Beth is back from Asia - hurrah! Chester too!!!

Beth my niece, (think a young Audrey Hepburn) and Chester her boyfriend (think Freddy Mercury) have been travelling in the far east. Have a look at Chester's blog for some of the fantastic pictures he has taken, more to come.

We had a family get together in their honour, during which we heard about some of the joys and pitfalls of back packing in the far east. It made me realise how lucky we are in the West. Worst experience, sleeping in a hotel that was infested with bed bugs, so much so that they had to have their cloths and luggage fumigated, and even throw away some stuff. As Chester put it "we saved a few pounds on the room but spent £100 on the aftermath." Second worst experience an en-suite that was effectively a hole in the ground with a shower over it. Still as Chester said "at least I could Sh*t, shave and shower all at the same time."

We take so much for granted in the UK, clean sheets in hotels, running water, trains that run on time, with padded seats, the ability to drink the water without getting sick. We should remember how lucky we are and stop moaning about credit crunches and the like. Think of the positive things we have, our health, our family, heat and light.

Best experience for Beth and Chester? Coming home to see me of course!!