http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/The-Dutchies/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from The Dutchies en-us Fri, 08 Jan 2010 02:26:25 +0000 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 02:26:25 +0000 Sunday afternoon and we are finished all we want to do. Today we were up early to take the ferry through Sydney Harbour and land in Manly Beach. We know that sun and beach will be a distanced memory after 1 week back in wetcold Canada. So we gave ourselves 2 hours to dive in the waves tast the salt water and work on our tan The ferry to Manly was a 30 minutes side seeing tour through Sydney and http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/blog-136927.html Well living in the house on wheels is finished........ Now we have 4 days in a 5 star hotel yep again through my visa points. Tuesday we were still in Noosa head a little surfers Paradise and had for the first time in our trip a day of rain it was actually kind of nice to sit in the motorhome read books and hear the rain.....So on Wednesday we drove to Brisbane where we after getting l http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/blog-136313.html G'day matesHow is it going Australia is heaps of fun but reality is starting to sink in with 3 more days left.Yesterday Meindert Kirsten and I climbed the Harbour Bridge in Sydney in the end of the day and had a beautiful view of the city sky line the harbour with the sail boats and the Oprah house. It's a 3 hour trip up the ramps of the bridge all the way to the top. Some spots was a bit sca http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/Bondi-Beach/blog-136495.html Hi matesWell you haven't heard from us for a while. The Aussies aren't as well developed in internet cafes as the Thais. After the Zoo we went up to Hervey Bay where I wrote my last blog. The Tuesday was a rest day. For Wednesday and Thursday we booked a snorkeling trip to Lady Elliot Island........ Absoluty heaven paradise....... What a great spot we felt we were on one of those paradise isla http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Noosa-Heads/blog-135146.html Hi everybodyWell another update from Paradise. We had a great time at the surfing lesson the kids all got up standing and surfing Please Mr Bloch tell this to Mrs Bartel That afternoon Saturday we drove up to Surfers Paradise and it is paradise Waves are very strong There were about 17 people that had to be rescued that day. The beaches are very well patro http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Hervey-Bay/blog-133231.html Hello everybodyWell that has been a while as there are not as many Internet Cafe's in Australia as in Thailand. The computers at the RV Campgrounds are old and some have dial up. So here I am in Tweed Heads in an internet cafe typing as fast as I can. Remmert and Meindert are getting a haircut bien is watching me and Kirsten is emailing her friends.We had a lovely time in Sydney went for a http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Tweed-Heads/blog-131929.html Well after being up for almost 24 hours we arrived in Sydney what a nice clean city compared to Bangkok. Thanks to the shopping of me and the VISA we are staying again in a nice hotel. And even better just explored a bit and found a Starbucks right across from the hotel Jippie no more Thai brew Tomorrow will be the house on wheels for 2.5 weeks and after that we will come back here http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/Darling-Harbour/blog-129859.html Hi everybody here a blog from Remmert and me together. Wanted to first make clear that the 1000.00 CAD came from the choir from Cheam Elementary School. They raised the funds at their X Mas concert this for the people that didn't know. Second I haven't done any housework or laundry for over a month Start to get really used to this oh also no cooking for a month we are all looking forw http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central-Thailand/Bangkok/blog-128870.html First of all Happy Birthday Sis Thirty something Forty approaching Also happy belated B Day to Dion and Ed we had a few Singha's here as a toast for the Birthday.Yesterday we spend almost the whole day with Karen and Ricky and their 4 daughters. They have started here a Christian Church and an orphanage for 8 boys who are HIV positive. These kids were before in a government orphana http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central-Thailand/Chonburi/blog-128138.html It's nearly 3 o'clock and we are ready to leave Chiang Mai and take the nght train to Bangkok. We had two slow days at C.M. I think all the travel from the last 3 weeks caught up to us yesterday. Kirsten became quite sick two nights ago. Most of the night she spent in the washroom followed by her Mother in the early morning. Unfortuately if you can't keep anything in there is no sense in taking p http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Chiang-Mai/blog-126895.html Well here we are again in the civilized world. What a time we have had....... Two days and one night in a world totally different than ours. We left yesterday morning took a boat ride on the river in a longboat for an hour. Then we ended up in a little village with an elephantcamp and two huge snakes.... Had seen enough of elephants so had a quick bite to eat and off we went. We hiked for about http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Chiang-Rai/blog-125984.html It's lunch time in Chiang Rai and today we have a rest day for all of us. Miriam and I went for a nice morning walk around our Chat guest house www.chattour.com. You see the city slowly waking up and many people getting their carts ready for the food markets. The fresh fish gets cleaned and the cooking starts. The Thai people eat the same hot food in morning lunch and dinner. You are getting use http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Chiang-Rai/blog-125156.html We just finished our dinner in Chiang Rai at the Chat guest house. After traveling around per plane and 1 class bus the last few weeks we decided to go with the local bus to Chiang Rai. You had to see all the Thai people when we walked in the bus you had to see our own faces when we walked in. The airco is open doors and ceiling fans ofcourse full with Thai people and hard seats. What was plann http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Chiang-Rai/blog-124628.html Hi everybodyWell after 4 days staying with Paolo we are now in Lampang. The last night in Sukhothai we went to a little night market and bought our food there. Fresh pineapple mango spicy chicken9wowo that Singha beer tasted good after a bite and desserts that look to pretty to eat don't want to know how much sugar is in those ones. And then the next stand we had the bugs fried crunchy bu http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Lampang/blog-123581.html Well we are in old Sukhothai right now. Our transport is the good old fashioned bike. I guess I am not used to biking anymore as my derriere is a bit senstive right now. We are staying at the Orchid Hibiscus Guesthouse a great place with cabins made from teak wood and the host is Paolo who moved here years ago from Italy. His voice is like the godfather himself. every morning we get breakfas http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Sukhothai/blog-122608.html Good morningToday we are leaving paradise and are taking the plane up North of Thailand. Sukhothai will be our new place for the next 4 days. It is the old capital of Thailand. No beach or ocean it will be a change.Last night we thought we were under attack as we heard 10 gun shots behind our cabin. This morning we found out that this is the way the celebrate someones birthday. Go figure.Yesterd http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Ko-Samui/blog-121985.html Well tomorrow we have to pack up the bags off to Sukhothai. Hopefully everything will still fit as the family went shopping today we are all Billabonged and Quick Silvered now. You start with a price of 800 Baht and end up paying 300 Baht 330 if Kirsten is standing next to you as she gives in quicker. Rented a car today and start to get used to driving at the other side of the road.Last ni http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Ko-Samui/blog-121742.html It is 6 oclock on Monday morning. Ready to go to the gym Just kidding. You loose weight here by just walking around and only having two meals a day. Those fruit shakes give you plenty energy during the day. The people in Thailand are well catered to the tourist. Very friendly like to smile and love our blond hair. Sabien is the most favourite of all. she always draws attention from the locals. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Ko-Samui/blog-121393.html Well another update. We get slowly adjusted to the temperature AND time difference. Yesterday we got a guide to tour us around the island. After another breakfast on the beach with delicious fresh fruits we took off at 9.00. First we went to Na Thon a village where the ferry arrives from the main land used to be the main city before the airport was builtin Ko Samui. The driving style is here t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Ko-Samui/blog-120618.html Good morning everybodyIt is a nice warm one already and we making ourself ready for a trip around the Island. We hired a guide with airco car for 2500B. for 8 hours. The kids are like a English tourist in Spain red lobster 30 sunscreen is not cutting it here. Enjoy the snow and talk to you soon Remmert. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Ko-Samui/blog-120162.html