Fun! Hi sweetheart! So nice to see pictures of you! Looks like you are having lots of fun, so nows the real question- when are you coming to America?!! Love you~Cait
adventure travelling indeed! wow! this is what i like to hear from ny adventure travellers! over-indulgence in red wine! vomit! dead dogs heads! bike crashes! this is the stuff of backpacker legends..and you've done it all in just a few days. I've been waiting weeks to hear this sort of thing, well done, enjoY
nearly there Hey Jess....The old grab the front brake instead of the back brake and go over the handlebars trick....it's a beaudy isn't it? As you said, could have been worse. I hear that if you soak your injuries in beer-Lao or a Cambodian happy soup you won't get scars. 24 hour bus ride...nice...just remember it is all character building and great fodder for after dinner chats even if a wee bit painful at the time. You might get a bit of sleep on the plane. What wonderful adventures you and Darc have had, the 2 old Red Centre mates have completed their inaugural S.E. Asian odyssey, good on ya grills.
See ya at the airport Jess, and see ya later Darc.
luv
Trev and Roxy x x x
jess jess boy... ha, you did actually write a novel, which is so funny as you were always the one telling me not to. fair enough though as there was a bit to tell. i can't believe you got food poisoning, man, and you got injured - you are just a mess without me - see how good i am for you - cool, calm, collected and injury and spew free =)
look, just quickly, if u do get this b4 hcmc, i fogot to tell you - stay at guesthouse 70 - basically opposite from the yellow house hostel, two doors up from the original madame cuc - it has an atm in the front of it (if that helps u). Anyway, so lovely, it was $10 which is a bit, but she woke me up at 4am no worries to get me on my plane home - and organised a taxi, which only cost $6 (which is actually a good deal)... it was all just no rip off, so yeah - stay there. And that dvd shop (if you decide you want more, is just 2 doors up). Also, go eat at that place we went to with that upstairs balcony, and get the tofu burger, i liked it heaps! Also - call me, righto, when you get home! It's fun to get home, sad, but fun, i have been partying since i returned, and nearly spent two weeks worth of travelling money - so expensive here xoxoxo
What? Ah, Jessi....tell me I was dreaming when Darcie told me that you two rode motorbikes, on the "roads", in S.E. Asia. Naaa, I'm sure it was a dream, I'll just go back to sleep and when I wake up the world will be relaxing again.......Worried father.
Half of the Dynamic Duo Hi Jess. I picked Darcie up from the airport last night and then I dropped her off early this morning for her final leg from Bris to Melbourne. She showed us some of her purchases and said that for evrything she bought you bought double or triple. Is it true you have 1,000 T-shirts? Are you going to send a parcle home, getting to the airport with overweight luggage would be a real pain. So, your last week in S.E. Asia (for this trip). How is Hanoi? Darcie said you were going on a little 2 day boat trip or something. She also said, not surprisingly, that Ho Chi Min City was not as daunting as the fisrt time. You both would be somewhat desensitised by now from the sensory overload and the shear numbers of people. She found another little backpackers there to stay, she will send you the address. The taxi voucher for $5 US purchased at the airport got her there although the driver demanded an extra dollar. He didn't get it, she stood her ground and threatened to get another taxi...go girl. You will be coming in by train I guess so not sure about location of backpackers but it is still in one of the backpackers areas. Travelling solo sure is different. Pluses and minuses. Not the friend to share the experience with but perhaps a little more likely to meet other people and I guess more able to be sponto. Probably OK for a little while as is your case. Keep in touch, fill us in re the last leg of your Vietnam journey. Bye for now. Trev and Roxy x x x x
yo! Hey girl girls....wow im so extremely jealous......what an awesome experience! i miss you jessi...:( big catch up when u return....yeeeahh!. the photos are amazing some will definetly need framing....oh yeah i can print them cheap cheap too. well i hope you both are well. take care. em. xo
wow So i have been loving all of your journals, im like that other girl that posted, checking your journal in my crappy office wishing that i was doing what u were doing. oh and im so laughing my head off about jessi riding motorbikes, i can laugh at u now hahaha yobbo......lol. now if u come for finke u are so riding bikes with me no excuses. luv ya
Hey Jess and Darce!!
Ahh you look like your having such a mad time!! Can't wait to listen to all the stories and see all the photos when you get home... I am surprised you haven't encountered a serious case of the runs after your exotic diet for the last few weeks.. you lucky ladies! Hope your still travelling safe.. remember no glove no love.. ha ha See you soon.. Much love Sare xoxoxox
Travelling Hi Jess and Darc. So wonderful to access your stories and pickies. Great adventures, the memories of which will stay with you forever (as long as you don't drink too much $3 dollar per bottle whiskey). Your parcel arrived Jess, guess there may be others before you leave Vietnam. Your ensemble on the boat looked to be an interesting bunch, that chicken foot in the mouth photo must be a contestant for "shot of the tour". What a buzz meeting all of those local and backpacking folk...I guess it's not such a lonely planet after after all if one has the right frame of mind. The two of you parting will be a bit challenging but you have both parted and met up again 1,000 times before and probably will do it another 1,000,000 times throughout your lives. That's just the nature of your relationship...so nice for you both to always have each other, very special. Look forward to more news and photos, come on girls, go hard with the bloggs, a big flourish with the finish line just around the corner. Bye for now. love Trev and Roxy x x x (Roxy really does bark for me to include her every time I sign off)
It reds like you are having a fantas6tic journey and from my perspective Laos looks to be the pick of great places. The photos are really great and it is a pleasure viewing the picks but- there aren't enough of them!!
Terence x See you sooooon................
hello jess an darce looks like you guys are having fun! hope your are back in time for my 21st party on the 24 of feb get sum tribal clothsssss yeaaa!!!
lovely fishing dacks Jessi I just wanted to compliment you on your fabulous ensemble of fishing dacks in one of the photos. They really are the clothing for every occasion... Sounds like you kids are still having a wicked time - Darce I hope you haven't had to physically restrain jessi from putting children in her backpack.
fang! hey! changmai..was there early 70's..interesting place..we drove a hire car up from bangers..drove north to Fang..not sure why, and no clear memory of what we saw or did..just a great name...
wow who r those models??! i love this journal page. its like out of one of those holiday tourist pamphlets. very tempting and beaitiful! wow u gals must really be having a ball.. how far away do ur uni degrees seem haha? well tess is gone after 6 weeks of being here so im kinda feeling like half a person right now. but its ok i going to byron tommorow for two nights with adele and stacey from alice springs should be funn as im now 18! keep its real sistas. miss u guys xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Karma Hi Grills, howz-it-goin? Wonderful stories and pickies, I must confess that I look at your blog site nearly every day for your entries and others comments. I am sure that you appeciate the comments from ya mates even if people don't have much to say...after all that has never stopped me. Anyhow, I have calculated that utilising the system of karmic brownie points that you girls have visited enough Buddhas and temples to be able to leave this cyclic merry-go-round of samsara forever, whenever you like. The only thing is that you seem to be having far too much fun to want to swap your lives on earth for some Buddhist heavenly realm where one experiences no expectation (and therefor no disappointment), no desire, no suffering and does experience a continuous manifestation of love and compassion. Given, this means no hang-overs, no scary dark caves, no feelings of regret from not visiting all of the bars on the second half of the river, no painful decisions about "do I drink beer lao or a bucket of vodka next", no more "do lovely assie girls want tuk-tuk or a hotel or a statue of buddha or happy massage". However the losses would include the joy of new and unknown travel experiences, meeting wonderful people from different cultures, updating your blog-sites, expanding your knowledge exponentially, looking forward to and savouring sensory delights, feeling the desire when looking into the eyes of an Antonio Banderas look-a-like backpacker sitting in a tube, and, feeling the adrenalin pumping during a beach volley ball game on Australia day. Hold on, maybe you can do all of that in the Buddhist bliss realms. I am not sure now I come to think of it. Anyhow, I think it is time to meditate......or maybe watch the cricket...so many choices. Have fun, keep safe. love forever and always. Trev and Roxy x x x x
Taboo Excellent blog and great pictures!! One thing you might want to be careful of is touching the top of the head of the locals. This is consider to be very bad mojo, because this is where the spirit lies. Otherwise, enjoy your stay in Laos and have a great time! Here are some Lao words to get you by:
Sabaidee="hello"
Lah gone="goodbye"
soke dee="good luck"
num="water"
hong num="restroom"
khaoi="I"
chau="you"
pai="go"
taw dae?="how much?"
clancy's lament I am sitting here in my dingy little office, where a stingy ray sunlight struggles feebly down...no beer, no tubing, no volloyball..instead i can hear the fiendish chatter of the new year tens making hurry down the hall...
thanks for the blog, brightening up my first day back at work..
Lucky Girls!! Hey gals, finally have internet acess 2 b able 2 view ur blog! It sounds like ur having an awesome time. It's so cool 2 b able 2 read and see what ur doing without having 2 wait til u get back! I wish I was having as much fun as u guys but I'm in Mildura atm so there's no chance of that!!! But i do have some exciting news darc- mum and kevin are getting married! ur the only 1 in our friendship group i've been able 2 tell myself cos em went and told every1 b4 i could!! hehe so there's some exciting news.... hope u guys are still having an awesome time- i bet u r! stay safe and i look forward 2 more blogs! xo
Make mine an innner tube and give us a pizza Hello Darcie and Jess. Well I'm having a gas reading your travel stories. I spend idle moments at the office catching up on your adventures - I only wish there were more stories of your daring escapades so I wouldn't have to do any work. You guys really must love temples by now. I heard you went to that place where you sail down the river on an inner tube and get hauled into floating bars - or handed huge spliffs by floating spliff couriers. That's gotta be the best fun. You haven't mentioned the pizzas recently and I'm curious to know who snogged the naughty Irish lad? He must have earned that tag somehow. Prez and I quite fancy that you put a 5 kilos of hash in your boogie board bags on the way back. If you get sprung you'll just have to extend your holiday - and write non fiction books about squalor and despair. On a serious note Darcie - if you see a nice scarf type thing that you can wrap around your head like a turban can you get me one. I'll fix you up when you get back. Yuka has one she bought in Cambodia and wears so often it's looking tatty. That'd be great. Well, take care and keep the entertainment coming. Lots 'o' love, Neil XXX
Delighted Hi Darcie and Jess
Not sure my first message was sent off.
Your trip is amazing and the bloging it is great for an old fart to do a bit of arm chair travelling, so glad Ann sent me the link.
I could not help but reflect on the horror history you detailed and figure a lot of what happens comes down to what we are actually doing as individuals, multiply this out enough and you have the world consciousness. Maybe that is why it is so important to be reminded of the horrible things, they have a purpose.
Energy and enthusiasm really comes through in your descriptions.
Hope you continue to have a fabulous time.
Love from Chris
So...Darc and Jess are off and about in South East Asia and we just wanted to share some of our special adventures with everyone (maybs even make you just a tad jelous)
... full info
Caitlin
non-member comment
Fun!
Hi sweetheart! So nice to see pictures of you! Looks like you are having lots of fun, so nows the real question- when are you coming to America?!! Love you~Cait