SYDNEY LOCAL GUIDE

MCA REDEVELOPMENT..

2010-08-31T16:34:00.000+10:00

MoMa, Centre Pompidou, Tate Modern – watch out. Work recently began to extend Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art – both its physical space and its creative scope. On the cards is the addition of an eye-catching annex to the original museum building, an increase to the gallery's size of almost 50 per cent that will incorporate expansive multi-level galleries and a range of educational and research facilities for contemporary art aficionados.

Source.

SNOW IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS..

2010-08-31T06:24:00.002+10:00

Light snow on the NSW ranges in the past 24 hours has been falling on the Blue Mountains and as far north as Guyra on the Northern Tablelands.

Source

THINGS YOU LEARN THROUGH TRAVELLING..

2010-08-27T08:36:00.000+10:00

"On March 13, 2007, I handed over the keys to my house, put my possessions in storage and headed out to travel around the world with nothing but a backpack, my laptop and a camera.

Three and a half years and 70 countries later, I've gotten the equivalent of a Ph.D in general knowledge about the people and places of Planet Earth."

Check out the stories of Gary Arndt.

BURKE & WILLIS COMMEMORATIVE STAMPS..

2010-08-16T09:41:00.000+10:00

The 150th anniversary of the Burke and Wills expedition, the first South - North crossing of the continent is celebrated with the release of this special stamp issue.

On 20 August 1860, the Burke and Wills expedition left Melbourne for the Gulf of Carpentaria. The explorers hoped to be the first Europeans to cross Australia from the south to the north.

While the explorers reached the Gulf, the expedition ended in tragedy. Physically exhausted from their journey, they hoped to find William Brahe and much needed help and supplies at Cooper's Creek. Their expectations were dashed when they learned that Brahe had left Cooper's Creek only hours before their arrival. Burke, Wills and King then set off towards Mt Hopeless, in South Australia.

Despite offers of help from local Aboriginal people, Burke and Wills died on Cooper's Creek in June 1861. The only person to survive was John King, who was found in September by a search party sent from Melbourne.

From Australia Post

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY: 15-21 AUG..

2010-08-16T09:24:00.000+10:00

1786 The decision is made in England to colonise New South Wales with convicts from Britain's overcrowded gaols
1839 Louis Daguerre invents the daguerreotype photographic process, allowing an image to be chemically fixed as a permanent picture
1842 Hobart Town, the main settlement in Van Diemen's Land, is proclaimed a city
1857 121 people die when the ship, the 'Dunbar', runs aground at The Gap, Sydney
1930 The two halves of the Sydney Harbour Bridge are joined
1980 Two month old Azaria Chamberlain disappears while on a family camping holiday at Uluru (Ayers Rock), Australia

TOUR INQUIRY: A GROUP OF 20..

2010-08-11T11:43:00.004+10:00

"I have 20 people in a group. Do you have a van or a bus that will fit all of them? They are going on a cruise so they want a half-day tour around Sydney. They want you to pick them up at the airport and drop them off at the ship port terminal after the tour. Is this okay? Please let me know.
Thank you."

As someone who only specialises in small tour groups - max 4 - I can't say I wasn't a bit surprised to receive this inquiry this morning. For one, I don't have a bus... for which I'm currently in the process of getting my Driver Authority License which will enable me to take public passengers in a bus-like vehicle. And secondly, I am nowhere near confident projecting my voice and keeping twenty sets of eyes focused on me at all times.

Cruise passengers are of course the best people to take on a tour, because they are all about leisure and having things pointed out and they take a photograph. But picking up from the airport requires so much planning and assisting.

Appreciate the business, but no thanks...

ANGRY FLIGHT ATTENDANT SLIDES TO FREEDOM..

2010-08-11T11:28:00.001+10:00

This made my day! (Flight attendant slides to freedom)

And the Taiwanese have created a 3D reenactment to illustrate the seriousness of abusing passengers before sliding down the exit slippery dip. They should show this in flight attendant training school as a what-to-do in stressful situations scenario.

I wish all jobs had some sort of dramatic emergency exit device... where one can grab a beer (or entire booze cart) before skipping town... but I'm too demure and have way too much integrity to go out on a limb like this...

TIME OUT SUBSCRIPTION RENEWAL..

2010-08-11T11:00:00.002+10:00

Oops! Didn't mean to let this one slip passed me. Time Out Sydney have requested I renew my subscription to their magazine - which so far has been a great source of information for current events and things I didn't know about in Sydney. But what do you know, I can't for the life of me find my subscription number to get a hold of their offer for another 6 issues at $6.

$6 bucks though, what a bargain!

Considering in the newsagents, this magazine is $3.95 for each issue I should really get a tissue for my issue, and shouldn't be whinging that I have to pay the subscription cost of $13.90 for renewing... but I'm Aussie... I'll complain about anything...

I love their tagline though, 'We miss you.' Please, did they really believe I was ever gone?

NEED ONE: CAMPERVAN..

2010-08-11T09:48:00.007+10:00

I'm having trouble securing a campervan from Ayers Rock Airport back to Ayers Rock Airport. All the campervan companies seem to be in Alice Springs, with only three rental car companies - Hertz, Thrifty and Avis - at the airport we're flying into.

Oh why did I book our flights so hastily? If we'd flown into Alice Springs this would be a sinch. I'd go for one of those 2-berth vans... but now I'm faced with a conundrum. I've looked at plenty of websites with many campervans within my budget, like Wicked and Jucy Rentals... What to do...

ACCOMMODATION THE BUDGET WAY..

2010-08-10T15:28:00.000+10:00

In booking flights to Uluru / Ayers Rock I've completely miscalculated a few things. First thought: I'd hire a car! Easy done, you can pick one up from the airport upon arrival for around $310, a Toyota Yaris or similar and be on your way for the six days not having to answer to any coach or shuttle service. And then I started looking at accommodation, fuck! Average prices are between $150 - $300 per night!

I've always been a backpacker/couchsurfer so luxurious hotels were never something I really looked at when deciding where I'd stay. But this trip is kinda different - it's not for a long time, and it's special being my birthday present to myself, so I would've thought I'd splash out maybe $60 bucks a night on somewhere budget-like. In my research I've learnt Voyages has the monopoly on all the hotels in all price ranges. There is a hostel-like option, but reading reviews on TripAdvisor has deterred me a little. Maybe I could book a campervan? Yeah... that would settle both the transport AND accommodation needs...

ULURU, HERE I COME..

2010-08-09T12:49:00.000+10:00

Yay, I've booked flights to Uluru to celebrate my 30th birthday!

This saves answering the question - what are you doing for your birthday? are we having a party, or what? This way, I get to travel again (it's been nearly a year since and I'm feeling the itch nagging at my feet), escape the city for a bit and return feeling refreshed and renewed. After all, isn't that why people travel in the first place?

HIGH MOUNTAINS, LOW VALLEYS..

2010-08-08T10:09:00.000+10:00

I feel flat. I need something mountainous. I'm one of those high mountains, low valleys people... and I'm in a low valley in need of a high mountain.

CAIN9INE'S NEW YORK BLOG..

2009-11-26T12:44:00.000+11:00

Cain9ine's New York Blog is the second book in a series of photoblogs that chronicle one backpacker/couchsurfer’s experience travelling the world. Compiling vibrant photographs and journal entries, Cain9ine takes new and nostalgic travellers on a journey, now to North America... cutting corners on cost, but not on life experience!

SE ASIA: POST TRIP BLUES..

2009-11-03T14:49:00.002+11:00

Sigh! It's been nearly 2 months back home in sunny Sydney! Does anyone really ever recover from going overseas? I think not... I certainly haven't been the same since my first well over 4 years ago. So, I'm putting in a request to make this a full-time occupation...

As a matter of fact, I enjoyed my GAP Adventures tour so much, I filled in their online application to become one of their travelling minions. Creating wanderlust comes as naturally to me as breathing, so I'd love to keep meeting people, having blind massages, eating exotic fruits - all that!

The Roam Cambodia tour I did continued through Vietnam, even though I left in Saigon to explore more of Thailand's islands. It was a nice change for me to have someone organise accommodation, transport, a few meals, etc... usually I'm the one who does all the research along the way.

And as a single traveller, I threw myself into conversation with people (otherwise it was going to be a pretty lonely tour), and that was awesome. A lot of English, which reminded me of living in London. As it so happens, two people I met... well, we hang out regularly here in Sydney drinking beer and complaining about food prices in comparison to Cambodia!

As for the content.. I feel like I wanted more time at Angkor Wat (but then I got food poisoning, so the 2nd day would've sucked)... only because the sunset was pretty underwhelming just going from a dark blue overcast to a light gray overcast. But the temples are pretty awe-inspiring in their own right...
Prices are on their website, but there's usually a local payment that you have to give them at the beginning of the tour as well. I guess your own experience will be unique in itself regardless of what I have to say.. but when you went out as a gorup to a restaurant, they sit you all together and give you your bill depending on where you were sitting. I'd prefer to buy my drinks at the bar, and stand around to mingle.. not be forced to stay seated at a table...

But what can you do... you learn not to sweat the small stuff because hello! you're in freaking Asia man!!!

If I had an Angkor, Chang or Saigon beer in my hands right about now, I'd call a cheers to STA Travel who took me there, and to GAP Adventures who took me around...

SEA ASIA: ISLAND HOPPING..

2009-09-15T15:14:00.002+10:00

KO SAMUI

I'm not sure how it happens exactly, but the pace is quick. You glance fleetingly in their general direction, maybe show vague interest in something on display... then POW! you've bargained your way to almost half the price for a Diesel side-pack you sort only half wanted. Such is how it goes down with every store, why? Because I'm a white 'westerner' and I am obviously only in Thailand to buy, buy, buy. Interesting sidenote, the Thai's value lighter skin so much that they factor bleach or something into some products. Ironic really, since we come to these islands to tan up. As you know, I've been reading 'The Beach' and seeing so many Thai, I start imagining I am also as tanned... but alas, like Richard when he puts himself infront of a mirror... he sees that he is still pasty... or in my case, mildly sunburnt.

Anyway, so this is the 2nd side-pack I've purchased since being here, but I've only really paid about $45 bucks for the two of them. Not that I regret either purchase really, but surprised at how whenever I truly mean to walk away, and start doing so... the price magically drops and I'm forced to make an offer. How low will he go? But it is customary to bargain, and I accept my fate, that it is necessary to arrive at the correct (or slightly inflated) price. If you're white, the Thai's also view you as wealthy... obviously coming from a country where the currency is well-off, and to make a living the Thai must appeal to you. And so, regardless of the price, or outcome... I like the friendly smile they give me when we exchange baht. Thailand after all, is the 'land of smiles'.

Here on Ko Samui, it's only natural to buy up big before returning home as this is a big tourist mecca. I'm told as a result of the fanny-pack wearing backpackers, that Ko Tao is now the place to be after Ko Phang-nan wore out is 'untouched'ness when the Full Moon Party started attracting the same sorts of crowds. But I'm not fussed really... for the time I've got available I don't mind staying in the already celebrated... I've just chosen to stay away from Chewang, on the quieter Maenam Beach. Besides, its a nice change from Saigon's hustle, and there are plenty of bare bodies to perve on... ;)

I've just stopped in for a Chang, my favourite of the beers, and asked for a glass but received a pitcher in the translation. Oh well, be nice to sit here and write a few postcards before I visit the another Big Buddha. As a person of the camera, I envy the dramatic colours of the horizon so I need to pass time to make my photos magical. Not that it isn't what it claims to be, a big buddha nonetheless is still pretty impressive, but the neverending 'you buy, you buy' philosophy cheapens the spiritual significance a little bit... and I'd much prefer to go into that with a beer head.

KO PHI PHI

I'm not sure how it happens exactly, but the moment it is not convenient, is the moment you so desperately need to. The runs have returned, and it just so happened waiting for the ferry to Phi Phi Island I needed to go... again for the 3rd time. Alert! Alert! All that is available is the eastern squat toilet, in a higenically challenged bathroom. A small Thai woman followed me in when I hesitated looking for the tissue I'd need to wipe with afterwards. Angrily she scolded me, and gave me a quick demonstration of how I'm supposed to clean myself afterwards. This was going to be the most humbling and frightening experience of this trip! Thank f*** that I had some wet wipes in my bag I'd forgotten about... and that's all I'll say on the matter...

... because Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Ley (home of Maya Bay where the DiCaprio film of 'The Beach' was filmed) are certainly breathtaking. All but wiped out from the 2004 tsunami, the town centre has been rebuilt with a respectful memorial to an unchanged affected area if you so desire. But I mainly desired to swim, which I did... end of story. Oh and I chartered my own boat to Maya Bay for the sunrise... glad I did... totally worth it, and you can snorkle with the fishies. I photographed an octopus that was trying to hide by camoflaging into a rock, but it changed colour after the underwater flash went off. Cool huh!?

KO PHUKET/PHANG-NGA BAY

So I was supposed to arrive in Phang-Nga Bay to transfer to a small fishing village on stilts called Ko Panyi, but getting up for sunrise meant I slept through my stop on the bus and playing charades with the driver wasn't on my list of priorities... so I've ended up in Phuket. It's fine though... this often happens when travelling. I've still managed to book a cheap hotel, a trip out to the bay (at sunset no less), and an airport transfer for the day after. I wasn't counting on it all going according to that plan either, as the rain clouds just keep coming... and they did as my little twilight tour descended onto the bay.

There were short bouts of light beaming through the the gray clouds, but otherwise it was a blink n' you'll miss it type of photograph opportunity. Fortunately, after a huge downpour on Ko Panyi, a sunshower meant I could explore through the alleyways and enjoy the simple pleasure of children giggling as they got wet. Straight after, our little longtail boat sailed through rain to what is now known as James Bond Island (locally named Ko Tapu), in honour of the 1974 007 film: 'The Man With The Golden Gun', in which the villain has his lair camouflaged within the area. Of course in the plot, this island exists somewhere in China, but it looks the same as it did in the film (pre-blowing up), as I found out during the bus ride to the bay on which the movie was played for us westerners. I imagine the guide is well and truly over it...

--

Anyhow, that's it from me on this here SE Asia trip. I've now completed my transit from Phuket > Bangkok > Sydney and am now safely quarantined and allowed back in my nation's suburbs. I've got a few gifts for a lucky few, so if you're one of those, you'll receive in due course.

SE ASIA: GOOD MORNING VIETNAM..

2009-09-10T19:54:00.002+10:00

Goooooood morning, Vietnam! And what a super fine, sunny day it is... our first actually. The rest of the time has been a mixture of rainy, or overcast skies. So I can't tell you how much of a bounce in the step this weather causes me to have. Too bad, it's the last day of the tour, and I'm spending my day in transit between Saigon and Ko Samui, via Bangkok. But not until I get to taste Pho, Vietnam's breakfast sensation that consists of a bowl of noodles, a few strips of meat (exact type pending), some veggies and spices, and some boiling hot water to cook it all in a matter of seconds. Best thing about it, you can get a full stomach for as little as $1 AUD. Sweet!

Leaving Sihanoukville, our group encounted a flooded road, that would meet hips in the deepest part. Many locals were attempting to wade through the brown river overflow collecting God knows what along the way: empty chip packets, cocount shells, hepititis?? I even noticed some spiders being swept along. But most were fishing for their evening meal. Anyway, this is an adventure tour after all, and our van driver was anxious to reach the other side. Apparently a bit of water waist high was no obstacle, and slowly, but surely the first ouf our two vans crept into the water. We were met with curious glances from the locals that would eventually morph into grins when they registered what we were actually doing.

The inside filled up quickly with exhaust fumes and apprehensive comments about our survival could be heard among the eight of us. But as we were pinned right up the back with our backpacks we only had a minimal amount of muck seep through onto the floor. And before we knew it, we'd emerged from the great flood unscathed, parking at a servo to wait for the other bus. It was there that I learnt were were the guinea pigs, but we were the success story...

The other driver stupidly gunned it straight into the water sending a wave of death into the air and not surprisingly, into the engine. Panic ensued amongst some of the group members, a door was open, backpacks were submerged, and tempers flew. The German girl fell face first into the drudge and the rest silently waded through to the other side, and eventually where we were waiting. We applauded their feat. "It was the best time of my life!" exclaimed the little Japanese girl, whom by all accounts should have all but disappeared considering my waist-high estimate eliminated her. But for the German, "Nein!!" as a trickle of murky water fell from her video camera tapes. This is why travel insurance works, people!

After that, crossing the border into Vietnam seemed a menial task. We stopped overnight in Chau Doc before cruising into Ho Chi Minh City (which the locals affectionately still refer to as Saigon) late afternoon. Cruising is probably the least correct term to use, considering the motorbikes stopping and starting are probably the farthest from the truth. There are complicated power lines on every corner leading me to believe eletrocutions could happen as frequently as stepping on a landmine! And stepping out in traffic to cross the road, is a lesson in faith. Just step out, and walk. Don't confuse the moto-riders by stopping or going back... just go!

We'd stopped off for lunch at a roadside restaurant where an weathered old woman picked up that I was using the wrong hand to eat my dish with. In SE Asia, the toilet standard is that you use your left hand to 'wipe' with and the right hand for all other higenic tasks like eating. I'm not sure if washing even comes into it... anyway, the old lady had a toothless chuckle when I struggled with the chopsticks in my right hand, but watched intently for a while as I acqiured the skill.Then she plopped her rice hat on her head, and waddled away.

As this was the last day of the 'Roam Cambodia' tour, the group shared a last meal in Saigon, opposite the palace. Being the first to migrate, I won't be joining the rest to visit the Chi Chi Tunnels used by soldiers during the war to move from one place to another. Instead, I'll chill with a papaya shake, maybe pick up a few postcards, before heading to Samui.

Let's hope this weather stays, eh?

SE ASIA: THE KHMER MASSAGE..

2009-09-06T22:56:00.002+10:00

O. M. F. G. Don't talk about it, don't even think about it... in travel you don't question, you experience, and that is what I have just done, and is what I recommend. Say yes to a soothing Khmer massage from someone at Seeing Hands - the place where you get a one hour massage by a blind person (and in my case, I'd like to point out the talents of Rothan [Ro-tarn]) for $6 USD. Bloody bargain! You can't ignore that knot in your tendon for that price. After all, you have been walking everywhere for the last few weeks... or have you been lazy succumbing to the tuk-tuk chants? Bleh...

So I changed from my powder pink polo into powder blue scrubs ("You scrub up quite nice," says Bec, a tour companion of mine, giving me the old 'hey hey' look as she made the joke) and lay face down on the mattress waiting for Rothan to finish his previous client. And then slowly, he felt his way to my bed and welcomed me to Seeing Hands, asking if I had any problems or anything he should work harder on. "I'm just a little ticklish, so I apologise if I whack you in the face when you start on my feet!"

He laughed, taking his cue to begin easing me into the relaxation. This was my first massage from a professional so I tried to follow the pattern in which he worked over my head, back, arms, hands, butt, legs and feet... but was stopped short of the head, almost as if he'd pushed a pressure point that switched the brain to standby. Besides, we began to talk about our lives up until that point. Outside a monsoon drenched the coast of Cambodia in warm rain.

"I don't much like the rain," he stated... accented English almost perfect. "I'm afraid I might slip over, but it is nice at night." I couldn't agree more, looking forward to falling asleep again with the rain patting the roof of my bungalow accommodation in Sihanoukville. I listened as Rothan talked passionately about being blind as his way of life... that he'd been a masseuse for seven years now and how every body felt different. We both chuckled when we heard a guy on another table start to snore loudly.

Compared to many disabled, landmine victims, or poverty-stricken Khmers, I believe Rothan is happy. These people have none of the wealth our countries pride themselves on, but remain positive, trying to improve their situation by living their lives humbly. I respect that and wish I was more willing to be satisfied with what I have, not what I think I need based on what Facebook or Perez Hilton thinks I should care about. I find travelling reminds me of this pact I make with myself every time I'm away from Sydney... I'm reading Alex Garland's The Beach at the moment and in it, he talks about how all travellers should experience poverty to be qualified as worldly and interesting... and that's just the start...

But I don't want to sound overly preachy here... I'm just saying. There isn't much else to do when it has rained for four days straight in a white sanded tourist mecca. Swimming is risky, as Graham (on our tour) got scratched with barnacles when he got caught in a rip, and punters interrupt your beachside beverages hounding you to buy crap... but yes, the change of pace is noticeably different from Phnom Penh, the capital we spent two days in prior to this. Unfortunately, we just happen to be here during the wet season, so what can you do?

I recommend going for a massage... but, that's just me!

SE ASIA: ANGKOR WHAT?

2009-09-04T19:08:00.002+10:00

Alright! I'm calling it. It was the basil leaf salad with chicken at Angkor Wat. Yes people, I've been struck down with a bad case of food poisoning, expelling the contents of my stomach with projectile force all over the hotel bathroom floor. Mix in a fountain of diarrhea and broken sleep, and you've got me over the last two days… come to think of it, I'd say half the GAP tour group have come down with these symptoms, and have vowed to lay off uncooked foods for the duration of our trip. So today, I'm taking some time out to relax, upload some photographs and not worry about where my next toilet bowl will be.

We left Bangkok the morning after our GAP Adventures orientation. There are 15 in the group, mostly English, but there is another Australian who understands my need for Vegemite accompaniment. Apparently Vegemite will serve as a repellant against malaria while here due to its high source of Vitamin B, so I don't need to take the pills that everyone else seems to be on. 15 is a good size for travelling in a mini-bus, or splitting the cost of a tour guide when visiting Angkor Wat Archaeological Park - the main reason for arriving into Siem Reap, and the first of our stops in Cambodia.

Angkor Wat does offer a night spectacle, but to be honest, the ruins are phenomenal in their own right, rain, hail or shine. And lucky they were, because the 5am wakeup to see the sunrise would have been worthless otherwise, since we could only see cloud and the gradual lightening of the sky. I found the tour guide's explanation boring, and naturally when drifted away in both mind and feet. I began to wonder about the Khmer people during the heyday of the temples, whether it was a happy and prosperous time, or whether war threatened their survival every day - it was after all a powerful empire back then. Of course, my mind always reverts to animated depictions of suck things, so I thought of Disney's Atlantis movie, and The Road to Eldorado.

What's sad about this place is the poverty of the people. To survive, parents send their children out to hound the westerners to buy postcards, shroals (hehe, Angie), and flutes made out of bamboo. And they bombard you the minute you step off the bus: "You buy two for one dulllaaaaaaaaa." or "Monkey like anannnaaaaas, sir you buy." And that continues over and over, almost without taking a breath. We've been discouraged by our tour leader, Nin, from purchasing anything from them, as the country is trying to get the kids into some sort of an education and if they can sell these goods (mind you, I wouldn't want a flute that has been played by some dirty kid's mouth first anyway), then there is no reason to hope for a better life. As westerners, we really are the lucky ones, although in saying that… I think the Cambodian people rely less on technologies and are happier for it. The kids are friendly though, when you start asking them questions like their name, but otherwise… their English doesn't extend much past: "You buy, you buy."

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So we saw the three main temples. Angkor Wat (the most famous), Ta Phrom (the one with tree roots growing over the ruins) and Bayan (the one with all the faces). By the end of the day, you're definitely templed out, but if you're only here the once… you'd want to make it count and photograph everything, even if they do all look the same at the time. I preferred Ta Phrom which found fame in the Tomb Raider movie. The serenity of the tree trunks and moss covering the ancient ruins was sort of mystical and it was a lot smaller than the other two that we saw. Our guide said there is no underground cavern though, like in the movie. "Anelina Holie falls down to a mowie set, haha."

In the late afternoon, a few of us continued along to the floating village, about a forty minute drive away. Our guide So, took us on a longtail boat out across the lake and told us about life on stilts. He said that people go to the markets twice a day because refrigerating items would be too expensive for their wage. It was about then that I started to feel woozy, although at that stage I was already paranoid that I was going to get sick, so I dismissed the groaning in my stomach. It wasn't until later when I was Skyping with Josh back home where I felt really nauseous, and then hurried back to the hotel and… well, I'm sure you can gather what happened next…

SE ASIA: THE BANGKOK HILTON..

2009-08-31T15:15:00.003+10:00

Of course, it's best to begin by referring to Bangkok (or Khao San Rd - the city's Backpacker haven) as a rape of the senses. During, what is currently described as the rainy season, each morning and night (usually the minute after I put down my fork and spoon from my delic' pad see ew) bucketloads of water descends from the heavens and transforms the bustling tourist mecca into a scurrying flurry of ants. Stalls selling tshirts, henna tattoos, or whatever the f*ck you can think of, all close and the shirtless travelers migrate indoors to consume large amounts of Chang or Singha beer (which we've purchased for 100BHT = $3AUD) under a constant loop of trance beats.

I arrived under the cover of darkness, so the humidity wasn't too bad the moment I stepped onto the taxi platform.. but the change was obvious. I'd met an English guy named Ben at the baggage claim who has been traveling for the last two years and is on his way home to Swindon. I'd noticed his disheveled appearance at the gate in Sydney.. he had white headphones on, a full beard and a birds nest of blonde hair underneath a knitted beanie… my type maybe? Hehe… anyway, enough of the descriptive rubbish, I'm sure you get the picture. He approached me to split a cab, and found we got on rather well on the ride between the airport and our respective accommodation.

It seems the Royal Hotel (where I'm connecting with my GAP adventures tour) is a favourite among travel agents abroad, and as such used it as our meet-up place every day. You see, I decided to stay in a cheap hostel on the river (can't remember its name), but it overlooks the.. er.. bridge that looks like Sydney's Anzac Bridge (gee wiz, a map with these places names would come in handy right about now…). It's quiet and off the beaten track. To get there, the taxi got lost, before dropping me off in some random alleyway, and tried to convince me through a game of charades that this was where I was meant to be. Er, ok.. I'm in a random under-developed city, don't speak the language and I'm desperate for a sh*t.. but ok… I'll wander aimlessly down that dark, residential path covered with emaciated cats, and God knows what else in the hope luck favours me and I find Phiman Water View. Sure.

Fortunately, a quick left turn, followed by a right, and a right.. and a small door invites me inside. I could tell because I'd booked the place based on the artworks in the website pictures, albeit not because of the cheat 350BHT rate (and you could probably guess from my earlier conversion, that's pretty much a pittance). Yet, after doing what a man needs to do after an 8hour flight, I relaxed with a beer before settling in on the hard mattress.

--

Wat Intharawihan (Temple of the Standing Buddha)
- 45m into the air, this gold statue was the first I saw, and it was a great eye-opener into the differences between slum and wealth. Right near my hostel, it was free entry because the city had a visiting monk).

Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha)
- Creative names for these things huh? Amazing gold statue that will only be realized in visual form.. so I wont go into detail here. Bl*ody hot inside though, I could see my sweat trickling down my arms as I took photos).

Wat Phra Kaeo (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)
- Apparently rather sacred, and the only place you couldn't take photos inside. But it was nice to kneel for a moment to watch the locals worship a little green statue.
Rattanakosin (Grand Palace)
- Meh, starting to get over the temples….
Wat Saket (Golden Mount)
- Probably a great place to view the sunset, but all I had was overcast skies, so it was hardly worth going. Besides the tuk tuk drivers Ben and I approached (or rather, who kept approaching us) wanted to take us to several other places as well… theres a scam often played out on the unsuspecting…
Thon Buri (Temple Of Dawn)
- Plan to see it today.

There a groups of students following us around the temples, asking us (or mainly Ben, I think because of his Jesus-like hair) in broken English whether we enjoy coconut soup with chicken, although it sounds more like ho-ho-hut Michigan. They seemed to think the task of speaking in a different language less daunting when we asked them for a photo.

AYUTHUYA
On a day-trip yesterday to the former capital of Siam (before it was ravaged by war), meant a private taxi for the two of us that only cost about thirty bucks each, and meant we didn't have to work out how to get to the train station, etc, nor find the Buddha head wrapped in the roots of a tree either. And of course I could be descriptive here about what we saw, but I'd rather point out that probably as part of his commission, our taxi driver took us to this place where we saw tiger kittens playing with a puppy, and an elephant took us for a leisurely stroll around the park.

Not sure how I feel about how the animals are treated here, but it made me slightly uneasy when the guy sitting on the elephants head whacked it with a hooked stick to stop it from pausing to eat the grass along the way. If the elephants skin wasn't as tough as a grannie living in Miami, I'd be inclined to jump off an walk back… but in all honestly, it probably just felt like a tap.

At one point, I was just looking up from reviewing a photo, when my eyes met those of a beautiful Thai girl. She was beaming at me, and I couldn't help by watch her and smile back as we walked in opposite directions. In hindsight, I probably should have asked her for an interview, and possibly export her to Australia so Josh and I can have Thai food cooked for us every night!

Ok, enough for now, I'm sweating here and can smell banana pancakes (or 'banan pancay'). And I want a papaya shake to feel refreshed with. Just a heads up.. I had roaming enabled, but it seems it is only incoming, and outgoing texts just sit there doing nothing. Blows…

PS. As always Sydney looks fantastic from the air… a nice memory to have of home while away…

STA TRAVEL COMPETITION: SE ASIA..

2009-07-28T14:34:00.005+10:00

I came runner up for STA Travel's Snapped Competition in May 2009. I uploaded 3 photographs to the website (complying with the terms for unique angles, etc), was selected as a finalist and encouraged to enlist all my friends on Facebook and wherever I could grab them to vote for my entry.

The Competition: Submit 3 unaltered images of your travel experiences that meet our photographic brief. One lucky winner will be sent off to Europe, while the other winner will be whisked away to Asia, where they’ll continue to capture imagery for us and document your experiences while travelling. Imagine your photos strewn across posters, brochures, books, shop-windows...

Make sure your 3 photos meet the following criteria:

Real eg, not staged or posed images
Taken from a unique perspective
Spontaneous
Taken of specific things, for example: Places (monuments, buildings, signs, statues);Culture (people, traditions, rituals, religion);Travellers (feelings, experiences, adventures)

I came in 2nd to a Victorian girl called Nonie Tuxen, but I've already been to Europe. So essentially I won what I wanted!

Here is the trip summary for Roam Cambodia, provided by GAP Adventures that I won as part of the prize. Cambodia's scenic beauty and the diverse legacies of its history make this country truly fascinating. Marvel at the ancient temples of Angkor and face the horrific reality of the Killing Fields, relax on white sandy beaches, wander the busy waterways of Vietnam's Mekong Delta and brave Saigon's jam packed streets to discover an incredible corner of Indochina.

How cool to be recognised for my travel photography, among other talented photographers. Of course, it was a lesson in PR as much as it was about photography. Enlisting votes proved to be a massive undertaking that required constant spamming of friends and acquaintances for the week-long poll. Yet, it paid off for which I am grateful.

Of course, being the traveller I am... I'm flying into Bangkok a few days early to settle into the climate and see a few other things not provided in the itinerary. And then... I'll be spending an extra week island-hopping in Thailand's south, which'll all be updated here, and on the STA Travel website, I presume.

CAIN9INE'S LONDON BLOG..

2009-07-09T18:25:00.000+10:00

Cain9ine's London Blog is the first book in a series of photoblogs that chronicle one backpacker/working holidaymaker’s experience travelling the world. Compiling vibrant photographs and journal entries, Cain9ine takes new and nostalgic travellers on a journey, first to Europe... cutting corners on cost, but not on life experience!