snapz's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries

snapz's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member snapz on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/snapz en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Thu, 07 Jun 2007 18:22:21 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com The return of the Wanderer! — Macclesfield, United Kingdom http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1181226780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1181226780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1181226780/tpod.html Thu, 07 Jun 2007 18:22:21 -0400 One world, one camera, three hundred rolls of film. The adventure starts here.

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Macclesfield, United Kingdom

15 months ago I sat at this very computer and wrote the first of these blogs.  42 of them later, and here I find myself once again, trying to figure out how I should some up all that has passed between.Many of the people on this address list have had them all.  Some people have been added along the way, and from memory I think there was just one person who asked to be taken off (I won't say who...actually I can't remember).  I want to thank you all for taking the journey with me.  I hope I have managed to entertain you from time to time along the way, and it hasn't depressed you too much when I've been boasting about the weather or some strange adventure!I was thinking recently about my first day of the trip, arriving in Buenos Aires, and the difference in the way I would have approached it had it been today.  Its been a fascinating journey, in more than just the obvious sense.  I feel a lot more confident now, about myself, who I am and what I'm worth; approaching situations, knowledge, life.I've seen a lot and tried my best to absorb it.  I've met and talked to many people, from a crazy number of places (over 50 countries at last count).  Had discussions, or not; been inspired, and inspired others.  Achieved with them, worked with them, argued with them, and co-operated with them.  People have taught me, places have taught me, experiences have taught me, I've taught me.I've gone from my coldest night ever, in a tent in Patagonia, to my hottest, sweatiest day ever, working in a field in Australia.  I've spoken new languages, eaten strange new things, visited sacred sites and served celebrities in the world's most famous building.As you may remember, I did get conned out of a load of money; I never got arrested or put in jail however, so perhaps there's something to aim for next time!!<i>Life is beautiful.  Embrace it, move with it, and enjoy it.  Stay open to opportunities and experiences, you never know where they may lead.  Say 'Yes'.  These are the things I have learned so far.  The next chapter starts now...
]]> The Brash and the Beautiful — Koh Phi Phi, Thailand http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1180069560/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1180069560/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1180069560/tpod.html Fri, 25 May 2007 12:36:18 -0400 One world, one camera, three hundred rolls of film. The adventure starts here.

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Koh Phi Phi, Thailand

Allow me to paint you a picture.  I sit here on a beautiful beach in the warm evening air.  The sea laps on the shore at my side.  A cocktail sits in front of me, a Samui Paradise; and I await a fresh Barracuda to be brought to my table.  Music floats gently from the bar at the top of the beach, and pretty little lights twinkle around me, casting delicate shadows across the sand.  Could this indeed be Paradise?Well I guess Paradise is relative.  The pretty lights are wrapped around plastic trees, flashing like some garish Christmas decoration.  The sweetness of the cocktail overpowers my taste with each sip, making me wonder if I shall be sleeping at all in the next few days.  And the gentle music playing is actually 80's love songs, and it is blended with the various other such tracks floating out of the many restaurants lining the waterfront.It just depends how you view it I suppose.  Moving the Costa del Sol to this tropical location just doesn't really do it for me!  Welcome to Koh Samui.As you can probably see, my first impression of the next island on my travels was not all that great.  The beaches and the clear waters are beautiful, no doubt, but because of this the tourist industry has exploded, unabated.  Plenty of activities present themselves if you are so inclined, but I was determined to find a little bit of real local life, and luckily enough I did.I took a walk on one of my days, in the opposite direction to the tourist throngs, heading for a little Muslim town.  As I walked along the beach I passed a group of locals, who were sitting under a canopy, taking their lunch break from building work.  I nodded in their direction, as you do, at which point one of the guys beckoned me over with an eating action.  I briefly tried to decide if he was serious and then headed their way, causing a fair bit of entertainment on their behalf.  I think they expect the tourists to keep to themselves a bit, but that would be asking the wrong person here!I joined their little circle, and was handed a bowl of rice, to which they had a few other dishes to add a little flavour.  Pretty spicy they were too.  I would expect that, so I tried a little at a time, but joining in with them was a great experience, its what I came away in the first place for.  And despite hardly any opposite language abilities; it doesn't matter, sign language can get you a long way.The next island I headed for meant a boat-bus-boat journey across to the other side of the country, and proved to be a welcome change.  I'd be lying if I said I had lost the tourists, but somehow Koh Phi Phi seems to be able to pull it off with far more style.  There is a really great vibe here, far more relaxed and in keeping.Here, I was able to meet up again with Saskia, one of the girls I had met on Koh Phangan.  On my second day we hired a longboat to take us out to Koh Phi Phi Leh, the smaller, uninhabited island of the two.  Wo ho, this place really is stunning.  It is where they filmed 'The Beach', and you can well see why.  Though this is also the reason why huge numbers of foreign visitors suddenly descended on the place in big boats 10 minutes after we arrived.  But we had beaten them and seen the place empty, so it didn't matter.  We did some snorkeling in the crystal clear waters too, and though the variety of colours couldn't compete with what I was fortunate enough to see on the Whitsundays, it is always great to be immersed in natural beauty.One of the best things I have found about being in Thailand is the food.  On any street corner you can find some of the best cuisine the country has to offer.  And its so cheap!  With this in mind, I decided I had to learn a little of their ways.  So yesterday I took a cooking lesson for an hour and a half, and was introduced to many of the herbs used in the food, and 3 popular dishes.  The test will come, to see whether I can replicate them when I'm back home.  I hope so.  Any volunteers for the experiment??OK, so here we go.  This is my last day on the island, and I awoke this morning at dawn to head out on the waters for another a spot of snorkeling.  This time however I was hoping for the company of something I definitely hadn't come across before.  Sharks!!What amazing creatures these are.  The species I saw and swam with are Black-tipped Reef Sharks.  Luckily I knew I wasn't going to get attacked, since they feed on small fish.  They ranged from about 1-1.5 metres in length, and although it ain't no Great White, they are an enticing enough spectacle nonetheless.So now there is only 4 days of the trip left...but its turning into a pretty impressive end to an intriguing adventure...P.S.  Click on the photo's to look at them big, cos a lot have stories with them.  Cheers.
]]> Barmy Bangkok and The 3 Musketeers!! — Koh Phangan, Thailand http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1179480600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1179480600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1179480600/tpod.html Sat, 19 May 2007 02:43:05 -0400 One world, one camera, three hundred rolls of film. The adventure starts here.

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Koh Phangan, Thailand

After nearly a year back in the Westernised world, I'm back.  Back to the fascinating old cultures, back to the foreign language (alright everyone speaks English, but I don't understand them when they choose not to), back to the unusual food sizzling away on every street corner, and back to the street hawkers shouting at you from the other side of the street, or thrusting some strange object into your hand thats supposed to represent everything your little holiday will ever mean to you when you're back home!Blimey, that was a long sentence, I hope you all still have breath.Bangkok is a crazy place.  Hustle and bustle everywhere, and yet at the same time people manage to look like they don't have a care in the world.  There's ornamentation everywhere, and they really go in for their gold.  The temples and palaces are extravagant and beautifully detailed.  There are tuk-tuks zipping everywhere, but they are great for a fun ride.  Just sit back and go with the flow.The only disappointment I had with the place, is even though I was staying right next to the Khaosan Road (thats backpacker central for those who don't know), it feels like a place you really need to come to with a bunch of mates.  The whole time I have been travelling prior to this, I have been staying in hostels, where you get thrown in a room with a bunch of other like-minded (or not so) people.  And for better or worse, there is someone to straight away talk to, to go out for a beer with.  Here though, most places are more like hotels, where you get a room by yourself.  Of course the privacy is a nice change, but it makes it a lot harder to go out and meet people without making a big conscious effort.Having said that, there are plenty of young Thai girls (you hope they're girls anyway), who seem very happy to make friends with you!  But then, I'm sorry, it just feels wrong.  Like a dirty middle-aged man...  OK, I think I've digressed a little.  Enough of all that.So, with only a couple of weeks to play with, I decided to book all my accomodation and transport in advance.  We'll see whether or not that was a shrewd move later.  And so, within a couple of days of arriving I was off on an overnight bus to the island of Koh Phangan.  Now this is where things did prove to be working out well, because this ride saw the formation of the 3 Musketeers!  A powerful group, who would come together to power our various modes of transport all the way safely to their final destination, just through the power of the mind...Hell, I'm reading what I've been writing here and it probably sounds like I've had a week fuelled purely by drugs!  Maybe its got a lot to do with me reading Hunter S. Thompson's autobiography at the moment.  Anyway, on with the show...I had a great time on Koh Phangan.  Its a beautiful island, and it was made so much better by hanging out with the two girls I had made friends with on the bus.  Dutch Saskia, and Beth, from Hawaii.  What is also great is that its the low season.  There are (comparitively) very few tourists around.  The locals are so friendly here, and full of big smiles.  Even though they must see hundreds of us coming through, some of them still look genuinely as fascinated by us as we are by them.On the first night there, we jumped in the back of a passing ute and were whisked to the beach of the famous Full Moon Party.  Despite the fact that I'm here at the complete opposite end of the lunar calendar, the party was still great.  I'm sure its a crazy hedonistic fun-filled mess at the right time, but I was very happy dancing around on the beach with my new friends and a bucket of god-knows-what.The lunar calendar proved to work out pretty well two days later though, when we were able to head on down to the Black Moon Party.  This is at a different beach, more of a resort actually, where they pull out the UV lights and build spiderweb like glowing contraptions everywhere.  Its a much smaller affair, but all the fellow dancers glowing around you, along with the floating candles in the sea, makes a pretty cool spectacle.  That is until the sun comes up, and you realise what a mess you look and you have a half asleep 2 hour walk ahead of you to get home!I have a feeling this is turning into one of the longest blogs I have written.  I hope you all made it.  I'll finish now.  I'm off to the next island.  I hope it lives up to the standard set on this one.  Bye for now...
]]> The end of an era — Bangkok, Thailand http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1178972340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1178972340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1178972340/tpod.html Tue, 15 May 2007 09:26:44 -0400 One world, one camera, three hundred rolls of film. The adventure starts here.

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Bangkok, Thailand

After 3 months of this utterly enthralling occupation (hmmm...), I have finally picked my last mandarin, lemon, cherry, eggplant, or whatever other fruit they fancied throwing me into.  This means I am now eligible to spend a second year working in the land down under, should I want it.  And in truth, it wasn't so bad.  I'm not impressed by the mass of little scars I have on my arms (I really hope they fade), but I appreciate the experience of doing something like this, and its something to look back on if and when I end up in another crappy job down the line.The big question then of the last few weeks in Bundaberg was what to do with my 4 remaining weeks afterwards.  It was a real tough one, a dilemma I wouldn't wish on any of you.  Ha ha!  Should it be a dive course on the Great Barrier Reef?  A surf camp back down the coast?  Perhaps a trip out to some nearby island (lets say Fiji for example)?But then, another idea.  Perhaps I could break up the 24 hour flight back home, and have a stopover, for a couple of weeks...and now here I am, in Bangkok!I flew back "home" for my last week and a half in Australia, and was determined to have a blast, and I did.  I've been in Sydney so long on and off now, and shown enough people around, that it really didn't seem like I needed to spend my time looking for anything new.  This meant I was free to enjoy being in this great city, and seeing as much as possible of the great friends I have made there.I need to congratulate my brother.  He landed a new job whilst I was there, meaning that all being well he will be sponsored to stay here for the next few years.I decided to stay with my brother this time around, and that actually did give me a slightly new view of Sydney, seeing the way in which his experience of living here has inevitably been different from mine.  I spent the first half of my time there going out every night, and then decided to relax a bit towards the end.  Played a bit of Aussie rules footie, had a couple of barbie's and walked to Bondi beach to watch the sunrise...Leaving was a very emotional experience.  I have said hello and goodbye to so many people over the last few months.  I have stood on that corner next to the Wood Duck and waited patiently time and again to send another off on their continued travels.  And this time it was me.  The last few months have yielded amazing experiences, and I have many fond memories connected to this place.  But there comes a time to say farewell, and look for the next step on your path.  I know I will keep in touch with these friends and I was surprised to find myself not fussed about having a huge last night.  I've done everything I wanted to and enjoyed it, and how often can one say that?And so, on to Thailand, and in a couple of weeks back home.  Who knows what I shall find there...
]]> A year away and look where I'm at! — Bundaberg, Australia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1174617000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1174617000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1174617000/tpod.html Sat, 14 Apr 2007 00:08:06 -0400 One world, one camera, three hundred rolls of film. The adventure starts here.

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Bundaberg, Australia

I have now surpassed the one year marker of being on the road.  One year of meeting new people, one year of exploring new places.  And where do I mark this auspicious occation?  Standing in a field for 8 hours, snip, snip, snipping at a lemon tree!After finishing my stint in Tasmania I flew back to Sydney for a weeks break, and to catch up with old friends.  Whilst there, I was fortunate enough to see the Mardi Gras parade, which I thought I had missed while a was away.  That was certainly a colourful evening.  A 3 hour long celebration of everything gay, lead by the 'Dykes on Bikes'!I have now moved on once again to complete the second half of my required 3 months of rural work.  This time I figured I would go north from Sydney, to experience another different side to the country.  So after an hour and a halfs flight, followed by a 5 hour train ride, I arrived here - Bundaberg.The town is probably most famous for producing the rum that is Australia'a most popular spirit, and is served in every bar around the country (despite the fact nobody seems to have seen it anywhere else in the world).  So hence the obligatory day-off attraction of visiting the distillery, and getting your free samples at the end.  Unfortunately thats pretty much where the list of things to do here ends!My arrival into Bundaberg was a bit of a shock to the system.  Having just come from Tasmania, the most southerly state in Australia, I was quite unprepared for the temperature difference of the first few days in near tropical Queensland.Over the course of 3 days it built to a whopping high of 40 degrees in some areas.  At which point I found myself chasing a conveyor belt down a field, whilst hacking eggplants (aubergines) off of low bushes, with just a sun hat for some shade.  I can honestly say I have never sweated so much in my life.  I also don't think I will ever be looking at the fruit 'n veg section of Tesco's in quite the same way again.For the last week I have been picking lemons, and thankfully the temperature has dropped a bit.  This at least provides the advantage that you can hide yourself from the sun under the tree when it gets too much, but everyone comes back looking like they've been defending themselves from some crazed lunatic with a knife, thanks to all the thorns!So, five more delightful weeks and I shall have well and truly paid my dues to the Australian Immigration Department.  At least there's 'Happy Hour' to keep us sane!Hmmm.......
]]> No more backpackers...and a hot tub! — Sandfly, Australia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1172108940/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1172108940/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1172108940/tpod.html Wed, 21 Feb 2007 05:28:29 -0500 One world, one camera, three hundred rolls of film. The adventure starts here.

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Sandfly, Australia

In the last blog I finished up saying that I was off to wwoof for my visa.  Now don't worry, I haven't gone mad and started running around barking like a dog!  WWOOF stands for 'Willing Workers On Organic Farms'.  Its an international organisation that allows you to stay on an organic farm, where, in return for 4-6 hours work a day you are provided with accommodation and food.Given that at the end of my picking stint I was spending more on these things than I was actually making, it seemed like a pretty good idea.  Plus it would mean spending time with the actual locals finally, rather than other backpackers (and ones of every country except the one I'm in too!)I have now been living with Geoff for the past 2 and a half weeks, and I'm probably going to be here for a couple more.  It seems I landed on my feet a bit here too.  Geoff's a really nice guy; he's 73 but runs around like he's 20 years younger and is more like my age when talking to him...just with a hell of a lot more experience.In my time here so far I have done gardening, putting up electric fence, painting other wooden ones, clearing out chook (sorry, chicken) sheds, digging up thistles from the paddocks, helping out with the animals, etc, etc...  and it great!!  I spend all day outside in the fresh country air and sunshine.  I get to do a variety of things, rather than picking fruits all day every day.  And in the evening he has a hot tub to soak the muscles in!!What's been great as well is that he has been taking me all over the place to see different things in our time off, something he really isn't obliged to do.  It means that from a traveling point of view I'm getting to see so much more of the area than I ever thought I would, along with meeting far more locals than I otherwise would, by living amongst them.In actual fact, Geoff is originally from England, but given the way he refers to the Poms, I might as well be living with a born and bred Aussie!  It seems to be a common occurrence this, and he seems to be doing his up most to convince me that I'd be mad to return.  Hmmm...its getting tempting.  But at the same time, the more stick I take for being a Pom, the more I find myself wanting to defend it.Who knows what the future holds...  This trip is intriguing!Oh, by the way, I just want to send a special congratulations to the guest editor of my last December blog.  My great friends have just been nominated for a BAFTA!  (Thats like a British Oscar for those of you who don't know.)  So go check out their website at www.rockutainment.com  I look forward to jumping on board again when I return... thats if I'm still allowed now they've gone big-time!  Good luck boys.
]]> Time to get my hands dirty! — Cygnet, Australia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1170362400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1170362400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1170362400/tpod.html Thu, 08 Feb 2007 05:02:42 -0500 One world, one camera, three hundred rolls of film. The adventure starts here.

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Cygnet, Australia

The time has come that I must finally depart the environment to which I have become so accustomed and at home in for the last 6 months - Sydney.  Having put the Asia plans on hold in order that I may give myself the opportunity to gain a second years Working Holiday Visa for this great country, I now have to do the hard graft and earn it.  This means 3 months away from the big cities and most likely in a field of some sort. Basically, in order to deserve to stay, the clever Aussies came up with the idea that we should be put to use in doing the jobs that it is hard to lure their own folk into.  Hence, I have spent the last couple of weeks attempting to avoid a soaking, whilst standing for hour after hour under a cherry tree or over a strawberry bush, picking fruit after fruit for not a lot of money. It appears the colder and wetter than usual December put picking seasons on hold a bit.  So after spending the best part of 2 weeks in Sydney attempting to figure out where best to head, I decided to take a risk and fly down to Tasmania, that smaller, greener state floating off the bottom of mainland.  My theory being, even if I failed to find work, at least I would be getting to see another beautiful part of the country.  Plus, it would hopefully have a slightly better climate for manual labour than my other possible option, <i>tropical Northern Queensland. Despite my knowledge that I will be returning in the not too distant future, leaving Sydney turned out to be a much more emotional experience than I had anticipated.  After 6 months of living in one place and such a huge number of experiences, this has become a home away from home, with friends becoming family.  When I left England, the trip was something I had always known I wanted to do.  I felt ready and excited, but this time my departure was more out of necessity.  Therefore, I can honestly say my first day in Tassie was quite a rollercoaster of emotions. Having now been here for over 2 weeks though, you find that you soon get back into the swing of things, moving on and meeting new people. I spent my first 2 days in Launceston, to the north of the island.  This is the second biggest city in the state, though its fair to say the term 'city' is a little deceiving, 'nice town' perhaps.  After a couple of days in 'Lonny', I found out about a hostel in the south of the state that would help you with finding fruit picking work.  The next day I traveled down to Hobart (the state capital) and headed on a further hour into the Huon Valley. This is a beautiful area, very picturesque, and doesn't look a bit like how you imagine Australia to be.  Its very green and fertile and almost Alpine looking in areas.  So here I spent a week and a half, on top of a hillside, a one hour walk into the valley to find the nearest small town.  I also couldn't have got much more removed from the tropics idea, it has been so cold at times, with a fierce wind blowing through the hills.   Fortunately there was work around, which we would be ferried to each day by Mini-bus.  I say fortunately for more than one reason.  I needed to get it started and the money would be handy, but aside from these <i>there is nothing here to do!! Picking cherries actually turned out to be a pretty decent job.  It soon became apparent though, that I had arrived right at the end of the season, and that moving to strawberries would not bring in enough money to live on, nevermind breaking the back.  So with the discovery that I could also WWOOF for my visa I soon decided to move on... 
]]> Christmas, New Year and more... — Sydney, Australia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1167708120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1167708120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1167708120/tpod.html Fri, 05 Jan 2007 23:13:54 -0500 One world, one camera, three hundred rolls of film. The adventure starts here.

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Sydney, Australia

First off, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everybody reading this.  Its now 2.30pm on New Years Day as I sit writing this, and that probably means that most of you are still in the swing of partying, as it'll be 3.30am back home.  That, or trying to get home, or passed out in a field somewhere I guess.  I hope it was fun. Well its been an awful long time since I last wrote anything.  I must say a special thanks to the guest editor of the last edition for his input, but its time I got back on the keyboard now.  I've been off moving around again, had a couple of big celebrations, a new job, and had the family over, so there should be plenty of food for thought. The day Tim left to head back to Blighty I also took a plane down to Melbourne, and while he passed my parents in the air somewhere over the Middle East, I made the most of the opportunity to explore another of Australia's great cities.  It seems to me that Melbourne is a lot more European in feel, compared with Sydney's more American influence.  Whether they'd like these comparisons I do not know but there we are.  There also seems to be a bit more of a interesting 'artsy' vibe of fresh creativity going on and its a little more laid-back, but having said all this, it doesn't have the harbour, which is Sydney's crowning jewel and the source of its vibrancy I feel. Having met up with my parents for the first time in 9 months (and guess what...yes it did feel like I'd seen them almost the day before) we picked up a campervan and headed west on the Great Ocean Road.  This is a fantastic drive and well worth stopping along the way to soak it up at night as well.  On the first night I finally managed to happen across the one member of the Aussie wildlife I had been waiting 6 months to see.  With the sun having gone down and there not being an awful lot to do in the campervan I decided to walk up a nearby hill in the dark to attempt to find some signal for my phone (oh, modern life).  A short way into my journey I was suddenly aware of this strange shape ahead of me in the road.  Initially I thought it was a dog or something and was just thinking about turning on my heels and avoiding a mauling, when I realised it was walking in a really strange way, wiggling its bottom from side to side as it moved closer, and as it emerged from the shadows I saw its thick grey fur and cute face.  Finally I have found a Koala!!  A woman who'd also stopped her car and run into the local pub to tell other people then arrived, and even though she see's them every day, was as fascinated as me about this brave little one wandering down the road oblivious to us.  Apparently this is a very unusual sight as they are usually quite shy and I was really lucky to see this for my first time. Once we reached the end of the Great Ocean Road we headed back towards Melbourne and then followed the coast for the next 5 or so days back round and up to Sydney, arriving back a couple of days before Christmas.  Doing the whole camper thing was quite cool, it reminded me a lot of going caravanning as a kid.  Only now I can drive and its a darn sight quicker to set up.  I think we got it down to a fine art at 2 and a half minutes from arriving at the pitch to having hooked up and sitting out in the sun enjoying a beer.  I think I must be turning into a Aussie with those sorts of determined skills!! Since arriving back in Sydney its been one party after another.  The day after arriving we all went to see a Pantomime at the Opera House.  Having worked there a couple of times since starting my new job, it was cool to have the chance to actually go and watch something.  And how they got away with some of the content I do not know, very politically incorrect and close-to-home, making you unsure at times whether you should actually be laughing at all.  But still it was very funny and a great evening. Christmas Eve was spent on the roof of the hostel with a BBQ for 50 people and 'Secret Santa'.  Christmas Day meant going round to my brother's apartment for a big 3 family meal, followed by cricket in the park in the sun (not something I've done on any Christmas Day before).  A few days later we went out for an amazing meal in Watson's Bay at a restaurant on the beach with a view back to the Sydney skyline and Opera House. And now this brings us to New Year's Eve... As a group of 40 or so, we boarded a ferry and headed over to the northern side of the harbour to invade one of the lookout points, Bradley's Head.  This turned out to be such a good spot, with an unobscured view of the entire city skyline, Opera House and Harbour Bridge.  Arriving at 2 pm in order to get a decent spot (and there was already hundreds of people there) meant a long day of drinking, talking and messing around (oh, and positive thinking the forecasted thunderstorm away) before the sky would darken and the 9 o'clock fireworks would light up the sky for the first time. Now, if this isn't a moment of, 'Stop boy!  Look where you are, look at what you are watching, look at all these people you're with', then I don't know what is.  Needless to say it did bring a bit of a tear to my eye. The afternoon also had the added interest of my girlfriend's ex being there, who it seemed may hit me at any time.  Perhaps that had something to do with the tear in the eye as well!  So at least the memories of my first New Year here won't be boring.  But the clock ticked on and the countdown for 2007 began, at the last moment we rushed down onto the beach to watch the full harbour view with not a person in front of us.  The fireworks went on and on, with a number of barges all along the harbour setting them off independently, followed by the bridge and a new addition of the city buildings.  Beautiful, huge, so many.  What an entry to the new year. I am not taking any of this for granted.  I was supposed to be back home 3 months ago and here I am watching the fireworks over the famous Opera House. On that note guys, I have a little more news... It seems I can't drag myself away!  That 6 month trip is being altered once again.  Though I'm gutted that for the time being I am going to miss out on the planned Asia leg of my trip, I have decided that the opportunity I have to get a second year's visa here by doing 3 months of fruit-picking is just too great.  The March return has been put back once again.  But I have a commitment in June (Ele, I shall go to the ball!), so then I shall definitely have to break the travelbug... ...temporarily!!! I wish you all the very best for the New Year, I love you and miss you.
]]> Sydney by a special guest writer! — Sydney, Australia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1166112840/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1166112840/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1166112840/tpod.html Fri, 15 Dec 2006 11:35:23 -0500 One world, one camera, three hundred rolls of film. The adventure starts here.

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Sydney, Australia

Well Chris has very kindly let me (Tim for those unsure, and for those that don't know me, his old Uni pal) guest edit this latest edition of his travel blog. He is clearly insane to give me such access!So here it is... Sydney and the life Chris is now leading through my eye's. Enjoy!I was looking forward to seeing who would be the most tired at the airport, myself, having just had a gruelling 24 hour journey or Chris, who had only one hours kip before coming to meet me. The funny thing about seeing someone you haven't seen in a while is will things still be the same?. The last time I had seen the bugger was back in March at a slightly emotional and tearful farewell. But then the funny thing is that it's always as if you've never been apart. It took no time to catch up with stories of what we had both been up to, and then it was like I was truely hanging out with my old pal again. The 2 weeks sadly rushed by so I will try and pick out the best and most interesting moments from the time that I had. Well let's start near the beginning I guess...After the unneccsarily long shuttle bus to the hostel (this was Chris' fault!) that would be my home for the coming weeks, Chris was quick to get me accustomed to what is currently his home. The hostel, called 'The Wood Duck Inn', was similar to how I imagined, having seen both photos and videos from Chris. The one thing that you can't prepare yourself for though is the view. And what a view it is of the city from the roof top of the hostel. I could of spent every evening up there drinking and watching the bats fly over. Before I had a chance to even think about relaxing I was being introduced to various guests at the 'Wood Duck' and then being whisked off to see the city. First port of call was the most obvious and impressive of the Sydney spots. the Opera House. It doesn't matter how many times you see it on television nothing prepares you for how quite stunning a building it is, made even more impressive with the Harbour Bridge as a back drop.The evening rolled on, as did my tiredness, and Chris was off to work. Leaving me in the lurch on my first evening I was dragged out to the local pub by his 2 female roomates, Kate and Vivian. The local for them is actually directly beneath the hostel so it soon became apparent that The William (name of the pub) would become a handy little drinking establishment. My first night in Sydney ended up with a very pissed Timmy (thanks Kate) clambering into my bed, the top bunk. The next few days consisted of more sightseeing. Bondi Beach is not as impressive as it might seem, meeting Chris' girlfriend Cindy who is in fact the manager of The Wood Duck Inn, enjoying one of Timo's rooftop BBQ's and catching up with Chris' brother Jonathan and his girlfriend Jane to watch the Ashes cricket down in Coogee Beach. Before I realised it the first few days had flown by and it soon became clear that this would probably be the case for the rest of my holiday. One of things I wanted to make sure I did before I left Australia was to do the climb up the Harbour Bridge. After getting Chris to agree that it's an expensive but once in a lifetime thing to do we booked ourselves in on the three and half hour climb on the Monday night. I'm not going to even attempt to put into words just how incredible an experience this was. The view from the top was just breathtaking and will certainly be one of the things I remember the most from my trip. For anyone considering doing it I can certainly recommend that a night climb will be by far the best way of enjoying the views. The following day was spent catching up with old Uni friend Laura and her sister in the city centre and spending the day sightseeing with them. The highlight of the day being the walk round the Botanical Gardens and seeing the hundreds of fruit bats. Mid-week was soon upon us and it was then we decided to hire a car and head out to the Blue Mountains with Jonathan and Jane. We had decided to spend 2 days 'road trip' style exploring the area with a brief stop off in the 2000 Olympic Village. Once we had arrived at our stop off point in the Blue Mountains 'Katoomba' we proceeded to endure a 1000 step staircase down the side of the mountain, followed by a 2km walk to our transport back up the mountain. This transport just so happens to be a train that runs vertically up and down the side of mountain. A slightly unnerving experience I have to say as you whizz up the mountain backwards! The day was completed with a few beers and pizza and then a good nights rest in the YHA, ready for us to recharge for the next day. And my god did we not realise how much excersise we would have the following day. We all met in the morning and headed to a little cafe for breakfast. It was here that we decided to hire bikes for half the day and check out the Blue Mountains on wheels instead of feet. In retrospect, feet might have been the better option. The bike hire shop were kind enough to give us a bike trail to have a stab at. The trail however seemed to be more geared up to the professional mountain biker as we encountered rough and steep terrain. I soon discovered how unfit I am, and I can safely say I think Chris and Jonanthan thought they were in fact fitter then they were. Only Jane put us to shame by constantly finding energy from somewhere. Needless to say that after about 30km we were all knackered. With me and Chris back on driving duties the 2 kids could get a kip in the back of the car as we took a long scenic drive back into Sydney were Chris passed out quicker then you could say Blue Mountains! After all this excersise it was time for 2 nights of what us Brits do best. Going out and drinking. Chris was working again on the Friday night so after enjoying another of Timo's rooftop BBQ's I headed to club with a number of the other Hostel residents to see one of the members of Kosheen Dj'ing. I had a great night apart from the fact I completely buggered my ankle and ended up limping rather slowly at 3 in the morning back to the hostel on my own. Quite why I walked passed the waiting taxi's I don't know.The following evening Chris had off so it was a Saturday night out with his brother in tow with the possibility of Jane joining us later on. Now what occured this evening is so brilliantly random that in order for you to discover what happened properly you will have to speak to either myself or Chris. A few words in a travel diary will not give a true perspective of an exceedingly random evening. Although I will include one photo from that night that might give an idea!The last few days of my time spent in OZ was mostly a relaxed affair. Having fitted in far more then I thought I would, it was actually nice to chill out and reflect on my short but fantastic holiday. I met some fantastic people, saw some brilliant places but most of all I got to see my friend again. Chris will be back on writing duties in the not too distant future so if i've missed anything he'll fill you in I'm sure. I am very jealous of the life he is living currently but sadly some of us have jobs to go back to.
]]> Half a year on the road and no stopping now — Sydney, Australia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1158304920/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1158304920/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/snapz/rtw-2006/1158304920/tpod.html Sun, 24 Sep 2006 06:33:21 -0400 One world, one camera, three hundred rolls of film. The adventure starts here.

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Sydney, Australia

First off Happy Birthday Mum. Sorry I couldn't be there with you. Its a big one too, though don't worry, I won't let anyone know which, here on the big World Wide Web!!Like a good son, I had planned to be returning from my round the world adventures on this exact day, 6 months after leaving home. OK, maybe that good son thing went out of the window, I'm still away, and now I'm only half way through the trip.Added to this I now have my brother out here (he arrived 2 days ago), Tim coming to visit in December and then my parents at Christmas, so its all kind of changed a bit. I am so glad I changed the plans to stay on. The thought of returning now, when life is so interesting makes me appreciate more and more the added time and experiences I am getting.This also means I have now been living and working in Sydney for 2 months. The living's going really well, and the work's pretty decent. Unfortunately I have yet to actually do anything related to my hopeful career path, despite a number of possibilities and interests. So I'm at the restaurant 5 or 6 days a week, a couple of shifts on the bar and 3 or 4 as a waiter. Its hard to complain too much about anything though when you walk out of work onto the harbour and wander home through this fascinating city.I am doing my upmost to make sure I don't settle too comfortably into a work related life, that's not why I'm here, its just a means to an end, and I make sure to do stuff all the time with my days off. The view that I have every time I go to work, or return home to our rooftop never gets boring, and there is always something I have yet to see.In recent times I have been feeling more and more creative. Making, photographing, drawing and writing bits and bobs. Though it doesn't always flow constant, its great that this is proving to be such a rewarding and inspiring experience.Living for a decent amount of time in a place allows you to get your teeth into it so much more than the number of places I have passed through. It also brings home this lifestyle of constantly meeting new people and then having to say goodbye to them, which you really don't find yourself having to do all that much back home. I think you do become accustomed to it, but you end up building very strong bonds with people very quickly, since these are your family away from home; which makes it a complicated experience.So what have I been up to in the last month and a half...Working, taking day trips, exploring, partying. I took a trip up the coast to Newcastle with my roommate to see the place and meet the family she used to live with, and this was great as you just never get the chance to meet the locals properly. I've finally picked up the surfboard and am loving the chances I get to go out. Last week this meant a rise at 4.45am to get to the beach and back in time for work. And this weekend a bunch of us decided at 2am to go out to the beach and wait for the sunrise, which was just beautiful, before falling asleep in the sun.Well thats a little update of my news at the halfway point on my trip. I hope everyone back home is well, and I'll see you again in the same amount of time since I left.I now look forward to knowing there are so many more things I have yet to see. Keep it coming...
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