Update...a little boring really.

Hello, not updated for a while because...well I forgot really but here's why. I am currently living in Hamilton Hill, Fremantle which is a wee bit out of Perth city and im working A LOT. Got a job in a hotel bar, its pretty good actually not too busy, nice colleagues and decent money. Currently on the rota for 38.5 hours a week, mostly late night finishes but it is only for a few months before I am back on the road.

We are also going to Vietnam in September for 10 days, around 6 friends from home are coming out to meet us so that should be good. I'll come back here and work for a few more weeks and then im thinking a flight to Sydney is in order.

Got a new camera so can take photos but as I say I haven't really be doing anything worthy of capturing. This a picture of one of the beaches in Fremantle.

So, yeah I will update when I actually have something to say!

Australia!

After 24 hours of sitting, more sitting but in cramped planes and then sitting some more we have made it to Perth, Western Australia.

Nothing to report as of yet, staying with our friend, very comfortable, very hospitable.

I'll get my camera repaired.
:)

All the Koh's

Beach at Bangrak, K.Samui

Viewpoint in Anthong MP

Not updated in a while but we have been in Koh Samui, Koh Phanang and now currently in Koh Phi Phi...you might have gathered that Koh is Thai for Island.

Koh Samui is quite a large island, the second largest in fact after Phuket and we stayed in the area of Bangrak which was fairly quite but right next to the pier for the main boat to Phanang and we were right on the beach.

We sort of dotted back and forth between the 2 islands and attended the world famous Full Moon Party which is essentially a lot of people, a lot of neon on a beach having a party. Such good fun.

By this point we were with friends from home, Alison, Pete, Lori, Hannah and Rosie and they all decided to stay in our little row of beach front bungalows.

We decided to change our flights back a day in order for us all to goto the Anthong National Marine Park which is lots of tiny wee paradise islands. We done kayaking and I went up to the view point by myself, everyone else is too lazy. It was a ludicrous climb and pretty unsafe but it was worth it in the end.

So we are currently in Phi Phi which was actually very badly damaged in the New Year Tsunami years ago there are evacuation signs every where. Unfortunately my camera has taken a turn for the worse and the lense wont function so its out of action until I can get it repaired in Perth. Its a real shame because this is another beautiful island with plenty of night life, it has however been very wet, sometimes raining heavily all day. There are no cars or mopeds here just silent killer bicycles which adds its own charm.

Our flight to Perth is a 2 leg flight from Phuket to Kuala Lumpur and then on to Perth. Thats on 13th and we arrive on the 14th.

Rainforest and Mountain.

So we are nearing the end to our time in Kota Kinabalu, flying out on Saturday at 7am eventually landing in Koh Samui.

Rainforest Canopy Walk

Today we went up to Poring Hot Springs and done a canopy walk in the rainforest. It was really very scary, you often wonder about Malay health and safety, the walk was on floor board wide wooden boards with low sided nets keeping you in as you wobbled along hundreds of feet up. Think i experienced vertigo for the first time while sweating into my eye balls. Great experience though actually being in a rainforest trying to dodge malaria.

There was great views of Mount Kinabalu all the way along the winding hill roads and it is an especially spectacular mountain. Also visited the Sandakan and Death March War Memorial to Australian and British forces at Kundasang which was very cool, only 6 soldiers survived out of thousands. It also had great views of the mountain.

Currently there is a lightening storm in the sky but it is some distance away, we wanted to experience the rain but it doesnt look like we will.

Anyway, met lots of cool people both ex pats and locals, its a very fun place to be all told.

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Mount Kinabalu from the War Monument

Kota Kinabalu

Made it to Frasers and went straight to bed for much needed sleep. Went up to a friends place for some food and drinks then down to the water front to some bars.

Its a fantastic place, the pace of life seems real relaxed and all the ex-pats i've met have said its such an easy life. Went down to the Sunday market, which was a strange place, turtles in boxes, cats in cages and lots of counterfeit stuff. Had noodles for breakfast again, seems thats the norm round here.

We have plans to do a canopy walk and goto the hot springs up in the hills. Tonight....I dont know what tonight holds.

All of the photos on my Facebook page are publically viewable as long as you have a Facebook account. www.facebook.com/stoo61

Jet Lagged in Singapore

So we have made it to Singapore and checked in for our next flight onto Kota Kinabalu.

The flight was pretty good, the on board entertainment was amazing. There was too much stuff to watch and listen to if anything. The was a few spots of turbulance but generally it was smooth sailing, looking out over Turkmenistan, Afghanistan then India at night.

With the time different we experienced sun set and sunrise all within a few hours and now its 8:15am although to us its 12:15am. Thus, jet lag.

Anyway, flight to Malaysia is in 40 mins.

Update from Manc Land

Quick update from Machester.

Had a fantastic night last night, met loads of great people already.

Pearl Jam were mindblowing and the night after was just as good. Even bumped into someone from Dunfermline who I knew years ago, she works down here apparently, very random.

Had a wee bit of a panic trying to check in for the flight on line but apparently this eTicket malarky means you dont do that you just turn up and its all electronic.

Currently in the Premier Inn, its pretty remote really, not sure what we are going to do today as its no where near the city centre, might find a way in...who knows.

Leaving Day!

Leaving day!

Its been a long time coming but here it is.

Saturday was our "Leaving Doo" and it was a blast, seen the people I wanted to and generally had a good time.
Michaels mother, Alison, had decked out the bar with lots of Australian things, inflatables, banners etc which I was not expecting but it was very thoughtful. There was also a massive Aussie themed cake. (Pictured)

We have decided to add a trip to Vietnam to the adventure in September for Mikes birthday, some people from home are going to be there at the same time so that should be great!

Its a weird feeling to actually be at this point, i'm no longer excited, not particularly exstatic just sorta numb really. I guess its a sort of apprehension and a fear of forgetting something important as well as leaving everything behind without an end date.

I would like to extend a great deal of gratitude to my parents for being so  ludicrously generous, not just recently but always. I dont think I would have managed any of this without them or indeed anything at all. I realise they may be a bit nervous having me leave to these far flung countries but think of the bigger picture. The fridge will be fuller, the energy bills lower and the washing piles smaller. The internet makes the world teeny tiny anyway.

Also, went biking in Fort William on Monday, was taking a fairly large risk as it was the most challenging stuff I've ever done but the sun was out, got faster each run and didnt crash so all's well that ends well.

Next stop Manchester and a date with a band I thought I would never see. Then onto Kota, Frasers flat mate's birthday is on the day we arrive so there is a big BBQ planned so it should be a cracking start!

I spend a silly amount of time watching mountain bike videos on YouTube so while bored one day I figured I'd try make my own humble effort and this is the result.

So, update is as follows.

Got all the flights i'm going to book, booked. The last one from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Koh Samui, Thailand was a little more than it could have been because we left it so late but needs must.

Finished at work too which is pretty damn liberating, it was a decent wee job and its given me the opportunity to do this so I am grateful to them for that.

Currently in St.Austell getting practice in for the ridiculous temperatures I am to endure, it is sweltering on the south coast of EnGerLand. Browning up nicely!

Upon returning home I have Rockness to enjoy on the weekend of the 8th of June, cannot wait for that, I fear the weather may have returned to a more traditional state in the Highlands by then. :o(

Countdowns:
Rockness: 14 days 11 hours.
Kota Kinabalu: 27 days 13 hours.
Full Moon Party: 39 days 19 hours
Australia: 50 days 6 hours.

Visa........

......GRANTED!

I was worried for some reason.

Going to pick up a vaccination form at the doctors too, probably need some jags to fend off flesh eating diseases and such like.

Countdowns.

Work end: 40 days, 6 hours, 7 minutes, 28 seconds
Rockness: 60 Days, 19 hours, 7 minutes, 5 seconds
Flight to Kota: 73 days, 20 hours, 36 minutes, 40 seconds
Full Moon Party: 86 days, 3 hours, 6 minutes, 22 seconds
Australia: 96 days, 14 hours, 6 minutes, 5 seconds.

Visa Application.

Sent my Working Holiday Visa Application away today with the required AUS$270. Thats about £180.

There shouldnt be any issues so thats another thing out the way. We're movin' now.

Apparently Australia and the UK have a reciprocal health care agreement, we fix the Aussies when they break and they fix us...for free. Can't grumble at that, I dare say more Brits hurt themselves than Aussies.

75 days until first long haul flight.

Places i've been so far...

Before heading off on the greatest adventure I've had to date I thought I could show off with a list of places I've already been in Europe in no specific order.

Amsterdam, Netherlands
Auschwitz, Poland
Berlin, Germany
Krakow, Poland
Bratislava, Slovakia
Prague, Czech Republic x 2
Poznan, Poland
Budapest, Hungary
Bohinj, Slovenia x 2
Bled, Slovenia x 2
Venice, Italy x 2
Rovinj, Croatia
Lake Como, Italy
Lake Maggiore, Italy
Maranello, Italy
Rimini, Italy
Rome, Italy
Monte Carlo, Monaco
Nice, France
Bastogne, Belgium
Malmedy, Belgium
Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Munich, Germany
Frankfurt, Germany x 2
Erfurt, Germany
Berchtesgaden, Germany
Innsbruck, Austria
Salzburg, Austria
Montreux, Switzerland
Zermatt, Switzerland
Wolfgangsee, Austria
Zell am See, Austria
Gothenburg, Sweden
Stockholm, Sweden
Dublin, Ireland
Magaluf, Spain

Photo Bucket Link

Will use a website called photobucket to upload and share photos. Already got photographs on there from other events over the last few years that some people may be interested in.

Blog Photo Galleries - Many Photo's in Many Countries.

2007 (?) Prague Trip
2009 European Road Trip
2010 European Road Trip
2011 Coast to Coast Mountain Bike Ride
2011 European Road Trip
2012 Poznan Trip

Introduction to the blog of travels.

Hello friends and family who care to follow me somewhat, across to the other side of the world.

I figured a blog would be a good way to keep people up to date with what I'm up to and where I am.

Background

I think it was around October 2011 when Mike and I decided life was just too boring and monotonous, that Scotland and the UK in general was a sinking ship that we might be lost to it before we knew it. So, over a few drinks we slurred out a plan to get out, to jump ship and make something slightly more exciting of our lives. At 24 we are far from old but we are hardly young either. Our mutual friend Fraser has been living in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia for about a year now teaching golf and visiting him is the first stop and part of the motivation for finally biting the bullet. To cut a long story short it is currently March 2012 and we are well on our way to achieving this goal.

The plan is as follows. Travel down to Manchester on 20th June to see Pearl Jam staying in local hostel before checking into Machester International Airports Premier Inn and catching our flight to Kota on the 22nd June. This arrives at its destination on the 23rd of June and we will spend a week at the leisure of Fraser Pook. On the 1st of July we will jump on a flight to the Thai island of Koh Samui in order to attend the world famous Koh Phanang Full Moon Party. Eventually we will make our way to the idilic setting of Phi Phi to chill out on the perfect beaches and swim in the crystal blue waters, taking boat trips and generally enjoying the good life. We will then make our way to Phuket Airport to catch our Friday 13th (spooky) of July flight to Perth. Upon arriving in Perth we will be picked up by our old school friend Kerry who has generously offered to put us up for a while in return for bottles of wine. It is here that the plan ends and we become a little more spontanious.

We intend to get jobs eventually but assuming we have somehow managed to afford our rail passes we would like to cross this vast continent visiting people and places, seeing whats what.

At this point in time we have these things booked and paid for (not strictly all travel based):

• One way flight from Manchester to Kota Kinabalu (via Singapore) - 22nd June.
• One way flight from Phuket, Thailand to Perth, Australia -13th July.
• Pearl Jam Ticket for M.E.N Arean in Manchester - 20th June.
• Rockness Weekend Camping Ticket - June 8th/11th

These are the things we still need to book and pay for:

• Flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Koh Samui, Thailand.
• Australian Working Holiday Visa (Application filled out just need to pay)
• Trans Aus Rail Pass. (Quite a chunk of money but well worth it I think)
• Manchester accomodation.
  

So ANYWAY, yeah this is where I will post a fairly regular account of whats been going on and a link to the vast array of photographs that will have been taken.

I'll leave it there for now. I quit work on the 20th of May and THAT is when I consider my new life to have begun.


Koh Phi Phi, Thailand.