http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Chani/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Chani en-us Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:59:06 BST Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:59:06 BST I can't say I was wildly excited about going to Fethiye before I got there... it was supposed to be just a place to crash for the night before I flew back to England. But it was brilliant Ended up having an awesome couple of days there.We got in about lunchtime and after four days on the boat basically wearing the same clothes and not showering an awful lot ok you got me I didn't shower at http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Aegean/Fethiye/blog-282494.html After four days of not moving very fast in Olympos suddenly I was thrown into the fastpaced mania that is sailing in Turkey. Your heart will bleed when you hear of the stress involved... I had to walk across the road get on a mini bus to Demre. Then get off the minibus and walk at least 10 steps climb onto a dinghy get out of the dinghy and onto the boat. Luckily someone was carrying my bag http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Aegean/Fethiye/blog-281465.html As sad as it is I actually got a little emotional leaving Istanbul... I spent the shuttle ride from Sultanahamet to the main bus station staring moodily out the window. But then I remembered that I was only an overnight bus ride away from living in a treehouse on the beach and perked up some. In the bus station I met Alyssa and Sarah a couple of Aussie nurses on their way to Fethiye. A seemi http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Mediterranean/Olympos/blog-279014.html Irsquom totally cheatinghellip writing this blog from England three weeks after the event. In my defence I really wanted to do another blog on Istanbul and make sure that I properly explained why I loved it so much. I didnrsquot think I could really do it justice in 20 minutes in the bottom of a hostel on the slowest internet connection in the world and yes Irsquove used every single o http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-278631.html Oh my hippy friends you would go absolutely nuts in this town... there are jewels and magic carpets and water pipes as far as the eye can seeQuick note a lot of people my 3 days ago self included have fairly serious reservations about 304stanbul as a safe travel destination for a relatively young blonde short probably unable to defend herself kind of independent traveller. But 304 http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-272662.html OK I have a confession to make. I took candy from a stranger. An old European male stranger. I figured it was safe because he was eating it too but in hindsight I should probably be more careful. He may have laced it with some deadly poisonous yet completely undetectable poison that he has spent years building up an immunity to like Wesley's cunning plot to overthrow Vizzini. This guy http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transylvania/Brasov/blog-271526.html I tried really very hard. I thought maybe I was just struggling with being back to staying at smelly backpackers and having to lug my crap around with me everywhere and feeling like a bit of a sitting duck being on my own... But in hindsight I just didn't love Budapest. Parts of the city are really beautiful and the people are very friendly and helpful. I absolutely loved the castle and some o http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Hungary/Budapest/blog-271522.html Well hello to my few yet faithful readershellip or should I say Heyup all reet Get trsquo pub yrsquo divvy. Eeh by gum girsquo over yrsquo jammy bastard. Wharsquos up wit ye Nout. Got a right bollocking didn i Oh aye. Pack it in steady calm down. That actually doesnrsquot make a whole lot of sense even if you can speak Yorkshirehellip which I really canrsquot http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-263937.html Ahem. Chani Mortimer. Policy and Performance Officer. Department of Learning and Leisure. Leeds City Council Leeds England United Kingdom world the Universe etc. Pretty cool heyThanks heaps to Jean and Kevin for my glowing referenceshellip Not sure what you lied about but much appreciated I know they asked Jean how many sick days Irsquod had in the last 12 monthshellip I on http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-217938.html As promised am trying to do more weekends away... although there is a small part of me that feels I shoul probably spend my money on some basic winter provisions need a new coat some new boots and socks without holes in them and work clothes my existing wardrobe is a little sad to say the least the louder part of my brain thinks I should spend my money on catching up with people and seeing http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/blog-215220.html What a drag it is getting old...Not really The first birthday in ages that I haven't freaked out and cried about getting old... That's not to say that I didn't freak out and cry about something else... but.... OK I'll start at the beginning.8 of us went down to Alton Towers this AWESOME theme park in Staffordshire a couple of hours south of where we live. We got there after lunchtime Monday http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Staffordshire/blog-210634.html I started writing this at the end of August... clearly my concentration span has not improved.OK not sure if attitude from 4 people quite constitutes popular demand... but for the 4 people that actually read this I'll give you an update of what I've been up to.As predicted I spend a ludicrous amount of time in English pubs. Seriously. LUDICROUS. I put this down to 4 key factors1. My brother http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-196837.html Its been a harrowing few months... but now that Kevin has been returned to me unharmed I can share my grief. In the late hours on Easter Sunday Kevin the slightly dazed looking crocodile was kidnapped by a littleknown international terrorist organisation which hopes to rid the world of drunken Australian travellers. Must say I'm somewhat sympathetic to their plight if not their methods. So http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-179374.html I can't stress to you how seriously hilly this town is. I mean one day I even went without dinner because I couldn't be bothered walking up the hill to eat... its that hilly. But unbelievably pretty I almost didn't want to like Edinburgh as much as Glasgow just because everyone loves Edinburgh and bags Glasgow I just wanted to go for the underdog. That said Edinburgh has a lot more going for http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Edinburgh/blog-174705.html In a completely random series of events I was invited to a currentEdinburgherformerAbedonian Helen's little sister Laura's 21st in Aberdeen about 2 and a half hours north of Edinburgh on the train on the weekend... seriously pretty train trip up but was fairly overcast and misty so I didn't take any pics. So you'll just have to take my word for it So I get to Aberdeen the granite ci http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Aberdeen/blog-174641.html This place is so pretty Love it people here are so nice especially in comparison to the locals in Palma... not their fault I can't speak Spanish so couldn't really have a chat anyway and they must be completely over cocky Aussies Kiwis and South Africans strutting around the place. But obviously not big fans of tourists Not overly friendly or helpful even the guy in the Vodaphone shop st http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Glasgow/blog-169473.html Leaving Palma... like leaving home it really didn't feel like I was leaving Palma until I actually had... fully expected to be in Scotland thinking what the hell have I done both because I had a good thing going in Palma and I seem to do that whenever I leave anywhere... but so far so good. Pretty chilled weekend Saturday was an awesome day spent the day at the beach and then another BBQ on http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Balearic-Islands/Majorca/blog-169463.html Be prepared for an obscene amount of exclamation marks in this blog I saw the Cat Empire on Wednesday night And they were awesome And I was right in the front row And they were awesome They played a couple of songs from their new album sounds shit hot So so so good its a been a few years since I've seen them and never before at a venue uncrowded enough for me to get so close... excited http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Glasgow/blog-169453.html On Wednesday I had an epiphany... I scored 3 days work on Heritais big stab at spelling by far the biggest and fanciest boat Ive been on... and while squatting too tall standing and too short kneeling so had to half squat and stretch... ouch on top of a table to clean a hatch with a toothpick it came to me CHANI DOESNT LIKE CLEANING BOATS. And never will. Being a chef on a boat wou http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Balearic-Islands/Majorca/blog-167074.html Gotta love Monday. I was greeted with werent expecting to see you today funny I didnt get a phone call to that effect before I walked for half an hour to get here which was soon followed by ok thanks were done now... so you didnt need me to come in tomorrow... no no were done now... what the Lucky Lotte and Drew got to listen to my rants of Goddammit Cant believe wor http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Balearic-Islands/Majorca/blog-165487.html