Bali

So I left Singapore and headed off to Bali - what I was hoping was going to be two weeks in paradise!

On the flight from Singapore, Australian Airlines (the shite version of Qantas), I was sitting next to a girl from Dublin, Jo. She like me was travelling on her own and unlike me had a recommendation of somewhere to stay. We decided that seeing as we were landing there at about midnight it might be a good idea for us to go together and stay in the place that had been recommended to us.

The hostel was called Suka Beach Inn and was just off Poppies II, one of the main roads in Kuta it looked like it was a converted temple, it may have been made to look like that but I decided that it used to be a temple and now it was a hostel.

First day we hit the beach, what else! It was like having a big fat $ sign tattooed on my forehead. We got hassled from the moment we stepped on to the beach! Eventually we found somewhere to sit and hoped to have a relaxing time - no such luck we just continued to get hassled the phase, " Massage, Manicure, I braid your hair!" will always give me nightmares. I eventually gave in and agreed to a massage on the beach, before I knew it I had six, yes six, women manicuring, pedicuring, massaging, scrubbing etc etc . It got so confusing that I ended up having to pay them all what I had agreed for 1 massage! Talk about getting ripped off! Needless to say that was my last visit to Kuta beach for the whole time I was there!!

The next couple of days were spent at a lovely little pool at Poppies Cottages, much more chilled out than the whole beach experience! At night we hit some of the pubs and clubs - we were actually in Paddy’s Bar - one of the bars demolished by the Bali Bombings in 2002. That was a bit of a reality check for us!

Our next venture was the Waterpark - it was like being regressed to five years old again. Running up stairs and sliding down slides all in the aim of a little adrenaline rush!
As Kuta could have been anywhere from Benidorm to Falaraki, we decided to get out and try and experience some real Bali. First stop - a traditional Balinese cooking course. It was actually really good, apart from Jo had a huge hangover and was extremely tired - something to do with a Mexican bloke she met - say no more! We went to a traditional Bali market - not recommended if you are particularly concerned about health regulations! We learnt all about the herbs and raw ingredients and made lots of different dishes - beware I’ll be trying them out when I get home!! But the best part of all was obviously being able to eat all the things we made!!!

In a bid to get away from the tourists, (no I am a traveller not a tourist!!), we headed over to Gilli Air one of three small Islands just off Lombok! After a horrific boat journey - 7 hours with all manner of livestock! We arrived in Lombok to get the bus to Bangsal, where we would get a smaller boat to Gilli Air. Fairly uneventful until we got to Bangsal, or what I now lovingly refer to as "Thieving, scum, bastard land!!!" - Yes I had my purse stolen out of my bag as I stepped of the bus! BASTARDS!! Luckily for me I checked my bag almost immediately when I got off the bus and was able to run back and start jumping up and down and stamping my feet until all of a sudden someone "found" my purse. I was so relived to have it back - cards, mobile, cash, keys etc that I didn’t make a fuss - but when I checked the cash situation half was missing! You see we had to take all our cash with us as there are no ATM’s on Gilli Air, there isn’t even a bank. The Island itself was fantastic no cars no motorised transport at all, apart from boats. I spent two days diving (turtles and white tipped reef sharks), drinking and sunbathing. The accommodation was exactly what you would expect travelling a little wooden hut with a hammock outside and an open air bathroom. It was fantastic! I was gutted we only had two full days there but we had to get back for our Volcano climb!! The journey back was less eventful and surprise, surprise none of the people who were at "Thieving, scum, bastard land!!!" on the way out were there on the way back! The long boat journey was just as bad but Jo and I met a couple, Tom and Ellen, who travelling back to Kuta too - so it was not as bad as the journey out!
We were supposed to go to the Volcano the next morning at 1am but the journey had really knackered us and we re-arranged it for the next day!

Picture the scene it’s 1am Sunday morning, I have not been to bed and I am sitting outside my hostel waiting to be picked up to climb a bloody volcano! Why? This was the question rolling around in my head as I sat on the bus and reached the bottom of the volcano! Oh My God - it was probably one of the hardest climbs, I have ever done in the dark and so unfit!! It was Jo, me, our guide and some geezer who would be selling coke at the top?!? - It was a proper volcano, active and everything. It was no easy climb - made harder by coke selling geezer who everytime he grabbed my hand to help me up a tricky bit, kept scratching my palm! I’d read about this somewhere and knew exactly what it meant! unfortunately I did not know the Balinese for, " No I do not want to sleep with you, you are about 4 foot five and look about twelve and if you scratch my hand again I will smack you over the head with my torch!". After a while he seemed to get the message though, when it became obvious that I would rather climb up the Volcano on my hands and knees, than grab his hand for help! Hard and painful as the walk was, the views from the top were amazing and I got to sit and watch the sunrise! Well worth it! I saw steam rising from the crater and felt the warm mud - which was a bit strange to say the least! The walk down was mush easier, it was down hill and it was daylight, scratchy hand by was still around but seemed to sense the fact that he had a better chance of living if he stayed well away from me! On the way back to Kuta, we stopped for a dip in some natural hot springs - well sort of, it was a swimming pool that was filled by the natural hot springs, but it was just what my aching feet and muscles needed after my early morning trek!
Jo left that day and I spent the next couple of days at the Pool and one glorious day in a Bali Spa, massage, turmeric and sandalwood body scrub, rose petal bath, manicure, pedicure, facial, cream wrap for hair! I could get used to that!! It also cost me less that my rip off beach experience - oh well it’s a learning curve!!

My last day in Kuta was spent at the pool, where some nice Ozzy women I had met a few days before gave me her address and offered me a bed if I needed it when I was in Perth! One of the nicest things that happened to me in Bali! Then it was back to the hostel to pack up again and get ready to move one. Next stop Perth..................................

Singapore

Arrived in Singapore at about midnight - knackered and just desperate for a bed - luckily I had a recommendation of somewhere to stay! The Inn Crowd in Little India. Hopped in taxi - went straight to the hostel and collapsed in to my bed! The next day I hit Orchard Road and my god was it lucky I had left my credit card safely locked up at the hostel! It was amazing so many shops and shops and more shops! Decided to go and see some more touristy stuff so headed down to the MRT (tube) to go to Raffles! Must have looked very confused and lost as some nice Singaporian(?) called David offered his help in showing me where I should be going! He ended up taking me on a four hour plus tour of Singapore - slightly weird I know but he was a bit geeky and I thought I had a good chance of knocking him out if it was required!! Went all around to Raffles, to see the Merlion, some five finger building, loads of other places that I can't remember the names of - there's a shock! Left David on the MRT and I headed back to Little India to get ready for my Night Safari! What a load of bs that was! So much so I'm not even going to talk about it anymore. Went back to the hostel and sat outside drinking a few beers with people staying there and swapping traveling stories, this was probably my first taste of real traveling!!

Up bright and early the next day and headed over to Sentosa Island - the Singapore version of Disney! some amazing views from the cable cars the Carlsberg Tower - no not a pub a 360 degree revolving ride thing, that you could see all of Singapore from! Also went to the Dolphin show and got to have my photo taken with a pink dolphin (ahhh cute)! Had to rush back to the hostel like a mad man as had misjudged my time; leap in a taxi and get to the airport to catch my flight to my next stop - Bali.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention - I had to do some shopping while I was there and ended up having a traditional Chinese dress tailor made just for me to be sent home!! Well you couldn't expect me to go there and not buy anything now could you!!

Koh Tao to Bangkok

Yes, you read it correctly after all my moaning about the place I actually went back up to Bangkok!!! It wasn't too bad this time Olly and Will decided to come up too so I had some company on that Fu@#$%g bus! Boat trip was pretty uneventful, we got to Champon, after what felt like forever and got a "taxi" to the bus station. Nearly lost one of the backpacks when it fell off the back of the truck and got to see some Monkeys hanging on to the side of a lorry!?! Went to bar called the Safety Stop to have some food and beers! Played a couple of games of pool and watched the footy - before heading back to get on the bus to Bangkok!

Arrived in Bangkok at 4.30am!!!! Sat in a bar and watched the world go by and the sun come up, had some breakfast and then Olly and Will checked in to their hotel (Grand Palace ?) - bloody posh had a t.v and everything. We all just collapsed in there and watched some crap films on "Star Movies" and went to sleep - I grabbed a shower as I minged with all that traveling and had even more to come! Finally it was time to say tara to my new friends and hop in a taxi to the airport! I left them with strict instructions that under no circumstances should they ever grow their hair long again! I had seen some photos of before they came traveling - guys it was just plain wrong!!

Koh Tao Part 2

More Diving I'm afraid - did my Advanced Open water course it meant two days of early starts at 7.30am!! Celebrated completing my AOW by going in to town with Olly and Will and drinking plenty of Vodka! Also tried a new drink invented by some Ozzy's that we met - two shots of tequilla, one shot of sam song, redull and sprite - sounds good - it wasn't!! We danced all night and drank far too much. Olly disappeared with some non-asthetically pleasing young lady and me and Will went home on the Moped! I know I shouldn't have gone on it but I wasn't paying 50p to get home!! I also managed to lose one of my flip flops at some point - don't ask me how but I woke up the next morning with only one!! All nursing hangovers we did S.F.A all day and couldn't even be bothered to go out for dinner - we got microwaved bacon sarnies and pizza from the 7 Eleven instead. That night I was ill - it had to be food poisoning - I felt rough as! Due to my very dodgy night I chilled on the beach the next day doing little but drinking water and sleeping. Feeling much better decided to ..... yep you guessed it ..... go diving again!! Just has a quite night, watched a film and had a massage by the beach - you know it's sucha hard life! Spent the next day on the beach again as was the last full day before I left! Went into the town to the main beach this time - Sarinee (?) Beach, Olly and Will thought Christamas had come early when they spotted a surf board that they could go and play on!! Had a nice Italian meal (though not as nice as Mum's - obviously!) and went to a couple of bars back near the bungalows - where a local tried to hustle me at connect 4! I was having none of it! I'm not betting my ten pences on anything!