Pacific Madness - winter 2009
2/12 London – KL
- Air Malaysia
3/12 KL – Langkawi
3/12 - 05/01 Langkawi (accommodation RM1500 (Renting a house for a 1 month)
06/01 KL 8.50am - Singapore - Perth
10/01 Perth - Sydney
20/01 Sydney
– Fiji
21/01 to 2/2/10 Fiji
(7 day tour of Yasawas
Nandi Bay
02/02 Fiji
– Auckland – Rarotonga
(arrives 11.25pm on the 1st Feb)
09/02 Rarotonga – Tahiti
09–14/02 Morea
14-16/02 Tahiti Nui and Tahiti
Iti
16/02 Tahiti – Cook
Islands
17/02 Cooks – Auckland
18/02 Auckland
– Sydney
19/02 Sydney
- Singapore
20/02 Singapore
26/02 KL – London
02.12.09 (on the plane
still)
The excitement is palpable… I am going on a 3 month adventure and additionally this time it was
not all planned, I am going to ad lib now and again. I left with a rough idea
but not set on doing exactly what I initially thought.
03.12.09 (Langkawi,
Malaysia)
As soon as I arrived I saw Thomas immediately or better he recognized me, then Rebecca, who I thought was El, but never mind it’s a long story… they greeted me like a couchsurfer, which was expected, even after so many emails back and forth... They were dropping someone at the airport and waited for me, lucky from the beginning I could not go wrong.
As soon as I arrived I saw Thomas immediately or better he recognized me, then Rebecca, who I thought was El, but never mind it’s a long story… they greeted me like a couchsurfer, which was expected, even after so many emails back and forth... They were dropping someone at the airport and waited for me, lucky from the beginning I could not go wrong.
However there was a
slight problem… the place I was supposed to stay, Rumors Guesthouse had no
rooms… the one verbally reserved for me had been let by one of the employees
and so I waited for Thomas and Rebecca to close the Spa and then Thomas called
the lady who had the room in town. Yet again we were faced with another slight
delay, the lady had gone to the mainland so no way to get the keys to go and
see the room in town.
As resourceful as
Thomas is, he let me stay at the other Spa in Kuah. He and Rebecca run Yuan Spa
in Langkawi as well but they live in Kuah and therefore easier to pick me up
from there and bring me to Pantai Cenang the next morning. The room faced the main avenue so it
was noisy for a while but as soon as my head hit the pillow I only had time to
formulate the first part of the sentence… ‘with all this noise will I be able
to s….zzzzzzz’ I was off till the morning…. It was strange to wake up in a
massage bed but surprisingly enough it was quite comfortable.
04.12.09
They picked me up
early, we had breakfast at the beach and then had a swim. Lunch hour was spent
at the spa and talking away. We went to the beach around 4pm and later had
dinner at Maya Restaurant a local Malay Restaurant, very good and very cheap
the kind I like. After they closed the Spa we went for a drink at the beach.
This is not a place for fancy dresses and high heels, this is beach gear 24
hours, I reckon I could sleep comfortably at the beach… the temperature does
not drop that much from the 30 to 33 during the day, down to 24 or 25 degrees
at night. It’s just awesome. And yes fan or air con advisable during the night
too as it is not only hot but humid… lol… I am loving it !!!!
05.12.09
Another day in
paradise loomed and I still did not have a place to stay… the spa was a great
alternative but I was slightly worried about the extra cost I seem to have to
incur, or worse at not having a place at all. It’s fantastic for the locals to
be fully booked every day but I was not finding it funny. Anyway it was the day
I was supposed to go back to Rumors to see my room, but alas my room was still
busy… I asked him if he knew someone who had a house or room to rent and he
remembered a lady, she had a house but not the long availability I needed. Then
she remembered Rizal I got his number and called, he said he would look into it
and would call the next day with some news. Another night at the spa… oh well I
was not going to be upset in paradise.
06.12.09
After breakfast at Red
Tomato we hit the beach and then Thomas remembered the room in town and we
called. It was available so we went that evening. My goodness … as soon as they
left I regretted not saying something. I was keen to be on my own but not with
a bathroom outside… I will spare you the details and you will guess how clean
or not… it was. Anyway needless to say that the next morning I was ready
outside waiting for Thomas and Rebecca well ahead of schedule. We had breakfast
again at Red Tomato, which has wifi access and we went to the beach.
At lunch time Thomas
suggested I rented a motorbike… great! I could rent it but could not ride it…
so he asked one of his friends if he could show me how to ride. I was glad he
was patient… it was a lot of misses in the beginning, bruises on my legs trying
to stop…lol…. but after one hour going up and down on the same very empty road
I managed to hold the motorbike with lots more control. I was pleased. My legs
were killing me (have two nasty bruises to show my efforts). However riding on
an empty road is one thing but on main roads I am not so sure therefore I
decided against. Thomas and Rebecca joined us for dinner at Mimi’s Seafood
Restaurant and after we had another drink at the beach at Babylon
That night I stayed at
the Spa again. Ufff…. I was pleased.
07.12.09
Rebecca had an
appointment at the hospital and so after they picked me up we went to the main
hospital. For those who know me you can guess how I was feeling, I hate the
white walls and smells of hospitals. On the way I saw a sign to Tanjung Rhu and
told them I would take a taxi there. Oh... I love it there… it’s the most
beautiful landscape, calm, no kids, no noise, just my kind of spot.
The taxi came back via
Kuah, the capital of the island, and the call came in… Rizal had a house. I
could not believe it was 50 ringgits a night (the same as a backpacker rate).
It meant I was going to pay a bit more than I was expecting, 3 times more in
fact, but it would be ideal for me and the kids when they came. I was curious to see it immediately so I
walked there from the main road in Pantai Cenang. I could not believe it when
he was explaining where the house is, right next to the Yoga centre I had been
thinking of going to. It also has the most peculiar name… “the wrong place”….
Lol
I fell in love. I want
this house. This says ‘Helena
The place where I am
staying is called Pantai Cenang or Cenang
Beach
I moved in straight
away and we all went to dinner to celebrate. They were tired and so was I of
all the walking in the hot sun. I came home and listened to some music.
08.12.09
Today my 2nd
day in my lovely house I decided to stay in all day and enjoy the peace and
quiet. In the morning I washed my sarongs and took pics of the house then
invited Thomas and Rebecca to come over. They had gone in the morning to take
some pics at the Yacht Club. They are getting married on the 26th
December but apparently here they take photos of the groom and bride
beforehand. Anyway they called back and asked if they could take some pictures
here, they loved the place as much as I did. So we mucked about with pics and
went for lunch at a mobile joint, which is very similar to the hotdog vendor’s
quiosks but it sells real home made food. Wonderful!!!!!!
09.12.09
Today I decided to
relocate my office to the beach. The beach front is full of guesthouses, cafes
and restaurants and island tour quiosks or beach activities like water
motorbikes, parasailing, banana boat riding, etc. Then in between these two
motels there is a perfect square with wood tables and chairs and so here I am
writing to you, checking my students work and delighting myself with the soft
sand under my feet, dreading the moment I will go home under this hot sun… I
think I need a hat…
I can’t believe how
foreigners can stay sunbathing under this intense sun, they will be so red
tonight. Walking barefoot has it’s advantages but I think I will have to go to
the Fish Spa soon… oh yeh you never heard of it…??? You basically pay to put
your feet inside a fish tank, full of little fishes, and they pick all the dead
skin of your feet… amazing! I think I will wait for when my children come over…
it’s something to be shared and the giggles will be so much healthier
multiplied by 3.
I came home under the
scorching sun and decided that I definitively need a hat. Ate a yogurt and a
banana for lunch, it’s too hot to eat anything else. Fell asleep reading my
book, Long Way Down – An African Adventure, which tells the journey of Ewan
McGregor and Charley Boorman from Scotland
to South Africa
After dinner checked
my emails at an internet café and called my kids, then exhausted returned to my
little home through the hole in the wall… lol… oh yes I have not told you yet
that there are two accesses to “the wrong place”, one for cars, which is the
long way around and a short cut for pedestrians, bicycles and motorbikes which
cuts through a field by a hole in the wall. The funniest part of it is that it
looks like the hole was demolished just to fit a motorbike through. Funnier even is that on the
wall, in the main street, it reads ‘private property trespassers will be prosecuted’
or something like that… (have to take a picture).
10.12.09
Ahhhh…. another day in
paradise… I love this ritual of opening my wooden shutters and letting the sun
in. I walk barefoot at home, it’s custom everywhere here, even in some shops
in town. Shoes stay outside the door. Then I had breakfast in the veranda
facing the sun, wow… I can tell you that it’s 8.30 am and it’s already past 25
degrees and the only wind is the one from the fan inside my house. I can barely
stay longer than breakfast and I hit the shower. Today I shall go to the beach
in the afternoon only. I will catch up on some work, revising my students work
is driving me nuts.
I went early to the
beach, just after 3.30pm, the sun was still burning, I had my hat this time, so
I ended up laying in the water instead of on my sarong. At around 6pm I walked
from Cenang beach to the next one – Tengah
Beach
11.12.09
I woke up early, and
walked under a very welcoming breeze all the way to the beach. Did I tell you
that the cockerels here are extremely polite and do not wake us up until close
to 8am? Indeed. I know the sun does not rise very early (like everyone in the
island) but cockerels are always the first ones aren’t they? Well not here. So
it was a bit noisy on the way to the beach today but I am loving it. I love the
smells, the noises and especially the silence when there is some. I am feeling
more relaxed by the day, now especially having found an office space so special,
and with internet access. See pics.
This place I mentioned earlier at the beach
is just behind the AB Hotel which has wi-fi for 5 ringgits for 24h access so
today I will stay working on a translation at my new office location. Will eat
in a minute, yogurt and muesli, at my favourite Red Tomato and then back to
work on a long translation. Ahhh I can get used to this.
Forgot that the Red
Tomato closes on Friday. As some of you may know in certain countries with a
muslim influence Fridays are like Sundays and so many shops are closed. I opted
for the same place I ate breakfast on the first day which I do not recall the
name, let’s call it the Yellow Café because the walls of the restaurant behind
are yellow. This is a similar space to my office but in a restaurant kind of
way… the tables are very similar, a bit more upmarket with mosaic on top. I had
French toast and tea, then back to my office until the battery run out.
On the way back the birds and geese and whatever else were quite
noisy… and at night the crickets sing in unison by the million. It
sounds like a football stadium full of fans shouting. At home I had fruit and
yogurt for lunch again. I am not hungry at all in the sun, just feel like
drinking the wonderful freshly squeezed juices and eat fruit, or ice cream…
hummm… I rested and read a bit more about Ewan’s and Charley’s adventure on
Long Way Down and off I went to the office under the 3 o’clock sun protected by
my straw hat. Sat at the office but soon the internet went so completely
frustrated (lol) I went for a swim and read by the seashore. Sometimes it’s so
hot sitting in the sand that I sit in the water reading, it’s just wonderful!
Back in the office I
finished marking one of my students work. Uffff… that was hard work. Soon the
sun become surrounded by a hazy mist and the light dimmed and all of a sudden I
realised the beach was full of local kids and families enjoying the sea and
what it has to offer, it’s around this time between 5.30 and 7pm when everyone
goes on the banana boat or parasailing.
I walked 100 meters to
the place where I had breakfast and feet still in the sand I ordered noodles
with chicken and a lime juice, which to you and me is lemonade. Sometimes when
they do not speak well English and I say no ice they bring me the lemonade warm
but I got used to it. It’s better than with the tons of ice they use. I am
happy that here when I say no spice they are considerate and do not put any. I
remember in Thailand 2 years ago I would say no spice and as soon as I tasted
it I almost chocked on my swollen tongue, well it felt like it… here the
condiments they use in the food are great, lots of lemongrass, coriander and tiny onions, which give a delicious flavour to some of
their dishes. I have my favourites now, but none beats the Bihun Soup w/chicken
I had at the street vendor the other day. WoW… delicious. I can’t believe it
when I see tourists at the Italian restaurant, with so much fresh food around,
especially fish and seafood, and really amazing contrast of flavours they are
really missing out.
12.12.09
The crickets are
really loud at night. I am not afraid of walking the 5-10 min back home through
the hole in the wall… lol … I still can’t believe they tore down a part of the
wall just big enough for the bikes…
anyway, where was I… walking back home,
yeh, I don’t mind it but would have preferred to have internet at home. This
island is very safe as far as I am concerned I did not see anything to make me
believe the contrary. Everyone says hello, and if you are at the shops they
also want to know where you from. I suppose I get a few extra comments when I
say I am Portuguese because of the football players we are so well know for,
Some remember Figo, others Cristiano Ronaldo… lol… and they all smile, men,
women, girls and boys, even the babies. Yesterday I was accessing the net at
the entrance of the hotel at night and these kids were playing and this maybe 2y
old came and said hello then run away…
Today like yesterday
the temperature is slightly lower, maybe just 29 instead of 33, lol… or the
difference is the breeze we had yesterday and today. I have all the windows
open and the breeze is enough, no need for fan today.
I took it easy and did
some more work… yeh you must be thinking work… well in fact I do accept work
and have been doing a few jobs, keeps me busy in between swims. At 2pm I was
starving and therefore headed for the Red Tomato for an omelette and juice. I
ended up having another juice and a coffee while talking to my kids and booking
flights to Australia Perth Sydney
The beach was glorious
at 4.30pm and at 7pm it’s still vibrant with sounds and happenings. Parasailing
goes up every 20 min and the water motorbikes roar in the distance. I may come
back here after Australia ,
but where I really want to go is Fiji ,
Tahiti and Cook islands so I will aim for
those.
The sun is setting,
another majestic sunset. It seems the whole island is at the beach to witness
another day gone. It’s wonderful.
13.12.09
Well even God rested
on day 7 so I decided not to work today as it is Sunday. So off I went to the
beach with a sarong and a book. What a difference from carrying a bag full of
things. The sea was particularly clear today, most days it’s a bit cloudy.
Maybe the wind brought clearer water. There are quite a large number of small
jelly fish in the water and mostly show up dead on the sand… don’t really know
why. They look like silicone boobs scattered over the shore. LoL
By 11am I came home
for my midday lunch of fruit and a nap… yes I do have a nap here, for those who
know me it may be hard to believe but I guess with this type of weather it
requires an extra rest.
By 4pm it was time to
hit the beach again but it was still too hot so I went for Bihun Soup instead.
Bihun soup is just a chicken noodle soup, no chilli for me thanks, but I love
the condiments used. I also love it because it only costs 3.50 ringgits… lol
Bottom line if you eat
where the locals eat you save a fortune over a week or two or a month. I am not
saying the other restaurants are expensive because when you think about it 30
ringgits is only £7.50 but some places you can spend over 150 ringgits on a
meal. But the local Malay food is so good it seems a shame to ‘waste’ so much
money on foreign owned restaurants when I can contribute to the locals’ riches and
eat well also.
14.12.09
I finished my book
Long Way Down and yesterday started on My Life so Far - Jane Fonda’s
autobiography. It seems a 584 page long fantastic book. She is indeed a
remarkable woman, great actress, still remember her in Barbarella and lately in
Monster in Law.
I took my laptop to
the ‘office’ in the afternoon and managed to get some things done while having
a coffee. Then in the evening I taught a lesson online. For those who wonder I
teach the DPSI online. That was it for me, walk home through the hole in the
wall and off to sleep. When I say that I feel like Alice
15.12.09
Another day at the
office this time I had the painful task of learning all I could about
traveling between pacific islands and the French
Polynesia … I will spare you the details or you will think I am
rubbing it in and will hate me soon.
I worked at lunch time
12noon till 2pm and had wonderful Malay noodles with seafood and chicken for
lunch, then I had a siesta at the office. I had watched so many times people
coming to the shade for a read or a sleep that I wanted to see how it felt.
It’s just wonderful. Then from 4.30pm till 6.30pm I had the interesting task of
maintaining the lovely brown colour I acquired in the first days.
Tomorrow is laptop
free day… lol
16.12.09
I can’t believe it
it’s been 2 weeks already since I arrived. Well technically it’s tomorrow but
it feels like just a few days. Soon, very soon, on Monday in fact, my children
arrive and I hope time stands still for them to enjoy this paradise.
Today I walked from my
usual place at the beach to the spa where Rebecca works… oh dear I walked at
least 2 miles today, hope my legs look good by now with all this exercise. I
have yet to attempt another motorbike lesson and so I am doomed to exercise
everyday melting under a wonderfully hot sun.
Luckily I had a ride
home.
17.12.09
Today was laundry day.
I took the towels, bed linen and the rugs to the laundry but they don’t do
rugs, only clothes…. They also have internet but the server was down. I decided
to walk to the next internet café, 5 min away, holding the 3 rugs, it was full,
so I decided to walk back home and get my laptop. I am trying not to take the
laptop every day with me but it’s impossible. It seems that it’s easier
carrying the extra weight. Anyway I suppose I walked another couple of miles today.
I ended up at Red Tomato having a lovely tomato soup for dinner and booking
some more flights. It is useful to look around because I managed to get a
flight to Fiji
So it’s official. On
the 6th January I fly at 8am from KL to Singapore, wait there at the pool
(yes my favourite part of the journey this side of the world is stopovers in
Singapore, these guys are really ahead of time) until my flight leaves in the
afternoon to Perth. I will do my best to cover the main places to see in Perth (Kings Park and its Lottery West Walkway,
Freemantle, Cottesloe
Beach Sydney
The next 10 glorious
days I shall spend catching up with my friend Andreia and then on the 20th
Jan I found a bargain flight from Sydney to Nadi , Fiji
18.012.09
Today the day started
cloudy, but the temperature does not go down, still on the 27 – 28 degrees,
murky, sticky, lovely.
After lunch the wind
picked up a bit and a storm just descend on us so loud I cannot hear my
thoughts. The black cloud went over my house to the northeast (I think). The
earth heat is such that when it rains this white smoke haze floats over the
trees. It’s beautiful. The thunder roars above my head now but I cannot see any
lightening. It feels like that saying all hell broke loose, it’s so strong and
loud that the ground shakes… wow!
I was just reading
information I collected from the net yesterday about the Cook Islands, the
distance between islands in the French Polynesia and now I am faced with the
decision of how long to stay in each place… lol… life can be so cruel
sometimes… you see all my other long trips, which some you may know about (some
of you may not) where planned from the beginning to the end, with itinerary and
places to visit in each place. I did this over a few months before I toured
Asia for 40 days, NZ for 45 days, and South America also for 42 days, but this
time I did not plan past my one month in Malaysia
Yesterday on my way to
the beach, two little girls were playing outside by their house and as always
they ask ‘what’s your name?’, they may not know anything else but all know how
to say hello, good morning, where you from, what’s your name… I replied and she
held her little hand and I gave her mine, but then to my surprise she took the
back of my hand to her forehead in a sign of respect. I was so moved.
Now that the rain has
stopped I need to prepare my lesson for today. Well it started again. I am not
sure there will be a lesson today. It’s not just the 10 min walk under the rain
but my office is outdoors and there is where I taught the other day. It would
be impossible to teach at an internet café, they are too loud here.
19.12.09
The sun is trying to
come through the clouds… the breeze a bliss…
I reviewed my
information on paradise and I am none the wiser. Need to check more flights and
convert some prices in NZ and Australian dollars to see if I can do everything
I want to do. I do not want to be counting my pennies in paradise… lol
I miss my children,
thank God they are arriving in 2 days. I need some distraction now. I don’t
want to think about the hole in my wallet when they leave, they have been
studying hard and deserve a break, a good healthy break.
Spent most of the
afternoon on the internet researching. Hope the sun comes back tomorrow, need
to top up my tan… lol
Had a lovely meal at
Mimi’s and a lovely pancake with honey at Red Tomato, where I am sending you
this…
21.12.09
Yesterday the day
remained hot but cloudy and only in the afternoon the sun came out. I worked on
my translation (another one) in the morning and after my noon nap went to the
internet and for a long walk on the beach.
Today I woke up early
had my breakfast and headed for the Red Tomato for coffee and internet while I
waited an hour to go to the airport. My flight was slightly delayed and I
momentarily panicked, what if… I decided not to, whatever happens, happens. In
the end the flight was only delayed for 20 min and I arrived in plenty of time
to get the shuttle from the domestic airport to the international airport. Then
half an hour into the wait I panicked again, what if immigration do not let
them out easily? What if they take longer than 1h to come out and we do not
have time to get back to the domestic terminal to get the other flight which I
then realised was a close call, as it departed 2h10m after their ETA. Well I
became resourceful and asked for the immigration arrival desk telephone number
to see if they could tell me where my kids were. As I was about to call my kids
came out… ufff, so I hugged my son who rushed in first and rushed them to
follow me trying to explain at the same time what my worries were.
We arrived on the dot
for last check in and in no time it was departure time. My daughter has a bit
of a cold and had an extremely bad headache and a slight nose bleed. She was
worried but I reassured her that this happens sometimes, especially when she
had a cold and sinusitis. We rushed to the beach but only my son hit the water.
We had dinner at the beach and watched the sunset. Albeit tired they were
loving every minute.
I did not realize
until the evening that I had not hugged my daughter at the airport when she
arrived, only my son who rushed in front, and I felt so bad I could not get to
sleep. They were both asleep so I couldn’t even talk to them. I finally fell
asleep very guilty.
22.12.09
My kids slept in as it
would be expected after such a long flight. They had a late breakfast and we
went to the beach at 4pm. We walked on the beach to the spa at around 6pm and
went to visit Thomas. Rebecca was at the spa in Kuah so after a brief chat
Thomas took us to the Tomato restaurant where we had noodles and Zane had nan
bread with cheese. He is still refusing to eat Malay food.
25.12.09
Oh my God where have
my days gone… lol
The day before
yesterday as they woke up late again we went to the AB motel to access the
internet for a while and then off to the Red Tomato for some omelettes for the
girls and French Toast for Zane, then they stayed on the internet for 2 hours…
In the evening we
decided to try out the new pita shawarma place. Well it would have been a great
idea but the bread did not resemble Arabic bread, the hummus had too much
tahine and they did not have ice. On top of that the bread basket still proudly
had its 2RM price tag from the local Billion supermarket.
Yesterday we went to
the beach in the morning and in the afternoon, coming home for lunch and a nap,
I prefer that. In the afternoon, at 17:30, the kids and I had early dinner at
Mimi’s. It is a lovely restaurant and we all ate a plate of rice. Mine was with
chicken and vegetables, Iman’s was with Rose beef (I think they mean Rosbeef)
and Zane’s was an omelette with rice inside. Finally Zane had eaten Malay food.
We took the laptop yet again to go on the internet. We need to have an internet
free day.
On our way back home
we saw a scorpion crossing the road. It looked rather small but we were all
scared that it may decide to just turn back and ran at us. And that was the
highlight of the day.
26.12.09
Finally we had a
laptop free day. We still woke up late but managed to go to the beach and then
to the kids hearts content Rebecca’s friends called us to meet them at the red
tomato, which meant French toast and pancake with nutela.
Today I decided to
introduce the kids to some coconut water and so I dragged each coconut weighing
at least 2kg to the beach where they were laying in the shade reading… needless
to say we were not able to drink the whole 1litre of coconut water.
At 3pm we came home to
shower and change clothes for the wedding. We were invited to Thomas and
Rebecca’s wedding party. We were thrilled with the prospect of witnessing a
true Malay wedding... kool.
Well the wedding was
very nice. It seemed very catholic for some reason. The priest read some
passages and there was some singing. I liked the short ceremony. Then we ate, a
buffet style dinner. Rebecca’s sister Jessica Liu is apparently very famous and
so everyone wanted a picture with her. She is an actress and lives in Singapore
Apparently theirs was
a very simplified wedding ceremony. However, I have been told, the wedding
could not be over before the tea ceremony. The grandparents sit on two chairs
and the bride and groom serve them tea, with each cup of tea the grandmother
and grandfather give the newly weds a gift in a red envelope or sometimes a
piece of jewellery for the bride.
A short while later it
was time for a similar ceremony, this time for the kids. The bride and groom
sat in the same chairs and the kids came to wish them happiness and whatever
else they wished. For each wish the kids receive a little envelope with some
money. My children, even though not so children anymore, joined in and managed
to earn 2 ringgits each in the process. It was lovely to see and mingle with
their traditions. And I am sure the kids will remember this.
Rebecca’s uncle, and
owner of the spa she works at, sat on our table together with the couple who
owns the sailing boat. I had seen the lady at the beach numerous times
distributing leaflets. I knew she could not remember our faces and for obvious
reasons I introduced myself as ‘Hello again, I am sure you don’t recognise me
with my clothes on, do you?’ she laughed and after I reminded her, she then
recognised me. After all she had tried to give me leaflets 3 times in the last
2 days.
29.12.09
Today we had a
different day. We spent most of the day at the waterfall. Thomas and Rebecca
brought their nieces with them. After climbing more than 367 steps to get to
the waterfall we were presented with a few pools where we could bathe. The kids
loved sliding from one pool to the next and everyone, grown ups included,
seemed to have a ball. I slid on the very little entrances to each pool but did
not venture onto any of the faster ones. The stones were slippery where wet and
I did not want to fall. The last two pools had incredible views of the beach
well down below and of the cable car climbing far up the mountain. We had lunch
(Bihun soup for me and rice and chicken for the kids) at around 3pm and then we
returned to our normal beach in Pantai Cenang.
Yesterday the kids
went on a banana boat ride and loved it, and Zane had a double adventure as he
also went parasailing. Wow! I am very proud of him, trying all the most
adventurous things. I didn’t go but would love to try it. I want to have a go
at the jetski as well… we’ll see. We talked about it later at dinner and
decided that maybe me and Iman should go parasailing on the last day of the
year, as the last adventurous thing we did, or alternatively do it on the 1st
day of the year, as in the first adventure of the year. It would be fun.
31.12.09
Yesterday I suppose
the highlight of the day was the Fish Spa. It was weird, good weird obviously.
Basically I paid to put my feet inside a fish tank full of fish that eat dead
flesh off my feet. The first tank is full of bigger fish and the second tank
has little fish that actually kiss your aching feet better. The sensations are
very different from one to the other. Once used to the tickling feeling it is
actually a rather nice feeling. The small fish at times almost feel like very faint
electrical shocks, it was a funny discovery. My son loved it, my daughter
chickened out. LOL
Today we rented a car
and went to Kuah and in the afternoon we went to Tanjung Rhu, my favourite
beach on the north shores of the island. We were very lucky that the tide was
out so we were able to walk on the sand bank almost up to the rocks in front,
around 1km from the beach. The evening approached and we came to the spa to
wish Thomas and Rebecca happy new year and were treated to an half an hour foot
massage… ahh just what we needed after so much climbing the other day. We
rushed home to change clothes and went to eat at the beach. After we walked to
the yellow café where we waited for the fireworks. The kids loved seeing all
the drunkards being silly, dancing and falling off. One in particular was
completely hammered and took his shoes and socks off and threw them in the
bonfire… lol as that wasn’t enough he threw his hat too.
The 3 main bars, the Yellow
Café, at one end of Pantai Cenang, the Babylon Lounge at the other and one in
the middle which I cannot recall the name, all had a display of fireworks and I
reckon that the yellow café was the best one.
01.01.10
Wow… we are in 2010 … for someone who, as a teenager, though the
year 2000 (and the end of the world, lol) was too farfetched and would never
arrive being in 2010 makes even more surreal. I wonder which year will be my
last? What a weird thought to have on the first day of these decade…
Today we did absolutely
nothing, we returned the car and meandered the streets like homeless cats.
After 2 weeks of the same-same we were starting to have a
tummy full of splashing with the jelly fish…
We thought of booking
the snorkelling tour but wanted to wait to see if Rebecca and Thomas wanted to
come with their nieces.
03.01.10
Yesterday we went to
the Bird Paradise Wildlife
Park
Today we went
snorkelling at Pulau Pasir. The van picked us up from the main road and took us to the jetty in Kuah where
we boarded a small catamaran which took us south to a small island called Pulau
Pasir where we were left to snorkel until lunch. We were served a kind of pre
packed lunch, about which I shall not get into details, and then we were able
to snorkel for another hour until 3.15pm. there was a great number of fish
and we were able to see 3 black tip reef
sharks. The journey back was much faster than the way there. I think the boat
run into a small engine problem on the way there and was only going at half the
speed. The way back was much more comfortable.
We decided to splash
on dinner and so we rushed home to shower and headed for the Red Tomato. The
kids were delighted.
04.01.10
On our last full day
in Langkawi we decided to stay at the beach all day but albeit that decision we
came home to charge the computer at lunch time and returned to the beach to
catch some more sun and see if you could brown a little bit further. We had
dinner with Thomas and Rebecca at a Chinese restaurant and enjoyed
experimenting once more with Asian flavours.
06.01.10
Yesterday we flew to KL
early in the morning. We took the shuttle from the domestic terminal (LCC) to
the international terminal (KLIA), left our luggage in a locker and headed to
the city centre by bus. Travelling by public transport is very easy and
reasonably cheap. Each bus ride costs 9 ringgits to cover a distance of 52km, a
bargain I say.
We arrived at the
Sentral Station, where all the train correspondences meet and took the KL Rapid
to the KLCC shopping centre, which is the mall under the famous Petronas Towers
Once they were safely
off I looked for a comfortable bench and went on the net. Then ate something
and look for another bench in a quieter corner where I slept like a baby for
almost 5h. My flight was not due until the morning, and I did not want to go
back to KL just to sleep. I woke up without the alarm at 5am but decided it was
still too early so went back to sleep.
At 7am I got my
suitcase from the locker and did my check in. However as soon as I arrived in
Singapore I was disappointed with the fact that I could not go to the pool and
wait in style for my next flight like I normally do. In my haste bargain
hunting I managed to find a great bargain flight to Perth but failed to realise
that Tiger Airways flies from the Budget Terminal, which does not have an
internal connection with the 3 main terminals and therefore no connection with
T1 where the pool is… damn.
Decided not to be
upset I took advantage of the skytrain between terminals and went to check out
again the newest terminal 3, recently open in Jan 2008. I had seen it briefly
on my last trip to Australia
So that was my short
adventure stay in Singapore
and now I am on my way to my 3rd OZ adventure this time starting in Perth
Perth
I woke up bright and
early full of energy to see this Americanised city. On my way from the airport
last night it seemed I had landed in a small state in America or even Canada Woodbridge Woodbridge is
located in Swan Valley
What I did notice
however was the resemblance to American state cities where square looking shops
laden wide avenues and cute bungalows decorate the small streets in between.
So I took off on the
Transperth, a great, clean and frequent train that runs from Midland
(one stop from Woodbridge ) to Perth
and then continues to Freemantle, 19km south of Perth
I had the impression
that Freemantle was a seaside town but it is in fact a busy port town, with
only a very small dirty with algae beach. However I soon discovered its charms.
I got out of the station straight into the most lovely looking café to have my
long awaited breakfast. As soon as I started walking I was charmed by the old
buildings, which look virtually unchanged since the mid-19th
century. I walked along Market
street Maritime
Museum
The majority of the
exhibition showed a number of Dutch shipwrecks. Apparently the Dutch wanted to
take advantage of the knowledge of the Portuguese travelling the oceans in the
15th century and wanted to do the same. While the Portuguese were
contented with trading spices in India
and Asia , the Dutch wanted to find further a
field lands but failed to understand the straits and to map the region properly
resulting in hitting reefs and islands on unknown paths and spending most the
16th century sinking their lovely ships.
I loved the
description in the captain’s logs upon encountering the aborigines… ‘savage people in savage lands…’
Anyway I really
enjoyed Freemantle and I reckon it would be a great place should there was a
better and bigger beach.
I went back to the
centre of Perth Perth
Having had enough of
buses I boarded the train back home.
08.01.10
Yet again I woke up at
7am, it just felt so natural to wake up early, whereas in Langkawi I struggle
sometimes to wake up before 9am, maybe due to the heat and humidity not really
sure. Anyway I walked to the local shop and got 2 bananas and a yogurt to eat
with my own muesli for breakfast. I felt really silly having to declare my own
muesli and flax seeds at the airport on arrival but if you fail to declare it
and they consider it a forbidden article then you are fined $1000. Anyway they
let me go through and therefore I still have muesli and seeds and now also nuts
to last me a week or so… lol
Today I went to Scarborough Beach Perth
09.01.10
Another great day
downunder. I have been told that in winter is can be as cold as 13 or 15
degrees… they are kidding me right?
Anyway I decided to
venture to Cottesloe
Beach Portugal
Just before noon I decided to go to one of the cafes to eat something and escape the midday sun. I opted for Beaches a lovely corner café with tables outside in the grass. I ordered, yes you guesses my favourite Bircher Muesli with fruit and yogurt and a freshly squeezed juice. I looked around for a table and a guy just kind of accepted my muted invitation and I said thank you even before I sat down. John is a local and he owns an alternative energy company, he is married to Madge and they have 3 kids. Madge stays home with the kids (now all over 20) and we shared opinions on disciplining kids and the importance of boundaries and having present parents. Again I think that people really meet for a reason and we should be very open to the messages. The more we talked the more things we had in common, yoga, kite surfing, does everyone do the same around here? Anyway it was a very lively and healthy conversation. John talked about yoga and body pump. I just couldn’t believe it. I am all the way around the world talking about my favourite things with people I just met but who share the same interests, wow!
From the moment I
arrived I had the feeling that I was missing on something by not driving here
in Perth
John drove aroundSwan
Lake England
If I had not shared a table with John I would have never seen the huge and beautiful Swan Lake. I would have not learnt a secret to stay together over 30 years. Never loose sight of what bought you together and what you achieved together.
John drove around
If I had not shared a table with John I would have never seen the huge and beautiful Swan Lake. I would have not learnt a secret to stay together over 30 years. Never loose sight of what bought you together and what you achieved together.
On my way back from
the beach I finally managed to walk up to Kings Park
I have to admit that Perth grew on me as the days unfolded and today really
confirmed that I needed a car to explore other places of interest, like Helena Valley
and Helena River
Tomorrow is my last
day and I shall go back to Cottesloe again. So far my favourite beach. Then
maybe a stroll at the market in Freemantle after lunch in one of its many
quaint cafes... we’ll see.
10.01.10
Well Cottleslow was
exhibiting a radiant sun and the little strip of coffees and shops were buzzing
with activity. I waited for a table at Beaches. Not even 10.30am and it was
already as busy as it would get.
Sydney
11.01.10
My friend’s house is a
good 5min walk up the hill, dragging a suitcase it took over 10min… The
house is very similar to the one I remember from the last time, when she lived
in the posh neighbourhood of Vaucluse. I like the spacious houses in Australia , and I think the ones in Perth
Today we went to the
free local pool. Most neighbourhoods have this type of salted water pool for
the local residents. It is normally located by the water hedge near a green area shaded by old trees. My friend swam, I watched, lol. We came home for a little
while and decided to head for Bondi
Beach
12.01.10
Today was a girly day
and we pampered ourselves at the hairdresser. A very expensive affair but a
must as my hair line looked like a rotten banana.
14.01.10
Yesterday the weather
was a bit cloudy and so we stayed home till noon, then went to the city and
came back to get ready to hit town. As we were leaving a lovely tropical rain
just fell on us… lol so much for staying pretty. We managed to get to the ferry
and the city all right. We ate tapas for dinner and then went to the Victoria Room
My friend remembered a
place which she thought I would like. Newtown ,
it’s a long road of shops that remind me of Brighton
for its individuality, retro looks and weirdness. The food is really inexpensive
here and you can find restaurants with cuisines from all over the world. We
opted for a Nepalese restaurant and as we were not very hungry we only had
soup. Wow! I am addicted to soups I think. We had a fruit cocktail in a small
bar and watched the passers by. It is indeed a very quaint neighbourhood that
would require another day and evening there.
16.01.10
Yesterday we woke up
to another greyish day and although warm we cannot go to the beach so I
research my flights and my friend sorted some of her things out. We left the
house it was past 2pm. We headed for Paddington where she had to run some
errands and then to the city centre.
Today the sun decided
to come out to play early in the morning and so my friend and I
went to Balmoral beach but it was noon and after a couple of swims I sat in the shade. After we went to Cockatoo island but got disappointed. Cockatoo island opened to the public in 2007 to show where convicts were imprisoned and where draftsmen and the management worked and where some lived. So much for an island infested by cockatoos… however I did not see any cockatoos and so we cut our visit short.
In the evening we went to see Toumani Diabate, an African musician
from Mali, at the Domain, a fairly large green where free concerts are
organised frequently. Their music was vibrant and I danced to the drums. Their
music can be explained as a fusion of traditional sounds and innovative beats,
mixing instruments like guitars, drums and the Kora, a west African instrument
played with 4 fingers only. It was very interesting. The rain threatened to
ruin the show but did not dare.
The festival showcases
lots of artists and it’s hard to pick which venue to go because there are so
many. Most are paid and some are quite expensive and I did not budget for the
arts unfortunately. There was one in particular we wanted to see at the Sydney
Opera House – Ballet de Rua. A brazilian group of dancers performing a dance
that incorporates capoeira movements, ballet and contemporary steps. I shall
look out for them in England
19.01.10
Today is my last day
in Sydney Sharks Bay Sydney Mosman Bay Balmoral Beach
FIJI
20.01.10
Bula (Hello) my
friends…
I just arrived in Fiji Brisbane
Tomorrow I am off to
the islands. I booked the ‘ultimate lei’ a 7day/6 night ‘Awesome Adventures
Fiji’ Tour, which covers 4 islands in the Yasawas. If you want to check it out
see: www.awesomefiji.com.
27.01.10
Wow! Where do I start…
I know Fiji is not
only the Yasawa or Mamanuca islands, I also know that what I saw is basically
the touristic Fiji, in fact I should say the backpackers Fiji. But who cares
what sort of accommodation you stay in, what matters is that I am here and
enjoying it.
So where did I left you…. on the 21st …
So where did I left you…. on the 21st …
I was collected from
my accommodation and taken to the harbour where I boarded the Awesome Adventures
yellow catamaran, called the Yasawa Flyer, headed for the Yasawas. The route is
pretty much the same both ways (North / South) and it’s a kind of a shuttle
boat that takes people to the islands and at the same time collects them and
transfers them to other islands, as long as they are travelling north or south.
Some tours start from the islands closer to the mainland and others from the
furthest islands in the north. The boat trip takes around 5 hours but as it
stops at most islands it is quite entertaining.
21st jan –
after 5hours on the boat I was more than ready to start my adventure. My first
island was Coral View in Taweva island, the last island on the Yasawas. The
resort (as they all are called) was rather nice. I stayed in a mixed dorm with
16 bunk beds. I guess I was the older in the room but then met a german lady
who was 36 and another asian guy who looked more or less my age so I did not
feel so old. The accommodation was rather nice and I completely changed my mind
about backpacker places. The couples, girls and boys staying in the dorm were
very well behaved and clean, the bathrooms and showers too and I was pleasantly
surprised. The beach was awesome, clear blue water and a large reef to snorkel.
The sand strip was not very big but the large garden with palm trees
compensated for the lack of beach. There was another beach we could go to if we
walked 10 min across the small hill. Food was good and at 10am everyday there
were free activities.
22nd in the
morning after breakfast we had a coconut demo, which basically meant we were
shown how to open a coconut, drink the water and after crack it open to eat the
dry white insides of the coconut. I ate loads as I remembered really loving it
when I was in the Maldives
23rd today
after breakfast we boarded the yellow catamaran headed for Korovu in Naviti
island, one of the biggest islands in Fiji
I had more bread and
meat this week than during the last 6 months… well the boys at my table now
really like me because they can always eat my leftovers… lol… After dinner we
had entertainment, fire dancers and traditional dancing. In the islands there
are only male dancers to all the girls delight. The guys did not seem to enjoy
it as much, lol
26th A storm had just start brewing on our way to South Sea in the afternoon and just before we arrived it poured down. It was actually fun because it was so hot it did not matter. We were shown to our dorm and we were all kind of disappointed. Luckily Tiff, a French girl, wanted to swap beds with her friend and I ended up sleeping on the lower bed of a bunk bed. I cannot complain. As I arrived I met 3 Brazilians, Daniel from Salvador da Bahia, Douglas from
On arrival at Nadi Bay Resort I had a luxurious hot water shower and headed for the restaurant to have mahimahi fish, the same I had eaten on arrival. It was gorgeous. This time I also had banana fritter… hummmm. After dinner I went to Smugglers Cove Resort to meet up with the others, we had some cocktails and exchanged some more funny stories from the travels.
29.01.10
I don’t know how to
really say this but I think Fiji
After lunch I soaked in the atmosphere in the shade because the midday sun is extremely hot and I dozed off a few times. Then went for another snorkel and swim and it was time to go back. What a shame.
30.01.10
I woke up early to
take the 7.30 local bus to Nadi. A windowless bus arrived and I was pleased to
sit in an almost comfortable bus. In Nadi I changed to the Pacific Liner which
is a very old bus going to Suva
31.01.10
Today I woke up early
and did yoga in the decking at the beach. How wonderful. I want to have a house
with a deck or veranda just like that, either where I can see the sun rise or
sunset so I can do my yoga outside and feel all the positive energy of a brand
new day. I had my breakfast and went for a walk in the beach. Lunch was a
milkshake so I could be hungry for dinner but because it’s so hot I just feel
like eating fruit and milkshakes or smoothies. I called my children and did
very little else, after all I am here to relax.
01.02.10
Again I woke up early
and did my yoga and had breakfast but today no walk on the beach.
Today was the day for a much needed massage and at 20 FJ Dls I could not say no.
Camila the Brazilian girl I met inSouth
Sea Cook Islands . I
hope they do not annoy me at immigration on entry.
Today was the day for a much needed massage and at 20 FJ Dls I could not say no.
Camila the Brazilian girl I met in
Today is my last day
on Fiji Fiji
I saw heaps of possibilities not taken just because the attitude of the locals is so blazé about it all. They are very laid back and do not understand or intend to learn about customer service relations, about management or about good service. It was wonderful don’t get me wrong but it could be so much more. The coast line is still very dirty, beaches at resorts included. Even if it is just coral and seaweed but it could be collected to a communal place leaving the main area of the beach in front of the resort clean for the guests to use.
I saw heaps of possibilities not taken just because the attitude of the locals is so blazé about it all. They are very laid back and do not understand or intend to learn about customer service relations, about management or about good service. It was wonderful don’t get me wrong but it could be so much more. The coast line is still very dirty, beaches at resorts included. Even if it is just coral and seaweed but it could be collected to a communal place leaving the main area of the beach in front of the resort clean for the guests to use.
I know they were hit
by a cyclone recently but still this aspect is not a recent occurrence, even
the town of Nadi
Fijian people are
extremely happy and kind but due to their attitude sometimes come across as
useless, instead of just laid back. Everything runs on Fiji
As far as resorts go I
am very surprised to say that even though very basic the backpacker resorts I
stayed were quite alright for the price and yes you do not need to be rich to
do this trip, you just need to be adventurous, pick up your ‘small’ bag and go.
Unfortunately this is not how pacific islands are portrayed in Europe . Of course there are 5* resorts but some also fail
to advertise that they do not have a beach and the 100 or 200 guests end up
spending their fijian holidays by the pool in one location seeing very little
of the real Viti Levu (the main island).
I met people from many
nationalities and walks of life, the majority being youngsters either on their
year out before university or just after, so aged between 19 and 26. A few
older people mingled with them, lone travellers like me. Often we would come
together in wonderful conversations about round-the-world travels over a glass
of wine and great fijian food. The most amazing thing about travelling alone is
that we are never alone if we do not want to be alone, it is very easy and
expected to talk to the person on the table next to you and even invite
yourself to join them. They very much need the distraction as well. I found I
am not alone in this quest of the world and many wonderful people share my
vision of what living life is all about.
Tonight the film
showing is ‘It’s complicated’ so I am off to the theatre room now.
Yassalei (farewell) my
friends…
The flight wasn’t too
bad 3h30m… what I am frantically trying to figure out is the time difference.
In Fiji I was 13 hours ahead of England, in NZ I am 12 hours ahead of England
and as soon as I land in the Cook islands I will be 10 hours behind England…
therefore living the 2nd of February all over again… I can’t wait to see how I
feel about that.
Rarotonga - Cook Islands
Rarotonga - Cook Islands
02.02.10
Kia Orana (meaning
“may you live long”) is the greeting you receive upon arrival in the Cook Islands . I had no garland of flowers though… damn.
And no, it’s not a
misprint I am living the 2nd of February all over again.
Left Fiji at 11am on
the 2nd Feb, arrived in Auckland at
2.30pm and left at 6.30pm spending my 2nd of Feb travelling and then
arrived in the Cook Islands at 1am still on
the 2nd of Feb. How good is that? Talk about time travel… this is
it.
Actually it reminds me
the feeling I had in 2007 when I left England
on the 2nd December arriving in Christchurch
I walked 50 metres and
rented a car. The island is 45km long (some say 32Km, I won’t bother checking) and
the road runs all the way around the island, making it impossible to get lost
here. I toured the island in one hour… so I did it again just in case I missed a
few things that I had failed to see the first time… lol … then I spent the rest
of the day at Muri beach. The weather is warm but quite windy because there is
a cyclone still cruising around, between here and Tahiti
– cyclone Oli. This is the 2nd cyclone that went past here in the last 10 days
making the weather a bit unstable. As I had the car I went to a dinner / show
at the Rarotonga Resort. Apparently people pay NZ$600 a night to stay there…
people do spend money for nothing. It doesn’t even have a nice beach…
03.02.10
I extended the car
rental for another day and with that a new temporary driver’s licence. Yes here
one has to buy a Cook
Island
I went around the
island again (did I tell you they drive like in England Beverly
Hills of the Cook Islands … lol …. Bigger
and prettier houses adorn the hills in the middle of the island. I saw some
amazing bungalows… even a house with a pool, and a 2 bed house to rent for $380
per week. Shame I did not know that when I arrived.
Anyway I am quite
pleased with my place. I called on another Cs, who could not host me but told
me of a place owned privately. Maria owns the art gallery in Muri Beach
Marcus, the Cs who
recommended this place, came over in the afternoon to make sure I had found it
alright. We had a brief chat about Aitutaki (a wonderful paradisiacal island
220km north of here) and 
04.02.10
I woke up to another
windy but glorious day and headed to the Aquarius to check my emails. Internet
here is sold at $10 or $15 per 15Mb so if I upload or download something I
loose my money, but it’s ok just to read emails. I took the car back and took
the bus back to my pad, then made the extra effort to walk 20 metres and hit
the beach… lol
Laying down in the
sofa and writing these words makes me feel very happy. Again I am where I want
to be and I think that ‘to just ‘be’ is the best gift you can give yourself’.
Tomorrow I will call
the travel agency again to see if there is availability for Aitutaki. I called
today and left my details.
However the more I
think about the more the idea of going to an ashram in India
05.02.10
My soul is full to the
brim. How will I top up this feeling?
I am where I want to
be, I am doing what I want and on top of that I am enjoying being able to just
be, without wants, desires, worries… I am so fully happy I could easily explode
if someone were to hug me right now.
The most incredible
things find their way to my mind. I was at the beach this morning, more or less
on the south of the island, and I was thinking that there is absolutely nothing
after my horizon, for miles and miles and miles there is only the Pacific Ocean
and eventually many miles away there is Antarctica .
Wow!!!
Now there is a thought
to digest over the next hour here in the sun having a coffee at this delightful
coffee shop cum villas called Little Polynesian Café... what an infinity pool,
what blue colour. I am loving the south pacific. Just hope Tahiti
does not disappoint.
I had a lovely dinner
at Sails, the sailing club of the island. The fish here is just unbelievably
delicious, mine was served on a bed of mash potato and roasted vegetables.
06.02.10
It’s market day today,
so I shall get myself there soon.
The market was
colourful and vibrating with sound and smells. There were food stalls, clothes,
crafts, cakes, smoothies and juices, it was great. After a few minutes walking
I ate Mongolian chicken of all choices on the menu and bought some bagels with
pumpkin hommus for later. She gave me a free bagel with blackberry that turned
out to be very rubbery… how disappointing when I had my tea ready…
I took the clockwise
bus and arrived home just in time to head off on a trekking with Frank from Frankfurt.
Dear me I have met more Germans on this holiday than during the whole of my
life, which was only my lovely friend Silke and her husband. Is there anyone left behind in Germany
It was
hard, very demanding and very exciting at the same time. You can physically see
you are going up the mountain as most of the track is at 45 degrees. Having done
a couple of walks in Singapore and New Zealand I thought I would have no
problem doing a one hour walk to the top… little did I know it was a almost
vertical climb for most of the way. After finishing it I felt awesome. I felt
proud of myself for having done it and asked myself if I would have done it
alone. Maybe not, I would have turned back half way afraid of injuring myself but
having someone there encouraged and motivated me and once more I came to
the conclusion that I prefer to do certain things with a group of people, like snorkelling
and trekking. I feel a bit more secure in a group. If I had fallen from one of
those steep climbs I would have been in deep trouble as we saw no one else on
the track.
So at 7pm I was ready
to sleep… understandably.
07.02.10
Still not sure what to
do… my internet ended today Sunday, of all days, when everything is closed. However
I am not allowed to worry, especially in paradise, so I went snorkelling. I
took the clockwise bus to another beach and made sure I kept track of time as
the bus runs 8am until midday and then from 2 to 4pm. Great life if you are a
Sunday bus driver. I guess there are not many people taking the bus on Sundays.
Here Sunday is family day and church day, a time to be with the family and
forget about work. I had a milkshake and an apple pie with ice cream at the
(Swedish) Green Café. Nice, very nice.
No internet today and
it’s a bummer because I really wanted to be looking at the weather prognostics
and also checking flights to be able to make a decision tomorrow. Having said
that it was a good exercise for me to be without something I need/want and be
able to remain calm and not freak out. Tomorrow is another day.
Well Maria, my
landlady, she never had internet, figure that, living your life without
internet. Her computer broke down a couple of months ago (digest that too) and
she was telling me how she really needs to get a new one but her voice was
saying yeh one of these days, no hurry… That’s another deep thought for today. No
net and no computer. If I keep having these deep thoughts every day I will
become a sage before I am 50.
So against my will,
that it stays recorded here I am going to work a bit. I have been really
naughty and done basically no work these last 2 months. Wonderful!!!!
08.02.10
I woke up early as
always and miss doing my yoga. I need to go on a retreat soon. Maybe I should
have gone to Goa instead of here… well there
is always a next time.
I booked my return
ticket from Tahiti and went to town and paid
my departure tax, NZ$55 wow!!! I am becoming penniless in paradise…
Some things are very expensive
in the Cooks and I can understand how a holiday here can end up costing an arm
and a leg if one is not careful. I am lucky that my pound is NZ$2 but even so
there are things I am not buying.
I had coffee and a
chat with Maria when I got back and learned that there is a cyclone on its way
here, Cyclone Pat. Maybe it’s a good idea to leave tomorrow after all. I can’t
wait to see what the fuss is all about. I have been told that Papeete
09.02.10
It’s official I am
dodging cyclones in the south pacific… lol ….
Last week there was
cyclone Oli going through Tahiti and I considered not going to Tahiti but then
it would be as expensive to buy return tickets to Auckland or Sydney at such
short notice and by this week I was sure there would be no more cyclone
threats, after all how many cyclones can you have in a month? Well last night I
heard that cyclone Pat is on its way to Rarotonga… so I am glad I kept my
initial plan and fly out to Tahiti today…
we’ll see what this adventure brings on its last days…
One good thing about
one way flights is that you can change your mind at any time but it’s also time
consuming trying to find the right bargain at short notice so the best is
really to plan a couple of weeks ahead only.
The day woke up grey
and maybe the cyclone will arrive tomorrow not Thursday. I hope it dies out on
its way like the last one. I do not think it’s nice to feel the gale force
winds of a cyclone. I tremble just with the normal thunderstorms in England
Tahiti
The flight to Tahiti
took only 2h45m and arriving at Papeete coming
from Raro was like arriving in Hanoi after being
in Laos Papeete
10.02.10
My ‘couch’ lays just
by the door facing the terrace, mountain and bay… wow! What a morning view!
It’s just fantastic!
Julia dropped me at the beach on her way to work, she is a speech therapist and has been living here 3 years. The public beach I went to is situated just past the Hilton, between
I return home in the
afternoon extremely happy for being able to hitchhike after so many years.
Apparently here is normal for even the locals to do so and people are so
friendly it’s unbelievable.
This evening I was
invited to go for a cocktail at the Hilton with Julia and her best friend. It
was a chance to see what all the fuss is about. Well if I had not been to the Maldives
Oh well not all that
shines is gold, and it’s very true.
When we came home
Julia prepared sashimi, with some fresh tuna, now I have to apologise to my
friend Andreia for not eating with her but this fish was cut very, very fine
and with a lovely sauce and rice… so I tried it and I liked it. I guess the
thick pieces I saw being served in Sydney
11.02.10
Today I stayed home,
Julia left me her computer and I accessed the internet, sent some emails and booked
another flight. One more flight and I will be half way home…
I shall take it easy
today and maybe go up for a walk to the Belvedere with Julia tomorrow as I
think she said she worked only half day… will see.
Even though I can
hitchhike anywhere I cannot afford the luxury… lol… well if I told you things
were expensive in the Cook Islands well here
they are exorbitant. In fact there is nothing here that costs less than 10
euros. I mean there are but that’s maybe a hair clip Eur5 or a bottle of shampoo
Eur4.85.
I went 2 times to the
supermarket, bought nothing and each time I spent Eur20… unbelievable! I kid you not, I
bought a milk, cornflakes, bottle of water and 4 yogurts and it came to Eur19.
on another occasion I got a shampoo, shower gel, Mikado, 4 courgets and goats
cheese, the latter two because Julia had mentioned she needed some and I paid
Eur20.50. However I find that the prices are not logically priced, if you know
what I mean. The ½ ferry journey was Eur10.50 and a fridge magnet Eur6 (yes
that story will be told as the most expensive fridge magnet in the whole wide
world).
12.02.10
No I did not go
trekking with Julia, in fact I did something much better. Julia suggested to
Tehaamana, her partner, that he could take me on a friend’s boat to the lagoon
to swim with the rays (and sharks). Having had a great first experience with
the sharks in Fiji
Because Tehaamana had
so much fish he threw some in the deep end nearby and what was 3 sharks
initially roaming to see what was going on became 20 good size sharks fighting
for their lunch… it was just amazing!!! No other words can describe it,
fantastic and wonderful at the same time.
The rays did not leave
us and it was hard to leave, I was smitten…
Then we stopped at the
nearby Motu, a deserted little island. This particular one is not in use now
but some time in the past was used by nudists. The tours use another Motu nearby
which has more space for picnics and snorkelling.
Tonight we are going
to a salsa lesson.
13.02.10
Salsa was fun, maybe I
should go for lessons in England Nara
Today we went on our
little trekking, not as hard as the one in the Cook
islands . We drove the pineapple route, like Julia calls it,
because it has lots of pineapple plantations. It was curious to see how they
sprout of the earth in really ugly prickly plants. During our trekking I
learned about the marae, the Polynesian temples or ceremonial sites, which were
part of the community. There were always several ones, used as burials, for
sacrifices and also for women to give birth. Legend says the stones that make
the marea are sacred because they hold the soul of their ancestors. Because
they are sacred if people walk on them it brings them bad luck.
Chickens / cockerels in
this region, Paopao and D’Opunohu valleys, are sacred too. Rotui mountain lays
majestically in front of the valley and legend says Taroa, a God from Raiatea , a nearby island, wishing to have a mountain on
his island demanded permission from other Gods to come to Morea and steal one
mountain. He was allowed but on the condition that he’d go at night and be back
before sunrise. He arrived and without loosing any time he attached Rotui to
his boat and started sailing away pulling the mountain with him. The cockerels
seeing the mountain being stolen started to sing and Taroa thinking it was almost
daylight left the mountain behind and returned to his island. The cockerels
saved the mountain and that is also the reason why it lays as it stands in
between Cooks and D’Opunohu Bays.
Now there is no legend
as to why there are so many mosquitoes and minuscule see-through flies but that
they are annoying that is a fact. As I said before even paradise has its flaws
and here it’s the mosquitoes. Their bites are really itchy and you need to over
yourself in whacky repellent all the time not just in the evenings.
15.02.10
Yesterday me, Julia
and Miriam (Julia’s friend) went to a salsa party at a friend of hers. It was
great, house by the sea, huge veranda, big table full of pizza… pizza??? Yes!
With so many lovely food around the world they all brought pizza. Julia baked
some savoury muffins and I mainly ate those and some brie with crackers. We had
lunch at the beach, at a local restaurant she loves and I had my favourite fish
Mahi Mahi and she had the king prawns al’olio…. Delicious… anyway back to the
pizza’s… while they danced sweated and ate pizza I observed and repeated my
story to everyone, who I am, where I’ve been, etc… made time pass. I did dance
a couple of times, one with a professional dancer/teacher from the mainland and
another with another guy. I did pretty well considering. So on my return to England I shall go down to Babylon
Julia made her
favourite toasts with goats’ cheese for lunch and then took me to the ferry. I
really like couchsurfing, she was a delightful host. She is very calm, generous
and happy, which made my stay very comfortable. It is indeed a fact that ‘there
are no strangers just friends you have not met yet’… not sure who said it or
wrote it but I agree. She has become a friend and I really hope I can repay the
favour if she ever comes to England
I hitchhiked to the
airport, having realised that everything in Papeete
I was rehearsing how
to say NO should a male Tahitian stopped alone and offered me a lift when a young
couple stopped, ufff… I was lucky. At the rent a car I was given a Peugeot 107,
white of all colours, and I was pleased to drive ‘my car’ (C1…well… same same
but different).
As soon as I could I
headed south towards Tahiti Iti, the small island. One hour later, already at
Tavarea or Tevarao, failing to see any hostels or pension or whatsoever I
decided to stop at a restaurant at the same time the sky opened in a bout of
rain… I went in with a brave face and my initial reaction was Oh my God! Guys
playing pool, girls at the bar… but I was mistaken. I asked one of the ladies
at the bar where could I find a place to stay the night and she said, oh la la
!! (in perfect French, of course) and went on to say if you did not book now
it’s too late (hunn? I looked at my watch 7.30pm, the sun had just set…) she
opened the phonebook called a few places and nothing… I gulped. Oh well, I
said, I’ll sleep in the car in Teahupoo. Oh no no no (she said again in her
perfect French) ‘my mother has a house nearby that she never uses, you can stay
there the night if you don’t mind staying in a simple house’. I thanked her
endless times on the way there, her mother came with me and her sister followed
in another car. I could hear the sea and knew we were close, how close I saw
the next day. Anyhow the room was perfect with ensuite bathroom, obviously
simple. She (I feel awful but I forgot her name in all commotion) explained
that since the cyclone the house had been closed off and she was living with
one of her daughters, she showed me some pictures of her late husband and got
the coffee machine ready for me, told me to eat the yogurts in the fridge and
be at home. I was lost for words. Apparently her father before her used to host
passing tourists who were lost or with no place to stay and so she and all her
family for that matter had follow suit.
I woke up with the sun peeping through the windows and doors at 6.30am, I jumped up off bed and went out of the room into a lounge with two sliding doors to a decking terrace over the water, literally over clear aqua blue water, a bit dirty with trees and debris from the cyclone, but nonetheless a perfect setting for a house. I was gobsmacked. I am indeed a lucky woman. Well I reckon it’s not luck. I reckon we receive in life what we give and I am being blessed with retributions for all the goodness in my heart. I made a coffee, ate a yogurt with some muesli I have been carrying around forever and sat outside basking in the perfect sun rising. I left a message thanking her again for her generosity together with my name and contact offering to welcome her one day in my house. I left with a smile and decided to see what I thought was one side of the small island before returning and going around the other side to Teahupoo. For your information both sides of the small island have roads up to Km 15 or 16 and the rest of the island, the point which joins the 2 is only accessible by boat. I was driving for ½ hour when I realised I was going back up on the west side of the big island, silly me I though and stopped. And who stops behind me? The lady from the night before, with her daughter, going up to
I drove back still
holding the pearl in my hand. I stopped a bit further along and put it on a
necklace. We all need good guarding angels. I felt emotional as I normally do
in situations that require so. Because of all the lost time going the wrong way
I ended up arriving at Teahupoo 10min after the water taxi left for the surf break
with other people… I asked around, went to 2 places to try my luck and came
back to the little marina and waited. A large grey cloud brought some rain and
1 hour later the boat arrived. I asked him if was going again and he said maybe
in 15min when the rain clears. I waited. The weather cleared and we left. There
were a few surfers and the waves were quite small, about 1.5 to 2 metres but I
liked the sensation of sitting on top a wave. Because of its location just around
the passage the waves come from 2 directions and some times go in a curved
direction not straight. Waiting for the surfers (the taxi driver gave them a
ride) I discovered that 1 of them was Brazilian… small world. His name was
Cesar and he had been living in Teahupoo for almost a year.
The surfers left the
boat near the beach and the water taxi took me back to the marina (boasting as
many as 4 boats… lol). I drove back towards Papeete
My day complete I
drove around Papeete
So my last night on
the island translates as follows: generosity is a gift, not a service; kindness
is a trait of the meek; giving does not ask in return; smile from your heart;
nature is to be observed and cherished, it won’t last long otherwise.
I have been blessed by
the people I met on this journey and will cherish these moments forever. I wish
everyone I met remembers me with tenderness.
Nana… (goodbye) from Tahiti
Cook Islands
16.02.10
16.02.10
On my plane back to
the Cook Islands I wonder what more will
happen on my last 2 weeks of this adventure.
Close to 6pm I went in
and took a shower, went off to buy a Panini, made a tea and Maria arrived. She
had been with her family and we chatted for a while until it was time for her
to make dinner. I joined her afterwards for coffee until it was time to board
the clockwise bus for the last time. I arrived at the airport and the lights
were out. I sat down alone in the dark, I checked flights and read/deleted
emails, called my mum and soon it was 2am, the 17th, time to do my
check in.
Auckland
17.02.10
17.02.10
Well today is the day
I will not see… by the time I get to Auckland
18.02.10
So today is waiting
day… my flight to Sydney Auckland
Looking for ways to go
from Singapore to Terengganu
I came across all other possibilities Hong Kong, Macau, Borneo ,
and then I though of Phuket. Someone mentioned Phi Phi islands to me and how it
was wonderful and I remembered that when I went to Thailand Singapore
Sydney
Got toSydney Perth
Sydney
Got to
I did my laundry, my
clothes really needed a good wash and went to bed.
19.02.10
As soon as I finished
breakfast at 9am I decided to check out and go to my friend’s house to get my
bag. I headed for Circular Quay having no problems moving within this city that
so much captivates me. However I realised pretty soon that I was in a city, I
found myself walking just slightly faster, paying a lot more attention to my
surroundings, after all there are more buses here than just a clockwise and
anti clockwise… lol … The journey took less than an hour and I managed to have
a coffee with her before leaving her with a promise that we will see each other
again very soon, maybe as soon as Christmas. That would be nice.
The journey back to
the airport was uneventful but not having a ticket out of Singapore Singapore England
Luckily Singapore
It’s 4am and I am
still going, free internet is addictive. I managed to email everyone, call my
children and sort out some students.
The coffee shop where
I spend the night was full of students researching for their mid year exams. I
thought it was cool. They come to the airport which has free internet and hang
out together studying together.
Phuket
It’s 11am and I am
finally in Phuket at my guesthouse. I gave up on searching more and settled for
double the price I intended to pay but I want to go to the beach, not spend the
rest of the day looking for a cheap room. I opted for Kata Beach
10pm – I am dead and
hitting the sack… I went to Kata beach, took a tuk tuk to the other side of the
beach, went fishing for some white snapper and asked the restaurant lady to
grill it for me… lol … well almost, fishermen sell the fish at the market and
the restaurants in front just cook it for you, wonderful. On the way back I
went to the market and saw all the things I do not need and will not buy, well
maybe just one thing for my daughter.
Took the tuk tuk to Nai Thon
Beach Karon Beach , Patong
Beach and Surin Beach
Phi Phi is lovely,
bigger than I thought and full of life. Tourists are bombarded with offers of
hotels and resorts but having learned about it I swam through them and headed
into the centre of Ton Sai. I asked left and right for a place and then settled
for a not so expensive guesthouse for the night. The beach is gorgeous on Ton Sai
side but full of boats arriving and departing, shame… so at dinner I looked at
the lovely detailed map and decided that tomorrow I shall go on a trek to the
other side.
Tonight I wondered
about after an early dinner and went to see some Muay Thai at the Reggae Bar.
They were advertising free drinks for volunteers and I wish I had a friend with
me so I could have a go in a proper ring, see if I still had it in me since my
teenage days when I did some kick boxing.
22.02.10
I woke up bright and
early and headed to D’s Books for breakfast. After my muesli, fruit and yogurt
fix I headed to the viewpoint… 321 steps up to the 1st viewpoint and
I stopped tired but amazed at the view. There are some bungalows there for 700
bahts per night the same as I was paying but it meant 321 steps up and down
every time I needed to go to the beach or to eat. Oh well…
It took courage but I
continued to viewpoint number 2 for an even better view of both Ton Sai and Loh Dalun
Bays Runtree Beach
I met incredible
people, I sampled great food, I managed to yet again be where I wanted to be
and do what I wanted to do, and that was the greatest present I could give
myself.
23.02.10
Today I booked myself
on a half day tour of Phi Phi Lei, I wanted to see what the fuss is all about.
Oh dear… Monkey Bay
is tiny and full of rubbish, not only banana skins but bottles and cans… shame…
and famous Maya Bay Thailand
24.02.10
Last day on the island
I went to the beach quite early and had breakfast later. My boat left for
Phuket at 2pm and I slept all the way…lol…
Soon it was time to head for the airport and in no time I arrived in
Kuala Lumpur
25.02.10
25.02.10
So last thoughts about
this trip before I send you these last words…
Well once more I
realised how powerful our own mind is, how limitless the opportunities we have
and somehow how little we manage to grasp of life. I noticed how I changed over
the last few years and especially over these last months. Life has rewarded me
with so many wonderful special moments and I will treasure them forever. It is
true that when you dedicate yourself to transform your inner world your life
quickly shifts from the ordinary onto the realm of the extraordinary. I felt it
on this holiday, from strangers who gave me selflessly to friends who held my
hand in spirit. I am grateful for both.
Another thing I am
glad I did in past years is live with less, not feel the need to accumulate has
allowed me to be completely happy with what I have. I feel completed fulfilled,
even if that meant 4 dresses in a suitcase. Indeed what more could I ask for? I
was healthy throughout my holiday, I slept well, ate glorious foods and was
able to wake up every day to a glorious sunny morning. I was blessed every day
and grateful, extremely grateful.
On insight this is
just one more amazing thing I’ve done amongst the hundred other things I’ve
done. However every time I return I feel different. I am different. I don’t
think the same, every journey is a spiritual journey, solitude or aloneness
brings an awakening that only those who walk the path experience and at times I
do not feel that I am in the world but instead that the world is in me. Maybe
because I am living so much every moment I do not pay so much attention to what
happened before or what I have to do in the future. I am concentrating on
what’s important, and that is simply ‘now’. To just ‘be’ in the moment. See the
forest for trees, smell the roses, give my children some time to talk and be
there for them and for my friends.
I realised that I am
on a journey for lifelong happiness and I do not want to get out of this ride.
I want to share this magic and I want to feel it every day. I want to spread it
as glitter over everyone I meet and I want to embrace what life has in store
for me.
I hope you get
inspired to follow your dreams too and I hope one day I will be reading your
wonderful experiences… for now it’s time to go. Thank you for being with me on
this journey, thank you for reading and above all thank you for being my
friends.
until my next adventure...
xx H xx
xx H xx
