Rockin' In Bangkok!

Tuk Tuk!?

Have Had a hectic and awesome few days! Seems a good idea to spend atleast 3 nights in a decent location! Ended up on a street corner at 3am sunday morning(!) with John and his guitar. Half a Thai band turned up and afew other peeps John had met! Awesome mini street festival of our own! Played some classic stuff like Pink Floyd and Greenday. Good crack mate!

Had a good mooch around the streets surrounding Khao San road sunday morning and got some good market stall pics! Did the touristy thing of visiting temples and such like attractions sunday afternoon. Tuk-Tuks are AWESOME!. Tho the drivers are very pushy and try anything to take you anywhere, usually with an unrequested stop at a suit shop en-route... Grrrr!





Rocking Bangkok

Went down town bangkok monday via the Canal, awesome trip nice and cheap too. Once at the main boat stop near Bangkok down town, we jumped on the Sky train.... Does exactly what it says on the label. over trees buildings and hectic spaghetti roads. Bit of shopping and a roof top festival ended the evening downtown before returning to Khao San road for a bit of live Thai-metal band, covering the likes of Metallica, Ozzy and Iron Maiden.... Love it!!

So home is just a word now...

London to Bangkok



Getting down to st. Pancras was easy enough! Met up with Jethro for a few hours in London, one last goodbye before getting on the Plane.

Flight was delayed by 2 hours due to a hydrolic pump failure.... :cS So the 747 had to go back to the gate. Flight was cool, didnt get too much sleep. Plenty if new films to watch, but ended up watching my old fave: Romeo and Juliet... Arrived in Bangkok at about 6 pm Saturday afternoon here so 11 am GMT. Weirdly sat next to an elderly couple from Nottingham on the plane!

Collecting baggage randomly started chatting to peeps and met an Irish king called John. lolz! Got to hostel easily enough, tho this hostel seems a little more expencive than most! Few hours sleep and was back up at 4am local time. Been sat on the corner of Khonsan road with random peeps and a guitar... Good times! Time to purify some water, get some breakfast and see some sights!


Same Same, but different(!)

Walk the Earth!

Bum

Pulp Fiction scene!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yh-QWKGbm2Q

"You know, walk the earth, meet people... get into adventures"


Packing Out My Trash

Final Itinerary

THE PLAN!

I have finally confirmed an altered and re-tweaked travel itinerary. A stone-set version has been paid for and vouchers have been received! It's all go!! 9 days!

First leg! South East Asia

Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore Flight: London to Bangkok - 20/02/09

- 21/02/09 - Bangkok
- 28/02/09 - Chiang Mai
- 01/03/09 - Hill tribe trek
- 04/03/09 - Chiang Mai
- 05/03/09 - Bangkok
- 07/03/09 - Khao Sok National Park
- 09/03/09 - Krabi
- 12/03/09 - Penang
- 14/03/09 - Kuala Lumpur (KL)
- 16/03/09 - Port Dickson
- 18/03/09 - Melaka
- 19/03/09 - Singapore


Second Leg! South Pacific

Australia
Flight: Singapore to Cairns - 23/03/09

- 23/03/09 - Cairns + Cook town
- 27/03/09 - Mission Beach
- 30/03/09* - Townsville
- 02/04/09* - Mackay - Whitsunday Island
- 05/04/09* - Rockhampton
- 07/04/09* - 1770
- 09/04/09* - Bundaberg - Fraser Island
- 11/04/09* - Rainbow Beach
- 13/04/09* - Nossa
- 15/04/09* - Brisbane
- 19/04/09* - Surfers Paradise
- 21/04/09* - Byron Bay
- 26/04/09* - Coffs Harbour
- 27/04/09* - Port Macquarie
- 29/04/09* - Newcastle
- 30/04/09 - Sydney

New Zealand Flight: Sydney to Christchurch - 03/05/09

- 03/05/09 - Christchurch
- 03/06/09* - Auckland


Third leg; Latin America

Chile, Argentina
Flight: Auckland to Santiago - 15/11/09

- 15/11/09 - Santiago
- 19/11/09 - Valparaiso / Vina del mar
- 24/11/09* - Chillan - market town
- 29/11/09* - Pucon - volcan Villarrica
- 03/12/09* - Valdivia - Turrets and forts!
- 05/12/09* - Punta Natales -National park of Torres del Paine
- 11/12/09* - Punta Arenas
- 16/12/09 - Santiago

Peru, Bolivia, Brazil Flight: Punta to Lima - 18/12/09

- 22/12/09 - Lima
- 23/12/09 - Pisco
- 24/12/09 - Nazca (Nazca lines, see picture below!)
- 26/12/09 - Arequipa/Chivay/ Colca Canyon
- 29/12/09 - Cuzco
- 30/12/09 - Ollantaytambo
- 31/12/09 - Inca Trail - Machu Picchu
- 04/01/10 - Cuzco
- 07/01/10 - Puno
- 08/01/10 - Lake Titicaca
- 10/01/10 - La Paz
- 12/01/10 - Uyuni / Salar de Uyuni - Salt Planes
- 16/01/10 - Potosi - highest city of it's kind in the world. My Birthday!
- 18/01/10 - Sucre
- 20/01/10 - Santa Cruz / Puerto Suarez
- 22/01/10 - Corumba / Pantanal
- 24/01/10 - Bonito / Iguassu Falls
- 29/01/10 - Paraty / Ilha Grande
- 03/01/10 - Rio de Janeiro
- 13/01/10 - Rio Carnival - Fat Tuesday

Flight: Rio to London - 20/02/10

* Rough dates!!

Nazca Lines

Image source: http://www.mysteryperu.com/eng/assets/mapa_nasca.jpg


Finance

Student loan repayments?!

Once i become unemployed it would seem i have to inform the student loans company of my years absence... lame... with evidence of my itinerary and savings?! pha!


Time to try and pack the bag!

Fortune Faded...

Money


Since June the Value of the pound has tumbled. For £1 I could have got 67.00 Thai Baht but now they're worth 48.00 Baht... Not good. Other currencies I'll have to use include:

• American Dollar - £1 = $1.38
  
• Australian Dollar - £1 = $2.10
  
• Bolivian Boliviano - £1 = B9.70
  
• Brazilian Real - £1 = R3.24
• Chilean Peso - £1 = P858
  
• Malaysian Ringgit - £1 = R4.97
  
• New Zealand Dollar - £1 = $2.60
  
• Singapore Dollar - £1 = $2.06
  
• Peruvian Nuevo Sol - £1 = S4.37

Tho the strength of the pound is as good now against the OZ and NZ dollars as it was last summer! woot. I don't think it's going to get any better for the Pound / Thai Baht before I fly either.


Storage

All of my possessions are in storage in my bros old room at my folks place and I've started to sort through all the bits and pieces i have to fit in my bag and take with me! Plenty of drugs and first aid kit to be taken, which hopefully I wont have to use. Also bought a wire bag security net with padlock to wrap around my hiking bag when I'm not with it, or am asleep et c. As long as I get my camera and clothes into the bag I'm happy :c)

Our only security is our ability to change

Storage

All of my stuff has been moved out of Forest Fields back into my parents spare room, thanks to a few lifts of some good mates ;c) Bit of a nomad for a few weeks now. Most of my check list is complete! Still got to pack my bag and finalise what I'm to take.


Malaria

After much more research, careful consideration and going on advice about the south east Brazilian coast (Paraty, ilha Grande, Rio de janeiro), I've again decided against taking the Malaria drugs for the time spent in South America. The side effects are not worthy of the minimal risk. As long as I'm not wondering into rural jungle, or go anywhere near the Amazon river basin (north Brazil ) the risk is minimal. Mosquito repellent and protection should be enough, though there is still a risk...

Image source: http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations/brazil.htm

Malaria links:

http://www.mdtravelhealth.com/destinations/samerica/brazil.php

http://www.paho.org/English/HCP/HCT/MAL/maps-cartagena.htm