Bali, Lombok and the Beautiful Gili Islands

After experiencing the beauty of Gunung Bromo the natural step for us was always to continue further east to Bali, then on to it's neighbouring island Lombok using it as a spring board to travel to the Gili islands. There are three islands just north of Lombok; Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air. We had researched a little into these islands and the more we read the more we wanted to go. Long stretches of remote beaches, giant surf against the back drop of volcanic mountains, deep water corals teeming with sharks, rays and giant turtles, beautiful food and no pollution due to no motorised traffic allowed on the island. This done more than wet the appetite. I also wanted to do my last dives in south east Asia, and I was told there was no better place than gorgeous Gili. 

After a long journey, crossing by ferry and then more hours on our cramped public bus, we eventually arrived in Bali. We where dropped off in Kuta, which is a 'lively' resort. Now I use the term lively loosely, its more like the equivalent of Australia's version of what Benidorm is for England. After one evening there, it was all too much for us, even me and Laura felt super old in Kuta. It was a resort full of young, wild and drunken Australians and that was definitely not where we wanted to be, especially in order to embrace Balinese culture. So, the next morning and with out hesitation we hopped on a bus and headed North to a place called Ubud.

I loved Ubud. This beautiful place for me is the real Bali; perched on gentle slopes that lead up to the mountains surrounded by lush paddy fields and palm trees, Ubud remains, retains and practises Balinese culture in all its forms. You can really feel it as you walk around its old cobbled streets, traditional houses, holy temples and sanctuaries...it feels ancient, untouched. That's not to say that there isn't restaurants and cafes here there are many; the culture here is laid back and chilled out. However, the growing number of traffic, especially mopeds is causing to much congestion on the main roads and consequently far to much lung chocking pollution. We decided to rent some bikes for a couple of days and venture a little bit out of the main town and we were rewarded. The surrounding countryside is unspoiled, untouched by the modern world and it was a joy to ride...well most of the time. I found out what it must of been like for Lance Armstrong on the mountain section of the 'Tour de France; the hills are practically vertical, great for going down but climbing up I felt like my calf's were going to blow up. I loved it really, great work out and a great way to start the day. You have to imagine the views. You are surrounded by beauty. Open green paddy fields and coconut tress glow as the sun beams and the air swells. Storm clouds swirl and gather on the distant horizon, a threat of things to come, its rainy season again. Small villages pop up and the odd school were children play and they all scream and wave frantically as we ride past. Bike rides like that are unforgettable and makes the pain all worth while. Every night the weather closes in for about one to two hours and you experience the most powerful and turbulent storms. I used to sit outside our room under the cover of our balcony roof and watch with amazment, like a young impressionable innocent child in awe at the power of nature. You feel every thud of thunder and shake at the noise of each bolt of lightening, it's an electrical storm of the highest order.

The Temples of Ubud

Bike riding through the serenity of Ubud

The perfect scenery to bike ride through

The power of Nature: The view from our room during an electrical storm

From Ubud we traveled the short journey to the coastal town of Padangbia were we stayed for one night before traveling to Lombok. We where lucky enough to find a gem of a guesthouse here, the actual room was more like an apartment, with a downstairs, upstairs and balcony included. But, the one night we chose to stay, as luck would have it a local wedding was happening next door and the mix of traditional Balinese music and hardcore trance music blasted out until the wee hours. It's funny, intriguing, almost insane that such an eclectic mix of electronic noise appeals to the usually traditional Balinese cultural taste in music.

We set off for the island of Lombok on the 21st January via the slow boat from which I quickly renamed the very very slow boat; it took us 5 hours to travel just 25km...I could have swam it quicker. We could have opted for the speed boat and arrived at Lombok in a mere 90 minutes, but, it cost three times as much, so we decided on the ferry...you do the math. The journey was quite interesting; despite the hundreds of cockroaches that scurry about playing footsie with your feet, the diabolical safety record and the fact the ferry only has one life boat to accommodate at least 300 people I enjoyed the ride. I indulged in some reading, challenged Laura to a game of 'boy girl' (and got whupped) and spent time on deck starring out to sea lost in thought, in awe of this vast, rough remote blue abyss that makes you feel vulnerable. You really get a sense of the force of nature when you are at the mercy of it. The sea is power, raging with energy and force, but, it also has this mystical, gentler side that draws you in; the smell of the sea, the spray, the rhythmic sound of the waves crashing and the silence...timeless. 

We eventually arrived at Lombok port and got on a minibus to Senggigi, where we were greeted by a man called Abdul at his tourist office 'Lombok Smile'. He offered us a package to scuba dive on the Gili Islands and also stay in Senggigi for few days, which was perfect for us. We usually don't book anything in a package, we prefer to do everything as we go, but, this sounded good...but as I was to find out very soon, it was...to good. We stayed in a local village area with a traditional room and this is the place where our lessons began in the Indonesian language. All Abdul's friends hung out at the guesthouse and his friend Dedi owned the place. We would sit and chat to them for hours and worked on perfecting our knowledge of the Indonesian language. We spent the next three days, wandering around the place, eating local street food, engaging with locals and again I ended up having a little jam with this cool little artist. By the end of our time in Senggigi, I could have a small conversation with local people, asking how they are, saying my name, asking their name, saying my country of origin, asking where they come from and talking about food or the weather. I could order my food in Indonesian and ask for the bill, but, more importantly I could order a ice cold beer...quality.

Jamming with a cool little artist

It's good to get back on the bass

  
We headed over to Gili Trawangan on Tuesday 24th January, the furthest and most lively of the three Gili Islands, by a small fisherman boat. The boat should carry around 30 people, but the Indonesians don't worry to much about passenger safety and the day we crossed over, they crushed over 50 people on. And in the middle of the boat they loaded  it with a stock of beer, water and other goods being delivered to the islands adding  to the weight and danger. The waves where very choppy and slammed into the boat as we crossed the open water; the Bali sea that runs between the Indian and Paciffic oceans is really powerful and untamed, very unnearving. Thankfully, we arrived safe and sound to Trawangan and the initial quietness and open sands welcomed us with open hands. We wandered along the track around the island and bumped into a local guy who worked at a guesthouse. In the end, we walked with him and went to check out and stay at this guesthouse called Dua Nina. It was clean and basic and a good price for us too. All water on the island is cold sea water, as there is no fresh water on Trawangan, so plenty of ice cold sea water showers and loads of mosquitoes. 

On the beach of Gili Trwangan

Crystal turquoise blue water-the island to my left is Gili Meno

A fishing boat moored on the beach a sign of the power of the sea

My view every day-beautiful

'Life is to important to be taken seriously'

Inspiring

I was here for diving, so I went and found 'Lombok Dive' centre, and met for the first time the Divemaster, a guy called Mohni; as circumstances would have it we were to become good friends. I showed him my receipt, payment for 4 dives purchased from 'Lombok Smile Tours' costing me £140.00 and told him I would like to dive on Thursday and Friday. I was really excited and I arrived at 10am on the Thursday ready to dive. This is when the fun started. I could tell by the way Mohni greeted me that something was up. He told me that 'Lombok Smile Tours' doesn't pay him any money for diving and hasn't done so for over 12 months. He basically sells the dives on the main land but doesn't forward the money onto Lombok dives, which is a different company. Abdul is a con artist and the receipt he gave me was as worthless as the paper it was written on. I couldn't believe it, ripped off again. I was so angry, but Mohni is a good guy. He said that I wasn't the first person, and wont be the last. After speaking with him for a while he said he would let me do two dives today in return that I go with him over to Lombok and confront Abdul and get my money back. I done my two dives and Laura decided to stay on Gili Trawangan while I went over to Lombok to try and get my money back, with the plan to get the water boat back to Gili during the night. It is a 40 minute boat ride to Lombok and a 40 minute drive back over to Senggigi and during the journey I was thinking, this guy could be mafia, what happens if I get the police involved and he is paying the police...I felt a little anxious and all the dive crew were quiet, it was like i was going into the unknown. When I got to his office it was already dark and the wind had really picked up. There was already two young German girls at his office who had both been ripped off with nearly £1000. They had got a flight over from Bali and had been hunting him down for a week... they were fuming. He eventually turned up; this little sly looking man, who looked like the Joker out of Batman with all his make up off. He was sweating and he looked as if the world was going to end, sullen pressured face. We gave him until 8 pm to get us all a refund or we told him we were getting the police. It was tense, no one was talking, we just sat looking at this pitiful man. Then, we had a power failure and total black out. It just added to the atmosphere, it was a strange scene, the lights of the cars going passed lit up his face for a moment, a shadow and I kept glancing at his dejected cunning face. It was crazy...I was thinking; what the hell am I doing here? It was only two hours ago when I was diving in beautiful waters and having tea with Laura relaxed on the beach. Now look at me. I am sitting in an blacked out office in the middle of Indonesia with the joker, two German girls going crazy in that efficient totalitarian German tone, while outside I was aware of a growing gang of lads by the door, who at any moment were going to kill us all because the guy were integrating was a Mafia kingpin. I was getting a little anxious to say the least. I checked the weight of a chair next to me, so I could use it as a possible weapon if anyone attacks us, but,  to my surprise it was made out off solid oak or something and weighed a tonne...why was the chair my only weapon so damed heavy?

As we are sitting there watching the clock, two other girls came in and complained about that the hotel they booked with Abdul. It didn't take them long to put two and two together. So there was now five of us and he owed us a total of 1,600 pound. He was a con artist and his luck had finally run out. We were in the police station for ages, half of them were laughing and the rest were playing Fifia on the computer...crazy, it was like a scene out of Police Academy.  I just wanted to get out of this situation, because you don't know who to trust. Mohni turned up and promised me all my dives tomorrow so I was gone...leave the Germans to it. By now the weather had changed dramatically, it was gale force wind so I had to stay on Lombok. I could not get back to Laura who was on Gili and by now a little worried. She either thought I had sank on the boat or I was swimming with fishes after messing around with the Indonesian Mafia. My dive master booked me into a family guest house and he paid for it all. It was a great little place. The owner and his wife took a liking to me and he fed some beautiful chicken and then pulled out a bottle of famous Lombok palm wine. It's funny how a normal day can turn into a little adventure with a great ending; 'All's well that ends well'.


The diving was fantastic, although I never saw any sharks, the amount of diverse life and coral was impressive. The turtle is protected in this part of Indonesia, thus attracts hundreds of them and I was lucky enough to swim with some giant turtles on the reef. They are so laid back, just watching them swim with the current is an amazing sight. We dived a number of sights including Bounty's Wreck and Meno Slope at depths of 18m - 24m. One of the best things about diving is that you meet so many great people from all around the world. After my little escapade with Abdul all the dive crew treated me like I was one of the them. It was as if I had stood up to a bully for them and straight away I felt a new found respect bestowed upon me...it was a pleasure to dive with such a humble and funny group of people. The feeling of being under water surrounded by shoals of fish in their blue world is one of the most free and exhilarating feelings. On my last dive a couple from Australians dived with us and one of them took an underwater camera on the dive. She took some amazing pictures which gives a unique insight of this underwater Paradise. Enjoy!!!

Ok! Me enjoying the he freedom of diving

Lion Fish

Add caption

A species of Cuttle Fish

Hawksbill Turtle

Finding Nemo-I love these fish, they are so protective of their coral home

"I suffer from short term memory loss. It runs in my family... At least I think it does... Where are they?”

A shoal moving effortlessly like a single entity

Moray eel

A tiny little crab

Me diving next to a shy Turtle that is chiling on the coral just below me

We had to make our way back to Bali by the 2nd February in order to catch our flight to Perth, Australia. However, one of the ferry's (the same one that took us to Lombok from Bali) sank in rough sea's. This resulted in all boat's being ordered by the Harbour Master to remain at port. We were in effect stuck on Gili Trawangan. It was an agonising wait, but, thankfully after three days we got on a speed boat back to Bali were we spent another couple of great days relaxing and eating in our favourite little family run restaurant.


Indonesia was an unforgettable experience; rich in history and as diverse as the 17,508 islands that make up this country, it was the perfect way to end our journey around south east Asia and begin our next leg...Australia. 

Good Bye Bali

  

Gunung Bromo

You say it's your birthday
It's my birthday too, yeah
They say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you.

                                   -The Beatles

We left Jogjakarta on the 15th January, destination Gunung Bromo on the island of Java to witness one of the most spectacular natural sites on earth...sunrise over the highly active volcano; Gunung Bromo. A lunaresque landscape of epic proportions and sureal beauty, it is said to be one of Indonesia's most breathtaking sights. Mount Bromo is just one of three ancient peaks to emerge from a vast caldera, the Tengger Massif which stretches 10km across, its steep walls plunging down to a flat sea of lava and sand. Bromo sits closely by Java's largest mountain, the fume-belching Gunung Semeru, which stands a mammoth 3676m. This smoky cone oversees Bromo's supernatural beauty and the entire vocanic wonderland forms the Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park.

We set off early from Jogyakarta; it takes over 12 hours to drive east to our destination and so I was prepared with my ipod fully charged and my superb book...'Once an Eagle'. The journey was fine, we arrived at a small village around 8pm, it was very dark by now as we were out in the sticks, in the shadow of the giant mountain range. We booked our Jeep for the morning, got our accommodation sorted and then got into a more suitable vehicle and drove up into the mountains to our accommodation. It's a strange feeling when you are driving in the pitch dark, unaware of your surroundings, your sense of hearing more in tune trying to make sense of the world around you, listening intently...especially to the lower gears roaring and groaning, determined to negotiate each steep incline.  It was a bumpy ride, an English guy next to me was trying to eat some noodles, but unfortunately dropped them all over his bag...pity the smelt lovely. After about 40 minutes the jeep came to a halt. I noticed the condensation on the windows, the air from the peoples mouths...it was cold up here. I jumped out of the 4x4, a little short of breath and the cold hit me straight away. We were over 2000 meters high and the clouds hung over us like a giant piece of cotton wool. I had to laugh as I was totally unprepared...I had a pair of skimpy shorts on and t-shirt. It was so quiet it was unnerving but so peaceful. It was a very eerie feeling to be up here away from all the world, away from everyone. We got to our accommodation and it reminded me of Dolly Hall the only difference being, we had a squat toilet. We got changed in to our arctic clothing, had some supper, bought a hat off one the locals and set the alarm for 3:30am...fully clothed ready for bed and an early start.

It's always hard getting up, but, once you are up its worth it and I was full of anticipation and excitement at watching sunrise over Mount Bromo. The jeep took us over very bumpy ground to Gunung Penanjakan (2770m) we got out and walked for about 40 minutes to the view point. From here you get the best views of sun rise over Bromo, the Tengger crater and towards smoking Semeru, which as I was to find out is spellbinding. At the top we waited for sunrise, due for approximately 5:20am. Everyone is waiting in anticipation, but its so dark you cant see a thing. Slowly more light shines through like some one is slowly opening the blinds...tantalizing you. Then, you get a glimpse, an outline of features, which grows until you begin to make out this desolate, barren, primitive landscape that has a distinctly end of the world feeling. About 6:30 we drove the short journey to the Bromo and walked up 253 steps to it's crater and gazed into the guts of this giant beast, a highly active volcano that last erupted only 6 months ago.

Sunrise and the whole experience of visiting this ancient volcanic range was spellbinding, but words can't always describe or even justify what you want to say. Therefore, I have put a series of pictures in chronological order from around 5am to 7:30am to let the pictures tell the story of one of natures most dramatic and beautiful visions. As they say; 'a picture paints a thousands words'...It was an unforgettable birthday...just don’t ask how old I am.

Sitting on the crater of Bromo

"It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves"

                                                          

                                                         -Edmund Hilary

 

Four Countries in Seven Days

After New Year we traveled to Krabi Town, rested up for a couple of days and booked our bus out of the country for new pastures further abroad. In less than two weeks we would journey hundreds of miles from Thailand to Indonesia, using every type of transport available to us and feel near exhausted by the end of it. By  the time we got to Jogjakarta on the island of Java, Indonesia, we were in much need of some rest and recuperation. It was during this leg of the journey, that for the first time I really did feel a very long way from home.

We left Thailand on the 5th January by coach destined for the capital of Malaysia...Kuala Lumpur. We arrived there at 3am and went straight to McDonald's for a early breakfast (Why Not?) and waited there until after 6am...this way you don't have to pay for that nights accommodation...top tip. Most travelers refer to the capital as, KL. To Malaysians the city is much more than a capital, it is there monumental achievement, their economic flag ship,  a thriving metropolis, a symbol of their ingenuity and determination. And there is no better  visual example of this here than the massive sky scrapers that dominate the sky line including the record breaking Twin Petronas Towers. They stand at 452 metres tall and are truly breathtaking to behold. The weather was great while we there, and we spent a few days walking around the city, window shopping and eating some lovely Chinese and Indian food. There is so much cultural diversity here, especially the thriving Chinese and Indian community; hustle and bustle, heat and energy, a common theme during the next two weeks of travel through this part of south east Asia's multicultural cauldron of life.

The Petronas Towers

The Twin Towers

Melaka was our next destination in Malaysia. It’s only a short bus journey south to the coast and you arrive at a very different part of the country…artistic and tolerant, diverse and multicultural, small and manageable; it has a stress free vibe that has so much to offer. I prefer this type of place rather than the big cities, it feels more personal and the people are often more friendly. Chinatown is Melaka’s most interesting and scenic area and of a night especially during the weekend it comes alive with music and dance, beautiful lights and colours and has one of the best markets located on Jonker Street. We stayed right in the heart of Chinatown, in a cool little guest house called Jalan Jalan and spent a few days exploring this little gem.
 
 

Notice the distance from Melaka to London

Who's the Daddy? Outside the statue of Malaysia's strongest man

The ambiance at night in beautiful Melaka

Many travelers have said two things to me about Singapore whilst I have been on the road. One it’s very expensive and two the city is that clean you can eat your dinner off the floors. Well I will be honest with you I never saw evidence of the latter; it was a clean city, that is true but nothing special and personally why would anyone in there right mind eat there dinner off the floor. We arrived into the city on the 9^th January and went in search of accommodation. If eating off the floor isn’t true (and again, why would you?) being overly expensive, it well and truly is. One night’s accommodation in Singapore cost the same amount of money as one weeks accommodation in any other of the previous South East Asian countries…and were only talking about basic hostels here in Singapore.  On a positive note the city has a special vibe that is created by the mix of Indian and Chinese heritage intertwined with 21^st century culture, architecture, most notably it's massive skyscrapers, a symbol of business, commerce and economic power. The best way to explore a city in my opinion is the good old fashion way…walking. If I had a pound for every mile I have walked in 2012 I would be a rich man, however the down side is by the end of the day your legs feel like they have done a marathon. But, by walking you don’t miss anything; you can stop and speak to people, try street food and find hidden gems you would otherwise miss if you took another form of transport.  The city comes alive of a night; it transforms into another city, very modern and futuristic in both  rich colour and sound. The skyscrapers dominate, like a man made mountain rage, summits competing with each other, not only in height but with egos in this eccentric economic age. We sat by the dock and gazed at this spectacular sight for ages, watching the city reflect into the calm waters; a very modern age but with a strange primeval ghost still retained in it.

We originally planned to get the boat to Jakarta, Indonesia but after further research we discovered it was not a passenger boat but a cargo liner, it would take 31 hours  to get there and only 2 days before one ship had sunk in the middle of the sea. With that in mind and  with Laura panicking like we about to book onto Titanic 2, we decided to book a cheap flight that would only take 1 hour 30 minutes and would be a hell of a lot safer.

Stunning architecture day and night

Singapore comes a live at night

Sitting on the harbor in awe at this beautiful neon lit skyline

We arrived at Jakarta airport the capital of Indonesia late on the evening of the 12th January. We got a tuck tuck into one of the backpacker areas, booked into a dodgy cheap little room and decided to book on a train out of the city early the next day. Jakarta is a big capital, similar to Mumbia in that its big, populated and polluted. I remember sitting down in this smokey bar late the first night after all that travelling, got a beer and sat back and looking back at me was a picture of The Beatles in their prime, 1964; just when you need a little bit of home comfort, the best band in the world from my home city is shinning down on me...'love you yer yer yer'. We left by train at 6am the next morning to Yogyakarta, and it was during this eight hour journey that for the first time I felt a long way from home. 

The journey was fine, we felt safe as the people here are really friendly, however that doesn't stop you padlocking your rucksack up and fastening it to the overhead rail. But, on this journey I just had this feeling of discovery, like I was another planet for the first time, a feeling that seemed to grow with every mile. Perhaps it was the number of new sensations my receptors where all at once exposed to, bombarded with, forced to make sense of this new and curious world. We where the only foreigners on the train, a great feeling, sometimes a little daunting but a challenge since you have to learn a little of the language...I actually learnt a lot of Indonesian and the people are so appreciative of this, it gets you along way in a foreign land. The train stops every few hours,and when it does a dynamic floating market comes aboard selling everything from exotic foods and coffee to silk scarfs and carpets. Poverty is all around you. People playing out of tune Guitars sing and serenade you, women carrying young infants malnourished and tired looking seek your money, beggars mostly children sweep the floors around you, people from all directions put a solitary hand out and deliver you a piercing dejected look that never fails to pulls at my heart strings. All this energy and commotion and noise. And then the train gently begins to move off and this market of beggars and hawkers disappear like ants leaving you to anticipate the next stop a little more educated in how to avoid eye contact and avoid any unnecessary emotional guilt.

I love the rhythmic movement of the train, its therapeutic...relaxing. The biggest change of the train journey was the landscape. Ancient volcanic mountains, grey and black strike out of the ground like giant broken teeth in the distance set against a mixture of barren and fertile lands.  Small villages and towns pass us by, men and women can be seen working this land...I wonder what there life is like out here in this wilderness? It's rainy season again, so the clouds sang grey and stormy against this back drop. I like to spend some time standing by the door of the train. Its not like England, the trains are primitive here and the doors are open. With the cool air in your face, looking out at this spectacular landscape is an unforgettable experience...free and timeless.

One incident made me laugh on the train. I was making my way back to my seat and there was a few children with their mothers playing, so I said hello and was trying to make them laugh making faces and funny noises as you do. Well they all started crying, one child even ran away from  me screaming. Was it because I was different? Yes...but it was probably more to do with the fact that I was sporting long hair and a big scary beard. Well it made me laugh to think how ironic it was, to think that it was the English children over two hundred year ago who were afraid of the Indonesian people, the so called 'Bugis' people. These warriors had a fierce reputation for being barbaric sea faring wanderers, and it was said that European sailors should beware of the 'Bugis man' during voyages. Maids of families during European colonialistion of the 'spice lands'  told this story to young children in bed time stories to make them behave, hence the saying...'Beware of the Boogie Man'.

What a journey. We arrived in Yogyakarta late in the afternoon and spent 4 days recovering, eating good food, visiting markets and  exploring temples. I even exchanged places with a Tuck Tuck driver just to give him a break from all his hard work on his bicycle. We stayed in a great little place called Utar, a family run guest house who's owner was the secretary of President of Indonesia. We booked  our trip to Gunnung Bromo, a very active Volcano to witness sunrise on the crater at over 3000m above sea level for none other than my birthday; the 16th January...what a present I had in store for myself!!!

Me and the Secretary for the President 

Exchanged places...giving the Tuck Tuck driver a well earned break

Which way mate?

The realisation that I had bitten off more than I could chew

Christmas & New Year Thailand Style

It was time for a change of scenery...I know the following I am about to say, sounds unthinkable, perhaps to some people unforgivable when you consider cold, miserable England, but, we were a little tired of the whole beach culture. We had spent over two weeks on the beaches that belong to the beautiful ko Samui archipelago and It was time for a change of pace, slow it down a bit before the madness of Christmas and New Year. We had already booked our accommodation for Christmas on the island of Ko Phi Phi situated on the west side of Thailand and we were also looking to spend New Year somewhere in the Krabi area. Therefore we decided on a trip to the jungle, in the centre of Thailand as something  completely different. We would spend a week in the jungles of Khao Sok and believe me it fed our appetites again for a little more of creamy sand and crystal blue sea. 

Khao Sok National park in Southern Thailand is an amazing place. It is covered by the oldest evergreen rain forest in the world, huge lime stone mountains shooting straight up in the air, the remains of an ancient coral reef that was five times as big as the Great Barrier Reef. Deep valleys penetrate the landscape, breathtaking lakes and caves are waiting to be explored are vast and remote; wild animals, insects and strange exotic noises creates a feeling of being totally free but at the same time a sense of complete loneliness as though one has stepped back in the wilderness of the Jurassic age. We spent a week in a remote part of the jungle, sleeping in small wooden jungle huts listening to some of the most primal noises of a night and being woken up every morning by troops of monkeys swinging on to the roof. We went on two jungle treks, visited waterfalls and ate beautifully prepared Thai food, my favorite being Bamboo Curry. It was a great experience but I was ready for the beach again after being out in the sticks for five days...I was also in need of a good hot shower.

The view from our jungle hut

Morning in the Jungle 

Taking a well earned rest during one of our jungle treks

We arrived on the island of Koh Phi Phi on the 23rd December and the first thing I done was book on two early morning dives for the following day; Christmas Eve. I usually spend this day stressed out, running around town doing last minute shopping trying to decide what perfume my Mum would like this year. There was nothing better than being on that boat at 7am on Christmas Eve, sun out and a cool sea breeze blowing in my face traveling to one of the best dive sites in the world with the potential to see an abundance of marine life including some reef sharks. We dived two sites just off the famous Ko Phi Phi Lay; this is where the cult  movie 'The Beach' starring Leonardo DiCaprio was filmed. The first dive site was called  Hin Bida, and we dived a coral shelf with a maximum depth of 18m; the highlight  was swimming close to a shy  but curious Leopard Shark, a Blue Spotted Ray and a very inquisitive Hawksbill Turtle.  When you dive, it is probably a similar feeling to being in space; the freedom and weightlessness sensation, a feeling of being in another world...their world. I remember on both dives floating with the currant, and being surrounded by thousands of fish all brightly coloured, tightly packed, the perfect defensive tactic, a massive shoal of fish, individual but all working together like one singular entity, a force that is mesmerising to behold like a muscle contracting and extending effortlessly and poetically, sensitive to every motion in the sea. If you swim to close,  or put your hand out the whole shoal moves together changing its shape, contracting,  but  somehow keeping its order, its shape as though this entity is simply breathing in and out. I could stay there and watch this display of safety in numbers the whole dive, it is simply one of natures beautifully engrossing sites. My final dive was on a site called Bida Nok with a depth of around 20m.  We spent 40 minutes searching for the shy and elusive Black Tip Reef Shark.  Near the end  of our dive, our dive master took us to coral wall and we dived to about 16m and waited at a particularity good feeding ground for one last chance of a sighting. With only 60 bar of air left, and time running out, there it was, out of the blue the greatest hunting machine the world has known; skills homed and refined over millions of years of evolution prowling past me like poetry in motion; slick, graceful, elegant. I was in awe, in front of me swimming was the ultimate predator...the Shark and within in seconds... it was gone. What an unforgettable encounter.

Christmas is not the same when you are abroad in my opinion, there is nothing like being at home with all your family eating your Turkey and Stuffing. It did not feel like Christmas this year but it was still a lot of fun. This year I had a BBQ all you can eat for dinner, which was a change. Boxing day on Phi Phi was a quiet and somber occasion. All excursions, dive and water sports were cancelled as a sign of respect for the hundreds of people who lost there lives in the 2004 Tsunami disaster. It was the seven year anniversary of when the Tsunami destroyed this island and you can still evidence of the disaster.  We walked up to the view point to remember the victims and to pay our respects. The tourist part of Phi Phi were the majority of hotels and restaurants are situated lies on a thin stretch of land. This is were the waves hit hardest; it really drives home the reality of just how vulnerable the victims were seven years ago.  

Happy Christmas

Koh Phi Phi

A poignant view of Phi on the anniversary of the 2004 Tsunami

You can notice Phi Phi Lay just under my chin where the cult movie 'The Beach' was filmed

Railay is one of Thailand's most sought after beach areas, a rocky headland and accessible only by boat, presents itself as a tranquil and extraordinary little world. In just one small peninsula you'll find gorgeous white sand beaches, soaring limestone cliffs, viewpoints, caves and lagoons hidden inside the cliffs, shaped and fed by the changing tides.  What a place to bring in the New Year. The vibe here is layed back and chilled out, with reggae music drifting harmoniously across the beach, basking in sun shine watching climbers from all over the world scale irresistible and very challenging cliffs and crags. However, we almost had to leave before we even settled in. 

We arrived on the peninsula late in the afternoon of the 28th December and decided not to book anywhere, as we have found from experience that it's usually cheaper to find a place when you arrive at your destination. Within minutes of arriving by long boat, however, we quickly realised that the entire place was fully booked out. With night fall fast approaching, me and Laura laid en with heavy rucksacks and wary from travelling all day were faced with the reality of sleeping on the beach, or if we are lucky in a bar somewhere. We walked the entire island for over two hours and everywhere was full. My heart sank. The closet place to go from here was by boat  and it was over an hour a way and we would defiantly be ripped off. In our hour of need and with the last throw of the dice I sat our bags down and ran up 'last chance saloon' jungle road, a stretch of beating track that leads up into the mountains. By now it was dark, I was tired and I new if I can't manage to convince someone to put us up for the night we were defiantly sleeping on a strip of sand somewhere. I called into three small guest houses, full, no vacancies. I then arrived at the last guest house up on the hill and pleaded with the guy 'We'll sleep anywhere'. The guy looked at me and told me that he did have one room, but it had no door, 'do you want a look'? I ran up with a joyful heart. He was right about the door, but it also had no windows, no bed no nothing, just a bear room with a ripped mosquito net and dirty mattress. But, beggars can't be choosers, and in a situation like this it looked more to me like the 'Hilton' to me. I think my words were  in a high voice 'we'll take it'!!!.

The Hilton

The motto of Rilay is a simple but effective way of making decisions quickly without thought or responsibility of any direct or indirect consequence that may follow due to your answer. Let me try to explain using the following questions. Do you want to climb tomorrow? Why not? Do you want to sunbathe? Why not? Shall we go swimming later? Why not? Do you want a ice cold beer? Why Not? Do you want to play the next song on the bass? Why not? Did you order a large pinnacallada?...its half seven in the morning I am not an alcoholic...Why not? I think you get the general gist. This simple quick witted two letter word is the answer to almost all questions on this liberal little island. It provides a platform for a no nonsense, no thought involved, uncompromising gut approach without a second thought for consequence or responsibility. Great!!! It's the decision making process the Tories having been using for years in England to discuss, manage and implement government policy on a number of greatly pressing issues. Imagine the setting; David Cameron addressing his cabinet including the one and only Nick Clegg. The issue  for discussion is on  debt reduction in the UK. David Cameron; "Shall we cut and slash Government spending to an all time low, and rip apart the entire social fabric of society in the process?" Cabinet with an indifferent glare and a shake of the heads...Why Not?

I usually think New Year is a big let down, and anti climax to the festive period, but, this year was different. I spent the night on the beach, watching fire work displays, mixing with people from all around the world and listening to the best upbeat positive genres of music...Reggae. The highlight was getting up with one of the local Rasta bands and jamming on the bass some legendary Bob Marley songs. I then had the pleasure to watch one of the best Reggae bands in Thailand bring the New Year in, and stand in awe listening to the funkiest soul-iest  bass player I have ever had the pleasure and honor to behold...he made the bass sing. What an end to a great year...roll on 2012.

Rilay Beach

Jammin', I wanna Jam it wid you!!!

Bringing in the New Year

The man. The best bass player I have ever seen; the man is soul

Happy New Year 2012

'Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds'

                         -Bob Marley