http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/EDAF-2005/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from EDAF 2005 en-us Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:22:46 +0000 Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:22:46 +0000 Had an eventful border crossing partly due to our lack of local money to exit Belize and partly to the inconsistenices of Guatemalan border officials We were joined on the bus by a local who persuaded us that his hotel was very good priceand we should all stay there and ... the whole bus did Within minutes our arrival we were accosted by a guy from EssexSteve who hadnt spoken English or s http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Flores-Tikal/blog-9025.html We opted to cross the border into Cambodia by boat. Started this leg of our trip by all going to Danang airport where we said our goodbyes to Juliet as she headed back up to Hanoi and we boarded our flight to Ho Chi Minh Saigon. Our taxi dropped us off at the HCM bus station to take us to Chau Doc everything appeared to be going so well.....A VietnemeseAmerican guy befriended us thank God http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-20715.html We arrived in Siem Reap by boat the journey was more expensive than doing it by road but was significantly shorter and more comfortable. We were once again plagued by people trying to persuade us as to where to stay but we already had plans we were meeting Uncle Ian see NZ and Australia entries. Ian had booked us into the Ivy and luckily there was a tuk tuk waiting that would transfer u http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/blog-20745.html The river journey and border crossing was surprisingly painless and in five hours we had arrived in Phnom Penh. We were not even allowed to disembark the boat before being hassled and yelled at to stay in this or that guest house or to take this tuk tuk or that taxi Finally we made a decision and asked to be taken to a hotel of our choice only to be told that it had closed Thinking that this http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/South/Phnom-Penh/blog-20742.html Survived the overnight to Airlie Beach. I found out that the boat that I was meant to be going on was cancelled as there wasn't enough people on it. I was a little concerned as I had heard a few stories of some of the boats just being booze cruises full of people that weren't too interested about sailing so I tried to voice these concerns. As it turned out it couldn't have been better. There we http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Airlie-Beach/blog-16698.html We had a shorter bus journey through some of Vietnam's wonderful coastline and through a long tunnel whose name escapes us at the moment Settled into a nice hotel this time with a pool and rooftop restaurant for only 5 more a night we know how to treat ourselves Went out to explore the town of Hoi An famous for tailors. We were immediately befriended by a local boy who wanted to tak http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/South-Central-Coast/Hoi-An/blog-20616.html After an uncomfortable overnight bus journey Asian buses are not designed for people with long legs and the drivers like to use the horn just to warn everyone that they are there all night from Hanoi we arrived in Hue. After checking into a very nice hotel for 15 a night for all three of us we were besieged by motorbike drivers who would take us on a tour of the tombs that Hue is famous fo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/North-Central-Coast/Hue/blog-20609.html We opted to take a three day and two night trip into the World Heritage Site of Halong Bay. Boarded our junk in Halong City in the chaotic port and eventually negotiated our way out of the harbour. We stopped at the largest cave in the bay and some time wandering around the caverns listening to the echoes and being told some of the legends of this area. That afternoon Juliet and I opted for a r http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Red-River-Delta/Halong-Bay/blog-19629.html After an unexpected night in Bangkok..... we negotiated our way out of Hanoi Airport. We decided to stay in the Old Quarter by Hoan Kiem Lake. An air conditioned room is a must here. Venturing out to explore the city we soon realised that Scottish methods of road crossing weren't going to be effective here the motorbikes and bikes never stop ever The only way to get to the other side i http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Red-River-Delta/Hanoi/blog-19625.html After the comforts of an air conditioned apartment and the hustle of city life Sara and I opted to go back to our roots.....We flew from KL to Sandakan Malaysian Borneo and checked into a bamboo hut in a jungle resort metres away from the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. Very similar to our Mexican jungle experiences only marginally cooler. That afternoon we ventured along the jung http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sarawak/blog-19623.html We arrived in Perth after an overnight stop in Adelaide in a great YHA Hostel imagine our disappointment when the Brittania YHA was a very poor relation in comparison. Still we were only sleeping there.We took a walking tour of Perth city centre and ended up down at the river front where there was a large circus tent curious as ever we investigated to discover that it was the Cirque de Sole http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Rottnest-Island/blog-19561.html On arrival at Singapore Airport we were greeted by the cutest baby you have ever seen we may be a bit biased but she is gorgeous. Gill finally got to meet her niece Chloe face to face. We were staying with Jenny and Simon whilst were waiting for our Vietnamese visas to be processed. Our first stop was back to their appartment and then off to the pub to catch up with Simon who was in dire nee http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Singapore/blog-19565.html After a temporary seperation we met up again in Alice Springs which was a bit bizarre. Loads of chat to catch up with We were collected from our rather shabby hostel at 6 the next morning we had got up too early because of the strange half hour time differance that exists in the middle of Australia and we were loaded onto a mini bus with about 20 other people. Including a couple from Edinbu http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Northern-Territory/Uluru/blog-17468.html As soon as we had checked into our hostel we went out exploring where we were and as we were only a block away from Queen Victoria Market we had to go shopping. Chrissie got a very good deal on a very nice jacket... In the afternoon we went to the Melbourne Gaol my second jail in as many weeks which is quite an eerie place. There is only one wing left and they have filled the cells with loads o http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/blog-16691.html Had a few stops on the way up to Fraser Island courtesy of my trusty Greyhound Bus Pass. I decided to see if I could catch some waves in Newcastle. However the dude in the hostel that was going to teach me to surf felt that it was just a little too strong for a first timer and after a good walk along the front I was glad as I don't think I would have made it out of the water alive leave those http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Fraser-Island/blog-16400.html Had an interesting start to our last day on the South Island Sara had managed to book the ferry the wrong way round. The girl at the ferry terminal asked us if we realised that we were in Picton and not Wellington WE ARE NOT THAT BLONDE We knew where we were but we just had made a clerical error. Apparently this mistake happens regularly and was easily rectified of course this is NZ th http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/blog-16322.html Successfully arrived in Sydney after leaving Sara behind in Auckland. We decided that we both wanted to do and see a few different things so it was better to separate and do our own thing for a few weeks before meeting up again in Alice Springs.My first challenge in Sydney was negotiating getting to the hostel and despite questionning a shuttle bus several times I was still conned I had opted http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/blog-16341.html Chrissie and I flew to Adelaide and picked up a hire car and started our mini road trip. We drove to Mount Gambier stopping off In Kingston SE to see the giant lobster and then in Robe to see the lighthouse. We checked into the Jail for the night which had been a working prison until 1995 and has now been turned into a backpackers it could use a bit of a lick and polish and it would be really http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Great-Ocean-Road/blog-16339.html After saying fond farewells to Linda and family and to New Zealand I flew over to Sydney and checked into an airport hotel as Chrissie was arriving early the next morning and it wold be a bit easier. I had heard from Ian who was arriving in Sydney on the same day and in return for the use of the Wellington hotel room he kipped for free in the Holiday Inn. We decided to go into town for the eve http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/blog-16338.html The family split into two vehicles and we headed off in convoy to Nugget Point in the Caitlins to the seal colony. There was a lovely lighthouse there however the seals were more difficult to spot with the naked eye. We borrowed binoculars and we watched them basking in the morning sun. Leaving Uncle Ian behind he had a date with some deer sperm we moved on to the Otago Peninsula staying i http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/blog-16313.html