"It's going to be her first backpacking trip," said Ian. "I'm thinking of taking her to Burma." We think he's joking.

Well, there are two general plans, one involving driving through China, and another, sans driving, that would take him from Bangkok through SE Asia, India, Nepal. After either trip he will probably wind up in the Middle East. Everything depends "on my finances, on my mood."

Ian didn't want to go alone so he has found a travel companion, NATE! Nate is cool.

Follow his travels via the links below or to find out more about Ian and Nate, read their story here.

Latest Articles
Damascus to Hama
Crowds leer at Tony Blair in the Old City, and the guys learn the true meaning of "no coal" beer.

Hama - Palmyria - Deir e Zur
Crusaders, castles, ruins... and ruins... and more ruins. Nate, Ian and Chris are bloody sick of ruins. But the locals are fun.

Deir e Zur - Abu-Kamal - Aleppo
Traveling to Iraq in cushy style, and partying it up like mad in Aleppo – shame it's almost time to leave the Middle East for Thailand.

Catch Up On The Journey
Amman, Jordan to Damascus, Syria
Syria is great – save of course for those blasted taxi drivers. But between getting lost in the old city and gorging themselves on great food, Nate and Ian are loving the Middle East.

Jerash, Jordan
Putting your foot down to keep the taxi drivers from ripping you off in Jerash can wind up costing you JD55. Read on to find out how...

Amman, Jordan
Nate's not too keen on the idea, but Ian tries to turn camels into mountain-climbers to surprise some friends.

Petra, Jordan
Ian is spending a few days wandering around the famous city of Petra and yes, he saw the same building as in the Indiana Jones movie!

Nuweiba to Aquaba, Jordan
Ian left a part of himself on the mountain while climbing Mt Sinai. Catching the ferry to Jordan from Nuweiba proves to be very difficult.

Luxor to Dahab, Egypt
Ian has shaken off his illness and is well enough to visit the Valley of the Kings and the Karnak temple complex.

Aswan to Luxor, Egypt
Ian is ready to give up rafting and become a falucca captain after a leisurely 3 day trip down the Nile.

Aswan, Egypt
Relaxing is top priority on a short side trip to Aswan. On a lighter note, Nate may have fallen in love.

Cairo, Egypt
Ian fulfills a childhood dream to visit the great pyramids of Giza. He also tries some sheesha for the first time and will be going back for more.

Athens to Cairo, Egypt
Somehow Ian makes his way to Egypt. After telling a cab driver he has four wives, Ian decides that Egypt feels like a different world.

London to Athens, Greece
After missing his original flight, Ian manages to get himself and Nate to Greece. The Acropolis turns out to be as good as it's supposed to be and the Greek Ouzo packs a punch.

England & Ireland
Revisiting family and friends is a great way to start a big trip, but a short hop to Ireland and plenty of Guinness is even better.