Monday, August 31, 2009

El Nido

Day 19: El Nido, Philippines
Imagine stumbling upon a place that no one else has discovered, well it's not completely uninhabited but imagine a place that has not been compromised by tourists, pollution, traffic, noise, imagine a private Eden shared amongst friends who share in cooking, cleaning, working, not out of any capitalistic or egotistic means but a general sense of happiness amongst a common collective.
The Beach (Alex Garland)
Nicely said Mr Garland, and for the most part this passage describes El Nido to a tea, minus the socialist slant. Of course I would imagine it's not quite the sleepy little town it was when he lived in the Philippines in the 90's, inspiring his epic backpacker novel (and horrible Hollywood movie), it's fair to say that most of the people who are passing into the town consider it a little piece of heaven on the Palawan peninsula. It's real back to nature stuff, I ran into one of the boys from last nights drinking session who was walking down the beach earlier when he saw a Pinoy lad who had just caught two huge fish. The boy sold one of the fish to him and they proceeded to cook it up, there on the beach, and have a lovely fish supper right there in front of what is arguably the worlds greatest sunsets.
One little eccentricities of El Nido is that there is no electricity between 6am and 2pm, leaving you the options of either sleeping in or finding something to do which doesn't require electricity. Not a big deal because if you are too hot, well, theres the worlds biggest swimming pool right in front of you, or if you are hungry there's plenty of nice things to eat that can be cooked with a gas stove. Unfortunately espresso machines don't run on gas but it's a small price to pay and it encourages you to get out and enjoy the atmosphere.
Made it down to Baliy Tubay again last night, the band were nice enough to let me sit in with them and play a few tunes which was nice. As I mentioned before I am using my 3mp mobile phone camera is my primary snapper at the moment, got some pics but not half as nice as the Olympus would have taken, am still struggling to download them so will go back and update the appropriate posts when I get them online.
I'm suffering a bit today, we got stuck into the local rum and when I got home I had the urge to take a late night swim in the sea, unfortunately Rosanna locks the gate to the beach at 12pm so I had to scale the 3m fence, injuring my leg in the process. Will be saying goodbye to El Nido tomorrow and off to Coron to dive on WW2 wrecks, will be sad to say goodbye but as MacArthur famously said after his first visit to the Philippines, 'I will return'.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Paradise Found

Day 18: El Nido, Philippines
Greetings from Paradise. After a 5 hour flight to Manila, 1 hour to Palawan, 8 hour by bus from Puerto Princesa I have finally arrived in El Nido. Before I go on, I have to say that this is the best place I have ever been to, narrowly nudging out Koh Phagnan to claim the title. El Nido is situated on the Bacuit Bay achipelago at the top of Palawan, El Nido itself commands a stunning location, sitting between between massive limestone cliffs and picturesque Bacuit Bay with Cadlao Island right in front. Found a nice little guest house for 130 pesos per night (roughly 40 Aussie dollars) which is right on the beach run by a lovely local lady named Rosanna, each morning I walk out straight into the water and have a nice swim across the bay. Unfortunately this is pretty much all the exercise I have been doing and have been out every night since I have arrived, on the flip side I've been drinking the San Miguel Lite which are a steal at 30 pesos a bottle (1 Aussie Dollar) but about a quarter of the calories of most other beers. This is also the first place I have been to where I am staying on budget, despite making no real effort to control my spending. First night in town I wandered down to Seaslugs Restaurant to get my bearings. Ran into a young Australian guy, Tommy, who's family owns the restaurant and sat and drank with him and his mates on the chairs on the beach out the front before heading out to Balay Tubay, a fantastic little live music place that was located around the corner. I must mention that El Nido is a small village, but with everything you need as most places are these days (wifi, internet all available). It doesn't look like it will stay that way though, at the moment there is a plan to dredge the sand from in the bay in front of the town, which will allow ferries into the bay direct from Manila making the town alot more accessible for all. There is no ATM though, to get money out, you have to take it from your credit card, the place recommended by LP charges a hefty 12% on withdrawals, fortunately Tommy let me know you could also withdraw from the petrol station down the road for only 6%. I am almost over the fear that my card won't work when I am overseas, and the obvious consequenses that will occur if i am stranded with no money so far away from everything. Almost.
One thing that has really been a downer is that my so called underwater camera has failed so I have to use my mobile phone to take pics, the camera is only 3megs to really disappointed about that. At this stage I am relying on getting other travellers to email me some of their pics, the one above is taken by a girl called Jodi who runs a blog called Legal Nomads which has been a great resource for me over here. Went for a really nice dive on Friday sans camera, luckily there were an Italian foursome who were along with us and one of them is going to send me some of the pics he took which are absolutely mind blowing. God doesn't seem to want me taking pics of this beautiful place so hopefully my words can do it some justice, I am anticipating a drama when I take it back to the shop in KL as I have thrown away the receipt (the camera model is called The Olympus Tough, I was not expecting it to break). Needless to say the dive was great, the islands in teh achepelago look like they are straight out of King Kong with cloudy mists covering their tops and turquoise blue waters meeting the green tropical water in front of the yellow sands. I am sitting on 12 dives now, I think I will do another 10 and then take my advanced open water which will allow me to descend to 40m, opening up alot more dive options especially wrecks (which are awesome). May have to factor this into the itinerary...
Unfortunately Lobsters went out of season a couple of weeks ago (it's the off season) so no joy there, apart from that though seafood is plentiful and so, so cheap. Will post again shortly because unfortunately time has got the better of me again today and there is barbecue on the beach in 15 minutes which I am heading down to. More photos to come as soon as I sort out the camera issues...
Alamut

Friday, August 28, 2009

Palawan


Day 17: Puerto Princesa, Philippines
Kamusta.
So I haven't posted for a few days, needless to say I am still alive and well, thanks for asking.
Left Manila on Wednesday afternoon bound for Palawan, the wild fronteir region of the Philippines. The unfortunate part of my trip is that I have put myself under considerable pressure as far as the timeline I want to follow, I want to be back in Kuala Lumpur for the Asian Champs AFL tournament on Sat 5th September so need to be back in Manila on in a weeks time. The mistake I have made here is that any travel needs a day set aside for it, once you reach the more remote regions the primary modes of transport are boats and buses, which take considerable time to reach their destination. Overall Manila was hot and cold, I think the Philippines are fantastic but arriving in Manila can be a bit of a letdown and it's not a great example of what the rest of the country has to offer. It's probably why not as many people travel around here, preferring more tourist friendly area like Thailand and Indonesia. Manila gets pretty dodgy after dark as well but as long as you use your common sense you will be very safe, I guess one thing that stands out to me is there are no real pockets of tourist areas like there are in most other countries, even in Ermita and Malate which are the more foreigner friendly areas there are lots of beggars and con-men all around the place.
Took a one hour Cebu Air flight to Puerto Princesa, Palawan and touched down in the evening. The main method of transport here is by trishaw, that is, a motorbike with a covered sidecar attached which can seat two people. Had a look at a couple of guest houses in the town that were mentioned in the guide book but they were all overpriced, a trend I am noticing when visiting a place that has been reviewed in a massively circulated publication. The best way to find the best value (not cheapest) accomodation is by talking to other travellers and the more expensive the place you stay, the less travellers you will meet, as soon as I get to KL it's back to dorm living for me. Had a great meal in a beautiful little restaurant in the town, cheap as chips, first rate and great atmosphere. After that went and watched a local Pinoy show at a bar around the corner, even got the chance to go up and dance on the stage with them, anyone who knows me will understand I love a boogie after a few beers so it was nice to have the opportunity to do so Philippino style.
Next stop is El Nido, an 8 hour bus ride from Puerto Princesa to soak up what has been described as one of the last unspoiled paradises that the world has to offer, they are building an airstrip there now so this probably won't remain the way for much longer. Planning on going out for a couple of dives here then off to Coron for a wreck dive, I can't find a way between Coron and Mindoro so unfortunately that will have to wait until next time I am in the country.
Alamat

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Jeepneys


Day 15: Manila, Philippines


I tell you what's really annoying is that once you get the hang of how a city works it's time to leave. That's generally how I feel about Manila now it's time to move to the next leg of the journey, Palawan. One thing that I found very confusing to start with was how to get to your destination by the preferred mode of transport in the city, the Jeepney. The Jeepney is a perculiar mode of transport that is very common in the Philippines, basically a bus made by extending old jeeps that the American Army left behind after WW2 in the Philippines. The owners of the Jeepney really pimp them out, give them names and spray murals on the sides, much akin top the Holden Sandman panelvans of 1970's Australia but a lot less subtle. The Jeepneys travel along the one way streets of Manila, so to get where you want to go you get yourself top a street parallel to your destination and jump into one of these amazing vehicles, holding on until you arrive where you want to go.


Quite a good method of transport, once you get the hang of it.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Hobbiton in the Philippines

Day 14: Manila, Philippines
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone
And I must follow, if I can
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
-The Lord of the Rings (JRR Tolkein)

And who in their right mind can? Not me. Tolkein definitely had an acute sense of appreciation for the weird, but even he would be taken aback by the Hobbit House Bar and Blues Club that calls Manila home, where genuine Hobbits serve you and entertain with the great hospitality for which the afore titled (and highly fictional) Hobbiton was highly renowned.
Aaah, but we're getting ahead of ourselves now...
Needless to say I reached Manila after a few dramas at the airport, as I mentioned previously the ATM at Changi was broken so I was flying into Macapagal airport with 3 Singapore Dollars and a few Thai baht mixed in for good measure, hungover as all hell from the night before at the Singapore Wombats shindig hoping to god that my ATM card would work in the Philippines when I finally found an ATM, presuming that there were ATMs in the country.
And hope that they had a decent Visa-On-Arrival arrangement because I forgot to check before I left.
And that said Visa-On-Arrival wouldn't cost anything like it does it in alot of other countries.
The brilliant Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Doug Adams maintains that in all situations one must remember to keep a cool head, and remember, 'Don't Panic!' (which is printed on the cover). I can't help but think that The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is based on the Lonely Planet series of guidebooks, one of which I reluctantly purchased but have been pleasantly suprised to find myself referring to from time to time despite the fact that it has become very outdated very quickly (50/50 hit rate as to whether the businesses mentioned exist 1 year after printing). And there I go off on another tangent again.
So obviously I made it to Manila or else I wouldn't be writing this post from the Slouch Hat Inn, Ermita. This is an Australian themed bar/hotel which was recommended by a mate in KL, a bit expensive for the Philippines but all the same a nice way to dip a toe into the water as far as foreign accomodation goes. The ATM at the airport in Clark was also busted, further heightening my tension but I was able to enter Manila without putting my hand in my pocket once but had to get a 5 minute cab ride to the ATM with a predatory cab driver which cost me more that the entire bus trip to Manila. Once I checked in at to the Slouch Hat Inn, had some tea and headed out into the town, a few beers and then home for a big day to come of Jeepneys and Hobbits.
And here's where my inner geek comes out to shine...
The Hobbit House Bar and Blues club is a Lord of the Rings themed bar with a great line up of blues musicians playing all night long. I am a big fan of the Lord of the Rings, it was my 'idle' book, that is to say, whenever I wasn't reading anything else I would default back to this book and read it again. Its close to a thousand pages so similar to painting the Sydney Harbour Bridge, once you have finished it, it's time to start it over again. This club has all these great little paintings of scenes from the book, obviously created before the movies came out so it was a whole different image than the ones Peter Jackson masterfully created for the modern age. The best thing of all is that in the bar you are served (and entertained) by hobbits, that is to say, midgets who complete the illusion of drinking in a bar in Middle Earth. Outstanding!
Leaving Manilla tomorrow for Palawan and the road to El Nido, selamat!

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Singapore

Day 13: Singapore
Got into Singapore and headed straight to a backpacker place in Little India. It's been a long time since I have slept in dorm accomodation but it was actually quite comfortable (and cheap). The thing about these sort of joints is the people there are ultra friendly, far removed from the keep-to-themselves types you get when you are spending a few more bucks on a hotel or resort. Met up with a couple of other Australians and some Irish lads and we spent the afternoons around the streets on Singapore, most notably at an Indian restaurant which nearly put one of them into hospital with an extra hot mutton masala. Lightweights :)
Regrettably I never went on a proper tour of Singapore so I haven't really done the tourist thing and seen all the landmarks, no doubt i will be back there some time soon so will have to do it then.
The mighty Malaysian Warriors played against the Singapore Wombats on Saturday, a valiant effort despite a tragically undermanned team due to illness and injury.
Went to an Irish Pub called Obama's for drinks afterwards, I think every team in the overseas AFL league is sponsored by an Irish pub. Had alot of drinks there and fell asleep in front of the big screen in the lounge of the backpackers, very early flight the next day and suprise suprise I was worse for wear on the flight to Manila, made all the worse by the fact that the ATM in Changi airport was broken and i was landing in Manila with 3 dollars in my wallet.
Will post tomorrow on how that worked out...

Friday, August 21, 2009

Swap it Out

Day 11: Singapore

The backpack is mighty full right now and just getting by under the 15kg weight category that the airlines are offering (now sitting at 13kg), which makes it very hard to take advantage of all the great shopping opportunities that Asia has to offer. I'm considering buying a Netbook and DVD drive if the price is right but it has to be under 2kg or it will push me over the limit and end up costing me more than it saves me in weight penalties.
The whole clothes thing is the biggest drama, the only way to stop yourself from packing a wardrobe with straps is to practice a method called Swap-It-Out.
The clothes packed are as follows:
3 T-Shirts (One Black, One White, One Colour)
3 Collared Shirts (One Black, One White, One Coloured)
1 Singlet
1 Pair Jeans
1 Pair Board Shorts
1 Pair Sports Shorts
1 Weaterproof jacket
1 Pair Sports Shoes
1 Pair Dress Shoes
1 Pair Sandals
1 Pair footy boots
Socks, jocks
The shoes take up the bulk of the room, would be nice to drop the footy boots or dress shoes from the rotation but will be needing them from time to time so will just have to make do. The trick is to keep this lineup happening but if you want to buy another of any of the above items it must be superior to the old one which must be disgarded, therefore not adding to the overall weight of the pack. This natural selection method dictates that by the end of the trip I will have the ultimate version of all of the above items of clothing, with my wardrobe evolving as time goes on. Keep an eye on the photos posted to see how the Swap-It-Out championships are progressing week-to-week.
Which clothes will be number one when the plane lands in Oz?
Which will be crowned The Ultimate Dress shoes of the championship?
Am I spending too much time sitting at airports thinking about random systems and games?

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Chorenrit Represents

Day 10: Thongsala, Koh Phagnan, Thailand

So it's time to say goodby to Koh Phagnan and the trip finished with a bang at the much anticipated Fight Night at the Cobra Stadium, Thongsala. The English lads Zac and Izaak did Chorenrit Muay Thai school proud with both of them winning their fights, by knockout no less, Zac taking out his opponent in the first round. This was head trainer Mak's last fight for a long time with him heading off to Japan to teach Muay Thai at a school there, he was pretty happy with the results of his two fighters which was a great going away present for him. Stayed out until quite late celebrating with a few Changs and have a very sore head today, still so out of it in the morning that I sat and watched casually as my boat arrived, boarded and took off again as I sat at the pier. Luckily their was another one in 15 minutes so no harm done. Yesterday was my last training session at the gym before I head back to Koh Samui and over to Singapore for the Warriors game, as difficult as the sessions were I will really miss that intensity when it comes to training, I'm going to have to really push myself to match them. I have added a Muay Thai fight in Thailand to my Bucket List (things to do before you die), haven't really thought around the logistics as yet but I definitely want to get back to Thailand for a month some time and train up for a fight but will need to get down to at least 8okgs or else I will be up against a monster.
Sad to say goodbye to Koh Phagnan, will definitely be coming back in the near future, probably the best place I
have been to in a long time. Will miss the magnificent Thai food, Movie Restaurants, the awesome book shop in Haad Rin, training at the school, the beaches, the friendly locals, such a wonderful place. I am slightly over budget at the moment but I am counting on Cambodia and Laos to catch it back up, Singapore won't be cheap so i will have to tighten the purse strings until I am safe in Manila.



Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Jeffrey Lee R.I.P.


Day 9: Thongsala, Koh Phagnan, Thailand

Ferris Bueller: 'Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it'
-Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Sage words indeed.
Last week I received the sad news that Jeffrey Lee was killed in a motorbike accident in Kuala Lumpur on August 4th, 2009. He was 35 years old.
Jeff was the dive instructor who taught me and Dave the ropes when we made the decision to learn how to scuba dive in KL, I thank him for his patience and tolerance as I am a challenging student at the best of times, sorry about smashing the side of the pool mate.

Jeff always had a great acronym for remembering all the rules and regulations when it came to diving, they gave you a giggle which made them so much easier to remember.
The life path that leads you to teaching such a fantatic pursuit such as diving, leading holidays into wild, wonderful destinations all over the world certainly is a life less ordinary than most, I think Jeff did a fair bit of looking around in life and didn't miss too much in his short time on the planet.

RIP


Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Witness the Fitness


Day 8: Thongsala, Koh Phagnan, Thailand


Well, the first week of my trip is over. On Thursday I will depart from this island paradise bound for Singapore and the Malaysian Warriors vs Singapore Wombats game, I think that it's fair to say that after the vast amount of training I completed last week, fitness is no longer an issue for me.

No smokes, no booze, plenty of sleep, all good in the hood. Even got a tan now....

Three more days of training to go.

Two of the English boys are fighting on Wednesday night, the signs and posters have gone up in the villiage and the vans are blaring out advertising for th event making them minor celebrities about town. The big one, Isaak, is about 6'4 on a bad day and is head and shoulders above the rest of the crew, last week a Brazilian bloke came along to start training who is the same height as him.

Voila, guess who has a new sparring partner.

Unfortunately the Brazilian bloke is a fashion model and his looks are his bread and butter, but as I mentioned, he's the only one suitable to spar with the big bloke (who needs as much practice as he can get before Wednesday's fight night) so he keeps getting paired up with Isaak.

Fingers crossed he doesn't leave with broken nose and cauliflower ears as he is a decent bloke.

The fitness is getting up there now, trainings becoming a lot more fun now I can pusg myself hard.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Sunday sesion on Koh Tao



Day 7: Koh Tao, Thailand

So Sunday finally came, a well deserved day off after a gruelling week at Chorenrit Muay Thai school. Have dropped almostr 5kg in the time I have been training there, can't recommend this place enough for anyone who wants a crash course in improving their fitness and dropping a few kgs, Rocky 4 style.


Got up bright and early on Sunday morning, took it pretty easy with just a couple of beers with a few Dutch tourists I met in Haad Rin on Tuesday night.

The taxi (pickup truck) was due to pick me up at 7:20am from Chorenrit school, the bungalow which I am staying in would be too hard for them to find so took the bike down and waited at the table and chairs out the front for it to arrive.

At exactly 7:20am, a van came rolling past, I made eye contact with the driver but he kept on driving when he saw me. The truck was marked 'Haad Yao Diving' so given the timing off it's appearance I thought that I had well and truly missed the bus to my diving utopia which I had been looking forward to all week.

After about an hour of muttering and cursing my bad fortune, another truck appeared, this was the one to the right place so I breathed a sigh of relief and got onboard.

There were about 20 people on the trip, Dutch, American, Australian, Israeli and Fench, some there for snorkelling, othes doing their Open Water certification and some (like myself) out for a couple of nice dives for the day. We got on the boat and headed out to our first dive, Sail Rock, which was about an hour out to see towards Koh Tao from Koh Phagnan. I had some massive problems equalising on decent when I was in Indonesia, it took me 10 minutes to get to the 20m depth because of the slow rate at which the air was being released from my sinuses, creating uncomfortable pressure in my ears. This time I poured some saline solution into my sinuses (a trick I got from a diving website) and guess what? No more problems descending! Pretty happy about that.

The dive was everything I expected, we did 45minutes at 25m depth. The visability was excellent (20m) and there were all sorts of fishes, massive groupers and even some eels along the way. I wont go into much more detail about the dives because writing about diving is a bit like dancing to architecture and I don't have a camera which can go that deep. Having said that there are some Sail Rock photos from the net here.

The next two dives were fantastic also, I was assigned a French apprentice divemaster (guide) who seemed a bit edgy and uncertain (he was affectionately known as Son of Clouseau), I think the reason he was a bit nervous was that there are all these acronyms for helping you remember what to check before you go down (eg. B.W.A.R.F.= Buoyancy, Weights, Air, Release, Final, or Bangkok Women Really Are Fellas as our divemaster Jeff (RIP) used to say). obviously he had learned to dive in France and had trouble remembering the safety check in English.

Bambi


Either way, a good time was had by all and every one was pretty sociable, had a good chat with most of the passengers and crew, including one of the divemasters called 'Bambi'.

Bambi has lived on Koh Phagnan for the last five years and has become a local institution, so much so he holds a position of responsibility on the island to help British Nationals who get into trouble when visiting, Bear in mind this is a party island, home of the Full Moon Party so you could imagine that he is kept fairly busy in this capacity. Bambi's other claim to fame is that he introduced Punk Rock to the Full Moon party many years ago, playing a spectacular set at the FMP which led to the venue changing the rules as to what could be played on the rotation at the party. He also set up the Backpacker's Information Centre (backpackersthailand.com) in Haad Rin as a means of stopping visitors from being ripped off by unscrupulous operators on the island, much to the displeasure of the island's heavies.

All in all a great day, had some great dives, met lots of new friends and got heaps of info on some of the places I am headed to in the next few weeks. Back to training tomorrow so will endevour to get an early night, but not before I head back to that awesome French restaurant from Saturday night to try the spaghetti bolognaise.

Yum!

Saturday, August 15, 2009

(Delete)

Day 6: Thongsala, Koh Phagnan, Thailand

Well. I was going to name this post 'life is beautiful', because that's how I was feeling before I accidentally deleted some of the best pics I have ever taken and could not retrieve them from the recycle bin on the internet cafe computer.
Bother.
I would describe them but a picture tells a thousand words and I'm not that motivated to sit here all night given that tomorrow is my one day off from training and I have to get up early to catch a bus (will post on this tomorrow).
Will phone it in from here...
I love Koh Phagnan. I just wish I could pronounce it after spending a week here.
Never mind. The residents of this island rock and it's pretty obvious that this is close to paradise on Earth because of the vast number of foreigners that have settled here and opened up some sort of business so they can afford to do so for the term of their natural life.
Not a Thai citizen? No probs. Just cross the border once a month and renew your tourist visa for another 30 days. Good times.
One thing that did bemuse me was the clocks, no clock in Koh Phagnan is set to the correct time.
Up until today this unsettled me, I have always been a subscriber to the Broken Windows philosophy that if the small things are neglected then there will be flaws with the big ticket items.
The reason why the clocks are always out is that every single day there is a power outage for between 30-45minutes, and I mean every single day. Usually when you are asleep. So if you were only here for a few days you would never even know....
This morning I got at 7am and headed to the cafe for my one daily indulgence, a triple esspresso, when it just happened that the power outage was late this day (maybe the clock was out) so the espresso machine was off.
What else to do but read the paper and wait for it to come back on.
The Bangkok Times reported that the British Embassy in Thailand was complaining that many British tourist have been visiting the embassy to complain about such issues as dissatisfaction with their breast implants, how can I discipline their naughty boy and asking for jam making tips.
Juliet Maric, the British Consul pleads with Brits on holidays to 'please use the embassy only if they have a serious problem abroad- maybe you've been involved in an accident, have lost your passport or are a victim of crime- (then) we can help you'.
Sage words indeed Julie.
Peace

Friday, August 14, 2009

What in the world am I doing?


Day 5:
Thongsala, Koh Phagnan, Thailand

So the posts have been a bit stream of consciousness lately but as far as what I have been physically doing for the last two days since I left Haad Rin and moved into Thongsala it pretty much amounts to one thing.

Training my ass off at the Muay Thai School.

Here's the breakdown of Wednesday and Thursday's activities:

8am: Breakfast
9:30am: Jog to the stadium
10:00am-12: Morning training session at the camp
12:00pm-12:30: Jog back to the bungalow
12:30pm-2:30pm: Lunch and rest time
2:30pm-3: Jog back to the camp
3:00pm-4: 1 hour run with the other boxers
4:00pm-6: Afternoon training at the camp
6:00pm-6:30: Jog back to the bungalow
6:30pm-9pm: Dinner and rest
9pm: Bed

Wash, rinse, repeat.

If you have done some martial arts in your life and you visit Thailand without training at a genuine Muay Thai School while you are here, then you are missing out on one of the most amazing experiences that the world has to offer.
Highly recommended and 9.5 on the bloke scale.
Booked a trip to Koh Tao for Sunday (the one rest day of the week) to dive on Sail Rock and two other spots I have dreamed about going to for the last few years, to say I am looking forward to this trip is like saying kid aren't adverse to Christmas and the Hamburglar does't mind a cheeseburger when he can get one.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Act as if

Day 4: Thongsala, Koh Phagnan, Thailand

Jim Young: There's an important phrase that we use here, and think it's time that you all learned it. Act as if. You understand what that means?
-Boiler Room

Well, why not? This quote has been running through my head at different intervals, usually when encountering temptation in it's various guises on my travels. It's so easy to say to yourself, 'I'm on holidays, it's okay to let go a little' and eat a bit more, drink a bit more, spend a bit more than you normally would if you were in your home environment.
And blow the budget.
And the waistline.
And the motivation to follow the path of why you embarked on your travels in the first place...
That's why I think it's really important that if you do have an agenda or desired outcome for your travels (such as coming home wiser and in better shape than when you left), it's a major advantage to act as if.
In this case I think it's important to act as if you are never going home, that this is your lifestyle and you aren't ever going to stop travelling, which is a reality for the lucky 'location independent' workers of the world.
There really is no barriers to keeping fit and healthy on your travels, one of the first businesses when you get into Koh Phangan's Haad Rin port on the ferry from Koh Samui is the Jungle Gym.
The amount of Muay Thai schools on the island is astronomical, I'm currently training twice a day at Choenrit Muay Thai school, training harder than I ever did back home.
The Thai food over here is nutitious, cheap and delicious. You can start the day with a fruit platter, lunch on a tuna salad and dine with some fresh seafood, not to mention the delicious snacks of fruit and nuts you can get from the hawkers on every street corner.
In essence, I have made the decision to act as if I will return to Australia fitter, leaner and more switched on than I have ever been in my life.
Everything is created twice, once in your mind and then in reality.
This truth is self-evident.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

The Sunblock Massage

Day 3: Thongsala, Koh Phagnan, Thailand

Skin cancer is serious stuff.
On the weekend I was playing footy and got burned to a crisp, despite having applied 35+ sunscreen before playing. Four hours in the sun saw me in absolute agony for the next 3 days, something I am very motivated to avoid in the future.
Which brings me to today's topic. Upon leaving Haad Rin (Koh Phagnan) for Sulat Thani I indulged in a favourite invention of mine whenever I am in Thailand, the sunblock massage.
This simple yet effective activity is both relaxing and health smart, also suprisingly cheap.
The way it works is you need to find a reputable spa where they conduct oil massages, but before the massage starts, instruct your masseuse to use sunscreen lotion instead of regular massage oil. You may encounter some resistance, this may consider this to be an affront to their art, they are, after all, professionals. In the face of all this I urge you to be persistent, they will come to your way of thinking if you stick to your guns.
My lotion of choice is Banana Boat spf50, steer away from the non-greasy formulas, in this case you are looking for a less viscous solution lest the friction created spoil your relaxing experience and consume alot of sunblock which can get very expensive if you consume alot of it.
Sunblock massages have many advantages, firstly, having the lotion massaged into your skin will provide greater absorbal of the lotion and ensure you are covered from head to toe. This will also save you precious time better spent adventuring or bending the elbow, last but not least lets not forget the relaxing and therapeutic benefits of a good rub down.
I have found that the secret to absolute protection comes in the re-application, which should be done within 2-3 hours. This will make you bulletproof against the harsh solar rays.
When I get back to Australia I plan to recruit masseuses and set up sunblock massage franchises along the beaches of the Perth, gradually expanding the enterprise to Sydney, Gold Coast and nationwide.
I expect they will become a massive hit for at least the first season, less so in the second after other operators keen for a piece of the pie enter the market.
The key to this operations viability will be to hit the ground running, get in and get out, blitz the marketplace and get out before the market is saturated...
This will be the key to my success.

Welcome back, my furry friends


Day 2: Haad Rin, Koh Phagnan, Thailand

Caught the early ferry from Koh Samui to Koh Phagnan this morning, was a beautiful day and I finally worked out how to download new podcasts onto the iPOD touch so I got to listen to Hamish and Andy as I crossed the strait.
I will post again in the near future in how awesome these devices are.
Met a Guatemalan gentleman at breakfast who has taken out a hefty bank loan then quit his job because he believes the world will end in 2012, as prophesised by the ancient Mayan civilisation when they devised the calendar in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica.
It got me thinking whether I could last if I kept travelling until then, I did a few sums and discovered that if I tightened the belt I would have just enough to last me until the December deadline, but I would have to do away with my daily espresso. But would you call that living?
I will ask the monks when I visit them in October....
Though I was being marked for a con when I enquired on the price of getting to my destination of Thongsala, the lady at the resort said it would be 500baht to get there, and I would need to take a boat. When I called my destination she advised me to take a cab, it would cost me 100baht. When I was making some enquiries on planning a dive trip for the weekend I mentioned this to one of the workers in a local backpacker hub who made a not of this in her notebook, presumably to warn other travellers to say away from this guest house but when I looked around for a ride to Thongsala it actually did cost me 500baht to get there, 100baht was the price if you travelled in a group of 5. Pretty poor form on my part slagging off this poor place, they were extremely welcoming and friendly (as I have found most Thais to be) and even returned my thumbdrive when I left it behind (I am forever forgetting things).
Never did find why she wanted me to go by boat though...

One thing that is really nice about Thailand is to have dogs back on the scene, and cats as well for that matter. In Malaysia dogs are not welcome, when I lived in Australia dogs were highly valued, some went on to be hugely respected members of the community (Dog on the tuckerbox, Dog from Footrot Flats etc) so i am enjoying having them around again.
Got a workout in at the Jungle Gym at Haad Rin (the harbour where the ferry lands), put a treadmill into a sauna and you get the gist of what the conditions were like.
Had a nice dinner in a restaurant which was playing the new Bruno movie on a big screen, sipping a Singha and enjoying a brilliant Chicken Parmagiana (on a bed of Spaghetti).
Bliss.
Found one of the best cult bookshops I been to since Planet Books in Perth, picked up a copy of Goodfellas and Gangsters by Henry Hill, the guy who wrote Wiseguys which was made into Goodfellas by Martin Scorcese. You can even return the book when you are finished it and they give you 30% back, I am off to Muay Thai camp tomorrow so I will need something to read to pass the time between training sessions, apart from the podcasts.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Around South-East Asia in 80 Days

Day 1: Koh Samui, Thailand

Farewell Malaysia and thanks for the memories, what a couple of years it has been!
But all good things must come to an end, ideally to be replaced by even better things. So ends a two year experience as an Australian expatriate living and working in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, or Asia for dummies as it is affectionately known to some. But now the training wheels are firmly off it's time to see the real South-East Asia, backpack securely fastened to my spine, like some strangely accented ocker snail who has taken the fork in the road away from the salt pot and firmly headed to the lush field of cabbage that beckons on the horizon.
Whatever that means. Much love to the KL crew, you hold a place in my heart always.
So I guess the main reason for keeping this log of my travels is to test an ambitious theory, that it is possible to come back from travels/holidays in better physical condition than when you left.
On a budget.
While still having a great time.
And learning mad new skillsets along the way.
The destinations include most countries within South East Asia: (respectively) Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, (back to) Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, each with its own sport, hobby or pastime to use to acheive my lofty goal.
With that in mind I left KL, Malaysia this morning at the Subang airport, one of the cities smaller airports. Destination: Koh Samui, Thailand, where I plan to take a 1 hour ferry trip across to Koh Phagnan island (home of the infamous Full Moon Party) the next day.
But we aren't here to party, we are here to visit the Chorenrit Stadium for a refresher course in Muay Thai boxing. While I used to train very seriously as a teenager in this discipline, it has been many years since I laced up the gloves, hopefully the years have not been too unkind and I will still have a decent core muscle memory to fall back on.
On the plane from Malaysia to Koh Samui I learned that the world record for holding your breath set by magician/mentalist David Blaine has been broken and now stands at 17 minutes and 19 seconds. Good for him.
The landing into Koh Samui was the roughest I have ever experienced, the plane hit the ground like a skimming stone and bounced back into the air, when we were on the tarmac it felt like we were about to go sideways into a three wheel drift.
At Koh Samui airport, as you are hurtling down the runway the first thing that you see is the fenced off wreck of Bangkok Airways flight 266 which crashed into the control tower killing the pilot and injuring 6 people.
Perhaps this is meant to serve as a warning to other aircraft, the same way that car wrecks are parked on the side of the highway during long weekend holidays to remind drivers to be careful on dangerous stretches of the road.
If so, surely there would be a better way to get the message across? Especially considering my next flight is from Koh Samui to Singapore, on Bangkok Airways.
The fitness component has failed today because of lack of planning, nothing on the agenda, spent the afternoon sipping a Singha and feeling pretty good about life in general.