Living the Dream

Freak out on the bullet proof bus

phill-dionne-gobey — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 15:56:00 GMT

Us poor, poor contracts have to head down the mountain to the lowlands every time we are due to update our KITA’s and finger prints. And yes we don’t get why we need to get a new picture and finger prints every 6-9months. We don’t change prints and really, other than hair changing you don’t really change at all. Never the less it’s a 4am start to get to the helipad for the chopper down. Get breakfast and wait for immigration to open at 9am (or when they want to see people). And as Peter is off on leave we need to come back up the same day. Gobey has organised for us to get the truck convoy back up at 1.30pm. So we need to make sure we are all sorted with immigration, fed and ready to get back up the hill. It should only take 2 hours to get back up the hill, so home for tea time. We arrive at the convoy meeting area and the guy Gobey had been speaking with said they were short of guys and cars today so we had to go in a bus. No problems with that as there was just Gobey, Sandra and me. He told us the bus number and off we went. Now when he told us about the shortage of cars, he did ask if we wanted a bullet proof bus. All 3 of us said no. So to my surprised we are stuck on a bullet proof bus. Now I can’t lie, I was starting to have a panic attack and cry as this was not a good feel. No windows, no outside light and your phones don’t work. I might have been ok if the fact I saw Gobey try to call the Command Centre to say we were on the bus. It felt like hours before the door opened so Gobey could call and I was like a bat out of hell running off the bus. That bus was not for me. And as Gobey said my OCD has made it an issue for me to ride but I don’t care, we now get to ride in the normal bus. 1hr 45 later and we are at Hidden Valley and the security cars gets to take us home. Not a bad day after a very early start, but KITA’s are sorted and our re-entry permits for another 6 months.

Tembagapura Survival Night

phill-dionne-gobey — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:54:00 GMT

Surviving Tembagapura is a task and a half. Anyone who feels they won’t be able to survive where we live, then I’m sorry that’s just nonsense. We have survived here through pop shootings, mud slides, chopper crashing, strikes and everything in between. So when the Lupa advertised they were doing a Surviving Tembag party we thought it was a great idea. And well a Saturday night out is always good to unwind from the week. More so Gobey than me mind you but hey a night out is a night out. I organised a table for us and all out Hidden Valley friends, and what a turn out it was. The Lupa had a great spread on, pig spit and salmon to die for. We even had a band all the way from Jakarta. A well know bad at that, right here in the jungle. And they weren’t half bad either.

Now the question part of the survival night, was not so good. Only because the question had nothing to do with surviving!!! AND I had G.I. Joe with me and not a single question about how to wash and dry clothes, making toffee popcorn with the kettle. Nothing that Gobey could have answered. Instead questions like, who used to own the plane that flies from Timika to Cairns. Yip no clue wither. Well I can tell you it was Elvis. Yes the one and only Elvis. All questions were related to the site and Company and we don’t work for Freeport.

Never the less I won a Nokia phone which had to go straight to Shari as he Blackberry had been broken for the last month and you need comms up here!!! And once Shari has been finished with it, it will become the HV emergency phone. We really do help each other out.

Home Made Sausages on the Mountain

phill-dionne-gobey — Sat, 1 Sep 2012 16:12:00 GMT

So living in the most Muslim part of the world makes you miss the simple things in life – pork sausages. And not the cheap kind, good butcher sausages or in my case the Costco Butcher sausages. There is nothing better than having a good sausage grilled to perfection on the grill. But that is not the case on the mountain, unless you know a Aussie who can grind the meat you want, got the flavourings to add and the skins to make a mean ass sausage. And just our luck we sure do. So with my meat shopping list of 9kg of meat in hand we are heading to Russell and Kerry’s house to make a very large batch of sausages with your friends. Nothing better for a Saturday afternoon than chilling out with the ladies while Gobey gets his hands busy with sausage meat. Once everything is mixed, seasoned and ready for stuffing – you have to try the meat, of course and with a regular batch and a spice batch you need to make sure. And I don’t need to brag but DAMM these are good snags. And being home made just make them ever better. 5kg later and we have enough sausages to last to the end of the year. Now we just need to pull the grill out, get some friends round and enjoy the best, in the jungle.

Another farewell to June

phill-dionne-gobey — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 16:55:00 GMT

So it seems it’s like dominos out here. Once one leaves it’s an ongoing process of more and more friends leaving. And I hate it. Julz only left 3 weeks ago and here we are again with another farewell. June was an amazing person to know. She had been here 5years, helped in every way she could for the whole community. Hosted meet and greets, coffee mornings and every other week a card game at her house. I used to play squash with June twice a week and it was the best work out and catch up all week. I will really miss June and everything she did round here. But all being well we will catch up with her with our trip to Canada next year. Which I really can’t wait for.

Goodbye to Good Friends

phill-dionne-gobey — Fri, 3 Aug 2012 16:45:00 GMT

The hardest thing about living here is the friendship you make and people who leave. The day after my birthday my good friend Julz came down to tell me she was leaving. I hate being told people are leaving. Before I flew back at the start of May I had to say goodbye to 3 friends. And I just aint ready to say goodbye to anymore. Least of all Julz. As two of Julz’s good friends were not here and most of the mum still out for summer I offered my very good self to organise her and Kelvin’s going away party. It is the least I can do for all they have done for us. And they are truly great people to know and love. The night went really well. I organised the food, music, guests and the farewell gift for Kelvin and Julz. Tears were a must on all speeches and the kind words were told and great stories shared with them. They will truly be missed but fear not, we are heading to their new house for Christmas. There best not be anymore as farewells as I can’t do any more tears. Yes goodbyes are not forever but they are dam hard to keep doing.

Flash Gordon (of pain)

phill-dionne-gobey — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 16:44:00 GMT

So living on top of a mountain in a country that add whitener to all skin products and hate bacon there is no surprise when I say there is no beauty treatments here that I have back home. Yes I am talking about waxing. So while I was home this time I got the lady I got to in Newmachar to get me bottled wax so I can keep my bikini line in check between trip to the western worlds. And I mean what’s the worst that can happen!!!!

I mean how hard can it be, heat the wax, prepare the area I want to wax with powder and once its ready pull the wax off. Jobs a good one. Well so I thought. As I hadn’t been feeling so good of late I wanted Gobey to help me with my waxing. So while Gobey was watching his show first I thought I would heat the wax. So the first stint in the micro was a minute. Second stint was 30seconds. Third stint was 30seconds and just for good measure the forth stint was another 30seconds. And yes you read right – 2minutes 30 of hot wax is now ready. So while the micro was blasting out the last 30seconds I was getting myself ready. I shout at Gobey to grab the wax when it binges to bring it in and I will be ready. And I can assure you right now, I was no prepared for what came next.

Knicks are off and I am powered and ready to go, well so I thought. I tell Gobey that I want to do the left side and this time just to pour the wax on the side as last time the wax was setting too quickly (if only I knew this time would be different). Within seconds of Gobey pouring the overheated extremely hot wax on my very sensitive area of skin, I am squealing like a pig. The wax is so hot I jump which in turn makes the wax move further over my leg and straight to my ass. And yes I should have worn knickers as it might have saved me to some level. But I didn’t and now the hot wax is burning its way through my skin and going hard. My ass is sticking together and all Gobey can do is hold my hand and tell me it will be ok. I am sorry to say it is not ok my leg is on fire and I am crying like a baby. And do you know what the worse thing about hot wax burning your skin??? It needs to come off once it’s dry. And the only way to remove wax from the skin – pulling it off. I am not ready for it but it needs to be done. And the only person to get it off is Gobey.

Gobey is now scared to pull the wax off but there is no other choice. All he has to do it make it quick as the skin is red raw and this will push me over the edge. I am surprised we haven’t had anyone knock on the door asking what the hell is going on. So with nothing else to do Gobey starts to pull the wax off. HOLLY MOTHER it is the worse pain, I can’t even explain how painful it was to pull the wax off. Gobey is looking mortified as he pulls off the wax, skin and blood is following with it and me screaming with tears.

Once my tears have stopped and the blood I am left on the bed with the sorest groin in the world. I have no choice but to ask Gobey to look at the damage. The damage looks like a flash Gordon symbol in blood red from the side of my bikini line to my ass. Painful as hell and I can’t walk. And just to push me over the edge Gobey rubs cream in. It was so painful.

So in all, hair won’t be growing back where the skin has been ripped off (yes it is one way to keep the hair from re-growing but not something I would recommend to anyone). Won’t be doing this any time soon and as a quick note, don’t heat the wax for 2minutes 30 EVER again.

Gobey is home

phill-dionne-gobey — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 16:43:00 GMT

WHOOP WHOOP Gobey is home at long last. It’s been a very long week on my own. The birthday lunch on the Monday was good but the evenings drag on when you’re on your own. But now we have some answers, lots of pills and bloods needing redone in a week. And a follow up appointment in Singapore next month or the month after when Peter gets back from leave. So for the time being it’s a old man pill box for Gobey and me chasing him that he has taken his pills. This is now us for the rest of our days.

You can’t deny that we love each other now.

A week with no Gobey but I do have Mr Grey

phill-dionne-gobey — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 16:42:00 GMT

So Gobey has been gone only a few days and I have been stuck to my kindle reading Mr Grey. What a fabulous read. I am stuck to reading chapter after chapter and I will be honest I haven’t been in bed asleep before 4am in days. I get up at 6.45am and off to the gym before chilling for the afternoon and checking in with my Mr Grey. This is the only book (all 3 of them) that I have truly enjoyed to the point that eating and sleeping has become a task and half to walk away from the book. If you have to read anything this year, read 50 shades of Grey. By far the best story I have read and I would even go as far to say I would read it again.

Happy Birthday for Kingy

phill-dionne-gobey — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 16:41:00 GMT

Happy Birthday to me! Waking up to get your own breakfast and a smile at yourself in the mirror. No Gobey but at least I have cards from home and a few presents to open. I also have a lunch date with some ladies that are left here on site. You know it doesn’t matter where in the world you are, a birthday in the middle of the summer sucks. Everyone is always on holiday.

None the less my presents from home were great. I got Zumba from mum and dad and a kindle from Natalie and Samantha. And with the money I got from everyone in Blackpool the first thing I buy is 50 shades of gray. It’s not like I have a husband to care for the next week.

Shari was so kind to open her house to hold a birthday lunch for me with the friend left on site. So with the 6 of us it was nice to enjoy a nice lunch, great company, a card game and wine. Not much more you can ask for in the jungle. Only down side is going home to an empty house. Never mind Gobey will be home soon. For now I have Mr Grey to read.

Gobey is off to Singapore

phill-dionne-gobey — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 17:49:00 GMT

So it’s confirmed Gobey has to head to Singapore to get seen by a specialist and get everything double confirmed about the Rheumatoid Arthritis. The first appointment is booked for Monday so he has to fly down today and leave Timika on Sunday so he is in Singapore for Monday morning. And then there is another few days to confirm what pills and everything he needs to be on. Worse thing about him leaving to go to Singapore is it’s my birthday Monday and he won’t be here. This time last year there was just the 2 of us as we knew no-one and now this year it’s just me. Talk about a bad start to being 26years old.

Bad news for poor Gobey

phill-dionne-gobey — Wed, 4 Jul 2012 17:48:00 GMT

So it’s been nearly 3 months since Gobey got bite in Jakarta at the rugby and has been 3 weeks since we were sitting in a doctors room in Dereham because he could hardly walk with a sore leg and bad hands. When we were in Dereham the doctor suggested bloods to be done but we would have to go to the City of Norwich to do that and they would have taken weeks to get results. So when we got back to site Gobey went and saw Dr. Eric. Now I am not sure what bloods were done but they did not come back with the best results. The doctor in Dereham thought Gobey has a tropical infection due to the bite. If only that was the case. So the results came back and the news was not what we thought it would be. Rheumatoid Arthritis. Talk about a shock and a half to the system. I am struggling to understand how someone at 29years old can have it yet alone what Gobey must be going through. It has to be tuff. We now just have to wait and see what the rest of the results come back with and he might be out to Singapore to see a specialist. So for the moment we just have to sit and wait and see what will happen next.

It’s a flood out

phill-dionne-gobey — Tue, 3 Jul 2012 17:46:00 GMT

Well life back on the mountain after being away for 7 weeks is bound to have something come up and make it a disaster. And you guessed it, it happened to us. Now I was out at the cafe having lunch with friends and Gobey came past to eat before heading to the house to get a coffee before work. He hadn’t been gone 5 minutes before he was calling to say I had to go home there was water in the kitchen and I needed to mop it up. So with that Gobey picked me up and took me home, to where I find the biggest puddle of water in the kitchen and he telling me that wasn’t that big 5 minutes ago. As we live on a slope all the water was heading to the back door. I opened the door to find water everywhere and coming from the maids room. I open the door only to be meeting by inches of water pissing through the light in the bathroom. I call to Gobey and tell him all the ladies are across the hall and to tell Ina she has a leak. Everyone is running around trying to catch water, shift the water we have and get all our bags and boxes out of the maid’s room. Ina comes back and it’s not her house that is leaking. Damaris has checked her maids room to find that it also is in inches of water. Gobey hasn’t gone back to work and is now on the hunt to get into the apartment above Damaris as thats the only other place that the water must be coming from. As the apartment is empty, trying to get in is isn’t hard, which I found the easiest way to get in was through the window by removing the bug shield and pushing. The windows out here and so cheap, thats why we now have bars on all ours so no one can break in. Once we got inside the water was everywhere. FM had came in the morning to replace the dishwasher but hadn’t checked the water connections, so for the guts of 4 hours the water had been filling up ours and Darmis’s apartment. Talk about a bad Tuesday morning.

So after spending almost 3 hours cleaning up, mopping up and chucking out water it has finally stopped coming through the ceiling. Gobey hasn’t gone back to work. We are waiting on FM to arrive and see what damage they have caused, but I won’t be holding my breath.

When FM finally got to our house it turns out we need a new carpet, dishwasher and a fridge/freezer. The water had destroyed my maids room from the bathroom right though to my kitchen. Now we are on the middle floor and I would have hated to see what the place under us looked like. They were on leave and I don’t think FM would have been into their house to check it out.

But not to worry when FM finally arrive with my new dishwasher and fridge , we are now the coolest cats it town. Brand new quite dishwasher and the nicest, biggest fridge/freezer with built in ice maker (for both cubed and crushed) and a water filter. No one else we know has these new machines. We are very lucky to get this. Our small apartment is staying to look like our home, well the good fridge anyway. Now we can’t wait to have friends over to show off.

The last minute packing (of course)

phill-dionne-gobey — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 17:45:00 GMT

It’s an early start to the day. Need to get the house back in order, bags packed and goodbyes to everyone who will pop round. And I will say that we haven’t even started to pack yet. I did however buy myself a new ‘handbag’, Jasper Conran for all this long travelling and Natalie brought me back a new Vera Bradley bag from the states. This is my new laptop bag. And Gobey has told me I cannot take 104kg like we did in Jan. But I will make no promises.

As the packing gets under way everyone is turning up to say goodbye, and laughing at us still trying to pack. What can I say, last minute packing means you take it or you don’t. And I really want everything. We have new squash rackets to take out, my old UGGS to come (my feet get cold with all the rain we get), my clothes I bought while home and then mum came in with my birthday presents and our Christmas presents. And as more things come into the bedroom to be packed Gobey is going crazy. But fear not, my carryon bag, handbag and laptop bag are all packed and ready to go. Weigh a ton but ready to go.

Last cupper with Debbie and it’s time to go. It doesn’t get any easier saying goodbye regardless if its for a short while or not. Mum and dad are driving us to the airport and coming in for our last drink together. This will be the longest stint as we won’t be back till March now. Tears are in full flow, Gobey is checking in and I am standing back a little as we have 5 carryon bags this time. And we are only allowed 1 each and my handbag. Never mind next stop London.

London is always fun. This time we want to make sure we have enough duty free. And why not add another bag to the carryons. But this time I get a very sweet Pandora bracelet from Gobey for our wedding day. And just for good measure an English rose charm and a solid heart. Now with more bags to carry its time to get some good food and we are out of here again.

Portsoy Boat show and the rain

phill-dionne-gobey — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 17:42:00 GMT

Mum has organised us all to go to the Portsoy boat show as a last family day before we fly out on Monday. So as me and Gobey don’t have a car we get to climb in with mum and dad. Dad driving of course and it’s a long drive to Portsoy too. I can also say it’s raining and has been since we left, but mum tells us it said on the weather channel it would be sunny. Anyone else agree the weather man is a liar? Well I know it’s going to be a very cold and wet morning walking round Portsoy. And I forgot to take my rain jacket back from the mountain.

It’s so wet and cold and the cost to get in was ridicules. And to be made to walk around outside in the rain was no fun, but the beautiful pure beef burgers that we got for lunch were to die for. By far the best burger for a long time.

So after 3 hours in the rain it’s time to get back home and its a nice last chipper for tea before we fly out tomorrow.

Family night at the Pub and Police ride home

phill-dionne-gobey — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 17:40:00 GMT

Friday night at the pub is always a good thing. And we don’t get nights to the pub with the whole family very often. And I will say that also included dad!!!!!!! So we had a few drinks at the Spiders and as the night got later we all decided to leave, but Gobey and Dunc had other plans and thought they would take the night to town. Just the 2 of them, of course. So I headed home with mum and dad. As it was 11pm I thought I would just head to bed and watch telly. Unknown of time of night it was, I got the biggest scare when my mobile started ringing to hear Gobey on the other end telly me he was on his way home, were the dogs locked up and he was in a police car. Now at this point I am wide awake and he is repeating the same thing over again and asking if I am awake. I can assure you I was awake by the second repeat and sitting bolt right up. I make the way to the front door and right enough there was Gobey climbing out the police car. Me thinking he has been up to no good in town and he will have to appear in court are all running though my mind. But nope not Gobey, Gobey has been assaulted in town and his eye brow has been cut open and there is blood all over his face and white t-shirt. Not what I expected at all. Now as Gobey is a little worse for wear and there is no way he is getting into bed with blood everywhere. It took ages to get his face cleaned up and trying to find out what had happened was not going well. I will let him sleep for now and ask again in the morning. By morning Gobey’s eye is swollen and looks deep. So again I ask what happened last night to get the full story of someone smacked him from behind. The police picked him up and the other guy later. Took his statement and didn’t even offer to get his eye seen. So off to Boots in Dyce we go to see about getting butterfly stitches. Oh and the eye is starting to get infection round it. So the lady at Boots tells us we need to go to A&E so off we. We get there and it’s only a 20min wait, which in turn Gobey gets his eyebrow glued back together. No back home for we head out for tea with everyone, only tonight there is no town on the cards!!!!!

Photos: UK Road Trip June 2012 part 1

phill-dionne-gobey — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 16:10:00 GMT

UK Road Trip

Photos: UK Road Trip June 2012 part 4

phill-dionne-gobey — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 14:54:00 GMT

UK road trip

Photos: UK Road Trip June 2012 part 3

phill-dionne-gobey — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 13:55:00 GMT

UK road trip

The Train back to Aberdeen

phill-dionne-gobey — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 17:37:00 GMT

So after driving through the night from Dereham to Glasgow with a stopover at the services for a sleep before we head back with the camper. The place where the camper is based is 45mins drive from Glasgow and as the guy took forever to look over the camper we are now in a dash to get to Glasgow train station to get back to Aberdeen. The camper people have called us a taxi and I wont lie it’s the worse looking taxi going. Even the female driver looks like a ex junkie and is about 2 inch away from the window. But the best laugh of the worse taxi ride is asking her to take us to Glasgow train station we get the reply of ‘Do you know how to get there?’ I am sorry but a taxi driver who lives 45mins away from Glasgow doesn’t know how to get Glasgow train station? I mean really do we live in a world of stupid’s? None the less the lady is lucky we have a iphone and Gobey can check on the maps the direction we need to get there. Finally arriving at the station we have about 30mins before the train is due to leave. No last time we were on a train Gobey was about to jump off due to the other ‘out there’ passengers. And that was only a short train ride from Edinburgh to Aberdeen. Today we are going from Glasgow to Inverurie. I feel it’s going to be a long journey.

1 large bag in tow, me, a handbag and 2 cool Costa caramel smoothies and we are ready to get on the train and get going. I find the seats and Gobey is left to find a space for the bag. Now I have to admit we have a very large bag for just the two of us, and a bag full of food and drink we didn’t touch in the week. So we are taking up a little room on the train. But I did book the table seats for us and I am glad I did.

We both had a snooze on the train and before we knew it we were arriving in Aberdeen, but due to the arrival of this train we need to get another train to Inverurie so someone can pick us up and not sit in the rush hour traffic in Dyce to get home.

And getting home to a chipper for tea and climbing into your own bed after squeezing into a single bed for a week is so nice. A good night’s sleep with nowhere to get up and get to in the morning will be nice.

Photos: UK Road Trip June 2012 part 2

phill-dionne-gobey — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 17:06:00 GMT

UK road trip

Dover and Dereham bound

phill-dionne-gobey — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 17:36:00 GMT

Oh the white cliffs of Dover. Not really as white as I thought but hey, never been here before so its a tick off the list. We arrived late to Dover and parked just along the beach front. Listening to the sea crashing against the rocks while you try and sleep is relaxing. Gobey on the other hand is not impressed. We only need to kip for a few hours then we head to the port to drop Curtis, Jen and the girls off so they can catch the ferry to France.

6.30am is way too early to be getting up but we need to make sure everyone has everything and nothing is left behind. And we need to make sure they are not late for the ferry. Leah is still in her PJ’s and doesn’t want Ty and Alex to leave, but the UK part of their trip has come to the end. So off to the terminal we go.

The Karpetz family are off loaded from the camper and heading for the check-in. Me and Gobey are discussing where to hit the road now or have another hour on the sea front. I lose as I ain’t driving. So back to the sea front, we get back into bed for a bit and Leah is more than happy to stay in her sleeping bag watching telly. Peace and quiet.

Well the quiet didn’t last too long as my phone is ringing off the hook and its Chris calling to see where we are. It turns out Jen and Curtis have left their passports under the table bed in a bag. Panic had set in as we weren’t answering Gobey’s mobile and seen as I hardly use my UK number I hadn’t give it to Jen or Curtis. So they had called Chris in Blackpool to call my mobile (which Leah had hidden after facebooking for the morning). And I couldn’t find the thing. Never the less time to get back to the ferry terminal and get the passports to Jen and Curtis.

Dereham bound here we go. Spend the weekend in Dereham with Leah. She wants to show us where she likes to eat Chinese, friends live and the shops in the town. She is so excited about the weekend with us in a camp site and us taking her to school. Hope we don’t disappoint her!!!! So with me and Leah still in PJ’s and Gobey driving we are on our way.

Gobey has organised us to stay at Yaxston Waters just a mile away from Leah’s school and to be fair it’s not a bad camp site and the fact that you get a washing machine drum as a camp fire with wood, Gobey is in his element. All in all the site is great and the little farm shop at the entrance does a fab fruit chutney in a ploughman’s.

Tonight we are having Chinese from Leah’s favourite Chinese and tomorrow so far we have nothing planned than heading into town and catching up with washing. Old style washing in a very expensive laundrette. And its father’s day tomorrow too so we will take Gobey out for tea at least. Maybe breakfast in bed. Not sure. I am sure whatever we do this weekend will be worth every memory.

London Baby

phill-dionne-gobey — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 16:07:00 GMT

Up, dressed and ready to go. We have parked in a car park in Woking so we are able to get the train straight into London centre. Everyone is so excited. We get a better deal with the trains if we travel after 9.30am once all the workers have taken the early trains, which suits us all fine. Starbucks in hand and we are ready for London.

Arriving at Waterloo and walking outside to view the London eye is amazing. Everyone is taken aback by how busy London is and just how close we got to the London eye. Leah want to get her picture with Big Ben and the girls want to see where the queen lives. We have a lot to see and do and we only have a day to get it all done. Off to London eye we go.

The view from the London eye is awesome. The wait to get on it and the 4D experience we did before hand we worth it all. You can see for miles and miles over London. You can see Big Ben (Leah is so excited to go near it when we get off). Queens’s house is just over the way and the river is all around us. We all want to see the best of London and time is not going to be our friend. The whole trip round the eye takes just under an hour and we already have the next stop – Big Ben, Westminster Abby and the parliament building.

Big Ben and the parliament building are so shinny looking. Leah got her picture with Big Ben and loved looking at the building. We didn’t book ahead so we were unable to take a parliament tour so off to Westminster we go. Westminster Abby is open to everyone willing to pay the cost to in. We are in luck. When you get in you need to collect a head set for a pre recording of everything about Westminster Abby. AS the girls are under 10 they get to take part in some quiz and at the end get a chocolate bar. They are pretty happy with that and Leah also points out that Prince William and Princess Kate got married in Westminster and wants to stand where they did. Just a shame you can’t take pictures in Westminster. All throughout Westminster is statues, paintings and information we never knew about. It took us hours to go all through it and back outside. It truly was amazing.

As we have spent all day in Westminster and missed lunch we were all hungry so we thought we would head for Burger King. Using Google doesn’t help but the unexpected can bring you to somewhere nice, and we really did find a gem of a restaurant. Italia and it was to die for. We ate like kings and queens and the kids were more than happy with cheese pizza. It was the nicest food we had had all week. But hey we don’t have long to sit and enjoy it too much we still have places to see.

We were only a short walk from the Palace so we head down taking in all the sites we can. The Palace is HUGH. The water feature in front is breath taking and just for good measure there is a AA truck in the drive fixing a car.

After the Palace we head to London Bridge. Everything is closing for the night and we still have so much to see. We get to London Bridge and just as luck would have it we were able to get on the water taxi back to Waterloo. The boat ride was amazing as we saw everything we missed out. London is a city you need longer than a day to see everything.

By the time we got back to Working we had done all modes of transport in London – train, boat, walking and taxi. It was a day full if information and interesting builds it’s just a shame we couldn’t see them all. Gobey tells me that London at Christmas time is stunning so maybe that’s a future thing for the two of us. Never mind it’s time to hit the road again. Dover bound and out.

Stonehenge CLOSED

phill-dionne-gobey — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 16:06:00 GMT

Mid morning start, all washed and ready to hit the road. The plan today is to head to Stonehenge and from there head to somewhere on the outskirts of London as tomorrow is a very early start and a full day round London. London is going to be amazing, we just need to get on the road and get there.

Traffic is a killer. Traffic with no reason of why we are at a standstill kills me. Curtis is driving, Jen is up front and Gobey is at the back catching a cat nap. While I am sitting with the girls waiting for us to move forward. This has to be the longest car journey I have been in and its killing. The girls are getting restless and hungry. Curtis is still waiting to move forward and Gobey is still napping. After being in the camper for 2 hours going nowhere we final pick up speed and are back on the road again. Gobey has moved to join me and the girls and to check we are going the right way.

8 hours after leaving Blackpool we have finally made it to Stonehenge. It’s raining, dull and everyone is tired and grumpy. We park the camper; get on water gear to head to the gates. And what we were not expecting is find the English Heritage (that’s just rocks) is closed at 7pm. We arrive at 8pm. The guy on the gate has the great pleasure in telling us we should have checked online before we set off. Here’s a tip mate we left Blackpool over 10hours ago to be stuck in traffic and spend the last 8 hours in the back of a camper waiting to get here. The kids are asking why the guys won’t let us in and Gobey is asking if there is any chance of letting us go in as there is a tour taking place. Nope, nope and nope. Spent a whole day getting here to see ROCKS at the side of the road. And that’s as far as we get to see them – the side of the road. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

We get back into the camper as we just don’t have the time to sit and flight with a jobs worth over getting to see the rocks up close. We have London to hit in the morning baby.

Blackpool Tower and a Birthday

phill-dionne-gobey — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 16:05:00 GMT

Back on the road again and we are heading for Blackpool. 360miles down and only another 2000 or so to go. The plan so far when we get to Blackpool is get washing down and head into town. We want to do Blackpool tower tour and maybe something else. We need to be at Ruth’s for 6pm as its Ian’s birthday so we are having a BBQ night to celebrate. Once we are sorted we get a lift into town to go to Blackpool Tower but have to be ready for picking up at 5.30pm as Ian has to work tonight. Which kinda sucks to work on your birthday and have all your family and new friends down for 1 night and can’t enjoy it. Never mind off to the Tower we go. Blackpool Tower has a ticket deal where you can do the tower tour and the dungeons. So we opt for that and Leah is so excited about the dungeons after we went to Edinburgh dungeons last year. The tower has also had a makeover and looks really good, with a new 4D show before you get to the tower. The 4D show was amazing, the new layout of the tower is so much nicer and the kids loved the Jungle Jim’s play area. And while they played we had a nice hours break at the tables. Just as you’re having fun time creeps up on you and it’s time to get picked up and head to Ruth’s. The food was great, the kids enjoyed play time and 6 kids in 1 room make a lot of noise. We all sang happy birthday both in English and Bahasa as there was more than just me there. Leah loved the singing and everyday Jen, I and the girls are teaching her new Bahasa words.

The Lakes

phill-dionne-gobey — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 16:04:00 GMT

Hello to the Lakes. This place never gets old and always looks good. We have a camp site for the day and night, so we freshen up after the drive and head out to the town. The Lakes are always busy and being we have arrived in June makes no difference. There are people everywhere and the kids are loving all the ducks and swans just at arm’s reach. The ice-cream place me and Gobey always go to never fails to have the best ice-cream here. So with everyone kids and adults all ice-creamed we are ready for a boat trip.

We head out for a boat tour down Lake Windermere with a stop at Ambleside, where have to return Gobey’s trousers that he bought in Wales that are faulty. Because only Gobey can buy trousers where there is only like 5 stores round the UK. One in Wales and one in the Lakes, lucky we are in the area. When we get to Ambleside we have 30mins to get off the boat, get the trousers swapped and head back for the last boat back to Windermere. Talk about cutting it fine. And if we miss the boat it’s a £40 taxi fare back to Windermere.

Well we mange to get the trousers swapped, made it back to the boat and now it’s time to get some tea. Early night is needed too as tomorrow we head for Blackpool. We find the nicest restaurant. The food was great but talk about big portions. The kids loved their mac and cheese. Ty has been feeling sick and after a full day out in the fresh air has crashed at the end of the table. Leah and Alex are loving the music and are dancing like they are nutters. They are dancing so much so that a lady in the bar has bought them a giant cookie. Kids do come in handy!!

Back to the camp site we head as tomorrow we are off to Blackpool.