How It Should Be

Maybe I shouldn’t admit this, but my daily wake-up call came from the housekeeper. I understand some of you might be shocked. Yes, daily housekeeping! I’m in the Sanctuary now so I have towels to be changed and pillows to be turned.

After my first night, I did manage to wake up before the housekeeper came round, but I was still in my room and half-dressed so it’s not that much better. My laziness became a running joke. I was happy doing nothing and spending my days researching and booking things for my future travels as well as catching up on my writing.

I ventured out for some fresh air every now and then but I used the cold as an excuse to stay in and nestle in my duvet. I’ve not had a duvet day since travelling. I guess this was the closest I could get to having one.

Another Stray bus pulled up outside which came as a welcome distraction. I already knew that Jonny and Sapphire were on this bus and I recognised a couple of faces when I came down to the hostel bar. It was Battle of the Buses round two.

Despite winning the quiz, the dance and coming second in the karaoke…we lost. What’s the point? I’m competitive and hate losing but I don’t even feel like I can be mad at a situation like this as we never had a fighting chance in the first place.

At least the Kiwi bus didn’t win, that came as somewhat of a consolation. They only had two guys representing them. These guys were awful thuggish ignorant excuses for males. They kept starting fights with us and with the driver of Magic. Idiots. They didn’t have a brain between them.

I carried on drinking until it was just me and Jonny left in the bar. Lightweights. Everyone seems to opt for an early night in New Zealand. It’s usually me that does that so I should feel comforted that I’m not the only one anymore!

Witnesses would have been helpful as I beat Jonny at pool and I wasn’t even trying. Jonny had potted most of his balls straight away so I played defensively snookering him when I could and catching up that way. Before I knew it, we were both fighting over the black. To be fair, Jonny did fluff a couple of shots on the black. My final shot was magnificent. It wasn’t setup perfectly so I needed to angle it correctly. I did a little lap of honour as Jonny bowed to my brilliance.

*****

I skipped out on visiting Puzzling World with my last bus but decided to join in this time. I’m not sure how I managed to crawl out of bed and make it to reception but I did.

Puzzling World is a small building full of illusions and odd creations set to confuse and irritate. It was quite fun and the maze was surprisingly tricky. It took me longer to get out than it did making it to the four coloured towers!

Even though I got on with a lot of people on this bus, I decided to see out my stay in Wanaka.

*****

It was business as usual when the housekeeper came in to find me sat watching TV in my pyjamas. I was waiting until they’d come in and do what they needed to do before I showered. I’ve had a few close calls beforehand!

We had something in common at least as we were both planning on walking up Mt Iron that day. Instead of going it alone, I took up the offer of going up with the housekeeper and her friends.

At 1:30pm I made my way down to reception. The housekeeper (I can’t for the life of me remember her name!) chickened out saying it was too windy, but introduced me to her two friends who were going up. After an initial awkwardness, I got chatting to Suki (Hong Kong) and Natsco (Japan) who were friendly and didn’t tell me to get lost.

Suki and Natsco were also meeting friends to climb Mt Iron but not for another hour. With time to burn, we walked around Lake Wanaka, played on a slide and sat on comfy sofas looking out across the lake.

Dino-slide wheeey!

Lake Wanaka

Along the way, we all shared our stories and journeys. It was great to hear that Suki and Nat both want to work and travel as long as possible. It’s not something I hear a lot when travelling. Most people are students taking gap years, people on holiday or on a working visa. All these people have the same thing in common, they have lives back home that they intend to get back to. I have no such thing. Although I’m on a year-long RTW adventure, I don’t feel like stopping anytime soon nor do I have a career waiting for me when I get home.

Speaking to these girls is exactly what I needed. Having felt a bit down over the past couple of days, it made me wake up to the fact that what I want to do is ok. There is no right or wrong way to live your life. Just because most people choose to settle in one place and/or focus on their careers and family doesn’t mean that it’s right for everyone. That’s a natural progression for many but it’s not a path I see myself going down anytime soon. What’s more, it meant that I didn’t have to shrug and make excuses as I don’t have a definite answer to the question, “What are you going to do when you get back home?”

As we made our way to meet Nat and Suki’s friends, we walked into a friendly stranger…

The fattest cat in Wanaka

Many winding streets later, and we finally arrived. We were greeted by Simon (British), Ema (Korean) and Sophie (British). It was only when I introduced myself and was asked how I knew Nat and Suki that I felt like a bit of an imposter. Despite my random reasons for knowing them, everyone was so friendly and welcoming. We’re all seasoned travellers and know exactly how it feels to be the new person in unfamiliar surroundings.

Simon, Ema and Sophie are in Wanaka for the winter to work in Treble Cone Ski Resort. I was so jealous. What’s more, Simon is learning Japanese as he’s heading to Japan to work a ski season in Hokkaido. Part of me wanted to just drop everything right at that moment and stay in Wanaka with these guys.

Now it was time to embarrass myself at how unfit I had become. I was a sweaty wheezy mess as we dismissed the winding pathway and headed directly uphill to the viewpoint. I needed the exercise but damn! Things became a bit better when we got past the steepest of inclines and used the pathway.

What astounds me about New Zealand is how quiet it is. You don’t have to trek up a mountain to experience this, although Mt Iron did provide a perfect example. It was a lovely day and the view was fantastic. Other than the odd dog walker and jogger, the place was deserted. It’s one of many places that would make a perfect reading/writing spot or generally a place to be alone with your thoughts.

Walking down, the group made plans for the evening. Sophie’s friends were performing at a bar that night and invited me along. I said yes of course as I had no other plans. Sophie went back to her place and the rest of us settled down for a cup of tea and a lesson in Japanese. 

Unfortunately I couldn’t hang around for long as I really needed to head back to have something to eat before the night began.

My friend I made in Bangkok, Paul, had messaged me and we arranged to meet at the same bar I was heading to that night. It was a good job we agreed on a late time as I managed to take a wrong turning. It took me twice as long as it should have done to get there. I didn’t actually know where I was going anyway. The bar was hidden behind a bakery down a residential street.

It therefore didn’t surprise me that Paul failed to find the place and we didn’t end up meeting. Without a phone, there wasn’t a lot I could do unfortunately. I didn’t find this out until I got back to my room so, at this moment in time, I still thought Paul was around somewhere. I scanned the bar and tables but could only find groups of people and nobody who looked like my friend.

Suddenly, I clocked this one guy at the bar who I thought looked a little bit like my friend. I’d not seen him in six months, it was dark and this guy had a hat on. I had to go to the bar to get a closer look but I opened my mouth before I could stop myself. It wasn’t him and I knew that as soon as I walked up to him but my mouth was running. I spouted off some lame excuse, bought a drink and left. Ah well, I’m never going to see him again.

Sophie’s mates were awesome. One guy played Misirlou (Pulp Fiction soundtrack or Black Eyed Peas sample on Pump It) on his guitar which was impressive. All their song choices were pretty good. I love acoustic sessions and it was just these two guys and their guitars. 

I spent most of the evening with Simon, Ema, Nat and Suki but once they left I got to know Sophie’s friends a lot more. Ben stood out for me, not just because of his red hair, but he was also the friendliest. We had a great laugh swapping stories and generally messing around.

Left to right: Simon, Ema, Suki, Me, Nat

Me, Sophie and Ben

We moved on to a bar just outside the hostel where I was staying. Sophie brought along an additional friend from the bar…

Pinecone friiiiiend

It was a lovely night and exactly what I needed. It was a shame I didn’t get to meet Paul though. 

A Touch Of Luxury

Unlike other places I’ve visited in New Zealand, I left Franz Josef satisfied. I did what I went there to do and had a great time. I was also looking forward to hopping off the bus and having a break in Wanaka.

Before we reached our final destination, we stopped off at Lake Matheson for a walk. It was a three hour trail but Hannah, Kerry and I were certain that it could be done in two. We briskly walked through the winding route taking photos along the way.

At one point we noticed a camera lens cover abandoned on a wooden bench. We felt bad for whoever had left it as it’s not something that’s easily replaced whilst travelling. It was at our next viewpoint where we met a guy (later to be nicknamed Hannah’s Future Husband) who it belonged to. After hovering for a little too long, we moved on. HFH had split apart from his group and had positioned his tripod on higher grounds. With a crushed flapjack in one hand, HFH took photos of the stunning view. Hannah became flustered with her camera but not to worry as her future husband helped her capture a great image. HFH was a hot topic as we power walked the rest of the way. Apparently a guy who squishes a flapjack in his hand without a care in the world whilst taking photographs is a great turn on for some.

Conversations with the girls on the bus tended to transcend in to Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus…literally as one of the girls is reading that book (I won’t name names, it’s not me!). I detest books that tell women how they should act around men. Surely both parties should learn how to compromise and work together without manipulation and game playing. I can never be arsed with all that rubbish as it’s too much hard work!

We were the first ones back and decided to treat ourselves to some lovely grub at the café. I had an epic sausage, egg and crispy bacon sandwich with tomato relish. It was that good that I groaned with almost every mouthful. I didn’t have room for my raspberry and white chocolate muffin so kept it for the bus journey.

I was the only one hopping off at Wanaka which astonished some. I wasn’t sure if it was the fear of missing out, but a lot of people kept asking me why I wasn’t leaving the next day like everyone else. I’d heard from a friend back home that Wanaka is beautiful, I was hoping to meet a friend I made in Bangkok and I couldn’t wait to part ways with the bus. Obviously I didn’t say the last part. I did get on with a few people on the bus but those lovely people were lost within the awful mass of annoyingness that was taking over. I’d not had a break from Stray since Rotorua and I felt like I was overdue.

The whole bus stayed at Base hostel that night. I’d pre-booked my room online for a knock-down price. I was very happy with myself for doing this. Even though Stray get a certain amount of rooms blocked off for passengers only, it didn’t faze me that I would be staying elsewhere.

Kerry, who recommended I book online, had done the same and we asked if it was possible to stay in the same room. Unfortunately the rooms are randomly allocated so that was not possible. My disappointment soon transformed into dizzying excitement as I was told I’d be staying in the Sanctuary. I had no idea what that meant but it sounded good.

The receptionist handed me a white fluffy towel. It was a nice touch. I asked if anyone else was booked in the room and was told I’d have it to myself for three nights. Happy days!

I entered my room and my jaw dropped. My eyes lit up at the sight of a ridiculously large room, a table with chairs, a kettle, tea and coffee. Attached to the wall was a flat screen TV. I actually jumped up and down on the spot and squealed. You may laugh but try travelling for over nine months and see how you react to fresh linen, open space and a room to yourself!

Although I had my white fluffy towel, I could not for the life of me find where the showers and toilets were on my floor. I was too embarrassed to ask the staff so grabbed Kerry who is a seasoned sleeper at Base. Kerry followed me to my room and shared my excitement. Kerry had stayed in a Sanctuary room on the north island so knew exactly how I felt. Within seconds, Kerry found the showers and toilets…in my room! I bypassed the mirror which happened to be fixed onto a door. Behind this door were two spotless showers and two floral-smelling toilet cubicles. Ohhhhh yeeeeeah.

Now if THAT wasn’t enough, Kerry told me that there should be some hair straighteners around somewhere. It turns out you can put a bond down for a pair at reception. I’d not straightened my hair in a long time as my GHDs broke in Australia.

I felt no shame in bragging about my room and invited some of the girls over. Hannah and Sam came over and ate their dinner whilst I pranced around to random music off of my laptop. I offered my facilities to Kerry as I owe my little luxury pad to her.

As it was my last night with this bus…well mainly because I had hair straighteners, I decided to glam up for the night. I knew exactly what I was going to wear.

One wonderful shower later and I was ready to don my short blue dress I bought from Australia and first wore to see Laura Marling. My smile dropped when I saw my legs. Shit, I forgot about my bruise collection. My left knee was a patchwork of blues and greens accompanied by a scab thanks to my fall at Blue Duck lodge. On the back of my leg sat a huge red-veined nastiness from my tanking adventures. Dammit. I knew it was going to be dark in the bar, but no amount of soft lighting could hide those monstrosities.

Kerry suggested I wore leggings with it but it wouldn’t look as good. I wanted to look all girly and human again rather than the frizzy mess I’ve become since leaving Australia. I settled for my maxi dress in the end and hoped that I looked just as nice.

The answer to that question came in a form of a compliment as soon as I left the room. One of the guys from the bus said I looked really nice. It’s been a while since I’ve had a seemingly genuine compliment from a guy. I felt really good.

That feeling grew throughout the night. I managed to get in on a game of pool and potted three balls in a row which caught us up to the opposing team who only had the black to pot. Nobody had seemed to notice what I’d done. I had one more shot which I should have just fluffed. Instead, I potted the black. Everyone certainly noticed that! I felt like an idiot. Jim, my pool partner, hugged me although I'm sure he'd rather of kicked me.

Battle of the buses was my chance to make up for this loss. Kiwi Experience, Magic and Stray in one room. Only one would be hailed champion. I wanted that title.

My competitiveness subsided as the quiz was so long-winded. Most of the questions were about the Queen’s Jubilee. I now know that Buckingham Palace holds 775 rooms, Elizabeth was 25 when she took the throne and she has 5 dogs.

At one point we were in the lead but the Kiwi bus had a smart phone and were cheating their way to victory (boooo hissss!). We faired ok at the karaoke but didn’t stand a chance in the dance off. Kiwi had a guy who could back flip and do the splits as well as a girl who could breakdance. I got up all the same as the first challenge was to copy the dance moves to Eric Prydz Call On Me. Everyone must remember the crotch thrusts right? I tried in vain but my maxi dress kept getting in the way when it came to the kicks and rolling around on the floor.

Never mind. We left Kiwi to their victory and $100 bar tab. A couple of people from our bus sneakily went to the bar to claim a free drink. They didn’t even check! I wasn’t that fussed and sat down beside the pool table. I got chatting to a couple of people from the bus who I’d not spoken to before. Seana from Chicago was especially lovely. We spoke about our travels and plans for the future. I gave her my email address for a possible meet-up when I reach Chicago. Seana even offered me her couch to sleep on. I’ve not couchsurfed in a while but I might have to in America depending on how much money I have left!

I also spoke to another American for a while before spending the rest of the night chatting away to Jim and Chris (both British). This surprised me as they weren’t as chatty when I first met them. It turns out, Jim’s first impression of me wasn’t a good one. After the pool table orgy at Franz Josef, I didn’t really approach the guys as I thought the territory had been marked by the girls. Jim especially, was always with one particular girl from the bus so I left them to it. Jim mistook my avoidance as a dislike towards him and his mate. It also turns out that my pre-judgement of Jim was also off. So I went back to kicking myself again!

Having talked Jim’s ear off earlier in the night, I thought his brain had switched off for the most part. I do have a habit of going off on a tangent regardless of whether a person is actually interested in hearing what I have to say. When we spoke again, it turned out he was listening (a rare trait in a guy). It annoyed me slightly how well I got on with some of the people on the bus that I originally avoided. It wasn’t so much of a regret that I’d change my mind and hop back on the bus though. I’d need a bit more than a few random conversations with people for me to do that!

For once, I was one of the last people out that night. Everyone departed pretty quickly after the battle ended. It was quite sad saying goodbye to some people from the bus. Perhaps I might see some of them in Queenstown but others I may never see again.

It was this thought that shifted my mood slightly. Although travelling has made me the happiest I’ve ever been, I do have my down days and this was one of them. I missed my friends back home and started to think about all the people I’ve had to say goodbye to whilst travelling. I offloaded onto poor Jim who had no idea what to say to me. I think he thought I was going to cry or something! Only an hour or so beforehand I was wittering on about how wonderful travelling is, the changes that I’ve seen in myself and how great it’s been to meet so many people. Talk about Jekyll and Hyde!

I’ll add that to the scrapbook of embarrassment to open up at a later date for self-torture! To be fair, I have done and said far worse in front of guys so this is nothing really.

I will say this though, I am extremely grateful for the people that I have met. For once in my life I’ve felt completely at ease with who I am. I have been myself and not only have I been accepted, but I’ve made some wonderful friends who like me for me. Throughout my life I’ve always tried to please everyone else to my own detriment. It’s meant that I’ve never really known whether I’m being me or if I’m just being someone that I think everyone would like. I always found it hard saying no which sometimes people took advantage of. It’s so refreshing to find people who are on the same wavelength as me.

In regards to guys, it’s a mixed bag. On the one hand, I’m meeting guys that I’ll probably never see again so if I do make an arse of myself I don’t need to worry too much. However, if it turns out that I like a guy then…well it’s just plain rubbish. Most travellers are randy and are only out for whatever they can get. I’m not one to normally generalise but it’s a heavy percentage that are this way. So any guy that I do meet and is friendlier than normal, I often wonder whether they are being nice to me because they like me or whether they just want a quick fumble in a crowded dorm room to satisfy their cravings. Some men can say the right things at the right time and it confuses me. Guys say that they never know what women are thinking and that we talk in riddles. Sometimes guys can be just as cryptic.

I've not really thought about a future with a guy too much whilst I've been travelling as I never saw it as a plausible outcome. I really want to travel more and work where I can. It just makes me wonder whether I’d ever be able to make a true connection that way.

When I’m home and things go wrong with a guy, there is no quick exit like there is with travelling. But then when it does go right, the likelihood is that it isn’t transitory and I may get my happily ever after.

Most of you know by now that I am a hopeless romantic. I watch far too many movies and have read numerous books where women can be completely ridiculous yet still have a guy chasing after them. Now wouldn’t that be a perfect world to live in?

I would like to meet someone one day who likes me for me and isn’t afraid to show that. Nevertheless, I’m not willing to shape my life around something that’s not there so I will follow my heart to wherever in the world it takes me. Having someone there next to me can be the icing on the cake.

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

It’s funny the things we take for granted. Something that you have access to on a daily basis without fail can make you feel lost and disorientated once taken away. Since travelling, I keep adding items to a building mental list. At the top are the obvious things – family, friends and my hometown. As time drifts by, the list meanders into the minor and unexpected which, for me, are food orientated (what I wouldn’t do for a Yorkshire pudding right now!).

Today was another reminder that I have taken my bed, specifically my duvet, for granted. A sleeping bag is not the same. Nothing can ever replace that feeling you get when you loll in your own bed enveloped in a giant duvet. A perfect moment can be had when you wake up and realise you have an hour before your alarm goes off. I stretch out in sweet bliss and starfish. I envelope myself in my duvet once again and snooze until the inevitable alarm goes off.

In comparison to my life since travelling, I rarely get a duvet and if I do, it’s stale, stained and sometimes hairy. Imagine my relief when the lodge in Raglan had a soft fresh smelling duvet to settle under. It made it all the more harder to leave in the morning. It was only one night of salvation but an appreciated one nonetheless.

As the other girls in my room scurried around getting ready, I kept putting off my duvet departure. It was to my own detriment in the end. I had an extra half an hour of warmth whilst everyone else tucked into bacon sandwiches for breakfast. I had to settle for a solitary banana I bought the day before.

There were no breakfast stops as we headed straight to Waitomo Caves. In hindsight I wish I stocked up the day before as I certainly needed it for the activity I booked through Stray.

We had a wide range of choices that involved getting wet or staying dry. The majority of the bus opted for the TumuTumu Toobing which, as the title indicates, mainly involved rafting on a giant tyre through the caves. Others opted for a drier option that involved walking through the caves and a glow worm tour from the safety of a large inflatable raft. I wanted something a bit more challenging and went for the Haggas Honking Holes. The leaflet did say, “Waitomo’s most concentrated action adventure.” Sign me up!

The plan was to go all Indiana Jones, abseiling down waterfalls and rock climbing. Those responsible for making sure I didn’t do anything ridiculous were the lovely Dean and Allan.

A small group of us were taken out to a remote spot in the countryside to get kitted out for the cave trip. Wet suit, check. Helmet, check. Boots, check. Belt thingy, check. Looking like a complete loon?

I’ll let you decide!

The wetsuit felt like a second skin it clung to me that tightly. A slightly saggier second skin that restricted my movement that is. It took me a short while to get used to moving around in all the gear.

Ready to go!

I had a sudden rush of excitement as we all ventured out to tackle Waitomo Caves. Before we were let loose, there were a few safety measures and practice runs to go through. Dean stayed back with us to do this whilst Allan went off to the first cave in preparation.

Although I wasn’t the only one who had never abseiled before, I certainly was the class clown. I was all fingers and thumbs. Everyone else picked it up easily. I hoped it was just nerves behind the fact that I kept forgetting everything Dean had explained to us.

By this point, we were all introduced and relaxed around each other. Our group included Eleanor (New Zealander), Daniel (Swiss), Tam (Swiss), Jordan (Scot) and I was unfortunately left to represent the UK. Sorry!

As we walked down to the cave, I was eager to get going but nervous that I was going to faceplant the cave walls.

Our first abseil was almost instantaneous so I had to leave my qualms behind pretty sharpish. One good thing about the drop was that it was too dark to see how far down it was.

I was very shaky to begin with and the initial leap off the edge was scary. Not being able to see too much around you and leaping into nothing with only a thin piece of rope supporting you was perplexing to the system. My heart was pounding hard whilst my brain was going into panic mode. My balance was nowhere to be found but after a minute or so I got into the swing of things (sorry I couldn’t help myself).

Reaching the bottom was an achievement for me. I was relieved and elated. I couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off of my face, I felt fantastic. I wanted more!

As I was the first person down, I had a chance to look around the caves and spot the glow worms. I switched off my helmet light and watched as the dark cave walls were painted in tiny flecks of luminous green.

After the last person dropped down, we went on to tackle three abseils down waterfalls.

Looking up is much better than looking down.

Once they were completed, we ventured deeper and further through the caves, crouching and crawling our way down. Now was definitely not the time to be coy. I threw myself into everything with gusto.

Sometime into the trail, we took a short refuge underneath a long stretch of glow worms. Allan went into more detail about the life of a glow worm and it’s not as glamorous as the pretty shiny lights make out.

Further on we saw oysters within the rocks. It was great how informative the tour was despite the active setting. Both guys certainly knew their stuff and everything ran smoothly. It was almost like a military operation in a sense. After we left one guide there’d be another at the next point. How did he get there? It meant that there was never anything holding us up and there was always someone around to help if you needed it. I think Allan might have regretted that decision as I fell onto his lap at one point. Whoops.

Despite my debilitating pace (I was running on empty remember!) none of the group nor the guides grew impatient with me. I wasn’t patronised or laughed at, even when I did keep forgetting how to turn my head torch on and off! I had a fantastic time. I enjoyed every bit.

I was never macho enough to be Indiana unfortunately. I squealed like a little girl when I was dropped down a dark hole. I was attached to a rope and Allan was at the bottom to ensure my safe landing. I had to tuck in my legs, head and arms it was that narrow! I knew the drop was coming but there was no countdown or anything. It was steeper than I thought! I can laugh about it all now though.

In an attempt to man-up, I later tried to tackle a difficult wall climb. I crawled through to a spot where you could use a ladder or rock climb. It was my job to make sure that everyone was clipped in securely and to shout up “climb” or “ladder” to Allan at the top. I’m not sure what made Dean pick me out of everyone...ahem.

Eleanor went up the ladder and the guys climbed. It looked really tricky but I gave it a go. It was so slippy and it was difficult to see where to put my feet. Water was tumbling down and filling my boots making it harder and harder to lift myself. My legs felt like lead weights pulling me down. Dean climbed up the ladder and spurred me on but I had no energy left and my legs were shaking with the strain. In the end I had to climb the ladder.

Although bitterly disappointed, I was rewarded with a glass of juice and a Freddo (chocolate frog) at the end of it so I felt a bit better.

We were almost near the end now. It was just a case of crawling…a lot and clambering over larger rocks to reach the top again.

Getting down and dirty!

As I stumbled into daylight I got a waft of stale water and sweat – a sign that I’d worked hard and needed a shower. Thankfully there were showers at the site so I didn’t have to get back on the bus all grimy.

Dean and Allan made excellent guides. They were helpful, friendly and informative throughout. They made everything so easy that anyone can do it, although I would recommend that you have a hearty breakfast before doing so!

Thank you Dean and Allan for one of the best experiences of my travels so far.

Coffs Harbour 20/03/2012 3 Nights Part 3

Yesterday was a surreal day in the best possible way. Our third day in Coffs Harbour was surreal alright but nobody was smiling.

Sarah made the decision to go back to Collaroy and everyone was in shock. When I was told the news I didn’t feel anything as I knew that no matter what I said, Sarah’s decision was final. It’s a big deal to get up and leave a group mid-trip so I doubt a few nice words would have made her change her mind.

Travelling with a group of people isn’t a decision that should be taken lightly. I’ve been on trips with girls who were my friends and came across problems and drama so travelling with practical strangers is always a risk. Mel, Steff and I are like family and, despite the odd quarrel, still remain close no matter what. Sarah was a newcomer and it’s the hardest role to slot into. Sarah also had the least amount of money. Before Sarah came into the mix, I was the one with the least amount of money. My good friend Emma warned me that this could cause problems later on down the line when some people want to do activities or go to places that are out of another person’s budget range. But sometimes the unexpected can get in the way. You can be the best of friends but living or travelling together brings out the neuroses in everyone whether you like it or not. Some bond and some hate the very presence of someone. There’s not a lot you can do if you don’t get on with someone.

I’ve surprised myself with how many different types of people I can get along with. I don’t mean this in a condescending way. It’s more the fact that I usually stick with people who have similar personalities to me or are pretty laid back. This is partly to avoid conflict but also to almost guarantee that I’d get along with them. I hate time wasters, fake people, liars and two faced idiots. You’d think that people would grow out of these immature traits but you’d be surprised. The thing is, you can have similar personalities, be from the same area and know the same people but in an enclosed environment even the seemingly nice people can change. It’s almost like seeing them with fresh eyes. You can’t predict it either; it’s a risk you take. I’ve seen it happen to other people and have witnessed it myself many times.

If anything, a major change like this would be best off happening early on in the trip. Mel, Steff and I have been together (on and off) since Phuket. We may bicker, have our differences and do things that one of us doesn't agree with, but despite this, we are incredibly close. Now that Sarah has left, it’s almost like a relief as awful as that sounds. It feels like nothing else majorly disruptive can happen now. Anything negative that would occur will be tackled by all three of us collectively. In a sense, we’re stronger now. I don’t feel like I need to worry about how I’m being or how everyone else is feeling. I already know that!

With that set of philosophising aside, we still had the rest of the day. After yesterday’s antics, I was ready for a chilled out day. We couldn’t think of much else to do activity-wise in Coffs Harbour but Steff knew exactly what he wanted to do – go karting. The boy is obsessed! He went to a place in Phuket that had souped up carts and drove around like a nut case. In Australia however, it’s not as mighty but the price surely is. He paid $55 for 20 minutes. Mad.

Mel and I weren’t interested so waited by the side and tried to take photos.

...and failed. I did say try!

Steff thinks he looks like this...

When in actual fact he looked like this...

Nice gloves Steff!

I am cheeky I know! I get ribbed all the time so this is tame in comparison. I got full beam lights on me whilst going to the toilet a few days ago, this is nothing!

It looked pretty boring. I’d have to be racing someone for me to feel truly excited about driving around in wiggly circles. Steff seemed happy though so Mel and I shrugged and left.

That happiness didn’t last long. Today was the worst for The Steffan Syndrome. I coin this term as Steff is the only person I have ever met that can lose something within seconds of you handing him something. I could give him a key, a minute later I’ll ask him for it and it’s disappeared. It sounds funny, and for the most part it is, but it sure as hell creates a lot of needless stress. I know how worked up I get when I lose something. I have visions of me tearing my room apart looking for my birth certificate or driving papers. The thing is, my room is a tip so it’s not surprising that I lose things in the mountain of mess that I have. We’re bleedin’ backpackers. We don’t have that much stuff to lose and if we do, we only have two places to look. The car or the tent!

Firstly Steff lost his bank card so Mel and I had to chip together to pay for his go karting. It turns out he left it at the petrol station. Steff then lost his wallet so many times that I can’t actually remember. It was always at the time when we were about to set off and do something so everything had to be dropped to find it. Mel and I would be panicking for him as all his money and cards would be gone. Now, we just roll our eyes and sit back as Steff runs around mumbling to himself and trying to re-enact his previous movements. He is extremely lucky in a sense as I have countlessly returned his wallet and phone to him after he abandoned them. So have other people. However he has misplaced two pairs of flip flops, a hoody and a hooded cardigan. So far it has been items that are easily replaceable!

My next surprise came when we visited the mall and bought the best curry I’ve had in Australia for dinner. It was beautiful. On the way back to the camp site we stopped off at a drive-thru bottle shop. We each bought a mixed fruit cider to accompany the tasty curry. It was a perfect evening meal.

A last minute decision was made to go to the cinema out of boredom. We hadn’t been to the cinema for such a long time. Hunger Games was the only film we knew that was out. We had a couple of hours before the showing and Mel chose this time to sort through her clothes. It was yet another culling session. About 70% of Mel’s clothes are newly bought here so you can imagine how hard it was to do this. I have no idea how Mel is going to get all her stuff home! Not that I can really talk! Checking in for my flight to New Zealand is going to be interesting!

*****

As I settled down on my air bed, I started to think about the next stop. I’ve heard brilliant things about Byron Bay so I was happily dreaming of how the next day might unfold. That was until our tent got attacked by screeching bats. It was an eerie moment as one after another flew into our tent. Ok, it wasn’t an attack per se. I don’t think the bats purposefully flew into our tent, but still…weird. I’m getting to witness a wide spectrum of the natural world in Australia and I’m not sure yet whether that’s a good thing!

Dearest Japan...

I can’t believe it’s been just over six months since my visit. I’m sorry I haven’t written sooner but, today of all days, I wanted to make sure you knew that I was thinking of you and your people. As you know only too well, today marks the 12 month anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake that caused the devastating tsunami and nuclear crisis. It’s an unfortunate circumstance to be writing to you under but a justifiable reason nonetheless.

It is times like these where someone’s true nature is exposed. I understand that this day has been enveloped in controversy and shrouded with probing questions but, for now, I’d like to focus on what I’ve seen.

I’ve seen a country so strong, composed and dignified that, rather than take advantage of it’s vulnerable state, marched on as usual. During the time directly after the earthquake hit, rather than resorting to mindless looting and violence, you queued for groceries and waited patiently to cross the vacant streets. I can’t think of another country that would go about their daily lives as usual when surrounded by such chaos.

It is this spirit and graciousness that helped me decide to carry on with my travels and not bypass you. There were many people that warned me against visiting you stating that it’s too dangerous and that it would be disrespectful. They told me I would get in the way of your recovery and would be ostracised for enjoying myself whilst you were grieving.

I didn’t agree and, perhaps selfishly, ignored all those around me. I wanted to see you and I’m so glad I did. You embraced me and made me feel more welcome than I could ever have imagined.

I remember my first day. After taking a wrong turn, I got lost on my way to the train station. I was surrounded by locals who couldn’t speak my language nor could I speak theirs. In my naive state, I sat and cried for longer than was necessary. I convinced myself that I couldn’t do this, that I was completely hopeless and would never be able to navigate my way around the world. After my first hour, I’d written off my trip and wanted to go home. Sensing how ridiculous I looked, I mustered up the last bit of self-confidence that I had and ploughed on with my day. I never looked back…well until today that is.

From my very first day I felt your warming and welcoming nature. Whenever I looked confused, there was always someone there with a helping hand. Whenever I attempted to speak your language and, for the most part, made no sense, you didn’t laugh or shoo me away. On the contrary, if anything, people stayed with me until I was ok. It was so shocking to me that complete strangers would go out of their way to make sure that I was alright. I’ve yet to visit a place with the same quality.

It is this hospitable nature which meant that, hadn’t I read/seen reports of the earthquake in the media, I would never have known about what had happened whilst I was with you. I wasn't asked for money nor was I lectured about that day. 
My ignorance of what has befallen since that day shames me. My journey did not take me to any badly affected areas. Instead, I went south. Whilst I was giddily watching a chef scoop up an okonomiyaki creation for me to devour, distraught family members were still searching for their loved ones who vanished on that day. As I soaked in a soothing hot onsen, masses of people still remain in temporary housing as the tsunami wiped away their existence. 

So with that, I want to thank you for all the adventures you have given me. From the sunrise on Mount Fuji to my very first lesson in the art of sushi, I had nothing but good times with you and I will be forever grateful.

I have done my best to return the favour by spreading the word of how brilliant a country you are. I’ve either sparked the interest of fellow travellers who were thinking of visiting you, or talked you up so much that people agreed to visit you just to shut me up! Part of me hopes that I succeeded as I know how important tourism is. The other part secretly hopes that you will remain a hidden treasure that only I and others who have been there can enjoy.

I have seen some photos of your progression online and understand that there is still so much more to be done. I hope there will come a time when I can repay you for everything you have done for me. My time spent in Japan has greatly shaped my attitude towards my future travels and life in general. Until we meet again, I wish you all the best in the future.

Kindest regards,

Danielle

On Second Thought...

“If you can get your heart going, it does make you happier and I get my heart going by moaning. When I get annoyed, that’s when my heart kicks in. It’s a win-win for me ‘cos my heart gets going when I’m having a moan and that makes me feel a bit better and if I’m happy, I’m happy.” Karl Pilkington, An Idiot Abroad, Season 2, Episode 6.

My attempts at condensing down my last three months in Sydney haven’t quite gone according to plan. Upon reflection and some feedback from friends, it looks like my exasperated moans might have come across as a bit snobby and holier than thou. This was not my intention nor does it represent who I am, so this instalment of my blog is part disclaimer part set-the-record-straight statement.

In general terms, I have always tried to keep the tone of my blog light but informative whilst maintaining the look of a diary. Like a diary, my blog has been a silent friend who has listened to my times of great achievement and moments of elation, as well as my times of utter despair when things have gone wrong. My diary doesn’t judge me and is there as an outlet to vent in times of need. With me, what you see is what you get, and it’s the same with my diary. My emotions come flowing though my blog like it’s an extension of my soul. When I’m happy my blog posts bounce and flourish but when I’m in a dark place the words might bite and end on a sour note.

Like my personality, I don’t choose to hide my true opinions and observations. My blog isn’t a never-ending Facebook status. I don’t want it to be full of fake projections of how fantastic my life is and how wonderful I feel. Of course, when I’m happy, I’ll write that I’m happy. But when I’m sad, you will also see that side.

I’ll cast you back to my blog post about my stay in Koh Phangan. That was an awful time for me and I wasn’t going to shy away from that. I was naïve and walked into that party with the hazy misconceptions filtered through to me from friends and Google links. Thankfully I came prepared and, with a large stroke of luck, ended up back at my bungalow safe and sound. I wanted to remember that moment and how I felt as I know that when I’m back in England I won’t be thinking about the bad times. All I’ll remember are all the remnants of how great my trip was and how I want to go out and do more travelling. But I want to remember that there were certain moments where things didn’t go according to plan but I pulled through it and came out the other side. I’m a stronger person for it and it’s one of many elements to my trip where I have learned a lot.

Obviously my blog isn’t just about me. I want to share these life lessons and tribulations with you too. I guess it’s partly so you don’t make the same mistakes as I did, but also to show that life as a traveller isn’t all as glamourous as the guide books and travel shows portray!

I hope the above has served as a justifiable context to the reason why my past few blogs have been a bit arsey. I entered Australia on the dizzy notion that it was the place to be. So many Brits fly out to Australia and never come back so it must be some kind of awesome. Things haven’t quite gone according to plan so, at my lowest points, I felt like I’d been short-changed. Where’s my flipping Australian dream eh?

Seeing the bigger picture – I’m on a brilliant year-long round the world trip full of adventure, great laughs and even greater food…not forgetting the cake of course – it’s easy to sit back and wonder what all the fuss is about. I should just shut my mouth and enjoy the ride. Unfortunately it’s not been that easy. I’ve had to make Australia my temporary home. At my  home in England, I have certain anchors which keep me steady and strong when a shit storm hits. The obvious ones being my parents and my closest friends who know me through and through, but you’ll be surprised how significant the little things are that get you through the day. Imagine a day consisting of a series of unfortunate events. You’re late for work, your boss shouts at you, stroppy workers/customers take out their own frustrations on you, the rain batters you on the way home and a truck rolls through a massive puddle drenching you from head to toe…and so on and so forth. When you get home, you kick off your shoes, stretch out on the sofa and catch up on your stories thanks to Sky+ or you head for a nice long steamy shower and have a good ol’ pamper session.

For me, I bake. Baking matches my personality completely. You have to be a perfectionist. Too much flour and your cake is dry, too much butter and it’s too greasy and can sometimes sink in the pan and not cook properly. I love creating sugary, heavenly goodness from a box of ingredients. I intended on living in a house-share situation whilst out in Australia, but this fell through. If I did, I would have had an oven and could bake until the cows came home. I don’t have access to an oven here. It did knock me down a little bit.

It’s one of many things that have slowly pushed me further and further to the brink of boiling point. Living in this hostel knowing that someone has rifled through my things and taken my food*, my flip-flops were stolen, my boss picked me apart from start to finish throughout all my shifts for a while, backpackers speaking to you like they’re your best friends one day then ditching you for a new group of people, not being able to move about freely in my room as it’s so small, not having enough money to eat properly…and so on and so forth. All these things by themselves aren’t much. You’d grumble for a few minutes and then move on. But all those things and more can gradually pull you down until one day, you go to make a tuna pasta salad and find that the mayonnaise you spent $5 tastes like something out of a sweet/candy/lollie store and you want to scream “Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck!” but you can’t as there are people around you.

So yes, I have been a bit downbeat about Australia so far as it’s not what I thought it would be. The Northern Beaches of Sydney is definitely not full of the kind of people that make Australia a country worth living in. It sounds harsh but even the Australian TNT magazine (backpackers travel magazine) agrees with me stating that Aussies in Tasmania are a heck of a lot nicer and more laid back.

I have moaned a bit but sometimes it’s good for the soul to have a bit of a moan. A thought which is expressed perfectly by Karl Pilkington in this clip during the Route 66 episode. Even though a lot of what Karl Pilkington says is hilarious, he does make sense sometimes and he moans a lot more than I do when he's travelling!

So there you go, that’s me. I hope that all makes sense and adds a bit more context to my previous posts. If not, well…err…just keep reading, it does get better as I have had fun days here.

*Since writing this blog post, the thief has been caught and thrown out of the hostel. Hooray!!!

It Was The Best Of Times, It Was The Worst Of Times...

Worst eavesdropping moment:
Girl: "I've just come from Laos...they had really weird rules at the place I stayed...if you slept with the same guy more than three times you had to down two shots of urine. Pretty crazy right?
Guy: "Woooah. So what did you do?"
Girl: "What do you think?"

I was still on a high from my snorkelling trip the day before and awoke with a bubbling feeling of excitement. My next destination was Koh Phangan. I'd heard mixed reviews about this island but was keen to get a taste of the night life there. I had made loose plans to meet up with the guys I sang karaoke with earlier in my trip. With that in mind, I didn't feel too pressurised in making new friends and decided to sit back and relax...

The journey across was short but by no means sweet. I had one whole hour of torture courtesy of a couple and their demon child who refused to stay quiet. Squealing, screaming, stomping...seriously, what is wrong with you? Give him a lolly or something to pacify him before my eardrums burst. Soon enough, it was over and I had arrived. I departed the boat in search of my free taxi transfer to my accommodation. There was no sign with my name on and no trace of anyone from my accommodation. Great. After traipsing around at a complete loss, I was told that I needed to call my accommodation and request to be picked up. I was driven to what felt like the middle of nowhere. My bungalow wasn't as nice as the one in Koh Tao. The fan was miles away from the bed and the shower emitted a dribble of cold water. But things looked up as the place seemed to have a similar vibe to the hostel I stayed in back in Bangkok. There was a deck with cushions on and a TV. There wasn't that many people around when I arrived but I could tell that it was quite a nice place to chill out.

So this is what they must mean when they say the beach is just a stone's throw away. Well in this case the thrower must have the strength of Mr Burns as the beach is just a drunken crawl away.

I decided to go out for a stroll and get a feel for the place that I'd be calling "home" for the next six nights. The area was quiet and a lot of the places were shut. Obviously this part of the island comes alive at night. I decided to head back and chill out in the lounge. There was a large group of guys sat in the centre of the cushioned platform. I decided to sit just to the side, within earshot so I could hopefully join in the conversation at some point. I felt like the creepy guy sidling up to a group of girls in a nightclub hoping to get lucky. Is this what I have been reduced to? In Japan, it seemed a lot easier making friends. Everyone was so warm, happy and welcoming. I've not gotten the same kind of feeling from Thailand so far. Bangkok was fine and Koh Tao was quiet and peaceful. Koh Phangan reminds me of the loud drunken friend who ruins the party for everyone. The one with the inappropriate jokes and the look-at-me attitude to life. I didn't fit in well at all. I tried on multiple occasions to talk to these guys but I couldn't get more than a couple of words and a nod. Defeated, I skulked off to my bungalow for some rest. Surely things can only get better right?

Haha, wrong. It felt like I'd been catapulted back to my youth. The moments when it was me and everyone else. I was an outcast. I wasn't part of the cool gang. I'd missed the lesson on how to be. I decided to accept my fate and rely on meeting the guys from earlier in my trip. I'd hoped to be rescued. Somehow, I managed to find them and organise a meet, yet something still felt strange. I had a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. I couldn't put my finger on it until it was too late. Everyone came to Koh Phangan with friends and I came alone hoping to find and make friends. Everyone else had someone to rely on, somebody watching their backs. Who did I have? Some guys I got merry with and sang together one night a couple of weeks ago. Shit, I'm not going to be in their thoughts when we all get totally smashed. Unfortunately this thought only dawned on me when I was past drunk. I was clutching the nearest Canadian for dear life. What was I doing here? This isn't me.

Then everything went black. All I remember is drinking the dreaded Sang Som buckets whilst trying to keep up with everyone else. I remember entering the full moon party, dancing and then nothing. I was picked up by a group of Irish girls who were trying to piece together what had happened. Somehow they dragged my ass back to where I was staying. Why were these girls being so nice to me? These heroic strangers plucked me out of the oblivion and helped me without no hesitation. I remember one girl saying, "Us girls have got to stick together. Don't you be sorry." If only I had met them before the party, maybe things might have been different. I might have had a good time. Instead, I awoke to the flashbacks of the night before...being violently sick in the bathroom and trying to take out my contact lenses only to realise I'd already done so. Now I have always thought to myself that everyone has a talent. This could be related to a hobby - singing, playing the drums, writing - or their career, or just generally being awesome. I've always struggled to find what my talent is. I do have somewhat of a party trick. No matter how drunk or tired I am, I can somehow take out my lenses and pack them away for cleaning. I wear monthlies. Now those of you who wear contact lenses know what this entails but let me explain. You need to scoop out each lens and put it into a specific capped compartment. You then need to fill a separate small capsule with lens solution up to a certain marked point. You then submerge the capped compartments into the solution and screw it shut. How in the hell did I manage to do that!? I am impressed. Probably the only one who is, but hell, that is my party trick, it's all I have.

I felt disgraceful as I walked down to reception to explain that my room needed gutting. If the room would stop spinning I'd clean up the mess myself. Without hesitation my room was spotless within the hour. I don't believe I was the first nor will I be the last to throw up in their room but it still didn't make me feel any better. This shame cannot be washed away as easily. I went back into my room and burst into tears. I'd never felt so alone. I had a sudden urge to be back home calling my friend to tell him all about it. He would reassure me that everything was ok and tell me funny stories to make me feel better about myself. I have nobody to run to here. What had started off as the best of times had quickly turned into the worst of times. There's no point in hiding it. I felt pretty bad.

I spent most of the day nursing my wounded pride and my head injury. It was too hot to move. It was then that I noticed my newly acquired tan lines. I now resemble a fruit pastille ice lolly except the colours fade in and out from brown to white. I burst out laughing. What a ridiculous sight I make. Despite the melancholy of the past few days, I knew I'd pull myself back up and plough on. I always do. I have plenty more adventures ahead and this isn't the end. I knew that my trip wouldn't all be filled with laughs and funny photos. I knew that there would be a point where I'd have to write a blog post like this. Now I have gotten it out of the way, things can only get better.

As I write this blog, I realise that Koh Phangan is full of casualties. I'd say one in three people I see is sporting a bandage of some description and some need crutches. They even have a name for it - Phangan tattoo. I saw one tourist with a hook for a hand. Shit. I got off lightly!

Just Keep Swimming

My self-pity party comment of the week - One downfall to travelling on my own is that I never have anyone to rub sun cream on my back.

The main thing that resonated in my head when coming to Thailand wasn't the weather nor the beaches. It wasn't the people, the food or the bargains. It was the news I heard from someone on Facebook that their daughter had been bitten by a dog in Thailand and the wound got infected. The girl was hospitalised. Shit. I don't believe I told you about the mishaps that surrounded the jabs I received back home. Partly out of anger but also slight embarrassment. I decided to focus on the funny instead with the Around the World... blog post. As well as being presumptuous and patronising, my nurse was also pitifully misinformed. I trusted her judgement and it bit me in the ass...well the purse to be more precise. My nurse urged me to get the Japanese encephalitis jab privately. Despite my rocky relationship with the NHS, I decided that nurse-knows-best and paid for the jab. The clinic I went to didn't properly explain the prices to me. I thought I was paying for an 80 quid jab when in fact I was going to be charged 160. Ouch. Upon further research I realised that I don't actually need this jab. Am I staying in a rural area? No. Am I travelling with or be staying at any pig or rice farms? No. Am I going to be working in a laboratory with said virus? No. So why was I told to get this jab? Hell knows! The other jab she suggested was the rabies jab but explained that the chances of getting bitten by an animal infected with the disease is rare. I was already out of pocket by 160 squids so decided not to get it. Bangkok was fine but the islands are overrun with dogs. Eek! I flinch every time one moves/barks/remains stationary, heck, I flinch at every god damn dog! I was even afraid of a poodle. It was scrappy, growled and bared its teeth at me. I'm taking no chances...

*****

I got the bus back to Bangkok and then needed to get one to Chumphon. I was dropped off in a random spot in Bangkok and the guy turned to leave. Woooah, hold up, what's going on? After a bit of gentle nagging and a few phone calls from the driver later, I was sorted and on my way to Koh Tao (via Chumphon). I managed to get a good seat - not too close to the toilet and within viewing range of the TV. The film Blow played which was cool. I nabbed a quote from this film for one of my blog entries. Johnny Depp with blonde hair was a bit freaky though but it passed the time nicely. Next...ahem...NEXT...next? One lousy film! Dammit. I tried to sleep but it wasn't happening. Luckily time moved by quite swiftly.

During our only pit stop, I struck up a conversation with a guy called Sebastian. Despite us both being so far beyond sleep that it was an effort to recall our names never mind forming coherent sentences, we managed to have an insightful conversation. Sebastian is from Chicago, one of my last stops on my trip. We discussed Lollapalooza and Japan too, which is Sebastian's next stop. I rambled on about how great Japan is. With anyone who is visiting Japan, I nab their details. I want to know what they think of the place and they might go somewhere I never visited. I hope I can impart some of my knowledge of Japan on to others.

Back to the bus and I was wide awake. I was on a conversation-roll so decided to speak to the girl next to me, also a fellow Brit. I think her name was Heidi - I was half dead remember? Heidi and her husband just quit their high-earning jobs to travel for 3 months. I thought that was fantastic. I'd love to be able to do something like that on a whim. I had to cross off a lot of days on my calendar until I could go. It makes it more exciting too. I was envious but not in a bitter way.

We arrived at the port with plenty of time to catch the ferry to Koh Tao. Plenty of time being nearly four hours. It started to rain. Is this really worth it? The answer was yes. I arrived in Koh Tao and found a guy with my name on a board he was holding up. I always dreamt that would happen but he would be my chauffeur and I'd be climbing into a limo whilst my Louis Vuitton luggage was being loaded into the boot. I'd sip champagne and flick off my Christian Louboutins and relax...I was lead to a jeep where I had to hurl the beast on to the back and take a pew. With no rails to hold on to, I dug my mosquito-bitten toes into my beaten up Animal flip flops and tried not to inhale the sand and grit turfed up from the jeep's back wheels. Not quite the dream perhaps but the sun had come out to greet us all and I felt better about things now I had finally arrived.

What I desperately needed at that moment was a shower. I'd not stopped since the morning before where I bamboo rafted in the dirty river. I went for a swim not knowing that it'd be more than 24 hours later until my next shower. I didn't care what state the bathroom was in or what temperature the water was. I just needed to strip and wash...

"Check-in is 2pm. You can leave your luggage here and explore the island then come back and enter your room at 2pm." I looked at my watch - 10:30am. My inner monologue pictured me falling to my knees exclaiming whhhyyyyyyyyyy-eeeee...sharp intake of breathe...aaawhhhhyyyyyyyyyyyy!

I went for a long walk and had lunch, then came back. My room or should I say bungalow, was right next to the beach and main strip of shops. I stayed on Mae Haad which is dominated by restaurants and cafes. On the other side was Sairee beach which is full of bars. It was only a 10 minute walk to Sairee beach but I mainly stayed on my side as I'm lazy and it was hot. Although rain was predicted, it never came during the day. It did rain during my last two nights but that suited me as I was indoors. I even had a TV with English channels!

The next day, I was still tired fom my journey so didn't do much. I was waiting to hear back from Goodtime Adventures about a trip I wanted to book. Although I'm not fond of heights, I wanted to have a stab at rock climbing. There was one trip, which included a variety of activities, but more than two people had to be book on it. Koh Tao was extremely quiet and nobody had booked on it. I never heard back from them so it wasn't meant to be. Although doing nothing for the next few days seemed like a good idea, I knew I had to do something, even for one day. I knew before I came to Thailand that I wanted to do some Muay Thai training on Koh Tao. I tried to find Monsoon Gym to train but failed. I was hot and bothered so adopted the stroppy teenager stance - "Fine then. I won't do your stupid training then if I can't even find the place, hmph." That, and the fact that it seemed to be a bit of a trek to get to from where I was staying, meant that I gave up on that idea. I spent the next day sunbathing and watching films. The Dilemma is not worth your time folks.

The next day, I miraculously found a studio just round the corner from where I was staying that did Muay Thai training. Ha! The next session started at 4pm so I went and had lunch then got a foot massage. I knew my tootsies were gonna get pounded. I wanted to be punished. I'd not trained since I left and felt like such a slob. The foot massage was pleasant and painful. At one point this lady was jabbing a stick into my foot, on the tops of my toes and then rubbed her knuckles over the tendons. To finish off she slapped my feet and punched my calves. Apparently that's how the Thais relax!

I went back to the gym for my training. I wanted to punch something and kick something even harder. I'd not done any kickboxing for nearly a year now. I wanted to test my technique. I also just wanted to pummel something to relieve a bit of tension! An hour in and I'd not punched anything. I started off with a Mr Miyagi-style course. Instead of wax-on wax-off, I was getting to grips with the footwork. The stance and movements are different to the kickboxing I learnt back home so it took a short while to adjust. I learnt the self defense moves, standard punches, elbows and kicks. For the last 15 minutes I let rip. My arms, shins and knees were burning but they were throbbing with joy. Gimme more!

I went back the next day and we went over the footwork and my instructor Tata tested my defence moves. This session focussed more on the punches, elbows and kicks. I went for it. It didn't really help that I was training at 2pm, the hottest part of the day. I was dripping with sweat before we even began. It was a very good session. We went out for pad Thai that evening and I got to know Tata a bit more. I needed an early night though. My alarm was set to wake me at 7:30am the next day. I was going snorkelling.

For a bargain of 650 baht (around 13 British pounds) including equipment, lunch, fresh fruit, tea and biscuits, we got to stop off at five different locations to snorkel. Each stop superseded the last. It was truly magnificant and I'd recommend it a million times over. I'm a weak swimmer but we had life jackets so there was no chance of me sinking! The first stop was Shark Island. Three guesses as to what we hoped or perhaps didn't hope to see here? Thanks to the guide Sinko (phonetically spelled), I saw and followed a Bull Shark. It was crazy but not that scary. I also saw Butterfly Fish and others which I don't know the name of. I also saw Christmas Tree Worms which duck inside the coral if you hover over it, then they slowly creep back out again. I was already tired but I wanted to see more.

The next stop was Leam Thain Bay and then Hin Wong Bay. The guide could see that I was flailing around and not seeing much so he helped me. We help hands and swam together. His flippers were a big help. At one point we saw scuba divers and Sinko swam down and said hello. It was hilarious. His English was very good and he told us a lot about the fish we were about to see. I saw a lot because of it. I'd only ever been snorkelling once in Egypt and it was a disaster. The guide swam off and left me and my then boyfriend. We didn't see much in the end and we didn't know where we were going! This experience was incredible. Not only did I see a lot of beautiful fish, but I swam with some too! It really is like Finding Nemo (the film) down there. I thought the scenes where the swimming fish resembled the motor vehicle traffic on land was a mirror to the human world, but that is how some of them swim! At one point we saw a massive school of fish which I mistook to be a huge rock. Sinko swam down and through the fish. They moved to create a pathway for him. Once he swam off they simply regrouped.

We stopped for lunch at Mango Bay and snorkelled straight after. It wasn't a nice feeling! Our last stop was Koh Nang Yuan. We could choose between paying 100 baht to visit the private island and snorkel or stay on the boat. I'd just started chatting to a few Brits and they decided to stay on the boat. I didn't fancy wandering around on my own so stayed. It was the best decision I could ever have made. After jumping into the sea from the top of the boat (gah!), Sinko took me and three others out snorkelling round the island and it was mind-blowing. We saw so many different kinds of fish, all beautiful in their own right. Sinko explained that if you hold out your hands in a cupped position, sometimes the fish will kiss your hands. I couldn't get far down enough to try this out on the pink Nemos (Pink Skunk Anemone fish), but I tried it with some others. Out of nowhere a Titan Trigger Fish bit me! It was only a little sharp nip but it made me jump in shock. One fish crawled up Sinko's shorts. His reaction made us all laugh so hard. He said it must have been a female fish, haha! Later on, Sinko swam down and brought up a sea cucumber. I held it but nobody else wanted a go. It was squidgy and a bit slimy. I wanted to take my new friend with me but we had to put him back of course.

On the way back, I spotted a lot more sea cucumbers. I saw a lot of sea urchins too. They're pretty eerie looking with their black evil spikes. It didn't look anything like that in my sushi in Japan...

I was so happy after that trip. Someone asked me back in Bangkok what has been my favourite part of my trip so far and I couldn't pin-point one specific time or event. This snorkelling trip did it for me. I'll never forget that day. If the Great Barrier Reef in Oz is better than Koh Tao then there is a grand treat in store for me when I get there!

So, just like that, my time in Koh Tao was over and it was time for my next stop, Koh Phangan - the party island. Let's hope they don't play Beyonce or Koh Phangan won't know what's hit 'em!

Crazy In Love

Thailand has surprised me in many ways. The chaos that surrounded me in Bangkok was in complete contrast to the calm I was used to in Japan. I felt completely out my comfort zone. I should have given myself time to adjust and figure things out. Instead, I panicked and booked a package deal through a tourist information office. I do regret this slightly but at least I don't need to worry about accommodation and transport. It frees my mind a bit and gives me a chance to truly relax.

My first stop was a National Park around two hours away from Bangkok. I had no idea what was going on before I reached the park but neither did anyone else! I was disorientated and grouchy after zero sleep. Thank you Little Miss Pukes-Her-Guts-Up and her co-star Retch 32. Their lovely regurgitation of the evening's merry consumptions was quite delightful on the ear. As you can tell from my sarcasm, I wasn't in the best of moods so small talk was out of the question. I just wanted to power nap my way there. A bus picked me up from the hostel I was staying at in Bangkok. Two minutes later I was ushered off of the bus and placed on the side of the road amongst other equally confused tourists. I was attacked with various stickers and told to wait. It felt like I was amidst some bizarre cattle auction. I wondered how much I would fetch for. My inner monologue was interrupted by a drunken Brit trying to get on one of the buses. At first it was funny and then my laughter turned to embarrassment and I felt like apologising on behalf of the UK! He then started to turn violent and grabbed the sticker lady. Thailand...in fact most Asian countries I believe are very non-confrontational so nobody stepped up to teach this guy a lesson. In England he would be severely man-handled. Before I could see what happened I was carted off onto another bus for branding...no wait...I mean to travel to my next destination.

We took a couple of detours before we settled down at our accommodation. We visited a cemetery and the creepiest war museum I have ever been to. War museums aren't meant to be carnivals of course but this was just weird. The building looked on the verge of collapse and there didn't seem to be any order to the displays. There were no English descriptions to the displays and we weren't briefed on what we were actually looking at. The others from the bus asked me to translate the title of the museum - what is "Jeath"? I had no clue of course. They all laughed at me as if I was an imbecile. Thankfully it was revealed to me an acronym of the nationalities Japanese, English, Australian, American, Thai and Holland. I later found out that it was meant to depict the Death Railway built between 1942 and 1943 by the Allied POWs under the direction of the Japanese.

Things picked up though as we visited the bridge on the River Kwai. I'm not sure whether it was the sleep deprivation or my four weeks in Japan, but I found myself flinching and staring aghast at the sight before me. I was surrounded by incredibly fat Americans. They were everywhere. Hot, red and sweaty. It freaked me out. I managed to make it from one side to the other...because we had a time limit, not because of all the fat people, calm down!

We took the train back over the bridge. Our guide, O, warned us that if we got off at the wrong stop then we'd be left to fend for ourselves as she wouldn't come back for us until the following day. I don't think she was kidding either! The views were spectacular but somewhat marred by this (photo) trigger happy couple who kept getting in the way. They weren't the only ones. This random woman took a photo of everyone (individually) on the carriage I was in. It was very strange. Some time later, the same woman came back with laminates of a train ticket with each persons' photo on. Yeah I didn't want that! I think she wanted 200 baht for it. It seemed like false economy as I only saw two people buy one from her.

When we stopped for lunch I needed to decide whether to visit the Tiger Temple with  different group of people or stick to what I paid for and stay with the group I'd just gotten to know. It was a difficult choice but I decided to abandon my new friends and head to the Tiger Temple. Unfortunately I can't upload photos just now. Well I could, but it'd take forever and I am paying for the net by the minute here! I did get some good photos of me cuddling up to the tigers as well as others along the way. I might do a photo montage post when I next get free net.

Gianfranco Zola! Now that's just showing off. It all sounded great and it made me wonder why he gave it all up. He eventually revealed that the pay he was on was rubbish. Still, if it makes you happy...

It seems that most people I have met recently have given up dream jobs or well paid jobs (or both!) to go travelling. An air of embarrassment surfaces when they ask me what I do/did. I have no fantastical story. I just worked my arse off s'all. The question that usually follows after I reveal my former job title and correct them when they assume I have a trust fund or robbed someone wealthy, is - What did you do to afford that? They wait with bated breath as if I was going to reveal magnificent secrets. Sorry guys. It's simple:

A) Have no life. A social life costs moooooney. Get over it.
B) Get another job and work everyday. You can sleep next year.
C) Sell everything but your soul on eBay.

Et Voila, you can now go travelling. Trust me, it's all worth it. It makes it more satisfying that I worked for this rather than it being handed to me. I appreciate it more. It's funny that I didn't know (and still don't by the way) what I wanted to do with my lift so decided to travel and clear my head. I thought maybe I'd figure things out but, more importantly, see the world before I had to make that decision. Now these people I have met have already carved out a career for themselves but still felt a bit empty so gave it all up to travel. Maybe one can never feel truly at peace. There'll always be something we've not done or somewhere we haven't been. It'd be a rather boring world if that wasn't so.

After my bout of philosophising, it was time for food again. I also played a game of pool. Well it wasn't quite pool. The table had certainly seen better days and there wasn't a full set of balls. At this moment, I surprised myself. The girl I played kept knocking the balls with her cue after each shot. She'd place the cue down on the table rather than pass it to me. People kept making up random rules too. Now normally I would bring order to this madness. My competitive streak would rear its socially awkward little head. One cannot possibly beat me if one does not follow the rules, hmph. Instead, I couldn't be arsed and I let her win. I never let anyone win. I fight to the bitter end! Ha!

Once the pool was done, the anti-socialites from the bus had a pack of playing cards so suggested we play. Donkey was the name of the game. Simple rules. Get rid of all your pairs then each person picks a card from the person sitting to their left. One person is left with a nominated card, the queen. This one girl kept picking the same card from my hand. I had to use this to my advantage. She lost, a lot. The same girl I played "pool" with too. My subconscious acting out from earlier? Surely not. I just established that my competitive steak had laxed. Shush now.

Some random guy named Brad joined and things became interesting. Earlier, the loser acted out a dare we conjured. We decided on singing a song of the loser's choice as loud as possible. I suggested we make it more fun. The next person who loses should go across to this group of guys and ask if any of them had a spare bed for the night...well I said sleep with them but they PG'd it. My streaking dare was also vetoed. Weak! I was bored and part of me wanted to lose just to mess with some people. On we played and I didn't lose. The others opted for the singing forfeit. Boring. Banter ensued and it turns out that Brad is Canadian marry me? I love the Canadians! Have I mentioned that before? I perked up.

We decided to play one more game and I lost. Shit. I had to eat my words. Ok. Here'goes! I wandered up to the guys and debated on whether I should blurt out the dare and run or ease my way into it. I went for the latter which was a ridiculous idea. Turns out the guys were awesome. i wanted to keep talking to them. Stupid dare. Brad suggested I say it to this odd looking dutch guy...hmm...if I'm doing this then I think I should get to choose (I know dares aren't supposed to be fun but that's besides the point!). Argh! What am I doing? I should have just blurted it out and ran off. Wait, if I'm going to retract anything it'd be the dare. Flashing my boobs would have been much easier. Hello - here's my boobs - so where are you guys from? Instead I had to offer my services to a random. I chose my victim and said it...well mumbled it. The git said he didn't hear me and asked me to say it again. I'm not sure if he was messing with me...on seconds thought, yes he was probably messing with me. Making me squirm. I said it and went and got a beer. Phew. I spent so much time thinking about what I'd say, I didn't even think about what the guy would say. He said yes...shit...err...ok. Haha! What a complete failure. Never mind. It was time for karaoke!

I never had the chance to do karaoke in Japan so I leapt at the chance to have a bit of fun in Thailand! It also gave me a chance to distract the guys from what I just said. Gary and Connor - Irish, Brad and Brandon - Canadian, and a few others I didn't know descended on the singing zone. We all had a go, choosing songs from the list on the screen. Connor's rendition of Daniel Bedingfield: If You're Not The One, was loud but beautiful. I sang Barbie Girl with Brandon and we all joined in on Big Big Girl. All the classics! Time wound on and I was having a brilliant time. I even got to do a bit of rapping. I love hip-hop karaoke. People were taking photos so somewhere on Facebook are photos of me gurning away. Wonderful.

We sung a lot of songs together. But then...a song flashed up on the screen and everything changed. Could it be? I ran up to the lady controlling the playlist and babbled something incoherently to her in my excitement. I calmed down, took a deep breath and told her to play song number 68. Microphone firmly clenched in hand, I took centre-stage. I could hear people around me asking what I was doing and what song I was going to sing. I didn't reply. I was in the zone. Everyone was completely oblivious as to what was about to happen. I don't think those guys were ready for my jelly. Yes...the Beyonce...Crazy In Love...booty shaking and all. Oh yeah baby. I shook my booty and sang my little heart out. I think the beer went to my head but I didn't care. I do recall a similar moment back in York when a Beyonce song was played . It involved an umbrella and two unsuspecting males. I have no idea what happens to me to make me act that way but Beyonce brings out my wild side.

The Thai people on that floating home certainly knew how to party. Late nights and early mornings do NOT mix. Unfortunately I had no choice in the matter. The next day, an 8:30am breakfast and 9am departure meant I didn't have much of a chance to say goodbye to everyone properly.

Thereafter, I had quite an active morning. I went bamboo rafting, elephant riding and then visited the second (much better) war museum. The descriptions were more in depth and audio players were free to use. We walked through the pass itself. It was pretty powerful stuff!

The trip ended all too soon and my next stop was Koh Tao. I had no idea how I was going to get there. Maybe I'm getting a little too laid back...