{ "item_title" : "Backpacking", "item_author" : [" Alison Cox", "Wayne Cox", "Oldest On the Bus "], "item_description" : "We have both always had a love of travel. Over the years, we have become more confident and adventurous in arranging it ourselves. What started with city breaks around Europe flourished into excursions to explore far-flung parts of India whilst on holiday in Goa. One evening, we had friends over who had recently returned from Vietnam - and they had arranged the whole trip themselves. From then on, we knew that was what we wanted to do, whenever and wherever possible. It would be much more fun and rewarding than browsing travel brochures and following someone else's plan. We soon discovered that we enjoyed budget travel and the people we met along the way. There was a definite camaraderie that we had never experienced before, and our fellow travellers were all of like mind, pretty carefree and chatty but full of information, tips and ideas. Why should budget travel and backpacking be the sole preserve of the young? We are by no means old, Alison a shade over 50, Wayne a little under, but both of the age where we need the toilet in the middle of the nightThe Opportunity Arrives...At the end of July 2015, our employer entered into administration. We both work for the same company, so for the first time in our lives, neither of us has a job to go to. With our daughter having turned 21 only the week before, and both sets of parents in good health, was this our moment?For the last few months, every weekend, over a glass of wine, it was what we had constantly talked about. We have always envied those we had met during our two-week break from work who were away for months at a time. India and Asia have always fascinated us - they bring your senses alive like nowhere else. With well-travelled backpacker routes, they are perfect for first-time budget travellers. Financially, it was possible - but would we have the nerve? What follows is the story of our journey, starting in Thailand, on what was originally to be our annual holiday. After exploring the colourful, glittering temples of Thailand's capital, Bangkok and Chiang Mai, we moved on to Cambodia, where we spent three days exploring the breathtaking Angkor Wat complex before visiting Battambang and Phnom Penh, learning more about the recent grim history under the Khmer Rouge. After the joy of Angkor, the chilling Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, based in a former secondary school that became the internment facility known as Security Prison 21, and the nearby Killing Fields brought us crashing down to earth. Leaving Phnom Penh by Bus for Ho Chi Minh City, we crossed the border and made our second trip to Vietnam in a matter of months. After spending a few days on the River Mekong in Cần Thơ, we celebrated Christmas in picturesque Hội An before heading to the country's capital, Hanoi. Trekking in Sapa was a test of endurance, far tougher than what we had anticipated. Thankfully, no sooner had we arrived back in Hanoi than we were making our way to Goa, for two months of rest and recuperation. It wasn't just a beach getaway - we finally managed to visit the fascinating Indian city of Varanasi.", "item_img_path" : "https://covers2.booksamillion.com/covers/bam/9/79/836/346/9798363461569_b.jpg", "price_data" : { "retail_price" : "12.50", "online_price" : "12.50", "our_price" : "12.50", "club_price" : "12.50", "savings_pct" : "0", "savings_amt" : "0.00", "club_savings_pct" : "0", "club_savings_amt" : "0.00", "discount_pct" : "10", "store_price" : "" } }

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