Caroline Casey chronicles the adventure in the diary below in Aoife's absence:

Day 050 > Monday 21 October > Bangkok, Thailand

Thought of the day

TV make up the world over is excessive but at least when you can explain in English that you like that natural look you have some chance of not looking like a mannequin. But trying to explain in charades due to lack of common language, to an over enthusiastic Thai make up lady, who is fascinated about the paleness of your skin and making it glow, that less is more, is a very real challenge. And though I tried to eat the very pink lipstick off my lips before hitting the studio for our channel 5 interview I fear I looked like a made up mummy who had an accident with the war paint. So my thought of the day in similar situations is this - when in doubt as to the level of understanding that exists between you and the make up lady - hide in the toilet until you go live!

Magic moment of the day

Going back to bed and sleeping for two hours in the afternoon. After the preceding three nights with absolutely no sleep, the absolute luxury of being able to go back to bed at 2.30 pm was inexplicable. White sheets, being alone, a hotel room, a fan, 30 stories up never felt so good. After 49 days on the road with virtually no rest, no personal space and constant frenetic activity, the chance to doze away peacefully before going out to speak at an event was just magical.

Hiccup of day the day

Besides my make up disaster of the morning which I could not trowel off my face for an evening event in the Sheraton Hotel in Bangkok for the Prosthetic Foundation of Thailand where we were speaking, we arrived inappropriately dressed - i.e. we were done out in Black Tie while the remaining thee hundred were dressed smart casual. What bothered me more about our dress coded catastrophe was that as my dress is quite a slinky number, it does not have any thermal benefits and as the air conditioning was turned to South Pole conditions, I froze my way through the night. The worst part of this being having to speak with my arms folded due to the fact that my dress did not cover upper body reactions to the cold which, considering the very conservative Thai audience, proved to be very embarrassing.

Day 051 > Tuesday 22 October > George Town, Penang, Malaysia

· Airbus 320

Thought of the Day

It is totally justifiable that Thailand markets itself as the country with a smile. I had forgotten how so wonderfully friendly, enthusiastic, welcoming and smiley the Thai people are. We have been looked after so well over the last few days and all the help as been so utterly genuine. The people of Bangkok totally embraced the concept of 80 ways and even reignited our tired souls and made us excited about what we are trying to achieve. The previous two times I have been in Thailand, I have loved it and it really was wonderful to be back and to see that though so much has changed over the last 10 years due to tourism, the best part of this country - its people's warmth and positive attitude - remains the same!

Magic Moment of the day

I really am one of those annoying travel snobs - the kind of person who, when they travel, love roughing it, don't like taking the luxury option, and adore the challenge of unpredictability and unplanned logistics. But I really think I need to review this approach and get a bit more balanced. There really is no harm whatsoever in a bit of class and luxury every now and again - especially when it is sponsored and especially when you are exhausted. I am sitting here in my OWN stunning room in 6 star Eastern and Oriental hotel in George Town, Penang after a welcome cocktail, cool towel, in room check in with a personal butler and filling in of my massive room service breakfast menu for tomorrow morning at 10.30am. This hotel really is beautiful, the sister hotel to the infamous Singapore Raffles hotel, old colonial in design and small in capacity. So as I sit here in total bliss relaxation before getting into my monstrous bath, enveloped by an immense fluffy bathrobe, I am reviewing my opinions on how to travel! A huge thanks to Adrian Brown of Eastern and Oriental Hotel for giving this weary team three nights here free of charge - it was like walking into a slice of paradise. And this slice of paradise was made even more perfect when we saw Mike's room - can you believe it, but out of the 30 or so hotels we have stayed in so far since we left London on the 2nd of September this is only one of two which have meant that Mike can shower for himself. The specially adapted room is absolutely perfect in every way, proportion, space, bathroom, light switches, furniture and I find it quite incredible that the only two times that Mike has had the right facilities in a hotel have been in both India and Malaysia regardless of how many stars the hotel has.

Hiccup of the Day

For some reason my eyes are very bad today. I have noticed over the last few days that they have been misbehaving and that my double vision has returned. It is at times like these that the upcoming rest days planned in Malaysia are so welcome. Otherwise I fear I will truly injure Miles due to inaccurate guiding. I get a very real sense that he is feeling a little nervous as to my capability at the moment. Mind you that was after I led him head first down a series of steps.

Day 052 > Wednesday 23rd October > George Town, Penang, Malaysia

Rest Day - catching up

Thought of the Day

It was so wonderful not to have to get up early this morning, not to have to meet and greet, not to have to have our photographs taken, not to have to travel, not to have to speak, not to have to overcome the challenge of a transport option, not to have to lift luggage, lift Mike, deal with injuries, do website work, deal with the incessant mobile phone! Instead as it was bucketing with rain outside for most of the day we all felt released from guilt to sleep, eat and sleep. Our planned shopping trip at 5.00pm was postponed until 6.00 so as we could have cocktails on the terrace looking out at the sea, but by 6.00pm we decided the option of working our way down the cocktail list was a far better option than shopping and we remained on the terrace until 10.00pm utterly chilled, relaxed and very philosophical. We really really need this down time. Time just to hang out with each other and talk about what we have done. We need time just to laugh, talk to each other, listen to each other and build up our energy reserves for the next very hectic part of the journey - Singapore and Hong Kong.

Day 053 > Thursday 24th October

· Tri Shaw
· Lagonda 1934 Vintage Car
· Car Ferry
· Funicular Railway
· Tourist long boat

Thought of the day

The travelling Casanovas. I think I have mentioned this before but I truly am amazed how my two fellow adventurers have the magnetism of Casanovas. Wherever these two guys go they are surrounded by admiring ladies. I am so convinced that a wheelchair and white stick are very advantageous in increasing one's attractiveness. Without exception, with no age limits Mike and Miles have women of every walk of life entirely impressed by them. In fact, Mike freely admits that when he was first injured he felt that he would no longer be attractive to anyone but in fact the opposite has happened and he finds that his chair has been one of his most attractive assets. All day yesterday the girls that were looking after us could not do enough for the boys, be it help to shop, get them water, food, guide, help with the wheelchair, fight to sit beside them at lunch and dinner or on the bus - the unexpected valuable lessons you learn as you travel - mind you I never thought tips in attracting the opposite sex was going to be one of them.

Magic moment of the day

Going 50 mph in a deep red 1934 Lagonda with the top down over the very impressive 13.2km Penang Bridge on a beautiful sunny Malaysian day - all I needed was a white scarf and the theme tune to Brideshead Revisited and the picture was complete.

Hiccup of the day

Not everything is as it seems! We were highly impressed with the Penang Hill Funicular Railway as we boarded our bizarre train at the bottom with ramps, doors wide enough for wheelchair access and only one step! Delighted with ourselves we never conceived that we would a) have to change trains half way up and b) that all the wonderful access facilities at the bottom were completely absent for the mid journey train change and at the top. Thank God we have had practice in manoeuvring wheelchairs in impossible situations such as getting on trains in Monte Carlo, exiting the Taj Mahal through a 3 foot hole, and getting in and out of a helicopter, cardboard boat and tipper truck. Due to a crash course on the impossible we did manage to get Mike all the way to the top and off the train to enjoy the view, except for the fact the when we went to view the panorama, Mike discovered the only vista he was going to take in was that of a wall, which exceed the height of someone in a wheelchair - oh well it just meant we had to have another banana fritter to compensate!

Day 054 > Friday 25th October > Tanjong Jara Resort, Terengganu, East Malyasia

11 hours in a Volkswagen mini bus

Thought of the day

So to get one side of paradise to another you may have to endure a little pain. I am sitting, or may I rephrase, bouncing and being thrown about a 10 seater mini bus on the way to our next port of call - our holiday in East Malaysia. We are all squished in like sardines as not only do we have our entire luggage, two wheelchairs, the returned Mike McNamara with all his camera equipment but we have managed to pick up two drivers and a bloody puncture! It is absolutely boiling and the air con for once is not strong enough, Mike only has two seats to stretch his bum out on and the roads are so windy that we seem to be sitting in each others laps then on the seats at all. God we have got soft!

Day 055 > Saturday 26 October > Tang Jung Resort, Dun Gun, East Malaysia

Thought of the Day

Waking up to the sound of the sea only minutes walk away is wonderful in itself, but waking up at 10.30 is even better! This place is beautiful it is like walking into a tropical jungle with each room hidden amongst trees thronging with the sound of beetles and birds and all with a view of the empty beach. Such great attention has been made to make this place utterly relaxing - all the buildings are made out of wood, are low and hidden by thick vegetation or amongst simple white marble pillars and tropical pools. Due to the recent bomb in Indonesia which has for obvious reasons hit the tourist industry in this part of the world very heavily, the hotel is only 10% full - which means that over the huge sprawling enfolds of the hotel there are only 25 other guests- literally none of which we have seen. At breakfast this morning we hardly knew what to do with ourselves - the greatest decision being- should be go to the little pool, the big pool, the beach, have our complimentary massage or sit on our verandas. We really do need to wind down and there is no other place I can imagine more perfect.

A strange thing happened yesterday, actually a few strange things that I feel are evidence of complete tiredness and need for space. Primarily it was to do with Miles. We had been discussing the 80 ways outgoings - our expenses and what should and should not be included. One thing that is frequently coming up as a consistent cost is Miles telephone bill due to his accessing his e-mail via his laptop. When Jon mentioned that it is something we need to keep an eye on we were all quite surprised by his reaction. His reaction gave us a real insight into how much Miles relies on his laptop to communicate and to feel connected and part of the world. For Miles, regular e-mail contact is imperative. He explained that as his laptop has special voice activated software he does not have the luxury as we do of just going to an internet café or using the hotel computer which is cheaper to get his mail. I was surprised how forcefully he defended himself. It is one of the very first times I have heard him really talk about his needs as a blind person, a person with a disability. He rightly argued that when it comes to Mike, we will willingly consider upgrading him on a plane because of his needs to get of his pressure sores and therefore we should give him the same consideration. Of course he is right, it is just that we never saw it that way - that things needed to be done differently - for us to be flexible. His reaction not only highlighted how much something so very important to Miles requires things sighted people take for granted regarding the ease of things but also Miles' need for his requirements to be understood. It also was a sign that Miles, like all of us, really needs to rest.

Miles is a very positive person, never pointing out the downside of being blind so to hear him ask for our understanding with such a passion means that he is tired and also that it may have been building for some time now. Today was also one of the first times I have seen him comment on the needs of a blind person. For instance when Mike Mac was passing Miles a yogurt he removed the top of it. Like yesterday when someone had taken the lid of his coke for him Miles felt somewhat frustrated. Blind people are quite capable of removing their own bottle tops, believe it or not!!! He feels that when people do simple things like this for a blind person that you may make them feel disempowered or incapable. Of course that is the last thing in the world that anyone would want to make him feel. Sometimes it is so hard to get it right! TO know when or when not to help. What is going too far? What is insulting? I have very similar feelings to Miles. Often I just can't understand why people don't help me do the things I need help in - for example going to the right toilet or giving me useful direction that I can manage with the sight that I have - rather than helping me with things I do not need their help in at all - like cutting up the food on my plate. The answer of course to this is lack of communication. It is up to Miles, Mike and I to say what it is we need and then of course for others to listen and not to help in the way they want, but in the way we require. It is also essential that if people want to help that they ask us ourselves what help is useful. I have learnt form Miles in the last two days though is that you never stop learning and that time together does not mean you automatically understand someone's needs. This of course applies to anyone I guess - I suppose that when you stop trying to learn and communicate, that is when you will make mistakes.

Day 056 > Sunday 27th October > Tang Jung Resort, Dun Gun, East Malaysia

Thought of the Day

One thing I hate about my eyes, and there are few, is my skin. Strange you may think but I have a mild form of ocular albinism and therefore have no pigmentation in my skin which makes me glow in the dark I am that white. Now the thing that drives me insane about me translucent epidermis is not so much that I look like a freak but that the sun and my skin do not see eye to eye. Yesterday though covered in factor 25 and only sitting in the sun an hour I burnt my chest and now will have to remain covered up like some nun for the rest of my time here. And I wouldn't mind but it is not as if the bloody burn is going to go brown - oh no, I will just, blister (attractive) peel (attractive), and revert to being the colour of a tampax again! What really annoys me about this whole scenario is that I was so careful as I have had to learn the hard way and as freakish as I may look white I look atrocious pink!

As I child myself and my sister cringed at ourselves and our bizarre hue. It made us cover our bodies up while everyone ran around in shorts and swimsuits. There really is no answer when other people stare at your skin and go "my god, you are so white it is nearly freakish" - hardly a confidence building comment. Of course anyone who says that was by no means trying to be hurtful it is just that we were so different and stood out, or illuminated out. I don't think either of us will ever be completely comfortable with the colour of our skin especially when it means your time in the sun leaves you looking like a stick of seaside candy amongst beautiful brown nuts!