Well – we’re off! And not before time. Andrew and I have spent the last nine days painting and decorating! We are, what’s the technical term, oh yeah, knackered ! We are both in need of extensive renovation. We have muscles aching we never knew existed. Who had any idea of the wrist action required whilst undercoating ? And we both have an impressive wrist action! Thank Michelangelo we had our lovely family along at times to help with the ceilings – I doubt even he could have made a better job ! But we shall gloss over all that (forgive me), as we have travelling to be getting on with.

We are currently at Terminal 5, and I am in terminal trouble, after having left our iPhone in the Uber cab. Needless to say it has not yet materialised. With my head full of vinyl silk and soaked in emulsion, I forgot that I’d given it to the driver to charge. At the end of our journey last night, he then charged off with it. So instead of brushing on eggshell, I am currently walking on it!

Still, onwards and upwards – literally.

We hit the western skies at 1500 hrs, heading due East. I have a real adventure planned, although I may be a solo traveller if the bloody phone doesn’t re-appear, or if ‘im indoors’ discovers how many overnight buses and dodgy trains I’ve got lined up.

We are heading back to The Mekong, that oh so mystic river, but this time to places we haven,t visited, and rarely does anyone else. It’s gonna be fun, and strange. I do hope you come along for the ride. It won’t all be plain sailing – but it’ll be one hell of a voyage. So wish us a ‘Bonne’ one of those as we set off to celebrate our twenty-six years of bedded bliss together somewhere exotic and slightly frightening.

But first, where is that sodding phone? Hardly what one would call an Uber service!

Perhaps we should both just get plastered!