Christmas in Laos

To save updating two blogs at a time (and as posting photos to this one is cumbersome), please see

www.mytripjournal.com/vixandalan for up-to-date postings of our travels in South East Asia.

We’re currently in Laos (this is our Christmas View) and will be travelling around the south of the country for a couple more weeks before moving into Cambodia, then probably back to Thailand before heading across into Vietnam in February 07.

Bodies, bones and Bangkok

Arrived in Bangkok on Monday and settled into the Buddy Lodge Hotel in the heart of backpacker's hang-out, Kao San Road. The street comes alive at night with all kinds of weird and international types of all ages. Plenty of places to hang out, internet surf, buy massage or simply sample fab fruit juices.
By day it's quite hot but the hotel has a modest roof terrace swimming pool providing decent respite at the end of the day.
On our first day out, we resolved to walk everywhere and do some gentle sightseeing. Unfortunately, we got waylaid by a Tuk Tuk driver and ended up (as all naive travellers do) visiting a number of shops including tailors and jewellry outlets.

A sweet smell pervades the streets and food vendors are plentiful (banana fritters being a particularly lovely possibility!)

Yesterday, we were taken to visit Mahidol University's Dept of Anatomy to meet with Dr Jantima who has kindly agreed for her department to carry out the reduction of Eric's body, returning it as a skeleton to the Forest Hermitage in Warwickshire. Witin Rachatatanun, who we were recommended to by Dad's friend, Ven. Ajahn Khemadhammo, picked us up from the hotel and took us to the hospital where Dr Jantima explained in considerable detail, how the process of skeletal reduction works. It seems nice 'n natural and mainly consists of removing the flesh, putting a body into water (which is changed regularly to avoid nasty smells) and then delicately brushing away the last remains of skin and muscle tissue. The bones are then dried out naturally in the sun (somewhere up in Northern Thailand where the dept has an outpost).

The world's leading expert on skeletal reduction, Mr Warin Thodsaraapi, who was awarded a certificate of excellence for his work in this field, last year by His Majesty the King of Thailand, will carry out the procedure on Eric's remains, providing we can fix for his corpse to be kept very cold and chemical-free on its journey to Bangkok. The box picture shows how the skeleton ends up (no nails, no glue, no chemicals), making it easy to transport.

After the meeting, we toured first, the Congdom Museum of Anatomy which houses a number of very unusual exhibits (eg Siamese twins in formaldehyde), cross-sections and dissections of every part of the body, including the former Dean of the Dept whose skeleton hung beside a display cabinet housing his skin and organ remains.

As if that weren't enough, we then toured around the Museum of Forensic Science where the entrance hall was lined with trauma victims and body parts, captioned with things like: "amputation of suicide victim's arm" just below the preserved actual arm itself! Not for the fainthearted was the upper body and head of a man run over by a car, complete with tyre treads across the torso and face! (Bear in mind, these were not replicas but the actual bodies and bits).

Luckily, I am not especially squeamish about these things, although I can imagine some school chidren balking at the whole body display of a child-eating cannibal, Si Quay, whose name is still invoked to threaten naughty children apparently.

After our fill of torsos, heads and limbs, we then headed out to the Thawsi School of Wisdom which is run by Witin's wife, Anne. It's a private school for kids aged four-16 and set in beautiful grounds with some excellent facilities including a small swimming pool and tennis courts. Witin and his wife life in an apartment attached to the School but we had dinner in the house of his sister-in-law and her husband, an entrepreneurial property developer. It was a magnificent house, filled with impressive displays of fossils and flowers. Their hospitality was magnificent and we're unlikely to eat for a week!

T-minus 1 day

A busy couple of weeks, mainly on the paperwork front, but thankfully now almost complete. AB's last visit to the dentist for five months and hopefully he won't be needing an emergency visit to a Thai dentist!

Enjoyed a happy family gathering last night. Poor Lyulph drove down from a meeting in Bolton, via Orpington to pick up Sue, but in the end, everyone (except Maurice in New Zealand!) managed to make it. Piccy shows me and Alan, Alastair, Lindsay, Eric, JW and his girlfriend Verity. (Lyulph and Sue's late arrival unfortunately meant missing the photo opportunity).

Last week, drove up to Edinburgh for the weekend with Archie, seen lurking in the photo, in the Scottish Parliament which we visited. Also went to see 'Borat' which was very funny.

Travel preps 4: 11 days to go

Just imagine trying to crew solo one of these catamarns which we saw in St Malo, Brittany. The four-yearly 'Route de Rhum' from Brittany to Guadaloupe was in evidence when we arrived there recently. On the following Sunday, we went up to Cap Frehel to see the intrepids come around the headland with their sails in full flow. Unfortunately, a sudden and impenetrable sea mist descended just about 30 seconds before they would have come into view. At least our little party (Alan, Dinah and me), hadn't taken the coach up to the lighthouse viewing point as this was constantly under seige from the inclement weather. We did, at least, get a lovely sunny walk along the seaside.






We've also had a meeting of the Evering Road East Action Group and are mustering for a series of serious battles with Hackney Council, neglectful in their duties and responsibilities with regard to Planning & Development. Also had a great evening a Celia and Neil's catching up with other neighbours and enjoying sausages and fireworks. The pictures show Neil, and Bob's 'new' wife Cathy from 229.




Am getting pretty organised on the domestic front - petplanet has come to the rescue in the form of bulk online cat food and Alan's teeth are progressing nicely, if but a little painfully. I am, perhaps, to be an official blogger for www.blacktomato.co.uk following a recent meeting with one of their directors. Alan is discussing and researching the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Getting ready for a quick flit up north to catch up with Archie, and then say 'au revoir' to Liz & Barry who live on the edge of Ilkley Moor. Arch is re-claiming his leather jacket which Alan's been using and we're taking most of the last personal remnants he requires up to him (and up five flights of stairs...)

Ally tells Alan that his girlfriend Becky is considering the police as a career option. Funnily enough, my brother Maurice once nearly married a policewoman but she called it off about a week before.

Travel preps 3: Rainy November in London

It's warm but wet and yesterday in London we had a torrential downpour of hailstones and rain - almost monsoon-like! Retreating indoors to continue our preparations for our extended travels we cleared out our kitchen and cellar. Think I'll write a book entitled "Downsize Me"!

Have discovered a marvellous travel website covering the countries we're visiting (Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam) called www.travelfish.org which is full of golden nuggets. Continuing also to involve myself and gain wisdom from www.tripadvisor.com, www.virtualtourist.com, www.worldsurface, www.blacktomato.com and many other useful sites. Receiving lots of useful info from fellow travellers and trying to make sense of all the info that's out there.

Meanwhile, Archie is getting to grips and enjoying his new job at amazon.com and Alastair is progressing his VW Camper dream. Last night, had to take our neighbour, the Greenpeace VW owner, Bob Wilson, to casualty last night after a particularly nasty incident involving a ladder, a light bulb and a wet night in Hackney and hope that the home-made leek and potato soup provided a modicum of solace after the incident!

Still trying to take advantage of the last four weeks of access to my wonderful baby grand whose rich tones I will miss when we're away, as well, of course, children, family and friends but getting appropriately excited about forthcoming travels and hoping that various elements of technology (weather, maps, trip advice, emails, mobile etc) will perform as they should.

Off to Brittany on Thursday for a long weekend and to close up Ville Cario until the Spring. Long range weather forecast suggests it might be 20 degrees plus and sunny - hurrah!

Travel Preps 2 - only six weeks to go!

Finally got around to actually booking our flight to Bangkok mid-November. With six weeks to go, there still seems so much to do but the practicals are in-hand.

Firstly, (See earlier post, “Does anyone know Sean Andrews?”), the tussle with Stratford Crown Court is receding with clarification from the Clerk of the Court, that I don’t actually have to appear in person in order to prove I am not, nor ever have been, Mr Sean Andrews.

Meanwhile, trying to figure out how to get to see everyone before we disappear for our Big Trip. Already we have organised a quick flit to Edinburgh to see Archie and a long weekend in Brittany to close up Ville Cario for the winter so free weekends are evaporating. Fortunately, domestic paperwork is in hand and we’re confident we can ‘wing it’ pretty much on the visas front.

Jabs, teeth, eyes and copious supplies of Doxycycline all taken care of and, once again, Lakeland, my favourite mailorder outlet, has come to the rescue in the shape of a vacuum packing, ‘clothes-squasher’ to reduce the volume in my rucksack.

When in Thailand, I am planning on a visit to meet with the Head of the Department of Anatomy, at Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University in Thailand which is being kindly arranged by Witit Rachatatanun from the Thawsi School (Buddhist Wisdom School). This will enable me to progress Eric’s ‘Last Wishes’ regarding the stripping the flesh from his bones and becoming a sculpture representing the impermanence of life which will reside at The Forest Hermitage, a Buddhist retreat deep in the heart of Warwickshire. Whilst in Thailand, also hoping to catch up with Max, one of my fellow students last year. Both of us qualified as English as a foreign Language teachers (CELTA) but I have yet to put my studies to use.

Have been seeing quite a lot of my ex-employees, one way or another. Tonight, it’s Meera and Rod’s engagement. They met at The Angelic in Islington and are having their party there. Have also seen Amanda, Dee and Sarah Ellis-Jones, all of whom left Recruit Media this year to join Peter Fry at the Xchangeteam.

The old firm has just re-launched its website and gone corporate and boring – lots of stock shots of white men in suits and self-congratulatory copy. Just serves to reinforce my delight at not running a recruitment business any more!

Travel Preps 1: So much to do!

I am resigned to remaining incompetent in my pianoforte rendition of Debussey’s Clare De Lune. Despite lessons earlier this year, with a very nice girl called Tessa (trained in ‘The Suzuki Method’), and despite taking my upright piano to Brittany where opportunities to practise nonetheless eluded me), I am now turning my attention instead to the very melodious ‘Try A Little Tenderness’ by Harry Woods. The tones are rich and deep on my piano (pictured).

Meanwhile, preparations are in hand for our imminent travels to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and back to Vietnam for Tet in February. Archie will be joining us. He may, in fact, be there alone, as Alan and I have yet to actually book anything.

So much to do and so little time! How did I ever fit in everything before?!! Top of the list is socialising and seeing family. Alastair has been around, which has been great but messy as ever. I had thought my days of picking up rotting banana skins from the floor and matching smelly socks were over. Still as “Mummy Claws” will be on holiday this year, such indulgences prevail.

On the practical side, I am organising the updating of our Wills and Last Wishes so that should anything untoward happen, everything will be in order. Not that simple a task, it turns out, when you have to consider paying out for someone legal to assist you. I am also researching online into places to see/avoid. There is so much available material but much of it is aimed at 20-something backpackers in search of “The Beach” experience. However, I have posted a comment on the Thorn Tree Forum, the older travellers’ section of The Lonely Planet Guide which is yielding some interesting responses.

Well, mustn’t grumble about lack of time – we are packing quite a lot in and tonight it’s the Hackney Empire organised by Alastair, who returns to Warwick Uni tomorrow. Last week, he entreated us to see the less-than-cheerful ‘Children of Men’. He was disappointed that I didn’t rate it as highly as one of my Top Ten - ‘Soylent Green’ starring Charlton Heston and Edward G Robinson – a prescient and chiling sci-fi triumph IMHO! 'Children of Men' has a strong cast (especially if one is a Clive Owen or Michael Caine fan) and was a good film but despite the somewhat relentless grime and crime, it's action overpowered its potential substance. Tonight’s gig is a No2ID Benefit with standups. However, we are still trying to convert Eric to the cause. His loyalty to the Party unquestionable, but his perception of the threat to Civil Liberties is another thing.

On the subject of politics, following on from the successful Garden Party held here in the summer, I now find myself hosting a "Pizza & Politics" Evening. The theme is Green so it should be interesting. I may persuade AB to participate, although I've actually yet to tell him we're hosting!

I am attempting to finish reading "Attention All Shipping", a light and funny 'travelogue' which, as it indicates, follows the Radio 4 shipping stations and contains smatterings and musings of humour and interest. I am also reading a fairly ancient Herman Wouk but am finding it difficult to relate to the US Naval officer and his dysfunctional family. I may feel disposed to give up. I wonder when I will find time to get fit. There will be alot of 'squatting' on our travels. As someone who took until my early twenties before I could consider the possibility of not being near a decent loo, I have come far!

Does anyone know Sean Andrews?

I am getting annoyed with Sean Andrews. I don’t have a clue who he is but some months ago, he got on a bus in Whitechapel and didn’t pay his fare. Since then, at increasingly frequent intervals, boring brown envelopes addressed to this criminal individual have been arriving at the Binnie Lubbock residence.

I wrote to the court, on the last but one occasion of such a letter arriving (a court summons to Mr Andrews). Clearly, he never had the intention of being fined for his misdemeanour, but a bureaucratic punishment is undoubtedly heading my way.

Having notified the court that Mr Andrews does not , and never has, resided at my house (at least not for the past 24 years, two months and five days), I have now been informed by the court that I must attend a future court hearing and present the evidence myself. What evidence??!! Despite a suggestion to the clerk of the court that, surely, a letter from me and proof of my ID should satisfy m’learned friends, I have been informed that nothing less than a personal appearance from me is an acceptable alternative.

What concerns me is the possibility of a ‘bad debt’ or county court judgment against this address and it seems most unfair that I should be charged with providing information and/or ID proof to argue a case not of my making. it also strikes me a complete waste of public money (if compelled to attend, I will certainly be asking for my time and costs in expenses).

In any event I have informed the court that I will not be available to attend court until after March 07, yet still they seem determined to pursue the matter, with the arrival of yet another brown envelope this morning. This time it is addressed to Mr Sean Andrews in red Ink and capital letters (a style choice I was always told was favoured by ‘nutters’). I shall be returning this envelope to SENDER forthwith!

I hope the saga doesn’t take as long as the illegal and erroneous switching of our gas supply which continues to have reverberations after more than three years…

The Fabric of Life

Memory is a strange thing. It plays tricks on you, evades you when you need it and comes to you unbidden intruding as daydreams or flashbacks (depending on how chilled out or otherwise you are).

As the seasons defy their properties and get all mixed up, Spring Cleaning has come early to our household. An imminent period of travelling for five months comes ever closer, and meanwhile, domestic 'To Do' lists grow as much as the unseasonal flowerings outside.

'Tidying the Cellar, for example, is on the list. It's where we keep our washing machine, freezer, DIY and cleaning stuff, along with other assorted non-essential but uncategorisable 'clobber'. We have downsized considerably in recent years so sorting, tidying and chucking should be straightforward.

Stooped and fighting my way through golf clubs, paint pots and the hoover to an area at the back of the cellar we call 'The Cage' with its slatted and wooden frame, I come across two bags of fabric, full of off-cuts and patchwork scraps accumulated over the years, firstly by my Granny Bruce, and then by me.

The first piece, a stretchy dark blue fabric, is one which I immediately recognised as the material I'd used to make a teeny pair of blue dungarees for my then four month old baby Archie. Archie was born on the 11 th September 1983 and is now a strapping, fit and handsome lad of 23 – by co-incidence exactly the age I was when he was born! Luckily for Arch he was too young to object to his mother's inadequacies on the baby clothes front!

The next piece is a larger-sized scrap of chintz – dusky pink roses on a white background resembling the patterns of Weims or traditional Staffordshire pottery. This was the sofa my granny, Margot Bruce had on her furniture – a three-piece suite she possessed before, with age, the need for a velvety pair of pink Parker-Knowle armchairs took over.

The third sample was one of mine again, an opaque black floaty number with bright abstract sploshes of colour, perhaps once a wild flower meadow or coral reef. In any event, I remembered having a floaty shirt which I wore proudly in my early to mid teens, along with another scrap from a sequin-fish T-Shirt purchased from the original and recently re-launched famous BIBA in Kensington.

Less salubrious is the piece of stretchy orange towelling. Introduced at the age of about 13 to 'Domestic Science and Seamstressing skills' (from which I never fully recovered), the blaze of orange was used to construct a towelling orange poncho with white fringe. Clearly misguided in my fashion sense, no-one thought to tell me that an overweight pre-pubescent girl is not flattered by such garments; its disgustingness only outweighed by the felt and vivid green mini netball skirt I attempted to fashion the following term. I was not destined to adorn the cover of ladies glamour mags – either for wearing or for making.

So, long-lost dresses, ponchos and netball skirts, forgotten armchairs and dress-making talents I never had. And what now of these scraps? I don't think my boys would appreciate a bagful of scraggy fabric. In any event, the contents wouldn't hold the memories. Hey ho, nothing for it but the rubbish bin. History consigned to the dustbin!

Alastair in the driving seat!

Whoopee - Ally's passed his driving test on the second attempt and is now on the hunt for a second hand VW camper van to fulfill his hippie ambitions!

Meanwhile, back to the real world and realising just how many things we need to get organised before our next travels to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam (starting sometime in November). Apart from self-assessment tax returns, yellow fever jabs, finding a new lodger, ziggy to the vet as he's been scrapping, and a myriad of household maintenance things. Also keen to catch up on the socialising and neglected friends!

Hosted a nice Lib Dems garden party on Sunday. Not attending the conference this year, but continuing to keep a close eye on Lib Dem developments nationally. Regretably, I feel that Ming - and indeed the party in general - has missed a number of opportunities to loudly offer alternative visions - particularly on the Lebanon/Israeli conflict. Ally has been demonstrating and is stepping up his involvement in the NO2ID campaign.

Last days in Brittany

More pix from Brittany

Brittany summer

Another fine summer in Brittany. We've been here since early July and have just over one more week left. At the moment, on our own before Alan's folks arrive on Friday but we've been quite busy with lots of old friends visiting from near and far
(Australian cousins Francis, Adam, Jackson and Alice; my daddah, stepmother, stepbrother JW and my boys Archie & Alastair;


Rob & Yang La, Simon and Julia from Beijing, the boys' first ever au pair, Fadela, and her husband Dimitri and six year Ilyias, Ken, Caroline and our 'god-daughter' Sarah from Ayr, and an unexpected guest (Kaarina) from Vienna (a psychoanalyst friend of Caroline's); and Liz and Barry from Ilkely Moor.

Activies have included walking, going to numerous firework displays and local communal scoff (Fest Noz), mini golf, swimming, horseriding, serious eating, star-gazing, walking and cycling, table tennis, boule etc etc. It's been fab and added to the happy 'memory bank' that is La Ville Cario.

As usual, Alan's been busying himself with garden projects and has built a rather Heath Robinson structure to house his growing log stack. We have new neighbours in the house next door - a very nice couple from Paris, Thierry and Catherine and their two kids, Nathan (6) and Clarisse (11). Alan taught little Sarah to ride a bicycle without stabilisers and she successfully managed to cycle all the way to the Auberge with him where we took her for lunch to celebrate!

Graduation, Dr Who and Party time!

A busy time before heading off to Brittany for 8 weeks! Starting with Archie's recent graduation as a Computer Scientist in Edinburgh ...





Then serious preps for the garden party - including Arch making sushi for 125 people and some serious help with delicious dishes from my mum, Kina. Great to catch up with so many friends and, probably to the annoyance of some neighbours, we managed to keep going until 7.00am on Sunday morning.



and, for Ally's imminent 21st, the inevitable and enduring Dr Who - made by my very good friend Karen Freedman - amazing and very tasty!



Archie will be starting his new job with Amazon in September but, meantime, both boys are at home and it's just like old times!

Old Rockers never die - they picnic in style!

And so to The Who, playing live in Leeds at Harewood House, along with The Flaming Lips, The Zutons, Eels etc. A grand gathering and even grander picnic and a fab time had by all - with special thanks to Liz & Barry who were most generous hosts!

Archie's Graduation Day

So, returned from a busy week in Edinburgh (Archie's graduation and moving flat), Leeds (The Who, live at Harewood House) and Warwick (Alastair drop-off and 'stuff' collection). Three trips to IKEA in one week and lots of practise with flat-packs and carting stuff up and down 80 stairs, but gratifying to get Arch sorted and settled in his new place. Lovely views out front and back and easily walkable into Edinburgh Centre via The Meadows which he looks out onto.

Photo competition

Have decided to enter a photography competition on the theme of food and people. Here's a selection of my entries.