Back at work

Well I've just had 4.5 weeks off work and have return a few days early to do an overtime shift at a far away branch!

I just got home from Tasmania last night at midnight and got woken by a phone call from rosters this morning offering me an OT shift. I said yes as I am performing (and therefore being paid for) higher duties for this month. I really need to get some cash for med school.

While driving into work I was thinking to myself how I'm really happy to be gong back to work and how much I really enjoy my job. It kinda made me question again why I'd want to change careers with the good money I'm on and all the perks such as the 5-on/5-off rostrer and 10 weeks annual leave, but then again, I need to study something to keep my sanity. Tending to the herb garden just isn't stimulating enough for 40 hours a week.

I didn't realy take any photos in Tassie this time. I just chilled and slept a lot, eat food from Mum's vege garden, and just ate more food. Luckily, when you're a vegan you don't really put on any weight. Phew.

Which car?

Currently deciding which car to take up to Byron.

BF's car aka "The Bomb":

• comfortable seats
• can sleep in the back if necessary
• no need to worry if it gets damaged
• the BF can fix it himself if it breaks down
• 
  

My car aka "The Tiny Car":

• aircon
• radio
• recently serviced
• new tyres
• very economical on fuel
• 
  

Hmm... decisions, decisions....

We're waiting to see if the BF gets his new job for which he had an interview this week. Fingers crossed he gets it and that he doesn't start until we're due back form Byron!

NYE 2012

I actually have New Years Eve off this year (and Christmas) so I am planning a road trip to Byron Bay and the Gold Coast.

I managed to find a campsite in Byron Bay for NYE which is virtually impossible this late, but I did it. Finding anything on the GC is another story but I will continue to search.

I'm also looking at the theme parks as the BF is pretty keen. 

As for me, I'm simply picturing myself on white sands and blue water.

Road trip!

We just got back from a road trip to Mildura and Broken Hill for 5 days.

The BF asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I said sunshine and fresh fruit. Mildura is the "fruit bowl" of Australia and has lovely sunny warm weather this time of the year, unlike my home town.

We were spontaneous with our decision to drive further north to the outback town of Broken Hill. We had a great time there - it was very different indeed.

On return we visited Penny Hills

And Mungo National Park

We managed to source lots of lovely fruit at the farmers market and local stores, although I nearly had a melt-down when I couldn't find any watermelon or green coconuts for a day.

We camped on the Darling Rive which was lovely and got some much-needed sunshine.

Bali Day 8 - 9

(Snorkelling the coral reef at the shore of Amed beach)

Day 8

We sadly had to check out of the elephant safari park and head 3.5 hours north to Amed for our diving course.

We arrived to find our accommodation at Divers Cafe to be fairly basic, but at $30 per night for a beach bungalow, I was happy. The BF wasn't that impressed, but he did have good reason as there was no running water and the front door was locked using a padlock and it didn't really close completely shut.

We arranged our diving course for the next day and got our diving gear organised. We were supposed to have Lash for our instructor, but she sadly informed us she had trouble renewing her instructor licence for the season online and she found us someone else.

In the arvo we got out in the water and snorkelled the reef. The visibility wasn't the best but it was nice to snorkel again after so long (last time was probably Samoa in 2010).

Day 9
Today we got up early and had breakfast before our diving course commenced at 8:30am. Seeing as we had already done the theory of Padi online, we were ready for the practical. We got briefed, geared up, in the water, and then....I didn't like it! Not at all! I felt like my regulator was too resistant, I hated the sensation of my weight belt dragging me down underwater, I was tired and felt stressed, and then I began a downward mental cycle of getting upset with myself and thinking too far ahead about all the underwater skills I needed to achieve (which by that stage I had convinced myself were impossible for me). I spent the day resting and calming  myself and retrying breathing underwater for longer and deeper in the swimming pool. The BF took to it so naturally and did two dives in the ocean. I decided I would need longer to advance to that stage.

I felt like an absolute loser as I was surrounded by scuba divers at Divers Cafe, and me, "The Loser", couldn't even go to the deep end of the swimming pool. Everyone else looked so tanned and toned and happy, and I was pale and chubby and sad. Blah. I am, however, resolved to conquering this fear of...drowning...but for me it will take longer than a day. The BF said quite rightly that I got through the theory easily and quickly and he got through the practical easily. So, we can't all be good at everything all the time and we should try and do things we are not good at as well as the ones we are. I wasn't good at this at all.

The BF completed his last dive at about 3:30pm and after that he said "I want to go back to Kuta and get out of here and stay someone really nice for our last night in Bali" so we promptly packed, checked-out, and took a 3.5 hour taxi ride to Ayana Resort in Jimbaran. He had a massive headache so some water, electrolyte drink, a bit of a spew, and some acupressure and massage from me the student doctor of Chinese Medicine, as well as a nap in the taxi, made him feel a lot better by the time we got to Ayana.

Bali Day 7

(Elephant Safari Park Lodge, Taro)

Day 7

We travelled from Ubud to Taro early to go to the Elephant Safari Park and Lodge. This place is owned and run by an Aussie ex-pat and his Balinese family. The elephants have been rescued from a sort of pound in Sumatra from where they are native but are in conflict with the local farmers. 

This park is absolutely amazing. Well, it's as good as you can have animals like this in captivity I think. The one-on-one relationship with the elephants and their individual mahouts is remarkable. 

In the photo above is one of the elephants in her "bedroom". They are chained during the night so they don't roam around everywhere and are left with plenty of food at night and then again in the morning for breakfast before their day starts. Elephants eat an astonishing 250kg of food a day! And are vegetarian!

Each elephant has individual skills. Some do the treks, some do tricks like soccer, and some paint! I had my t-shirt painted by a very talented elephant named Ramona. We also got to wash Ramona with a hose and scrubbing brush which was such a memorable experience.

I'd recommend this place to anyone.

We stayed in the budget room which was about $250 per night. You can simply visit the park but I would recommend staying there as the trekking and entrance fee etc sets you back about $75 per person anyway, and you get breakfast included with the room. The more expensive rooms overlook the park, although ours still had a lovely view over rice paddies.

We caught our elephant "chauffeur" from pre-dinner drinks to dinner. The more expensive rooms have a chauffeur service from the rooms to dinner. 

Bali Day 3-6

(Mt Batur)

Day 3

Oh so happy to be getting the hell out of Kuta. That place is friggin insane. 

We got a taxi from our hotel to take us to Ubud. Along the way we stopped at some silver smiths, a batik weaving and painting place and a wood carving place to see some traditional artisans. The BF bought two handmade kites, which you see everywhere in Bali, traditionally used to scare birds from the rice fields.

We stayed at Villa Mandi in Ubud, which I can certainly recommend. It only has 4 self-contained villas with a lovely infinity pool overlooking the rice paddies. It is a short drive or about 20 min walk to Ubud central and is far enough away to be quiet. For $40 per night, it was as steal.

We had dinner and lunch the next day at an indian restaurant located just in front of the accommodation. It was a 3-story bamboo structure which was pretty cool in itself. It over-looked the rice fields and coconut trees and was had a 3-course dinner and the local Bintang beer for a total of about $20 for the tow of us!

Day 4

I insisted that we have a rest day. I had been pretty flat-out leading up to the trip, and hadn't quite normalised from the flight. Even though the flight was during the day, it really took it out of me. I could feel my tonsillitis symptoms flaring up and started to feel quite achy. So, we just went down to the market early in the morning to have a look and try some local delicacies, and I picked up some cloves to chew on (they are good for tummy-bugs i.e. intestinal parasites) jus in case that was part of my problem. WE went back to the accom for the arvo and chilled by the pool. I drank my Veuve Cliquot that the BF had bought Duty Free for our anniversary. At night we went into Ubud to see a traditional dance at the Palace.

The BF discovered he had lost his atm card! He had all our spending money (well, most of it) so this was indeed a set back. After one internet banking to get us back on the road, we went to bed early before our 2.30am start the next day.

Day 5

Today was hiking Mount Batur. At about 1700m from sea level, we hiked the last 500m or so, but it took a good 2 hours. Some of it was steep and difficult and some would be described as a rock-scramble. The Europeans that had all the gear and obviously hike frequently put us to shame, but we made it eventually. I was also dry-reaching the first hour or so and started to panic about getting tonsillitis. At the peak we watched the sunrise and had boiled eggs and banana for breakfast. Then we walked around some other craters and generally were in awe of being on an active volcano. The steam rising from small pits was amazing.

Afterwards we had a buffet lunch from another location looking back at the mountain and we couldn't believe how far we had hiked. I enjoyed it so much I'd like to do more hiking.

The BF wanted to stop at a Lewat coffee place, although I'm quite against using animals in this way as the Civets are kept in small cages to produce the coffee. I did try it though, and was not exactly impressed with the taste so I can say it's not worth it more multiple reasons. The lemon tea was beautiful and I must find some of it here at home.

We also stopped to look at terraced rice fields and I picked up my one of only two souvenirs which was a cow bone calved into a intricate detail of traditional Balinese style.

Day 6

I'm having trouble recalling what we did this day! Day 4, 5 and 6 are a bit blended into one-another. We did finish the evening at XL Lounge which had great food and cocktails and we spent about $100 which was a lot for Bali but a really great night. We also stopped for a massage on the way home.

Edit: I remember! We went to Bali Safari and Marine Park. It was pretty good. We got to cuddle a baby orangutang and ride a camel. We saw a white tiger and watched a really good musical production.

Bali Day 1-2

The most relaxing ride at Waterbom - "The Lazy River"

The first two days in Bali we spent in Legian, which is basically Kuta beach - the most touristy place in the whole of Bali.

Day 1

Our flight was long and there was no entertainment available, so we were SO glad we downloaded some movies onto my iPad to watch. We watched The Artist and My Week With Marilyn, played some poker and listened to some tunes.

On arrival to Bali I was exhausted already. I had read about the "Porters" in the Denpasar airport that collect your bags for you and carry them to your taxi for a tip. I forgot and when we arrived we weren't sure where we were going so the Porters must have seen us and targeted us straight away. As soon as they picked up our bags I was like "Damn it". The BF thought they were Customs as they had these official uniforms on. I only saw a small "Porter" badge on one guy and then I remembered what it said in Lonely Planet (and also I have had similar experiences elsewhere, especially in Kathmandu). They took us only so far, about 20m, and I stepped in and said thanks but that's enough, here's RP5000 each, which is equivalent to 50c. They weren't happy but I was firm. We found the correct 'metered" taxi place and at least avoided getting ripped off a second time at the airport. We were kicking ourselves in the taxi for getting duped as soon as we landed in Bali, but we were a lot more vigilant for the rest of the trip and avoided the same problem one the return trip.

We arrived to our hotel - I had printed out the address and map and as we used the suggested pre-paid taxi from the airport we got to our destination, The Legian 101, without little hassle. But... once we got to check-in the hotel they informed us that there was some issue with the rooms flooding and we were being transferred to another hotel. Not happy. The other hotel was the same star rating but completely different to what I had wanted for our first night in Bali, which was modern facilities and a view overlooking Kuta Beach. Our new hotel was called White Rose and was spookily close to Ground Zero from the 2002 Bali Bombings, which happened all to recently in my mind. Our room was a twin instead of a double and was quite shit. The pool was ok, the location ok, and the buffet breakfast quite good. I had a mini-anxiety moment thinking about being blown-up by terrorists so my darling BF helped me by pointing out that none would blow-up the crappy dolphin fountain we were staring at by the side of the pool.

(The photo doesn't quite highlight how tacky this fountain was)

We took a 20 min stroll down to Kuta Beach for the sunset only to be so disappointed by the massive crowds down there. We took a taxi back to The Legian 101 and claimed our complimentary meal for the hassle of being transferred hotels. It was quite nice.

(The rooftop restaurant/bar and pool at Legian 101)

Day 2

My over-excited BF was so keen to go to Waterbom waterpark, so we went first-thing in the morning. I had pre-warned him I wasn't keen to do all the scariest rides, so he was happy that I went on four or five of the tamer rides, then took a massage while he went on all the others. He did this crazy water-slide that begins by you being dropped and free-falling a few stories and reaching a max velocity of 80km/hr. Yeh, I preferred the massage. Just watching him do it got my heart-rate up higher than his (I took his pulse afterwards). He said it was so fast with so much water flying everywhere that you can't really absorb what's happening.

That night we had some traditional Balinese photos done (on my request) then a nice seafood dinner. I can't eat much meat after being on a meat-reduced diet for so long (I'm keen to go back raw vegan now I'm home, but more on that in another post). I was happy to have the rice and veges and one prawn but thats about it. The BF got his first experience of lobster and crab.

We took a pony-and-cart ride home.

Bali

Well I'm just back from Bali and we had a great time. We got to do, see, and eat plenty.

In the following posts I will recap the 10 days....

(The above photo is from a traditional dance we saw at Ubud Palace)

Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet - it must be the world's best and most loved travel guide.

So, when I first began travelling the book The Beach came out. So I read it. It was perfect for that time of my life. I wasn't going to Thailand (that time), but I was going into the travelling culture.

So, anyway, the protagonist, Richard, disses Lonely Planet for changing the way travellers move around and for affecting the travelling experience. Travellers today continue to diss LP as they do touristy destinations, but touristy destinations are popular for a reason, as too is LP.

As far as travel guides go, it is really hard to go past Lonely Planet (no, I do not work for them, but yes, I would love to). I use them all the time, and when I lived in Samoa for two months, I looked at a few travel guides towards the end of my stay (that belonged to other travellers) and everything that was in LP was spot-on and I wished I had known about from the get-go. It was exactly what advice I would have given to other travellers.

Ever since then, I rely on them with more...reliance....than ever before. When I start dreaming of another adventure, I buy the LP guide for that destination. Too bad their website leaves a lot to be desired, and I rely more on TripAdvisor as my on-line peer-reviewed source of information.

My LP collection is my favourite book collection, ok after my medical book collection, and takes up almost an entire shelf on the book case I have in the "reading" corner dedicated solely to books on travel and adventure.

SouthEast Asia on a Shoestring is one trip I've wanted to do for awhile. "If I'm going to Bali, then I'm going to do it backpackers-style," I thought. Island-hoping was high on my original agenda. This has now been replaced with scuba diving and volcano trekking. Nonetheless, I can't wait to check out a few of the budget-end recommendations in my book in Bali.

Next - I already have the Mexico LP, but I still need the Mongolia one and perhaps an African one for next year. Or maybe a Tasmania/Australia one for later this year....

"One must always plan their next holiday before embarking on their current one" - CJ.

Packing - what I'm taking

Here's my list (and it's considerably longer than my BF's)....

Documentation and electrical

1. Passport, documents (including tickets!), wallet (with cards, cash and ID), diary (organiser)
2. Sunglasses (not doc or elec but just as essential)
3. Phone and charger 
4. iPad and charger (with movies and books on it!)
5. Good camera, longer lens, and charger (with SD card in it)
6. Underwater camera and charger
7. Travel adapter
8. Lonely Planet - post to follow.....

Toiletries

1. Toiletries - minimum makeup, toothbrush, tooth paste, small container of purple-toner for my hair, hair ties, bobby-pins
2. Survival kit - panadol and nurofen, immodium and senna, bandaids, anti-septic lotion and Travel Calm (anit-pain, anti-too fast, anti-too slow, anti-puke, anti-bleed, anti-septic)
3. More survival - eye mask, eye plugs for too loud, ear plugs for pressure
4. ?travel pillow (may not make the final cut)

Underwear and footwear

1. Under wear - 4 pairs panties, 3 bras, 2 pairs of socks - all in delicates/laundry bag x2 (one for dirty and one for clean) - you can use hotel hand-soap of need-be
2. Thongs x2 pairs (off-road sandle-type and comfy/pretty type)
3. Runners x1 pair (for early morning jogs and hiking volcanoes!)

Specialty-gear

1. 1x set running outfit - knee-length running tights, sports bra 
2. Swim wear - 1x bikini, ?1x one-piece (for diving)
3. Scarves - another tough one to minimalist - may favourite travel accessory - prob 2
4. Bad weather gear - multi-purpose rain jacket and ear-warming head-band
5. Fancy purifying water bottle

Tops

1. Singlets! - about 3 or 4
2. T-shirts! - about 2 or 3
3. Shirts! - about 2
4. Cooler wear top - 1x cardigan

Bottoms

1. Jeans! A must-have in any situation at any time! Im taking the pair that does casual and dressy.
2. Cargo pant - comfy and roll-up into shorts.
3. Skirts - difficult here because I love them - prob will cut-back to 2 - shorter and longer
4. Dress - one stretchy-maxi and one sari-wrap
5. Sarong - don't have one right now! WTF!? First Bali purchase....

Other accessories - none! Only the jewellery I'm wearing.

Books etc - none - only whats in the iPad and the Lonely Planet. I always imagine myself reading a book by the ocean/pool but it never happens.

Let's see if this fits in my suitcase or if I need to do my halving rule!

Packing - my tips

I leave for Bali in 2 sleeps - so it's time to pack (we leave early on Friday morning).

I'm not as well-travelled as all the other people on my Tibet trip, but perhaps am one of the most well-travelled of my friends and I like to think I have got packing down to a bit of a fine art. All those years out bush in the Army probably helped a little too to remember to take things you may need but not those you won't and definitely no more than is worth lugging around.

Here are my top tips for packing:

1. Pack no more than you can carry on your own and for distances further than your front door to your car in your driveway. Hotel lobbies themselves can be surprisingly long, there may be some steps, or your taxi may have to stop around the corner. It is so embarrassing as a female to not be able to carry your own shit - you're basically saying to the world "I expect you to carry my shit for me." Not cool. Ok, so you may not be able to lift your bag onto the top of the bus yourself, but you should be able to lift your own carry-on bag into the overhead locker on your own.
2. Hybrid-luggage. The ones with wheels and back-pack straps. So many times I am SO glad to have both options. So many times people say "I wish I brought a bag like yours." Unless you are really, seriously planning on doing an over-night trek where you porter your bags yourself or it's a difficult trek for your porter, or you are a contestant on The Amazing Race, you seriously want to consider the wheels. Conversely, don't go for just the wheels and pathetic little handle. The only exceptions are if you are getting valet parking for your BMW at the Paris Hilton and want to look amazing rolling your matching luggage into the First Class line at the airport (and you don't mind looking like a try-hard).
3. Carry-on bags and check-in luggage does not have to be the maximum possible size and weight allowed. Seriously, people. I also love skipping the baggage collection at the other terminal and saving $30-100 on my check-in luggage allowance, but know the different between being thrifty and a total tight-arse that is ruining the experience for everyone else by taking-over the whole aircraft over-head locker and taking 30 minutes to get organised. It is ok not to put anything in the overhead locker as well, you know. Consider a small handbag or laptop bag that goes at your feet. It should be enough for your iPad, phone, wallet, passport and toothbrush. I keep my boarding pass in my pocket. You need it at least 3 or 4 times and I find it hard to imagine someone stealing my identity on a flight without my knowledge (seeing as we would be sharing the same seat). Have you ever stopped to realise that if everyone took their maximum size carry-on luggage that it wouldn't actually all fit up there? The dimensions just don't add up. Go smaller than maximum.
4. Lay out what you want to take with you and then halve it. This is my golden rule and it always works. Inversely, budget how much money and time you will need then double it.
5. Always leave room in your bag until your final leg of the journey. We all know that nothing friggin fits back in properly as soon as it comes out at the first hotel room. And don't forget if you "wear" all your bulky clothes on the plane, you will have to wear them anytime you need to pack your bags. Not worth it - leave space. If you don't easily have enough space, re-pack. It feels SO good to pack to come home and have AIR in the top of your bag. No stress = more enjoyment.
6. Keep at least one pen on you at all times. This is for filling out the immigration and customs cards they give you at the most inconvenient places and times, and for other pen-requiring occasions.
7. You don't need to convert your entire life-savings into foreign currency (and does anyone actually used travellers cheques any more?) The only times I've had slight, minor issues were where there was still at least one ATM in the major city that took my card, or a store/hotel that was willing to let me withdraw cash for a fee or purchase. Mind you, I've only been to Europe, Asia, South Pacific and Australia and I have a VISA. It may be worth having a second option like Cirrus or MasterCard but I've always gotten away with VISA. Worst-case scenario - you go back to the airport (where you landed) and get cash from there. A few hundred in US dollars or Euro can be very handy. I recommend having at least some cash. I normally take about $200 USD (or Australian) and buy something small at the arrival airport and get my change in the local currency, or withdraw from the ATM at the arrival airport in the local currency, OR if those two options fail I then proceed to the currency exchange counter. Whatever you end up going with, you can easily Google ahead of time and find out how difficult it's gonna be. Oh, and check with your bank re overseas transaction fees. My bank charges nothing but I heard many charge up to $20 per transaction! Oh, and the flight might not have cash/credit services so it's good to have both available on you.
8. Passport, visas, immunisations, medical/travel insurance, regular medications  - do I really have to spell these out? Didn't think so. Months ahead, people. My rule is: if you're not responsible enough to get these organised in time, then you're not responsible enough to travel to a foreign country without direct adult supervision. Google what immunisations you need and don't expect your GP to know and to care to tell you when you require your boosters. Also, they can be a few hundred dollars if you need them all, so again, if you can't afford your immunisations then you probably can't afford to travel overseas. Even to Bali.
9. Itineraries and hotel vouchers etc - my life has been so much easier ever since I bought a book with plastic A4 pockets in them for all my printed-out tickets and hotel reservations etc. It keeps them nice and are easier to find. They slip easily into my handbag no worries and win I rock-up at the counter I know what the hell is going on and have the written confirmation to prove it, even in the most jet-lagged state. Also, make two or three copies of your itinerary and leave them with your housemate/mum/someone responsible that can help you in a bind. Your travel agent can be that person too (if you have one), and in fact this is one of the best reasons to use a travel agent in my opinion. Photocopy your passport or take a photo of the details on your phone and email to yourself so you have the details if you lose it. A copy with Mum is ideal.
10. Converter-plug-adapter-thingy. They're a fortune at the airport and can be difficult to source overseas (or simply time-wasting to source). A lot of hotels have them, but my motto is to be self-reliant. Just get one that is a multi-adapter and be done with it for life. A surge protecter for "sensitive" items such as laptops, iPads, phones etc may be a good idea. Also, the voltage OS may be different to home and your battery might not like it! If your gear is super-dooper expensive, you may want to look into this a little more. As for me, I'm happy to charge without transformers or surge-protecters. In my opinion, stuff doesn't outlast it's battery these days anyway.
11. Toiletries - don't be a princess. Seriously. You can't live without your 4-step facial routine for 10 days? You really want to spend an hour every morning on your holiday straightening your hair before you get it all dusty, sweaty, and pool-drenched later that day? You can't just use bobby-pins? Ok, this one is up to you, but I'd personally rather not carry 5kgs worth of over-priced crap that doesn't even work anyway and is only guaranteed to leak all over your clothes. (for exceptions see number 2). Ok, if your face is super-sensistive and NEEDS a sunscreen moisturiser with zinc and SPF30+ hypoallergenic cruelty-free organic then go head. Personally, I'd rather just use the hotel stuff or pay $1 for something from the local supermarket when I arrive. Exceptions - those paper-like soaps and shampoos etc made for travelling and not leaking that are about $3 each and are tiny, and I occasional take a toner for my blonde hair as I hate it when it goes yellow. As for makeup - take the basics, girl-friend. Think - overnight stay's worth.
12. Baby-wipes - these are my ultimate toiletry exceptions (along with tooth brush and tooth paste). People tease me at the beginning of the journey for them but always want some eventually. I don't know what it is about travel but it makes you really sticky. Take them in your handbag. Take them everywhere.
13. Feminine products (tampons etc) - BYO. I've explained why in previous posts, but in a nutshell, you may be surprised at the varying degrees of feminine product habits around the world and the non-availability of female-orientated items. This may go for other things we take for granted in some parts of the world such as condoms and womens' lib.
14. Apart from your regular medications, I always take - basic analgesia (panadol, nurofen), Immodium (anti-diarrheal), bandaids,  and sometimes herbal antiemetics (anti-nausea, such as Travel Calm - esp if going by boat or if prone to motion-sickness). Sometimes I take some other gear seeing as I'm a paramedic and would hate to be without it in an emergency. You may want to consider an antiseptic for bad cuts/scrapes. Save Immodium for emergencies such as really bad diarrhoea or if you're about to board a plane/bus. One bout of the runs isn't gonna kill ya and you're body if removing the bad bacteria, quickly, for a reasons. Inversely, you may want to take some anti-consitpation meds such as Senna. There's nothing like the stress of travelling, the poor access to decent food, and the use of Immodium to bind you up. Carry these in your handbag cause when you need them, you really need them urgently, and you will always need them the times they are stowed away in your check-in luggage.
15. Check what you can and cannot pack in your carry-on and check-in luggage. It varies in different countries but is EASY to find out from the people that you booked to fly with. Forget trying to carry on-board any sort of liquid >100mL in Australia (except for duty-free liquor of <1L). Also, don't be the fool that forgets their nail-scissors in their toiletry bag and has to unpack everything in security. Embarrassing. Oh, while I'm at it, big belt buckles, and sort of shoe with a platform or big heel (metal re-enforced) big jewellery, or coins - get them off your person before walking through the darn metal-detector. Don't wear those shoes to the airport - it's stupid (and another reason why the "Oh I'll just wear all my bulky items on the plane" is a bad idea).

If you've read all that, then congratulations. Next I will talk about what I am actually packing...

Gone scuba....

Just on annual leave from work hanging with the BF, doing our online PADI course to go scuba diving in Bali, packing for Bali, giving the BF a hair and beard cut (!) and going to watch Ted at the cinema tonight. Also been feeding his animals on his farm and generally doing not much of anything. Love holidays....

Countdown to Bali

I've had a few days off work and I am so in holiday mood. I've signed up for the online theory for the PADI scuba diving Open Water course but I so can't be bothered! That's not like me at all! I might do a bit here at the tv on my iPad. So, basically, I'm trying to just rest and get organized before going overseas.

Ubud dreaming

Well I'm at working writing an essay for TCM but every now and then I like to Google Bali and have a look at what I might like to do over there.

Right now I'm looking at hotels. Budget would be good, but the pool in this photo would be excellent.

Ok back to writing my essay on the Chinese immigrants during the Gold Rush.

Bali

Flights to Bali purchased! Yay! First two nights in Seminyak paid! Yay!

Looking at Ubud and Gili Islands too......

6 weeks til Bali

Oh I cannot wait! I can't believe I'm a 33-year old Aussie that's never been to Bali!

Things I want to do there:

• Sunshine
• Beach
• Surf
• Snorkel
• Dive
• Hike volcano
• Ride scooters
• Massage
• Cocktails in coconuts
• Sleep undisturbed throughout the night 
• Tree-top walk
• See temples
• Eat local cuisine

Reflections on Tibet

So, I went to Tibet last September. At the time, I was extremely unwell. Maybe it was from the altitude, or perhaps it was the fact my GP prescribed my 6x the dose of Diamox recommended for altitude sickness prophylaxis (which I learnt a little too late). Anyway, at that time I didn't blog as much as I wanted too. Also, the whole technology thing wasn't working too well in my favour.

This is a photo of me and my roomie Kellie. She has a travel blog Travelling Kellie. She is a travel writer so her blog is much better than mine, so see there for good info on our Tibet trip. The photo was taken at base camp on Mount Everest. This was on my bucket list. So was visiting Tibet. When I found out that base camp on the Nepal side was a two-week trek, and base camp on the Tibet side was a bus ride, Tibet started looking really good. Once we arrived at the tourist camp at Base Camp I started to feel very unwell. I couldn't eat, my face, hands, and feet were numb, I felt nauseous and dizzy. I thought I couldn't make it to the actual climbers base camp site a mere 3-minute bus ride or 30-minute walk.

I decided I would attempt the walk and take the mini-bus if necessary. During the walk with Kellie I began feeling much better indeed. Kellie was not well and it turns out she had a nasty sinus infection which, of course, with the constant change in altitude at the mountainous overpasses, the pressure in her head was causing her grief. A random black dog followed us the whole walk up. We decided he must have been a reincarnated sherpa here to see we got safely up the mountain to where you can see the photo.

The Tibet trip was with Intrepid, which I would recommend, however it is a difficult trip. The difficulty rating is 4/5 as is the culture-shock rating. I would have to agree with these. If I went back then I might be able to prepare myself better, mentally that is. Physically - it wasn't that demanding, ie you don't need to be really fit, but it is good to be quite healthy. I said at the time I would stay at better hotels, but it was then pointed out to me that we were staying at the best hotels in the towns. Yikes.

Spiritually - it is an amazing place but the sad recent history has left a palpable mass in the atmosphere. I would consider my trip great for personally wanting to visit Tibet itself, and historically it was amazing, as was the culture, but spiritually I didn't feel exactly uplifted to be honest, although visiting Potala Palace and the Dalai Lama's summer palace was incredible. Perhaps the cold weather didn't agree with me or the harsh nature of the trip wasn't exactly relaxing. It was back in Kathmandu that I was able to appreciate the Tibetian culture in a bit more of a relaxing atmosphere. I've just realised that I'm probably the only person to ever describe Kathmandu as relaxing. Ok, Kathmandu is extremely hectic and busy and a sensory over-load, but it is a democracy, it's warm, where I was staying was comfortable, and there was no problem with altitude.

Sometimes it's just about being in the right pace at the right time and in the right moment. The thangka shop in Kathmandu was spiritually enlightening for me because I spent a good hour there talking about the meaning of the Tibetan paintings. A few moments in Bhutan were wonderful even though overall I didn't really like my guide, he did say a few things that have stuck with me including how the Bhutanese are taught a great deal about trees and nature and I wondered why we didn't place more importance on that in Western schools. I also learned a little more about reincarnation and that everything, even a leaf or a blade of grass, has a soul and can be reincarnated.

Missing Cambodia

This morning we had an early patient and refuelled the ambulance on the way back from the hospital at about 7am it kinda reminded me of being in Cambodia for some reason. It was mildly warm, the air was still, there were diesel fumes and the background noise of construction work.

We then stopped for coffee but unfortunately or fortunately I can't drink coffee anymore after abusing caffeine for the past two years studying. It makes me very nauseous, knocks me out like a strong sedative, and generally makes me feel ill. So I went for a lemongrass and ginger tea and wow did that smell really add to the feeling of Cambodia. The nice hotels and day spas seem to have lemongrass oils burning all the time. I love it.
--------
Since dropping out of med to do TCM I have freed up so much $$$$$ so now I can firstly repay my debts, secondly live comfortably without financial stress, and thirdly confidently plan my next holiday knowing I will have the funds.

So Bali it is. I'm in the planning stage which is so much fun to do , especially at work. It's my BF's first trip overseas so I don't want to overwhelm him too much but I guess I don't know what he would find good or not. I have never been to Bali so I don't really know what to expect either. Bali's not that big. We were going to/still might island hop a little, but I'm thinking about booking accommodation for the whole trip now, so we have a base. So I'm just decided whether I can handle being in Kuta or not. Thinking not. Luckily I have lots of friends that have been to Bali before and kinda get my style/energy.

Ubud is looking good.

Road trip

This is down at Cape Bridgewater in Victoria, Australia. It is called the Petrified Forest, even though it isn't really a petrified forest.