Dave's Travel Journal

I remained in Melbourne, living with Ben and his family for around 6 weeks, during which time I enjoyed luxuries I could only have dreamed about since leaving good ol´ blighty. Whilst in Melbourne I undertook some paid work, entirely of a tedious nature and for a pittance of a wage. I do however, regret using the one working visa I am entitled to, for such a short stay. Ben and his family proved to be the best hosts I could ever have hoped for, and the time I spent with them will remain a highlight of my journey so far. I left Melbourne, on a turbulent flight into snowy Christchurch on the 12th June. My stay in New Zealand was unfortunately very short and rather pragmatic in nature; I was there to complete an ice climbing course which took place, as planned on the 16th, 17th and 18th of June. After completing the course which was conducted at Black Peak (near Wanaka), I returned to Christchurch for my flight to Santiago. I arrived in Santiago, somewhat jetlagged on the 24th June. The flight duration was 11 hours, however we arrived 5 hour´s prior to our departure due to our crossing of the international date line.

So there I was.....dignity gone, morale ebbing, an arm aching from thrusting my grossly inadequate sign in front of the fast moving traffic, earnestly hoping that some kind soul will take pity upon me and pick me up. After numerous toots of horn and even more bewildered looks, someone stops.....

My first lift is a truck. Quickly I learn that my driver, Matt, is going all the way to Melbourne, via Canberra, on a one off removals job which has already taken him to Brisbane and other stops along the Gold Coast. I'm in luck!

Matt's previous "off-sider" was informed his services were no longer required after an argument just the previous day. It appears I have been recruited to help load and unload the truck at various stops as we trundle toward Canberra then Melbourne. Our first stop is in the outer suburbs of Sydney, where we load all the furniture from a house into the half-full truck. After a small unload in Canberra, a brief repair stop and a break at around midnight, we headed for Melbourne, hoping to arrive in the small hours. During our lengthy conversations Matt offered me 100 dollars if I helped him on a couple of unloading jobs the following day. I eagerly agreed, knowing I had to earn money whilst in Australia in order to support my stay. We decided that upon our arrival at his house in the Melbourne suburbs, he would head inside in order to sleep, while I rested in the cab. We arrived at around 0430hrs.

I slept surprisingly well, being woken by Matt at 0900hrs, ready for the day's work ahead. Our first stop was in northern Melbourne. It was only as we started this, our first large unload, that I realised how little experience Matt had in the removals business. As we extracted the contents of the truck, piece by piece, it was immediately apparent that a considerable (and ever increasing) number of items was damaged, some beyond repair. Trying to keep a straight face as my colleague drops a DVD player, VCR and numerous garden ornaments in front of the despairing faces of their owners was hard at first, but as the day progressed I became remarkably adept.

Matt and I clattered, smashed and dropped our way through the two final deliveries, finishing at around 1600hrs, at which point we went to the removal company’s office in order to return the truck. Following several less-than-subtle hints I bought Matt a 6 pack of VB (Victoria Bitter), which he consumed with surprising rapidity as he drove me, now in his car (an ageing Toyota), to Ben’s house. On the way Matt explains to me how his driving skills improved with alcohol and how the Toyota in which I sit is better than any new car currently available. Matt dropped me just a 10 minute walk from my intended residence, and paid me for my work.

As I pushed the doorbell at Ben’s house I pondered whether, having neither showered nor removed myself from my attire for around 50 hours I was in a suitable condition to meet my host’s family.....

I left Krabi on the 18th of April on the overnight bus to Bangkok. On arrival I checked into one of Khao San's smaller hotels. I spent a couple of days catching up with a friend I first encountered several months before in India. Khao San road, for all it's failings, seems to be a hub for all south east Asia’s backpackers, you cannot help to come across someone you know, either by arrangement, by chance, or a bit of both (such was my meeting).

The flight from Bangkok to Sydney was 9 hours in duration and much like all flights which avert disaster, warrants very few column inches in this riveting account of my travels and adventures.

The beautiful city of Sydney held me for a mere 5 days. I visited the opera house, Bondi beach and Manly (on the ferry) but nevertheless found myself somewhat disheartened by the ease with which everything could be found or achieved. It lacked that 'something' which differentiates just existing from traveling, that 'something' which isn't necessarily one's movement from one place to another, but something spiritual which I have only found when existence itself is more challenging. I started looking for 'new and adventurous' ways to continue my journey and after many frustrating hours of ponderings, I decided upon hitch hiking. I think the draw may have been an opportunity to escape and distance myself (both spiritually and physically) from the type of people littering the hostels and cheap drinking holes claiming to be 'travelers'. Perhaps the romanticism of a true road trip also played it’s part. By nightfall on the 25th my cardboard sign had already been crafted. The following morning I departed.......my goal.....Melbourne.

Since my last, rather uninformative entry I’ve remained in Thailand, with my brother. Together we traveled from Koh Samui through Koh Phang-an to Koh Tao. We split up for a couple of days whilst I renewed my visa, then met again here in Krabi

Alan has, just a couple of hours ago, left Ao Nang, from where I type this, bound for Krabi, then Bangkok, then London Heathrow. Bizarrely we both felt a twinge of jealousy for each others situation.

Since Alan and I have reunited and once I'd shaken off a slightly "dodgy" stomach, we decided on taking a day trip to the "James Bond Island." It's names owes to the fact it features rather prominently in one of Roger Moore's most farcical outings as Bond, "The Man With The Golden Gun." This spectacular needle, jutting out of the sea and tapering hugely towards the bottom, offers some rather special photo opportunities. We grasped those opportunities with gun-mimicking hands and raidsed eyebrows.

I intend to remain in Thailand for a further 2 weeks, this time will be spent here in Krabi, getting some climbing practice on the magnificent limestone cliffs which line the beaches of Railay and Ton Sai. I have a flight booked to Sydney, Australia on the 20th April, upon my arrival 'down under' I shall immediately set about finding work.

Sorry for being so slow updating my blog. I've made an attempt at catching up now, although I realise it's a little brief.

In Myanmar I visited the ancient temples of Bagan, Mandalay; Myanmar's second city and the beautiful Inle Lake, before returning to Yangon for my flight back to Bangkok.

I had 6-7 days to kill in Bangkok before my family arrived from the UK for a holiday. This time was spent on Khao San Road.

My family flew direct from London to Bangkok on the 14th March, I met them from the airport and went directly to the hotel. After visiting the Grand Palace the following day, we set off for the vast Khao Yai National Park, where 2 nights were spent sleeping under canvas in the midst of the rainforest. Whilst at the national park, we went on a guided walk and a night time pick-up ride, where we saw a small number of the animals which inhabit the park. Even though we didn't see any of the large mammals which reside within the park it was still a great experience and definately worth the visit.

We left Khao Yai 2 days after our arrival there, catching the bus straight back to Bangkok and, luckily, being able to transfer from Bangkok to Surat Thani the same night, arriving at Surat Thani the next morning. From Surat Thani we caught the ferry to Ko Samui for some time on the beach. Whilst we've been on the island we've also been snorkelling, sea kayaking as well as visited many of the islands attractions. My Mum flew back to Bangkok early this morning, where her flight to the UK departs around midday. My brother is staying out in Thailand with me for a couple more weeks.