In the Spring of 2007 my good friend Barbara decided to join her good friend Raine on a trip to Tibet and Bhutan.  This was not a good time to be planning such a trip as demonstrations on Everest in support of Tibetan autonomy caused a clamp down on independent travel.  With the Beijing Olympics looming it was a sensitive time for the Chinese authorities who once again were only issuing permits to organized tour groups.  Not wanting to get to Chengdu in September and find it impossible to proceed to Tibet they booked a tour through a Canadian agency who in turned used a Nepalese tour company to put together an itinerary for two with a car and guide

Meanwhile I had committed go to Myanmar in December to teach English to disadvantaged children at a little school on the outskirts of Yangon.  Before Yangon the plan was to wander around Laos and Cambodia for a month or two.  I had been to all three countries and was confident about being alone there

Barbara asked if I could time my departure with the end of her trip with Raine so she could come to Laos and Cambodia with me.   She didn't know anyone else who wanted to go to either country, didn't want to travel alone nor miss an opportunity which may not present itself again.   Eventually I saw the light.  Once Barbara had been to Tibet and Bhutan,  I wouldn't know anyone who wanted to go there with me!  And so our excellent Asian Adventure was conceived

An uprising of monks in Yangon almost de-railed my time in Myanmar but it all came together in the end

To join us click on the links to the left