Singapore - Day 139

After the euphoria of the GP on the weekend Matti suggested that we tag along and join him for a day exploring one of the more unspoilt parts of Singapore. Matti had read a bit about an island off the north coast in the Lonely Planet guide and we agreed that it would be a nice change from the retail/hightech buzz of the city.

The 4 of us (Kimmy, Emma, Matti and me) took the train to the end of the line towards changi airport, transferred to a bus that took us to the NE coast and then caught a 'bumboat' to Padang Ubin. It's a small island off the coast that is soon to be listed as a world heritage site. Arrived at about lunchtime and took a short walk through the town before settling on a place that had the best looking photographs on their menu. We're still battling to order food in a foreign language so pointing at the picture is the only way until we learn a little Mandarin!



Lunch was great, I'm still on the stirfried noodles and Emma got the dose of greens she's been craving for days.With our bellies full, we jumped on rented bikes to tour the island. About 20 minutes into the cycle we noticed the dark clouds looming overhead but, decided to trudge on. Then someone opened a zip in the clouds and all hell broke loose! At first we thought we could deal with the downpour but at the top of the hill in the north east corner of the forest trees started collasping right in front of us! Seriously, within the space of a minute we saw 3 trees (all 50ft plus) uprooted and fall in the road not even 20 meters away. It was at this point the Kimmy started having a sense of humour failiure and promptly started barking instructions to all of us to 'get the f*ck outta here!". We were wearing shorts, teashirts and flip flops -absolutely drenched and cycling for our lives in the opposite direction trying to find the shelter we passed on the way up. Sat under the shelter for about 30 minutes as the thunder continued to clap around us and saw the funny side of our near death experience.....but there was more to come.



Already completely soaked, miles away from a hot shower we agreed to keep going and followed one of trails on a map that we picked up at the info centre. It was only an hour into phase 2 that we realized that the trail was not suitable for bikes. At one point we had to get off the bikes and push them through overhanging bushes and paths that just weren't big enough. Eventually after going on a scouting mission by foot through knee deep clay I concluded that we'd reached the end of the road. The four of us turned back after about an hour, drenched and covered in mud, to find a new trail that finally took us back to the main tarred road and thankfully the little village we'd started at.After returning the bikes (you should have seen the look on the guys face) we sat down at the local village pub, sucked on a few Tigers and giggled about the reaction we were going to get from the city folk on the public transport on the way home.Emma is a beaut and like loads of the people we've met traveling so far, we're sad that we didn't get more time with her. She's off back the Oz and we both wish her well on her continued travels - hope to see you in Cape Town one day Em. Matti is off to Vietnam and we'll be joining him as soon as Kimmy gets her emergency passport from the SA embassy here in Singapore. Next stop, Ho Chi Minh City -Vietnam.

Singapore - F1 - Days 134 - 138

A couple of days before arriving in Singapore Kimmy and I both realised that our arrival would co-incide with the inaugural F1 GP night race. Accommodation would not be easy to come by let alone cheap so when we found a spot on the web for 5 Euro a night we grabbed it. It was by no means the Massa Inn with pool and double bed but, it served its purpose and we've also added a new friend to "that list" as a result. We'd stupidly only booked one night online and when it came time to extend our stay for the weekend our host informed us that the price had gone up to 50 Euro/per night! This in itself would have been OK, however, Friday night was spent walking the track around the CBD during the practice round and after experiencing the adrenaline rush of the cars doing 290km/h towards turn 5 from outside the circuit boundary we both decided then and there that we had to get tickets for the race proper. So it looked like we were going to spend more than we bargained for in Singapore
On the way to the gates

On Saturday morning after being swindled for extra cash at the hostel we ventured into town to find a ticket tout to bargain with. Trust us to find an English larger lout with a handful of tickets around his neck. After a "good cop-bad cop" session(Kimmy was the bad cop) with the pasty Pom we managed to bargain our way from S$1000 to S$600 for a pair of general admission tickets for Race Day on Sunday - There goes the budget! We justified it by telling each other that this was a once in a life time opportunity (and I could send some pics to Meehan to make him green with envy - Sorry Dawie!) but, after race day had come and gone we both agreed that it was well worth the expense.
Kimmy and Me with our tickets for the 1st ever F1 night race in Singapore. Dawie, we highly recommend this trip buddy.

We spent Saturday walking around the CBD, which is just one massive retail haven selling top end brands. Our financial situation allowed us to window shop only and buy a few mini rolls for lunch. Back at the hostel we made a few mates in Christian, Matti and a "nutter" from Chester, Emma (more about her and Matti later). Our hostel wasn't exactly in the plush part of town so when we finished ordering the only thing that the waitress could say in English we were expecting seriously dodgy food but, were pleasantly surprised with a large plate of SPICEY SEAFOOD NOODLES - the emphasis was on Spicey and I needed at least 4 quarts of Tiger beer to extinguish the flames.

(From the left - Christian, Matti, Me, Kimmy and Christie sitting 2m away from the track at turn4)

Kimmy and I are F1 virgins but we can't imagine a better setting for a Grand Prix than Singapore by night. It's a beautiful clean city by day and is lit up like a high-tech Xmass tree by night. Matti had walked the circuit the last few days and knew a spot at turn 4 that did not seem too crowded. We walked the length of the circuit to get there and agreed that it was a perfect spot for the start of the race(check out the video below). We were 2m away from the barriers and the noise was deafening!

A few laps later we moved on to Anderson Bridge where they cross the water over the harbor after turn 17. We were lucky enough to have a guy next to us in the crowd who had hired a portable satellite TV which had interactive access to all the circuit cameras and pits. We had the best of both worlds - the track right in front of us and a tv to understand the race situation.

2 yellow flags and a 8lap sprint finish with Alonso starting from 15th on the grid taking the race honours. The perfect night was rounded off by the race itself which turned out to be corker!


(Lewis driving past us during the driver's parade just before the start of the race - Believe it or not , the sun is already down and the lights are on)

(Movie clip below: Coming out of turn 4 on lap 2 preparing to fly in between the retail buildings at 290km/h)

Bali - Indonesia Days 119-133

We're in Singapore at the moment and it's been brilliant fun but more about that from Kimmy later.

Bali has been our longest stay in any one town on our travels so far. We were in transit for about 2 days, leaving Katherine by bus on the 10th to Darwin, then a flight to Brisbane at 1am, another flight the next day to Singapore at 11pm and finally back down to Bali. Makes amockery of our carbon footprint when you consider that Bali is only about 2 hours away from Darwin!

It's our 1st time in a 3rd world country so it took some getting used but truthfully our accommodation made it a breeze. One of the recommendations from our Canadian mates we met on Fraser Island (thanks Mike) was to book into theMassa Inn in Kuta and once settled we couldn't bring our selves to move anywhere else. We had plans to visit the Gili Islands off Lombok but quite frankly we were shattered from the last 3 months of Go,Go,Go in US, NZ and Oz.

Bali is ridiculously cheap - as a result we spent our few days eating drinking, lazying by the pool and watching TV in our air conditioned room when the heat got too much. We were originally scheduled to stay 7 days but, were so chuffed at being able to do f*ck all that we thought it best to extend our stay. A quick trip to Singapore airlines at the airport did the trick. Interestingly, we found out that there was NO charge to changing our flights if we approach the airlines directly. Something thetravel agents fail to mention when they sell you a round the world trip ticket.....useful to know when you travel one day.

Bali has been the route to all evil. Apart from smoking a pack a day, eating 3 course meals 3 times a day and doing no exercise I now also find myself in the Facebook family. Kim managed to lose Stef's email and Darren (as we found out later) junked my email address because he thought some dodgy guy called "Kowalski" was trying to sell him more Viagra. So I reluctantly joined up and an within a day managed to find Darren and Stef on the other side of the Island.

They joined us at the Massa Inn by the pool for the next 10days and the only excitement we had was trying to find a new restaurant to go to to fill our belly's again!

I think we slightly regret not doing more in Bali but we needed the break from packing our backpacks every second day. It was great to spend time with Darren and Stef - They are now officially on the growing list - and we'll be commissioning Stef (she is a fine arts student) to paint her London night portrait soon.

Couple more months to go and we're running out of money FAST - Hopefully Vietnam and Co are cheaper than Singapore.

Katherine - Days 115-118

Katherine is about 300Km south of Darwin and in the weeks running up to our arrival it had been reported as the hottest town in Australia. It's a little like Riviersonderend, just bigger. Our 4 days (way too short) in K'town gave us good insight on how Mac and Gail's lives have changed since leaving the UK.

After the camping in the bush they treated us to a Fish braai - the star ingredient was Baramundi fillet, that Mac had caught earlier in the year during the wet season......Yum! Not one to be able to sit still for too long, Andrew convinced me to play a round of golf on Sunday at the the Katherine Country Club - we played 18 holes in 37 degrees but, the guy time with and old buddy more than made up for the conditions. A honourable matchplay draw was a fair result on the day - can't wait to dust off my clubs in CT!

Monday was back to school for both Mac and Gail but, Gail took and early day and took us out to another watering hole, Edith Falls. I'm still amazed at how this place manages to produce such beautiful oasis' in what seem to be incredibly dry conditions. Gail managed the short walk with us into the rocky Gorge and we spent an hour or so lazying in the water under the falls.

Back home we were treated to photo's on the laptop of their last 4 years. They done some amazing things: crossed the remote deserts in 4WDs and Andrew has even managed a 55Km, 4 day walk on his own in the bush - madman! We were also introduced to Mac new alter ego, Jean-Paul lePoep. You know those impersonations you heard over the years? Well.\, this guys is a Frenchmen who finds lots of satisfaction in pronouncing his virility to anyone that will listen. Highly amusing and I can't wait for them to put it on You Tube for the rest of the world to see.

I've always said that if I could choose someone to teach my kids then a guy like Andrew would be a dream choice. Even in trying conditions here in the Outback where indigenous families are brought up without any values and discipline - Andrew seems to want to make a difference. Although he sounds incredibly frustrated at how the system in Aus has decimated a once proud indigenous people to a society that he become dependant on "guilt" handouts from the government, he still manages to love his job - and in the Australian bush he has found an environment that he thrives in.

Mac and me at the Last Chance Saloon chatting to the locals who's primary goal was to bum free beer off us.

It's quite evident that he has spent the last 4 years embracing the indigenous culture to such and extent that they now consider him one of their own (true story!). I saw evidence of this relationship 1st hand when mac took me to the "Last chance Saloon", a pub where the locals spend their weekly wages in one day trying to get as boozed as is humanly possible. For all their misgivings, Andrew still finds time to engage in conversation with these guys and they absolutely love him him for it!

He still the same madman we've grown to love so much and Gail (bless her soul) has the patience and character to appease his "energizer bunny " lifestyle. It warms both Kimmy's and my soul to see them so happy and positive about the future. 13th of January will see a new addition to the family, leBean lePoep - I have money on him becoming the next Steve Irwin (although it may be controversial wearing a SAFFA rugby jersey on national OZ TV.

Andrew and Kimmy in Mac's pride and joy, 4.2litre Deisel1990 Toyota Land Cruiser

Darwin and Kakadu N.P - Days 113 - 115

The part of our Aus trip that we were looking forward to most was seeing Maccie and Gail. We had booked flights from Cairns to Darwin while we were in Brisbane. Gail was kind enough to come 300km in 35 degree heat, while pregnant with no air-con in her car, to pick us up. Gail assured us that it was a treat to come to Darwin (a city) to do some shopping for some much needed maternity wear and a few things for the baba.

Maccie drove to Darwin too, after school. We all spent the night in a hostel, Gail and I retired early while Peter and Mac proceeded to finish a case of 30 beers until 4.30 in the morning while trying to catch up on the 4 years that have passed since we last saw them.

Next day, Gail did some more shopping and then headed off back to K'town (Katherine) while Mac, Peter and I went off to the bush to camp. Our destination was Kakadu National Park, the biggest N.P in Australia.



The Australian Outback is everything you have heard and more, bloody hot, dry, dusty and millions upon millions of the most annoying flies.




Our first mission of the day was to get to the campsite and secure our spot in the limited space available. With Mac doing about 110kph on the dirt roads, we got in and quickly put up a tent. Our next stop was Baramundi Gorge for a swim.

In the Northern Territory of Australia or the "Territory" as the Aussies call it, there are only 2 seasons: Wet and Dry. The wet season (summer) sees torrential downpours which can cause major flooding with water levels in the rivers rising from 2 meters to over 18 meters. The rivers during this time are infested with crocodiles. In the dry season (winter) the rivers recede leaving water in the deeper gorges. Aussies call this a water hole, where they swim. Authorities don't open up these waterholes to the public until they have captured the croc's left behind from the wet season an relocate them, which can take a good few weeks.

When we got to Baramundi Gorge, there were loads of signs advising you of Croc safety! Mac being Mac, jumped straight into the water and swam away. Peter and I had a long, long think about this and after seeking constant assurance from Mac, decided to go in. Peter being the chivalrous guy that he is, insisted I go first! Needles to say we jumped in and got straight out!




















Next was the Nourlangie art site where ancient Aboriginals used to seek shelter from the heat. It was here where we saw Aboriginal art which is some 20,000 years old. Staggering to think how ancient these indigenous people are.
We headed back towards camp and decided to stop at a place called Yellow Water to watch the sun set. After all the incredible coastal sunsets we have seen, it's easy to forget how magnificent a bush sunset is. We just sate there quietly drinking a beer and taking in the absolute peace.












Once back at camp, Maccie showed off his new found camping skills. We were treated to a whole chicken cooked in a potjie pot of sorts, with potatoes, onions and carrots. Was a much needed feed after an action packed day. A few beers around the fire and bed for us.











We woke up at 5.00am next morning and went back to Yellow Waters where were booked onto a morning boat trip. An incredible sunrise greeted us with mist on the water and surrounding flood plains. We saw loads of birds and were even fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of a dingo and her cubs in the distance. We were also surrounded by croc's, however we felt safe in our tour boat, no swimming for us!



















Back to camp for breakfast which was shared with our millions of fly friends. These buggers are relentless! We went to 2 more waterholes for a much needed swim and headed towards K'Town. where Maccie and Gail are teaching in the communities.

Cairns (Yungaburra) - Days 107-110

On Day 2 we hopped on a tour bus with about 15 others to visit the Rain forest area about an hour inland from Cairns. We got a few interesting biology lessons from the bus driver whilst stopping at various locations which included beautiful waterfalls and the most bizarre tree called a Strangling Fig tree. This particular bugger(the Cathedral Tree) sprouted in the canopy of a host tree (800 years ago) and then dropped roots to the ground below, as more roots grew the fig tree completely enveloped the host which died off leaving a gaping hole where the trunk used to be.

Most of the fun started when we arrived at our overnight stop in a cool little town called Yungaburra. The rough translation "place of bad spirits" can't be further from the truth. At dusk our local guide Damien(more about him later), took us to the river to see if we could spot any platypus (one of the rare mammals that lays eggs). These cute and very shy little creatures only come out of there holes below the water at certain times. I was expecting to see something the size of and otter/beaver but, when you see how small they are(ruler length max.) it becomes evident why they are so difficult to spot and were only discovered in the last century.

After dinner Damien took us kayaking down a local lake where we were guaranteed to see tree kangaroos, possums. These guys are nocturnal so the kayaking was done after dark in doubles with searchlight-type torches. It was an amazing night - the water was like glass and you could see the reflection of the starry sky in the water. After Kimmy had recounted a few stories about the Kruger, Damien seemed to relax a little as he realised that we were really interested in the wildlife. Even though he had done this little trip a 100 times over the last 10 months you could feel the excitement and passion for what he was doing as he would often scramble out the kayak and run barefoot through the bush in the hope of another sighting. A record 7 Tree Kangaroos spotted in one night meant that he had to make good on his promise to swim the last couple of hundred yards back to shore - rather him than me!

The following morning only 4 of us braved the 15km mountain bike ride through surrounding area. It's most exercise we had done since NZ and included some breathtaking stops in the rain forest. After lunch we took another kayak trip. this time we convinced Damien to bring his dog Jed along (a boxer mixed with staffie that looks like Gucci back home). It gave us a daytime perspective of the area we had visited the night before and we have a few cool pics to take home as memories.