on the road again

I have finally left Darwin... it took us just over a month. A month of sitting. Sitting, drinking, sleeping. Part of the reason for the lack of blogs in Darwin is due to the fact that there was really nothing to write about... I spent my days at the beach, and my nights in a hostel parking lot. In retrospect I really should have used that time to work (I may say that I looked, but the truth is I was overly picky and very lazy about it... I had the opportunity to have at least 3 jobs, they just weren’t “right”)... my financial standing leaves much to be desired (arrived with $4000, down to $1000) but, that should be enough for the petrol to Cairns (they have me using words like “petrol” now... it's just easier than saying “gas” no one knows what I'm talking about... oh! And the Aussy's call a cooler an eski... wft?) and as long as I eat cheap (hooray for $1 cans of spaghetti) and stay in inexpensive campsites (you'd be pleasantly surprised how often you can get away with not paying at some) it should be okay. And I will have to work as soon as I get to Cairns (or I could just start taking donations from friends and family back home who don't want me to come back to the country and sleep on their couch... ... ... ... yes. That means you) I will survive.

bye bye Darwin!

We left on Wednesday, the destination is Cairns which is just over 3000 km. I am traveling in the van with my friend Tina, and two British friends who are traveling in their truck (which we are hoping doesn't break down... they took it to a mechanic and were told it needed $2000 of work... oil leaks, break fluid leaks, broken brake something... they didn't have the money, so we are taking it slow and crossing our fingers...)

Jack and Garith, the British blokes in their sketchy truck

This experience (traveling a long distance while stopping at campsites along the way) brings back memories of my childhood. My parents used to take us on these two week trips where we would travel around from campsite to campsite. At the time, I remember being old enough to know I didn't want to spend that much time with JUST my family, and still to young to appreciate what an awesome experience it was (I have seen some amazing sights on those trips). If I had known that I would myself embark on such adventures, I think I would have laughed in disbelief. Yet, here I am... driving by day, hunting cheap campsites, and enjoying the road. One significant difference, however, is that we do not have a route planned, and we do not know how long we will take to do it. We are basically winging it.. we wake up in the morning and then decide if we feel like moving, then take a look at the map and think about how far we feel like driving, and if there are any sights on the way we feel like seeing, we stop. (and I wonder if my parents current adventure is more like my own, or structured as my memories) It sounds easy, but we are four people with four different opinions. Thus far there has been no disagreements... we seem to be a laid back group... but we are only three days in... (don don doooooon)

So, where are you Heather and what have you been doing?? What?? I thought you enjoyed my ramblings... but I suppose I should add in things about the sights that I see... since I am sure that is what most of you want to hear about (or you just wanna hear me ramble cuz you miss me).

We haven't made it far... maybe 150 km from Darwin (hahahah, you can laugh now... we travel at a snails pace). Litchfield National Park was the first stop. We spend two nights at the Buley Rockholes campsite. The sight itself wasn't much to see (I swear, it is IMPOSSIBLE to find shade in this country... all the trees are these little sticks with a few leaves) but we got away without paying the fees (we would have if someone had asked us too, but it was a place where there was no one there to ask... you know, just put the money in the box. I guess you could call it stealing... I prefer to look at it as “borrowing” a sight for a few nights and mindfully leaving everything as it was when I got there). What really gets me is that you actually HAVE TO go out and find your own wood from the PARK. Maybe I don't really pay attention (hehehe, we all know I NEVER pay attention), but I am pretty sure your not supposed to go around and ravish the provincial park grounds in Canada (correct me if I'm wrong) As I remember, you either bring your own wood, or buy it from the camp ground attendant. You can't do that here because you are not allowed to bring any outside wood into the park (Australia has a very delicate ecosystem, so they are afraid that if you bring wood from another area you may bring in alien bugs or something). So, there are some beautiful places to swim here... with waterfalls and wonderfully cold water (which is a little piece of heaven when it's so freaking hot all of the time). And there are some pretty cool termite mounds to see. I would absolutely recommend a stop there if you are in the area. Unlike Kakadu National Park (did I forget to tell you of the Fuck You Kakadu adventure??? Lets just say it was two mosquito filled days driving around a park only to find out that you need four wheel drive to get to any of the good spots. Not to say that you shouldn't go to Kakadu... go there, but go there with four wheel drive. Actually, if you decide to drive around Australia, get something with four wheel drive... there are lots of back roads with free camping that we can't get to).

thats me in the middle tanning at the Buley Rockholes

more buley rockholes

our first attempt at cooking on the campfire...

I can't remember the name... some lookout

Wangi falls

there is a cool little pool in the rocks to sit in... like a really deep hot tub!

magnetic termite field

Florence falls

Now we are in Adelaide River. We were aiming to see the crocodiles jump in the Adelaide River (apparently you can feed them and they jump out of the water) but we found out that that attraction is actually NOT in Adelaide River, but somewhere ON the river closer to Darwin (points for our amazing preparation and research into our trip). That's okay though, we are paying $7.50 each for a sight with power so we get to charge up all of the electronics, AND there is internet so I can post this blog :-) (oh, yeah, so... travelling though rural Australia means there will most likely be limited internet, so limited blogging opportunities)

Aaaaaaaaanyway. I am sure there will be some interesting adventures to come (the van was making an interesting sound today... sounded like water was boiling inside... overheating maybe??) The British blokes we are with are not what you would refer to as outdoorsy men (but they are doing their job... building fires and finding wood) and we are all terrible at map reading and general directions (seriously, those guys miss the turn EVERY time) And there are plenty of sights to see.

Jack is VERY proud of his fire

I am always amazed at how much crap comes out of my little noggin when I sit down and write. Seriously... I'm thinking... no, can't blog.. nothing to write... them BAM two pages of me prattling on. Hahhah... and your STILL reading these. Jeez.

my new home

I would like to apologies my lack of blog posts as of late, it seems that living in a van has created one (very large) unexpected difficulty: charging my electronics. If I have a day that my netbook is actually charged, I usually spend the time catching up on facebook and emailing... sitting down to write about whats going on is becoming a rare luxury.

So, here a one that was started a while ago... and it seems now I finally have the time to complete and post it!!

Buying a van from other backpackers is amusing to say the least. We bought our van from two Italian guys, so with them and my German friend I seemed to be the only one that could understand the previous receipts of work done or follow what the mechanic said. (oh how I could have used that to my advantage, but I am a fair person and believe in honesty) I got to explain little things, like the difference between the tire and the wheel (and had to actually physically touch the objects to get some understanding from my pupils), and then bigger things, like translating an entire conversation I had with a mechanic (hahah, we walked out of the shop and they all had blank stares... It makes me wonder how other travelers who don't have a fluent English speaker do it.... perhaps that's why so many people end up getting screwed with their purchases).

Our van should be good... it doesn't look too pretty, it's an 89 Mitsubishi express van. It has somewhere around 310 000 km on it, but the engine was rebuilt 40 000 km ago. It's white, standard (which is a Canadian term... there was some confusion when I was telling my British friend), with a bed in the back (with storage underneath) and an area that's kind of a kitchen out the rear door (it includes a pump water sink with a 10 gallon tank, a cooler, a small counter, two gas stoves, and all the dishes and kitchen junk you need). We have a small table and two camping chairs to put outside. AND it came with a guitar and a diseredoo (neither of which we know how to play). Some other gems were found when we cleaned it out: two hammocks, a wet suit, a soccer ball (or football is what the rest of the world calls it), playing cards, a poker set, a mosquito net, a sewing kit, tools, bungee cords and straps, sleeping bags, pillows and blankets, a GPS, a small fridge that plugs into the cigarette lighter, speakers for an ipod, an inverter, a radio transmitter for iPods, maps, maps, and more maps, a lonely planet guide for Australia, Camp 5 (which is the bible for camping spots around the country), a few novels (not all in English), and food (mainly instant noodles).

all the junk we cleaned out

kitchen

storage

I found the original add for the van when I was cleaning it out, they posted it for $4500. Lucky for us (but not for them) Darwin is a better place to buy then sell. The guys were both leaving the country and needed to sell it asap (when the transaction went through, one was already gone and the other was flying out the next morning). They were asking for $3500 when we responded to the add... we paid $2800 for it (go us!). This price included the cost of getting the oil leaks fixed (which were multiple) and purchasing two new tires (around $1000). So the previous owners only walked away with $1800 (if you ask me, they should have sold it in Sydney where they could have gotten their original asking price!)

When we went in to get our new tires, we had to get the mechanic to show us how to get into the engine (which is under the passenger seat) and how to check the water and oil (I swear I can do that on a normal vehicle.... but this one is so different!). He offered us a free roof rack (yay!) but when we tried to put it on, the rust on the (umm... not sure the word for it... lips? Along the top) broke through. He said we don't have to worry about any leakage, but the roof can't support any weight, so no roof rack for us (very disappointing). When we were there there were three girls (french maybe) getting their car looked at... prospects were grim for them: they had $2000 of work that needed to be done (something about one of the tires falling off imminently among other things). The girls were close to tears... they said that was their second vehicle, and they had put a total of $10 000 into their cars as of yet. They couldn't put any more money into it, so they were going to have to sell it (happy that's not the car I bought!).

the rust hole

hidden engine!

We immediately commenced on making it a “girls van.” New bedding, flower pillows, pink curtains (that was a duvet cover that I sewed into curtains), and butterfly stickers on the outside. I am very happy with my new home. I think it will serve us well (as long as I don't burn the clutch out! ... and my brother very GENEROUSLY offered to fix it for free if I flew him out here.... hahhha).

Now we are dealing with the daily life of living in a van... Darwin is a difficult city to live in, they have lots of laws and regulations making it difficult. Campsites are around $40 a night (waaaay more that we are prepared to spend) so we squat at night in a hostel parking lot (that our friend is staying at) and go to the beach during the day (a place where we can set up our chairs and make food... until the authorities come and tell us to put it away... then they leave and we take it out again). If we get caught sleeping in the van at the beach (or anywhere really) it's a hefty fine (over $100 each... fines are all pricey here.. $400 for not wearing your seat belt!). Life is pretty easy though... we have a friend who does our laundry for free, we use the public bathrooms (also a Canadian term... others just say “toilets” ... sounds vulgar to me) for our showers and to charge our electronics (we unplug the hand dryer and plug in our extension cord then sit outside with our most expensive possessions while they charge),and we spend our days sitting around.

I have said it before and I am saying it again... I must find work. My finances are getting scarily low... but as of yet we have not found anything (mango picking wont start for another three to four weeks). Ideally we would like to work for a month before we head out of Darwin, but if we don't find anything by next week we may have to move on to Cairns. Luckily, our daily cost of living is only food (and there are $1 cans of spaghetti that we currently live off of... have I mentioned how awful my diet is now?? cans of tuna, cans of beans, cans of veggies... basically, if it comes in a can that's what I eat) and gas (also a Canadian term... everyone else says petrol) so, we should be able to survive off of very little for the time being....

welcome to darwin

I knew I must be going to Australia when on the plane they informed the passengers that they have the right to refuse alcohol, and to ask you to abstain from drinking your own alcohol.  I laughed.  hard.  Out of all of the flights I have taken in my entire life,  I have never had the safety spiel involve responsible drinking!!!

I don't think I have ever seen so many people sitting in the bar drinking during the day... although, to be fair, where I am is full of backpackers, so it's not necessarily the Australians.   It livens up (even more) at night, there will be FULL night clubs on a Tuesday night... like, Tuesday?? really?  Don't you people take a day off?  Seriously, the drinking may kill me.

Other than the amusing spectacle of watching people fight on the street (you know, girls crying uncontrollably while two guys are fighting... or police outside the bar mid day breaking something up) Darwin is actually a sleepy city.  Well, compared to where I have been, anywhere outside of Asia would seem sleepy... the streets are so big and there is barely any traffic, people aren't all over the sidewalks in street stalls, eating, or just hanging out.  It just seems so quiet... almost unnerving... There really is nothing to do here but go to the beach and drink (which I am clearly taking advantage of)

I am enjoying living among numerous other travelers from countless countries.  I find it super interesting to learn the slang and talk with people. Did anyone else know that "bees and honey" means money? And "going for a Brad Pitt" is taking a shit?  That's the English... they have the most interesting way of saying things (and then insist that I bastardize their language). I cant, for the life of me, understand Scottish people... the language they use is NOT the same as mine!  It takes all of my attention to try and decipher what they may be getting at... and I still need to ask a couple of times (which gets funnier the more you drink).  I get  made fun of for some of the things I say... when I say about, it's apparently aboot (but not as bad as some eastern Canadians I am told), if I have two drinks I say I'm "double fisting" (don't say that abroad, just don't), oh and I also made the mistake of asking someone if he was "fingering me" (you know, giving me the finger) evidently that is something that elicits a comical response.  I also find it amusing to constantly be giving conversational English lessons (but only when people ask me to correct their word usage and grammar) and it can be tiring to always be choosing your words carefully, to ensure I don't use words like... well, ensure for starters.   And it's a constant effort to speak slowly (yes, I swear I a capable of speaking slowly... it just takes a lot of effort).  But it's still easier than trying to communicate with Vietnamese people...


Life here is very different for other reasons... first of all I am staying in a hostel for the first time in my life... sharing a co ed dorm, sharing a bathroom with an entire floor... I have to do my own laundry (and pay $6 to both wash and dry) I have to go to the grocery store and buy food, then use the common kitchen to cook myself food (which has, thus far consisted of cereal, toast and peanut butter, and pasta with sauce... I am not ready to cook any gourmet meals as of yet).  Oh, and I have to figure out all of the technical crap to working and purchasing a vehicle. (opening a bank account, getting a tax file number, figuring out Aussy vehicle registration)

I am sure between drinking and sleeping I will find the time to accomplish these... It's actually ridiculously easy to find work, I already have two days of special event serving lined up (at $23 an hour for 12 hour shifts... woot) and there is need for some mango pickers (it's supposed to be six weeks... we shall see how long I last).  I even have a van already (once I move into it I will go into more detail). 

So, life really isn't that had... drink, eat, sleep, find temp work, sleep, drink, eat, and so on.

going down under

Alright.  The time has come to leave Asia. 

Honestly, I am going to miss it.  I feel a little weird going back to the developed world... a place where the food is familiar, I can drink the water, sidewalks are used only for walking, people drive in a way that follows traffic regulations I am accustomed to, I will be able to cross a street without fearing for my life... and this will cost... a lot.  Everything.  I hear its even more expensive in Australia that in comparable countries (like my own).  I suppose I started it off right by paying over $1000 to get there...

I am going down under with no planning... no idea what exactly I am going to do.  I have done little to no research on the place I am about to go.  There is talk of buying a van and living in it, there is talk of finding work (farm type work, or fruit picking... something I have never done... I suppose I may have to file my pretty nails down so I don't break one!) there is talk of spending New Years in Sydney.  I am flying into Darwin... that is all I know for sure.

I have a working travel visa which allows me to stay for a year and work while I am there.  I do not know if I will stay for the entire year.  I do not know where I will be going when I leave.

I am full of excitement.  Words can't describable the feeling I have now...  I love this.  I love that I have no idea where I am going or what I am doing. I love that I am unemployed, homeless, and living out of a backpack.  I love my life.

I have the world in my hands. I am weightless. I am free. I am happy.

bla bla bankok

I am sorry to say that Bangkok hasn't left a very good impression on me.  I think I will definitely have to come back to Thailand, so I can give it a fair chance.

How about I start with what makes me smile.

I LOVE that the traffic lights have countdowns.  Big numbers saying how much longer you will be sitting at the light (or conversely, how long until the light will turn red).  What a great idea!!  I have spent sooo much time at intersections (like the one at Douglass and Hillside in Victoria) pulling my hair out waiting forEVER... it is nice to just know exactly how long you have,  Or when you are coming up to an intersection and it turns yellow at the point of no return (you know, going to fast to stop, but your probably gonna run the red now) the solution is big fat numbers beside the light to tell you exactly how much time you have.  Genius.  Pure genius.

One point for Bangkok.

Thai language makes me smile.  Have you ever seen it in writing... sooo much fun to look at.  Swoopy with little balls everywhere.  Backwards r`s and squiggles.  I love it.  And it`s fun to say out loud too! Sawatdee ka (greeting) korp khun ka (thank you).  (oh, but "ka" is what women say at the end of a sentence, and men say "krap" or something)

Two points for Bangkok

People don`t use their horns incessantly like in Vietnam.  I've heard that Bangkok is a chaotic and busy city... I say Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi were way worse.  I felt unhinged walking around there, but Bangkok... not so much.  I attribute that to the lack of horn honking.  Not that there is none, but it`s more like you hear in Canada.  Don't get me wrong... the traffic is still intimidating, there are still motorcycles driving on the sidewalk, crosswalks are still dangerous to cross, but compared to where I have been... it's not  so bad.

Three points Bangkok

Taxis and tuk tuks RIP YOU OFF.  (tuk tuk's are taxis that are kind of a motorcycle crossed with a wagon... or something like that)  You would think that the tuk tuk's would be a cheaper way to get around, since you have to ride outside and inhale exhast the entire time.  But, no. Every time  you flag one down they try to charge you two to three times more than it would cost in a metered taxi, and they try to bring you to shops to spend money (I think they get a commission).  But don't be fooled, you can't just wave down a metered taxi to get a reasonable price... most of them refuse to use their meter and try to charge an inflated price as well... it took us an average of six taxi's to find one that would use his meter!!

my very first tuk tuk

view from my room on the 22 floor

Lose a point for trying to rip me off Bangkok.  Two points.

Hotels aren't as cheap as they should be.  We ended up going all out and staying in (what we thought was ) a swanky hotel.  It had like 33 floors, two pools, bars and restaurants, big rooms with tv's and a fridge, a marble bathroom... bla bla bla.  It was 20 years old and smelled like mold.  The plumbing rattled every time someone took a shower on my floor (which is a terrible sound at 6 am when people start to shower... then again at 6:15, 7:00, etc etc).  Laundry was ridiculously expensive... like, $1-$3 per ITEM.  Oh, and they charged waaaaay too much to use the wifi... like $10 for an hour.

Lose another point for crappy hotels.  One point.

And the thing that annoyed me the most while I was in Thailand was the cell phone plans.  I got a SIM card (as I do in every country) so I could have internet on my phone and a local number (you know, just in case I need to make an emergency call).  Not only did it cost more than in any other country... it was the worst internet.  EVER.  They didn't have 3G, just 2G (which is annoyingly slow) and every time I wanted to use it I had to call a weird number, wait for it to text me back, then turn my phone off and on (and if you have an iPhone you know how long that takes) then remember to phone the weird number and wait for another text to turn it off again (or it would keep running and I only had 20 hours of internet).  So basically, the entire point of me having a local SIM was negated  (to phone home with Skype... can't on 2G, and to look up random things in the moment... takes to long to access the internet).

Lose another point for having crappy cell  plans and service.

So, in my opinion, Bangkok is neither good nor bad.  It teeters on the line of indifference... I could take it or leave it.  SO.... I must go back one day so I can tip the scale in favor of Thailand, because I am sure there were a lot of amazing things that I did not get to experience.  Besides, you cant judge an entire country based on the experience of one city.