How to become a World Class Traveller

In my very limited travel experience, I've learnt that there are certain rules to be observed if you want to be a successful traveller. You know, the sort of people you hear about when you go home that have these incredible stories about all sorts of unimaginable things. Up until now, I've always wondered how people could have so many borderline unbelievable stories. However, I think I may have cracked it.

If you yourself want to be loved by foreigners, and then loved again when you go back home, there are just a few simple rules that you need to follow*. Soon, you'll be the life of every party, and be the person that everyone wants to know.

I felt that this may be too hard to explain just in text, so I've decided to add a few laptop-drawn pictures, to really emphasise these points. I have two characters in the following sequences; Me and foreigner.

Right. Let's begin.

1. Feign an interest

Especially in foreign countries/cultures, you can't be guaranteed that people will have shared interests with you, so you'll need to develop new ones.

You won't know what they are though, until someone else mentions it.


However, it should all be smooth sailing from this point onwards.

The upside is that you will develop an entire new friendship group! I'm sure that, in time, you could look past their unheathly obsession with insects. And maybe even learn to enjoy visiting insect exhibtions. After all, what are friends for?

2. Exaggerate everything

It is a well known fact that 'genuine' stories are never really as interesting as your friends make them out to be. So go on, why not add a bit of flair to your stories. It's not lying, it's creative licence, and the people will love you for it.

Before you know it, everyone will want to know more about where you come from, what you do and how to become your new Best Friend. They will even mistake you for Kiesha Castle-Hughes. Just pray like hell that your newfound friends don't ever come to New Zealand.

3. Generalise

Sure, I get annoyed by constantly being asked if I've kissed a sheep, or whether I starred in Lord of the Rings, or if I know everyone in New Zealand, but foreigners love it when you do this to them in return!

I have a swedish friend here, and his name is Daniel. The following sequence would be a typical everyday conversation between us. Daniel plays the role of Foreigner. Please note how we only ever talk about stereotypes from his culture. Under no circumstances should you change the topic, unless you want the conversation to die a long, and horridly awkward, death. Along with your chances of finding friends.

This is always incredibly entertaining, and you will reap the rewards of this behaviour before you know it. It is rumoured however, that I am lucky Daniel is still my friend.

So, just follow these three simple steps and before you know it, you'll have so many friends that your Facebook page won't cope, and your computer will simply explode under stress.

*Not actually to be followed.

Envy Syndrome

Having recently blinked and then woken up in Germany, have I pondered on what actions I've taken to lead me down this path. What is it that motivates me? Where has this drive to get out and explore come from? After some time thinking about this, I discovered that I don't really have any logic behind what I do, although it's usually out of envy.

In hindsight it seems quite silly, but at the time it always seems to make perfect sense. I am always so inspired after hearing stories of people who've travelled the globe or accomplished great feats, to the point where I usually set out to try and imitate the same thing.

When someone puts forward in conversation "I lived in Africa for 7 years and cured poverty in the village I was living in", or "I've been to so many places that I can now speak 12 languages", I end up having a burning desire to accomplish the same thing. I'm unsure why, but its like I can't stand the thought of me missing out on something someone else has done.

However, when I try to put these things into practice, does it not always work out how I had planned it in my head.

For example, I recently spent two months in South East Asia. After everyone had raved and ranted about how great Asia was, this is how I expected the trip would go:

Me, before trip:

(Me, young and naive. I figured an unflattering photo would highlight this.)

and me, afterwards...

I would have reached a higher plain, and suddenly all would become clear in my life. Sadly however, the reality was more like this:

Before trip:

and afterwards...

(clueless - when I google image-searched 'clueless guy' this is all that came up)

It's not to say I didn't enjoy my trip, but I didn't return with pope-like status or as some form of demi-god. Somehow, this had seemed like the next logical step in my brain.

I've decided to name this demoralising disease as 'Envy syndrome'. Needless to say, this has resulted in several problems.

Sure, maybe a friend really had cured some sort of problem in Africa, but I thought I'd start with something a bit more manageable. So I decided to give a begging Serbian woman money. After doing so, and being satisfied with my good deed, I continued with my day believing I was a better human being. "If I can handle this, surely I can handle Africa" I thought to myself. However, the begging Serbian decided to tell a few friends that maybe I was easy to get money out of, and before long I had 15 odd members from the same family following me round. Well, not just following me, but hunting me. It was like a scene out of Jurassic park. They were predators, and there I was just offering myself to them. This got me thinking; maybe humanitarianism isn't quite as glamourous as it's made out to be, and that Africa would have to wait.

Not to be deterred by this, I figured I would continue to try and do something else incredibly exciting, even if just for the sake of having something to brag about at a dinner party. Everyone speaks lots of languages, so I wanted to speak another one too. Why not just move to Germany? It seems simple enough, and I'm sure it'll give me plenty of stories when I return home. Whats more is I'll have an epiphany and suddenly all will become clear in my life.

Well, it hasn't. I live in Germany, and try speaking german occasionally. I thoroughly enjoy it over here, and am glad I did it, but it hasn't been quite the epiphany that I thought it would be before I left. If anything, its only highlighted how many more things I want to do/see/explore/learn before I go home.

The moral of this story is that, I think, maybe I shouldn't be so reliant on expectations, because usually what I expect and what I get are two completely different things.

I don't really know where this blog post came from. Will post a proper one again shortly.

Oh, and for those who haven't already seen what I got up to in Asia, check out this link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF4WsHyH0zk

The city of Love

So, I've finally taken my first Holiday here, since going on holiday. A good friend of mine from back home, Samantha, came with and we hit up Milan and Paris, not finding however what we were expecting.

Our first stop was Milan, however I was lucky to make it even that far. I didn't check in for my flight as Sam hadn't either (however she was on a UK passport, and all EU citizens don't need to check in). Noone said anything until I boarded the plane, and the incredibly rude flight attendant told me I hadn't checked in, and that I would need to wait to have clearance from the captain, before he'd allow me on his flight. Two minutes later it was resolved, and she told me to take a seat. Five minutes after this, she came down the aisle and asked me to show my Passport again. I had put it away having been distracted by a rather large woman in the row beside me, and forgotten I had put it away. After searching in vein for 10 minutes, they evacuated the rows behind and infront of me, and made them search for my passport too. I found it in the back pocket of my bag, and then walked rather embarrasingly to the flight attendant whilst the passengers applauded me. It wasn't so bad; I only delayed the flight by 20 minutes. I made a lot of friends that day. 198, to be exact.

Milan was the first stop. Having been incredibly grateful to get away from the scolding looks I was receiving in the plane, Sam and I boarded a bus not knowing where we were going. Luckily enough, we got off at the right train station in Milan and eventually managed to find our hostel. My first impression of the city was that its actually quite dirty. A lot of the buildings are cool, but very run-down. The roads aren't maintained, there is rust from the tramtracks all over the road and the metro service could be something out of a horror movie.

The Centre of Milan was amazing, with the Duomo Cathedral standing right in the middle. The only problem with that is there are a lot of men from Ghana hunting out vulnerable tourists. Unfortunately, Sam and I fell pray to the 'free friendship bracelet' charm that so many others to on a daily basis. The contrast between central Milan, where all the big branded shops are, and the rest of the city was huge. It was more than apparent that they only really care about people with money here. There was plenty to see here (including far too much PDA), but I think the only reason I'd ever visit this city again is to see the Last Supper (you have to book well in advance for this, and so we ended up missing out).

Paris was also an incredibly cool city, and I definitely enjoyed my time there. However, it seemed like Paris was determined to get me to hate it. The Louvre was closed on the day we went to visit it, we couldn't go to the top of the Eiffel Tower due to congestion, the weather was completely shit and the people were so incredibly rude. Ok vent over.

Paris is a beautiful city, with amazing buildings everywhere. I kind of expected it to be a let down, in the way that it was probably glorified in romantic movies giving an unrealistic impression of the city. Well, it definitely wasn't. It was simply stunning, and despite my few grudges I could have stayed there for a lot longer. I managed to see a lot in the time I was there, including the Eiffel Tower, Concorde, the old war housing, going under the Louvre, the government buildings, statues and monuments galore, the Bridge of love and the list continues. However, there is so much more to do there. I never made it to Monmartre (you can take a tour and see where Amelie was filmed there), I never made it to the Moulin Rouge or managed to get inside the Louvre itself. Oh well, perfect excuse for another trip there.

Am now back in Berlin and the hunt begins for a job. Hopefully I can find one shortly, so I can remain here in Europe. Fingers crossed.

One crazy night

So, having been rather slack in keeping this updated, I figured I better give a rather indepth story as to what's been happening in the last four weeks. Not a lot really, except one helluva night out.

Just chilling in this bar full of celebs, I striked up a conversation with Madonna. As it turns out, she was really quite boring. Way too interested in how she looked compared to everyone else there and whether there were any young celebs that may have lesbionic tendencies. Yawn.

Then there were a couple of assumedly 'well-known' Tennis players, who were desperate to get a photo with me. They were so painful they actually followed me round for half the night.

I decided to leave, and arrived at another high end club in Berlin with Angelina. Would have been fine, if she could have talked about something else other than 'Salt' the whole night.
However, she is quite the dancer, I must admit.

Having worked up a bit of an apetite, I found the next free table and sat down and ordered. Who

should join me there none other than George Clooney. He was actually not too bad to talk to, and gave me a rolex just for sitting with him. However, I'm fairly certain he was just way too interested in Madonna for things only to be 'amicable' between them.

All 'n all not a bad night out, but hoping that next time maybe I'll meet some real A-listers.

Lost in a big city

So it's been a wee while since my last post - but I have been so preoccupied that I have neglected this a bit. The good news is, I now have a flat! Close to central Berlin with two germans - which is about as much as I could have ever asked for.

The language barrier is still tough - but starting another course on Monday so all is good. Praying for fluency, however I don't expect it'll come anytime soon. And I'm also starting to apply for jobs so that I can stay over here in Europe.

The feeling of missing out on life back home is starting to become a little overwhelming - with my sisters 21st in the weekend, and my Dad flying off to Perth, I have little idea of what really is going on back home. Also, without having a close group of friends here with whom I can speak easily (and fluently), I sometimes question the intelligence of what I've done. Well, as they say, nothing ventured nothing gained - and I'm sure I'd regret not coming to Europe a lot more than coming here and toughing it out.

The world cup here is mad - I was on the fanmeile (a big fan street in the middle of Berlin) to watch the Germany Spain game. Even after having flags painted all over me (and being yelled at by Germans for wearing German flags when I'm not German) it still did not do much to help Germany win. However, it was still awesome to be there amongst thousands and thousands of people and was a good night out. It reminds me of just how small New Zealand is. Especially when I catch trains in the wrong direction, and it takes me 3 or 4 stations before I notice.

Starting to miss little things about New Zealand - like just how good our supermarkets are, or how easy our banks are to use. As it turns out, not all German banks accept deposits in cash. Utterly bizarre.

Although life here is fun, I can't wait to get out and explore other countries - I have so far spent nearly 6 weeks here in Berlin so I think I should probably get a crack on before I get stuck in a routine. Eagerly awaiting a mate of mine coming over to visit in August - hopefully we will be checking out Italy and France next month!

Anyway, when I have more substantial news, I will write again.

Unrealistic Expectations

Picking myself up and moving to a Foreign country for an unlimited amount of time? Sure, I'll have a job within two weeks and be fluent within a month. I will have the best time of my life and will always look back fondly on these memories.

These are a few of the thoughts that occupied my mind whilst daydreaming about travelling the globe. I'll have a blast and get to experience the world. However, reality has sunk in and I've had to remove my rose-tinted glasses. Learning another language is hard, coupled by the fact that German itself is one of the hardest latin-based languages to speak. Most other latin languages (including English) have lost finicky details that German insists on keeping.

I feel like a pre-school child, both in terms of what I'm learning and in my inability to express myself. I can speak the basics, but as a friend quite correctly pointed out - it's a matter of age. If we were pre-schoolers, it would be fine, as we would only have childish thoughts. However, as adults, to go back to having the vocabulary and understanding of a 4 year old is, at the very least, challenging.

Also, finding a flat is turning into quite a mission. I am still stunned by just how many manically crazy people are out there. I am often reminded by others though that I'm in Berlin, and so anything goes. For example, strolling through one of the main parks in Berlin to discover the park-goers were all naked was quite a shock to the system. However, it doesn't stop there. Some of the antics I've seen people get up to in bars, down alleyways and even in public train stations never ceases to amaze me.

There are also lots of Gypsy beggars everywhere. I found out today that they are taken from their homeland by some form of 'mafia' with the promise of having work in Berlin, to support their (usually jobless) family back home. They crowd about 20 women and children into a single room to live/sleep, and during the day they go out and beg for money, usually with children that aren't theirs. With the money that tourists give them, it goes directly back to this form of 'mafia' who use it to buy more women to come to Berlin. It's sad, but the only way you can really do anything about it is to refuse to give them money.

However, it's not all bad. Trying to find a flat with somewhat sane people this week has put me in a bit of a bad mood. I do have lots to rave about as well. My roommate and I went to the Unsicht Bar (Blind restaurant) for dinner the other night. It was simply amazing. I could not see a thing, or do anything on my own. We even ordered surprise menus, so we had no idea what we were eating. The bonus was, I found something on my plate I didn't like - so I kept just picking up the stuff I didn't like and putting it on his plate. None the wiser. Fantastic.

There are also markets/street festivals/concerts every other weekend, and there is just so much to do it is impossible to become bored. There is a movie cinema that screens movies on a Monday night without telling you what you'll be seeing. Basically, you buy a ticket for four euros, and hope for the best. Went to Potsdam on Thursday, which was also just fantastic. I saw the Sanssouir Castle, and the surrounding ones as well. The palace lands were simply awe-inspiring. I can only imagine what it would have been like to walk these lands back in the 17th Century. I also went to the History museum yesterday, and absolutely loved it. It covered Germany from 100B.C to 1994A.D. I will definitely have to return as there was so much to see I didn't get through all of it.

People keep saying that Berlin is a decadent city, and I'm starting to see why. There are parks everywhere, so you can just buy a couple of beers and go drink in the sun. Generally, whereever you go there are also fantastic historic buildings/monuments to gaze at, I sometimes get the feeling of 'what have I done to deserve all this'. Also, the fact that it's now summer also helps.

Well, I have to find a flat and enrol in a new language school by Saturday, so fingers crossed it all works out. Will post again soon.

More than I can chew?

So I've been a little bit slack in keeping this updated - I have just been so busy since I started school I have not been able to keep up.

Learning a new language, as it turns out, is not as easy as first thought. The more I learn, the more I realise I don't know. I'm starting to think that the idea of being fluent after one year is not entirely feasible. I guess only time will tell. I'm trying to learn about 20 new verbs a day currently, along with grammatical structure and everything else that goes with learning a new language. Seems a little daunting.

I am constantly tired after school, and I also have to find a new flat and job within the next few weeks. Along with trying to explore the city and socialise as much as possible to network, I find myself continually exhausted.

Berlin is constantly full of surprises. I am in a homestay at the moment in a particularly awesome part of the city. There are quaint parks and statues everywhere, along with cafes and wine and cheese bars. The more I explore, the more I can see myself staying here. However, finding a flat seems to be another issue. People here are odd, and naturally have odd adverts. There are adverts such as "We only want a 24 year old female vegan native french speaker". Talking to other people I've met here, I have heard all sorts of other horror stories.

I'm also trying to familiarise myself with the cheap travel websites - as if you book at the right time you can travel incredibly cheaply. As much as I love Berlin, there are so many places I want to visit around here. The idea of driving for a couple of hours in any given direction and then being in a new country, with a different culture and a different language is still quite hard for me to get my head around.

The cultural difference isn't huge, but there definitely are differences. Even little things, like the way people phrase sentences come off a bit abrupt to me. Not that this is the intention, but it's just a different mindset. Also in the supermarkets, milk generally isn't refridgerated and anything slightly expensive (for example: Handheld shavers) are kept in locked cabinets. Which then also means trying to approach staff and ask them for help. And then trying to understand what's going on.

Anyway, I'm heading off tonight to watch one of the football matches at some bar with mates from my school. The world cup is huge here - I think I'm going to have to learn to like the game very quickly. Even at my school they've put a draw table up.

That is all for now. Life seems to be slipping back into a loose routine again, which is nice but I am also worried about beocoming complacent and not seeing much more of the continent.

I will write again when I have more substantial news. Ciao.

Sink or Swim

Regardless of how excited/anxious/eager I was about coming to Europe, I don't think I could have prepared myself for this. Everything feels surreal; I've been looking forward to this moment for so long that it doesn't really feel like I'm here now. This past week has been a wave of emotions, and it's only just starting to dawn on me the extremity of what I've done.

So far my time in Germany has been fantastic, however I arrived incredibly sleep deprived and had to navigate the S-Bahn train system. It did not help the train driver was an egotistical wanker. He yelled at me in German for hopping on the wrong train (which it wasn't), and then when I tried to explain I didn't understand he told me to sit down and shut up. Didn't explain anything, and then the train starting heading backwards. It was the last thing I wanted to deal with after travelling for 30 hours.

I stayed for a few days in Mainz with a mate I had made from my time at university. The city is a little smaller than Wellington, but it was simply so cool. There are little cobbled streets everywhere with old 16th-Century styled buildings lining them, with a giant Cathedral in the centre of the city. It also borders the Rhine River, which apart from beingincredibly scenic has only ever been the myth of history textbooks to me.

After departing from Mainz on Monday I boarded the ultra modern Deutsche-Bahn trains to Berlin. The train itself was fine, and I got to see a lot of the countryside as I travelled. After being drowned in Serbian beggars at Berlin station, I eventually navigated my way around the main station, found my train into the city and after a lot of umming and ahhing I found the hostel I had booked.

Berlin itself is amazing! I have only explored such a small part of the city but there is so much to see and do it's not funny. My hostel is literally 2 minutes from Museum Island, 10 minutes from the Brandenburg gate and the Reichstag (German Parliament) and is a very cool place to be based. There are also plenty of other attractions, including Museums galore (such as the Jewish, Berlin Wall, Pergamon and Bode Museums), the Berlin wall itself (Wow! This was so cool), Cathedrals, Castles, memorials, monuments, the TV Tower, Restaurants/Cafes and the list goes on endlessly. Next on my list of things to do is the Unsicht Restaurant (Invisible Restaurant). Its pitch black, all the waiters and waitresses are blindand the menu is said aloud to you, in riddles. This is to have an idea of what it's like to be blind, believe it or not. I can't wait to check it out.

I have however, struggled slightly in my time here so far. English is common, but not with older people. I have had problems trying to get across what I need to shop employees that are a bit older, and have also been misunderstood completely by others. This is a huge jump from my old, comfortable life back in Wellington, and this entire week has just been a wave of emotions. Sometimes I feel like I have to learn to run before I can walk, and others it just feels like I've hit a brick wall. I also panic on the odd occasion about how I'm going to find a job when I understand so little. Oh well, I guess this is what I signed up for.

I start my school on Monday, so hopefully that'll start to help connect the dots. Until then, there is plenty to see, do and drink, so I'll write again later.

Time to say goodbye

Unfortunately, due to the situation in Bangkok I'm leaving Thailand earlier than planned. In fact, I'm leaving tomorrow.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Asia, and although I'm looking forward to Europe I'm sad to be leaving here earlier than planned. The violence in Bangkok has marred the experience slightly and its a shame that the people that will suffer the most here are those that survive off tourists.

I spent the past two nights over on the Phi Phi islands. They are fantastic - little cobbled streets with just bars, restaurants, stalls and hotels. No bikes, no cars, no constant tooting. And a huge party scene. Having returned from the islands today, Keryn and I spent our last day at the beach playing in the waves and sunbathing and a final dinner at this flash beachside restaurant. I ordered a Thai Green Curry (mild this time, as last time I got medium and it was so hot it made me dizzy) as I don't know the next time I'll be back here. I only hope the violence stops shortly and it does not drive too many people away from here.

Asia is an awesome place. There have been times which I've found quite hard being here, but I'm glad that I did. I find I take more out of situations like that. Life isn't easy for many over here, which still live in third world conditions. Hygiene is a thing of myth, and communities have a sense of belonging when governments refuse to help their own people. Despite all this, people are always smiling and willing to help you to no end. Even today when I went to do washing - they couldn't as the power was out to the whole neighbourhood. The lady at reception offered to hand scrub it for me - and for NZ$2 a kilo I just could not justify it. I have also met some awesome people along the way, and feel my experience has been all the richer for it.

I am so excited about Europe! However, leaving earlier brings up a whole lot of other complications. My visa isn't valid until the day I was meant to arrive in Germany, and I could not get hold of the embassy in Thailand to ask as it was closed. The embassy back home said it should be fine and to speak to immigration when I arrive, but they weren't confident and it did not fill me with confidence either. I'm hoping this doesn't end in deportation..

It also means saying goodbye to my travelling companion, Keryn. Having studied with her, lived with her for 3 years and now to have spent 6 weeks non stop with her, it will be sad to see her leave and to know that she won't continue with me. When you read this when you get back home Keryn, I want you to know I'm already missing you. It won't be too long before we meet again though, I am sure.

There is so much to be said for what I've seen and done, but not that could fit in one blog. My one piece of advice is to simply visit Asia. It has been great and I can't wait to come back and do more of it. Oh and while we're talking about advice, my second piece would be to always have toilet paper on you. Unless you want to go local, which I do not recommend.

Well, as they say here in Asia, au revoir. I will write again in Europe, everything going to plan.

P.S: Thank you for the closing line Keryn. It's definitely a winner.

Beaches, fruit and icecream

The group tour ended just over a week ago so we all said our goodbyes in Bangkok and then went our separate ways. Keryn and I made our way down to Phuket where we have been unwinding on the beaches all day, which makes for a nice contrast to the comparative hecticness of our trip.

Phuket is awesome. It's hot, fresh fruit is available everywhere and it's still very cheap by western standards. It is however, not without fault. The prostitution industry here is huge, and there are filthy old men everywhere with their hired girlfriends. I can't walk the streets at night without Keryn otherwise I'm practically forced into a bar. The gogo girls come and start dancing next to you and try to sollicit you in any way possible.

We went and saw the Simon Cabaret a few nights ago - it was awesome for the costumes and set design, but not something you'd go see for the lip-syncing or the dance routines. All the performers are ladyboys, and we had quite a tough time trying to pick some of them. All in all it was a good night, marred only by the fact they entice you to take photos with them after the show and then make you pay through the nose for it. Not the sorta girls you'd want to mess with either. Also, driving over the hill from Patong back to our beach in Karon that night there were bats out everywhere, which decided to fly directly at my scooter. Nothing like that to rattle the nerves a bit.

I'm feeling very disconnected from the world at present. I hear through facebook that the New Zealand embassy in Bangkok has closed due to a resurgence in violence. Apparently last time the violence got this bad (a year or so ago apparently) they actually had to close the airport. As I depart in 12 days I've got my fingers crossed that things will sort themselves out.

Speaking of which, I'll be in Germany in 12 days! While I've been down here I've had a lot of time to think to myself, and I simply can't wait to immerse myself in a new culture and language. In my humble opinion (and in my very limited experience), travelling is addictive. The more you travel, the more you want to travel. I am starting to have moments where I really miss home, but I also can't wait to get out and explore more.

While we have this free time to ourselves, we figured we'd go lose ourselves for a few days so Keryn and I are heading to the Phi Phi islands to fall off the map for a bit. However, I am quite enjoying the routine we've fallen into down here. We get up around midday, get fruit from the fruit cart outside, go swimming, eat icecream, shop, swim some more and then dinner. And if we're really in the mood for it, we might swim after dinner too.

Other than that, there's not a lot more to report. Just using this time to refresh and prepare myself for the big trip to Europe.

I have now posted all my photos on Facebook, as this blog site will only allow me to upload 5 per blog. If you're not on facebook either, let me know and I can email them through.

Will write again soon.

Back to where it all began

So it's been a fairly hectic week - far too much to explain by blog. I went tubing back in Vang Vieng and absolutely loved it. You float down a river on a tube and bars reel you in and you go drink for a bit, then hop back on your donut and continue floating down the river. There are all sorts of activites, like swings and giant slides, mud wrestling, volleyball etc at different bars and by the end of it we were all pretty wasted.

The problem arose though when we got to the last bar. We ordered a drink and it didn't taste anything like alcohol. I then asked for my money back or a real drink and the guy refused. He then told the four of us there that the river would be our cemetry. Feeling a bit uncomfortable around this guy, everyone hopped back on their tubes and we started floating down the river, looking to finish. However, it was pitch black and we didn't know where we were going.

Out of nowhere, a local came and started to point us in the right direction. He hopped on my tube with me and started paddling us ashore, however all of a sudden he disappeared and pushed us back out into the current. As soon as he did that, I checked my pockets and he'd taken my money. Luckily, I had left my wallet and everything else back home.

20 minutes later, we managed to stumble ashore and walk up some path into a paddock in the middle of nowhere. A tuktuk driver picked us up and started driving until he ran into another tuktuk. They stopped down some road with no landmarks or street lamps and started arguing. The other tuktuk driver took off and our driver 'broke down'. I hopped out of the tuktuk, and realised there were people everywhere watching us. About half an hour later he came back and we managed to make it back to our hotel. I couldn't sleep for three days - I feel that it may have had something to do with what he put in our drinks. Unfortunately, that incident kinda spoiled the day for me.

Other than that, we moved on to Luang Prabang which was an awesome little city with great night markets. After that, we spent two days travelling up the Mekong by boat (very scenic) and crossed back into Thailand. Visited the white Temple in Chiang Rai, which the artwork inside depicts the failings of the West and the rise of the East. There was the two towers falling, and demonic looking humans drinking from petrol pumps, while on the East there were families praying and floating up into the sky on clouds. Then headed to Chiang Mai and went to Tiger Kingdom!!! Was probably the most fun I've had thus far. I got photos with 3 month olds, 8 month olds and 20 month olds. I will also be able to post pics shortly, as I've now worked out how to take photos off my camera.

Caught an overnight train last night and arrived here in Bangkok today. The protests have finished, and I feel a sense of ease being back here. English is a lot more widely spoken, and it's the most developed of the four countries. I've been hear nearly 5 weeks now and I just don't feel ready to leave.

Next off, I'm heading down South for some R&R on tropical islands and beaches before making the jump until Germany! Can't wait.

A love affair with Laos

After leaving the hectic traffic that is the Capital of Vietnam, we boarded a 10 hour bus ride to the border. Before we left though, we got to see some amazing sights. We headed to a monks pagoda where they were praying/chanting. It was one of those surreal moments - I could have sat there and listened to them for hours.

The border between Laos and Vietnam is situated in the mountains. It would have been a really awesome border crossing too, as they were so laid back and it was very picturesque. It was ruined however by these Vietnamese bastards. They had trucks and trucks of dogs stacked in cages barely bigger than themselves - there would have been several hundred in each truck alone. Our guide (who is also buddhist) said to look away and that it would be alright for them as they will come back as something better in the next life. I, being as clueless as I am continued to watch. I regret every moment of it.

The dogs were being taken to be killed and used as meat. One dog was being used as a bribe to the officials there so they could pass into Laos. They climbed on top of the cages and took a dog out and then broke its hind legs. The dog starting pissing everywhere it was so scared. The yelping was horrible - all the dogs were panicked. Then they took out a giant log, and you can imagine what happened next. Maybe I am just being a precious westerner unable to accept that is just the way it is over here, but I've never missed home more since I left.

Laos itself is trying quite hard to make up for the atrocities that occured at the border. The towns are very small and the people are so friendly here. There's none of this pushing to buy, and its simply beautiful. In Lak Sao, which was the first town we stopped in, there was only one restaurant aptly named 'the only one'. English is barely spoken here, so it was good fun trying to tell the waitress I wanted fried rice with eggs. Bit like Charades really.

Since then, I went to a buddha statue ground in Vientiane (the Capital) and got to explore these tombs which were only accessible from the roof. Visited the victory gates and a few other sites before heading to Vang Vieng. Vang Vieng has been my favourite city on the tour thus far. Its small, situated between massive mountains and has an awesome feel to it. Went to a restaurant last night situated by the riverside. It was simply stunning - photos don't do it justice.

Went swimming in the blue lagoon this morning and mashed my feet on these rocks when i was swinging in - needless to say I'm in a fair bit of pain. Nonetheless, I'm off to go tubing this afternoon so I can't wait! Will write again soon.

In the north

Finally made it to the Capital City of Ha Noi today, after a 13 hour train ride and then a 5 hour bus ride to the coastal town of Halong Bay yesterday.

Halong bay was so incredibly stunning. All the photos I took just do not do it justice. The only way to get the true feel of it is to come here yourself. Halong Bay is surrounded by 1,969 little islets that make up this giant maze around the Bay. We took a boat trip out around them and got to explore a couple of caves. It was very misty, which made little islets appear out of nowhere when we went floating past them.

Hue was also a very worthwhile stop. I visited the imperial city (based on China's forbidden city) and got to dress as a local would have during that error. A lot of asian tourists thought we were part of the attraction and started taking photos and clapping at us. A lot started following us as they thought we were about to put on a show.

Before we left Hue for Halong Bay we took a motorcycle trip round the country. This may have potentially been the scariest thing I have done to date, as drivers here aren't particularly fond of giving way but more just all go at once. We saw huge rice farms and then even went and visited a Rice Museum. I know what you're thinking - that must have been quite boring right? Well it was. Apart from this really old lady that gave really odd demonstrations on how rice is made. Almost borderline disturbing.

I was chatting to my rider as we were going through the country - he's approaching 50 and has still never left Vietnam. He would quite like to go to Cambodia if he gets the money, but this was still in the distant future. The health care system is also less than desirable. If patients can't afford a bed for a night (about $20 to $30US), noone could care less. The hospitals will just leave them outside to die. If locals can't afford to be buried, they have mass graves that have a whole lot of dirt piled on top of them. People put coloured ribbons on these graves as good luck prayers. I saw several of these during my trip north. Makes me feel a very long way from home.

Anyway, in Ha Noi for the next couple of days until I head West to Laos. Will update when I can.

Where the hell am I now?

Sleep deprivation has started to take its toll. I couldn't remember where we were today and was quite gutted to find out it was Friday - I had thought it was only Wednesday. I've now lost two days from my week. Woe.

The sleeper train from Ho Chi Minh to Nha Trang was nice, but it was near impossible to sleep on. Every time the train turned a corner, stopped, went over loose rails or changed speed I'd wake and feel it.

Nha Trang itself was really nice. The beach was good fun and our hotel had a giant swimming pool. Spent the day drinking pinacoladas in the pool while floating round in a donut. It was a hard day. We also went to the mud baths and had a spa treatment. It was a lot of fun, however it did just end in mudwrestling. There was also a very large lady in a bikini bathing herself there. Every time she rolled round in the mud I'd expect her to oink. I was sorely disappointed when she didn't.

We caught another sleeper train that night to Hoi An. It was really awful. The sheets provided in our cabins were covered in what I can only imagine was genital hair and the whole train wreaked of durian fruit. It was disgusting.

Hoi An is awesome. Went and got a tailored suit for myself and have also took a cycling trip through the city to the countryside. Apart from automatically riding on the left side of the road (they drive on the right - and there are very few rules here regarding traffic and intersections) it was good fun. Kids would come running out of their homes to high five us as we rode past and when we got to the beachside, kids from a nearby school came flocking towards us to take photos and ask us questions. Felt like a bit of a celebrity. Especially as they couldn't stop complimenting us or screaming at us in excitement. Also ended up getting very drunk yet again in the pool on the terrace and playing stupid games down at reception. So much so we actually woke the staff. Oops.

Vietnam is a very cool country. It's a lot more modern than Cambodia and they seem to have better infrastructure and a more organised society. However I'm over the constant tooting in traffic here and the bikes taking to footpaths and bowling people over when there isn't enough room on the road. The people here are also a lot more pushy when it comes to upselling. I've developed quite a backbone I think to deal with them.

Every now and then I think about home and what everyone else is up to. I've only been away just over 2 weeks, and it's scary to think I may not be back for another 2 years.

Anyway, on that note, I'm off to bed. Travel to Hue tomorrow, and I'm not keen to do yet another bus trip tired as hell. Everything just becomes more unbearable without a proper nights sleep.

That dog has rabies

After another gruelling bus ride watching these ridiculous love songs in Cambodian, I made it to the beach town of Sihanoukville. We stayed in little bungalows about 200m from the beach.

The beach itself was disgusting. It was full of rubbish and Keryn was stung a couple of times in the water. After about 10 minutes we decided it wasn't really for us and we headed back to our bungalow. We got back to find this derranged looking dog just napping on our doorstep, with no fur and this red rash all over it. Turns out, that dog had rabies.

We spent the following day travelling and snorkelling in the islands surrounding Sihanoukville. They were incredibly picturesque, the water was warm and we ate fresh fruit all day. Met some locals that night who taught me the traditional Khmer dance. It was fantastic. Its meant to bring good luck for the new year, and then the following day it rained. Apparently this meant that the gods were happy, as rain is a sign of good luck for the new year.

Since then, we've now crossed into Vietnam, stayed in Chau Doc and am currently in Ho Chi Minh. Nearly been hit several times trying to cross the road here - it is simply manic. Spent the day going through the Cu Chi tunnels, which were the ones the Vietnamese used during the Vietnam War. Funnily enough, its referred to here as the American War. Also, very few people speak english here. The novelty of not being able to understand whats in bags from the super or trying to tell someone you wanna send a postcard home is starting to wear off.

Off to catch a sleeper train tonight to Nha Trang. Am looking forward to it as I've never done one before, but we'll see how I'm feeling tomorrow morning.

S-21 and the Killing Fields

Went and saw the killing fields and S-21 today. Pol Pot had a dictatorship over the country from 75-79 and was responsible for the deaths of over 3 million Cambodians.

S-21 was awful. It use to be a school converted to a prison after Pol Pot came to power. Pol Pot was his regime name, short for Political Potential. The prison was used as a torture chamber and for 17,000 Cambodians, it was the last place they ever saw.

The place was eerie and they had photos of victims up. Noone was ever released, and only 7 people survived the prision, one of which I met today. The torturing was inhumane, and they use to use a false sense of friendship to lure people in. Pol Pot use to throw money out in villages to the people so they naturally loved him and thought he was a great leader.

After that we went to the killing fields, where there were over 129 mass graves. Each grave had anywhere from 10-2000 people in them. When it rains, they find more debris from the graves. Clothing and bones keep rising to the surface and you can see them on the paths you walk on. Quite an uncomfortable feeling.

People here have very little, and most display outside their houses which politcal party they support. They cling to politics here in much the same way the western world clings to their materialistic possessions. The locals will tell you all about the people in power, as long as no other locals are about. Some people from the Pol Pot era (Khmer Rouge) were granted amnesty after their great attrocities and are now in Government today. It makes me feel even worse to think that even after 79, New Zealand along with many other western countries still backed this government, as we were too scared about the spread of communism. Odd to think, where everyone here is so happy and every Cambodian is your friend.

On a lighter note, off to Sihanoukville tomorrow where it will be beaches and snorkelling galore! Can't wait.

Angkor: What?

Awful titleI know. I just couldn't help myself.

Left Bangkok on a bit of a low - a 15 minute taxi ride ended up taking 2 hours due to the protests. We were at a standstill in traffic for ages and we all began to melt in the taxi. Army helicopters kept flying above and there were riot police and red shirts everywhere. Apparently we were lucky to leave Khao San road when we did - met people who tried leaving a couple of hours after us and apparently everyone just refused to take them. Also, the violence soon spread to there and they had to evacuate everyone in the street.

However, met the group and am now safely in Cambodia. It took us about 5 hours in total to get to Siem Reap, which is a far cry from the 15 hours it once use to take. Cambodia only opened its borders to tourists in 1999, and it doesn't feel overrun by foreigners or anyone, yet. It has a very sleepy chilled out feel and the people aren't so pushy.

Went to Angkor Wat and the surrounding cities yesterday, which was amazing. I had no idea how big the entire thing was. However, at 42 degrees I just about passed out. Got severe heat rash and there was just nowhere to go to cool down. A couple of people in our group suffered from heat stroke.

When we arrived at Angkor our bus was instantly surrounded by locals trying to sell us stuff. Once the doors opened and we tried to hop out we were like lambs to the slaughter. This girl about 6 years old kept beating what I can only imagine was her brother of about 3 years when we walked past. When we told her to stop she started beating him harder. Our tour guide advised though that they do this to try and get you to feel sorry for him, and give her money to stop. Also, one of the police officers tried selling off his badge to us to try make a bit of money on the side.

After all that and narrating the trip like David Attenborough half the time, we decided to go out and try local cuisine and a fish massage (pronounced fiss masaaars, very big over here). It is the oddest sensation ever, as these little chinchin fish eat the dead skin off your feet. Really ticklish and uncontrollable twitching ensues.

Off to Phnom Peng today by public transport. Today is meant to be another scorcher, and I'm unsure whether they will have a/c or not on the 6 hour journey. Rest assured though, they do have windows I've been told.

We've also developed a bad habit of speaking broken english to the locals - so much so that we start talking to each other in it as well. The joys of Asia.

Challenge One - the Present

So much has happened in the last couple of days - I am seriously loving Bangkok. The whole red shirt thing is a bit disruptive but they're not violent. They are however based one block away from our hostel, so its quite loud here.

Yesterday we went to the zoo and Matt and I held a 3 metre long Burmese Python! It was amazing, but still shaking as I held it. Will post pictures as soon as I get the opportunity to.

Meet our tour group today and head for Cambodia tomorrow. We've decided that we'd set group challenges for us in each country. I got Thailand, so I decided we would buy gifts for each other that we have to wear when we meet our tour group tonight. Laura and I bought for Matt and Keryn and vice versa. Should be interesting - hopefully first impressions won't last. Again, will post pics when I can.

Food is cheap here - can pick up a bag of pineapple at a street vendor for nzd $0.50. Very busy here and always something to do. Got stopped in our tuktuk last night by protesters and made to walk to our hostel. Apparently they've taken Parliament now - I can't check the news however as the websites have been blocked here. Having to rely on locals for info.

Will write again soon.

First Impressions

Apart from death by heat stroke, I have loved my first day in Bangkok. Flew out yesterday morning from Welly, spent lunch down at the Sydney Opera House and crashed out in Bangkok last night.

The flight over was incredibly long, and customs could not have been less interested in us. Just waltzed through with only so much as a wave. I'm surprised I survived the taxi ride from the airport to our hostel, as the taxi driver cruised along at 130k with no seatbelts and only a bicycle strap holding the boot closed.

Got up and walked right out into the middle of a political rally this morning. I didn't realise how big this was over here - we had received warnings before travelling here that non-essential travel should be avoided, but I didn't really think twice about it. From what I can gather, the last elections were rigged and the King stepped in and gave power to a political party that didn't actually win. This has caused several problems as the King is not meant to show favouritism towards any one party. They have covered big landmarks in demonstration asking to stop corruption, and the protesters apparently threw blood or something over sacred temples over here a couple of days ago. The military guard parts of the city and walk round with rifles in hand. Makes me feel a long way from home.

We wandered off and caught a tuk-tuk for the morning. Our driver told us that the protests are hurting Tourism here, which makes up 70% of the Thai economy. He got petrol vouchers for taking us to reputable stores in Thailand, trying to promote a positive image here. We were happy to go along with this, as we saw amazing temples, a giant 30m buddha and got to meet quite a few of the locals.

Other than that, ate at local side street markets for next to nothing (ie nz 50c meals). The polution is astonishing - even though it was a 40 degree scorcher today, the sky was still covered in a grey haze. Riding in the tuk-tuk you can feel the dirt hit your face. The streets are dirty and every now and then you get an awful smell from the open drains they have. Ordered drinks in a bucket before dinner which was quite novel though.

All in all its been an awesome day, especially now that the initial hesitation of arriving has passed. Still incredibly tired though from the flight yesterday and can't wait to have a decent nights sleep. Unfortunately, I think the heat may dictate otherwise.

The times, they are a changing

The excitement of my trip seems like its become a bit too much for me to handle. I had eating problems and am now currently suffering from an undiagnosable rash. My doctor told me anxiety or nervousness can cause this (as can hayfever), but I can't see why I'd be nervous about this. It may have also been my filthy flat, and am concerned I may indeed have fleas.

It is said that the only constant in life is change, and apart from the obvious irony I'm sadly starting to believe its true. Not that I want to live in the past, but I sometimes feel I don't have enough time to enjoy the moment I'm in. I enjoy the life I'm living currently, and I don't know that I'm ready to give that up. The closer d-day becomes, the faster the days seem to blend and the realisation that I'm not coming back. I only have so long to spend with mates/family before I go, and I find myself wondering what it is I'll miss by not being here. The thing is though, if you don't change with the times, you'll end up being left behind. Anyway, thats enough out of the emo kid for one day.

Wee bit further along in planning for my trip; am all vaccinated, sold all my furniture, got my vietnamese visa and am about to re-enrol in german. With nine and a half weeks to go though, there is still plenty to do. I must learn to stop being so pre-emptive and writing in my travel blog before I've even left. Far too keen.