Thursday, 13 February 2014

Blue Mountains


So the blue mountains, so named due to the blue haze that hovers above them given of from Eucalypts trees that grow throughout the area.  We got on the MTS, and to our great pleasure our rail card got us all the way out to the blue mountains main tourist point, the three sister.  After fighting our way through the tourist crowds we managed to get a few quick pictures before escaping the crush!   Do have to mention the signs in the toilets “For hygiene reasons please throw used toilet paper into the toilet and not the waste bin”  Just coming from Asia this sign made a lot of sense

To try and avoid any more tourist crowds, we opted to take a small side path, hoping to find a nice viewing point to take some pictures, as we were in flip flops and had no food or water except an orange we planned on only going for a short stroll… roll on 4 hours later as we emerge at the next town, hungry, tired and thirsty.  But what an incredible area, stunning panoramic views and waterfalls.  To our incredible pleasure we found the most amazing little café that serves ginormous Frittatas!! Amazing I just had to take a picture J




























Boxing Day


Well what a difference a day makes!  Yesterday rain today 32 degrees plus!!  We headed out to enjoy the sun we had been looking forward to, jumped on another ferry to Watsons Bay (This is what I call public transport! 

Boat cruises through the stunning Sydney harbour, amazing views of the opera house and bridge, not forgetting the just amazing Sydney coastline!

The plan had been once at Watsons to go on the bus to Bondi beach, however after slowly crawling through traffic for 20 mins we decided to get off and walk back to Watson along the cliff top and then grab some fish and chips from the beach café.  WOW, they must have been the most expensive fish and chips we have ever had $48!!  But all in all fresh local caught fish tasted amazing, enjoying an ice cold cider while taking in the sea air and magnificent views… not a bad way to spend boxing day J

















CHRISTMAS!!!!


Since being out, Christmas had been on our mind seeing and hearing all about if from home, however, Sydney is not Christmassy in the slightest! So it was very strange being away from home at this time. Although, having said this, we made it feel as Christmassy as we possibly could. We headed to the supermarket to find some decorations, and when asking the checkout lady where we could get decorations, she genuinely stopped and had to think about it!! As I said… totally different!!

We found some cheap decorations from the equivalent of a 99p store and bought ingredients for a true Christmas dinner – chicken, stuffing, potatoes, veggies, Yorkshire mix and gravy! We went off without each other at separate times to buy some little presents to open in the morning and Steen came back with a Christmas cake (of course!!). There, the flat was ready! J

On Christmas Eve we arranged to meet up with Lil and Luke for some festive drinks. It was such a fun night and although the majority of the pubs closed at 10pm… again…totally different and stupid!! We ended up drinking, getting kicked out a pub for being too drunk (but getting the money back on the drinks the boys had bought us!!) and dancing until 1am when we all fell out of a bar and to mine and Steen’s surprise straight onto the harbour over looking the lit up Opera House and Bridge! Oh yeah! We’re in Sydney! ;)

Walking home we all sang Christmas songs and then to my disgrace, went to macdonalds again! Needless to say, this will be the last time! ;)

When I knew we’d be away for Christmas, I imagined going to the beach in my shorts and t-shirt wearing a Christmas hat and having a jumping picture in the sea… This did happen, however it was the only day we were in Sydney it rained! Just like England (but not quite to the standard you guys have had this year!) This didn’t damped our spirits though, we woke up, spoke to our families who were so in the past ;) opened our presents and had our favourite breakfast of poached eggs on cream cheese bacon, onion and mushrooms (A Sven creation!!) J

Once we had finished breakfast, determined to go to the beach in shorts, we headed off to Manly Beach. Once we were out the flat, this day could have been any day of the week. People and traffic were everywhere, transport exactly the same and shops open! The only thing keeping christmas alive was some students surfing in reindeer outfits and a few Christmas hats here and there! We had pictures taken and a little play in the sea but decided to get out of the rain and have a hot chocolate in a restaurant where clearly our waitress was pissed she was working!














As the rain got heavier and the temperature dropped we caught the ferry back to the flat and did the traditional relaxing, drinking wine and cooking. Our Christmas dinner was delicious and our crackers jokes were crap; we ate until we were stuffed full and watched Shrek on the TV… this was more like it J

End of Myanmar/Bangkok/end of Asia



So we headed back to Yangon to catch our flight back to Bangkok… And I can honestly say we couldn’t wait o get back there!  (If you had told either of us this especially Ems, that she would be looking forward to travelling BK, she would have told you, you where insane!)   But here we were and we couldn’t wait to get back to the familiarity of Bangkok and clean streets and food.  So Myanmar… wow what an incredible experience!   No other country had challenged us so much, the lack of hygiene, the spitting, parents making their kids piss in the toilet queue, dirty streets, and houses, kitchens, the smell of garbage and rot everywhere!  Then the people, super incredibly friendly & helpful (one man asked as we got of the bus how can I help you in my country), and then equal measures laziness and disinterest, the step back in time a we visited there villages and homes, and listened to their stories.  I said at the start there was something different about Myanmar, and I think it is the extreme isolation the country has been through, a country that is stuck 100 years in the past, with an air of a people that really want to change but are held back by an oppressive regime that has suppressed education to the masses for the last 20 years and therefore the countries progress.  One of the most eye opening and thought provoking countries we have had the great fortune and pleasure to visit.

So our last night in Bangkok, long 10 hour plus flight to Sydney… probably should have a good dinner and early night, a drink to maybe celebrate our time in Asia… or maybe instead our last meal from an Asian food market, while listening to a live Asian rock band and putting our combined body weight in whiskey and vodka away, while talking absolute shit into the early hours of the morning before heading out to                grab authentic late night drunk food… McDonalds!!! Again another really fun, unexpected night and a great way to end an incredible time in Asia.