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Thursday, March 4, 2010
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Sunday, March 15, 2009
Cambodia
A little Asian American
Our early morning mini-bus ride was without event. Myself and Jojo taking turns to fall asleep on each others shoulders in the rather cramped conditions of the back of the van. Our van stopped for the second time, just 10 mins from the border with Cambodia. We had made brief introductions to the other ten young passengers onboard. It was explained to us that this allowed us to get something to eat and have a rest. As in India, on long journey, breaks are normally provided at chosen eateries along your route. We were also told by our driver that we could get our visa done here at a small commission.
Still with a mobile connection available, I logged onto the net with my iPhone and did a quick search. Wikitravel had a recent article on Visas for Cambodia. There is an interesting section under Land Crossings that explains about the Visa Scam. It mentioned that you might end up paying up to $35. I read out the article to everyone we had being travelling with and they all started chatting among themselves. Most of them, separate to Jojo and I, had paid for the journey the whole way to Siam Reap. The tour company started handing out the visa applications and told that the price was $30. It was interesting to watch as one by one, each person changed their mind and paid the full amount. They were told that the bus may not be able to wait for them at the border. They were also told it would take an hour or more. Jojo whispered to me, “this is the place,, the restaurant, the lady in our tour company mentioned to me, was a scam”. It was obvious that they were all being scammed. Anyone that spoke to us, we told them, it was probably better to wait until they got to the border. Nevertheless, their worry got the better of them. Noticing that we were rocking the boat, one of the tour agents, organised our lift to the border promptly.
The area on the Thai side of the border was ridden with litter and the road unfinished and dusty. Myself and Jojo hauled our bags up the road to the Thai immigration. After ten minutes with our departure cards filled out we exited Thailand into No Mans Land. The heat was in the high 30s and the air was dusty. A large gateway of Cambodian design with a sign saying, “Kingdom of Cambodia” stood ahead of us. A chaos of people, carts, bicycles and trucks was the sight infront of us. After a moment we noticed a guy signalling to us. We were shown to the Visa applications desk by a smiling friendly young gentleman. Jojo collected two forms and we filled them out. We spoke to three British lads. They told us to be aware that the guys giving out the Visas were chancing their arms. If you didn't pay the amount the suggested, they told you, you'd have to wait. The sign above the booth clearly said $20 for a tourist visa. Without any dollars on us we were immediately at a loss. So I made a quick calculation. 750 baht. We'd offer 800 for the inconvenience. As we walked up an immigration officer approached us smiling. We told him we were paying Baht. There was smile. “1000 baht”. I smiled back How about 800 baht”. There was some tooing and froing. He said we'd have to wait if we didn't pay. I threw another 100 baht in for the two of us and he smiled. Two minutes later our passports had new visas in them. We chatted to an Irish couple that had also gone through the same experience.
The same friendly gentleman came over and told us about the free bus to the terminus. He walked us all through to immigration. While standing in the que and filling in our Arrival cards we got chatting to the Irish couple again and some other people. It appeared the visa thing was tried on everyone. After standing in the que sweating for another fifteens minutes we got our passports stamped and we walked through in to our first dusty Cambodian street. Poi pet is the border town and on first look, its not much. A large casino is one of the first big buildings you'll see. Apart from this there are some run down looking businesses on either side of an unsealed road. A collection of buses and taxi are parked, awaiting a new onslaught of naïve passengers.
Once again our helpful guide waited until he had myself and Jojo and the two other Irish together. He brought us to the free bus service. He started some spiel about how he loved his job and he was not in this for money. This was all part of his job to welcome us to Cambodia. It really sounded like there was something at the end of this. We were dropped off at some form of bus and taxi rank. A number of other Westerners were hanging around inside. Negotiations began. He mentioned we could wait for a bus. This cost was $8 per person and took 6 to 7 hours. Alternatively we could get a taxi, that took 3 hours and it cost $15 per person, with 4 people in a taxi. It all seemed a bit pricey. We met the three young British lads we had met on the far side of the border. We all chatted about what prices we had being offered. After a short time our guide offered our cars fare for $55. We all chatted amongst ourselves and agreed to it.
It was a really pleasant journey to Siam Reap. It was a great opportunity to get to know Michelle and Sean. There was a good vibe between us straight away. The road is fairly well completed the majority of the way. We stopped for a toilet break half way along. A small roadside shop selling expensive water and a selection of salted products. Suddenly it started to seem real. All the prices were in dollar. Jojo choose some Pringles and water. Our next stop was on the near side of Siam Reap to get money out of the ATM. Your only option is to take our dollars. Prices in the shop were extortionate. I needed to buy something to get some change. I choose the cheapest thing. A pack of tic tac styles sweets $1. Eh, where was the cheap Cambodia we had being expecting. I held any judgement for the moment. We stopped next on the side of the road with a load of tuk tuk drivers waiting around. We thought we were in for another scam. It was explained that this is how it is done. There is no charge as the price is taken out of the taxi drivers fair. Our suspicions were high. It was agreed we'd pay the remainder of the fare upon arrival at our guesthouse.
As we drove through the streets of Siam Reap a new part of Asia uncovered itself for us. As with most Asian countries a sea of motos and bikes filled the streets. Each junction becomes a mass of courtesy based driving, Children in fresh white starched looking uniforms made their way home from schools A monk dressed in the traditional zesty orange sauntered alongside the organised chaos. After darting amongst this frenzy our tuk tuk turned down alongside a tree lined river and pulled up outside a smart looking guesthouse called Rosy's. Sean and Michelle had booked in to this one in advance through Hostelworld.com. Sadly no extra rooms were available. The place was stunning. Very modern, smart, stylish and for only $8. We booked into a place three doors down. Also for $8 although not a patch on Rosey's.
After showering we met up with Sean and Michelle. We headed over to Babel guesthouse where the 3 British lads were staying. On route we checked out some other places for prices. There was a varied selection from $5 to $15. We decided we find somewhere in the morning. The lads were relaxing with beers, on a chill-out coach in the garden. We headed towards the city. Further along the river, the trees were lit up with a mixture of coloured and white lights. Not quite the picture I had in my mind of my first evening in Cambodia. We found a very smart and fancy looking place along on of the main dusty roads. Main courses averaged $4. The food was excellent. Staff were super nice and super smiley.
We headed in search of Pub street. Not quite what I was expecting again. More like a street you might find in Porta Banus or one of the more fancy locations along the Costa del Sol. It was something else. Smart bars with outdoor seating lined either side of the road. A variety of music styles was competing to be heard from each. We walked along in shock, wondering where had we magically being transported to. Each place was more luxurious than the next. Cambodia was seeming more a more to be like a little Asian America. After checking the varying prices of a small beer from 75 cent to 2 dollars we settled down. Everyone was feeling pretty tired, so we only stayed out for a few, before heading back.
We checked out of our slightly dingy place and headed down to Sean and Michelle's for breakfast. Sadly no room was available. A British guy and his Swedish girlfriend were looking after the hostel for their mate. They told us to leave our bags behind the counter while we found somewhere to stay. We headed towards Babel, dropping into different places along the way. The standards were are fairly average and costs fair. We found a fantastic place called MotherHome. The first thing to greet you was a fantastic fresh lemon smell. For anyone that knows me, that is my greatest weakness. The interior was impeccable and shiny. Light coloured tiled floors and warm coloured rich varnished wood. We were shown to a room on the 4th floor. It was a big modern brightt fan room, with two double beds and an ensuite. It had a TV, smart looking desk and big wardrobes. You be lucky to get a four star hotel in Ireland of the same standard. For $8 it was an insane bargain. We took it straight away. Included in the price, was free tea and coffee, free internet and free bike hire. To top it off the owner drove us around in his car to pick up our bags. We'd struck gold.
The remainder of the afternoon we spent watching movies and chillin out in our luxury pad. Later in the afternoon we grabbed our free bikes and headed off to get dinner on the side of the street. For four dollars we had 2 main courses and two cans of drink. We had being told by Daillila that you could enter the temples for free after five. We began our 6km cycle out along the main road to Angkor Vat. The streets were filled with motos, cars, jeeps, tuktuks and bicycles. It was an adorable feeling cycling through the outskirts of Siam Reap. I felt totally at one and relaxed pottering along through this wonderful part of Asia. There is a certain romanticism that makes me feel totally at home in Asia. Perhaps earned from watching to many Hollywood movies. We stopped and asked a westerner how far we were from the temples. 5km or so. Not a problem. Jojo was loving being back on a bicycle and was bopping along with his iPod plugged in. We arrived outside Angkor Vat a little while later. The road was remarkably good. A large moat or lagoon surrounded the temple. The sun must have only gone down a few minutes earlier as the sky was filled with indigos and pinks. A vast wide impressive looking pathway spanned across the water and led up to the spectacular entrance gateway. Small lights lined the path and men dressed in ancient mauve military dress stood to attention along each side of the highway. We parked our bikes and approached. As we went to cross we were stopped by two pretty ladies also dress in the mauve coloured attire and told that the temple was closed. We looked at her in surprise and asked could we cross to take some photos. With a beautiful smile she gracefully declined our request. We accepted our faith and returned to the side lake to take some late night snaps.
Not wanting to concede so easily we thought we'd head a little further along the road to see whether we might sneak into another one of the temples. With our dynamo lights switched on we headed off along the darkening road. It was great fun to be off on another adventure. Sadly it came to end so soon. Next thing we knew, a man came out of the dark, waving his hands in the middle of the road. “Must go back, closed.” he shouted. We thanked him and headed back off towards town. I had noticed a short cut on route and decided we'd try it on the way home. A very pleasant motorbike cop parked on the side of the road, informed us, it was not a good idea. “Too dangerous.” he proclaimed. When you visit Siam Reap you will notice quite a high police presence around the temple area. These guys are purely here to help you and watch out for trouble.
When we got back we showered and headed out. We met up with all the gang in one of the many charity cafés. The evening was a short one. Sean and Michelle wanted to head home early as they were getting up to see the temples at sunrise. We agreed to only stop in a local bar on the way home. Myself and Jojo treated ourselves to a minature pizza. After around of drinks we headed back. We stayed out with the three lads for another short while. The lads were all college buddies from Shefield University and had studied architecture together. We were getting to know them fast. It was quite unusual how such a large group got on together. We all just clicked. We all agreed to meet for breakfast before heading off.
Myself, Jojo and Johnnie were the only people that turned up for breakfast. John and Adam decided on the lie in option rather, than the 8am meeting. It was quite delicious. Simple eggs and toast. Each of us othering a different style, I'm sure much to the delight of the kitchen staff. Nevertheless, the fried, scrambled and poached all came cooked to perfection. Johnnie excused himself after finishing up to meet with their scheduled tuktuk driver for 9am. Myself and Jojo went shopping for a driver for the day. We found a guy outside that agreed to do the grand tour for $13 for the day. Seemed like we'd found our bargain. The average price is $15.
The temples of Angkor are a spectacular example of ancient architecture and nature fighting back to take ownership of the land. The first we visited you first entered a a stunning dark grey stone gateway structure. The majority of the larger Angkor temples are surrounded by a moat. These are far more impressive during the wet seasons. You will notice how important symmetry is in the design of the Angkor temples. Preah Khan is a fantastic example of Khmer architecture and the main chambers have being very well restored. We spent over 2 hours pottering around the crumbling remains. Large impressive strong trees sprout throughout the structure. Sometimes precariously balanced on walls or roofs. Giant roots like something from an alient movie unimaginabily holding these massive trees upright.
Be warned. Rather than the old adage of bring comfortable shoes. Bring some form of cover. An umbrella is ideal. Also loads of water. The heat really gets to oven temperatures during the day. Neak Pean was our next temple. Well actually it is more of a dried out series of water reservoirs than a standard temple. We bumped into the British lads who were headng in the opposite direction of the grand tour. They were similarly melting in the noon heat. We agreed to meet later and headed off to get some lunch. As we approached the food stalls we were shouted at by three ladies that came running towards us. A battle began in trying to convince us of which of their restaurants to pick. Jojo being the ultimate diplomat agreed to buy the drinks form one and the food from another. I chuckled at their offer of $2 for a small can of beer. I offered one and they accepted. When we sat down in the restaurant for food we were passed two yellow menus. The prices averaged $4. We asked were the prices correct and they confirmed. We stood and said we go to the other restaurant. 10 feet from the door we were chased and shown new menus with the average price at $1.50. In a whispered tone they said, "We do special price for you". Hilarity.
After eating our delicious meal we met our tuktuk driver and headed off to see Tom Som, East Mebon, Pre Rup, the lake of Sras Srang and Banteay Kdei. After you see three temples there is a certainn repition. From a photograpy point of view it is more about the harmony of nature and construction for me. When we got to Pre Rup I was ready to collapse with the heat. Climbing the steep stairs I thought I was going to faint and half kill myself. I was ready to go home. After stopping for a bit in the shade my energy returned a little bit. We decided on our return journey we might as well see whatever was enroute. At the lakeside we were surrounded by a group of young girls who were offering there cold drinks for sale. Jojo got himself a gift of a rose and we both received free bagles by the wide smiling young girls, obviously infatuated by the brown eyed Brazilian. As we entered our last temple for the day we were approached by a quick tonged young girl selling books. We spent 15 minutes chatting to her as she persisted in trying to sell us a book. Sometimes all the locals want is someone to take the time to chat to them. And they do love to chat. When we entered the gate we met another girl selling silk scarves. At 16 years of age she showed her linguistic skills by greeting us in seven different languages. This included Irish, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Portugese and some others. I'm not sure quite how many she did know, although I was impressed. She told us she wanted to be a teacher. I recommended she stay studying hard and she could be anything she wanted. She was brilliant. The temple did not quite wow me, as much as that girl did. It was still another beatiful Angkor temple. I fell asleep on Jojo's shoulder on the return journey in the tuk tuk.
Dinner began in one of the more local eateries. A sign outside declared they did not serve We all headed over to pub street. After drinking some of the cheaper beer, we headed into one of the disco bars. The buckets began and not long later Michelle, Jojo and Johnie were dancing like something out of the movies. The two boys ended up on the tables, strutting their stuff. Myself, Sean, John and Adam chatted away while watching and laugh at the three of them. It was just what the doctor had ordered. We all left the place with a slight stagger. Heading back home went by without notice. We wished our fairwells and headed off to bed.
Hangover day was meant to be our second day at the temples. The three day pass is a costly $40, while its $20 for the one day. You kind of want to make the most of it. C'est la vie. We were in no mood to go anywhere. We lay down on the bed with the fan on full speed and watched one movie after the other. To not be total sloths we headed out to the local corner shop and ate cheese burgers and chips. While relaxing later watching Equilibrium, the two Johns and Adam called in. I headed down to meet Sean and Michelle. It was our last night out together so we thought a few drinks were in order. The plan was to afterwards visit the Siam Reap night market. Didn't quite get around to it. After consuming a delicious selection of dishes in a small french restaurant it was nearing eleven. All the gang apart from us were up at the crack of dawn. We swapped the customary Facebook details, hugged and promised to keep in touch. Another momentary meeting and getting to know five other people. Its strange how times this happens when you are travelling.
Our final full day in Siam Reap was spent doing the small tour of the Angkor temples. Ta Prohm, also known as the Tomb Raider temple reminded me a lot of the Preah Khan. It is a truly exquisite experience. Once again disturbed in numerous areas by the abnormally giant trees and roots. It has a wonderful sense of peace about it. It is a maze of rooms and corridors. The walls are lined with intricate Khmer designs and sculptures. There is so much to see it can be overwhelming. Be warned the smaller circuit is busier and you will be rushed by some random group of Japanese tourits on a guided tour. You need to be a bit assetive. For some reason they act as if they have paid for exculsive use of the whole temple. Myself and Jojo went around at our leisure. Me stopping to take time with my photos. I got away from the troops of tourists by climbing on of the exterior walls. I returned to meet Jojo at the front by going around the side. It was wonderful how peaceful and serene it was walking under the giant trees and looking in on the temple.
We both started tiring quickly today and after seeing Ta Keo and Bayon inside Angkor Thom we stopped for some lunch. After haggling a discount for our meal we sat down to relax under the shade of the restaurant canopy. Within a moment we had local kids trying to sell their wares. Of course, being the softies we were, we purchased a new bracelets each. Jojo said he wished he could buy something from everyone of them. The presentation of the food that was served was beyond reproach. It even tasted better than it looked. We agreed to skip the other temple ruins in Angkor Thom and go straight to the big one. Angkor Vat is the largest temple and from what I've being told, also the largest religious structure in area in the world. It was the perfect way to finish our temple tour. With the best. The entrance alone is magnificent. After walking through the main entrance you are greeted with a stadium sized garden that sits infront of the actual temple. The temple itself is on three or four levels. I'm not certain about this because a number of areas were closed for renovations. Vat is under a major restoration project at the time of writing this. They are trying to fix all of the sloppy and temporary restorations that have being done over the years. This temple is enormous. Before we knew it, it was 5.30pm and time to be heading back to our tuk tuk.
When we got back, we showered and took the free rental bikes out from our guesthouse. We were finally going to get to the night market. We had heard about these massage fish and we decided we'd give it a go. They claim, "your money back if you don't laugh". Firstly your feet are washed with a hot towel. Obviously on the fishes behalf. It is quite something as dozens of these small goldfish sized fish start sucking on your feet, looking for dead skins. The initial feeling it is nearly impossible to not laugh. After you relax it is so relaxing. These little magical fish are supposedly from Turkey. $3 for fifteen to twenty minutes. A small crowd gathered by the time we finished. The new customers already bought in, as we lay there with beaming smiles on our faces. The Siam night market has little else to offer from a bargain point of view. Prices in Cambodia and crazily expensive.
We finished the night off with dinner in another one of the cheaper and local restaurants. You can shop around and get dinner for around $2. You will also get some places offering Happy Hour on their drinks. This means small cans for 60 cent. After food we headed off to treat ourselves to ice cream. There is a superb modern a/c cafe and restaurant called Siamp Reap. With free Wifi we sat down, logged on to our iPods and ordered some delicious deserts. We cycled home delighted with our wonderful day. With our tickets booked for our 6 hour bus journey to Phnom Penh we paid our guest house bills, left a nice tip and headed up to bed.
Our early morning mini-bus ride was without event. Myself and Jojo taking turns to fall asleep on each others shoulders in the rather cramped conditions of the back of the van. Our van stopped for the second time, just 10 mins from the border with Cambodia. We had made brief introductions to the other ten young passengers onboard. It was explained to us that this allowed us to get something to eat and have a rest. As in India, on long journey, breaks are normally provided at chosen eateries along your route. We were also told by our driver that we could get our visa done here at a small commission.
Still with a mobile connection available, I logged onto the net with my iPhone and did a quick search. Wikitravel had a recent article on Visas for Cambodia. There is an interesting section under Land Crossings that explains about the Visa Scam. It mentioned that you might end up paying up to $35. I read out the article to everyone we had being travelling with and they all started chatting among themselves. Most of them, separate to Jojo and I, had paid for the journey the whole way to Siam Reap. The tour company started handing out the visa applications and told that the price was $30. It was interesting to watch as one by one, each person changed their mind and paid the full amount. They were told that the bus may not be able to wait for them at the border. They were also told it would take an hour or more. Jojo whispered to me, “this is the place,, the restaurant, the lady in our tour company mentioned to me, was a scam”. It was obvious that they were all being scammed. Anyone that spoke to us, we told them, it was probably better to wait until they got to the border. Nevertheless, their worry got the better of them. Noticing that we were rocking the boat, one of the tour agents, organised our lift to the border promptly.
The area on the Thai side of the border was ridden with litter and the road unfinished and dusty. Myself and Jojo hauled our bags up the road to the Thai immigration. After ten minutes with our departure cards filled out we exited Thailand into No Mans Land. The heat was in the high 30s and the air was dusty. A large gateway of Cambodian design with a sign saying, “Kingdom of Cambodia” stood ahead of us. A chaos of people, carts, bicycles and trucks was the sight infront of us. After a moment we noticed a guy signalling to us. We were shown to the Visa applications desk by a smiling friendly young gentleman. Jojo collected two forms and we filled them out. We spoke to three British lads. They told us to be aware that the guys giving out the Visas were chancing their arms. If you didn't pay the amount the suggested, they told you, you'd have to wait. The sign above the booth clearly said $20 for a tourist visa. Without any dollars on us we were immediately at a loss. So I made a quick calculation. 750 baht. We'd offer 800 for the inconvenience. As we walked up an immigration officer approached us smiling. We told him we were paying Baht. There was smile. “1000 baht”. I smiled back How about 800 baht”. There was some tooing and froing. He said we'd have to wait if we didn't pay. I threw another 100 baht in for the two of us and he smiled. Two minutes later our passports had new visas in them. We chatted to an Irish couple that had also gone through the same experience.
The same friendly gentleman came over and told us about the free bus to the terminus. He walked us all through to immigration. While standing in the que and filling in our Arrival cards we got chatting to the Irish couple again and some other people. It appeared the visa thing was tried on everyone. After standing in the que sweating for another fifteens minutes we got our passports stamped and we walked through in to our first dusty Cambodian street. Poi pet is the border town and on first look, its not much. A large casino is one of the first big buildings you'll see. Apart from this there are some run down looking businesses on either side of an unsealed road. A collection of buses and taxi are parked, awaiting a new onslaught of naïve passengers.
Once again our helpful guide waited until he had myself and Jojo and the two other Irish together. He brought us to the free bus service. He started some spiel about how he loved his job and he was not in this for money. This was all part of his job to welcome us to Cambodia. It really sounded like there was something at the end of this. We were dropped off at some form of bus and taxi rank. A number of other Westerners were hanging around inside. Negotiations began. He mentioned we could wait for a bus. This cost was $8 per person and took 6 to 7 hours. Alternatively we could get a taxi, that took 3 hours and it cost $15 per person, with 4 people in a taxi. It all seemed a bit pricey. We met the three young British lads we had met on the far side of the border. We all chatted about what prices we had being offered. After a short time our guide offered our cars fare for $55. We all chatted amongst ourselves and agreed to it.
It was a really pleasant journey to Siam Reap. It was a great opportunity to get to know Michelle and Sean. There was a good vibe between us straight away. The road is fairly well completed the majority of the way. We stopped for a toilet break half way along. A small roadside shop selling expensive water and a selection of salted products. Suddenly it started to seem real. All the prices were in dollar. Jojo choose some Pringles and water. Our next stop was on the near side of Siam Reap to get money out of the ATM. Your only option is to take our dollars. Prices in the shop were extortionate. I needed to buy something to get some change. I choose the cheapest thing. A pack of tic tac styles sweets $1. Eh, where was the cheap Cambodia we had being expecting. I held any judgement for the moment. We stopped next on the side of the road with a load of tuk tuk drivers waiting around. We thought we were in for another scam. It was explained that this is how it is done. There is no charge as the price is taken out of the taxi drivers fair. Our suspicions were high. It was agreed we'd pay the remainder of the fare upon arrival at our guesthouse.
As we drove through the streets of Siam Reap a new part of Asia uncovered itself for us. As with most Asian countries a sea of motos and bikes filled the streets. Each junction becomes a mass of courtesy based driving, Children in fresh white starched looking uniforms made their way home from schools A monk dressed in the traditional zesty orange sauntered alongside the organised chaos. After darting amongst this frenzy our tuk tuk turned down alongside a tree lined river and pulled up outside a smart looking guesthouse called Rosy's. Sean and Michelle had booked in to this one in advance through Hostelworld.com. Sadly no extra rooms were available. The place was stunning. Very modern, smart, stylish and for only $8. We booked into a place three doors down. Also for $8 although not a patch on Rosey's.
After showering we met up with Sean and Michelle. We headed over to Babel guesthouse where the 3 British lads were staying. On route we checked out some other places for prices. There was a varied selection from $5 to $15. We decided we find somewhere in the morning. The lads were relaxing with beers, on a chill-out coach in the garden. We headed towards the city. Further along the river, the trees were lit up with a mixture of coloured and white lights. Not quite the picture I had in my mind of my first evening in Cambodia. We found a very smart and fancy looking place along on of the main dusty roads. Main courses averaged $4. The food was excellent. Staff were super nice and super smiley.
We headed in search of Pub street. Not quite what I was expecting again. More like a street you might find in Porta Banus or one of the more fancy locations along the Costa del Sol. It was something else. Smart bars with outdoor seating lined either side of the road. A variety of music styles was competing to be heard from each. We walked along in shock, wondering where had we magically being transported to. Each place was more luxurious than the next. Cambodia was seeming more a more to be like a little Asian America. After checking the varying prices of a small beer from 75 cent to 2 dollars we settled down. Everyone was feeling pretty tired, so we only stayed out for a few, before heading back.
We checked out of our slightly dingy place and headed down to Sean and Michelle's for breakfast. Sadly no room was available. A British guy and his Swedish girlfriend were looking after the hostel for their mate. They told us to leave our bags behind the counter while we found somewhere to stay. We headed towards Babel, dropping into different places along the way. The standards were are fairly average and costs fair. We found a fantastic place called MotherHome. The first thing to greet you was a fantastic fresh lemon smell. For anyone that knows me, that is my greatest weakness. The interior was impeccable and shiny. Light coloured tiled floors and warm coloured rich varnished wood. We were shown to a room on the 4th floor. It was a big modern brightt fan room, with two double beds and an ensuite. It had a TV, smart looking desk and big wardrobes. You be lucky to get a four star hotel in Ireland of the same standard. For $8 it was an insane bargain. We took it straight away. Included in the price, was free tea and coffee, free internet and free bike hire. To top it off the owner drove us around in his car to pick up our bags. We'd struck gold.
The remainder of the afternoon we spent watching movies and chillin out in our luxury pad. Later in the afternoon we grabbed our free bikes and headed off to get dinner on the side of the street. For four dollars we had 2 main courses and two cans of drink. We had being told by Daillila that you could enter the temples for free after five. We began our 6km cycle out along the main road to Angkor Vat. The streets were filled with motos, cars, jeeps, tuktuks and bicycles. It was an adorable feeling cycling through the outskirts of Siam Reap. I felt totally at one and relaxed pottering along through this wonderful part of Asia. There is a certain romanticism that makes me feel totally at home in Asia. Perhaps earned from watching to many Hollywood movies. We stopped and asked a westerner how far we were from the temples. 5km or so. Not a problem. Jojo was loving being back on a bicycle and was bopping along with his iPod plugged in. We arrived outside Angkor Vat a little while later. The road was remarkably good. A large moat or lagoon surrounded the temple. The sun must have only gone down a few minutes earlier as the sky was filled with indigos and pinks. A vast wide impressive looking pathway spanned across the water and led up to the spectacular entrance gateway. Small lights lined the path and men dressed in ancient mauve military dress stood to attention along each side of the highway. We parked our bikes and approached. As we went to cross we were stopped by two pretty ladies also dress in the mauve coloured attire and told that the temple was closed. We looked at her in surprise and asked could we cross to take some photos. With a beautiful smile she gracefully declined our request. We accepted our faith and returned to the side lake to take some late night snaps.
Not wanting to concede so easily we thought we'd head a little further along the road to see whether we might sneak into another one of the temples. With our dynamo lights switched on we headed off along the darkening road. It was great fun to be off on another adventure. Sadly it came to end so soon. Next thing we knew, a man came out of the dark, waving his hands in the middle of the road. “Must go back, closed.” he shouted. We thanked him and headed back off towards town. I had noticed a short cut on route and decided we'd try it on the way home. A very pleasant motorbike cop parked on the side of the road, informed us, it was not a good idea. “Too dangerous.” he proclaimed. When you visit Siam Reap you will notice quite a high police presence around the temple area. These guys are purely here to help you and watch out for trouble.
When we got back we showered and headed out. We met up with all the gang in one of the many charity cafés. The evening was a short one. Sean and Michelle wanted to head home early as they were getting up to see the temples at sunrise. We agreed to only stop in a local bar on the way home. Myself and Jojo treated ourselves to a minature pizza. After around of drinks we headed back. We stayed out with the three lads for another short while. The lads were all college buddies from Shefield University and had studied architecture together. We were getting to know them fast. It was quite unusual how such a large group got on together. We all just clicked. We all agreed to meet for breakfast before heading off.
Myself, Jojo and Johnnie were the only people that turned up for breakfast. John and Adam decided on the lie in option rather, than the 8am meeting. It was quite delicious. Simple eggs and toast. Each of us othering a different style, I'm sure much to the delight of the kitchen staff. Nevertheless, the fried, scrambled and poached all came cooked to perfection. Johnnie excused himself after finishing up to meet with their scheduled tuktuk driver for 9am. Myself and Jojo went shopping for a driver for the day. We found a guy outside that agreed to do the grand tour for $13 for the day. Seemed like we'd found our bargain. The average price is $15.
The temples of Angkor are a spectacular example of ancient architecture and nature fighting back to take ownership of the land. The first we visited you first entered a a stunning dark grey stone gateway structure. The majority of the larger Angkor temples are surrounded by a moat. These are far more impressive during the wet seasons. You will notice how important symmetry is in the design of the Angkor temples. Preah Khan is a fantastic example of Khmer architecture and the main chambers have being very well restored. We spent over 2 hours pottering around the crumbling remains. Large impressive strong trees sprout throughout the structure. Sometimes precariously balanced on walls or roofs. Giant roots like something from an alient movie unimaginabily holding these massive trees upright.
Be warned. Rather than the old adage of bring comfortable shoes. Bring some form of cover. An umbrella is ideal. Also loads of water. The heat really gets to oven temperatures during the day. Neak Pean was our next temple. Well actually it is more of a dried out series of water reservoirs than a standard temple. We bumped into the British lads who were headng in the opposite direction of the grand tour. They were similarly melting in the noon heat. We agreed to meet later and headed off to get some lunch. As we approached the food stalls we were shouted at by three ladies that came running towards us. A battle began in trying to convince us of which of their restaurants to pick. Jojo being the ultimate diplomat agreed to buy the drinks form one and the food from another. I chuckled at their offer of $2 for a small can of beer. I offered one and they accepted. When we sat down in the restaurant for food we were passed two yellow menus. The prices averaged $4. We asked were the prices correct and they confirmed. We stood and said we go to the other restaurant. 10 feet from the door we were chased and shown new menus with the average price at $1.50. In a whispered tone they said, "We do special price for you". Hilarity.
After eating our delicious meal we met our tuktuk driver and headed off to see Tom Som, East Mebon, Pre Rup, the lake of Sras Srang and Banteay Kdei. After you see three temples there is a certainn repition. From a photograpy point of view it is more about the harmony of nature and construction for me. When we got to Pre Rup I was ready to collapse with the heat. Climbing the steep stairs I thought I was going to faint and half kill myself. I was ready to go home. After stopping for a bit in the shade my energy returned a little bit. We decided on our return journey we might as well see whatever was enroute. At the lakeside we were surrounded by a group of young girls who were offering there cold drinks for sale. Jojo got himself a gift of a rose and we both received free bagles by the wide smiling young girls, obviously infatuated by the brown eyed Brazilian. As we entered our last temple for the day we were approached by a quick tonged young girl selling books. We spent 15 minutes chatting to her as she persisted in trying to sell us a book. Sometimes all the locals want is someone to take the time to chat to them. And they do love to chat. When we entered the gate we met another girl selling silk scarves. At 16 years of age she showed her linguistic skills by greeting us in seven different languages. This included Irish, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Portugese and some others. I'm not sure quite how many she did know, although I was impressed. She told us she wanted to be a teacher. I recommended she stay studying hard and she could be anything she wanted. She was brilliant. The temple did not quite wow me, as much as that girl did. It was still another beatiful Angkor temple. I fell asleep on Jojo's shoulder on the return journey in the tuk tuk.
Dinner began in one of the more local eateries. A sign outside declared they did not serve We all headed over to pub street. After drinking some of the cheaper beer, we headed into one of the disco bars. The buckets began and not long later Michelle, Jojo and Johnie were dancing like something out of the movies. The two boys ended up on the tables, strutting their stuff. Myself, Sean, John and Adam chatted away while watching and laugh at the three of them. It was just what the doctor had ordered. We all left the place with a slight stagger. Heading back home went by without notice. We wished our fairwells and headed off to bed.
Hangover day was meant to be our second day at the temples. The three day pass is a costly $40, while its $20 for the one day. You kind of want to make the most of it. C'est la vie. We were in no mood to go anywhere. We lay down on the bed with the fan on full speed and watched one movie after the other. To not be total sloths we headed out to the local corner shop and ate cheese burgers and chips. While relaxing later watching Equilibrium, the two Johns and Adam called in. I headed down to meet Sean and Michelle. It was our last night out together so we thought a few drinks were in order. The plan was to afterwards visit the Siam Reap night market. Didn't quite get around to it. After consuming a delicious selection of dishes in a small french restaurant it was nearing eleven. All the gang apart from us were up at the crack of dawn. We swapped the customary Facebook details, hugged and promised to keep in touch. Another momentary meeting and getting to know five other people. Its strange how times this happens when you are travelling.
Our final full day in Siam Reap was spent doing the small tour of the Angkor temples. Ta Prohm, also known as the Tomb Raider temple reminded me a lot of the Preah Khan. It is a truly exquisite experience. Once again disturbed in numerous areas by the abnormally giant trees and roots. It has a wonderful sense of peace about it. It is a maze of rooms and corridors. The walls are lined with intricate Khmer designs and sculptures. There is so much to see it can be overwhelming. Be warned the smaller circuit is busier and you will be rushed by some random group of Japanese tourits on a guided tour. You need to be a bit assetive. For some reason they act as if they have paid for exculsive use of the whole temple. Myself and Jojo went around at our leisure. Me stopping to take time with my photos. I got away from the troops of tourists by climbing on of the exterior walls. I returned to meet Jojo at the front by going around the side. It was wonderful how peaceful and serene it was walking under the giant trees and looking in on the temple.
We both started tiring quickly today and after seeing Ta Keo and Bayon inside Angkor Thom we stopped for some lunch. After haggling a discount for our meal we sat down to relax under the shade of the restaurant canopy. Within a moment we had local kids trying to sell their wares. Of course, being the softies we were, we purchased a new bracelets each. Jojo said he wished he could buy something from everyone of them. The presentation of the food that was served was beyond reproach. It even tasted better than it looked. We agreed to skip the other temple ruins in Angkor Thom and go straight to the big one. Angkor Vat is the largest temple and from what I've being told, also the largest religious structure in area in the world. It was the perfect way to finish our temple tour. With the best. The entrance alone is magnificent. After walking through the main entrance you are greeted with a stadium sized garden that sits infront of the actual temple. The temple itself is on three or four levels. I'm not certain about this because a number of areas were closed for renovations. Vat is under a major restoration project at the time of writing this. They are trying to fix all of the sloppy and temporary restorations that have being done over the years. This temple is enormous. Before we knew it, it was 5.30pm and time to be heading back to our tuk tuk.
When we got back, we showered and took the free rental bikes out from our guesthouse. We were finally going to get to the night market. We had heard about these massage fish and we decided we'd give it a go. They claim, "your money back if you don't laugh". Firstly your feet are washed with a hot towel. Obviously on the fishes behalf. It is quite something as dozens of these small goldfish sized fish start sucking on your feet, looking for dead skins. The initial feeling it is nearly impossible to not laugh. After you relax it is so relaxing. These little magical fish are supposedly from Turkey. $3 for fifteen to twenty minutes. A small crowd gathered by the time we finished. The new customers already bought in, as we lay there with beaming smiles on our faces. The Siam night market has little else to offer from a bargain point of view. Prices in Cambodia and crazily expensive.
We finished the night off with dinner in another one of the cheaper and local restaurants. You can shop around and get dinner for around $2. You will also get some places offering Happy Hour on their drinks. This means small cans for 60 cent. After food we headed off to treat ourselves to ice cream. There is a superb modern a/c cafe and restaurant called Siamp Reap. With free Wifi we sat down, logged on to our iPods and ordered some delicious deserts. We cycled home delighted with our wonderful day. With our tickets booked for our 6 hour bus journey to Phnom Penh we paid our guest house bills, left a nice tip and headed up to bed.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Ko Lanta is much more laid back
As discussed on the previous night Pi Pi is not the location we wanted to stay for long. Well, I suppose it depends on what you are looking for. If you find places like San Antonio in Ibiza or Temple Bar in Dublin on a Saturday night to be your thing, then it is your type of place. So, it was agreed we move on straight away. After heading off for some breakfast we all met and headed to the ferry. As we waited we were touted into staying at a guest house in our next location of Ko Lanta. For 600 baht a night. Not quite what I had being hoping to pay, although at least it was all organised, including transport, for when we arrived. We climbed aboard the ferry and spent the next three enjoyable hours racing through the waters of the Andamen seas.
A far cry from Pi Pi the port at Ko Lanta looked more like a small fishing boat mooring than a ferry port. Thankfully and fortunately our driver was standing, holding a sign for our resort, Natures Beach. He seemed to be well known by the other drivers as they smiled and gestured him as he led us to the awaiting taxi bus. Not sure whether this was a good sign or a bad sign we followed in anticipation of some big surprise. The journey took no more than fifteen minutes. We were shown a brick bungalow and two bamboo beach huts. Not quite on the beach. More adjacent and in the middle of a field. We all checked in and headed down to checkout the beach. The restaurant of our resort, had a beautiful aspect overlooking the beach. Myself, Jojo and Shane ordered some drinks from the bar. As you head further south in Thailand you will begin to notice a rise in the number of Muslims. This was very evident here with all the girls working here wearing shawls over their heads. Ko Lanta is much more laid back less touristy than we had being before. The section of beach we were at only had a small collection of 5 to ten resorts clumped together. Everyone jumped in to try out the water. Afterwards I sat down with my laptop. Jojo headed off with Nathan and played some volleyball with the locals. An hour or so later we all headed off to clean up and get ready for dinner.
The small collection of places to eat we checked out where similar in price and menu selection. We ended up suggestion a family run business to eat to the group. So with that we all met headed to dinner. The restaurant was airy and tastefully decorated with numerous handmade shell chandeliers, bamboo furniture and plants. The menu told the story of how the surrounding building and all its contents had being totally together and made by the family. The place had a really pleasant feel and the food was second to none. I even finished off my meal and was pleasantly surprised, by trying a pot of deliciious filter coffee. The gang left with smiles on their face and headed back to Peter and Shanes brick bungalow with a/c. We all lay down and watched Yes Man on Peter's PC. It fantastic bringing the computers with you when you just want to jhave a quite night and relax with a movie. Highly recommend it.
A far cry from Pi Pi the port at Ko Lanta looked more like a small fishing boat mooring than a ferry port. Thankfully and fortunately our driver was standing, holding a sign for our resort, Natures Beach. He seemed to be well known by the other drivers as they smiled and gestured him as he led us to the awaiting taxi bus. Not sure whether this was a good sign or a bad sign we followed in anticipation of some big surprise. The journey took no more than fifteen minutes. We were shown a brick bungalow and two bamboo beach huts. Not quite on the beach. More adjacent and in the middle of a field. We all checked in and headed down to checkout the beach. The restaurant of our resort, had a beautiful aspect overlooking the beach. Myself, Jojo and Shane ordered some drinks from the bar. As you head further south in Thailand you will begin to notice a rise in the number of Muslims. This was very evident here with all the girls working here wearing shawls over their heads. Ko Lanta is much more laid back less touristy than we had being before. The section of beach we were at only had a small collection of 5 to ten resorts clumped together. Everyone jumped in to try out the water. Afterwards I sat down with my laptop. Jojo headed off with Nathan and played some volleyball with the locals. An hour or so later we all headed off to clean up and get ready for dinner.
The small collection of places to eat we checked out where similar in price and menu selection. We ended up suggestion a family run business to eat to the group. So with that we all met headed to dinner. The restaurant was airy and tastefully decorated with numerous handmade shell chandeliers, bamboo furniture and plants. The menu told the story of how the surrounding building and all its contents had being totally together and made by the family. The place had a really pleasant feel and the food was second to none. I even finished off my meal and was pleasantly surprised, by trying a pot of deliciious filter coffee. The gang left with smiles on their face and headed back to Peter and Shanes brick bungalow with a/c. We all lay down and watched Yes Man on Peter's PC. It fantastic bringing the computers with you when you just want to jhave a quite night and relax with a movie. Highly recommend it.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Connected to the essence of just being
The next day was separated into food, fun and relaxation. We had a delicious breakfast. Headed off to the nearby Rali beach afterwards. Bought a new pair of flip-flops after breaking my own pair on route. Had a swim in the glorious aqua jade water. Both of us got minor jellyfish stings. With Jojo's wonderful advice, I stopped myself from itching it and we headed back to our beach. We found an oasis of relaxation hidden off our main track. We grabbed our books and my laptop. Notified Peter of or plans and headed back to spend a couple hours doing nothing. It was bliss beyond bliss. Swinging in our hammocks, we all nodded off to sleep at some intermittent point. As a lay there I knew that this was one of the main things I had being looking for, during my whole journey. A point in time where I was totally at one with myself and fully connected to the essence of just being. After darkness enveloped us we headed back to change for dinner. We tried somewhere different and were sadly disappointed. We decided an early night was in order with us leaving the next day. After exchanging some movies we headed off to bed.
We all headed to breakfast together. The average price seems to be around 120 baht. This entails a drink, porridge, toast and fresh fruit or something of the sort. Not bad for lest than €3. We headed back, collected our bags and checked out. We grabbed a long boat to Ao Nang in anticipation of catching a boat directly to Pi Pi. It wasn't to be the case. After being escorted to the nearby ferry port by a fairly certain taxi driver. Confirming with 3 separate people that the only ferries where in the morning, much to the dismay of the awaiting taxi dude. Being dropped back to the boys on the promenade. Arguing with the taxi dude who was now trying to charge double the fare he originally agreed. We jumped into one of the local open taxis to the town of Krabi. Running down the Krabi pier to the awaiting ferry. Over two hours later we disembark with a packed harbour of touts offering accommodation. We sit and have some iced coffees while we work out where Shane and his friends are booked in. Myself and Jojo agree to stay in the Tropical Garden resort next door to Shanes. After paying, we are escorted, with our bags taken in a cart, through the winding narrow laneways and streets of the allustrious and over touristy Pi Pi. We check in and find a very pleasant resort with wooden bungalows and a pool side bar. We head into the town to check it out. Meet with Shane. We then all head to the pool for a swim. Apart from Peter who takes his daily afternoon nap. I catch up on Shanes antics and then myself and Jojo relax for the next hour sipping beers in the delicious pool. We wash and change clothes. We all meet at the pool side bar. We are introduced to three new people, Triggy, Lou and Nathan. Good friends of Shane. We all head to dinner. Afterwards we go in search of a nice bar. We find a small party happening at one bar with fire poi. We spend a short time there before stopping in one bar on our way home. One drink for the road. An early night for all. Myself and Jojo have a delightful chat before falling to sleep.
We all headed to breakfast together. The average price seems to be around 120 baht. This entails a drink, porridge, toast and fresh fruit or something of the sort. Not bad for lest than €3. We headed back, collected our bags and checked out. We grabbed a long boat to Ao Nang in anticipation of catching a boat directly to Pi Pi. It wasn't to be the case. After being escorted to the nearby ferry port by a fairly certain taxi driver. Confirming with 3 separate people that the only ferries where in the morning, much to the dismay of the awaiting taxi dude. Being dropped back to the boys on the promenade. Arguing with the taxi dude who was now trying to charge double the fare he originally agreed. We jumped into one of the local open taxis to the town of Krabi. Running down the Krabi pier to the awaiting ferry. Over two hours later we disembark with a packed harbour of touts offering accommodation. We sit and have some iced coffees while we work out where Shane and his friends are booked in. Myself and Jojo agree to stay in the Tropical Garden resort next door to Shanes. After paying, we are escorted, with our bags taken in a cart, through the winding narrow laneways and streets of the allustrious and over touristy Pi Pi. We check in and find a very pleasant resort with wooden bungalows and a pool side bar. We head into the town to check it out. Meet with Shane. We then all head to the pool for a swim. Apart from Peter who takes his daily afternoon nap. I catch up on Shanes antics and then myself and Jojo relax for the next hour sipping beers in the delicious pool. We wash and change clothes. We all meet at the pool side bar. We are introduced to three new people, Triggy, Lou and Nathan. Good friends of Shane. We all head to dinner. Afterwards we go in search of a nice bar. We find a small party happening at one bar with fire poi. We spend a short time there before stopping in one bar on our way home. One drink for the road. An early night for all. Myself and Jojo have a delightful chat before falling to sleep.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
a little bit of paradise
Up and checked out by 9am. We used the scooter to find the nearby local bus station. Our hostel was charging 500 baht to Krabi, while the Lonely Planet mentioned it was closer to 100. The bus terminal is easy to find and near the centre of the city. We booked two tickets for 110 baht each to leave at 11.30am. I used the scooter to bring our bags over in two runs. A lot easier than carrying them over in the 30 degrees temperature. The whole back and forward took half and hour. We grabbed some food at one of the local restaurants in the time we had to spare.
The minibus left on time and had a/c. One of the most bizarre things you might notice if you visit Thailand is the quantity of new vehicles on the road. Its quite hard to believe how many there are. 90% of all vehicles are no more than 3 years old. Its quite strange to see this every where you turn. It doesn't fit in with the roads, homes and general state of the place. We got to meet some German and American backpackers who were also on their way to Krabi. After 3 hours we were dropped in Krabi bus station. The usual array of taxi men approached offering to bring us to our next destination. We agreed with one of them to take us on to Ao Nang for 50 baht each. From here we grabbed a long boat for 80 baht each to Hat Ton Soi. A beach than can be only accessed by boat unless you are into abseiling down a cliff face.
The journey there was spectacular. Other long boats were racing in different all directions, filled with backpackers and the sort. Large outcrops of rock stood tall, undercut by the sea, dominated the surrounding landscape. We dropped an older couple off at another paradise resort beach along the way. We came around the headland to see two golden beaches set amongst large dominant cliffs and lush green foliage. As we neared Hat Ton Soi you could see the water was out very far from the shore, leaving a rather ugly sight of muck and rock strewn across the bay. The long boat brought us as near as it could. We then trudged with bags through the sludge to the shore. Not quite the Carlsberg of landings. The two Germans we travelled with went off in search of accommodation. Mysaelf and Jojo resigned to sitting back and having a beer. What else do you expect us to do when we arrive in paradise. After an hour or so we headed to find and internet connection, to check where Peter and Shane were staying. Shane had left a message to tell us he had moved on and to meet up with Peter and we'd see him a few days, all going well. We headed in search of the Mountain View resort.
Before long we stood in front of a rather upmarket looking resort of brick built rooms. We checked with reception for availability and to find which room Peter was in. We decided to treat ourselves for a couple of nights. 700 baht per night for an ensuite room with fan. Bizarrely the electricity only ran from 6pm to 7am each day. We awoke Peter from his mid-day nap. It was good to see him again after so long. As we moved our bags in, we caught up on each others activities for the past few months. Jojo was delighted with the bathroom. Not too dissimilar to myself. Easily pleased with simple pleasure. Jojo is incredibly partial to a shower. Whether cold or hot. If I rate places on the cleanliness of their public toilets, Jojo does it on the quality of their shower. We agreed to head to dinner after cleaning up and getting changed.
Hat Ton Sai is truly a little bit of paradise. The beach front is lined with a wide selection of chill-out bars. Each with its own unique offering of the ultimate chillax zone. Hammocks, Thai cushions and cosy chairs arranged overlooking the paradise bay. As you move further back along the pedestrian only walkways, you come across an array of cool hip bars and multicultural restaurants. Designed from bamboo and different woods the surroundings are reminiscent of movies like The Beach. Peter's choices sat among these and came highly recommended, after devouring numerous meals there. A collection of kittens collected at our feet as we ordered our food. After ten minutes of being an for the mosquitoes, I headed back to our room to make up an Australian learnt solution. During one evening we met Leigh and Fi from Melbourne that told us a mixture of body cream/lotion and Dethol kept the critters at bay. We had purchased the ingredients in New Zealand although had never got around to using them. With an empty washed beer bottle, I made up the hospital smelling solution and began to cover my feet and arms.
The food as Peter suggested was just right and we all ate a healthy meal that would keep our tummies happy for some hours. We headed down to one of the many bars along the beach front. Actually the same one we had our first beer on. We had arrived one day too late for the full moon party. Not that we missed much from Peters description. The bar was banging out electronic music to Jojo's delight. The rest of the night was made up of some beers, chat and Jojo spinning fire poi. I realised sitting there, we were living a lot of people dreams. Sometimes as you move around the world, you tend to forget just how lucky you really are. Its human nature for many to take what we have for granted. After a few hours, with Peter feeling a little worse for wear after his numerous nights of buckets we headed back in the direction of our rooms, only to find a buzz of activity in a nearby bar. A large group of climbers come to Hat Ton Sai for its excellent cliff faces. They all appeared to be having a party at this bar.
The night took another direction as we watched this collection of muscle bound ladies and gents performing tricks and games infront of us. It was a good vibe and everyone was in high spirits. Three activities where at play. The stretch out and place the bottle game, the walk or do a dance on a wire and the hold a partner by one leg and arm as they placed a bottle out. Each activity looked a thousand times easier than if you tried. Trust me. We tried. After the majority of the experts had had their fun, myself and Jojo tried to walk or even stand on the wire. The first thing that happens when you put your foot down on the wire is your foot to knee shakes like crazy. Jojo was determined and pulled in the aid of an acrobatics teacher. This same guy had shown his walk the wire talents, with rolls and sitting in lotus position for a bit of fun. After an hour he was able to begin to walk the wire. Also during this time, he ran off to do some fire poi at a nearby bar. He was like a kid in a playground. It was just what he had being looking for. Like three good Irishmen. Jojo gets an adopted title. We were of course, the last to leave. Some buckets and many beers into the morning. It only took five minutes and I had lost Jojo. Five minutes later we were back together. Five minutes after that we were collapsed on our beds.
The minibus left on time and had a/c. One of the most bizarre things you might notice if you visit Thailand is the quantity of new vehicles on the road. Its quite hard to believe how many there are. 90% of all vehicles are no more than 3 years old. Its quite strange to see this every where you turn. It doesn't fit in with the roads, homes and general state of the place. We got to meet some German and American backpackers who were also on their way to Krabi. After 3 hours we were dropped in Krabi bus station. The usual array of taxi men approached offering to bring us to our next destination. We agreed with one of them to take us on to Ao Nang for 50 baht each. From here we grabbed a long boat for 80 baht each to Hat Ton Soi. A beach than can be only accessed by boat unless you are into abseiling down a cliff face.
The journey there was spectacular. Other long boats were racing in different all directions, filled with backpackers and the sort. Large outcrops of rock stood tall, undercut by the sea, dominated the surrounding landscape. We dropped an older couple off at another paradise resort beach along the way. We came around the headland to see two golden beaches set amongst large dominant cliffs and lush green foliage. As we neared Hat Ton Soi you could see the water was out very far from the shore, leaving a rather ugly sight of muck and rock strewn across the bay. The long boat brought us as near as it could. We then trudged with bags through the sludge to the shore. Not quite the Carlsberg of landings. The two Germans we travelled with went off in search of accommodation. Mysaelf and Jojo resigned to sitting back and having a beer. What else do you expect us to do when we arrive in paradise. After an hour or so we headed to find and internet connection, to check where Peter and Shane were staying. Shane had left a message to tell us he had moved on and to meet up with Peter and we'd see him a few days, all going well. We headed in search of the Mountain View resort.
Before long we stood in front of a rather upmarket looking resort of brick built rooms. We checked with reception for availability and to find which room Peter was in. We decided to treat ourselves for a couple of nights. 700 baht per night for an ensuite room with fan. Bizarrely the electricity only ran from 6pm to 7am each day. We awoke Peter from his mid-day nap. It was good to see him again after so long. As we moved our bags in, we caught up on each others activities for the past few months. Jojo was delighted with the bathroom. Not too dissimilar to myself. Easily pleased with simple pleasure. Jojo is incredibly partial to a shower. Whether cold or hot. If I rate places on the cleanliness of their public toilets, Jojo does it on the quality of their shower. We agreed to head to dinner after cleaning up and getting changed.
Hat Ton Sai is truly a little bit of paradise. The beach front is lined with a wide selection of chill-out bars. Each with its own unique offering of the ultimate chillax zone. Hammocks, Thai cushions and cosy chairs arranged overlooking the paradise bay. As you move further back along the pedestrian only walkways, you come across an array of cool hip bars and multicultural restaurants. Designed from bamboo and different woods the surroundings are reminiscent of movies like The Beach. Peter's choices sat among these and came highly recommended, after devouring numerous meals there. A collection of kittens collected at our feet as we ordered our food. After ten minutes of being an for the mosquitoes, I headed back to our room to make up an Australian learnt solution. During one evening we met Leigh and Fi from Melbourne that told us a mixture of body cream/lotion and Dethol kept the critters at bay. We had purchased the ingredients in New Zealand although had never got around to using them. With an empty washed beer bottle, I made up the hospital smelling solution and began to cover my feet and arms.
The food as Peter suggested was just right and we all ate a healthy meal that would keep our tummies happy for some hours. We headed down to one of the many bars along the beach front. Actually the same one we had our first beer on. We had arrived one day too late for the full moon party. Not that we missed much from Peters description. The bar was banging out electronic music to Jojo's delight. The rest of the night was made up of some beers, chat and Jojo spinning fire poi. I realised sitting there, we were living a lot of people dreams. Sometimes as you move around the world, you tend to forget just how lucky you really are. Its human nature for many to take what we have for granted. After a few hours, with Peter feeling a little worse for wear after his numerous nights of buckets we headed back in the direction of our rooms, only to find a buzz of activity in a nearby bar. A large group of climbers come to Hat Ton Sai for its excellent cliff faces. They all appeared to be having a party at this bar.
The night took another direction as we watched this collection of muscle bound ladies and gents performing tricks and games infront of us. It was a good vibe and everyone was in high spirits. Three activities where at play. The stretch out and place the bottle game, the walk or do a dance on a wire and the hold a partner by one leg and arm as they placed a bottle out. Each activity looked a thousand times easier than if you tried. Trust me. We tried. After the majority of the experts had had their fun, myself and Jojo tried to walk or even stand on the wire. The first thing that happens when you put your foot down on the wire is your foot to knee shakes like crazy. Jojo was determined and pulled in the aid of an acrobatics teacher. This same guy had shown his walk the wire talents, with rolls and sitting in lotus position for a bit of fun. After an hour he was able to begin to walk the wire. Also during this time, he ran off to do some fire poi at a nearby bar. He was like a kid in a playground. It was just what he had being looking for. Like three good Irishmen. Jojo gets an adopted title. We were of course, the last to leave. Some buckets and many beers into the morning. It only took five minutes and I had lost Jojo. Five minutes later we were back together. Five minutes after that we were collapsed on our beds.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Phuket - our first Thai island
We got to Changhai Airport with loads of time to spare for our flight to Phuket. The EW line brings you directly there. We checked in our bags and waited for our plane. AirAsia offer super cheap flights around all of SE Asia. We also learnt from a guy in the hostel that Tiger are another one to check out. They even offer flights from Singapore to India from as little as €100 return. Its good, when planning, to think of Singapore as the gateway to Asia. With only a twenty minute delay we were up and away on route to Thailand. The journey was fortunately without event. No matter, how often I fly I still feel better with my feet on the ground. I may not come across as nervous as Jojo when flying, although I always notice how quickly my own fears tries to sneak in. The usual silence fills the air as the plane begins to descend. As soon as those wheels touch down safely and the brakes engage, the energy changes immediately with all the passengers. For one, people start talking again.
Phuket airport looks quite simple and basic compared to some of the airports I had being in previously. A large crowd is standing in lines for Immigration when we enter. An hour later, we finally pass through, with a new 30 day visa stamped in our passports. After collecting our bags we headed out. From my experience of India and Nepal, I'm initially skeptical at ports of entry. You are immediately approached by to people trying to offer taxis into the city. We decide to wait for the local bus, to save some money. A handful of people board the bus with us forty minutes later. It feel great to be back in Asia. Driving through the outskirts of Phuket and watching the world go by. There is something beyond magical about this part of the world. A movie is playing on a TV for the whole journey. Everyone, including Jojo is afixed. Its a movie I haven't seen yet called Wanted. Not wanting see too much of it, I stare out the window, as the tropical landscape flys by.
We get dropped into the centre of the city and are told the direction to walk to get to our guesthouse. There's a certain Portuguese feel to the delapatated city streets. Electric cabling litters the skyline like an entangled mass of spagehetti hanging from post to post. We clamber down the road with our bags. Beads of sweat roll down our face in the intense humidty. Its not long before we see the plastic Backpacker Guesthouse sign hanging ahead of us. We enter a hallway to see an iron gateway. Through this sits a smart looking recpetion desk and foyer. After being welcomed in, ouir reservation is checked and we are show to our room. The hostel is of an excellent standard. 300 baht a night. Tasteful modern decor. The room we were shown was a ten bed dorm with A/C. You are given a locker with the room. A large clean shared bathroom with western toilets sits opposite. After showering and changing with headed down to the common room. They have free WIFI and 5 computers with free internet. The lounge is large and cosy. Large modern couches line the wall and Thai cushion and bean bags make plentiful seating for the room. A plasma screen tv sits on the wall and a broad collection of new and old movies is available for rent for free from reception. Out the back there is also a small clean kitchen and comfortable garden. A real find when you get to Phuket town. Well worth the stay.
Myself and Jojo headed out for dinner. Within 5 mins we found a local outdoor food court on a corner. There was a great selection of foods available. We ordered our first meal and drinks in Thailand. The food cost 85 baht, which just under €2. Hard to believe it until you see it. Both a prawn and beef dish with portions of rice. It was a delicious tasty meal that went down a treat after our long day of travelling with only some salty snacks to curb our appetites. We chatted away and headed back to the backpackers after. We sat down in the enormous bean bags and watched some movies. We ended up heading to bed around 1am. The room was chilled to perfection with the powerful a/c blowing away. I was asleep within 5 mins.
I woke a few times during the night and finally decided to get up at 6am. Jojo looked like he was freezing in his bed, so I covered him my sheet and some towels to warm him up. I also left the door ajar while I went to shower. I gave him a cuddle and told him I'd see him downstairs in a couple of hours. I grabbed my Asus and headed down to the cosy common room to catch up on some work and blogging. The hostel was bereft of anyone. I made myself a coffee and got to work.
Jojo appeared at around 10am. We booked a moped for the day and headed off to have breakfast somewhere in the town. We drove around Phuket town until we found a another place the locals ate on a corner. Just before getting here we stopped in a more western style cafe, although the prices where to steep for our tight budget. It is said in all the books to eat where the locals eat. So, that's what we did. The only two westerners there , we munched on some pork scratchings to start and then a spicy rice dish of some sort. Absolutely delicious again and once again just over 100 baht for the two of us.
The rest of the day we spent going from beach to beach along the west coast. Phuket island is fairly small overall. We didn't really know where we were going, although we found all the places we planned to. We began in Karon beach. An overall touristy, over run beach with deck chairs and umbrellas as far as the eye could see. The beach and water were very pretty. The views were a bit disappointing. We headed on up to Patong. Worse by a long shot. A bit of the Coste Del Sol in Asia. The main road lined with burger joints, bars and tour operators.
We finished up in Kamala. On route we got a puncture. Thankfully, we had only passed a mechanic a couple of hundred yards before it happened. The family sat outside in a covered garage, with the TV on in the background. They told us to wait while they rang someone to come. After some initial discussion we agreed to replace the tyre with a second-hand one for 100 baht. Three generations carried on their days activities as the tyre was being replaced. Every now and again a look from them with a smile. We headed off to Kamala. All of the beaches you will find on the west coast of Thailand were hit by the Tsunami in 2004, so most have new buildings and structures alongside them. Kamala had signs for Evacuation points everywhere. As my memory serves me, I think I remember seeing a video when the giant wave hit this particular beach. I prefered Kamala to the other beaches. We jumped in and had swim in the area marked off. After we came out we had a beer and relaxed on some loungers, as the heat of the day finally passed. It was a pleasant finale to the day. Phuket is not quite what I had being expecting from Thailand, so far. Nevertheless, it was very pleasant travelling around the island on the scooter. We headed off home with rush hour traffic just beginning to build up. Just after leaving Patong we got another puncture. We stopped and had a snack at a local food stall, while the tube was replaced.
When we got back to the hostel we spent some time doing some research online about our next few days. Our plan had being to head to meet Peter and Shane in Krabi the next day. We hadn't booked the ferry and we were not sure if we were going to head to the Phi Phi islands first. We both thought it'd be cool to go to a full moon party if we had the option. We headed into discover some more of Phuket town. There is whole section of town we didn't even know existed. It has a collection of modern stores and restaurants. We ended up coming back and eating in another local place for dinner. We decided to go for a western option this time. We agreed to stay another night before heading off. After we got back we lay down on Jojo's bed and watched the movie Bolt. Another animated movie classic, about a superhero dog, was extremely entertaining.
I got up early and began doing some work for Lucca Leadership. Jojo joint me in the living room and began watching the 3rd saga to Lord of the Rings. We met the owner of the scooter and he agreed to give us another day for free in exchange for the money we had spent on the scooter. It was nearly two o'clock by the time I finished up. Jojo had patiently waited and was now hungry, so our first stop was to get some food. We checked out a Pizzeria around the corner. It was a bit on the expensive side. We decided to continue searching, until we found something a bit cheaper. The remainder of the afternoon we explored the east and south of Phuket island.
We found a fantastic buddhist temple that was preparing for its nights activities. A collection of stalls where lined up in the dusty car park selling sweets and savory foods and toys. Harmonic music filled the sweet warm air. The temple was a myriad of gold, reds, blue, greens and yellows. The whole scene was beyond beautiful. Jojo and myself parked the scooter and went inside the temple. Local people arrived to the altar with incense sticks. It was a wonderfully peaceful experience to watch and be part of. We were acknowledged by everyone with a smile and gentle bow of their head. We stayed for another little bit, taking photos and watching more and more people arriving. Jojo told of how the ambiance reminded him of similar religious get togethers in Brazil.
We arrived back to the Phuket town well after dark. We had dinner of pizza for Jojo and steak for me. As it was to be expected, the steak was a disaster. The deep fried ice cream with chocolate sauce was delicious. We strolled around town a little more before heading home. We caught another movie in the common room and finalised some of our plans for when we were to leave the next day.
Phuket airport looks quite simple and basic compared to some of the airports I had being in previously. A large crowd is standing in lines for Immigration when we enter. An hour later, we finally pass through, with a new 30 day visa stamped in our passports. After collecting our bags we headed out. From my experience of India and Nepal, I'm initially skeptical at ports of entry. You are immediately approached by to people trying to offer taxis into the city. We decide to wait for the local bus, to save some money. A handful of people board the bus with us forty minutes later. It feel great to be back in Asia. Driving through the outskirts of Phuket and watching the world go by. There is something beyond magical about this part of the world. A movie is playing on a TV for the whole journey. Everyone, including Jojo is afixed. Its a movie I haven't seen yet called Wanted. Not wanting see too much of it, I stare out the window, as the tropical landscape flys by.
We get dropped into the centre of the city and are told the direction to walk to get to our guesthouse. There's a certain Portuguese feel to the delapatated city streets. Electric cabling litters the skyline like an entangled mass of spagehetti hanging from post to post. We clamber down the road with our bags. Beads of sweat roll down our face in the intense humidty. Its not long before we see the plastic Backpacker Guesthouse sign hanging ahead of us. We enter a hallway to see an iron gateway. Through this sits a smart looking recpetion desk and foyer. After being welcomed in, ouir reservation is checked and we are show to our room. The hostel is of an excellent standard. 300 baht a night. Tasteful modern decor. The room we were shown was a ten bed dorm with A/C. You are given a locker with the room. A large clean shared bathroom with western toilets sits opposite. After showering and changing with headed down to the common room. They have free WIFI and 5 computers with free internet. The lounge is large and cosy. Large modern couches line the wall and Thai cushion and bean bags make plentiful seating for the room. A plasma screen tv sits on the wall and a broad collection of new and old movies is available for rent for free from reception. Out the back there is also a small clean kitchen and comfortable garden. A real find when you get to Phuket town. Well worth the stay.
Myself and Jojo headed out for dinner. Within 5 mins we found a local outdoor food court on a corner. There was a great selection of foods available. We ordered our first meal and drinks in Thailand. The food cost 85 baht, which just under €2. Hard to believe it until you see it. Both a prawn and beef dish with portions of rice. It was a delicious tasty meal that went down a treat after our long day of travelling with only some salty snacks to curb our appetites. We chatted away and headed back to the backpackers after. We sat down in the enormous bean bags and watched some movies. We ended up heading to bed around 1am. The room was chilled to perfection with the powerful a/c blowing away. I was asleep within 5 mins.
I woke a few times during the night and finally decided to get up at 6am. Jojo looked like he was freezing in his bed, so I covered him my sheet and some towels to warm him up. I also left the door ajar while I went to shower. I gave him a cuddle and told him I'd see him downstairs in a couple of hours. I grabbed my Asus and headed down to the cosy common room to catch up on some work and blogging. The hostel was bereft of anyone. I made myself a coffee and got to work.
Jojo appeared at around 10am. We booked a moped for the day and headed off to have breakfast somewhere in the town. We drove around Phuket town until we found a another place the locals ate on a corner. Just before getting here we stopped in a more western style cafe, although the prices where to steep for our tight budget. It is said in all the books to eat where the locals eat. So, that's what we did. The only two westerners there , we munched on some pork scratchings to start and then a spicy rice dish of some sort. Absolutely delicious again and once again just over 100 baht for the two of us.
The rest of the day we spent going from beach to beach along the west coast. Phuket island is fairly small overall. We didn't really know where we were going, although we found all the places we planned to. We began in Karon beach. An overall touristy, over run beach with deck chairs and umbrellas as far as the eye could see. The beach and water were very pretty. The views were a bit disappointing. We headed on up to Patong. Worse by a long shot. A bit of the Coste Del Sol in Asia. The main road lined with burger joints, bars and tour operators.
We finished up in Kamala. On route we got a puncture. Thankfully, we had only passed a mechanic a couple of hundred yards before it happened. The family sat outside in a covered garage, with the TV on in the background. They told us to wait while they rang someone to come. After some initial discussion we agreed to replace the tyre with a second-hand one for 100 baht. Three generations carried on their days activities as the tyre was being replaced. Every now and again a look from them with a smile. We headed off to Kamala. All of the beaches you will find on the west coast of Thailand were hit by the Tsunami in 2004, so most have new buildings and structures alongside them. Kamala had signs for Evacuation points everywhere. As my memory serves me, I think I remember seeing a video when the giant wave hit this particular beach. I prefered Kamala to the other beaches. We jumped in and had swim in the area marked off. After we came out we had a beer and relaxed on some loungers, as the heat of the day finally passed. It was a pleasant finale to the day. Phuket is not quite what I had being expecting from Thailand, so far. Nevertheless, it was very pleasant travelling around the island on the scooter. We headed off home with rush hour traffic just beginning to build up. Just after leaving Patong we got another puncture. We stopped and had a snack at a local food stall, while the tube was replaced.
When we got back to the hostel we spent some time doing some research online about our next few days. Our plan had being to head to meet Peter and Shane in Krabi the next day. We hadn't booked the ferry and we were not sure if we were going to head to the Phi Phi islands first. We both thought it'd be cool to go to a full moon party if we had the option. We headed into discover some more of Phuket town. There is whole section of town we didn't even know existed. It has a collection of modern stores and restaurants. We ended up coming back and eating in another local place for dinner. We decided to go for a western option this time. We agreed to stay another night before heading off. After we got back we lay down on Jojo's bed and watched the movie Bolt. Another animated movie classic, about a superhero dog, was extremely entertaining.
I got up early and began doing some work for Lucca Leadership. Jojo joint me in the living room and began watching the 3rd saga to Lord of the Rings. We met the owner of the scooter and he agreed to give us another day for free in exchange for the money we had spent on the scooter. It was nearly two o'clock by the time I finished up. Jojo had patiently waited and was now hungry, so our first stop was to get some food. We checked out a Pizzeria around the corner. It was a bit on the expensive side. We decided to continue searching, until we found something a bit cheaper. The remainder of the afternoon we explored the east and south of Phuket island.
We found a fantastic buddhist temple that was preparing for its nights activities. A collection of stalls where lined up in the dusty car park selling sweets and savory foods and toys. Harmonic music filled the sweet warm air. The temple was a myriad of gold, reds, blue, greens and yellows. The whole scene was beyond beautiful. Jojo and myself parked the scooter and went inside the temple. Local people arrived to the altar with incense sticks. It was a wonderfully peaceful experience to watch and be part of. We were acknowledged by everyone with a smile and gentle bow of their head. We stayed for another little bit, taking photos and watching more and more people arriving. Jojo told of how the ambiance reminded him of similar religious get togethers in Brazil.
We arrived back to the Phuket town well after dark. We had dinner of pizza for Jojo and steak for me. As it was to be expected, the steak was a disaster. The deep fried ice cream with chocolate sauce was delicious. We strolled around town a little more before heading home. We caught another movie in the common room and finalised some of our plans for when we were to leave the next day.
Monday, February 9, 2009
The gateway to Asia
Getting up at 6am local Singapore time might have something to do with it being 6 hours behind New Zealand. The landlady of the guesthouse is a lady called Rai. One of her shower units was spurting out a fountain of water from a broken handle so I thought it might be nice to help her out. Running my mind through what Magyver solution might work temporarily to ease the stress it was causing here. In her broken English and my inability to say anything accept English I explained I'd try to get a washer for her in one of the local hardware stores. When Jojo arose we headed off.
We were staying in the outskirts of Singapore, just 5 mins from the MRT stop of Aljunied EW9. Far from the description so many people had told me of coming to Singapore, the area was quite working class with unpainted buildings and local people sitting outside cafe eating breakfast. We headed of down SIm Avenue and then made our way to Geyland Rd. Thankfully I had loaded the hardware store location in Google Maps on my iPhone and the GPS was taking us the rest of the way. Yeah, I know. Sam and technology. What am I like. I love it nevertheless.
Ten minutes later the flashing blue icon was showing us at 777 Gelyland Rd. Sadly, the falshing blue icon could not tell me that the business was not there any longer. Back to our huuman instincts we went of in search of the washer. It was loads of fun too see the more real side of Singpaore. I joked to Jojo how bizarre it must be to think that our first day in Asia we are off searching for plumbing supplies. We called into a few different bathroom and hardware shops. Explaining, we were looking for a washer, was an interesting challenge. After a few strange looks and some simple charades we had an understanding. We spent the next hour walking from shop to shop until we got the right washer. Delighted with our little adventure we headed back to the Sky Orchid guesthouse on Lor 27. I found Kai and she smiled and explained that the plumber was upstairs putting in a new tap. I smiled and said "ooh" and left her to it.
We headed in to the city on the MRT and in search of some food. Impeccably clean and effeciently run, the MRT is a low cost and necessary option for getting around Singapore. We jumped off at City Hall and made our way out into the modern and clean city. Not knowing where we where we were we walked around aimlessly in search of something. We picked up a pair of Flip Flops for Jojo and head further towards the main river. It's quite hard to find the main shopping area. We found a row of eateries along the riverside offering a vast selection of seafood at a semi-reasonable cost. We continued until we found a small cafe/restaurant behind this row. At this stage our tempers were near flaring with the hunger inside. After ordering I noticed that the restaurant was called The Smile Clinic. Unusual combination. Food and dentistry. I had picked up some pretty bad tartar somewhere along the way that had being worrying me, so I decided to see how much having my teeth cleaned would cost. Jojo also needed some fillings done. After eating and paying we headed upstairs. For only €30 I could have my teeth fully cleaned. Jojo was advised to wait until he was stopping somewhere for a while. 30 mins later I was walking out with my new super white smile.
After some discussion we decided to treat ourselves to Singapore Zoo. We jumped back on the MRT and then onto a local bus route 138. Entry was on $14 dollars for the zoo. You could additionally do the Night Safari and the Bird Sanctuary as part of a package deal for $40. Now, I have being to a number of different zoos and safari parks around the world. Singapore gets my thumbs up. As a matter of fact, I didn't really want to go to a zoo after seeing how depressed the animals where in Shanghai. They have done an amazing job and the whole experience is quite special. The layout is beautiful and very well thought out. The animals seem to be fairly happy. They have created some interesting tasks and games to keep the animals occupied, while at the same time entertaining the crowds. There is an abundance of trees and wildlife growing everywhere and the animals are kept in very natural looking settings. It was worth every doller and showed me that zoos can be done a right way. So many countries could take a lesson from this. We also got see a fantastic water show called Splash Time with Dugoons, Penguins and particularly amazing performing seal. Jojo was in his element. We both loved it and it finished off our Singapore Zoo experience nicely.
After we got back to Sky Orchid we lay down to rest for a little bit. Expecting to sleep for an hour and get up to explore some more of the city by night. We didn't quite mean night, when we both woke at 11.30pm. Determined not to miss out and get some food we jumped on the last MRT into city. The city was fairly devoid of human life when we arrived. We picked up some homemade ice tea off a street vendor. We resigned to a McDonalds. Yes, Peter would be laughing now. Delicious. When your hungry. Now feeling more alive and awake we decided we start walking through the city back to the guesthouse. With no map and using our instincts we navigated through the empty streets of Singapore. After 30 mins or so we decided to stop someone and ask where Geyland was. We gave some poor girl a fright. She then quizzically asked where we walking there. She pointed in the direction and mentioned it was quite far. We thanked here and went on our way. After navigating across the main river and through more local areas we stopped a McDs delivery guy. He also mentioned it was a good distance. Another 20 minutes later we asked the last person. He also asked us questionally, where we walking. All in all we did the 8km journey in around an hour and a half. It was a fantastic way to spend an evening and was a brilliant way to see a city. Especially such a modern one as Singpaore. Once again, my expectations of a city are thrown out the window. I wonder what the learning is in this!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Slouching in Singapore
Well, not quite slouching. More, lying here on my bunk, with Jojo opposite playing away on his iTouch. We left our dingy hotel room 3 minutes from Auckland airport approx. 20 hours ago. Qantas all the way. Pretty smooth transition, nevertheless a little tiring. I got to watch 4 new movies I'd never seen before. Firstly, quite a moving piece called a Flash of Genius - well worth the watch - 7/10, then Body of Lies - kind of rehash of a thousand old espionage movies, enjoyable nevertheless - 6/10, Ghost Town - was in hysterics. Was never really a Ricky Gervais fan, although I take it all back. Well scripted. Good fun - 7.5/10 and finally one that the name slips my mind, oh yes, Death Race - eh, well the name kind of says it. Watchable... if you happen to be snowed in and the cable is out and your only other option is an Arnie or Vandamme flick - 4/10.
Delighted with Qantas planes and their meals. I always feel so privilged in this day and age when I get something free on a plane. To be honest I think their food is top notch. Perhaps I'm just easily pleased or something, although it topped off the three/four movies, we had three tasty dinners. Very delicious. Planes are nastily cramped in Economy on the 747s. We got from Auckland to Sydney with no hitches. Our connecting flight was just as easy. We arrived in Singapore 15 mins before expected. Jojo hates. Let me repeat that in case you didn't understand. HATES airplanes. With a passion. After his total 10 hours flying today he was a little tense and tired. We began having a domestic onboard nearing the end of the flight. Realised what was going on with stress levels and energies and we took a step back and smiled at each other. He was totally burnt, as we stood aimlessly in the vast Terminal 2 building searching for an internet connection. Immigration was a doddle, unlike the advice we had being given by Qantas ground staff the day before. Another story.
I arrived back to the patiently waiting Jojo, from the free internet in McDs. now with our hostel location map photographed in my iPhone. We took an elevator to the MRT Train platform. Took a photo buying our tickets and jumped onboard. One transfer and 20 mintues later we were climbing the stairs of the Sky Orchid Hostel in Lor 27 in Geyland. The lady working there, after a minute of confusion booked us in and showed us to our dorm rooms. The hostel is small, super clean and modern. There was a friendly feel from everyone I saw since entering. Our four bed dorm had a/c and was perfect. TV gets turned off at 11pm to keep the noise down. We logged on to the free WIFI and now I'm here.
Delighted with Qantas planes and their meals. I always feel so privilged in this day and age when I get something free on a plane. To be honest I think their food is top notch. Perhaps I'm just easily pleased or something, although it topped off the three/four movies, we had three tasty dinners. Very delicious. Planes are nastily cramped in Economy on the 747s. We got from Auckland to Sydney with no hitches. Our connecting flight was just as easy. We arrived in Singapore 15 mins before expected. Jojo hates. Let me repeat that in case you didn't understand. HATES airplanes. With a passion. After his total 10 hours flying today he was a little tense and tired. We began having a domestic onboard nearing the end of the flight. Realised what was going on with stress levels and energies and we took a step back and smiled at each other. He was totally burnt, as we stood aimlessly in the vast Terminal 2 building searching for an internet connection. Immigration was a doddle, unlike the advice we had being given by Qantas ground staff the day before. Another story.
I arrived back to the patiently waiting Jojo, from the free internet in McDs. now with our hostel location map photographed in my iPhone. We took an elevator to the MRT Train platform. Took a photo buying our tickets and jumped onboard. One transfer and 20 mintues later we were climbing the stairs of the Sky Orchid Hostel in Lor 27 in Geyland. The lady working there, after a minute of confusion booked us in and showed us to our dorm rooms. The hostel is small, super clean and modern. There was a friendly feel from everyone I saw since entering. Our four bed dorm had a/c and was perfect. TV gets turned off at 11pm to keep the noise down. We logged on to the free WIFI and now I'm here.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Thursday, December 25, 2008
25th of December – Christmas Day
I awoke this morning at 8am to a cold chill down my back. It felt like I was in Ireland on a damp cold winters day. I looked over and cuddled into my gostoso, as he lay asleep beside me in the jeep. Outside the green ferns moved gently in the alpine breeze. I snuggled in and wished Jojo a Merry Christmas. He turned to me and smiled. Our first Christmas together on the far side of the world for both of us. 7500 miles and 15 hours behind and to the east was Sao Paulo and 11000 miles and 13 hours behind and to the west was Dublin. The majority of our family and friends would still be celebrating Christmas Eve in their homes and local pubs. We lay here at 1100 metres above sea level, in Whakapapa Campsite, on the side of the infamous Mount Ruapehu.
We have being on the road now for 6 days, staying in free campsites, parking overnight in forests and the sort. Christmas has being the last thing on our minds until the last 48 hours. The day before yesterday, while travelling across from the volcanic thermal village of Rotura we got our third puncture in three days. We sat in the sunshine on the side of the road waiting for a tow to the local town. The girl over the phone had told us that the pickup was not included in our breakdown recovery package. A friendly Mauri gentleman arrived in a colourful lime and orange pickup truck. Before I knew it, we were speeding along, sitting in our jeep Mr Mac, on the back of the truck. He dropped us off at a tyre centre in town of Taupo. When I asked him how much I owed him he told me it was covered by the AA. I thanked him and headed in to find out the price of the two tyres we needed replaced. $254 each for the cheapest ones. One of the staff asked me to follow me outside. He said that I could drive around to Roadstone around the corner and get secondhand ones. Delighted with this we locked up the jeep to head off. Before I had walked a foot away, the same young guy said he had some old tyres that were still in good enough order to keep me on the road. He threw two tyres on in a matter of minutes and told me there was no charge. Being that it was Christmas. Suddenly I was reminded of what Christmas is all about. Its not about the commercialism. Its not about the gifts. Its about the love and compassion for our fellow man. This total stranger knew what was needed when the time arose and stepped forward. Moved by this act of love I offered him a tip, which he refused initially and then accepted as a sign of our gratitude.
Since arriving in New Zealand and hearing how excited Jojo had got when he saw snow for the first time in Ireland two months before, I hoped we could be somewhere near snow for Christmas time. On the road to Taupo, we had seen snow on a mountain top in the distance. We decided now to book into a campsite on the side of that mountain. We headed into Woolworths to do our Christmas shopping. We agreed to buy anything we wanted as our gifts to each other. We went a little overboard and ended up with a gluttonous quantity that would barely fit into the jeep. It was nice for once not only to buy Homebrand and to be sensible about our budget. We found a free campsite that night on the outskirts of town. Delighted with all our tasty delicacies we got into the Christmas spirit straight away with some beers. Sitting at the back of the Mr Mac in our fold out chairs and two new oil torches, happy as could be.
Christmas Eve was like any other. Pissing rain and overcast. After having breakfast, we headed over to the natural outdoor thermal pools in the local park. Undressing in the drizzling rain and submerging yourself into bath-like temperature water on the side of a river is one of the most unusual things I have ever experienced. The source of this wonderful heat was two powerful small waterfalls gushing hot water into the side of the flowing river. Jojo found it too hot and moved closer to the flowing river for the cooler section. I lay down in the steaming bubbling jacuzzi of delicious heat. Other bathers sat around us soaking in this free and wonderous natural feature of nature. We met a Libyan guy and three Irish ladies that choose to share this amazing morning. We spent over an hour here moving from hot to cool and washing ourselves under the powerful waterfalls. Afterwards, we walked back through the public park in the misting rain with our swimming trunks and towels, arm in arm.
We had a delicious lunch in the town and I spent the next couple of hours trying to find a haridresser to cut the mop I had harvested over the previous six months. Finally when all hope was gone, a fantastic smart and posh little stylist called Chocolate Blondes accepted me in for a 5pm appointment. I was their last cut of the day and given a chilled glass of white wine. One hour later a new Sam appeared. Looking rather smart and more normal again. We headed off to our mountain campsite. We watched the altimeter in Mr Mac rise higher and higher. Suddenly through wafting clouds we saw the majestic snow covered Mount Ruapehu rising before us. After checking into our campsite, we headed off on the final 6km journey up the side of the mountain. Reaching the alpine and deserted ski village excited and hoping to walk in the snow. We trekked by foot for another 40 minutes and finally we reached a small field of snow. We had achieved our small and wonderful challenge. To swim in bath-like waters in the morning and to grab handfuls of snow in the evening.
We have being on the road now for 6 days, staying in free campsites, parking overnight in forests and the sort. Christmas has being the last thing on our minds until the last 48 hours. The day before yesterday, while travelling across from the volcanic thermal village of Rotura we got our third puncture in three days. We sat in the sunshine on the side of the road waiting for a tow to the local town. The girl over the phone had told us that the pickup was not included in our breakdown recovery package. A friendly Mauri gentleman arrived in a colourful lime and orange pickup truck. Before I knew it, we were speeding along, sitting in our jeep Mr Mac, on the back of the truck. He dropped us off at a tyre centre in town of Taupo. When I asked him how much I owed him he told me it was covered by the AA. I thanked him and headed in to find out the price of the two tyres we needed replaced. $254 each for the cheapest ones. One of the staff asked me to follow me outside. He said that I could drive around to Roadstone around the corner and get secondhand ones. Delighted with this we locked up the jeep to head off. Before I had walked a foot away, the same young guy said he had some old tyres that were still in good enough order to keep me on the road. He threw two tyres on in a matter of minutes and told me there was no charge. Being that it was Christmas. Suddenly I was reminded of what Christmas is all about. Its not about the commercialism. Its not about the gifts. Its about the love and compassion for our fellow man. This total stranger knew what was needed when the time arose and stepped forward. Moved by this act of love I offered him a tip, which he refused initially and then accepted as a sign of our gratitude.
Since arriving in New Zealand and hearing how excited Jojo had got when he saw snow for the first time in Ireland two months before, I hoped we could be somewhere near snow for Christmas time. On the road to Taupo, we had seen snow on a mountain top in the distance. We decided now to book into a campsite on the side of that mountain. We headed into Woolworths to do our Christmas shopping. We agreed to buy anything we wanted as our gifts to each other. We went a little overboard and ended up with a gluttonous quantity that would barely fit into the jeep. It was nice for once not only to buy Homebrand and to be sensible about our budget. We found a free campsite that night on the outskirts of town. Delighted with all our tasty delicacies we got into the Christmas spirit straight away with some beers. Sitting at the back of the Mr Mac in our fold out chairs and two new oil torches, happy as could be.
Christmas Eve was like any other. Pissing rain and overcast. After having breakfast, we headed over to the natural outdoor thermal pools in the local park. Undressing in the drizzling rain and submerging yourself into bath-like temperature water on the side of a river is one of the most unusual things I have ever experienced. The source of this wonderful heat was two powerful small waterfalls gushing hot water into the side of the flowing river. Jojo found it too hot and moved closer to the flowing river for the cooler section. I lay down in the steaming bubbling jacuzzi of delicious heat. Other bathers sat around us soaking in this free and wonderous natural feature of nature. We met a Libyan guy and three Irish ladies that choose to share this amazing morning. We spent over an hour here moving from hot to cool and washing ourselves under the powerful waterfalls. Afterwards, we walked back through the public park in the misting rain with our swimming trunks and towels, arm in arm.
We had a delicious lunch in the town and I spent the next couple of hours trying to find a haridresser to cut the mop I had harvested over the previous six months. Finally when all hope was gone, a fantastic smart and posh little stylist called Chocolate Blondes accepted me in for a 5pm appointment. I was their last cut of the day and given a chilled glass of white wine. One hour later a new Sam appeared. Looking rather smart and more normal again. We headed off to our mountain campsite. We watched the altimeter in Mr Mac rise higher and higher. Suddenly through wafting clouds we saw the majestic snow covered Mount Ruapehu rising before us. After checking into our campsite, we headed off on the final 6km journey up the side of the mountain. Reaching the alpine and deserted ski village excited and hoping to walk in the snow. We trekked by foot for another 40 minutes and finally we reached a small field of snow. We had achieved our small and wonderful challenge. To swim in bath-like waters in the morning and to grab handfuls of snow in the evening.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Thursday – December 11th – Auckland
After nearly six months, the day had come that Jojo was to join me. A new adventure would unfold. Let me get you up to speed. At this stage for any of my budding followers, especially the ones that continue to check back in hope that I'll catch up on the blog, you will notice there are times when I just don't get the time to write this. So her is a summary. Sam and summaries, well, I'll do my best otherwise, go ahead and read tomorrows.
After spending a week in Perth I was feeling the itch. Hitched a lift up the east coast with two germans. Maria and Seb. They advertised a week long excursion as far as Shark Bay. This seemed ideal so I jumped at the chance. Gave the mobile number a ring and the next day we met and at twelve I met the other passenger, Eoin, that had requested to join them as well. We spent the remainder of the day dillydallying around a shopping mall getting supplies. Eoin, a northern Ireland lad was great craic and I knew instantly we'd get on great. As for the germans. Anyhow, we arrived at our first stop, the Pinnacles on the first night. It was kind of cool to drive around at night in the pitch dark with these fingers of rock sticking out of the ground all around us. We camped in the nearby town of Cervantes. I cooked up a chicken stir fry and myself and Eoin slept in the tent with the germans sleeping in the back of the Ford Falcon station wagon.
The next day we saw the Pinnacles during daylight. Far better. Got to see a flock of wonderful Parakees also. We got on the road and headed north, aiming to get to Kalabari National Park by sunset. The roads heading north in Western Australia are as boring as hell. Do not drive them when you are tired. We didn't make it for sunset to the park so we watched the sunset on the pier side. Even though this was late in Australias spring it was bloody freezing. The sky was magnificent. Looked like Michelangelo had taken his paint brush out for our entertainment. We cooked another delicious campsite meal, under a full moon and we headed to bed. We aimed to arise to get to Kalbarri at sunrise. It wasn't to be. We drove the yellow sandy road to Kalbarri to see Nature's Window.. The valley of goerges is a fantastic sight of terracota coloured red rock. We spent a couple of hours here and headed north again. We arrived in Shark Bay early in the evening. On route we stopped on Shell Beach. Bit meh although quite astounding to realise that there is no sand here, just tiny shells. We watched the sunset at the small lagoon. Wow. We set up camp in Monkey Mia.
Over the next four days we got to see Dolphins swimming at night time, being fed duing the day, we saw Eagle's bluff, bought snorkel gear, took a ride on a katamaran and saw loads of marine life. We got to meet loads of unusual characters both working and visiting Monkey Mia. The germans decided to leave although told us at the last moment, the night before they were heading off. It was probably the best thing that could have happened. We ended up meeting the fantastic Stuart, Ruth and Phini. These three we took on another adventure. In desperation to hitch a lift north, we convinced Stuart, a guy who had come from the north to brings us back north. Mark a skipper onboard the Shotover told us of a magical coral spot that very few people knew of. So, with this gem of information we pulled this unusual crew of five together for a short trip up north. A round trip of nearly 800 km it was worth every metre. For my first time snorkeling and my first time seeing coral, it was like something out of a documentary.
We arrived at a horse-shoe shaped aquamarine paradise beach. With the most delicious soft fine sand that looked like we were the first humans to set foot on it. Beautiful shells and dried coral littered the sides. We walked around the corner and walked into the water ten metres as we had being told and there lay a world like none I'd seen before. It took me three goes before I was able to properly relax with the snorkel. My childhood fear of water overcame me on the first two goes and a small panic attack unsued. I took myself out, congratulated myself on doing so well and got back in. That third time was supreme. As soon as my breathing relaxed so beautifully I floated and allowed the current to carry me above this wonderful other world. Dozens of amazing fish looked up from their world below as this giant watched in awe above them. They swam in their schools and pepped their heads out from all different colours and shapes of coral. The only visualisation that can come near to explain this sight is similar to being in a scene from Finding Nemo. It was breath taking. After having a wonderful day with these four new friends we headed back. Stopping at Ngarloo sheep station along the way so Eoin could ask about Wwof'ing work. Got a postcard type photograph of a kangaroo with the sunset behind.. A perfect end to a perfect day. We camped overnight in the local town. Phini and Eoin decided they were going to head north together as soon as they got back to Monkey Mia.
The next morning, we were on the road early to get Ruth back to work on the Stopover. We stopped at Monkey Mia for a couple of hours. Swapped photos. Said our goodbyes and I hitched a lift back to Perth with Stuart. Before rejoining the main highway we stopped off to see the %””£”%”. It really puts humans in their place to see something like this. We can be very arrogant people. These formations have being alive for 3.5 billion years. They helped produce the first oxygen on the planet earth. They are not a particularly spectacular sight. Although, that isn't the point. They are beautiful, wouldn't you say. We got to Kalbarri by nightfall and camped in the same campsite as the one I had done previously. When I say camping I mean roughed it. I slept in the front seat and Stuart in the back. We arose before sunrise and made it to Nature's Windows just as the sun was rising. The sunrise was the lesser impressive thing. What moved me and affected me was the stillness. You've heard the expression. Deafened by the silence. It was so bizarre. I thought there was something wrong with my ears. Stuart sat over looking this magnificent gorge at the side of Nature's Window and I stood 10 metres from him. It was one of the loudest and fullest sounds I have ever heard. It filled everything and everywhere. It had an enormous presence. I made some small swallowing sounds in my mouth to make sure there wasn't something wrong with my ears. It was fantastic. Whether it was the sound of the place or the presence of space, I don't know and I don't care. Myself and Stuart were on the same wavelength and we sat here for the next five hours talking about life and the worlds we create around us. We left the necessary space for each other to open and share our own experiences. It is quite strange and wonderful when you can have these type of bonds with total strangers you randomly meet in your life. Perhaps not so random and more synchronicity. From that moment on and for the rest of the journey we aided each other in whatever way we could. Discussing our own situations in our lives, our fears and wild imaginings. Helping each other understand that we are not alone in this world and we all host the power that gives us the ability to change. We create our own prison and disable ourselves. We stopped at the Pinnacles that evening and spent an hour taking the required holiday snaps. Anxious to be back in Perth I asked Stuart did he mind if we got back to Perth that evening. We booked the hostels and got back in to the city by nine. We had a pint together and agreed to meet the next day.
Let me add something at this stage about fear. One major self realisation that has arisen again and again is irrational fears. My own fears. I always loved an expression from a piece I adore called Desiderata. Let me go and get it for you. One moment. “But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.” Never a truer word said. I think for quite some time I have felt pretty on top of the world. My life in Ireland had got to one of the best places it had ever been. A job I loved more than anything. A home that was safe and warm and wonderful. A group of friends and work colleagues that inspired me and made me feel real. A partner that made me feel balanced. What more can a man ask for! Taking this journey has being a lifes dream. One that I allowed to slip away for over ten years. I had so much confidence in myself, it never crossed my mind that perhaps leaving all this behind might scare me. Well it has. Many times during this wonderful experience I have felt homesick. I have felt alone. I have felt scared. On this most recent journey my mind created bizarre and crazy fears. Irrational ones that I haven't felt in years. I was well aware they were wild imaginings although they were real fears. I was able to quieten them with words of self comfort and reassurance. You hear so much people say you find yourself when travel on a journey like this. I'd say you meet yourself. You aren't able to blame your surrounding circumstances. What is going on at the moment is all you. You can't blame the traffic or the bills or the news or the weather or work. Its all you.
The following day allowed me to buy a new Asus Eee PC. The new 1000 series. The screen on my 900 decided to shatter again for some unknown reason. I met with Stuart and I picked him up a copy of Awareness by Anthony De Mello, to thank him for the lift. We watched a group of Brazilian dancers perform Capawira on the main shopping street. We agreed to meet later for dinner and I headed off to do some video editing on my new PC. Stuart arrived 6 hours later and had to wait another two before I was ready. We headed out to dinner and chatted some more about all the discoveries we had made in our days travelling together. It was quite something the amount of subjects and material we had covered since we had met. It is amazing when you realise how effective communication can be between two like minded individuals. We bid farewell. This would be the last proper time I would have to chat to Stuart before we went our separate ways. The next couple of days seemed to fly by. I bid a final farewell to Stuart as he headed off down south in a new rented car. I made friends with a new Swiss roommate and three of his German girl friends. It's strange, how after all this time, I still need to learn, to stop making assumptions about things. Anyhow, the three girls were absolutely amazing and I ended up helping them buy a new vehicle for the journey across Australia. It was a lot of fun and something I loved doing. We got on brilliantly and just like that I made four new friends. They christened their new Mitsubishi 300, Sam.
Next thing to happen was a problem appeared in Joao's application for his Australian Visa. This was all we needed to hear, after 5 and half months waiting and Jojo doing everything in his power to come join me. An obstacles appeared on the final lap. I ensured him everything would be okay and we'd wait till the next day to see what happened. The next few days were a nightmare. The Australian Embassy in the UK were dealing with Jojo's application. So here is a warning, for anyone that doesn't have the advantage of being a European citizen. Make sure you give at least three months if applying for a visa to visit Australia. Also, if you need a family member or a friend to assist you in your application make sure to state this at the time of your application. Jojo didn't do this and no one from the embassy was willing to talk to me. Legally they are not allowed, no matter how much you beg. It was a very stressful time for both of us. It was also very difficult to do anything while on the far side of the world. The best I could offer was advice and support. With a week to go before he was due to leave Ireland, things looked really bad. The case officer had declined his application based on his student visa being out of date in Ireland. She would not accept that he was legally allowed to return to Ireland as a tourist and wanted him to show a valid visa for Ireland. The problem arose that this was not possible as visas are only granted to Brazilian citizens when they arrive in the country. So it was a catch 22 situation.
Aidan arrived from China the day before I was to fly to Cairns. It was really fantastic to see him again and he seemed to have had such a good time travelling by himself for the past three weeks. We went out that night as a farewell night for me and a few others. Throughout the night I was in contact with everyone and anyone I knew in Dublin that might be able to give us advice or help with Jojo's application. We looked into the option of booking him into another year course of English in Ireland. Booking a flight home to Brazil from Thailand or Australia. We were desperate at this stage to find the solution. Jojo was
After spending a week in Perth I was feeling the itch. Hitched a lift up the east coast with two germans. Maria and Seb. They advertised a week long excursion as far as Shark Bay. This seemed ideal so I jumped at the chance. Gave the mobile number a ring and the next day we met and at twelve I met the other passenger, Eoin, that had requested to join them as well. We spent the remainder of the day dillydallying around a shopping mall getting supplies. Eoin, a northern Ireland lad was great craic and I knew instantly we'd get on great. As for the germans. Anyhow, we arrived at our first stop, the Pinnacles on the first night. It was kind of cool to drive around at night in the pitch dark with these fingers of rock sticking out of the ground all around us. We camped in the nearby town of Cervantes. I cooked up a chicken stir fry and myself and Eoin slept in the tent with the germans sleeping in the back of the Ford Falcon station wagon.
The next day we saw the Pinnacles during daylight. Far better. Got to see a flock of wonderful Parakees also. We got on the road and headed north, aiming to get to Kalabari National Park by sunset. The roads heading north in Western Australia are as boring as hell. Do not drive them when you are tired. We didn't make it for sunset to the park so we watched the sunset on the pier side. Even though this was late in Australias spring it was bloody freezing. The sky was magnificent. Looked like Michelangelo had taken his paint brush out for our entertainment. We cooked another delicious campsite meal, under a full moon and we headed to bed. We aimed to arise to get to Kalbarri at sunrise. It wasn't to be. We drove the yellow sandy road to Kalbarri to see Nature's Window.. The valley of goerges is a fantastic sight of terracota coloured red rock. We spent a couple of hours here and headed north again. We arrived in Shark Bay early in the evening. On route we stopped on Shell Beach. Bit meh although quite astounding to realise that there is no sand here, just tiny shells. We watched the sunset at the small lagoon. Wow. We set up camp in Monkey Mia.
Over the next four days we got to see Dolphins swimming at night time, being fed duing the day, we saw Eagle's bluff, bought snorkel gear, took a ride on a katamaran and saw loads of marine life. We got to meet loads of unusual characters both working and visiting Monkey Mia. The germans decided to leave although told us at the last moment, the night before they were heading off. It was probably the best thing that could have happened. We ended up meeting the fantastic Stuart, Ruth and Phini. These three we took on another adventure. In desperation to hitch a lift north, we convinced Stuart, a guy who had come from the north to brings us back north. Mark a skipper onboard the Shotover told us of a magical coral spot that very few people knew of. So, with this gem of information we pulled this unusual crew of five together for a short trip up north. A round trip of nearly 800 km it was worth every metre. For my first time snorkeling and my first time seeing coral, it was like something out of a documentary.
We arrived at a horse-shoe shaped aquamarine paradise beach. With the most delicious soft fine sand that looked like we were the first humans to set foot on it. Beautiful shells and dried coral littered the sides. We walked around the corner and walked into the water ten metres as we had being told and there lay a world like none I'd seen before. It took me three goes before I was able to properly relax with the snorkel. My childhood fear of water overcame me on the first two goes and a small panic attack unsued. I took myself out, congratulated myself on doing so well and got back in. That third time was supreme. As soon as my breathing relaxed so beautifully I floated and allowed the current to carry me above this wonderful other world. Dozens of amazing fish looked up from their world below as this giant watched in awe above them. They swam in their schools and pepped their heads out from all different colours and shapes of coral. The only visualisation that can come near to explain this sight is similar to being in a scene from Finding Nemo. It was breath taking. After having a wonderful day with these four new friends we headed back. Stopping at Ngarloo sheep station along the way so Eoin could ask about Wwof'ing work. Got a postcard type photograph of a kangaroo with the sunset behind.. A perfect end to a perfect day. We camped overnight in the local town. Phini and Eoin decided they were going to head north together as soon as they got back to Monkey Mia.
The next morning, we were on the road early to get Ruth back to work on the Stopover. We stopped at Monkey Mia for a couple of hours. Swapped photos. Said our goodbyes and I hitched a lift back to Perth with Stuart. Before rejoining the main highway we stopped off to see the %””£”%”. It really puts humans in their place to see something like this. We can be very arrogant people. These formations have being alive for 3.5 billion years. They helped produce the first oxygen on the planet earth. They are not a particularly spectacular sight. Although, that isn't the point. They are beautiful, wouldn't you say. We got to Kalbarri by nightfall and camped in the same campsite as the one I had done previously. When I say camping I mean roughed it. I slept in the front seat and Stuart in the back. We arose before sunrise and made it to Nature's Windows just as the sun was rising. The sunrise was the lesser impressive thing. What moved me and affected me was the stillness. You've heard the expression. Deafened by the silence. It was so bizarre. I thought there was something wrong with my ears. Stuart sat over looking this magnificent gorge at the side of Nature's Window and I stood 10 metres from him. It was one of the loudest and fullest sounds I have ever heard. It filled everything and everywhere. It had an enormous presence. I made some small swallowing sounds in my mouth to make sure there wasn't something wrong with my ears. It was fantastic. Whether it was the sound of the place or the presence of space, I don't know and I don't care. Myself and Stuart were on the same wavelength and we sat here for the next five hours talking about life and the worlds we create around us. We left the necessary space for each other to open and share our own experiences. It is quite strange and wonderful when you can have these type of bonds with total strangers you randomly meet in your life. Perhaps not so random and more synchronicity. From that moment on and for the rest of the journey we aided each other in whatever way we could. Discussing our own situations in our lives, our fears and wild imaginings. Helping each other understand that we are not alone in this world and we all host the power that gives us the ability to change. We create our own prison and disable ourselves. We stopped at the Pinnacles that evening and spent an hour taking the required holiday snaps. Anxious to be back in Perth I asked Stuart did he mind if we got back to Perth that evening. We booked the hostels and got back in to the city by nine. We had a pint together and agreed to meet the next day.
Let me add something at this stage about fear. One major self realisation that has arisen again and again is irrational fears. My own fears. I always loved an expression from a piece I adore called Desiderata. Let me go and get it for you. One moment. “But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.” Never a truer word said. I think for quite some time I have felt pretty on top of the world. My life in Ireland had got to one of the best places it had ever been. A job I loved more than anything. A home that was safe and warm and wonderful. A group of friends and work colleagues that inspired me and made me feel real. A partner that made me feel balanced. What more can a man ask for! Taking this journey has being a lifes dream. One that I allowed to slip away for over ten years. I had so much confidence in myself, it never crossed my mind that perhaps leaving all this behind might scare me. Well it has. Many times during this wonderful experience I have felt homesick. I have felt alone. I have felt scared. On this most recent journey my mind created bizarre and crazy fears. Irrational ones that I haven't felt in years. I was well aware they were wild imaginings although they were real fears. I was able to quieten them with words of self comfort and reassurance. You hear so much people say you find yourself when travel on a journey like this. I'd say you meet yourself. You aren't able to blame your surrounding circumstances. What is going on at the moment is all you. You can't blame the traffic or the bills or the news or the weather or work. Its all you.
The following day allowed me to buy a new Asus Eee PC. The new 1000 series. The screen on my 900 decided to shatter again for some unknown reason. I met with Stuart and I picked him up a copy of Awareness by Anthony De Mello, to thank him for the lift. We watched a group of Brazilian dancers perform Capawira on the main shopping street. We agreed to meet later for dinner and I headed off to do some video editing on my new PC. Stuart arrived 6 hours later and had to wait another two before I was ready. We headed out to dinner and chatted some more about all the discoveries we had made in our days travelling together. It was quite something the amount of subjects and material we had covered since we had met. It is amazing when you realise how effective communication can be between two like minded individuals. We bid farewell. This would be the last proper time I would have to chat to Stuart before we went our separate ways. The next couple of days seemed to fly by. I bid a final farewell to Stuart as he headed off down south in a new rented car. I made friends with a new Swiss roommate and three of his German girl friends. It's strange, how after all this time, I still need to learn, to stop making assumptions about things. Anyhow, the three girls were absolutely amazing and I ended up helping them buy a new vehicle for the journey across Australia. It was a lot of fun and something I loved doing. We got on brilliantly and just like that I made four new friends. They christened their new Mitsubishi 300, Sam.
Next thing to happen was a problem appeared in Joao's application for his Australian Visa. This was all we needed to hear, after 5 and half months waiting and Jojo doing everything in his power to come join me. An obstacles appeared on the final lap. I ensured him everything would be okay and we'd wait till the next day to see what happened. The next few days were a nightmare. The Australian Embassy in the UK were dealing with Jojo's application. So here is a warning, for anyone that doesn't have the advantage of being a European citizen. Make sure you give at least three months if applying for a visa to visit Australia. Also, if you need a family member or a friend to assist you in your application make sure to state this at the time of your application. Jojo didn't do this and no one from the embassy was willing to talk to me. Legally they are not allowed, no matter how much you beg. It was a very stressful time for both of us. It was also very difficult to do anything while on the far side of the world. The best I could offer was advice and support. With a week to go before he was due to leave Ireland, things looked really bad. The case officer had declined his application based on his student visa being out of date in Ireland. She would not accept that he was legally allowed to return to Ireland as a tourist and wanted him to show a valid visa for Ireland. The problem arose that this was not possible as visas are only granted to Brazilian citizens when they arrive in the country. So it was a catch 22 situation.
Aidan arrived from China the day before I was to fly to Cairns. It was really fantastic to see him again and he seemed to have had such a good time travelling by himself for the past three weeks. We went out that night as a farewell night for me and a few others. Throughout the night I was in contact with everyone and anyone I knew in Dublin that might be able to give us advice or help with Jojo's application. We looked into the option of booking him into another year course of English in Ireland. Booking a flight home to Brazil from Thailand or Australia. We were desperate at this stage to find the solution. Jojo was
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
Day 132 - very sensible Thursdays - its so bloody cold
Breakfast is missed so start with a coffee
Meet some more heads
Meet Phil and Davey
Catch up on some very important washing
Meet room mate Ray - legend of a character.
Head to the shops to buy some food & beer
Drink around the pool
A night in of entertainment
Meet some more heads
Meet Phil and Davey
Catch up on some very important washing
Meet room mate Ray - legend of a character.
Head to the shops to buy some food & beer
Drink around the pool
A night in of entertainment
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Day 131 - tips down in the oh so cold Perth
Taxi to the Billabong
Eoghan catches some zzzz's
Meet the Aussie gals - Tanaka, Michelle and Kim
Sit by the pool
Grab some beers
Grab a bottle of whiskey
Head out to Mustang
Dance the night away till 5am
Eoghan catches some zzzz's
Meet the Aussie gals - Tanaka, Michelle and Kim
Sit by the pool
Grab some beers
Grab a bottle of whiskey
Head out to Mustang
Dance the night away till 5am
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Day 130 - up up and away
I watched some more wonderful news pleasantries as I packed my bags. Checked out and left my stuff at reception. I met Peter in Starbucks half and hour later and we decided to have breakfast in the good old reliable Macky Ds. Delicious :) We spent the next couple of hours in Starbucks online. We found Aidan had left a message on Facebook and himself and Eoghan had arrived in Hong Kong. We kept missing each other online. I went off in search of them in the two Irish bars and Chungking Mansion. No luck. Back online half an hour later we found Aidan online again. He told us Eoghan was just after checking into the room I had had the previous night. I went off and met the very sweaty and smelly Eoghan. Told him where we were and left him to it. An hour later the four of us were all together in Starbucks sharing all our stories and adventures. We headed off a couple of hours later to the night market I had found the evening before. We picked up a collection of t-shirts and shorts. Haggling of course for the best price. Afterwards I brought the boys to Ireland's Potato for some of their delicious chips. With time running short we jumped into a cab and got dropped at Chungking. With some of the usual procrastination myself and Eoghan hugged the boys and ran pumping sweat to the metro.
Three trains and 40 mins later we walked through the entrance of the airport. Of course we were the last people to check-in. As they went through the process a problem arose. Eoghan's Visa had not being issued. Australian Visa can be applied for, by Europeans, online and normally take less than a day to be processed. I had got mine for free and in less than 6 hours on the Australian government site. Eoghan had used a different service that charged €30 and had taken a day. The lady could not find any listing for his name. We checked his email on my Asus and found his application had gone through with an incorrect spelling. The nice lady assured us it would be okay and they would make an application online there and then. Next thing we bumped into an Irish guy called Graham that we had met in the hostel in Beijing. He was on his way home after a year of travelling. We headed outside for a smoke while we waited for the Visa Application to go through.
The visa was granted by the time we walked back into the airport. We said our goodbyes to Graham and thanked the helpful airport staff and started our jog to our gate. It all went very smoothly going through all the baggage checks and before we new it we were boarding a nice big 737. We had separate seating and I was placed in the centre aisle with a nice elderly lady on one side and two middle aged ladies on the other. A brochure style flight itinerary was handed out. It gave two meals options and showed when complimentary food and drinks were available throughout the flight. Shortly after we sat down the giant bird took off oh so gently. With little effort this massive vehicle containing over 500 people was up up and away. The flight was very pleasant. The food was exceptional. The entertainment screen had numerous movies, a wide selection of games, radio channels and even an Australian news channel available. I was delighted with the entertainment options and got straight into watching the new Indiana Jones movie. It was actually okay after hearing such bad remarks about it. My beef dinner was served and some lovely white wine. I devoured it all and was still hungry. I asked for a second serving and got the fish dish next. I feel off to sleep an hour or two later.
Three trains and 40 mins later we walked through the entrance of the airport. Of course we were the last people to check-in. As they went through the process a problem arose. Eoghan's Visa had not being issued. Australian Visa can be applied for, by Europeans, online and normally take less than a day to be processed. I had got mine for free and in less than 6 hours on the Australian government site. Eoghan had used a different service that charged €30 and had taken a day. The lady could not find any listing for his name. We checked his email on my Asus and found his application had gone through with an incorrect spelling. The nice lady assured us it would be okay and they would make an application online there and then. Next thing we bumped into an Irish guy called Graham that we had met in the hostel in Beijing. He was on his way home after a year of travelling. We headed outside for a smoke while we waited for the Visa Application to go through.
The visa was granted by the time we walked back into the airport. We said our goodbyes to Graham and thanked the helpful airport staff and started our jog to our gate. It all went very smoothly going through all the baggage checks and before we new it we were boarding a nice big 737. We had separate seating and I was placed in the centre aisle with a nice elderly lady on one side and two middle aged ladies on the other. A brochure style flight itinerary was handed out. It gave two meals options and showed when complimentary food and drinks were available throughout the flight. Shortly after we sat down the giant bird took off oh so gently. With little effort this massive vehicle containing over 500 people was up up and away. The flight was very pleasant. The food was exceptional. The entertainment screen had numerous movies, a wide selection of games, radio channels and even an Australian news channel available. I was delighted with the entertainment options and got straight into watching the new Indiana Jones movie. It was actually okay after hearing such bad remarks about it. My beef dinner was served and some lovely white wine. I devoured it all and was still hungry. I asked for a second serving and got the fish dish next. I feel off to sleep an hour or two later.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Day 129 – it was like something from a Jane Fonda workout
I awoke to light tap on my arm. I turned to see a figure in the darkened room. “Your wake up call.” I was in the shower and changed in five minutes. Next was the trick of packing my bags in a dark room filled with sleeping people. You didn't expect me to have them packed, did you? 6.30am on the nose I was hoisting my bags into reception, where my taxi driver stood waiting. I paid the remainder of my bill and headed to the car. Funny enough, I just presumed the taxi driver didn't speak English, as I sat through the journey in silence, watching the waking city go by. We arrived in the airport promptly. Checked in my ever heavier bag and was given my boarding pass. Knowing it was edging over 20kg at this stage I was glad as nothing was said. Went through to my gate walked around the modern terminal to see if I could find a new set of headphones. The majority of the shops are repeated throughout the departure lounges. You'll find some shops with clothes, suitcases and vacuum packed meats such as duck and flavoured beef and the sort. With over 40 minutes to spare till boarding I treated myself to a massage chair for 15 minutes for 15rmb. Wow, fanbloodytastic. As I lay there, this large leather armchair vibrated and stretched my muscles in all different directions. I made the customary groans and grunts of pleasure as I was pummelled by this wonder of modern technology. Feeling a lot more sprite and slightly light headed I headed down to my gate on the lower floor to await my flight. Thinking there might be a WiFi I opened the laptop after sitting down. No luck. I walked around the waiting area in a large circle looking for an available network. Found one. Just at the door of a cafe. I ordered an expensive coffee and biscuits. Sat down to find there was no internet activity on the network. Drank my very small and terrible coffee and ate on of the dry and boring rich tea biscuits. Bloody exploitative airports, they don't change no matter where in the world you are. By the time I took the last sip, my gate had opened and people where boarding. I collected my things and headed through.
Without any delay the plane took off swiftly. Not quite as luxurious as the planes I had being on previously. I resigned myself to accept the rather cramped seat and make the journey as comfortable as possible. A rather large nervous gentleman sat beside me. Making this evident with his constant tapping of his foot and squeezing of his hands. Once again the only Westerner onboard, the majority of the passengers appeared to look as if they were flying for the first time. You could be the way they kept looking around, playing with switches and general uneasiness. The plane journey was not the most pleasant one at that. The majority of the journey we seemed to be ascending. Turbulence was consistent throughout the flight. The pilot was constantly tipping the wings from left to right. Just minor alteration, although constantly as we ascended higher and higher. We were served the usual complimentary food, snacks and drinks. Well over halfway through the flight when the turbulence was at its worst, the air hostesses did a performance. Asking everyone to follow, in Chinese. I worked this out when I noticed the three of them standing in the aisles doing exercises and all the passengers following suit. It was quite a humourous thing to watch, to say the least. As the plane jolted along, the air hostess would fall to one side as they lifted one leg and then the other in a circular direction. It was like something from a Jane Fonda workout video. This little charade carried on for around ten minutes in total. To be honest, it made me feel better. It also appeared to calm down the jittering man beside me. The landing was not in anyway better. The plane did that awful buckle and twist as the obviously inexperienced pilot jittered the plane down towards a landing. He had the wings swaying as he came over the runway. As the back wheels hit the runway unevenly, the front of the plane came down with a heavy jolt and that worrisome awkward twist happened as the plane used all its effort to brake and come to a slow roll. I was glad that was over. So was the dude beside me.
After collecting my bags I headed out towards the exit in search of a bus to Hong Kong. There at the main door stood a stand selling bus tickets to HKG. They tried to charge me 130rmb and I ended up getting it for 90. You don't ask, you don't get. After waiting a few minutes we were boarded on to a coach and off through the street and highways of Shenzhen. My last journey through China. After 30 mins we arrived at the border crossing. First you exit China, then you are driven to the Hong Kong entry gates. Suddenly I noticed something for the first time. All the Chinese staff were smiling and friendly, while the Hong Kongese seemed dour and serious. Strange. After boarding a new bus, I got chatting to 2 Canadian girls that were travelling the world. We did the usual exchange of stories and spoke about world economics, as you do. We were all heading to the infamous ChungKing Mansions. We ended up as the last people on the bus as the driver brought us to the last stop of Tsim Tsa Tsui. We collected our bags and I guided the girls to Nathan Road. I suggested we stop in Murphy's Bar for a drink while we organise ourselves. They agreed to follow. After a few minutes of entering the pub the girls seemed to get stressed about their booking and felt the need to leave. They were getting themselves all stressed. You could tell straight away that they couldn't relax until they got all their stuff sorted. I imagine the age difference and the fact I'd being travelling for the last four and half months might make a difference. I couldn't have being more relaxed and realised I'd be better to leave the girls to do their own thing. I offered to wait for them up on the street while they went to change their Chinese yuan. They met me 10 minutes later even more stressed. One of them had lost their wallet and didn't know where they had. I brought them up to the floor their guesthouse was on, to check-in. I offered to meet them in Murphy's at lunchtime and left them to it.
Ten minutes later I had left my bags and booked into the same accommodation I had stayed in previously. I headed to Murphy's for lunch. Ended up meeting four lovely middle aged ladies that were ex-pats living in Taiwan. One from Scotland and the other three from the US. I recommended the delicious lunch I ordered and a conversation ensued. It was lovely to meet some people that weren't backpackers for once and to hear some totally different stories. Two of them were teachers and two home makers. They were over on a shopping spree in Hong Kong for four days. It was a very pleasurable two hours to spend on arriving in Hong Kong. I had to excuse myself, although before leaving we exchanged Facebook details. It was nice to see some parents that actually got involved in the social networking that the younger generation live by. Something that is so important if you are a parent. Very impressive. Thumbs up girls. I wished them farewell and told them to stop arguing :) and headed off to collect my digital camera. The Canon repair centre was less than a 3 minute walk away. I was so looking forward to finally getting back the camera. After falling in love with it after seeing Greg using it and it being out of action for the last few months, it would be good to use something with a bit more quality. I paid the 1360 HKG dollars and headed off for a walk around the city. Over the next few hours, I went to the Song Ericsson repair centre, only to find out mobile phones do not hold an international warranty, found another night market and discovered an interesting little chipper. Some ingenious character had set up a chipper stall called Ireland's Potato on a corner. They sold chips in a bucket with a choice of sauces. There was a crowd outside patiently waiting for their fried potato chips. I stood there for over 20 minutes just watching. Crowds and crowd s of people just kept arriving. I decided to check out these wondrous chips to see if they were all they made up to be. Actually, I ordered filled potato skins to start. When I saw them microwaving some pre-made frozen filled potato halves, I politely informed the guy that Irishmen don't eat microwaved potatoes. He gladly allowed me to change my order to a bucket of chips with a mix of cheese and meat sauce on top. For frozen chips, they were remarkably tasty. The meat sauce was lacking in any meat, although very tasty. I stood there munching away and watching as more and more people queued. Fantastic idea.
After buying a Wifi voucher I settled down in a Starbucks just around the corner from Chungking. Ten minutes later who do I start chatting to online but Peter. And where do you think he is? In Chungking mansions. Himself and Ian had only arrived from Dalian a couple of hours ago. Ian had headed out although Peter said he'd join me in half an hour. It was good to see his smiling face again. We filled in each other with all our tales since we'd last separated. Ian had lost his credit card again and they had nearly not being able to pay for their hotel bill. As usual a hilarious array of stories had occupied both of our travels. We stayed for another hour or so and then we headed back, agreeing we'd met for breakfast and some more Starbucks in the morning. I jumped into bed and turned on the BBC News channel. As I sat their working on Picasa images I noticed the constant message of fear being poured out of the news. The world economies where crashing everywhere. It was spreading like some disease with all countries being effected. Companies were showing enormous drops in sales. The automobile market in the US was in a state. They mentioned US, Britain, China, India and even Australia in all this mess. It was kind of sick to watch as the pushed this fear and anxiety upon the world. News can be a very nasty thing. Amongst these terror reports, I watched the final speech of Obama, on his campaign run, before the elections were to be held. It was at some university sports grounds and on a cold Monday night. It was some speech. Very powerful and all encompassing. If anyone can change things in the world I believe it is that man. There is something about him. Can't quite put my finger on it. I feel asleep shortly later.
Without any delay the plane took off swiftly. Not quite as luxurious as the planes I had being on previously. I resigned myself to accept the rather cramped seat and make the journey as comfortable as possible. A rather large nervous gentleman sat beside me. Making this evident with his constant tapping of his foot and squeezing of his hands. Once again the only Westerner onboard, the majority of the passengers appeared to look as if they were flying for the first time. You could be the way they kept looking around, playing with switches and general uneasiness. The plane journey was not the most pleasant one at that. The majority of the journey we seemed to be ascending. Turbulence was consistent throughout the flight. The pilot was constantly tipping the wings from left to right. Just minor alteration, although constantly as we ascended higher and higher. We were served the usual complimentary food, snacks and drinks. Well over halfway through the flight when the turbulence was at its worst, the air hostesses did a performance. Asking everyone to follow, in Chinese. I worked this out when I noticed the three of them standing in the aisles doing exercises and all the passengers following suit. It was quite a humourous thing to watch, to say the least. As the plane jolted along, the air hostess would fall to one side as they lifted one leg and then the other in a circular direction. It was like something from a Jane Fonda workout video. This little charade carried on for around ten minutes in total. To be honest, it made me feel better. It also appeared to calm down the jittering man beside me. The landing was not in anyway better. The plane did that awful buckle and twist as the obviously inexperienced pilot jittered the plane down towards a landing. He had the wings swaying as he came over the runway. As the back wheels hit the runway unevenly, the front of the plane came down with a heavy jolt and that worrisome awkward twist happened as the plane used all its effort to brake and come to a slow roll. I was glad that was over. So was the dude beside me.
After collecting my bags I headed out towards the exit in search of a bus to Hong Kong. There at the main door stood a stand selling bus tickets to HKG. They tried to charge me 130rmb and I ended up getting it for 90. You don't ask, you don't get. After waiting a few minutes we were boarded on to a coach and off through the street and highways of Shenzhen. My last journey through China. After 30 mins we arrived at the border crossing. First you exit China, then you are driven to the Hong Kong entry gates. Suddenly I noticed something for the first time. All the Chinese staff were smiling and friendly, while the Hong Kongese seemed dour and serious. Strange. After boarding a new bus, I got chatting to 2 Canadian girls that were travelling the world. We did the usual exchange of stories and spoke about world economics, as you do. We were all heading to the infamous ChungKing Mansions. We ended up as the last people on the bus as the driver brought us to the last stop of Tsim Tsa Tsui. We collected our bags and I guided the girls to Nathan Road. I suggested we stop in Murphy's Bar for a drink while we organise ourselves. They agreed to follow. After a few minutes of entering the pub the girls seemed to get stressed about their booking and felt the need to leave. They were getting themselves all stressed. You could tell straight away that they couldn't relax until they got all their stuff sorted. I imagine the age difference and the fact I'd being travelling for the last four and half months might make a difference. I couldn't have being more relaxed and realised I'd be better to leave the girls to do their own thing. I offered to wait for them up on the street while they went to change their Chinese yuan. They met me 10 minutes later even more stressed. One of them had lost their wallet and didn't know where they had. I brought them up to the floor their guesthouse was on, to check-in. I offered to meet them in Murphy's at lunchtime and left them to it.
Ten minutes later I had left my bags and booked into the same accommodation I had stayed in previously. I headed to Murphy's for lunch. Ended up meeting four lovely middle aged ladies that were ex-pats living in Taiwan. One from Scotland and the other three from the US. I recommended the delicious lunch I ordered and a conversation ensued. It was lovely to meet some people that weren't backpackers for once and to hear some totally different stories. Two of them were teachers and two home makers. They were over on a shopping spree in Hong Kong for four days. It was a very pleasurable two hours to spend on arriving in Hong Kong. I had to excuse myself, although before leaving we exchanged Facebook details. It was nice to see some parents that actually got involved in the social networking that the younger generation live by. Something that is so important if you are a parent. Very impressive. Thumbs up girls. I wished them farewell and told them to stop arguing :) and headed off to collect my digital camera. The Canon repair centre was less than a 3 minute walk away. I was so looking forward to finally getting back the camera. After falling in love with it after seeing Greg using it and it being out of action for the last few months, it would be good to use something with a bit more quality. I paid the 1360 HKG dollars and headed off for a walk around the city. Over the next few hours, I went to the Song Ericsson repair centre, only to find out mobile phones do not hold an international warranty, found another night market and discovered an interesting little chipper. Some ingenious character had set up a chipper stall called Ireland's Potato on a corner. They sold chips in a bucket with a choice of sauces. There was a crowd outside patiently waiting for their fried potato chips. I stood there for over 20 minutes just watching. Crowds and crowd s of people just kept arriving. I decided to check out these wondrous chips to see if they were all they made up to be. Actually, I ordered filled potato skins to start. When I saw them microwaving some pre-made frozen filled potato halves, I politely informed the guy that Irishmen don't eat microwaved potatoes. He gladly allowed me to change my order to a bucket of chips with a mix of cheese and meat sauce on top. For frozen chips, they were remarkably tasty. The meat sauce was lacking in any meat, although very tasty. I stood there munching away and watching as more and more people queued. Fantastic idea.
After buying a Wifi voucher I settled down in a Starbucks just around the corner from Chungking. Ten minutes later who do I start chatting to online but Peter. And where do you think he is? In Chungking mansions. Himself and Ian had only arrived from Dalian a couple of hours ago. Ian had headed out although Peter said he'd join me in half an hour. It was good to see his smiling face again. We filled in each other with all our tales since we'd last separated. Ian had lost his credit card again and they had nearly not being able to pay for their hotel bill. As usual a hilarious array of stories had occupied both of our travels. We stayed for another hour or so and then we headed back, agreeing we'd met for breakfast and some more Starbucks in the morning. I jumped into bed and turned on the BBC News channel. As I sat their working on Picasa images I noticed the constant message of fear being poured out of the news. The world economies where crashing everywhere. It was spreading like some disease with all countries being effected. Companies were showing enormous drops in sales. The automobile market in the US was in a state. They mentioned US, Britain, China, India and even Australia in all this mess. It was kind of sick to watch as the pushed this fear and anxiety upon the world. News can be a very nasty thing. Amongst these terror reports, I watched the final speech of Obama, on his campaign run, before the elections were to be held. It was at some university sports grounds and on a cold Monday night. It was some speech. Very powerful and all encompassing. If anyone can change things in the world I believe it is that man. There is something about him. Can't quite put my finger on it. I feel asleep shortly later.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Day 128 - a monk with a megaphone
No chance of sleeping the next morning. I had Germans chatting away loudly, two Americans talking about nightlife in Chengdu and another guy packing his bags loudly. I told the American guy, could he be any louder and I then tried to get back to sleep. Failing miserably I got up and showered the sleep away. Showers are like my ON switch. With a new life in me I headed to reception and bumped in the boys I had only met two days before in Xian, at the train station. They told me they were planing to head to Leshan to organise their Visa extensions and also see the Giant Buddha. I was invited to join them. I headed off for breakfast to ponder the idea. Eating made me feel ten times better. I decided I'd join the guys and went down to tell them. Recommendation for anyone that is looking for an extension of your Chinese Visa, if you happen to only get a 30 day visa and need to extend your stay. Keep away from the major cities like Beijing to apply for your extension. You will be wrapped in so much red tape, you wont know what happened to you. This particular town, 2 hours outside of Chengdu was supposedly a good example of how easy it can be. You head over in the morning, drop in your application and by the afternoon your Visa is granted. As I walked into reception to find the boys, who do I bump into but the British couple I'd had so much fun with on the Terracotta tour, Tom and Sarah. They had just arrived in, off the train. We agreed to hook up after I got back. After a bit of faffing around the boys finally decided to head to Leshan.
We walked around the corner to the bus station. Worked out we were at the wrong station, so we jumped into a cab to the bus station on the far side of the city. As we're entering the bus compound some guy called out Leshan and offered us a taxi for 260rmb. We walked by and thanked him. After standing in the wrong queue we worked out that the fair was 45rmb each and the next bus wasn't leaving for 40 mins. We thought about it for a minute and realised the private car was probably a better option. We were brought to around to a fairly new and smart looking SUV. Darkened windows and fake leather armchair style seating. After haggling it down to 200rmb for the four of us, we were pretty chuffed. They sold another three seats, although even at that, there was plenty of room. Within ten minutes we were making away through city traffic and out on to the motorway. He cruised at nice steady pace of 120kph. It was nice to travel through the countryside of China. It was the first time since landing that I got to really see what China looked like outside of the cities. The trains move way too fast to get much of an idea. We had heard Leshan was a small town and as expected we were greeted by another sprawling metropolis. The outskirts of the big town were the first time I witnessed a more rugged side to Chinese life. It looked similar to some of the suburbs we had seen in Kathmandu. A more developing side to the country. It was good to witness because I was beginning to wonder where the poor parts of China where, with all its super motorways and skyscraper cities everywhere you turn. If you do a fast tour of China you really need to look closely to see the full picture or else you might come away thinking it is all super modern and everyone is doing well for themselves. China has got an enormous amount of poverty, it is just hidden very well from the tourist routes. I can imagine, this is only the tip of the iceberg, I am talking about.
We were dropped right to the entrance and even walked right up to the ticket booth for the Giant Buddha. All for 200rmb. Pretty sweet. The Swedish lads had worked out a handy system for saving a few bucks. One thing you will find out if visiting China, the cost of entry into monuments will be a fairly heavy whack of your total budget. That is, unless you have a student card. This can cut as much as 60% of the entry cost into places. They didn't have student cards, but their photo IDs worked the same. Entry to see the Giant Buddha and caves was 130rmb per person or 60 with the ID. Its a nice park to visit if you are in Chengdu. Its made up of a collection of statues and caves carved out of the solid rock. Perhaps take a picnic there and spend the day walking around investigating at a nice leisurely pace. Its quite big and beautiful. There are some rather suspicious looking carving that I might question there historical validity. Nevetheless, they are truly impressive pieces of art. I think after seeing so much historical monuments, bulidings, dig sites and the sort you are always looking for something bigger and better to impress you. So, as impressive as this stuff was I was like, yeah, have the t-shirt. Although, as we continued our walk I was taken back by one of the most impactful entrances, to a temple, I have ever seen. You are greeted with the most magnificent Buddhist entrance gates. Inside stands a large circular arena with a giant colourful lotus flower monument of burning oil lamps in the centre. On the far side, a giant steep stone staircase of a couple of hundred steps ascends up onto a high plateau. On either side, enormous Buddhist statues are carved into the rock face guarding the entrance. As you climb the precipice you notice the bannisters are entwined with thousands of rusting locks. I was told by Yan that they are placed there by families and friends to represent their eternal bond of love for each other. Its quite a spectacular sight as you climb this stairway to heaven. As you reach the top, you are presented with a vast stone temple with a giant buddha, colourful flags, burning incense and oil lamps alight.
You then make you way through a series of caves filled with more statues. It takes another 15 minutes of paths through woodland and up and down hills and finally a steep staircase that comes down on the far side of the mountain, along side a giant river. You can see a stunning coastline of hills and cliff as far as the eye can see. You make your way through a series of tunnels and finally you walk out onto the biggest stone foot you have ever seen. At first you don't recognise it for what it is. It's only until you see the picnic size table toenail that you realise what you are looking. You walk around the corner and suddenly you see the biggest buddha in the world. Sitting proud at 70 metres high, carved out of the side of the mountain. Its quite a simple carving although super big. The head looks like it was made separately and then stuck on top. Not the easiest thing to do, so lets pretend it was all made at the same time. An alternative way of viewing the buddha is by boat along the river. Although, standing at the toes of this mammoth statue is quite a humbling experience. It is bloody enormous. We hung around and took some pics and then began to climb the narrow staircase on the far side we had entered. After getting halfway up the cliff we were called back by a monk with a megaphone. Well I think he was calling us back, although I have no idea. He was shouting at us in Chinese. The crowd of tourists looked up at us and we looked and each other wondering what all the commotion was about. He stopped shouting after a few minutes and we continued up the stairs. After a couple more turns, we realised what he was trying to tell us, the pathway was so narrow it was only meant for people going one way. The opposite way we were going. We navigated it with little difficulty, with a ni hao here and there and a few smiles, no one seemed that bothered. We spent another 40 minutes or so investigating, ornate gardens, rustic temples and a concrete pagoda. We headed out of the park and on to the main road. Yan, Eric and Alex were staying the night in Leshan, while I need to get back to Chengdu. I was approached the moment I walked out the gate by someone showing me a photo of a coach and saying Chengdu. I asked, how much. 40Rmb. Sweet. I wished the lads farewell and a good journey. Three more passing ships in the sea. I was led across the road by a smiling lady who insisted I sit in her shop. I kept trying to tell her I was okay although she kept grabbing my arm and motioning me to wait. I had great fun trying to communicate more information about the bus. What time was it going to pick me up? What time did it get to Chengdu? Within minutes I had her and two of her friends in hysterics. They were practically rolling around the street as I used my fantastic NVC skills to talk to them. They seemed like a lot of fun. The ladies where in their late 50's although they were like kids. They kept laughing at everything I did. One of them then offered me some strange red and white food on a pair of chopsticks. I smelt and was like, no thanks. This had them laughing and joking again. Quite amusing I must be. While sitting there I was approached by numerous sales people trying offer there cheap and tacky looking products. Nearing six I was signalled into a minibus and then after we did a U-turn we picked up two Malaysian guys with two chinese girls on the far side of the road. I gave my three Chinese ladies a big wave out the window and they were smiling and waving back. A few minutes later we were dropped at a coach waiting on the side of the road. I got the usual array of stares as I boarded the bus and made my way down to the back. The two male passengers I sat beside didn 't look too impressed to see me and kept turning to have a good gander.
It was a lovely journey home. One thing I loved so much about India was travelling by bus and train. It such a fantastic way to see the real country. This was what made this journey for me on the way back to Chengdu. Sitting high up and looking out at the landscape as it zipped by. It was dark by the time we got back to the city and I was feeling kind of sleepy. We pulled into some car park on the outskirts of Chengdu. I had no idea where I was. The Malaysian guys were as lost as me. Taxi drivers stood waiting, offering fairs of 80rmb. We decided to walk to the main street to find a bus. A large bus depot stood two minutes around the corner. Thankfully, the youth hostel flyer, had the bus numbers written on it. I found the number 28 and showed the driver the address. He looked at smiled and told me to pay the 2rmb. The bus was brand new with TV screens showing the back door. Another smart device that you will notice all around China is money card points. You buy a card or rechargeable device that you fill it with money. This can be done at most corner shops , supermarkets or banks. You can then use these on a wide array of venues throughout the cities. Buses, trains, shops, fast food joints like McDonalds and even entry into tourists sights will accept these. 90% of the people, swiped their money cards, as they got on the bus. Chengdu is another grid style setup. Spread out over a fairly wide area with three rings roads encompassing the city. It took over 30 minutes before we got back to my road.
I picked up my flight ticket from reception and booked an airport drop out for the next morning. I thought perhaps a wake call might be a good idea, so I booked that also. Tom and Sarah were upstairs in the common area having some beers. After logging online and Skyping Jojo, i joined them. It was a really nice evening and I loved spending the time chatting about the world and our view points on it. We got on amazingly well. It was morning before I knew it and I was fairly tipsy. We had nearly solved some of the worlds problems over the evenings chats. Its funny how sometimes you just click with some people. As if you've known them all your life. We agreed it might be time to head to bed. I was up in four hours. Before I let them go, I added Tom's to Facebook. If Google is the search God, Facebook is the connection God. Pretty much everyone I have met travelling, from every part of the world has used Facebook. Well done, to the Facebook crew. We walked to our rooms and said our farwells. As I lay down I realised, this is what travelling is about. Meeting amazing people like Tom, Sarah, Eric, Yan and Alex. People that you meet and everyone shares a bit of themselves with each other. Fantastic. Nite.
We walked around the corner to the bus station. Worked out we were at the wrong station, so we jumped into a cab to the bus station on the far side of the city. As we're entering the bus compound some guy called out Leshan and offered us a taxi for 260rmb. We walked by and thanked him. After standing in the wrong queue we worked out that the fair was 45rmb each and the next bus wasn't leaving for 40 mins. We thought about it for a minute and realised the private car was probably a better option. We were brought to around to a fairly new and smart looking SUV. Darkened windows and fake leather armchair style seating. After haggling it down to 200rmb for the four of us, we were pretty chuffed. They sold another three seats, although even at that, there was plenty of room. Within ten minutes we were making away through city traffic and out on to the motorway. He cruised at nice steady pace of 120kph. It was nice to travel through the countryside of China. It was the first time since landing that I got to really see what China looked like outside of the cities. The trains move way too fast to get much of an idea. We had heard Leshan was a small town and as expected we were greeted by another sprawling metropolis. The outskirts of the big town were the first time I witnessed a more rugged side to Chinese life. It looked similar to some of the suburbs we had seen in Kathmandu. A more developing side to the country. It was good to witness because I was beginning to wonder where the poor parts of China where, with all its super motorways and skyscraper cities everywhere you turn. If you do a fast tour of China you really need to look closely to see the full picture or else you might come away thinking it is all super modern and everyone is doing well for themselves. China has got an enormous amount of poverty, it is just hidden very well from the tourist routes. I can imagine, this is only the tip of the iceberg, I am talking about.
We were dropped right to the entrance and even walked right up to the ticket booth for the Giant Buddha. All for 200rmb. Pretty sweet. The Swedish lads had worked out a handy system for saving a few bucks. One thing you will find out if visiting China, the cost of entry into monuments will be a fairly heavy whack of your total budget. That is, unless you have a student card. This can cut as much as 60% of the entry cost into places. They didn't have student cards, but their photo IDs worked the same. Entry to see the Giant Buddha and caves was 130rmb per person or 60 with the ID. Its a nice park to visit if you are in Chengdu. Its made up of a collection of statues and caves carved out of the solid rock. Perhaps take a picnic there and spend the day walking around investigating at a nice leisurely pace. Its quite big and beautiful. There are some rather suspicious looking carving that I might question there historical validity. Nevetheless, they are truly impressive pieces of art. I think after seeing so much historical monuments, bulidings, dig sites and the sort you are always looking for something bigger and better to impress you. So, as impressive as this stuff was I was like, yeah, have the t-shirt. Although, as we continued our walk I was taken back by one of the most impactful entrances, to a temple, I have ever seen. You are greeted with the most magnificent Buddhist entrance gates. Inside stands a large circular arena with a giant colourful lotus flower monument of burning oil lamps in the centre. On the far side, a giant steep stone staircase of a couple of hundred steps ascends up onto a high plateau. On either side, enormous Buddhist statues are carved into the rock face guarding the entrance. As you climb the precipice you notice the bannisters are entwined with thousands of rusting locks. I was told by Yan that they are placed there by families and friends to represent their eternal bond of love for each other. Its quite a spectacular sight as you climb this stairway to heaven. As you reach the top, you are presented with a vast stone temple with a giant buddha, colourful flags, burning incense and oil lamps alight.
You then make you way through a series of caves filled with more statues. It takes another 15 minutes of paths through woodland and up and down hills and finally a steep staircase that comes down on the far side of the mountain, along side a giant river. You can see a stunning coastline of hills and cliff as far as the eye can see. You make your way through a series of tunnels and finally you walk out onto the biggest stone foot you have ever seen. At first you don't recognise it for what it is. It's only until you see the picnic size table toenail that you realise what you are looking. You walk around the corner and suddenly you see the biggest buddha in the world. Sitting proud at 70 metres high, carved out of the side of the mountain. Its quite a simple carving although super big. The head looks like it was made separately and then stuck on top. Not the easiest thing to do, so lets pretend it was all made at the same time. An alternative way of viewing the buddha is by boat along the river. Although, standing at the toes of this mammoth statue is quite a humbling experience. It is bloody enormous. We hung around and took some pics and then began to climb the narrow staircase on the far side we had entered. After getting halfway up the cliff we were called back by a monk with a megaphone. Well I think he was calling us back, although I have no idea. He was shouting at us in Chinese. The crowd of tourists looked up at us and we looked and each other wondering what all the commotion was about. He stopped shouting after a few minutes and we continued up the stairs. After a couple more turns, we realised what he was trying to tell us, the pathway was so narrow it was only meant for people going one way. The opposite way we were going. We navigated it with little difficulty, with a ni hao here and there and a few smiles, no one seemed that bothered. We spent another 40 minutes or so investigating, ornate gardens, rustic temples and a concrete pagoda. We headed out of the park and on to the main road. Yan, Eric and Alex were staying the night in Leshan, while I need to get back to Chengdu. I was approached the moment I walked out the gate by someone showing me a photo of a coach and saying Chengdu. I asked, how much. 40Rmb. Sweet. I wished the lads farewell and a good journey. Three more passing ships in the sea. I was led across the road by a smiling lady who insisted I sit in her shop. I kept trying to tell her I was okay although she kept grabbing my arm and motioning me to wait. I had great fun trying to communicate more information about the bus. What time was it going to pick me up? What time did it get to Chengdu? Within minutes I had her and two of her friends in hysterics. They were practically rolling around the street as I used my fantastic NVC skills to talk to them. They seemed like a lot of fun. The ladies where in their late 50's although they were like kids. They kept laughing at everything I did. One of them then offered me some strange red and white food on a pair of chopsticks. I smelt and was like, no thanks. This had them laughing and joking again. Quite amusing I must be. While sitting there I was approached by numerous sales people trying offer there cheap and tacky looking products. Nearing six I was signalled into a minibus and then after we did a U-turn we picked up two Malaysian guys with two chinese girls on the far side of the road. I gave my three Chinese ladies a big wave out the window and they were smiling and waving back. A few minutes later we were dropped at a coach waiting on the side of the road. I got the usual array of stares as I boarded the bus and made my way down to the back. The two male passengers I sat beside didn 't look too impressed to see me and kept turning to have a good gander.
It was a lovely journey home. One thing I loved so much about India was travelling by bus and train. It such a fantastic way to see the real country. This was what made this journey for me on the way back to Chengdu. Sitting high up and looking out at the landscape as it zipped by. It was dark by the time we got back to the city and I was feeling kind of sleepy. We pulled into some car park on the outskirts of Chengdu. I had no idea where I was. The Malaysian guys were as lost as me. Taxi drivers stood waiting, offering fairs of 80rmb. We decided to walk to the main street to find a bus. A large bus depot stood two minutes around the corner. Thankfully, the youth hostel flyer, had the bus numbers written on it. I found the number 28 and showed the driver the address. He looked at smiled and told me to pay the 2rmb. The bus was brand new with TV screens showing the back door. Another smart device that you will notice all around China is money card points. You buy a card or rechargeable device that you fill it with money. This can be done at most corner shops , supermarkets or banks. You can then use these on a wide array of venues throughout the cities. Buses, trains, shops, fast food joints like McDonalds and even entry into tourists sights will accept these. 90% of the people, swiped their money cards, as they got on the bus. Chengdu is another grid style setup. Spread out over a fairly wide area with three rings roads encompassing the city. It took over 30 minutes before we got back to my road.
I picked up my flight ticket from reception and booked an airport drop out for the next morning. I thought perhaps a wake call might be a good idea, so I booked that also. Tom and Sarah were upstairs in the common area having some beers. After logging online and Skyping Jojo, i joined them. It was a really nice evening and I loved spending the time chatting about the world and our view points on it. We got on amazingly well. It was morning before I knew it and I was fairly tipsy. We had nearly solved some of the worlds problems over the evenings chats. Its funny how sometimes you just click with some people. As if you've known them all your life. We agreed it might be time to head to bed. I was up in four hours. Before I let them go, I added Tom's to Facebook. If Google is the search God, Facebook is the connection God. Pretty much everyone I have met travelling, from every part of the world has used Facebook. Well done, to the Facebook crew. We walked to our rooms and said our farwells. As I lay down I realised, this is what travelling is about. Meeting amazing people like Tom, Sarah, Eric, Yan and Alex. People that you meet and everyone shares a bit of themselves with each other. Fantastic. Nite.
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