Notes From Abroad

Well, today is our last day in Phuket and while waiting for our transport to airport, 3 hours from now, I thought I'd just jot a few thoughts down. The past few days have been pretty uneventful, it seems that once we've visited a destination, going back is not the thing to do. It doesn't hold the same promise of discovery and excitement as the first time. As they say, you can't go home again. Well, going Home home will be exciting but Phuket is pretty much a small berg and there's only so many temples, restaurants and bars to frequent here. The weather hasn't been terribly cooperative this past week as it's either raining or threatening to rain, both of which entail sauna-like conditions.

The foot incident has turned into it's own ordeal as well. I did not realize on first examination that I had really buggered it up to the degree that I had, and in the tropical heat, infection sets in fast - need I say this was the result of self doctoring? So, after 3 days of limping around and mostly trying not to look at it during bandage changes, I decided that Patong Hospital was the place I should visit. I shudder as I write this as I can still feel the knife scraping across my wound in the process they call debriding, better described as Thai torture. I went in for 3 days consecutively mostly at Ivan's urging, looking like a dog dragged into the vet's office, knowing full well that going to Emergency is tantamount to passing through the portals of hell. Ya, exaggeration, I know, but man, scraping a wound has gotta be up there with "the most painful thing I've ever felt". Happy to say though, no more hospital visits and I'm taking very good care of it myself and should be healed sufficiently to tramp through India.

Last night, our last night here, was very eventful. We rode to Patong on our motos and met up with a really sweet dude from England named John Mundy who we partied down with the night before. We first met him in a Pub called Scruffy Murphys and all headed to the Easy Rider bar where Ivan nearly has a house gig, albeit just jamming, and John was so impressed with Ivan's playing and my wit (haha) that he has made us promise to visit him in Suffolk, a village near Ipswich, isn't that quaint? Anyways, we strolled around and decided it was time to head home early for a change, very good decision as all hell broke loose once we got back to our hotel. Thunder, lightning and lashing rains covered the island. It was deafening and thrilling and scary all at the same time, just ask the young divers here who were screaming everytime there was a flash. Soon there was water pouring in our leaky windows and water running down the stairs and puddles all through the hotel. It's an old hotel and apparently riddled with holes. It was very cool though and a great send off.

Tonight we will be in Bangkok again and that holds it's own promise of more excitement. The people of Thailand are tiring of the Prime Minister, Thaksin, and his alleged graft and greed and are mounting demonstrations all across Bangkok calling for his resignation. There are strikes by taxi drivers, the coalition of the poor and various other factions. And along with this are demonstrations by his supporters. There are prayer vigils by monks and in true Thai fashion, some of the demonstrations include beauty pageants, boxing matches and essay contests. The people are urging the King to step in and settle the dispute but thus far he is allowing the democratic process to unfold. There are fears of violence but we shall see where the course will lead. Never a dull moment.

A few notes on backpack packing: No matter how much you think you have culled, they always end up as heavy as they started. Inevitably you will get it all done and then realize that you have either locked the key in the pack or the item that you really need is buried at the bottom and will have to repack or that it has mysteriously vanished out of your right hand while you were poking around with your left and that you WILL find the item but only well past it's need. And the last walk around town will uncover treasures before unseen that you just HAVE to have and there disappears the culling process. I don't know how long you have to travel to get it down pat but I fear there is truly no end to it. And there you have it.

My Kitty Fix in Sydney

The Birthday Boat

Happy Birthday to Meeeeeee

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Glenn n' Ive n' Zoey

Wine Country - Heaven!

Hmmm...What to Choose?

Adelaide Super Highway

On the Train - Adelaide

Shrimps on the Barbie...Really!

This One's for Tracy

Ivan and Sandy and the Zoester

Me and Zoey in Adelaide

Custom Built...There ya go Boys!

Harley Shop Sydney

Last Stop Bangkok

Sooo...we're back in Thailand AGAIN - must be love but it was damn hard to leave Australia. Life was easy, the folks were friendly and the sights were awesome. We ate too much, drank too much, spent too much but ya only live once. I liken Australia to China only in that everything there is big and spectacular and it's a long way between destinations if you want to travel the country. I reckon we will go back some day. Hey to Pat and Mike and Brett and Helen and Deb and Martin and Shawn and Phil and and Sandy and Glenn and all the great folks we got to spend time with, it's always the people who make the destination and you all made Australia an amazing experience for us! Our last days were spent running around getting India visa squared away, seeing sights we missed such as the view of the harbour from the top of the bridge pylons, walking around a lot, Pat and Mike took us on a walk around an area called Cronulla, and our last night we went to the Brass Monkey bar and saw a couple of amazing players and singers.

Lasting impressions of Australia...beetroot in hamburgers (yuk), Big John's caeser salads (yum), miles and miles of white sand beaches, the plasticized Chinese people (um..ask if you want to know), the Olmpic site (wow), the amazing harbour (WOW), the art museums, visiting wine country, the super hospitality, not winning the lottery (bummer), the shopping centre (only cause we spent so much time there), kebabs, boat trips and the zoo and the heat (different than anywhere else), the aquarium and watching a manta ray and school of dolphins on the sunshine coast, not seeing Russel Crowe, losing my sunglasses (ouch) and so much more..

So, on to misadventure, one night in Bangkok (hmm that could be a song) and then on to Phuket where we are now. First day here we rented motos again and in a moment of blinding stupidity (of which I seem to be having many on this trip) I SMASHED my ankle into the curb, short turn, miscalculation and whammo! And now I suffer...it's rather gruesome to look at but merely a flesh wound and bruised (as is my ego). Needless to say we are taking it very easy these next few days to heal up for India - can't imagine limping around there, could be mistaken for a local. We are back staying at our lovely Kata Villa with pool and restaurant directly (exactly) across the road from the beach but as finances would have it, we will move to the less centrally located Divers Inn where we have to walk 5 minutes to the beach...ah life is hard sometimes.

Things have changed here tremendously in the past 4 months since we've been gone. New buildings, in fact new building complexes, new bars; shops have changed hands and personnel have changed or moved on. It's amazing how much a place can change in 4 months! We had discussed buying a bar that was up for sale here but now think better of it as there is so much competition out there and the bars that attract are those that employ the "girls". Not our scene so that scheme is out. Who knows what else will pop up in the next 5 months though.

We are back to Bangkok next week and the next blog will be from there, that is if I don't sever a limb or some such other bloody thing.

Winding Down...Almost Gone

Tick, tick....4 days left in Awesome Australia and then back to backpacking. We took a trip to Adelaide last week and stayed with friends, Sandy and Glenn, who we met on our Vietnam trip. Adelaide is approx. 1.3 million people but feels like a friendly small town. We tripped around the beaches which are different than Sydney's with long portruding jettys into the surf and miles of sand and rugged rock. Simply lovely. Sandy and Glenn treated us like family and we had lots of good conversation and scrumptious barbies. Thanks guys. We were there just in time for Fringe fest which is the second largest art fest in the world. Lots of things to do and see, artists, writers, musicians - a plethora of events to attend. Unfortunately we were only there for a few days and so were on the fringe of the Fringe but it was bustling. Most impressive was the art gallery in Adelaide where we saw amazing artworks by Van Dyck, Warhol, Rodin and other world famous painters and sculptors. I would have to say one of the most amazing galleries I have ever seen.

Sandy and Glenn took us out one day for a tour of their beloved Adelaide and surrounding country and we did a nice little tour of the wineries and vineyards. It was a blazing, sweet sunny day and it was so much fun talking to the winery folks, tasting the vintages and the cheeses and olive products of the area. Great day. They have a little dog named Zoey and we spent time cuddling and spoiling her - it was nice to be around a pet again.

Back to Sydney for my birthday. Ivan and Pat went shopping and bought lots of kebabs and goodies and the next day we went out on a party pontoon for the day. We met some very nice people and cruised around the different bays and had a barbie on the boat and it was a great way to spend a birthday. It's going to be so hard to leave here but on we must go - the world awaits.

We leave here next Thursday to Thailand for 16 days (we love Thailand)! And then on to India where life will be a challenge again. After a month in India we head to Turkey and into Europe to visit folks we've met along the way and to meet my relatives in Poland which I am really thrilled about - they've been sending emails and it's very exciting. We leave Europe on July 15 and home for a few months. Cheerio - pix to follow soon.