I never managed to get up for breakfast on day 57 on Ozbus11's 92 day trip to Sydney, the previous day had done me in. I wanted to catch up on sleep and prepare myself for the fact that I'd be gettting little of it in the coming days. The youngens on the bus were excited as we were going to a Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan Island the first evening after leaving Bangkok. It was going to be an all night affair with a boat taking us there in the eve from Koh Samui and not taking us back til morning the next day. I can do all nighters if there is the following available: GOOD music to dance to (I don't count traditional Dance music as good, it's usually the fastest way to send me to sleep), a decent crowd (not shitheads, timewasters or people off their heads on whatever, just intersting perhaps slightly crazy peeps you can have a chat with) and finally good weather. So I was a bit aprehensive about the party.
Unfortunately I sort of pre-empted the whole all nighter thing by one night, our last night in Bangkok. After missing breakfast and being annoyed because it was amazing, a few of us found a great little cafe just around the corner from hotel. It was a Sunday and surprisingly, nothing much was open. Ozbus had been living out of the working week system for sometime now and we had not a clue how the real world worked around us. But here we found continental breakfasts on offer, milkshakes, croissants which I jumped on and of course that quintessential coffee.
After breakfast I'm not sure what I did as this is the part in my diary marked 'faffed'. So I guess I faffed before Dee, I and Rob the photogrpaher and computer genius decided to visit the Royal Palace. This was a good cultural visit with LOTS of gold and sparkly things to bowl you over. A good attraction just cover up and don't let the taxi men rip you off when you come out. Then I suppose we came back and had dinner and then we went out and did a bit of shopping on the main strip.
I was having drinks with Dee and Elli, our proper Yorskshire lass, desperately trying to order a Martini and not getting anywhere with the waiter when suddenly I stopped. I made a grab for my waist where I wear my money belt and to my horrow - AHHHH, it wasn't there! Panic set in as I was horofied at losing not only money but Passport aswell. Luckily Dee and Sam were amazing. They got a plan of action going, Dee re-traced my steps with me, checking the market we had just been to and Sam went back to our hotel room to see if I had left it there.
I was adement I hadn't as I only ever took the money belt off to shower or swim and then would put it back on when dressing. I was in a right state. What if I had to miss the Full Moon Party by staying in Bangkok at the Embassy? We all really needed this party. What if I couldn't leave Thailand with Ozbus at all and my trip would be ruined? If only I had listened to Phil the bus god when he said this is the time in the trip when everyone starts to become more lax and lose things? I was thinking now - it had to be at the hotel - it just had to, I just didn't remember putting it down anywhere. I never left my passport in hotel rooms as per advice from Phil.
Dee and I were walking back when Elli phoned. She said she had found it on my bedside table. I thanked Elli and turned to Dee and we both breathed a sigh of relief then giggled a bit. What a scare? What an adrenaline rush? Back at the hotel Dee suddenly realised she had not seen her Passport for a while also. Consequently, she, Sam and I started to turn our hotel room inside out looking for it. Our room had allready been a state for sometime now - you remember, Dee and I had officially moved in and decorated.
A few of us had been in Phil's room earlier that evening and Dee thought it must be in there. So with Sam, a forever cheeri Surrey girl now hailing as a Northerner, and a few others joining in, broke into Phil's room and started searching it. Phil doesn't trust hotel staff so rarely gives in his room key when he goes out so we wondering just how we were going to get in but we did manage it. It wasn't there unfortunately so Dee texted one of the boys who were all on an official 'boys night out' in Bangkok (that only means going to see one thing *shiver shiver*) to see if they recall Dee having it somewhere. But we had no answer so we broke into Charlie and Rob's room instead to search there. Remember this was a leave or no leave Bangkok situation. As soon as we busted their door, Sam and I spied it, obviously "hidden" underneath Charlie's pillow.
I think Dee's exact words were "Charlie! You k**b-jockey!" As she was relieved at finally finding it. After that we waited for the boys to come back. Charlie was first coming to Dee's and my balcony where we were all hanging out. He said he was quite adement that the ping pong ladies had put him off sex for life. But what really put things into context for us girls was when Rob our Geography boy came back. He rushed onto the balcony all out of breath from running, clearly drunk and with the rememnents of sick down his front. What a night he had had as he went on to tell us. The show shocked him as much as it did Charlie but he had stayed out with Phil to go to a fish foot eating place with Tamara our amazingly intelligent Canadian.
Unfortunately this probably wasn't one of the best ideas as Rob has a thing about anything touching his feet. Phil cohearsed him into trying it when Rob I think threw up a little from the shock. Then he leapt up and ran all the way back to the hotel, throwing up again on the way. As Rob was relaying the events to us we all couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy but also, it was late, we did find it hilarious at the same time. What really made the story a treat was this quote from Rob: "Women - pulling razors out of their f****s now that's rude. But FISH!"
The night wore on and Phil came back and the party moved into his room. Their must have been about 10 of us in there or something. We were having the time of our life for some strange reason, dancing and acting like prats in a Bangkok hotel room - that's where the scene is obviously. Before I knew it, it was 2am and we had to leave that day to get down to Koh Samui. I said to myself I really must go to bed at some point and I still havent packed. I set my alarm for 5am to make me get up and be packed in time.
Then later on, all of a sudden, my alarm went off - and we were all still in Phil's room! How did this happen?! The all nighter was meant to be happening the next night. Oh well. Off I went to pack. Made it downstairs after boobie trapping Jim and Julie from Essex's room door with empty cans and bottles. Jim and Julie were the top couple on board and were the type of people who could appreciate a prank or two. Breakfast was nice and then I blanked out on the bus during the day. I only really woke up for half hour of lunch and then at 6pm for the ferry.
At 8.30pm we arrived at our hotel and what a paradise it seemed. But before we could enjoy it, we rushed some food down to be picked up for the party at 9.20pm. We had all been told that there were boats coming back every hour through the night which set my mind at rest at not being able to cope with another all nighter.
The Full Moon Party was......
Sunday 24 January 2010
Thursday 21 January 2010
Ozbus11 in Thailand - Part 2
Day 56 of Ozbus11's 92 day adventure to Sydney offered an invaluble, jam-packed day trip. Or so I thought. Now there are many extras offered as part of the Ozbus experience and day trips are one of them. This trip included a tour of the floating markets, a visit to a Tiger Sacntuary run by Monks and a visit to that bridge over the River Kwai. It was a pretty full on day and kicked off at 7am.
Only a few on the trip had decided they would use the time to recouperate in Bangkok and not be carted off on yet another Ozbus group activity. At the time I chose to go and pay the day trip fee, in fear of missing out on the Thailand experience but out of all the excursions - this was the one I would have gladly missed, in hindsight.
The floating markets were more than a disappointment. Apparently there are 2 sites tourists are taken to. I can only explain the one I saw. The coach dropped us off at a sort of embarkation station where we were put into groups of 8 and loaded into narrow, tradional boats, with ruddy great big motors on the back. Before we zoomed off on the canals, we were all stunned momentarily by someone taking each pairs' photo on a digital camera.
Off we went at varying speeds according to water trafic, halting at differnt yet surpsingly similar trinket stalls and I started to wonder when we would get to the actual markets. Well the more we stopped at these stalls selling rubbish and the more I saw other boats of tourists doing the same, it became apparent that this was actually it. Not impressed. A smooth operation of dumping us at a decent looking shop selling more rubbish, there for 15 mins or so before our boat number was called and we went off again was the best we were offered at the markets. We were taken back to where we had got on boats and were offered a souvenir picture of the pairs printed onto plastic plates. Not entirely what I'd call quality merchandise but it appealed to Dee who bought one. It was destined for our makeshift mantlepiece on top of the TV in our hotel room.
Well, the floating markets didn't get us off to a good start. Luckily we were going to the Tiger Sanctuary next which many were looking forward to. Looking forward to it not least because they would each get a chance to have their photo taken with a tiger which I guess some people dream about since childhood. When I learn't this I did ask myself the question - how does one pose with a tiger when they are in a sanctuary? To a westerner the idea of a sanctuary is something of a mimmicked natural habitat for creatures to frolic in, as free as possible from human interaction. Not so in Thailand.
First of all the fee to enter this supposed sanctuary was extorionate for the experience it offered. Secondly it was quite clearly not run by Monks, merely people dressed in coloured robes. A few of us did go on the hunt for the temple that was meant to be there, but we found all we found was a massive cattle shed. Thirdly to get the picture with a tiger, one must que up with other excitable tourists, be guided into a compound of about 10 chained up Tigers and sit behind one smiling like "this is a completely natural environment for both of us to be in", touch it gently if you like while a robed 'monk' takes your picture.
If you're questioning the safety aspect of this right now then don't worry. We were clearly briefed by many young westerners who seemed to be working there (I presume this is where some of our fee goes, they'd be fools to volunteer at the place) who told us not to wear bright colours, make sudden movements nor stray from the line. Well thank heavens for that, I felt so much safer after thata as you can imagine. (what's comp. shorthand for being sarcastic?)
After an hour of walking around coming across chained up Tigers here and there for crowds to gawp over I became depressed. I felt completely and utterly betrayed by the company I was travelling with for allowing their customers to take part in something obviously barbaric and an absolute violation of animal rights. Personally I would strongly advise against all visits to anything described as a Tiger Sanctuary by Ozbus.
Back on the bus again, it was now nearly lunchtime and took a while to arrive at where we would have it. But once there, a little place on the side of a main road, the Thai people came up trumps again with some glorious food. Back on the bus (it seemed most of the day was actually spent on the bus) we were ferryed for a long time to our next destination, the birdge over the River Kwai. On our way there though, the group were starting to wonder how necesary our 3 tour guide ladies were. Only one it seemed was able to communicate with us and the other 2 simply chatted on their mobile phone and hogged the front seat. After much gossiping it was decided that the English speaking girl must be the official guide and the other 2 were her friends who were in it for the ride.
We eventually arrived at the Bridge over the River Kawai, weary from a long day allready. It was a nice bridge. Small with a train track on it. We got to walk some of it and I wondered if trains still used the line. Then we had to get into the side on little waiting platforms as a train came up and answered my question. And then it was time to leave again. The bridge visit sort of turned into a glorified toilet stop but it's one to cross off the list I suppose.
At 7.30pm Ozbus11 rolled back into Bangkok and I had my dinner and went promptly to bed. Exhausted and annoyed at having wasted my day and my money, my only solace was that there might be another episode of Home and Away on television. There wasn't and I had to make do with something on National Geographic.
Only a few on the trip had decided they would use the time to recouperate in Bangkok and not be carted off on yet another Ozbus group activity. At the time I chose to go and pay the day trip fee, in fear of missing out on the Thailand experience but out of all the excursions - this was the one I would have gladly missed, in hindsight.
The floating markets were more than a disappointment. Apparently there are 2 sites tourists are taken to. I can only explain the one I saw. The coach dropped us off at a sort of embarkation station where we were put into groups of 8 and loaded into narrow, tradional boats, with ruddy great big motors on the back. Before we zoomed off on the canals, we were all stunned momentarily by someone taking each pairs' photo on a digital camera.
Off we went at varying speeds according to water trafic, halting at differnt yet surpsingly similar trinket stalls and I started to wonder when we would get to the actual markets. Well the more we stopped at these stalls selling rubbish and the more I saw other boats of tourists doing the same, it became apparent that this was actually it. Not impressed. A smooth operation of dumping us at a decent looking shop selling more rubbish, there for 15 mins or so before our boat number was called and we went off again was the best we were offered at the markets. We were taken back to where we had got on boats and were offered a souvenir picture of the pairs printed onto plastic plates. Not entirely what I'd call quality merchandise but it appealed to Dee who bought one. It was destined for our makeshift mantlepiece on top of the TV in our hotel room.
Well, the floating markets didn't get us off to a good start. Luckily we were going to the Tiger Sanctuary next which many were looking forward to. Looking forward to it not least because they would each get a chance to have their photo taken with a tiger which I guess some people dream about since childhood. When I learn't this I did ask myself the question - how does one pose with a tiger when they are in a sanctuary? To a westerner the idea of a sanctuary is something of a mimmicked natural habitat for creatures to frolic in, as free as possible from human interaction. Not so in Thailand.
First of all the fee to enter this supposed sanctuary was extorionate for the experience it offered. Secondly it was quite clearly not run by Monks, merely people dressed in coloured robes. A few of us did go on the hunt for the temple that was meant to be there, but we found all we found was a massive cattle shed. Thirdly to get the picture with a tiger, one must que up with other excitable tourists, be guided into a compound of about 10 chained up Tigers and sit behind one smiling like "this is a completely natural environment for both of us to be in", touch it gently if you like while a robed 'monk' takes your picture.
If you're questioning the safety aspect of this right now then don't worry. We were clearly briefed by many young westerners who seemed to be working there (I presume this is where some of our fee goes, they'd be fools to volunteer at the place) who told us not to wear bright colours, make sudden movements nor stray from the line. Well thank heavens for that, I felt so much safer after thata as you can imagine. (what's comp. shorthand for being sarcastic?)
After an hour of walking around coming across chained up Tigers here and there for crowds to gawp over I became depressed. I felt completely and utterly betrayed by the company I was travelling with for allowing their customers to take part in something obviously barbaric and an absolute violation of animal rights. Personally I would strongly advise against all visits to anything described as a Tiger Sanctuary by Ozbus.
Back on the bus again, it was now nearly lunchtime and took a while to arrive at where we would have it. But once there, a little place on the side of a main road, the Thai people came up trumps again with some glorious food. Back on the bus (it seemed most of the day was actually spent on the bus) we were ferryed for a long time to our next destination, the birdge over the River Kwai. On our way there though, the group were starting to wonder how necesary our 3 tour guide ladies were. Only one it seemed was able to communicate with us and the other 2 simply chatted on their mobile phone and hogged the front seat. After much gossiping it was decided that the English speaking girl must be the official guide and the other 2 were her friends who were in it for the ride.
We eventually arrived at the Bridge over the River Kawai, weary from a long day allready. It was a nice bridge. Small with a train track on it. We got to walk some of it and I wondered if trains still used the line. Then we had to get into the side on little waiting platforms as a train came up and answered my question. And then it was time to leave again. The bridge visit sort of turned into a glorified toilet stop but it's one to cross off the list I suppose.
At 7.30pm Ozbus11 rolled back into Bangkok and I had my dinner and went promptly to bed. Exhausted and annoyed at having wasted my day and my money, my only solace was that there might be another episode of Home and Away on television. There wasn't and I had to make do with something on National Geographic.
Wednesday 13 January 2010
Ozbus11 in Thailand - Part 1
On Day 54, Ozbus11 left our Calcutta *cough* 'hotel' at 7am, with none of us wishing to hang around. We drove on our bus around the city until we arrived at what I can only describe as a colonial railway station. Surely this wasn't the right place to get off bus? thought I. Surprise surprise, this was India's idea of an international airport; a dirty, smelly, looking disused building with people inside.
We had arrived well before check-in, at 10am, and so most of us tried to find breakfast. Not before too long check-in arrived, tags were put on bags and we borded a plane for Bangkok. As soon as the wheels of the aircraft left the Indian tarmac, a sweet sense of Euphoria swept through the Ozbus group like an electric current. We spent the flight like excitable kids as, at last, (though the feeling wasn't 100% shared throughout the group) we had been rescued from the nightmare that was India.
At 4.30pm local time we touched down, dis-embarked and entered a space-age like airport. I walked around in dis-belief as I could smell something vaguely familiar but not immidately identifyable. There was a brightness to the airport and finally I identified what I was smelling as I walked into halogen lit toilets with a cheerie attendent. IT WAS CLEAN! I was smelling CLEAN! If cleanliness had a smell, Bangkok airport sure had it. I mingled through our group sharing my discovery as other shared their own delightful wonderments.
The wonders continued when we were met by not one guide but 3 Thai ladies. They waited with us for our bus and we hapened to witness a famous Thai personality sign autographs and be whisked away by a smart looking campervan. Our bus turned up and it was the most colourful bus we'd seen so far with lush seating and a big TV that we found out one day actually worked. We arrived at our hotel and OMG - the place had an actual foyer, with computers available, hooked up to the internet. It had comfortable chairs, with not one but 2 eateries but the best was still to come.
I was sharing a room with Dee from Londahn and when we opened the door to our rooms we were greeted with the luxury of space, clean rooms and the best surprise - clean showers with complimentary shampoo and body wash. It was amazing. My favourite perk of the room was that the TV picked up Australian "best of" network. And I settled down to a treat of a Home and Away episode. It's the little things in life.
Everyone made full use of the hygenically white bathrooms and those that wanted to, met up later to go out and PARTY, Thailand style. This means walking down a street choc-full of bars and Thai restaurants where you see loads of tourists. I hadn't seen this many since Europe and it was a shock to the system but a nice one. A few of us found a nice little bar with a guy playing acoustic guitar covers of all the tourists' favourite hits. (Yes, he did play Oasis 'Wonderwall'). Unfortunately, becuase all these guys were Thai, there were some interesting pronunciations of lyrics.
Thailand is cheap - we all know that -except for one aspect of life: Alcoholic drinks. And when you want to party after a long spate of not being allowed to drink for religous reasons - you want to participate in a bit of a drinking sesh. Wallets must be prepared for the blow. Anyhow I can't exactly remember when I went home that night but the next morning I did manage to get up for breakfast at 9.30am. What a beautiful sight the Thai breakfast was. It had EVERYTHING. If it was almost imposible to eat anything in India - then Thailand sure was making up for it.
So I eat a delightful array of things and then went back up to my room and slept until about 1pm. Now, as I mentioned, I was sharing with Dee and at this point in the trip she had developed a firm reputation of being a terrible faffer. A rep. I thought, was unfairly given at that point in time. What the rest of Ozbus11 didn't know about me was that I was a secret faffer and notoirious for it in my own circle of friends. And so, due to this pairing, old habits started to emerge and there are large chunks marked in my diary where the activity written was 'poter' and 'faffed'. However it was a good pairing as the two of us ended up with the ultimate and best hotel room to hang out in.
I'm pretty sure by the evening of Day 55 our room was decorated with fairylights round the mirror, a blow up Giraffe named Henry and trinkets set upon the Television. Luckily we were scheduled to stay in Bangkok for a grand total of four days which in Ozbus terms is like renting an apartment. So the interior decoration was justified.
We had arrived well before check-in, at 10am, and so most of us tried to find breakfast. Not before too long check-in arrived, tags were put on bags and we borded a plane for Bangkok. As soon as the wheels of the aircraft left the Indian tarmac, a sweet sense of Euphoria swept through the Ozbus group like an electric current. We spent the flight like excitable kids as, at last, (though the feeling wasn't 100% shared throughout the group) we had been rescued from the nightmare that was India.
At 4.30pm local time we touched down, dis-embarked and entered a space-age like airport. I walked around in dis-belief as I could smell something vaguely familiar but not immidately identifyable. There was a brightness to the airport and finally I identified what I was smelling as I walked into halogen lit toilets with a cheerie attendent. IT WAS CLEAN! I was smelling CLEAN! If cleanliness had a smell, Bangkok airport sure had it. I mingled through our group sharing my discovery as other shared their own delightful wonderments.
The wonders continued when we were met by not one guide but 3 Thai ladies. They waited with us for our bus and we hapened to witness a famous Thai personality sign autographs and be whisked away by a smart looking campervan. Our bus turned up and it was the most colourful bus we'd seen so far with lush seating and a big TV that we found out one day actually worked. We arrived at our hotel and OMG - the place had an actual foyer, with computers available, hooked up to the internet. It had comfortable chairs, with not one but 2 eateries but the best was still to come.
I was sharing a room with Dee from Londahn and when we opened the door to our rooms we were greeted with the luxury of space, clean rooms and the best surprise - clean showers with complimentary shampoo and body wash. It was amazing. My favourite perk of the room was that the TV picked up Australian "best of" network. And I settled down to a treat of a Home and Away episode. It's the little things in life.
Everyone made full use of the hygenically white bathrooms and those that wanted to, met up later to go out and PARTY, Thailand style. This means walking down a street choc-full of bars and Thai restaurants where you see loads of tourists. I hadn't seen this many since Europe and it was a shock to the system but a nice one. A few of us found a nice little bar with a guy playing acoustic guitar covers of all the tourists' favourite hits. (Yes, he did play Oasis 'Wonderwall'). Unfortunately, becuase all these guys were Thai, there were some interesting pronunciations of lyrics.
Thailand is cheap - we all know that -except for one aspect of life: Alcoholic drinks. And when you want to party after a long spate of not being allowed to drink for religous reasons - you want to participate in a bit of a drinking sesh. Wallets must be prepared for the blow. Anyhow I can't exactly remember when I went home that night but the next morning I did manage to get up for breakfast at 9.30am. What a beautiful sight the Thai breakfast was. It had EVERYTHING. If it was almost imposible to eat anything in India - then Thailand sure was making up for it.
So I eat a delightful array of things and then went back up to my room and slept until about 1pm. Now, as I mentioned, I was sharing with Dee and at this point in the trip she had developed a firm reputation of being a terrible faffer. A rep. I thought, was unfairly given at that point in time. What the rest of Ozbus11 didn't know about me was that I was a secret faffer and notoirious for it in my own circle of friends. And so, due to this pairing, old habits started to emerge and there are large chunks marked in my diary where the activity written was 'poter' and 'faffed'. However it was a good pairing as the two of us ended up with the ultimate and best hotel room to hang out in.
I'm pretty sure by the evening of Day 55 our room was decorated with fairylights round the mirror, a blow up Giraffe named Henry and trinkets set upon the Television. Luckily we were scheduled to stay in Bangkok for a grand total of four days which in Ozbus terms is like renting an apartment. So the interior decoration was justified.
Thursday 7 January 2010
Ozbus11 in Nepal - Part 3
Having left the Orphanage a little low, day 45 of my London to Sydney bus trip was spent hanging and pottering around in a boat on the lake in Pokhara. It was day 46 that would mark a milestone in our trip. That morning more than half the group had left very early to go white water rafting. I opted out having done it before and wanting to take advantage of a lie-in before some very early starts coming our way. We left Pokhara saying another bye to Helen and made our way up winding mountain roads to collect the rafters. There, wet bodies (inc. Rob's brother and 2 Canadian women hitching a ride) bundled onto the tiny Nepalese bus and we celebrated officially being 'half way there'!
It was only another 46 days to go until we reached Sydney and having spent the last couple of weeks building up to this milestone, suddenly there was a sense that now we had reached it - it was all going to go far too fast from now on. We arrived in Khatmandu that evening and settled into another hotel in the heart of the city. Many were up early the next day to go on a pleasure flight around Everest. This was by far the most expensive extra on the tour and something I chose not to do owing to my no flying traveling. But it was with great satisfaction that they all came back to breakfast at the hotel, telling us how amazing it was to see.
A mini bus tour of some good sites was laid on for us including being taken to a Stupa and the Monkey Temple. The stupa was very beautiful being deocrated in flags and surrounded by traditional buildings. The monkey temple creeped me out a bit with all the wild monkees running about the place. I got cold and tired as soon as the sun went down and went back to the city for some local Nepalese dinner with Tamara, our super smart, doctor, Canadian Ozbusketeer.
At 6am on day 48 I and a few other Ozbusketeers caught a transfer bus to The Last Resort, near the Tibetan border. It was billed as the perfect retreat, a place to pamper oneself with a range of massages available and activities such as Canyon Swininging and Bungee Jumping optional activites. Accomodation were sveral grades of luxurious tents, but all I was looking forward to was a pool, peace and quiet and Bungee Jumping. As it turned out it wasn't really a retreat but a PGL activity centre for Grown-ups. On arrival our accomadation booking had been typically miscommunicated and there weren't, apparently, enough tents to go round as one lady was expected to share a tent with another man in our group. I don't know if I'm just out of date with things but isn't that completely unacceptable within the tourist industry? Regardless of country. It wasn't a sham organisation that was being run here. It was owned by some Kiwi's and the drinks prices at the bar set the tone for being a first class type of place. But the way it was run - completely over capacity, as the first day there, we had to fight to get any lunch (breakfast lunch and dinner were inc. in price). And it seemed that they were setting food out after being cooked and re-heating it for the different groups coming along. Very dodgy.
Also - there was no pool! How can you run a resort without a pool? Come on! There was a mini square of a cold plunge poole available but it's not the same. Initial dissapointment aside, it was a beautiful setting nestled into the mountain-side. I chose not to do my jump that day, preferring that I take the full time to relax and get excited tomorrow when I had to leave anyway. The next day I did my jump and of course I had to be the first one to do it. It was because you jump by weight and I was the lightest. Both the Bungy and Canyon Swing were over a gorge and we were told by Phil to feel priveleged as it was illegal elsewhere to bungy from bridges these days and was the no.1 Canyon Swing in the world. So I was called. Tentatively made my way over to the middle of the bridge. Stepped into a harness. Told to sit down as they attached bungy to ankes. My god - they strapped it on tight, just as well really. But it did hurt. Then I shuffled under fence out onto jumping platform.
Bungy jumping is something I have always wanted to do just because of the challenge that it is. Something so high, so un-natural - how will I cope? I refused to get scared though. The last thing I wanted was to be was on that platform, look down and have thoughts of terrible things making me hesitate to do it. I just powered on through. So I raised my arms making me into a sort of cross figure, listened to Nepalese jump guy count 3,2,1.......... and I dived head first into a gorge with a river at the bottom, my eyes were shut. Then I opened them and I was still falling. And then I bounced a bit, not much, then I hung for what seemed like ages until they lowered me enough for me to grap a stick and two people at the side of the river pull me in. I was relived to get the bungy off my ankles purely because it was so painful round them. But then I stood up, looked up and went... "huh. I've done it and I feel...... nothing?! How can I feel nothing? I've just jumped the third highest bungy in the world?" I thought.
So I clambered up the steep valley face up to the viewing deck to watch the others go. Then we all re-conviened for lunch and to watch our prosective videos. And I thought - I need something else. So I went and paid to do the Canyon Swing that everyone said felt amazing. By this time there were only 3 as opposed to approx. 30 people on the bridge doing their jump. Now it felt like my turn, something truly for me, nothing to prove. I jumped the Canyon Swing where the rope was attached to your waist harness and suspended from accross the gorge further out. Freefalling until it picked up the slack was really good and swinging back a forth a few times, I felt more of an adrenaline rush on this than on the bungy.
Satisfied I packed up my things to catch the bus with everyon,e back to Khatmandu. At 10am on day 50 I reluctantly got on the bus to leave Khatmandu and head to the Nepal border to go back into India. I was dreading it. Leaving behind such an amazing country with amazing scenery, food and wonderful people to go into one where I couldn't eat anything nor sleep properly in hotels where cleanliness was something out of a western magazine, not Indian culture. In fact it terrified Linda so much that she went back to Pokhara and met us at Bangkok airport when we flew there from Calcutta.
It was only another 46 days to go until we reached Sydney and having spent the last couple of weeks building up to this milestone, suddenly there was a sense that now we had reached it - it was all going to go far too fast from now on. We arrived in Khatmandu that evening and settled into another hotel in the heart of the city. Many were up early the next day to go on a pleasure flight around Everest. This was by far the most expensive extra on the tour and something I chose not to do owing to my no flying traveling. But it was with great satisfaction that they all came back to breakfast at the hotel, telling us how amazing it was to see.
A mini bus tour of some good sites was laid on for us including being taken to a Stupa and the Monkey Temple. The stupa was very beautiful being deocrated in flags and surrounded by traditional buildings. The monkey temple creeped me out a bit with all the wild monkees running about the place. I got cold and tired as soon as the sun went down and went back to the city for some local Nepalese dinner with Tamara, our super smart, doctor, Canadian Ozbusketeer.
At 6am on day 48 I and a few other Ozbusketeers caught a transfer bus to The Last Resort, near the Tibetan border. It was billed as the perfect retreat, a place to pamper oneself with a range of massages available and activities such as Canyon Swininging and Bungee Jumping optional activites. Accomodation were sveral grades of luxurious tents, but all I was looking forward to was a pool, peace and quiet and Bungee Jumping. As it turned out it wasn't really a retreat but a PGL activity centre for Grown-ups. On arrival our accomadation booking had been typically miscommunicated and there weren't, apparently, enough tents to go round as one lady was expected to share a tent with another man in our group. I don't know if I'm just out of date with things but isn't that completely unacceptable within the tourist industry? Regardless of country. It wasn't a sham organisation that was being run here. It was owned by some Kiwi's and the drinks prices at the bar set the tone for being a first class type of place. But the way it was run - completely over capacity, as the first day there, we had to fight to get any lunch (breakfast lunch and dinner were inc. in price). And it seemed that they were setting food out after being cooked and re-heating it for the different groups coming along. Very dodgy.
Also - there was no pool! How can you run a resort without a pool? Come on! There was a mini square of a cold plunge poole available but it's not the same. Initial dissapointment aside, it was a beautiful setting nestled into the mountain-side. I chose not to do my jump that day, preferring that I take the full time to relax and get excited tomorrow when I had to leave anyway. The next day I did my jump and of course I had to be the first one to do it. It was because you jump by weight and I was the lightest. Both the Bungy and Canyon Swing were over a gorge and we were told by Phil to feel priveleged as it was illegal elsewhere to bungy from bridges these days and was the no.1 Canyon Swing in the world. So I was called. Tentatively made my way over to the middle of the bridge. Stepped into a harness. Told to sit down as they attached bungy to ankes. My god - they strapped it on tight, just as well really. But it did hurt. Then I shuffled under fence out onto jumping platform.
Bungy jumping is something I have always wanted to do just because of the challenge that it is. Something so high, so un-natural - how will I cope? I refused to get scared though. The last thing I wanted was to be was on that platform, look down and have thoughts of terrible things making me hesitate to do it. I just powered on through. So I raised my arms making me into a sort of cross figure, listened to Nepalese jump guy count 3,2,1.......... and I dived head first into a gorge with a river at the bottom, my eyes were shut. Then I opened them and I was still falling. And then I bounced a bit, not much, then I hung for what seemed like ages until they lowered me enough for me to grap a stick and two people at the side of the river pull me in. I was relived to get the bungy off my ankles purely because it was so painful round them. But then I stood up, looked up and went... "huh. I've done it and I feel...... nothing?! How can I feel nothing? I've just jumped the third highest bungy in the world?" I thought.
So I clambered up the steep valley face up to the viewing deck to watch the others go. Then we all re-conviened for lunch and to watch our prosective videos. And I thought - I need something else. So I went and paid to do the Canyon Swing that everyone said felt amazing. By this time there were only 3 as opposed to approx. 30 people on the bridge doing their jump. Now it felt like my turn, something truly for me, nothing to prove. I jumped the Canyon Swing where the rope was attached to your waist harness and suspended from accross the gorge further out. Freefalling until it picked up the slack was really good and swinging back a forth a few times, I felt more of an adrenaline rush on this than on the bungy.
Satisfied I packed up my things to catch the bus with everyon,e back to Khatmandu. At 10am on day 50 I reluctantly got on the bus to leave Khatmandu and head to the Nepal border to go back into India. I was dreading it. Leaving behind such an amazing country with amazing scenery, food and wonderful people to go into one where I couldn't eat anything nor sleep properly in hotels where cleanliness was something out of a western magazine, not Indian culture. In fact it terrified Linda so much that she went back to Pokhara and met us at Bangkok airport when we flew there from Calcutta.
Monday 4 January 2010
Ozbus11 in Nepal - Part 2
At a comfortable 10am the 26 inc. Phil the bus God (we had left Bernie the crazy but lovable frenchmen to his own devices at the border)borded our Nepalese bus and headed to the resort town of Pokhara. Here we found another comfortable hotel overlooking a beautiful lake and mountain scenery. We had arrived just in time for Dwali and there was a definite party feel in the air.
Our first day was spent rising before day-break to trek up a mountain to see sunrise. A slightly arduous trek but I set my own pace and kept to it and was one of the first to arrive at the summit. Here we had to pay for a ticket to set foot upon. Gradually we all gathered and watched the sunrise together. We took photos, posed for photos, watched some crazy Nepalese guys drop their camera over the edge of mountain and climb down steep rock face to get it. As you do. We departed in good light ready for the bus at the bottom to take us back to hotel in time for breakfast. Some chose to walk all the way back to town. Well those of us who chose safe, easy, non-tiring four wheeled option were a tad dissapointed when told bus had gone and had to wait somewhere along road for silly busman to come back for us. All in the perils of miscommunication. What jubilations were cried out when bus eventually did show and arriving back at hotel we barely beat those who had set out on foot. But we were just in time for Breakfast - which was the main thing.
Nepalese breakfasts were good. Well anything was good - we had been in India where they don't believe in Breakfasts at the places we were staying. I slept for a good long while after a good helping, until it was lunchtime and afternoon in fact. We had met Rob's "brother" in Chitwan (wasnt really Rob the camera/Curry's wizard's brother but looked identical). He told us of a little orphanage to visit in Pokahara which was on the itineray of things to do that afternoon. I had always intended to visit an orphanage that Phil knew of in Kathmandu so thought I'd go to this one.
We were met by Helen Henderson, a wee Scotish woman who lead us from the hotel to the Orphanage. We walked up a dirt track off the main road by the lake (behind Base Camp Resort) and to my surprise we entered a small plot of land through a new gate, up a garden path into a small house. It wasn't what I was expecting at all, when I think of Orphanages, I think of big unfriendly, godforsaken looking places with hundreds of children in dorms. Here, at Shangri-La new Dawn, I was pleasently surprised. There mission statement is "A loving secure small family orientated home for orphaned and abandoned children of Nepal". That was certainly the impression I got as I was invited to sit in the main living area/school room by Krishna and his wife. There were just five of us from Ozbus who were visiting and each of us asked our own intrigued questions as we ate fruit and drank tea they had laid out for us.
There were only approx. 8 children which is as large as they wanted their house to be, focussing on keeping a family atmosphere. The children were from a variety of destitute backgrounds and hadn't really been there long as the house had only been set up for about a year. Those of school age all attended the local but Nepalese education being what it is, were all tutored after with an empahsis on learning English. As it was explained - in Nepal where tourism is the 3rd religion, a future is not bright without a good grasp of the language. As we listened to Krishna and Helen tell us heartbreaking stories of the origins of each child, I looked out to the front lawn where most of them were playing. Helen had recently splashed out on a swing and they were all making good use of their new toy. They were running around, screaming and laughing - exactly how children should be. It was an immense happy sight. But inside, the realities were harder to deal with.
The children didn't have enough clothes. They were constantly running out of basic educational materials such as pencils and books to read. Toys were very limited. There was a shelf or so of toys we could see - that was the extent of it. The house was constantly struggling to pay eletricity bills and in the winter it got incredibly cold. The children were cared for by Krishna and his wife but there was just an underlying constant struggle that this orphanage had to deal with that tore on our heartstrings. Helen did what she could, dividing her time between Scotland and Nepal where she would arrive with what she could fit into luggage. But it was impossible to send things without human escort, a nightmare to get money to the orphanage.
It was clear that what this orphanage needed to continue the safe and nurturing environment for these children - something that every single child deserves. Because I know what some of you may think - these were just 8 children out of hundreds in the country, millions in the world but do these 8 children deserve less becuase they are simply so few? To continue - more man power is needed, more time from caring individuals, more donations, more attention from the outside world. Linda our resident shopaholic was one such person who was so moved by the time she spent with the children that she vowed to return and help.
Some of us were having fun outside aquaintng ourselves with the children when it was time to leave. We had memorable photos taken with them all and it was a sad goodbye that was said. Walking back down the dirt track I felt a queitness inside me. I didn't want to speak, I didn't want to think. I just felt. Felt so deeply and so moved for these childrens' incredibly uncertain futures.
Shagri-La New Dawn, Pokhara, Nepal
Krishna Acharya (Project Co-ordiantor)
manhimalayan@yahoo.com
Mrs Helen Henderson (UK contact)
mammychef@googlemail.com
Our first day was spent rising before day-break to trek up a mountain to see sunrise. A slightly arduous trek but I set my own pace and kept to it and was one of the first to arrive at the summit. Here we had to pay for a ticket to set foot upon. Gradually we all gathered and watched the sunrise together. We took photos, posed for photos, watched some crazy Nepalese guys drop their camera over the edge of mountain and climb down steep rock face to get it. As you do. We departed in good light ready for the bus at the bottom to take us back to hotel in time for breakfast. Some chose to walk all the way back to town. Well those of us who chose safe, easy, non-tiring four wheeled option were a tad dissapointed when told bus had gone and had to wait somewhere along road for silly busman to come back for us. All in the perils of miscommunication. What jubilations were cried out when bus eventually did show and arriving back at hotel we barely beat those who had set out on foot. But we were just in time for Breakfast - which was the main thing.
Nepalese breakfasts were good. Well anything was good - we had been in India where they don't believe in Breakfasts at the places we were staying. I slept for a good long while after a good helping, until it was lunchtime and afternoon in fact. We had met Rob's "brother" in Chitwan (wasnt really Rob the camera/Curry's wizard's brother but looked identical). He told us of a little orphanage to visit in Pokahara which was on the itineray of things to do that afternoon. I had always intended to visit an orphanage that Phil knew of in Kathmandu so thought I'd go to this one.
We were met by Helen Henderson, a wee Scotish woman who lead us from the hotel to the Orphanage. We walked up a dirt track off the main road by the lake (behind Base Camp Resort) and to my surprise we entered a small plot of land through a new gate, up a garden path into a small house. It wasn't what I was expecting at all, when I think of Orphanages, I think of big unfriendly, godforsaken looking places with hundreds of children in dorms. Here, at Shangri-La new Dawn, I was pleasently surprised. There mission statement is "A loving secure small family orientated home for orphaned and abandoned children of Nepal". That was certainly the impression I got as I was invited to sit in the main living area/school room by Krishna and his wife. There were just five of us from Ozbus who were visiting and each of us asked our own intrigued questions as we ate fruit and drank tea they had laid out for us.
There were only approx. 8 children which is as large as they wanted their house to be, focussing on keeping a family atmosphere. The children were from a variety of destitute backgrounds and hadn't really been there long as the house had only been set up for about a year. Those of school age all attended the local but Nepalese education being what it is, were all tutored after with an empahsis on learning English. As it was explained - in Nepal where tourism is the 3rd religion, a future is not bright without a good grasp of the language. As we listened to Krishna and Helen tell us heartbreaking stories of the origins of each child, I looked out to the front lawn where most of them were playing. Helen had recently splashed out on a swing and they were all making good use of their new toy. They were running around, screaming and laughing - exactly how children should be. It was an immense happy sight. But inside, the realities were harder to deal with.
The children didn't have enough clothes. They were constantly running out of basic educational materials such as pencils and books to read. Toys were very limited. There was a shelf or so of toys we could see - that was the extent of it. The house was constantly struggling to pay eletricity bills and in the winter it got incredibly cold. The children were cared for by Krishna and his wife but there was just an underlying constant struggle that this orphanage had to deal with that tore on our heartstrings. Helen did what she could, dividing her time between Scotland and Nepal where she would arrive with what she could fit into luggage. But it was impossible to send things without human escort, a nightmare to get money to the orphanage.
It was clear that what this orphanage needed to continue the safe and nurturing environment for these children - something that every single child deserves. Because I know what some of you may think - these were just 8 children out of hundreds in the country, millions in the world but do these 8 children deserve less becuase they are simply so few? To continue - more man power is needed, more time from caring individuals, more donations, more attention from the outside world. Linda our resident shopaholic was one such person who was so moved by the time she spent with the children that she vowed to return and help.
Some of us were having fun outside aquaintng ourselves with the children when it was time to leave. We had memorable photos taken with them all and it was a sad goodbye that was said. Walking back down the dirt track I felt a queitness inside me. I didn't want to speak, I didn't want to think. I just felt. Felt so deeply and so moved for these childrens' incredibly uncertain futures.
Shagri-La New Dawn, Pokhara, Nepal
Krishna Acharya (Project Co-ordiantor)
manhimalayan@yahoo.com
Mrs Helen Henderson (UK contact)
mammychef@googlemail.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
