Day 392-394 – Sabidee Monks

Bright and early we made our way to the beautiful town of Louang Phabang. Louang Phabang is located in between mountains and is the meeting point of the Mekong and Khan Rivers. Louang Phabang has such great historical significance it was made a world heritage site in 1995. It’s got a lot of attention since 1995 but it definitely still holds onto the village style feel. I liked the place from the beginning.

We arrived into our guesthouse and for the first time so far in Asia we had to take off our flip flops. This is a sign of respect. Louang Phabang is the most holy place in all of South East Asia and showing respect is very important. Louang Phabang has the highest density of Monks per area in the world. All the hotel staff were very polite and made us feel more than welcome. Shower time then time to explore. All of us made our way through the streets of ochre colonial houses before arriving upon a market. This market was the first market so far that actually impressed me. Actually some good quality stuff compared to the usual junk on show. I’m sure some of you will be lucky enough to get a gift or two. We all spent an hour browsing upon the food stalls, clothing, jewellery, artistic odds and ends.

Tonight’s dinner brought us to a place called Hive. I got to say it was a pretty fancy restaurant which provided some entertainment. The night’s amusement was to be a Laos fashion show. Not every day you get to see that I guess! We got a lot of entertainment out of it though. I have got the entire group into my clapping thing. In case you don’t know what that is: I clap pretty loud at random times and often just do it to make people self-conscious. Its good fun and the group enjoy it. The cuisine and the company was excellent as per usual and we got a few Lao Lao’s (Laos answer to Putcheen).

We had the craic for an hour or two then decided to grab a tuk tuk and head for the bowling alley. Ok little random you might think but the Alley is the place to go in Louang Phabang. As I told you it’s a holy place so all the bars close at 12. The Alley stays open later and serves Alcohol. For the first game we played all the guys against all the girls. Everyone claimed to be bad as per usual but some people played some good stuff namely Rachael. Despite a good fight the guys over came the ladies. I wish I could say I was a big help but I was pretty rubbish. The girls all had to do the forfeit. Lao Lao for the ladies.

We played one more round. This time we mixed up the teams to give everyone a chance. Phil, Dips and Mike started to get serious and try and beat their Personal bests. I wasn’t playing well so I had to recruit a local Laos guy in to get a strike for me. Thanks mate. When the game ended we all headed home for some kip.

Rise and shine everyone. It was time for us to ascend Mount Phou Si. The translation of this is Sacred Hill. I bet some of us were calling it different names as it was a tough climb under the Laos heat. At the top is a Buddhist stupa. The views at the top were incredible and well worth the 20,000 Kip that some of us paid (tut tut to those who didn’t pay). Louang Phabang’s monasteries, colonial house and French architecture are some of the sights to be seen from the top. It was striking to quickly sum it up.

Before heading back to the Guest House I quickly looked into Wat Mai which contains a painting on the walls that dates back to the early nineteenth centaury. It’s a scene of Louang Phabang with a reincarnation of a Buddha. Inside is also a beautiful statue of Buddha. A couple of wonderful paintings were on sale inside aswell one of which was on a leave. The painting is deteriorating so I helped the cause and donated a few bob for restoration.

It was 11:30am and we had already conquered a hell of a lot. This is one of the benefits of an early morning. It was now time for an adventure to Kouang Si Waterfall. We had to board a long boat to bring us to the picturesque location. Kouang Si isn’t just a regular waterfall it’s got multiple levels which tumble 60 metres before descending into a number of bright blue pools. CANNON BALL!! We all went for a swim. The water was refreshing and cool. The place was so perfect and completely needs to be seen to be believed. We could have spent days here but unfortunately with our objectives we don’t have time to stay in the one place for too long.
That night we all descended onto Dala Market once again. This time we were here to sample the street stalls. All the girls went for the Vegetarian options while the guys went for the meat. We all got some BBQ. BBQ chicken, pork and fish was on offer. We cleared our BBQ sticks as it was scrumptious.

We all spent the night just chilling and doing our own thing. Simply relaxing, enjoying the lifestyle that Laos offers. Our target for the night was to watch Manchester United beat Liverpool. Mission failed. Less said the better. We all headed home after the game as tomorrow involved an early start.

Ring ring ring ring ring ring ring ring ring. It was the stupid alarm. It was 4:30 am. You better be wondering why it was ringing at that time. Mike and I decided we would get up and pay homage to the Monks. Every morning at sunrise locals provide the monks with some foods and money. The monks aren’t paid so this is how they survive. We watched as they slowly made their way out from the temple to burn a bonfire. This is a ceremony that gets rid of evil. We waited on and looked wide eyed at the temple in preparation for the monks. They looked ready so I ran across to pay them some homage. I kneeled down on the road and as they came by I put out my hand and the monk let me place some money into his collection pot. A local woman near me provided the monks with some rice. I stayed on my knees as monk after monk after monk passed me. It was an interesting sight. Over 50 monks went past me and made their way around Louang Phabang collecting supplies.

This was a great way to end what had been an overwhelming and astounding stay in Laos’s most beautiful city. Louang Phabang is my personal favourite of all the great places we have visited since that grand day we left Kiloughter.

Khop Jai Louang Phabang,

Conor

Day 391 – Tubtastic!

Vang Viang with its beautiful caves and nearby ethnic minority villages has been hyped up to us as one of the best places on this trip. This is largely down to its popular outdoor activity of tubeing down the Nam Xong . We were warned by our tour guide about a death three weeks ago and the dangers of consuming alcohol along the way as the many bars along the river try and pull you in to drink alcohol. We all had our wits about us and decided to take it handy and stick together. We got our tubes and got a tuc tuc to our start point. A hippy guy with pink glasses explained our route to us.

Before setting off, Conor, Priya and Renee went on a zip line high over the river before plummeting down into the river!!! The current seemed pretty strong as it had rained the previous night. We all got in our tubes and floated for about three minutes to the first bar. They basically wave at you and throw you a rope with a bottle attached to the end of it to make it easier to catch and throw. We all had a drink and took in the majestic views…Tom Burke would have been in his element!!!

So many people were scattered around the place and the bars were pretty full. We floated down the river a little more before another stop-off in a bar. This bar had mud volleyball so Mike and I decided to give the locals a run for their money. Two Laos girls played with us. It wasn’t a serious game; I just played in the mud!! A few of the group went down a slide which looked pretty awesome…and once again the landings weren’t great, they all have the bruises to prove this! No more bars were stopped at after this…we just floated down the river and enjoyed the jaw dropping views of the mountains in the background.

It was great to see everyone smile. The rapids and tiny islands kept things interesting. I bumped into a German girl along the river and had a brief chat to her, it was like speed dating for a minute…in a tube!! This really was the life and something we will always remember. All in all it took us over 4 hours to complete the journey with the stops along the way. I imagine most people get stupidly drunk along this river and ignore the beauty of the surroundings but we will appreciate the views forever more and the images of the sun glistening on the river over the mountains will remain in our heads. After this we had lunch and talked about the day.

Everyone was pretty exhausted from our escapades and we hit the hay after a thoroughly enjoyable day tubeing. All in all we loved Vang Viang but we feel that it will be ruined by drunken tourists and that the overall beauty of the place will not be appreciated.

Over and out,

Gary

Day 389- 390 – Vientiane Adventures

Today we had a long seven hour bus to take to the Laos capital Vientiane. Along the way we stopped off at a local Laos’ restaurant and enjoyed the view as we passed Wat Sisaket and Patouxai. Patouxai is Laos’ version of the Arc De Triomphe and is popularly known as “anusawali” (Lao for monument). It was built in the late 1950’s when the US government gave the Lao Government money to build an airport but instead they built Patouxai to commemorate casualties of war on the side of the Royal Lao Government.

First impressions of the city were good, the roads looked very clean and tidy and the main centre point of the city, the Nam Phou Fountain looked spectacular when in motion. After checking in we all headed down to the riverside and enjoyed a beer while waiting for the sunset. Unfortunately once again the clouds ruined our sunset but it didn’t dampen our spirits. While we were there Gary was in an internet café trying to sort out his visa for Australia.

That night we made our way to an awesome restaurant which was 3 floors high and served giraffes. Giraffes are basically 6 pints of Beer Lao (best beer around) in a keg you can pour yourself. I quickly ordered one and was delighted to find out it worked out at only 5USD for the giraffe!

After dinner we all headed to a local wine bar, the best in the town. Then the three of us, Dips and Phil crashed a local Lao music event in a hall just around the corner. The music was shocking so we didn’t last long in there, barely getting a beer in. We chilled out at the fountain instead drinking our beers. A great bit of banter was had! We were supposed to watch United against CSKA but none of us copped the time difference for Russian Champions League games and missed the whole game! Disaster!

The next morning we had little time before our bus to the tubing town of Vang Viang so we did nothing other than freestyle while waiting for the fountain to start (it never did), go on the net and have a great lunch at the “world famous” Jomo’s restaurant.Once we arrived in Vang Viang we went for dinner in The Rising Sun bar owned by an Irish lad from Kerry called Gary. We got a few giraffes in before playing a pool competition which was one suspiciously enough by the owner. He was sound though and gave us a free bucket between us. Sound man!

We met up with the other tour group in Q Bar and then headed down to the river to Sunset Bar for more drinks. We had good night even though a few idiots tried to spoil it!

On the way home Conor, Priya and Rachel somehow got lost and even entered a Lao hospital asking for directions. It took them over an hour to find the hotel in a tiny town!

Take it easy,

Mike

Day 388- Sabidee Laos

It was time to say Adios to Vietnam. Vietnam had brought us some great insight into their view on the war against American compared to the one most of us see on television and movies. It is a culturally beautiful country but the traffic and fumes eventually makes you want to escape it all. Our end couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.

Unfortunately the trip from Hanoi to the border was 12 hours. 12 hours on a bus! Bring out the iPods and the sleeping pillows. We have got an amazing group for sleep (myself included). This is the normal set up we go to bed and get 7 hours sleep then pile onto the bus and go straight back to sleep for another 3 or 4 hours. Sounds bizarre but this much travel can be draining as much as rewarding. The good point of the 12 hour journey was that it was full of spectacular scenery. The Vietnamese countryside offers a great contrast to that of the chaotic cities. We passed the time with the “I went to the shop” game. This game goes
· I went to the shop and bought an Apple
· I went to the shop and bought an Apple, Bazooka
· I went to the shop and bought an Apple, Bazooka, Cat
It went on and on and we eventually completed the whole alphabet. It was another success for team GAP and another 20 minutes off the 12 hours. The journey flew by and before we knew it, it was border time again.

Crossing the border was pretty straight forward this time we got stamped and boarded the bus to the Laos immigration station to get our visa. Twenty minutes later we were officially in Laos.

Not many people are familiar with Laos so I’m just going to give you all a quick 101 on Laos. It contains a population of 5.2million people. It’s largely been ignored by Westerns up until the country became a player in the Vietnamese war. However since late 1990’s Laos has decided to invite interest from the west by increasing tourism related activates. Laos has got a lot of French influence which is visible in its architecture. The 101 lesson is over.

We arrived in the village of Lac Sao. A very small town nestled in the mountains. You wouldn’t find this town in any of your guide books so it was a good way to see the real Laos. For the most part it’s an old fashioned country with a lot of culture which was visible in Lac Sao. We arrived just before sunset so got to view the sunset over the mountains from our balconies. It was pretty amazing to see this little village descend into darkness.

We all had a little time to relax before we would enjoy or first meal in Laos. The name of the place we were going was called “The only place in town”. This wasn’t a funny name it actually was the only place in town to eat. There was a clear difference between the Laos cuisine and the Vietnamese cuisine. I never like to order the same kind of food so this time I opted for the Tom Yum Chicken. It was like a chicken style soup. It was quite tasty. We all got to experience our first Beer Lao. Beer Lao is the only Beer in this country so it’s a bit of an icon. After 23 years I have finally acquired a bit of a taste for the stuff. Well it’s more bearable let’s say (That means cheaper).

Some of us headed home early to watch a movie on Star Movies. The movie was called “Severance”. I’m not going to turn the article into a critic’s review of the movie but I will saw it was awful. It was time for bed as another day of travel was to follow.

Oh the life of a traveller,

Conor

Day 386-387 Mua Roi Nuoc

Today we got a bus to Hanoi which is Vietnam’s small, elegant capital lying in the heart of the northern delta. Our tour guide recently added up our travel time (ie bus, trains etc..) and it will be 135 hours plus by the time we finish the trip, not too shabby! Once again it’s a place full of life, full of fumes and traffic!!! You tend to get use to this though because it’s just part and parcel of everyday life here. We explored a bit of the city before having lunch in a nice little café called Papa Joes.

At the heart of Hanoi lies Hoan Kiem Lake, around which you’ll find the banks, airlines and main post office, plus many hotels, restaurants, shopping streets and markets. The lake lies between the cramped but endlessly diverting Old Quarter in the north, and the tree-lined boulevards of the French Quarter to the South.

On our way back to the hotel we spotted a PS3 gaming café so we had a quick game. We haven’t touched a PS3 in ages and we played our old favourite Pro Evolution. I have to admit not missing it as much as I presumed I would but you can’t beat a good competitive game of Pro Evo! Tonight we finally got the chance to enjoy a bowel of one of Hanoi’s specialities, the ubiquitous pho noodle soup. I tried it with pork and it was very filling for just over $1. The Pho was washed down by a beer and we made our way to the Thang Lang Water Puppet show (Mua Roi Nuoc)!

I don’t think that any explanation is required…it is simply puppets that dance on water, a uniquely Vietnamese art form that originated in the Red River Delta. We squeezed into our seats and enjoyed 45 minutes of pure puppet-ness (I just made up that word; it doesn’t actually come up on spell check but who cares). Some of us were sleeping during the show. We don’t know what the puppets were saying or doing but it looked good. Apparently it depicts rural life or historic events. Puppeteers stand waist-deep in water, manipulating the heavy wooden puppets attached to long underwater poles We also enjoyed some traditional Vietnamese music during the show.

A good sleep in was had by everyone and we explored more of the city the following morning. We witnessed a big crash between two motor bikes and a mini fight broke out. We are not surprised by the crash, the roads here are ridiculously busy and the Green Man might aswell pack his bags and go home because no one cares about him here, whereas he is the big boss man back home! I got my haircut…well the back and sides of my head because the Cambodian gentleman who cut my hair in Ankor Wat made a meal of it; the sides were actually longer than the top. This Vietnamese gentleman took over an hour to do the back and sides. To be fair to him he did a great job, its looking sharp!

Next up was something that totally disgusted us. We ventured into a Market and in the food section we were left shocked. Turtles were all piled into a tiny cage. They were still alive and the poor things were trying to get out of the cage. A few of them had cuts and bruises from doing so. It wasn’t a nice sight. Fish were also subjected to the same treatment. That night we ate in a fancy restaurant that allowed you to draw on the tables. The crayons were already on the table so we all tried our hand at drawing Michael Jackson; Dips drew the best one by a mile. Sandra, Bee and Steph enjoyed their last night with us as they are departing the tour after tonight. We wish them all the best in their future travels. Thus the group is now down to 9 and it really is like Big Brother.

Queue Big Brother theme tune,

Gary

Day 385 – How-Long Bay

We arrived at Hanoi at four in the morning feeling a little bedraggled (inside joke). We all scrambled to find our tickets to exit the train station and boarded the mini-bus which would take us to Ha Long Bay. The journey took four hours and when we arrived at the hotel we were devastated to find out we wouldn’t be able to check in right away! We would have to wait a couple of hours! Breakfast, the net and the football helped us pass the time. Our cruise around Ha Long Bay left at eleven thirty so we wouldn’t have to long to relax beforehand.Ha Long Bay is split in two by a wide channel running north-south: the larger, western portion contains the most dramatic scenery and best caves, while to the east lie’s an attractive area of smaller islands, known as Bai Tu Long. Nearly 2000 bizarrely shaped limestone outcrops jut out of the emerald Bay, its hidden caves and needle-sharp ridges providing the inspiration for dozens of local legends and poems.

The only way to explore it is by boat. Thankfully we had the whole boat to ourselves. The boat had a restaurant and bar on the bottom deck and a sun lounging area on the top deck. It was amazing sight after amazing sight as we made our way to our first stop, the caves. Along the way the crew on boarded pleaded with us to buy a bottle of wine for fifteen dollars, the same bottle we had bought the previous night for two! We were having none of it!

When we reached the caves it was an awesome sight, we proceeded inside and we amazed at the amount of different colour lights inside. It looked very artificial but was still cool to see.
When we got back on the boat we set sail for the beach. Along the way we were treated to a buffet of seafood, meat and vegetarian food. It was a great meal and was hilarious when the waitress said something was rice when it clearly tastes of pork!The beach we arrived at looked incredible. The ocean was infested with the beautiful shaped limestone rocks and locals played beach volleyball and soccer.

It cost 10,000dong to get for the tourists which is only 40cent. We jumped straight in to the water and admired the scenery around us. We were told about a ten minute climb to the top of the mountain which featured over 200 steps and we raced to the top. The views from the top were like no other and many a photo was taken! Back on the beach we played beach soccer and volleyball with the locals, most of which seemed very drunk! On the way back to the hotel we managed to catch a great sunset on the way home which summed up a brilliant day.That night we watched United beat Bolton 2-1 and played an hilarious drinking game which turned cards into a horse race!

Good times!Mike

Day 384 – Morning in Hue

We had only a few hours in the morning to get some sight seeing done so time was of the essence. This meant an early wake up. 8:00 we boarded the bus. Some of the group decided they wanted a sleep in instead. Fair enough but it was time to see the City.

The first port of call was The Royal Mausoleums. It was located about 20 minutes outside of Hue in a forest. We Walked in a temple and viewed across a pond full of beautiful water lilies. The whole place had a royal feeling to it. The location of these Mausoleums takes a great deal of time as it needs to represent everything that the King stood. The Mausoleum contains the remains of Khai Dinh and his wife. The Mausoleum was built in 1920-1931.

Emperor Khai Dinh ruled Vietnam for 9 years. Under Khai Dinh, Western culture and influence began to seep into Vietnam. The king himself visited France in 1922. As a result, his tomb has many elements of Western architecture. It contains a large slab stone stele which records details of his reign. It is a kind of an old fashioned autobiography. An amazing thing also was that the Emperor and his Queen are located so far away from one an other. When the Emperor died and his men Buried treasure all his 100 had to be beheaded so none of them would steal it.

The next port of call was the Citadel. This has officially been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The site is made up of over 148 building but unfortunately currently only 20 have survived. The whole complex is covered by a wall and used to protect the imperial city. The place is currently under construction but some of these building require you to use your imagination to see how it was like many years ago. The sheer size of it just shows how important these Emperors were. On view in one of the rooms was the Kings Chair and entertainment center. The King was had a team of 100 to look after him. He could even go to the toilet on the chair as it had a funnel and one of his team would clean up afterwards. The King also had a large Chariot that his team would carry him on between rooms. Walking was clearly too difficult for him.

After all this hard work we headed back to the Hotel. We quickly had showers and headed to the local restaurant for some lunch. I enjoy eating different food in all of these restaurants just to experience something different every time. Gary and Mike tend to go for the Western option generally or something simple. The food was good and the Chocolate Milkshakes were awesome.

Next item on the agenda was a 14 Hour Journey train and then a 4 hour bus trip SWEET !!!!!
We got our treats and lunch before we boarded just to make sure we could make the trip more enjoyable. We were all a bit worried it would be as bad as the last trip but thankfully it was first class. We all cheered enjoyment with no rats or cockroaches.

Half way through the journey we stopped in a random location and bargained with the local at the side of the train. We bought some wine off them for like $ 2US. It was drinkable and helped cheer us all up a bit. We had some good chats and then decided to play a game of "Guess Who (20 Questions). We wrote celebrities names on each others heads and had to guess who we were. It was good fun. Rachael got hers quickest. Bruce Forsyth was hers. Then everyone else got theirs and it was down to me and Priya. This was an hour or so later. Lot of hints but it did not help. Frank Bruno was mine and hers was Donald Duck. With that we ended the night and went to sleep.

Choo Chooo Conor

Day 383- Biker Mice from Mars

Our bus journey to Hue was very scenic and we traveled right up into the mountains. The views were great and the vendors up in the mountains were very aggressive (our tour guide had previously warned us about them!!). Once we got to our hotel we went for lunch in Mandarin coffee. The owner of this particular restaurant was a very skilled photographer and he even had a portfolio of his work for us to browse through whilst enjoying our meals. Once the bill was paid he gave us each a free post-card with his work on the front of it. After this we headed on a motor-bike tour, all 13 of us went. The cool thing about this tour was that it went in sequence. Mike was always ahead of me and if my driver overtook by mistake, then Mike's driver would instantly go head of us again. We always stuck together which was cool.

The city is located in central Vietnam on the banks of the Perfume River (Huong River), just a few miles inland from the South China Sea. It is about 700 km (438 mi.) South of the national capital of Hanoi and about 1100 km (690 mi.) North of Ho Chi Minh City, The country's largest city formerly known as Saigon.

The bike tour took us into small little alley ways and we got some fantastic views of the water buffalo. After this we visited a small village and our tour guide explained about the history of the farming here. An old woman, who was well able to go, demonstrated how to make rice, etc ... This irrigate Woman, along with other elderly Vietnamese Women, have black teeth. The reason behind this is that they want to maintain their original teeth, they do not believe in dentures!! They put a special paste on it. She was crazy in a funny way. She would sing to the beat when she was pounding the rice. As our tour guide said "She is the sweetest old woman you will ever meet."

Before leaving I got my fortune told to me. I will get married at 27, have three kids (two boys, one girl), I am starting my career next year and for some reason at the age of 43 I will get ridiculously drunk!! How random is that? We had a few more little stops and one in particular was interesting. We stopped at the King's Coliseum. In ancient times a Tiger would go up against an elephant. Our tour guide asked us who would triumph all the time .... We said the Tiger. However, it was the Elephant who always won because he represents the King .... That and the fact that the Tiger faced the Elephant minus his teeth and claws, how unfair is that! It was an awesome tour.

Gary

Day 380-382- Tailor Heaven

Off the train at six in the morning, we had a short bus ride to our hotel with one problem in mind: we couldn’t check in! As we waited for our rooms everyone did different things from eating breakfast, trying to sleep on the loungers by the pool, using the free net or freestyling.
Before we check in we decided to get some breakfast in a restaurant called Cargo and it was amazing. Hoi An is one of Vietnam’s most pleasant towns, it somehow escaped damage during both the French and American wars and its charming two-hundred-year-old wooden-fronted shop-houses are among its chief attractions. It is the tailor capital of Asia.

95% of the shops are tailors! It’s a beautiful city, like it’s frozen in time from years gone by. After breakfast Caroline brought us to her usual tailor as she knows they wouldn’t make us pay the full amount without trying on our clothes first.We each had our own personal sales woman and the haggling began. The first order of business was to get measured up for our suits.

The saleswomen were very touchy feely with us and loved a pinch here and there! We had trouble controlling them!We each picked out what type of suit we wanted from a catalogue and picked out our material and shirt/lining and shoe colour. I managed to haggle very well and get a great price right of the bat but the lads would have to raise there game at the second visit and they did. They turned on the charm after we tried on the suits and loved them and Conor sweetened his deal even more by giving away a fragrance he got from Chemist Warehouse! Every time we went back we ended up getting fitted for an extra item, whether it be another suit, jeans, shorts or a leather jacket! And we kept getting great deals!Tonight we were going for dinner in the same restaurant we went to for breakfast: Cargo.

The restaurant was beautifully decorated and its only flaw was a really low ceiling that was a hazard. After we were all done ordering Gary decided it was too hot and sweaty so he headed back to the hotel to change his shirt. We started to get worried when the food arrived and he still wasn’t back. We got even more worried when we had all finished eating and were ordering dessert and he still wasn’t back. While he was gone the wall behind us had been taken over by massive cockroaches and geckos. A fight even broke out between them! Eventually he returned and we all applauded him for finding the restaurant when he banged his head off the low ceiling!

After the dinner we headed to a local pool bar for a drink. We took over the pool table and we were informed by Caroline that the guy racking up the balls was an amazing one-handed player! I asked him for a game and he accepted. He only played one handed and he got off to a blistering start! I fought back and after an amazing attempt by him I potted the black for the win!The next morning we headed straight back to the tailors to try on our clothes and haggle them down a bit more. I was unhappy with my leather jacket but they redid it in a heartbeat!

Mike’s Shopping List:2 suits, 3 shirts, 2 ties, shoes, leather jacket, jeans, shorts and flip flops: 415USD

Conor’s Shopping List:1 suit, 1 shirt, 1 tie, shoes, jacket, customized jeans, shorts: 320USD

Gary’s Shopping List:1 suit, 2 shirts, 1 tie, shoes, jacket, shorts: 320USD

A great couple of days shopping! We sorted out the delivery prices and said our goodbyes to our assistants. We posed for photos and gave them a tip and they were delighted. Most women over in Vietnam get beaten by their husbands and it’s accepted so we felt the need to do something nice for them. We got the email for the store if we ever want anything shipped over.That night we went for an unbelievable Indian meal and after to a bar for more beer and some great banter with our group. Our stay in Hoi An has been incredible and it’s now one of our favourite places we’ve been!

Mike

Day 378-379 Viet Punto

Awoken promptly at 6:25 we were “told get off the train, get off the train”. It was time for us to depart without a seconds thought. We made it off quickly and luckily didn’t lose anybody else. We had arrived in Nha Trang. We boarded a bus to our Hotel.

Unfortunately for us we weren’t allowed into our room as it was so early. We all lazed by the pool for a while and relax. I must say sitting in the sun by pool was agony and torture combined. After a while we ventured over towards the breakfast buffet. Without checking the selection we sat down and paid. Only after getting up we found the selection was poor. It was all rice, chips, hot dogs etc for Breakfast ewwwww. No sign of any cereal I’m afraid. We fuelled ourselves with some fruit and toast.

Today’s activity was a trip to the beach. This time bad weather wasn’t going to be an issue. The location of our beach was where Miss Universe had partially been filmed last year. Once Donald Trump and the likes have been in town you know you’re safe. An Australian man had organised the day at the beach. On the menu was all you can eat BBQ Aussie style and all you can drink as well as a beautiful beach. It does sound like no problems doesn’t it?

We got to the beach and at last we got to experience some sea water in Asia. We all ran straight towards it. It was really warm. Warm water makes a change from the cold waters of Australia. The waves were pretty good aswell so we chilled and relaxed in water. We then all chilled and sunbathed. We even took on the locals in footy.

Things were going a little too well so one problem was discovered. The problem was the toilet situation. A normal Asian toilet involves a hole in ground and a bucket of water. Could it get any worse? I’m afraid so this toilet involved you walking into a cubicle without a hole. You basically had to urinate on concrete floor and throw water over it afterwards to wash it away. Everyone was so scared to go and hoped it was only going to be for a number one. Enough disgusting talk.

The whole thing cost us $20 (USD) so we made sure we got our moneys worth of food and drink. Next up was king’s cup again. There was lots of drama once more. One game ended up with Mike having to run into water with another one of the group. We made our way back to hotel at 4 so we could sleep and recharge for later. We went for dinner that evening and played pool. A good night was had by all but we turned in pretty early.

The next day the sun was splitting the rocks so we all chilled by the pool for a few hours. Topping up the tans was the main agenda for everyone. After a few hours Mike and Gary decided they wanted to go on net to upload photos etc. I wanted a hair cut so ventured around for a while before stumbling across a place. We all meet up later for dinner so we wouldn’t be hungry for the train.

It was time to board the train and say our goodbyes to Nha Trang. Mike decided to play football on the tracks before this though. This train was 2nd class and there were big differences from the last trip not least of all the appearance of a rat in our carriage. We were all sitting down chatting when all of a sudden Mike leaps and shouts “RAT”. Everyone freaks and runs out of carriage. Panic began across the whole group. We searched the room he was gone but perhaps he had done his damage as for the next twenty minutes every little movement was meet by a YELP or SCREECH. We tried to sleep that night but Mike, Gary, Phil or I couldn’t maybe the rat was playing on our subconscious.

Rat and out,

Conor

Day 377-378 Good Morning Vietnam

Getting up around 7am is just the norm now. An 8 hour bus journey awaited us to Hanoi, Vietnam’s small, elegant capital lying in the heart of the northern delta. The bus journey went quicker than expected but poor Mike was under the weather! Everyone, myself included, has felt a little ill on this trip but that is to be expected with the weather (very claustrophobic at times), traffic fumes and food. The lack of hygiene from the street shops is shocking at times. One of the shops we stopped in will bring me onto my next criticism….the toilets!! There are a lot of Western toilets in the hotel’s we are staying in but often we stop for a toilet stop and the toilets in question are a room with a door and plain concrete on the ground with a hole. Its fair enough for guys but I feel sorry for the girls. Anyways not exactly the greatest thing to speak about on the blog but I guess in Western culture we take a toilet for granted. Two of the guys, Tobian and Mark are leaving the group as our two is a combo tour and they are only par-taking in the first leg of it. We checked into the hotel and went for dinner as a group. Another girl joined our tour for the next leg; she is from Germany and seems really nice. After the meal we had a few pints with the lads and decided to head home as another early start beckoned. The lady’s of the night over here (on motor bikes with their pimp’s) tried to tempt us but we were having none of it!





The following morning we explored the Cu Chi tunnels. The tunnels of Củ Chi are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located in the Củ Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam, and are part of a much larger network of tunnels that underlie much of the country. The Củ Chi tunnels were the location of several military campaigns during the Vietnam War, and were the Viet Cong's base of operations for the Tết Offensive in 1968. The tunnels were used by Viet Cong guerrillas as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous guerrilla fighters. A brief video explaining the history of the tunnels was viewed by all of us and after this it was time to see the real thing. Some tunnels have been made larger to accommodate the larger size of western tourists, while low-power lights have been installed in several of them to make traveling through them easier and booby traps have been clearly marked…well we lived to tell the tale anyway. A Vietnam worker went down one of the original tunnels and only Conor, Pria , Dips and I actually fitted down this particular tunnel! When I went in, I had Dips and the light from my phone to guide us. It was so cramped and we imagined what it must have been like down there for the war. It was very claustrophobic and the heat was getting to us. Bats were all around the tunnel. I took a wrong turn at one point and a Bat flew into my face. I felt like Bruce Wayne but I don’t think that I will don the Bat Suit just yet!

After this mini adventure, our tour guide (who was very hyper-active) showed us some of the “bobby “traps that were used during the war. These traps were well camouflaged at the time and were often covered by grass or bamboos. Next up was the shooting range were some of us got to fire an assault rifle. Mark and Tobian from our group were like kids on Christmas day such was there excitement about using a gun! Conor and Mike joined me as we bought a few bullets for an M16. I went first, I got a bit caught up in the moment and fired 3 bullets in one go. The power of the gun was amazing and I felt like a war hero for a few minutes. I couldn’t tell you what I hit but I was dead proud….although I still want the Bazooka!! Our tour guide gave us a taste of rice wine which contains 40% alcohol….it was like potcheen! She led us to the Westernized tunnels and most of the group went in. They were a lot larger than the original one we went in so I opted out. Conor went on a little tour of his own and got lost…or so we presumed. In fact he managed to get out a completely different way to the rest of us. The tour guide went looking for him but he was fine.

Overall it was cool to learn some of the history of the war and have fun looking at the tunnels, booby traps and of course firing an assault rifle.

Later that day we said our goodbyes to Mark and Tobian. We might be meeting up with Mark again when we get back to Bangkok. Another girl called Steph from Germany has since joined us and seems cool. We boarded our first ever Sleeper train and luckily we were in first class. The rooms contain 4 beds, aligned in bunk bed like fashion. Its a tight squeeze! We had a tv and chilled listening to music and drinking vodka and coke to help us sleep.

PS I can’t sleep on moving vehicles,

Gary

Day 376– Chau Down

Today it was time for a 5 hour bus journey over the Cambodian-Vietnamese border to the Vietnamese town of Chau Doc. Chau Doc was under Cambodian rule until the mid-eighteenth century and still sustains a large Khmer community. The border crossing went of without a hitch even though the guy checking the passports was the angriest man ever. There isn’t much to see in the city other than the markets so when we arrived we decided to get two activities for the day in.
The first was a boat trip along the Mekong River to visit a fish-farm and a fisherman’s village. Only half the group went on this one because most were tired or were saving themselves for the next activity. We met up with our local guide who told us the history of the river and guided us into our vessel, a rickety old boat!He was a big Man United too so we liked him.After sailing down the Mekong we arrived at the fish-farm. It was run by eight people and it was cool to throw in fish food and have thousands of fish fighting over them!The fisherman’s village was further down the Mekong. We had to traverse our way along wooden planks that were not built to hold people like us (me). We made our way steadily along holding onto everything we could while kids ran and leapt from plank to plank. When we arrived at the house I had one more plank to get across, but unfortunately this one wasn’t going to hold, it snapped and I jumped to the concrete ramp! If it had been the previous plank I would be completely soaked and my wallet and cameras would be waterlogged! We all had a good laugh over it with the locals! The accidents weren’t going to stop there, on the way back to the port our boat broke down so we had to switch boats. We just about made it back dry!
The next activity was a moped ride through the crazy streets to the top of Sam Mountain to watch the sunset. It was crazy to say the least! The don’t traffic lights or pedestrians here and they drive on either side of the road! It was a bit of a race to the top between with Gary coming second to Renee from our group. From the top the views were amazing offering views of Chau Doc and the Mekong Delta. While there we chilled out by drinking beers and relaxing in hammocks. It was four peoples first time in them believe it or not. The way down was a bit a bit crazier because there was so much overtaking going on and you weren’t always sure what was around the corner!After this it was time to head to a local restaurant for dinner. Dinner seemed a bit dodgy after eating it but I wouldn’t know the full effects until a couple of hours later!One of the worst nights of my life is not exaggerating! I won’t forget Chau Doc in a hurry that’s for sure!Mike

Day 374 – 375 Sinkville

We all awoke pretty early once again and began our adventure to the unknown. Travelling across Cambodia our destination was a luxury beach resort. I know it’s only been a week in Asia but in the intense heat the one thing everyone needed was a beach to relax in, sip cocktails, get a massage and ball some ball games.

We arrived to Sihanoukville ready for some fun times. All sounds fantastic but of course the two things Asia offer is Sun and Rain. We got rain and lots and lots of it. Of course we weren’t going to let this ruin our enjoyment of the place. We decided to take the opportunity to take a quick nap then got ready for a night of $0.50 beer. Sounds like a good plan doesn’t it. We decided we would introduce a card game to the group. The game was Kings Cup. Not to go into a lot of detail but a lot of beer was drunk and good times were had least for those who remembered the night. We got to drink on the beach and the rain didn’t dampen our spirits.

The next day was pretty much a chill and relax day. Catching up on your reading, internet (Slowest connections ever in many places so be patient if blog isn’t always up so quickly) or just not being on a bus. The hotel we were in was pretty cool. Bar with pool table and some Geese outside front (Bit random but cool). The night ended with dinner as always. It was top class once again.

This marks the end of our stay in Cambodia and so far it’s been an excellent trip. It’s been very much a culture shock. Australia has a very large Asian community but being here it’s completely different. The Streets over here are absolutely crazy. They don’t drive on the left side of the road or the right they drive anywhere and wherever they like. It’s insane to see and can make it quiet difficult to cross. Everyone drive a motor bike. They are smaller and cheaper so best option for Asians. They allow quick access through traffic. Designed for one person but over here a whole family hops on. Yesterday we spotted a family of 6 on you. I kid you not. Motorbikes often pull a trailer behind them crammed with people, its a taxi to next town. It needs to be viewed to be understood.

The people live such different lives to what we are used to. What really struck me is the poorest of the poor. Anytime I would watch TV and see people in the slums before I would ponder

• How sad it was for them?
• How they must feel so sorry for themselves?
  

But having seen and meet with some of them I see that a lot of them are so much happier then any people I have ever seen. They don’t need material goods to make them feel good. They run and play around in streets with the broadest smiles one. It’s beautiful to see. The kids of the Kingdom of Cambodia provide a valuable lesson to us all and that’s appreciating the simple things. Once we have shelter and bread on the table that’s the main thing. The brain is always thinking on the road so it’s good to learn and change some views on life.

Asia has exceeded all our expectations and let it continue. Vietnam here we come.

Conor

Day 372-374 : The Heart of Darkness

We woke up pretty tired after our temple excursions and went to a local super market to pick up snacks for the 6 hour bus journey. We boarded the bus at 11 and set off on our long journey. When you are travelling, you tend to use these journeys to think about everything and anything. The scenery from the bus around these places is brilliant. The roads are crazy here!! We felt that South America was bad at the time but it is nothing on this place. Bikes are plentiful here and tuk tuk’s as well. Tuk tuk’s are like a horse and carriage with the horse being a small motorbike….it’s great fun. I was keeping my eyes peeled and admiring all around me. The side of the roads are flooded at the moment following rain and all the children are playing in them now. We stopped off for a break and straight away we are surrounded by people selling all sorts. One thing that has struck me here is how happy some of the kid’s are. They have nothing but this doesn’t wipe the smiles off their faces one bit. It makes you think about all the times you sulked when you were younger about not getting a computer game etc…shame on us all!!

We got to the hotel after 6 and went to a restaurant called “Friend’s”. The people working in this restaurant are former/current street children. They consist of the more experienced “Teacher’s” and the less experienced “Student’s”. It is fairly expensive (well expensive as far as Cambodia goes!). We got to choose 3 dishes from “Fish, Vegetarian and Meat” dishes. I went for meat all the way!! Mike actually got 4 dishes. The food was quite tasty and surprisingly filling. Our tour leader Caroline (who is pretty cool and we are getting more and more use to her) told us of a potential “Tsunami” that may hit our next destination. If this was the case we would fly to the stop after this (subsequently nothing has happened yet and we are on route). We also saw “Angry guy” and his girlfriend here who seem to be following us around!!

One of our Tuk tuk drivers told us about a shooting range and that we could potentially fire a Bazooka!! All they guy’s eyes lighted up so we said we would go ahead with it the following day. The group is getting a lot closer and the guys have really hit it off. We can have a laugh but these guys are pretty experienced workers (who are taking a break now) so it’s great to have a few serious conversations with them at the same time. We have really talked up Australia to them (the majority are going here) so we hope they like it.

After the meal, some group members headed home with Mike, Conor, Mark, Tobian, Renee, Bee, Phil and I ready to explore Cambodian nightlife. We had a quick pint in a bar. Phil and Tobian left early and the rest of us headed to a Cambodian nightclub called “The Heart of Darkness”. We got searched for guns going in (funnily enough we were bigger than the bouncers) and once we were inside we felt like celebrities. The Manager shook our hand’s. It was a bit weird seeing some 60 year old in there chatting up Cambodian girls but what else is he going to do I suppose ha! We got talking to a few Cambodian girls who seemed really nice but we left it at that and headed home.

The alarm went off at 8am and we headed off to the “Toul Sleng Genocide Museum (S21)”. Here comes the history lesson. As the Khmer Rouge (UCKRR) were commencing their reign of terror, Toul Svay Prey Secondary School , in a quite Phnom Penh neighbourhood, was transformed into a primitive prison and interrogation centre. From 1975 to 1979, an estimated twenty thousand victims were imprisoned in Security Prison 21 (S21). Teachers, students, doctors, monks and peasants suspected of anti-revolutionary behaviour were brought here, often with their spouses and children. It is now a museum and from our tour guide we got an idea of the scale of suffering endured by the Cambodian people. We were lucky to meet one of only 7 survivors and we got a photo with this man.

Following S21 we went to “The Killing Fields of Choeung EK (Hell on Earth in 20^th Century). This was formerly an orchard. During 1975-1979, The UCKRR used this orchard and converted it into the most cruel and barbaric killing field on earth. There are scenes of crimes to be seen here like the Memorial charnel house with 8,000 skulls of victims and large mass graves in the ground. Some bones are still on the ground even now. You have to take a step back and imagine how bad it use to be and the thing about it is that this only ended in 1979 which isn’t that long ago!

We had lunch in a nice English restaurant and we all got cyclos to tour the city. It was 3 dollars and was a great way to see the city. My driver was crazy and was constantly hounding me for a tip….I should have given him a tip across the ear!! We ended the journey at the glistening, golden Royal Palace . We just admired it and decided to head back to the hotel to try and fire a Bazooka.

We agreed a price with our driver and 6 of us set off. We got two tuk tuk’s and we were told that the destination was a half an hour away. As we got further and further the darkness was setting in and the city getting poorer and poorer. We turned into some alley way and entered into what we think was an ex military area. When we arrived no one was in sight. It was scary enough for a minute. The Tuk tuk driver (Who calls himself “Big Black”) told us it was closed for the day and that we could come back tomorrow. It was almost like a set up to just pay him the ride fare. We also found out that the Bazooka firing happens in the mountains. We were pretty pissed off so decided that we would pay the full fare price tomorrow morning. To come all that way and not fire the Bazooka sucked!! We joined the rest of the group for dinner, pool and the most interesting Economics conversation I have ever had with Mark and “Dips” (a real character!!!). We have to get up at 6 in the morning so we got to bed early. I’m loving being back into the swing of travelling……waking up not knowing where you are or where you are going!

Brilliant stuff,

Gary

Day 370- 371- Angkor What?

When we arose to catch a seven o clock bus to Siem Reap the next morning the topic of everyone’s lips was the fight that happened the night before. We heard rumours that Adam(Angry Guy) was going to be booted out of the group without a refund but none of us were 100% sure what would happen until we talked to the tour guide, who was nowhere to be seen! It was a bit like being in Big Brother! We had to call her room to get her up! Luckily we didn’t miss our bus and we were on our way to Siem Reap which would take 7-8 hours including stops. Along the way our tour guide tried to resolve the situation that occurred the night before. Apparently Adam’s girlfriend would be able to return to the group if she wanted to but Adam wasn’t being allowed back on the tour under any circumstances.

Siem Reap has a population of about 750,000 and is the gate way to see the magnificent temples of Angkor , one of the wonders of the world. It has become an even more popular tourist destination since Tomb Raider and the most recent Indiana Jones movie have been filmed here. The name “Siem Reap” actually means “Thai’s defeated” in reflection of the various times the ownership over Angkor fell to the Thai kingdoms and was subsequently taken by the Khmer Kingdom .

The first stop of the journey was used to sort out our visas for Cambodia , we filled out all the necessary forms and were on our way over the border. While crossing from Thailand to Cambodia I was surrounded by a group of kids trying to take my football off me. They wanted it so much they followed me for 3 or 4 minutes and used all their energy to jump and smack the ball out of my hand. Unfortunately for them there was no way I was letting go! With everyone over the border with no problems so we boarded another bus to take us the rest of the way to Siem Reap. We passed through a lot of flooded little towns and saw a lot of locals bathing and fishing in the flooded water! Along the was we stopped off at a little shop where you had to buy something to use the bathroom. I did and used my first ever traditional South-East Asian bathroom. The room consisted of a hole and a bucket of water and a beaker in it for flushing. It was a unique experience and one which we’ll no doubt have to do many times along this trip.

When we made it to Siem Reap we noticed the roads were flooded here too but it didn’t look too serious. After checking in to our hotel and getting changed we headed out for a traditional Cambodian cook–it-yourself BBQ. We all took Tuk-Tuks to the restaurant and discovered that the flooding was a lot worse than we thought! Conor decided to wear jeans and shoes out and he soon regretted it! After initially trying to avoid the flooding he eventually gave up and ploughed straight into the water. The locals didn’t know what to think! Inside the restaurant we ordered a combination of the usual beef and chicken along with crazier choices of snake, crocodile, frog’s legs, squid and ostrich! We were a little apprehensive but it turned out to be a very nice meal. After a few drinks in a pub called Angkor What? we headed back to the hotel as we had an early start in the morning to catch the sunrise at the famous Angkor Wat temple!

On the way home everyone in the Tuk-Tuks got stuck at a particular junction and had to either switch Tuk-Tuks or help push it out of the pothole.

Half asleep we boarded the bus that would take us to the temples of Angkor . Our guide was very informative and enthusiastic as he informed us of the history of the temples, even at half 4 in the morning!
It costs $20 for a one day pass which would get us into any temple that we wanted for that day.

The main temples of Angkor were built between 802 and 1432. Angkor Wat is easily the most popular and well-known of all the temples of Angkor . This was our first stop of the morning and it was hard to be impressed on our arrival, because it was pitch-dark. We made our way up the steps and over what looked like a bridge to the entrance of the temple. As the minutes went by we could begin to see the temple more clearly. It was an awesome sight. It was very cloudy so we didn’t get an unbelievable sunrise but it was awesome none the less. After sunrise we spent the next hour and a half exploring the temple and learning about all the carvings on the walls. We went up and down staircase after staircase and into every nook and cranny. It’s in terrific condition for a temple that was built in 1150! It is an incredible place, hard to put into words amazing it is. It really does have to be seen to be believed!

After Angkor Wat we got to see all the various other temples including Angkor Thom and the jungle ravaged Ta Phrom where Tomb Raider was filmed! After 11 hours of temple exploring and climbing we were all shattered so we headed back to the hotel for a quick sleep before dinner. But when I woke up after an hour sleep I was even more tired!

Tonight, we headed for a traditional Cambodian restaurant where there was a dance show throughout the dinner. We were served a dish called Amok, a beef/fish dish and it was delicious. Afterwards we played some pool and discussed the day over a few beers before making our way through the flooded streets to the hotel to watch the United match!

The day was easily a 10/10! The Angkor Temples are probably the best thing we have seen so far on our travels!

Mike

Day 368-369 Thai-Rific

It was an interesting last 2 hours in Sydney. I arrived at Sydney Airport and tried to check in. The Check in Crew were looking at me funny for a few minutes. Then they told me that I didn’t have a visa on my passport as a result of it being a new passport. I was told that it was unlikely I would be boarding today unless I had my old passport with me. I franticly ran around the airport looking for customs. It was 60 minutes to my flight. This was crazy. I got customs to contact the Emirates staff to let them know that immigration would sort the problem. I finally got to check my bag in 50 minutes to departure. I literally ran through customs and duty free and boarded my plane. Thailand here I come.

Arriving in Thailand I hoped for no trouble with immigration. Thankfully I was in luck. I decided to get a taxi. This ride gave me a brief view of Bangkok. The streets were full of stalls and plenty of hustle and bustle. It was as I imagined it to be. The people were up in their stalls at 3am and it was pissing rain. Unfortunately travel shows you the sad side of life aswell. The taxi cost 450 Bhat (About 8 euro for an hour drive cheap :))

I arrived into the Hotel and was met by the friendly hotel staff, which checked me into my room. I watched the end of the United game and then it was time for some rest after my 9 hour flight.

After a bit of a sleep in it was time to meet Mike and Gary. It was good to see them again. We decided to head out and sample the streets first hand. We hit the main street and what greeted us was “Sir you want to buy!”, “Ping pong show”, “Hey were you from” etc. It was street stall after street stall. There was loads of bric and brac to be got aswell as some clothes. It is true that Bangkok is sleazy but it’s fascinating to see this crazy city.

The weather was something we never experienced before. It’s so hot and humid. It’s such a sticky feeling. The temperature was over 30 degrees but with the humidity it seems a lot higher. The best way to explain it is imagine being outside but outside being a sauna. We are going to lose buckets of sweat in the next few weeks.
It was only a few hours to meeting the New Gap group so we didn’t want to exert ourselves too much so we just had a walk around enjoying the shops, cafes and Ice cream Parlours.

We arrived back in the Hotel fashionably late for our first meeting. The group seemed cool and our tour leader Caroline promised we would have a good time. We all headed for dinner. At dinner we all heard how some of the group just got fed up off work and wanted to travel. We all spoke fondly of Australia. Everyone was getting on pretty well. The lads were having there footy conversations while the girls had there girly chats.

What happened next shocked us a little bit. We decided to head home early as we had a 7 am start. One of the guys in the group decided to shout abuse at us for not getting involved in drinking. It was a bit weird considering none of us had spoken to him. He called me a girl for not drinking with him then he told Gary to take off his Superman top as he was no man. We just walked home with some of the group ignoring him.

During the night a bit of a fight took place and Angry Guy decides to start a fight with a fellow member of the group. It ended up with him getting hit and his earring out. Welcome to the start of the next month.

Bang bang,

Conor

Special Note – End of an Era

Just a special notice to let you all know that the 4 Musketeers have become the 3 Musketeers. Tom Burke has decided to fly solo. The 3 Musketeers wish Tom Burke all the best in all his future endeavours.

Lot of love,
3 Musketeers.

Day 363-367 -Family Fortunes.

These few days marked a number of very special occasions. Gary left work as previously detailed. Tom also left his job and I’m on leave. This all worked out rather well for the latest big arrival to Sydney. No it’s not a major sports competition like the Olympics, World Cup or even Formula one it’s the arrival of Con Daly and Breda Daly. They had always dreamed of coming over here and the fact that all their kids (Conor, Gary, Dani, Mike and Tom) were here only sweetened the deal.

Emotions were running high on Saturday as the final plans were being put into place for their arrival. Would they still remember us? Would they approve of our new homes? Would they want us to return home? These were questions that they would answer.

Dani and Joe picked them up in the Airport. I’m sure things got pretty emotional there. I mean come on 24 hours of flying would get to the best of us. We attended a movie Called “Looking for Eric” staring Eric Cantona (Got to give it a thumbs up and recommend you watch it). We then headed to Wollstonecraft and waited for their arrival.

20 minutes later they arrived in high as kites. They are testimony that jet lag is non existent. We discussed lots of things like Kiloughter, how the neighbours were, recession, Sydney, plans for Asia among many other things. They were in fantastic form and we all likened it to a second honeymoon for them. It was great to see. We had a bit of food and then headed to the local for a quiet one before heading home for the night as we all had an early start the next morning.

We made our way out to Palm Beach. As I’m sure your aware by now Palm Beach is the location of Australia’s best export “Home and Away”. This was my third time here but it’s still as good as the first. We all grew up idolising this location so it’s just amazing to see it in reality. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t as good as normal as it was a bit windy. But Con and Breda didn’t complain and we all created our own heat through sheer energy and enthusiasm.

We walked through some of the filming locations like Diner, various beach shots, pier etc. After all that excitement we went for some lunch. More good fun and conversations were to be had. Spirits were so high we were nearly flying. We went home to do a little bit of packing. Asia is our destination come the end of this week. This took a while as we move out on Wednesday.

Next days tour involved seeing the two most beautiful Australian women. I’m not talking about Kylie and Dani Minogue; I mean the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Words can’t describe how amazing they are but that’s not going to stop me trying. I have seen some amazing things in South America and New Zealand like Iguaza falls, Franz Josef glacier, Hukka Falls, Lake Taupo, Milford Sound and these two structures stand with these natural beauties and fight the good fight. I really think Con and Breda began to fall in love with Sydney the moment they saw these two ladies.

Next port of call was a ferry to Darling Harbour. This ferry provided some great picture moments of the Opera House and Bridge. It’s amazing to think that 13 or 14 months ago, it was the Salmon Weir Bridge we all looked at. After a stroll around the Harbour we decided to visit the Chinese Gardens. This is a beautiful Nirvana in the city. You really could be 30 miles from the city instead of in the middle of it. Lizards, Bonsai trees, some crazy fish and rocks were on display. The real highlight of this was the dressing up though. Mike, Gary, Breda and Dani all got dressed up in Chinese attire. This provided some great laughs and entertainment. Kung Fu, Crouching tiger hidden dragon, matrix, modern man, Buddha were only some of the poses. That night we went to Bondi for a lovely meal. Con and Breda got their first sample of Bondi life and seemed pretty impressed.

The next day was our last day in Sydney before we begin the next wacky and crazy adventure. I got up early and showed Con Bondi Beach. We walked the beach and got to see all the various walkers and runners as well as the tourists. Bondi Beach is another beautiful Australian location. After this it was time for Dani to bring mom and dad to Taranga Zoo. This is one of the best zoos in the world. It’s on its own island and offers brilliant animal’s aswell as magnificent views of the Sydney Skyline. They really enjoyed the zoo and loved the seal show.

At the same time Breda and Con enjoyed the wonderful flora and Fauna we got to visit Chatswood. Gary wanted to return one last time to say goodbye to his fellow workers. This was also a chance for us to pick up a few bits and pieces before our trip. After this it was time to experience a day in the life of Tom Burke. We retraced his journey to work (Bus and 3 trains). Doesn’t sound that exciting I will admit but if you hear about someone’s work every day eventually you need to know a bit about it.

Later on that night we all met for the last supper. The location was a Thai restaurant. This was good to do as it’s the food that we will be eating for the next month and a bit. We all had a few drinks and enjoyed the meal as well as company. Then it was back to Wollstonecraft for a night cap or two or three. The entertainment was provided by Dee, Charlie and Con. Dee has the voice of an angel it does have to be said.

It was time to say our goodbyes. Gary and Mike made a speech and thanked all the Wollstonecraft gang for making their Aussie experience better. It was time to go. We made our way to Bondi.

Morning time and it was our last day in Australia. We did the necessary packed, cleaned and cleared apartment. Then all went for our last meal together. We enjoyed the view one last time. Then finally we walked the Coastal walk and all had a few heart to hearts about the future. The coastal walk is really special it leads from Bondi to Cooge but you stop off in other beaches along the way. We went as far as Tamarama Beach. It was a really hot day and a great day to be our last.

It was Judgement Day. It was time to say goodbye to Mum and Dad and Tom. It was like Kiloughter all over again. We all felt pretty upset afterwards but the show must go on.

G’Day Australia,

Conor