TravelStream™ news feed for member simbah on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/simbah en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:44:47 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/simbah/1/1261621500/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/simbah/1/1261621500/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/simbah/1/1261621500/tpod.html Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:44:47 -0500 Jo's around the world trip 08/09

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Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Hi guys, this is the last leg of my trip. I started in Perth & checked into a hostel for 2wks over the Xmas & New Year. The hostel was fantastic, 5 star backpackers accom with a great swimming pool, BBQ area, volley ball court, gym, t.v.rooom,libary & free breakfast.I met some great people & on Xmas eve i went to Claremont with kelly a girl i met in Cambodia who was in Perth visiting a friend & we all had a great night, i got back to my hostel at 12midnight & was so proud of myself for not getting too drunk & saving myself for the BBQ & free booze on Xmas day. But alas i didn't even get up the 1st flight of stairs when some other friend were just heading into town, so off i went with them to Northridge & partied till 4am!I ate plenty of the BBQ, but didn't drink too much alcohol. Between Xmas & New Year i went to Cottesloe beach & explored the city of Perth. On New Years Eve, Bex & Jake (who i met in Poland) came to pick me up & i spent New Years with them & there friends & we had a great time, parting all the way through to New Years Day eve!I then went back to hostel for a few days & then took the bus to Margaret River where Bex & jake came to meet me for the weekend, we had a great time, beautiful river & beaches. The weather was fantastic everyday in Perth! I then took a bus to Bunbury for a few days & wathced the dolphins swim in the shallow waters. I then hooked up with Bex & jake again the wekkend after & they took me to their shack on the beach a place called Wedge near lancelin. We had a fab weekend, 4 wheel driving on the beach & sandunes, Quad biking & swimming. Perth is a fantastic place & i will return here again for sure!I then flew to Melbourne to stay with my friend Rachel & we had 2 great weekends away. one was in Anglesea & the other in Rosebud. Lots of people, music, food & booze, right up my alley!I also flew to Canberra to catch up with cousins who i haven't seen in 14-22yrs & had a fantastic week with great weather, great company, lots of swimming & dog walking.I am now on Magnetic Island across from Townsville, North Queensland & catching up with my friend Mandy who i worked & travelled with 7yrs ago when i backpacked around Australia. It is rainy season here but we are lucky enough to have sunny days & amazing storms at night. It was Mandy's Birthday on the 12th Feb so we all went ot base for a cheap feed & back to mandy & Scotts for more drinks. I will end my round the world trip here & now need to make a decision about my future....to stay in Australia or Return to New Zealand???? That is the million dollar question...Bye bye all, i have enjoyed writing about my trip & now have to get a real job!!Take care luv Jo.xxx
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/simbah/1/1235009460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/simbah/1/1235009460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/simbah/1/1235009460/tpod.html Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:24:45 -0500 Jo's around the world trip 08/09

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Macau Peninsula, Macau, China

Hi guys, i took a bus from Shenzen to Sheku port where i took the ferry to Macau. It is a lot warmer here 26degrees & the sun is shining. I walked the famous streets, Avenida Da Almeida Ribeiro, Avenida do infante Dom henrique, Largo de Senado Square which is very beautiful over the Xmas period with fairy lights everywhere, a huge Xmas street & santa with his raindeers & Christmas caroles playing. I visited the ruins of st Paul's church, took a free casino tour & walked Penha Hill for great views of the city & visited A-Ma temple, Fortress of Mong ha. All you see here is great shopping & Casino's but behind all this front is a very poor country with lots of people living in poverty.I spent 2days in Macau which was enough time to see everything & then i took a boat to Hong Kong. I stayed on Hong kong Island very close to great shopping mallls & food courts. I met a few [people in the hostel & we all went to Victoria Peak & took a tram to the top of the nountain to see all the skyscrapers below, we stayed up there till sunset & watched to city slowly all light up, it was fantastic. I spent 1 whole day shopping as everything is 40 to 60% off, pre Xmas sales. I also took a boat to Kowloon Island & watched a free light show which is done everynight at 8pm. I wallked along Avenue of the stars & had a great meal out.Hong Kong was amazing & i could have easily spent a week there! bye for now Jo.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/simbah/1/1259890140/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/simbah/1/1259890140/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/simbah/1/1259890140/tpod.html Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:08:09 -0500 Jo's around the world trip 08/09

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China, China

Hi guys, i took a night bus from Plymouth to London on the Tues eve & arrived at the airport at 5.30am. I went to check in my bags for my 1pm flight, only to find out that the flight was delayed till 5pm. I had not slept at all on the bus & didn't know how i was going to last till 5pm!I took the tube to Oxford st & met my cousin Lara for coffee & a catch up & then contacted my friend Shelley who came to meet me for lunch & a catch up.I finally caught my plane & had 3 seats to myself so sleep for about 5hrs. I arrived in Beijing on the 4th Dec at 2.30pm & was totally shattered & jet lagged, so we for an afternoon nap. I awoke at 8pm & went for dinner & booked some tours. over the next 3 days i was up at 7am & returning to hostel around 7.30pm each night.I went to Ming tombs,a pottery factory,a jade factory,walked the Great Wall of china in minus 4degrees,visited a chinese doctor & had a free foot massage. Went to a tea ceremony,silk factory,saw Tiananmen Square, Temple of heaven,had a traditional Dia lunch with a live show,& visited The Summer Palace.I took a night train to Xian which took 11hrs & didn't see any Western travellers. The waiting room in Beijing had over 1000 people & i was the only white english person.I didn't get any sleep because the other 5 beds in my cubical were snoring chinese men. I spent 3 days in Xian & visited the Drum tower & Bell Tower, The Muslim Quarters & checked out the shopping malls. I also took a tour to a 6000yr old village called Banpo Neolithic Village, a pearl factory & The Terracotta Warriors which is over 2000yrs old & the 8th Wonder of the world.I flew from Xian to Guilin & stayed for 2nights. I visited Solitary Peak, Reed Flute Caves which has lots of stalactites & the cave can hold more than 1000 people & was used during World war 2 as an air raid shelter. I went with 3 spanish guys for a traditional chinese lunch & visited Elephant Rock.From Guilin i took a 1hr bus to yangshuo which was my favourite village in China, it is a small happening town with lots of shops, markets, cafe's, bars & surrounded by beautiful mountains & peaks. I met 2 guys from the U.K. & we took a tour together with bikes & bamboo rafting, we cycled to Moon Hill & climbed to the top for nfantastic views of the city. we also had a great night out dancing & drinking with the locals, they sure know how to party!!From Yangshuo i took the bus back to Guilin for 1night & visited the Seven Star Scenic Park where i saw georgeous Panda's. The next day i flew to Shenzen which is very close to hong kong & macau & had great tax free shopping.I truley loved my china experience although it was very challenging at times & some days i didn't meet any english speaking people. The tour guides were all fantastic & it amazes me how they speak such good english but have never been to an english speaking country & probably never will. The population of China is 1.3 billlion.Well bye for now guys, next stop Macau & hong kong.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/simbah/1/1227931680/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/simbah/1/1227931680/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/simbah/1/1227931680/tpod.html Mon, 02 Feb 2009 23:20:23 -0500 Jo's around the world trip 08/09

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England, United Kingdom

Hi guys, i flew from Madrid to London Heathrrow & had a surprise when i came out the airport & Peter was there to meet me. We chatted over coffee for a fews hours until my bus arrived to take me to Plymouth where i will stay with my best mate Jen for 4 nights. We had a fantastic time catching up, did lots of dog walking, drinking & eating & i got to see a few of my good friends in & around Devon.The weather bus surprisingly good while i was there & on my last night me & Jen met up with Peter again for a great evening in the pub with food & drinks. I took the midnight bus back to London & arrived at 6am. My flight was supposed to leave for China at 1pm but it was delayed until 5pm, so i checked in my luggage & took the metro to oxford st, where i met my cousin Lara for breakfast & catch up & then met my mate Shelley for lunch. It was great to see everyone & i am looking forward to China.Bye for now, take care luv Jo.xx
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Málaga, Andalusia, Spain and Canary Islands

Hi guys, I flew from Munich to Madrid, my flight was delayed by two hours so i arrived at my Hostel around 7pm. The next day i took a Free City Tour of Madrid. We saw The Royal Palace which has 2800 rooms & 6 floors! I saw The Opera House, 2 monestry's, The Moorish Ruins which used to be huge wall around the city of Madrid. Sol, the main squarewhich look like half a sun with rays departing off it (which are the streets). Cathedral De Almudena which took almost 5 centuries to finish, the world's oldest resturant which was in the Guiness Book of Records built in 1795! Church of San Gines where lies a statue of Virgin Mary & baby which dates back to AD. We were told about Spanish History, The Spanish inquisition, Spanish Civil War & their Empire & the origins of Tapas. It was a very interesting tour.The next day i took a bus to the Old Walled City of Toledo, which is a maze of tiny streets with lots of beautiful Churches & Cathedrals. It reminded me of Venice except it is very hilly & there is no canal to find your bearings...i got very lost! When i returned to the Hostel there was no power, so we all decided to go to a local bar for Tapas & drinks & had a fun evening, the power finally came on around 10pm.The next day i just explored the city alone. I then took a bus to barcelona which i nearly missed because the underground train broke down....I arrived in Barcelona around 7pm & went to get something to eat & had a wander around the huge city. The next day i walked from the Hostel to the port & Columbus Monument, i then walked up to Mount Montjuic for fantastic views of Barcelona. On the walk home some guy stopped his car 200mts in front of me, he got out & walked to the path to look over at the highway, i though this was very weird & walked towrds him cautiously, suddenly he attacked me & i screamed my head off & pushed him away, he ran to his car & i thought he was going to try to run me over so i climbed over the barrier onto a busy freeway where he couldn't drive. When he was gone i saw some construction workers & they asked if i was O.K? I was a little scared & didn't want to walk the same road home incase he was waiting for me around the corner, so the guys radioed through to their co workers who where repairing a tunnel & let me take a short cut back to the city. I then continued sight seeing & saw Gaudi Palau Guerili, Gaudi Casa Batillo,Casa Amatler, Casa Cleo Morera, Gaudi Casa Mila La Pedera & Gaudi Sagrada Familia which are all amazing weird Gothic type houses & one huge Church all built by the same architect, it was very impressive.The next day i walked 2hours to Park Geuill which was also amazing with lots of Marble statues, i then wandered through the tiny little streets, the famous street Rambla where there are lots of street performers, markets, musicians & artists. In the evening i walked along the port to some fantastic beaches & shops.The next day i took the bus to Valencia, i arrived around 5pm on the Sunday & nothing was open, no supermarkets or food stalls so i treated myself to a lovely Mexican dinner. The next day i went on a Free City Tour in the morning & a Tapas tour in the late afternoon which was great fun, lots of food & Tinto Baranos (red wine with lemonade, ice & lemon). I took the 11pm bus to Granada.I arrived at 9am & went exploring the city which is very nice with lots of cool shops & markets. In the afternoon i had a siesta because i had no sleep on the overnight bus..i then took a hike in the evening to Alhambra Palace & gardens for great views of the city & the snow capped mountains. The next day i walked alone the estuary which is a scenic popular walk. I spent the afternoon looking around markets & the evening we had a Paella night at the hostel.The next day i took the bus to Malaga, then a local bus to Coin to stay at Mum & Micks for my birthday & to rest before my big adventure in China. The weather was still hot & sunny so i did a lot of swimming & sunbathing by the pool. We all went out for a lovely birthday lunch which was Brazillian style BBQ, they bring you lots of different meats & slad all you can eat! The day before i left Mum's we went to a lovely WOK resturant, which was also all you can eat & we had about 5 courses, the food was delicious!Next stop U.K. Devon, bye for now jo.xx
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Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Hi guys, from Austria i took the train to Munich in Germany. I arrived early in the morning & spent the day sight seeing & shopping. It was very, very cold & i had to buy some thermal tights & a jumper!The city is fantastic & the next day i decided to take a City Tour...We walked Maximillian Strasse which claims to be the most expensive street in Europe! Talked about Munich Beer Festivals which started in 1810, this year was the 175th because a few were cancelled due to World War 1 & 2 & other events. We visited a church which was destroyed in World War 2 except for the two towers..one tower was hit with a bomb but it didn't go off & the whole it made was filled with a gold brick which you can clearly see. It took 170 architects to rebuild the church & they have put all their faces around the ceilings & the main architect left his footprint in the entrance of the church.I saw the National Theatre,new Synagogue, The Hofbrauhas House which back in the day only men where allowed to drink there. They had a urinal under the tables so the men didn't have to get up to go to the bathroom & loose their seat. There are two town halls, the old one & the new one. The old one is very impressive & everyday people crowd around to watch the Glockenspiel move & tell a story.The next day i took tour to Dachau, Germany's 1st concentration camp which was also the last one to close in 1945. This camp was the official SS Training Camp for all other camps throughout Europe. In total there where more than 2,500 camps running between 1933-1945. The first 5,000prisioners were political enemys to the Nazi regime. Throughout the following years other social, ethnic & racial enemies were imprisioned in Dachau. It remained active duringthe Third Reich period. By liberation more than 200,000prisioners from more than 30 nations were emprisioned in Dachau. Only 1 person managed to escape the camp alive. There is a statue which tranlates from German to say "Honour the dead, warn the living" & another memorial which says in 5 languages "Never Again".In the evening i went on the Beer Challenge Tour...I had lots of fun & drank lots of Beer, Wine & Jagermeister! Everyone went home between 12midnight & 2am, but i didn't get home till 7.30am!! So the next day was mostly taken over by my hangover, but i did venture out in the late afternoon for a bite to eat & explore some food markets.I loved Munich, Take care, bye for now Jo.xx
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Salzburg, Austrian Alps, Austria

Hi guys, well i took a 6am bus from Slovakia all the way to Vienna which was 4hours & arrived around 10am. I was lucky enough to get some more sunshine but very cold 4degrees & see the sights. I visited a lot of impressive buildings & Museums in Vienna & the famous Nasch Markets, where you can taste stuffed olives, stuffed peppers,cheese's gallor,seafood delicacies,home made honey's & jam's,local liquers,pastries & so much more. I also went window shopping in Karntnerstrabe & Rofenturmstrabe, saw Mozart's house,Stephans Dom,Karlsplatz & Bermuda Triangle. I went to a huge theme park & much more.After 3days in Vienna i took the train to Salzburg which was a beautiful city. I visited all the locations from The Sound Of Music, saw the house where Motzart was born, went shopping down Geitridegrasse street, Old Town hall,Horse Pond,Resident Fountain & Hohensalsurg Fortress.Next stop Munich, Bye for now Jo.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/simbah/1/1224231240/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/simbah/1/1224231240/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/simbah/1/1224231240/tpod.html Thu, 20 Nov 2008 04:43:41 -0500 Jo's around the world trip 08/09

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Slovakia, Slovakia

Hey guys, i took a train at 9am which should have been a 2hr journey to Vienna, Austria but there was a train that had broke down on the same track & i was delayed 3hrs..i then took a bus from Vienna to bratislava which took just over 1hr where Beata met me & we took a train to Levice to stay with a friend called Radavan & visit some famous Slovakian market which tours the country in the month of October. We went to the market that evening & the next morning tasting the local sausages,Medovina which is an alcoholic drink made from honey & Burack which is a slightly fizzy red or White wine. There were lots of food stalls,clothing stores,sweet stores,live bands & folk music.the following afternoon Radavan drove us to Bratislava where we visited a Hrad Devin Castle & then met us with Suzanna & Martina who put me & Beata up at their home. They work in an Irish bar & invited us all for some traditional Irish food & i enjoyed a few Ciders. The following morning we toured the Old & New City of bratislava & met Danke & Mark for drinks back in the Irish bar. Beata & i then took a bus to Piestany where we stayed with Andrea & visited Spa Island which has beautiful Parks,Ponds,Spa Mud bath's, Physio treatments & the 1st & only 5star Hotel in Slovakia. I tried some local Hot fountain spring water that comes from underground & smells like rotten eggs, but suprisingly takes nice & is beleived to have healing powers! We then had a traditional Slokakian lunch & then went to a cafe which has the best Hot choclate i've ever tasted!That afternoon Beata & I took a bus to Beata's home town Zair Nad Hronom. The bus broke down on the way but we were only delayed about half an hour. We arrived about 7.30pm & Beata's mum had prepared us a lovely traditional Slovakian meal. We stayed with beata's sister Marie for 4 days.The following morning i went for a 500year old Traditional Chinese Method Massage & has about 30 candles lit & stuck onto my back like a vaccum. This is to remove all the bad toxins. In the afternoon we took the bus to zvolen to meet up with some more of Beata's friends & on return we walked through Beata's town. In the evening Marie took us out to a local resturant for Pizza & i tried some local Red wine which was served chilled & absolutely delicious.The next day Valeria who gave me my massage took me to some special caves where you can soak in a hot spa pool & then lie in a dark room with relaxing music in a huge soft bed that looks like a cot, it was very relaxing indeed! The next day we visited Kemnica's old town & castles & Beata's mum cooked us another lovely meal on return.I would like to thank Beata, her family & close friends who showed me their beautiful country, foods,spitits & hospitality.Next stop is Austria.Bye for now Jo.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/simbah/1/1223884620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/simbah/1/1223884620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/simbah/1/1223884620/tpod.html Thu, 20 Nov 2008 04:13:03 -0500 Jo's around the world trip 08/09

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Budapest, Hungary

Hi guys, well i travelled from South Croatia, Dubrovnik to Zagreb by bus 11hrs, then took a train from Zagreb to Budapest, Hungary. The weather was cool but sunny everyday.I took a Free City Tour through Buda,Buda castle,& Pest(East & West side of the Danube River. Budapest used to be 3 small cities with Olbador being the 3rd, but is now all one city. Buda is the expensive hilly side & Pest is the flat, popular side, where most jobs are.We went to see St Stephen's Basilica, which is beautiful inside & there is a box which contains St.Stephen's mummified right hand! We then went to see a Statue of a Lady Playing with her dog,the story is that there was an artist who never spoke to her but used to enjoy seeing her everyday & would often sketch them playing, then one day she never returned & he missed her so much he decided to build a Statue of them both. We then crossed Chain Bridge and went to Buda Castle, Mathias church & Fisherman's Bastion.The following day i explored some more & went to The great Synagogue which is the largest in Europe & 2nd largest in the world! There is a enourmous metal Tree Of Life, a Holocaust Memorial in the garden with a plaque that reads..Whose's pain can be greater then mine!...Each leaf bears the name of a family member that died. I then walked to City park where there is a small Lake , an old castle & Hero's Square which is huge.All in all a nice city which reminded me a lot of Prague but on a smaller scale.Next stop Slovakia to stay with a friend Beata for 1 week.Take care, luv Jo.
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Croatia, Croatia

Hi guys, well i arrived in Zagreb the capital of Croatia from Slovenia at 11am and spent the day sightseeing, i took a map and did 2 local walks which took 4 hours. It was a beautiful hot sunny day and the main square is just a 10min walk from the train station. I went to the main square and walk the famous street íilica with designer store`s and expensive cafe`s and bars, but a great clean city with a good vibe. I went to Dolac which is a huge square full of markets selling everything, i walked down Tkalciceva street which is a small street with quaint 19th century houses with lots of cafe`s full of people. I went to see a few churches and cathedrals and headed to Kravi Most (bloody bridge) which is a reminder of the often violent disputes between Gradec and Kaptol. There are lots of placks with the names of those who lost their lives and an altar where people pray daily and light candles to remember those who have died. I took a train at 5pm to Split and arrived at 10pm and it was dark and i couldn`t find the hostel, but i ran into 4 Sweedish boys who were also lost and together we found our way to the hostel where i stayed for 2nights and the weather was beautiful and hotter than Zagreb, so yes i finally got to wear my shorts and t.shirt and also spent 1 day sunbathing and swimming in the cool but crystal clear waters. I stayed in a lovely hostel where there were 4 turtles and 2 kittens, everytime i left ny bedroom door open the turtles would climb in and go under the beds! The city is very clean and had a beautiful olt town wall where all the shops, cafe`s and markets are.I then took a 1hour boat ride across to the Island of Hvar and had 3 beautiful days relaxing, sunbathing and swimming. There was a huge castle which i climb one evening for sunset, Hvar has the most beautiful sunsets i`ve seen on this trip. One of the Sweedis guys was on the ferry with some Auzi guys and one American and they came with me to the same hostel, we decided to get drunk and party into the early hours...it was a fantastic night...me and 8 guys! But alas i had a huge hangover the next day, but only had 2 walk 5mins to the beach where a dip in the sea woke me up and made me feel a little more human.I then took a boat 7hours to Dubrovnik where i stayed 3 nights and it was even hotter than Hvar, so of course i spent most of the day on the beach and explored the old town and the new town in the early evenings and dusk. I am very happy to have my suntan back and enjoyed the time to relax. Croatia is a beautiful country and i was lucky enough to be there when tourist season is over so less tourists and all the children were back at school.From Dubrovnik i have a night bus which takes 11 hours to get to Zagreb and then i take an 8 hour train ride to Budapest.Bye for now, take care luv Jo.
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