Well, imagine my surprise when this time I blinked and not only was I in another country, but another continent, hurtling through a cave in freezing water and a beautiful wet suit/rubber ring combo...ALONE!!! Well, with out a Libby or a Martin, I wouldn't do it alone, that'd be even stupider than doing it full stop!! That's right folks, I've hit New Zealand, hired me a Lucy (the London Bus...or Red Corolla to some) and stared making my way South, dodging thrill seeking adrenaline sports as I go. (Isn't it great mum, you can do everything here, from horse riding to sky diving and rafting, black OR white water...!!!)
So I last left you on the islands of Thailand, which are just idyllic, indescribably so. We explored the Limes stone outcrops of Krabi, ventured to its neighbouring bays and islands on a long tail boat, fed fish pineapple by hand-which is a surprising and perhaps not very healthy fodder, but great fun non-the-less...especially for Libby, who, though would not hold the pineapple herself was quite happy to laugh at my squealed attempts to do so!
We then reconvened with her parents on Puket. This is by far the most touristy destination we hit, it just buzzes (even more so than Ko Samui, which personally I think has an incredibly unfair rep, it is STUNNING). Our plans to dive were delayed slightly as unfortunately Mr Brodie took a tumble on one of the boats, however we got to see the hospital (far less touristy, but nicer than most hotels! And seamlessly run-shame on the NHS!!) and I got to [practise some of my rescue skills/tea making skills. Luckily he was fine and it just meant we had to endure a week of sunning ourselves at their rather lovely hotel and various stunning beaches-this also involved pampering. Shame.
After this strenuous week a party was clearly called for, but not just any, THE party, the Full Moon Party no less. So it was off the the BEAUTIFUL Ko Samui for the weekend to stay and psych ourselves up. Little did we know this was unnecessary as the SPEED BOAT trip to the party its self (on Ko Pang Nyang) was really rather psyching in its self! Talk about arriving in style. I personally am making a personal pledge that if a party doesn't involve a speed boat from now it, it doesn't involve me (get me)!! The party was best summarised the next day as, "merg...blerg....party.moon .full.(apparently.)buckets ."red bull".men.flesh.
PAINT?!music.speed boat.goood......9am bus back to Puket.baaad...mmmmerg...." and then of course there are the photo's...oh dear...! Despite serving alcohol in nothing but bucket form (yes the very same that should really only be used on this beach for making castles) the atmosphere was just electric. Try and have this party in England, and apart from the cold and rain you'd be dodging copulating couples in every sad dune or worse, bottles and punches launched by over fuelled and over testosteroned folk. Maybe it's the sun sea and holiday spirit but everyone was just there to have a good time, be friendly and...well..paint each other!
Unfortunately, all too soon it was time to recover our livers and say good bye to Thailand, and amazing 6 weeks had gone all to quick, but we had a boy to meet. From 2 to three, we let Martin in our traveller's bubble- but only at the deep end mind, we had Malaysia to cover, and only two weeks to do it in. So the ground was hit and we were RUNNING! We covered an old colonial settlement, complete with horror film esque church, the oldest jungle in the world, two of the most modern cities in the world (Kuala Lumpar and Singapore), tea plantations, beaches, botanical gardens and nature reserves; we journeyed from the top of mountains, to the bottom of the ocean- and even caught our breaths enough to stop for a spot of surrey style slumming, high tea in Kuala Lumpar, dining surrounded by Monitor Lizards at the beach and Singapore Slings, Raffles style, in Singapore! WOW!!
My advice, you can not even begin to do this country in 2 weeks, it is fantastic, beautiful and SOOO eclectic. It is a bit weird though, no one, not even taxi drivers attempts to rip you off, not even slightly.
And then there was one...lill ol me journeying the great big NZ on my little lonesome. Bless me. Wish me luck...
C x
Thailand:
http://rhbncac.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024590&l=19cbd&id=200901546
and...
http://rhbncac.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027737&l=575b9&id=200901546
Full Moon Party:
http://rhbncac.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2029494&l=f822d&id=200901546
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Friday, March 23, 2007
34 days and another country down...
Well, it has come to my attention that...I'm in a different country!! So perhaps you'd all like to know what happened in Thailand? Well so would I, we seem to have fallen into some sort of Thai time wharp, hence being so incommunicado for quite so long (sorry!!). Rather disappointingly, it all FLEW by, but I'll try and fill you in....
If there are 9 million bicycles in Beijing, than there's probably about twice as many scooters in Hanoi, these all seem to have met in Bangkok (to avoid the 30 million potholes in Cambodia), along with the rainbow taxi fleet to create a rush 24 hour system...but this is all irrelevant as Libby and I have discovered what really is, truly, the only way to travel- Angelina style, of course- SPEED BOATS! Speed boats everywhere I tell you people, yes we've been roughing it again haven't we...
It may surprise you all to read the that, actually since day 101, we've upped the anti and done A LOT more than lady boy spot (or not) and beach bumming; we've been to 4 different countries, studied for 3 differing qualifications, travelled from the Northern most point in Thailand right down to 5 of its most southerly islands, via a surprisingly exciting and informative pineapple farm and a big gold guy, reunited with 7 family members- as well a squeezing in a full moon party and being flashed, fed, saving a few people and spending a day in hospital. Told you there was a time warp!
Once we'd thawed out enough after our hill top excursion we headed to the very north of Thailand where we made a very show biz dash to the Northern most point of Thailand to make a border crossing (into where we never quite worked out, well if you will keep changing the names of places and then turning border "towns" into huge non descript malls it gets hard to keep track) to extend our visa's, but not before discovering a whole new, and exciting no less, side to the wonder that is...PINEAPPLES!
That's right folks these babies are responsible for the production of everything, from whiskey and wine (teeth curling discovery to make at 9am...before meeting border sec-hic-urity), to jam and sweets and even paper goods- book marks,books, bags and even photo frames. Not a fruit to be scoffed at...just scoffed (cue comic drum roll) and after we'd had quite enough of that, and were starting to resemble the things, it was off to the Golden Triangle. This is the rather glitzy way the Thai's chose to pay homage to their queen on her 70th birthday, and by all accounts she's not the shy retiring type. The golden triangle is actually where the Thai, Laos and Myanmar borders meet, intersected by a river. Not to be ostentatious, the Thai's decided that, running the risk of being out done by the other's palm trees and lush vegetation, what they needed was gold, and lots of it. The Thai's corner consists of a huge gold Buddha, with various shrines and effigies at his feet, which are actually rather beautiful. the Buddhists worship here, mostly the god who rules their day of birth, and in homage they place fleck of gold and silver leaf on the statues...yes its all very sparkly yes that's why I liked it (it was not pink though so I'm making progress)! The Buddha himself was perhaps a bit much, but for a little light relief round the corner were two sets of three huge gold and mosaic bollards, separated by suitably adorned elephant statues. Happy birthday to the Queen!!! (she was only 70...wait till the king hit's 80 this year.......)
Done with the north and the border dash (stress of which obviously needed alleviating with
a(nother) pampering sesh) we headed back to Bangkok to stay with my cousin's again and await the arrival of...the notorious...my Mammabear!!!!!!! Needless to say I was a wee bit excited. We all had a lovely weekend, catching up and relaxing, and eating...god there was eating (do you like how I said that like it was a strain?!) We visited two of Bangkok's top ten eateries, one of which was crepe based...very Thai! Obviously the strain of a weekend with me after so much bliss full peace meant mum had to go straight to a spa to recuperate whilst we made our first assult on the islands.
Ko Tao. A beautiful island, where the waters are so calm and crystal clear that from a distance it is hard to tell where the beach ends and the sea starts. Needless to say a lot of diving was to be done on this island. In fact can we please take a moment to congratulate Libby for here new status as an PADI Open Water Diver, and mine as PADI EFR and Rescue Diver!! Oooohh ahhhh get us!!! Unfortunately my course, having been condensed into half the time for me, required a little more work than would've been nice. But I have it on good authority (well Libby told me, after I collapsed on her lap in the middle of the local restaurant in a tired snivelling heap, much to the dismay of the friends she was eating with. One was so frightened by the dribbling mass before him that he went in to raptures about what beautiful eyes I had...all the while backing away slowly!) that there was amazing nightlife to be had here as well, alas I stuck to the diving. It was actually amazing, the most exhilarating and TIRING experience of my life, our aim being to learn how to lug people, or more specifically tall and stacked men, from the bottom of the ocean, to the top and back on the boat again. This involved a day of "Scenarios"...or the reason for the grand entry I told you about. Seriously those dive masters are clumsy, one by one nearly every one on the PACKED boat drowned, ran out of air and passed out at the bottom of the sea, fell down the boat stairs or in fact off the boat into a panic.
After this I needed the spa break, but back to Bangkok for more reunions and food had to suffice. Our fair well dinner with my Mother was at the little expected Cabbages and Condoms restaurant, which is actually a beautiful place (if you ignore the condom clad, well everything around you-cant describe it, check out the photos) where the food is "guaranteed not to cause pregnancy," but tastes so bloody good you might not mind if it had! All the proceeds go towards helping and educating people suffering with or affected by HIV and other STD's and generally encouraging and aiding safe sex. Made for an interesting night, certainly an unforgettable farewell, with rather more blushes than the norm! As if like clock work Libby's parents arrived the nest day so she spent a few days catching up with them, while I went baby mad and hogged my two cousins...any excuse to get back into a soft play room! Actually I had some very educational experiences visiting the science museum and the aquarium!
But that was enough of the land lubbering for us, so as the Brodies prepared to fly to their luxury accommodation in Puket we prepared to bus it there, via Krabi. But I'll let you all rest up a bit, grab a cuppa and leave you in suspense briefly before telling you about that...
Enjoy the break there's LOTS more to come...
If there are 9 million bicycles in Beijing, than there's probably about twice as many scooters in Hanoi, these all seem to have met in Bangkok (to avoid the 30 million potholes in Cambodia), along with the rainbow taxi fleet to create a rush 24 hour system...but this is all irrelevant as Libby and I have discovered what really is, truly, the only way to travel- Angelina style, of course- SPEED BOATS! Speed boats everywhere I tell you people, yes we've been roughing it again haven't we...
It may surprise you all to read the that, actually since day 101, we've upped the anti and done A LOT more than lady boy spot (or not) and beach bumming; we've been to 4 different countries, studied for 3 differing qualifications, travelled from the Northern most point in Thailand right down to 5 of its most southerly islands, via a surprisingly exciting and informative pineapple farm and a big gold guy, reunited with 7 family members- as well a squeezing in a full moon party and being flashed, fed, saving a few people and spending a day in hospital. Told you there was a time warp!
Once we'd thawed out enough after our hill top excursion we headed to the very north of Thailand where we made a very show biz dash to the Northern most point of Thailand to make a border crossing (into where we never quite worked out, well if you will keep changing the names of places and then turning border "towns" into huge non descript malls it gets hard to keep track) to extend our visa's, but not before discovering a whole new, and exciting no less, side to the wonder that is...PINEAPPLES!
That's right folks these babies are responsible for the production of everything, from whiskey and wine (teeth curling discovery to make at 9am...before meeting border sec-hic-urity), to jam and sweets and even paper goods- book marks,books, bags and even photo frames. Not a fruit to be scoffed at...just scoffed (cue comic drum roll) and after we'd had quite enough of that, and were starting to resemble the things, it was off to the Golden Triangle. This is the rather glitzy way the Thai's chose to pay homage to their queen on her 70th birthday, and by all accounts she's not the shy retiring type. The golden triangle is actually where the Thai, Laos and Myanmar borders meet, intersected by a river. Not to be ostentatious, the Thai's decided that, running the risk of being out done by the other's palm trees and lush vegetation, what they needed was gold, and lots of it. The Thai's corner consists of a huge gold Buddha, with various shrines and effigies at his feet, which are actually rather beautiful. the Buddhists worship here, mostly the god who rules their day of birth, and in homage they place fleck of gold and silver leaf on the statues...yes its all very sparkly yes that's why I liked it (it was not pink though so I'm making progress)! The Buddha himself was perhaps a bit much, but for a little light relief round the corner were two sets of three huge gold and mosaic bollards, separated by suitably adorned elephant statues. Happy birthday to the Queen!!! (she was only 70...wait till the king hit's 80 this year.......)
Done with the north and the border dash (stress of which obviously needed alleviating with
a(nother) pampering sesh) we headed back to Bangkok to stay with my cousin's again and await the arrival of...the notorious...my Mammabear!!!!!!! Needless to say I was a wee bit excited. We all had a lovely weekend, catching up and relaxing, and eating...god there was eating (do you like how I said that like it was a strain?!) We visited two of Bangkok's top ten eateries, one of which was crepe based...very Thai! Obviously the strain of a weekend with me after so much bliss full peace meant mum had to go straight to a spa to recuperate whilst we made our first assult on the islands.
Ko Tao. A beautiful island, where the waters are so calm and crystal clear that from a distance it is hard to tell where the beach ends and the sea starts. Needless to say a lot of diving was to be done on this island. In fact can we please take a moment to congratulate Libby for here new status as an PADI Open Water Diver, and mine as PADI EFR and Rescue Diver!! Oooohh ahhhh get us!!! Unfortunately my course, having been condensed into half the time for me, required a little more work than would've been nice. But I have it on good authority (well Libby told me, after I collapsed on her lap in the middle of the local restaurant in a tired snivelling heap, much to the dismay of the friends she was eating with. One was so frightened by the dribbling mass before him that he went in to raptures about what beautiful eyes I had...all the while backing away slowly!) that there was amazing nightlife to be had here as well, alas I stuck to the diving. It was actually amazing, the most exhilarating and TIRING experience of my life, our aim being to learn how to lug people, or more specifically tall and stacked men, from the bottom of the ocean, to the top and back on the boat again. This involved a day of "Scenarios"...or the reason for the grand entry I told you about. Seriously those dive masters are clumsy, one by one nearly every one on the PACKED boat drowned, ran out of air and passed out at the bottom of the sea, fell down the boat stairs or in fact off the boat into a panic.
After this I needed the spa break, but back to Bangkok for more reunions and food had to suffice. Our fair well dinner with my Mother was at the little expected Cabbages and Condoms restaurant, which is actually a beautiful place (if you ignore the condom clad, well everything around you-cant describe it, check out the photos) where the food is "guaranteed not to cause pregnancy," but tastes so bloody good you might not mind if it had! All the proceeds go towards helping and educating people suffering with or affected by HIV and other STD's and generally encouraging and aiding safe sex. Made for an interesting night, certainly an unforgettable farewell, with rather more blushes than the norm! As if like clock work Libby's parents arrived the nest day so she spent a few days catching up with them, while I went baby mad and hogged my two cousins...any excuse to get back into a soft play room! Actually I had some very educational experiences visiting the science museum and the aquarium!
But that was enough of the land lubbering for us, so as the Brodies prepared to fly to their luxury accommodation in Puket we prepared to bus it there, via Krabi. But I'll let you all rest up a bit, grab a cuppa and leave you in suspense briefly before telling you about that...
Enjoy the break there's LOTS more to come...
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