tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10475196705784997592024-03-20T09:56:39.414+00:00The Routes of EarthWelcome to my site. I'm Liam Parkin, an Artist, who on the 10th September 2013 left his home to travel around the World on a Honda c90. You can read all about the adventure here.Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.comBlogger209125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-24830250485112132272017-08-08T18:34:00.001+01:002017-08-09T10:10:42.237+01:00From Slovenia to Bosnia via the coast of the Adriatic Sea.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After spending a lot longer than I originally planned around Venice I decided to make tracks and and try and speed it to the Croatian coast. This proved a little too effective as I nearly rode from Italy, through Slovenia and into Croatia in one afternoon...</div>
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<a href="http://www.theroutesofearth.com/2017/08/from-slovenia-to-bosnia-via-along-coast.html#more">Read more »</a>Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-56180696614326908992017-08-06T13:54:00.001+01:002017-08-06T13:54:29.058+01:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After the French Riviera we sped through the tiny tax haven of Monaco. Joe and I are having a little competition between us both to see how many tramp points we can score throughout the trip, but in Monaco it was equal. As we st on a wall eating stale bread and crisps we watched people with their handbags, fancy cars, entitled children, off-shore bank accounts and cocaine, feeling a little out of place. There wasn't much there for us through the whole of the Riviera. Very rich, heavily built up coast line doesn't bode well for two travellers on a tight budget trying to wild camp. One night we had to take refuge next to a sewage works, whispering the entire time behind a wall as families walked passed. Classy.</div>
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<a href="http://www.theroutesofearth.com/2017/08/after-french-riviera-we-sped-through.html#more">Read more »</a>Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-7625771011416326412017-07-28T17:21:00.000+01:002017-07-28T17:21:14.436+01:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Again... sorry for the vast spaces in between updates. One reason for this is that we've both been extremely busy, and there isn't much down time. I think this is the farthest distance I've covered in the shortest time. Usually I like to take a break for a while between the distances, but here, mainly due to the encroaching seasons, there isn't much time.<br>
Another reason, and I think the main one too, is that my poor little netbook is now on it's last legs and it's now become nothing short than a complete ball ache to try and get anything done on it. To give it its credit it has been slumped in the back of my bags for around 20,000 miles of overland travel, over mountains, deserts, through jungles, freezing temperatures, searing heat, monsoons, numerous crashes off-road where it's taken the full weight of the bike and one trip into the Congo River (in a waterproof bag that had a hole eaten into it by ants) so it hasn't done bad. It does need retiring. It's definitely time to invest in a decent tablet and/or a phone with a good camera. Trying to work with this just isn't feasible. Nevertheless, here's a collection of some of the best photo's from the remaining weeks in France.<br>
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Shoes packed away in humid forest, so it's boots with pants. Camp or a little bit Scottish with the kilt boxers?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvBhQwRkTSmFdNHnHTi3y3GegrmxeYqE_I6-Xw59o_vEoV_GrUILJMmbIRQw-bTHAEFC8qKH031FELtL6iXMh-LI1UzLi8MVTDKkt_9Q-9CA1LPQPTTDfDb-UleZn69RS7M1Z3RfoB-E/s1600/IMG_4654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvBhQwRkTSmFdNHnHTi3y3GegrmxeYqE_I6-Xw59o_vEoV_GrUILJMmbIRQw-bTHAEFC8qKH031FELtL6iXMh-LI1UzLi8MVTDKkt_9Q-9CA1LPQPTTDfDb-UleZn69RS7M1Z3RfoB-E/s400/IMG_4654.JPG" width="400"></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.theroutesofearth.com/2017/07/sorry-for-vast-spaces-in-between-updates.html#more">Read more »</a>Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-12271208942602627712017-07-10T03:23:00.002+01:002017-07-10T03:59:06.183+01:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Sorry for the lack of updates. It's been purely a case of enjoying this this beautiful country so much. </div>
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We're currently in the south of France in a town called Agen, staying with Marion, a friend I met in Vietnam as we were trapped in a hostel in Hoi An due to basically, a monsoon.</div>
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Life has become a lot more comfortable, weather-wise. No more wearing all our clothes as soon as we wake up or get on the bike, and no more worrying about having to dry out all our gear. I think on our last day in England it was 11c, and over the past few days it's reached 36c. That's quite a big increase and we've really felt it.</div>
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We've slowly made our way south, doing about 100 miles a day when on the bikes and getting into the rhythm of travelling with each other. It's going smoothly so far.</div>
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We stayed with our first host, Kevin, in Poitiers a few days ago. By then we had spent a full 7 days on the bike and we needed a rest day or two. Quite a lot of drinking and not enough sleep ensued, and making friends and enjoying a town to its full potential was definitely had.</div>
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We're staying in Agen until Tuesday, our two-week anniversary since we left home, and by then we would have covered our 1000 mile mark. From there we will ride to Italy and then into Slovenia. We're both really looking forward to reaching Eastern Europe.</div>
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Here is a gallery with some of the best photo's taken over the last week or so in France.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqitkLR31wNcjGFafxYC3ag6yugS_AovkCoHdbk2uGFKAzNOyfUDnAXwB5G34lxsHbon1liJMh7cAeFwmtqQINmgXd_tWj5YUPU41uoaNncTpmPSF6G_b6f074R6F9n6sYnUaev5R5dBmM/s1600/IMG_4477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqitkLR31wNcjGFafxYC3ag6yugS_AovkCoHdbk2uGFKAzNOyfUDnAXwB5G34lxsHbon1liJMh7cAeFwmtqQINmgXd_tWj5YUPU41uoaNncTpmPSF6G_b6f074R6F9n6sYnUaev5R5dBmM/s400/IMG_4477.JPG" width="400"></a></div>
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Our camp in a little by-road in between two fields. I don't really need to be reminded, but it's to great to realise that you can camp basically anywhere when on the road.</div>
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<a href="http://www.theroutesofearth.com/2017/07/sorry-for-lack-of-updates.html#more">Read more »</a>Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-70187830269515433512017-06-30T21:30:00.001+01:002017-06-30T21:30:22.633+01:00Another journey has begun.We're a little late in getting round to this. Our original plan was to have set off around the middle of May, but circumstances (Joe) delayed us. This is my fourth long-distance trip and it's the first time I've set off with someone. Joe's a good friend from the ye olde days and despite a shaky beginning I think it's going to be a welcome change.<br />
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Our original plan was to ride to the Caspian Sea and back, giving ourselves three months to do the round trip on our 125's. I'm not sure if that's going to happen now due to the delay. We still might get there, we might not. We may decide to just explore Eastern Europe more extensively instead of rushing to cover distance. Who knows...<br />
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We left four days ago and it has been pretty abysmal so far. Little bikes on big, busy roads in the rain with a deadline to catch the ferry. Cold and tiring. We're both extremely under-slept. I only had around two hours sleep last night and maybe 17 hours in total over the past five days. I'm a terrible sleeper generally but this has been pretty bad. Yesterday we arrived in Poole and decided to stay at a campsite rather than try and wild camp. We had an initial look, even did a Theresa May and rode through some fields of wheat, but the rain and the six o'clock rise meant that we just buckled into a little comfort... We still cooked dinner in the rain and it got to the point where it felt like we couldn't get any wetter. But hey, we're in France now and the sun is shining, our clothes are drying, the roads are quieter and we have no deadlines. I always hate riding out of the UK, and I'm glad it's behind us.<br />
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We've managed to find a nice spot to have an early night, tucked away behind a hedge in some farmers field. It feels great writing this on my netbook in my tent. Tomorrow we'll continue to ride south into the warmth and hopefully I won't lose my mind due to sleep deprivation.<br />
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I like baguettes.</div>
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Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-75033423426210891042017-05-22T19:23:00.002+01:002017-05-22T20:04:12.667+01:00Circumnavigating Indochina on a Honda Win 110cc. 11/11/15 - 23/03/17<h2 class="date-header" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: left top; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border-top: 0px solid rgb(170, 177, 35); bottom: 100%; color: #908d6a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px -15px 1px; min-height: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; right: 15px;">
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Vietnam</h3>
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So, it's been a while! Things change and don't always go to plan, but I am now back on the road again and currently in Vietnam. I arrived in Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon) around a week ago and plan to travel around the SE Asian region until next spring. Besides everything else it was a pleasure to leave the English November snow behind and arrive in the balmy warmth of the tropics - my hair's still wet from swimming in the warm South China sea as I write this!</div>
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I left the chaos of Saigon two days ago. I was bed-ridden with pharyngitis just before I was due to get on the sixteen hour plane journey here - which wasn't the best situation to be in! And I found the seven hour time difference ridiculous to get used to. I usually don't sleep before 02:00 am, and when that's nine in the morning here it meant that I barely slept for three days. Yet Valium cures all. Lovely pharmacies.</div>
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Still, it was shockingly easy to find a bike out here during my four days in Saigon. Below is my little beauty; a 'Honda Win'. I'm pretty certain that the chassis is the only remaining Honda part of the bike, but it's more or less impossible to find a manual bike like this with an original Honda engine. Although it does have a Lifan 110cc, and for those in the know these have a pretty good reputation as far as Chinese engines go - and so far it's shaping up to be pretty good! After literally three quarters of a day haggling I managed to pick it up for around £250.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0lY8b9hdeNvtGJ1fO_0qdWpelIiGsRdFInSq1cJ07rZstuG46ILBWC46_WflkbzhUMrdm4MRl0BzfBGAXLpaDnZXp2qcVz59PXStY-vnj8JVVT3urnRNEiJ9kClqoXG1HFMbYZc3qgFf3/s1600/IMG_0791-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #7d181e; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0lY8b9hdeNvtGJ1fO_0qdWpelIiGsRdFInSq1cJ07rZstuG46ILBWC46_WflkbzhUMrdm4MRl0BzfBGAXLpaDnZXp2qcVz59PXStY-vnj8JVVT3urnRNEiJ9kClqoXG1HFMbYZc3qgFf3/s400/IMG_0791-001.JPG" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="400"></a></div>
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</div></div></div></div><a href="http://www.theroutesofearth.com/2017/05/circumnavigating-indochina-on-honda-win.html#more">Read more »</a>Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-69415713725262630252017-03-30T10:08:00.000+01:002017-03-30T13:54:19.968+01:00This is just a quick update to say that some weird stuff will be happening with my site over the coming weeks, including updates and all. I have a new design in mind, and I need to configurate it so each trip is easy to access on their own. This goes for photo galleries too. It's all in preparation for the upcoming journey around Europe, The Greater Middle East, and Central and Western Asia. Who knows, maybe you'll enjoy them...<br />
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There shall also be some 'real' updates too that I didn't have time to writ or edit whilst I was on the road. I'll try and separate them all logically!<br />
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(They're also all going to appear above this post also, confusingly.)</div>
Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-73094205010868972142017-03-21T19:25:00.004+00:002017-03-21T19:25:32.804+00:00Circumnavigating Indochina on a little Chinese 110cc bike.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So here we are. I'm back when I started. Around 8500 km's over four and a half months through three amazing countries. There's been lots of laughs, lots of realisations, a few scary moments, a few times which put life into perspective, and personally, a few physical scars. All I can say is that this trip has been amazing. It's my third long-distance travel experience, and it's unfair to compare them to each other as they're all so different, but this one has been fantastic.And I'm absolutely shocked about how well my bike has performed throughout the whole trip.</div>
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It was kind of weird and a little bit sad to ride my bike to where I began my journey - I am very sentimental. But I've passed it on to a nice guy and I'm excited for him about the journey he's going to do through Vietnam. It's sad to see the bike go. It's been very good to me and I feel attached to it. But all things must end. I've passed the baton. </div>
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Anyhow, here is a gallery of my personal favourite photo's from the entire trip. I hope you enjoy them... I loved living them.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIcnvKt5FdEHK1SL7WoBj77eStZ1dzsvTLHfPdDvQfA_oGDXH-sTt9cw1CgcIJrq8AiDQJuV_cSmokeFZCx3qn9-KVwDEWuxN7erBGECI1zY3kygItjKoTiK55uMCkOXdMn3-YNhGWTVC/s1600/National-Geographic3-005+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIcnvKt5FdEHK1SL7WoBj77eStZ1dzsvTLHfPdDvQfA_oGDXH-sTt9cw1CgcIJrq8AiDQJuV_cSmokeFZCx3qn9-KVwDEWuxN7erBGECI1zY3kygItjKoTiK55uMCkOXdMn3-YNhGWTVC/s400/National-Geographic3-005+%25281%2529.jpg" width="260"></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.theroutesofearth.com/2017/03/circumnavigating-indochina-on-little.html#more">Read more »</a>Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-340181372116888482017-03-19T15:57:00.001+00:002017-03-19T16:01:29.912+00:00The last ride of the trip... With an impromptu adventure!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The phone which I'd been using to navigate since Hoi An, after an Australian man gave me his spare one in exchange for a cigarette after I told him I'd gotten there from Mui Ne just using a map and a compass somehow went missing on my bus ride to Bangkok. I bought a new one there and have been using 'offline maps' since, and boy is it interesting. I opted to avoid the highways, as I don't like dicing with death too much among the speeding trucks, buses and vans amid the melee of motorcycles and their unpredictable behaviour - listening, rather than looking seems to be the norm here, and so pulling out without looking is something that happens all the damn time, and it's bloody scary... not to mention noisy if you're relying on horns instead of your own eyes. It's no mystery why there's so many deaths on the roads here!<br>
Anyway, this offline maps app decided to take me on a 'short cut' away from the major highways. A shortcut which consisted of footpaths trailing along rice paddies, trying to find my way around once existent bridges that are no more, and testing my nerve once again of taking my bike over water on a bridge which literally made my heart pound. I seemed to have acquired a few fears during my time travelling. A fear of sinks, cows, and taking my bike over water (Congo). 'Fear' might not be the best word. Cautious seems more fitting. But look at that bridge below and imagine pumping yourself up to ride your heavily laden bike over those rickety, flimsy planks, whereby if your balance was put at stake for any reason your foot would just go over the edge... Those children told me it was fine. As an old woman did who isn't in the picture. I did the crossing, as steady and as fast as I could, and to be honest, it felt great with adrenaline pumping through my body once again. Fuck, that was scary. And in one of the best ways possible with my soon to be departed bike.<br>
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<a href="http://www.theroutesofearth.com/2017/03/the-last-ride-of-trip-with-impromptu.html#more">Read more »</a>Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-47309814127647446882017-03-18T12:34:00.001+00:002017-03-18T12:34:05.164+00:00Last miles and all the last random things that come with it.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm only around 50 miles away from Ho Chi Minh City. I could have made it there today, but I wanted one last stop, to savour the random chances that travelling on a motorcycle brings, just for one last time. That random little town, the random hotel, and that last chance to see a beautiful sunset over somewhere I'll probably never be again.</div>
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I'm in the Mekong Delta region now; a place where the Mekong river disperses into tiny estuaries before its last flow into the South China Sea. It has been a nice ride now that I'm back in Vietnam (I'll write up a full story of crossing the border when I'm less tired in Saigon, as it's pretty funny) despite the fact that there's literally ten times the amount of people here than Laos and Cambodia, which makes for busy and noisy roads. No more cruising down empty roads with music playing in my ears... Still, all the views of getting over these bodies of water are worth it. Whether that be by bridges or by boats, it's still fun.</div>
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Tomorrow I will be at my final destination of this trip - the place where I started. I'm feeling very reflective about the past four and a half months. They have been great. And so have the people I've met. It's a strange feeling that someone else is going to be riding my bike once I sell it - I am quite attached to it, it's been good to me. But I suppose someone else has had these feelings about that bike before it came into my hands. Everything ends, and then begins again.</div>
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<a href="http://www.theroutesofearth.com/2017/03/last-miles-and-all-last-random-things.html#more">Read more »</a>Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-67720307044169689712017-03-16T15:54:00.002+00:002017-03-16T15:54:39.185+00:00Back on the road, amid a self-imposed delay and an arrest...The way back from Bangkok was a lot more fun than the 26 hour coach journey there. It involved a taxi to the airport, then obviously a plane (with a very nice Indian lunch) then a tuk tuk ride to a 'coach station' where I got into a van with a manic driver with some inner need for high speed overtakes around blind corners to Sinhoukville, and then finally, riding on the back of a bike to Otres Beach. It all took 11 hours.<br>
I really had a smile once I saw my bike which I left at the hostel, I'm going to miss that thing. Although some tramp stole my mirrors. Cheers. They're only $2 for the pair! There was no room at the inn though so I trudged to the next hostel where I found a very chilled out bar. It was 9:30 pm by this time and to the sorrow of my empty stomach the kitchen had closed. But it was 50 cents a beer that evening, and after a long day of intense travel there's nothing better than to saturate the mind with a few beers and let all the tiredness float away. And so we enter the game of 'I'll go to bed after this beer.' 'I'll go to bed after this beer.' and so on. I wouldn't even say I was drunk, but at the age of thirty one, going to bed on an empty stomach full of beer is not a good thing, and I awoke feeling dire. It was one of those hangovers which comes with an existential crisis where I question everything I've done with my life, accompanied with a lot of fear... I spent most of the following day eating, in between drowning my face into my hands. But all is well come morning!<br>
I set off kind of early. It's good to know the bike is still working perfect after been left for around two weeks. Yet once I got to the main roundabout in Sinhoukville I heard that ever-pleasant blow of a whistle from a policeman. Usually when they try and stop me I'm already going at quite some speed and I pretend that I hadn't seen them. But seeing that I was stationary it would have been ridiculous if I just drove away. They took me into their back office and was convinced that I had weed on me. I haven't smoked that shit for years and years. Although I did have a massive box of opiate based pain killers - I'm certain I have a fracture somewhere within my ankle. It's been five weeks since I was rammed by the cow and all external injuries have healed, yet deep inside the heel there is still pain. I can't put pressure on it, I'm still limping, and in the morning when all the pain killers have worn off it's aching from the inside like a bitch. It needs rest, but no can do on the road... Maybe when I get home I can go see my old work colleagues in A&E.<br>
"So what happened?"<br>
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<a href="http://www.theroutesofearth.com/2017/03/back-on-road-amid-self-imposed-delay.html#more">Read more »</a>Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-77811702753466333692017-03-13T17:11:00.004+00:002017-03-13T17:11:39.612+00:00Commencing the Mad Dash.Well this has come about fast, especially since I got a couple of dates wrong... I fly home in nine days time and everything has to be wrapped up nice and tight before then. Tomorrow I leave Will's and fly to Cambodia's capital; Phnom Penh from Bangkok. From there I'll catch a bus to the southern coast and be re-united with my bike. I'll change the sprockets and chain to minimise risk of being stuck during the ride (they have needed to be changed for a while) and then cross the border back into good, old Vietnam (with no import permit) and then ride back to Ho Chi Minh city. I'll sell the bike there and then fly home... It has all gone quite fast. It's going to be a busy last stretch!Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-18230358209890681252017-03-11T06:28:00.000+00:002017-03-11T06:28:14.323+00:00Koh Samui<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
After a taxi, a plane, a coach and a boat, I finally managed to make it to Koh Samui. Will met me at the port; I think he was unsure about sharing a flight with me due to my 'misadventurous' tendencies. </div>
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Koh Samui is a beautiful island, so here is a short photo journal from over the past two days here.</div>
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<a href="http://www.theroutesofearth.com/2017/03/koh-samui.html#more">Read more »</a>Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-82909867079188199162017-03-08T10:27:00.001+00:002017-03-08T10:52:01.577+00:00Bribing our way out of Vietnam - with some secret filming...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Sorry this is coming in a bit late. It has taken a while for Marc to get this video to me. The road can be busy! Here is all the footage that Marc shot of us getting through the most Northern border of Vietnam and into Laos. It was our last day, visa-wise, that we could be in the country, so we didn't have much choice, regardless of all the bad stories we'd heard about foreigners with motorcycles being refused to cross. $30 seems to be the going rate at this one. It was all well rehearsed on their part. Corruption can sometimes work in your favour... afterall, we're travelling on bikes not registered in our names and with no insurance. So paying a bit to get through can be acceptable. Sometimes corruption doesn't work in your favour though; that's why this is the only border crossing my bike has gone through out of the three countries I've travelled through with it, tee hee!</div>
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(Please excuse the spelling mistakes also. Through the many months I was travelling with the Germans I was teaching them English, but there wasn't many opportunities for written lessons... also, that Homo Sapien joke was my idea.. just saying!)</div>
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<a href="http://www.theroutesofearth.com/2017/03/bribing-our-way-out-of-vietnam-with.html#more">Read more »</a>Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-23076295290085123662017-03-07T08:08:00.000+00:002017-03-07T08:16:53.398+00:00Bangkok.<div style="text-align: left;">
I arrived in Bangkok two days ago, but yesterday definitely had to be a rest day as it took a total of 26 hours to get from my hostel at Otres Beach to Will's place in downtown Bangkok, a distance of what should have been just over 400 miles. I assumed (assumption being the mother of all fuck ups) that we'd be taking the direct way to Thailand, following the coast line. And at the time of buying the ticket I got all the "yes, yes, Mr. Parkin" about the route. But no! We had to stop in nearly every effing place in Cambodia, which took a bafflingly long time on a cramped bus with no toilet "yes, yes Mr. Parkin, it has a toilet" with some of the shittest tour operators who's desire for lack of communication seemed to be their one and only gift on the way to one of Thailand's busiest land borders. It took two hours of waiting in a zig-zagging queue to get our passports stamped. Apparently only four people are adequate to do this for the hundreds of people waiting in line. It wasn't the best introduction to bus travel in Southeast Asia. I'm so glad I've been travelling on my own set of wheels! Although, everybody - actually everybody I spoke to on that journey said it was the worst coach ride they had been on, so maybe it was beginners luck and all that.</div>
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I seemed to have picked up a weird sort of stomach bug at Otres too. I ate a lot of seafood there; mainly barbecued barracuda, but I can't feel what gave me it. I felt sick for literally one minute or so, and then I had just a complete loss of appetite; which was quite handy for the bus ride here as there really wasn't many chances to grab something to eat. Yesterday was the first time I'd eaten for 48 hours, which is I think the longest time I've ever gone without food in my life. I praise probiotic drinkable yoghurts though! I used to detest them back in England, but in Asia I've become quite addicted!</div>
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But all is well now. It's great seeing Will again. It's quite a strange feeling meeting up with a friend you made thousands of miles away from home, and then seeing them again thousands of miles away from both respective abodes. I've never done that before. There's also a strange sense of deja vu being here. It's quite similar to his place in Accra; same trinkets on the shelves, same books, and same photo's and paintings on the walls. It's also very luxurious. It's a world away from sleeping on the floor of a barn with three other farm workers and shitting in holes in the ground; but I like these extremes. It's good to experience everything, mostly. </div>
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Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-82231940346978331072017-03-03T12:04:00.001+00:002017-03-04T07:17:19.821+00:00From Battambang to Cambodia's southern coast.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I had a dream in Siem Reap whilst I was resting my ankle from the 'cow attack' about swimming in phosphorescent plankton... and I hadn't been able to get it out of my mind since! I really don't have many days left on this trip before I have to leave - which I am ready to do, but I need to stick to strict itinerary if I'm going to get everything done that I want to do in time... and riding to the southern coast to swim with this plankton is one of those things.</div>
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I left Battambang with 'Norah the explorer', and gave her a lift south until she had to go her own way by bus. I like ferrying people around on my bike... especially with how ridiculous it looks with so much weight piled onto a little 110cc bike. It's nice to be able to have a chat in the evening too, in all the obscure places you find in between the tourist towns. Not to say locals aren't good company... they are on many occasions - except when they try and take you into brothels...</div>
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Hmm, cow signs...</div>
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<a href="http://www.theroutesofearth.com/2017/03/from-battabong-to-cambodias-southern.html#more">Read more »</a>Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-77755431406214151012017-02-24T15:43:00.000+00:002017-03-04T07:17:19.809+00:00Setting off to Cambodia's southern islands with a new friend.I really didn't do what I had planned whilst in Battambang; getting on the bamboo train, seeing the bat caves etc. Instead I chose the days idling away listening to music, reading and generally having quality 'me time'. It had been a stressful few weeks, what with the smuggling and the cow incident, and I regret nothing just spending time relaxing.<br />
I did make a new friend though who will accompany me on the back of the bike to the southern isles. I only have one month left, exactly, of this trip, and sadly, only around 500-600 miles left of riding before I make it back to Ho Chi Minh - so I'm going to get the most out of this bike journey! Tomorrow we leave in the blistering heat in search of glowing plankton...Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-29792082294360189602017-02-22T08:08:00.002+00:002017-03-04T07:17:19.761+00:00A collection of my favourite photo's from riding through Laos.Laos wasn't my favourite country in the world to travel in, but for natural landscapes and anything nature-orientated, it's quite high up there with some of the best.<br>
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<a href="http://www.theroutesofearth.com/2017/02/a-collection-of-my-favourite-photos.html#more">Read more »</a>Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-86601029599066476882017-02-21T09:18:00.001+00:002017-03-04T07:17:19.825+00:00Back on the road again.I'm back on the road again. After spending a week in Siem Reap - pretty much the first half of that was in bed, and the second half was temples - I feel fit enough to head out alone and tackle anything that may come my way. Since yesterday I can now put a little pressure on my heel, and can more or less walk normally barefoot. With flip-flops I have to modify the way I use my left foot, but it's fine. I can even run for brief periods, and exploring the temples of Angkor on three consecutive days showed no bother (although it is nice not having to get up before dawn again in order to avoid masses of Chinese tourists). In my boots tough, I still have to walk like I've crapped my pants. But I can ride with them with no bother.<br>
I really wouldn't have stayed so long in Siem Reap if it wasn't for the injury. The place has been taken over by tourists and feels like a Western parody of Cambodia. But for someone who is tending a broken part of their body, all the familiar choices and comforts available to me were very welcome; nachos for breakfast, steak to pay back to cows etc...<br>
The temples though. My, they have to be seen if you have the chance to. Put in the effort to save, and if you have the luxury of freedom I'd highly recommend coming to Cambodia for these temples alone.I was in total awe for the full three days. I've never had an experience like it. I took 1101 photographs over the course of three days. It's going to take a while to edit and sort them, but I'll upload my favourites when the time comes. Here's one to show you now, so you can get a glimmer of what I mean.<br>
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I'm heading South now, to a hostel called 'Be There Dragons' in Battambang. The weather here is <br>
<a href="http://www.theroutesofearth.com/2017/02/back-on-road-again.html#more">Read more »</a>Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-34977993478898503532017-02-15T08:33:00.001+00:002017-03-04T07:17:19.770+00:00Rammed by a cow as I biked down a lonely Cambodian road.<div style="text-align: center;">
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The continuing trials and tribulations of my left foot.</div>
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Well, I certainly didn't think that this would ever happen. It was my first day riding in Cambodia. Late afternoon, spirits were high, and I had decided I was going to camp wild due to the lack of guesthouses between Stung Treng and Siem Reap.<br>
I was cruising along, casually as I made my way to the next village to pick up supplies for the night, and I happened upon a herd of cows; a common, daily occurrence. They were on the left side of the road as I was on the right; I slowed a little, kept right, and then a young bull, presumingly, turned and bolted towards me. That and the following impact seemed to happen within a split second. There was no time to react - all that was in me was to just try and keep the bike upright, which I thankfully managed.<br>
The cow had smashed into my left side, and I was in an immediate state of shock as my bike rolled down the road with my clutch pulled in. My leg and foot was numb, but there was also pain. A lot of <br>
<a href="http://www.theroutesofearth.com/2017/02/rammed-by-cow-as-i-biked-down-lonely.html#more">Read more »</a>Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-33273202129964953882017-02-12T07:13:00.001+00:002017-03-04T07:17:19.765+00:00Smuggling my bike into Cambodia down the Mekong River.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Whilst in Vang Vieng I was faced with a conundrum which had been going through my mind for the past three months - where do I go with my bike from Laos? The two obvious choices were either Thailand or Cambodia. But then, that total pain in the arse of border controls comes into play which turns what should be a straightforward decision into a minefield of custom regulations, import permits and fluctuating rules into a logistical nightmare. </div>
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For Thailand, I would have had to have the ownership of my bike in my name. It's not, my name isn't Sung Seo Pao. To change it legally, I would have needed to live in Vietnam and show residence permits etc. I considered for a time to forge my ownership card - it wouldn't be the first time I had done something like that, and it seemed relatively straight forward. But as things go, the Thai authorities had recently changed the rules of bringing your own vehicle into the country, mainly due to the amount of Chinese tourists causing accidents. This means that even if a European or the like had ridden from their home and had all the correct papers, they still may be refused entry in Thailand, or at the least, be made to hire a guide at a huge expense to escort them through the country. My feeling is, is that this regulation will change in the near future as Thailand will lose a lot of money from motorcycle tourists who just want to visit their country. But as it stands now, this is the case. I did go past some very remote borders (the ones you usually have the most luck with) on my way down south through Laos, but I ultimately decided against it.</div>
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This left Cambodia. Now, Cambodia only shares one border with Laos, and the customs officials there have taken full advantage of this fact, and for motorcycle tourists, this border has become somewhat infamous. Their are numerous threads documenting the corrupt activities there on the </div>
<a href="http://www.theroutesofearth.com/2017/02/smuggling-my-bike-into-cambodia-down.html#more">Read more »</a>Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-79439495220610831012017-02-09T06:12:00.003+00:002017-03-04T07:17:19.813+00:00Robbed.I've just found out the my 'secret wallet' in the 'secret pocket' of my bag contains none of the $140 I had in there of emergency cash, aside from a few one dollar bills (not worth it, aye?) £15 of English notes were also taken... I'm not devastated by this; it isn't going to effect my trip or my life in any way. And when it comes decisions about spending money, I always think 'well, there's always more money to be earn't'. And this is the case. I'm not a rich man by any means, and this is more of a hindrance than anything. That was my border money and emergency cash if something went wrong. I do see it as a violation though. I am sure this happened in Vang Vieng, it had to of done, and Vang Vieng is a junkie and meth heads paradise, and imagining their Gollum-like hands going through my stuff is a pretty uncomfortable thought. At least they didn't steal my i-pod; having my music stolen would have been agonising. And they didn't take my laptop or camera either, as having my photo's stolen would have been devastating. It seems they were just after money; probably to spend on drugs. I hope they buy them with my money and overdose - not to die or be harmed in any serious way, just enough for them to be put down for a while and make them take a long, hard look at their life.<br>
I really wasn't impressed by Vang Vieng, at all really. I've been writing a lot since I've been back on the road alone, and this is part of a piece about Vang Vieng from a 4000 word-ish article I've been working on about long term travel and mental health...<br>
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<a href="http://www.theroutesofearth.com/2017/02/robbed.html#more">Read more »</a>Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-71218488314119657702017-02-08T09:40:00.001+00:002017-03-04T07:17:19.802+00:004000 Islands.I've managed to make it to 4000 Islands. My bike has done me proud. It's a very beautiful place here, and was surprisingly easy to find a boat to take me from the mainland to Don Det. I have the pesky fact that my Laotian visa expires in three days, and maybe being on an island isn't the best place to sort that out, but I'm sure it will all be fine in the end and tomorrow is the day for thinking about it - today is for relaxing.<br>
Here are some photo's from the longest stretch in the shortest time on this trip; Vang Vieng to 4000 Islands - 950 km in 4.5 days.<br>
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The roads I've ridden on over the past five days really are identical to many in West Africa; Buddhist temples aside.</div>
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<a href="http://www.theroutesofearth.com/2017/02/4000-islands.html#more">Read more »</a>Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-29117564289251697782017-02-07T07:27:00.000+00:002017-03-04T07:17:19.758+00:00I'm nearing 4000 islands. I don't think I'll make it in time to be able to catch a ferry to Don Det today, but tomorrow I would have definitely made it - unless some form of disaster strikes.<br />
This ride south really reminds me of riding through West Africa; long, empty dusty roads that shimmer in the distance. Red earthen tracks that lead off into dry shrub land, and the occasional heard of buffalo that meander into the road.<br />
I'm really having to race if I'm going to have a chance of making my plans come into fruition, but riding in this heat is tough for my poor, little, air cooled engine. I'm currently making about 240 km a day (that's around 150 miles to you British people; Mum and Dad), but I have to take multiple, hour long breaks throughout the day to prevent overheating. Mid-day it's like a hair dryer on full heat that is trying to cool the engine. It doesn't work! Ed March, a C90 travelling guru gave me some advice about overheating engines when I was going through Africa, saying "if you spit on it and it sizzles, then it's time to stop riding." This happens around an hour and a half. It's about 35 Celsius here (and no, I'm not going to translate that into Fahrenheit, as Fahrenheit is ridiculous).<br />
I've thought that I've had engine failure once a day for the past three days too. But in actuality I'd just run out of petrol. I still haven't got used to how shockingly shit the quality of fuel is here in the south of Laos. For instance, my tank allows around 7.5 litres before I have to go onto reserve, and it runs through this after around 200 km. I have no idea what the octane level is in this fuel but it must be dire. To put it into perspective, in Vietnam I could get around 50 km per litre, about the same as my Honda CG125 back home. And the fuel here isn't cheap. I feel robbed!<br />
Anyway, this mad dash should be over soon, and I can give my poor little bike a rest. I'm just glad I managed to find some decent oil on route. Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047519670578499759.post-23728885441603989662017-02-05T13:15:00.000+00:002017-03-04T07:17:19.751+00:00I'm currently racing towards 4000 islands; a place which shares its border with Cambodia along the Mekong River. My visa for Laos expires on the 11th, and from Vang Vieng to 4000 islands is around 940 km, and by far the greatest distance in the shortest amount of time that I've travelled, on this trip anyway. I then have to get my bike over into Cambodia, one way or another (it will definitely have to be 'the other' - I'll explain in my next post.<br />
The temperature now that I am in the lower lands is the hottest that I've ridden my bike whilst I've been on this trip, and factored with the distance I need to cover, I really have to keep my mind on the temperature of the engine. I found some really good oil today, but it still started to overheat after riding smoothly for two hours after the change - so I'm going to have to change my riding schedule; mornings and evenings.<br />
I have a really nice idea for a blog post that's been skirting through my head for the past two days, one that I'm surprised that I haven't written before. Although certain events have thrust all the idea's into light (I am now riding alone), so this new schedule may prove fruitful in actually getting that written, as after a days ride, my mind is finished with thinking. Yet taking a break and drinking coffee through the hot mid-day hours will give me the advantage of having time when my brain's still in gear.<br />
Either way, you'll probably hear from me once I'm at 4000 islands. Two days... hopefully.Liam Parkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021179793131270236noreply@blogger.com0