My World

2006-12-31T22:15:00.000+10:00

WELCOME TO

MY WORLD

At last I've got round to starting a web-page.

Not all the detials but a few.

Its a big project so may take some time.

Enjoy!

Click on Images to enlarge them.

Leave comments if you feel like it.

Mission Statement

2006-12-30T15:25:00.000+10:00

Sitting here at the laptop, in a fanned room, wearing nothing more than my boxer shorts. The 3:30 sunshine is bleaching everything outside.

This is my first entry... Ever! So I don't really have a plan on what to write. I've just been writing my diary and was reminded of this website that's so kindly accomodating me, only for me to not use it. I thought I'd do a spot of typing instead of the 'old-school' writing. New Age and all that.

I, like everybody, want to create an online shrine to no one other than myself. So this shall be my effort. I've no idea about where it's going to go. I have some amazing pictures in my 'digital gallery', so I think it could be the best website there truly ever was.

The Beginning

2006-12-29T15:02:00.000+10:00

THAILAND

18.11.2004

Bangkok

My travels began in Bangkok, Thailand on the 18th November 2004. I met a Welsh feller (Nathan) on the bus to the Khao San Road, the road fabricated for backpackers. Headed out that evening after finding accomodation and grabbed a bite to eat followed by a few SangSom buckets. SangSom Thai Rhum + Coke + Red Bull = Good fun + Memory wipe.

I woke the following morning to discover that my bag (containing wallet and camera) was missing. Where could it be? Nathan also couldn't find his bag. Strange. We had been robbed in the night. Welcome to Thailand and Welcome to Travelling! Morale was at an instant low.

I spent my first day trekking over town to find the tourist police to get a statement and see if they could do anything about it. They coudln't.

The following week was spent with Nathan on the Khao San Road. The Khao San isn't the sort of place you should spend any prolonged amount of time on. I arranged for my bank card to be sent out. Waiting for money. Waiting. Thankfully Nathan lent me cash for the week or I would have been up a creek without a paddle!

My week in Bangkok was spent visiting Siam Square (Shopping District), MBK (Mall), riding the Skytrain (along Sukumvit Rd.), watching some locals practising Thai Chi in Lumphini Park, riding the River Express to Banglamphu, walking around a Sunday Market, Dusit Zoo.

Was getting a little worried by this point that my cashcard wasn't going to arrive (fingers were crossed permanently). Nathan could have moved on at any point leaving me cashless and on the street. He didn't.

My cashcard arrived! Went shopping at Panthip Plaza and replaced my camera. Booked the next bus out of Bangkok, destination Koh Chang. I needed some 'island-therapy'. Things must get better from here.

The Ever-busy Khao San Road. Busy 24 hours a day, regardless. Music, food stalls, bars, restaurants markets, secret side-streets, The Khao San has it all.

Escape to Koh Chang

2006-12-28T18:56:00.000+10:00

25.11.2004

Koh Chang

At last! My escape from the cloudy, smelly, stuffy dirt-hole that is Bangkok!

Nathan and I took the early bus to Leam Gnop (terminal) heading to White Sand Beach, Koh Chang. Koh Chang is named so because it looks like and elephant. Chang being the Thai word for Elephant. If you squint hard enough, yes, it looks like an Elephant.

I spent a total of 7 days on Koh Chang. During my stay I hung out with Marco and Nathan, eating at local Thai eateries. I also did my PADI Open Water Diver Course, with Ryan, an Autralian guy. Koh Chang was such a nice contrast to the hustle of Bangkok.

Myself, Nathan and Marco rented motorbikes and went for a little 'Tour De Koh Chang'. I had never ridden (or Driven?) a motorbike before, so was somewhat scared and excited. I could imagine what my mother and grandmother would be saying if they were to hear of this ghastly idea of mine!

My time on Koh Chang was really enjoyed. I met some good people and enjoyed diving in the warm waters of the Gulf of Thailand.

Mr. Lek Bungalows; Ensuite bathroom, balcony, mosquito net, 250 Baht a night.

A beautiful sunset on my return from the dive day trip.

The Dusty Road To Sihanoukville

2006-12-27T19:58:00.000+10:00

CAMBODIA

2.12.2004

Thai - Cambodian Border

After grudgingly leaving Koh Chang I headed for the Cambodian border. I was on my own for the first time.

I took the bus to Trat and then to Hat Lek on the Thai side of the Cambodian border. The border was a simple walk-through gate heavily guarded on each side by millitary officials armed like a S.W.A.T. team.

I met a girl from the Chech and buddied up with her for the chaotic crossing. Chaotic because of all the random paperwork and taxi drivers on the Cambodian side heckling us for our custom. Once over the border we took a cab to Koh Kong, a small desolate town near the border. My first impressions of Cambodia were not great. Dusty roads and very little activity.

It was that evening that I met two very friendly people, who would become my travelling companions for the following 7 weeks (I did not know this at the time!). Two girls, Jacqueline and Alison, both hailing from Victoria, Canada. I sat and talked to Jacqueline for a while about life, the universe and everything.

The Journey

The following morning we were up early for the bus to Sihanoukville. Little did we know what lay ahead.

The bus journey was quoted as being 5 or 6 hours in length. Ok, fair enough. So off we went. What an unforgettable journey this turned out to be. The roads were the most pot-holed, dusty, bumpy, eroded, treacherous surfaces I've ever had the pleasure of travelling on. We broke down twice. The second break-down involved removing a shock absorber from the rear wheel. Ironic, but the journey got a lot smoother after that! There were a couple of 'ferry' river crossings invloving a few boats strapped together with a few planks of wood thrown over them, very dodgey indeed.

We arrived, eventually, after a gruelling 8 hour rollercoaster of a journey.

Sihanoukville

Reading my diary to sculpt this piece sends a huge dread through me. How will I ever finish this! I have reached the 10th or 15th page of my diary and I have the rest of this one and two more diaries to go! Ouch. This is going to take far far longer than I first thought!

Sihanoukville was cool. A nice introduction to Cambodia. Cambodia was very different from Thailand from the outset. The people were different. The currency was crazy (currently 1 GBP = 7,317 Cambodian Riel!). The arcitecture was unique. Sihanoukville was a smallish town, very spread out. Named after the Cambodian Prince, Prince Sihanouk. My history isn't fantastic so I'll leave it there on the facts.

Sihanoukville moments...

Scuba Diving with ScubaNation
Jacko and I at the Kbal Chhay Waterfalls
Geckozy's (Our Guest house) resident dog 'Haba' meaning 'leaf' or 'marijuana' in Japanese
Snake Farm
Drinking rice whiskey, with locals, from a bottle containing sea horses! The most foul concoction ever!
Attempting to enter the Angkor Beer Brewery for a look around, only to be told 'NO'.

'Jacko' Jacqueline and Myself on our newly rented motorbikes. Much fun proceeded!

A young girl at the Kbal Chhay Waterfalls

Following Sihanoukville, Jacko, Alison and myself had formed a formidable trio. All getting on swimmingly we decided to stick together for the time being. Off we went to Phnom Pehn.

Phnom Pehn

2006-12-26T16:32:00.000+10:00

8.12.2004

Phnom Pehn

Cambodia's capital has a abundace of shocking history I was unaware of until my arrival here. The bus took 4 hours from Sihanoukville. We jumped on the Sunday Guest House minibus on our arrival into the city, avoiding mass-heckling. Thankfully Alison had already pre-booked our stay at the Sunday G.H.

Phnom Pehn had a strange feel about it. I was expecting Bangkok-style madness, I was greeted with only moderate mayhem. We had a reconnaissance walk around town grabbing a 'Lucky Burger' from a mall which was in the process of being demolished!

Our first cultural visit was Wat Phnom. A huge Khmer temple (Wat) in the centre of Phnom Pehn. Outside around the edge monkeys walked the land and gladly accepted nut offerings from us humble humans!

The Grand Palace

Getting to the Grand Palace without being run-over was somewhat of a miracle! The roads were nuts! Anything goes. The Grand Palace was breathtaking. A large collection of Ornate and pristine buildings; Throne Hall, Dance Pavillion and a building that Napoleon used in the French occupation years. The picture shown here is the Dance Pavillion.

The Killing Fields

This was an emotional day for all three of us. The Killing Fields are a collection of mass graves resulting from the Khmer Rouge uprising in the 70's. The Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, were a brutal force who decided they wanted to control Cambodia. The site had a sullen feel about it. As we walked through the plot we passed grave after grave all signposted with the amount said to be buried here. As many as 8000 in one pit. In the centre a memorial building stood high. This buiding housed all the skulls of those who lost their lives. This building stood very tall indeed. This picture shows the skulls arranged en mass on glass shelves within the memorial.

S-21 Toul Sleng

Toul Sleng translates as "A place on a mound to keep those who bear or supply guilt". It is a school taken over by the Khmer Rouge and used for detainment and torture of all those who opposed the Knhmer Rouge Regime. It was a chilling real-life insight into a recent war. It served as a stark reminder of how sick war can be and the huan race when it choses to oppose humanity.

A Cyclo Driver

Cyclos would cruise the cty streets day and night looking to transport poeple, but anything would suffice as a customer just like this driver with his load of things.

A Monument in the centre of Phnom Pehn.

Seam Riep & Angkor

2006-12-25T16:35:00.000+10:00

11.12.2004

Angkor

I was looking forward to feasting my eyes on the spectacles of the ancient world that form the Angkor Site. This place is seriously rich in history from ancient times. History has never been a strong point for me so I won't pretend that I'm an expert on this, as I clearly am not. The ancient site is situated a few miles out of Seam Riep, where everybody stays and eats. Seam Riep, in itself, was a nice place. Quite small and obviously growing from the tourism surrounding Angkor.

We booked into a guest house, named the 13th guest house, interesting name. Our visit to Seam Riep was purely to spend some time taking in as much as possible at Angkor. Which we did.

We bought 3-day passes for about $60 US, a fortune by Cambodian standards. The pictures really do the talking. The structures were phenomenal, really breathtaking. Massive monliths of ancient times, some dating back as far as the 2nd century.

Angelina Jolie and the Tombraider crew headed to Angkor Wat to shoot scenes for the first movie. You might recognise the outside, I didn't as I've not seen the film.

Phnom Pehn - The Return

2006-12-24T16:59:00.000+10:00

16.12.2004

Guess Whos Back

Back to the Sunday Guest house for a few nights before devising our entry to Vietnam. Naseem, the hotel guy, was happy to see us again.

The following day it was a lie-in and then off to the National Museum. We were feeding our cultural addiction. More Bhudda statues, Naga Statues and intricate ancient carvings. Some had come directly from the Angkor site and others from all over Cambodia. Cambodia is a fascinating country I knew so, so little about before crossing it's border.

Which leads me nicely off at a tangent to add this: I didn't travel with a Lonely Planet, or any guide book. I wanted surprise on a daily basis, which cannot be gained through research. I guess thats why I spent 6 months in Asia instead of my original 'planned' 4 months.

The National Museum

Shooting an M16 Rifle

The following day I took a cruise up to the Shooting Range. A common rumour said that you can fire M16s and AK47s for a price. The price was $30 US for 30 Bullets, but its not everyday this opportunity faces us is it? 30 Bullets don't last too long. The noise was shocking. Possibly the loudest thing I've ever heard, thats with ear deflectors on too. On a more real note, I felt a little somber at the thought of these guns being used to kill innocent people in the Khmer Rouge revolution.

Motorbike Wash

The following day it was time to head to Vietnam on a scenic Meekong River trip. Another day another country. That's what is was starting to feel like.

The Passage to Vietnam

2006-12-23T13:58:00.000+10:00

VIETNAM

19.12.2004

The Journey

After sorting out visas we jumped on the boat for a river entry to Vietnam south along the Meekong River. What better way than to cruise down the infamous shipping route through South East Aisa.

The journey was smooth with us arriving, unruffled, in Chau Doc on the Vietnamese side of the border. We spent the night there and arranged a small tour to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) with a stop or two along the way. We had one night at a homestay in a small village called Phong Dien. Here we got an instant taste of Vietnamese life. Fresh coconuts were swiped from overhead trees and cut open for our growing thirsts. We took a tour around the village and watch a local family making mats, along with loads of other crafts. Then a river cruise to see the floating market, a market like no other I've ever seen!

Popped into an incence factory in My Tho. Next stop was a Baonsai garden, which had a mini-zoo side show. A monkey had devised an exit from his cage and escaped at will, only to return when his mischief had finished. Check out this cheeky picture...

Finally it was on the bus all the way to Ho Chi Minh. We got accomodation and headed out for food. Exhausted. But loving the feel of being in yet another 'new' country.

Ho Chi Minh City

2006-12-22T17:28:00.000+10:00

22.12.2004

Lots to Do

No rest for the wicked. How wicked we must have been! No sooner had we got to Saigon and we'd booked out next trip, Cu Chi Tunnels and the Cao Dai Temple. Not in that order!

This is the inside of the Cao Dai temple during a routine mass. The colours were phenomenal. I've never seen anything like this decoration.

The Cao Dai religion is a mix of three religions, Bhuddism, Confusionism and Taoism. The best bits from each, I guess.

After that it was off to the Cu Chi Tunnels. These tunnels were built by the resistance in the Vietnam War. A mass of intricate winding tunnels, call it an undeground city. It was easy to see how the Americans struggled in attacking its enemy. Tanks were useless.

U.S. Tank

The following day it was up and out again. Shopping and The War Remnants museum were on the agenda. The museum was closed for lunch when we arrived so we walked around a bit, checked out a Chinese temple and then back. Open. Spent quite some time learning about this war I didn't really know much about. The museum was very anti-american, and I certainly was shocked to see the 'other side of the story'.

Christmas in Nha Trang

2006-12-21T17:53:00.000+10:00

24.12.2004

Festive Break

Christmas is here and we had just moved on to Nha Trang. We felt like a beach would be a good place to celebrate a hot Christmas. It was also a chance to not-travel for a week or so. A welcome idea for all of us. Sleeping in a different bed every night can be really tiring.

This would be my first Christmas away from the 'warm-fire n turkey' family Christmas. It was looking to be a very different Christmas indeed. And then I would see signs that Christmas wouldn't be too different.

Classic

Christmas day was spent in the water, Diving. I thought I'd use this special day to do something I enjoy.

We spent a total of 2 weeks in Nha Trang. So I could write loads. But I'll try and keep it short.

One day was spent on a day trip to a few sights in the area. We headed out to a small village to drop some sweets in to some school kids. As you can see they were happy we came.

I spent a fair bit of my time being acosted by Cuong. A motorbike driver who tried so hard to get me to spend my money on his taxi services. He seemed like he had a good heart. One evening he invites me to his humble house for his daughter's first birthday party. I saw it as a great opportunity to get some 'can't buy this' cultural experience.

He gave me a lift home a little later on and asked me for some money for the beers. Everything for a price. I was dissapointed that it ended in money asking. Nonetheless an interesting experience.

Happy New Year

A little drunk at the sailing club. We stayed in Nha Trang for New Year too. Nha Trang was enjoyed by all. It was sad leaving but the wheels had to keep on turning. Life on the road.

Tailor Made Hoi An

2006-12-20T19:13:00.000+10:00

6.1.2005

New Wardrobe

Hoi An is a beautiful smallish town about halfway up the country's massive seaboard. Its best known for its clothes making industry. They'll make anything and charge very little for it. I ended up going a bit insane. I think it was the fact I was hanging out with two insane (in a shopping sense) girls.

Quick Stop in Hue

2006-12-19T19:26:00.000+10:00

11.1.2005

Hue

Just one night in Hue. I wasn't blown away by it. Jacko and I had a look at the Citadel and a pagoda before heading to Hanoi, the final Vietnamese destination and a fork in the path.

The Imposing Citadel

17 Hours to Hanio

2006-12-18T19:41:00.000+10:00

13.1.2005

Killer Journey

A killer it was. 17 hours. A couple of stops in the dead of night. Drastic temperature drops as we headed north. We checked into The Old Darling Cafe on arrival and rested in a cold cold room. We were given a foot heater to heat the room.

The week or so spent in Hanoi was largely spent at a bar called Labyrinth. We went there the first night we arrived and thought the guys who ran the bar were good guys. They turned out to great people. We went off to Pagodas, museums, fishing, ten-pin bowling amongst other things. Every night would be spent in the bar. We didn't drink every night, I don't think we did.

Left to Right: An, Phoung and Hung

A New Sales Job

The Fishing Pond

It was Hanoi where myself and my two Canadian friends went our separate ways. They were on a tighter time schedule so headed for Laos, I decided to intensify the adventure and challenge and head for Beijing.

After the girld left, I had a couple of days to kill. So my body decided it was time for a bout of the flu. This was about a week after hearing a few had died of bird flu in Vietnam. I was so sick. The cold weather wasn't helping! I tucked myself up in bed and awaited my 42 hour journey to Beijing.

The Mighty Beijing

2006-12-17T21:41:00.000+10:00

CHINA

23.1.2005

Train to infinity

I boarded the Train to Beijing not having a clue about what I was getting myself into. Not just with the train journey, but the whole China thing. The unknown. I wisely bought myself a copy of the the China Lonely Planet for a few dollars, $6 I think. After chatting to a nice Canadian couple on the train I at least had a good tip on where to stay. The majority of the journey was spent talking to a 16yr North Korean chap about the war in Iraq, War and the Army. I arrived in Beijing disoriented and looking like a caveman. I had seen nothing but the interior of my train for nearly two whole days. It was -10 Degrees Centigrade outside and I was quite unprepared for the chill. Little did I know about the challenges that lay ahead.

Travelling in my luxurious soft-sleeper cabin

I made it to the recommended hostel and got a bed in a four bed dormitory. After chatting to a bunch of fellow Swedish backpackers I booked myself a ticket to the Great Wall for the following morning. Up early for the 2 hours minibus to the Jinshanling stretch for a 10km trek from Jinshanling to Simatai .

A Mongolian girl selling postcards to us en route

The walk was moderately strenuous but fascinatingly beautiful. Everywhere you look you could see the wall stretching off to the horizon.

The day on the wall instantly got me into the China thing. I was excited about being there and had a sneaky suspicion I could learn plenty from this experience.

The following day I was alone. The Swedes moved on, I was going solo again. Decided to carry on the sight-seeing and head off to The Summer Palace, home of past Emperors during the hot summer months.

Misty Grandeur

A Welcoming Lion

The Summer Palace was, like the Great Wall, massive, absolutely massive. The Chinese have a thing in common with the Americans, and that is that they don't do things without them being massive. A huge frozen (seasonal) lake surrounds an island with a temple. Grand ornate bridges. Buildings filled with history and hoards of memorabilia from past empires.

This picture above is the Mausoleum of the once 'great' (debateable) Mao. This gigantic building houses the not-so-massive corpse of Mao, and not very much else. I wasn't allowed to take my camera or any type of bag. The queue was 5 wide and 50 long. We shuffled up the steps and inside, under strict supervision of the numerous millitary guards. I the centre of the first hall was a huge Mao statue, we're talking 20ft high. Followers laid bunches of flowers at his feet. The next hall had a giant glass v-shape barrier between the centred coffin draped in the Chinese flag and the spectators, still shuffling along slowly. You aren't allowed to stop and stare. Mao's body lays atop the coffin with a bright light illuminating his face, giving it an eerie flow. The rest of the room is in darkness. 30 seconds later you are walking through the outer door back down the steps onto Tiananmen square.

A giant Mao potriat sits above the entrance to the outer gate of The Forbidden City. Facing onto the north end of Tiananmen square , The Forbidden City is surrounded by huge red walls and is loaded with history. Temples, ceremonial halls, prized relics of previous empires.

Beijing was a real eye-opener for me. Not only a fact and sightseeing packed introduction to China, but a culture shock like no other I'd experinced yet. It was -10 Degrees Centigrade and a distinct smell of communism in the air.

Terracotta Wonders in Xi'an

2006-12-16T19:34:00.000+10:00

2005

Xi'an

On my arrival in Xi'an I was picked up by the hostel bus and whisked away to my nearby hostel. I pre-booked through my previous hostel to avoid any language problems. I, coincidentally, ended up in the same dormitory as three Swedish lads I met whilst in Beijing. We planned our day trip to the Terracotta Warriors and headed off the next day.

Five Seconds of Fame

One chilly morning I arose and headed down to the bar/restaurant to see what was happening. I got chatting to a TV news reporter from one of the local Xi'an stations. We talked, and talked and drank tea and talked some more. One of the Swedish fellers, Elias, joined me and we ended up being invited out to following day for them to film a mini-news story about foreingers in China for the Chinese New Year. I was going to make my debut on TV in China! In front of a local crowd of possibly 6 million!

We met the journalist and her cameraman the next morning and took a taxi to a local Tao temple. They filmed us looking around it and did a mini-interview with Elias. We headed off to a sidestreet and found ourselves in a courtyard with a guy practising caligraphy. Caligraphy is huge in China. We were invited to join in and write symbols for our names (phonetically translated).

I was able to watch the final edit on the news programme the following night. I managed to get a bit of it on my digital camera video mode. I won't be able to post it here, so a photo will have to do. Note the cameraman!

This was a unique experience I'm certian the majority of travellers haven't had. Good fun. We went for a meal with the Journalist girl and her cameraman rounding off a great day.

The next thing I know its a farewell to the Swedes and off to Chengdu, home of the Pandas.

Panda-monium in Chengdu

2006-12-15T19:38:00.000+10:00

Chengdu

Another hellishly long train journey and I arrived in Chengdu. China astounded me in that every city I visited lived millions and millions of people. I think the population of Chengdu was around the 6 million mark again. The reason I went here should be somewhat obvious to you by now.

They were very cute. A little sedate at the best of times. Sleep. Eat. Sleep some more. Eat for an hour or two. Etc. Luckily we got there during the eat period. The light isn't so good in the photos as it was just after dawn on a wintry Chinese morning. This centre was one of the leading in the country, and the world, in successful Panda breeding. I learnt why Pandas are becoming extict. In summary, they don't like to procreate beacause they spend all of their time and energy chewing through bamboo shoots, which gives them just enough energy to chew some more when they wake up after their nap. Basically, they are the laziest creatures on the planet, and they simply can't be bothered to have sex anymore. Simple as that!

They are, however, beautiful things. And so aesthetically accomodating for me and my fellow colour-blind folk.

Chinese New Year in Kunming

2006-12-14T19:42:00.000+10:00

Kunming

My next destination was Kunming. I was in full swing of my China experience and loving it. The challenge of booking a train ticket. Getting off the train at what, I hoped, was the stop I was planning on. Finding accomodation. It was all becoming a lot more manageable and fun.

I was recommended a hostel by Chris, a nice Canadian chap I met whilst in Chengdu. Once settled in at the hostel I did my usual walk around, impression gathering stompt. Kunming looked nice and the weather was far nicer than the icy north. I was heading the the direction of the tropics once again.

Chinese New Year approached fast and before I knew it, celebrations were underway. Big decorations all over the streets. Fireworks. Revellers all obsessed with the ;ashings of good luck that the year of the rooster could and hopefully would bring. Chinese New Years Day saw millions, well probably all 4 million, of Kunming residents fill the streets from morning until night. The sales were on and spirits were high. Just look at the chaos in this picure.

I stopped in the central square to allow the traditional dragon show mesmerise me. Drums were beaten. The energy was so apparent throughout the scores and scores of people.

It was a short stay in Kunming before heading off to Dali.

Picturesque Dali

2006-12-13T21:57:00.000+10:00

Dali

Dali was a comparatively short train journey from Kunming. Word of mouth brought me here. I heard it was a beautiful little lakeside town full of raw, small-town charm. I was hoping to escape the city madness I dealt with in all of my previous destinations. I escaped it.

Dali was a great town squeezed between a mountain and a lake. It had a 'Countryside China' feeling about it. Hiring a bike and going for a nice exploratory cycle was the agenda for the next day or so. The winds were blustery and the sky looked angry, giving Dali a powerfully natural feeling. I felt Mother Nature was close by.

Classic

This picture was taken en route to the lookout from behind Dali's temples. A lookout which showcased the town, the lake and the undulating green landscape.

After a realxing stay in Dali it was off to another little secret. Lijiang.

Quaint Little Lijiang

2006-12-12T14:13:00.000+10:00

Lijiang

I took the bus to Lijiang with Alon of Israel. I knew nothing about this town before coming here. Most travellers head to Lijiang to visit the nearby Tiger Leaping Gorge. Sounds a little like a movie title I know. My 30 day visa was rapidly approaching its end, so I had to leave Lijiang not long after arriving.

The spirit in the town was good. New Year celebrations were still in full swing. It was a great opportunity to meet the very colourful tibetan people, who seemed to have a moderately strong presence here.

Before I knew it, I was back on the bus to Kunming to plan my exit into Laos. I spent a day sorting out my Laos visa and organising my route through Jinghong to the border crossing at Mengla. I met a nice couple of Italain girls on the bus to Jinghong. I hung out with them for a day before making my dash for the border. Once again I was leaving on the final day of my visa. My Dad taught me well in getting 'value for money!'

Laouch in Luang Nam Tha

2006-12-11T23:29:00.000+10:00

Laos

I arrived in Laos with a Bang, so-to-speak. After crossing the border into Boten, on the Laotian side, I headed for the nearest town of a respectable size. Well, it was more a case of the busses not going anywhere else. Luang Nam Tha was a huge cultural shake up after spending my 30 days in China.

The weather was nice and hot again. People understood my language and it was a chunk and a half cheaper than China.

I met a Canadian feller, Aaran, and headed out for a bit of a bicycle trek to a waterfall. Upon my attempt to cross a bridge with a hole in it I cycled off the side of the bridge and fell at high speed stright into the ground head first. I was seeing stars for about five minutes before dragging myself up off the floor and heading back to my room to rest. Here's the drop. I landed on that slightly softer grassy patch. Note the lack of 'bridge' on the top of the downslope.

A day or two after I headed out for an exploratory bike mission again with Aaran. We cycled through a village and were invited in by a few of the villagers for drinks. One house was having a bit of a bash. They were all wasted. We were encouraged to drink Lao Rice Whiskey. Home or locally made (next door). The village was surrounded by rice paddies. Green, so green.

"Left, or right? "

I took a bus to Muang Xay with an American feller called Mike from Washington DC.

Udomxay & Muang Khoua

2006-12-10T11:54:00.000+10:00

Muang Xay

I decided to head east to Udomxay, as I heard this was a good hub to plan my onward tour. The bus there was an interesting one! I bought my ticket and boarded the bus. Found a spare seat and sat in it, only to be told that someone was already sitting there and that I should find another one. So I sat in another one only to be told the same thing. That was the last 'free' seat so it looked as if I didn't have a seat for this journey. Next thing I know, they are pulling a white plastic garden chair up into the aisle and there we go, my seat has arrived! Every corner we went around the flimsy legs benheath me buckled and I would fall into the lap of the person either side of me. It was quite comical to begin with, but after an hour or so of winding roads the joke was wearing thin.

I arrived in Udomxay and shared a room with Mike from DC. There wasn't a huge amount to do there so we decided to head straight on the next day. Udomxay was such a non-event I don't have a single photo to even prove I was there! Muang Khoua was the next destination.

Muang Khoua

Another bus ride. Jouneys had become more than tolerable by this point. After my 42 hours to Beijing everything else felt like a drive to the local shop. The bus filled up along the way with local tribespeople. It got quite crammed at points but was never too irritating.

Muang Khoua was chilled. Not in the temperature sense! A little town on the Nam Ou river. The river was the lifeline for every settlement along it. Boats would come and go all day long. Imports in and exprts out.

Long Boats and Long Grass

Mike and I decided a little river travel would be a good way to take in some scenery. After a short stay in Muang Khoua we headed on again.

My time in Laos was limited to two weeks due to my visa. I was on the move a lot.

Our next stop was Nong Khiaw.

Muang Ngoi & Nong Khiaw

2006-12-09T12:47:00.000+10:00

Muang Ngoi

Great names huh? This really was a whistle-stop tour of Laos. I never spent more than a night or two in each place. Muang Ngoi was just one night. Another small village with some nice scenery around.

Nong Khiaw

This was the nicest place I'd visited in Laos so far. Another village built on a river. A few shops, a few places to stay and eat and not too much else. I was still hanging out with Mike. We teamed up with a great Canadain guy called Eric and headed for the caves. We explored the caves for a bit and then headed for the river to relax. The river was a wide, moderately fast-flowing shallow channel. Good for swimming.

A flag hung proudly outside the caves

Lively Luang Prabang

2006-12-08T13:02:00.000+10:00

Luang Prabang

After bidding fairwell to Mike and Eric I jumped on the bus to Luang Prabang. The bus was built to carry 15 max. I think there were a good 25 of us. I know what a battery chicken feels like in the back of an articulated trailer.

Lots of bums not so many seats

Once arriving in Luang Prabang I bumped into Jenny. A geordie girl I had met firstly in Hoi An, Vietnam and then again in Hanoi. We hung out for a bit.

I also met a group of English revellers. I hung out with them for a day or two. One day we decided to head for the waterfalls. Good waterfalls they were too.

This is a picture of a guy they used to attract people to the falls. Looks a little like me don't you think.

In a hut just outside the entrance to the waterfalls we found this tiger. Behind bars and very bored by the looks of things. We made a small donation towards his upkeep, signed the visitors book and on we went.

Caged and Bored

Restocking

I took yet another boat to Pakbeng on the other side of the river from Chiang Rai border entry. Pakbang didn't have a lot to offer. I spent a night there before making the river crossing into Thailand. I wasn't planning on spending a huge amount of time there, but very much looking forward to seeing Northern Thailand.

Back in Thai, First stop Pai

2006-12-07T21:21:00.000+10:00

Pai

It felt good to be back in the familiar surroundings of Thailand. I have to say that Thailand is without a doubt the most comfortable place to travel in Southeast Asia. Everything is there neccessary to travel easily and cheaply.

I crossed into Chiang Rai across the river from Laos and headed in a van texi thing to Chiang Mai. I spent a night or two in Chiang Mai before taking the bus to Pai. Whilst in Chiang Mai I ran into Eric again walking through a busy market. Eric was keen to ride up to Pai on motorbike and meet us there. We had a crew in the making.

Pai is a smallish town but very popular with travellers. I was full of guest houses and eateries. They even had a Seven/11!

Pai had plenty t do despite its size. Nearby waterfalls, hot springs and canyons were the main attraction. Each day was spent visiting one of these things, or even a couple on an adventurous day.

One day Eefje (Holland), Tony and Jen (Western Australia) and myself cycled off on a bit of a 'Tour de Pai'. We wanted to see the waterfalls. So off we went. It was 6 km each way. I hadn't worked my body that hard for some time, so it was pretty gruelling at times. We made it and it was worth it.

A Bhuddist Monument en route to the waterfall

As we were cycling back into town, someone clever decides we should cycle another 12 km round trip to the canyon for sunset! Silly me agreed. So off we went. Eric had the right idea hiring a motorbike and using horsepower to get there ache-free!

There wasn't a huge amount to see or do at the canyon so Eefje and I decided to 'make' some photos like this one.

The hot springs were well worth it. Could have done with being a bit cooler. But you don't sit in a hot spring to cool down, I guess. Whilst on out way there, this time on motorbike, we pass a rather slow taxi, take a look.

Don't tread on me

From left to right: Sarah (Canada), Eric and Stu (Australia)

Easy Riders Eric and I cruised to Lod Cave one morning. A good 60 km away this was one awsome mini-roadtrip. The scenery all the way was great. Meandering roads. Hills. Green as far as the eye could see. This picture was taken at a stop-off halfway there. We bought banana cake and an energy drink called M150, apparently stronger than Redbull. It didn't touch me!

Easy Rider

Much time was spent in hammock with Sangsom and Coke. Eric was awesome on guitar, so many an evening was spent singing and drinking to excess. Great memories. Some of the best memories I have, and thats saying alot. Oh and I grew a beard too.

Aviators and Beard

One more quick visit to the waterfalls and hot springs, for good measure, and then 'The Crew' headed en mass to Mae Hong Son. The land of the Karen Longneck tribes. Here is 'The Crew'.

Left to Right: Eefje (NL), Sharon (Aus), Eric (Can), Byron (Aus) and Lucas (US)

Mae Hong Son Madness

2006-12-06T10:06:00.000+10:00

Mae Hong Son

We spent only a couple of nights in Mea Hong Son, enough time to see what everyone comes here to see. That makes it sound like a lot of people come here. For the record, there isn't too many tourists here. A short motorbike ride out of town is the Karen Tribes village. The Karen people are Bhurmese, but Bhurma doesn't want them, so nice Thailand lets them live just inside the border.

There a two Karen Tribes there. The Long Necks, and the Big Ears. Honestly, thats what they are called. Firstly we walked around the Long Neck village. We had to pay a small donation to the villagers to come in, but it was well worth it. What a fascinating place this was.

They coil metal around their necks from and early age. Every year they increase the length of the coil until they have a supremely long neck. Only the women partake in this tradition. The longer the neck, the higher up the hierarchy they sit. They have to keep the coil on permanently, as without it their necks wouldn't be strong enough to hold the weight of their head. This woman had the longest neck in town. She was great on her homemade guitar too.

They were all so friendly and welcoming. One young girl spoke 7 different languages fluently and had visits from big names such as Sandra Bullock and Bill Clinton. They had the photos to prove it.

Next I took a walk following signs to the 'Karen Big Ear Tribe'. The village had a great feel about it. So enclosed and protected from the horrors of the modern world. All the villagers played contently.

I stopped and chatted to this lady.

She was chewing on some Beetle nut (Betelnut), a stimulant very popular in Southeast Asia. Its a ground nut in a leaf of the Betelnut plant. Tobacco can be added for an extra kick. I was intrigued by this, as I had seen it so often. So I asked for a sample. She obliged happily. I chewed and chewed and chewed. Nothing. Not a sausage. However, it did give me bright red saliva which has to be spat from time to time due to build up. Swallowing isn't a good option as it tastes foul. Not something I would do again, but interesting all the same. Here's a snap of me and my bright red mouth!

Everybody back to Chiang Mai

2006-12-05T10:43:00.000+10:00

We headed back to Chiang Mai for a night and then 'The Crew' fragmented. Before heading off in our different directions we visited the Wat on the mountainside. Its name I forget. I'll have to dig out the diary again. An amazing collection of Bhuddas, Nagas and other statues. Gold, silver, emerald (green glass) all around a big pointed temple.

In terms of fragmentation, I head to Bangkok with Lucas to get a connecting bus to Koh Phangan. Eric stayed a little longer as did the others. This shot was taken just before our emotional farewell.

Back in Bangkok

2006-12-04T12:13:00.000+10:00

Lucas and I took the bus to Bangkok, 12 hour luxury big bus. Easy. Spent a night there before heading on to Koh Phangan. Thailand is well endowed in the beautiful island department.

Party Time

2006-12-03T12:28:00.000+10:00

Koh Phangan

Warning: Many Sunset pictures follow...

I guess you could say I 'let my hair down' when I arrived on Koh Phangan. Its not that I hadn't been partying previously, its a case if the partying increased ten-fold when I arrived!

Koh Phangan is a small island out in the Gulf of Thailand. It is home to the famous full-moon party, which coincidentally happens every full moon of the year. I was there in time for the March one. The original plan was to go to the party, recover and then leave a few days later. How silly Lucas and I were in thinking that would happen.

I got a room with Lucas, spending a whole pound sterling everynight for the pleasure. We were lucky to get the room, as everything sells out around full moon.

I began my obsession with taking photographs of Sunsets. How my addiction grew from here on is something that remains to be seen.

Koh Phangan's action is centred around Had Rin. A peninsular on the southern tip of the island has a beach on either side. Aptly named sunrise and sunset beach. Sunrise beach is the party beach, packed with bars and more bars. Each one selling Samgsom buckets by the shed-load. You pay 100 Baht (1.50 GBP) and they put a whole half bottle of Samgsom in along with the statutory Redbull and Coke.

This is sunrise beach at night. You can see it looks quite lively.

I didn't take the camera out for the full moon party. There is no way it would have survived, so I didn't take my chances. The party was awesome. I went to one in 1999 when I came to Thailand for a month after my first year at uni. Drank Sangsom at the bungalows before heading out to the beach. Every club and bar is on full steam ahead. Music at ear shattering volume. Techno, House, Drum & Bass, Trance and everything else. We partied all night, literally, watching the sunrise the following morning. Daylight was the signal for bed. A jolly good time was had by all!

Most nights were spent at the beach. Most days were too, come to think of it. Everynight was a big night here. It really is a party island.

Fire-spinning is a hobby that every man and his dog do on the beach at night. Mainly Thais, but the occassional try-hard tourist has a go. Some of them have immence skill, throwing the burning tapers to eachother across the beach.

Whilst in Bangkok we met an American dude called Steve aka Captain America, due to the chiseled face and long blonde hair. He travelled with us to Koh Phangan and the three of us hung out for the duration. There was a bit of an American theme going on with the company I kept whilst on the island. There was a guy from Rhode Island staying in the same bungalows, plus a great girl, Cindi, from Chicago.

Steve got a night playing some Trance at one of the clubs on the beach, Zoom was the name, if my memory serves me correctly. This is Steve playing at Zoom!

Lucas and I ended up spending two whole weeks on Koh Phangan, a little longer than planned. Everyday was too much fun to even think of leaving. The reason we had to leave in the end was our visas were almost up and needed renewing fast!

We had to make a 'visa run' to Ranong, Bhurma for the night before continuing on the tour.

Pop into Bhurma

2006-12-02T16:37:00.000+10:00

Visa Run

Lucas and I were forging a formidable friendship since joining forces. We had to leave Thailand! So off we went, to Bhurma. A quick hour in another country was enough to re-enter Thailand on a brand new 30 day visa! Didn't really see enough of Bhurma to make a rounded comment about it. It looked crazy. We were harrassed as soo as we set foot on land. We took a quick tour, picking up cheap supplies, like Gin, and headed back to out boat and back to Thailand!

It was straight onto a bus heading south along the west coast of Thailand to Khao Lak. We were expecting the worst in terms of Tsunami fallout, Khao Lak was the worst hit.

The Tsunami Aftermath

2006-12-01T16:46:00.000+10:00

We arrived at Khao Lak just after sundown. Lucas and I were the only two to get off. I jumped off the bus onto wet grass. 'The grass is wet?' surely the water isn't still soaking into the ground? It had just rained.

We spent the next hour or so looking for a room. Strange, everywhere was full. But where were all the people? The town was empty. Shops boarded up. Lights out. No life anywhere. It felt like a ghost town. Eventually we found a room and took a walk down to the beach. It was dark. We found a path and followed it. We were walking through a desolate space. I had the feeling that there should have been some builidngs here. We were closer to the water now. Still no buildings. We decided it would be better to explore by daylight and headed back.

The following day, after breakfast, we headed back to the beach. The destruction was far more apparent and truly shocking. This was 3 months after the tragedy and still the remains of hotels, guest houses and everything else lay in a million peices on the floor. The occassional flip-flop, sun hat, even this kids toy bear, no owner.

I found it hard to imagine what it must have been like to be standing on the beach when that first wave hit. I've seen amatuer footage since and its not comfortable viewing. It was a truly horiffic day for many asian countries. I guess I'm lucky that I wasn't standing on this beach three months previous.

The raised foundations of this building were all that survived. The Thais didn't ever imagine something like this would happen, obviously, so the buildings were made only to withstand a light sea breeze. The wave just blew everything over, like a deck of cards, as it passed over.

The initial plan to come to Khao Lak was to book up a dive trip to the Similan Islands for some of the best diving in Asia. After seeing this, our priorities switched to wanting to help.

We witnessed the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen that evening. The colours were more vivid and the desolate scenery added to the immaculate spectacle. It was ironic that such a beautiful scene could come from this scene of destruction.

That evening we went to the bar opposite our place. It was full of volunteers from all over the world relaxing after another long day of rebuilding. We got talking and asked if we could help out. They told us to be ready the following morning for pick-up.

So off we went. The work site was a new village being built to replace a village that was completely wiped out leaving every one of its inhabitants homeless.

The Voluntary Instinct

2006-11-30T13:37:00.000+10:00

Volunteering in Khao Lak

We arrived at the busy site in the back of a pick-up. They were building 30 brand new 3 room bungalows. The operation was being run by a German construction company. I was quickly paired up with Wayne of New Zealand. Wayne had made the trip here purely to help out for six weeks. He had saved cash and ensured his business back home would survive his absence. Wayne was great. Good heart.

Our mission was to install window frames to the bungalows. Wayne had been working alone before I turned up. I'm not sure if my arrival helped, I felt I was at least good for his morale! Here is Wayne shaving the edge off a frame in order for it to fit.

My work only lasted 3 days before the volunteer effort was over. The contract was up and it was time to hand the work over the to the Thais to finish. Everything was almost complete, just a few fiddly bits and these bungalows were ready to house the people who had lost all but their lives. This is Wayne and I before the final hand-over.

This was a good experience. I met some great people giving their time and effort to help these unfortunate people. The volunteers came from all over the world to help. Some specifially just to help and others, like myself, lending a hand because we could. The work needed all over Khao Lak was massive. I hope they have returned to some sort of normality a year on from this tragedy.

Similan Scuba Adventures

2006-11-29T19:53:00.000+10:00

Dive Dive Dive ! !

Theday after finishing volunteering it was off on a four day, four night dive trip to the Similan Islands. These islands sit about 60 km off the west coast of Khao Lak. We set off in the evening and steamed full speed all night. I was looking forward to the diving, which I had heard was amazing.

Amazing it was! We did four dives a day for the four days, including my first night dive. Each and every dive site had a completely different make up. Up until this point I hadn't realised how beautifully varied diving can be. The aquatic life was stunning. Although I have no photos of it (you'll have to believe me!), we saw Manta Rays at Koh Bon. Two or Three giant 3 metre wide Mantas circled us for a whole 45 minute dive. This had to be the highlight of the trip.

There were two dive staff and five 'customers' aboard this boat that could carry up to 40 people. We had the run of the roost! Four meals a day and beautiful scenery.

The Similans are a group of nine islands arranged north to south all of similar size and all but one uninhabited. They are actually a national marine park. As a result there is no fishing allowing the aquatic life to flourish. The water was 31 degress centigrade. It was like jumping into an ocean-sized bath everytime we entered the water! This is a Titan Trigger Fish. I have to thank Ina for these photos. Ina was a german instructor.

We found Nemo too. This clownfish was beautiful and the Anemone had this stunning purple colour to it.

This picure below is a giant Table Coral with its very own inhabitant. Just underneath on the left you can see the resident Giant Moray Eel. It had a name, something like Emma.

Everybody on the boat was great fun. When we wern't enjoying ourselves blowing bubbles underwater we were fooling around on the baot. Lots of fun. It was great being away from land for a few days. Sea trips can be soul soothing. I have many great memories of this trip.

Back to Roots in Phuket

2006-11-28T22:14:00.000+10:00

Cruising Phuket

Because of our good beahaviour on the boat, Ina and Claudia invited us back to thier place in Phuket for the week to celebrate the Songkran fesitval. Songkran is a big Thai festival which is celebrated by a mammouth water fight on the streets. We geared up for wetness and headed out. Before we even reached the town we were ambushed by revellers on the side of the raod at traffic lights with a hug bin of water and water pistols! We walked the streets and bought cheap water guns. The next few hours were spent getting very wet indeed!

Another day we cruised down to The Phuket Aquarium, which had just opened. Not a bad display of life. After seeing it all in the flesh on the Similans it seemed a little too tame to get excited about. This is a photo of a lionfish. Their spines are highly poisonous. Luckily this one was behind glass!

We did a few dives from Phuket. This photo shows me over a Leopard Shark with a message wishing my Dad a Happy Birthday. I thought I would try and do better than just sending him a card and personalise it a bit! Its a shame its a little blurred, but you get the idea!

Beautiful Phi Phi

2006-11-27T13:39:00.000+10:00

Road to Recovery

Koh Phi Phi is another island that was all but destroyed by the boxing day Tsunami. A stunning island which consists of a sand bar joining two huge hills. All of the development has taken place on the sand bar, so when the tsnami came in everything was washed out, everything. Shells of buildings remained. People lost friends and family. This was yet another place where nature had unleashed its horrifying torrent of destruction.

Lucas and I got a room and went for the usual walkabout to see what was happening. I knew that Joe Meakin, a dude from back home, was currently living and working on Phi Phi so made it my mission to surprise him with an appearance. Phi Phi is such a small island that the chances of bumping into him were astoundingly high.

And bump into Joe I did! He was running Tiger Bar. We headed to Tiger for a few beers and to catch up. We planned a day trip to Maya Bay, the beach where they filmed The Beach.

Here is a picture of that famous beach. I must say it looked very different from the scene in the film, but it was recognisable. See if you can spot Mr. Di Caprio!

Here is Lucas, Joe and myself on a boat coming back from Maya Bay. It was a great day out. We did a bit of snorkelling in the bay itself and also walked to the beach the back way, through a passage that looked like it was made for a film, it wasn't. Please excuse Lucas' hand gesture, call it an accident if you will.

Phi Phi island was wicked. Good fun, as always, was had by all. A few nights there and we were on the move once again. Next stop was Krabi, or Tonsai beach to be more accurate.

More Chilling

2006-11-26T21:23:00.000+10:00

Tonsai Beach

We took the boat from Phi Phi to Krabi Town, the bus from Krabi to Ao Nang and finally the boat from Ao Nang to tonsai Beach. It was a long day filled with moving. Finding accomodation on Tonsai was no problem and it was cheap!

I think by this point Lucas and I both knew what we were looking for in a place. Tonsai had it. We needed beach, bar, and every other ingredient needed for a big session of chilling!

Tonsai was surrounded on both sides by these huge liemstone cliffs. As a result many people come here to rock-climb. Everyday we saw people hanging on for life half way up these huge faces.

Travelling is full of surprises. One surprise walked striaght up to us and said "Hey". Steve aka Captain America was staying next door to us. It was good to catch up with him again. He had stayed for a further two weeks on Koh Phangan while we were off diving. Heres a picture of the three of us doing what we did best. Chilling.

Tonsai was another fire-spinning hub. Everynight, without fail. I never tried it. I don't have the coordination for that type of thing. I'd only end up with 90% third degree burns. Watching was much easier.

I captured my photograph of lightning just after a sunset. I wasn't aiming for it I just caught it, by accident! Its not the most stunning picture of lightning you will ever see.

2006-11-25T22:11:00.000+10:00

Malaysia

After two full months in Thailand it was time to move on again. Uncharted territory. We crossed the border overland with no problems. Jumped in a taxi sharng with a nice dutch couple, Sonder and Manja. Our destination was Kota Bahru. It was from here we could take the boat to the Perhentian Islands. We had a little trouble with the Taxi driver communicating our desired destination, but we got there in the end!

This was my final few footsteps in Thailand.

Boats with flags, is all I can say about this picture. This was taken just before we got on out speedboat heading for Perhentian Kecil.

Perhentian Kecil

This island was beautiful. I'd be hard pushed to say it but I think it was more beautiful than any of the islands I had visited in Thailand. Maybe Phi Phi was on a par with it. The water was crystal clear and the sand was powdery and almost white. The green was greener than any green I have ever seen. This is a view of the beach from the path coming down from the huts we were staying in. It looks quite nice doesn't it!?

Lucas and I went out for a dive. The boat driver had snuck off with the boat when we were supposed to be going out so the guy gave us an hour to grab breakfast and a 50% refund for the day, making it a very very cheap days diving. The diving was brilliant. I don't think I've ever been in water as blue as it was there. Bluer than blue.

A couple of evenings we decided to tuck into the bottles of Sangsom we had brought with us from Thailand. These nights were forgettable, in the sense that I can't remember much of them! This picture shows from left to right: Manja, Sonder, Me (looking a bit tanned), Will and Lucas. I had to make the picture bright because I was blending in with the background!

Welcome to the Jungle

2006-11-24T16:40:00.000+10:00

Taman Negara

From The Perhentians we headed on train to the Tropical rainforest national park in Taman Negara. The humidity was high and the canopy was dense. All the signs were there to say this really was a tropical rainforest!

We walked around exploring the different trails that were open and mapped. Some of the life was stunning, both animal and plant. My finger was poised on my camera trigger full-time.

We met a group of three English girls and took a look at the Canopy Walkway. This 'rope bridge' was suspended 50 ft above the ground amongst the tree tops. It was surprisingly long and sturdy. They recommended a 5 metre gap between walkers to avoid stressing any one area too much.

Big Buildings in KL

2006-11-23T17:05:00.000+10:00

Kuala Lumpur

Lucas and I took the train south to the Malaysian capital city, Kuala Lumpur. I'm not a huge fan of big cities anywhere in the world soI didn't have massive expectations about this one. I was pleasantly surprised. KL is a very modern, clean and navigable city. There is clearly a lot of money there and as a result the city is well looked after. We didn't have long, so we organised of plan of action for the couple of days we were there and got stuck in.

The world famous Petronas Towers were at the pinnacle of the priority list. One can't come to this city and not see these spectacles of modern architecture. It involved an early start to join long a queue to get our hands on the limited free tickets for the ascent to the skybridge 44 floors up the 88 story buildings. The skybridge is a connection between the two towers put there as a safety measure to avoid any evacuation problems if 9/11 was to re-occur here. This is me on the skybridge posing for the camera.

Walking around KL I found a few tributes to my name. There was a brand of beer called 'Carls'.

Lucas and I were in a stationery/bookshop and found these office items with our names printed on them.

b

I also found this. The world-famous CARL Punch! I can't believe they haven't been sending me royalties on all this blatant expliotation of my name!

This picture reminds me of the kind of city KL was. Tropical and advanced. There was a lot of order here. People got on with their lives. It was quite a stark contrast to the Malaysia I had seen up until this point.

Bali Bliss

2006-11-22T22:39:00.000+10:00

Bali

We picked up cheap flights with Air Asia from KL to Denpasar, Bali. Travelling from Malaysia to Bali overland would have required far too much effort and time, so we opted for the easy cheap flight option. Cheating in a sense, but also wise.

Bali was a magical, magical place. The pictures will do most of the talking here. Everyday I was presented with opportunities to snap fabulous pictures. The sunsets on Bali was magnificent, like no other I'd seen previously.

Lucas and I got a room in Legian slightly north of the terrorism plagued Kuta. Leagian was lively but not over the top like Kuta. We got a nice big aircon room with en suite and balcony very cheaply.

Not long after arriving we hired motorbikes and cruised south to Ulu Watu on the southern tip of the peninsular we were staying on. Ulu Watu is one of the surfing meccas in Indonesia with world-class waves rolling in everyday. It was the first time I had encountered waves with such raw power. We sat and watched the dare-devil surfers waiting to catch a break. The guys out there were clearly not beginners!

We stayed until sunset, which, as you'll see, was a bit special.

I picked up an underwater housing for my camera on the cheap in KL and had plenty of opportunity to get some pics that wouldn't be possible without it. This was taken on our day trip to a beach, the name I'll have to update after consulting my diary.

I also snapped this whilst there. There were some great surfers there. I had a go but quickly realised it was something that takes a lot of practice to get good at. Plus it was a touch dangerous for the inexperienced. Sitting and watching was as good as taking part for me!

Here is another sunset taken on the beach at Kuta. The colours, as you'll see, are stunning. This picture was taken with a touch of tampering on the white balance, but the result is pretty cool. The Frisbee sunset.

We got a couple of days diving in too. Our first trip was to the north of the Island to Tulamben. Tulamben offers an old U.S. Warship wreck sitting at around 20 metres underwater. This was a memorable dive, and one of the best I've done to date.

The only time I was seen standing up on a surfboard in Bali. I couldn't resist!

We took a cultural tour up to Ubud, the cultural capital of Bali. Ubud was great. One of the major attractions in Ubud is the Sacred Monkey Sanctuary. Monkeys walked the grounds free to interact with their human onlookers. This is a great picture of a mother and child.

They were extremely well behaved, up until the point where one decided to jump on my head and check through my hair for nits!

This I took in the grounds of out guest house in Ubud. I was getting totally obsessed by photography by this point.

We booked another dive trip out to Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida, the two islands off the east coast of Bali heading for Lombok. The diving was again very nice indeed. The water was a little too cold for me. The silly thing is it was 27 degrees C! Not cold really, its just that I had been used to diving in the bath-warm waters of Thailand and Malaysia. 27 degrees had a bit of a chill to it! This is myself at the end of the second dive of the day.

After the days diving we got dropped on Nusa Lembongan to stay for the night. What a beautiful place this was! Another gem! I was due to fly to Sydney, Australia in a couple of days so unfortunately we could only spend one night here. However one night was enough to take this picture, which, for me, is without a doubt the greatest sunset picture I've taken.

To Australia it was. Another continent. The end of my Asia chapter and the beginning of a very new and different chapter.

My six months in Asia were phenomenal. Truly an experience of a lifetime. I gathered enough memories to last the rest of my life and for this I am so wonderfully lucky. I left Asia feeling content that I had seen and done everything and more than I ever imagined.

The Huge Australia

2006-11-21T16:57:00.000+10:00

Sydney

I arrived in Sydney after a brief stop in Melbourne in a state of utter shock. Culture shock. I had been whisked back into the the busy, advanced, expensive and cold western world. I called on Stu on my arrival who so kindly offered his sofa to accomodate me until I made a plan.

I decided to spend a few days in Sydney before making my way north back to the warmth of the tropics. Whilst in Sydney I made sure I took in all the sights and sounds my budget would allow. The price hike between Asia and Australia was a real strain on my funds from the outset. Everything was expensive.

I walked for hours and hours every day. No longer could I afford to get a taxi let-alone hire a motorbike! I saw Darling Harbour, The Opera House, Circular Quay, The Harbour Bridge amongst other top local sights. Stu was living right in the centre of town which was a big bonus for me. This is a view of the business district taken from the opera house.

I was quite surprised when I arrived in Circular Quay to find the arrangement of the Opera House and the bridge weren't as I had imagined them, at all. All the photos I'd seen in the past gave me a very different perspective to what stood before my eyes. This is a statutory shot of the Opera House, recognisable the world over, I imagine.

I also visited the Sydney Aquarium. I was in Australia, I wanted to see sharks! Thankfully my prayers were answered in stlye. The shark tank was awesome. It housed quite a few different species; Nurse sharks, Black Tips, White Tips, Lemon, and Grey Reef Sharks. I was well satisfied with the array of these underwater stalkers.

Stu was great. He asked his parents to put me up along my route north. His mum and sister were living in Gosford and Terrigal, respectively. I spent a couple of nights in Terrigal hanging out with his sister, Sarah. My first encounter with the wild wildlife of Australia.

Then it was back on the train to Newcastle to spend a couple of nights with Stu's dad, Trevor, before flying off to Brisbane. This is a shot of The Knobbys at the foreshore in Newcastle

Quick Stop In Brisbane

2006-11-20T13:06:00.000+10:00

As soon as I arrived in Brisbane I got in touch with Marc (red top), a good friend of my bro's (Tom). He was in 'Brissie', hanging out at the Central Palace Backpackers.

The weather improved a little with my movement towards the tropics, but I was still unhappy about the drop in temps from my time in Aisa. I needed to continue north.

I spent only a few nights at the hostel before Marc and I headed for Coomera. Marc had hooked us up a unique/different job with the Carnival. Little did we know what was to unfold.

The Unfunfair

2006-11-19T13:58:00.000+10:00

Marc and I took the train west to Coomera, a small countryside town 2 hours from Brisbane. We were met by Malcolm, a red-neck kiwi who personified the term 'Ferrel'. We were whisked away to a warehouse where we checked into our accomodation for the next 5 weeks, a filthy trailer home. Our first few days were spent at the 'base' where we carried out various tasks such as screwing hundred of light bulbs into batons, like the one pictured above.

Our tour began at Rockhampton. We travelled in a convoy of trucks overnight arriving in the farming town of 'Rocky' the following morning. We set up our 2 rides, The Haunted Mansion and the Mega Drop over the following 8 hours. The rides fold out of 3 truck trailers in a very labour intensive manner. Between 70 and 80 man-hours per ride. The sun was hot and the work was hard going. This was my first job in over 6 months, and one I wouldn't forget.

We did 5 shows in total. After 'Rocky' we headed for Mckay, Bowen, Ayr and finally Townsville. The work rate didn't let up, one work day lasting 22 hours.

Cairns Solace

2006-11-18T14:28:00.000+10:00

After a sour end to our Carnival job we took the bus to Cairns from Townsville. We arrived in Cairns looking for a new start. We checked into a Hostel on the Esplanade and relaxed for a week or so before beginning the hunt for more work. Myself, Marc and Shaun signed up with a job agancy and began working as waiters at the local Casino and Restaurants. My patience didn't last very long before turning up late for a shift and not being offered work again.

Cairns' Marina

My next venture was aboard Ocean Quest. I signed up as a Deckhand on a liveaboard dive vessel. A fantastic opportunity to eat, sleep and dive for free in return for a little painting and carpet laying.

Ex-Prawn Trawler, Ocean Quest

I managed to notch up over 50 dives on the Great Barrier Reef without spending a cent. It was also a great opportunity to test out my camera underwater with my underwater housing.

An Adult Bat Fish on The Great Barrier Reef

I've a total of 64 dives on the Barrier Reef, each one tells a different stroy. The Great Barrier reef was a little disspointing for me. I was expecting diving like I've never seen it before. Out of this world marine life and visibility. I think I spoiled myself by diving on the Similan Islands in Thailand, which were so spectacular. However, in its defence the Great Barrier Reef is stunningly massive. It's area far greater than that of England.

I've swam Sharks (Black and White Tip Reef Sharks), Turtles, Clownfish, Angelfish, Batfish amongst all the other scores of marine organisms. When I arrived in Cairns it was Mid-Winter, the air temperatures dropped as low as 20 degrees C at night. This meant colder waters and I felt the bite instantly. I had been used to diving in bath-warm waters around the 30 degrees C mark. They were around 23 degrees here, sounds alright but the 7 degree drop is quite a shock.