I considered attempting to write this blog without using the 'B' word but it was impossible so I'm going to have to go for it and I hope I don't make anybody too jealous.
So, our tour of the beaches of Southern Thailand and Malaysia is finally over. There have been big resort beaches, deserted beaches, monkey beaches not to mention 'The Beach' beach - location of the film. It's been hot, and sandy, but not particularly christmassy. I shouldn't complain about sunbathing and snorkelling everyother day but spending Christmas away from home and my family is not an experience I wish to repeat.
After spending a relaxing week on Phuket with very little expenses our transition to the tiny tourist island of Koh Phi Phi was a surprise to the wallet. I've always wandered what paradise looks like - the perfect crystal clear waters and bright white sand of Phi Phi certainly fit the image. But the budget accomodation found above smelly sewers, equipped with dirty sheets, paper thin walls and horrific bathrooms somewhat balanced out the beauty of the island. Despite this we still managed to have a great time - snorkelling between stunning cliff-edged bays, meeting lots of curious aquatic creatures and jumping off windswept boats into the bath-like water.
Now, in Malaysia, we have continued the quest to visit every beach known to man - this time finding a haven for watersport enthusiasts along with local children wanting to play all-day in the waves. As it's Christmas, after more sunbathing, we thought we'd treat ourselves with the culinary delights of this diverse country. Baked crabs, battered prawns, tropical fruit and noodle soup aren't exactly Mum's Christmas dinner but they are certainly tasty.
I promise I won't be mentioning the 'B' word again, atleast for the next blog, until I get to Oz. And quite frankly I'll be glad to have a break from them myself - its getting quite tedious removing sand from various bodyparts on a regular basis!
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=22040963&id=698710300&ref=notif¬if_t=photo_tagged_by_non_owner&theater#!/media/set/?set=a.10151112125380301.780341.698710300&type=1
Monday, 26 December 2011
Saturday, 17 December 2011
Finding Nemo
From the title, you can probably guess that this post is going to be far more upbeat than the last one.
After arriving back in the familiar territory of Khao San Road and our old guesthouse, we went crazy and got henna tattoos, whilst the locals celebrated the King's birthday. Little did we know that, arriving in Koh Tao the next morning, we would book a 4-day scuba diving course on which they would be totally washed off. But it was worth the sacrifice!
Diving wasn't something I planned on doing as I'm not the strongest swimmer and am considerably afraid of water, especially the wavy kind. Our instructor was really good, even holding my hand during the training to try and calm me down. Breathing whilst underwater felt so unnatural that I was basically having a panic attack every time I tried. Louise, of course, took to diving, quite literally, like a fish to water. Despite my apprehension I thoroughly enjoyed the first set of dives thanks to the beautiful fish and coral scenery. We saw all kinds of tropical fish (butterfly, angel, banner, puffer, grouper, and trigger to name afew) and learnt the sign language to point them out to each other. We found Nemo, which was a lot easier than in the film as divers had put a ring of stones around his home. The second day was not so pleasant. The monsoon was causing a strong current which meant a lot of bashing into rocks (and other divers tanks) and poor visibility which prevented me from seeing our instructor so felt very vulnerable.
In the evenings, after diving, we ate on the beach whilst watching the sunset. How romantic! One night we even ate barbecued versions of the fish that we had seen earlier (barracuda and snapper). Infact we have been eating like Kings whilst on the islands, so many all you can eat buffets, beautiful Thai curries and late night pancakes I’m actually quite worried that I might get gout.
Apart from diving and eating, we have had lots of fun on Koh Phangan beaches – fashioning a coconut bikini out of various washed up items and dancing about like loons at the full moon party (which was also, we discovered through google, a lunar eclipse party).We are currently in Phuket, staying in a lovely quiet ‘poolside coconut hideaway’, according to the sign - a very accurate description I feel. This is courtesy of Brain Tasker, one of Dad’s old colleagues. It is just like being in Devon, visiting lots of relatives, going out for meals and being driven to the beach – though the water is considerably warmer.
I’m afraid I wasn’t able to take any photos of diving due to a lack of an underwater camera but we did purchase a video of the experience – just to confirm (mainly to myself) that I really did it. Here are my recent photos anyway:
Saturday, 3 December 2011
'Vietnamese heads, Cambodian bodies'
What a world we live in…what devastation people can create and others overcome! This is what I’ve realised in the most educational few weeks of my trip so far. Having visited the Cu Chi tunnels of the Viet Cong and the War Remnants Museum in Saigon, followed by the Choueng Ek ‘killing fields’and S-21 prison in Phnom Penh, within the space of a few days, I have felt a huge range of emotions. Above all I am grateful that both countries seem to be recovering well from their ordeals and that I haven’t experienced anything so terrible. I also feel guilty for being so naïve about these awful yet so recent events. Louise and I have constantly questioned why we never learnt about the Vietnam War at school when it is so relevant to current wars.
The Cu Chi tunnels, a product of Vietnamese ingenuity, were fascinating to see. The tunnel entrances were tiny and the tunnels themselves lacking air. It was fun to experience with a guide, during, daylight, but at night, whilst bombs fell it was probably not so fun. Neither so for the enemy seeing the gruesome traps they created for them. The museum the next day displayed some of the most disturbing images I have ever seen and painted an awful picture of all the suffering the war created. More suffering was found in ‘the killing fields’, a remnant of the Khmer Rouge’s reign of terror in Cambodia, this time through words (a comprehensive audio-guide) rather than pictures.
The Khmer Rouge ruled over Democratic Kampuchea between 1975 and 1979 after years of civil war in the country. The leader Pol Pot abolished money, religion, education, personal possessions and family living in order to create his ideal self-sufficient country of ‘the old people’ – farmers. The ‘new people’ of the cities were sent to the country to work on communal farms, families were split, and everyone was put to work. Pol Pot’s paranoia about rebellion and foreign intelligence lead to the torture and murder of over a quarter of the entire country’s population. People were beaten, shocked and hung upside down until they confessed to false accusations. Then, they were sent to be killed, not by gun or gas, but by hoes, pitchforks, machetes and anything else that was to hand. If a man was killed his children were too, in order to stop them seeking revenge later in life.
I have seen more skulls than I would really have liked, and seeing the clothing of the victims is even more shocking as it forces you to realize how recently those people had lived. I’ve seen mass graves, makeshift prison cells in what was a school, a temple used as a prison and a cave which prisoners were thrown into. One mass grave had been found with beheaded Khmer Rouge soldiers – Pol Pot had sensed outside influence within his own men who were then beheaded for having ‘Vietnamese heads, Cambodian bodies’.
Despite all this gloomy stuff I am so glad I have experienced it, together with the fantastically friendly people we’ve met, the beautiful rural settings we have found and the stunning ancient architecture of Angkor Wat, giving me a full and unbelievable impression of Cambodia today. The children are so beautiful and have such good English (though not always put to good use when trying to guilt-trip tourists into buying souvenirs on the beach). After a nerve-wrecking ride on the ‘bamboo-train’ – a platform mad of sticks sat loosely on 2 sets of wheels propelled by a motor down a disused railway track – we were greeted by the village children offering us drinks and their own home-made coconut-leaf jewellery. Although there is obvious poverty here, people seem happy, and happy to see and talk to us foreigners. A circus show put on by an arts school for disadvantaged children of Battambang was a great example of the joy Cambodians can create out of very little. Here, they had nurtured 8 fantastic performers and created a stunning mix of acrobatics, circus and dance to depict the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge. Even with the chilling topic the performance still managed to uplift my spirits in a way no Western dance has ever done before. As you can tell I could analyze this show forever so I’ll save you having to read so much by doing a separate blog for it.
I hope this hasn't bored you too much. In case you still have any time left and want to see some pictures to refer to
https://picasaweb.google.com/115396624801108203436/SaigonPart2#
https://picasaweb.google.com/115396624801108203436/Cambodia#
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Worlds Apart
I may be half-way across the world, and very far from home, but Vietnam feels like a whole planet in itself.
Having left the maze of narrow streets bursting with traffic, street stalls and bewildered tourists of Hanoi behind, I have found an array of beautiful places along the week-long journey to Saigon - a much more modern, but just as hectic, city. It's hard to believe that the quiet lantern-lit streets of Hoi An, the sparkling beach resort of Nha Trang and the lively fishing village and watersports haven of Mui Ne could all be situated in the same country.
The famous Vietnamese cuisine has been as varied as it’s country of origin, from grey slop consisting of rice and cabbage to amazing local specialities and the best seafood I’ve ever had. One night we indulged in a seafood stir-fry and Crabia fish hotpot for the bargain price of £5. Supermarket food, however is pricey, and so our craving for cereal the next morning cost us almost as much.
Experiencing Halong Bay was just as hectic as Hanoi, being moved from bus to boat to bus many times - never knowing which tour group you would be joining next. The bay was beautiful but you barely had time to look at it before being ordered to clamber over various other boats to visit a cave reminiscent of Disneyland, with added herds of Japanese tourists. In contrast, the theme park island Vinpearl in Nha Trang that we visited (which was allowed to feel like Disneyland) was practically deserted, meaning that we could run around and go on every ride as many times as we liked. The lack of rules meant that we could take photos mid-ride but also increased the possibility of injuries, especially on the array of giant waterslides.
The only thing that links these destinations (quite literally) is the mode of transport between them. We have been on the same battered sleeper bus four times so far, having bought a multi-stop ticket, not realising each leg of the journey would be made in tiny rusting bunk beds, with mouldy blankets, on a bus with a whole side held together with masking tape. Despite Vietnam’s varied landscapes the roads are always the same; potholed, unruly and full to bursting with mo-peds and the odd bus. We decided to brave the traffic in the quitest place we found, Mui Ne, by hiring our very own mo-ped for the day. We thought this would save our legs cycling between the sights of the area. I’m afraid to say we ended up on the floor, after having missed a turning and attempted a u-turn on a busy street, with many not-overly-bothered locals around us who are obviously used to tourists doing silly things on mo-peds.
Vietnam is one lively country - exemplified in the street life of it’s biggest city, Saigon, where I am currently watching a mixed group of tourists and locals play a game of keepy-upy with a strange-looking shuttlecock, in the middle of a busy road, whilst the park is full of badminton players, skateboarders and street dancers - it’s people-watching heaven. I was dreading this city but its turned out to be fantastic. It goes to show that no matter how many books you read or web-searches you do, you don’t know how somewhere will strike you untill you get there. This country is very good at delivering the unexpected, which is what I love about travelling, you can hop on a bus and afew hours later arrive in another world.
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Happy Laos
Sorry it's been a while since my last post. The past 10 days have included a 3-day boat journey, a 28hour bus journey, a mountain minibus journey from hell and a brief encounter with the funny little country that is Laos. So needless to say we are very tired. We've met lots of great new people and already bumped into many of our acquaintances from Thailand, it's nice to see a friendly face.
Laos is 'happy' in various ways, not just because of the range of drugs on offer on pretty much every menu in Vang Vieng (the tubing capital of the world). As soon as we stepped off the slow-boat for our over-night in a tiny village called Pakbeng we knew this country was pretty care-free when about 20 of us got shoved in the back of a pick-up truck standing with our backpacks to be taken up the very steep hill to our guesthouse. We had a lovely evening in the restaurant over the river with our fellow sailors and the cutest little girl who liked to high-five alot! That's another thing that makes Laos such an enjoyable place - the children sat at every market stall with their mothers or rushing down to the river edge to greet the boat by hurling themselves headfirst into the water. The happiness continues as you are offered 'happy' tea, meaning free not spiked, and then find homemade cakes on offer including pineapple, banana and coconut. The endless episodes of Friends playing in the Vang Vieng restaurants also made me very happy - a little bit of home comfort to help me recover from tubing, kayaking and caving. Even the language has a joyous ring to it. 'Kawp jalalai' meaning thankyou very much and 'sabaidee' meaning hello were always nice to hear, especially when followed by 'pancake, sandwich?' from street food ladies.
However, not every experience in this country has been so delightful, starting with the horrific journey from Louang Prabang to Vang Vieng. I have never been more scared in my life - the only thing I can equate the experience to would be a 6 hour rollercoaster ride with a very dubious seat which you have to cling on to for dear life. There are no rules on the roads in Laos it seems, only potholes strategically placed next to cliff edges. We thought the journey had atleast introduced us to some funny guys who we attempted to go tubing with the next day. We then made the mistake of going with only one tube between the 5 of us as no one had enough money for one each due to a power cut that rendered all ATMs useless. The day ended in alot of Scottish agression, from some friends from Bangkok, being used to stick up for me and Louise and a battle to retrieve our room key from the guy we had given it to for 'safe-keeping'. I have found out that there is a definite downside to my attraction to bargains, especially when they involve alcohol. The 'happy' (free) Lao whisky may make you happy for afew hours but once you have spent the next 24hours watching and worrying as Louise throws up you begin to think that forking out for a can of coke that night, like you did earlier in the week, would have been well worth the money.
I am now in Hanoi (Vietnam), after the longest bus journey so far on which we were introduced to the Vietnamese customs of clearing your throat and spitting out the contents wherever you wish, driving like absolute lunatics, and generally being annoyed with any Westerner you come across. It's certainly different from laid-back Laos but I'm hoping a trip to Halong Bay might calm things down again.
As I'm hearing that you might be having difficulties viewing my picasa photos so here is a link to my latest facebook album (alhtough I'm very behind)!
http://www.facebook.com/media/albums/?id=698710300#!/media/set/?set=a.10150941688820301.759470.698710300&type=1
Laos is 'happy' in various ways, not just because of the range of drugs on offer on pretty much every menu in Vang Vieng (the tubing capital of the world). As soon as we stepped off the slow-boat for our over-night in a tiny village called Pakbeng we knew this country was pretty care-free when about 20 of us got shoved in the back of a pick-up truck standing with our backpacks to be taken up the very steep hill to our guesthouse. We had a lovely evening in the restaurant over the river with our fellow sailors and the cutest little girl who liked to high-five alot! That's another thing that makes Laos such an enjoyable place - the children sat at every market stall with their mothers or rushing down to the river edge to greet the boat by hurling themselves headfirst into the water. The happiness continues as you are offered 'happy' tea, meaning free not spiked, and then find homemade cakes on offer including pineapple, banana and coconut. The endless episodes of Friends playing in the Vang Vieng restaurants also made me very happy - a little bit of home comfort to help me recover from tubing, kayaking and caving. Even the language has a joyous ring to it. 'Kawp jalalai' meaning thankyou very much and 'sabaidee' meaning hello were always nice to hear, especially when followed by 'pancake, sandwich?' from street food ladies.
However, not every experience in this country has been so delightful, starting with the horrific journey from Louang Prabang to Vang Vieng. I have never been more scared in my life - the only thing I can equate the experience to would be a 6 hour rollercoaster ride with a very dubious seat which you have to cling on to for dear life. There are no rules on the roads in Laos it seems, only potholes strategically placed next to cliff edges. We thought the journey had atleast introduced us to some funny guys who we attempted to go tubing with the next day. We then made the mistake of going with only one tube between the 5 of us as no one had enough money for one each due to a power cut that rendered all ATMs useless. The day ended in alot of Scottish agression, from some friends from Bangkok, being used to stick up for me and Louise and a battle to retrieve our room key from the guy we had given it to for 'safe-keeping'. I have found out that there is a definite downside to my attraction to bargains, especially when they involve alcohol. The 'happy' (free) Lao whisky may make you happy for afew hours but once you have spent the next 24hours watching and worrying as Louise throws up you begin to think that forking out for a can of coke that night, like you did earlier in the week, would have been well worth the money.
I am now in Hanoi (Vietnam), after the longest bus journey so far on which we were introduced to the Vietnamese customs of clearing your throat and spitting out the contents wherever you wish, driving like absolute lunatics, and generally being annoyed with any Westerner you come across. It's certainly different from laid-back Laos but I'm hoping a trip to Halong Bay might calm things down again.
As I'm hearing that you might be having difficulties viewing my picasa photos so here is a link to my latest facebook album (alhtough I'm very behind)!
http://www.facebook.com/media/albums/?id=698710300#!/media/set/?set=a.10150941688820301.759470.698710300&type=1
Saturday, 29 October 2011
Welcome to the jungle!!
O my Buddha - what a week this has been! I have seen a totally different, more beautiful, side to Thailand, having left Bangkok and headed for the hills of Chiang Mai, and have experienced so many new things.
We had a small introduction to the Thai countryside on a fantastic day trip to Kanchanaburi (afew hours west of Bangkok) where we visited the Bridge over the River Kwai, Sai Yok waterfall and had a rickety train journey through the Kwai valley. Our guide was extremely camp and kept calling us, and the only other western girl on the trip (everyone else was Japanese), 'sexy ladies' and asking us to marry him. Difference in colour still seems to cause abit of a stir here despite the wide-spread tourism, as I experienced first-hand during the trip. I was having a nice cool off in the waterfall, surrounded by local kids playing in the water, when a Muslim family decided that my pale skin was some kind of mircale and proceeded to make me pose with each member of the family for, what felt like, hundreds of photos. Very embarassing!!
I am currently in an internet cafe in Chiang mai, which is about to close, after moving from our nice posh hotel, included in the trek, on one side of the moat, to a very cheap, but not totally disgusting, guesthouse on the other. The jungle trek was absolutely amazing!! Our guide, Luke (not his real name) picked us up from the airport and from then on I felt we were in safe hands. He came from one of the hilltribes and has been leading treks for 7 years. He spoke English, Thai, Spanish and some Japanese, aswel as his own tibal language. I think I'm slightly in love. Haha. The truck ride to and from the Mae Ping area we trekked in was pretty terrifying - Mum would have had a fit!! The actual walking was hard work, up and down hill, but atleast the air was abit cooler up there. It even got quite cold overnight at the first village where we stayed in a hut on stilts. The food was fantastic - lots of interesting curries and fruit and veg, and village life was so beautifully simple - showering in the streams and going to bed by candlelight. The elephant ride was alot of fun (and no I didn't cry like I did on that horse in America). We named our elephant Jack, and Louise got to ride on his head because she is a crazy kid! I think the best part of the trip was the bamboo rafting on the last day. Despite being totally petrified before I got on I actually enjoyed the rapids we went through (literally went through upto our waists, not over) the most. I got to hold onto the tripod for the bags which meant I also got to try fishing with Luke's home-made rod. Haha. No luck, I'm afraid!
Cookery lesson tomorrow and the amazing Chiang Mai night bazaar again tonight, as we loved it so much the first time around.
Next stop Laos, following a three day journey on the Mekong river!
Here is the first lot of photos I have managed to put onto Picasa, let me know if you can't see them.
https://picasaweb.google.com/115396624801108203436/BangkokKanchanaburi#
We had a small introduction to the Thai countryside on a fantastic day trip to Kanchanaburi (afew hours west of Bangkok) where we visited the Bridge over the River Kwai, Sai Yok waterfall and had a rickety train journey through the Kwai valley. Our guide was extremely camp and kept calling us, and the only other western girl on the trip (everyone else was Japanese), 'sexy ladies' and asking us to marry him. Difference in colour still seems to cause abit of a stir here despite the wide-spread tourism, as I experienced first-hand during the trip. I was having a nice cool off in the waterfall, surrounded by local kids playing in the water, when a Muslim family decided that my pale skin was some kind of mircale and proceeded to make me pose with each member of the family for, what felt like, hundreds of photos. Very embarassing!!
I am currently in an internet cafe in Chiang mai, which is about to close, after moving from our nice posh hotel, included in the trek, on one side of the moat, to a very cheap, but not totally disgusting, guesthouse on the other. The jungle trek was absolutely amazing!! Our guide, Luke (not his real name) picked us up from the airport and from then on I felt we were in safe hands. He came from one of the hilltribes and has been leading treks for 7 years. He spoke English, Thai, Spanish and some Japanese, aswel as his own tibal language. I think I'm slightly in love. Haha. The truck ride to and from the Mae Ping area we trekked in was pretty terrifying - Mum would have had a fit!! The actual walking was hard work, up and down hill, but atleast the air was abit cooler up there. It even got quite cold overnight at the first village where we stayed in a hut on stilts. The food was fantastic - lots of interesting curries and fruit and veg, and village life was so beautifully simple - showering in the streams and going to bed by candlelight. The elephant ride was alot of fun (and no I didn't cry like I did on that horse in America). We named our elephant Jack, and Louise got to ride on his head because she is a crazy kid! I think the best part of the trip was the bamboo rafting on the last day. Despite being totally petrified before I got on I actually enjoyed the rapids we went through (literally went through upto our waists, not over) the most. I got to hold onto the tripod for the bags which meant I also got to try fishing with Luke's home-made rod. Haha. No luck, I'm afraid!
Cookery lesson tomorrow and the amazing Chiang Mai night bazaar again tonight, as we loved it so much the first time around.
Next stop Laos, following a three day journey on the Mekong river!
Here is the first lot of photos I have managed to put onto Picasa, let me know if you can't see them.
https://picasaweb.google.com/115396624801108203436/BangkokKanchanaburi#
Saturday, 22 October 2011
Sandbags everywhere!
So, i'm in Bangkok, sponging off our last hostel for free internet- now in a pretty awful guesthouse on the next street - and the sandbags have definitely started to multiply!! Eeeek! Definitely ready to move on now, Bangkok has been great but having had to fork out for a flight to Chaing Mai for Tuesday as the floods have written off both train and bus routes, we are starting to feel very strapped for cash and tourist attractions are not cheap here. The tuk tuks and clothing, however, can be if you haggle hard enough.
I have walked a fair bit to reduce transport costs, around markets and various streets selling wierd-looking food, birds in cages and car engines. I have seen small buddhas, tall buddhas, gold buddhas, sitting, reclining and standing buddhas. I have met a pirate, an earwigging Irish architect and the crazy kids (Zoe and Frankie - from uni) and lots of other fun people. The thai massage last night evoked a mixed reaction - i was interested by the techniques but most of them felt like torture!! I have eaten surprisingly little but, bar the first day of pizza and pink donuts, I think we have been reasonably adventurous eating street food including pad thai, mango and rice and chicken scewers. I have enjoyed the ridiculousness that is Khao San Road with its neon signs, blaring music and street kids selling flowers and charging you for thumb wars. Haha. They are so cute though so I didn't mind losing!
This city has taught me many things already; about Bangkok, about travelling and about myself. I have found out that I am not always good at reading maps when in Chinatown or finding a way out of the airport, but that I am quite a good actress when it comes to pretending to want to buy a dress in a tailors shop in order for the tuk tuk driver to get his petrol paid. When travelling one should always wear trousers out at night (to avoid insect bites), flip flops when visiting temples (for ease of removal) and no make up (just too much hassle). Bangkok is energetic to say the least, with jostling streets around every corner as the shops burst onto the road. The contrast between rich and poor is quite shocking: corragated shacks huddle under huge shining modern skyscrapers and beggars sit outside posh boutiques or the sparkling skytrain stations. But I suppose I can think of some European cities with similar characteristics e.g Naples.
Really need to go and find some food, if we can get over the mountain of sandbags outside this hostel, as I have eaten extremely little (for me), probably due to the heat.
Hope all is well back home - and not too cold!!!
I have walked a fair bit to reduce transport costs, around markets and various streets selling wierd-looking food, birds in cages and car engines. I have seen small buddhas, tall buddhas, gold buddhas, sitting, reclining and standing buddhas. I have met a pirate, an earwigging Irish architect and the crazy kids (Zoe and Frankie - from uni) and lots of other fun people. The thai massage last night evoked a mixed reaction - i was interested by the techniques but most of them felt like torture!! I have eaten surprisingly little but, bar the first day of pizza and pink donuts, I think we have been reasonably adventurous eating street food including pad thai, mango and rice and chicken scewers. I have enjoyed the ridiculousness that is Khao San Road with its neon signs, blaring music and street kids selling flowers and charging you for thumb wars. Haha. They are so cute though so I didn't mind losing!
This city has taught me many things already; about Bangkok, about travelling and about myself. I have found out that I am not always good at reading maps when in Chinatown or finding a way out of the airport, but that I am quite a good actress when it comes to pretending to want to buy a dress in a tailors shop in order for the tuk tuk driver to get his petrol paid. When travelling one should always wear trousers out at night (to avoid insect bites), flip flops when visiting temples (for ease of removal) and no make up (just too much hassle). Bangkok is energetic to say the least, with jostling streets around every corner as the shops burst onto the road. The contrast between rich and poor is quite shocking: corragated shacks huddle under huge shining modern skyscrapers and beggars sit outside posh boutiques or the sparkling skytrain stations. But I suppose I can think of some European cities with similar characteristics e.g Naples.
Really need to go and find some food, if we can get over the mountain of sandbags outside this hostel, as I have eaten extremely little (for me), probably due to the heat.
Hope all is well back home - and not too cold!!!
Monday, 17 October 2011
Jumping in at the deep end!
I was going to name this post 'thrown in at the deep end' but then I realised no one is making me do this, I have only myself to blame!
I am still optimistic that no blaming will be necessary but after seeing footage on the news, last night, of Bangkok surrounded by huge lakes that are definitely not on the map, I was starting to think it might be. I don't have much affection for large amounts of water, expecially when it is not where it is supposed to be, the river at Goldrill was traumatic enough for me. However, after a sleepless night and a very productive morning - and alot of help from Dad, making phonecalls to various Thai girls- I now feel much better about setting off into the unknown. The diving board has atleast been lowered slightly.
I've had a fantastic last weekend at home, including my favourite roast dinner (Mum's roast beef and yorkshire pudding), cocktails with Jade, and two hilarious games of croquet with Becca and Mark. I finally finished work - NO MORE POTATOES!! I certainly won't miss the monotony of watching potatos wizz past me or the smell of the rotten ones, the dirt in my eyes or the cold wind. I will, however, miss the fact that my fantastic Daddy would come and takeover my shift for me when I had to be somewhere. Infact my parents are definitely going to be missed the most. Despite not having much to do this summer I have loved being at home with them. It's like my very own live sitcom! I don't think they ever intend to be funny but I am often in fits of giggles in their company. Although having slightly gone off potato in all its forms recently, Mum's roast potatoes will be up there on the list of home-cooked food I am surely going to pine for. I look forward to noodles and curries, and trying new exotic delicacies, but I'm aware that the novelty might wear thin quite quickly.
Packing has gone quite well considering I only properly started last night, probably due to the elaborate list I have been developing over the last 4 months. 'When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money, then take half the clothes and twice the money' - a brilliant piece of advice which I have attempted by working this last few weeks to earn a little more money, but by no means doubling it. I think I symbolised halving the clothes by removing one pair of shorts. Sorry Patrick!
Gona miss my train, gotta go, see you all in afew months!
I am still optimistic that no blaming will be necessary but after seeing footage on the news, last night, of Bangkok surrounded by huge lakes that are definitely not on the map, I was starting to think it might be. I don't have much affection for large amounts of water, expecially when it is not where it is supposed to be, the river at Goldrill was traumatic enough for me. However, after a sleepless night and a very productive morning - and alot of help from Dad, making phonecalls to various Thai girls- I now feel much better about setting off into the unknown. The diving board has atleast been lowered slightly.
I've had a fantastic last weekend at home, including my favourite roast dinner (Mum's roast beef and yorkshire pudding), cocktails with Jade, and two hilarious games of croquet with Becca and Mark. I finally finished work - NO MORE POTATOES!! I certainly won't miss the monotony of watching potatos wizz past me or the smell of the rotten ones, the dirt in my eyes or the cold wind. I will, however, miss the fact that my fantastic Daddy would come and takeover my shift for me when I had to be somewhere. Infact my parents are definitely going to be missed the most. Despite not having much to do this summer I have loved being at home with them. It's like my very own live sitcom! I don't think they ever intend to be funny but I am often in fits of giggles in their company. Although having slightly gone off potato in all its forms recently, Mum's roast potatoes will be up there on the list of home-cooked food I am surely going to pine for. I look forward to noodles and curries, and trying new exotic delicacies, but I'm aware that the novelty might wear thin quite quickly.
Packing has gone quite well considering I only properly started last night, probably due to the elaborate list I have been developing over the last 4 months. 'When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money, then take half the clothes and twice the money' - a brilliant piece of advice which I have attempted by working this last few weeks to earn a little more money, but by no means doubling it. I think I symbolised halving the clothes by removing one pair of shorts. Sorry Patrick!
Gona miss my train, gotta go, see you all in afew months!
Monday, 10 October 2011
The Plan, Stan!
One week to go!!!
Thought I'd post a factfile just so you all know roughly where I might be, when, and how to get in contact.
This is the planned itinerary for the whole trip, all 7 months of it. The flights are in bold as they are slightly more definite dates (still subject to change ofcourse).
17th Oct depart Heathrow - 18th Oct arrive Bangkok
18-24th - Bangkok and around inc. Kanchanaburi and Bridge over the River Kwai
25-28th - Chiang Mai hill tribe trek (elephants, river rafts, general jungle-iness)
28-30th - more time in Chiang Mai for a spot of Thai cooking
31st Oct-2nd Nov - 3 day journey to Luang Prabang in Laos via the Mekong river
3-10th - roughly 1 week in Laos for tubing, caving and presumably some temples
11-25th - 2 weeks in Vietnam from top (Hanoi) to bottom (Ho Chi Minh City or 'Saigon') with trips to Halong Bay and Hoi An along the way. Will hopefully find some tunnels and museums about the war.
26th Nov-3rd Dec - Cambodia - Pnom Penh (the capital), Kep/Kampot/Sihanoukville (southern beaches) and Siem Reap (to visit Angkor Wat)
4-8th - journey to Southern Thailand via Bangkok, first island stop on Koh Tao to attempt to scuba dive
9-12th - Koh Pha Ngan for full-moon party
13-22nd - more time on Pha Ngan heading north to get away from the crowds and then a stay with Brian Tasker on Phuket
23-26th - Christmas time on Penang in Malaysia, christmas on the beach
27-29th - Kuala Lumpur
30th Dec-2nd Jan - New Year in Singapore
2nd Jan depart Singapore - 3rd Jan arrive Cairns, Australia
This is where the plan becomes dependent on job availability but for now we'll say:
4-8th - explore Cairns and look for work
9th Jan-4th March - working in Queensland, hopefully in a hotel, cafe or bar, Louise will have to drag me kicking and screaming to do fruit-picking or any other farm work, had enough of that for one year
5th March-2nd April - travel down the East coast with Oz experience buses to Sydney (learn to surf haha, sail around the Whitsundays, visit Fraser Island, Brisbane, Byron Bay and have a barbie) maybe a roadtrip to Melbourne/Adelaide if we have time
2nd April depart Sydney, Australia - arrive Auckland, NZ
3rd April - 9th May - complete a circuit of both North and South island on Kiwi experience buses, visiting Paihia, Rotorua, Wellingotn, Nelson, Franz Josef Glacier, Queenstown, Milford Sound and Christchurch
9th May depart Auckland, NZ - arrive Nadi, Fiji
10-22nd - explore Fiji, hopping from one desert island to the next with a Bula Pass around the Mamanuca and Yasawa islands and relax in Nadi before mammoth journey home
22nd May depart Nadi, Fiji - cross dateline (go back in time) - stop in LA - 23rd May arrive Heathrow
You may have noticed that the first section of the itinerary is much more detailed than the rest. This may have something to do with the fact that I have a Rough Guide to South East Asia but not to anywhere else. But we have plenty of time and many backpacker-to-backpacker conversations to have before we get to Australia so I'm sure we will collect a long list of places to see.
To contact me you can leave a comment on this blog, send me an email at ellie_p19@hotmail.co.uk or through Facebook. I will also try to be on Skype when I can (i.e when I'm at a hostel with fast, free internet). My Skype name is eleanor.palmer90. I will be taking my phone with me which I may text from or for calls incase of emergencies.
Hope you've all found this informative, but do take it with a pinch of salt as the plan might change a little, or even alot.
'All journey's have secret destinations, of which the traveler is unaware'
Thought I'd post a factfile just so you all know roughly where I might be, when, and how to get in contact.
This is the planned itinerary for the whole trip, all 7 months of it. The flights are in bold as they are slightly more definite dates (still subject to change ofcourse).
17th Oct depart Heathrow - 18th Oct arrive Bangkok
18-24th - Bangkok and around inc. Kanchanaburi and Bridge over the River Kwai
25-28th - Chiang Mai hill tribe trek (elephants, river rafts, general jungle-iness)
28-30th - more time in Chiang Mai for a spot of Thai cooking
31st Oct-2nd Nov - 3 day journey to Luang Prabang in Laos via the Mekong river
3-10th - roughly 1 week in Laos for tubing, caving and presumably some temples
11-25th - 2 weeks in Vietnam from top (Hanoi) to bottom (Ho Chi Minh City or 'Saigon') with trips to Halong Bay and Hoi An along the way. Will hopefully find some tunnels and museums about the war.
26th Nov-3rd Dec - Cambodia - Pnom Penh (the capital), Kep/Kampot/Sihanoukville (southern beaches) and Siem Reap (to visit Angkor Wat)
4-8th - journey to Southern Thailand via Bangkok, first island stop on Koh Tao to attempt to scuba dive
9-12th - Koh Pha Ngan for full-moon party
13-22nd - more time on Pha Ngan heading north to get away from the crowds and then a stay with Brian Tasker on Phuket
23-26th - Christmas time on Penang in Malaysia, christmas on the beach
27-29th - Kuala Lumpur
30th Dec-2nd Jan - New Year in Singapore
This is where the plan becomes dependent on job availability but for now we'll say:
4-8th - explore Cairns and look for work
9th Jan-4th March - working in Queensland, hopefully in a hotel, cafe or bar, Louise will have to drag me kicking and screaming to do fruit-picking or any other farm work, had enough of that for one year
5th March-2nd April - travel down the East coast with Oz experience buses to Sydney (learn to surf haha, sail around the Whitsundays, visit Fraser Island, Brisbane, Byron Bay and have a barbie) maybe a roadtrip to Melbourne/Adelaide if we have time
2nd April depart Sydney, Australia - arrive Auckland, NZ
3rd April - 9th May - complete a circuit of both North and South island on Kiwi experience buses, visiting Paihia, Rotorua, Wellingotn, Nelson, Franz Josef Glacier, Queenstown, Milford Sound and Christchurch
9th May depart Auckland, NZ - arrive Nadi, Fiji
10-22nd - explore Fiji, hopping from one desert island to the next with a Bula Pass around the Mamanuca and Yasawa islands and relax in Nadi before mammoth journey home
22nd May depart Nadi, Fiji - cross dateline (go back in time) - stop in LA - 23rd May arrive Heathrow
You may have noticed that the first section of the itinerary is much more detailed than the rest. This may have something to do with the fact that I have a Rough Guide to South East Asia but not to anywhere else. But we have plenty of time and many backpacker-to-backpacker conversations to have before we get to Australia so I'm sure we will collect a long list of places to see.
To contact me you can leave a comment on this blog, send me an email at ellie_p19@hotmail.co.uk or through Facebook. I will also try to be on Skype when I can (i.e when I'm at a hostel with fast, free internet). My Skype name is eleanor.palmer90. I will be taking my phone with me which I may text from or for calls incase of emergencies.
Hope you've all found this informative, but do take it with a pinch of salt as the plan might change a little, or even alot.
'All journey's have secret destinations, of which the traveler is unaware'
Saturday, 3 September 2011
Nerves and Never-endings
This is extremely premature, I know. Just practicing posting to see how this whole blogging malarchy works.
After leaving Leicester 3 months ago, and having done nothing particularly significant since, I'm feeling as if this time at home without a job is never going to end. However, I know that in 6 weeks and 2 days I will be walking up Walesby Road (carrying a heavy backpack and wearing sensible walking boots instead of the usual flipflops), hopping on a train to London, dashing through the underground to Heathrow and boarding a flight to Bangkok to begin my travelling adventure. Research is going well. For any given destination we're planning to get to I know; how to get there from previous destination, where might be cheap and pleasant to stay, what might be fun or interesting to do and ofcourse, most importantly, where we might try and find a bite to eat. The nerves are starting to kick in as I spend extreme amounts of money on flights, insurance, visas and passes, and are probably not helped by watching crazy videos of such activities as bridge swinging and bungy jumping in New Zealand. Getting lots of good advice from family, friends and friends of friends who have done similar. I must not take this last month of home-cooked food and sleeping in my own bed for granted as once I land in Thailand the never-ending summer will have suddenly flown by and the next 7 months of hostel-hopping, food-foraging and general uncertainty/freedom (however you like to think about it) will have begun. Exciting stuff!
After leaving Leicester 3 months ago, and having done nothing particularly significant since, I'm feeling as if this time at home without a job is never going to end. However, I know that in 6 weeks and 2 days I will be walking up Walesby Road (carrying a heavy backpack and wearing sensible walking boots instead of the usual flipflops), hopping on a train to London, dashing through the underground to Heathrow and boarding a flight to Bangkok to begin my travelling adventure. Research is going well. For any given destination we're planning to get to I know; how to get there from previous destination, where might be cheap and pleasant to stay, what might be fun or interesting to do and ofcourse, most importantly, where we might try and find a bite to eat. The nerves are starting to kick in as I spend extreme amounts of money on flights, insurance, visas and passes, and are probably not helped by watching crazy videos of such activities as bridge swinging and bungy jumping in New Zealand. Getting lots of good advice from family, friends and friends of friends who have done similar. I must not take this last month of home-cooked food and sleeping in my own bed for granted as once I land in Thailand the never-ending summer will have suddenly flown by and the next 7 months of hostel-hopping, food-foraging and general uncertainty/freedom (however you like to think about it) will have begun. Exciting stuff!
Photo from Europe trip -
will have considerably bigger backpack this time!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)