TravelStream™ news feed for member alicerosee on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/alicerosee en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:33:30 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1235776320/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1235776320/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1235776320/tpod.html Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:33:30 -0400 Alice in Wonderland

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Tanzania, Tanzania

Everyday in Tanzania was completely suprising. Everyday was unexpected. I arrived having found out that Richie (the one and only gingerchef, introduced to me through Facebook by Tracey a work colleague) was going on safari the next day and I was welcome to come. It would we all thought, be the a luxurious journey into the Serengeti to watch the migration. Well, you never get what you expect travelling, but it is always an adventure. So, I jumped on a plane on my first morning in Dar Es Salaam and headed up to meet Richie and Russell. They are the backbone of a hotel that is being built, or rather should have been built already, on the North of Zanzibar. Our Safari started in Arusha, the main tourist town next to Serengeti and Ngorogoro, as it would continue. Richie got food poisoning from our night out in Arusha and was up all night. Which was nice because we were all sharing a hotel room. It's good to share. And Richie did, because 2 nights later in the middle of the Serengeti, with no showers, shite food, no cold drinks and long walk past Water Buffalo in wait, I got sick. So, apart from getting sick, shit food, no cold drinks, no shower and the fear of being eaten at night it was an amazing Safari. We saw every animal I could have hoped to see. The hippos were magic lolling about in their waterhole, chatting with each other and occasionally giving a huge yawn. We saw about 4 leopards and I nearly got eaten by a lion. Literally.Back in Zanzibar the boys took me into their world of hotel gossip-politics, sweat, sunshine and KiSwahili. I learnt enough to be treated like a first class tourist, I even got residents rates out shopping. The beach was stunning and on my last day I spent some quality time, just me and the sunshine and the turquoise ocean. It was beautiful, apart from the sunburn and inevitable peeling skin when I got home. Oh well, guess I won't see the sun again for sometime.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1235772840/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1235772840/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1235772840/tpod.html Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:15:33 -0500 Alice in Wonderland

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London, United Kingdom

Happy to see my home town again.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1233162060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1233162060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1233162060/tpod.html Tue, 17 Feb 2009 04:44:25 -0500 Alice in Wonderland

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Namibia, Namibia

A 10 hour flight, followed by a ten hour sleep in Johannesburg led me to land in Namibia. I've been here a week now and most of it has been so surreal I don't know how I'm going to put it into words. Like drinking in Joe's Bar in Windhoek with an old guy with a mullet escaping his tax payments in South Africa and a young guy from Botswana who had the 'smartest' English accent I've heard. Then I went on tour with 5 others (Leslie (American), Uta (Germ), Shane and Sarah (Aus) and Peter (also a Germ), plus our guides Bennie and Stephen who were brilliant. We jumped in the Etosha National Park salt pan and toasted marshmellows at our campfire (proper retro) before sleeping in our tents through a gale force storm. We got excited about seeing one Giraffe at a waterhole and then 10 others came and joined it (I nearly had a fit). The first animal I saw was a Leapoard (a tame one, this means that they have had to look after it so it has enclosure and they feed it, tame means it will definitely attack you unlike the wild ones which are so shy you won't see one). We sat in this room with gap to see through a shutter to pull down in case the Leopard jumped at us. When the Leaopard was let into this feeding pen it suddenly appeared in front of us, padding towards the meat in front of our viewing gap and on the trees. The presence of the Leapoard suddenly there so powerful and beautiful literally took my breath and I jumped back. It was proper scarey. But amazing. We saw Lions 10 feet from our open van windows and I got butted by a Springbok at our campsite this morning when I came out my tent. We met Himba people in their 'traditional' village and saw rock engravings and paintings thousands of years old. And we laughed, laughed at me getting butted by a Springbok, laughed at Peter and his idiosyncratic way of telling you what the guides were trying to tell you, laughed at Bennies laugh. It was a magic week and I'm off for our final dinner now. This is the 7 day North tour I did. http://www.wilddog-safaris.com/safari_tours/northern_adventure/I'll be in Swakopmund for the weekend, some kayakking and dune surfing aree on the cards and then I'm gonna head South. Hope you're enjoying the snow!xxThe bars here are great. It's so bizarre drinking a caipirinha in a bar called Cubana in Namibia. Another surreal moment. Sandboarding was wicked, I'm thinking of doing standing up on Saturday, which you use proper snowboards for. A much gentler-on-your-arse way of learning to board. Hoping to Kayak tomorrow. And book up a tour to see Fish River Canyon down South.xxSwakopmund seems to be a completely unique place. Well, overall the brief time that the Germans controlled Namibia seems to have a dramatic effect on the country, according to those who have travelled more widely (like the lovely Anne and Dave who travel EVERY winter from their shack (yes, I think it is the original Love Shack) on Lake Tahoe) Namibia's infrastructure is advanced and they way the operate is much more efficient. Surprise surprise. But, Swakopmund could really be mistaken for a town in Germany , there are loads of Germans, as well as Afrikaans living here and you can buy great German bread and go to some places without seeing a black face. This is one of the contradictions in Africa I'm beginning to realise. What is Africa ? Who is Africa n? But the locals are all used to tourists here, it's safe and it's a good base to explore from.   Yesterday, in the information place, I met a Swiss Frenchie called Barbara and we have hired a car together and we're off South tomorrow to Soussevlei   to see the sand dunes and watch the sunrise. We even bought a little tent. Hope it doesn't rain to much.We may head to Spitzkop afterwards which is also supposed to be fascinating with more rock paintings to see.   This morning we left before 7am to get down to Walvis Bay for Kayaking. Our guide was Leon who was supremely knowledgeable about all the birds and animals. He was also a legend for making the lunatic German woman I was sharing a kayak with put her cigarette out (which she threw in the sea - what?!). Apart from not seeing any Dolphins as seems to be my fortune, the sea was beautiful, the cormorants flew in huge flocks above us and the seals were all playing around us teaching their pups to swim so it was great.   We're off to the cinema tonight, nothing like some bright flickering lights to sooth a weary traveller.   xxDidn't make it to the cinema in Namibia, the restaurants and bars in Swakopmund kept calling our names instead. I met such great people all over Namibia and I was so lucky all the time iwth everything falling into place. That is the real theme of Africa so far I think. The drive down to the desert dunes with Barbara was great. Turns out she has exactly the same birthday as me, although also turns out she's not Swiss, only French. Oh and Annie (above) her name is Andy but I kept calling her Annie. I need an apologies sectionin here like in the paper. So, anyway, 2 Capricorns jumping around on the Tropic of Capricorn. It was brilliant. We had tyre traumas with our little golf which had rubbish tyres on already and we were driving along rocky roads and a man in the garage really helped us. We goit stuck in wet sand in Spitzkoppe and a couple in a 4x4 who just happend to be behind us on this deserted road pulled us out and also across a river. We stayed in the middle of a range of granite peaks completely on our own and got blown around by the wind. We ate breakfast together at the top of the biggest dune with not another soul around. Just beetles and lizards and the rising sun.xx
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1232453700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1232453700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1232453700/tpod.html Fri, 06 Feb 2009 05:14:42 -0500 Alice in Wonderland

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Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

I stayed with Sally and Todd and Lachlan and Rohan in Brisbane and saw Shane and Carly too. It was a lovely visit with the kids, a great city, beautiful Sunshine Coast and good Ginger Beer. What more would I want? P.s. Lachlan is my new boyfriend.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1231096800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1231096800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1231096800/tpod.html Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:16:32 -0500 Alice in Wonderland

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South Island, South Island, New Zealand

This place is wonderful.Helped by arriving to gorgeous sunshine. I picked up my fantastic little van, Thrifty, hit the supermarket and headed straight out of Christchurch. I decided the first stop would be a place I had seen on the map when I was on the plane, it's a natural hot springs resort called Hamner Springs. I stayed in a camp sight up the road, with horses next door for company, and went for a sauna and dip in the sulphur pools the next morning. Unsuprisingly it beat Bath SPA for views, but not on amount of kids being all noisy and kid-like. I felt great afterwards though so I drove back through the Alpine countryside and headed up to Kaikoura. I arrived the same afternoon and immediately went Kayaking with a small group. We woke-up some big New Zealand Sea lions and they came over to splash about us, but they've seen it all before so went back to sunning themselves. Can't blame them.Last night I stayed in a free camp sight with a few other vans, right on the coast, it was stunning. At night about a kerbillion stars rage in the sky like some giant pulled a christmas cracker and an actual kerbillion trillion stars escaped to float just out of reach above. The most beautiful night sky I have seen. Ever.I love my Thifty van, waking up by the ocean and to a view of snow capped mountains is more nourishing than all the chocolate in the world.xxI made it to Picton today via a number of wee adventures, like finding a deserted beach because I suddenly decided to turn right off the main road, sending everything in the back of the van flying, where ( I met a beautiful "I'm nearly 27" year old guy come to fish sharks (there are 6ft sharks in the water, but they don't eat you...hmm...don't think I'll risk it) and we watched the waves get bigger and bigger and the wind pick up until, 2 hours later, I left to seek out White's Bay which he recommended for swimming. I didn't meet up with him later in a local that he suggested because it looked way to unsavoury for a well-classy bird like me and I wanted to get out of Blenheim and head for a campsite on the coast. Turned out White's Bay is a DOC (Department of Conservation) campsite so I set up there and went for a swim in a stunning Lord of The Rings type bay with lush growth all up the Robertson Range surrounding the Pacific Ocean. It was stunning. I had a swim at 8:30 this morning and I had the whole bay to myself. Tomrrow I'm going wine tasting in the afternoon, instead of walking 7 hours along the Queen Charlotte's Sounds, figured I better try a few local delicacies while I'm here...it's only polite and it's mainly in a work capacity in order to report back to Mark and Nigel so that Nigel can see that everyone reading my blog is a work-related activity and he doesn't threaten to ban it agian. I'm on to ya Nige. Mark stop eating all the Green and Blacks you *****^*&%*%. Not even one decent email!Oh and I've decided to do a sky dive in Wanaka to celebrate my 30th birthday...did I mention it's my birthday in 10 days??xxMet Connie in Picton after my wine tasting and Dolphin searching trip (not at the same time and no joy on Dolphin swimming, although much wine joy) and headed up to Abel Tasman, stopping in the most beautiful places in the world. Swimming in a waterfall, getting bitten by evil blood sucking vampire Sandflies, Blokarting, Swimming in Golden Bay, went on the ugliest 12.5km walk you have ever seen and we're on the way to see the Glaciers on the West Coast. It's really shit here.Booked sky-dive for my birthday, on Sunday 18th January by-the-way, gotta jump out a plane when you reach 30...NZ law.xxA whistle stop tour of the West Coast where the drive down Route 6 past sweeping ocean and mountain vistas, zooming along, waving at the penguins and stopping for a couple of nights to visit Franz Jospeh and Fox's Glaciers led us steaming into Wanaka on Friday early afternoon with a 15 pack of beer and a bottle of vodka. I couldn't have asked for a better Birthday Festivities weekend, people in the streets were coming up to Ivy (my wicked and joyful hostess who I haven't partied with since I was 15 in Findhorn, thank goodness because we realised neither Wanaka nor our livers (or indeed our reputations) could handle us being in the same town for too long...she is BRILLIANT!!) asking about the 30th birthday celebrations. It went like this (and it's still going btw, I'm just waiting to do my sky dive). Friday afternoon we drank beer at Ivy's before heading off to watch the dedicated, extreme Kiwis taking part in Challenege Wanaka while we drank and ate all weekend. It's an insane Triathlon, absolutely epic, it finished after midnight last night while we were dribbling and giggling our way to the final bar of the night. After fish and chips on Friday eve we went to a bar to watch a Gypsy band (via a cocktail bar in aid of Jummy and cocktails in Jacks, which I would have been doing had I been in London). We drank and danced until there was no more dancing to do and met Mike, Neils (another friend who I haven't seen since 1994 in Findhorn), Rob & Katherine and many more of Ivy's mates. Then about midnight when we had worn the soles off our shoes we began to gather up friends for a Pier Jump into Lake Wanaka. As it turned out word got around and in never-before-seen numbers about 15 of us stripped off and ran naked off the pier into the cold lake to dance with the eels. And of course. Doesn't count unless you do it twice. By the end even the band had turned up to jump. It was a classic skinny-Birthday-Festival-dip-pier-jump which could be followed only by whiskey and a hot fire at the nearest bar then six of us headed back to Ivy's to carry on into the wee hours. But it doesn't end there. This is the 30th Birthday Festival Weekend and on Saturday morning we started with a Birthday breakfast of egg and croissant and Champers, well it would be rude not to. By Saturday evening we had rested and visited the river and generally hung-out and done nothing so we were ready for an amazing Birthday dinner at a Japanese restaurant. It was myself, Ivy, Neils, Connie (the lovely Germ I picked up in Picton who i have had a superb week travelling with) and Ivy's superb dance-tastic, wipe the dance floor clean friend Rob. We had an amazing meal and sampled 5 bottles of NZ wine before hitting a bar for some mean pool action and loads and loads of shots, vodkas and dancing dancing dancing around mayhem. It was just the 6 of us shouting, dancing and bustin' moves in this smart bar, causing general chaos and I even got to do the Running Man to Ice Ice Baby, my favourite 90s hit ever. At midnight they bought me a delcious rasberry cocktail and put on Stevie's classic Happy Birthday and then 50 Cents (or someone gangsta') It's your Bitrthday, gonna party like it's your birthday. And we danced and laughed so much I probably weed a bit. But apparently that's what happens when you're 30.xx
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1232305200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1232305200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1232305200/tpod.html Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:07:50 -0500 Alice in Wonderland

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Wanaka, South Island, New Zealand

Amazing, life affirming, better than sex, glorious, sickening, wonderful skydive.Thanks for the 30th Birthday present Mum and Jas. I've got a brilliant DVD of it. Won't forget this one!For all those worried, the "better-than-sex" comment was just an expression of how great it was.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1230765900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1230765900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1230765900/tpod.html Sat, 03 Jan 2009 06:39:03 -0500 Alice in Wonderland

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Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

CHAPTER V - Advice from a Caterpillar The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth, and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice. <i>`Who are YOU?' said the Caterpillar. This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, <i>`I--I hardly know, sir, just at present-- at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.' <i>`What do you mean by that?' said the Caterpillar sternly. <i>`Explain yourself!' <i>`I can't explain MYSELF, I'm afraid, sir' said Alice, <i>`because I'm not myself, you see.' HAPPY NEW YEAR My few days in Sydney are nearly up. Tomorrow I am going to New Zealand to pick up my little home for 19 days. I have booked to swim with the dolphins at this place http://naturetours.co.nz/new-zealand/swimming-with-dolphins/ at the very top of the South Island. Excited...? Understatement! Sydney has been very relaxed staying with Daniela (a brilliant Germ who I know thorough my favourite Germ Nina, who I went to UCD with) and her boyfriend Oliver. Two other friends of theirs, Martin and Laura, were also here but have now headed off to Brisbane so they can drive back along the Gold Coast. New Years Day was an afternoon on Curl Curl beach, with glorious sunshine and yesterday, in the clouds I cycled around down town and got myself jeans and a North Face jacket (same as your Zoe, but in black) for my trip in NZ. Apparently I am guaranteed some rain on South Island, but it won't matter when I'm in the sea being taught to surf!! Don't forget I turn 30 in 15 days so it's the count down. I am really looking forward to putting the 20s to bed. No I don't mean 20 year olds to bed...I mean, roll on the 30s. Bring it on.xxx
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1229864460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1229864460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1229864460/tpod.html Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:35:52 -0500 Alice in Wonderland

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Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

I no longer feel like a skanky traveller where the moto is "showering is cheating". I arrived in Adelaide and have been fed and watered and I've even had a pedicure so the toe nails are no longer reminiscent of the dirty streets of Bangkok, but the scarlet fever of Christmas. It's great. Although, not for the first time on my travels, I am surprised by the lack of sunshine and the late rains. I'm told to be grateful that it's not the usual 30 - 35 degree heat that they get at Christmas in Adelaide and they really need the rains, but the weather patterns along my path keep proving how messy the seasons are getting. Still, it's lovely and warm and Christmas day is scheduled for 32 degrees so, can't complain!I'm off to the beach again now (being careful to avoid the sharks), you're not going to get the usual highbrow cultural discourse while I'm here, I'm basically going to spend a few days eating and drinking with Lizzie's family (who are brilliant) (and Lizzie is trying to marry me off to a local so that I'll stay here), then I'm off to Sydney on New Year's Eve. And I've hired a camper van to drive around the South Island in New Zealand for 19 days from Jan 4th, which I'm really excited about, check it out http://72.34.55.34/thrifty.phpxxI may be all scrubbed up but my bum is bitten to bits and it wasn't Father Christmas, he must be way to hot over here in his red suit to do any biting. We spent a balmy Christmas Eve by the BBQ and the mosquitos decided on some English meat, rare! I managed to avoid them quite well in Asia but the Aussie Mosies are just plain vicious. Luckily I woke up to a day of food and family (Lizzie's) galore on Christmas day and I am now a convert to Australian wine, I never thought I'd say that. Lizzie's sister and her Greek husband have a huge place up in the hills so there were 3 BBQs, ok clearly I didn't eat anything on them, but you gotta admire the Australian dedication to barbecuing (unless your 2 year old wanders up to the "Webber" and grabs it, poor Louis, he's a super trooper), salads, all the usual goodness and Baclava too. Lizzie's sister's place also has citrus trees, olives, vines for their own wine, herbs, honey, Lamas and wild Koalas roaming the trees in their garden. Yeah, it's alright.xxThe photos tell the story of my adventures in Adelaide and tomorrow I'm going on a day trip to Kangaroo Island so there'll be plenty more beautiful photos. People I talk to, and friends before I left, said I'm going to have the most amazing time and "you must be having the time of your life". I am me wherever I am, being away is wonderful, not going to work is a dream, but travelling can be mundane and involve lots of sitting and waiting and discomfort, like mosquito bites on my bum. The joy comes from tiny moments of clarity, seeing a long windswept beach and suddenly releasing a little tension that I didn't even know was there, before turning and getting on with whatever I was doing. xx
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1229218020/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1229218020/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1229218020/tpod.html Sun, 21 Dec 2008 03:12:05 -0500 Alice in Wonderland

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Dondet, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

We arrived in Laos after a 7 hour bus journey (should have been 5) from Phnom Penh to Kratie (said kratchaey). We stayed over night in Kratie, where you're supposed to go and see the Irawaddy dolphins, but we only had one afternoon there so we just walked around and watched a glorious sunset over our first sight of the Mekong and tried to shake off our bone crunching bus journey. The next day we were up at 730 and on another bus, this time we had paid 15 dollars (it's all dollars in Cambodia, except when they give you your change) for an air conditioned mini bus which turned out to only have one other person in it. So us and a guy called Michael from Huddersfield (without the accent but with a penchant for travelling to extreme places, he came to Asia via Norway then Russia, China, etc, although I did trump him with Africa - ha ha) set off in this mini bus all to ourselves and all the way to Stung Treng (a frontier town with little to offer except extortionate prices - amazing how $3 can seem ridiculous for noodles and veg when you're out here) only to find ourselves ousted from the mini van with what turned out to be a 2 and a half hour wait before our next mini bus turned up, which was actually a kind of old pick-up truck. We moaned and bitched for a bit and then got on and met Zoe and Tom from Bristol and had this bumpy, trail blazing journey across the last of Cambodia while getting to know the rest of our new English tribe. We felt like illegal imigrants, well posh ones, sneaking into Laos.When we got through the borders (2 dollars for the Khmer boarder guards and 3 for the Laos guards, after paying $45 for our visa, thank you very much) we had to wait again for a new mini bus which took us to shore of the Mekong islands where a long boat took us on the last 5 minutes of our journey, while the sun set in front of us over Laos' Four Thousand Islands.Our first day was a lazy day with our little English tribe (yep, no Welsh Mark) playing what Tom has named Ticker which is this litlle plastic thing with rings on top of one another and feather so that you can kick and hit it between you in a circle, and it falls slowly and bounces high. People play it all over Cambodia in the streets and you can join in anytime, the locals always want you to join in, but they are brilliant at it. Dinner last night consisted of a Happy Shake made of coconut and lots of happiness. You can guess the rest. Today we cycled out to Don Khone which has a gorgeous sandy beach leading down to the river and more Ticker, oh and also some rapids called Liphi Falls. They were ok but I couldn't quite wake up this morning for some reason. Happy days.xxI was in Don Det about 4 or 5 days altogether and although we didn't do much, we still managed to visit the biggest "waterfall" (it's not a waterfall it's rapids. Ok.) in South East Asia, unfortunately when I got my camera out I realised I'd left the battery in the charger. So no photos, but you can imagine. A lot of water going over rocks. Done. Then we went on a long tail into Cambodian waters to see Dolphins and we spotted a few fins and about one came up close. Still it was a little adventure to add to our days of doing not much else. And the Mekong is really beautiful, as are the islands, I wonder if there really are 4000, has anyone counted? One of the best restaurants on Don Det is called Paradise, they have bungalows too and he food is fantastic. Bizarrely, pumpkin burgers are the big thing on the island and they were delicious. They don't use as much chilli in the food in Laos and Cambodia, but it's still good. Good fruit shakes, good noodles and good curries with sticky rice. Mmmmmmm. A beautiful family run Paradise and they don't bother hiking the prices up. They're doing ok and they really attract a great crowd of people. Recommended. As Mr Footprint would say.Wish I could see more of Laos. I'll have to come back before the Japenese find out about it. Ssssh, don't tell.xx
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1229704320/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1229704320/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alicerosee/1/1229704320/tpod.html Sun, 21 Dec 2008 03:00:21 -0500 Alice in Wonderland

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Bangkok, Thailand

It took a long tail, a mini-bus and 2 coaches to get from Don Det in Laos to Bangkok. Left at 11am on Thursday 18th and arrived at 4:30am at the bus station in Bangkok with with one Irish guy, an English girl, a Canadian girl and an Aussie guy I met on the bus. We got over to the Kohsan Rd and ate an early breakfast with a Singha to wash it down before finding somewhere to stay, a cell like hotel room, but only 400 Baht so it did fine for one night, apart from the rock hard bed but I'm used to that from my Bungalow in Laos. I wasn't looking forward to coming back to the intensity of Bangkok, I wanted to go straight to Australia, but in the end I had a really good day in the city. After a sleep, I visited the Grand Palace, which I hadn't been able to see in Bangkok the first time because of the Queen's sister's funeral. It was really beautiful, as well as gaudy and full of over the top idolatry, but fascinating to see all the different influences on royalty over the centuries.After the Grand Palace I went to Wat Pho and had a Thai massage with herbs, it's the place that Thai massage was originally developed and it was great, they really lay into you, pushing and pulling you about on your pressure points. I tried to get a bus back to the Kohsan road but couldn't find it and in the end a tuk tuk driver was offering me a 10 Baht ride, plus one stop, which means that they take you to a family jewellery shop and try to get you to spend money. I laughed at him and in the end a friend of his gave me a lift back on the back of his moto. Zip...down the road and back to the hotel to change before a night of Thai whiskey and ginger buckets. xx
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