TravelStream™ news feed for member weebleandbob on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/weebleandbob en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sat, 15 Mar 2008 12:25:55 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1198083600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1198083600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1198083600/tpod.html Sat, 15 Mar 2008 12:25:55 -0400 The adventures of Mike and Jess. China through to Singapore.

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Singapore, Singapore

We got up reasonably early and got the mini bus from the complex to the metro again.  This time we got off the train at summerset station, top end of Orchard road - a never ending, row upon row of shopping malls also known as Bob heaven!  This time Bob did allot of shopping and managed to do nearly all our Christmas shopping with the help of her trusty bag carrier, Weeble.  We wondered in amongst the malls before arriving at a much needed oasis of greenery at the bottom of Orchard road.   Fort Canning Park is the location  for the British  Head quarters  in  South East Asia during the second world war.  We wondered amongst the foliage and under the old fortress archway to stumble upon nothing more than an overly large lawn leading to the museum near the fort wall.  It wasn't until we walked down some steps to the entrance that we discovered a sign indicating the infamous Battle Box located a short distance away.  We purchased tickets and was just in time to see the film footage of the history of the British bunker.  There was only six of us but that was just the right size for our group tour around the bunker.  Its surprising how well hidden the bunker was as we discovered that the location of it was actually under the immaculate law we had previously strolled upon.  Inside, we were given headphones to listen to the dialog of BBC reports and our guide explained the last days leading up to Japanese occupation of the Island.  It was very well organized and reasonably priced - well worth the visit.After viewing the canons dotted around the park, we walked down serial flights of stairs and across the road to the location of one of those bungee balls.  Weeble was desperate to have a go at being catapulted up into the air in a rotating ball but unfortunately you need a minimum of two people at a time, at the expense of $40 each and Bob flat out refused to waste her money.  Weeble reluctantly followed Bob along the river and across the bridge to another shopping mall.  We both tucked into a fantastically huge American lunch at the traditional Billy Bomber's dinner.  The hot dogs were the length of Bob's arm and Weeble's burger was the size of a football!!Once we had our fill we made the hour long journey consisting of two train journeys and a taxi ride to the location of the Night Safari at Singapore zoo.  This is one of the top highlights of our trip and we definitely recommend anyone who visits Singapore to see it.  We arrived shortly before 8pm and made our way up the winding path through a makeshift jungle to collect our tickets at the main entrance before heading to the main area.  We arrived at the entrance for the night show but even though there was ten minutes to go, they had closed the entrance.  Bob complained to one of the staff and we got let in just after the introduction of the show.  There were owls flying above us, otters picking up rubbish and putting it into recycling bins and a Python located under a woman's chair in the audience - it took four rangers to carry off!  After the show we followed  the crowds to where the stop was for the tram and had a guided tour around the park filled with all sorts of creatures that are active during the night.  We jumped off at the first stop to have a walk around one of the nature trails.  It was fantastic!  we got to see lions, tigers, leopards, rhinos and various other wildlife with only a fence between us and them!  the best bit was entering the dwelling of the bats - a fenced off area of forest just like in Jurassic park that we walked through whilst getting dive bombed by bats.  We got back on the tram and continued our journey, viewing antelope, giraffes, zebra and hyenas.  Unfortunately is was getting extremely late and we had to leave shortly after the tour and catch a taxi back to Orchard road (It cost around $15 for the taxi).  We got the metro back to where the mini bus dropped us off.  We hung about for a bit to see if the bus would come but it never showed.  We hailed a taxi but after three attempts, not a single taxi driver new where the apartment complex was.  We resorted to getting a taxi to the ski360 bar and walked along the sea front back to the apartment complex.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1197993600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1197993600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1197993600/tpod.html Sat, 15 Mar 2008 12:25:33 -0400 The adventures of Mike and Jess. China through to Singapore.

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Singapore, Singapore

The previous day really took its toll and as a result, neither of us got up before lunch time.  Fortunately Pooja was on hand to whip up a fantastic chicken broth.  Both Jake and Pooja accompanied us to the main gate where we caught the mini bus that runs between the complex and the metro station (all for $1.20 each!).  The journey lasted no more than 15 minutes before we arrived at the station.  It only cost $2 each for tickets to China Town - Singapore has a really good scheme for metro tickets.  You get charged an extra $1 on top of your fare to pay for the plastic rail card.  When you complete you journey, you place the card back into the ticket dispencer and get your dollar back.  That way they recycle all the cards!The moment you step off the platform and head up the escalator, you imediately walk out into an idealic oriental marcket - full of stalls selling oriental statues, fans, mugs, bags; you name it they have it.  The smell of spices and insence wafts in between the colourful clothes of the sellers and we couldn't help but get drawn back to the memories of the beggining of our fantastic journey.  This quickly came to an abrupt halt when it decided to rain heavily, resulting in all the tourists making a mad dash to the nearest shopping mall for cover.Upon returning to the apartment - soaking wet and unfortunately for Bob, no shopping, we hung about playing games with Jake.  Weeble and Jake get very competitive and Bob kept getting annoyed with all the cheating going on - "I never liked board games any way!"When Kevin returned and lucy came over to play, we all got a taxi to the cinema and watched 'The Golden Compass' - a film based on the childrens book Northern Lights.  Bob had read this book whilst on our journey and was not best pleased at the differences between the film and the book.  Everyone else thuroughly enjoyed it despite Bob's winges.  Naturally Weeble felt compelled to show Jake and Lucy how you 'really' play racing games in the arcade outside the cinema.  Pooja and Bob watched as one by one, kevin and Weeble turned into five year olds and joined in with Jake and Lucy on the arcade games.We caught a Taxi back from the cinema and Lucy accompanied u
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1197919800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1197919800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1197919800/tpod.html Sat, 15 Mar 2008 12:25:03 -0400 The adventures of Mike and Jess. China through to Singapore.

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Singapore, Singapore

We were both rudely awakened by the lights gleaming in our eyes as the bus pulled up at the check point - just after 5am!!!  Bob was so half asleep that she even forgot to fill out the departure card and cued for 15 minutes only to get turned away.  Once the form was hastily filled out with the usual scribbles, Bob joined Weeble on the other side and embarked onto the bus for the final crossing into Singapore.  It was reason enough to stay awake to watch the sun rise over the sparkling Strait of Johor as we glided over the cause way into Singapore.  People can walk the cause way and we did see some travelers doing it but the problem is when you get to the other side as the cause way joins the Island away form the main city so you still have to pay for transport to get into town.We arrived at the bus depot at approximately 6:30am - far to early to go to our final port of call so we relaxed in a starbucks with large mugs of tea and muffins watching the world go by.  It proved quite trouble some locating the apartment block we were visiting.  The taxi driver hadn't a clue so he dropped us at the main drive and we walked the rest of it.  We had to ask the security guard how to buzz the apartment but we were soon greeted by Kevin.  We hadn't met Kevin and his family before but we were given his contact details by a relative of Bob's and told we could crash there for a couple of days before flying home.  The apartment was fantastic! It had views of the four swimming pools and the tennis courts that belonged to the apartment complex.  There is a bus service that runs to the local metro station all day and all the kids get there school buses to pick up and drop off within the complex too.  The subway that goes under the main road, links the apartment complex with the beach opposite as well.We freshened up whilst Pooja cooked up a lovely lunch.  Later, Kevin and Jake joined us down at the swimming pools for a refreshing dip after our long journey.  Weeble got very competitive with the swimming contests against Jake and Bob practiced diving in the diving pool (not very well).  After a quick shower, six of us headed to Ski 360 - a cable water ski park where Pooja recommended the food.  Jake's girlfriend Lucy joined us (the two of them are only five) and we all watched people make complete fools of them selves water skiing whilst we tucked in to exceptionally good food at the restaurant.  It was very romantic watching Jake and Lucy slow dancing the night away on the empty dance floor.  We all took a stroll along the beach back up to the apartment complex before dropping Lucy off and having a quick night cap with her parents on their balcony.  Bob had to put up with the football on the telly for a short while before settling down for the night.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1197753540/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1197753540/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1197753540/tpod.html Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:06:25 -0500 The adventures of Mike and Jess. China through to Singapore.

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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Today we set out early to see if we could finally get tickets to go up to the Skywalk connecting the twin towers. We went to the ticket booth yesterday and attempted to purchase the tickets only to find out that most of the tickets are sold early in the morning. The ticket booth opens at 9am so we were surprised to discover that when we arrived at 8.30 the cue was already massive.  After a good hour or so we arrived at the booth to discover all the morning tickets had already been sold.  Fortunately we obtained tickets for 6pm.We decided it would be better if we head to the Batu caves first.We tried out the most amazing toilets so far on the trip - clean, no cue and free tissues and body shop moisturiser!  We caught the monorail back to China town in search of the bus stop located near the market.  After we popped back to the hotel to check out, store our luggage and half an hour searching around the market, we finally located the bus stop by a massive Bangkok bank building.  We waited a further half an hour before the bus even began moving!  It took another 45 minutes before we got dropped off at a rather large roundabout, opposite the entrance of the Batu caves.  We would just like to say don't bother with the Batu caves.  There was another Western couple on our bus and after we had climbed the never ending stairs, marched are way past the stalls selling tat and negotiated our way past the monkeys in the cave to seen the temple (the smallest temple in South East Asia we might add) and back down to the entrance, they were already standing waiting for the bus.We took the same bus back to Independence Square in Kuala Lumpur which is where you can find the flag pole that once had the British flag on it - fifty years prior.  Now there is just the remnants of some old colonial architecture and a cricket pitch. We stayed around here for a while taking pics before walking back to China town, boarding the monorail and moving onto the Petronas Towers.  Before we went up them, we made a pit stop at Nandos in the Plaza below the towers.We headed for the Skywalk for 6pm and watched the 3D introduction video explaining how the towers were created and what the Petronas company is about. It was so well presented that Weeble asked "where do I sign up?".  After the video we cued up according to our colour coded passes and launched up slower than most service lift to reach the Skywalk.  10 minutes of snapping pictures and walking between the two towers was all that we had before heading back to base.  Weeble insisted on going out side and crossing several roads in order to get a picture of both towers in their entirety.We headed back to our hotel to chill out watching films in the lobby until it was time to catch the bus.  Our bus wasn't departing till 0030 so after the receptionist started asking to many questions, we left and did the 10 minute walk round the corner to the bus station.  It was a bit of a nightmare as nothing was open and no one spoke English.  Trying to find the right bus was a bit of a gamble.  We cued at what we thought was the right pick up point.  When a bus pulled up Weeble would quickly load the bags into the luggage hold whilst Bob squeezed to the font to check its destination.  If it was the wrong one Weeble would have to unload it fast before it pulled away.  We found the right one eventually.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1197642600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1197642600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1197642600/tpod.html Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:05:00 -0500 The adventures of Mike and Jess. China through to Singapore.

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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

We managed to get a very basic room at the Hotel China Town 2 in (surprise, surprise) China town in Kuala Lumpur last night.  Its just a room with no windows, satellite TV, double bed and an en suite shower to die for!  Its amazing how we have changed our perspective on this journey - demanding life's luxuries initially but now only needing a few basic ingredients for a fantastic room.  Its an easy 10 minute walk round the corner where the bus station is and the Pasar Seni metro station is only 5 minutes away in the opposite direction.  We were still full up after pigging out at Nandoes last night so we just had a mug of tea each and some muffins at starbucks (after heading to the nearest ATM).The itinerary for the day was to try and scale the tallest buildings in KL. We set out for the underground and made our way to the nearest Tourist information point.  It took a while to locate as we managed to time our arrival at the KLCC stop when a massive thunderstorm hit.  Apparently you can only go as far as the sky walk (the bridge between the two towers) and the tickets are free.  Today they had all sold out though and we were advised to return tomorrow to que up when the ticket booth first opens.  We did have a look round the display showing how the towers were built before heading out side to brave the weather.  It was the most amazing site to see the Petronas towers getting struck by lightening - even if we were wearing ponchos standing in puddles up to our ankles!  We didn't have good enough cameras to take pictures of it unfortunately.  The tourist information building is a 5 minute walk down Jalan Ampang road, heading towards the KL tower.  We stopped off and picked up a couple of maps and got some info on the Batu caves - there is also a history museum within the building.   At the corner where J Sultan Ismail road meets Jalan Ampang, We turned off the pavement and embarked on a mini adventure on the jungle trail: foot paths, rope bridges and a lot of scrambling amongst the lush vegetation.  The KL tower stands proudly among the foliage at the center of the trail.  Its worth paying to go up to the viewing platform as you can see the Petronas towers in their entirety as well as a panoramic view of the city itself.  We loved it so much that we nearly maxed out our camera memory cards and snacked on polystyrene cups of hot buttered sweetcorn.We went back to the Petronas towers for another photo opportunity for Weeble whilst Bob went round the shopping mall before catching the Metro back to China town.  We just grabbed a snack from the seven eleven before settling down at the hotel to watch cheesy movies.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1202389980/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1202389980/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1202389980/tpod.html Thu, 07 Feb 2008 08:37:05 -0500 The adventures of Mike and Jess. China through to Singapore.

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Georgetown, Malaysia

It felt like time stood still today.  We got up early, had breakfast at the Malibu cafe again and headed to the bus station to get our VIP tickets for tomorrow.  We then waited nearly 45 minutes for the bus that would take us to the tram station for Penang hill.  It took us a further hour before we reached the hills but we stupidly got off at the wrong stop so we had to get a taxi to the tram station (another 10 ringgit on top of the 2 ringgit for the bus!).  When we finally arrived we discovered that all the tickets for the tram had sold out until 4:30pm - six and a half hours later!!  the cue for the tickets was snaking out the door so we chose not to go up the hill.  Again we waited 45 minutes for the next bus and spent another hour before arriving where we had started today's trip.  Back to the Malibu cafe for some lunch and some Internet access.  We did manage to do something today though.  We managed to get into the Penang state museum - a small colonial building converted into a beautifully restored house containing various colonial furniture, paintings and equipment accompanied by explanations of the history of Penang from its discovery through the world wars and Independence, to todays multicultural society.  Its worth the look if your doing the walk about heritage tour in George town.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1197212400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1197212400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1197212400/tpod.html Thu, 07 Feb 2008 08:13:11 -0500 The adventures of Mike and Jess. China through to Singapore.

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Georgetown, Malaysia

After last nights escapades we woke up early and began to try and solve this desperate situation. With no money we could only afford the room for one night and we were due to leave that room at noon today! Weeble had received a text from his parents during the night and was calling the bank to try and remedy the situation. The automated service politely informed Weeble that his account had been accessed in Malaysia - no problem as that's where we were. Weeble answered the questions and was informed that his account would return to a normal operational status. 10 minutes later and a trip to the ATM, Weeble and Bob were stranded in Georgetown with no money. Following standard procedure (we had grown use to calling Lloyds after previous problem) we eventually got both our accounts unfrozen and drew out some nice new Malaysian notes.Although the Cathay Hotel was a bit run down, we decided (after searching the immediate area) to book another couple of nights at the hotel. We did scout out cheaper accommodation but what was on offer can only be described as the worst accommodation available. One of the rooms we viewed had no windows, no TV (OK we don't really need it), no bed covers and a hose pipe for a shower. Hungry for some real food after yesterdays helping we decided to try the Malibu cafe. We both tucked into an exceptionally cheap European breakfast - Bob found the option for orange juice while Weeble focused on finding bacon and then ordered a tea.  The food and service were excellent.Once we had our fill, we ventured off to locate the bus station and find our way around Georgetown.  It was fairly straight forward to find (with the aid of the trusty Lonely Planet book)  So we spent some time getting the best quotes for our bus tickets.  For a VIP ticket it was priced at 27 ringgit - not bad for a little luxury.  We chose not to get the tickets today as we were also going to check out train prices on line.  Our next problem was figuring out which bus to take to get to the docks.  We wondered about the bus station and even to a few stops down the road with no luck in finding the number we wanted.  However, on the way back to the hotel, it just so happens the bus we were looking for pulls up opposite the Malibu cafe.  We dived on and for a couple of ringgit we were whisked down the main high street and dropped off at the jetty. Located in the center of the roundabout opposite the jetty is the infamous Victoria Memorial Clock, donated by a wealthy citizen ( Cheah Chen Eok) for her majesty's Diamond jubilee in 1897.  It looks like its about to collapse at any moment - not surprising considering it survived the bombings of WWII but it still retains its colonial charm with its rustic European design.Just a few yards down the road was tourist information center.  They were brilliant at giving us advice on where to go and what sights to see around Penang, as well as advising us on our journey to KL.  They even gave us a 'visit Malaysia 2007' badge each.  It turns our that our next stop was opposite the tourist information center.  The main entrance was on the other side of the large stone wall but we enjoyed the walk along the promenade.Fort Cornwallis was originally a wooden structure built where Captain Light from the East India Trading Company first landed on Penang.  By all accounts there wasn't much in inhabitants then but he established a British ruled colony their after some negotiating with the local King.  Turns out to be a bit of a con as the promises made in exchange for the island were never up held.  But then again most of Malaysia ended up under British rule any way (probably using the same tactics).  This wooden fort was later replaced with a stone structure which we got to explore today.  It has been preserved as it would have been in the 1800's: the old British flag (before were all united), A few tents and armory - the seri rambai cannon dating back to 1603!  Even a museum section with artifacts and explanations of the history of the fort.  Weeble and Bob even got to put on a few colonial items and pose for a photo.  Apart from this the most fascinating part of the fort was the wildlife in it.  We were sat down on a bench munching on some snacks and watching some ponies wondering about when we heard a faint voice cry "Hello".  We looked around but couldn't see anyone so we carried on munching.  "Hello" followed by a phrase in another language occurred and we once again had a look around.  when the third "Hello" occurred we wondered over to the direction it came from.  Turns out it was one of the minor birds which can mimic the sounds of its environment - in this case it was the voices of the tourists at the fort!We both felt a bit stupid for talking to a bird so we carried on with our tour of the fort by climbing up the light house located at the edge of the fort, looking out on to the northern channel.  The had both a light house and a large flag pole to signal to ships entering port.  If your afraid of heights then don't go up the light house!  Its not as tall as some of the towers we have been up previously on our journey.  However, the stairs, ladder and walkway around the top are all made of a wire mesh so you can see straight down to ground level!We rapidly left the area and followed the heritage trail that the tourist information staff recommended.  Further along the promenade we came across the town hall and city hall all of which were built using that traditional colonial style.  Further along the route we discovered several new court buildings following traditional designs and the cathedral of assumption before drifting on back to the hotel in the light drizzle that has taken hold of the Island.  
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1197208800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1197208800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1197208800/tpod.html Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:00:39 -0500 The adventures of Mike and Jess. China through to Singapore.

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Hat Yai, Thailand

It was a mad dash this morning to catch the 6:45am bus out of Phuket.  The receptionist took his time processing our room deposit so we had to walk double time to get to the bus station before our bus left.  The VIP bus we had reserved seats on was nothing like the VIP bus we caught in Bangkok.  We ended up collecting several people along the way, resulting in the walkway full of people standing up and a few cheeky ones trying to sit on our arm rest.  We didn't go direct to Hat Yai as we were lead to believe, instead we drifted down the coast and along to Krabi before heading inland.  The driver stopped for an exceptionally long lunch break too.  All in all it took 8 hours!!!!! to reach Hat Yai.By the time we had pulled into the station and found our way out, we were inundated with touts trying to offer us anything from accommodation to mini bus travel to other cities.  It was getting late but there is absolutely nothing to see here let alone any where decent to stay so we checked out the prices of transport to Penang.  There is no official mode of transport across the boarder.  The only choice is taking one of the countless mini buses and praying you get there in one piece with all your belongings!We negotiated a reasonable price for the mini bus and departed at 4pm (just as it began to rain).  All of us were of different nationalities and no one else spoke English.  We all had to have our bags crammed between us as there was no boot space - used for extra seats.  Even though our driver barely spoke a word he must have been experienced with the rout due to the regular stops and how quickly we made it through the boarder check points.  We even picked up another traveler on the other side before continuing on through Malaysia. We arrived in Penang around 8pm.  The whole day we had been with out a proper meal - just a few snacks and a bottle of water each.  Wondering about for 20 minutes or so, we located the Cathay Hotel.  Almost like an old Victorian building with is intricate colonial detail on the out side but a bit of a dump on the inside - a serious cockroach infestation!  We picked  the better of the two hideous rooms we were shown.  At the end of the day you get what you pay for so we were happy enough with a shower that works and a good bed, oh a a TV wouldn't go a miss.  We informed reception we needed to go to an ATM first and they put us in the right direction.  Once again though our bank had frozen our accounts! Idiots!! After so serious panicking because we had no local currency and no banks were open at 9pm at night, we resorted to trading our remaining Baht in a sleazy back alley brick-a-brack store. We only managed to get enough together for one night in the room, some chocolate bars and a large bottle of coke.  We will have to wait until morning to call the bank and get our accounts unfrozen.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1198144800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1198144800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1198144800/tpod.html Tue, 29 Jan 2008 06:35:22 -0500 The adventures of Mike and Jess. China through to Singapore.

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London, United Kingdom

We touched down at Heathrow airport at approximately 5am and to put it bluntly it was freezing. Dressed in tops that would be appropriate for a British summer i.e a long sleeved top and jeans! The flight was fine and we slept as well as could be expected and spent the next day in bed.  Fortunately we didn't have to wait long to collect our luggage.  Danny was waiting out side with two woolly jackets and had the merc heated up to toasting point.  It was incredibly serial to see proper roads and signs in English again.  The whole 14 hour flight had been in total darkness so it was refreshing to watch the sun rise over the frosty fields as we left London and headed for home.I hope you have enjoyed reading about our little adventure as much as we have written it.  Its amazing to see how far we have traveled on our little map!  Thank you for everyones support and comments throughout the journey and we look forward to reading some of your own blogs.Weeble and Bobxxx
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1197142080/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1197142080/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/weebleandbob/asia_2007/1197142080/tpod.html Tue, 29 Jan 2008 05:50:47 -0500 The adventures of Mike and Jess. China through to Singapore.

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Patong, Thailand

This is our last day for sight seeing in this area so we thought we would try and make the most of it by venturing to the highly recommended Island of Ko Phi Phi.Once again we were picked up at our hotel by mini bus and driven about 10 minutes away to large ferry terminal on the out skirts of Phuket Town.  This was definitely not like our previous boat trip.  This was a busy public ferry port and our ferry was transporting a vast amount of tourists around the surrounding Islands.  They did serve complimentary tea and coffee with biscuits but it was no better than a rugby scrum with the other Brits desperately seeking their ritualistic tea fix for the day.  The sea was choppy and most of us who were lucky enough to get plastic deck chairs on the roof were quickly engulfed in spray and reluctantly returning to the lower decks.  It was no better than a cattle market and they blatantly didn't have enough life jackets (or any life boats for that matter) if we ran in to any problems.  However, it stuck to the schedule and we arrived at Phi Phi, only to be bundled onto a smaller wooden vessel in groups depending on the colour of our stickers.We made it back in one piece (although slightly stunned) to the boat and headed for the main beach resort for lunch.  Again, a nice buffet was served but by the time our group made it, most of it was gone - devoured by the rest of the tourists who didn't go to monkey beach.  We had a couple of hours free time to spend on the long stretch of golden sands by the line of hotels encompassing the beach.  We can see why it got hit so badly by the tsunami as the main Island consists of two large rock formations linked by a slither of golden sand with several hotels neatly perched on top.  Either side the clear waters within the coves stretch out into the open ocean, making it the perfect trap to 'bottle neck' a tidal wave with no escape.We cruised around the island to more off shore by the famous beach location from the film 'The Beach'.  It was so over crowded we couldn't even go ashore.  However we did join the countless other boats all mored up and distributing its snorkeling passengers into the surrounding reef.  It was Bob's first time snorkeling so it took a while and some choking on sea water before she could appreciate the full beauty.  Neither of us had seen fish as spectacular and with such a vast colour range as what was swimming all around us!  Before we new it the horn form the boat bellowed and summoned us back to the boat.  Those of us who had paid for VIP tickets got to have an extra go at snorkeling off the shores of monkey beach.  This was a sectioned off area around the reef that encompasses the petite beach located at the bottom of a cliff face.  As the name suggests, it has a family of playful monkeys begging for food.  To our disappointment, we pulled up outside the designated swimming area only to discover that some smaller boats had ignored the signs and mored up on shore.  There were also several tourists canoing inside the zone too.  This was a big problem as there were so many boats and canoes all competing for space with no regard for the people actually swimming there!  Several of us had collisions with them - I am not surprised if there were reports of people severely injured by propellers as it was incredibly dangerous!! Back on the main land, we tucked into the left overs of the buffet that was included in our trip.  Because of the vast numbers of people doing the same tour and that most of them didn't do a second snorkeling session, there wasn't much left.  It was good though but it didn't include drinks unfortunately.We spent a further two hours at our leisure down on the beach.  We can see why Phi Phi was devastated by the 2002 Tsunami - The Island consists of two large rock formations joined together by a thin strip of golden sand with a long line of hotels on top.  With the clear waters stretching out into the ocean either side would be enough for the tsunami to be 'bottle necked' between the two land masses with no visible form of escape.Before we new it the horn on the boat was signaling us to return.  Just in time for the rain to kick in.  Most of us were crammed on the lower decks with not much seating available.  However, we did get complimentary tea and biscuits to pass the time.  Fortunately neither of us gets sea sick.  We boarded the mini bus back at the docks and were the first to get dropped off at our hotel.We got a reasonably priced dinner at a lovely Thai restaurant next door to the pizza place recommended in the Lonely Planet guide.  We both tucked into spicy chicken and cashew nuts with rice, followed by roasted banana with what tasted like maple syrup and vanilla ice cream - delicious!! The service was excellent too. 
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