Edge of Chaos 2011/2012

The "Come Down!"

grizzly_bear — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:19:00 GMT

Maybe the "Come Down" is a little bit harsh..maybe a "reflection" would be more appropriate!

Currently sitting in the vip lounge at Guangzhou airport in china (yep, i feel a little out of place, but am grateful for them letting me eat their muffins and sit on the couches), i have a little spare time (6 hrs)and hence might vomit up some philosophical bullshit!..

If i could have sat down at the start of 2011 and written out or imagined the things i would like to see, do and feel i literally couldnt have planned it any better than it has panned out! The places, the people, the experiences, the luck..its bullshit..From south america, to door to door sales man, to the rocky mountaineer and then down through asia, its been seamless..incredible.. As sad as it is to be wrapping up this leg of the journey, its nice knowning that its tucked away in the back of our minds in all its glorious perfection. It can never be taken away now which is an awesome feeling..Not to mention that we get to go home and catch up with all the coolest cats in the world!

Theres also the fact that our bodies are about 4 standard drinks from giving out..to say we have put our minds and bodies through the ringer would be a gross understatment, and we owe them a many thanks for holding out!

So as insanly perfect as it has been, its time for the next chapter, time for the next adventure..yeeeeeeeew

Vietnam (12/1-13/1)

grizzly_bear — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:04:00 GMT

After seeing the girls off and enrolling at uni i went back to bed for a couple of hours (as we didnt get too much sleep the previous evening).　Ｉ　ｈａｄ　ｈｅａｐｓ　ｏｆ　ｐｒｅｓｅｎｔ　ｓｈｏｐｐｉｎｇ　ｔｏ　ｄｏ　（ａｓ　ｄｉｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｂｏｙｓ）　ｓｏ　ｗｅ　ｈｉｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｔｒｅｅｔｓ。。ｉｔ　ｗａｓ　ｕｔｔｅｒ　ｃｈａｏｓ　ｉｎ　ａ　ｆｅｗ　ｍａｒｋｅｔｓ　ａｎｄ　ａｆｔｅｒ　ａｎ　ｈｏｕｒ　ｏｒ　ｓｏ　ｗｅ　ｈａｄ　ａｌｌ　ｈａｄ　ｅｎｏｕｇｈ！Ｗｅ　ｍａｄｅ　ｓｏｍｅ　ｐｕｒｃｈａｓｅｓ　ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅｎ　ｒｅａｔｒｅｔｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｈｏｓｔｅｌ　ｔｏ　ｍｅｅｔ　ｕｐ　ｗｉｔｈ　ａｎｏｔｈｅｒ　ｃｏｕｐｌｅ　ｏｆ　ｋｉｗｉ　ｇｉｒｌｓ　ｔｈａｔ　ｗｅｒｅ　ｌｅａｖｉｎｇ　ｔｈａｔ　ａｆｔｅｒｎｏｏｎ。。Ｗｅ　ｈａｄ　ａ　ｂｅｅｒ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｔｈｅｍ　ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅｎ　ｈａｄ　ａ　ｎａｐ　ｉｎ　ｐｒｅｐａｒａｔｉｏｎ　ｆｏｒ　ｔｈｅ　ｎｉｇｈｔ　ａｈｅａｄ。　Ｗｅ　ｌｏｏｋｅｄ　ｉｎｔｏ　ｅａｔｉｎｇ　ｂｅａｔｉｎｇ　ｓｎａｋｅｓ　ｈｅａｒｔｓ　ｂｕｔ　ｕｎｆｏｒｔｕｎａｔｅｌｙ　ｉｔ　ｗａｓｎｔ　ｏｎ　ｔｈａｔ　ｎｉｇｈｔ　ｓｏ　ｗｅ　ｄｒｏｗｎｅｄ　ｏｕｒ　ｓｏｒｒｏｗｓ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｔｏｗｅｒｓ　ｏｆ　ｂｅｅｒ　ａｎｄ　ｄｒｉｎｋｉｎｇ　ｇａｍｅｓ。。ｗｅ　ｍｅｔ　ａ　ｎｉｃｅ　ａｕｓｓｉｅ　ｃｏｕｐｌｅ　ａｎｄ　ａ　ｃｏｕｐｌｅ　ｏｆ　ａｍｅｒｉｃａｎ　ｌａｄｓ　ａｎｄ　ｈａｄ　ａ　ｒｉｇｈｔ　ｏｌｄ　ｌａｕｇｈ！　Ｗｅ　ｗｅｎｔ　ｏｕｔ　ｔｏ　ａ　ｃｌｕｂ　ｆｏｒ　ａ　ｗｈｉｌｅ　（ｓｏｌｅｙ　ａｇａｉｎ　ｃｏｍａｎｄｅｒｅｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｄｊ　ｄｅｃｋｓ）　ｂｕｔ　ｉｔ　ｗａｓ　ａ　ｌｉｔｔｌｅ　ｑｕｉｔｅ　ｓｏ　ｗｅ　ｄｅｃｉｄｅｄ　ｔｈａｔ　ｉｔ　ｗｏｕｌｄ　ｂｅ　ｍｏｒｅ　ｆｕｎ　ｏｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｔｒｅｅｔ。。Ｉ　ｐａｉｄ　ａ　ｖｉｅｔｎａｍｅｓｅ　ｇｕｙ　ｔｏ　ｌｅｔ　ｍｅ　ｔａｋｅ　ｈｉｓ　ｓｃｏｏｔｅｒ　ｆｏｒ　ａ　ｒｉｄｅ　ａｒｏｕｎｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｂｌｏｃｋ　（ｗｈｉｃｈ　ｉｓ　ｎｏ　ｍｅａｎ　ｆｅａｔ　ｉｎ　ｈａｎｏｉ　ａｔ　３ａｍ！）　ａｎｄ　ｌｕｃｋｉｌｙ　ｒｅｔｕｒｎｅｄ　ｕｎｓｃａｔｈｅｄ　ｗｉｔｈ　ａ　ｈｕｇｅ　ｇｒｉｎ　ｏｎ　ｍｙ　ｆａｃｅ。。

Ｓｏｌｅｙ　ａｌｍｏｓｔ　ｍｉｓｓｅｄ　ｈｉｓ　ｆｌｉｇｈｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｎｅｘｔ　ｍｏｒｎｉｎｇ　ａｎｄ　ｉ　ｈａｄ　ａｓ　ｍｕｃｈ　ｔｒｏｕｂｌｅ　ｇｅｔｔｉｎｇ　ｍｙｓｅｌｆ　ｏｕｔ　ｏｆ　ｂｅｄ！Ｉｔｓ　ｗｏｒｔｈ　ｍｅｎｔｉｏｎｉｎｇ　ｔｈａｔ　ｓｏｍｅｈｏｗ　ｗｅ　ａｌｌ　ｍａｎａｇｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｇｅｔ　ｄｉｆｆｅｒｅｎｔ　ｆｌｉｇｈｔｓ　ｌｅａｖｉｎｇ　ｔｈｅ　ｓａｍｅ　ａｉｒｐｏｒｔ　ｏｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｓａｍｅ　ｄａｙ　ａｌｌ　going to aus!Peto and dan have flights later in the afternoon, soley and i in the morning!

Vietnam (6/1/2012-12/1/2012)

grizzly_bear — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:01:00 GMT

We hit the town in hoi ann but there wasnt alot going on so we just had a few quiet drinks and socialized a little! Its as beautiful at night as it is in the day, with narrow cobblestone streets, lanterns and candles floating down the river. The next day was chaos as we all had to try on the clothes that had been custom designed for us..Shopping is a nightmare at the best of times but this was absurd, and, as tough as it is to admit a little enjoyable..All the boys got suits made up and i got a few items customized as well..Its going to be a while before we can all afford to do that again! we spent the day going between the shoe makers, suit makers, belt makers etc! Soley and i did manage to get in quite a long bike ride around to some of the beaches and through the fields which was quite tough given our current physical state..We took it pretty easy that tonight in anticipation for Hanoi!

The flight down was smooth and we arrived at the New Hanoi Backpackers around 2pm. It was awesome to be back in a big modern hostel and we took full advantage of the situation. We did go for a bit of a walk and purchased some souvenirs..Its by far the craziest city in terms of traffic an scooters with a constant feeling that you are about to cop a foot peg to the shin! We got pretty wild that night in the hostel and then went to one of the local clubs. We spent the night smoking shisha, drinking whiskey and relaxing on the pillows and mattresses in the bar!

The next day we were all a little dusty but managed to put together the energy to go for a big walk around the city..There's some beautiful lakes around, as well as statues, bridges etc..we went to the old prison and had a look around and got a look at the first real guillotine that i have seen! We were in a pretty stupid mood and a jovial time walking around the city (used by french colonialists to build la roa prison in 1896)!!!

That night we met up with Victoria and Sylvia (the nz girls we met in luangprobang) and had a cracking night..it was great to see those 2 again, they are crazy girls! We had beer towers at the hostel and watched man city man u in the fa cup before heading to a club in town. It was an early night for some and all in all very enjoyable!

Special mention goes to danny who was completely out of control, with poor sol having to apologize profusely on behalf of a certain incident that occurred in our hostel room!

Luke and I enjoyed the the free breakfast at the girls hotel and we spent the day lazing around the hostel, watching a couple of movies and taking a few strolls around town. THe girls decided to come to ha long bay with us so we sorted all the out and finished the night playing beer pong at the hostel and messing around at the girls hotel..

The next day (10th Jan)we rose early and set off for Ha Long Bay. I was extremely excited as it had been one of the places i wanted to see the most, and the 4 hour hungover, squishy bus ride did nothing to curb my enthusiasm. we arrived at the port and then set out into the harbour in a small boat. We would see the islands through the mist but it wasn't until we climbed about our bigger boat and finished lunch that we got a good look through the low set cloud.

The boat was amazing, with a top deck for partying and lazing and all separate rooms..I shared a double room with vic and it was probably the nicest room i stayed in all trip..Not to mention the fact that when you sat up the first thing you saw was ha long bay in all its majestic glory!

By the time we finished lunch we were in amongst the islands and stationed in our little section of the bay! There were 2 boats full of us so we tied the two boats together and as the sun came out we all got into our swimmers and jumped off the side of the boat a few times..it was a cracking start to the afternoon!

After we went for a bit of a swim we all got into kayaks and took off around some of the islands, beers in hand..There would have been about 60 of us, all teamed up in double kayaks..It was a beautiful way to see the bay and alot of fun as well. We stopped off to see some caves and get some history and then continued on back to our boat!

We all showered and go ready for the night ahead and over dinner we played some cards and fooled around. After dinner everyone from the 2 boats came together and the night kicked off! Vic and i were running a little late to the party and hence entered to a rousing reception! very funny indeed!

We played all multitude of competitive drinking games and the night got crazy! Special mention to the tour guide josh who must be one of the craziest ppl i have ever met as well as being a cracking guy..As a small taste of his "prowess" he snorted chilly sauce of soleys "hoofie", which was no mean feat!

As the games progressed ppls inhibitions digressed and we all ended up wearing the cloths of the opposite sex and going wild! We retired to our little shack, only to be woked at 7am! So they could clean the boat!

Everyone was destroyed the next day so we all spent the return leg sleeping up on the deck. Ha Long Bay didnt disappoint, it truly is one of the most beautiful places in the world. that, combined with the weather, the company, the boat, the partying etc made for an incredible couple of days, days im sure we will never forget!

That night we went out to Mexican with the girls (it was their last night) and had a nice meal before retiring to the hotel!

The next morning the girls set off to Aus (they currently live there) and I sorted out some shit for uni..A little sad to see em go, they make for cracking company, but im sure we will see them again one day!

One more night to go, bitter sweet, happy and sad! Will have to make it one to remember (hopefully for the right reasons!!yeeeeeeeeeeeeew

Vietnam (29/12/2011-5/1/2012)

grizzly_bear — Thu, 5 Jan 2012 20:06:00 GMT

Our time in Saigon was definitely more cultural than party which was nice for a change! It gave our livers a bit of a chance to heal and we saw some really neat places..After our first quiet night we went out to the cu chi tunnels which is where the viet cong were based during the war. We saw some crazy ingenuity and resourcefulness from the viet cong, including many of their traps and some propaganda videos. THe highlight wsas crawling hrough one of the tunnels whch has been widened for tourists. We had to crawl on our hands and knees and by the end of it we were sweating profusly! I cant imaging having to spent years running round down there! Very impressive indeed!

That night we had a few beers and a stroll around the international food markets which were quite impressive..the highlight of the evening was soley over eating and almost passing out. it seriously looked like he had contracted some immuno disease.

Then next day we went to he war museum and which was impressive, disturbing and a massive eye opener. There was some amazing photographs of the brutality employed by both sides. The scooter ride there and back through the traffic was awesome with us all yelling and screaming at our drivers to race each other which they thought was hilarious..

That night we caught a bus up to nha trang, but not before we all had an extremely odd experience at the massage parlor!, with soley almost being raped..it was so upsetting to him that he has promised to stop raping girls going forward.

Nha Trang is an awesome little beach town and we took full advantage of the party atmosphere. We spent ny at several pubs including the Aussie pub (who adopted us as their children as we ate there almost every day), the corner bar (our most frequented night spot) and the sailing club. The sailing club had a dj and a big party on the beach and we went pretty wild, meeting some nice Russian and polish ladies and having a cracking time. I went for a late night dip with the polish girl and our stuff (clothes) got stolen off the beach but they kindly laid them out up on the grass, only taking our money and my belt! Very lucky not to have to walk home in our underwear!

The next day we had beers at a beach side pub called the lousiane..it was a cracking way to bring in the new year! the evening continued in the same fashion and we made some english and american friends at a few of the local bars! I took off on a 3 wheeled taxi bike(i actually rolled one on new years) and was giving ppl lifts around town which was hilarious (at least to me!)

THe next day we met up with 4 girls from Wollongong who were making their way down the coast...we had lunch with them and a wander around town and then met up with them again for dinner. They took us to this awesome little place a bit out of town which was so cheap and delicious. We all shared a massive bbq of sea food, meats and vegetables and had a cracking time..we finished off there with the owner giving us free shots of chilli vodka. We then went for more beers around town and finished up at the corner bar around 5! Smashing night!

Over those 3 nights we developed somewhat of a celebrity status around the town which was quite nice and a laugh for the girls!

THe next day the sun finally came out and we were supposed to meet the girls at 12 but they slept till 3 which was lucky as danny was completely out of control. We had to take home home at 2pm cause he was too crazy..we made him go to bed and then took off for a huge walk down the beach..Me pets and sol ended up at this beautiful little resort and paid and exorbitant amount for a delicios cocktail. We me a nice American couple on their honeymoon and had a good chat to them before convincing them to join us at the louisiane. We gave them a viagra for a wedding present which the thought was hilarious and then met the girls for dinner. Again their instruction paid off and we had a beautiful big hot pot and pizza and ate ourselves into a small food coma..we had a few beers and retired some what sober!

We booked our bus etc the next day and after a checkout mission (as a result of the kind but extremely crazy vikki) we went to the mud baths with the girls (anna, emma, lisa and laura) and went for a swim in some hot springs and waterfalls. It was a class day and we finished it off by sharing some lobster on the beach watching the sun set!

THe sleeper bus to ho anne that night was a nightmare but we got it done (with the help of some Valium)! Upon arrival we set about getting some clothes made up (thats what its famous for) and then road around the city on bikes. Again its a beautiful city, reminding me alot of luangprobang with beautiful streets and small shops, as well as a picturesque river and beaches!

Sitting in the internet cafe now i have no idea whats in store tonight but with 8 nights left we will no doubt make the most of it!

Laos and Vietnam (21/12-28/12)

grizzly_bear — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:49:00 GMT

After our semi wild start to luangprobang we decided that it would be a good idea to get a little bit cultural..So we decided to hire bikes and go for a ride around town. It was a beautiful afternoon with the 4 of us messing around on old school bikes (culminating with luke blowing a tire)..We finished that afternoon at a cool little bar overlooking the mekong and watching the sunset.It was one of the best i have everseen!

That night we chilled at a really cool little bar called utopia and smoked some shisha and had a few quiet beers..then things got a little wild and we ended up at the bowling alley at 2am (the only thing still open) causing the general ruckus, highlighted by soley getting his camel nuts out (ask him when we get home)..We met some really cool ppl (dutch girl named angie) and some not so cool canadians but all in all another cracker!

We spent most of the next day in bed catching up on some well needed rest, only rising to run a few errands. That night we went for a walk down the beautiful street markets and we all ended up purchasing slingshots which made for a hectic dinner! That night we went back to utopia and met the NZ girls, finishing up at ours with a case beers and some good old laos whiskey..

We were up and away the next day to vang vieng round 2..what started out as a cruisey 5 hour bus ride turned into an epic mission..the mini van was jam packed and the roads were atrocious.. We did stop off at some pretty cool lookouts but it was a mission, culminating in a window falling out of the van and the driver trying to get danny and i to pay for it! Very funny!

Again the time spent in vang vieng is a bit of a blur so the best way to describe it is by a few highlights!!:

1) Drinking every night at the usual, with the owner (saun), becoming such good friends with us that he partied with us and even came to our guesthouse one morning..

2) Smoking shisha and taking cobra shots at the usual..

3) Angie

4) Talking to our families on christmas day and wishing we could be involved (in the lunch especially!)

5) Christmas day (and every day for that matter) going wild on the river..

6) Boxing day at the irish pub and hiring scooters (very stupid when drunk but TOO much fun!)..only in asia would they let you on one after a few beers!

7)The awesome guest house we stayed at (jammees), and the beautiful view form the guesthouse!

8) The lads!

9)FIRE TRUCKING..NEEE NARR

We left vang vieng broken men (both physically and mentally), myself having a very bruised hip and soley a very sore foot but for partying you really cant fault the place..Its so much fun its hard to describe.

We caught the bus to vientien and had a VERY quiet night, all in bed by 9pm..the highlight of the night was as follows..we were all starving as we hadnt eaten all day so we went out to get some dinner..it took ages for the meals to come and only after all of the meals had been served they came up to him and said "we no have" haha..it was classic...he was fuming but it was so funny! only in asia!

The flight down to Saigon was trouble free and to say the place is intense is an understatement..it puts bangkok to shame..heat, horns..the driving is the craziest i have seen anywhere in the world! CRAZZZZZYYYYYY.....crossing the road is insane..

We took it easy on our first night, run some errands and got our new years accom in nha trang sorted..still a little wounded from vang vieng but loving life..Heard many great things about vietnam so here goes!

Thailand and Laos (14/12-20/12)

grizzly_bear — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:49:00 GMT

After booking the flights up to chang mai we had to catch a bus down to phuket (also known as poo ket) and we spent the day in transit..as usual we were the most ridiculous people on the mini van and soon made some new friends!..given that we got in late and the fact that by all intents and purposes the town is described as a being a bit shitty we decided to stay at the airport..after scoping out the situation we decicded to put a camp together in one of ther terminals and after taking some valium we drifted into what turned out to be a blissfully long sleep!

THe flight up to chang mai was hassle free and only took a couple of hours! It was a relief to be up north and away from the islands and the chaos and we met a nice aussie girl at thte airport who deicided to come and stay with us in our little guest house in the center of town and it turned out she was from the gong and had several mutual friends! small world!

That afternoon we had beers inn the back of a tuk tuk and took a spin around the city..we had dinner at a beautiful little french restauraunt and finished off with beers on the roof top balcony, awaitiong the arrival of emmas friend.

The next 2 days were absolute crackers. We got picked up early and headed into the mountains in the back of a ute..The 3 of us and the 2 aussie girls..it was a beautiful day, a little cooler than down south with clear blue skies..We hiked what the guide claimed to be the highest peak in thailand and it was tough going!. There was no real track and the guide, chai, who was a really cool guy carved a path for us straight up the mountain. We were all battling by the time we reached the peak (which had a small monument on top to bring the good spirits down into the village) but it was a stunning view out over the mountains..Coming down the mountain proved to be even harder and we all fell several times, danny doing an amazing job having worn thongs and lost them in the first 5 mins..

We spent the night in a local village and it was great to be away from all the whities!! We had a small shack as our sleeping quarters and set up mats on the floor...that night we ate pork from the fire and they cooked the 5 of us up a beautiful meal..we sat around the camp fire and had beers and rice wine with the locals and even managed to smoke a little with them (a little irresponsible) but it was increadible and we all had a great chuckle around the camp fire!

That night it was freezing and we all huddled together in the hut, danny doing his best to keep the girls warm!

In the morning we were woken by the incredibly loud grunting of the pig who lived beside us as well as numerous roosters, and as such we set of nice and early..we walked for a couple of hours to a beautiful waterfall and we all went for a swim in one of the natural pools at the top..we then trecked on and went to the guides local village..we met some of the local kids and we went to their school and spent an hour or so messing around with them and drawing pictures of aus and making paper planes..it was an awesome exxperience and the kids were frothing!! we then continued with chais kid (who we nicknamed monkey boy)and had an incerdibe elephant ride through the jungle..we got to sit on the head of the elephant and steer with our heels..quite difficult considering how high up we were! We ended the day with bamboo rafting, which turned out to be quite exciting and at times mildlty dangerous with us all taking some big falls into the shallow rock bottomed water, with me losing my sunies in the process!

We were hoping luke had made it to our hostel and when we arrived back, sure enough he was there..we snuck into his room and gave him a right welcome..we headed straight out for dinner and beers and had a really good night..one of the local pubs were pumping and there were some nice young ladies with whom to converse, incluyding one particulalry cute english girl!

The next day we set off for laos and the beautiful town of luangprobang..the only way to get there from chang mai was by boat and so we set off on a 3 day journey down the beautiful mekong river..the first day was spent mostly on buses and that night we stopped in a small boarder town. Luke and i got an amazzing massage (still no happy ending!)and we played some pool..the town was really quiet so we were pondering going to bed when things turned suddenly..an irish couple on the bus was staying at the same place as us and the barman basically gave us free rein of the bar while he chilled outside with his friends, only coming inside when we wanted beers and whicsky! We played all our own tunes full bore and went a little crazy in the bar but it was a great night with just the 6 of us dancing around until he kicked us out at 3am!

The boarder crossing was smooth and we spent the next two days on a slow boat down the mekong..it was a slow but absolutly beautiful journey and we saw some amazing countryside, untouched by civilisation..mountains, beaches, forest..incredible..The night inbetween was spent at a little village plagued by tourism but we had a nice quiet dinner, a few shots ofg whicsky and had a nice early night!

We arrived in Luangprobang around 6 and the beauty of the town was immediately evident..THe french influence is clear and it is one of the most romatic cities i have seen any where int eh world..that night we had a beautiful dinner at a small restaurant and made some friends as a result of our usual racous (but respectful) behaviour..We spent the night with a couple of nice girls from NZ who live in aus and we ended the night in the ususal fasion! All in all a cracking start to luangprobang!

Cambodia and thailand (3/12-13-12)

grizzly_bear — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:15:00 GMT

I made my way back across the thai boarder and to bangkok annd the usual issues ensued with argumants about tickets etc and some crazy driving by the mini van driver (which almost prompted a mass exodus from the van) but all in all it was a smooth trip!

In a weird way it felt good to be back in bkk and i booked a room in one of the nicer hotels on kohsan rd..I eneded up sharing the room with a really nicee aussie girl and we had a bit of dinner together and some breakfast for the next day..once she left i cruised the street and and did some shopping witing for dan to arrive..it was cracking to see him and we went straight out to our old faithful and had a few beers..That night we went to a ping pong show in the outher suburbs which was a little bit of a let down (her aim was horrendous) but it was good fun and getting home was even crazier considring that it was the eve of the kings birthday..there were plenty of lights and there were thousands of ppl everywhere..

When we got back into town we had a few buckets and a valium and blacket out on the street.. i went to meet sofi and when we got back he was being mauled by all the venders, his wallet open and him buying everything in sight..we managed to rip them all off him (it was a hilarious sigh) and made him go to bed..me and sofe spent the night up on the roof top pool and had a cracking time..

The next day danny and i did a bit of sight seeing and did some more shopping an spent tha afternoon by the pool..That night we caught the overnight bus down too koh samui and found ourself a beautiful little place right on the beach..a nice little hut with 2 beds and a really quiet little bar..That night we had beers and spent a fortune on some of the best firecrackers you could imagine..it was super dangerous but spectacular nonetheless. we had a bit of a scare when one of the security guards came down wielding a baton but after handing him his own roman candle he was happy as larry..the night we caused chaos in town and met a few nice german girls which proved to be quiet interesting.

The next day we met up with a beautiful little finnish girl we met the previous day and we spent tha day cruising around the island on sweet little mopeds..we saw some beautiful beaches, waterfalls, monuments and temples but id have to say that we didnt get to spend more time with her in koh p..

That night we chilled a little and had beers with the fins but nothing too crazy happened..UNTIL!!!

Soley fucking finally made it to out little hut the next morning and it was incredible to catch up..we got on the beers all day and by the time we caught the bus to koh p that afternoon we were well pissed..the staf at the place danny and i stayed at also deserve a special mention..they were incredibly kid and also up for a laugh..we caused chaos on the boat ride and made some cracking new friends who we would see again and again over the next few days..

Fubar (the hostel we booked into (22 bed dorms!)) was right smack bang on the full moon beach..some say its better to stay away from the beach so u can get away from it but lets be honest we were there for one reason and one reason only, to party..It was a great group of ppl in our dorm and we all got along like a house on fire..

As with carnival a day by day description would be useless because it didnt really go day by day, it was more just a blurr of carnage and fun..(other than danny getting "arrested" for picking a bottle up off the beach, but it was nothing more than a little money making scheme for the local police.)

The rest of the time was spent covered in flurescent paint, going wild in the streets, drinking buckets, harrassing beautiful women (and sometimes being harassed back), tearing around on the beach watching fired twirlers,dancing on tables, watching fireworks, making friends with locals, wearing sanata costumes, drinking mushroom shakes and basically just having an awesome time..

It was a little clostrafobic staying right in the center but we did our best and on the second last day me and sol took off on scooters with a couple of sweedish girls to check out a few beaches, elephants waterfalls etc!! Very fun times..

It was a relief to finally leave and w decided to book some flights up to chang mai in norther thailand to get our health and culture back!!!

Cambodia (29/11-2/12)

grizzly_bear — Fri, 2 Dec 2011 14:56:00 GMT

After getting back from the killing fields and s-21 i was pretty keen for a quiet night so i headed out to grab some dinner..i found a nice little local restaurant that seemed pretty busy so i sat down and ordered some food..after a couple of minutes a table of 5 local tuktuk drivers realised i was sitting by myself and hence decided to ask me to join..i couldnt see anything threatening with the situation so i thought when not..it was a really special experience and i suppose one of those things that comes with traveling by yourself..after sharing my meal we ordered all manner of Avery dishes..i have no idea what any of it was but after mixing it up with some local spices and nuts it ws delicious..the best part is that its acceptable to throw your bones on the floor after your finished to clear space for the next lot! Get with the times aus..they were also drinking pretty heavily and of course i had to join..they said they had all had a good day on the tuktuks and so were celebrating..we went through a heap of jugs and just as i caught myself getting a little out of hand i pulled the plug, trying to keep what had been an awesome evening just that..so after resisting the invitation to go to a club i paid the bill and headed back to the hostel..

the next morning i ran some errands, checked out a few book stores and the river and then caugt the bus down to Sihanoukville..the bus ride was as usual delayed but all in all pretty smooth sailing..i ended p getting a bed at the big easy and spent the first night just chilling out..i met some nice dutch girls and had a few quiet beers with them before retiring to bed..

The next day i hired a moped and cruised around the beaches..i ended up finding a beautiful little beach a fairway out of town and spent the day out there reading and playing with the kids..i met some nice aussie girls out there and i joined them that afternoon for a swim in their pool..that afternoon i watched the sun set on one of the remote beaches and shared dinner with a local family who invited me to join them in their sea food feast..very cool..

THat night we all met up and had dinner at the local markets, trying some unidentified yet interesting meats..after that we had beers on the beach and let off some really cool fireworks that the kids were selling along the beach..after that things got a little wild and i met back up with the ducth girls and the night went from there..choas ensued but it was good times and the night ended with me talking an english girl into buying me a hotdog and walking me home..

Im ashamed to say that the next day was a write off, not only because i was hungover but because i got a proper bout of the runs..i spent most of the day in bed and made it out of the hostel just to go for a ride on the moped and have a swim and some dinner whist the sun was setting..THat night i resisted the temptation and peer pressure to do it all again (as i was afraid of shitting myself at any moment) and retired to bed nice and early..I loaded up on drugs in the hope of stopping the onslaught and thankfully it seems to be getting a little better..

Laos and Cambodia (24/11-28/11)

grizzly_bear — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:29:00 GMT

The final day in vang vieng was up there with the craziest of all..everyone started out pretty slow but it was one of those things that basically just had to be done..there was no avoiding it and so like all good citizens we put our best foot forward and away we went..more sun, girls, swings, buckets of whiskey, shots of whiskey and ridiculous stories..Tommy and i met a nice pair of NZ twins and the night fritted away in the usual manner..

I finally decided that it was time to get my act together after 8 days in vang vieng and so booked a bus to siem reap in cambodia..after a tearful (not really) and weed soaked farewell (sorry mum and dad)i headed off on some what of a high (ha)..I didnt realize i need a bus ticket (go figure?) and so the old guy from the guest house had to drive it down to me..Thus begun a 38 hour bus ride from hell/heaven..

I got a "sleeper" bus from vientien to parkse (on the boarder) and met a nice dutch couple who too me under their wing (like i needed it!ha)..upon entering the bus my initial reaction was "oh this isnt so bad, little bit of room, bed to yourself"..but i soon realised that there were 2 strangers to every bed and i was no 39, meaning i was part of a 4 way spoon up the back..it was classic hahaha..all the whities couldnt believe it..it really is only something you would ever see in asia..All in all not a bad sleep, a lot of rocking around and exhaust fumes but im pretty sure that only added to the pleasant nature of the sleep..

Upon arrival in parkse i was informed that i infact didnt have a ticket to siem reap and would have to pay another $350000 kip..after my initial self condemnation (at the fact that i was a little high at the time i should have been concentrating the previous day), we realised that there were a few of us in the same boat (so infact weed was not to blame)..so, after some stubborn behavior and mild arguing we got the tickets that we paid for and off we set towards Cambodia..I met 3 Canadian girls on one of the 750 mini buses that we caught over a 38hr period and they proved to be good company for the journey..it was hot, sweaty and dirty and i was lucky that i was with the girls as they ended up having to pay for me to get across the borer into Cambodia (you could use kip, only dollars and bhat?????????)

the rest of the trip was uncomfortable if uneventful with one highlight..i didnt have enough money with me for starters, and i also didnt have any money in the correct account (which meant i couldnt get a tuktuk to the hostel upon arrival) so i was a little concerned about how it would pan out..so we rocked up to a food stop at 8pm in the middle of nowhere and asked if the had the internet..they didnt, but their son had an ipad which he said i could borrow..so, instead of serving tables (like he was supposed to be doing) he got a new sim card for me, registered it, sorted it all out and let me use his ipad all at extreme urgency..i couldnt believe it and it helped me out sooo much so i gave him my sunnies as a token of appreciation and he was so stoked..very cool..

We got into siem reap at about 1am, all destroyed after the journey..i shared a room with one of the canadian girls (nothing suss) and after listening to her blabber on for an hour had a great nights sleep!

THe next day we all went to the angkor wat runins on the tuktuks..the temples are incredible and everything you imagine when you think of ancient, tree covered runins..it was stiffling hot and we didnt stop sweating but we did our best to see as much as possible (including the temples used in tomb raider) and finished the day atop one of the temples watching the sunset! It was one of the most incredible things i have ever seen! After a traditional cambodian dinner with the girls i bailed, excited by the prospect of a full nights sleep!

The next morning i caught a bus to phenom pen (the capital)..i got in at around 2pm and headed straight for s-21 which was one of the concentration camps during the kahmer rouge era around 1975..i had previously heard very little about the civil war and it was quite frankly unbelievable.. the place was horrifying and the stories of those imprisoned even worse..

Follow that i went out to the killing fields where many of the "defectors" we taken to be killed..it was even worse that s-21..there were mass graves. tress that babies heads used to be smashed against etc etc..it was highly disturbing but at the same time highly educational..

I happened to run into my future danish wife (not the most romantic place to meet again) but we sorted out a hotel for bangkok so definitely looking forward to that..

The ride home on the tuktuk was one of the best yet..peak hour, sun setting, dust and fumes flying, people yelling and beeping..awesome!! Time for another quiet night before heading down to shinoukville and the ocean..hopefully see some nice islands and recuperate befere the storm arrives on the 4th!!yew

Thailand and Laos (15/11-23/11)

grizzly_bear — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 21:30:00 GMT

The flight from canada to bangkok was for a change hassle free! no visa issues, no colombian interrogations, flights were on time, good sleep, good food..buenos!!!

You'd struggle to find a bigger contrast between Vancouver in the winter and Bangkok in the summer! One cold, clean and pristine..the other hot sweaty and dirty..but the vibrancy of Bangkok is immediately evident and extremely infections and it felt good to be on the road again..

I met tommy and tony and a couple of their English mates at a stereotypical Bangkok hotel (hot and seedy and right in the middle of down town) and it was really good to catch up with the lads..

We spent the afternoon out on a river boat drinking beers and smoking thai cigarettes whilst watching the sunset which was by our definition achieving something cultural..it was however a little somber as there had recently been mass flooding in Bangkok and there were subsequently alot of flooded homes and dead dogs etc floating around in the water..we saw some giant man eating cat fish and some river lizards which was quite interesting..

that night we partied in true Bangkok style..its refreshing not to be paying $6 a beer and i feel the excitement may have been a little too much!! We frequented several seedy night spots and made a few erroneous decions but all in all came through unscathed for my first night in Asia..

The next day i flipped a coin and therefore committed to going to laos with the boys for a week instead of going to cambodia for 2 weeks..tony became my new life coach for 7 days as a result! we spent the day checking out the markets, getting massages (no happy endings!) and chilling out on the rooftop of a hotel with a couple of danish girls..thah night w got the overnight train from bkk to the boarder which was surprisingly comfortable..crossing the border was relatively stress free and we arrived in vientian that afternoon..we watched the sunset over the river and relaxed..an early night was well received by all!

The next day we met up with some more english lads and needless to say when a large group of lads get together its always difficult to get an early night.. We got amidst the local scene and all in all it was a good night, ripping around town on mopeds at 4am, tommy falling through a glass table etc etc

after spending another day in vientien (not too much to do there) we made our way to the infamous vang viang, home of river tubing..we have been here 5 days now and its been incredible..the place is literally too much fun!to describe each day would be tiresome..basically we just tubed down the river, got drunk,lapped up the sun, swung off tree swings,jumped out of trees, met a future danish wife, swam under water falls and through caves and generally had an incredible time..one last crack at tubing tomorrow then a 30 hour bus ride to siem reap in cambodia...

All in all a cracking and totally unexpected first week..definitely excited for the boys to get here from aus..its going to be ridiculous and there are still so many amazing things to do and see!!

Le veedo es bueno!

MIAMI!!

grizzly_bear — Fri, 27 May 2011 08:37:00 GMT

other than the saturday night we didnt really exurt ourselves in miami..we were staying in a cracking little hostel that overlooked the strip and we spent alot of time just watching the world go buy..and the hundreds of pretige cars..i have never seen so many luxury cars..it equalled monaco for posers and as such everything costs a fortune..the beach was beautiful, typically american but there was always something going on which was cool..

we spent the sunday night at the cleavland and wached the miami playoff game which was really cool, everyone was going wild..luckily they won!

Now, the saturday night!! We had beers on the roof top of our hostel and then we went to meet brodski (who was in town for his brother bucks)..we had vodka at burger king (a clear sign of our financial position) and then headed to the hotel he was staying at..beers were off the charts expensive but we got amongst it as best we could..when they stated that they were all going to a club with a $150 cover charge we respectuffuly declined..we were also dressed like homeless ppl and thought that we would have much chance of getting in..however, once we were back at the hostel we decided to give it a crack..

After brodski bribed the doorman $100 they let us in and we joined the bucks party for a few hours of madness..we were skulling all types of spirits out of $150 botttles and mixing with the locals..once we finished there we met up with a friend of a friend and ended up cruising round in his BMW..we ended up at one of the nicest and most expensive clubs in miami and skipped the que and the entry fee (apparently this guy was pretty well connected!!!)..we continued the madness there, until i bailed with the bucks party back to their lush hotel..we smashed some chicken and i bailed at about 7am, leaving shirt and shoes behind..i couldnt find the exit to the hotel and ended up having to jump the gate in underground parking..i had no money but convinced a taxi driver that if he took me home id run in and get him some..luckily this worked..

It was a cracking evening and was by far the most "cultural" experience we had in miami, rolling around in rags amongst the rich and famous and attracting alot of attention along the way!!

The trip to canada was seemless and it was awesome to see corey and gab..we had a delicious mid night bbq with beers and wine..it was great to be in a home again anf eating good food in good company..now to find a place to live!!!

A quick reflection on South America..

grizzly_bear — Sun, 22 May 2011 06:57:00 GMT

Over time i will no doubt add to this i.e thoughts, comments and ideas..but i though id make a start while some things are still fresh..

First of all we could not have asked for things to go better for us over the 4 months..with the exception of my shit getting stolen, everything basically went to perfection..we had no major transportation, health, criminal, accommodation or violence issues..something we are very thankful for because at times it was nothing but sheer luck keeping us safe and out of harms way..

Secondly as sad as we all are to have left that magical wonderland i have the feeling that any longer than 4 months would probably have broken us..The partying, the traveling, the delicious but often extremely unhealthy food, the lack of sleep were all starting to make an impression on us..having said that if we had of stayed for another 4 months nothing would have changed..because it is simply to much fun, making it impossibly difficult to pull yourself up, no matter how bad you feel..So a forced break was probably the only way to maintain some resemblance of sanity..no doubt we will all return in some capacity one day..

The places we have been really speak for themselves.. From the natural beauty of the devils throat at iguazu falls, to the absolute unbridled insanity of Salvador carnival we truly have been blessed to experience such places..and until we all get old and lose our minds (which hopefully doesn't happen) im sure we will never forget these places and experiences..and even then there will be this journal and the amazing photos..winner!

The people we have met along the way we also owe a great deal of gratitude to as they truly did make it a more memorable experience..in the 4 months of traveling i think it was just the 3 of us for maybe 2 weeks..the whole time we were moving around the continent with other amazing people..from foaks and foals (Brisbane boys), to bunday, pricy, perry, benny, sos, duncan (the Melbourne crew), Em and Chloe (Manchester girls), Cazzy Ebba and Meg (the outrageous Sydney girls)and towards the end Tommy and Tony (the insane English lads)..we couldn't have asked for better traveling companions, always pushing each other and making sure that we were all having a cracking time..

It wasn't only the other ppl we traveled with that made the trip so amazing..i couldn't have asked for 2 better lads to share the experience with..over 4 months of seeing each other just about every single day there were no massive blow ups, no built up animosity, nothing (but sexual tension)..although we are all individually quite different we seemed to complement each other on this trip to perfection..

We also owe our parents a massive massive thanks..primarily for giving us their blessing and encouragement to quit our "grown up jobs", move out of our apartments and fuck off overseas for god knows how long..without your acceptance of this trip it would never have been nearly as enjoyable..

So, after 4 months of insanity we are all lucky enough to be moving onto a new adventure..where that leads us only time will tell..but im sure it will no doubt be yet another amazing and character building trip..

la vida es buena..

Now, for a night out in south beach Miami..yah

Cartagena and MIAMI BITCH (17-21 may)

grizzly_bear — Sun, 22 May 2011 06:35:00 GMT

it felt good to be back in cartagena..as nice as it was chilling out in taganga returning to a larger city brings with it a little more energy and excitment..we were still pretty wrecked after the massive weekend and so we took it pretty easy on the first night back in town..we cooked up some dinner with tony and tommy and just chilled around the pool and the courtyard..

On Wednesday will and i took a final walk around old town (which is stunning with its colonial architecture and mix of colors)..Wednesday is one of the biggest party nights in catagena (as our hostel has a party for all the others) and so we started having beers at the corner shop at about 5 that afternoon..its a really cool vibe drinking cheap beers from the corner store with the locals and watching the world go by...something that will be sorely missed..the night turned out to be a fitting farewell and was easily one of the biggest of the entire trip..stupidity in bucket loads..way too much alcohol and Charles was out of control..we partied on the roof top terrace until it closed at 3am and then headed into old town to one of the clubs..we all ended up stumbling home at different hours..i finished the evening on the sun beds chatting to a few nice travelers who had just woken up..needless to say we were on different levels..

Our last day was spent primarily in bed!! i didn't get up until 4.30 in the afternoon..i had a final stroll around out district and we had pizza with the boys..tony and i shared a big joint on the roof top, listened to some jazz and watched the sunset, both on the day and on our south American adventure..it was a perfectly symbolic way to end the trip...

Friday morning was an early start and i was pretty nervous about making it into the US without a vaccination booklet, which in the end turned out to be no problem at all..the most stressful part of the day was no doubt getting out of Colombia! First of all i had overstayed my "visa" by 4 days (for some reason they gave me 30 and the boys 60 days and never informed anyone of the variance). this resulted at the attendant telling me i may not be able to fly (which obviously had my head processing all the possible consequences of this)..luckily she came back and said it would be OK to fly out..thank fuck for that!! lucky break..Then we were all searched numerous times and i was x rayed (whole body which looked insane on the 20 inch monitor, penis and all) which was intimidating at best.. i was stoked to be on the plane incident free and on the way to the US..

It was a short 3 hour flight and once again i was a little concerned about everything going smoothly but as i stated before there were no troubles getting into the US..few..we got a $42 taxi to our hostel on ocean drive (its going to take a while to get used to paying real money again)..the hostel is in an amazing location, right across the road from the beach and in the middle of the strip..we strolled around in the afternoon, trying to adjust to the insane level of money, development and materialism..we had a quite dinner after an afternoon kippa and after looking through an art exhibition across the road we retired early to bed, trying to avoid the lure of the raging Miami nightlife..

On Saturday we were finally staring to feel like functioning human beings again..we woke late after a 12 hour sleep and headed to get some groceries (we will have to start cooking a little for our selves now instead of eating out 3 times a day!!)..we spent the afternoon on south beach, entertained by the hundred of eccentrics floating around, watched a movie and then considered getting motivated for one last big night before we split up for a few weeks!! As to what happens exactly we will see!!

Tyrona national park, looseness (11-16 may)

grizzly_bear — Tue, 17 May 2011 06:05:00 GMT

On wednesday lach and i decided to head out to tyrona national park. we didnt really do any reasearch or have anyidea what we were going to do out there but it turned out to be a cracking couple of days. We casught the mini bus from the hostel and were immediately despised by everone else on the bus as we got the 2 best seats..ha..It was a stinking hot dy and everyone was sweating profusly on the mini van..the drive took about 1 hr from taganaga and when we got to the park entrance we had to mess around for 40 mins to get our passes..once that was out of the way we disembarked the van and to our surprise found out it was a 1hr 40min walk through the jungle to get to the beaches (the beauty of naievty)..we treked and sweatted our way through the junglwe which was beautiful..lush green folage, vines, boulders etc..

The track was fairley boggy though as horses often make the joourney..we emerged onto the first beach (which is unswimale due to currents) and were amazded at the natural beauty of the place..the rainforest and mountains meeting with white sand and large boulders..it was truely breathtaking..it looked like the island from the tv show lost..!! the beauty hides the danger though and over 100 ppl have drowned at the beach..

we continued hiking up the coast for another 5 ks and saw some more beautiful beaches and coves..we decided that the best place for us to stay was back at the first beach so after we had done some exploring we headed back there..we negotiated our hammock prices with the manager and ended up in a small hut surrounded by mosquito nets..the park reaaly was idyllicly simple, with palm trees, cold water showers, sand and tents, all overlooking the amazing beach..we chilled that evening on the verandah, reading out books and having a few beers..we made the mistake of not taking enough money so i sacrificed dinner and breakfast for a few cold beers..good decision..

The next morning we awoke to he sound of waves and birds..perfect!..i went for a stroll around the point and had a swim (only up to my waist) to the dismay of the life guard who could understand why i didnt take notice of the 900 warning signs..we read our books on the beach for a few hours then headed back up the same track we came whcih was equally as tranquil second time round..

THat night we had c night in and had dinner at a nice little restauraunt..the boys got back on friday and after a week of partying everyone went pretty wild..the boys got a flat up the road as there was no vacancy in the hostel and it was an epic night..well it didnt really come to an end..it flowed into saturday which flowed into sunday..we went to some crazy little clubs filled with angry colombians and out of control gringos..some interesting stories naturally produced. i hooked up with the owner of our hostel, 45 yrs at her youngest, but french and youthful all the same..tony met a interesting german girl who kept climbing the tree next to the apartment to feed the cats corn flakes, lach and will ended up in some old persons home at 11 in the morning, we were the only ppl in the pool at the israeli hostel, it was just chaos..but with only 6 nights o go there was plenty of reasons to roll with it..

An epic few days which will no doubt take time to get over, luckily we have air con..back to cartagena for our last 3 nights in SA on tuesday..it will be a nice way to finish the trip!!

Also running out of money, probably lucky we are leavin when we are..its not over yet though and we will give cartagena a run for its money..yeeew!!

SCUBA!!!!!!!!!!!!!(4/5-10/5)

grizzly_bear — Wed, 11 May 2011 08:38:00 GMT

For the majrity of the time between the 4 and the 10th of may we got ourselves into the beautiful rhythm of getting out of be around 10, going for a walk to get breakfast, going for a swim at the beach, reading a book for a couple of hours, playing a bit of table tennis, eating lunch, having a ciesta, going for a swim in the pool, having a couple of beers, watching a movie and going to bed..it was like ground hog day, but the kind you never really want to end!!

THere were however periods of sustained activity, highlighted by our one big night out (saturday) and the 4 day open water scuba diving course lach and I did.

THe one big night of the week started at the hostel (as usual), progressed to a fire show (it was the grand opening of a friend of a friends restauraunt), to the local club (which overlooks the bay), to the good old back yard after party and then to an early morning dip in the ocean with a few new friends..For some reason it seems impossible to call it a night before the sun comes up, and again this trend was followed..

As aluded to previously, on the friday, saturday, monday and tuesday (we took the sun off to recover from sat night) Lach and i completed our PADI open water divers course..it was one of the most rewarding things i have ever done and well worth every cent (although in our favor was the fact that it costs half here of what it would cost in AUS)..the first day was a little slow as it was just theory and gear tutorials but as we got out into the open water we got to understand the allure of scuba..our first day out in the ocean was (as were the proceeding 2 days) magical..early morning starts (we would genrally head out about 8am)combined with perfect weather conditions gave us the best possbile chance of making the most of our experience..

Our first dive was spent learning skills and was done in water about 6m deep..we learnt how to clear a full mask, work all the gear, how to share air,equalise, replace masks and what would happen in the event of gear failure..It was a demanding session (not as easy as i had expected) but it set the essentials in place from the word go..

Our second dive was a "fun dive" and took place at a reef called salidero. It was an amazing way to kick things off and we were both completely blown away, enjoying it even more than we could have imagined..on this dive we went to a depth of 12m and saw all manner of wild life including barracuda, eels, angel fich, lion fish and many others..our guide Victor was amazing, as were the rest of the crew..each day was broken up by a morning tea rock throwing competition which kept our small minds occupied..

Dives 3, 4, 5 and 6 were equally amazing and were at Torin(12m), Pecera (18m), Punta Aguta (18m) and saliders (18m), all of which are situated in the Tyrona national park and are approximately 15 mins boat ride from Taganga harbour..each dive threw up its own unique challenge or highlight, sometimes it was strong currents, amazing coral, wildlife, depth etc..it was a brilliant experience, and combined with the theory (and the final exam) we leart a hell of a lot..its amazing how hard you concentrate when discussing matters which directly effect your personal safety...

The best way to describe scuba is like your at the aquarium or looking at a fish tank and when you go to tap the glass there is none!! Your in the tank and you can look the fish in the eye..at first a very surreal and exhilerating experience..

We are now qualified open water divers, meaning we can dive with a buddy anywhere in the world to a depth of 18m..definitley looking forward to moving forward in the course and comleteing mroe levels..thinking maybe south east asia on the way home would be a cheap way of doing it..will see!!

Will, tom and tony all decided to head off on the 5 day lost city trek on monday which should be awesome, obviously lach and i chose to do scuba instead and are more than pleased with our decision..

We are going to check out tyrona national park over the next coule of days, supposedly home to the most beautiful beaches in colombia..should be interesting!! Hopefully the weather holds up, it always does..yew

Taganga (fishing, snorkelling and spear fishing) 2/5-3/5

grizzly_bear — Wed, 4 May 2011 10:23:00 GMT

On monday morning the 6 lads all headed off on our "boys day out"..we stocked up with beers, jumped on the small fishing boat and headed out of taganga harbour..it was a cracking morning and flying across the glassy water with the sunrising at our backs was a serrine experience.

We started the day off by doing some trawling, which ultimately proved unsuccessful..the success came when we anchored off a small island and started casting away...altogether we caughth around 15 fish (of which i contributed none) and the guides contributed 11..it was clear that skill was going to play some role in the day and they showed plenty, reeling in several barracuda, red snapper and a variety of reef fish.

Once we had caught our fill we headed off to a beautiful little section of reef and did some snorkelling and for my first time spear fishing..the spear fishing was alot of fun although i think a little intentionally i missed the majority of my targets, with finding nemo playing a constant nemisis to my ancestral desire to hunt..we didnt actullay end up spearing any (the spears were blunt and would constantly skim off the fish) but it was alot of fun.

The guides took us back down the coast to a small thatched hut where the fish were prepared on a traditional oven by a few of the local women..it was an absolute feast and we sampled many types of fish..

THat eveing we had cocktails on the beach and partied the night away as it was the girls last night with us..again it turned into a test of stamina and i retired at around 5. It was pretty quite (being a monday) but very enjoyable and a good way to see them off..

The next day we opted for a change of scenery and so we all moved (tommy and tony included) up the hill to a new hostel more suited to our needs. That afternoon we chilled in the hammoks and stocked up on groceries in santa marta. It was a deservedly quiet evening from then on out..time to relax a little..

Paya Blanca aka paradise and taganga aka paradise (28/4-1/5)

grizzly_bear — Mon, 2 May 2011 06:07:00 GMT

We were all a little dusty on thursday morning (being the night after our hostels party of the week) but we rose at 7 to be ready for the departure of our boat to paya blanca..it was a little overcast and tempers were taunt but the three of us, plus the english girls and josh, the aussie girl from wednesday night, and 2 other english lads (a total of 12) made the boat and headed off..

THe boat ride out was a joy in itself, with 28 ppl cramed into a boat that was absolutly flying, getting air off the smallest of ripples, causing teeth to chatter throughout the boat..As the clouds burnt off and we pulled up to the beach we all realised that the effort to get our lazy hungopver arses out of bed was going to be more than worth it...

White sands, crystle clear waters, palm trees, sun and locals greeted us as we departed the boat..we trekked a few hundred meeters up the white sand and found 12 hammoks for us to sleep in..the shack manager rodrigo was more than happy to take us on and keep us happy with a constant supply of beers and a delicious fish meal for dinner..

THat afternoon we snorkelled on the reef and saw some beautiful fish, a couple of small rays and an eel..we drank beers, frollicked in the sun, read our books and relaxed in the hammoks..we had a ciesta and then went for another snorkle...

The best way to describe the island is as an absolute paradise..it envoked one of those thoughts where your just like, how the fuck did we manage to make it here..it was literally the most naturally stunning place i have ever been..

That night we lit a fire on the beach, munched on fresh fish, played cards and drank an excessinve amount of spiced rum and beers..But the island had one more surprise which none of could have imagined..

As is the case when your drinking on a semi deserted island we all decided to go for a mid night swim..this turned out to be a once in a life time experience as the water was littlered with billions and billions of phospherates which would all light up when you disturbed that water..it was like millions and millions of fireflies lighting the place up, as if the stars in the sky were being directly reflected and challenged from the water..it was completely surreal..they would light up your skin like sparks from an oxy..it was absolutly magical and as had been the case with that afternoon was one of those "fuck me what did we do to deserve this" moments..

We all retired to our hammoks at some stage and in the morning we awoke to an absolutly pristine morning, blue skies and stillness..we started the day with a fruit salad (prepared in front of our eyes by a woman on the beach) and a swim and snorkle across the reef..we spent the rest of the afternoon reading our books in hammoks in the sun and cooling off in the crystle clear waters..the boat ride homje was equally amazing and after checking back into media luna we all had a ciesta..

That evening i got the worst ear ach of my life (i have no idea what from)and after bailing early on dinner tried to sleep with the assistance of a sleeping pill and a couple of beers but the pain was excruciating..i sorted some ear drops and they helped slightly but it took a long time to get to sleep..then i woke up at 3 in the morning, went to the bathroom and vomitted as violently as i ever have, followed by a bout of explosive dirrohea..after having a shower (i was dripping with sweat, i went back to bed and slept better..in the mornig i woke up feeling preetty much fine..very lucky i suppose..

That afternoon we made the 4 hour bus ride from cartagena to taganga, a small fishing village on the carribean coast..its a small idyllic little village with a spralling harbouyr..we got a room with tony and tom (the 2 english lads) and josh and the girls also joined us at the hostel (which litlerally is 2 mts from the beach, another amnazing find!!)

That night we drank more spiced rum, as ewll as some of the local produce and chilled at hte hostel before going to the only night club in town which turned out to be really cool, with the dance fllor on a roof to terrace overlookiung the harbour..We went to an afterparty in someones back yard and then continued on the beach until sunrise..an epic way to start waht may be a 2 week stay..

THe next day we took it really easy, just exploring the town and sortingour a fishing tour for monday..

The famed Medellin and cartagena (20-27 apri)

grizzly_bear — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 08:43:00 GMT

After finaly getting the visa sorted it was time to make the overnight bus trip to medellin, with its promises of amazing night life, beautiful women, and sunny skies..

My bus arrived 9 hours late due to the many landslides that were blocking the road along the way..sustained periods of rain and wind combined for some epic slides, with the most memorable being one that caused an entire semi trailer to flip onto its side.

That afternoon we just spent cruisig around the hostel, playing a bit of basketball and relaxing..we had beers in the bar that evening and met some nice colombian girsl, played some pool and just relaxed..the hostel we were staying at had been billed s a massive party hostel but the vibe was subdued and even a little strange..

The next day we went to the former home, grave, offices of the famous Pablo Escobar and even met his nephew (whos credibility was cemented by the 3 bullet wounds in his stomach). THe highlights of the tour icluded seeing a bullet proof chevvy truck and a 1950s harley davidson. we filled the afternoon with stories of the man and his escopades and crimes, some positive but most negative.

That night we met some cracking english guys and girls and we partied at te hostel well into the evening before deciding to go out and check te clubs..however, given the fact tat it was easter thursday almost everthing was shut, accept for one extremely strange little club..unfortunately it didnt live up to expectations and at the risk of sounding superficial the women were less than impressive..it turned into an all nighter as we decided to make our own party back at the hostel, retiring to the hammoks to watch the sunrise..

We slpet through till 5 the next day and that night we again partied at the hostel with the english guys and gals, chasing the dragon. THis time we didnt bother leaving the hostel (gpood friday) and it turned out to be a cracking night of cards, banter and hammoks..

On saturday we decidid to hit the road (the partying had taken its toll) and all of us caught the bus up to the coast..Unfortubnately it rained the whole time we were in medellin and given the fact that it was the easter weekend we didnt really get the chance to make the most of the night life or the women, but as always we gave it our best crack and left nothing in the tank.

Finally the coast again!!!!!!! Cartagena is a beautifl city, sunny and vibrant. It has what i would assume to be a cuban feel, the locals are a little darker and the buildings colorful. We are staying at an awesome hostrel (possibly the best yet) with an awesome pool and bar, as well as a roof top terrace.

THe first afternoon we walked to the beach and had a swim whihc was awesome, back to salt water. Its not the nicest beach but there are a few beautiful ones not far away which we are going to sample in the next few days. WE also went to a volcano that you sit in the top of and float around in mud. It was surprisingly really cool, the best way to describe the feeling would be to say it feels like floatig in space, acept the air is thick mud, surreal..after getting bathed by the local women in the lagoon we cooked up a massive BBQ with our english mates had beers and retired to bed, for the first time in a lonng time, at a reasonable hour.

The sleep did us well and ensured we were primed for ANZAC day..we started drinking in the beautfiul sun around 12 and kept going throughout the day, movin between the auhentic corner store, the pool, roof and bbq area. It was one of the englich girls birthday as well so that night we had a cake and went to a cool little club..we salsaed..we chilled in the pool and strolled the streets, often being followed by hordes of drug dealers and hookers, keen to shovel off what ever crap they could to the stupid gringos..All in all a funny night, culminating in a comploetely platonic 3 way spoon..

The next day we chilled in the sun, went out for lunch and read our books and swam in the pool..a very relaxing day indeed..finished up with a delicious woodfire pizza at a beautiful little outdoor eatery around the corner from the hostel..

On wednesday we decided that it was time to step up the cultural activities so lach and i hired push bikes (girls bikes with a basket on the front) and went cruising around the city..cartagena is truely an amazing city, with a section of what is now known as the old town completely surrounded by a fortress built up in pre colonial times..Theres these massive cannons and turrets and the only way in and out is through these amazing gated entrances..i mjanaged to sustaina flat tire towards to end of the ride which meant pushing the bike all the way home in the scaslding heat..on a positive note it opened my eyes to the delicious fried chicken shop just up the road from the hostel, one that i would visit many times in the days to come...

Wednessday night was party night at our hostel (all the other hostels converge)..2 for 1 cocktails all night on the roof top terrace..there was no need to go out and sample the locaal night life as the set up at the hostel was amazing..met a few nice aussie girls and swindled the night away..

Bogota and the visa debarcle (18-19 april)

grizzly_bear — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 09:38:00 GMT

Medillin was not to be on the 18th as it was decided that instead of fork out an extra $1200 for flights i should try and obtain a us tourist visa..so, with no idea what was going on (all the websites were in spanish) i headed off to the US embassy..

THe embassy looked more like a prison/factory line as i, along with hundreds and hundreds of other colombians, were greeted by huge line and fleeting rain.. THe day went a little like this:

after lining up they tell me to go and fill out the appropriate forms, its all in spanish, i find some random little shop (after strolling aimlessly for 40 mins), they sit down and help me fill the forms in, scan some new photos, point me in the direction of the bank..so i go back to the embassy, they squeeze me in (for what i thought was an interview, it wasnt), i wait, then they tell me i cant get a visa appointment for a month haha..so i come bck to the hostel ring US immigration to see if i cant get through the country on stop overs, the guy doesnt know, directs me to a another organisation..i try to ring them, the number is disconnected...im starring down the barrell of around $1200 in lost and new flights..i send a frantic email back to the US embassy in bogota, get an automated response, they finally reply, i give them my details, they ring the hostel and they squeeze me in again tomorrow morning at 7am for an interview..

By this stage i was complety rooted and craving sleep, so i watched a movie, had some pizza and dived head first into a land of fairy tales, and no embassys..

THe next day was, in its own unique style almost as commical..i get to the bank at 7, the atms not working, so i go to another one, it completes the transaction but spits out no money..$150 gone..i find another atm, it works and i pay the $140 visa fee..

Again i line up in the rain with hundres of colombians..after 2 hours i get to the appointment 2 hours late..the guy behind the counter is ameican and i get along well with him..he helps me immensly and states that my visa will be ready by 1pm..great..so i wait until 1pm (sneak a hair cut and coffee in, and the coffee was delicious)and line back up..once in i line up again and approach the desk..they tell me that the visa isnt ready yet but to sit and wait..at 4pm (they closed at 4.30)they say its still not ready and most likly come back tomorrow (the though of which has me planning how to commit a mass murder rather than return)..i find my tennis ball and my anger subsides with this sensical relief..Adding to my good mood was the fact that out of 600 colombians there were only 3 of us left..and one woman would have to be the most beautiful woman i have ever seen..a magnificent way to distract the thoughhts for a couple of hours..

At 4.30, to all our relief they hand over the passports and visas..off the medillin tonight!!!!! City of the most beautiful women in the world, or so it is famed (and pablo escobar)..yew

to the credit of the people (employees and other visa seekers) there they did help immensly in every way they could, often ushering the stupid gringo to the front of the que, making sure i understood what was going on and ensuring i was in the right place at the right time...without such help it could have taken months...as is widley talked about, up until this stage anyway, the colombian people have been amazing and extremely kind in every way..

great experience, horrible way to spend 2 days..yew

THE bus to lima and the begining of colombian carnage (14/4-17/4)

grizzly_bear — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 05:46:00 GMT

The supposedly uneventful 4 hour bus ride from huacachina to lima turned out to give a little more than expected when i had my documents, watch, laptop and toiletries bag stolen from the bag under lachs feet..

we didnt arrive to lima until around 6, but which time it was too late to get any help from the aus embassy (although we did try)which meant it would also not be possible to catch the flight to colombia at 5.30am the next morning.

After the initial anger had slightly subsided and we did all we could that evening we made our way to loki lima and settled in for a few beers with foaks and foals..the boys sorted me out with some money and a debit card (as they would still head off the next morning to colombia) and away the night went. THings got pretty wild at the bar, with a fire extnguisher being let off and several other unreportable incidents taking place...

Once the boys had left i went out with seb (a german i had met whilst n exchange in boulder) and his friends..we went to a couple of reallly nice bars and at one i was dancing on the table with a peruvian girls and we both fell off sending glasses and table s everywhere..it ws classic..we both got kicked out for the incidednt but were subsequently allowed back in after persistant pleading..we finished the night with a massive maccas feed and slept away the annoiances of the day..

The next morning, still intoxicated from the night before i made my way to the australian embassy (it was lucky the docs were stolen on the way to lima as this is the only embassy in peru) and began sorting the mess out..they were extremely helpful and had an emergency passport ready that afternoon..

THe comical highlight of the day was taken by the lima police station..after talking them into letting me make a statement (they wanted me to come back the next day for some reason), they took me into the questioning room, where several poor bastards were hand cuffed to chairs and proceeded to yell at each other until they found one of them who could speak enough english to take my statement. With law and order on the TV in the back ground he opened up and exercise boook and away we went..for my copy he just photo copied the page of the book and stamped it!

By the time i got back to the hostel at around 4 i had caught 8 taxis and spent a hell of a lot of money but fortunatley was in possession of both an emergency passport and a police certificate which was a grand result, much better than i had been expectng..that night i sorted out a new flight to colomiba for 5.30 the next morning and had a good chat n skype to rach and the fam..

THe flight was uneventful, accept for the 40 min grilling i got trying to get through peruvian immigration (as i had also lost my entry slip) and i arrived in bogota buggered and looking forward to a ciesta..BUUUUTTTT

on arrival will and i were propositoned with the opportunity to be extras in a colombian drama TV show and as such we accepted (as they would pay us $40 aus for the days work)..at first we had no idea what we had signed up for (maybe porn, maybe a music video???)but were excited for the oportunity of such a claim to fame..we sat around for 4 hours, had a buffet lunch and then got to play our parts..will was a doctor and even got to say a line (ïm sorry, he passed away¨) and i was a prisoner in chains..it was an amazing and hilarious experience (it was a huge professional studio)and one we will never forget..

That night we partied at the hostel and then caught the party bus to 2 awesome clubs (one on the 30th floor of an apartment building)..we ran riot with our mate charles and met some really nice locals on the way..i retired semi early (4am) as it had been an epic day and the boys arrived home around 6.30..story of the night goes to lachlan who paid the security guard at our hostel $20,000 COS to taser him..hahaha..one of the funniest vidoes you will ever see..

was a hectic and memorable 48 hours to say the least.....

Off to Medillien tomorrow (the home of the famous pablo escobar)which im sure will live up to its hectic reputation....yew