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Palermo, Italy

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:07:01 GMT

Well, it has been a busy week or so. After Genoa, I headed towards the Cinque Terre. This is a national park and world heritage site that has 5 towns all attached to the rugged cliffs of the coast. There are walking trails between the towns and around the national park too. The most famous (and easiest) walk is the Via dell'Amore, the walk of love. Along this short path there are hundreds of padlocks attached to pretty much whatever is available, as a sign of love. There is also a huge amount of graffiti declaring couples love 4eva. It's a lovely walk and a nice warm up to the next walk from Manarola to Corniglia. This is a bit harder but becomes decidedly difficult at the end when you have to scale 382 steps to get to the town. The other walks are harder and longer but worth every effort just for the views. If you aren't into walking there are trains that go very regularly between the towns. The Cinque Terre is beautiful and incredibly hot in the summer. I met up with an American couple and their 11yr old boy in Biassa and we headed to the Cinque Terre for the day. We ended up in Corniglia for dinner and had a spectacular seafood dinner in one of the local restaurants. It was an absolute nightmare trying to get the last train back to Biassa but got there in the end. The next day, I had to myself and I explored Vernassa and Monterosso. 2 really hard walks that should not be done in Jandals (flipflops, thongs etc). After quietly cursing myself for about 2 hours, I arrived in Monterosso and had another great lunch consisting of artichokes and some other stuff but am really not sure what. It was good though. After 2 days in Cinque Terre, I decided the last day would be spent in Pisa. Eventually arriving in Pisa, after a few language issues at the train station, I headed to the Leaning Tower. Not really expecting Pisa to be much of a sight besides the tower, I was actually quite impressed with the city. It is very pretty and has a lovely feel to it. The tower is pretty cool too. Very lop-sided as you would expect. The next day, I went to Bologna, a university city which was very affluent in Medival times. This is why the city centre is made up of small alley ways and beautiful old but grand buildings. The city boasts one of Europes oldest University's and is a stunning building. I mainly came here for the promise of Bolognase. I really wasn't disappointed. It was devine! I really should have taken a photo! After Bologna, I went to Naples for a few days. Here I planned to go to Pompei and Herculaneum, 2 cities buried by the ash and rocks of Mt Vesuvius and the eruption of 79 a.d. Pompei is obviously very famous and gets a very big tourist trade but Herculaneum is much smaller and less well-known. Spending a day at each site, I definitely preferred Herculaneum and would love to go back one day as they are still excavating the 2 sites. It is incredible to see the houses with the frescoes and mosaics in almost perfect condition in some cases. A lot of the artifacts discovered here have been moved to Naples and put on display in the Museum there. I, unfortunately, did not get time to visit as my train the next day left Naples VERY early. I am now in Palermo, Sicily (Mafia country). I meet a lovely Kiwi couple on the train to Palermo too, so will having dinner with them tonight. Hard to not make friends on a 10 hour train ride. Palermo, is quite rough but vibrant, much like Naples. Between avoiding the dog poo and cat poo and discarded rubbish, it is actually I lovely city. I spent most of my day walking in the wrong direction today and so have been to some 'interesting' areas of the city. I was trying to get to the Catacombs, where they have housed preserved bodies from the 1800's mostly. The bodies were said to have been preserved in vinegar and other stuff and some bodies still have hair, teeth and eyeballs. Quite a gruesome thought but even more so when you see it. You aren't allowed to take photos whcih was fine by me but if you get a chance google the catacombs in Sicily. Very creepy. Anyway, tomorrow I am heading to the beach for the day. I have 2 days between Palermo and Rome in which I haven't organised anything. Haven't entirely decided what I will do yet but it is looking like a stop on the mainland, as I don't want to do another 10 hours train ride. Although to Rome is even longer! Hope everyone is well. Caz

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:22:32 GMT

I'm burned. I'm wearing a pair of pale skinglasses and there's a white mark where my watch goes. This morning, Katy suggested that maybe I should put on some sun tan cream. Of course, being a stupid boy, I pitied Katy. Poor Katy, I thought, living in her cotton wool-wrapped world of sun tan cream. So terrified of the "harmful" sun's rays. You can't even see the sun today, it's just cloud. As soon as we got outside Chungking Mansions, the building we're staying in till we leave on the 7th of August, I regretted my decision. But still I persisted in my idiocy, not wanting to lose face. As I've said before - I've been in this country for far too long. Hong Kong, from what I've seen in the past day and a half, is very different from mainland China. Although geographically Hong Kong IS the mainland, there's actually two Hong Kongs - Kowloon, and Hong Kong Island. The actual place is much more complicated than that but for all intents and purposes, that's how Hong Kong is. We're staying in Kowloon, on Nathan road, which is the main thoroughfare in Kowloon. It's a big, busy, colourful road full of people and shops and buzzing signs. Hong Kong is so much more racially mixed than the rest of China, which is most clearly evinced by Chungking Mansions. You pass from the 7-Elevens and the camera shops outside to the inside of the ground floor, which is absolutely packed with Indian restaurants, Bollywood DVD shops, electronics stalls, halal meat stalls, Arabic food, everything from everywhere. It's a complete shock after staying for so long in mainland China, where you get used to being the only ethinic minority in the whole shopping mall, let alone the only white person. There's Chinese, Americans, South Asians, East Asians, Africans, Europeans, in fact I think the only thing we're missing is a polar bear. There's some dodgy guesthouses in here but we've found a really good one. The corridor outside our room is locked, which each guest has a key to, and we have a key to our own room, so you need two keys to get in. The room is tiled, so it looks sort of like a large bathroom with beds in it. You might think that sounds pretty awful but it's actually much nicer than you'd expect once the telly's on and you've got the air-con going. The tiling means the room is clean and smells nice, which is all you want really from a room. The owners, everyone in fact, speaks really good English - many as their first language - which is a bonus because Cantonese is the native Chinese language this far south, which means most of the Mandarin we'd built up might as well be Greek for all the good is does us. "Xie xie" probably means "arse", or something. Another big difference is the freedom people obviously have here. While that may sound strange - how can you demonstrate freedom? - there are lots of ways. One of the most blatant differences is the internet - you'd be depressed at how excited we were to finally access unblocked Facebook and Youtube - but it's clear that there's much more political freedom here. There's a massive anti-China banner on display as you leave the train station, detailing in Chinese all of the country's problems and ills, which would be an exectuable offence in the mainland. It's a very different place, even though the two entities are only a few miles apart. So, back to how I got burned. We decided to visit Lantau Island today, to see the Tian Tan Buddha (the big fella in the picture at the top of the blog) at Ngong Ping. We were there for a few hours, not as long as you'd think to accumulate such skin damage, and it was absolutely fantastic. The sellers in the customary seller's conurbation surrounding the holy monument were much less pushy and presumably less desperate than the ones at the Terracotta Army, and the area was much cleaner and, dare I say it, "holier". There was a nice chanting flowing through the air as the clouds brushed against the plush green mountain tops, clouds so close that we could see the trees break through them. The Buddha is high in the mountains so you need to take a cable car, a journey of about fifteen minutes that lunges and wobbles along a route marked out by a brick footpath you can see far below, if like we did you take the Crystal cabin. It costs a little more but you get a transparent floor - great for seeing your shadow on the greenish water, and much less terrifying when you're seated. We arrived and took in the chanting (we think it was playing to hide the construction sounds - the crane behind the monastery was the only thing bigger than the Buddha) and climbed the steps to the pedestal at the top. The steps were a refreshing climb and the Buddha, so close that you could make out every incredible detail on his cloak, his hair, his fingernails, was just so enormous and, well, real, that it was just impossible to take in. It looked like something sent directly from God, or aliens, or something, just beamed down to sit there and watch everyone gawk and gasp and sigh. I loved it and if I wasn't so relentlessly cynical I might have become a Buddhist there and then. The monastery was nice, or so Katy told me. I couldn't enter because I detected the slightest whiff of incense, so we agreed to meet in the benches under the trees. She took lots of pictures and saw various deities, steps, colours and chanting. I meanwhile found some small shops selling nice little kitsch goodies; one particular favourite was the pack of playing cards featuring pictures of Communist China-era porcelain figures of happy workers, happy government officials, with Mao as the Joker. Well we left and caught the cable car and the metro back home, and I noticed in the window of the metro how red my face was. I took of my sunglasses and Katy, who helpfully burst into laughter, told me my face was red. I touched the back of my neck, and it was very hot. If necks could have a fever, mine has a fever. I'm after sunned and cooling down now, you'll be glad to hear. I'll never get burned again. Xie xie! Rob ps. Intresting sidenote - as of today, we have been in China a full whole year. A year without Hula Hoops, the Chuckle Brothers, and Virgin Pendolinos. But we'll be back soon!

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:07:10 GMT

We arrived in Siem Reap, Cambodia on 16th July. Although fearing the worst about getting our visas on arrival, we were pleasantly surprised at how slick the process was. We handed over the short application form with $20 and our passport to the first official. The form then passed along a line of about 8 officials finally reaching a guy who handed the passport back with the duly completed visa therein. It was as simple as that. There was even an ATM in the small airport but it did seem a little strange that it dispensed US dollars but it turns out they are as widely accepted as the local currency of Riels. After a good start, we were expecting a nightmare taxi transfer to a guest house/hotel in town. After handing over the standard $7, our taxi driver departed the airport......air conditioning on full....bliss. The driver spoke really good English, was really friendly and drove with a big smile on his face. It was looking like the locals were even friendlier than those we met in Laos or Thailand. As we hadn’t booked a room in a hotel our taxi driver took us to a couple of hotels that were in our guide book. We found one called the Bopha Angkor Hotel which was set in a courtyard around a lush central garden with a reasonable sized swimming pool. We bartered a good price and decided to stay there. Once checked in, we chilled out around the pool area on the hammocks/sunloungers for a couple of hours followed by some nice Khmer lunch at the hotel’s restaurant. The Khmer style beef curry was a triumph especially when washed down with the local Angkor beer. The waitress serving us was very sweet and gave us a lovely smile like everyone else we saw whilst travelling from the airport to the hotel. She told us that her husband is a tuk-tuk driver and if we need one to let her know. During the evening we walked into town which only took approx 5 minutes, we found the busiest street called Pub Street with blaring music, crowds of tourists, hordes of raggedy children and hawkers. We went for a drink in the Red Piano Bar which is well known and then moved on to have some great food in a Khmer Restaurant. Whilst eating dinner, we noticed the young girls dressed up looking for business. Saying this, they are very discreet about it as there are police both ends of the street. It seems that Cambodia is trying to clamp down on this.....even more so with the underage sex trade. Fortunately, we didn’t see any Gary Glitter types with young kids but there were some young girls (adults) with white men who were old enough to be their dads and, in a number of cases, their granddads. It wasn’t as bad as Thailand though however there seems to be a common theme across SE Asia. We visited another bar called Temple Club and sat outside and had a couple of beers (at $0.50 each you can’t go wrong). Whilst sitting there we saw the 3 American girls again!! We didn’t expect to see them this time due to Siem Reap being a reasonable size town. They joined us for a few drinks and then they decided to move on inside and hit the dance floor. They came back outside not long after and said it was too sleazy! The usual story; sad old men flashing their cash to the young local women. The next morning, we had breakfast and were served by the same young waitress as the day before. We took the opportunity to ask her to speak to her husband as we needed a tuk-tuk for the day to take us to the temples. Her husband charged us $12 for the day which was good for us and a reasonable day’s wage for him. Firstly, the tuk-tuk driver took us to purchase a 3-day ticket to visit the temples at $40 each (it turned out to be the right option as the US$20 1-day option would not have been long enough). We then visited Angkor Wat, which is the largest religious building in the world. It is considered as one of the seven greatest man-made wonders of the world and it certainly deserved the tag. It was pretty impressive. However, we took our photos with mixed emotions. UNESCO had started to restore parts of the structure, which was good to see but this meant that parts of the structure were covered with scaffolding and green tarpaulin. It didn’t stop Mark from frantically clicking the camera at anything that moved......and thinking about it......anything that didn’t move. In spite of the restoration work, it was one of the highlights of our trip to Cambodia. We continued in the tuk-tuk around a number of other temples (Ta Kaeo, Ta Prohm, Banteay Kdei and Prasat Kravan) and the temple circuit for our first full day was completed. We were taken back to the hotel so we could get showered quickly so we could get to the Children’s Hospital (Kantha Bopha) as our driver said there was a free concert we could watch. We arrived about 10 minutes late as he had gotten the start time a little wrong. We entered the little auditorium expecting to see lots of children singing and dancing but were a little perplexed to see one man sitting on the stage with a cello!!! Neither of us had actually checked what the concert format was and had assumed it would be a show put on by the children. Wrong. It turned out to be Dr Beat “Beatocello” Richner playing works of Bach on his cello. Lisa was stifling a laugh and a smile while Mark was a little intrigued with what the evening would hold. It soon became clear that no one else was coming onto the stage. It turns out that Dr Richner is from Europe (either Germany or Switzerland) but has been working at the hospital for the last 35 or so years. In fact, he has selflessly devoted his life to helping the children of Cambodia by initially having the hospital built and continuing to solicit donations to support the hospital’s day-to-day costs. The government only provides 3% of the running cost. As the Director he spoke about his work at this humanitarian hospital in between his renditions. He explained that most of the children arrive suffering from treatable diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria. Prior to Dr Richner building the hospital most would have died as the children’s healthcare was woefully inadequate. People laughed when he told them his vision of building a hospital giving free healthcare to children. He proved everyone wrong. He has a passion for his work and music. This culminates with him performing concerts twice weekly to raise money to provide the care for the children. We watched a movie on how he decided to have this hospital built to provide care for the sick children. This is the first children’s hospital to be built in Siem Reap and since then another 4 have been built across Cambodia. As the concert finished, Mark and others jumped to their feet to give him a standing ovation. It was astonishing to think that this one man raises tens of millions of US$ every year to keep the hospital running, which means he also has to travel the world cap-in-hand for donations. He is a doctor at the hospital but it is not a job or money that drives him but a mission to beat the corruption in the country, to pay staff good wages and to save as many lives as possible. This man is a living legend and we don’t use these words lightly. If anyone reading this visits Siem Reap, go to the hospital and see the concert. We promise that you will be so moved by his efforts. We made a donation and bought his book which we will read on the flight to New Zealand. After visiting the hospital and feeling very sad for the problems faced in Cambodia we decided to go into town for a drink. We went into a bar called Mikey Bar which, to be honest, wasn’t the greatest bar. We met a lovely 24 year old Cambodian girl who we got chatting to all evening. She explained to us that she finds it hard to live in Cambodia as she doesn’t earn much money a month. She told us she only earns US$40 a month for working in the bar 7 days a week from 7pm until early hours. What makes things worse is that she pays US$20 a month for accommodation outside of town and US$30 to travel to and from work as she cannot afford a moped. So she is already US$10 in the red before considering food, drink, clothes, toiletries, make-up etc. We then realised how difficult it must be for many of the local people and felt really heartbroken to hear this. To make up for the extra money needed, she has to resort to other means, which means that she may be working until the next morning if she meets a client. She was very embarrassed to admit this. She doesn’t want to do this but has no other way of making enough money to live. We found her very interesting to talk to all night. As we departed, we planted a US$50 note in her hand. It was with mixed emotions as we did not want her to feel like we gave her charity but hoped it would help a little. Day 2 of the temple tour started in much the same vein as the 1st. This time we went to the larger Angkor Thom temple complex within which is the mighty impressive “Bayon”, which is its centrepiece. It’s an eerie and majestic temple with huge carved faces of an ethereal god king but this temple is the most loved (this was Mark’s favourite temple). Other temples had their own charm (including Preah Khan, Neak Sam, and Ta Som). In some cases, huge trees had grown next to, on and even around the temples. In the case of the latter, it was difficult to judge whether the tree was causing the temple to fall down or holding it up. In keeping with the prior day, we were constantly harassed by Cambodian children, and to be fair a number of adults, asking for us to buy their postcards, shawls, snacks etc. They are very persistent and don’t go away when you tell them “no, thank you” or “we are not interested”. We kept hearing the sound of “one dollar, one dollar”. It became very annoying. Some of the children were really nice and would chat but others would just follow you around, occasionally grabbing your leg, not letting up. Then there were the food and drink vendors. A meeting with them would go something like this. We would stop at the temple in the tuk-tuk and jump out. As we looked around the vendors would charge over trying to get us to buy something. At one temple, Mark wanted a can of Coke and looked at the makeshift restaurants with around a dozen different women shouting “come here”, “choose me”, “buy here”. They then come running over with their menus. It’s like the Cambodian restaurant Olympics......the 100 yard lunch menu dash. They were all pretty quick out of the blocks. I guess the low season means things are tougher as the tourist numbers are much lower. That results in the persistent requests to buy this and that. Had we bought from everyone, we would have had to have chartered our own plane just to get the postcards back!!! We did laugh at one temple, when a girl was trying to sell bracelets. After telling her we were not interested a couple of times, she asked a question about English grammar, which seemed a little strange. Then she asked another. It turns out she was stuck with her English homework so we ended up giving her a little English lesson. She was one of the many people we met that we would have loved to travel back to the UK with us. The day finished with us going to Tonle Sap Lake, where there are two distinct communities living in floating boat villages. The Vietnamese were on the right as we approached with the Cambodian floating village on the left. We disembarked from our boat at the Vietnamese floating village and went to a floating bar where there was a crocodile pit, a catfish pit, small fish farm and snakes. Within a few seconds of being asked if he wanted the python round his neck “for a dollar”, Mark was holding the 6 foot reptile. Lisa took about half an hour of convincing before holding it. Within half a second, she was shouting “get him off, get him off, I don’t like it” but not before a couple of photos were taken (have a look at the blog photo album for Siem Reap – it’s pretty clear that Lisa is not at home with snakes!!!). Ultimately, we got some great photos during the day and went home worn out. After being all “templed out”, we decided that the following morning we would chill out around the pool. We felt shattered after all of the walking in such hot weather so the day off from temples was most welcomed. Unfortunately, the sun wasn’t out that much today but still it was good to have a swim. The evening was completed with dinner and a few drinks. We started at the Dead Fish Tower bar, which would have been better named had they dropped the “Fish Tower” part. After moving one a few times, we were ready for some shut eye. The next day the tuk-tuk driver had suggested going further afield to see a waterfall, some carvings, and another temple called Banteay Srei (which turned out to be Lisa’s favourite). It seemed like a good idea so we were off again. The US$20 per person ticket for the waterfall was not included within the 3-day ticket (Banteay Srei, the temple of women, was though), so we handed over some more cash and then arrived at the bottom of a mountain after passing kilometre after kilometre of fields with the occasional rice field, wooden house and water buffalo. At the bottom of the mountain, our driver unhitched the tuk-tuk from his motorbike and Lisa jumped aboard. His uncle was there to meet us on another motorbike, which Mark travelled on for the 20-minute ride up the mountain. While it was hot when we got there, we declined the chance to jump into the waterfall for a swim. We then moved on to see a carving in the water, a reclining Buddha statue carved into the mountain, some other rocks that had some legends attached to them and another temple. After saying goodbye to the tuk-tuk driver’s uncle we headed back to town. It was getting pretty dark but we still had time to accept our driver’s kind offer of meeting his family at their home (how could we refuse when he was wearing a Manchester United football shirt – clearly a man of good taste). We saw his wife (who worked at our hotel), met his little boy and the rest of their family; four generations to be precise. It was so nice to be invited back to meet the family and to see how they live (the cold can of Coke also went down well). Their house is made out of wood which was very open but large enough for all the family.....and there were a few. Outside, they had a vegetable patch where they grow their own vegetables for selling on and also for their own use. Also outside were chickens and a goat! We enjoyed the time spent here and took some photos of the family for our album before saying our goodbyes. This particular night was the night that Mark decided to eat Red Ants! He ordered Beef with Red Ants.......a local delicacy. He got stuck into his meal licking his lips whilst I was cringing. Was the food good I asked? According to him, the ants were crunchy but the beef was good! I am not sure if he was telling the truth but he did finish the plate. I think Mark is now on a mission to eat the weirdest food possible. The subject of eating a tarantula also surfaced again!!! The next day, we were checking out and getting a night bus to the capital, Phnom Penh. Mark decided to get a tuk-tuk into town in the morning to find a print shop so that he could get the photos of the family we met the prior day printed. He had planned to have one of the photos (of the whole family) enlarged and framed as we didn’t see one when visiting their house. When we gave the photos along with the one we had framed to the girl in our hotel, she was taken back and didn’t know what to say. She was at the end of her shift and she came to say goodbye. She was really surprised and very grateful when we presented her with the gift. An hour and half later she returned to the hotel with her husband (the tuk-tuk driver) and presented us with a handbag and a little fork set used for corn-on-the-cob with Angkor Wat engraved on it. This was a real surprise and we were touched by their act of generosity. We said a final farewell knowing we were very sad to say goodbye to each other. Email addresses were exchanged so we will keep in touch. Later that evening, we sat in the hotel waiting for the transfer into town so we could catch the bus. When we got there Mark decided to go to the supermarket to get a few nibbles and drinks for the journey. As he walked to the end of the street, he realised we were near Mikey’s bar. The girl we had gotten to know in there rushed over, threw her arms around Mark and was really upset to hear that we were leaving. Lisa then went to the bar to see the girl when Mark got back to the coach (fully stocked up). The girl was very sad and tearful when Lisa arrived (she doesn’t see much of her family who live the other side of the country and it seemed that she saw Lisa as a sister). It’s difficult to explain how quickly you build up a bond with the locals as it doesn’t seem to happen the same way elsewhere. Anyway, Lisa returned to the coach sad. As we were about to depart we saw the girl waving to us from beside the coach with tears streaming down her face. She had come to say another goodbye. Lisa jumped out to give her a comforting hug knowing that we had to move on. As we moved off, we sat on the coach in silence. Another local had touched our hearts and we knew there would be many more to come. There is just something so warm and enchanting about the Cambodian people. We hope that the journey to Phnom Penh would be a sedate affair so we could grab some sleep. We will give you the next update soon!!! In the meantime, take care all.

Sarajevo, Bosnia

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:58:36 GMT

We spent all yesterday in beautiful Dubrovnik Croatia, where we took a boat to a remote island and spent the day on the beach and hiking around the mountain. We made friends with the local people who work on the beach and spent the evening with them after everyone had left. They told us to camp near the beach, but when we got to the campsite we decided to stay ON the beach where it was soft and the waves were less than 2 meters away from us. we woke up at 5:30, and Thomas drove beautifully to Sarajevo, bosnia. we had our first real border crossing and ended up having to pay supplemental car insurance, even though we already had it. in Sarajevo we ate two entire plates of meat,and now are about to get in the car to drive to sofia bulgaria, and then tomorrow wake up early and go to istanbul where we will ahve a day or so break.

Koh Samui, Thailand

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:36:12 GMT

Hi guys Ive been in Thailand since monday. I spent the first few days pretty much on the beach relaxing, moving only to go in the sea or get a massage!! Which are amazing, 4 pound for an hour!!!! The first night was Ged's birthday so he was staying in a posh hotel with Sarah. We had drinks there and then went into Chewang for dinner. We were about to leave for drinks when Sarah passed out in the toilet, hitting her head and knocking a shower on top of her soaking her. While we were seeing if she was ok Ged came out the toilet and fainted!!! So we ended up in A and E. They had no insurance so we were really worried, but it didnt cost too much. Ged stayed in overnight and Sarah stayed with him. So me, Emma and Zara stayed in their posh room. Jacuzzi, air con and TV. On Tuesday we made sure Sarah and Ged were ok and then spent the day on the beach. That night we went out for dinner and drinks but not too late because the full moon party was the next night. Wednesday morning we sunbathed all day and then got ready for 6pm for the Full Moon Party!!! I straightened all my hair which was pointless because on the speedboat we got soacked from the waves. At the full moon party we had cocktails on Mushroom Mpuntain. I was a good girl and alcohol was all I touched!! Then we went along the beach and got buckets!!! I went on some slide because I was pretty drunk at this point! We got glow in the dark paint, i got flowers and a man utd tattoo for dad and to annoy Ged (liverpool fan) There was a huge thunderstorm so we got soaked but by this point we didnt care! Then we met up with a group of guys they met before I arrived and spent lots of time with them drinking more buckets and dancing on the beach. I didnt realise the time and suddenly realised the last boat was leaving (7am) so I ran, this poor boy Chris had no idea what was going on so followed me to see if I was ok and then I fell over right in front of him! it would have been well embarrasing but luckily I was drunk!! I have grazed all my knee and leg!! Therefore missed the boat so we had to stay at the boys rooms (they were staying on the island) and get the boat back in the morning!!!! We spent Thursday getting home from Koh Pangan so went to sleep at 7pm!!! We had no sleep the night before!! Today (Friday) we hired a jeep and went round the island. I saw Big Budda and went elephant trekking!! Amazing! Then we say the grandmother and grandfather rocks. We had lunch overlooking the beach and then went to be blessed by a monk! We saw the mummified monk too! Tonight we have just got ready to go out, might be going to another beach party on Koh Samui. I am becoming more of a traveller i didnt even bother straightning my hair! So proud!! Cant upload my photos in this internet cafe so will upload next chance i get Love you all!!! xxxxxx

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:42:02 GMT

Well we are through security, have said goodbye to the family and have had breakfast. We are sitting and waiting for the flight which leaves at 6:32 out of gate 77D (Good thing Abby knew we were going since I had no idea!) We will hopefully be able to post once we get to Newark, New Jersey our first stop on this amazing journey. Then from there it is the long 8 and a half hour flight to LONDON. We will keep you posted. Hugs and Loves The Euro girls

Anan1990, Albania

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:28:26 GMT

Agnes Water, Queensland

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:18:57 GMT

hey mates, how is it going? I have an awesome time, alles Bestens auf dieser Haelfte der Welt... habe seit meinem letzten blog-Eintrag einiges gelernt > zum Beispiel, dass Schlossgold in Schwechat abgefuellt wird, obwohl ' Linz' auf der Dose steht - danke Junior! Und ein bisschen Surfen kann ich auch schon... es ist schwieriger, als es aussieht! Habe begonnen, auf Englisch zu traeumen, die vergangenen 10 Tage fuer Unterkunft gearbeitet (taeglich 1,5 Stunden Kueche und Zimmer aufraeumen), geniesse es, staendig barfuss unterwegs zu sein. Wohne (heute die letzte Nacht von mittlerweile mehr als 2 Wochen) in einem charmanten balinesisch-inspiriertem Hostel in Agnes Water (nahe der Ortschaft 1770, die so heisst, weil James Cook im Mai 1770 erstmals dort gelandet ist), das liegt mitten auf der australischen Ostkueste und ich bin hier eigentlich nur aus dem Bus ausgestiegen, weil der lonelyplanet-Reisefuehrer schreibt, es waere der letzte Stopp am Weg nach Norden an dem man noch surfen (lernen) kann. Weiter noerdlich werden die Wellen bereits weiter draussen vom Great Barrier Reef gebrochen. (Fotos vom Hostel > http://www.coolbananas.net.au/gallery/our_house/index.html). Es gibt hier ein paar kleine, paradiesische Straende, direkt vor der Haustuer. Es war fein, dass ich noch nichts im Voraus gebucht hatte, dadurch war ich flexibel genug, einfach ein Weilchen zu bleiben. Bisher habe ich eine REISE unternommen, die letzten 2 Wochen waren allerdings URLAUB, das hat auch mal gut getan! Habe dazwischen einige Male vergessen, welchen Wochentag und welches Datum wir haben... tolle Erfahrung! Fuer eine Australien-Reise kann iich jedem nur empfehlen, VIEL ZEIT mitzubringen und NICHTS im Voraus buchen. Habe so viele nette Leute getroffen, die weiterreisen mussten weil sie bereits eine Fraser-Island-Tour oder einen Whitsundays-Trip gebucht haben und es hat allen mehr oder weniger leid getan, dass sie nicht noch mindestens 1-2 Naechte laenger bleiben koennen. Ich werde mich morgen (Samstag Abend, 10 lange Stunden naechtliche Busfahrt liegen vor mir), heute Abend macht Patrick Lagerfeuer, Elijah macht Palatschinken und ich mixe zur Feier meines letzten Abends Cosmopolitan! Ich schwanke zwischen Reisefieber und Abschiedsschmerz. Fraser Island war traumhaft schoen. Man muss dafuer zwar ein bisschen Geld in die Hand nehmen, es lohnt sich aber (Fotos davon gibts aus technischen Gruenden nur auf www.facebook.com oder eben sobald ich wieder zurueck bin). Hatte echt Glueck mit dem Tourguide und den Leuten in meiner Gruppe, wir waren nur zu fuenft (normalerweise buchen rund 20 Leute und man faehrt in einem Bus rum und kriegt blaue Flecken von den ungepolsterten Sitzen) und hatten daher ein sehr komfortables Auto zur Verfuegung, konnten unsere eigene Musik ans Autoradio anschliessen und waren flexibel mit der Zeiteinteilung. Wir sind am Strand lang gefahren und sobald jemand draussen am Meer eine verdaechtige Spruehwolke gesichtet hat, musste er nur rufen 'WHALE... 11 o'clock!!!' und quiiiiiiiietsch, schon hat unser Guide das Auto an der naechstbesten Duene geparkt, wir sind alle aufs Auto gekraxelt und haben nach Walen Ausschau gehalten. Wir haben in diesen 2 Tagen einige gesehen. Herauszufinden, was genau mit der Richtungsangabe 11 o'clock gemeint ist (je nachdem wer es verwendet hat, und wo fuer denjenigen das richtungsgebende "12 o'clock" war), war ein Spass fuer sich. Es waren 2 holprige Tage voller Musik und atemberaubender Ausblicke. Am Montag starte ich einen Segeltripp (2 Naechte, 3 Tage) auf der APOLLO auf die WHITSUNDAY-Inseln. Die 'Apollo' ist eines der wenigen Boote (es gibt hier eine unzaehlige Auswahl an Booten, habe mich aber bewusst gegen die billigste Variante entschieden, um in Ruhe tauchen gehen zu koennen, brauche keine 2 Tage nonstop-Party am Boot... das geht auch am Festland :)), die zum Great Barrier Reef hinausfahren. Letzte Woche war ich das erste Mal am Great Barrier Reef tauchen, und das muss ich auf jeden Fall nochmal sehen, solange ich in Australien bin. Das Riff wirkt auf mich wie ein riesiger Unterwasser-Spielplatz fuer Taucher, es ist einfach unglaublich. Die Sicht war phenomaenal, das Wasser mit ca 24Grad zwar ein bissl kuehler als in Thailand, aber durchaus verkraftbar,... und wenn dann ploetzlich ein riesiger Manta-Rochen an dir vorbeischwebt, puh... ich habe dann nicht mehr ueber die Wassertemperatur nachgedacht, ich war einfach nur fasziniert und habe beschlossen > die Seekrankheit am Boot ist zwar anstrengend, aber ich nehme das Risiko in Kauf,... es lohnt sich so sehr fuers Tauchen. Und mit den sea-sick-Tabletten halte ich das schlimmste Unheil eh ab. Sie machen nur leider so wahnsinnig muede, was unpraktisch ist. Eigentlich soll man ja moeglichst den Horizont betrachten, den Augen einen Fixpunkt goennen... aber wenn die Augen immer zufallen wollen.... it's a hard knock life! Wiegesagt, es zahlt sich aus. Tauchen, Schnorcheln, White Water Rafting, und Klettern stehen noch am Programm in den naechsten 2 Wochen, bevor ich mich wieder in den Fliege setze und meinen Weg Richtung Fidschi fortsetze. Dort kann ich hoffentlich ein bisschen surfen und freu mich schon sehr darauf, die vielen entlegenen Stellen zu erkunden, von denen mir Avery in Thailand berichtet hat. absolvierte challenges > seekrank sein, vom Surfboard fallen und wieder 'aufsteigen', gegen die Wellen rauspaddeln... paddle paddle paddle paddle... STAND UP... Lachattacke beenden nachdem ich dieses Lied gehoert habe > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy_TB6onHVE, zum Sonnenaufgangs-Surfen aufstehen und in den kalten Wet-Suit springen, Kajakfahren am Meer, Dialekte-Raten am Lagerfeuer, im manuellen Modus fotografieren, Tim-Tams essen (das sind ganz tolle Schokokekse, die man strohhalmartig zum Tee- oder Kakaotrinken verwenden kann, dadurch werden sie ganz weich und warm und sind fuer Schokoholiker einfach ein Genuss, besonders zu empfehlen nach einem anstrengenden Tauch- oder Surftag, in der Haengematte lehnend,... hmmm, ich werde versuchen, das per Foto festzuhalten; ich versteh echt nicht, warum die bei uns nicht am Markt sind... schwerer Fehler!)...Auf gehts in den warmen Norden (verrueckt... jaja... das ist mein zweiter Lieblingsspruch > "SAME SAME, but DIFFERENT"), viele liebe Gruesse aus dem sonnigen australischen Winter, eine rundum relaxte und hochzufriedene Petra

Lake Tekapo, New Zealand

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 05:56:26 GMT

I can't even describe how amazing Lake Tekapo is! It's a huge lake surrounded by snowy mountains and is just stunning! We arrived there just as the sun was setting and the colours behind the mountains were beautiful! The hostel we decided to stay in was situated right next to the lake so we had amazing views when we opened the curtains! There was an ice rink just a few minutes walk away so we decided to go there and put our skills to the test! It was great fun, it was dark but you were surrounded by mountains and trees and it was really good fun! We drove up to the observatory that night and had a look out at all the stars! There's no light pollution there so you can see thousands of stars! We didn't pay to do the tour (which was $80) but just did our own bit of star gazing! The next morning we went to the hot springs which were next to the ice rink. We were sat outside in 40 degree water with the mountains and lake as our backdrop! Just stunning!! We then had an even better view as we went for breakfast up near the observatory! You get a 360 degree view of the whole place with the mountains and lakes and guess what, it was amazing!! I've never seen a view quite like that!! The cafe was called 'Astro Cafe' and I would recommend it to anyone going to the south island of New Zealand!!!

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 05:15:12 GMT

We are now in the most northern part of Thailand that we will visit, Chiang Mai. Most of the stay has involved trekking in the jungles surrounding the city. As soon as we arrived we were briefed by our trekking guide, Jackie on what we'd be doing throughout the three days of trekking in the jungles. We did the trekking with 7 other people, one person from Amersham and the rest either French or Dutch but we all got along really well! The first day we started early and drove to the base of the mountains. After a short walk we started by riding elephants which was an amazing experience but felt quite cruel on the animals. After that we really got into the trekking and it became quite hard work up and down the hills through the jungle, but it was worth it. The wildlife was eveywhere to be seen and even though it was tough in the heat it was worth it. In the evening we stayed in a shelter high up with amazing views. Very basic accommodation but stunning nonetheless. Our guide cooked us dinner in true Thai style as well to top off the day. The next day was solely trekking through the amazing scenery and again we stayed at a shelter with amazing views of the waterfalls (where we went for a swim too!). The final day of the trek involved more walking as well as bamboo rafting on a really windey river which was great fun but quite a challenge! After finishing the trek we drove back from the base to our guesthouse and are now relaxing on our final day in Chiang Mai before we get a night train back to Bangkok and on to the south of the country.

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 04:59:58 GMT

If, in the future, someone was to walk into a room and say "who here has been elephant riding, sunk a bamboo raft, fallen arse over tit down a muddy slope and watched anchorman on an ipod whilst sat on top of one of the tallest peaks in Thailand?" ... I will be able to put my hand up! The three days we have just spent trekking through the hills above Chiang Mai have been the best since we arrived in Thailand. I should mention early, hand on heart, that our guide was called Jackie Chan! So strait away we were off to a good start. After an hours drive into the hills and a stop off at the market we arrived at the start point and went elephant riding. An amazing experience if not an altogether comfortable one. After that we hiked into the mountains, surrounded by some of the most stunning scenery I have ever seen. After two hours, drenched in sweat and covered in mozzy bites we found a huge waterfall and had a swim. Both nites of the trek we stayed with hill tribe familys. After the evening meal every nite we played cards and drank beer until we fell asleep under the stars ... and mosquito nets. Very relaxing. On the third morning our group left our last hut and started the hike back towards the road some two hours away. Before we got there though we stopped and went bamboo rafting. Although im not sure you can really call it rafting when it spends more time under the water than on it! We nearly flipped the thing twice and had plenty of close calls with rocks and low hanging tree's along the way. Back in Chiang Mai we spent last nite with the same group at the nite market, (replacing the t.shirts ruined on the trek) and in the bar of our hotel. Called it a nite at 2am when the barman had fallen asleep on one of the tables. To sum up then - Love Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 04:10:16 GMT

So here I am finding myself in Chiang Mai!!! Chiang Mai has been a very busy city for me and Sarah!! Got the overnight bus from Bangkok which was very comfortable (but I think this is due to my small size!) and arrived in Chiang Mai on Buddha's Birthday! There were lots of young monks collecting food for the celebrations later that day and all the temples were shinging glories in the sunshine!! We met the rest of our trek group who are all very nice, young and energetic looking enough for the trek! The first day we trekked for about 5 hours in total (with breaks all the time mum!) and found some brilliant wildlife! The jungle was abundant with big and beautiful butterflies, that was incidentally also quite interested in much of the group! We found the hairy caterpillars that I had an allergic reaction to once so steered clear of them but also made a friend in "Chuncho!!" a little rolly bug and we trekked together for the rest fo the day! We found some cool plants along they way including a bubble plant!! When you open it just below the leaves and blow it makes bubbles!! It was so cool! We passed a school in the jungle, and ended up taking over the classroom! (oops) we played "tag" with all the little cheeky kids and got them far too excited to get back to learning...oh dear! Eating fruit fom the trees along the way and finding that camp on the second day had a waterfall!!! We all hastily jumped in and didn't get out for a long time! It was lovely with the hard days trekking over with! Relaxing by the camp fire we retired for another day. The last trek day we river rafted and then went on an elephant trek which was actually quite upsetting, We were all told it was a sanctuary but it really didn't look like it was! But the baby elephant was cute and tried to eat me and stood on my foot, damn they are heavy for nine months!!!!!! After the trek we all decided to celebrate with going out in town, we found the reggae bar finally! Jammin the night away!! What a good end to the trip! Thai boxing tonight which will be fun! Canada VS England.....! So, plan is to get the boat to Laos tommorrow and then maybe some tubing seen as everyone raves about it!! ha! Talk soon guys!

Fuzhou,china, Algeria

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 03:18:37 GMT

Las Vegas, Nevada

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 02:22:42 GMT

Hi All, Sorry I have not updated my travel blog in a while, I have been a tad busy doing nothing really. Anyway I have left Hollywood now and have made my way back to Vegas again. No doubt you’re all wondering why, so here goes. I only have two weeks to go till im due to come home and I could not decide where to go, so with my travel allowance now running a bit low I needed somewhere cheap with a bit of everything to do including the sunshine so I can work on the tan, so Vegas it was. It is also only 40 mins from LA so this was also another factor in my decision as my last 4 days in the USA will be based somewhere in LA (not sure yet will keep you all posted) Anyway Vegas is still Vegas and quite possibly the maddest, craziest and hottest place I have ever been. Today’s temperature was 110 degrees and frozen Margaritas where needed purely for health reasons. This will most probably be one of my last posted blogs and that makes me a bit sad but I would like to say that I have had the best time ever and would do it all again in a heart beat and I have already compiled a mental list of where im going next time. I shall post my last final blog in just over a week and will let you know where I am. Speak soon. Jacks x x Ps. Thanks to all of you for keeping me company and thanks for all the blogs, emails and facebook posts of which made be smile, I have missed you all dearly.

Tropical Education Centre, Belize

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:57:57 GMT

Very sad news today, Paca 44 which we've been tracking has died. The people out day tracking came back to say that the signal had become a lot faster which means that the collar hasn't moved in 12 hours, suggesting that the Paca is dead. Bart drove down and we took some radio recievers out to track it down and retrieve the collar. Found it dead inside its burrow. Sow we now only have one Paca to radio track, but we should be opening more traps tomorrow so hopefully will catch some more animals to track. Spent the rest of the day inputting data from previous tracking. Had an interesting evening yesterday, after dinner we settled down into the lobby bit outside the boys dorm which we sue to sit in and play cards. Except this time Sophie spotted a very large tarantula on the wall centimetres behind Andrews head..... cue a lot of screaming and running to the opposite side of the room! Andrew managed to catch it ina pringle box but it managed to escape and ran over Sophies foot...... cue even more screaming! Eventually Zoe and Ed managed to catch it and released it far away. That's the second tarantula we've had plus one scorpion, just a reminder that we are living in the middle of the jungle but a bit scary none the less.

Ulan Baatar, Mongolia

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:19:11 GMT

Wir haben unseren Ausflug hier in der Mongolei sehr genossen und gehen nur ungerne weg von hier, die Leute sind sehr freundlich und das Land einfach sagenhaft. Die Nächte in den sogenannten Ger`s (Jurten) waren ein sehr schönes und überraschendes Erlebnis da der Komfort doch sehr gut war, was wir zuerst nicht so geglaubt hatten. Der besuch bei einer Nomadenfamile war auch sehr aufschlussreich, so würden wir wahrscheinlich keine Woche durchhalten denn die Speisen sind doch sehr speziell (Kuhmilch verdünnt und mit Salz, Sauren Nidel, Getrockneter Quark(auch sauer)). Die Sehenswürdigkeiten in dieser endlosen Weite sind da schon fast nicht erwähnenswert da dieses Land soviel mehr zu bieten hat, die Menschen und die Landschaft sind nur ein Teil davon, die Tiere der andere. Es gibt Kühe, Ziegen, Schafe, Yaks, Kamele, Geier, Murmeltiere, Wildpferde......usw. die Liste ist unendlich. Morgen heisst es für uns dann aber doch unserer Super-Reiseleiterin Amra und unserem Easy-Fahrer Mendee Lebewohl zu sagen und den Zug nach China zu nehmen und somit das letzte Land unserer Reise in Angriff zu nehmen. Elisabeth hat mich noch gebeten hier noch ein paar Worte von Ihr an Ihre Familie zu schreiben: Halbzeit unserer Ferienreise: Herzliche Grüsse aus der Mongolei. Euer Mueti, Grosi, Gruss an Nachbarn: Noldi, Silvia, Christen. Dem schliessen wir uns natürlich auch an und Grüssen alle herzlichst die diesen Blogg besuchen

Cairns, Queensland

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:49:00 GMT

Die letzte Station mit dem kleinen gruenen Flitzer ist erreicht: wir sind in Cairns. Die Segeltour war grossartig! Wir haben Delphine von ganz dicht gesehen und Schildkroeten, die ihren Kopf au dem Wasser streckten. Beim Schnorcheln haben wir unzaehlige kleine und riesige Fische gesehen, die direkt um uns herum geschwommen sind (auch Nemos!!! :) ). Es gab iele verschiedene Korallen und wir sind neben einer Schildkroete geschwommen. Unter Wasser konnte man WAle ingen hoeren! Das Wetter hat leider nicht so mitgespielt. Es hat geregnet und war stuermisch, sodass ich (und viele andere) immer draussen sitzen mussten, damit es uns halbwegs gut ging. In Caimns waren wir in einer Lagune baden. Im Meer kan man hier fast niergends chwimmen wegen Qualen und Krokodilen. Nachher gehts mit dem Flugzeug nach Melbourn und dann morgen weiter nach Alice SAprings in Outback. Mal sehen was wir da noch so erleben...

Santiago, Chile

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:56:53 GMT

Hola! Hope all is well in sunny England! We finally got a day where it reached over 15 degrees since Brazil yesterday, we didn´t know what to do with ourselves in the 20 degree heat. It´s back to about 12 today though, and the hideous Berghaus jacket is back on.. I last wrote when i was in Puerto Varas. We didn´t do that much there, it was pretty quiet but really beautiful. We got to meet our guide Marcel´s family and went out to a lovely seafood restaurant which is supposed to be one of the best in South America. It was really very nice and we got lots of free drinks and desrt because they were so happy to see Marcel, which was a nice touch. After leaving Puerto Varas we had a 7 hour bus journey to Pucon. Pucon is all about the mountains and active Volcano and the surrounding area. it´s a massive ski resort and there´s lots of walks up the Volcano that you can usually partake in. Obviously, as we are having the worst winter EVER, there wasn´t the opportunity to go to the top of the Volcano because of the snow. We however were able to do a walk half way, which was good, but i didn´t see any lava or anything, so i was a little disappointed, i mean that´s what an active Volcano is all about right? In the town there are traffic lights that indicate if you should worry about the Volcano or not. So red is run etc..Whilst we were there there was a really loud siren going off. we all looked at each other a bit scared, but were shortly reassured that it was not signalling the volcano going off, just a siren to let everyone know it was midday..strange. We got a really sunny day the second day we were there, so we all went off to do ziplining. Again, this is something i wouldn´t normally do, but i wanted to show willing and have a go. After getting harrassed up and going on the first run, i began to really enjoy myself. there was one that was a kilometre long which was hilarious and also slightly scary. all good fun. The place we were staying at was a little log cabin that only had parafin gas heaters, so getting changed and ready every morning was a real effort. We quickly learnt our lesson not to leave the heater on all night though after we were all nearly comotosed from the fumes on the first night. We all didn´t wake up til past lunchtime and felt dizzy for the rest of the day. ahhh nothing like a bit of gas poisioning to start the day. As we didn´t have great weather in Pucon alot of the time there was spent watching rubbish films, sitting by the fire and drinking. The nightlife was pretty good, but they seemed to have been a little obsessed with Rod Stewart, Do you think i am sexy was played at least 5 times in the time we were in Pucon, what a treat! Luckily we got a nightbus to Santiago a couple of days ago when we all started to get a little restless. The bus took about 13 hours, which is now a breeze for a veteran like myself. After dropping the stuff at the hotel ( which is 3 star luxury...i actually got my own room and everything!) we went off exploring. Santiago is a nice city, but i think i´ve now been a little spoilt with Rio and Buenos Aires. The city is also shrouded in smog, which makes everything look more than a little grey. A few of us decided to walk arrond and go to the San Cristobel statue that looks out over Santiago. You take a finicular train from the bottom and can stop at the zoo on the way. We didn´t bother with the zoo and went straight to the top. The views over the city were pretty impressive. The statue however was not. It was so small and it was a bit like ´erm is that it??´ i suppose it had quite a lot of living up to after Christ the Redeemer. We then had a bit more of a walk around the city being tourists taking pictures and visiting the markets. That night Marcel took us to a member´s club in the city which was great. We had a lovely dinner and were joined by some people from another group which was a nice change. We then followed him to Bella Vista, another of the neighbourhoods to go out. It was all very cloak and dagger when we arrived at this seemingly normal house on a quiet street. He knocked on the door, all paid 3 pounds and were lead through a corridoor to a canvenous club. there was a band on in one room and music in another two rooms. The drinks were ridiculously cheap and it ended up being a brilliant night. Yesterday after a massive chilean breakfast ( bread, bread and more bread) a few of us went in search of some culture. We ended up at the pre-coloumbian museum. we couldn´t find it for ages, but was told we had to use the other entrace, through the adult cinema..of course, cultural centres are always right next to each other. Anyway, the museum was really interesting and i felt good to have actually done something other than eat, drink and lounge. We did a bit more walking around the city, visited one of the football stadiums and then returned to the hotel to say goodbye to a couple of people ending the trip here in Santiago and then meeting the 8 new people joining for the Atacama crossing. Everyone seems really nice, there are no obvious freaks anyway. It´s great because everyone is really excited about this part of the trip and there sounds like there is going to be so much to do and see, and as Bolivia is supposed to be such an unpredictable country, which riots, strikes etc every week i am sure it won´t boring. We´ve all been warned that it will reach around -20 or so at night when we reach the salt flats on the atacama crossing. i can not even favom it being that cold. i have been shopping today for some more extremely sexy thermals and more gloves. (there´s a reason i haven´t posted any pictures yet we are all white, fat, hungover and dressed like michelin men- not exactly the holiday i was expecting!) Anyway, i have my last night in santiago tonight before catching the bus to La serena tomorrow. after that we get the nightbus to San Pedro De Atacama and then begin the three day Salt flat crossing next tuesday. We stay in the 4x4´s most of the day, and hotels made out of Salt at night. Apparently one of them has a dead flamingo hanging from the roof. i asked why, just because of course. I´m jumping ahead, but i doubt i´ll have much or any access to the Internet until next weekend, so wanted to keep you all well informed of my movements.´ I´ll try and upload some pictures soon so you can see how hideous and hilarious i look. I hope you are all well and enjoying your summers so far. Missing you all. xx

Warsaw, Poland

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:47:39 GMT

29/07/2010 Warszawa, Poland I have been welcomed to Poland with what I am to understand to be the typical Polish summer climate:one minute it is raining and windy (July is the worse month for rainfall), the next it is warm and sunny! Oi Vey!! My day began at 3am Lithuanian time +2:00 (seems like a lifetime ago now!) heading off to the airport. The architecture of Vilnius airport is beautiful, it is very small and very close to the city (about a 5 minute drive). I did not have to go through passport control (nor did I to get into the country)- EU borders on the continent are seriously hassle-free. I have never been on a small plane before 76 seater I believe? It was so small there were only 5 steps from the ground to get into the aircraft and only window or aisle to choose from. Lovely and comfortable- and chocolate croissant and coffee for breakfast in transit-except for the minor turbulence through rain clouds- the nicest flight I have ever been on. No one clapped on landing- good sign!! The only downside: there seemed to be an issue with the mechanics of the baggage collection point. So it took about 30-40 minutes to come through- not a problem when you are looking to kill some time though. After an hour or so chilling in the common room of my hostel (the "mong out" room I shall now call it as everyone was napping on the sofas- what does that say about the beds? I'll find out, no doubt!), I headed out to to face the battle against stormy Warsaw, umbrella was utterly violated by the wind within an hour (remember kids "buy cheap, buy twice!!") and is theoretically snapped in 1/2 on one side and then a bus zoomed past me and I was drenched in muddy water from waist down for two hours- brghhhh!! That brings me on to... Polish traffic- crossing the road is fairly simplistic, similar to the Baltic- however sometimes there are those clicky buttons you have to find, sometimes there are zebra crossings to cross cycle paths on the pavement, on the big roads you have to look out for car-tram-tram-car- but the cars seem to go very,very fast and the rule seems to be that they can go over the crossing when you're on it as long as they think they won't hit you! Surprisingly it actually feels very orderly and safe!! Anyway, I digest (as always!): today was jam-packed- the first stop was the Warsaw Ghetto rising memorial in the North of the city. Remarkable and Powerful memorial- fitting with the Polish image of "the strong resistance against Nazism"- however it was ruined somewhat by the fact some workmen were setting up for what looked like some kind of concert in front of it. Next I arrived at the Pawiak prison museum, just around the corner through a suburban neighbourhood, there is something particular about underground prisons (like the KGB one yesterday) that I really struggle with- they actually make me feel more uncomfortable than sites like Sachenhausen- perhaps because there is more of a sense of "how things were", the echoes and the stagnant smells make the displays all the more horrifying as does the thundering rain. Particularly awful were the sketches of torture methods: setting the dogs on a man, forcing acid down his throat- these were horrendous. The focus of the museum was on the persecution of the Poles, the Jews and Ghetto were mentioned briefly, mainly in an interactive screen at the end. From here I made the long jaunt into the South West region of the city, to the Jewish institute, on the site of the former Great Synagogue. It is only here that a sense of the victimization and persecution to Jews is really explored. Ringelblum's diary entries support most of the exhibition and one of the milk tins his manuscripts were hidden in is on display also. A lady is cleaning the floor (I arrive spot on opening time)- she puts on a 15 minutes film in English for me- I have never seen such shocking images of the Ghetto. There is something uncanny about the emaciated human form: it makes one think, but is uncomprehendable. These images are as bad, if not worse than those seen of the camps, in films like Resnais' Nuit et Brouillard, 100,000 people died in the Warsaw Ghetto before the 1st deportation. However the exhibition ends with details of intellectual (Ringleblum and his associates) and militant resistances (the Ghetto fighters) and finally (as most displays in Eastern Europe seem to) a comment is made on those in the "righteous among nations" in Yad Vashem, this display illustrates that a large majority of those in Yad Vashem are Poles (the majority of the killings were here too, estimated at 2 million Jewish and hundreds of thousands of Poles.). [I believe some of the funding for the exhibition is centralised. The last place I am to visit for the day (despite for a respite in the Old Town in the North East!- having developed a certain curiosity for what gems it might hold and whether it can beat Riga?) is the Warsaw Rising Museum. On the way (thinking I had found it) I find two sections of the Ghetto wall with plaques- very impressed by my exploring skills. The museum turns out not to be about the Ghetto rising, but about the strong Polish resistance against the Nazis: to sum it up "if Disneyland did WW2". Everything is commercialised and interactive, kids can draw their own Polish flag in support of their nation, this is a 5 floor make shift 1940s Warsaw with pull-drawers, binocular viewings, film clips, photographs, exhibits and information. Also there are calender dates dotted around the exhibition which you are invited to take away. In good taste? There is a replica 1940s cafe- though I'm not sure Mocha was around in the 1940s? This is Warsaw's busiest museum by far (well done lonely planet: description- correct, location: a little out. I did the long, "skip-in-my-step" walk back to Old Town (Stare Miesto) and what a beauty it is- swat and chilled in the square for a bit then got the little tourist train-cart thing on a tour. The tour gave me a nice orientation and a lazy way of taking photos- however I have never known one of these train things to go on a main A road AT the speed limit: scary!! I meander about for a while after this, taking photos, looking at postcards and just generally being a bit "touristy". I had dinner in Old Town: must get use to these creamy cheese and cured meats! Restaurant was lovely, waiter wants to go to London (his sister's husband works for TFL buses!)- he supports Chelsea. We got on well- he loves London, I love Warsaw- he offers to swap! - tempted? Back at the Tampa Hostel now- very nice! Seem to be staying in a room with a group of Spaniards- they are doing their own thing as a group and speaking Spanish a lot as Spaniards tend to do, I am doing my own thing (only here for the night and am leaving early in the morning!). All in all I have walked about 11-12 miles today- not bad on 4 hours (-if I'm lucky) kip! My trousers feel like they are DL's pyjamas or something, I thought they were not done up this morning- but they were: I seem to have lost some weight! On....musn't forget... the nuns! Yesterday, in Lithuania, in the KGB prison in fact I hit a very religious nun (though I'm not sure if there are any other kind of nuns? - fetish nuns? Sound of Music Maria "doubting nuns"?) in the stomach with my bag....fairly hard (though by accident)- if there is a Catholic God, I am going to hell!! Seems to be an abundance of accordion players here and they are very good, much better than that bloody Saxophonist in Riga playing the same 3 tunes over and over again. People on the bridge were dancing to the tunes when I ate. It is all very romantic against the Baroque and Gothic architecture. The Newer side of Warsaw where the Rising museum is, is much more commercial: Pizza Huts, TFI Fridays, McD, Business Centres and high rise glass skyscrapers, behind the old ghetto walls there seems to be a lot of renovation work being done. Off in the morning on my town to the North East of Poland to Treblinka and Tykocin with Anna from intopoland- early start, so better get some sleep!

Santa Monica, California

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:48:15 GMT

The reason we weren’t totally devastated to leave Hawaii was because we were heading to one of our favourite places in the world - Santa Monica, LA! We were meeting up with Rachel (Rhi’s sister) and Mike (Rachels fiancé), who had been travelling around California since arriving in San Francisco about a week earlier. They picked us up from the airport and took to the awesome apartment we rented for our stay. Having been to LA a couple of years ago, we decided the nicest area was Santa Monica and so stayed around there for the 3 days we were in LA. The apartment was right on the beach and really close to all of Santa Monica’s attractions and landmarks. After settling in and relaxing a bit we decided to go for a walk down to Santa Monica Pier, which is like a big amusement arcade along with a few restaurants and fair rides like the big wheel and loads of arcade games. The next day we decided to do a bit of shopping in the morning on Third Street Promenade, a pedestrian only precinct in the centre of Santa Monica, and took a walk in Palisades Park right next to the beach. After lunch we headed down to the beach for some sunbathing and a game of Frisbee. Phil, Mike and Rachel braved the sea which was very cold and full of seaweed! On our final day we rented some bikes and rode down to Venice, the neighbouring suburb to Santa Monica. There is a bike path that goes the whole way along the beach taking you directly to Venice. We were only in Santa Monica for the weekend and time just flew! We had a really good time though and still love it as much as the first time we were there.

Lake Malawi, Malawi

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:31:58 GMT

Almost as soon as we left Livingston we seemed to enter what we have called the real Africa. Western shopping centre are being replaced with markets made of pallets, nails and string with music blasting from as many speakers as the locals could get. We crossed to Malawi quickly where I was surprised that all the locals speak perfect English being a British colony and all. Other then being under a cloud of constipation caused by an overdose of Imodium for five days I really enjoyed the chance to stay within a living, working traditional Malawian village. Its amazing to see just how extravagant our lives can be with the chief of the village barely able to clothe and feed his village of 139 with 24 orphans (almost solely due to aids). This was only enhanced by a reliance on government fertilizer schemes as the nations soils have degraded after only four generations of non-nomadic farming life. Without natural resources the nation relies on 20% of the population being able to pay taxes and international aid to balance the nations budget. A very moving experience, though not all bad news, Jac is now Malawi’s third highest income generator after only an hour at the local wood market. The last few days have been on the sores of Lake Malawi, as mass inland lake with a beautiful beach front camping ground. The camp site is popular and one of the other tour guides is slow cooking a whole pig for us tonight, its been on for nearly 6 hours and smells like heaven. I am nursing a very sore rear after I have overcome the consitpation and had a two hour horse back ride through the local villages. The highlight of the day has been a fantastic opportunity to ride bear back in the water - one of my favorite experiences thus far and not only because of the ridiculously attractive British instructor. Unfortunately today Jac’s IPOD was stolen from the campsite and we spend half the morning at the police station prior to moving to another campsite on the northern end of Lake Malawi, here we have some very dodgy internet but I am hoping to post this and survive the mosquito’s Next stop Tanzania and hopefully post some more photos for all (sorry in advance for the pale skinned shirtless bear back horse riding photos)

Vancouver, British Columbia

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:45:53 GMT

Hello everyone! Hours turn to days, days to weeks and so time rolls on interminably. Thus were the happy days in the Dunbar house and then at 'db' brought to a close. Yes, things certainly improved at the restaurant and this progression from dull despair to deep reluctance to leave when time called for me will shape the main substance of this entry. All good things must come to an end (allowing other good things to find the room to start). The end of April arrived unlooked for and all too soon and with it came the conclusion of the University exam term. First James and soon thereafter Aja left the house in a swirl of last-minute packing, rushed goodbyes (goodbyes nearly always seem rushed in my mind, perhaps because I ignore their coming until the last possible moment) and heady, post-examination elation. They took with them something of the light that was in the house; its laughter diminished and the walls seemed to close in a little. By this point I had learnt that Ryan would also be leaving imminently and rather unexpectedly: he had determined to follow his heart south of the border in pursuit of a lovely young lady, a move that I myself endorsed whole-heartedly. It is a gift even to be able to court the love of another, one who is capable of moving a person to such greatness as only the power of love is able to achieve. How, deep within my soul, I envied Ryan this opportunity and yet, as a friend I could see beyond this natural jealousy to feel joy for him as well. It had been Ryan's hope that such a courtship might take place here in Vancouver, but destiny decided otherwise and so it was that he resolved to depart the city in mid-May: we did at least enjoy the benefit of a satisfactory farewell, spending a glorious day walking for miles within the shining metropolis. The day of our walk, a rare break from the rigours of 'db' for me, dawned clear and bright - at least, I assume that this was the case: rising some hours later (never mind how many), to see such a clarity outside, I imagine that such a dawn would have been reasonably probable upon that day. It was all-too-easy to persuade Ryan that we should breakfast at my favourite brunch spot just down the road, where I satisfied my row of sweet teeth with banana and chocolate-chip French toast (yes, you did read that correctly). In consequent need of a vigorous walk to burn off but a mere handful of those calories (a token gesture I am sure), we proceeded to walk through Kitsilano, enjoying the colourful, cheerful shops on first Broadway and then Fourth Ave. We included a loop of Vanier Park, taking in the sea-breeze and the salty air before crossing the Burrard bridge into the down-town core. Our feet, dictated I admit by my devious stomach, found their way along the water-front to Denman Street, beside English Bay. Here we purchased decadent ice-cream and indulged upon the beach, watching the surf crash upon the sand, Jonathan gulls wheeling overhead. Our walk that day took in much territory, stretching through Stanley Park, back along Denman, out of the core across the Granville bridge and ending outside a Chinese restaurant famous - deservedly so as it transpired - for its soft, light, utterly delicious dumplings. That walk is memorable to me not so much for the distance covered, nor the many interesting sights seen, as for the deep, honest, searching conversation that punctuated so much of the outing. Both Ryan and I wrestled with topics that do not receive nearly enough attention through the spoken word, between even the greatest of friends or lovers. Ryan showed me a great deal that day; the courage and trust needed for such a display has left me humbled and grateful. Plato had Alcibiades show us the way, when he spoke with such tenderness of the unique experience enjoyed when a great man placed such faith in him. One does not need to converse with a Socrates to enjoy such an experience: frank openness, sizeable courage and trust are the ingredients for developing strong relationships through such intense debate. I have been incredibly fortunate to have experienced such heady, empowering moments with a fair number of very good friends, each highly personal and absolutely unique. My adventure with Ryan that day joins the ranks as a precious grain indeed in my time here, one that deepens my view of the wider adventure and gives nourishment to my soul. Time, ever relentless, soon brought forth the day of Ryan's departure, hastened by a need for him to journey back to the States a day earlier than anticipated, to oversee the final procedures in the procurement of a new visa for that country (although he has spent large swathes of his life there, Ryan remains a Canadian citizen by birth). With his departure went the last remaining vestige of shared happiness within the house, leaving me - contented - with the dim echoes of past fruition for company. Whilst I have always regarded myself as a rather socially-oriented being, I found that living alone once more did entail some advantages: it was nice to be afforded the run of the house, to set my own domestic agenda unrestrained by concern for the lives of others. Furthermore, I now used the silence of my home as an added motivation to seek additional hours at the restaurant, building up a steady flow of much-appreciated over-time. The situation at 'db' had been improving for some time: Chris, our general manager, was slowly but surely sorting through the list of prospective new employees to build a team that works well together and retains a pleasing balance of youthful enthusiasm mixed with practised experience. The kitchen, under the improved direction of a new, very likeable young chef, was becoming much more open and friendly, linking well with those of us working 'front-of-house'. I can write honestly and happily that the final month or so at the restaurant formed some of my favourite experiences in an Aladdin's cave of treasured events and encounters. I felt the thrill of camaraderie as I swept through the dining-area, supporting my colleagues, chatting amicably with an array of exciting, at times fascinating, guests. I felt the warmth of a positive team, filled with intelligent, devastatingly witty friends. I felt also the satisfaction of a managerial team that, in my mind, demonstrated a healthy appreciation for the work that I and the rest of our team produced. Thus it was that I found myself eagerly anticipating the end of shift one Saturday evening - an evening in which I had not initially been scheduled to work - so as to enjoy a 'staff appreciation' party, laid on by both 'db' and our prestigious sister-restaurant, 'Lumiere'. With service winding down around-about 11pm, we cracked open copious bottles of wine, multiple beers and served up a whole host of enticing dishes from both kitchens: the theme was very much centred upon hedonistic indulgence of cornucopic proportions. Staff poured in, both those who had been working alongside me that evening and others who had appeared simply to join in the festivities. The atmosphere was genial and relaxed and everyone seemed to have a brilliant time. Repeatedly, I would glance up from whatever it was that I happened to be eating or drinking - predominantly pulled pork and red wine - to intrude upon a happy scene of chefs reminiscing, servers sharing a joke, friendships being formed away from the pressure-cooker environment of the typical gastronomic protocol. The night wore on and with it the contemptible abuse of my poor liver (really, it does have my sympathies). At some point, Ben - a very good friend and a magical bar-man - decided that of course it would be a good idea to drain all three of our draught ale taps of beer (we managed this alarmingly quickly). Thus it was that I progressed from wine (which had by this point run dry) to wheaty, meaty ale, an intelligent move that will no doubt be applauded by you all. At this point my grip upon sobriety was slipping swiftly away and conversations everywhere were becoming increasingly shocking and spectacular, not to mention decidedly speculative in places. Stumbling into one particularly heart-felt discussion, I wasted little time sympathizing and cajoling in equal measure - something along the lines of 'you are a great person and [the object of desire in question] should see that too - go for it!' I do not imagine for one moment that such monumentally awkward advice served any constructive purpose at all, simply highlighting my incredibly poor capacity for good sense, even with ample amounts of various alcoholic beverages within me. Despite such luminous efforts, I somehow made it to the end of the party unscathed and even enjoyed a delightful, directionless wander home with a good friend from said party. Equally amazingly, I was able to make my way to my door, into my house and even as far as my bed itself: believe me, but do not condemn me, when I type that such achievements were eminently laudable under the circumstances. The following day should have seen me relaxing, attempting little and patiently awaiting some sense of cohesion and capability to re-enter my mind and body, however painfully and deliberately. Not so; instead I dragged myself from my hole some three hours after first slumping there, to wash and dress for a Sunday brunch shift at work. I do seem to recall some-such rebellious thought occurring to me the night before - whilst intoxicated, naturally - suggesting that I would be absolutely fine, fresh as a daisy, with so little sleep and completely capable of enduring the most hated, most demanding of shifts at the restaurant in an average week. Heresy. I arrived at work convinced that in other parts of the world, the mental and physical state that I presented would be considered akin to hell: not so the consumerism-driven capitalistic dream-world of North America. The day went downhill from there. True, I survived without committing anything too outrageous, managing to perform acceptably even when presented with serving tea and coffee at the table occupied by a smirking Chris, his sympathetic wife Paula and her lovely mother. My head pounding in a fashion that I wished upon Chris and his evil, utterly inappropriate amusement, I somehow held myself together and succeeded in landing the coffee in people's cups and - mercifully - nowhere else. Teamwork was never in question that day - we all shared in each other's pain - but communication was definitely below its customary par: I was struggling to fashion even the most basic of sentences, a situation not helped by my aforementioned pounding head, which did little to aid me in listening to the directions of anyone else. Not that my colleagues were voicing words worth hearing: my good friend and fellow Brit (sort of - he is half-American, poor chap) Ashley was unable to get much further than 'Oh god' every time he wandered past. How the kitchen staff survived, in such close proximity to so much grease and flour, I shall never know; I can but marvel. I am not sure quite how - primative, ancestral instincts must have taken command - but I did manage to survive that day, finishing my shift in time to haul my devastated body home and back to bed, where I fell unconscious for the next thirteen hours (if ever this blog shows similar survival instincts, then I must surely edit it before god-children, potential mother-in-laws, constituents or any other people who may hold some power over my future are able to read such confessions - never fear, you may scrap the third group; I am merely jesting). This is but the chief highlight in a myriad of memorable moments during my last few weeks at 'db' that have helped to ensure that I shall look forever fondly back upon this period of my life in Vancouver. Whoever would have thought it: a restaurant of all places showed me a lighter side to life and a wide array of significant challenges at the same time. Best wishes to all! David xxx

Koh Samui, Thailand

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:09:17 GMT

Hallo liebe Leute, so ich schreibe einfach mal was wir heute gemacht und erlebt haben. Nach dem Fruehstuekc und nachdem ich ind ie guenstigere Variante mit Ventilator umziehen musste ging es also zum Chaweng Beach. Noch kurz zum Bungalow, passend zum Preis (meine beiden Oesterreichischen Nachbarn seit heute bezahlen uebrigens den doppelten Preis fuer das Zimmer) gibt es nun also einen ekelhaft riechenden ja...Tuempel wurde ich sagen....wo icha uf der anderen Seite des Gelaendes den einen oder anderen Muellhaufen gesehen habe und der nach Aussage meiner beiden Nachbarn morgens einen extremen Fischgeruch zu haben scheint. Diese Aussage werde ich wohl morgen frueh ueberpruefen koennen. Ansonsten ist das Zimmer eigentlich genauso schoen wie die etwas teurere Variante nur das keine Klimaanlage mehr vorhanden ist sondern nur noch ein Ventilator. Aber im Badezimmer gab es tatsaechlich eine Verbesserung mit einem Duschkopf der tatsaechlich neu zu sein scheint und eine Massageeinstellung hat :-) So, nun zum Chaweng Beach...abgeliefert wurden wir per Taxi irgendwo dort.....aber es sah eh alles gleich aus...Shoppingstaende ueber Shppingstaende mit zumeist den gleichen Angeboten wie zum Beispiel Flip Flops, Hosen, irgendwelche handwerkssachen, Cappies oder halt die normalen touristischen Dinge (An Valeska : Ich habe angefangen deine Kuehlschrankpins zu sammeln :-) )Plus, das natuerlich nicht zu vergessen...wir sind ja aucf der touristischen Seite von Koh Samui angekommen, MC Donalds, Burger King, Starbucks, Subway...also kurz gesagt alles was man so kennt...und der Strand....super voll, ganz viele Touris die sich dort vermutlich haben abziehen lassen von den Strandverkaufern (jaja, ich gebs ja zu, mich haben sie ja auch schon mit der einen oder anderen Kette bekommen, aber beim 2. Mal hab ich gut gehandelt und immerhin 3 Ketten zu einem Preis bekommen, Elise war da mit von der PArtie :-)) Naja, aber dort am Chaweng Beach war bestimmt alles doppelt so teuer. Hehe! So, gegen 14;15h ging es dann wieder heimwaerts zum Menam Beach, der dagegen zwar abgelegen und ruhiger ist. Aber ich finde es sehr angenehm das es hier nicht ganz so touristisch ist. ufgrund einesheftigen Sturmes und mit dem dazugehoerigen Regen haben wir dann im Hotel gegessen. Wobei man dazu sagen muss, das das Hotel echt lecker und sehr guenstig ist! Jetzt muss ich aber auch schon bald ins Bett, denn es ist 22h und wir machen morgen eine Tour zum Angthong Nationalpark. Wir werden um 7.30 abgeholt und es dauert danne inen ganzen Tag. Also gibt es den naechsten Blogeintrag vermutlich erst wieder am Samstag, nachdem wir mit dem Auto die Insel erkundet haben. Ich bind ie Fahrerin, weil die anderen beiden ihren Fuerherschein nicht mit dabei haben. Na das kann ja was werden, die guten Thais fahren hier doch auch auf der linken Seite...aber naja kann ich schon mal fuer Neuseeland ueben und wir wollen ja nicht richtung Touristenhochburg sondern ind ie Gegenden wo es nicht so voll ist und darauf freue ich mich schon sehr :-) Also ihr lieben, machts fuers erste gut! Und der naechste Blogeintrag folgt bald :-) PS. Wundert euch nicht ueber den einen oder anderen Fehler, diese Tastaturen sind hier etwas anders ;-)

Lombok, Indonesia

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:48:44 GMT

Hello everyone!!! Glad ur enjoying our blog and piccies!!! We are in Senggigi at the mo, we came through Ubud and Padangbai on our way. Ubud was lovely, its near all the jungle and rice paddies so very humid and it rained LOADS! We turned up and found a little b and b to stay at, it was a bit skanky but OK, we had a gekko try and climb in our mozzie net! We went to the monkey forest to see all the evil monkeys and one tried to jump of charlie who promptly dropped the camera in his escpe attempt which the little b***** tried to steal!! We managed to save it though, well charlie did. We ate at amazing places and saw so much lovely culture. The we headed to Padangbai which is on the coast. We took a tiny bus and saw some sights on the way and when we got there we nabbed one of the last rooms which was basically a converted storeroom!! We went snorkelling for the first time in the AMAZING water and saw loads o tropical ish!! Charlie wasn't too sure about it and injured himself in several places on the coral and is now worried the coral is grwing in him.... We got the ferry to Lombok today and had a hellish time when we arrived in Senggigi, there was nowehere left to sleep!!! We rang about 10 different places and evetually found a place for 350,000rp, which is darn expensive!! Anyway, off to enjoy our plush hotel room and get up and make the most of the pool!! Love to all Xxxx

Bloemfontein, South Africa

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:56:10 GMT

The journey to Bloemfontein was eventful for all the wrong reasons. Laura fell ill the previous evening on account of eating something dodgy from one of the outlets at the Port Elizabeth fan fest and it was touch and go whether we would travel or hang around PE for another day or until Laura felt better. It wasn't essential that we travelled that day, although we had already booked the hire car. Laura decided that she was well enough to travel and we headed off on the long journey towards Bloemfontein. It took about 10 hours with a few stops on the way and - once we finally got there - there was a sense of relief for Laura at least. What a trooper!We had no idea where our accommodation was located so we rang them and the owners came out and met us which was very nice! The accommodation itself was not really a hostel, more a house which had been opened up for people to stay during the World Cup. It was with a really friendly family who helped us out for the whole time we were there - giving us directions to places and even taking us to places like the local launderette and internet cafe and coming in with us to ensure everything would be ok. We had our own room, it was cold, like many places in South Africa but was very nice.During the first couple of days before the England V Germany we spent a bit of time down at the water-front at a couple of restaurants but as Laura was ill we took it easy. Bloemfontein is not really a very touristy place so there wasn't that much to see and do, which was fine as the main focus was on the football. The day of the match came around. We still had the hire car and needed to drop this off in the morning before the match. We had a chat to the guys staying at the house before heading off, and found out that they met Harry Redknapp in one of the bars the night before. I was gutted to have missed that! However my sense of regret was soon to be forgotten when we dropped off the hire car and bumped in to two absolutely massive legends from England. We were just dropping off the car when Laura turned to me and said "Do you have my camera, quick, quick!" I had no idea what was going on but before you could say 'Thirty years of hurt' Laura was talking to…..Frank Skinner. And then who else was at the desk and turned around when we were chatting to Frank? None other than David Baddiel! Awesome. On the day of the England V Germany match we were talking to Baddiel & Skinner! If anyone has been living in a cave for the last 20 years these guys are English comedians. Or at least Skinner is. Baddiel is more of an Author and Presenter. But they were famous for the iconic programme Fantasy Football League in the nineties complete with 'Statto'. Famous also for ruining Jason Lee's career by saying he had a pineapple on his head! But even more famous for being part of the Euro 1996 song 'Football's Coming Home!" We had a chat with Frank and got a picture taken. Apparently they were doing some radio shows over there. They were really nice, down to earth guys who genuinely wanted to speak to us, despite me having a dig at Skinner mocking West Bromwich Albion! 4-2 do you remember that? Ha ha.The omens were really good. I seem to remember the last time England played Germany in the finals of a major tournament was in 2000 when I was living in Germany and Jamie Redknapp & Louise were in the same bar in Regensburg as us. We won that day courtesy of Alan Shearer and I was sure that it was a good sign meeting some famous people before the match!We headed straight back into town into a bar called 'Bar Bars' which was already full of atmosphere - mainly England fans. We met all sorts of different England fans, including an Aldershot fan who was selling badges. I had a bit of banter with him. There was also a Rangers fan there. Well, they get everywhere don't they! The atmosphere was really good and we heard all the classic England songs being played countless times - World in Motion, Three Lions, Vindaloo amongst others! It was the perfect pre-match atmosphere. We headed towards the Stadium via Scooters Pizza (possibly the worst Pizza I have ever tasted) and with little fuss and minimal queuing entered the stadium. Bloemfontein is not a modern stadium like Cape Town, but the atmosphere was excellent - as you'd expect for an England V Germany match. The match itself ? Obviously it didn't go very well! Well, that's a bit of an understatement but I think these blogs are censored so my true feelings can't be expressed properly. Quite simply, Germany were too good. It hurts to say it but it was the case. Even if Lampard's goal would have stood our defence was not good enough to withstand the pressure from the German attack. In some ways it was easier to lose 4-1 than on penalties or in extra-time. It was devastating nonetheless but this is all a part of following England as I have already experienced in 2004 & 2006.So the football for England was over. And for me the World Cup was no longer the number one priority - priority number one was to see as much of South Africa as we could and the World Cup was now the side-show to a certain extent. But for now it was time to drown our sorrows and get drunk in Bar Bars and commiserate with our fellow English fans and congratulate the German fans...... The night in Bar Bars turned out to be a really good night. Surprising as England had lost. The drinking definitely helped get over the result that's for sure. The next day was all about organising the rest of the trip and the plan was to head up to Lesotho and then Jo'burg, where we had tickets for a quarter-final game at Ellis Park and then on to Kruger National Park, Swaziland & Durban. So still a lot to enjoy! But the defeat was still hurting as we left for Lesotho a couple of days later......