http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Franny-and-Gillian/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Franny and Gillian en-us Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:40:21 +0000 Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:40:21 +0000 Recovering from the allbut theft of my Mexican gin and tequila by Las Vegas customs we arrived safely in New York. Finally getting used to the travelling thing we had prebooked an airport shuttle to take us to our prebooked hostel. However upon arrival at the hostel we decided that someone should fire the hostel reviewer because the place was a dump. There were no rooms just a warehouse http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/blog-365443.html Following the mammoth 15hour journey from San Francisco to Las Vegas via Yosemite I believe Franny and I should perhaps look at a map before setting off on these wild adventures. We had wanted to see as much of the country as possible so we thought it would be a good idea to experience the famous landscape of Yosemite National Park incidentally just in case you have an insensitive best frien http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nevada/Las-Vegas/blog-363097.html For the second time in a month we landed in LAX and enjoyed the spirited company of the US customs agents. This time though instead of taking a shuttle bus we had arranged to pick up a rental car so that we could start our road trip. Having booked the cheapest economy option we were told to go to the garage and choose anything from row 1. However the only vehicles in row 1 were three miniv http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/San-Francisco/blog-243558.html I think perhaps I watch too much television that encourages stereotypes. Prior to arriving in the country I had been dubious about bus travel within Mexico and thought that it may have involved sitting in the back of hay trucks with the chickens. In fact I could not have been more wrong. Getting on the bus in Mexico City we found that we each had a seat the size of an arm chair that had full http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Jalisco/blog-232414.html Arriving in Mexico City we were ever so slightly alarmed. Mexico had not been part of our original round the world agenda but we had decided to go there after reviewing our dreadful finances in an Auckland McDonalds. When we were first making plans we were going to spend the last four weeks of our trip driving from the west coast of the States to the east before flying home from New York. H http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Distrito-Federal/Mexico-City/blog-231537.html In true Doctor Who fashion we managed break through the laws of space and time travel we went back in time. Without the aid of a DeLorean or a Tardis we arrived in LAX nine hours before we left Fiji. Amateurs. All we needed was a jumbo jet. After waiting in the longest queue in US immigrations history we picked up our luggage and took the shuttle bus to our hostel. We were immensely excit http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/blog-227375.html With an apparent incapability for packing all that I own in to one backpack I arrived in Fiji wearing most of my clothes and immediately started sweating in the humid climate. Franny fared somewhat better and was gleeful at the musical reception we received from the colorfully dressed guitar players when we stepped off the plane. As with most tourists to the Fijian islands we landed in Nadi http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Fiji/Viti-Levu/blog-226915.html After some teary goodbyes in Sydney we left the 25 degree loveliness and were plunged into the cold that is New Zealand's springtime. Landing in Christchurch was similar to landing in Glasgow and after falling asleep on the plane I awoke panicking that I had been the target of some horrible conspiracy to take me home early. As we drove through the leafy suburbs on the airport shuttle it was obv http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/blog-226842.html So it was with tears in our eyes we left the Childers Massive in Bowen to carry on our own again. Not since travelling in SouthEast Asia at the beginning of our trip had it been just the two of us but with Bob groaning we set off up the backpacker coast. We had originally planned to drive to Cairns in one day however after not leaving until after lunchtime we realised we would not manage http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/blog-209248.html Bowen. I believe the best thing I can say about Bowen is that it is not Childers. We arrived with the boys in Hicksville at the end of May and set up camp at a small caravan park in Horseshoe bay. The campsite was perfect sauna hot tub swimming pool nice kitchen facilities and only a 30 second stroll from a gorgeous secluded beach. But before I start sounding like an overzealous campsit http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Bowen/blog-200036.html After collecting our final tomato picking pay cheque we gladly packed up Bob and left Childers and our slightly psychotic landlady behind. Still just the three of us as Julien had opted to stay and do more fruit picking Julie Franny and I set off for Hervey Bay. We treated ourselves to a bit of luxury and stayed in a cabin in the Happy Wanderer Resort. It seems we had become quite accustome http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/blog-170544.html We left our little home in Abercrombie Street with Bastard Bob full to the brim with an unimaginable amount of collective junk. There was just about enough room for Julie in the back me in the driverrsquos seat and Franny navigating in the passenger seat along with bags and bags of shoes clothes camping equipment food and anything else deemed necessary for our adventure. We almost manag http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/blog-159197.html Sydney has been our home for all of three months now and as much as we love it it is definitely time to move on. Trying to condense three months into a manageable page of writing may prove difficult so forgive me for the length of time that I know that it will take you to read this. I would go and get a cup of tea if I were you. Now if yoursquore sitting comfortably then I shall beginhell http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/blog-143517.html Singapore turned out to be as different from Thailand as Thailand was from Hong Kong. To be honest I think we both thought of this a bit of a blessing. After three weeks of beach bumming we were excited with the idea of engaging in some proper tourist activities. Franny was fairly in awe of the incredibly clean Changi Airport and exclaimed that we had to go to the Kids Science Centre Area in http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Singapore/blog-121712.html On arrival at Bangkok airport we were hit with a whole different Asia. It was easy to see that we were no longer in the highly sanitised heavily westernised Hong Kong. Having chickened out of getting a bus we stood in line for an airport taxi willing to pay the exorbitant fares just for an easy life. Not surprising the taxi reps in the slightest we stated our destination as Khao San Road http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/blog-114000.html We arrived in Hong Kong airport with the world on our backs. The prospect of not seeing home and family for a year was fairly daunting but the excitement and a couple of Jacks meant we were more forwardthinking than back. As the plane landed there was an incredible view over the island although it was covered with mist.The first of many stamps was placed on our passports and we headed out i http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Hong-Kong/blog-110052.html