1
Trip Start
Oct 31, 2007
1
8
9
Trip End
May 04, 2008
Bangkok,
Thailand
Sunday, March 23, 2008
How are we?
So, it's that time again to get comfy for another mission of an update.
From Perth i headed to Indonesia, including Bali, Lombok and the Gili Islands. Initially disappointing Bali turned out to be a winner once i met another bunch looking to enjoy themselves. It's amazing how the people you met affect how you feel about a place you visit. Problem Nr 1 - my bank had stopped my card so i was stuck with borrowing money off people i had only known for a couple of hours, not a good situation but all was sorted thanks to a little help from mum.
My first meal in Asia and i spent a whooping 75p on a wonderful 'special' which included all sorted of Asian food, really really good. I enjoyed it so much, i ended up paying for everyone on my table (once i got my card sorted of course!) So four of us stuffed ourselves and had plenty of beers for around a fiver! Naturally a great night out followed.
Ashley and I decided to get cultured after feeling a little guilty about the alcohol consumed the two previous nights and headed to Lombok and the Gili Islands. This was a well worthwhile trip and met up with a group of Cornish peeps and decided to erm, go to the bar again. So much for the culture! Still one of the girls had her own apartment with private swimming pool so we all went back to hers for midnight skinny dipping...well in underwear anyway!
The next morning we all watched film (yet another which hadn't been released in the cinema yet) complete with subtitles added by some Indonesian fellow. All the subtitles were completely different to the words being spoken, so funny, you had to be there to see some of the things they had come up with!
Dinner number two i got selfish and decided to only buy my myself dinner but i decided that i'll have two full dinners and very nice they both were too. The food really is great here and think i've found the best fish restuarnt ever!
After a couple of days on the Gili's, Ash and I headed back to Kuta, Bali for another bungy jump. Unfortunately the rope rapped around my ankle nearly breaking my foot but i managed to release it in time so no harm done. However, the Danish guy went next and ended up with two black eyes because he hit the water too hard! Not quite so safety conscious in Asia it seems! Dvds were a must in Bali, 35 of them for a fiver. Just hope customs don't mind : )
On to Singapore and the bloody rain. The weather was rubbish here and in Malaysia following a recent Monsoon. After searching the whole of Singapore for somewhere to lay my head, i found a 26 bed dorm room (not good after the fantastic cheap accomodation in Indonesia) Laying there trying to get to sleep and the bed was continuously moving, i checked the bunk below me and no-one was in it!? I took me a whole 10 minutes to realize that my heart beat was gently shaking the bed! enough to keep me awake anyway. The next night i was sick of rice so Burger King it was, lets just say i saw my whopper (burger) a couple of hours later and wasn't in a good way at all. The city is amazing though, very clean, modern and loads of culture and shopping. Very nice place indeed.
Next stop Kuala Lumpur via train. Really great traveling through Malaysia on train seeing the vast jungle. KL itself was good, in a third world kinda way. It's rough and dirty but a real atmosphere and fantastic food. Its safe to say that i'll be a couple of stone heavier by the time i get home as 4 or 5 meals a day will take its toll, as will the Singha's, Bintang's and Chang's (beers if you wasn't sure!) There is a wealthy part of town aswell where the financial centre including the huge twin towers. Over all, thumbs up for KL.
Now for the bus and river boat to Taman Negara, a mass of jungle where i braved the creaky canopy walk, night and daytime treks and a trip in a long boat down the river and rapids. This place is impressive but the noise from the animals was unreal, especially at sunrise and set, we couldn't hear each other talking at the river restaurant it was so load. We also met some locals that live in the jungle in huts and was offered to stay the night and help them hunt for monkeys for their dinner that evening, i thought wow that could be an amazing opportunity but er i didn't fancy roughing it with these people that potentially eat humans!
Here i bumped into a friend i met in New Zealand. It's such a good feeling when you see someone you reconised, especially in the middle of nowhere.
Back at the hotel, i treated myself to a pack of Garibaldi type biscuits and sat at a picnic table admiring the monkeys as they approached. Perfect photo opportunity i thought grabbing my camera out my bag. Me thinking these monkeys are mightily friendly and tame only to realise too late that they tricked me into taking my overpriced Garibaldi's! Those monkeys moved so fast, they got my biscuits but i got my photos. Fair deal i suppose.
The weather was still poor and i was now heading to the Perhentian Islands, North Malaysia to do my diving course. But the weather was just too bad and the crossing was closed so we headed straight for the border town between Malaysia and Thailand. We stopped for a cup of tea with a difference...just add custard! Yep, sub your milk and sugar for custard for the best cup of tea! Actually, i found out a few weeks later that it is sweetened condensed milk, but still, just like custard. Try it!
On to Krabi by bus, i was the only non-Thai on the bus and had to sit through 8 hours of karaoke videos! A few at the front started singing along but luckily even they got fed up with it after a couple of hours. Then on to Phi Phi Island where i got that real bad tummy bug which rendered me useless for 4 days. Still, i managed a boat day trip to amazing Bamboo Island and Monkey Bay, also the Beach from The Beach, etc, etc.
Phuket was the next stop, amazing beaches, monkeys and elephants. Got my first Thai haircut, well not a Thai haircut, just a hair cut by a Thai if that makes sense!? Then across to Ko Samui and Ko Tao for a few more drinks and finally my diving course. I had been looking to do my diving course since Fiji so was great to finally get it out the way. Only trouble is, i'm heading inland now and probably wont use it again.
Had a great couple of days in Tao, met a nice group of French, Dutch and Swedish peeps that made it worthwhile. The resort was fantastic, as was the food and the diving was great too.
So thats the update, hope you're not too bored. Am in Bangkok at the moment and getting the night train to Chiang Mai tonight. Not long left now, only 5 weeks but have to say i'm really looking forward to seeing everyone again.
See you all very soon x
Comments
Ha ha those cheeky monkeys!!
Glad to see you're mixing with the locals!
Yeah I loved the food in Asia and the condensed milk in tea. You have to try the iced coffee as well- so nice and great for a hangover in the humid weather!!
Enjoy Chaing Mai and see ya back in the not so sunny UK x