National Three Peaks - Peak 1 : Scafell Pike (978m)

Go on....challenge yourself!

Other people do the National Three Peaks (highest mountains in England, Wales and Scotland) in 24 hours, we are targetting to do them in 4 months.

We couldn't have asked for better weather. We drove up to Nether Wasdale on Friday after work and as expected, got stuck in Bank Holiday traffic. By the time we got to the campsite it was 9pm. Luckily it wasn't too dark. Whilst James and Sheue Ting set up camp, I boiled some water and prepared some soup as we didn't have a proper dinner - having been on the road since I finished work at 3.30pm.

For some reason, it was extremely cold that night. So much so that all of us had difficulty sleeping. Nevertheless, come daylight, we packed up some lunch, had our cereal and set off for Scafell Pike in the sunshine. It was uphill from the word go. It reminded me of the Dead Woman's Pass on the Inca Trail in Peru. The Dead Woman's Pass was more difficult as it was steeper and at high altitude. Nevertheless, Scafell Pike did exert our muscles. So much so that I felt a pull in my calf muscles on several occassions and slowed down thereafter - not wanting to risk a muscle cramp. We started off at Wasdale Head via Lingmell Gill to get to the top - ie the easier route.

We climbed many small steps, crossed one or two little rocky streams and trekked through some rocky terrain before getting to the top. The sunny blue sky backdrop made all our photos look absolutely stunning! It's clear to see how the trek could easily turn hazardous on a wetter day due to the slippery rocks. Although I probably could have completed the walk without my hiking pole, I was grateful for the extra support and comfort it gave me even on a dry day.

On our second day, we tasked James with planning an easier, gentler route. Just a flat walk with no climbing of hills and mountains please, James. "Ai Ai" replied our Mancunian navigator. Hence, we found ourselves walking along a gentle stream reminiscing over our trip to Peru. Not long after, we were trekking up a steep slope whilst singing "The hills are alive, with the sound of music" pretending to be the von Trapp family as they escaped from Austria. Hang on a minute,.........rewind a tick........yes, I did say trekking up a steep slope! Sorry James, but we did have a little laugh about how the route wasn't as flat as we expected it to be! We found ourselves spending the next few hours hopping from stone to stone to cross over streams, having lunch at the base of a waterfall, getting our feet wet (or not, thanks to my trusty Salomon boots! :) in boggy fields, being stared at by a cattle of cow and hiding behind stone walls for a wee in the most scenic toilet one could ever ask for.

We didn't get much sleep on the first night of camping as it was extremely cold. On the second night of camping, I didn't get much sleep as I was too busy waking up to remove the extra layers I had put on as a result of the cold the previous night. At about 3am that night, there was an extremely loud booming sound overhead. It didn't sound like a helicopter and didn't sound like anything I have ever heard of in my life. Sheue Ting and I still believe it must have been a UFO! It is quite unfortunate we didn't get to investigate it on the third night. Oh, and Sheue Ting heard a crying lamb. I heard many lambs, not sure if any of them were crying! We finally got a bit more sleep on the third night - despite the howling wind.

Next stop, Snowdonia - the highest mountain in Wales. :)

Cambodia - temples, sweat and poverty

When the opportunity arises to go on a free holiday funded by Mummy and Daddy Bank, one doesn't question - just pack and go.

I've heard of friends visiting Siem Reap, Cambodia but to be honest, I didn't really know what it has to offer. Ornate Khmer architecture, Angkor Wat temple, the movie Tomb Raiders and UNESCO World Heritage Site seemed to ring a bell, but only faintly. I had barely overcome my jetlag after having travelled 24 hours to get from Leeds, UK to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia before I was swiftly boarded onto a plane headed for Siem Reap.

We spent the next 3 days walking for miles in hot, humid and dusty conditions as we explored temple after temple after temple. For my father, the highlight of the tour was visiting Tonle Sap (the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia) and observing the lifestyle of the people living on its "floating islands". For me, I particularly enjoyed learning about Cambodian history and its people. I learnt that the word Khmer is no more complicated than merely referring to the people, language, culture and empire of the kingdom of Cambodia - otherwise known as Kampuchea in Khmer language. Khmer cuisine is very similar to Thai cuisine but with less spice.

I'm ashamed to say that prior to this trip, whilst I have vaguely heard of the name Pol Pot, I didn't really know about the Cambodian civil war that span a period of three decades. It all started in the 1970s when Prince Sinahouk was overthrown. This eventually led to a power struggle between 4 different parties and the deployment of landmines throughout the country as each party attempted to defend their area of stronghold. Even in the present day (2013), the Cambodian Mines Action Centre (CMAC) is actively working to demine land across the country and assist in the safe return of thousands of refugees to their homeland.

Despite the steep entrance fees to the Angkor Complex, a large majority of the population in Cambodia are still living in poverty. Tourism is the main income into the country. In a country where a fully qualified secondary school teacher earns a mere USD150 a month, it is no surprise that many people live in dire conditions with no clean water supply. However, it is not all doom and gloom. There is endless evidence of world aid filtering through from various countries including Czech Republic and India - countries that one wouldn't perceive as being particularly wealthy themselves!

The filming of the movie Tomb Raiders at the Ta Prohm temple has certainly provided the boost in tourism that Cambodia so desperately needs. The little bit of celebrity news generated when Angelina Jolie adopted an abandoned Cambodian boy, Maddox did not do any harm either. Whilst Cambodia has a long way to go in economic development, I do hope that if I were to return in 20 years' time, I will see a new improved Cambodia.

Sir R, why are you blogging?

Why start a blog? Haven't you got anything better to do? Of course there is loads to do! - the ironing needs doing, I'm supposed to finish off the draft excluder my mum started sewing for me, my piano teacher has left me lots of homework that I haven't even begun to practice even though my lesson is in 4 days' time. But somehow, I'm lacking the motivation to do all (or even one) of the above.

The idea to start a travel blog actually came about from my recent trip to Malaysia. My uncle and aunt are planning a visit to the UK next year and I promised that I would give them some travel ideas. Rewind to a few months earlier, a friend's friend was organising a cycling trip through England and had also asked me for some pointers. So rather than repeating myself everytime relatives and friends decide to visit the UK, I figured it will be a good idea to start a travel blog - that way, I can just direct all of them to my blog! :) Simple solution for lazy people - or (ahem) I rather call it a smart way of working.

Through the years, I have probably travelled around Britain more than your typical British. During my university days, I spent most of my holidays exploring Europe. When I started getting bored of cathedrals, I ventured further afield to tourist destinations in Asia instead. Now that I'm beginning to get bored of temples, I'm dipping my toes on South American soil.

In this blog, I hope to share some of my favourite places in the UK and beyond - hopefully this will inspire more people to explore this beautiful planet we call Earth.