Signing out....

Ok so I have decided that because the internet is so expensive in Europe (and because I am likely to get really behind) - there will be no more posts on this blog. I guess if you are my friends reading, this gives us something to catch up to chat about when I get back. Thanks to those who were loyal and actually read what I wrote.
Cheers, Bec

Karak Castle

After leaving Amman (regrettably without doing much shopping), we took a bus for 2 Jordanian Dinars to Karak. This 12th century Roman castle wasn't much of a sight to be honest (thank god it was only $1), but I had fun running in and out of dungeons, pretending to be a princess and marveling at the views from the turrets. We also met some lovely guards who offered us tea (later we got free coffee from a restaurant owner) and a chat. The small tourist area near the castle at Karak is quite lovely at sunset. In the morning I bought an enormous pita bread for 50c and we headed on to Petra.
 Interestingly, I have noticed that the reaction to women here exists in two extremes. You either get overtly rude comments or you are ignored as only a 'woman' and people refuse to touch you or shake your hand. It has become quite disconcerting.

I am the master of LIGHT!

Amman Adventure

I was a little bit nervous about getting in to Jordan, as I didn't have any outward tickets, but I needn't have worried. Customs, airport workers, bus drivers, randoms on the streets here always ask as their first question - 'Where you from?'. Next comes the inevitable 'You welcome'. Welcome to Jordan is on the lips of everyone we walk past. They are also very willing to direct you anywhere you wish to go and to make you happy with more food, more free mint tea etc. We stayed in the Cliff Hotel in Amman, the capital of Jordan. The reason I liked this hotel has a lot to do with the manager, Faoud. He is a wealth of information on history of Jordan and Palestine, the layout of Amman and he will sit and chat about anything you like, or he will write down directions in Arabic – he is just nice. That first day we went to the restaurant across the road, Hasheem. The food here is another plus. We got a coke, tea, hummus, a bean dip, salad, endless plates of falafel balls and pita bread for 4 Jordanian Dollars ($5). Oh and the bakeries here are also cheap! As with every country I have been to already, I got so much bread, cakes and other goodies for less than a dollar.

The next day in Amman, we took public transport (another cheap way to travel) to the Roman provincial city ruins of Jerash. Jerash has been inhabited at one time or another by the Bzyantine empire, by Persians, Crusaders, Russians and various other nomadic cultures and it is haunted by the ghosts of times past. There is an echo of merchant shops, fountains, great feasts, statues and religious festivals. I had a lovely time wandering among the ruins and chatting extensively to an Islamic woman who was a teacher of English and who just wanted to chat and chat! David also got an offer for me of 1000 camels (which translates I am told to about $400,000 AUD). After Jerash, we visited the Roman theatre in Amman, another towering feat of engineering in the centre of Amman city (and a great place to practice my Shakespeare) .

The next day we went to swim in the dead sea. We decided against paying the exorbitant fee of the tourist beach and instead headed down to the local swimming hole. It was strange to be floating so high in the water, but what was stranger was the locals that were determined to show us some fun. With countless calls of 'mister, mister' (clearly they couldn't distinguish a miss), they charged at me with handfuls of mud from the dead sea and proceeded to coat me in this mineral rich substance. After which I made the mistake of trying to wash it off my face with the water. Bad idea. The salt content is so high that it stings your eyes (even when closed), it burns your nose and if it gets in your mouth it's worse than swallowing a whole container of table salt. If it gets in your clothes, expect them to resemble a starched cardboard effect. What an experience! Added to that, we hitched back to Amman with these guys who turned out to be policemen.  

Sri Lanka, the final chapter.

So the question was where do we go from Nuwara Eliya? Although we had planned on scaling Adam's Peak (a serious hike up a mountain), David was still sick so we gave it a miss and went in search of Vicky down in the south. It took three buses and 7hrs of cramped, sweaty travelling first back the way we came to Haputale, then to Wellawaya and then on to Tangalla. Upon arrival we secured a room in a place called Ravindu and immediately headed out for a delicious meal of chicken, chips and SALAD!!!!

Unbeknownst to us, the next day was Poya. The most important day in the Buddhist festival Vessak, which celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha. After sunning ourselves for an hour on the pretty beaches, we were informed by our host that everything would be shut, but that we could come with him and his family to celebrate this most auspicious day. Basically, Poya is a mix of haloween, christmas and any other festival you'd care to mention. Communities get together and string up hundreds of lights, enough to make the most serious grinch smile and gasp (i.e. me). They also set up roadside stalls manned by energetic boys waving flags that give out free rice and curry, milk rice (yum), tea and biscuits, cold drinks, bananas and sweets. Each stall is different and you don't even have to leave you're airconditioned car – they bring it to you.  

Although I believe our host delighted in saying “you come” before leading us behind the scenes and showing his new white people off to his friends. Both he and his wife seemed to find it hilarious watching me trying to scoop up food with my right hand. 

We were treated like royalty that day and like the rest of Sri Lanka, I never saw another foreigner. I guess we also had to dance for our experience because at one stop I entertained the people and joined the local kids with my smooth moves (as about 5 people took pictures with their phones).

On our drive we were also treated to a trip through the national park for free (we saw wild elephants, buffalos and all manner of birdlife), we were invited in to a temple to watch people pray and we covered in 3hrs what it had taken us nearly 6 to traverse the day before. They also drove us around the town at night and took us on a walk to view all the elaborate and beautiful lights. In the evening his wife made us dinner (rice and curry in case you couldn't guess) and gifted me with a bunch of bananas for dessert. We were never asked for anything in return (except that we should come back for our honeymoon) and this is the way in Sri Lanka.

Our final destination in Sri Lanka, was the sea-side fort of Galle. We had been given some quite dull reports on this town but even after 2 hrs, we loved it. You can walk entirely around Galle fort on top of the walls (we didn't have time to explore outside it) in 2hrs and you are likely to see amazing beach views, rock formations with the ocean crashing around them and inland, palm trees, the old Dutch architecture of the fort and people playing cricket (of course). Inside the fort are exceptionally clean, quaint streets adorned with wrought iron lanterns and beautiful gardens. It was nice just to wander, absorb and consume my first proper latte in 2 months! Although it is probably the most expensive place in Sri Lanka, there is just a lovely feel to Galle, and it was a perfect place to finish our sojourn around Sri Lanka.

As an aside, we actually finished our trip by catching the train back to Colombo. Again, there is no reason to take buses in which you have to stand up for 3 hrs (due to overcrowding). The train tracks hug the south coastal region and you get to see the blood red sun set over the beautiful beaches as you enter in to the Vessak festival lights that make even Colombo seem magical.

Jack and Jill went up the hill...

The train line that runs from Kandy through the hill country is one of most beautiful ways to travel in the world. I can say that having seen my fair share of the world. As the air gets colder you pass through crevices cut in the undulating hills, tunnels carved out of mountains covered in pine forests, through kms of tea plantations and when you get to the top of the range you are bathed in clouds that slowly devour the front of the train and the surrounding countryside. David and I enjoyed 6hrs of this picturesque trip before getting off in Banderawella. This town promised beautiful hikes and cooking classes (David's passion), however lonely planet once again proved to be outdated. There was nothing there, and after a night's rest we hitched our bags and moved on to Haputale (20 mins away).

Haputale is situated at the highest point in Sri Lanka and the views from our hotel were unrivaled. Before 10 each morning we could see for hundreds of kms down the mountainside and across the country almost to the beach. After 10, the clouds rolled in and Haputale becomes a tiny village in the sky. Our first day there, we took a bus down the mountain to the second highest waterfall in Sri Lanka. After an hour's ride with all manner of life (chickens, children and staring men) we arrived and were impressed by the sheer drop of this waterfall. It looks like the mountain is crying and the tears turn in to mist before hitting the rock pools at the bottom. We spent an excellent afternoon trying in vain to take pictures of the monkeys and the hundreds of flitty butterflies that surround you in the pools. I even had my first experience with natural feet-eating-fish (the likes of which you will find for 200Baht in Thailand).

On the second day here, we decided to hike through the mountain roads and tea plantations only to encounter more friendly smiling Sri Lankans who love cricket, Ricky Ponting and who giggle when they say hello (even more when we answer). One lovely man even directed us on a narrow path through the plantations (that were by now covered in clouds) and invited us in for tea at his guest house. Thouroughly impressed by this hamlet in the heavens we packed up again the next day and bussed it (most painfully as the roads are too narrow and only half finished) to Nuwara Eliya to meet David's cousin Vicky and her friends.

Nuwara Eliya is a perfect example of the English presence in Sri Lanka. There are beautifully constructed old homes that are right out of a Jane Austin or Charlotte Bronte novel. The town is surrounded by pine forests, botanical gardens, golfing greens and a tranquil lake on the east side. Unfortunately there is precious little to do here for people on a budget, except enjoy my first salad and red meat in 2 weeks. We managed to find Vicky and it was great to be around first time travellers again (they are surprised and excited by everything). We shared a massive chocolate cake, some beers and unfortunately had to say goodbye after only one day together. As you will read in my next post, we did try to meet them again on the south coast in Tangalla.

Sri Lanka Part 2

Fair warning, I am quite behind on my blog posts, so I will be posting 3 at once.

The best place to stay in Kandy is the old colonial hotel and it is exactly that. This almost antique building has rooms for $10 that open on to a big verandah and every day the manager replaces the bouquets of flowers with new arrangements. As twilight broke, Dave and I enjoyed a lovely night of bread, wine and cheese (a luxury) with a game of scrabble and cards with another couple staying there. These relaxing moments are one of my favourite aspects of travelling. In Kandy we also visited the first tea factory ever built in Sri Lanka and learnt all about the process of making tea in the 1800's, we climbed a massive hill and discovered the joy of getting lost in back streets and we visited Kandy's massive botanical garden (not worth the trip nor the price).

From Kandy we went to the ancient cities of Anduraphura (4hrs travel for about $2). On the way we stopped in at Dambulla, a cavernous temple famous for the many Buddha images. Both this stop and Andurahpura were not worth it for both the price and the sights. We had organised a tuk tuk driver to take us around the multitude of stupas and temples of the ancient city, but after 3 stops and about 2 hrs we cut this short and decided instead to take a 3hr bus ride to the next town on the coast. 

Trincomalee also turned out to be a sort of nothing place – if it wasn't for the beach it would have been a total loss. We stayed at the French Gardens. Right on the beach, we got to enjoy seeing the sun rise over the ocean and made friends with the cows that wandered along the beach freely. Many of the locals took every opportunity to engage us in conversation and they are certainly curious. I have found that most Sri Lankan men are not shy about their lude comments, the way western men (usually) are. These guys will whistle, leer and comment even when I am walking with Dave. This doesn't just apply to me as a female, this is also a comment on the fact that we are the only white tourists in Sri Lanka (as that's how it feels) and we are apparently most interesting. Most of the time it's harmless, but eventually you will get sick of it and just wish that they'd find a new sideshow. Ladies, if you are after an ego boost, head to Sri Lanka (and based on my previous travels; Egypt and South America).

After enjoying 2 days on the grey sandy beaches in Trinco and after deciding against going to any more crappy towns on the east coast, we took a bus back to Kandy ($1.50 for 6hrs) to continue enjoying the wonderful hill country. So more fresh bread and cheese and a chance to get on the internet, we were ready to take our next intrepid journey into the hills by train.

I should mention that the reason I am so excited about eating cheese is because it is comparatively quite expensive at $4 when we have been having massive meals of rice and curry for $1.50. The food in Sri Lanka varies very little. They eat copious amounts of pastries (sweet breads, rolls, buns, cakes and samosas) for breakfast and lunch and the standard fare for dinner is a huge plate of rice and a buffet of curried potatos, curried beans, dahl and curried pieces of chicken. Nothing else. No salads, no steamed or boiled veges, nothing roasted only fried and definitely no red meat. We did get a surprise when served with curried beetroot the other day – but alas still a variation on the same theme. I am going to murder one of their cows and BBQ it on a spit if I can't get something other than curried chicken and rice soon.

Starting out in Sri Lanka

At 10pm we caught the bus to Kuala Lumpur airport. I slept for an hour and at 4pm we went through customs so as to catch the 6.15am flight to Colombo, Sri Lanka. 4 hrs later we touched down in Colombo, hungry, tired and without a clue as to where we were going or how to get there. I believe it took me less than 2 hrs to proclaim my love for the Sri Lankan people. This country has to be one of the last remaining underdiscovered tourist destinations and as such the Sri Lankans are determined to demonstrate their love for their own country by making sure you love it too. You cannot go two metres without someone asking you if you are ok and if you need directions. Unlike other Asian destinations, they do this not because they want you to take their taxi etc, but because they care about making sure tourists are happy and experiencing Sri Lanka the way they know it. 

Some other examples include buses; when taking a bus, one person will tell you the correct number bus and walk you to the correct bus stop, another on the bus will ask you where you are going and tell you exactly when to get off (often the bus driver will also do this). I even had a lady give me her seat (very insistently) when there were many other locals who were waiting. Another example; Dave and I only spent one day in Colombo and after one of these aforementioned bus trips we were eating dinner at Galle Face Green. GFG is a strip of grass on the Indian Ocean waterfront were one can sit and muse as the kites fly overhead and the waves crash on the shore. The plastic chair restaurant was one makeshift tent in a line of market stalls and not only did our very friendly waiter want to chat in English, but before and after the meal he made a point of washing our hands with lemon and drying them for us. This kind of service is customary in Sri Lanka and even if you only order milk Chai they will continually ask if you are ok and if you are sure you don't want a MASSIVE rice curry dish for 140 Rupee ($1.10; all food is quite flavoursome and cheap here). 

Its strange, but in Thailand for example, if the locals stare at you, it appears menacing or even annoying. In Sri Lanka, it's as though they really have never seen a white lady before. Every third person says hello, wants to chat or they just gawk – but it is in no way annoying. I feel as though they are the friendliest people I've met and there is genuinely no pretence, no malice whatsoever to the ignorant foreigners. Just the desire to 'spread the love'. 

Ok so we are being treated well, but what have we been doing exactly? Well after deciding that we really only need a day (or half a day in reality) in the capital, Colombo, Dave and I headed by train to Kandy, the capital of the hill country. Here is an important note to anyone travelling through Sri Lanka, grab yourself a third class ticket to anywhere and watch the countryside roll by. I was mesmerised by the resplendent green of the rice paddies, tea plantations, mountainous ranges and the lush forestation that is abundant in Sri Lanka. At one point the tracks were flooded, but our driver forged ahead (slowly) and the locals waved at the strange foreign lady leaning out the train window. 

 Something I noticed is that by traditional standards (and in comparison to many of the 3^rd world places I have been) there is little poverty in the country here and even less population problems (civil wars do tend to thin out the old population a bit). The people take pride in their homes no matter what their standing and there is less pollution (again comparatively). Kandy is a very charming example of the British colonisation. The town is built around a lake and has many temples, beautiful old colonial buildings (one of which we stayed at) and a massive botanical garden (entry is 1100Rs or $10). Our first night here reflected how I feel about the country in general, magical. We went to see a cultural dance show (500Rs) where we were treated to elaborate costumes, acrobatics, flame throwing (and eating) and coal walkers. As we climbed the hill to our hotel, I caught my first glimpse of fireflys, or little fairies if you please, and went to sleep waiting for the next magical example of my Sri Lanka experience. 

 

Killing Time in Malaysia

So after relaxing on the beach and eating easter treats, it was time to leave Koh Samui. David and I had to be in Kuala Lumpur by the 30th for our flight to Sri Lanka, so we decided to meander slowly down to Malaysia. Our first stop in Hat Yai (the Thailand border) was a long drawn out process of waiting for the ferry, then waiting for the (very uncomfortable) mini bus, then waiting at a 'rest stop' for an hour - all in all a 4 hr journey actually took 9hrs and we arrived at 10pm. Thank goodness that our driver knew a hostel, because I feared that this might be the first time that our policy of not booking any accommodation was going to fail. Actually the place we stayed at had a lovely intrepid explorer feel to it. The sort of hostel you would have gotten in the 70's, complete with cockroaches. There was some kind of cheap charm about this place, from the plastic chairs to the whomping sound of the single fan highlighted by the solitary drop light.  Perhaps a throwback to the Casablanca era of gangsters and cigarette smoke. But the staff were lovely and I was so happy to sleep that I didn't even notice that the bed was made of concrete.

Next was a bus to Penang. Very uneventful, although a strange border guard did ask for my email so that he could send me a book. Georgetown is a quite, clean place that would have been lovely during the British colonisation. Unfortunately we didn't have time to get out of the city and visit the hills, but we did take the train up to the top of Penang hill. At 710m the view was quite nice, but the Devonshire tea was better. David and I sat for 2 hours debating and enjoying a lovely garden complete with water lillies and a delicate breeze.


Finally we took the train down to Kuala Lumpur and made our way to the Birds Nest guesthouse (a cute backpackers with a garden out the back just a very cosy vibe about it). David had been talking about this place for as long as I have known him and I watched as he relished in having an oven again. I can appreciate how great it is having someone so interested in cooking travelling with me, because I got to sample pancakes, scones and a blueberry yoghurt cake in the two days that we have been here. And this he did with almost NO ingredients - AMAZING. Tonight we say goodbye to South East Asia and hello to Sri Lanka.

Koh Samui

What have I been doing for the last week, well...nothing. Not entirely true, but when all you have been doing is lying on a beach and reading, you start to feel like you are doing nothing. Koh Samui in Thailand is not the most happening of places. Everything is expensive (the food, activities, accommodation) and while the beaches are ok, they are choked with areas owned by the expensive hotels. We did manage to find the only cheap guest house in the main area of Samui, Hat Chewang (400Baht; $13) and it was the best I have stayed in so far. With access to a big fridge, a hot water jug, a sink and crockery, David and I forewent the expensive restaurants and stocked up on muesli, yoghurt and various dinner items from Tescos. 

 As we were in Samui for Easter, my travel buddy demanded a makeshift Easter celebration. In deference to this I set about making him a scrabble set (we have missed playing), with which I paired a bottle of red wine and David armed himself with a multitude of surgery, chocolatey treats and hot cross buns. One of my favourite elements of our Easter sunday was the silver black phantom bike we rented for the day (400 Baht). I have missed riding and completely enjoyed tearing it up for an hour or two on my own. Although I did pay for my indulgence with an exhaust burn to my calf. 

If the beach is not your thing (too much salt water and sand EVERYWHERE!) there are some wonderful waterfalls in the Hat Lamai area of Samui. We went back three times to the only one you didn't have to pay for and it was most peaceful sitting, swimming and reading in the quiet atmosphere of the falls and pools in the middle of the rain forest.

Ancient Angkorian Adventure

So we now find our intrepid travellers on the trail to Angkor. My first impressions of Siem Reap were very positive and my adoration for this little town grew as the week went by. Aside from the obvious pull of Angkor, Siem Reap is worth visiting just for the relaxed cafe culture. Bar st and 'the alley' in the centre of the tourist district is actually reminiscent of a well behaved and less gimmicky Khao San rd. The food here is a little more expensive than I would have liked. I say expensive, but instead of paying $2 for a meal, you are now paying $4. Nonetheless, it is very tasty. Khmer culture and food have impressed me greatly. The town has some lovely walking paths and the night markets are also a pleasure to walk through as they are clean, fun (massages are $1), beautifully lit and full of people that want to sell their wares – without the pushy cat-calling that is common in South East Asian markets. I even broke my daily budget a little to buy some very unique paintings depicting some symbolic intricacies of Asian life.

On the first of my two days out at Angkor, Dave and I rented a moto and driver for the day to take us on the 'small' circuit. Angkor begins about 9km outside of the city and was once a vast interconnected system of towns, temples and royal palaces. Each of the main sights on the small circuit (about 17km roundtrip + 9kms to Siem Reap) such as Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon, Ta Phrom and Banteay Srei are each spread apart with about 3kms in between each. It was a genuine pleasure to stand at the base of massive stone structures and observe the pride with which the Angkor people constructed their empire (which flourished from 802 to 1432 AD). The sheer size is amazing, the delicacy of the sculptures is exquisite, the fact that these monuments were once living and breathing cities full of children and commerce, and when combined with the fact that nature has now invaded and made it home, leaves one with only a few words to describe that first day. I believe Angkor Thom was my favourite due to the impressive structure and it's collection of massive 4-headed Brahma (of which are quite spiritually evoking). Angkor Thom is also guarded by Garuda, the half man, half bird which is the symbol of spiritual unity and which is my preferred statue to draw. It will be hard to convey how lovely this place is so I will simply say WOW. 

My second day began with a bicycle ride to the Angkor site. I was determined to make the most of my three day pass and as such I decided to cycle the 9kms to Angkor and proceed to cycle the 26km 'big' circuit and visit all of the smaller temples and ruins. There are less people and my visit to Preah Khan was virtually a silent pilgrimage to a temple buried in the rainforests of Angkor. The smaller sights are not as impressive as say Angkor Wat, but they are worth a look and are great if you want to read in the shadow of a UNESCO World Heritage site. Angkor itself represents a former interconnected series of aqueducts and even into the beginning of the Khmer empire, was an agricultural Babylon. It is now a mecca for millions of tourists every year, each of them hoping to share in the memory of this impressive Cambodian Eden. Riding through the heart of Angkor is an experience not to be missed and as I left I felt that the combination of a very pretty city and my visit to Angkor has left me the most fulfilled I have been on this journey.