For the fans of flora and fauna...Brisbane's Botanical Gardens

For the flora and fauna fans at home - Brisbane's Botanical Gardens, one of the most outstanding collections I have seen.

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PocketGem/BrisbaneBotanicalGardens#

Brisbane, Australia

Brisbane came about because Australia needed to have a more secure area for the criminals that kept escaping out of Sydney. From that dubious start, its come a long way in its 150 year history.

Brisbane's city centre is relatively small but its suburbs sprawl over many miles. I particularly liked the bits of permanent art scattered her and there throughout the city centre streets. There is an outstanding bar/restaurant here called Cloudlands which must have cost millions to kit out and has amazing detail throughout. There is a 50 foot waterfall in it for a start! But the statue in the smoking room is hilarious. It's a series of heads, stacked like a totem pole, which are smoking cigarettes. The bottom one is a healthy face with each face gradually becoming more and more ill looking until it gets to a skull at the top. No need to guess what this venue thinks of the habit of smoking!

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PocketGem/AustraliaBrisbane#

Eating dirt.....Moreton Bay/Island (Queensland)

Spent a day on picturesque Moreton Island which is approximately 2 hours by boat from the port of Brisbane where, aswell as seeing dolphins in their natural habitat and lovely beaches, I also tried sand boarding. What is sand boarding, I hear you say? In true Aussie style, it's what it says on the tin. You lie face down and throw yourself off a tall, steep sand dune on a small, waxed piece of plywood. And then you spend 10 seconds eating sand and when you get to the bottom of the dune, the remainder of the sand dune has worked itself into every orifice of your body. I don't think I will be rushing to try it again.
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PocketGem/AustraliaMoretonBay#

Feeding the kangaroos.....Alma Zoo, Brisbane

Amanda took me to Alma Zoo which is just outside Brisbane as I wanted to see a koala and you are allowed to get up close and personal here with the animals - No!, I am never going to grow up! We had a fantastic few hours even though it was raining - 3 days solid and I mean solid rain, no break to it. This resulted in us having the zoo to ourselves and special attention from the keepers. It was as if we were celebrities and our PA's had arranged private viewing time for us. So I got to pat a koala - because of the rain they were the most racked off looking koalas you have ever seen but they still looked cute even with the grumps! And amazingly, we were allowed to go into the kangaroo complex on our own and hand feed the kangaroos - see the attached video link for the evidence!!
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PocketGem/AustraliaAlmaZoo#
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PocketGem/AudraSTravelVideos#5379424239495765330

Newsflash: fruit obsessions......

You may be pleased to hear that my obsession with mangoes has come to an end now that I've left Asia........to be replaced with a new one! The mango has been usurped by the indigenous to Australia, strangely looking and sounding Custard Apple (see pic opposite).

Now Aussies don't try and be obtuse or clever when naming things and I've found that they tend to describe things are they are/come. Therefore, when you slice a custard apple in two you see creamy white flesh inside which you scoop out like firm custard and it's very sweet and absolutely delicious. I think Amanda is regretting introducing it to me!

Just left of Norfolk.....Byron Bay, Queensland

Byron Bay has the most easterly point in Australia - next stop is Norfolk Island where the crew of the Mutiny on the Bounty decided to take root and make a life miles from anywhere. Then there is nothing but sea until South America.

Byron Bay is renowned for great beaches and cliff views, surfing, alternative therapies and organic food. It has some excellent restaurants and cafe bars and a reputation for good and expensive coffee. It rained like hell while we were here - freaky weather as it's supposed to be the dry season! As an aside, the road signs around here are hilarious:' Horse Poo for Sale' rather than manure and 'Koala Monitoring Area' being just two.

This is where I also learnt another meaning for the word 'root' rather than a base of a tree or settling down - it seems that Aussie men are somewhat direct with their chat up lines. It was apparently a proposal although it was presented as a statement and he wasn't put off when I asked if I could think about it for a few days!

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PocketGem/AustraliaByronBay#

Crikey! I'm now in Australia.........

Landed at Brisbane airport after a delayed and sleepless flight and, thankfully, my cousin Amanda was there to greet me. I obviously looked suspicious this time - more like tired and grubby - as they sent me past the sniffer dog, a lively animal who gave the impression she'd been injesting the substances that she's found and who was encouraged to do her job with the words "Go find it, Megan!"
I can't believe I've got to Oz! I'm so excited about this fact and also about seeing Amanda in her adopted country. Looking forward to having some good wine here!

A strange thing is.........

My rucksack is apparently getting heavier on it's own steam - it's added 3.5ks to it's weight since Heathrow, according to the latest airport scales, although I've only added a t-shirt and a few cotton items! If I hadn't been packing it myself, it would seem that someone has been placing metal bars in it - or the airport scales are wrong. But on saying that, it feels lighter to me and very recently I've had to help a taxi driver to get it out of the boot of his cab (with one swing and using just one of my arms, may I add) and also get it up onto a luggage rack as the male porter couldn't manage it! Now I'm either getting stronger (unlikely, but be prepared for Superwoman to return to the UK), delusional or hallucinogenic - perhaps caused by an overload of mangoes or, said mangoes are helping me to grow muscle rather than fat - a medical breakthrough! In addition to this marvel, I have now realised that I have added the following skills to my CV: I can carry a 15kg weight along with protecting valuable documents and money whilst eating a mango and asking a thieving, begging child why they are not at school. I am therefore now adequately qualified to work in Tesco or as a lollipop/school crossing lady.

Fish Flexology in Singapore - weird experience number - oh, I've lost count by now!........

Singapore is a great stop off port for a few days on your way through Asia. It's very clean, very safe and is almost a little bit like a theme park. In fact that they do have a theme park being built with a casino on a place called Sentosa Island which is just off the mainland and can only be reached by cable car or boat. Singapore has the most shopping malls I have ever seen in such a small area - well over 80 and they are still building more! But it's fairly pricey, so if you love shopping then this is the place to come but make sure you have a very healthy bank balance.
Have had a jam packed few days here seeing the main attractions which have included the Merlion, the symbol of Singapore which is a mythological half lion, half beast creature (?!) and the Singapore Flyer, their answer to the London Eye. I went on a night safari to see lions, tigers and rhinos and had a day on Sentosa Island being a big kid experiencing park rides, an aquarium, go-karting, and more. To add to my list of weird experiences, I also had some 'Fish Flexology' in a spa here - where small fishes use your feet as a buffet (see pic below). I was very cool about it - o.k., I squealed the place down when I first put my feet into the water! It was a really weird feeling and if I hadn't known the 'pumice stones' were alive I probably would have been fine. I was so pleased when other people got into the pool and took the heat off me as they were feasting away a bit too enthusiastically!!

A big shout out to Catherine and Mary who took me for a couple of great lunches. They run a private school here for highly functioning Asperger children and the work they do is inspiring, both frustrating and heartwarming for them and the parents at times and ultimately very rewarding. I'm in awe of what you do, girls!
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PocketGem/SingaporeSentosaIsland#
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PocketGem/SingaporeCity#

Slinging in Singapore......

Raffles Hotel and a Singapore Sling.....had to be done even at 14 quid a go! What more can I say?!

For the foodies - Malay and Indonesian food,,,,

I've been eating some delicious food in this part of the world. Roti chandi, which is a bread used to mop up sauces is pretty good - the curried meats with it have been even better. Had a great chicken tikka in KL along with kidney in a marinated sauce - which sounds a bit 'erghh!' but was fantastic. It was a bit of a surprise as I thought it was chicken but a tasty surprise! In Singapore, my favourite dishes have been an indonesian dish called rendang lempur which is made with beef and elicited an "Oh my God, this is so good!" response from me as the waiters watched this diminuitive woman demolish the very large serving (apparently I do eat a lot, I've been told!). A pretty rousing prawn curry in Little India has been memorable along with local Singaporean dim sum which had some very interesting food combinations. All washed down with lime juice which is really refreshing and cleans the palette after anything spicy. My mango obsession STILL continues! I think traditional culinary delights might take a bit of a nosedive once I leave Asia. I've been told that Australia is famous for its.......pies! Although, in the words of a born and bred Australian, 'they are really, really good pies!"" I think I'm going to need a bit more convincing on that point after the food I have eaten over the last 7 weeks.

Crossing the border into Singapore....

I decided to take the train from KL to Singapore as it was recommended on Trip Advisor, journey time approximately 7.5 hours. In true Asia style, we arrived over 9 hours later but as I was in first class - for the grand price of 12 quid - and the seats were huge and a good curry was available in board, I didn't mind. We crossed not without a bit of drama. I got talking to a Malaysian gentleman who had been educated in England and he explained what would happen at border control as I didn't know what to expect. When we got to the first stage of border control at Johur Bahru, custom officials entered the train to check passports. My friend received a frown when his passport was examined and he was asked to leave the train. Forty five minutes later, he came back flanked by two armed guards. Mind racing as to whether this charming man was in fact a well known drug smuggler, he turned to me as he collected his suitcase and said " I forgot to renew my passport". He was then escorted off the train by the armed guards and that's the last I saw of him. A bit of a harsh and public humilation, I thought!

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PocketGem/MalayScenary

Muddy Estuary (Kuala Lumpur)......

Kuala Lumpur means 'Muddy Estuary' in Malay....sometimes it's best not translate something isn't it?! KL, on the whole, is very modern with some interesting districts to it including Little India and Chinatown, both being exactly what they say on the tin and where you are knee deep in fake Rolex, Chanel bags, etc.....but they did feel more like the Asia I've been used to recently. Resisted the urge to buy a belly dancing outfit - so will have to think of something else to do in Sainsburys on a wet Saturday afternoon! The Petronas twin towers are amazing and the views are superb if you can deal with the height. The ex pats living here seem to have a great life - tax free income, large modern houses, maids and gardeners, british food brands, British electric sockets and international schools providing a higher standard of schooling for the kids. I can see why none of the ex pats I met wanted to go back home. I'd certainly like to come back to Malaysia and see more parts of it,
especially the smaller islands around its coast. Will be on my way to super shiny Singapore soon!
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PocketGem/KualaLumpur

Cinderella did go to the ball.....(Kuala Lumpur)

Went to a rugby charity dinner in KL, mingling with the ex-pats. This Cinders had to be taken clothes shopping and have a major beauty overhaul before she could go to the ball - but I scrubbed up well enough for Kate and Stuart to be seen out in polite society with me! Met Leon Lloyd, retired 50 capped England rugby player who is very charming (and tall) He told a corking story about fellow ex rugby player Matt Dawson who, in his words, is 'Not the fizziest bottle of pop in the fridge" on an IQ basis!

Apa kabar (Hello) Malaysia!

Now in Kuala Lumpur with Kate, Stuart and their children Dan and Amelia. It's good not to have to keep packing and unpacking the rucksack for a while! KL is a very modern city - I feel like I've stepped through a door into another world - I'm still in Asia but it's so different to what I've been used to over the last 6 weeks. Also, being amongst the ex-pat community means a different Malaysia to the norm I know. Kate and Stuart have a stunning house next door to a golf course. The very large pool in the gated community - see pic - is 2 minutes away. I'm in the lap of luxury here! Looking forward to seeing the Petronas Towers which are the tallest twin towers in the world - if you've watched the film Entrapment with Sean Connery, they featured heavily in it.

Bonjour Hanoi!......

Hanoi is a lot more compacted in size than Ho Chi Minh city.....with just as many vehicles on the road. The French occupied this city from about 1853 to 1953 so their architectural influence is strong. It is also where the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh is kept or 'Uncle Ho' as the schoolkids are taught to refer to him as. He asked to be cremated in his will but they decided to mummify him and put him on display to the nation. Hmmm.

Have also been to see some traditional Vietnam theatre. An art form called the Water Puppets where the artistes are in/under water and the puppets are made to perform on top of the water. About 10 minutes in the penny dropped as to what was so familiar - I was watching the Vietnamese aquatic version of the Thunderbirds. It was, quite frankly, one of the most bizarre things I have ever seen!

Note on Hanoi city (2): This city is absolutely mental! Take stock she said......this is the noisest city EVER!

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PocketGem/HanoiVietNam

Asia/UK....similarities and differences

Similarities between Asia and UK observed to date:
There must be a world training centre for Post Office staff as they are equally slow here as in the U.K.
Tomato ketchup is available in all restaurants if you ask for it.
Public transport, especially trains, do not run on time...... unless you are running late.
Similarities between the sexes: Multi tasking is a definite no no for the men. Men gathering in groups to smoke, drink, demonstrate bad hygiene habits, e.g spitting and scratching, is a national pastime. Women use 15,000 words rather than the 20 that would have sufficed.

Differences between Asia and the UK:
Dogs being carried around in plastic bags with their heads peeking out of the top (live ones before you ask!) in a +35 degree heat. (Thailand/Vietnam)
People carrying babies and children on motorbikes with no crash helmet on the kids - the parents have helmets but not the kids! (Thailand/Cambodia/not so much Vietnam)
Polite notices asking you not to bring guns, knives and drugs into the hotel (Cambodia)
Polite notices asking you not to bring explosives onto the train (Vietnam)
No/no thank you is not taken for an answer in Asia!

Ha Long Bay (Vietnam....

Famous for over 1900 islands jutting up out of the sea, Ha Long Bay is a geological and biological phenomenon. It's probably one of the most touristy places I have been to in the last few weeks as the port/pier is very busy with sightseeing boats. The day we went, Vietnam had freaky weather for the time of year in that it rained practically all day and it was a 'chilly' 20 degrees c - postively Artic conditions when you've been in +35 for a month! We were on a fantastic sailing boat though and the lunch provided really tickled the taste buds. I'm not a huge fan of crab usually but the crab they served was absolutely delicious. And the scenary was breathtaking even without the patronage of the sun. We also had time to go to one of 3 caves that have been discovered which was jaw droppingly beautiful - the pictures just cannot do it justice.

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PocketGem/VietNamHaLongBay

Caught napping.........

Just taken the last sleeper train journey I will do for a while - total of 5 in one month. The 4th one was pretty horrendous - I think years of therapy will be needed to overcome it - and so, anticipating another sleepless, smelly night, vodka was purchased. We were pleasantly surprised when we were unexpectedly upgraded to first class - bliss. Clean smelling sheets and air con that worked! The vodka was drank anyway and, as the pace had caught up with us a bit, we were flagging by about 9.30pm. Caught napping on my bunk with my ipod still running! Few days in Hanoi planned to take stock, catch up on some sleep and plan the next steps....

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PocketGem/VietnamScenary

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PocketGem/AudraSTravelVideos#5379418000140744818

Where she to then?....Hue, Vietnam

Hue is a town of cultural significence for Vietnam and was the political capital for 140 years until 1945. It contains a Citadel/Imperial Palace modelled on Beijing's Forbidden City. I went to a restaurant here that helps support a charity for street kids. The owner was one of 8 children, 7 of whom including him, were born deaf and mute. He's had 7 children of his own all of whom can speak and hear perfectly well. You are allowed to write on the restaurant walls here, so space found for a well known Welsh chant - see pic below - a bit of deliberate politics from me!

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PocketGem/HueVietNam

Currency..excuse me how much is that?....

I'm in my third country and each one I've moved to so far, the amount of local currency to the $ has gone up as follows (using $'s as no GDP sign on computers here!)
Thai Baht - roughly 145 to the $
Cambodian Riel - 4000 to the $
Vietnamese Dong - 17500 to the $! As you can only take a maximum of 2m Dong (about 80 quid) out of an ATM at one time, you feel as if you are constantly handing over multiples of hundreds of thousands of notes and have to keep reminding yourself that it's not the equivalent in pounds!
Hope things become a bit saner on this front in Malaysia.

Healthy or not? Not entirely sure really....

Observations on a health front:
I may be speaking prematurely but I've been very pleased about the lack of mossie bites received. Mossie net being kept for China trek though!
Only have a suntan on face, arms and shoulders at moment. I've been graced with a few additional freckles on my legs - woop de doo!
I'm eating a bit too well at the moment, although more fruit and veg being consumed than at home. Tummy upset yet to happen - hurrah!
Although the beer and cocktails have been strong, I've not felt at all drunk - means any bad effects on my body is not registering? It's fair to say that there hasn't been many times, make that 0 times, over the last 5 years that I've drank Black Russians over lunch and then moved onto White Russians at dinner time - not my fault, people keep having birthdays here!
Have spent one whole month not wearing a scrap of makeup - very liberating. When asked, in the immortal words of Denise of the Royle family, "Yeh, but does my hair look like shite?!", then the answer is definitely Yes!
At this rate, I'm in danger of returning to the UK as a porky, patchwork skinned alcoholic...but boy, it's worth it! Don't worry, girls, I'm sure my strong streak of vanity will kick in at some point!

Vietnamese food

There is a dish cooked in Vietnam which is the absolute business....fish cooked in a claypot oven. You can use other meat too but the fish here is so good. I've had to force myself to try other dishes as I would be quite happy to eat this every day. Have also enjoyed the best spring rolls I have ever tasted. I didn't comment on Cambodia food when I left there as I found that it's mainly an amalgamation of Thai and Vietnamese dishes but their Khmer curry was pretty tasty. My mango obsession continues!

Hoi An, Vietnam....suit you sir

Hoi An has a major French colonial influence and cafe bar style/feel to it....with a Vietnamese twist of course. It's quieter, quite charming and has almost a village feel to it. The GI's in the Vietnam War were sent here for some R&R in between fighting against the Vet Con. Clothes wise, you can get anything you want made-to-measure here within 1-2 days by one of the hundreds of tailors. I discovered I could post items home for about 15 quid, so a made-to-measure dress, skirt, Vietnamese style tunic (I just had to have one) are winging their way back to the UK and a jacket is on it's way to Oz! I'm also very excited about 2 original paintings by a local artist that I bought which will (hopefully) arrive in the UK via seamail in about 3 months. No apologies, I'm a woman who likes to shop!

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PocketGem/VietnamHoiAn

Nha Trang, Vietnam.. a magnet for Australians

Nha Trang is a coastal port in Viet Nam where the people are pretty friendly and like all good ports, the women are especially friendly to foreign men! Not one to have an opinion (!), if I was being harsh, I would say it is where middle aged, unattractive Australian male bums go to live cheaply and find a young Vietnamese wife as this place is full of them. The Russians particularly like this town also apparently - the type of Russian that likes to control things if you know what I mean - and it's a holiday resort for the Vietnamese. On a plus side, it has some fabulous beaches - we managed to spend a day on a beach where only the locals go - and I had the most amazing Vietnamese massage here. The women doing it bent my body into shapes I didn't think it could bend into! But the aches and knots in my back from travelling with the rucksack and staying in different beds were well and truly taken care of.

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PocketGem/VietnamNhaTrang