AUSTRALIA - Sydney, 25th June
Wearing a jacket and tottering along, wincing from blisters induced by feet unaccustomed to shoes after 4 months, I walked through Hyde Park and down Oxford Street trying to shake the sensation that after my 4 months of adventures I was right back where I'd started: London. Then I'd turn a corner and be greeted by the stunning sparkling blue water of the harbour, the Opera House twinkling at me in the wintry sun light, a group of cockatoos strutting about, and be reassured that I was, in fact, on the other side of the world from home, although Australians have done their damdest to feverishly imitate it.
I was met at the airport and swept on a whistle-stop tour of the sites of Sydney by Roger and James, who were kind enough to wake up at 5am on a Friday morning to come and pick me up. I cruised in luxury through a beautiful, icy, winter morning thankful for comfortable seat and heating that was keeping my still flip-flopped toes warm.
In Sydney you get the impression that Australian has been chopped up and served to you in appealing bite-sized pieces, infused with longing references to Europe, particularly England. But Sydney remains its own city too. The Ozzy fashion is so cutting edge that my wallet has begun to bleed as I enthusiastically charge around glittering department stores 'cityfying' myself: Boots, hats, trousers and jackets replace flip-flops and Thai Fisherman Pants.
Asia is fading fast, alarmingly so, as I have plunged head first into the Sydney 'scene' laid open to me by obliging friends who 'know people' about town.
In the midst of the whirlwind, however, I have managed to find time to be reunited with my parents. In the reception of their very swanky hotel we bounced excitedly up and down, marvelling at the miles we have all travelled to enable this reunion on the other side of the world.
We had a happy few days together exploring Sydney, riding about on ferry boats, examining Australian Art at the Gallery of New South Wales and (in total abandonment of my backpacker status) an evening at the Opera House, where we saw a wonderful production of The Barber of Seville.
Yesterday, after yet another night on ze town, my parents tore me away from Sydney and marched me off to Brisbane for some hardcore family time and a bit of a detox...
I now find myself deep in the suburbs of Queensland. We are lodged in some 'serviced apartments' just opposite the Centenary Shopping Centre and I am once again reeling from culture shock. Some exploration of the coast to follow I think. I'm rather enjoying just going where I'm told...
Monday, June 25, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
THAILAND - Bangkok & Sukhothai Historical Park (16th - 20th June)
No one could be quite certain how long the bus from Khao Sok to Surat Thani would be, we were told anything from 1 1/2 hours to 4. Hmmm so we picked a time somewhere in the middle and still arrived with 6 hours to kill before our train to Bangkok. We passed it merrily enough by finding something that most resembled a bar and settling in. The our over-night train, with its dubious smells, and extremely welcome dining car, brought us into Bangkok where we dusted ourselves off, had breakfast and then left Kao San to the hippies and set off to see some more of the city, showing each other parts that the other hadn't explored yet. I showed Charley the spectacle of Lumpini Park at dusk, when they offer free aerobics classes to anyone and everyone. People come straight from work, solemnly set down their hand bags and proceed to have a coordinated seisure while trying to keep up with the lithe young instructor bouncing around on the stage. Cruelly we sat giggling by the sidelines taking photos.
By this time we had wandered, half intentionally, into Silom and towards Patpong, the famous Red Light District. It was time for a drink so we took a plunge, each of us emboldened by having the other as a body guard (Charley's need for one outweighing mine considerably). So in we went and did not re-emerge until we'd witnessed bored-looking girls doing rather alarming things with various props, had in-depth chats with pretty girls in bikinis with numbers stuck on their chest (I had a nice little dance with them) and it was 3am and enough was quite clearly enough. So we hailed an over-priced tuk-tuk and scampered back to the safety of Kao San content that we had 'done' that side of the Bangkok 'experience'.
By then we both felt that we'd exhausted Bangkok's attractions, I still had a few days before my flight to Sydney and so we decided to head up north to Sukhothai Historical Park, Central Thailand. A 7 hour bus journey through flat landscape and paddy fields and we were in the friendly but rather plain town of Sukhothai where we checked into a pretty little bungalow (Charley was relieved to find that the prices take a dramatic nose dive as you head up north).
Sukhothai was recognized as the first Thai kingdom and gained prominence and independence in 1238. Today all that remains of the city are the crumbling Wats and Buddhas that survived the fire that the Burmese used to destroy it. Now it is a picturesque woodland through which paths wind around trees and alongside lakes and moats with cows grazing around the ruins. Rather sad but very beautiful. We hired bikes and pottered around in the dripping heat trying to take interesting photos which did the old city justice.
Another night in our laid-back guesthouse and it was time to bid farewell to Charley as he took a bus up north to Chang Mai and I headed back down south to Bangkok and Kao San Road, for the last time, in readiness for my flight the following day to Sydney.
Farewell Asia! Rather sad to leave, it is the most crazy, beautiful, smelly, exhasperating, bewitching place and I have had an amazing 4 months.
Onwards now to the controlled order of Australia and a considerable drop in temperature...
No one could be quite certain how long the bus from Khao Sok to Surat Thani would be, we were told anything from 1 1/2 hours to 4. Hmmm so we picked a time somewhere in the middle and still arrived with 6 hours to kill before our train to Bangkok. We passed it merrily enough by finding something that most resembled a bar and settling in. The our over-night train, with its dubious smells, and extremely welcome dining car, brought us into Bangkok where we dusted ourselves off, had breakfast and then left Kao San to the hippies and set off to see some more of the city, showing each other parts that the other hadn't explored yet. I showed Charley the spectacle of Lumpini Park at dusk, when they offer free aerobics classes to anyone and everyone. People come straight from work, solemnly set down their hand bags and proceed to have a coordinated seisure while trying to keep up with the lithe young instructor bouncing around on the stage. Cruelly we sat giggling by the sidelines taking photos.
By this time we had wandered, half intentionally, into Silom and towards Patpong, the famous Red Light District. It was time for a drink so we took a plunge, each of us emboldened by having the other as a body guard (Charley's need for one outweighing mine considerably). So in we went and did not re-emerge until we'd witnessed bored-looking girls doing rather alarming things with various props, had in-depth chats with pretty girls in bikinis with numbers stuck on their chest (I had a nice little dance with them) and it was 3am and enough was quite clearly enough. So we hailed an over-priced tuk-tuk and scampered back to the safety of Kao San content that we had 'done' that side of the Bangkok 'experience'.
By then we both felt that we'd exhausted Bangkok's attractions, I still had a few days before my flight to Sydney and so we decided to head up north to Sukhothai Historical Park, Central Thailand. A 7 hour bus journey through flat landscape and paddy fields and we were in the friendly but rather plain town of Sukhothai where we checked into a pretty little bungalow (Charley was relieved to find that the prices take a dramatic nose dive as you head up north).
Sukhothai was recognized as the first Thai kingdom and gained prominence and independence in 1238. Today all that remains of the city are the crumbling Wats and Buddhas that survived the fire that the Burmese used to destroy it. Now it is a picturesque woodland through which paths wind around trees and alongside lakes and moats with cows grazing around the ruins. Rather sad but very beautiful. We hired bikes and pottered around in the dripping heat trying to take interesting photos which did the old city justice.
Another night in our laid-back guesthouse and it was time to bid farewell to Charley as he took a bus up north to Chang Mai and I headed back down south to Bangkok and Kao San Road, for the last time, in readiness for my flight the following day to Sydney.
Farewell Asia! Rather sad to leave, it is the most crazy, beautiful, smelly, exhasperating, bewitching place and I have had an amazing 4 months.
Onwards now to the controlled order of Australia and a considerable drop in temperature...
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
THAILAND - Khao Sok National Park (written from Bangkok, 20th June)
"The most beautiful National Park in Thailand" promised one website. Not much written about and rarely visited by the convoy of tourists that pass through it on route to Phuket and the islands, hard to resist really, especially with the promise of afore mentioned leeches. An adventure.
After consuming plenty of beer to ensure sleep, we hopped on the night ferry, an overloaded, rickety vessel that had us lying next to each other packed in tightly like sardines with a ceiling so low that you had to negotiate your way to the toilet on your hands and knees. Still, quite fun, or perhaps that was the beer. Apparently the boat went through a terrific storm in the night, the driver going at full pelt, the boat bouncing off huge waves. I say apparently because I slept soundly through the whole thing happily oblivious. Charley wasn't so lucky.
At 5.00am we staggered off the boat spent a few mysterious hours being shuffled on and off buses, driven in circles very slowly while being played loud pop music to stop us from nodding off until we were finally allowed onto the bus to Khao Sok.
After 2 weeks of beach life, the dense tangle of jungle, out of which rose high, craggy limestone cliffs, was so refreshing that we were not long installed in our pretty little jungle cabin (checked thoroughly by Charley of evidence of bugs or any other jungle life that might have crept in) before I was itching to explore. I dragged him, exhausted but good natured, into the jungle with those fatal words: "Let’s find that waterfall."
Any of you who might have read my previous entries might remember my other futile attempts at finding evasive waterfalls in South East Asia. My track record ain't great. With this in mind a 4km trek through thick and rather wild jungle might seem a little ambitious. But the path seemed sturdy enough and I was so exhilarated to be in a noisy, drippy rain forest (what is the difference between a rainforest and a jungle?) that we set off feeling optimistic, well I did, any misgivings that Charley had about the venture he kept to himself. 4km isn't that far after all...
No not that far, but baring in mind that it is 4km of track that became increasingly narrow and took us up and down into rivers, along deep ravines and through the undergrowth, stopping every few minutes to pick leeches off our unprotected flip-flop clad feet, you can see how it was slow going. We met some fellow jungle explorers coming the other way clad in the full regalia: Kaki shorts, long socks, walking sticks and thick boots. They eyed us with pitying contempt as we passed and revealed with some pride their blood-covered legs from giant leeches that they had had to burn off. Still, never to be defeated, even by darkening skies, rumbles of thunder and the threat that it wasn't that long before the sun would think about setting and we only had one liter of water between us that was running low, we pushed on. Dripping and exhausted we finally stumbled across the waterfall and had a well deserved dip in the icy water. We did not have long, however, because we still had the 4km trek back again. By now we were seasoned jungalists (not in the music sense) and made our way back to base without incident, our mutual leech checking becoming rather efficient. We stumbled into the open air gasping, gulped down bottles of water and collapsed exhausted, unused to such activity after the sleepiness of the islands. It had been a long day.
The following day we took things a little easier and followed nice wide tracks to the waterfalls and swimming holes closer to home. In the evening we sat by the fire in a deserted guest house talking to a chatting young guy who proudly told us that his jungle held tigers, wild elephants and bears. We were wondering what had left that alarmingly large pile of dung... We left him happily hunting frogs with a pitch fork and retired exhausted again and ready for another day of traveling.
"The most beautiful National Park in Thailand" promised one website. Not much written about and rarely visited by the convoy of tourists that pass through it on route to Phuket and the islands, hard to resist really, especially with the promise of afore mentioned leeches. An adventure.
After consuming plenty of beer to ensure sleep, we hopped on the night ferry, an overloaded, rickety vessel that had us lying next to each other packed in tightly like sardines with a ceiling so low that you had to negotiate your way to the toilet on your hands and knees. Still, quite fun, or perhaps that was the beer. Apparently the boat went through a terrific storm in the night, the driver going at full pelt, the boat bouncing off huge waves. I say apparently because I slept soundly through the whole thing happily oblivious. Charley wasn't so lucky.
At 5.00am we staggered off the boat spent a few mysterious hours being shuffled on and off buses, driven in circles very slowly while being played loud pop music to stop us from nodding off until we were finally allowed onto the bus to Khao Sok.
After 2 weeks of beach life, the dense tangle of jungle, out of which rose high, craggy limestone cliffs, was so refreshing that we were not long installed in our pretty little jungle cabin (checked thoroughly by Charley of evidence of bugs or any other jungle life that might have crept in) before I was itching to explore. I dragged him, exhausted but good natured, into the jungle with those fatal words: "Let’s find that waterfall."
Any of you who might have read my previous entries might remember my other futile attempts at finding evasive waterfalls in South East Asia. My track record ain't great. With this in mind a 4km trek through thick and rather wild jungle might seem a little ambitious. But the path seemed sturdy enough and I was so exhilarated to be in a noisy, drippy rain forest (what is the difference between a rainforest and a jungle?) that we set off feeling optimistic, well I did, any misgivings that Charley had about the venture he kept to himself. 4km isn't that far after all...
No not that far, but baring in mind that it is 4km of track that became increasingly narrow and took us up and down into rivers, along deep ravines and through the undergrowth, stopping every few minutes to pick leeches off our unprotected flip-flop clad feet, you can see how it was slow going. We met some fellow jungle explorers coming the other way clad in the full regalia: Kaki shorts, long socks, walking sticks and thick boots. They eyed us with pitying contempt as we passed and revealed with some pride their blood-covered legs from giant leeches that they had had to burn off. Still, never to be defeated, even by darkening skies, rumbles of thunder and the threat that it wasn't that long before the sun would think about setting and we only had one liter of water between us that was running low, we pushed on. Dripping and exhausted we finally stumbled across the waterfall and had a well deserved dip in the icy water. We did not have long, however, because we still had the 4km trek back again. By now we were seasoned jungalists (not in the music sense) and made our way back to base without incident, our mutual leech checking becoming rather efficient. We stumbled into the open air gasping, gulped down bottles of water and collapsed exhausted, unused to such activity after the sleepiness of the islands. It had been a long day.
The following day we took things a little easier and followed nice wide tracks to the waterfalls and swimming holes closer to home. In the evening we sat by the fire in a deserted guest house talking to a chatting young guy who proudly told us that his jungle held tigers, wild elephants and bears. We were wondering what had left that alarmingly large pile of dung... We left him happily hunting frogs with a pitch fork and retired exhausted again and ready for another day of traveling.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
THAILAND - Ko Pang Nang & Koh Tao, Monday 11th June
As no doubt most of you will have guessed, no news is generally good news, which would account for my silence over the last week or so. My silence can also be attributed to the general laid-backness of island life. One day blends into another with very little distiction and consequently not much to tell.
However, Jazz and I had a very happy time on Ko Pang Nang, sunning ourselves on the beach and bouncing around until the early hours as the season of Full Moon dictated. The only real shadow cast over our enjoyment was, I am ashamed to say, due to the conduct of my fellow countrymen. There is no escaping the fact that Ko Pang Nang is densly populated with highlighted and bronzed British rich-kids, somewhere between school and university. This wouldn't be so much of a problem if they weren't all behaving so badly.
My natural habitat lies dangerously close to the Kings Road and so I am more accustomed to the ways of some of these kids: Their cheerful oblivion to any outside influences and their stubborn determination to keep it just so. Jazz, however, was unprepared and consequently mortified at the obvious snub that we recieved every time we attempted civilities. As she became increasingly upset, I became increasingly embarassed and endeveoured to try and redeam Britishness to this characteristically friendly Australian who was rapidly going off and entire nation. I did my best.
The best way to discribe the Full Moon Party is to resort back to my university analogy which is appropriate, especially if you take in mind the age group of my fellow islanders.
From Fresher's Week to the Freshers Ball. People and drinks being distributed with equal freeness, casualties of over-indulgence strewn about and naked flesh cavorting in merky swimming pools in the early hours. Amidst the chaos is Jazz and me dancing on a table with Borat and 4 ladyboys dressed as sailors. I am also told that there is video footage of us on a blacony dancing up the sunrise. I would have expected nothing less.
So all lots of good fun and general silliness. Our week on Ko Pang Nang passed in a leisurly blur of parties and sunbathing. We were more than ready to hop over to Koh Tao for some less nocturnal activities and a spot of snorkelling. Koh Tao is a beautiful island with palm tree-covered peaks sloping down to white sands and tourquise waters. We spent a rather exhilerating couple of days clinging on to the back of dirt bikes while our drivers (two obliging essex boys) navigated us off-road to remote beaches and view points, which were beautiful - when I could bring myself to open my eyes, my driver could be a little over zealous with the throttle and seemed to be enjoying himself a little too much.
On Wednesday I turned 25 and am less than impressed by my alarming marching of years. My day was chirped up however by an early start and trip to the ferry port to greet a long awaited and very familiar face. Charley arrived on Koh Tao exhausted after a nightmare journey and smarting slightly from the sever ripping off that he'd undergone on Kao San Road but happy to be on a remote island where everything is calmer. By this point we had gathered quite a little possie so I had a great birthday party.
Jazz and the boys left on Friday as the days are slipping by, I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that island life can be somewhat limited. Every self-indulgent whim is catered for, the setting is idylic but after my adventures over the last few months I find myself hankering for more. Fortunately Charley is about ready to leave the islands now too (with a little nudge). I fly to Sydney in just over a week which leaves me time for a few more adventures before I bid farewell to Asia...
We are heading over night back to the mainland where we make our way to Khoa Sok National Park for a couple of days (I could not resist the lure of waterfalls, lime stone cliffs and the promise of blood sucking leeches - Charley has his reservations). We then head up, through Bangkok again, to Sukhothai Historical Park where I shall ponder a few temples and a few last Wats before decending back to Bangkok and onwards to Oz.
I'll be busier so I promise I'll keep you updated.
As no doubt most of you will have guessed, no news is generally good news, which would account for my silence over the last week or so. My silence can also be attributed to the general laid-backness of island life. One day blends into another with very little distiction and consequently not much to tell.
However, Jazz and I had a very happy time on Ko Pang Nang, sunning ourselves on the beach and bouncing around until the early hours as the season of Full Moon dictated. The only real shadow cast over our enjoyment was, I am ashamed to say, due to the conduct of my fellow countrymen. There is no escaping the fact that Ko Pang Nang is densly populated with highlighted and bronzed British rich-kids, somewhere between school and university. This wouldn't be so much of a problem if they weren't all behaving so badly.
My natural habitat lies dangerously close to the Kings Road and so I am more accustomed to the ways of some of these kids: Their cheerful oblivion to any outside influences and their stubborn determination to keep it just so. Jazz, however, was unprepared and consequently mortified at the obvious snub that we recieved every time we attempted civilities. As she became increasingly upset, I became increasingly embarassed and endeveoured to try and redeam Britishness to this characteristically friendly Australian who was rapidly going off and entire nation. I did my best.
The best way to discribe the Full Moon Party is to resort back to my university analogy which is appropriate, especially if you take in mind the age group of my fellow islanders.
From Fresher's Week to the Freshers Ball. People and drinks being distributed with equal freeness, casualties of over-indulgence strewn about and naked flesh cavorting in merky swimming pools in the early hours. Amidst the chaos is Jazz and me dancing on a table with Borat and 4 ladyboys dressed as sailors. I am also told that there is video footage of us on a blacony dancing up the sunrise. I would have expected nothing less.
So all lots of good fun and general silliness. Our week on Ko Pang Nang passed in a leisurly blur of parties and sunbathing. We were more than ready to hop over to Koh Tao for some less nocturnal activities and a spot of snorkelling. Koh Tao is a beautiful island with palm tree-covered peaks sloping down to white sands and tourquise waters. We spent a rather exhilerating couple of days clinging on to the back of dirt bikes while our drivers (two obliging essex boys) navigated us off-road to remote beaches and view points, which were beautiful - when I could bring myself to open my eyes, my driver could be a little over zealous with the throttle and seemed to be enjoying himself a little too much.
On Wednesday I turned 25 and am less than impressed by my alarming marching of years. My day was chirped up however by an early start and trip to the ferry port to greet a long awaited and very familiar face. Charley arrived on Koh Tao exhausted after a nightmare journey and smarting slightly from the sever ripping off that he'd undergone on Kao San Road but happy to be on a remote island where everything is calmer. By this point we had gathered quite a little possie so I had a great birthday party.
Jazz and the boys left on Friday as the days are slipping by, I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that island life can be somewhat limited. Every self-indulgent whim is catered for, the setting is idylic but after my adventures over the last few months I find myself hankering for more. Fortunately Charley is about ready to leave the islands now too (with a little nudge). I fly to Sydney in just over a week which leaves me time for a few more adventures before I bid farewell to Asia...
We are heading over night back to the mainland where we make our way to Khoa Sok National Park for a couple of days (I could not resist the lure of waterfalls, lime stone cliffs and the promise of blood sucking leeches - Charley has his reservations). We then head up, through Bangkok again, to Sukhothai Historical Park where I shall ponder a few temples and a few last Wats before decending back to Bangkok and onwards to Oz.
I'll be busier so I promise I'll keep you updated.
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