Camping Holidays around Oz

Australians are increasingly looking in their own backyards when it comes to holiday planning, as they try to cut back spending, due to the global economic crisis. Camping is one holiday which is making a huge come back as it is so affordable. My husband and I have always been keen campers and have found it to be a very rewarding experience, as we get to have a break without breaking the bank.

One of our favourite camping spots is Lane Poole Reserve at Dwellingup in Western Australia. Camping Fees are $5 per Adult (16yrs and over) and $2 per child aged between 5 and 16, day use is FREE and dogs are allowed on leash only (Due to Fox baiting in the reserve). There is so much to keep the whole family entertained at this fabulous site including; swimming, fishing, canoeing, rafting, hikes, night spotting, just to name a few.

There are plenty of similar camping options dotted all around Australia, some of which only charge a nominal fee, whilst some are actually free! If you are looking for in-expensive, last minute travel options for this Christmas holiday period, how about checking out the many National Parks and camp grounds we have available to us here in Australia.

Further Information is available at:
Australia Wide - www.camping.com.au and www.atn.com.au
South Australia - www.environment.sa.gov.au
Victoria - www.parkweb.vic.gov.au
NSW & ACT- www.environment.nsw.gov.au
Northern Territory - www.nt.gov.au
Queensland - www.epa.qld.gov.au
Western Australia - www.dec.wa.gov.au
Tasmania - www.parks.tas.gov.au

For more information about holidays around Australia visit www.adventurouswomen.com.au

Life is An Adventure - Are You Living Yours?

Ever thought of joining a Women's Adventure Club?

Well here's your chance - Australia's first Women's Adventure Club has been successfully launched in Perth, Western Australia and is now rapidly expanding into other parts of Australia, New Zealand and overseas!

The adventure club is a central hub, bringing women together to explore the world and expand their horizons. The aim of the club is to enable women to exchange ideas, share stories, meet travel buddies, explore opportunities and form new friendships in a non-competitive and encouraging environment.

The club holds regular social gatherings, hikes, outdoor pursuits, travel (local & overseas) information sharing and other exciting activities. As a club we have incredible buying power when it comes to travel, equipment and resources, which is a huge benefit for our members.

If you have itchy feet, bored with life, want some adventure, looking for change, need a break or simply just want to be part of this community then check out the Women's Adventure Club at Adventurous Women.

www.adventurouswomen.com.au - there is an adventure for everyone!

Kimberley Odyssey Eco Trek - Western Australia

The Kimberley is well known for its spectacular geography as well as its diverse and unique mix of inhabitants and industry. People who are visiting the region are leaving with lifelong memories of the breathtaking scenery, unique Aboriginal rock art and culture, classic barramundi fishing and distinctive East Kimberley characters. The ability to create a sense of awe, and be readily identifiable as Western Australian, has lead this region to be listed within the top ranks of WA's most iconic tourist attractions.

This trek offers you the opportunity to appreciate this natural beauty and diverse cultural wealth and history. There are a number of expeditions to choose from-The Bungle Bungles, Chamberlain Valley, Doon Doon, and the Carr-Boyd Ranges to Lake Argyle.........continue

Catherine Denehy is Motiv8'd

I have recently had the pleasure of crossing paths with a very motivated and inspirational lady. Her name is Catherine Denehy and she is passionate about empowering and motivating everyone to dream big and believe in themselves. Catherine believes that everyone has the seeds of brilliance within, they just require the tools to learn how to shine.

Read how Catherine can help you live the life of your dreams!

Catherine Denehy is a qualified Results & Master Results Coach, Performance Consultant,
Master Practitioner of Advanced Neurological Repatterning ® NLP,Master Practitioner of Hypnosis & Ericksonian Hypnosis

Explore the real AUSTRALIA movie locations!

Discover the real Australia: Western Australia, the real home of Australia the movie.

In September 2007, Western Australia welcomed filmmaking legend Baz Luhrmann and Hollywood stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman to the magnificent Kimberley region to shoot scenes for Australia the movie.

The red and rugged landscape of the east Kimberley will feature strongly in this epic romantic adventure movie set around the bombing of Darwin in the Second World War.

Kununurra, which means 'big water' in the local Aboriginal language, is the gateway to the east Kimberley - one of the world's last true wilderness areas and the place to go for a real Australian outback adventure experience.

Journey into red-earth country on a four-wheel drive adventure, take a scenic flight over extraordinary rock formations and magnificent waterfalls, or cruise through the inland waterways that permeate the region.

Create your own epic journey with the 2008 Australia's North West Holiday Planner or explore the real Australia the movie locations that inspired the film via the links on the right............for more information click here

Australia will be released 26 November 2008.

The YHA Experience

Staying in Youth Hostels is not necessarily just for the young set! I have stayed in many hostels, both within Australia and overseas and whilst the age group is generally between 18 -30, it is not uncommon to see older independent travellers and families checking in.

My husband and I backpacked through Europe and the UK with our two children, then aged 6 and 8, staying at hostels all the way. We found them to be cheap, conveniently located and as there was four of us, often we could book out a four bedded dorm.

The benefits of staying at a YHA are many including:

• Clean, safe, fun and affordable

• Well located and generally close to public transport

• Fully equipped kitchens where you can store food and cook

• Blankets & pillows are provided, you just need to bring your own sleeping sheet

• Information sharing amongst fellow travellers.

If you are considering staying in hostels make sure you get yourself a YHA membership. There are different types of membership packages starting from as low as $32.00 and whether you are an independent global traveller or a family wanting a cheap holiday around Australia, there are some great savings and discounts to be had.

YHA members get great discounts on everything from food, clothing and tours to language courses, guidebooks and travel gear. Make the most of it by getting your card well before you leave, that way you can save on all the things you need for your trip.

For more information on the YHA experience or to become a member, visit YHA online at
http://www.yha.com.au/

Fisher Prize - Aussie woman angler first to compete in all-men competition

An Australian angler is set to break the gender barrier and become the first woman to compete in a US fishing tournament against a field of men.

Kim Bain, 28, earned her place in the Bassmaster Classic after winning the Women's Bassmaster Tour's 'Angler of the Year' title, ESPN said.

Securing the title granted her automatic entry to the previously all-male tournament, it said.

Bain left her home in Brisbane when she was 19 to bass fish in America, hoping she might one day qualify for the tournament, it said.

"I had a big dream as a kid, which was to fish the Bassmaster Classic - and here I am," Bain said.

read more on this story

When am I Too Pregnant to Fly?

According to medical professionals it is generally safe for a pregnant woman to fly in her first and second trimesters, although it is advisable to check with your GP before travelling especially if your pregnancy has been complicated and you are travelling overseas.

You may find that your second trimester is a perfect time to travel. With morning sickness behind you and a little more energy you can enjoy the luxury of relaxing, sleeping in and dining late with your partner.

Airlines have different policies on pregnant women travelling. Some have strict policy where they will not allow you to fly 30 days before the due date, others allow women to travel up to a week before the due date. Check that you are safe to fly! It is advisable to get written permission from your doctor stating that you have been examined and it is unlikely that you will go into labour within the next 72 hours.

What about in August this year when at 29-year-old woman gave birth on a flight from Hong Kong to Adelaide.....she was six weeks early!

When planning your travel take into consideration how long you will be away from home, how long you will be in the air and what medical facilities are available at the destination you are travelling too. Also check your travel insurance policy thoroughly and ensure you have adequate cover - read the fine print!

After doing a little research on the subject, I found some very helpful websites with up to date information on this topic which you may find helpful:

The Individual Airline you are planning to use eg: Singapore Airlines, Qantas....
www.bellybelly.com.au
www.thetraveldoctor.com.au
www.bubhub.com.au
www.birth.com.au

Press Release - The West Australian 13 Oct, 2008

Adventurous Women Take on Egypt

Ancient Egypt, is a destination many women would love to explore, but not necessarily alone or even with a male companion.

Sue Hile, Director of Australian specialist women's travel company, Adventurous Women, takes travelling in her stride and therefore wants to encourage other women to step outside their comfort zone and feel the freedom she has, through travel, adventure and life experiences......Continue

NSW teen 'youngest ever' winner

AUSTRALIAN Tyler Wright today became the youngest ever winner of an event on the main world women's surfing tour when she edged out Brazilian Silvana Lima to take out the Beachley Classic at Manly.

Wright, 14, said she felt no nerves as she took on the vastly more experienced Lima, who also finished runner-up in the event last year. The NSW South Coast year eight student edged into the lead seven minutes from the end of the final with a score of 6.47. Continue........

New Music - Wow what an Introduction!

What a whirlwind of a week!!! Myself & hubby Brad were offered a four day break in the outback pretty much on the spur of the moment....so we donned the backpacks, called my mum (our wonderful babysitting service)....although they don't require babysitting at this age, JUST SUPERVISION and made our way into the Tura New Music Studio in Perth where we boarded a bus, along with a bunch of other people, then took off for a fabulous weekend of new music in the outback!

Our destination was Wogarno Station, Mt Magnet, which is approximately 7 hours drive... that was refreshing in itself, as we got to know everyone on board, managed a bit of shut eye and basically relaxed. On arrival at the station we were shown to our accommodation in 'Tent City' where we had time for a brief tidy up before heading out for the opening of the Festival at Lizard Rock.

That was way cool - we all sat back on camp chairs, whilst sipping on complementary champagne, listening to the beautiful sounds of the Nova Ensemble whilst the sun set over the brilliant red rock.

The rest of the weekend we were watered, fed and fully entertained by the fantastic muso's, crew and organisers of this amazing event. We both slept like we hadn't slept for a week - must have been the fresh air.....nothing to do with the red wine at all, I'm sure!

We experienced the highlights of Wogarno Station through a myriad of sights and sounds. There were many unplanned surprises during our time away which certainly added to the whole experience, one of which was a twelve year old boy up there with his parents - well he got to jam with the sax player and then was able to perform in the shearing shed. We also spent a good few hours hanging out with the musicians and getting to know a lot more about them, meeting a lot of interesting people from all walks of life, admiring the tin sculptures which were dotted all over the grounds of the station and marvelling at the Bungarra's and other wildlife around the place.

Aaaah I must say I really enjoyed the Sounds Outback Festival and hope to go again next year!

Take a Walk on The Wild Side - 7 Great Aussie Bushwalks

Needing a break from the madness of city life - then why not take a walk on the wild side!

Bush walking has always been a favourite pass time in Australia, considering we have some of the best climate in the world. Walking is free, good exercise, clears the head and is great for the soul, so why not take some time out and enjoy what Australia has to offer! Continue

Curves Strengthens Women

If you would like more information on a FREE Assessment along with the FREE Olivia Breast Self-Exam Aid, please click HERE!

Anaconda Adventure Race - National Series, 2008

We're into the last few months of 2008 and with the festive season just around the corner, its a good excuse to commit to staying fit for the remainder of the year! How can you do this? The answer is simple - Enter one of the two remaining Anaconda Adventure Races either in WA or VIC. Get yourself into training and tackle the event as an individual or find yourself a paddler, swimmer,mountain biker and runner and form a team. See www.AnacondaAdventureRace.com for more information and details how to enter!

If your an adventurous woman who is going to enter or knows of a woman who is taking up the challenge, I would love to follow your/their story and write an article about it!

Cheers Sue.

Sounds of The Outback Festival 2008

A weekend of New Music and sonic discovery in the heart of the Mid West.........Just organising our essentials and it looks like Brad and I will be heading off to this exciting event.

Australia’s finest musicians and artists present moonlit concerts, lunchtime performances, solo recitals, interactive workshops, sound installations, artist talks, station tours and nature walks

featuring

Colin Offord (QLD)
Isaac String Quartet (WA)
Jon Rose (NSW)
Robin Fox (VIC)
Nova Ensemble (WA)
Mr Sister (WA)
Taal Naan (WA)
Anne Norman (VIC)
Alan Lamb (WA)
David Burraston (NSW)
Hollis Taylor (USA)

wogarno station, mount magnet
western australia

Check out Tura New Music on the Web for more details

Travel Tips For Women Travelling Alone

As a woman, sometimes travelling on your own can be a little daunting, so why not consider joining a group tour. Depending on the type of tour you choose, you will be able to maintain your personal space, whilst having the security of being in a group.

Here are a few suggestions from www.adventurouswomen.com.au on making your travel experience a rewarding one.........Continue

It's Wildflower Season in WA

I have had the pleasure of seeing some of the best wildflowers in Western Australia so I'd like to share where you can see them too!! Drive to Dalwallinu (2.5hrs) north east of Perth on the Great Northern Highway and call into the Telecentre. There you can get loads of information on the wild flowers and they have a very informative booklet called "Heritage Self Drive Tours". Also in Dalwallinu you will find accommodation at the Hotel, Motel and cabins in the Caravan Park, but I advise you to book!!

If you hit Dalwallinu around lunch time, I recommend going to Jenny's Bakery located in the main street. This bakery is always busy and after tasting some of their delights, you will know why!

Now where do you find these little beauties....read on

I Love being a Girl and doing Girlie Things!

I had the privilege of being amongst some wonderful women today and this was all thanks to a chance meeting of only about a month or so ago, with a wonderful woman called Hayley Solich. You see, it was Hayley's birthday today and she invited me into her circle of friends, to help celebrate her special day. I felt honoured to be a part of her special day and meet with some her closest friends.

I believe our meeting was no chance....it was destiny! I really needed to connect with my feminine side, BIG TIME, so in meeting Hayley and being part of her "girlfriend club" this has certainly come to pass....read on

Fabulous Beyond Forty

When I received a phone call earlier in the week inviting me to a girlie get together from my friend June, I really didn't know what to expect!! All I knew was that I was going to a house in Quinns, owned by the editor of Conscious Living Magazine, where I would be meeting a whole lot of women whom I had never had contact with before! Being the Adventurous Woman that I am......I thought Why not - sounds like fun, meeting a new circle of friends whilst indulging in fantastic food & wines - couldn't get much better than that - Could It? read on

Egypt 28 Feb 2009 - Fully Escorted Women Only

Follow the golden footsteps of ancient Egypt's most famous Queen, Cleopatra on a classic cruise up the River Nile, explore the great Pyramids of Giza, and cross the Sahara desert to the beautiful coast of the Red Sea. This magical adventure ensures you have plenty of time to embrace the major sites of Egypt, grab a bargain at the local markets, relax at the beach, scuba dive in the sea or ride a camel in the desert. read more

Adventurous Women - A Passion for Travel

Click the link below to see the latest interview with Adventurous Women

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLtrG0hOKh0

SEX and the CITY Premiere

Ooh la la!!

This weekend is all about Sex, so grab the girls for a great Ladies’ Night Out!

Our "Sex and the City" evening started with pre-flick champagne & nibblies at Lorelle's place where we seemed to forget about the time - mmm something to do with the champagne perhaps!!! Thank god Tracy was our nominated driver cause she certainly had her Jack Brabham hat on. So before we knew it we were knocking on the front door of the cinema so to speak!

On arrival at the cinema, we spotted Em and Wippa from 92.9 Perth radio station.....so in true Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte & Miranda style.....even though we were gasping for breath...........we just had to glam it up for a quick chic pic!!!

Great night out had by all!

Homeward bound

On arriving back in Bangkok and transitioning through the airport with ease, we caught a taxi to "The Silom Village Inn" (the driver tried to get away without using his meter grrrrr - but we were insistent that he do so, as it is definately the cheaper option!!!!). Ahhhh comfortable bed/aircon/tv - I think for the next 3 days we shall just stay in the room hehehe.

Spoke to soon - In actual fact we did end up spending most of our time in the room, as I got a tummy bug GREAT!!! Nice little memory to take home!

Time to go home - can't wait to see my boys...........This adventure is over.........what will be my next one? Keep checking on my blog to see what adventure unfolds next.

Goodbye Kathmandu

The Streets of Thamel, Kathmandu

After spending our last few days in Kathmandu doing last minute shopping, emailing and catching up with Dawa for goodbye drinks the time had come to leave this place we had become so fond of. Nima escorted us to the airport where we said our very sad goodbyes as he hugged us and wrapped a good luck scarf around our necks. I know we'll be back to Nepal - the people are so beautiful. The airport ------well that's another story!!!!!! It was a very disorganised and HOT (almost suffocating) experience checking in at Kathmandu airport. The crowds are pretty intense, there is no aircon and everyone is shoving and pushing. The flight was delayed approx 3 hours, but when we eventually took off, it ended up being a good flight so we were happy.

Snake Charmers and other bits

Snake charmers move from corner to corner hoping to catch the eye of an inquisitive tourist. Brad and I have so far managed to escape their clutches...........

"Chicken delivery van" - funny site to see is the guy riding around on his motorbike with about 20 live chooks strapped to the bike delivering to the restaurants. At least we are guaranteed to have fresh chicken for dinner..lol.

Amsterdam Bar - great night out last night - live band churning out sounds of Led Zep, Doors, Gun's and Roses etc - few drinks and a few dances (don't ever ever get the Margarita be warned ........I don't think they know what actually goes in it!)

Cones for breakfast!!!!!!

Just finished breakfast at our fav restaurant...... nothing too unusual about it really... but I just wanted to share in what seems to be the norm here for a lot of people at breakfast time in Pokhara!!!!! We are totally not in the scene - its just omelet and coffee for us thanks.....as we managed to find a space to sit where we were able to avoid getting "high" on the pungent smell of pot coming from the next table. Seriously.................... "cones for breakfast" eeek.

Coffee and Music

Had a very lazy morning and didn't feel like facing the same ol breakfast always on offer at our hotel.......juice, eggs and non palatable coffee or tea, so we strolled down to our favorite little restaurant called "Once Upon a time" and had something decent, along with plunger coffee.

As we sat sipping our coffee, we heard this incredible voice - sounded like Ben Harper.....I thought it was a CD..................

We turned around to see a guy just sitting by himself at one of the tables playing a small guitar and singing a few tunes ad-hoc. We listened for ages as it was so good and then on leaving the restaurant we said to him "great music - loved it". He picked up on our aussie accents and started up a conversation with us so we stayed and chatted longer. His name is "Kin" and he's from Perth...Fremantle. He has played a bit around Freo and was one of the performers at the Fairbridge Folk Festival. He does not make a living out of music, but from teaching English as a second language in other countries. I hope one day he becomes famous for his music as he certainly has the voice of an angel.

Adventures in Pokhara

We ended up hiring bikes for a couple of days to explore Pokhara and surrounds. First day we followed the road which sort of ran beside the lake. We were actually looking for "Devi Falls" which we had a lot of trouble finding due to the fact its not what we thought. Eventually after seeing a sign amongst some little shops saying "Welcome to Devi Falls" we decided that this must be it - maybe - Anyhow we preceded to park our bikes when this guy came out of his shop and tried to charge us for parking on the dirt in front of his shop. I became a little annoyed and said no way are we going to pay for a piece of dirt......so we moved onto the next bit of dirt!! We then got chatting to a young 18 year old guy called Raj from another shop. He explained to me that this was pretty normal and it was just another way of making some money. He asked us if we would like him to give us a bit of history and a guided tour around Devi Falls and the village for a small fee. We accepted after negotiating a price, as his English was really good and he seemed like a nice kid. Just to put you in the picture.........at first we were not sure if Raj was a girl or a guy......his voice was very high pitched with a slight American accent.......very similar to that of Michael Jackson. His English teacher is an American guy so obviously he was picking up on the accent. The tour he gave us was really informative. He advised us to take a look at Devi Falls from below the ground in a cave called Gupteshwor as we would get a much better view. He was right - it was incredible. You would not have even thought there was a cave existing under all that chaos above......sacred cows ambling along the main roads, local villagers going about there business and the main road just meters above us. After taking us through the cave, Raj escorted us through one of the many Tibetan Refugee camps in Nepal. This particular camp was home to 2000 refugees who were very happy to have fled Tibet over the years. It was a very interesting community for us to have had the privilege of visiting.

As we said our goodbyes to Raj we set off back to downtown Lakeside..............well we eventually got there on dark, after getting lost and not having a clue where we were. Brad came good with directions (funny how he is very good at directions in foreign countries........but in Perth not all that good!!hehe). Getting lost in these places is part of the adventure. The children in the streets were so friendly and were waving at us and yelling out "Namaste" (hi) all the time.

Pokhara

Cool - here we are in Pokhara, which is the second city of Nepal. The city is situated around a massive lake and sits in a valley at the foot of the Annapurna's. Pokhara is the starting point for all treks within the Annapurna Region. Our next visit to Nepal will no doubt encompass another trek and I would choose the Annapurna Circuit, for various reasons - one being that altitude doesn't seem to pose as much of a problem as the Everest Region.....especially as Pokhara is already at lower altitude than Kathmandu itself. One of the other reasons is that if we were to bring our boys here, I believe there is a lot more on offer around the region, including white water rafting, mountain biking, paragliding.....

Anyway our trip to Pokhara was by "tourist" bus which takes 7 hours but its cheap at around $18AU each, including lunch and water. The bus was air conditioned.......but the driver only put the air con on after a couple of people started getting ill - and I mean ill as in vomiting out the window. He was obviously trying to conserve energy!!!!! The bus trip was a real treat - lots to see - going around mountains and passing trucks and other buses by "beeeeeeep" then just going for it and hoping someone else wasn't coming the other way!!!!!! OMG! Seeing village people showering under the various outlets from the river and doing their washing, waving at tourists and locals riding on the top of the bus with all the luggage (very dodgy), rice paddy fields and locals farming, beautiful river running through the mountain ranges. It certainly was another exciting experience.

Once settled into our hotel .....after beating of the hoards of touts offering or should I say forcing upon us taxi rides and hotels..... we took a stroll down to Lakeside where all the restaurants, bars, shops etc are. Its so peaceful here - I think we will stay a few extra days and do very little - maybe hire a mountain bike and explore this city, go up to Sarangkot for a sunrise view of the snow capped mountains hovering over the lake, do some boating and maybe take in a "bollywood" film at the local cinema hall - and of course EAT HEAPS.........great food around here! Lost a bit of weight climbing those mountains in the everest region - I don't think anyone will see any evidence of it though - as I said the food is great here....YUM!

Kathmandu, Garden of Dreams, Pilgrims

First of all if my brother is reading this blog, I must say happy birthday to him.

"Happy Birthday Buk" catching up to me.........

mmm what did we do on our first day back in Kathmandu.............well we visited the "Garden of Dreams" which is a walled garden near the royal palace right in the heart of Kathmandu. Once stepping inside this oasis in the middle of chaos, you could be anywhere in the world. Immaculate manicured gardens and people just relaxing and enjoying the surrounds of this serenity. An elaborate Indian Wedding was being set up in the gardens so we watched the goings on of this for a while before we left.

We left and went for a drink at a famous place in Kathmandu, called "Fire and Ice", which was very nice. Will probably have to go back for an ice cream today as apparently the ice cream is good and SAFE to have there. After that we went back to our room and tizzied ourselves up to go out to a place called "Pilgrims Feed and Read" which was a groovy restaurant tucked in a garden at the back of a bookstore. Plenty to read and a great menu. We were lucky enough to have had live music in the form of a Sitar Player and a Tabla drummer to entertain us whilst eating our meal. I would have to say that this is one of the most authentic southern indian meals we have ever had. It was delicious. No power of course so it was a very romantic evening by candlelight.

Our Trek - Day 16

20th April, 2008 - Back to Kathmandu from Lukla on our twin otter plane loaded to the hilt. Got on the plane, jumped in my seat and guess what - NO SEATBELT to be found. I think I went into shock. There was absolutely nothing I could do as the only spare seat on the plane had been broken by some big guy just a moment ago. He was moved to a double seat at the front! Brad just kept me calm and we eventually landed in Kathmandu with no probs. In actual fact it was a pretty good flight with amazing views.......I just kept focusing on those views.

Once back in Kathmandu we were met by our Sherpa Guide, Dawa, who helped us back to our hotel through the crowds, beeping horns and polluted streets. Aaaah Kathmandu - It felt like coming home. Shower was first thing on the agenda....then absolutely nothing.

Our Trek - Day 15

19th April, 2008 - A day in Lukla...........well we thought that staying in Lukla would be a good idea as there seemed that there would be a few things to explore - WRONG! Our Sherpa Guide, Dawa managed to get himself onto a flight back to Kathmandu that morning but we were to hang around until tomorrow. The Porter, Kaljar stayed with us in order to help us get ourselves to the airport in the morning. Soooooooo our day was spent sun-tanning in the court yard of the hotel reading our books and watching the planes come in and out of Lukla. We did see a few sights though - the amount of children around the 35kg weight, carrying goods from the airport into town (weights of approximately 50kg) on their backs. Training to be Porters maybe!!!!!! Very hard work. We also met up with a few people whom we had met somewhere along the trail and had a few drinks with them. The next day we were to fly out to Kathmandu at 8.00am - I think we were both now ready for that....a hot shower, a warm double bed!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Our Trek Days 11,12,13

April 16, 2008 - Six hours of trekking today dodging Yak poo and crowds of people going up. It was hard work but feeling heaps better helped I can tell you. It was so nice to be back in Namche. This place is a little oasis nestled in a valley surrounded by mountain ranges capped with snow. We shared lunch with a couple of oxen who were just hanging about our tables - it really is a funny, but normal sight to be seen along the trail. Retired early to bed hoping for a good sleep and the sound of barking dogs kept us awake for most of the night grrrrrr.

April 17, 2008 - Dog Hunting!!!!!!!!! When we finally got over our lack of sleep we took in every bit of Namche whilst sipping on coffee, chatting and eating the best pastries. We were watching the Prayer Flags blowing in the breeze, the smell of incense burning, the frequent stream of hikers trekking through the streets of Namche, the enchanting sounds of Tibetan music playing in the background, the Nepalise people doing their washing in the streams and hanging clothes over rocks to dry, the children playing simple games in the streets and finding so much pleasure from those games. In the evening as we sat in the warm tea house talking about our journey we met a guy who was trekking with his neice 18 and nephew 15. My thoughts immediately diverted to thinking about bringing my boys trekking. What a culture shock it was for this 15 year old.....but he was enjoying every minute of it and it certainly was getting him away from the "computer".

April 18, 2008 - We awoke to the Nepalise stone masons chipping away at rocks to help form part of a new building. This was a daily occurrence in Namche. The chipping started at about 6.00am and continued on through the day until night fall. The other sound which had become very common was the sound of rescue choppers. I would say that we would hear this sound at least 4 times a day. People just push so hard to get up those mountains and get so sick they can't get down without the aid of a helicopter. Just imagine the costs involved in evacuation - It doesn't bear thinking about............We worked hard to get to Phakding with plenty of time to spare, so we decided to push on to Lukla which was another 2 hours down the track. Did I say down????? I certainly didn't mean down. We had so many steep hills to climb before finally getting into Lukla it wasn't funny. I think I had lulled myself into a false sense of security thinking that it was Down. We stopped at a stream on the way to refill our water bottles as there was a sign attached to the pipe coming out of the wall written by the Monks that said "safe holy water for drinking". No way was that holy water - it had so many floaties in it, even our guides wouldn't touch it. Anyway we made it to Lukla eventually, but were pretty tired, so we didn't do much that night....just practically had dinner and were in bed by 7pm.

Our Trek - Day 10

15th April, 2008 - Just after midnight, lying awake after no sleep at all, head pounding, feeling like I was going to vomit, I leaned over and asked Brad if he was awake. Yes he was..............so I began.......................................

Tears flowing down my cheeks, I softly began to acknowledge the fact that for me to go on any further was just taking too bigger risk. As I lay awake ALL night (just another symptom of AMS) I thought about the many experiences that made our journey so special thus far. At that moment it became apparent to me that it was more about the journey than the destination. So many people get caught up in "the destination", without taking time to smell the roses. Maybe 10 years ago this would've been me - but not now.....particularly when I have my beautiful sons and the rest of my family waiting at home for me. I truly learned a lot about myself during that sleepless night and realized that I had done something quite extraordinary by having the courage to turn around at that point and head down those mountain ranges, feeling totally at peace with my decision. I said to Brad that he should go on and summit Kalipattar as he was certainly coping with the Altitude a lot better than me. He lay silent for a while and then said to me that it would be no fun without me by his side sharing in this experience, as we had shared so much.......it just wouldn't be the same.

The decision was made and by 6.30am, after Brad packed everything up, we took off down to Pangboche (3860m). By this time, I was really sick and feeling quite faint but kept afloat with Coedine and tomato soup. I was sure that the headache would go once we hit the lower altitude! Once we reached our destination (slowly I might ad), I went to bed for four hours. When I awoke the headache was gone and I was feeling heaps better. I actually went and had a shower (first shower in 10 days - lucky I'm a camper hey!!) We had to pay for the showers and they were not cheap so it just wasn't even a consideration most of the time. Whilst I was resting Brad was out taking some amazing photos of the imposing mountain ranges of Kang Tega sitting at approximately 6885m. Tomorrow we would set off for Namche where we would spend 2 days just hanging about and resting.

Our Trek - Days 8 & 9

13th April, 2008 - Last night we slept well, no funny dreams, but I awoke once with a pounding head and needing the toilet!!!! Seems to be the norm at the moment! When morning came we both felt reasonably well rested but again a slight headache was bothering me. Anyway Dawa had planned for us to take a 3 hour walk up to Chhukhung at 3734m in height after breakfast as another way to acclimatize us for what was ahead. It was the coldest part of the climb that we were to endure. After reaching Chhukhung, having magic views of Island Peak and grabbing a bite to eat, we quickly made our decent back to Dingbuche where on arrival, Brad and I went straight to the room and slept for 3 hours solid. We were completely whacked by the climb and the cold. Didn't do a great deal in the afternoon, just tried to chill out in preparation for our climb tomorrow.

14th April, 2008 - Today was a hard slog, particularly with the harsh, cold winds and craggy surfaces we were to climb.....at one stage we were on Khumbu glacier where there was plenty of ice to be seen and hints of snow from the evening before. About half an hour out of Lobuche (4930m) our destination for today, my fingers, hands and arms began to swell at a rapid pace. Dawa said it was probably due to the cold, but I did become frightened as all I could think of was my blood pressure and the fact that I still had a slight headache. Once we hit the lodge, both Brad and Dawa massaged by arms until the swelling started to reduce. I also took an extra Cartia tablet (which I had already been taken daily anyway) as a precaution which helped increase my urine output and reduce swelling. The headache seemed more like just a pain in the back of the head at this stage and was controlled once again by panadol and the addition of coedine. Today although a difficult walk, was a very interesting one. We were now at the serious stage whereby there were memorials scattered about, honoring those who died whilst trying to summit the mighty Everest in the past. We also saw lots of snow.....the roof of the tea house even leached a little bit of snow. The tea house was overflowing with people hovering around the fire (actually pathetic excuse for a fire really). The burning of dried Yak patties just weren't cutting it in this freezing weather!!!!!!!!!!! It took a while to warm up after sitting around for a couple of hours in down jackets/sleeping bag, yak scarf, hot water bottle etc etc.......but FINALLY we were warm enough to retire to our freezing cold little room upstairs. Prior to going to bed though we managed to trade a chocolate bar for some more panadol, as we had run out and my head was still hurting.

Our Trek - Days 5,6 & 7

10 April, 2008 - The morning was beautiful and warm as we set off for Khumjung. Our first stop was at a small tea house for some soup and then onto our ascent up to Everest View Hotel where the best views of Everest are to be had. A lot of wealthy tourists actually fly in and just stay at this hotel to experience Everest instead of climbing (are they mad...or is it us who are mad). We crossed the airstrip and began our ascent. Thank god we weren't coming in on that airstrip..........no bitumen and plenty of pot holes!! We got to the hotel and sat down to enjoy the view and catch our breath. The waiter came over and gave us menu's, but we were not hungry especially when we saw the prices, nor did we want a cup of tea. He very sarcastically said to Brad, "Sir this is not a museum you must order something from the menu". We turned to our guide, Dawa, and questioned this. Dawa said, "lets leave, there are plenty of vantage points to view Everest - we don't need to be forced to buy!" Obviously we moved on and after a 20 minute descent we were in Khumjung at 3763m which was our stop for the day. After resting and having a cuppa, Brad and I strolled around the village. We met up with some local children playing in the square. They were facinated by Brad's eyebrow ring and they all wanted to touch it. Brad had them in fits of laughter as they all took turns in touching it and running off....some of them pulled on it a little too hard, but Brad patient as ever, just laughed it off. Brad's knee started playing up (tendon) so we managed to scout out a brace for the rest of the journey from a local shop. On returning to the lodge for the evening I managed to find some Australian Red Wine, so I had a glass of that and Brad shared some Chang (local rice/millett beer) with Dawa and Kaljang, forming closer bonds with them both.

11 April, 2008 - Our trek from Khumjung to Tangbuche started at 8.00am and was supposed to take approx 5-6 hours, but we arrived after only 3.5 hours.......mmmmm I do believe the fitness has kicked in ....... hehehehe. We had Garlic Soup for lunch (yes we have been eating a lot of garlic soup up here as its supposed to keep the colds away - every second person you meet has a cough or a cold). After our soup we wandered around and looked at the famous Monastry which was re-built 20 years ago. The original Monastry dated back to the 1600's, but was sadly burnt down 20 odd years ago. After our tour of the Monastry, we decided to press on to a tiny town called Debouche for our evening's rest, as we were told it was warmer than Tangbuche and slightly lower altitude. On our arrival we met an Irish girl who had a chest infection and had attempted climbing Mt Kalipattar. After only 1 hour in, her guide insisted that she return to lower altitude with a porter as she was very sick. We spent our evening exchanging stories with her.....I hope we managed to brighten her day as she was pretty miserable about not making the summit.

12th April, 2008 - We took off at about 8.15am for our long trek to Dingbuche, stopping again for some more garlic soup (I can't understand why no one wants to come to close to us!!!!!). About 1.5 hours after our first stop with the garlic soup, I started to get a really bad headache and was feeling a bit dizzy, so we stopped again, this time having some lunch. I sat quietly and ate my lunch, then had some panadol. The headache seemed to have lifted, so we continued on our journey. This part of the trek was now becoming very cold and tougher by the minute but we eventually got there at 4343m and my head was pounding yet again. We went straight to the dining room at the tea house and had a couple of cups of tea and I had more panadol. We met a New Zealand couple in the dining room and they were deciding whether or not they would be going on, as the woman had a very bad headache and her husband could not keep any food down since arriving in Lukla which would have been approximately 7 days ago. We were to learn later that they did start their decent back down the next morning as he was too sick to continue. Altitude sickness is more serious than I had originally thought and the higher we got, the more of it we were seeing! I had drank 3 litres of water that day in the quest to keep well hydrated and keep the symptoms of AMS at bay. My bladder was not very happy...lol! From this wonderful location of Dingbuche we were spoilt for views of the very imposing Mt Ama Dablang. Its virtually staring you in the face the minute you walk out of the tea house. Apparently Ama Dablang is a far more technical mountain to climb than both Everest and Kalipattar. Our guide, Dawa, is off to Ama Dablang with an expedition group in October. Dinner tonight was Yak Steak and Chips - Yum, then off to bed. Tomorrow is a rest/acclimatization day.

Our Trek - Days 3 & 4

8th April 2008 - Rest day in Namche spent shopping, eating and drinking coffee, sleeping and then off to Park Headquarters (the highest point in Namche) to take in the spectacular views of Mt Everest and the surrounding mountains.

9th April 2008 - Off we go again - We made our way to Thamu, where we had been earlier invited for tea.. by the Head Lama and a lady from America who was staying with the nuns at the local nunnery. It was a real treat as we were ushered into the Prayer Hall where we were served tea and snacks. Once finished our tea, our friend showed us around the hall and gave us a run down on the different aspects, fixtures and ways of the Buddist faith. When we went to leave the nun who was present for the duration we were there, poured holy water into our hands and gave us a blessing. We were to taste the water and put the remainder through our hair.

From the prayer hall we were shown through the new Monastry being built which had been designed by the head lama. It was magnificent to see and we hope to return one day to see the finished product.

On leaving Thamu we continued on our journey to Thame, where we were to stay for the evening. The walk to Thame was really pleasant, through pine forests and we managed to catch sight of a musk deer grazing in the forest which was a buzz. We arrived at Thame with headaches at about lunch time. We put the headaches to rest with some panadol then wandered through this tiny medieval looking village. I'm not sure if anyone realizes but there has been a bit of political tension around the place and this has been due to the impending elections which were to take place tomorrow in Kathmandu. Voting in Thame was to take place at the local school....which we quickly learn't, as Brad was ushered off the grounds by military. We decided after lunch and a bit of a sleep to take a stroll up to 3900m and check out the Gompa Monastry on the top of the hill which was certainly worth the walk. Early night was had in preparation for tomorrow.

Our Trek - Day 2

7 April 2008 - Today we set off from Monjo at 8.00am, after having apple pancakes for breakfast - mmmmmmm stodgy! This trek proved to be a lot harder even though it was to be a shorter distance of approximately 4 hours. We had to deal with some pretty grueling slopes whilst ascending to an altitude of 3400m, finally reaching our destination of Namche Bazaar at approx 12.30pm. It was half way to Namche Bazaar that we saw our first view of Everest - what a beautiful sight it was.... We were in oar of its greatness. Our lodgings for the next 2 evenings was a place called "The Holiday Inn" - it sounds good doesn't it? Well it was another simple tea house which suited us fine, as we were able to interact with the local Sherpa people and have some fun. We were to use tea-houses as our accommodation for the duration of our trek.

Brad and I both had slight headaches on reaching Namche and I had slight shortness of breath, which is quite a normal given the altitude we were at. We were advised that if symptoms arise just to treat the symptom with panadol or something similar and wait to see if things settle down. Apparently if you still have a headache in the morning you don't go any higher. The saying goes - Dont take a headache higher! Anyway for us it was good news, after a good nights sleep we were both fine, also we were to have a rest day in Namche to help with the acclimatization. We spent our rest day buying up some more warm clothing, as everyone we met was telling us how cold it gets from here on in - good advice as we were to find out down the track.

The Trek Begins - Day 1

6th April 2008 - Our day started very early with a 4.30 wake up call ready for transfer to the Kathmandu airport where we were to fly out to Lukla - the starting point of our 16 day trek in the Everest region of the Himalayas.

My god, you should have seen my face when I saw the plane we were going on!! It was a twin otter, approx 12 seats, run by Yeti Airlines. We were fortunate enough to have had the first flight out of Kathmandu which was ok, as they only fly until the weather turns sour. The weather turned sour at about 11.00am that day, so visibility was nil. No more flights to Lukla for that day! The flight itself wasn't as bad as what I thought it would be. It cracked me up that they had a airline hostess on board even though there was practically no room for her to move between the seats to offer lollies and cotton wool. The landing was very eventful - it was the smallest runway I have ever seen and plonked on a nice slope.

Once inside the baggage claim area we were greated by our Sherpa Guide Ang Dawa and Porter Kaljar, then taken to the Sherpa Coffee Shop for a briefing on our trek and some breakfast. By the time we were ready to take off on our trek it was pouring with rain AND it didn't stop all day, so we donned the ponchos over the trekking gear and off we went. Our Porter carrying our duffel bags of approx 22 kilo's and a gamow bag 7 kilo's (gamow bag is a little pressure chamber which simulates lower altitude). I had asked for one of these to be taken on our trek, as before leaving home, my blood pressure had been unusually high which caused me a little bit of concern.

So off we went........up and down, through villages for approx 7 hours until we reached our first destination...a little village called Monjo where we were to stay at a little tea-house. It was pretty cold in there for us....after walking all day in the rain, what with sweating at some stages and then freezing at others! It took 2 cups of tea and 2 changes of clothing and when someone eventually lit the fire, before I actually felt a bit of warmth. Once feeling warm and pretty happy that we managed a 7 hour trek, I decided to ask for a COLD BEER. The guide took a beer straight out of the cabinet and gave it to me. I said to Brad....oooh I don't know if I'll be able to drink that - it hasn't been in the fridge....just have to have cold beer. The tea-house people though it was very funny as they never refrigerate beer in the Himalayas due to the altitude. Oh how stupid of me - I opened the beer and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was VERY cold!

Kathmandu

Aaahh Kathmandu - the atmosphere of this place is unreal. After getting used to the idea of limited power as they load shed daily here, unreliable mobile phone connection, tiger balm sellers, hash sellers and the like we are totally in love with this place. Our first day in Kathmandu we were transferred from the Airport to Tibet Guest House which is located just off one of the busiest streets in the Thamel area. Just away enough so we could get a decent nights sleep, but just close enough to all the most popular restaurants and shopping areas of Kathmandu. Most of our afternoon was spent getting our bearings and trying to work out the Rupee against the Aussie dollar and then a quite night.

The next day we met our Sherpa guide, Nima, who is a lovely man. He met us at our guest house for coffee, then took us back to his office to organise all the formalities of our up and coming trek to EBC. Once the formalities were out of the way, he invited us to meet his family and join them for a meal - wow traditional nepalize food. I love my indian curries, but this may have even surpassed the ol indian curry!! Nima and his family are lovely people and I would gladly recommend his company to anyone wanting good, reliable service for trekking and mountaineering. After lunch Nima's daughter (Chookie) took us for a stroll over to one of the most holy Stupa's in Kathmandu. This was a great experience for us, as her great grandfather on her mother's side was one of the gurus way back and there was a picture and statue of him in the temple. She was able to share a wealth of knowledge with us and even got us in through the back door...whereby as a foreigner we would usually be charge an entrance fee of course. After that we made our way back to the Thamel area and went up to the roof top garden at the top of our hotel which offers magnificant views of the Kathmandu valley. We met a party of 7 Aussies up there who were off to trek Annapurna region. They had an interesting story to tell - they all met whilst trekking the Kokoda Trail 2 years prior and had reunited to do this trek. After speaking with them, Brad and I took off for dinner. Just had to have some western food, so indulged in Pizza and red wine at the "Roadhouse Cafe" which is a very popular cafe in Thamel - again I can highly recommend the food at this place.

Next day Nima came to visit us and took us for breakfast at a Hotel where he does a lot of business. Our breakfast was provided by the hotel free of charge because of Nima. He then booked us in there for our return from our Everest Trek. We then went and got the rest of our hiking gear. Nima suggested walking poles which we got and a windbreaker jacket.

After shopping (one of my favourite passtimes), we took a Rickshaw up to the Monkey Temple which was about 20 minutes away from the city. After climbing the million steps up to the top of the temple we were suitably impressed. It certainly set the mood. We decided to walk back to Thamel after visiting the temple to give us a little warm up for the trek. The walk was only about 45 minutes, so not too bad. Lunch was next at a local Nepalise cafe called Himalaya Cafe which served up good honest cheap nepalise food. After our lunch we popped into the bustling internet cafe as it had POWER on...............(huge thing in Kathmandu...and Skype, so we could contact our boys and my mum. Its always a buzz to see them, gotta luv Skype. Now its time to stroll out and peruse the shops..mmmmm more shops...

Breeze Restaurant Bangkok and Silom nightlife

Brad arrived in Bangkok the day before yesterday and it was great to see him. We really missed each other and I think the time apart just made us more appreciative of each other. We booked into Asha Guest House for the first evening but were disturbed so badly by some guests in the next room, that we checked out the next morning. After taking Brad to Chatachuk market, we made our way into the Silom area where we found ourselves a little bit of luxury - Silom Village Guest House. At only 45 AU$ per night we felt that it was worth it. The hotel is comparable to a 5 star in Perth and it is only classed as 3 star in Bangkok. Anyway after settling in at Silom Village we strolled around the area getting our bearings. After about 5 hours of walking we were totally shot to pieces, so it was an early night for us....yeah I know.....just far tooooo much excitement!!!!! The next day was our 17th wedding anniversary and we had booked one of the best restaurants in Bangkok called "The Breeze Restaurant" which is an open air restaurant perched on the 52 floor of the 64 floor high building of the Lebau State Tower. My god we could have been in HOLLYWOOD! It was like walking the red carpet on our arrival at the restaurant. From the moment you walk into the state tower itself you are greeted by an entourage of thai people. They move with you to the 52nd floor where you are seated whilst they make sure your booking and table is organised. They then accompany you over the luminious skywalk (red carpet) up to the bar and then over to your table. Our table was the closest table to the edge of the platform. All that separated us from the drop was a glass dome shaped panel. As you can imagine, the view was spectacular. The food was just as good with us sampling specialties such as shark fin soup, lobster, scallops, kobe beef, caviar, french wine and Moet champagne - YUM! I can highly recommend this place if you are up for a lavish evening. It is a once in a lifetime experience, but expect to pay top dollar for it too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are now living on rice and lentils (still getting over it) hehehehehe. After "Breeze", we checked out the other facilities of the State Tower. The other restaurant called "Sirocco" also looked fabulous. The cocktail lounge was hilarious. It was full of wanna-be's, lying around on the couches and looking around to see who was looking at them.

The next day we spent sightseeing the Grand Palace and Wat Arun, which were both equally as good as each other. SAME, SAME, but different........ After we had finished there we both had a kip and then it was off out to find somewhere for dinner. We decided to head down to the "Patpong" strip of Silom for a bit of an education. I must have had "Ping Pong" written on my forehead as I was asked a million times by Thai touts if I would care to see a ping pong show - very sexy. I was starting to get a complex!!!! NO I don't want ping pong, just a nice cold beer will be fine! Eventually after having a quite drink in a small bar, Brad and I set off to find a place for dinner. We ended up in the gay district, which was so much quieter and no touts. Had a great meal there and very friendly staff...so all in all...another great evening in Paradise.

Doi Suthep Temple

We set off mid morning for Doi Suthep Temple, which is about a 20 minute drive from Chiang Mai. Doi Suthep is the most famous temple in Chiang Mai and it is quite enchanting. There is a real community feel about this place. We were fortunate enough to witness a family ceremony which saw a young male being ordained into Monk-hood. I only wish I had discovered this place earlier in my travels as you are able to freely chat with the monks and they offer daily meditation talks. Never mind, I'm sure there will be a "next time". To reach the temple you can either take cable car from the foot of the hill or climb the 309 steps. We climbed the steps as we had to get in our daily exercise.....actually it wasn't too bad for us, especially after our trekking expedition!! I found a little quiet area where there was a monk sitting and blessing people as they prayed to Budda. I took my place amongst the small group of people and showed my respect to Budda and received a blessing from the monk. I then received a white rope which they tie around your arm for good luck. The temple is such a serene place and I didn't want to leave, but we had too as our time was up and our driver was waiting patiently for us. On returning back to Chiang Mai we freshened up and went for our daily Yoga class which I found really tough going as my muscles were sore from the day before. After that we came back to the guest house and were recommended a place for dinner called the Riverside Bar......so glad we went there as it was really nice. They had a live rock band which was just classic - Thai guys singing western songs in very western accents, the place was certainly rocking!

Yoga Chiang Mai

I had to ask myself today - "Am I NOT destined to do Yoga or Meditation or Both??????"

I went back to the little place I found yesterday, NAMO, raring to go with my Yoga pants on, only to be told it was a full class and they could not take any more. After pounding the pavement in Chiang Mai over the last few days looking for a place to either meditate or do yoga, I was so disappointed to find the class full. Tracy and our new friend Konjit, whom we met at the cooking school, asked the girl at reception if they could just squeeze me in as I was becoming a little disillusioned. They allowed me to join, thank goodness. As for Tracy and Konjit who very kindly pushed for me to have the Yoga experience - they ended up at Chiang Mai Hospital.....The Yoga Center had posted a notice asking for volunteers of the A- blood type to donate blood for a German girl who had been in a really bad accident and was in hospital. Tracy was that blood type and said she would donate blood, so she and Konjit took off for the hospital. Tracy rekons it was the biggest needle she has ever seen!!!!!!!

My first Yoga experience was really good, but no where near beginner level, I think I was put into positions that I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams. I just hope I don't wake up feeling like I've been run over by a truck. Anyway I have put my name down for tomorrow as I really enjoyed the relaxation part of the class........so we'll wait and see how I pull up tomorrow!

Thai Cooking School

I can totally recommend a cooking class to anyone coming to Thailand/Chiang Mai. What a thoroughly enjoyable day we have had starting at 9.30am this morning. We were picked up by our chef "Pot" and taken to the local market, where he took us through and explained all the ingredients we were to use in our cooking for the day. We were then able to wander around the market and sample some of the local produce. The Chiang Mai sausage was to die for and I don't even like sausage normally. From the market we were taken to the school, which by the way is called Siam Rice Cookery School and were guided inside where we were able to help ourselves to tea or coffee served with local biscuits and fruits. After we had relaxed and filled out the guest book it was time to begin our class. We all got to choose 6 items out of 18 to cook for the day. I chose Pad Thai, Hot and Sour Soup with Chicken,Spicy mixed chicken salad, fried mixed vegetables with sweet and sour chicken, yellow curry and sticky rice with mango. YUM!!! I can't wait to show off to my family hehehehe.....I do believe I can cook!!!!! We had so much fun, there was five of us in total and we all had a lot of laughs. Our chef for the day "Pot" and his sister/assistant "Nancy" were just beautiful people who always shared a joke and a laugh. Half way through the class we were all feeling very full so it was time for a little bit of relaxation. We could go for a walk, sit and rest or lie down. Pot asked me if I could ride a motorbike - "of course", I said. He then said if I wanted to I could take their little baby bike (moped style in my language) for a ride. He gave me the instructions for the how the gears were and off I went. To feel the wind in my hair and to be free to ride around the little village amongst locals was fantastic......it gave me a bit of a buzz I must admit!! After our "rest" it was time to continue on with the rest of our menu - Curry and then the sticky rice with Mango. Once we had slaved over a hot stove and then eaten the fruits of our labor, all in good company, it was time to head back to Chiang Mai. We got back in at 4.00pm - What a great day!

In Search of Meditation

I have been looking for a place in Chiang Mai to learn the art of meditation to enable me to gain clarity and quieten the mind. I thought it would be relatively easy to find given the fact that I am here for over a week and there are many temples offering teachings by the Monks. I went for one Monk Chat at Suandok Temple just outside the city as they offer 3 day intensive meditation courses, but unfortunately I was unable to attend due to the up and coming water festival which clashed with the dates of the course. They do not run the courses during the water festival. My lovely friend Nine from the Green Tulip suggested another temple which I also tried, but the shortest course on offer was a 10 day intensive. I felt as a beginner, that it would probably not suit me - I could go mad not speaking to anyone for that period of time - for those who know me, you know how I love to have a chat!!!

Anyway after combing the streets near Thapae Gate yesterday AND being hit on for money by some Burmese guy ( a little bit scary, but I let him know in no uncertain terms, not to mess with me lol), I found a place called NAMO which offers Yoga and Meditation. For 100 baht you can walk in every day and have a Yoga session for 1.5 hours. They also offer Tibetan style mediation classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings for 100baht.......so I am sold, will try it out tonight and give the verdict tomorrow.

Sunday Market in Chiang Mai

Sunday Market in Chiang Mai kicks off at about 4pm through until 11pm. This market is "the market" if you want good prices in comparison with the touristy Night Bazaar which is on every evening. Tracy and I went for a 6 hour shopping marathon and only stopped to have dinner with the girls we met on our hill tribe trek. Exhausted we returned back to our sanctuary at the "Green Tulip" and hit the sack.

Hill Tribe Trek Chiang Mai

We decided that a 2 day 1 night trek would be enough for us, especially as I am doing 16 days trekking in Nepal, so it was sure to be a nice warm up! We set off with our guide to the area of Mae Tang where we were to begin our trek. This was approximately a 2 hour drive with a stop at a local market to pick up some fresh fruit. We then visited an elephant camp where we rode on the elephant for about one hour. Tracy sat on the elephants head and rode.....I just couldn't bring myself to do that as I must admit I was feeling a little bit scared, as the track we were on was pretty skinny and it was a long drop. After that we were taken by truck to a waterfall for a swim and cool off which was fantastic. Our guides were diving in off the rocks and sliding down the rocks into the water. It was nice to cool off and muck about in the waterfall because after that we were meeting another group of trekkers for a three hour up hill climb which was pretty intense. Even though the trek was intense and difficult at times it was a great experience and very worthwhile when we reached our destination late in the afternoon. We were welcomed into the Red Lahu Tribal Village by happy little kids holding our hands and accompanying us to our accommodation for the night. Our lodgings were a huge dormitory style bamboo hut with bamboo flooring. There was about 12 of us in total sharing the floor. We were served up the best local dinner ever consisting of a soup and a vegetable stew with rice. Had to go back for seconds it was that good. After dinner we got to sample the local rice wine which was really nice and we had the children from the village come and put on a show for us and sit and play and have photos taken...they were beautiful people, so humble! We all shared stories and laughs into the evening and then called it a night. Next day was all down hill, which in actual fact, was harder than going up hill. It was only a 2 hour trek then driven by truck to the area of the river where we were to do white water rafting. The river was quite low so we got stuck in a few places, but since it was my first experience I was happy for it to be fairly tame. I can't wait now to do it again!! After the white water rafting we swam in the river then did bamboo rafting for a while back to the pick up point to return back to Chiang Mai. We waited at the pick up point for about 2 hours. The guide bought out more rice wine for us, but I declined as I wasn't feeling too great. I found a bamboo structure and shoved my backpack under my head and caught up on some sleep instead, which really helped for the winding truck ride on the way home, where everyone really started to flag and some people felt really sick. The people we met on this trek were great company.

Skype to Home

Here's a picture of me using Skype for the first time. How great is internet technology!!!! For those who are not familiar with Skype, it enables the people who have a skype account to speak to other Skype users via the internet for free. In our case everyone in our family has a skype account and we have a web cam set up at home. The Guest House where I am now staying has Skype installed on their computer, a web cam and headphones with speaker, so this afternoon I was able to talk to Brad. He could see me and has sent a picture of me talking to him. It was so exciting. I did try to Skype my boys........but they were out with Nanna. Will have to try again tomorrow. Have just been down to the Night Bazaar for a look around - seems pretty cool, didn't buy anything, just getting a feel for the prices. Going for a detox tomorrow, should be exciting!!!!!!! then probably a massage in the afternoon.

Overnight Train to Chiang Mai from Bangkok

A nice slow start to the day getting organized for the overnight sleeper train to Chiang Mai. Took off to MBK (huge department store in the Siam area of Bangkok) to have some lunch and a look around. The place is huge and has everything you can image and very cheap. After that, jumped on a ferry and cruised along the river past the Grand Palace and several other Wats, including Wat Arun which looks incredible from the outside, so I shall go there with Brad when he arrives in Bangkok. The Taxi Driver who took us to MBK was hilarious. He told us that one of his pass times was impersonating Elvis Presley and so then he began to serenade us. After every tune we clapped for him and he would say in his Elvis voice "Oh thank you, thank you very much". It was so funny!! A Thai Taxi Driver singing Elvis..........you just had to be there to appreciate the moment. Anyway once we got back to Asha Guest House, we had a couple of drinks and before long were in a taxi on the way to the Samsen Train Station to catch our train. On boarding the train, Tracy and I were not put in the same berth so I got chatting to a French family who resided in Phuket and were bunking in my berth. When it was bed time I wasn't quite ready for bed so I got chatting to some people from the UK and we all went to the "bar" carriage on the train for drinks. They were great company and it was nice to exchange travel stories. After drinks they played cards, but I was well and truly ready for my bed, so I climbed up to my bunk and hit the sack. The bed on the train was actually softer than the bed that I had been sleeping on at Asha Guest House, so I had a really comfortable sleep and would highly recommend the train trip to anyone. Its a great experience, safe and cheap. The arrival in Chiang Mai was quite refreshing as it was not as polluted as Bangkok and a little quieter. We booked into a Guest House called the Green Tulip, which was recommended by Jo (a lady we met whilst staying at Asha). We were so pleased at the standard of this place for only approx $12AU a night split between the two of us. The place is clean and the people are friendly so if anyone is looking for a place to camp in Chiang Mai, I can highly recommend this place. I hope this post has made sense, as I have felt very weird today. A light headed, almost motion sickness feeling, but I'm sure it will pass. Not sure what tomorrow will bring - maybe a little meditation or yoga. I am thinking of doing 5 day Yoga/Meditation course which includes course notes and 3 hours of meditation/yoga per day. Also looking at a Hilltribe Trek a little north of Chiang Mai.......options options.....

Chatuchak Market and Thai Boxing

Chatuchak Market is a must see if visiting Bangkok. We had a great time wandering through the different areas of the market. They have everything there from clothes, second hand books, antiques, art, pets, spices, food. I shopped till I dropped and felt very satisfied with my purchases. I got a couple of great little dresses for about $8AU and Tshirts for $3 and heaps more of course......but I wasn't tempted to buy any more shoes - my collection is getting way out of hand due to the fact that every time I'm in Asia I usually buy about 15 pairs of shoes. After shopping Tracy and I went for a 2 hour thai massage to unwind which was an interesting experience. I do love the thai massage as it really works the tension out of your body. What made me laugh in this place was that the minute we were in the room awaiting our massage, lying there trying to relax, they switched the TV on. Tracy very politely said "no TV please", so they switched it off. BUT then about an hour into our massage the TV went on again, can you believe it....the mood just flew out the window. Tracy eyeballed the girl who put the TV on (she was massaging me) and covered her ears. They got the message, but didn't turn it off, just down...which was acceptable. Then the girl who was massaging me stopped for a few minutes to chat on her mobile phone. By this time my mind was not feeling relaxed, although my body was, so I suppose I can't complain hey! I am finding that every day in bangkok there is a funny experience just waiting to happen, so I am laughing a lot which is very theraputic. After the massage we were able to find an internet cafe to download our pics from the day before for only 10 baht for the hour which is soooo cheap. We stayed around the guest house for the rest of the evening just chatting with the staff and making new friends. We found out through the staff at Asha, that every Sunday in Bangkok you can go to see Thai boxing for FREE (usually around 500 baht) at the Channel 7 Stadium near Chatachuk Market. This is where most of the locals hang out and its a very interesting experience. It was really exciting to see all the Thai's shouting at each other across the stadium...I assume they were placing bets on the boxers and the oohs and the aaahs of the crowd . Just a little tip - don't get conned into paying anything for entry as someone did whilst we were there. I left the stadium before Tracy, as 3 rounds was enough for me, and jumped on the back of a motorbike and headed back to the Chatachuk Markets where I grabbed some food and found a couple more presents to take home with me.

Tiger Temple Kanchanaburi

Tracy and I set off for the Tiger Temple in the Kanchanaburi Provence, not realizing just how far away it actually was. We were told it was about 2 hours away, which it kind of was on the way there, but certainly wasn't on the way back.

We took a taxi, then local bus, then a tuk tuk to get to the Temple which took approx 3 hours. Managed to have a bit of catch up sleep which was quite refreshing. On arriving at the temple we were informed that we needed to cover our shoulders, which was fine as we took wraps, but Tracy was unable to wear hers because it was a bright pink color, which apparently attracts the tigers. She had to buy a T Shirt to put over the top of her top. She wasn't alone, many people didn't have the right clothing. Anything Orange and Red was a definate no no - it alarms the tigers. Walking alongside the tiger with one of the monks and being able to pat it was a buzz. We were then able to enter the canyon where they had the handlers standing by the tigers and we were able to sit with them and pat them. The smaller tigers were unchained, the bigger ones chained. That was a fantastic experience and apparently these tigers have been raised by the monks from a very early age, needles to say they are used to being handled. Even so, we were obliged to sign a disclaimer before entering the grounds.

Making our way back to the bus station was a breeze but then we were hustled onto a bus which we thought was going to Bangkok. We kept saying "going to Bangkok" and the reply was "yes, yes, hop on" mmmmmm it wasn't going to Bangkok it was going to another area in Bangkok called Bang something. I guess it was all in the pronunciation. Anyway it was the journey from hell - first of all we had this very loud obnoxious family seated behind us and man were we in for a ride!!!!! First of all, one of the family fainted and the bus had to stop for quite a while to get her out of the bus. She finally came good, but the worst of it all was the 10 year old BRAT sitting right behind me. Even my ear plugs could not block her high pitched whinging. Tracy said lucky she didn't have a gun, it got that bad. Then just to top it off the bus ran out of petrol. What a pitty I was just to slow on the take to get a picture of the driver filling it up with a hose and a bucket after he jumped on the back of a motorbike to go and get the fuel. Finally we were back on the road, but wait there's more.............we ended up being taken to the wrong bus station. Lucky for us we both combined our thai and found a taxi driver who pretty much understood what we were saying. He got us home back to Asha. Its all part of the adventure, I kept saying as we were having a good laugh about our crazy day out. At least we could laugh and the tigers made it all so worth while.

Bangkok

Well arrived in Bangkok after an hour's flight delay, made my way straight down to the taxi meter stand, which I heard was the only way to go when not familiar with Bangkok, so I was feeling pretty confident as you can imagine. Jumped in the taxi, driver appeared not to speak any english and didn't really seem to understand where Asha Guest House was. I showed him the address on the confirmation email I had in my hand from the Guest House thinking that this would be suffice....how wrong could I be!! Luckily before I left the house I had jumped onto the virtual tourist forum and found a couple of posts from people arriving in Bangkok and getting transport from the airport. One of the posts appealed to me as it related to Asha Guest House, so I printed it out and had that in my hand in the taxi. In my broken Thai I said to the driver Saphan Kwai Soi Sam........he sort of understood, well I thought he did and off we went. We were scooting down the tollway in the far right hand lane toward the city centre and I saw the exit that we should be taking, so I pointed to it rather anxiously and he ripped the car across to the other side and we managed to take the exit I was pointing to OMG!!!! Then we drove around and around and around whilst he was trying to understand and I was trying to explain. We eventually stopped and asked a policeman, who pointed him in the right direction. FINALLY at 7.30pm arrived safely at Asha Guest House. What a quaint little guest house.....felt like home immediately. My travel mate Tracy had already arrived and was waiting in the room when I arrived. It was really nice to meet her and we immediately got on well. I basically threw down my pack, grabbed my purse and headed for the bar. Her and I had a couple of quite drinks by the pool and a quick bite to eat and got to know each other and then headed for bed. Next morning we were heading off to the Tiger Temple, so check my next post to follow that journey.