From the outside, our hotel in Vang Vieng looked promising – almost like a five star hotel. But it turned out to be the worst stay of our entire trip through Southeast Asia. It’s a warning that you need to be careful when picking a hotel.
Bok McDonagh
I am Bok, a British-born expat living in China. I was born in Lancashire but identify as a 'plassie-Scouser'. I spent my youth growing up in Cumbria. Here I developed a great taste for exploration, climbing mountains and camping in the wilderness - a taste for travel that has defined my life.
Welcome Back to Black Mesa
If there’s one thing I wish I could do with Half-Life, it’s wipe my memory and experience it for the first time again. Black Mesa doesn’t quite grant that wish, but it comes damn close.
Fixing An Exceptional Bug
No matter how much you test a mod you will always miss something. This time it was a crash that I couldn’t reproduce, nor could I find the cause for.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
When the murder of an innocent woman sparks political unrest in Tehran, an investigative judge’s life unravels. When his gun goes missing he realises he may face severe consequences and starts to suspect his own daughters. His paranoia hits breaking point and his family ends up suffering for it.
The Scheme of the Gallant
Aegon and the Troupe have just managed to slay a wyrmling, a young dragon, at the request of the druid Selene. Unsure if it was the beast that Selene wished to be destroyed, the troupe make their way back through the spider’s nest to deliver its head to her.
Our First Day in Vang Vieng
Our time in Luang Prabang was at an end. It was time to move on to another city. Vang Vieng is the natural progression from Luang Prabang. We could have continued by boat, but this time we opted for the much faster train.
Fall of Montreal and Quebec
I spent some time playing Total War: EMPIRE this week, and managed to make some real progress this time. I’m slowly learning how to play this game properly, but at the same time I’m learning about some of its flaws.
Updating to NeoForge 1.21.1
It’s been a long time coming, but I’ve finally gotten around to it. Bok’s Banging Butterflies now supports NeoForge 1.21.1. This means you can add butterflies to a Minecraft world that has almost all of the latest features in Minecraft. It wasn’t easy.
Intercepted, A Film Review
Intercepted is a 2024 documentary written and directed by Oksana Karpovych. The film documents the early stages of the Russian invasion of Ukraine through intercepted phone calls.
The Heroes of the Cloakwood
The Troupe makes their way through the Cloakwood, still searching for Tiber’s brother Chelak. They pull their way through ettercaps and spiders, webs and undergrowth, deeper into the wood. Each step taking them closer to Tazok, to the Iron Throne, to Gorion’s killer.