Koh Pha Ngnan’s Full Moon Parties Are Notorious In SE Asia

If you follow the media at all, you’ll be well aware there has been a string of recent tourist deaths in Southeast Asia

Many of these deaths are shrouded in mystery, often with no facts or insights provided into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The seemingly ineffective authorities in the countries where the deaths occur, usually conduct an investigation, then offer a statement suggesting the death was a result of food poisoning, or the consumption of a toxic beverage (usually pinpointing a cocktail as the likely culprit).

This ultimately serves to add more fuel to speculation about the possible involvement of foul play.

So is Southeast Asia really that dangerous?

And what can young people do to ensure they come home to their families & loved ones from their backpacking trip to Southeast Asia?

Firstly, you should make a special effort to remember that you’re in another country… you don’t have the soft blanket of Mum & Dad, or a well structured government health system to fall on – should you find yourself in trouble.

Make sure you have great travel insurance

I’ve mentioned it umpteen times on this travel blog…

DO NOT scrimp on Travel Insurance

You’ll want the best possible health care available to you, should things go really pear shaped. Often victims are flown to other countries where they can receive specialist medical care (can you afford to pay for this if things go bad?)

Make better decisions

“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should”

Many situations will present themselves to you in Asia, including but not limited to…

• drugs
• prostitution
• and insanely cheap alcohol.

Yes, you have access to affordable alcohol & drugs. No, that doesn’t mean you should consume them!

FACT: Many tourists & backpackers in Southeast Asia make extremely poor choices.

I’ve traveled extensively through Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos… being in my twenties, I’ve witnessed first-hand what young people get up to in SE Asia.

It’s my personal belief that you can avoid most dangerous situations during travel, by making better choices.

Can you eliminate the risks completely?

Probably not.

But you can manage risk, by making smarter (sober) decisions.

There really is safety in numbers

You need to start looking after your mates better. How many times do we need to hear the same account from the victims friends…

“they were fine when we left them, but then we went to find them in the morning…”

Don’t leave your drunk friend on his or her own, in a strange nightclub, in an unfamiliar country or town, to find their own way back to their room.

Look after your pals, be accountable for each others safety.

The drinks

I would definitely be staying away from any cocktails in Asia for the time being. Stick to bottled drinks. Probably something that you know.

Same goes for medications. I would be very careful about what medication you take in Asia, even if it’s prescribed. The fact is, Asia’s restrictions regarding medications are not as stringent as many other countries. I don’t want an allergic reaction to a prescription tablet ruining my holiday.

Would I avoid Southeast Asia altogether?

Hell no. I LOVE  Southeast Asia.

I traveled with Anna my partner through the region in 2012 for 5 months. The closest we came to any danger, was being ripped off $30 by a unscrupulous travel guide in Loas.

There are so many safe & rewarding experiences to be discovered in Southeast Asia.

You, will have to make your own decision.

Stay safe & travel well.

Where even you have a chance pulling someone like this!

As a self respecting reader of this travel blog, you wouldn’t ever consider spending a passion-fuelled night with a stranger while overseas, now would you?

Didn’t think so.

So this post is not for you, this one is for the young single travellers out there, the liberal, free thinkers of todays world…

What? it’s hardly the 60s anymore, this is for anyone who’s been travelling for awhile and is desperately searching for an easy place to get l**d.

Good luck, be sure to let us know how you get on

The top 10 most promiscuous countries in the world; from 1 (people ‘are doing it’ everywhere, even on the streets) to 10 (you might have to buy them a drink first)

1. Finland 50.5
2. New Zealand 47.69
3. Slovenia 46.26
4. Lithuania 46.1
5. Austria 45.73
6. Latvia 43.93
7. Croatia 42.98
8. Israel 40.95
9. Bolivia 40.9
10. Argentina 40.74

Source: Schmitt, David (2005) ”Sociosexuality from Argentina to Zimbabwe: A 48-nation study of sex, culture and strategies of human mating” Behavioral and Brain Sciences 28, 247-311.

image source flicker

VIDEO – A short compilation of video we captured during our stay in Morocco…

Enjoy!

[leadplayer_vid id=”516E7E392D218″]

From the colours and snake charmers of Marrakech’s infamous medina, to the religious hive of Fez and even a camel safari through the Sahara Desert, discover the wonders and be ‘wowed’ by Morocco’s ways.

View our favourite travel photos from Morocco Here

It’s well documented that travel enriches the soul and expands the mind.

Books aside, we all know someone who’s returned from extended overseas travel, and can’t stop raving about the amazing experiences waiting for them when they dared to leave whatever country they’ve been using as their global backyard.

That said, some folks still talk about travel as though it’s some kind of fairy tale, reserved for careless 2o somethings, or the incredibly wealthy, heck, some even tell us they’ll never be able to do what we’ve done…

“Drop everything just like that, and travel the world for a year or so, no care in the world”.

“It’s easy for you” they say.

Easy for me?

Why exactly is it easy for me? because I made a decision years ago, that I would not go to my grave without knowing what is feels like to board a plane with no return ticket, just me, and my backpack and the entire planet for a playground.

Easy for me?

It was no easier for me to float the idea of round the world travel, and have it shot down by friends and family than it will be for you or anyone else, my friend.

You see, like most, My own travel adventures seemed like nothing more than a distant dream. For years I doubted whether the soles of my feet would ever touch foreign soil.

I bought a home and took on a mortgage at the tender age of 19, so I’ve felt the weight of life’s compounding responsibilities just like most people.

That’s until one day I had enough.

I know you’ve heard the story before, the underdog puts up with struggle and turmoil for years, until one day – BOOM, they have a break-through experience, and their life changes forever. Well, that’s not how my story goes at all, I simply had enough, enough excuses, enough setbacks, enough dreaming of faraway exotic lands.

So, I booked a plane ticket to Thailand. Not allowing anybody to talk me out of it, I jumped on the internet and booked a one way flight to Bangkok, and presto…

I was a backpacker!

“So Many people tip toe through life to get to death safely” Tony campolo

Holy shit, you mean after all those years of bullshit excuses and crippling doubts about whether it would actually happen for you, all of it dissolved in the 15 minutes it took to books those flights online?

Yep, that’s how long it took to crush those, good for nothing, soul destroying, life inhibiting thoughts.

It’s way to easy to put your dreams off using mental alibis like; others have it easier than you. Fact is, if your’e neither living your dream of travel, or at very least in the midst of seriously planning it, you just don’t want it badly enough!

So the question is – are you happy to keep “tip toeing through life” or are you going to take the bull by the horns, get out there and live a little?

We like to think were pretty friendly here at Art of Absence, so when deciding which country to visit next, a major part of our decision rests with how welcoming & friendly the country is. Fact is, some countries are more welcoming, friendlier, and generally more accommodating to foreigners than others.

These countries get the nod as being the top ten friendliest in the world for vacations.

via forbes

1) Bahrain

2) Canada

3) Australia (hell yeah)

4) Thailand

5) Malaysia

6) South Africa

7) Hong Kong

8) Singapore

9) Spain

10) United States

Congratulations if you’re lucky enough live in one of these top ten countries, if not, maybe one of them will be your next travel destination ?

Spain’s magical city of Barcelona is pure ‘travel cocaine’ for all poor nomadic souls out there, doomed to suffer throughout their live’s with periodical bought’s of travel cravings.

With a lure so potent, even the most travel hardened vagabond struggles to wander Barcelona’s streets and leave without acquiring an addiction, & falling hopelessly in love with the amazing city.

With so much on offer for visitors to Barca, it’s a doozy of a job just deciding where to direct your tourist efforts. Well, whether it’s a few whirlwind days, or a more sizeable jaunt you’re planning in BCN… we’ve just made your next trip to Barcelona a no brainer, with our Top 10 Things To Do In Barcelona… (plus 1 extra for good measure) P.S – you can thank us later.

Outdoor cinema Mont Juic

1. Catch an outdoor movie at Mont Juic

Lounge on a beanbag with a bottle of vino while taking in a movie high above BCN, up at Mont Juic. If you time it right you can watch the Magic Fountains at Placa De Espana before hand.

Barcelona’s outdoor movie theatre

Gaudi’s Buildings

2. Spend a magical evening at a concert on top of Guadi’s La Pedrera building.

The views are breathtaking, the events are super cool & usually they throw in a free glass of champas to kick the night off.

Concerts at La Pedrera

Mount Tibidabo Barcelona

3. Spend a couple of hours at Mount Tibidabo

Take a ride on the iconic vintage red aeroplane, venture inside the Church that overlooks BCN & take in the incredible views from the highest point in Barcelona. For those who have seen the movie “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” this is where you’ll find the theme park from the film – you don’t have to pay to go into this if you don’t want to.

Also, if you feel you don’t need to experience the tram & funicular ride, you can just take T2A Tibibus up to the top from Placa Catalunya – its soooo much cheaper!

Tibibus info

Park guell barcelona

4. Spend an afternoon in Park Guell

Relax & spend an afternoon in nature strolling around the famous park created by Barcelona’s favourite architect, Antoni Guadi.

Hidden Roman ruins in Barcelona

5. Stare in disbelief at the building where old Roman pillars were discovered in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter

In the Gothic Quarter, you’ll find a house with secret Roman ruins inside, the story goes the owner overheard some road workers one morning on his way to work who had uncovered some Roman ruins while excavating… he invited the men into his house which had been built around these giant ancient columns.

You’ll be shown exactly where these hidden ruins lay during the next activity…

6. Take a free walking tour around the Gothic Quarter

Free walking tours kickoff from the Travel Bar bar everyday at 11am, 1pm & 3pm. You’ll learn a ton more about BCN in a few hours than most ever will.

Free walking tour Barcelona

7. Hit the town & get a taste for ‘Nasty Mondays’

Spend the weekend in & head out on Monday night instead. Nasty mondays are a big night out in BCN.

Nasty Mondays in Barcelona

Freshly squeezed juice at La Boqueria

8. Grab a fresh fruit juice at the La Boqueria (fresh market off La Ramblers)

Recover from nasty mondays with a delicious freshly squeezed fruit juice from La Boqueria Markets on Las Ramblers.

9. Try Crema Catalana and Churros on Carrer Petrixol in Gothic Quarter

One for the sweet tooth. Devour some of the tastiest chocolates & deserts in BCN at any of the Chocolateria’s on Petrixol Lane. I recommend trying ‘Crema Catalana’ Catalonia’s own version of the popular French desert ‘Creme Brulee’.

La Fluata – the home of white sangria & delicious tapas

10. Get some yummy tapas and awesome white cava sangria at La Flauta at 23 D’aribau (near university)

One of the best Tapas bars we discovered during our 5 week stay in Barcelona… the jugs of white cava sangria go down waaay to quickly.

Big thanks to the guys at Dime Spanish school for this recommendation.

La Fluata tapas bar

Cerveceria 100 Montaditos Barcelona – 1 Euro drinks & tapas!

11. (We couldn’t leave this out!) Eat & drink your fill – everything on the menu is 1 Euro at Cerveceria 100 Montaditos

Una cerveca porfavor.

Large beers, cerveza con lemon, sangria, whatever your poison – it’s only going to set back a mere 1 Euro at 100 Montaditos all day Wed or Sunday.

Tapas is basic, but for 1 Euro we weren’t complaining.

100 Montaditos – Placa Urquinaona 1

Pacsafe 85ltr backpack security device

If you’ve ever had something lifted from your bag, or stolen from a hostel room while you’re travelling, you know it’s a damn right pain in the backside at best…

But worse than that, it’s disappointing, frustrating, and can cost you a lot of money when it’s something valuable or important that’s stolen.

It’s one of the things I wrestled with before my latest trip, as I knew I’d be taking a bunch of expensive gear all around Europe & Southeast Asia with me… included in my “digital travel arsenal” was my laptop, an iPad, & a DSLR camera with a few lenses…
all up I would be hauling around about $3,500 worth of electronics alone… I wasn’t willing to let somebody walk off with any of my hard earned possessions if they decided they liked some of my stuff more than I did.

After a bit of research I found the ideal solution – a Pacsafe 85ltr bag security device.

My Pacsafe securing my backpack in a luggage room in Vietnam

The Pacsafe system is pretty simple to use, basically you slip your bag or backpack inside a giant stainless steel mesh web, then securely lock it to something that’s bolted down.

What are the benefits of using a Pacsafe for travel?

Firstly it prevents somebody from walking off with your entire backpack, plus it’s going to stop would-be thieves from rummaging through your bag & getting their hands on any of your valuables that are inside.

Does it work?

Sure as hell did for me.

I didn’t get a ton of use out of my Pacsafe, but on the few occasions that I wasn’t comfortable leaving my gear behind (completely at the mercy of strangers) I deployed my Pacsafe & locked my bag up tight, then I got on with enjoying my holiday knowing that I had done everything possible (within reason) to look after my valuable possessions.

Keep your bags safe during bus & train travel

I used my Pacsafe a few times during overnight train & bus travel in Asia, & I happily left my gear, including all my digital devices in a hotel luggage room in Chiang Mai, Thailand for a week while I had the time of my life riding a motorcycle around Northern Thailand’s Mae Hong Son Loop.

The Pacsafe folds up into a small canvas carry bag (about the size of a big wallet) so you can slip it into easily into the corner of your backpack.

Get Your Pacsafe Here Today

We had to remind ourselves more than once why yet again we were taking a long haul bus ride (12 hours from Marrakech to Merzouga) – packed to the brim with passengers – mostly locals, destined for their family homes in isolated Moroccan desert villages.

The reason behind our painstaking journey was simple, & made us fidgit in our seats like school kids. With the anticipation spiking every time we visualized what the coming days would be like,
staying with a traditional Moroccan family in a small mud walled house, in the isolated village of Merzouga perched on the edge of the Sahara desert prior to riding out on the back of a Camel, and camping overnight in the  great sandy expanse known as the Sahara.

Did I mention we happened to visit Morocco during Ramadan, a religious tradition Muslims partake in… which meant among other things that during our visit followers of the Muslim faith would not be consuming ANY food or drink (including water) between the hours of 4.00am and 7.15pm – even in the blistering hot desert where the temperatures often reach 48+ degrees!

You can only imagine the disapproving, if not a little envious glares we were receiving as we munched our way through packets of potato chips,  sandwiches & chocolate bars during the 12 hour bus ride!

After what felt like an eternity, in a cloud of safron coloured dust, the bus finally lurched to a stop in Merzouga… we stepped out onto what was referred to as the ‘bus station’ but in actual fact was more like a small stretch of pothole ridden dirt road, next to a rickety old streetlamp that appeared to have contributed more that its fair share of lighting for the benefit of Merzouga’s citizens over the years.

TIP – you must take care when stepping from the bus (even when you have pre booked your accommodation) as you will be immediately swamped with hotel scouts – all promising they have been sent from your ‘pre booked hotel’ when in fact they just want to whisk you off to their own hotel.

We had arranged (via Couchsuring) to stay with a traditional Moroccan family in the village of Hassi Labid – a tiny village a few kilometers from Merzouga, on the edge of the Sahara where the camel safari’s depart from for the desert safari’s in the evenings.

Our gracious host Mohammed, arranged for a taxi to collect us and bring us to his earthen walled, village home. That night under the stars, we sat on woven mats, on a dirt floor, around a small knee high table & dined on delicious vegetable tagine & homemade bread…

Breaking off bite sized chunks of bread then dunking them into the tagine before scooping out a mixture of vege’s – just like the locals do it.
Nuts and cookies… were washed down with a concoction of juice and fresh milk (not so much my thing) and addictive sweet Moroccan mint tea as we shared our stories & compared cultures well into the early hours of the morning.

During Ramadan the people will stay up until midnight to have their ‘lunch’. As we ate, Mohammed’s 85 year old parents and 4 and 5 year old children slept on mats around us – on the open ground under the stars.

At the end of the evening we too rolled out thin mattress on the sand outside to sleep – in an effort to get some relief from the unbelievable heat. It was an evening I will remember forever.

The next morning we took ourselves on a tour around the rust red coloured, mud walled village of Hassi Labid, but then spent the rest of the day trying in vain to escape the 48 degree heat in a village that seemed ‘airconditionerless’.

Mohammed used his local contacts to arranged for our camel trek… the cost was 20 Euros each – left at 5.30pm, and returned the next morning after sunrise and breakfast. (you could do multiple days in the desert if you wanted but we were happy just to have the express experience given the crazy heat).

At 5.30pm we were met by Said (pronounced Say-ed) – our camel guide and his two trusty steeds – you know it’s going to be a great trek when your camels are named Bob Marley and Jimmy Hendrix.
Said provided us with turbans to shield our faces from the sun and keep the sand at bay during the trek 2 hour out to the isolated campsite.

The ambiance of the desert as the heat of the day dissipates and the setting sun turns the sand to a deep rustic red was one of the best travel moments I’ve experienced. It was so serene that nobody spoke for sometime.

The ride would take nearly 2 hours – camels move much slower than I expected… either that or the poor thing was suffering as a result of my over indulgence in the Moroccan sweets back in Marrakech.

We arrived at our camp which we were to share with 2 Spanish travelers and their camel guide. On arrival we sat down to another outdoor Moroccan feast of mint tea, cookies and peanuts while our guide prepared for us yet another delicious tagine.

After dinner we were taken on a night tour through the pitch black desert – stumbling over sand dunes (praying a little scorpion didn’t run up our legs) guided only by the light of the moon. Eventually we arrived at a local desert Nomad camp where we were treated to a traditional music show of drums, singing and dancing.

That evening we again fell asleep out on the warm desert sand to the twinkling of the brilliant star show above.

The next morning we asked to be woken early and made the massive climb up the largest sand dune in order to watch the sun rise – the crazy climb was completely worth it.

After yet another delicious breakfast we took the opportunity to snap a few pictures of the brilliant desert, and even collected a small sample of pure red Sahara desert sand – the ziplock bags we carry in our packs came in handy for this.

Reluctantly we packed up our gear, jumped back on our trusty steeds Bob and Jimmy – who fortunately stuck around through the night, and headed back to Hassi Labid completing one of the MOST surreal travel experiences we have had the fortune to encounter.

Taking part in the festivities of San Fermin in Pamplona has long been a dream of mine

From the moment I saw the Running of the Bulls on a travel show many years ago, I’ve yearned to tread on those cobbled streets in Spain & share a few adrenaline fuelled moments of chaos with the bulls.

I ticked San Fermin off my bucket list this year, & it was all I had imagined plus a whole lot more.

Pamplona’s San Fermin Festival really is a party to envy… from the moment we arrived on the day of the opening ceremony it was clear we weren’t in for a great deal of sleep during our 3 days in Pamplona.

As we surfaced from the underground bus terminal, we were exposed to a seemingly infinite sea of white & red… white pants, white t-shirts, white shoes… every single person within view was cloaked from head to toe in white – with the exception of one red scarf slung around the neck & a red sash dangling from the waist.

People young & were old celebrating in the streets in their sangria stained clothing… dancing, singing, eating, and of course drinking, on every conceivable inch of road, sidewalk, street corner & park.

How did it feel to run with the Bulls?

Was I scared? I was a terrified.

We are talking about twelve 600kg Bulls here, each armed with skin piercing horns, with no capacity for mercy, non of these monsters will give so much as a second thought to stomping me into the pavement – if I happen to be one of the unfortunate folk who find themselves between the bulls & their destination (the bull arena) each year.

Call me a coward, but that’s reason enough to make me little nervous!

A journey into the mind of a first time runner at San Fermin

Up early & in position on the bull run circuit before the sun rises.

So I’m really going to do this… Aren’t I?

15 minutes out, a light drizzle begins to fall, slowly giving the dry cobbled street a dangerous, potentially fatal shine. At this point I clearly remember thinking to myself…

Perfect. Yes, this is the perfect excuse.

If this rain gets slightly heavier I can jump over the guard rail & disappear into the safety of the crowd on the other side. With my pride in tact, I can forever tell my friends & family (& more importantly myself) that I didn’t chicken out at running of the bulls.

The conditions were just way to dangerous to go through with it, I mean no one could reasonably expect me to go through with this in the rain…

Could they?

Moments later when I dragged my thoughts back into the present – the drizzle had stopped & I knew I had to go through with it.

As the minutes slowly count down… 10 becoming 7, then 5 becoming 3, the excitement begins to peak. Scanning the crowd trying to get a feel for the mood, I turn to say something to the guy next to me I’ve been chatting away nervously to. But he’s not there, the nerves have gotten to him… he’s made a dash over to the wall for a last second nervous pee – probably like so many have done before him.

The origins of Pamplona’s famous bull run

The customary singing to San Fermin for protection rings out from the crowd.

A nervous minute or so later the chant rings out again.

Then the singing begins for the third & final time.

This is it.You’re committed.

You couldn’t get out now even if you wanted too.

Why do you get yourself into these situations you dumb ass?

On autopilot your past dominates your thoughts… it’s funny how only the good stuff comes to mind. Those tough & desperate times we all face in the trenches of life fade away to insignificance. You consider how blessed you’re life has been. A thought goes out to those you love – perhaps a quick prayer to whoever or whatever it is you believe in (15 people have been killed at San Fermin since 1924 attempting this run after-all!)

I’m not a religious person, but in moments like these, I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t resonate with this quote I once read from a famous war photographer

“I’m not a religious man, until I’m deep in it, then I drop to my knees & start praying”

The moment of reflection passes & it’s back to business, strategizing as much as possible. Scanning the crowd trying to spot any liabilities to avoid when those gates swing open & shit gets real… drunk guys the police may have missed during their sweep clearing the streets of intoxicated people who had every intention of running – spurred on by liquid courage from the previous nights festivities.

20 minutes before the run, one nearby reveller was so drunk he collapsed to the floor… completely failing to break his fall, he slammed face first into the cobble stone street & needed to be stretchered out, blood oozing from a deep gash on his forehead.

Bringing the Bulls into position the night before the first bull run

There’s a lot of room for error, there’s the rubbish on the street, the pile-ups caused by others who have fallen, or my biggest fear, getting caught in a corner with a bull with nowhere to manoeuvre.

One thing I had decided on right from the beginning… I wanted to face the bulls on the street. I know it sounds stupid, but I wanted to know what it feels like in that brief moment when the bulls catch you. Does time slow down or even seem to freeze completely for a moment? Is it a split second of shear terror before it’s all over?

Those are the things I intended to find out in person.

Some guys line up so far towards the front they enter the bull ring well in advance of the Bulls & they’re bood by the waiting crowd when they enter the ring… I took the opposite approach.

Starting right in front of the gates where the bulls are first released, I was working on the theory…

“the bulls come out with so much pace & the crowd is relatively thin here, the bulls will be focused on running – not on maiming me”

Maybe it has a ring of truth to it. Maybe it’s absolute crap… who knows for sure? all I can say is that it worked out well for me.

The first cracker rang out & a massive wave of people surged forward. Not me, I waited for the second bang, that’s when I took off. It’s hard to say for sure but think I made it maybe 50 metres or so, before I heard the hooves, then risked a quick glance to the right – taking my eyes off of the path in front of me for a split second, where they were met by the commanding shoulders & menacing horns of the bulls plowing their way through the crowd.

Then just like that, it was over. Or so I thought.

A few hundred metres up the street at “dead mans corner” the road was blocked by a gate “what the f@ck is this I thought” am I too late?

Then a familiar surge of panic gripped the crowd and everyone madly scrambled over the top of each other to get out of the centre of the road… apparently they release 2 more steers after the main pack in case any of the bulls take a tumble & became separated from the others, it’s these steers job to guide any disorientated & dangerous bulls through the crowd into the bull ring.

The entrance to pamplona’s bull ring, can you imagine 12 bulls stomping through those doors?

I can tell you without an ounce of exaggeration… when I saw there were more bulls on the street, I was on the top rung of that timber fence in a heartbeat.

The worst bit about the lagging steers was the remaining few hundred metres that still had to be covered to get to the ring… running into the unknown. When I turn my back, are there going to be more lagging bulls ready to take me down from the rear?

Do I have any tips for first time Bull Runners?

• You need to be careful not to buy into the panic, I saw waves of people start to run as soon as the crowd began to sing the first chorus to San Fermin… maybe 3 – 5 minutes before the bulls even hit the tarmac. Incredibly on the second chorus a minute or so later the same thing happened. You gotta keep your cool.

The last thing I wanted to do was get caught up in the panic, take off too early then get caught in a corner with no room to manouvre…

• Stop drinking relatively early the night before & get some sleep.
• Take a moment of your time to develop a strategy before the run. (do you want to see in the bulls on the street? or do you just want to be part of the run & get into the bull ring safely well ahead of the bulls)
• Try not to die (you probably have people that will miss you).
• Most importantly… Have fun – You’ll have a crazy fun time at Pamplona, don’t waste it panicking about the run. There’s way more to the San Fermin festival than just the bull run.

Good luck, there’s nothing quite like the incredible feeling you get when you knock another item off your bucket list.

As it’s my birthday today & I’m a little homesick – I decided to put something special out.

After spying a cooking apron with Aussie slang emblazoned all over it in a kitchen in Barcelona a few days ago… It sparked a discussion with my Aussie friends about Australian slang… what we use & what we don’t – which might be useful for anybody planning a trip to Australia.

So this is the result, a useful list of weird sh!t Aussie’s say…

“G’day mate”

We hosted a couch surfer from Ireland once who was amazed that this phrase actually gets used in Australia. She thought it was a wives tale like the famous “top-a-da-mornin-to-ya” phrase that no one ever actually uses in Ireland.

“No worries”

You’ll hear this everywhere in Aus.

“No wuckers”

This little gem is actually two of our favourite sentences spliced together… no worries and f@ck.

“She’ll be right”

Used in similar context to “no worries” not as common but still comes out every now & then.

“Flat out like a lizard drinking”

In the first person… I’m very busy. or used to describe an object… Tony’s WB Holden goes flat out like a lizard drinking.

“Yah flamin Galah”

You’ve just done or said something very stupid.

“Budgie smugglers”

A common pair of male underpants.

“Shiela”

A woman.

“Stubby holder”

A neoprene sleeve that slides over your “stubby” (bottle of beer) to keep it cold longer. also worn like a bracelet by bogan’s in an attempt to look cool. which leads me to the next slang word…

“Bogan”

A person or persons who typically own only black clothing, easily identified by the sound of a loud V8 engine & ACDC being played at “ear bleed” level from a black car (of course) with all the windows wound down.

“No Shit?”

Is your last statement true & correct?

“Oh Bloody Oath!”

To affirm a statement or answer a direct question… oh bloody oath I’m hungry.

“True Blue”

An object or person of authentic australian origin i.e. old Billy, yeah mate, he’s true blue.

“Ridgy Digde”

This object is the genuine article,

“Mad as a cut snake”

Big John’s guna be mad as a cut snake when he finds out Tina’s been messin round on em.

“Were you born in a lighthouse?”

Would you please be so kind as to turn the lights off when your not using them?

“Were you born in a tent?”

Please close the door!

“I’d kill for a dogs eye with some dead horse”

I’m rather hungry & would very much like to eat a meat pie with tomato sauce.

“Bob’s yer uncle”

Not actually referring to your uncle, but used at the end of a sentence usually after some type of instruction… It basically means if you do exactly as I say everything will work out fine.

“Fair crack-o-the whip”

Usually used to communicate that you feel you’ve been hard done by or offended in some way.

“BYO”

Literally means “Bring Your Own” many restaurants in Australia allow you to BYO wine or beer, you may also receive an invite to a BBQ that’s BYO meat & drinks.

“Dunny”

The bathroom

“Balls up”

To mess something up or do it incorrectly.

“Bum Steer”

If you’ve been given wrong directions… someones sent you on a bum steer.

Another way Aussie’s love to butcher the English language is by shortening, then adding one or two letters to the end of the shortened word… usually “ie” or “o”

Here’s a few examples…

“Barbie”

Barbecue – see what we did there? we shortened the word extensively then added ie. intelligentie hay? here’s 1 more just to make sure you’re getting it…

“Bickie”

A biscuit.

“Blowie”

A big blowfly, which have a particularly infuriating habit of harassing you for your T-bone steak at dinner time in Aus btw.

“Lippie”

Lipstick

A few Australian slang words ending in “O”

“Smoko”

A break from work during mid-morning.

“Servo”

Service station or fuel station.

“Arvo”

The Afternoon.

P.S. You’ll probably aquire a nickname if you hang around long enough in one place, don’t fight it…  that will only make it worse, think of it like quicksand – the more your struggle the worse it gets.

Most likely your new “Aussie name” will include some reference to your country of origin… for example an American might be known as Yankie Tom, or someone from England might be called Pommy Joe.

It’s also entirely possible that you’ll lose your old name altogether (hope your not too attached) if your new name doesn’t incorporate any elements of your old name… it may well have some reference to your appearance…

A particularly tall woman may turn up to work one day and suddenly be known simply as “Legs”.

Or a guy who spends a lot of time at the gym could become “Arnie” or “Muscles”.

If you wish to further your study of Australian Slang, here’s some excellent material to consider…

Movies…

• The Castle
• Chopper

Series…

• Home & Away

P.S. If you dream of travelling to Australia… stay well away from the film Wolf Creek – it’s evil.

Righto, job done, I’m off for smoko…

There’s a ton of stuff to keep you busy on your trip to France in Paris alone… but if you happen to run out of things to do in Paris, or you need a break from the city, there are some great day trips outside of paris that are guaranteed to breath some fresh air into your trip to France…

Of those trips my personal favourite is Chateau De Versailles – another well worth considering is Normandy.

Famous for staging the great Allied Invasion of Normandy, soldiers from all over the planet converged on Normandy’s shores in June of 1944 to battle & ultimately defeat a common enemy… Hitlers Nazi Germany.

You don’t have to be a massive history buff to enjoy a trip out to Normandy. Among Normandy’s long list of attractions are the incredible Mont Saint Michel, the garden that Claude Monet famously painted in Giverny, and to round this list off perfectly… Normandy’s Cider route.

The one massive blunder we made when we visited Normandy… we hugely underestimated it’s size & didn’t allow anywhere near enough time to see the area properly.

A 2.5 hour train ride south from Paris, you disembark at Bayeux station… then take the bus No 70 for a further 30 -45 minutes (or thereabouts) out to the coast & the location of Normandy’s infamous beaches.

The allies landed 160,000 soldiers, spread out over 80kms of beach, in order to take 5 key beaches during the D Day landings… each of the D Day landing beaches can be visited today…

• Omaha
• Utah
• Gold
• Juno
• & Sword

The Landing Beaches of Normandy

The beach you intend to visit will probably depend on where you hail from, & if you had any family that took part in the D Day landings…

You can get a free guided tour around the Normandy American Cemetery which rests on a hilltop above Omaha beach.

The particularly vicious battle for Omaha was famously depicted in Steven Spielberg’s hit film “Saving Private Ryan”.

Omaha beach today

The two most visited grave sites at the American Normandy Cemetery belong to the infamous Roosevelt family… here lies not 1, but 2 sons of ex-American President, Theodore Roosevelt.

The Roosevelt graves attract so much foot traffic they’re required to be roped off during certain times of the year to allow the well trodden grass to regrow.

When your’e done learning about the battle for Europe, you can take in the rest of the areas sights including the super-impressive Mont Saint Michel.

President Roosevelt’s sons rest in Normandy

Don’t make the same mistake as us & try to do Normandy in a day. I would recommend allowing 3 – 5 days (at least) to visit Normandy… as the area is so large & rich in historical significance you’ll likely want to stay & get the most out of your trip.

Get To Normandy

By rail from Gare St Lazare station in Paris to Bayeux – then board bus No. 70 out the front of the Bayeux railway station.

More info on visiting the American Normandy Cemetery

June 1944 normandy image source – wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Normandy_Invasion,_June_1944.jpg

Why I think everyone should own a good camera. No Matter What.

On a short trip to Hong Kong a while back… something weird happened to me. I suddenly felt the strong urge buy something I had never considered buying before… a DSLR camera.

(I can almost hear all you girls thinking – that’s not strange, I get the sudden urge to buy something random every weekend)…

Maybe it was all the cameras on display in the shop windows, or perhaps it had something to do with the professional photo I had taken in front of the harbour…

Whatever external factors influenced me that day, it doesn’t really matter to you… what does matter though – is that my decision to buy a camera that day ending up being one of the best things I’ve ever bought. Ever.

Did I say Ever?

How my Canon DSLR photographs the Eiffel tower

On the Auto settings even a dumbie like me can get mind blowing travel photos with a reasonably good camera.

After a while of messing around with my new camera on the auto settings… I put a shoutout to a photographer friend, who was happy to “show me the ropes” over a beer on a sunday afternoon.

It was like a whole new world had just been opened up to me…

My photographer friend explained the basics of photography, and then demonstrated how small changes in the camera settings could completely change the resulting image.

Things like Exposure… Aperture… and Shutter Speed, were all compelely foreign to me…

Barcelona Spain – captured on my Canon 600D

I aint guna lie – it was a little overwhelming at first. But after a little practice… messing around taking photos at different times of day, & in random places… like my local park during the day, the beach at dusk, & in my lounge room at night.

… it really didn’t take that long to pick up which settings to use where, and when. And the best bit, I just deleted my crappy practice shots when my card got full & started the process all over again.

I own a low end Canon 600D (also know as a T3). It’s cheap, but it’s a great camera for learning the ropes without investing a small fortune.

Eventually I’l upgrade to a 60D or something similar, but for now I’m happy learning on what I’ve got.

I didn’t know what I was doing when I bought mine, so I ended up buying it as a kit (camera body & lens)… turns out I could have done my homework & bought “the body” (the actual camera) and a different lens seperately and that would have suited what I wanted to use the camera for better.

Either way…

If you’re planning to take a holiday, or a backpacking trip overseas, or have any kind of big event coming up… I can’t encourage you strongly enough to…

… go out & invest in a DSLR camera to capture your memories

Photographing the longneck hilltribe woman on the Thai – Burma border

Cameras are so cheap now they’re easily within reach of most people. your freakin crazy if you don’t.

The way I see it, you owe it to yourself to have the ability to capture amazing photos that you’ll cherish for a lifetime.

Seriously, how often do you upgrade your “point-n-shoot” camera anyways? every 2 -3 years at least…

Why not spend a little extra & get something truly amazing that will probably have double if not triple the life?

If you’re looking to pickup a new skill… here’s why I think photography is a great skill to develop…

Take amazing event photos

Birthdays, BBQs, weekend getaways & family portraits… take awesome photos that people will actually be interested in looking at. Come on guys, it’s time to stop forcing your ugly photos on your family & friends.

You can take your hobby anywhere

Your own city, down at the beach during sunset, your local park, a weekend getaway, or a totally new country… photography is 100% portable

Get a fresh perspective

If you want to capture jaw dropping photos, you have to think about a few things first.

Like… what’s the best time to get that shot & which is the best angle to take it from. When looking at a building, or a flower, or a beautiful panoramic view, you will begin to ponder where, when, & how to snatch an awesome photo.

Memories

I’m excited by the thought of getting home & blowing up my favourite photos to hang around my house.

I’m never going to forget my favourite travel memories. Are you?

Compare Canon DSLR prices online Here

BTW – if you liked the photos in this article, why not check out my Travel Photo Gallery

Chateau De Versailles

When we first visited Paris back in 2010 it was cold… and wet… and miserable.

You don’t have to be a genius to realise that we didn’t have an incredible time in Paris on that particular visit…

…it’s hard to fall in love with a city when you’re wrapped up in a scarf & beanie and constantly huddling under the cover of an umbrella.

The saving grace of our maiden voyage to Paris – was our amazing day trip out to Chateau De Versailles.

Hall of mirrors Chateau De Versailles

Roughly an hour train ride outside of Paris… Chateau De Versailles (pronounced De-vers-hi) has a firmly entrenched position on my “all time favourite places to visit” list. in fact it sits right up at the pointy end near the top.

I think I’l try to visit De Versailles every time I’m fortunate enough to find myself in nearby Paris.

So what’s so great about Chateua De Versailles?

I mean there are chateaux all over France, what makes this one so special?

Well, for starters…

• it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Listed site
• Marie Antoinette lived there
• it was home to the French government at one point
• the 2000 acres of grounds are absolutely stunning…

… and the Chateau is not so bad either.

The first time we visited Versailles we didn’t even make it inside the palace, we spent the entire day wandering around the incredible gardens.

Even on my second visit to the grounds I found myself pondering…

How on earth something of this size and grandeur could have possibly been crafted back in the 1600s?

How much did this place cost to build?

& where on earth did all the money come from?

(could people even be that rich in the 1600s? Did the French tap into an epic drug market no one else knew about?)

Personally, for me… the gardens are the real gem in De Versailles crown, the chateau is nice, but there’s something captivating about those incredible grounds that I find deeply relaxing & makes me want to spend every moment I can there.

The gardens are laid out into numerous areas – each with it’s own attraction, whether it’s a beautiful water fountain, or some other spell binding centrepiece, each garden has it’s own unique attraction.

Sneak a peak inside the house where Marie Antoinette lived before she lost her head (a 15-20 min walk from the main palace)

Take a rowboat out on the lake… or just find a quiet spot to chill out & enjoy a picnic lunch.

If you have a day spare & your’e looking for places to visit near Paris – I can’t recommend De Versailles enough.

The place is massive. You pretty much need an entire day if you want to see and enjoy it properly.

Learn more about Chateau De Versailles

If we were to meet on the street tomorrow… and I mentioned to you in conversation that I had just traveled to Paris…

I’d happily bet every dollar I had – that 1 of the following famous attractions people flock to Paris for, immediately popped into your mind…

1. The Eiffel Tower,
2. The Louvre
3. Montmarte, the area (for this purpose including the moulin rouge, the artists & the Sacre Coeur)
4. And probably for the ladies – Fashion.

But what if told you – the bravest travellers can experience an altogether different aspect of Paris… a tourist attraction that dates back to the 1700s and is visited by at least 6 million people per year…

I’m talking about the Underground Catacombs Of Paris…

A different view of Paris… the underground catacombs

Lurking deep under the streets of one of the most romantic cities in the world (130 steps to be exact)… Paris’ catacombs are a massive underground maze of tunnels & crypts that are estimated to be up to 300 kms long.

Lacking the lustre & grandeur of Paris’s most romanticised attractions, the curious traveler can still descend underground today, & explore a small area of this underground labrynth – however accessing the greater portion of the tunnels was outlawed in 1955…

Although I’ve heard stories about a secret society that frequently ventures into the tunnel system and were even sprung running an underground movie theatre…!

Complete with a functioning bar & restaurant, video surveillance system… including cctv & the motion triggered recording of a dog barking to try to deflect passers-by, the underground cinema was discovered by a special police unit that patrols the underground tunnels and shut down in 2004.

As the typical tourist takes the usual route around Paris… visiting the better known sites like Montmatre, snapping photos of the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, many are completely oblivious to the dark & dreary attraction right under their very feet.

How Paris’ Catacombs Came To Be

Paris’ cemeteries became so overcrowded in the 1700s they started to cause hygiene problems for the city. Some smart chap came up with the idea of moving all Paris’ dead to an abandoned mine shaft… so that’s what they did.

Between 1786 – 1788 the remains of dead Parisians were exhumed and moved to the new burial place.

Bones piled up inside the catacombs

The end result?

Paris’s catacombs are now home to approx 6 million skeletal remains…

No, If you were wondering, that figure’s not a typo – 6 million people are buried down there.

The section that can still be explored today is around 2kms long… a relatively small section of the 3oo km long tunnels – but seriously how much time do you want to spend underground with 6 million dead people anyway?

It’s an eery feeling walking around in a poorly lit tunnel, below the streets of Paris… brushing past huge piles of bones & skeletons that are stacked over head height in some cases – and deep along the tunnel walls on either side leaving a thin centre isle, like a supermarket isle (bad metaphor I know)…

There are even street signs on the ceilings & walls inside the Catacombs that correspond with the streets above, so the workers could navigate the tunnels without getting lost…

1781 a date carved into the stone

… if you’ve got a keen eye you may even spot some dates carved into the stone in various locations… really drilling home how old these tunnels are.

There are 2 astounding sights that I certainly never expected to see in an underground tunnel below Paris and are certain to stop you in your tracks…

2 incredible chateaux carved into the tunnels limestone walls, recalled & carved entirely by memory.

Paris’ Underground Chateau

I don’t know about you, but if you stuck me underground tomorrow I couldn’t recall my own bedroom with that much detail.

The underground tour takes about 1hr and you pop out at a completely unrecognisable backstreet somewhere in the Denfert – Rochereau area.

Get There

Take the RER B
From Saint Lazare station
Stop at Denfert-Rochereau station

The catacombs are open daily form 10am – 5pm (last admission at 4pm)
Get there early we waited about an hour to get inside.

You can get more info about visiting the Catacombs here

Backpacking in SE Asia

Sadly, we have now officially departed from Southeast Asia…

Flying out of the region for the foreseeable future to persue some different, but equally rich & rewarding (hopefully) travel experiences in Europe…

On our recent departure from Asia, we thought we’d share a few of the biggest lessons we discovered after spending an ultra fun packed 4 months backpacking, partying, scuba diving, eating too much, exercising too little, making new friends, neglecting old ones, missing plane flights, busting caps at illusive (stationary) targets & general shenanigans in Southeast Asia.

Here are 10 of the biggest things that we learned + a few others that left a lasting impression…

1. There is no such thing as an orderly line in Asia. Period. (we searched high n low)

2. You will not be arrested & put in a firing line for missing a plane flight… we missed our first ever flight in Bangkok this year, and you know what – it didn’t turn out  to be that big a deal

3. Human beings are still human beings – no matter where they call home… most people have good hearts and will go out of their way to help you if you’re in trouble

4. Don’t take peace in your own country for granted… we are insulated from a lot of what goes on in the world, there are people fighting all over the world… apparently a lot of this is not “newsworthy”

5. The default reply to any question in Asia is always a very certain yes!...

Can I have a diet coke – no ice please? yes!
Can I have my curry a little bit saaa-picy (spicy) please? yes!
I have disgusting breath that smells worse than Bangkok’s open sewers don’t I? yes!

… if you think someone didn’t understood you correctly, they didnt!

6. Fact. Mostly people do not curl over & die the moment they bite down on a mouthful of Asian street food – in fact we ate it often, preferring the street food over many of the restaurants we ate at

7. Fact. Shooting an AK47 on automatic is definitely as fun as it looks in the movies

8. Most people in Asia live in worse conditions than you as a budget backpacker… ask that guy you think is ripping you off with those $2 t-shirts if you can see his home & he’ll prob show you a tin shack with a mattress lying on a dirt floor

9. Fact. dropping a naughty word in someones own language is the best icebreaker you’ll ever find

Practising Our Naughty Words In Vietnam

10. Weather conditions will form a large part of your impression of the places you visit… it rained the entire time we were in Vietnam and left us with a less than 10/10 overall impression

A few additional things we learned…

1. Walking with earphones in – even if not in operation will drastically reduce the level of harassment you receive from street vendors

2. No matter how much you detest large international chains… whether it be the need for a western toilet, wifi, or reliable coffee – you WILL find salvation in a McDonalds or Starbucks on at least 1 occasion while on the road

3. You can have a conversation with a monk (they’re just just like real people) – we had a long conversation in Luang Prabang with a monk who had traveled to Laos from Thailand… unfortunately I wasn’t overwhelmed with Zen wisdom afterwards as I was expecting

4. The purchase of fireworks will bring out the inner child in any male

Did you take anything cool away from your own trips to Southeast Asia?

Feel free to add to this list by posting in the comments section below…