China, Nanjing

18 hours in Nanjing

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Arrival

It’s 6am and the cold sweeps into the arrivals terminal with each agitated hiss of the automatic doors as they open. Outside the air is thick with fog and there’s no sign of the sun. It’s hard to believe I was waving goodbye to bright, sunny, and hot Australia just sixteen hours earlier. Nanjing seems worlds away from the life I left behind in Sydney.

“Are you Chris?”

A pretty Chinese girl approaches me hesitantly. She has a  folded up piece of cardboard in her hands. I can make out my name on it.

“Sure am,” I reply as amiably as I can muster after spending five hours with my knees up under my chin thanks to China Eastern Airlines having clown sized seats. I quickly shrug on my 25kg pack and shoulder my two carry on bags. They total another 11kg. I am the mother-fucking hulk.

We hail a cab and we ride in silence. The cab drivers here are protected by a cocoon of plexi-glass. Chinese pop songs and the tap-tap of  tires riding over joins in the road are our sole accompaniment.

The fog clings cloyingly to the earth. Or is it the other way around?

When the smoky tendrils pull back their ethereal roots, will the world fall away?

I exist in that strange place between sleep and waking. Ideas that seem sane and rational quickly devolve into nonsensical flights of fantasy. It’s realizing their oddness that ultimately jolts me back awake, but never for long.

What few shapes loom out of the shifting mists would be perfectly at home in the work s of H.G. Wells. Cell towers and cranes are given menace by their cloak of rolling clouds.

After fifteen minutes or so the fog has begun to lift and we are m

bike riders in china
Bikes flood the streets of Nanjing

oving through less ominous settings. High rises flank the road and soon our lonely taxi is joined by other cars and an ever growing horde of motor-bikes, electric scooters, and push-bikes.

Nanjing is a city of 8 million, but it doesn’t seem so intimidating in the early morning light. I’m not sure what I expected, but there is a lot in common between Nanjing and the cities of Gwangju and Busan, where I lived during my time in South Korea.

The Apartment

Tina, who I learn is the foreign teacher liason at my school, ushers me through deathly silent halls and eventually to a door that will mark the entrance to my domain for the next 365 days – give or take a week or so.

stop buying things
It seems my predecessor shares my father's love of a good impulse buy

My first impression is one of pleasant surprise. After spending all three of my tenures in South Korea crammed into something more resembling a shoebox than a living space, I’m gob-smacked by having not one but three rooms. There’s a rice cooker, water cooler, hot plate, and big double bed all saying ‘hi’ as I explore. Hell, even a desk was a luxury I usually had to plead for in South Korea.

chinese living room
My super roomy living space
chinese study
My study - now with 117% more drying shirts!
chinese bathroom
Convenient bathroom is convenient

“Here is your electricity card,” Tina explains, “You put credit on it like a mobile phone“. She also advises me on how to turn on the heating, where I can buy groceries, and when I should show up on Monday morning for orientation.

The door closes, her heels echo down the hall, and I’m left alone with a big bag full of clothing and a weird sense of deja vous. I’ve done this all before, but I’m suddenly that scared 23 year old who curled up into a ball and sobbed on his bed upon first arriving in South Korea four years ago.

chinese bed
After two single beds and a mattress on the floor in Korea - a double bed is a sight to behold.

The Olive Branch

I while away my first few hours in China fitfully dozing and watching old episodes of Bob’s Burgers. But before too long my feet are itchy and I’m feeling brave enough to venture out on my first reconaissance mission.

Soon enough I’m back in my apartment with two ramen bowls, a pack of toilet paper, and a blueberry muffin. I am a superstar.

A second visit – this time a little longer – sees me return with toothpaste, a bottle of Pepsi, and the understanding that the grocery store nearest my school does not stock cereal or the components required to cook a meal that doesn’t revolve around ramen.

I’m curled up on the couch wishing the heater actually projected heat when I remember that my good friend Anthony (from Art of Conversations) has a brother living in Nanjing! A few expensive international texts later and I’ve got plans for my first Saturday night in Nanjing. Great success!

nanjing by night
The streets of Nanjing by night

The cab ride over requires only minimal involvement from a friend on the phone and soon David is thrusting a cool Tsingtao into my hand and leading me up to his apartment for some home cooked stir fry and a tour of an apartment that looks much more like ‘home’ than mine currently does.

And then we were off to Jimmy’s, one of many foreigner owned bars in the area. Beer is drunk in vast quantities; a quirky Chinese girl informs David and I that we are ‘dogs amongst puppies’; and a chunky British girl makes moon eyes at me. I’m delighted to learn that not only is beer in China cheap, but they also stock favorites such as Franziskaner (a magnificent wheat beer) and Aussie staples like the good old Crown Lager.

It’s a far cry from the wild and debauched nights out I enjoyed in South Korea. A scant dozen people are in attendance and the atmosphere is far from raucous, but I have a good time all the same. Myself and two Davids drink more beer than I care to recall and discuss our experiences teaching and living in China.

Obviously I can’t contribute much on that last point…

Soon we stagger out for spicy street food that inexplicably includes fish fins, fish mouths (these are actually delicious), and some great Han cooked lamb kebabs served up on burned naan.

Unlike Korean street food stalls which exist in quiet alleys or on the sidewalks, this one literally clings to the edge of a now quiet street where tables and chairs have been scattered. Three separate businesses operate close to one another and cover pretty much all of your needs. There’s even some cheap Chinese beer to wash down our mouth-incinerating late night snacks with.

street food china
An assortment of Chinese street foods including fish mouths and fish fins. Delicious!

It’s 2am and the long flight is weighing on me. We return to my place to find that the gate to the facility has been locked. Unable to figure out how to contact anybody within the school, I adopt the smart tactic – having David #2 boost me over the two meter high gate. I teeter precariously on top, gather myself, and then land gracelessly in a heap on the bitumen below.

“Let me know if this is the right place,” David #2 shouts as I jog towards the building. A security guard nods to me as I approach. I turn back to wave, trip on an uneven bit of ground, and fall. My knees and hands are grazed twice in five minutes. Winning.

But then I’m slumping into bed with the Royal Rumble and some ramen for company and all is well. I’ll deal with the hangover tomorrow.

My first day in Nanjing has drawn to a close. The verdict? Loving it so far.

Australia, New England

Australia’s Strangest Theme Park

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Green Valley Farm – Distinctly Australian

It seems incongruous that anything could lie at the end of the dusty road that our car jolts and shudders its way down. Scared sheep scuttle away like cockroaches at our passing. A cloud of dust follows in our wake.

The grass here is no less brown-gray than that lining the road out of Tingha, nor are the trees any less stunted or twisted. In fact, were it not for a hand-painted sign at the side of the road, you’d be forgiven for not even knowing Green Valley Farm existed at all.

But sure enough, our car crests a rise and the park sprawls out before out like the bush oasis it purports to be. In place of the sparse grass fit only for sheep and cattle, a lushly manicured green lawn spreads out around the motley collection of  attractions that constitute this dinky-di Australian ‘theme park’.

Lush gardens at Green Valley Farm
The ‘bush oasis’ lives up to its name

The Museum

Entry to Green Valley Farm is a modest $10 for adults ($5 for children under 13) – although additional fees of $2 for mini golf or $6 for the water park apply as well.

But before you can hand over your cash you’ll need to navigate your way through the labyrinth of dusty display cases and cast-off antiques that constitute the museum. There are a few gems hidden among the discarded Coke bottles and household appliances. A small menagerie of two headed farm animals lie in glassy coffins and a few kitsch toys and leavings from a bygone era can be sifted out from the strange assortment on display.

The original park – built from scrap metal by a grieving father after his teenage daughter’s passing – still exists largely unchanged.

strange device at Green Valley Farm
What does this even do?

The lady manning the ticket booth is happy to see us, but it’s not because the park is doing bad business. The camp ground is full and the car park is approaching the same level. The place is full of families exploring what might be the strangest theme park in Australia.

She lets in my foster brother for free. He’s heavily handicapped and in a wheel chair. She assumes he won’t get a full experience out of the park. I’m sad to say she’s right.

Our posse comprises myself, my three brothers, my foster brother, my brother’s girlfriend, my mother, and a Japanese exchange student who no doubt finds the little bush amusement park a far cry from the high tech wonderland of Tokyo.

The Playground

It’s a strange menagerie that makes up the area known as the playground. Vaguely equine creations, things resembling oversized kitchen implements, and one thing that looks suspiciously like it’s original purpose was sexual torture are scattered about the lawns like toys discarded by an angry child.

metal rocking horse
One of many metal rocking horses in the Green Valley menagerie
strange bike
Izaak braves a ride that suspiciously resembles something I’ve seen in a Japanese adult film…
A strange swing
The world’s least practical swing. It has a see-saw base that lurches you around randomly.

But the love that was put into their creation is evident. While some of them might not function in a way that makes sense, they were all welded together and created by a grieving father. It’s a playroom built from the materials that would have been at hand, and the laughter of children is a fitting tribute to a daughter taken too soon.

We brave boys are quick to launch ourselves at whatever is at hand. Hiro clambers aboard an impossible big rocking horse…

giant rocking horse
Hiro braves the biggest rocking horse I’ve ever seen

…while I slide down a ‘slide’ whose descent is marked by metal rollers rather than the traditional slide.

painful slide
Not at all kind to the butt

Dom, his girlfriend, and Izaak step onto a bizarre three way see-saw that Dom manages to dominate with his superior weight.

three way see-saw
Dom laughs maniacally as he tortures Izaak and Bronte
Boy holding his balls
Poor Izaak’s testicles are reduced to a fine paste by his older brother’s cruel sense of humor.

Leigh soon spies an immense metal spinning top that looks like too much fun to turn down. Izaak, Bronte, and I join him and begin to make the steel monstrosity spin around. Bronte screams every time it lurches violently in a new direction, and I somehow give myself a nasty friction burn in my attempts to harry the poor girl further.

giant spinning device
Leigh and I terrorize poor Izaak and Bronte by throwing our weight around

It’s exhausting work. Tingha lies on the very edge of what constitutes the New England and the sun beating down overhead is strength sapping.

Eating in the Valley

Despite having only dined on leftover Chinese food a scant ninety minutes earlier, the boys are famished. We make a pilgrimage underneath the monkey run and to the quaint cafe where an assortment of fairground fare is available.

lucky dips
Lucky dips! I feel 8 again!

A cornucopia of candy and toys likely to make a child’s eyes light up are scattered around the space, but we restrict ourselves to the basic fairground food groups:

  • Hot dogs
  • Soda
  • Fries
  • Burgers

You know, the foundations of a healthy diet.

Monkey sign
Caution! Monkeys!

We take our meal at a table that has seen better days. I imagine those better days may have preceded my birth.

While the family hungrily scoffs down their artery coating meals, my mother and I snatch up my camera and go exploring.

The Gardens

Perhaps more impressive that the ingenious collection of playground toys that are Green Valley’s primary draw are the well tended and manicured gardens that surround a quaint artificial stream and lake. It truly is a seemingly implausible oasis in the heart of rocky, dry land.

The walk takes us past a number of cages in which various Australian birds chatter happily. A foursome of Sulfur Crested Cockatoos screech cheery hellos at us as we pass and the monkeys scamper overhead to reach the peanuts being offered up to them by children who clearly can’t read the sign.

stone bench in the shade
I was fascinated with this bench. So serene.

Once we’re past the cages, it’s lawns and quiet nooks along the artificial stream that feeds the equally artificial (but no less serene) lake.

A small footbridge takes you across to a modest zoo in which a sole Wedgetail Eagle, deer, ostrich, and yak are joined by a small collection of kangaroos, emus, dingoes, and bush pigs. It’s hardly the most exhaustive zoo, and some might even say it’s a tad depressing, but it’s about as close to non farm animals that your average country boy is going to get without a lengthy drive to Sydney, Brisbane, or Dubbo’s Western Plains Zoo.

yak
A yak by the less attractive relative of the park’s stream
lizard
A friendly local lizard

The Water Park

Arguably Green Valley’s most popular attraction is its relatively new water park. In what is dry and warm country, the prospect of a truly gigantic water slide and a blessedly cool pool at its foot was enough to have brought us on the 45 minute drive through some of Australia’s most uninspiring terrain.

Hairy man on a water slide
I’m as graceful as a dugong as I plunge into the water

The slide itself, a colossal thing requiring a not entirely OH&S compliant climb up slippery steel steps, is a blast. I lost count of the number of times my brothers and I hurried up to the top and hurled ourselves back down only to do it all over again.

young boy on a water slide
Izaak isn’t much more graceful in his arrival

There’s also a newly built and brightly colored water park full of fun fountains and the like to keep kids occupied. My foster brother got a kick out of playing beneath the tipping buckets and in front of the spitting turtles.

colored water buckets
One of many cute water features in the water park
green valley water park
The water park in all its glory

By the time we’d grown tired of plunging face first into the pool it was close to 4pm and the park had begun to empty out. But the park’s two ‘thrill rides’ remained untouched and I couldn’t let that stand. Onwards, I say!

The ‘Thrill’ Rides

Green Valley boasts two rides that I guess might classify as thrill rides.

giant slide
The giant slide terrified me as a kid (and still does as an adult…)

The first, a huge slide down which you can fly on a tattered piece of hessian, holds many terror filled memories for me. We older siblings decided against risking the scorching hot tin and the moment of terror we recalled all too well from our childhood at which point your ‘bounce’ on one of the slide’s humps took you dangerously close to plunging the 6 or 7 meters to the rocky ground below.

Not that it ever happened, but the heart in your throat moment sticks with you.

green valley roller coaster
Izaak readies the ‘roller coaster’ for his first ride. I offer words of encouragement.

We did, however, brave the park’s most unique attraction – a hand built ‘roller-coaster’ that needs to be push started and upon which only a battered old tire stands between your enjoyment and a painful tumble. There’ll be video of the whole affair soon enough, but suffice to say it’s one of the loudest and most enjoyable 15 seconds of your life.

It’s totally worth the minute of sweating and grunting it takes to get it back to its starting point.

Loud and enjoyable fifteen seconds. Sweating and grunting. This is all sounding a little inappropriate.

Our quick and dirty ride down the ‘coaster would call an end to our day. Exhausted and just a little sun-burned, we put Green Valley Farm to our backs and made our way home for an evening of BBQ and ice cold beer.

Not a bad final day with the family.

Go there, right now!

I hope I’ve done Green Valley Farm justice. While some of my observations might be sarcastic or paint it in a weird light, it’s that weirdness that I found so thoroughly charming. It’s not the kind of glossy, picture perfect place we generally like to present to our tourists – and it’s all the more authentic because of it.

Not many people include the New England on their Australian itineraries, but the place is littered with quaint and quirky places worth a look. Green Valley farm is just one of many strange and beautiful places waiting to be discovered.

Green Valley Farm is located 15 minutes drive outside of Tingha in northern NSW.Their website has detailed directions from several NSW country towns.

Entry is $10 for adults and $5 for children under 13 years of age. An additional $2 is charged for access to mini goal and an additional $6 for access to the water park.

There are also cabins and camp-sites on site, a tennis court, a pool, and a stage for live music.

green valley farm pinterest australia

 

Australia, China, ESL Teaching, Life on the Road, Musings

I Quit My Job to Travel

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Quitting to Travel

It wasn’t quite as inspiring as how Tom Cruise did it in Jerry McGuire (a guilty pleasure of mine), nor did it check off the ‘quit a job dramatically’ item on my bucket list, but it still felt pretty good to hand in my resignation and explain to my boss and my co-workers that I was going to quit my job to live in China and get some more travel under my belt.

Hell, it wasn’t even as exciting as reading Kieu’s entry about quitting her job to embark on a round the world trip with her boy and GQ Trippin’ partner in crime.

popcorn machine and red carpet
What other workplace puts out a red carpet, popcorn, and a fairy floss (cotton candy) machine on a work day?

But that didn’t mean I didn’t smile as co-workers talked about being jealous of my upcoming travels or friends congratulated me on being able to escape the rat race.

And that’s just what I was doing. While I did enjoy my work and absolutely adored my work environment, one of the things I’ve said from the very start of Aussie on the Road was that I was trying to avoid an ordinary existence. And while call center work isn’t the 9 to 5 doldrums that I’d always prayed to avoid, it wasn’t exactly the liberated life of the bohemian traveler I’d like to be.

And so, I decided to quit my job. I might have had a new gig lined up in advance, but said new gig is in Nanjing, China – so I figure it’s still pretty ballsy.

Farewell iiNet

For the seven or so months I’ve been back in Sydney since my midnight run from South Korea in early 2011, I’ve been lucky enough to work at what is without a doubt one of the best employer’s in Australia.

A man with some sangria
Free sangria at an iiNet party!

While we might not be making mad money answering phones and handling customer complaints at Australia’s second biggest internet service provider, we’re definitely treated a lot better than what I experienced during my time with Telstra (Australia’s #1 provider) or how friends at other call centers seem to be treated.

In addition to a crazy amount of free food and drink, regular social outings, unrestricted access to the internet at work, free weekly massages, and discounted internet – the entire call center always felt like a home away from home to me. I can’t recall a day where I wasn’t greeted with a friendly face as I entered the break room or settled in for a day on the phones.

There were also regular opportunities to head over to one of our off-shore (Auckland, Manilla, or Cape Town) centers on three months secondment that would have been a great way to get a bit of travel under my belt, but the chance to jet off to China was too good to refuse.

I wrote more about what a fantastic workplace last week, but suffice to say that while I wasn’t exactly sad to hang up on that last phone call – it was sad to have the elevator door close behind me and step out into the warm evening air knowing I’d never be there again.

To George, Bathurst, Daniel, Belinda, Omar, both Michael’s, Patrick, Ben, Mark, Alastair, Tim, Samantha, Johnny Ho, Cam, Timm, and Matt – thanks for all of the entirely inappropriate conversations, in jokes, and helping make even the most obnoxious customers bearable.

To Urmi, Amber, Mabel, Katie, Crystal, and Lauren. Thanks for being both great eye candy and genuinely fun people to chat with.

To Brenden, Ross, and Craig – thanks for being fantastic team leaders and helping to make my time there so pleasant. Brenden in particular deserves a huge high-five for his wonderful support with my battle with depression.

And to the girl who earned me the nickname of ‘photo booth’: thanks for the memories…

A Fitting Farewell

So many of my early evenings at iiNet were spent at the very groovy Stratton’s Hotel (which I’ve previously mentioned in my Ode to the Pub Meal for its fantastic schnitzels), so it was fitting that a few of us headed down there after the final phone call had ended.

Tim, Ben, Alastair, Urmi, Arfan, Poland, George, Michael, and I were soon standing in the regular spot that seems to be claimed by employees of iiNet.

While I did say in my post about depression that I was going to quit drinking, I’ve recently ‘softened’ that rule. While I am enjoying the occasional social beer or glass of wine over dinner, I’m still determined to avoid slipping back into old habits of binge drinking to the point of black-out. Thus far I’ve managed that without too much hassle.

So it was that I had a couple of beers and one delicious glass of Canadian Club & cola before it was time to bid everybody farewell, so that I’d be home and in bed early enough to be up for my early train trip back to sleepy Ben Lomond to spend some quality time with the family.

farewell drinks
Alastair, Urmi, myself, Tim, and Ben enjoying farewell drinks at the Stratton.

Thanks to Urmi for getting this (blurry) shot of us all together to commemorate the occasion.

Nervous

I write this having just returned from a fun five-day visit to my family home in Ben Lomond. I’ve got an entry or two in the works about my time there and a pretty epic adventure I went on during that time, so keep your eyes peeled.

My visa paperwork and official invitation to teach in China is due to arrive this Friday. From there it’s a matter of submitting the application, waiting a few business days, and picking it all up before I fly out (hopefully) next Friday.

But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit nervous about all of this. It was fun to daydream about the day I would quit my job as I sat at my desk and clock-watched, but the realities of it are hitting me now that it’s actually in motion.

It hit home when I had to hug my brother, Dom goodbye at the train station yesterday morning and realized I hadn’t had a chance to say a proper goodbye to Leigh before I’d left. It’s hard to fathom not seeing either of them until next year. While I’ll see my parents and younger siblings next week when they come down to see me off, it’ll be a long while before I see Dom; Leigh; my sister Heather; or my adorable nephew, Ezekiel again.

Chris, Dom, and Leigh Bush
Posing with my brothers, Dominik and Leigh, before I left for Korea in 2007

I’ve also got a lot of packing, cleaning, and farewelling to do before next Friday. While I’m certainly looking forward to the social side of that and appreciate that my time is in such high demand, I’m not looking forward to the inevitable sadness when the cab door closes or the bus pulls up and it’s time for me to bid another good friend adieu.

Friends in a boat
Magro, Dave, Steph, and I together at Tea Gardens in 2011

The Scary Road

I’m more excited than I can ever recall being before embarking on a new travel adventure, but that doesn’t make this part any easier. There’ll be a few tears shed before the plane touches down in Nanjing.

But nothing worth having is necessarily easy to get. I remember well nights in Korea spent crying because I missed my family or my friends. I recall how difficult it was celebrating Christmas away from home and how it felt to be away from the family when they needed me there.

Kiwi Basecamp, Christchurch
Backpack at the ready as I arrive in Christchurch in 2010

It’s easy to dwell on those fears. I think a lot of people let those fears lock them into a life that isn’t necessarily the one they want. It might seem like the decision to quit my job to travel was some cavalier decision that I made, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

I fairly agonized over whether or not to do this. Was I ready? Was China were I wanted to be? Would I be happy there? Would I able to adjust to teaching older students? Was I leaving Sydney for the right reasons?

The easy thing to do would have been to suck it up and stay in my current situation. I could continue saving for the US trip I’ve been daydreaming about or my planned return to Fiji. I could take a few weekend trips in the hope that they would help abate the wanderlust that has gripped me for the past six months.

Or I could ignore that nagging voice, swallow my fears, and take the plunge. It’s never an easy thing to leave the security of friends and family and a secure pay check doing a job you’re comfortable in. But if I only ever took the easy route, I’d be married with four kids and managing a Bi-Lo supermarket in my home town.

And that, my friends, would make for bloody boring living and bloody boring blogging.

Bite with a Blogger

Bite with a Blogger: GQ Trippin’

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I’ve been lucky enough to interview some really fascinating and fantastic people since I started this Bite with a Blogger concept late last year. The Mellyboo Project, Wayward Traveler, Bitten by the Travel Bug, and Hola Chica Travels have all sat down for a bite to eat and a chat with me, and each time we’ve tried out a different restaurant and I felt like I came away from the interview having made a new friend.

Gerard and Kieu of GQ Trippin’ were no different. My first truly international (the others were all based in Sydney or Australian) Bite, these two American adventurers were kind enough to take some time out of their very busy travel schedule to sit down for a wee bit of Korean food with me.

I was just a little star-struck to chat with the people behind a blog that I believe to be one of the best ones out there. But Gerard and Kieu were so down to earth that soon we were shooting the shit and posing for silly photos as if we’d known one another for more than a few hours on a rainy Thursday evening.

The Venue

After Nicole from Bitten by the Travel Bug and I hit up the very good BBQ City for the very first Bite with a Blogger, I decided that Korean was again on the agenda as the three of us ducked into Min Sok Chon – which just so happens to be directly underneath BBQ City.

I’d eaten there a time or two before during busy work-days. While BBQ City does the best galbi, I was a big fan of Min Seok Chun’s ddok galbi (spicy chicken) and kimchi bokkeumbap (spicy fried rice).

Min Sok Chon runs a little expensive even by Sydney standards, but that seems to be the norm when it comes to Korean cuisine in Sydney. I guess I’ve been spoiled by eating it in South Korea. $30 a head is a far cry from 4000 won ($3.50) a head.

While the cheap food may not have made it across from the land of the morning calm, the same level of service certainly had. Soon we were surrounded by side dishes and being asked to squash together to allow our waitress a better angle to snap a few photos of us for posterity’s sake.

With some spicy chicken, a heaping helping of bibimbap, and some tofu soup – we were off and ready to chat.

The Interview

How long have you two been travel blogging?

We’re newbies on the block. We’ve been journaling our travel experiences together for over five years now. However, we’ve officially been travel blogging as GQ Trippin’ since August 2011.

What made you start a travel blog? Why did you choose the GQ Trippin’ name?

Originally, we started a blog to keep our friends and family updated with our adventures across the globe. It still is the main reason only now, we’re hoping to inspire a few to take part in something we enjoy most about life – travel.

GQ is short for Gerard and Kieu (pronounced like the letter “Q”). I once saw a series on MTV with Cameron Diaz called Trippin’ and thought it was a cool word for travel so I borrowed it.


Where have you been so far?

Oh boy, let’s see. In the past we’ve backpacked Western Europe; cruised the Mediterranean; indulged in bizarre foods in Vietnam and Thailand; and celebrated one kick-ass New Year’s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil just to name a few.

Currently on our way around the half-world, we’ve spent one month in New Zealand and another in Australia. We had a short stopover in Singapore and we’re now in Malaysia.

And where are you headed next?

We’re headed to India in a few days just in time to celebrate Holi!


Tell me about the couple blogging dynamic. Who does what in your team?

Gerard’s the mechanics behind the blogging machine. He’s IT, Help Desk, and Tech Support. In addition, he does the marketing. Someone has to keep up with Facebook and Twitter. It’s his expertise.

Me (Q), I’m just the voice behind the blog. 

What has been your most memorable travel experience?

We have had so many, it’s hard to choose. Our most memorable recent travel experience would be celebrating Reveillon (New Year’s Eve) in Rio de Janeiro with a few of our close friends on Copacabana beach.. and another 2 million or so strangers. But who’s counting?

What’s been the worst travel experience you’ve had?

We haven’t had too many bad ones, thank goodness for that. Not any lost luggage nor have we been pick-pocketed yet which I’m hoping I did not just jinx us by sharing.

But we did get hurricane’d out once during a trip to the Bahamas. Spent months confirming hostel booking for Ilha Grande, Brazil only to arrive from a long day of rainy transit with no rooms under our name. We had to squeeze six people into a tiny three person room. Not the best way to kick-start your trip in Brazil if you ask me.

 

bungee jump nevis
Thankfully, no bungee cords snapped during this particular jump...

What’s the scariest/most exciting thing you’ve done while traveling?

Bungee jumping in New Zealand was equally the scariest and most exciting thing we’ve done recently. And we jumped on my (Q’s) birthday no less. ANDDDDDDDD.. about a week after that video of the Aussie girl’s bungy cord snapped over Victoria Falls went viral on the web. Scared this shit out of me. Almost backed out. Twice.

In case you missed it…

You’re obviously in one big travel romance at the moment. What has been the hardest thing about traveling with your partner? And what is the best thing?

The hard thing about traveling long-term with your partner is equally the best thing as well.

The being with one another 24/7 has its highs and lows. We’ve had our fair share of temper tantrums, tests of patience, and lack of communication that we’re still struggling to work out. But ask us again and again, despite the lows, we would never have it any other way. The best part about all this is that we’re doing it together.

Aw…..


What is one travel tip you’d like to pass on?

Love is patient, love is kind… lol!

As cheesy and Nicholas Sparks-y as it sounds, we’ve often mumbled this to one another somewhere along the trip. Usually after we have had a dispute whether it’s over directions or food, etc. Beats having to constantly apologize. We’re just reminding ourselves to be patient and kind with one another in the unusual circumstances.

That is the last time I’ll allow that bastard Nicholas Sparks to be mentioned on this site. I loathe that man with every fibre of my being…

Which country has the best food in the world?

Vietnam for sure, and no we’re not being biased.

banh cuon
Looks pretty good to me! Photo from GQ Trippin'


What would be your ultimate travel dream?

I think we’re living it as we speak. 😉

Yeah, yeah; rub it in!

And finally, who is your favorite ginger bearded Australian travel blogger?

Just some guy who goes by the name of Aussie on the Road.

Aw shucks! I’m honored and flattered.

Fancy a bite?

Want to have a bite to eat and get some free promotion for your site? I’m in Sydney for another ten days and then I’ll be based out of Nanjing, China. Let me know if you’re in my area and fancy trying out some new food and having a chat.

 

 

Malaysia

Guest Post: Malaysian Honeymoon

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The following guest post comes from Shaun and Chrissy from We Roam Around. These two crazy Aussie cats are new to the travel blogging game but they’ve already got a bunch of adventures under their belt and they’re preparing to head out on a three month adventure through South America.

With my life being just a tad dull while I’m preparing for my Chinese departure, Shaun & Chrissy were kind enough to contribute a post about their experiences in Malaysia for their honeymoon. Now I want to go there even more!

Malaysian Honeymoon

In October 2011 we got married and decided to have our honeymoon in Malaysia. There were a lot of reasons for choosing Malaysia: price, travel time, and contacts; but the main one was that I wanted to go back to Tioman Island (Pulau Tioman). I first went there when I was 9 years old, and wanted to see if anything had changed, plus thought it would be a good tropical escape for a relaxing honeymoon.

a monkey

Of course Chrissy wanted to do some shopping, so we couldn’t just go straight to Tioman, and it was our honeymoon after all so we decided to splurge a bit and stay in a clubroom at The Royale Chulan, located very central (within walking distance to the Petronas Twin Towers). The service was excellent and the concierge was extremely helpful with any questions we had. We were fortunate enough to also have friends over there who lent us their driver and car so we could go and see the sights whenever we wanted.

The most important thing for Chrissy however, was the location; it was fantastic! Walking distance to any shopping you could possibly imagine. All the brands: Gucci, Coach, Burberry etc. etc. and huge shopping complexes that you would need all day to get lost in! As you can imagine she spent a lot of time shopping!

Tioman Island was, however, a completely different experience. It’s quite a small island with only one road joining the west and the east sides of the island.  The main way of travel is via water taxi, but there is also a walking path that goes right around the island, connecting all the various villages and resorts.

melina beach

The place we stayed was the Melina Beach Resort, which was quite nice. You do have to be pretty careful at Tioman and really research where you are going to stay because we saw some pretty poor resorts while we were there. We can honestly say that Melina Beach is a safe bet though. Clean, friendly, nice food, quiet, and set on a beautiful beach.

The only downfall (or you could also see this as a good thing) is the location as it’s very tucked away. It’s set between two sleepy villages and it’s not the easiest place to get back to if you want to get a water taxi to one of the other villages for dinner. This was a very nice place for a lazy, quiet beach holiday. Don’t get me wrong though, there’s still things you can do such as, kayaking, jungle walking, and snorkeling straight from the resort.

I guess, what I’m trying to say is; if you enjoy your holidays with a bit more loud music, friendly backpackers and cheap food, don’t spend too long at Melina. I would recommend heading up the island to somewhere like Salang. This had more of a party atmosphere and there were other restaurants.

If I could recommend a holiday to Tioman, I would say do half/half. Spend half your time somewhere like Salang so you can party a bit and make friends then spend half your time somewhere like Melina so you can spend all day on a day bed on the beach, listening to the waves roll in and out, and finishing a good book.

We also ended up doing the four hr trek from Tekek to Juara. This was a huge mission. I would recommend it because the walk was beautiful and not too tough. But I would give this advice: take lots of water and go as early in the day as possible! Also, when you get to Juara drink at least two 100+’s. (A 100+ is a sports drink that you get in Malaysia, you’ll see it everywhere and it’s great for re-hydration). The walk is not too challenging but it’s so humid that you lose so much fluid. I think I drank two litres of water in four hours.

blind turtle

But, when you get to Juara you are rewarded with great snorkelling, some great food, and a turtle hatchery. Generally you wont be able to see baby turtles but they do have a 6-year-old Hornbill who lives at the hatchery. Unfortunately this turtle was born blind so they couldn’t let it into the ocean because it wouldn’t survive. It now seems quite used to humans and even likes a good pat!

So if you want a beautiful tropical destination slightly off the tourist track, be sure to consider Tioman Island as part of your next trip to Malaysia.

 

Guest Authors Bio – Shaun and Chrissy are a 20 something Aussie couple who run www.WeRoamAround.com, an independent travel blog. They are just about to spend 3 months in South America and will be blogging the entire adventure. Check out their site at www.WeRoamAround.com

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