Travel Diary

Day 111: 10th September 2007

So today is basically our last day in Phoenix. 6 am tomorrow morning we have to leave Kenny’s and head for LA and our last flight of the trip back home to London.

And again today we pretty much aim to do nothing but hang out with Kenny. We’ve spent the last few hours sorting through our bags discarding anything we don’t need. Things like our roll mats which have been such good friends over the last 2months while sleeping in the car have unfortunately gone. I’ve certainly not tried to chuck out too much, but we have to save weight for the trip. Later on we’re to another pub for some karaoke with his mates. Gave Katie a ring a minute ago. Unfortunately she’s working for her mum so can’t come and see me in at Heathrow, but we’ve arranged to meet up later on. Can’t wait to see her.

So we’re gonna take Kenny out for dinner tonight. I’m thinking steak or ribs or something. Just as a small repayment for him letting us crash at his place the last few days. (more…)

Day 104: 3rd September 2007

Today has got to be one of the most fun days of the trip and by far the hottest. This is because I am currently sat in one of the hottest places on Earth. Death Valley National Park on the borders of California and Nevada.

Death Valley for those of who don’t know is a large valley and salt plain in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. What was once a large lake before the last ice age is now a barren and horrendously hot plain inhabited by few yet visited by thousands of people a year. In 1913, the highest temperature on Earth was recorded here at 56°C.

Anyway we started the day off stupidly early. Neither of us had slept that well last night. It wasn’t that the Motel was uncomfortable, even if the AC wasn’t the best, but I think both of us are starting to pine for our own beds back home in the UK. (more…)

Day 97: 27th August 2007

Oh my God I feel wretched. Frosty isn’t feeling much better. I think that the last few months of travelling have finally caught up with us both. So today to be honest we haven’t done a thing.

I picked up Frosty this morning after a wretched night in the car. The Yaris really isn’t designed for sleeping, even with the seats folded down in the supposed ‘completely flat configuration’ there’s still a big ass bump in the middle of your back.

So we’ve spent the entire day in an internet cafe about a mile down from the hostel. And when I say all day I mean, ALL day. But that’s what it takes to upload the amount of photos we’ve taken to Frosty’s blog. I’ve spent most of the day on Facebook playing Firefly trivia. It was kinda nice because we had a room to ourselves so we were able to piss about and take stupid photos to record our day!

Anyway this evening we were back to SKYCITY for a beer and another round of that awesome lasagne. I dropped Frosty off at the hostel again and am back in Craigavon park. Tonight was pretty awesome because I got to have my first proper conversation I’ve had with Katie on the phone since the trip began. Spent almost three hours just talking. It feels really weird talking to her about all the stuff she’s doing back home while I’m here over half the globe away. Makes me realise how much I’ve missed her the last few months.

Anyway I’m going to try and have a better nights sleep tonight. We’re actually gonna try and be constructive tomorrow and go see some sights. (more…)

Day 90; 20th August 2007

The main reason for coming to Wanganui was to do a jet boat ride. But after doing some more thorough research, decided against this. Too much money for what it is. So after a trip to the tourist info site the activity chosen for today was kayaking.

I can’t remember the last time I did any kayaking. We were doing it from a holiday park by the Wanganui River. They drive you 8km up the river then you paddle back down stream.

So we took it steady, floating gently down the Wanganui River. It was quite cold so when we needed to warm up we’d paddle for a while. At the 3k mark, a rope swing has been set up, so we had to have a go on that. So much fun, it swings right out over the river, so we had a break for half hour, all caught on video of course.

We arrived back at the holiday park at about 4.30 and headed back down into town to find a net cafe only to find that they were all closed. So instead we started out for our next destination, Mount Taranaki. (more…)

Day 83: 13th August 2007

God Franz Josef is a small ass fucking town! Pretty much everything here is geared for the Glacier walks. There are a million motels, a few pubs and restaurants, a supermarket and a petrol station. But anyway, we’re not here for the town.

We’re here for the huge ass ice cube that’s very slowly (50cm a day slow) moving its way down a valley right next to the town.

We’ve got to be at the guide’s office at 8.15am for a briefing and to get our equipment. Included in the price we get all our waterproof gear, boots, gloves, hat and special ice talons to attach to our boots so we can walk on the ice without falling on our pretty little arses!
So after gearing up we jump on the bus and then have a hours walk to the terminal face of the glacier. Here we divide up into groups of ten according to how fit we think we are. Naturally we’re in the second from highest. Frosty’s choice. We’ll see later in this post whether it was a good idea.

So at about 10am we start walking. It’s kinda incredible. The guides come up here and recut the steps in the terminal face every day at 5am. And even while we’re walking they walk ahead with ice axes to clear the way.

So the first part of the walk which takes about an hour and a half is getting past the terminal face and the first ice falls. Then after that you walk up onto the top of the ice itself. This is where the ice talons really start working and its still a great help to take an ice pick to use as a walking stick.

I can’t really describe on here how beautiful this landscape is. We squeezed through blue ice crevices and down gullies. We had to use ropes to guide us down steps so steep and small that you could only just fit one foot at a time on them. And halfway through the day we stopped on an ice cliff looking over the glacier and ate our lunch.

The day finished at about 4pm back down at the terminal face, then the bus journey back to Franz Josef.

So after some dinner we started toward Christchurch. However, we had no fuel. And the petrol station was close. And the 24 hour pumps only accepted Mobil cards which we didn’t have! This led to a search of every hostel, motel bar, restaurant and pub in the town to try and exchange some cash for a Mobil card use! No luck. Not a single card in the town.

We made an educated guess that we could make it to the next town if we drove efficiently. So sticking to a nice slow speed we just reached it. But the petrol station was closed also.

Just as we’re about to leave I spot an afterhours number which we ring, and although it costs us a $20 call out charge we now have enough fuel to get us to Christchurch so off we go. (more…)

Day 76: 6th August 2007

Ok we were meant to be going up to Byron Bay today but decided that we couldn’t leave without A) doing a tour of the Sydney Opera House and B) without experiencing a ‘Mad Monday’ night out with Asylum.

Again, our new friend Helen joined us for the opera house tour. Here’s a few facts I picked up on the tour. The opera house is actually three buildings. The opera house itself is the second largest and holds 1400 people. The largest building is the concert hall which holds 2500 people. It has an entirely wooden interior and is designed somewhat like the inside of an acoustic guitar with a reverb time of only 1.4 seconds. The smallest building is a French gourmet restaurant. All three have buildings within buildings. The roofs that make it famous are only an outer skin. As well as the two larger theatres there are 4 smaller theatres in the concrete base of the structure underneath the main halls.

So as you can tell I enjoyed the tour! I suddenly miss working in a theatre.

Seeing as it’s a nice sunny day, we’re sat in the botanical gardens soaking up the rays and writing this. I just bought my first empire magazine in 2 months. I really love this city. Its somewhere that at some point in my life I am GOING to have to live in.

So later we’re going to asylum again. The people who run it have been awesome and said we can do this night out even though we’re not staying there anymore. Basically for $15(that’s about £7) we get a meal, then free first drinks at three different bars and drinking games at asylum! So will be writing that up in the car tomorrow!

They don’t call it Mad Mondays for nothing. I said yesterday I’ve got to live in Sydney. Well I think I’ll be spending my Mondays at asylum.
We started off the night with dinner. Had a nice steak and chips. Then back to asylum for a game of tippy cups. The losers had to wear their cups on their heads the rest of the night, so naturally my team lost. We were all given asylum inmate tshirts to wear out and these just got drawn all over. Some of the things on mine can’t be mentioned on here. Or shown to my parents for that matter!

Well after the copious amounts of cheap, strong white wine called goon used for the tippy cup contest, it was time to hit the bars. So sporting our new hats (the cups were duck taped to our heads) and tshirts (all of which had at least one drawn on penis) in we trooped! After this, I can’t remember much. The second bar is completely lost to me and Empire, the last bar of the night is a blur although I do remember dancing very badly, still with the dam cup on my head! Next thing I know is waking up in the car! So an awesome night out. (more…)

Days 69-70: 30th – 31stth July 2007 Hainan Part 2

Day Five! Frosty’s 21st! He’s still in Shimai bay with Jenni. I was going to go up with Sverre to see them but due to a communications breakdown and a trip to hospital with Sverre after he cut his foot on the beach, we didn’t as there wasn’t enough time left. We meet up with them in the evening after a day on the beach and go for a meal and drinkys. We’re all really tired though so we don’t do a late one.

Day Six in Hainan and its beach and cocktails (more…)

Day 62: 23rd July 2007

We have a 7.30 bus to Lijiang today. Not nearly as nice as the bus to Dali, but it’s only three hours so just about bearable. I got stuck next to an incredibly smelly man for about 20 minutes but it could have been worse I suppose. At least He didn’t try to practice his English with me!

The hostel we are staying at is in the old section of town and is run by a Naxi woman, affectionately known as Mama Naxi. The Naxi minority in Yunnan is matriarchal so the women own and run most of the businesses here.

The alleys around the hostel are packed with small shops all run by the Naxi. Its so interesting seeing the minor differences in language and other cultural aspects compared to the rest of China.

We visit a small town outside the city in the afternoon. Shame it’s such a tourist trap though. Unexpected this far west. We really wanted to see a village that depict how ordinary Chinese people live, but it is extremely difficult when you have touts hassling you everywhere you go.
Anyway. Tiger Leaping Gorge tomorrow. Early night needed. (more…)

Day 55: 16th July 2007

Oh my God we’ve only got two months left. We’re days off being half way throughour trip. Scary Scary!

Had a pretty relaxing day all things considered. We checked out the Shanghai museum. As with the science museum, this was on our list of things to do if we had time, the previous visit, but is now worth doing and to be honest it wasn’t worth much more than a time filler slot in the schedule.

The museum isn’t very big and the exhibits are very monotonous. There are maybe one or two items in each exhibit that are worth seeing but little else.

It was back to the train station (again!) once out of the museum. The tickets for our 44 hour journey on Thursday were hard seats, so we wanted to try and change this to either hard or soft sleeper. No luck on either.

Now I’m sat in the hostel soaking in the atmosphere in the bar. In fact I might have to get myself a beer. God knows what we’re going to do tonight! Might treat myself to an early night. (more…)

Day 48: 9th July 2007

Oh God, my head! Hardly slept at all last night due to the air con in the dorm breaking down.

Have spent most of the day in the bar, drinking tea and talking with the various members of the Kai Bar group who are already up. We’re all suffering!!

Finally decide to do something and went and sorted out our Japanese Rail Pass. Nice to get that out of the way with. Went on a quest to Maccy D’s for a well earned and sore needed Big Mac.

We had heard of the legendary night market all over the hostel and after sorting the JR pass we walked on up to it from the hostel.
You can by the weirdest shit at this market. It is all BBQ skewered, but the things on sale are quite different.

Snake, crab, scorpion, cockroach, millipede, centipede, squid, eel. Locust, grasshopper, starfish. All are on sale and more, right next to your everyday beef and pork noodles. The place is bustling with locals and foreign tourists, braving their fears for an unusual snack.

We browse all the stores and come to the decision that we must try…something! the delicacy chosen. Snake. It looks horrible, coiled around a skewer. I’m given first bite. With cameras rolling I take one for the team.

On the first bite I have to fight the gag reflex. It is by far one of the nastiest things I have ever tasted. Its texture is akin to hard rubber, and doesn’t have a flavour I can easily distinguish. Somehow I manage to swallow it.

We grab a rickshaw back to the hostel. Nobody is going out after last nights escapades. A night in with a few Tsingtao’s and some good conversation is definitely needed. (more…)