Our flight to Australia was not until 1am so before we left Bali we managed to fit in one more walk in the rice fields , where we chatted to locals working their land, a yoga class – our first ever which I loved but Mr L wasn't so sure and another massage & manicure.
Bali airport, whilst very modern was very slow & it took us 1 ¼ hrs to get through to the departure area. As you know I get anxious at airports & find inefficiency frustrating however I used the opportunity to try out my yoga breathing which passed the time.
On arrival at Darwin, we waited for our luggage whilst being watched by the border control officers eyeing up their next ‘victim’. I was, of course, convinced that we would be selected for search. On the one occasion you don’t want your luggage to come through first ours did, so we were the first to run the gauntlet of border officers. Maybe it's my honest face or maybe they had their eye on a bigger catch but we were waved through without a thought. I was almost offended by their rejection. I had packed my bag so neatly & cleaned my shoes so well I wanted to open my bag to show them, to get their approval ‘wow what a tidy & efficiently packed case you have mam’ ‘the best we've seen’ but that would be madness so instead we walked to the taxi rank.
We arrived at our hotel At 6am. The notice at the closed reception/office stated it opened at 7am & politely reminded guests that check in was not until 2pm! We were shattered. Fortunately the kind receptionist took pity on us & we were checked into our (upgraded) room & asleep by 8.30am.
We spent a few days exploring downtown Darwin, mostly in the rain as it's the wet season, although it's still v hot. In truth it can be explored in a few hours but we used downtime to come up with a plan for our trip. On our third day in Darwin we hired a car to explore. It was the first time we had driven since we left the UK & was good to be back in control again. We visited a few nature reserves & saw our first wallabies but many of the trails were closed due to flooding. It was good to get out & about though & it gave us a taste of how vast this place is & how empty. There was hardly any traffic on the roads, even the highways. It made us wonder why they bother having a traffic report on the radio as there is no traffic!
The following day was Australia Day so we signed ourselves up for the Darwin Pub Crawl. When in Rome… We joined approx 60 people (mostly under 35) dressed as ‘Bogans’ or in flags/hats at 11am & visited 8 different bars, having at least one drink in each, with various games & competitions- pie eating, fancy dress, limbo,etc finishing (and we were literally finished) at 8pm. It was brilliant!! We met & talked to so many people – including an obsessive George Michael fan (C.D – I think she was more obsessed than you) and what we discovered is that no one actually comes from Darwin. Most people have either come from UK or other parts of Australia or are moving through, making it a very transient & disparate population. Whatever or whoever they are though they were great fun- very welcoming & inclusive even with a couple of middle aged Brits. We ended the evening with Mr L in a mullet wig & sunnies with his new Aussie pal & me in an Aussie flagged hairband, arms around a fellow drinker singing along to Oasis. A great introduction to Australia.
Thankfully we survived pretty much unscathed- which was a relief as we were flying to Cairns the next morning. Our plan had been to drive from Darwin to Perth. However not only is it wet season in the Northern Territory it's also cyclone season & whilst we are always keen to take on a challenge, this didn't seem a risk worth taking. So after a few days in Cairnswe will pick up a v small camper van from 'Hippee Campers' & spend the next month driving along on the road well travelled - the east coast route from Cairns to Sydney, at a leisurely pace, stopping wherever & whenever the fancy takes us.
We arrived in Bali early in the morning & the sun was already hot. We had given ourselves 2 weeks here but couldn't bring ourselves to stay in one place so we started in the craziest part – Seminyak. Our accommodation was basic but clean, modern & cheap (£17 pn). It was also 5 mins from the beach which is where we spent most of our 3 days before moving to the more sedate Sanur on the east coast. Our accommodation - a room with terrace, beautiful gardens & a pool. Sanur is v laid back with a beautiful beach – much nicer than Seminyak where the current is strong & there is a lot of rubbish in the water. We had not appreciated that we had arrived in the rainy season & it rained quite heavily on our first day, flooding the road (again). When the sun returned we spent the day on the beach where, instead of being offered the usual bangles & hats by the hawkers Mr L was offered viagra and Valium. Not quite sure what they were trying to do to him!. One evening we met a lovely Aussie couple J & A & overstayed our welcome at one of the local bars but a good eve all the same. From Sanur we headed to one of the smaller islands called Lembongan. We got down to the quayside - Well the beach. To get out to the boat you have to wade out to about waist height. As we waited I was stood looking at the sea then moved away to get my inhaler as I was wheezy. At that moment there was a loud crack & a huge branch fell from a tree landing right where I had been standing! Far too close for comfort. I sent my thanks to the man upstairs for giving me asthma.
We spent 4 days on Lembongan, an island of 8,000 which still retains its village identity. We didn't hire scooters like 99.9% of the tourists, instead we walked-covering pretty much the entire island; to the suspension bridge that links to Ceningan island, currently being rebuilt following its collapse a few months ago when a number of locals died, and up past the mangrove forest that dominates much of the north east of the island. And because it's rainy season the heat and humidity as we walked was phenomenal. We spent time on dream beach – not just because of its name but because it is one of Bali”s finest beaches. A short walk away is devils tear so called because when the strong waves crash against the rocks a watery mist shoots back out like a tear. Impressive. We even went to a makeshift cinema one evening at a local hotel to see 'Pirates of the Caribbean' -it was fun watching it outside, undercover with a Bintang beer as the rain fell.
For our remaining days we went back to the mainland to Ubud – surrounded by rice fields & temples & a magnet for tourists. Our accommodation was cheap (£9 pn incl breakfast) but pretty basic- our room was too basic for me as the roof was perched on the walls leaving gaps for the dreaded geckos to enter, so we changed rooms & all was well – we even got a better view of the rice fields! Ubud is famous for the monkeys that guard the temples & surrounding forest so we went to explore. I'm not a big fan of monkeys & less so now after one ran up me, grabbed my bottle of water & wrestled it from me. I put up a good fight, using the language all animals understand (‘F off’) to no avail. He won this round & to make his point he sat down unscrewed the lid drank my water then threw it. Yob. A scratched finger but mainly hurt pride that I had lost.
The rains came again but we wanted to explore & headed off on a trail that took us out of the busy town & up through the rice paddy fields, where we were treated to some great scenery. We carried on through local villages, over a gorge, passing numerous temples until our route brought us back to town- 15km later. Our last days in Bali we have made use of the full range of massage/spa treatments on offer. For the first time in my life I have nails so have enjoyed manicures & pedicures whilst Mr L has sat alongside me having his feet/legs massaged. We have also started our preparations for our next destination- Australia. Having watched ‘nothing to declare’ many times we have been studiously cleaning our boots to ensure they are free of dirt! We are excited about visiting Australia but are so sad to be leaving behind Asia – so many incredible memories though & who's to say we won't be back sometime soon.
Singapore. We knew it would be expensive & it was the hard to find budget accommodation which is how we ended up at the Days Inn hotel, 10 mins from the MRT (underground) & a 15 min from downtown but getting around was straightforward & v cheap. I had to come here though. In 1994 my mum & her best friend Moira who met at nursing college, & by then both retired and widowed, visited Singapore on their world travels & loved it. Both are sadly no longer with us, however I recently discovered my mum’s diary from her travels with Moy & so before we left I made notes so we could explore some of the places they did. On arrival I could see the attraction for mum - English spoken, lush & green, very neat & orderly & safe. They managed to pack so much into their trip. Despite us walking over 60km in 3 1/2 days we couldn't match them.The hotel they stayed in is still there & when we went we found it was on the edge of the vibrant area known as Little India. However despite all the wonderful food that is on offer I know mum would never have ventured to eat there. She just didn't eat ‘ foreign food’! Mum & Moy did visit the nearby Temple of 1000 lights, however it was closed when we got there, but we did stumble upon a street festival with traditional music & dance. On our 2nd day we went to the Botanic gardens – protected by Unesco & visited by Mum & Moy. It a huge site & quite beautiful But was ridiculously hot. We met a nice couple & strolled through the orchid gardens chatting & sharing stories before we headed to Chinatown where we found a lovely Chinese café off the beaten track & had some delicious soup. Back at our hotel for a recharge before heading to Marina Bay. Much of this area has been developed since Mum & Moy visited in particular the crazy Marina Bay Hotel @ Sands with its 3 towers topped with what looks like a giant surf board housing gardens, a swimming pool & bar. We walked around the bay & caught a glimpse of the nightly light show before going into the mall attached to the hotel. All very high end but with an impressive vortex water feature inside.
The following morning we woke to the news from home that the beautiful Edith Elizabeth had been born to L&J - very exciting & our morning was filled with pictures & messages, before we headed out to Orchard Road which is Singapore's famous shopping street. Mr L described it as Kuala Lumper on steroids . So many shops, so many malls many interconnected underground so you don't even have to go up to street level. It was mad but essential as we had to get something to wear. we had managed to secure a cancellation booking for afternoon tea at the famous Raffles Hotel the next day. The trip was a success with Mr L getting a shirt & I got £7.50 dress. Sunday we were up early & back on the Mum & Moy trail, visiting the catholic cathedral & saying prayers for them & others back home, before going to the national museum which was surprisingly good with a great Japanese art exhibition. Then to get my hair done. I had been putting it off as I was nervous about having it cut but Raffles was not the place to go with frizzy, unkempt hair. We got ‘dolled up’ and made our way downtown. There, amidst tall towers & high-rise apartment blocks sits this 2 storey colonial building with whitewashed walls, red tiled roof – it couldn't look anymore incongruous with its surroundings. And I know that when Mum & Moy had afternoon tea here they loved it. I could just imagine them sitting next to us laughing & chatting to everyone. We loved it too & funnily enough we ended up chatting to some interesting chaps on the next table to us. After eating our own body weight in cake & sandwiches we wandered around the parts of the hotel you can visit (& some you can't) then headed to the war memorial & down to the other side of the marina where a band was playing. We kept walking until we arrived at the Gardens by the Bay a beautiful area with a huge indoor garden and the most amazing tree structures - super trees - up to 50m high. As the sun set, we strolled around the trees when suddenly they lit up & we were in the middle of a light show. it was wonderful. A perfect end to a perfect few days.
We didn't see everything on Mum and Moy's list but we did enjoy retracing their steps. Singapore needs more time than we gave it. I'm not sure it's edgy enough for us but certainly worth a visit.
In contrast to our fancy hotel suite in Kuala Lumper our accommodation in George Town, Penang was a ‘back to basics’ hostel. It was a “boutique” hostel though, which translates to having cool artwork & polished concrete floors but it was still a v basic room with a bed, a shower hose over the loo and not much else. It was fine.
George Town is another Unesco heritage town & the architecture is fabulously colonial but has not been spoilt by gentrification. Lots of little tiny streets, lined with townhouses with white or faded coloured walls and wooden verandas. We loved it. Small enough to explore in a few days, big enough to keep being surprised by hidden gems you find when wandering around.
We headed straight out to get a feel for the place & after a while we stopped for a refreshing drink in the Hong Kong bar – still owned/run by the same family since 1920’s & favoured in its hay day by the navy when they were in town. We got chatting to some people & stayed far longer than intended but it was one of those days when you go for a quick drink and you meet interesting people and end up staying for hours. When we left we headed to the Indian quarter for some delicious (cheap) food then, walking back to our hostel along Love Lane where we happened upon a bar with live music. The band were playing covers of bands such as Credence Clearwater Revival, The Doors & Radiohead. They were made up of locals - one playing a drum box, one base guitar, the singer and a Sitar as lead guitar. Random. It made an interesting sound and although it didn't always quite work, it was worth staying around to hear more, so we pulled up a chair and ordered a beer. A Great introduction and great first day in George Town.
Day two I decided we needed to see less Bar and more Town so with tourist map in hand we walked around all the key sights taking in the museum, cathedral, Court house (where We tried to get in to view a case but nothing was on) the fort and the quayside.
A few years ago George Town commissioned some street art around the town and so in the afternoon we visited many of the pieces which are dotted around. They are really well done and definitely enhance rather than vandalise the town.
After plenty of walking we headed back to the boutique hostel to freshen up before heading out for food. However as we were about to leave the rain arrived and as we stood watching from the doorway chatting with fellow travellers a huge thunderclap and lightening struck right over our heads. very quickly our road started to flood. Within ten minutes the water was over a foot high and lapping the courtyard at the front of our hostel & things were floating down the road. Eventually it stopped but we had to wade through the water which was up to our knees to get out for food. By the time we returned from the street food market, all the water had disappeared and it was like it never happened. The next day we took the bus to Penang Hill that overlooks the town and the sea and did some trail walks in the stifling heat the way only crazy Brits do and in the evening we visited a great Chinese restaurant recommended to us and definitely worth the visit. Then back to the hostel to pack. Destination Singapore.
George Town was another unplanned stop when we started our travels but we were pleased we made it here. The history of the town is very interesting and it's a great example of how different cultures can live harmoniously together. Definitely a town that's worth a return trip.
The flight to Kuala Lumper (KL) took 3 hours & once through passport control, finding the taxi advanced booking counter was straightforward & soon we were in a cab heading into the city driving on the left hand side of the road. That familiarity along with the lush green landscape made us feel a little like we were heading home but it's not time for that yet.
We have been to KL before, 10yrs ago for a couple of days when went to China & were flying on to Langkawi & had liked it. We hadn't planned to visit as part of these travels so how did we end up here? Well we decided we wanted to spend NewYears Eve in a city & to treat ourselves & do some shopping - & KL is definitely all about that!
We had splashed out on a nice hotel 800m from KLCC & were delighted when we got upgraded to a full suite – with kitchenette (including a washing machine that we put through its paces), a dining room suite & a sofa!!! It may sound odd to you getting excited about a sofa but most of the guesthouses/hostels we have stayed in don’t have anywhere to sit other than the bed or a single wooden chair.
We put the washing machine on & headed out. If you haven't been here before it's hard to describe but basically next to every shopping mall is another shopping mall many floors high, some connecting with each other. First stop was to get some new prescription glasses & prescription sunglasses. There are some great deals to be had here. Once that had been sorted, We wandered round from store to store, mall to mall for ages without any real plan returning to our suite later in the evening & cooked. There isn't much you can cook with one saucepan & a two ring hob but it was just great to be able to cook something for ourselves. We sat on our sofa with bowls of pasta on our laps & watched tv. A great night!
New Year's Eve daytime we set off to try to visit the iconic Petronas twin towers. We had not been able to get in last time we were here & sadly that was the case this time too. We will just have to come back again. We had a walk around town and around the park on a sort of reconnaissance to see where we might position ourselves to watch the fireworks in the evening. Then we collected my glasses and returned to our hotel for a swim and to do more washing.
We headed out & I immediately regretted putting jeans on as it was so hot and humid. We found a corner spot in an Irish Bar “Healys” then joined the crowds walking to the towers. It was mad! So many people, lots of children and families everywhere, many people blowing hooters so the noise was immense. We didn't see any police or security but equally we didn’t see any trouble. Of the thousands of people there we only saw 2 drinking alcohol (not us). Cars and bikes still packed the streets but there came a point when the traffic just ground to a holt. We positioned ourselves in front of the towers in the centre of both. There was No countdown, no announcement, no music being pumped out of speakers, so everyone was just looking at their phones. Then moments after midnight the fireworks started, appearing between the two towers in front of us. The cheers and yells of delight from the diverse crowd watching made it really lovely to be there. When it was over we made our way out, with the huge throngs of people, along the streets, with the hundreds of motorbikes & scooters trying to work their way through the crowd, revving engines & more aggressively than we had previously experienced but people power won this round and we walked on the road for most of the way back.
A lazy New Year's Day with plenty of sitting on our sofa & very little else. Exactly what New Years Day is meant to be about – especially when they fall on a Sunday.
Tomorrow we say goodbye to KL but remain in Malaysia. We are heading to Penang & a place called Georgetown. Sadly there is no room in our packs for our beloved sofa.
Happy New Year to you all!
Christmas Eve daytime for us was a complete contrast to previous years & we spent it on the balcony of our guest house in Luang Prabang (‘LP’) watching the river where groups of young local lads swam fearlessly in the currents & ran up & down the high sandbanks that edge the river with ease, whilst we enjoyed a treat of Overpriced/rubbery but delicious cheddar cheese with crackers. In the evening we made the foolish mistake of having cocktails with LaoLao – the locally brewed vodka, 50% proof, followed by a few beers at a local bar called Utopia – full of first time travellers, holiday hippies & those who have travelled the SE Asia route many times. They were a good crowd & it was a good night. Too good. Not surprisingly our possible visit to the waterfalls on Christmas Day was abandoned for the more sedate pursuit of balcony viewing, but a great place nonetheless to watch via Facetime G-R open her Christmas presents with the enthusiasm of a seasoned pro. “wow”!! She exclaimed as every present was unwrapped. Brilliant! Rudy dog was less enthusiastic about our FaceTime & laid on the floor & ignored us, dressed in his Christmas pudding coat.
The following day & we were back on the road – an 8hr bus journey on a local bus to Phonsavan. Local buses are fine but they are made for local people – that is to say people who are shorter & narrower than us so the width of the seat, ,the foot room, headroom- are all too small, too tight, too low, resulting in you being very cramped & crammed in. Add to that a road that goes right up, all the way around, across & all the way down many many mountains & you begin to get an idea of what the experience is like. Oh & toilet stops are at the side of the road in the bushes.
Phonsavan is less than 30 yrs old & feels like a frontier town. It has evolved due to its proximity to ‘the plain of jars’. These are giant stone jars of unknown origin which are scattered over hundreds of sq kms around Phonsavan. They are quite extraordinary & like our own Stonehenge, many speculate on how & why they were built & how they got there. Another thing about this area which we did not know about until we arrived is that it was heavily bombed during the American/Vietnam war & that there are still many unexploded ordnance (UXO), particularly cluster bombs. As a consequence people are still being injured. We visited the local charity centre where they record on a chalkboard the names/details of incidents. Since August 2016 12 people, mainly children have been injured by UXO’s. Heartbreaking to read the details. 40 years since the war ended & although the area is being cleared the danger is still very real. Hard to comprehend.
We explored the area with a guide, Kong, an extraordinary character who shared his personal experiences of the bombs. After visiting the ‘jar site #1’ we went to a local Hmong village where Kong was quickly surrounded by dozens of excited local children as he handed out balloons to them. Such a simple gift which bought them great delight, although I had to fight the urge to wipe all their snotty noses! There we also saw several buildings using bomb casings/shells as support pillars & fire pits. Genius. Next stop we visited a cave where hundreds died in a bomb attack. Mr L disappeared into the tunnel, but it looked too slippery for me so I waited at the entrance with 4 local ladies, who decided to kidnap me & take me to a small waterfall & on a route probably more treacherous than the cave! After scrambling up a 10ft high mudbank I got back on the original track & sat waiting for Mr L on some steps with the ladies, making small talk through pointing, & showing them my photos of holiday/family/ even my bathroom!! Our last stop was at a hot spring where the locals gather to bathe & where Mr L & others sought the secret of eternal youth by covering themselves in smelly mud. I opted for the more sedate foot bath!
Before we knew it, it was time to head back to LP for a night before saying goodbye to Laos. We have loved laos & LP - It's a comfortable clean town with character. Would love to comeback & see more .Time to get back on the plane. Destination Kuala Lumper.
