Lindsays Blog on RealTravel

Bangkok journal: The final entry - for now.....

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 23:41:03 GMT

To be sung to the tune of My Way ...

And now, the end is near;And so I face my final flight home.My friends, I’ll say it clear,I’ve seen some fish, of that I’m certain.

I’ve lived a year that’s full of fun.I’ve travelled light across many a highway;And more, much more than this,I travelled my way.

Lazy days, I’ve had a few;But then again, too few to mention.I did what I choose to doAnd saw it through (with some exceptions)

I planned each charted course;And changed my mind, too many times to mentionBut more, you know all this,I travelled my way.

Yes, there were ...

Semporna journal: It had to end sometime...

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 18:50:25 GMT

I am sat here in Semporna, finally facing up to the fact that I am leaving in a few days, its 4:30 am and its my last night, well early morning, I have Christmas songs playing on my mp3 player while I am sat in an air conditioned room with all some of this years worth of accumulated rubbish sat around me.

Looking round, I know that I am already going to have 2 bags to take back with me, it’s a far cry from the mere 15 kg I started with and the 12.5kg that I stripped that down to when I was truly backpacking around, settling down = the hoarder in me came out.

So I am sorting through ...

Semporna journal: It doesn't get much better than this

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 18:44:04 GMT

So back in the land of diving, or as some have called it paradise, where I, being not at all obsessive about things, honest, started my dive master course on an internship basis.

Which means, although I am on a year out, I am actually working, and as it's a dive shop, it's long hours (from 7am to 8pm), thanks, I can hear the sympathy from you guys already..... I really can.

So where was I, ahh yes, it's long hours, lots of physical work, having to socialise with people, forced diving, hey, I never said I didn't enjoy it ;-).

Anyway, I just can't imagine not doing it, and in ...

Bangkok journal: Absolutely nothing to do with travelling....

Sat, 23 Sep 2006 21:54:23 GMT

No here's the thing...

I am no football fan, I'm not, I prefer egg shaped balls (Rugby) but last year I had a bet with a friend about the football Premiership and won (still waiting for the forfeit nub ;-) )

But today, for no apparent reason, I decided to check out the UK sports and what is happening, have I entered some kind of alternate universe.... I mean,

Reading holding Man United to a 1-1 draw....

Portsmouth sitting second in the league (apparently they were first yesterday),

Sorry but this doesn't seem like the natural order of things with one exception... ...

Langkawi journal: Water water everywhere

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 00:20:53 GMT

And not a dive in sight... *sighs* sometimes it's just not possible What can I say but its not a great place to visit during the Thai monsoon season since it is a mere 1 hour by boat from Thailand.... well I never claimed to have brains!

I'd say it rained none stop for the whole time I was there but that would have been a slight exaggeration, it probably rained for 18 out of every 24 hours, just the rain seemed to stop at night and I was here for only 2 things.

It's a place you can dive from, but not when the monsoon hits as visibility/currents etc etc etc all make for a bad ...

The Perhentian Islands journal: Wow water, who put that there?

Thu, 21 Sep 2006 23:55:06 GMT

After leaving Taman Negara it was another boat trip back to the "gateway" so another 2 hours relaxing boat journey up the river, this is the way to travel as long as you aren't in a hurry that is, only to find that the bus I am supposed to get on to take me to the Perhentians isn't running... *doh*

Not that I could have predicted this, just a storm has created a landslide which had blocked some of the roads (or so I was told) so I ended up going via the Jungle train.

What can I say about the jungle train, well it's a novel way to travel, basically it's an old train that has desk ...

Taman Negara National Park journal: Did someone say tree's?

Thu, 21 Sep 2006 23:51:46 GMT

Well, Taman Negara has lots and lots and lots of then, but then it is the largest of the National Parks in Malaysia, but for all the hype, I think it was the most dissappointing for me.

I guess the feeling I got was that it was great if you wanted to sign up to a 3 or 4 day hike, but if you wanted to wander round and enjoy the scenery/wildlife on your own, then this wasn't the place for you to be.

Still, I had a great 2 hour boat trip down one of the rivers to get to the park, there really isn't anything like sitting in the front of one of the "long" boats, back against a life ...

George Town journal: Well it had to happen...

Thu, 21 Sep 2006 23:40:49 GMT

at some point at least, and this is it.

I didn't like Penang, or to be more precise, I hated it, so there it is, in all the months I have been travelling so far, this is the first real time that I had a major dislike for a place.

I am reasonably sure that I could get to like it if the circumstances were different, but this time, no, not a chance, and yes I know I am biased in this, but it's my journal so I can write what I want to....

Ok, so the fact that I was in accomodation that was awful didn't help, and this was a recommended place by 3 other travellers, maybe I didn't ...

Cameron Highlands journal: Its getting colder...

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 21:37:12 GMT

Q - So what do you find when you are jungle trekking?

A - Tree's of course :-P

Well went up to the Cameron Highlands and wow, feel that temperature drop, in fact I really anted a jumper it was down to a mere 22 degrees (celcius) a drop of 10 over degree's in just a few hours *shivers*.

Having said that, I figured that the Mosquito issues would be reduced with the temperature dropping so far, which was lucky (or so I hoped) as the Natural bug repellent had broken in my bag on the way up there... so my bag smelt of Citronella and no bugs wanted to get close to it....

Sadl ...

Kuala Lumpur journal: I actually left Semporna?

Tue, 30 May 2006 19:39:21 GMT

So I arrived in Semporna 3 weeks ago as a confirmed non diver and I have now left as a trained, if untried (and hopefully remaining that way), Rescue diver, having had heaps of fun getting there in the process.

Not least from the rescue diver course, where I was made to face my fears as well as at times struggling to stop laughing, I can't remember a course that had a more serious message and yet was so much fun I'd do it all again.

I mean it's not often that you see a "panicked diver" being paid a beer for every dunking he gave me (still when it was over, I dunked him back.... ...

Semporna journal: Just one more...

Sun, 21 May 2006 01:52:12 GMT

So, this is probably the only journal that I have written while I am still in the place I am writing about, but I guess it had to happen at some point in this trip, just don't let it set any expectations for future entries ok....

I arrived in Semporna on the 6th with a view to getting to Sipadan to snorkel for a day since everyone told me its great there, better diving but a great place to snorkel for those like me, who didn't dive.

It's amazing how things can change your plans so simply, if I had gone to any other Dive shop, I would have snorkeled in Sipadan on the 7th and ...

Sandakan journal: Didn't I say getting there was half the fun?

Fri, 12 May 2006 01:48:42 GMT

I planned to stay 2 nights in Sandakan as the town was the site of a POW camp from which there took place a number of death marches through the jungle, suprisingly there isn't much to see, there is a memorial park and a few plaques, far less than I expected.

But Sandakan is a bustling market town without many tourists, most just go to the long distance bus station 4km out of town (for long distance bus station read large car park where the drivers spend their time gambling!)

So being a tourist there, means you get alot of attention, as you walk around as the Malay people are a very ...

Bandar Seri Begawan journal: Well its different to what I expected

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 07:15:10 GMT

So after I finally left limbang, cleaner and after throwing away 2 t shirts as they weren't going to come clean (white is not the colour to wear when mountain climbing.. .honestly.

I left for Brunei by boat, I had envisaged small ferry like boat, not a small boat, that you can't stand upright in, which makes for an interesting time when you go into the boat will a full backpack on, to find that you need to be bent double to move down it....

Ahh well, arrived safely in Bandar Seri Begawan, with my arms bright red (from the fungal infection) and no sooner than I get off the boat that ...

Limbang journal: Just a map reference point

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 05:17:28 GMT

Just a map reference point, no real update to this journal.

This was just the place to clean up myself and clothes from the hike, find a leech still in my wet clothing.... picture this, you empty all your wet clothes into a hotel basin, fill it with water, put your hands in to pull out a t shirt and come out with both that and a leech... yuck.

Anyway, it was here the fungal infection on my arms became apparent, but this was just a stop over until I went to Brunei - so nothing to report.

Gunung Mulu National Park journal: There are mountains we must climb

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 04:13:26 GMT

And there are those that we tackle another day...

So I think I mentioned in the last spam e-mail that I had booked myself onto a tailored 5 day hike in the Rainforest areas around and including Mulu, well this is it.

I had met the guide in Miri as he was linked to the hostel that I stayed in and allowed me to get to know him a little.

Plus, the upside of the trip was because I had arranged it from Miri, I didn't have to carry my full 19 kilo back with me, I had it sent, as cargo straight to the final point of Limbang, carrying only the things I needed for the 5 days, and that ...

Miri journal: Ahh the joys of not knowing the local lingo...

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 02:04:12 GMT

Well arrived in Miri from Sibu, instead of waiting it out in Sibu/Kapit to try and get a permit to go to Belaga.

I wasn't too happy that I woke up in Sibu on my final day there with 4 bug bites to the face; let me put it this way, don't stay at the New World Hotel in Sibu, because if that's the new world, I'll take the old!

Anyway this is the "staging" ground for entry into Mulu national park, i.e. its easiest to fly from here to Mulu, which is apparently a must see trip and since its a national park and not a city, its more of my kind of thing.

So I started off by actually ...

Kuching journal: Hmm this is more like it

Sat, 15 Apr 2006 23:38:06 GMT

Kuching, if you are interested is the Malay word for Cat and this city, the largest in Borneo state of Sarawak, has so much that is linked to cats, from statues to the real life cats that stay close to the food areas hoping for a tidbit.

There is also a cat museum, which houses the best dressed cat of 1995, what I am less sure of, is if the prize for winning the competition was being immortalized for ever (pickled no less) or whether this occurred once the cat passed away, maybe had I actually gone to the Museum I would know, but it wasn't to be for this trip (got to leave things to see ...

Singapore City journal: Its hot and humid...

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 04:23:49 GMT

Which is great if you are with - oops best not go there huh...

Well its definitely hot and humid in Singapore and I believe this is a seasonal occurance, just it starts on the first of January and ends on the 31st December, this isn't a place I would want to come and work in - I think my credit card company will be glad of that.

Anyway, from my last journal entry, I can let you all know (as I know you are dying to find out and even if you aren't, this is my journal) that my luggage has arrived, dirtier than I checked it in, but it has long since been pristine looking which is ...

United States journal: Uncle Sam and all that....

Mon, 27 Mar 2006 06:15:42 GMT

First Country to be visited....

New Zealand journal: The other side of the world.

Mon, 27 Mar 2006 06:14:17 GMT

I had to write something here - the website has changed the format of the entries - ahh well done as requested

Singapore City journal: Some days, you just shouldn't get up in the morning...

Mon, 27 Mar 2006 06:09:14 GMT

Well, since everything has gone smoothly to date, it was about time for some excitement hey?

I got to the airport with a plan to phone the UK and do some duty free shopping (well I have started to enjoy shopping after all...) to find my flight was cancelled. So after waiting for almost 2hours, I was finally seen by the harassed people that were trying to get travellors to their destination via other flights.

For me, that meant a flight via Sydney, so I can say that technically, I have now visited Australia, but the poor stressed clerk told me that meant the first flight would be ...

Asia journal: Hmmm travel is like life, you never know where you are going..

Mon, 27 Mar 2006 06:07:34 GMT

Singapore.. the start of Asia for me

Taupo journal: Last entry for NZ....

Mon, 27 Mar 2006 05:32:40 GMT

Guess what, I came here to go to a nearby mountain, yes that's right, I found yet another mountain, except this one I planned to climb/hike/crawl if I had to.

So it seems I am of average fitness (think I need to change that one) as they estimate that it takes someone 6-7 hours to complete this crossing, with the record being 1 hour 47 mins (!) but no, that wasn't me, I took 6 hours 15 mins, although I had a longer than planned stop at one of the huts, so maybe I could have done the walk in under 6 hours.... maybe next time.

But before I ramble on too much about the actual walk, ...

Rotorua journal: Photo's what photo's?

Mon, 27 Mar 2006 05:03:01 GMT

Ok, so I am writing this from outside of NZ after I decided to take advantage of the free internet to catch up with some of my journal entries until I go for food.

Where to start, well I'll start with the journey to get there from Pahia (don't worry it's not that long a journal.. this time)

Down the east coast is a great place to travel and seems to be pretty much tourist free (well except for me and 1 or 2 others) but the highlight of it was a walk in a forest (SP).

Now I am sure you are all thinking - huh, a forest, but this is a special forest, one of the walks will bring ...

Cape Reinga journal: Cape Reinga and Bay of Islands

Thu, 16 Mar 2006 15:27:21 GMT

Ok, I am sorry, is that good enough?

Confused?

Well way back in the south Island at the Caitlins, I shared a dorm in which 2 older (65+) sisters and it was there I learnt to dread the words at 8.30 pm, "ok, I think I'll be a devil and have a coffee..." aka this translated to the equivalent of her saying "I will be up all night going to the toilet and probably will wake you up in the process"

What has that got to do with Cape Reinga and the Bay of islands, which by the way, are 2 separate places in NZ, joined together in this journal as I am too lazy to write one on each....

Napier journal: Napier.... an inmate?

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 20:00:52 GMT

Ok, I admit it, I have been an inmate while here in Napier.

Now some of you are thinking "About time", others "Asylum or Prison?" and for a few "what did she do!".. so who is thinking which one?

Well, being the good girl, obviously the answer is none of the above, actually it's a prison that was shut down in 1993 and finally converted to a backpackers, but the buildings are the same including, to some backpackers horror, the showers, although they had put curtains in some of them - oddly I was placed in the De-tox room, do you think they were trying to tell me something?

Napi ...

Abel Tasman National Park journal: Hi I'm Lindsay and I'm....

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 19:38:29 GMT

Shopaholic!

While most of you are thinking well you are female to that comment, I would submit in my defence that I didn't used to be... no really I didn't, I used to hate shopping.

In fact to save the hassle of going food shopping I would use the good old internet and arrange for most of it to be delivered, but now, I enjoy shopping, whether it is for food or for non essentials, I am enjoying spending my money, which is a little frightening when you aren't actually earning any....

I even have to admit laughing at a friend who had many many pairs of flip flops, I used to ask, ...

District of Columbia journal: Odd thoughts

Sat, 21 Jan 2006 19:02:51 GMT

Just an area for me to make the odd comment in while I am here in the US..