Ginger DJ Rob

It was a night of horns, rocking motion and strange dreams on the train. I managed about a couple of hours though Kerry got a lot less with the 5am wake up. Outside Hanoi 's train station it was still typically loud with taxi car horns as we bused it to our temporary hotel to store our main baggage and get some breakfast. There was added sleep deprived hassle of having to repack for the overnight boat trip. At 7.30am we left for our first tour destination of the Hanoi Hilton or the city's old prison. We were in there before the cleaners! The Communist slant on the 'fair' treatment on US POWs was interesting. Check out the unusual souvenirs above. Second was the Confucius temple which we'd just arrived at the same time with about 200 school kids. Lots of stone tablets on turtles being rubbed for luck. Hanoi seems a lot less intense than Ho Chi Min City but has more cars. The rest of the morning was a 4 hour journey by bus. It appears that the north of Vietnam ...

A slightly reasonable 8am to start for our 20 km bike ride through Hue (Pronounced 'Who-way') to the city outskirts to see the coliseum where the Vietnamese emperor would be entertained by elephants and tigers fight each other. This used to go on from about 1850 to 1945 until the French took over. The remains including the elephant tombstones were still in reasonable condition and you could still see the claw marks left by the tigers. It was just round the corner from the incense makers were located and a few kilometres away from our tour rep's own house. With the small issue of my bike's chain snapping (support team didn't seem to lubricate the chains at all over the holiday), we rode back to Long's for lunch of more spring rolls and noodles. Whilst following a moped back into Hue, we stopped off at two tourist places. The first was the Imperial Palace . Hue was Vietnam's capital before the war and the emperor lived here for a few generations. Some inte...

7.30am start for a gentle flat ride along China beach. Started at a marble factory and showroom with sales ladies persistently asking us to buy at every glance. Very grey skies and couldn't see the white Buddha statue in the distance. A few old US vets were visiting where they had landed for the war. Through Da Nang then an energy top up for the big 10km assent. It was a steady pace with really only a numb bum to complain about. Everyone made it but were welcomed by the most pushy-ist bracelet sales women ever. An iced coffee and a lot of peanuts later we rode downhill for another 10km enjoying the speed. Another 10ish km through some really idyllic fishing areas then on the bus for about 30mins through some tight back roads to our lunch destination. More baguettes and Laughing Cow cheese accompanied by a very noisy cat. The family house we stopped at had loads of pretty butterflies and some sort of bee/humming bird insect sucking out nectar. The lunch didn't really fuel ...

A nice lazy start at 9am, we decided on a selfish day alone to walk around the beautiful and accessible Hoi An. I had 2 servings of yoghurt museli whilst Kerry opted for full English. Next we found the tailor that our guide recommended for Kerry's Chinese style dress. Within 20 minutes she'd chosen the silk fabric, been measured and paid the deposit with a fitting time of 4:30pm. We then found the tourist office and paid about £3 for a city ticket to visit about 5 museums and landmarks. The Japanese Covered bridge was first then a very old family house all in the mixed styles of Vietnamese, Japanese and European. The guide led us round stopping at every opportunity to buy their embroidery or gift shop stuff. Had some retail therapy finding the best t-shirt shop yet with a Bruce Lee noodles picture. Otherwise we explored more interesting sites, drank coffee, drank cocktails, ate cake until the fitting. Tailor wasn't ready so had to come back in an hour. More coffee and ...

Not the best night's sleep and a 6am wake up call. People were already playing on the beach. Breakfast had everything an Asian could want but my European stomach could only handle pineapple. We took the coach for about an hour then set off by bike through a small town to see their market. Talk about sticking out like a sore thumb, the locals were completely amused we were there and how we looked but still friendly. As well as the unusual fish on sale it was the frogs bound together in threes and the meat entrails that were an eye opener. Walking around the market and we'd picked the Vietnamese version of Frank Spencer who was equally fascinated by us. Shame that the surrounding area and drains were strewn with rubbish. The next few km were either flat like the Fens with strong headwind or hills whipping sand into us. At one point the wind was so strong we had to walk up the hill. The wind was quite demoralising so I made the (wrong) decision to stay on the bus for the secon...

Another 6am wake-up call thanks to the Commie propaganda tannoy. Quite a lot cooler than days before so cycling easier. First stint was hilly but had rewarding views. Lots of beautiful empty beaches, breaking waves and a lighthouse. We bused it for an hour and a half for second stint. It started off with a great downhill section into a rough, uneven road. More inland farm scenery but the headwind was bad. If it wasn't for the kids saying hello and giving us high fives along the way our motivation would have been shot. Lunch was basic ham and cheese baguettes with our second iced coffee of the day. The next leg by bus was really bumpy as the roads are so pot-holed and broken swinging us from side to side. The last leg by bike was hardwork against a constant head wind plus a lot hills to end the total of 82 km in darkness with a beer and wine celebration at the end at the hotel. To toast ourselves we use the Vietnamese version of 1, 2, 3 Go. The evening meal was disappointing as...

Our free, lazy day in Nha Trang was rudely started at 6am thanks to a tannoy broadcasting Communist propaganda then an hour later with the local school doing marching band practice. Not happy. The hotel room windows are thin and rattle with all traffic noise impossible to block out. Kerry was still feeling rough so I went to breakfast on my own. At least they had coco pops! Dressed in my Buddy the Elf t-shirt for 9am we headed for the docks for our boat trip around the islands. At the docks was a Vietnamese guy dressed in a Santa suit but the t-shirt didn't get any attention. On board were a couple of ladies for massage and manicures. Kerry took advantage of the snorkling opportunity but the tide was a little too strong for her. The rest of the time was sun bathing, chilling out and massage plus I had my nails done (though it felt like torture at times) as well as my nose and ear hair trimmed. The boat toured another island then we took the short distance by coracle, the tradit...

A nice sleep in until 8.45am then a very bare breakfast. Kerry was feeling better so we could feel more confident about rejoining the group. The coach for the next destination would leave at 1.30pm so we went for a massage at 11. I opted for the full works with cooling aloe vera all over. The masseur was still slightly grabby but very good value. Another good meal at the restaurant opposite our hotel for lunch with food almost tasting like home. Coach was very late so the 5 hours would mean arriving in the dark. It was a sleeper bus with a toilet as promised for £3 each. Sat/laid next to a non English speaking student who tried to teach me some Vietnamese language from our guidebook as well as writing in my journal. When she lost my pen she then moved away maybe out of embarrassment or to get some kip. The 5 hour journey consisted of a lot of pretty fishing villages and towns but it got boring after 5pm when it got dark. At least the neon Xmas lights amused us as well as the shiny, ...

Poor Kerry. The travelers sickness had taken hold so no cycling for us. Still the Dynasty hotel resort wasn't exactly the worst place on earth to be. We got up ready for the cycling start but made the decision to stay another night. Our rep, Long advised we could get a coach for around £3 and join the rest the next night at Nha Trang . At breakfast I met the three who braved it through the Heathrow snow and cancellations, the 7 hours stuck on a plane waiting for clearance, the 16 hour flight and the 7 hour bus ride to the resort. The rest of the day was some swimming, sun bathing, eating, sorting out some medication for Kerry and the coach tickets for the next day. You don't have to have a doctor's prescription to get drugs in Vietnam which was lucky as a doctor's appointment would have been about £70 and the advice of a drip. Instead I took a moped (there's always guys hanging around offering a ride for cash) down to the pharmacy with our internet researched re...

A 6am start with Kerry recovering from her heat-stroke. Our rep told us that three more of the tour group were expected who'd been delayed by snow-effected Heathrow . At 7:30am we left the hotel on Highway 1 bound for our starting destination for cycling. Driving out of Ho Chi Minh City seemed never unending passing the port and industrial areas which featured truck world, digger world, earth-moving vehicle world, crane world - it seemed to be a positive sign of boom-time for construction. Slightly ironic that after passing all the places featuring construction equipment, the main road out of the city had some pretty bad potholes though there were some resurfacing going on. When we arrived at our cycling starting point, the tour mechanic provided me some superglue to fix my camera mount - bless. The country roads had very little traffic compared to the sea of Saigon scooters. The other good-feel factor was the friendliness of the local children as they waved at us, saying hello ...

Experienced the traffic of Ho Chi Minh City with what could very well have been a million mopeds battling each other to get to work. After about 30 minutes of bus transfer we met up with the support team to prepare our mountain bikes for the rest of the holiday. The Trek mountain bikes provided were surpisingly good with some hassle-free swapping for a bigger frame size. The day's ride lasted about 35km stopping off to see some rice pancake making (used for spring rolls) and to see a rubber tree forest. My handle-bar mount for the digital camera didn't last long due to the bumpiness of the roads. Our last destination for the day was the Cu Chi tunnels , a complex of Vietcom tunnels which were created right under the American forces own camp. There were hundreds of tourists already there but somehow it didn't feel that busy on the tour. As you can see I tried a hideout hole which I could only just fit through. After seeing some of the home-made traps we tried some of t...

Our rep and driver seemed a bit paranoid to get us to the airport on time as he wad waiting for us 30 mins early. Something about traffic on the main road but that non existent. Plus the early arrival meant even more time to wait as our flight was delayed for 2 hours. We started guessing that with UK airports struggling with snow we could be down on numbers for the main Vietnam holiday. Our short flight of an hour and a half landed but no rep to meet us no matter how many times we looked for our names or Exodus. it was a lot more hot and humid in Ho Chi Min than Cambodia . Taxi drivers were starting to hassle us so had to call the local agent to find out what transit was arranged. None was the response so got in a cab with a price of $23. No wonder the cab driver was in a smiley, chatty mood as this was an extortionate rate when we were refunded. Traffic consisted of swarms of crazy moped riders cutting in and out. As we approached the hotel the buildings and shops got grander. ...

Tried the hotel's French toast for breakfast, good attempt but coffee burnt. Found out that Cambodians use English language for texting and their contacts on their Mobilephones instead of Sanskrit . First destination was the further temple of Srei by car. Driver went about 40mph. Temple was beautiful with detailed carvings but really busy with tourists. On the way back we stopped at the land mine museum where local orphans got adopted and a local hero diffused mines. Also stopped for scarecrow photo opportunities and to see palm sugar being made. So tasty we bought some. Two more temples also visited: a tall sandstone one and the other where many Buddha statues had been found buried. We amused our rep swapping methods of wolf whistling - he grabbed his bottom lip to do it. He was also amused by my anger which I explained about the Incredible Hulk as he'd only been exposed to Eastern culture. We learnt that his uncle had stepped on a landmine and although survived turned to...

Early start at 6.45am for 8am tour. Breakfast was really busy with mainly Chinese tourists but the food was a lot better than Phnom Penh . The elephant terrace temple was busy with what looked like marching band scouts. Nice introduction to Angkor Wat getting close to elephants and a monkey family with papa displaying his bits. Small disaster of day was dropping my lens filter down a stone staircase watching it bounce and miss other tourists trying to catch it. No scratches but the thread is slightly out. Lunch at a Khmer restaurant which did some simple food for those a bit fussy or jetlagged as myself. Plenty of photo opportunities for dilapidated temples with trees growing out including the famous one. A few kids try to sell flute or postcards etc. The rep offered us the chance to visit the national museum which I thought would be interesting but a bit of an expensive mistake at $13 each. It was like a Las Vegas shopping centre with quite sparse items. Once you've seen a d...

With the jetlag in full grip we got up earlier for a sub-standard hotel breakfast of flat orange Fanta, stale cornflakes and weird toast. The coffee tasted like it had been mixed with oily noodles. We ventured out wandering back towards the Royal Palace in the blazing heat getting used to crossing the road and avoiding a very persistent hammock salesman. Eventually we came across a cafe that served a luxury American breakfast around the corner from the hotel. We also ventured into the local market that sets up at 5am. Lots of very fresh fish ie still alive plus fruit and veg I'd never seen before. The same hammock salesman was still pushing his wares - mate, if I didn't want it the first 3 times I'm not gonna want it the 4th. Our driver picked us up on his own and thankfully less chatty than the guide. He was very interested in wedding traditions and costs. After taking the scenic route past embassy houses arrived at the Museum of Genocide , an old school converted into a...

Flight was a mixed experience. Malaysian Air had on-demand TV but the screens kept stalling. Watched Inception again and The Girl who kicked the Hornet's Nest even though I haven't finished the book yet. The plane's food was excellent. The Malaysian guys in front jabbered on like talking penguins with all 4 of them sat in 3 seats. We made our Kuala Lumpur transfer in good time. A nice modern airport but with no real snack or drink places to buy from. We met an old Oz guy who's living in Cambodia who gave us some tips during the 1.5 hour trip. The cabin music was like a snake charmer vibe and the announcer saying "ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls" like it was a circus show. Although the food was ok, after about 6 meals I wasn't really in the mood. The Haagen-Daz ice cream was appreciated. The airport visa process was a little hurried with a passport photo and $20 to start then a bank of officials stamping and checking until our first names. With o...

Birthday Set 1 by Gingerdj on Mixcloud

I thought it might have been a sad day when I sold my Technics SL1200s but it wasn't. The cash came in really handy for the gamble to go completely digital. I've been DJing with Virtual DJ 6.0 for a couple of years but I never quite had the control or flexibility to really inspire me. Sometimes tracks wouldn't beat sync right and the TK Filter FX would cause a program crash or trip out the amp. I can now say that the gamble has paid off and that with some hours put in can come away with an addictive smile after buying my new toy, the Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S4. Check out this video to see its magic spinning: Ok, so the guy in the video is a bit hot on DJing but after a few goes at the Traktor Kontrol I've already mastered some new tricks I'd never thought I could do. So, some detailed analysis. The set up was relatively easy by loading up the CD then upgrading to the newer version (requiring some hefty memory). I've since found that the syst...

Typical isn't it?! Last weekend proved that getting to see good DJs and live music is like waiting for buses i.e. you wait ages then two roll up at the same time. Friday night was a masterclass in live techno performance from the French legend, Laurent Garnier at Concorde 2. It was a mature crowd but an up-for-it one packing out the venue. He was joined to two fellow Frencies, Scan X and Benjamin Rippert Rocco who built up a Detroit, melodic sound then peaking the sound effects into a right royal rave-up. We couldn't remove our smiles. The 3 man set lasted for about 30 minutes then Laurent Garner DJ'ed for another 30 whipping up the crowd into a frenzy through sounds of tech-house, techno, some jazzy mutations and my personal highlight, his Acid Eiffel (listen below and educate your ears!). By 2am, we needed some air but made the (regrettable) decision to leave with the next day's Vietnam cycle training and Goldfrapp performance the next night. Goldfrapp at the ...

With the weather being kind, we cut short our working week taking Thursday and Friday as holiday so we could get some Vietnam cycling training in. The plan was to cycle the 34 miles to a B & B near Bedgebury Forest near Tunbridge Wells . A couple of weeks ago, BBC South East Today featured a special art installation called the 'Electric Forest' at Bedgebury Pinetum . The forest also boasted one of the country's best mountainbike circuit. It was quite a challenge to pack one single backpack bag, light enough to contain enough clothing (including wet weather), minimum toiletries (toothbrush and paste), a bike lock, spare tubes and my Gorillapod for a camera. There was no way I could fit my SLR to take the planned night-time shots of the Electric Forest photos so resorted to my compact Panasonic. With a very fast tailwind, we left at 9am and headed via Lewes for our first mishap, a puncture. By lunch we were about 10-15 miles to go stopping at the Wheel Inn at Burwash W...

"Remember, you haven't seen me, right!"

Looks like the 'Network that brings cartoons' in the USA has clamped down on any YouTubers uploading the Regular Show. Luckily, someone out there hasn't been able to do it under the radar. I now feel like a dodgy geezer in a pub offering fake Rolex watches.

Not exactly the most busiest of cinema attendances I've ever been too but the first to have two bouncers searching for us before we went in. The two security guys were almost identical twins which was a slight Matrix moment for us. They were strict too, taking away any cameras and demanding mobilephones to be switched off. With a few minutes to go before the film, (I'm guessing) the manager appeared announcing that he would be viewing the film with us as well as the twin security guards to make sure no filming would take place and that we could provide feedback after the showing. He also mentioned that we would see a number of different scenes from the first half of the film. 3D glasses went on, a quick advert for the video game which looked ok then the familiar BBFC certificate. The first scene introduced Flynn's grown-up son, Sam arriving back on his motorbike to his warehouse-like house between two massive bridges. His cute little dog welcomes him and is given a wrap...