Culture, Thrills and Explosions

Waioapu Thermal Park

Amazing scenery and colors

Ditto

Friends Lisa and Tim and our crazy driver Mark who is a Irish Maori man who drove us to the show. On our way back to town he was singing songs and when we got to the roundabout he sped the bus round and round and round singing "Here we Go Round the Mulberry Bush" till we were exhausted from laughing.

Saw this and then went on the Giant Swing below....(sorry I can't sort these pictures in order! aarrgh!)

Maori woman in costume telling us stories of her culture.

Lady Knox Geyser.

Geothermal pools at Rotorua, leaves a sulphur smell all over the town called Rotorua.

Scary warrior at the Maori show, I was supposed to me sticking out my tongue but I forgot....

Adrenaline thrill time- Me on the Giant Swing outside of Taupo. Too fun! But I screamed alot and scared the next girl from trying it. Sorry Michelle!

Shearing the Angora Rabbits

Now I'm heading south on the north island. I am on the 'Magic Bus' tour and it's much more magical than the buses in Asia and not so scary either!

It's great as they stop along the way at points of interest like Mount Eden just outside of Auckland for an amazing view of Auckland and also the volcanic craters around the city. They have cattle in this viewing area to 'mow' the lawn. Apparently it's easier to keep cattle here as the sheep are easily stolen especially close to Easter time.
Next stop was to the Rabbit Shearing show, poor bunnies! But if left unshaved apparently they would die from heat exhaustion.

Then off to Waitomo Caves where inside are thousand of tiny glowworms that sparkle like stars. We sat in a boat in complete darkness and it was amazing just like looking up at the stars only way more lights.

That night I was off with my Magic Bus friends to a Maori show that taught us their culture and how they came to NZ. They showed us how they cooked our dinner underground, a traditional ceremony, tattooed faces, dances and songs. Very worthwhile, interesting and fun night!

On the way to Taupo we stopped off a Lady Knox Geyser that blows every day about 10:15am, they actually put a substance in it to help it along..... a tourist site for sure but it was free for us and very cool to watch. Then went through the Waiotapu Thermal Park and saw about 20 different craters.

Then it was time for some action at a place called Rock N Ropes. I chose to do the Giant Swing and with a harness climbed up a few hundred feet up a pole and jumped off sort of like Tarzan swinging on ropes thru the jungle only I didn't sound like him at all!

Road Trip to Bay Of Islands- Paihia

Our crazy Tuk Tuk driver we found in Auckland. Gave us the ride of our lives up a steep street, thru mad traffic and down sidewalks dodging people! Much like the asian ones!

Leaving Paihia

Kylie and waterfall in Paihia

Hole in the Rock

Cute little red shed on Otehei Bay Island

Wandering down Paihia beach looking for seashells

Scary Warrior girls

Lunch stop at Otehei Bay and more seashell hunting

Dolphins right in front of us!

Nice hair! Very windy day!

Off in a little rental car, a Nissan Sunny, about 3 1/2 hours north of Auckland. Sounds easy but they drive on the 'wrong' side of the road here with the steering wheel on the 'wrong' side and the signal light clicker on the 'wrong' side too! I nicked a couple of little things but the car didn't look any different and the tires stayed inflated so it was all good except that poor Kylie is probably still having nightmarish flashbacks, sorry again hun!! If it's any consolation my ears are still ringing from your screams..... I don't know how many times I would wipe the windows when I really wanted to turn!

We did make it safe and sound and found a cute little place called Cantabay Lodge to stay in which was only a couple of blocks from the beach.

We went on another boat tour of the Bay of Islands and helped deliver mail/supplies to a couple of the islands, come across a pod of dolphins and got to watch them follow us for miles and miles and then suddenly a tiny little penguin shot in front of us too! Got to see the famous Hole in The Rock island that was originally named Piercy Island by Captain Cook. Unfortunately we didn't get to go thru the hole as the waters were so rough and choppy it would have been like driving on shear ice.
Stopped at the end for a drink at the Duke of Marlborough Inn in Russell, across the bay from Paihia. This pub was the first liscensed pub in NZ and Russell used to be the capital of NZ.

Observations in Auckland- I was told that there are 1.5 million people in Auckland and that they have no proper transit system as far as trains etc. So the traffic in this city is actually even worse than Calgary! Very slow, very congested and very busy. You have to own a car in this city most families have 2 or 3. The cars here are different styles and brands, like the Nissan 'Sunny' and another GM product called Holden equilvanlent to Ford I beleive.

New Zealand- A Whole New World!

Brandi was a little scared of the Plexiglas floor but she got braver.


Kylie was right in/on there and being normal.....haha

Auckland skyline from the boat

A welcome sign I was in the process of making at the Mercury Pub next to our hostel. They arrived a little too early but it was mostly done. Thanks to Suzie and Ray for their help!

View of the harbour with a volcano in the background, from the Sky Tower

Looking way down!

Happy to be here and on a beach even if it's cold!

I am frickin' freezin' in New Zealand! Any one think I should become a poet?! :)

Well the days aren't too bad sometimes but the nights sure get cold, but I'm still wearing sandals so far.

Arrived in Auckland and a few hours later Kylie and Brandi did as well. I was so excited to see Kylie and hear more of her stories as I haven't seen her for 6 months!
Stayed at BK Hostel and got us a cozy 'little' room. We spent a couple of days catching up and checking out the city and a little shopping. We also took a boat on the Harbour Tour to see the city and all of it's volcano's that are supposedly all dormant now. The last one went off 600 years ago and Auckland is still considered to be an active area. I was glad we were leaving the next day. We also went up the Sky Tower and got some fun shots! Took Kylie to her first Comedy Club show, they love to pick on the Aussies!

Back in Bangkok

A Celebration Parade near my Guesthouse

Cheap Charlie's Pub around the corner from Suk 11 Guesthouse and some people I met. Fun little pub with crazy signs and people!

This is where one of the crazy people took me....just for a photo op and some interesting people watching! Then back to our neighborhood Irish pub.

It was suggested from a young lady, Meghan, who I was traveling with to stay at the Suk 11 Guesthouse near Nana Plaza in Bangkok so I thought I'd check out yet another part of Bangkok. Not sure if I'm getting used to the craziness or what but it's all quite exciting and interesting everywhere you go. Small doses and only occasionally also helps I think. I got some shopping done as I was leaving for NZ in a couple of days and needed some warm clothes. I got my teeth cleaned for $35, it's not any more fun here than it is in Canada unfortunately. Spent 2 hours at the post office trying to mail 3 packages, what an ordeal, helped when I finally got the English speaking 'boss' to help out. I also got my hair colored and butchered. I kept telling the lady, not so short and she kept reassuring me it's not and I thought maybe the mirrors were those funhouse ones cause it sure looked like alot was falling off my head. Sure enough once she was finished I swear I lost a couple of pounds of hair!

Oh well, it will grow back and meanwhile I am trying to get used to styling it with no appliances only gel /mousse and my hands! Some days are better than others.

Then I went for one final Thai massage! I am so going to miss those!

On my journey to NZ I had a 7 hour stopover in Singapore but found myself very entertained. They have everything there including free internet, only catch is you have to stand....I had some Thai food for dinner and then went to the cinema to see Johnny Depp in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Koh Samet- The last of the beaches in Thailand....for now....

Bamboo Island, just a few huts along the shoreline.


One of the vendors selling food on the beach.



Statues of Prince and Princess on the beach

Beautiful!

What a great ending to the beaches of Thailand. I stayed at Jeb's Guesthouse on the ocean and just relaxed and lazed on the beach all day for 4 days. Met some Aussies, Germans and Koreans to hang out with. My first night there I went to the Red Ginger restaurant, which I recieved a flyer on the beach for, it said it was run by a Canadian so of course I had to check it out and support it! :)

Met Roger the owner/chef and we became fast friends talking about Canada and he was so happy to have an 'english' speaking person to talk with and relate to. He used to work for CBC and was the editor for a show called 'One the Road Again'. Once he could shut down the restaurant at night we went out on the town. Saw fire shows and bands on the beach, went to a Reggae bar with a live band which was so funny cause they try to sing the words to Bob Marley songs and lots of other hits we know and if they don't know the words they would just make them up!

Lots of fun on the island and the only bad thing was it had tiny little sand flies who bite really hard and then the bites itch so bad! I am still itching a bit and it's been 2 weeks!

Back to the Beach!

View of the beach on Bamboo Island at BimBamBoo, a resort on the other side of the island. Only a five minute walk on a pathway thru a jungle where I came across 2 cows, one even let me pet it!
Whipped cream fight
Pyramid, we had to put the dog on top as there weren't enough girls. What we won't do for a shooter!
The boys playing poker with seashells
Arriving at Bamboo Island, the shoreline with only 10 huts and a dorm on this beach. So peaceful and quiet!

My little spot to watch the sunset turned around and saw the lone footsteps on the beach, very cool
Looking down the quiet beach on Bamboo Island

Sokha Beach
Small children working on the Sohka beach selling fruit and drinks.
Climbing on/over the rocks to get to Sohka beach, was worth the trip but we found a nice pathway to get back home on.
A cool rock I just had to climb up and pose on!
Fashion statement in Cambodia, I tried many times to be inconspicuous and take a picture of these women and children walking around in 2 piece pajama sets!

After a month and a half of inland traveling in mid 30s temperatures it's great to be back at the beach! Hence the slow down of updating my blog, plus with the poor or lack of Internet service in Laos and Cambodia.
Sihanoukville is the resort spot of Cambodia so fairly busy but I found a couple little great getaways spots with quiet sandy beaches and crystal blue water. One place was called Sokha Beach which was a 5 star resort. We paid $4 to use their beach chairs, a luxurious velour beach towel, showers/toilets and swimming pool and what a treat it was! I felt like I was living the high life for a day!
I also went to a great spot called Bamboo Island where I spent the night in a rustic little hut (from luxury to roughing it in 1 day, I'm so adaptable!) right on the beach, going to sleep listening to the crashing waves and waking up to the same sound, best sleep I had in a long time! Especially after the crazy night we had of competing for shooters, swimming at midnight with the phosphorences again and whipped cream fights! Quiet island but the 30 some people there know how to liven things up!
One of the great things about Sihanoukville is at night all the places along the beach have $3 seafood BBQs so we quite often feasted on the beach. Also we had some amazing rain showers and thunder/lightening shows at night, which was fun and cooled us off.

Kampot- Bodhi Villa

Floating bungalows on the river
dThe Restaurant/Bar right on the river
Lockand and his art museum, a neighbor of Bodhi Villa
The dock on the river

Next day I was off to Kampot in Southern Cambodia. Time to 'chill out' and my Canadian friends (even though they are from Edmonton) Cara and Dave told me the best place to go was Bodhi Villa.
It's a great spot along the river where at night you can swim with the Phosphorescence and during the day just relax, enjoy the scenery and peacefulness. I must say too the bartender, Tan, had to be one of the coolest Cambodians I've ever met. He had an Aussie accent and could dance like a rapper!
Nice stopover place before taking a 'taxi' to Sihanoukville. In this taxi they could actually fit up to 8 people including the driver but if you pay for an extra seat you don't have to sit squished into this little 1980s Toyota Camry with broken door handles and no shocks. Yet another very interesting mode of transportation, thank god it only lasted 2 hours!