Day 79 Flying home!
14 hour flight to the UK. Need I say more?
14 hours is just way too much. It almost killed me, boredom!! Luckily it was overnight so you can sleep for a bit of it. The in-flight entertainment system was great though!!
I walked through the arrival hall and there he was - Daddy!!! How weird it was to see him again, I had to take several looks at him.
Now, 14 days back in England before the Caribbean! BYE.x
Sunday, 2 January 2011
Singapore Update!
Day 76, 77 and 78 Singapore
As I'm now on my own in Singapore and in absolutely luxury hotels I'm not being the most active of people. I stayed at Raffles for the longest I possibly could until moving to my next hotel - the number 1 rated hotel on Trip Advisor and another 5 * hotel, Conrad Centennial. On the first night I went on the Singapore Flyer in the evening which is like the London Eye but bigger - the biggest in the world in fact. Once I'd got off of that it was 9pm so I had dinner at an American diner sports restaurant bar thing at the bottom which was really nice and really lively! The next day I don't think I did anything.. In the coming days all I did was visit Orchard Road - I'd get a taxi out there and walk back but this was just in the evenings. It was a 4 mile walk back!! So you're thinking why on earth was I walking this at night? The answer is the taxi system in Singapore. You can't just hail a cab in the city centre. You can only get them from two points on the main street - and you couldn't just go hail them on another road just off the main street. You had to queue up like a bus stop type thing but the queues went on for miles with virtually no taxis stopping - about 1 every 5 minutes but when there's a queue of over 60 people you weren't going anywhere quickly and this happened every night so every night I'd had to walk back. The breakfast at Conrad Centennial was the most amazing thing ever!!! It was insane. I looked forward to breakfast every day, words couldn't describe it! They had 5 long surfaces full of everything you could ever want! They had vitamin corner where you could get every type of fruit and they'd also blend any type of fruit you wanted to make a fresh juice for you. They had waffle station and ice cream corner too which was amazing! 20 flavours of ice cream for breakfast! AND they had about 20 types of topping to put on top - from flaked chocolate to nuts to fresh strawberries and toffee sauces etc. They had hot food that you could eat as a full meal, they had all the usual bacon, sausages, eggs, baked beans!!, about 20 different cereals, every type of bread. Mmmm. I loved this place!! BYE.x
As I'm now on my own in Singapore and in absolutely luxury hotels I'm not being the most active of people. I stayed at Raffles for the longest I possibly could until moving to my next hotel - the number 1 rated hotel on Trip Advisor and another 5 * hotel, Conrad Centennial. On the first night I went on the Singapore Flyer in the evening which is like the London Eye but bigger - the biggest in the world in fact. Once I'd got off of that it was 9pm so I had dinner at an American diner sports restaurant bar thing at the bottom which was really nice and really lively! The next day I don't think I did anything.. In the coming days all I did was visit Orchard Road - I'd get a taxi out there and walk back but this was just in the evenings. It was a 4 mile walk back!! So you're thinking why on earth was I walking this at night? The answer is the taxi system in Singapore. You can't just hail a cab in the city centre. You can only get them from two points on the main street - and you couldn't just go hail them on another road just off the main street. You had to queue up like a bus stop type thing but the queues went on for miles with virtually no taxis stopping - about 1 every 5 minutes but when there's a queue of over 60 people you weren't going anywhere quickly and this happened every night so every night I'd had to walk back. The breakfast at Conrad Centennial was the most amazing thing ever!!! It was insane. I looked forward to breakfast every day, words couldn't describe it! They had 5 long surfaces full of everything you could ever want! They had vitamin corner where you could get every type of fruit and they'd also blend any type of fruit you wanted to make a fresh juice for you. They had waffle station and ice cream corner too which was amazing! 20 flavours of ice cream for breakfast! AND they had about 20 types of topping to put on top - from flaked chocolate to nuts to fresh strawberries and toffee sauces etc. They had hot food that you could eat as a full meal, they had all the usual bacon, sausages, eggs, baked beans!!, about 20 different cereals, every type of bread. Mmmm. I loved this place!! BYE.x
Singapore Update!
Day 75 Singapore
Today we arrived in Singapore! Dad had booked a top suite at Raffles Hotel for me for tonight and I just wanted to head straight there but I hadn't changed any money to Singaporean dollars yet so I had to get the taxi with everyone else to their hotel. Once we got there I arranged to meet up with Jem and Steve later and I changed my money and went to Raffles. It wasn't such a great experience at first.. I'll just quickly let you know - so basically, I turn up at Raffles and my dad had let them know that I was 18. I didn't have a credit which shouldn't have been a problem because he'd paid in full already but when I got here they refused to let me check in which was absolutely ridiculous!!! I told them I didn't have one and I couldn't sort anything out then because it was 4am at home and they seemed to accept that but said that my room wasn't ready and to take a seat while they made some special preparations for me.. 30 mins later I was really bored and annoyed so I asked when I could have my room and they told me not until I'd given them a credit card which they knew was impossible so I was like and when were you going to tell me that's what you were waiting for, they would have just left me sat there for god knows how long!! So I got all upset cause they wouldn't just let me go to a room that had been paid for in full and they had told my dad they'd pre-authorised his card anyway but they got contact with my dad even though it was ridiculously early and he sent them all the necessary stuff so like an hour later I was allowed to my room, then my butler was like oh it hasn't been authorised properly can we have the credit card again which was like crazy cause I didn't have it and I thought they were going to chuck me out again, by now I'd already cried and had the manager speak to me etc. But then I phoned up dad but mum answered and I could hear dad in the background having a go at them and yeah I don't know what he said but 10 minutes later I have this whole entourage come upstairs bearing gifts for me :) They gave me a teddy bear and 2 $100 boxes of chocolates and glasses of orange juice and vouchers for Singapore Slings and yeah I got personal apologies from the manager and his personal cell number and yeah then they gave me a personal assistant as well as my 24 hours a day butler and concierge!! CRAZYY! Then they treated me as if I owned the place so yeah it's really cool now and I'm happy after my momentary hiccup :)! And yeah I love the hotel now :D It's amazingggggggggg. So Raffles - it’s AMAZINGLY AMAZING. Like beyond amazing!! I’ve stayed in a fair few 5* hotels but this has something different about it – partly because I’m staying in a suite that costs GBP2000 a night!!!! So yeah daddy paid for a GBP700 suite (he got a better deal than that, rest assured) but I got upgraded to this bad boy!!! :D! So yeah personal butler, concierge, PA, I’m living a suite life ;) get it? I’ve put up photos of my room, at first I didn’t appreciate it so much but they gave me a history of all the furniture in the room and turns out it’s worth a fortune, every single item in there is an antique piece of art really, like the bed is worth tens of thousands of pounds as it’s some unique Chinese artpiece from over 150 years ago. Mental. There’s like truck loads of tourists who turn up looking in trying to take pictures because it’s such a famous hotel – it’s included on all the sightseeing tours of Singapore but I have a key that gives me access all areas and I can get through special gates and stuff cause they’re not allowed in the actual hotel bit, there’s the separate tourist parts. It’s mad. I’m sitting in the craziest computer room right now, the ceiling is like 60ft high and it’s just for little old me :) special. You could read the history on this place ‘cause it’s really interesting. In my leaflet for a city tour I did today it claims that this is a hotel for celebrities and dignitaries :) and of course little me :D! Singapore is really really nice. It’s very European, just like being in any other European capital city! Which is nice.
I met Jem and Steve at their hotel and we went to Orchard Road which is Singapore's answer to Oxford Street. It's really nice. We wandered up and down, had a look at a few of the shops... and ended up at none other than TGI Friday's! After our lovely meal last time we just had to go again! We then went to Haagen Dazs which was so lush! Raffles had said I was allowed to bring Jem and Steve back to show them around the guest only areas and my suite so they came back with me which was really cool! Jem took a lot of pictures! I saw out and then went to sit in the bit atrium bit outside my suite and listened to the piano playing. There are only 7 suites in the main part of Raffles Hotel - the part that's on all the pictures - and mine is one of them! BYE.x
Today we arrived in Singapore! Dad had booked a top suite at Raffles Hotel for me for tonight and I just wanted to head straight there but I hadn't changed any money to Singaporean dollars yet so I had to get the taxi with everyone else to their hotel. Once we got there I arranged to meet up with Jem and Steve later and I changed my money and went to Raffles. It wasn't such a great experience at first.. I'll just quickly let you know - so basically, I turn up at Raffles and my dad had let them know that I was 18. I didn't have a credit which shouldn't have been a problem because he'd paid in full already but when I got here they refused to let me check in which was absolutely ridiculous!!! I told them I didn't have one and I couldn't sort anything out then because it was 4am at home and they seemed to accept that but said that my room wasn't ready and to take a seat while they made some special preparations for me.. 30 mins later I was really bored and annoyed so I asked when I could have my room and they told me not until I'd given them a credit card which they knew was impossible so I was like and when were you going to tell me that's what you were waiting for, they would have just left me sat there for god knows how long!! So I got all upset cause they wouldn't just let me go to a room that had been paid for in full and they had told my dad they'd pre-authorised his card anyway but they got contact with my dad even though it was ridiculously early and he sent them all the necessary stuff so like an hour later I was allowed to my room, then my butler was like oh it hasn't been authorised properly can we have the credit card again which was like crazy cause I didn't have it and I thought they were going to chuck me out again, by now I'd already cried and had the manager speak to me etc. But then I phoned up dad but mum answered and I could hear dad in the background having a go at them and yeah I don't know what he said but 10 minutes later I have this whole entourage come upstairs bearing gifts for me :) They gave me a teddy bear and 2 $100 boxes of chocolates and glasses of orange juice and vouchers for Singapore Slings and yeah I got personal apologies from the manager and his personal cell number and yeah then they gave me a personal assistant as well as my 24 hours a day butler and concierge!! CRAZYY! Then they treated me as if I owned the place so yeah it's really cool now and I'm happy after my momentary hiccup :)! And yeah I love the hotel now :D It's amazingggggggggg. So Raffles - it’s AMAZINGLY AMAZING. Like beyond amazing!! I’ve stayed in a fair few 5* hotels but this has something different about it – partly because I’m staying in a suite that costs GBP2000 a night!!!! So yeah daddy paid for a GBP700 suite (he got a better deal than that, rest assured) but I got upgraded to this bad boy!!! :D! So yeah personal butler, concierge, PA, I’m living a suite life ;) get it? I’ve put up photos of my room, at first I didn’t appreciate it so much but they gave me a history of all the furniture in the room and turns out it’s worth a fortune, every single item in there is an antique piece of art really, like the bed is worth tens of thousands of pounds as it’s some unique Chinese artpiece from over 150 years ago. Mental. There’s like truck loads of tourists who turn up looking in trying to take pictures because it’s such a famous hotel – it’s included on all the sightseeing tours of Singapore but I have a key that gives me access all areas and I can get through special gates and stuff cause they’re not allowed in the actual hotel bit, there’s the separate tourist parts. It’s mad. I’m sitting in the craziest computer room right now, the ceiling is like 60ft high and it’s just for little old me :) special. You could read the history on this place ‘cause it’s really interesting. In my leaflet for a city tour I did today it claims that this is a hotel for celebrities and dignitaries :) and of course little me :D! Singapore is really really nice. It’s very European, just like being in any other European capital city! Which is nice.
I met Jem and Steve at their hotel and we went to Orchard Road which is Singapore's answer to Oxford Street. It's really nice. We wandered up and down, had a look at a few of the shops... and ended up at none other than TGI Friday's! After our lovely meal last time we just had to go again! We then went to Haagen Dazs which was so lush! Raffles had said I was allowed to bring Jem and Steve back to show them around the guest only areas and my suite so they came back with me which was really cool! Jem took a lot of pictures! I saw out and then went to sit in the bit atrium bit outside my suite and listened to the piano playing. There are only 7 suites in the main part of Raffles Hotel - the part that's on all the pictures - and mine is one of them! BYE.x
Malaysia Update!
Day 74 Melaka
It was only a relatively short bus ride to Melaka - about 2.5 hours. It's not really a touristy place, there's not all that much to do and it's only 2 hours from Singapore so a lot of us didn't understand why we were going here and not directly to Singapore. We spent the day doing not all that much, went to a weird shopping mall which although big, was really tacky. All the shops were like shoezone and ford market-esque. But it did have a Nandos! That was a highlight. The rest of the day was full of nothingness. In the evening we went on a boat ride down the river which was really pretty and then had dinner at a restaurant along the river. Singapore bound in the morning! BYE.x
It was only a relatively short bus ride to Melaka - about 2.5 hours. It's not really a touristy place, there's not all that much to do and it's only 2 hours from Singapore so a lot of us didn't understand why we were going here and not directly to Singapore. We spent the day doing not all that much, went to a weird shopping mall which although big, was really tacky. All the shops were like shoezone and ford market-esque. But it did have a Nandos! That was a highlight. The rest of the day was full of nothingness. In the evening we went on a boat ride down the river which was really pretty and then had dinner at a restaurant along the river. Singapore bound in the morning! BYE.x
Malaysia Update!
Day 73 Kuala Lumpur
This morning Jem, Steve and I had decided that we were going to get KLbus tickets and see the city. We left at about 11am and had breakfast at Starbucks. We then headed to Chinatown which was the nearest bus stop. The KLbus basically is an open top tourist bus. There is a circular route around KL with 21 stops, each outside a major attraction. The buses come every 30 minutes and you 'hop-on, hop-off'. The night before Steve, Jem and I had planned where we wanted to get off and what to see. We had about 7 stops to get off at. However, the first bus we waited an hour for which wasn't nice and then there weren't any seats. Luckily our first stop wasn't very far. We got off a couple of times to see things and then we saw the Mosque and the biggest open bird place thing in the world and the national observatory. What was a bit annoying is that at each number they listed the attractions and this is where we wanted to see some monuments and Parliament buildings but we walked for about 30 mins and they were no where to be seen which was annoying. Oh and it started to rain incredibly!! The worst rain I've ever seen! It was literally like flowing water overhead. There was no point trying to keep dry with an umbrella or anything, we were drowned. The streets flooded in minutes (they then drained away within minutes)! However, after this we decided that we'd stay on the bus as a sightseeing tour (it's a narrated drive), if you stay on for the whole loop it's 3 hours so we stayed on and saw all the sights from the dryness of our bus! We got off at another stop near the end - the chocolate factory stop - where chocoholics Jem and I bought a load of coconut choccies which we've become addicted to. We then got back on and decided we'd get off again at the big mall we went to the day before. We found TGI Friday's which was amaziiiing!!!!! We were there for hours! We had starters and mains which were absolutely amazing! And Steve got to watch his football! For starter I had these breadcrumbed cubes of macaroni cheese which were so good! Never seen anything like them but they were great! We then got back on the bus to complete the loop back to Chinatown. It was another really good day! BYE.x
This morning Jem, Steve and I had decided that we were going to get KLbus tickets and see the city. We left at about 11am and had breakfast at Starbucks. We then headed to Chinatown which was the nearest bus stop. The KLbus basically is an open top tourist bus. There is a circular route around KL with 21 stops, each outside a major attraction. The buses come every 30 minutes and you 'hop-on, hop-off'. The night before Steve, Jem and I had planned where we wanted to get off and what to see. We had about 7 stops to get off at. However, the first bus we waited an hour for which wasn't nice and then there weren't any seats. Luckily our first stop wasn't very far. We got off a couple of times to see things and then we saw the Mosque and the biggest open bird place thing in the world and the national observatory. What was a bit annoying is that at each number they listed the attractions and this is where we wanted to see some monuments and Parliament buildings but we walked for about 30 mins and they were no where to be seen which was annoying. Oh and it started to rain incredibly!! The worst rain I've ever seen! It was literally like flowing water overhead. There was no point trying to keep dry with an umbrella or anything, we were drowned. The streets flooded in minutes (they then drained away within minutes)! However, after this we decided that we'd stay on the bus as a sightseeing tour (it's a narrated drive), if you stay on for the whole loop it's 3 hours so we stayed on and saw all the sights from the dryness of our bus! We got off at another stop near the end - the chocolate factory stop - where chocoholics Jem and I bought a load of coconut choccies which we've become addicted to. We then got back on and decided we'd get off again at the big mall we went to the day before. We found TGI Friday's which was amaziiiing!!!!! We were there for hours! We had starters and mains which were absolutely amazing! And Steve got to watch his football! For starter I had these breadcrumbed cubes of macaroni cheese which were so good! Never seen anything like them but they were great! We then got back on the bus to complete the loop back to Chinatown. It was another really good day! BYE.x
Malaysia Update!
Day 72 Kuala Lumpur
Today we arrived in KL. We had a bus ride which was about 4 hours along winding mountainous roads. It was alright though. Our tour leader said there would be a short walk once we got off the bus - yeah right!! So as you may know by now from reading my posts, Asia is incredibly humid! So this '5 minute' walk was actually a 30 minute walk but combined with carrying my 30kgs of accumulated luggage and the heat and humidity felt like forever! We arrived at our hotel which was nice. Jem, Steve, Sophie, Alice and I (the youngens on the tour) went out for none other than Nandos!! They have a Nandos in Malaysia?!?! Who'd have thought it! My excitement of returning home for English food was now suppressed as Nandos fully satisfied my craving mmm. We then decided that we'd do our own little city walking tour in search of the KL tower. We'd got a few leaflets and decided that we'd have to see both the KL tower and the Petronas towers. The KL tower is at a greater height than the Petronas but only because it's built on a hill! You could easily buy tickets to go up the KL but not the Petronas and it was a nice day so we thought we ought to do it today (in Malaysia and Singapore, although the weather is always hot, it's also frequently raining because of their subtropical climates - hence when you have a good day, make the most of it). So we walked through the city and eventually found it - without using maps - which is quite remarkable!! We went up the tower which was really cool as we got a nice view over the whole of the capital including the Petronas towers. It was a bit murky but I think that's partly to do with pollution. Our ticket included a visit to the mini zoo at the bottom of the tower which was a bit weird - it housed 'Malaysia's first two-headed turtle'.. weird. Alice wanted to feed the monkeys and so the zookeeper guy let her but he said no to get too close but she thought it'd be fine 'cause of the metal cage but the monkey reached out and grabbed a chunk of her hair!! It then proceeded to discard most of it and then floss its teeth with the rest of it!!! After that we decided to walk to find some shops and we asked some policemen on the way.. it was a bit difficult (still without a map) but we just walked and walked. After 30 mins we were like okay let's give up and get a taxi, so we flagged one down and he said 'it's right there'! The biggest mall was right in front of us, no further than 30metres!! Hilarious. So we went in and did some shopping and got Starbucks. I replaced my lovely shoes that I adored but got completely ruined whilst travelling so that made me happy. After we thought we'd head to the Petronas towers. We took a random guess at where they'd be and then we saw them in the skyline so we just kept looking up and taking the roads that looked like they were in that general direction. After a short walk we arrived at the Petronas towers. We were all in absolute awe - they are amazing! They're HUGE! And absolutely beautiful!!! We could not stop taking pictures! We went in search of the best angles to take pictures that would get us in as well as all of the towers! Most people's cameras had a hard time getting all of the towers in as you couldn't get far enough away to get them all in. So crouching on the floor we all managed to get photos. Oh my gosh I love these towers so much, so amazing!! They look incredible! We then caught a taxi back to the hotel and as it was about 9pm we thought we'd go straight out for dinner. We headed down to Chinatown, a 10 minute walk, where it had been transformed into a huge night market! It was hard to resist looking at all the stalls but we said we'd head to a restaurant first and shop after. There weren't any nice looking places but we chose the best of a bad bunch and it was on the second floor at an intersection in the pedestrianised area so we had a view over all of the markets which was nice. We just had noodles so it was okay. Afterwards we went down to the market to shop, I didn't get anything but I enjoyed browsing the many stalls. It was like a maze! We then headed back to the hotel after a really busy but great day with a sense of achievement having done so much! BYE.x
Today we arrived in KL. We had a bus ride which was about 4 hours along winding mountainous roads. It was alright though. Our tour leader said there would be a short walk once we got off the bus - yeah right!! So as you may know by now from reading my posts, Asia is incredibly humid! So this '5 minute' walk was actually a 30 minute walk but combined with carrying my 30kgs of accumulated luggage and the heat and humidity felt like forever! We arrived at our hotel which was nice. Jem, Steve, Sophie, Alice and I (the youngens on the tour) went out for none other than Nandos!! They have a Nandos in Malaysia?!?! Who'd have thought it! My excitement of returning home for English food was now suppressed as Nandos fully satisfied my craving mmm. We then decided that we'd do our own little city walking tour in search of the KL tower. We'd got a few leaflets and decided that we'd have to see both the KL tower and the Petronas towers. The KL tower is at a greater height than the Petronas but only because it's built on a hill! You could easily buy tickets to go up the KL but not the Petronas and it was a nice day so we thought we ought to do it today (in Malaysia and Singapore, although the weather is always hot, it's also frequently raining because of their subtropical climates - hence when you have a good day, make the most of it). So we walked through the city and eventually found it - without using maps - which is quite remarkable!! We went up the tower which was really cool as we got a nice view over the whole of the capital including the Petronas towers. It was a bit murky but I think that's partly to do with pollution. Our ticket included a visit to the mini zoo at the bottom of the tower which was a bit weird - it housed 'Malaysia's first two-headed turtle'.. weird. Alice wanted to feed the monkeys and so the zookeeper guy let her but he said no to get too close but she thought it'd be fine 'cause of the metal cage but the monkey reached out and grabbed a chunk of her hair!! It then proceeded to discard most of it and then floss its teeth with the rest of it!!! After that we decided to walk to find some shops and we asked some policemen on the way.. it was a bit difficult (still without a map) but we just walked and walked. After 30 mins we were like okay let's give up and get a taxi, so we flagged one down and he said 'it's right there'! The biggest mall was right in front of us, no further than 30metres!! Hilarious. So we went in and did some shopping and got Starbucks. I replaced my lovely shoes that I adored but got completely ruined whilst travelling so that made me happy. After we thought we'd head to the Petronas towers. We took a random guess at where they'd be and then we saw them in the skyline so we just kept looking up and taking the roads that looked like they were in that general direction. After a short walk we arrived at the Petronas towers. We were all in absolute awe - they are amazing! They're HUGE! And absolutely beautiful!!! We could not stop taking pictures! We went in search of the best angles to take pictures that would get us in as well as all of the towers! Most people's cameras had a hard time getting all of the towers in as you couldn't get far enough away to get them all in. So crouching on the floor we all managed to get photos. Oh my gosh I love these towers so much, so amazing!! They look incredible! We then caught a taxi back to the hotel and as it was about 9pm we thought we'd go straight out for dinner. We headed down to Chinatown, a 10 minute walk, where it had been transformed into a huge night market! It was hard to resist looking at all the stalls but we said we'd head to a restaurant first and shop after. There weren't any nice looking places but we chose the best of a bad bunch and it was on the second floor at an intersection in the pedestrianised area so we had a view over all of the markets which was nice. We just had noodles so it was okay. Afterwards we went down to the market to shop, I didn't get anything but I enjoyed browsing the many stalls. It was like a maze! We then headed back to the hotel after a really busy but great day with a sense of achievement having done so much! BYE.x
Sunday, 21 November 2010
Malaysia Update
Day 71 Cameron Highlands
So I found someone who's just like me!! Whilst everyone else has gone trekking through slippery mud and insect watching, Jemma and I got a taxi to the strawberry farm where we spent the morning. We climbed up the strawberry farm which is all over the hills and then we went to the strawberry shop where it only sells strawberry related things.We sat down at the strawberry cafe which again sells all things strawberry and nothing else - as you can see from the picture I took of the menu. I've literally died and gone to strawberry heaven. There's giant strawberry cartoons everywhere too. SO GOOD. I had a strawberry sundae with strawberry ice cream, strawberry sauce, strawberry wafer and strawberries!!! Crazy. Then we got to go and pick our own strawberries so off we went with our safety scissors and punnet! It was really fun. We picked some good'ns. Next we had a bit of difficulty finding a taxi and no one wanted to help us but eventually we got one and went to a tea plantation which had really spectacular views. It was really nice. So yeah Jem and I had a good day - we're very similar too. We had lunch which was really nice and then a starbucks mmm! Then we watched the Disney channel in the communal lounge - much to other peoples annoyance I believe. The others came back from their day trip and one by one they came in and told us we would have hated it. Good decision by us! We then had dinner, Jem, Steve, Sophie and I, it was really nice. Now we're all sat in the local party joint aka the internet cafe which is clearly the place to be at 11pm on a Sunday night. BYE.x
So I found someone who's just like me!! Whilst everyone else has gone trekking through slippery mud and insect watching, Jemma and I got a taxi to the strawberry farm where we spent the morning. We climbed up the strawberry farm which is all over the hills and then we went to the strawberry shop where it only sells strawberry related things.We sat down at the strawberry cafe which again sells all things strawberry and nothing else - as you can see from the picture I took of the menu. I've literally died and gone to strawberry heaven. There's giant strawberry cartoons everywhere too. SO GOOD. I had a strawberry sundae with strawberry ice cream, strawberry sauce, strawberry wafer and strawberries!!! Crazy. Then we got to go and pick our own strawberries so off we went with our safety scissors and punnet! It was really fun. We picked some good'ns. Next we had a bit of difficulty finding a taxi and no one wanted to help us but eventually we got one and went to a tea plantation which had really spectacular views. It was really nice. So yeah Jem and I had a good day - we're very similar too. We had lunch which was really nice and then a starbucks mmm! Then we watched the Disney channel in the communal lounge - much to other peoples annoyance I believe. The others came back from their day trip and one by one they came in and told us we would have hated it. Good decision by us! We then had dinner, Jem, Steve, Sophie and I, it was really nice. Now we're all sat in the local party joint aka the internet cafe which is clearly the place to be at 11pm on a Sunday night. BYE.x
Malaysia Update
Day 70 Cameron Highlands
It was a bit of a lazy morning this morning as we weren't leaving until 11.30am so I had breakfast at 10am and then just chilled. Our bus came an hour late so we just sat in reception on the internet or whatever. When we arrived in Tanah Rata at 5pmish our tour leader was like 'there's nothing to do in the Cameron Highlands' which is pretty much true. So we went out for dinner and then just went back to the hotel - which doesn't even have a TV. BYE.x
It was a bit of a lazy morning this morning as we weren't leaving until 11.30am so I had breakfast at 10am and then just chilled. Our bus came an hour late so we just sat in reception on the internet or whatever. When we arrived in Tanah Rata at 5pmish our tour leader was like 'there's nothing to do in the Cameron Highlands' which is pretty much true. So we went out for dinner and then just went back to the hotel - which doesn't even have a TV. BYE.x
Malaysia Update
Day 69 Penang
I booked a tour yesterday because Jemma and Steve had and they said to do it too so I thought it'd be a good idea. I got up for breakfast at 9am and I got to have marmite for the first time in 3 months - sooo good! And in Thailand I had picked up some snack size pots of nutella so I used that too, mmm. We went down to meet our guide and it turned out to be just the 3 of us and our tour guide was this little old Malaysian man who was really sweet. He was also the driver and he put on his little headset with microphone so that he could speak to us through the speaker system. Firstly we went to the snake temple. For some reason it didn't occur to me that it would mean there were actual snakes there..? They had real snakes all around the temple. Then we went next door to a snake farm.. I don't know what posessed me to do so but I got into a cage with a 24ft python and stroked it if that's the right word to use for a snake. I really don't know what's compelling me, of all people, to do these things?!? Next we went to Kek Lok Si temple which was really cool. It's all on this hill/ mountain thing and so is on many levels. It's really funky and has beautiful views over Penang. Also we went on the first inclining lift in Malaysia which took us up to another level of the temple complex which had a HUGE statue thing right on top of the hill, oh and some fishes. It was really lovely. This was the point at which I decided I quite like Malaysia. After that we went to a Thai temple and a Burmese one where we had fun taking photos doing the same poses as the buddhas. Next we went to a clothing factory which was weird and had some of the most hideous creations known to man. Then we went to a botanical garden which was lovely, acres of lush greenary. Moving on we went to the chocolate factory thing with all the chocolate tasting for free!! SOOOOOO GOOD. AMAZING in fact. I bought some crunchy coconut chocolate things, really really yummy! I loved this place - the only thing that stopped me buying a ton is the amost 40 degree heat whereby transporting chocolate around is just not possible - you know what this means guys, no chocolate presents for you! I'll just let you know how good it tastes. Next was the coffee tasting and then tea and last of all honey and dried fruits. Mum would have loved it. It was such a good day trip and all 3 of us were glad we booked it (the others didn't even see half the stuff) so it was a really really good day. After that we went for dinner at the best curry house in town, it was so good! We then went back to the hotel and sat on the rooftop with some drinks. To sum up, it was a very good day! BYE.x
I booked a tour yesterday because Jemma and Steve had and they said to do it too so I thought it'd be a good idea. I got up for breakfast at 9am and I got to have marmite for the first time in 3 months - sooo good! And in Thailand I had picked up some snack size pots of nutella so I used that too, mmm. We went down to meet our guide and it turned out to be just the 3 of us and our tour guide was this little old Malaysian man who was really sweet. He was also the driver and he put on his little headset with microphone so that he could speak to us through the speaker system. Firstly we went to the snake temple. For some reason it didn't occur to me that it would mean there were actual snakes there..? They had real snakes all around the temple. Then we went next door to a snake farm.. I don't know what posessed me to do so but I got into a cage with a 24ft python and stroked it if that's the right word to use for a snake. I really don't know what's compelling me, of all people, to do these things?!? Next we went to Kek Lok Si temple which was really cool. It's all on this hill/ mountain thing and so is on many levels. It's really funky and has beautiful views over Penang. Also we went on the first inclining lift in Malaysia which took us up to another level of the temple complex which had a HUGE statue thing right on top of the hill, oh and some fishes. It was really lovely. This was the point at which I decided I quite like Malaysia. After that we went to a Thai temple and a Burmese one where we had fun taking photos doing the same poses as the buddhas. Next we went to a clothing factory which was weird and had some of the most hideous creations known to man. Then we went to a botanical garden which was lovely, acres of lush greenary. Moving on we went to the chocolate factory thing with all the chocolate tasting for free!! SOOOOOO GOOD. AMAZING in fact. I bought some crunchy coconut chocolate things, really really yummy! I loved this place - the only thing that stopped me buying a ton is the amost 40 degree heat whereby transporting chocolate around is just not possible - you know what this means guys, no chocolate presents for you! I'll just let you know how good it tastes. Next was the coffee tasting and then tea and last of all honey and dried fruits. Mum would have loved it. It was such a good day trip and all 3 of us were glad we booked it (the others didn't even see half the stuff) so it was a really really good day. After that we went for dinner at the best curry house in town, it was so good! We then went back to the hotel and sat on the rooftop with some drinks. To sum up, it was a very good day! BYE.x
Malaysia Update
Day 68 Penang
It was a long driving day. We drove for 10 hours to get to Georgetown, Penang in Malaysia. Shortly after arriving we went to some night time food court thing, it was basically a square with mini restaurants around the outside and you ordered little dishes from as many of the places as you wanted and then they'd bring it to your table - it was different but really nice. That's all folks. BYE.x
It was a long driving day. We drove for 10 hours to get to Georgetown, Penang in Malaysia. Shortly after arriving we went to some night time food court thing, it was basically a square with mini restaurants around the outside and you ordered little dishes from as many of the places as you wanted and then they'd bring it to your table - it was different but really nice. That's all folks. BYE.x
Thailand Update
Day 67 Ao Nang Krabi
Today was a bit of a lazy day. The weather wasn't so good so I took the opportunity to sleep a little longer. I didn't do much today, had a bit of a walk around town and along the beach and went to Haagen Dazs and had dinner. BYE.x
Today was a bit of a lazy day. The weather wasn't so good so I took the opportunity to sleep a little longer. I didn't do much today, had a bit of a walk around town and along the beach and went to Haagen Dazs and had dinner. BYE.x
Thailand Update
Day 66 Phi Phi islands
Today we had booked a speed boat tour of the Phi Phi islands. We left quite early in the morning for a full day of island hopping. It was amazing. We went to see about 5 different islands as well as a really pretty bay area which we couldn't stop in as the boats have to have a special license but it was really pretty to see and then a snorkelling spot just off of one of the islands. The first island we went to was an uninhabited island with white sandy beaches and crystal clear water and that was really beautiful. The next one we went to was really busy but by far the best beach - it was the one from the film The Beach. It was amazing, the sand was like really soft and so fine it didn't feel like sand it was more like the blue lagoon in Iceland. I liked this one best. Then we went to the main island of Phi Phi which is the only one which had civilisation and we had lunch here and looked around all the little shops. After that we went to monkey island. It was nice until the monkeys came out and then it was a bit scary, the locals say they really are 'cheeky monkeys' and this is where that woman was mauled by a monkey that was on the news a little while back. They're really naughty, they're not like in India where they're scared of you, they steal any food or drinks you're holding and any belongings left on the beach unattended were not safe.. So anyway I kept my distance and they were fun to watch. I really enjoyed my day of island hopping. The beaches are so lush!!! BYE.x
Today we had booked a speed boat tour of the Phi Phi islands. We left quite early in the morning for a full day of island hopping. It was amazing. We went to see about 5 different islands as well as a really pretty bay area which we couldn't stop in as the boats have to have a special license but it was really pretty to see and then a snorkelling spot just off of one of the islands. The first island we went to was an uninhabited island with white sandy beaches and crystal clear water and that was really beautiful. The next one we went to was really busy but by far the best beach - it was the one from the film The Beach. It was amazing, the sand was like really soft and so fine it didn't feel like sand it was more like the blue lagoon in Iceland. I liked this one best. Then we went to the main island of Phi Phi which is the only one which had civilisation and we had lunch here and looked around all the little shops. After that we went to monkey island. It was nice until the monkeys came out and then it was a bit scary, the locals say they really are 'cheeky monkeys' and this is where that woman was mauled by a monkey that was on the news a little while back. They're really naughty, they're not like in India where they're scared of you, they steal any food or drinks you're holding and any belongings left on the beach unattended were not safe.. So anyway I kept my distance and they were fun to watch. I really enjoyed my day of island hopping. The beaches are so lush!!! BYE.x
Saturday, 20 November 2010
Thailand Update
Day 65 Ao Nang Krabi
We arrived at the station on the overnight train early in the morning and went to a cafe where we were supposed to have breakfast. I ordered beans o toast and then 20 minutes later after everyone else had finised and paid they came over and said they didn't have any beans what did I want so I went without. We then had a 2hr 30mins bus journey to the beach resort! Our rooms weren't ready when we got to the resort so we went to the beach but I didn't havemy towel sooo I think I got bitten by some thingys. We went back to the hotel and the room was ready so I had a quick shower and then went out with everyone to eat some lunch. A lot of them then went on to go to another beach but I just chilled at the one we were at. Then there was a massive parade through the town as they were in the middle of a festival, I watched it from the Haagen Dazs cafe having a lovelyyy ice cream - I so take after my father. I then went for a wee sleep as I didn't get much on the train the night before. We then had a group dinner. BYE.x
We arrived at the station on the overnight train early in the morning and went to a cafe where we were supposed to have breakfast. I ordered beans o toast and then 20 minutes later after everyone else had finised and paid they came over and said they didn't have any beans what did I want so I went without. We then had a 2hr 30mins bus journey to the beach resort! Our rooms weren't ready when we got to the resort so we went to the beach but I didn't havemy towel sooo I think I got bitten by some thingys. We went back to the hotel and the room was ready so I had a quick shower and then went out with everyone to eat some lunch. A lot of them then went on to go to another beach but I just chilled at the one we were at. Then there was a massive parade through the town as they were in the middle of a festival, I watched it from the Haagen Dazs cafe having a lovelyyy ice cream - I so take after my father. I then went for a wee sleep as I didn't get much on the train the night before. We then had a group dinner. BYE.x
Thailand Update
Day 64 Bangkok
Today wasn't that fun, just spent the day at MBK again, had an ice cream - pretty standard. Bought food at the 7/11 for the night train, went on the night train. Okay so it was more fun than the previous night trains, but still not for me. BYE.x
Today wasn't that fun, just spent the day at MBK again, had an ice cream - pretty standard. Bought food at the 7/11 for the night train, went on the night train. Okay so it was more fun than the previous night trains, but still not for me. BYE.x
Thailand Update
Day 63 Bangkok
Okay so Bangkok is boring me now. I've been reduced to having to have a manicure and massage as I have exhausted all the sights there are to see. I then just chilled at a cafe in Khao San Road. But first in the morning I was woken up with a telephone call from reception at 7am saying that Josefin from Sweden would be on her way to my room - by 1pm she still hadn't arrived so I went out. I returned to the hotel for 6.30pm for the meeting with the new group - turns out it's 11 girls and 1 guy. Aslight improvement and at least it's more people! And a few younger looking ones, only a few. Turns out Josefin doesn't exist (and yes that's how her name is spelt really). So we went out for dinner with the new group but it was a bit weird as a few of them had already eaten so 4 people didn't join us. It was an average meal. Afterwards 4 of us went to Shamrock, an Irish pub on Khao San Road which was quite lively and then we went back to the hotel. BYE.x
Okay so Bangkok is boring me now. I've been reduced to having to have a manicure and massage as I have exhausted all the sights there are to see. I then just chilled at a cafe in Khao San Road. But first in the morning I was woken up with a telephone call from reception at 7am saying that Josefin from Sweden would be on her way to my room - by 1pm she still hadn't arrived so I went out. I returned to the hotel for 6.30pm for the meeting with the new group - turns out it's 11 girls and 1 guy. Aslight improvement and at least it's more people! And a few younger looking ones, only a few. Turns out Josefin doesn't exist (and yes that's how her name is spelt really). So we went out for dinner with the new group but it was a bit weird as a few of them had already eaten so 4 people didn't join us. It was an average meal. Afterwards 4 of us went to Shamrock, an Irish pub on Khao San Road which was quite lively and then we went back to the hotel. BYE.x
Thailand Update
Day 62 Bangkok
So my first day alone alone in Bangkok and what do I manage to do with myself - sleep all day! Got up for breakfast but went back to sleep. Oh I did do about 4 hours of studying theories of justice in preparation for the Cam interview - I meant to do a lot more but got carried away with my self set question of 'what is justice?'. By the time it reached 5pm I was ready to get up and do something so I showered and made myself look pretty and headed over to the State Tower where I was told I had to go to eat at Sirocco - the highest rooftop restaurant in Asia or something like that. I was warned it would be a little bit pricey but not how much it turned out to be and I wasn't told that I'd need to book a table so I almost got turned away but I got sat inside by a window and then just before my food came I got a table outside. Unfortunately, despite the ridiculous amount you pay for the less than average food, you're not allowed to take photos. Like what is that about?!? I've since read things on trip advisor moaning about it and one said that the manager said to him that they didn't want anyone to copy the restaurant design and so not to disturb the customers eating, however, he pointed out that the restaurant picture is on every website that features the restaurant and that with all the customers paying that much they all wouldn't mind that the others were taking photos but hey nothing I can do about that now. Also the ridiculous dress code - I took my drink to the bar afterwards and saw a couple who ordered champagne - which may I add is about $50 a glass - asked to leave because the man's shoes weren't nice enough, he was in a suit it was just the shoes weren't a good make.. hmm. I had one of my maxi dresses on and my topshop dolly shoes which are filthy after 3 months of travelling in dirty countries, I think my dress may have hid them. But yeah very strange. It was an amazing view though and a really nice hotel. BYE.x
So my first day alone alone in Bangkok and what do I manage to do with myself - sleep all day! Got up for breakfast but went back to sleep. Oh I did do about 4 hours of studying theories of justice in preparation for the Cam interview - I meant to do a lot more but got carried away with my self set question of 'what is justice?'. By the time it reached 5pm I was ready to get up and do something so I showered and made myself look pretty and headed over to the State Tower where I was told I had to go to eat at Sirocco - the highest rooftop restaurant in Asia or something like that. I was warned it would be a little bit pricey but not how much it turned out to be and I wasn't told that I'd need to book a table so I almost got turned away but I got sat inside by a window and then just before my food came I got a table outside. Unfortunately, despite the ridiculous amount you pay for the less than average food, you're not allowed to take photos. Like what is that about?!? I've since read things on trip advisor moaning about it and one said that the manager said to him that they didn't want anyone to copy the restaurant design and so not to disturb the customers eating, however, he pointed out that the restaurant picture is on every website that features the restaurant and that with all the customers paying that much they all wouldn't mind that the others were taking photos but hey nothing I can do about that now. Also the ridiculous dress code - I took my drink to the bar afterwards and saw a couple who ordered champagne - which may I add is about $50 a glass - asked to leave because the man's shoes weren't nice enough, he was in a suit it was just the shoes weren't a good make.. hmm. I had one of my maxi dresses on and my topshop dolly shoes which are filthy after 3 months of travelling in dirty countries, I think my dress may have hid them. But yeah very strange. It was an amazing view though and a really nice hotel. BYE.x
Thailand Update
Day 61 Bangkok
Today I arranged to meet up with Aaron and Lori who were the only 2 people I knew left in Bangkok - Heidi and Jay left in the early morning. I had breakfast at my new hotel which was alright and then went back to the old hotel to meet them. We then went for a walk to find Chinatown which was nice, Chinatown was rather dirty though and all the streets were really narrow and full of shops. We went for lunch at quite a posh Chinese restaurant. I was really enjoying it until the end when I had almost finished my noodles and then I found a cockroach!!! A fried cockroach in my food :( That was really sad and made me think that maybe I would be ill in the next few days. I told the waitresses and they just looked at it and took it away so that was the end of that - but when they came with the bill I politely reminded them that I wouldn't be paying for that dish at the very least! Then we just went for a long walk around Bangkok, meandering through temples on the way until we came to the river front. Aaron flagged down a longtail boat (yes just like you would a taxi) and negotiated a price to go on a 2 hour river and canal tour which was really good and we got to get off at a few temples on the way too. We went to Wat Arun which was good as it was a bit different to normal temples because it's all mosaic which is nice. This pretty much took up the whole day. After that Aaron and I went for dinner at Mayompuri which is a really nice restaurant just outside of Khao San Road. We went to a few bars afterwards then went back to my hotel. BYE.x
Today I arranged to meet up with Aaron and Lori who were the only 2 people I knew left in Bangkok - Heidi and Jay left in the early morning. I had breakfast at my new hotel which was alright and then went back to the old hotel to meet them. We then went for a walk to find Chinatown which was nice, Chinatown was rather dirty though and all the streets were really narrow and full of shops. We went for lunch at quite a posh Chinese restaurant. I was really enjoying it until the end when I had almost finished my noodles and then I found a cockroach!!! A fried cockroach in my food :( That was really sad and made me think that maybe I would be ill in the next few days. I told the waitresses and they just looked at it and took it away so that was the end of that - but when they came with the bill I politely reminded them that I wouldn't be paying for that dish at the very least! Then we just went for a long walk around Bangkok, meandering through temples on the way until we came to the river front. Aaron flagged down a longtail boat (yes just like you would a taxi) and negotiated a price to go on a 2 hour river and canal tour which was really good and we got to get off at a few temples on the way too. We went to Wat Arun which was good as it was a bit different to normal temples because it's all mosaic which is nice. This pretty much took up the whole day. After that Aaron and I went for dinner at Mayompuri which is a really nice restaurant just outside of Khao San Road. We went to a few bars afterwards then went back to my hotel. BYE.x
Thursday, 18 November 2010
Thailand Update
Day 60 Bangkok
Jay and Aaron arrive! They've been playing catch up the entire 5 weeks and we see them every other night or every 3 nights. So we chilled with them for a bit and then headed to Khao San Road, the main backpacker street to do a bit of shopping and people watching from one of the many cafes. Later we met the guys and their tour leader for a farewell meal - a better one this time :) which was really lovely! It was a riverfront location and it was seafood.. I don't eat seafood. So I had a salmon steak cause it had the word steak in it and it was actually really good! We then went to a few bars with the boys and had a really good night! At the end we all got in a taxi to my hotel where the 3 got out to say goodbye to me before going on to the other hotel (because I changed hotels for the start of my new trip). It was super sad!! Heidi cried which made me cry :'( I really will miss her so much, she's like a best friend to me. We were together 24/7 for 5 weeks and I absolutely adored her, she's one of the most amazing people I've met. But we've already decided a rough time that she's coming over to stay with us Mum and Dad ;) I'm sure you're both fine with it. So yeah sad times. BYE.x
Jay and Aaron arrive! They've been playing catch up the entire 5 weeks and we see them every other night or every 3 nights. So we chilled with them for a bit and then headed to Khao San Road, the main backpacker street to do a bit of shopping and people watching from one of the many cafes. Later we met the guys and their tour leader for a farewell meal - a better one this time :) which was really lovely! It was a riverfront location and it was seafood.. I don't eat seafood. So I had a salmon steak cause it had the word steak in it and it was actually really good! We then went to a few bars with the boys and had a really good night! At the end we all got in a taxi to my hotel where the 3 got out to say goodbye to me before going on to the other hotel (because I changed hotels for the start of my new trip). It was super sad!! Heidi cried which made me cry :'( I really will miss her so much, she's like a best friend to me. We were together 24/7 for 5 weeks and I absolutely adored her, she's one of the most amazing people I've met. But we've already decided a rough time that she's coming over to stay with us Mum and Dad ;) I'm sure you're both fine with it. So yeah sad times. BYE.x
Thailand Update
Day 59 Bangkok
Today Heidi and I went to MBK which was a big shopping mall with a lots of little market stalls inside. It was so big that this consumed our entire day. I wish I could write more but I feel that's the entirety of it. We did have our final farewell meal which was umm interesting. It was good to see the tour end. I would miss Heidi like crazy but I had the next day and night with her anyway. It had ended up with Heidi and I and 3 Germans for the final week and well, they spoke German the entire time so yeah just the 2 of us really which was fine by me but it was a long travel week. So yeah Heidi and I had some down time in Bangkok to just chill and do what we wanted which was nice and we went out to a bar after the meal and headed back for an early night as Aaron and Jay would be arriving in the morning so we could hang with them. Note to self: maybe don't book a 5 week tour again (although with a better group I would not be typing this right now). BYE.x
Today Heidi and I went to MBK which was a big shopping mall with a lots of little market stalls inside. It was so big that this consumed our entire day. I wish I could write more but I feel that's the entirety of it. We did have our final farewell meal which was umm interesting. It was good to see the tour end. I would miss Heidi like crazy but I had the next day and night with her anyway. It had ended up with Heidi and I and 3 Germans for the final week and well, they spoke German the entire time so yeah just the 2 of us really which was fine by me but it was a long travel week. So yeah Heidi and I had some down time in Bangkok to just chill and do what we wanted which was nice and we went out to a bar after the meal and headed back for an early night as Aaron and Jay would be arriving in the morning so we could hang with them. Note to self: maybe don't book a 5 week tour again (although with a better group I would not be typing this right now). BYE.x
Thailand Update
Day 58 Chiang Mai
Today we got up early to drive to Chiang Mai as it was a 5 hour drive and we had to get an over night train at 4pm. So on the way to Chiang Mai we stopped off at Chiang Rai where we went to the white temple - it does have another actual name but one which I cannot think of at this present moment. So basically it's designed by an artist man who lives in or near the temple or something and it's really amazing! It reminds me of Narnia with all the white and it has lots of mirror pieces in it so it glistens in the sun which is really beautiful. After having spent so much time in Asia you get to a point where all the temples become one, with only a few outstanding ones for example Taj, Angkor Wat, the golden one in Vientiane, Wat Arun (a mosaic one in Thailand) etc. these ones are different. Most are the same. But just when I thought I was templed out we get shown this one which, excluding Taj 'cause that's a bit different, is my favourite one! Absolutely beautiful. I think I want a house like it maybe. Somehow I don't think that's a request Dad would be able to facilitate. Moving on we went to a cashew nut plantation! Now if ever Dad were to describe heaven to someone, this would be it. Free cashew nuts, and many other nuts for tasting! They had so many kinds. I bought some for Mum and some for Dad but they may not make it home in one piece - they started off as whole nuts but you may receive them as ground nuts due to the over-packing of my 55l rucksack! I've been lugging 1.5kg of nuts around with me for a good week now, so appreciation will be greatly received. Heidi and I had decided that the thing we most wanted to do in Chiang Mai was the Tiger Kingdom (we also had planned to go to a temple but didn't make it due to time constraints, although we ended up being 2hrs 30mins early for the train, hmm). When we got there I was really nervous but Heidi as always was as cool as a cucumber. You had several ticket options ranging from the smallest, small, medium and big cat and then various combinations so Heidi and I decided to just go for it and chose the smallest ones and the biggest ones! Also for $10 we could get a photographer who would take 150-200 photos for us and then we'd get a CD each so we opted for that and it was sooo worth it! Oh yeah, I also had to sign my life away - I was saying to Heidi that my parents would be super angry (maybe a little upset also) if I'd agreed to my own mauling by a tiger but we decided to just not think about that so sign it I did. Firstly we went to see the biggest tigers. The most nervous part was when we were waiting outside the tiger cage for our turn and then when they let us in and locked the cage behind us - that was scary! The tigers were absolutely gorgeous, there were 3 which were just sunbathing and so we got down to stroke them - we went to touch them lightly but that tickles them so they start flicking their tail so we were told to pat firmly which they then prefered and then we tickled their tummies and laid down with them! It was amazing. Then the tigers got up to play in the water and I got really soaked when they started flicking their tails and jumping in the water. You are told that you just have to stay away from their heads and don't approach them head on cause then they'll want to 'play' and that's never going to end well. So we spent about 20 minutes in there with them which was absolutely amazing! One of the best experiences ever. Then it was over to the baby tigers - they were only 3 months old and absolutely adorable! They were really friendly. One was sleepy and we were told we should let it fall asleep with its head in our hands which was so incredibly cute and I held its paw! It was sooo sweet! Then the other one was really really playful! We were tickling it's belly and it was giving up high 5s and rolling around and just having a lot of fun! It also really liked Heidi's ponytail. It was just a really amazing day! Then we went to the sleeper train which was bearable. BYE.x
Today we got up early to drive to Chiang Mai as it was a 5 hour drive and we had to get an over night train at 4pm. So on the way to Chiang Mai we stopped off at Chiang Rai where we went to the white temple - it does have another actual name but one which I cannot think of at this present moment. So basically it's designed by an artist man who lives in or near the temple or something and it's really amazing! It reminds me of Narnia with all the white and it has lots of mirror pieces in it so it glistens in the sun which is really beautiful. After having spent so much time in Asia you get to a point where all the temples become one, with only a few outstanding ones for example Taj, Angkor Wat, the golden one in Vientiane, Wat Arun (a mosaic one in Thailand) etc. these ones are different. Most are the same. But just when I thought I was templed out we get shown this one which, excluding Taj 'cause that's a bit different, is my favourite one! Absolutely beautiful. I think I want a house like it maybe. Somehow I don't think that's a request Dad would be able to facilitate. Moving on we went to a cashew nut plantation! Now if ever Dad were to describe heaven to someone, this would be it. Free cashew nuts, and many other nuts for tasting! They had so many kinds. I bought some for Mum and some for Dad but they may not make it home in one piece - they started off as whole nuts but you may receive them as ground nuts due to the over-packing of my 55l rucksack! I've been lugging 1.5kg of nuts around with me for a good week now, so appreciation will be greatly received. Heidi and I had decided that the thing we most wanted to do in Chiang Mai was the Tiger Kingdom (we also had planned to go to a temple but didn't make it due to time constraints, although we ended up being 2hrs 30mins early for the train, hmm). When we got there I was really nervous but Heidi as always was as cool as a cucumber. You had several ticket options ranging from the smallest, small, medium and big cat and then various combinations so Heidi and I decided to just go for it and chose the smallest ones and the biggest ones! Also for $10 we could get a photographer who would take 150-200 photos for us and then we'd get a CD each so we opted for that and it was sooo worth it! Oh yeah, I also had to sign my life away - I was saying to Heidi that my parents would be super angry (maybe a little upset also) if I'd agreed to my own mauling by a tiger but we decided to just not think about that so sign it I did. Firstly we went to see the biggest tigers. The most nervous part was when we were waiting outside the tiger cage for our turn and then when they let us in and locked the cage behind us - that was scary! The tigers were absolutely gorgeous, there were 3 which were just sunbathing and so we got down to stroke them - we went to touch them lightly but that tickles them so they start flicking their tail so we were told to pat firmly which they then prefered and then we tickled their tummies and laid down with them! It was amazing. Then the tigers got up to play in the water and I got really soaked when they started flicking their tails and jumping in the water. You are told that you just have to stay away from their heads and don't approach them head on cause then they'll want to 'play' and that's never going to end well. So we spent about 20 minutes in there with them which was absolutely amazing! One of the best experiences ever. Then it was over to the baby tigers - they were only 3 months old and absolutely adorable! They were really friendly. One was sleepy and we were told we should let it fall asleep with its head in our hands which was so incredibly cute and I held its paw! It was sooo sweet! Then the other one was really really playful! We were tickling it's belly and it was giving up high 5s and rolling around and just having a lot of fun! It also really liked Heidi's ponytail. It was just a really amazing day! Then we went to the sleeper train which was bearable. BYE.x
Laos/ Thailand Update
Day 57 Mekong river to Pakbeng
Nothing to report again today. Back on the boat at 6.30am. I've run out of food supplies. I'm bored. When I'm bored I eat... there's no food though?!?!?!? BYE.x
Nothing to report again today. Back on the boat at 6.30am. I've run out of food supplies. I'm bored. When I'm bored I eat... there's no food though?!?!?!? BYE.x
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Laos Update!
Day 56 Mekong river to Pakbeng
There's not really anything to say about today. We got on a boat at 7.30am and cruised along the Mekong until 6pm when it got dark. We got off to spend the night at a really small village until it was light again. I'm almost at the point of insanity. Bbbboooorrrrreeeeeedddddddd. BYE.x
There's not really anything to say about today. We got on a boat at 7.30am and cruised along the Mekong until 6pm when it got dark. We got off to spend the night at a really small village until it was light again. I'm almost at the point of insanity. Bbbboooorrrrreeeeeedddddddd. BYE.x
Laos Update!
Day 55 Luang Prabang
Soo, today Heidi and I had booked a day trip not with GAP to meet other people but when we were waiting outside the hotel for our pick up, the other 2 only go and turn up saying they went early in the morning to book onto the tour we were doing.. :( I was a bit annoyed, I'm getting cabin fever after 26 days together I just wanted some time away. It was a really good day anyway. We went elephant trekking for 2-3hours, they went through the jungle and through rivers which was pretty cool - we were so close to going under at some points! It was really funny but I'm sure there'll be some pictures where I have sheer terror in my eyes! One of the elephants when crossing the river fancied a swim and the two girls riding it went right under with their cameras, phones, passports and everything!! (I only had my camera with me and it was in a waterproof bag). I loved riding the elephants, they're so cute too! We fed them after which was nice and had our lunch in this tree top hut in the jungle looking out over the elephants. We then went to this really lush waterfall and climbed up it for a bit and Heidi went for a quick dip in the water but it was super cold. We had a very scenic drive back. Everyone ate the street food from the night market for dinner, I don't care how nice they say it was it was absolutely filthy. They were cooking in the open air leaving food out in dirty streets and just no, it was gross. So Heidi came with me to eat afterwards. She had an appetizer because she said her food tasted of propane - ew! I had lots of Lao money left that I couldn't change back so I chose a really nice restaurant (plus I the places we get taken every night I wouldn't necessarily choose and now I have the choice). I had the best meal since travelling! It was a 200g filet steak with mashed potato and herb butter and carrots. It was beautiful!! Cooked to perfection, it was really chunky piece of meat and lots of redness still mmmm. Then I had a banana split, it was amazing. The food was haute cuisine, delicately presented like something from The Great British Menu. Also we were waited on hand and foot, free mineral water being topped up sooner than you could finish it, we had free apperetifs and palate cleansers as well as baguette slices with garlic and herb butter (again as much as you could eat). It was the most amazing meal, superb!! Then Jay, Aaron and Con (their tour leader) turned up at the restaurant and all they ordered was a drink each but they got all the bread and apperetifs too! After we went to Utopia which was a really nice bar on the riverside and Apple was there too with some people from one of her previous tour groups so we all chilled there until midnight (there's prohibition here too so that's chucking out time). Ohhh Fay has left the group now. But I see her again in just under a week for the start of the next tour. BYE.x
Soo, today Heidi and I had booked a day trip not with GAP to meet other people but when we were waiting outside the hotel for our pick up, the other 2 only go and turn up saying they went early in the morning to book onto the tour we were doing.. :( I was a bit annoyed, I'm getting cabin fever after 26 days together I just wanted some time away. It was a really good day anyway. We went elephant trekking for 2-3hours, they went through the jungle and through rivers which was pretty cool - we were so close to going under at some points! It was really funny but I'm sure there'll be some pictures where I have sheer terror in my eyes! One of the elephants when crossing the river fancied a swim and the two girls riding it went right under with their cameras, phones, passports and everything!! (I only had my camera with me and it was in a waterproof bag). I loved riding the elephants, they're so cute too! We fed them after which was nice and had our lunch in this tree top hut in the jungle looking out over the elephants. We then went to this really lush waterfall and climbed up it for a bit and Heidi went for a quick dip in the water but it was super cold. We had a very scenic drive back. Everyone ate the street food from the night market for dinner, I don't care how nice they say it was it was absolutely filthy. They were cooking in the open air leaving food out in dirty streets and just no, it was gross. So Heidi came with me to eat afterwards. She had an appetizer because she said her food tasted of propane - ew! I had lots of Lao money left that I couldn't change back so I chose a really nice restaurant (plus I the places we get taken every night I wouldn't necessarily choose and now I have the choice). I had the best meal since travelling! It was a 200g filet steak with mashed potato and herb butter and carrots. It was beautiful!! Cooked to perfection, it was really chunky piece of meat and lots of redness still mmmm. Then I had a banana split, it was amazing. The food was haute cuisine, delicately presented like something from The Great British Menu. Also we were waited on hand and foot, free mineral water being topped up sooner than you could finish it, we had free apperetifs and palate cleansers as well as baguette slices with garlic and herb butter (again as much as you could eat). It was the most amazing meal, superb!! Then Jay, Aaron and Con (their tour leader) turned up at the restaurant and all they ordered was a drink each but they got all the bread and apperetifs too! After we went to Utopia which was a really nice bar on the riverside and Apple was there too with some people from one of her previous tour groups so we all chilled there until midnight (there's prohibition here too so that's chucking out time). Ohhh Fay has left the group now. But I see her again in just under a week for the start of the next tour. BYE.x
Laos Update!
Day 54 Luang Prabang
Today we had another long bus ride to Luang Prabang - journeys in Laos are long because it's 80% mountainous so the distances as the crow flies aren't long but driving up and down the mountains is long. We arrived in the afternoon and once again it's a really beautiful place. Heidi and I went into town and saw the palace which was quite pretty and then we did a hill climb to a temple to watch the sunset as it had a really nice view over the city. When we came down the night market had taken over the whole main road and it was closed to vehicles. We went to Joma (there's one in this town too) to have a little snack. We ate at a pretty little garden restaurant called Lao Lao. Afterwards Heidi and I went to the night market and did a spot of shopping, well Heidi did. We then went to a little cafe for an ice cream and they put a strawberry oreo in it!! (Strawberry oreos is my main source of nutrition since being in SEA.. India was bourbons). Oh and we booked a day trip for the next day. BYE.x
Today we had another long bus ride to Luang Prabang - journeys in Laos are long because it's 80% mountainous so the distances as the crow flies aren't long but driving up and down the mountains is long. We arrived in the afternoon and once again it's a really beautiful place. Heidi and I went into town and saw the palace which was quite pretty and then we did a hill climb to a temple to watch the sunset as it had a really nice view over the city. When we came down the night market had taken over the whole main road and it was closed to vehicles. We went to Joma (there's one in this town too) to have a little snack. We ate at a pretty little garden restaurant called Lao Lao. Afterwards Heidi and I went to the night market and did a spot of shopping, well Heidi did. We then went to a little cafe for an ice cream and they put a strawberry oreo in it!! (Strawberry oreos is my main source of nutrition since being in SEA.. India was bourbons). Oh and we booked a day trip for the next day. BYE.x
Laos Update!
Day 53 Vang Vieng
Today the others planned to do the tubing but first they were hiring bikes to go to some caves but I didn't feel like going to the caves as they're not supposed to be good for claustrophobic people plus I needed some time away from everyone (not Heidi). The midterms were live on telly so I spent the best part of the morning watching those - so exciting! I then ventured out of the hotel on my own (first time since starting this trip) and went to the town to look at the shops for a bit. I then found an internet cafe where I managed to upload all the photos on my website to facebook which only took a mere 3 hours. Then ensued the most difficult conversation of my life: trying to explain to the Laotian internet cafe owner that there are not 100 minutes in 1 hour. He told me a hugely large price and I said it was wrong. They charge by the minute here so he showed me that I had started at 12noon and it was now 3.22pm so he typed in his calculator 3 x 100 + 22! I then typed in his calculator 3 x 60 + 22, then he showed me the time again and I tried to explain and he just tutted and shook his head. I did it one more time, handed him the correct money and left. It was infuriating. I went for another little walk around the town and bought a strawberry cornetto and went back to the hotel to watch the sunset from our balcony. Heidi arrived back just before we were leaving for dinner and she had had a really good day doing the tubing. We went out for dinner and Jay and Aaron turned up! They'd just arrived today (they're the only 2 guys who continued to Laos from the group a day behind). Heidi and I went out with them to 'the islands' which basically you go across a rickety wooden bridge and there's a load of bars. They're all outside bars with bonfires which is nice. The one we went to was called bucket bar (you could only order drinks by the bucket not a glass), it was quite fun. It was nice to be with some of the guys again but the drinking in Laos is crazy. BYE.x
Today the others planned to do the tubing but first they were hiring bikes to go to some caves but I didn't feel like going to the caves as they're not supposed to be good for claustrophobic people plus I needed some time away from everyone (not Heidi). The midterms were live on telly so I spent the best part of the morning watching those - so exciting! I then ventured out of the hotel on my own (first time since starting this trip) and went to the town to look at the shops for a bit. I then found an internet cafe where I managed to upload all the photos on my website to facebook which only took a mere 3 hours. Then ensued the most difficult conversation of my life: trying to explain to the Laotian internet cafe owner that there are not 100 minutes in 1 hour. He told me a hugely large price and I said it was wrong. They charge by the minute here so he showed me that I had started at 12noon and it was now 3.22pm so he typed in his calculator 3 x 100 + 22! I then typed in his calculator 3 x 60 + 22, then he showed me the time again and I tried to explain and he just tutted and shook his head. I did it one more time, handed him the correct money and left. It was infuriating. I went for another little walk around the town and bought a strawberry cornetto and went back to the hotel to watch the sunset from our balcony. Heidi arrived back just before we were leaving for dinner and she had had a really good day doing the tubing. We went out for dinner and Jay and Aaron turned up! They'd just arrived today (they're the only 2 guys who continued to Laos from the group a day behind). Heidi and I went out with them to 'the islands' which basically you go across a rickety wooden bridge and there's a load of bars. They're all outside bars with bonfires which is nice. The one we went to was called bucket bar (you could only order drinks by the bucket not a glass), it was quite fun. It was nice to be with some of the guys again but the drinking in Laos is crazy. BYE.x
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