November 2003
Week 31: Monday 3rd to Sunday 9th November
Just for a change we started the new week by eating breakfast at JJ’s. In a way it was nice to have some kind of routine for once, after months of nonstop travel. After breakfast a few of us made the short walk to the beach for a lie in the sun and a paddle (the only thing you can do as the water is so shallow). Later in the afternoon we met the others for a few frames of snooker before our evening meal. By now you pretty much know what that evening consisted of - yep you got it ?drinking and more drinking. This time though we got adventurous and went to a place called Karma bar, very chilled out and relaxed. We ended the night at Hippies before retiring to bed just before sunrise.
Tuesday was quite a productive day, the four of us plus Adam, Jon, Por and a few of her friends chartered a long tail boat for 600 baht and headed out to Phi Phi Ley, the smaller uninhabited island famous for being the beach in the film of the same name. We reached the sheer cliff of the island after half an hour and the driver took us around stopping off at various coves for us to peek at the coral and fish with our snorkeling gear. The water was incredibly clear and you could see the irregular shapes of the coral and the vibrant colours of the fish from above the surface. One of the last stops on the trip was the enclosed beach made famous by Mr DiCaprio. It really is quite beautiful as anyone who has seen the film can see. There are a few differences to the one seen in the film, firstly the water is very shallow, secondly the cliffs don’t enclose it totally and thirdly there are no palm trees. That’s artistic licence for you. The return journey took a little longer than anticipated thanks to a huge downpour that suddenly appeared. We had to wait it out, floating in the middle of the sea getting drenched. We eventually got moving and cut our way through the warm and choppy waters. After drying ourselves and warming up we did the usual snooker then bar thing and ended up in Hippies playing drinking games with a bloke called Danny. It was quite an amusing night.
As a result of our excesses the previous night, our day started in the afternoon with a visit to JJ’s for food. That was followed by a little exercise in the form of 6 a side football against some pretty good locals. The game almost got rained off but we stuck it out until dusk after a less than convincing performance. We needn’t say anything about the evening as you already know what we did and where we did it!
We finally got out act together and left Phi Phi. It was hard to do as we had had such a good time and we were leaving Adam and Jon, plus we were totally knackered from the night before! The ferry returned us to the mainland at Krabi with Carl who was coming with us to Ko Pha Ngan. At Krabi we split up with Carl, Liam and Matt heading to Ko Pha Ngan, while Phil and Rich took a mini bus to Pha Nga, they look the same names but we assure you they are in different places. We will focus on what Phil and Rich did as we have already written about Ko Pha Ngan and besides you’re not really interested in those three are you?! Pha Nga is a national park that spans hundreds of kilometres of sea with hundreds of limestone islands. It is also home to the island made famous by the evil Scaramanga in the classic James Bond flick ‘The Man With The Golden Gun? Phil and Rich booked themselves on a 2 day tour which included an overnight stay in a Muslim stilt village. Their transport for the tour was one of the many long tail boats used all over Thailand. After a short cruise through the sea inlets looking at dense mangrove forests and spotting elegant Sea Eagles soaring above the karst peaks they arrive at Kohpanyee the stilt village inhabited by Muslim fishermen who live where they work, the sea. That evening they were treated to the best sunset they had seen, the soft fluffy clouds changing colour as the smoldering disk of deep orange slowly descended below the horizon. A superb meal of fresh seafood and rice was consumed whilst chatting to a couple from Hungary. In stark contrast to the last week in Phi Phi the two settled for an early night as there was absolutely nothing to do.
Liam, Matt and Carl woke up to their first full day on Ko Pha Ngan and chilled out on the beach and had a ride around on motorbikes. Phil and Rich on the other hand had been up hours, Phil even caught the last bit of the sunrise. After a breakfast of coffee and doughnuts they boarded the long tail boat and started to tour of the many islands, inlets, caves and beaches. For the next 8 hours they were shown some spectacular scenery. There were caves with huge stalactites, hanging down making the entrance look like rabid dogs, grottoes with chocolate coloured stalagmites that sparkled and 3000 year old artwork. Lunch was served up on a deserted beach overlooking a cluster of limestone peaks jutting out of the water and trembling in the heat haze. Their hunger satisfied they climbed back into the boat and gently made their way to the highlight of the day. The waiting was over, as soon as the boat was moored Phil and Rich were out and following the path round the side of the island to the cove that is home to the ‘James Bond Island?as the locals call it. It was exactly as they remembered it, surprisingly small but just as impressive. As with most tourist attractions there were stalls selling souvenirs, Phil and Rich were surprised there was nobody selling replica golden guns for losers to pose for photos with. In the end the two did the sad and predictable thing and had a photo posing with guns fashioned out of their hands. They left feeling embarrassed enough the first time, but when the girl taking the photo couldn’t work the camera and took 5 attempts they just wanted to leave as soon as possible. From the James Bond Island the boat gently returned to the starting point and offloaded the content couple. That night they slept in their hotel in Pha Nga dreaming of being 007 defeating the devious Scaramanga.
Saturday was the day of the monthly full moon party, so thousands of revellers had descended on the island of Ko Pha Ngan. Liam, Matt and Carl were preparing for the big night by doing very little, just getting some sleep after being out till dawn with Anthony and Josh and their girlfriends. As the relaxed at Pha Ngan Villas Phil and Rich made their way by bus and boat to the island. Matt met them as they arrived and took them to the bungalows. They had picked a good resort as it was cheap with good food and the beach was excellent, topped off by the dozen or so hammocks. Before heading down to Hat Rin we watched the Wolves - Birmingham match which ended up 1-1 to the disgust of Rich. We arrived at the party around 11pm and found a spot on the beach by Orchid and sat listening to the drum ‘n bass pumping out. There didn’t seem to be as many people at this party as the previous month but there were still at least 6 or 7 thousand. This party also coincided with a national festival where people create floating vessels from wood and banana leaves and place flowers and other gifts inside. The vessels are then set out to sea or any other body of water as a gift to people they have lost. The usual drinking, dancing and cavorting took place and we eventually lost each other in the crowds. Periodically we bumped into each other or other people we knew. The main event of the night, well morning, was the discovery that Matt made at about 9am. While looking in vain for his sandals on the beach he noticed a familiar figure strolling towards him, in disbelief he stopped the guy and asked “where you from mate?? “Australia?came the reply. Matt continued with “what’s your name?? “Ty?he replied. At this point Matt nearly went into shock, his suspicions were right, he had found our best Aussie mate Tyronne who we left in Korea almost 5 months earlier. We hadn’t heard from him since and never expected to see him in Thailand at all. They were so chuffed to see each other that they both returned to the bungalows where the other three were and surprised each one. It’s difficult to explain, but it was a truly bizarre moment setting eyes on a mate you didn’t expect to see again, ever. If you’re reading Ty, stop stalking us!
Today was recovery day, this involved water, paracetamol and as little effort as possible. We chatted with Tyronne for a while then moved to the Outback bar to watch the England v Wales rugby, which England won a little unconvincingly. We returned to the bungalows after dropping Ty off at his place, well he thought it was his place and chilled in the restaurant while watching a couple of football matches to top off a nice lazy day.
Week 32: Monday 10th to Sunday 16th November
Matt and Liam headed off to Ko Tao to do their PADI SCUBA diving course. Other budding divers who accompanied them included Carl, Janek, Trent and Nikki. The boat journey took about 4 hours and everyone sat on deck, basking in the blazing sun. Many dive companies are based on Ko Tao and competition for recruits is high. Touts operate on the boat, vying for business and after much discussion we decided to opt for Easy Divers who had been recommended by some friends. For 6000 Baht (90 pounds) we would take the 4 day Openwater course which once qualified allows you to dive anywhere in the world. In addition, the package included five nights accommodation, two buffet dinners and a bonus adventure dive. On arrival in Ko Tao we were all allocated rooms. Matt, Liam and Carl shared a clean spacious apartment, whilst some of the others opted for an upgrade to beach huts. The afternoon involved sizing of wetsuits and equipment allocation as well as a couple of hours classroom time, learning the basics of Diving. That evening was spent at the local town with a few quiet beers and a bite to eat. Nothing to strenuous, as we had to be up for school in the morning! Back in Ko Phan Ngan, Phil and Rich had a relaxing day, riding round the island on motorbikes. The evening was spent in Long Shot bar, Thongsala.
The divers were back in class early on Tuesday morning, being taught more theory by their friendly Czech instructor, Andrea. In the afternoon we had our first taste of real diving, all be it in shallow water. We learnt basic skills such as preparation of equipment, cleaning goggles, swapping respirators and breathing techniques. In the evening we all met at Trent and Nikki¡¯s bungalow for a few sneaky ones before the buffet which turned out to be excellent. We enjoyed all sorts of delicious delights, both Thai and Western. 2nd, 3rd and even 4th (in some cases - Liam!) were devoured. Meanwhile, Phil got the 10am ferry from Ko Phan Ngan to Surantani. He boarded a bus down to Hat Yai and on the way met a couple of cheeky cockneys, Jude and Mike. Once in Hat Yai the three of them went out for a fun night at the rather oddly named Post Laser Disc bar, featuring large jugs of beer and live music. Rich never made the morning ferry. It is rumoured that he ended up getting a later ferry to Ko Lanta.
The Dive posse went out for their first deep dives, to depths of around 12m. At first it is quite a strange sensation, being so far down underwater yet still being able to breathe. However, after just a few minutes you begin to relax and you can enjoy the beautiful new world that has just been introduced to you. Andrea, our instructor was superb, very clear precise and patient. The buddy system is a safety measure where you are paired up to keep an eye on each other at all times. In the afternoon we took the written exam and all passed with flying colours. To celebrate, we visited the local night spot and met Liesal and Lisa a couple of brummies who gave up jobs at Bamboo (a bar in the Arcadian) to come travelling. They had also been in Phi a couple of weeks previously, and the more astute of us recognised Liesal as being the proud runner up at the Halloween wet T-shirt competition - a true Brummie asset (or should that be assets?). Richard continued to enjoy his life of solitude on Lanta, whilst Phil and his new friends painted the town red, enjoying some tasty snakes blood after witnessing the snake being killed and drained. To top off their bizarre evening they went to a tacky cabaret featuring some elaborately dressed lady boys.
Matt and Liam and Co finished their diving course with dives down to 21m. Conditions were terrible, very stormy with visibility down to less than 1m. At one point we battled against the current to our intended dive location for a good five minutes, only be told that conditions were too treacherous. The journey back to the boat took about 10 seconds with the current, although trying to stop yourself from going miles past was tricky! When we finally found a safe location and began our dive, there was a worrying incident when half-way through it was realised that Nikki and Trent were nowhere to be seen. We surfaced but there was still no sign of the pair. After an anxious 15 minutes, searching the stormy seas for any bobbing bodies, they suddenly appeared with another dive group, alive and well, to everyone¡¯s relief. It was buffet time again that evening and more delicious food was enjoyed before heading into town for some celebratory drinking and dancing. Richard continued his one man expedition of Ko Lanta whilst Phil got a bus to the Malaysian border and a taxi to Kota Baru. The insensitive yet hungry Phil ate before sundown and got some very disapproving looks from the dominantly Muslim population of KB for breaking the fast of Ramadan.
Matt Liam, Carl, Janek, Trent, Nikki and Gavin (another Canadian we met) were all stuck on Ko Toa. Weather conditions had become some bad that no boats were leaving or coming to the island. The adventure dive had to be cancelled so we all decided to have an all day card session, complete with whisky, cigars and sunglasses, which was most enjoyable. Phil had a lazy day in Kota Baru also, wandering about town in a desperate attempt to find somewhere, anywhere selling food, which he eventually found at 4pm before settling down to watch Casino.
The dive crew managed to get a very busy boat off the island to the town of Chumpeon on the Eastern coast of Thailand. On arrival they were met by our Thai friend Por in her cousin¡¯s pick-up and were taken into town. We received some jealous looks form the hundreds of other backpackers who had to queue for taxis. We arranged tickets to our various destinations and settled into a bar to watch the rugby. Carl, Lisa, Trent, Nikki and Janek got a bus that evening to Bangkok, whilst Matt, Liam, Amy, Gareth and Por headed town to Hat Yai to stop off on the way to our rendezvous with the others in Malaysia. Phil watched the rugby with a guy called Dave in Kota Baru and Rich arrived late that evening from Lantau.
When Matt, Liam and Co arrived at Hat Yai it was 4am and the first two hotels they tried to check into were full. By the the time they found some available accommodation they were more than ready for some serious sleep. However, a problem arose. When Matt looked in his bag he realised that his money belt which contains his passport, and travellers cheques was missing. The last time he remembered seeing it was back in the bar in Chumpeon, a few 100km North. With just 2 days to go before he and Phil were due to start travelling through Indonesia, this was a serious worry. He got a taxi back to the bus station with the ever helpful Por and located the bus, but there was no sign of the passport. They went to the local police station and reported the loss, which was a long winded process with the police insisting on Matt writing to his name and address in Thai. Even with Por translating, this proved to be a near impossible task. The police were not hopeful and there was nothing left to do but go back and get a few hours sleep. Matt woke up, still passportless, but Por had come up trumps. She had called her cousin in Chumpeon who had gone to the bar, found the money belt and was arranging for the bus company to bring it down to Hat Yai on the next bus. Later that day Matt picked up the money belt and was extremely relieved. If the passport had have been lost it would have meant a trip back to Bangkok and a two week wait replacement, putting our future plans into severe jeopardy. Without the help of Por and her cousin we would have been completely stuffed so big thanks to them are due. The rest of the day in Hat Yai was spent shopping, watching more rugby and enjoying the evening in one of Hat Yai's live music bars. Phil and Rich visited the WWII museum in KB, also watched rugby and had dinner in the local market.
Week 33: Monday 17th to Sunday 23rd November
After yet another night on a "Konsortium Bas Express" Phil and Rich arrived back in Penang eager to check into the guest house they stayed in last time, only to find it was full. A quick detour back onto the famous Love Lane and they soon found a bed in the originally named Love Lane Inn, which was run by a rather old white haired chap whom we remembered as being somewhat rude last time around when we asked about bus tickets. Now with a fistful of Ringgits coming his way for a very average room he seemed somewhat more cheerful, and over the day even took time out to show us collection of marine life which included a gang of turtles in the downstairs bath, and a fish which was keen on biting travellers fingers; following his escapades in Ho Chi Minh we immediately applied for a court order to be issued on Liam forbidding him to go within 5m of the tank. Matt and Liam joined up with Rich and Phil later in the day and the afternoon was spent swapping stories about Ko Lanta, Kota Bharu and deep sea diving.
The next day was to be Four on Tour's last together for a while so we made sure we got up early and did something of interest. Penang's 'Monkey Beach' sounded like the perfect place to have some fun get some great pictures and meet some of our primate cousins. We took a bus across the Island and as soon as we alighted we were greeted by a troop of monkeys swinging through the trees. The beach itself was still a short boat ride away, so after some lunch at the 'Restaurant at the End of the World' we boarded our vessels and looked forward to interacting with hoards of playful monkeys. Monkey beach came highly recommended and we had heard stories of Monkeys playing and being generally mischievous and at the same time very comfortable around humans. Unfortunately for us the monkeys must have all had something far more interesting to do that day as we didn't see a single beast all day. We should have quit whilst we were ahead at the bus stop. Anyone whom we have since spoken to about our lack of monkey business on the beach since finds this incredible as there are usually dozens. Oh well, the beach was nice and we saw a couple of starfish. Back in George Town Liam and Rich got ready for their final "Konsortium Bas Express" which would whisk them away from Matt and Phil and onto Singapore and then Sydney. Waved of by their other halves, and with instructions to find a place to live, Rich and Liam headed for Singapore. Whilst the others enjoyed another curry in little India in Penang, Rich and Liam were once again reminded about how cold these buses were, and yet again they had boarded in shorts and t-shirts. Their trip almost came to an end there and then on the bus as both were suffering from severe hypothermia when just in the nick of time the bus pulled over at services and they were able to wrestle their 3 Season sleeping bags from the luggage hold.
This is where the journal gets a bit complicated, for the next few weeks we have two different journals. For ease we will concentrate on Matt and Phil's account of Indonesia as by their own admission Liam and Rich did more mundane things like looking for jobs and accommodation. After this week it will only be Matt and Phil, with Liam and Rich's activities recorded in one chunk later on. Hope that makes sense.
We (Matt and Phil) woke on Wednesday feeling like we had lost a limb. After 7 months of the four of us travelling together we were now separated into two groups, something we had to get used to. First job of the day was for Matt to confirm our ferry tickets to Medan in Sumatra. That done, the rest of the day was spent doing shopping, posting and other little jobs. Matt went for a tour of Cheong Fat Tse mansion, recommended by his parents who stayed there a few years ago. Cheong Fat Tse was a Chinese millionaire once described as the Rockefeller of Asia. His previous home was recently renovated and is a UNESCO world heritage site and was declared 'perfect' in terms of Feng Shui by 116 Chinese masters. Matt was so impressed he decided to stay for the night. Phil on the other hand decided that the perfect preparation for an early start and a five hour ferry journey was to go out drinking. He ended up at the Reggae bar with Amy, Gareth and Sue, thinking he would be back early for a good sleep. That was far too sensible, along with Amy and Sue he stayed out till 3 am drinking and playing pool. Something he would regret the next day.
After waking up at the ridiculous time of 5am we walked the 15 minutes or so to the pier. We were told to arrive by 7am as the ferry would leave at 8am. It seemed like the entire population of Sumatra were waiting to board our ferry and it soon became clear that we wouldn't be leaving on time. We said our goodbyes to Por and Sue who had rather bravely got up at this ungodly hour to wave us off. The ferry eventually left for Indonesia at around 9 am and sped to Sumatra. The ferry was a very comfortable and speedy vessel and six hours, a dodgy film, free cake and water later we arrived at the port and were herded through customs. We caught the transfer bus to the city of Medan where we were immediately befriended by a local guy called Tony. When we arrived he arranged transport to a bank for us to get cash. After 15 minutes of painfully slow progress in a cyclo we reached his 'mates' money changer shop, not the ATM we had asked for. We finally got to an ATM and managed to lose our mate Tony as we realised he wasn't really capable of being that helpful. Next stop was the bus station where we were hounded by about 20 people who wanted to sell us a bus ticket to Parapat (the gateway to Lake Toba). We purchased an overpriced ticket and waited one and a half hours only to be squeezed into a local minibus. Six hours later we emerged from the bus feeling like battery hens and realised we were too late to catch a ferry to Samosir Island. We were approached by Toba aka Dolphin, another helpful local offering us accommodation at Charlie's Guest house. Tired and weary we accepted and had a late dinner while Toba tried to sell us our onward bus ticket.
When we woke up, Toba had already arranged for his friend Rocky to accompany us over to Tuk Tuk on Samosir. He was still trying his best to sell us a bus ticket but we said we would have a look around first. After a pleasant thirty minute ferry journey we arrived on the beautiful island of Samosir and were dropped off at the village of Tuk Tuk. Lake Toba is a pretty impressive sight, it is the largest crater lake in the world and Samosir Island itself is just bigger than Singapore, on top of that it is not too hot due to it's altitude. Rocky led us to Merlyn guest house where we checked into a very nice traditional Batak house complete with two Telly tubby adorned beds and a hot shower. All for just 50 pence each. We relaxed admiring the stunning view from our balcony, then strolled around the village, checking out prices of bus tickets to Bukittinggi. Toba's price was the lowest, so true to our word Matt returned to Parapat to buy a ticket to our next destination. That evening we enjoyed a few whiskys with the staff and the other two guests staying at Merlyn.
As we didn't have much time to explore Samosir we rose early and headed for the next village of Ambarita. On the walk along the single track road we came across a local who seemed to be uttering something in Indonesian and showing us what was in his hands. As we got closer we could read from his face that he wasn't happy and the object in his hand was actually a machete, which he was waving around in our direction, a little too close for comfort. We managed to slide past him and quickly hurried on our way. Ambarita's main attraction are the stone chairs where in times gone by village matters were discussed and wrong doers were tried. Our guide took great pleasure in describing to us in great detail the executions and cannibalism that used to go on there. We headed back to Tuk Tuk past the mad man who this time had cigarettes in his hand instead of a bloody great machete. We popped into Tabo bungalows for a drink and a game of table tennis before returning to our place to relax. It was nearly time for the days, no years main event, the rugby world cup final between England and Australia. We went to the only place in town with satellite, Popy's, to enjoy the game. There were only about 20 people there but the atmosphere was pretty good, although presumably not as good as where Rich and Liam were watching in Sydney. Not much to say apart from what a great result England, worthy champions. That evening after a short nap, Matt decided to go clubbing while Phil continued his beauty sleep. Phil had a change of heart later on and decided to put his glad rags on and join Matt at the main night spot, unfortunately Matt unintentionally (well that's what he told Phil) locked the door to the room from the outside and taken the key so Phil was stuck at home like poor Cinderella. Matt had a good night, returning at 5am to a sleeping Phil.
We got up late and checked out of Merlyn and headed to Hacienda for a hearty breakfast before catching the ferry back to Parapat. When we arrived back in Parapat we were informed that Dolphin had been arrested for fighting the previous night and was in prison. Normally that wouldn't be a problem for us, but he had our bus tickets and we were going nowhere without them. The story seemed a bit vague and some of the other locals were saying you couldn't trust Dolphin as far as you could throw him. We managed to get hold of him by phone and arranged to meet him at his parents. So we hopped on a bus and made the hours journey to find him. That was hard enough but we finally spotted him, he had had his hair shaved off, allegedly by the police. By this time we didn't know who to believe, all we wanted was our money back or our tickets. After an hour of farting about by him we realised he was incapable of getting us tickets and returning our money so we opted for cutting our losses and returning to Parapat to stay the night. We didn't relay mind getting ripped off, you get used to that sort of thing but this was quite a bit of money, but the arrest story could have been true, we just had to forget about it and look forward. By the time we reached Parapat we had missed the last ferry so we got dropped off at a hostel listed in the Lonely Planet and checked in. It was tipping it down with rain and was late and because of these two things we just took the first room we could. As it happened it turned out to be one of the worst rooms we have ever stayed in, damp, musty, cockroaches and mosquitoes, we weren't impressed. After a walk into town for food and a failed attempt at watching the Villa match we returned to the hostel with a bottle of rum and some coke to drown our sorrows and play cards. That night was one of the most depressing and uncomfortable nights due to our bad day and terrible room. On top of this we weren't sure if we could find a bus to take us to Bukittinggi the following day or any time soon as Ramadan was coming to an end and celebrations would clog up transport all over the country. All in all a pretty crap day.
Now for Liam and Rich's journey from Penang to Sydney.
After arriving in Singapore the first question on Rich and Liam's lips was why on earth had they chosen a morning flight? If they had chosen to fly on the night of the 19th (today) they would have had a leisurely afternoon around Singapore followed by a comfortable flight onto Sydney with a movie and a good night's sleep. They on the other hand had opted for an early morning flight on the 20th, which meant hanging around aimlessly in Singapore and Changi Airport all dressed up with nowhere to go. They took the time to take in a movie and watch the 3rd instalment of the Matrix, and generally wonder around the streets of Singapore which was to be our farewell to Asia since stepping foot onto Asiatic land in Irkutsk which seemed a life time away. As the hours ticked before they got their flight there were some mixed emotions, of course they were disappointed as to not be going onto Indonesia and carrying on over land, but on the other hand the knowledge that in 24 hours they would be in Sydney, embarking on a whole new chapter of travel was something they were really looking forward to, not to mention the chance to be in Australia for the Rugby World Cup Final. To add to this Liam was meeting his parents in a week or two, whilst a couple of their friends from University, Whitey and Frenchy were going to be in Sydney for a week too. On the other hand they knew money was tight and the next few months would mean a return to the joys of a working life. Over the night of the 19th Liam and Rich grew very familiar with Changi airport and eventually they checked in and moved into the departure lounge.
Even though we had arrived at the airport over 6 hours before check-in we some how still managed to leave it until the Final Call before we boarded the aircraft. Our Qantas 747 would be taking us to Sydney International in little over 8 hours, and the flight was rather uneventful except for the banter between all the English and Aussies regarding the up and coming final. After the customary customs, passport control, and visa collection we were suddenly outside the terminal building in a land down under. Martin one of the lads we had met in Thailand had been kind enough to book us into 'Wake Up' hostel, to which we are very grateful as finding a room in Sydney around the time of the world cup final may have been impossible. After a trip to the ATM to withdraw some of Australia's famous plastic money and a short bus ride we were at our hostel, which was just outside Sydney Central train station, and ready to check-in. After checking in we couldn't resist a walk down to Circular Quay to see the Opera House and Harbour Bridge at night. We walked down George St and passed many of the pubs which we were to frequent so often during the next few months and onto the Rocks, the area of Sydney's CBD which has retained much of its colonial charm which is there for all to see in the surrounding architecture. After about 30 mins you come to Circular Quay and on to the Harbour front where the dramatic and stylish Opera House presents itself to you. On the left is the imposing Harbour bridge which joins the city to its satellite Northern Business District. Over the coming weeks we were to learn loads more about the Sydney and these great landmarks would become parts of our every day life. This was the place which was to become home for the next few months and we liked it a lot.
On entering Australia on a working visa there's quite a bit that needs to be done. Bank accounts to be opened, Tax-File numbers to apply for, Medicare to sign up for, jobs to look for, accommodation to find, which as you can probably appreciate is a little bit different from what we had been used to for the past few months, where the most taxing decisions had been which beach to lie on during the day and which bar to get pissed in during the evening. The Commonwealth Bank were foolish enough to open accounts for us, and the tax man was very nice and issued us with lovely Tax File Numbers (TFN's) and a great guide on how we too could start paying tax in Australia! Who said paying taxation wasn't fun. Sydney is very much geared up for backpackers so we spent the rest of the day going around Travellers Help Points, Backpacker centres etc etc registering for work and looking for accommodation, a theme which was to continue for a week or two. We gave Kelly our Aussie friend who we knew from Birmingham a call, she was in Melbourne but we arranged to meet in the week. Back at the Hostel we bumped into Martin and a group of Pom's including Mike, all of whom were here for two things, the rugby world cup final tomorrow and ridiculous amounts of beer. That sounded fine to us and that evening we had a night out down George St, sampling our first taste of local brews such as VB, Toohey's and Bundaberg Rum.
The day of the Rugby World Cup Final had arrived and we were awoken by Martin knocking down our door ordering us out of bed so that the days festivities could begin. Ticket Touts were everywhere and for the princely sum of 400 pounds anyone could grab a ticket to be at the final, unfortunately our budgets didn't quite stretch that far but the organisers had put on lots on around the ground so we would be able to fully enjoy the game and the atmosphere. The build up to the day was incredible and the amount of English around was unbelievable, it was hard to believe that you were almost as far away from home as possible, it seemed more like London than Sydney with thousands of flag covered Englishmen lining the street. The time leading up to kick-off was spent outside the ground being rained upon hoping this was all going to be worth it. The world's media were there awaiting what hopefully was going to be a cracker, and the game didn't disappoint. Forgive us if the rest of the day is a little hazy but we do recall a certain Mr Wilkinson slotting a drop goal home deep into extra time sending the England fans into raptures, relieved at last that we didn't have to harp on about 1966 for the rest of our lives. The game finished England 20 - 17 Australia and surprisingly the most of the Aussies were very gracious in defeat. Celebrating that evening there was a great feeling in the city with little or no animosity between fans, even with the England fans singing some rather unpleasant songs to the poor Australian's who were left to cry into their Tooheys. Shame. Also that evening there was another sporting spectacular being aired with two of the Premiership's giants Arsenal and Birmingham City clashing in the league, this was on live and Rich managed to bump into a Blues fan from Chelmlsey Wood, Birmingham, with who he watched Birmingham lose 3-0. You can always trust the Blues to wreck an otherwise perfect day.
After yesterday's events the only thing to do today was to continue the celebrations with Martin and Mike and the rest of the newly devoted Rugby fans knowing that tomorrow was Monday and that meant looking for work etc.
Week 34: Monday 24th to Sunday 30th November
We were pleased to check out of our dive of a hostel and walked down the road to go to the Harbour. On the way we stopped at the Asia restaurant and had a rather average and overpriced Nasi Goreng, surrounded by Chinese tourists. At the harbour we saw Rocky and explained the mess that Dolphin had gotten us into. Although he was sympathetic, there really was nothing he could do to help, but we felt better knowing that the locals now knew the story and had promised to seek retribution on our behalf. Back at the coach station, we waited for a couple of hours for a bus and eventually a rather dilapidated box rolled up that was to be our home for the night. We were seated at the back, behind an in-swinging glass door that separated us from the rest of the bus, in a 2 metre square smoking section with three seats. We shared this cramped space with a quiet bearded man and anyone who happened to fancy a cigarette at that given time, which was normally at least two people. The toilet cubicle was also in our section, along with a ledge just above our heads on which the alternate driver was sleeping. All in all, the journey was rather cramped, noisy, smoky, smelly, windy and chilly, apart from that it was pretty good. We stopped constantly to pick up anyone who fancied a ride, and if there wasn't room, by god they'd find room! At various times during the night we stopped in dark strange places, the names of which we will never know. On the odd occasion that we ventured off the bus to stretch our legs or buy a snack, we were confronted by friendly gangs of young lads trying desperately to test a few words if English on us (usually football related) or just simply staring at us and shaking our hands.
At around 5am we crossed the equator, but it was still dark and this momentous occasion was rather overshadowed by the fact that we were desperate for any kind of sleep we could grab. We were dropped off somewhere in a sleepy Bukittinggi at 7am and we consulted our Lonely Planet for a while to try and get our bearings before giving up and jumping in a Bemo. We asked for Dahlia hotel, a place that had been recommended by Ray (although when exactly he had last been there was anyone's guess). The taxi driver drove us to the correct street but there was no sign of it and we eventually accepted that it no longer existed and checked into a miserable place called Singalong and agreed a price for three days. Prices were high because of the end of Ramadan and after we'd slept for a couple of hours the owner came to tell us that he'd changed his mind and would only let us stay for one night. Rather than complain we picked up our bags and headed off to find somewhere else. As it happened, we found a lovely little guest house called Kartini, which offered hot showers and included breakfast. Whilst looking for a place to stay we met a guy called Ronnie who worked on reception in another hotel (out of our price range) and he offered to try and arrange a tour around Bukittinggi for us, although he wasn't too confident that there were any other tourists around to make up the numbers! He also invited us to go to his house for dinner that evening to celebrate the end of Ramadan. After a traditional Indonesian KFC, we walked around the rather depressing zoo feeling sorry for the sad Orang-Utans and over the footbridge that leads high over the main street to the beautiful Fort De Kock. That evening we enjoyed a lovely meal with Ronny and his family, being very careful not to go overboard with the spicier dishes. During the meal we were treated to a viewing of a film called Shark Attack 2 - we won't be rushing out to see what we missed in 1.
As Ronnie had anticipated, none of the tours were running due to lack of tourists and local guides due to Ramadan. However, one of Ronnie's friends, Wis, came to meet us and said he'd take us around the villages to meet various families. Once we were at his house chatting (or trying to) with his family, he asked us if we'd mind wearing Muslim outfits which he would provide. Feeling that it would be rude to say no, but not really sure what we were letting ourselves in for, we agreed and we were taken upstairs to try a few items. We were dressed in the full garb including colourful baggy trousers, ornate white shirts and silly hats. We headed out and travelled about in the local bemo's. On the way we received many odd looks as you can imagine and everyone excitedly asked us 'Islam?!' When we sheepishly said 'no', they all said something in Indonesian we guessed meant something like, 'then why on earth are you dressed like that?!'. We visited two different families in their traditional wooden homes, everyone was wonderful and fantastically hospitable, offering us all sorts of delicious Padang food and drinks. Back at Wis' house and back in our normal gear we met his brother Dhany who turned out to be a local guide and spoke English very well. As there were no tourists about and he wasn't working he offered to take us out in search of the world's largest flower, the Rafflesia. Firstly after a bus ride and a motorbike taxi along a rather hairy mountain path which offered amazing views, we visited some friend out in a tiny village. There, we were treated to yet more tasty snacks and were introduced to the 'magic woman' who can heal anything including broken bones simply by touching the problem area. We were taken by a guide (who managed to navigate the rough terrain in a pair of simple flip-flops) through the jungle but couldn't find any Raffleasia in bloom although we did find one ready to unfold and another that had recently died. By the time we got back to the road there were no buses running so we hitched a lift back into town. We ate with Dhany that evening at a local coffee shop and he worked out a schedule for the following day.
Dhany picked us up at 10am on Thursday morning. Firstly, he took us to the bus station to get tickets to Jakarta for the following day. We then went to Panorama Park where we fed the monkeys and enjoyed the fantastic views over the Canyon. We then walked down into the Canyon and up the other side, which was hard work in the midday sun, and ended up at a silver smith village. We went on a search for flying foxes but none were to be seen. We got a Bemo back into town and had a delicious Padang lunch before heading up the mountain by bus. At the top we sat on the grass and looked out to see the mist rising to reveal the beautiful lake Maninjau below, a truly awesome sight. We trekked down a steep rugged jungle path towards the lake, slipping and falling from time to time. About halfway down we stopped at some abandoned huts and noticed that we had been attacked by leaches. Phil seemed to have come off worse, with 3 or 4 having a good feed on his leg! Matt's indestructible socks (bought in China) had come to the rescue, it seemed the leaches just couldn't penetrate the strongly woven material! Down by the lake, we waited for a long time for a bus and the journey involved traversing the 44 (numbered) hairpin turns of the mountain road. It was a truly impressive display of driving by our driver, we owe our lives to the guy! We had a pleasant meal at the Apache Cafe that night before making the most of our beds, in the knowledge that it might be a while before we have the luxury of using one again.
The next day, Dhany took us to the bus station and after an hour and a half's our bus arrived and he waved us off. The bus was supposedly VIP and in fairness it did rate as one of the better buses we'd been on in Indonesia although it still made a National Express coach look like something the queen would travel on! The day was fairly uneventful, we wound along slow roads, through rustic villages, stopping frequently to pick up passengers off the side of the road many of whom returning home after Ramadan. Sitting near us were a young newly-wed couple who were students at one of the many universities in Yogyakarta (Jogja). The guy spoke English well and we got the impression that his wife did as well although she wasn't permitted to join in our conversations, even when we addressed her directly. As night fell the bus got cold, the cockroaches came out to play and we attempted to get some sleep.
We woke up to more of the same, we had no idea how far we had come overnight and nobody seemed sure how long the bus would take to get to Jakarta, estimates ranged from 28 to 60 hours although the average guess seemed to be about 40 hours so we settled for that. The day dragged on and we entertained ourselves by reading and listening to our personal stereos. The Air Conditioning broke and the heat inside the bus became quite suffocating. Around midnight we arrived at Bandar Lampung on the Southern tip of Sumatra and boarded the packed ferry to Java. The journey was short and we were soon in Java with just a few hours drive to Jakarta, Indonesia's notorious capital.
We arrived at the coach station in Jakarta at 3am, all in all the journey had taken over 41 hours. We were tired but mustered enough energy to barter with the scores of taxi drivers vying to take us into the city centre. We picked one and headed for Logan Jaksa, the backpacker street. We found a basic hotel without too much difficulty, checked in and got a few hours sleep. We went for a bit of an exploration, focusing on Merdeka Square, right in the heart of the city. Right in the centre is the 132m high National Monument made of marble and gold and topped by a glittering flame that symbolises the nations strength and independence. We spent some time catching up in the internet cafe, playing pool and ended the night in one of the bars watching football.
Now for Liam and Rich's time in Sydney.
After the heady weekend the week was to be spent getting down to looking for flats and jobs around Sydney. We followed the well-trodden path from travellers Help Points to backpackers Centres and so on. One of the places we were looking at moving into was the delightful suburb of Kings Cross, which is the red light district of this wonderful city. There were many obstacles in our paths. We couldn't commit to anything more than a three-month contract being one, but also the fact that everything gets snapped up so quickly its ridiculous. On the job front it was becoming increasingly obvious that telemarketing was beckoning. Everyone we had spoken to had had a spell on the phones and although we really didn't want to it seemed like this was inevitable. Back at the hostel we were still having a great time with Martin and some of the England fans who hadn't left for home yet.
Between the house hunting and job seeking we managed to squeeze in quite a bit of time down the beach. Many a happy day was spent over in Manly, North Sydney, just a short ferry ride away. The ferry ride itself is great. It pulls out of Sydney's Circular Quay, and sails through the harbour giving some great views of the bridge and Opera House before gliding past the Gap, where Sydney Harbour meets the Pacific Ocean and into Manly Wharf. Manly has a lovely little town feel about it and although not as famous, seems to us to match its more famous cousin Bondi in every respect.
We also managed to meet up with Kelly, our friend from Sydney who had spent a few months travelling in Birmingham. Liam and Rich met up for lunch and later on in the week she was kind enough to pick us up and take us to Bondi for the first time. Bondi is obviously a very fashionable place to live and has some good bars and restaurants. The beach itself is great, if a little busy, and was a great intro to some of the biggest waves we've ever seen.
We were soon getting to grips with the city's CBD which runs north from Central station down the parallel roads of Pitt St and George St, the latter of which containing many backpackers bars, finally ending up in Circular Quay by the Opera House and Bridge. To the west are Pyrmont and Darling Harbour, with Kings Cross and Darlinghurst out to the east. The beaches of Bondi and Coogee are a 30 min bus or train ride away.
By the end of the week we still had nowhere to live nor a job to go to. But things were starting to take shape, a number of agencies had seemed promising both for work and accommodation. It seemed like we would end up in one of the many apartment blocks in the city which includes free access to a gym, pool and sauna etc. Rich had an interview lined up on Monday, and yes it was telemarketing.
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