Living in England

We were pretty amazed and blown away by it all in England. We found a place pretty quick that was tiny; we had our clothes line hanging above our bed and we used an ironing board for our TV and computer. We had said we wanted to be cosy and back to basics, this was definitely that. Soon after we first arrived we went to the Notting Hill carnival which had a heap of Caribbean Dancers shaking their big booties around, we went there with our tube passes and good intentions then met some aussies who gave us a sip of their vodka and it was downhill from there, we had a ball. For a while at first we did a lot of sightseeing in the city, lots of old buildings and churches and then we started to go out and check out the country side. The first of these was Brighton which was nice but there were none of the apparent waves they say are there so I carried my board round all day for nothing but I did score a guitar for 2 pound. It needed some tape and strings as it was rooted but I was happy I also got an old slayer shirt for a pound and Shell bought some stuff. We then went to Dimmu Borgir when Kreppo came and that was awesome, they put on a great show and I was loving it. We were drinking in the park mostly as pubs aren’t cheap but it was getting a bit chilly for that, we went out sometimes like to the Red Back which was cheap and we met some funny Irish fells but it was a long way to go. I was working supply and getting 4-5 days a week and Michelle had a full time job 4 days a week and would get 5 days sometimes also. We were making enough to save up for our holidays first of which were Switzerland Germany and France.

On our first day we just walked around the city of Basel and looked at the lovely old buildings, we got a ferry across the Rheine; the river that runs from the mountains through Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium and out in Holland. It was cool, the river runs so strong the ferry just uses a rudder against the current and is guided across by a cable. The water is really clean too as it comes out of the icy mountains. We went to the Basel fair where Sepp the guy we were staying with had a Liver, pork and sausage stall. After looking around and having a Gluhwein; a warm Swiss wine we had some Swiss sausage, it was great. The next day we went up to Luzern which is a city at the foot of the Alps, more interesting old buildings and we had a beer on the Lake actually really warm in the sun while looking up at the snow covered Alps. The next day we went briefly through Mulhouse in France and on the Freibahn to Freiburg in Germany. The difference in the layout and architecture was stark between Switzerland and France particularly. While Switzerland is so ordered and retains their old flavour France is more modern and a bit cold in that part. We then went over a bridge and one side was France and the Germany, no border checks at all. The Freibahn is where you can go as fast you want, it was only a 3 lane so they were going maybe 150-60 but that seemed pretty fast to us! Freiburg was a beautiful place; it's in the Black Forest. There was an amazing old Munster - church, heaps of ancient sculptures and paintings and they allowed you to walk around inside and take pictures so I spent ages doing so. We then walked around the city for a while and of course had to have some German beer and sausage in a Keller which is a traditional old pub.

            Switzerland, Germany and France

Then the following day was the highlight; Engelberg in the Alps. We went up in the cable cars which were awesome, we were up pretty high and the view was great but once up on the glacier at 10,000 feet it was really humbling. Out one side was the green lowlands and the other was the snowy Alps as far as the eye could see. We could have snowboarded but as the people we were with live in Switzerland they said the snow wouldn't be good enough but there were heaps of people doing it and it looked fine to us but we got to have a muck around on toboggans and we had a ball anyway. It was actually reasonably warm in the sun too, on the way back we looked inside a glacial cave which was cool, literally. On the second last day we went to a football game which was fun, they get into it so much here you can't help being swept up in it and although I find it a bit slow on telly live it seemed to be over in no time. The Aussie player for Basel Scott Chipperfeild scored so that was a bonus. Afterwards we went to a traditional underground Swiss private cellar which was nice and warm. Of course we did a fair bit of drinking the whole time and were getting right into the bloody Marys. Then it was our last day and we just had a look around a traditional craft market before getting on the plane home, we had a great time and were so glad we went.

Not long after Switzerland I went to see The Dillinger Escape Plan and it was nuts, the band was jumping into the crowd a lot and there were people flying everywhere. We then went and saw some cool English stuff like Hampton Court and the Greenwich Markets for Shell’s birthday. We then went to see Soilwork which were awesome, they didn’t play for as long as we would have liked as they were playing with some others but we were still stoked to see them. We then went to Swanage and stayed with Shell’s aunty Mary and looked around the cute little old seaside town. I had a tiny surf but it wasn’t much worth writing home about at all but I was just happy to get out again. I got a long term job job for 3 days a week at a school nearby that I really like so that was great. Then our much anticipated trip to France and Spain was cancelled due to the snow! We were booked with Easyjet and they just cancel flights without giving you another and you have to book yourself as we found out. Light snow was forecast and we booked a hotel near the airport as we were worried we might not get there but we got there fine, it was getting out of the bloody country that was the problem. We got the message on the way there so we figured we may as well stay the night anyway and it was a nice hotel. We got another flight for the Wednesday five days later and got another 3 days in Madrid as we found out we weren't due back at work until Tuesday, I would have rather had more time surfing but was happy to stay out of England a bit longer. We weren't real impressed when news reports were saying they didn't really have to cancel the flights but we were luckier than some people stuck in trains or airports. So instead of being in France we went to Stonehenge and Bath for the day, it was snowing still so we couldn't get into Stonehenge which was a shame but we got to see it from a distance and it was good to get out of London. When we first saw snow in England it was a novelty but the fun had died and we just wanted some warmth and sun.

France and Spain

When we finally got on the plane after a five hour delay which we spent at the pub on Wednesday we were stoked. Because we got in late we had to spend the night in Bordeaux before heading to Biarritz the next day. We had planned to stay there and Lacanau first but the weather changed that. When we got to Biarritz the wind was howling and it was cold and rainy even with a bit of hail that was perfectly round like the balls in a bean bag but the next day it got a bit better and I finally had a decent surf, it was messy but I was just happy to get back amongst it. Shell was pretty crook with the flu but she started to get better and it was a lovely sunny day when we went exploring around the town. It was beautiful checking out all the walkways and tiny old streets that'd been there for ages. I also had a better surf that day, I was pretty tired after our walk and it was getting late and cold so I decided to wait until the morning but when I rocked up it was flat as a tac so I turned around and got back in bed spewing I didn't go out again the arvo before as we were leaving for Spain soon. It was a nice place, expensive but we were pleasantly surprised at how nice and helpful the locals were. There was a lot of dog poo around though and people had them on trains, in restaurants and they had lots of tiny ones with coats and even pigtails and blokes are by no means worried about their manhood while carrying around a little dog. There were some old folks on the bus out of there who we couldn't tell if they were drunk or just a bit nuts we know a tiny bit of French and one bloke just kept talking at us in French and dribbling and stumbling around while eating a baguette and smoking. So we didn't get to see the stereotypical French with a white and blue striped shirt, beret, moustache and pantaloons riding a bike with his nose in the air, a baguette sticking out his bread basket and a string of garlic round his neck but we saw some crazy or drunk or both old people.

We got the train to San Sebastian which was 1.50 Euro which is a bit under three bucks and it was evident in the different look of the stacked up poorer housing as soon as we passed into Spain. This was the only way we knew as there were no signs or customs we were just in France one stop then Spain the next. It was much cheaper but still not really cheap but I was stoked as the surf was getting better. The first day was shocking but the next few days were fun, I broke my leggy the first day and it was only about 2 foot and I'd used that in big surf at home and Indo! The last day I even got a couple of barrels and did some airs so I was very happy. The sun was out every day too and it was sometimes over ten degrees which was now very nice to what we were used to. San Sebastian was a great place too, we were staying in old town that had tiny little cute streets and very old again. We went for a walk up the mountain one day and saw the ancient fort and Jesus overlooking the town. It was fun but Shell wasn't well again and her mouth was now infected somehow and until she got on antibiotics she wasn't having much fun. We drunk plenty of Sangria and ate Tapas and just enjoyed exploring the streets and bars at night. We were then due to move on again to Madrid, the lady at the train station said  I might not be allowed on with my board but luckily she was wrong and we got to Madrid at 10 that night which is not late at all to them. Shell was loving the culture of sleeping in, having a siesta then going out late. Madrid is full of grand old buildings and statues, lots of interesting stuff to look around at. Our new years started a bit strange, a lot of places shut from 6-7 and weren't reopening until the next day or after midnight but we managed to find some so we were lucky. We met a South Efrikan and Portugese couple and hung with them which was cool, there wasn't much music or anywhere to dance though which was a shame but we still had fun although we were separated in the crowd at twelve but we made up for it when we got home. We had to change hostals on new years day which wasn't much fun and the new one was pretty rough but we got to lay down which we were very happy to do. We looked around a different part of the city on the second then met up with Nadine and Marco again and had a few beers but not too late as we had to leave the next day. After a great holiday we were a bit sad to be back in London and looking forward to Portugal!

Portugal, Wales and Morocco

We laid pretty low for a while after such a great holiday but we booked our holiday to Morocco then Egypt which we were stoked about. We did a couple of weekend trips around England like Bournemouth looking for waves but no go, was fun to have a look around though and have a nice bed and shower compared to the one in our place! We then went to see Viki and Graham in Whitstable which was fun, we also got to have a look around Canterbury which is a nice little place with some cool old ruins. I went to see Nile which was awesome, so fast and technically brilliant. I thought I could play fast but they all do and take turns growling, I was blown away. We then went to Portugal which we loved, the first few nights we stayed in Porto and checked out the city. I had a decent size fun surf at Matosinhos the first morning we were there so I was looking forward to going back. The next day we went down to Espinho and I had a surf but it was no good, too messy and rippy and maxing out. So we just had a nice walk around the river the next day admiring the old buildings and the little houses up the huge cliffs along the river. We then had a few beers enjoying the sun while it lasted on the riverfront. The next day we headed back out to stay at Matosinhos for a couple of days and scored a luxury hotel for pretty cheap so we were stoked. This new place was right near the port which was massive and pretty bloody impressive to see the sheer scale of the ships and machinery. I got some fun waves while there but it was a bit fat but after not surfing since Spain I was happy to get out there. We went out to what we thought would be a pretty little hilltop village in Braga but it was pretty big too, it did have some nice old buildings though and it was nice to have a look around. We had a few nice meals and a few nights drinking but it shut pretty early there so we made a lot of good use from our nice hotel. We got wine and cheese a couple of times and drank in the park in the sun a couple of times which was nice and we got to have some Sangria and Port. The last day we went for a walk along the beach front to the River mouth which was nice to have a look around and then we were back to London again, looking forward to Morocco and Egypt. The weekend after we got back we went to Newquay in a Wicked camper which was fun, especially in the day when it was sunny but it was freezing at night especially since I forgot one of the blankets. I got some tiny waves but the plugs in the fish were screwed so I was making plans with Tom’s mate to get it fixed properly. We went and saw a pretty impressive gorge on the way back with Mountain goats and stopped in at Wales for a quick look around. It was beautiful country all around that way so we were really glad we did it. After t we didn't do a whole lot other than went to the Royal Albert Hall and saw an amazing orchestra and some comedians and got into the Guinness book of records as part of the biggest ever mass kazoo performance and not long after I went to the Red Bull free running championships which was cool, then I went to Southampton a couple of weekends in a row to get my fish fixed which I was very happy about.

Got to Essaouira on a luxurious bus from Marrakech through the desert looking at camels, sheep, cows and donkeys and people living out there in their funny little stone houses doing it pretty bloody tough. Marrakech was hectic, we stayed in a lovely Riad - hotel with a rooftop terrace and a pool in the middle that we thought would be nice for a swim but after we got to the edge with our swimmers on it was freezing so Shell just put her toes in and I just had a quick wade and didn't even put my head under like a little girl. We only had one full day there so we spent that shopping and like many times before in a new country we got ripped off. We really should learn that when we hear the words 'special for you only today' that we are in for a robbing. We went to the tannery and it was interesting to have a look at how they do it old style and thankfully they gave us a mint branch to cover the stench that they live and work in. Then came the hard sell and we bought a lovely but costly Moroccan bedspread that will go around my board on the plane. We then bought some other little things like some hand symbols and finally found somewhere to have a couple of beers with dinner. We also should have realised by now that Islamic states aren't too fond of grog so bring duty free! When we were walking back to the Riad it was bedlam, too many people for the streets and blokes taking advantage of the close proximity with their hands and Shell. We were holding onto each other and our bags tight and when people started pushing each other around we got worried but we got there in the end. Also when we arrived at the airport heaps of flights got in together so the passport lines were ridiculous and people were cheering when others got through but some frog was booing! People really should realise they have no power in that situation and the only thing you can do is be thankful when you do get through or you can land yourself in an international incident. We had a similar situation in Sri Lanka and being calm and patient may have in the end meant the difference between getting on or missing our plane. In Madrid we had about 6 hours on the airport so we found some grass outside to lay down in which was a nice way to pass the time in some sun. Anyway back to Morocco and we were much happier in Essaouira, we did like Marrakech but a coupla days of chaos was enough of an experience. We did have a hassle when we first arrived in Essaouira that our hotel was closed and we had to go to another one that was a dive but it worked out ok in the end even though the paint was falling off the walls and it wasn't the cleanest of places but it was cheap apart from the 15 pound Shell blew calling the booking agency and we've certainly stayed in worse. We did have lots of room and a view of the beach though although no waves there, we were in the Medina - old town and they have walls all around so you can't get out to the beach where there is waves without going round the looong way. We went down the coast the day after we arrived to Sidi Kaouki where the surf is? It was pretty bloody average but I was still stoked as it was better than anything I'd had in England and Shell got some photos of me and the camels and horse on the beach. Unfortunately our camera wasn't happy and was having trouble focussing which wouldn't be cool with all the trips we had coming up so we were hoping to get it fixed or a newy if we had to. It was a pretty cool mini bus ride out there like the Anggkots in Indo but with Berber carpets pm the walls and ceiling and of course, cheap. We found a bit easier somewhere to have a beer but they charged a premium so then we searched for ages and lots of walking for a grog shop which ended up not being far at all and was handy as we had a fridge to put food and drink in and a stove top to cook on. The morning after we weren't so spritely though so we just had a relaxing day other than trying to find a way to the beach I thought might be better with no success. The buildings and earthy colours offset with splashes of bright colour are so pretty and the majority of people have been helpful and friendly. The locals were calling me Ali Baba for some reason and every few minutes someone would offer me hash or space cakes, maybe it's the beard or I look like a thief who's just stumbled in from the desert. Had some bigger but fat waves at another place in Essaouira called Asafi by myself again so that was cool. It was surprising how chilly it was in the wind there and particularly at night. I had another average surf the day before we left for Casablanca which held hopes of better waves and we spent the rest of our time looking around and Shell doing some shopping so we were glad to be moving on after having a fun time. We got to Casablanca on another nice bus ride through lots of changes in the countryside from Desert to red rock mountains to green farmland and even quite a bit of water in rivers.    We're having a ball here, I had a fun surf yesterday, the best so far at Bouznika it was a nice day and beach too so Shell enjoyed it also. We got the train down there which was cheap but pretty luxury and only took about halfa so we were stoked. I then just went in town at le Corniche which was bigger and pretty good too but was bit of a debacle, where my 20 Dirham ran out and I got out of the taxi the beach was walled off but there was a gate which I went through but then some French speaking Pelican wanted me to pay because it's a 'privit' beach! I think he said 'only' 100 Aussie but surely it was Dirham. Either way I only had enough for the taxi ride back and wouldn't have paid anyway so I walked back about a km to the same beach but further down in front of Macas and drifted down to that beach in the strong current anyway and got some good waves. I only surfed with others once and got some fun waves so altogether I'm pretty stoked. Casablanca got bad reviews but we liked it, it wasn't as pretty as Essaouira but after 5 days there it was nice to move on and be in a big city with more to do. We had a drink the last night with some wine that we spent a long time finding again then a few beers at a bar with a Brasilian and Canadian couple we met. We were then off to Madrid the next day and a bit spewin that the surfing was over but looking forward to Egypt. We had two nights in Madrid at a nice hotel near the airport enjoying a bit more civilisation with not much to do so we relaxed a lot and then drank some beer. The next day we were stoked when we got on the plane and it was luxury, big seats, free food, pillows and blankets, the works.

Egypt

            We arrived pretty late in Cairo so we just went to our hotel which was very nice and a huge and we got some much needed take away food. The next day we did the Pyramids and 'sphinkys' tour with our driver from the airport who was great and cheap and we used all our time in Cairo. Of course we got taken to a tour company who wanted all our money bit we bargained and got a decent price and I got to ride a camel and Shell a horse. It really was amazing to see it all up close and a little spooky with their eyes and the sheer scale and commitment they put into death. We got to go into a tomb at Giza through a tiny little tunnel to see some Hieroglyphs that had remained. The Sphinx was actually pretty small but an amazing piece of sculpture and it was a great day for it as the clouds made patterns of light and shade on the Pyramids and desert alike. We then went to some shops and bought some beautiful and cheap Hieroglyphs on papyrus and Shell was happy getting some lotus essence. We then went to more pyramids at Saqqara which also had an awesome temple and museum. That night we did a river cruise on the Nile which had some cool funny dizzy dancers and a belly dancer. The next day we went to the Egyptian museum which was awesome too. We got to see heaps of precious artefacts and statues learn about how much of our culture has came from theirs and we saw Tutankhamen. His mask and sarcophagi had so much gold and precious stones; it was all really worth seeing. After the museum we went to Luxor on a plane which was more expensive than the train we had planned to catch but the revolutionaries had blocked it between the two cities and the flight took an hour opposed to ten on the overnight sleeper train which after our Vietnam experience might not have been much of a sleep. When we arrived at the airport although we had booked a hotel pick up (which we don't usually do but we were being cautious due to the troubles in the Arab world at the time) there were taxi drivers yelling at our driver and trying to get us to go with them and touching me but thankfully not Shell we got to the hotel thouh and it was Ok in the end just a bit of a unnerving welcome. The hotel was nice in the respect that the elevator worked and the toilet flushed opposed to Cairo but the toilet leaked and the service wasn't exactly prompt but you get what you pay for and they had beer! We just spent the first day having a short walk to the Nile which was beautiful, shopping of course and organising our trip for the next day then lazing about the pool with a few beers.

 The next day we headed out to the Valley of the Kings, Queen Hatshepsut’s temple and the Colossus of Memnon, it was astounding. The tombs in the valley were so deep and must have taken so much work with all their hieroglyphs. The best thing about the day was Queen Hapshetshut's temple; it had some hieroglyphs remaining and some awesome big statues around too. The Colossus was cool too although had modern houses and business around and was very deteriorated and after what we'd seen through the day there can sometimes be a statue complacency, it was all great though. The pyramids were spectacular for their size and structural genius of the time and the valley temple had the fascination of the hieroglyphs and statues. People told us it would be really hot but there was a nice breeze so it was bearable and it was another partly cloudy brilliant blue sky which looks incredible juxtaposed against the desert earth. That arvo we went looking for the Souk (market) but the taxi driver obviously dropped us at his mates shop which was pretty ordinary and we were getting hassled left, right and centre: 'come with me, I'll show you’ We hate to be that way but there were some dirty remarks to Shell and she was well covered up anyway and we'd been warned not to trust people even by locals so we weren't going with anyone. We ended up heading straight to the river and following it to the town square which wasn't far and once there we took yet more photos this tome of Luxor temple which was stunning with the sunset reflecting off the Nile in the background. The square was hectic though due to their Easter celebrations, strange for an Islamic state? So we found a cafe that actually served the iced coffee advertised on their menu! Then had a nice meal that as very typical in third world countries we couldn't eat it all so we had the next day’s lunch too then we just had a quiet night lazing round watching telly. The next day we actually got to the Souk with the guidance of a Pom lady who spends lots of time there which I thought might have mare her wiser than to get too involved with the hawkers who were threatening to kill her outside the hotel while we were with her but the police came and settled him down and we got out of there without trouble or much delay. Once at the Souk which took  while though the heat, sights, smells and sounds of the backstreets it was cool Shell did some relentless haggling and I was half looking for a beautiful string instrument I'd seen elsewhere but not too worried I didn't find it due to baggage restrictions and the fact I've got so many already. Our last in Luxor we drank our duty free which gave us the courage to do karaoke at the hotel which the old prunes didn't appreciate and weren't backward in being forward; cutting us off even with something as tame as Black Sabbath so we showed em by screaming out a cut off Nirvana song which was the heaviest they had and we had a blast. We got a cheap van to Hurghada the next day through the desert through seemingly infinite oceans of sand which was cool and we were looking forward to the beach again! Hurghada was heaps of fun, we thought it'd be more expensive but it was actually cheaper for food and beer. The first night we just checked it out a bit, had a nice dinner and did a bit of shopping. The next day we went to the beach and I had a snorkel with the new ones I'd bought the night before in probably the most beautiful turquoise coloured water we'd ever seen, there wasn't much coral but there were a few fish and lots of purple and yellow jellyfish. That night we went to Ministry of Sound on the beach which was great fun at the time but we were a bit ordinary the next day after a few local cocktails. The day after that we had a dive in the most beautiful blue water we've seen, there was some nice colourful hard coral and a fair few fish like two different kinds of Lion fish, several different colourful Box fish, Napoleon rasa and the regulars and the crew were all a lot of fun. That night we had a few beers with a few of them and the next day I had another fun snorkel and we just chilled out for our last full day, stoked with our holiday and a bit sad that we were going back to work and England but also looking forward to Italy in 3 weeks. We had been a bit worried about the trouble in the Arab world and Egypt in particular but it turned out fine so we were very glad we went although we were a bit spooked that a week or so after we were in the same square a bomb killed over 15 people in Morocco, bloody terrorists were making us think twice about how long we would spend in Turkey on our big Europe trip coming up. Went to Birmingham not long after Africa and had a good time with Shirley and the rest and went out with Ewen and his girlfriend. Went for a few beers with Shell’s friend and family from work and then headed off to...

Italy and Ireland

Got to Minori near Amalfi and it was beautiful, I had a swim in the arv after a few hours on the train then over an hour on the bus there from Napoli. Both the train ride and particularly the bus ride was amazing looking out at the countryside, Vesuvius and the luscious green mountains falling into the clear blue sea. We then just chilled in the lovely hotel room with the windows open onto the veranda overlooking the village before we got some food and drinks to hang out there later. We spent most of the day before travelling, flying into Rome then a train to another train to Napoli and when got there we knew it was worth it. We'd already had some delectable food and most people were very friendly, we were looking forward to the rest of our time there! I had a snorkel the second morning while Shell slept in and it was actually a bit murky surprisingly and there wasn't much to see but the water was nice anyway. We then got a bus into Amalfi and had a look around, there were lots of cute little shops and an old church that was cool. I had another snorkel which was a bit better so that was cool. We then headed back to Minori and had a lay down before getting some more beer and wine for another veranda party. The next day unfortunately was raining so we laid around reading a lot and went out for a nice dinner that night. We then caught the train back to Rome the next day and when we arrived we went and had a quick look around a beautiful old church near our hotel then we just had some
Chinese for dinner and lay around reading a lot as we were pretty worn out. The next day we got up reasonably early and went to the Colosseo which really was cool to see up close and then we checked out the Palatino and the Roman Forum, so much history and Grandeur. We then went to the Pantheon, the Fontana Trevi and others that are too many to remember in less than a full day in their windy little streets that are crammed with Architecture, Art and tourists all wanting their little piece of Rome whether it be photos, souvenirs or wine. We then went back to the hotel pretty wrecked from so much walking on so much concrete then we went and got some booze for the afternoon and were looking very much forward to going to Vatican city the next day. The Vatican was more amazing and crowded history in the way of people and also the opulence and the amount of art. You could spend days there and still not take it all in I'm sure, we spent the morning there in the heat and hungover which was enough to make us long for our afternoon nap that we were getting used to on holidays, hopefully we won't be nodding off at work Monday arv. We just had a couple of drinks and our last nice Italian dinner on the last night although we still had the full next day to go and look at more churches and buildings and stuff. It ended up being a pretty long night as it was really warm and the gay pride party in the park nearby was in full swing so we were pretty tired the next day, thought about going to have a laugh but we just wanted sleep! The next day we went and checked out the Spanish steps and a few more sites and were planning to lay around and read in the park but it rained so we headed to the airport and hung around for ages as the plane was delayed, bit of a bummer but we were still stoked after a great holiday!

We expected Ireland to be beautiful but after a few recent anticipated travels we were blown away by how green it really is and we had so much fun. We stayed in a lovely hotel the first night in Belfast as we got in pretty late and because we booked it early it was a great deal. The next day we headed out to Portrush and that's where the amazing scenery started, heaps of luscious farmland and animals. I had a fun surf, it was a bit slow but I was stoked to get out there anyway. We then went and checked in at our lovely little B&B then went to a pub and the locals there were allfriendly and happy to talk to some Aussies, although they wondered why we came to Ireland and sometimes it was a bit hard to understand them. It hadn't been as cold as we expected but then the wind came up and a bit of rain so it changed pretty quick so we headed back to our room to get more clothes. When we came back we just thought we'd duck into this tiny little pub for a quick one and as soon as we walked in a local was talking to us like we were his long lost mate and bought us beers, I thought he was the owner of our B&B so I sat down and acted like I knew him to. It wasn't until a few beers later that he realised he didn't know us from a bar of soap but we were all getting merry by then so we kept going. More rounds, some local stuff they shot and a nightclub later we walked home from the next town over which was over 3 miles and took us ages but after 4 in the morning we were on a planet which allowed us not to care about the length of the walk and we really enjoyed it. It was getting light enough for me to see that there were no waves so we slept in late apart from dragging ourselves down for the awesome greasy breaky. Then we headed out Giant's causeway which was breathtaking, there was plenty of other cool stuff to look at along the picturesque coastline also and after wards we hung around the little village of Bushmill's and went for a walk along the cute little creek. That night we just had fish and chips and an early night, I was hoping but not convinced that the surf might pick up but it was even smaller the next day so we just had another sleep in then headed back to Belfast on the train and found a pub to have a few quiet ones before the plane home. That should be the end of the story but unfortunately far from it, first the plane was delayed which wasn't so bad on its own but then when we got back to England their terminal transfer shuttle was broken so that was another hour and it just kept getting worse. When we were finally on the train home someone jumped under the train at the station ahead of us, the wait then was ridiculous. We weren't too far from the station we had to get to to get a bus but there were none from the station we were at and the announcers kept getting us on the train then off and saying; 'half an hour, half an hour'. Eventually the train went and we saw the body and at that time of the night when we had to be at work in a coupla hours we really didn't feel much at all other than tired. Shell didn't even sleep by the time we got home and they sent her home at lunchtime as she was walking dead but I was lucky and got about half an hour sleep and made it through the day. A crazy finish to an awesome holiday; cheap, lovely people, great transport, if only there was enough work, we'd prefer it there than here!

Croatia, Montenegro and Albania.

             Went to London Deathfest near my birthday which was bloody awesome! I got pretty wasted and dug some of the earlier bands but then The Amenta were amazing. Deicide were good too of course and it was a great festival to see. We then went to see Viki a coupla weeks later, I was going to take the boards but there was no swell so we just got wasted a lot. After that we didn't do much bit save a lot of cash for the big last Europe trip and pack and clean and get out of bloody England! We got to Split pretty late so we just had a beer then crashed as I was also a bit fluey. The next day we headed straight for the beach, had an OK snorkel; not much to see but the water was so blue and warm, I did find a brown European blind, tailless, finless stinky eel... yes a poo. Had a bit of a look around the old town and then just went back for the first of many holiday afternoon naps. The next day we went looking for another beach but it was all just a huge port so we went to a mall and found we could watch a movie that night so we did. The day after we went on the Ferry to Korcula Island which really was beautiful, not great snorkeling again but I did see some cuttlefish that I'd never seen before. It had a cute little old town which was surrounded by bushland and not so big and industrial like Split. It was busy at the beach in town but we just walked out of town and found our own little spot where Shell could get her tits and G banger out which was awesome! There was a cool drumming band the first night and plenty of cute little cheap bars to drink at. The second night we went and had a few beers with some pom ladies that were staying in the room next to us, everything shut pretty early but that might have been a good thing. I snorkeled twice the second day and once the third then kind of gave up as it wasn't getting any better anywhere I tried but I still always find something interesting and new, those times it was a big mud skipper but pretty white looking fish caught in a crab pot and a little cute sting ray. It rained for a fair while on our last full day then it cleared so we checked out the old town and I went for a trek up the mountain looking for the caves I'd read about but couldn't find them but I got a nice view over the town. We knew we were getting up at sparrowfart to leave for Dubrovnik so we had a quiet one. The bus ride to Dubrovnik was nice; it took us through lots of huge and different types of mountains falling in the typical shining blue Adriatic. When we got there we found a reasonable place to stay then headed straight into the Old walled city. It was like others we'd seen in Europe although the sheer size of the walls and towers was staggering and it was beautiful when we wound our way through to the ocean side for a squiz. That arvo we had a few beers on the terrace overlooking the tourist port with massive cruise ships and luxury liners of the ridiculously rich. The next day I went to the bus station with the funny bloke from our hotel to get us tickets for Montenegro the next day and in return he got me to recommend the rooms to people he picked up at the station. We then went for a walk to the beach and I had a snorkel and it was Ok again, saw a funny little patterned snub nose brown fish I hadn't seen so it was fun. We then lazed around for a while in the arv then had a coupla beers and the rest of our goon with a nice feed of pork and salad. We'd had a great week in Croatia and were looking forward to Kotor the next day which we'd heard was stunning from others. 

We liked it in Montenegro also, we first stayed in a little old town in the fjords in the north called Kotor. Our first night we stayed in a pretty dodgy but cheap place and it did have a great view which was the consolation for the trek up the hill. The bus ride there was amazing again and Dubrovnik looked great from up in the mountains. We got lucky in Kotor after looking around the old town for a better room and giving up as the prices were too high we thought we'd try one last cafe at the beach and he hooked us up with a lady with lovely cheap rooms right in old town for the next night. We were looking forward to a nice meal somewhere in the old town that night and lazing around for a night in a bit of luxury after a few nights of soaking up views and grog while avoiding time in average rooms. We left Kotor for Ulcinj and down on the southern end of the coast. It was much dirtier and not as pretty as Kotor or Croatia but much cheaper and had a great vibe to it. The bus ride down was nice again; more mountains and lazuli water down below. The first day we got there we dumped our stuff and headed for the beach, I had a pretty average snorkel, saw some fish and lots of rubbish. Then we made our way home having beers and dinner along the way and were crashed out by about 9. The next day we slept in then went to another beach that was a bit cleaner and better snorkeling then went back to the room for a nanna nap before having our biggest night of the trip and finishing up about 3 after watching a good band at a pub for a few hours. It probably wasn't the best time for it as we had to get up at 5 to get to Albania and by the time we made it to Durres we were still pretty spaced out and not keen on hunting for cheap rooms. We didn't know it was going to be so big and ugly and some locals tried to rip us off but we were lucky enough to find a nice room for pretty cheap with air con and a Tv for one luxury night. The drive from Ulcinj to Durres was interesting with fellas with their donkey and carts selling watermelons and the mountains and rivers. Golfs seemed to be the car of choice in Montenegro and in Albania it was Mercs; particularly in the less touristy places, plenty of space for a body in the boot I suppose. We went for a bit of a walk around and there were some funny things like people on the sidewalk with extension leads on their home phones charging you to use them and we went for a walk to the beach but it was that crowded and hot and dirty even I didn't have a swim. We figured one night was enough before heading to a supposedly smaller and prettier town called Berat the next day for a night or two on the way to Saranda which was also supposed to be nicer and where we could get a ferry to Corfu. Well we ended up only stopping for lunch and a bit of a walk around town in Berat which was nice in a valley between mountains with old Ottoman Houses and mosques. There wasn't much else though and we had plenty of time so we kept going on the hot and slow journey to Saranda, there were some more funny Albanians like a kid riding along with his cat in a rack screaming for dear life on the back of his bike. It was spectacular countryside, the sheer size alone and along with the little villages dotted halfway up these huge mountains made magnificent views. Saranda was lovely, definitely worth the reputation and the trip down there, we were a bit worried at first as a lot of hotels were full but we found one eventually that was nice and cheap and even had a beach view. We had a couple of beers and a great feed the first night then the next day I had an Ok snorkel then we got tickets for the ferry to Corfu the day after.

Greece and Turkey

             The ferry ride over was nice again to look out over the Island and the Albanian and Greek Ionian coast. When we got there we were really stoked, our place was a five minute walk to the beautiful beach in Benitses, a quiet little fishing village. I had an average snorkel the first day which I was coming to expect in Europe so after all the big crowded places we'd been we decided to stay 5 nights and relax. The first day we really did bugger all; went for a swim, did some shopping and looked around town then had some beers and wine on the veranda in the arv. The second day we went to another little town down the coast called Messonghi and I had an Ok snorkel then we had a quiet night and a nice feed. On the third day we went over to the western side of the Island to Paleokastritsa, it was a beautiful little town below the mountains on the beach. I had a pretty good snorkel and saw some pretty colourful fish, no coral but some interesting rocks and underwater caves. That night we had a few beers and goon on the veranda that was nice and secluded so in our state we got starkers out there. On the last day we just had a big sleep in and hung around our little town before going into town before going into town for a nice feed and a few beers. Before we got on the bus and ferry on the day we left we had a bit of a look around the old town which was nice and I paid to swim as a I really needed it. We were a bit sad to be leaving after having such a great and relaxing time but we were also looking forward to seeing more of Greece and of course Turkey!

The ferry ride had nice views of the Island and then the bus ride had huge mountains with villages and castles not unlike in Albania. There wasn't a whole lot to see in Thessaloniki, we looked at some of the nice old buildings and were on our way to the beach but had already spent about 40 minutes on a bus and it looked like another hour or so to go for a dirty looking beach so we just went to a pool but bailed on that to when they wanted 5 euro each! So after 2 nights there, 1 arriving late and 1 with a few beers and an early romantic night we were happy to be leaving and looking forward to Alexandroupoli which wasn't as big a city and promised some nice Aegean beaches. As we would be arriving early arvo we were back to no booking or plan which was a nice change, all we had to worry about was getting to Turkey in a few days and everything had been working so far. It was a short about 4 hour flash bus ride which had some nice scenery of mountains and farms similar to the couple of days before a big inland lake and the glassy blue northern Aegean. We found a nice hotel right on the beach for a good price so we booked a couple of nights and planned to leave for Istanbul after that. The first day I had an Ok snorkel and saw some cool fish, anemone looking things and some read balls of coral but it was pretty murky. Then we had a few beers on the veranda overlooking the ocean and after that I thought it'd be a good idea to get a little bottle of Ouzo but I think that's best left to the Greeks. So the next day was a big sleep in then we just had a look around town. It was set to be an adventure when we planned to leave early in the morning to get to the Greece/Turkey border and then wing it from there to Istanbul. Luckily though we checked it out on the net and they don't let you through on foot so we had to get a bus he whole way. Can't rely on the net for everything though, it said we didn't need a Visa but we did, it was no problem and only 15 euro each. Once in Turkey the scenery was much prettier than we expected, it was very lush and green particularly near the border rivers. Mosques everywhere of course but a lot better maintained than the ones in Indo. We were a bit daunted by how bloody huge Istanbul was on the way in but once we managed to get to our hotel then out for a coupla beers we really liked it. Our hotel was down a back alley and looked dodgy from the outside but once we got inside it was pretty good so we were stoked. The next day we looked around at the big ones: the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofia and a heap of others around the place then we went to the Grand Bazaar. Once in Sultanahmet - the old city and particularly from the ferry from the European to Asian side of the Bosphorous it really was beautiful. When we got to our new hotel that we'd booked and couldn't cancel without paying we were a bit spewin we didn't stay on the European side another night as there wasn't much around and they seemed to be observing Ramazan more devoutly. We managed to find some beers and cheap nasty local Vodka that got us to the point we could just pass out in our room with no fan or air con. Have to laugh about it now, Shell thought she booked the hotel with Sat Tv and all the rest for our last 2 luxury nights so when we turned up and none of it was there she asked about air con and he just opened the window in response. They were nice though and we got breakfast and some stilted English-Turkish conversations. The next day we just slept in then I had a fun snorkel in the bright green weedy waters in the sea of Marmara which was the last of the trip, saw some colourful jelly fish and starfish. For our last night we went for a nice feed and a coupla beers along the beach to where we'd seen a bit more happening on the train ride out to Purgatory. We were a bit sad for our backpacking from Europe to Asia to be ending and our time in Europe altogether over but it'd been an eye and mind opening experience and we had 3 weeks in Bali to look forward to home of course and in a few months more unknown adventure of going around our own big beautiful country.

Living in Indo

            Mum and Dad took us up to the airport for a teary farewell and we were off, we had to be economical with our luggage so I only took one board and my semi acoustic and the FX board of course. Our shitty old speakers were carking it so as soon as we got to Balikpapan we bought some new better ones. I’d recently bought a new computer so we played all our music through that; got to have the music sorted! Before going to Balik we had to go to Singapore for Visas and while we were there we went to the zoo which was cool and just cruised around Chinatown and the city. It’s a bit too clinical for us there but we enjoyed our time and it was funny because we stayed in the red light district and one night the cops turned up and the ho’s were running out all over the shop, handbags and shoes flying off everywhere. When we got to Balik we were stoked, our place was huge and everyone seemed really nice. We had a pool and gym in our compound which I was using every other day but it wasn’t really balancing with all the beer we were drinking. We also had a bowling alley and pool table which we used fairly often; I was enjoying my job, the kids were good and there was only 6 of them and the staff were mostly helpful. Not long after arriving we had a week off for Ramadan and we went to Manado; had a good dive, saw seahorses and Nudibranchs and went for a drive around the island through mountains and lakes. On the drive we went to a local market and they eat dogs, bats, rats and just about anything with meat on it. The bats and rats were on sticks and the dogs were roasted whole and sitting on the table with their heads cut off beside them while live dogs on death row were eating the guts of previous dogs.

            We headed back to Balik and did more of the same there, there’s not much to do on the weekends so we did a lot drinking which is cheap to do. We had a few good friends and some we thought were friends and we hung out with them a lot, Carl an Aussie who also taught there was one such friend he’s a champ. He loves his beer though and he’d come round at 9 or 10am on Saturdays with a beer but thankfully I started teaching guitar so I had an excuse not to have a beer, sometimes no’s just not good enough. Teaching guitar also made me go back and relearn all the theory I’d forgotten which was good for my playing too. We also hung with Roz; a stupid bitch from South Efrika, at first we all had fun and did stupid things like pretending to have orgies and taking photos, I shat in her box of Pringles and I pushed her off a veranda because I thought it’d be funny for some reason. We actually got told by the principal that we had to tame it down as parents also lived in the compound and I was ok with that but that was the beginning of the end for Carl. He didn’t appreciate being told what to do and that along with not planning and coming to work hung-over or not at all eventually got him booted. Roz was not long to follow, she was becoming increasingly difficult to work with and after reacting like a child when I asked her not to kiss students in my class she was also booted. After she was being such a bitch I was glad I shat in the Pringles and pushed her off the veranda. We finally had good internet and computer so I was downloading music like it was going out of style, I have more than doubled our amount of music since then and found some awesome new metal. I was also playing in a band with a couple of mates; playing reasonably heavy stuff, even Slayer! But it didn’t last long, it was fun though. We went to Bali for a weekend with Carl, Roz and Greg; the fellas were there for a game of Aussie rules and we just went along for the ride. I surfed at Canggu mostly and had five surfs in that two days; the best waves were on Saturday arv at Canggu when it was glassy, decent size and plenty of fun. The other surfs I had were at Legian near our hotel when I was in a hurry and they were a bit of fun, other than that we drank. The school had a drum kit which I modified and out two kits together to make a double kick and I was playing them a lot and actually getting ok. The cranky drinker thing was gone now, I would only drink small amounts of spirits and it’s not happening so I’m glad.

Kota Kinabalu, Philppines, Langkawi and Sumatra

For the Christmas holiday we left Balik and went to Kota Kinabalu for a night on our way to the Philippines; we went for a snorkel which was awesome, heaps of fish and some nice bright coral. W got lucky there; I tried to use my aussie card in a local atm and it got swallowed, thankfully the bank was open the next day and I got it back. We then arrived in Clark and had to get a car to Manila, we loved the Philos but there was a lot of driving. Manila is a huge smoggy city and to get anywhere takes hours, we stayed in Manila a few days to get our teeth done. We went out with some locals and tried some of the local delicacies; pork intestines and duck eggs with the foetus inside. After a couple of days we got out of Manila and went to Catanduanes; a small Island where I was hoping to get waves. We got on a pretty old small plane and Michelle was a bit nervous so it was a good thing I waited until we were in the air to tell her we were heading to the Typhoon central of the Philos and there’d been one forecast for the next few days. We loved it when we got there though; it was beautiful, remote and green, what we wanted to see when we went to the Philos. At first we stayed at a home stay which was nice and we went out for a crazy long drive to Majestic’s. It was blowing a gale; no one was out and it looked pretty unpredictable, I could see the potential but not that time. So after the long drive out there we got back in the car and started back; I was lucky on the way though I had seen a wave that was a long way out and looked pretty fun from the car. When I paddled out there and it took me about 20 minutes it was looking bigger and more serious as I got closer; when I eventually got into the line up it was a decent size and pretty heavy and if I got messed up it was a long paddle back so I was being a bit cautious. When we got back to the road we hitched a ride on one of the big old Jeepneys; it was a wild ride, the roads were all muddy and pretty steep up the mountains. I was on the roof along with another 10 or so blokes and there would have been 20 people inside with Shell and I could look over the edge of the big drops over the side of the mountain that we were sliding around. After that we went to a place called Igang beach where we had our fifth anniversary and it was really a beautiful place, we were the only foreigners in the resort and it was a beautiful spot. It was right on the beach and had lovely water colour and rock formations, we had an ok snorkel but I got some sick waves. At first I went out the front and got some hairy little solo barrels and then the next day I went for a bit of a walk and found a peak that had fun hollow lefts that I surfed by myself for ages. Through the day we had fun and when day we went to a ‘dive’ place but after seeing corroded gear, a turtle in a bath, monkeys on chains and scabs on the family that ran it we decided that we’d give it a miss. At night though we got a bit frustrated with the Karaoke as the locals were having parties, it was all good though when we went and met them and joined in. We then went to another place called St Andres which was very quiet and picturesque, we went for a ride in a tricycle up to a cave but the best thing was going for a snorkel there. It didn’t look like anything from the beach but we went out to a reef in a boat and found lovely bright coral and plenty of fish; on the way back the boat broke down and they paddled but that’s half the fun. We then went for one night in Virac before heading for the next part of our journey. 

            We went back to the airport in Clark and thought we scored a bargain of a hotel; the fact was it was really a brothel. We didn’t mind too much but the blood and condoms on the bed were enough to make Michelle go and demand for another room. We then spent Christmas day flying from Philo to Langkawi Island, when we got there we went and had a feed but we just wanted to crash and get out to explore the next day. The first day we just went and got our bearings; went to the harbour and organised a dive trip for the next day and then just cruised around and found a nice place to eat. The next day we had a couple of dives; the first one was great, a bit murky but lovely flowery coral that we hadn’t seen before, lots of fish like giant groupers, lionfish and nemos. The second dive was so murky we couldn’t see past a few feet in front of us and on several occasions we thought we’d lost the instructor but right at the end we saw some coral and some bright Nudibranchs which were amazing. The nest day we went on an island hopping tour and saw monkeys stealing naive people’s food, beautiful lakes and I had an ok snorkel. After that we went to a touristy beach for a while but decided to stay away where it was quieter and cheaper so we went to a wildlife park that was pretty cool. At the end of Langkawi we just did some shopping as everything was so cheap and we were getting excited about going to Sumatra. We stayed in Padang which is a big dirty city, it was nice to get out of there a bit and away from places I could have surfed like Cholera creek but decided against it when even locals said I’d get crook. I did get a fair few waves at Pasir Putih which were fun little occasionally hollow waves and we had a fun new years there at a pub watching a cool band and having a few. We also went to a place called Pantai Air Manis and after being taken for a long boat ride to waves too small to surf I went back and got a few fat ones on the beach. We then went to Bungus Bay where we planned to go to the Mentawais but we woudn’t get back in time for me to get back to work, spewing. We did go on a nice island hop there and did some awesome snorkelling and saw leopard fish and sea snakes, the water was such a beautiful turquoise blue colour. We then went out to a quiet beach called Pasir Jambak and stayed in a little shack just off the sand and I got an ok little surf at a place that could be like spot K with some more swell. I got lucky again here, I left my wallet and tow bottles of duty free in a checked bag that never arrived, thankfully I got it back, wouldn’t have been much of a new years without any money! It was coming to the end of our trip and we had a couple more days in Padang just relaxing and I got in as much surfing at Pasir Putih before heading back to Balikpapan.

West Java, Yogya and Phuket

Not long after getting back we were on the cans and Carl and Adam were wresting, they then decided to attack me and after Adam put me in a choke hold and dropped me on a window sill when I passed out I busted my head open, fun times! We went to Samarinda which is just another indo city but the second time when we went to see Carl who was staying there with his girlfriend Cheryl, a cool South African we had a ball. We went to a museum through the day which had heaps of old cultural stuff from before Islam took over and just hung around drinking of course. Another Aussie; Luke; who took over from Carl fell asleep and we were all pretty pissed so we dressed up in the girls clothes and took compromising photos of him while he was asleep. We did a few other fun things there like seeing the sun bears and going out for snorkelling and fishing, not that we saw or caught much. It was not long til we were off again; this time to West Java, it was great, quiet, pretty uncrowded and cheap. It involved a fair but of driving but I got some sick waves at Cimaja and especially at Sawarna, just me and one other bloke getting backhand barrels for hours. It was an even shorter time after that we went to Yogyakarta for a few days and then to Thailand for a few weeks. It was the first time I’d hired a scooter in Indo at Yogya and we never looked back after that. We went out and checked out the temple at Borobudur which was cool and just had a fun time hanging around the city which was cheaper and a bit more fun than Balik. We then went on to Thailand and we had a ball there; we got a bike straight away and spent most of the first day riding around checking out the beaches around Phuket. We had an awesome couple of dives, saw heaps of bright coral and different fish and I even got to have a few fun little surfs. While we were there by ourselves we did a fair bit of partying as it was pretty cheap and the people were so nice. It was the Song Kran (water) festival and people were drenching each other everywhere and generally just in party mode. We also went and saw a ping pong show which involved darts shooting balloons, a hamster, razor blades and everything but the kitchen sink, it was a classic. Mum and Dad then met us there which was great; we’d waited for them to go on an island hopping tour and went canoeing through caves and saw lots of the picture postcard places we went there for. We also did a fair bit of snorkelling with them mostly just at little hideaways that we’d stumble across and jump in and have a look. I also got to eat crickets, grasshoppers, some other kind of bugs and silkworms; they were actually ok, with a beer of course. Towards the end we went to a big show they have there called Fantasea which had lots of different animals like monkeys and Elephants and a lot of dances, trapeze acts and that sort of thing which we enjoyed.

            Mum and Dad came back to Balik with us for a week or so and we just took them out to dinner and about as much as you can do there. Not long after that we went to Bali and got a bike and headed west this time to Balian river and Medewi; we loved it, it was a lot more picturesque and quiet outh there and I got some sick waves. Balian was pretty big and a bugger of a paddle but I loved it and Medewi is pretty good but a bit slow and crowded. The place I got the best waves was a beachy there that I surfed by myself and got stand-up left and right pits by myself for hours. We also went for a bit of a ride around in the bush there just checking the place out which was fun; we then headed back and I had an ok surf at Canggu before we had to head back to Balik. While in Bali we found out I got a job in Surabaya for the next year which we were very excited about and when we got home we started to think about the holidays we’d have from there and we booked Vietnam for Ramadan. We went for a visit to my new school and saw where we’d be living and we couldn’t believe it, we‘d be living in a palace, everyone was really nice too so we were very happy with the choice to take the job. Because the school years didn’t match up I only had about two weeks between finishing Balik and starting in Surabaya so Michelle left a couple of weeks earlier and the time with her olds. We were both happy to be leaving Balik; we’d had a great time there but we’d had enough and needed to keep moving. We would have preferred further afield than Surabaya but it was a great opportunity with more money and I would gain experience in the Brit curriculum which would help my career. One of the reasons I was happy to leave was that the school had ripped me off a month pay and after doing a great job and putting in extra for the school they turned around and were really rude about it all, Yet another lesson that you can’t trust anyone! The extra I put in included organising a school disco and at the last minute a parent said they can supple a belly dancer, I said yes, not knowing that the belly dancer was a banchong- cross dresser. So we had primary school kids dancing along to a bloke dressed up as a belly dancer shaking his groove thing all around the disco. In the time I was alone I was getting in to the rum a bit and missing Michelle; I did go and make a metal song with Luke in which I played drums and we filmed it, I was pleasantly surprised to see I could actually play.

Back home, briefly

            I was pretty stuffed when I got off the plane; Mum, Dad, Kara and Clint came and met me and we looked for a wave but it was woeful so I just had a kip on the grass before heading up to see sexybum. I really was tired; I don’t often get that way but I actually started to doze off and got woken up with a fright as I was solely veering towards a truck so I stopped and drank extra strong coffee and one of those Guarana turnouts. When I eventually got to Gin Gin we were both over the moon to see each other so after a bit of a chat with Roy and Joy snuck off for a minute or two. The next week or so was mostly filled with catching up for lost time and lots of drinking. We then headed back home and stopped in and spent a night with Krepo which was good, apart from Mum and Dad he was the only one who came to visit us In Balik, the sort of thing a friend like him does. When at home I got some good waves at Mullaway and was happy just chilling out at home with the family, the boys also threw me a 30^th at Darkum where we got slaughtered and before we knew it we had to head back to Indo. Clint took us up to the airport and we had a few with Davo the night before and then we were off again. When we arrived and saw the place some more we were even more stoked. Everything was going great; we got along with all the staff and while I worked harder the work was also made easier. Not long after we got there Clint went to Bali then came and visited; we just got on it and took him to the Martini Brunch. The next weekend though we went to Bali with him; I got some sick waves at Keramas and a few the next day at inside Kuta reef as it was too big everywhere else. Rabsy, Tommy and my principal and mate Viki were also there so we got on it with them a bit.

            A couple of weeks after that we went to Vietnam; I took my board and used it for about half an hour in half a foot waves out of stubbornness. The first day after 7 hours on a train we got to Nha Trang but Michelle wasn’t well so I just sussed out the joint while she recovered. The second day we had an awesome dive, saw a stack of bright coral and a couple of turtles and when we came home we just enjoyed our lovely view from the veranda. We then went on an island tour and had a fun snorkel, drank in the ‘floating bar’ and went to a dodgy aquarium. After that we went out and got spastic and then we headed down to Mui Ne on a bus for 5 hours. It was a quiet place with not really a lot to do, we went for a ride around one day and saw some beautiful spots we headed for Saigon after s couple of days. In Saigon we went to the markets which were a bargain and I bought another instrument. We then met up with Viki and Sep and got trashed, at about 3 in the morning we couldn’t find our hotel and woke up some old lady who was pretty pissed off with us bloody pissed Aussies. The last we night we went on a dinner cruise which was lovely to have a romantic night and then went back to our hotel for some more romance. We enjoyed Vietnam but it’s another one of those places where you have to do a lot of travelling. When we got back to Surabaya we booked our next holiday for Christmas in Sri Lanka and in March at Lombok so we had plenty to look forward to. There was also the chance of going down the coast in Java for some uncrowded waves and something we were really excited about was the chance that we might be heading to Switzerland the next year.

Bali, 6^th time

A month or so after Vietnam we went to Bali for a four day weekend and went back to Candi Dasa and we had a ball. We got to Sanur about 9 on the Wednesday night to our cheapy little home stay, had awesome feed and crashed. The next morning I got up early and checked the surf and scouted around for a bike, there wasn’t much swell and lots of people said I’d have to go to Kuta for a bike with racks but eventually I met an aussie down the beach that showed me somewhere in Sanur. So we loaded up the bike and headed off, we stopped at Saba to check the surf with no reward except for a flat tyre and I had to push the bike a few K’s to get it fixed. It was bloody hot and I was stuffed by the time I got there but it didn’t’ take too long and we were off again. We then rode pretty much straight through to Candi Dasa, found a cheap hotel after a bit of hunting and I headed out to Jasri for a fun surf. That night we went to a cool place that had a band that even let me stumble through a song pissed with them on guitar. The next day I headed back out to Jasri and got some better waves, in the arvo we went for an explore and found a nice water temple for some photos, we were also looking for a beach we’d been told had good snorkelling but we had no luck. That might we took it a bit easier and went out for a nice feed and had a bottle of wine at the hotel and some good alone time. The next day Shell came out to a new spot with me that looked like I’d get plenty of barrels, it turned out to be a bit quick but she got some good photos and a bit of video at least of me pulling in. I went back to the Jasri about lunchtime and got some sick long smackable waves and I was stoked. In the arvo I was buggered after an OK snorkel and had a lay down then we went out for tea. The next morning I got up early and was out at Jasri by myself for a while and got sick pits and heaps of waves. I took some food and a book and rested a bit before going out for the last surf of the weekend, it wasn’t as good but I had it to myself and did a few airs and had fun, I headed back and we loaded up and rode back to Sanur. On the way we got another flat tyre but this time I only had to push it about a K, we had a great time again in Bali and it was nice to get away and spend some time alone together. The weekend after I went down the coast here and got some fun little waves with some blokes from another school, bit of a crazy, long drive down there but I got a few waves and explored a new part of Java.

After that we laid pretty low for a while, we didn’t have much time off other than a long weekend when we went a bit further down the coast with the same blokes I went with last time. It was a longer drive but Michelle came this time and we stayed for a few days so it was worth it. The surf wasn’t huge but on the second day it got a bit bigger and we got some sick, hollow waves. I got a few quick pits and heaps of fun waves then when I tried to pull into a decent one I hit the bottom and dinged my board once again. It was a beautiful place and it was nice to see a new part of Indo that wasn’t ravaged by tourists just like ourselves, very different to the big smoke of Surabaya. It wasn’t long after that until the end of the year but it seemed to go on and on. Our good friend and my principal Viki lost her job and we were feeling a bit threatened by the unstable International School system where we really had no leg to stand on if it was decided that I was to be shipped out whether there was good reason or not. From past experience though I’d learnt to keep my head down and finish out the year and if the worst that happened was that I was booted I would at least know I’d done my job. This ‘it’s not what you know but who you know’ business wears thin sometimes and it seems it’s who you blow. Anyway the end of the year came and we headed off to Sri Lanka looking forward to getting away and a change from the Indo-Asia thing. Of course Sri Lanka is still Asia but we were stoked with the change of environment, culture and attitude. When we went to Thailand we noticed a gentler nature to the people and while Sri Lankans weren’t quite as sweet there was a real calm to them that we’d been missing. Indonesia is great, and we are getting spoilt but Sri Lanka was comparatively clean and there wasn’t as much of a ‘what can I get from this white fella’ feel. The waves weren’t awesome but it was really fun and easy to surf; not so many long boat trips and either uncrowded or crowded with people who spent most of their time watching and waiting for waves anyway.

 Sri Lanka

            We went to Hikkaduwa first which is the main tourist beachy place and I got some fun waves and we had some great nights together sampling the dirt cheap food and bevvys. We were so wrapped up we weven forgot our anniversary but there was no lack of loving going on in that time anyway. We had a sick dive there and went in our first shipwreck and cave dive, we saw heaps of bright, hard coral and fish and lots of Nudibranchs. We then went down to Mirissa which was beautiful but not much to do and tiny surf so the next day we headed back up the coast where I was sure I saw more swell. I had a sick surf at Ahangama and we stayed near Unawatuna. We also went and checked out a turtle rehab and then went to Unawatuna for a couple of nights. I hired a bike from there and had a few more surfs out at Kabalana and then we headed back to Hikkaduwa to meet the olds. It was great to see them again and the waves were a lot better than last time. I got some little barrels and did a few airs. We then went to Unawatuna again and this time the waves were OK so I got to surf a fair bit with Dad. We also went to check out temples and the fort in Galle, Shell got a sexy Sari and I got a Sitar. Back to Hikkaduwa yet again, we had a fun new year and danced the night away. New years day was flat which was OK because we headed back up the coast and then out to Kandy. It was fun too, the first night we saw some traditional music and dance and firewalkers and the nest day we went to see the Elephants. St first they were chained up being fed and we weren’t to impressed but then they all went and swam down in the river. There were at least fifty of them and there was beautiful bush all around, it was amazing, like nothing we’d ever seen before and it made our trip up the mountain worthwhile. We then went to the botanical gardens which were great and the nest day we took a train back to near the airport. The train trip was beautiful also; it gave a very different perspective of the countryside. The next day we headed back home and after a freak out with slack ass striking immigration and hours of delays we were stoked to have had such an awesome holiday and end to another fairytale year.           

We settled down a lot at the beginning of 2010; our drinking buddy was gone, I was looking for heaps of jobs and we were trying to save money and get fit. We’d still get on it together on the weekends but we were buying a lot less beer and doing a lot of other things to keep us busy. I was still playing sport 4 days a week and now I was also going to gym and swimming before school. We had a few trips around here including down to Blitar with Mum and Dad. We got some waves at the same spot I’d surfed before and it was similar conditions but higher tide. Dad didn’t make it out because it was a pretty tough paddle and it was a bit of a wakeup call for me that It gets harder to stay fit and strong from here on in. We knew we had a couple of months til our next real trip so we spaced out our little trips around here to pass the time. The first was to Malang, we took a train which was a hot, stinky crammed experience but we got to see some nice country side in the mountains. On the way back from Malang we got off the bus and went to the Safari Park which was great, it had; big cats, Rhino’s, Hippo’s, bears, all the African, American and Asian favourites and it was huge with areas rather than enclosures. We went in the safari bus which was a bit quick and it was raining but we still had fun. A couple of weeks later we went to Madura Island on a bus with Alisdair and his Thai girl Prau. The bus ride was cool, it’s nice and green which is a nice change after Surabaya and there were some nice creeks and a bit of rainforest around the caves created by an old lava flow. We were on the bus for a few hours so we got off and had a feed, it was going to be another hour to get to a dirty beach so we headed for the ferry back. It wasn’t that exciting but we got out of there and saw another place we hadn’t seen before.

Bali 7^th time

A couple of weeks later it was worth the 2 month wait, we went to Bali again. The first day I got some fun little barrels at Hyatt reef and then after that scored the best pit I’d had for ages at Sanur reef, I was stoked. There was an Aussie fella out there having some issues with the locals who were being dicks and then he came and talked to me about how they wouldn’t even be out in the water without the Whiteman. I was alright with them, I just stayed out of their way and waited patiently. I was just thinking these blokes will get karma for being such pelicans when one missed a waves and I swung round, did a sick reo and got the pit! That night we got wasted and went to a night club were Shell was telling me to dance with the lingerie girls but I was too useless. The next day I had some fun groggy waves at Cucukans to myself up the reef where it was bigger and better and after that we went for a ride to Nusa Dua but it was blown out and low tide so boats weren’t going. The last day I got some fun barrels by myself down the reef at Serangan, when I got back Shell realised we had an early flight so I couldn’t have a 2^nd surf. It turned out the schedule changed so I could have just surfed but it had dropped off and the only place with waves was Sanur and I saw 2 waves were 5 blokes got dropped in on so I thought I’d rather not rush just so I could get dropped in on too. We were stoked with that weekend and we really started to like the laid back atmosphere of Sanur. We then had three weeks until Lombok, couldn’t wait!

After some sick surfs in Bali I was pumped on getting fit so I was playing as much sport as possible and going to gym and swimming every morning and I was feeling much better for it. We had an awesome time in Lombok, I got heaps of waves while at Kuta. The very first day I got fun little empty barrels at Senggigi then waited for Joy and Shell and headed down to Kuta. I then got a bit messy but long, fast smackable waves at inside Gerupuk. The next morning I went back out there early and it was nice and clean with a few pits and aalso a fair few people, that arvo I headed out to Mawun and found some messy but heavy, quick and shallow pits to myself. The next morning I headed back to Mawun and got some cleaner pits, it rained that arv and I knew the roads and boats would be out of action so I had a breather. The next morning I got small but awesome pits at Are Guling, there were a few blokes out but I was getting plenty so I was stoked. That arv I had a shocking surf at inside Gerupuk, it was dropping right off. The next and last morning in Kuta I got some fun little solo waves at Segar. Other than surfing at Kuta I had an average snorkel out the front and we just did a lot of drinking and lazing around the pool. We then headed back to Senggigi and the surf was getting pretty small. I got a few fun little barrels at Senggigi the first few days and then it dropped off even more and was pretty much unrideable but that was cool because I just snorkelled a few times and we did a lot of eating and drinking. We also had a great dive at Gili Air and we saw two turtles and I saw another one snorkelling off Gili Meno. When it was time to come home we were all pretty had it and looking forward to Bali after four long days back at work.

Bali 8, 9 and 10th time

Joy and Shell cruised around Surabaya shopping and that kind of thing and then we were off to Bali. We were stoked to see Kate and the first night had a few then I headed out for a fun session at Canggu but there was a comp on so I stayed away from it for the next few days. After a pretty average surf at Legian in the arv we hit the turps and went to Kuta for some jam jars. It was all fun and games while it lasted but the next day I was rooted, I don’t know if it was the booze or food but I couldn’t go far from the loo. I eventually had a crappy surf after lunch but then went back to bed after. The next day I headed out to Serangan and had a couple of sick surfs and got some barrels while the girls went out to Ubud. I was still weak as piss from the day before but after the surfs I had a few beers but as soon as I had dinner I was back on the throne and didn’t get to have a last big night with them. They went out and had a ball though so that was cool. I was still bloody tired and Kate was leaving soon so I just had a surf at Seminyak which was OK and it’s not so crowded for that area so I was happy enough. It was great to see Kate and Joy and a bit sad to go back to work and knowing that we had over a month til we got back Bali. The good thing was though that Krepo would be coming in a couple of weeks and we were planning to head to Blitar. Shell and I were both keen to settle down off the booze eat well and get fit, so we did and it payed off.

Had a great time with Krepo, went to Blitar and got the best waves I’ve ever had there on the right, even some barrels. Tried to surf the left the first day as he was keen and it looked doable but it was too shallow I got one and thought I could pull in so I did on the next and hit the bottom so after that I just waited for him in case I had to scrape him off the reef but he just paddled so that was lucky. We spent the rest of the week he was here on the turps. It’s great to have visitors but every time we were missing home and normal people more. Not long after he was here we had a four day weekend in Sanur and I got sick waves, the first morning Hyatt Reef was about 5 foot and I got some barrels. Then I met an Aussie called Luke and he told me about Pabean so the next day I headed there and got fun little uncrowded pits, nearly every wave. The next day was bigger, still barrelling but more people, not too many though. Josh Kerr was out there and although I was getting plenty he just made us all look silly doing big airs when we were just happy to make it. He was a cool bloke too, didn’t try and own the joint just cruised around and still got all the best waves, He did laugh when I got hammered but I think anyone would have. A couple of weeks after that we were back in Sanur, unfortunately the first day the surf was blown out so we just had a cruisy day and watched the tigers win the footy in the arvo. The next day though was cranking and I got so many barrels, it was one of the best surfs I’ve ever had.  The next day was fun day, not as many barrels but I got one of the longest I’ve ever had and made it out, one of those ones you think you’re not going to make before you pull in, during and at the end but somehow you fly out. We didn’t hit the piss as hard this time, a bit because of the cash but also that we wanted to enjoy the days more than felling groggy and we were really glad we did, it was a great last time there for a while. A couple of weeks after that we were heading back home. I got my new fish before we left and was keen as mustard to ride it. We had a farewell at Lemongrass and then went to Despos and got wasted then the next week we were off, a bit sad that it’d be a while before we went to Bali or anywhere with waves again but also looking very forward to going home and the UK, our next big Adventure.

Back home again

Had a great time back home, was good to be back longer this time. We went to Roy and Joy’s first, after I had my Visa appointment in Brisbane. I was going to work there before school holidays but I couldn’t get my Ed QLD Id and I wasn’t extremely disappointed, it was good to be on holidays. As usual we did lots of getting wasted and I spent a heap of time re-recording my songs with the awesome USB recording thing Shell got me. Claire came up for a week or so too so that was good, Roxanne and her latest fool also came for a while. I went looking for waves one day but that was a big waste of time and fuel. We had a few barbies here and there which was good, I chopped wood and thistles to get myself outside and moving around. I was also spending a lot of time sorting stuff out for the UK, applications, resume’s, certifying documents etc. it seemed to never end for a while there. We then stayed at Leanne’s on the way to spending a few days at Tin Can Bay with Joy and Raelene, I had a couple of tiny surfs at Rainbow and it wasn’t much good but fun to get  out there again. After that we spent a weekend in the Goldie, got a cheap hotel and caught up with Davo, Kreppo, Dover, John, Ezzy and even Luke Patterson briefly. Didn’t have a surf, it was shitty and we were also seedy.

Then we got back to Mum and Dad’s and for a while we had a break from getting maggot. At first I surfed Mullaway mostly on the new fish and was loving it, I worked a bit at Woopi Public and High School just to get in the system and it was good coin. We went into the girl’s place in Coffs for Kate’s birthday and another time, was great fun. Started getting waves at Darkum a few days with Dad and then one sick big day with Clint, then the next day I got fun little waves at south end cabs. We went and saw Kerry and Nan and Pa and I caught up with Rob and had a few surfs unfortunately though I was having troubles with the fin plugs in the newy. Then we went to Byron for a weekend to see Joy who was staying at Connie’s, actually got some fun little waves at Tallows which was a bonus. Was good to surf a bit with Kaiden too, on Monday night we went and saw Dead letter circus which was awesome. It was then time to go back home and get as much surfing in as I could before leaving, we had a farewell party at home which was good fun.  Clint took us up to the Goldie which was really handy and we watched the footy at the pub then had a few quiet wines at the backpackers. For most of the time we weren’t thinking about it too much as we were just so glad to be home but towards the end we were getting very excited for this big uncertain adventure.