I am, for the first time in a long while, alone, and in the middle of Australia. Which is bizarre, and somehow important.
Mum left today and I made my way into Brisbane- travelling here is just so alarmingly easy. I was almost expecting mistakes as the woman understood everything I was saying, and arranged for the bus to drop me off at the hostel. which it did. Something is wrong..
so, I had a wander, found the new and stunning modern art gallery and bumped into a guy from South Carolina. And we had coffee for about three hours- it's amazing how you can talk to people from all over and share similar ideas, even the most unexpected places!
He showed me the amazing and free library, which is where I am now. Tomorrow I'm going to seethe lagoon and the botanical gardens and then meet my new friend for dinner. The world is a wonderful place if your trust in serendipity...
Plans have changed, so now I'll be here for another week (flying to Sydney Friday and maybe off to Melbourne for the w/e with dunc. If not it's Mahdi Gras in Sydney!) Then back to Thailand- heading to Koh Tao to find some friends. should be in Thailand for about three weeks before heading back to HK. And then hopefully meeting up with Sarah in China (and Duncan? Come on Duncy!!)
and then.. the end???xx
Wednesday 28 February 2007
Monday 26 February 2007
Australia-ah..
I didn't get the second SWIRE interview. Which, I think, is probably for the best. As I stood in the pub virtually aplogising to Adam and Katie for having gone for the job, it occurred to me this wasn't for me. i was surrounded by people I loved and respected and they were writers, directors, worked for charities or think tanks (or did 'nothing'! Wasley I love you) and I realised these are the people I have chosen to be my friends. This is what I want to be doing. And I got a NET interview. I've really missed HK so the idea of earning some money there for 2 years is very cool...
Australia is cool- the weather is amazing and the tan is coming along very nicely. Mum and I went up to the blue mountains and are now on the sunshine coast, near Brisbane. I've changed my flight to stay another week so will potter around Brisbane, hopefully see Andrea and then go and play with Duncers when mum has gone. After that I'm tracking Jimmy (the corn) in Thailand and hopefull a Miss Porritt too! I was meant to be spending the time in HK before meeting Sarah, but this way makes more sense now..
Australia is cool- the weather is amazing and the tan is coming along very nicely. Mum and I went up to the blue mountains and are now on the sunshine coast, near Brisbane. I've changed my flight to stay another week so will potter around Brisbane, hopefully see Andrea and then go and play with Duncers when mum has gone. After that I'm tracking Jimmy (the corn) in Thailand and hopefull a Miss Porritt too! I was meant to be spending the time in HK before meeting Sarah, but this way makes more sense now..
Thursday 22 February 2007
Tuesday 20 February 2007
Sydney!
So finally made it to Sydney- last night had drinks with Duncan and Jules in a revolving bar overlooking the city. Very cool and so wonderful to see Mr Murdoch. Mum got a bit tipsy so I guess things are firmly on track!
It's weird to think I'm here- it only occurred to me that a couple of years ago the mere mention of the word Sydney made my stomach flip and everything go slightly red. How things change..
It's a nice city- a bit static after Asia but a nice relief. We're off to the Blue Mountains and Brisbane over the next week. And a wine tasting tour tomorrow- which can only be messy really!
Kung Hei Fat choi la! xx
It's weird to think I'm here- it only occurred to me that a couple of years ago the mere mention of the word Sydney made my stomach flip and everything go slightly red. How things change..
It's a nice city- a bit static after Asia but a nice relief. We're off to the Blue Mountains and Brisbane over the next week. And a wine tasting tour tomorrow- which can only be messy really!
Kung Hei Fat choi la! xx
Sunday 18 February 2007
Bangkok Wins!
New calculation- since November, I will have spent 10 hours inBangkok airport! Which I like slightly more than Dubai airport, so I guess that's a good thing (presuming that one can apply the term 'like' to the most generic, souless places on the planet. Why are airports- the cultural gateways of our time- totally, totally withour any sort of cultural flavour? Globalsation, pah!)
SO, I've decided to spend one of my hours telling the tale of my arrival in Bangkok. The 15 hour journey from London via Dubai was totally seamless. Once at the airport, Danielle managed to get on a meandering airport bus with a totally incompetent driver only to be kicked off after 2 hours of driving round Bangkok and told to get into a metered taxi. Now, the bus went where I needed to go he just failed to tell me to get off, and with my limited knowledge of Bangkok I suspected we'd gone past my stop and told him so. Sadly, it was easier to lie and tell me my stop was coming up rather than admit fault (darn Asia!) and only once we had circumnavigated my destination beyond all possbile querie did he finally tell me he was going back to the airport.
Once I arrive, the building works around the house meant myself and a thai guard desperately tried to find an entrance big enough for my backpack and I. Once in, he waved me off with my backpack down a corridor until I stumbled upon my friends parents having a very grand dinner and some guests (yes, I was wearing my backpack and had been travelling for 16 hours. Yum) Finally I reached Oliver only to spill beer all over the floor- the true testament to my exhaustion being that I then tried to mop it up with my trousers. Thank God for Oliver, who, ever the gentleman, plopped me in a room with a hot shower and things took a much needed turn for the better...
..until I was told my flight was 3 hours delayed! ah well, the joys of modern travel. One day I'll get to Sydney xxx
SO, I've decided to spend one of my hours telling the tale of my arrival in Bangkok. The 15 hour journey from London via Dubai was totally seamless. Once at the airport, Danielle managed to get on a meandering airport bus with a totally incompetent driver only to be kicked off after 2 hours of driving round Bangkok and told to get into a metered taxi. Now, the bus went where I needed to go he just failed to tell me to get off, and with my limited knowledge of Bangkok I suspected we'd gone past my stop and told him so. Sadly, it was easier to lie and tell me my stop was coming up rather than admit fault (darn Asia!) and only once we had circumnavigated my destination beyond all possbile querie did he finally tell me he was going back to the airport.
Once I arrive, the building works around the house meant myself and a thai guard desperately tried to find an entrance big enough for my backpack and I. Once in, he waved me off with my backpack down a corridor until I stumbled upon my friends parents having a very grand dinner and some guests (yes, I was wearing my backpack and had been travelling for 16 hours. Yum) Finally I reached Oliver only to spill beer all over the floor- the true testament to my exhaustion being that I then tried to mop it up with my trousers. Thank God for Oliver, who, ever the gentleman, plopped me in a room with a hot shower and things took a much needed turn for the better...
..until I was told my flight was 3 hours delayed! ah well, the joys of modern travel. One day I'll get to Sydney xxx
Saturday 17 February 2007
I've calculated..
That over the last ten months, I will have spent ten hours in Dubai airport. Which is poo.
Friday 16 February 2007
home sweet home
...since the last time I wrote lots and lots has happened...
Cried on Jimmy when I had to leave Cambodia- most upset my little adventure had come to an end! But had a really fun night in Bangkok and caught up with Thom and Lyndon from Laos the next day. Got home and had a yummy roast and pottered about my dads new house (getting lost- it's like narnia!) They have done lots of work on it and it's quite hospitable now- I even have furniture in my bedroom!
Yesterday I went up into London and saw lots of lovely people that I have missed to bits which was lovely, lovely, lovely. Yummyest dinner I've had in a long time too! Maybe I should just come home...? (Except its cold and grey and I had a fight with a BT phonebox this morning in Waterloo station. Hm)
Today back to Bangkok tonight and then off to Sydney! Can't wait to see Duncan (oh, yeah, and my mum!) xx
Cried on Jimmy when I had to leave Cambodia- most upset my little adventure had come to an end! But had a really fun night in Bangkok and caught up with Thom and Lyndon from Laos the next day. Got home and had a yummy roast and pottered about my dads new house (getting lost- it's like narnia!) They have done lots of work on it and it's quite hospitable now- I even have furniture in my bedroom!
Yesterday I went up into London and saw lots of lovely people that I have missed to bits which was lovely, lovely, lovely. Yummyest dinner I've had in a long time too! Maybe I should just come home...? (Except its cold and grey and I had a fight with a BT phonebox this morning in Waterloo station. Hm)
Today back to Bangkok tonight and then off to Sydney! Can't wait to see Duncan (oh, yeah, and my mum!) xx
Tuesday 13 February 2007
Snoopy Dog
My mum just wrote this from her hotel in Sydney..
'I am here in Sydney with a bedroom next tosome rapper called Snoopy Dog and his entourage who are loud to say the least,so could be a room swap is imminent!'
Just perfect.
'I am here in Sydney with a bedroom next tosome rapper called Snoopy Dog and his entourage who are loud to say the least,so could be a room swap is imminent!'
Just perfect.
Wednesday 7 February 2007
Today I saw Angkor Wat. Beat that.
...we spent 10 hours visiting the temples and it was incredible. Angkor itself was my favourite, but the bayon was also incredible and Ta Phrom (the one taken over by trees) just beautiful. Tomorrow we're off to about 7 more and that's not even half!
Cambodia seems noticably poorer than any of it's neighbours. The number if scared, disfigured beggars in the streets is hard. The children selling books and bracelets seem greater in number. Child sex tourism is apparent in more than posters. And yet i like this place- I may come back and volunteer.
The S21 genocide museum and killing fields were hard to take. How this happened, and still happens, is so utterly incomprehensible to me. what is wrong with our world? I'm glad we saw this at the end of the trip- I'm not sure if I could've seen that at the start of the trip. Somehow you seem more equipt to deal with Vietnam- I guess the images are more familar. does that make them less horrific? I hope it's just we have the tools to break it down.
Anyways, I'm off to bed. It's been an amazing day, and an incredible six weeks. Bring on tomorrow xx
Cambodia seems noticably poorer than any of it's neighbours. The number if scared, disfigured beggars in the streets is hard. The children selling books and bracelets seem greater in number. Child sex tourism is apparent in more than posters. And yet i like this place- I may come back and volunteer.
The S21 genocide museum and killing fields were hard to take. How this happened, and still happens, is so utterly incomprehensible to me. what is wrong with our world? I'm glad we saw this at the end of the trip- I'm not sure if I could've seen that at the start of the trip. Somehow you seem more equipt to deal with Vietnam- I guess the images are more familar. does that make them less horrific? I hope it's just we have the tools to break it down.
Anyways, I'm off to bed. It's been an amazing day, and an incredible six weeks. Bring on tomorrow xx
Monday 5 February 2007
Saturday 3 February 2007
Laos pictures!
Smile Bar!
The waterfall in Luang Prabang.
The nipple lightening cream we found today (sorry needed to be shared)
The Kayaking adventure..
Lyndon, me and thom up a tree over a very big, blue lagoon in Vang Vieng
Jimmy and a Wat in Luang Prabang
Erm...
Told you a did the rope swing ! (three times!)
Lao, Lao lao and beer lao...
It's been a long time- apologies. There just hasn't been time enough to email..
Where to begin? Well, there were a couple of bad nightclubs in Vientiane, but the events of that night are best not published. Suffice to say it was our first run-in with beer lao (little did we know it would not be our last..)
We got a bus to Vang Vieng and managed to pick up a Canadian, an American (South African!) and a cornishman who were to become our travel companions for the next two weeks. Oh the fun! Vang Vieng is a grotty little town (sorry Lyndon) but spectacularly hugged by hills and the mekong. Tubing down the river was messy- We discovered that Beer Lao became synonymous with 'hello' as people yelled it every 5 minutes much to get you into bars that lined the river. I was too much of a pussy to throw myself off the giant rope swings but the boys made up for it (well, the north American contingent did!) We did lots of biking and climbing in caves (and by jove i almost enjoyed the outdoor pursuits!)
Then we all moved up to Luang Prabang which was stunning- golden temples, misty mornings and french streets and cafe's. We climbed a waterfall (..petted a tiger and saw a bear..) which was breathtaking (no, really, it was! Only topped by El Yunque in Cuba..) We discovered a street full of food (nicknamed Lyndon Lane as it was the only place we could fill all6'5'' of him up- fill your plate for 50c. Ouch) and I discovered the nightmarket... 2 embroidered bags, one bedspread, two pillowcases, a silk throw and some jewellery later (oh, and a beer lao t-shirt!) four of us went back down south to Vang Vieng (yes , we went tubing again and this time i did throw myself in the river!There's a pic to prove it and everything!)
For some unknown reason we then Kayaked (yes, in a BOAT) back towards Vang Vieng. It was beautiful and thankfully I had Thom in mine so I actually made it back!
this morning Sarah and I got up at 4 am to argue our way onto our Lao airlines flights to Cambodia (28 seater plane- much fear..) The corn is coming to meet us tomorrow when we'll explore..
I have seen so many beautiful things over the last few weeks- I can't write it all here. But I'm happy and the world is falling into place xxxxx
Where to begin? Well, there were a couple of bad nightclubs in Vientiane, but the events of that night are best not published. Suffice to say it was our first run-in with beer lao (little did we know it would not be our last..)
We got a bus to Vang Vieng and managed to pick up a Canadian, an American (South African!) and a cornishman who were to become our travel companions for the next two weeks. Oh the fun! Vang Vieng is a grotty little town (sorry Lyndon) but spectacularly hugged by hills and the mekong. Tubing down the river was messy- We discovered that Beer Lao became synonymous with 'hello' as people yelled it every 5 minutes much to get you into bars that lined the river. I was too much of a pussy to throw myself off the giant rope swings but the boys made up for it (well, the north American contingent did!) We did lots of biking and climbing in caves (and by jove i almost enjoyed the outdoor pursuits!)
Then we all moved up to Luang Prabang which was stunning- golden temples, misty mornings and french streets and cafe's. We climbed a waterfall (..petted a tiger and saw a bear..) which was breathtaking (no, really, it was! Only topped by El Yunque in Cuba..) We discovered a street full of food (nicknamed Lyndon Lane as it was the only place we could fill all6'5'' of him up- fill your plate for 50c. Ouch) and I discovered the nightmarket... 2 embroidered bags, one bedspread, two pillowcases, a silk throw and some jewellery later (oh, and a beer lao t-shirt!) four of us went back down south to Vang Vieng (yes , we went tubing again and this time i did throw myself in the river!There's a pic to prove it and everything!)
For some unknown reason we then Kayaked (yes, in a BOAT) back towards Vang Vieng. It was beautiful and thankfully I had Thom in mine so I actually made it back!
this morning Sarah and I got up at 4 am to argue our way onto our Lao airlines flights to Cambodia (28 seater plane- much fear..) The corn is coming to meet us tomorrow when we'll explore..
I have seen so many beautiful things over the last few weeks- I can't write it all here. But I'm happy and the world is falling into place xxxxx
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