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Published: September 8th 2009
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It’s been four months to the date since I left on my one-way flight to India. I’ve since developed a love of beer and eggs, have a strange desire to ride a horse, can now dance the “Low” dance (are you proud Ang?) and wish I never took a clean Western toilet for granted. I’ve had so many awesome and memorable experiences so far on my journey that I thought I’d gather all sorts of fun travel information in a little list, because clearly I have far too much time on my hands!
Favourite Moments:
*Having a picnic at the foothills of Mt Zhora, China while listening to Billie Holiday. We had monks join us for a chat, we ate delicious roasted, chilly coated peanuts and had the most spectacular view overlooking the golden monastery and the mountain ranges.
*Getting ridiculously drunk on the Mekong River in Vang Vieng with awesome friends, countless buckets of vodka redbulls, and watching epic failures on the massive swing.
*Cruising through Halong Bay, possibly the most amazing scenery on earth.
*Taj Mahal. That’s all I need to say.
*Shooting an AK-47 at the Cu Chi Tunnels in Ho Chi Minh City. Something I’ll never get to do back home, and so glad I forked out the overpriced fee for the privilege!
*Eating a Whopper at Burger King in Chiang Mai. Why, you ask? I hadn’t had a fast food burger in months, I was
extremely drunk and desperate for grease, and so this Whopper was possibly the most enjoyable meal of my life.
*Seeing the Himalayan mountain ranges and seeing Mt Everest from our mountain flight out of Kathmandu. Spectacular.
*Cycling past an elephant at Chitwan National Park in Nepal like it was the most natural thing in the world.
*Travels through Yakistan. The most unbelievable scenery, amazing people, delicious food
and fabulous company!
(looking at an image of Ho Chi Minh....) Hey there's Colonel Sanders! - Kate
Memorable Moments
- Learning the history of Cambodia at S-21 and the Killing Fields.
- Being punched by a street kid in Siem Reap because I wouldn’t give him any money.
- Falling into a massive bucket of squirming disgusting fish in Hanoi.
- Getting rammed in the butt by a cow and screaming like a typical girl in Orchha, India. I had the whole town laughing with me (or at me?) and I can definitely laugh about it now.
- Being evacuated from Lumbini after Maoist rebels called a strike.
- Taking the amazing tuk tuk ride from Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw, with villagers, pigs, chickens and bags full of rice! Epic memory!
- Having the dead skin of my feet eaten away by fish in Siem Reap. So unnatural.
Rule number 3 of travel: Do not sleep with the natives. - Krystal
Randomness......
Countries Visited: 7
Cities Visited: 44
Number of (long distance):
Buses: 37
Trains: 7
Boats: 6
Planes: 2
Number of Visas: 7
Number of passport stamps: 21
Number of photos taken: 3858 (that’s just ridiculous!)
Excuse me, can I please have bread with no mold on it?"
Most Awkward Moment: TIE.
1. Using the very public toilet at a bus stop, no doors, squatter style, unfortunately I had to use the first ‘cubicle’ which was located in front of a line of 20 women all of whom stared at me while I tried to go. I got massive stage fright and couldn’t make myself go because I’ve never been watched so intensely while trying to pee, so it made it even more awkward!
2. Waking up in the middle of the night in my dormitory and hearing unusual sounds coming from the bed next to mine. I rolled over to see things I didn’t need to see, and not being sure how to deal with the situation I faked a coughing fit to pretend that woke me up, walked out of the room to ‘use the toilet’, and came back to see the couple had moved back to separate beds.
Best Food: Yak Burgers of Yunnan and Cambodian Amok Curry.
Best Drink: BeerLao and Chai Masala
Weirdest Food Consumed: Tarantula, Air-dried Yak Jerky
Favourite way to say thank you: “Kop Jai La Lai!” - Laotian
Best Purchase: My paintings, Tibetan art from Kathmandu and Vietnamese Communist Posters from Hanoi
Random things I miss from home (or things I took for granted): Sausage Sizzles, Orange Juice, Toilet Paper with pre-cut separate pieces (don't even get me started on 2 or 3 ply...), adverts that only last for 30 seconds, being beeped at because I have actually done something wrong, understanding the language, being charged the same as the person in front of me instead of a 'foreigner' price, tomato sauce that isn't 80%!v(MISSING)inegar, unsweetened bread, and the amazing usefulness of having your own appliances from fridges to washing machines.
(rolls eyes) Oh F**king Asia
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anonymous
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Nice stuff.