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May 15, 2005
The Blue Mountains
As we’ve said before, sometimes places you’ve been looking forward to seeing fail to live up to your expectations, either because they’re really not all that good or just because you’re over-excited about it. However, like the waterfall in Laos, there was no sense of anticlimax when we went up to the Blue Mountains near Sydney.
We drove up to Katoomba (actually Bill drove – in the same way as we claim to have driven the Alaska Highway, actually it was Bill. Or Chris. Or Gavin) and then went down the Giant’s Stairway (900 steps - there were some eager idiots coming up on our way down) and along the path to the terrifying vertical train on a rope thing. The walk was good but all too short; it would definitely be worth spending a few days up this way and taking the time to hike for longer and explore more of the area.
Posted by jon jack at 11:38 AM
May 12, 2005
The smell of Sydney
“Can you smell that?” “Smell what?” “Exactly.” The first thing we noticed getting off the plane in Australia was the smell, or lack of. Everywhere in South East Asia your senses are assaulted by scents of all kind. But nothing more so than the smell of the streets. It’s very odd to be somewhere very westernised, and sanitized.
Our first day in Sydney; we had a swim in the morning in an open air saltwater pool under the shadow of the Harbour Bridge just next to Luna Park. The rest of the morning was taken up with sleeping in the park in the sun in front of the Opera House - we were a bit knackered from the flight.
Chris took us out on the harbour on Saturday. It was great at first until we reached the Sydney Heads, where the natural harbour meets the ocean. There’s a gap about one kilometer across and the sea forces its way through. Anyway, on Saturday the sea was very rough and when we got out there in the wee boat, you couldn’t even see over the swells, and it sounded like the hull was going to crack when it hit waves. We abandoned our journey on the waves and headed home early.
We’re staying over in Manly, on the north shore of Sydney. It’s a surf town for sure and every day we’ve seen loads of surfers out in the ocean braving the waves. Just got to wonder how they manage to be out there surfing in the middle of a week-day morning. Or maybe you’ve just got to wonder what the hell people back home are doing in the office in the middle of a gorgeously sunny week-day morning.
It was good seeing Chris again. It’s like coming home in a way - familiar faces, familiar language, familiar culture. We’re definitely back in our ‘comfort zone’.
Posted by jon jack at 11:06 PM
May 10, 2005
Disco taxi, Bangkok
“There's been a load of compromisin'
On the road to my horizon
But I'm gonna be where the lights are shinin' on me
…doo doo do do doo do”
This will probably be my lasting memory of the last day we spent in Thailand. We managed to pick the disco/70’s rock taxi to take us to the airport. This entry was really just an excuse to put in the image of our taxi driver on the way to the airport.
Posted by jon jack at 10:25 PM
May 9, 2005
Southern Thailand and Ko Samui
So it’s all been a bit of a blur since Frank arrived, lots of playing pool and lots of drinking beer and cocktails. Three points for guessing what cocktails I’ve been having - so predictable I know White Russians. It’s pretty touristy down here, but the scenery is great. We have dinner sitting on the beach each night; you pick your food from the iced tray of seafood then it goes on the barbeque.
We’ve spent a week down here, but it’s been too hot and too expensive to do much. We did hire a jeep and drive round the island. I foolishly decided to train with the local Muay Thai gym down here. Was good but very tough, someone elbowed me in the face and I now have the obligatory bruised shins. The southern peninsula of Ko Samui is cool, very quiet with virtually no tourists anywhere. Chaweng on the other hand, is a carnival. Every other shop is a 7 eleven, you can get your Starbucks, your Pizza Hut and your traditional English dinner, if that’s what you’re after. Can’t help feeling that it’s not really Thailand at all – the signs are in English, the shops are American and the waiters are Burmese. It’s good for the partying though.
Well we’re at the end of our little jaunt round South East Asia. It’s going to be strange going back to a western culture. Will we get reverse culture shock? Anyway we’re off to Sydney on Tuesday to meet up with Chris our friend from Whistler. Looking forward to going to Australia. It’s a bit strange though as we have to ditch our warm weather clothes, no more sandles/jandles/thongs for us.
Posted by jon jack at 9:59 AM