DAN WATE

So my mate Dan is a serial traveller. He left the Uk in Feburary, it is not September and he is still yet to return home. He has visited Thailand, Vietnam, Laos,Cambodia, Hong Kong, China and he is going to Mongolia, Russia, Iceland and then Europe. This whole time he had been well and free from any type of illness. This was, of course, until after he stayed with me.

Dan came and had a week with me to unwind and to catch up with people from home. Being a solo traveller can be a lonely affair I'd imagine, but at least you get to do exactly what you want-well as close to exactly as you can get when the locals don't actually understand what you want to do. My apartment is big enough and has two spare beds anyway so it was no problem. It was great to see him again after such a long while.

We had a few nights out- notably on the thursday, friday and the saturday. Because I work during the week and have to be up at 7am most days the ability to drink on week nights is very limited-so we made the most of my long weeked (i have friday off).

On the Friday night we went to an Amazing Duck resturant. The night didnt start out too well as the Americans taxi never arrived. We waited for about an hour and Dave made a journey back home again to see if they had wound up there-they hadnt. After we waited a while we sat at our table and ordered.

Whilst I'm sure we've all had Beijing Crispy Aromatic Duck at home (and all love it) it is no way remotely close to what you get here. The chef came to the table and carved us the duck into small slices. It was more like lamb in the way it look, and nothing like the small light bits that you get in England- Matt Kwok be warned! To go with it you got cucumber, lettuce, nuts, onion, spring onion, garlic, herbs and two sauces. We experimented all night! It really was delicious! It was our most expensive meal so far-probably £16. But we had a beer each, 3 other dishes and rices and a whole duck in a posh restuarant so a bargain really- once again Matt Kwok take note! We also had enough left to feed 5 people the next day as well!

Afterwards we went to Kareoke and had muchos beer which didnt lay too on a full stomach.

The saturday we went out to the Foreigners bar again and had a decent time.

Anyhow back to Dan.

Now Dan has been travelling for a long and hasnt really been doing any drinking. Those that know him will tell you how much weight he has lost - i still call him fat boy- well it turns out that his liver couldn't handle the alcohol and has become inflamed whilst in Mongolia. Now if there is any place in the world you would less rather be ill then please let me know. The doctors first diagnosed his problem as appendicitus- but he got a westerners opinion and it was only dysentry. Now the moral to this story is Never Stop Drinking!