So it’s been a while since I’ve updated, as I’ve mostly been taking things easy in Sydney, but it’s now time to get back to some blog writing. Being well looked after at my auntie and uncle’s place did allow me to get a bit lazy, but still I saw a lot over my time there. I originally attempted to find work and did spend some time applying for jobs and even interviewing for one; a company building an app for locating ‘gentleman’s services’… but that didn’t work out. After a while I settled on continuing my travels so took the time to plan ahead, more on that later. Continue reading
Adelaide
A somewhat delayed update from my time in Adelaide, I have in fact been in Sydney for nearly a week now but a mix of sight seeing and job hunting has kept me busy – more on that another time. Continue reading
Great Ocean Road
A 1000km drive, over a 24 hour period and sleeping in the car… tiring by well worth it! The scenery on this road between Melbourne and Adelaide is simply stunning and I felt like I could stop around almost every corner to see a different view or take more photos. Continue reading
Melbourne
Seems like a while since my last update. I am now of course in Australia, having spent the last week or so in Melbourne. Heard a lot of good things about the city and it does indeed feel quite relaxed for it’s size but still with plenty going on. For me too my time now will be more relaxed, with no fixed plans and a lot of time ahead of me I no longer feel the need to fit lots into every day of the week. The first thing that was a shock upon arriving was I actually felt cold for the first time! Even had to get my hoody out of the bottom of my backpack as the weather here seems very changeable, going from as low as 16c from one day but up to the 30s just a day or two later. Coming from Thailand and Malaysia the other shock to the system is the cost of everything, as an example a pint in most places is around £6, not that anyone seems to drink pints…always halfs for some reason.
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Kuala Lumpur
Arriving in Kuala Lumpur with only a week left before my flight to Australia I eventually decided on just staying here for my remaining time, taking some time out from all the travelling and seeing the city at a slower pace. It meant I won’t see any more of Malaysia, but well I can always come back.
Being a city, it is quite noisy, dirty and crowded, but there were a few places to get away from that. The Lake Gardens were particularly nice to walk, with very few people around and a few attractions such as an Orchid garden, bird park and small deer park. A short walk further also led to the National Monument, a really well kept area with a sculpture park and statues dedicated to those lost in the wars Malaysians have been involved in. Continue reading
George Town
My first stop in Malaysia was Georgetown, on the island of Penang, a city whose inner centre is recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site for it’s unique architectural and cultural townscape. This comes mostly from having such a wide range of influences; built by the English, inhabited by Malay, Chinese and Indian populations and all following an array of different religions. The satisfying thing is they all seem to mix together with no problems. Continue reading
Koh Tao
A rather choppy ferry journey moved me over to the tiny island of Koh Tao, which seemed very heavily aimed at people wanting to learn or go diving, with schools on almost every corner. Not something I was particularly interested in, but I’d met a few people to hang out with and thought I’d spend a couple of days experiencing island life. Continue reading
Koh Samui
Finally managed to get my photos off of the dodgy camera card, so I’ll try to catch up with the blog posts I’ve missed now. I’m actually in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia now – but there’s a few places still to write about first.
A short bus ride from Khao Sok followed by the ferry took me to Koh Samui, the biggest of the islands off the east coast of Thailand. It’s an island that has developed a lot over the years and seems to have quite a family holiday feel to it. So I only stopped for a couple of days. Continue reading
Khao Sok
Back on mainland Thailand for a short visit to Khao Sok, a national park set in stunning scenery of jungle and towering limestone mountains. No hostels around here so for once I had my own room! I stayed in a wooden bungalow or hut or whatever you want to call it, with the sounds of the jungle around me. Continue reading
Phuket
A lack of PC access has hindered me updating recently, but I’ve found my way to an Internet Cafe to write a couple of updates. Also here to backup my photos – yesterday my camera decided it wouldn’t save any more photos or even display existing ones, leaving me of course extremely worried! But the card seems to read fine in this PC, so although something still might be wrong with the camera at least I now know I haven’t lost all my photos! Continue reading