 |
 |
about my travelogue |
|
Round the world 2008
16 Jan 2008 - (unfinished)
Hi all, hope you're having a good year.
If I use this blog successfully you should be able to keep up with my travels this year. So watch this space
Visitors: 4033
Want to create your own Travelogue?
Click Here
It's FREE! |
|
|
|
|
my profile |
|
| User: | nicnax211980 |
| Name: | nicola head |
| From: | United Kingdom |
| Email: |
| nicnax211980@yahoo.co.uk |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
rate travelogue! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
leave a message |
|
|
|
|
|
|
recent messages |
|
Response (11 Apr 2008)
Hi Mary We actually planned the route ourselves, then went through Travel bag to book the flights. The 3 tours we have done, India (delhi - Kathmandu), Vietnam and Cambodia and Northern Thailand have all been through Intrepid. Good luck with your plans
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Response (14 Mar 2008)
Great to hear from you. Keep me posted with news of the new arrival!! x
|
|
|
|
|
Response (8 Mar 2008)
and of course we were supplied with the full gear too!!!!!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Response (11 Feb 2008)
HI, looking forward to seeing you too. Hope the time flies until then xx
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| route map |
|
I'm currently in: Wellington, New Zealand Go there
 |
|
|
Select location from map or list below
| Country: |
|
| Location: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<< Prev
1 2 3 4
Next >>
Page: 1 of 4 |
|
26 Apr 2008 |
|
| Rotorua,
New Zealand
-
The road to Rotorua
|
We stopped in Orewa for 1 night, then moved on to Rotorua, where the first thing you notice is the smell!!! A motel up the road from where we stayed summed it up well - Sulphur City!!
There's loads to do here, so we stayed for 4 nights. We went to visit "hells Gate" which is a geothermal reserve with steaming geysers and an even stronger smell!!; to the "Buried village" to see where they had excavated some of the village buried by the volcanic erruption in 1846; and drove around looking at the lakes. At one point if you looked 1 side of the road the lake was blue, and on the other side the lake was green!! And I hadn't even been drinking!!! Honest!
We had booked on a trip one evening to go and experience life at a traditional maori village. We were entertained by singing and dancing, and then ate a fantastic meal cooked in the ground, surpringly no bugs to chew on though!! How disappointing!
The guide we had was amazing and had us all gobsmaked, when at the end of the night we got back on the coach and he told us the guy on the next coach was cheating reading the names of us all off a list, so he stood at the front, and recited every persons name and where they were being dropped off - there must have been about 40 of us on the coach - needless to say he got a huge applause.
From Rotorua we drove down to Lake Taupo for the day, but timed it badly and because of the season here most things close early, so we had a game of crazy golf instead - and 2 hole in ones for me!!!!
|
Back to top |
| |
|
|
22 Apr 2008 |
|
| Paihia,
New Zealand
-
The road to Paihia
|
We covered some distance on our way up to the coastal resort of Paihia, but the journey was very picturesque so there were no complaints from me.
We spent 3 nights here, and went over on the boat to Russell, and up to the tip of the island at Cape Reinga where we (well I did) boogy boarded down the sand dunes and drove along 90 mile beach - which is in fact only 60 miles long!!!!
Whilst over in Russell we were shown how they made books many years ago, including the leather covers, and learnt where a few common phrases originated from, including:
"taking the pee"
"upper case/lower case"
and my favourite "skivving off" which was the process of taking excess layers off the leather. This was seen to be the easiest job, hence why we now use the phrase!!
See I'm learning new things all the time.
We left Paihia and headed back down the coast... |
Back to top |
| |
|
|
19 Apr 2008 |
|
| Auckland,
New Zealand
-
Arriving in New Zealand
|
So after spending a week in Sydney, I flew to Auckland to meet Dad. We only stayed for 2 nights but managed to go up the Sky Tower to see fab views of the city, had lunch by the harbour with Alison and experienced a couple of mad bus journeys!!
The buses have a separate lane at times, but as soon as it ends other cars come flying over and the bus driver slammed on his breaks and sent us all flying. No apology either!!! Charming.
So we hired a car instead and set off up north. |
Back to top |
| |
|
|
8 Apr 2008 |
|
| Singapore,
Singapore
-
Singapore
|
A rainy journey to the airport, and then at check in I was told I didn't have a flight as I had already used it!!! Luckily it got sorted out quite quickly, but she kept me in suspence, not actually telling me it was all ok, just started putting the straps on my bag.
Arrived in Singapore and a lovely Australian couple who were leaving gave us their subway cards with credit on to use. It meant we got to the hotel and back to the airport without paying anything.
The journey to the hotel was probably the longest period (about half an hour) I had my back on my back, and it hurt. Lots. Suddenly my main bag weighed 18.4kg (I'm not sure how that happened), plus my day back of at least 5kg, and the train was so packed I couldn't take it off.
We arrived at the hotel (hostel style) at 5pm, and by 5.45 we were on a city tour for the evening, taking us, amongst other things, for a short cruise on the Singapore River, for dinner, to the famous Raffles Hotel and to the city's Red Light District!!!! Yeah, not very touristy is it?! Luckily they didn't make us get off the bus, it was horrible!
At the very posh Raffles Hotel, we were told by the guide that we could try and go into the foyer for a look, until they asked us to leave. So in we went. We sat down and looked around, and I felt like I'd just boarded the Titanic - lovely decor, and me? just very out of place.
Another tour the next day taking us to the Island of Sentosa (a manufactured tourist attraction) by Cable Car, during a thunder storm, and onwards to a dolphin show to see pink dolphins; to see the Merlion statue, and climb up into the mouth; for a ride in a Luge, a cross between a taboggan and a go-cart; and the highlight was a fish reflexology session. We had hundreds of fish nibbling at our feet and legs for 15 mins before a short session of reflexology. We finished the day with a laser/water show on the beach.
On the last day we went to find the Fountain of Wealth and then had lunch by the river before getting soaked on the way back to the hotel for the heavy bag ride back to the airport. |
Back to top |
| |
|
|
5 Apr 2008 |
|
| Bangkok,
Thailand
-
Back to Bangkok
|
Arrived in Bangkok at 6.45am ish, and the end of the tour (well officially tomorrow, but nothing else arranged for us) but 8 of us went together to Pattaya for the beach. It wasn't as relaxing as it could've been as a constant flow of hawkers trying to sell us food, ice cream, t-shirts, Henna tattoos, manicures etc came by. Which actually for the food was quite convenient as we didn't have to move from our seats!!
5 of us went on a banana boat, which was a lot of fun, but we all have bruises to show for it as we collided a lot on the way into the water. But all in the name of fun, hey?!
Out for our final group dinner, then for a few cocktails in a bar that you could only describe as "on the street"!!! as the bar and seats were on the pavement!, and then on, for a few of us, to a bar with a fab thai guy singing western songs for a great sing along, and 1 very expensive cocktail.
Up a few hours later for some of us for the trip to the floating market a few hours drive away. We were rowed in an unstable boat along passed stalls, where we were literally hooked in by the proprietors - very strange not being given a choice of where to shop! We had an hour on the boat, which was very relaxing, except for when other boats came towards us, as they literally rammed into you, sometimes one on each side at the same time.
Back to Bangkok and said our goodbyes to most before heading out by water taxi and sky train for an evening in Siam Square, and the very traditional Thai restaurant The Hard Rock Cafe!!! An expensive night, in Thai standards but worth every bite of the burger!
Alone again we have spent today travelling like locals on the water taxis to Wat Po and Wat Arun (temples), and sampling a Thai massage, which should perhaps be renamed "an often painful massage"!!!!
On our last night in Bangkok we sampled some Thai boxing. Luckily it was just a demonstration rather than a fight. And then... I was volunteered by Alison to be shown some boxing moves. Most of it was what I had been doing at the gym a year ago which I enjoyed so it wasn't too much of a shock. But a strange pain in my leg afterwards was!!! |
Back to top |
| |
|
|
1 Apr 2008 |
|
| Chiang Rai,
Thailand
-
A disappointing day and a long journey
|
Last night I raided Boots for mozie (before and after) treatments and on the advice of others took some anti-hystamines before going to bed. Unfortunately I still felt half asleep till gone 5pm today, but luckily the activities for the day weren't anything to get excited about...
We went to what we were told were more Hilltribe villages, but turned out to be a make shift village where people from 5 different tribes, including the Long necks, came for the tourists to go and stare at them. They all looked so miserable, even when dancing or playing music. It just felt so fake, especially when we'd experienced the real thing with different tribes on our trek earlier in the trip.
We visited a very white temple, which was still being constructed, but looked amazing with mirrored tiles decorating it. Unfortunately the purity of the place was ruined by seeing monks on mobile phones and smoking!! Naughty monks.
I know it is beginning to sound like this is a trip centred around shopping but...
we found the night market in Chiang Rai, which was disappointing after Chiang Mai and full of Mosquitos, so we only stopped long enough for some nail painting (even the guys). So I now have a ghekko on my left big toe and a beach with a palm try on my right - very Thailand, I thought!!
Get ready to gasp....
...We left the next day, minus 3 of our tour group heading back to Bangkok. Think the guide had had enough of waiting, so we left for the bus station. 1 of them found us there and we drove for 3 hours to Chiang Mai to collect our main bags and then head for the train station for the overnight train to Bangkok, together with our full quota of group members!!! |
Back to top |
| |
|
|
30 Mar 2008 |
|
| Chiang Mai,
Thailand
-
A quiet day followed by country hopping
|
Back in a city and we went for a very windy and therefore stomach churning drive up to a temple, where we then climbed 306 steps to look around. Luckily it didn't feel like that many.
But all the same we felt the need for a relaxing afternoon and went to use the pool of another hotel (not blown away this time).
The next day we went for a 4 hour drive to Tha Ton, where we stayed in a riverside lodge, unfortunately so did the mozies!!!!
Luckily only 1 night there, and then we left for a drive to the Burma border, and a skip across it for a few hours of shopping. We weren't allowed to leave the market area for safety reasons, but we found some great bargains.
Everywhere we looked we had people carrying around cigarettes for sale. When you declined them they got out the porn, viagra and playing cards!!
We left Burma for lunch at the Golden Triangle where you can see Burma and Laos from your spot in Thailand. We then got a motor boat across to Laos where we shopped for another 45 minutes, and then back again to Thailand. The boat was fast and great fun, and I don't think I've ever yelled Woo Hoo so much, much to the annoyance of the other 3 in the boat, I'm sure!!! But I was enjoying myself!!
At the end of the busy day we ended up in a very deserted Chiang Rai |
Back to top |
| |
|
|
27 Mar 2008 |
|
| Hill Tribe Trek,
Thailand
-
Hilltribe Trek
|
An early start of 6am for a few of us who went to give Alms to the monks. Each morning they stand with a bowl awaiting gifts of food and drink from the local people and in return they are given good wishes. A very worth while and interesting experience, I just wish I had a clue what he was saying.
After a very yuck breakfast of possidge oats with pork and spring onion we were taken for an elephant ride on the greediest elephants ever. They were constantly putting their trunk up to us for more bananas, and to spray us with saliva of course!!! Yum!
So then after another "lovely" meal (does my sarcasm come out in my writing???!) we headed off with a few kilos on my back (others had a porter but I'm hardcore!!!) for a 3 hour or so trek across streams and fields and to a small village where we immediately found the river and went in for a cool down (and it sure was cool), clothes and body wash.
We were fed by the proprietors and then sat around the fire laughing all evening.
Our beds were on the floor of a bamboo hut and were surpringly comfortable, probably due to the holes in the floor which made walking through it very tricky but gave some cushioning.
The 2nd day we trekked all morning to another village, and found another river for a wash. This one had a waterfall which made a great slide!
We were taken for a walk around the village to see some local people sifting rice, and the local school. There are the smallest piglets running around the whole village together with chicks and cows.
We came back to camp to find the entire child population waiting for us to feed them with bowls in hands, just like a scene from Oliver!
We made a dish on a fire on the ground from the cookery class, ad feed the hungry mouths.
They ran off with the food then came back and sang to us. We then sang to them!!!!! we had chosen a few nursery rhymes, which bearing in mind they speak no English, they knew, including the actions, and then we broke into.......................
.......Bohemiem Rhapsody..
not sure where it came from actually, but it amused us!
Not such a good night on the floor of this hut, possibly not helped by my seeing the largest spider I have ever seen in the toilet before going to bed. Believe me it put the tarrantula to shame!!!! shudder shudder!
The 3rd day we trekked through the morning again and this time to a waiting van, which took us to a river where bamboo rafts were awaiting us.
There were 3 of us plus a "driver" to a raft, and we took it in turns to steer. I think we all ended up in the water at various times, fully clothed. It was very funny, and the best thing I've done the whole trip.
 |
Back to top |
| |
|
|
24 Mar 2008 |
|
| Chiang Mai,
Thailand
-
Chiang Mai
|
Well the train was different again and quite comfortable, but unlike India they didn't turn the lights out so it was very bright close to my eyes.
We arrived in Chiang Mai and went straight off to a cookery class (via the local market to buy the veg). We made 4 dishes between 9am and 1pm and ate all of them in turn. I didn't think I'd eat for a week after that. It was a lot of fun and I might even try some of the dishes again with help of the cookery book they give you.
After all that hard work we went to another hotel to use their pool until we were blown back inside by a surprising and very welcome wind.
The night market here is fab so it would've been rude not to do any shopping!!!...... especially as we were about to head off to the hilltribe villages for a few days... |
Back to top |
| |
|
|
23 Mar 2008 |
|
| Ayuthaya,
Thailand
-
Day trip to Ayuthaya
|
Well this was an odd day. We spent hours on non airconditioned buses travelling to Ayuthaya just to spend the day in a hotel, and have a brief wander to see a few temples (from the outside as we couldn't seem to find our way in) before it got far too hot to carry on and we went to find solice in the nearest 7/11 supermarket. I was also on my 3rd pair of flip flop / sandals since Jan and blisters were forming fast!!
so anyway, we left A in the evening for an overnight train to Chiang Mai.
|
Back to top |
| |
|
|
|
|
Copyright © 2004 - 2008 GlobeNotes.com - All
rights reserved - Privacy Policy |
|
|