After detouring to the Sheraton to drop off my shopping, I took off from Bangkok for Phuket on One Two Go airlines, which was a bit nerve wracking for a few reasons. First of all, the name doesn't exactly instill confidence. Second, it was the airline that crashed in Phuket a few months ago, killing half the tourists on board. But then I thought it might be the safest route to fly - what are the chances of the same airline crashing in the same place in the same year?!?!? Of course, I purposely am not mentioning all of this until I am safely back in Bangkok.
As soon as I arrived in Phuket, I took off for the pier for a ferry to Koh Phi Phi (Phi Phi Island, pronounced pee-pee) to meet up with the Swedish couple I had traveled with in Australia. I checked into a hostel (200 baht, about $6 a night), had a nice dinner and met them for drinks. The next day I went on the most highly populated snorkel trip ever. Every place we stopped there were at least 10 other boats. Especially at Maya Beach, where the movie "The Beach" was filmed. It is beautiful, but you could barely see the sand through the people and there were no fish to speak of - not with 2000 arms and legs flailing in the water above. Other stops were a bit better, but the Great Barrier Reef had definitely spoiled me for all of this. Luckily, the boat was lovely and the water was so incredibly warm I enjoyed just floating around in the water and sitting on deck as we drove from island to island. We got back after sunset, which was also nice to experience on the water. 10 hours of this for only $18! If it hadn't been for the rudest group of Israeli tourists on my boat, it would have been fantastic. If I stood up for a moment, they would immediately move my things and/or sit where I had been sitting. I spent a good chunk of the day just trying to locate my bag and towel as they got moved around the boat! After one of the women shouted at one of the guides and called him a liar, I stayed clear of them and moved to the front of the boat.
Back at the hostel taking my shower, I had the thought "I'm 35 - what am I doing at this dump??" (The hostel, not the island.) I decided I would splurge back in Phuket. Phi Phi is a tough place to visit for opposing reasons. First of all, it was one of the islands hit hardest by the tsunami. The before and after pictures are unbelievable. Only about half the island is rebuilt and the half that is, is a little to commercialized for my taste. Apparently it was much more laid back before. It also smelled, to me anyway, like urine in a lot of places, which I suppose is appropriate. Again, it's hard to visit a place that is still so much in the rebuilding stage, but the only way they can rebuild is if we come to visit. At least the newer buildings are much sturdier and there are now evacuation plans posted all over the island to prevent it happening again.
After arriving back in Phuket the next morning, I checked into my $30/night hotel. At least double what I have spent elsewhere, and for it I got a huge queen bed, towels, safe, refrigerator, tv, desk, huge bathroom and free internet. Can you imagine getting that at home? Phuket is very confusing, as the name refers both to the island (the largest in Thailand and connected by bridge to the mainland) and the main town on the east coast. Most tourists, however, (me included) stay on the west side of the island in Patong (neon central), Kata (very quiet) or Karon (literally and figuratively between the other two) beaches. I headed directly to the beach (well, after unpacking - what a concept!) and rented a lovely chair and umbrella for $3. That night I met up with an English couple I'd met in Australia. We ended the evening in a bar clearly marketed to tourists, but we thought it would be a fun, cheesy laugh. At one point, Bev and I realized we were the only Western women in the bar. And that there were no Thai men there. It was a little disgusting (but fascinating) to watch the European/North American men hitting on these Thai ladies, but it did make me feel better about the whole situation. The women are clearly in control. You can watch them manipulate the men, who clearly think these women like them for them. When the women would have their backs to the men, you could see how ridiculously bored these women actually are. I saw a couple later (older, chubby, white man with beautiful young Thai girl) at an ATM and would have loved to take a picture as it epitomized the relationship.
I slept in the next morning (the bed was sooo comfortable!) and watched TV (movies in English!!!) before heading out on my kayak trip. There's a lot to say about that, so I'll save it for the next post. I'm starving, so I must go eat now. The kayak story will have to wait for another day.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Zipping across Thailand
Since my last post, I've been in three different Thai cities and headed for my fourth. I didn't realize how little time I had to see all these places. It's quite a hectic trip, for a vacation. Although as was discussed with a group in Australia, it's not really a vacation, "it's an adventure!"
I spent my last full day in Bangkok (well, the last full day of my first trip through Bangkok- more on that later) mostly shopping. I headed first to the Chatuchak weekend market, which I've heard might be the largest market in the world. It's amazing. I actually found better shopping elsewhere, but it was great for the buzz and the people watching alone. At least half of the market is "regular" clothes (as opposed to souveniers). Some of the tiny stalls were richly decorated with silk on the walls and chandeliers. Apparently, many Thai designers start by selling their wares at such markets. The clothes were really interesting, especially the graphic printed t-shirts, and of course very inexpensive, but TINY! I couldn't come remotely close to fitting into a large. Very disappointing, but it did make this market different from all the others - there are tons of locals at this one doing their clothes shopping. I enjoyed my watermelon slushy and fried shrimp ($4 total) while watching all the goings on. I had been very careful to not order ice in my drinks, as the water here can make us sick. Then halfway through my watermelon slushy I realized, "What do I think is in a slushy???" Well, since numerous slushies (yum, yum) haven't gotten me sick, I guess I'm safe to start using ice. I've since heard that restaurants are required to use distilled water for their ice. Not sure how that applies to markets, though!
Once I had hit overload at the market, I jumped on the metro to another area of town. While on the train, a woman started talking to me about where I was from, what I was seeing. She asked me to call her when I got back to Bangkok and handed me a piece of paper. It was written all in Thai except for the words "Part Time/Full Time." I don't think I even want to know what she was offering.
I had decided to go to the Muay Thai boxing match, but lost my way from the metro to the stadium. Luckily that sent me through a beautiful park where they were getting the flower offerings ready to float for Loi Katong. They built the offerings out of banana trunk, banana leaves, orchids, marigolds, candles and incense. They are offerings to apologize to the water gods for polluting the lakes, rivers and oceans. Not sure I understand the logic of putting a bunch of stuff in the water to apologize for putting a bunch of stuff in the water, but it was pretty!
The boxing match was very, very odd. I arrived for the 4th match of 8 and was given a program. The boxers in the 4th match were each 90 pounds. The previous matches had been between 75 pounders!! Needless to say, the boxing was much less violent than any regular boxing I had ever seen, regardless of the fact that they can use more than just their fists. It was interesting to watch - more like wrestling (so you'd probably like it Martha) as the goal is to show domination more than to knock the other opponent out. The boxer who makes the most moves or inflicts the most wounds (usually small bruises) is declared the winner after 5 rounds. But the most fascinating part by far is the pre-match ritual. Both boxers enter the ring wearing a headress and neck garland (similar to a lei) and go through an elaborate ritual of about 5 minutes. They address all four corners in a dance coordinated with traditional Thai music played live, on something that resembled a recorder. Not something that I would ever associate with boxing. After this, the headress and garland are removed and the first round starts.
The main event was the 5th round, which starred boxers of 135 pounds. Wow! I did have to re-evaluate my viewpoint of the amount of violence, as these guys were definitely able to inflict more pain. One guy cut his eyebrow and was having trouble seeing. He was actually knocked out at the beginning of round 5, something I get the impression rarely happens. Match 6 was a Korean vs. a Spaniard and although they were the same weight as the previous two, you could see how much differently they were built - much more muscular. I left at the beginning of the last match - figured that was enough culture for one night!
I ended the night at the Night Market nearby, where I found the shopping much better than in the morning and was able to buy quite a few Christmas presents. As I was leaving, I passed a bar (within the market) where the band was playing "Jingle Bells" in Thai fashion, with Thai instruments. It took me quite a few bars to even realize why it sounded familiar. I can't believe Christmas is so soon - it's 80 degrees here!
Back at my guest house I realized there was no way I could haul my luggage around for the next 6 weeks. Because of the way the country's transport system is laid out I will have to fly to Phuket, back to Bangkok, take the bus to Chiang Mai, bus back to Bangkok, fly to Cambodia and then fly back to Bangkok for my flight to India. With ferries and taxis thrown in there (as well as weight restrictions on domestic flights) there was no way I could handle all my new purchases. I had already booked free nights at the Sheraton for my nights in Bangkok between Cambodia and India and had the brain wave to see if I could store items there. Luckily, that was not a problem at all and my trip down to Phuket was much simpler than it otherwise might have been. I'll pick up there in the next post...
I spent my last full day in Bangkok (well, the last full day of my first trip through Bangkok- more on that later) mostly shopping. I headed first to the Chatuchak weekend market, which I've heard might be the largest market in the world. It's amazing. I actually found better shopping elsewhere, but it was great for the buzz and the people watching alone. At least half of the market is "regular" clothes (as opposed to souveniers). Some of the tiny stalls were richly decorated with silk on the walls and chandeliers. Apparently, many Thai designers start by selling their wares at such markets. The clothes were really interesting, especially the graphic printed t-shirts, and of course very inexpensive, but TINY! I couldn't come remotely close to fitting into a large. Very disappointing, but it did make this market different from all the others - there are tons of locals at this one doing their clothes shopping. I enjoyed my watermelon slushy and fried shrimp ($4 total) while watching all the goings on. I had been very careful to not order ice in my drinks, as the water here can make us sick. Then halfway through my watermelon slushy I realized, "What do I think is in a slushy???" Well, since numerous slushies (yum, yum) haven't gotten me sick, I guess I'm safe to start using ice. I've since heard that restaurants are required to use distilled water for their ice. Not sure how that applies to markets, though!
Once I had hit overload at the market, I jumped on the metro to another area of town. While on the train, a woman started talking to me about where I was from, what I was seeing. She asked me to call her when I got back to Bangkok and handed me a piece of paper. It was written all in Thai except for the words "Part Time/Full Time." I don't think I even want to know what she was offering.
I had decided to go to the Muay Thai boxing match, but lost my way from the metro to the stadium. Luckily that sent me through a beautiful park where they were getting the flower offerings ready to float for Loi Katong. They built the offerings out of banana trunk, banana leaves, orchids, marigolds, candles and incense. They are offerings to apologize to the water gods for polluting the lakes, rivers and oceans. Not sure I understand the logic of putting a bunch of stuff in the water to apologize for putting a bunch of stuff in the water, but it was pretty!
The boxing match was very, very odd. I arrived for the 4th match of 8 and was given a program. The boxers in the 4th match were each 90 pounds. The previous matches had been between 75 pounders!! Needless to say, the boxing was much less violent than any regular boxing I had ever seen, regardless of the fact that they can use more than just their fists. It was interesting to watch - more like wrestling (so you'd probably like it Martha) as the goal is to show domination more than to knock the other opponent out. The boxer who makes the most moves or inflicts the most wounds (usually small bruises) is declared the winner after 5 rounds. But the most fascinating part by far is the pre-match ritual. Both boxers enter the ring wearing a headress and neck garland (similar to a lei) and go through an elaborate ritual of about 5 minutes. They address all four corners in a dance coordinated with traditional Thai music played live, on something that resembled a recorder. Not something that I would ever associate with boxing. After this, the headress and garland are removed and the first round starts.
The main event was the 5th round, which starred boxers of 135 pounds. Wow! I did have to re-evaluate my viewpoint of the amount of violence, as these guys were definitely able to inflict more pain. One guy cut his eyebrow and was having trouble seeing. He was actually knocked out at the beginning of round 5, something I get the impression rarely happens. Match 6 was a Korean vs. a Spaniard and although they were the same weight as the previous two, you could see how much differently they were built - much more muscular. I left at the beginning of the last match - figured that was enough culture for one night!
I ended the night at the Night Market nearby, where I found the shopping much better than in the morning and was able to buy quite a few Christmas presents. As I was leaving, I passed a bar (within the market) where the band was playing "Jingle Bells" in Thai fashion, with Thai instruments. It took me quite a few bars to even realize why it sounded familiar. I can't believe Christmas is so soon - it's 80 degrees here!
Back at my guest house I realized there was no way I could haul my luggage around for the next 6 weeks. Because of the way the country's transport system is laid out I will have to fly to Phuket, back to Bangkok, take the bus to Chiang Mai, bus back to Bangkok, fly to Cambodia and then fly back to Bangkok for my flight to India. With ferries and taxis thrown in there (as well as weight restrictions on domestic flights) there was no way I could handle all my new purchases. I had already booked free nights at the Sheraton for my nights in Bangkok between Cambodia and India and had the brain wave to see if I could store items there. Luckily, that was not a problem at all and my trip down to Phuket was much simpler than it otherwise might have been. I'll pick up there in the next post...
Friday, November 23, 2007
One Night in Bangkok
I have to write this section of the blog now, so that I can title it such! I got in to my guest house in Bangkok around 5pm yesterday. I had exchanged my remaining Singapore Dollars (equaling about US$30) for Thai Baht, with a plan to get more cash from an ATM once in town. That US$30 paid for one night at the guest house; a dinner of chicken & beef skewers, chicken pad thai, one egg roll, a whole pineapple and a banana pancake with chocolate sauce; a Diet Coke (to even out the calories from the banana pancake); a tank top; an hour massage; a manicure/pedicure and 30 minutes online. Wowza. What a change after Australia. And this is with the US dollar so weak - imagine what it would be otherwise!
I went to bed happy, stuffed and relaxed. In the morning I booked all my tours and flights for the next few weeks and then headed off to the big shopping mall/market to buy a new cell phone. I started to feel a bit queasy and started sweating (not surprising, since I've been eating exclusively from food stalls over the past 5 days). I was really afraid I was going to go into full food poisoning, but it was just my body wondering what the heck was happening after the normal goings on of Australia and New Zealand. Within 5 minutes I was almost 100% again, but I decided to take it easy tonight anyway. I had planned to go to a Muay Thai (thai kickboxing) match, but postponed that for another day. Instead I spent an hour at a museum, Jim Thompson's House. He was an American sent to Thailand after WWII with the precursor to the CIA. Soon after being sent back to the US, he returned to Thailand, having fallen in love with the place. He "discovered" the beautiful silks the Thais were weaving and brought samples back to the editor of Vogue in New York, starting a trend of designers using the materials. He built his house in Bangkok out of a number of old Thai homes from different areas around the country. The grounds are gorgeous and tranquil, especially in contrast to the major bustling city that has grown up around the museum. In the museum are two astrological charts - one signifying the most auspicious date for Mr. Thompson to move into his house (which he followed) and another warning him to be careful when he was 61, as do all those born in the year of the horse. When he was 61 he went for a walk while on a trip in Malaysia and was never seen again. They still don't know what happened to him. Odd, huh? Now he is credited with single handedly bringing the Thai silk market to the world stage.
I rounded out the leisurely night with a movie in the "VIP area" of the theater. The seats were large recliners with more foot room than most 1st class airplanes. While I waited for the movie to start I had dim sum (costing a whopping 60 Baht, about US$2) and shopped. I realized the movie theater was probably going to be cold, so I decided to see if I could find a pair of jeans to replace the ones I brought with me. I found a pair for $18 and they were only the 4th pair I tried on! How come I can try on thousands of expensive jeans in the US and find nothing, but find them easily in a country where the women are known for having small butts, no hips and slender thighs (none of which I can be accused of)? Turns out the VIP area also includes blankets! Although it was still a good idea - even wearing the jeans and with the blanket I was a bit chilly. If they know it's going to be so cold you'll need a blanket, wouldn't it be more cost efficient to just turn down the AC? But what do I know about running a theater...
As I got out of the taxi near my guest house, I was immediately welcomed with the song "Sweet Home Chicago" being sung by a band on Khao San Road. It made me smile. Then off to a facial (at 10:30pm!) where I smiled again when I saw a sign for chocolate waffles for sale at the spa. Not quite what we would expect at a spa - no wheat grass anywhere!
the site of my first massage in Thailand (followed by many more here over the next few days)
I went to bed happy, stuffed and relaxed. In the morning I booked all my tours and flights for the next few weeks and then headed off to the big shopping mall/market to buy a new cell phone. I started to feel a bit queasy and started sweating (not surprising, since I've been eating exclusively from food stalls over the past 5 days). I was really afraid I was going to go into full food poisoning, but it was just my body wondering what the heck was happening after the normal goings on of Australia and New Zealand. Within 5 minutes I was almost 100% again, but I decided to take it easy tonight anyway. I had planned to go to a Muay Thai (thai kickboxing) match, but postponed that for another day. Instead I spent an hour at a museum, Jim Thompson's House. He was an American sent to Thailand after WWII with the precursor to the CIA. Soon after being sent back to the US, he returned to Thailand, having fallen in love with the place. He "discovered" the beautiful silks the Thais were weaving and brought samples back to the editor of Vogue in New York, starting a trend of designers using the materials. He built his house in Bangkok out of a number of old Thai homes from different areas around the country. The grounds are gorgeous and tranquil, especially in contrast to the major bustling city that has grown up around the museum. In the museum are two astrological charts - one signifying the most auspicious date for Mr. Thompson to move into his house (which he followed) and another warning him to be careful when he was 61, as do all those born in the year of the horse. When he was 61 he went for a walk while on a trip in Malaysia and was never seen again. They still don't know what happened to him. Odd, huh? Now he is credited with single handedly bringing the Thai silk market to the world stage.
I rounded out the leisurely night with a movie in the "VIP area" of the theater. The seats were large recliners with more foot room than most 1st class airplanes. While I waited for the movie to start I had dim sum (costing a whopping 60 Baht, about US$2) and shopped. I realized the movie theater was probably going to be cold, so I decided to see if I could find a pair of jeans to replace the ones I brought with me. I found a pair for $18 and they were only the 4th pair I tried on! How come I can try on thousands of expensive jeans in the US and find nothing, but find them easily in a country where the women are known for having small butts, no hips and slender thighs (none of which I can be accused of)? Turns out the VIP area also includes blankets! Although it was still a good idea - even wearing the jeans and with the blanket I was a bit chilly. If they know it's going to be so cold you'll need a blanket, wouldn't it be more cost efficient to just turn down the AC? But what do I know about running a theater...
As I got out of the taxi near my guest house, I was immediately welcomed with the song "Sweet Home Chicago" being sung by a band on Khao San Road. It made me smile. Then off to a facial (at 10:30pm!) where I smiled again when I saw a sign for chocolate waffles for sale at the spa. Not quite what we would expect at a spa - no wheat grass anywhere!
Moments in Macau
How could I forget some of the funnier things that happened in Macau? I've had lots of time to think over the past few days during my various spa treatments, and I just realized I didn't mention these. Hope you don't mind me reverting back a bit... Then again, I'm going to whether or not you mind!
We arrived quite late to our ferry due to the long lines at immigration (only for me, Mary Beth had the super-speedy Hong Kong resident card line), with only minutes to spare. This turned out to be fortuitous as we were upgraded to "Super Class." Which we could not stop laughing about. It sounds like something a kid would make up. We joked that the next level up is "Super Duper Class." We sat down and I was immediately both enthralled in and mortified by the conversation behind me. An American couple was talking and the man said "This island is Polynesian, right." There was a pause before she answered, "No, it's Portuguese." His reply? "Well it's the same thing, right?" Ai yi yi. I believe the only thing the two cultures have in common is the letter P. Then he looked back at the harbor we had just left and asked, "Where are all the pleasure boats? If this were California, there would be marinas everywhere." Um, I could be wrong but I believe even in California they don't place pleasure craft marinas in the middle of major shipping harbors.
At the restaurant, I was embarrassed to listen to an American introduce himself to a German father and son sitting a few tables away. He was asking them where they were from and telling them that he goes to Frankfurt once in a while. It wouldn't have been so bad, except that he had to shout, since they weren't sitting all that close, and they were clearing trying to eat and have their own conversation. I was even more embarrassed when I realized this overweight, overbearing old man was out with his 20-something Asian girlfriend.
I'm sure it's possible for a young, Asian woman to fall in love with an older, white man, but I find it difficult to believe that it could happen dozens of times a day. It makes my stomach turn to see it, but I suppose they're both getting something out of it. It's just the same in Thailand (perhaps more so), and in fact there is an internet cafe where most of the "bar girls" write their email love letters to their new sugar daddies. They use a pre-printed, well-worn master on the wall as a template. Today in Bangkok I saw a man who was at least in his 70s with a girl about 25. Ugh.
We arrived quite late to our ferry due to the long lines at immigration (only for me, Mary Beth had the super-speedy Hong Kong resident card line), with only minutes to spare. This turned out to be fortuitous as we were upgraded to "Super Class." Which we could not stop laughing about. It sounds like something a kid would make up. We joked that the next level up is "Super Duper Class." We sat down and I was immediately both enthralled in and mortified by the conversation behind me. An American couple was talking and the man said "This island is Polynesian, right." There was a pause before she answered, "No, it's Portuguese." His reply? "Well it's the same thing, right?" Ai yi yi. I believe the only thing the two cultures have in common is the letter P. Then he looked back at the harbor we had just left and asked, "Where are all the pleasure boats? If this were California, there would be marinas everywhere." Um, I could be wrong but I believe even in California they don't place pleasure craft marinas in the middle of major shipping harbors.
At the restaurant, I was embarrassed to listen to an American introduce himself to a German father and son sitting a few tables away. He was asking them where they were from and telling them that he goes to Frankfurt once in a while. It wouldn't have been so bad, except that he had to shout, since they weren't sitting all that close, and they were clearing trying to eat and have their own conversation. I was even more embarrassed when I realized this overweight, overbearing old man was out with his 20-something Asian girlfriend.
I'm sure it's possible for a young, Asian woman to fall in love with an older, white man, but I find it difficult to believe that it could happen dozens of times a day. It makes my stomach turn to see it, but I suppose they're both getting something out of it. It's just the same in Thailand (perhaps more so), and in fact there is an internet cafe where most of the "bar girls" write their email love letters to their new sugar daddies. They use a pre-printed, well-worn master on the wall as a template. Today in Bangkok I saw a man who was at least in his 70s with a girl about 25. Ugh.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
A turkey-free Thanksgiving?
In an hour I'll be leaving Singapore for Bangkok. Seems such a strange thing to be doing on Thanksgiving! I don't imagine there will be much turkey and stuffing served at the Bangkok market food stalls.
My last evening in Singapore was fantastic. I absolutely loved the Night Safari, which neighbors the Singapore Zoo and is only open from 7:30pm to midnight. You can walk and/or take a tram through the park to see animals native to Asia and Africa. You get to see animals as they go about their nightly activities, which is interesting both since it's a time period you don't usually see at zoos and also because you get to be up close and personal with nocturnal animals. The park itself is absolutely gorgeous - I'm sure there are fences somewhere, but you can't see them through the darkness and the lush rainforest, so it really feels like you're just wandering through the jungle and have come upon leopards, lions, giraffes, rhinos, tigers and hippos. The "Creatures of the Night" show I saw at the end of the visit was the highlight by far. The funniest and most interesting animal show I've ever seen, and after working in Orlando for 2 1/2 years, I've seen a lot of them! My favorite part would have to be the otters, which the park use to emphasize the importance of recycling in preserving the rainforests. They bring out a recycling center with holes for cans, bottles and paper. Three otters come out, each trained to pick up one of these items. For example, Felix dashed back and forth, picking up large plastic bottles and depositing them in the correct slot. It's especially hilarious because these are Asian otters, the smallest in the world and only about the size of my foot, and it takes some maneuvering for them to walk and hold their selected item as well. The one in charge of cans would spin its can around for ages in its little paws before finally depositing it. The trainer (the main reason for the show being hysterical) commented, "Yes, yes, very good quality control. Now please put it in the bin!" If you ever get to Singapore, I highly recommend this place - and it's only about $20 to visit.
As I already mentioned, I had stayed at the Le Meridien for 2 nights and then a hostel, "The Hive" for one. I had cashed in some hotel points in order to stay at the hotel for only $30/night, and was pleasantly surprised to find that this was 30 Singapore Dollars, so significantly less than I had expected. The hostel was fine - it's quite new - and I didn't even really need to unpack, since I left early this morning and took my shower here at the airport lounge. (Not actually in the lounge area, of course, they do have separate shower facilities for that.) The hostel included free internet (both wireless and on the 4 computers in the reception area), free breakfast and a nice lounge area. They also sold pop, snacks and ice cream for what it would cost at the supermarket. Since it was also next to a subway stop, it was pretty much ideal. In the list of amenities in their brochure, they also list "Itinerary Planning (if needed)". I'm glad they don't require you to have them plan your itinerary. Not too bad for about US$12!
I'll be spending a few days in Bangkok before heading down south to Phuket and the neighboring beaches to meet up with the Swedish and English couples I met in Australia. After getting in my beach time, I'll be off on a tour to Chiang Mai. But first, I am going to shop like crazy in the cheap Bangkok markets! I am so tired of my clothes (and they're looking a little tired as well)!
Sweating in Singapore
Whew - it's HUMID here! Good thing my time in Florida has trained me well for it.
I arrived here from Hong Kong on Monday afternoon. It started off rather inconveniently, as I signed up for a shuttle bus to the hotel that I had to wait 40 minutes for. No big deal, except that it left 10 minutes early and without me! So I had to wait for another 30 minutes for the next one. Luckily there have been no further snafus.
I checked into the Le Meridien hotel that I had booked with my Starwood points and within seconds had the contents of my bag strewn about the HUGE hotel room. Okay, it wasn't huge at all but when you're used to a bunk bed... I had dinner at the Irish pub across the street, hoping to meet some other people, but it was dead, so I headed back to the hotel to do my laundry in the bathroom sink. As most people do on vacation in Singapore at the Le Meridien hotel. I had to take advantage of being able to take over the bathroom! And in this humidity the only way to get things to dry is to give them at least 2 days to do so.
Tuesday I headed into Chinatown which was perhaps even more adventurous than skydiving. I stopped at some food stalls that were covered and arranged around tables, like an outside Chinese food court. I tried Hainese Chicken Rice and a watermelon juice slushy. Ordering required a lot of pointing, but it all tasted delicious and cost me a whopping 5 Singapore Dollars (around US$3). I decided to splash out on dessert and pointed to a colorful, ice cream looking photo. For my 2 Singapore Dollars I was presented with what I suppose you could describe as a sno-cone with mango goop on it in a bowl. It was good, although very sweet, and about 10 times more than I could ever eat.
After dropping off the remains of my sno-cone mango bowl (called a Mango Ice Kacang), I crossed the street to the local massage place. I was going to get a pedicure, since my heels are now so dry and cracked that they never get clean (aren't you glad you know that now?) but the "pedicure lady" wasn't in, so I settled for a foot massage. After I requested it, I thought I should have gotten a shoulder massage as they've been really sore lately, but the receptionist had already summoned the guy from his lunch. During the foot massage (which is really reflexology) he commented that I "much walking" (by my lower calf muscle) and that my shoulders must be really tight and sore (from the outside of the sole of my foot). So he threw in a shoulder massage for another S$10, bringing the grand total to S$26 (about US$16). I was also asked "you do yoga?" because my shoulders are so flexible. I don't know that going twice a year constitutes "doing" yoga, but I'll take the credit anyway. He ended it with pressing his knee cap into my back and cracking it. It was LOUD and a little discomforting, but felt so great. He showed me his diploma and I found it rather funny that I was getting a Japanese Shiatsu massage in Chinatown in Singapore.
That evening I tested the 6 degrees of separation concept. My college friend Aileen introduced me to my friend Susan in Chicago who introduced me to her graduate school friend Olivia who went to Hong Kong for two years and met Polly. When I went to Hong Kong last week, I stayed with Polly, who is originally from Singapore. When she found out I was going there, she contacted her cousin Zannie who was born in Singapore but moved to Canada at a young age and had come back to Singapore 5 years ago. I went out to dinner with her and her French boyfriend and one of their friends. We had mango margaritas at the local Mexican restaurant while we waited for a table at Jumbo Seafood so I could try the famous Singapore Chili Crab. Everything was delicious and the guys paid for everything. We stopped for one last drink at a bar with a local cover band where I could at least return the favor by buying everyone a drink. It was so nice to go out with locals and I so appreciate them including an almost perfect stranger! Zannie also gave me great tips on Thailand and Anand (who has family in India) gave me some more tips for there.
my hosts Nick and Zannie
Today I made the big switch from the hotel to the hostel, but there's free internet here! I won't be spending much time here anyway as I spent today wandering Little India and leave tomorrow morning for the airport. I had a great but unusual lunch again today, at a "Thai Muslim Seafood" restaurant where I ate chicken. Go figure. I had no idea what to order and the guy was so nice, I told him to pick out his favorite. For S$5 I got rice with almonds and raisins, fried chicken and a freshly hacked open coconut to drink. I'm glad I tried it but can honestly say coconut milk is disgusting. The food was amazing though, and I kept eating long after I was full. The guy who hacked open the coconut kept looking at me, so I tried to drink some of it, but it was warm and made me feel a little naseous. Weird since I love coconut. I finally broke down and bought a cherryade which was as sweet as it sounds but helped with the spiciness of the meal. Such a cheap, fun adventure though!
(here's the place...)
In a few hours I'm off to the Night Safari. I know nothing about it other than the name, so descriptions will have to wait for the next post. Also, I haven't been able to load pictures at any of the places over the last few days, so I'll be going back to some previous posts and adding them when I can.
I arrived here from Hong Kong on Monday afternoon. It started off rather inconveniently, as I signed up for a shuttle bus to the hotel that I had to wait 40 minutes for. No big deal, except that it left 10 minutes early and without me! So I had to wait for another 30 minutes for the next one. Luckily there have been no further snafus.
I checked into the Le Meridien hotel that I had booked with my Starwood points and within seconds had the contents of my bag strewn about the HUGE hotel room. Okay, it wasn't huge at all but when you're used to a bunk bed... I had dinner at the Irish pub across the street, hoping to meet some other people, but it was dead, so I headed back to the hotel to do my laundry in the bathroom sink. As most people do on vacation in Singapore at the Le Meridien hotel. I had to take advantage of being able to take over the bathroom! And in this humidity the only way to get things to dry is to give them at least 2 days to do so.
Tuesday I headed into Chinatown which was perhaps even more adventurous than skydiving. I stopped at some food stalls that were covered and arranged around tables, like an outside Chinese food court. I tried Hainese Chicken Rice and a watermelon juice slushy. Ordering required a lot of pointing, but it all tasted delicious and cost me a whopping 5 Singapore Dollars (around US$3). I decided to splash out on dessert and pointed to a colorful, ice cream looking photo. For my 2 Singapore Dollars I was presented with what I suppose you could describe as a sno-cone with mango goop on it in a bowl. It was good, although very sweet, and about 10 times more than I could ever eat.
After dropping off the remains of my sno-cone mango bowl (called a Mango Ice Kacang), I crossed the street to the local massage place. I was going to get a pedicure, since my heels are now so dry and cracked that they never get clean (aren't you glad you know that now?) but the "pedicure lady" wasn't in, so I settled for a foot massage. After I requested it, I thought I should have gotten a shoulder massage as they've been really sore lately, but the receptionist had already summoned the guy from his lunch. During the foot massage (which is really reflexology) he commented that I "much walking" (by my lower calf muscle) and that my shoulders must be really tight and sore (from the outside of the sole of my foot). So he threw in a shoulder massage for another S$10, bringing the grand total to S$26 (about US$16). I was also asked "you do yoga?" because my shoulders are so flexible. I don't know that going twice a year constitutes "doing" yoga, but I'll take the credit anyway. He ended it with pressing his knee cap into my back and cracking it. It was LOUD and a little discomforting, but felt so great. He showed me his diploma and I found it rather funny that I was getting a Japanese Shiatsu massage in Chinatown in Singapore.
That evening I tested the 6 degrees of separation concept. My college friend Aileen introduced me to my friend Susan in Chicago who introduced me to her graduate school friend Olivia who went to Hong Kong for two years and met Polly. When I went to Hong Kong last week, I stayed with Polly, who is originally from Singapore. When she found out I was going there, she contacted her cousin Zannie who was born in Singapore but moved to Canada at a young age and had come back to Singapore 5 years ago. I went out to dinner with her and her French boyfriend and one of their friends. We had mango margaritas at the local Mexican restaurant while we waited for a table at Jumbo Seafood so I could try the famous Singapore Chili Crab. Everything was delicious and the guys paid for everything. We stopped for one last drink at a bar with a local cover band where I could at least return the favor by buying everyone a drink. It was so nice to go out with locals and I so appreciate them including an almost perfect stranger! Zannie also gave me great tips on Thailand and Anand (who has family in India) gave me some more tips for there.
all ready for the chili crab! helping out the DJ in the bar later
my hosts Nick and Zannie
(here's the place...)
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Humid Hong Kong
(photo on the right is a surreptitious photo of a bizarre t-shirt I saw at Stanley Market)My trip to Hong Kong was such a whirlwind, that I didn't even have time to write about it until I was already gone.
I arrived late in the evening on Thursday night and met up with a friend-of-a-friend who was going to be hosting me at her apartment. Pretty much straight to bed for me, after the lack of sleep the previous night and 8 1/2 hour flight (during which I didn't sleep much since I wanted to enjoy the free movies and food in business class!) The flight was fantastic, except for a few frustrating moments while I was watching "1408". For about 15 minutes the soundtrack would switch between Chinese and English so that Morgan Freeman would ask a question in Mandarin and John Cusak would answer in English (or vice versa). Very frustrating and tricky to figure out what was going on! I finally realized it was a knot in my headset cord that was causing the problem.
Anyway, I digress. My first day in Hong Kong was very leisurely although started off a little funny. I wandered around a few markets and decided to stop into a self serve bakery. I had no idea what any of the items were but selected a number of small pastries, figuring at least one or two of them would be good. Then I saw a sign above one of the shelves for "egg tarts". Aha - at least I would know what one of the items was. I picked it up with the tongs and it immediately fell on the floor and shattered into many pieces. Since the middle is basically custard, it make quite a mess. I picked up what I could and added it to my tray, happy to pay the 75 cents for it and then toss it. The woman behind the counter switched it for a fresh one, which was very nice of her. Unfortunately, as soon as I got out the door I took it out of the wrapper and it crumbled and fell on the sidewalk, again in many pieces. Sigh. I am apparently not meant to eat an egg tart. And from the residue left on my fingers, they're quite yummy. Although very fattening, so I guess it's a good diet technique.
After shopping for hours and markets and having a foot massage, I met up with other friends-of-friends for drinks and yummy Thai food. Then to bed at a decent hour for my day of shopping on Saturday at Stanley Market. I found some great stuff there and really enjoyed the town as a whole. It was a gorgeous, sunny day and all the cafes are lined up along the seafront. I spent a few minutes at the Maritime Museum, but just couldn't get into it so headed back to Soho to meet up with a friend from BBDO who is now working in Hong Kong. We had a bizarre but yummy meal of appetizers - salt& pepper calimari and lobster nachos. The latter was one of the funniest (but delicious) meals I've ever eaten. The "nachos" were nacho-flavored Doritos. Have you ever thought to put lobster on Doritos?? (Thanks Mary Beth for treating me to such a fun meal!)
Sunday Mary Beth and I headed out for a whirlwind tour of Macau. We saw a few minutes of the Grand Prix taking place and wandered the massive Venitian hotel for a while. It opened just a few months ago and has something like 3000 rooms and 10 million sq. ft. of space. More gambling dollars go through Macau now than Vegas. We spent 20 Hong Kong Dollars (about US$3) on a slot machine, which lasted about 45 seconds, and then spent the bulk of our time at lunch. We had an amazing Macanese/Portuguese lunch of clams and shrimp. The clams came in such a yummy sauce that we asked for our bread basket to be refilled 3 times so we could use it to mop up the sauce. After a few minutes of sightseeing (the ruins of St. Paul Cathedral, which is just now a beautiful, Portugese style facade) and window shopping, it was off to the ferry again in order to get back for our pre-booked tickets to see the movie "Lust, Caution."
The movie, in Mandarin with English subtitles, is directed by Ang Lee and is quite controversial here. The sex scenes are very graphic and you have to be at least 18 to get in. We were searched for our cameras (but not our IDs here!) as many people are trying to video tape the movie from theaters in order to smuggle them in to mainland China, where the sex scenes have been eliminated. It was an interesting story about Hong Kong and Shanghai during WWII and I'm glad I saw it there, instead of seeing a movie I could see anywhere. With the combination of an NC-17 rating and being in Mandarin, I don't see it making it to the US theaters.
Monday morning it was back to the airport for a 3 1/2 hour flight to Singapore, where I am now. Another whirlwind city trip that I'll update in a future post!
P.S. One of the gentlemen who served us on Sunday (I can't remember where) had the name (as written on his name tag) of Yung Man Ho. How unfortunate.
A mini-Oz glossary
Ok, we've heard many of the Australian slang in the US, but there are some that really baffled me. And some that were just hard for me to say.
thongs = flip flops --- It's weird to see signs outside of bars prohibiting men from wearing thongs in them.
esky = cooler --- I believe it's from a brand name and I'm sure it's derived from Eskimo. But I had no idea how to react when our guide in the outback asked me to bring over the esky. There wasn't even any context for me to figure it out.
doona = duvet/comforter --- Signs at the hostels asked us to remove the sheets but leave the doona. I figured it would be easy for me to leave it since I didn't have any idea what it was.
dunny = bathrooms (usually used to refer to rustic ones, like at rest stops and campsites)
Of course there are many others, but these were the ones I had never heard of and that I actually had to ask for clarification. Maybe they'll help you if you get to Oz (another slang term, meaning Australia. So much shorter!)
thongs = flip flops --- It's weird to see signs outside of bars prohibiting men from wearing thongs in them.
esky = cooler --- I believe it's from a brand name and I'm sure it's derived from Eskimo. But I had no idea how to react when our guide in the outback asked me to bring over the esky. There wasn't even any context for me to figure it out.
doona = duvet/comforter --- Signs at the hostels asked us to remove the sheets but leave the doona. I figured it would be easy for me to leave it since I didn't have any idea what it was.
dunny = bathrooms (usually used to refer to rustic ones, like at rest stops and campsites)
Of course there are many others, but these were the ones I had never heard of and that I actually had to ask for clarification. Maybe they'll help you if you get to Oz (another slang term, meaning Australia. So much shorter!)
Service in non-tipping countries
It's actually been nice not having to worry about tipping in Australia. It's also been simpler to figure out how much the final bill is going to be before I enter a restaurant - important when you're on a tight budget like me! But it does have its drawbacks. The main point of tipping is to reward good service, of course, and when there's no incentive it does make a difference. Like the last night we were in Cairns, we went out to a Japanese restaurant. It was supposed to be part of the birthday celebration for David, but his was the only meal that didn't arrive. We finally had to ask after it and it didn't arrive until after we were all finished and after his rice (which they had already brought him) was cold. I complained and asked for it to be taken off the bill or at least a discount given and was told - "But he ate it. If he hadn't eaten it, I would take it off the bill." When I continued to argue, he said "You didn't spend enough money in my restaurant for me to care. I won't take anything off." Yeouch.
A few nights earlier we had been going into a nightclub and I was the last of the group in. The bouncer had asked for everyone's ID and when he got to me I laughed and said, "You don't really need my ID, do you?" (You only have to be 18 to get in.) He looked at me seriously and said, "No. You're ID is right here" and pointed between his eyebrows. Ouch. But I had started it. Then before I could get inside, he said "And in the wrinkles around your eyes too." Ok - seriously uncalled for. I know that doesn't have anything to do with tipping, but it goes along with the same service mentality. The ironic thing is that while I am getting wrinkles, the one place I don't have them is between my eyebrows!
A few nights earlier we had been going into a nightclub and I was the last of the group in. The bouncer had asked for everyone's ID and when he got to me I laughed and said, "You don't really need my ID, do you?" (You only have to be 18 to get in.) He looked at me seriously and said, "No. You're ID is right here" and pointed between his eyebrows. Ouch. But I had started it. Then before I could get inside, he said "And in the wrinkles around your eyes too." Ok - seriously uncalled for. I know that doesn't have anything to do with tipping, but it goes along with the same service mentality. The ironic thing is that while I am getting wrinkles, the one place I don't have them is between my eyebrows!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
No Tribulation at all
My last few days in Australia were spent in Cape Tribulation, a three hour drive (a three hour tour... sorry, a Gilligan's Island moment there) north of Cairns. It's true rainforest there and has only been populated (and even now, very sparsely) for about 70 years. There is no electricity, so everything runs on solar power and diesel generators. It's the only place in the world where a rainforest meets a reef and was the place where Captain Cook ran into trouble, hence the name. He seems to figure in quite a bit of the names around these here parts.
On the way up we took a hike through the rainforest and were prewarned not to touch the hairy, heart-shaped leaves as the hairs are actually silicon fibers (basically glass slivers) that will embed themselves in your skin and can cause months of pain. There is something to attack you everywhere in Australia! If the crocodiles, stingers, snakes, spiders or sharks don't get you, the plants will.
I jinxed myself by commenting the night prior that it was so refreshing to travel in a country where I meet very few American tourists, and when I do they're very world-wise and culturally sensitive. Then of course there were two American girls on my tour to Cape Tribulation who were basically dumb as a box of rocks. Which will be interesting in a moment. They annoyed me with their "like, omigod, like, you know" talk, but it was harmless enough. Then on our rainforest hike the guide was pointing out various plants, trees and animals. One of the American girls pointed to a mound and said, "What's that?" The guide looked a bit stunned, glanced at us, back at her and answered, "it's a rock." The entire group did an excellent job of stifling their giggles and my German friend, David, rolled his eyes at me. She wasn't even embarrassed, just confused. No wonder we get such a bad reputation!
We headed out on a wildlife cruise down the Daintree River afterwards, mostly in search of salt water crocodiles. We were told we likely wouldn't see one, as it's the time of year they breed and hide. However, we were lucky and managed to see one. A 10 inch long one. A bit anticlimactic, to say the least.
The real highlight (and the main reason for the trip) was jungle surfing the next day. It's a zipline tour of the rainforest canopy from platform to platform, where the guides tell you about what's in the rainforest. And they make you do weird things like lick the butt of a green tree ant to prove that it taste like lime. (Apparently it's the only bug bite that's actually good for you as their rear end is filled with concentrated vitamin C that they inject directly into your bloodstream. It's supposed to make the bite sting more in their prey.) As for the zip line, some of the trips are fast, some high, some slow and one even upside down. I really loved it and now want to do the one in Costa Rica I've heard so much about.
A whirlwind trip back to Cairns, a birthday celebration with David and the rest of the crew and off to the airport for my flight to Brisbane and on to Hong Kong. I'm writing this blog from the lovely Qantas Club in Brisbane on 1 hour of sleep - I've missed these places of luxury for the past few weeks that I haven't been going by plane! I'll add a jungle surfing photo as soon as I can download one...
On the way up we took a hike through the rainforest and were prewarned not to touch the hairy, heart-shaped leaves as the hairs are actually silicon fibers (basically glass slivers) that will embed themselves in your skin and can cause months of pain. There is something to attack you everywhere in Australia! If the crocodiles, stingers, snakes, spiders or sharks don't get you, the plants will.
I jinxed myself by commenting the night prior that it was so refreshing to travel in a country where I meet very few American tourists, and when I do they're very world-wise and culturally sensitive. Then of course there were two American girls on my tour to Cape Tribulation who were basically dumb as a box of rocks. Which will be interesting in a moment. They annoyed me with their "like, omigod, like, you know" talk, but it was harmless enough. Then on our rainforest hike the guide was pointing out various plants, trees and animals. One of the American girls pointed to a mound and said, "What's that?" The guide looked a bit stunned, glanced at us, back at her and answered, "it's a rock." The entire group did an excellent job of stifling their giggles and my German friend, David, rolled his eyes at me. She wasn't even embarrassed, just confused. No wonder we get such a bad reputation!
We headed out on a wildlife cruise down the Daintree River afterwards, mostly in search of salt water crocodiles. We were told we likely wouldn't see one, as it's the time of year they breed and hide. However, we were lucky and managed to see one. A 10 inch long one. A bit anticlimactic, to say the least.
Monday, November 12, 2007
More Diving!
Well, I already tried skydiving, so why not try the opposite?I arrived in Cairns on Friday night, and immediately bumped into a girl from my Fraser Island trip. The hostel is by far the nicest I've stayed in so far and the cheapest. Odd. The building itself reminds me of a college dorm. Strange that I now consider that the lap of luxury! But we also have a beautiful pool, with the bar and tv area outside overlooking it.
Saturday I bumped into two more people from our Fraser Island trip. They were on their way to meet up with 4 others, so we all had a mini-reunion at the Cairns city lagoon. It's a beautiful pool-slash-beach, like the one in Airlie, but it was HOT. Close to 100 degrees. That night we all met up again after cooling off for a goodbye night on the town. Erik and Fia (the Swedish couple from Fraser Island) were heading off to Singapore the next day. I left fairly early as I had an introductory dive planned the next day.
Diving was fantastic. What a first place to do it! The Great Barrier Reef is amazing up here. Similar fish to the Whitsundays, but the coral is much more beautiful. The guide showed us clownfish hanging out in the anemones (as in this picture) and were able to give us the names of all the different fish with their underwater writing boards (basically a kid's toy, a magnetic pad you write on and then clear it with a swipe). We also got to hold a sea cucumber. I wish I had a photo of that - it was ODD looking. The weather was gorgeous out on the reef and pretty crummy back in Cairns, so I timed it well. The wet season is just starting here and they're not kidding! It's been raining off and on every few hours since last night. Tomorrow I head off to Cape Tribulation, a few hours north of here. We spend the day sightseeing along the way and then spend the night at a beach house hostel. Wednesday I'm going "jungle surfing", where I go from platform to platform on a zipline. Can't wait!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Still No Attraction...
Day Two of Magnetic Island, my only full day. I had a great night's sleep, so hoped I was starting over fresh. I decided to do some walking through the national park that takes up over 90% of the island. Guidebooks raved about the well marked paths and the interpretive signs along the way. After an hour of hiking in 90+ degree heat and 90+% humidity, I was less than impressed. The path I wanted to take was not well marked at all. You had to know to follow the path to Nelly Bay (the opposite direction of Horseshoe Bay, where I was headed) and then veer off after 1km. Luckily I came across a couple just as I was determining where to go and they pointed this out to me. Then the path came out onto a major street which you had to follow and then catch up with the path later. This happened numerous times which was annoying and less than attractive but what was most annoying was that because the path never strayed far from the road, there was no wildlife to speak of. So I saw trees and a dirt path for 2 hours. Hm. Think I could find that anywhere! The highlight of my day was a $1 huge slice of incredibly yummy bright red watermelon. I had lunch in Horseshoe Bay and then took the bus back to the hostel to sit by the pool. I watched the scuba diving instruction while dangling my feet in the water, wincing against the salt water in my leg wound. But it's supposed to help the healing process, and it definitely worked!
Lounged around the hostel again and left early in the morning to go back to Townsville. After a few hours at the Townsville Aquarium I was on a bus to Cairns, my "almost" last stop in Australia. (I fly out of Cairns on the 15th, but am taking a 2day/1night excursion to Cape Tribulation before then.)
Magnetic Island seems like a fanstastic spot, if you're just going to relax on the beach or in the pool (but I could have done that back in Airlie Beach and saved myself time & money), if you LOVE hiking (I like it, but it was too hot for me) or if you have a lot of time to spend there, therefore making the trip time worthwhile. None of these applied to me. But like I said, I've been so lucky up to this point, I can't complain. (Although I guess I am, huh? Sorry.)
Lounged around the hostel again and left early in the morning to go back to Townsville. After a few hours at the Townsville Aquarium I was on a bus to Cairns, my "almost" last stop in Australia. (I fly out of Cairns on the 15th, but am taking a 2day/1night excursion to Cape Tribulation before then.)
Magnetic Island seems like a fanstastic spot, if you're just going to relax on the beach or in the pool (but I could have done that back in Airlie Beach and saved myself time & money), if you LOVE hiking (I like it, but it was too hot for me) or if you have a lot of time to spend there, therefore making the trip time worthwhile. None of these applied to me. But like I said, I've been so lucky up to this point, I can't complain. (Although I guess I am, huh? Sorry.)
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Marginally Magnetic
Well, I think I've made my first big misstep of my trip to Australia, but given the fun that I've had over the past few weeks, I suppose I can't complain. Magnetic Island seemed like an easy enough place to visit and the hostel here is one of a chain I stayed at in New Zealand that I really liked. But it ended up taking so much time to get here that I'll only be spending a day here. I caught the 9am shuttle from our hostel in Airlie Beach to the bus station. Then the 4 hour bus to Townsville. So far so good. Then a 30 minute walk in 90+ degree heat from the bus stop to the ferry terminal. Then waiting for the next ferry. When I checked in I was told the ferry left at 3pm from the rear of the terminal and there would be a boarding announcement. Odd since it left at 3:30 from the front of the terminal with no announcement. All off us backpackers saw people boarding a ferry and had to ask. I finally arrived on Magnetic Island (called "Maggie" by the locals) but didn't see the hostel's shuttle anywhere. I called the front desk (thank goodness again for my Australian cell phone) and was told to catch the local bus and I would be reimbursed at the hostel. Another 20 minute wait. Then we all had to drag our bags on the bus and onto the seats, rather than the undercarriage compartments that most buses use. When we finally got to the hostel, I stepped out of the bus and was attacked by a mad koala, and ended up with scratches all up and down my right leg. Who knew they could be so fast?
Ok, so I really fell on the last step of the bus trying to drag everything down the stairs. Not a good start to my island experience. At least it made bringing my first aid kit worthwhile!
After a 40 minute wait at the front desk, I was finally in my room with 4 bunk beds that was occupied by about 12 people. (A group of Swedish girls who were staying in various rooms but socializing in mine.) Not a big deal, but they made no effort to make it easy for me to find a place for my things. Their stuff was everywhere, and only half the beds were being used! There are underbed storage bins, but I couldn't even get to them though the pile of clothes, flip flops and shampoo bottles. I decided to get out of the room and do some laundry and then get dinner. Unfortunately, this hostel requires twice as much cash for the key deposit as other hostels, unknown to me, so all my cash went to that. And the ATM was broken. So I had to head back to the ferry terminal to get cash. I gave up on the bus after 25 minutes and started the 30 minuite walk. Of course the bus passed me right before I got to the next stop. I found an ATM on the way and a supermarket at the terminal, but no restaurants. So I bought the only thing available at the deli counter as they were closing up and caught the bus back to the hostel. The hostel is great, but it's very isolating as there is NOTHING for at least 15 minutes each way. So once it gets dark and the buses stop running, you can't go anywhere else. Tonight was a rock & roll trivia contest, which is right up my alley, but I arrived back too late to join a team and, to be honest, I didn’t see any teams I would have wanted to join. So I'm sitting outside typing this blog on my palm pilot and listening to the trivia chaos. A fun day, huh? At least the weather has been nice, although HOT, and it's a cheap side trip. Here's hoping tomorrow is better.
My "souvenier" of Magnetic Island.
Ok, so I really fell on the last step of the bus trying to drag everything down the stairs. Not a good start to my island experience. At least it made bringing my first aid kit worthwhile!
After a 40 minute wait at the front desk, I was finally in my room with 4 bunk beds that was occupied by about 12 people. (A group of Swedish girls who were staying in various rooms but socializing in mine.) Not a big deal, but they made no effort to make it easy for me to find a place for my things. Their stuff was everywhere, and only half the beds were being used! There are underbed storage bins, but I couldn't even get to them though the pile of clothes, flip flops and shampoo bottles. I decided to get out of the room and do some laundry and then get dinner. Unfortunately, this hostel requires twice as much cash for the key deposit as other hostels, unknown to me, so all my cash went to that. And the ATM was broken. So I had to head back to the ferry terminal to get cash. I gave up on the bus after 25 minutes and started the 30 minuite walk. Of course the bus passed me right before I got to the next stop. I found an ATM on the way and a supermarket at the terminal, but no restaurants. So I bought the only thing available at the deli counter as they were closing up and caught the bus back to the hostel. The hostel is great, but it's very isolating as there is NOTHING for at least 15 minutes each way. So once it gets dark and the buses stop running, you can't go anywhere else. Tonight was a rock & roll trivia contest, which is right up my alley, but I arrived back too late to join a team and, to be honest, I didn’t see any teams I would have wanted to join. So I'm sitting outside typing this blog on my palm pilot and listening to the trivia chaos. A fun day, huh? At least the weather has been nice, although HOT, and it's a cheap side trip. Here's hoping tomorrow is better.
My "souvenier" of Magnetic Island.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Stinger Fashion
You gotta love the sexy stinger suits we had to wear in the Whitsundays. It's "stinger season", which means the ocean is full of jellyfish, some which are microscopic and can be fatal. So we have to wear these lycra suits. Since stinger season also coincides with tourist season, it does make me wonder whether it's all a big joke on us. It would be something the Australians would do. My suit was so tight that it left marks that looked like seams up and down my arms and legs for hours. It looked like I had been assembled.We looked even sexier when given our "safety sausages" to snorkel with. We refer to them as "noodles" when we use them in the pool.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Sunday in the Whitsundays
Wow, wow, wow. I just got back from my Whitsundays sailing trip and it was definitely the highlight of my Australia trip so far. And a big part of that is in thanks to Michael and Jenna, an English couple that were on my Fraser Island trip. They had been on the Pride of Airlie sailboat the week earlier in the Whitsundays. They were very dissapointed that the 3 day trip started at 4pm on the first day and ended at noon on the 3rd day, so therefore really only gave them one full day at sea. Apparently there was only one snorkelling trip and they saw "three whole fish". They found out through the grapevine later that it's really just known as a booze cruise. I was booked on the same boat, as were a number of us on the Fraser trip. It was very frustrating as we had all specifically asked to be on a boat with a lot of snorkelling and not the party boats. As soon as we returned from Fraser we called and upgraded to the Anaconda II (a maxi-sailboat that had been around the world many times) for an extra AUD$100. Best money I've spent on the trip. This also meant postponing our departure day from Saturday to Sunday, so we were able to spend a day lounging at the beautiful lagoon in Airlie Beach. (As seen in this picture)
The town itself is nice, but a copy of most beach towns and could be anywhere. One main road parallel to the bay, lots of souvenier shops and bars and hotels. I could have been Myrtle Beach or a beach town in Spain.
We left at 9am on the first day and returned at 5pm on day 3. We spent lovely sunny days sailing through the 74 Whitsunday Islands (so named because they were discovered by Captain Cook on Whit Sunday), lounging on the deck, reading books, chatting, jumping off the boat and snorkelling once each day. We slept on the boat and only stopped on land for a few hours at a resort on day 2 for dinner and drinks. Our group was so much fun. About half of us had been on Fraser Island together and had done the upgrade. Ages ranged from 19 to 43 (yea! I wasn't the oldest!) and included a lot of people traveling on their own. The traditional nationality check: Australia, Germany, Switzerland, England, Ireland, Holland and US. And this time I wasn't the lone American! We really clicked and enjoyed each other's company immensely. The majority of us will be in Cairns later and are planning to meet up again then.
The first day on the boat we stopped at a snorkelling spot where we all saw more fish in one place than we ever had. In my past experience, you can't touch a fish if your life depends on it. In this case, we couldn't NOT touch them. It was quite funny as it took us a while to stop apologizing as we bumped into them. On our way to our overnight spot we slowed down to allow "boat jumps", where you jump off the bow of the boat and quickly reach for the ladder at the back of the sailboat before it passes you by. Easier than it sounds, luckily, and it was so much fun - both to do and to watch everybody's cannonballs, flips and backflips. That night we saw the most amazing sunset in the islands before the phosphorescent fish came out. They looked like glowsticks and also lit up the squid underneath them that surfaced to eat one of them occasionally. Our boat had a spotlight off the side of the boat to illuminate the fish and one school drove Simon, one of the English guys, crazy with their repetitiveness and stupidity. They would swim about 2 feet away from the spotlight, turn around, swim back to the light and then turn around again to repeat the process. We decided they had 2 second memories and were saying to each other "ooh, look a light! Let's go see what's over there. Oh, there's nothing here, let's go back. Ooh, look a light! Let's go see what's over there!" Then one long and skinny fish showed up that looked nothing like the others, made a few circles and then left. We decided he had showed up to the nightclub, didn't see anyone he liked (or who looked like him) and left dejectedly. You can tell we were all having a great time! Dinner was fresh fish on a boat-board grill. And here's a first - not only did I eat the fish, but I found it delicious and devoured it. Those of you who know my intense dislike of fish will know how remarkable that is.
Day 2 was just as gorgeous and sunny as day 1 and included a trip to Whitehaven Beach, the most incredibly beautiful beach I've ever seen, and one of the most beautiful places I've been to period. (This picture doesn't remotely do it justice.) After a few hours there, more snorkeling where the reef and its coral was as interesting as the fish. Then off to the resort where we danced for at least 4 hours before heading back to the boat. We saw the Pride of Airlie group while we were there and all agreed we were so glad to be together, rather than with them! We happily left them to the resort and headed back to the boat to be dumbfounded by the phosphorescents. These weren't fish this time, but rather plankton that absorbs the sun. They look like normal pieces of seaweed until you hit them after which they glow and look like sparks in the water. Some of the group jumped in the water and beat their legs around to set off the sparks. To sum up what it looked like, the Swiss guy who hadn't said a word in 24 hours couldn't stop shouting "There's light in the water!" It was beautiful outside and hot in our cabins, so most of us dragged our mattresses up on deck to sleep in the open. I must have had the best seat in the house because I could barely hear the snorers that kept everyone else up and I slept like a rock, only to be awoken by a beautiful sunrise (at 5am! they need to do Daylight Savings in Queensland!).
Day 3 wasn't nearly as nice weather wise and in fact we were all roused from our beds and had to dash downstairs at 6am as it started to rain. After it let up we spent more time on Whitehaven Beach and then more snorkelling. We finally headed back to Airlie Beach and all agreed it was very reluctantly. After a quick post-trip celebration in town (during which we all felt seasick, even though none of us had felt that way on board) we headed our separate ways. I can't wait to see the pictures. I also bought a CD from the boat crew of the pictures they took during the cruise, but when I got back to the hostel and checked it, it was blank! They are supposedly sending me a replacement to my hostel in Cairns, so I'm crossing my fingers. The only downside of the trip was we returned a few hours after the Melbourne Cup, the biggest horserace in Australia and one of the biggest days out. I would have liked to experience that, as I had been seeing signs in restaurants for weeks advertising their Melbourne Cup fare.
We've decided there are only about 50 people traveling at any given time, as we all keep bumping into the same people over and over. Even funnier, all of us that were on Fraser and Whitsundays together fly out of Cains on the 15th. David, the youngest of our group, turns 20 on the 14th, so we're all planning to meet up for a reunion/birthday party in Cairns.
I'm now on Magnetic Island which is a whole other story. But that's for the next post!
The town itself is nice, but a copy of most beach towns and could be anywhere. One main road parallel to the bay, lots of souvenier shops and bars and hotels. I could have been Myrtle Beach or a beach town in Spain.We left at 9am on the first day and returned at 5pm on day 3. We spent lovely sunny days sailing through the 74 Whitsunday Islands (so named because they were discovered by Captain Cook on Whit Sunday), lounging on the deck, reading books, chatting, jumping off the boat and snorkelling once each day. We slept on the boat and only stopped on land for a few hours at a resort on day 2 for dinner and drinks. Our group was so much fun. About half of us had been on Fraser Island together and had done the upgrade. Ages ranged from 19 to 43 (yea! I wasn't the oldest!) and included a lot of people traveling on their own. The traditional nationality check: Australia, Germany, Switzerland, England, Ireland, Holland and US. And this time I wasn't the lone American! We really clicked and enjoyed each other's company immensely. The majority of us will be in Cairns later and are planning to meet up again then.
The first day on the boat we stopped at a snorkelling spot where we all saw more fish in one place than we ever had. In my past experience, you can't touch a fish if your life depends on it. In this case, we couldn't NOT touch them. It was quite funny as it took us a while to stop apologizing as we bumped into them. On our way to our overnight spot we slowed down to allow "boat jumps", where you jump off the bow of the boat and quickly reach for the ladder at the back of the sailboat before it passes you by. Easier than it sounds, luckily, and it was so much fun - both to do and to watch everybody's cannonballs, flips and backflips. That night we saw the most amazing sunset in the islands before the phosphorescent fish came out. They looked like glowsticks and also lit up the squid underneath them that surfaced to eat one of them occasionally. Our boat had a spotlight off the side of the boat to illuminate the fish and one school drove Simon, one of the English guys, crazy with their repetitiveness and stupidity. They would swim about 2 feet away from the spotlight, turn around, swim back to the light and then turn around again to repeat the process. We decided they had 2 second memories and were saying to each other "ooh, look a light! Let's go see what's over there. Oh, there's nothing here, let's go back. Ooh, look a light! Let's go see what's over there!" Then one long and skinny fish showed up that looked nothing like the others, made a few circles and then left. We decided he had showed up to the nightclub, didn't see anyone he liked (or who looked like him) and left dejectedly. You can tell we were all having a great time! Dinner was fresh fish on a boat-board grill. And here's a first - not only did I eat the fish, but I found it delicious and devoured it. Those of you who know my intense dislike of fish will know how remarkable that is.
Day 2 was just as gorgeous and sunny as day 1 and included a trip to Whitehaven Beach, the most incredibly beautiful beach I've ever seen, and one of the most beautiful places I've been to period. (This picture doesn't remotely do it justice.) After a few hours there, more snorkeling where the reef and its coral was as interesting as the fish. Then off to the resort where we danced for at least 4 hours before heading back to the boat. We saw the Pride of Airlie group while we were there and all agreed we were so glad to be together, rather than with them! We happily left them to the resort and headed back to the boat to be dumbfounded by the phosphorescents. These weren't fish this time, but rather plankton that absorbs the sun. They look like normal pieces of seaweed until you hit them after which they glow and look like sparks in the water. Some of the group jumped in the water and beat their legs around to set off the sparks. To sum up what it looked like, the Swiss guy who hadn't said a word in 24 hours couldn't stop shouting "There's light in the water!" It was beautiful outside and hot in our cabins, so most of us dragged our mattresses up on deck to sleep in the open. I must have had the best seat in the house because I could barely hear the snorers that kept everyone else up and I slept like a rock, only to be awoken by a beautiful sunrise (at 5am! they need to do Daylight Savings in Queensland!).Day 3 wasn't nearly as nice weather wise and in fact we were all roused from our beds and had to dash downstairs at 6am as it started to rain. After it let up we spent more time on Whitehaven Beach and then more snorkelling. We finally headed back to Airlie Beach and all agreed it was very reluctantly. After a quick post-trip celebration in town (during which we all felt seasick, even though none of us had felt that way on board) we headed our separate ways. I can't wait to see the pictures. I also bought a CD from the boat crew of the pictures they took during the cruise, but when I got back to the hostel and checked it, it was blank! They are supposedly sending me a replacement to my hostel in Cairns, so I'm crossing my fingers. The only downside of the trip was we returned a few hours after the Melbourne Cup, the biggest horserace in Australia and one of the biggest days out. I would have liked to experience that, as I had been seeing signs in restaurants for weeks advertising their Melbourne Cup fare.
We've decided there are only about 50 people traveling at any given time, as we all keep bumping into the same people over and over. Even funnier, all of us that were on Fraser and Whitsundays together fly out of Cains on the 15th. David, the youngest of our group, turns 20 on the 14th, so we're all planning to meet up for a reunion/birthday party in Cairns.
I'm now on Magnetic Island which is a whole other story. But that's for the next post!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
And we paid for this?
The Fraser Island trip is a great but slightly nutty idea. The cheapest and most flexible way to see the island is to explore it by 4x4 vehicle (which is required to visit) and camp. Many companies set up trips here to combine people and provide all the items you would need but wouldn't have with you. The supply the vehicle, the tents, the utensils, cookware, etc. and the camping stoves. The also put you into groups of 10-11, supply the ferry tickets and give you all the information you'll need. After that, you're on your own with a group of random people you've never met before. I lucked out into a great group of people from Finland, Sweden, England and Canada.
The morning we set out it unfortunately looked like rain, which came to fruition by the time we arrived on the ferry. After arriving on the island and traveling for 45 minutes over "roads" that launched us off our seats and onto each others' laps, one of the guys asked "and we paid for this?" It was fun (and funny) but it is true - to many people it would have been a punishment, and in fact did feel a bit like that after the 3rd hour on the road only to be rewarded with a "heavy sprinkle" after we arrived at the beachside campsite. And by campsite I mean a spot to put up tents, not a campground. Luckily it didn't start raining until after we had our tents set up, but it lasted long enough that we had to cook our dinner under a tarp and then eat sitting in the van, the last place we wanted to sit by that point. The plates were hot so we ended up eating our spaghetti with meat sauce with sleeping bags spread across our laps and the windows open for ventilation (and getting our backs wet). The pasta sauce was more like bland tomato water and there was likely more sand than sauce in it. One of the girls swears she may have seen a piece of onion in the sauce. She was so surprised, she wondered at first if something had landed in her bowl. Once again, we wondered at the fact that not only had we done this willingly, we had paid well for the priviledge. After 3 hours of being smushed together (on top of the travel time), we gave up and went to bed. It seemed like it was about 3am, but wasn't even 10pm!
Lucikily the next morning was beautiful, and in fact was ridiculously hot by 8am. We dashed off to the Champagne Pools, as the tide was rapidly coming in and would make driving on the beach (the required path to the pools) impossible. Thankfully beach driving is much smoother than inland driving. The pools were freezing and a bit of a letdown from the description, but fun nonetheless. They are round rock formations that get filled by the ocean when the waves break over them, supposedly creating a fizzy sensation that none of us could locate. We did have fun taking turns dunking each other in the freezing cold water as we each tried to gingerly wade in. But given the heat, the water was at least somewhat enjoyable.
Our exercise for the day included hiking up Indian Head, where we were told we would be able to see tiger sharks below as well as turtles and stingrays, and possibly whales. We saw 3 either very large fish or very small sharks and one ray, I think a manta ray. A little anti-climactic.
Next stop was Eli Creek, in which we had been told we could float down to the beach. We were warned to make sure we exited the creek before the beach and weren't swept into the ocean, as riptides and sharks make it a no-go area. We could only laugh when we found the creek which was almost knee deep in the deepest location and moved gently along. We crawled down the creek on our hands which was quite fun and refreshing, constantly reminding each other to not get carried off by the terrifying water. A silly few hours, but like I said, quite fun. It is also quite odd to be on an island that is pretty much all beach, but you're not allowed to go in the ocean. It would be a cruel joke, if the lakes weren't so lovely to swim in.
The 2nd night of camping was much more enjoyable as the weather cooperated and we saw the most amazing amount of stars. We were also visited by a few dingoes, which was both exciting and a little nervewracking at the same time. After a less than stellar dinner of "steak" and "hamburgers" (the burgers were yellow!) we again headed to bed early.
The third day was fantastic. We visited Lake Wobby first, a small lake next to a massive sand dune. We spent an hour running down the dune and leaping into the warm water. We all agreed that was the highlight of the trip so far. If you're going to visit, go soon! The sand dune is encroaching on the lake at 3 meters a year and the lake likely won't exist in 15 years. After Wobby (what a name!) was a visit to Lake Mackenzie, which was a gorgeous white sand beach and a turquoise lake.
Our enthusiasm faded as we headed back home. We were reinvigorated by a lovely dip in the hostel's pool and a shower. It was thrilling to be in clean skin and clean clothes, after 3 days without a shower. It was even better to be sand-free. We arrived back in Hervey Bay on Halloween, so naturally set out for the local Chinese food. Our main interest was to eat vegetables and avoid bread and red meat, pretty much all we ate on the trip. We couldn't believe how great food tasted when it isn't full of sand. We had the most un-Chinese, un-PC waitress. She was an incredibly tall Australian woman who admitted she knew no Chinese. One of the guys was egging her on. When she told us her shift was ending, he asked how to say good-bye in Chinese. Her answer? She tightened her eyelids with her fingers and said in a high pitched voice, "Bye Bye!"
After a few hours on the dance floor at the local nightclub with a few cobwebs and jack-o-lantern paper plates stapled to the walls, we headed home for some gorgeous sleep in - luxury of all luxuries - a bed! It wouldn't last long, however, with an overnight bus ride coming up...
View of the beach we slept on both nights from Indian Head, where you can supposedly see sharks, etc.
Lake Wobby
Some of our group braving the chilly water of Lake Mackenzie
The morning we set out it unfortunately looked like rain, which came to fruition by the time we arrived on the ferry. After arriving on the island and traveling for 45 minutes over "roads" that launched us off our seats and onto each others' laps, one of the guys asked "and we paid for this?" It was fun (and funny) but it is true - to many people it would have been a punishment, and in fact did feel a bit like that after the 3rd hour on the road only to be rewarded with a "heavy sprinkle" after we arrived at the beachside campsite. And by campsite I mean a spot to put up tents, not a campground. Luckily it didn't start raining until after we had our tents set up, but it lasted long enough that we had to cook our dinner under a tarp and then eat sitting in the van, the last place we wanted to sit by that point. The plates were hot so we ended up eating our spaghetti with meat sauce with sleeping bags spread across our laps and the windows open for ventilation (and getting our backs wet). The pasta sauce was more like bland tomato water and there was likely more sand than sauce in it. One of the girls swears she may have seen a piece of onion in the sauce. She was so surprised, she wondered at first if something had landed in her bowl. Once again, we wondered at the fact that not only had we done this willingly, we had paid well for the priviledge. After 3 hours of being smushed together (on top of the travel time), we gave up and went to bed. It seemed like it was about 3am, but wasn't even 10pm!
Lucikily the next morning was beautiful, and in fact was ridiculously hot by 8am. We dashed off to the Champagne Pools, as the tide was rapidly coming in and would make driving on the beach (the required path to the pools) impossible. Thankfully beach driving is much smoother than inland driving. The pools were freezing and a bit of a letdown from the description, but fun nonetheless. They are round rock formations that get filled by the ocean when the waves break over them, supposedly creating a fizzy sensation that none of us could locate. We did have fun taking turns dunking each other in the freezing cold water as we each tried to gingerly wade in. But given the heat, the water was at least somewhat enjoyable.
Our exercise for the day included hiking up Indian Head, where we were told we would be able to see tiger sharks below as well as turtles and stingrays, and possibly whales. We saw 3 either very large fish or very small sharks and one ray, I think a manta ray. A little anti-climactic.
Next stop was Eli Creek, in which we had been told we could float down to the beach. We were warned to make sure we exited the creek before the beach and weren't swept into the ocean, as riptides and sharks make it a no-go area. We could only laugh when we found the creek which was almost knee deep in the deepest location and moved gently along. We crawled down the creek on our hands which was quite fun and refreshing, constantly reminding each other to not get carried off by the terrifying water. A silly few hours, but like I said, quite fun. It is also quite odd to be on an island that is pretty much all beach, but you're not allowed to go in the ocean. It would be a cruel joke, if the lakes weren't so lovely to swim in.
The 2nd night of camping was much more enjoyable as the weather cooperated and we saw the most amazing amount of stars. We were also visited by a few dingoes, which was both exciting and a little nervewracking at the same time. After a less than stellar dinner of "steak" and "hamburgers" (the burgers were yellow!) we again headed to bed early.
The third day was fantastic. We visited Lake Wobby first, a small lake next to a massive sand dune. We spent an hour running down the dune and leaping into the warm water. We all agreed that was the highlight of the trip so far. If you're going to visit, go soon! The sand dune is encroaching on the lake at 3 meters a year and the lake likely won't exist in 15 years. After Wobby (what a name!) was a visit to Lake Mackenzie, which was a gorgeous white sand beach and a turquoise lake.
Our enthusiasm faded as we headed back home. We were reinvigorated by a lovely dip in the hostel's pool and a shower. It was thrilling to be in clean skin and clean clothes, after 3 days without a shower. It was even better to be sand-free. We arrived back in Hervey Bay on Halloween, so naturally set out for the local Chinese food. Our main interest was to eat vegetables and avoid bread and red meat, pretty much all we ate on the trip. We couldn't believe how great food tasted when it isn't full of sand. We had the most un-Chinese, un-PC waitress. She was an incredibly tall Australian woman who admitted she knew no Chinese. One of the guys was egging her on. When she told us her shift was ending, he asked how to say good-bye in Chinese. Her answer? She tightened her eyelids with her fingers and said in a high pitched voice, "Bye Bye!"
After a few hours on the dance floor at the local nightclub with a few cobwebs and jack-o-lantern paper plates stapled to the walls, we headed home for some gorgeous sleep in - luxury of all luxuries - a bed! It wouldn't last long, however, with an overnight bus ride coming up...
View of the beach we slept on both nights from Indian Head, where you can supposedly see sharks, etc.
Lake Wobby
Some of our group braving the chilly water of Lake Mackenzie
24 Hours in Noosa
I stopped in Noosa only because I didn't feel like the 12 hour bus ride all the way to Hervey Bay and I had a coupon for a cheap night there. I'm glad I went, but I can't necessarily recommend it - partly because I wasn't there long and partly because it wasn't really my kind of place, at least not for any extended period of time. I arrived at the hostel just before the cheap meal was being served - a Mexican buffet for AUS$7.50, including a (very) small beer. Although I thought it was highly unlikely that a cheap, hostel, Australian-style Mexican dinner could compete with Chicago, after a brief tour of the non-existent other options I settled in. It wasn't so bad and did fill me up. One of my table mates, Adam, and I got roped into a pool competition. I protested but was told "it's free to enter and if you sink a ball it's a free beer - what's to lose?" so gave in. I should have known there are always conditions on these things.
There were three rounds and all we had to do was sink one ball per round in any of the pockets. Easy enough. Except the rule for the first round was we had to use the opposite hand we usually use. I was useless with my left hand. Round two's rule was to use the cue backwards with one foot up on the table. (Of course, I had to wear a skirt that night!) Round three was to spin around 10 times and then shoot. (Always a great idea in a bar with a slippery floor, somewhat drunk players and posts, walls and tables everywhere. What kind of insurance do these places have??) I scratched on that one and was told that since I had fouled, I had to run around the pool table with my top off. (The guys had to drop their shorts and run around in their boxers.) I refused and the guy looked at me like I was an alien. "Oh, it's all in good fun!" he tried. I staunchly refused and he walked away without further argument. I realized he just wasn't used to young, drunk backpackers saying no. To them, a rule is a rule and they "have" to obey them. Sorry, I'm a little too old for peer pressure!
Before the pool game, we had been told that the bar at our hostel was the place to be. By the end of the pool game there were approximately 10 people besides the contestants in the bar. However, by 9pm sharp the place was packed as promised and then quickly cleared out when the bar closed at midnight. I chose not to head off to the next bar....
My bus was heading north at 4pm the next day, so I spent the morning and early afternoon touring around the town and lounging on the beach. (Thanks Adam for the tour - I believe that was my first trip in a car in Australia!) It's an odd place. Instead of one small town, it's 3-5 smaller villages. And creatively named Noosa Heads, Noosa Junction and Noosaville. I think there were another few Noosa-titled places as well. The National Park is beautiful, though, and I did get to see a sea turtle! (Wildlife count thus far: sheep, kangaroos, koalas, numerous lizards, dolphins and turtles...)
A little crispy from my lack of sunscreen on the beach, I headed north again for Hervey Bay where I had booked a 3 day trip to Fraser Island, the world's largest sand island. From there out, my trip gets very planned - the opposite as thus far. I have so many things to pack into the 2 weeks I have left in this country! More (including photos in the next post.)
There were three rounds and all we had to do was sink one ball per round in any of the pockets. Easy enough. Except the rule for the first round was we had to use the opposite hand we usually use. I was useless with my left hand. Round two's rule was to use the cue backwards with one foot up on the table. (Of course, I had to wear a skirt that night!) Round three was to spin around 10 times and then shoot. (Always a great idea in a bar with a slippery floor, somewhat drunk players and posts, walls and tables everywhere. What kind of insurance do these places have??) I scratched on that one and was told that since I had fouled, I had to run around the pool table with my top off. (The guys had to drop their shorts and run around in their boxers.) I refused and the guy looked at me like I was an alien. "Oh, it's all in good fun!" he tried. I staunchly refused and he walked away without further argument. I realized he just wasn't used to young, drunk backpackers saying no. To them, a rule is a rule and they "have" to obey them. Sorry, I'm a little too old for peer pressure!
Before the pool game, we had been told that the bar at our hostel was the place to be. By the end of the pool game there were approximately 10 people besides the contestants in the bar. However, by 9pm sharp the place was packed as promised and then quickly cleared out when the bar closed at midnight. I chose not to head off to the next bar....
My bus was heading north at 4pm the next day, so I spent the morning and early afternoon touring around the town and lounging on the beach. (Thanks Adam for the tour - I believe that was my first trip in a car in Australia!) It's an odd place. Instead of one small town, it's 3-5 smaller villages. And creatively named Noosa Heads, Noosa Junction and Noosaville. I think there were another few Noosa-titled places as well. The National Park is beautiful, though, and I did get to see a sea turtle! (Wildlife count thus far: sheep, kangaroos, koalas, numerous lizards, dolphins and turtles...)
A little crispy from my lack of sunscreen on the beach, I headed north again for Hervey Bay where I had booked a 3 day trip to Fraser Island, the world's largest sand island. From there out, my trip gets very planned - the opposite as thus far. I have so many things to pack into the 2 weeks I have left in this country! More (including photos in the next post.)
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