Kat & Andrew's Worldwide Adventures

Kats Yogi Spiritual Experience - Final Days 9 & 10

cwalker1218 — Wed, 9 Sep 2015 20:33:00 GMT

DAY 9 - Sun, Sep 6th 2015

Up at 5.30am, I walked to Yogabarn in the dark. My stomach began to hurt and worry began to creep in that I had been gifted with the dreaded Bali belly. I considered not going to class just in case it didn't calm down but thankfully, it passed. Phew!

Laya Yoga was a 3 hour Kundalini Tantra class. I didn't really know what to expect, all I knew was that Kundalini is supposedly a serpant of energy coiled up at the base of our spines and when it awakens and moves upwards, it brings about great clarity and intensfies your energy and the senses. I've also heard that it can burn and be quite a painful emotional experience.

It was an unusually small class with only 5 of us. For the first half we sat in meditation and ' contemplation' as our teacher spoke about combining dualities such as Dark and Light, Masculine and Feminine, Positive and Negative etc and that we were to embrace both to be whole. In between her words she would let out these strange noises like a grunt, growl or moan. She didn't explain the purpose of this or mention that we should try it ourselves for quite some time so I was a little confused as to what we were meant to be doing. The second half of the class she directed us to vocalize certain sounds such as chanting OM, to vibrate through our chakras clearing out blockages and to purify and recondition the brain/body capacity. We also moved into certain hatha poses that assisted the energy flow.

Her noises became wilder and in certain poses her whole body convulsed uncontrollably (imagine like an orgasm) and it was clear that she was experiencing something powerful. One of the other students who had been training with her for over 3 years also experienced something similar but he sounded like he was in pain. I cant speak for the others, but I dont think they experienced anything - I certainly didnt and im not sure if I want to after witnessing that! (I've been told since that there are much more peacful ways to experience the awakening of Kundalini, thats a relief!).

I know that my judgement comes from not completely understanding what was going on and that hindered my willingness to really try and surrender to what may be possible. It was a very long class and I had moments where I was enjoyed the stillness, and moments of boredom, and moments of feeling that it may be a bit beyond my weirdness capacity (and I have a pretty big capacity for the weird and wonderful in this world!) however, I am still glad that I attended the class as it opened my eyes to something new within the spiritual realm.

After that, I had a lazy afternoon relaxing by the pool. I discovered that there was an hour a day where the sun actually reached the patio through the trees so I managed to get a little bit of sunbathing in. (My holiday is complete!). Such a luxury to have the time to do nothing!

DAY 10 - Mon, Sep 7th 2015

My final full day in Ubud. Mixed emotions - sadness that my amazing journey has come to an end when there is still so many classes and workshops I would love to attend, but also excitment about getting to see Andrew and Jasper again back home.

I went to one last Vinyasa class at Radiantly Alive. It was meant to be Daniels class and I was very excited to end on a high note with one of the best in the business, but unfortunately a guest teacher filled in his spot. There was nothing wrong writh Sergios class but it took me a while to let go of my disappontment and annoyance that it wasn't Daniel, and to allow myself to enjoy it. I came to Ubud specifically to experience certain teachers classes that I had heard so much about, so it has been a disappointment that a handful of the classes during my stay were replaced with other teachers. But in saying that, it is a fantastic lesson/reminder to not focus on what you DONT want (as you attract what you think) and to also be unattached to set plans and outcomes and to be grateful for anything the universe offers you.

After one swim in the pool, and one last meal at the amazing Dayus cafe, I had one last appointment to attend.

My appointment was with the Reiki Grand Master and Spiritual Healer Punnu Singh Wasu at Yogabarn. I had no idea what to expect but I was very curious and open to his practices. We spoke about the confusion I have about some conflicting spiritual beliefs that I have learnt (I wish I had a spiritual mentor to talk to about these things!), and about my life and any stresses that I am battling. Then I lay down and he did what he does best. I had hoped afterwards that he would tell me where he felt stuck energy and what he thought I needed to work on but all he said was that it would take 3 days for his healing to balance out throughout my body and that I have been holding onto emotions, particulary regarding a relationship. I would guess that the relationship issues I have is with myself (insecurities etc)...

When I walked out of his hut I felt almost in a dreamlike trance. Very much at peace with a remarkably quiet mind. When the mind is quiet and you are completely in the present moment, everything looks so vibrant and fascinating so I walked around enjoying this feeling.

Went to one last free Health Lecture, this time about probiotics and the microbiome. Interesting stuff, I reccommend that everyone should be aware of these things!! Our human bodies are made up of trillions of bacteria called the microbiome. Our human cells are actually the minority. We pick up this bacteria from the way we were born, the families we grew up with, our environment etc Most bacteria is actually GOOD bacteria and it keeps us alive and healthy. With how steralised the world is now and how processed our food is, we are lacking the amount of good bacteria that we need, which is one of the reasons why illnesses/disease are so common and continue to evolve. Adding probiotics to our diets can help reset the balance in our gut. Anyway, moving on!

I am currently sitting on the balcony at my hotel as I write this (Tues 8th Sep). My bag is packed and my transfer to the airport is due to arrive in a couple of hours.

In 10 full days I have attended 19 Yoga/Meditation Classes, 1 Workshop, 4 Lectures, 1 Reiki session and have had 5 massages. I have experienced flucuating emotions and have learnt an incredible amount from some amazingly knowledgable and passionate teachers. I have achieved moments of great clarity, presence and peace. I have only eaten healthy organic vegetarian food which I have thoroughly enjoyed; It is so easy to eat a healthly vegetarian diet here in Ubud, there are so many fantastic cafes that cater to this preference.

I have not felt lonely at all which is one of the biggest self realisations/confirmations that I have gained - I am whole on my own. Not to say I dont need or want husband, he definitely enhances my happiness and wholeness, but it's nice to know that I am happy with myself as an individual as well. Another realisation that I have gained which is unexpected, it that I am ready to be a mother. Obviously I've always wanted to have children but I have been plagued with great fear as to what it does to the body and mainly, what it does to your personal freedom, especially for a woman during the time of pregnancy and breast feeding. I have also doubted that I will be a good mother and wether I will be able to handle the stresses of parenthood. These feelings havent completly gone away (and I'm sure everyone has these thoughts) but I am now at a level of peace and acceptance of the process and I am very excited about bringing life into this world and seeing it develop and grow and being able to teach it the wonders of the world.

I have enjoyed connecting to Ubud beneath the surface of broken or non-existant side walks, mangy wild dogs, squashed offerings to the gods outside every home and shop, chaotic traffic, motorbike taxi drivers offering their services every few metres that you walk, rubbish and messiness etc Underneath it all is the incredible kindess and friendliness of the local people, amazing food, deep spirituality and acceptance, vibrant greeness and nature filled with life - monkeys, birds, squirrels, insects etc which I have thoroughly enjoyed watching, the list could go on and on.

Ubud, you will be missed. Thank You for sharing your love and beauty with me.

Kats Spiritual Yogi Experience in Ubud – Day 6, 7 & 8

cwalker1218 — Sun, 6 Sep 2015 17:28:00 GMT

DAY 6 - Thur, Sep 3^rd 2015

Early start at Radiantly Alive. I participated in a 1.5 hr Qi Gong class for the first time. It is similar to Tai Chi in which you focus on slow mindful movements and breathing to open the pathways within the body for life energy to flow. The class was led by a fellow kiwi named Peter who had a wonderful sense of humour and loved to chat. We didn’t actually do much in the way of Qi Gong movements at all as we mainly talked, and played with each other’s and our own energy balls. Sounds weird? Well it was, but you can actually feel the invisible energy within your hands. We practiced one small movement sequence focused on grounding ourselves, and its amazing how complicated something seemingly simple could be.

Afterwards I headed back to the hotel for breakfast. I had planned on going straight back to the RA studio for Acacias awesome Pilates class but every inch of me screamed “REST” so I had a nap instead! It’s the first day I actually felt sore and fatigued. After a nap I listened to some of Wayne Dyer and Eckhart Tolles talks on Youtube and read my Yoga Anatomy book next to the pool. Hard life right?! I had hoped to get some sunbathing in but the hotel is covered with tall trees, and the day turned out to be heavily overcast anyway. Nevertheless, I was very grateful to be warm and enjoyed and being outside resting.

Early evening I headed to Yoga Barn for a 1.5 hr Shamanic Breathwork class. I thought it was just a meditation class, and it was kinda, but I should have cottoned on to the name “breathworks”. 35 participants and only one teacher with 10 minutes of mental preparation beforehand compared to roughly 15 people with 3 teachers and 2 hours of preparation at RA. I didn’t feel particularly safe enough to let go like I did in the workshop and I wasn’t particularly ready to go on that journey again just yet anyway. I shouldn’t have worried though as this class wasn’t as deep and intense. Afterwards people spoke about having crazy dreams/journeys where they met an angel or became a wolf or released a shadow within etc. Nothing about releasing deep seated trauma where they were in physical pain, although it sounds like their experiences brought on a massive sense of calm and peace which is fantastic. I felt a little disappointed that I missed out actually as those dreams sounded pretty neat! I did dream, but I think I stepped off a sidewalk and fell (you know that feeling?) because my whole body twitched and I ‘woke’ up and didn’t remember a thing. Doh! My fingertips were buzzing with strong pockets of circular energy though which was the highlight of the whole experience for me.

DAY 7 – Fri, Sep 4^th 2015

Another early start at Radiantly Alive for a 1.5 hr Gentle Flow class. It was a lovely class to start the day and was exactly matched to the amount of energy I had at that moment. Noga always likes to set an intention and today’s was focusing on the spark we feel inside when we learn something new. That’s the good thing about Yoga, there is always something new to learn, no matter how advanced you are. We ended the class with a pranayama breathing exercise to realign both the left and right sides of the brain.

Straight afterwards I tried out the Tibetan Heart Yoga class with Mesi. It was a beautiful 1.5 hr class mainly focused on partner exercises, meditation (including with the Tibetan Bowl sounds), visualization and chanting to connect ourselves to the present moment and to our hearts, and to project love and blessings from within outward into the world. Very peaceful and centering. I’ve always felt a bit resistant to chanting but I was surprised to discover that the experience felt very harmonious and calming.

I had planned on going to a meditation class at Yoga Barn that afternoon but felt after that class that I didn’t need any more that day. I decided to go for a wander down the main street checking out the shops and seeing as it was a hot day, headed back to the pool for a swim to cool down. Bliss.

That evening I went to Mesi’s 1.5 hr Yin Class at RA. I have practiced Yin before back at Yoga-Me where I did my training so I was prepared. You usually end up loving or hating Yin as it can be rather uncomfortable and painful. You hold around 10 poses for 3 – 5 minutes without using muscles or stamina as you are essentially targeting all the connective tissue. The idea is that the longer you hold the poses and lose yourself in the breath, the more you relax into it and your connective tissues release’s its tightness. It’s a fantastic test of your mental boundaries!

DAY 8 – Sat, Sep 5^th 2015

Really enjoyed my first official Ashtanga class today. Generally it’s the same sequence each class so you don’t usually need a teacher’s direction but this class was led by Sanna as to allow those new to the sequence to learn it. It’s basically just a power vinyasa flow sequence but it’s quite strict with matching the breath to each movement and you hold main asanas for 5 breaths. I found the breathing to be incredibly beneficial and meditative. Because I was so entrenched in my breath, I felt strong, flexible and centered and my mind didn’t convince me that I was tired or that it was hard, although it was challenging. Yoga is all about unity – union between all opposites and union between mind, body and soul. I really felt that in this class.

Had lunch enjoying a view of a beautiful green rice field, then got tortured for an hour getting a reflexology massage on my feet and legs. I tried looking at the Chinese chart pinpointing parts on the feet that match internal organs to see which areas that I may have issues with. I felt pain everywhere so my diagnoses mustn’t be good haha. It was worth it though, my feet felt amazing afterwards. We don’t give nearly enough attention to our feet, yet they provide us with freedom of movement and they help to hold us upright every single day.

Went to a 1.5 hr Iyengar class at Yoga Barn. BKS Iyengar is a yogi master who created his own unique way to teach yoga and is an absolute legend so I was interested to see what this class offered. The teacher pulled apart poses that I have clearly become too comfortable with. Going through them again in minute detail was a reminder not to follow the habits of my yoga practice and to focus on what each individual muscle is doing and what I could change or improve. We also used hanging off a rope drilled into the wall to feel different muscles in poses like down dog and head stand which was interesting.

Afterwards I treated myself to another shoulder massage. This will most likely be my last pampering for this trip and that is a sad thought! Only 2 full days to go….

Kats Spiritual Yogi Experience in Ubud - Day 3, 4 & 5

cwalker1218 — Fri, 4 Sep 2015 15:59:00 GMT

DAY 3 – Mon, Aug 31^st 2015

Up early, feeling amazing, I headed to a Yoga Therapy Class at Yoga Barn which was led by a lovely knowledgeable lady named Tina. This type of class was new to me, but basically it’s focused on different parts and organs of the body. This particular 1.5 hr session was targeted at the Spleen and Stomach. The energy lines for these run from the toes to the neck / face. I kind of expected that it might be similar to Restorative Yoga, but no, it’s definitely a work out. My quads were shaking like I had never seen before! I’m not sure if it was due to this particular class per se or just that my muscles were already tired. Either way, they were having their own dance off big time.

Straight after that I busted a move to my next class back at Radiantly Alive. Fly High Yoga – another new experience. A trainee teacher stepped in for this one and she did a fantastic job. It was easy to tell that she was thoroughly enjoying herself, and that’s a must have quality in a yoga teacher in my books. Unfortunately though, I had trouble locating my inner child and felt very hesitant and fuzzy headed hanging upside down. My boring adult voice kept saying “The ropes cutting into you, it might drop from the roof, why do you call this fun?”. It was a lot of fun though and I’m glad I did it, but I also have to admit that it wasn’t for me. Usually I would have gotten on a bad buzz if I encountered something which I absolutely sucked at, but I walked out of there perfectly fine with a big smile.

Walked back to Yoga Barn for lunch and then attended the very popular 1.5 hr Tibetan Bowl Meditation session. I was a bit distracted by outside noise and the heavy/wheezy breathing of my neighbors so I kept drifting off in my thoughts. I even twitched a couple of times like I was about to fall asleep! But I did have a few beautiful moments throughout the hour where I reached a meditative state and the noise of the bowls vibrated and tingled through my body and mind, especially when Aaron (the music maker for want of a better word) hovered the bowls right over to my head. Afterwards I felt very relaxed and at peace with a quiet mind.

To top it off I decided to get a full body massage at the fantastic Zen Spa next to Yoga Barn. Why not right?! My body deserves it.

I finished the day by attending a free health talk at Yoga Barn led by the wonderful Andrea. She has a lot of passion in her work, knowledge and beliefs and it was captivating. I’m currently doing an online Nutrition Course back home and am on the path of learning how to nourish my body and mind with my diet as well as meditation and exercise/yoga. What we eat is SOOO important – it has the power to influence our emotions, our thoughts, how we physically feel, our energy levels and it ultimately decides whether we are healthy or ill long term. Food heals. So this talk was very worthwhile for me and perfect timing in my true health discovery.

DAY 4 – Tues, Sep 4th 2015

This day the was universe trying to test my relatively new gained spiritual lesson that essentially nothing “bad” happens. Everything that happens to us in life is a lesson (good and bad if we need the label) and happens for a reason.

As I was having too much trouble writing my blog on the tablet, I headed to an internet café which was meant to open at 9am. I patiently waited 45 min until the sleepy owner opened the doors. That didn’t bother me, I’m in Asia after all. It did mean though that I only had half an hour to work on my blog so I didn’t even get close to finishing it.

Trotted off to Radiantly Alive for a Pilates class with Acacia. I would have to say that she is my favorite teacher thus far. I love her teaching style, her quirkiness, her passion, her flow and grace in asanas and the content she chooses to teach. I thoroughly enjoyed the 1.5 hr class that was a fusion of Pilates, Barre and Yoga.

I had planned on spending a few hours by the pool after that class, which is something I am yet to do since arriving in Ubud. But instead I headed back to the internet café with the intention of updating my blog and sharing my journey with the world. Unfortunately, on this day, it was not meant to be.

I spend almost 2 hours writing out my experiences and was feeling very proud of my words. A lot of passionate inspiration went into it. Then that fateful moment…. The website timed out and I lost it all. My stomach dropped in disbelief. Just breathe. Close your eyes and breathe….

I started writing again and got half way, and then lost it all again. Ok Universe, what am I meant to learn here? I began to get frustrated that I had just wasted 3 hours of my day when I could have been relaxing by the pool. Not to mention the time I lost in the morning as well. Then it snowballed to thinking shit, I’m almost half way through this trip. How am I going to fit writing my blog in AGAIN, with all the classes I want to do, AND find time to sit by the damn pool and relax? Then I started structuring the rest of my days and comparing class time tables and shuffling things around and getting more and more agitated. I was feeling exactly how I feel back home with how busy I am all the time. Back home outside of work, yoga/exercise/meditation, sleep, chores, and study, I barely have time to spend having fun with my husband, my puppy Jasper and friends, let alone relaxing with a good book or switching my mind off and doing nothing. There is my lesson.

Funny thing to happen to draw that conclusion isn’t it? But it worked. It brought the issues I have in my everyday life to the present moment even though I’m on holiday. I obviously need to change my perception of how I spend my time. Everything I do is a choice. I can either stop doing them or I can enjoy every moment that I spend doing them and remain present at all times. I only get frustrated when I start looking at the bigger picture – ultimately, the future. If I take one step at a time, and be aware of how I feel at that moment and be relaxed towards my to-do list, everything will get done eventually. I have to let go of trying to control when. (Obviously some things have deadlines but in that respect it’s a matter of accepting that it’s necessary at that moment).

It was time for my next 1.5 hr class that I had ticked on my list to attend. Roll and Release led by Sanna. Funnily enough it’s exactly what I needed at that moment - physical pain to distract from the inner fight between the ego wanting to be pissed off and my higher self wanting to be grateful for the lesson. We used hard balls and blocks to target the connective tissue that is tight in our feet, along our IT band in our leg, our backs and our necks. It hurt. But it was so good. Great way to end the day.

DAY 5 – Weds Sep 2^nd, 2015

Most mornings I’ve been getting up at 5.30-6am to enjoy a lazy couple of hours on my balcony before classes. This morning I watched a video of the great Wayne Dyer (who just passed away) giving a spiritual talk at a Wanderlust festival. Truly inspirational man. Great way to get into a positive head space.

I was really looking forward to trying out James Vinyasa class but Noga ended up having to fill in for him. She is a fantastic teacher but I have to admit that her teaching style isn’t my favorite. Still, I enjoyed my 1.5 hr practice with her.

Straight afterwards I did another 1.5 hr class. This time with Acacia – Arm Balances. So much fun! I had a great time. The way she described how to get into the difficult poses was excellent. I was feeling much more secure in my inversions (despite the hard floor, which I am getting used too). The other students around me were lovely too. We were all helping each other out and cheering each other on. It was a fantastic vibe.

Afterward working on my blog for a bit, I went to Yoga Barn to have a Eslan full body Massage. It's a very different technique of massage using long deep strokes at different angles as well as healing the energy flow and blockages throughout the spiritual body. It was very gentle and I felt incredibly relaxed afterwards. Went straight to a free Astrology talk from there and then called it a day. Phew.

Kat's Spiritual Yogi Experience in Ubud - Day 1 & 2

cwalker1218 — Tue, 1 Sep 2015 12:01:00 GMT

My aim for the duration of my stay here in Ubud is to sample as many different types of yoga as I could without exhausting my body - especially those that I have never tried before. I aim to expand my knowledge of one of my discovered passions and to take on board the skills of many experienced masters and use the techniques that resonate within in my own classes that I teach back home in Australia.

With excitement, enthusiasm and curiosity on my first day, I set off to the Radiantly Alive Studio.

My first class for the trip was the traditional Hatha Yoga. I felt self conscious as I walked into the studio as there were many fit and flexible looking yogis doing their pre-warm up stretches. I felt my ego begin to doubt myself and compare my abilities to theirs. Seeing as I am now a teacher myself, I felt the weight of expectation of myself on my shoulders. As I began to warm up, my body felt tense and tight and I felt frustrated. I thought, I should be better than this. Rookie mistake. That's the sort of emotion that I thought I had let go of and that's the sort of emotion that leads you to injuring yourself. I knew better, I knew to listen to my body and honor my practice depending on the present moment. So not listening to my loving knowledge led to frustration with myself even more. See the cycle here? Identifying with the ego creates a domino effect of negative emotion and lowers your ultimate vibration level. The deeper you go, the harder it is to claw your way out.

However, the class itself was excellent. The teacher (Noga) was extremely knowledgeable and descriptive, the asanas simple but thorough and in depth, and it was forgiving to all abilities (as long as the ego doesn't get in the way). The studio was a beautiful Balinese room with bamboo, dark wood and big wide open windows looking out at the greenness and aliveness that is Ubud. I did however struggle with the hard wood floods on tender knees, and man, my poor head when I tried to do a head stand. Are you kidding? It's like concrete! The high humidity also took it out of me. (It took a few days before I embraced looking and feeling sweaty and dirty with oily hair. Don't fight it, you can shower 10 times a day and you won't escape it for long!)

Afterwards I had 2.5 hours to kill before my next class so I got comfortable on the couch at the Bali Buda Cafe. My shoulders and arms ached like I was experiencing growing pains. I put it down to doing a head stand when I wasn't in the right frame of mind to handle it. I wouldn't recommend trying to do difficult inversions when you are angry at yourself and your abilities, it wont end well! I went through the my mental checklist of how to cope with negative emotions - Accept it, Feel it, Forgive it, Breathe and Let Go. I was fighting the urge to lose motivation and go back to the hotel feeling sorry for myself. It's a balancing act knowing when to push yourself and when to stop. I'm glad I didn't give in as the next class was Yoga Dance. Being a former dancer, I was curious as how the two would be combined.

The 1.5 hour class was led by a guess teacher Kevin who had beautiful rhythm and heart. The class wasn't what I expected but it was exactly what I needed at that moment. We started off with sun salutations and then let loose and flung our bodies around to our own internal beat instead of focusing on the mind, bones and muscle. I'm more of a structured chereographed sort of person when it comes to dancing so it wasn't my technique of choice, but it felt so good to move and let all that frustration out. I had a moment of feeling self-concious as I'm sure we would have looked pretty silly, but then I embraced it. We then put together a series of yoga asanas combined with flavours of our dancing preferences (hiphop, balinese, classical, arabic etc) and turned it into a sequence which we repeated. Afterwards I felt a lot better!

I then walked to Yoga Barn (15-20 minutes away) and went to a free Self Realisation talk. It was led by Lucas who had a calm and peaceful energy and it was easy to take on board what he said, even if the content was far from what most humans would usually call normal. The concepts weren't new to me as I have read alot about it all recently, but I enjoyed hearing it come from a physcial person infront of me instead of just the written word. I would have loved to ask questions afterwards but as expected when spiritual discussions arise, everyone wanted clarity and time ran out.

After dinner, I was exhausted and headed back to the hotel to enjoy a much desired shower and sleep.

Day Two - Sun Aug 30th 2015:

Wow, what a day this was. This day alone made the whole trip worth it.

It started off with an early 1.5 hr intense Vinyasa Yoga Class led by the founder of Radiantly Alive - Daniel Aaron. He is very popular, and I can see why. The class was rammed with roughly 40 people, if not more! He didn't need to demonstrate; he directed us with his clear and descriptive voice while walking around adjusting everyone and encouraging us to challenge ourselves, and making us feel that anything was possible. He told stories and jokes along the way which kept us engaged and motivated while our muscles screamed for mercy. He reminded us that if we focus on the pain and muscles that we were only exercising (which if fine if thats enough for you), where if you focus on the breath and surrender to the present moment, then it becomes a much more spiritual experience.

Straight afterwards I went to a 1.5 hr Restorative Yoga Class which is a series of asanas supported by props such as blankets and bolsters so that no muscles are straining. The purpose is to remind ourselves to slow down, relax, be still and let our minds and bodies heal and rejuvenate which we rarely do in this go go go attitude of the world today. When our existance is filled with stress and constant action mentally and physically, the body releases hormones that trigger the 'flight or fight' response which can lead to problems like infertility and disease. The body needs to reach a balance (homeostasis) which can be achieved when the nervous system equally experiences "Rest and Digest".

After a quick lunch I attended a 4 hour Transformational Breathworks Workshop. And wow, transformational indeed. I have friends who have done this in the past and they have said it was an incredible, intense, and life changing experience. I was curious to see what it was all about. How can breathing in a certain way produce such profound effects? The human mind is unable to comprehend...

The workshop was led by Daniel, Leanne and Giten. The first couple of hours they talked us through what the breath was and how we use such a small percentage of the lungs capacity. They explained the spirital / healing aspects of breathwork and what to expect. Everyones experience is differant but essentially it is a way to release blocked energy and repressed emotion such as fear, anger, grief, shame etc that is damaging our subconcious and the way we live our lives.

We lay down with our eyes closed and began to breathe as instructed. At first I thought, this is a lot of effort, how can I keep this up for a whole hour? Then the sensations began. My body started to tingle, my throat and neck began to tighten and my mouth felt like it became a tight O shape making it a struggle to breathe deeply. My lower back began to arch up with each breathe. Then my legs and arms began to stiffen. My hands and wrists contorted into horrible angles and I felt paralyzed. My hands and wrists began to hurt so bad that I started to cry and I was at the point where it was too much. Daniel, Leanne and Giten were walking around directing us and supporting us throughout the experience. When I reached this point, one of them massaged out my hands and said things like “You’re doing great, there’s a lot of emotion being released right now, forgive yourself, you can handle this, it’s ok to feel, keep breathing, surrender, everything is perfect”. We were told to let out noise if we needed too. I could hear moaning (or toning, should I say), whimpering and yelling all around me, then I realized that some of that was coming from me too. It was all very traumatic and frightening.

Eventually though, my breath evened out again, my muscles began to relax and I could hear my inner self repeating positive calming compassionate messages about lifes purpose and it all seemed to make sense. As I slowly sat up, every cell felt alive and electric and my senses were intensified ten fold. Moving my body gently felt incredible, my mind was clear and filled with wonder in the world and I felt intense love. It seriously felt like I was on drugs. At the beginning of the session during the pre-talk, I had trouble getting comfortable on the floor and trying to keep my back straight for so long. Afterwards though, every muscle felt strong and stable. My posture was perfect and I felt completely comfortable and at ease. We discussed what we experienced for an hour and I have to admit, I felt pretty emotional and vulnerable; especially talking to Daniel, Leanne and Giten because they saw my pain in an incredibly raw state.

By the time our session was finished, I felt normal enough to face the outside world, and I could walk again without looking like a space cadet. What just happened? Was it hyperventilating? No, it’s oxygenating. Was it dangerous? No. Was it healing? At this point I would say most definitely, Yes. I don’t truly understand the science behind it all without further research so I won’t try and defend or preach that which I don’t have sufficient knowledge of, but I trust in the knowledge of the Radiantly Alive teachers, and from personal experience, I can agree that it truly was transformational for me.

One day I would like to do it again to see if I can reach a higher consciousness and spiritual plane that some of the others managed to do now that I have let go of (hopefully) a large portion of my repressed emotion. But I definitely wouldn’t do it on my own yet and I’m not ready for it again anytime soon!! However, if you ever stumble across the opportunity to do this, especially at RA in Ubud, Do it. And remember, no matter what, you will survive it and it will be worth it. Just – keep – breathing.

Photos: Bali

cwalker1218 — Sat, 29 Aug 2015 21:15:00 GMT

Why did I come to Bali for a spiritual journey?

cwalker1218 — Sat, 29 Aug 2015 21:07:00 GMT

Why did I come here?

I have set out on a spiritual journey to Ubud, Bali, Indonesia on my own, at age 29. Do I feel like I need to find myself? No. Am I unhappy? No. Am I confused? No. Do I lack direction in life? No.
So why the need to search for something more?

I am happily married, with a job I enjoy and I have amazing family and friends. I know who I am and what I want from my life and what I do and dont enjoy. I'm well traveled with a wealth of personal experience and knowledge. So I wouldn't say that I was searching for something 'more' to complete my life as I have all I could ever need right now. The search for 'more' is really an openness to what the universe wants me to know.

Everyone has different beliefs as to why we are on this Earth and some people just don't know, or don't even care. And that's ok. I believe that everyone has the right to believe what they want to, and make their own choices. We are all on our own journeys in life and everything we experience is what is meant to happen in this lifetime. Yin and Yang represents the balance of duality in everything. For there to be someone who believes that anything is possible, there must be someone who doesn't. Ultimately though, it all equals oneness.

However, that's another topic altogether! I digress.

I have experienced many great pains throughout my life, but who hasn't? I handled it in many ways - escapism, denial, anger, depression, being dramatic, playing the victim etc But it all let to where I am right now. I developed a thirst for knowledge as to how the brain works and how emotions and the mind control our lives and I looked into psychology and spirituality. Thanks also to an incredible mother, I learned acceptance, forgiveness, logic, understanding and compassion - to myself and to others.
Over time I let go of past hostilities, hurt and blame as I knew that it only made me suffer and those around me so why hold on to it?

I didn't really dive head first into spirituality until I was already on my way to wholeness. My husband came into my life 5 years ago and the calmness within me intensified. He showed me that it is possible to be in a relationship that seems almost effortless, that feels right on every level and where we can allow each other to be who we are without judgement or forcing change. I obviously attracted him into my life because I was ready to share my love with a partner without loosing myself in the process.
Its from this happy and secure place that my spiritual journey seems to have hit fast forward.

I always thought that I wanted to be an Event Manager. I am an organiser and perfectionist by nature and I thought it suited me to a tee. And if I'm honest, its also an image that I thought was ' cool ' to the outside world. After many years of bullying through school, I wanted to be important and special. I wanted people to like me. A part of me still does but I'm aware of it now and I don't allow those thoughts to drive me as much.

I've wanted to be an Event Manager for 15 years and I dabbled in it over the years but life always took me in a different direction. I worked hard for my money, and traveled the world, then met Andrew and moved my life to Australia. Once I'm a citizen I can finally study to be an Event Manager (around working full time), but I suddenly realised that I didn't want too anymore. I started to think about what was important to me and if I didn't HAVE to work for money, what would I do?

I love to write, to dance, to practice yoga, to exercise, to spend time with family and friends and of course my greatest passion - to travel. I also want to help people feel good about themselves and to show them the light that is available to everyone. After being in darkness myself, I know how important guidance is from others who have already traveled that road themselves.

I have a handful of inspirational friends who have become yoga teachers. One in particular who has had a complete life transformation that blew me away. Her newfound path resonated within me. Seemingly out of no where, yoga was calling to me with large flashing letters. It was the next necessary step for my spiritual development.

I've always enjoyed yoga and have practiced it for many years in conjunction with dancing and going to the gym. I watched some friends complete a 30 day yoga challenge and thought how much fun that would be but I didn't want to give up the rest of my fitness routine. I didn't believe that yoga would be enough (Boy, was I wrong!).
My goal last year was to run a half marathon however I kept injuring myself. I wasn't listening to my body and I was being pushed in the direction where I had to learn this vital lesson. I decided to enroll myself into a 200hr yoga teacher training at Yoga-Me, Frankston which meant that I did yoga every day for 5 months.

In the last year spiritual books kept ending up in front of me, messages kept coming from everywhere and I started listening. I started to meditate and the messages became clearer and stronger. I have meditated in the past but the practice didn't stick as I wasn't mentally ready for the development. Now it is a vital part of my day, even just 10-20 minutes makes all the difference to a busy mind. And seriously, my mind needs it. I've always said I need traffic lights installed in there!

I have now completed my yoga teacher training and I have gained so much more than anatomy, asana and alignment knowledge and a toned strong body. I have gained the key to a healthier life - mind, body and soul. (I have also learned that yoga isn't all easy stretching, it can be as challenging as you want it to be and there are so many types that cater to a wide range of preferences.)

So that leads me to conclude as to why I have come to Bali. Ubud is known for being one of the spiritual centres in the world and there is an abundant amount of yoga and meditation classes on offer as well as retreats, detox programs, holistic healing practitioners etc
One particular yoga studio was recommended to me - Radiantly Alive and that is where I plan to spend most of my yoga time.
Ubud is the perfect place for me to develop trust in my intuition and to be open to further knowledge, and to let go of any unconscious pain that my body and mind may be holding onto.

Also coming here alone plays a big part. Because of past ingrained insecurities, I have held the belief that if I am alone or not busy then I am a nobody. It is important that I let go of that toxic thought. I am happy to be here and I am enjoying my own company. It's also one of the reasons that I didn't come on a pre-organised retreat as I wanted to figure things out on my own and only have myself to rely on. Its nice to not HAVE to be anywhere or HAVE to do anything and just flow with how I feel at this present moment.

I arrived yesterday afternoon and explored a little to get my bearings. Had an incredible massage to let go of the tension in my shoulders and neck (for only $9! Unreal. If it was that price back home I would get one every week!). Then I slept. ALOT. I needed it. Now my official Day One begins.

I am very grateful to be here and am looking forward to all the experiences this magical place has in store for me. Im prepared for it to include an onslaught of emotions as well.

Time to begin! Namaste.

(Apologies for the spelling mistakes and messy paragraphs. I am working on a tiny fiddly tablet and am having major technical difficulties!)

Destination Weddings - Thailand

cwalker1218 — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 15:12:00 GMT

Getting Married? Daydreaming about a Beach Wedding? Leaning towards Thailand but not sure where to start looking?

If you’ve never been there before, looking online can be overwhelming. To narrow it down the key things to think about are – how many people do you want to invite, what time of year do you want to get married, do you want your wedding and holiday on an island that’s quiet or packed with activities, thinking something basic or 5 star with a wedding planner and all the trimmings? The answer to these questions will narrow down which islands and which resorts would be suitable to cater to your needs.

My fiancé and I agreed that getting married while on holiday with your nearest and dearest was the way to go. Why spend $30,000+ on just one day that feels like you’re on fast-forward, and then it’s over and you realise that you haven’t had one full conversation with anybody? At least on holiday, you can savour how special the celebration is with all those special people for a whole week or more with the added excitement of being on holiday, far from all those thoughts of the daily grind.

We travelled around Thailand for a month and scouted out various possible options in seven beach locations:

Koh Tao

This tiny island is an absolute gem. It’s quiet and laid back and relatively undeveloped – but this will surely change soon. There are plenty of guesthouses and bungalows to choose from while never straying too far from the water. If you’ve entertained the idea of getting your PADI dive certificate, this is the place to do it.

The island is only accessible by boat from nearby island’s Koh Phangan & Koh Samui or from the mainland at Chumphon or Surat Thani. Large fancy resorts are few and far between here but there are still around 10-15 wedding options. Most of the resorts are very basic to the point of being decidedly average, and the beach is not private, but we found 4 that piqued our interest.

Jamahkiri – This is close to the fanciest option you’re going to get. It’s very clean and tidy, the rooms are fantastic and the view over the sparking turquoise ocean is sublime. They also have a full time wedding planner which is definitely a plus. This is a fantastic option if you want to be away from the main tourist beach and only want a small wedding, as you can’t sit more than 30 people comfortably. Downside: There is no beach connected to the resort, but you can swim off the cute jetty, or there is a little row boat that takes you to the nearby beach. The resort is also built on the side of a hill so there are a lot of stairs.

http://www.jamahkiri.com/wedding.php

Haad Tien - The beach around the corner from Jamahkiri is connected to this very modern resort. Manicured green grass and swaying palm trees surrounds fancy individual bungalows spreading along the length of the beach. This resort is a great option if you want an intimate wedding of 10 – 20 people. You can have the aisle set up on the grass in front of your bungalow and can dine on the sand under the stars. Downside: The beach is nice, but not amazing. You would need a scooter or taxi’s to get around as it’s further out from the main centre of Mae Haad. There isn’t much else around this area, especially if you want plenty of dining options.

If you would like to get married here, you would most likely need to go through these wedding planners - http://www.afairytaowedding.com/

http://www.haadtien.com/

Viewpoint – When we first arrived at Viewpoint and saw the calm still turquoise water surrounding a circular patch of grass decorated with pine trees, I thought WOW, what a perfect spot. Once again, it is a lovely location for an intimate wedding and the private pool villas are stunning. Downside: If you don’t book all of the rooms, your wedding wouldn’t be very private. The resort is built on a hill so it can be strenuous to get around and the road to get there has intense inclines & many potholes. Also, as the resort is surrounded by trees which give an authentic Thai feeling, it also means that it is damp and the mosquitos are abundant and relentless. There is no decent beach or shared pool.

(These guys also use the above wedding planners)

http://www.kohtaoviewpoint.com/

Charm Churee – This rustic resort not far from the main centre stretches on forever down and around the cliff side. The view is spectacular and the small private beach is picturesque. The rooms are literally pieces of wood built onto the rock side and they aren’t all completely enclosed so there is no air con – you are at one with nature! Downside: No air con and mosquitos are a hassle. It’s a huge workout trying to get around the steep pathways and stairs. You will only be allocated half of the tiny beach for your wedding so it is likely that you will have an audience of sunbathers close by.

http://charmchureevillaresort.kohtaohotel.net/gallery

Koh Phangan

This island is known for its famous Full Moon Party’s where youngsters cover themselves with highlighter body paint, drink endless cocktail buckets and dance until sunrise. If this is right up your alley then you will love it, but it’s not quite the image you get when you think of weddings! However, there are a handful of resorts far away from the party beaches of Haad Rin that are trying to create a reputation for tasteful weddings.

The island is only accessible by boat from nearby island’s Koh Tao & Koh Samui or from the mainland at Chumphon or Surat Thani. There are hundreds of guest houses to choose from in all different price ranges. We found two that we would consider wedding worthy. (There are a handful more options around but we didn’t have the time to view them).

Rasananda Anatara – This chain is well known for their 5 star quality resorts around Asia. In Koh Phangan it is fairly new and small in comparison to other destinations but the beach is beautiful, the area is quiet and laid back and the staff incredibly friendly. They have a very professional full time wedding planner and a private room for moving the party from the beach to continue the celebrations late into the night without disturbing other hotel guests. Also, every hotel room has a private pool (which may push it out of your price range for your guests). Downside: It can be very difficult to get too. We got stuck on our motorbike in the deep mud trying to get there via the inland road and 4 wheeled drive taxi’s charge a small fortune to go there, but they are in the middle of building a concrete road which will definitely ease the headache. You can get a small boat there from Haad Tien on calm days.

http://weddings.anantara.com/

Kupu Kupu – This hip resort is very new and eager to create a luxury reputation for themselves. They are currently building more rooms right on the water’s edge. The rooms are beautifully Thai enthused and the colour of the water is so spectacular you are constantly drawn to it. It also is the side of the island that enjoys the sunset and it’s not too far from the main port of Thong Sala. Downside: As they are very new, they don’t have much experience with weddings, however, this is good if you want to get heavily involved with the creative process and set up. Also, you would need to book most or all the rooms for it to be private as the wedding would be held around the main swimming pool or on the beach in front of it.

http://www.kupuphangan.com/wedding.php

Koh Samui

Koh Samui is known as the Couples Island as it is a haven for Weddings and Honeymoons. Your choice of venue here is abundant. There is an airport on the island which makes it very accessible and there are loads of activities to keep you occupied if you happen to get bored of lounging around in the sun drinking cocktails all day. It is a fairly large island as far as Thai islands go but most of the action is situated around Chaweng, or nearby Lamai & Bophut. There are plenty of restaurants and shops to explore, including tailors if it tickles your fancy to get some suits or outfits made. The prices are slightly higher here than other small islands but no doubt still cheaper than home. It’s easy to get around in crazy tuktuks (rows of bench seats on the back of an enclosed ute) that pick up anyone on the side of the road or you can rent scooters. Taxis can be costly, especially if you want to go to the other side of the island.

We exhausted ourselves looking at endless Venue options here, but unless you have a huge luxurious budget (if you do, check out Banyan Tree), these are our Top 3 picks:

Nora Beach Resort & Nora Buri Resort – This resort ticked most of the boxes for us and ultimately became our choice. We are all booked in for 26^th January 2015! Both resorts are large with Nora Beach set up like a village with standard hotel rooms in a big block and incredible luxury villas spread out along the walkways and trees. The main pool and restaurant area at the beaches edge is family friendly. Nora Buri Resort is more of a romantic adult’s destination with a spectacular pool at the beach edge, luxurious private rooms stretching all the way up the hillside and another large two-tiered infinity pool at the top. At both resorts there are a variety of choices for the location of your ceremony and reception depending on the amount of guests, including next to the pool, on a private grass area overlooking the beach, or in various restaurants, bars or open walled rooms. There are endless decoration options and three full time very enthusiastic and experienced wedding planners to attend to your every need. Their photo portfolio is very impressive! The resorts are only minutes away from each other and are close to the main centre of Chaweng, but far enough way to be away from the noise. Downside: The beach isn’t the most picturesque on the island and at certain times of the year can be too rough to swim in.

http://www.noraweddings.com/

Sareeraya – Just around the corner from Nora, Sareeraya is smaller and has a beautiful Thai design to its décor, the beach is calmer and the sand whiter. It’s that bit closer to Chaweng for accessibility but still far enough from the main beach to have some relaxing privacy. Downside: It will be hard to have privacy from the other hotel guests for your wedding.

http://www.sareeraya.com/wedding/wedding%20samui.html

Faraway Villas – This is the only venue we saw that wasn’t a resort. It is run by a very professional couple who install great confidence that they know what they are doing. It is situated in Lipa Noi on the other side of the island so it is quiet and private and it gets spectacular sunsets which are perfect for those essential wedding photos. The venue has a decorated outdoor courtyard area right next to the beach for your Reception and the Ceremony can be held with the sand between your toes. There is also an indoor room for those unavoidable pesky rainy days. Downside: There’s not much on the other side of the island so you would have to pay for transport for your guests. Faraway does offer this service and the bonus is that it becomes a surprise location for your guests. There is a small resort next door and their guests may be curious about your celebration.

http://farawayweddings.com/

Krabi

Krabi is on the mainland and has its own airport. Most visitors usually avoid the main town and head out to either nearby Ao Nang, Tonsai or Railay Bay. Ao Nang can be accessed by road so it has the most facilities, while Tonsai & Railay can only be accessed by boat from Krabi town or Ao Nang as they are cut off from road access by incredible limestone cliffs which are the major drawcard for the area. The scenery here is spectacular and definitely worth visiting. Unfortunately though, it is no secret and in the peak months, the beaches are crammed full of people soaking up the sun.

There are various wedding locations around but we struggled to find any that would be private that doesn’t cost a fortune. There are a handful of resorts on smaller islands near Krabi but we didn’t have the time to investigate them in person. We did however check out gorgeous Railay Bay.

Railay Bay Resort – This resort is in a prime location and would be totally perfect if you managed to get the beach all to yourself! Surprisingly, it was the most affordable wedding option we found. Downside: The rooms aren’t particularly good value for money, lack of confidence in the wedding planner and the difficult accessibility and busyness of the small area completely made it a no-go for us.

http://www.railaybayresort.com/railay-wedding_package.php

Koh Phi Phi

Whenever you google Thailand and drool as you look at those delicious picture perfect beaches – the islands of Koh Phi Phi is most likely where that photo was taken. The scenery on this island is mind blowing – especially Maya Bay on Phi Phi Le , the uninhabitable island where Leonardo Dicaprio’s movie The Beach was filmed. Phi Phi Don, the larger island of the two has no roads, only labyrinth walkways packed full of anything a tourist could ever need – bars, restaurants, shops, tour agencys etc Most guesthouses are over top of bars with pounding music and sleep is unlikely here. Unfortunately the tiny island can’t support the amount of visitors it attracts and rubbish littering the pathways and the beach is unavoidable. Tourism is destroying its natural beauty and the locals seem unconcerned. The island is accessible by boat from Phuket, Krabi & at certain times of the year, Koh Lanta.

Many resorts offer the service of weddings, but like Krabi, it is very difficult to get privacy on the beach and a lot of places have a tacky feel to it. There is one gem which is very isolated on a part of the island that is only accessible by boat by Phi Phi Don’s ferry terminal, or by private boat from Phuket which you can book through the resort.

Outrigger Phi Phi Island Resort – This chain of hotels have a fantastic reputation and the backdrop for a wedding at Phi Phi’s Resort is divine. There is nothing else except ocean, jungle, palm trees and mountains around this resort so you only share the beach with its guests and the wilderness. This large resort has basic to luxury styled bungalows set up in a village style; they hold weddings regularly and have a full time wedding planner. Downside: The rooms aren’t particularly good value for money, food costs around western prices and as there is literally no competition for them - more than a few days and you would get cabin fever & end up with an empty wallet. It may seem very difficult to get too for those guests that aren’t seasoned travellers and who have a weak stomach (the boat ride can be quite rough). Also, when the tide is out you can’t swim at the beach.

http://www.outrigger.com/hotels-resorts/thailand/phi-phi/outrigger-phi-phi-island-resort-and-spa/weddings/western-wedding-ceremony

Koh Lanta

This is the island you go too if you want a break from sharing a stretch of sand with hundreds of other bodies. It’s incredibly peaceful and laid back and you can entertain yourself by cruising around on your scooter visiting all the beaches on offer. However, this is not the place to go too if you want lots of things to do or if you want to meet other backpackers. Saladan Village is the main hub with its row of shops, restaurants and the main port. Most people on a budget head to nearby Klong Dao or Long Beach, or if they want to splurge a little more, head down the west coast to Khlong Khong, Khlong Nin or Kan Tieng. There are tiny little communities clustered around each of these beaches, but other than that, there isn’t much around. You can get to the island by bus or boat from Krabi, Ao Nang & Phuket, and during the peak season, by boat from Koh Phi Phi.

There are a handful of lovely venue options here. Our Top 3:

Pimalai – First we visited the beach with its soft white sand and warm blue waters and thought to ourselves, this is quite nice. Then we went up to hill to the top restaurant and pool and we thought – this is incredible! The view stretching out over the bush and the ocean is spectacular. I could stare at the view all day and not get bored! Downside: You also have to use the hotels rigid colour schemes (purple and white) for your Big Day, the wedding planner didn’t evoke a lot of confidence and the rooms are quite pricey.

http://www.pimalai.com/wedding/

Crown Resort & Spa – This large resort has plenty of room options to choose from, 2 big pools and a small private rocky beach that you can use for your ceremony. The facilities here are fantastic, they have a great wet weather back up and the staff are very enthusiastic. The Hotel’s General Manager even came to introduce himself! Downside: The beach is pretty but it wasn’t quite the tropical scene we were after.

http://www.crownlanta.com/weddings.htm

Layana – This incredibly manicured resort on a beautiful stretch of sand is adults only which could be an absolute bonus, or make it an instant no go. They have a wonderful grass area right by the sand to enjoy your reception under the stars. Downside: There are rules on how many guests you can invite (30), how long you can stay (1 week) and how many hotel rooms your wedding party can have (5) as the hotel has a strict policy that the wedding doesn’t ruin the ambience for other hotel guests. Also, the price is getting close to astronomical.

http://layanaresort.com/

Phuket

What is the first thing that springs to mind when you think of Phuket? Sun, Sand, Cheap Shopping, Plenty of Australians – and unavoidably Lady Boys & Ping Pong Shows! Phuket is a large island connected to the main land by a bridge so it doesn’t feel much like an island at all. It has an international airport so is incredibly easy to get too. There are accommodations that cater to all budgets and it’s a very popular place to visit because of its easy accessibility and affordable prices. Patong is the place to go if you want to be in the centre of all the party action and crazy flashing neon lights. Karon & Kata Beach are good affordable alternatives that aren’t too far away but are more laid back. The beaches are covered in rows of sun loungers and umbrellas that you can rent for the day. There are many 5 star resorts nestled away in secluded areas if you want to escape the hype completely.

There are plenty of resorts to choose from here for weddings and because of the size of the island, it was very difficult to visit too many. However, throughout our research, two stood out that had excellent reviews.

Katathani – This resort is humungous and has 6 swimming pools! They have a very professional full time wedding planner and a designated wedding room, ceremony and reception area – it’s all incredibly organised to the point of being almost too structured, if that’s possible?! Downside: Its huge size means the place is raging with people constantly. There’s no chance of getting married on the beach with one shred of privacy, and the designated ceremony grass area, although very pretty, doesn’t have much of a view as a bush cuts you off from the water and all the rows of umbrellas.

http://www.wedding.katathani.com/

The Surin – We absolutely loved this resort and struggled to choose between it and Nora in Koh Samui. The rooms are lovely, the beach is relatively private and stunning, and the wedding area is close to perfect. Phuket is the most accessible option and there is any activity you can imagine to keep your guests entertained, with the added bonus that this resort seems tucked away so you can enjoy seclusion at the same time. Downside: The overall price was much higher than most places as there is an additional venue hire cost on top of the wedding package. However, if your wedding party is small, the overall package is much more affordable. I also personally struggled with the seedy & tacky stigma attached to the island.

http://www.thesurinphuket.com/weddings.php?LinkIdentifier=ID&ItemID=280

Outrigger Laguna Phuket – We didn’t get to view this resort in the end but if you would like to get married in a gorgeous traditional white chapel over the water, look into Laguna Phuket as an option. Keep in mind though that it is confusing to get too and far from the main areas of the island and would only be a good location if you would like to stay in the same spot for relaxation.

http://lagunaphuketweddings.com/

Things to consider:

Before you rush to book your wedding in your dream location on the other side of the world – the reality is, not everyone will go. Most likely only a quarter of your invite list will. It’s a big ask expecting people to make your holiday wedding their priority when they have their own plans with children, houses, study etc Even if you would be prepared to go overseas for a loved one’s wedding, not everyone thinks the way you do. As long as you are prepared to not get angry at your favourites who can’t make it, then book away. The bonus is you don’t have to worry about how many people you invite, so no one gets upset that they weren’t on the list! Keep’s costs down too!

If you are not used to living in overly hot climates, then the islands around Thailand will always be warm. On the Gulf Coast around Koh Tao, Koh Phangan & Koh Samui the best weather is around June – October. March – June can get uncomfortably hot and November – February is the rainy season. On the islands around Phuket it is slightly different, the best weather is around November to March with April - May being the hottest months and September-October being the rainy season. Of course peak season prices and hordes of tourists come hand in hand with the best weather months. If you choose a month where it is likely to rain, make sure to check out wet weather back up plans at your venue.

The language barrier can be an issue if you are a stickler for details. If everything needs to be absolutely perfect, then pick somewhere with a full time wedding planner so that you are their complete focus – it’s a bonus if they’re from a western country. However, if you want a traditional Thai wedding, then a local will have the insider knowledge you would want.

It can be difficult and expensive to get married legally in Thailand. Some resorts with wedding packages offer the service for a fee (and you would have to go to the registry office in Bangkok), but it may be less of a head ache to arrange the paperwork in your home country beforehand.

If you can visit the venues in person for peace of mind, all the better, but if that’s not feasible, look at as many photos as you can, ask the resort lots of questions and read reviews. Just keep an open mind when reading reviews as one person’s dream is another person’s nightmare and situations are constantly changing.

Wherever you choose for your special day, Thailand will deliver warm weather, beautiful beaches, fascinating culture, and plenty of relaxation, cheap bargains, mouth-watering cuisine, entertaining experiences and incredible memories. I hope that this article has given you a head start on making a tropical location decision, and I hope you both have a perfect romantic magical day to celebrate dedicating yourselves to spending the rest of your lives together.

Last Stops! Phuket, Thailand & Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

cwalker1218 — Thu, 26 Dec 2013 12:03:00 GMT

The boat trip from Koh Phi Phi to Phuket took an hour and a half. Phuket is a huge island – to the point that it almost feels like a city. The main beaches are Patong, Kata & Karon. We decided to stay at Karon as it is the quietest of the 3. The beaches are beautiful with golden sand & turquoise water but is decked out with rows of umbrellas & beach chairs, loads of people, activities such as jetskiiing & parasailing, and locals wondering around selling various things. Still, I was pleasantly surprised that I liked it as I had heard that the island was seedy & tacky.

It still has its seedy parts for sure though! Patong Beach is incredibly hectic and full on, and at night, the streets are lit up with flashing neon lights from endless bars, with people trying to drag you in to see ping pong shows. Still, it has a really fun vibe for a random night out and I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would. I think it would be great with a group of friends!

We stayed in Phuket for 3 nights and hired a motorbike and checked out the other beaches on the island and a few wedding venues. Also did a little shopping at the markets. We had great weather so on our last day in Thailand we treated ourselves and hired sun loungers and spend the afternoon relaxing on the beach until sunset.

Thailand is so diverse – the North, Bangkok and the Islands in the South do not feel like they are all part of the same country! In the North you can really feel the culture, Bangkok is very busy & Western, and the South is stunning and very much the foreigners play ground – so its natural beauty is getting ruined. We spent over a month in this wonderful country and it was sad to leave.

The island is so big; it took over an hour to get to the airport by taxi. Our flight to Kuala Lumpur took an hour and a half and our clocks went back 1 hour. There is a train into the city from the airport that only takes half an hour and costs $12pp but we opted for the cheaper but longer option by bus (one hour) for $4 each. We stayed in the heart of Chinatown above the colourful and busy tourist markets. It was inevitable that we would do more shopping!

We spent 3 nights in Kuala Lumpur and explored the markets, malls and city streets with its mosques and of course, the splendid twin Petronas Towers. It cost over $30 each to go up the towers to enjoy the view – for Asia, that is incredibly expensive! But it was worth it. The Towers and the view over the large sprawling city is spectacular. We had an early start to get in line as tickets are first in first served (you get 15 minute designated spots assigned throughout the day) and people begin to line up before 8am. We discovered afterwards that you can also book online – do this!

The city is quite a vibrant and interesting mix of cultures and religions – Chinese, Malays & Indians, Buddhist, Christian & Muslims. The Islamic faith is quite apparent in a lot of the buildings designs and how many women are dressed covering everything but their hands and faces. Still, the city is very western, the LRT subway train system is fantastic, and we felt comfortable there and enjoyed ourselves. We decided not to check out Batu Caves, and other than that, shopping and the towers, there’s not too much to do in the city so a few days is definitely enough.

After 3 and a half months, 6 countries, 38 guesthouses, 92 hours in 22 buses & vans, 46.5 hours on 4 trains, 26.5 hours on 8 flights, and 28.5 hours on 10 boats (+ 2 days on a Junk Boat in Halong Bay)– we finally returned to reality in Australia. With only one days “rest” though, we were off on another 8 hour road trip with Andrew’s family to Merimbula for Christmas & New Years!

Asia has been a fantastic journey – very different from our 5 and a half month South American adventure. The highlights of this trip would definitely be volunteering in Cambodia & Angkor Watt, Gibbon Experience in Laos, Halong Bay & Hoi An in Vietnam and sunning it up in the islands of Thailand.

Travelling is in my blood, it’s ingrained in who I am, and it will always be my passion – but I am definitely getting older and backpacking is becoming less desirable. In South America we coped easily with roughing it in dorm rooms, living simply and making most of our own food as cheaply as possible. This time we preferred private rooms with our own bathrooms (which mostly were very affordable), ate out a lot at cheap stalls & restaurants (mainly because most guesthouses don’t have kitchens) and treated ourselves to lots of shopping. On both trips though, we mainly moved locations every 3 days. 3 and a half months of that was enough this time! From now on it would be nice to not move around as much, stay in nicer hotels and most likely only go for 2 – 4 weeks at a time. (But it’s so hard when there is SOOO much to see hehe!).

Now back to reality. Not looking forward to interviews and being in limbo without a home for the next 3 -4 months, and being broke! But very eager to get my new life in Australia on track for 2014.

New Years Goals:

Find a decent job to continue my desired career path as a PA / Event Coordinator (hopefully not in the city as it would mean a 1.5 hr commute in each direction...)
Get fit and complete a Half Marathon
Set up a home & get a Dog with my fiancé (and look into buying a new house together)
Start a Bachelor of Business – Event Management - Degree part time by distance learning
Save for and organise our wedding for January 2015 in Thailand

Photos: Kuala Lumpur

cwalker1218 — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 12:15:00 GMT

Thailand Island Hopping - Part Two!

cwalker1218 — Sat, 14 Dec 2013 21:06:00 GMT

Getting from the South East islands of Thailand to the South West islands is a well travelled route. We bought a boat & bus combo ticket to Krabi (1 hour on the boat, 2.5 hours on a bus). Most people dont end up hanging around Krabi town and head out the areas stunning beaches - AoNang, Tonsai & Railay Bay. We chose AoNang as it was slighly cheaper and the only one accesable by land which is more conveniant. Its a neat little town with palm tree lined streets, 2 decent beaches with a incredible backdrop of limestone mountains covered in patches of jungle, and a mixture of Thai &Western culture in its shops & restaurants. On first impression it seems quite "hip" - the kind of place only young backppackers will flock too - but every age and culture of tourist seems to flock here which gives it a neat & comfortable vibe.

When we arrived, the bad weather from Koh Phangan & Koh Samui seemed to have followed us. After a full week of barely no sun, I was in a dismil mood. But luckily, the following day, the forecast changed for the better. We enjoyed mostly brilliant sunny days for the next week! We spent 3 nights in Ao Nang and visited Railay Bay for a day. Railay is still part of the mainland but is only accessible by long tail boat (15 minutes from Ao Nang) due to the impressive limestone cliffs jutting up at sharp angles. There are various resorts connected to this spectacular location, but there are no roads. We visited a resort there as a potential wedding venue but unfortunately this special place with its emerald water is no secret. The beach was covered in boats and tourists appreciating its beauty. In Ao Nang, I experienced the most uncomfortable massage in my life! All elbows and knees - ouch!

On to Koh Lanta! We chose the transport option by land (& car ferry) instead of boat to get to the island as it was cheaper, but it took slighly longer. As usual with all transport in Asia, there is a lot of waiting around and not knowing what is going on! Once we arrived on the island, we had a bit of drama finding our guesthouse. Now that its is high season, and we are mainly visiting islands where accommodation is spread out, it was easier to prebook accommodation for a change. But this place didnt seem to exist! Noone knew where it was, google maps was wrong and the phone number didnt work. A lovely local helped drive us around for ages trying to find it and in the end we did - it was nowhere near where we thought it was - down a messy muddy road into the bush.... It wasnt great either. The bathroom was covered in dead bugs, the blanket on the bed was basically just an oversized towel that wasnt big enough for the both of us, and the aircon sucked in clouds of mosquitos from outside so they were constantly swarming around us. We had to sleep fully clothed as turning the aircon off wasnt an option. It was too hot and we had no fan. But we coped, thats what you get with budget accommodation!

Koh Lanta basically has one main road that is a ring around the whole island. The whole west side is lined with beaches and near each beach is a cluster of guesthouses and restaurants - and thats pretty much it. Its nice and quiet and relaxing - or incredibly boring if thats not what youre looking for. We rented a motorbike and explored the area, visiting some prospective wedding venues while we were at it. The beaches had lovely stretches of white sand and sparkling deep blue waters. Unfortunately though, whenever we swam we felt stinging pin pricks all over our bodies. We dont know what caused it, we couldnt see anything. Maybe it only happens at a certain time of year? But it was rather frustrating when we wanted to escape the harsh sun after sunbathing. Down the messy mud road from our accommodation (very dodgy & a mission to walk down at night, and especially when it rains!) comes out near Long Beach. There are a few basic restaurants on the sand where we enjoyed dinner by candle light.

An hour by boat took us to Koh Phi Phi (Don) where we spent 3 nights. I completely love and hate this island at the same time. It is so beautiful with its interesting shape and its stunning massive rock formations, white sand beaches and perfect crystal clear sprakling blue water. It truely is paradise. There are no roads, only walkways filled with everything a tourist needs - restaurants, bars, dive shops, massage & beauty therapy, shops, guesthouses etc Basically it is a world created for tourists alone which completely taints the natural beauty of the island. Piles of rubbish everywhere, stagnant pools of water, constant swarms of people, and at night - music and drunken ramblings can be heard from most places. Cats are dominant here and locals zip through the throngs of people on the small walkways, ringing the bells on their push bikes. Taxi boats are constantly on offer to other beaches in the area - and they are NOT cheap. The main 2 beaches that are accessible by foot are covered in boats, rubbish, beach chairs and people. Loads and loads of people. The island is cheaper than back home, but very expensive by Asia standards.

When we spent 6 months travelling around South America, we could go for days without seeing another westerner - particulary one where English is their first language. It made it feel like we really got a taste for each countries culture. In Asia, the path is so well travelled that there are western communities in all the main spots. You can travel for months with the comfort and conveniance of backpacker areas set up with everything youre going to need or want, and loads of like minded travellers to hang out with. Most of the time I dont mind this, but sometimes its frustrating and the whole experience just doesnt feel REAL. Dont get me wrong, weve definitely had a taste of Asia and its quirks. Women take their kids to work with them, lunch time means all the locals sleep on the floor or in odd positions wherever they can find, some people have the kindest nature and biggest smiles despite their hardship, and some are incredibly rude & take advantage of the money us "farangs" have. They believe were rich! Weve seen people of every class and how they live, weve learnt about the horror the countries have been through, and the most memorable - volunteering in Cambodia which was so rewarding and humbling. But for the most part, we have been in a tourist bubble and this makes me a little sad. Being on Phi Phi made this so much more apparent than anywhere else.

We did all the obligatory things - hiked up the viewpoint where we could see the 2 twin horseshoe bays mirroring each other with only a strip of trees and "touristlands" web of little streets seperating them. We went on a boat trip to Maya Beach where they filmed the movie "The Beach". Its Phi Phi Leh, the second island which is uninhabited, so to hire a boat to get there, they charge the exorbidant cost of $60. (To put this in perspective, you can get from Bangkok to Koh Phi Phi for $25-30 and thats half way down the country, not to the island next door.) OR you can go on a tour to more than one spot with hundreds of others and be herded around like cattle for $15 pp. So we joined the tour and I still enjoyed it nevertheless. We stopped at a various points to swim and snorkel (the fish get sooo close, pretty cool!) in the crystal clear waters and then of course, Maya Beach itself. Probabely one of the most scenic beaches I have ever been too. But of course, as expected at any spectacular place in the world, the small stretch of sand was packed solid with literally HUNDREDS of people and boats lined up filling every bit of shoreline between the massive rocks that enclose the bay. Phi Phi Leh has no accommodation as it profits more from harvesting nests of swiflets for medicinal purposes than tourism! On Phi Phi Don, we also hiked over to Long Beach which is gorgeous (but busy) as well. We hired a boat to check out a wedding venue on a very remote park of Phi Phi Don - stunning setting but its alot of hassle to get there....

Now we are at the point of our trip where we only have one week to go! 3 months and one week has flown past and it has been fantastic. I am looking forward to staying in one place for more than 3 days, being able to flush toilet paper and to have access to a kitchen (sooo sick of the same menus everywhere!). But I must admit, I am not ready to go back to the reality of job hunting - and being broke! We will be in limbo for quite a few months yet, living out of bags at Andrews friends and familys houses until we have jobs and can afford to move back into Andrews house. The next chapter will begin!

Photos: Thailand Island Hopping

cwalker1218 — Wed, 4 Dec 2013 21:12:00 GMT

Thailand Island Hopping - Part One!

cwalker1218 — Wed, 4 Dec 2013 19:16:00 GMT

We booked an overnight bus and boat package from Bangkok to get down to Ko Tao island, which is on the South East side of Thailand. Thankfully the last of our overnight journeys for this trip! We had checked out of our hotel at lunch time and had to kill time until the bus left at 10pm. We got no sleep at all on the bus and the leg room was a joke (poor Andrew with his long legs!), then got deposited at Lomprayah's pier at 5am and waited for their 7am boat departure to the island. Then had to wait until lunch time to check in our hotel on Ko Tao. Phew, lots of waiting and we were rather exhausted by the end of it!

Finally, we could relax! Well, kind of...

We spent 2 nights on Ko Tao, 3 nights on Koh Phangan and 4 nights on Koh Samui. It is easy getting between the 3 islands, the boats are frequent and each journey is less than an hour. On each island we spent a lot of time on a motorbikes cruising around and visiting resorts in search for the perfect wedding venue. Each resort would greet us with cold towels and free drinks - one even gave us a free lunch and use of their pool! We were given a tour around the resorts, including seeing the best rooms (private beachfront pool villas - divine!). In Koh Samui we splurged and took up the offer of a discounted rate to stay in 2 resorts.

In our down time, we planned on sunbathing, swimming and soaking up the sun. Unfortunately though, other than one day in Ko Tao and a few hours here and there on Koh Phangan & Koh Samui, we had terrible weather. October - December is Monsoon season in the south of Thailand so it isn't the best time to come as the weather is very hit and miss. Leaving Ko Tao we were hit by an extreme storm - torrential rain, incredibly loud thunder and constant lightening. Ever since then we have had overcast days, high winds and scattered rain showers. It hasn't been cold but on the few times we did swim, the wind made it rather chilly. Rather disappointing when I was so excited about enjoying 3 weeks of tropical sunny weather to end our big trip! And it makes it incredibly difficult to see the beaches true beauty and potential for our upcoming wedding. We like a lot of the resorts, but with the rough murky water and dirty dull beach from the unfortunate weather, we haven't got that "wow" factor yet and are having to rely on photos. In my mind I want white sand beaches and clear calm blue water for the wedding - which apparently the islands usually have - but at the moment, they do not. Sigh!

However, despite all this, we are enjoying our time exploring the islands. Ko Tao is stunning with unusual smooth grey big boulders and rocks decorating the beaches. The island is small and quaint with unruly jungle and a few roads leading to various beaches. (Some of the roads are rather unruly with steepness, major holes, big rocks and loose sandy gravel. Not very easy to control a motorbike on...) There is a small town around the pier and the main beach - Sairee Beach. This beach is lined with restaurants and small hotels and has a walkway behind it lined with shops. Other than that, and a few resorts scattered around, it is mainly undeveloped which makes it charming. The major draw card here is that it is the best place in Thailand to dive, and to get your PADI cert.

Koh Phangan has 2 "faces" to it. The most well known is of course, the famous Full Moon Parties where everyone drinks copious amounts of cocktails buckets and dress up in fluro coloured clothing. This area of the island is rather seedy with broken down buildings and rubbish everywhere. Maybe it would be nicer on a sunny day and when the area was more festive, but we were there between party's and it was quiet and dull. The other "face" of the island is the (mostly upper class) resorts on the quiet more remote beaches - these were very nice and all lined with palm trees. I think on a good day, the North East beaches and the beaches to the West would be incredibly beautiful. On the motorbike, we got stuck in incredibly deep mud on the way to a meeting with one resort - it was so bad that our legs got covered in mud and we had to hitch with a local in a 4 wheel drive. Unfortunately (on a different road), we witnessed the aftermath of a terrible accident. A foreigner had come off his motorbike and wasn't wearing a helmet. He was lying in the middle of the concrete road with a pool of blood under his head. It was so horrible and upsetting to see and I really hope that he survived.... Always wear a helmet kids! Hardly anyone seems too in Asia, even the locals, and I think it is terribly stupid. I know it may not be comfortable, and it doesn't look "cool", but why wouldn't you do everything you can to stay safe and save your life? I doubt his insurance will cover him either as wearing a helmet is a clause in every policy I've ever seen.

Koh Samui is quite a large island with many different towns situated around the beaches. The main, and meant to be the most beautiful beach, is Chaweng. Tourists are very well catered too here. Then there is others to choose from, such as Lamai, Lipa Noi & Bophut - plus many others. The island is supposed to have very impressive beaches, but unfortunately at the moment, the water is too high to grant much of a beach, the water is rough, murky & dangerous and the sand is a mess. We saw a large portion of the island as we spent 2 nights on either side, and explored on a motorbike. It is very developed and western with many large expensive resorts - because of this, and the fact that is easily accessible with an airport, weddings are a big market here. To us, the island we choose for our wedding is just important as the venue. We want it to be in a place where it is easy to get too, there is plenty of things to do and lots to see, and we would always enjoy coming back. So far, Koh Samui is ticking all the boxes, but we still have the South West islands to see yet! Still, Koh Samui is very much still Asia, and is a bit rough around the edges. We spent 2 nights in North Chaweng & 2 nights in Lipa Noi. It was rather nice staying in a decent resort instead of guesthouses and budget hotels for a change! At one of the resorts we stayed at, we were invited to watch the ceremony of a wedding they were having there. It felt rather odd sitting off to the side with our free drinks on someones special day! But it was neat seeing the set up.

The islands have been more expensive than everywhere else we have visited on our trip, with the exception of Singapore. On Koh Phangan in the low season (& not around Full Moon) and you can get private rooms for around $10, but generally for the islands, budget private rooms with an ensuite starts around $20 US with a fan. With air con & beach access its usually double that. Mid range hotels are around $70 - $180 and 4 Star + hotels begin around the $200 mark. Eating beachfront or at resorts aren't far off New Zealand prices but there are still plenty of places that you can eat for around $4-$10 pp. Taxis can be incredibly expensive - for a 5 minute journey they can charge you $10 pp and for a 20 minute journey they charge $20 pp +. For Asia, this is astronomical! All of these prices are super cheap if you are only coming for a short holiday, but for us, after places like Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam, it is hurting the pocket a little! But we were aware that that would be the case.

We celebrated our 3 year anniversary of being together (and 1 year anniversary of being engaged) recently as well. Plus Andrew had his 33rd birthday. It was hard to get him anything seeing as we are together 24 / 7 but I managed to sneakily order him a cake through room service. This time of year is very busy for us with our anniversary's, both our birthdays, Christmas and New Years. This year we celebrated most of it here in Thailand, last year in New Zealand, the year previous in South America, the year previous to that, Canada. Next year it will all be in Australia! So many memories together in so many incredible places and we are looking forward to many more...

Siem Reap, Cambodia & Bangkok, Thailand

cwalker1218 — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 15:10:00 GMT

We got the bus from Phnom Pehn to Siem Reap. A distance that back home would only take 3-4 hours, took 9. The traffic was horrendous and we stopped constantly to pick people up. The bus was so full that people sat on little plastic stools in the aisle and the lady next to us threw up the entire way... There were baby chickens chirping behind us. Ah the joys! At our lunch stop, ladies were selling cooked spiders, all piled up high on a plate. They were the size of tarantulas! Gross! A young child played with a live one. It made my skin crawl.

Siem Reap is a neat little town with various markets, treelined roads and french architecture. The town caters to the hordes of tourists that come to see the great Angkor Watt. Cambodia's major draw card - the countrys heart and soul. There is neat padestrian only "Pub Street" with coloured signs all lit up and yellow umbrellas hanging as decoration over the alleyway and loads of restaurants and bars to choose from. Amputee bands play in the street & it had a very fastive ambiance. Before we enjoyed dinner there, we hired bikes and rode out the ruins for sunsest - there were buses, tuktuks, cars, motorbikes and people everywhere - not the best for a skittish bike rider! The best viewing spot had the sun behind us so we didnt see any grand colours like I expected, but the sky turned a deep blue and the silhouette of the incredible building was still stunning. In the morning we got picked up by our tuktuk driver at 5am and went there again for the sunrise. Unfortunately there was too much morning cloud so once again we had no pretty colours, but it was still fantastic arriving in the dark and seeing Angkor Watt appear in the light. Unfortunately there were many people fighting for the best viewpoint infront of the pond and we had a group of loud and rather annoying retired american ladies behind us. Really ruined the moment.

Angkor Watt is the largest religious structure in the world. It was built in the early 1100's by King Suryavarman the second. It is surrounded by a moat, 190m wide that forms a rectangle 1.5km by 1.3km. Inside the main gates is a pond filled with lilypads that reflects the image of the spectacular structure, enhancing the photo ops! Once the sun finally broke through the clouds we explored the massive building with all its corridors and steps. So impressive, especially considering it was made in a time when they didnt have the tools and machinery that we have today. Damage over time has worn the stones, statues and detailed carvings on the walls - it would have been so spectacular when it was new. Wild monkeys wonder around like they own the place but we steered clear of them as they are obnoxious!

Afterwards we explored the surrounding region. We visited Angkor Thom which was build by the next King, King Jayavarman in the late 1100's. The fortified city in 10 sq kms in size. At the height of its time, the city boasted a population of around 1 million people, around the time that London only had 50,000. The wooden city no longer stands except for the city walls and temples that were built with stone. Bayon is the main temple - it is now a crumbling mess but I loved all the big faces carved into the massive stones. We also explored Bouphon and the Elephant Terrace. Outside of the city walls we visited Preah Khan which has mostly fallen apart except for rows and rows of walkways. And of course we visited the very popular Ta Prohm which was used in the movie Tomb Raider because the jungle has started to claim it back which makes it really special. Massive treetrunks & branches work their way through the huge stone buildings and it really feels like youre in another world. Unfortunately though, the small walkways & buildings were so congested with people - mainly huge tour groups - that the full effect was completely ruined. Rather frustrating having to be one of the masses, and its a shame that the site has been so modified to accomodate tourists.

Then it was time to say goodbye to lovely Cambodia. I will miss that country - mainly Takeo & the kids! We flew to Bangkok which took an hour. It was strange being back in a place where there are more cars than motorbikes, AND we were back to driving on the left side of the road!. I had so looked forward to exploring this city as I had heard so much about it, but we had a rough time of it! Once we were on the plane we realised that we werent going to the main airport which has a conveniant train into town, we were going to its smaller airport where transport was the tiny crammed local buses. With 3 bags, it was just too much of a mission so we had to shell out for a taxi. We decided to stay in Banglamphu which is the backpacker area. Its a really neat area with street stalls filled with food & clothes and loads of bars & restaurants. The atmosphere at night was fantastic. But unfortunately we were to discover a few things - first, it was incredibly busy and we should have prebooked now that its highseason, and second - theres a massive protest on all week so transport was a nightmare. (This ended up escalating into a full blown violent strike but luckily we had left by then!).

We found a tiny box of a room for double what we have been paying up until now, and spent 5 nights, which was more than we needed. We attempted sightseeing but ended up having to walk for over an hour to get the train (shouldve stayed in the city centre!) because taxis refused to take us (without completely ripping us off) because of stand still traffic and tuktuks would only take us if we agreed to visit their friends shops (and be forced to by something). It was infuriating. We managed to get the local boat to the train station on a few occasions (but it was rammed) and went to see some of the citys main Temples, but I wasnt allowed in without a T-shirt covering my shoulders (I had a scarf which is usually fine) and Andrew wasnt allowed in with shorts, even though it covered his knees yet my knee length skirt was fine. Wtf?! They were forcing people to pay to hire clothes. Yet groups of people were coming out of the Palace / Temple in shorts and singlets, some females were wearing next to nothing! Obviously the guard wasnt as vigilant when they arrived....

We did however achieve loads of shopping! We went to the weekend markets, to the local markets, the impressive malls around Siam Square, and the tourist markets in Banglamphu. Its odd though that so many places refuse to let you try on anything - how are we supposed to know what it looks like and wether we want it?!! Its not often that I have shopping sprees (usually all my money goes towards travel!) so its been so fantastic treating ourselves. Only downside is having to carry everything!! In hindsight we shouldve done all our market shopping in Phnom Pehn though - money goes alot further there. Also had a fantastic foot massage / relexology. The 4th massage so far on this trip - I'm going to miss this!

I also had to subject myself to going back to the dentist again. Hopefully this time the problem is solved.... Ive been to the dentist 3 times in the last 4 months (in 3 differant countries) and each dentist have "discovered" differant things wrong. Its really making me loose faith in their abilities, and loose trust that theyre telling the truth and not trying to just make more money...

Anyways, we are now off on our last overnight mission down to the south of Thailand. Island hopping for the next 3 weeks (and looking for wedding venues)! Very exciting!

Sihanoukville, Koh Rong Island & Phnom Pehn, Cambodia

cwalker1218 — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 22:21:00 GMT

After an intense wide range of emotions experienced in Takeo, we shared a taxi for 3.5 hours with some of the other NFO volunteers down to the beaches of Sihanoukville. Serendipity is the main beach, completely catering to backpackers. Its a neat town packed with bars, restaurants, tourist offices and shops. Every inch of sand on the beach is covered with chairs and sun loungers belonging to the waterside strip of funky bars. Its an awesome place if you are wanting to party, but not exactly quiet and peaceful which we preffered at this point.

The following day we jumped on a boat for 2 hours which took us to the island of Koh Rong Samloem. Its fairly deserted, covered in dense bush, except for the tiny main town where the locals lived very simply. Basic wooden shacks on the sand or built out over the water with swinging hammocks and barefooted children running around in amongst the wild chickens and dogs. No roads that we could see. We attempted to snorkel but the water was quite murky and our snorkelling equipment wasnt of the best quality. We saw many menacing looking spikey black urchins though! Near the town there was no main beach but the island is known for its unspoilt peices of paradise. Unfortuntely, staying in the bungalows where the beautiful beaches are on the other side of the island was a bit outside of our price range. Bungalows were around $35-$65 per night which in the western world is an absolute steal, but being unemployed and long term travellers....

Another boat took us half an hour away to the busier island of Koh Rong. We arrived to powder white sand, clear blue waters and rows of palm trees. It was stunning. Unfortunately though, tourism is destroying it. Rubbish littered the ground and there were puddles of smelly stagnant water. Basic wooden buildings lined the beach which housed hostels, restaurants and bars. We met up with Laura & Katie from NFO and spent 2 days relaxing, swimming, sunbathing and drinking a few cocktails. In the dark we waded out into the water and witnessed plankton lighting up like fireflies or glitter as we moved. Unfortunately the full usual effect that we had heard about was dimmed by the water being infested with these weird jelly like creatures (not jellyfish). It felt disgusting thudding against our skin so we didnt last long in the water!

The island was incredible but being the nana that I am these days, I couldnt cope with the lack of sleep. The bungalows were away from most of the noise but the hostels were above the bars. We were in a hostel of course and the music pounded on into the early hours until the whole islands power shut down (which happens every night). Then the drunken rowdy voices continued on much longer. Our room walls were paper thin so we could hear every word and bodily function of our neighbours - one of which decided to have a loud skype conversation at 2am and then watched a movie. Then the builders next door start up at 7am. Even the insects have a high pitch squel thats constant and grates on the nerves. The local kids catch them, impale them on a stick, cook them over candles and eat them. Gross!

We ended up heading back to Sihanoukville. The 4 of us checked out Otres beach which is quieter than Serendipity. We had lunch at this neat cafe / hostel on the beach where all the buildings were made with a thatched roof shaped as a mushroom. Cute!

The girls left to Siem Reap and a day later we got a 5 hour bus to Phnom Pehn. As we walked to a hostel I saw a whole lot of ducks tied onto the back of a motorbike by their feet. They were still alive. Ive seen cages so full with pigs and chickens too that they stand on top of one another and their legs stick through the bars. I understand that animals are just food here but it makes me so sad to see how cruelly they are treated :(

We spent 3 nights in Phnom Pehn and I finally had a full uninterrupted 8 hour sleep for the first time in a few weeks. Bliss! The city was a lot more modern than I expected. There are loads of main brand shops and new looking buildings. We explored the streets, visited pagoda's, did a little shopping at the massive markets, and ate along the riverfront in one of the many modern looking restaurants. We went to the Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda and the buildings were beautiful but they are definitely pushing the prices up to take advantage of tourists!

One day was spent learning more about Cambodia's history. It was tough, emotional heartbreaking day. For 3 years, 8 months and 20 days between 1975 - 1979, the Khmer Rouge (a Cambodian communist group), led by Polpot - Cambodias version of Hitler - took over the country and forced everyone into slavery in the countryside. Phnom Pehn was completely cleared out. People worked 12 hours a day on next to no food - many of which died of starvation or exhaustion. Anyone who was educated, lived in cities, could speak english, worked for schools & hospitals, were monks etc were murdered. 3 million people died - out of the then population of 8 million.... The Khmer Rouge soldiers mainly consisted of uneducated impoverished young farmers who were told that city people were greedy & evil and if they joined the movement, they would be promised food and a solid career. They were forced to kill people - even thier own families & friends - or they would be killed themselves. Whenever I see someone over the age of 45, I know that they have lived through this horror. I have complete respect for their strength & they are still capable of seeing beauty & happiness in this world.

We visited Tuol Sleng Musuem which was once a school, then converted into a prison. People who was deemed traitors (educated people, monks etc) were housed here in tiny cells & shackles. They were tortured..... Blood stains still mark the concrete floor. Now the rooms are full with mugshots taken of the prisoners as they arrived. Their faces wore many expressions - confusion, hope, anger, terror, defeat. Some already looked dead inside. 20,000 people went through that horrible place - men and women, elderly and children. Reading about it, it just feel surreal. How could it be possible that we were capable of doing this to one another? But looking into the eyes of each person in those photographs - it really hit home. The worst though, was the close up photos of the tortured mutilated starved dead bodies & their lifeless slack faces....

We also went to the Killing Fields which is where most of the prisoners were taken to be disposed of. By this point they were too weak to fight, even if they wanted too. They were herded by the truckload, knelt infront of pits, & beaten to death with sticks & farming tools (as bullets were too expensive). Their bodies were piled on top of thousands of others & they were buried. Babies heads were smacked against trees & added to the pile. Now, walking around the field with our audio guides, its hard to imagine what happened there. The buildings are all gone and the pits are now just water filled holes all next to each other in a row. But during the rainy season, cloth and small bones & teeth still raise to the surface. All the bigger bones have been excavated already but the major reminder of the horror is a tall skinny glass building filled with thousands of cracked skulls & jaw bones.

I would like to think that if I were faced with my own death or being forced to kill someone, especially a loved one, I would choose death. But how do we know how we would react? How do we know what we would be capable of? Facing torture would be terrifying. One of my biggest fears is not of death itself, but of dieing slowly & painfully. Murder is bad enough, but torture? Its the worst thing imaginable. It absolutely sickens me that Greed, Power, Money & Religion is capable of causing murder and war. It really makes me so disheartened by the human race. We are the only creatures in the world that kills for fun, or just because we can....

Volunteering at NFO - Takeo, Cambodia

cwalker1218 — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 21:07:00 GMT

(http://www.newfuturesorganisation.com/)

We jumped on a bus in Kampot heading to Phnom Pehn and got off halfway, an hour and a half later, in a small town called Angtasom. NFO is generally the only thing foreigners would go to Takeo for, so seeing foreigners for this region is quite a treat. Tuktuk drivers practically fell over their own feet in excitement when they saw us get off the bus. We made sure the driver knew where NFO was in Takeo, 11kms away, and off we went into the rural countryside of Cambodia. He was so proud of his $5 fare that he would shout the number out while holding up 5 fingers as he passed other drivers on the way there!

I had heard about NFO (New Futures Organisation) through a friend, Izy Berry, who had become a regular volunteer there. Because of her, other friends had also gone there to volunteer. They spoke so highly of it that I absolutely had to go there myself. It didn't take long for me to see what they meant when they said they left a piece of their heart there.

Once we arrived at the NFO Volunteer house, we met Neville, the Director. He explained to us how he came to be doing what he does and what things we could do during our stay. Originally it started with running the orphanage but grew to opening 7 village schools and also teaching the towns Chief of Police and Monks. He was very vague about the actual schedule of how things are run and what we actually needed to do. There was no course structure to teach the kids and it seemed like we could just do anything we wanted.

I instantly felt nervous and overwhelmed. I'm the sort of person who needs structure. I'm not much of a spontaneous fly by the seat of my pants sort of girl. Once we met some other long term volunteers that were also staying on site, it became clear that all direction and guidance was to come from them. Nic & Nige gave us ideas on what to teach the kids at school and how it all works, and I relaxed.

They took us to the orphanage to meet the 45 kids, ages ranging from 5 to 18, that lived there. It was one big house with all the boys on bunks on the bottom floor and all the girls on bunks on the top floor. There was a work shop where they could learn to make furniture, a sewing room, and a beauty room where they could learn about make up, hair and nails. There was also an area to play volleyball - which they were very good at!

It was a bit awkward at first as this was their home, we were strangers, and we didn't know what was appropriate. A big group of the kids came over and introduced themselves in better English than I expected. Some were very affectionate, and some were very reserved. When they asked how long we were staying and we said a week, it was clear that they were disappointed. It never occurred to me until that moment just how hard it must be on them to have people come and go all the time, especially as most of them had lost so much already. Not all of the children were orphans, some of them were taken in because of violence or parents being unfit to look after them or too poor. I instantly wished I could really make a difference in their lives. I wish I could help more.

Afterwards all of us volunteers went to Delikes, which is the only Western / Khmer restaurant in Takeo. NFO volunteers pretty much went there for every meal and it was so cheap! We could have a good meal and a drink for only $2 US, compared to the usual $4-8 + in tourist areas.
Their lemon ice tea was so good, we ended up buying a tin off them!

The NFO Volunteer house was an old guest house so we had our own room (separate single beds) and basic ensuite. Unfortunately the fan wasn't great and it was incredibly hot, so it was difficult to have a decent sleep. The entire time we were in Takeo it felt like we were constantly covered in a film of grime and sweat, despite many cold showers.

It was $7 a night for our room, $2 a day to rent bikes (although we didn't know this was an added cost until we went to pay before we left!) and a $25 US each registration fee. It was the first volunteer organization I had heard of that didn't charge a huge fee to participate.

The next afternoon we all set out on our bikes to Prey Run village to teach at Lil Po school. It was roughly 7kms away in the scorching sun, down a pot holed dusty dirt road, past stunning lush green rice fields and through a village alive with animals - cats, dogs, massive pigs, cows, ducks, chickens etc

As we passed the simple wooden homes, we heard a high pitch scream of delight from the children as they spotted us. Hordes of them rushed out onto the street yelling "HELLO HELLO!!!" with humungous grins, jumping around in excitement and high fiving us as we rode past. It was the most bizarre experience! It felt like we were famous or were Santa Claus! Its amazing that after foreigners visiting the village almost every day for 5 years, the novelty still hadn't worn off for them.

At Lil Po, we met Team who is the only full time Khmer (Cambodian) teacher there. He has an endless smile and is very affectionate, eager to learn and enthusiastic. Its clear that the kids follow his lead in these factors. He teaches over 150 students ranging in ages and skill level. Its incredible how they respond to him - as a welcome to us volunteers, he directed them with a few words and they eagerly responded with various songs, hand movements or sentences in perfect unison. It was like the perfect little army and the effect of over 150 young voices all shouting and singing in unison was astounding. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face! All together they asked us one by one - How are you, What is your name, Where are you from and cheekily - Do you have a boyfriend?! Words cant even describe how it felt to witness such a performance.

Seeing as a lot of the longer term volunteers had gone away for a long weekend, Andrew and I took over one of their classes. The little girls rushed to grab my hands, and the boys grabbed the white board, and we were lead to the nearby Pagoda which was to become our make shift class room. We had a class of 11 students, ranging in age between 8 and 12. It quickly became apparent that the ideas we had for our lesson was too advanced for our particular group of kids. As we explained what we would like to teach them, they just stared at us. So we were forced to improvise! We managed to stumble our way through the first half of the lesson (45 minutes) and then we had a break at Thavy's iced coffee stand with the other volunteers.

Andrew and I don't enjoy coffee but we were instructed to try the iced coffee, and we had to admit, it was delicious! Thavy was an adorable lady who was so eager to learn whatever English words we would teach her. Nic & Nige had been volunteering for 4 months and it was clear that they had done a good job teaching her! It was obvious that they had made such an impact in the community as so many locals knew them and were comfortable with them, and the kids absolutely adored them. It was inspiring and I wished I could stay long enough to become so accepted and part of the community as well. (I think though that it had a lot more to do with their personality's than just the length of their stay.)

After our break, the kids were a lot more relaxed with us. We came back to a message written on the white board "We love you Andrew & Kat!" Awwww, how adorable! We played some games and had a lot of fun. As we went to leave we were surrounded and given many pictures the kids had drawn and countless high fives. We headed back to Takeo feeling fulfilled and rather special.

We stopped in at the Orphanage for an hour before it got dark and hung out with the kids. One of the volunteers, Laura, started teaching some of the boys how to play the guitar. They were so eager to learn and picked it up very quickly.

The next morning we went with Nic to teach the police for a few hours. The lesson consisted of reading through a passage and going over words they struggled to pronounce or didn't know the meaning of. The passage was about fleas! It felt very bizarre sitting with the Chief of Police and 2 other staff, discussing the English language and fleas! Nic had an excellent banter going on with them and they loved it. We went through some questions and they were determined not to get any wrong. Before coming to a decision they would seriously discuss it among themselves and it was very entertaining.

Once all the other volunteers were back in Takeo and more had arrived, we weren't sure what the afternoon would hold for us as we no longer had a class to teach. We weren't sure if we would be needed back at Lil Po and Neville didn't offer any direction. There are 6 other schools that would take volunteers, but 5 of them were too far away and we would have to pay extra for transport. The other one was Ben Mao, and we had been told that the kids were a lot rougher and unruly. They were still to learn classroom etiquette.

Then the bike for our rooms were taken by someone else and I didn't know what other bike to take as I didn't want to annoy the person it was assigned too. Unfortunately most of them were broken or had flat tires as well. It was frustrating how unorganised it all was and we constantly discussed little things that could be tweaked to make the organisation better and so that all of the schools were equally benefiting from the volunteers.

Andrew pumped up some tires and we ended up following the group to Lil Po again. Team was very excited to have so many volunteers and some of the kids who don't usually get to work with foreigners had the chance to do so. When Team asked the remaining students who wanted to go with us, most of them quickly shot up their hands. We had 10 students and Team told us their English is basic so to just go over the alphabet and simple things. They were very well behaved and enthusiastic and knew a lot more than we expected. We had a lot of fun with them drawing pictures, going through words and playing games. Some of the government school kids on their break sat and watched.

The government school is free but it is required that they wear a uniform and they must provide all their own books and transport. Some family's are even too poor to do that, which is why NFO took the school to them in their own villages and provided all the books. There is no uniform and the kids wear mismatched dirty clothes and patterned colourful flannel pyjamas. Even the adults wear pyjamas out and around town. It is perfectly acceptable! Neat!

During our break, the girls that we taught the previous day ran at me with big smiles and gave me the hugest cuddle like I was the most important person on the universe. It was at that moment that everything shifted for me. I had gone to Takeo happy that I was doing a good deed donating my time to charity and doing my bit for the world. It quickly changed from patting myself on the back to being so rewarded, humbled and moved by the experience and made to feel so loved, adored and special, that I felt like I was getting more from it than they were. It was also so fantastic seeing how much Andrew was loving it too and we started thinking about cutting out other plans in our travels to stay longer. Being the planner that I am, I even started thinking about how we could commit to coming back regularly and really make a difference. How could we make it work when we have little ones of our own soon? We can find a way! I didn't want to disappoint or let down those kids, those little rays of sunshine.

Afterwards we went back to the Orphanage again. The girls there had told me that they had run out of nail polish so I got some at the markets for them. Schremon (not sure how its spelt) is a beautiful 14 year old girl and she painted my nails like an expert. Then she convinced me to play volleyball with Andrew and some of the others. Sports not really my thing but I coped!

Our third day back at the school, we had the same class as the second day. We went through the parts of the body - nose, ears, eyes etc They were very clever. Then we played some more games. From the 2 classes that we had taught, we had begun a little fan club and they were never far away from our side. The experience was so incredible and amazing that I just loved being there and being around them. But unfortunately, disaster stuck.

When we got back to the house, police were everywhere. Neville had passed away. He suffered a heart attack and his 11 year old adopted daughter had found him..... Everyone was in shock and we all sat together dumbfounded. Before going to the school I had just had a massive conversation with him about things he could do with social media and job boards to increase the amount of long term volunteers he had. Before leaving to school I had said "see you in a few hours". How could he be gone? He suffered a heart attack a year ago and hadn't be following the rules as to what he should and shouldn't eat. He also had a horrible breath stopping rasping cough that he refused to go to the doctor about. Life suddenly seemed so short and so fragile. What if, What if.....

Then the panic started. What was going to happen to NFO? The orphanage? The schools? Funding? What about his daughter? She no longer had a legal guardian in Cambodia. Fear and sadness started discussions that had the Chinese whisper effect, distorting information. It sounded like everything was going to be shut down, no one could take over and the police were being difficult. We were all asked to leave as soon as possible as there was fear that the police would try and pin liabilities on foreigners for bribes. The legalities of everything became a real mess and it didn't look like we were even allowed to say goodbye to the kids. That was horrible enough for us but absolutely heart breaking for the long term volunteers who didn't want the kids to think they had just abandoned them.

Things became a little clearer the next day. Neu & Matt, the other directors of NFO, had come down to Takeo from Phnom Pehn. Neu is 7 months pregnant so it would be difficult for them to pack up their lives and take over at this point in time. Camkids who funded half of the organisation also came down. They will take over most of the costs for the orphanage, along with other fundraising, and the schools will continue with just the one teacher each. The most important thing is that the kids at the orphanage are safe and looked after and I'm also very glad to hear that the schools will continue. Sadly though, the volunteer programme has been shut down completely. The volunteer house had been closed and vacated with most of the contents (mattresses, fans, bikes etc) going to the orphanage. Neu & Matt are hoping that in time they will be able to start it up again but they will need to find the right person to manage it, and there are many legality and paperwork issues that need to be sorted first.

Cambodia is very big on protecting children from abuse here which is excellent. There is also a huge concern about Orphanage Tourism where kids become a tourist attraction. Tourists come for a few days, take photos like they are at the zoo, and then leave, leaving the kids disheartened and their privacy violated. I totally agree that kids at the orphanage need stability in their lives and talks of enforcing a rule of a minimum volunteer period of 1-2 months is totally fair. The kids love meeting people from different countries with experience in many different hobbies and careers - it opens their eyes to the world and the possibilities, and they really do benefit from it. NFO usually had a minimum requirement of a week and most of that time is spent at the schools, not the orphanage. A very high percentage of volunteers at NFO become regulars or long termers. There was a rule about not taking photos at the orphanage without permission. I just gave my camera to the kids and they took photos of what they liked.

As for the schools, having volunteers to learn from and have fun with is huge for them as well. I really do hope that the organisation gets back on its feet soon. There are a lot of upset regulars and long term volunteers who are being told they can't come back indefinitely. It absolutely breaks my heart thinking that I may never be able to see these kids again. Yes, Neville could be lazy, but he had a heart of gold and did a really good thing with that organisation. Lets hope that all his hard work doesn't go to waste. NFO was earning a fabulous reputation and it has so much potential.

Once the devasatating news broke, the weather followed the mood. Thunder and lightening boomed and torrential rain began bucketing down.
Luckily we were allowed to go and say goodbye, so somberly we all headed out in the rain on the bikes to Lil Po. The village kids, unaware of recent events, still happily screamed Hello and wanted to high five us. Each time, it broke our hearts even more. They too will be effected by Neville's death. They wont understand why no foreigners will come past anymore.
The kids at the school were told that we all had to leave and they were incredibly sad. One bit of bad news at a time... I'd hate to see their faces when Team told them that no more foreigners were coming anymore. How to explain why? We got loads of cuddles and everyone wanted group photos. It was devastating. Some of Nic & Niges kids were hysterical and cried.....
We went to the Orphanage to say goodbye and reassure them that their home is safe. They were very upset, terrified and worried. If NFO stopped, they would be either on the streets or separated into other homes.

Finally, it became about Neville as a person, and not the domino effect his death had on everyone else.
Nevilles body had been at the Pagoda being embalmed and blessed by the Monks as the hospital wouldn't take him. Because of this, being exposed to the elements, the funeral had to be quick. His family couldn't afford to send him to the UK and it would take too long to process insurance, so it was decided that he would have a Cambodian funeral and his ashes would be sent to the UK. That night we rode in the dark to the pagoda.
He had been placed in a big box high up on a pedestal that was built and decorated with colourful flashing lights lit up like a Christmas Tree. Fireworks lit him on fire and for an hour, we watched his cremation.... It was very surreal and bizarre. The staff who had built the structure just sat in front of it and ate their dinner! Such a different culture that that wouldn't be seen as disrespectful. The police even had Neville's daughter filling out paperwork.... Some of the kids from the orphanage were there, as well as various locals and monks. Even the staff from Delikes restaurant came. No volunteers coming to Takeo will impact their business in a big way and it will effect the markets a lot too. Schremon balled her eyes out while gripping me in a grief filled hug.
When we left, the sky cleared and we could see millions of stars. It was so stunning and beautiful, it was like the skies were accepting him in and absorbing our pain.

The next morning we packed up the house the best we could and everyone left (except for a few long termers who were helping clean up the paperwork side of things).
Neville's daughter will remain with Neu & Matt until they can get her to the UK to her adopted mother.

I was only there for such a short time, 6 days, but the impact on me was still incredible. I feel so lucky and fortunate that we got to meet the kids and experience what we did. A piece of my heart really will be left behind there and I hope one day that we can return. It was amazing seeing the REAL Cambodia and not just remain on the beaten tourist track. Cambodia is the Land of Smiles. The kids smiles are infectious, and the smiles that break out of a stern adults face is such a huge transformation that your whole image of them changes, and you feel privileged to have that glorious genuine smile directed at you.

RIP Neville, we will remember you.

Photos: Cambodia - The land of smiles

cwalker1218 — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 15:41:00 GMT

Phu Quoc, Vietnam / Kep & Kampot, Cambodia

cwalker1218 — Sun, 3 Nov 2013 01:10:00 GMT

In Ho Chi Minh we squeezed our bags onto a local bus to get out to the airport. Our flight on a tiny little plane with a propeller took an hour to the island of Phu Quoc. We arrived at a bare and empty, brand new airport. We hadn't pre-booked accommodation as usual so we had no pre-arranged transport, the only option was a taxi and it cost the amount of one night in a hotel... ouch. We went to the islands main centre thinking that it would be easy enough to find somewhere to stay.

All the decent accommodation is stretched out the length of Long Beach and down long driveways so walking with our bags in the heat for a long distance wasn't an option. We ended up getting a place in town for the night but it was more expensive than what we ended up paying on the beach! Nice places started at $30 and air con rooms were almost double the price of fan rooms. The next morning we rented a motorbike and went searching for other options. We found a nice fan room at a hotel right on the beach for our usual budget of $10 US a night (Called Lien Hiep Thanh). Score! It was down a street with tourist offices, restaurants and bars so we didnt even need to go into town again. Andrew ferried all our luggage back and forth between hotels on the bike then we set off down to the south part of the island to have a look around. The island has a grim history - it is the home of the one of the main prisons the Americans used to keep and torture Vietnamese during the War.

The first part of the Long Beach stretch catered to tourists but most of it was deserted. The island is the quietest place we've been in all of Asia so far (until we got the Kep & Kampot in Cambodia). We drove for 20 minutes along the stretch of sand on a dirt road and only passed a few shacks and fishing boats. There were signs everywhere with pictures of new resort developments to come though. They looked incredibly fancy - I would say that in 10 years time we wouldn't even recognise the island! We went to Sao Beach which is supposed to be the nicest on the island - turquoise waters and powder white sand. Unfortunately though, we didnt catch it on its best day. Due to change of seasons the beach was covered in washed up bits of wood, rubbish and seaweed, the water was murky and rough and even though it was hot, it was overcast which sucked the colour and feeling of paradise out of the surrounding palm trees and bush. At the moment there are a few basic restaurants there and thats it. Im sure this will change!

I pinched a nerve in my lower back and over a few days it became very painful. I got a massage which is my fourth so far in Asia and its the first time I was actually in a private room and on a proper massage bed with a hole for the face. There was even a fish bowl under the hole for my viewing pleasure! The massage felt great but it was very soft so didnt help the pain.

We spent the entire next day on sun-loungers under thatched huts on the beach outside of our hotel. The first half of the day was overcast and then the sun come out and the whole beach and sky instantly became bright and divine. The water was clear and blue, and the sand a soft orange. We read, swam and ate all our meals on the sand. We even saw a lady's pet monkey playing in the water like a toddler. When the day turned to night after a brilliant sunset, squid boats glowed out in the ocean, coloured lanterns lit up, soft music set the mood and it became very romantic. Being Halloween, a bonfire was lit further down the beach and a small relaxed party began.

Halloween 3 years ago I flew to Canada. A week later I met Andrew. Halloween 2 years ago we were in Colombia. Last year - New Zealand. Next year - Australia. Phew!

We bought a combined ticket of transfer to the wharf, 1.5 hour boat ride to Ha Tien, bus to the border of Cambodia then onwards to Kep. We couldve done it on our own but it wouldve been more hassle and cost alot more. It is known that taxis and even border officials over charge tourists because they can. Of course though, with the combined ticket, it is just another chance for someone else to make more money. In Ha Tien we were taken to a cafe where they said we had to buy our entry visas for Cambodia. It seemed a bit of a weird process but there were 20 of us together so we all just went with it. We waited at the cafe for an hour (so we had the chance to spend money buying food and drink of course) and then were told to get into a van to go to the border to pick up our passports. Once we got there, there was more waiting and we didn't really know what was going on. But in the end it all worked out. We walked in the boiling heat over the dusty road that marked the crossing and had to pay a compulsory $1 for a "health check". A plastic thing was held up to our foreheads to test our temperature. Right.

Back in a van and Welcome to Cambodia! Half an hour later we were dropped off in a tiny town in Kep. It wasnt what I expected, there was next to nothing there, and a small basic orange sand beach but it had a little charm. As Andrew was finding somewhere to stay and I waited with the bags, a local told me in broken English that New Zealand women are beautiful and he would like a New Zealand girlfriend. Ummm thanks! It was sweltering hot so we treated ourselves and paid extra for air con. Hammocks under thatched covers lined the beach and whole families sat in a big circle eating their meals together. They all play in the water together fully clothed. Its nice watching them all smile and seem so happy.

We only stayed one night and then headed half an hour to the next town of Kampot for one night. Its a small grid of streets (only some were tar-sealed, the others were dusty and muddy) next to a pretty river. There isn't much to see unless you get out into the National Park but it also has some charm. We wondered around for as long as we could stand the heat. We ate a cafe where all the staff were deaf and ordered by ticking next to pictures and words of what we wanted. There were also a few massage places that were operated by the blind. How fantastic that no one is discriminated! A local girl told me that she works 12 hours a day, 7 days a week and only gets paid $90 a month. All of that goes to support her elderly mother. She was fascinated that we could afford to travel so long. It made my heart break and bleed for her and all the people like this in the world. Still, she is fortunate and has what is considered a well paying job here. Teachers for example only get $30 a month.

Little bit extra about Cambodia:

The country uses the US dollar. US currency is what we get out of the ATMs. But they also use their own currency of riel, although tourists mainly use them for small purchases only.
You can try Duck Embryo, Grilled Tarantula, Crickets and fermented Fish paste here. Urgh.
To begin with, Cambodia was influenced by China and India. Then the Angkorian era lasted from AD 802 to 1432. Thailand sacked Angkor in 1351 and again in 1431. From 1600 to the arrival of the French in 1864, the Kings swayed between being mastered by Thailand and Vietnam. If the French had not arrived, the country would have ended up falling to one of them. In 1907 the French persuaded Thailand to give back much of Cambodias land including Siem Reap and the famous Angkor Watt. Cambodia declared independence in 1953.
Cambodia got badly damaged during the Vietnam War. Much of it is still unusable from the American bombs that still danger the rural jungle areas. The country has one of the highest numbers in the world for limb loss.
A revolutionary group called the Khmer Rouge emerged in Cambodia and in 1975 they attacked Phnom Penh. I recommend reading a book called "First they killed my father"by Luong Ung. Its a true story of what happened to her and her family during this time. Everyone was forced to march into the countryside and work as slaves for 12-15 hours a day with barely any food. Almost 2 million died of starvation and sickness or were killed because they were educated, spoke another language or were monks. All art, books, musical instruments, religious and Europen buildings were destroyed except luckily, most of Angkor Watt. The horror continued for almost 4 years. Vietnam intervened. The book describes it in so much detail, and is so heartbreaking and horrifying, that I found it hard to believe it is real. Suddenly all the small problems that we face in our day to day lives seemed so trivial.
After the liberation, rice wasn't being planted so there was a massive famine. The country has slowly been getting back to its feet ever since. There are around 15 million people in Cambodia, and the country is half the size of Vietnam. Life expectancy is only 62 years old. Most people are either Buddhist or Hindu.

The Misadventure to Nha Trang / & Saigon City

cwalker1218 — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 14:40:00 GMT

Our 13 hour overnight bus journey turned into a 24 hour nightmare!

We departed from Hoi An around 5pm. Our "sleeping" bus was very unusual. It had bunk bed style seats with two levels, where your legs are stretched out into a cubby hole under the persons seat infront of you. The seat was locked into a half reclined position which leaned too far back to sit up comfortably but was too high to lie down. The seat cover felt like grimey carpet that made my skin crawl and itch. Still, it was cheap and it would do! We settled in for the ride.

In Asia and South America, all transportation seem to have their own code. They do as they please. They stop whenever they want, to pee, to visit a friend, to drop something off, to pick up people on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, to buy snacks or cigerettes from a passing stall etc We stopped at a gas station and ended up sitting there for an hour. I wish it was just the driver doing as they please but unfortunately the bus had broken down. They fiddled with it and eventually got it running again. Hurrah! But half an hour later, we stopped again. And it didn't move again. At all.

The driver jumped onto one of the spare bunks and went to sleep. The locals on the bus started hitching with passer bys in the pitch blackness of the night. Anyone who knew what was going on didn't speak english. So all us foreigners just sat there, unsure of where we were and wether we should find our own way or to go to sleep and wait to be rescued. Surely they would send another bus?

Without air con running, the bus became very stifling and smelly. Andrew and I were surrounded by 2 men snoring loudly like they were operating machinery. I managed to get an hours sleep but we spent most of the time wondering around in the dark coolness outside waiting for head lights from another bus to arrive.

It's ironic that this happened after we had avoided overnight buses in the north of Vietnam because we had heard the standard was rubbish. We splashed out on going on the train instead. But the south was supposed to be better! We contemplated the train but we would've had to get a bus an hour back to Danang from Hoi An to the train station and it seemed like too much effort. Heh.

A massive 9.5 hours later, the driver started yelling and gesturing at us to get into a passing van filled with locals. All we knew was that it would apparently take us to our destination of Nha Trang. We had no idea how long it would take or what was required of us. Money passed hands between the 2 drivers so we assumed our passage was paid for. As it should be! We were shocked and quickly reminded that weren't in the western world when 21 of us was forced into the back of a van that only seated 13 - plus all our luggage! We had bags under our feet and on our laps. We were sitting on top of each other with no room to move, even a centimetre. People were standing along the wall of the door. It was amusing and everyone was taking pictures, but 3 hours later, noone spoke. Everyone looked grim, uncomfortable and in pain.

The van stopped from time to time on the side of the road for people to relieve themselves and a minute later the driver would shout and gesture to hurry up back into the van. He even thought that if he pushed our backs, that we would go faster like herding cattle! After that first 3 hours, he was furious that he was stuck with us and convinced another driver to take us - but we had to pay more for the service. At least this time there were 17 of us seated on 13 seats, which was a blessing to begin with, but was still horrible. I even sat on the floor wedged between the seats and the door for an hour to try and free up room for the guy that only had one butt cheek on the seat for hours. This section of the journey took another massive 5 hours.

The entire time we only managed to find noodles and white bread to eat. We had no official food stops but thankfully we are always prepared and bring extra snacks. With only the one hour sleep and non-nourishing food, we finally arrived to Nha Trang dirty, smelly and exhausted. The real wake up call though was the fact locals always travel like this without a word of complaint. If you want to get somewhere for cheap, you just do it. Hats off to them! I have to admit, I prefer the western world where you get relative comfort and the company is liable if things dont go as planned!

But no hard feelings, I was just happy we had finally arrived and could shower and go to sleep. Bliss! The thing I was most annoyed about was that my bag had been covered with cooking oil.

We had planned on staying in Nha Trang for a few days enjoying the beach and then go on to Dalat in the mountains. After such an exhausting experience though, and another whole wasted day, we unfortunately decided to skip Dalat and relax for longer. Its a shame as its meant to be a beautiful place but the thought of being in transit again so soon was too much. For 3 days, 4 nights we actually had a holiday! The weather was hot and sunny with a nice refreshing wind keeping us comfortable. The orange sand beach and rolling waves stretches for miles with hordes of foreigners soaking up the sun. The locals arrived after work as the sun set and started playing organised games of football and vollyball.

We enjoyed a cocktail in a nice bar with a pool next to the beach. We walked around the tourist town looking at all the shops and discovered that there were so many Russians there that resturants even had menus and signs in Russian. The palm tree lined sidewalk along the beach made us feel like we weren't in Vietnam - but the haze cloud in the distance was a reminder. We did a day trip out on a boat with a small group of Brits and Europeans. We were taken out to pretty uninhabitable islands where we jumped off the boat, swam and snorkelled. There was some cool fish and coral but it still doesn't beat Fiji!

One of our days we went on supposedly the worlds longest cable car over to VinPearl Island to it's amusement park and water park. The whole island was covered in a smoggy haze so the beach wasnt stunning, they confisgated our snacks to force us to buy food - which was disgusting, the amusment park was more aimed at kids so not very amusing, and it was quite expensive for Asia's standards - but the saving grace was that it had an awesome water park. We went on all the slides and had a great time, despite the fact that they only had limited staff so various slides were only operating for an hour at a time on a rotation. Some of the slides were so extreme I even managed to give myself whiplash! My neck felt like I had been in a car accidant for 2 days afterwards.

We had the tough desicion of train vs bus again to get to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). We were wary about buses now but surely the chances of it happening twice in a row is slim?! The bus was half the cost of the train and it took us pretty much door to door to the hotel's so we decided to give it another go. This time, we spent 11.5 hours travelling by day - just so we could cope with the craziness in the city after a decent sleep! The bus was set up in the same way with the "bed bunks" but this time we could adjust the recline to a certain degree which was a great novelty. The journey went by comfortably with no disasters. The only downside was trying to make the battery on my ebook tablet last for the whole time! We stopped for lunch in a neat little beach town of Mui Ne which is becoming quite popular with tourists. The locals have these massive plastic bowls that they take out into the water and float around in to go fishing. Bizarre!

We were warned that Saigon's traffic was worse than Hanoi but I disagree. In Hanoi we stayed in the old qaurter though which had tiny streets that increased the chaos. In Saigon we stayed in the city and it actually seemed like most people obeyed traffic lights which made crossing roads easier. Either that, or we had learnt the system and felt more comfortable! The citys very modern with high rise buildings, shopping malls, expensive fancy shops and relatively clean streets (the locals are always out with their brooms). Its really just another city, but at night, the vibe is infectious with its flashing coloured lights and streets & bars pumping with activity.

We haven't been prebooking accomodation (other than Singapore) and have just been picking an area, turning up, and having a look at whats on offer. It was overwhelming picking a place in the tourist hotel alley in Saigon though - 15 hotels all next door to each other and trying to drag me in to see their rooms. All of the cheap rooms were up 6 floors of stairs, with peeling paint walls in tiny small rooms. For the same price as other hotels we have been staying at in Vietnam, the standard was alot lower, but it'll do! A young boy had dragged us from where the bus stopped to this alley to see his hotel and we didnt end up picking his. He looked so disappointed and I felt terrible. Its his job in the family to bring in customers. The alley catered purely to tourists with hotels and restaurants so it constantly has locals walking up and down trying to sell you things like cigaretts, books, dvds, sunglasses etc It can be annoying but I know theyre just trying to make a living.

We spent 3 nights in Saigon and explored the cities streets. We visited the Reunification Palace that the Vietnamese President used to work out of until it was bombed during the war. Now it still holds functions but is more of a tourist destination - its a bit of a time warp with its bunker underground with the old phones and type writers that they used to use. We also went to the War Remnants Musuem which was rather sobering.

It was heartbreaking seeing all the photos of the torture people were put through, the devastation of the bombs (which still causes deaths to this day), the statistics of the millions brutally killed and the disabilitys and birth defects caused by Agent Orange (the americans releasing chemicals over the jungle to drive out the rebels). The whole exhibition was extremely one sided though. I'm not condoning what the Americans did but the musuem made it out that they were trying to invade the country when really they were replying to a cry of help from the South. Communism still remains in 5 countrys of the world - Cuba, China, North Korea, Laos and Vietnam. In the 60's Russia and China supported Vietnams emerging communist group with money and guns. The country became split in two with the South not supporting the change. The South asked America, Australia, South Korea and New Zealand for help. The Vietnamese were alreay doing horrible things to each other before the American troops even arrived. But that isn't mentioned anywhere. Seeing as communism won in the end, it is portrayed that the whole of Vietnam always wanted communism and the Americans were interfering.

Still, America did take it too far. They tripled the amount of troops and money they provided for the Vietnam War than they did in World War 2. I don't think they realised just how devastating Agent Orange was going to be for the people either. Birth defects caused by men and women eating and drinking contaminated water and food were atrocious - enlarged heads, bulging eyes, shrivelled and contorted limbs etc Even American and Australian troops suffered. But America still to this day provides finances to support these people - all though of course, its never enough....

Its such a shame that a countries people have to suffer because of their governments decisions. So many unnecessary deaths for the greed of power. Its sickening, heartbreaking and astounding what people are capable of doing to one another. The Americans ended up withdrawing when almost the whole world held protests against their presence in Vietnam. Some people even lit themselves on fire and died to stress the seriousness of the situation.

We also visited the Cu Chi Tunnels which used to strech 250km around Saigon, almost to Cambodia. It started off as bomb shelters when the French occupied Vietnam but the communist supporters spent 12 years underground during the Vietnam war developing it and fighting from it. They built tiny little tunnels for the small size of the Vietnamese people to fit (Americans are too big) with hidden holes for air and guns to fire out of. The even had bunkers for a hospital, kitchens, sleeping, making bombs etc They stole american uniforms so that they could easily hide and the americans dogs couldnt smell them. They had a well for water and access to the river to bath and go toilet. They made thousands of hidden death traps filled with spikes that American soldiers would fall into as they ran through the jungle.

We only got to go underground for a very short time which was disappointing but it was a taste of what it would have been like. We had to crawl and it was incredibly hot. I have no idea how they managed to live under there for so long, even amongst the dropping bombs. It would have been a terrifying time for both sides of the war. Never being safe...

There was the option there for tourists to fire M16's and AK47's for an extra cost. The powerful guns are so loud they are almost deafening. I cant imagine having that noise constantly around me.

We only have 4 more days left in Veitnam and then we are on to Cambodia. The half way point of our trip! It feels like we have been travelling for an incredibly long time as we have done so much, but at the same time, the last 5-6 weeks has flown by.

Hue & Hoi An, Vietnam

cwalker1218 — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 23:18:00 GMT

Our overnight train from Hanoi to Hue (pronounced Hway) ended up taking 13 hours. We had booked a hard sleeper (6 beds in a cabin) instead of a soft sleeper (4 beds) to keep costs down. (The bus would've been cheaper but reviews were not in its favour due to poor standard of vehicles and erratic driving.) We actually slept better than expected, despite having 4 vietnamese room mates and not being able to sit up on our beds as we'd hit the roof. Basically 3 beds on top of each other in 2 rows are fitted into the same size cabin as those with the 2 rows of 2 beds! They only seem to change the sheets, not the duvets and pillowcases which is gross, but best not to think about!

Hue is a laid back, yet still buzzing, town with a brown river snaking through it and plenty of history. It was the political capital from 1802 - 1945. Its main draw card is the grand Citadel with a 6 metre high, 2.5 km wall surrounding it. It would have been quite spectacular in its day (before the americans bombed it during the war) but it hasnt been maintained very well and is falling apart. Still, we enjoyed exporing within the walls and Imperial City, and lots of renovations seem to have started.

On our second day, the rain began. The town began taping up windows, putting sand bags on roof's and chaining up doors. A thyphoon was coming. We decided to still go out and make the most of the time we had so we rented a motorbike and explored various Pagoda's and a fantastic tomb. Khai Dinh Tomb featured an army of fantastic stone statues, colourful mosaics and painted ceilings. Very impressive. Despite getting saturated (even through to our underwear!), we still had fun. That night, the full brunt of the storm hit.

Our bus the following day was cancelled due to the roads being closed from damage caused during the Typhoon. Winds were still gusting powerfully and the rain was torrential. We spent the whole day inside except for venturing out for meals. For lunch there was no power so we ate by candle light. Determined locals were still out and about on their scooters wearing ponchos which couldnt hold up against the horizontal rain, and the tourists were wondering around looking lost. By dinner time, the rain was only drizzling and the wind had calmed. The town was buzzing again.

The bus to Hoi An took under 4 hours and was filled with foreigners. As we drove through Danang, we could see that they seemed to get the biggest hit from the storm. Hundreds of trees were ripped out of the concrete and lay across the streets. Cleaning crews were out in force, but the rest of the city seemed deserted. Hoi An also got hit hard and the river flooded up over the first 2 streets in the old town. It took a few days for everything to be cleaned up and the water to recede before the beauty and charm of this town began to sparkle again.

Hoi An's old town has rows of ancient terracota buildings with pretty shutters over the windows and colourful lanterns hanging everywhere. The river is full of little boats offering their services. Not only is the town a lovely sight, it is known for its abundance of tailors. There are over 200 to choose from which is rather overwhelming! Everyone is trying to sell you something and are very vocal about it - tailors, food, hotels, jewellery, boat rides, motorbikes, massage etc Many tailors and hotels have scouts roaming the streets trying to get customers.

Each Tailors shop differs in styles and prices slightly and its hard to know which one is going to offer better quality. Places like Yaly Couture, A Dong Silk and Thu Thuy are at the top of chain - they are more expensive but are very professional with a high standard. The staff wear uniforms, they require more than one fitting as they are perfectionist's and they dont barter on price. Other stores staff wear jeans and t-shirts and beg for your business. They can be quite aggressive. But thats not to say that they don't do a decent job. We shared our love around over 7 tailors and got some fantastic purchases. Mainly outfits for work, a few casual things, my bridesmaids dresses and a suit for Andrew for the wedding. We are very happy with everything and the standard has been fantastic. (The only thing I was a bit disappointed about was some leather high heels I got made.) Time will tell as to how long everything holds together.

It's hard picking styles from pictures in catalogues and magazines, not knowing what fabrics they are and if they'll even suit your body shape. I much prefer being able to try things on first. Most stores have examples on manniqans and samples that you can try on but it still can be difficult. I have definitely learnt a lot about fabrics too. Some things I chose are quite stiff which I don't like and that is because of the type of fabric that I chose. In hindsight, I should have done alot more research into what fabrics I actually like. I have discovered that I prefer stretchy fabrics (especially for suits, I like to be able to move!) and I am in love with cashmere! I even got into a bit of silk! Chiffon for dresses is lovely too.

For a standard suit you are looking at $65-100 US. Shirts $15-30. Dresses $25-35. Winter Jackets $35-60. Leather Jackets $150. Shoes $25-40. Some things you could prob get back home in a cheap chain store, but for the higher range fabrics such as silk, leather and cashmere, thats where you save your money here.

We spent 3 days browsing stores, getting measured, going back for various fittings, getting alterations - back and forth, back and forth between stores. It was exciting but exhausting! Luckily everyone spoke decent english which helped the process. The weather has remained overcast but still hot and humid so we felt sticky during each fitting. We were planning on shipping everything to Australia but have read reviews of packages being tampered with, things being stolen, and whole packages not arriving all together. Its not even the loss of money which concerns me, but the fact that tailored clothing would be so hard to replace for the value we have spent. It would be devasatating to loose it all, so we looked into paying for excess luggage on our remaining flights. From what we've found online, it looks like it will actually be cheaper to take it with us. Safer too but very inconveniant. Now we have an extra bag to lug around.... But it'll be worth it!

On a free day we rented a motorbike and explored the area. We checked out the beach (still rather messy from the storm) and cruised the coastline known as China Beach to Danang. That beach is where the US Soldiers first arrived in Vietnam during the War. We stopped at Marble Mountain which we climbed up hundreds of steps to exlpore Pagodas, and various Buddha statues placed in large caves. There were many high view points that was worth the strenous climb - we had an impressive 360 degree view over the beach lined with resorts and the nearby city. We still had scatters of rain but for the first time in a week, the sun broke through and we ended up getting burnt!

A lady kindly offered free parking at her Marble Sculpture shop, but of course, noone does anything without wanting something in return. When we didnt want to buy anything she instantly changed from a smiling kind person to a petulant rude child storming off in a huff! There were many 'helpful' people roaming the Marble Mountains with their hands out for payment. I have to remind myself not to get annoyed - these people are just doing what they can to survive. It's just the way things are here. There were 2 men in suits though that just wanted a chat - they were fascinated with Andrew and asked him to pose in photos with them! So funny!

We rode around the city of Danang along the beach and over the many bridges stretching over the large river. I witnessed my first Asian traffic accidant between locals. A guy on a scooter hit a guy crossing the street. Luckily they both got up but were limping. The bike looked damaged too, but without a word, they both just got on with it and minutes later they had gone their seperate ways! The culture here deals with these things in a very differant way to the Western world! Back in Hoi An we explored other areas we hadn't seen yet and the connecting islands.

We had a favourite restaurant called Cafe 43 that we went back to at least once every day. The cost of food was reasonable and it tasted fantastic - and the beer is only 25 cents! Andrew did a cooking class with them to learn how to make our favourite dish - Chicken Curry and Spring Rolls. In Vietnam prices for meals range from $5-10 NZ per person and for a private air conditioned room with ensuite, around $14-22 NZ per night. The places we stayed at in both Hue (Amigo Hotel) and Hoi An (Phuoc An Hotel) were fantastic and great value for money. Phuoc An even had a small pool but unfortunately we didn't have the time (or the good weather) to enjoy it.

We spent 5 nights in Hoi An and would've loved to have stayed more. It was a nice treat to stay in one place for so long, I've gotten quite settled! Now unfortunatly we have to endure our first overnight bus for this trip.

Sapa & Halong Bay, Vietnam

cwalker1218 — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 23:25:00 GMT

We had a friend keeping us company as we waited for our night train to Sapa in Hanoi. She was about six years old, had an adorable face, huge smile, boundless energy, was barefoot and her clothes and hair were absolutely filthy. She was fascinated by me and spent almost an hour drawing me pictures, playing with my tablet and our bags, taking photos and being as close to me as possible. She didn't speak a word of english and was so thoroughly entertained by every little thing. I ended up giving her my bead bracelet that she was playing with and she was thrilled. It was lovely meeting her but it was also exhausting as she was non stop! Her mother was desperately trying to sell water and snacks to anyone who would take them.

We boarded our train and were disappointed to see that it was nothing like the excellent over night one we went on in Thailand. We were allocated beds on the top bunks in a 4 bed cabin. There were stowaways allowed to sleep in the hallways, most likely for a small fee that went straight into the staffs pocket. We departed the station without roommates so we closed our door. For the next half hour the stowaways banged on the door trying to get in to score a free bed! At the next stop though, a vietnamese couple with actual tickets took the bottom bunks. Throughout the 9 hour journey, we rocked violently from side to side, uncomfortably roasting when they turned off the air con, with the wheels on the tracks roaring in our ears. Somehow we managed to get a few hours sleep and arrived in Lao Cai (a border city with China) around 5am. Before the train had even stopped, we had men trying to sell their shuttle services to Sapa to us.

The shuttle took an hour and as soon as we arrived, we were surrounded by gangs of colourful hill tribe women with their head bands and crazy leggings, with baskets and babies strapped to their backs. The onslaught of questions were the same and continuous throughout our stay there. "What's your name?", "Where are you from?", "How old are you?", "Come to my village!", "Buy from me?!" etc etc They were adorable and charming, some had fantastic sense of humours, but they were relentless and exhausting. They roamed the main streets and avoiding them was near impossible. The men zipped around on motorbikes in suit jackets and mainly kept to themselves. I met one girl the same age as me who has 4 children already!

Once we had found a nice hotel and were showered, feeling human again, we rented a motorbike. No paperwork necessary and off we went! Out on the open road we circled around massive forest covered mountains, saw waterfalls, and enjoyed the lower temperatures for a change. We also ventured off the nice tar sealed road onto gravel with massive potholes down through the valley to the hill tribes villages. The road was horrendous and the ride uncomfortable but the views were spectacular. Cascading rice terraces as far as the eye could see with a bubbling river snaking through the valley and little villages occupied by colourful people. As soon as we stopped the bike, we were surrounded again!

Heavy mists often cover the mountains but at the moment everything feels like its in a smoggy haze. I don't know wether its just the normal atmosphere or wether its pollution from their slash & burn farming and burning all their rubbish. Unfortunately, the haze made it very difficult to get decent photos as the distance was all a blur.

Sapa is growing from a small farming town to a bustling tourist destination. It is known for its hiking and the main town is full of shops selling hiking clothes and shoes, but we saw just as much on a motorbike - and it was super fun! It was nice going to our own time schedule. Hotels and restaurants are abdundant as well as countless massage places on offer. Once again I indulged and had a shoulder and neck massage. I sat on a big padded chair with the girl behind me, her legs on either side of me, and a cushion the only thing seperating our bodies! Very intimate with a stranger! We sat facing the door so people would walk past and stare and the zooming motorbikes made it far from relaxing! But it was great, just what I needed on my poor tired shoulders! Facebook didn't work for us in Sapa and I believe its because we were so close to China which has banned the website.

We spent one night in Sapa and then on the journey back to Lao Cai, we had the pleasure of a girl being car sick in the van with us.... I'm just glad it wasn't me!

This time we had no roommates on the over night train back to Hanoi but the stowaways having animated conversations in the hallway kept us awake for hours. I ended up speaking my mind to them and suprisingly they were quiet afterwards!

We arrived in Hanoi at the ridiculous hour of 4am and had 4 hours to kill before our tour bus to Halong Bay collected us. Like zombies we sat at the train station for a few hours then found a cafe to sit in for the remainder.

The drive to Halong Bay took 4 hours. Exhausted, we were sheepherded onto our boat and our itinerary was explained. No time to shower or rest! Lunch was served, the usual boring conversation with other travellers began (Where are you from, Where are you going next, How long have you been here etc) and then we went to a floating village where we kayaked for 40 minutes. Afterwards we went to a very impressive cave, but unfortunately it was packed full with tour groups which made it hard to enjoy. Then we were taken to a manmade beach on an island where we could swim as the sun set. Then back to the boat for dinner and then finally - bed! Phew!

Halong Bay is an incredible place. 300 + limestone rock formations stick up out of the emerald coloured water all over the bay with grottos formed by waves and wind. Some are covered with trees and even have monkeys and birds inhabiting them. Because the place is so spectacular, tourism is booming. Our junkboat sleeps 24 people plus 10 crew and we were one amongst hundreds all in one area. Our boat was supposedely middle range - there were some rather beaten up looking ones and some very impressive fancy ones with grand sails. The water is polluted and floating rubbish scattered the area - it was a very sad sight to see. We had originally wanted to go with Indochina Cruises as the reviews on them were excellant and the standard quite high. They also get away from the main tourist trail so it wouldve been quieter, but unfortunately they were booked a week in advance and we werent prepared.

Many people only get a glimpse of the bay in a day trip from Hanoi, others only stay on the boat for one night. Personally I think both of those options are incredibly rushed and you don't really get a true taste for the beauty of one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The following morning our group split off in other directions, some to Cat Ba island, others back to Hanoi. Andrew and I were the only ones who had opted for 2 nights on the boat. We considered the island, and its a shame we missed it, but we are visiting many islands on this trip and wanted to make the most of being out on the water in the boat.

Our second day (which all the one night visitors missed) was the best day and totally made the trip worthwhile. Andrew and I were picked up by a smaller boat where we sat on the roof relaxing on sun loungers and drifted away from the masses. We picked up two other couples from other boats and they both turned out to be from Melbourne! We had plenty of time to soak up the sun, relax and gaze at the incredible sights. (Unfortunately it was quite smoggy in Halong Bay too though and everything 100 metres in front of us was hazy.) We went for a long leisurely kayak through 2 caves into a hidden lagoon with perfectly still water that boats couldnt access. It was so peaceful and our guide sung beautifully to us as we drifted along. One of the caves were filled with bats and one was so low that we had to lie completely flat in our kayaks to get under it! Afterwards we were taken to a pretty place where we could jump off the roof of the boat and swim around. There were 6 other boats there but it was so much better than the masses. Our awesome guide did back flips off the boat - he loved the attention and was quite a character!

We cruised past a floating village where 600 people live in 160 houses build on floating platforms. There was a school on a boat, a floating mini super market, and even a mechanic! Fisherman and their families live in this community far away from the city. Its bizarre! Their young children are left to wonder free without fear of them drowning. They even have pet dogs and cats on a leash! The poor things have nowhere to run! Unfortunately the villages are the cause of alot of the rubbish floating around as well.... We also visited a pearl farm and saw how they are cultured. I never knew how much of a lengthly process it is and how much human interaction is involved!

Back on the big boat we were joined by a completely new group of people for our second night which felt very odd!

Our last day was mainly spent in transit. On the big boat, we cruised to Cat Ba island to drop off some of the new group and pick up some of the original ones then headed back to Halong Bay City. Our van back to Hanoi was packed solid to the point of being rather uncomfortable for everyone! Then we had 5 hours to kill before our next overnight train to Hue. Back to the cafe to use their wifi and relax on the couch! The worst part of travelling - the joys of being in transit...