBSk2Rl197x5ozIgWUJ1ffJI17T-6yVaQSKADHfWzo_S-1wSK5FeVAI7Hkd6wra2RbhgAda9hY_cXOe/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-AU">And Anita, our Chinese guide for the next 25 days, was happy to meet us.</span><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDDwvZBBTO69CBAGoFi2cnjZuOwhwsg2chRXBlyQDsTbC4PFPedUE7tq4RO_pqK7dP5kn4YVjg0z976ZYpFA3A-K2yL0xus8bu76X5TOk9RosWPcrgcUF5vJR9u-LLXIvHSdnQNXa9rVQ/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDDwvZBBTO69CBAGoFi2cnjZuOwhwsg2chRXBlyQDsTbC4PFPedUE7tq4RO_pqK7dP5kn4YVjg0z976ZYpFA3A-K2yL0xus8bu76X5TOk9RosWPcrgcUF5vJR9u-LLXIvHSdnQNXa9rVQ/s320/2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anita</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span><span lang="EN-AU">
Anita joined us at the border where, after getting stamped in, we had to get
Penelope the tick of approval too. She passed with flying colours, so the crew
were happy as well.</span><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span><span lang="EN-AU"><br />
</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN23LE0vgylVCcpdNrzchrHIvkqkE91eb5q0UzMoZh9wmOIP27rZtQ3I75dnhceTppkoy3FgtOg50n_xW1EBngCGWKVt1JWpUl5r4pwWhQJ_IZEKq1G2zdXPW0QjRJxLw-v-JRiERsQcrQ/s1600/3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN23LE0vgylVCcpdNrzchrHIvkqkE91eb5q0UzMoZh9wmOIP27rZtQ3I75dnhceTppkoy3FgtOg50n_xW1EBngCGWKVt1JWpUl5r4pwWhQJ_IZEKq1G2zdXPW0QjRJxLw-v-JRiERsQcrQ/s320/3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will, Izzie & Penelope with her new Chinese licence "plate" (a laminated sheet propped on the dash)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">
Due to a 3-day holiday, the border procedure was relatively painless and soon
we were heading north along much better roads.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7GJdEhwbF3a6sCtpNz9TXdAyf_t480CxG2s-IIRtlmQlLQQ6AZkrX0Kusck41RK1dHmIKT9u3hHzhBqbjOJirEjfF51c_8xxfsUgzrnHWfxooU5v4CgCuUAhEbLU7wJpXm3ghm9pV1Nk/s1600/4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7GJdEhwbF3a6sCtpNz9TXdAyf_t480CxG2s-IIRtlmQlLQQ6AZkrX0Kusck41RK1dHmIKT9u3hHzhBqbjOJirEjfF51c_8xxfsUgzrnHWfxooU5v4CgCuUAhEbLU7wJpXm3ghm9pV1Nk/s320/4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3afph-nqI6BNdO9evPSTRSRK_mgsIMSdq1ROWREca7ObHWf4cZJczDXHY7Fr9VEmO7lS9BkLE74WVnRBja9FKBZndhyphenhyphen8QeGQeZ-_rdwWCt-72J3SbJ0ZJlND3GlJpaKV0YIbWcK6a4W5/s1600/5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3afph-nqI6BNdO9evPSTRSRK_mgsIMSdq1ROWREca7ObHWf4cZJczDXHY7Fr9VEmO7lS9BkLE74WVnRBja9FKBZndhyphenhyphen8QeGQeZ-_rdwWCt-72J3SbJ0ZJlND3GlJpaKV0YIbWcK6a4W5/s320/5.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span><span lang="EN-AU"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">On the way to Jinghong, we created our own traffic micro-climate as other vehicles
slowed beside us to take pictures and gawp. This was to become a recurring
theme, known to the group as The Aliens Have Landed Effect.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieglxYi5wb6CjqFYdz87fxtPmnkePynIN_b95b6p_ERGYeyrTFJiDotuDmngskGUgazc7E14xx0bdLwUgOUwXyYpoVHk1OtqMqbezMQs8BaZmkN-6UsfNCIW4PRekpydBMcUDTA9qeCqYq/s1600/6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieglxYi5wb6CjqFYdz87fxtPmnkePynIN_b95b6p_ERGYeyrTFJiDotuDmngskGUgazc7E14xx0bdLwUgOUwXyYpoVHk1OtqMqbezMQs8BaZmkN-6UsfNCIW4PRekpydBMcUDTA9qeCqYq/s320/6.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from our hotel in Jingling - the contrast between old and new is another theme of China</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">We were now in the land of tunnels; rather than go around the mountains,
they’ve simply dug through them, for kilometres and kilometres. The longest one
was around 12km! The better roads meant it was a much more relaxing ride in the
back, allowing time to read and listen to music on the way to Kunming.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDOfJqr5_desNNIAJvZB0tuWhJoWKZMfNl4K5stMpltnsw9aHKGU5AZRHrzxdyCrJkWxl5rjRZz8wpDK5qQztLwnsJNGN1Fi3_kLTKNFX1LXzSkzfBQQwzCIv1yqCaOoROL1HrAqw_L7Y/s1600/7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDOfJqr5_desNNIAJvZB0tuWhJoWKZMfNl4K5stMpltnsw9aHKGU5AZRHrzxdyCrJkWxl5rjRZz8wpDK5qQztLwnsJNGN1Fi3_kLTKNFX1LXzSkzfBQQwzCIv1yqCaOoROL1HrAqw_L7Y/s320/7.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martha, Anil, Rob the Younger, Jen, Kat & Kelly enjoying the smoother ride, while Anita gets quizzed about China</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">The service stations in China are great places to stop for lunch – for just a
few dollars you can load a tray full of yummy food, and if you don’t know
exactly what some of the dishes are, well it just adds to the experience!</span><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span><span lang="EN-AU"><br />
</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48DkdL27U9dB9mYPpf7OttrIkXwhdXtMKry8XYRWMnjsqrC8J_eyBu79sMZ_Qy74gGrqts08ZItgKb3x6Q5qoOhO5JRPeKY9LbK84Vzaok4dlk-7RtfrgWMchGvpi9VuiQa1Fwd9dZqjF/s1600/8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48DkdL27U9dB9mYPpf7OttrIkXwhdXtMKry8XYRWMnjsqrC8J_eyBu79sMZ_Qy74gGrqts08ZItgKb3x6Q5qoOhO5JRPeKY9LbK84Vzaok4dlk-7RtfrgWMchGvpi9VuiQa1Fwd9dZqjF/s320/8.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will & Jo get to grips with their chopsticks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
stops also provided the curious local rubberneckers with an opportunity to get
up close to the Alien Mothership. Personal space isn’t so high on the cultural
priority list here, so we all needed to keep an eye out for random individuals
climbing on board for a harmless stare!</span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GSLWPTCkIjI9q7O3nQqU2kZbNnIuFb4eyzAI3rPD-3j1CoKEM5i5IcMFHO2tSyQ84reBfZ9d2gCBcYzJYY1PszHube5KSBZ1kvhZybjH_BMxWFjB2eXtNFmZSwETED_HmH4PWbBE8jjO/s1600/9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GSLWPTCkIjI9q7O3nQqU2kZbNnIuFb4eyzAI3rPD-3j1CoKEM5i5IcMFHO2tSyQ84reBfZ9d2gCBcYzJYY1PszHube5KSBZ1kvhZybjH_BMxWFjB2eXtNFmZSwETED_HmH4PWbBE8jjO/s320/9.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelly with a couple of invited restaurant / fuel attendants</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">
Navigating into Kunming turned out to be a little more interesting than
anticipated when every corner seemed to lead to a low bridge, but between
Will’s expert driving, Anita’s map, directions from a boisterous man on a
motorbike, and a little assistance on the roof, we got there in the end!</span><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span><span lang="EN-AU"><br />
</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1RIPHNB2yeDc5QL4Ze4jGqN9rvQsEeSncU318oVLJVIHKFY5ol3MRylyD8Pz-7vI7CPxIYbIRISDSPex1g4GO4fe_EhGHo-2ZHfwzw5wS6V36vBQny7GpCe2s4MMCOqCtWNbzMwHlnBv/s1600/10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1RIPHNB2yeDc5QL4Ze4jGqN9rvQsEeSncU318oVLJVIHKFY5ol3MRylyD8Pz-7vI7CPxIYbIRISDSPex1g4GO4fe_EhGHo-2ZHfwzw5wS6V36vBQny7GpCe2s4MMCOqCtWNbzMwHlnBv/s320/10.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is helping guide the truck into town</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">
A well-deserved beer and group meal was in order, it was decided.</span><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span><span lang="EN-AU"><br />
</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXGf5cheVr5UsYWWw5GgLO3JmaqAOvsmwMgEebjnYpE9ZJgwf5Z26aGVdbXWb-zNn3bRVFUMp8aEm6bFLQBcP4Ba54ohmaJASBpzYHswjcen0Cg2WhWdYE32iPERMsS346DqSb85TjsHT/s1600/11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXGf5cheVr5UsYWWw5GgLO3JmaqAOvsmwMgEebjnYpE9ZJgwf5Z26aGVdbXWb-zNn3bRVFUMp8aEm6bFLQBcP4Ba54ohmaJASBpzYHswjcen0Cg2WhWdYE32iPERMsS346DqSb85TjsHT/s320/11.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelly, Maree & Anita distributing the beers on the Lazy Susan in Kunming</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The next day it was onward to Dali, on the shore of Erhai Lake. This would be
our stop for 2 nights, and staying beside the walls of the old city made it
easy to explore the traditional towers and pretty streets.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1TJ-Psb6f7ugHXeciGgSnuyVSLvzlD0kXjC3LgNprXy7K85i5HHKNELW7iAgsneLgcfqBmBbmE4bzBxq811ddz_hOhGXVoI-4CqM7ZQi7VLVv5wXtyB-NKPg-IzZRNRlExZe_9jY2b6UW/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1TJ-Psb6f7ugHXeciGgSnuyVSLvzlD0kXjC3LgNprXy7K85i5HHKNELW7iAgsneLgcfqBmBbmE4bzBxq811ddz_hOhGXVoI-4CqM7ZQi7VLVv5wXtyB-NKPg-IzZRNRlExZe_9jY2b6UW/s320/12.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">City walls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy50OhXiIcKnmOldDNT8kXApyLUsZT3y7rTZxtiDzE7L2CK72A8magURjOaByhFx2uX6wHvzXGghzk7oqlN9NWL2O0VaB0tyYASKY3HR5TNOjo2pGgTCdqEzCWqyukbnodo3to-CSg2oWW/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy50OhXiIcKnmOldDNT8kXApyLUsZT3y7rTZxtiDzE7L2CK72A8magURjOaByhFx2uX6wHvzXGghzk7oqlN9NWL2O0VaB0tyYASKY3HR5TNOjo2pGgTCdqEzCWqyukbnodo3to-CSg2oWW/s320/13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Some of the group took a trip to the Three Pagodas of Chong Sheng Temple, which
dates back to the 9</span><sup style="font-family: inherit;">th</sup><span style="font-family: inherit;"> century. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxLis1boYL6-v3AfIMA5pXCPKoaCNWn_oWHPH3osaAmHb6OFkFxhVSoFeSF1IsOI1QfZAxyoyXO5vnWMHbG2hA5dlinKRnpWoHK6jSTdichWQboBv4JqhIjzAUMc-X4s1R3Sn1AY6Wjuv/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxLis1boYL6-v3AfIMA5pXCPKoaCNWn_oWHPH3osaAmHb6OFkFxhVSoFeSF1IsOI1QfZAxyoyXO5vnWMHbG2hA5dlinKRnpWoHK6jSTdichWQboBv4JqhIjzAUMc-X4s1R3Sn1AY6Wjuv/s320/14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZkCcBNy9EGtw0rFUQ_fgQIXkzftJRvP3t6Jc0Gda7av5cV5I1dFrz07HC9HlbTn4jQ_zgeMAV_mEiouHrPSfesFSgleEioR_56-_pF-UTqb3KAD2ieVmTwXJwWRxRc-9pd7KM73x62gu/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZkCcBNy9EGtw0rFUQ_fgQIXkzftJRvP3t6Jc0Gda7av5cV5I1dFrz07HC9HlbTn4jQ_zgeMAV_mEiouHrPSfesFSgleEioR_56-_pF-UTqb3KAD2ieVmTwXJwWRxRc-9pd7KM73x62gu/s320/15.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anil, Eugene and a really big bell</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgStELOyj2M6WB8IVpg_bKbrZnIM07DxSKSdL0uvIV_OVlDzXc2cdiM8qAVkKDx8Um_59dDqKWDXMfCJ5NEAT4g6bskZev0-j4EOlnb0wJz8OfJOix_iN6VQ7twtI4Ca3SgLV-V6-42Kc8y/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgStELOyj2M6WB8IVpg_bKbrZnIM07DxSKSdL0uvIV_OVlDzXc2cdiM8qAVkKDx8Um_59dDqKWDXMfCJ5NEAT4g6bskZev0-j4EOlnb0wJz8OfJOix_iN6VQ7twtI4Ca3SgLV-V6-42Kc8y/s320/16.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3w-Z2wm9CP6152imM4ofOq_WRMXWld8IHl7fdqzRKc1ioM5QWWRBv9QlwG3_OTVtcAzRH9URku5RFzQmiynR8-6gcORmIMGLw68Q7ZAaLVeewBqWKbHXdpVnsraPyR3VThbYr3Fg3JVe/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3w-Z2wm9CP6152imM4ofOq_WRMXWld8IHl7fdqzRKc1ioM5QWWRBv9QlwG3_OTVtcAzRH9URku5RFzQmiynR8-6gcORmIMGLw68Q7ZAaLVeewBqWKbHXdpVnsraPyR3VThbYr3Fg3JVe/s320/17.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martha and a really big door</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2Oylfb7D5l64BBFtqh1M8CbYzHmT2fe-d8nn7EzRhBhX0m2Njaj1HCX9MVJOyBXbFmuv5ZlYqNsxxpS82P7rogN1KeoB2YoAIAT-8hQWmsgJSzJ1W8Bt83z0_AXl3ti_xUugODPNPU-t/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2Oylfb7D5l64BBFtqh1M8CbYzHmT2fe-d8nn7EzRhBhX0m2Njaj1HCX9MVJOyBXbFmuv5ZlYqNsxxpS82P7rogN1KeoB2YoAIAT-8hQWmsgJSzJ1W8Bt83z0_AXl3ti_xUugODPNPU-t/s320/18.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6cOQ-OR2GxXIK_355frqgrrmStimCSRu2x_abyR828P7rn5slHhBMEA1fBW_P_pFEtTOQ1I5GjyAyGN1wVsI2mn1flpIkMDM79vAjTpKlFEXQjoEmM1JlzVGUBjZ0PW3CpT0DbO6G5Vn/s1600/19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6cOQ-OR2GxXIK_355frqgrrmStimCSRu2x_abyR828P7rn5slHhBMEA1fBW_P_pFEtTOQ1I5GjyAyGN1wVsI2mn1flpIkMDM79vAjTpKlFEXQjoEmM1JlzVGUBjZ0PW3CpT0DbO6G5Vn/s320/19.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kat with Rattie & Rosie who have travelled with Rob the Younger and Jen around India, Nepal, Thailand, Laos and now China</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIM7GzXhT-_iguyU6AD6vaVz47m1u-F5VsN2B5XsJS79kmokmNHjcP2lDSsIInQ5uwy95hdNyhAgfX84KKoY491SDNaR1LD0NrwvPZpIc5DicEyDDOE55SOMOMT7AnIPLg8CfqzV-wNccP/s1600/20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIM7GzXhT-_iguyU6AD6vaVz47m1u-F5VsN2B5XsJS79kmokmNHjcP2lDSsIInQ5uwy95hdNyhAgfX84KKoY491SDNaR1LD0NrwvPZpIc5DicEyDDOE55SOMOMT7AnIPLg8CfqzV-wNccP/s320/20.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Younger and Jen having a moment</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08ggluDgzB1oHAsiHbT2-PLqzgN0JqxFJJVGj_F7zi_EnAnR9w5wAEQxSotTlmOk5My7fy5EktFACVq7YIa-GUQep8ZuiQ7TYXMpVPKiUSt9FI7mlYZ98gV_B09IQk6TiMJzXjOqdbJ5J/s1600/21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08ggluDgzB1oHAsiHbT2-PLqzgN0JqxFJJVGj_F7zi_EnAnR9w5wAEQxSotTlmOk5My7fy5EktFACVq7YIa-GUQep8ZuiQ7TYXMpVPKiUSt9FI7mlYZ98gV_B09IQk6TiMJzXjOqdbJ5J/s320/21.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-lyRKppM2yQbijV-n8xiQAlNpyRtAkuZ8VeZOmeMOb-JeLo8kVhGAZki2lvuuOFjBM_n6mnb0LLHD8YlYz46RJT9aoSsffMiZwtwfAfzad5yX_bM0DrfXV7nFs2OMZjFp3Io-a88H4XO/s1600/22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-lyRKppM2yQbijV-n8xiQAlNpyRtAkuZ8VeZOmeMOb-JeLo8kVhGAZki2lvuuOFjBM_n6mnb0LLHD8YlYz46RJT9aoSsffMiZwtwfAfzad5yX_bM0DrfXV7nFs2OMZjFp3Io-a88H4XO/s320/22.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Llama</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">
Going out for dinner can sometimes be a bit of a guessing game but the
restaurant in Dali had many of the options laid attractively out beside the
entrance.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEuDc65KObphu2Pmazr9BeClfV8eTBzxFJSaw-iackC1Uoc6l5bR1aT4EalqP4ybh6gQ0VYDU87gtcPb66cG2xjyV9zf-BaQLPfzrTp_u2Edjt6UGMZfDYsGnkAHDhNnH_MnaZLQVwzUg/s1600/23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEuDc65KObphu2Pmazr9BeClfV8eTBzxFJSaw-iackC1Uoc6l5bR1aT4EalqP4ybh6gQ0VYDU87gtcPb66cG2xjyV9zf-BaQLPfzrTp_u2Edjt6UGMZfDYsGnkAHDhNnH_MnaZLQVwzUg/s320/23.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdUxt9ElSuX-T2BjiYcBvJV04SmXZgqLPNVM5PrW7wTU7c_dIruHaOSIpJuav-sBJY_qoNoD4DQyt_U9UTvFnN-J_DqCcWM0X3DHyUBbSYQjeYzAWxiJSHe7WL-iAmknGQSCHugPClZnu/s1600/24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdUxt9ElSuX-T2BjiYcBvJV04SmXZgqLPNVM5PrW7wTU7c_dIruHaOSIpJuav-sBJY_qoNoD4DQyt_U9UTvFnN-J_DqCcWM0X3DHyUBbSYQjeYzAWxiJSHe7WL-iAmknGQSCHugPClZnu/s320/24.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clockwise around the table from Eugene's orange shirt: Kent, Ed, Jo an extremely happy John, Rob the Elder, Maree & Kelly</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTH4HFlU_rnhSn7-61nWuup12kHlB5XOuTQkXthvnP8TV2XyedF8cnqyuztxKRf5yGwI5FGBA7l0D9SvjnVBhVjMElYKEpAQILJd_WGytjk1GEd6NjHtFlxOO7E6R52HXkfFvxMo8XBpU/s1600/25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTH4HFlU_rnhSn7-61nWuup12kHlB5XOuTQkXthvnP8TV2XyedF8cnqyuztxKRf5yGwI5FGBA7l0D9SvjnVBhVjMElYKEpAQILJd_WGytjk1GEd6NjHtFlxOO7E6R52HXkfFvxMo8XBpU/s320/25.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clockwise from left: Will, Anita, Eamonn, Anil (too busy eyeing up the pork dish!), Jen, Kat and Rob the Younger</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpqwusa6N34ZIeYAqIiA_q0yMpPg3N3VD7Cvo07susyZHVy91yir1bpkBNuUwzG_0saSL6FdoO-zfrMbsuvvK2LdqXOe4XvF9ONuci7syroBcC9r0zf95_hthAg62Q7CkF0MfugzPcYfyN/s1600/26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpqwusa6N34ZIeYAqIiA_q0yMpPg3N3VD7Cvo07susyZHVy91yir1bpkBNuUwzG_0saSL6FdoO-zfrMbsuvvK2LdqXOe4XvF9ONuci7syroBcC9r0zf95_hthAg62Q7CkF0MfugzPcYfyN/s320/26.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of all the group, Kent has struggled the most with chopsticks, bless him. 90% of the food ended up on the table and floor. Here he is, demonstrating his technique for not going hungry</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOFv7WcbhSaoZcioRZLQxqbHOjEjDI-6qr86sOdGjttzXByXxt_GMs0qpcqcsgk8Pm3s8VvAu_lqIc09ZCoWV6OgcQa6HHtfMrtOX0T4qWdv1nsESvAQlfXf_rxbqXp23dcgKmivlrS42/s1600/27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOFv7WcbhSaoZcioRZLQxqbHOjEjDI-6qr86sOdGjttzXByXxt_GMs0qpcqcsgk8Pm3s8VvAu_lqIc09ZCoWV6OgcQa6HHtfMrtOX0T4qWdv1nsESvAQlfXf_rxbqXp23dcgKmivlrS42/s320/27.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He has no problems with drinking beer though (with Will & Rob the Elder), so happy days!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">
Lijiang was our next stop, the short drive leaving the rest of the day to
wander the busy cobbled streets, enjoy the sunset and join in with the mass
dancing after dark.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZwgHHqkO7f8hcaOtiD0eY6gwucYoc3gjr8nznnF8ennmzCVp52ZBx8fCbyUFiXMihzCj69ZGTY5EBNisWleFDSYoLsvAYklvkB2FQWHjT9gHkB7yG2-pASCx77PmqE9zDpkA0wo73xXo/s1600/29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZwgHHqkO7f8hcaOtiD0eY6gwucYoc3gjr8nznnF8ennmzCVp52ZBx8fCbyUFiXMihzCj69ZGTY5EBNisWleFDSYoLsvAYklvkB2FQWHjT9gHkB7yG2-pASCx77PmqE9zDpkA0wo73xXo/s320/29.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Wh2qbQ1ALXG6b5hBKosoaegqMk92QduXXGuF1rVZY7YcGOsQCZOi8TUVHJ13hz1J5g39pkh9rITRRMy3cQTniz89E8wFOz9ArB198WvUL6cO1S8tKBPvzOBIgF48YL_ToPVPdp-Rc87n/s1600/30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Wh2qbQ1ALXG6b5hBKosoaegqMk92QduXXGuF1rVZY7YcGOsQCZOi8TUVHJ13hz1J5g39pkh9rITRRMy3cQTniz89E8wFOz9ArB198WvUL6cO1S8tKBPvzOBIgF48YL_ToPVPdp-Rc87n/s320/30.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poor frogs on the menu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17.1200008392334px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To get to Xichang the following day, we left the expressway and wound our way up through the mountains, where we were treated to stunning views and road-side stalls selling juicy grapes.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9AtOEST5GN-eCvOsqm7zOPqAK0vsIwcd9D0JFx1yjAu1Brix-ao4Z6PHrwD8LDWDBRXa5GUsS4KAVj7nPYbNz8dyMjbeVoNqHacYpIQscjDyg08nMblRpF1v6qwAkbbHWz97pMvYN3pXT/s1600/35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9AtOEST5GN-eCvOsqm7zOPqAK0vsIwcd9D0JFx1yjAu1Brix-ao4Z6PHrwD8LDWDBRXa5GUsS4KAVj7nPYbNz8dyMjbeVoNqHacYpIQscjDyg08nMblRpF1v6qwAkbbHWz97pMvYN3pXT/s320/35.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Baggy Trouser Brigade: Eugene, Maree, Jen, the two Robs & Kat</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Once we were on the flatter roads again, we said goodbye to Yunnan province and
entered Sichuan. The hotel for the night provided a particularly wonderful
example of the room layout common to Chinese hotels. Privacy does not come as
standard.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLr7f4XgmGM-dgiNl1tSpxXI1zfnTmPsDcgS90X-CGwTewbhs0dPXTW8pB066Y7SNPFQ-CjAQrc9vDfEsS3nPE5qLuo6ypxmXPCawwq7Ew6BngUDjy_VI01jv_a7rUw3fYERwjz2_su50/s1600/36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLr7f4XgmGM-dgiNl1tSpxXI1zfnTmPsDcgS90X-CGwTewbhs0dPXTW8pB066Y7SNPFQ-CjAQrc9vDfEsS3nPE5qLuo6ypxmXPCawwq7Ew6BngUDjy_VI01jv_a7rUw3fYERwjz2_su50/s320/36.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Our first stop in Sichuan was the Giant Buddha at Leshan, which is not only the
largest stone Buddha in the world but also the tallest pre-modern statue.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-qidghlX19MS9_3nSFxF_f9IeiTTOcuG_avyUsux2QfUtaMMGPLjtSlCW6L5aTCCMKVZsZ4i_s4dnlGR-I1czMJQmb0x1-xFHA8V3WW-8N4eu2ngjJ0di7gyP_hoaNoQ_vRK20si9h6F/s1600/37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-qidghlX19MS9_3nSFxF_f9IeiTTOcuG_avyUsux2QfUtaMMGPLjtSlCW6L5aTCCMKVZsZ4i_s4dnlGR-I1czMJQmb0x1-xFHA8V3WW-8N4eu2ngjJ0di7gyP_hoaNoQ_vRK20si9h6F/s320/37.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aUkuO5mDqvAiAYw7hLefmyu_mpwuVvYkOVFyst30R3ueaP6WJbPHtPDvlZb4yOb1kxS7fT1g8Nb-n7UBs7EKY7AqfH1Z18j7xAdGIgkMTtBWV_eoAClmT3_lVbhFNOVEyDv0nuqKj9h7/s1600/38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aUkuO5mDqvAiAYw7hLefmyu_mpwuVvYkOVFyst30R3ueaP6WJbPHtPDvlZb4yOb1kxS7fT1g8Nb-n7UBs7EKY7AqfH1Z18j7xAdGIgkMTtBWV_eoAClmT3_lVbhFNOVEyDv0nuqKj9h7/s320/38.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVFCVvRG5YNEFp89jjvGOFhAD5YxTjKbxigsDoOpH1D0mS3ITVcA2cUbPBrzU-9cYP13HFXZJQrRK1LHYUIngtILNw5u6TWtoGvCbGQha3LF-aSvE65CCyGfJljqlgAYfpOANME77h1O3C/s1600/39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVFCVvRG5YNEFp89jjvGOFhAD5YxTjKbxigsDoOpH1D0mS3ITVcA2cUbPBrzU-9cYP13HFXZJQrRK1LHYUIngtILNw5u6TWtoGvCbGQha3LF-aSvE65CCyGfJljqlgAYfpOANME77h1O3C/s320/39.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Then it was onto Chengdu, Anita’s hometown! With two nights there, it was
panda, hotpot and opera time!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJu1qeg7xN23kn4pVSoGvDcyHPVbLxQnmKoNSyICyBurdypN3NhURzypUEpz4SAOuAp0-O3R1vtbZzzSKKIdV159J2lsmfOId-UnDxpgxbvypv20JNyUwKlFSZy__nlvJ-3gzCq4sK-p-/s1600/40.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJu1qeg7xN23kn4pVSoGvDcyHPVbLxQnmKoNSyICyBurdypN3NhURzypUEpz4SAOuAp0-O3R1vtbZzzSKKIdV159J2lsmfOId-UnDxpgxbvypv20JNyUwKlFSZy__nlvJ-3gzCq4sK-p-/s320/40.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rattie & Rosie rode up front and got a cuddle from the truck monkey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2TmN65sGCTbgCTD27VLNYOZULHQbetZ5TI5ySWomZWSzfaVUTmuRNTweVrtcB6hT0oNMRY_YcupIveWud1rHncOmqgmsimM_EhFIrsz74CSWq9JVxYvDlKRy67IwPCJ4kJAtCLOZokWR/s1600/41.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2TmN65sGCTbgCTD27VLNYOZULHQbetZ5TI5ySWomZWSzfaVUTmuRNTweVrtcB6hT0oNMRY_YcupIveWud1rHncOmqgmsimM_EhFIrsz74CSWq9JVxYvDlKRy67IwPCJ4kJAtCLOZokWR/s320/41.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kent enjoying the view from the truck on the way to Chengdu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Hgs9cwHxc0F_pC5_M012SW1VfomdFcvgZQs1A_cUitx0-OyahKU12O-6GAfrXeF601qK19lreqd7n3dBSqhMHqS9uIaa8OWQEAQ1L8bUKlei9zDPDykAXrzDm7QhxGkWYmMPYzLVl9tH/s1600/42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Hgs9cwHxc0F_pC5_M012SW1VfomdFcvgZQs1A_cUitx0-OyahKU12O-6GAfrXeF601qK19lreqd7n3dBSqhMHqS9uIaa8OWQEAQ1L8bUKlei9zDPDykAXrzDm7QhxGkWYmMPYzLVl9tH/s320/42.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chengdu lit up at night</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVh8gYQsDLiJgRCSY0BZQtzmIAwxh78vlwblkK4piYV7T1pxIQ9bV7z-Dtlh-7dsnO7p9XyrOP6Q_XrvbkPvVfaE2z_oqH6H4ZafU7hv5H525j_ddWOSEP2ggBvWoOI3g7KF_6efJVIfQ/s1600/43.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVh8gYQsDLiJgRCSY0BZQtzmIAwxh78vlwblkK4piYV7T1pxIQ9bV7z-Dtlh-7dsnO7p9XyrOP6Q_XrvbkPvVfaE2z_oqH6H4ZafU7hv5H525j_ddWOSEP2ggBvWoOI3g7KF_6efJVIfQ/s320/43.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eugene's sandal comes in useful for opening beers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77tzVIwjx5ip-LCRVUiHY0sr52wi33qHUmAnxhkbwY_94RTCh0rkzvuK5IcxcHECr2krbvTgXLmS46RRGEAgMTEJ20xXIjy_dPS0h82kRnH3CXKUKYxZbrRo-CAj03_ABA2-AuAZmHB6n/s1600/44.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77tzVIwjx5ip-LCRVUiHY0sr52wi33qHUmAnxhkbwY_94RTCh0rkzvuK5IcxcHECr2krbvTgXLmS46RRGEAgMTEJ20xXIjy_dPS0h82kRnH3CXKUKYxZbrRo-CAj03_ABA2-AuAZmHB6n/s320/44.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelly & Rob the Elder showing off their seat-dancing moves</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">
There was really only one thing I could wear to see the pandas – a panda
onesie! Fortunately, the weather had cooled down enough that it wasn’t
unbearably hot in it. Will dressed as a monkey, but</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> also passed as a red panda
for the occasion, albeit one with furless ankles!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5AvAAI7gs9qv2V2w4TMVpJogO104-K66dZ-LeknvkrXQ0UkA-kqlSy_LrwQsP5IfWwDGTAVd1fV3m5l0wOQhQCzC6a0AnMq7a5P3SjVxgYHnNAQG3ejZofo7yszzuOAoJKQBEm-FlFc4C/s1600/47.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5AvAAI7gs9qv2V2w4TMVpJogO104-K66dZ-LeknvkrXQ0UkA-kqlSy_LrwQsP5IfWwDGTAVd1fV3m5l0wOQhQCzC6a0AnMq7a5P3SjVxgYHnNAQG3ejZofo7yszzuOAoJKQBEm-FlFc4C/s320/47.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9DDKU1UQ8f_B-a86SmTMsL8KiFl9jYMzioAKck6cP7WIZ3YoQtdJkTQVOyJCXs1Gj9_yp54NcslB-t1C2qnDJ0GQ4_Rq02SPTXtJTtEw573mIcQcgtKujSNHRkNq0MvUHyJ9griWfYV8T/s1600/48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9DDKU1UQ8f_B-a86SmTMsL8KiFl9jYMzioAKck6cP7WIZ3YoQtdJkTQVOyJCXs1Gj9_yp54NcslB-t1C2qnDJ0GQ4_Rq02SPTXtJTtEw573mIcQcgtKujSNHRkNq0MvUHyJ9griWfYV8T/s320/48.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An extremely cute panda</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-YBMIt5gcgMDVv9ZqF4wGiZmetkkyCToMqjXNM6pbPcfwVKujcpKoh6UbCah1CLOd0QIYuUam9qZ7yjrMeg55PQwvfiMJgo_pOK3_1AxV6SjwY5Yqql_dL4bUapRzOUN59stDrkdW1Fk/s1600/49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-YBMIt5gcgMDVv9ZqF4wGiZmetkkyCToMqjXNM6pbPcfwVKujcpKoh6UbCah1CLOd0QIYuUam9qZ7yjrMeg55PQwvfiMJgo_pOK3_1AxV6SjwY5Yqql_dL4bUapRzOUN59stDrkdW1Fk/s320/49.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working the camera</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVANFVxUcEZbboz9QDG-qK0cBjiDALPMz1uATCc3B6z_SaGItS1wboxg-mO4x3DCzVyC66axSwM_6iAVbBZpb2q2SVoFn3eEShyphenhyphenfZ8yRMxYEWA2WbLBwMqADLL552s1iutpN8tscRAF1p/s1600/50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVANFVxUcEZbboz9QDG-qK0cBjiDALPMz1uATCc3B6z_SaGItS1wboxg-mO4x3DCzVyC66axSwM_6iAVbBZpb2q2SVoFn3eEShyphenhyphenfZ8yRMxYEWA2WbLBwMqADLL552s1iutpN8tscRAF1p/s320/50.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiny panda having a nap</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbQky5yQV_5JcMFV3Fv5uA6bnKXLtFas6kfV9QpfCKPIiEjjIBUZ5-TSq1xFxcZKfSShtjfx5MPgISg5VTxv1BYjS42p5ZX7A51iPwjbAZN0mCvvkgipzJygT0AC5obxd1hgfXGNfvC3A/s1600/51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbQky5yQV_5JcMFV3Fv5uA6bnKXLtFas6kfV9QpfCKPIiEjjIBUZ5-TSq1xFxcZKfSShtjfx5MPgISg5VTxv1BYjS42p5ZX7A51iPwjbAZN0mCvvkgipzJygT0AC5obxd1hgfXGNfvC3A/s320/51.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uncanny!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaij_sHcJdjXE-8t3Mb905OxFg5ifH4r7deIaEF7yI8_lAf2_sLqU6_ny0rZ9F4vF5ulyNh0QI4z8pzQ7uNdOgRTRJu0mKgxvY80uBfH1R-CUgFIWj5f7G9KZMgiBG4oQ_2UN6r8C0TabB/s1600/52.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaij_sHcJdjXE-8t3Mb905OxFg5ifH4r7deIaEF7yI8_lAf2_sLqU6_ny0rZ9F4vF5ulyNh0QI4z8pzQ7uNdOgRTRJu0mKgxvY80uBfH1R-CUgFIWj5f7G9KZMgiBG4oQ_2UN6r8C0TabB/s320/52.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A red panda - slightly blurry, possibly due to fear. We were warned that they can be quite aggressive but there were deliberate holes cut in the fence to enable them to wander wherever they liked, often close to our vulnerable toes!</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">
Hotpot is a Chengdu speciality. A large pot of simmering stock, separated into
spicy and not-so-spicy, is placed in front of each small group of diners.
Ingredients are added or dangled in with chopsticks until cooked. This was a
particular challenge for Kent, but we all dropped items and then had to go on
fishing expeditions with the ladle provided.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77fIj3tuLw85B8LPzVPNwLMzE4Lkiddvbesr7uVUhJlJ401yHmh0W_Bzfpby1opuOS3C1FbY_H75ISc7kiHXXkXqJLd8BMdmbtod-s1MRC7dx3UrX-MVUGKfItWwuQxTLB1sbqMUw5qHV/s1600/53.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77fIj3tuLw85B8LPzVPNwLMzE4Lkiddvbesr7uVUhJlJ401yHmh0W_Bzfpby1opuOS3C1FbY_H75ISc7kiHXXkXqJLd8BMdmbtod-s1MRC7dx3UrX-MVUGKfItWwuQxTLB1sbqMUw5qHV/s320/53.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kent, Anita, Martha, Kat, Ed, Will, Eamonn, Kelly, Eugene & Anil ready to hotpot it</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtTlSkqmS0gna4wWFpKZ975gqFcHXL5rxbkoMv-e99TGCM8stKe0e-puTbT432VHUTP7g6L-65qHqNGyWtKdRTpkQxXwQ60I5QXJg4tdiaRos8vc9StLGC7luWrNa_kVETcuu_2i3_w2b/s1600/54.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtTlSkqmS0gna4wWFpKZ975gqFcHXL5rxbkoMv-e99TGCM8stKe0e-puTbT432VHUTP7g6L-65qHqNGyWtKdRTpkQxXwQ60I5QXJg4tdiaRos8vc9StLGC7luWrNa_kVETcuu_2i3_w2b/s320/54.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelly, Eugene and Anil concentrating hard. The hand to Anil's left is Kent's - look at him go! Rob the Elder's lessons are paying off...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">
The Sichuan Opera was a real highlight, with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">biàn liǎn </i>or the art of face-changing the main attraction.
Performers wear brightly coloured masks, which they change in the split second
it takes to wave a fan or tilt the head. It was extremely impressive, as was
the shadow puppetry, seen by most of the group as the best part of the evening.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span><span lang="EN-AU">After Chengdu, we drove north-east into
Shaanxi province to the city of Xi’an.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jen & Rob the Younger catch some shut eye on the long drive</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU">
This is where the Silk Road begins and from here we will turn west to follow it
across Asia. Xi’an is one of the oldest cities in China and its city walls the
best preserved.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span><span lang="EN-AU">But what Xi’an is most famous for is the Terracotta Army, an astounding
collection of sculptures modelled on the armies of the first Emperor of China
and designed to protect him in the afterlife. It is estimated to include 8000
soldiers plus many chariots and horses, and each of the figures have unique
facial features, varying body shapes and heights.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijn_4B3SPsCiM1MFhOSLoqSaqv_CsrsHD_1AcxD8RRabOy2k30VQ4UBJkTgWfxA2DlT0dicOUB-gwiM34QJE4WV2GT2KHl-tAvAkm17Ybg318Y8qtmLmopA8dV0rFp0F_9RAPs0I8eLIA3/s1600/65.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijn_4B3SPsCiM1MFhOSLoqSaqv_CsrsHD_1AcxD8RRabOy2k30VQ4UBJkTgWfxA2DlT0dicOUB-gwiM34QJE4WV2GT2KHl-tAvAkm17Ybg318Y8qtmLmopA8dV0rFp0F_9RAPs0I8eLIA3/s320/65.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0u-EIrPo9gRAuSboIiXqvvdbguCq9Ql87UYH74PdeYmg3pv4h6koYIqfqtKTSZ1Ge63iUTFXV671_Ps-smM7yXUBybYnrzSZwDSqmTAOwmvp-jDne1qt0SGCOMcMyHTKG7amMYrNH8qPw/s1600/66.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0u-EIrPo9gRAuSboIiXqvvdbguCq9Ql87UYH74PdeYmg3pv4h6koYIqfqtKTSZ1Ge63iUTFXV671_Ps-smM7yXUBybYnrzSZwDSqmTAOwmvp-jDne1qt0SGCOMcMyHTKG7amMYrNH8qPw/s320/66.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDq0HTP_ZiHY6wBpbnP4wlzud7URfsUydRBdnrYT97A6cWsY93CKQ3o5BKA6ra09YuKhRfkPVL401zSxT2o9UbPZmIOiv4CNl5-s-ECO0jhJgiWWJClnxqpbqzg5945D1Vobm7VYzrJna1/s1600/67.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDq0HTP_ZiHY6wBpbnP4wlzud7URfsUydRBdnrYT97A6cWsY93CKQ3o5BKA6ra09YuKhRfkPVL401zSxT2o9UbPZmIOiv4CNl5-s-ECO0jhJgiWWJClnxqpbqzg5945D1Vobm7VYzrJna1/s320/67.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kent and Julia, our final group member</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDw3ZWUF-cFRhMUDIfAY7m16p6FelDUVm3P_vkuQ1AfsNQzykY1OUJOsWaPD2aWMnAZ9QD9p0EHfBzseCjnjJ7Ithg3uul-1dZKrdd0q_s_DRyyMHgzxkbMJ-Rj06aQfYKjfaMKUTrZmd/s1600/68.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDw3ZWUF-cFRhMUDIfAY7m16p6FelDUVm3P_vkuQ1AfsNQzykY1OUJOsWaPD2aWMnAZ9QD9p0EHfBzseCjnjJ7Ithg3uul-1dZKrdd0q_s_DRyyMHgzxkbMJ-Rj06aQfYKjfaMKUTrZmd/s320/68.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John posing with some replicas available to buy from the gift shop!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcrypOigjto-Rvs0cUfHwPlYmfQupicogCi0AHsxvC20I0a5wYQVO2RgKg4cDDVOhs34o2Uq0JPYaCGJZ9UvAUeXkqWLsXuZ2kM9pzq-YAsCWFcLRTdufSyFTG9foSTRpf9UH0wgkkE9M/s1600/69.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcrypOigjto-Rvs0cUfHwPlYmfQupicogCi0AHsxvC20I0a5wYQVO2RgKg4cDDVOhs34o2Uq0JPYaCGJZ9UvAUeXkqWLsXuZ2kM9pzq-YAsCWFcLRTdufSyFTG9foSTRpf9UH0wgkkE9M/s320/69.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All warriored out and noodled out - Eugene, Kat, Kelly, Ed, Peter, Martha, Julia, John and Kent tuck into some Subway food</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
That evening, Will and I organised a <i>baijiu </i>(grain spirits) tasting session. Unfortunately, Kelly had developed an ear infection which was a concern for the altitude of the upcoming Tibet section of the trip, so Anita went with her to see a doctor. Without Anita’s translating skills, we were left to label the “wines” as best we could. “Hand-grenade” and “draino” were some name suggestions, the latter being particularly apt.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjL6Yb64bFsbiq0lJgXoj9fdEsGt8ZXfFx-VliB0f430mI6X1-7EE7Ps8boN4KvKhB_bBo7mBoXyPk4EaYK8uivPGGdA7wwqjy8mf-yhpjFQzzFmLU_J6Rmr0lnmHCql7IiDHu9gWhASD4/s1600/70.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjL6Yb64bFsbiq0lJgXoj9fdEsGt8ZXfFx-VliB0f430mI6X1-7EE7Ps8boN4KvKhB_bBo7mBoXyPk4EaYK8uivPGGdA7wwqjy8mf-yhpjFQzzFmLU_J6Rmr0lnmHCql7IiDHu9gWhASD4/s320/70.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kent, Peter, Julia, Anil, John, Eamonn, Will, Kat, Izzie, Rob the Elder and Maree ready to take on 100% proof (and largely cheap!) alcohol</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNtpzpYxlY59F9xY186mbuueNyYfBRriEPctFgqqNesJoRli2q9YAfE49Nv05DOYV9f2XMxHZ3fHa6lVM34EGCh6BDjq5I9RBls_tnhTbac_UfgPgOCZVxGGQY-lrIZCVz_PkMOkCtBSV/s1600/71.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNtpzpYxlY59F9xY186mbuueNyYfBRriEPctFgqqNesJoRli2q9YAfE49Nv05DOYV9f2XMxHZ3fHa6lVM34EGCh6BDjq5I9RBls_tnhTbac_UfgPgOCZVxGGQY-lrIZCVz_PkMOkCtBSV/s320/71.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Draino and friends</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjems-0IpQJPkOpjsZSfU6uMBDbF2tLHOmwCu0Lwh1pnWJXgJMyAzFZ4pEs4CgX5gcgmbmnH-fGsGoqIXfihralHjYDwMTG8uLvRTfxZg4KjU-XYAzQcjwBK53SrK0Is6_Ocx4RsHWQdizv/s1600/72.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjems-0IpQJPkOpjsZSfU6uMBDbF2tLHOmwCu0Lwh1pnWJXgJMyAzFZ4pEs4CgX5gcgmbmnH-fGsGoqIXfihralHjYDwMTG8uLvRTfxZg4KjU-XYAzQcjwBK53SrK0Is6_Ocx4RsHWQdizv/s320/72.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is traditionally served with food, so we presented the group with different varieties of crisps/chips. One of the favourites was "numb and spicy" flavour, pictured here with "hand grenade"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Ku3fUwVJ7vQiL1TbpjKFUhyphenhyphenMSiaQ7qJrlwCOie3jGq47vSl0inAegbmVQNAqqoWUtn4Nr9Y3Z_xqHhMKHPGHBm-JQ-dMCH0LUV9OEZvh_ej5ncTkveW1MBxomvtkA6PDFK91Ya1wjoZo/s1600/73.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Ku3fUwVJ7vQiL1TbpjKFUhyphenhyphenMSiaQ7qJrlwCOie3jGq47vSl0inAegbmVQNAqqoWUtn4Nr9Y3Z_xqHhMKHPGHBm-JQ-dMCH0LUV9OEZvh_ej5ncTkveW1MBxomvtkA6PDFK91Ya1wjoZo/s320/73.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eamonn looking a little dubious as he pours!</td></tr>
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Aided by the consistently revolting drinks (feedback ranged from “nail varnish remover” to “that one made me screw my face up the least”), the party really took off. Jen, an accomplished pianist, swept aside the “do not touch” sign while Eugene, true to his Irish roots, broke into song in the hotel foyer. Delightedly, we all joined in.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87sW6NMPr4Tz4GKZLDJKlVvZY2Y9w8McstMNtD4tkMR-YGhG_FoaFD8Q1ADr1Sy299OS94nL2IQQOtuz5LXmLZTEmdlQHU-JGhlPwlOQw-8GODLoS6vOLSxMti6MRg8DcKOWNFqEm6MO5/s1600/74.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87sW6NMPr4Tz4GKZLDJKlVvZY2Y9w8McstMNtD4tkMR-YGhG_FoaFD8Q1ADr1Sy299OS94nL2IQQOtuz5LXmLZTEmdlQHU-JGhlPwlOQw-8GODLoS6vOLSxMti6MRg8DcKOWNFqEm6MO5/s320/74.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPRjyXZNoZFL-eK-73CLi_2fvuN0vo2NPTH_oIsT42Hr7ZNOgaOH8tFd06HVAeXAymyRKDtg9aJM50daShCcsWSbBB7BKr39kTn6irv_eGga7j-IXlizKt5BfwrxT4vus07vlKBP77y77/s1600/75.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPRjyXZNoZFL-eK-73CLi_2fvuN0vo2NPTH_oIsT42Hr7ZNOgaOH8tFd06HVAeXAymyRKDtg9aJM50daShCcsWSbBB7BKr39kTn6irv_eGga7j-IXlizKt5BfwrxT4vus07vlKBP77y77/s320/75.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Elder and Maree belt out a ballad</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-n0bgcCBywzQ6QdAqbQb2k0DtKtA46TBU78il0mXcTPOaJSlm3OHnYjxaS1XoeCr211HXN6PA1WrNMubI89-LR2h4lDnWcAv3WaYiLOfOMIcPVx6J134VJ0nJVz4dnQSxAzfGrIFLqEs/s1600/76.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-n0bgcCBywzQ6QdAqbQb2k0DtKtA46TBU78il0mXcTPOaJSlm3OHnYjxaS1XoeCr211HXN6PA1WrNMubI89-LR2h4lDnWcAv3WaYiLOfOMIcPVx6J134VJ0nJVz4dnQSxAzfGrIFLqEs/s320/76.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Action Anil grabbed Maree for a dance...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDOVrp7GmOIUliFEAe8iJ6RL_bjfNQJ7SFxRQjoYZEA-E1AUJJ7KDrWfVKzPCqaoKwb5YgM70FVXOGjlMS7bPDBDaAtrq9Wpkh96fuUPXx28JUUMa9hAQBJEXiO1DJBSIcrimb7DbZo7Rn/s1600/77.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDOVrp7GmOIUliFEAe8iJ6RL_bjfNQJ7SFxRQjoYZEA-E1AUJJ7KDrWfVKzPCqaoKwb5YgM70FVXOGjlMS7bPDBDaAtrq9Wpkh96fuUPXx28JUUMa9hAQBJEXiO1DJBSIcrimb7DbZo7Rn/s320/77.jpg" width="241" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... but perhaps peaked too soon? Every time we thought he'd gone to sleep in his chair, he roused enough to yell "Yeah baby, that's my roomie!" in Eugene's general direction<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Miraculously, members of the group were up and about reasonably early the next morning to explore Xi’an.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0J_W0YIzLTgCSvoejF8Zy7sW4U15IjKQ484tn3NVqFKrGUOmmegMG8TKHK-Q1aDQGOD_30pckSJBtO20rvNECxTvdggzXoWg4LqN5A0cjfdlkE5th6TIcH6AxSoDA09o9jZkJXimc11z/s1600/78.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0J_W0YIzLTgCSvoejF8Zy7sW4U15IjKQ484tn3NVqFKrGUOmmegMG8TKHK-Q1aDQGOD_30pckSJBtO20rvNECxTvdggzXoWg4LqN5A0cjfdlkE5th6TIcH6AxSoDA09o9jZkJXimc11z/s320/78.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jo takes on a warrior monkey</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTG2kPqA2jGsFPLbpT-N4W7nVmtAD6cxBxv6gvRVODeYCpHXASDm17OECEIHKdUR6fUn08CsJcG_UgUfzWwdL9EKbtjTJbGrtoMpMseIC156b1gtfZnna-QaQunW0g7siXZfWKeE5C9d81/s1600/79.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTG2kPqA2jGsFPLbpT-N4W7nVmtAD6cxBxv6gvRVODeYCpHXASDm17OECEIHKdUR6fUn08CsJcG_UgUfzWwdL9EKbtjTJbGrtoMpMseIC156b1gtfZnna-QaQunW0g7siXZfWKeE5C9d81/s320/79.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julia and a posing monkey warrior</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHZmIZQqrEPIjZVscBw6oc5DQNbcKQoyZo4RIsTBcaFOijn65b5ITcIsWH8PZVMQJ5Y5XthJS3KII7T8aWyl0CVz-r38KSzk1ljVooAyGWPcAkCo9ouhliZc8_kN15Cd21jo05hHEL0cFK/s1600/80.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHZmIZQqrEPIjZVscBw6oc5DQNbcKQoyZo4RIsTBcaFOijn65b5ITcIsWH8PZVMQJ5Y5XthJS3KII7T8aWyl0CVz-r38KSzk1ljVooAyGWPcAkCo9ouhliZc8_kN15Cd21jo05hHEL0cFK/s320/80.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Younger and Eugene join in with a game of <i>jianzi</i> a kind of shuttlecock hacky-sack</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEd97Z6y2YBM4d95JhcCpvIxyJm5N3NyEZFmb-plxVjivB7KQgo4l7PM3GqqpfpsqAhoKphP3RPLvSk4PFRsQMChNuiAwH5TWkT1iLQdKkYJresipAn_wTKPAAK0bOrHUaRnSJuTn4F5o/s1600/81.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEd97Z6y2YBM4d95JhcCpvIxyJm5N3NyEZFmb-plxVjivB7KQgo4l7PM3GqqpfpsqAhoKphP3RPLvSk4PFRsQMChNuiAwH5TWkT1iLQdKkYJresipAn_wTKPAAK0bOrHUaRnSJuTn4F5o/s320/81.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Younger and Eugene hamming it up with some soldiers on the city walls</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlSZccvbMZQF25rQAsBtIxsXhDXtW74Jaxm7PwYSKtQllxEQz8-0YeyrdCwZpRSIxTLPlkN-QmAXAmuHGxbDfFuwqdSHklcC6ditsjyCeSdErkyDxx9aOnmTvy4Lb9kDTY44Bhcwud426/s1600/82.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlSZccvbMZQF25rQAsBtIxsXhDXtW74Jaxm7PwYSKtQllxEQz8-0YeyrdCwZpRSIxTLPlkN-QmAXAmuHGxbDfFuwqdSHklcC6ditsjyCeSdErkyDxx9aOnmTvy4Lb9kDTY44Bhcwud426/s320/82.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ed & Anil, not so full of Action after the previous night...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flat bread stall in the Muslim Quarter, one of the best night markets in China</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ed tries his hand at smashing peanuts with a giant hammer</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">
After 3 nights, it was time to move on. The route to Lanzhou showed us the
boundary between the lusher parts of China we had been travelling through and
the drier climate we can expect from Western China.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julia leads Anita, Rob the Younger and Jen in a stretching session while Rob the Elder, Ed, Izzie, Will and a random Chinese person look on</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Izzie introduces the new truck mascot, a maniacally dancing donkey</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">
As I’m writing this, the group are on board the highest railway in the world,
heading to Lhasa in the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Will and Anita are accompanying them while I
relocate Penelope to Golmud, where the group will join me in a few days.</span></span><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Odyssey Overlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704432117667366839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8305949265274359886.post-38924492321725936482015-09-07T07:47:00.001-07:002015-09-12T01:18:09.193-07:00Lazing in Laos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When you last left us, we were on our way to Chiang Khong and the Laos border. The unusual and impressive white temple of Wat Rong Khun made for a good lunch stop before we continued on to our hotel on the banks of the Mekong.</div>
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Chiang Khong provided the group with river views, a photogenic street market
and a beautiful sunset to enjoy with a beer. Everyone agreed life was pretty
good!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kent, John, Jen, Anil & Rob the Younger chatting over a Chiang beer</td></tr>
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And it was only to get better the next day when, after the formalities of the border crossing into Laos, we climbed aboard our Mekong slow boat for a lazy few days downriver to Luang Prabang.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bag Pile of Doom joined in the fun!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front to back, on left: Maree, Rob the Younger, Kelly, Eugene & Anil. On right: Martha, Kent, John, Ed, Jo, Will & Peter. Our very skilled boat captain had 4 kids who provided hours of entertainment!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clockwise from left: Eamonn, Kat, John, our boat guide Nang, Rob the Elder & Jen</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-AU">
The verdant banks gave us glimpses of rural life, as well as the odd elephant.
We spent most of the first day watching the countryside slide by, only stirring
for meals and to catch up on journal writing. Nang arranged a stop at a village
where the pace and activities continue much as they have for generations.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Younger, Will, Jo, Eugene, John, Jen, Ed, Kent, Kelly & Martha getting shown around</td></tr>
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The night was spent in the sleepy town of Pak Beng where, due to a rainstorm, we all bunkered down to watch a documentary on the wildlife of Laos.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will & Peter cart the bags back down to the boat</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-AU">
Day two brought more beautiful green scenery, delicious food and an attempt by
me to establish how well travelled the group is. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Elder & Maree enjoying lunch</td></tr>
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After some serious studying of a world map by John and Anil, we ticked off 142 countries. Not a bad effort!<br />
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<span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-AU">Torrential rain set in in the afternoon, with the scheduled stop to view the Buddhist caves at Pak Ou made even more interesting by the dash through the sheets of water pouring off the overhang. We were warned not to go up to the top cave because it was too wet, but of course Action Anil did anyway because that’s how he rolls.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelly decided shoes were overrated</td></tr>
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The Bag Pile took a final trip in a tuk tuk to the hotel in Luang Prabang,
where everyone was glad to dry off and hit the night market.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The night market</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martha gets stuck into some Beer Lao, a contender for the best beer in Asia</td></tr>
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The group were then free to explore for a full day. Luang Prabang and its surrounds offer a host of options, from city walks, temples and markets, to hill tribe village tours and waterfall hikes.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kent looking very pleased with his Beer Lao t-shirt</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anil (living up to his name by doing all the activities and being in all the photos!), Ed, Rob the Elder, Rob the Younger, Kat, Jen & Eamonn ready to take a dip</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ed & Kat dorking it up in their matching father/daughter t-shirts</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Younger was concerned about the nibbling fish<span style="text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eugene having a Crocodile Dundee moment</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ed & Anil tasting some snake spirits</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martha, Peter, Izzie, Kat, Kent, Eugene and the birthday boy: celebrating John's birthday on the last night in Luang Prabang</td></tr>
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The following morning it was - at last - time to meet Penelope for our drive north towards China!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jo helps get the bags loaded</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting settled on the truck</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final look at the Mekong</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penelope</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rain and the roads made for challenging driving</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5qbcpL_LA5d4mugH2jV8NY1Oe3UBNs04LKgp-qvotmK8i4q17E-VCT476BF11cfM5Eg9M8dL2vZ0XR6Qo4otSLeRhNFygb3Fec0QHx_gEmDhrMN2M0cESpZsRsgonK0nbWnvC-lfmcCx/s1600/53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5qbcpL_LA5d4mugH2jV8NY1Oe3UBNs04LKgp-qvotmK8i4q17E-VCT476BF11cfM5Eg9M8dL2vZ0XR6Qo4otSLeRhNFygb3Fec0QHx_gEmDhrMN2M0cESpZsRsgonK0nbWnvC-lfmcCx/s320/53.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will & Izzie having a silly moment</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMvOsvdWqGhxN_7RKpFuEu9DI2qo60FkLOWiYSGCFWxdRpd81NcsVhrchI7wcUYq4DGr6Lo85I1hROWY8r8tJ-5wNWouFuvnAvKQmy-eLcMmbEcvdGEOZeMOGYZQrUNwN4grv7q0oOvHBW/s1600/54.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMvOsvdWqGhxN_7RKpFuEu9DI2qo60FkLOWiYSGCFWxdRpd81NcsVhrchI7wcUYq4DGr6Lo85I1hROWY8r8tJ-5wNWouFuvnAvKQmy-eLcMmbEcvdGEOZeMOGYZQrUNwN4grv7q0oOvHBW/s320/54.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First bush toilet stop of the trip</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-AU">Tonight, we are staying not far from the Chinese border so we have
the whole day tomorrow to do the China Immigration Dance and make it to
Jinghong in time for bed. I’ll leave you with this sneak preview of something
that we are going to experience a lot of while we’re there: attention!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHz3viVURQ9Ca2K4da91YZea-mo9F7OKHCAlBN6DbeQHi8_AOEOotHvw1goySKeWNkx0-YBc_ZyCfnxyXEbq2cp914PE_Z5pFBd1wGmOuXgHQDMl3YHUSy1mOLKiW8774Einz21RnNTRp5/s1600/55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHz3viVURQ9Ca2K4da91YZea-mo9F7OKHCAlBN6DbeQHi8_AOEOotHvw1goySKeWNkx0-YBc_ZyCfnxyXEbq2cp914PE_Z5pFBd1wGmOuXgHQDMl3YHUSy1mOLKiW8774Einz21RnNTRp5/s320/55.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Odyssey Overlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704432117667366839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8305949265274359886.post-24325229851616747232015-08-31T05:49:00.002-07:002015-08-31T05:49:35.061-07:00A taste of Thailand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiZSENdRmPndGckgi426Ktl_MCZ63wg80Rngibvs1klQEw9O25Bidy_0haGfJghr__-tv7N8hf1mRBFyddjfeW7i99atqcPnPDdDStR0vFX4hLl7LjqFnMWW2YEpiXeaoGt3qgzWuUkPu/s1600/pic+01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiZSENdRmPndGckgi426Ktl_MCZ63wg80Rngibvs1klQEw9O25Bidy_0haGfJghr__-tv7N8hf1mRBFyddjfeW7i99atqcPnPDdDStR0vFX4hLl7LjqFnMWW2YEpiXeaoGt3qgzWuUkPu/s320/pic+01.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">Welcome to the “Kathmandu” to Istanbul 2015 trip blog! Due to the
tragic events in Nepal in April, the trip is starting from Bangkok instead of
Kathmandu, so the first section will have less mountains and more jungle-clad
hillsides. Will and I (Izzie) will be taking this lovely bunch:<br />
<br /><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">At Hualampong Station for the
train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. </i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Left
to right, at back: Martha, Rob The Elder, Maree, John, Jo, Anil, Ed, Kent,
Peter, Eugene, Eamonn and Izzie. In the middle: Kat and Kelly. And at the
bottom: Rob The Younger and Jen</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">.<br />
<br />
Julia is joining us in Chengdu, China. And Will was not in the photograph
because he was guarding the Bag Pile of Doom.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Our beautiful chariot Penelope is awaiting us in Luang Prabang, Laos, so until then we are talking a train, a bus, a boat and a number of songthaews (bench-seat minibus taxis).</div>
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But I’m getting ahead of myself – first the group had a few days to explore
Bangkok. Temples, river trips, shopping, nightlife and of course yummy, yummy
Thai food. With the rain giving way to blue skies, some chose the best day to
visit The Grand Palace and Wat Pho. The upside of travelling in south-east Asia
during the rainy season is the wide range of delicious fruit available. And
other, more chewy delicacies, if you dare!</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3eHEqVrUkG9lmsKu2YWrtrqCjH8TIQSii6SiBaWPctOQQp3pG5mEMNWNVCQzfDWVGiI51k1kQfE4tFm35WQmRecOAWLkLhotTnp4Xx3FA6RXYw3u6b66OLBbUEPT0MO7xSSpOcvNC9q4o/s1600/pic+05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3eHEqVrUkG9lmsKu2YWrtrqCjH8TIQSii6SiBaWPctOQQp3pG5mEMNWNVCQzfDWVGiI51k1kQfE4tFm35WQmRecOAWLkLhotTnp4Xx3FA6RXYw3u6b66OLBbUEPT0MO7xSSpOcvNC9q4o/s320/pic+05.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Grand Palace</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRknBNbdLiVFp0eMiIU6Oa4v_1Jy7znvzmeZOUD4NFBzshBung7L3AIHXkJsJ4Zu9p_fSfht2B4mgot-E-3S9AJgDC4ipnC-xRAqxzFfT7omAt18U7GbO6lOlPgM-WoGNzz-jWMMseRqa8/s1600/pic+07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRknBNbdLiVFp0eMiIU6Oa4v_1Jy7znvzmeZOUD4NFBzshBung7L3AIHXkJsJ4Zu9p_fSfht2B4mgot-E-3S9AJgDC4ipnC-xRAqxzFfT7omAt18U7GbO6lOlPgM-WoGNzz-jWMMseRqa8/s320/pic+07.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wat Pho</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chao Phraya River</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Izzie & Will tuck in</td></tr>
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An attendant came around and efficiently set up the sleeper berths and soon we
were all being gently rocked to sleep by the movement of the train.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7mcPaLr3ytUMX4_uZ76btGOJ064ms3ji5O-EFfjb0YN1X7UUcGsPevpZ0rJGsLUCyj2pLzcGzKDfBc40EfuR3Y8ZoEtO6YY9HGOSbkFSsvG2z5qloPRy5n7Z1hzuq1SU-DjBynxYZ-m2q/s1600/pic+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7mcPaLr3ytUMX4_uZ76btGOJ064ms3ji5O-EFfjb0YN1X7UUcGsPevpZ0rJGsLUCyj2pLzcGzKDfBc40EfuR3Y8ZoEtO6YY9HGOSbkFSsvG2z5qloPRy5n7Z1hzuq1SU-DjBynxYZ-m2q/s320/pic+14.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Younger, and Jen</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Elder, ready for bed</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eamonn, Ed & Eugene holding the bags in on the way from the station</td></tr>
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Chiang Mai was ours for exploring for almost 3 whole days and many set out both
to explore the city and to further afield for adventure or culinary activities.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDk1S72tEI_4F_26P2G0V2D9CICR7yI0ppDJGgkjCG4eDiZ8q3RqwC3SCKmYqumlhV_LSqY36gpDNPVq9xz4vgqm-fnOQjDOiX4OkppwDcAjNmcB5sJP5-0dhg2Auw69-UbEqW7oMNOgL/s1600/pic+18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDk1S72tEI_4F_26P2G0V2D9CICR7yI0ppDJGgkjCG4eDiZ8q3RqwC3SCKmYqumlhV_LSqY36gpDNPVq9xz4vgqm-fnOQjDOiX4OkppwDcAjNmcB5sJP5-0dhg2Auw69-UbEqW7oMNOgL/s320/pic+18.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwviTrspkrPvZTviCGTpWQv9Kq4I_lk_gejt3bgtjqlS7edZU9mRD1oejeCG4M4MqpbMTuLkoO5wvyFW_n4GsuYc3rnXOfJAbtWY867WwADPiQ8JCQty9kQI0E0MEkQAx6rqCEqZNmi-z8/s1600/pic+19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwviTrspkrPvZTviCGTpWQv9Kq4I_lk_gejt3bgtjqlS7edZU9mRD1oejeCG4M4MqpbMTuLkoO5wvyFW_n4GsuYc3rnXOfJAbtWY867WwADPiQ8JCQty9kQI0E0MEkQAx6rqCEqZNmi-z8/s320/pic+19.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zipliners - (at back) Peter, Rob the Younger, Ed, Eamonn, Izzie (at front) Jo, John, Eugene, Kat, Anil</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkclY76YZNKViv5i059UTqV2MtlVobtEJbqub6EgXpJ4jS1JUmti0_WQnwQ7vs10ecXBWKG14ra8IKAxlRCrYn1K3y1NvbmUSNVLdjvm0YhQTxavZoZZj3qiGn8gqgMcz9wZlZsF2m98oP/s1600/pic+20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkclY76YZNKViv5i059UTqV2MtlVobtEJbqub6EgXpJ4jS1JUmti0_WQnwQ7vs10ecXBWKG14ra8IKAxlRCrYn1K3y1NvbmUSNVLdjvm0YhQTxavZoZZj3qiGn8gqgMcz9wZlZsF2m98oP/s320/pic+20.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jo all kitted out and ready to go</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDm89bTAjAadJP7LUD-GguaIFDSFOhoZg8vWPLp3bE2gg_ba9PMeC3caElXahQLpE1DdDPpudW1tnRNcMkD4rgRxAJ-FtkygYtZ3q0HY647o4NPOaxHmxalnjypjhX9ge-P0P8PdEGikHO/s1600/pic+21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDm89bTAjAadJP7LUD-GguaIFDSFOhoZg8vWPLp3bE2gg_ba9PMeC3caElXahQLpE1DdDPpudW1tnRNcMkD4rgRxAJ-FtkygYtZ3q0HY647o4NPOaxHmxalnjypjhX9ge-P0P8PdEGikHO/s320/pic+21.jpg" width="187" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-nCDcsaTo8luQSTu7x572zaFqJHdytyUTELuS8pE1BDIJdjomWpmrzpbtAml4PnfOLHAY__s49F9OXIYt2BZ65eBJsWqR6d2kxH7SwQUEDOofsqgK7tPA5VEW4TiCCbQwBvI8bgacwoJ/s1600/pic+23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-nCDcsaTo8luQSTu7x572zaFqJHdytyUTELuS8pE1BDIJdjomWpmrzpbtAml4PnfOLHAY__s49F9OXIYt2BZ65eBJsWqR6d2kxH7SwQUEDOofsqgK7tPA5VEW4TiCCbQwBvI8bgacwoJ/s320/pic+23.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Father & daughter team - Kat zipping between platforms...<span style="text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-UshQiveRNG2Y3o2mqMaTiYFcd3KExu5I0I3-_eSUBfW8VhppqfK8PIgTAvB8c5etlgFd8Zh5xCibYDlxdH9P30DbzujLR9BI71wXULQPGclYdwJyO12ogAjLJvhzLqCDaOiufa1gk-t/s1600/pic+24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-UshQiveRNG2Y3o2mqMaTiYFcd3KExu5I0I3-_eSUBfW8VhppqfK8PIgTAvB8c5etlgFd8Zh5xCibYDlxdH9P30DbzujLR9BI71wXULQPGclYdwJyO12ogAjLJvhzLqCDaOiufa1gk-t/s320/pic+24.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... and Ed abseiling</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyS62A0z2sV75NkxWPvZeEROG-B1xKPL8xxwiqJzmV87pVtYpc5ISg1V9nUqh9yGx9ZEhI62OZl2UqyBj1TuRWu1Y73tXihaSVPoVvMNhSYFbY2m5NcimKFc4JOzKfXgsHlZcWUKvresSq/s1600/pic+25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyS62A0z2sV75NkxWPvZeEROG-B1xKPL8xxwiqJzmV87pVtYpc5ISg1V9nUqh9yGx9ZEhI62OZl2UqyBj1TuRWu1Y73tXihaSVPoVvMNhSYFbY2m5NcimKFc4JOzKfXgsHlZcWUKvresSq/s320/pic+25.JPG" width="261" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anil doing his best gibbon impersonation</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwdkYyofEa0n4i_fZfrVHdW84HBcZs6n7fJP0gukhRiRbFr5XJw_nf4HgyvDs26xYbzx7q5Frw8WfdqyefUh7_Uh1OszLUBAwvpHICiH2UJE1CDZ87l8mpMTj6l0b7ZZde8yhybsq-XXM/s1600/pic+26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwdkYyofEa0n4i_fZfrVHdW84HBcZs6n7fJP0gukhRiRbFr5XJw_nf4HgyvDs26xYbzx7q5Frw8WfdqyefUh7_Uh1OszLUBAwvpHICiH2UJE1CDZ87l8mpMTj6l0b7ZZde8yhybsq-XXM/s320/pic+26.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Younger and a croc</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZw0FdO3V74Zku5jpfuI6OXJA-5wZVSBkC06Gb8F12OnI4DdW7We7D9WzNoG7kdHX3wzGlyUIsbtxll083Ym16YpUOPE0DJXssk6UnUw5uNsbRanAX8SJMDuQogGDV18y15t3pbyHdZzez/s1600/pic+30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZw0FdO3V74Zku5jpfuI6OXJA-5wZVSBkC06Gb8F12OnI4DdW7We7D9WzNoG7kdHX3wzGlyUIsbtxll083Ym16YpUOPE0DJXssk6UnUw5uNsbRanAX8SJMDuQogGDV18y15t3pbyHdZzez/s320/pic+30.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cooking course group went shopping in the market</td></tr>
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The ladies on the cooking group had an even better time than expected when they were joined by Stefano the Italian who was rather easy on the eye and “had very strong hands”, or so I’m told!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Pl6g7IS4wrj0QIShuUpa5y39UKUXGMIoxDgv668uhxjPPSUynn1iLexj6EIrr0p4tdsfuuSgZNXdlU9hXE1CVMlajGDDssz1kiRs053BEyD6ksA4pwW1EMdaNIHrMtz4j4Ueo0Zzj8yl/s1600/pic+31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Pl6g7IS4wrj0QIShuUpa5y39UKUXGMIoxDgv668uhxjPPSUynn1iLexj6EIrr0p4tdsfuuSgZNXdlU9hXE1CVMlajGDDssz1kiRs053BEyD6ksA4pwW1EMdaNIHrMtz4j4Ueo0Zzj8yl/s320/pic+31.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taste explosion wrapped in a betel leaf</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4xMhDxXDelGFvXM3P7dLxFd03M5E2CDwIil74X81JSLAVoPAPd-3vPyRxvBfUDZyo0LcObk56NV7lx0BRnKoGYKULObb7ndUz5RY9Z5E7D-M6fF6l9Qc3jTRlSFfQ4PH-JQcjyqwNpvg/s1600/pic+32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4xMhDxXDelGFvXM3P7dLxFd03M5E2CDwIil74X81JSLAVoPAPd-3vPyRxvBfUDZyo0LcObk56NV7lx0BRnKoGYKULObb7ndUz5RY9Z5E7D-M6fF6l9Qc3jTRlSFfQ4PH-JQcjyqwNpvg/s320/pic+32.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martha finely chopping</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoobNgTZQVFailAfcQXmIoCxDHULGJh5fFwz6jcgVRSl8ORTUN_Kc_rpkRNWeYJCERUg24cjNrRNBrEgpiAaQx1GFpBLomNSii-HFKZwtqve8imxlGWNnWkISzwOX90jhXPINBE2Ptczpx/s1600/pic+33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoobNgTZQVFailAfcQXmIoCxDHULGJh5fFwz6jcgVRSl8ORTUN_Kc_rpkRNWeYJCERUg24cjNrRNBrEgpiAaQx1GFpBLomNSii-HFKZwtqve8imxlGWNnWkISzwOX90jhXPINBE2Ptczpx/s320/pic+33.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kent & Maree cooking up a storm</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhViy865HF7t24khlcxFz6XqcYEswMSVL6-DhYQRYh9_btBk8WuGsirZBL5rsxBStu-TunAwzRMu73KbVrdS8jEA4dTkUGVsPiWqlTlfUnzA3JS19bzgdPdx4j-kkYeoYnbjQiedyJy6yty/s1600/pic+34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhViy865HF7t24khlcxFz6XqcYEswMSVL6-DhYQRYh9_btBk8WuGsirZBL5rsxBStu-TunAwzRMu73KbVrdS8jEA4dTkUGVsPiWqlTlfUnzA3JS19bzgdPdx4j-kkYeoYnbjQiedyJy6yty/s320/pic+34.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maree & Kelly taking instructions </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5WXmluA4Pm03W5uwXvYS_gzB_xCI07IkXg0hoWSbHw_5zmOZU3Fv4EzRMLiAJwRInplNw5GeDhlzjYyj2wcIUkt2G3N8iVsCsu3Lb3wQaYD0d_aPBRL2x0Xb5GZSu-NfVDZ_HvjfJN4ue/s1600/pic+35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5WXmluA4Pm03W5uwXvYS_gzB_xCI07IkXg0hoWSbHw_5zmOZU3Fv4EzRMLiAJwRInplNw5GeDhlzjYyj2wcIUkt2G3N8iVsCsu3Lb3wQaYD0d_aPBRL2x0Xb5GZSu-NfVDZ_HvjfJN4ue/s320/pic+35.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eamonn & Kat went to Art in Paradise, a 3D art museum, for something a bit different</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYllI7R0D29vfnNdilqa0AYr42hqUue8Hycb5F5Yn1Pu7Uc9bXMM7YqjuQS_vFfUDIAc7TKT40vl0NuTu1eqoMr_n6atau7l66R8O0JRFiI6qaRCBvlqg9rDEfuzbMMjc_K-1YKe_iAafj/s1600/pic+36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYllI7R0D29vfnNdilqa0AYr42hqUue8Hycb5F5Yn1Pu7Uc9bXMM7YqjuQS_vFfUDIAc7TKT40vl0NuTu1eqoMr_n6atau7l66R8O0JRFiI6qaRCBvlqg9rDEfuzbMMjc_K-1YKe_iAafj/s320/pic+36.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KAr3dYfuVZUmhPAUPg388qg9Fm5b5syvcYPJTSwb0X3085H4d1mVvvrA-RuTZKWYRFPGI3OWecxPNkE2uNlxAf4mRgJCW7Fq-uQknejax9pcWIgBDLNuUIbaMkrq9TA1adNjAi2R7w9c/s1600/pic+37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KAr3dYfuVZUmhPAUPg388qg9Fm5b5syvcYPJTSwb0X3085H4d1mVvvrA-RuTZKWYRFPGI3OWecxPNkE2uNlxAf4mRgJCW7Fq-uQknejax9pcWIgBDLNuUIbaMkrq9TA1adNjAi2R7w9c/s320/pic+37.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob the Elder (taking photo), Jen, Rob the Younger, Peter, Will, Eamonn and Kat (not pictured) took bikes out into the surrounding hills</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPjpMkayU0GSJqksdxjKnytXQae-G8dJMfg-GHMqzE_Pgxl0zlrlZth_1mkMxMnlrJvYRqdgk8RbRbQ15SKEwMQc9Z-thyphenhyphenJqIHQZWt4mE2qOsv6pujk6bTL50rtu7cm_X2s4bQE_YpX3Q/s1600/pic+38.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPjpMkayU0GSJqksdxjKnytXQae-G8dJMfg-GHMqzE_Pgxl0zlrlZth_1mkMxMnlrJvYRqdgk8RbRbQ15SKEwMQc9Z-thyphenhyphenJqIHQZWt4mE2qOsv6pujk6bTL50rtu7cm_X2s4bQE_YpX3Q/s320/pic+38.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peter, after wiping the bugs off his teeth!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0LrGuLbFoo1zrHNEYjh1wxsxDcU-pJIzbHEp0i1oMabom9D5Acz3F_NsR5GkWtRYAjxJznZpwMHEA2-IEDigsKIJhkiZinICUm4cymLAg_ibnq7vdB-XSQtd8isK1C6-Xz6fFLKCeXHu/s1600/pic+39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0LrGuLbFoo1zrHNEYjh1wxsxDcU-pJIzbHEp0i1oMabom9D5Acz3F_NsR5GkWtRYAjxJznZpwMHEA2-IEDigsKIJhkiZinICUm4cymLAg_ibnq7vdB-XSQtd8isK1C6-Xz6fFLKCeXHu/s320/pic+39.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anil (aka Action Anil) and Ed take the prize for being up for both zip lining and rafting. The younger members of the group cannot keep up!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZLc6Mj9ppRFgS1QriQsEE75W1zMVS-I7C5DJdg4iU0MrCmitnVlhGLiS4yWyp6wOIMBEehlaAIkHAQDmknwCSTpNMO4lsblLNd_Cxz8xYdt2fvBzQ9koEzFaEpeW6zaXA_O45PSvCu7-/s1600/pic+40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZLc6Mj9ppRFgS1QriQsEE75W1zMVS-I7C5DJdg4iU0MrCmitnVlhGLiS4yWyp6wOIMBEehlaAIkHAQDmknwCSTpNMO4lsblLNd_Cxz8xYdt2fvBzQ9koEzFaEpeW6zaXA_O45PSvCu7-/s320/pic+40.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Action Anil</td></tr>
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Tomorrow we’re all off to Chiang Khong, on the banks of the mighty Mekong River. En route we’ll stop in Chiang Rai to see Wat Rong Khun or the White Wat. From Chiang Khong the group will cross the river into Laos and country number 2 for a lazy couple of days floating downstream.<div>
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I’ll leave you with the most cared-for chicken in Thailand on its afternoon walk on a string.<br /><div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb0MGjQowH2IDPjkeljpcIbhjNcjHXusaKumDnM9fUIAARWiFm3nT1Nt6vN-Af7rQpcZ7CHSlt8DYL9jGJy84SSjAdXb5t9OOMbSFHc_zEwPgCjjvjeRoCV15a6YTMKFiLPXxrom7RbLEi/s1600/pic+41.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb0MGjQowH2IDPjkeljpcIbhjNcjHXusaKumDnM9fUIAARWiFm3nT1Nt6vN-Af7rQpcZ7CHSlt8DYL9jGJy84SSjAdXb5t9OOMbSFHc_zEwPgCjjvjeRoCV15a6YTMKFiLPXxrom7RbLEi/s320/pic+41.JPG" width="214" /></a></div>
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Odyssey Overlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704432117667366839noreply@blogger.com0