After quite the mission of a bus ride, think I lost a few brain cells in that one, we arrived in Saigon, and checked in with madam cuc. Saigon itself (known more formely as ho chi minh) is a crazy place, i really am suprised more people dont die on the rooad in a day to day basis, it was a truly frightnening experience. And if the motorbikes dont get you than I can only imagine the type of damage all those thousands of wires in the street can do! I did enjoy the market though, as I always do, the crafts and accessories, I could look all day! The war remnants museum was a bit of a let down, though I entertained myself by trying to figure out the presidential lineage leading up to and after the vietnam war. The photos were also extremely impressive and I think it was probably worth my $1!
Pleased to get out of the death trap that is Saigon, our overnight train arrived, very promptly, in nha trang at 6am! We checked into our hostel-may oui, and after a little nap were awoken by KAY! So excited to see each other our day at the beach flew by, swimming and eating, and the weather was amazing, although VERY HOT! Our time in nha trang pretty much followed the same pattern. The beach itself is very pretty, although the town I think is still working on it!
Our next stop up the coast was Hue, pronounced who-ey? Hue was maybe the hottest place since australia. I had all the intention of walking round the historical citidel but when sweat is coming out of your eylids one glimse of the massive stone wall is quite enough before refreshment is required! We were sad to see kay leave but she will reenter the adventures in less than two weeks! Our second day in Hue we chartered a dragon boad to take a trip up the river, a perfect way to watch the world go by and get some sun. We stopped at a pagoda and temple, very chinese in architecture, but I was most fascinated by the floating markets and houses. The river is like its own town. The lady on our boat hopped off onto another and 5 minutes later she was back to cook us lunch!
From Hue to Hanoi is a long overnight train, leaving at 3pm, on which we slept the entire way! literally. Arriving in hanoi at about 4.30am. After another nap and breakfast it was time to explore Hanoi, which is so packed with life and character. Its not quite the death trap of saigon, but still pretty hairy when crossing the road! I could eat and shop here every day and never get bored. The french influence means the cuising has been quite delightful also and you can never get enough of people in coned hats asking if you want banana or pineapple! The fastest and most fun way to get around is by motorbike! For next to nothing you can find yourself whizzing around the streets with the wind in your face (much needed) and within moments you are at your destination! Great fun!! kind of makes me want a motorbike (just kidding mum!) If a motorbike is not for you, you can also be pedaled around on a cyclo, a little seat with a big bicycle behind where a man sweats away taking you to where you want to go! After some relaxation time (which seems like an oxymoron in such a vibrant city) we are soon off to Shanghai, in a round about way..china is not easy to get to...watch this space!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
cooler in cambodia, just kidding!
After the luxury of a flight into cambodia we made our way to our hostel in phnom penh, grandview hotel, where our room just about fitted us and our bags. We explored our 'street'-if u can call it that, more of a mud path, but very cute-full of little restaurants and bars! We visited the SE2 museum in phnom pen, an old high school turned security prison during the take over of the kyhmer rouge, there they held many high officials in order to get information. It was, as expected, pretty gruesome, but very interesting nonetheless. Nearly all prisoners held here were later executed at the killing fields, although these we did not visit-the museum was sufficient!
Our bumpy bus ride to siem reap deserves a mention, for the scenery was really something. Not in terms of landscape, well actually that too, but just to watch life go by. The bamboo houses and villages by the side of the road reminded me a little of kenya. Cambodia is obviously still struggling tremendously 30 years after the regime fell, and tourism is set to boom. After arriving in seam reap we checked into our hostel there, Jasmine, which was just perfect, a nice rooftop restaurant and extremely helpful staff! We booked ourselves a little tuk tuk to tour us round angkor wat, and had heard that it was quite spectacular at sunrise. Of course that would be the day it was cloudy and the sun didnt rise! Still angkor wat itself is definately worth the pilgramage. It has a mysterious aura around it which makes it just fascinating, as well as structurally beautiful. The compound itself consists of a few temples, my favourite being the one where large stone faces stare down at you!
Our evening in Seam reap was well spent too, we perused a few market stalls (im always one for a bit of market) then had a drink before enjoying some traditional khymer cuisine-at the khymer kitchen. mmm. can still taste the pumpkin!
Next mission: 12 hour bus ride to vietnam!
Our bumpy bus ride to siem reap deserves a mention, for the scenery was really something. Not in terms of landscape, well actually that too, but just to watch life go by. The bamboo houses and villages by the side of the road reminded me a little of kenya. Cambodia is obviously still struggling tremendously 30 years after the regime fell, and tourism is set to boom. After arriving in seam reap we checked into our hostel there, Jasmine, which was just perfect, a nice rooftop restaurant and extremely helpful staff! We booked ourselves a little tuk tuk to tour us round angkor wat, and had heard that it was quite spectacular at sunrise. Of course that would be the day it was cloudy and the sun didnt rise! Still angkor wat itself is definately worth the pilgramage. It has a mysterious aura around it which makes it just fascinating, as well as structurally beautiful. The compound itself consists of a few temples, my favourite being the one where large stone faces stare down at you!
Our evening in Seam reap was well spent too, we perused a few market stalls (im always one for a bit of market) then had a drink before enjoying some traditional khymer cuisine-at the khymer kitchen. mmm. can still taste the pumpkin!
Next mission: 12 hour bus ride to vietnam!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Shopping, Eating and Massage in Chang Mai
The title of this post speaks for itself. Having already been to chang mai I had prepared myself for this shopping spree, although was very restrained (possibly due to lack of bank card, maybe I lost it at the right time)! Our guest house, smile, was very cute and right in the centre with a pool. So we swam, ate, drank, shopped and then after all that stress had a massage! We also enjoyed a cooking class and are now expert thai chefs! I wish sticky rice could be in my life everyday.
After four stressful days in chang mai it was time to head back for one more night in Bangkok before heading to Cambodia!
After four stressful days in chang mai it was time to head back for one more night in Bangkok before heading to Cambodia!
Cold showers and Hard floors...
We arrived in Bangkok.... I cant remember the exact date, was so long ago! Anyhoo we arrived, checked ourselves into a wee hotel before embarking on our volunteer project the next day. Our project was based at the temple of dawn, wat arun, one of the royal temples here in bangkok, and one of the oldest. That means that the king will have to read about us volunteers being here, i feel pretty special about that. Our accomodation was a short drive down the road from the temple, where we slept on the floor-supposedly very good for your back, although the first few nights I was not so sure about this statement! The lack of hot water I think was a blessing for there was nothing so refreshing as a cold shower after a day of sticky bangkok...
Our days at the temple were taught teaching students in their late teens and elementary school children at a morning 'summer camp' around the corner in their school. Some afternoons we would also go to the hitachi headquarters to teach the adults who work there. There are now many children running around bangkok fluent in Tripp Lake Camp songs! We loved our students, both children and adults-the hitachi classes had us laughing until our stomachs hurt (altho that may have been hunger...we have had alot of plain white rice at the temple..!)...
While at the temple we have also been learning to meditate, in my case this should supposedly help my concentration but my concentration seems to hinder my meditation so the battle continues for me to find my zen! We have also been entertained by the head monk here, who is possibly one of the most hilarious characters I have ever come accross, I shall miss his forcing us to speak thai and showing us all his inventions before having us attempt, yet again, to chop up a coconut. My favourite quote 'ah..you better chop mango'...
Our days at the temple were taught teaching students in their late teens and elementary school children at a morning 'summer camp' around the corner in their school. Some afternoons we would also go to the hitachi headquarters to teach the adults who work there. There are now many children running around bangkok fluent in Tripp Lake Camp songs! We loved our students, both children and adults-the hitachi classes had us laughing until our stomachs hurt (altho that may have been hunger...we have had alot of plain white rice at the temple..!)...
While at the temple we have also been learning to meditate, in my case this should supposedly help my concentration but my concentration seems to hinder my meditation so the battle continues for me to find my zen! We have also been entertained by the head monk here, who is possibly one of the most hilarious characters I have ever come accross, I shall miss his forcing us to speak thai and showing us all his inventions before having us attempt, yet again, to chop up a coconut. My favourite quote 'ah..you better chop mango'...
Friday, March 13, 2009
Ko Samui
After two days of exhausting travelling (taxi, ferry, train, bus, another bus, ferry, sangtaew...which got lost...) we were happy to have found our way to paradise, literally, where we were staying looked like we could have been in a postcard. Matlang resort, made up of thatched cabins along a garden leading to the beach, could not have been more perfect for what we needed! We also made use of the pool in the resort next door, the power of a blue towel!
We enjoyed six days of cocktails, massage and more cocktails with some amazing thai food thrown in! Ko Samui, I live there!
We enjoyed six days of cocktails, massage and more cocktails with some amazing thai food thrown in! Ko Samui, I live there!
Melting in Malaysia
After a very scenic train journey through the jungle we arrived in Melaka, our first stop in Malaysia. A small town, originally a colonial trading port, we were interested by the very red dutch buildings which lined the streets. Beyond these you could see everyday life happening in the open chinatown shophouses. Most importantly, the food in Melaka was quite delightful! The hawker centre treated us to some malaysian favourites-chicken rice, which is as it sounds but somehow tastes infinately better than anything I could dish up. Our favourite place has to be capitol satay, where every table had within it, wait for it, a bubbling vat of satay sause! So we chose our satay skewers and cooked them in it, just like fondue but so much better...because its satay sauce! Our hostel, the travellers lodge, made a good base, and the rooftop terrace would have been a great place to relax were it not for the 40 degrees of heat!
Our next stop in Malaysia was Penang. Another colonial port, we were impressed by the grand colonial buildings interspersed with what used to be very ornately decorated houses which could now do with a little renovation. A project for later life. Again the food in Penang is worth a mention, most especially our dim sum breakfasts! We were intrigued by this concept and thought we would give it a go, I picked what looked like a white puff off a trolley and took a big bite. I was pleasantly suprised by the soft dough and delicicious BBQ pork inside, so much so I had another, and another, and we went back the next day.
Penang hill was another exciting adventure, right at the top of a venacular railway built by the english elite to escape the heat (did i meantion the heat??), it gives you stunning views of the city. If you are lucky like us you can even spot a monkey or two in the jungle on the way up!
Fully exhausted by the heat we were ready for some relaxation and island time...
oh and in Malaysia- (direct quote) 'toilet paper is not included in the price of the room'!!
Our next stop in Malaysia was Penang. Another colonial port, we were impressed by the grand colonial buildings interspersed with what used to be very ornately decorated houses which could now do with a little renovation. A project for later life. Again the food in Penang is worth a mention, most especially our dim sum breakfasts! We were intrigued by this concept and thought we would give it a go, I picked what looked like a white puff off a trolley and took a big bite. I was pleasantly suprised by the soft dough and delicicious BBQ pork inside, so much so I had another, and another, and we went back the next day.
Penang hill was another exciting adventure, right at the top of a venacular railway built by the english elite to escape the heat (did i meantion the heat??), it gives you stunning views of the city. If you are lucky like us you can even spot a monkey or two in the jungle on the way up!
Fully exhausted by the heat we were ready for some relaxation and island time...
oh and in Malaysia- (direct quote) 'toilet paper is not included in the price of the room'!!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Sticky in Singapore
We arrived in Singapore after a very easy flight, thankyou Quantas, and settled into the comforts of a b and b, aptly named 1bandbsingapore! Our first day we spent exploring chinatown, which was incredibly clean-as is the whole of Singapore, jam packed with ornate little colourful houses, market stalls and food stalls. For dinner we checked out one of the world famous Hawker Stalls and had to try some carrotless carrot cake, given its name from the shallot ingredient which is supposedly related to the carrot! It is basically egg, shallot, wheat and soy, tasted good to me!
The next day we visited the colonial region, where Sir Raffles first landed and declared Singapore an international trading port, making it the thriving city it is today (minus the whole japanese invasion part). The buildings here were very grand indeed, made more so by the heat glaring off them and making the white sparkle! We took a look inside the asian civilisations museum, one of the most prominent buildings, and were especially entertained by the childrens areas, where you actually learnt very interesting factoids about food and culture! Down by the quay we tried some famous Indian Pratha Rota, recommended to us by a family friend of Ruthies, which was quite divine, dipped in some special sauce we ate as many as we could!
Of course no trip to Singapore would be complete without a Singapore Sling in Raffles! I had been looking forward to my trip to Raffles for a very long time, for which I have the programme Tenko to blame! Having been described as cough syrup to me I was pretty sceptical about this concoction, but it was in fact delicious and well worth the wait! We met Ruthies family friend in the long bar, where I had my famous drink, and which was also exceedingly busy. I think we were not the only ones to have thought to pop in to Raffles for a drink! The palm court especially looked exactly as I had envisaged, I was very happy to be there!
Our last day, I ventured to the National Museum of Singapore for a history lesson, and I have to say it is one of the best museums I have ever been to! With my audio guide I was literally taken through time and can now tell anyone, in great detail, about the events in Singapores history! That afternoon we checked out little India, which literally is like stepping into another country-India in fact! Jam packed with people and with tiny lanes and markets stalls everywhere. The buildings where bright but a little shabbier than the rest of Singapore. Tired and sticky from bustling around we retired to the quay to enjoy a final meal by the singapore river. Chilli chicken and tiger beer, delightful!
Overall Singapore is an amazing city where it seems so many different cultures coexist, everywhere you find tiny ornate houses there is a brand new tower block looming behind. You can step out of a brand new shopping mall full of labels and into a hawker centre where lunch costs you $5! And all this engulfed in overwhelming heat, and the occasional rain storm! Its pretty special!
The next day we visited the colonial region, where Sir Raffles first landed and declared Singapore an international trading port, making it the thriving city it is today (minus the whole japanese invasion part). The buildings here were very grand indeed, made more so by the heat glaring off them and making the white sparkle! We took a look inside the asian civilisations museum, one of the most prominent buildings, and were especially entertained by the childrens areas, where you actually learnt very interesting factoids about food and culture! Down by the quay we tried some famous Indian Pratha Rota, recommended to us by a family friend of Ruthies, which was quite divine, dipped in some special sauce we ate as many as we could!
Of course no trip to Singapore would be complete without a Singapore Sling in Raffles! I had been looking forward to my trip to Raffles for a very long time, for which I have the programme Tenko to blame! Having been described as cough syrup to me I was pretty sceptical about this concoction, but it was in fact delicious and well worth the wait! We met Ruthies family friend in the long bar, where I had my famous drink, and which was also exceedingly busy. I think we were not the only ones to have thought to pop in to Raffles for a drink! The palm court especially looked exactly as I had envisaged, I was very happy to be there!
Our last day, I ventured to the National Museum of Singapore for a history lesson, and I have to say it is one of the best museums I have ever been to! With my audio guide I was literally taken through time and can now tell anyone, in great detail, about the events in Singapores history! That afternoon we checked out little India, which literally is like stepping into another country-India in fact! Jam packed with people and with tiny lanes and markets stalls everywhere. The buildings where bright but a little shabbier than the rest of Singapore. Tired and sticky from bustling around we retired to the quay to enjoy a final meal by the singapore river. Chilli chicken and tiger beer, delightful!
Overall Singapore is an amazing city where it seems so many different cultures coexist, everywhere you find tiny ornate houses there is a brand new tower block looming behind. You can step out of a brand new shopping mall full of labels and into a hawker centre where lunch costs you $5! And all this engulfed in overwhelming heat, and the occasional rain storm! Its pretty special!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Sydney calling!!
Our days spent in Sydney could not have been better planned! The morning we arrived at wake-up, our hostel there, the dark clouds loomed. What better to do on a dark day than the aquarium, apparently Australias number 1 tourist attraction. Well i'm not sure about that but it was damn cool, you literally walk under tunnels with sharks flying above your head. Sharks the size of me! Sting rays too-and all those other fish things! The powerhouse museum is pretty cool too-it has a mixture of all things, including Australian history and culture. My favourite part has to be the ecological section-which of course they would have, being as green as they are, and I even found out my carbon footprint is 5 acres! (Ruthies was 8-haha!) That evening we visited the spanish quarter-and what better to do there then enjoy some tapas-mmm.
We had read somewhere along our travels of tropfest, the largest short film festival in the world, held in Sydney and coincidently the next day! The sun shon brightly and 30,000 people came, picnics in tow, to watch the films, listen to the bands and generally soak up the atmosphere and amazing weather. Australians seem well practiced at picnics too-with picnic apparatus like you've never seen! The atmosphere was simply incredible!
Of course no trip to Sydney would be complete without a trip to the opera house and bridge. Another gloriously sunny day we headed out to get some of our obligatory pictures. The opera house is quite something! The bridge was a sight too, we contemplated walking across it but decided to be content with just imagining the walk. Instead we walked over to the rocks, an old-london style area with little ally ways and streets, and of course shops! Oh and a guylian chocolate cafe!!! To complete our tourist filled day we spend sunset up the sydney tour, their equivalent to the empire state building, and viewed the city in its entirity. Its amazing how 80% of Australias whole population lives on only 1% of its land!
Next thing on our list was Bondi Beach-the world famous, and clearly no secret. Again blessed with brilliant sunshine we relaxed and enjoyed the beach, although not the ocean seeing as over 150 people were stung by blue bottom jellyfish that day! Later in the day we walked to coogee beach, an hour and a half coastal walk which took us to another, and Australia seems to be full of them, cute beach town. That evening we checked out some of sydney's best nightlife, followed by a five star kebab (from which our mouths are still burnt!)!!
Our final full day in Australia, tear, and we did what we do best, shopped-funnily enough on 'oxford street'-although more notting hill then oxford street we walked and shopped until we were finally defeated (and suprisingly bag free)! Our last evening we went to, as we had enjoyed it in Melbourne so much, the moonlight cinema for another great picnic event! This time we saw breakfast at tiffanys and delighted in our hired bean bag beds!!
We had read somewhere along our travels of tropfest, the largest short film festival in the world, held in Sydney and coincidently the next day! The sun shon brightly and 30,000 people came, picnics in tow, to watch the films, listen to the bands and generally soak up the atmosphere and amazing weather. Australians seem well practiced at picnics too-with picnic apparatus like you've never seen! The atmosphere was simply incredible!
Of course no trip to Sydney would be complete without a trip to the opera house and bridge. Another gloriously sunny day we headed out to get some of our obligatory pictures. The opera house is quite something! The bridge was a sight too, we contemplated walking across it but decided to be content with just imagining the walk. Instead we walked over to the rocks, an old-london style area with little ally ways and streets, and of course shops! Oh and a guylian chocolate cafe!!! To complete our tourist filled day we spend sunset up the sydney tour, their equivalent to the empire state building, and viewed the city in its entirity. Its amazing how 80% of Australias whole population lives on only 1% of its land!
Next thing on our list was Bondi Beach-the world famous, and clearly no secret. Again blessed with brilliant sunshine we relaxed and enjoyed the beach, although not the ocean seeing as over 150 people were stung by blue bottom jellyfish that day! Later in the day we walked to coogee beach, an hour and a half coastal walk which took us to another, and Australia seems to be full of them, cute beach town. That evening we checked out some of sydney's best nightlife, followed by a five star kebab (from which our mouths are still burnt!)!!
Our final full day in Australia, tear, and we did what we do best, shopped-funnily enough on 'oxford street'-although more notting hill then oxford street we walked and shopped until we were finally defeated (and suprisingly bag free)! Our last evening we went to, as we had enjoyed it in Melbourne so much, the moonlight cinema for another great picnic event! This time we saw breakfast at tiffanys and delighted in our hired bean bag beds!!
Noosa to Byron Bay
Noosa is a very cute small beach town, full of nice shops, very nice resteraunts and a few fun places to drink and dance! So that we did, we shopped, we went to the beach, we ate we drank and we danced! But be warned-no flip flops in the club-that caused me a very steep walk back to the hostel and back again (although they did give me money off entry for my valiant effort!)
Two days later we boarded another greyhound bound for Byron Bay! We stopped at Brisbane, only to change buses, although it didnt look like a particularly exciting city (apologies to anyone who lives there or is in any way emotionally attached to the place). Byron however is amazing! We knew instantly we woul dlove it, full of great shops and cafes and very alternative...shoes are not compulsory and neither is a hair brush. We stayed at a hostel called arts factory, originally famous for being a hot spot for travelling musicians. Rooms ranged from normal to buses to teepees and the place was covered in muriels and laden with hammocks. You could stay in arts factory for a week and not leave the vicinity and be quite content. In the morning Iguanas the size of my cat (whos name is treacle btw) would roam freely in the gardens and people would wear off their goon hangovers in the hammoks under the sun. Of course we wandered the shops, as we do, and made time to read on the beach-you can never visit enough beaches.
No visit to Byron Bay is complete, according to our good friend Liz, without a trip to Nimbin. Nimbin as about as alternative as it comes, which I guess is the inspiration behind Jim's tour being called- jims alternative tours. So having been picked up by jim himself we were taken to Nimbin to experience such a lifestyle. The afternoon was spent speeding through rainforests and listening to great music! We loved Jim.
We spent a few more days enjoying the relaxation haven of Arts Factory and Byron, along with goon and what appeared to be a travelling band as people wold constantly whip out guitars and trumpets and serenade us. Chilled out to the point of being horizontal it was soon time to face reality as it was time to head south to the big bad world of Sydney.
Two days later we boarded another greyhound bound for Byron Bay! We stopped at Brisbane, only to change buses, although it didnt look like a particularly exciting city (apologies to anyone who lives there or is in any way emotionally attached to the place). Byron however is amazing! We knew instantly we woul dlove it, full of great shops and cafes and very alternative...shoes are not compulsory and neither is a hair brush. We stayed at a hostel called arts factory, originally famous for being a hot spot for travelling musicians. Rooms ranged from normal to buses to teepees and the place was covered in muriels and laden with hammocks. You could stay in arts factory for a week and not leave the vicinity and be quite content. In the morning Iguanas the size of my cat (whos name is treacle btw) would roam freely in the gardens and people would wear off their goon hangovers in the hammoks under the sun. Of course we wandered the shops, as we do, and made time to read on the beach-you can never visit enough beaches.
No visit to Byron Bay is complete, according to our good friend Liz, without a trip to Nimbin. Nimbin as about as alternative as it comes, which I guess is the inspiration behind Jim's tour being called- jims alternative tours. So having been picked up by jim himself we were taken to Nimbin to experience such a lifestyle. The afternoon was spent speeding through rainforests and listening to great music! We loved Jim.
We spent a few more days enjoying the relaxation haven of Arts Factory and Byron, along with goon and what appeared to be a travelling band as people wold constantly whip out guitars and trumpets and serenade us. Chilled out to the point of being horizontal it was soon time to face reality as it was time to head south to the big bad world of Sydney.
Hervey Bay/Rainbow Beach and Fraser Island
Hervey bay is a delightful little beach town where it seems the primary purpose of visits are to take trips to fraser Island. We were here, however, just to relax, which we did. Our hostel, woolshed backpackers, was made up of little wood cabins nestled among greenery. The beach itself was beautiful, and empty-always a bonus. We walked and rested and enjoyed the sunshine, as well as being amazed by the outdoor purpose built gym equipment along the cycle/jogging path. I made many attempts to pretend I was going to go for a run an enjoy this novely but never quite made it!!
Following our short stay in Hervey Bay we travelled a few hours south to Rainbow Beach. Here our purpose was indeed to visit fraser Island! Our trip was organised through our hostel, pippies, where we met our group and had a briefing on very importand information such as how to not smash up there car and what to do upon dingo encouter! Fraser Island is apparently the largest sand Island in the world. Somehow a whole lot of sand gathered there and now vegetation grows on it. It is full of rainforests and freshwater lagoons, and apparently things that can kill you! Firstly there are the deadly dingos, which look a little larger than dogs and have a fox-like tail. But they are not so friendly, if you are lucky enough to survive a dingo encounter there are a few other things to be wary of. The ocean for example, with its strong rip tides and carpets of blue bottom jellyfish, not to mention the sharks that live in there. Back on land, where you think you are safe (providing there are no dingos nearby) one must be wary of spiders and snakes too! Australia is a dangerous place!
Still the 11 of us were acquainted with our vehicle and off we set, soon we were gliding along a beach on the way to lake mackenzie, a stunning freshwater lagoon! A bumpy sand ride later and we were in our first campsite-central station-where we set up a 'barbie' and enjoyed the wonders of goon (wine in a bag-mmmm!)...The next morning took us to a ship-wreck (who knows what ship or what happened to it but it was pretty cool) then to indian head, a big cliff where you can see the sharks swimming below, I stood back and took pictures instead! That evening our second campsite brought us to Daniel the aboriginal, who tought us the didgerydoo and gave us a great insight into the traditional way of live in Australia. Women are infact not allowed to play the didgerydoo and must ask permission to touch or talk about one. The aboriginals are traditionally friends with the islanders, including the fijians, and it did not suprise us then to hear how they used to make spears to kill people-the punishment for women who touch the didgerydoo in fact! (whether they ate them too is a mystery-we didnt fancy asking!) Our time soon came to leave fraser, which was sad as our group had all got on so well! Yet homeward bound was not so smooth sailing for while singing along to our music in the car it suddenly appeared we had indeed stopped moving. So we clambered out of the car to pull some sand out from under the tyres. Still the car would not move. We tried again. The rain came. The tide was coming in. Soon all of us were on hands and knees digging for our lives before the tide soon came in and washed the car away and we were all eaten alive by sharks! Thankfully a few kind passers by stopped and were able to tow us out and put our car back into 4 wheel drive (it had slipped to 2), and we were on our way home!
Following our short stay in Hervey Bay we travelled a few hours south to Rainbow Beach. Here our purpose was indeed to visit fraser Island! Our trip was organised through our hostel, pippies, where we met our group and had a briefing on very importand information such as how to not smash up there car and what to do upon dingo encouter! Fraser Island is apparently the largest sand Island in the world. Somehow a whole lot of sand gathered there and now vegetation grows on it. It is full of rainforests and freshwater lagoons, and apparently things that can kill you! Firstly there are the deadly dingos, which look a little larger than dogs and have a fox-like tail. But they are not so friendly, if you are lucky enough to survive a dingo encounter there are a few other things to be wary of. The ocean for example, with its strong rip tides and carpets of blue bottom jellyfish, not to mention the sharks that live in there. Back on land, where you think you are safe (providing there are no dingos nearby) one must be wary of spiders and snakes too! Australia is a dangerous place!
Still the 11 of us were acquainted with our vehicle and off we set, soon we were gliding along a beach on the way to lake mackenzie, a stunning freshwater lagoon! A bumpy sand ride later and we were in our first campsite-central station-where we set up a 'barbie' and enjoyed the wonders of goon (wine in a bag-mmmm!)...The next morning took us to a ship-wreck (who knows what ship or what happened to it but it was pretty cool) then to indian head, a big cliff where you can see the sharks swimming below, I stood back and took pictures instead! That evening our second campsite brought us to Daniel the aboriginal, who tought us the didgerydoo and gave us a great insight into the traditional way of live in Australia. Women are infact not allowed to play the didgerydoo and must ask permission to touch or talk about one. The aboriginals are traditionally friends with the islanders, including the fijians, and it did not suprise us then to hear how they used to make spears to kill people-the punishment for women who touch the didgerydoo in fact! (whether they ate them too is a mystery-we didnt fancy asking!) Our time soon came to leave fraser, which was sad as our group had all got on so well! Yet homeward bound was not so smooth sailing for while singing along to our music in the car it suddenly appeared we had indeed stopped moving. So we clambered out of the car to pull some sand out from under the tyres. Still the car would not move. We tried again. The rain came. The tide was coming in. Soon all of us were on hands and knees digging for our lives before the tide soon came in and washed the car away and we were all eaten alive by sharks! Thankfully a few kind passers by stopped and were able to tow us out and put our car back into 4 wheel drive (it had slipped to 2), and we were on our way home!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Finding Nemo...Cairns to Hervey Bay
Our journey to the North has been somewhat eventful so far! Upon leaving Melbourne we were kindly informed there was a cyclone just leaving and in fact it appears it is the wetseason in the North! So it was raining, hot, but raining nevertheless... Still Ruthie and I, determined to see what has been deemed as the largest living entity, visible from space, one of the great wonders of the world, went on our great barrier reef tour -"passions of paradise". Fish not really being my thing I was understandably sceptical, especially given the rain. Yet I have to describe it as nothing short of AMAZING, the boat was so nice and as soon as we left cairns the sun came out and we were able to lie on the sun deck, we were given a great lunch with salads! Of course this is not what makes the reef amazing, although it helps, but I was finally persuaded by one of the guides to give snorkelling a go (I had already done the glass bottom boat tour)-and he would take a ring out and tour me round the reef. My stomach in my feet I finally agreed and Ruthie and i jumped in, grabbed onto the ring and he toured us round.yes I, fish-phobe that I am- went snorkelling with all the fish-it really was incredible, the reef was one of the most amazing things ive ever seen. The fish were gorgeous, and we did find Nemo (aka clown fish) as well as dori and many other famous characters. I would say it was comparable to safari in that you think youve seen fish until you go to the great barrier reef and realise you havent! The coral was amazing too-all different colours and sizes/shapes-a whole different landscape underwater.
So that was the good news. The bad news is that the greyhound bus had stopped running south because the cyclone flooded the roads to airlie beach. Not knowing when they would open up again and pretty much stranded we decided the only thing to do wasto buy a flight otherwise we would miss our sailing trip! So we flew south in search of the sun, and yet landed in but more storms, from bush fires down south we seemed plagued by cyclones up North! When the words thunderstorms, cyclones and monsoons were mentioned we feared perhaps a sailing trip wasn't the best plan and in fear of being stranded yet again we got our bags together and got on the next available bus to the sunshine...
So here we are, in Hervey Bay, the sun is shining and it is beautiful out. We have been lying and reading and eating and drinking. There is no rain, there are no monsoons, all is right with the world!
So that was the good news. The bad news is that the greyhound bus had stopped running south because the cyclone flooded the roads to airlie beach. Not knowing when they would open up again and pretty much stranded we decided the only thing to do wasto buy a flight otherwise we would miss our sailing trip! So we flew south in search of the sun, and yet landed in but more storms, from bush fires down south we seemed plagued by cyclones up North! When the words thunderstorms, cyclones and monsoons were mentioned we feared perhaps a sailing trip wasn't the best plan and in fear of being stranded yet again we got our bags together and got on the next available bus to the sunshine...
So here we are, in Hervey Bay, the sun is shining and it is beautiful out. We have been lying and reading and eating and drinking. There is no rain, there are no monsoons, all is right with the world!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Melbourne, I live here.
We arrived late into Melbourne and got a cab straight to our hostel-BASE st Kilda, a very large red building right in the centre of a very, very cool town! St Kilda is on the coast of Melbourne and is an AMAZING PLACE! It is buzzing with quirky shops and cafes/bars all out on the street. Everything is outside! The fashion is somewhere between urban outfitters and the OC, but you could pretty much wear anythign and feel cool in this town. The food is very LA but with British terminology and in fact the culture is altogether a curious miz of British and American, it is the perfect place for our duo-today we saw a target next to a safeway! The shops sell English things but the salespeople actually help you! Ruthie and I have the perfect hair for this place too-brushing is not required and straightening even less so, so we have gone au natural and are donning great beach heads. As Ruthie said we could live here in a 'hot' second-literally, I will come back to the heat!
Our first day was spent checking out the local scene, I was pleasantly suprised when ordering an iced coffee to find not ice but ice cream-two of my favourite things in one! And who doesnt love a bit of ice cream at 9am...especially when it is 45 degrees outside. Another trait we began to notice was the automatic water delivered to your table in wine bottles-just one of Australias many ways of being green. We were intrigued by the childrens books we say with the enticing titles of 'turn off the lights' and 'don't waste water' etc...The shower has an egg timer to ensure we take less than 4 minutes worth of water and the loos, this one is great, have a dual flushing system so you don't use more water than is required for your flushing needs.
Back to the heat, its seems we arrived into the hottest heat wave since 1908, and Australia is not a cold place. The was like nothing else. Imagine walking through an oven, too hot to sit or touch anything and when a breeze hits you it feels like a hairdryer in your face. We were sweating even in air conditioning, I felt sweat in places I didn't know could sweat. It was hot! However we did not let this get the better of us and have enjoyed dining and, well dining! Next to our hostel is an amazing retro/vintage style cafe with great food, this morning I had poached eggs with sweet potato and rocket hash browns..mmmm....
Some other great things we have done include a visit to the Botanical Gardens to see twiglight on a big screen outside, at twiglight, with a big picnic and lots of wine! We ventured to the open to watch some tennis, thankfully it was cooler that day, and followed that by a drink by the river. Yesterday we bought tickets to another twighlight event, this time at the zoo. After seeing the animals, including some fast and scary looking kangaroos who seem to roam free and who people actually seem to want to pet (not me-they are big, and hop fast!)-we set up another wine fuelled picnic. So pleased to see our good friend Fiona from camp we danced, ate, sang and drank listening to a motown and blues band sing and play some great music. By the end of the night the grass was full of people of all ages dancing on the grass, think American Bandstand in the Zoo!
And so sadly our time in Melbourne has come to an end and we are preparing again to embark on the next part of our trip, flying up to Cairns this evening.
Our first day was spent checking out the local scene, I was pleasantly suprised when ordering an iced coffee to find not ice but ice cream-two of my favourite things in one! And who doesnt love a bit of ice cream at 9am...especially when it is 45 degrees outside. Another trait we began to notice was the automatic water delivered to your table in wine bottles-just one of Australias many ways of being green. We were intrigued by the childrens books we say with the enticing titles of 'turn off the lights' and 'don't waste water' etc...The shower has an egg timer to ensure we take less than 4 minutes worth of water and the loos, this one is great, have a dual flushing system so you don't use more water than is required for your flushing needs.
Back to the heat, its seems we arrived into the hottest heat wave since 1908, and Australia is not a cold place. The was like nothing else. Imagine walking through an oven, too hot to sit or touch anything and when a breeze hits you it feels like a hairdryer in your face. We were sweating even in air conditioning, I felt sweat in places I didn't know could sweat. It was hot! However we did not let this get the better of us and have enjoyed dining and, well dining! Next to our hostel is an amazing retro/vintage style cafe with great food, this morning I had poached eggs with sweet potato and rocket hash browns..mmmm....
Some other great things we have done include a visit to the Botanical Gardens to see twiglight on a big screen outside, at twiglight, with a big picnic and lots of wine! We ventured to the open to watch some tennis, thankfully it was cooler that day, and followed that by a drink by the river. Yesterday we bought tickets to another twighlight event, this time at the zoo. After seeing the animals, including some fast and scary looking kangaroos who seem to roam free and who people actually seem to want to pet (not me-they are big, and hop fast!)-we set up another wine fuelled picnic. So pleased to see our good friend Fiona from camp we danced, ate, sang and drank listening to a motown and blues band sing and play some great music. By the end of the night the grass was full of people of all ages dancing on the grass, think American Bandstand in the Zoo!
And so sadly our time in Melbourne has come to an end and we are preparing again to embark on the next part of our trip, flying up to Cairns this evening.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
FIJI:
BULA FROM FIJI!
Sorry it has taken us so long to find internet here, we have been busy on our adventures and hindered by the recent flooding that has caused many things to close...here in fiji they work on 'fiji' time so things arent fixed quite as soon as they might be back home! I was suprised when I changed my money at the airport to see the queen staring back at me on their notes and coins that resembled ours very closely. It seems fiji became a colony originally after being sold to England to pay off debts. The debts were actually concurred by an American family who sued them after their house was burnt down and they were chased out of town for starting an enterprise the Fijians were not so happy with..! And I guess that is how I get to see the queen on the notes while I am here!
Despite the recent flooding however we were extremely lucky with the weather, apart from the first day when it rained quite a bit, we have stayed dry and mostly in the sunshine. With that of course comes extreme heat and I think I have sweated out most of any alcohol I have consumed over the past few days.We were picked up last Saturday for our 'FEEJEE experience', it is called feejee, as that is how captain cook famously misspelt the island of 'viti' (its original name) in his journal. Im not sure how it became fiji from feejee, maybe it has something to do with the water here, which is proportianely expensive-targeting us westerners too afraid to drink the tap water!
Our experience was great, we learnt so much about fiji life and everyone was so friendly, from the locals to the people in our bus. We travelled as a group of 8 in a minibus, originally it was a group of 35 in a large coach but many cancellations came after the flooding so we were lucky to have a much more personal trip. We visited local villages, went sandboarding, tubed, went on a boat ride and spent time reading on beaches and by pools as we journeyed from beach resort-cum-hostels along the way. We were given many interesting factoids too-which I always love to hear and regurgitate to annoy people-most prominent has to be the history of cannibalism, which fijians seem to speak of quite proudly, and frequently, making Ruthie and I feel a wee bit uncomfortable at times! Also part of the traditional way of life is the mysterious drink 'Kava', drunk at a ceremony round a large wooden bowl this drink consists basically of mud water. Not sounding too appealing we were nonetheless forced to try some at a local ceremony in the village for fear of being eaten alive if we did not comply. The last person to be eaten alive was an English priest just over a hundred years ago for disgracing himself in this same type of ceremony. So we forced ourselves to down a good 6 bowls of this mud water, and as un-appealing as it sounds it does not taste any better-especially the morning after many beers and in 90 degrees of sticky heat!
Thankfully we survived the ordeal and are now back in Nadi to enjoy our final day of sunshine before we leave this evening for Melbourne!
Sorry it has taken us so long to find internet here, we have been busy on our adventures and hindered by the recent flooding that has caused many things to close...here in fiji they work on 'fiji' time so things arent fixed quite as soon as they might be back home! I was suprised when I changed my money at the airport to see the queen staring back at me on their notes and coins that resembled ours very closely. It seems fiji became a colony originally after being sold to England to pay off debts. The debts were actually concurred by an American family who sued them after their house was burnt down and they were chased out of town for starting an enterprise the Fijians were not so happy with..! And I guess that is how I get to see the queen on the notes while I am here!
Despite the recent flooding however we were extremely lucky with the weather, apart from the first day when it rained quite a bit, we have stayed dry and mostly in the sunshine. With that of course comes extreme heat and I think I have sweated out most of any alcohol I have consumed over the past few days.We were picked up last Saturday for our 'FEEJEE experience', it is called feejee, as that is how captain cook famously misspelt the island of 'viti' (its original name) in his journal. Im not sure how it became fiji from feejee, maybe it has something to do with the water here, which is proportianely expensive-targeting us westerners too afraid to drink the tap water!
Our experience was great, we learnt so much about fiji life and everyone was so friendly, from the locals to the people in our bus. We travelled as a group of 8 in a minibus, originally it was a group of 35 in a large coach but many cancellations came after the flooding so we were lucky to have a much more personal trip. We visited local villages, went sandboarding, tubed, went on a boat ride and spent time reading on beaches and by pools as we journeyed from beach resort-cum-hostels along the way. We were given many interesting factoids too-which I always love to hear and regurgitate to annoy people-most prominent has to be the history of cannibalism, which fijians seem to speak of quite proudly, and frequently, making Ruthie and I feel a wee bit uncomfortable at times! Also part of the traditional way of life is the mysterious drink 'Kava', drunk at a ceremony round a large wooden bowl this drink consists basically of mud water. Not sounding too appealing we were nonetheless forced to try some at a local ceremony in the village for fear of being eaten alive if we did not comply. The last person to be eaten alive was an English priest just over a hundred years ago for disgracing himself in this same type of ceremony. So we forced ourselves to down a good 6 bowls of this mud water, and as un-appealing as it sounds it does not taste any better-especially the morning after many beers and in 90 degrees of sticky heat!
Thankfully we survived the ordeal and are now back in Nadi to enjoy our final day of sunshine before we leave this evening for Melbourne!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
My trip so far: THIS IS AMERICA....
NEW YORK:
I left London on the 9th of January for New York complete with backpack, ready for my five month trip. Of course I have been to New York several times but its always so good to see my friends out there and I was so excited to see them and see Liz's new apartment! I managed to navigate my way across New York on the Subway, taking Es and Ns downtown, finally arriving at her apartment. As soon as I got there we went to a "hip hop" concert to see mosdef-which was great, I am now so ghetto haha! It snowed while we were there and the park looked so pretty, I also managed to get to the guggenheim with scary and sit on the steps of the met as if I was in gossip girl!
MIAMI/ORLANDO:
On Wednesday 14th I took and early flight to Miami and was greeted by Lizzy, Becca and Scott and enjoyed some beverages in the amazing sunshine! Miami was so fun, it was great to be in the warm weather and experience a very different student lifestyle to that in Scotland! On Friday we embarked on our supposedly four hour road trip to Orlando for CCR (camp counselor reunion!) but having stopped multiple times along the way ....including a 45 minute game of guitar hero in Best Buy...and forgetting to equate in the time difference..we arrived a bit later than anticipated..
The CCR photos speak for themselves but it was so great to see everyone and embarass ourselves in crazy teamclothes all over orlando and in Universal studios! Liz and I read like old times and Becca and Lizzy were as crazy as ever, and Scary and I of course made the best crazy golfing duo! It was so sad to leave everyone on Monday but time to embark on the next stage of my trip...LA!
LA:
I arrived in LA early Monday morning, confused due to lack of sleep during CCR madness and very early flight! Galit picked me up and I was welcomed to the 78 degree heat! I am now with Ruthie, staying with her cousin, and we are enjoying our luxuries of American living before heading to Fiji tomorrow evening! It is so good to finally be together and make some more concrete plans for the trip...aaah!
I left London on the 9th of January for New York complete with backpack, ready for my five month trip. Of course I have been to New York several times but its always so good to see my friends out there and I was so excited to see them and see Liz's new apartment! I managed to navigate my way across New York on the Subway, taking Es and Ns downtown, finally arriving at her apartment. As soon as I got there we went to a "hip hop" concert to see mosdef-which was great, I am now so ghetto haha! It snowed while we were there and the park looked so pretty, I also managed to get to the guggenheim with scary and sit on the steps of the met as if I was in gossip girl!
MIAMI/ORLANDO:
On Wednesday 14th I took and early flight to Miami and was greeted by Lizzy, Becca and Scott and enjoyed some beverages in the amazing sunshine! Miami was so fun, it was great to be in the warm weather and experience a very different student lifestyle to that in Scotland! On Friday we embarked on our supposedly four hour road trip to Orlando for CCR (camp counselor reunion!) but having stopped multiple times along the way ....including a 45 minute game of guitar hero in Best Buy...and forgetting to equate in the time difference..we arrived a bit later than anticipated..
The CCR photos speak for themselves but it was so great to see everyone and embarass ourselves in crazy teamclothes all over orlando and in Universal studios! Liz and I read like old times and Becca and Lizzy were as crazy as ever, and Scary and I of course made the best crazy golfing duo! It was so sad to leave everyone on Monday but time to embark on the next stage of my trip...LA!
LA:
I arrived in LA early Monday morning, confused due to lack of sleep during CCR madness and very early flight! Galit picked me up and I was welcomed to the 78 degree heat! I am now with Ruthie, staying with her cousin, and we are enjoying our luxuries of American living before heading to Fiji tomorrow evening! It is so good to finally be together and make some more concrete plans for the trip...aaah!
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