END OF THE TRIP REFLECTION

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Well ive been away around 9.5 weeks in 5 different countries.

Calgary to Fiji via LAX with Air Canada and Air New Zealand (Air New Zealand flight i had 4 seats to myself) LUCKY ME

FIJI: First full moon party. Just with a fraction of the amount of people then the Thailand full moon. Basically stayed in a bure (hut) on the beach on an island with 5 other people. Took my first 5 hour boat ride (not my last) and had my first sun burn of my trip (but my last). Had pretty much a beach to myself and stayed in a hostel that a family ran and pretty much stayed up half the night talking under the moonlight. Second night took a 4 hour boat ride back towards the main land and stayed on Beachcomber Island (party island) an island that took 10 mins to walk around the whole island. Basically at night watched the sunset from one side and in the morning watched the sunrise on the other side. This is where a local lady named Mary decided i should get drunk because i was entertaining her and the aussies/europeans at the same table so much... (Good ole booze to break down the social barrier)

On the way to the main land (airport) i had a few hours at the port or harbour depending on what country you live in. Shopped in a little market and the Hard Rock Cafe. While i was waiting for my charter bus a local gal (forgot her name right now) let me in her travel shop which was air conditioned. learned that a small island off the main land they run little 7-14 day trips where when you arrive the staff "attack" the little boat and pretend to take your things. Robinson Crusoe adventures i believe it was called. Thank goodness for nice locals and a/c and water. I had to wait almost an hour in 35 degree weather. I woulda died the second day of my trip...

FIJI to Auckland New Zealand with Air New Zealand (best airline in the world)

Well it all started at the Fiji airport when the fire alarm went off and everyone was evacuated. This is where i met Megan and Louise in the line up. Ironically we sat next to eachother on the plane. We pooled our money in the Fiji Airport and bought chocolate bars... YUMMY CHOCOLATE... We ended up about a 5 minute walk away from eachother in Auckland and partied one night in the hostel bar. Although i did purchase a few clothes to go out partying in a nice bar. But oh well now i have nice clothes for at home...

First few hours in Auckland the next morning (arrived at midnight) i walked around town (got lost) but still managed to have someone pull over and asked me for directions... Was funny telling the driver that i was Canadian and had no idea even where i was at the time. I finally found my way to the Auckland Sky tower and decided well i wasn't doing anything else so i went up the tower and looked at the skyline from a completely different view... Although its kinda like every other tower that i've been in. But now i can say i was there.

Well New Zealand brought on a new life for me... Jumping off the Auckland bridge (bungy jumping) not pushed was pretty hard. Mostly the 10 minute walk too the centre of the bridge slowly seeing the water get further and further away. Well Aaron he went before me a local from Auckland that had a birthday gift (a gift of adrenaline to the extreme) or at this point i thought the extreme. That night i basically went to church with Aaron and his friends because really i didn't know what else to do and i was only in Auckland for a few days so why not. Thanks to Aaron who also drove me around Auckland and showed me some view points to see the Auckland skyline.

I did a day trip up to the Bay of Islands for a day cruise and search for wild dolphins. Apparently my bad luck didn't occur here because after an hour we seen a pod of dolphins without babies (the top reason why people can't jump in the water with wild dolphins). So they said to quickly suit up with snorkel gear and jump in and swim... I swam with dolphins before but in Mexico and in a tank. This experience topped that one by far. Hard to compare 1 or 2 in a tank to 6-8 in the wild. I'm just really glad that the bus ride up was smooth. Andrew's ability to sleep almost anywhere came in handy... Woke up at 5:30am to take the day bus up and slept probally 3/4 of the way. As well as 3/4 of the way home.

Auckland New Zealand to Sydney Australia with Air New Zealand (still the best airline)

Well from the moment we started seeing the Sydney skyline from the air i fell in love with Australia. Ever since the Sydney olympics when we actually had the chance to see the city pretty good during the events on t.v. Just so much better when you can see things in person. My first hour or so was trying to find my hostel. Which was hard when i'm very used to streets and avenues. Australia is all streets and some streets don't just go in a straight line they curve and are renamed then go back into a straight line then back to the original street name. (was that hard to follow) Then 5 hours were spent walking through downtown and 2.5 hours of those 5 hours were trying to find my way back to the hostel. I had a map with me but ended up walking outside the map. Oh well it was worth it because right during the sunset i ended up in the botanical gardens and turned my head towards the Sydney Harbour bridge and the Sydney Opera House and was treated to a great sunset and some pretty good pictures.

I ended up going around the Harbour taking a lunch cruise and walking through the Sydney Harbour Zoo and Aquarium which were included in a package deal i purchased before leaving home (Viator tours). I didn't have too much time in Sydney in order to go onto my next big adventure...

Sydney Australia to Port Lincoln via Adelaide with Qantas and REX Airlines

Well you learn to talk to strangers on a trip alone and my flight from Adelaide to Port Lincoln i met Nick which was from Port Lincoln but living in Adelaide going home for his cousins 20th birthday party. So i was invited out in little Port Lincoln (famous town for having most of the live Great White Shark footage for JAWS) Which the next morning when i was a little hung over not too much. I had the UP CLOSE experience with a 3 meter Great White Shark only being seperated by a metal cage that looked a little questionable... Might i add when the 3 meter shark showed up he was considered a small shark. I also at this point very sea sick from a 2.5 hour boat ride from hell. Was worth it in the end when i seen a Great White in person but if only they offered a heli tour out to a boat there or a massive buoy. I would be up to pay the difference... Well i did sleep or sit down in the good ole passing out position or Brace position if your into flying a lot on the boat to keep me from vomiting... IT WORKED...

Port Lincoln to Adelaide (REX Airline)

Well i will have to say the worst time in Australia would have had to be in Adelaide the only good thing i did there was go into a free museum. Which was actually quite nice. Just the locals in Adelaide didn't like anyone from North America or at least they all assumed i was from the United States and wouldn't believe them i was from Canada if i corrected them... Thank god this was a one day stop over...

Adelaide to Cairns Queensland Australia with i believe Jetstar

Well finally a spot in my travels that i can actually unpack my bag and relax for 2 whole weeks... Basically spent most of my time wondering the beach (Esplanade) where half way through was a sign saying beware of crocodiles and jelly fish. Basically saying if you swim in this water your an idiot and chances of getting hurt or dying is pretty darn good.

I originally had a Cairns in a day package booked to to skydiving, a helicopter ride out to the Great Barrier Reef and and intro scuba dive. But the weather was really crappy the day so my skydive was cancelled and rebooked for the day after. I then moved on to the helicopter ride hopping the weather cleared... NOPE... But the weather at the Reef was clear and very calm. So half the day was great. I had a pretty good experience diving (finally compared to the time in Costa Rica). Here is where i met my dive guide which i ran into twice more but in Thailand. Still can't remember his name. Well its pretty hard to explain to someone who hasn't done a dive before in the reef or at all anywhere. Just being able to breath underwater and see fish, stingrays, colorful reef and animals you generally only see in pictures or in movies is speechless. Also this first good experience gave me the confidence to go back to the reef a few days later for 2 more intro dives... Which were just as good if not better until the vomiting. Oh well it was VERY Funny when it happend... About 10 seconds after getting to the surface after my 2nd dive i grabbed the boat and bam no warning just tossed my breakfast all over the boat... Well the side of the boat. The dive master thought it was pretty funny too, said he's never seen that before.

Well my 3rd big dose of adrenaline occured here the day after i seen the Great Barrier Reef from a different angle... Jumping out of a plane at 22, 000 feet and free falling for 30 seconds before the parachute opened... Thankfully because i had the tandom guide doing all the work for me. Although it was easier to jump out of a plane then it was to jump off the bridge in Auckland... I basically sat on the edge attached to the guide then slowly i wasn't touching the edge at all and the guide was the only one sitting. Apparently he counted to 3 and off we went... I clearly do not remember any countdown, just a very quick fall. But i made it...

Cairns is pretty much the gateway in northern Queensland to get to Kuranda, Port Douglas and Daintree Rainforest. Kuranda was where i had my first experience feeding a wallaby and holding/cuddling a very cute young koala... Now for all those none Australian's that call it a Koala BEAR, it isn't a BEAR it is a Marsupial... I had this correction while down under...

Cairns was also the first place on my adventure that i tried eating new foods. like Vegemite... Hmmm... maybe if i had it with like an inch of peanut butter on top i woulda liked it. Kangaroo... So cute, but tastes so very good. They're high in iron and very lean meat with next to no fat at all. Crocodile... well i literally thought i was being ripped off cause it really did taste like chicken. Emu on the other hand kinda reminded me of some tough meat. I would totally give up Alberta beef if i could eat Kangaroo everyday. Was the best thing i've ever tasted on this trip to this point.

Well Cairns was also the place in Australia i spent the most money... Good ole Rip Curl store... At least they had nice staff, at the end of the two weeks there the staff knew my name when i came in and we would talk for a while.

Cairns to Brisbane via Qantas

Brisbane my absolute favourite Australian city. Nicest people and well the closest stop to the Australian Zoo on my trip. This is where i dropped a few pennies with at least 4 digits before for the Platinum tour around the zoo. This included: Private guide around the zoo, a private photographer which also included a CD with all the photos and various printouts of different pictures of different sizes, private seating at the morning show feeding the crocodiles, and before the zoo opened i had the chance to walk around with the nicest Cheetah and take some pretty good pictures with her. ECHO was her name if i recall. Then i moved on for more animal encounters with the Elephants, Tortoises, Dingo's, Alligator, Koala, Echidnas, skink, boa constrictor or crap maybe a python, and a wombat. Which i'm very glad that my encounter was with a Cheetah because later on in Thailand i had a great day in the Tiger Temple.

I met some pretty cool people while in Brisbane. Clint which made partying or at least drinking a non-alcoholic game... Not Alone anyways. And well one of my last days in Australia i learned that it doesn't matter what time you start drinking as long as your not alone... Started at 11am with rum.

I'm a koala not a bear
And I don't think it's fair
The way that people always add a word that isn't there
I'm a marsupial and proud of it
And there can be no doubt of it
I'm closer to a kangaroo than I am to a bear

So please dont call me a koala bear
Coz I'm not a bear at all
Please don't call me a koala bear
It's driving me up the wall
If your name was Tom
And everyone called you Dick
Perhaps you'd understand why I'm sick, sick, sick
I'm simply a koala
And I want the name to stick
So please don't call me a koala bear

I live here in Australia
In a eucalyptus tree
I'm as cuddly, cute and charming
as an animal can be
I don't understand fair dinkum
How anyone could think them
Grizzly bears and polar bears
Are anything like me

So please dont call me a koala bear
Coz I'm not a bear at all
Please don't call me a koala bear
It's driving me up the wall
If your name was Tom
And everyone called you Dick
Perhaps you'd understand why I'm sick, sick, sick
I'm simply a koala
And I want the name to stick
So please don't call me a koala bear
MY OTHER FAV SONG FROM AUSSIE
Travelling in a fried-out combie
On a hippie trail, head full of zombie
I met a strange lady, she made me nervous
She took me in and gave me breakfast
And she said,

"Do you come from a land down under?
Where women glow and men plunder?
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover."

Buying bread from a man in Brussels
He was six foot four and full of muscle
I said, "Do you speak-a my language?"
He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich
And he said,

"I come from a land down under
Where beer does flow and men chunder
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover." (Yeahhh!)

Dying in a den in Bombay
With a slack jaw, and nothin' much to say
I said to the man, "Are you trying to tempt me
Because I come from the land of plenty?"
And he said,

"Oh, you come from a land down under? (oh yeah yeah)
Where women glow and men plunder?
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder? (ooohh)
You better run, you better take cover."

We are..

Livin' in a land down under,
Where women glow and men plunder, (yeahhhhhhhhhh)
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder? (thunderrrrr!)
You better run, you better take cover.

Livin' in a land down under,
Where women glow and men plunder,
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder? (oooo yeahhhh!)
Then I run, and then I take cover. (yea)

We are...

Livin' in a land down under, (underrrr)
Where women glow and men plunder,
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder? (oooo da da laa yeahhh!)
Then I run, then I take cover.


My last day was spent walking around Brisbane central business district (CBD) then walking across Story Bridge, i didn't do the climb because well i jumped off a bridge and took a boat under one, walked across one i figured climbing up one can't be that good for $100 AUD. Then having dinner at a lookout overlooking the CBD and the bridge before making my way to the airport and saying my goodbyes to my aussie mates. Which when a Canadian says mate the first few times it feels really weird, only because well in North America mate is usally meaning someone in which your having a sexual relationship with. Although i did learn that the word ROOT in aussie means sex, so when i go back for fun im bringing lots of ROOTS wear with me to sell.

Brisbane to Bangkok Thailand via Thai Airways (feed you and make you drink until you fall asleep)

Well i arrived in Bangkok while the previous group was ending there trip and enjoying a party so they invited me to join. Of course i was sweating none stop even while sitting in this city. Bangkok was so hot and muggy that you can step out of your shower and feel dirty already. Brittney, Whitney and Kim were staying for part of the next months tour and were kind enough to teach me about BUCKETS. Yes i said BUCKETS. In Thailand you don't drink drinks without it being in a bucket. Take a mickey of rum, some ice, one or two cans of pop and well the Thai's loved straws so even if your drinking alone they would toss in around 8 straws just for looks... Also another fav BUCKET for me which was my first bucket. GIN AND TONIC with a slice of lime. REALLY good. very dangerous drinks though. They're very smooth and can be down in less then 7 minutes... I proved this later on in the trip.

Khao san road, a massive street market about 10 mins away from our hostel. basically if you want something you walk down this road and you can find it. Just on the way if you don't take the short cut you get bombarded with TUK TUK drivers asking you TUK TUK or PING PONG as it got later in the day. Just with a few days of practice you learn how to say no fast and well no eye contact does a good trick too. I would have to say each time the drivers asked me to go see a PING PONG show all i wanted to say was you sick F*ck. Basically a ping pong show is a strip club to the extreme where women are treated like sex slaves to objects and people and usually end up in tears while on stage. I didn't go see one this is just from what i heard. Lady boys. Exactly how that sounds are very common in Bangkok and after a while very easy to spot. This is too funny sometimes better looking then some women. Until you see the adams apple...LOL...

Did lots of shopping just not lots of purchasing in Thailand. Mostly on Khao San road but we also went to MBK which is a 7 floor super mall with even more things you can buy and a theater and bowling alley on the 7th floor. Which is where i seen the 2nd Narnia film. Before my group showed up the guides and myself went to watch a movie.

Wat Po - Laying Buddha was pretty big, well can't really say how big but on an angle i still needed two pictures to get most of it on camera. We took a TUK TUK there and lets just say wear a mask or something like a bandana over your face in order to not breath in ALL of the fumes off the other cars or TUK TUKs.

KANCHANABURI the busiest stop but the top destination in my mind throughout Thailand.

Started out with Elephant riding and then swimming in a very questionable river, but no one cared at that point cause all we did in Thailand was sweat standing still. Tiger temples where i paid $32 CAN to have a tigers head placed in my lap... LIVE tiger and take some photos... Kinda scary with a animal so close to your area and can turn at any time. We went to Erewan waterfalls and basically climbed up some questionable pathways and well i slipped and landed on my wrist after taking a photo with some asian girls when they asked me to be in their photo... LOL.. Elephant washing one morning, just basically sitting on the elephants while they played in the river and everytime they ducked down you held on for your dear life. or have the possibility of getting elephant poop on you. Although there was throwing of the poop too. Went to the hot springs (hot water and hot temperature doesnt mix, but the view made it worth it). The only real historic places in Thailand we went to were Bridge over river Kwai and Hell Fire pass. All places no one would have wanted to be near during World War II. Over 100, 000 people were killed by diseases, over worked, or under nourished. Also another place in mind is the JOLLY FROG where we ate dinner and celebrated des's bday for 3 days in a row.

To top it all off this is where Chandra the funniest person i've met on a beach travellers trip got her nickname flash. No need to explain just it actually happened by accident.

RAILAY - AWFUL night train experience. much better the 2nd time with sleeping pills.

The place where i learned how to cook Thai food and definately learned how to eat it too. Thanks to Chandra aka. Flash i learned a new talent. How to binge eat before the 20 minute window. Which also came in handy when others decided to waste perfectly good food so we got to try new foods and not have to pay for them... Although with desserts this talent worked against us, well at least our waistlines.

The diamond cave. The viewpoint which was pretty fun getting too the night after a massive rain storm. The sand turned any clothing we wore red if it was touched. Although a few of us decided not to do the Lagoon hike this day because we didn't wanna die before going to the cooking class. ROCK bar and Last bar, two very good places to go. One more for food and the other for dancing and well buckets. This is where our first themed party "jungle" occured. Lots of grasses, leaves and lack of clothing occured. Even some drinking for people who never had drinks before in their life. It was fun... Yummy finally found good Rum and OJ here.

Koh Phi Phi - Where the most damage was done during the Tsunami in i believe 2004

Well i learned how to do some fire spinning with Poi's i believe they're called. Not as easy as it looks, although Jon got it pretty fast. Thank goodness you learn with no fire... Although i did get a tattoo the night before and my shoulder was hurting. There was a tattoo party one night and i gave in to having one as well. We also went up the phi phi viewpoint where you can realize exactly how disasterous a Tsunami would be when you see how small the land really is. Oh yeah this is where the half moon party was too. Good job to Des on her musical chair talent. 2nd place due to stupid girl next to me giving the other girl her g-string. Didn't really do too much here as i didn't really get to sleep much. Although that was the story of my life in Thailand.

Koh Pha Ngan (Haad Yuan and Haad Rin) Full moon destination

Well we reached paradise in Thailand. so it seemed until my bad luck started... Although this would be the place i learned how to drink a Bucket of rum and sprite in less then 7 mins. In between Haad Yuan and Haad Rin i downed a bucket so fast no one believed it was real until that night at our second themed party when i had a 2nd bucket, just not as fast... That night was the NEON party where lots of body paint came out and no clothing went further on in the trip. This is where we had a chance to go camping on a private beach. Of course we did our part and cleaned up for 10-15 mins, we collected about 8 bags of glass, and other garbage from other people who can't clean up they're own sh*t.

Also where i lost my sunglasses, went to a Thai hospital and somehow broke my camera in 3 days. Oh well, the hospital experience was kinda cool just without the excrusiating pain that came along with breathing. At least when i went to the hospital the same day as the Full Moon Party i got back just in time and the pain medications werent wearing off yet so i made it. Lasting the whole night dancing with tonnes of drunks was alright. Also very weird to turn around and see baby making on the beach around 10000 or 20000 people. I would have to say staying up for over 24 hours was a great accomplishment that night. The morning i felt a tug on my bandana again and turned around guess who it was again... My dive instructor in the Great Barrier Reef, he remembered me from Cairns and ironically he ran into me in Bangkok at the beginning of the trip as well. Small world out there. Especially since one of the other group members worked at the same hospital i did before i left and we both know a lot of the same staff.

Basically most of the time in Haad Yuan during the day was spent on the beach tanning or in the water trying to keep wet from water and not sweat.

Khao Sok - Day trip gone bad but made up for it at the end

Kinda spent a whole day travelling by boat or bus to Khao sok. Missed our connecting boat due to cancellation. We eventually made it to Tesco where we bought a few things for our last day at the orphanage. This is where Flash and myself learned how to use sarcasm to the greatest. As well as how to turn a bad day into a good day through vocalizing our many complaints at the same time. Even while we were floating down a river freezing our butts off. We spent a night in bamboo bungalows floating on a fresh water lake... Then the last full day in Thailand not including more time on the night train and back in Bangkok we spent around 2.5 hours at the orphanage where our Thailand experience was i believe complete. From my previous blog i can say the orphanage out done the other 3.5 weeks in Thailand. The 2.5 hours with these kids was all worth it too me. I woulda taken one if i could.

Khao Sok to Bangkok via night train (good this time due to sleeping pills)

Well we all basically said our goodbyes here that night and the next day i spent relaxing or kind of relaxing reading a novel called Damage Done. About how dealing drugs in Thailand or getting caught dealing drugs in Thailand ruins your life in the prison system which many years ago was brutal with murder, and torture to the extreme and unimaginable. I would highly recommend this book to anyone even if they're not travelling to Thailand. It's a great read but is very graphic.

Bangkok Thailand to London England with Thai airways

12 hour flight was great, smooshed in like sardines. Oh well can't win all the flights and sit next to gold members all the time...LOL... that means you get an empty seat between you. When arriving i decided i was actually pretty homesick and the UK was too expensive for me at the end of my trip so i changed my flight to come home a few days earlier. i will be back to London just when its London only or just Europe. Found my time that i had there quite nice and the city was easily accessible. Took the Tube for one hour to get to my hostel and walked maybe 2 blocks. I even managed to mail postcards from London only having a few hours there. Oh well, i had a goal to pass 10 postcards in one trip... I managed 11. Kinda adds up the cost of the trip though.. oh well most of them i wrote during down times. Although in Thailand finding a postcard, postage, and post office in the same location was impossible so a few were mailed from the same spot. I'd have to say though the tube is annoying after a while. Every stop and in between stops a voice comes on and says next stop " " on the way to" " please mind the gap between the train and the platform... BURNED into my memory after one day... Although i did see some of Russell square in my few hours i had in the morning and the big station next to it Kings Cross station.


London England to Calgary Alberta Canada with Air Canada

after another 9 hour flight less then one day after my 12 hour flight arriving home felt even better. Seeing my family that night for the first time in over two months and seeing Patches made the long travel days worth it.


Basically saying i would recommend a round the world travel for anyone, even on your own for parts of it, you learn to deal with tough situations and build great character fast. It was quite expensive and i will be paying it off for quite some time now, but you basically read my whole time away and seen almost all of my pictures on facebook. Living the experience in person was 100 times better then this story/blog or the pictures. Just i wanted something i can read over again in some time along with the pictures to remember this time away.

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