Hey Everyone,
It was so sad to leave Mykonos because the island was just so perfect but we really couldn't complain since we were boarding a cruise ship for the next three nights going to other islands off the coast of Greece.
Farrell was a little nervous getting on the boat since she tends to get sea sick pretty easily but really she had no choice and did a good job of holding down all her food. We got onto the ship around 6pm and were going to be leaving Mykonos around 10pm. We got to our room and dropped off all the stuff we had been carrying around. Once we found the room we both looked at each other because we thought there was no way that all of our stuff and our own selves were going to fit into this room. It was pretty small. We met up with the group on the top deck for some drinks and karaoke. It was a good time and then Farrell and Dan decided to get some fresh air and enjoy the stars as the boat cruised along. It was a gorgeous night!
The next morning we got up really early since we were going on an excursion to Turkey. We left early with our group and got on a coach to travel to Kusadasi a city in Turkey. In Kusadasi is the ancient site of Ephesus. We had a guided tour through the site and ended amongst some cool Turkish shops. The Turkish people are pretty aggressive in getting you to come into their shops and buy some stuff. We had good time with it though. We picked out some great stuff and really enjoyed Turkey. It is a pretty sweat country and a place we would both like to spend more time at later on.
We got back on our cruise ship around 11am and then the boat took off for a new destination. For the afternoon the boat docked at Patmos a famous greek island in the Aegean sea. This island Patmos is where St. John was exiled to and spent most of his time in a cave and is the site where he wrote the book of Revelations. Farrell and Dan got in a cab and went to the famous grotto where St. John lived. It was really cool site and we got some good pictures. Then we went to the monestary at the top of the island. This place of worship for the early Christians was built on this island as a castle for protection since a lot of them were being persecuted at the time. We really enjoyed the sites and had a nice time on the island. After the monestary we got some crepes and relaxed by the port. We boarded the ship again and had a nice dinner with some friends. We set sail for Crete that night.
Upon arriving at Crete Dan and Farrell got in a cab with these three other americans to see the ancient palace of Knossos. We walked around this site for a few hours and then through the town for a bit. It was a Sunday and so it was really quite and nothing was open except for this site. Again we hopped back on the boat and relaxed for a few hours as we sailed onto Santorini.
We have so much to say about Santorini because it was a really awesome island. We first got in a sweet pirate boat once we docked to heat out to a volcanic island just past Santorini. We hiked for about an hour with our excursion group to the top of the Volcano. It was unbelievable to look out off the top and see Santorini and the rest of the sea. Santonrini is also volcanic and all the buildings are built on the cliffs. After the hike we got back in our pirate boat and headed for a hot water springs and a dip in the sea. We had a great swim and enjoyed the hot water springs. Then we headed back to the main land of Santorini. We took a coach up an got dropped off in the main part. Farrell and Dan got some awesome Gyros. The best ones that they have had ever!!! Then we bought some local wine since Santorini is big on its vineyards. The wine was bottled right in front of us which was cool. After getting the wine Farrell and Dan got on two donkeys to make their way down. Dan had the baby donkey and Farrell the huge one. As soon as Dan got on his baby donkey it started to take off and almost pulled Farrell along too. Then it stopped thankfully. Farrell's donkey lead the way down the island and enjoyed smelling other donkey's butts too. As we safely got down we could not stop laughing at how funny it was. The pictures also came out great.
Down at the port we got onto the ship for our last time. That night we headed back to Athens where we have been spending the last two days.
It truly has been a crazy adventure for the two of us. We are so happy to have been able to get to these places but are also so excited to come home and see everyone. We love you all so much!!
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Athens and Mykonos
Hey Everyone,
Once we arrived to Greece we took to the streets right away to see the city. Our hotel for some reason was not having power from 8am to 6pm which was really lame. Our first day was on a Sunday so it was really quite since nothing was open till later in the day. We enjoyed a nice cup of coffee and read through our Lonely Planet travel book to see what we should do. Our hotel, the Hermes Hotel is right in the Plaka area of Athens which is actually a great area for shops. We took the first half of the day to just relax and read in some coffee shops since it was so hot. Then we headed out through the streets of the Plaka area and found some lunch. Farrell got the awesome Greek salad with huge pieces of feta. Over our entire time at Greece we ended up eating a ton of feta. We spent the rest of the day just walking around and trying to get a feel for Greece. We booked a walking tour for the next day so we could see some of the sights.
On our next day we went on a walking tour of Athens. We got to see the Parliament building where the Greek soldiers guarded the tomb of the unknown soldier. We got a lot of good pictures. The soldiers were wearing some interesting uniforms. They had on tights and shoes with pompoms. Not to mention they walked really funny. The picture tell the story. After Parliament we went to Acropolis. The famous city built on the hill that literally overlooks Athens. It is such a sweet sight. Our tour guide was pretty good and explained a lot about the history. Acropolis was amazing. We hiked up the hill and say all the great temples and theaters. We felt like we were back in Rome. After Acropolis we went back down to the Plaka area and got lunch. Lunch was great and then we headed back up to the Ancient Agora. We got to see the Church that St. Paul came to Athens to preach in. It was really tiny but so cool. Then after Agora we headed back to the hotel to meet up with our group for our Contiki tour.
The next morning we had a nice 6am wake up call and then headed to the port to get a ferry over to the island of Mykonos. It was a 5.5 ferry but once we got to Mykonos it was so worth it. We checked into our hotel and it was nice to have a really clean room with no bugs, a good break from Thailand. Our room was so nice and had an amazing view off the balcony of the Aegean Sea. The island is just so beautiful with its white buildings and sparking water. That night our group had a nice dinner out. After dinner we took to the streets of Mykonos for a pub crawl. Knowing us we only made it to two of three pubs. It was still a great night and our group was pretty cool. The next morning we decided to rent a 4wheeler to get ourselves around the island. We got on and went to drop off our laundry. Got that done went back to the hotel and met the group to go to the famous Paradise beach on the island.
Paradise beach was pretty crazy especially for us. It turned out to be a huge dance party on the beach. Farrell was evening dancing on tables of you could believe it. The beach was all pebbles not sand which is common for Mykonos but still very different. We spent our time relaxing, dancing and hanging out in the water with some drinks. After a couple of hours the group got back on a coach and headed back into town for dinner since the party had died down and would not pick back up till 2am. After getting dropped off in the center of town Farrell GUIDED Dan over to cab and they got in to go back to the hotel to sleep. The party was a lot of fun and definitely once and a life time.
The next day we set off on our sweet 4wheeler to a gorgeous beach we had saw the day before. We had lunch at a restaurant on the water and then stayed there on some chairs for the day. The beaches are just incredible as you get to look out onto this picture perfect water. After a great day relaxing in the sun we headed back to the hotel and showered up. We were planning on going to a special dinner that night since it was our 3year anniversary. We jumped onto the 4wheeler and drove to a really nice part of the island for a spectacular dinner. Not knowing our way around lead us into a little bit of an adventure since we could not find the restaurant that we had planned to go to but ended up asking a bunch of locals and going to a different one. It was called Bellimisimo and we had an awesome time.
Then the next day we had an early morning since we had to check out and return our pimpin 4wheeler. We packed our bags, left them in reception and went to a new beach for the day. Later that evening we were going to be boarding our cruise ship but we still had the entire day to go out. This beach was another incredible site. We had lunch right on the water and then found ourselves sleeping and reading on some padded lounge chairs. It was hard to get any better. The water was so nice and refreshing in the hot sun. Once we left the beach we headed back to the hotel to get on the cruise ship.
We then were headed to some more islands in the Aegean sea. The next morning we were going to Turkey then Patmos, Crete, and Santorini. We were definitely sad to leave Mykonos since we had just the best time.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Once we arrived to Greece we took to the streets right away to see the city. Our hotel for some reason was not having power from 8am to 6pm which was really lame. Our first day was on a Sunday so it was really quite since nothing was open till later in the day. We enjoyed a nice cup of coffee and read through our Lonely Planet travel book to see what we should do. Our hotel, the Hermes Hotel is right in the Plaka area of Athens which is actually a great area for shops. We took the first half of the day to just relax and read in some coffee shops since it was so hot. Then we headed out through the streets of the Plaka area and found some lunch. Farrell got the awesome Greek salad with huge pieces of feta. Over our entire time at Greece we ended up eating a ton of feta. We spent the rest of the day just walking around and trying to get a feel for Greece. We booked a walking tour for the next day so we could see some of the sights.
On our next day we went on a walking tour of Athens. We got to see the Parliament building where the Greek soldiers guarded the tomb of the unknown soldier. We got a lot of good pictures. The soldiers were wearing some interesting uniforms. They had on tights and shoes with pompoms. Not to mention they walked really funny. The picture tell the story. After Parliament we went to Acropolis. The famous city built on the hill that literally overlooks Athens. It is such a sweet sight. Our tour guide was pretty good and explained a lot about the history. Acropolis was amazing. We hiked up the hill and say all the great temples and theaters. We felt like we were back in Rome. After Acropolis we went back down to the Plaka area and got lunch. Lunch was great and then we headed back up to the Ancient Agora. We got to see the Church that St. Paul came to Athens to preach in. It was really tiny but so cool. Then after Agora we headed back to the hotel to meet up with our group for our Contiki tour.
The next morning we had a nice 6am wake up call and then headed to the port to get a ferry over to the island of Mykonos. It was a 5.5 ferry but once we got to Mykonos it was so worth it. We checked into our hotel and it was nice to have a really clean room with no bugs, a good break from Thailand. Our room was so nice and had an amazing view off the balcony of the Aegean Sea. The island is just so beautiful with its white buildings and sparking water. That night our group had a nice dinner out. After dinner we took to the streets of Mykonos for a pub crawl. Knowing us we only made it to two of three pubs. It was still a great night and our group was pretty cool. The next morning we decided to rent a 4wheeler to get ourselves around the island. We got on and went to drop off our laundry. Got that done went back to the hotel and met the group to go to the famous Paradise beach on the island.
Paradise beach was pretty crazy especially for us. It turned out to be a huge dance party on the beach. Farrell was evening dancing on tables of you could believe it. The beach was all pebbles not sand which is common for Mykonos but still very different. We spent our time relaxing, dancing and hanging out in the water with some drinks. After a couple of hours the group got back on a coach and headed back into town for dinner since the party had died down and would not pick back up till 2am. After getting dropped off in the center of town Farrell GUIDED Dan over to cab and they got in to go back to the hotel to sleep. The party was a lot of fun and definitely once and a life time.
The next day we set off on our sweet 4wheeler to a gorgeous beach we had saw the day before. We had lunch at a restaurant on the water and then stayed there on some chairs for the day. The beaches are just incredible as you get to look out onto this picture perfect water. After a great day relaxing in the sun we headed back to the hotel and showered up. We were planning on going to a special dinner that night since it was our 3year anniversary. We jumped onto the 4wheeler and drove to a really nice part of the island for a spectacular dinner. Not knowing our way around lead us into a little bit of an adventure since we could not find the restaurant that we had planned to go to but ended up asking a bunch of locals and going to a different one. It was called Bellimisimo and we had an awesome time.
Then the next day we had an early morning since we had to check out and return our pimpin 4wheeler. We packed our bags, left them in reception and went to a new beach for the day. Later that evening we were going to be boarding our cruise ship but we still had the entire day to go out. This beach was another incredible site. We had lunch right on the water and then found ourselves sleeping and reading on some padded lounge chairs. It was hard to get any better. The water was so nice and refreshing in the hot sun. Once we left the beach we headed back to the hotel to get on the cruise ship.
We then were headed to some more islands in the Aegean sea. The next morning we were going to Turkey then Patmos, Crete, and Santorini. We were definitely sad to leave Mykonos since we had just the best time.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Athens Greece Day 1
Hey Everyone,
We have arrived safely to GREECE!!!! It was a long flight from Thailand to Greece but we made it. We have two full days in Athens and then we head to Mykonos and then onto a cruise ship around the Mediterranean.
We have a walking tour planned for Athens and we cant wait to see the sites and ancient ruins.
We will keep you all posted.
Lots of love,
Farrell and Dan
We have arrived safely to GREECE!!!! It was a long flight from Thailand to Greece but we made it. We have two full days in Athens and then we head to Mykonos and then onto a cruise ship around the Mediterranean.
We have a walking tour planned for Athens and we cant wait to see the sites and ancient ruins.
We will keep you all posted.
Lots of love,
Farrell and Dan
Friday, July 18, 2008
Southern Thailand - Koh Sok, Koh Samui, Koh Tao
Hey Everyone,
Sorry for such a long delay with posts, we have been taking in the sun down in Southern Thailand.
So after the Northern trip on our second day back in Bangkok we met up with our group for the southern tour. Our group leader was named Tong and he is really cool and also speaks really great english. There are two British girls that were with us in the north that are also going on the trip to the south so it is nice to have some familiar faces but good to meet new people as well. The group has a scottish women, three british indian boys, a young british couple, two german girls, and two other americans.
The group headed out from Bangkok on another overnight train headed south for Koh Sok. After the overnight train the group go off and headed for some breakfast. Farrell and Dan had to wrestle a little with the waitress because she tried to over charge them multiple times. We went through the order with the women 3 times before she realized that she was over charging us by 50 baht. After breakfast the group headed to there accommodations. Farrell and Dan were staying in bungalow number 9. As we dropped our stuff off there were 6 different monkeys literally climbing and jumping through the trees as well as our roof. It was a wicked site and we didn't know who was staying in the bungalow us or the monkeys. We were staying here in Koh Sok for two nights. The accommodations were pretty nice and the food good as well. There was even a rope swing down at the base of the restaurant with a river running through it. Everyone spent the afternoon swinging into the water. That afternoon the group even went tubing, which in thailand just means going down a lazy river in a tub, but it was still a lot of fun.
The next day the group headed to the Koh Sok National park. This day was filled with breath taking sites as the group boarded two small boats and headed to some bamboo huts built right in the middle of the dam. That national park consisted of massive mountains covered with rain forest and incredible water below. Dan went off with 5 other people from the group on a hike through one of the mountains. The group even got to go to a cave which was really amazing. Farrell and the rest of the group stayed at the bamboo huts and relaxed in the water. The day was truly incredible because this national park was just so beautiful. We all spent the day swimming, kayaking and just relaxing. We also had a big buffet lunch where entire fish were just deep fried and served, interesting to say the least. Our pictures came out great.
After two nights in Koh Sok the group headed north to an island off the mainland called Koh Samui. We arrived around mid day after getting up at 530 and heading out of Koh Sok. We were staying at the Sandy resort which was right on the water. As Farrell and Dan checked into their room they found dirty sheets, a weak rotating fan and a gecko crawling up there walls. Not bad for Thailand standards but Farrell said NO WAY!! We upgraded our room to the deluxe suite, which had air conditioning, a big room and a nice shower. Farrell was happy. After lunch Farrell and Dan met up with two girls named Casey and Iona from California who had been on the northern trip with them and became friends. They were not with our southern group but were going to be staying at all the same places so we could hang out again. We spent the rest of the day on the beach relaxing and taking in the sun. That night the group headed out to the town and stopped at a Mexican restaurant for dinner. The food was great, as it was owned and run by a Canadian. Dan, Farrell, Casey and Iona all split two liters of Margarita!!! After dinner our group headed to a Lady Boy show. This was an very interesting experience to say the least. Dan earlier had voiced his opinion about not really wanting to go or feeling all that comfortable the but the group was all in. So during the show when the lady boys were looking for volunteers the entire group, except for Farrell decided to throw Dan under the bus. Farrell knowing how much Dan did not really want to be there tried to save him but before she knew it he was up on stage in front of everyone. After about 10 minutes Dan came back on the stage from being away and no longer had shirt on. He was also covered with 7 lipstick kisses on his chest. Everyone was getting a kick out of it much to Dan's dismay. All and all the night was fun and he did get a free rum and coke out of it which he chugged as fast as he could. The next day the group spent the entire day in the Sun. The weather in the south is just amazing and the water is incredible. Dan and Farrell got a great chance to relax and read which was nice.
The next morning we checked out and headed north again to another island called Koh Tao. Here we stayed for 3 nights and our tour guide started to catch on to the needs of Dan and Farrell and already had our room upgraded by the time we got there. This resort was called Seashells resort and it was again right on the water with a great beach. Our first night we went to the best restaurant possible. It was up high on a mountain and gave us a chance to look over the entire island as the sun set. Transportation on this island is pretty much through pick up trucks so to get to the top of this mountain all 16 were piled into the bed of a truck and practically falling out as we climbed up the mountain. The view was great, the food was good, and the Margarita bowl that Dan and Farrell shared was also very nice. The next day was another great beach day with sun all around. The third day the group went on a snorkling trip around the island. We even got to see some baby sharks which was really cool. We went to 6 different stops and got a chance to jump off the boat each time. That night would be the groups last night so we all went out to the bars and decided to celebrate our trip together. The group was really great and we all got along really well.
The next morning 6 people from the group including Farrell and Dan headed back to the train station for bangkok. The rest of the group stayed on Koh Tao since a famous party called the Full Moon part was going to be happening on the island of Koh phagon in just a few days.
Now Dan and Farrell and arrived safely to Bangkok again!!!! We fly out tonight for Greece and are wicked excited to get on our cruise ship.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Sorry for such a long delay with posts, we have been taking in the sun down in Southern Thailand.
So after the Northern trip on our second day back in Bangkok we met up with our group for the southern tour. Our group leader was named Tong and he is really cool and also speaks really great english. There are two British girls that were with us in the north that are also going on the trip to the south so it is nice to have some familiar faces but good to meet new people as well. The group has a scottish women, three british indian boys, a young british couple, two german girls, and two other americans.
The group headed out from Bangkok on another overnight train headed south for Koh Sok. After the overnight train the group go off and headed for some breakfast. Farrell and Dan had to wrestle a little with the waitress because she tried to over charge them multiple times. We went through the order with the women 3 times before she realized that she was over charging us by 50 baht. After breakfast the group headed to there accommodations. Farrell and Dan were staying in bungalow number 9. As we dropped our stuff off there were 6 different monkeys literally climbing and jumping through the trees as well as our roof. It was a wicked site and we didn't know who was staying in the bungalow us or the monkeys. We were staying here in Koh Sok for two nights. The accommodations were pretty nice and the food good as well. There was even a rope swing down at the base of the restaurant with a river running through it. Everyone spent the afternoon swinging into the water. That afternoon the group even went tubing, which in thailand just means going down a lazy river in a tub, but it was still a lot of fun.
The next day the group headed to the Koh Sok National park. This day was filled with breath taking sites as the group boarded two small boats and headed to some bamboo huts built right in the middle of the dam. That national park consisted of massive mountains covered with rain forest and incredible water below. Dan went off with 5 other people from the group on a hike through one of the mountains. The group even got to go to a cave which was really amazing. Farrell and the rest of the group stayed at the bamboo huts and relaxed in the water. The day was truly incredible because this national park was just so beautiful. We all spent the day swimming, kayaking and just relaxing. We also had a big buffet lunch where entire fish were just deep fried and served, interesting to say the least. Our pictures came out great.
After two nights in Koh Sok the group headed north to an island off the mainland called Koh Samui. We arrived around mid day after getting up at 530 and heading out of Koh Sok. We were staying at the Sandy resort which was right on the water. As Farrell and Dan checked into their room they found dirty sheets, a weak rotating fan and a gecko crawling up there walls. Not bad for Thailand standards but Farrell said NO WAY!! We upgraded our room to the deluxe suite, which had air conditioning, a big room and a nice shower. Farrell was happy. After lunch Farrell and Dan met up with two girls named Casey and Iona from California who had been on the northern trip with them and became friends. They were not with our southern group but were going to be staying at all the same places so we could hang out again. We spent the rest of the day on the beach relaxing and taking in the sun. That night the group headed out to the town and stopped at a Mexican restaurant for dinner. The food was great, as it was owned and run by a Canadian. Dan, Farrell, Casey and Iona all split two liters of Margarita!!! After dinner our group headed to a Lady Boy show. This was an very interesting experience to say the least. Dan earlier had voiced his opinion about not really wanting to go or feeling all that comfortable the but the group was all in. So during the show when the lady boys were looking for volunteers the entire group, except for Farrell decided to throw Dan under the bus. Farrell knowing how much Dan did not really want to be there tried to save him but before she knew it he was up on stage in front of everyone. After about 10 minutes Dan came back on the stage from being away and no longer had shirt on. He was also covered with 7 lipstick kisses on his chest. Everyone was getting a kick out of it much to Dan's dismay. All and all the night was fun and he did get a free rum and coke out of it which he chugged as fast as he could. The next day the group spent the entire day in the Sun. The weather in the south is just amazing and the water is incredible. Dan and Farrell got a great chance to relax and read which was nice.
The next morning we checked out and headed north again to another island called Koh Tao. Here we stayed for 3 nights and our tour guide started to catch on to the needs of Dan and Farrell and already had our room upgraded by the time we got there. This resort was called Seashells resort and it was again right on the water with a great beach. Our first night we went to the best restaurant possible. It was up high on a mountain and gave us a chance to look over the entire island as the sun set. Transportation on this island is pretty much through pick up trucks so to get to the top of this mountain all 16 were piled into the bed of a truck and practically falling out as we climbed up the mountain. The view was great, the food was good, and the Margarita bowl that Dan and Farrell shared was also very nice. The next day was another great beach day with sun all around. The third day the group went on a snorkling trip around the island. We even got to see some baby sharks which was really cool. We went to 6 different stops and got a chance to jump off the boat each time. That night would be the groups last night so we all went out to the bars and decided to celebrate our trip together. The group was really great and we all got along really well.
The next morning 6 people from the group including Farrell and Dan headed back to the train station for bangkok. The rest of the group stayed on Koh Tao since a famous party called the Full Moon part was going to be happening on the island of Koh phagon in just a few days.
Now Dan and Farrell and arrived safely to Bangkok again!!!! We fly out tonight for Greece and are wicked excited to get on our cruise ship.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Northern Villages Days 1-3
Hey Everyone,
After we went to the trek shop and picked up all our hiking gear the group headed to the night market for a group dinner and a chance to look around the market. The dinner was great, some good Thai food and the entertainment of song and dance was interesting to say the least. The group was really getting along though which was great.
After dinner Farrell and Dan got a chance to look through the night market. The market was filled with all kinds of shops and sellers and there was a lot of really great stuff. The two found a lot of great things that they wanted but decided to wait till they got back to Chaing Mai to buy the stuff from the market.
The next morning we stored out stuff and checked out of our room at Serenity hotel. We got in a truck to take us to the jungle. We stopped a few times to pick up water and supplies. We even had to stop at the tourist police and give them copies of our passports so they knew who was in the jungle.
One of our stops was for the restroom but we also got a chance to go swimming under a huge waterfall. the sight was spectacular and the pictures came out great. The water was so hard it even stretched out Dan's shirt when he was under it. We got back on the road and headed to our lunch spot. Farrell did not like the food very much that they had prepared and if she does not eat rice for the rest of her life she will be happy.
Finally we arrived at the starting spot for the trek. We got our backpacks on and headed into the jungle. In addition to our tour guide Dong we also had two local guides for the trek Mr. Boom and Mr. Sang. Mr. Sang lead the pack and was an absolute great guide. he was so experienced with the jungle and taught us some great tricks and told awesome stories. Not to mention the fact that his laugh was amazing and he was such a character. Everyone in the group loved him so much. We trekked through the jungle for about 3.5 hours and then arrived at our first village. Everyone slept in bamboo huts with mosquito nets. they were really cool but hard to sleep in. When we arrived to the village we showered, tried the local rice wine, had dinner and then got a tour of the village and how they live. Farrell even got a chance to work on her rice meal preparation. She would push down some wood that smashed into the pot of rice meal. She had a future with the village. On our tour we even saw tons of pigs, chickens and even a monkey. The monkey had a rope tied around its neck to keep it tamed but would jump off the ledge and practically hang itself. It was a rough site and Farrell was not happy about it. She almost snuck out in the middle of the night to let it loose but knew she would get lost in the village. After the tour we chilled around a camp fire, heard stories about the jungle and then called it a night.
Next morning we had a 4 hr hike. We had to go up both baby and mama hill. And you know mama hill wasn't easy. Mama hill was 25mins straight up with our packs on our back. It really worked the ass muscles and we are still a little sore from it. we were proud to make it to the top and the view was so worth it.
We were able to stop a couple of times to rest along this trek. During the rests the boys were able to compete in shooting contests with their sling shots. Dan even purchased one from a local villager but did not have as good a shot as Mr. Dong or Mr. Sang. On our last stop before Elephant camp Mr. Sang and Mr. Boom made the group chop sticks out of bamboo with their machetes for lunch and dinner. It was really cool.
After the 4 hours of trekking we made it to elephant camp which was so awesome. Just being able to watch the elephants hang around was great, never mind our 1hr ride that we got on them. So we had lunch, bought water and got on our elephants. Farrell and Dan by far had the best elephant. He was the pappa of the village. He lead the way and knew all the great posses for the camera. He did tend to stray off course a few times but only because he was hungry and needed to rip some branches off to eat along the way.
The elephant ride was spectacular and the pictures we bought were incredible. Even though we thought we were going to fall out of our chair the ride was great. Our driver even caught a huge tarantula the way, which is a delicacy to eat for the villagers. The elephants took the group to their next village. We dropped our stuff off and headed to the local river to bathe ourselves. the current was strong but we managed to wash a little. Then a few of the group members including Dan headed to the school at the village to play futbol (aka soccer). Dan had a memorable time playing and a really surreal experience when it started to pore like crazy (since it is the rainy season) and he was soaked running around playing soccer with thai villagers who didn't know a word of english but could speak sports.
The group had dinner that night with their new chop sticks and drank a lot, especially the german couple. After dinner and more drinking the group played a game called ping, pong, pang. if you mess up a player wipes a finger on the cast iron pot and wipes black ash on your face. With a few drinks everyone was covered in black and having a great time. The pictures are hilarious. Then Dan, the german Stephen, and Mr. Sand had to perform the elephant song for the group in Thai with hand signals, really emphasizing the giftedness of a male elephant, if you get what we are saying. The group then hit the nets, mosquito that is, as we all slept in one room together. At this bought it was the mosquitoes who got their chance at dinner on our flesh. Farrell's let is oozing a bit form her bites and it is pretty gross. Tiger balm in Thailand fixes everything though.
The next morning we headed to the river to get on our bamboo raft for our 4hr ride. It was so cool because the day before we got to see the locals build the raft right in front of us from their bamboo. The rafting trip was awesome and we saw 6 water snakes on the trees as we went by which is a sign of good luck in Thai culture. there were even some good rapids along the way. We stopped to have lunch and then sadly had to head back to Serenity hotel in Chaing Mai. The villages were so cool that it was hard to leave, well maybe not the squat toilets.
The next morning we got breakfast with Iona and Casey two California girls who were in our group and got along with us really well. We had our Starbucks, the only one in Chaing Mai, got massages and subway for lunch/dinner. It was an american day in thailand. Then we boarded an overnight train in Chaing mai to Bangkok where we are now. On the train Farrell and Dan got a chance to teach the group the game of Mafia and we played it for hours on the train. It was a good time and fun to see British people try to lie.
We are in Bangkok for two days and then we head out again with a new group to the south of thailand where we will see the rain forest, relax on the beach and interact with the locals in the south. We will be sure to post about that as well. Then we head to Greece!!!
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
After we went to the trek shop and picked up all our hiking gear the group headed to the night market for a group dinner and a chance to look around the market. The dinner was great, some good Thai food and the entertainment of song and dance was interesting to say the least. The group was really getting along though which was great.
After dinner Farrell and Dan got a chance to look through the night market. The market was filled with all kinds of shops and sellers and there was a lot of really great stuff. The two found a lot of great things that they wanted but decided to wait till they got back to Chaing Mai to buy the stuff from the market.
The next morning we stored out stuff and checked out of our room at Serenity hotel. We got in a truck to take us to the jungle. We stopped a few times to pick up water and supplies. We even had to stop at the tourist police and give them copies of our passports so they knew who was in the jungle.
One of our stops was for the restroom but we also got a chance to go swimming under a huge waterfall. the sight was spectacular and the pictures came out great. The water was so hard it even stretched out Dan's shirt when he was under it. We got back on the road and headed to our lunch spot. Farrell did not like the food very much that they had prepared and if she does not eat rice for the rest of her life she will be happy.
Finally we arrived at the starting spot for the trek. We got our backpacks on and headed into the jungle. In addition to our tour guide Dong we also had two local guides for the trek Mr. Boom and Mr. Sang. Mr. Sang lead the pack and was an absolute great guide. he was so experienced with the jungle and taught us some great tricks and told awesome stories. Not to mention the fact that his laugh was amazing and he was such a character. Everyone in the group loved him so much. We trekked through the jungle for about 3.5 hours and then arrived at our first village. Everyone slept in bamboo huts with mosquito nets. they were really cool but hard to sleep in. When we arrived to the village we showered, tried the local rice wine, had dinner and then got a tour of the village and how they live. Farrell even got a chance to work on her rice meal preparation. She would push down some wood that smashed into the pot of rice meal. She had a future with the village. On our tour we even saw tons of pigs, chickens and even a monkey. The monkey had a rope tied around its neck to keep it tamed but would jump off the ledge and practically hang itself. It was a rough site and Farrell was not happy about it. She almost snuck out in the middle of the night to let it loose but knew she would get lost in the village. After the tour we chilled around a camp fire, heard stories about the jungle and then called it a night.
Next morning we had a 4 hr hike. We had to go up both baby and mama hill. And you know mama hill wasn't easy. Mama hill was 25mins straight up with our packs on our back. It really worked the ass muscles and we are still a little sore from it. we were proud to make it to the top and the view was so worth it.
We were able to stop a couple of times to rest along this trek. During the rests the boys were able to compete in shooting contests with their sling shots. Dan even purchased one from a local villager but did not have as good a shot as Mr. Dong or Mr. Sang. On our last stop before Elephant camp Mr. Sang and Mr. Boom made the group chop sticks out of bamboo with their machetes for lunch and dinner. It was really cool.
After the 4 hours of trekking we made it to elephant camp which was so awesome. Just being able to watch the elephants hang around was great, never mind our 1hr ride that we got on them. So we had lunch, bought water and got on our elephants. Farrell and Dan by far had the best elephant. He was the pappa of the village. He lead the way and knew all the great posses for the camera. He did tend to stray off course a few times but only because he was hungry and needed to rip some branches off to eat along the way.
The elephant ride was spectacular and the pictures we bought were incredible. Even though we thought we were going to fall out of our chair the ride was great. Our driver even caught a huge tarantula the way, which is a delicacy to eat for the villagers. The elephants took the group to their next village. We dropped our stuff off and headed to the local river to bathe ourselves. the current was strong but we managed to wash a little. Then a few of the group members including Dan headed to the school at the village to play futbol (aka soccer). Dan had a memorable time playing and a really surreal experience when it started to pore like crazy (since it is the rainy season) and he was soaked running around playing soccer with thai villagers who didn't know a word of english but could speak sports.
The group had dinner that night with their new chop sticks and drank a lot, especially the german couple. After dinner and more drinking the group played a game called ping, pong, pang. if you mess up a player wipes a finger on the cast iron pot and wipes black ash on your face. With a few drinks everyone was covered in black and having a great time. The pictures are hilarious. Then Dan, the german Stephen, and Mr. Sand had to perform the elephant song for the group in Thai with hand signals, really emphasizing the giftedness of a male elephant, if you get what we are saying. The group then hit the nets, mosquito that is, as we all slept in one room together. At this bought it was the mosquitoes who got their chance at dinner on our flesh. Farrell's let is oozing a bit form her bites and it is pretty gross. Tiger balm in Thailand fixes everything though.
The next morning we headed to the river to get on our bamboo raft for our 4hr ride. It was so cool because the day before we got to see the locals build the raft right in front of us from their bamboo. The rafting trip was awesome and we saw 6 water snakes on the trees as we went by which is a sign of good luck in Thai culture. there were even some good rapids along the way. We stopped to have lunch and then sadly had to head back to Serenity hotel in Chaing Mai. The villages were so cool that it was hard to leave, well maybe not the squat toilets.
The next morning we got breakfast with Iona and Casey two California girls who were in our group and got along with us really well. We had our Starbucks, the only one in Chaing Mai, got massages and subway for lunch/dinner. It was an american day in thailand. Then we boarded an overnight train in Chaing mai to Bangkok where we are now. On the train Farrell and Dan got a chance to teach the group the game of Mafia and we played it for hours on the train. It was a good time and fun to see British people try to lie.
We are in Bangkok for two days and then we head out again with a new group to the south of thailand where we will see the rain forest, relax on the beach and interact with the locals in the south. We will be sure to post about that as well. Then we head to Greece!!!
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Friday, July 4, 2008
Bangkok Days 2-4 Chaing Mai Day 1
Hey Everyone!!!
Over our last few days in Bangkok we explored the city a little more. Despite the heat we managed to see some really cool site including The Grand palace and The Lying Budda Temple. We attempted to see the Grand Palace three times and as usual the third times a charm! The first time we went, it was closing, the second time we went we couldn't get in because we weren't Thai and had to wait over an hour until we could but it started to down pour so we went somewhere else. Finally we got to see Budda on our third attempt. The Grand Palace is like a little city filled with huts that all house Budda. All the Temples are really elaborately decorated with shinny mirrors and gems. The lying Budda, was this GIANT BUDDA lying on his side, in a smaller Temple. Both were really cool sites.
We went out to dinner on our last night in Bangkok to a little place not far from our hotel, it was the first time we ventured out at night, aside from the two rats we saw on our walk home it was not all that bad. The food was good, and Farrell really enjoyed her Banana Fritters with ice cream. Dan enjoyed a brownie sundae
We met our Group on the night of Day 3 in Bangkok, we have a few from England a few Americans and 2 old Germans who always seem angry. Our guide is a little crazy but good, his name is Dong and he likes Whiskey.
On Day 4 we boarded a train to head to Chaing Mai. The train station was a little insane. People just chill on the floor in a big open room waiting for trains. We saw a Dunkin Donuts and a girl wearing a BU shirt, which was a highlight for both of us. The train was 12 hours overnight and not that comfortable.
We arrived in Chaing Mai this morning around 7:30 am and took a bus to our hotel. After a nice shower and some down time to hang out in the AC we headed out for an orientation walk around Chaing Mai. We saw some of the local market and some of the older temples. We chatted with a monk at "Monk Chat" who gave our group some insight in becoming "green on the inside" the rest of the stuff he said went over our heads. We decided to cab it back to the hotel and this was a fun experience. The Taxis are not metered nor are they cars. Instead you jump into the back of a truck with benches in the bed of the truck. Needless to say it was an experience.
Tonight we get our trekking gear for our 3 day hike through a village and then we head out to the night market with our tour guide.
We will check back in after the Trek
LOTS OF LOVE
Farrell and Dan
Over our last few days in Bangkok we explored the city a little more. Despite the heat we managed to see some really cool site including The Grand palace and The Lying Budda Temple. We attempted to see the Grand Palace three times and as usual the third times a charm! The first time we went, it was closing, the second time we went we couldn't get in because we weren't Thai and had to wait over an hour until we could but it started to down pour so we went somewhere else. Finally we got to see Budda on our third attempt. The Grand Palace is like a little city filled with huts that all house Budda. All the Temples are really elaborately decorated with shinny mirrors and gems. The lying Budda, was this GIANT BUDDA lying on his side, in a smaller Temple. Both were really cool sites.
We went out to dinner on our last night in Bangkok to a little place not far from our hotel, it was the first time we ventured out at night, aside from the two rats we saw on our walk home it was not all that bad. The food was good, and Farrell really enjoyed her Banana Fritters with ice cream. Dan enjoyed a brownie sundae
We met our Group on the night of Day 3 in Bangkok, we have a few from England a few Americans and 2 old Germans who always seem angry. Our guide is a little crazy but good, his name is Dong and he likes Whiskey.
On Day 4 we boarded a train to head to Chaing Mai. The train station was a little insane. People just chill on the floor in a big open room waiting for trains. We saw a Dunkin Donuts and a girl wearing a BU shirt, which was a highlight for both of us. The train was 12 hours overnight and not that comfortable.
We arrived in Chaing Mai this morning around 7:30 am and took a bus to our hotel. After a nice shower and some down time to hang out in the AC we headed out for an orientation walk around Chaing Mai. We saw some of the local market and some of the older temples. We chatted with a monk at "Monk Chat" who gave our group some insight in becoming "green on the inside" the rest of the stuff he said went over our heads. We decided to cab it back to the hotel and this was a fun experience. The Taxis are not metered nor are they cars. Instead you jump into the back of a truck with benches in the bed of the truck. Needless to say it was an experience.
Tonight we get our trekking gear for our 3 day hike through a village and then we head out to the night market with our tour guide.
We will check back in after the Trek
LOTS OF LOVE
Farrell and Dan
Monday, June 30, 2008
Bangkok - Thailand Day 1
Hey Everyone,
So we wanted to write about our first full day in Bangkok. We are staying in the New World Lodge Hotel which is in the Old City district of Bangkok. After getting up and having breakfast we hit the streets for some shopping and exploring. We got a metered taxi to take us to World Central Plaza. We walked around this huge mall checking out all the shops. We took our time in Jim Thompson a popular store in Bangkok. Jim Thompson was an American who got the Thai silk industry back up and running during WWII. We really liked the store.
After finding our way around the world central plaza Farrell sniffed out the high end stores in the Grayson mall. Here we shopped around Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, and much to Farrell's dismay even after the 30 to 1 exchange rate things were still more expensive here then at home. So we didn't buy anything :(! We have a hard time understanding how people are able to afford the prices here, considering when you look around Bangkok and see how poor it is. After walking around Grayson we made our way to another mall called Siam plaza. Here we got some lunch, which was really good. The food at our hotel and around the city so far has been really good and we have been finding ourselves really enjoying our meals. We are also doing a good job of keeping Farrell away from all the peanuts which is a popular thing to cook with here. Dan got a little sick of shopping around and watching Farrell try on cute shoe after cute shoe so he busted out the map and tried to find a tourist spot to go to and take some photos. Dan decided to go to Victory Monument.
Farrell and Dan hopped into a cab and headed towards the monument. After about 5 mins in the cab Dan mentioned to Farrell that the meter was not working (or so he tried to tell us). So Dan brought it up to the driver who tried to say it as going to be 200baht to get there. This was double the cost is should have been for such a short drive so we started to go back and forth on the price. We said we would only give him 100baht and then finally when we got there and realized it should have only been about a 50baht taxi ride. After trying to give him just the 50baht he got a little upset and Farrell got scared so we gave him the 100baht and were a little pissed about it. Then we realized after cooling down it was only 3US dollars so we shrugged it off and said we would get out of any cab that did not turn on the meter (this would come up again).
The monument was a bust, we guess the Thais have nothing to be victorious about. After trying to figure out where we were, we realized we were no longer in much of a tourist area because we could not find any signs in English at all. So then we decided to head back the way we came to get to a more touristy area. Farrell was getting really freaked out but a massage place caught her eye and we decided to stop. Farrell got her feet rubbed and Dan got a Thai massage and is feeling a little sore today because of it, they really twist and push you around. Farrell was grossed out when getting her massage because two roaches crawled up the chair during the session and the women could not figure out why she could not relax. It only cost us 300baht total so we could not complain.
We continued down the street and made our way back to the malls where we started. it was rush hour at the time which gave us a lot of problems when trying to get a taxi. We wanted to go back to the hotel but every time we went to a taxi they would not turn on their meter. They just wanted us to name a price but what happens when you do that is when you arrive at your place they want more. So we refused to get into any cab unless they were going to turn on the meter. And this is not even the tutt tutt. They are even worse and give you a much harder time.
We waited it out, got some dinner and then headed home. We waited in the taxi line for about 20mins and got a cab driver that would finally turn on his meter. We made it home safe and sound and are learning more about this place every day. We head out today for some more adventures.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
So we wanted to write about our first full day in Bangkok. We are staying in the New World Lodge Hotel which is in the Old City district of Bangkok. After getting up and having breakfast we hit the streets for some shopping and exploring. We got a metered taxi to take us to World Central Plaza. We walked around this huge mall checking out all the shops. We took our time in Jim Thompson a popular store in Bangkok. Jim Thompson was an American who got the Thai silk industry back up and running during WWII. We really liked the store.
After finding our way around the world central plaza Farrell sniffed out the high end stores in the Grayson mall. Here we shopped around Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, and much to Farrell's dismay even after the 30 to 1 exchange rate things were still more expensive here then at home. So we didn't buy anything :(! We have a hard time understanding how people are able to afford the prices here, considering when you look around Bangkok and see how poor it is. After walking around Grayson we made our way to another mall called Siam plaza. Here we got some lunch, which was really good. The food at our hotel and around the city so far has been really good and we have been finding ourselves really enjoying our meals. We are also doing a good job of keeping Farrell away from all the peanuts which is a popular thing to cook with here. Dan got a little sick of shopping around and watching Farrell try on cute shoe after cute shoe so he busted out the map and tried to find a tourist spot to go to and take some photos. Dan decided to go to Victory Monument.
Farrell and Dan hopped into a cab and headed towards the monument. After about 5 mins in the cab Dan mentioned to Farrell that the meter was not working (or so he tried to tell us). So Dan brought it up to the driver who tried to say it as going to be 200baht to get there. This was double the cost is should have been for such a short drive so we started to go back and forth on the price. We said we would only give him 100baht and then finally when we got there and realized it should have only been about a 50baht taxi ride. After trying to give him just the 50baht he got a little upset and Farrell got scared so we gave him the 100baht and were a little pissed about it. Then we realized after cooling down it was only 3US dollars so we shrugged it off and said we would get out of any cab that did not turn on the meter (this would come up again).
The monument was a bust, we guess the Thais have nothing to be victorious about. After trying to figure out where we were, we realized we were no longer in much of a tourist area because we could not find any signs in English at all. So then we decided to head back the way we came to get to a more touristy area. Farrell was getting really freaked out but a massage place caught her eye and we decided to stop. Farrell got her feet rubbed and Dan got a Thai massage and is feeling a little sore today because of it, they really twist and push you around. Farrell was grossed out when getting her massage because two roaches crawled up the chair during the session and the women could not figure out why she could not relax. It only cost us 300baht total so we could not complain.
We continued down the street and made our way back to the malls where we started. it was rush hour at the time which gave us a lot of problems when trying to get a taxi. We wanted to go back to the hotel but every time we went to a taxi they would not turn on their meter. They just wanted us to name a price but what happens when you do that is when you arrive at your place they want more. So we refused to get into any cab unless they were going to turn on the meter. And this is not even the tutt tutt. They are even worse and give you a much harder time.
We waited it out, got some dinner and then headed home. We waited in the taxi line for about 20mins and got a cab driver that would finally turn on his meter. We made it home safe and sound and are learning more about this place every day. We head out today for some more adventures.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Thailand!!!!!
Hey Everyone,
We said goodbye to Singapore and HELLO to Thailand. Today 6/29 we arrived safely to Bangkok. Things that we found interesting so far: no seat belts in the cab, Dan got his head shaved for $3, the city is dirty (so dirty that Farrell decided to stop biting her nails in hopes of saving herself from a disease) and mad people live here!!!! We just walked around for a few hours after arriving and tried to mix with the local vendors. We found an ipod nano for 1800 baht which is like 60 US dollars. We are thinking of starting a business of it, hahha just kidding.
Anyway we just wanted to let everyone know that we arrived safe and are doing well. We are in the city of Bangkok just for a few days and then we head out on our Intrepid trek through the entire country for about 3 wks. We are unsure of our internet access but we hope to talk to you guys as much as possible.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
We said goodbye to Singapore and HELLO to Thailand. Today 6/29 we arrived safely to Bangkok. Things that we found interesting so far: no seat belts in the cab, Dan got his head shaved for $3, the city is dirty (so dirty that Farrell decided to stop biting her nails in hopes of saving herself from a disease) and mad people live here!!!! We just walked around for a few hours after arriving and tried to mix with the local vendors. We found an ipod nano for 1800 baht which is like 60 US dollars. We are thinking of starting a business of it, hahha just kidding.
Anyway we just wanted to let everyone know that we arrived safe and are doing well. We are in the city of Bangkok just for a few days and then we head out on our Intrepid trek through the entire country for about 3 wks. We are unsure of our internet access but we hope to talk to you guys as much as possible.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Friday, June 27, 2008
Singapore Days 2-4!!
Hey Everyone!!
So Singapore has been super amazing!! we have seen a lot and it has all been really cool!! On our first day here we took the hotel shuttle over to Orchard Rd and walked all along the streets! There is lots of shopping to be done in Singapore and surprisingly Farrell has not bought a single thing! (quite impressive) Once we arrived we decided to find some breakfast. We ended up in the basement of one of the many malls in a little market of different shops! Not like Adelaide where that was open, but rather more individual shops all. As we were walking around Farrell noticed an odd candy shop and saw some thing called honey chili squid, and called Dan over to LOOK at this odd item, the lady working the shop was cutting small pieces off for us to try. Dan approached and before asking what it was Dan just put this gross squid in his mouth and proceed to throw up in his mouth while blaming Farrell for making him try it. The funny part is Farrell never forced him to try this he was just so hungry that he would have put anything in his mouth. He was also tricked by the glass candy container thinking it was going to be something tasty! Dan is still complaining about this day and everything reminds him of this smell, Farrell still finds it funny.
Throughout the day we just walked all around the city and every mall is so gigantic and there are 5 malls to every street! Singapore is beautiful but everything is man made. so after a long day of walking around Dan's back was about to break, Farrell could have walked another 5 miles due to her retail training but Dan found a cab and we went back to the hotel for a few hours!! Then we decided to head out for dinner at Clarke Quay this really swanky area on the water with lots of indoor/outdoor restaurants. We finally picked a place and the food was interesting to say the least. Farrell was forced to use chopsticks and this did not go over well...lets just say she didn't eat much of the rice. Dan on the other hand was quite a pro and did get to eat lots of rice. He even offered to spoon feed Farrell. We got into a taxi after dinner and headed back to the hotel where they both got massages!! All in all it was a great day
Day 3
So we woke up early and headed to the clinic (Farrell got sick so she needed to see a doctor) Unlike American emergency rooms we walked in waited 3 minutes saw a doctor for 5 minutes, picked up the prescription at the checkout counter and were back to shopping within 20 minutes!! It was just a sinus infection pretty standard....
We shopping around the World City mall for a bit then decided to walk home. After getting lost in the heat they found their way back to the hotel to cool off before heading to the Singapore Zoo.
We got to the zoo around 2pm and Farrell had her first break down on the trip (4 week mind you) around 2:05pm...after tears and deep breaths, we began our adventure at the zoo. We saw lots of cool animals. First we watched the feeding of the white tigers...such pretty animals!! And then we headed to the hippos and we saw lots of different monkeys. Farrell enjoyed the bamboos with red butts, some had saggy red butts...Dan thought this was gross. Then we watched the elephant show where 4 different elephants entertained the crowd. After finishing the zoo trail we headed to Ben and Jerry's (what Singapore calls America's favorite ice cream) to get some smoothies. Then we headed to the Night Safari next door to the zoo to get some dinner!! We really thought the zoo was amazing and we had a lot of fun.
The Night Safari is the only one in the world where you can take a 45 minute tram ride around the park to see all the nocturnal animals in their natural habitats. We saw a pack of wolves, several different types of pigs, Hyenas, HUGE rhinos, Lions, ant eaters, zebras and many more! It was so cool to see these animals at night. The environment really set a mystic ambiance. It was really dark with only dim lights every so often and none of the animals were in cages, so when walking along the paths you felt as though you were walking in their territory. It was really hard to take photos but the experience was incredible. After walking around we saw a tribal performance which involved lots of fire and a poor Asian spectator brought on stage for humiliation. We did manage to video tape some of this performance, which we cant wait to show you. We finished the night off by watching the "Creatures of the Night" show which gave a spotlight on a few of the animals. We also really enjoyed this show!! We finally headed home after spending 9 hours at the zoo!
Day 4
We had another early start and went to Sentosa Island. Here went to Underwater World, an aquarium and Dolphin lagoon. First we went to the Dolphin lagoon because we had an appointment to swim with the dolphins. These dolphins are special because they are pink. Well they start off gray but turn pink as they get older. We were in a group of five and got to meet with three dolphins. One of them, Pat, painted us a picture which was cool and we got to give him some commands and watch him perform the tricks. Then we got into the water and swam with Young and Han. We got to hang onto their fins and go for a ride. It was a really amazing experience and the dolphins were just breath taking. We got lots of photos and just had an incredible time. After swimming with the dolphins we headed over to the aquarium. Inside the aquarium we took lots of awesome photos of some great fish and huge crabs. there was even a moving floor that took us through a tunnel where the fish and SHARKS swam above and all around us. It was a lot of fun. After the aquarium we headed to get some fish reflexology!!! Fish reflexology is where you sit on the edge of a small pool and allow hundreds of small fish to eat the dead skin off of your feet. There are two types of fish to choose from. One set is small Turkish fish who are less aggressive and then there are the African fish who are bigger and more aggressive. Dan and Farrell decided to put their feet in the pool with the more aggressive African Fish. Trying to put ones feet in this pool at first is really difficult because the fish just attack and start eating. So after a lot of laughing and biting of towels the two managed to get their entire feet in the water. Dan even had to demand that Farrell finally put her feet in so that some of the hundreds of fish would go over to her. the tickling was hard to get your mind over.
It was really cool though and we enjoyed it. After the fish we got our feet rubbed as well as our head, neck and shoulders and then we headed out. It was a really cool experience and the pictures will help to show what we are talking about.
After deciding what to do next the two headed to another part of the island where they could relax on the beach. They had gotten tickets to a show called the songs of the sea but that was not till the evening so they had a little time to kill. the beach was called Siloso beach and the water was just beautiful, despite the oil takers in the background. After swimming the entire time since the weather is just so hot they got changed in the locker room and headed to the show. the show was fun and entertaining despite the screaming kids from the fireworks. We then just got in a cab and headed back for our hotel since we were so tired from the long day.
Our next days activities were to head to Chinatown, Little India, Arab st, the 24-hr shopping mall and a few other last minute stops.
Our time in Singapore is almost over since we head out on Sunday for Thailand. We have had an absolute blast in Singapore and find it to be a great city. We know that Thailand will be a real culture shock but we cant wait for our 3 week trek and our chance to ride the elephants.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
So Singapore has been super amazing!! we have seen a lot and it has all been really cool!! On our first day here we took the hotel shuttle over to Orchard Rd and walked all along the streets! There is lots of shopping to be done in Singapore and surprisingly Farrell has not bought a single thing! (quite impressive) Once we arrived we decided to find some breakfast. We ended up in the basement of one of the many malls in a little market of different shops! Not like Adelaide where that was open, but rather more individual shops all. As we were walking around Farrell noticed an odd candy shop and saw some thing called honey chili squid, and called Dan over to LOOK at this odd item, the lady working the shop was cutting small pieces off for us to try. Dan approached and before asking what it was Dan just put this gross squid in his mouth and proceed to throw up in his mouth while blaming Farrell for making him try it. The funny part is Farrell never forced him to try this he was just so hungry that he would have put anything in his mouth. He was also tricked by the glass candy container thinking it was going to be something tasty! Dan is still complaining about this day and everything reminds him of this smell, Farrell still finds it funny.
Throughout the day we just walked all around the city and every mall is so gigantic and there are 5 malls to every street! Singapore is beautiful but everything is man made. so after a long day of walking around Dan's back was about to break, Farrell could have walked another 5 miles due to her retail training but Dan found a cab and we went back to the hotel for a few hours!! Then we decided to head out for dinner at Clarke Quay this really swanky area on the water with lots of indoor/outdoor restaurants. We finally picked a place and the food was interesting to say the least. Farrell was forced to use chopsticks and this did not go over well...lets just say she didn't eat much of the rice. Dan on the other hand was quite a pro and did get to eat lots of rice. He even offered to spoon feed Farrell. We got into a taxi after dinner and headed back to the hotel where they both got massages!! All in all it was a great day
Day 3
So we woke up early and headed to the clinic (Farrell got sick so she needed to see a doctor) Unlike American emergency rooms we walked in waited 3 minutes saw a doctor for 5 minutes, picked up the prescription at the checkout counter and were back to shopping within 20 minutes!! It was just a sinus infection pretty standard....
We shopping around the World City mall for a bit then decided to walk home. After getting lost in the heat they found their way back to the hotel to cool off before heading to the Singapore Zoo.
We got to the zoo around 2pm and Farrell had her first break down on the trip (4 week mind you) around 2:05pm...after tears and deep breaths, we began our adventure at the zoo. We saw lots of cool animals. First we watched the feeding of the white tigers...such pretty animals!! And then we headed to the hippos and we saw lots of different monkeys. Farrell enjoyed the bamboos with red butts, some had saggy red butts...Dan thought this was gross. Then we watched the elephant show where 4 different elephants entertained the crowd. After finishing the zoo trail we headed to Ben and Jerry's (what Singapore calls America's favorite ice cream) to get some smoothies. Then we headed to the Night Safari next door to the zoo to get some dinner!! We really thought the zoo was amazing and we had a lot of fun.
The Night Safari is the only one in the world where you can take a 45 minute tram ride around the park to see all the nocturnal animals in their natural habitats. We saw a pack of wolves, several different types of pigs, Hyenas, HUGE rhinos, Lions, ant eaters, zebras and many more! It was so cool to see these animals at night. The environment really set a mystic ambiance. It was really dark with only dim lights every so often and none of the animals were in cages, so when walking along the paths you felt as though you were walking in their territory. It was really hard to take photos but the experience was incredible. After walking around we saw a tribal performance which involved lots of fire and a poor Asian spectator brought on stage for humiliation. We did manage to video tape some of this performance, which we cant wait to show you. We finished the night off by watching the "Creatures of the Night" show which gave a spotlight on a few of the animals. We also really enjoyed this show!! We finally headed home after spending 9 hours at the zoo!
Day 4
We had another early start and went to Sentosa Island. Here went to Underwater World, an aquarium and Dolphin lagoon. First we went to the Dolphin lagoon because we had an appointment to swim with the dolphins. These dolphins are special because they are pink. Well they start off gray but turn pink as they get older. We were in a group of five and got to meet with three dolphins. One of them, Pat, painted us a picture which was cool and we got to give him some commands and watch him perform the tricks. Then we got into the water and swam with Young and Han. We got to hang onto their fins and go for a ride. It was a really amazing experience and the dolphins were just breath taking. We got lots of photos and just had an incredible time. After swimming with the dolphins we headed over to the aquarium. Inside the aquarium we took lots of awesome photos of some great fish and huge crabs. there was even a moving floor that took us through a tunnel where the fish and SHARKS swam above and all around us. It was a lot of fun. After the aquarium we headed to get some fish reflexology!!! Fish reflexology is where you sit on the edge of a small pool and allow hundreds of small fish to eat the dead skin off of your feet. There are two types of fish to choose from. One set is small Turkish fish who are less aggressive and then there are the African fish who are bigger and more aggressive. Dan and Farrell decided to put their feet in the pool with the more aggressive African Fish. Trying to put ones feet in this pool at first is really difficult because the fish just attack and start eating. So after a lot of laughing and biting of towels the two managed to get their entire feet in the water. Dan even had to demand that Farrell finally put her feet in so that some of the hundreds of fish would go over to her. the tickling was hard to get your mind over.
It was really cool though and we enjoyed it. After the fish we got our feet rubbed as well as our head, neck and shoulders and then we headed out. It was a really cool experience and the pictures will help to show what we are talking about.
After deciding what to do next the two headed to another part of the island where they could relax on the beach. They had gotten tickets to a show called the songs of the sea but that was not till the evening so they had a little time to kill. the beach was called Siloso beach and the water was just beautiful, despite the oil takers in the background. After swimming the entire time since the weather is just so hot they got changed in the locker room and headed to the show. the show was fun and entertaining despite the screaming kids from the fireworks. We then just got in a cab and headed back for our hotel since we were so tired from the long day.
Our next days activities were to head to Chinatown, Little India, Arab st, the 24-hr shopping mall and a few other last minute stops.
Our time in Singapore is almost over since we head out on Sunday for Thailand. We have had an absolute blast in Singapore and find it to be a great city. We know that Thailand will be a real culture shock but we cant wait for our 3 week trek and our chance to ride the elephants.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
SINGAPORE!!!
Hey Everyone!!!
After a long 5.5 hour flight we arrived in Singapore. We headed over to our hotel where we were treated like Celebs! And watched some tv before going to bed.
This morning we woke up and headed over to Orchard Road (Newbury on steroids) and now we are on our way to the Toy Museum.
We will fill you all in on our next few days here which will include underwater world, and a night safari!!!!!!!
Lots of Love
Farrell and Dan
After a long 5.5 hour flight we arrived in Singapore. We headed over to our hotel where we were treated like Celebs! And watched some tv before going to bed.
This morning we woke up and headed over to Orchard Road (Newbury on steroids) and now we are on our way to the Toy Museum.
We will fill you all in on our next few days here which will include underwater world, and a night safari!!!!!!!
Lots of Love
Farrell and Dan
Monday, June 23, 2008
Perth AU Days 8-10
Hey Everyone,
We are about to head out from Perth tomorrow (6/24) and head to Singapore but before that we wanted to let you know all that we did in Perth Australia.
Perth is on the Western side of Australia and is a really hip and young city. We are staying at the Rendezvous Hotel which is right on the water. Our balcony has a great view and over looks the beach. Perth is a major surfing city so all day there are people out there surfing. When we first arrived from Adelaide we decided to go for a walk along the beach and just check out the area. We walked up and down the beach and checked out the different restaurants and shops. The sun was setting which made for a really nice evening. We decided to go to Jimmy Deans which is a diner by the beach. It is filled with American rock and roll music paraphernalia. The most exciting part however was that they actually had Ketchup!! We have been dealing with this Tomato sauce crap for so long it was amazing to have some real ketchup. The food was actually really good, Farrell got a lemon lime bitter which is a fun drink and tastes really good too but hard to describe. Dan and Farrell both go burgers for dinner and enjoyed themselves.
The next morning the two go up to head to church since it was Sunday. When we arrived we were nervous because we thought we were really under dressed compared to everyone else. As we sucked it up and headed in, we discovered that this Sunday was first holy communion. The church was packed the mass was LONG, kids were crying and the priest barely spoke English since he was from Korea but all in all it was funny. After we walked back to the hotel we looked into heading into the city. The concierge was really nice because he let old man Richard drive the two of us into the city free of charge. So we arrived into the city and Richard says "Oh to the right two blocks is all the shops and straight ahead to blocks is where you will catch the bus back to the hotel". So Dan and Farrell walked around the shops for a few hours which was really nice. Farrell even bought book six of Harry Potter since she finished 7 and is really addicted. We had coffee and really enjoyed the atmosphere and people. When we were ready to leave we stuck to Richards directions which were WRONG! Basically we check every bus stop on Wellington street for about a mile trying to find bus 400. After asking so many people we finally found the right stop. This was the first time on our trip that we were actually lost, not driving throughout all of NZ were we this confused. We caught the bus, headed home and enjoyed yet another dinner at Jimmy Deans.
For our second day we decided to go to Caversham Wildlife park. It was an AWESOME day! We walked around the park seeing, Tasmanian Devils who run laps, Wombats who sit for pictures, Wallabies, Owls, Cockatoos, Koalas, feed Kangaroos and their Joeys (a baby marsupial) and so much more. We even watched a farm show which included sheering a sheep, cracking a whip, milking a cow, making billy tea, and feeding baby lambs. Then there was picture time with Tommy the donkey who won an Australia funniest home video for his food catching abilities. Emino you have some competition here. We got some good pictures with Tommy which we cant wait to show. The park was awesome and a great way to end an awesome trip in Australia.
We head out tomorrow morning for Singapore and will post when we get there so you know we are safe. Australia is incredible but we cant wait to see what South Asia has to offer.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
We are about to head out from Perth tomorrow (6/24) and head to Singapore but before that we wanted to let you know all that we did in Perth Australia.
Perth is on the Western side of Australia and is a really hip and young city. We are staying at the Rendezvous Hotel which is right on the water. Our balcony has a great view and over looks the beach. Perth is a major surfing city so all day there are people out there surfing. When we first arrived from Adelaide we decided to go for a walk along the beach and just check out the area. We walked up and down the beach and checked out the different restaurants and shops. The sun was setting which made for a really nice evening. We decided to go to Jimmy Deans which is a diner by the beach. It is filled with American rock and roll music paraphernalia. The most exciting part however was that they actually had Ketchup!! We have been dealing with this Tomato sauce crap for so long it was amazing to have some real ketchup. The food was actually really good, Farrell got a lemon lime bitter which is a fun drink and tastes really good too but hard to describe. Dan and Farrell both go burgers for dinner and enjoyed themselves.
The next morning the two go up to head to church since it was Sunday. When we arrived we were nervous because we thought we were really under dressed compared to everyone else. As we sucked it up and headed in, we discovered that this Sunday was first holy communion. The church was packed the mass was LONG, kids were crying and the priest barely spoke English since he was from Korea but all in all it was funny. After we walked back to the hotel we looked into heading into the city. The concierge was really nice because he let old man Richard drive the two of us into the city free of charge. So we arrived into the city and Richard says "Oh to the right two blocks is all the shops and straight ahead to blocks is where you will catch the bus back to the hotel". So Dan and Farrell walked around the shops for a few hours which was really nice. Farrell even bought book six of Harry Potter since she finished 7 and is really addicted. We had coffee and really enjoyed the atmosphere and people. When we were ready to leave we stuck to Richards directions which were WRONG! Basically we check every bus stop on Wellington street for about a mile trying to find bus 400. After asking so many people we finally found the right stop. This was the first time on our trip that we were actually lost, not driving throughout all of NZ were we this confused. We caught the bus, headed home and enjoyed yet another dinner at Jimmy Deans.
For our second day we decided to go to Caversham Wildlife park. It was an AWESOME day! We walked around the park seeing, Tasmanian Devils who run laps, Wombats who sit for pictures, Wallabies, Owls, Cockatoos, Koalas, feed Kangaroos and their Joeys (a baby marsupial) and so much more. We even watched a farm show which included sheering a sheep, cracking a whip, milking a cow, making billy tea, and feeding baby lambs. Then there was picture time with Tommy the donkey who won an Australia funniest home video for his food catching abilities. Emino you have some competition here. We got some good pictures with Tommy which we cant wait to show. The park was awesome and a great way to end an awesome trip in Australia.
We head out tomorrow morning for Singapore and will post when we get there so you know we are safe. Australia is incredible but we cant wait to see what South Asia has to offer.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Adelaide- AU Days 5-7
Hey Everyone,
We are still chillin down under and loving every minute of it.
We just wanted to back track just a little to tell you about a few funny things we learned along the way. First in Alice Springs when we got in the truck to start our drive we stopped first at a Camel Farm. At the Camel farm Farrell and Dan decided to jump on the back of a camel and went for a ride. The two signed up for a ride on Blackie and due to Farrell's Arab heritage she was a natural!!! Dan on the other hand was pretty much falling off the back and had no idea what he was doing. Trust us the pictures tell the truth. The other thing we wanted to mention that we had forgotten was that our guide Jerry recently had a child. Now the interesting thing is that in Australia if you have a child there is a baby bonus. Our guide received 4,500 for having his child. If you have triplets you get 16,000, not to bad. The high schoolers got word of the gold and tried to take advantage of the baby bonus but poppin them out when they could. The towns had to put an end to the troubles and would still give them the bonus but gave it to them weekly instead of in a lump sum. Pretty crazy stuff those aussies.
Well now onto Adelaide which is in the Southern part of AU. We were staying at the Oaks Pier Plaza which is in Glenelg just outside the city of Adelaide and right on the water. On our first day we pretty much just got a feel for the area. We walked around a bit, found an Internet cafe and went to the super market because our room at the hotel has a full kitchen so we were down for making ourselves omelettes in the morning (Farrell's fav). Then the next morning we got up had breakfast and headed on the tram into Adelaide to experience their Central Market. We had a great time seeing this area. It was a huge market filled with all different ethnic foods and specialities. Farrell and Dan after walking through all the chaos for a bit decided to get some coffee and baklava and chill at a table. It was really cool site, similar to Haymarket but on steroids. After the coffee the two headed through the arcade and came upon Max Massage. Farrell wanted to get reflexology done. Dan is too ticklish in the feet area for that. So while she got her Reflexology done he headed for a local pub, had a beer and watched AU beat Hungry in soccer. Then the we just headed back after that and relaxed for a bit. then went out to dinner at Gringo's a Mexican restaurant and they even split a liter of Margarita - what a party!!!
The next day the two headed to daily mass at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral which was really spectacular and a great old church. Then the two headed out on their Coffee and Chocolate tour. The tour entailed a group of 10 people and a guide walking around to 6 different chocolate and coffee shops. The group dwindled to 8 as two really really grumpy cadbury workers (as in the chocolate) wanted a refund but couldn't get it so came for a bit but then dropped out. We were much better off without them. The stops were great and the two had a lot of chocolate and coffee which was amazing. Dan even got the chance to have a chili thats right a chili hot chocolate at cocolate one of our stops. Dan and Farrell both liked it a lot and came with a nice kick at the end. All and all it was a great tour and a great way to see the city. We even ended at the Hilton Hotel with fruit fondue and wine. As people slowly left the lounge the only 4 people left were Dan and Farrell along with this New Zealand couple. Even though they were our parents age, they wanted to talk to us and finish another bottle of wine. We had some good conversations and then headed out on our way. What Dan and Farrell have learned when talking to people from other countries is that all and all everyone hates Bush, literally.
That most exciting point on this trip for Farrell has been when we got home that night and was flipping through the channels only to find FRIENDS on next!! Even though they had cut some stuff out Farrell still knew the exact lines and was like a little kid in a candy shop with her American shows.
Then the next morning we had to leave Adelaide which was really sad because we both really enjoyed it.
Now we have arrived in Perth and are staying at the Rendezvous hotel which is right on the water as well. Perth is on the west coast of Australia. We will be here for 4 days and then head out for Singapore where we will be for 5 days. Talk to you later.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
We are still chillin down under and loving every minute of it.
We just wanted to back track just a little to tell you about a few funny things we learned along the way. First in Alice Springs when we got in the truck to start our drive we stopped first at a Camel Farm. At the Camel farm Farrell and Dan decided to jump on the back of a camel and went for a ride. The two signed up for a ride on Blackie and due to Farrell's Arab heritage she was a natural!!! Dan on the other hand was pretty much falling off the back and had no idea what he was doing. Trust us the pictures tell the truth. The other thing we wanted to mention that we had forgotten was that our guide Jerry recently had a child. Now the interesting thing is that in Australia if you have a child there is a baby bonus. Our guide received 4,500 for having his child. If you have triplets you get 16,000, not to bad. The high schoolers got word of the gold and tried to take advantage of the baby bonus but poppin them out when they could. The towns had to put an end to the troubles and would still give them the bonus but gave it to them weekly instead of in a lump sum. Pretty crazy stuff those aussies.
Well now onto Adelaide which is in the Southern part of AU. We were staying at the Oaks Pier Plaza which is in Glenelg just outside the city of Adelaide and right on the water. On our first day we pretty much just got a feel for the area. We walked around a bit, found an Internet cafe and went to the super market because our room at the hotel has a full kitchen so we were down for making ourselves omelettes in the morning (Farrell's fav). Then the next morning we got up had breakfast and headed on the tram into Adelaide to experience their Central Market. We had a great time seeing this area. It was a huge market filled with all different ethnic foods and specialities. Farrell and Dan after walking through all the chaos for a bit decided to get some coffee and baklava and chill at a table. It was really cool site, similar to Haymarket but on steroids. After the coffee the two headed through the arcade and came upon Max Massage. Farrell wanted to get reflexology done. Dan is too ticklish in the feet area for that. So while she got her Reflexology done he headed for a local pub, had a beer and watched AU beat Hungry in soccer. Then the we just headed back after that and relaxed for a bit. then went out to dinner at Gringo's a Mexican restaurant and they even split a liter of Margarita - what a party!!!
The next day the two headed to daily mass at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral which was really spectacular and a great old church. Then the two headed out on their Coffee and Chocolate tour. The tour entailed a group of 10 people and a guide walking around to 6 different chocolate and coffee shops. The group dwindled to 8 as two really really grumpy cadbury workers (as in the chocolate) wanted a refund but couldn't get it so came for a bit but then dropped out. We were much better off without them. The stops were great and the two had a lot of chocolate and coffee which was amazing. Dan even got the chance to have a chili thats right a chili hot chocolate at cocolate one of our stops. Dan and Farrell both liked it a lot and came with a nice kick at the end. All and all it was a great tour and a great way to see the city. We even ended at the Hilton Hotel with fruit fondue and wine. As people slowly left the lounge the only 4 people left were Dan and Farrell along with this New Zealand couple. Even though they were our parents age, they wanted to talk to us and finish another bottle of wine. We had some good conversations and then headed out on our way. What Dan and Farrell have learned when talking to people from other countries is that all and all everyone hates Bush, literally.
That most exciting point on this trip for Farrell has been when we got home that night and was flipping through the channels only to find FRIENDS on next!! Even though they had cut some stuff out Farrell still knew the exact lines and was like a little kid in a candy shop with her American shows.
Then the next morning we had to leave Adelaide which was really sad because we both really enjoyed it.
Now we have arrived in Perth and are staying at the Rendezvous hotel which is right on the water as well. Perth is on the west coast of Australia. We will be here for 4 days and then head out for Singapore where we will be for 5 days. Talk to you later.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Alice Springs, AU Days 1-4
Hey Everyone,
We just got back from our hiking trip and have already traveled to Adelaide in Australia. But first we want to tell you all about the camping trip.
We left Alice Springs at 6:25am on Sunday 6/15. We got onto a big bus with 4 other people and headed out on a 5hr drive to our first campsite. Our drivers name was Jerry (he talked a lot) and we were going with Judith and Joe (an Aussie couple), Tonie ( a student from England studying abroad) and Lylianna (an Aussie loner!). After our long drive we arrived and settled into our campsite. We had some pretty nice tents with a cot like bed. We unloaded the truck with all kinds of food and worked together to prepare lunch except for Lylianna, which will become a common theme through this blog. We had sandwiches and salad. After lunch we got back in the truck and headed out for about 30mins to the Olgas. 36 huge rocks in the Uluru National Park. it was a great site and a fun hike in. Lylianna ran ahead and got away from the group, but we had a fun time walking through.
Then we headed over to the sunset viewing site and got chairs and wine and watched the sunset on Ayers rock (aka Red Rock). Farrell and Dan didnt realize the hype everyone was talking about. It was definitely beautiful but everyone kept saying we would see this great change of color but it really just seemed like a nomral amazing sunset. We enjoyed our wine and the setting and after just got back on the truck and headed to camp for dinner or what the Aussies call Tea, which is really confusing and does not make sense.
We had steak and sausage around the camp fire which Dan was overly excited to put together. The dinner was good and we even had mulled wine. The English girl told us about this mulled wine that she has during the Christmas holiday so we decided to make it. It involved sticking a metal poker into the fire and then into your wine to get it to fizzle. In the cup was honey, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and an orange peel. We both really liked it and will hope to bring it back home to make together and all try.
We got to bed early since Jerry our leader was going to wake us up at 5am to get to Ayers rock for the sunrise. We were so bundled in our sleeping bags and wool blankets since it is winter here and the desert gets pretty cold at night. We got up, started another fire, had coffee and then got in the truck to head out for the sunrise. Farrell and Dan got a chance to ditch the group and took a 3hr walk together around the base of the rock. It was incredible to see the sunrise despite the cold weather. We got some amazing pictures that we hope to show all of you. We both really enjoyed the walk together and getting a chance to talk on our own instead of Jerry talking our ears off about Aussie facts. We both wanted to hike the actual rock but it was closed when we first got there because it was too windy. After our 3 hour walk the rock did open for climbing and a swarm of Japanese people booked it screaming to the start. they all had their little white gloves on and just attacked the mountain flying up. It was a pretty funny site. We couldn't hike it because we had to go back to camp, pack and head out on a 4hr drive to our next camp site.
We now arrived to King's Creek Canyon camp site. The tents were the same but the campsite was a little better. We cooked our dinner in cast iron pots on the ambers of the fire. Farrell even made an apple cake for the entire group in one of the pots, without a recipe. It was damn good too! It was a really cool way to make dinner and we all had a great time eating it too. After dinner our guide Jerry was obsessed to say the least about this Ranger slide show he wanted to get us too. Farrell and Dan both felt like they were back in lecture as this Ranger just went on and on about plants, animals and landscape of King's Canyon. Farrell continues to say it was an hour of her life that she wont get back, she even tried to read Harry Potter during it with a flashlight but it was pretty obvious so she stopped. Dan didn't mind so much but would have been happier at the fire.
The next morning the group headed out again at 5am this time to hike through King's Canyon. It was really a tremendous day. Only Dan, Farrell and Joe got to hike cause Judith and Lylianna decided to stay at the base because of health issues. The hike was really hard for Dan and Farrell but the view was incredible and the pictures came out great. It was a 3.5 hr hike but well worth it.
The two then just got on a coach bus and headed back to Alice Springs (a 7hr drive) while the rest of the group continued on to the next camp site since they were on the 5 day tour and we were on the 3 day tour.
All and all we had a great time camping. It was a great taste of Central Australia and really loved the experience. We can't wait to show all of you the pictures.
We arrived in Adelaide and are staying at the Oaks Pier Plaza. The place is really posh and Farrell is super excited about doing laundry...the washer and dryer are the same unit, in our room..it is pretty cool. We are definitely excited to explore Adelaide and we will get back to you in a few days with some of the details.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
We just got back from our hiking trip and have already traveled to Adelaide in Australia. But first we want to tell you all about the camping trip.
We left Alice Springs at 6:25am on Sunday 6/15. We got onto a big bus with 4 other people and headed out on a 5hr drive to our first campsite. Our drivers name was Jerry (he talked a lot) and we were going with Judith and Joe (an Aussie couple), Tonie ( a student from England studying abroad) and Lylianna (an Aussie loner!). After our long drive we arrived and settled into our campsite. We had some pretty nice tents with a cot like bed. We unloaded the truck with all kinds of food and worked together to prepare lunch except for Lylianna, which will become a common theme through this blog. We had sandwiches and salad. After lunch we got back in the truck and headed out for about 30mins to the Olgas. 36 huge rocks in the Uluru National Park. it was a great site and a fun hike in. Lylianna ran ahead and got away from the group, but we had a fun time walking through.
Then we headed over to the sunset viewing site and got chairs and wine and watched the sunset on Ayers rock (aka Red Rock). Farrell and Dan didnt realize the hype everyone was talking about. It was definitely beautiful but everyone kept saying we would see this great change of color but it really just seemed like a nomral amazing sunset. We enjoyed our wine and the setting and after just got back on the truck and headed to camp for dinner or what the Aussies call Tea, which is really confusing and does not make sense.
We had steak and sausage around the camp fire which Dan was overly excited to put together. The dinner was good and we even had mulled wine. The English girl told us about this mulled wine that she has during the Christmas holiday so we decided to make it. It involved sticking a metal poker into the fire and then into your wine to get it to fizzle. In the cup was honey, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and an orange peel. We both really liked it and will hope to bring it back home to make together and all try.
We got to bed early since Jerry our leader was going to wake us up at 5am to get to Ayers rock for the sunrise. We were so bundled in our sleeping bags and wool blankets since it is winter here and the desert gets pretty cold at night. We got up, started another fire, had coffee and then got in the truck to head out for the sunrise. Farrell and Dan got a chance to ditch the group and took a 3hr walk together around the base of the rock. It was incredible to see the sunrise despite the cold weather. We got some amazing pictures that we hope to show all of you. We both really enjoyed the walk together and getting a chance to talk on our own instead of Jerry talking our ears off about Aussie facts. We both wanted to hike the actual rock but it was closed when we first got there because it was too windy. After our 3 hour walk the rock did open for climbing and a swarm of Japanese people booked it screaming to the start. they all had their little white gloves on and just attacked the mountain flying up. It was a pretty funny site. We couldn't hike it because we had to go back to camp, pack and head out on a 4hr drive to our next camp site.
We now arrived to King's Creek Canyon camp site. The tents were the same but the campsite was a little better. We cooked our dinner in cast iron pots on the ambers of the fire. Farrell even made an apple cake for the entire group in one of the pots, without a recipe. It was damn good too! It was a really cool way to make dinner and we all had a great time eating it too. After dinner our guide Jerry was obsessed to say the least about this Ranger slide show he wanted to get us too. Farrell and Dan both felt like they were back in lecture as this Ranger just went on and on about plants, animals and landscape of King's Canyon. Farrell continues to say it was an hour of her life that she wont get back, she even tried to read Harry Potter during it with a flashlight but it was pretty obvious so she stopped. Dan didn't mind so much but would have been happier at the fire.
The next morning the group headed out again at 5am this time to hike through King's Canyon. It was really a tremendous day. Only Dan, Farrell and Joe got to hike cause Judith and Lylianna decided to stay at the base because of health issues. The hike was really hard for Dan and Farrell but the view was incredible and the pictures came out great. It was a 3.5 hr hike but well worth it.
The two then just got on a coach bus and headed back to Alice Springs (a 7hr drive) while the rest of the group continued on to the next camp site since they were on the 5 day tour and we were on the 3 day tour.
All and all we had a great time camping. It was a great taste of Central Australia and really loved the experience. We can't wait to show all of you the pictures.
We arrived in Adelaide and are staying at the Oaks Pier Plaza. The place is really posh and Farrell is super excited about doing laundry...the washer and dryer are the same unit, in our room..it is pretty cool. We are definitely excited to explore Adelaide and we will get back to you in a few days with some of the details.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Friday, June 13, 2008
Australia Day 1
Hey Everyone,
We have left New Zealand and have arrived safely to Australia. We are currently staying at the Toddy Backpackers resort in Alice Springs. We head out tomorrow (Sun for us) to go on a 3 day hiking trip by Red Rock!!!
Once we head back we stay one more night here and then get on plane to Adelaide Australia. We will check in with you guys when we get there and tell you all about the hiking trip. For now we just wanted to let you know that we are safe and doing well down under!!!
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
We have left New Zealand and have arrived safely to Australia. We are currently staying at the Toddy Backpackers resort in Alice Springs. We head out tomorrow (Sun for us) to go on a 3 day hiking trip by Red Rock!!!
Once we head back we stay one more night here and then get on plane to Adelaide Australia. We will check in with you guys when we get there and tell you all about the hiking trip. For now we just wanted to let you know that we are safe and doing well down under!!!
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Driving around New Zealand - Days 1-4
Hey guys,
So we need to back up a little and tell you about how Dan lost a lense to his glasses (oh NO!) . When we went whitewater rafting, there was a time when Farrell and Dan were able to get out of the raft and swim down the river. Dan happened to have his glasses on him for the trip and was holding them in his hand when swimming. Ok as they were floating, Farrell saw a BUG crawling up her shorts which caused her to flinch thus knocking Dan's lense out of his glasses and to the bottom of the Fiji river.
Now we are in New Zealand and it is our first morning. We wake up to go get the rental car from Hertz and drive South West to Rotorua. Since we are obviously not from NZ we were hoping that we could get a GPS from Hertz to help us best get around. Also in Fiji we talked to two Australians who said it was a must that we get one because in NZ they don't put up sign very well. So we walk into the Hertz store and start talking to the counter guy. He asks for our licenses and the conversation goes:
Guy: "Oh Boston...Go Red Sox...I from Japan!!! (Head nod) hahaha it was really funny
So the guy because he was Japanese was a red sox van and obviously loved Dice -K. So Dan told the guy that he loved him too and even had a Dice-K jersey. Then Dan asked if this would get us a discount on the car. No luck there.
As we checked out the car it turns out that Hertz's in fact did not have any GPS systems. So this guy goes "I give you map" and proceeds to hand us some hand maps.
Now Dan has no glasses, no GPS, and neither one of us has practice driving on the left side of the road - sounds like a great start to NZ. In addition the Hertz guy goes on to explain how insurance works in New Zealand and it pretty much left Dan and Farrell pretty confused. So even if you have insurance and get hit by someone that does not have insurance then you have to sue that person who does not have insurance in order to get your money. If you can not find them and are unable to sue them then you have to deal with it yourself. So we decided to buy the extended insurance policy and if anyone hit us no matter what we were in the clear.
Dan and Farrell get into there Ford Focus, and pull out of Hertz. As they approach there first right hand turn at the intersection, Dan blows a red light...bad move...which did not sit well with Farrell at all and the screaming match began. Dan couldn't see, we had only maps and Farrell hates the way Dan drives. They yelled back and forth about the light for about 3 mins and got it all out of their system. For the next 4 hours to Rotorua, it was a relatively quiet ride...yaya!
Our first adventure in Rotorua was ZORBING. A ZORB is a huge plastic ball that a human gets inside of and rolls down a big hill, just like hamsters do. Farrell and Dan signed up for the 3 trip package. One trip together and straight down. One trip alone and zig zag and then Dan was able to do a third trip where he was strapped in and went straight down. It turned out that because Farrell was not 5'2" she could not be tied in because her feet would not reach the straps .. :(. All of Farrell's trips had to have water in the ball. The two had a great time and got some awesome pictures. It was a cool rush rolling really fast down this hill inside of a ball with water and just falling all over the place.
After Zorbing Dan and Farrell got back into the car and headed to Hells Gate!!! This was a mud bath and spa place. As two entered the parking lot they pulled into a spot and there was a huge PEACOCK to greet them at their car. This huge peacock was smart. It got real close to the car and every time we tried to take a picture of it, it would duck and we couldnt get it but at the same time we could not get out of our car. For about 5-10 minutes the peacock was circling the car and not allowing us to get out. Finally the bird got out of our way and we were able to head into Hells gate. The two relaxed in a big mud bath followed by a soak in a hot water springs. The two were really enjoying the relaxation and the geothermal water was feeling so great on their skin.
The two left Hells Gate and were finally heading to the hostel for the night. We arrive at the location of the hostel to find a sign on the d0or informing us that the hostel has been closed and to go to a different address. We busted out the maps and made our way to this new hostel. Farrell wished she slept in the car because this place was so gross. We really wanted to shower the smell of the mineral water and mud off of us but were too scared of catching a disease in this shower. Needless to say we check out as early as possible and Farrell canceled the other two hostels that had been booked for the trip.
The two got in their car and headed to Waitomo for their Black water CAVING trip!! The drive was only about two and a half hours from Rotorua to Waitomo and they were able to pass through a small town on the way. The two made their way to the office of the caving trip. When they got there they were talking with the front desk and decided to change their trip from the 3 hour Labyrinth to the 5 hour Abysssss. The two went to their new hotel, dropped off their stuff and went back to the caving place for a bit to eat before their trip. They went to get suited up as "penguins" for the trip. The guide, Terry, explained that these wet suits were extremely important as the water is absolutely freezing. From the start Farrell was starting to complain since most of the wet suits were already wet (she didnt realize this was the only way to get them on). They were all suited up, got some pictures and got in a van to head to the cave entrance.
The first part of the trip is repelling down an hourglass like hole into the cave for about a minute and a half. We had a quick training session and were on our way. After repelling down, the group's next task was to zip line across a huge whole to a platform on the other side. Terry was really crazy and had us zip line in the complete dark since we had to all turn the lights on our helmets off. The cave is full with glow worms which is really cool. After the zip line then the group had to jump off a 20ft cliff, NO JOKE, with a tub on their butt into the freezing water. After we all made the jump, we headed in our tubes down the cave and stopped to hear a story about these glow worms. The story ended up ruining Farrell's childhood about glowworms (Farrell grew up with a toy glowworm which she still sleeps with). Basically these glow thingys are not actually worms, they are maggots. They don't even actually glow, it is only their poop the glows so basically every time Farrell squeezed her glowworm to glow when she was scared it was pooping!!!
It turned out that while we were in the cave someone on another trip had a seizure. So our other guide Parker (not Terry) who was not in a wet suit and was only helping us repel down had to jump in the water and help get this person out of the cave. A medical crew was down there too. As a side note after we finished out trip we ran into Parker again and he was wrapped in one of those blankets that you get when you finish a marathon because his body temperature was incredible low.
So the group had a great time making their way through the cave and chillin with the glowworms. It was incredible tiring but a tremendous experience. As we finished and came out of the cave, the guide terry told the group to go to the van but wanted Dan to stay back for a minute. Terry made it seem to Dan that they were going back in to get some stuff that was left by the medical team. Dan didn't really want to go back in but thought it was for a purpose. So he ended up climbing down some walls and up over some waterfalls. He was finally so exhausted and came out at the exact same spot the group had come out an hour earlier. He asked Terry what the point of that trip was and he said there was no point he just thought i would like it and seemed the most capable. Terry told Dan Farrell couldn't have come because she was too short for the climbing.
Dan and Farrell headed back to their hotel for the night. They got some snacks, and chilled in the room. they wanted to take a shower but had no hot water. Going on a few days now with no showers. They got up early the next morning and headed back to Auckland.
Back in Auckland they went to an eye glass place to get Dan's glasses fixed. they were able to do it on site and the glass they put in has a spot on it that they could not get out so they gave it to him for free and it is not in his field of vision. Basically i can see fine and got it for free.
We head to Australia tomorrow morning and will be hiking for 4 days. We wont be able to check in much but will hopefully post when we get to Adelaide in Australia.
We are sorry this is so long but we had to cover a lot and will explain more when we get back.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
So we need to back up a little and tell you about how Dan lost a lense to his glasses (oh NO!) . When we went whitewater rafting, there was a time when Farrell and Dan were able to get out of the raft and swim down the river. Dan happened to have his glasses on him for the trip and was holding them in his hand when swimming. Ok as they were floating, Farrell saw a BUG crawling up her shorts which caused her to flinch thus knocking Dan's lense out of his glasses and to the bottom of the Fiji river.
Now we are in New Zealand and it is our first morning. We wake up to go get the rental car from Hertz and drive South West to Rotorua. Since we are obviously not from NZ we were hoping that we could get a GPS from Hertz to help us best get around. Also in Fiji we talked to two Australians who said it was a must that we get one because in NZ they don't put up sign very well. So we walk into the Hertz store and start talking to the counter guy. He asks for our licenses and the conversation goes:
Guy: "Oh Boston...Go Red Sox...I from Japan!!! (Head nod) hahaha it was really funny
So the guy because he was Japanese was a red sox van and obviously loved Dice -K. So Dan told the guy that he loved him too and even had a Dice-K jersey. Then Dan asked if this would get us a discount on the car. No luck there.
As we checked out the car it turns out that Hertz's in fact did not have any GPS systems. So this guy goes "I give you map" and proceeds to hand us some hand maps.
Now Dan has no glasses, no GPS, and neither one of us has practice driving on the left side of the road - sounds like a great start to NZ. In addition the Hertz guy goes on to explain how insurance works in New Zealand and it pretty much left Dan and Farrell pretty confused. So even if you have insurance and get hit by someone that does not have insurance then you have to sue that person who does not have insurance in order to get your money. If you can not find them and are unable to sue them then you have to deal with it yourself. So we decided to buy the extended insurance policy and if anyone hit us no matter what we were in the clear.
Dan and Farrell get into there Ford Focus, and pull out of Hertz. As they approach there first right hand turn at the intersection, Dan blows a red light...bad move...which did not sit well with Farrell at all and the screaming match began. Dan couldn't see, we had only maps and Farrell hates the way Dan drives. They yelled back and forth about the light for about 3 mins and got it all out of their system. For the next 4 hours to Rotorua, it was a relatively quiet ride...yaya!
Our first adventure in Rotorua was ZORBING. A ZORB is a huge plastic ball that a human gets inside of and rolls down a big hill, just like hamsters do. Farrell and Dan signed up for the 3 trip package. One trip together and straight down. One trip alone and zig zag and then Dan was able to do a third trip where he was strapped in and went straight down. It turned out that because Farrell was not 5'2" she could not be tied in because her feet would not reach the straps .. :(. All of Farrell's trips had to have water in the ball. The two had a great time and got some awesome pictures. It was a cool rush rolling really fast down this hill inside of a ball with water and just falling all over the place.
After Zorbing Dan and Farrell got back into the car and headed to Hells Gate!!! This was a mud bath and spa place. As two entered the parking lot they pulled into a spot and there was a huge PEACOCK to greet them at their car. This huge peacock was smart. It got real close to the car and every time we tried to take a picture of it, it would duck and we couldnt get it but at the same time we could not get out of our car. For about 5-10 minutes the peacock was circling the car and not allowing us to get out. Finally the bird got out of our way and we were able to head into Hells gate. The two relaxed in a big mud bath followed by a soak in a hot water springs. The two were really enjoying the relaxation and the geothermal water was feeling so great on their skin.
The two left Hells Gate and were finally heading to the hostel for the night. We arrive at the location of the hostel to find a sign on the d0or informing us that the hostel has been closed and to go to a different address. We busted out the maps and made our way to this new hostel. Farrell wished she slept in the car because this place was so gross. We really wanted to shower the smell of the mineral water and mud off of us but were too scared of catching a disease in this shower. Needless to say we check out as early as possible and Farrell canceled the other two hostels that had been booked for the trip.
The two got in their car and headed to Waitomo for their Black water CAVING trip!! The drive was only about two and a half hours from Rotorua to Waitomo and they were able to pass through a small town on the way. The two made their way to the office of the caving trip. When they got there they were talking with the front desk and decided to change their trip from the 3 hour Labyrinth to the 5 hour Abysssss. The two went to their new hotel, dropped off their stuff and went back to the caving place for a bit to eat before their trip. They went to get suited up as "penguins" for the trip. The guide, Terry, explained that these wet suits were extremely important as the water is absolutely freezing. From the start Farrell was starting to complain since most of the wet suits were already wet (she didnt realize this was the only way to get them on). They were all suited up, got some pictures and got in a van to head to the cave entrance.
The first part of the trip is repelling down an hourglass like hole into the cave for about a minute and a half. We had a quick training session and were on our way. After repelling down, the group's next task was to zip line across a huge whole to a platform on the other side. Terry was really crazy and had us zip line in the complete dark since we had to all turn the lights on our helmets off. The cave is full with glow worms which is really cool. After the zip line then the group had to jump off a 20ft cliff, NO JOKE, with a tub on their butt into the freezing water. After we all made the jump, we headed in our tubes down the cave and stopped to hear a story about these glow worms. The story ended up ruining Farrell's childhood about glowworms (Farrell grew up with a toy glowworm which she still sleeps with). Basically these glow thingys are not actually worms, they are maggots. They don't even actually glow, it is only their poop the glows so basically every time Farrell squeezed her glowworm to glow when she was scared it was pooping!!!
It turned out that while we were in the cave someone on another trip had a seizure. So our other guide Parker (not Terry) who was not in a wet suit and was only helping us repel down had to jump in the water and help get this person out of the cave. A medical crew was down there too. As a side note after we finished out trip we ran into Parker again and he was wrapped in one of those blankets that you get when you finish a marathon because his body temperature was incredible low.
So the group had a great time making their way through the cave and chillin with the glowworms. It was incredible tiring but a tremendous experience. As we finished and came out of the cave, the guide terry told the group to go to the van but wanted Dan to stay back for a minute. Terry made it seem to Dan that they were going back in to get some stuff that was left by the medical team. Dan didn't really want to go back in but thought it was for a purpose. So he ended up climbing down some walls and up over some waterfalls. He was finally so exhausted and came out at the exact same spot the group had come out an hour earlier. He asked Terry what the point of that trip was and he said there was no point he just thought i would like it and seemed the most capable. Terry told Dan Farrell couldn't have come because she was too short for the climbing.
Dan and Farrell headed back to their hotel for the night. They got some snacks, and chilled in the room. they wanted to take a shower but had no hot water. Going on a few days now with no showers. They got up early the next morning and headed back to Auckland.
Back in Auckland they went to an eye glass place to get Dan's glasses fixed. they were able to do it on site and the glass they put in has a spot on it that they could not get out so they gave it to him for free and it is not in his field of vision. Basically i can see fine and got it for free.
We head to Australia tomorrow morning and will be hiking for 4 days. We wont be able to check in much but will hopefully post when we get to Adelaide in Australia.
We are sorry this is so long but we had to cover a lot and will explain more when we get back.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Monday, June 9, 2008
New Zealand
Hey Everyone,
Just wanted to let you all know that we have arrived safe and sound in New Zealand. We had a 2oclock flight out of Fiji and arrived in New Zealand at 5pm. It was sad to say goodbye to Fiji but we are really pumped for New Zealand. it is nice to get out of Fiji time (which just means it is ok to be slow and late) and into a city with a nice hotel.
We had to Rotorua tomorrow and then over to Waitomo for two nights as well. we most likely will not have compture access at these places but we come back to Auckland on our last day in New Zealand. Then we will post about our caving, Zorb, and mud baths!!!!
We are safe and well.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Just wanted to let you all know that we have arrived safe and sound in New Zealand. We had a 2oclock flight out of Fiji and arrived in New Zealand at 5pm. It was sad to say goodbye to Fiji but we are really pumped for New Zealand. it is nice to get out of Fiji time (which just means it is ok to be slow and late) and into a city with a nice hotel.
We had to Rotorua tomorrow and then over to Waitomo for two nights as well. we most likely will not have compture access at these places but we come back to Auckland on our last day in New Zealand. Then we will post about our caving, Zorb, and mud baths!!!!
We are safe and well.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Day 4 and 5 Fiji
Hey Everyone,
We have a few other comments we wanted to write but forgot last time. One of the funniest parts of the whitewater rafting trip was actually on the bus ride down the mountain. So as we got onto the van to go home Farrell was doing a little dance in her seat. Dan was asking her what was going on and she said that her butt was really itchy. We knew before from whitewater rafting that if you are on a raft for too long you can develop a rash and it really itches. It is referred to as raft ass. So anyway Farrell is like going crazy in her seat and cant really take it anymore. Dan is just laughing so incredible hard because it was just so hilarious to him. Farrell asked how to get rid of it and he said that there was probably some cream for her raft ass. Well that made her decide to put some suntan lotion on the rash and whether it was mind over matter or it really worked the itching started to go away. Farrell was relieved but Dan could not stop laughing for most of the ride. Ya just had to be there.
Another funny thing... We are on the van ride home with the Indian family, and we get to talking to some of the people in the van. We discover that the couple sitting behind us is from Australia, even better from Adelaide (one of our stops in Australia) so we were asking them of things to do and the woman asked us if we liked Wines and Dan (who has been struggling to understand anyone who has an accent) replies "Ya we love Wands". Farrell corrected him and said to the lady yes we like wines and then Dan said, Oh i thought she was talking about Harry Potter...maybe you had to be there but it was really funny.
Day 4
Today Farrell woke up with some of the biggest bug bites possible, and Dan has none, but Farrell is complaining enough for the both of them so it all works out in the long run. But seriously, these bites are the size of quarters and they have begun to puss and ooze...its really sexy.
For this day we just decided to spend it at the hotel. This time we got up a little early so we could get some of the good chairs and get out by the sun. The weather for the day was incrediable, there was not a cloud in the sky. The temperatures here get pretty hot we think it was like in the high 80's. We had a nice day relaxing, reading, and taking in the sun. We booked another trip to the South Sea island too so that we could spend our last day there becuase we really liked it. This day was pretty basic, we even were so exhausted from the sun that when we lied down in the bed before dinner we ended up sleeping for the rest of the night.
Day 5
Farrell's bug bites this morning have increased in size and number. They are not looking good but we thought if we got them into the water they might dry up a bit. We are also a little sore from the whitewater rafting. We woke up to catch the 7:15am bus over to the port to get on the ferry over to the South Sea Island. We have visited this island on Thursday and had a really great time. This time was even better because the weather was just amazing. We got ferried into the island, got some great chairs and had an awesome day. Because we did not get a chance to go snorkling as much as we would have liked last time we decided to do that first. We got our gear and took to the water. We saw some really great fish and here in Fiji they have blue star fish. Farrell really wanted to take them out of the water but we were told specifically not to do that. We had some fun with the snorkling and ended up spending a lot of the day in the water becuase it was so hot. There were no clouds and the water was perfect. The sun was setting as we took the ferry back to the port and it was a great ending to a awesome stay in Fiji.
Just real quick, we got back to our place and have been struggling to get any hot water in our shower the past few days. Farrell took the first shower and everything seemed fine. Dan hopped in to take his shower and got a little frustrated with the lack of pressure and temperature....he happened to break off the handle...oops. Now the shower will not stop dripping.
We head out to New Zealand tomorrow as we have a 2 oclock flight and will arrive at 5pm. We are not sure if our hotel will have a computer or not so if it does not then you might not hear from us for a bit but we will be doing well and safe in New Zealand. Check in for new posts.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
We have a few other comments we wanted to write but forgot last time. One of the funniest parts of the whitewater rafting trip was actually on the bus ride down the mountain. So as we got onto the van to go home Farrell was doing a little dance in her seat. Dan was asking her what was going on and she said that her butt was really itchy. We knew before from whitewater rafting that if you are on a raft for too long you can develop a rash and it really itches. It is referred to as raft ass. So anyway Farrell is like going crazy in her seat and cant really take it anymore. Dan is just laughing so incredible hard because it was just so hilarious to him. Farrell asked how to get rid of it and he said that there was probably some cream for her raft ass. Well that made her decide to put some suntan lotion on the rash and whether it was mind over matter or it really worked the itching started to go away. Farrell was relieved but Dan could not stop laughing for most of the ride. Ya just had to be there.
Another funny thing... We are on the van ride home with the Indian family, and we get to talking to some of the people in the van. We discover that the couple sitting behind us is from Australia, even better from Adelaide (one of our stops in Australia) so we were asking them of things to do and the woman asked us if we liked Wines and Dan (who has been struggling to understand anyone who has an accent) replies "Ya we love Wands". Farrell corrected him and said to the lady yes we like wines and then Dan said, Oh i thought she was talking about Harry Potter...maybe you had to be there but it was really funny.
Day 4
Today Farrell woke up with some of the biggest bug bites possible, and Dan has none, but Farrell is complaining enough for the both of them so it all works out in the long run. But seriously, these bites are the size of quarters and they have begun to puss and ooze...its really sexy.
For this day we just decided to spend it at the hotel. This time we got up a little early so we could get some of the good chairs and get out by the sun. The weather for the day was incrediable, there was not a cloud in the sky. The temperatures here get pretty hot we think it was like in the high 80's. We had a nice day relaxing, reading, and taking in the sun. We booked another trip to the South Sea island too so that we could spend our last day there becuase we really liked it. This day was pretty basic, we even were so exhausted from the sun that when we lied down in the bed before dinner we ended up sleeping for the rest of the night.
Day 5
Farrell's bug bites this morning have increased in size and number. They are not looking good but we thought if we got them into the water they might dry up a bit. We are also a little sore from the whitewater rafting. We woke up to catch the 7:15am bus over to the port to get on the ferry over to the South Sea Island. We have visited this island on Thursday and had a really great time. This time was even better because the weather was just amazing. We got ferried into the island, got some great chairs and had an awesome day. Because we did not get a chance to go snorkling as much as we would have liked last time we decided to do that first. We got our gear and took to the water. We saw some really great fish and here in Fiji they have blue star fish. Farrell really wanted to take them out of the water but we were told specifically not to do that. We had some fun with the snorkling and ended up spending a lot of the day in the water becuase it was so hot. There were no clouds and the water was perfect. The sun was setting as we took the ferry back to the port and it was a great ending to a awesome stay in Fiji.
Just real quick, we got back to our place and have been struggling to get any hot water in our shower the past few days. Farrell took the first shower and everything seemed fine. Dan hopped in to take his shower and got a little frustrated with the lack of pressure and temperature....he happened to break off the handle...oops. Now the shower will not stop dripping.
We head out to New Zealand tomorrow as we have a 2 oclock flight and will arrive at 5pm. We are not sure if our hotel will have a computer or not so if it does not then you might not hear from us for a bit but we will be doing well and safe in New Zealand. Check in for new posts.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Friday, June 6, 2008
Days 1,2, and 3 in FIJI
Hey Everyone,
Day 1
So when you think about Fiji, one usualy imagines walking out the back of their hotel onto a beautiful white beach and amazing blue green water on a sunny day. We walked into our hotel, out the back door, onto some dirt, followed by a wet clay type of sand and looked hopefully into some dark murkey water, only to get bitten by a crab. We walked back into the hotel and booked the next day at one of those islands you would imagine Fiji to be like. But we made the most of our first day. We started the morning off with a nice breakfast which we needed after those long flights. Then we got our day started and walked along the clay sand, had a balancing contest (which Dan won despite years of Ballet training), layed in a hammock (which almost flipped over) and caught up on some reading. All in all, it was a really nice day since falling asleep in a hammock is pretty sweet.
Day 2
We woke up early ( everyone in Fiji does) had breakfast, and then jumped on the 7:15 bus which would take us to the nearest port. We boarded the boat and were off by 9am to the South Sea Island. We arrived only a short half hour later and it was so amazing. This island is the smallest of the Fiji islands and consists of a white sandy beach covered with coral. The ocean was a blue/green and as clear as can be, it was such a cool place to go snorkling. It seemed like a picture perfect place and with all the mountains in the distance it made it seem like we were on a deserted island, which was really cool. There were tons of lounge chairs to relax with. We started our morning off by having a quick swim, and then headed to the chairs for some reading/ tanning. There was an open bar which was really nice and the Fiji stubbies (the local beer) is pretty good too. We then had lunch and more R&R, it felt like our own personal island which is what we had been looking for. We wanted to go snorkling after lunch, but when we looked out to the ocean the waves had really picked up and the tide moved out, but that didnt stop us! So we grabbed some snorkling gear and headed into the water, which turned out to be a bad idea. This island has a lot of coral, and coral is sharp and hurts when you swim in it. We got pretty beat up with some cuts and bruises. Since the waves were so strong we did not get to see that much in the water. But that did not bother us, we just went back to our seats and chilled a little more. Shortly after that we took a walk around the island and found a hammock, so we layed in that for a while, and then it started to get cold. Then it started to rain, then it was time to leave the island, and here is where the funny stuff happens. So... the way these islands work is there is one ship that makes a loop to all the islands three times a day, our island is the first to get dropped off in the morning and the last to be picked up at night. Also, you need two little boats to get the people from the big ship to the island and then back to the big ship. Well all 60 people got onto the two small boats and heading to the big boat, upon arrival the guy who helps you onto the big boat said it could only take 22 people! Dan and Farrell snapped into Bostonian mode and pushed our way onto that boat, there was no way we were heading back to the island with all the rain! As the small boat was departing with all the people Dan realized that our load seemed lighter, and then we realized that Farrell left our towels on the little boat, we got them right as the small boat was leaving, it was classic. We made our way back to the port and got onto the bus that was taking us home. It turned out that we had to actually wait for those people that went back to the island in the small boat but we got to sleep a little in the bus waiting for them. We went right home and straight to sleep since our next day was to start early and be challenging.
Day 3
WHITE WATER RAFTING IN THE FIJI RAINFOREST!!!!!
We woke up at 4am, (which isnt that bad considering we go to bed at 8pm every night) got in a van picked up some other people staying at different hotels and drove for 2 hours, only to be dropped off at the bottom of a mountain to get in another more off road van to drive another hour. We got in this off road van with 12 other people and went for a steep and slipper ride up the moutain. The locals who take us down the river were in the van with us as we went up. They were a funny group of guys and said that if the van were to get stuck in this mud that it was the Americans who would have to push (Dan made the comment that that was becuase Americans are so strong, hahah). So the pictures will show how crazy this drive up the mountain was but for now you will just have to take our word for it. When we finally got to where the van was letting us off, we packed the stuff that we were going to take into the raft into a water proof bag, got our helmets, life vests, and paddles. Then we were heading out on a 20 min trek through this muddy jungle to get to where we can get inside the boats. Here the tour guides did not come with us becuase they had to deliver the rafts to where we were going. Farrell was a champ as she conquered this trek and was the first to arrive at the site while everyone else trailed behind. She didnt even care about all the mud over her legs. She was rocking her bandana with spunk. So we get to the loading site and we have a safety lesson. Since Dan and Farrell had gone whitewater rafting in Maine they knew a lot of what was said but it was good to hear it Fijian style. So they stick us in a boat with two Swedish people, whose names where Andreas and Morion (but really we had no idea what to call them). They were much better than DS and potato stealer (to you nick and ray) but the entire time we just wished we had our team of Nick and Ray in our boat with us. The Swedish people are just not good at paddling. Our personal boat guide was Joe II and he was jacked which was good. He told us amazing stories about growing up in his village which was in this rainforest and how he would go wild boar hunting. Dan asked him a milion questions about this becuase it just seemed so crazy but Joe was not joking. He said it was very very important to run fast and be able to climb up trees. He also told us that guns are illegal in Fiji except for cops so they had to get the boars with just their machettes. We worked as a team with the Sweds and were a great boat. But the best part was just going down the river. It is realy hard to describe how amazng it was. As we went down the river on both sides of us where just giant rock walls with rainforest on top. It was out of control, like out of movie, whichi is funny cause it is where they filmed Anaconda 1 and 2. The waterfalls that just flowed from these high rock walls into the river were breath taking. We got some really good pictures and just had an amazing time tackling the rapids and taking in the beautiful rainforest. Halfway through we stopped and had a good lunch. We were all so hungry from all the paddling that we did the food just tasted so good and it was only turkey and ham sandwhiches. The rafting trip was just so cool. It was just such a once and a lifetime experience and something we will never forget.
The ride home however was not so beautiful. So we were so tired and just wanted to get back to our resort, have dinner, write on the blog and go to bed. However, we wish it was only that easy. Our driver had to pull over because it was getting dark and he realized that this van did not have workable headlights. So we pulled over and he tried to fix it. Well it turns out that he couldnt and he had to get his boss (who was indian) to come get us in a different van. Well it got longer and longer since this took quite awhile. But we finally get into this new van which was filled with his indian family. It seemed like we were stuffed into the back of a van that was about to jump the border. it turned out that we actually had too many people in the van and as we approached a fiji police check point the grandfather, wife, and son jumped out of the van. We drove through the checkpoint and then they jumped back in. it was really really funny.
we finally got home had dinner and are about to get to bed. We had such a great day and Fiji is awesome.
Lots of love,
Farrell and Dan!!!
Day 1
So when you think about Fiji, one usualy imagines walking out the back of their hotel onto a beautiful white beach and amazing blue green water on a sunny day. We walked into our hotel, out the back door, onto some dirt, followed by a wet clay type of sand and looked hopefully into some dark murkey water, only to get bitten by a crab. We walked back into the hotel and booked the next day at one of those islands you would imagine Fiji to be like. But we made the most of our first day. We started the morning off with a nice breakfast which we needed after those long flights. Then we got our day started and walked along the clay sand, had a balancing contest (which Dan won despite years of Ballet training), layed in a hammock (which almost flipped over) and caught up on some reading. All in all, it was a really nice day since falling asleep in a hammock is pretty sweet.
Day 2
We woke up early ( everyone in Fiji does) had breakfast, and then jumped on the 7:15 bus which would take us to the nearest port. We boarded the boat and were off by 9am to the South Sea Island. We arrived only a short half hour later and it was so amazing. This island is the smallest of the Fiji islands and consists of a white sandy beach covered with coral. The ocean was a blue/green and as clear as can be, it was such a cool place to go snorkling. It seemed like a picture perfect place and with all the mountains in the distance it made it seem like we were on a deserted island, which was really cool. There were tons of lounge chairs to relax with. We started our morning off by having a quick swim, and then headed to the chairs for some reading/ tanning. There was an open bar which was really nice and the Fiji stubbies (the local beer) is pretty good too. We then had lunch and more R&R, it felt like our own personal island which is what we had been looking for. We wanted to go snorkling after lunch, but when we looked out to the ocean the waves had really picked up and the tide moved out, but that didnt stop us! So we grabbed some snorkling gear and headed into the water, which turned out to be a bad idea. This island has a lot of coral, and coral is sharp and hurts when you swim in it. We got pretty beat up with some cuts and bruises. Since the waves were so strong we did not get to see that much in the water. But that did not bother us, we just went back to our seats and chilled a little more. Shortly after that we took a walk around the island and found a hammock, so we layed in that for a while, and then it started to get cold. Then it started to rain, then it was time to leave the island, and here is where the funny stuff happens. So... the way these islands work is there is one ship that makes a loop to all the islands three times a day, our island is the first to get dropped off in the morning and the last to be picked up at night. Also, you need two little boats to get the people from the big ship to the island and then back to the big ship. Well all 60 people got onto the two small boats and heading to the big boat, upon arrival the guy who helps you onto the big boat said it could only take 22 people! Dan and Farrell snapped into Bostonian mode and pushed our way onto that boat, there was no way we were heading back to the island with all the rain! As the small boat was departing with all the people Dan realized that our load seemed lighter, and then we realized that Farrell left our towels on the little boat, we got them right as the small boat was leaving, it was classic. We made our way back to the port and got onto the bus that was taking us home. It turned out that we had to actually wait for those people that went back to the island in the small boat but we got to sleep a little in the bus waiting for them. We went right home and straight to sleep since our next day was to start early and be challenging.
Day 3
WHITE WATER RAFTING IN THE FIJI RAINFOREST!!!!!
We woke up at 4am, (which isnt that bad considering we go to bed at 8pm every night) got in a van picked up some other people staying at different hotels and drove for 2 hours, only to be dropped off at the bottom of a mountain to get in another more off road van to drive another hour. We got in this off road van with 12 other people and went for a steep and slipper ride up the moutain. The locals who take us down the river were in the van with us as we went up. They were a funny group of guys and said that if the van were to get stuck in this mud that it was the Americans who would have to push (Dan made the comment that that was becuase Americans are so strong, hahah). So the pictures will show how crazy this drive up the mountain was but for now you will just have to take our word for it. When we finally got to where the van was letting us off, we packed the stuff that we were going to take into the raft into a water proof bag, got our helmets, life vests, and paddles. Then we were heading out on a 20 min trek through this muddy jungle to get to where we can get inside the boats. Here the tour guides did not come with us becuase they had to deliver the rafts to where we were going. Farrell was a champ as she conquered this trek and was the first to arrive at the site while everyone else trailed behind. She didnt even care about all the mud over her legs. She was rocking her bandana with spunk. So we get to the loading site and we have a safety lesson. Since Dan and Farrell had gone whitewater rafting in Maine they knew a lot of what was said but it was good to hear it Fijian style. So they stick us in a boat with two Swedish people, whose names where Andreas and Morion (but really we had no idea what to call them). They were much better than DS and potato stealer (to you nick and ray) but the entire time we just wished we had our team of Nick and Ray in our boat with us. The Swedish people are just not good at paddling. Our personal boat guide was Joe II and he was jacked which was good. He told us amazing stories about growing up in his village which was in this rainforest and how he would go wild boar hunting. Dan asked him a milion questions about this becuase it just seemed so crazy but Joe was not joking. He said it was very very important to run fast and be able to climb up trees. He also told us that guns are illegal in Fiji except for cops so they had to get the boars with just their machettes. We worked as a team with the Sweds and were a great boat. But the best part was just going down the river. It is realy hard to describe how amazng it was. As we went down the river on both sides of us where just giant rock walls with rainforest on top. It was out of control, like out of movie, whichi is funny cause it is where they filmed Anaconda 1 and 2. The waterfalls that just flowed from these high rock walls into the river were breath taking. We got some really good pictures and just had an amazing time tackling the rapids and taking in the beautiful rainforest. Halfway through we stopped and had a good lunch. We were all so hungry from all the paddling that we did the food just tasted so good and it was only turkey and ham sandwhiches. The rafting trip was just so cool. It was just such a once and a lifetime experience and something we will never forget.
The ride home however was not so beautiful. So we were so tired and just wanted to get back to our resort, have dinner, write on the blog and go to bed. However, we wish it was only that easy. Our driver had to pull over because it was getting dark and he realized that this van did not have workable headlights. So we pulled over and he tried to fix it. Well it turns out that he couldnt and he had to get his boss (who was indian) to come get us in a different van. Well it got longer and longer since this took quite awhile. But we finally get into this new van which was filled with his indian family. It seemed like we were stuffed into the back of a van that was about to jump the border. it turned out that we actually had too many people in the van and as we approached a fiji police check point the grandfather, wife, and son jumped out of the van. We drove through the checkpoint and then they jumped back in. it was really really funny.
we finally got home had dinner and are about to get to bed. We had such a great day and Fiji is awesome.
Lots of love,
Farrell and Dan!!!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
WE ARRIVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Everyone!!!
We made it to Fiji!! It took a long time and was a little shaky but we got here with little to no problems. We survived the first 6 hour flight to LA (which was pretty rough and Farrell had to get out the barf bag, there was a thunder storm over Oklahoma), then we had a 9 hour layover in LAX, where we got to call home and check in but had to sit in the only terminal that was not finished!! It reminded us of the movie terminal that we watched as freshmen (Jess..josh...) Then we had a 10 hour flight to Fiji and it was not bad at all. We were seated in a row of 4 and we were the only two in it, therefore we got to sleep on two seats which was nice. Also we got to watch Mad Money and National Treausure 2! During that long flight however, Farrell realized that Dan was really starting to smell, since it was almost a day and a half with the same deodorant application and it is only the beggining of the trip. We are both definitely looking forward to our first showers. We are staying at Smugglers Cove and they came and picked us up at the airport. It is now 6:30am on 6/4 in Fiji and we have a little while to wait before our room is ready!! The place looks pretty good so far. They have a bunch of computers with internet that we can get onto and talk to everyone. We hope to just relax on the beaches and catch some sun before we start hiking and caving in NZ and Australia. Farrell is still working on convincing Dan to go skydiving in Fiji but the efforts are not getting too far.
Thanks for checking in and reading the blog. We will keep your posted over the next few days.
Lots of love from FIJI,
Farrell and Dan
We made it to Fiji!! It took a long time and was a little shaky but we got here with little to no problems. We survived the first 6 hour flight to LA (which was pretty rough and Farrell had to get out the barf bag, there was a thunder storm over Oklahoma), then we had a 9 hour layover in LAX, where we got to call home and check in but had to sit in the only terminal that was not finished!! It reminded us of the movie terminal that we watched as freshmen (Jess..josh...) Then we had a 10 hour flight to Fiji and it was not bad at all. We were seated in a row of 4 and we were the only two in it, therefore we got to sleep on two seats which was nice. Also we got to watch Mad Money and National Treausure 2! During that long flight however, Farrell realized that Dan was really starting to smell, since it was almost a day and a half with the same deodorant application and it is only the beggining of the trip. We are both definitely looking forward to our first showers. We are staying at Smugglers Cove and they came and picked us up at the airport. It is now 6:30am on 6/4 in Fiji and we have a little while to wait before our room is ready!! The place looks pretty good so far. They have a bunch of computers with internet that we can get onto and talk to everyone. We hope to just relax on the beaches and catch some sun before we start hiking and caving in NZ and Australia. Farrell is still working on convincing Dan to go skydiving in Fiji but the efforts are not getting too far.
Thanks for checking in and reading the blog. We will keep your posted over the next few days.
Lots of love from FIJI,
Farrell and Dan
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