Friday, March 05, 2004
Just to update - not in the right order but because i have written something...
Philip Island
So for the last full day in Melbourne the idea was to do a trip which id been keen on since first arriving in St Kilda. On Philip Island each evening hundreds of Penguins come out of the sea with food for their children who are nested up on the island. The day trip we booked left the hostel at 1pm and took in various other activities on the way.
First of all we stopped at the Ramsay winery, a small family run vinyard where we tried some of the produce and had a barbeque. The vinyard is so small that you can only buy their drops on site - you wont see a bottle in a supermarket.
It has a lovely feel to it - there is a rose garden in front and the wine went extremely well with the small feast our driver cooked up.
Next we stopped at a wildlife sanctuary. We were taken into a small pen where a wombat was passed around and we all got to have a cuddle. The Welsh were particularly taken with the docile creature but although it had an undeniable cuteness to it I wouldnt class Wombats among my favourite creatures.
We wandered past several talking birds and then got to feed Wallabies, chickens (!) and Kangeroos. I'd done most of this before though so I think my favourite part was going in and playing with the Dingoes. Just like an overexcited dog they were friendly and jumpy, but they had beautiful coats and are a particularly lean and athletic looking animal. Nearly savaged a small girl but im sure it was her fault.
After one of the best Ice Creams I can remember we got back on the bus and headed over to actually get to Philip Island.
It is a smallish island connected to the mainland by a bridge, best known for the penguins but they also hold a motorbike Grand Prix here. We were told that large parts of the island are reserve for the Penguins and the government is attempting to buy out the few people that remain living in those particular areas.
The first stop on the island though was a rocky outcrop known as the Nobbies. Looking south from here the next land you would reach is the Antarctic (and its cold enough to believe that). On one of the rocky islands there is a large seal population and despite the sun creating a silhouette behind them you could still make out their heads.
We walked along the cliff to the blowhole - a rock cave in the cliff where the wild tide enters and then blows out once it gets full. On the way we spotted a baby penguin in its nest and also several seagulls (I only mention this because of the slightly alarmist Warning: Do Not Feed Seagulls - They Will Attack signs) We didnt see any seagull attacks.
Finally we arrived at the spot of entry for the penguins. They dont get a lot of privacy these days - there is a large grandstand and also a walkway alongside the route they take inland. We were instructed that unless we particularly wanted to sit down the walkway was the best spot because the Penguins would be right alongside - which was true.
In the half light it was pretty difficult to make out the actuall exit from the sea - but once the large groups of these little birds got close it was like they were putting on a little waddling show just for the crowds. The children all call out for their parents but because of their poor eyesight they dont actually recognise them when they get close - often the children attack their parents when they come to feed.
I was feeling rough by this stage anyway - i had a nasty headcold but i was alright all day until the wine wore off and then i started feeling ropey.
Philip Island
So for the last full day in Melbourne the idea was to do a trip which id been keen on since first arriving in St Kilda. On Philip Island each evening hundreds of Penguins come out of the sea with food for their children who are nested up on the island. The day trip we booked left the hostel at 1pm and took in various other activities on the way.
First of all we stopped at the Ramsay winery, a small family run vinyard where we tried some of the produce and had a barbeque. The vinyard is so small that you can only buy their drops on site - you wont see a bottle in a supermarket.
It has a lovely feel to it - there is a rose garden in front and the wine went extremely well with the small feast our driver cooked up.
Next we stopped at a wildlife sanctuary. We were taken into a small pen where a wombat was passed around and we all got to have a cuddle. The Welsh were particularly taken with the docile creature but although it had an undeniable cuteness to it I wouldnt class Wombats among my favourite creatures.
We wandered past several talking birds and then got to feed Wallabies, chickens (!) and Kangeroos. I'd done most of this before though so I think my favourite part was going in and playing with the Dingoes. Just like an overexcited dog they were friendly and jumpy, but they had beautiful coats and are a particularly lean and athletic looking animal. Nearly savaged a small girl but im sure it was her fault.
After one of the best Ice Creams I can remember we got back on the bus and headed over to actually get to Philip Island.
It is a smallish island connected to the mainland by a bridge, best known for the penguins but they also hold a motorbike Grand Prix here. We were told that large parts of the island are reserve for the Penguins and the government is attempting to buy out the few people that remain living in those particular areas.
The first stop on the island though was a rocky outcrop known as the Nobbies. Looking south from here the next land you would reach is the Antarctic (and its cold enough to believe that). On one of the rocky islands there is a large seal population and despite the sun creating a silhouette behind them you could still make out their heads.
We walked along the cliff to the blowhole - a rock cave in the cliff where the wild tide enters and then blows out once it gets full. On the way we spotted a baby penguin in its nest and also several seagulls (I only mention this because of the slightly alarmist Warning: Do Not Feed Seagulls - They Will Attack signs) We didnt see any seagull attacks.
Finally we arrived at the spot of entry for the penguins. They dont get a lot of privacy these days - there is a large grandstand and also a walkway alongside the route they take inland. We were instructed that unless we particularly wanted to sit down the walkway was the best spot because the Penguins would be right alongside - which was true.
In the half light it was pretty difficult to make out the actuall exit from the sea - but once the large groups of these little birds got close it was like they were putting on a little waddling show just for the crowds. The children all call out for their parents but because of their poor eyesight they dont actually recognise them when they get close - often the children attack their parents when they come to feed.
I was feeling rough by this stage anyway - i had a nasty headcold but i was alright all day until the wine wore off and then i started feeling ropey.
Friday, February 20, 2004
My next installment...
and this time its all about my road trip to Adelaide along the great ocean road...
Id wanted to do the Great Ocean Road but wasnt really sure how to go about it - i wasnt particularly bothered about going to Adelaide and i didnt want to do it as part of a journey to Perth (cos im not going that way) - I had thought about doing a day trip which looked ok
Then we met The Welsh
That is Emma and Lisa who showed up at the St Kilda Inn and have been creating madness ever since...
John, James and I met them first one night when they had just got back from the pub
The following morning they wanted to make use of the hire car they had for one more day and were looking for suggestions
I suggested Ramsay Street - since I hadnt been yet and thought it would be a good way to get there - Tim suggested following the tour bus which left from down the road (the tour itself costs $25 which frankly seems like a rip off)
Anyway we got in the car along with James and drove down to find the Neighbours bus in their bright yellow car
It was fairly obvious we were following the van to Pin Oak Court (Ramsay St) not least because we had to run about 4 red lights to keep up with the van but eventually we got there and had a lovely look round
Its a lot smaller than it looks on TV but we all had our photos taken outside the Robinsons and Madges old house and Lou's
we then followed the van thinking it would take us to the studios or preferably Lou's pub
The driver had definitley cottoned on by this stage - not least because we waved at him and took his photo - we followed for a little way before he drove us round a roundabout 3 times and then pulled in to a petrol station to lose us
So The Welsh are up for a laugh and when i realised they were hiring a camper van to do the Ocean Road i jumped at the chance to go with them - the group was expanded by Tim and Rads who also wanted to come so we had a group of 5
We had all been to the Big Day Out together previously and had a great time so i fully expected a week on the road to be a fun adventure
We ordered a 6 berth Camper van from Apollo and picked it up from the depot on the Thursday
We faffed around for some time in Melbourne - getting lost and actually going back to where we had set off from at one stage but eventually we found the right road and ended up at Torquay in a campsite at the start of the Great Ocean Road
The following day we stopped off at 3 beaches on the drive, Torquay Beach was where we stopped for breakfast (having woken up late we had to get out of the campsite before they charged us for an extra night)
Bells Beach was the second. It has a reputation as one of the best surf beaches in the world and is where the film Point Break was filmed - when we visited though there had been a storm the night before and the place was covered in weeds and was particularly unattractive and the sea was dirty.
The third beach however was fab. Massive, with clear water and nice waves that werent too big to piss about in with our frisbee and football
That night we stayed in Lorne and had a barbeque in the campsite (Kangeroo Kebabs were lovely)
We met some random Aussies in the van next to us who wanted to join in on our drinking games (we had spent the afternoon writing up a list of forfeits)
When we had all made sufficient tits of ourselves we headed off to the beach (in the pitch black)
The next day on the road was a sightseeing day - the most scenic part of the Great Ocean Road along with the most sights - the 12 Apostles - basically rocks in the sea from where the cliff had eroded, The Arch (does what it says on the tin) and London Bridge which was a big island just off the coast where the connecting "bridge" had actually fallen down some years ago - leaving a couple of people stranded...
That night we stayed in Warnambool where we had fish and Chips, went to an Irish pub and played lots of cards
Im going to leave it there for today cos im getting a bit tired and not feeling very inspired to write this (and i dont think im doing it justice)
speak soon
and this time its all about my road trip to Adelaide along the great ocean road...
Id wanted to do the Great Ocean Road but wasnt really sure how to go about it - i wasnt particularly bothered about going to Adelaide and i didnt want to do it as part of a journey to Perth (cos im not going that way) - I had thought about doing a day trip which looked ok
Then we met The Welsh
That is Emma and Lisa who showed up at the St Kilda Inn and have been creating madness ever since...
John, James and I met them first one night when they had just got back from the pub
The following morning they wanted to make use of the hire car they had for one more day and were looking for suggestions
I suggested Ramsay Street - since I hadnt been yet and thought it would be a good way to get there - Tim suggested following the tour bus which left from down the road (the tour itself costs $25 which frankly seems like a rip off)
Anyway we got in the car along with James and drove down to find the Neighbours bus in their bright yellow car
It was fairly obvious we were following the van to Pin Oak Court (Ramsay St) not least because we had to run about 4 red lights to keep up with the van but eventually we got there and had a lovely look round
Its a lot smaller than it looks on TV but we all had our photos taken outside the Robinsons and Madges old house and Lou's
we then followed the van thinking it would take us to the studios or preferably Lou's pub
The driver had definitley cottoned on by this stage - not least because we waved at him and took his photo - we followed for a little way before he drove us round a roundabout 3 times and then pulled in to a petrol station to lose us
So The Welsh are up for a laugh and when i realised they were hiring a camper van to do the Ocean Road i jumped at the chance to go with them - the group was expanded by Tim and Rads who also wanted to come so we had a group of 5
We had all been to the Big Day Out together previously and had a great time so i fully expected a week on the road to be a fun adventure
We ordered a 6 berth Camper van from Apollo and picked it up from the depot on the Thursday
We faffed around for some time in Melbourne - getting lost and actually going back to where we had set off from at one stage but eventually we found the right road and ended up at Torquay in a campsite at the start of the Great Ocean Road
The following day we stopped off at 3 beaches on the drive, Torquay Beach was where we stopped for breakfast (having woken up late we had to get out of the campsite before they charged us for an extra night)
Bells Beach was the second. It has a reputation as one of the best surf beaches in the world and is where the film Point Break was filmed - when we visited though there had been a storm the night before and the place was covered in weeds and was particularly unattractive and the sea was dirty.
The third beach however was fab. Massive, with clear water and nice waves that werent too big to piss about in with our frisbee and football
That night we stayed in Lorne and had a barbeque in the campsite (Kangeroo Kebabs were lovely)
We met some random Aussies in the van next to us who wanted to join in on our drinking games (we had spent the afternoon writing up a list of forfeits)
When we had all made sufficient tits of ourselves we headed off to the beach (in the pitch black)
The next day on the road was a sightseeing day - the most scenic part of the Great Ocean Road along with the most sights - the 12 Apostles - basically rocks in the sea from where the cliff had eroded, The Arch (does what it says on the tin) and London Bridge which was a big island just off the coast where the connecting "bridge" had actually fallen down some years ago - leaving a couple of people stranded...
That night we stayed in Warnambool where we had fish and Chips, went to an Irish pub and played lots of cards
Im going to leave it there for today cos im getting a bit tired and not feeling very inspired to write this (and i dont think im doing it justice)
speak soon
Friday, January 16, 2004
Okay
so ive been a bit shit
Im going to gloss over sydney cos frankly it was a big old party and it may take several weeks to piece it all together
Im going to continue with leaving Sydney on my trip to Melbourne
James and his mate John had sorted out hiring a car and John was set to drive through the Snowy Mountains so i decided to tag along - we set off about 11am on Wednesday the 7th of Jan, our first destination Canberra
Canberra is odd - driving into the city its hard to believe you are not in some big park apart from the few buildings dotted about
Parliament house looks like a big toy and is equally bizarre - we drove around it before finding a hostel to stay at.
The place we found was excellent - like a hotel really with a pool, Jacuzzi, Steam room and a pretty decent pub downstairs - doesnt really help when the town is as deserted as Canberra but we were able to have a good night - went down for a few beers after a swim and some other people John and James knew from the Globe hostel in Sydney turned up - so there was a group of us
We proceeded to get quite pissed until a shit band came on and then we decided to adjourn to an irish pub up the road - it was a bit of a walk and there was no one about apart from a bizarre sculpture of two sheep which i wont go into
Got up late and had the indignity of a ten buck late fee for checking out at 12 rather than 10 - bastards
Next day we wandered around the park opposite parliament house before setting off to Jindabayne in the Snowy Mountains
It was a cool drive through the hills and Jindabayne is a bit of a resort town out of season We were all knackered so watched a video and went to bed
The next morning we had a look at the big lake by Jindabayne and then headed off towards Threadbo which is a proper ski village in the snowys national park
We were going to take a cable car and then walk up to a lookout quite high up the mountain but after paying to enter the park and then spending $3 on a bottle of water the $23 they wanted for the return cable car was taking the piss so we just took a trail part way up to get an idea of the place
We wanted to get some way towards Melbourne because the car had to be returned the following day so after stopping in Corryong for a snack we checked out the info place and decided on a small town called Mansfield where there was a nice hostel
We were given a load of discount vouchers and wanted to check out the Mansfield Hotel for a real spit and sawdust pub - unfortunatley we got in there and the place was incredibly nice and snazzy - from neon around the pool table to a massive beer garden complete with outside bar and fountains and an excellent food menu
We grabbed some food and had a few beers - pints, which you dont get in Sydney, although everyone seemed suprised that we werent drinking the more common, half pint ish sized pots (pointless measure if you ask me)
Anyway we met Alicia an Aussie girl staying in our hostel who was checking the place out because she was going to university in a few months up on Mt Buller which is up the road from Mansfield - she took us across the road to the sort of local dive we were looking for
So we got pissed with a load of locals talking about the perils of cattle getting in the way of tractors and underage girls playing pool
Next day we set off and took a scenic route through extremely twisty mountain roads (at times gravel tracks) and eventually arrived in Melbourne, knackered.
We got a hostel in the centre - stayed 2 nights at a massive grotty hostel called All Nations which didnt impress us at all
In fact Melbourne didnt impress me the first night - we were all overtired - wandered the streets (this was saturday night but it seemed dead) walked to Chinatown and had a really shit Chinese meal and then went to bed early.
We were all in a pretty foul mood after that and thought we needed to get out of the centre - St Kilda is the most famous "backpacker" area of Melbourne and it is a hive of bars and cafes by the beach so we decided to spend the day checking out the hostels.
The tram took us down there and after wandering around we got a slightly better idea what Melbourne had to offer
We walked around 4 or 5 hostels - meeting all the Globe lot again in the Oslo Hotel along with another Dutch guy called Jaap
Then we randomly bumped into Lisa on the street and decided to go for a drink (Lisa was someone else we knew from Sydney, er, I really need to fill in the gaps but it could take me all night so just use your imaginations and we'll go from there)
We all got pretty battered but had to get back to our hostel so left about midnight to catch a tram
We had decided on the hostel we were going to stay at - the St Kilda Inn backpackers because they have a very cheap weekly rate and its right above a pub - most of the others are staying down the road in the more lively Coffee Palace which is a bit of a madhouse but is excellent to visit
Our place has a cool roof terrace though and although John was determined to get a job we ended up sitting up there all afternoon getting drunk
Enough for now
ill be back
so ive been a bit shit
Im going to gloss over sydney cos frankly it was a big old party and it may take several weeks to piece it all together
Im going to continue with leaving Sydney on my trip to Melbourne
James and his mate John had sorted out hiring a car and John was set to drive through the Snowy Mountains so i decided to tag along - we set off about 11am on Wednesday the 7th of Jan, our first destination Canberra
Canberra is odd - driving into the city its hard to believe you are not in some big park apart from the few buildings dotted about
Parliament house looks like a big toy and is equally bizarre - we drove around it before finding a hostel to stay at.
The place we found was excellent - like a hotel really with a pool, Jacuzzi, Steam room and a pretty decent pub downstairs - doesnt really help when the town is as deserted as Canberra but we were able to have a good night - went down for a few beers after a swim and some other people John and James knew from the Globe hostel in Sydney turned up - so there was a group of us
We proceeded to get quite pissed until a shit band came on and then we decided to adjourn to an irish pub up the road - it was a bit of a walk and there was no one about apart from a bizarre sculpture of two sheep which i wont go into
Got up late and had the indignity of a ten buck late fee for checking out at 12 rather than 10 - bastards
Next day we wandered around the park opposite parliament house before setting off to Jindabayne in the Snowy Mountains
It was a cool drive through the hills and Jindabayne is a bit of a resort town out of season We were all knackered so watched a video and went to bed
The next morning we had a look at the big lake by Jindabayne and then headed off towards Threadbo which is a proper ski village in the snowys national park
We were going to take a cable car and then walk up to a lookout quite high up the mountain but after paying to enter the park and then spending $3 on a bottle of water the $23 they wanted for the return cable car was taking the piss so we just took a trail part way up to get an idea of the place
We wanted to get some way towards Melbourne because the car had to be returned the following day so after stopping in Corryong for a snack we checked out the info place and decided on a small town called Mansfield where there was a nice hostel
We were given a load of discount vouchers and wanted to check out the Mansfield Hotel for a real spit and sawdust pub - unfortunatley we got in there and the place was incredibly nice and snazzy - from neon around the pool table to a massive beer garden complete with outside bar and fountains and an excellent food menu
We grabbed some food and had a few beers - pints, which you dont get in Sydney, although everyone seemed suprised that we werent drinking the more common, half pint ish sized pots (pointless measure if you ask me)
Anyway we met Alicia an Aussie girl staying in our hostel who was checking the place out because she was going to university in a few months up on Mt Buller which is up the road from Mansfield - she took us across the road to the sort of local dive we were looking for
So we got pissed with a load of locals talking about the perils of cattle getting in the way of tractors and underage girls playing pool
Next day we set off and took a scenic route through extremely twisty mountain roads (at times gravel tracks) and eventually arrived in Melbourne, knackered.
We got a hostel in the centre - stayed 2 nights at a massive grotty hostel called All Nations which didnt impress us at all
In fact Melbourne didnt impress me the first night - we were all overtired - wandered the streets (this was saturday night but it seemed dead) walked to Chinatown and had a really shit Chinese meal and then went to bed early.
We were all in a pretty foul mood after that and thought we needed to get out of the centre - St Kilda is the most famous "backpacker" area of Melbourne and it is a hive of bars and cafes by the beach so we decided to spend the day checking out the hostels.
The tram took us down there and after wandering around we got a slightly better idea what Melbourne had to offer
We walked around 4 or 5 hostels - meeting all the Globe lot again in the Oslo Hotel along with another Dutch guy called Jaap
Then we randomly bumped into Lisa on the street and decided to go for a drink (Lisa was someone else we knew from Sydney, er, I really need to fill in the gaps but it could take me all night so just use your imaginations and we'll go from there)
We all got pretty battered but had to get back to our hostel so left about midnight to catch a tram
We had decided on the hostel we were going to stay at - the St Kilda Inn backpackers because they have a very cheap weekly rate and its right above a pub - most of the others are staying down the road in the more lively Coffee Palace which is a bit of a madhouse but is excellent to visit
Our place has a cool roof terrace though and although John was determined to get a job we ended up sitting up there all afternoon getting drunk
Enough for now
ill be back
Friday, November 14, 2003
We were up earlyish the next day
Well about 10ish - and considering we hadnt got to bed till 4.30 or so it meant lack of sleep was an issue
Nicole was working in the hospital in the afternoon so we had to be back before 1
Max and I sat around all day watching rugby
Monday morning I had agreed to go down to the beach with Nicole in the morning - a 9 o'clock start which was probably a mistake - but Mereweather beach was nice
That afternoon i spent catching up with sleep and then Matthew and I went and grabbed a couple of DVDs -the 25th Hour and the Matrix 2
My notes havent been particularly good for the last 3 weeks
Im going to summarise a certain amount of what has happened
Ive spent most of it catching up with my blog, sorting out various things such as getting a mobile, a bank account, and sorting out shit with the Student Loans company who are being arseholes and my bank - who have been good - but my Debit card got ripped off - and used in China
Basically I dont have a card I can use in an ATM which is a pain in the arse but staying here has made it less of an issue
Anyway - most of the days have been taken up with this sort of thing - and going down to the beach with Nicole and Jenny - who is pregnant and wants to walk for the exercise - shes just been induced yesterday actually so good luck! And also with Matt who has Mondays and Tuesdays off since he works weekends - so we have been down for beers in the afternoon a few times.
On the second Tuesday i was here we went down to see the Melbourne Cup as well - everybody had a couple of bets on it (Max was backing half the field) but unfortunatley nobody won a thing - In fact one of the horses I backed (Mamool ridden by Frankie Dettori) seemed to be going backwards from halfway and finished last...
Ive watched a lot of DVDs and films on TV as well - Donnie Darko, Adaptation, Phone Booth, Identity as well as St Elmos Fire and Waynes World (party on)
In the evenings we have hung out - been to the cinema a couple of times - to see Kill Bill and Intolerable Cruelty - both very good (im tempted to do a film review section but cant be arsed)
Other than that Nicole took me down to the Blackbutt Reserve just down the road from the house where there are Koalas, tropical birds, Kangaroos and Emus
So i have seen the native wildlife - the other night we actually had a possum in the back yard as well
we gave it an apple.
Anyway I digress - The Koalas were apparently extremely active - normally they just sit around stoned on Eucalyptus - but these were scratching and moving and all sorts
Didnt get much of a view of the Kangaroos - they were too far from the fence - Ive seen their effects though cos Matthew's car has a dent in the front caused by him driving into one on the way home...
The weekends have been busier as well - the first Friday we went out for dinner and drinks with Steve and Bronwen which was cool and then on the Saturday we had a barbie with a few folks round to watch the Australia v Ireland match
Jenny (who is Irish although married to an Aussie Rory) and I were the only two people cheering for the Irish and they came very close to an upset
Great barbeque as well - massive spread (bit more than the hot dogs and burgers i expected)
That Sunday as well we went down to Sydney because they had tickets for the New Zealand v Wales game
Unfortunatley I did not have a ticket for this game so after hanging out at Sarahs again they all went off to the game and I went to meet James who is staying at a hostel in Kings Cross -we went to a pub to watch the match which was fantastic and I met the others back in North Sydney before driving back - Max had to work the following morning..
Last Friday we went down to the local pub the Blackbutt for a few drinks - and saw a pretty awful covers band..
The lead singer/guitarist looked like the guy out of Nickelback - except fat and about 25 years older, he sang like the guy out of Green Day (i.e. limited range) and saw himself as something of a guitar god - adding lengthy guitar solos to everything they played
This was fine when they were playing something I knew - such as Hotel California, the Beatles or even the Police's "gibberish classic" Da Do Do Do (or whatever its called)
but when they were playing Aussie songs they were awful
What I really couldnt fathom was when they played not one but two Huey Lewis songs - and neither of them was The Power of Love (I only knew it was Huey Lewis because he said so but please..)
The biggest reaction was when they played the intro to Enter Sandman - but didnt play it because apparently they werent allowed to play Metallica for some reason...
So other than that watching rugby and sunbathing in the back yard has taken up most of my time
Oh yeah Max and I went down to the "Foreshore" the other day to a pub recommended by Muz called the Brewery - pretty nice place but very windy down by the harbour
Lots of idiots posing by their mostly very ordinary looking cars as well
Well about 10ish - and considering we hadnt got to bed till 4.30 or so it meant lack of sleep was an issue
Nicole was working in the hospital in the afternoon so we had to be back before 1
Max and I sat around all day watching rugby
Monday morning I had agreed to go down to the beach with Nicole in the morning - a 9 o'clock start which was probably a mistake - but Mereweather beach was nice
That afternoon i spent catching up with sleep and then Matthew and I went and grabbed a couple of DVDs -the 25th Hour and the Matrix 2
My notes havent been particularly good for the last 3 weeks
Im going to summarise a certain amount of what has happened
Ive spent most of it catching up with my blog, sorting out various things such as getting a mobile, a bank account, and sorting out shit with the Student Loans company who are being arseholes and my bank - who have been good - but my Debit card got ripped off - and used in China
Basically I dont have a card I can use in an ATM which is a pain in the arse but staying here has made it less of an issue
Anyway - most of the days have been taken up with this sort of thing - and going down to the beach with Nicole and Jenny - who is pregnant and wants to walk for the exercise - shes just been induced yesterday actually so good luck! And also with Matt who has Mondays and Tuesdays off since he works weekends - so we have been down for beers in the afternoon a few times.
On the second Tuesday i was here we went down to see the Melbourne Cup as well - everybody had a couple of bets on it (Max was backing half the field) but unfortunatley nobody won a thing - In fact one of the horses I backed (Mamool ridden by Frankie Dettori) seemed to be going backwards from halfway and finished last...
Ive watched a lot of DVDs and films on TV as well - Donnie Darko, Adaptation, Phone Booth, Identity as well as St Elmos Fire and Waynes World (party on)
In the evenings we have hung out - been to the cinema a couple of times - to see Kill Bill and Intolerable Cruelty - both very good (im tempted to do a film review section but cant be arsed)
Other than that Nicole took me down to the Blackbutt Reserve just down the road from the house where there are Koalas, tropical birds, Kangaroos and Emus
So i have seen the native wildlife - the other night we actually had a possum in the back yard as well
we gave it an apple.
Anyway I digress - The Koalas were apparently extremely active - normally they just sit around stoned on Eucalyptus - but these were scratching and moving and all sorts
Didnt get much of a view of the Kangaroos - they were too far from the fence - Ive seen their effects though cos Matthew's car has a dent in the front caused by him driving into one on the way home...
The weekends have been busier as well - the first Friday we went out for dinner and drinks with Steve and Bronwen which was cool and then on the Saturday we had a barbie with a few folks round to watch the Australia v Ireland match
Jenny (who is Irish although married to an Aussie Rory) and I were the only two people cheering for the Irish and they came very close to an upset
Great barbeque as well - massive spread (bit more than the hot dogs and burgers i expected)
That Sunday as well we went down to Sydney because they had tickets for the New Zealand v Wales game
Unfortunatley I did not have a ticket for this game so after hanging out at Sarahs again they all went off to the game and I went to meet James who is staying at a hostel in Kings Cross -we went to a pub to watch the match which was fantastic and I met the others back in North Sydney before driving back - Max had to work the following morning..
Last Friday we went down to the local pub the Blackbutt for a few drinks - and saw a pretty awful covers band..
The lead singer/guitarist looked like the guy out of Nickelback - except fat and about 25 years older, he sang like the guy out of Green Day (i.e. limited range) and saw himself as something of a guitar god - adding lengthy guitar solos to everything they played
This was fine when they were playing something I knew - such as Hotel California, the Beatles or even the Police's "gibberish classic" Da Do Do Do (or whatever its called)
but when they were playing Aussie songs they were awful
What I really couldnt fathom was when they played not one but two Huey Lewis songs - and neither of them was The Power of Love (I only knew it was Huey Lewis because he said so but please..)
The biggest reaction was when they played the intro to Enter Sandman - but didnt play it because apparently they werent allowed to play Metallica for some reason...
So other than that watching rugby and sunbathing in the back yard has taken up most of my time
Oh yeah Max and I went down to the "Foreshore" the other day to a pub recommended by Muz called the Brewery - pretty nice place but very windy down by the harbour
Lots of idiots posing by their mostly very ordinary looking cars as well
Australia!
After an uneventful flight I arrived in Sydney at 6.30AM (having lost several hours and not grabbing too much sleep)
I was met by Max and Nicole which was nice and meant i didnt have to worry about sorting anything out.
They drove me round the empty streets of Sydney - It was the early hours of Saturday morning but I was still struck by how deserted it appeared - quite a contrast to KL where the traffic appears to run 24 hours
After seeing the opera house and driving across the harbour bridge we headed towards Max's Mum's house - she lives on the outskirts of Sydney and there had been a bit of a party the night before - so various family members were milling about -
I had a shower, a cup of tea (proper tea at last...) and some toast - all of which was extremely welcome
After that - and feeling slightly more human - we headed down to Fox studios where there were various things going on - a little market thing and a few shops
Nicole went to look around the antique fair while Max and I went for a beer and caught up
We then met up with Max's sister Victoria and went to have some Pizza
The weather was dissapointing - I was actually cold after the heat in Asia - the hailstorm in the afternoon here which caused all sorts of damage (the size of cricket balls apparently) gives you an idea although it cleared up in the evening - i was pretty chilly
After food i was beginning to feel the lack of sleep over the past few days catch up on me - we drove over to Geoff and Sarahs in north Sydney (another one of Max's sisters)
I fell asleep and had a kip for an hour or so while the others watched Australia put 140 points past namibia in the rugby - we were off to watch the France v Scotland match that evening so I had to get up - had a couple of beers before heading out on the train down to the stadium
It turned out we had a spare ticket in the end - Max and I had freebies that Matthew - (Max and Nicoles housemate) had aquired off his dad but the rest of Max's family were sat elsewhere and they had one ticket over
During the day we had tried to sell (and then give away) the extra ticket to various friends but it turned out that no one else could make it
We werent particularly worried as it was a sell out match and we assumed getting rid of the extra ticket for at least face value would be no trouble
Max and I were stood outside the ground until 5 minutes before kick off trying to get rid of the ticket - there were lots of people trying to do the same thing but no touts about trying to buy them and the only people interested all seemed to be in groups of 3 (and Japanese) we tried to convince some of these groups to buy our ticket and then get others seperatley but no they all wanted to sit together dammit - we even tried offering one guy at an extremely discounted rate and Max even offered to ring Geoff to buy him a beer - but no go
So we couldnt sell the bloody thing - where are the dodgy scousers when you need them?
Anyway
The match was uninspiring - Scotland got hammered and looked awful (Max's Mum is scottish so that didnt go down too well) but the stadium was impressive and the atmosphere was good - although the Mexican wave is always a bad sign
We got the train back to north Sydney and met up with the rest of the clan there for more drinks and finally went back to Sarahs and spent the night there
Nicole had gone out seperatley with Kylie (who i know from London also) and some other friends - we were supposed to meet up afterwards but it didnt happen
by the time we got back Nicole was in bed hammered
After an uneventful flight I arrived in Sydney at 6.30AM (having lost several hours and not grabbing too much sleep)
I was met by Max and Nicole which was nice and meant i didnt have to worry about sorting anything out.
They drove me round the empty streets of Sydney - It was the early hours of Saturday morning but I was still struck by how deserted it appeared - quite a contrast to KL where the traffic appears to run 24 hours
After seeing the opera house and driving across the harbour bridge we headed towards Max's Mum's house - she lives on the outskirts of Sydney and there had been a bit of a party the night before - so various family members were milling about -
I had a shower, a cup of tea (proper tea at last...) and some toast - all of which was extremely welcome
After that - and feeling slightly more human - we headed down to Fox studios where there were various things going on - a little market thing and a few shops
Nicole went to look around the antique fair while Max and I went for a beer and caught up
We then met up with Max's sister Victoria and went to have some Pizza
The weather was dissapointing - I was actually cold after the heat in Asia - the hailstorm in the afternoon here which caused all sorts of damage (the size of cricket balls apparently) gives you an idea although it cleared up in the evening - i was pretty chilly
After food i was beginning to feel the lack of sleep over the past few days catch up on me - we drove over to Geoff and Sarahs in north Sydney (another one of Max's sisters)
I fell asleep and had a kip for an hour or so while the others watched Australia put 140 points past namibia in the rugby - we were off to watch the France v Scotland match that evening so I had to get up - had a couple of beers before heading out on the train down to the stadium
It turned out we had a spare ticket in the end - Max and I had freebies that Matthew - (Max and Nicoles housemate) had aquired off his dad but the rest of Max's family were sat elsewhere and they had one ticket over
During the day we had tried to sell (and then give away) the extra ticket to various friends but it turned out that no one else could make it
We werent particularly worried as it was a sell out match and we assumed getting rid of the extra ticket for at least face value would be no trouble
Max and I were stood outside the ground until 5 minutes before kick off trying to get rid of the ticket - there were lots of people trying to do the same thing but no touts about trying to buy them and the only people interested all seemed to be in groups of 3 (and Japanese) we tried to convince some of these groups to buy our ticket and then get others seperatley but no they all wanted to sit together dammit - we even tried offering one guy at an extremely discounted rate and Max even offered to ring Geoff to buy him a beer - but no go
So we couldnt sell the bloody thing - where are the dodgy scousers when you need them?
Anyway
The match was uninspiring - Scotland got hammered and looked awful (Max's Mum is scottish so that didnt go down too well) but the stadium was impressive and the atmosphere was good - although the Mexican wave is always a bad sign
We got the train back to north Sydney and met up with the rest of the clan there for more drinks and finally went back to Sarahs and spent the night there
Nicole had gone out seperatley with Kylie (who i know from London also) and some other friends - we were supposed to meet up afterwards but it didnt happen
by the time we got back Nicole was in bed hammered
Friday, November 07, 2003
OK then - the 24th
My last day in Malaysia
After getting some breakfast we had arranged for Ronnie to pick us up at 11 and take us to Times Square with Megat
Times Square is a big shopping centre - the biggest in Asia (second only to one in Seattle apparently)
It opened shortly after I left KL the first time although only about 10% of the 900 shops are actually open
Pretty interesting place to wander round though
They have a theme park inside including an enormous rollercoaster
Incidentally - although it was a Friday on the 24th - as Im sure you will have worked out
It was a national holiday because of the Deepawali celebrations
The Indian population all celebrate this festival and they had a big rice mosaic thing in the shopping centre as well as dancers doing a show
The dance we watched was all based on the Malaysian wedding ceremony - where guests throw rice and confetti on the bride and groom
Ronnie set Jules and I up however and when the "audience participation" section came along we found ourselves dragged on stage to throw rice - I really had no idea what was going on.
So anyway everyone had the day off - we met Mariam for drinks and then headed over to one of Ronnie's Indian friends houses for food and drink.
The tradition in Malaysia for these national holidays is that whichever community is celebrating offers an open house to everybody else. So the Indians do it at Deepawali, the Moslem Malaysians do it for Ramadan and the Chinese do it at new year
Theoretically apparently you can go around to anyones house, whether you know them or not, get fed and have a drink and go on your way
Which is pretty much what we did
great food as well
Anyway I then got dropped at Putra Jaya Station to get the KLIA transit train and catch my plane
goodbyes done
ready to say hello to Max and Nicole
I guess thats the end of a chapter really
My last day in Malaysia
After getting some breakfast we had arranged for Ronnie to pick us up at 11 and take us to Times Square with Megat
Times Square is a big shopping centre - the biggest in Asia (second only to one in Seattle apparently)
It opened shortly after I left KL the first time although only about 10% of the 900 shops are actually open
Pretty interesting place to wander round though
They have a theme park inside including an enormous rollercoaster
Incidentally - although it was a Friday on the 24th - as Im sure you will have worked out
It was a national holiday because of the Deepawali celebrations
The Indian population all celebrate this festival and they had a big rice mosaic thing in the shopping centre as well as dancers doing a show
The dance we watched was all based on the Malaysian wedding ceremony - where guests throw rice and confetti on the bride and groom
Ronnie set Jules and I up however and when the "audience participation" section came along we found ourselves dragged on stage to throw rice - I really had no idea what was going on.
So anyway everyone had the day off - we met Mariam for drinks and then headed over to one of Ronnie's Indian friends houses for food and drink.
The tradition in Malaysia for these national holidays is that whichever community is celebrating offers an open house to everybody else. So the Indians do it at Deepawali, the Moslem Malaysians do it for Ramadan and the Chinese do it at new year
Theoretically apparently you can go around to anyones house, whether you know them or not, get fed and have a drink and go on your way
Which is pretty much what we did
great food as well
Anyway I then got dropped at Putra Jaya Station to get the KLIA transit train and catch my plane
goodbyes done
ready to say hello to Max and Nicole
I guess thats the end of a chapter really
Im close to being up to date now..
so while im on a roll.
The 23rd saw our little band reduced to just Jules and I
we got up late and then wandered over to KLCC to see if we could get Petronas Towers tickets
No go - sold out by the time we got there
It really was just not meant to be
We then had to head to KL Sentral to sort out tickets for Julias sleeper train to Singapore the following night
I also tried to get in touch with Amy but her phone number was not recognised and i havent had any response to emails
Im a bit worried about her to be honest
Anyway we then met up with Ronnie and Megat
They decided to take us to see the Fireflies at Kuala Selangor
On the way we stopped at a night market to see all the various food and craziness that gets sold at these things - getting some odd looks as the only white folks about these parts - We bought some Rambutan and Megat bought a load of Durian
Not sure if I have mentioned Durians but they are a large fruit - about the size of a pineapple - with a green spiky skin - inside their flesh is the most bizarre thing I have ever eaten
It is incredibly gooey and sticky - around a stone - and the taste is, well, odd.
It kind of has a Cheesy taste, but also fruity
Better men than I have tried to describe it and, i would suggest, failed - so im going to leave it there.
The other thing with Durians is that they stink.
Like Sewers.
Really bad - the car still smelt of them the next day
We were in rush hour traffic for hours but eventually got to the place where the Kelip-Kelip (as they call fireflies) where - to my amusement the direct translation of Kelip-Kelip is Bling Bling
but i didnt hear any of the flies humming gangsta rap..
It was beautiful actually - you get taken on this little boat down the river where on either side there are bushes which these flies just light up like christmas lights
a few fly around as well and we managed to grab one
(apparently Ronnie used to catch these in a jar because his uncle had a bush that attracted them in his garden - or something along those lines)
The sky out there was so clear as well - the stars were out and bright and it was incredibly peaceful
entirely different to KL then...
We then headed over to Klang for some food - along possibly the bumpiest road in the world
There were times when i thought we were going to flip the car over it was that unstable - there was at least one occasion where we completely left the ground - Dukes of Hazard style
(Ronnie was on the phone)
Anyway - we survived and got to the seafood restaurant (Klang is on the seafront)
Ronnie and Megat picked the uncooked fish out of troughs and we sat down to a feast of Snapper, Squid and Stingray
Apart from Jules who went for the veggie option
gutted
Anyway we were back at the hostel at about 1AM
not that we got to sleep though - Jules had had a nasty case of Bed bugs and we ended up changing rooms and generally fucking about until settling for some restless sleep at about 3AM
Shattered
so while im on a roll.
The 23rd saw our little band reduced to just Jules and I
we got up late and then wandered over to KLCC to see if we could get Petronas Towers tickets
No go - sold out by the time we got there
It really was just not meant to be
We then had to head to KL Sentral to sort out tickets for Julias sleeper train to Singapore the following night
I also tried to get in touch with Amy but her phone number was not recognised and i havent had any response to emails
Im a bit worried about her to be honest
Anyway we then met up with Ronnie and Megat
They decided to take us to see the Fireflies at Kuala Selangor
On the way we stopped at a night market to see all the various food and craziness that gets sold at these things - getting some odd looks as the only white folks about these parts - We bought some Rambutan and Megat bought a load of Durian
Not sure if I have mentioned Durians but they are a large fruit - about the size of a pineapple - with a green spiky skin - inside their flesh is the most bizarre thing I have ever eaten
It is incredibly gooey and sticky - around a stone - and the taste is, well, odd.
It kind of has a Cheesy taste, but also fruity
Better men than I have tried to describe it and, i would suggest, failed - so im going to leave it there.
The other thing with Durians is that they stink.
Like Sewers.
Really bad - the car still smelt of them the next day
We were in rush hour traffic for hours but eventually got to the place where the Kelip-Kelip (as they call fireflies) where - to my amusement the direct translation of Kelip-Kelip is Bling Bling
but i didnt hear any of the flies humming gangsta rap..
It was beautiful actually - you get taken on this little boat down the river where on either side there are bushes which these flies just light up like christmas lights
a few fly around as well and we managed to grab one
(apparently Ronnie used to catch these in a jar because his uncle had a bush that attracted them in his garden - or something along those lines)
The sky out there was so clear as well - the stars were out and bright and it was incredibly peaceful
entirely different to KL then...
We then headed over to Klang for some food - along possibly the bumpiest road in the world
There were times when i thought we were going to flip the car over it was that unstable - there was at least one occasion where we completely left the ground - Dukes of Hazard style
(Ronnie was on the phone)
Anyway - we survived and got to the seafood restaurant (Klang is on the seafront)
Ronnie and Megat picked the uncooked fish out of troughs and we sat down to a feast of Snapper, Squid and Stingray
Apart from Jules who went for the veggie option
gutted
Anyway we were back at the hostel at about 1AM
not that we got to sleep though - Jules had had a nasty case of Bed bugs and we ended up changing rooms and generally fucking about until settling for some restless sleep at about 3AM
Shattered
The 22nd
Got up and went out with Julia for breakfast at about 11
We must have missed Dan because he went out to get tickets for the Petronas Towers (which i never did get up) early - he actually got 4 so Jules and I could have gone as well - but from what they said it wasnt really worth it anyway
Jules and I walked over to the Lake Gardens - a nice walk actually wandered round some bits and had a bit of a picnic before going over to the planet arium
Now id been before obviously but for the 50p it cost to go in I wasnt going to deny Jules the opportunity
we went into the show and promptly both fell asleep (i think the aircon must have been too cool)
Anyway that was all good
we wandered back to town in time to say goodbye to James before he set off for the airport
Then we met Ronnie and went for a curry in a place he recommended just round the corner
Dan was leaving for Singapore and then home that night as well so he wanted to do a bit of shopping for presents
after that we went and had a few drinks (joined by Mariam, Maya and Aiee) at KLCC (outdoors but underneath the twin towers)
We then saw Dan off at Puduraya bus station before heading to bed.
Got up and went out with Julia for breakfast at about 11
We must have missed Dan because he went out to get tickets for the Petronas Towers (which i never did get up) early - he actually got 4 so Jules and I could have gone as well - but from what they said it wasnt really worth it anyway
Jules and I walked over to the Lake Gardens - a nice walk actually wandered round some bits and had a bit of a picnic before going over to the planet arium
Now id been before obviously but for the 50p it cost to go in I wasnt going to deny Jules the opportunity
we went into the show and promptly both fell asleep (i think the aircon must have been too cool)
Anyway that was all good
we wandered back to town in time to say goodbye to James before he set off for the airport
Then we met Ronnie and went for a curry in a place he recommended just round the corner
Dan was leaving for Singapore and then home that night as well so he wanted to do a bit of shopping for presents
after that we went and had a few drinks (joined by Mariam, Maya and Aiee) at KLCC (outdoors but underneath the twin towers)
We then saw Dan off at Puduraya bus station before heading to bed.
The following morning we were booked on a mini bus to head back down to Penang - we had a deadline to get back to KL for James's flight (both James and I moved our flight dates by a few days but even so..)
Ten cramped hours later we arrived in Butterworth across the water from Penang and found ourselves being driven onto the ferry across rather than the bridge - which was quite cool - its no P&O job just a barge with cars on it really zig zagging to the other side
Anyway we got dropped off just up the road from Love Lane and were given a warm reception again by Jimmy and Amy which was nice
After getting some food we played some cards and drank 2 bottles of Thai Song we had left with Jimmy to look after when we left for Thailand
We seemed to attract people that night and there was quite a big group of us playing cards
on and off
Fiona and Phil from England were the first to join us but when they wet to bed we were joined by Owen from Ireland and then an Austrian girl who's name i forget
(she was absolutley stunning though and i was up chatting to her till about 4.30)
Lucky really that the following day we were taking the Super VIP bus to KL
Beautiful - as good as James had suggested and then some
the seats on these things are big enough for about five people
really - its like having your own massage chair
Fantastic - i almost wished the journey was longer than the 5 hours it took
We met a guy called Dan on the bus and he was also looking for somewhere to stay in KL
together we found a friendly little place called Le Village
Friendly but frankly a shithole - but ill come to that later
that night we grabbed some food in Chinatown and then went for drinks in the Reggae bar up the road from the hostel
I was knackered though despite the bus and the room i was in was right next to the lounge area where people were up until the early hours playing cards and playing the guitar
I had been feeling ropey again as well (couldnt eat the food) so not the best
Ten cramped hours later we arrived in Butterworth across the water from Penang and found ourselves being driven onto the ferry across rather than the bridge - which was quite cool - its no P&O job just a barge with cars on it really zig zagging to the other side
Anyway we got dropped off just up the road from Love Lane and were given a warm reception again by Jimmy and Amy which was nice
After getting some food we played some cards and drank 2 bottles of Thai Song we had left with Jimmy to look after when we left for Thailand
We seemed to attract people that night and there was quite a big group of us playing cards
on and off
Fiona and Phil from England were the first to join us but when they wet to bed we were joined by Owen from Ireland and then an Austrian girl who's name i forget
(she was absolutley stunning though and i was up chatting to her till about 4.30)
Lucky really that the following day we were taking the Super VIP bus to KL
Beautiful - as good as James had suggested and then some
the seats on these things are big enough for about five people
really - its like having your own massage chair
Fantastic - i almost wished the journey was longer than the 5 hours it took
We met a guy called Dan on the bus and he was also looking for somewhere to stay in KL
together we found a friendly little place called Le Village
Friendly but frankly a shithole - but ill come to that later
that night we grabbed some food in Chinatown and then went for drinks in the Reggae bar up the road from the hostel
I was knackered though despite the bus and the room i was in was right next to the lounge area where people were up until the early hours playing cards and playing the guitar
I had been feeling ropey again as well (couldnt eat the food) so not the best
the 19th
James and I had planned to go on this safari thing involving Elephant trekking white water rafting and all that sort of gubbins
unfortunatley - when we tried to book it we discovered we were the only 2 people who had shown an interest - and you needed a minimum of 3 to do the trip - from what i hear though it wasnt the best place to do this kind of trip so we probably saved a bit of cash from not doing it
Plus James had the shits and it was pissing it down
As it was we just dossed around all day - met a Canadian girl called Tanya who was a chatterbox to put it nicely.
Jules and I went to check out a temple in the afternoon
It was a pretty cool place - first there were a load of caves - complete with bats and shrines which we crawled about in - well i did while jules hid outside
then we went to see the "Big Tree" which admittedly was pretty big but its impact was spoiled by the fact that it was lying on its side...
Then we back tracked through a load of Monks' washing (they must get confused with all those robes...)
I think we had been trying to put the next bit off though because the main Temple bit was up some steps
1267 of them.
we started climbing with good intentions but it was incredibly knackering - and slippery
some of the steps were practically vertical as well..
and it was getting dark
You can see where these excuses are heading cant you?
well we did make it up more than 700 steps before turning back - and it was a good job we did really because by the time we got to the bottom it was nearly pitch black and quite dangerous - although there were lights up the side a lot of them were not working and some of the sections were so steep you had to go down backwards.
So in hindsight we should have gone to the temple earlier in the day
Fantastic views though
That night we went to O'Malleys to watch Leicester go bottom of the Premiership with an extremely unlucky 2:1 defeat against Spurs
Considering we were leading virtually the entire match and they scored the winner in the last minute i was a bit pissed off
Tanya rabbiting on didnt help (no one cares about ice hockey!)
James and I had planned to go on this safari thing involving Elephant trekking white water rafting and all that sort of gubbins
unfortunatley - when we tried to book it we discovered we were the only 2 people who had shown an interest - and you needed a minimum of 3 to do the trip - from what i hear though it wasnt the best place to do this kind of trip so we probably saved a bit of cash from not doing it
Plus James had the shits and it was pissing it down
As it was we just dossed around all day - met a Canadian girl called Tanya who was a chatterbox to put it nicely.
Jules and I went to check out a temple in the afternoon
It was a pretty cool place - first there were a load of caves - complete with bats and shrines which we crawled about in - well i did while jules hid outside
then we went to see the "Big Tree" which admittedly was pretty big but its impact was spoiled by the fact that it was lying on its side...
Then we back tracked through a load of Monks' washing (they must get confused with all those robes...)
I think we had been trying to put the next bit off though because the main Temple bit was up some steps
1267 of them.
we started climbing with good intentions but it was incredibly knackering - and slippery
some of the steps were practically vertical as well..
and it was getting dark
You can see where these excuses are heading cant you?
well we did make it up more than 700 steps before turning back - and it was a good job we did really because by the time we got to the bottom it was nearly pitch black and quite dangerous - although there were lights up the side a lot of them were not working and some of the sections were so steep you had to go down backwards.
So in hindsight we should have gone to the temple earlier in the day
Fantastic views though
That night we went to O'Malleys to watch Leicester go bottom of the Premiership with an extremely unlucky 2:1 defeat against Spurs
Considering we were leading virtually the entire match and they scored the winner in the last minute i was a bit pissed off
Tanya rabbiting on didnt help (no one cares about ice hockey!)
Thursday, November 06, 2003
The 18th we went to Phi Phi island
Slightly more upmarket trip on a bigger boat
Here's us on the boat (jules will killme for posting this but hey ho)
We went to Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Lay which are the two islands that make up Phi Phi
They filmed The Beach on one of these - i think it was the beach we couldnt stop at because it was too choppy
Really good snorkelling with fish and Coral which was cool
also had an excellent buffet meal thrown in with loads of Thai stuff
We had a disposable underwater camera and took some pics:
Me Feeding fish - which was wicked
Jules, James and I posing with snorkels
Random fish shot
Slightly more upmarket trip on a bigger boat
Here's us on the boat (jules will killme for posting this but hey ho)
We went to Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Lay which are the two islands that make up Phi Phi
They filmed The Beach on one of these - i think it was the beach we couldnt stop at because it was too choppy
Really good snorkelling with fish and Coral which was cool
also had an excellent buffet meal thrown in with loads of Thai stuff
We had a disposable underwater camera and took some pics:
Me Feeding fish - which was wicked
Jules, James and I posing with snorkels
Random fish shot
Tuesday, November 04, 2003
THe first day of doing trips - the 17th
We had booked the 4 Island trip
So we were up pretty early - a Son Tal took us to Ao Nang beach and from there we took a long tail boat over to 4 islands - Tup Island - with a thin stretch of beach connecting two points - some OK snorkeling - a few fish and stuff was pretty good - first time id snorkeled so didnt really know what to expect but it was quite fun.
Chicken Island (which supposedly has a rocky outcrop that looks like a chicken) where we jumped off the side of the boat to snorkel - unfortunatley i had a dodgy snorkel and didnt think to take a life jacket - so i didnt stay in long.
Poda Island had a nice beach and calm warm sea - but not a lot to see with the snorkel
Finally Pranang Cave is a big beach with caves at either end - worshipped by local people
After all this activity we were all pretty knackered in the evening - we did pop down to O'Malleys but didnt stay long.
We had booked the 4 Island trip
So we were up pretty early - a Son Tal took us to Ao Nang beach and from there we took a long tail boat over to 4 islands - Tup Island - with a thin stretch of beach connecting two points - some OK snorkeling - a few fish and stuff was pretty good - first time id snorkeled so didnt really know what to expect but it was quite fun.
Chicken Island (which supposedly has a rocky outcrop that looks like a chicken) where we jumped off the side of the boat to snorkel - unfortunatley i had a dodgy snorkel and didnt think to take a life jacket - so i didnt stay in long.
Poda Island had a nice beach and calm warm sea - but not a lot to see with the snorkel
Finally Pranang Cave is a big beach with caves at either end - worshipped by local people
After all this activity we were all pretty knackered in the evening - we did pop down to O'Malleys but didnt stay long.
SO the morning of the 16th we were up early for the minibus across to Krabi (a suprisingly quick journey this time - although we were left at a bus station in the middle of nowhere and suddenly realised we had no idea where we were going..)
We found a hostel though - the extremely clean and friendly Chan Cha Lay (no idea)
The decision had been made that we were going to be active down here since we had done so little in Samui - so the various tours were checked out and we decided on a few we were going to take
In the evening we popped round the corner to O'Malleys Irish Pub for some food and entertainment from the mad landlady
We found a hostel though - the extremely clean and friendly Chan Cha Lay (no idea)
The decision had been made that we were going to be active down here since we had done so little in Samui - so the various tours were checked out and we decided on a few we were going to take
In the evening we popped round the corner to O'Malleys Irish Pub for some food and entertainment from the mad landlady
