Ricicles Blog on RealTravel

London journal: That's all folks....!

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:55:16 GMT

And that's it - from 12,000 ft up to 13m under, I've been around the world and seen quite a few sights. Been from some of the most technologically advanced countries in the world to some of the most deprived, but it was only when we got to London that our flight was cancelled and our bags went missing. But hey, in time to come, I'll only remember the good bits - with the help of this blog!

New Delhi journal: Delhi, and the end of the road

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:38:04 GMT

The train pulled into Delhi railway station at 8am, and we got off and walked to our guest house. We just got a little dingey one for the day near the station to keep our stuff and have a shower. It was so hot!

We walked to Connaught Place and had breakfast in a little cafe, which seemed to take hours! We went to the Palika underground market, where we met a young boy who befriended Mike, and ended up taking us round lots of his friends' shops, including a Cottage Emporium. We tried to go to Ansal Plaza, but the rickshaw driver said it was closed because of a public holiday. We ...

Varanasi journal: Varanasi, holy cow!

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:27:40 GMT

I woke up, a little disorientated, and my watch said it was 8. I remembered we were on a train, so when I realised we weren't moving, and that I couldn't hear or see anyone in our carriage, I began to wonder what was going on. But before I had woken up enough to figure out what to do about it, we were moving again. I sat up for a bit, which is about all you can do on the sleeper trains, but staring out the window for an hour made me a bit sleepy, so I lay down again. I was woken up by Mike at around 10.30, as we pulled into Varanasi Junction.

Going against everything we had planned ...

Agra journal: Agra, just for the Taj really

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 03:40:28 GMT

We arrived in Agra at 8.45, and immediately got ourselves a reservation on the waiting list for the night train to Varanasi. After that, it was time to meet the rickshaw drivers.

I had read that the best bit of advise to be given for India was to never take a ride from a driver who approaches you, but to always get away from the busy tourist areas like stations and sights, and stop one yourself. That's easier said than done when you're outside a train station with a backpack on your back, and 25 drivers surrounding you looking for your business. So we put our back to the train ...

New Delhi journal: New Delhi - just the train station for now

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 08:53:19 GMT

We arrived in Delhi airport at about 1.30am. Mike had managed to get a few hours kip in, but for some reason I only had about an hour or so, so I was expecting to fade at any point. We had booked our train to Agra for 6.15, so we decided it was probably best to spend a few hours in the airport. Even though it was so early in the morning, it was still about 25 degrees! The airport was really busy, since most international flights arrive in the middle of the night there.

We sat for a few hours in the arrivals hall - again Mike was straight off to sleep! - and at about 4am headed out to ...

Hong Kong journal: Hong Kong airport

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 08:29:33 GMT

Not a lot to say here really. Watched Shawshank Redemption on the plane on the way (I had never seen it before!). Flying into HK at night was brilliant - we were just in time to see the light display at 8pm! It would have been even better if it had been a weekend with the fireworks.

In the airport we bought some immodium in preparation for Delhi belly, took some photos of the India Lonely Planet book (the pages, not just the book), and jumped on our flight!

Tokyo journal: Tokyo - hi-tec stuff

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 07:52:55 GMT

It took us most of the day to get to Tokyo, but it was worth it! We eventually made it to Asakusa station, and found our hostel, which was nice! We checked in, and headed our for some dinner in a little don-katsu place. We had a little bit of a wander round what was once Tokyo's entertainment capital; it's a bit different now. The remaining cinemas don't exactly show the usual films, they're a bit more adult only. There are also loads of games halls, with gambling machines disguised as arcade games, that kind of thing.

We got back to the hostel, and while Mike went on the net, I got ...

Hong Kong journal: Hong Kong SAR

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 06:29:23 GMT

Wow. I was totally blown away by Hong Kong, even on the way in from the airport. The sky was blue, the water was gorgeous, and all around I'm surrounded by massive skyscrapers shooting out from surrounding parks and greenery. I instantly love it.

Having said that, I was a little sidetracked on seeing the city. I got off the bus at the 13th stop, as directed by Mike, and the good lad had been waiting for almost an hour for me. He brought me up to our room, which was pretty small and on the 11th floor, but you'll have that in a city this big.

Back downstairs, I mentioned that I ...

Bangkok journal: Back in Bangkok

Sat, 21 Jul 2007 01:37:52 GMT

On the Bangkok side, things were looking much better. The bus was a proper bus, with proper aircon and everything! The journey was so much better, in that the road was a road, and we made it to the city by 8.30, despite the fact that any signs for Bangkok I had seen had been pointing in the opposite direction to that in which we had been travelling!

We got dropped off near Th Khao San, and Neil and I headed towards Soi Rambuttri, where I had stayed the first time round. It was so strange coming back after three months and finding it familiar. It's still Bangkok, on the other ...

Nha Trang journal: Nha Trang, scooting about is ace!

Sat, 21 Jul 2007 01:16:02 GMT

We jumped off the bus bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and not in the least bit smelly. We had a look round hotels, but were being turned away from everywhere, since apparently it was the first week of the summer holidays. Anything that was available was pretty overpriced. It was getting a bit worrying, but we eventually found a nice room, although it wasn't going to be ready for a half hour. We dumped our bags, and headed across the road for breakfast.

After checking in, Larissa conked straight out! I headed out and blogged for a few hours, and then went back to meet up with everyone. We ...

Siem Reap journal: Siem Reap, gateway to Angkor

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 04:39:11 GMT

If the bus journey was uneventful, arriving into the station at Siem Reap made up for that. While picking up my bags on the bus, I could see the tuk-tuk drivers come running, but that didn't prepare me for the scene when I emerged from the bus. I wasn't even off the last step before i was surrounded by about 30 of them, shouting at me to come with me, look at my hostel, free tuk-tuk, nice rooms, cheap cheap. It was possibly the most insane experience of the trip - it was even worse that the airport in Lima. Every time I took a step forward the crowd moved around me. It felt like they ...

Chau Doc journal: CHAU DOC (that's for Brad and Chelsi!)

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 00:17:40 GMT

At the station in CHAU DOC, we jumped on two pedal xe lois, and headed for the centre of town. Along the way, a guy on a moto drove alongside me, telling me all about his guest house, and how we should get the slow boat, not the fast boat, to Phnom Penh. I'm not sure why he was trying to sell us the cheaper one, but we agreed to look at his guest house. It wasn't that nice, and was a bit pricey, so told him we didn't want to stay there. So of course he had a sister hotel, and would we look there? We did, and it was fine, and quite cheap, so we just agreed to it (at that point I hadn't ...

Phnom Penh journal: Phnom Penh, and another Khao San road

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 21:14:19 GMT

After the final lie of the journey was over - the bus took 2 hours instead of the 45 minutes we had been told, although some people on the tour had been told 20 mins! - we made it to Phnom Penh. Everyone was tired, which is half the trick - they take you exhausted to a rubbish hotel, late at night, in the hope that you'll just throw your bags on the floor and take it. I was so fed up after the journey that I refused to be taken for a mug anymore that day! The rooms were rubbish, and even if they were only $3, I just wanted somewhere nice for the night. Not even very nice, just ...

Can Tho journal: Can Tho, for a boat ride

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 21:02:52 GMT

The guest house the lady on the boat recommended happened to be the one we had looked at in the book, although it was a bit of a coincidence that she turned up when we got off the bus. Nevertheless, we took a moto (with our rucksacks in between the driver's legs) to the guesthouse. It was certainly not the nicest we had ever seen, but it was cheap, so we just took it, but not before I burnt my leg on the exhaust pipe of one of the bikes downstairs - ow!

After showers, we were about to head out when a lady from downstairs tried to convince us to buy a boat trip from her. She was trying ...

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) journal: HCMC, Uncle Ho's party town

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 02:28:20 GMT

We got off the bus outside the company's office in Saigon, and tried to figure out where we were. We were just standing there when a guy handed Larissa a Vietnam Lonely Planet, said he was leaving the country, and jumped into a taxi. Before we knew what was going on, Brad had snatched it! Ha ha! It only seemed fair - he did consider giving it to us and taking our photocopied version, but soon ditched that idea!!

We took a wander round for guest houses, and quickly realised there were tonnes. They don't call it mini-hotel alley for nothing. We had wanted for once to splash out a bit ...

Dalat journal: Dalat - the central highlands of Vietnam

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 00:12:56 GMT

It turned out Brad and Chelsi's bus had been an hour quicker than hours (you just never know in this country), so they had been waiting on us for quite some time! We had a quick look round the hotel we had been dropped at, but it wasn't too nice, so we decided to move to theirs. They went back on the bike with some of our bags, and then Brad came back and collected Larissa. We checked in, and dumped our stuff in our room.

Normally at this point, we chill out for a bit, and Larissa sometimes takes a nap if she was up early for the bus! But today was different - Brad and Chelsi had a ...

Hoi An journal: Hoi An, do you know where I can get any clothes made?

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 04:49:09 GMT

We arrived in Hoi An, and after being shown several hotels that were all lovely but too far out of town, we took our backpacks for a bit of a walk, which is very pleasant at a million degrees. After finding somewhere that would do, we just took it, because the walking round thing is no fun! After showers, we headed back into town, but left the backpacks in the room for this one.

We had a look in some shops, and bought some stuff from a workshop place for people with disablities. Larissa was getting very excited about the clothes shopping as well - you can pretty much have anything you ...

Hue journal: Hue, for some culture at 40 degrees

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 02:37:20 GMT

On exiting the train station, we were overrun with taxi drivers who were willing to take us just about anywhere. From the hoardes of hotel business cards that were being thrust in our faces, we selected one who said he would take us to his hotel for free, and we didn't have to stay there. The thing is, you usually do, because they take you to their hotel which isn't really near any others. That's why they take you for free. Anyways, it was nice, and fairly cheap, so we were happy enough.

After a quick shower, we headed into town. It was unbelievably hot! We stopped on the way for a ...

Ninh Binh journal: A slightly different Ninh Binh!

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 23:42:45 GMT

We were met in the train station by two guys who owned guest houses, which were only down the street. We picked one, and went to bed!

The next morning we got up and after breakfast, went on the net to sort out what we were going to do. We came back to the guest house, and organised some bikes and a driver. We decided that Larissa would ride on the back of a guide's bike, and I would follow behind, being very brave and driving myself! I figured it was a small, sleepy town (according to the Lonely Planet), so the roads would be manageable. We had to pay then, so I took a lift on the ...

Hanoi journal: Back in Hanoi

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 07:06:31 GMT

Driving in Vietnam is very different to Laos. For one thing, the roads are for the most part straight, and quite flat. In the rural areas, everywhere you look, you can see conical hats and rice paddies, and there's usually a little lady between the two, working at the rice - it's a highly labour intensive job. It's really pretty countryside.

We got dropped back at our hotel, dumped some bags, and headed in to town. Larissa wanted to buy some clothes, but after being dragged round the shops, I was the one that ended up making the purchases - a dress and a skirt!! We had dinner, and ...

Halong Bay journal: Halong Bay, for another sailing trip

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 06:34:30 GMT

So, after a few hours on the bus, we arrived at Halong Bay. We had a bit of a wait while something was sorted out, then Son, our guide, took us to our junk boat, which was a pretty cool one! The tables were set for dinner, and it all looked pretty fancy to be honest. In our group were Darren and Nadine (NZ), Brad and Chelsi (also NZ), Rob and Bahara (Oz and Iran), Gerhart and Vanessa (Belgium and Austria) Joe (US) and us. So at least we weren't the only non-couple!

We had dinner, and then sat out front chatting, enjoying the view. After an early start, Larissa was knackered and went ...

Hanoi journal: Hanoi, you've never seen traffic like it

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 23:30:16 GMT

We arrived in Hanoi airport, collected our bags, and got some cash out - so far so good. We had been well warned about all the scams that go on in Hanoi, and were advised to take the airline bus, rather that one of the multitude of buses that just take you to their own guest house. The only problem was that no matter who you ask, they all tell you that the bus at the front of the queue is the bus you are looking for. Sometimes asking a question in Vietnam is pointless - you always get the easiest answer, which is rarely also the accurate one.

Driving in Vietnam is nothing short of ...

Vientiane journal: Vientiane, the smallest capital city

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 21:55:25 GMT

Steve and Barry had arrived a couple of days previously, so it was nice to be able to jump off the bus and head straight to their guest house, without having to spend ages looking round. We met Steve in the internet cafe next door, and after checking in, sat and caught up with him. After showers, we headed out to a wine shop that Steve had been particularlyimpressed with, but it was closed, so we picked up a bottle in a shop down the road. Larissa and Steve phoned their parents, and I sat chatting Barry. That evening, we headed out (with our wine!) for dinner in a really nice restaurant ...

Vang Vieng journal: Vang Vieng... TUBING!!!!!

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 03:45:31 GMT

The road to Vang Vieng was exceptionally windy. The aircon we had paid for didn't actually materialise, but that was to be expected really. The scenery of the mountains all around was beautiful though.

We arrived hot and sweaty into Vang Vieng around 3pm, and got a tuk tuk to a guest house. The tuk tuks in Laos are different to those in Thailand, in that the seats run along the sides, rather than facing forward. I think I prefer the latter, but I don't suppose you're bothered about that.

We had lunch, and then walked around town. The place itself is in a beautiful setting ...

Luang Prabang journal: Luang Prabang, a little French town in Asia

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 03:33:33 GMT

After 19 hours on the go, we finally made it to Luang Prabang. We got a tuk tuk to town, and started looking for guest houses. We eventually settled on one - it didn't have air con, but it had been a pretty cold day, so we didn't mind, at that stage we all just wanted to get to bed.

The next morning, Steve was up bright and early, and looked around for a new guest house. Rick and I headed out to use the net, and then looked at some of the places that Steve recommended. We found a really nice one, and after breakfast at a lovely bakery, we moved. It was brilliant - for the first ...

Louang Namtha journal: Louang Namtha, bus station

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 08:04:50 GMT

On arrival, we learned that the bus was not in fact leaving till 9.30 - good job we got up so early, eh? So, after buying our tickets, we sat in a cafe and had some food, and were instantly swarmed by ladies trying to sell us bracelets. It was awkward at first, but it reached the point where it was almost comical, and Barry started into his "Lads does anyone know where I can buy a bracelet round here, I've been looking for ages but I can't get any." We ended up giving one lady some of our food, and she seemed pretty grateful.

We boarded the bus at around 8.30, and got a bit of ...

Muang Sing journal: Muang Sing, way up north

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 06:54:42 GMT

The trip to Muang Sing took about 5 hours, and was quite an 'interesting' one. The scenery was beautiful in parts, but the roads were treacherous! Laos is something like 95% mountainous, so you can imagine what the infrastructure is like. In parts the road wasn't paved, in one section we actually drove through a veritable quarry, with soil being pushed over the edge above our heads. We stopped for lunch, and enjoyed a plate of fried rice, opting for the vegetarian variety after seeing the meat was sitting on the counter in the midday heat, already being enjoyed by plenty of flies.

Af ...

Huay Xai journal: Huay Xai, Sabaidee!

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 04:37:55 GMT

After a five minute sail across the river, we arrived in Huay Xai. Not content with passing the bags out of the boat, I thought I would speed up operations by throwing my smaller bag, which then fell in the Mekong (which looks about as clean as the Liffey, but never mind).

First stop was the immigration office, where we bought a visa, and changed some Baht for Kip. I could only change about 3 pounds, because you got so many thousand kip for that, any more wouldn't fit in my wallet! It was unbearably hot at this stage, and it was still only about 9.30 in the morning.

Mike and ...

Chiang Mai journal: Chiang Mai, a really pretty little city

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 04:25:32 GMT

So we got into Chiang Mai at around 8.30, and I was pretty glad to get off the bus. We waited in the station to hear from the others, but when we hadn't heard after a half hour or so, we just picked the first place in the book and went there. But then we got a phone call in the taxi, and headed to the RUX Thai guesthouse.

We checked in, and then had a wander round the night market - it was huge! It was much the same as other night markets we've seen, but on a much bigger scale, and they really were selling everything under the sun.

On the way home, Rick called into ...

Chiang Khong journal: Chiang Khong, just out of time

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 04:40:21 GMT

So, after two long and unneccessary stops (one of them only a half hour before we reached our destination), we were dropped off at a guest house, which is not the border crossing, and 5.55pm. We had been told the border closed at 5.30, and at 5.30 we had been told it closed at 5. This was despite the fact that we had told our driver that our Thai visa expired that day, and we wanted to get to the border before it closed. So we dumped the bags, and Mike and Steve headed to the border to see if there was anyone about to could let us through.

They arrived back some time later with news ...

Chiang Mai journal: Back in Chiang Mai

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 04:18:19 GMT

I arrived back in Chiang Mai, and after some hassle at the bus station, managed to get a tuk tuk van back to RUX Thai guest house. There were no cheap rooms left, and there wasn't a spare bed available to put in Steve and Larissa's room, so I had to fork out for an expensive one on my own. (By expensive I mean 7.50 quid, but it's all relative!) It was nice to actually have a room to myself though - first time all year!! I met the other two, and after a quick shower, we headed out for food.

Larissa and Steve had only been in Chang Mai for a couple of days the first time round, so ...

Pai journal: Pai - way, way up in the mountains

Fri, 01 Jun 2007 03:31:20 GMT

Traveling overland in Thailand is an interesting experience. The countryside is so green, with lush rainforest as far as the eye can see. But it's not just the scenery that attracts your attention. Near any town or city, you're likely to see a pick-up truck, piled high with sacks of food or other goods, on top of which might sit as many as 20 people. Scooters are everywhere, and people regularly travel with one or two infants on board. The road safety people back home would have a fit.

The road to Pai winds into the mountains of northern Thailand's rainforests with steep and often ...

Phitsanulok journal: Back in Phitsanulok

Wed, 16 May 2007 00:54:52 GMT

Back in Phitsanulok, we chilled out for a bit, and then headed out for some food. We had read about a floating restaurant in the Lonely Planet, and tried to head there, but I don't think we went to the right one. But where we did go was pretty nice, and it was on the water.

After that we had a few drinks in a bar by the waterfront, but headed back to the room after a bit, where we had a game of Cranium (because we've been carrying it around so long!). Rick and I ended up going back out to a couple of bars, but it wasn't a very late night.

The next day though, we were a bit too ...

Sukhothai City journal: Sukothai, to see the ruins

Wed, 16 May 2007 00:45:55 GMT

It took about an hour to drive to Sukhothai, so we were all pretty glad to have taken the air-con taxi. We got to the old city, hired bikes, and cycled round the ruins. To be honest, I don't know much about them, except that they were ruined temples, and at a guess I would say very to extremely old. It was a nice day though. Our driver took us round some other ruins away from the main part, and then we headed back home.

Phitsanulok journal: Phitsanulok, just for somewhere to stay

Wed, 16 May 2007 00:39:00 GMT

We left Bangkok in the afternoon, and got the train to Phitsanuloke. Not exactly just an uneventful train journey I'm afraid.

I slept for some of it, and read for a lot more, and then it started to get dark. Unfortunately, the guy across the isle from Rick and I didn't bother to close his window at this point, and so large flying things started to come in through it. Not too bad for now though, there were just a couple of them. But I should point out to those who don't know it already that, although not many things freak me out too much, I cannot deal with medium-sized things that ...

Bangkok journal: Bangkok, tuk tuks and westerners everywhere

Sun, 13 May 2007 03:36:18 GMT

We arrived in Bangkok at about 1am, and like sheep about 25 people with backpacks on their back headed towards Kao San road. We went to the D&D hotel, who I had phoned the previous night. Thank goodness I had bothered to make a booking - they couldn't find it and were now full. So we headed off to another guest house and got some kip.

I woke up at 9am to my phone ringing - Larissa and Steve had made it to town and were downstairs. We dumped their bags in my room, and then I sat downstairs with them while they had breakfast. We spent the morning on the net, burning eachother's ...

Thong Sala journal: Thong Sala - welcome to the island!

Wed, 09 May 2007 00:20:19 GMT

So after being herded off the boat and into a taxi, the four of us, plus Cara from Scotland, set off for Ban Chalok Lam, which was the furthest we could go by car in the direction of Bottle beach, where we were going to stay. Cara was meeting Larissa and Steve, a brother and sister from Canada, who she had traveled with for a while in Oz.

Chumphon journal: Chumphon, food and bus

Wed, 09 May 2007 00:18:02 GMT

We boarded a packed catamaran, and started sailing towards Chumphon. We had a stop-off at Ko Tao, where I saw Ross and Rachel get off the boat. It's mad the way you keep bumping into the same people, although I guess everyone's doing pretty much the same route.

So we arrived in Chumphon at about 4, checked in for our bus, and went for some food. We had been told to be back for the bus at 5.30, but the actually started loading the bus around 5, so we got stuck with rubbish seats. The others sat upstairs, but I got a seat in a little area downstairs, which turned out to be full of ...

Thong Sala journal: Thong Sala, again

Tue, 08 May 2007 23:36:55 GMT

In the van on the way to Thong Sala, we tried to figure out exactly how it was we were getting to Bangkok. We had tried to book onto the same train as Larissa and Cara, but there had been no seats left. The lady in the office at Bottle Beach had booked us on the boat to Champon, but after that were weren't really sure what was happening. We had though she had meant bus to Bangkok, but she insisted that it was a boat. That seemed a bit unusual, and no one had heard of a boat going there, but we thought we'd wait and see.

Meanwhile, we arrived in Thong Sala, and an Italian guy in our ...

Ban Chalok Lam journal: Ban Chalok Lam, just on our way back

Tue, 08 May 2007 23:07:48 GMT

After a fairly smooth crossing we made it to Ban Chalok Lam. Although we now understood why the boats hadn't been going for the past couple of days. The boat we took was a longboat, and although the water wasn't rough, we frequently had to slow down or almost stop for the smallest wave to pass by. In the slightliest choppy water, it would have been a no-go.

So we made it, and jumped in a van to continue the journey.

Haad Khuad journal: Back on Bottle Beach

Tue, 08 May 2007 22:47:41 GMT

We arrived back on Bottle Beach at about 7am on the Wednesday morning, and it was straight to bed to sleeeeeeeeep....

The next morning, or rather later that morning, I woke up at about 10.30, and got up. I had breakfast and chatted to Steve, who was a bit disappointed to have missed the party. After a while I got a bit sleepy (that's not to say that Steve's conversation was boring!), so went back for a lie down, although rather annoyingly I couldn't actually sleep. The others were also still in bed, so I couldn't even annoy them. I eventually drifted off though.

I got up again ...

Haad Rin journal: Haad Rin, Full Moon Party!

Mon, 07 May 2007 21:52:38 GMT

It takes quite a lot to make me sick, but the journey to Haad Rin almost did it. And that was despite the fact that we got to sit inside the van rather than in the back. So feeling quite pukey, we headed into town to have a look around.

We were all instantly glad we were staying on Bottle Beach. Not that there was anything terribly wrong with Haad Rin, it was just that Bottle Beach was so much nicer. The town was full of bars and shops though, and there was obviously a lot more going on. We walked down a street of cafes, every one of which had a different episode of Friends playing ...

Haad Khuad journal: Haad Khuad, Bottle Beach

Mon, 07 May 2007 21:17:12 GMT

So after a rough ride on a dirt track that sometimes approached vertical, we made it to Bottle beach. We had a look at Smile guesthouse, since they had sent the taxi, but decided to stay in Bottle Beach 3, where we had our own two-storey log cabin on the beach.

We took a wander down to the restaurant, where they were showing a film, and had a drink with Cara, Larissa and Steve. The bar closed at 10, so we got ourselves a bottle of Sang Som, and sat on our balcony (posh, eh?) and put the world to rights. It was a good night.

The next morning we got up and were chatting in the ...

Semporna journal: Semporna, Sebuan and Sipidan - dive-ville

Sat, 05 May 2007 23:23:52 GMT

Upon arrival in Semporna, we were greeted off the bus by people from various hostels and hotels, of whom the guy from Scuba Junkies was the most persistent. We had the time to look around, so we followed him to see what his place was like. I'm not sure why he was so keen, he didn't even have rooms for us all. But I guess he wanted us to book our diving through him. Nikki and I sat down for a drink with the bags, and the boys headed off with Mr Scuba Junkie to look at another hotel. They came back in a bit, but Nikki had her heart set on staying in The Dragon Inn, at least for one ...

Kota Kinabalu journal: Kota Kinabalu - KK and the islands

Sat, 05 May 2007 23:20:28 GMT

The bus from Semporna to KK took 8 and a half hours. That's a story in itself...

It was so nice to sit on the bus and enjoy the air con. We all took two seats to ourselves, and I was out for the count within about 10 minutes of setting off. I was woken up about an hour later, and the bus guy was asking me to move so that a family could all sit together. It was actually several families, and I have never seen so many kids between such a small number of adults. And what's more, we noted, they must have timed it so that all the women had their babies at the same time - they were all ...

Perhentian Kecil journal: Pulau Perhentian - a pretty nice place to stop!

Sat, 05 May 2007 23:18:23 GMT

Oh my goodness. I've never seen anything like this place. After a 45 minute boat ride, and a taxi boat for 30 secs (cost: RM2!), we arrived in paradise.

We dropped the bags in a cafe (it was so hot!) and Rick and I headed off down one side of the beach to have a look at rooms, while Mike a Nikki grabbed a much-needed drink. We returned to find them chatting to the waiter, Joe, who was really friendly. Being Muslim, his name was actually Muhammad something-or-other and not really Joe, but that was just how he introduced. So while the other two checked out the other side of the beach, ...

Ban Chalok Lam journal: Ban Chalok Lam - end of the actual road

Sat, 05 May 2007 23:02:43 GMT

We arrived in Ban Chalok Lam, and jumped out to get the boat. We were standing around, wondering where to ask, when a lady came out of a restaurant across the road and told us that the boats weren't going, because the water was too choppy. She said that we could stay in a guest house in town, and maybe get a boat in the morning. Cara wasn't too happy with that idea, since Larissa and Steve were already on the island, and indeed none of us were too enthused about staying in the town. In fact we were beginning to wonder if the lady wasn't just trying to get us to stay at her guest house. ...

Don Sak journal: Don Sak port

Sat, 05 May 2007 22:22:49 GMT

An hour later we arrived at Don Sak port, and started to get a little nervous, since we still hadn't received any tickets. I was beginning to wonder if we'd been scammed on our first 24 hours in Thailand, when the driver stopped, got off, and returned a few minutes later with four tickets for us. Sorted.

We got on the boat, took our comfy seats, and set off.

Surat Thani journal: Surat Thani, briefly

Sat, 05 May 2007 22:15:42 GMT

We jumped off the bus outside of town, at an office that sold boat tickets for Ko Pha-ngang. The guy wasn't budging on the price, so Mike and Nikki had a quick look around to see if they could find anything cheaper. They couldn't. So we paid for our tickets, were given a sticker, and then jumped on a bus. I asked him about our tickets, but all I got in response was "No problem, no problem." Fingers crossed then.

The bus, it turned out, was packed, some people were sitting on plastic stools in the aisle. Rick got a seat on the steps, and Mike and Nikki got the edge of a seat, ...

Phun Phin journal: Phun Phin for the night

Sat, 05 May 2007 22:09:31 GMT

So, after a long train journey, we got off at Phun Phin, just outside Surat Thani. We checked into a hotel, and I collapsed on the bed. Literally. Mike and Nikki had to wake me up to shower, brush my teeth and get changed, otherwise I would have slept like that for the night. (Although I didn't quite approve of how they did it - Mike telling me we had to leave at 1 in the morning just so they could laugh at my startled 'what what what's wasn't very funny!!)

Next morning we had breakfast and checked out, and got on the bus into Surat Thani to get the boat. The driver had a bird cage ...

Sungai Kolok journal: Sungai Kolok - walking to Thailand

Fri, 04 May 2007 05:16:53 GMT

In case you've been paying attention to the time record on these things, don't worry, it didn't take us and hour to walk into Thailand, that's just so I can keep them in order.

So hurray! We made it to Thailand. I for one was very happy to be here, but that quickly left me when I realised I had to get a lift on a scooter with my backpack. No way was I wearing it on the thing, so it was all ok when I took it off. And the guys drove slowly, so all was well when we made it to the train station. Except that we had had to pay them in Ringit, so they had ripped us off. Welcome to ...

Rantau Panjang journal: Rantau Panjang, end of the Malay road

Fri, 04 May 2007 05:06:40 GMT

Again, not a lot to say here. We got a taxi to here, and then had to get out and walk across the border. Find out where we ended up in the next installment.

Kuala Besut journal: Kuala Besut, just passing through again

Fri, 04 May 2007 05:02:01 GMT

Yeah, nothing to tell here, just wanted to keep the map in order. We got off the boat and got a taxi, that's about it.

Kuala Besut journal: Kuala Besut, port town

Fri, 04 May 2007 03:45:11 GMT

Got here, signed in, Mike did some work on his investigation and came up with a name - Lemonmer Broni. Although I suspect Broni is his first name, but that's how he came to be known to us.

We got on the boat, and headed to the islands.

Kota Bharu journal: Kota Bharu, just for a night

Fri, 04 May 2007 03:36:30 GMT

Checked into our hostel, chilled out, wandered into town to the night market for some food. That's it really.

Up early the next morning, and after breakfast got a taxi to the port. About two minutes after we set off, Mike realised that his sandals didn't fit. Hmmm. He ran back to the hostel, but they weren't there, and the guy told him that only one guy, French, had checked out that day, and he was also gone to the islands. So the trip to the Perhentians had become a manhunt...

Kuala Lumpur journal: Back in KL, if only briefly

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 08:23:36 GMT

I pretty much slept the whole way to KL, as did Rick, but Nikki and Mike only managed a short snooze. While waiting for our bags, I noticed that Air Asia also fly to Kota Bharu, to where we planning on taking an 8 or 9 hour bus journey that day. So we checked out the price of the flight, and after some discussion decided that, for the sake of 20 quid, that was the way to go. Mike and Nikki had to head back into town to pick up some stuff they had left in storage, so Rick and I waited in the airport, and sorted out the flights and a hostel for the night. We pretty much sat around for about ...

Sepilok journal: Sepilok, to see the monkeys

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 21:24:02 GMT

The cab took us 45 mins out of Sandakan to the Sepilok lodge, where we left our bags, before heading to the Orang Utan centre. The lady there asked us if we knew how to get to there, and we couldn't understand why she laughed when we told her that we had a taxi outside waiting. We found out about 25 secs later, because that's about how long it took to get from the lodge to the centre! We must have looked pretty lazy.

We had a walk around one of the tracks, and ended up at the feeding platform. Already there were a few primates hanging around, swinging on the ropes and through the ...

Lahad Datu Town journal: Lahad Datu, but just the bus station

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 20:46:58 GMT

This one was just for the purposes of the map - sorry guys! We paid a minivan driver to take us to Semporna, bought a drink while waiting for the van to fill up, and then set off. That's it.

Kinabatangan River journal: Kinabatangan River, back in the jungle!

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 20:43:38 GMT

It was a 2 hour minivan journey to the jungle, one of which was done over a dusty, bumpy road. At the Kinabantangon river, we had a 3 minute boat ride to Bilit lodge, where we were staying.

That afternoon we were taken out on a boat trip, where we saw dozens of long-tailed macaques, several proboscis monkeys (the ones with the funny noses), some hornbills, and some crocs. I wasn't so happy about the sailing right up close to them and then stirring up the water - I was pretty keen to move away from the 6 foot croc at that stage. We had been told that spotting Orang Utans in the ...

Sandakan journal: Sandakan, and the staring starts again

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 20:41:12 GMT

We arrived in Sandakan around 11am, and jumped in a cab to our hotel. The others wanted to go to bed, but I wasn't that tired. I was instructed by Rick, however, not to bother him while the rest of them slept, and as I was lying on my bed, annoyed that my book was in Nikki's bag, I nodded off, and slept till 3 in the afternoon! So they woke me up, and we got ready and went for a walk. Sandakan is a pretty backward town, it appears run-down, similar to parts of South America. Another similarity was the fact that the staring was back. Everywhere we went, all the locals would stop and stare ...

Singapore City journal: Singapore, the Asian adventure starts here!

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 20:16:00 GMT

The flight to Singapore was ace. It was one of those everyone-has-a-tele -watch-what-you-want planes, so I watched 'Notes on a Scandal' and 'The Last King of Scotland' (obviously these are the things you need to record on a blog of a round the world trip).

After a pain-free customs clearing (oh I should note here that the 'random' security checks have started up again), I phoned a couple of places, and booked us into the 7th Storey Hotel. We checked in there, and then headed out for a bit of a wander around Bugis Street Market. It was cool, they were selling pretty much everything. ...

Kuala Lumpur journal: KL - it's Grand Prix weekend!

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 06:12:40 GMT

We arrived in KL in the early evening, after a straightforward customs check out of Singapore, and again into Malaysia. After a bit of messing about with taxis, we found our hotel and checked in. The city was pretty humid, so we headed for an airconditioned restaurant for some food, which turned out to be Pizza Hut. Oh well. We didn't really do much else that evening - watched Lock, Stock and went to bed.

The next day we got up, and had some food in a nearby foodcourt. (Foodcourts are great, and so cheap!) Fed and watered, we headed to BB Plaza, on Jalan Bukit Bintang, and had a ...

Perth journal: Perth, welcome to Western Australia

Sun, 08 Apr 2007 04:57:53 GMT

We arrived into Perth at 2.30 on the morning of the 23rd, and went straight to our motel and went to bed. The annoying thing was that I woke up the next morning at 8.30! I read for a while, got up, and we sat watching Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth - that's a dvd everyone needs to see.

Rick and I walked to the shop down the road, and fixed ourselves some brekkie back in the room, and then we all headed into town. Mike and Nikki got some food in the food hall (we didn't know it at the time, but we were soon to become regulars), and then we had a wander round. It was a nice city - really ...

Cairns journal: Cairns, north tropics, and the Great Barrier Reef

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 07:50:09 GMT

We arrived into Cairns early afternoon, and after leaving our gazebo back (we purposely bought it in KMart!), we spent the next few hours looking for a hostel.

After taking a break for lunch, we eventually checked into Nomads Serpent hostel, which was a resort-stylee place a bit out of town. (Don't be getting any ideas, it was still a cheapo hostel, just a bit bigger than the ones in town.) The other three went straight downstairs to check out the pool, but I stayed in the room to do 'homework' (update this blog - it's a real chore now!), and sort out some stuff to send home. That ...

Cusco journal: Cusco, we're back!

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 06:50:09 GMT

The train from Aguas Calientes to Cusco took a few hours. We hopped off just before the end as we had been advised by the fella from Limerick, and got the bus the rest of the way, which apparently saves a good half hour. Back in Loki, I had the nicest shower I've ever had in my life - first one in 4 days. Anyone who remembers seeing the photo of Lanagan in first year after going a similar time without showering will have some idea of what I looked like. Except I had been trekking for 4 days, not sitting in halls.

We headed out that night, and met up with some of the lads from ...

Mission Beach journal: Mission Beach, everything's a mission!

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 04:02:39 GMT

We stopped off in the Lonely Planet-recommended Frosty Mango on the way, but I began to wonder why it got so much praise. The book said they served mango in every possible way, but I think someone forgot to tell the staff. I received a look that said 'are you mental' when I requested some mango be included in my chicken salad sandwich.

Another couple of hours of driving down the sugar cane-lined highway (seriously, there must me hundreds of thousands of acres of the stuff the whole way up the coast of Queensland), we arrived in Mission Beach. Mike was keen to stop off there, but Rick ...

Townsville journal: Townsville for Paddy's day

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 03:41:21 GMT

Happy Paddy's day! After meeting up with Nikki in Airlie Beach, I sent a few Paddy's day emails, then we headed for Townsville. Tim texted Mike on the way with the cheap hostel they had stayed in, so we stopped off there and checked in.

For the day that was in it, Rick and I headed straight across the road, where there was a crowd wearing various drinking hats and paraphernalia. I was amazed how much people seemed to be embracing our nation's patron saint, but upon closer inspection I began to suspect that this crowd would use their dog's cousin's birthday as an excuse to go drinking. ...

Whitsunday Islands journal: Whitsunday Islands, sailing, snorkeling, diving!

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 03:20:03 GMT

So Noel brought us out the The Clipper, and our Whitsunday sailing trip began, even if it did get off to a slightly shaky start. We had a bit of a briefing, and met the skipper Chris, dive guy Sam, Jane the cook and Jack, whose job I think was just to entertain people, from what I could make out. We chilled out a bit on board, then 'lunch' was served - it was peanut butter and jam sandwiches, so I gave that a miss. I was beginning to think that we had been lied to again by sales people - we had been told that the food on this boat was far superior to that on the others. Oh well, we weren't ...

Airlie Beach journal: Airlie Beach, long time doing nothing

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 04:06:43 GMT

We arrived in Airlie Beach around the same time as the lads. The others were knackered, and decided that they couldn't face sleeping in the van in the heat. So Rick and I decided to just check into the same hostel as the boys, but Mike and Nikki decided to have a look around to see if they could get a better deal elsewhere in town - it was just the one street after all.

Rick and I went to get something to eat, and then we all took a wander down to the lagoon for a dip. I suppose it was to be expected, given the heat, but the water was roasting! We stayed there for a while, then ...

Rockhampton journal: Rockhampton, rodeo town

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 00:55:02 GMT

And so on the road again. Nothing of note here really. We stopped off in a random petrol stop/cafe in between Gin Gin and Mirium Vale, and got a drink. The boys also turned up, and we all sat out the back for a bit, where Rens got chatting to two young children. It transpired that they used to live in one of the motel rooms out the back, until their mum's friend 'gave them the house out the back'. Rens spent the next 10 minutes entertaining them by spraying his water into his mouth, but I'm not sure he wasn't entertaining us more than them.

We arrived in Rockhampton at about 5, and ...

Hervey Bay journal: Back in Hervey Bay

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 17:57:11 GMT

Back at Koalas, the van was emptied, and everything was cleaned out. It was a pretty big job, because there was sand EVERYWHERE. But it was all fine in the end, although Nikki managed to save us being fined a spoon by telling the guy in the shed that he was looking particularly fine in his oily greasy tshirt and manky shorts (she only included the first bit).

After sorting all that out and checking in, we jumped in the pool, where the Dutch boys held dive bomb competitions, boys will be boys... Mike and Nikki joined us, a while later the Dutch boys got out, and then Mike did too. ...

Fraser Island journal: Fraser Island, largest sand island in the world!

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 17:38:22 GMT

Tim took the driver seat first, and there's a very funny photo of Dan in the front passenger seat, with little Timmy driving, he looks like he's on a day out with dad. (This is also a good time to remind myself of little Timmy's 'special' photo with the snake - we got so much mileage out of that one. Basically he was posing for a photo with the lads with a snake draped round their necks. He was a bit squashed in the middle, tried to hold the snake but couldn't, and the photo ended up being taken with his hand in a rather awkward, and hugely funny position. I guess you have to see it ...

Hervey Bay journal: Hervey Bay - pool and the pool

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 17:17:09 GMT

We arrived in our caravan park in Hervey Bay where Fran had booked us lodge accommodation. We unloaded the van, and Rick, Nikki and Mike headed into town to get some food. After lunch, Rick and I jumped in the pool (the water was warm and had a very distinctive 'flavour'), and the other two went to collect the girls from the bus.

That evening, we had a few drinks in our lodge, and then headed to the bar - only to see Paul and Gwyn sitting there! So we played cards with them for a bit, and ended up having a bit of a 'gathering' back in our lodge.

The next morning the girls left ...

Main Beach journal: Main Beach, rugby time!

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 23:13:44 GMT

Goodbye NSW, hello Queensland, and welcome to Main Beach, on the Gold Coast. Interestingly, although both states are in the same time zone, they haven't quite agreed which month to start daylight saving time, so there was an hour change as we drove down the road. There can't be too many places in the world where that happens.

The Gold Coast consists of a strip of beaches, including the famous (and horrifically tacky) Surfers Paradise. Steve checked into his hostel in Surfers, and we all drove on to the campervan park in Main Beach. We decided to go buy a gazebo, so that we could have ...

Brisbane journal: Brisbane - they've got one thing on their minds!!!

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 23:10:26 GMT

Arriving in Brisbane without accommodation was a bad idea. We spent about 2 hours trying to find somewhere for all of us together, but eventually settled for all of us in one hostel for the second night, but for the first night Nikki, Mike and I were going to have to stay out of town in a caravan park. After parking up and getting the bus back into town, Rick, Zabrina, Fran and I had a wander round town. Rick had read about a cool bar in the Lonely Planet, so we headed off there to get some food. Except we couldn't find it. Anywhere. But in true Ricky B style we struggled on, and ...

Noosa Heads journal: Noosa - really cool beach town

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 23:08:36 GMT

On the drive to Noosa, we passed by Steve Irwin's Zoo, and Tin Can Bay, where, the advertisement informed us, you could handfeed dolphins. It was a little annoying that we couldn't stop off, but we didn't really have the time.

We arrived in Noosa in the afternoon, and after checking into the hostel, we went to the bus station to pick up the girls, who had texted Mike to say they had arrived. Rick and I were a little puzzled when we found no sign of them there, so we drove on into town to have a look down the main street. You wouldn't believe the number of girls who wander round in ...

Sydney journal: Back in Sydney

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 01:42:42 GMT

We arrived back safely in Sydney with the van intact. I wanted to watch the Ireland v France match that night, but we didn't have a hostel in town booked, so we decided to stay in Manly instead. So we jumped in a cab and headed to Steve's place, as previously arranged. The only problem was, we had since decided not to stay in Steve's, so he wasn't expecting us, and wasn't answering his phone. We hung out at the warf for a while, and waited for him to get back to us, but he didn't. And that's when the rain started. It appeared that we had taken the weather with us, and man it hammered it ...

Port Macquarie journal: Port Macquarie, and the funny stones

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 01:41:40 GMT

After leaving the campsite in Port Stevens, we drove through Myall Lakes National Park, which was all very lovely. Along the drive, several lakes would just appear on the side of the road, some of which were gorgeous. We got out at one, and had a paddle, and then drove on again. We also stopped at Boomerang beach, which was beautiful, and Elizabeth beach, which had red water! Weird. I'm not sure why. Rick was surprised, and not at all unhappy to find that we drove through Booti Booti National Park (the photo says it all!). We were going to go to 7 Mile Beach, but were told by a lady in ...

Port Stephens journal: Port Stevens, first stop off

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 01:39:00 GMT

And so we were off. The plan had initially been to drive up to Palm Beach (a.k.a. Summer Bay beach!), but it was a bit too late, so we decided to head on to Palm Beach instead.

There's not a lot to report about this section of the trip. The highway up the east coast is not actually a coastal drive, so it just cuts through the countryside, providing a pleasant view of fields and trees mostly. On occaision there are more barren areas, but largely it is quite green.

We stopped off in a remote cafe for lunch, and joined what appeared to be a bikers' convention for a bite to eat. We ...

Surfers Paradise journal: Surfers Paradise - obviously I'm not a surfer

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 01:26:11 GMT

And so to the beach. It was lovely, and the water was pretty good too. We went for some food, and then headed back to the pool at the hostel. Steve tried to teach me how to back dive, but on my first attempt I merely managed a huge back flop, so that was also my final attempt. To say it smarted slightly would be a minor understatement.

We had another bbq that night, and a few drinks in the hostel, before heading into town on the hostel bus. A night out in Surfers is like a night out in Magaluf. There are bright lights everywhere, and groups of partygoers stumble around the streets ...

Byron Bay journal: Byron Bay, right on the beach

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 00:15:16 GMT

From Nimbin, we drove back to Lismore, and then straight on to Byron Bay. Byron's a lovely town, and we managed to get a campsite a stone's throw from the beach. It wasn't cheap though, but it was worth it. After checking in, we took a walk round town. It was full of the usual surf, beach clothes and swimwear shops, and plenty of cafes, bars and restaurants. I really liked it. We were milling round town when I realised that I had left my wallet back in the van, so headed back to ensure it was still there.

On my way back to the site, I spotted what I thought was a familiar face, but ...

Nimbin journal: Nimbin, this place is cool, but weird...

Sun, 11 Mar 2007 02:21:41 GMT

After leaving Port Macquarie, we set off on the road again. We had lunch in the van in Grafton, since it was raining (it's not all sunshine over here!), and then got back on the road again.

Australians have started a craze of building large objects all round the country, then attaching a shop or museum to them. There's the big lobster, the big thong (don't get too excited - that's a flip flop to you and me), the big pinapple, and many others. The list goes on and on. They're just dotted along the highways, as if to break up your journey. So when I saw the sign for the big banana, I ...

Melbourne journal: Back in Melbourne

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 23:57:19 GMT

Back in Melbourne, we were going to go to Ramsey St., but Nikki had already been and the others weren't that bothered. We drove over to the Wiked van office to have a look at their campervans since we were considering renting with them, but weren't that impressed really. We just headed back to the car rental place, after getting it washed on the way. We jumped on the tram into town, and then headed back to the hostel. We just vegged out in front of the tele and watched Shaun of the Dead, which the lads thought was brilliant. I wasn't so sure.

I watched tele for a bit ...

Great Ocean Road journal: The Quite Nice Mostly Ocean Road

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 23:49:39 GMT

We had left our big bags in the hostel in Melbourne, so we got ourselves a nice little 3-door car for our road trip. So off we headed, on one of the most amazing road journeys in the world. Or so they'd have you believe. To be honest, the best bit was probably when we spotted the kangaroos in a field on the side of the road, or pulled over to see what a large group of people were taking photos of, only to spot about 10 koalas in the trees. As for the road, it was, well, alright.

Don't get me wrong, there were some beautiful views of the beaches and coastlines, it just wasn't all that ...

Goulburn journal: Goulburn caravan park

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 23:20:48 GMT

So after watching a dvd about the van (Rick and I couldn't help laughing at it in the office!) we set off on another road trip. We stopped for food in a place called Donnybrook (!), and then headed off again. And the day was pretty much just spent driving. I was insanely hot as well, and since the air-con only really worked in the front, the back was unbearable at times. The guy in the Melbourne office had told us that we could have made it to Sydney by about 9, but I think he was dreaming.

We drove for about 8 or 9 hours, and stopped in Goulburn, where the guy had recommended ...

Melbourne journal: Melbourne, back on the mainland

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 03:35:01 GMT

Well, Melbourne is great. The weather is good, and the people are actually Australian, unlike Sydney. The plan was to spend a week in the city, and then move out to St Kilda, a popular suburb, for a couple of days, before heading off up the coast. But like I say, that was the original plan.

We arrived in Melbourne and got robbed - the taxi into town cost us about $50. Oh well. We checked into our hostel, Melbourne Connection, and found ourselves in a 12 bed dorm. There were a group of people playing poker on the floor on our room, which suggested that maybe there wasn't any other ...

Hobart journal: Back in Hobart

Mon, 05 Feb 2007 14:53:47 GMT

On the way back to Hobart, we stopped off in a wildlife park in Brighton, to see some Ozzie animals. It was brilliant. We paid at the front desk, and were handed a bag of food to give the kangaroos and wallabies. And when we walked through to the park, there they were, hopping about in front of us. You could just walk through and feed them, if they felt like stopping. It was absolutely ace. After taking a million photos of us feeding the cool creatures, we proceeded to wander round the rest of the park, where we saw wombats, devils, koalas and tonnes more, it was brilliant. We even saw ...

Beauty Point journal: Beauty Point, who names these places?

Mon, 05 Feb 2007 14:36:39 GMT

Beauty Point was AWESOME!!!! Not that the place itself is anything that the name suggests, at least not what we say anyways. It was just because of what we did there.

We pulled up along the docks, parked up, and went to Seahorse World. Having never before seen seahorses, I was very excited. And they did not disappoint. They were cool, and they had loads of them, from the tiniest little perfectly formed seahorse dot, about 3mm in length, right up to the biggest, which, in fairness, were not all that much bigger! But they were really, really cool. I was so impressed. I also saw my ...

Launceston journal: Launceston, he was right

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 18:00:53 GMT

The lovely hostel owner in Bicheno had told us about a lovely lavender farm on the way west. He had also told us to not bother going to Launceston. Unfortunately, we took and ignored his advice in the wrong order.

We had previously planned to drive over the bridge and not bother going down to Launceston to get back up, but we all needed to get on the net for one reason or another (internet banking, checking out if the swamp was worth doing, booking accommodation). It was pretty obvious from what we'd seen so far that there weren't too many internet cafes about, so Launceston seemed ...

Deloraine journal: Deloraine, bloody weather!

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 17:59:44 GMT

Nothing to report here really. We had some dinner, played some Cranium, had a glass of wine, I stuffed a muffin in my mouth for a bet, the hostel owner was grumpy and told Mike that the bin "wasn't a rubbish dump". That's about it really. (This was just added in for the purposes of the map!)

Until the next day. We woke up, and the sun was splitting the rocks. It was the best weather we'd seen in a long time - how annoying!! We toyed with the idea of going back N.E. to the beaches, but in the end we decided it wasn't worth all the travel, and we headed for Hobart.