BULA!!!
In the spirit of 'Fiji time' this blog is a little late. But when there are no clocks and no work to go to lateness becomes very subjective, as I have come to appreciate whilst in Fiji, the most chilled place on Earth.
Despite having only 2 weeks of island hopping in Fiji I feel I have learnt more about their culture than any other I have encountered on this trip. A combination of tropical climate, clear blue ocean and little to do other than eat, sleep, swim or perhaps laze in a hammock has provided both relaxation and, for me, an abundance of time to chat to the wonderful local people. In their presence I have learnt to embrace 'Fiji time' rather than worry about how many hours of tanning I could be fitting in. For this reason, I felt I didn't really fit in with the other visitors, but I was too busy learning Fijian and jamming on the ukulele to mind about that.
Having the odd occasion when I felt the need to be active allowed me to enjoy snorkeling at the picture-perfect Blue Lagoon, messing about in a kayak or playing a competitive game of Volleyball come rain, shine or torrential downpour. One, more frequent, almost daily, activity was the Meke Fijian evening entertainment which varied from a few staff dancing to a CD to a full orchestra of voices and percussion instruments and dancers in grass skirts, occasionally wielding fire batons and swords. The participatory elements were always fun despite the actual shows getting rather repetitious by the second week. Never wasting an opportunity to dance, I was often the first audience-member up to learn the Bula dance or start the conga. My dancing skills were rather let down by my terrible fishing ones, I had one hand-line fishing lesson and caught nothing but a cold.
The best thing I caught in Fiji was the people's enthusiasm for life - even their greeting (Bula) means alive! The inter-island Rugby match we saw was a great example of the lively community spirit as people of all ages picniced on the side-lines and impromptu cheerleaders formed at the goals waving palm trees and chanting. Going to Church services both Sundays were further eye-openers, the first as the village was so terribly poor and the second, where they could afford mics, keyboards and speakers, was so sing-song pretty much everything had a tune. The only similarity between the two services was the major increase in congregation between the beginning and end of them - no one is ever in a rush or worried about being late in Fiji. I hope it stays that way!
Tuesday, 29 May 2012
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
Land of the Long White Cloud
With two weeks to spare before our flight out of New Zealand we found ourselves with little of the country left to explore and a long journey back north through previously visited places still to complete. Needless to say it hasn't been the most exciting part of the trip. Being re-acquainted with an abundance of spare time has, however, been somewhat rewarding for both my body (lots of lovely lie-ins) and my mind, which is beginning to reflect on the trip as a whole - more on that in my final blog - I bet you can't wait!
So, where the Maori's found long white clouds (and named the land accordingly) we have endured long 'big green bus' journeys but thankfully the clouds have been few and far between. If I were to name this country based on it's appearance it would be called 'Land of Lakes and Mountains under the Big Blue Sky'. From the stunning autumnal leaves of Queenstown reflected in it's lake, the mountains of Kaikoura flowing straight into the ocean, through the Canterbury plains that reminded us of home - complete with John Deere tractors, everywhere has been bathed in glorious sunshine. Even Windy Wellington and the beautiful Bay of Islands have had good weather for our stay. Unfortunately our Milford Sound experience was lacking in the blue sky department but atleats there was no precipitation that day. In a regoin which has an average annual rainfall of 7m, that was a miracle in itself.
To avoid inevitable boredom, without relying on our dwindling funds, we have visited many a free museum, sat in parks, walked the hills and doubled our list of books read. Window shopping has become one of our favourite past times despite it's tendency to disappoint as we find bargains that just won't fit in our backpacks. We have, also, invented games using our diaries to test our memories of the trip - it seems I have inherited my Mother's unusual memory for dates.
Now all our bus buddies have dispersed, homewards or in more tropical directions, our last days in New Zealand have felt rather lonely and cold (though presumably not by current English standards). Not to worry! Our long anticipated flight to Fiji is almost upon us. I am hoping to be able to name our final destination 'Land of tropical islands, white sand and turquoise water' or in other words... Paradise!
http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.10151638485590301.848868.698710300&type=3
Enjoy the rain for now - I will try to bring the weather back with me from Fiji (unless ofcourse there's a cyclone!
So, where the Maori's found long white clouds (and named the land accordingly) we have endured long 'big green bus' journeys but thankfully the clouds have been few and far between. If I were to name this country based on it's appearance it would be called 'Land of Lakes and Mountains under the Big Blue Sky'. From the stunning autumnal leaves of Queenstown reflected in it's lake, the mountains of Kaikoura flowing straight into the ocean, through the Canterbury plains that reminded us of home - complete with John Deere tractors, everywhere has been bathed in glorious sunshine. Even Windy Wellington and the beautiful Bay of Islands have had good weather for our stay. Unfortunately our Milford Sound experience was lacking in the blue sky department but atleats there was no precipitation that day. In a regoin which has an average annual rainfall of 7m, that was a miracle in itself.
To avoid inevitable boredom, without relying on our dwindling funds, we have visited many a free museum, sat in parks, walked the hills and doubled our list of books read. Window shopping has become one of our favourite past times despite it's tendency to disappoint as we find bargains that just won't fit in our backpacks. We have, also, invented games using our diaries to test our memories of the trip - it seems I have inherited my Mother's unusual memory for dates.
Now all our bus buddies have dispersed, homewards or in more tropical directions, our last days in New Zealand have felt rather lonely and cold (though presumably not by current English standards). Not to worry! Our long anticipated flight to Fiji is almost upon us. I am hoping to be able to name our final destination 'Land of tropical islands, white sand and turquoise water' or in other words... Paradise!
http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.10151638485590301.848868.698710300&type=3
Enjoy the rain for now - I will try to bring the weather back with me from Fiji (unless ofcourse there's a cyclone!
Monday, 23 April 2012
Kia Ora (with extra juicy bits)
The orangey goodness of my favourite childhood drink has been consistently popping up in my mind whilst travelling around New Zealand. Unfortunately they don't sell Kia Ora orange squash here, but it is the Maori word for welcome so it's still written everywhere.
I have felt completely welcome in New Zealand, even walking through Auckland airport everyone smiled and said hello. All the way from Auckland in the north to Queenstown in the south I haven't met a rude Kiwi. I've seen so many beautiful places, met some hilarious people and had some crazy times - all on the Kiwi Experience bus. Not to mention the white water rafting, volcano hiking and canyon swinging - the must-do adrenaline actvities of NZ.
Juiciness has come in the form of coach gossip, messy dorms and a bag of squishy kiwi fruit. Staying in loud, messy dorms, having to unpack every evening and repack early every morning to then spend another day on the same sickly bus has become very tiring. Needless to say I am so glad to now have a whole week in beautiful Queenstown. The reflective lakes, snow-topped mountains and autumnal trees are just stunning, as they have been throughout the country, but they are especially gorgeous now I have more than afew hours or a passing glimpse through a bus window to appreciate them.
However, the actual bus journey has been an experience in itself. Our morning song by Six60 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By-dxSLpyis will always remind me of New Zealand and the line 'ain't it good to be alive' always made me feel good in the mornings. Our bus driver, Lauren has been an absolute character - with sayings like 'mean', 'less than ideal', 'what an egg' - (referring to bad drivers) as well as the usual kiwi phrases like 'sweet as' and 'churr bro'. Other characters we've met along the way have included Pete, the mean old deer hunter who now runs a shop that sells possum pies and the freakiest museum ever and Les, the 87 year old landlord of a remote pub which hosts the Kiwi Experience fancy dress party. Our ABC (anything but clothes) party gave life to some amazing costume creations including Louise's tablecloth wedding dress and my paddling pool duck pond.
I am hoping that the trip back up to Auckland will be slightly more sedate, with more juicy fruit and less sleepless nights in hostel dorms.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151548995515301.842118.698710300&type=3
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151565644865301.842953.698710300&type=3
I have felt completely welcome in New Zealand, even walking through Auckland airport everyone smiled and said hello. All the way from Auckland in the north to Queenstown in the south I haven't met a rude Kiwi. I've seen so many beautiful places, met some hilarious people and had some crazy times - all on the Kiwi Experience bus. Not to mention the white water rafting, volcano hiking and canyon swinging - the must-do adrenaline actvities of NZ.
Juiciness has come in the form of coach gossip, messy dorms and a bag of squishy kiwi fruit. Staying in loud, messy dorms, having to unpack every evening and repack early every morning to then spend another day on the same sickly bus has become very tiring. Needless to say I am so glad to now have a whole week in beautiful Queenstown. The reflective lakes, snow-topped mountains and autumnal trees are just stunning, as they have been throughout the country, but they are especially gorgeous now I have more than afew hours or a passing glimpse through a bus window to appreciate them.
However, the actual bus journey has been an experience in itself. Our morning song by Six60 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By-dxSLpyis will always remind me of New Zealand and the line 'ain't it good to be alive' always made me feel good in the mornings. Our bus driver, Lauren has been an absolute character - with sayings like 'mean', 'less than ideal', 'what an egg' - (referring to bad drivers) as well as the usual kiwi phrases like 'sweet as' and 'churr bro'. Other characters we've met along the way have included Pete, the mean old deer hunter who now runs a shop that sells possum pies and the freakiest museum ever and Les, the 87 year old landlord of a remote pub which hosts the Kiwi Experience fancy dress party. Our ABC (anything but clothes) party gave life to some amazing costume creations including Louise's tablecloth wedding dress and my paddling pool duck pond.
I am hoping that the trip back up to Auckland will be slightly more sedate, with more juicy fruit and less sleepless nights in hostel dorms.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151548995515301.842118.698710300&type=3
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151565644865301.842953.698710300&type=3
Wednesday, 4 April 2012
Ridin' the EAC
So, for anyone who hasn't seen the best film ever, the EAC stands for the East Australian Current - an ocean current ridden by Marlon, via a group of turtles, in Finding Nemo. For us backpackers though, the EAC has taken the form of the Bruce Highway (that runs down the East Coast of Australia) on Greyhound buses, not as beautiful but probably more comfortable than a turtle's shell.
From Fraser Island down to Melbourne we embarked on a total of 6 bus journeys, each with conveniently hostel-close drop-off points or complimentary mini-buses ready to take us to our next hostel - it was 'too easy' as the Aussies would say. We swung by Noosa - a snazzy surfer town, partied in Brisbane on Paddy's Day and bumped into an old school friend in Bunk. We passed through Surfer's Paradise (yes, that is actually its real name) - the highrise hotels bathed in rain rather than sun for the duration of our stay. We kicked back in Byron Bay, soaking up the hippy vibe, learning to surf and dancing all night. Surfing wasn't as hard as I thought, still not as easy to catch a wave as it was to win $300 simply dacning around a pole. Hehe. It was a shame that, again, there wasn't much sun to accompany the sea and bucket-loads of sangria. Next stop - Sydney, where we arrived spectacularly over the Harbour Bridge into glorious sunshine - the Australian weather we've all heard of. We yomped around Syders like true tourists, snapping away at the Opera House, cliff walking the awesome Blue Mountains, Bondi and beyond. We joined the locals for a rugby match at the olympic park and a vintage fashion show - there's something for everyone in Sydney.
However, the highlight of the EAC has to have been Melbourne - it was 'far out' as our friend we met there, aptly named Mel, might say. The stunning Great Ocean Road was like the Grand Canyon in the sea whilst Melbourne itself felt like a European city plonked down under, with old-fashioned trams, bustling markets and an abundance of artwork to stumble across down alleways or performed in town squares.
All this suggests that there has never been a dull moment - how deceptive I have been! From waiting for a bus to waiting to check-in, with 12hour bus journeys to break up all that waiting around - it has been tedious to say the least. Small annoyances added to the tedium - annoyances such as the dirty, cramped hostel kitchens and the endless meals consisting of rice and carrots. I am very much missing home nowadays; my own bed, a clean bathroom with a lock and a light - o what luxury! For now I can look forward to more smelly dormitories, hopefully, interspersed with lots of stunning views and fresh moutnain air in a land with 8 times as many sheep as people - New Zealand.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.10151462718485301.830495.698710300&type=3
http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.10151480489385301.832815.698710300&type=3
From Fraser Island down to Melbourne we embarked on a total of 6 bus journeys, each with conveniently hostel-close drop-off points or complimentary mini-buses ready to take us to our next hostel - it was 'too easy' as the Aussies would say. We swung by Noosa - a snazzy surfer town, partied in Brisbane on Paddy's Day and bumped into an old school friend in Bunk. We passed through Surfer's Paradise (yes, that is actually its real name) - the highrise hotels bathed in rain rather than sun for the duration of our stay. We kicked back in Byron Bay, soaking up the hippy vibe, learning to surf and dancing all night. Surfing wasn't as hard as I thought, still not as easy to catch a wave as it was to win $300 simply dacning around a pole. Hehe. It was a shame that, again, there wasn't much sun to accompany the sea and bucket-loads of sangria. Next stop - Sydney, where we arrived spectacularly over the Harbour Bridge into glorious sunshine - the Australian weather we've all heard of. We yomped around Syders like true tourists, snapping away at the Opera House, cliff walking the awesome Blue Mountains, Bondi and beyond. We joined the locals for a rugby match at the olympic park and a vintage fashion show - there's something for everyone in Sydney.
However, the highlight of the EAC has to have been Melbourne - it was 'far out' as our friend we met there, aptly named Mel, might say. The stunning Great Ocean Road was like the Grand Canyon in the sea whilst Melbourne itself felt like a European city plonked down under, with old-fashioned trams, bustling markets and an abundance of artwork to stumble across down alleways or performed in town squares.
All this suggests that there has never been a dull moment - how deceptive I have been! From waiting for a bus to waiting to check-in, with 12hour bus journeys to break up all that waiting around - it has been tedious to say the least. Small annoyances added to the tedium - annoyances such as the dirty, cramped hostel kitchens and the endless meals consisting of rice and carrots. I am very much missing home nowadays; my own bed, a clean bathroom with a lock and a light - o what luxury! For now I can look forward to more smelly dormitories, hopefully, interspersed with lots of stunning views and fresh moutnain air in a land with 8 times as many sheep as people - New Zealand.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.10151462718485301.830495.698710300&type=3
http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.10151480489385301.832815.698710300&type=3
Tuesday, 20 March 2012
A Pirate's Life
It's a wonderful life, it's a pirate's life for me.
Sailing the seven seas and exploring desert islands in search of hidden treasure, despite resembling the storyline of the famous R. L. Stephenson novel, actually quite accurately describes the most recent of my adventures. Bottles of rum have been replaced with bags of goon (which, for those of you who have never backpacked around Oz, is just cheap boxed wine - a staple of any backpacker diet) and my trusty tourist essential - my camera - is my most valued weapon. But with the sea air in my hair and sand permanently between my toes for over a week, I felt like a true adventurer.
The first port of call, Magnetic Island, was a hidden treasure in itself. A beautiful peaceful island with jungle covered mountains, rocky cliffs and stunning beaches, you would expect to be swarming with tourists but was surprisingly deserted with our bungalow bay hostel a perfect match for the island's tranquility. If we weren't visiting the in-house koala sanctuary we were lazing around by the pool in hammocks hung between the palm trees. After a hard day of sunbathing we went to feed the wild wallabies and then trekked by the moonlight through the mountains back to our bungalow. Things got distinctly piratical at around 4pm each day when the multi-coloured cloud of parrots descended and landedd, not only on your shoulder, but anywhere that stuck out just enough for them to perch (i.e Louise's bottom).
The expedition became much more nautical as we sailed between the next set of islands down the coast, The Whitsundays, on our very own pirate ship (which was in fact a bright red catamaran but the Jolly Roger flag flown on the mast make it a pirate ship, in my opinion). The crew - Captain Ash and Good-looking-cooking Glenn rivaled Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. On the most famous destination of the islands - Whitehaven beach we found some booty in the form of the world's purest sand (98% silica) as well as giant spiders as we walked barefoot up to the hilltop lookout and our very own beached mermaid. By day, we snorkeled at Manta Ray Bay and Hook Island. By night, we played silly games accompanied by goon and slept on deck in a giant sleepover.
From sleeping on the deck of a boat, we were brought back to basics further on Fraser Island, camping on the sand dunes, washing-up in the sea and bathing in lakes (not to mention the whole-in-the ground toilet usage). The wildlife became a bit of a worry as I heard dingos breathing next to me as I lay in my tent and who ended up demolishing our food supplies. But it was all worth it for the rugged coastline we drove along, the spooky shipwreck and swimming in the black lake (made black by a high concentration of tea-tree which made your body glow orange in the water). The group morale was high as we gathered around the one table and single light in our camp to play an epic game of Ring of Fire. Fun was had both day and night with a fantastic group of comrades - despite the crazy Italian drivers in our truck, we also managed to survive!
Hopefully these might paint a better picture for you.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151395268125301.820817.698710300&type=3
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151425002615301.825064.698710300&type=3
Sailing the seven seas and exploring desert islands in search of hidden treasure, despite resembling the storyline of the famous R. L. Stephenson novel, actually quite accurately describes the most recent of my adventures. Bottles of rum have been replaced with bags of goon (which, for those of you who have never backpacked around Oz, is just cheap boxed wine - a staple of any backpacker diet) and my trusty tourist essential - my camera - is my most valued weapon. But with the sea air in my hair and sand permanently between my toes for over a week, I felt like a true adventurer.
The first port of call, Magnetic Island, was a hidden treasure in itself. A beautiful peaceful island with jungle covered mountains, rocky cliffs and stunning beaches, you would expect to be swarming with tourists but was surprisingly deserted with our bungalow bay hostel a perfect match for the island's tranquility. If we weren't visiting the in-house koala sanctuary we were lazing around by the pool in hammocks hung between the palm trees. After a hard day of sunbathing we went to feed the wild wallabies and then trekked by the moonlight through the mountains back to our bungalow. Things got distinctly piratical at around 4pm each day when the multi-coloured cloud of parrots descended and landedd, not only on your shoulder, but anywhere that stuck out just enough for them to perch (i.e Louise's bottom).
The expedition became much more nautical as we sailed between the next set of islands down the coast, The Whitsundays, on our very own pirate ship (which was in fact a bright red catamaran but the Jolly Roger flag flown on the mast make it a pirate ship, in my opinion). The crew - Captain Ash and Good-looking-cooking Glenn rivaled Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. On the most famous destination of the islands - Whitehaven beach we found some booty in the form of the world's purest sand (98% silica) as well as giant spiders as we walked barefoot up to the hilltop lookout and our very own beached mermaid. By day, we snorkeled at Manta Ray Bay and Hook Island. By night, we played silly games accompanied by goon and slept on deck in a giant sleepover.
From sleeping on the deck of a boat, we were brought back to basics further on Fraser Island, camping on the sand dunes, washing-up in the sea and bathing in lakes (not to mention the whole-in-the ground toilet usage). The wildlife became a bit of a worry as I heard dingos breathing next to me as I lay in my tent and who ended up demolishing our food supplies. But it was all worth it for the rugged coastline we drove along, the spooky shipwreck and swimming in the black lake (made black by a high concentration of tea-tree which made your body glow orange in the water). The group morale was high as we gathered around the one table and single light in our camp to play an epic game of Ring of Fire. Fun was had both day and night with a fantastic group of comrades - despite the crazy Italian drivers in our truck, we also managed to survive!
Hopefully these might paint a better picture for you.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151395268125301.820817.698710300&type=3
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151425002615301.825064.698710300&type=3
Thursday, 8 March 2012
'Food Girl' has left the building
After 9 weeks, 5 pairs of black shoes and thousands of succesfully ordered meals my time at P.J O'Briens has come to an end. My role as 'food girl' (as I was commonly known around town, which is ironic really considering how much I love food) was hard work but also very rewarding, not least due to the free food from the boys in the kitchen, but also the extra dollars earnt dancing on the bar for their bar crawl competitions. I have learnt an array of new skills at P.J's including how to pour a pint of Guinness (not a perfect one, I'm sure) and how to hold myself upside down on a pole. This skill is even more impressive considering the amount of chips, pizza, pies and other fatty food I have consumed over the past 2 months. I have a permanent food baby that I have named P.J after his place of conception. I will miss every one of my work colleagues, even the temperamental head chef, and definitely my fantastic room mates from my hostel. Moving on has been an exciting prospect but the thought of never returning to Cairns, my home away from home, brought a tear to my eye.
The last few weeks have been hectic to say the least, visiting waterfalls and going for posh meals for my birthday, on my days off, in between lots of hectic shifts on the food counter. It's amazing how many ways there are to order your food; Americans want to 'grab' it, Europeans will 'take' it and Asians 'want steak and chip' - not realising that I then needed to ask three more questions for each steak they wanted. In my last week at work I managed to save over $800 working pretty much every waking hour 7 days in a row.
But all the hard work is paying off now, having already used most of my earnings to book an amazing trip down the east coast including my recent skydive which I am still buzzing from. In the next month I will be a complete tourist once again, seeing the main sites of The Whitsundays, Fraser Island, Byron Bay, Sydney, Melbourne and Great Ocean Road. It is all go over here and I better get going, got a sailing boat to catch!
https://picasaweb.google.com/115396624801108203436/Cairns
https://picasaweb.google.com/115396624801108203436/Cairns2
The last few weeks have been hectic to say the least, visiting waterfalls and going for posh meals for my birthday, on my days off, in between lots of hectic shifts on the food counter. It's amazing how many ways there are to order your food; Americans want to 'grab' it, Europeans will 'take' it and Asians 'want steak and chip' - not realising that I then needed to ask three more questions for each steak they wanted. In my last week at work I managed to save over $800 working pretty much every waking hour 7 days in a row.
But all the hard work is paying off now, having already used most of my earnings to book an amazing trip down the east coast including my recent skydive which I am still buzzing from. In the next month I will be a complete tourist once again, seeing the main sites of The Whitsundays, Fraser Island, Byron Bay, Sydney, Melbourne and Great Ocean Road. It is all go over here and I better get going, got a sailing boat to catch!
https://picasaweb.google.com/115396624801108203436/Cairns
https://picasaweb.google.com/115396624801108203436/Cairns2
Sunday, 29 January 2012
Tennis, turtles, tim tams and tequila!
Today is the final of the Australian Open (like Wimbledon, only in blue, not green). The 2 weeks of the tournament have seen me start to enjoy the laid back lifestyle of Cairns and enjoy both my shifts at P.J's and the free drinks afterwards.
After winning the P.J's pole dance competition after work, and winning a $100 dollar bar tab, and the luck didn't run out there, I have now been asked to work as a Coyote Girl, so basically I will get paid to dance on the bar and encourage the competitors, and yes, I will be clothed! It turns out I don't seem to need my newly acquired bar tab as I always seem to stumble across people who want to buy everyone drinks. On friday, whilst watching the tennis, I was bought Tequila and Guinness as part of a US soldier-on-leave-from-Afghanistan's attempt to spend a considerable amount of his wages in one night. This mixture of alcohol resulted in me shouting at the TV screen rather alot, especially when Murray started to lose.
So that's the tennis and tequila covered... now for the turtles!! On a rare full day off I was able to go to the famous Great Barrier Reef ( which disappointingly wasn't very barrier like). The weather was beautiful and so was the sparkling blue water and bright white sailing boat I saw it all on. I went on a snorkel tour (far more regulated than the chuck-you-off-the-boat snorkeling in Thailand, there were even life jackets). The coral was different to that of Asia, some blue spiky stuff I'd never seen and a lot of underwater spaghetti. The most exciting marine life on the reef were the giant trevelly fish and reef sharks circling the boat and my flippers. The turtles weren't spotted until the afternoon excursion to Green Island, which was surprisingly deserted despite it's tourist resort classification. Circumnavigating the island via driftwood strewn beaches and shallow waters allowed ample opportunity for turtle-spotting. Whilst swimming I thought a person up ahead had been holding their breath for rather along time until my friend pointed out to me that it was in fact a turtle. They are bigger and more beautiful than I had imagined - just Dori left to find to complete the real-life Finding Nemo cast.
Although I am beginning to appreciate some of the luxuries of Australia; warm weather, turtles and Tim Tams on tap (for those who have never tried them, they are the greatest chocolate biscuits ever), I still feel this country has an unjustifiably large ego. Even on ordinary days the locals seem to celebrate being Australian so when it came to Australia Day (a national public holiday and basically just a big excuse for a party) the national pride was pretty hard to stomach. I was forced to wear an Australian flag as a cape all day at work and serve drunken Aussies in patriotic fancy dress. I was trying to imagine a Great Britain Day - I don't think it would catch on, somehow. Half of Britain seems to be in Australia anyway, and how there are any Irish left in Ireland is beyond me.
Saying that I am grateful for the diversity of people in Cairns and in my hostel. I have met English, Irish, Danish, French and a Swedish lady truck driver. I have played volleyball with a group of competitive German men and attempted to tightrope walk with the help of some Aussie pros.
Off to eat some of my new favourite Tim Tams - white chocolate. I wish I could send some home for you all to try.
Latest photos
https://picasaweb.google.com/115396624801108203436/Cairns
After winning the P.J's pole dance competition after work, and winning a $100 dollar bar tab, and the luck didn't run out there, I have now been asked to work as a Coyote Girl, so basically I will get paid to dance on the bar and encourage the competitors, and yes, I will be clothed! It turns out I don't seem to need my newly acquired bar tab as I always seem to stumble across people who want to buy everyone drinks. On friday, whilst watching the tennis, I was bought Tequila and Guinness as part of a US soldier-on-leave-from-Afghanistan's attempt to spend a considerable amount of his wages in one night. This mixture of alcohol resulted in me shouting at the TV screen rather alot, especially when Murray started to lose.
So that's the tennis and tequila covered... now for the turtles!! On a rare full day off I was able to go to the famous Great Barrier Reef ( which disappointingly wasn't very barrier like). The weather was beautiful and so was the sparkling blue water and bright white sailing boat I saw it all on. I went on a snorkel tour (far more regulated than the chuck-you-off-the-boat snorkeling in Thailand, there were even life jackets). The coral was different to that of Asia, some blue spiky stuff I'd never seen and a lot of underwater spaghetti. The most exciting marine life on the reef were the giant trevelly fish and reef sharks circling the boat and my flippers. The turtles weren't spotted until the afternoon excursion to Green Island, which was surprisingly deserted despite it's tourist resort classification. Circumnavigating the island via driftwood strewn beaches and shallow waters allowed ample opportunity for turtle-spotting. Whilst swimming I thought a person up ahead had been holding their breath for rather along time until my friend pointed out to me that it was in fact a turtle. They are bigger and more beautiful than I had imagined - just Dori left to find to complete the real-life Finding Nemo cast.
Although I am beginning to appreciate some of the luxuries of Australia; warm weather, turtles and Tim Tams on tap (for those who have never tried them, they are the greatest chocolate biscuits ever), I still feel this country has an unjustifiably large ego. Even on ordinary days the locals seem to celebrate being Australian so when it came to Australia Day (a national public holiday and basically just a big excuse for a party) the national pride was pretty hard to stomach. I was forced to wear an Australian flag as a cape all day at work and serve drunken Aussies in patriotic fancy dress. I was trying to imagine a Great Britain Day - I don't think it would catch on, somehow. Half of Britain seems to be in Australia anyway, and how there are any Irish left in Ireland is beyond me.
Saying that I am grateful for the diversity of people in Cairns and in my hostel. I have met English, Irish, Danish, French and a Swedish lady truck driver. I have played volleyball with a group of competitive German men and attempted to tightrope walk with the help of some Aussie pros.
Off to eat some of my new favourite Tim Tams - white chocolate. I wish I could send some home for you all to try.
Latest photos
https://picasaweb.google.com/115396624801108203436/Cairns
Sunday, 15 January 2012
A whole new world - with chips&salad or mash&veg?
A brand new continent, a new atmosphere and a new purpose for my travels.
As soon as we landed in Australia I was on the hunt for a job to help finance the last few months of the trip. Luckily the hunt didn't last long, before even having had chance to clean my teeth or change my clothes since the overnight flight I found myself with a trial shift at P.J O'Briens, an Irish pub in the centre of Cairns.
At P.J's I take the food orders (which all come with a choice of chips&salad or mash&veg, unfortunately for me) serve and clear up. This can be easy at times but mostly it's absolutely hectic as hundreds of backpackers flock in every night to use their $5 meal deal vouchers (of which I am one on my days off as it's just such a good deal). Whilst taking orders from backpackers I am often recognized from my other employment cleaning their hostel toilets every morning in order to get free accommodation there myself. I have been asked quite a few times how many jobs I have. It is only two but some days it feels like more.
The atmosphere here is a far cry from South East Asia. Unlike the general rule in Asia that anyone you encounter will be happy to help you, here, most people seem annoyed when you ask them any simple question, especially those behind reception desks whose job it is, surely, to answer your questions. Saying that my new colleagues at work are mostly very friendly and my ever-changing room mates have all been lovely.
As for my impressions of the place, when Counting Crows played on my iPod the other night I couldn't help but agree with the lyrics that 'they paved paradise and put up a parking lot'. Not that Cairns is a parking lot, but it does feel like a lot of concrete has been dumped in the middle of the jungle to create this very strange place. It is a city but the centre feels about the size of Rasen (with a shopping centre and huge public lagoon, so not quite the same). Oh and the weather is a little better too! I have ventured out to the suburbs in order to attempt to find non-hostel accommodation for my working holiday here. I was expecting Ramsay Street but instead I found wooden huts reminiscent of the hill tribe huts of the Chiang Mai trek.
I dread to think what it's like in the outback, where Louise has just started her new job. It is a strange new experience to be in a foreign country without her. After 3 months of each others' continuous company we were starting to tire but, after 2 days, I am missing her already. Counting Crows are right again - 'you don't know what you got till it's gone'. I intend to try and appreciate all the great things about Australia whilst I'm here before I have to leave, and avoid them being right again.
I'm afraid there are no photos to accompany this blog as Louise has run off into the bush with the photo uploading device so you'll have to wait until she returns.
As soon as we landed in Australia I was on the hunt for a job to help finance the last few months of the trip. Luckily the hunt didn't last long, before even having had chance to clean my teeth or change my clothes since the overnight flight I found myself with a trial shift at P.J O'Briens, an Irish pub in the centre of Cairns.
At P.J's I take the food orders (which all come with a choice of chips&salad or mash&veg, unfortunately for me) serve and clear up. This can be easy at times but mostly it's absolutely hectic as hundreds of backpackers flock in every night to use their $5 meal deal vouchers (of which I am one on my days off as it's just such a good deal). Whilst taking orders from backpackers I am often recognized from my other employment cleaning their hostel toilets every morning in order to get free accommodation there myself. I have been asked quite a few times how many jobs I have. It is only two but some days it feels like more.
The atmosphere here is a far cry from South East Asia. Unlike the general rule in Asia that anyone you encounter will be happy to help you, here, most people seem annoyed when you ask them any simple question, especially those behind reception desks whose job it is, surely, to answer your questions. Saying that my new colleagues at work are mostly very friendly and my ever-changing room mates have all been lovely.
As for my impressions of the place, when Counting Crows played on my iPod the other night I couldn't help but agree with the lyrics that 'they paved paradise and put up a parking lot'. Not that Cairns is a parking lot, but it does feel like a lot of concrete has been dumped in the middle of the jungle to create this very strange place. It is a city but the centre feels about the size of Rasen (with a shopping centre and huge public lagoon, so not quite the same). Oh and the weather is a little better too! I have ventured out to the suburbs in order to attempt to find non-hostel accommodation for my working holiday here. I was expecting Ramsay Street but instead I found wooden huts reminiscent of the hill tribe huts of the Chiang Mai trek.
I dread to think what it's like in the outback, where Louise has just started her new job. It is a strange new experience to be in a foreign country without her. After 3 months of each others' continuous company we were starting to tire but, after 2 days, I am missing her already. Counting Crows are right again - 'you don't know what you got till it's gone'. I intend to try and appreciate all the great things about Australia whilst I'm here before I have to leave, and avoid them being right again.
I'm afraid there are no photos to accompany this blog as Louise has run off into the bush with the photo uploading device so you'll have to wait until she returns.
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Singapore Swingers
No, I'm not referring to myself or Louise in that title!
The swingers I am referring to come in various forms, some animal, some human, but all overly energetic and extremely amusing to watch. Read on to learn more.
The week between Christmas and New Year has been spent on metro systems, hopping between the sights of the concrete (or rather steel and glass) jungles of Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. The buildings are out-of-this-world - the architectural achievements of mankind seem most obvious here in the Petronas Twin Towers of Kl and the Marina Bay centre in Singapore that looks exactly how I imagine a space station to look.
The fantastic mix of cultures is evident as you turn the corner from Chinatown into Little India or as you peruse the food court counters to find a delicious treat from practically anywhere in the world. In Kuala Lumpur we found the best curry in the world which arrived seconds after it was ordered and came with a side of friendly banter from the restaurant owner. Here, in Singapore we have treated ourselves in the luxurious malls with Sushi, cream puffs and a little retail therapy as well as finding a tasty and ridiculously cheap chicken 'n' rice kitchen with down-the-road ques day and night - the locals certainly like it and having eaten there three times now it would definitely go in my Rough Guide.
But it's the people that make both of these cities such exciting places to be. I saw in the new year on the riverside with a lovely Indian family and then celebrated it with my first example of Singapore Swingers - the highly enthusiastic dancing crowd at the rave that followed a Madonna tribute concert. A group of Indian guys started a dance-off with some pretty impressive moves that involved flailing arms and disturbing pelvic movements. Cultural dances were exchanged as Louise and I taught some Asian hip-hop fans some old school routines and they attempted to teach me some 'popping'. Our last day in Asia was spent watching some more 'swingers' - at the Singapore Zoo. The tigers, giraffes, hippos etc. were good to see but the most interesting were the collection of primates - especially the huge crowd of Baboons jumping up and down as they were thrown bananas which were then fought over.
Now in Oz - back to the real world of cleaning toilets and serving food to earn my keep, but more about that later. I'm sad to have left Asia - no more bargains :( but I am looking forward to the adventures to come.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151158033265301.788439.698710300&type=3
The swingers I am referring to come in various forms, some animal, some human, but all overly energetic and extremely amusing to watch. Read on to learn more.
The week between Christmas and New Year has been spent on metro systems, hopping between the sights of the concrete (or rather steel and glass) jungles of Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. The buildings are out-of-this-world - the architectural achievements of mankind seem most obvious here in the Petronas Twin Towers of Kl and the Marina Bay centre in Singapore that looks exactly how I imagine a space station to look.
The fantastic mix of cultures is evident as you turn the corner from Chinatown into Little India or as you peruse the food court counters to find a delicious treat from practically anywhere in the world. In Kuala Lumpur we found the best curry in the world which arrived seconds after it was ordered and came with a side of friendly banter from the restaurant owner. Here, in Singapore we have treated ourselves in the luxurious malls with Sushi, cream puffs and a little retail therapy as well as finding a tasty and ridiculously cheap chicken 'n' rice kitchen with down-the-road ques day and night - the locals certainly like it and having eaten there three times now it would definitely go in my Rough Guide.
But it's the people that make both of these cities such exciting places to be. I saw in the new year on the riverside with a lovely Indian family and then celebrated it with my first example of Singapore Swingers - the highly enthusiastic dancing crowd at the rave that followed a Madonna tribute concert. A group of Indian guys started a dance-off with some pretty impressive moves that involved flailing arms and disturbing pelvic movements. Cultural dances were exchanged as Louise and I taught some Asian hip-hop fans some old school routines and they attempted to teach me some 'popping'. Our last day in Asia was spent watching some more 'swingers' - at the Singapore Zoo. The tigers, giraffes, hippos etc. were good to see but the most interesting were the collection of primates - especially the huge crowd of Baboons jumping up and down as they were thrown bananas which were then fought over.
Now in Oz - back to the real world of cleaning toilets and serving food to earn my keep, but more about that later. I'm sad to have left Asia - no more bargains :( but I am looking forward to the adventures to come.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151158033265301.788439.698710300&type=3
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)