Sunday, January 18, 2004
On the last leg...
Singapore! On the final leg of our journey... We made it!!!
Mike and I are still alive and have not murdered each other... yet... Have come close many times...
Must admit, am dying to get home! Homesick and the food here is not helping.
Went touring yesterday, Night Safari, must admit it was worth going to, a bit spooky as it was so dark but it was different, in a good way. Poor Mike he had to push my wheels all up and down these steep hills and was sweating like a water fountain...
Today we visited the Underwater aquarium, that was good, much better than what we have in Melbourne... Santosa Island is a place to visit again, sure it was totally superficial, but hey this is Singapore and hey, what isn't anymore?
Shopping galore! I think I will get a bit of a scolding from dad about my expenditure but I think he'll be glad to have me home that he won't complain too much.... Hong Kong is the place to be to shop... so much funky and cool stuff...
Am looking forward to getting back to a routine and normal life... So thank you to those who have been reading this... it is nice to know that it wasn't just internet junk....
Singapore! On the final leg of our journey... We made it!!!
Mike and I are still alive and have not murdered each other... yet... Have come close many times...
Must admit, am dying to get home! Homesick and the food here is not helping.
Went touring yesterday, Night Safari, must admit it was worth going to, a bit spooky as it was so dark but it was different, in a good way. Poor Mike he had to push my wheels all up and down these steep hills and was sweating like a water fountain...
Today we visited the Underwater aquarium, that was good, much better than what we have in Melbourne... Santosa Island is a place to visit again, sure it was totally superficial, but hey this is Singapore and hey, what isn't anymore?
Shopping galore! I think I will get a bit of a scolding from dad about my expenditure but I think he'll be glad to have me home that he won't complain too much.... Hong Kong is the place to be to shop... so much funky and cool stuff...
Am looking forward to getting back to a routine and normal life... So thank you to those who have been reading this... it is nice to know that it wasn't just internet junk....
Saturday, January 10, 2004
A new year... A year older...
Still in KL, seems like we've been here for ages, probably have...
Actually, India feels like it happened months ago not weeks ago!
But it's nice to go at MY pace, just chillin out, not rushing here and there and honestly I've seen enough touristy stuff to last me a very long, long time.
ALL my mates here are working and it's making me realise that they're growing up/old and that I should catch up meaning that I should get a wage paying job!!!
It was so nice to stay at Lydia's place! Thank you gal for putting us/up with us... :P
Home cooked food that Mike happily proclaimed it was the best meal we had on this trip and that I missed out on because I was/am sick... sigh.... But I am getting better, so fans don't fret about me because I will be back to my crazy self sooon (sorry, just going off on my own little tangent)...
Thailand!! Is off.... Who would've thought that it would be so expensive just to cross the border... and it doesn't help that CNY is just around the corner making flights fully booked... Oh well... Dan and Jane (who we were going to visit) understand and will be back to Melbourne in 6 months anyway.
Sooooooooo the plan at the moment is to stay in KL until Friday 16th then go back to Singapore and do some last minute shopping. ;) Go Australian dollar!!! On the 19th we fly back home.........
Home is where the heart is.
Still in KL, seems like we've been here for ages, probably have...
Actually, India feels like it happened months ago not weeks ago!
But it's nice to go at MY pace, just chillin out, not rushing here and there and honestly I've seen enough touristy stuff to last me a very long, long time.
ALL my mates here are working and it's making me realise that they're growing up/old and that I should catch up meaning that I should get a wage paying job!!!
It was so nice to stay at Lydia's place! Thank you gal for putting us/up with us... :P
Home cooked food that Mike happily proclaimed it was the best meal we had on this trip and that I missed out on because I was/am sick... sigh.... But I am getting better, so fans don't fret about me because I will be back to my crazy self sooon (sorry, just going off on my own little tangent)...
Thailand!! Is off.... Who would've thought that it would be so expensive just to cross the border... and it doesn't help that CNY is just around the corner making flights fully booked... Oh well... Dan and Jane (who we were going to visit) understand and will be back to Melbourne in 6 months anyway.
Sooooooooo the plan at the moment is to stay in KL until Friday 16th then go back to Singapore and do some last minute shopping. ;) Go Australian dollar!!! On the 19th we fly back home.........
Home is where the heart is.
Tuesday, December 30, 2003
A new day, a new year...
In KL at the moment and it's great to see great mates.
Celerbrating the eve of the new year is, I think, celebrating on what's to come.
I wonder what's in store for each of us? I hope that it's all good things, but then again, without the bad, who knows if it's good....
The One Ampang Avenue gang will be together again after such a long time. yippy!
It's nice to be in KL, feels like a second home, things are so familiar and recognisible... nice.
For those of you who I've not been in touch for a while, I wish you a very happy new year. May be full of peace and love (thanks Hallmark).
In KL at the moment and it's great to see great mates.
Celerbrating the eve of the new year is, I think, celebrating on what's to come.
I wonder what's in store for each of us? I hope that it's all good things, but then again, without the bad, who knows if it's good....
The One Ampang Avenue gang will be together again after such a long time. yippy!
It's nice to be in KL, feels like a second home, things are so familiar and recognisible... nice.
For those of you who I've not been in touch for a while, I wish you a very happy new year. May be full of peace and love (thanks Hallmark).
Sunday, December 28, 2003
Am bored and annoyed with Mike... hmmm...
But what can I say, life is good.
:)
But what can I say, life is good.
:)
Well now that I'm in a cheap and fast internet cafe, I can spill the beans.
I am currently in Singapore and the drama that it took to get here was unbelievable.
I asked dad to change my flight to Singapore from Delhi cause it was easier to go through our travel agent then it was for me to call Air India.
OK so our flight changed to the 26th at 6:30am! Meaning like all flights we got there 2 hours before. However the flight was delayed until 9... Not 9am but 9pm!!!!!! And we actually couldn't get into the airport because our ticket still had our original departure date... Military security was tight. The airline sent us to a hotel... The room was huge had a separate lounge room and eating area but man was it a dodgy room and we realised that the hotel put us in the dodgy area while the people that pay get the swanky area.... Anyway... the flight itself was a disaster, it was further delayed in Delhi until midnight and further delayed in Mumbai for 2 hours instead of 1 hour. The humorous thing was I think Mike was the only white guys on the flight. When we finally got to Singapore we were so relieved, I was so stressed out!
The journey through India was good, interesting and an educational experience that you won't get anywhere else... The places that I would visit again would be Jaipur and Goa. Although I have no idea how Mumbai and Varanassi were like. I was disappointed that we couldn't take a train from Agra to Varanassi to spend Christmas, but it is peak season and the waiting list lasted till the end of January.
Goa is an excellent place to relax, people are laid back, not much hustle and bustle... We stayed in South Goa which is secluded and the beaches are still in pristine quality. Too bad when you walk along the beach you still get hassled by people selling stuff. Visited North Goa and the famous Anjuna market where we saw heaps of westerners from Britain.
Jaipur was my favourite, wish we had a day or two more in that city. It was pretty and my type of old style and there were people but not the huge masses like Delhi. The touts didn't seem as bad and took no for an answer but by then we were just as pushy saying no as they were at trying to sell stuff.
Agra.. hmm.. if it wasn't for the Taj Mahal it is so not worth it. The Taj was a pretty amazing sight, very beautiful, very romantic and very busy. Apparently it receives 4,000 visitors a day, local and international tourists! The city itself was nothing much, polluted, etc...
The pollution in India is actually quite concerning. I mean I've been to places that are polluted but in India is shocking, both of us, more Mike than me, had symtoms that are pollution related, like sore eyes, a cough...
Delhi is H U G E, massive city, talk about people being anonymous. The second time around it didn't seem so scary as the first... we managed okay actually.
So now Mike and I are in Singapore and I must admit that it's nice to return to organisation, a sense of familiarity. The fact that we can stand on the street, look at our map and not be hassled by people trying to sell stuff, or show you shops "for free", or beg is kind of nice.
Hope you guys had a great Christmas.
I'll be spending NYE in KL... Unexpectedly.
Stay tuned for more.... Maybe I should rename this blog to Asian Adventure?
I am currently in Singapore and the drama that it took to get here was unbelievable.
I asked dad to change my flight to Singapore from Delhi cause it was easier to go through our travel agent then it was for me to call Air India.
OK so our flight changed to the 26th at 6:30am! Meaning like all flights we got there 2 hours before. However the flight was delayed until 9... Not 9am but 9pm!!!!!! And we actually couldn't get into the airport because our ticket still had our original departure date... Military security was tight. The airline sent us to a hotel... The room was huge had a separate lounge room and eating area but man was it a dodgy room and we realised that the hotel put us in the dodgy area while the people that pay get the swanky area.... Anyway... the flight itself was a disaster, it was further delayed in Delhi until midnight and further delayed in Mumbai for 2 hours instead of 1 hour. The humorous thing was I think Mike was the only white guys on the flight. When we finally got to Singapore we were so relieved, I was so stressed out!
The journey through India was good, interesting and an educational experience that you won't get anywhere else... The places that I would visit again would be Jaipur and Goa. Although I have no idea how Mumbai and Varanassi were like. I was disappointed that we couldn't take a train from Agra to Varanassi to spend Christmas, but it is peak season and the waiting list lasted till the end of January.
Goa is an excellent place to relax, people are laid back, not much hustle and bustle... We stayed in South Goa which is secluded and the beaches are still in pristine quality. Too bad when you walk along the beach you still get hassled by people selling stuff. Visited North Goa and the famous Anjuna market where we saw heaps of westerners from Britain.
Jaipur was my favourite, wish we had a day or two more in that city. It was pretty and my type of old style and there were people but not the huge masses like Delhi. The touts didn't seem as bad and took no for an answer but by then we were just as pushy saying no as they were at trying to sell stuff.
Agra.. hmm.. if it wasn't for the Taj Mahal it is so not worth it. The Taj was a pretty amazing sight, very beautiful, very romantic and very busy. Apparently it receives 4,000 visitors a day, local and international tourists! The city itself was nothing much, polluted, etc...
The pollution in India is actually quite concerning. I mean I've been to places that are polluted but in India is shocking, both of us, more Mike than me, had symtoms that are pollution related, like sore eyes, a cough...
Delhi is H U G E, massive city, talk about people being anonymous. The second time around it didn't seem so scary as the first... we managed okay actually.
So now Mike and I are in Singapore and I must admit that it's nice to return to organisation, a sense of familiarity. The fact that we can stand on the street, look at our map and not be hassled by people trying to sell stuff, or show you shops "for free", or beg is kind of nice.
Hope you guys had a great Christmas.
I'll be spending NYE in KL... Unexpectedly.
Stay tuned for more.... Maybe I should rename this blog to Asian Adventure?
Thursday, December 25, 2003
Okay. Stuck in Delhi Airport - Not happy Jan
Thursday, December 18, 2003
On the fifth day, clouds disappeared and the sun shined.
OK, we're in South of Goa now, and this is what I call a holiday!
People are so much friendlier, sure they still want you to buy tacky stuff but at least they take no for an answer, if not, I just shove them out of my way.
I'm learning, slowly and I'm developing a thicker skin....
The flight to Goa on a domestic airline was so much nicer then the Air India flight.
Goa has lots of nice beaches and soft sands to chill out on... and we're staying has a gorgeous pool too swim in.
Had a day tour of Goa which was nice, went to the famous Anjuna market, working on my bargaining skills and had a look at Old Goa that had old buildings and a dead saint in an old church. It seems everyone does know each other here and that's a little scary....
Well, I'm not as shell shocked, which is good...
Thanks Michelle for writing and concern, things are better now.
To all other people, no email updates?! Is everything in Melbourne still the same?
Must admit, I am missing a foccacia with boccocini cheese and salami... yummmm..
Curry day in and day out starts to do funny things to the body that you end up sweating smelling like curry...
That's all folks... check back soon...
OK, we're in South of Goa now, and this is what I call a holiday!
People are so much friendlier, sure they still want you to buy tacky stuff but at least they take no for an answer, if not, I just shove them out of my way.
I'm learning, slowly and I'm developing a thicker skin....
The flight to Goa on a domestic airline was so much nicer then the Air India flight.
Goa has lots of nice beaches and soft sands to chill out on... and we're staying has a gorgeous pool too swim in.
Had a day tour of Goa which was nice, went to the famous Anjuna market, working on my bargaining skills and had a look at Old Goa that had old buildings and a dead saint in an old church. It seems everyone does know each other here and that's a little scary....
Well, I'm not as shell shocked, which is good...
Thanks Michelle for writing and concern, things are better now.
To all other people, no email updates?! Is everything in Melbourne still the same?
Must admit, I am missing a foccacia with boccocini cheese and salami... yummmm..
Curry day in and day out starts to do funny things to the body that you end up sweating smelling like curry...
That's all folks... check back soon...
Sunday, December 14, 2003
On the third day the clouds formed and it poured rain and hail!
Have been in India for 2 days now... and so far I am still cultured shocked.
Me! Who claims to be an experienced traveler that has been to all sort of places
and has tried all sorts of adventures was not prepared for India.
The people and culture is so different and the moment you step out of the hotel,
people start basically harassing you about where you want to go and they'll take you there. NOT! So eager to part you with your money here.
Spoke to a local at the hotel who said that Delhi is not very busy these two days cause it was the weekend... if that was the weekend I wonder what Monday's going to be like....
Sighhh... I have to admit that I was soooo tempted to fly out of here ASAP but decided that was a bit rash... so instead we're going on a tour... Heading to Goa first, a nice beach is what I need...
On a lighter side of life, I was laughing so hard trying to teach Mike to wash his own underwear... Aparently he had no concept of hand washing, what a lifestyle he was leading!
Mike made it to and from the bank today, after a failed attempt yesterday. We were basically surviving on $1.50 after the taxi from the airport. Man did we bargain since then... I think we were a bit harsh cause the Indian mini bike drivers were driving off themselves....
Oh and Air India, is shocking, that should've been our warning... The divider panels that divided first and economy class was covered in art nevou wall paper that matched the vomit bags. Those of you that know airplanes - it was an Airbus 310... those of you that don't, it was OLD!
Well we'll see what tomorrow brings... hopefully some sun.
Have been in India for 2 days now... and so far I am still cultured shocked.
Me! Who claims to be an experienced traveler that has been to all sort of places
and has tried all sorts of adventures was not prepared for India.
The people and culture is so different and the moment you step out of the hotel,
people start basically harassing you about where you want to go and they'll take you there. NOT! So eager to part you with your money here.
Spoke to a local at the hotel who said that Delhi is not very busy these two days cause it was the weekend... if that was the weekend I wonder what Monday's going to be like....
Sighhh... I have to admit that I was soooo tempted to fly out of here ASAP but decided that was a bit rash... so instead we're going on a tour... Heading to Goa first, a nice beach is what I need...
On a lighter side of life, I was laughing so hard trying to teach Mike to wash his own underwear... Aparently he had no concept of hand washing, what a lifestyle he was leading!
Mike made it to and from the bank today, after a failed attempt yesterday. We were basically surviving on $1.50 after the taxi from the airport. Man did we bargain since then... I think we were a bit harsh cause the Indian mini bike drivers were driving off themselves....
Oh and Air India, is shocking, that should've been our warning... The divider panels that divided first and economy class was covered in art nevou wall paper that matched the vomit bags. Those of you that know airplanes - it was an Airbus 310... those of you that don't, it was OLD!
Well we'll see what tomorrow brings... hopefully some sun.
