I was lucky to get a free trip to Sydney with my job. I was sent to do a week long course in "ethical hacking" that is, how to penetrate computer systems, web sites and wireless networks. As you might imagine, the course was a lot of fun.
The week in Sydney was amazing. I spent the first four days, Monday to Thursday with my wonderful work friends: Kane and Mitch and some new friends that we picked up along the way (Kit and Stew). We went to some great pubs/restaurants. On the first day we went to the red Oak, a blend of the modern and old fashioned, it had an extensive selection of beers, all of which were brewed right there in the microbrewery. The stout was, dare I say it, better than guinness. They have a lovely little tasting board there, in four varieties (including veggie option) each board consists of four little starters and four little glasses of beer. Each beer is designed to match the starter. Its delicious!
On Tuesday we went all out! Some of the Sydney siders told us about a wonderful Leboneese restaurant. We FEASTED there on all the delicious offerings, I tried bapa ganush dip for the first time, we were good and drunk on BYO wine and finished the night in the roof garden with ice cream and Lebanese coffee and baclawa.
On Wednesday the boys tricked me into going to a steak and crab house. The place was quite fancy, it was on the harbor where, I hear, all the celebs go. The vegetarian stuff wasn't even on the menu!!! Luckily there was a scrumptious veggie salad for starter and tasty pasta for a main course. And, best of all, they had cocktails! So, I turned the whole steakhouse thing on its head and ordered more food than anyone else! The guys all had the crab dish (I was going to say: the guys all had crabs, but that sounded wrong) , apparently, it was good.
We took a moonlit stroll to the see the Oprah house from across the harbor. It was spectacular.
Thursday was quiet, we were exhausted from our week of training and drinking! Also, I was preparing for the weekend.
Paddy had spent the week in Byron bay. He loved it (I'll get him to write about it in the blog), he said it was a laid back, cool place where people were really friendly and he learned to surf!
Anyway, Paddy travelled down to Sydney on Friday and I met him after the course, which finished early. We went out to the Red Oak that night, the next day we took a trip on the Monorail and wandered around Sydney for a while. We went out to Bondi beach and walked from Bondi to Coogie beach, taking in all the sights and soaking up the sun-filled atmosphere. It was backpacker Mecca.
We spent Sunday at the Rocks, finding a lovely little Microbrewery pub called the Lord Nelson.
The rocks is such a nice, peaceful area, we wandered around and had a look at the walls made by the convicts when they were building that part of Sydney.
Next, we headed to the Oprah house and had a closer look, its impressive up close. Our final moments were spent watching some flame swallowers and buskers at the quay. For a moment, I looked up at the glinting sunlight, across to the Oprah house and the life of the place made me feel awed, it was then that I finally realized, I mean, really realized, that we were in Sydney, Australia!
Ballarat 2: Soverign Hill
On our second day in Ballarat we visited Sovereign hill. I'd recommend this theatrical tourist invention to anyone traveling through Victoria.
Basically Sovereign Hill is a reconstruction of an old mining town. You can wander around from shop to shop, drink in the saloon, make candles, watch gold smelting, musket firing. You can go gold panning, try old fashioned bowling or take the amazing mine tours.
Its full of people in period dress and they have street theater which is a very funny, very interactive. You really feel like you are part of that world. Its very well done, quite professional and there's a lot to see.
We took tons of pictures and videos, enough to bore your all, we couldn't resist!!
Basically Sovereign Hill is a reconstruction of an old mining town. You can wander around from shop to shop, drink in the saloon, make candles, watch gold smelting, musket firing. You can go gold panning, try old fashioned bowling or take the amazing mine tours.
Its full of people in period dress and they have street theater which is a very funny, very interactive. You really feel like you are part of that world. Its very well done, quite professional and there's a lot to see.
We took tons of pictures and videos, enough to bore your all, we couldn't resist!!
Ballarat day 1: Romantic cottage
In our adventures around Victoria, Paddy and myself travelled to Ballarat. Paddy went for this history, I went for the lovely, quaint, high tea and frilly cushions atmosphere that I'd heard so much about.
We stayed in a little cottage which is unashamedly designed for couples, semi-nude portraits fill the walls in the most delicate of fashions, the queen size bed is one you could fall into, there are delicate little tea cups and plates and a cd player with a selection of romantic tunes. Books of love people are splattered about and best of all, just by a bay window there is a personal jaquzzi for two, all very romantic. So we wandered through the town, exploring old pubs and theaters (a little disappointed by the pubs, though, very modern and sporty on the inside) and settled into our jaquzzi with a bottle of bubbly! Bubbles and bubbles all round.
We stayed in a little cottage which is unashamedly designed for couples, semi-nude portraits fill the walls in the most delicate of fashions, the queen size bed is one you could fall into, there are delicate little tea cups and plates and a cd player with a selection of romantic tunes. Books of love people are splattered about and best of all, just by a bay window there is a personal jaquzzi for two, all very romantic. So we wandered through the town, exploring old pubs and theaters (a little disappointed by the pubs, though, very modern and sporty on the inside) and settled into our jaquzzi with a bottle of bubbly! Bubbles and bubbles all round.
Bendigo: the gold route
Been in Victoria for a while now (that's where Melbourne is) and traveled outside of the great city of Melbourne on a few occasions. Twice I've been to Bendigo, which is a small city (i.e. a town) about two hours from Melbourne by car. Its a mining town and forms part of the Gold Mining history route (along with Ballarat which I will come to in my next post). Its really quite an interesting place as it still looks like a mining town, its very dusty and there is a bar there that looks more like a wild-west style saloon. Inside it is smoky and full of pokie machines (one arm bandids and a range of other gambling machines)
Austalia is a place of pies, to say that they like pies is an understatement, they just love 'em, especially in the mining towns, so if you ever go to Bendigo you have to check out the pies!! Delicious!
Austalia is a place of pies, to say that they like pies is an understatement, they just love 'em, especially in the mining towns, so if you ever go to Bendigo you have to check out the pies!! Delicious!
Living on the other side of the world
Here we are. We wanted to go to Australia for years. I fought it for years, I think, because of my sluggish resistance to change, Paddy fought for it for years, against my sluggish resistance to change. But here we are, at last.
I miss Lynn, I miss Joe, I miss you Susan and Stevie!! God I miss you guys so much. Friends, real, true friends are the most wonderful and the most elusive thing to find. I’ve met a hundreds of people in my life (as the chatty sociable Cavs that I am) and I’m lucky to make a scattering of true friends. Friends love you through all your little insanties and love you because of your idiosyncricities, not in spite of them.
I have to admit that admist the great amnesia that travel brings, the great wave of freedom I come to miss a few people: Lynn & Pat, Joe & Susan, Steve, Stevie, John, Alan, Kev, Eoinin, Elizabeth, Mark, Harry, Ian, Brendan, Emmet... I miss you all so much. You mean the world to me and I look forward to visits from everyone.
I'm making friends here (you know who you are… ;) and meeting new people. I'm getting a cat (mister Kitten will never be cat-stew) , a guitar (can play “everyone hurts” thanks to Joe’s tuition), I'm writing as much as I can, making my own songs, making a clay animation, joined a writers group. In the land of work, things are a ball, I’m really loving my job. I'm consulting like a real evil person, yes, I’ve turned to the darkside (Darth Laura? well not quite yet…, mmm, do I get a light saber, well in that case..).
Its been four months since I left Ireland and I've seen so much in that short time. We were terrified four months ago, now we’re on the crest of a beautiful wave (to quote Fear and Loathin) and its so much very cool. This place feels like home already.
I think that while travelling can feel like a great amnesia, as it is a break from the norm, it is also a chance to honestly look at yourself and your life and where you are going, you should use it wisely, that's what I'm trying to do... follow my heart and find out where it leads me, throw caution to the wind... and know myself and perhaps step outside of my ironic pose for just a moment to claim my feelings as my own.
I miss Lynn, I miss Joe, I miss you Susan and Stevie!! God I miss you guys so much. Friends, real, true friends are the most wonderful and the most elusive thing to find. I’ve met a hundreds of people in my life (as the chatty sociable Cavs that I am) and I’m lucky to make a scattering of true friends. Friends love you through all your little insanties and love you because of your idiosyncricities, not in spite of them.
I have to admit that admist the great amnesia that travel brings, the great wave of freedom I come to miss a few people: Lynn & Pat, Joe & Susan, Steve, Stevie, John, Alan, Kev, Eoinin, Elizabeth, Mark, Harry, Ian, Brendan, Emmet... I miss you all so much. You mean the world to me and I look forward to visits from everyone.
I'm making friends here (you know who you are… ;) and meeting new people. I'm getting a cat (mister Kitten will never be cat-stew) , a guitar (can play “everyone hurts” thanks to Joe’s tuition), I'm writing as much as I can, making my own songs, making a clay animation, joined a writers group. In the land of work, things are a ball, I’m really loving my job. I'm consulting like a real evil person, yes, I’ve turned to the darkside (Darth Laura? well not quite yet…, mmm, do I get a light saber, well in that case..).
Its been four months since I left Ireland and I've seen so much in that short time. We were terrified four months ago, now we’re on the crest of a beautiful wave (to quote Fear and Loathin) and its so much very cool. This place feels like home already.
I think that while travelling can feel like a great amnesia, as it is a break from the norm, it is also a chance to honestly look at yourself and your life and where you are going, you should use it wisely, that's what I'm trying to do... follow my heart and find out where it leads me, throw caution to the wind... and know myself and perhaps step outside of my ironic pose for just a moment to claim my feelings as my own.
Melbourne: City of Culture
The first chapter of our trip is over. The greater part is just beginning. We have reached Melbourne, our stopping destination for God Knows how long and wonderful city of culture and cool.
The train journey was fun, a very confortable train, lots of nice food. We booked into a tiny little budget hotel and hauled our bags the flight of stairs.
We came at the wrong weekend, we really did. This particular weekend Melbourne was host to: The Grand Prix, Tennis competitions, the World Swimming competitions, some sort of football tournament and St. Patricks day!!! So, as you might imagine accommodation was hard to find.
Our first task was finding somewhere to live. Paddy also had to find a job, I was lucky I got an international transfer (go Cybertrust!!!, thanks a billion Steve, world’s best boss), so all I had to do was show up in my tailored suit from Vietnam and hope they liked me.
I was really nervous all week about working, its scary to start off in a new place on the other side of the world. Its been exhilerating, but scary. I think you have to do the things you're scared of, makes life a little bit more fluid, it means that you are always growing and developing as a person. I’m scared of lots of things so I get lots of opportunities to do that.
Our trip has changed us in someways. We have faced the fear and panic of being lost in new places where no one speaks English (we are so insulated in Ireland), we have faced the dissapointment of ending up in crappy accomodation, the paranoia of booking inter-country trips with dodgy tour operators, we have seen the poverty of Asia, especially Cambodia, and faced the con-artistry that is so prevelent in Vietnam.
As a couple, it challenged us. There were a few times when we found it difficult not to kill each other.
On the other hand, we found the wonder of the unknown, we were awed and entrigued by mysterious cultures, we wandered streets that are a million miles from home, talked to people of almost every race, language and creed. We visited Hindu and Buddhist monuments and temples, watched to anti-capitalist videos in Vietnam, splashed around in the wonderful islands of Thailand, wandered through the thought-provoking temples of Ankor, visited the intriguing cities of Vietnam, saw its fun trashy sea-side towns, basked in its rejuvinating mud paths and hydro-spas. We drank 10c beer in Hanoi on street corners and ate 50c Pad Thai from street venders in Bangkok. Mostly we felt a wonderful sense of one-ness with the world, we weren't afraid of the different cultures of the foreignness or strangeness that we encountered anymore, we were amazed by it and felt as if we were part of it.
Now Melbourne waits with her new challenges, the new mission, the new quest is not just to backpack or holiday, but to live as ordinary working folk in Melbourne and feel as if it is our home. Is that The Cat Empire I hear on the radio…?
The train journey was fun, a very confortable train, lots of nice food. We booked into a tiny little budget hotel and hauled our bags the flight of stairs.
We came at the wrong weekend, we really did. This particular weekend Melbourne was host to: The Grand Prix, Tennis competitions, the World Swimming competitions, some sort of football tournament and St. Patricks day!!! So, as you might imagine accommodation was hard to find.
Our first task was finding somewhere to live. Paddy also had to find a job, I was lucky I got an international transfer (go Cybertrust!!!, thanks a billion Steve, world’s best boss), so all I had to do was show up in my tailored suit from Vietnam and hope they liked me.
I was really nervous all week about working, its scary to start off in a new place on the other side of the world. Its been exhilerating, but scary. I think you have to do the things you're scared of, makes life a little bit more fluid, it means that you are always growing and developing as a person. I’m scared of lots of things so I get lots of opportunities to do that.
Our trip has changed us in someways. We have faced the fear and panic of being lost in new places where no one speaks English (we are so insulated in Ireland), we have faced the dissapointment of ending up in crappy accomodation, the paranoia of booking inter-country trips with dodgy tour operators, we have seen the poverty of Asia, especially Cambodia, and faced the con-artistry that is so prevelent in Vietnam.
As a couple, it challenged us. There were a few times when we found it difficult not to kill each other.
On the other hand, we found the wonder of the unknown, we were awed and entrigued by mysterious cultures, we wandered streets that are a million miles from home, talked to people of almost every race, language and creed. We visited Hindu and Buddhist monuments and temples, watched to anti-capitalist videos in Vietnam, splashed around in the wonderful islands of Thailand, wandered through the thought-provoking temples of Ankor, visited the intriguing cities of Vietnam, saw its fun trashy sea-side towns, basked in its rejuvinating mud paths and hydro-spas. We drank 10c beer in Hanoi on street corners and ate 50c Pad Thai from street venders in Bangkok. Mostly we felt a wonderful sense of one-ness with the world, we weren't afraid of the different cultures of the foreignness or strangeness that we encountered anymore, we were amazed by it and felt as if we were part of it.
Now Melbourne waits with her new challenges, the new mission, the new quest is not just to backpack or holiday, but to live as ordinary working folk in Melbourne and feel as if it is our home. Is that The Cat Empire I hear on the radio…?
Sydney ahoy: 12th March 2007, trouble with Wooden Wind Chime..
When we got aboard our Quantis flight I was looking forward to the TV, specifically watching five movies back to back(sad, sad, sad). My worse fear was that my TV wouldn't be working...
The flight started well, my TV was working, but half way through my first movie, which was stranger than fiction, the flight there was a technical problem, some people's TVs weren't functioning properly. But MY tv was working, sorry for those people, but why ruin it for the rest of us, right? (had a Diva moment, sorry). The cabin crew decided that the old trick of turning it and off and on again might work. They turned off everyone's and tried to start them again, but the system failed miserably. I sat shocked and horrified at the growing credibility in my once foolish concern that the TVs would some how fail.
I waited, hoping someone would shout "Is there a programmer on board?" (I'll never be a Doctor, so I'm waiting for that day ) but no, they didn't even bother fixing the entertainment system. It was very upsetting and I still hold this against Australia
as a country.
We arrived in Sydney in the morning with no place to stay and rather aggitated from the flight, Paddy was very grumpy. We tried to get a hostel. We got a bus into the city centre (being wisened backpackers at this stage) and got a cab to a known hostel: it was full up. We had a massive fight which involved him storming off and me stranded by a railway station (men, eh?), but he came back half an hour later and he had booked a hostel for us. He was slightly less grumpy. We luckily found another one, beside the railway station. The hostel was really cool, I'd go there again, it felt like being in college what with all the notices for accomodiation and being offering to share lifts and so on.
We spent one day in Sydney, it was a very quick tour of the City and I've been dying to go back ever since. One day just isn't enough!!
We went on a boat along the harbour, saw the harbour bridge and the Opera house and the beaches. We saw the monorail and the famous Scubar.
The next morning was an early start (about 6.30) as we were catching the 12 hour train to Melbourne.
The flight started well, my TV was working, but half way through my first movie, which was stranger than fiction, the flight there was a technical problem, some people's TVs weren't functioning properly. But MY tv was working, sorry for those people, but why ruin it for the rest of us, right? (had a Diva moment, sorry). The cabin crew decided that the old trick of turning it and off and on again might work. They turned off everyone's and tried to start them again, but the system failed miserably. I sat shocked and horrified at the growing credibility in my once foolish concern that the TVs would some how fail.
I waited, hoping someone would shout "Is there a programmer on board?" (I'll never be a Doctor, so I'm waiting for that day ) but no, they didn't even bother fixing the entertainment system. It was very upsetting and I still hold this against Australia
as a country.
We arrived in Sydney in the morning with no place to stay and rather aggitated from the flight, Paddy was very grumpy. We tried to get a hostel. We got a bus into the city centre (being wisened backpackers at this stage) and got a cab to a known hostel: it was full up. We had a massive fight which involved him storming off and me stranded by a railway station (men, eh?), but he came back half an hour later and he had booked a hostel for us. He was slightly less grumpy. We luckily found another one, beside the railway station. The hostel was really cool, I'd go there again, it felt like being in college what with all the notices for accomodiation and being offering to share lifts and so on.
We spent one day in Sydney, it was a very quick tour of the City and I've been dying to go back ever since. One day just isn't enough!!
We went on a boat along the harbour, saw the harbour bridge and the Opera house and the beaches. We saw the monorail and the famous Scubar.
The next morning was an early start (about 6.30) as we were catching the 12 hour train to Melbourne.
Bangkok 2: The Return
When we first came to Bangkok it seemed foreign, it seemed scary, it was confusing and busy and full of people. When we came back it seemed so Western in comparison to the rest of our travels. We stayed at the same hotel, this time it was much less intimidating. We could wander around without feeling worried, we could bargain Moto drivers down to a normal price, we ate food from stalls and went drinking in curious little pubs. We had been through the baptism of fire, we were finally able to call ourselves backpackers.
At that stage we wished, beyond wishes, that we were actually back on day one. Our holiday was suddenly over, and yet, it was still only beginning. We were off to yet another continent: Australia.
At that stage we wished, beyond wishes, that we were actually back on day one. Our holiday was suddenly over, and yet, it was still only beginning. We were off to yet another continent: Australia.
Beer in Hanoi
Hanoi was the most beautiful place of all, full of quaint, delicate little streets, winding side roads, markets sprawling everywhere and the bussling noise of an old fashioned town. We could have wandered around for hours.
The local beer is 10c a glass in little outdoor cafes. It is basically brewed along the foot path, you just pull up a chair and order one. Its good beer too, no additives, no hangover and brewed freshly every day. We spent the time talking to an interesting Italian guy, some really friendly, easy going Americans and a rude, spoilt English man who acted like a prat to everyone and started talking down to the others even though it was his first day in Vietnam. He annoyed everyone, but I'd like to think I annoyed him because he got very huffy with my sarcasm and started shouting at me in a fit of rage, ha, ha, I'm here to annoy the annoyers.
We said good bye to Hanoi with a sigh. It was an amazing city, full of spirit and vibrancy, definately the best place in Vietnam.
On the 10th of February we returned to Bankok for one night before flying out to Oz.
The local beer is 10c a glass in little outdoor cafes. It is basically brewed along the foot path, you just pull up a chair and order one. Its good beer too, no additives, no hangover and brewed freshly every day. We spent the time talking to an interesting Italian guy, some really friendly, easy going Americans and a rude, spoilt English man who acted like a prat to everyone and started talking down to the others even though it was his first day in Vietnam. He annoyed everyone, but I'd like to think I annoyed him because he got very huffy with my sarcasm and started shouting at me in a fit of rage, ha, ha, I'm here to annoy the annoyers.
We said good bye to Hanoi with a sigh. It was an amazing city, full of spirit and vibrancy, definately the best place in Vietnam.
On the 10th of February we returned to Bankok for one night before flying out to Oz.
Hanoi: the museems
We landed in Hanoi and reached our hotel around six in the morning (stupid overnight train) and set about exploring this beautiful city.
There is a lake there, near our hotel and there are giant tortoises in it, they have the body of one of these preserved, its over two meters in length. We went over the bridge and wandered about the wonderful pagoda on the Island. There were statues of Warriors in colourful dress, it was interesting because it seemed so different, so foreign to us.
We went on our history tour (when you are traveling with a historian you do that a lot) to see the Ho Chi Mi Mausaleem and the one leg pagoda. We wandered around the beautiful gardens and made our way to the gigantic Lenin(that's not John Lenin, BTW, but the political leader Lenin) memorial. Next, we went to the War Reminents Museum. Its very emotive, we both felt overwhelmed by the poignant stories of reporters who were killed, of husbands who never returned and disgusted by the brutal effects of chemical warfare and brutal American troops.
There is a lake there, near our hotel and there are giant tortoises in it, they have the body of one of these preserved, its over two meters in length. We went over the bridge and wandered about the wonderful pagoda on the Island. There were statues of Warriors in colourful dress, it was interesting because it seemed so different, so foreign to us.
We went on our history tour (when you are traveling with a historian you do that a lot) to see the Ho Chi Mi Mausaleem and the one leg pagoda. We wandered around the beautiful gardens and made our way to the gigantic Lenin(that's not John Lenin, BTW, but the political leader Lenin) memorial. Next, we went to the War Reminents Museum. Its very emotive, we both felt overwhelmed by the poignant stories of reporters who were killed, of husbands who never returned and disgusted by the brutal effects of chemical warfare and brutal American troops.
The Train
The Train
They say that you should, at least once, take the train that runs from Saigon to Hanoi, the famous reunification express. We decided that we'd take, or rather, brave, the sixteen hour train journey, from Hoi an to Hanoi. It was a night train and it was loud, bumpy and down right crazy.
The noise of the train could just about be blocked out the loud musical that blazed from the television screen. The food was icky, apparently (it was meat based, so I didn't have it, but Paddy said that I wasn't missing anything). The toilet was the worst we had ever seen, it was the kind of train toilet that you see passed around as an email attachment entitled "disgusting toilets of the world" or something like that. It was swirling with a strange smelling mixture of various pees and poos along with a smell of food. When you flushed the toilet you had to jump back to escape the wave of urine based water that sprung up at you and covered the toilet area. I wanted to take a picture, but I didn't have any film left.
We seemed to be the only Westerners on the train, and the conductors were wary of us. At every stop they asked us, and us alone, if we were getting out at this stop, and when we said no, they got suspicious and asked to see our tickets. I was getting angry at this, Paddy said I was being irrational, we fought a lot.
When we got off the train, we were again, exhausted, lifeless, hungry things. The desire to sleep could only be combated with the desire to eat. We forgot to take our tickets with us, thinking that we didn't need them now that the journey was over, since we had already been checked a million times. We were wrong: we could not exit the station without our tickets.
We fought amongst ourselves, fed up, at this stage, of the hassle of traveling for sixteen hours straight. I went back to the train to get our tickets, but it was locked up and they wouldn't let us in. We waited. Eventually, they let us go.
The train was something we had to do, it was like a babtism of fire for real backpacking as we saw it, struggling, suffering, roughing it. The worst thing for me was that we hadn’t got any cash with us on the train, we didn’t prepare for this, we ran out and couldn’t find an ATM anywhere. This really frustrated me, more than that it sent me into a sprial of panic, sixteen hours of a train with no food and no money until we got to the other side. I grew up poor and I hate to be without money, when you know what its like to worry about money, when you have been without it most of your life, you find it terrifying to be without it, even for a day for you remember, tragically, just how little poor people count in the world.
We had arrived in Hanoi: we got a taxi to a hotel which we found in lonely planet. It had closed down, so we went to the next hotel, which was better looking anyway. We got to our hotel room as sleep came easy to us, the great relief.
We were positioned at a place called Bia Hoi junction, the perfect place for sampling the local 10 cent beer.
They say that you should, at least once, take the train that runs from Saigon to Hanoi, the famous reunification express. We decided that we'd take, or rather, brave, the sixteen hour train journey, from Hoi an to Hanoi. It was a night train and it was loud, bumpy and down right crazy.
The noise of the train could just about be blocked out the loud musical that blazed from the television screen. The food was icky, apparently (it was meat based, so I didn't have it, but Paddy said that I wasn't missing anything). The toilet was the worst we had ever seen, it was the kind of train toilet that you see passed around as an email attachment entitled "disgusting toilets of the world" or something like that. It was swirling with a strange smelling mixture of various pees and poos along with a smell of food. When you flushed the toilet you had to jump back to escape the wave of urine based water that sprung up at you and covered the toilet area. I wanted to take a picture, but I didn't have any film left.
We seemed to be the only Westerners on the train, and the conductors were wary of us. At every stop they asked us, and us alone, if we were getting out at this stop, and when we said no, they got suspicious and asked to see our tickets. I was getting angry at this, Paddy said I was being irrational, we fought a lot.
When we got off the train, we were again, exhausted, lifeless, hungry things. The desire to sleep could only be combated with the desire to eat. We forgot to take our tickets with us, thinking that we didn't need them now that the journey was over, since we had already been checked a million times. We were wrong: we could not exit the station without our tickets.
We fought amongst ourselves, fed up, at this stage, of the hassle of traveling for sixteen hours straight. I went back to the train to get our tickets, but it was locked up and they wouldn't let us in. We waited. Eventually, they let us go.
The train was something we had to do, it was like a babtism of fire for real backpacking as we saw it, struggling, suffering, roughing it. The worst thing for me was that we hadn’t got any cash with us on the train, we didn’t prepare for this, we ran out and couldn’t find an ATM anywhere. This really frustrated me, more than that it sent me into a sprial of panic, sixteen hours of a train with no food and no money until we got to the other side. I grew up poor and I hate to be without money, when you know what its like to worry about money, when you have been without it most of your life, you find it terrifying to be without it, even for a day for you remember, tragically, just how little poor people count in the world.
We had arrived in Hanoi: we got a taxi to a hotel which we found in lonely planet. It had closed down, so we went to the next hotel, which was better looking anyway. We got to our hotel room as sleep came easy to us, the great relief.
We were positioned at a place called Bia Hoi junction, the perfect place for sampling the local 10 cent beer.
Hoi An
We took an over night bus all of the 700 km or so to Hoi An which is the half way mark in Vietnam, along the coast. The bus was annoying due to snorry guy who kept snoring even when he was awake. My policy (its rather strict) with snorers is to wake up the snoring person and then try to get to sleep before they do. This didn't work, by the middle of the journey every one hated snorry guy, we could hear grumbling all around. The twelve hour journey went relatively quickly, we spent the time reading. I was addicted at the time, to Nick Hornby's how to be good, one of the most accurate and funniest books ever written. Paddy was reading about the Pol Pot regeigm.
We reached Hoi an in the morning, seven am, exhausted and confused. The bus took us to a hotel at the edge of town. We didn't want to stay there, but we were tired and it was early in the morning. Bus companies all do that in Asia, drop you outside shitty hotels.
The hotel itself was great value, only 5 US dollors per night, thats about four euros, each. The room was comfortable and had a nice bathroom. But the hotel was wierd, we had once again ended up in a wierd place. We seem to find these places where ever we go.
The hotel rooms were all internal, artificial windows were in place, which opened to the inside of the hotel. There were hardly any guests and the restaurant people laughed at us all the time, very strange. We could tell people were laughing at us, thinking "stupid westerners" but this is a common occurance in Vietnam. Hoi an is famous for tailors, that was what had brought us to this picturesque little town.
It was French Colonial in style, beautifully layed out with delicate buildings, lots of detail. It was like an artifical town kept alive only for tourists.
We had saved money for suits, we wanted to get as many as we could carry with us.
The tailor shops are cool: you go in and look through a magazine, picking what ever clothes you want made, you pick your materials and they make up the clothes in two days or so.
We found a little market stall that did some casual clothes, I got lots of stuff there, including a suit and it turned out to last longer than the tailor shop.
We reached Hoi an in the morning, seven am, exhausted and confused. The bus took us to a hotel at the edge of town. We didn't want to stay there, but we were tired and it was early in the morning. Bus companies all do that in Asia, drop you outside shitty hotels.
The hotel itself was great value, only 5 US dollors per night, thats about four euros, each. The room was comfortable and had a nice bathroom. But the hotel was wierd, we had once again ended up in a wierd place. We seem to find these places where ever we go.
The hotel rooms were all internal, artificial windows were in place, which opened to the inside of the hotel. There were hardly any guests and the restaurant people laughed at us all the time, very strange. We could tell people were laughing at us, thinking "stupid westerners" but this is a common occurance in Vietnam. Hoi an is famous for tailors, that was what had brought us to this picturesque little town.
It was French Colonial in style, beautifully layed out with delicate buildings, lots of detail. It was like an artifical town kept alive only for tourists.
We had saved money for suits, we wanted to get as many as we could carry with us.
The tailor shops are cool: you go in and look through a magazine, picking what ever clothes you want made, you pick your materials and they make up the clothes in two days or so.
We found a little market stall that did some casual clothes, I got lots of stuff there, including a suit and it turned out to last longer than the tailor shop.
Na Trang
Next we headed up the coast to find Na Trang, this is a town about 300 km from Saigon. We went there by bus, it took us ten hours I think, maybe eleven. On the way we saw lots of severely run down towns, pretty sad actually, but Na Trang itself was a pleasant surprise.
Its tacky, but in the most lovable way, its like the blackpool (or Bundoran) of Vietnam.
We picked a hotel from the lonely planet because it had a roof top garden. It was a strange place, sort of quirky, with a really wierd manager. He was extremely camp and he flirted a lot with Paddy. We spent the first day wandering around Na Trang, going to little book shops and cafes. In some ways its quite quaint, in Vietnam its possible for the quaint and the brash to stay side by side. Na Trang has got really impressive beaches which are picturesque and quite uncrowded.
We took a day trip to a nearby spa with mineral and mud baths. the mud baths are awesome, we wasted the peace and tranqulity having mud fights, but that was a lot of fun. At times like that Paddy seems like a little boy. The mineral baths were also relaxing and very good for the skin too. There were also hydro-thingees that you run through. We went swimming for a little while in the pool, I got a massage (which was really painful), we were both quite relaxed at the end of our day. We missed one of the buses and got a lift back with some scary biker guys (We spent a lot of time on Motor bikes in Asia, they are such an adreniline rush) to Na Trang. They wanted to take us on a motor bike tour across central vietnam, which is supposed to be an awesome trip, but we didn't have enough time left on our trip.
It was quiet and peacful in Na Trang and we weren't scammed by any one (see cyclos above) and it was very cheap, restaurants give you free welcome shots (leading to later drunkeness). We did the Irish thing and jumped on the waves at the beach, it was a really turbulant sea, but we saw no surfers which is kind of strange.
We were actually pretty quiet on the night out scene, I think, at this stage, backpacking had exhausted us, we were sleeping and lazing about most of the time.
Its tacky, but in the most lovable way, its like the blackpool (or Bundoran) of Vietnam.
We picked a hotel from the lonely planet because it had a roof top garden. It was a strange place, sort of quirky, with a really wierd manager. He was extremely camp and he flirted a lot with Paddy. We spent the first day wandering around Na Trang, going to little book shops and cafes. In some ways its quite quaint, in Vietnam its possible for the quaint and the brash to stay side by side. Na Trang has got really impressive beaches which are picturesque and quite uncrowded.
We took a day trip to a nearby spa with mineral and mud baths. the mud baths are awesome, we wasted the peace and tranqulity having mud fights, but that was a lot of fun. At times like that Paddy seems like a little boy. The mineral baths were also relaxing and very good for the skin too. There were also hydro-thingees that you run through. We went swimming for a little while in the pool, I got a massage (which was really painful), we were both quite relaxed at the end of our day. We missed one of the buses and got a lift back with some scary biker guys (We spent a lot of time on Motor bikes in Asia, they are such an adreniline rush) to Na Trang. They wanted to take us on a motor bike tour across central vietnam, which is supposed to be an awesome trip, but we didn't have enough time left on our trip.
It was quiet and peacful in Na Trang and we weren't scammed by any one (see cyclos above) and it was very cheap, restaurants give you free welcome shots (leading to later drunkeness). We did the Irish thing and jumped on the waves at the beach, it was a really turbulant sea, but we saw no surfers which is kind of strange.
We were actually pretty quiet on the night out scene, I think, at this stage, backpacking had exhausted us, we were sleeping and lazing about most of the time.
Saigon, Vietnam
We flew out of Siam reap and into Saigon. Its such a contrast, its a huge, chaotic city with motorbikes every where and as all avid Grayhem Greene fans do we tried to find the milk bar, but ended up the the night club Apocolypse Now (very wierd, lots of security guards, no other western women).
Saigon is really dirty, the streets are dusty and the shops are just filthy, there are hardly any footpaths and motor bikes screech by every corner. Its a big city and its exhausting.
We went to the reunification palace, which is really intense, it has a strange video show about how terrible the Americans are, very biased.
We also went to the history museum which was quite interesting. Saigon's got lots to see, but remember, the museems have funny opening hours like 9-11 with a three hour lunch opening again from 2-5.30.
We ended up getting scammed (I blame Paddy for this as I told him it was a scam and he insisted that they were nice guys) by two evil little cyclos who cajoled us into a tour and refused to give us a price up front. I asked several times how much it would be, offered two dollors, and they said "its okay, pay us what you want". At the end of three hours of going to markets and having dinner and seeing two temples they charged us 30 euros each, I through a strop and refused to wish them good luck. I also refused to pay and finally brought them down a little to fifteen quid each after some immature tantrum throwing.
Another piece of advice is that most restaurants change ownership pretty quickly and have a short shelf life. Even with the latest lonely planet we still found that every restaurant we tried to get to had closed down.
For vegetarians I reccommend the fake meat cafes, the stuff they make looks just like meat, but it isn't. They are really run-down looking, but don't let that fool you, the food is great.
Saigon is really dirty, the streets are dusty and the shops are just filthy, there are hardly any footpaths and motor bikes screech by every corner. Its a big city and its exhausting.
We went to the reunification palace, which is really intense, it has a strange video show about how terrible the Americans are, very biased.
We also went to the history museum which was quite interesting. Saigon's got lots to see, but remember, the museems have funny opening hours like 9-11 with a three hour lunch opening again from 2-5.30.
We ended up getting scammed (I blame Paddy for this as I told him it was a scam and he insisted that they were nice guys) by two evil little cyclos who cajoled us into a tour and refused to give us a price up front. I asked several times how much it would be, offered two dollors, and they said "its okay, pay us what you want". At the end of three hours of going to markets and having dinner and seeing two temples they charged us 30 euros each, I through a strop and refused to wish them good luck. I also refused to pay and finally brought them down a little to fifteen quid each after some immature tantrum throwing.
Another piece of advice is that most restaurants change ownership pretty quickly and have a short shelf life. Even with the latest lonely planet we still found that every restaurant we tried to get to had closed down.
For vegetarians I reccommend the fake meat cafes, the stuff they make looks just like meat, but it isn't. They are really run-down looking, but don't let that fool you, the food is great.
Feb 24th Marti Gras
This was our last day at the temples and we had left the best to last: the oldest temples lay about twenty kilometers outside of Siem reap, to the South East, far from the rest of Ankor. There were two major temples to see: one of the was shaped like a pyramid, it rose about twenty meters high and you could climb it and we did.
When we arrived first we realised we'd forgotten our passes, doh! Paddy and the driver went back together by motor bike while I waited with a group of Cambodians who had been selling postcards. The driver knew them and said I should wait with them. We were in the middle of no where, there was nothing else to do. I sat sipping sprite at a small table in a tent which the sales women and little girls showed me all the stuff they were selling. I was nervous at first, I didn't really know what to say and I felt ackward, I couldn't wait for Paddy to return.
But we started talking and time passed more quickly. They were all really curious about Ireland and how rich the Irish are supposed to be. I explained that we weren't always that way, told them about the famine and all that, about being occupied by a foreign force, about our recessions and struggles. They hadn't heard this about a western country before, they seemed really shocked.
They told me about Cambodia, what its like now. People are so happy and upbeat, they want to make something of their lives. The children in the tent were working there, selling postcards, in order to pay for school so that they could become tour guides.
Siam Reap is great in its own right, even without
Ankor I'd go there again , it was my favorite place of all. The nightlife is just crazy, bars sell buckets of whiskey mixed with red bull and coke. There is a really cool pub called Ankor What that is full of graffiti dating back years from all over the world, you can add your own, we did. we managed to catch Marti Gras there too. They had people drinking beer on an ice funnel coming from the third floor (a luge) and everyone was dancing and drinking on the streets. I got beads !! (from Paddy, but it still counts).
When we arrived first we realised we'd forgotten our passes, doh! Paddy and the driver went back together by motor bike while I waited with a group of Cambodians who had been selling postcards. The driver knew them and said I should wait with them. We were in the middle of no where, there was nothing else to do. I sat sipping sprite at a small table in a tent which the sales women and little girls showed me all the stuff they were selling. I was nervous at first, I didn't really know what to say and I felt ackward, I couldn't wait for Paddy to return.
But we started talking and time passed more quickly. They were all really curious about Ireland and how rich the Irish are supposed to be. I explained that we weren't always that way, told them about the famine and all that, about being occupied by a foreign force, about our recessions and struggles. They hadn't heard this about a western country before, they seemed really shocked.
They told me about Cambodia, what its like now. People are so happy and upbeat, they want to make something of their lives. The children in the tent were working there, selling postcards, in order to pay for school so that they could become tour guides.
Siam Reap is great in its own right, even without
Ankor I'd go there again , it was my favorite place of all. The nightlife is just crazy, bars sell buckets of whiskey mixed with red bull and coke. There is a really cool pub called Ankor What that is full of graffiti dating back years from all over the world, you can add your own, we did. we managed to catch Marti Gras there too. They had people drinking beer on an ice funnel coming from the third floor (a luge) and everyone was dancing and drinking on the streets. I got beads !! (from Paddy, but it still counts).
Feb 23rd -temples and a wooden windchime
Today was a quiet day, it was one of those in-betweeners, or "get as much ancient city seen as possible". It is hot in Cambodia, very hot. In fact, its the hottest place I've ever been by a landslide. So, when you are wandering around the temples, it like being a target for the sun, there is no shade, not in the smaller temples, it can be exhausting.
We went to see a few small temples that have trees growing through them, these are on the edge of the jungle, they look like the epitemy of ancient, undiscovered cities: Indiana-Jones would have been proud. There are several overgrown temples that the trees are claiming, one of these was the set for Tomb Raider.
We also met a women making hand crafted items from palm trees. She used every part of the palm: from the milk which made fudge-like sweets to the shell which made bowls and plates as well as oranaments. We got a wind chime which we carefully carried (it broke a little though) to Austalia with us( it was made of wood which we will come back to).
We went to see a few small temples that have trees growing through them, these are on the edge of the jungle, they look like the epitemy of ancient, undiscovered cities: Indiana-Jones would have been proud. There are several overgrown temples that the trees are claiming, one of these was the set for Tomb Raider.
We also met a women making hand crafted items from palm trees. She used every part of the palm: from the milk which made fudge-like sweets to the shell which made bowls and plates as well as oranaments. We got a wind chime which we carefully carried (it broke a little though) to Austalia with us( it was made of wood which we will come back to).
Feb 22nd - Ankor
Ankor is composed of hundeds of buildings, the biggest two are the palace of Ankor Wot and the ancient, walled city of Ankor Thom. These magnificant places took up most of our first day.
Ankor Wot is, as I said, a palace. It is huge and quiet charasmatic. There are statues from Hinduism and later, Budhism, all around. There are several floors and interesting steps to climb.
The most interesting part of Ankor Wot is a massive wall sculpting that carries on for a few meters. It depicts a hindu legend called the churning of the sea of milk: the hindu vision of creation.
Ankor Thom has a gateway full of giant stone heads, that is quite breathtaking. As you enter the inside of the walles there are several cool places to see. My favorite two are the elephant terrace and the terrace of the leper king. These are full of interesting carvings which cover the walls depicting sword swallowers, dancers and nobles.
We were exhausted by then, it was time for lunch. The restaurant was full of hens and chicks runnning about, it seemed more like a farm house than a restaurant. After food all we wanted to do was sleep, we had done a lot of walking, evening was setting in. The driver returned us to our dodgy hotel and we fell into a semi-comatoze state for a few hours. The driver took us down town later on that night and left us at the blue pumpkin for a night of drinking.
We sampled Siam Reap's range of cocktails and headed back to our dodgy hotel.
Ankor Wot is, as I said, a palace. It is huge and quiet charasmatic. There are statues from Hinduism and later, Budhism, all around. There are several floors and interesting steps to climb.
The most interesting part of Ankor Wot is a massive wall sculpting that carries on for a few meters. It depicts a hindu legend called the churning of the sea of milk: the hindu vision of creation.
Ankor Thom has a gateway full of giant stone heads, that is quite breathtaking. As you enter the inside of the walles there are several cool places to see. My favorite two are the elephant terrace and the terrace of the leper king. These are full of interesting carvings which cover the walls depicting sword swallowers, dancers and nobles.
We were exhausted by then, it was time for lunch. The restaurant was full of hens and chicks runnning about, it seemed more like a farm house than a restaurant. After food all we wanted to do was sleep, we had done a lot of walking, evening was setting in. The driver returned us to our dodgy hotel and we fell into a semi-comatoze state for a few hours. The driver took us down town later on that night and left us at the blue pumpkin for a night of drinking.
We sampled Siam Reap's range of cocktails and headed back to our dodgy hotel.
Feb 22nd -morning of madness
We woke up in Cambodia in a strinkingly bare, but clean, hotel room. We showered (we were covered in dust), got dressed, piled on the suncream (it was almost 40 degrees outside) and insect repellent (once biten twice shy) and went in search of a Vietnamese visa. It was a Thursday and we needed to get on for Sunday when we planned to leave Cambodia. Due to the weekend a three day visa application would not be complete until Tuesday at the earliest. We needed a one day visa. On the way out of the hotel we met with the outdoors bar that also doubled as a reception. A man sat in on the seats, as we passed he asked us what our plans were, we stopped and told him about the visa. He said he could get us a next -day visa for 65 US dollors. We agreed. This is good value, extremely good, as the official price is 95 US dollors.
We sat down in the bar and he asked us if we wanted to order drinks or breakfast, it felt more like a demand than a question. He was seriously shady and the bar was full of his equally shady friends. Both Paddy and I agree that these guys were dodgy, they had the look of men who would kill you for 50c. I tried to put on a brave face and look him in the eye, but he made me shiver, there was something about him, I can't really put my finger on it, but something threatening, he was used to controlling people, I could see that.
We got up after talking to him for about twenty minutes, we had filled out some forms for visas and given him our passports, which is standard procedure. We were about to leave when he called us back sharply, I jumped with shock, revealing my fear of him, (very annoyed at myself for showing weakness) and he snarled "Didn't you order orange juice?"
"They never arrived" I mumbled "So we assumed thta you had forgotten about them, we ordered them a while ago". He said nothing, but instead looked at the bar made, she brought over two orange juices. I was beginning to get a bit thrilled by the whole experience at this stage, here we were, in Cambodia, drinking orange juice and arranging dodgy visa deals with guys who were probably in the Kmer Ruge.
We went to get breakfast and found a bank. After changing some money we decided to get a moto to the ancient city of Ankor which lies about seven kilometers north of Siem Reap. We got three day tickets which were a wopping 40 dollors each and carried on inside. Our driver was such a friendly guy, and the monuments were so far apart, that we decided to hire him for the day for which he only charged a tenner.
We sat down in the bar and he asked us if we wanted to order drinks or breakfast, it felt more like a demand than a question. He was seriously shady and the bar was full of his equally shady friends. Both Paddy and I agree that these guys were dodgy, they had the look of men who would kill you for 50c. I tried to put on a brave face and look him in the eye, but he made me shiver, there was something about him, I can't really put my finger on it, but something threatening, he was used to controlling people, I could see that.
We got up after talking to him for about twenty minutes, we had filled out some forms for visas and given him our passports, which is standard procedure. We were about to leave when he called us back sharply, I jumped with shock, revealing my fear of him, (very annoyed at myself for showing weakness) and he snarled "Didn't you order orange juice?"
"They never arrived" I mumbled "So we assumed thta you had forgotten about them, we ordered them a while ago". He said nothing, but instead looked at the bar made, she brought over two orange juices. I was beginning to get a bit thrilled by the whole experience at this stage, here we were, in Cambodia, drinking orange juice and arranging dodgy visa deals with guys who were probably in the Kmer Ruge.
We went to get breakfast and found a bank. After changing some money we decided to get a moto to the ancient city of Ankor which lies about seven kilometers north of Siem Reap. We got three day tickets which were a wopping 40 dollors each and carried on inside. Our driver was such a friendly guy, and the monuments were so far apart, that we decided to hire him for the day for which he only charged a tenner.
Feb 21st: Cambodia
We started early in the morning for Cambodia. The guide came to our hotel at half seven. We had been told half eight by our crooked tour guide (never trust tour guides !!) who said that we could have a nice sleep and breakfast first. Be careful when booking tours in South Eastern Asia, the tour guide will lie to you to get you to book a place: they will lie about the start time, how long the journey takes, the stops, the type of transport, etc.
We knew in advance that the trips to Cambodia were, in many ways, a scam, but we had researched the alternatives and it worked out to be the cheapest by far. To fly is expensive there (there is a conspiracy theory that says the airlines encourage the government to keep the roads in terrible condition so that people will fly, even at inflated rates), to get public transport means a taxi ride between Poipet (trashy town in Cambodia) to Siem Reap and due to the taxi mafia cartel it will cost at least 70 euros and could be a lot more, so that really only leaves you with the tours. They are cheap, but they are hell.
We spent 12 hours in transit in an old, dirty, cramped bus where I couldn't even move my legs or fit in the seat, I had to sit sideways, on a bumpy road, without air-conditioning, all the time trying not to get dust in our eyes. In a strange way, I actually got a kick out of this, it was a challenge, it felt like a real adventure, but that's looking back on it, nostaliga has rose-tinted lenses.
We did meet a few nice people on the trip, a girl from Canada who was extremely friendly and a fun guy from Australia. There was a great sense of comradory on the trip and we felt like we were really 'travelling', 'backpacking' for the first time.
Travelling through Cambodia is like going through any third world country, shocking and surreal. People live in huts, barely houses, dusty and delapidated, they seem so poor and desperate. There is no electricity in the country so they carry flashlights about, a lot of the houses have no windows, just an open wall, so everyone can see in, poeple sleep on hamocks in the same room.
When we got to Siem Reap we were amazed at how different it is. Entering the town you are met with fancy hotels and plush spas. Our bus stopped at a hotel and we had already decided not to stay because buses always make deals with dodgy hotels here, but when we got there we were so tired and hungry and our bags seemed so heavy, that we gave in and stayed there. It was, after all, only 3 euros per night.
We knew in advance that the trips to Cambodia were, in many ways, a scam, but we had researched the alternatives and it worked out to be the cheapest by far. To fly is expensive there (there is a conspiracy theory that says the airlines encourage the government to keep the roads in terrible condition so that people will fly, even at inflated rates), to get public transport means a taxi ride between Poipet (trashy town in Cambodia) to Siem Reap and due to the taxi mafia cartel it will cost at least 70 euros and could be a lot more, so that really only leaves you with the tours. They are cheap, but they are hell.
We spent 12 hours in transit in an old, dirty, cramped bus where I couldn't even move my legs or fit in the seat, I had to sit sideways, on a bumpy road, without air-conditioning, all the time trying not to get dust in our eyes. In a strange way, I actually got a kick out of this, it was a challenge, it felt like a real adventure, but that's looking back on it, nostaliga has rose-tinted lenses.
We did meet a few nice people on the trip, a girl from Canada who was extremely friendly and a fun guy from Australia. There was a great sense of comradory on the trip and we felt like we were really 'travelling', 'backpacking' for the first time.
Travelling through Cambodia is like going through any third world country, shocking and surreal. People live in huts, barely houses, dusty and delapidated, they seem so poor and desperate. There is no electricity in the country so they carry flashlights about, a lot of the houses have no windows, just an open wall, so everyone can see in, poeple sleep on hamocks in the same room.
When we got to Siem Reap we were amazed at how different it is. Entering the town you are met with fancy hotels and plush spas. Our bus stopped at a hotel and we had already decided not to stay because buses always make deals with dodgy hotels here, but when we got there we were so tired and hungry and our bags seemed so heavy, that we gave in and stayed there. It was, after all, only 3 euros per night.
Feb 19th and 20th: Five star hotel and Fox News made conservatives of us...
Hangovers.... aghhhh!!! the pain. For the record I have never felt so bad as I did that morning. WE woke up sick, in a piss-smelling hut surrounded by bugs and spiders and aching with sunburn. Quickly we packed our stuff and set out on the motor bike in search of five star bliss. Paddy said we could take anywhere! That was tested when we came to a hotel that charged 100 each per night. Instead we went to PJs, a lovely, luxurious place which charged a nifty 30 euros each per night.
The next two days were based on slow recovery. We lay, sprawled out in bed, trying to avoid hurting our sunburned bodies, drinking cool drinks, revived by air conditioning, laughing at ouber-conservative fox news.
We luxuriated in that paradise for two days, sworn off backpacking. The place had a pool, it was on the beach and had a great restaurant. I saw some thing sad there on our last day. There was a fish in a tank, waiting to be eaten, tomorrows lunch. His nose had been cut up pretty badly, he looked so pathetic, so terribly mistreated, suffering in misery. It would have been better just to kill him than leaving him hear on display. There was no dignity in it. Paddy said that you can't judge other cultures for the way they treat animals, its not our business (though I'm sure this goes on in Ireland too), but I felt like grabbing the fish and taking him back into the water. Except that he wouldn't be able to swim with his nose and fins all damaged and we probably get eaten by a bigger fish.
The next two days were based on slow recovery. We lay, sprawled out in bed, trying to avoid hurting our sunburned bodies, drinking cool drinks, revived by air conditioning, laughing at ouber-conservative fox news.
We luxuriated in that paradise for two days, sworn off backpacking. The place had a pool, it was on the beach and had a great restaurant. I saw some thing sad there on our last day. There was a fish in a tank, waiting to be eaten, tomorrows lunch. His nose had been cut up pretty badly, he looked so pathetic, so terribly mistreated, suffering in misery. It would have been better just to kill him than leaving him hear on display. There was no dignity in it. Paddy said that you can't judge other cultures for the way they treat animals, its not our business (though I'm sure this goes on in Ireland too), but I felt like grabbing the fish and taking him back into the water. Except that he wouldn't be able to swim with his nose and fins all damaged and we probably get eaten by a bigger fish.
Feb 18 Scuba Diving and getting sun burnt
We woke up at nine o clock. We were an hour late for scuba diving. Quickly we got dressed, I was very grumpy. But our luck was beginning to turn around. The scuba diver driver guy had waited for us. Somewhere in the south coast of Ko Chang a boat load of scuba diving tourists eagerly waited for our arrival so they could go scuba diving, they had been there an hour at that stage and were probably cursing our names.
We got a quick speed boat ride which was great fun though the guy spent the entire time trying to make us fall overboard and thought that was funny. We were left on a large ship and off we sailed.
There are 37 islands in the archipelago around Ko Chang, most of them are small places, inhabitable rocks: perfect sites for scuba diving.
When we got into the lovely, warm water we were met with a school of fish who greeted us jovially, swimming around us, eager to be fed. Going under water we could see coral, interesting rocks and an array of cool, colorful fish. We got back on board and had some hot chocolate. We sailed around for a while and watched the ship's crew fishing, then we stopped for more scuba diving. Another hour of scuba diving showed us new fish and rocks. We had a small island that we could swim around and we got bread to feed the fish with.
After that we had dinner and off we went sailing again. There was more scuba diving which we didn't do (as we'd just eaten) and then a barbecue with the best potatoes I've tasted outside of Ireland. This was followed by more scuba diving and the stark realization that we had been badly sunburned during the first too sessions. We had put on suncream before and after each session, but it wasn't waterproof and the sun got us while we were under the waves. We had all the signs of scuba-diving sun-burners: burned shoulders, back, arms and legs. It was still quite warm as we arrived back at the bay, evening brought no cool breeze, it was going to be a warm, stagnant evening. Charlies, our strange hotel was going to be loud and they had invited us to drink there. We had also come to realize that it was a brothel. We were grumpy,. tired, burnt and staying in a dirty place with loud music. It was clear to both of us that we had to get extremely drunk: I was only sorry that I hadn't done it sooner.
We went for a run on the scooter to cool us down, had a pint in the Irish pub and went back to Charlies country club. As we approached we saw a crowd there that consisted of a live country band, a load of Thai girls, a group of old, western men and an uncomfortable Swedish guy who had, like us, rented a room in the place.
We sped into the area and crashed comically into a large tree. People looked over and everyone laughed and cheered. That's why I LOVE Thailand. Its just so crazy.
We sat down under the palm trees and started on the beers. The trick to getting so drunk that you don't notice your surroundings (a good tip for campers, booze has always helped me when it comes to sleeping in a tent in Freezing cold Ireland) is to drink just enough so it all goes dizzy but not enough to get sick (as that will sober you up too much so you'll have to start the process again... for more information see my fabulous self-help book entitled "How to drink yourself out of horrible situations, chapter 12: the great outdoors). The beer was cheap enough, about 1.20 a bottle, so we had as many as we could hold. The band played a range of songs to disinterested Thai women, each very close to middle-aged western men. Paddy and I were severely sloshed and I remember him saying, extremely loudly "I think this is a brothel"
Charlie came over to us, telling us it was a nice place, his country club and giving us a story about how he loved country music. As we had both dreamed of opening our own internet cafe, our own little piece of heaven, we could relate to that and we all drank together to Charlie's country club.
We got rewarded with free beers and got asked to sing a song. I climbed up to the huge stage and joined the band to sing hotel California, it was one of the best moments of the holiday, it was such a buzz. The music and microphone were so loud that people could hear me all around and everyone said I was really good. We tried to cajole Paddy into singing a song, but he wouldn't budge.
Drunkly we retired to our hut and slept sound, hangover's be damned.
We got a quick speed boat ride which was great fun though the guy spent the entire time trying to make us fall overboard and thought that was funny. We were left on a large ship and off we sailed.
There are 37 islands in the archipelago around Ko Chang, most of them are small places, inhabitable rocks: perfect sites for scuba diving.
When we got into the lovely, warm water we were met with a school of fish who greeted us jovially, swimming around us, eager to be fed. Going under water we could see coral, interesting rocks and an array of cool, colorful fish. We got back on board and had some hot chocolate. We sailed around for a while and watched the ship's crew fishing, then we stopped for more scuba diving. Another hour of scuba diving showed us new fish and rocks. We had a small island that we could swim around and we got bread to feed the fish with.
After that we had dinner and off we went sailing again. There was more scuba diving which we didn't do (as we'd just eaten) and then a barbecue with the best potatoes I've tasted outside of Ireland. This was followed by more scuba diving and the stark realization that we had been badly sunburned during the first too sessions. We had put on suncream before and after each session, but it wasn't waterproof and the sun got us while we were under the waves. We had all the signs of scuba-diving sun-burners: burned shoulders, back, arms and legs. It was still quite warm as we arrived back at the bay, evening brought no cool breeze, it was going to be a warm, stagnant evening. Charlies, our strange hotel was going to be loud and they had invited us to drink there. We had also come to realize that it was a brothel. We were grumpy,. tired, burnt and staying in a dirty place with loud music. It was clear to both of us that we had to get extremely drunk: I was only sorry that I hadn't done it sooner.
We went for a run on the scooter to cool us down, had a pint in the Irish pub and went back to Charlies country club. As we approached we saw a crowd there that consisted of a live country band, a load of Thai girls, a group of old, western men and an uncomfortable Swedish guy who had, like us, rented a room in the place.
We sped into the area and crashed comically into a large tree. People looked over and everyone laughed and cheered. That's why I LOVE Thailand. Its just so crazy.
We sat down under the palm trees and started on the beers. The trick to getting so drunk that you don't notice your surroundings (a good tip for campers, booze has always helped me when it comes to sleeping in a tent in Freezing cold Ireland) is to drink just enough so it all goes dizzy but not enough to get sick (as that will sober you up too much so you'll have to start the process again... for more information see my fabulous self-help book entitled "How to drink yourself out of horrible situations, chapter 12: the great outdoors). The beer was cheap enough, about 1.20 a bottle, so we had as many as we could hold. The band played a range of songs to disinterested Thai women, each very close to middle-aged western men. Paddy and I were severely sloshed and I remember him saying, extremely loudly "I think this is a brothel"
Charlie came over to us, telling us it was a nice place, his country club and giving us a story about how he loved country music. As we had both dreamed of opening our own internet cafe, our own little piece of heaven, we could relate to that and we all drank together to Charlie's country club.
We got rewarded with free beers and got asked to sing a song. I climbed up to the huge stage and joined the band to sing hotel California, it was one of the best moments of the holiday, it was such a buzz. The music and microphone were so loud that people could hear me all around and everyone said I was really good. We tried to cajole Paddy into singing a song, but he wouldn't budge.
Drunkly we retired to our hut and slept sound, hangover's be damned.
Feb 17 the Island of Ko Chang
We got the bus to Ko Chang from the station at half nine in the morning. We barely made it and as we arrived the people working at the station guessed we were off to Ko Chang (because we looked like backpackers, I guess) and packed us onto a bus. The bus was air conditioned and much more comfortable than anything you'd see in Ireland, we got snacks and drinks too.
When we arrived at the ferry we booked accommodation with some people there (DO NOT DO THIS!!! read on to see why) and arrived on the island looking forward to our Thai Hut paradise. The place was weird, we could tell that from the beginning, its got that feeling of going into and being trapped in you're weirdest friends' house, while their slightly strange (can't put your finger on why, but strange) parents insist that you stay for dinner. Every irrational part of you wants to run out screaming no!!!!, but you know that its too late to turn back.
The hut was cheap, I'll admit that much, it was 3.50 euros (euro key does not work here) per night each, but it was disgusting. I haven't got the highest standard of hygiene, I'm certainly no neat freak, but even I was on the verge of throwing up. The place was crawling with bugs: spiders, flies, mosquitoes, un-nameable creatures from the land of icky.
The toilet smelled really badly and the shower that they had advertised was a barrel of cold water.
We went outside and had a look around. The place had a bar, with nightly country music, it was about twenty minutes from the beach, it had a serious air of seediness about it that we couldn't quite place, but they offered us motor bike rental without the need for a license. As you may have guessed, we rented a bike.
The first night was really crappy, we wanted to go to sleep early because we were off scuba diving the next day, but we couldn't sleep because of the itchiness, the bugs and the overwhelmingly loud country music that came from our hotel.
Suffice to say we did not wake for scuba diving..
When we arrived at the ferry we booked accommodation with some people there (DO NOT DO THIS!!! read on to see why) and arrived on the island looking forward to our Thai Hut paradise. The place was weird, we could tell that from the beginning, its got that feeling of going into and being trapped in you're weirdest friends' house, while their slightly strange (can't put your finger on why, but strange) parents insist that you stay for dinner. Every irrational part of you wants to run out screaming no!!!!, but you know that its too late to turn back.
The hut was cheap, I'll admit that much, it was 3.50 euros (euro key does not work here) per night each, but it was disgusting. I haven't got the highest standard of hygiene, I'm certainly no neat freak, but even I was on the verge of throwing up. The place was crawling with bugs: spiders, flies, mosquitoes, un-nameable creatures from the land of icky.
The toilet smelled really badly and the shower that they had advertised was a barrel of cold water.
We went outside and had a look around. The place had a bar, with nightly country music, it was about twenty minutes from the beach, it had a serious air of seediness about it that we couldn't quite place, but they offered us motor bike rental without the need for a license. As you may have guessed, we rented a bike.
The first night was really crappy, we wanted to go to sleep early because we were off scuba diving the next day, but we couldn't sleep because of the itchiness, the bugs and the overwhelmingly loud country music that came from our hotel.
Suffice to say we did not wake for scuba diving..
Feb 15-17: two nights in Bangkok
We spent two days in Bangkok, mostly they involved trying to get to a water park on the edge of town which we didn't get to (I have come to doubt Paddy's dedication to this park) and trying to get Visas for Vietnam: which was awkward because of Tet (new year). We got a taxi back to our hotel on the 15th, it was about twenty minutes on foot, but we were in a hurry as we wanted to get our passports and go to the Vietnamese embassy before it closed. It was Thursday and we needed to get our applications in that evening in order to leave at the weekend. We ended up stuck in the cab for almost two hours as the taxi driver took us somewhere completely different: he didn't speak English, we didn't speak Thai and we were completely lost: but using a tourist map we have acquired we eventually navigated our way back to the hotel! I thought he was a con artist and I was raging, but later that day he turned out to be a good Samaritan who gave us an everlasting belief in the goodness of Thai people. Paddy left his wallet in the taxi, with money in it. We gave up on it straight away and put it down to the stress of traveling. Later that day he got the wallet back. It turned out that the taxi driver came back to the hotel and waited for two hours to give the wallet back, money intact.
The next day we took a boat trip, we got to feed catfish in the river and see giant Buddha statues and buy beers from passing sellers. This was the best part of our time in Bangkok, especially feeding the fish.
The next day, the 17th of February, we headed to the island of Ko Chang in South eastern Thailand: it was humid and busy in Bangkok, we needed beaches and boats and longed for the sea.
The next day we took a boat trip, we got to feed catfish in the river and see giant Buddha statues and buy beers from passing sellers. This was the best part of our time in Bangkok, especially feeding the fish.
The next day, the 17th of February, we headed to the island of Ko Chang in South eastern Thailand: it was humid and busy in Bangkok, we needed beaches and boats and longed for the sea.
Feburary 14: Valentines in the Air
When we arrived in Bangkok our first thought was "this could be New York". It looked like an American city: the skyline a high rise buildings, the glowing Siemans tower, wide, smooth roads and lots of cars.
But we were not headed for the tall buildings and westernized shops: we were heading for the backpacker-ghetto, albeit the tame side of this urban jungle.
When you arrive on the Kho San Road, the major street for backpackers, its a culture shock. There are stalls everywhere, crowds stumble around avoiding motor-bike people carriers, everyone is bargaining and shouting their wares and such rarities as street vendors cooking insects are common place: everyone wants to sell you food, beer, massages and tuc-tuc driver s are eager to take you anywhere. Its hot, even at night and you just want to explore this strange world which could be a fairy tail albeit for the sex shops and the totes asking you in to see what I found out wasn't a ping pong competition. Being Paddy and Laura, we just wanted to admire this madness for a little while, avoid buying too much junk and find a nice pub.
Our hotel/hostel was covered in plants, its the strangest sight when you arrive, its overgrown like a little jungle, there is a small fountain inside, the ground is made of patterned tiles and no-one wears shoes inside. The food was organic, additive-free and mostly veggie, so we ate healthy and started to detox. When we entered our hotel room I spied a lizard crawling past the window. In the morning the rooster outside our window woke us at six in the morning. We got bitten in the feet by mosquitoes, didn't even notice until it was too late. All in all bangkok is like another world rather than another country.
But we were not headed for the tall buildings and westernized shops: we were heading for the backpacker-ghetto, albeit the tame side of this urban jungle.
When you arrive on the Kho San Road, the major street for backpackers, its a culture shock. There are stalls everywhere, crowds stumble around avoiding motor-bike people carriers, everyone is bargaining and shouting their wares and such rarities as street vendors cooking insects are common place: everyone wants to sell you food, beer, massages and tuc-tuc driver s are eager to take you anywhere. Its hot, even at night and you just want to explore this strange world which could be a fairy tail albeit for the sex shops and the totes asking you in to see what I found out wasn't a ping pong competition. Being Paddy and Laura, we just wanted to admire this madness for a little while, avoid buying too much junk and find a nice pub.
Our hotel/hostel was covered in plants, its the strangest sight when you arrive, its overgrown like a little jungle, there is a small fountain inside, the ground is made of patterned tiles and no-one wears shoes inside. The food was organic, additive-free and mostly veggie, so we ate healthy and started to detox. When we entered our hotel room I spied a lizard crawling past the window. In the morning the rooster outside our window woke us at six in the morning. We got bitten in the feet by mosquitoes, didn't even notice until it was too late. All in all bangkok is like another world rather than another country.
Feburary 10-14: London, Baby
We arrived in London on the 10th of Feburary. It was strange to think we wouldn''t be back in Ireland for some time, it just felt like a normal weekend away, well, everything except the one way ticket, that was different.
London was fun, London' s always fun. There is so much to do there. I've been there loads of times and I still haven't seen half of the tourist stuff. Last time we see the war cabinettes and the Churchill museem, this time HMS belfast and Bletchely Park were our goals. We explored the HMS belfast which is an amazing ship/museum and took some photos of Big Ben and Buckingham palace. The ship took hours to really see properly and we missed out on Bletchely, which is way to far out of town to see anyway. So, that's something to come back to Bletchely park.... Alan Turing, I adore you!!!
Our flight was at 9.30 in the evening of the 13th and we were, at that stage xanixed (a seditive I acquired for the trip) to the max and ready for sleep. When we got on the plane we discovered individual TVs in each seat and a menu that would make Gary Rhodes envious. So, we fought the sleep for as long as we could be eventually fell into semi-comatoze states. We woke at five in the morning, flying over Afganaztan.
I couldn't get a verse from a poem out of my head, while flying over Afghanaztan:
"When you're dying on the Afghanastan planes.
and the women come to pick your bones,
roll on your rifle and blow out your brains,
and go to your God like a soilder"
I tried to get in as many movies as possible before the end of the flight and I have to say the night listener is a terrible film, waste of good aeroplane movie time.
We arrived in Bangkok on the evening of the 14th of Feburary: having almost completely missed valentines day. Paddy surprised me with a card and a gift: a toothbrush.
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St. Kilda, our new home
We actually live in Elwood which is about five minutes from St. Kilda, still, close enough
More Temples
Yes, you've guessed it, temples
Even more temples...
Ankor
The ancient Cambodian city
Cambodia - on the road
This is us after a 16 hour bus journey across cambodia.
frog, Thailand
Ko Chang, Thailand
A Room with a View
This was the view from our Hotel in Bangkok
Bangkok from the Airport
This picture is from our first glympse of Bangkok
London
Harboured resentment over possibly the worst picture of the Sydney Harbour bridge
I only had one shot, I was on a boat, I was far away... all just excuses
London again
