Byron Bay Beach Town

The journey to Byron Bay was not our best. After a hectic week in Sydney we were desperate for a good night's sleep but instead found ourselves spending the night on a cunningly named 'Premier Bus' which made those in Asia look like the Orient Express. The seats were rock hard, reclined no more than a millimetre and were so close to the one in front that I spent the entire twelve hour journey with somebody's knees wedged into my spine. Thankfully though, once we finally arrived things started to look up. 

Byron Bay is the ultimate chill out town where the world turns slowly and nobody wears shoes. We spent most of our time recovering on the beach, admiring the amazing views and the equally as amazing surfers. In fact, the furthest we exerted ourselves in three days was to wander up the coastal path to the famous lighthouse atop the hill. It wasn't an easy walk in the midday heat but we stopped twice along the way; once to appreciate reaching the most easterly point of mainland Australia and a second time because Australia's second deadliest snake was blocking our path. Both pretty cool in their own way. 

There's not a whole lot going on in Byron Bay but we found it was the perfect place to relax and catch up on some much needed sleep before our busy last few weeks in Aus.

See You Again Soon Sydney

If I had all the time and money in the world I'd return to every amazing place we've visited so far but with only one lifetime and limited funds there are certain places that need prioritising. Sydney, however, will definitely be one of them. With a working holiday visa so easily accessible to the under thirties it would be a little mad not to. 

Within hours of arriving in Sydney we already felt at home and not only because every other street name has been plucked straight from London. Despite being a massive city it has this amazingly relaxed atmosphere where everything is so easy and welcoming. It's always bustling but never busy, thanks to the wide streets and large open spaces all throughout town. We found it similar enough to England to feel instantly comfortable but still different enough for it to be interesting and exciting. With the sky high buildings, garden parks, white sandy beaches and stunning harbour front, Sydney really does offer something for everyone and seemingly does so in the most effortless way. 

We spent our first three nights in a hostel in the centre which allowed us to explore most of the city by foot, ticking off all the major tourist hotspots. One afternoon though we ventured a little further, hopping on a ferry over to Manly in Northern Sydney to visit a friend of Hana's who lives there. She showed us around her pretty little seaside town and treated us to champagne at the wharf which was wonderful. High on bubbles and hometown gossip we then jumped back onto the boat and headed back to the city to meet a couple of my work friends who have transferred over here. By complete chance it was a Media Thursday so we kept to old traditions, downing wine on a school night and laughing over our silly media memories whilst simultaneously making more. Sadly there was no company card to fund it this time but there wasn't a company expecting me to function at work the next morning either so I couldn't really complain. 

Luckily our Sydney stay also coincided with Australia Day and we were invited to spend the long weekend with a university friend and his housemates in Balmain. We celebrated the holiday in true Aussie style with a BBQ in their backyard and goon pong at pre-drinks. I'd love to blame the rest of the night's antics on the Aussie influence too but they felt more reminiscent of our messy student days. We stumbled around the city minus a pair of shoes but plus one stolen chopping board until someone had the sense to put us in a taxi home. 

After a repeat of this on the Sunday night it's a miracle we dragged ourselves out of the house on Monday morning but Sydney sunshine is hard to refuse. The boys took us down to Bondi beach and we strolled along the cliff edge until we reached the slightly quieter but equally as beautiful Bronte. Distracting ourselves from thoughts of leaving later that day we focused our efforts on trying (but failing miserably) to play volleyball and dodging the jellyfish washing in with the waves.

The boys were absolute legends and we wished we could have stayed longer but having already booked our bus up to Byron Bay it wasn't really an option. What was an option, however, was for them to book a flight to Fiji to come and meet us in March instead. Half an hour and not a lot of thought later the flights were booked! We're still sad to be leaving Sydney but it's easier knowing we'll see it again soon and our Sydney friends, even sooner. 

Melting in Melbourne

If I was to describe our arrival into Melbourne in two words it would have to be: culture shock. 

Although in many ways it mirrors home, Australia shares very little in common with Asia where we've spent the last three months. We were spoken to in perfect English, given straightforward directions and even asked to wear our seatbelts on the shuttle bus to the city. Strapping ourselves into an air conditioned bus rather than boarding a rattling old tuk tuk felt unnervingly alien. 

And we must have looked a little alien too, walking alongside the smart city folk wearing our elephant trousers, Bangkok vests and no make-up. It didn't take long to realise that our dress code (along with our no bra policy) may need to be revised here.

However, once over the initial shock we were soon taken by Melbourne's charm and found we slipped quite easily back into the Western world (though my purse still begs to differ.) The city is beautiful, quirky and full of life with parts that remind me very much of London whilst others carry more of a Californian vibe. I found it pretty amazing that we could sit on the beach staring out at the horizon with the city's skyscrapers still in our peripherals. 

The only downside to Melbourne is that the weather is a little unpredictable and has been known at times to be as bad as England, i.e. terrible. However, our visit coincided with a summer heatwave which was so intense it made the news back home! Daily temperatures consistently peaked at over forty degrees celcius but we did our best to make the most of the sunshine without completely melting. One afternoon we spent submerged in the sea on St Kilda beach, another under a tree with a picnic in the Royal Botanical gardens and another looking over the city from the top of Melbourne's sky bar. 

The evenings gave very little relief (averaging at around thirty) but at least with the sun hidden away we were safe to sit out in the open, either at a bar, a BBQ or Federation Square where the Australian Open Tennis Tournament was being aired live.  

At the weekend we took a road trip down to Torquay, a small seaside town at the top of the Great Ocean Road. Although just two hours South, Torquay was very different to Melbourne - quiet with just a handful of bars and cafés, and an abundance of Quicksilver and Ripcurl outlets to please the surfing community. The beaches were almost deserted and surrounded by the quiet open countryside rather than the bustling city backdrop in St Kilda.

Our trip to Australia has so far been lovely, made even lovelier by the fact that we've been staying with a friend and catching up with a couple of familar faces who've made the big move over here. Though we've only been here a week, I can already understand why people do! 

The Asian Adventure

When we first arrived in Singapore last October it felt like we had a lifetime ahead of us in Asia. Now, three months, six countries and twenty-four places later it's all over. For now...

The saddest part of leaving Asia is not knowing when we'll come back but I'm comforted slightly by the fact that I will definitely return at some point. Initially I'd hoped that by travelling for an entire year I'd flush this travel bug right out of my system but it's clear now that won't be the case. In fact I've discovered that the very term 'travel bug' is highly misleading, for a bug is a condition suffered only temporarily. The travel bug, if you truly have it, lasts a lifetime. 

A friend of mine recently shared a quote with me describing travelling as 'a virus, one which worms its way into your bloodstream, attacks your bank balance, holiday allowance and social life but never blesses you with the zen-life satisfaction of thinking you've seen it all.' And it's true! The more I see the more I want to see and even after three months in Asia there is still so much left to explore; Burma, China, Java and the Philippines to name but a few.

I won't ever make my way across the entire globe but I've learnt since being away how important it is that we try. We're so fortunate in the UK that we have these opportunities which so many others around the world do not and we owe it to them to take advantage. A particular occasion springs to mind here: I was speaking to a Malaysian man in Langkawi who was surprised to learn that after Asia we were moving onto Australasia and then South America too. He commented that I must have worked for a long time to save up for such an epic trip and I replied that yes, I'd worked in London for two years. He immediately burst into laughter, not able to comprehend my response. 'I worked for fifteen years just to go to Singapore!' A terrible misjudgement on my part but it really put things into perspective. We are the lucky ones.

I've been trying to think of the best way to reflect on our time in Asia but we've seen so much and made so many countless memories that nothing short of a novel would suffice (one which I'm sure I'll write one day.) The best I can do at this point is to list the top ten things I will and won't miss in the hope that the latter might ease the pain of leaving at least a little. So here goes.

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Top 10 Things I'll Miss:

#1 FOOD

From back street markets to up market restaurants, the food in Asia has been outstanding. Newfound favourites include Cambodian amok, Malaysian roti and Thai massaman curry. I'd happily fork out the price of a plane ticket to taste any of these cuisines again. 

#2 BEACH BARS

Nothing feels better than dancing the night away with the sea breeze in your hair and sand between your toes. And it's a fact that cocktails taste better from buckets. Cramped, sweaty London clubs are just no comparison.

#3 LANDSCAPE

From paradise beaches to baron deserts, high rise cities to jungle forests; Asia has every landscape you could possibly dream of but they're far more beautiful in reality than any images found in the depths of my imagination.

#4 CULTURE

Asia oozes culture. A lot of it is centred around religion, the fusion between Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam found in most places. Wherever we went golden statues and the smell of incense were never too far away.

#5 CHEAP LIVING

The money I've spent in three months in Asia would have disappeared within three weeks back home. Splashing out more than a few pounds on a meal or accommodation is really going to hurt.

#6 RELAXED ATMOSPHERE

Nothing phases Asians. Their pace of life is so incredibly slow as they take their time to actually enjoy it. We quickly adapted to their way of thinking, forgetting for the most part what day we were on and expecting everything to be late. It's amazing how much less stressful time keeping is when you just stop keeping it.

#7 MODES OF TRANSPORT

Longtail boats and tuk tuks are my favourite ways of getting around. Being in the open air allows you to absorb your surroundings and gives you a better feel for the areas you're travelling through. Our taxi to the airport will be the first car we've been in in a long time and even that is fluorescent pink! Much more exciting than black cabs back home. 

#8 7-ELEVEN

Primarily from a toastie perspective but also on a general level. We've spent so much time in 7-Elevens that I feel sad I've heard my last annoying 'ding dong' of the automatic doors.

#9 MARKETS

I wish more than anything we were flying back via Asia so we could pick up the entire market on the way home. There are so many beautiful items to be bought and for whatever price you're willing to pay, providing you can stick out the haggling game long enough. 

#10 THE SUN

Everything about the Asian sun is stunning from the second it rises to the lasting moments after it's set. In three months I can't remember more than three days where it didn't shine down on us, despite it being their winter and rainy season in some areas we visited.

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Top 10 Things I Won't Miss:

#1 ROOSTERS

I don't know what they feed their roosters in Asia but it's keeping them up all night. Which in turn is keeping us up too! The bloody things are nocturnal and happy about it, cock-a-doodle-do-ing at every hour.

#2 JOURNEYS FROM A TO B VIA Z

No journey we ever made in Asia was simple. Each time we travelled from one place to another we were carted off in a truck, made to change buses multiple times and left in the middle of nowhere for hours with nothing but a coloured sticker on to say where we were supposed to end up. We always made it eventually but never ever on time.

#3 CUSTOMER SERVICE

It comes hand in hand with their laid back nature so for the most part we've taken it in our stride but there are times when being ignored or forgotten is more frustrating than fun. And even contemplating complaining is completely pointless - Asians are programmed to forget how to speak English as soon as you do.

#4 BED BUGS

I used to think bed bugs were imaginary little monsters invented by parents to scare their children into sleeping but Asia taught me differently. Thankfully these disgusting little pests have only bothered us once but the constant threat has lingered throughout.

#5 SQUAT TOILETS

You know it's bad when you'd rather squat on the side of the road than brave one of the holes in the floor they call toilets. It will be nice to not feel in a state of panic whenever we accidentally leave the room without toilet paper in our pockets and even nicer to be able to actually flush it when we do.

#6 SPITTING

For reasons unbeknownst to me it's perfectly acceptable in Asia to grunt and snort until saliva is gathered in your mouth and then spit it out wherever you fancy. I could stay here three years and the sound and sight of this would still make my stomach turn.

#7 MANGY ANIMALS

The majority of cats and dogs in Asia can only be described as mangy. Missing limbs, covered in scabs or potentially infested with rabies - they're a far cry from the cute little pets we play with back home and they're on every street corner.

#8 WHITENING CREAM

It's typical that we always want what we can't have. Whereas English people cover themselves in fake tan all year around to darken their skin, Asians use whitening creams to make theirs lighter. It's a sign of wealth to have fair skin because it's associated with not having to work outside. Therefore, we've found it really difficult to buy any moisturisers, cleansers or sun creams which don't have whitening lotion in them to counteract our tans.

#9 SWEET BREAD & FLUORESCENT JAM

I can't fault Asia's traditional dishes but their imitations of western foods leave a lot to be desired. Many hostels now offer free breakfast but it often consists of their sweet bread and fluorescent jam combo, essentially an artificial nightmare.

#10 BEING STARED AT LIKE AN ALIEN

The Asian community are fascinated by blonde haired, blue eyed people. Despite the hundreds of westerners arriving in Asia each day, every time I was stopped and asked for a photograph or stared at in the street it felt like I was the only one.

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That all said, even with ending on the negatives there's no fooling myself into thinking that the bad outweighs the good. In fact reading over the second list brings as much of a smile to my face as the first - I might not miss these things in particular but I will certainly miss the sense of accomplishment they bring when conquered and the hilarious stories which inevitably follow. Everything about the last few months has been fantastic and I genuinely have tears in my eyes writing this goodbye. 

I best leave it there before I turn into a blubbering, waffling mess but thank you so much Asia, it's been an absolute pleasure. Australia now has a lot to live up to!

Onwards and Upwards to Pai

Pai is a small, sleepy provincial town just three hours North of Chiang Mai near the Myanmar border. It has a real rustic feel to it, set out in the hills and surrounded by green fields with the Daen Lao mountain range as its backdrop. 

Our accommodation there fit the rural scene to a tee - open air barns made from bamboo, leaves and little else. It was wonderful to wake up to the bright blue skies every morning but the evenings were rather different. It's winter time in Northern Thailand and despite not seeing a single cloud during our entire stay, the minute the sun laid itself to rest behind the mountains the temperature dropped dramatically! The hostel provided us with plenty of blankets but we still shivered ourselves to sleep each night. 

The town is so quiet and free of tourists that there's a significant lack of tuk tuks or taxis. Hiring a scooter seemed to be the only way we could truly explore the countryside which is Pai's number one asset, not to be missed. Not keen to repeat my performance in Koh Phangan (I almost didn't make it to 2014) I let Hana do the majority of the driving. Fortunately, like everything else in Pai the roads are fairly quiet and so aside from steering around the occasional elephant or a wandering monk we felt pretty safe. 

On our first day we took ourselves on a tour of the area, starting out at the Tha Pai natural hot springs. The small pools are situated along a stream which increases in temperature the higher it goes. We bathed in the cooler areas (still thirty-eight degrees!) and boiled eggs at the top where it reached over eighty. It took almost forty minutes and a few failed attempts but eventually we'd made ourselves a lovely afternoon snack.

Feeling the need to cool off we drove over to Pam Bok waterfall, just one of many of its kind to be found in Pai. The sun had passed over long before we arrived leaving the water icy cold but perfect for a paddle. Then, with just a few hours of daylight left we headed to the canyon to watch the sunset over the hills. Though we climbed only a little way it felt as though we were on top of the world watching the sky darken behind the mountain's silhouette. 

That evening we were wrapped up in bed early because we'd booked a Muay Thai boxing class for the following morning. Our day started at eight o'clock when we were sent on a five kilometre run as a warm up. Not what either of us thought we'd signed up for! In the hour that followed though our trainer, Bee, took us through the basic movements in front of a mirror. Then, once satisfied we'd done enough damage to the air in front of us, he paired us up with a professional to practice sparring. It was so fun and I can imagine incredibly therapeutic if I'd had anything in the world to possibly be worried about! 

Our final day in Pai was a little more ladylike. We found a cooking school called the Red Orchid which allowed us to choose five different dishes each to make from scratch. Between us we covered all of the favourites: massaman curry, green curry, red curry, paenang curry, pad thai, spring rolls, chicken cashew, chicken garlic, chicken ginger and chicken fried rice. This absolute feast took us over six hours to cook but less than two to eat. There was of course way too much food for the two of us but we did a pretty good job at polishing most of it off - it was just too good to waste! We've eaten an extortionate number of thai curries over the last few weeks but I'm proud to say that ours were some of the best we've tasted. 

We're incredibly sad to be leaving Pai, not only because it's so beautiful but also because it's our final stop in our tour of Asia. With just two nights left on the continent we now need to make our way back down to Bangkok ready for our long haul flight over to Australia. Perhaps it's partly still the aftermath of our five course meal but I'm genuinely feeling sick at the thought of leaving Asia without knowing when I'll return. It's all coming to an end far too soon!

Changing it Up in Chiang Mai

Whenever I think of Thailand I picture tropical beaches, crystal lagoons and longtail boats so I had no idea what to expect from the Northern town of Chiang Mai which sits hundreds of miles from the nearest coastline. What we found there, though very different from the South islands, was just as beautiful in its own way. 

The town is built up but not in an industrial sense and has somehow maintained its simple charm. It's a sensual place with a relaxing atmosphere and you need only go a little way out of the centre to find yourself totally immersed in the jungle. 

Chiang Mai is famous for its 'Walking Markets', thus called because they're so busy that the entire street appears to be moving. We were lucky enough to be there on a Saturday which is when they hold the biggest of all and it did literally go on for miles. Unlike other Asian markets each stall is completely different so we refused to stop until we reached the very end, not wanting to miss out on any bargains. Whenever we were flagging we topped ourselves up at one of the food stalls, avoiding the fried insects but steering towards fried pumpkin, spring rolls and waffles instead. 

As we had limited time in Chiang Mai we paid for a tour which crammed in as many activities as possible into one day. We were picked up in the morning by a minivan but soon transferred onto the back of an elephant for a trek along the river. The elephants are generally very well trained but ours seemed to prefer the off-road route, not willing to wait behind slower members of his family.  His temper turned to tantrum when a loud helicopter flew overhead and we were almost thrown off completely - a not-so-gentle reminder that you can't control a creature that's bigger than its boss. 

Our journey along the river continued on the slower and considerably less stressful bamboo raft. The driver used a wooden branch to guide us downstream as we took in the surrounding views. 

Once we'd reached the end we zip-wired back over the river, landing conveniently at a restaurant where lunch was waiting for us. Naturally we piled our plates high with rice, noodles and green and red curry. Buffets always bring out the worst in us but we justified it this time knowing that we have less than a week left to enjoy Asian food. 

Fortunately we had the opportunity to work it all off anyway on the hour long trek which followed. Our guide took us up through the jungle, pointing out various plants and picking their fruits to use for her own cooking later that day. We arrived at our destination hot and sweaty so were pleased to find there were waterfalls to swim in. They were breathtakingly beautiful and we spent just under an hour bathing in the pools and splashing around in the falls.

Our day was due to end here but of course no Asian tour would be complete without the minibus breaking down. As we waited for a replacement our guide took us to the only attraction she could think of that was within walking distance - the Poo Poo Park! It sounds shit (pun unintended) but it was actually really interesting and ironically is one of the cleanest places we've visited in Thailand. We were shown how the faeces of elephants, cows and horses is transformed into paper and card to make all sorts of products from gift cards to picture frames. It's a scheme funded by the government in a bid to save Thailand's tropical forests and it's doing a great job. 

We're now travelling even further North to a small town called Pai. Again, I really don't know what to expect but I've yet to come across a place in Thailand I dislike on this trip so I'm looking forward to it nevertheless. 

Going Out With a Bang in Bangkok

2014 started in style. For their last night in Thailand the boys splashed out on a deluxe suite at Centre Point, Bangkok, which fortunately had more than enough room to squeeze in two little ones.

As we wandered into the grand reception we did our best to conceal the UV paint still glowing from our skin but our scruffy traveller backpacks were harder to hide. Nevertheless we were treated like royalty, saluted by the staff and shown to our room up on the 21st floor. It was 4am when we arrived so we took just a few minutes to absorb how amazing the suite was before collapsing into bed and surrounding ourselves with pillows. 

When we woke a few hours later the sun was shining over the city which from our sky high balcony looked pretty awesome. We explored the rest of the hotel (highlights being the rooftop swimming pool and the high tech bum guns) and then jumped in a tuk tuk to Khao San Road. Between them Ross and Fareed bought just about every pair of traveller trousers on the market, finishing off their 'gap fortnight' traveller look. 

Back at the hotel we spent the afternoon in the pool, teaching the boys some of our old cheerleading tricks. Aside from struggling with the concept of counting to eight they were rather good and we were pretty impressed! 

Then it was time to get ready for our big night out in Bangkok. We hooked up the sound system to Ross' iPod, blasting out everything from Drake to Disney to Punjabi MC. Before we knew it it was past midnight and we headed out. We tried Sky Bar first where the Hangover 2 was filmed but were stopped at the entrance due to 'unfashionable footwear' aka our havianas. Ouch. It was almost time for it to close though so rather than change our shoes we went to a cocktail bar down the road and then onto Levels club where we danced until the lights came on. Dodging the ladyboys we walked/ran home, stopping only at 7-Eleven for the inevitable end of night toasties and Hershey's cookies and cream. 

Waking up the next morning should have been a struggle but it was made much easier knowing that a banging breakfast buffet was waiting for us twenty floors below. Despite feeling a little sick we went through three rounds of food before admitting defeat and crawling back up to the room.

The rest of the day was emotional. Saying goodbye to the suite was bad enough but saying goodbye to the boys was worse. The last two weeks have been amazing and we're super sad to be splitting up Team Thailand. Hopefully we'll reunite somewhere (South America Squad seems likely) but for now they're flying back to London and we're heading up North alone. Safe flight home boys, we miss you already! 

Full Moon, Empty Buckets and a Very Happy New Year

New Year's Eve is notoriously a let down but as 2014 is set to be such a big year we were determined to welcome it in in a big way. Luckily, being in Thailand, we didn't have to look too far. Koh Phangan was just a boat, bus and boat away and guaranteed us a good night at the infamous full moon party. 

We arrived four days before New Year's Eve but the parties had already started. One was set up in the jungle, another at a waterfall and the rest down on Haad Rin beach where the main event takes place. They're known as the 'warm up' parties but they're so massive that by the time New Year's Eve came around we were the very opposite of warmed up; I felt thoroughly run down!

We swigged down a couple of pro-plus with vodka red bulls but as soon as we joined the sea of people heading back down to Haad Rin we realised it wasn't necessary. The atmosphere along the beach was insane and more than enough to perk us up! Everyone around us was covered head to toe in UV paint, glitter and fluorescent coloured clothing. Stages had been set up at each of the bars and loud music was pumping from every section. There was a little too much house for my liking but if ever a song came on we couldn't sing to we'd just shimmy on down to the next. It seemed the further up the beach you went the crazier it got. There were skipping ropes and rings of fire, monkey bars and a rope ladder up to a slide with a mattress as a landing. It was the perfect playground for tipsy travellers fuelled with M150 (Thai red bull, but questionable.)

We'd pushed our way to the front just in time for New Year and although they epically failed with the countdown, the moment was acknowledged with a burst of beautiful fireworks throughout the sky. If there's one thing Thai people know how to work with it's fire and the show went on whilst the sound of thirty thousand tourists singing Auld Lang Syne drowned out both the bangs and the drum and bass. 

Thirty thousand tourists. That's not a joke! Even after making a meeting point and painting our address across Ross' chest the fact that we all made it back in one tuk tuk is nothing short of a miracle. Team Thailand at its best. 

As is often the case with the best nights it was followed by the very worst of days. The 1st January should only ever be spent horizontal but by midday we were already on a boat back to the mainland where we'd catch a ten hour bus up to Bangkok with a two hour stopover in a slum. It was hideous but after successfully completing that journey I genuinely feel I can manage anything. So come at me 2014, I'm ready!