Boarder crossing after 5 hour van ride with slight language barrier equals first bribe paid. But we weren’t the only ones. We crossed the boarder with a local Malaysian driver. At this land boarder crossing there is an unwritten fee that goes towards the Thai boarder police to help supplement their low income. Since we know how they feel, we happily paid what amounted to about $1. Another 5 hours on the van and we arrived in our new home, Krabi. We immediately felt comfortable and relaxed. Next to our accommodations, which were very nice and inexpensive ($12/night), there was a [View Full Entry]

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We took the train from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We left the comfort of our Marriott and headed for the train station which is owned by the Malaysian government. The difference was astonishing. For example, no more western style toilets….which means a step up from a hole in the ground, a step down from diapers. Ok, that’s enough bathroom talk because we’re sure that we are going to experience a lot of this. Typical train ride to Kuala Lumpur, couldn’t understand a word the announcer said and had no idea when to get off the train. On the bright side, [View Full Entry]

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We flew to Singapore via Singapore Airlines. The airline was awesome, probably one of the best we have ever been on. In light of our previous accommodations we decided it was time to pamper ourselves so Jason cashed in some points and we stayed at the downtown Singapore Marriott Hotel. We have included some pictures so you can compare it to our Perth accommodations. It was hard to leave the hotel since we were on the executive level (little did they know we were unemployed). The executive level means we had unlimited access to food, drinks and the health spa. You [View Full Entry]

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From New Zealand we flew to Perth Australia to check out what Western Australia was all about. This was supposed to be our break from non-stop traveling and a rest before Asia. So we parked ourselves in one hostel for 9 days. Put it this way, Jason and I may have different definitions of what a relaxing, comfortable accommodation is. Please see picture of me in the room and explain to Jason why this doesn’t look relaxing. One last thing, and that’s all I am going to say about the accommodations, you can’t put a price tag on ear plugs and [View Full Entry]

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Hertz: Have you ever rented with us? ME: Yes. Hertz: Have you ever driven on the left side of the road? ME: Not legally, but I’ll give it a shot. Hertz: Do you want insurance? ME: That’s a scam… Hertz: It’s an automatic $2500 charge regardless of fault…. Woodley: YES WE WANT IT! OK we made it to Dunedin, our last stop in New Zealand. Dunedin is on the east coast and is known for the Otago Peninsula. We stayed with a farmer; the name of his place was called “McFarmers” - go figure. The peninsula is home to a colony [View Full Entry]

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We traveled from Queenstown to Lake Te Anau in order to spend a day on Milford Sound for Woodley’s 21st birthday.hahahahah. Milford Sound is well known because of the Milford track which is known as the “Greatest Walk in the World”. Unfortunately you need a permit which has to be booked almost a year in advance. We decided to enjoy the area by kayak instead. As I like to say, “I have the upper body of a chicken” which did not bode well for 4 hours of paddling which required immense upper body strength. Since the kayaking I have put myself [View Full Entry]

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Queenstown!! The home of bungee jumping and any other possible activity designed to scare the BLEEP out of you. Queenstown was like a little ski village on steroids. It is nestled in a mountain range called The Remarkables and surrounds Lake Wakiatipu. This is Jason’s favorite lake because he fell in it trying to take a picture of me. Please see picture of me laughing on a bench. In all reality this is one of the most relaxing places we have been. Our days were filled with long hikes and watching everyone else do crazy things for lots of money. We [View Full Entry]

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We took a bus from Arthur’s Pass to Franz Josef. Without being too cheesy, no postcard, picture or movie can do it justice. This is the cleanest, most pristine land. We already feel healthier from just breathing the air. Franz Josef is a laid-back, friendly, small town around a huge Glacier named after an Austrian King (not Schwarzenegger). The highlight was the climbing the Glacier. Although we normally try to avoid organized tours, this was the only way to get on the Glacier legally. Once again, Kiwi’s don’t like to get too detailed with any explanation of what you will [View Full Entry]

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It took us about 36 hours in travel time to get from Byron Bay to New Zealand. We arrived in Christchurch at about 1am on December 28th. It looks like this - 13 hours on a bus, 12 hours in an airport, 2 hour plane delay and a 2 hour plane ride and an hour or so in customs because someone decided to bring contraband into New Zealand. I am not pointing fingers but anyone reading this can probably figure out who thought they could out-wit customs! We stayed in Christchurch for New Year’s Eve. Little known fact, there are 4 [View Full Entry]

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We went to Byron Bay where we parked ourselves for 6 nights to celebrate Christmas and get off the “backpacker” trail. Byron Bay is a cross between Woodstock and Santa Monica, hippies on the beach. We stayed at a peaceful Guesthouse which just happened to be called A Peaceful Place. We decided it was time to get back to our favorite pastimes. Byron is the Yoga Capital of Australia, so Woodley attended yoga class everyday. Jason’s favorite pastime as we all know is surfing, so he went to surf school to sharpen his skills. After his long day at the beach [View Full Entry]

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