http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Danz/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Danz en-us Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:30:17 +0000 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:30:17 +0000 Ever since I left Yulara the suburb next to Uluru Ayers Rock at the beginning of 2002 I have dreamed of coming back. There is something about the red earth the wide open spaces and the silence and whispering from the winds that gets into your soul. Now my dream has come true and I have returned as a Tour Guide. I am fortunate enough to get lsquoon the jobrsquo training. Hopefully I have http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Northern-Territory/Uluru/blog-323705.html Time in An Ren with it's one main road motor bikes lorry trucks passing through with incredibly loud horns beeping at everything and anything even if it's 200 meters ahead With my kind grandma neighbour and her grandson who bring me chestnuts by the bowl full weekly and just recent brought over freshly made Chinese pancakes To the kind lady who cooks us as close to a homecooked meal as we get http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Hunan/Hengyang/Anren/blog-204137.html Abroad. Adv. at large in a foreign country.On my side of the world life is quiet relaxed manic surprising overwhelming fun nerve racking homely pure interesting old traditional fresh littered tasty and I am definitely attending the University of Life Many people in this tiny rural town have never seen a foreigner so our every move is watched with intrigue confusion and curiosity http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Hunan/Hengyang/Anren/blog-204136.html I have been invited to teach in a small town in Hunan Province Chairman Mao's birthplace. My small town is called Anren. The students have never had a Foreign teacher and many people have never seen a foreigner. So I will not only be representing Australia but every Western Foreigner. I am sure my quirks mannerisms personality and character will be looked upon with a magnifying glass and http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Hunan/Hengyang/Anren/blog-193527.html We started off early on Sunday morning to catch the bus to Guilin where we would catch our flight to Beijing. We got to the bus station early but the bus was booked out. So back to our home for a morning nap and by 11.30 we were on our way.The bus trip was SO long but we arrived in Guilin stepping off the bus to ladies pushing lists of hotels in our face. We bargained like usual and ended up st http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Beijing/blog-193520.html Life in China has been going along very nicely. Although Damo and I had lsquoofficiallyrsquo finished our classes at our respective schools we have been kept very busy with private lesson kindergarten lessons school registration days promotional days presemester training and the judging of a very auspicious English competition. We have had some time to relax and have fun though. Wersq http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangxi/Guigang/blog-180390.html Guigang in the morning is wonderful. Life is a lot slower the air seems to be cleaner and there is a relaxed smile on peoples faces. A morning stroll is well worth while. But within the school grounds it is go go go. The students get up for a quick wash and some hot noodles for breakfast then they have 2 lessons and it is time for morning excercises. The kids look like they hate it but I th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangxi/Guigang/blog-164760.html Its been a month since my last blog. Times goes fast when yoursquore having fun or when yoursquore in China anyway. Bei Hai was interesting. It is the most popular beach for the Chinese in China. The reason may be that the water is constantly below your knees for as far as you can walk out or as far as you can be bothered to walk out. Many Chinese I spoke to couldn't swim so this may be i http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangxi/Guigang/blog-152716.html There are 5 stages of culture shock. 1st stage is the honeymoon stage where people enjoy the excitement that arises from being in a new place where everything is interesting one is constantly experiencing a mild ecstasy traveling to new and interesting places. Then there is the 2nd stage this is the actual shock. Realising that one is REALLY living in a new country. With patience I hope to j http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangxi/Guigang/blog-149544.html Well it has been a month since my last blog. What has happened Every day I am learning as much as the students I am teaching. I have absolutely wonderful students who are eager to learn. I walk through the school grounds and hear a hundred Hi Dani how are you's or What are you doing or just Dani with a big smile and wave. Even the students I don't teach will say hello as I pass them b http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangxi/Guigang/blog-142761.html When we first arrived at Buckland Teachers College we were taught a few Chinese phrases to get us by like 'how much' 'too expensive' 'Hello how are you' and 'I am a teacher I have no money' so shopkeepers dont think just because I am a foreigner that I have lots of money. Soooo.... I have been happily going along saying..wo shi lao shi saying it exactly as it reads but the first shi is http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangxi/Guigang/blog-136211.html FRIDAY 23 FEBRUARYWell I have arrived into Guigang and I could not have wished for a better school apartment or teachers. Guigang is very clean quite modern from what I have seen with wide roads and friendly people.The school is very small 950 students compared to some of the others that have around 6000 students the class sizes are 36 40 compared to some other school that have up to 100 http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangxi/Nanning/blog-132074.html It is hard to put everything I see hear taste and experience into words.I went for a 'hair wash' yesterday. My hair was washed while sitting in the chair opposite the mirror I received a wonderful head and neck massage for about 20 minutes then I was headed over to the wash basin where I lay down on a comfy leather bed with my head on a leather pillow inside the wash basin the shampoo and con http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangxi/Yangshuo/blog-129957.html Firstly all instructions for the computer are in Chinese and I have no idea how to download photos from my camera.... will definately work it out by my next blog... Love to all... Danz.My flight to Hong Kong was squashy hot bumping and smelly... The Chinese man probably in his early 40's sitting next to me slept most of the way and had his face leaning towards me with his mouth open.. breathin http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangxi/Guilin/blog-127819.html Probably not the norm for a travel blog but here are some photos from my birthday going away drinks on Saturday.... 3 days til I leave for China http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/blog-126537.html Been home for 3 months and have found some new photos from my time in Kanchanaburi and the Tiger Temple just outside of Kanchanaburi about 90ks west of Bangkok.... http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Western-Thailand/Kanchanaburi/blog-126521.html After meeting Damien at Bangkok Airport we caught a plane straight to Krabi which is south Thailand the gateway to the islands on the west side of Thailand. We decided to go to Ko Phi Phi and stayed for 4 nights. It was wonderful to relax in the sun. drinking eating swimming the water was so warm. I have been staying in guest houses that only have cold water so the warm sea felt a little st http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Ko-Phi-Phi/blog-101236.html Yes i was attacked by an evil Monkey in Lop buri... more on that laterSukhothai Historial Park was really really beautiful. It was about a 20 minute local bus ride out to the historial Park. I hired a bike and strolled can you stroll on a bike well peddled slowly anyway. Weather warm sky blue grass green and freshly manicured. After a couple of hours cruising around i came to a Massag http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Sukhothai/blog-98733.html I was in Vientiane Lao about to cross the Laos Thailand border via a huge bridge that crosses the Mekong called the Friendship Bridge financed by Australia at the end of my last blog....I think i should go back a few steps as there are a few things i forgot to say about Lao. I forgot to mention that while i was there i went to a Traditional Lao Massage house every single day yep every day http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-East-Thailand/Nong-Khai/blog-98202.html Days away 16 Massages 6 Traditional Lao Stream roo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/blog-96824.html