living for the sunshine

Dr. Seuss

In honor Dr. Seuss’ birthday.  (with a bit of nostalgia for my time at Thai Elephant Home)

www.thaielephanthome.com

Profits from TEH go towards reforesting the local jungle, buying land, planting trees, and maintaining the forest.  The land that you travel through today on your elephant is being reforested and preserved.  You can help by putting an envelope in our donation box, contributing on our website under paypal, or visiting us in the rainy season (May- September) to plant trees and bamboo!  Sponsoring a tree costs 50 baht!

28 November 2011

Go Now: Why You Shouldn’t Wait to Travel

Blog post by Stephanie of Twenty-Something Travel http://twenty-somethingtravel.com/

She beautifully outlines 4 reasons why… 1) IT’S CHEAPER    2) IT’S MORE FUN    3) IT’S EASIER    4) IT WILL SHAPE YOUR FUTURE

I really could not say what she has described better myself. I agree with every. single. word.

Words of the wise, and every reason I left over a year ago, and why I am proud of what I have done, seen, and accomplished today.  

(via sincerelyr)

(via sincerelyr-deactivated20120117)

Summa summa summaaaatiiiiiiiime

Photo in the Sunday Telegraph

Tash, myself, Leila, and Liz at Shop Til You Drop Magazine’s fashion show at World Square Shopping Center

Wednesday evening out in World Square Shopping Center in the CBD.  Drinks food and fashion, VIP invite courtesy of my lovely friend Tash.  After the show, the four of us then cabbed it to Kings Cross for the opening of a new club, 21 for a long night of free cocktails, champagne, dancing and people watching…

Ralph Waldo Emerson

few token shots from Gili T

The unexpected Gili Trowangan.  It was truly love at first sight.  Immediately after jumping off the boat I knew that it was the place I wanted to be.  I told the girls that this was it.  And it only got better.

Our speedboat landed just after noon, it was a rough journey from the begining. The shuttle had picked Kayci, Leah, Laura and and I up from our hotel in Legion about 7am.  It was pretty safe to say that all of us were still a bit hazy from a huge night out clubbing in Kuta.  I was unfortunately blessed with sitting in between two obnoxious Americans from Texas on the bus, who were incapable of sitting next to each other.. because heaven forbid two boys to sit snug next to each other for a couple of hours! how gay of them! (please note my sarcasm)  Lets just say I was not in the mood to see the massive fish they caught in Bangkok, and listen to their other countless boasting stories.  The girls were quite amused with my situation because by default I had to respond to them.  Let’s just say.. THANK GOD FOR IPODS.. situation solved.

We finally arrived at the port a couple hours later, and it was the standard asian confusion of people just shuffling you and your luggage around, all while trying to sell you things until somehow you are led to the right boat.  I would guess about 50 people fit on the boat which stopped at each of the Gili Islands.  And ohhh man was the water rough that day.  Kayci and I were just laughing, because it was just so ridiculous, it seemed as if the boat was not only underwater, but the driver wasn’t even trying to soften the blows, we were flying up and down.  Sure enough.. people around start getting sick.  I was again rewarded with the best seat in the house, next to a 3 year old Spanish girl who was vomiting all over her father…repeatedly.  I felt so bad for her, and for him. Thank god it was just little kid vomit, or I probably would have lost my lunch too.  It was quite amusing to see her mother ignore the whole situation because she herself was sick, and see her older brother mimic her puking while her father literally undressed because he was completely soaked in vomit was pure gold.

We finally arrived, and it was paradise!  The boat pulled right up on the sand (no dock, no port, just straight up o nthe beach) Everyone got of the boat as quickly as possible.  We climbed our way to the front, jumped into the water, then waited for our bags to be thrown into the sand.  Once the four of us got off, our mission immediately because to find accommodation then food.

After about 5 minutes a local came up and promised he had a big room for four girls.. sweet.  We followed him a little ways to the Coconut Dream.. ended up being our home for our stay on Gili T.  Peaceful little area, 2 king size beds, 1 double bed, air-con, porch, kind people, just fabulous.

You can walk around the island in an hour and a half.  There are no cars on the island, only bicycles and horses.  And the locals could not be nicer.  Everyone is smiling, everyone wants to know where you are from, what your name is, and if you want a mushroom shake.  Everyone is singing, Bob Marley seems to be the national anthem, and everyone.. locals and travelers are completely happy.  Being a blonde and being female wearing heart shaped yellow sunglasses probably got me a bit more attention, but it was impossible to walk down the street without talking to someone… it was so lovely and  peaceful.

The water is unreal, a beautiful clear blue, that goes only for a few meters then immediately turns into a dark blue at the drop off.  You can rent a snorkel for the day for $1.  Take a break from laying on the beach in the sun jump in and see the most amazing coral, fish, AND sea turtles.  There is a huge dive culture on the island, a number of dive schools, and regular dive/snorkel trips off the island, ranging form 1 day to 14 days.  

Another irresistible charm about the island… the sunset.  Just another thing to look forward to and plan your evening around.  The sun sets right on the water and would disappear at exactly 6:15pm.  There are a number of sunset bars where you can go to watch it with a number of others, or find a nice quiet spot.. regardless where you go its an amazing thing to see with a Bintang in hand.

The night fish market was another novelty.  You could eat for under a dollar.  Or you could spend under 10 dollars and eat like a king.  Restraunts displaying the FRESHEST seafood along the road with fresh salad bar, and proper cocktails.  I tried the seared tuna at about 4 different places… but none of them could compete with the Blue Marlin.  By far the best restraunt on the entire island, they really know how to cook fish properly.

The Irish bar was the place to be at night.  We arrived at the beginning of Ramadan, so the music would be turned off at midnight for the locals.  Rudy’s and Soma Soma Reggae Bar were the other hot spots.  Locals and travelers getting down, enjoying life and enjoying the island. My favorite moment was just sitting down on the street, sipping a Bintang, listening to a few new local friends sing and play the guitar and bongos… with no care in the world.

Being there during Ramadan was very interesting. Hearing the Qur’an being recited over the loud speakers…playing involved volleyball games with locals who could not even have a sip of water.   I mainly felt bad because everyone was still working (and playing) during the day in the hot sun, even though they were without water or food.  Some didn’t quite abide by the ‘rules’ and still drank alcohol.

Apart from the island itself, the friends I made there were amazing.  They will all have a special place in my heart for the rest of my life, we became a little family for the time being. Australian, Canadian, British, Ukrainian, Mexican, and Danish.  We shared so many good times, sunset walks, trips to the moon, meals, beach days, Gleb moments, and so many laughs.

I also learned a very important lesson… NEVER BUY A RETURN FLIGHT AHEAD OF TIME.  Unless I have something that I have to be back for, I will never again buy a return flight, only save the money to buy one.  I didn’t want to leave, and had worked out a way to stay and possible work as a snorkel guide on a boat… but the timing was unfortunate, and the fact that I didnt want to waste my Australian visa, and the fact that my belongings were scattered between Sydney and Melbourne I decided to catch the speedboat back to catch the flight back from Bali to Oz.  I will be back, and I cannot wait!!

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Traveling comes with a lot of WAITING. It requires a lot of PATIENCE, a bit of HUMOR and common SENSE to deal with all of the highly questionable forms of transportation and uncertainty.

A few shots from the buses, boats, vans, planes, tuk-tuks, trains, that gave us so many laughs… memories… physical pain..and somehow got us where we needed to be in one piece.

Floating village outside of Siem Reap, Cambodia

No electricity, live solely on the water

Monday 27 June 2011

Currently in Singapore!  We first arrived around 5pm yesterday.. and it is HOT and HUMID quite different from the chilly windy Sydney weather.  We caught the MRT (the public transport system here) from the airport to where our hostel is on Lavender St.  It was really really easy to figure out.  Just pay about 2 dollars for a ticket, that is a scanable card.  Then once you have reached your destination you return the card to get your deposit back (1 dollar).  The weird thing to me… EVERYTHING was in ENGLISH.

We got to our hostel.. which I admit, I pretty much hope it is the worst that we stay in.  Jusst not very nice facilities in general, but completely functionable and nice airconditioned rooms.  And the manager could not have been nicer.  When we first arrived, sweaty and gross from the plane, he plopped down on the floor with the huge map and told us everything about the city we should know, what to do.. where to go.. and when to do it.  It was a great help.  So we lugged all our backpacks up to our room, freshened up then went on a venture for food.

We asked two guys who we found out later had been living at the hostel (one Italian, one American, both working here in Singpore.. the Italian was a diplomat and worked at the Embasy)  They joined us, and ended up being our tour guides. We had dinner at an outdoor food court, the food courts are where to get the best food.  And the cheapest.  We had stirfriend veggies in oyster sauce, calimari, seafood friend rice, and another seafood noodle dish, all washed down with Tiger beer (OF COURSE WE ON HOLIDAYYY) It all was delicioussss!! And being amongst the locals is always a may-jah +.

We went down to the Esplenade and walked along the water amungst the amaaazingly beautiful city scape. So modern. Most of the buildings are only a few years old.  Walking around the steets and seeing the COUTLESS shopping malls, 5 star hotels, clean steets, and business buildings you can just feel that Singapore is just waiting to boom.  It is a hub.  The hub of Southeast Asia.  All flights to and from everywhere meet in Singapore.  There is a huge Chinese population (so lots of businessmen brains), and a growing meltingpot of other cultures, a growing commerce, and strictly enforced laws on keeping the city clean.  For example… no chewing gum, no spitting, steep fines for littering.. no drinking OR eating in the MRT or in the MRT station.  Which is a hard rule to remember, you are at risk of getting a fat fine if you even take out your water bottle and take a sip.  And Orhard Street is the place to shop for luxury goods, Clarke Quay has all the nice restraunts and clubs, with the touristy things along the river.

Little India was really cool, felt like I was in a different country, Arab St as well. 

Overall I have liked it, but wouldnt want to have stayed any longer.  Two days is plenty.  If had the money.. I could easily add a few more days of shopping.  Buuuut other than that I LOVE the foodcourts. I had the BEST dish for dinner our last night.. a Laska Curry that had prawns (shrimp) noodles, tofu, chili and other yummyness.  It was SO SO SOOOOOOOOOO Good.  I did however learn my first lesson on the food… “Do you want chilli” -YES ..but do I add more to it myself afterwords-NO.  It was delicious but I was sweating liek a fool with a runny nose and eyes. But I was prepared and had my pack of tissues on hand to wipe up the mess…