Luang Prabang

At this exact moment I can be found sitting in a restaurant in Luang Prabang eating a plate of fried rice with tofu watching the heavens pour down. We've been in this little city 5 days or so, a few days more than planned but we liked it here. I knew the city had a very 'French' feel but I was still surprised at how familiar the streets felt. All the cafes on the main street have French names and offer croissants for breakfast. Oh and the best yet; the toilets are immaculate. 

I thought Chiang Mai would be hard to beat but I think Luang Prabang has done it. It's the locals. Of course we've been approached to take this and that tour but it's been in a far more genuine way than in Thailand. It isn't cut-throat and people are happy to see other locals do well too. Children play outside with other children (such a novelty now) and we've seen kids pretend to play guitar with an old tennis racket and play war with bamboo sticks (boys will be boys after all!). 

And then there's the side of things here that makes up for the elephant ride we took in Chiang Mai and the day we spent in bed in Pai because we were too hungover to deal with life. We've managed to clock up a few socially responsible activities which has been on my agenda since I booked my flight to Asia. Good for the soul.  

LIVING LAND PROJECT

Friday morning we took a tour out to a little rice farm that gives workshops on the traditional method of growing rice. A bit expensive at 30eur per person but the money goes towards the rice farm that feeds 7 families and provides jobs for the village also. Not to mention its just a great experience. We got to work barefoot with a water buffalo in the paddy field and plant rice with our own hands. We also got to see how they make all their tools from bamboo. They do not waste one bit of bamboo or rice, everything can be used for something. We were literally watching thousands of years of tradition in front of us. Our tour guide was called Lee, told us he was from a hilltop tribe but his parents sent him to school in Luang Prabang when he was 8.  In 20 years he has only been back 3 times since. We asked him if he came to live with some family when he was 8 but he told us himself and two of his brothers just built a little hut for themselves outside the city and lived there together going to school. Can you imagine?

LUANG PRABANG LIBRARY

I saw the library and popped in the door to take a look. Turns out the library runs a little charity where visitors can buy and donate a reading book to children in river villages with no schools. If you buy the whole lot of books (250usd) they will take you out to the village to deliver them. I could only afford one book, can't have money for everything I'm afraid.

VOLUNTEER AT LOVANH COLLEGE

We were approached on the street by a few students asking if we'd like to volunteer at their school to help teach English. We said we'd give it go. Such a great experience. We really thought we'd just sit and have little conversations with students. Wrong! We were both given our own classes and literally told to teach the class. I had no idea what to do and the poor students were so shy with me too. But I got on with it. Half way through me and Lorna swapped classes, this time I had a more advanced class and I could chat a lot more freely with them. One fella was even trying to sell me a Tuk Tuk tour to the waterfall. It was such a nice introduction to volunteering before I join the school in Cambodia. I think with a bit of training I might be ok at it...

Actually, in the spirit of giving I also gave a street beggar 2000 kip (20cent). I never, never do this normally but I felt so sorry for him with his one eye and his limp and he was so grateful. Two seconds later we turned around and saw the fecker sauntering down the street with the use of both his eyes having a laugh with a few fellas. I was so angry but it's a lesson learned for the future. 

There are far more Eco-conscious trips and community development opportunities than this in Luang Prabang. We just didn't have the time to explore them all. If I had a few more days I would have liked to visit all the craft villages outside the city and gone to the Weaving centre to take a look. Oh well, next time.

One of the mornings we got up at dawn to watch the 'Tak Bat', where people give food offerings to monks. This is supposed to be an old tradition where local people personally prepare food themselves. Now, it's a tourist attraction which is really sad. The monks who do the rounds are just young boys and tourists are sold food to give to them. Some tourists get too close to the monks. I'm not religious but I did have a good scowl at the French tourists snapping away in the boys faces at 6 in the morning. 

And then we also got the chance to visit the most unbelievable waterfalls yet, Kuong Xi. Forty minutes out of town it's easily accessible. Lorna got distracted by the rope swing and we nearly missed out on seeing the jaw dropping falls way in the back. My pic below doesn't do it justice but I did almost propose to Lorna it was that romantic. 

The paragraphs above might make us sound super motivated and full of energy but in truth this week has been touch and go. We are about a week into taking our malaria tablets and suffering from extremely vivid dreams, groggy heads, upset tummies and extreme lethargy. I didn't think I would have such a strong reaction but I haven't slept so much in a long, long time. If it gets any worse I might consider just coming off them entirely. I'm not sure though. It's a risky decision. 

A couple of afternoons we felt so unsettled we just left our guesthouse and set up camp in some of the more laid back cafes, reading, watching movies, even napping. I've listed our favorites below. 

- l'etranger, they let you watch movies of your choice in the afteroon and show a set film in the evening. They also do book swaps and have a little exhibition upstairs of Laotian culture. 

- Utopia has a deck outside overlooking the Nam Khan river with comfy cushions on the floor. They have yoga lessons there everyday at sunrise and sunset which is nice. Really chilled out place but their food isn't great. 

- Joma, the most European coffee house you will find in Asia, I think. Might as well be in Amsterdam. I'm not so much of a coffee drinker but Lorna was in heaven. 

- Icon bar, just off the main street, it's a cute little retro bar serving expensive (but awesome) cocktails. This bar could also be in the centre of Amsterdam. Worth a visit. 

And that brings me up to this evening, eating my fried rice and watching the rain. Our plan this evening was to watch the locals launch their homemade boats into the Mekong river to celebrate the end of the Monks fasting for this year. However, Lorna is feeling awful and I'm not far behind her. (Actually, I think my low mood has affected my tone in this post. I love this place, I swear!) Time to head home and rest up before our 8.30am bus to tubing country tomorrow. Bleh. 

Journey into Laos

This is going to be a long post, I can already sense it. We have arrived in the city of Luang Prabang in Laos. It has been an interesting journey getting here that has equally amazed me and tested my sanity.  It turns out me and Lorna have the same breaking points - only we break in different ways, me being the more dramatic of course. To be honest, the last few days have been relatively plain sailing but my sense of 'how things should be' has been put through an emotional obstacle course and the pair of us have been left in stitches every time we witness an organizational culture clash. 

First up, we were to leave Pai Saturday evening on a 5 hour bus ride to the Thai/Laos border. Fine. Only the bus ended up being a 7 1/2 hour journey. At one point it seemed the bus driver had went the wrong way but someone later mentioned to me that he was showing another bus driver his new house...Ok... He was also a fan of stepping on and off the accelerator giving us a nice new dose of motion sickness even on the smooth roads. 

We arrived at 2 in the morning and had to be up by 7 for breakfast, after which we were herded into the back of a pick up truck to be taken to Thai immigration offices. Of course, me and Lorna didn't have our departure cards from when we arrived in Phuket two weeks ago. Panic. Our 'hostess' person told us to fold 100baht into our passports when handing them in and hopefully we'd be fine. We were examined carefully but we got through. (By the way, Lorna, I saw a sign saying we could face two years in jail for not having all our documents. I kept that quiet.)

Loaded up again into little boats on the Mekong river we were taken across the water to Laos border control. We filled out our visa application and our arrival/departure cards. Three separate forms requiring the exact same information. Efficiency at its best. We handed our three forms, passport and picture to the man dressed as a hobo outside the office and waited for our names to be called. Exhausted from the night before, this was a big breaking point for us both. Lorna went off to find a quiet corner while I stood directly in front of the window like a psycho. We had each 35 US dollars on us exactly (a pre-meditated currency conversion strategic decision) the amount quoted EVERYWHERE to pay for our visa. Imagine our frustration being told that we couldn't get our visa unless we paid the full 36USD. Sure enough there was a minuscule sign way at the back saying an extra dollar charge applies on Saturdays and Sundays. We managed to scrape together two extra dollars leaving us with no cash on hand at all. (By the way, when I say hobo, I don't mean it in a horrible way. It's just that the people inside the Laos visa office were very smart looking in uniforms and the guy outside was wearing a shiny Adidas track suit circa 1992.) 

 

And so we were herded up again and taken to the slow boat. Our passports were taken for the third time so we could be 're-issued' with new tickets. I'm still confused about that. Meanwhile we got a speech from our 'tour guide' to say that the town we would stay in had no ATMs, no electricity after 10pm, no wifi but there was also only one hotel there and he could offer us a great rate. I didn't hang around for his sales pitch and went in search of an ATM. No use though since the one ATM I found would only take visa (which I don't have). Lorna managed to get about 15Euro out. We bought a small sandwich to share and vowed to sleep outside before we'd book a night in yer mans hotel. 

6 amazing hours later we reached our little Mekong town, Pak Beng, for the night and lo and behold there was a string of guest house owners lining the dock offering rooms for a third of the price of yer mans hotel, with wifi, hot showers and electricity after 10pm. Score. But before we could get a lift to the guesthouse in yet another pick-up we had to form a human chain down the length of the long boat to get everyone's bag off. I thought this was a nice 'we are all in this together' moment. Actually, the best moment came when we realized there were two ATMs in the town and we would be able to eat that night after all. High five! 

I slept like a baby. Although I should point out that a side effect of my malaria tablets is to have very vivid dreams, verging on nightmares and truthfully I was a bit exhausted at having to chase Leonardo Di Caprio for a work project and entertain him AND his 3 unicorns at my parents house for a weekend. Or it could be down to the fact I (along with a dozen others) took a shot of 'Lao Whiskey' from an obscenely drunk waiter in a restaurant where half the slow boat ate themselves sick. One or the other. 

And so the second day of the slow boat was spent looking at the scenery, reading a bit of James Joyce (my new thing) and sipping slowly on a beer hoping I wouldn't have to use the toilets down the rear of the boat. I wasn't able to sit beside Lorna the whole trip and while I was next to the smallest Laotian man on record he took up 80% of the seat (seat being loosely defined here). 

The above is just a summary of how we journied into Laos. The reason we did it was for the view. It was truly out of this world. The Mekong region is a special place and the lifeline of the Laotian people. The length of the river to Luang Prabang is dotted with small villages, traditional fishermen, craggy rocks, farm animals getting a drink and the occasional naked child taking a dip. A different world than we are used to. My pictures don't do it justice I'm afraid and while I know I sound moany above I would recommend to anyone to take the slow boat into Laos. 

The Life of Pai

Oh Pai. I've learned a lot about myself here in the last two days. Like, I can drive a scooter pretty well. I can sleep fairly well on a hard mattress on the ground and I can shower under a dribbley tap. I also learned that after a heavy nights drinking I can (and will) cancel all travel plans for that day and take to my bed. We leave for Laos tonight straight from Pai which was actually much more efficient than our original plan (going back to Chiang Mai and then on to Laos). Live and learn. 

The countryside is fabulous here. Well, when it takes a 3 hour bus journey through 770 sharp bends you'd want it to be spectacular. It's a strange place. It's lovely, don't get me wrong. But it's strange. Its got a real hippie vibe and full of bars and little restaurants. Its very 'westernised' if I can use that word. I definitly felt like I was more in Thailand back in Chiang Mai. All the same, I like it here. So chilled out and with nothing in particular to go look at it gives you a chance to slow down and breathe. Just drive around on your scooter and take in the scenery. That is all. 

We actually spent one of our mornings in a hot spring resort. Everyone was complaining the hot springs were too expensive at 200baht entry. But we ended up in this gorgeous little resort costing us 100baht (2.50eur) each for a full day use of the springs and the swimming pool. Not very backpacker of us but well deserved all the same considering our crappy shower. Then the rest of the time we just drove around the little roads, stopping off to look at Pai canyon (scary), some waterfalls (lovely) and just to take in the views. We ate from street vendors last night and for 1.50eur I got some sushi, a bowl full of noodle salad and a spicy potato curry. Also, I did see a lot of people taking elephant rides along the road and did actually see some trainers hit the elephants for no apparent reason which wasnt nice. Me being me, slowed my scooter down to shout at one fella but he just laughed at me. Sigh. I'm not going to save the world just yet, it seems. 

So now I'm finishing up my breakfast here at KK Hut and going to head out for the day on the bike before taking a 6 hour bus to the border of Laos. It's a tough life. 

Chiang Mai

I'm not sure how to explain the last couple days. We reached Chiang Mai after a week on Koh Phi Phi and what a different world it is up here in Northern Thailand. It's amazing. The feel of the place is different, more alive and conscientious than Koh Phi Phi. It's more laid back, organized and friendly. I don't feel unhealthy here like I did on the island. I mentioned before that I was feeling homesick but I've turned a corner here in Chiang Mai. I love it here and think ill be adding it to my list of places 'I could live'. I actually made a quick visit to the hospital to have a cut looked at (hypochondriac that I am) and Thai hospitals are kicking Irish hospital butt. I think that sealed the deal for me. 

When I wasn't busy worrying about my minor injury we were out and about town. Chiang Mai has so much to offer. I can't count or name the amount of temples we came across. They are so beautiful they make you consider why our own churches are so dull and bland. Buddhist monks also seem to be very approachable. We spotted a lot of people giving offerings to monks and in return monks giving children keep safe bracelets and blessings. I need to find out more about Buddhism. We also visited a mountain top temple about 40 minutes outside of town. It had a serpent lined stairway the whole way up with little girls in traditional costume along the sides. Very cute but we were wondering if they should be in school instead of out working....

An absolute highlight for me on the whole entire trip has been our two day trek in the 'jungle'. Ok so included in the package was a one hour elephant ride which we were desperately trying to avoid. This is my conflict; I have myself gone horse riding and used a whip on a horse. I've smacked the dog for 'misbehaving' and I've lived on a farm where all our animals are confined. However, there is something so miserable and soul destroying about an elephant being confined. Maybe it's their sheer mass or their gentle nature. Or maybe it's the massive chain tied around their ankle and the fact they rock themselves back and forth on the side of the road as if trying to walk away. It would also be easy to blame the locals and say they are bad but it's their livelihood and income. Tourists (myself and Lorna included) are paying good money to do this day in and day out all year round. I'm not sure what my opinion is but I do know it broke my heart to see a baby elephant tied up and in a panic at not being able to follow its mother out of the pen. I don't know. 

The rest of the trek was amazing. Although the terrain is challenging I wish I had looked up a bit more instead of calculating where my feet went next. Actually, myself and Lorna were wondering if we'd be ok to do the trek in our Vans and Converse but we were in a group with two Dutch fellas who decided they'd rather trek for two days in flip flops than get their trainers dirty. We figured we'd survive. Our guide was called Chai (probably not spelled correctly) who cooked all our food served in banana leaves with chopsticks he made himself from bamboo. He took us to the hilltop village where he grew up and his family still live. There is no electricity and our accommodation was a little hut with a mosquito net around us. We spent the evening eating green curry, drinking beers around a campfire and listening to the jungle sounds around us. Don't do this if you are used to your comforts and expect a hot shower cos you won't get it. But, what you will get is a sense of perspective. We are so spoiled and these people have much less and seem happier. There was something very special about these people. Chai is an educated guy but very proud of his village and his family. He had his son join us at the campfire and his parents came to say hello. He even told us to go up and see the little school where we were invited in to say hello to the kids. I know these people receive visitors daily but they are so genuine. It's definitely something that will stay with me. 

If you go to Chiang Mai there are some places worth checking out:

- Stay in Kikies guesthouse (everything you need from a cheap and clean hostel with excellent staff)

- Breakfast in Blue Diamond.

- Eat at Bamboo Bee (thai veggie restaurant, cute little place with lovely owner. She even does cooking classes.)

- Get a Thai massage, cheaper and better quality here in Chiang Mai.

- Visit the Sunday market in the heart of the old town.

- Eat from the street. All the locals do and the food is great. 

- Take a cooking course and learn to make genuine Thai dishes.

And since my foot is healing up nicely, today we are leaving for Pai closer to the Burmese border. I've heard mixed things; a bit too touristy perhaps, a party town, amazing countryside, chilled out vibe, etc. so we'll see. We have to survive the 700 turns up the mountain in a minibus first. Till then...

Koh Phi Phi

We leave Koh Phi Phi tomorrow for the more humid and cultured atmosphere of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. I can't wait. Much like that summer I spent working in Corfu, Greece, my time here on Koh Phi Phi won't have added much to my life or my development as a person. Maybe my development of a tough immune system but not much else. Lorna read on some blog that the islanders pump their waste directly into the sea, giving a few lucky visitors a hefty dose of pink eye. It could also be a rumor but we avoided paddling since.

Now, don't get me wrong; I've had a great time here. But Koh Phi Phi isn't a highlight for me. Now maybe I need to lighten up a little; the island is stunning and certainly lively. But it's not for me. We've been here a week but its been about 5 days too much. The most we've really done is sun bathe, sleep ridiculous hours of the day, wander around the stalls, climb the monkey lined path to the viewpoint (official Tsunami evacuation route FYI) and take a trip to the infamous Maya Beach (Leonardo's beach - but I'll talk about that in a sec.) Which is actually all fine, gives us some down time to catch our breath and relax before we head off trekking and whatnot in Northern Thailand and Laos. Oh, we'll we've drank a fair bit as well, it's hard not to here. :) 

The island definitely has lots to offer. It's one of the best places to scuba dive and many schools to choose from. There are all sorts of day trips to other islands and activities to suit everyone. We took a trip over to Maya beach where 'The Beach' was filmed and had a look. Have to say, bit of a let down. The best part was being told we had to swim from the boat to the island and climb up a rope ladder to enter the bay. Bit of an experience but highly wheelchair unfriendly. The beach itself was beautiful. No denying it. But it's jammers there. Literally teeming full of people. That wouldn't be so bad if there wasn't a hundred awful, noisy speedboats blocking the view. Myself and Lorna walked the length of the beach and found a spot to take a boat free pic. Anyway, we'll make a note for the future to go a bit more off the beaten track. 

Thailand so far has been an experience. It certainly has a different personality compared to that of Malaysia and Singapore. I won't go on too much about it because you'll think I'm having a terrible time and I don't want to make a flash opinion on how some people live (even though that's exactly what I'm doing). I think I need to change my expectations and mind set a bit. I just have to suck up the fact that toilets here are awful. 

Anyway, it's on to Chiang Mai tomorrow for some elephant conservation, jungle trekking and lots more. 

One week in Asia

I honestly don't know where to start. Only one week in Asia and not not only have I already seen and done a lot, I've been through an absolute whirlwind of emotion. My head has been spinning and I think I'm only now coming out of it. Traveling from Singapore to Malaysia is tough when your emotional mindset has been through the wars. See the following list. Don't worry, I'll keep it brief. 

A) no emotion (obviously numbing my anxiousness about leaving)

B) extreme homesickness (for himself, for my family, for herself, the dogs, Amsterdam...you name it, I was homesick for it.)

C) disappointment (that I didn't get the job I interviewed for.)

D) excitement (fuck the job, I'm going traveling for 6 months!)

C) over enthusiasm (I'm going to travel the world!)

D) homesickness again.

E) rage (on hearing the detailed feedback as to why I didn't get the job). 

F) excitement and determination. (fuck the job, I'm going traveling for 6 months!)

Anyway, now I've calmed down a bit I'm beginning to relax and look at the job at hand. I've already had an amazing week here in Asia and I've still got 23 more of these to come. Anything is possible at this stage and I'm really up for the challenge. Easy peasy so long as I don't poison myself with mosquito repellent.

But despite the above I've loved every second here. Singapore was nice, a strange place in my opinion but somewhere worth seeing. It's got a very modern vibe that somehow lacks a bit of character. We didn't overexert ourselves here now, trying to get ourselves acclimatized, it can be a struggle to get around when your face is continuously and profusely perspiring. Anyhow. 

What we did in Singapore:

- eat from 'hawker centers'

- get my fortune told by a man at bugis centre, (I'm going to live a long, long life but I must remain indoors from 10-11.30 pm every day for the rest of the year as this is my danger time.)

- sit all day in the botanical garden, watching the world go by where I could sweat in peace.

- have a look at the f1 track and talk to people who's budget for the weekend was three times more than my entire budget for 6 months, sickening. 

- get the shakes on the skywalk in the supertree garden. Hard to say if I faced my fear of heights here or succumbed to it. Could have went either way really.

What has been the nicest so far was the little town of Malacca about halfway between KL and Singapore. It's a bit grimey but has fantastic history and great locals. Better to go there during the weekend though as it was a bit dead mid-week. Whatever you are into I suppose. 

Some things to do in Malacca:

- take the boat tour. I wouldn't bother with the monorail.

- go to the baba nyonya museum, but don't buy your tickets from the 'nice guy' in the antique shop as he'll actually sell you tickets to the 'lesser' jewellery museum and not tell you...fecker.

- take the Eco bike tour through the plantations to see palm trees and rubber trees. It's probably a bit expensive for malaysia at 100rm pax but worth doing all the same. 

- eat in the Capitol satay restaurant. 

- go for a beer in the atmospheric shantaram 'bar'. 

One story I do have to share however, and something that will stay with me forever is the disco rickshaw covered in Christmas lights. Don't judge. Me and Lorna, happy as Larry, just enjoying the ride, having a little head bop. Coming around the top of temple street our driver slowed down. We spotted a bird on the pavement and we figured he was going to help it. Wrong. Laughing like a maniac, he cornered the bird, grabbed it, found a plastic bag, put the bird in the bag and tied it to the rickshaw. WTF. We were speechless. I can't describe the feeling of riding through a city in a glittering disco rickshaw in complete silence with a dying, fluttering bird tied to the side of your seat. The most we learned was that our driver friend was going to make soup. No, we didn't know what to say either. 

Leaving the bird to the side, we are setting our sights on ko phi phi for some beach time. Queue that old All Saints song...

Home is never too far away

Leaving isn't a difficult thing to do. In the end it's really just walking out the door. The thought of leaving, now that is a different thing. Thursday morning this week, after weeks and months of planning, talking and general preparation, I just picked up my bag and walked out the door. Not so difficult. 

My family took me to the airport and after what can only be described as an emotional goodbye, I quickly slipped behind the wall and into the queue at security. This was the difficult part, I have to admit. Although, emotional as it was, my dad and my brother both called within a half hour to give out to me about two different things. That's family for you. 

What was much more amusing was saying goodbye to my gran. 80 years old and I swear she's going to outlive us all. I went in to have a cup of tea with her before I left. I gave her a hug and said I more than likely wouldn't be home for Xmas. You know what she says back? 'Oh but will himself still be able to visit? I loves that chap you know. I loves him like I loves my two grandsons.' Knowing my gran as I do and reading in between the lines, this roughly equates to her loving himself more than me. Thanks Gran. 

24 hours later I'm sitting in my hostel in Singapore waiting for an old school friend to pick me up for dinner. In the meantime I've texted my brother John, Skyped with my dad and Facebooked my little bro. 7 time zones ahead and we know each others every move. Never too far away from home. 

Home is no holiday, it's heaven.

I've been home for two weeks now. Two weeks since I left himself in Munich. It's flown by. I was supposed to leave for Singapore last Thursday but felt so strange leaving home so soon. It doesn't affect my overall plan for the next few months. So, feck it, why not? An extra week with the family and the two dogs is just what the doctor ordered. I've done loads of nice family things. Nothing terribly interesting but all so satisfying. Mostly just stuff like helping my little brother move up to college for his first year, go test drive electric cars with my dad (that he has no intention of ever buying) and helping my ma to pack for her own holiday. I also drank way too much tea, brought the dogs for many a walk and got to listen to how my great Aunt was chatted up by a youthful 75 year old on the beach this year when she was on hold with my gran in Tramore, Co. Waterford. Apparently, some glistening pensioner came up to her on the beach in nothing but a towel and insisted she take his number. My gran was jealous out the door; going on and on about it being 'indecent'. But I nearly choked when my great aunt said "we'll, at least I know upfront I'm not buying a pig in a blanket'. My gran was raging. 

Anyway, it's the last few days now at home, in the middle of absolutely nowhere and even though I decided to stay an extra week it doesn't feel enough somehow. 

It's never fecking easy, is it?

Maybe when I get back I'll spend a bit longer at home in the wilds of Wexico either walking the dogs or test driving the latest electric car on the market. 

I'm looking forward to it already. 

Heartbroken and hopeful in Munich

I honestly hope the next couple of months are worth the goodbye between myself and himself. Safe to say my heart is a little bit broken this morning. Although saying that, our actual goodbye was such a letdown. i had a pocketful of tissues at the ready, preparing myself considering the sad (but also lovely) evening we had the night before. But instead I was forced up on the airport bus with about two seconds to kiss himself goodbye. Ah well. I'm just glad I decided I absolutely couldn't go traveling for 6 months without seeing where he is setting up camp for the next while, I'm so, so glad I did. It was perfect. 

Well, when I say perfect, there was a minor detail or two that could have went more smoothly. One was my fault and one was not my fault. We got to Munich after a 6 hour train ride straight from Utrecht. It didn't even cross my mind that the big, fancy ICE trains wouldn't have wifi access. I had planned to double check the address of our accommodation and plan a route while we were in transit. I live in my own bubble but trust me, in future, I will be more prepared. I had booked three nights through www.airbnb.com, the latest craze in accommodation. We picked a cute little apartment in central Munich for about 176.00eur in total for the weekend. But, I couldn't find the reservation on my account. We had to track it down using Google, Google Maps, customer support hotlines and even knocking on doors. The problem ended up being me having two Airbnb accounts and not realizing it, sometimes using Facebook to login, etc. We finally got to the flat after tracking down the keys in a bakery. Don't ask. After the treasure hunt, we were craving a long shower and then we found out there was no hot water. Speaking with the owner of the flat we were told there would be no hot water all weekend (this seemed like a complete surprise to her too). Fantastic. We decided not to get angry about it, we'd complain formally later in the week, boil some water on the hob and wash each others hair like hippies.

The way I see it, the only problem with himself moving to Munich is that I'm not moving there with him. I'm jealous. We visited two years ago but were only there for a day. I didn't know how green and beautiful the place is. Also, it's bike friendly, yay! We had two full days together. The Friday morning we headed out to Nymphenburg Palace, navigated our way to himselfs office in the north of the city (which made me happy) and from there back the whole way into the centre to Marianplatz where we wandered around for the evening. 

The next day was a better tourist day altogether. We said we'd take a bike tour, meeting Lenny's bike tours by the fish fountain on Marianplatz at 11.30. It was 15eur each for a 3 1/2 hour tour. An absolute bargain and you get to see all the important sites in a quick, comfortable and cool way. 

Off the top of my head, my top three tourist things to see in the city would be:

- river surfing in the English Garden.

- dodgers lane way (a monument for those who went out of their way not to do the nazi salute)

- walk the river Isar banks (it's very green)

- nudist parks (apparently one can strip off in whichever park one prefers)

- and the Chinese Tower beer garden, second biggest in the world we were told, seating up to 7,000 people at a time.

There is too much to see and do in this city and not to mention what lies in reach of the place too. (Dachau, Neuschanstein Castle, Salzburg, Innsbruck and so much more.) Maybe when I'm finished saving the world in Asia 'Ill come back and be a bike tour guide for Lenny's. Not too bad an idea if himself decides he wants to stick around. Let's see eh?

For now, I've bigger fish to fry. I'm off home for two weeks. 

Last Minute Trip to Antwerp

Myself and herself decided to have one last hurrah before I leave this week and headed down to Antwerp for the day. At 32EUR return it's an absolute bargain for a train ticket but keep in mind it will take 2 1/2 hours to get there. What better way to celebrate a sixth month trip abroad than going to Belgium for the day?

We got there about 13.00 in the afternoon and the first thing herself decided to do is step in dog poop. I couldn't even look at her for about ten minutes I felt so queasy but she cleaned herself up and we persevered.

I won't be able to tell you much about the city itself or the history. Our intention was to go somewhere neither of us had been before and soak up the feel of the place. Antwerp has a beautiful old town centre. It has elaborate building facades and tall city houses. It wasn't as medieval as we thought it might be but it;s a fabulous place for a day trip.

So, what did we do all day...?

• ate Belgian chocolate (obviously) 
• drank Belgian beer (see above)
• got a tour on a horse and cart (I felt bad for the horses)
• walked for hours through windy city streets
• ate in a Mexican restaurant and were served by a Cork man (as you do)

If I were to go back I'd get a walking tour of the place and spend a couple of hours at the zoo. It's right outside the central stations front door and it's reported to have amazing gardens. Then again, same as with the horses above, I'd probably only feel bad for the animals.

We rounded off the day waiting in the station for our train. I found a cycle station where I could pedal to charge my iPad. It was a bit of hassle though, ten minutes cycling only got me from 5% power to 7%, I thought I'd get a super charge for my efforts. Mentioning the train station, Antwerp Centraal is a beautiful station, one of the nicest I've ever seen. We were walking with our faces towards the ceiling taking it all in when what happens only herself walks into dog poop again. And I had to sit beside her the whole way back to Amsterdam. Grand.