Candice & Jayden's O.S Adventure

Egypt

jmmal2 — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:11:00 GMT

Egypt for 10 nights is guaranteed to blow your mind. We went on a travel talk tour, so all accom, transport, guides etc was organised and im really glad we did this as i think we would have had quite a time takling egypt.

Started off with 2 days in Cairo, the sphinx, pyramids, police on camels, and men proclaiming Jayden a lucky man as he had 2 wives. No he hasnt got another wife but just was lucky enough to be walking around with Sharade and me! Then an overnight train to Aswan. Dodgy train, but like i said we had our guide to negotiate everything for us so that took the stress out of the situation. Highlights in Asawn were definately a dinner in the Nubian village. They literally had pet crocodiles... very cool. From here we boarded our feluca for 2 nights. A feluca is a really basic sailing boat. No toilets, no running water, electrcity etc. Just one big matress,a couple of blakets, 15 fun people, an ipod and an eski full of beer. Definately a recipe for FUN! At night we would stop on the side of the nile and have a bon fire. The nubians would get out their drums and we would drink and dance around the fire. As i said no toilets so it was a matter of grab some toilet paper and find a bush on the bank. Sharade and i did this one day, and mid toilet an Egyptian farmer had sneaked up on us and was asking for 'baksheesh', which is a tip. Not only did he interupt our little toilet stop but scared the shit out of us.

We sailed to Luxor and stayed in an amazing resort. From here we saw the Valley of the Kings, more bloody temples, and rode donkeys. I swear Jayden was actually bigger than his donkey, the poor malnutritioned animals. We fed them some apples after carrying our heavy asses up the hill. Then back to Cairo for the Egyptian Museum, mosque and the Egyptian market.

Egypt is a place like no other and i saw some crazy stuff there, and had some unbelievable experiences. Amongst a few...

Dead donkeys in the Nile.

Men trying to sneak up on women as they are in the toilet asking for tip.

Jayden being offered 500 camels for me, and another time 2 chicken with no legs .

Being ripped of an buying 24 cans of non alcoholic beer, and then arguing with the men in the shop to get a refund for 1 hour.

Dancing around a bonfire with a tribe of Nubians.

Playing with pet crocodiles.

Macdonals by motorbike delivery.

Knowing the whole tours bowel movements as we all got sick at one stage or the other. Definately an ice breaker.

Turkey!!!

jmmal2 — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 04:21:00 GMT

We weren't quite sure what to expect from Turkey but we were quite pleased. The people were the most friendly and helpful we have met through Europe, and definately the cheapest country which was great as our British pounds started to dwindle...

Started off in Fetihye, a resort/beach town on the South west coast. We were excited immediately by all things Turkish. Turkish shave, pide (turkish pizza), turkish tea, turkish delight etc. Spent a couple of days just walking and exploring the town, eating in the fish market, shopping, soaking up the sun by the pool. You can buy your own fish fresh and take it to a restaurant and they cook it for you. very cool. Then we boarded our 'Blue Cruise'. a 3 night cruise on a gulet boat that involved lots of drinking, sunbathing, swimming, snorkelling and cruising through the med. We had cabins but slept most nights on the deck as the sky and sun rise was amazing and the night so peaceful. We had a great group of people on our boat. Mostly aussies, 2 americans and 1 canadian. Great company for three days on board, and an awesome group of people to celebrate my birthday with. We went out to a beachside nightclub only accessible by water taxi on my birthday eve. We had an awesome night (as you can prob tell by the photos), and partied 'aggressively'. The music stopped at midnight and the whole club sang me happy birthday. A great way to celebrate the big 25.

After this most of the people from our cruise and Jayden and I headed to Olympos. Famous for it's hippie vibe and tree houses. We chilled out in tree houses, went sea kayaking and swimming, and hiked up a mountain at night to see some natural flames that emerge from the ground all because of the mixture of gasses in the ground. However the key to Olympos was just laying back chatting with and meeting new friends. However 5 days after we left Olympos experience flash floods and the whole town was washed away. It was a lucky escape.

after this we said goodbye to new found friends and made our way to Pamukkale. The tourist attraction here is a massive white mountain. Its white as the surface is calcified lava. It also has a whole heap of travetines (pools) that you can swim around in. Prob best if you look at the photos as its hard to describe but really beautiful. After this Selcuk. Wandered around the weekend market, a local grape crushing festival and the ruins of ephesus. Came out of it with some genuine fake ralph lauren polos and undies that are according to the guy who sells them 'cheaper than k-mart and better than big w'. ha ha. hopefully they are a bit better than that.

Next stop Gallipoli. We went on a really great tour, and obviously a really rewarding experience for me to see all this 'out' of a text book, but also really overwhelming as you calculated the losses on both the anzac and Turkish sides. It was really great to hear the story from our Turkish guide and amazing how the Turkish hold no remorse to Australians and NZ, and with hindsight feel that we both were fighting a pointless war for other countries. The Turkish had never heard of the Australians and vice versa and yet here they were fighting face to face. Definately makes you wonder how war produces 'enemies', amongst people that have very little to do with each other, and the (sometimes) ridiculous nature of allies...and war.

Then off to our final stop Istanbul. We were riddled with money problems and bank issues whilst here and i think this dampened our experience here, nevertheless we enjoyed our time here but not a highlight. Much more expensive than the smaller towns, some nice architecture (mosques and sorts), a nice walk around the grand bazar (but again only entertaining for so long when you have no money). Met some nice people at our hostel, and ate some really great food but otherwise your typical capital city. Or maybe we are getting a little jaded now that we have been travelling for so long?

Looking forward to Egypt, and the ease of being on a tour and not having to organise anything.

Greece

jmmal2 — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 02:08:00 GMT

Ok this is my second attempt at a Greece blog. wrote one at the end of greece and then lost it all when the comp froze. since then i have been very lax. Well... arrived in Greece via ferry. we splashed out on room in the overnight ferry and caught up on some sleep. Took a bus to Athens and was very impressed by how clean and presentable the city was. Think it was sprused up for the Olympics. Checked into our hostel wich had an amazing rooftop view of the Acropolis, and a rooftop bar. nice! Met a few frenchies in our hostel that were also going to Santorini the next day and staying the same place as us, so we all took the 8hr ferry tog.

Santorini was awesome. All the buildings are just so beautiful and colourful. Spent quite a lot of time by our pool chilling in the sun and enjoying the company of the frenchies, some canadians and of course aussies and new zelanders. cant get away from them. lol. Hired a 4wd motorbike and cruised around the whole island, red sand beaches, fira caldera views and of course oia at sunset. Took a Volcano boat tour the next day, hiked up the volcano and took in the scenery donkeys and all. Absolutely loved Santorini, however would definately come back in the high season as things were definately starting to slow down and it wasnt the party i expected.

Next stop porto Heli Bay for Jaydens long awaited sailing holiday. It didnt disappoint. Biff and Amy, a British couple ran the show. Biff taught us the ropes with catamarans, and Amy took us out windsurfing. Also snorkelling, mountainbiking and swimming. an action packed holiday. Jaydenloved the cats and I took more of a liking to windsurfing. Amy and Biff had us over for tea, took us out for a night with their friends on a water taxi to the next island and introduced us to the locals. A really nice week and might catch up with them when they come to aus this summer. Look forward to getting into it when we get back.

Then Athens. All the sights. Acropolis, Pathenon, Roman agora etc etc. Ruins are all starting to turn into a bit of a blur right now. Had a great time though and def enjoyed the Greek food. In some ways I have found my homeland. lol! At least three people a day asked me if i was Greek, and the food definately agreed. Souvlaki, gyros, dolmada, moussaka, baklava, mmmmm. lucky melbourne has a big greek population so we can find it all again.

three weeks well spent. Would love to come back and do the islands again. In the high season and inmore detail. you never know ..... :)

Italy

jmmal2 — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:52:00 GMT

Venice- The city of gondolas. Very romantic. We spent most of our days here wandering around and getting lost on purpose just to discover Venice and all the canals. We came across a few beauties as well- awesome pizza, a shop that sold wine by the litre in plastic bottles for 2 euros a litre and it was really good. However Venice eventually proved too expensive for our back packer budget, so for dinner it was pizza and our cheap wine sitting with our legs hanging into the canal and some gondola watching. The crowds and the heat got too much for us on our 2^nd day and we escaped to the beach for some much needed chilling. Really beautiful but very crowded in the height of summer.

Next it was Florence the city of art. The statue of David was a must see and the Michaelangelo park. Although the highlight was sitting in the main square at night with all the beautiful buildings and statues illuminated and listening to the live music going on. Did this every night for a couple of hours after enjoying some awesome Italian meals. Ravioli, Pesto, Veal scalopini, and veal stew. Mmmm. Also took a day trip to Pisa, and yes it was leaning.

And maybe the highlight of Italy for us- Rome. Arrived at our hostel and decided to venture to the Spanish steps for a look. From there we caught a free 2 hr walking tour around Rome. We saw the Pathenon, Trevi fountain, churches, squares, the Pinnochio factory and a great insight into Rome. Had dinner right near the Trevi fountain that night- a beautiful view and I think my favourite sight of Rome. The next day we did a fantastic but exhausting tour of the Colesseum, Palentine hill and the Forum. Great tour but so hot in Rome in the summer, and the fact that our hostel had no air conditioning didn't help. But you cant expect much for 11 euros a night. On our 3^rd day we just wandered around Rome, drank some great coffee, saw all the piazzas, ate some amazing food, sat in wine bars, walked along the river and just soaked up the energy of Rome. That night we enjoyed one too many happy hour drinks at our hostel, and the next day met the Vatican with a killer hangover. The Swiss guards did not look impressed. St Peters Bascillica, the Sistine chapel, the Vatican Museums, we saw and enjoyed all.

Then it was to Naples. We heard some dodgy stories about this city but still were shocked. Walked off the train to find the tourist info closed, men accosting us trying to sell us I phones from their pockets, rubbish littering the streets, men selling goods on the street that were obviously stolen from someone's car, house ect. We walked around for the day and this just confirmed our opinion of Naples. Dirty and Dodgy. Went to sample some pizza which is what Naples is famous for, met some locals who told me to watch my bag and not wear any jewellery. Hmmmm. However the pizza was great. You had to take a ticket to get a seat it was that popular and they only served, margherita, beer, soda or water. But sooo good. Went to Pompei the next day and climbed Mount Vesuvius. Awesome day.

Then to the picturesque Amalfi coast. After a pretty hairy bus ride on the windy cliff side road arrived at our hostel walked around and soaked up the views, beach and checked the place out. Met some great people in our hostel and had a good night at a local restaurant with local beer and more good food! The next day our new friend Jess the fitness instructor lead Jayden and I up the very top of Amalfi. Amongst the great views were steps, hills, donkeys carrying goods down the hill. A great morning. Chilled off with an afternoon at the beach and that night take away pizzas and beer with our friends from the hostel on the beach. Loved Amalfi. So beautiful the photos don't do it justice.

Off to Sicilly! Stayed a couple of nights in Taormina on a villa at the top of the mountain with you guessed it...great views.(www.thelemontree.eu) Walked down to the local town, experienced the food and checked out the sights. Hired a scooter which was great if not a little scary at first. This enabled us to drive up and down the coast and do some beach hopping. Great.

Last stop Valguanera! Relatives, the best hospitality, Pizzerias, way too many coffees, funny jokes, an insight into true Sicillian life, way too much food and mostly some great friends and times that I will never forget. Monica and Priscilla were some of the most beautiful girls I have ever met and I hope to meet with them again.

Three weeks in Italy was a life changing experience. Something I (and my thighs) will never forget. Great sights, food, and friends along the way. Next stop Greece!

Gallery: Switzerland

jmmal2 — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:07:00 GMT

Switzerland

jmmal2 — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:39:00 GMT

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Weren't quite sure what to expect from Switzerland but so glad that we decided to visit. A quick two night stop over in Geneva. Pretty town, situated around the lake, however we were here for the tourist attractions. Hired bikes to get around for the day (thought it was about time we started exercising after our culinary tour of Europe). Went to the United Nations which was amazing. I felt like I was in the West Wing or something. Security was full on. Had to bring our passports and got laminated passes saying 'Candice Tucker- United Nations', prob daggy but I loved it. The tour was cool, but Jayden had to drag me away from their bookshop as I wanted to purchase all sorts of stuff from 'Women's struggle for freedom in third world countries' to 'The true story of boy soldiers in Sierra Leonne'. Made a few purchases but no where near as many as I would like. After that visited the International Red Cross museum.

The next day we were off to Interlaken 'a backpackers paradise' (apparently). We soon realised on the train that everything looked better than a postcard. From the crystal blue lakes to the snow capped mountains we were in awe. Checked into our hostel to find we were sharing with an aussie couple from Townsville. Cant escape the buggers eh? Spent four nights there and chilled out. Our hostel was right on the river and had an awesome outdoor area and kitchen which enabled us to save some money. Took a hike around the foothills of mountains, Took a cable car from Grindlewald to a mountain that was over 2000m high. When we got to the top we were greeted by goats Crazy! Hired a catamaran and sailed (or did what we could with the little wind). A lot of jumping off, swimming and sunbathing. Loved Interlaken, amazing sights, and the Swiss are really friendly. Each person speaks at least three languages, and everybody from the checkout chick to the guy from the sailing club speaks perfect English. Highlight of the trip so far- would recommend it to anyone.

France and catching up with friends

jmmal2 — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:37:00 GMT

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It took us a lot of effort to get to france, however it was definitely worth it in the end. It took 4 trains, 1 bus, and two 1 night stop overs to get there. However once we did we finally relaxed. Dylan and Tash were excellent hosts. We were welcomed by beer, wine, cheese, baguettes and that set the tone for the next few nights. Dylan and Tash are caretakers for a chateau which looks exactly like a castle. The chateau has about 12 rooms, and Dylan and Tash have their own flat underneath. We spent the days basking in the sun, playing with their dogs, swimming in their pool, catching up, drinking and taking long walks in the sun. Was awesome to relax from our 'jobs' as tourists and just do nothing with friends for awhile.

We hugged Dylan and Tash goodbye, and wished them the best of luck on their travels as we prob wont see them for another year.

Then off to Paris to give the city a second chance to make an impression on us. We stayed with an old school friend of mine Bec and her husband John. They live in a 'tiny' apartment in the Montmart e district, about 7 floors up and lots of stairs (especially with back packs). Was great again to catch up with Bec as it has prob been 4 years since I saw her last. They took us on a sunset picnic on the seine. Us and about 150 Parisians drank, ate, watched the sun set, the boats on the river, and when night fell the Eiffel tower present its light show. Was truly amazing, had to pinch ourselves to remind us it was real. The next day Jayden and I walked round Paris for the day, had an amazing French lunch and lazed around the grass outside the Sacre Cour church taking in the sun. We then bid Bec and John goodbye as we don't know when we will see them again as they have plans to stay abroad for awhile.

Was great to catch up with friends and see France again. A lovely place to visit in summer.

Gallery: France and friends

jmmal2 — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:44:00 GMT

Spain

jmmal2 — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:24:00 GMT

Hola Amigos!

We started off in Seville. renowned for bull fighting and Flamenco dancing, and it didnt dissapoint. By far the hottest city in Spain, it was once 38 degrees at 11pm at night. Spent our first night eating amazing tapas. It was always such an adventure as most tapas menus only came in spanish- so it was a case of choose 5 and see what comes out. They were always amazing, especially with spanish beer or sangria to wash it down. Then off to live Flamenco dancing in a bar, packed in with locals and tourists. Met some brothers from South Africa. Seville was very chilled out and a bit hippy.

Then off to Valencia. had an awesome 4 star hotel. Spent lots of time on the beach where the water was deliciously warm- checked out the dock from the Americas Cup, and a trip to the very modern aquarium. Again great food- Paella. mmm. Saw the holy grail.

Barcelona was my favourite city. Absolutely packed! Great party vibe. Lots of happy hour drinks. Meeting lots of Brits, Americans and a lot of cool people. Again the beach, touring around Barcelona seeing all the Gaudi architecture, and a very cool tour of the Picasso museum.

Then a couple of days of travelling. Up to San Sebastian and then crossing the border to France to visit Dylan and Tash.

Loving the weather and all the experiences. Took us awhile, but we are definately in holiday mode now.

Gallery: Spain

jmmal2 — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:11:00 GMT

Gallery: Goodbye London!

jmmal2 — Sun, 2 Aug 2009 23:35:00 GMT

Portugal

jmmal2 — Sun, 2 Aug 2009 23:33:00 GMT

We are busy trying to kill some time at the moment since our bus doesnt leave for Spain for 3 hours and we have already checked out of our hotel. Have really enjoyed Portugal though. Its very off the radar for English tourists, lots of Spanish and obviously Portugeese.

Started off in Lisbon. A day at the beach kicked off the holiday to warm our pasty pommie complexions. Lots of exploring the little pathways and a steep clim to Castle St George at the top of the hill with killer views. Definately a highlight (check out the photos). Then off to Nazare for 2 nights. A seaside beach town, very busy with people on their summer holidays. Chilled by the beach for a couple of days and swam. Then three nights in Evora to finish the leg of our Portugeese trip. A medieval walled city, churches, castles, old Roman ruins, museums and a chapel made of human bones. very eery!Have loved the food and beer, lots of seafood so Jayden is in heaven. However a little disapointed when we found out Nandos doesnt exist here! They have never heard of it, and it is obviously a western creation.

Night bus tonight to Seville in spain. Then Valencia and Barcelona. We were going to visit Majorca but with the bombings and the bushfires that way it seems unlikely.

Lots of love xoxo

Gallery: Portugal

jmmal2 — Sun, 2 Aug 2009 23:20:00 GMT

Goodbye London...Hello Europe!

jmmal2 — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 02:59:00 GMT

Well, I am just about to go out drinking cocktails in Camden. My last night in London. I cant believe that this is finally happening! I have been dreaming about this moment for 6 months! Our last two weeks in London have been very eventful to say the least. The place we were supposed to be staying in fell through and we had no where to stay for two weeks. Luckily all the lovely girls from work saved the day and offered a place to stay for Jayden and I. We stayed at lauren and Andy's house for the first week. Was great to stay in a beautiful apartment with a huge couch and tv, a lovely bedroom, a big kitchen to cook in and lots of wine to drink. Lauren and Andy are coming to Melbourne in Feb so we promised to return the favour then.

School finished. All my students wanted to know why I was going home, but understood when i pointed out the weather and all of Australias pull. A very drunken night on the friday followed and lots of wine to celebrate. This week we have been staying at my friend Louises. An aussie sharehouse- abundant with vegemite and tim tams. Jayden has finished up today. We are packed up and cant wait to hit europee. The weather is so awful here. The fact that its summer means nothing- still grey and drizzly. Cant wait to hit the beach in spain.

It's a little bit sad to leave london. Have met some lovely people who i hope to maybe see one day in Aus. Work although sometimes overwhelming has been a great career opportunity. And i think that getting out of our comfort zone has made us appreciate our home and all our friends and family even more. I know that I can handle a lot more than i thought and the fact that we can go through all this and come out the other end just as happy together is comforting.

Here's to even more adventures, and challenges in Europe (and hopefully just a bit of sun).

xoxo

Gallery: Sailing

jmmal2 — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:00:00 GMT

Datchet Water Sailing Club

Gallery: Oxford, Regents Park etc

jmmal2 — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 06:55:00 GMT

Oxford

jmmal2 — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 06:21:00 GMT

I awoke this morning at 8.30 am with a spring in my step and this is very unusual especially for a sunday. Finally the sun was back out again and it was beginning to look a lot like summer. After teasing us with the sun for a couple of weeks, it has been missing in action over the last two weeks. So for it to be sunny was a blessing.

We made our way to Oxford. Firstly explored the cobbled streets just to check out what was around, and discovered everything had an entry fee. From an entry fee of three pounds for admission to the botanical gardens, 1 pound for a map, and at least 1.50 to get into any one of the oxford university colleges. Jayden says it's wrong to make money off natures free gifts. We coughed up for everything but the botanical gardens, and sat on the front step eating our lunch defiantly. The colleges were beautiful, with amazing gardens and the buildings were really traditional and old.

After walking about the colleges, we went down to the river and had a pimms (yum pommy summer drink)in a lovely riverside beer garden. We watched all the little boats go past, and laughed at all the tourists trying to 'punt'. We then strode along the riverbank and watched the Oxford University rowing team go about their business, running around in their little zoot suits. You can see EVERYTHING in those things. Meat and potatoes. We thought of you Berto and had a little laugh.

Really nice day, England can be such a lovely place in the summer when the sun decides to come out. Check out the photos for some beautiful scenery. Bree look for the obligatory pics of oversized swans and ducks.

love to all

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Camp- South of France

jmmal2 — Sat, 30 May 2009 06:01:00 GMT

For those of you who don't know I was able to get myself on the watersports camp in azu rivage. 1 week without teaching, and it beats the hell out a 1 night orientation camp in phillip island. It all started with a bus ride (3hrs) a ferry ride (2 hrs) and a 15 hour bus ride on the other side. You all know how i am with my sleeping, so you can imagine how i was with the kids on the bus. I had to borrow your line Myra 'Silence- its a simple concept'. I had the noisy kids sitting next to me and the bus driver (who i was actually scared of) for hours at a time. They were eventually silent thanks to all my ranting.

As for the camp. It was awesome. We were staying in tents. But they were well set up- every person had a seperate zip up compartment, electricity, a fridge, full cooking facilities. The activities were sailing (pico and darts), catamaran sailing, kayaking, raft building, mountain bike riding, windsurfing. Lots of opportunity and lots of fun. The teachers even had a night out at a local french resturaunt and a french bar with many french beers flowing. A great opportunity to see the south of france at no cost. awesome.

As for now- Jayden and i are just enjoying the english summer. rides in the park, boat rides on the thames, drinking in the pubs in the sun. Only 7 weeks to go of work and then off to portugal. It's hard to save money in London in Summer when all you want to do is go outside and eat/drink/socailise. However we will try. counting down the weeks.

xoxo

Level 1 Start Sailing

jmmal2 — Mon, 18 May 2009 00:10:00 GMT

For those that don't know, since moving to London I have found a love for sailing... in particular dingy sailing. So on the 9/10 of May I ventured out to my local club http://www.dwsc.co.uk/ (Datchet - About 50 min train ride from London, 5 mins from heathrow). On arrival I was met by the club secretary, who then introduced me to the other course attendees; John a MET police officer who wants to start sailing with his son, Paul a Marketing contractor who knows how to sail yatchs but wants to get into dingy sailing as it is a little cheaper. We were then introduced to our instructor Sam. Sam is studying electronics at uni, but has decided that he much prefers a career in sailing.

Day 1

Sam advices us of the basics of sailing... basically the fact that you cant sail directly into the wind. We then when and grabbed our kit (wetsuit, buoyancy aid, splash vest, and booties) and was introduced to our boat... A topper topaz – great boat for beginners as they are easy to right and are unbreakable. We then attached the sail, boom and rudder before heading out on the water. We were told to just reach (sailing across the wind) back and forth just to understand the wind. Surprisingly I picked this up quickly and was able to generate some good speed.

Back to classroom for some more theory... this time tacking (turning to boat with the bow of the boat towards the wind). We then headed out on the water to put this into practise. The hardest parts of tacking is realigning the rudder after the tack and battling with the tiller extension. For the remainder of the day the process was the same... some theory followed by the practical. I finished the day feeling confident with my new acquired skills.

Day 2

Much the same as Day 1, however the wind had done a full 180 degree shift and its strength had disappeared. It is much harder to sail in light winds as the position of the boat is crucial. We extended our basic reach course to include a down and up wind leg, surprisingly the topaz is actually quickest when reaching and slowest going downwind.

Follow this course I will be heading to the Level 2 course on the 22/23 may. Completion of this course allows me to hire boats. (it basically like a licence).

Gallery: Dublin

jmmal2 — Tue, 12 May 2009 06:14:00 GMT