Ban Kham Na Di, Thailand

Wake up expecting a headache but feel surprisingly well. Probably because John buys better beer than I usually do and probably has a lot less harmful chemicals floating around in it.
We go to visit Jai’s grand daughter this morning as she hasnt been well and we havent seen them for a while but when we get there the house is empty. Turns out they have all gone with Jai’s son who is working in a village about 30km away which would suggest that she was feeling better.
Go to visit George and Wan and actually find George doing a bit of work. He is quite happy to stop as soon as we arrive and doesnt look as though he will start again after we leave. We return with some duck manure for the flowers.
In the afternoon Jai’s brother Yut visits and brings some beans and limes from his garden. He is probably the only member of Jai’s family who ever visits just to say hello or bring something whereas everyone else arrives empty handed expecting to leave with something – but moreoften than not disappointed !!

San Antonio, TX

Breakfast at the hotel–bagel ,muffin and orange.
Walk to the Alamo.
Saw a movie about the Alamo.Explore the Alamo.which is an old church.
Lunch at McDonalds. at downtown.
Joined a city trolley tours.The guide and driver is black and good.
Saw some mission churches.
saw an extension of a new canal being built to connect all the missions.
Walk to the riverwalk to exolore La Villeta Village. and the Arneson Theat
Ate at Schielo,an old German deli.Ate green pea soup with bratwurst plus ,black bread and rootbeer.
Did the narrated Rivercruise ( 30 minutes) .The river is man made.
Took a public trolley bus to Market Square where there is a lot of Mexican stores.
Ate dinner at Mi Tierra ,a Mexican restaurant.Itis an institution in San Antonio.
There were lots of x mas lights as decor.
Ate taco,tamales,refried beans and rice.

Ban Kham Na Di, Thailand

Go into Phon Thong this morning and drop Jai off at the hair salon whilst I go to the internet and bring this blog up to date.
In the afternoon we go to Pakchong to visit German John and his missus for a quick beer and end up staying quite late, eating and drinking too much as well. The return trip on the motorbike in the dark on dodgy roads was quite exciting !

Seattle, WA

We had an early breakfast because there was a lot we wanted to do and only had a few hours within which to do it. First stop – the Space Needle. A short elevator ride (glass enclosed, on the outside) took us to the top. There were great views of the city and the waterfront. Too cloudy to view Mt. Rainer – disappointing.

The monorail station was at the base of the Space Needle and we took that to Westlake City Center. That was the only stop the monorail made. Both that and the Space Needle were built for the 1962 World’s Fair and the short monorail ride was supposed to be a sample of future transportation.

From Westlake, we took a short, but steep, walk down to Pike Place Market on the waterfront. An amazing place! Right in front of you as you walk in is a huge fish stand with more fish than I’ve ever seen. Huge crabs and lobster tails. Anything you wanted. And you could have it shipped home within 48 hours. Too bad we aren’t going to be home for a while. Besides the fish stands, there were rows of fruits, vegetables and flowers. Colorful, busy, noisy, and fun!

Time for lunch, so we tried a place there called Lowell’s Restaurant & Bar. It has 3 floors of dining with views of Puget Sound. We chose the 3rd floor which means you first place your order downstairs, get something to drink, then head up to find a table. A waiter brings the meals up. I had the King Cobb salad, made with smoked Alaskan King salmon. Wonderful!!!!

All too soon, we had to walk back up the hill and head back to our hotel. We checked out and were soon on route 5 heading north towards Canada. Ran into a bit of rain on the way. A short drive took us to the Canadian border crossing where we got through with no problem.

An old friend of Denny’s had moved to the Vancouver area several years ago and we paid them a visit. John and Pat have a lovely home in Surrey overlooking the golf course. We spent a while catching up on each other’s family over a glass of wine and appetizers. They took us out to dinner that evening at the Roadhouse Grill in South Surrey – one of their favorite restaurants.

We finally said our good-byes and left for our hotel in North Vancouver. The Canadian part of our trip has begun!

Rotorua, New Zealand

Me: I am still getting used to your ‘hop on hop off’ service around the North Island so forgive me if my questions are rather basic. I would like to stay here in Raglan for a few days. Am I correct in thinking that I can just get off the bus and catch the next one?
Tour guide: Totally, we are VERY relaxed here on the Stray bus. Noooo stress, just get off when you want. Whatever you do, stay very relaxed.
Me: I am extremely relaxed thank you, having been on holiday for the better part of 3 months. Are we at Raglan next, shall I get off?
Tour guide: Hey, don’t stress.
Me: Umm, I don’t know how I could be any less stressed but I am trying to ask you for some help.
Tour guide: Relax…We are almost there. Have you booked onto the next bus? Don’t get off unless you have booked onto the bus! I hear they are all full!
Me: Okay, so shall I stay on this bus with you?
Tour guide: Do whatever you want, we are very chilled here but DON’T FORGET to book the next bus!
Me: Right. How do I do that? Can you help me?
Tour guide: Not really, there isn’t any phone reception for the next 30 km. You need to decide, are you getting off here?
Me: Well I don’t know! I don’t want to get stuck here for the next week!
Tour guide: Just chill…you won’t get stuck, just MAKE SURE you book onto the next bus!
Me: Yes, I am well aware of the need to book the next bus but I can’t currently do that which makes it rather difficult to decide whether to get off or not! (Sigh) How about I just get off here and hope for the best?

Tour guide: Sweet as…

Sao Paulo, Brazil

Sao Paulo For years and years now my parents have had short-term lodgers stay at their house, many of these have been students at International House Newcastle. Almost all of these students have been a pleasure to host for and none more so than Renato from Sao Paulo who stayed in 2007. Funnily enough Jacqui and I both studied for our CELTA qualification at IH Newcastle and went on to work there for six months. While we were working at IH we had another guest from Sao Paulo stay at the house, Ana, who is a friend of Renato’s and was recommended by him to stay at our house. While Ana was staying at our house she attended the wedding of the agent Marina who helped arrange all of her stay in Newcastle. We didn’t realise this at the time but Marina was getting married to Richard Watts, the brother of a school friend of mine, Dave! What a small world it is indeed! Anyway, unfortunately during our stay in Sao Paulo we were unable to see Ana as she was out of town, but we did get to spend time with Marina & Richard, who deserve a special thanks for helping us book our onward journey to Foz de Iguacu, and Renato who gets a massive thank you for showing us the city, taking us out clubbing and taking us to his friend’s BBQ!

Friday 28^th October

Arriving in Sao Paulo Tietê bus station, the second largest bus terminal in the world, at 10.30pm, in a city that everyone we had met along the way had painted a less than flattering picture of, we were a little daunted. The sheer size of this place is intimidating enough, more than twice the size of London. Despite this we braved the metro and short(ish) walk to the hostel with all of our bags. The hostel was the least friendly that we had encountered so far and we were back to sharing a dorm so we weren’t in the highest of spirits, however it was in a nice area. Av Paulista was a good recommendation by Renato. We were feeling tired from the late night previously and the bus journey so once I had called Renarto and established that we weren’t going out for the evening, we settled in and watched some Breaking Bad (our new favourite TV series).

After the midnight mishap the night before we were hoping for an undisturbed nights sleep but this was not the case. I woke up to see what I thought was a man attacking Jacqui in her bed! I jumped out of my bed and confronted him only to find I was on the wrong side of my bed and he was just drunk play fighting with his friend! I felt a bit stupid but he understood and apologised profusely for disturbing me and giving me a shock. Not quite as bad as Weegate but another dormitory story none the less. Saturday 29^th October

We got up early to find that not only was the hostel the least friendly we had stayed in it also had the worst breakfast, it consisted of nothing! Gutted! Interesting showers as well. For some reason Brazil seems to think nothing of having exposed wires coming out the showers. Jacqui stupidly tried to change the temperature in the last place and got a nasty shock. You really do have to watch yourself. Anyway, we went out and met Renato and grabbed a cheesy pastry on the go. Renato took us to see some of the city, Sao Paulo has endless amounts of big buildings some of which are very ugly but some are stunning. We wandered about taking in the sights and stopping to go into the Cathedral and an art gallery. We then looked around a market before meeting Marina & Richard for lunch. When I say lunch, I mean breakfast, lunch and dinner because we ate enough for all three meals and we didn’t eat again! We had Feshuada, Brazil’s national dish, pork and beans in a sauce with rice. It was delicious! After we had eaten, Renato headed home while Jacqui and I went to Marina & Richard’s flat where they helped us book our next bus on to Iguazu (thanks again).

Back at our hostel we had a snooze before getting ready to go out. Renato picked us up from our hostel, which was good as it was chucking it down (the first rain we have had here). He was with his friend Miriam who we very quickly became big fan of. We all went out to a ‘Salsa’ night, I put salsa in inverted commas because it wasn’t the same salsa Jacqui and I came to know and love during our short spell of lessons at Dance City in Newcastle, but more of a modern hybrid. We enjoyed the novelty of the valet system for the cars outside of the club but were more cautious about the card system in which all drinks were paid for at the end of the night (we are on a tight budget). The best way to describe the dancing in the club is a Ceilidh meets Ricky Martin! There is an instructor on the stage who takes you through all the moves and then calls them out as the song plays but of course all with a Latin flare. All in all we had a great night and particularly enjoyed stopping off for pizza on the way home.

Sunday 30^th October

Again we enjoyed our breakfast of nothing before we headed out to meet Renato and Miriam, who greeted Jacqui with a gift of a necklace made of Acie beads (the seeds of the fruit used to make the super sweet slushy drink we had in Rio). We all went to their friend’s house where we spent the afternoon being served lovely steak and sausage off the BBQ, with some fish for Jacqui thrown in for good measure. It was lovely meeting all of Renato and Miriam’s friends who were all very keen to practice their English with the gringos and I even tried my hand at making caipirinhas. After our second afternoon in a row of gauging ourselves with food we hit the hay early with an episode or two of Breaking Bad.

Monday 31^st October

Our final day in Sao Paulo was spent shopping for the cheapest backpack we could find (we managed to get something half decent for under a tenner which was a result) and walking to and around a large park near our hostel. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t too nice so the park wasn’t shown in its best light but it was nice enough. We did have a minor drama when just as we were leaving to get the bus a girl we were talking to at the hostel and the guy working in the hostel said our bus would be leaving from a different station to where we were expecting. With time ticking we were unsure what to do! The hostel staff were able to call the bus company for us and confirmed that they were correct we had to get the bus from Tiete but we later found out that the bus stopped at both stations so we would have been OK either way. Our first overnight bus in South America was certainly more comfortable than any coach in the UK but it wasn’t the cama or semi cama we had been looking forward to, perhaps next time.

Les Baux de Provence, France

Once again, the day started bright and sunny, with not a cloud in the sky. We enjoyed a good self-serve breakfast at the hotel (7 Euros) before heading off toward Marseille. My first order of business was to try to pick up the money Mom had wired at a Western Union location. Frustratingly, the three places Google gave me were either closed or couldn’t be located. On the plus side, we got to see some parts of the city I hadn’t planned on, including the Stade Vélodrome, home of the hometown Olympique de Marseille football club.

I eventually gave up, and we headed for the Vieux Port – the harbor in the center of the city. After sitting for what seemed like hours in traffic – apparently many streets are closed on Saturdays for markets – we finally found a spot in a parking garage. I exchanged most of my remaining U.S. dollars at a horrible rate at a touristy change shack, and then we looked around the harbor a bit. Some sort of festival was in full swing, and we watched some acrobats on stilts for a while before returning to the car, where we waited in more traffic, and eventually onto the highway toward Arles.

Once in Arles, we found a parking spot along the Rhone, decided not to pay the parking meter, and walked the twenty or so blocks to the Roman sites in the center of town. It was quite warm in Arles – probably upper 80′s F – and I found myself gravitating toward shady areas. We visited the Roman theater and amphitheater (Colosseum) – bringing back memories of a previous trip – before succumbing to the heat and tired legs and returning to the car.

The drive out of Arles and to the hotel was an easy half-hour trip, and we were both relieved that the pool was open. We spent a refreshing couple of hours relaxing in and around the awesome, but chilly, pool (I’m never satisfied). After a shower we headed out to find something to eat, which turned into a lengthy quest, complete with closing supermarkets and closed restaurants. We finally ended up eating at a McDonald’s in Cavaillon. During this process, I was desperately searching for a gas station that would accept my visa card, and failed at that, too.

We made it back to the hotel after dark, but the car is on empty. All in all, it was a day filled with frustration and miscues, interspersed with moments of awe and relaxation. I’ll try not to dwell on the gas tank as I fall asleep tonight, and we’ll see what tomorrow brings.

Hotel Mas De L’Oulivie: The best part of the hotel was the landscaping and pool areas. Very relaxing. The room was somewhat small and the cooling didn’t work, but otherwise it was quite comfortable. The wi-fi only worked in the lobby area.

Putian, China

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Fort Kochin, India

We’ve now arrived in Fort Kochin, Kerala. Last night we stayed on a houseboat which was great during the day but not so great at night. Mosquitos were a bit of an issue, there were hundreds.

We set sail on our vessel and cruised along the backwaters. The views were nice with lots of wildlife and people to watch. I haven’t been to Venice but the advert said it was the Indian Venice. People were living in little houses on tiny bits of land surrounded by water and would travel around on little paddle boats.

A few of the locals were paddling around in their little boats and decided to hitch a ride on the back of our boat like Marty McFly with his skateboard in Back to the Future. I can’t blame them because the backwaters are massive and rowing the whole time looked like hard work. I don’t think they offered to give our driver any petrol money though, bloody free loaders.

We’re staying at a hotel called Grande Residencia which is part of a chain in Kerala called Abad Hotels and Resorts. We think they should re-think the name and call it Agood. It’s lovely here. We negotiated the fee down by around 60% – bonus. I’m determined never to pay full price for a hotel again.

Today it’s raining and full so we’re going to chill out in front of the TV and at this cool little cafe (Kashi Art Cafe on Burgher Street). They do really nice fresh salad (washed in drinking water) and beautiful carrot cake. Mmm.

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30/10/11
It’s our last full day in Fort Kochin so I thought I would go through a few things we’ve been up to this week. We have spend a full week here and have done various things such as visit museums, get a ferry across to an island, visit the beach, and not to break the ongoing theme in India a bunch of men asked to have their photo taken with Chris again.

We went to a waterpark called Veega Land but unfortunately, we turned up on the busiest day of the year. There were over 8000 people there, mainly school children on days out. It would have been fine but we were stopped every other minute with people asking where we were from and what our names were. Which was nice for the first 30 minutes but we got slightly annoyed with it in the end. It was a joke. Went on a couple of rides but were were put off by the lack of hygiene of some of the people there. There were some shocking smells knocking about. And some of the pools of water were questionable.

Another day we took a tuk tuk to a shopping mall. I was wanting to buy a bra but after looking in the shop window I decided I didn’t want to look like Madonna in the “Like a Virgin” video. There is nothing attractive about pointy boobs. We ended up watching The Three Muskateers at the cinema. Not the best film.

Our idea this week was to spend very little and do a lot of wandering around aimlessly. We treated ourselves to a slap up meal in a posh hotel one night which was bloody gorgeous. I had a tuna burger and it was delicious. Made a nice change from curry.

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This is our last few hours in Fort Kochin and we are about to get our bus to the airport and head back to Mumbai for our flight to Perth tomorrow. Really wish we weren’t going back to that dive.

It didn’t surprise us when we arrived in Mumbai that the taxi driver said we had to pay his parking charge for waiting for his next customer at the airport. How rude. We had already pre-paid for our taxi and he was still trying to get more money out of us. The cheek of some people.

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