1. Long boats on Koh Tao
2. Scuba diving- Ao Mao dive site
3. My motorbike I toured the island with
4. The view from my hammock
Friday, September 7, 2007
Chiang Mai Trek
1. Elephant in Karen Village
2. Our bungalow
3. The trek through Doi Inthanon National Park
4. Bamboo rafting
5. Train ride from Bangkok to Chiang Mai
2. Our bungalow
3. The trek through Doi Inthanon National Park
4. Bamboo rafting
5. Train ride from Bangkok to Chiang Mai
Camping on Phi Phi Le "The Beach"
1.&2. Sunset from Phi Phi Le
3. Drinking out buckets (Sangsom-Thai rum, coke and redbull)
4. The group (Canadian, Irish, Australian, British, Mexican, Dutch, Malasian)
5. Long boat with Thai flag departing "The Beach"
3. Drinking out buckets (Sangsom-Thai rum, coke and redbull)
4. The group (Canadian, Irish, Australian, British, Mexican, Dutch, Malasian)
5. Long boat with Thai flag departing "The Beach"
Pictures from Phi Phi Island
1. Sunset looking out to Phi Phi Le
2. Phi Phi Le
3. Phi Phi Le
4. "The Beach:
5. Setting up Camp
2. Phi Phi Le
3. Phi Phi Le
4. "The Beach:
5. Setting up Camp
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Doi Inthanon National Park
Trekking through the hills of Doi Inthanon and Karen Villages 40 mins from Chiang Mai was a great ending to an amazing trip. This was the final stage in my many experiences over here. The group I went up with was absolutely fantastic, except for the few that complained about how strenuous the hike was. I was just laughing inside thinking what do you think you paid for, an elephant ride into the hills? We drove 40 mins from Chiang Mai city into the hills where the Karen villages started. Karen tribes people have an estimated population of 322, 00o, they originated in Burma but have migrated due to the ethnic war in their home country. There are about 10 different hill tribes that Chiang Mai recognizes and the Karen people make up the majority of them. It was an amazing experience to watch them in their village, the women in the rice fields or looking after an infant and well the men, I didn't see many of them doing much of anything...
The first day we went bamboo rafting down a small river, similar to the river we raft down at the cabin but with smaller rapids. We got totally soaked, either from falling off or people splashing with their poles. It wasn't so bad getting soaked because it cooled us down for the 3 hour all up hill hike that was ahead of us, it was definately a great workout. We arrived at our hut which had a beautiful waterfall 10 feet from our bungalow flowing so heavily because of the rainy season. As soon as we arrived at the camp we stripped down and jumped right in, while some of the complainers grabbed and beer and sat and watched us! hah
We took our soap and shampoo and showered and sat in the current of the waterfall for a while to cool down. The guides came in and joined us and showed us the special areas where we could jump off the waterfall into the pool, but I was content staying at the base in the water!
After we managed to put on some dry clothes and hang the wet ones dinner was almost ready. The guides and a few of the Karen village people were slaving away in a small hut with one fire and many dishes of different spices and chopped food. I went in their and watched them at work in amazment. In the end for dinner they served us (12 people) a huge serving of steamed rice, two large bowls of green curry and sweet and sour chicken. The food was so delicious, and just to think they made it all from scratch in that little hut.
With full tummys and an exhausting day of hiking I think most people were ready to get to bed, however we checked the time and it was only 7:30pm...So instead someone pulled out the Thai rum and a guitar and we started to drink and play games until a little later in the night, but still we were in bed by around 11...
Breakfast consisted of tea, coffee, toast and scrambled eggs, and for those Australian's who read this....VEGGEMITE...oh it was so good and brought back so many memories! For those Canadians who are reading this and want to try some, I brought some home with me so you are in luck :)
The second day was kind of sad, I had to part with all the people I had got close to on the hike because they went on to do another day of hiking and I had to head back to Chiang Mai because I had a flight to catch from Bangkok. We only hiked two hours this day and the majority was downhill. We arrived at where we go elephant riding and immediately I did not want to be there. I won't go into detail but I was describing to a friend how I just wanted to jump off my elephant, free all the ones chained to a tree and run away. I felt like I was supporting such a cruel thing. I didn't support them any further by tipping or buying any pictures, and will advise future travellers to do the trek and rafting but not the elephant riding. I just kept thinking of the elephants I saw while in Africa and how free and beautiful they were...these ones were captive and who knows what they go through.
Enough about that, the day ended shortly after, we hopped in the back of a truck and drove back to Chiang Mai.
I'm now back in Bangkok after taking an overnight bus down here and today will be my day of last minute shopping, touring and errands (phone calls, mailing etc).
I already miss the islands and beaches, but I know this is not the end, it is just the beginning of my travels and adventures!!!
Stay posted!
The first day we went bamboo rafting down a small river, similar to the river we raft down at the cabin but with smaller rapids. We got totally soaked, either from falling off or people splashing with their poles. It wasn't so bad getting soaked because it cooled us down for the 3 hour all up hill hike that was ahead of us, it was definately a great workout. We arrived at our hut which had a beautiful waterfall 10 feet from our bungalow flowing so heavily because of the rainy season. As soon as we arrived at the camp we stripped down and jumped right in, while some of the complainers grabbed and beer and sat and watched us! hah
We took our soap and shampoo and showered and sat in the current of the waterfall for a while to cool down. The guides came in and joined us and showed us the special areas where we could jump off the waterfall into the pool, but I was content staying at the base in the water!
After we managed to put on some dry clothes and hang the wet ones dinner was almost ready. The guides and a few of the Karen village people were slaving away in a small hut with one fire and many dishes of different spices and chopped food. I went in their and watched them at work in amazment. In the end for dinner they served us (12 people) a huge serving of steamed rice, two large bowls of green curry and sweet and sour chicken. The food was so delicious, and just to think they made it all from scratch in that little hut.
With full tummys and an exhausting day of hiking I think most people were ready to get to bed, however we checked the time and it was only 7:30pm...So instead someone pulled out the Thai rum and a guitar and we started to drink and play games until a little later in the night, but still we were in bed by around 11...
Breakfast consisted of tea, coffee, toast and scrambled eggs, and for those Australian's who read this....VEGGEMITE...oh it was so good and brought back so many memories! For those Canadians who are reading this and want to try some, I brought some home with me so you are in luck :)
The second day was kind of sad, I had to part with all the people I had got close to on the hike because they went on to do another day of hiking and I had to head back to Chiang Mai because I had a flight to catch from Bangkok. We only hiked two hours this day and the majority was downhill. We arrived at where we go elephant riding and immediately I did not want to be there. I won't go into detail but I was describing to a friend how I just wanted to jump off my elephant, free all the ones chained to a tree and run away. I felt like I was supporting such a cruel thing. I didn't support them any further by tipping or buying any pictures, and will advise future travellers to do the trek and rafting but not the elephant riding. I just kept thinking of the elephants I saw while in Africa and how free and beautiful they were...these ones were captive and who knows what they go through.
Enough about that, the day ended shortly after, we hopped in the back of a truck and drove back to Chiang Mai.
I'm now back in Bangkok after taking an overnight bus down here and today will be my day of last minute shopping, touring and errands (phone calls, mailing etc).
I already miss the islands and beaches, but I know this is not the end, it is just the beginning of my travels and adventures!!!
Stay posted!
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Journey to Chiang Mai
It is a little different from the islands I've been on the last week but Chiang Mai is such a beautiful province, and the people are the nicest I have encountered yet.
I left Koh Tao yesterday morning at 10am and took a 3 hour ferry to Champorn, then hopped on an 8 hour bus to Bangkok. Arrived to Bangkok around 9:30pm ran to the train station and got on the 10pm train to Chiang Mai...finally I arrived around 1:30pm...was it ever a long trip, but luckly I slept most of the way and finished a couple of books :) The train in the morning was amazing, the window was all the way down and it felt like I was immersed in the jungle. We went over bridges that went over massive canyons, but mostly it was travelling through the jungle and I saw the off village and farmers. It was an excellent way to see more of the countryside.
Chiang Mai is widely known for their markets. I arrived and immediately went out shopping, but I had to wait until 6pm when the big night bizaar opened. In the meantime I sat by the pool and caught a few more rays, then met with the group that I would be trekking with the next couple of days. The first couple I met were Australian from Sydney, of course I just can't seem to get away from them! They had just spent the last 7 months in Whistler so we had something to talk about! There will be about 12 of us altogether, and our guide is so friendly and very funny...
I have just sat down after 3 hours of walking through the night bizaar, and oh my god I needed to get out of there before I bought everything I saw. This Bizaar is like the Khan (in Cairo) but the people aren't as grabby so it gives you more insentive to look and buy. I met a guy in Ko phangan that was very impressed with my bargaining skills...it must have been all those trips back to Egypt, and I'm getting even more practice here :) No more markets for me for at least two days until I'm back in Bangkok...oh jeez
I left Koh Tao yesterday morning at 10am and took a 3 hour ferry to Champorn, then hopped on an 8 hour bus to Bangkok. Arrived to Bangkok around 9:30pm ran to the train station and got on the 10pm train to Chiang Mai...finally I arrived around 1:30pm...was it ever a long trip, but luckly I slept most of the way and finished a couple of books :) The train in the morning was amazing, the window was all the way down and it felt like I was immersed in the jungle. We went over bridges that went over massive canyons, but mostly it was travelling through the jungle and I saw the off village and farmers. It was an excellent way to see more of the countryside.
Chiang Mai is widely known for their markets. I arrived and immediately went out shopping, but I had to wait until 6pm when the big night bizaar opened. In the meantime I sat by the pool and caught a few more rays, then met with the group that I would be trekking with the next couple of days. The first couple I met were Australian from Sydney, of course I just can't seem to get away from them! They had just spent the last 7 months in Whistler so we had something to talk about! There will be about 12 of us altogether, and our guide is so friendly and very funny...
I have just sat down after 3 hours of walking through the night bizaar, and oh my god I needed to get out of there before I bought everything I saw. This Bizaar is like the Khan (in Cairo) but the people aren't as grabby so it gives you more insentive to look and buy. I met a guy in Ko phangan that was very impressed with my bargaining skills...it must have been all those trips back to Egypt, and I'm getting even more practice here :) No more markets for me for at least two days until I'm back in Bangkok...oh jeez
Friday, August 31, 2007
Koh Tao (Turtle Island)
So I think this is my favourite island so far only because it's shaped like a turtle and they have named it after that. For those of you who don't really know me...I really like turtles ever since one of my good friends (Teri Shortreed) said I looked like one when I extended my neck...haha
This is my second day here and unfortunately I'm off again tomorrow to Chiang Mai. I arrive yesterday afternoon and immediately booked a dive trip for the next day...the whole reason I came to the island. Afterwards I went to rent a scooter to explore and see what this turtle was all about. I drove from the very south of the island to the north tip, got off my bike and hiked through the bush and found a really cool lookout point. The island is very small, I drove from one tip to the other in 20 mins, and that is on a windy road going 40-60 km/h. The island is surrounded by boulder rocks, and there are little beaches you can visit if you trek a little ways through the jungle. Touring the island was so beautiful and was a great way to do it because I stopped where ever I wanted, tourist shops, beaches, lookout points etc. By the time I got home I decided to hit the sack since I had to wake at 6am for the dive trip.
We set off pretty early. We got to our first dive site Hing Wong around 8am and got in the water. There were only 5 of us in the group and two of them were doing there open water certification, so I was treated like a princess. The instructor, Ben from Germany gave me his really expensive dive watch to wear and said I could go diving with the dive master Maria as long as I didn't break his watch...he had to tend to the others doing the test so he let us go off and do our own thing...between the first site and the second Ao Mao I saw angel fish, butterfly fish, bannerfish, rabbit fish, stingray, unicorn fish, trigger fish and a giant clam...not as big as the 150 yr old one Dad and I saw at the Great Barrier reef.
The day was great, the diving, swimming, jumping off the boat...the water is so clear and beautiful its hard to stay out of, especially when the water is 28 degrees and the air temp is 36! oh wow, Mom I don't know how you would cope here, but this is my kind of weather!! :) hehe
We got back from the dive trip around 1 and I decided the lay on the beach and work on my tan since it is the last day for me on the islands and near a beach. The islands here are so beautiful it will be hard leaving but I've heard amazing things about Chiang Mai.
That is all for now, lots of love from this side of the world and I will be seeing some of you really soon!
This is my second day here and unfortunately I'm off again tomorrow to Chiang Mai. I arrive yesterday afternoon and immediately booked a dive trip for the next day...the whole reason I came to the island. Afterwards I went to rent a scooter to explore and see what this turtle was all about. I drove from the very south of the island to the north tip, got off my bike and hiked through the bush and found a really cool lookout point. The island is very small, I drove from one tip to the other in 20 mins, and that is on a windy road going 40-60 km/h. The island is surrounded by boulder rocks, and there are little beaches you can visit if you trek a little ways through the jungle. Touring the island was so beautiful and was a great way to do it because I stopped where ever I wanted, tourist shops, beaches, lookout points etc. By the time I got home I decided to hit the sack since I had to wake at 6am for the dive trip.
We set off pretty early. We got to our first dive site Hing Wong around 8am and got in the water. There were only 5 of us in the group and two of them were doing there open water certification, so I was treated like a princess. The instructor, Ben from Germany gave me his really expensive dive watch to wear and said I could go diving with the dive master Maria as long as I didn't break his watch...he had to tend to the others doing the test so he let us go off and do our own thing...between the first site and the second Ao Mao I saw angel fish, butterfly fish, bannerfish, rabbit fish, stingray, unicorn fish, trigger fish and a giant clam...not as big as the 150 yr old one Dad and I saw at the Great Barrier reef.
The day was great, the diving, swimming, jumping off the boat...the water is so clear and beautiful its hard to stay out of, especially when the water is 28 degrees and the air temp is 36! oh wow, Mom I don't know how you would cope here, but this is my kind of weather!! :) hehe
We got back from the dive trip around 1 and I decided the lay on the beach and work on my tan since it is the last day for me on the islands and near a beach. The islands here are so beautiful it will be hard leaving but I've heard amazing things about Chiang Mai.
That is all for now, lots of love from this side of the world and I will be seeing some of you really soon!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Full Moon Party 2007
Aug 28
The day of the full moon....the largest beach party in the world....the best fire dancers and every type of music you can imagine! What more can you ask for...
The beach was lined with vendors selling buckets, food, glow painting and more...I knew this was going to be one of the most memorable nights EVER! I was with a great group the aussies and now two more guys from Holland (Rogier, Florian) that we had met camping aswell and we stuck together watching fire dancers while we started drinking, dancing at cactus bar again and then we found a roof top where we danced while watching 10,000 people swarming the beach. We met some British guys on the roof top that had lots of glow in the dark paint so they added more to us so we were absolutely covered! I will hopefully post some pictures soon of the trip.
Our night started to wind down around 5am and we just chilled on the beach for the next while!! We arrived back at our bungalow around 8:30am and I found a nice comfy hammock and passed out for a couple of hours! Now it was just the recovery day ahead where nothing needed to be done :)
Just beach and relaxation!
The day of the full moon....the largest beach party in the world....the best fire dancers and every type of music you can imagine! What more can you ask for...
The beach was lined with vendors selling buckets, food, glow painting and more...I knew this was going to be one of the most memorable nights EVER! I was with a great group the aussies and now two more guys from Holland (Rogier, Florian) that we had met camping aswell and we stuck together watching fire dancers while we started drinking, dancing at cactus bar again and then we found a roof top where we danced while watching 10,000 people swarming the beach. We met some British guys on the roof top that had lots of glow in the dark paint so they added more to us so we were absolutely covered! I will hopefully post some pictures soon of the trip.
Our night started to wind down around 5am and we just chilled on the beach for the next while!! We arrived back at our bungalow around 8:30am and I found a nice comfy hammock and passed out for a couple of hours! Now it was just the recovery day ahead where nothing needed to be done :)
Just beach and relaxation!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Ko Pha Ngan
Aug 27 The day of Travel
I left Phi Phi island on the 9am ferry and arrived at my bungalow in Ko Phangan at 9pm. I ran into some amazing people I had met camping at Maya beach on the ferry and we chatted and sat together....go figure they are all Melbournians :) (Erika, Suzy, Tomas and Diana). The trip went by so fast just hanging out and we planned to meet up that night to scope out Hat Rin where the full moon party will be held the next night.
I arrived at my bungalow to find out they didn't have my booking that I had made almost 2 weeks prior. I knew everything else on the island would be booked because of this party but I didn't let it get to me. They had one hut open for that night so they let me stay there but I was kicked out the next morning...
I didn't let that ruin my night. By this time I was so excited to get to Hat Rin I dropped my bags, changed my clothes and hitched a ride with a group that were going to Thong Sala to watch a Thai boxing match. I flagged down another cab from Thong Sala and I met up with the Aussies in Hat Rin Nok-Sunrise beach and we started the night off with a bucket (Sangsom-Thai Whiskey, coke and redbull). I only need one of those and it does me for the entire night. We found a sweet bar called Cactus on the beach and ended up dancing until 4am. We had such a blast together we didnt know where the time went. We met a few Thai guys that offered us a ride home, so we accepted and hit the pillow hard as soon as we all got back...I let the girls know what happened with my accomodation and they offered for me to stay at there place as long as I needed which worked out perfectly because I knew the next night at the full moon party none of us would be sleeping anyways!
I got dropped off by those two Thai guys after we dropped off the rest of the crew and I went straight for my hammock that is hung on my balcony and overlooks the ocean and beach over a cliff. I was so tired but it was so beautiful I couldn't shut my eyes. I eventually went to bed and in the morning got up bright and early and sat in the hammock again. The feeling of lying in it with the sounds of the waves crashing, the birds chirping and the ocean view over the cliff is so perfect I think I found my paradise!
I left Phi Phi island on the 9am ferry and arrived at my bungalow in Ko Phangan at 9pm. I ran into some amazing people I had met camping at Maya beach on the ferry and we chatted and sat together....go figure they are all Melbournians :) (Erika, Suzy, Tomas and Diana). The trip went by so fast just hanging out and we planned to meet up that night to scope out Hat Rin where the full moon party will be held the next night.
I arrived at my bungalow to find out they didn't have my booking that I had made almost 2 weeks prior. I knew everything else on the island would be booked because of this party but I didn't let it get to me. They had one hut open for that night so they let me stay there but I was kicked out the next morning...
I didn't let that ruin my night. By this time I was so excited to get to Hat Rin I dropped my bags, changed my clothes and hitched a ride with a group that were going to Thong Sala to watch a Thai boxing match. I flagged down another cab from Thong Sala and I met up with the Aussies in Hat Rin Nok-Sunrise beach and we started the night off with a bucket (Sangsom-Thai Whiskey, coke and redbull). I only need one of those and it does me for the entire night. We found a sweet bar called Cactus on the beach and ended up dancing until 4am. We had such a blast together we didnt know where the time went. We met a few Thai guys that offered us a ride home, so we accepted and hit the pillow hard as soon as we all got back...I let the girls know what happened with my accomodation and they offered for me to stay at there place as long as I needed which worked out perfectly because I knew the next night at the full moon party none of us would be sleeping anyways!
I got dropped off by those two Thai guys after we dropped off the rest of the crew and I went straight for my hammock that is hung on my balcony and overlooks the ocean and beach over a cliff. I was so tired but it was so beautiful I couldn't shut my eyes. I eventually went to bed and in the morning got up bright and early and sat in the hammock again. The feeling of lying in it with the sounds of the waves crashing, the birds chirping and the ocean view over the cliff is so perfect I think I found my paradise!
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Camping at Maya Bay
Ko Phi Phi Le Aug 25-26
"It's already EPIC and we haven't even done it yet"
-Jake Fowler
That is exactly what it was....epic.
Camping at Maya Bay "The Beach" was even more amazing that anyone could imagine. The preparation for 30 of us to go was all worth the while, with Amir, Andy and Dave as master planners. They handed out flyers to get the group which ended up being 30 of us...people from Canada, Ireland, England, Australia, Mexico, Holland...etc. We gathered and prepared all the food (meat and veggie kebabs, steaks, chicken, sausages, potato, fruit salad and snacks. We loaded all the food and alcohol into one boat and had three others filled with people and set off to this protected cove beach.
The night was absolutely perfect, the moon was three days short of being full, the beach was so peaceful and untouched and everyone was having a great time. Amir performed with his guitar and did a fire show for us all and the rest of the night we had a stereo playing whatever we wanted.
Camping at Maya bay is a once in a lifetime thing, we were lucky enough to have Amir which is someone of a Phi Phi local to have connections and know who to pay off...haha
The night was filled with eating, drinking, swimming and everything was lit by the moon.
The next morning we woke early and left the beach before it got crowded. We headed for phi phi but stopped on the way to go cliff jumping. I wanted to jump so badly but the rocks were so sharp that the guys that manage to climb up all cut their feet, so I swam around the boat. But realized when I was swimming I wasn't alone...little tiny jellyfish with stingers were stinging me all over...I felt like I had a thousand cuts all over my body and I had jumped into salt water...I swam until I couldn't stand the little stings and then got out...
We got back to phi phi which was only a 30 mins boat ride from where we camped and almost everyone went back to bed after the long night. I went to the beach to read, sleep, enjoy the crystal clear waters and get in as much as I could of the most beautiful place I've seen in a while.
I have met some amazing people on this island and I know I will see them again, well at least keep in touch! I'm off to Ko Pha Ngan in the morning so I said my goodbyes and I was off to the biggest beach party in the world!
"It's already EPIC and we haven't even done it yet"
-Jake Fowler
That is exactly what it was....epic.
Camping at Maya Bay "The Beach" was even more amazing that anyone could imagine. The preparation for 30 of us to go was all worth the while, with Amir, Andy and Dave as master planners. They handed out flyers to get the group which ended up being 30 of us...people from Canada, Ireland, England, Australia, Mexico, Holland...etc. We gathered and prepared all the food (meat and veggie kebabs, steaks, chicken, sausages, potato, fruit salad and snacks. We loaded all the food and alcohol into one boat and had three others filled with people and set off to this protected cove beach.
The night was absolutely perfect, the moon was three days short of being full, the beach was so peaceful and untouched and everyone was having a great time. Amir performed with his guitar and did a fire show for us all and the rest of the night we had a stereo playing whatever we wanted.
Camping at Maya bay is a once in a lifetime thing, we were lucky enough to have Amir which is someone of a Phi Phi local to have connections and know who to pay off...haha
The night was filled with eating, drinking, swimming and everything was lit by the moon.
The next morning we woke early and left the beach before it got crowded. We headed for phi phi but stopped on the way to go cliff jumping. I wanted to jump so badly but the rocks were so sharp that the guys that manage to climb up all cut their feet, so I swam around the boat. But realized when I was swimming I wasn't alone...little tiny jellyfish with stingers were stinging me all over...I felt like I had a thousand cuts all over my body and I had jumped into salt water...I swam until I couldn't stand the little stings and then got out...
We got back to phi phi which was only a 30 mins boat ride from where we camped and almost everyone went back to bed after the long night. I went to the beach to read, sleep, enjoy the crystal clear waters and get in as much as I could of the most beautiful place I've seen in a while.
I have met some amazing people on this island and I know I will see them again, well at least keep in touch! I'm off to Ko Pha Ngan in the morning so I said my goodbyes and I was off to the biggest beach party in the world!
Friday, August 24, 2007
Ko phi phi
I made it! I took an over night bus from Bangkok on Aug 22 to ko phi phi which is in the province of Krabi...
I arrived about noon on Aug 23 and immediately met up with Andy and his friends (Amir and Dave). All we could think of was heading to the beach and that is exactly what we did. We grabbed a beer at a beach hut and brought them into the water while we enjoyed the beautiful blue water surrounded by rock cliffs and the 36degree weather! It was great seeing a familiar face after spending time on my own in Bangkok. I had a great time shopping, touring some temples and visiting buddha on his birthday. I experienced a ride in my first tuk tuk in bangkok (motorbike taxi) which was so cool and I was able to see more of the city that way.
Now that I'm out of the city and on a beautiful island I'm enjoying life. Yesterday after enjoying the water we packed up a small wooden boat with food and beer and set off for Bamboo island. There was 6 of us altogether (Amir, Dave, Andy, Jake, Jade, Laura and I) that went and we had a great time jumping off the boat in the middle of the ocean, walking the white sandy beaches of bamboo island and fishing with only reels and line on the way home. On the way back we sat and watched the sunset while swimming around the boat. We made it back to ko phi phi island around dark and we were all ready for the night to start. We ended up at a local bar called Hippies where Amir works and he entertained playing his guitar and singing and a fire show which was absolutely amazing. Afterwards we drank $3.00 coctails and $9.00 buckets of vodka redbull and danced the night away on the beach!!! It was a great night and it even ended with an exciting down poor around 2:30am, at that point we sang in the rain until I called it a night and walked home. I enjoyed walking home in the rain and the sound it made as it hit the path...and just thinking to myself I'm in Thailand and have no worries in the world at this moment!!!
I arrived about noon on Aug 23 and immediately met up with Andy and his friends (Amir and Dave). All we could think of was heading to the beach and that is exactly what we did. We grabbed a beer at a beach hut and brought them into the water while we enjoyed the beautiful blue water surrounded by rock cliffs and the 36degree weather! It was great seeing a familiar face after spending time on my own in Bangkok. I had a great time shopping, touring some temples and visiting buddha on his birthday. I experienced a ride in my first tuk tuk in bangkok (motorbike taxi) which was so cool and I was able to see more of the city that way.
Now that I'm out of the city and on a beautiful island I'm enjoying life. Yesterday after enjoying the water we packed up a small wooden boat with food and beer and set off for Bamboo island. There was 6 of us altogether (Amir, Dave, Andy, Jake, Jade, Laura and I) that went and we had a great time jumping off the boat in the middle of the ocean, walking the white sandy beaches of bamboo island and fishing with only reels and line on the way home. On the way back we sat and watched the sunset while swimming around the boat. We made it back to ko phi phi island around dark and we were all ready for the night to start. We ended up at a local bar called Hippies where Amir works and he entertained playing his guitar and singing and a fire show which was absolutely amazing. Afterwards we drank $3.00 coctails and $9.00 buckets of vodka redbull and danced the night away on the beach!!! It was a great night and it even ended with an exciting down poor around 2:30am, at that point we sang in the rain until I called it a night and walked home. I enjoyed walking home in the rain and the sound it made as it hit the path...and just thinking to myself I'm in Thailand and have no worries in the world at this moment!!!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
The Land of Thai!
I've finally made it to Thailand where I was supposed to have been two months ago but decided to spend time with my love in Australia :)
I have arrived safe and sound after a 15 hour trip from Melb. It was extremely hard saying goobye to Nick and his family, I had one last dinner with them the night before I left and then it was the count down until I left :( It was hard thinking about going to Thailand when I was leaving a life I had become so attached to over the past 7 months! I know it's not the end for me...Australia is a second home! :)
I arrived in Bangkok around 8:30 pm Aug 21 with everything going perfectly. Until I jumped in the cab. He took me to the general area of where my hostel was but couldn't find it and then ended up charging me extra since we drove around longer than he wanted to look for it...he only took $18.00 and I was in the cabin for a good hour and ahalf...haha things are extremely cheap here it's hard not to buy everything you see!
I was expecting this place to be very similar to Egypt but already I see many differences...the country is a lot cleaner, the people don't beg as much and the men don't stare or whistle (as much) YES!!!! hah
I dropped everything at my hostel Sawasdee Bongkok Inn and went shopping along Koh San Rd which is a major tourist and market district. I bought some food from a Vendor and sat on the side of the street eating and watching the people go bye. I bought some souvenirs already which I've been waiting so long to buy, cotton pants ($3.00) and a Thail bag ($3.00)..so glad I waited until I was here to buy them.
Today I'm going to try and book the night train down to the province Krabi and stay on Ko Phi Phi island. I know some people down there that I went to highschool with in Nanaimo (Andy Hatfield) so hopefully we can meet up.
I'll be in touch!! LOVE
I have arrived safe and sound after a 15 hour trip from Melb. It was extremely hard saying goobye to Nick and his family, I had one last dinner with them the night before I left and then it was the count down until I left :( It was hard thinking about going to Thailand when I was leaving a life I had become so attached to over the past 7 months! I know it's not the end for me...Australia is a second home! :)
I arrived in Bangkok around 8:30 pm Aug 21 with everything going perfectly. Until I jumped in the cab. He took me to the general area of where my hostel was but couldn't find it and then ended up charging me extra since we drove around longer than he wanted to look for it...he only took $18.00 and I was in the cabin for a good hour and ahalf...haha things are extremely cheap here it's hard not to buy everything you see!
I was expecting this place to be very similar to Egypt but already I see many differences...the country is a lot cleaner, the people don't beg as much and the men don't stare or whistle (as much) YES!!!! hah
I dropped everything at my hostel Sawasdee Bongkok Inn and went shopping along Koh San Rd which is a major tourist and market district. I bought some food from a Vendor and sat on the side of the street eating and watching the people go bye. I bought some souvenirs already which I've been waiting so long to buy, cotton pants ($3.00) and a Thail bag ($3.00)..so glad I waited until I was here to buy them.
Today I'm going to try and book the night train down to the province Krabi and stay on Ko Phi Phi island. I know some people down there that I went to highschool with in Nanaimo (Andy Hatfield) so hopefully we can meet up.
I'll be in touch!! LOVE
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
New Zealand Trip July 07
Sorry it's been so long since I've given an update, but my life was kinda boring for a while, well not really, but I was studying a lot and focussing more on Uni and work. I am now done my semester at Deakin University and moved out of residence into Nick's (boyfriend :)house. I just got back last night from an amazing trip to New Zealand although the weather was cold the snow made the country that much more beautiful. I travelled with my friend James from work. He is from Ontario and wanted to do some travel before he went back home. I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to go to NZ. We had 8 days, so we decided to rent a car and do as much as the south island as we could! We flew into Christchurch July 3, stayed one night until we were able to pick up our 2007 Kia rental car that only had 34 km on it...we treated ourselves. From Christchurch we drove 3.5 hrs to Lake Tekapo where we stopped and absorbed the beautiful scenery and then headed onto Queenstown. We ended up staying 10mins outside of Queenstown in Arrowtown which was nice and close to Coronet Peak where we snowboarded the next day! Conditions were aparently the best they had all season the day we went, but the visibility was poor.
The next day in Queentown I went bungy jumping from the ledge that is 400m above the town and has a perfect panoramic view from up there. This extra day gave us a chance to explore the tourist part of town, get some souvenirs and have a day off of driving.
July 7 we set off to Milford Sound which is a fiordland 4hrs from Queentown. We took a cruise in the afternoon through the fiord out to the Tasman sea and back. That particular fiord took 5 glaciers to create and over 2 million years. The history behind it was fasanating as well as the different vegetation and wildlife. That night we drove two hours back to a small town called Te Anau and spent the night.
The next day we set off early for the 9 hr drive north to Franz Joseph. This is where most of the glaciers on the island are. The largest is Tasman glacier but we went to visit Franz Joseph glacier. We met some people from California that night in our hostel and went to the glacier the next morning with them. The walk in up to the base of the glacier was about 45mins. We walked through the valley which the glacier formed by hundreds of years of receiding and carving away the mtn.
That afternoon we exchanged emails with our new friends and headed even further north to a little place called Punakaiki. Our hostel was right on the beach and that night I saw the most beautiful, colourful sunset I have ever seen. We sat watching the sun go down, making dinner and just enjoying the view. This was the last night we had until we started our trip back to Christchurch.
The next morning we woke and drove 10mins north to the truman track hiking area, and walked down to a beach which was made of all pebbles, no sand. I took some home with me! Just 5 mins away from that beach we visited the Pancake rocks which are layered rocks formed under the sea thousands of years ago and no one has discovered how they got that way. The pancake rocks are the tourist attraction for Punakaiki.
That afternoon we started our drive back through Aurthur's pass to Christchurch. We explored Christchurch that evening, found a starbucks with a fireplace and read for a few hours until we headed to the aiport around 11:30pm. We didn't think it was worth checking into a hostel so we slept at the aiport...haha there was about 20 other travellers with the same idea. We flew out the next morning at 7am. Nick suprised us at the airport and picked us up....sick day for him:) I guess he missed me that much...cutie!
Now I'm back in Melbourne and mom and dad arrive tomorrow morning and I can't wait :) Nick and I have a whole weekend planned for them in Melb before we fly to Cairns on Monday! I'm sure they will be in touch with everyone! Hope everyone is well
Tons of love from Australia:)
The next day in Queentown I went bungy jumping from the ledge that is 400m above the town and has a perfect panoramic view from up there. This extra day gave us a chance to explore the tourist part of town, get some souvenirs and have a day off of driving.
July 7 we set off to Milford Sound which is a fiordland 4hrs from Queentown. We took a cruise in the afternoon through the fiord out to the Tasman sea and back. That particular fiord took 5 glaciers to create and over 2 million years. The history behind it was fasanating as well as the different vegetation and wildlife. That night we drove two hours back to a small town called Te Anau and spent the night.
The next day we set off early for the 9 hr drive north to Franz Joseph. This is where most of the glaciers on the island are. The largest is Tasman glacier but we went to visit Franz Joseph glacier. We met some people from California that night in our hostel and went to the glacier the next morning with them. The walk in up to the base of the glacier was about 45mins. We walked through the valley which the glacier formed by hundreds of years of receiding and carving away the mtn.
That afternoon we exchanged emails with our new friends and headed even further north to a little place called Punakaiki. Our hostel was right on the beach and that night I saw the most beautiful, colourful sunset I have ever seen. We sat watching the sun go down, making dinner and just enjoying the view. This was the last night we had until we started our trip back to Christchurch.
The next morning we woke and drove 10mins north to the truman track hiking area, and walked down to a beach which was made of all pebbles, no sand. I took some home with me! Just 5 mins away from that beach we visited the Pancake rocks which are layered rocks formed under the sea thousands of years ago and no one has discovered how they got that way. The pancake rocks are the tourist attraction for Punakaiki.
That afternoon we started our drive back through Aurthur's pass to Christchurch. We explored Christchurch that evening, found a starbucks with a fireplace and read for a few hours until we headed to the aiport around 11:30pm. We didn't think it was worth checking into a hostel so we slept at the aiport...haha there was about 20 other travellers with the same idea. We flew out the next morning at 7am. Nick suprised us at the airport and picked us up....sick day for him:) I guess he missed me that much...cutie!
Now I'm back in Melbourne and mom and dad arrive tomorrow morning and I can't wait :) Nick and I have a whole weekend planned for them in Melb before we fly to Cairns on Monday! I'm sure they will be in touch with everyone! Hope everyone is well
Tons of love from Australia:)
Saturday, May 19, 2007
The pictures below are from a few recent events. The first is a river cruise I took last weekend on the Yarra River, leaving from Southbank and driving 2hrs to Williamstown and back. The second picture is of Nick and I at Eskimo Joe and Little Birdy concert this weekend! Awesome concert, they are just as good live if not better! The last pictures were taken last night when Steph, Sam, Erin and I went ice skating! It reminded me so much of home! We made snow balls and reminiced on Canadian culture!
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
This is some of the work crew. Lauren, Damien, Rosie, Johnny and I all in the restaurant Luca for the big night! I bartended all night from 7-2am. It was so much fun but such a long night! I was asked to work again this wednesday, which is tonight, so I'm quickly trying to finish an assignment before I head off to work!
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
BYRON BAY
This is definately my favourite place yet. After spending 6 days on the sunshine coast for Easter break, I decided it wasn't quite time to go home to Melb yet, so I extended my trip for another 6 days and went to Byron with Crystal and Nicole. On our bus down we passed, which I've heard to be the best surf beach in Australia, and it's called nothing other than KIRRA BEACH! :) Oh yea...it's in a little place called Coolangata. I would love to go stay there for a while but didn't have enough time on this trip. When we arrived in Byron we checked into our room and weirdly enough we were bunked with 4 other Canadians. Two from Ontario and two from Quebec. We got on very well, and met a few more travelling buddies!
The first afternoon we were so excited to see the town we just wondered around and bought a few things while touring. The weather was a little poor so we decided to save the beach for the next day! The first night there we experienced the packbackers bar called Cheeky Monkeys...it was filled with pretty much all backpackers. It reminds me of a bar back home by the music they play, and how everyone is dancing on tables trying to be at a higher level than everyone else. Friday we spent most of the day laying on the beach, trying to soak in as much sun as we could before I had to leave on Tuesday. We organized a sea kayaking trip where you kayak with the dolphins but we didn't see any while we were out on the water. We did, however, see a long head turtle, which our guide said are almost extinct, and is very rare to see them. We kayaked from Main beach to Cape Byron which is the most easternly point of Australia. We had a break on the beach and hiked up the mtn a little to see more of the view. It was an amazing sight. Although we didn't see any dolphins at this point in our trip, the turtle was amazing to see and the experience itself was memorable. The next morning while soaking up the sun again on the beach we saw dolphins 20 ft from the shore, where we had been swimming 15 mins prior. It would have been awesome if we were still in the water, but it was great to view them from shore. They travelled across the bay, so close it felt like we could have just jumped in the water to swim with them, but we didn't. Also that morning I saw a once in a lifetime thing...a dog surfing. It was incredible. The owner would take him out to catch a good wave and the dog would surf all the way into the shore without falling off. I posted a picture of it. People all over the beach were walking down our way to take photos of this surfing dog. Honestly, he was the best surfer out there! hah it was great. After taking a night off from going out on the town, we decided to check it out again. We went to Beach Hotel, which is touristy but you see a lot more locals there. A live band called Dirty Laundry was playing, which got the whole crowd dancing until the bar shut at 12. Afterwards we went to check out La La land, which we heard was the best bar in town from all the locals, but I think we were just too tired at that point in the night to enjoy ourselfs, so we headed back to our hostel. The morning before I left we got up at 4:30am to watch the sunrise up at the lighthouse in Cape Byron, which is the most easternly point of Australia. This was organized by the hostel so we got a shuttle up there and back. We arrived around 5:30am and sat until the sun rose, which was so beautiful and peaceful. Sitting on the side of a cliff waiting for the sun to light up the town. We arrived back at our hostel around 7am and decided to go for a run. Crystal, Heather and I got on our jogging gear and went for a run a long the beach. Somehow I managed to lose the other two and just kept running all the way to the lighthouse, where we were at 5:30 in the morning to watch the sunrise. The views during the day were more magnificant than ever. I wish I could have captured the moment, but I didn't bring my camera on the run, but those images will be in the mind forever! I walked around up there for a good 30 mins then decided to commence my run back. When I reached the beach, I took my shoes and socks off and just walked along the waters edge. I had some good reflection time, and time to myself. I decided to have a very lazy day after all that morning exercise and just lay on the beach for the rest of the day! It was beautiful, 30 degrees the whole time we were there, except for the day we arrived, which made my trip! I caught the bus at 6:45am the next morning and headed off to Maroochy to catch my flight back to Melb. I spent a few hours in Maroochy on the beach and in the mall, just to kill time before I flew out. Being back in Melb feels like I'm back home again. It's good to be back, except for the fact that I came back to a lot of work to do.
That was my amazing Easter Break, that has been one of the best trips so far! I hope to make more of those in the near future! I hope everyone had a great Easter!
Love forever,
Kira
This is definately my favourite place yet. After spending 6 days on the sunshine coast for Easter break, I decided it wasn't quite time to go home to Melb yet, so I extended my trip for another 6 days and went to Byron with Crystal and Nicole. On our bus down we passed, which I've heard to be the best surf beach in Australia, and it's called nothing other than KIRRA BEACH! :) Oh yea...it's in a little place called Coolangata. I would love to go stay there for a while but didn't have enough time on this trip. When we arrived in Byron we checked into our room and weirdly enough we were bunked with 4 other Canadians. Two from Ontario and two from Quebec. We got on very well, and met a few more travelling buddies!
The first afternoon we were so excited to see the town we just wondered around and bought a few things while touring. The weather was a little poor so we decided to save the beach for the next day! The first night there we experienced the packbackers bar called Cheeky Monkeys...it was filled with pretty much all backpackers. It reminds me of a bar back home by the music they play, and how everyone is dancing on tables trying to be at a higher level than everyone else. Friday we spent most of the day laying on the beach, trying to soak in as much sun as we could before I had to leave on Tuesday. We organized a sea kayaking trip where you kayak with the dolphins but we didn't see any while we were out on the water. We did, however, see a long head turtle, which our guide said are almost extinct, and is very rare to see them. We kayaked from Main beach to Cape Byron which is the most easternly point of Australia. We had a break on the beach and hiked up the mtn a little to see more of the view. It was an amazing sight. Although we didn't see any dolphins at this point in our trip, the turtle was amazing to see and the experience itself was memorable. The next morning while soaking up the sun again on the beach we saw dolphins 20 ft from the shore, where we had been swimming 15 mins prior. It would have been awesome if we were still in the water, but it was great to view them from shore. They travelled across the bay, so close it felt like we could have just jumped in the water to swim with them, but we didn't. Also that morning I saw a once in a lifetime thing...a dog surfing. It was incredible. The owner would take him out to catch a good wave and the dog would surf all the way into the shore without falling off. I posted a picture of it. People all over the beach were walking down our way to take photos of this surfing dog. Honestly, he was the best surfer out there! hah it was great. After taking a night off from going out on the town, we decided to check it out again. We went to Beach Hotel, which is touristy but you see a lot more locals there. A live band called Dirty Laundry was playing, which got the whole crowd dancing until the bar shut at 12. Afterwards we went to check out La La land, which we heard was the best bar in town from all the locals, but I think we were just too tired at that point in the night to enjoy ourselfs, so we headed back to our hostel. The morning before I left we got up at 4:30am to watch the sunrise up at the lighthouse in Cape Byron, which is the most easternly point of Australia. This was organized by the hostel so we got a shuttle up there and back. We arrived around 5:30am and sat until the sun rose, which was so beautiful and peaceful. Sitting on the side of a cliff waiting for the sun to light up the town. We arrived back at our hostel around 7am and decided to go for a run. Crystal, Heather and I got on our jogging gear and went for a run a long the beach. Somehow I managed to lose the other two and just kept running all the way to the lighthouse, where we were at 5:30 in the morning to watch the sunrise. The views during the day were more magnificant than ever. I wish I could have captured the moment, but I didn't bring my camera on the run, but those images will be in the mind forever! I walked around up there for a good 30 mins then decided to commence my run back. When I reached the beach, I took my shoes and socks off and just walked along the waters edge. I had some good reflection time, and time to myself. I decided to have a very lazy day after all that morning exercise and just lay on the beach for the rest of the day! It was beautiful, 30 degrees the whole time we were there, except for the day we arrived, which made my trip! I caught the bus at 6:45am the next morning and headed off to Maroochy to catch my flight back to Melb. I spent a few hours in Maroochy on the beach and in the mall, just to kill time before I flew out. Being back in Melb feels like I'm back home again. It's good to be back, except for the fact that I came back to a lot of work to do.
That was my amazing Easter Break, that has been one of the best trips so far! I hope to make more of those in the near future! I hope everyone had a great Easter!
Love forever,
Kira
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