Off to the beach!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Ban Tai,Thailand
Saturday, 9 February 2013
Technical difficulties.
I'm in Thailand, having a great time and actually writing blog posts, but the Internet is always too sketchy to post photos. I will keep trying, but until I get it figured out or go back to a major city, I guess you'll just have to trust that its really beautiful here, that I'm having a blast, and that I will update my travel diaries as soon as I can.
Off to the beach!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Off to the beach!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
February 3 - Melbourne to Bangkok
This morning Ruby's friend Mel ( the one and only magnificent Mel) drove me to the airport in Melnourne, with Rubdy and Casper in tow. I was so sad saying goodbye to them!!! Aghhh! I love Ruby and Steve and Casper and Mel and all their wonderful amazing friends. Alas, my time in Melbourne has come to a close. It's so crazy how much time has passed, and so sad I might not see these gorgeous people for years now. God damnit. But I'm glad that I got to come, even if I have to leave now.
The flight to Bangkok was fine. I watched some terrible movies for lack of other options. I splurged on some (pretty gross) airplane wine. My 12 hr flight landed in Bangkok at 8pm local time. Unloading, baggage claim, and customs all took forever. But by around 9:45 pm I was in a taxi on the way to Khao San Road to meet Tomas.
I arrived around 10:30 pm (2:30 Australian time) and Tomas was sitting right outside the hostel and watched me get out of the cab, with open arms and cold beers. We sat around and chilled out for a bit, I changed into something more appropriate for the humidity and we went out exploring Khao San Road with Tomas's friends Josh and Karyn, who he knows from school.
Khao San is ridiculous. It's the backpacking Mecca of south east asia, both in a good way and in a bad way. I had a pad thai from a food cart that was about 90 cents in Canadian dollars and also delicious. We had a bunch of beers at a bar that had a thai guy playing along to western music from years ago. Nirvana was prominent, as was Rolling Stones. It was pretty random, and pretty cool.
Khao San is overstimulation central. After an hour or two, with the time change, I had to get to bed. Tomas informed me shortly after I got off the plane that he bought us overnight bus tickets to go down to Ko Phan Ngan, an island on the southern peninsula of Thailand, so I guess that what I am doing tomorrow. Need some sleep!
Tomorrow will be a big day. Wish me luck.
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Tuesday, 5 February 2013
January 31 - Feb 2
My last few days in Melbourne were laid back and relaxing, my last vestige of peace and comfort before the hussle and bustle of Bangkok. I ran some errands, bought my travel meds, loaded up of western-style toiletries, drank beers in the backyard in the evening. Took Casper to the park. He's too cute for words.
Visited Steve at the super cool record shop he works at.
We out for dinner. Drank more beer in the backyard. etc, etc. Melbourne has gone by far too quickly. I have had the best time with Ruby and Steve and Casper and all their super cool friends. I'm going to miss the hell outta this place.
On Sunday, my flight left Melbourne in the early afternoon. I arrived in Bangkok after a 12 hr flight, at 8pm (four hour time difference). More about Bangkok in my next post.
I'm going to miss you, Australia!
Visited Steve at the super cool record shop he works at.
We out for dinner. Drank more beer in the backyard. etc, etc. Melbourne has gone by far too quickly. I have had the best time with Ruby and Steve and Casper and all their super cool friends. I'm going to miss the hell outta this place.
On Sunday, my flight left Melbourne in the early afternoon. I arrived in Bangkok after a 12 hr flight, at 8pm (four hour time difference). More about Bangkok in my next post.
I'm going to miss you, Australia!
Location:Melbourne
January 29-30
On Tuesday morning we left on a camping trip. We drove along the Great Ocean Road, which is a beautiful road that follows the coast (reminded me of the Sea to Sky highway). The drive was incredible. Sharp turns along the hillside, great views of the surf with plenty of lookout points to take pictures.
It was about a 3.5 hr drive. Eventually we got to a national park, and the roads turned to gravel and the forest got denser. we went through a grove, and the trees were fuuuull of koalas! Usually koalas don't congregate, but apparently this grove of eucalyptus was too good to eat alone. Steve deemed a group a koalas a "session", which I think is a perfect term for them.
We got to the campsite, which was just up a small path from the beach.
We set up camp and went down to the beach for awhile in the late afternoon. It was pretty isolated and there were maybe one or two other families around. In the evening we made veggie skewers on the camping stove. There was a campfire pit next to our campsite, so we went over and chatted with some other campers. Ruby and I roasted marshmallows and made s'mores. After a few beers, I got really sleepy and went to bed early. I had my own small tent, and the sound of the ocean lulled me to sleep. Best sleep in weeks!
On Wednesday we woke up and went into a small town nearby for breakfast. We wandered around a bit, went to a secondhand store. Stopped by the beach for a quick swim. Casper found a hat on the ground in a skatepark, and looks suuuper cute in it.
After awhile we drove back through the woods to the campsite. We had a picnic on the beach, and the Steve and Casper and I decided to go explore the rock cliffs and walk along the coast. It was so amazing, though sometimes a bit rough on our bare feet.
Found some cool caves.
We walked for over an hour looking for a beach around the next corner, but "around the corner" kept being more rocks, so eventually we turned back. In the evening we packed up the campsite and made dinner with some fellow campers we had met the night before. After dinner, we went back down to the beach to watch the sun set and ran into this guy.
Wallabies are really cute. It's official.
The sunset was gorgeous. Casper and I played around in the sand.
Ruby and Steve played around in the sand too.
Mommy and baby had a sunset moment.
All in all, it was a gorgeous evening.
We eventually piled back in the car for the 3 hr drive home. We got home after midnight and I passed out with sand between my toes and saltwater in my hair. I wish we could have stayed camping longer! Alas, all good things must come to an end. Only a few days left in Melbourne! I'm going to miss this family!
It was about a 3.5 hr drive. Eventually we got to a national park, and the roads turned to gravel and the forest got denser. we went through a grove, and the trees were fuuuull of koalas! Usually koalas don't congregate, but apparently this grove of eucalyptus was too good to eat alone. Steve deemed a group a koalas a "session", which I think is a perfect term for them.
We got to the campsite, which was just up a small path from the beach.
We set up camp and went down to the beach for awhile in the late afternoon. It was pretty isolated and there were maybe one or two other families around. In the evening we made veggie skewers on the camping stove. There was a campfire pit next to our campsite, so we went over and chatted with some other campers. Ruby and I roasted marshmallows and made s'mores. After a few beers, I got really sleepy and went to bed early. I had my own small tent, and the sound of the ocean lulled me to sleep. Best sleep in weeks!
On Wednesday we woke up and went into a small town nearby for breakfast. We wandered around a bit, went to a secondhand store. Stopped by the beach for a quick swim. Casper found a hat on the ground in a skatepark, and looks suuuper cute in it.
After awhile we drove back through the woods to the campsite. We had a picnic on the beach, and the Steve and Casper and I decided to go explore the rock cliffs and walk along the coast. It was so amazing, though sometimes a bit rough on our bare feet.
Found some cool caves.
We walked for over an hour looking for a beach around the next corner, but "around the corner" kept being more rocks, so eventually we turned back. In the evening we packed up the campsite and made dinner with some fellow campers we had met the night before. After dinner, we went back down to the beach to watch the sun set and ran into this guy.
Wallabies are really cute. It's official.
The sunset was gorgeous. Casper and I played around in the sand.
Ruby and Steve played around in the sand too.
Mommy and baby had a sunset moment.
All in all, it was a gorgeous evening.
We eventually piled back in the car for the 3 hr drive home. We got home after midnight and I passed out with sand between my toes and saltwater in my hair. I wish we could have stayed camping longer! Alas, all good things must come to an end. Only a few days left in Melbourne! I'm going to miss this family!
Location:Camping in the Otways
January 28 - Australia Day BBQ concert
Though Australia Day was technically on Saturday, today was a civic holiday and everyone had the day off. It was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for an outdoor concert!
The venue for the concert was an old school courtyard. The bands were a few Australia bands, like Steve's favourite Dick Diver, along with other bands from the US like Hunx and his Punx, and Thee Oh Sees. Hunx and his Punx were amazing and hilarious.
Steve and I drank a bunch of beers and danced a bit and got a bit of sun. Steve seemed to know everyone there! Such a social butterfly, that guy.
After the show I walked home while Steve stayed and chatted with some friends. This was my first time alone in Melbourne, it was about a 20-30 minute walk. Melbourne's a really pretty city, just the right amount of gritty and colonial.
I eventually got home, and spent the evening hanging out in the backyard with Ruby and Steve and friends, which seems to be the norm now. I love it. Tomorrow we are going camping in the Otways, so we called it an early night.
Happy Australia Day again! So excited for camping.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
The venue for the concert was an old school courtyard. The bands were a few Australia bands, like Steve's favourite Dick Diver, along with other bands from the US like Hunx and his Punx, and Thee Oh Sees. Hunx and his Punx were amazing and hilarious.
Steve and I drank a bunch of beers and danced a bit and got a bit of sun. Steve seemed to know everyone there! Such a social butterfly, that guy.
After the show I walked home while Steve stayed and chatted with some friends. This was my first time alone in Melbourne, it was about a 20-30 minute walk. Melbourne's a really pretty city, just the right amount of gritty and colonial.
I eventually got home, and spent the evening hanging out in the backyard with Ruby and Steve and friends, which seems to be the norm now. I love it. Tomorrow we are going camping in the Otways, so we called it an early night.
Happy Australia Day again! So excited for camping.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Melbourne
Sunday, 3 February 2013
January 27 - Random street festival, and BATS!
Today we relaxed a bit in the morning, and then decided to go out to Steve and Ruby's favourite vietnamese restaurant for dinner. As we drove down to Chinatown, we realized that the major streets were closed off for some random street festival. It was a good taste of what my upcoming trip to SE Asia may be like. Very crowded, delicious smells, loud music, crazy junk for sale everywhere.
We had dinner and decided to go for a drive afterwards. Steve took us on a beautiful drive around Melbourne as the sun started setting. Then we pulled into a park in a river valley, and Steve told me to get out of the car because he wanted to show me something... We walked down to the riverbank, and it took me awhile, but I soon noticed all the trees were FULL OF BATS.
They were actually everywhere, all along the river valley. The noise was insane. They were juuuust starting to wake up for the night, and you could see them stretching out their wings and starting to glide from tree to tree. They were really big, but after awhile of looking at them I thought they were pretty cute. They had little reddish brown faces... Ok the verdict is still out on how cute they are... It was totally creepy. And cool.
Casper took the park opportunity to run around being 2. He and Steve rough housed for a bit, and then it home time.
We drove a very scenic route home, and watched the sun set over Melbourne.
Then we stopped for a delicious Australian ice cream treat with a very unfortunate name...
All in all, a good day. Tomorrow Steve and I are going to an Australia Day weekend BBQ concert in the afternoon. A bunch of bands are playing. I'm excited!
Until next time.
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
We had dinner and decided to go for a drive afterwards. Steve took us on a beautiful drive around Melbourne as the sun started setting. Then we pulled into a park in a river valley, and Steve told me to get out of the car because he wanted to show me something... We walked down to the riverbank, and it took me awhile, but I soon noticed all the trees were FULL OF BATS.
They were actually everywhere, all along the river valley. The noise was insane. They were juuuust starting to wake up for the night, and you could see them stretching out their wings and starting to glide from tree to tree. They were really big, but after awhile of looking at them I thought they were pretty cute. They had little reddish brown faces... Ok the verdict is still out on how cute they are... It was totally creepy. And cool.
Casper took the park opportunity to run around being 2. He and Steve rough housed for a bit, and then it home time.
We drove a very scenic route home, and watched the sun set over Melbourne.
Then we stopped for a delicious Australian ice cream treat with a very unfortunate name...
All in all, a good day. Tomorrow Steve and I are going to an Australia Day weekend BBQ concert in the afternoon. A bunch of bands are playing. I'm excited!
Until next time.
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Melbourne
January 26 - Australia Day!
Today was Australia Day. Apparently Australia Day activities can get pretty crazy, what with Australia's boozing culture, so we decided to avoid the city and head out to Healesville animal sanctuary to pet some kangaroos!! It was SO COOL.
First we went to a bird show, where an Australian ranger guy brings out bird after bird to fly around the audience and teach us about habitat conservation and stuff. I love the lady in the background clutching her baby...
Casper was only kind of in to the show, and generally was fidgety and distracted, but then snapped back to attention whenever the crowd clapped. The baby loves clapping! It was adorable.
Then we moved on and check out some other animals. We visited the platypus tank, which is real dark because these tiny guys are nocturnal. They are hilarious little buggers. This photo makes him look a lot more...bloblike then they actually were. They are fast little things and hard to photograph!
Then we visited the kangaroos. I got to feed and pet one! Her name was Heidi and she was my best friend.
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The first time i saw koalas i almost fainted. they and hilarious and sooo cute.
Emus are basically dinosaurs.
Tasmanian devil feeling lazy.
Wombats are among the funniest. They are giant torsos with a face and some feet. This one loooooves carrot.
We also saw a lyrebird, which are really beautiful and can copy any noise they hear.
Altogether it was a super cool day, and felt very Australian to see a bunch of bizarro marsupials and such. On the way home we drove through a beautiful eucalyptus forest, which was incredibly beautiful. I will never forget the smell of it. Amazing.
Happy Australia day everyone!
Location:Healesville Animal Sanctuary
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