I often wonder why the hell I live in a country where there is constant rain, greyness, fumes, chavs, smelly smells and just muck everywhere.
I used to live in Australia...but we moved back to England for some reason. Good move....
Anyway, I thought I would bore you all to death about my year of travelling. Starting from summer 2005.
We thought we'd go somewhere different. Dubai. I loved it.
We arrived in the airport late at night, get off the plane, and some man comes up to us...not holding a board saying our surname...he just came up to us, said our name and welcomed us. He collected our bags. We didn't tell him which ones were ours. He just knew we then continued on outside with our stuff. We had a nice posh car which he told some random man to drive us. You can tell the government want people to enjoy their stay and eventually move their.
We arrive at the hotel and we've been upgraded from normal hotel rooms...not to the next ones up...but the actual top notch room! It was fantastic. So yep! First night there was brilliant.
I could go on telling you day by day but it would take TOO long. I will condense it. Hotel right by the beach. The water is the warmest sea water I have EVER been in. It was so clear too. There were even dolphins in there with us! Of course, you turn around and see all these skeletons of skyscrapers being built (24 hour building there! thats alot of buildings getting made fast!). I look off in the distance in the ocean, i see the "palms resort" getting built. Amazing. Ventured into the old city. I felt like i was on a different planet, it was so different, unique and lively, but still had amazing ancient characteristics. The newer parts were amazing, new malls built to a theme. One built to look like different areas of the (ancient?) world! I hope I go back there soon.
October 2005 i was in latvia! I didnt think id enjoy it here. I did! Its so old and gothic (or at least thats how i recall it). It was quiet. but i think that was a good thing. It was peaceful. We had some hotel across the river from the city. we walked there everyday, and the people were so helpful!
December 2005 we were in Boston. Snow on new years eve. It reminded me of England...but in america. Its a weird way of describing it but thats how I felt. I do enjoy america, but i dont know if i could stay there for more than a month in one place.
April 2006 I was getting down in Rome! I thought i'd get bored here, but it has now become one of my favourite places in the world. Seeing all the ancient places of interest. I am attracted to the ancient world so much so i really enjoyed all these places in rome. Seeing were julius caeser was killed when i was trying to find a mcdonalds or something was CRAZY! Every corner you turn...theres an old building. Theres just too much to say about rome! But i have to say, being a bit obsessed with religion etc i found the vatican amazing. I had easter mass with the pope. I went in the vatican museum and the basilica. Going in the crypt were all the popes are buried. Seeing the place were st peter is buried (apparently). Seeing all the old art work from raphael etc. Unbelievable.
Summer 2006 i had a bit of a world tour. We went to vegas first. We've been here about 4 times now and its just soo funny. Can i ask, why do all teen american in groups look at your shoes before they look at you? I love vegas. Its just so...fake but real if that makes sense. However, I swear i was going to smack the next shop assistant who said "Hey, how you guys doing today?". Please...don't talk to me...you're going to loose a sale if you speak to me whilst i'm trying to buy your crap.
We then drove to L.A just to fly out.
We arrived in Tahiti the next day. I must admitt...not as nice as i thought it would. The hotels areas and resorts are nice, with the rooms sat over the sea (them stilt house things) but tahiti itself is a bit scabby i must say.
We went to the cook islands after that, rarotonga (raratonga?) to be exact. Now this was an island. They have a bus service! Two routes! Clockwise and anti clockwise!!! How awesome and simple! We took a bike ride round the island. Its beautiful, HOWEVER, i'm scared of butterflies and there they are HUGE! so i didn't like them. Me and my bro canoed over to a little island off the shore. We found coconuts! We cracked them open and enjoyed the milk in them. I say enjoyed, i mean we drank it because we werent going to let the horrible taste ruin the fact that we went across the sea to an island, got a coconut out its shell then cracked it open for some milk. Its the principle that counts!!! There were some hermitt crabs too on that island. by some i mean alot. some small and some massive! I never really enjoyed it whilst i was there but i wish i was there now rather than here!
We then went new zealand after that. Auckland. It was winter time. And wet. I swear i was in asia though! there was loads of chinese and japanese people there! But alas, i was not. I imagine it to be a really nice place in summer, but winter was a bit cold, especially when you've just come from a tropical island!
We then hit up melbourne in australia. I lived here a few years back and on the other side of australia too, but we just stayed in melbourne this time. it was amazing to see how things had changed. I liked the fact I knew were everything was and it did actually feel like i'd come home. i wish.
Then Singapore (only briefly) and onto Kuala Lumpur. NOW. This is the strangest place i have ever been! Its so weird! Its just...weird! I LOVED IT! The crossings across the road were different! Monorails above the roads. The city just appearing with sky scrapers after a 1 hour drive from the airport through baron jungle nothingness! it was like a futuristic oasis! Cheap electronics WHICH WORK too! Cheap footy shirts! Of course not the real ones but who cares! £1 for them! Sold!
We left here, back to singapore (again, briefly) and then to Hong Kong. I had always wanted to go here and finally I arrived. Nothing like i imagined. It was fantastic. Sticky weather, but fantastic. Cheap stuff, trying to look like you were chinese too eating with chopsticks whilst all the other natives laughed at you, the amazing light show on the buildings. It was simply amazing. Markets for everything. Even live birds! Again...even cheap football shirts! But i thought trying to find a totorro present would be easier....Then in the taxi back to the airport...speaking to a taxi drivier from hong kong, to tell you he lived in the same small town you did, and shared jokes about some of the places there was possibly the strangest thing ever, but brought you back to my own reality...and made me realise...i don't want to live in this place which he's talking about when ive just been to all these places in the past 3 weeks.
Not bad though for 18.
