TravelStream™ news feed for member bradskey69 on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/bradskey69 en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:32:07 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1254839380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1254839380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1254839380/tpod.html Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:32:07 -0400 How does this go again.....?

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Ko Tao, Thailand

Where to start? The beginning perhaps...I flew to Phuket on the 1st and committed two of the travel sins, I booked my hotel from the airport and payed before seeing the accomodation. As I walked down the street where my hotel was situated I noted some peculiarities about the women that were all standing on the side of the street and staring at me. It appeared that they had adams apples and rather deep voices. As I passed each group they made lude comments that would make baby Jesus cry and it was at this point I realised that my hotel was situated in the gay district. I picked up the pace and kept my head down as I approached the hotel, which was actually pretty nice but as everyone knows its all about location location location. I double checked that my door was locked before having an early night in anticipation of my journey to the islands the next morning. The 6.5 hour trip to the islands actually took 14 hours but I made it andI have just spent 4 days partying my socks off on the island of Koh Pangan in Southern Thailand. If I see another redbull bucket full of Thailands finest rocket fuel I will scream in terror. Koh Pangan was mental, nightly beach parties with thousands of people raging on the beach drinking buckets of booze and dancing to numerous DJ's on the beach. It lived up to my expectations and proved to be an unforgettable 4 days. I met a great bunch of travellers at my hostel which meant that we had a crew each night to hit the beach.I endured the trip to Ko Tao today to get away from the madnes and to allow me to do some great dive sites before I head back to Oz. With less than a week before I head back home I am going to take it easy and try oh so hard to hide from the buckets of death.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1253964506/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1253964506/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1253964506/tpod.html Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:29:31 -0400 How does this go again.....?

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Ella, Sabaragamuwa, Sri Lanka

Day four of my Sri Lankan trip and I am so happy that I took this leap of faith over the Bay of Bengal. I completed my advanced dive about a week ago with my final night dive on Tioman island. It was an exhilarating experience, dropping into the black depths armed with only a flashlight and then searching along the coral beds for movement of any kind. The marine life had clearly clocked off for the day but the fact that I was breathing underwater underneath the stars gave me more kicks than route 66.I left Tioman Island and spent a couple of days in Kuala Lumpur which proved to be an interesting city full of amazing Asian cuisine and a number of worthy sites. I indulged in some star bucks and junk food in one of the super malls knowing that I would be unable to get my western fix for at least the next few weeks.I took the bus last Wednesday evening to the KL airport at 11pm and slept on the concrete out the front untill my flight to Colombo at 6.30am. It was a restless night to say the least. After touching down in the Sri Lankan Colombo I chatted to another backpacker about where he was headed, it turned out we both had the same plan, get to Kandy, so we partnered up and took a number of bus rides before reaching the second biggest city in Sri Lanka. Throughout the bus journeys we were confronted with inquisitive smiles and gestures from so many locals. Countless times we were asked where we were from and one particular old guy, who didn’t speak English, played silly buggers with Callan (the Kiwi that I met) by pulling faces and trying to get a smile. Already I can sense that there was something special about Sri Lanka.After we arrived in Kandy we got a tuktuk to a guesthouse and headed into the centre. We spent the afternoon eating authentic Indian and walking around the beautiful lake in the town centre. As the evening set upon us we visited the “temple of the sacred tooth” which is where one of the teeth of the Buddha himself is believed to be kept. For dinner on the way home we had some street daal, roti and chickpeas which was delicious and cost us $1.75 with a drink each.We were up early to catch a bus north to the ancient cities (abandoned sites that were once the islands capitals). On the way up I managed to begin reading my new book “The teachings of Don Juan” by Carlos Castenada which had me by page two. It’s a true story of a Californian University student and his experiences with a Mexican Indian shaman during his “apprenticeship” into the mystical arts of sorcery using mushrooms, peyote and other Indian rituals. It was written in the sixties and was believed to capture a piece of North American culture that was fast becoming extinct. From what I’ve read thus far I would highly recommend it.Once we arrived in the Northern city of Arunandaphura we found a guesthouse and organised a guide to take us to the many stupas, dagobas and palaces within the ancient city. We also visited “the sacred bodhi tree” which is believed to have grown from a cutting from the sacred tree that Buddha lied under whilst becoming enlightened and reaching nirvana. In the evening we went to a little roadside stall for some tea and met some local fellas. They invited us for a drink so we bought some local Arraqck spirit and sat down in a local restaurant. We chatted about cricket and culture for a number of hours before the lads started putting the hard word on us to go with them on tours and buy tickets off them. At this point Callan and I laughed and decided to call it a night, either way we’d had fun and got to know some locals on a balmy, starry evening in northern Sri Lanka (even though we cant believe a word they told us).An early awakening saw us on the bus to Sigirya the next morning and after a few hours on the buys we were at the famed sacred city that was built atop a huge rock formation. Unfortunately there had been a hornet outbreak and no one could get to the top, with one person having been taken to hospital that morning for multiple stings (apparently they’re big). We walked halfway up the stairs to the point where we were told not to go any further. Personally, I was happy to listen to the locals but Callan wouldn’t have a bar of it and started walking up towards the top. He got about 40m higher before 2 guys in helmets and bee keeper suits came down the stairs and pushed him back which ended our journey at Sigirya.We jumped on a bus headed back to Kandy which happened to have a suicidal maniac behind the wheel which made the 3 hours standing up in the aisle quite interesting. In the evening we had the most amazing Sri Lankan curry at the local Muslim restaurant ($2.50 each with drinks and naan) and played some chess at the local pub.This morning we jumped on a train from Kandy bound for the tea growing region of Ella. The seven hour journey produced breathtaking scenery as we swirled through the tea plantations and passed local people as they lived, worked and breathed besides the tracks. I intended to read some more of Don Juan but I spent most of the day hanging out of one of the carriage doors, grabbing flowers and admiring the scenery. Pushing through the plantations I could smell tea as I waved to local children standing beside the track and as the train curved on each corner I would see all of the fellow passengers hanging off the carriages in front, having the time of their lives. They weren’t the only ones.After arriving in Ella this afternoon Callan and I found a guesthouse and had a wander around the small, quaint village. We had curry for dinner and are going to hit the hay early so we can get up at 4.30am tomorrow for a hike into the surrounding region. It should be awesome but with the monsoon due any day now we are unsure what the weather for each new day will bring. Loving Sri Lanka…
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1252935968/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1252935968/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1252935968/tpod.html Sat, 26 Sep 2009 07:50:22 -0400 How does this go again.....?

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Tioman Island, Johor, Malaysia

I’m in Malaysia and I am a certified open water diver! Even more exciting is the fact that tomorrow evening I will complete my night dive to gain my advanced open water certification.Turkey ended well. A couple of nights out with some guitar with the Corfu boys on the first night and then on my last night I went all out by unleashing the Ukulele and dancing up a storm at my hostel with some randoms. I took a cab out to the airport the next morning and wasn’t surprised to find that my driver was doing twice the speed limit the whole way to the airport. I caught my flight from Turkey to Singapore and after 9 hours I touched down in Changi airport.I was quick to get my luggage and out of the airport, on my way to Tioman island. I made it to Mersing, which is where you get the ferry to the island, and had to stay the night in “Omars bedbug pit” or was it “Omars backpackers”. Around 9 o clock that night I felt the need to go for a walk so I headed out to a local restaurant and sat down for some food and a beer. As I sat there eating my chicken and oyster sauce, everything seemed perfect. It was the first point of my trip where I felt like I was in the right place, where I belong. Already asia had given me a warm welcome. I headed down to the riverside bar for one more beer and enjoyed a corona, from first sip to last I just couldn’t stop smiling.The next morning I headed off to Tioman island by ferry. After the two hour trip I disembarked at the dock and found a beautiful cabana on the water. It had an ensuite and an air con and I decided that I should spoil myself for a couple of nights. The back deck was literally 4 m from the ocean. I had a walk around the island that afternoon and after hearing my mind nag endlessly about the heat I decided to get a 4x4 back to town once I’d had enough in the 35 degree heat. In the afternoon I visited the local dive shop and signed up for my open water course, something I had wanted to do for years that I finally summed up the courage and inspiration to do!In the evening I kicked some ass in 500 against some unsuspecting Europeans and sipped a rum cocktail out of a coconut. Whilst only a simple night in the tropics, I was on top of the world and generally just happy to be here. I stayed awake till 2am sitting on the balcony in awe at the beauty of it all. Tioman really is an island paradise.I started my PADI course the next day and was introduced to my partner Danny,. Danny is a cool character who loves his yoga and karate. He runs a health retreat in Ontario and English is his second language. He was a great bloke who would let me laugh with him when he misinterpreted things during our practical and theoretical lessons (much to the torment of our instructor which made it so much more hilarious). That night I had a quite dinner to myself, once again just taking it all in and enjoying where I was. Knowing it would be my last night in the air conditioned palace I made it count and slept the most peacefully that I have in a long time. When I woke up I sadly said goodbye to the palace that is only 4m from the water and moved to a thatched little cabin in the jungle. I fought back the tears but it was tough.The next two days were filled with lessons and open water dives to obtain my PADI certification as well as cruel walks back to my thatched cabin. To get to my abode I must walk past the beautiful timber cabana that I rented for two days. Everytime I walked past I would stop, close my eyes and think of that soft warm bed. As I opened my eyes I would see lizards and frogs running into someone’s cabin in the distance. At this point I’d laugh, feeling sorry for the sucker who lives in that cabin only to find as I got closer that that cabin belongs to me. The bitter ironies of life! lol Yesterday, I said goodbye to Danny with a promise that we will meet in Canada for a near freezing dive in a lake in Ontario. Having completed my course I enquired about further study for diving and I enrolled in my advanced diver course. The open water allows dives upto 18m deep but with my advanced (which takes two days, today and tomorrow) I will be able to dive to 30m and also be able to undertake a number of specialty dives such as ice diving which I may be able to do in Canada. After 6 open water dives I cant really describe how amazing the diving is. It is one of the most unique and incredible natural highs that I have ever experienced. It is truly up there with an amazing barrel or a huge carve in thigh deep powder on an ungroomed trail. Every time I get below the surface I froth over how fun it is! I guess it feels like what I always assumed it would feel like to float in space, weightlessness but so relaxing and peaceful as well..So one more day here to complete my advanced, a night or two in Kuala Lumpur and then onto Sri Lanka for some hot currry, some A-class waves, an exciting culture and a whole new dimension to my travel, 30m below sea level.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1253964995/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1253964995/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1253964995/tpod.html Sat, 26 Sep 2009 07:42:02 -0400 How does this go again.....?

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Okanda, North Eastern, Sri Lanka

I had my first surf in at least 3 months today and although it was quite small, I had a ball. During the day the water is near boiling but at 5.30am this morning as the sun was only showing glimpses of it’s presence, the water was perfect and Callan and I were among the first surfers to get out amongst the 2 foot glassy point break. Proof that you shouldn’t jusge a book by it’s cover, my 5 dollar a day hire board rode great and has become my new best friend. During our second day in Callan and I got up at 4.30am and trekked up Little Adams Peak, with no torch in the pitch black we got lost within the tea plantations and spent half an hour running around to try and make the summit by sunrise. Luckily (or unluckily) for us clouds were blocking the morning sun which we would have missed anyway. After we got back to the town at 7 we had an hour kip, hooked into some curry breakfast and then walked along the train tracks until we found the base of Ella Rock, from here we trekked upto the top in a “relentless” ascent, however the views into the valley below were well worth it. The afternoon was a relaxed affair and in the night I went to a Ayuthertic massage centre. What followed was a bizarre 1.5 hours that could be best described as a weird dream. The 60 year old lady with no teeth insisted on me being buck naked for most of the massage and I’m pretty sure people were sneaking a peak through the curtains throughout the ordeal as I could hear them giggling at my poor excuse for a physique. The massage was just as ordinary but thankfully she didn’t ask me if I wanted a happy ending. After a lonely couple of weeks who knows what my answer would have been.The next morning Callan and I had some more curry and jumped on the most packed bus known to mankind. I spent 3 hours standing on one foot, the other leg raised over a box and with my junk in some poor old ladies face. The lady next to me was leaning over three peoples laps and vomiting out the window which may or may not have been caused by the fact that face was right beneath my armpit. Add to this the usual 80km/h around hairpins and overtaking on blind corners and hell would truly be an understatement. Quirky and zany for me, everyday life for many Sri Lankans. Another 3 hour bus and a tuktuk ride later we arrived in Arugam Bay, the best wave in Sri Lanka (all 1 foot and 20 knot onshore in all its glory). We found a sweet little hotel on the water, ate some more curry and sussed some rental boards at dusk. Last night we played some cards with some Aussies and much to the cricket crazy locals delight we watched the Sri Lankans beat the Saffas at cricket.This morning was the early surf mentioned previously and as I look out at the point now the afternoon glass off is looking a possibility. I’m thinking a few days here for waves (probably 3 foot max) and then I will head back towards the capital with the hope of seeing some elephants in a national park. For my last week in Asia I am entertaining the thought of diving in Thailand or perhaps a little stint in Laos. Tough decision and such a tough life, I know.Drop me a line sometime. Brad lives here.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1252319963/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1252319963/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1252319963/tpod.html Mon, 07 Sep 2009 06:41:24 -0400 How does this go again.....?

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Istanbul, Turkey

I’m in Istanbul after a fast paced five day assault on Turkey. Its been a wonderful week and I am stoked I made the effort to get here earlier than planned. The food is amazing, the people are friendly (but very good salesman) and the ancient sights are probably unparalleled. On the first day I made it to Cannakale and feasted on delicious stuffed mussels for dinner on the waterfront. The next morning I visited Troy, the ancient city that supposedly saw the Trojan - Greek war where Achiles and Hector ( aka Brad and Eric) battled it out before the wooden horse was used to outsmart the Trojans which would forever be proof of the saying “Be wary of Greeks bearing gifts”. The site contains the remnants of 7 cities built on top of one another and having a guide made looking at all the rocks much more interesting. That afternoon I was on a tour of Gallipoli which has been the highlight of my trip thus far. It was a deeply moving experience and at times I was fighting back the tears. Ironically it is such a beautiful bay but Anzac cove and the surrounding hills are filled with moving grave sights and memorials to the fallen soldiers. The guide pointed out the places of significance including the trenches which are still there in an eroded form. The most interesting thing was the proximity of the opposing trenches, 8m, and the guides stories of how the Turks and ANZACS would swap tobacco by throwing it from trench to trench.That night I caught a hellish overnight bus south to Selcuk and was happy to find a cute little guesthouse near the bus station.A couple I met on the bus joined me on a trip out to Epheseus, an ancient Roman city that in its prime contained 200,000 inhabitants. Like a lot of sites, a lot of it was just large boulders lying around on the dirt, however they had reconstructed the famous Library façade which was mesmerising. Had it not have been for the 40,000 70 year old package tourists fresh off the cruise ship I may have gotten a decent photo to show you all but unfortunately my timing is on par with my dress sense (think a wardrobe full of Hawaiian shirts) and I spent the morning tripping over old ladies. In the afternoon I got dragged into a carpet shop and listened to a guy rave on about carpet for over an hour. The man could talk underwater and I just couldn’t get out of there. After many cups of tea and many “No thank you’s” I managed to escape his wrath and get on with my day. It was a pretty quiet afternoon/evening as I was still craving some alone time after my recent Corfu.The next morning I was on a tour to Pamukkale, a series of calcium deposits in the side of a mountain that have fored still pools. It was cool frolicking from pool to pool with a couple of kiwis that were on the tour and when I decided to cover myself all over in the white silty mud, I had tourists taking photos of me. All I could do was wave. In the evening I had a few beers at an atmospheric bar in town with some of the crew from the tour. On the Thursday I had a lazy day, took a bus into a little mountain town that produces flavoured wines. I bought some blueberry wine because it tasted so good, hopefully I will get to crack it open soon. That night I took an overnight bus to Istanbul, where I arrived this morning and today I caught up with the fellas that I met at the pink Palace. Push ups were back in from the get go but there was some serious sight seeing to be done, so Kiwi Mike and I went for a wander around town. We took photos of the stunning Blue Mosque, went shopping in the Bazaar (and cheesed off a lot of the sellers with our stinginess), smoked a hookah pipe in an alley and discovered the best kebab in Istanbul. At the moment I am sitting on the roof of my hostel having a beer. The people in this hostel aren’t too friendly, preferring to keep to themselves which is fine by me because the boys from the Pink Palace are in the hostel next door. I’m going to see if they are up for a one.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1251661479/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1251661479/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1251661479/tpod.html Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:48:10 -0400 How does this go again.....?

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Corfu, Ionian Islands, Greece

I made it out of the Palace alive this morning (as told in the previous entry). Right now I’m sitting in the train station in the Greek town of Thessoliniki awaiting my overnight sleeper train to Istanbul Turkey. I’ve heard great things about Turkey and after realising the difficulties of re-entering the Balkans I cut my losses, content with my travel experiences through the former Yugoslavia and Albania. My body is run down but I feel a little upbeat (could be the coffee). For starters I love sleeper trains and secondly I am once again back on the road, not knowing where the heck I’ll in two days time. Without a guidebook for Greece I winged it to this town this morning and got lucky with a connecting sleeper train only 4 hours after my arrival. Dreading a night in this rather lacklustre city I feel that a little amount of luck such as this is enough to put myself back on the horse. Ready to tackle another country. Ready to eat kebabs for breakfast, lunch and dinner.I hope everyone is going well back home. I thought of a lot of you while I was at the Pink Palace, wishing you were there.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1251661169/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1251661169/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1251661169/tpod.html Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:44:04 -0400 How does this go again.....?

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Corfu, Ionian Islands, Greece

I am writing this blog post-experience after 6 days at The Pink Palace in Corfu, Greece. The island was beautiful, the water crystal clear and 27 degrees but I wasn’t here just for the scenery. I was also here to check out this 25 year old hostel that has acquired legendary status throughout Europe, it didn’t disappoint. Within the first day of arrival I had met a huge amount of friends and formed a tight crew with a few Saffa’s, a lot of aussies and one kiwi that likes to call himself Rick James. Before long we had established some of the house rules that would be enforced during the festivities throughout the week. Here are some of the better ones:Tell Her: If a positive remark about a passing girl from anyone in the group is made, “Tell Her” must be said after the remark. If this is not said and someone picks up on this they can say “Tell her” which means that the person who made the comment must immediately confront the girl and tell her what he just said.Suspicious remarks: If any act or remark appears to be a little “camp”, then the guilty person must drop and do ten push ups wherever they are standing.Push ups are enforced for anytime someone speaks the words “mine” or “drink” The usual international drinking rules.And of course, the 1 before 11am or 11 before 1pm. Not surprisingly, I got caught out again even though I know the boys were cheating. Throughout the week I went on 2 boat day trips, cliff jumped, swam in a bat cave, pushed out an estimated 500 push ups (seriously) and had a blast. I broke the Aussies hearts when I told them I was leaving at the end, they really wanted me to stay for the Aus v S.A rugby game so they wouldn’t be outnumbered by Safa’s but I knew it was time to go (I would of left yesterday if I hadn’t misplaced my security box key). And thankfully I made the 5.30am bus to the bus station a little browner, a bit stronger and a with a lot more global friends to stay in touch with.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1250963109/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1250963109/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1250963109/tpod.html Sat, 22 Aug 2009 13:51:29 -0400 How does this go again.....?

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Berat, Albania

I’m in Albania now, a country I never thought I’d get to visit. I’ve only been here for one day but already I think I have come to the conclusion that I like the country. The people are super friendly and there seem to be a few hidden gems in the capital city of Tirana.The last time I left you I was in a café in Kotor, hoping to go white water rafting the next day. Luckily for me I got my wish and I headed up to the Durmitor national park with a tour guide and 2 other French girls the next morning. It was a lengthy trip but the scenery on the way up was well worth it. It reminded me a little of Canada, with deep aqua blue lakes and huge mountains covered in forest, all be them much drier and significantly hotter. Once we go to the rafting headquarters we were hurried along by the leaders and driven to the top of the river. Like cows we were huddled onto rafts and with 12 We were instructed in Montenegrin and before we knew it we were floating down the canyon. The rapids were quite lame but the views were spectacular and I can’t imagine a better way to view the national park then by raft with frequent stops to jump in the icy water. After the 18km trip we were given lunch and drove back to Kotor, along the way we took a few photos but I spent most of the way home sleeping.That night I ate pizza for the 4th straight day with the Frenchies and then had an early night in. The next day I bused it to Budva, another coastal resort in Montenegro. I stayed in an awesome little hostel, the Hippo Hostel, and that afternoon caught a bus into the mountains so I could visit the old capital, Cetinje. The town was rather small for an ex-capital but housed some quaint old churches and political buildings. All in all there wasn’t much to do so I read more on Pablo Escobar (finished the biography today) and pondered what it would be like to be the worlds most powerful criminal.In the evening I sat outside of the hostel and cooked some steak on the barbie, the outdoor area was great and before long there were about ten of us sitting out there and enjoying some 50 eurocent beers. We hit some bars in the old town and had a nudie swim (well I was nude anyway) and drank some local spirits that the bartender brought with him to the beach. Except for the sun coming up as we got home it was an awesome night/morning.The next day was quiet except for a 2 hour walk along the beach to Sveti Stefan. The amount of fat Europeans that oil themselves and sit in the 5 euro beach chairs along the 4km stretch was appalling. There was rubbish and cigarette butts everywhere all along the private beaches. In Europe you truly do get nothing for free and I can see why they foam at the mouth when they see a gold old aussie beach.Yesterday I left Budva for Tirana, Albania. This took about 6 hours and three different buses but I met a nice Aussie who helped pass the time. We were both in the same hostel as well which was great because it meant I had a drinking buddie.Tirana, or from what I saw of it was an interesting place. The locals were super friendly and enjoyed trying to converse with us, even though they didn’t speak a word of English. There was a couple of interesting sights such as an old Mosque in the center but the biggest surprise of all was the pumping bar scene . One particular street had heaps of bars, all with trendy music and table settings that pushed out onto the street. The beers were cheap and the streets lively with youngsters. Zoey and I had an awesome dinner at a traditional Albanian restaurant and then checked out The Living Room Nightclub. It was easily the coolest nightclub I’ve ever been to with a roof bar and a second floor complete with furniture and wallpaper from the 1930s. Even cooler about this bar was that foreigners get waived in while locals get screened by the fashion police. There is no way I’d be allowed in a bar like that in Australia. While waiting for a bus to Berat today we spent about half an hour trying to converse with a couple of old locals. It was hillarious but amazingly we managed to commuinicate using broken language and alot of gesturing. I dont know who found it funnier, them or us  We arrived in Berat this afternoon around 4pm. Berat,is a town that has a fortified city on a hill above it. This is a remnant from the old days when the Turks occupied this territory. I had a wander before and was pretty impressed, as I was standing on the wall looking into the valley below I could see a huge mountain with a snow capped peak in the distance. The Muslim call to prayer was being played in the town below and was echoing through the valley like a chant. It was a cool moment because no one was around and I couldn’t help but ask “ Where the F%$% am I?”. The hostel I am in is another little ripper with amazing views of the valley from its back deck. I’m out there right now and its so peaceful. I wish I had some more time in this region as I am rushing through it madly at the moment but now that I am out of the madness that is the Adriatic coast I am feeling more and more settled on the road. Tomorrow I think I will head into Macedonia to see Lake Ohrid and after that it will either be a crazy stint in Corfu Greece or some travel through Bulgaria.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1250529841/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1250529841/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1250529841/tpod.html Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:25:11 -0400 How does this go again.....?

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Kotor, Serbia and Montenegro

I’m sitting outside at a bar in the old town of Kotor, Montenegro. The cobbled street is quiet and feels quite spacious compared to the narrow lanes that lead from my hostel to the bar. The local beer is so refreshing after my climb above the city, but I’ll get to that later.After we left the ship that had been our mobile home for 8 days, the three of us took a taxi to our hostel. After the 6km drive away from the city we incorrectly though boardo had dropped the ball for reserving the hostel (more of a bed and breakfast), however once we had seen the spacious room, comfy beds, pay tv, air con and the ease of catching a bus into town he became an instant hero and was thrown a ticker tape parade in the foyer. We spent the lazy day around town doing washing, enjoying a dip, eating a suave yet way too expensive lunch and convincing Boardo that we wouldn’t honour the shaving of the head clause in the Croatian week of madness rulebook. That night we had a quite one sipping rose whilst dining in a restaurant that sat next to a tranquil stream with an amazing view of the mountains, marina and sunset on the bay. It was an ideal way to finish a great week and to begin the slow process of recovery. This morning I bid the lads farewell and caught a bus to Kotor. Funnily enough, I had the same crazy driver from the Mostar to Dubrovnik rollercoaster last week and, knowing what I was in for, wisely chose a seat right up the back with no view of the oncoming traffic.After we pulled into Kotor I walked into the old city and found my hostel within the labyrinth of narrow alleyways ( pure luck considering I spent the rest of the day trying to find things in this evil maze). I spent a few hours being lost and checking out the waterfront in front of the city, very beautiful yet perhaps a little less appreciated due to my past weeks desensitisation. After lunch I decided to attack the 1300 steps up to the city fortress, built in 1500 AD. Realising the challenges that lay ahead, I bought some fruit and two bottles of water to sustain me through the 35 degree heat. As I pushed up the stone steps, the view got better and better. The old town lanes, stone city walls and the blue water looked more and more like a post card. Around halfway, I pulled out some water and opened the bottle, chhhhhhhhhhh, the demon that had chased Matthew Mckinnon and I around Europe last year was back. Yes indeed, it was the European firewater, also known as soda water. Luckily for me it was the younger brother of the duo, chilled firewater, had it had been the hot stuff I may have jumped from the turret of the wall then and there, yes this firewater takes no prisoners.1 hour and 16 gallons of sweat later I made it to the top and took some pretty photos. I sped down the mountain at a blistering pace, freshened up and took a seat at the bar that I will probably never find again. Listening to the 80s classics, well into my second pint now everything is peaceful and I am hoping to go white water rafting in the mountains tomorrow. Not sure whether I am happy to be travelling solo again I have realised that this trip is very much different to the one I had a little under two years ago in Centro America. Yes the setting is quite different but most surprisingly I think I have changed a lot since than, how so I’m still trying to figure out. Stay tuned.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1250529706/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1250529706/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bradskey69/4/1250529706/tpod.html Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:23:42 -0400 How does this go again.....?

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Hvar Island, Croatia

We walked onto our boat with a warm welcome from Yuri, the house waiter. He is a local Croat who would later become a bit of a legend in our hearts and puts me in stitches every time he announces something at dinner in his Kermit the frog-esque twang.Anyway, the anticipation of who would be on our boat was unbearable, we sat and watched as the fellow passengers came aboard and we were pretty happy to see that there were some cool guys and gals to share the next week with. After dumping our stuff in our own shoebox with a window, we went for a walk in the famous old town of Dubrovnik. The white stoned streets are surrounded by a fortified wall and white stoned shop facades. Beautiful Europeans walk along the promenade and as the three of us sat having a beer with our mouths wide open, I almost forgot that I had only had 1.5 hours sleep the night before. Late in the evening we went back to the ship for our first dinner and got to know the rest of the passengers. Most are Aussies, but there is a really good mix of couples, singles and ages to make the trip fun and interesting. That night we drank beers on the roof and had a relatively quiet one considering we are in one of the European party capitals.Over the course of the next week we visited the islands of Mijet, Korcula, Hvar, Sipan, Trvnik andf then back to Dubrovnik. At each island we would dock into the harbour around 5pm, spend the night either chilling or partying liker madmen and then pull out of the dock, setting sail for the next island at around 8am. Between the islands we would pull into beautiful bays and swim, sunbathe or play cards whilst admiring the scenery, it was an amazing week!Some highlights include Serenading a number of boats in the town square of Mijet with the Ukelele. I owned that town until Mitchell Proudfoot stole my limelight. Minus a point Proudy.The 1 beer before 11am or 11 beers before 1pm rule which Boardo and I decided to enforce on the third day when we woke up at 11.15am. Thanks to the beer pulling speed of Yuri and some pure dedication from Boardo and I, we managed to down the 11th sucker with minutes to go. Mitchell clapped in awe as I leaned over the back of the boat and gave the local fish a feed. Another minus point for Mitchell due to not following the strict rules of the week. Needless to say the alarms were set each day after to ensure there were no more post 11am awakenings. Partying on Hvar and swinging my shirt around my head in the middle of horrified Europeans that really don’t smile enough.Boardo and I doing the worm on every dance floor in Croatia.Diving comps off the boat roof, Yuri‘s charm, the cool passengers and the overall package.It was an awesome week and I totally recommend it to anyone. I would have kept more blogs during the week however there was no power for the lappy. Hopefully some of the photos that I put up soon will do it justice.
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