Kiara's Amazing Travels

Photos: Phnom Penh

kiara19 — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 01:30:00 GMT

Photos: Sihanoukville

kiara19 — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 01:05:00 GMT

Photos: Battambang and the bamboo train

kiara19 — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:49:00 GMT

Photos: CAMBODIA....WOW!!

kiara19 — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 01:27:00 GMT

Turtle Time!!

kiara19 — Fri, 7 Jan 2011 23:14:00 GMT

After around five days or so getting to know all the children at the orphanage we decided we should go and see some of the country. We decided to travel down south and head to the beaches of Bentota, the home of the turtle hatcheries.

The train ride down to Bentota was far different to some of the crowded sleeper trains we experienced in India. As the train ambled through the country side we were indulged with some fantastic views of the landscape. Endless fields of green rice paddies surrounded by luscious palm trees with rolling mountains in the back ground, then as we got closer to the beach and the train travelled parallel to the coast we looked over the white sand beaches Sri Lanka had to offer!

After a quick breakie we headed down to the beach which was practically deserted (which was very surprising because it was actually quite a nice beach) compared to the beaches of Goa that we relaxed on only around a week earlier. After a quick splash in the water it was time to head to the turtle hatcheries about 10kms down the road.

At the hatchery we explored around and saw turtles at all stages of their lives, from the eggs about to be hatched in a few days to a 100KG albino turtle. This particular albino turtle that they nick name “lucky” was actually only a few years old when the tsunami hit the coast of Sri Lanka, luckily someone grabbed this rare creature and headed for the hills, the rest of the hatchery though was not so lucky.

We got chatting to the bloke who worked there and he told us to come back at around 7 that night and we could help release some of the three day old hatchlings into the sea. After filling in the time seeing a local spice plantation nearby we returned to the hatchery eager to help these little fellas into a life of freedom in the wild!

These tiny turtles that fit neatly into the palms of our hands flapped their flippers in the air as we held them, as if they excited that they were about to head out into the massive ocean. When we released them they made their way slowly across the sand towards the tiny waves rolling in. When they got close enough to the waters edge the tiny waves engulfed the little fellas and then they were gone, tumbling out towards the coral reef. Gee I sure do hope that my little turtle “Donatello” is one of the 10% that will make it to see adulthood.

We were about to get a tuk-tuk home when the bloke from the hatchery told us that the last few nights big turtles from the wild had started coming into the beach to lay their eggs and that if we were willing to wait around for a few hours we might just be lucky enough to see one!

Obviously we decided there was no way we were going to miss the chance to see something like this so we stuck around bubbling with excitement..... 4 hours later we were no longer excited and decided to call it a night. Ahhh well it was worth a try, you can’t win them all ey?

Just as we jumped into our tuk-tuk to head home our new friend from the hatchery got a call on his mobile, “tonight is your lucky night! A huge turtle has just come ashore!” We ran back to the beach in excitement to see a crowd of locals around a big shadowy figure. The locals explained we had to stay behind the turtle so it wouldn’t see us as it dug its hole for its eggs, because if it spotted us it would decide to head back out to sea and try again another night.

After around half an hour the turtles hole was complete and it started laying its 120 eggs. The locals all sprinted in to our amazement and they explained once it started laying it couldn’t stop and we were free to take photos and watch all we liked. These locals collected the eggs to sell to the hatcheries for about 10c each. We were defiantly surprised when they suggested that we get down on our guts and grab out some eggs straight from underneath this massive monster of a turtle. I got down on my stomach and crawled up behind this huge creature, that they estimated to be 70 years old and tip the scales at about 300KGS. Because the poor turtle couldn’t look behind it, it had no idea I was taking the eggs literally as they were falling. Fluid from the turtles vagina was dripping all over my hand and the eggs below, disgusting as this was it still did not take away from the magic of seeing something so natural and something that so few people probably get to see first hand.

“Kiara you’ve got to try this, its like something from natural geographic”

So kiara was next down, fishing the eggs out as fast as the turtle could lay them. This went on for about 45 minutes untill the locals had collected all of the 120 eggs the turtle had just laid! Where this turtle stored all of these eggs I still have no idea because the basket of eggs was huge!

The turtle rested for a couple of minutes (As I would too after giving birth to 120 babies) before covering its hole with sand to protect all of its freshly laid eggs from any preditors that would want to steal her babies. Little did she know all the eggs were already in a basket and would be at the turtle hatchery by the morning.

Matt

This was probably one of the more amazing things ive been lucky enough to experience on this trip and defiantly something that I will never forget!

I LOVE Sri Lanka

kiara19 — Fri, 7 Jan 2011 23:11:00 GMT

Sri Lanka could possibly be one of my favourite countries in the world and somewhere that I feel most content and at my happiest!! I couldn’t wipe the huge smile off my face when we arrived. Our first day was spent with the human dynamite, aka Aunty Olly, who we accompanied on several errands around Colombo. Particularly memorable was a visit to the hospital where we found ourselves in the mental ward, being eerily watched and feeling totally out of place. With no windows, locked prison doors and some freaky people, it was almost like a scene out of Shutter Island. Welcome to Sri Lanka Matt!!

After travelling through India, Sri Lanka looks and feels to me like paradise. I’ve been wondering where all the people are hiding, enjoying the clean streets, wide open spaces and feasting my eyes on all the stunning scenery. I love being surrounded by palm trees, rice paddies, tea plantations, mountain ranges and some beautiful beaches. Despite how awesome I think the country is, the best thing by far about coming here again is visiting the kids at the orphanage. They are the best kids and its going to be hard to leave them again. Matt and I have spent some quality time mucking around, playing cricket and board games, watching movies and helping them with their English. We’ve also had a couple of fun day trips to an elephant orphanage and to Kandy. Around Christmas time a lot of the kids go back to their local villages so we’ve been left with only 8 over the holiday period which has made it that bit easier for us. I don’t know how Aunty Olly copes with 25 kids running around. I hope she knows how much I admire her and hope I can do something as amazing as what she is doing in my life.

Christmas with the kids was so much fun, despite the fact that we were both really homesick and missing all our Aussie traditions. We went to midnight mass which was all in Singhalese. Matt especially loved all the standing up and kneeling down on a hard wooden plank!! After church we gave the kids some pressies from A Olly that they continued to play with all night until we had to confiscate them because we were trying to sleep up in the dormitory with them. Matt was the best Santa in the world!! He stayed up until about 3am just to make sure the kids were all sound asleep before using his ninja like stealth to sneak around and fill up their stockings. It paid off in the morning when they ripped open all their presents and choruses of ‘batteries aunty, batteries’ ran throughout to get their motorised toys working. We spent the rest of Christmas day doing some craft activities with them, having lunch, playing outside and then going out to Rambukkanna for hoppers.

Seeing the kids again was so amazing, I can’t explain how happy it made me to see their smiling faces and be called aunty again. They are all doing really well, looking healthy and their English is getting better as well. Little Tharaka is still tiny and struggling a bit with a constant ear infection but his huge smile and beautiful spirit are as bright as ever. Sri Lanka was fantastic and I loved every minute we spent there with the kids and exploring the country. Our experience with the turtle hatchery in Bentota was absolutely surreal and like something out of National Geographic. Our time in Nurawa Eliya and Ella was spent going for long hikes, enjoying the stunning scenery and tea plantations and stumbling across the random cobras in the bush. Our one horrible experience in Sri Lanka was the train ride home from Ella. An overcrowded, rickety, stench filled 10 hour train resulted in two very grumpy Australian passengers, especially when it broke down for an hour and a half. Despite that one train ride though, I fall more in love with the country every time I go there and I can’t wait to go back again.

Photos: Christmas at the orphanage...s

kiara19 — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 15:33:00 GMT

Photos: Hill Country

kiara19 — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 14:12:00 GMT

Photos: Sigiriya

kiara19 — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 21:09:00 GMT

Photos: BENTOTA- TURTLE TIME

kiara19 — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:48:00 GMT

Photos: At the orphanage

kiara19 — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:22:00 GMT

India as a whole.....

kiara19 — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 18:43:00 GMT

Looking back on our whirlwind adventure through India I think of the vibrant colours, constant haggling, abundance of diversity, confronting poverty, the all famous Indian head wobble and never ending chai!! India is a country that overwhelms all your senses. The overpowering smells, some disgusting and others appetising that invade your nostrils on every corner. The constant blaring of thousands of motorists trying in vain to move as quickly as they can through the snail paced traffic and around random goats and cows that amble slowly through the streets. Indulging your tastebuds in garlic naans, crispy dosas, jeera rice, tandoori chicken and even the refreshing lime sodas and lassis. The impressive sights of snow capped mountains near Dharamsala, the Golden Temple at sunrise, the Kama Sutra temples in Khajuraho or the magical landscape of Hampi. Or simply being surrounded by an outstanding amount of vibrant saris, colourful turbans of different shapes and sizes, and of course the ubiquitous moustaches.

In our short six weeks we travelled from Delhi down to Chennai and experienced genuine hospitality and kindness, which contrasted highly with the preposterous statements, persistent and often annoying ploys to get our money. The haggling and attempts to pull at your heart strings are rivalled by nowhere else I’ve travelled to, and while we saw many people who genuinely needed help, it comes to a point that you realise you can’t help everyone. Even sadder is the difficulty in many situations in determining if people are actually in need or just trying to take advantage of our foreign appearance. In saying that, the poverty in India is abundant and confronting. Cripples, lepers, homeless people and a plethora of ragged children constantly have their hands outstretched and tins rattling for donations. The abundance of amputees is also something quite common and unfortunately something you get used to. Men with mangled limbs or even no limbs at all, crawling or rolling on planks to move around. One of the saddest and most abhorrent facts is that many of these people have been purposely disfigured or deformed in order to be more successful at begging. As hard as it is to say no to someone, it’s even harder when you are swarmed by a group all expecting the same help.

Just as confronting is the lack of hygiene. Walking through the streets you’re endlessly dodging piles of rubbish, open sewers and ragged animals. It’s also not uncommon to see men of all ages using the pavement and sidewalks as toilets. We found the lack of hygiene awareness shocking and it was probably one of the hardest things I had to deal with, especially in Varanasi. The local people are completely ignorant or just don’t care that they are bathing, washing clothes and drinking from the Ganges which is so blatantly polluted.

India is one of the most spiritual places I’ve travelled to. Most Indians are deeply religious, whether they are Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist or Christian. You don’t need to go far to find amazing temples or ancient ruins which are almost as abundant as 7 Eleven’s in Melbourne (surprisingly there are no 7 Eleven’s in India much to our amazement). Matt found the Muslim call to prayer extremely frustrating when it woke us at 5am, blaring from a speaker right outside our window. I appreciate different religions but this was too ridiculous for me as well.

This trip was tough and challenging sometimes, easy going and relaxing at others but overall it was spectacular and far too quick. We travelled hundreds of kilometres on buses and trains – some disgracefully uncomfortable; one to Dharamsala that made us sick, one that smelt like sour milk and another that was home to scurrying mice. There were other rides that were fun and reasonably comfortable, and the constant calls of ‘chai chai chai’ and ‘coffee coffee coffee’ will always stay in my memory.

There are a lot of everyday sights that can only belong in India that we got very used to and may the paint the picture for you more vividly. No matter where we travelled in India the following were consistent throughout : children asking for school pens and chocolate (somehow they all ask for the same thing), men chewing and loudly spitting out bright red beetle (plant similar to tobacco), Matt constantly being accosted by groups of men for ‘one snaps’ and wanting to know all about him, me constantly being asked if I was Indian, the thinnest mattresses in the world at only about 20mm thick (might be a good idea to start up a mattress business), monkeys everywhere clambering over buildings, pushy salesmen and of course all of the men (who Matt thinks have homosexual tendencies) affectionately holding hands.

India overall was an amazing country to travel through and I only wish that we had more time there. We will definitely need to return to see all the sights that we couldn’t fit in. India is somewhere that everyone needs to visit once in their life even though it’s not a typical holiday destination for many Aussies. It’s made us appreciate everything we have at home and how lucky we are, while also opening my eyes to a whole new culture and different way of life.

Magical Hampi

kiara19 — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 18:24:00 GMT

Hampi in three words : magical, impressive and memorable. A small town defined by its surrounding landscape of huge boulders and ancient architecture. We spent our time there riding bicycles and ambling through the major sites at our own pace. The ancient temples individually were no more impressive than the previous ones we’ve seen, but combined with surroundings of lush palms and mysterious boulder formations, it became for us a mesmerising place. Definitely worth the long journey out of our way, it was Matt’s favourite stop in India and definitely up there on my list with Amritsar and Khajuraho.

In between walking and cycling throughout the area, we braved the apparently ‘crocodile infested’ and ‘whirlpool prone’ river on a slowly sinking contraption that the locals called a boat. Shaped like saucers and made from branches and tarp, the boats were used to transport not only people but also motorbikes across the water. We were slightly entertained and somewhat scared by the constant need to scoop out the water that seeped through the flimsy material. Luckily we arrived alive and unscathed on the other side only to fend off a pack of dogs that decided they didn’t like foreigners while we explored the local village.

Matt regained his celebrity status in Hampi and was constantly harassed for conversation and ‘one snaps’. Being generous and kind hearted he indulged most of these people with his charm and wit. However being idiotic and arrogant, he continues to believe that the women all wanted him and the men wanted to be him. I on the other hand was largely ignored unless someone wanted a photo of the good looking white man and his Indian girlfriend!!!

After enjoying some good food, feeding the monkeys bananas and buying new books, we were on our way to Chennai, the last stop in India. Unfortunately Chennai left us with a sour taste in our mouths. We were severely ripped off by our rickshaw driver, it was constantly raining, we battled to fix our cancelled flight situation and our hotel lost power for much of the night. To top it off, our last rickshaw drive to the airport ended with us having to walk 300m in torrential rain because our driver failed to inform us that he couldn’t actually enter the airport. With sopping wet clothes and luggage, we were not happy that our tight asses hadn’t spent the extra $8 to get a taxi right to the door. We boarded our plane with good riddance to Chennai but with so many amazing experiences and memories from a country we will definitely return to.

Photos: HAMPI

kiara19 — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 01:05:00 GMT

Chillin in Goa

kiara19 — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:28:00 GMT

Goa was a much needed break after some hectic and tiring travelling from Rajasthan - Ajanta/Ellora – Mumbai in under a week. We knew what a massive country India was before coming here, but travelling on overnight sleeper buses and trains from North to South, you begin to really understand just how huge. Our experience of Goa consisted of long days relaxing on the beach, swimming in the ocean and eating great food. It’s a beautiful place surrounded by lush plantations and scenic views. As soon as you see those green wide open spaces fringed by palm trees and feel the hot sun you automatically feel relaxed.

There’s not that much to report from our time in Goa because we spent the few days there relaxing and recuperating on the beach. We moved our bums off the sand for one day and visited Anjuna where the weekly market is held. It was noisy, colourful and huge, and I indulged in some more hippie pants for $4 each and Matt yet again purchased nothing!

Photos: Chillin in Goa

kiara19 — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:09:00 GMT

A day in Mumbai

kiara19 — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 02:06:00 GMT

After a long, sleepless, vomit worthy bus trip comprising of a stinky single bed (smelling of body odour and sour milk) that they told us was a “double”, we arrived in Mumbai! Mumbai was already pissing me off, mainly because I was tired, hungry and craved a shower after that travesty of a bus. The taxi driver took us first to a hotel costing RS 4500 (about 115 bucks) haha what a joke! We have only been spending around RS 350- 500 (8-12 bucks) per night! So we tried to track down something cheaper, a young bloke was showing us some cards of some places that he knew. Everywhere you travel in India the rickshaw drivers and other random people you meet will try to get you to stay at hotels and hostels because they get commission for bringing you in. Regardless we decided to have a look at some of the places this fellow knew! The first place was a shoe box in size with only enough room to squeeze two filthy single beds into and then have the audacity to charge Rs700 for it! The second place he showed me req uired him taking me in this rickety old elevator which could only hold about 5 people in it! We squeezed 5 of us in their while Kiara waited in the taxi. To my frustration, but not my surprise, the elevator got stuck just before the 5^th floor! The Indians inside tried pressing every button in the elevator, shaking the doors, and yelling for help! I was quietly hoping we wouldn’t be stuck too long as it was quite hot, there was not much room and these blokes smelt like they hadn’t showered for a few days! After a while the power went out then switched back on and we were on the move again. This room better be worth it I thought to my self... it wasn’t. So on to a third hotel that was only slightly better so we conceded defeat and just decided to stay, hey at least it was right near Maccas!

After a maccas breakie and a nap we were feeling much better and decided it was time to let Mumbai redeem its self. We wondered around all day very much impressed by the city. Its an extremely modern place with obvious English influence! There were plenty of trendy places to eat and also plenty of places to go grab a beer after dark!

Mumbai was like none of the other cities we had visited so far, the cars were all very new and the city itself would easily pass in any first world country! On the flip side to this magnificent city are the slums of the outer suburbs which are the biggest slums in India! Unfortunately we didn’t have the time nor the know-how to visit the slums (despite a bloke claiming to be the Jack sparrow of Mumbai telling us he could take us because no one would mess with us while we were with him!)

After chilling in the main park of the city and watching about 15 cricket games going on at once we tracked down one of their cinemas showing an English movie! So we got our tickets to harry potter and headed inside. Australia could learn a thing or 2 about how to show a movie. Before the movie started all 10 of us in the cinema stood for the national anthem and then half way through the movie paused for an interval in which time staff came around to see if you wanted any more popcorn or drinks!

Kiara’s imput :

Mumbai is a cosmopolitan, trendy and beautiful city. Only being there for a day or two we only saw the popular sights but that was enough to convince us. We spent most of our time wandering around the clean streets, gazing at the gorgeous colonial architecture and stopping to chill out in the parks to watch the numerous cricket games going on. The lack of blaring horns, crazy rickshaws and random cows and goats made it feel a far way away from other parts of India. However the market stalls, chai wallahs (dudes serving chai tea), food stalls and constant haggling for business reminds you where you are.

Photos: Mumbai

kiara19 — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 01:48:00 GMT

Ajanta & Ellora Caves

kiara19 — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 01:47:00 GMT

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After a long and tiring bus ride of over 22 hours, we finally arrived in Aurangabad where we based ourselves for a couple of days to explore the Ellora and Ajanta caves. We decided to visit after mum’s encouragement that it was one of the places that stood out in her travels in India 25 years ago. It was definitely worth it! Aurangabad itself was nothing special except for watching Matt passionately barter down our hotel room and getting great vals, and our over enthusiastic and super attentive waiter who literally dived under our table to retrieve my bag for me from under our feet.

While both Ellora and Ajanta are carved magnificently into the rock face and are World Heritage sites, they both have a their own atmosphere and we experienced both in different ways. Wandering through Ellora’s 30 or so caves on a quiet afternoon allowed us to explore the different areas in our own time while observing the ubiquitous monkeys rolling around and grooming one another. Ellora comprises of caves dedicated to Buddhism, Hindu and also the Jain religion, while Ajanta is totally Hindu. I find it hard to describe the sites without making them sound like simple holes in the wall. Instead they are intricately designed and ornately decorated with patterns and religious figures. Ellora was mysterious with the lack of artificial lighting in many of the Buddhist caves which were similar in architectural design. At the same time it was overwhelmingly impressive upon entering the Hindu temples which displayed the astounding intricacy and diversity in designs that I have come to associate with Hindu architecture. Ajanta was in my opinion, most impressive for the way the caves are constructed in a semi circle high up in the rock face.

While the main attraction for this area was the caves, the rickety and crowded public bus rides we experienced on the journey were just as enjoyable. We could have easily taken a taxi or rickshaw but being the only foreigners on a local bus and the difficulty of deciphering the meaning of a head wobble or hand gesture is what travelling is all about.

Love you all muchly

Ki xxx

Photos: Ajanta & Ellora Caves

kiara19 — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:55:00 GMT