A Sunny Day in Sydney

Days 445-446, February 15-16, 2012

The distance between Canberra and Sydney is only about 4 hours, so even though there is no train between the two cities, the trip doesn’t feel all that bad. During the bus ride, I ended up befriending a girl seated beside me long enough to get her to let me borrow her laptop so I could work on a few blog posts. The plan for being back in Sydney was pretty simple: meet back up with Steve who would be in town for work.

And because he works for a large company, his hotel room was being paid for. A two bed room overlooking the famous Hyde Park in the Sheraton On The Park Hotel. Cost: AUD$390/night.

Holy hell.

My room – photo via Sheraton.com

Getting Over The Theft

It’s really sad to admit, but admit it I will, but the day after the theft of my laptop and passport, I was not in the best of moods. I was downright depressed. For two days I did nothing but wander over to the McDonald’s where the theft happened (on the insane notion that I could change things back) or stay in the hostel watching old movies. I was very close to just quitting the trip, that’s how horrible I felt. Of course, I didn’t, and couldn’t do that. I had no passport after all.
But somehow I snapped out of it. I think it was mainly when my aunt told me to stop whining. She has a way with words at times.

Plus, I almost caught myself watching this

Going Down in Koh Tao

Days 404-411, January 5-12, 2012

It’s funny how things can change in a hurry. When I was thinking about Thailand, I pictured myself spending week upon week on white sand beaches, hopping on ferries to the next out of the way island to bask(or bake as it were) in the sun. As it turns out, I got none of that, and completely on purpose. Besides the little stint on Koh Samet back in September, Koh Tao was going to be my only other Thai island. And for me, it was strictly business. I was going for my Dive certification.

The Bats and Dolphins of it All

Days 368-369 & 376-377, November 30-December 1 & December 8-9, 2011

Two small towns in Cambodia exist a slight ways off the beaten track. For the most part, people tend to ignore these in exchange for the war history in Phnom Penh, the magic in Angkor Wat, or the sun and surf in Soukanitville. And it is understandable why most people would leave these places off their “must see” list after going there myself.

Monk walking in Battambang

Don’t get me wrong, they’re both nice little communities, but they’re also very very quiet, with little to do but one or two sights. While the second, Kratie, has easy access to small Cambodian villages in which to visit, the first, Battambang, is really no more than a small city. Not much of a draw besides the “bamboo railway” and the “killing caves.”

Why You Should Ignore Online Reviews

Days 299-301, September 22-24, 2011

After nearly a week in Bangkok, it was time to get the hell out. While I was still planning on finding a place to settle down for a month, just to get out of that travel vibe for a bit, a part of me was beginning to wonder if I really needed it. And moreso, whether I have the time and money to do so. But I can’t worry about that yet!

I had booked a three day, two night tour through the hostel in Bangkok for a trip up to the north-west to visit a number of sights including the River Kwai and the Tiger Temple. My mistake came from reading some reviews of the tour company the hostel was using on Trip Advisor. Trip from Hell was how one person described it.

I see your “arg” and raise you an “Erg”[Chebbi]

The following takes place between Days 176-178, May 22-24, 2011

The Sahara Desert is by far the largest desert in the entire world, covering almost the entire northern portion of Africa. In Morocco, one can easily make their way to one of several dunes, or ergs, for a camping excursion in the sand. For Jaime, Kelly, and I, we decided to organize a tour through the hostel for a three day, two night tour to the largest erg in Morocco, Erg Chebbi.