Phillipines - December
Mozambique - December to march
Thailand west coast - Dec to April (March sounds good)
Mexico - July, August, September
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Thai beaches
I am in Aonang - a convient place to meet Katherine. The beach here does not make the beach test so we head to ko lipe tomorrow....Hope for great beaches here.
Heading to West Raileigh for the afternoon today....check out the beach, although I dont hold much hope for the water quality - I only went in up to the ankles in Aonang.
Many people love the beach here.....mmmmm.....many people need to get a good beach education!
Thailand is so so so developed compared to indonesia - I really do have a love affair with that country!
Heading to West Raileigh for the afternoon today....check out the beach, although I dont hold much hope for the water quality - I only went in up to the ankles in Aonang.
Many people love the beach here.....mmmmm.....many people need to get a good beach education!
Thailand is so so so developed compared to indonesia - I really do have a love affair with that country!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
MV Mermaid II
This was my home for 4 days as I divde the similans off the west coast of Thailand.
I got back a couple of days ago from the trip that took us through the simialian islands up to richelieu rock and back.
The boat was so comfortable, chef was amazing and all in all I think it was one of the most luxurious moments of my life to date!
Here is a typical day:
6:00 am - first breakfast
7:00 am - dive
9:00 am - second breakfast
(Have a nap or lie on the sun deck)
11:00am - dive
12:30 pm - lunch
(Have a nap or lie on the sun deck)
2:00pm - dive
3:30pm - afternoon tea
(Have a nap or lie on the sun deck)
6:00pm - dive
8:00pm - dinner
This went on for four great days. The boat ran like clock work, crew were fun and helpful, and importantly the diving was good. We missed out on seeing the big stuff eg reef sharks, mantas, whale sharks. Feb - April is Manta and whale shark season here.
But there was really rich reefs with tonnes of life, lots of baby fish that were translucent as glass and about 2 cm long covered many bombies, making them even more etherial.
Richelieu rock was a highlight, we did 3 dives here, and the first one where there was not other divers was magic!
There are a lot of boats in thailand - usually there was 1 - 6 other boats at each site with us. Some dives you saw to many divers - but most were fine.
On the last dive a school of about 20 bat fish joined us for 30 minutes, and followed us from 25 metres all the way up to the surface. They were so curious - felt like being followed by a pack of very cute puppies!
Overall wonderful four days diving!
Oh - there was a group of Forteen germans and ousten a norwiegn who lived in London with me on the boat. Ousten was my english speaking friend. The germans were all from the same town in Germany, and went on diving trips together each year - very cool.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Tea in the park
As I was waiting around for a couple of hours for my shot I went for a wander. In a large park there were loads of people sitting round drinking iced tea and coffee - with not a store in sight.
I asked a guy where he got his drink - and he pointed me to the man who ran the show. I ordered a tea, and the young guy pulled up a bit on news paper for me to sit with him and his friends. They were uni students - hanging out in the park. We chatted away for a while, and a guy came back on a scooter with a drinks tray full of about 8 drinks. Iced tea was great - and I found out later free. We chatted for a while and then total panic broke out! people flew in all directions and were knocking each other over in the process of getting to their scooters.
I had no idea what was happening.
There were parking inspectors at the end of the park, and they were booking everyone with scooters on the pavement. (The only place to park). So within about 30 seconds 50 people and the scooters vanished. The traffic cops left about 10 mins later. Within a minute of them leaving everyone came back, scooters back on the pavement. people back with coffee!
I asked a guy where he got his drink - and he pointed me to the man who ran the show. I ordered a tea, and the young guy pulled up a bit on news paper for me to sit with him and his friends. They were uni students - hanging out in the park. We chatted away for a while, and a guy came back on a scooter with a drinks tray full of about 8 drinks. Iced tea was great - and I found out later free. We chatted for a while and then total panic broke out! people flew in all directions and were knocking each other over in the process of getting to their scooters.
I had no idea what was happening.
There were parking inspectors at the end of the park, and they were booking everyone with scooters on the pavement. (The only place to park). So within about 30 seconds 50 people and the scooters vanished. The traffic cops left about 10 mins later. Within a minute of them leaving everyone came back, scooters back on the pavement. people back with coffee!
Helen and Anthony and food
Thankfully Helen and Anthony, who got to Saigon a couple of days before me had booked me a room where they were staying.
They love food - so the food tour of saigon began the next day.
Had shot the next day, and we went to dinner my new favorite restaurant (will come back an insert name). THey have great Che! ANd it is in a sprawling french villa. This place is so busy and so efficent - it is a wonderfully run machine with great atmosphere and food.
The next day it was the obligatory egg and baggette for breaky, and then Vietnamese pancakes for lunch. The tables were glass toped with carved wooden scenes, the panacakes were so thin and both the coconut shoot, prawn and pork, and the mixed mushroom prawn and pork were great. They had avocado juice to - and great rice paper rolls.
We went back to rooms - watched tv - then went out to dinner - back to the same place. On the way we walked past the majestic hotel, which I had read about in the Harold Stephenson book - It was nice, but nothing compares to the Fullerton in Singapore!
Yep good day! Saigon has great cuisine!
They love food - so the food tour of saigon began the next day.
Had shot the next day, and we went to dinner my new favorite restaurant (will come back an insert name). THey have great Che! ANd it is in a sprawling french villa. This place is so busy and so efficent - it is a wonderfully run machine with great atmosphere and food.
The next day it was the obligatory egg and baggette for breaky, and then Vietnamese pancakes for lunch. The tables were glass toped with carved wooden scenes, the panacakes were so thin and both the coconut shoot, prawn and pork, and the mixed mushroom prawn and pork were great. They had avocado juice to - and great rice paper rolls.
We went back to rooms - watched tv - then went out to dinner - back to the same place. On the way we walked past the majestic hotel, which I had read about in the Harold Stephenson book - It was nice, but nothing compares to the Fullerton in Singapore!
Yep good day! Saigon has great cuisine!
James Bond style arrival to Saigon
On getting to Saigon, I was part of the biggest traffic jam I have ever seen in my life!
It was grid lock in all direction - even to scooters could not move on the main roads for a couple of hours. I got a cab from the airport and after sitting in the same place for around and hour, of ok driving about 10 metres, I decided that a scooter was a better option.
So, Loaded with gear I set out to find a motor cycle taxi. For once there was none to found! I searhed with the help of - wait for it - friendly locals!!! People in Saigon are the best in all Vietnam! FIrst an old guy, then a muslim girl who took me from the market down a few alleys and pointed me at a gridlocked bridge - eg not even scooters moving. There was a taxi there but he as asking to much so - onto the bridge I go.
The "foot path" was an extension of the road- eg another route for the scooters. I managed to cross and lo and behold there was a moto taxi. We quickly negotiated a good rate, and I jumped on. Mmmmm is that a bar? Oh no it is my driver. There was a distinct aroma of booze, but 2 hours into a 30min commute and with no other options in sight off we go! I should mention we were on a motor bike - eg - more power than a scooter.
This is where the james bond bit starts. In the last bond, there was a chase scene through alleys, I now feel that I have lived that experience.
We drove through the incoming traffic and got into a system of narrow alleys - zooming along- out into a barely moving one way street, with us and only us going against the traffic, back into lanes, more one way streets (us going against traffic), alley alley, footpath, one way street. The alleys are full of 90 degree turns and if passing another scooter you pretty much brush legs.......The bike was at full throttle, it was dark, there were stops and starts, and the driver was on one hell of a mission.
Eventually we got onto the roads, with us going same direction as traffic, and powered towards the hotel.
I should have been more scared, but it was so darned cool!
Welcome to Saigon!
It was grid lock in all direction - even to scooters could not move on the main roads for a couple of hours. I got a cab from the airport and after sitting in the same place for around and hour, of ok driving about 10 metres, I decided that a scooter was a better option.
So, Loaded with gear I set out to find a motor cycle taxi. For once there was none to found! I searhed with the help of - wait for it - friendly locals!!! People in Saigon are the best in all Vietnam! FIrst an old guy, then a muslim girl who took me from the market down a few alleys and pointed me at a gridlocked bridge - eg not even scooters moving. There was a taxi there but he as asking to much so - onto the bridge I go.
The "foot path" was an extension of the road- eg another route for the scooters. I managed to cross and lo and behold there was a moto taxi. We quickly negotiated a good rate, and I jumped on. Mmmmm is that a bar? Oh no it is my driver. There was a distinct aroma of booze, but 2 hours into a 30min commute and with no other options in sight off we go! I should mention we were on a motor bike - eg - more power than a scooter.
This is where the james bond bit starts. In the last bond, there was a chase scene through alleys, I now feel that I have lived that experience.
We drove through the incoming traffic and got into a system of narrow alleys - zooming along- out into a barely moving one way street, with us and only us going against the traffic, back into lanes, more one way streets (us going against traffic), alley alley, footpath, one way street. The alleys are full of 90 degree turns and if passing another scooter you pretty much brush legs.......The bike was at full throttle, it was dark, there were stops and starts, and the driver was on one hell of a mission.
Eventually we got onto the roads, with us going same direction as traffic, and powered towards the hotel.
I should have been more scared, but it was so darned cool!
Welcome to Saigon!
Anger management
The last 2 weeks has pushed me to new and hopefully not to be seen to often levels of anger. But knowing that there is an out has made it better!
Ar thailand.
I will not be recommending vietnam as a destination.
Ar thailand.
I will not be recommending vietnam as a destination.
Vietnam sucks: The Floods and Rip offs and hassels
In retrospect we were in Hanoi for the worst floods in 25 years.
And the rain continued in Hue, and was only a bit better in Hoi An.
I meet Helen and Anthony here, in the streets of Hue, walking down the street looking not as happy as last time I had seen them. We sat down and confessed to each other how much we were hating the experience of travelling in VIetnam, and all thinking of going home cause it was so bad. (More on that later). They have travelled the globe for over a year and this was the country that has been the least pleasant, as far rip off attempts and hassels. It was good to know that i was not alone!
Katherine and my experience of vietnam is not great. People try to rip you off in every transaction, you ar viewed as a walking purse here more so than anyother country I have been to.
The best of the lastest of many many many encounters was in the hotel at Hoi An. We had a room with air con for one night, then no air con for four nights. The receptionist denied us telling her we did not need aircon. And pulled in the house cleaners who said that they could tell we had used air con, when we never had. The house cleaning staff had observed this when cleaning our room - which they did not do once. So this resulted in at least an hour of failed reasoning - before walking out the slamming the money we should have paid (not the inflated price) on the counter. Katherine tells me she got a high five in the street from a Canadian who had watched the encounter. Interestingly, he and his partner, and others they have meet are all cutting their time in Vietnam short. As we are. Every one here just seems to be counting down til getting the 30 days for the thai visa.
Phew it is out the system and I go to thailand in 3 days :)
And the rain continued in Hue, and was only a bit better in Hoi An.
I meet Helen and Anthony here, in the streets of Hue, walking down the street looking not as happy as last time I had seen them. We sat down and confessed to each other how much we were hating the experience of travelling in VIetnam, and all thinking of going home cause it was so bad. (More on that later). They have travelled the globe for over a year and this was the country that has been the least pleasant, as far rip off attempts and hassels. It was good to know that i was not alone!
Katherine and my experience of vietnam is not great. People try to rip you off in every transaction, you ar viewed as a walking purse here more so than anyother country I have been to.
The best of the lastest of many many many encounters was in the hotel at Hoi An. We had a room with air con for one night, then no air con for four nights. The receptionist denied us telling her we did not need aircon. And pulled in the house cleaners who said that they could tell we had used air con, when we never had. The house cleaning staff had observed this when cleaning our room - which they did not do once. So this resulted in at least an hour of failed reasoning - before walking out the slamming the money we should have paid (not the inflated price) on the counter. Katherine tells me she got a high five in the street from a Canadian who had watched the encounter. Interestingly, he and his partner, and others they have meet are all cutting their time in Vietnam short. As we are. Every one here just seems to be counting down til getting the 30 days for the thai visa.
Phew it is out the system and I go to thailand in 3 days :)
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Hanoi
First impression of Hanoi is the mental traffic, and second is flooding and rain.
I was afraid in the taxi from the airport to the hotel - nay terrified. It takes a lot to make me scared in a vechile!
It has just stoped raining for a few hours for the first time in many days.
I can tell you about movies on HBO. eg wild things, and one with the olson twins. About walking through streets close to knee deep in water. Of being unable to get a taxi at 4:40pm (peak hour and wet) and walking home through flooded streets being pelted by water from cars and motor bikes, and of having nothing to change into cause clothes are all wet! Of pregnant women stealing your cab, and taxis so full of smoke that you really truely cant breath!
Yep not in a great mood.
And cannot leave Hanoi cause the train is canceled due to flooding!
I am so glad there is a huge drought in Australia because rain brings out the worst in me! In desperation I bought a red umbrella with roses on it! But it keeps the rain off.
I was afraid in the taxi from the airport to the hotel - nay terrified. It takes a lot to make me scared in a vechile!
It has just stoped raining for a few hours for the first time in many days.
I can tell you about movies on HBO. eg wild things, and one with the olson twins. About walking through streets close to knee deep in water. Of being unable to get a taxi at 4:40pm (peak hour and wet) and walking home through flooded streets being pelted by water from cars and motor bikes, and of having nothing to change into cause clothes are all wet! Of pregnant women stealing your cab, and taxis so full of smoke that you really truely cant breath!
Yep not in a great mood.
And cannot leave Hanoi cause the train is canceled due to flooding!
I am so glad there is a huge drought in Australia because rain brings out the worst in me! In desperation I bought a red umbrella with roses on it! But it keeps the rain off.
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