Page 6 of jasonkirstyn Travel Blog Posts


The final count down

Published: December 9th 2007Europe » United Kingdom » Wales
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jasonkirstyn
December 2nd 2007

Well, as the title suggests our time in Wales is coming close to an end. As I type this we only have 2 weeks left till finishing work and heading off on our xmas/new years adventures in Scotland. We have continued to try and squeeze in lots on our weekends to make the most of our time whilst working. Here's a tatse of what we have been up to... Wye Valley Walk Nov 2-4 Kirstyn attempted to pick Jason up from work for an early departure for the weekend but another accident on the M4 held us up. Arrived that night in a lovely cottage B&B just near Erwood village and were welcomed by our very friendly hosts Ally and Dave. After an enormous breakfast on Sat morning (we tried our first black pudding!) we set ... read more



Wales Weekenders

Published: October 25th 2007Europe » United Kingdom » Wales
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jasonkirstyn
October 18th 2007

Well we've now been working for a total of 12 weeks (Kirstyn) and 13 weeks (Jason)...not that we're counting! Work is going well - as well as work can ever be - and we are enjoying watching the bank balance build in readiness for more travels. We are really missing having the freedom to travel wherever and whenever we want but have enjoyed getting out and about on weekends to see some of the glorious Wales countryside.We have put aside the tent and have now resorted to staying in Bed and Breakfasts due to the impending winter. What a new experience that is for us. For those of you who travelled with us on our honeymoon you will appreciate that our experience of B&Bs has not been entirely uplifting! B&Bs seem to be the way to ... read more



Walking in Pembrokeshire

Published: September 13th 2007Europe » United Kingdom » Wales » Pembrokeshire » Tenby
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jasonkirstyn
September 9th 2007

This weekend we decided to venture west and visit the beautiful Pembrokshire Coastal Path. Basically they have established a 186 mile walking trail in the South West corner of Wales which hugs the coast line all the way. Being the 9-5 slaves we now are, we ventured off on Friday night, Jason catching the train from Newport to Bridgend while Kirstyn frantically purchased an entire camping get-up for the weekend! We made it across to Freshwater East a little after 8 and suprisingly managed to erect our unseen tent in the dark without too much hassle. It was great to be back out camping again enjoying some basic camp food on our new, cheap imitation trangia, as well as a drop of beer and vino! The next morning after a hearty brekkie we walked down to ... read more



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jasonkirstyn
August 27th 2007

Well it's not every day you can proudly say you have competed at an international level in sport but I can now! Today I competed in the World Bog Snorkelling Championships! This wacky event is organised annually by a group of Welshmen who seem to enjoy thinking up crazy things to do over a pint of beer. Check out their website at green-events.co.uk. The event took place at Llantwyrd Wells (not pronounced at all like it looks....you kind of need to do a hacking 'kl' sound at the start followed by numerous vowel sounds which are unfamiliar to Aussie English, finished with a rolling 'r'!) The town is situated in the middle of Wales close to the beautiful Brecon region, amongst rolling hills dotted with grazing sheep and tiny roads fenced in by hedges. It involves ... read more



Life in Caerphilly

Published: August 26th 2007Europe » United Kingdom » Wales
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jasonkirstyn
August 26th 2007

After our whirlwind trip around Spain and surviving the running of the bulls, it was finally time to come back to reality i.e. get a job. First though we headed back up to Preston to see Bernie and Sean before they departed the UK. Had a nice weekend and a great night out on the town, visiting our first few British pubs and sampling some traditional ales. It is a shame the guys are heading home right at the time we are arriving but we did manage to score some of their unwanted belongings! We somehow managed (barely) to squeeze all our gear and the four of us into Karen and Mick's volkswagen golf (Vicki) and drove the four or so hours back to Cardiff Wales. Spent a couple of nights in backpackers and a night ... read more



Ola Spain!

Published: November 30th -0001Europe » Spain » Navarre » Pamplona
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jasonkirstyn
July 4th 2007

Arrived in the UK on the 2nd, spending a few days catching up with Bernie and Shaun in Preston before flying out to Madrid for a nine day adventure through Spain with Karen and Mick. Our first few hours in Madrid was spent trying to navigate the maze of motorways to find our caravan park. Mick did a fantastic job of driving the motorhome through heavy traffic....all on the opposite side of the road! Spain was a very pretty place with fantastic weather in the central parts. Our South East Asian body thermometers didn't really appreciate a little bit cooler weather on the coast but the scenery certainly made up for it. We explored some of the towns to the north and west of Madrid including Salamanca, Burgos and the northern coast before arriving in Pamplona ... read more



Vanquishing Mt Fansipan

Published: August 26th 2007Asia » Vietnam » Northwest » Lao Cai » Sapa
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jasonkirstyn
June 23rd 2007

This entry has been written a few months after we left Vietnam. The original was lost in a recent server crash hence we have just entered in point form as our memories are a little hazy!! The photos tell most of the story anyway! We arrived in the border village Lao Cai, nice and early around 6am after our overnight train. Managed to get a little bit of sleep despite the nattering and smoking outside our carriage door by the staff. We were hoarded onto a bus in the ensuing chaos and driven along the scenic road to the beautiful mountain village of Sapa. Fortunately we had a hotel pre-booked and so got to settle into our room and catch up on some sleep. Ventured out later for some brekky and a look around. Sapa ... read more



Hoi An to Halong Bay

Published: June 20th 2007Asia » Vietnam » Red River Delta » Hanoi
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jasonkirstyn
June 20th 2007

Hoi An is THE place to go and get Tailor made clothes and shoes done. Buoyed on by the excitement of Nicola (she had been waiting for this day for some time!) we ventured down that afternoon to see what was on offer.... Kirstyn restrained herself quite well, getting two great coats and a couple of nice work shirts made while Jason was stoic and held out. Next stop was the shoe shop where K went a little bit crazy ordering 4 shoes and some boots while Jason got some shoes as well. The next day Jason caved in and joined the party getting an overcoat made for the UK, which will be very handy in winter and somewhat cheaper than getting one over there! Due to the state of Jason's neck we didn't venture ... read more



Beaches and Beer

Published: June 13th 2007Asia » Vietnam » South Central Coast » Binh Thuan » Mui Ne
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jasonkirstyn
June 13th 2007

HCMC - Mui Ne - Nha Trang Jason & Kirstyn O Our first beach stop was the lovely beachside town called Mui Nei. Made up of heaps of resorts lining the coast, we enjoyed a relaxing time chilling out on the beach, amazingly with not a single tout to annoy us! We even played a bit of frisbee (or to the purists - ultimate disk!). There are also a few sites to be had around Mui Nei which we visited in a rusty old Russian 4wd! These included the Fairy spring, fairly uninspiring and complete with child guides (well they tag along then ask for money!), the Red Canyon which was pretty cool, and the main attractions: sand dunes. The white sand dunes were very scenic and we tried out a bit of sand surfing ... read more



Good morning Vietnam!

Published: June 6th 2007Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City
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jasonkirstyn
June 6th 2007

Phnom Pehn - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Jason & Kirstyn O Caught an early bus from Phnom Pehn to cross the very flash border into Vietnam. Stayed in Ho Chi Minh City for a few days getting used to a new country and enjoying yet another new beer(s) and delicious new foods. From Ho Chi Minh we visited the famous Cu Chi tunnels which was an elaborate system of underground networks built by hand by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam war. They were actually started earlier when the French had control of the country by the local villages but became a necessity when the western armies started bombing the shit out of the countryside and killing off the vegetation with pesticides and agent orange. Declined yet another offer to shoot an AK47 here ... read more






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