Friday, October 25, 2013
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Simone's blog #2
Blog #2
Today I visited a small Fijian school on one of the islands, the boat
ride was much more relaxed than the one to the resort which was a relief and we
had a really enjoyable day. When we arrived on the island we were greeted by
the school children who sang a traditional welcoming song.
Afterwards we had a tour around the school led by some of the older
children it was astounding to see how similar their school was to ours but also
the differences that we have to them. One of the astonishing things was how
knowledgeable the children were on Australia when many adults overseas think we
ride to school on kangaroos! Because they have so much space they could spread
out the class rooms and had eight portable rooms with two of them being
bedrooms for the schoolkids one for the boys and one for the girls, they slept
on mattresses in rows and didn’t have much room to walk around. It was almost
like a boarding school but most of the kids went back to other islands were
their parents worked over the weekend, on a Friday afternoon they would be
allowed to go swimming at the beach which was just 100meters away from them and
would be amazing to go to school near.
I wasn’t expecting the school to
be so organized and similar to the schools in Australia. Once we had left the
island we went visiting Octopus Island and snorkelled around their amazing
coral, the colours were beautiful and there were so many colourful fish. On our
way back we had dolphins jumping out of the water and swimming right next to
our boat they were so close you could of reached into the water and touched
them. I’m going to another Island tomorrow called Castaway Island and I can’t
wait. Bye for now!
BLOG 1:
I landed in Indonesia I was so tired because I was in the plane for 7 hours. I stepped out of the plane and felt the fresh air at 5am in the morning; the weather was perfect. I booked at the Hai Tide Huts in Java and as I entered it was the most amazing accommodation I have ever seen. I quickly put my luggage into my spectacular hut and wanted to go sightseeing straight away.
The first place I visited was Magelang Borobudur Temples. There are many of them. They are all ancient ruins. One of the temples was a built in the ninth century. All though they were all built at different times the temples are similar in size, structure architectural.
The last place I visited was the Museum Nasional. The museum was built in 1862. The museum has an enormous collection of cultural objects of various ethnic groups. It has costumes, musical, instruments, model houses and many more. The museum is astounding. All the objects look antiquities that have been well preserved for hundreds of years. When looking at them you are transported into another beautiful era.
After, I ate my dinner and I went back to my hut. I was so tired that I fell asleep straight away. I had a lovely day and would do it all over again.
I decided to go to the beach. The beach was called Pangandaran beach. It was dry season in Indonesia and the temperature ranged from 34C. It was a very hot day so I decided to relax and enjoy my hut and the beach.
I went back to my hut got changed and when I was walking out I came across a Lillo, chair it was so soft I couldn’t resist lying on it. When I lied down it had this astonishing view of the beach and nature I felt immeasurable. I was so relaxed that I was lying there looking at view and resting for a couple of hours.
When it started getting dark I went to the huts restaurant. I didn’t know what to order so I asked. They said there most popular dish was called satay. It was served with peanut sauce, Ketupat, cucumber and onions. It was so delicious I would recommend it to anyone who goes to visit Indonesia. In Indonesia Food is eaten with the fingers or with a spoon and fork. When eating with the fingers, Indonesians use their right hand only.
I then finished my amazing dish and went straight to my hut and fell asleep my trip to Indonesia was impeccable that I had a marvellous time I was looking forward to go home but I was going to miss the Indonesian climate, culture and traditions.
By Jacqueline Kotsovolos.
New-Zealand the place to be, all the things you can do here is amazing. i love it here. i cant wait to come back and tell you all about my time in this wonderland. this place is believable.
Yesterday night i went to go to my very first international rugby match. it was Australia vs. New-Zealand. it was a great game until the 64 minute because when new-Zealand starts taking the lead they are very hard to beat. Australia started to crumble and so was the crowd. we where 3 try's and 2 conversions behind.we had 4 minutes remaining. we scored a try, the crowd went wild and so did i. we where now 2 try's behind, and then we scored another and another and then it was our turn to score the conversion. Cameron (the goal kicker) lined up and shot for goal. the ball soared though the air, everyone was holding there breathe. we hit the post and missed. in the end we lost by 2 points and we where devastated. 3 people jumped onto the field to hurt one of New-Zealand players. but i wasn't there to see it. i was on my way home because i was so upset of New-Zealand winning.
the next day i went to a garden. it was so amazing to be in it because you can smell all the flowers and the poland, and it smells so good. had a picnic with a girl i met at the rugby. he name was christina she had blond hair and blue eyes and she loves Australian rugby. when i get home i am going to share all about my time in this amazing garden. there are so many things to do here in the garden that i am in. one you can look at all the flowers, two you can stand at the lake, where you can sit and eat.And over all you can just relax and have fun.
i love my time here and if i had the chance i would live here and never come back. there is so much to do, you would never get bored. i cant wait to tell you all about my adventures in this wonderland.
Yesterday night i went to go to my very first international rugby match. it was Australia vs. New-Zealand. it was a great game until the 64 minute because when new-Zealand starts taking the lead they are very hard to beat. Australia started to crumble and so was the crowd. we where 3 try's and 2 conversions behind.we had 4 minutes remaining. we scored a try, the crowd went wild and so did i. we where now 2 try's behind, and then we scored another and another and then it was our turn to score the conversion. Cameron (the goal kicker) lined up and shot for goal. the ball soared though the air, everyone was holding there breathe. we hit the post and missed. in the end we lost by 2 points and we where devastated. 3 people jumped onto the field to hurt one of New-Zealand players. but i wasn't there to see it. i was on my way home because i was so upset of New-Zealand winning.
the next day i went to a garden. it was so amazing to be in it because you can smell all the flowers and the poland, and it smells so good. had a picnic with a girl i met at the rugby. he name was christina she had blond hair and blue eyes and she loves Australian rugby. when i get home i am going to share all about my time in this amazing garden. there are so many things to do here in the garden that i am in. one you can look at all the flowers, two you can stand at the lake, where you can sit and eat.And over all you can just relax and have fun.
i love my time here and if i had the chance i would live here and never come back. there is so much to do, you would never get bored. i cant wait to tell you all about my adventures in this wonderland.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
I have been in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, for
three days now. The city is incredibly dense people are crammed in every
possible corner. At night the city explodes with light and voices. It’s an
experience of its own. I’ve planned a number of activities which I hope to talk
about in my next blog. But I’ll tell you what I’ve done so far.
I guess I’ll start off with shopping as it was the first
thing I did. I started by taking a taxi to green hills shopping centre, at
first glance it’s a flea market full of items with questionable legitimacy. But
as I took a better look some of the things I found were quite impressive. The
noise of the market takes a little getting used to but I came out of the market
very happy. After my day I went with a couple of my friends to a restaurant
called Ziggurat, which was a very relaxed atmosphere and a great way to finish
my day.
I woke up the next day tired from the night out but got up
quickly when my friend told me about a golf course just down the road. I had
not planned on it but I was very happy to play. The place was called Club Intramuros
Golf Course. We showed up without booking but they were perfectly happy to let
us on at such short notice. They quickly gave us our clubs and we were off. The
course was really well kept and over all we had a great day.
Walking around manila is quite amazing and breathtaking but
like any other city (I’d say even more) there are many things to avoid. I’ll
start off by saying avoid any crowds or groups of people late at night
especially in the main parts of the city. The outer suburbs are safe at day but
certainly avoid slums.
I have planned to go
hiking at Taal volcano in a few days I’ll write about that in my second
blog.
: When
I hopped out of the taxi at Ueno Zoo
the man driving said
something to me and, from my brief knowledge of how to speak the Japanese
language, it sounded like he was telling me that I was going to love the zoo. I had to assume he was stating it
was really good compared to
most of their zoos.
When I got to the gate there
was a very big line zigzagging around towards the entrance and at this point I
was wondering if the taxi driver was being sarcastic. After waiting in the line
for a couple of hours in this massive line I finely got inside the zoo and
there were people
everywhere. It was even more packed then the line outside!
It was very odd comparing
it to Melbourne Zoo as it was so
packed that I couldn’t even see the animals because all the people where
blocking my view. Whereas, in Australia, no matter where you were, if you found
this amount of people in one place, it would seem insane.
After a little bit of
walking around I found a gap in the crowd of people leading to the tiger
exhibit. When I
got to the glass wall blocking me from the tigers, I must admit the Ueno Zoo
tiger cage was a bit bigger than the one back in Melbourne. However, with all
the sound and people just staring at them they seemed more sad compared to the
ones back in Melbourne. It made me think how all the other animals were
reacting, for the tigers had probably the least amount of people viewing them,
so the other animals would
probably be terrified.
After seeing a few of the
other exhibits I got really frustrated at how crowded the place was so I decided to leave but the line to get out
was just a big as the line to get in. The day wasn’t too bad; however, it still
could have been better. I did prefer the visit to the game
convention.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
One Short Day
After just a few days here, I seem to already be operating on Taiwan time – having arrived in Taipei, the capital, six hours after I planned to. After spending 3 days in the hospitable city Taichung, I became a little more confident in my ventures. As I carried on through Taiwan to Taipei, I got off the bus wherever I pleased. I stopped by temples, forests, local food streets and villages. The food I’ve sampled over the past few days makes my stint at the Feng Chia Night Market look safe at best. Living, eating and travelling with the locals has given me a deeper understanding of living in Taiwan. It’s far less populated than its neighbour, China, which makes leisurely travel and time outdoors nicer. Taiwan is one of the less populated Asian countries, so the people are considerably nicer and time runs similar to that of island resorts.
This morning, I visited the Yehliu Geo Park – the first of many stops in this exciting region. Essentially, it’s a large rock formation a couple hundred metres off the shoreline. It’s strange shape is the result of sea erosion and the ever changing landscape of Taiwan - due to it’s Asian location, subject to movement and weathering. The park, nicknamed the “Yehliu Turtle” by locals, is constituted by limestone and wave-cut rock. I spent time exploring the island, if you like - similar to Australia’s long and ranging sandbars at low tide. Towards the end of my experience, I learnt of an old game that was once played underneath a footbridge, imaginatively titled the Sea Groove Bridge, somewhat similar to the Three Billy Goats Gruff fairy tale. In this area, the “naughty kid cave”, tourists would play with local children by throwing coins into the shallow water under the bridge. The kids became so engrossed in finding hidden treasure under the water that their parents had to roam the park yelling; “You naughty boys! How dare you play around and forget the time to come home for dinner!”. Another legend of the island dictates that a small turtle-shaped rock at the furthest point of the park would spit out white smoke whenever the weather was about to change. Stories like these prove the cultural significance of areas in Taiwan.
In each of the destinations I’ve visited, I’ve heard personal stories and had authentic experiences. Unlike other Asian countries complete with manmade structures and glossy malls, each region of Taiwan has originality. Despite spending only one week here, I feel very close to Taiwan. The locals have opened up and shared their experiences with me, and I can now ally myself with Asia. My time in the richest quarters to the poorest parts of this country have put me well on my way to becoming a global citizen. I wish to travel more, and consider that my status transcends political and geographical divides.
*photos not working, will upload 4/9
Blog #2: What to do whilst in Singapore?
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| Skypark Observation Deck |
I definitely enjoyed visiting Singapore and found it a very
informative experience. I will definitely be visiting again!
Blog part 3: Gokyo Lakes Trek
Day 1: Had lunch at Places Restaurant & Bar (vegetarian again)
and then met up with the company World Expeditions who are hosting my journey. They
gave me a long—and at times tedious—information session. I then transferred to Radisson
Hotel to stay for the night and meet my fellow trekkers. So far I’m finding them all intensely boring don’t
particularly like any of them.
Day 2: We flew to Lukla first thing this morning to commence
out journey (by the way, Lukla airport is one of the most dangerous airports in
the world so it’s a massive relief that we made it this far). Despite obvious poor
quality of the plane, it was one of the most enjoyable flights I have ever
experienced because of the magnificent views of some of the highest peaks in
the world. As we touched down, the majority of us were overcome by the colossal
mountains that surrounded the miniscule village around all sides. Wasting no
time, we quickly assembled into a group and traversed down to a river named Dudh
Kosi. The in the local language this translates to “milk river”. When we
reached it I could see why. The river has its origin from enormous glaciers at the
summits of various mountains and the nutrients trapped within these glaciers as
well as on the mountainsides give the river a distinct creamy hue like milk. We
then followed a wide and well-marked track to a permanent camping site owned by
World Exhibitions in place called Ghat.
Dudh Kosi
Day 5: We have now been lightly hiking for quite some time
and now have a rest day in a delightfull little lodge just above the village of
Namche. There are many mountains surrounding us such as Around us are Taweche
(6542 m), Thamserku (6808 m), Kantega (6685 m), Ama Dablam (6856 m), Nuptse
(7896 m) and Lhotse (8511 m) and, the greatest of all, Mt Everest (8848 m). While
many people did the shorter walk over to the village of Khumjung, a fellow adventurer
named Daniel and I trekked higher to the Everest View Hotel which, as the name suggests,
allows some of the best views of Mt. Everest. The trek was quite
straightforward apart from a minor incident with a large, brown and white spotted
snake as I was lagging behind to photograph an interesting rock formation on
the way back. There didn’t seem to be any wound and I decided to not tell the
tour guide anything about this attack as I feared it would simply worry them
and they might make me stay behind. I really want to complete this trip as so
far it has been one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. The view from
Everest View hotel wasn’t quite all it was cracked up to be and I wish I had
gone with most of the others down to Khumjung. I’m feeling quite nauseous now
so I think I’ll go to bed early.
Day 5½
It’s the middle of the night and I have just woken up from
incredible chest pains. My lungs seemed to have collapsed on themselves and I can’t
gather enough air to call out for help beyond my one-man-tent. I’m completely paralysed
from the waist down and I’m scared for {notes illegible from here}
Greetings faithful readers! I've just awoken to
inform you of the fantastic afternoon and night I had yesterday. After my
adventures inside Bodnath Stupa, I experienced the famously vibrant area of
culture around it first-hand! After I had taken the traditional clockwise walk
around Bodnath, I decided to view the various shops around the area. Although
many were overpriced and purely targeting tourists, there were countless stores
and stalls selling all manner of genuine and traditional hand made goods. In
the end I decided to use my limited spending money to buy a traditional Tibetan
singing bowl from Himalayan Singing Bowl Centre. This purchase did cost a fair
sum of money but it was worth it for the beautiful chime of the bowl. After
this trip around the shops, I went on tours of various monasteries in the area
(the Dilyak Monastery, Kopan Monastery Shechen Monastery, Thrangu Monastery). The
highlight of my monastery tours was the Thrangu Monastery (formally called the Thrangu
Tashi Yangtse Monastery). This was the only tour that lasted more than a few
minutes and it revealed all manner of monks learning each-others jobs and
participating in intellectual activities. Many of the monks are under 18 and
lots of them are from rural areas of Nepal. While here, one of the monks shared
with me the incredible story behind Bodnath Stupa. The legend is a bit lengthy
to put in this blog but it does involve the Perfect Buddha laying down his own
body to help a tigress with her young. After the cultural tour, I went to eat in
the Stupa View Restaurant, which offered a great view of the stupa (duh) as
well as serving great vegetarian food. It was very expensive though.
Bodnath Stupa side temple interior.
Bodnath Stupa side temple interior. 
Blog #2
Blog #2
Agra, India.
I have been in Agra for two days and to say the least it has
been a roller coaster with many turns, dips and heightening falls.
Today, I visited the Taj Mahal that I began to explain in my
previous blog, the luxurious castle built in the 1500-1600’s by the emperor Shah
Jahan in memory of his late third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is a white
marble mausoleum that became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. The entry to
the palace through the gardens was an adventure in itself! The Great Gate
(Darwaza-i rauza) that lead to the grounds surrounding the palace was
unforgettable, made of red sandstone with imposing archways and intricate
marble work. Then passing through the Great Gate archway which opens up into
the gardens surrounding the colossal mausoleum. The view of the Taj Mahal from
the main entrance is that snapshot that you've seen a thousand times, the
classic old time postcard favorite which I of course also photographed.
.
My favorite part was standing on a balcony, feeling the
air whip against me and staring down into the never ending land that surrounded
the Taj Mahal. I could feel the history and past of the castle soak into my
pores and infiltrating my senses. As
lunched approached I followed my nose and made my way to the large cafeteria that was located next
to the gift store. Scanning the food I found that everything
seemed slightly dodgy except for (Atukula Laddu) Beaten Rice, a dessert. I purchased one
and instantly fell in love with the sweet and smooth flavors that exploded in
my mouth! With the flavor still in my lingering I bought another and have it
stashed it in my bag (I’ll be indulging in some more when I finish this post). Once I had satisfied my growling stomach I progressed
on through the castle and was eventually kindly asked-multiple times- to leave
the stunning mausoleum by the guides.
The Taj Mahal is an experience I will hold forever, in my memory
and in the hundreds of snaps I took of everything and anything. This will be a
treasured memory and after my experience I would encourage everyone to visit
the Taj Mahal one day.
Mia.
Blog
#2
Tel
Aviv
Tel Aviv has so much more to offer than I originally
thought. I must admit, I probably did not partake in enough research on the
stunning place, but I think it has been better this way. I managed to have a
relatively comprehensive conversation with a taxi driver named Asher on the way
from the airport. He gave me some idea
of what to do once I dropped my bags off at the hotel. Although I found his
husky accent difficult to understand. It seemed that the first place to
visit on his list was Jaffa and the old port. I decided it was best to delve
strait into my experience in Tel Aviv and I only stopped for a few minutes in
my hotel. I asked Asher to wait for me outside in the car park as I quickly
dropped of my bags. My hopes were relatively low for the place as Asher’s
descriptive language was limited, but I was pleasantly surprised upon my
arrival. Each and every building was made from an astonishing stone that looked
old, but had still weathered well – becoming almost shiny due all the people
who had travelled along the paths prior to me. The streets turned and reviled
lovey jewellery shops and art galleries that exhibited a wide range of eye
catching items.
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Jaffa from the pier
|
As night fell upon the city, if anything, Jaffa
became even more wondrous; opening the doors to a whole new experience. I had
been making my way through the city for hours and was almost entirely lost. My
worries had not set in yet and I was more focused on finding some food. I
stumbled upon cute little restaurant that was covered by vines and I enjoyed all
of the Middle Eastern flavoured dishes. Inside it was wonderfully decorated, it occurred to me that perhaps I had discovered one of the best restaurants in town.
I was hoping to return to it the following night, although I was unable to find
it. As I tried to make my way back to my hotel I soon became lost in a sea of
stone buildings that all looked the same. Each turn I got more and more lost
and I soon came to an area littered with cats. I have honestly never seen so
many felines in one place. They popped out of bins and small crevices and
looked at you curiously. Surprisingly they seemed healthy enough and were not
dirty or skinny. Soon enough I gave up on finding my way out alone and decided
to hail a taxi on the largest road I could fine and I soon returned to my
hotel.
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The cats
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It was a massive relief to be back at the hotel
and finally rest my surprisingly sore fear. It was the first time since I arrived in
Israel I was staying in conditions much like those at home. As I entered my
room I was astounded by the intricate well thought through designs that
littered the whole room. I must say, I had the best night sleep I had had in a
long time; especially because of the lack of company. The staff members were kind, although not
overly welcoming and annoying. The man at the door however was quite strange
and abrupt, although I had since discovered he had quite serious hearing
problems. I was almost sad that morning when it was time to leave the stunning
hotel to go and enjoy the sights Tel Aviv has to offer.
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My hotel bed
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The next morning I was fortunate enough to have
blue skies and a 30 degree day. Although I have since discovered that these
conditions are normal in the city. I had decided the previous night that I
would venture to a more modern section of Tel Aviv. I visited the Carmel
market, which was about to burst with the phenomenal amounts of colours that
were consuming its narrow paths. There were overwhelming calls from stalls
asking you to come by their produce and locals bartering in foreign languages
to get better prices. The feel of the
place was so energised, people were constantly pushing past you, and it was as
if time itself had been sped up. There was such a wide variety of stalls that
covered everything from pets to food. I managed to buy myself a few things,
such as spices, halva and a swim suit. It only took an hour of walking before the
heat truly sank in. I then slowly made my way to the beach in hope of a
relaxing swim. The water was so much warmer than I expected, it required no
shivering to get into and I could stay in for hours. There was a large stone
water break that I could sunbathe on without getting smothered in sand, and it
was beautiful watching people slowly pack up and go home as the sun set.
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Sunset on the beach
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Tel Aviv has so much more to offer than I
originally thought. Although sometimes the Israel can be quite confronting,
with poverty, solders and the constant threat of terrorist attacks;
surprisingly it has a very comfortable feel. Even though standing next to a
strong man holding a big gun in army uniform should be horrifying, it almost
makes me feel safer. Israel is incredibly different to anything I have
experienced. It is certainly a place that is worth visiting at least once.
Blog #2 Hello
again,
A week ago I took a bus from Thimphu the Capital city of
Bhutan to a smaller city called Phuntsholing. After my amazing experience in
Thimphu this can hardly compare to it. With a lot of poverty and unfortunately
I have had my wallet stolen. My motel
that I am staying at is two stars which is almost top of the range. The food is
the same with Thimphu though; red rice is not used as much.
One thing that I really dislike about Phuntsholing is the
amount of military and police personal; in fact they search your bags and cars
for anything suspicious. The reason for this is how it is right on the boarder
of India so there would be a lot of illegal immigrants coming and going from
both Phuntsholing and India. As I said before, I had my wallet stolen. The
story behind this is I was exploring and just having a stroll through on of the
night markets when I was approached by this suspicions looking gentleman. He
asked me where I was from and what I was doing in Bhutan and then suddenly
walked of. I took no notice of it but when I was going to pay for something, I
realized my wallet was not there. I also remembered the gentleman very gently
feeling my pocket.
From almost any were in the city, you can see the road to
Thimphu which is a narrow road that snakes around a mountain. There is
beautiful trekking around the road and on my way back to Thimphu I hope to go exploring and do some trekking.
I’m guessing that is where all of the beautiful wonders of Phuntsholing are. Another great thing about the city is the
street food, with the narrow streets coming alive at night with lots of vendors
selling their different types of exotic food. In Phuntsholing, there are lots of markets
which are both god and bad. The good thing is that I can buy lots of their
native foods and the bad things are that considering I am a tourist, the people
will corner me in and try to get me to buy their things which some of the time
I don’t want to buy.
Phuntsholing is an interesting place with
lots of poverty. But I absolutely loved the street food and the markets. About
next week, I hope to take the bus back to Thimphu where I will stay for another
fortnight.
By For now.
Blog #2
trekking through Nepal
Yesterday
was my last day in Kathmandu city, I checked out of my hotel and quickly bought
some of the local food. I had a dish called sel which resembled a donut
but was made out of rice flour. Soon after I met my guide, who would take me
all around the Himalayas. He’s name is Nischal which is one of the most popular
names in Nepal. We caught a bus to BesiSahar. I was a bit reluctant to get off
the bus because I was a bit nervous because I was about to experience one
of the most amazing experiences I have ever done, but also one of the
most tough and excruciating things I will do in my life. Nischal lead me
to a small building, or a shed were I was told about a few rules , tips and I
had to sign some forms. I re packed my bag, pulled on my hiking boots and was
ready to go within an hour of being in BesiSahar.
The next four hikes, which
took four days were exhausting but were worth it. The sights we saw were
absolutely amazing. We trekked from Jagat to Dharapani, to Koto and then to
Pisang. We would eat together, and there was no T.V. or internet so we would
rejuvenate our bodies and all go to bed straight after dinner. We all got round
10-11 hours of sleep so that we were ready to trek the next day.
The next
ten days were very enjoyable and the treks were getting easier or we were
getting used to them. Most villages that we trekked through, were poor and very
isolated so when they saw us foreign people many of the villagers would come
and greet us. The village would turn from a quiet peaceful village to a place
filled with people shouting “Namaste” “Khana khannu bhaiyo?” “Tapaiiko naam ke ho?” I had to
decline many kind offers because of our schedule but was tempted many times to
see more of the village and the villagers. By the 13th day of
trekking we had got all of the way to base camp. We felt very accomplished, but
we still had 17 more days of trekking to go. The next 17 days of trekking were
better because we were getting closer to our destination, the Himalayas! We
trekked back to BesiSahar through a different route. The quality of the air
was impeccable, and gave me the strength to take each step. On the last day of
trekking we trekked from Ngadi to BesiSahar to the Himalayas.
my legs were aching, I could feel the sun burning my skin and I was so hot I thought I was in a sauna. I felt like giving up, but I couldn’t on the last hurdle. I had gotten used to the altitude and it did not affect me as much. The mountains and hills were so high that the ground was nearly touching my nose, and the rocks were sliding from under my feet , I was ready to faint when I heard the familiar words that I had heard every day for the last thirty days, “we’re here!”. I could not believe I had accomplished such a task! This had been a gruelling achievement but when I looked out onto the view, I was hypnotised with the beauty of the landscape in front of me. We all stood there for at least 15 minutes taking in this amazing sight and recapitulating on the last thirty days.
My visit to Chiang Mai
Hello again,
I have recently arrived in Chiang Mai, which is the
largest and most culturally significantly city in northern Thailand and this
old city holds lots of rich heritage and culture. One of the first things I did
after settling into my new hotel, which is the Yantarasri resort was wake up
early the next day and go for an early morning hike up Doi Suthep. Many people
in Chiang Mai consider Doi Suthep a holy mountain. At the foot of the mountain
there is an entrance to a stairway, which has craved serpents running up the
stair as a hand rail. After a tiring hike up the mountain I found myself at the
entrance to a Buddhist temple, the temple over looks Chiang Mai and offers
amazing views over northern Thailand. The temple has beautiful gold Chedi and
according to legend the temple dates back to 14th century.
After the hike I was very hungry so I decide to go to
Huen Pen, which offers spicy foods that include Burmese and Chinese spices. The
restaurant was packed, mostly full of taxi drivers digging into steaming
curries. While I was there I had a khao Soi, which is a delicious mix of creamy
curry, crispy egg noddles, slices of pickled cabbage and bits of shallot and
lime. The dish was exquisite as well as extremely hot. After lunch I decide to walk around Chiang
Mai and found myself at a spice market for dinner. I had a spicy squid salad
which had an interesting flavour. But looking around I saw students discussing
Buddhism and other foreign people such as Frenchmen. 
The last thing I did in Chiang Mai was head down
Nimanhaemin Road, a major design drag,
for boutiques that sell pottery, textiles and other crafts, Chiang Mai
has become a design laboratory with foreign and Thai designers blending
traditional styles with minimalistic ones.
I saw art students wandering the streets and occasionally whipping out
note pads. There were stores that sold lamps made out of mulberry paper, bamboo
furniture stores and much more.
I have had an excellent time in Thailand and I hope to be
back soon.
BLOG 2#
I have been in Tokyo for three
days now and they have been extraordinary. I have enjoyed the sights and
weather but most of all the food. The culture of the Japanese food is fresh and colorful From Sushi, Miso to Ramen and sashimi I can’t seem to stop eating.
It’s all so succulent and yummy. I have been out every day, twice a day and I
have found some amazing restaurants.
My favorite restaurants have to be the
Hinokizaka in my hotel (the Ritz Carlton hotel), Keyakizaka and my very, very favorite is the Takazawa.
The tawakawa is one of the
fanciest and expensive hotels I had ever been to. The food is mind blowing and
the ambiance is stylish and very modern. I loved this experience very much and
even though it was very expensive and I will be eating rice for the rest of my
time in Tokyo. It is worthwhile to treat yourself once in a while
I was running low on money and
I was sick and tired of eating plain rice with Soya sauce. I had to find
another alternative and I did Ushio sushi. This amazing restaurant looks
expensive but is the opposite. For a big bento box of sushi just 8 Australian
dollars.the ambiance is amazing and it has such a friendly feeling.
I am so happy I have found this restaurant I and I am guessing that
there are many more restaurants like Ushio out there, and I am on my to find
them.
Mongolia Blog 2
I was greeted back to Ulaanbaatar by a cold wind, a
reminder that winter was not far away. Mongolia has some of the coldest winters
on the planet, reaching to below -30°c. Fortunately for me, the temperature is
still above 10°. On the way back to the hotel, I stopped off at the eminent
Genghis Khan Statue Complex. After my time in the country, the crowds and
tourists proved more annoying than I like to admit (then again, I am one of
them). Either way, it was a very impressive statue, well suiting its monarch.
Genghis Khan (also known as Chinggis Khan) was a Mongolian Emperor in
approximately 1200 AD. He brought together all the Mongolian tribes of the time
under his militaristic rule. He is said to have killed up to 40 million people,
mainly tribes from neighbouring countries. I’m just glad he is only a statue
now! Even so, Khan was an important historical figure and heavily influenced
Mongolia toady. This was a very interesting and informative experience for me.
My next few days went in a blur. I would wake every
morning to the Ulaanbaatar skyline, full of tall buildings and bustling streets
with mountains lining the background. The contrast it not something I’ve seen
before, of dusty structures against desert background, dead and empty. I still
sit amazed at the feel of remoteness even in such a capital.
It all came as quite a contrast to the outback that I was
previously in. Of the approximate 2 million people in Mongolia, nearly half
reside here in Ulaanbaatar. That being said, it is quite a busy place. Even
though I am trying to learn about the local culture and not just be a
‘tourist’, it is hard not to be on edge. Previously, the easy going Nomads
showed very little interest in modern societal life. Here, one has to be very
careful about pick pocketing and other petty crimes, even being followed
(especially for a female). Already I have had a set of bracelets that were in
my back pocket go missing. Nevertheless, even with this at the back of my mind,
I strove to enjoy the atmosphere and attractions of Ulaanbaatar that I could,
while I was here.
The food in the city is quite cheap, and although it is apparent
that no one travels to Mongolia for its cuisine. There is a range of Asian and
Western options, so I have not been particularly adventurous. I had my
exploration of local cookery in the nature reserve in the first part of my trip,
so I am treating myself to more familiar cuisine.
All good things must come to
an end, and far too soon. I leave Mongolia tomorrow, heading homeward. My time
here has been eye opening, and I do recommend a visit for and travellers. I
didn’t fully realize how different two places could be, and this journey will
stay with me.
Blog #2 - Langkawi Island
I am
nearing the end of this incredible journey in Malaysia. My precious time here
is depleting at a rapid pace and yet, it feels like I have only been here for a
short period of time. The bustling city of Kuala Lumpur has left quite an
impression on me but I felt like I was ready to experience a completely
different side of this wonderful country. I decided to escape the city scene
and chase the sun. My strength is definitely not planning my trip to the last
detail, so I had to find the next destination during my time in Kuala Lumpur. My
arbitrary yet effective travel method of asking a local stranger led me to the
first place which escaped from their lips, Langkawi Island.
The
opportunity of taking a plane to the island arose but reaching into my pockets,
I felt I simply couldn’t afford the luxury of a 32 minute flight. So instead, I
hired a tacky rental car and began my 5 hour journey. Considering my driving
skills are not at all exceptional, I was extremely lucky as Malay people drive
on the left hand side of the road. The serene road trip was not at all as
expected. Unlike my vision of a hectic drive and trouble on the road, the trip
was quite pleasant. I hesitantly will admit, the musty odour from the previous
owner of the car made me feel overwhelmingly light headed and there was a stage
in the journey where I needed to stop and soak up the fresh air a fair distance
from the vehicle. Although this was the case, the scenery and thought of the
beautiful island awaiting me made me persevere.
Wholly
drained by my experience in the rental car, I continued my journey to my hotel,
the Berjaya Langkawi Resort by the water. I instantly fell in love with the
charming huts and although, I will confess, the welcoming bed was almost too
tempting to refuse, but I fought all of my desires and headed for my first
tourist destination, Langkawi Sky Bridge.
The Sky
Bridge is situated on the top of Mount Machinchang, 100m above ground level. To
access the bridge, a sky cable is needed. It was an exhilarating experience
ascending the mountain in a small cable car and I found myself in awe of the tranquil
environment around me. After reaching the cable station, I began my short trek
along the suspension bridge. Although the bridge is only 125m, I found the walk
lengthy, full of suspense and anticipation. The end of the bridge revealed the
surreal view of the Andaman Sea and all of the surrounding islands Malaysia has
to offer. This was a truly special moment which I will treasure and remember
for the rest of my life.
My time
in Malaysia is coming to a close and although there is so much more of the
country I would love to explore, the final region of Malaysia I visited was the
perfect way to finish a much needed journey of a lifetime. I am completely
satisfied that I have made the most of my time in this country and hope to
return to it someday in the future.
blog 2
Since my week up to this point has consisted of me having problems with
the overcrowded and bustling streets of Tokyo so now I must find something fun
to do I thought to myself so I goggled it. I found the first thing to do go to
the tsukiji fish market which happens to be the biggest fish market in the
world and runs all day and night. I am not a huge fan of fish but I thought
while I’m here why not. Once I arrived at the market with what seemed to be
thousands of people in a massive sweating and stinky room I turned right around
and got a taxi to my next destination. Shibuya crossing which is apparently the
shopping central and I wanted to see what shopping was like here and I’m 100%
that it’s going to be a crowded waste of time I still wanted to see what I
could discover. I found a toy Obama action figures with ninja stars, dolls that
you can get your face put on and live rhino beetles that kids would buy and
make fight other rhino beetles which is what inspired Pokémon. They told me to
go to karioky but I will not embrace myself or anyone else by attending. So
then I went to a few famous chery blossom parks such as yoyogi park and that
was nice peaceful and decerlet I soon retired to my hotel after a meal and had
a long sleep so that tomorrow I could board the death trap and fly back to Australia.
My Time In The Limestone Forest.
I’m having a
great time in Hunan Mountains in China This is in the city of Zhangjiajie a few
hours west of Shanghai, This drive took so long and we got lost a couple of
times, we had to get directions from a man who didn’t speak enough English to
get good directions. The trail
was tricky and long, I had to bring lots of water as I got dehydrated quite
quickly, but we got to rest a lot along the way to the rock, but once we got
there it was worth the dehydration and blisters. The Zhangjiajie stone pillars are a natural wonder, it looks
magnificent, even during the horrible monsoon and foggy mornings as the mist
rolls through the pillars and the stone heads protrude through the fog, and the
valley floor disappears beneath the mist and it just looks amazing as the giant
stone pillars stab through the thick fog. As a result of the heavy mist covering
the city streets, many tourists found it hard to find the bus or opted to stay
inside. This meant there were very few on the mountain today.
The amount of tourists today is not much as most of them
stayed inside as the mist covered the city streets making it hard to find your
way through the town, and some tourists couldn’t find the bus.
Now, about
the pillars of rock, these rocks are all natural and look like pins in the
Earth as the mist rolls through the valley. It feels so surreal, as nature has
carved this over millions of years. When there is fog, it’s almost impossible
to see the floor of the valley from up here and the rocks seem to jab into the
crust of the Earth for kilometres. This tour didn’t last long but tomorrow I heading
into a new city to see another one of nature’s wonderful creations.
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