Jason Mraz - Details in the Fabric (feat. James Morrison)

Lao

Jamie (my sister) and Cameron

Alice (Melbourne), Cristian (Venice), Nicola (Venice)

Whilst I was crossing the border from Nong Khai, Thailand to Vientiane, Lao, I met Cristian. Cristian is from Venice and it was his first trip to Lao. So, before he headed to his guest house, he came in an met my grandparents and chilled out for a bit and then my uncle took him to a guest house. So, on the weekend pass I spent the evenings hanging out with Cristian, Cam and Jamie. And a couple of people that Cristian met at the guests house.

We had a few drinks at a couple of different local bars - even a local gay bar and had dinner at a french and a Lao restaurants . It was a fun weekend! On Cristian's last night he picked up a Lao girl and went home with her... before that he made sure the Lao girl wasn't a lady-boy...

It's actually quiet a happening place in Lao. All the bars and clubs actually close at mid-night except for this one called Don Chan that opens til' 2am. A nice club with a bar on the rooftop of a hotel. Like an Asian club...

This is me now...

Thursday November 8th 2007
Well, lets see I have arrived in Lao! It felt so good being in another country that I can speak the language and understand every word the locals are saying, it’s great!

The last 6 or so months have definitely been an awesome experience. I’ve met alot of great people along the way even for a day, but each person I’ve met I will remember. I’ve seen lots of great things and places and can’t wait to do it over again and again. Would love to go back to Europe and travel more on the Eastern side of Europe, perhaps one day... But I’m glad to be in Lao.

My aunt said I look more mature?! Well, maybe I have? I’m alot stronger as a person and gotten use too, and learnt and now happy to be on my own, cause it’s definitely not hard to meet people you just have to do get up and do it!

I’ve gained a couple of kilos but it’s all part of the travel I guess. Well, after India, maybe I lost some but it’s all good.

Am I missing home yet or today? No, miss mum and dad but I could stay traveling for a bit longer. Haven’t completely found me... there’s more of me that I know I haven’t discovered yet, still more to see, more places to go, more people to meet... have I met that special person? :-) no, but have I met awesome people? yes.

Not sure where my next stop is but just going to chill out in Lao with my sister and relatives for awhile. Well, Shaun, Nathan and Gemma are coming to Lao to chill too so, It’ll be fun.

I could stay ‘Above the Clouds’ a little bit longer... so keep hanging out with Saeng... cause I love sharing my journey and thoughts with you... if your happy to read :-)

Incredible India

October 29th - November 5th

So, here I am in India, finally... for eight days. So much to say about India here goes...

Monday 29th

Arrive in New Delhi in the morning... first mission find a way to get to the hotel. Paid a pre-paid taxi to the hotel. The taxi, a little black and yellow top mini van, my driver spoke very little english and half way of the trip I realised he didn’t know where my hotel was!!

The ride to the hotel... roads were packed, no lanes on the road everyone was just simply driving - where they could overtake others they would aggressively honk their irritating horns! Roads were also packed with people... walking freely amongst the traffic. As I look around me I see several skinny unhealthy buffalo and dogs roaming the dirty dried paddocks.

My hotel was nice the people at reception were nice too, they spoke english so that was a bonus. Although they overcharge me for my tours and and my room - even though it was still quiet cheap, I didn’t really complain.

The tours I went to were to Agra (Taj Mahal), Jaipur and around New Delhi. All three tours were with Indian people mostly those who came from the North of India wanting to see the South.

Agra tour: Taj Mahal was amazing and beautiful to see. Was like looking at a 3D pop-up card. It was a vision... It’s definitely a must see 7 wonders of the world. It was a long day on the tour to Agra, was at least 5 hour drive by bus from Delhi and it was quiet an adventure... First my bus came late - which I found out that Indian usually are very late and very disorganised, we were meant to leave at 6am but ended leaving at perhaps 9am. Half way down the trip the windscreen smashed! So, the bus driver was driving without a windscreen! and then... the front tyre burst, so there was another 1hr or so changing the tyre. Because we were running so late, my tour was actually quiet rushed! And we had a tour guide that supposedly spoke english but couldn’t understand a word he was saying, his accent was too strong.

On my day off on Wednesday, I went to so Internet cafe... Internet is soo soo slow. India is definitely back in the days, still. People were still using camera’s that required film! and everything is operated by generator like the Internet place. I walked around the block of my hotel, and there just men on the streets literally nothing but men - men do the work and women stay home.

Jaipur tour: Well, this tour once again had a late start! But this time I was sitting in a small van at the back squashed with 8 other people. I lovely family and a couple both from the North of India. Jaipur is a city known for it’s textile and jewellery. Saw a textile and weapons museum for one of he many kings. We also had a english speaking guide, this time I understood what he was saying so it was good. There were alot of camels and elephants on the road in Jaipur which was cool to see.

Thursday, sat on the roof top of my hotel had tandoori chicken and rice some stuffed nan bread, and vegetable pakora (vegetables deep fried in batter) with a bottle of coke. Which cost me a miserly $3! Was great!

Delhi tour: Had a late start to the day once again, also sat on a bus full of Indian orgin tourists. Had a tour guide that spoke english but spent alot of the time on the bus. Saw India Gate, Parliament house, President’s house etc etc.. Whilst I was at India gate, there were several gypsy sitting around trying to sell overpriced souvenirs. Also went to a temple called the Lotus temple (built to look like a Lotus). Actually, during all 3 tours we visited several temples worshipping the Hindi gods. I met a nice Iranian family who, I took many photographs with, using their old wind up Kodak camera!

Sunday was my shopping day! Hire a driver that basically took me wherever i wanted to go for the day for $10! I went to a temple in Delhi that took be four hours to do! It was amazing they temple took 5 years to build because it was all done by 7000 men doing wood carvings!! and every each of the temple was covered in carvings! You were allowed to take photos, it was a shame though it was fantastic! At all these temples too you had to take your shoes off. I wanted to do market shopping but my driver took me too ‘markets’ that were only for foreigners go! so the prices are foreigner prices!

Monday my last day in India. Note everything in Delhi on Mondays, is closed! Accept for the open markets. Karol Bagh market which was a 10min walk from my hotel started at 11am that run all through the night. Even though you could bargain with them they have signs up saying ‘fixed price’. But everywhere you go the sell the same items for pretty much the same price even to locals. During the day, there were only men about but after 6pm, it’s jammed packed with men and women! It was so crowded that you could only see two feet in front of you and there were women! You’ll think it was a festival.

Overall, India is cool. Interesting experience. It’s quiet poor, polluted and populated - with men! But cheap, hot and has amazing monuments. And the food... well, wasn’t too bad but was sick after having two curries in a day!

My Indian Delimma!

come so I change the flight date and then... Well, I was meant to fly out of London on the 22nd ... Ok, ok I don’t think I should be going to India this trip!! Had so many complications with my India part of my trip! Firstly, I had problems with my visa before I left, then Fran couldn't come so I changed my flight for October. And then, I was at the airport ready to check in, and the attendant explained to me that my Indian Visa had expired and I had to re-new it before I left!! So, I had to go to the Indian embassy in London to renew it but, it took 3 days! So, I was on Stand-by to get on to a flight to India! So I stayed in London for another week! London at this point was getting cold and miserable.

Oh, when I finally got on the plane... it was delayed for at least an hour and half. We were on the run way but, had to turn around because one of the passengers' had a death in the family and had to get off. So, the pilot turn around and stop the engine to get her luggage off, and it took forever, because the plane was absolutely packed so, they had to go through all the containers!!...

Garden State to Frou Frou Let Go

This is a song the Hubert got me liking heaps that I played repeatly on my last days in London. From the Garden State Soundtrack ‘Let Go’ by Frou Frou.

My Roommate

I spent my last 3 weeks with Hubert. My french Canadian friend and a really awesome friend he is. We had heaps of fun together and he always made me laugh. So funny, the latest song from Britney Spears was our favourite song to sing and we would watch 'youtube' like Victoria Beckham Coming to America! Hubert is my cool gay french Canadian friend :-) Some funny pics we did.

Lastest Song Favourite

This song was the lastest song that was playing at my store... great song! check it out.

Esprit leaving dinner!

Friday 19th of October

My going away dinner with my work mates. Had a dinner with my fellow work mates at Nandos! Everyone loves Nandos so I held my dinner there. The food is pretty much the same and the restaurant’s appearence is the same too.

All my work mates new and old came along to my dinner was great!! They we’re so sweet that they all chip in a bought me a Esprit winter jacket that I wanted but couldn’t afford it before i left and they also made a book containing pictures and comments from those who contributed to the gift. It was really nice I will definitely miss all of them dearly especially my roommate Hubert! Check out the pics...

Arash I started my first day at Esprit with...

Masood, checky Francois and Mattiew

Sexy French lady... Dado

Karolina and funny Monica
Gay Gytis?..

Sweet Seyar

Fave 2 french boys Hubert and Matt

Lovely Mireya

And Swedish Hannah, my first trainee :-)

Roming Rome

October 15th -18th

My last destination in Europe. My initial plan for Italy was to travel from Rome, to Florence and fly out of Venice but my budget was getting low and I had India and Hong Kong to go before I hit Lao. So, in the beginning of my Rome trip, I wasn’t too eager to go but it turned out to be great.

My initial thought of Rome whilst on board the plane flying through the country looking from above was ‘Wow Italy is amazing’. We flew over dozens of mountains and valleys that appeared to be occupied by several little villages, it was a lovely sight. As the plane pulled into the airport it was a different sight.

As I got onto a shuttle bus to the train station.. the area did not look so clean. The train ride was easy and finding the hostel was pretty easy too but, the surroundings was pretty dirty.

My hostel was cool, free pasta for dinner every night! and the pasta wasn’t too bad although, we had the same pasta every night during my 3 night stay. Was also cooked by a stereo-typical looking old Italian lady.

Stayed in a 8 buck room but only got to know two cool girls from Adelaid, Melissa and Rebecca. They too lived and work in London for approx. 6 months and now - like me, are travelling around for the next 5 or so months.

We did all the tourist things during the day, visit the Colosseum and the Vatican. We enjoyed the pasta, pizza, foccias and gelateo for lunch and dessert. Actually, there wasn't much of a chose... every second restaurant was either a pizza and pasta shop or a pizza and pasta shop or gelato. The food well, I’ve had better pizza in Australia.

Pretty much walked everywhere from the Spanish Steps to the Vatican. We had a drunken night on Tuesday and missed seeing the Pope on Wednesday morning! Pope comes out and says hello at 11am every Wednesday and Sunday.

We also met a couple of Melissa’s friends who were actually staying at the same hostel! small world indeed! On our second and third night we went out to a bar at another Hostel and there, they had free pizza if you bought a drink! This is where we met Adrian, who too is from Melbourne. He was the barmen.


We met a couple of Melbournians and other travels on Wednesday night while we celebrated Melissa’s 24th birthday.

Overall, was happy I went to Rome and I was actually quiet sad leaving Rome almost cried - but, I didn't shed a tear which, was a big deal for me. Rome was cool but you could do Rome in perhaps 2 days. I miss Rome.