Its all coming to a crashing end. We arrived in Bangkok on our last dometic flight, and are basically awaiting the inevitable.

After escaping the craziness of Patong in Phuket for a slower pace in Kata and Karon beach, we finally found the Thailand Jess was looking for on Ko Lanta.



Baby elephant doing tricks for food (He seemed well taken care of??!

As I've mentioned it gets old trying to get sold everything from massages to trinkets to parasailing every 2 seconds on a busy beach, so sitting on a barely inhabited beach with perfect sand, perfect water, perfect sun, hilarious music and cheap beer was really a great end to things. I think Jess and I would agree that if we had one place to return (other than Ko Samui) it would be Ko Lanta. I love finding that sweet spot of a nice place to stay, eat, do, drink etc, all at a great price. What a great place!!





We did a cooking class after walking dogs at the Animal Welfare centre in Lanta


After that awesomeness we went to Ao Nang, which having gone Phuket-Ao Nang-Ko Lanta instead of Phuket-Ko Lanta-Ao Nang would have been awesome, but it was a bit exhausting. Thai tourist stores have about 6 products for sale, and after you buy all 6 of them (bathing suit, t shirt, beer cosy, lighters/bottle openers, suits, and loose floppy clothing.) there isnt much else.
We went to Poda Island on a last minute decision from me instead of the famous Railay Beach because we had looked how busy it would be, but we escaped 2000 tourists on a beach for 1900 on a beach. We trudged through the island though and found a beach with only a few people on it thank god.



As for Bangkok we are staying in the bananas district for a night. I think mainly just to say we've seen and done Silom Road and Patpong night market. Im sure it will be lots of hookers and blow, the uuusssual.

Also, who needs BC Ferries



After tonight its off to the Airport where we leave at 6am on the 12th and get home at 10:30am on the same day. Hope we can sleep!!

Hello Koh Samui

In Da Nang airport they had BK! First fast food in 3 weeks. Felt like crap afterword

To update the last of Vietnam first, we spent 2 days on the beach in Nha Trang doing quite literally nothing, and then an afternoon in Ho Chi Minh City.



Jess got poo'd on

Nha Trang was a nice beach, but we paid the $1.50 to get chairs at a nice beachside pool bar and hang out there instead. It was worth the money to keep the vendors off your back for a few hours. It's quite exhausting constantly saying no 10 times to 10 people who sell exactly the same thing that no one wants. Regrettably I cant even comment on the water temperature as we didnt touch it. There also was a cool waterpark thing you could go to called Vinpearl over a very impressive cable car ride 10 meters+ in the air, but again I think we were so tired of tours and being busy it was nice to do nothing. The highlight for Jess for sure was 2 back to back sushi dinners. Its the first sushi we've eaten in I dont know how long. At least 3 weeks probably more like 4-6...



After Nha Trang (and another attempt by a taxi to rip us off), we flew to HCMC. The plan was get there at 12noon, store our luggage in a locker, and go downtown for a bit. Our flight to Bangkok was at 11pm, and then to Koh Samui at 10am the next morning. Now everything in Vietnam is crazy cheap, labour is nothing, beer is nothing etc. When we get to the airport we were stunned to see they wanted $1 per bag per hour to watch out stuff, and there were no lockers?! We have 5 bags these days and quite literally didnt have enough cash left to pay $40 for some guy to watch our bags.... We ended up dividing up the dong we had left and combined our bags into 2, then took one downtown. We took the bus to save money, which was actually quite comfortable, and blah blah blah, nothing that great we got our flight.

Thats where things were a bit freaky. We waited on the runway for about 10 minutes until the pilot came on and said they were waiting for some weather to pass as a precaution. This was the understatement of the trip. 10 minutes later we flew what seemed like directly through a lightning storm. We could see the bolts level with the plane so close it looked like you could touch them. Jess and I both had minor panic attacks, and I still cant believe we didnt die. As a suggestion to Qatar Airways, maybe just wait 20 minutes instead of 10!!! I wish I wasnt so panicked because it probably would have been a good picture.

Now we are in Koh Samui and loving it! The weather is super super hot and sunny, the beach is not crowded and very nice. The water is probably 25c, and the vendors are so much more understanding. They definitely start higher, but they are both willing to barter and willing to take a no.



Last night we went to a weekly market in Lamai where we are staying and ate a bunch of street food and drinks. Jess bought some fake ray bans for 5 bucks, and fun was had.



Riding in one of the sweet truck taxi's

As you can probably tell the paragraphs are getting shorter because I wrote too much about the end of Vietnam and I dont want to write anymore... oops Uploading some pictures...

Vietnam?

So we are still in Vietnam, and it is a crazy crazy place. Its hard to really sum it up in a little blog post, but basically because its emerging from communist economic control and rapidly developing in certain areas you have these massive swings from western hospitality to bananas asian people doing ridiculous things. Then there is the banners and propaganda, the oppression of certain groups, the corruption stories, unfair nepotism contrasted with the cheap cheap prices for good food, nice hotels that are clean and friendly, really cheap awesome tours, a few nice scenery spots... the list goes on and on.

In Ha Long bay we had a great boat with nice people, a good crew, good food etc. Not to mention amazing scenery.


We spent 2 days in Hanoi after the tour, and it was quite funny how initially the traffic and motorbikes were completely overwhelming, yet after 2 nights we were bored with our lame tourist area and the most brutal city sights I've ever seen. Temples were so run down and pointless because they dont put up any english signs, the taxi driver and rickshaw guy both tried to rip us off like we were morons, and the Ho Chi Mihn Masoleum happened to be closed on a Friday (which was our fault I guess). The same nights though we had several awesome meals and walked a ton.



After Hanoi we went to Sapa. Now I blame Frommer's and Trip Advisor for this cock up, as they list it as a cant miss. Its advertised everywhere in town, but me being determined to not sign up for a tourist tour we sought out a private gudie who was highly rated and boarded the overnight train for 9 hours. Of course on the train we get the old Veitnamese man who made disgusting mouth and spitting noises all night. Luckily Jess didnt kill him because I wouldnt want to do time here, thats for sure. So having not slept we got off the train to find 2 other people who had also booked 'private' tours with the same guide as us. Flustered we had a Pho breakfast in an unheated awkward restaurant until our guide showed up and broke the news that he had double booked (intentionally). But what seemed like total crap and lying at first turned out to be one of the biggest blessings of the trip. The couple we did the tour with just happened to be awesome Londoners, and we hung out several times since both in Hanoi and Hoi An.



It was very foggy for the trip and the scenery wasnt too great because of it. In hindsight I guess it was just the wrong time of year to go. All in all though because its been a week the downsides have faded and I just remember that it was a change of pace from the comfortable travelling we are used to, and a good experience overall. Jess loved it too. lol...




After Sapa and another overnight train we treated ourselves to a flight to Hue instead of another overnight train (15 hours). On the plane we sat beside a "Battlefield Tours" group of Vietnam vets and their wives, and boy did they have some choice lines. "Where'd all them trees come from," I heard one of them say to 3 different people at 3 different times. I guess he was an airforce vet who dropped a lot of napalm on Hue during one of the big battles. Another less obnoxious guy confessed he was looking forward to seeing Khe Sang, this time with less adrenealine. Seriously cant imagine!



We did a tour ourselves of the DMZ area with a guide and walked the Citadel by ourselves. The DMZ was very interesting and the Citadel is very partially rebuilt, but there wasnt much to see. The museum's in the DMZ zone though are a treat on their own. They are so slanted and contrived its just stunning. Also intersting and unseen to tourists is the brutal treatment they give the South Vietnamese army vets. It might be one country on the map, and on the surface everyone has Ho Chi Mihn pictures up everywhere, but thats just because you have to. Its still two countries as far as I can see. Not to mention the young people have USA army stickers on a lot of their motorbikes. I dont think they are that disconnected to just have it on there because they like the "brand name" or colours, can they?



Now we are in Hoi An and just yesterday dropped a lot of money at a custom tailor. They are world famous and have a ton of awesome reviews, so our hopes are high. We had our first fitting today, and we were both blown away. Jess got 2 blazers, 2 very nice coats, and a pant suit/skirt combo. I got 2 suits, 2 coats, and 5 dress shirts. All looked almost perfect, but are getting tweaked overnight for another fitting tomorrow morning. Then that night its off to Nha Trang for some relaxing beach time. Looking forward to it!!

Having just looking back through pictures to post in this blog I see we also had fun at the Vihn Moc Tunnels (incredible, went to the beach in Hoi An,

Just finished a trip on a Chinese Junk to Ha Long Bay for 3d/2n.

It was incredibly picturesque and a lot of fun. The weather there is nuts, evidenced by Jess hanging up a wet coat for over 24 hours in our room and it not drying. I think we are both happy to be back to A/C and a sealed dry room in Hanoi. Nevertheless going on that trip was a bit of a minor bucket list item for me, so I'm super happy with it. We spend 2 days in Hanoi now and then I think are going to Sapa for 2 nights. Ill try to post some photos soon!

Ok so we are still alive, and we have done some fun stuff. A few things of note:

We pretended to be zookeepers at Lone Pine and it was amazing. Jess said she would write about it, and that I'm not allowed, so stay tuned.

(Random Drunk Picture)

We met Christian and Dev in Melbourne several times and celebrated his 30th (Happy birthday!!)



We ate at one of David Chang's favorite restaurants in Melbourne. I felt cool!



We went to the Yarra Valley to visit two wineries and a remote pub with our Airbnb hosts outside of Melbourne. (Thanks Kirsten and Scott!)



We rented a car in Melbourne and drove the Great Ocean Rd. It was quite narrow and very impressive. We literally have 50 unique shots that are equally beautiful as the one I posted. Our nightly stops were Apollo Bay and Warrnambool, which were not really anything special, but we did see some wild koalas, a few roadkill kangaroos, and some emus.



We stopped at a Reef outlet store and I rebought the sandals I bought 3 years ago in Edmonton for $20. It was the deal of the trip by FAR.



Tonight we are in Ballarat, which also is a meh place, but tomorrow its off to Sydney again and heading up to the Blue Mountains! We are super pumped for the Zig Zag railway!!

I see this has already started to fall off... Time to do an update I suppose so anyone who checks this knows we arent dead!

As a side note on that thought though, our stupid Frommers book says that Airlie Beach hasnt seen a box jellyfish in the harbour for years, except last Saturday someone got stung righ in the water we fished 2 days later! Luckily it was on his hand/arm so he didnt die, but its pretty bananas how some publications/people downplay the risk so much, whereas others make it seem like without a full wetsuit you are risking certain death. Regardless now we have gone snorklling 3 times without issue, and we are South enough now it doesnt matter. Whew?!

A few things we did over the last few days:

On the 15th we rented a car and decided to do one of the "Drives of the Whitsundays" from this brochure we picked up. It sounded perfect! Start the day at Cedar Creek falls, which rage after a recent rain fall, then swim in its fresh water (which has no stingers) and walk and explore the forest.




Then we headed down to Conway beach, a local favorite for beachcombers and kite flyers.



And finally down to popular Wilsons Beach for a dip in the ocean in the well established stinger net.



So... once we had finished that 'day trip' by 11am we needed something to do. That something ended up being drive 120km to Mackay to basically do nothing, although we did see a Wallabie, and then drive home. Can't win 'em all I guess.





The next day we did a day trip to Long island and Daydream island, which was pretty cool, and the day after that went sailing on Camira around the islands and back to Whitehaven for a second time. That day was awesome, with lots of sun, a bit of cloud, and even a crazy tropical downpour while we were on the boat in the trampoline area. The catamaran itself was super sleek and impressive, the people on it were nice, and the wine was free and unlimited. No complaints there!

So just to set the record straight, keep in mind on that last post I dont write with smiley faces.

As for the last couple days, I should note that the float plane tour we did was the best tour I've ever been on. We started out on land, landed at Hayman Island on water, then the GBR, snorkeled, then literally a few meters from Whitehaven beach on water, back to Hayman, and then back to Airlie Beach. Totally amazing experience with only 6 other people. And to top it off it was a perfect day of sunshine and no wind.

Next day we just rented fishing rods and fished off the rocks in the evening. Had lunch down at the marina and the proceeded to miss the closing time of every restaurant and we basically had no valentines day. I dont think Jess is very impressed!

Tomorrow I think we are going to rent a car and go to Cedar Creek falls and Conway Beach. Wont matter too much now that its raining, the waterfalls will just be bigger!

Happy Valentines Day from Heart Reef

This photo was taken from our float plane tour we took yesterday over the Great Barrier Reef :)

Jet Skis in Airlie

Our first full day here was spent on a super fun day trip on jet skis. We got

picked up from our resort at 8am and driven out about 45 mins to the launch point (Montes Resort) and we were off! We had around 3 hrs on the water and this is the at the end of the ride.

We left Brisbane early yesterday and made it to Airlie Beach. Could have a real winner on our hands here! Place is super night, thats the view from our deck in the pictures.

Today we are going on a jet ski trip, and looking forward to both the town at night and all the other places we can visit in the Whitsundays in the coming days!

Koalas and Kangaroos!

Owen and I had an amazing day at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary this morning. We took a 90 min scenic catamaran ride down the river to get to the best place on earth! We each got to cuddle a koala for a few pictures and also purchased some food to hand feed the kangaroos. The new camera I got for Christmas came in handy as we took an unnecessary amount of photos. The one below however turned out better than the one we paid $16 for from the place.

It's our second night in Brisbane tonight. We arrived at 9:00pm last night and found a cute outdoor pub in the shopping district with live music open 24/7 365 days a year - it was called "The Pig and Whistle" so we had a beer before heading to our heritage apartment. The place is great and we are thinking of heading to the West End for dinner.

We went surfing finally! Well... sort of. We had 10 ft foam boards that were closer to sail boats than surf boards. But beginners get beginner boards and beginner waves I guess. We both stood up first time and had some good runs!

Today we leave Byron Bay on a bus for Brisbane. Just there for a few days then fly to Airlie Beach. Whitsundays sure look impressive, so hopefully we will get some good beaching, snorkeling and sailing in!

We went to the Byron Sunday market today, and were greeted by a surprisingly affordable and diverse tent city of actually cool and usable arts, food, and goods. Jess and I both got some hats that I think are pretty cool. Other than that our surf lessons keep getting cancelled because of strong currents, which is very frustrating!!



Also here is a picture of the ducks or geese (or whatever they are?) that live next door. Jess is totally in love with them. They quack constantly and are in complete duck love waddling around together and taking baths. Super cute!

So we are happily settled in Byron Bay, and its still a great place! Its a very hippie place, as the most common vehicle is a graffiti'd camper van. I bought a tank top and exclusively wear board shorts, so I'm starting to fit in, but the lack of dreadlocks is a dead give away I'm not from here... not sure how to fix that. Also Jess packing around a DSLR camera might be another clue. Ive created a bit of a monster with that camera, as now just 'getting pictures' is an acceptable activity to do at any time of the day. I guess its worth it though, as the picture quality sure blows away our little point and shoot.



We still havent started a surf lesson. Hopefully we will do that tomorrow. Mostly just hanging out at the beach, eating and drinking. This morning we walked over to the lighthouse, but after losing 3 pounds of body weight in 2 hours we came home. Time to go back to the beach and bodyboard!

After going to Manly on Monday, we have successfully made it to Byron Bay! Our Airbnb host was super nice and surprised us at the airport and drove us to town.

Seems all too good to be true right now. Our studio suite is brand new and amazing, 5 mins walk from town or brewery, and Byron Bay is Tofino on steroids. Cant wait to experience it the next 7 days!!!

Bondi Beach was the destination Sunday... The nicest day of the trip so far! I love it when popular places actually live up to their hype. Its truly a great place!



On Saturday we went to the fish market and had a massive platter of sashimi, fish and chips, and prawns. Kinda like Fishermans wharf in Seattle except.. ehem... reasonably price fish for sale to eat or take home! Sans all that other garbage craft stuff. As you can see there were a few people there...

Today we are off to Manly to check out the other popular beach suburb. Mixed weather outside so far, hoping for the best!

We celebrated Australia Day in our cheap and cheerful Paddy's Chinese market clothes and took this dorky picture.

Amazing fireworks to end the day!

The next day we walked a billion KM's for some reason. (Google map walking from Circular Quay to the Zoo). The weather sucks and somehow I got a neck burn?!?!

It's a rainy start...

We have arrived! Note the weather - heaviest rainfall since 2009 w/ extreme weather threat active throughout the week. Needless to say we are opting for inside activities today - off to the aquarium!

All good!

Made it to Sydney hassle free after escaping the island storm... Jess is "charging"

Day 0

Cancelled harbour air flight.
Cancelled Air Canada nanaimo flight.
Cancelled ferries.
Last hope 7pm Air Canada Victoria flight.
Good start!