This grand red brick country estate, with its perfectly manicured lawns, makes for an unusual sight after hours bumping along the Great North Road.

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The Great North Run is the world's most popular half-marathon road-running event, with more than 47, 000 competitors of all abilities.

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Chang Mai straddles one of Asia's great crossroads - a southern spur of the Silk Road - fusing commerce and culture between points farther north and west in modern-day China, Laos and Myanmar.

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Another main road, north-west to Uganda, which should be one of Africa's great arteries, is pitted with craters often two feet deep, reducing traffic to little better than walking pace for stretches of 15km or so.

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Travelers on Bukidon's north-south road pass through Franco Fortich barangay for settlers (named after the governor's great-grandfather), the municipality of Manolo Fortich (named after his grandfather) and Don Carlos town (named after his father).

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