Countdowns

Top 10 Must Read Travel Blogs

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I’ve been lucky enough to stumble into a fantastic new job since getting back to Sydney. After working indirectly for Telstra (Australia’s largest and most despised telecommunications company) in 2010, I blundered straight into a gig with iiNet (Australia’s second largest ISP and one of its most respected).

One of the many perks of working here (aside from the free fruit every day, cheaper products, back rubs at our desks, and lots of fun parties) is access to the internet all day – every day. I tell you – my Facebook has never been more updated and my blog is receiving a never before seen level of attention from yours truly.

Gotta love call center gigs!

Another perk of all of this free time has been the ability to catch up on my reading. After getting back from Korea my Google Reader informed me that I had somewhere in the vicinity of 400 blog posts to catch up with. Over the last week and a half I’ve managed to whittle that down to a dozen entries or so. Of course, while reading I’ve also stumbled across other blogs I’ve fallen in love with.

With Friday winding to a close and all of us about to have a few days of spare time, I thought I’d share the ten blogs that I most enjoy reading. Most of them are travel related, but you’ll find a great photography blog and even some Australian political discussion in there as well.

And here…we…go!

#10 – Heathen Scripture – Currently on a temp site

I literally discovered this blog earlier today, and had to bump another damn fine blog out of this top ten to make room for this witty bit of Australian political commentary. While I stumbled across the blog due to Facebook friends featuring this article about the recent carbon tax debate in Australia, there’s plenty of non political stuff on there as well. In fact, while the content is much more intelligent, it kind of reminds me of a high brow Maddox. There’s also poetry on here as well, and even the ‘heavier’ stuff isn’t particularly hard to access. Just be warned: profanity is a pretty regular thing.

#9 – Mutterings of a Madman

While I like to think of myself as a passable photography and take great pride in posing thoughtfully with my Canon SX20 IS whenever I take it out, the truth is I am an absolute novice of the photography world. And that’s especially true when I compare my skills and knowledge to my old friend Jon.

I first met Jon when I was running a nerdy little games club in rural NSW. He was a few years beneath me at school but had a good sense of humor and a big frame that made him something of a lunch-time footy superstar when he got up a head of steam. Over the years our friendship has changed from occasional lunchtime hangouts to something more focussed on our own blogs and general odd online skullduggery.

Just a taste of Jon’s photography. Photo courtesy of Jon Clay.

If you’re interested in photography, and you should be as a traveler, I can’t urge you enough to visit Jon’s fantastic site. It’s not just product reviews and details about his own photographic experimentation. He takes stellar photos. He discusses different photographic forms and techniques. He makes recommendations and gets out there regularly to trial new pieces of equipment.

This is a guy who is incredibly passionate about the art of photography. You can see it in every post he makes and every shot he takes. I look forward to someday finding the time and money to go on a photography trip with Jon. I think my site would benefit immensely from it.

#8 – Traveling Sassy

I’ve only recently stumbled across Brooke’s quirky blog after she found Aussie on the Road courtesy of my good friend Heather (from There’s No Place Like Oz) and I’ve had a few good chats with her since then. Like myself, Brooke got her start at traveling when she took the plunge and waded headlong into the chaotic mess that is ESL teaching in South Korea. She’s already discovering just how weird and wonderful life on the peninsula can be, and her posts offer an amusing perspective on life as an American gal in the Land of the (So Called) Morning Calm.

It’s a blog in its infancy, but it’s one showing promise. If you’re considering Korea or you’ve lived there before – you’ll likely enjoy reading Brooke’s adventures in her new adopted home.

#7 – It’s Good Overseas

In a classic example of it being a small world, I first met Tony through his girlfriend Paula – who I studied theatre with during our time at the University of New England. Attending her Willie Wonka themed party early in 2009, I struck up a conversation with Tony and soon discovered we were both guys with a love of travel. And while my own travels are fairly modest in scale – Tony’s been to some of the most fascinating places in the world. He’s got East Timor to my Fiji. Syria to my South Korea. Suffice to say, this is a guy who does travel in a way that most wouldn’t even think of.

It’s not just about his time abroad either. Tony gets out and explores Australia whenever he can, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Foursquare or Facebook places account that was more heavily modified. I sometimes wonder if Tony actually sleeps.

Tony’s explorations delve a little deeper than the typical tourist sights. He’s been to a cock-fight in East Timor and wandered aimlessly through markets in the UAE. His photography, rather than capturing cheesy sunsets or over-exposed landmarks, focuses more on the humanity of the locals and their everyday lives. A lot of blogs talk about the main events and the key attractions – Tony steps behind this and gets to the nitty gritty. It makes for fascinating reading.

#6 – Byron and His Backpacks

While I take some of the credit for getting my good friend Byron out of the Great White North and onto the Korean peninsula a few years ago, there’s no denying the fact that this guy had wanderlust long before I even had the balls to go out to a new pub without some company in tow. While I was studying at Uni and trying to master the art of striking out with girls with grace, Byron was making his way around Africa on the kind of journey that’s going to make one hell of a novel someday.

Byron and I crossed paths long before we met in the flesh. We both frequented a pro wrestling/writing board a few years ago and struck up a friendship over our mutual love of irreverant humor and the writer’s craft. Our first ‘in the flesh’ meeting happened when Byron made his way down to Gwangju early in my second year there. Teaming up with my good friends Jamie and Paul, we rocked the Gwangju night life in spite of the snow and had a hell of a good time.

For Byron and I, it was love at first sight…

Over the past two years we’ve met up rarely, but it’s always been an epic adventure. Whether it was my drunken farewell to Gwangju in late 2009 or our debauched adventure on Texas Street early this year – Byron and I have never had a dull moment. Now on separate continents, I think it’s safe to say there won’t be any new adventures together for a while yet, but you can still read about his latest adventures and many of his old ones around Africa and South-East Asia over on his blog.

Byron’s a guy with a lot of wit and plenty of writing ability. You get sucked into his adventures – whether they’re his day to day life as a teacher on the North-South Korean border or his romance on the road.

#5 – There’s No Place Like Oz

Heather’s story is a pretty darn inspirational one. Not satisfied with the humdrum of her secure life in the United States, the 29 year old made the bold leap of getting a working holiday visa and spending a year in Australia living out her dream and having a ball at the same time. With Australia’s working holiday visas not available to those over thirty, Heather had one chance to experience the land downunder and she took it.

While she’s since headed back to the States and begun daydreaming about her next adventure, there’s over a year’s worth of fascinating insights into life as an expat in Australia on her site. In a year on Australian shores, Heather did more than most locals will do in a life-time. She lived it large in Sydney; road tripped all over the country; and made a bunch of friends in the process. Foodies in particular will find a lot to love in Heather’s blog – she’s a girl with a taste for good food and a talent for describing it. I’m really looking forward to doing the Sydney Food Challenge she’s got planned for me.

#4 – The Kimchi Chronicles

My favorite blog when it comes to Korea, the Kimchi Chronicles are the baby of my old friend Heather. While we first met as the partners of friends – we’ve since become fast friends and she’s actually going to be spending 24 days hanging out with me here in Sydney in the not too distant future. The pages of my own blog will doubtless be filled with stories from our adventures in and around Sydney soon enough. As a long time resident of South Korea (and specifically, my old stomping grounds in Gwangju) – Heather’s blog has evolved from a simple ‘My life in Korea’ style blog to a great resource for all things Korean. She highlights things to love about Korea, reports on the latest happenings on the peninsula, and dabbles in some fab photography as well.

There’s no shortage of blogs about life in Korea, and it’s hard to weed through them all and find a winner, so take my word on this – Heather’s blog is a well written and regularly updated little blog on Korea. The entries are short and sweet and there’s plenty to pick up from the pages. Definitely worth a look.

#3 – Brooke vs. the World

Brooke’s something of a legend in Australian travel blogging circles. Like Heather (from There’s No Place Like Oz) – Brooke is an American living and working here in Australia and traveling all over it as part of her job as the head honcho over at WhyGo Australia. Where WhyGo is more of a commercial venture, Brooke vs. the World is a huge collection of travel stories from both Australia and the rest of the world. The main reason I love Brooke’s blog is because it’s such a study in how to run a successful travel blog.

Brushing with blogging celebrity as I dine with Tony from It’s Good Overseas and Brooke from Brooke vs. the World

She didn’t start out a success. She didn’t have a huge following just by starting her blog. She started from the same humble beginnings all travel writers do and she’s pegged away at it until she got to the point she’s at today. Her writing is excellent and her travels range from the typical (time in Australia, Spain, and the US) to the outlandish (teaching in the Ukraine, falling in love in Latvia, and chilling out in Kazakhstan. If you’re looking for a model for a successful travel blog or just some tips on how to fund your own RTW trip – Brooke’s blog is the place to start.

#2 – A Dangerous Business

Another wonderful round the world blog, I stumbled across this one while I was researching for my trip to New Zealand in 2010. While Amanda’s travels have taken her all over the world, the majority of her travels have been done across the Tasman on the old Shaky Isles (New Zealand). Whether she was visiting Hobbiton, exploring often forgotten bits of wilderness, or hanging out in Auckland – Amanda’s a font of knowledge when it comes to the Land of the Long White Cloud.

It’s not just Korea though – you’ll find all manner of adventures within the ‘pages’ of A Dangerous Business, which is true to the old Tolkien quote about just how dangerous it can be to step outside your front door. Wanderlust is a sickness, and new experiences are the cure.

Amanda’s blog is another great example of how you can turn a hobby into something much more.

#1 – yTravel Blog

There’s travel blogs and then there’s yTravel blog. If you met Caz and Craig you wouldn’t think they were celebrities in the travel blogging world. I first met them at a Travel Tribe (now Travel Massive) event in late 2010 and was struck by how down to earth and friendly they were. They’re typical Aussies in the best sense of the word, yet you look at the juggernaut that is their blog and you find it hard to believe that two average people could create something so immensely popular.

yTravel Blog is not just travel stories. There’s articles and info about all facets of the travel ‘business’ – whether it’s how to get a working holiday visa; how to make friends on the road; or how to survive teaching in a strange new country. They regularly go on adventures yet still find time to keep a steady stream of top notch content coming. They’re the two people I most want to emulate as a travel writer, and I don’t think I’m alone in that admiration. As if writing about it wasn’t enough, Caz and Craig also do a regular podcast full of interesting stories and information.

If you only add one other travel blog to your circulation (I assume I am already on there, haha) – make it yTravel Blog. There’s just so much information there and so many fascinating stories.

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There are so many blogs that I had to leave off this list. There’s some great ones about Korean life, some about travel, and a few that are just plain fun to read. At the end of the day this is a travel blog though, so I tried to keep them all as travel focused as I could.

Have a good weekend and happy reading!

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Seoul, South Korea

Touring Korea’s DMZ

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“If you look to your right you’ll see a large building. In the third window in on the fourth floor, you’ll see a North Korean sniper. His job is to watch us. Please, don’t point or wave.”

Yeah, shit just got real.

It’s 8am on a cool October morning and myself and a dozen other tourists just came to the realization that touring Korea’s DMZ (demilitarized zone) isn’t all fun and games. All that separates us from death (and the outset of a second Korean War) is the trigger finger of one doubtlessly underfed and underpaid North Korean soldier. It’s a sobering thought.

The view from South Korea and into North Korea

There are countless companies offering tours of the infamous DMZ, but only the USO gives access to the JSA (Joint Security Area) – which is as close to North Korea as most people will ever get. In fact, at one point during the tour, you’re actually able to stand on North Korean soil. It shouldn’t mean much, but there’s a strange rush in standing on soil that belongs to one of the most secretive nations in the modern world.

Starting out at the crack of dawn, my friends and I made our bleary eyed way to the USO Base in the heart of Seoul. In a reflection of just how isolated the city of Gwangju is from the rest of the world, I think most of us are more excited about a vending machine stocked with American soda and candy than we are about the tour itself. At 7am in the morning, nothing sounds more appealing than a handful of Jolly Ranchers washed down with a can of ice cold Dr. Pepper. The breakfast of champions.

Soon we’re bundled onto the bus and making our way through the empty streets and up towards the DMZ. On the way we’re given a brief introduction to the whole experience by the US serviceman charged with acting as tourguide/babysitter for the morning, but most of us are still preoccupied with our American junkfood/trying to snatch a few more minutes of sleep. While some of our party lived in Seoul, most of us had caught the 2am bus from Gwangju and hadn’t managed much sleep during the journey.

Our first stop of the day is Camp Bonifas, where we’re brought into a briefing room and shown a short slide show detailing the history of the Korean War and the establishment of the DMZ. With the lecture given by a hard as nails soldier rather than a tourism worker with relentless optimism, we’re immediately hit with the fact that this is a very real and potentially dangerous place to be. While incidents on the actual border are few and far between, it’s a rare year where the world media doesn’t sensationalize some melee between the South and it’s insular northern neighbors.

From there, we’re divided into smaller groups and taken out to experience the most heavily militiarized border in the world first hand. Our first stop is also the most memorable, as we’re taken past our sniper friend and into the MAC (Military Armistice Commission) building – the site where North and South Korean officials can ostensibly meet to discuss things on neutral ground. On the South Korean side of the border are local Korean soldiers standing board straight and stock still as they monitor the north. You can’t see many North Korean soldiers, but we’re assured that they’re there. The glint of a rifle scope in the window of a building across the border is all the reminder I need. If any of us were stupid enough to try and enter into North Korea, we’d be dead before our feet touched northern soil.

The room itself is unremarkable, split in two by the border between the two countries and  painted in an unassuming blue. It is filled with polished tables. There are foot prints on these tables, which I am told are from North Korean soldiers who stand barefoot on them at night with their backs to South Korea in a sign of disrespect. I can’t imagine they’re not doing this on orders from higher up. The soldiers in the room with us are South Korean, but they don’t move as we enter and remain unmoving as we walk around the room and pose for photos.

“Don’t go too close to them,” our US guide informs us, “They are trained to put you down with lethal force if necessary. Even we don’t go near them”.

The ‘blue room’ is guarded by South Korea’s finest soldiers
Risking life and limb in the blue room

It’s a far cry from the carefree drunkards that you typically encounter in South Korean bars and noraebangs. These young men are, in spite of their slight appearances, capable of exerting lethal force if need be. After all, it’s these brave draftees who stand between modern South Korea and the war machine that is the North Korean military.

All too soon we’re moving away from the border and onto the areas that are accessible by other DMZ tours. I won’t lie – it was a relief to have the threat of death by trigger happy North Korean sniper lifted from above my head.  We visit a variety of other sites including the Pagoda at Freedom House (which I don’t recall), and the infamous Checkpoint #3. This last site’s bloody past signalled the end of a shared DMZ after North Korean soldiers used axes to murder a pair of unarmed US soldiers who were in the process of trimming some poplar trees. While the tree under which the murders took place has long since been cut down, a monument still remains to the moment that could well have sparked a renewal of hostilities between north and south.

This monument stands to commemorate the vicious killing of two US soldiers by North Koreans

After that sobering sight comes the Bridge of No Return. At the time I visited, this was the sole link between North and South Korea. The tour doesn’t allow tourists to stop and look at the bridge, but a brief glimpse out my window as the bus rolled passed still painted a grim picture of the vast difference between north and south.

The tour then covers a variety of other sites. There’s a stop off at a lookout to witness the aptly named Propaganda Village – from which a massive flag and loudspeakers proclaim North Korea’s ‘superiority’ over its southern cousins. This is followed by a long (and not particularly interesting) lecture about the surrounding region. Truth be told, I spent this portion of the tour catching up on some much needed sleep.

There are also visits to the four tunnels which the North Koreans have dug in the past to access South Korean soil – including the 1.7km long Third Tunnel of Aggression which came perilously close to Seoul and could have allowed up to 30,000 soldiers an hour to march onto Korean soil had it been completed.

Hard hats on and ready to tackle the tunnel

Touring the tunnel was certainly an experience. After descending seemingly forever, the cramped and damp confines of the tunnel really tested the claustrophobic in me. There’s only so much dynamite blasted rock and exposed piping one can see before things get a bit dull, but there’s no turning back once you’re in the crowded tunnel. Still, after a morning spent largely in a bus eating junk food, the exercise is certainly a welcome change of pace.

The day ends in the park surrounding the aforementioned tunnel. There’s artworks and various tourist things for you to check out – including a gift shop where you can buy everything from t-shirts to pieces of barbed wire salvaged from the actual DMZ. They’re all affordable too – like most things in the peninsula.

Doing my part to push the two Koreas together

All told, the tour took about four hours and ranged from ridiculously cool (the JSA in particular) to mind-numbingly dull (the lecture towards the end). But truth is, the price of admission is worth it solely for the thrill of standing on North Korean soil and being in the midst of one of the most hostile environments in the world. Rememebr: North & South Korea are still technically at war. This isn’t some old border that no longer has any significance, and you’re constantly reminded of that as you tour the area.

If you’re looking to do a DMZ tour, contact the USO. You might find cheaper tours elsewhere, but none of them will take you to the JSA and none of them are of the same quality. It’s an early morning start, but suck it up – experiences like this are worth a little tiredness.

All tuckered out after our day at the DMZ. Totally worth it.

All photos courtesy of Kirk Murray.

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Sydney

Bondi’s Winter Wonderland

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Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach is most commonly associated with white sand, bronzed life-savers, and bikini clad English girls trying desperately to get a tan, but for a few weeks every winter Australia’s most well known beach is overtaken by winter revelers in a far more European style.

The Winter Festival – which also takes place in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney’s heart – brings a bit of European winter to the much milder Australian climate. Whether it’s gourmet food, ice skating performances, or the thrill of rocketing down an ice slide on a rubber tube – the Winter Festival aims to give locals and tourists a taste of alpine winter traditions at a time when most of us are reluctant to go outside after dark.

The outfit I wish I’d worn…

There was something magical about standing on the ice surrounded by people rugged up for the cold and seeing the breakers of Bondi Beach just a few dozen metres from where I stood. While Christmas trees dotted the festival, they emerged from beds of white sand that would usually be reserved for sunbathing women and children delirious with happiness. I’m a sucker for a carnival atmosphere, it’s true. As I stepped off the 380 bus and looked down toward the beach I was immediately captured by the bright lights and the sound of 80s music in celebration of what had been dubbed Sk80s night. Whether it’s a small town country show or a big festival like the Sydney Food & Wine Festival, there’s something about the carnival atmosphere that makes you feel safe. Being surrounded by other people who are just out to enjoy themselves is infectious, and no matter how grim things might be in your everyday life, I challenge you to be at a festival and not get just a little bit caught up in everybody else’s enthusiasm.

Upon arriving I made my way to the ticket booth to collect my pre-purchased tickets. I’d paid $41 for a 45 minute ice skating session (skate hire included), three slides on the ice slide, and a complimentary souvenir mug and hot chocolate. Just the ice skating will set you back $25 and three slides down the ice slide weigh in at a very affordable $7.50.

With my skates in hand I nervously eyed the ice. I’d been told that ice skating is a lot like roller-blading, but while I haven’t been roller-blading since my final year of high school, I seem to recall being much better at it than I was at ice skating. In fact, I spent more time clutching the wall and grimacing at the ache in my ankles than I did flailing wildly as I tried in vain to skate with anything resembling grace. While I watched some of my friends skate past with something resembling complete confidence, I had to compete with children and old ladies for some purchase on the wall.

A rare moment of stability as I pose for a photo.

I wasn’t alone in this at first. Most of the merry-makers seemed content to do a lap of the rink with the wall for support. But soon most of them had found their feet and abandoned the safety of the wall, so by the time I was completing my third lap – there were precious few people to block my progress. Dave, good mate that he is, was on hand to snap photos of me as I tried and failed to take to ice-skating like I’d taken to scuba diving and surfing. They say you can’t be good at everything, and ice skating definitely confirmed this for me. I won’t be turning any axles or lutzes anytime soon.

That said, the experience was fun. People were in good spirits and nobody frowned at me for making a desperate grab in their direction or interrupting their progress by falling unceremoniously on my ass in front of them. Thankfully that only happened once, and my friend Steph was on hand to shove me away from her lest I drag her down with me. With friends like these…

Moments before she betrayed me...

With a wet ass and sore legs, I hobbled off the rink and exchanged my skates for a pair of comfortable shoes. Was I alone in taking a while to adjust to solid ground again? I caught myself trying to ‘skate’ on the ground several times, and approached stairs as if they were some kind of cruel device of torture. Weird.

With the wind whipping cold air in off of the Pacific, it was time for me to get some warmth into my life. I stopped off to collect my complimentary hot chocolate (topped with whipped cream) and married it with a delicious weisswurst hot-dog from one of the food stalls. It was a tad pricey at $9, but that’s what you can expect to pay at a festival, I guess. Totally worth it for the authentic sauerkraut that it was topped with.

The site of free Chai Lattes. Notice the Christmas trees in the sand. Love it!
Enjoying my weisswurst hot dog and hot chocolate

Other food options included waffles, burgers from Grill’d, mulled wine, and some pannekoek (dutch pancakes) – but my strict $10 budget saved me from myself.

With the cold picking up and my long night in Wollongong weighing on me, I decided to call it a night. This meant missing out on the ice slide, but the line was long and my eyelids were getting heavy. It was time to call it a day. I liked the Winter Festival, but can’t help but think I’d have enjoyed it more had I gone along with a few similarly minded mates. I did have friends in attendance, but they’re more of the acquaintance variety (except for Steph) and had their own things going on.

So, if you’re looking for a way to spend some time outdoors and do something different, the Winter Festival is certainly worth a look. Entry is free, so don’t be put off by the $25 ice skating price. There’s still things to see, free Chai Lattes to drink, and some fantastic performances by professional ice skaters to wow you. The festival runs until July 17th.

Australia, Sydney, Wollongong

One Night in Wollongong

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Much like Newcastle to the north of Sydney, Wollongong in the South doesn’t often get a great deal of play with tourists and locals alike. In fact, were it not for the Newcastle Knights playing a game there a few years ago, I’d never have been down to NSW’s other steel city (the first being Newcastle) prior to Friday night’s festivities.

The cause for this weekend’s visit? My old friend Stuart and his girlfriend Laura were planning to celebrate their birthdays in Laura’s hometown. It was a bit of a reunion for our motley crew of high school goofs – with Magro from Art of Conversations and my best mate, Dave also in attendance for the festivities. I left work at 5pm and was on the 5.25 train down to Wollongong, prepared for the two hour ride with my iPhone for entertainment and hoping to get some much needed sleep along the way.

Dinner for the evening was at Amigos. I’d never heard of this particular Mexican restaurant, but friends who had been there in the past seemed inordinantly excited when I mentioned I was headed there. The locals seem to treat Amigos with a kind of mystic awe, and as I weaved my way through its maze like interior to find my friends upon arrival – the crowd of diners certainly indicated the place had a great reputation amongst locals.

We sat outdoors, which sounds like a death sentence given the recent cold snap, but heaters meant that we were able to enjoy the quaint gardens without any risk to our health. Well, no more than the risk I was taking by exposing my lactose intolerance to cheese and sour cream laden food for an evening.

I’ll say this up front – Amigos is not cheap. The average main course sits between $25 and $30. Desserts are more affordable at the sub $10 mark, and there’s a very affordable litre of beer that my friend Dave was quite excited about. Beer officianados will be pleased to know that the whole range of Mexican beers are on hand – and I’m not just talking about Corona and Dos Equis either. There are sangria jugs, a variety of wines, and the typical selection of expensive cocktails as well.

The birthday boy enjoys a delicious buritto in all of his pimp finery. Photo by Anthony Magro.

There’s an almost dizzying array of foods on offer. From traditional Mexican recipes to the more accessible Tex-Mex selection. But when a humble burrito weighs in at $24 – you find yourself scouring the menu for a bargain rather than getting that frijole burrito you’d been daydreaming about all day at work. I ended up settling on a mixed plate that came with fantastic fiesta chicken, plenty of beans and salad, a chili, and a pretty unappetizing beef taquito.

While I ploughed through that in record time – my mate Magro polished off the ominously named Moctazuma’s Mountain – a towering combination of beef, chicken, corn chips, jalapeno, and cheese that was more than a little intimidating to behold. While Magro made short work of his mountain, I saw at least one other diner surrender to its size and send back plenty of leftovers.

Our entertainment for the evening were the reactions of people around the table as they tried the various kinds of hot sauce on hand. Even Dave, a man who seemed to have unfailing confidence in his ability to stomach spicy food, cried out in girlish agony as he met his match. With red rimmed eyes and plenty of coughing, I doubt he actually tasted any of his meal as he tried desperately to douse the flames in the back of his throat with everything at the table. He even tongued sour cream right from the bowl.

Full but not yet ready to call it an evening, we ordered up some drinks and dessert. I’ve put myself into a kind of Dry July, but did indulge in a Tequila Mockingbird – a tequila sunrise with passionfruit liqueur and passionfruit pulp in place of grenadine. Not a bad drop at all.

Dessert was an entirely more decadent affair. Every single local I’d spoken to had recommended the banana and chocolate chimichanga and they weren’t wrong! Full of chocolate sauce and banana and served up with a side of vanilla ice cream and toffee – the $9.90 dessert is almost a meal on its own. Definitely worth a visit even if you’re not a fan of Mexican cuisine.

Absolutely mouthgasmic banana and chocolate chimichanga. Photo by Anthony Magro.

My experience, while pricey, was entirely positive. The staff were friendly, the food was mostly excellent, and the atmosphere was great. I’ll definitely be heading back to Amigos next time I’m in town.

From Amigos it was time to hit up the Wollongong night life, and I began to regret my Dry July commitment as those around me went from jolly to drunk in record time. Still, I had a good night.

Our first port of call was the aptly named Grand Hotel. While it was a little quiet, I really dug the vibe of the place. We entered through a pool hall, passed by an arcade with a few games for drunken revelers, and settled into some comfortable couches in the lounge area. I had originally planned to skip out of town on the 11.30 train, but Dave cunningly distracted me with video bowling and an aborted attempt at House of the Dead.  The arcade has definitely fallen prey to the depredations of drunks over time.

Just as I was starting to enjoy the Grand, it was time to head off on a lengthy walk to the Harp. The locals informed me that the place was ‘Cougar Town’ and they weren’t far wrong. It’s not often a group of 27 and 28 year old guys still feel like the young whipper-snappers at the bar.

Our time at The Harp wasn’t bad at all. It was definitely an interesting experience to be out at a bar sober. It’s not something I’ve done in recent memory. People watching definitely offered up the best form of entertainment for me, and the karaoke was a mixture of the terrible and a few talented people who hogged the microphone. One girl got in four songs before Dave finally went up to the DJ and complained that we’d been waiting over three hours for our chance to sing. I’ve actually never encountered a worse pair of karaoke DJs. Nice guys, but bloody hopeless when it came to keeping things moving.

Dave and Stu tear up the dancefloor. I'm not drunk enough for this shit. Photo by Laura Simpson.

When we finally did sing – we brought the house down. Between my ‘Tribute’ and Magro’s ‘What About Me’, there were back slaps all round. We also got just a little star-struck when we realized that State of Origin players Brett Morris and Ben Creagh were on hand to cheer on their teammate Jon Green as he butchered Daryl Braithwaite’s ‘The Horses’. Good times.

With 3am fast approaching and the veritable sea of cougars reduced to a small herd of wilderbeast, it was time to call it an evening. With no trains until the morning, Dave and I opted to take a room at the very fairly priced Kiera View hostel. We got in late and left early, so I can’t attest to the facilities overmuch, but $20 for a comfortable bed isn’t a bad deal at all. The courtyard also looked like it’d be a fantastic place to while away a sunny day. There was no shortage of hardwood chairs covered in cushions for lolling about in the sun, but we had a train to catch so there was no time for such indulgences.

I left Wollongong sans hangover and with a newfound appreciation of the place. I daresay I’ll be back again sometime soon.

Life on the Road

My 7 Links Project

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My good friend (and honorary Aussie) Heather from over at There’s No Place Like Oz recently tagged me in the very groovy 7 Links Project. The rules are pretty simple – you highlight seven of your favorite posts and then you ‘tag’ five other bloggers who you think deserve a little recognition. It’s like a pyramid scheme of fantastic bloggers and their best work!

The goal? “to unite bloggers (from all sectors) in a joint endeavor to share lessons learned and create a bank of long but not forgotten blog posts that deserve to see the light of day again,

That’s a pretty damn noble goal if you ask me. So, without further ado….

My most beautiful post: Goodbyes

I first tapped out this entry on my iPhone while weathering a tropical storm on Manta Ray Island in Fiji. I held off on posting it for almost two months while things were still raw following my break-up with Fallon. I’ve been lucky enough to have some wonderful people come into my life, and I’d say that Fallon was without a doubt the most influential. While I know with both had a tough time post break-up, we’ve both come a long way. You can read about Fallon’s new adventures over at Fallon’s Healthy Life.

My most popular post: Top 10 Must See Sydney Sights

Standing atop Sydney Harbour Bridge in 2010.

This one just got a massive boost thanks to Brooke over at WhyGo Australia/Brooke vs. the World featuring it on her blog and putting it on Stumbleupon. In one day the post got over 1500 hits and has been consistently drawing numbers ever since. I’m stoked about that, because I think the entry offers up a lot of really good ideas for people visiting Sydney. Very pleased that it’s finally getting some recognition.

My most controversial post: Newcastle’s Unfulfilled Potential

Nobby's Point from the beautiful Soldier's Baths in Newcastle

I haven’t had many controversial posts, but this one did spark a bit of debate between my friend Amanda and I. She’s both a proud Novocastrian and involved in marketing the region – so she’s been trying to better educate me on the wonders of the Hunter ever since. My tone in the article might indicate a lack of love for Newcastle, which couldn’t be farther from the truth. I just get frustrated with the region’s failure to capitalize on its obvious attractive features and lure in more of Australia’s tourists.

My most helpful post: The Road to South Korea

Some of my favorite students from Oadae Academy. 2008.

I spent an entire Saturday working on this post with the aim of creating a definitive guide for people looking to pursue a career in teaching ESL in South Korea. From looking for jobs to arranging a visa to packing for the big trip, I like to think I did a pretty good job of providing a one stop spot for people wanting more information about the career that changed my life.

A post whose success surprised me: Dirty Deeds on Texas Street

Byron enjoying the attention of two 'juicy girls'

I wrote this entry about a debauched night I spent out and about in Busan’s infamous red light district with my mate Byron from Byron & His Backpacks. I think it’s ‘success’ has more to do with perverts searching for ‘Korean sex’ and ‘prostitutes in Korea’ on Google than the quality of writing or the appeal of the writing.

A post I feel didn’t get the recognition it deserved: Top 10 Aussie Must Eats

Delicious pavlova in the Blue Mountains. Photo by Fallon Fehringer.

I thought long and hard about this particular entry. After all, there’s no shortage of amazing foods here in Australia. When you take into account Australia’s very multicultural society, you’d be hard pressed to make a list of just fifty foods – let alone ten! But I think I did a pretty good job of highlighting some of the best things about Australian cuisine.

The post I am most proud of: Leavin’ on a Jet Plane

The decision to leave Korea early this year was a very hard one for me to come to. I had reached something of an all time low in my life – a combination of an unhappy work environment, financial worries, and a break-up that basically piled on top of my existing depression and forced me to make a tough decision.

Hindsight’s a beautiful thing. I write this from my desk at a new job I love, I’m about to move into a lovely apartment in Lane Cove, and I’m busy exploring Sydney and dating. Coming home was definitely the best thing for me – even though it was a very hard call to make.

So, there you have it. My seven picks for the My 7 Links project. You can find rules for the project by clicking here.

And here are my five nominees: