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I hope this update finds you all well and surviving the first days of winter weather!! I thought I would write to you and let you know a little about what I have been doing for the past few months, while you have all been toiling away at work, and where I will be going in the months ahead.
I started the journey back in February when my friend, Reece and I made the trip across the Nullarbor to Perth. We headed off early one Tuesday morning and drove for what seemed like forever until we reached Ceduna. We headed off again early the next morning for Norseman where we took advantage of the time we gained and spent the arvo chilling in the local pool. We could hardly believe when we reached Perth around lunch time the next day - Ocean Grove to Perth in 2 ½ days!!
I loved Perth! The weather was fabulous and there is so much to see and do. The beaches are top notch and I spent many days swimming and lazing on the sand. While I was in Perth, I was fortunate to be staying with my friends Caz, Snowey and Bec for around a month. It was fabulous to be able to soak up everything the West has to offer; a trip to Broome to see my cousin Sue, a few nights at the wilderness retreat Eco Beach Resort; a long weekend in Margaret River exploring the wineries - delightful.
I left WA reluctantly although my next destination was Cairns and Port Douglas. I had a great time here even though it rained like cats and dogs. I took a trip to Kuranda on the old train and returned via the cable cars. I also got to dive the Outer Reef which was pretty spectacular. A few days in Port Douglas rounded out the stay where I ventured up to Cape Tribulation for a day as well.
Next to Bali where I stayed in Kuta for a week at a place called Fat Yogi's - an oasis in the middle of the madness of Poppies 1. During my time here the Balinese celebrated their New Year called Nyepi. I couldn't believe the spectacle of the demon like Ogoh Ogoh statues being paraded down the streets of Kuta by school children on the eve of New Year. The following day 'Silent Day' was surreal to say the least. Absolutely no one allowed out of their homes which also meant nobody was to leave their resorts and hotels. I had breakfast; lunch and dinner delivered to my door and finished a book in a day. In the days that followed Kuta quickly returned to its usual busy pace.
I was then joined by my travel buddy Siobhan who has ensured that there have been plenty of fun times along the way. We headed to Ubud where we cycled through the rice fields; to the Gili Islands where we snorkelled each day; back to Kuta for some more fun times for my birthday and finally to Sanur to relax.
With mere days left on my visa, I departed Bali for Singapore. I really enjoyed the four days I had here. It's such a clean, modern city with such a variety of nationalities working together. I visited the Singapore Zoo and Marina Bay Sands - a massive shopping and resort complex that blew my mind! I also caught up with my workmate Anna Kneebone who is really enjoying all that life in this part of the world has to offer.
Next to Kuala Lumpur where unfortunately the filthy state of the city overshadowed most of the time spent here. I did find the restaurant 'Kenny Roger's Roasters' in KL, so I guess every cloud……
Thailand was next on the list and we arrived in Phuket at the end of April. Bangla Road and a trip to Phi Phi Island were definite highlights here. Then off to Koh Samui to chill out again on the white sandy beaches before making the pilgrimage to Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party. Absolute madness is one way to describe this night. There were so many people celebrating the night of the full moon on such a small stretch of beach. The morning after was definitely something to behold.
We headed to Koh Tao next which is the complete opposite of its close neighbour and allowed us to relax and enjoy the nature that many of Thailand's islands have to offer. After a long boat ride back to the mainland we headed to Bangkok for the night. We made the trip to Koh San Road and lapped up the craziness of the nightlife that takes over this small place each evening.
Early the next morning, we boarded a train for the 12 hour journey to Chiang Mai. It was a great way to see the country side and experience the way the scenery changes as you approach the north. I absolutely loved Chiang Mai and spent many hours photographing the various temples that are scattered throughout this town. We spent an afternoon doing a vegetarian cooking course at a restaurant called 'Taste of Heaven' that supports a local elephant sanctuary with its profits. The food was delicious and I could not believe how easy it was to prepare.
Next up, came the long journey to the Laos border - a day long bus ride that started early in the morning and delivered us to the town of Chiang Khong on the river just on nightfall. We went to the checkpoint early in the morning and then crossed the river into Laos. The two day slow boat trip down the Mekong River was stunning. So many people use this river to sustain their life and to see them do so in amongst such beautiful scenery was incredible.
We reached Luang Prabang first, a gorgeous town with a strong French influence in the buildings and once again, temples scattered throughout the town. Vang Vieng was the next destination, famous amongst the backpacker crew for tubing down the river whilst enjoying a refreshing drink or two. I decided to enjoy Vang Vieng on shore and once again spent time photographing the amazing mountains that surround this picturesque place. Finally, we made the bumpy trip on made/unmade road to Vientiene for our final days before heading to Vietnam.
Vietnam is incredible! We arrived in Hanoi to a bustling city that is vibrant and colourful. We stayed in the Old Quarter which is an eclectic mix of old and new with so much to see and do. Although the night we arrived, Siobhan and I had a chicken parmi for dinner and washed it down with a few coldies whilst watching the Cats and Dogs go head to head on the telly. Go Cats!
Ha Long Bay was our next stop where we spent two days cruising amongst lush green islands with amazing limestone cliffs. We kayaked around the bay and explored a number of eerie caves with the others from our boat.
Heading down south, our next destination was Hue where we took a trip that covered the Demilitarised Zone which included a visit to the site of the Khe Sanh Combat Base. We also went to the Vinh Moc Tunnels where hundreds of Vietnamese people hid and carried out their day to day lives in order to protect their families during the war.
The next part of Vietnam we visited was Hoi An and I wished I spent much more time here. Similar to Luang Prabang in Laos, it is a town crammed with old style buildings that give you a glimpse into what life would have been like here years ago. At night, the river is lit up with lanterns that people place onto the water in order to make a wish. By day, tailors call you into their shops in order to whip up any number of styles of clothing for you in any fabric you desire - thank God I'm on a tight budget with only one backpack!
The beach at Hoi An was a short bike ride from where we were staying and one afternoon I jumped on a bike and explored the local area. I passed rice fields and waterways before arriving at a beach dotted with small circular fishing boats and a small number of tourists. On the ride back, I met a young boy catching grasshoppers in the rice fields while I was taking photos. He showed me a small Japanese temple in the middle of the field and with simple hand gestures he showed me how to make an offering at the temple as well as how to use his net to catch the grasshoppers he uses to fish with. Hoi An has definitely been a highlight of the trip so far and hopefully one day I will make a return visit.
Following Hoi An, we made the journey to Ho Chi Minh City, a place with a mass of buildings crammed together with buses, cars and millions of motorbikes navigating the narrow streets. I was a little relieved to say farewell and move onto Cambodia after just a little time in this city.
A short flight to Siem Reap and I was there! From the moment we stepped out of the airport we realised that the Cambodian people were going to be friendly and welcoming throughout our stay. What we didn't realise is that when a place sells 50c beers there is a good reason. Although they went down well, the following day we both were a bit worse for wear and experiencing washing machine tummy! Might still to the brand names and not the 'local' stuff served in a glass.
The temples of Siem Reap were simply amazing. At Angkor Thom, we walked towards one of the five city gates along a bridge where statues of 54 gods are to the left and 54 demons are to the right. Inside the city walls was the remains of the spectacular Angkor Thom along with the Terrace of Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King which is covered in ornate carvings of seated asparas or celestial nymphs. (Yep, I pinched that info from Lonely Planet!)
We explored the Buddhist temple of Ta Prohm along with a large group of Korean tourists! After they finished taking all their pictures we were able to appreciate the crumbling temple, featured in the movie Tomb Raider, which is mostly being held up by large tree roots that have taken hold of the moss covered walls.
Finally we visited Angkor Wat which is the most well-known temple here of all. The Cambodian people are proud to have the largest religious structure in the world in their backyard. The moat that surrounds this temple is 190m wide and forms a rectangle 1.5km by 1.3km. It is simply huge!
Even though we enjoyed our time in this country we were both stunned with the complete contrasts you experience. The people are so friendly and oblidging, the scenery stunning but the poverty of this country cannot go unnoticed. On the way back from Angkor Wat I noticed a long line of mothers with small children that stretched along the main road and way down a side street. When I asked the driver what they were there for he told us that every day parents come to line up here in order to get medical treatment for their sick children. The building near this mass of people was the hospital that will treat these children for free if you are willing to wait for hours in the heat of the day. Given that the unemployment in Cambodia is well above 50%, this option is the only one many families have.
Children approaching you and asking for a meal as you walk along the street is also common here. I must have looked like a soft touch and many of the children would hold onto my arm and plead with me as Siobhan walked by without being approached at all. Very confronting to say the least and difficult to know what the most appropriate response is to this situation.
I left Cambodia to return to Thailand with mixed feelings. It is simply so hard to get your head how the Cambodian people can greet you with such wide smiles when their government can allow its people to experience a life like this. We are certainly very fortunate to live the life we do.
Needless to say, I was very happy to see some familiar faces from home when we arrived back in Thailand. Our friend Kate and her sister Jenna had decided to surprise their parents who had been traveling through Europe for the past month and stopping over in Thailand on the way home. Without them knowing their plans, the girls arrived a day or so after Craig and Lyn and turned at their villa one afternoon. We loved hearing how they pulled off their secret plan. The lot of us spent a couple of afternoons sharing stories of our travels which will come in very handy for the next part of the journey.
I cannot get over how quickly the first half of the year has passed and I certainly did not expect the next half to have taken shape the way it has. Originally my plan was to visit my sister Kirsten in Turkey, which I will still do. But before I get there I will be taking a few months to travel Europe. I will be arriving in London early next week and spending a couple of days taking in the sights before joining a 34 day tour that will see me traveling through 15 countries. A highlight of the tour is sure to be the time spent in Greece where we have 4 days at sea on a 6 berth yacht captained by ourselves! It should be entertaining to say the least.
Following the tour I will spend a few days enjoying the hype of the London Olympics before heading to a small village in the South West of France. I applied to housesit for a family who live in Valence Sur Baise for a month and thanks to the fabulous references supplied by my friends Janeen, Wisey, Vicki, Lisa and my real estate agent, I was the successful applicant! I cannot wait to spend some time in just one place for a while and prepare myself a home cooked meal. The fact that I will be doing it in a rustic home in French village is a dream come true!!
As I was putting the finishing touches on my midyear reports this time last year, I could not have imagined being in this position twelve months later. I do miss my family, my dogs and my friends and I am so grateful to have friends like Sal who keep me posted on all the gossip from home. I am, however, having a fabulous time. I am experiencing so many new things and revisiting places that I love without the constraints of a two week holiday and for that I know I am lucky.
I am certain that there will be plenty of more to share with you all so I hope you keep posted.
Nic x
- comments
Terry Wearne What an adventure, time to reflect for many years to come.Travel safely
Barbara Wearne Thanks Nic for a wonderful insight to your travels. You have painted a truly inspiring picture of the places and different cultures. Keep on keeping on......:)
Paul Wearne Sounds like a great trip , hope to see you later in the year . I am going to see Pa today, will take your blog over to him . He will be happy to hear it