Australia - Week Two

The overnight bus to Sydney was brilliant! Lots of legroom, a movie to watch and the friendliest, funniest driver ever - it was a far cry from Vietnam (shudder)!!! I arrived in Sydney just after 7am on Monday morning and was dropped off right outside my hostel. Luckily, they have reasonably-priced lockers here, so I was able to dump my bags here, rather than carry them around the city until check-in at midday.

So, what does one do when one has time to kill in Sydney? Well, I walked all the way from the city centre to Mrs. Macquarie's Chair to take in the most famous of all urban Australian sights - the Opera House and Harbour Bridge! Impressive to say the least...

Sydney Harbour

After that, I strolled back towards the city centre via the Botanical Gardens and was amazed by its collection of grey-headed flying foxes (or bloody huge bats in simple terms!) They're like pterodactyls, hanging in the trees upside down, fanning themselves with their huge, leathery wings!!! By midday, I was back at the youth hostel and had checked in. The dorm is very spacious and looked fine, although I didn't hang round for long as I was off out again exploring! I walked the the GPO to collect some post, proving that the Post Restante system does indeed work, and then back to Circular Quay to pick the brains of the Tourist Info people - after all, with over a month in Australia, what does one do? In fact, what does one do in Sydney for 12 days? Why is one calling oneself one all through this blog entry??? Moving on...

I returned to the hostel that evening, having covered at least 5 miles (if not more) on foot. I also had a huge pile of pamphlets and brochures to go through. Time for a nap! On Tuesday, it was surprisingly grey and overcast, so it was high time I did some laundry. No longer 50p per load I'm afraid... I spent most of the afternoon poring over the info I had collected and making detailed notes and planners. After the initial shock in Melbourne at the cost of Australia, I've been well under budget this week, so feeling much better about that. So, I've basically decided the total amount I can spare for Australia and then I've started to deduct the cost of the essential things I want to do: learn to surf in Byron Bay, visit Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo, tour Fraser Island, take a scuba live-aboard on the Great Barrier Reef and camp out at Ayers Rock... I think it's all possible - I'll just have to keep eating peanut butter sandwiches!!!

I finally ventured out in the afternoon to Woolworths! Well, I can't at home anymore, can I? They are big supermarkets over here, so I went in for a loaf and some milk. Well, I spotted some beef mince on offer, at just £1.50!! So then I bought all the bits and pieces to go with it for bolognese, my arms nearly fell off after carrying it all back to the hostel! It felt quite weird cooking for the first time after over 3 months of always eating out. But it was delicious, and I got 3 meals out of it, all for about a fiver!!!

On Wednesday - Christmas Eve - it was still grey and miserable. I didn't get much done as for some reason, I felt stupidly tired with no real reason why. That evening, Chris (from Germany), who I had met in the kitchens the previous night, had offered to make us faijitas for dinner, which were extremely delicious, and then after we walked over to Darling Harbour to hear a performance of Christmas Carols, armed with some mince pies! It was good fun, and when the jazz group that were performing got a load of kids to join in, we laughed so hard at Angus, a perky little chap who stole the show with his HORRENDOUS rendition of Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer!!!

On Christmas Day, it was STILL overcast, so we were at a loss as to what to do with ourselves. Nothing was planned in the hostel for Christmas Day, and we hadn't had the foresight to cook our own Christmas dinner, so our only alternative was to do it like the locals - head down to Bondi Beach! Except the weather was rubbish! Not good, I've been boasting for weeks how I'm in the Southern Hemisphere summer and Sydney lets me down on Christmas Day! We eventually headed over there in the afternoon, and by some miracle, the clouds started to clear just as we arrived. I spent a short time walking along the golden sand, but by this point, I'd lost my friends and was feeling pretty dodgy... I was coming down with something, and for the first time, I actually felt festive because I was ill!!!

Christmas Day on Bondi Beach

So, I hopped back on a bus home and spent the rest of the day in bed! What a damp squib, I will just have to make up for it next week for the NYE Harbour fireworks! Yesterday - Boxing Day - I was still feeling a little peaky, but luckily much better. So in the afternoon, I took a ferry across the Harbour and then I walked back along the Bridge. On the way, I bumped into Katie and so I had a hand to hold climbing up one of the Bridge pylons - as much as I would love to say I walked over the top of the Bridge, I DO NOT want to pay $200 for the privelege of being absolutely terrified. The Pylon Lookout gave me the chance to say that I've been at the top (sort of) and I could take some great photos, all for only $9.50!!! Clever Emma... In the evening, I headed back to Macquarie Point for sunset, where I got to see all the flying foxes out and about, and maybe a possum scuttling up a palm tree, although it was dark by this point, and I can't be 100% sure!!!

So, today I'm off to Glebe as there's supposed to be excellent Saturday markets and perhaps I go to Sydney Aquarium as well... we'll see. I'm heading to Coogee tomorrow to meet with Nicole from Vietnam, and then over to Manly on Monday to meet Emma and Theresa from our dorm, who are moving there tomorrow. Must phone Qantas at some point, still got a few flights to move...

Merry Christmas Melbourne!

Here I am again, back at the library, enjoying free internet access! Well, it's quiet here at the moment, so yesterday I actually spent way over an hour online, so I thought I'd best make the most of it while I can!

I had a very leisurely day yesterday, sorted out some bits and pieces with Qantas - they will charge me $40 to change my flights in person, but it is free over the phone. Thanks for making that clear when I spoke to you last week. Idiots! So, I think I am going to shave 2 weeks off Australia and 4 off New Zealand. That'll mean I hit Chile in mid-March, not the start of May. That'll be 6 months in South America and hopefully I'll be able to organise a way to zip up to Central America as well, funds permitting of course!

I then spent the afternoon geocaching, and found 6 in a few hours, which was good going, it's been a while since I had such a good run. I bet the summer sunbathers in Flagstaff park thought I was a nutjob though, walking from sculpture to flagpole to sundial, taking notes and then rummaging around in a hole at the base of a huge tree!!! Got to keep the locals amused I guess.

Today, it's a glorious summer's day, quite fitting as it's the longest day of the year. Weird - that coupled with Christmas music and decorations in all the department stores. I forgot to mention in my last post my thoughts thus far on Oz. It's expensive (oh yeah, I did mention that). It is also extremely similar to home, which was quite jarring at first. Melbourne is supposed to be the most European of all Australia's cities and the central area where I am staying is very like Manchester. Without the rain. There are big stores and churches and ornate buildings and trams and Christmas trees...

Well, not a Manchester sky...

There are also a high proportion of nutters as well; I thought Australia would bring a little bit of normality back after the madness of Asia, but I've witnessed drunken fights, tramps telling people they have no manners when people don't acknowledge their hellos, schizophrenics having arguments with themselves as they walk down the street, and drunks tripping over themselves as they leave the "bottle shops" - I'd forgotten how bonkers big cities could be!

So, I'd best make the most of my last few hours here - before the 12 hour bus journey to Sydney. It would only take an hour to fly, and would only cost $25 more than the bus. She must be mad, I hear you say... yes, but clever Emma has saved at least $25 on accommodation for tonight, $20 on a transfer bus to Melbourne Airport and probably $20 on the transfer from Sydney Airport. So that's actually a saving of $90, go figure!

There's a few more caches to find today and I am meeting a new Korean friend for dinner - and we are going to eat Korean food, yippee! Anyway, once again, Merry Christmas and don't get too cold over in the Northern Hemisphere!

Australia - Week One

There is likely to be a change in blog entries from this point forward: the length and frequency of posts is probably going to reduce considerably, as Australia is BLOODY EXPENSIVE!!!

I got up early today, to queue outside the State Library of Victoria, just so I can use the internet for free for 60 minutes. Otherwise, we are talking £2 an hour minimum, not 15-50p like in Asia! Anyway, I'm waffling, but from now on, things are going to be a little less detailed!

The flight from Bali went well - Katie had met a Qantas engineer in McDonalds in Kuta earlier in the day, so when we saw him just prior to boarding the flight, he took our names. Imagine how chuffed we were to receive free blanket packs (which on a budget flight, were not complimentary), a free breakfast AND free movies on our own little portable screens! We arrived on time, but it was a hell of a shock to be greeted with British winter weather as we disembarked. Seriously, isn't it supposed to be summer over here now??? Apparently, it hasn't rained like it did at the weekend for years and years... I swear, they knew I was coming.

We checked into the Flinders Station Backpackers hostel and had a nap. Later that afternoon, I wandered around the city, bought a guidebook to the East Coast and booked tickets to go on the Neighbours Tour! It quickly became apparent that this place IS as expensive as I had heard, and I was feeling sick by the time I had spent my weekly budget in 24 hours! And that wasn't my Asia weekly budget, but a new one I thought would be ample for here. Guess not. So I made it a priority to find a Qantas office, so I can cut my time here and in New Zealand by half. Otherwise, I may never make it to South America!!! I'm so pleased that it will cost me $40 to reorganise my flights, when I was assured by Austravel that there would be no charge involved. Not.

On Monday, I did a spot of shopping - tights, jumper, pyjamas, peanut butter and bread. So I had a little bit of warmth and something to eat for a few days!!! It's like being a student again. We also booked tickets to Philip Island and a hire car to take us along the Great Ocean Road. Well, when in Rome... Off we set on Tuesday morning at 8.30am. We filled up the tank and then just on the outskirts of Melbourne, the car began to judder and the engine maintenance light came on.

We had definitely used the correct fuel, as we'd phoned to check just moments before. So we pulled over, luckily just next to a junction on the motorway. Here's the next few hours in brief:

- Waited by side of road for tow truck to arrive.
- Truck arrives, waited for taxi to collect us to take us back to Melbourne.
- Unload all bags from car to side of road. That's 3 people's worldly goods.
- Taxi no show, load up car with bags.
- Climb into tow truck cab, taxi arrives!
- Unload car, load up taxi, back to Melbourne.
- Taxi driver not told by truck driver where to go, so drive round a bit.
- Get to hire car depot, no cars left and paperwork still in towed car!
- Lift to another depot, bags have been in 3 different vehicles by now.
- Get new car, reload bags, off we set, 3 hours later!!!

So, that was interesting! Anyway, off we set again and soon we were on the Great Ocean Road, passing through places called Peterborough and Torquay, stopping for fish and chips is Anglesea! We took loads of photos at every scenic lookout spot and saw wild koalas sleeping in the trees. It was late when we arrived at Warnambool, and found a friendly little backpackers place with just 3 beds to spare! On Wednesday, we went back down the Ocean Road to a lighthouse we had missed the previous day. So there's even more photos to sort through when I can get to a computer that will let me upload them (the library's services don't stretch that far!)

The Great Ocean Road

Thursday was an early start, up at 6.30, off by 7, in Melbourne just after 10, eventually found accommodation and unloaded the car by 11, returned the car by 12, set off on the trip to Philip Island at 12.30!!! We stopped at a winery for wine tasting (just the whites for me, thanks!), Maru Animal Sanctuary where I got to feed the emus and kangaroos and had the nicest piece of carrot cake EVER, Woolamai Beach on Philip Island, which is absolutely stunning, a great little pizza place for dinner, the Nobbies to see the nesting seagulls and then finally, the Penguin Parade.

Here, hundreds of Little Penguins emerge from the sea at sunset and walk for up to a kilometre, to reach their young who have been waiting patiently for food since daybreak. It was hilarious to see the tiny things come out of the sea and then decide it was too risky and waddle back in again! It was a shame, but it started to rain just as they were coming out of the sea, and we didn't relish the thought of being soaked through all the way back to Melbourne on the bus! At least we saw a few of them, boxed ticked!!!

I needed a lie in yesterday, seeing as it was half past midnight when we got back from Philip Island, but I had to be up early for the Neighbours Tour! It had to be done, but I must admit it was a little disappointing - we drove passed Erinsborough High, took a few photos at the set of the garage (but didn't go inside the studios) and then went to Ramsay Street (or Pine Oak Court as it is really known) itself. It is TINY. Like about the size of my road at home, I swear things look so much bigger on the telly. It was good fun being there though! Then it was back into St Kilda to meet a "star" of the show...

Everybody Needs Good Neighbours...

So we waited outside a closed theatre for a car to arrive and out jumps a girl I do not recognise. Not Karl Kennedy then!!! It turns out it is Michelle Scully, who I do remember after all, even though she actually left the show 4 years ago! She was really nice and chatted to us and gave autographs. Still, it all felt a little bit amateurish, another boxed that just had to be ticked, but another $50 gone...

I then spent the afternoon searching for a doctor's and signing up for Medicare - I've somehow picked up an infection that is manifesting itself in any open wound at all. So all my mosquito bites have gone green. Nice. I got some antibiotics in the end, so I now need to take them all the way up to New Year's Eve. Hope they work or I will look like a leper in my New Year's outfit!!! Best put the tights on, although Sydney is SUPPOSED to be boiling at this time of year. I'll believe it when I see it.

So here I am online. I've half spent next week's budget as well, and it didn't help having to spend $20.50 on a doctor's appointment and $22.50 for the prescription. I'll need to fork out another $22.50 in Sydney for another set of tablets. Damn it. Oh well. So today, I am going to hop on the free tram and tour around the city and maybe visit the Old Melbourne Gaol where you can try on Ned Kelly's armour. Tomorrow, I'll set off geocaching as that's free and will kill the hours until I board the night bus to Sydney. Goodness knows what I'll be doing on Christmas Day, maybe eating peanut butter sandwiches???

It may be another week before I post again, so have a Very Merry Christmas and a drink or two in my honour - I'm on antibiotics!!!

Bye Bye Bali; Adios Asia!

I did indeed take in a dance performance on Tuesday night; I saw the Ramayana Ballet at Ubud Palace. Well, it had moved to a shelter next door because of the rain, but that doesn't sound quite as impressive! It was excellent, I arrived early to get a front row seat, for photos of course, and felt a bit daft sandwiched between two of the biggest zoom lenses I've ever seen. You get yourself a spanking PowerShot G9 and some pillock always has to go one better!!! Anyway, moving on... the dancers, costumes and music were fantastic, I'm sure I had my mouth open all throughout the show in awe! I was amazed by the hand and eye movements of the dancers, I have no idea how they manage to bend one finger backwards, whilst wiggling another side to side on the same hand! I wished I'd have seen a traditional dance show in all the countries I've visited in Asia, but at least I won't be leaving without seeing any at all!

Sita of the Ramayana

On Wednesday, I attended a Balinese cooking class, and as it turned out, I was the only student so I had the instructor's full attention! It was great fun, we headed off to the market to check out the local produce, before returning to the restaurant to begin cooking. It was a little different to the class I took in Chiang Mai - I didn't have as much hands-on experience in one sense (as I shared the preparations with the instructor rather than cooking each dish myself), but I did in another respect as I actually got to chop and grand and mash the ingredients, rather than having everything pre-prepared.

It was great fun and I couldn't wait to sample the dishes by the end of it - Balinese soup with chicken meatballs, pepes (tuna in Balinese sauce, steamed in a banana leaf), chicken satay, saffron (well, turmeric) rice and green vegetables, all finished off with a delicious pancake with palm sugar caramel and coconut! It was delicious and it was a great way to spend a rainy morning in Ubud.

Balinese Cooking at Cafe Bali!

That afternoon, I headed out to the market with Emily (Australia), my next-door neighbour from Donald's. She's been to Bali many times before and so knows what genuinely good prices should be! I only went to get another (cheap) sarong, but I returned with one and a pashmina, dress and two rings, all for less than £10. At last, I actually had excellent bargains and without Emily, I'm sure I'd never secured such good deals. That evening, we saw another dance performance, Kecak and Fire Dance, which was, again, amazing. It involved a large group of Balinese men in traditional garb chanting, swaying, hollering and making sounds like frogs, around a fire. Mesmerising... A little scary when a guy came out and started kicking coconut-husk embers out towards the audience, accompanied with plumes of golden sparks, but it was safe and obviously had been done hundreds of times before. I don't think Health & Safety would have approved though!

On Thursday, I boarded the shuttle bus back to Kuta, and by 11.30am, I was checked back in at Puri Agung and was eating yet more coconut pancakes. Love them, the best thing I've had in Bali so far! Since then, I've not done much to be honest. I'm a little "Asia-ed out" - don't get me wrong, I love Asia, it's like a second home in many ways, but 12 weeks of constantly being on the go here is hard work. I will miss the friendly people, the temples, the scenery, the (sunny) weather, rice, cheap food and accommodation, the culture...

I won't miss the taxi/tuktuk/transport touts, the rats, the drains, the (monsoon) weather, the constant hassle as you walk down the street, the mosquitoes... But all that is a small price to pay as a backpacker, you have to take every day as it comes and make the most of it. I will always have a huge fondness for Asia, it is fantastic and I'm sure there will be times where I miss the craziness of it all. But for now, I'm looking forward to Australia and I'll be in Melbourne tomorrow, which by all accounts sounds great! It will be good to get back to a little "Western" culture. But there's always a downside; I am not looking forward to the costs as I've heard the stories! As long as it isn't more expensive than the U.K., I will cope. I don't imagine I'll find any rooms for 50p a night though! Hope the budget lasts until South America...

I'll be in touch again from Down Under!

Bali Bound!

I've done it again, left a big gap between blog entries! So I'm sketchy on some details, but here's the story in Indonesia so far...

The trip to KLIA LCCT was straightforward - up at 5am, out at 5.30, on metro to KL Sentral station at 6, on bus to LCCT at 6.30, arrived at airport at 7.15, checked in, boarded and took off at 9.40, arrived Bali 12.40pm! Phew!

I was expecting there to be a bit of hassle and waiting at Ngurah Rai International Airport, as you have to organise visas etc, but it was very straightforward, I just handed over $25 and I got yet another nice sticker in my passport! I was soon through baggage and customs and getting heckled by taxi drivers! In short, I went to Tourist Information and found out exactly how much it should cost to get to Kuta and where to get the good taxis. It paid off as I was able to avoid the original tout who thought that $19 for a single room was the best deal in town!

Once in Kuta, I quickly found Puri Agung Homestay and there was a room spare - cheap and friendly, with rooms set around a shady courtyard. I washed some laundry, including my daysack which I decided really needed a wash, given that it was still impregnated with the fish 'juice' from Chiang Mai! However, that odour had been masked by 11 weeks of sweat instead, pooooh!

Then I wandered off to Kuta beach, to do a spot of geocaching and to part with 150,000 rupiahs, on two bracelets and a sarong, all at stupidly high prices as the ladies there were such good businesswomen, they had me hook, line and sinker! Damn, I'm so close to leaving Asia and had thus far escaped the scams! I thought 100,000 rupiahs (down from 350,000) for the sarong was a good deal - it was only later that I heard that you should be able to get the best quality batik ones for no more than 50,000! Oh well, it's only £5 after all!

Beware of Balinese Ladies on the Beach

I met up with KT and Fiona at long last at 11pm that night - they made it to Puri Agung after their flight in from Singapore, and my, did we all have some tales to tell! On Wednesday, we organised transport to the Gili Islands and spent an hour or two on the beach and wandering around the shops. On Thursday morning, it was an early start to take a minibus to Padang Bai, where we then boarded the Gili Cat to Gili Trawangan. It was a quick crossing and once there we met Rupert and his partner (whose name still escapes me!) from New Zealand, who were heading straight off to Gili Air, our island of choice. We soon chartered our own boat there and at
Rupert's recommendation, we had walked across the island in the midday sun to Lombok Indah, cheap beachside bungalows including breakfast with the most hospitable host ever, Anto!!!

That afternoon, we chilled on the beach, and on Friday, more of the same followed! Gili Air is absolutely beautiful and it is incredibly easy just to relax there and do nothing at all! On Saturday, we took a day trip snorkelling on a glass bottomed boat around the Gilis, and saw lots of cool fish and three turtles! All for less than £5!!! Lunch was delicious urap-urap (mixed veg and coconut) on a stretch of white sand on Gili Meno, the smallest and quietest of the islands.

Paradise Found?

The girls decided that they wanted to stay on Gili Air until Tuesday, but I had things to do back on Bali. Admittedly, it was a bit of a wrench to leave paradise, but I knew I would kick myself if I didn't make it to Amed for diving and Ubud for culture! So, off I set alone once more back to Bali on Sunday morning. I met Sandra from Melbourne on the water taxi back to Trawangan, and soon she was giving me loads of great tips for travelling in Oz and I had someone to share the cost of transport to Amed with!

We hit Padang Bai around lunchtime and I needed cash! There were no ATMs on the Gilis, and luckily, I'd had the foresight to get some money in Kuta before we left, but it wasn't enough to get me to Amed and to organise some diving. I knew that there was one cash machine in Padang Bai as the girls had used it on Thursday morning. Could I find a single honest local to tell me where it was? Not really - "No, no ATM here, I change money for you!", "What card you use? WHAT CARD YOU USE??? NO, not accept Visa, I change money for you!" Eventually, I found a nice lady who pointed me in the direction of the bank that I full well knew existed. Indeed, it didn't accept Visa, but...

...for everything else, there's MasterCard! LOL!!!

So, with a little extra money, Sandra and I took a car to Amed and a few hours later, after traipsing the poor driver around a variety of hotels and guesthouses, I settled at Eco-Dive Resort. It had been recommended to me by people at Buddha View and I was pleased that the accommodation was cheap. However, they seemed to be the most expensive for diving! But it was late in the day, hot and sticky, and the area was so remote, I simply didn't have enough energy to shop around. I managed to negotiate a deal for 2 dives for the next day - not as cheap as the competition, but at least I got a discount! And the guy let me use a snorkel and fins that afternoon for free, while I waited for my room to be vacated!

On Monday morning, I was up early and off to Tulamben to dive at the wreck of USAT Liberty Glo with Made, my divemaster, and Benjamin from France who had logged more than 30 dives. All went well, and I was excited about doing my first shore dive, as well as my first wreck! I couldn't remember how many weights I needed though - I'd used four on Ko Tao, but I didn't actually know what size they were. The ones there were round, but on Bali, they were square, so they must have been different... I just took two.

Well, it was obvious I'd got it wrong as I couldn't even descend a metre I was so buoyant! It was quite hilarious, there I was bobbing at the surface while Benjamin and Made were disappearing into the depths below! Made shoved a spare weight into my BCD, and at last I began to sink! The wreck appeared below very rapidly, as it is situated only 40m from the beach. It was a huge hunk of rusty metal, covered with corals and fish of all shaped and sizes.

At one point, we actually swam into the wreck, which had me a little concerned at first until I could see that it was till very open and just like swimming between rocks as I had done on Ko Tao. I spotted a giant barracuda before the others and soon we noticed that a huge grouper was hanging around with it! It was very surreal and at the deepest point, we had descended to 27m, so I wouldn't have been able to dive there, had I not taken the Advanced Open Water course. As we began our ascent, I found it hard to keep level for the safety stop - my buoyancy was still out of whack and Made had to hang on to me and fill my jacket with rocks! I was worried that I had spoiled the dive for Benjamin, with my amateurishness, but when we surfaced, he said how amazing it had been and we had been down there for 50 minutes before I was low on air, which was a pretty decent bottom time!

Later on, it was time for my second dive, this time just me and Made, a little further along the beach at Tulamben Drop Off Wall. I made sure I had 4 weights this time, and after the correct surface interval, we were back in the water! This was another fantastic dive and I saw a huge variety of marine life - batfish, parrotfish, snapper, pufferfish, triggerfish, trumpetfish, moorish idols, emperor fish... at one point, I was convinced I'd spotted a turtle in the depths below. I signalled to Made, who excitedly swam over to look... but alas, it was just a large pufferfish!!! Oh well!

This time around, I had much better buoyancy control, and at one point I was suspended, motionless, with nothing but blue below, blue above and a sheer wall of rock and coral to the side. It was quite incredible and there I was, no fear, just in awe at it all. On our return swim to the beach, we saw a large shoal of yellow snapper, and it was great to see such a large group for the first time since I had learned how to scuba dive. (I'd seen large groups before, but only when snorkelling). When we surfaced, I asked how long we had been down and Made confirmed it - ONE HOUR!!! Woohoo, my record on my birthday was 58 minutes, so I was so pleased to have lasted for the full 60!

After arriving back at the resort and filling in my logbook, I was so exhausted that I spent the rest of the day reading, relaxing and reorganising my rucksack. I also ate only bread as I had run out of money again and had to mind the pennies so I could afford the taxi to Ubud for the following morning, that I had pre-arranged with Sandra. There were no ATMs in Amed either!!!

Anyway, our taxi driver arrived early this morning and Sandra was ready and waiting at her hotel, so we were soon on our way to Ubud. I'm glad I met Sandra as transport in Bali is not particularly cheap, especially when food and accommodation is! It was good to be able to spread the cost! At 11.30, we had arrived and I found Donald's Homestay, right where the Rough Guide said it should be and exactly as described. It is such a quaint little place, I have my own patio overlooking a tiny garden, the shower in the bathroom is set into a rocky wall and breakfast of fruit, pancake and tea is included! Bargain!

A Room With A (Garden) View

There seems to be plenty to do in the area, so I think that I will stay for 2 nights, rather than just the one as I had originally planned. I'm quite tired from all the travelling I've done over the past few days, so I think I'll just relax this afternoon and maybe take in a dance performance this evening. I also need to buy a good sarong, but hopefully I'll not get ripped off again... I'm sure there'll be a tale to tell about it in the next installment!

Hanging High in Malaysia!

The trip to the Cameron Highlands was relatively smooth. Of course, I had left Georgetown in good time to make it to the bus station in Butterworth - which was an hour early! Then I was told the bus would be leaving half an hour later than I'd expected, so indeed I had 90 minutes to kill!

I arrived in Tanah Rata by mid-afternoon and soon met up with Sarah, Lucy and Rachel from the UK. We were soon all ponchoed up and braving the rain to Twin Pines (or Twin Peaks as I kept calling it), a cute little guesthouse with a cheap room for 4! Bonus! There we met Suresh and Wan, the friendly staff who helped us settle in in no time and kindly advised us not to book a pricey tour around the area, but to hike up Mount Brinchang ourselves! Out came a map, and soon we had details of which local bus to catch, where to get off, how long the route should take, and where to get tea and scones on the way down! Wan also recommended we hitchhike back - or even flag down a police car, as they'd be happy to give us a lift!

So, on Wednesday morning, off we set to the bus station and were soon dropped off at the base of the mountain, ready to ascend. Now readers, you may remember that I wasn't overly keen on the trekking I did in Chiang Mai, but we all thought that as a small group of 5 (including Courtney from Australia) that we'd be able to go at our own pace, and not have a mad guide up at the front, with no patience for the slow ones (i.e. me!) The climb was steep in parts and we did take plenty of rest stops, but it was good fun. I'd elected to keep on my sandals, rather than my hiking trainers, as I had only just got the mould out of them from Chiang Mai! So, my feet got very muddy, very quickly. Indeed, after a short time, I stopped bothering to work out the cleanest route, I just stomped right through the mud!

All the girls thought this was hilarious, and especially so when I was knee deep in "quickmud" and asking how Bear Grylls recommended you extract yourself from said situation! The last 100m stretch was incredibly tricky and involved using tree roots as a ladder up to the top, with a particularly muddy stretch through a tunnel of branches. We did take our time, but 2 hours 20 minutes was a pretty respectable ascent. At the top, I braved the observation tower, as not to miss the spectacular views, even though much was shrouded by the clouds...

View from Gunang Brinchang

Then it was a simple task of walking along a paved road, all the way down again. This was actually more strenuous than the upward climb as there was nowhere to clean my muddy feet, which were sliding around in my sandals! It took a fair while to make it to the glorious tea plantations below, spectacular swathes of green, stretching out over the hills. So, by 1pm, we decided we more than deserved a scone, slab of chocolate melt and a hot cuppa each!

We did indeed hitchhike back with a kindly Malaysian guy in a pickup truck - 2 in the cab, 3 in the back, the latter (including myself) thought it would be more fun, until the rain became torrential and we nearly froze! Rachel and Lucy were in hysterics throughout - I was not and it took several hours back at Twin Pines for me to dry out, clean off and warm up. Not impressed! That evening, we just chilled out at the guesthouse, Wan gave me lots of advice about Kuala Lumpur and how to travel around all the bits of S.E. Asia I've missed this time.

On Thursday, we were off to Kuala Lumpur, home of the Petronas Towers, tallest buildings in the world... until 2004!!! It was another lengthy (i.e. lengthier than we had be told) bus trip, but pretty painless. Pretty painful was the walk to the guesthouse Wan had recommended, especially as Indiemma Jones took the group on a wild goose chase all around the city... well, the map wasn't to scale!!! Eventually, we made it to Pondok Lodge, which was more than double the price of Twin Pines, but after the heat and heavy loads on our back, no one had the energy to find an alternative. However, after only one night of thumping bass from a bar below, everyone decided to join me when I said I'd be moving quarters!

On Saturday, we were too tired to get to the Towers early enough to secure a ticket up to the Skybridge, so after moving to the Green Hut Lodge around the corner, (same price, quieter but smelling of sewage and durians...), we headed out for the day on the Hop-On Hop-Off open tour bus. It was very pleasant and we stopped off for lunch and a nosey at the Towers anyway. It was less pleasant by the end of the day as the traffic was horrendous and it took 90 mins to make it but a few miles, but luckily we made it back home before the afternoon monsoon kicked in. That evening, we splashed out on a rather expensive meal at a rather expensive Korean restaurant! We had bimimbap and it was excellent and really authentic - and at £6 each, still a bargain, just 4 times more expensive than our usual Asian dinners! Plus, I got to speak lots of Korean to the owner, showoff!!!

Sunday was the day - our alarms went off at 6am and we were in the queue for the Skybridge by 7am, and even then there were still a fair few people in front of us. It was a long wait, but we made it into the first group to ascend at 9am. The lift was incredibly fast - 41 floors in seconds - and then we got only 10 minutes on the bridge, but it was a box that just needed to be ticked and was worth the wait! It was then time for breakfast, which I got Josh and Ben (would I'd last seen in Nha Trang) to buy for me - well, when they bumped into us in the queue at 8.30 and asked my to get tickets for them, it was only fair payment for not having to get up at the crack of dawn like we did!!!

Josh, Ben and I headed off to the KL Tower that afternoon, which afforded better views of the city and a great chance to look back upon the Petronas Towers from high up. After grabbing dinner in Chinatown, we walked back to them that evening to see them lit up at night...

88 Floors of Magic!

Yesterday, Ben and I took a bus out to Batu Caves (and went back to the Towers AGAIN last night, but that was so he could buy a travel guide for Oz!) and today I dragged the poor chap around the city looking for geocaches! We had a 66% success rate, so I can't complain, although it took hours longer than anticipated and it was soooo hot!!! Anyway, I've repacked my bag for the flight to Bali tomorrow (i.e. crammed all the heavy stuff and books into my daysack) and I'll be up at 5.30am in order to make it to the airport by 7.45! Kuala Lumpur International - 70km outside Kuala Lumpur! How does that one work??? Oh well, I'll let you know from Bali...

Toodlepip Thailand!

The guidebook says there's not much to see in Chumphon, and I guess that's pretty accurate, but I managed to keep myself occupied! On Thursday, I had a wander around the town and spent even more time online (well, I'd not been on at all for a week in Ko Tao!) as I killed the hours before the night train to Butterworth, Malaysia. I bought my ticket in the morning and somehow ended up with surplus baht! Could I find a bank that would exchange them for ringgit? Erm, no. No can do. Nope. Sorry.

Anyway, in my quest to change the pesky notes, I wandered into the Farang Bar, which incidentally, was the place I'd had toast at 4 a.m. before boarding the Barf Boat to Ko Tao, just over a week earlier! It looked much different in daylight/no rain! There I got the waitress to right down "sticky rice and mango" and "Thai iced tea" in Thai, as I was having no luck locating either in Chumphon by myself! Also, I was advised that it would be easy to change my baht at the train border crossing and met Ivor, a helpful expat from London, who was more than happy to give me the lowdown on Georgetown, my next port of call.

I must admit, after Ko Tao, I was feeling at a loose end and didn't have a plan of action, so heading down to Malaysia was my way of keeping moving/occupied! I didn't know what I was letting myself in for. Anyway, after an hour with Ivor, I had a little map drawn up for me, indicating a reliable guesthouse, an ATM, a 7-11, directions to Little India and the night food market! By the end of it, I was feeling rather excited about Georgetown, and by Ivor's recommendation, consumed the most amazing curry I've ever had! That evening, I ventured out to the night market in Chumphon, with my little Thai notes, and successfully procured TWO iced teas and a helping of sticky rice! Well, it would have been rude to leave Thailand without doing so!

The train to Butterworth was over an hour late by the time I clambered into my upper bunk, but the earplugs and eyemask were soon donned and off I rocked to sleep. Good job really, I had fifteen hours ahead of me before I would arrive at my destination. Put it this way, I survived three overnight buses in Vietnam, so anything else is just child's play! The border crossing was smooth, I just had to hop off the train, get stamped out of Thailand and into Malaysia, before hopping back on again.

By this time, the beds had all been collapsed and the seats were comfortable enough - good job as trains in Malaysia are s...l...o...w! I know this, as my GPS never registered more than 35mph! I was only using it to check how near we were to Penang, as I didn't want to be one of those stories, you know, "Tourist Asleep On Train Held For Questioning By Singapore Officials." Or something equally incredulous!

It was around 2pm by the time I arrived in Butterworth and I was on a mission - no, I didn't need a taxi thanks, I would be taking the ferry, no I didn't need a taxi thanks, I would be walking the 900m to the guesthouse! Luckily, I got the last single room at SD Guesthouse and it was time for a nap!

View of Butterworth from Georgetown

That evening, I ventured into Little India in search of chai! And I found it, delicious and only 33p a cup! I also had a chicken massala - imagine my face when a banana leaf appeared and blobs of stuff were placed upon it! Imagine my relief when some rice and a curry-like dish appeared AND the waiter asked if I'd like a spoon, phew! It wasn't bad really, just different to curries at home. Fair enough really, as Indian food in the UK is actually more Pontefract than Pondicherry (or at least more Birmingham than Bombay!)

On Saturday, it was a scorcher, so of course I spent most of the day walking miles and miles in the heat! I managed to locate two geocaches (one a multi) and visit Fort Cornwallis, which was as pointless as the Rough Guide described, but cheap enough not to matter. On Sunday, I took a local bus to Kok Lek See pagoda, apparently the largest in the world outside of China, and it was rather impressive. Even more impressive was the massive tower of scaffolding surrounding the bronze statue of the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy atop the hill! I thought they were building some kind of super skyscraper behind the temple, but it was only after I had paid to take the lift up to see the statue did I realise the reality... I swear, they know I am coming. First it was Notre Dame back in 1994, then Angkor Wat at sunrise. If the Opera House is covered in scaffolding in December, it wouldn't surprise me. If Machu Picchu is, I will require a large sum of compensation from the Peruvian government!!!

Kek Lok See Pagoda

When I got off the bus, I didn't notice a bus stop for the return journey, so off I set in the midday sun from when I'd came, in the hope that soon there would be a point from which I could make it back to Georgetown. After a good half hour, I was resigned to the fact that I'd be getting a lot of exercise, when a bus came around the corner - I started to sprint and lo, a bus stop appeared in front of me, just in time! "Very good running, very speed!" quipped the driver! Nutter! When I disembarked he asked my where I was from and "Would I like to be his friend?" Nutter!

That evening, I headed out for more Indian delights, this time locating another chai vendor very close to my guesthouse who served me it in a polythene bag for only 18p (in your face, Starbucks!) I had chicken tandoori and a plain naan, and it was absolutely delicious, before heading back for the evening.

Today, I went on another local bus to Penang Butterfly Farm, made it back again safely without having to sprint (although I did need to ask for directions to the bus stop), had more chai, booked a flight to Bali next Tuesday and booked a bus ticket to the Cameron Highlands tomorrow. I hate trekking, as you may remember, loyal Blog followers, but hopefully I'll be amused enough by tea plantations. I reckon I'll spend just a couple of nights there before moving ever south to Kuala Lumpur!

So that's Malaysia so far! Although I'd forgive you for thinking that I'm in India! I'll save that for World Tour Two!!!

The Best Few Weeks Ever...

Well, you may have noticed that it has been quite some time since my last post, and so much has happened over the last fortnight, that I don't even know where to begin! I can't remember everything with my usual clarity, so I'm going to have to resort to some bullet points - which is good for you, dear reader, as this would otherwise be one of the longest blog entries on record!

After Bangkok, I headed off to Kanchanaburi for a couple of nights. It was a great little town and I stayed in a lovely little guesthouse with a pool. I met Stephanie on the way there and we had a great time at Erawan National Park, where we walked all the way up to the 7th level waterfall, before coming back down for a swim! That afternoon, we rode along the Death Railway and visited the "Bridge Over The River Kwai" and it was great to see a little more of Thailand.

The Bridge Over The River Kwai

On Sunday (9th), we visited the Thailand-Burma Railway Museum, which was very informative and put a lot of the previous day's sights in to context. It was then time for a quick lunch before heading back to Bangkok. I'm so pleased I had a few hours to kill, it gave me plenty of opportunity to part with more cash on Khao San Road... I don't need any more t-shirts!!!

The bus journey down to Chumphon was OK, but OMG, the ferry crossing over to Koh Tao was honestly the worst boat journey of my entire life! I was alright at first, as I'd been napping, but the sound (and smells) of everyone else throwing up roused me from my slumber and I very nearly joined their club! The sea was incredibly rough, it made the Scillonian Ferry look like the Swans at Alton Towers!

It was absolutely bucketing it down when I arrived at Mae Haad Pier, and I was glad to be quickly whisked off to Buddha View Dive Resort, where we were quickly checked in and handed towels! After a good few cups of tea, I felt much better and quickly got to know the other guys from the Open Water course: Justine (UK), Paul (UK), Giuliano (Italy), Elin & Jostein (Norway) and Jeremy (Australia).

We started the course on Tuesday morning where we met our instructors, Jesper (Denmark) and Lizzie (UK). It wasn't long in the classroom before I was thinking to myself "I want to do what this guy does for a living!" We had great fun, even before we had made it into the pool that afternoon. It was still raining, which in a way didn't matter as we spent well over an hour underwater without surfacing, yet I don't think I've ever been that cold in my entire life! It was so good to get out!

On Wednesday, we went out to sea for our first dive - it was fantastic and once you learn how to scuba-dive, it becomes second nature. On Thursday, we took our Open Water exam in the morning (only got 2 wrong, damn it!) and then had two more great dives, and another two on Friday morning (during which we were filmed, so I am now in possession of an absolutely hilarious DVD)! It was a little sad to finish the course, but not too much so, as the Buddha View gang had already convinced me to do the Advanced course as well! So roll on Saturday, more diving!

The Best Open Water Group... Ever!!!

On the Advanced course, I dived five more times:

- Deep dive to 30m (but didn't get to see the whale shark there!)
- Navigation Dive (visibility was bad and I forgot how to use a compass!)
- Night Dive (we had 4 out of 6 conditions where you shouldn't night dive!)
- Underwater Naturalist (where I took a camera, but forgot how to operate it!)
- Underwater Photographer (where the lens fogged up after I'd figured it out!)

So, by Sunday afternoon, I became a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver! On Monday, I booked a fun dive in the afternoon, as I really needed to catch up on sleep after four 6am starts in a row. But, would you believe, I was wide awake again, so I got up and had breakfast. There, I met up with Giuliano and his friend Riccardo, who had been taking the Emergency Rescue course. They were waiting for a taxi to take them out on a fishing trip. So, Emma, the voice of reason, has a personality transplant, packs a bag at lightning speed and jumps on their taxi to the pier, leaving a cloud of dust and many apologies to the dive staff in her wake!

Well, I have never fished in my life before, and it showed! But luckily, after a while, I caught a little tiddler that had to be thrown back in, as it was too small to eat! Eventually, I mastered the knack and by the end of the day, I'd caught 11 fish, many of them big enough to hold on to! After getting back to the resort (and realising that we all looked like lobsters after a day on the deck!), we gave most of our haul to the kitchen staff and barbecued plenty of snapper and trevally for dinner. It tasted so good, even better for having caught it, cleaned it and cooked it ourselves!

And then it was Tuesday, Happy Birthday to ME! I had one of the best birthdays ever - in the morning, I went out again for two fun dives and so it was great to be able to take a leisurely pace and not worry about crashing in to the rest of the group! The visibility had greatly improved, and I saw so many different fish, it was like being in another world. That afternoon, I was robbed by the Thailand Postal Service (£30 for 3kg Surface Mail?????????) and later met up with the guys at the resort for a few birthday drinks! I had dinner with Team Italy again, and was so surprised when they said they were treating my to an Aloe Massage on the beach. I probably should make it clear at this point that we went to a proper massage place and they weren't actually offering to do it themselves, LOL!

So after an hour, we were all so relaxed that I assumed we'd all just crash for the night. But no, off we jumped on a scooter to Mae Haad. Half way there, Riccardo spotted a little Mini Golf place and made a quick u-turn! In the end, we found tenpin bowling there as well, so we opted for that instead. When I say tenpin bowling, what I mean is a little lane in a wooden shack, where a guy sat at the end to rack up the pins, and then rolled the bowls back along a track to us at the start! I won the first game hands down, but was completely slaughtered in the second. I would like to point out that I had nearly polished off a small bottle of rum at that point, and I would have won both had I been sober!

It was then back to the resort for a few more at the Eazy Bar, in one of the most chilled out bars ever. It was a great end to a great day. So, it was really hard this morning to tear myself away from Buddha View and all the great people I've met there. I've never felt so welcomed in my entire life, absolutely ALL of the staff are great and I'll never forget the support I had from Lizzie, Jesper, Perry (NZ), Darren (WARRINGTON, UK!!!) and Charlotte (UK) - thanks to you all, so so much!

So now I am in Chumphon for the night, and I have absolutely no idea what my next move should be. There's not much to stay here for, but I don't know if I should head over to Koh Phi Phi (which is beautiful, but will bleed me even drier after all the diving extravagances thus far), or take the train directly into Malaysia. I'm really at a loose end and soooo tired from all the scuba, I just can't think straight!

Watch this space...

Back In BKK!

I made it, here I am , back in Thailand!!!

Today ran really smoothly:

Up at 7am, mango shake & bread at 8, minibus at 9, arrived at Hanoi airport at 10, checked in by 11, in air by 1, landed in Bangkok at 2, on express bus by 3, on Phra Athit Road by 4, checked in and online by 5pm!

I'm in Merry V Guesthouse, as recommended by Amanda & Tom, it's cheap and cheerful, with the best internet price in the area! I stayed a mere 2 minutes away at the Navalai, so I know the area - it was great to hit a city that I felt familiar with!

I now need to have a chill out and find out the best (and cheapest) way to get to Siam Square - I'm meeting A&T at the Paragon Cinema for JAMES BOND!!! Can't wait. Just need to get out the GPS now to find the restaurant from my very first night in Asia, all those weeks ago...

Vietnam Redeemed!

I've just read through my last post and good grief, wasn't I a Victor Meldrew?!! You'll be pleased to know that things are much better...

I went off to the DMZ on Wednesday, and visited the Vinh Moc tunnels, which were rather impressive. It was another wet and grey day, but it gave me the opportunity to meet some new folks, including Aurelie from France, who I later shared a room with back in Hue that evening (spreading the cost, yippee!!)

Thursday arrived and the rain had abated, so off we set to explore the city and by some miracle, the sun came out and it was very hot, much more like it at last! The Citadel is a very bizarre place - it was obviously impressive at its zenith, but the ravages of time and war have reduced it to but a shell of its former self. It's undergoing a LOT of renovation at the moment, so hopefully in the not-to-distant future, it will regain some of it's former glory.

Aurelie departed for Hoi An at 2pm, so I spent the afternoon chilling out with The Bourne Identity - the book - which after only a few pages, was obviously quite different from the film. I spent my time until 5.30pm so engrossed in the story that I bought the copy (which was the hotel's property) for a ridiculous $5!!! That may not sound much, but this thing is over 20 years old, is falling apart and was only $5.95 AUSTRALIAN dollars in 1981!!! Still, I knew that to buy a new copy somewhere, $5 was a much better deal!!!

I later boarded my final (woohoo!) night bus and I actually got a bed at the back that had plenty of legroom and was completely flat, so I could actually recline properly. It was a great relief; however, being deposited on the banks of the Red River in Hanoi at 7am on Friday morning ("free transfer to the Old Quarter will come soon" - yeah, right!!!) cancelled out any slight positive feelings I may have developed for the system!!!

Eventually, I made the 4km+ trip to the right area of town in a taxi with some fellow scammed travellers and the rain returned, I have never seen a sky so black in my entire life! I made it to the guesthouse that Aurelie had recommended and it was refreshing to meet Lee, a lovely Vietnamese girl who was honest, upfront and straightforward about everything - she didn't have a room for me (and wouldn't promise me one for later) but I was welcome to hang around for a few hours should one become available. Thank goodness one did in the end as the rain was so torrential, the thought of scouting for alternative accommodation was NOT appealing...

That afternoon, I ventured out in the rain, but it was so bad, it was impossible to do anything enjoyable. Many of the streets were flooded up to knee-deep and my feet were raw from walking in soggy sandals. I decided to book my trip to Halong Bay for Saturday, in spite of the rain. I figured it better to be stuck on a boat with a group of new people, than stuck in a hotel room on my own... And I was right! The weather in Hanoi on Saturday morning was still blooming awful, but as we set off east, the rain lessened and it was merely overcast at Halong Bay. I was soon onboard the boat, where 14 people set off around the limestone karsts and ventured inside Surprising Cave (which, surprisingly, was a surprise to the man who discovered it!!!)

Halong Bay, Vietnam

After that it was time to kayak around at sunset, before heading back to the boat. We dropped anchor for the night and then everyone started to jump off the top deck into the bay. I was thinking "How ridiculous!" until I then realised that it was about time I did something a little reckless instead of playing it safe all the time (sorry Mum!) So, I clambered over the railings and then instantly froze solid as I viewed the drop below - a good 5 metres I'd say (which doesn't sound much, but it is, honest!) It took a good deal of procrastinating, but I eventually took the plunge, and after finally emerging, all I could do was to shout back up to the guys on the boat "I did it!!! I did it!!!" to rapturous applause!

It was great to swim in the dark as it was possible to see tiny phosphorescent plankton in the water, excited into light-emitting action by our splashing around. It was extremely magical, it was as if the stars had been reflected in the sea. However, treading water for a good half hour straight doesn't half tire you out, no matter how fascinating the results!

On Sunday, we reached Cat Ba island. I sensibly elected NOT to trek through the national park, as some boxes don't need ticking, especially after Chiang Mai! I enjoyed chatting with my new roommate, Mark from Australia, as we waited for the rest of the group to make it down from the "steep" climb. They assured me that I had made the right decision as the trail description was accurate!

After checking in at the hotel, we had free time to explore Cat Ba Town and its beaches, which were very beautiful, but a little chilly seeing as it was quite overcast. However, I have never been so pleased with grey skies, especially as they weren't unloading another deluge!!! That night, the boat gang ventured out for drinks and we ended up having some deep debates about religion, politics, environmentalism... my brain hasn't been that stimulated for years!!! It was great to meet some cool people - Dave & Lyn from Australia and Amanda & Tom from the U.S.

We returned to Hanoi yesterday afternoon, and it was great to see it had finally stopped raining, so Amanda, Tom, Mark & I headed out for some great pork balls with noodles (of which the name I have forgotten!) and a delicious mango shake! Today, I managed to see a little bit of Hanoi, enough to feel I can leave in the morning without hanging my head in shame (although I must admit, on Friday, I never thought it would be possible as the rain was never-ending!) I visited the Hoa Lu Prison and Temple of Literature, before a tasty lunch of more pork balls and another AMAZING dish that I cannot even describe and that I do not know the name of! Hopefully, I'll be able to find it online at some point! We then watched the traditional water puppet show, which was great fun before heading out for yet more mango shakes!!!

Old Quarter, Hanoi

So, as I type this as I wait to meet the guys for dinner (yes, I haven't stopped eating for about three days!) I can honestly say that I have finally clicked with Vietnam and that Hanoi is NOT the city I thought it would be, based on everything I had heard before. I could see myself visiting here again some time in the future, a concept that was incomprehensive but a few days ago. I'm really looking forward to flying back to Bangkok tomorrow, but luckily I will leave with fond memories of Vietnam. I just have to work out my next moves through the islands and on to Malaysia!

BTW, I know I've gone on (and on) about the rain a lot, but on the Vietnamese news, it said that Hanoi has just had the most rain for FORTY YEARS!!! Believe me, it has been newsworthy!!!

La Pluie Dans Hué

Yikes! Thought I'd never dry out... best fill you all in with the last few days!

After the "Room 01" incident, I was rather shook up and still very tired from the awful bus journey. Although I did have an offer to join my new Aussie pals, Nicole & Irene, at the local mud spa, I declined as my bearings were all out of whack! Instead, I retreated to the new room, and had a light nap, which was slightly disturbed by the odd ant or two crawling over me...

That afternoon, I finally emerged from the room and bumped straight into Josh, who I knew was staying at the same place, but I wasn't expecting to see him that early in the day. We wandered down to the beach, which was obviously very beautiful, but it was such a shame that it was still very, very grey and cloudy. I tried to locate a geocache in the area, but for the second time in Vietnam, it was allegedly placed on a "power distributor" with a magnet and again I couldn't find the blasted thing!!! I'd better get one somewhere before I leave the country next week.

Nha Trang, beautiful but grey, grey, grey...

On Saturday, the weather hadn't improved, so I decided against a boat trip around the coast. I sometime struggle to decide between a "free boring day stuck in a hotel room" or a "spoiled day-trip day that cost money" - sad, really!!! Anyway, determined not to stay in the hotel, I ventured out for breakfast and then treated myself to a pedicure. I enjoyed it so much, I then got a manicure too, so all the dead skin and flaky bits that I'd been biting at were no more! Admittedly, I didn't bother with any nail polish (as I knew that it would look shabby after a few hours backpacking), but it was only £5 in total. BARGAINOUS!!!

I took a long walk along the beach, then spent the rest of the afternoon uploading the rest of my Angkor photos. Damn this weather, it makes it all too easy to just sit online!!! After grabbing dinner with the Aussie girls, it was soon time to board another overnight bus... oh dear...

I'd like to say it was better this time (as I had a bed with more legroom) but it wasn't. The roads between Nha Trang and Hoi An are ATROCIOUS, and so my head was banging along the bottom of the floor for most of the night. Plus, we had a snorer and a shrieking baby. Could've murdered someone, I'll tell you... Still got another damn night bus to catch yet as well!!! I'll never do it again, not unless I know for sure it is like the one to Pakse in Laos.

Anyway, I arrived in Hoi An at 6am ish, to another scramble of touts and hotel staff trying to get you in to their place. I was too tired to argue and so soon me, Irene and Nicole were sharing a room in a nice hotel with free internet (oh dear) and a pool. I was grateful to share with the girls, as a single there would have been way out of my budget, but it was very reasonable to split a triple room.

We headed out to The Old Quarter and were soon in the market, getting hassled. I thought Turkey was bad, but I can honestly say I've had my fill of Asian markets. I soon ended up with a fake Kipling bag ("Where's my monkey?") and some little paintings, which will no doubt go in a shoebox with all my other foreign artwork! Oh yeah, forgot to mention, first thing that morning, we went to a tailors to get measured up for some bespoke clothes - I opted for a Oriental blouse in blue Chinese silk, a bargain for $20 (but still a source of concern, given the many horror stories about dodgy shops I'd heard). We had to go back after 5pm to collect our garments.

Old Quarter Market, Hoi An

So 5pm arrived, and we went back, but the lady from the morning soon hurried my out of the shop and said to come back after 6.30. So that was concerning, especially as I was still wondering why they'd been so keen to give us free bottles of water that morning that weren't sealed... was it so that they could drug us, and we would be chuffed with whatever bit of tat they'd knocked up for us? I'm getting extremely paranoid with all this travel, it's a shame really. I started out being quite trusting, but the constant hassle gets to you a bit and you forget that most people over here are really kind and genuine.

So, it was a great relief to find that after the second time, my blouse was there as promised and looked great and well made. I then had barely enough time to run round the corner to meet Rianne and Daniele at their guesthouse, my Dutch and Italian friends from Chiang Mai, who were in Hoi An for one more night.

So yesterday, after Irene and Nicole checked out a 6am to catch an impromptu flight to Hanoi, I changed hotels and joined Rianne and Daniele in hiring bikes so we could ride to the beach. It was still overcast and spitting, but I was so glad to actually get onto the sand and have a good swim, it didn't matter that it wasn't perfect weather. At lunchtime, imagine my surprise when I guy I went to primary school with walked past my table - we probably hadn't spoken for a good 15 years, so it was hilarious to have a good chinwag on a little beach in Vietnam. It is indeed a very small world.

Anyway, after a great day where I actually felt like I had done something constructive, I said my goodbyes to Rianne and Daniele (who were leaving on the night bus to Nha Trang) and retired to my room where I decided to repack my bag whilst watching Die Hard 2. It was nice to have Bruce Willis for company, LOL! I discovered that my trainers (that I haven't worn since I trekked in Chiang Mai) have gone mouldy, so I'm sooo glad I spent a fortune on them and have ruined them already!!! Oh well, they are still wearable, just stinky!!! When I know there will be some hot sunshine, I'll give them a good scrub with Vanish, but until then, I daren't get them wet again!

So, I was up again early this morning to check out and head back to my original hotel to board the bus to Hué, another sleeper but quite bearable in the daytime. It was a relatively short journey, and I was checked into a reasonable room by lunchtime. ($6 but on the ground floor next to reception - the hotel guy thought I was loopy when I checked until the bathroom bin and behind the towels before accepting it!!!)

I barely had time to settle before I heard the rains begin. I could tell, even from the confines of my windowless room that there was no point going outside, so I quickly drifted off to sleep for a much-needed nap... Hours later, it was till lashing it down, but I'd started to feel woozy from the day-sleep. I decide to brave the flooded roads, nearly knee deep in places, to walk to a supermarket for face wash and shower gel, as I'd run out days ago.

So I was soaked again, and nothing is drying at the minute. I can smell the dampness everywhere! I did give my sandals a good scrub with soap though, seeing as they were wet already, so that should freshen them up a bit. And, it was heavenly to have a hot shower (first one in ages that worked!) with Dove shower gel, as I'd been managing with cheap hotel soap!

The weather forecast is pretty horrendous for the next few days. That left me with another difficult decision: to stay in the hotel watching TV tomorrow, to leave Hué and go straight to Hanoi tomorrow night and have a whole week stuck there, or to risk a day-trip in the deluge. I opted for the latter so I'm off to the Vietnamese DMZ tomorrow, and hopefully when it does rain, it doesn't disrupt things too much. It's a real shame that Vietnam has been so wet - it hasn't just been heavy downpours in the afternoon interrupting the sun, it's been real grey misery... I don't feel I've been able to enjoy it as much as possible, especially being on my own for times as it isn't that easy to bump into people out and about when everyone is running around under ponchos!!!

But, at least I'm off on the trip tomorrow and then I'll have one last day in Hué, hopefully seeing the Citadel, on Thursday before I arrive in Hanoi Friday on morning. I just hope to goodness that I can get to Halong Bay and that the weather doesn't ruin that - if I can't sail out there, I'll be in Hanoi for 6 nights and by all accounts there doesn't seem to be that much to do there. I'll be very ready to leave Vietnam by then, so I hope some good fortune comes along to ensure that Halong Bay is a success and redeems my experience here before I have to leave...

What Doesn't Kill Us, Only Makes Us Stronger...

Well, that's the theory, and I will confirm it should I ever make it home in one piece, with all my nerves intact!

The sleeper bus from HCMC to Nha Trang was NOT at all like the one I took to Pakse. Each "bed" was a single reclining chair, very airline-like, where you put your feet under the head of the person in front. Great - only if you were lucky enough to not be by the toilet, as the mini-stairwell leading to it meant that the footroom was non-existent. How pleased I was to be in said bunk, 7C!!! I then committed that heinous crime, I moved to an empty bed, and then completely looked oblivious when the rightful occupant boarded. I'd like to be able to say that I felt guilty when the poor guy slept with his knees around his ears in my bed... but I didn't!

It was quite a hideous trip, not only did the driver beep his horn all night, the roads seem to be covered with cattle grids in Vietnam and we weren't allowed to use the toilet. Don't know why. We did have ONE toilet stop, throughout the entire 10 hour trip, but this was pretty pointless after only one hour on the road and had no benefit to the succeeding nine!!!

We arrived at last in Nha Trang (peeing it down, crap crap crap!) Isomehow ended up on the back of a motorbike, all bags in tow, to a hotel that promised a single for $5 a night. Lo and behold, it was the Good Hotel, which incidentally, a friend I met in Laos is already staying at, although he did warn me that "Good" was a bit of a misnomer...

Anyway, I had to wait a while for the room to be ready, so when I finally was let in, I was happy to take it. Double bed, fan, looked clean enough... I soon realised that I probably wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight, as I was only partitioned off from reception (and the awful Vietnamese karaoke on the TV) by a pane of glass. Thaknk Goodness for earplugs!

I took a long shower, grateful to wash off the stench of cold sweat that had developed overnight, whilst sweating profusely in the AC, glad I don't have pnemonia. I was a little perturbed to spot a pair of thin worms, snaking their way along the bathroom floor. Not to worry, I soon showered them down the plughole! I lifted up the bin, assuming that is where they had originated; I wish I hadn't bothered...

Out came HUGE clumps of ants, and I mean thousands, so soon the entire floor was swimming with black blobs, with me perched precariously upon the toilet seat, in only my birthday suit. I took a good 10 - 15 minutes to get them all down the plughole, which I had to unblock! I rinsed under the bin, and more and more of the damn things kept coming!

It seemed that that problem was solved, until about 6 or 7 more worms appeared, so I rinsed all the walls and around the door frame, releasing a spider in the process. All done, all gone. Until, as I was cleaning my teeth, I looked down and out of a crack in between the wall and door frame, thousands more ants, and their eggs, were emerging back into the room. ENOUGH! I had to get out - cheap is only worth it if it is cheerful, and by this time, I was not! I grabbed the towel, to dry off and then it really was the last straw...

There was now a COCKROACH to contend with, so I yelped and dashed out of the bathroom, leaving the towels and said monster in a puddle in the bathroom. I managed to dry myself off with some napkins I'd taken from a cafe in HCMC, and I was staright to reception to complain.

I'm now in a room on the 2nd floor, that seems to have only one or two ants - it's $6 per night and I made the receptionist check under the bin and behind the towels before I agreed to move. I hope to God I don't get invaded again, my nerves couldn't take it, I am still itching and it was over an hour ago since I left Room 01... I know I will have nightmares tonight...

So, now I am at a loose end, the rain in Nha Trang looks like it will prevent any proper sightseeing, so I'm thinking I will end up northwards sooner than planned. So I could be stuck in Hanoi for longer than I would have liked, but I'll just keep the thought of the Thai Islands ever-present in my mind... Not sure I'm liking Vietnam quite so much anymore!

Good Afternoon Vietnam!

Off I set, on Monday morning, on the nicest bus I've been on so far, it wasn't four decades old, and with only nine of us between forty-five seats, there was plenty of space to stretch out!

I soon got chatting to a lovely couple from the U.K. - Paul is a Brit and his wife, Carolina, is Argentinian. We soon had the world map out and she was giving me great advice about the best things to see in South America, and how to get around! Just hope I don't forget it all before next spring!

The passage to Vietnam was very smooth, so much so that I completely missed our river crossing on a ferry, not quite sure how that happened, but never mind. Soon, we were at the Cambodian-Vietnam border, a far cry than the one from Laos. Here, there are casinos along the roadside, and there's an actual building with passport control, X-ray machines and duty-free!!!

We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC, or Saigon for old-schoolers), just as the thunderous deluge began. Thank goodness I had put my waterproof cover over my rucksack before setting out that morning! It quickly became apparent that the stories of Vietnam being more expensive were indeed true, $10 for a single room!!! Well, that might not sound like much, but don't forget, last week I paid only 50p!!!

I'm not quite sure how it came about, but soon a Vietnamese lady was escorting us down a side alley and before I knew it, I had arranged a room for myself for $5, which was actually big enough to sleep three people, with it's own balcony nonetheless! Paul & Carolina had got a similar deal barely round the corner, and we were staying in local houses, rather than the usual guesthouses, which made a refreshing change.

We arranged to meet that evening for dinner, after the rain had stopped. I made my way over to their place, but there was no sign of them yet, so a spent a long hour chatting to their hostess and playing with her two tiny chihuahuas, Boh Boh and Moh Nee. So cute, but hard to believe that they are actually dogs and not large rodents!!! She gave me a sweet green bean snack to try, which was not too bad - I was not so keen on the milk snack, which was like sweet, cheesy, gone-off milk. Oh well, at least I wasn't rude and I did indeed finish it all off.

Anyway, once the guys had emerged from their room, we headed out for dinner, which was remarkably cheap, it was Happy Hour and our food was discounted by 10%, first time I had seen that! We arranged to meet up the following day for a wander around HCMC.

Off we set on Tuesday morning to the large market in the Cholon area, around 6km away from where we were staying. We decided that it would be lovely to stroll along the Saigon River en route (mistake - poo!!!) and then it seemed like our destination would never appear - it was lunchtime by the time we arrived and I was thoroughly drained by the stifling heat and craziness of the motorbike drivers here. MUM - please note that although I had to walk out in front of seething masses of bikes, none of them hit me and as I am here writing this, you can see I'm not in traction somewhere!

Cholon Market, Ho Chi Minh City

After seeing a couple of pagodas later on, I needed to get back home for a nap, which took longer than expected as there happened to be a huge university complex right over the direct path I would have liked to have taken! That evening, I organised a day-trip to the Mekong delta and purchased an air ticket from Hanoi to Bangkok, so I need to be 1000km northwards by Bonfire Night!

Yesterday, I went on the delta trip, and it was OK. Another box ticked, but I have indeed seen enough of the mighty Mekong for several lifetimes. We visited a coconut candy 'factory' (which is delicious and very chewy, like a cross between coconut fudge and toffee) and a honey farm where I held a python! After lunch, we took kayaks along canals shaded by water palms (I was waiting for Martin Sheen to appear from the depths as any moment!) to sample some local fruits and hear traditional Vietnamese music.

Rowing down the Mekong Delta

Last night, it was again time for me to be productive and organise my transport for the next two weeks. It took several pages of notepaper and a lot of guide-book studying, but for $40, I am taking an open bus to Nha Trang tonight (sleeper, to save on accommodation), and then I will have stops in Hoi An, Hue and finally arriving in Hanoi in about a week's time, so I can visit Halong Bay and be back in good time to get to the airport for my flight to BKK.

So, today, I have been wandering about the city, trying to dodge the traffic and moto touts, who don't seem to understand that some of us are content to walk for free! I also plucked up the courage to get a haircut! Yikes, after one I had in Korea 18 months ago, that was quite a feat, believe me. But rest assured, I do NOT look like a small Vietnamese boy and for £1.82, who could complain?

So I have a few more hours to kill, and hopefully I can get back into the guesthouse to retrieve my backpack (as I can't quite remember which shop the lady works in, if she isn't at home!) This internet cafe is cheaper than the one I've been using previously in HCMC, only 13p per hour! Although it stinks of old houses!!! So, off I go to Nha Trang, which is supposed to be a beautiful beach town, althought the whole of Vietnam seems to have thunderstorms forecast for the next 10 days or so... Poncho anyone?

Cambodia!

We left Kratie early on Tuesday morning and set off on yet another long journey, this time to Siem Reap. We finally arrived around 4pm, which gave us just enough time to get from the bus station to a guesthouse, drop off our bags and then hop into a tuk-tuk to...

...ANGKOR WAT!

Yes, after nine years of waiting, the time to see this masterpiece had finally arrived. We got to the entrance gates just after 5pm, which meant we could buy our tickets there and then for sunset, but they would only start from the following day, so in effect, we were getting a little bit of a freebie! Of course, there was no way that I could commit a heinous offence by buying just a one-day pass - oh no, I went for 3 full days!!!

Our tuk-tuk drivers recommended that we view the sunset from a mountain overlooking Angkor Wat, so off we set up the path, just as the sky started to turn beautiful shades of orange. Just as we made it to the top though, and began our ascent up some steep steps, the heavens opened and it absolutely HEAVED it down! So, it was just hilarious really, we just stood under my umbrella (which was not use for 4 people at all), getting soaked, and worrying about all the precious non-waterproof belongings we had in our daysacks, as we'd all been keeping our most important bits and bobs near to us on the bus journey!!! By some miracle, nothing was ruined, at least in my bag!

Once back at the guesthouse, we dried off and grabbed some dinner. It was soon time for bed before getting up (YET AGAIN) at the crack of dawn, literally this time... 4.30am did my alarm go off on Wednesday, and by 5.15am, we were back outside Angkor Wat to watch the sunrise. Was it worth it?...

...What do you think?!!

The early start meant we had loads of time to cram in the main sites on the "little circle" route that most people view. After watching the full sunrise, we spent about an hour exploring the complex, viewing the bas reliefs and for me, all this was done whilst listening to Tomb Raider themes on my iPod, I was in the game at last!

Next stop was Angkor Thom, the walled city just north of AW. The approach to the south gate was particularly impressive:

Devas lining the approach to Angkor Thom

The Bayon is within Angkor Thom, and it really is a spectacular place, 216 stone faces look out, in the cardinal directions, over the forest. I've never seen anything quite like it. After taking in a few more of the Thom temples, it was time for lunch and then just as it started to rain in the afternoon, we were off to Ta Prohm, THE Tomb Raider temple (well, in the film and as far as I am concerned, that doesn't count!!!) But anyway... this is the one that has the trees growing over the walls, so I really was in my element here and a good few Lara Croft poses were struck by yours truly! I must get around to wading through the hundreds of photos I took that day!

Anyway, I could ramble on and on about Angkor for pages, but I won't - the following day, I went off on my own back to the area to view the main sites on the "big circle" route and planned for the third day to be spent visiting a smaller area of temples at Roulous before visiting AW one last time for sunset. It wasn't to be, alas, as on Friday, it was overcast and then raining for most of the afternoon. It was a bit of a shame, but I felt that I had done it all justice in 2 days (plus it gave me 7½ hours to kill in an internet cafe and I finally got some more pictures uploaded to Flickr (check them out!!!))

On Saturday, I left Siem Reap and headed to Phnom Penh. Really, they should do bus miles!!! I stayed at Okay Guesthouse, near The Royal Palace, which I managed to cram in that afternoon. It was very beautiful, but similar to The Grand Palace in Bangkok, so it was a little bit "been there, done that!" but on the positive side, also "box ticked!" The Silver Pagoda was a bit of a damp squib - yes, there are some amazing treasures in there, but when most of the silver floor tiles are covered with carpet, and the ones that are exposed are covered in duct tape, it's a little hard to be excited. The guide books always make things sound much more exciting than they often are...

On Sunday, I got up early (not by choice now, but by body-clock habit) and walked to the S21 Prison, Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. It wasn't quite as gruesome as I was expecting, but it was a very sombre experience to witness the school that was converted into the Khmer Rouge's main prison, where over 17,000 people were tortured and later executed at the Choeng Ek killing fields. it was hard to imagine how all this happened, under Pol Pot's dictatorship, just a few years before I was born. I also learned that for a long time, the Khmer Rouge were supported by the U.N. - how did that happen, it beggars belief???

In the afternoon, I took a motorbike ride to Choeng Ek Genocide Memorial - Mum, please note that I DID wear a crash helmet, so my insurance should have covered me!!! It was much smaller than I expected and again, not quite a grim, but still very humbling. It is now very serene, almost like an oasis of calm after the horrors that were carried out here, the peace interrupted only by the croaking of frogs in the pools formed in where many of the mass graves were excavated...

Sunday evening, and a long day, I decided it was time to leave Cambodia and head off for pastures new. I booked my ticket, bought the guidebook and set my alarm - ready to head off (on my own, nonetheless) to Vietnam!