by Ray Bennet

Things to avoid on your journey before hand are ALCOHOL (sorry) FAGS(Jan) but Jan has walked at 5000 metres before on the Annapurna circuit I believe. The effects are breathlessness obviously less O2, headaches, vomiting, cannot sleep, cannot walk a straight line(test at low alt first) and of course the end result can be very nasty and the only answer is to descend. I am not sure how to say this but nasty means fatal.

By the way age and fitness are not necessarily any guide although you have a better chance of no problems when younger it proved that way in Tibet.More...

with Keith Craig of http://cycling-the-world.blogspot.com

Plan A, but it's open to change. We'll need a plan B if we can't get visas for this route. The total is very roughly 15,000 km (have only got small scale maps at this stage). We've averaged 75 km per day (includes non cycling days) over the last three trips (20,000 km) but for this one there will be waiting en route for visas, possibly waiting for spare parts and side trips. I'm allowing nine months.More...

by Dr. Gavin Fothergill

Flucloxacillin is for skin/wound infections. It's certainly not specialist only here and I think it's highly likely you'd be able to buy it enroute in Turkey if your GP can't do it. Augmentin (co-amoxiclav) is an alternative but more likely to cause diarrhoea - may not be the best for you!

For malaria I recommend Doxycycline 100mg daily. I checked the latest info - it covers Laos. It has the added advantage of making travellers diarrhoea less likely. Mefloquine (Larium) you here lots of stories of "neuropsychiatric" side effects - personally I wouldn't take it. More...