Overseas Adventures

A MOROCCAN EXPERIENCE

2007-04-23T07:41:00.000+10:00

A typical village
2 Weeks in this very different place was a step back in time. They still cart by donkey & mules, shepherds with their flock living in tents in the fields,water carriers selling in the markets,many beggars in this poor country, people living without running water in their homes & filling containers at the local well, & many, many shops, all the size of a cupboard, vying for the tourist dollar as they all sell the same thing it's just who can entice the tourist through the door to part with their doe?
It was not as hot as I thought it might be, but then that suited me just fine & I considered the weather to be just that. At least for travelling & walking which we did a lot of.
Arriving in Marrakech for 4 days, we then made an eventful overnite stop in the Sahara Desert, with a camel ride, sleeping in tents & a sand storm for the added excitement, which I can assure was no fun going to the toilet in!!! I leave that to your imagination.

The tranquility & silence the next morning was well worth the copious amounts of sand eaten during the nite!
We were entertained & fed by Berber Men of the Sahara in their striking blue turbans & jellabs & which I couldn't resist buying a turban at least.

I got a bargain but it was hard work!

But you need to be carful of the men, they are onto us white women in a second & we received many offers of marriage, I could have got lucky? but I did resist all offers.
From the Desert we headed to Essouira on the coast , where we had a little trouble finding accommodation & were led around & around by a young lad, not too sure of his real motives, until our packs got the better of us & we took the first empty hotel we found, cheap & only a little dodgy.

It was a most relaxing stop provided you stayed out of the souqs, they are torturouse if you can't bargain & so I was tortured constantly, but I tried to have as much fun, although that became my down fall as I would smile at everyone so they took it as an invitation, naturally! I can only say I'm glad I had limited funds so that I couldn't buy all that was on offer. There were some great things I would have loved to have.

We then headed North to the capital Rabat, after a short delay due to the Kings arrival & all buses were comandiered for his soldiers, & then he didn't arrive!
That was the last we heard of him as we travelled in the opposite direction.
Rabat was uneventful except for the Kasbah & its Gretian like streets which were very pretty & enchanting.

Looks just like Greece so I'm told
We then hit Meknes & Fez, an amazing maze of streets, alleys & narrow winding paths, each brimming with goods of every sort for all types, needs & desires.

Fancy an icecream?

Donkeys & motorbikes are the only things that fit in these narrow alleys

Our last stop was Tanger on the tip near Spain, & we were glad we only had one nite here, it was a very uncomfortable place, with men following & learing at you all the time.
We had some great food & I tried to try all different sorts of things that I came upon even cows kidney stuffed with offal & other things which was very tasty.
It was a very cheap place but by the time you pay for every little thing & tip every one that passes you end up spending as much as elsewhere, almost!
But I did discover that Morocco is about 5 things - SHOPPING, EATING TAGINES, SHOPPING, DRINKING MINT TEA (which was delicious) & THEN MORE SHOPPING!
SO IF YOU WANT A BARGAIN MOROCCO IS THE DESTINATION
Some photos to hopfully capture the place

The Atlas Mountains

GUY FAWLKS NITE

2006-11-06T06:53:00.000+11:00

A welsh setting

A tranquil moment in London countryside

It is really quite amazing here at the moment. All nite for the past week firworks have been going off everywhere, loud & smelly but oh so pretty!
It's climaxed this weekend with firework displays & festivals & parties all over the place & it doesn't stop. We all walk down the street jumping in our skins as they're going off every second, doesn't matter how used you are to the noise it still gets me.
I have just found Alexandra Palace, close to our area, a huge palace donated to the public in the early 1900's, houses an ice rink, pub, palace rooms, & the BBC broadcasting station & many acres of parkland, it is really beautiful & a nice walk for moi to tackle.
We found a local Farmers Market which is fabulous, so our weekly food budget of 30 pounds has just jumped to 60 pnd, such yummy food & organic produce to keep me happy & healthy. Found a mushroom man with the most amazing different mushys that you never see in shops, so had to try some varieties & we're trying pheasant for the first time!(it was absolutely delicious!) The varieties of cheeses were fab so we grabed some goats & chilli, & then we found the organic chocolate stall, they had run out of chilli choc so we ended up with white raspberry, it's waiting for the taste test.
School is going well, I get French lessons weekly paid for & have just started reflexology weekly, given by the school & I now have a laptop from them, so can't complain.
Still waiting for Kyle to get a job, hope it's soon as things are getting desperate, & I'm getting very stoppy about it all.
It's starting to get very cold now, ice on the windscreen already & it's not even winter yet. Need to get some winter clothes as don't really have much, but I do have a good coat, that counts.
CCCHHHHEEEEESSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEE & chocolate for a happy day, Love to all from us XXX

Castles Galore!!!

2006-10-30T00:35:00.000+11:00

What a week we have just had, Wales & Ireland in 6 days! Too fast, but it was fantastic.

Room for one!
WALES
I have been totally enchanted by Wales, what a magnificently beautiful place. The countryside is lush & picturesque and the villages are quaint & tranquil.
It is Autumn over here which adds to the beauty with the changing colours of the trees and the greeness of the fields dotted with white sheep & grey, handbuilt stone walls, eons old & adding to the charm of the scenery. We only saw a few Castles as we had more time in Ireland for that sort of adventuring, but what we did see of the Castles in Wales were impressive reminders of a once powerful & romantic history. Well romantic as we see it today but definitely a harsh, cold existence & certainly very difficult for women in those long, bulky dresses, no matter how glam they must have looked!
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We travelled the back roads as they are prettier, less traffic & a better view, even though it is a slower pace, (which I don't mind) & the roads are a little hairy at times & there's no-where to go if you do come across another car or tractor, but nothing compares to the charm of this countryside. And dare I say to my fellow Tasmanians, it is far prettier with the tree canopied roads & old houses & farms & elegant manors with little streams running by, the open fields with many trees & hedges dotted throughout the undulating landscape.
I will definitely return to this place with more time to explore & stay in the many B&B's & dine in the country pubs!
IRELAND
An expensive ferry ride to get there, so a few more days would have been desirable, but we had to get there & with all the other places to explore we wanted to get there sooner than later.
Definitely a place to visit in summer, it was cold & wet the whole 4 days & naturally we had to sleep in the car as we never have enough money, & at 4am it was pretty freezing, so winter must be quite harsh.
Everyone wears gumboots & they have some pretty fancy ones too, & no-one bothers about the rain, just get on with it anyway, out doing what you have to do.
We don't like the big cities, you need a few days to be able to explore them properly although we did find a park in the middle of Dublin that was huge, with reindeer wandering free, a zoo, a fort, a farm, huge monument, a lake & many playing fields that you could drive all the way around & through it.
We set off west to Galway & then around the south to Cork, Kilkenny & back to Dublin, there was a lot of driving & one day was so wet we couldn't even get out of the car so the photos were taken from the front seat & the exploring done in our head.
The country side was still lush & green like in Wales & properties lined with rock fences which give the place such character & charm & many villages are surrounded with the original stone walls from medieval times which is fantastic but makes it impossible to see over the tops & the roadsides are lined with trees & hedges that you can't see through, so much of the sightseeing is of rock walls, trees & hedges which we found quite amusing, every now & then you'd get a glimps of an old ruin or castle or something interesting & we'd say to each other, 'Did you see that?' only to have it hidden again before you could actually see what it was!
We did see quite a lot of old ruins, mostly on properties now neglected or too old to bother with, the roof fallen in & overgrown with vines & replaced with new buildings. We saw many Castles, they are everywhere, mostly old ruins, some privately owned & in peoples' backyards, (now that's fab, owning your own castle & ruins). Some turned into hotels & B&B's & pubs, shops built onto old ruin walls & a few have been restored which we managed to see inside, these were the bigger, well preserved ones, but we were quite amazed at the many small castles that were just one tower with a small walled off garden, not at all like the magnificent, huge castles we see in the movies, & they were dotted all over the landscape.
I loved the villages & towns with the shops & house fronts right on the footpath, all closely packed together & all exactly the same only painted different colours, which didn't take us long to figure out why, 'Which house is mine? The red with white trimmings or the white with red trimmings?'
But we soon discovered that 'Everything is better in Ireland!' The Guiness is truley superb, even I could drink it, (with a drop of blackcurrant, although some consider it a scralige, it is a popular ladies way to drink it). The coffee & hot choc were better, the food, the cafes, the friendliness. And the name RYAN, so popular we are, there was not a village anywhere without the name associated with some thing or other, Ryans' deli, Ryans' solicitors, Ryans' pharmacy etc. etc....
Yes we hope to get back here for more exploring & Castle spotting one day.

Globe Theatre at last!

2006-09-28T04:12:00.000+10:00

Well Hi there all you back home, we've been pretty busy getting settled, but not really doing a great deal, although I have been to the markets & we did get to see Shakespeare, 'Comedy of Errors' at the fabulous Globe Theatre, £5 for standing in the slums/peasants arena, & sore feet after the 2 hour show, but worth the effort. It was so grande to be there at last & see this famous & magnificent place & the play was well done, with good acting, a comedy with some laughs, pleasant weather, (luckily!) and amazing history. We went with our new house mate who is an actor & played one of the roles in Spain, so she really enjoyed it for many other reasons. We'll be back there for more I hope, but with everything else we want to do we're pushing it!
The markets are fabulous & even though I don't/can't spend too much money, (saving for the bigger trips), I enjoy just walking around watching everyone & checking out the stalls. They have great Punk/Gothic/cyberdog/funkerelic/alternative spaces & it's a hoot just checking it all out. The cyberdog place was really amazing & the clothes, music & effects are a sight not to miss, expensive, but looking like that doesn't come cheap!
I ran into an expo, London New Designers Awards, & saw some amazing, interesting, inventive, crazy, different, bizzare & clever stuff. Lamp shade made out of wooden pegs which looked really good, a plastic trolly which folded into a carry bag, all sorts of fancy designed chairs out of any material imaginable, innovative furniture & clothes & some great art work, some from glass that really caught the eye & imagination. So that was a great avo without Kyle as he can't cope when I spent hours looking at this stuff.
We got to Cambridge, but found it a bit uneventful, lots of people shopping & lots of universities, but not much else.
We've got a couple of weekends at home while we buy a few essentials, (at the market!) & catch up with our lovely freeloaders who put us up & say thanks. We're also saving as we want to head to Ireland when I get my first break in a couple of weeks, looking forward to that big time!
We love the area we're living in, great cheap shopping with Greek & Turkish bakeries, delies & groceries, a few good cafes, close to a huge park, (Finsbury Park), & 30 mins by bus to the city & 30 mins to my work, I drive now as it takes heaps less time than the bus & is even a bit cheaper, (hard to believe but yes!).
Work is going well & settling in ok, lots of work to organise now that I've worked it out a bit but we're doing some great things in the class which also make it nice for us staff: we've set up a breakfast club & a cafe in our room so we get to chill out sometimes with a cuppa, all part of teaching living &social skills & communication, that's the way to enjoy work!
Couldn't post our pictures of The Globe Theatre for some unknown reason, try again later.
Until next time take care, HAPPY 80th BIRTHDAY DADDY, HAVE FUN!!! Love Mazz & Kyle XXX

Living In London

2006-09-16T02:46:00.000+10:00

Well it's been a while as we've been busy returning to Melb for visas, which was great to see everyone again & catch up & tell stories!
Now we're back in London living the lifestyle which is expensive, but we'll manage. As long as I can save so that we can travel as much as possible, which is the whole idea of being in this place.
So far so good, we're loving it & plan to be off every weekend possible to explore a new place, I really hope so, or we may as well be living back home.
Finding a place to live proved a little difficult, as Mother & son we didn't really endear ourselves to many vacancies, especially wanting to live in the same room together? Eye brows raised & silent questions not asked, but we know what they were thinking, (& me a teacher with a reputation to uphod!).
It took 10 days of searching, ringing & talking (or refraising my language to make us sound better), but we managed to end up in a really nice share house where they understood our plight, at last. So we're in Manor House, half way between my work & the city, so not bad. there are 7 of us living together & a great mix from all over the world, Spain, the Panama, Portugal, France, & us 2 Aussies, & a mix of proffessions as well, an actor, opera singer, cartoonist, chef, events manager & teacher & one unemployed youngster, (but he is looking - a bit half hartedly, but it's a start). And I can't be too hard on him as it's really his first experience & in a new country, but he wants to do so much & it all requires £.
My job is fantastic so far, I have 9 really high functioning young teenagers, who are all lovely & no real behaviour problems, so that's nice, 2 aids, now that's hard to get used to, we don't get that in Australia, & a teaching program that's already been set out in the curriculum so all I have to do is follow the steps basically, & add a bit here & there, so we should get through the year ok.
This weekend we're off to check out Camridge, not too far away, so at least we're putting our theory into practice & actually getting out to see the place, I'm happy about that.
Kyle has found his card group, (Yugio or whatever it is he plays) so at least he's starting to get involved & out as he's a bit bored, until he gets a job!!!
Out of time, so until I get back, take care all XXX

Person Anonymous!

2006-08-02T14:39:00.000+10:00

What can I say to you except WHAT IS YOUR ISSUE?
Are you bored or are you just a dick!
3 pages of comments all saying pretty much the same is a bit ridiculous, even for the most liberally minded!
Nice comments about our blog, but what are you actually trying to do or say?
But mostly what I'm pissed off about is why are you using our blog to post links?
Do you realise that it's really easy to set up your own blog which you can use for this sort of thing.
Our blog is not for your advertising so please refrain from doing this, we also do not advocate gambling & do not wish this sort of thing to be on our site.
I ask you in the most couteous manner possible on a public site, PLEASE GO AWAY & DO YOUR SHIT SOMEWHERE ELSE!

To all my friens who this blog is intended for while we are travelling I ask you to ingnore these links & sites that are being posted on our comment page & to know that this has nothing to do with us & we are not connected in any way to this person nor do we approve or accept their using of our blog in this formate.
This blog is set up & intended for those interested in our travels & to keep those close to us informed of our adventures, not for any commercial or advertising use.
HAVE A GOOD DAY!

We've done it all now, Well almost!

2006-07-28T01:45:00.000+10:00

It's been a fast 10 days wizzing around Europe & we've seen heaps but feels like we've just skimmed the surface in such a short time.
But I got there & I've done it & I'm happy & now I know a bit more about the world & where I want to come back to & explore some more with more time & heaps more money.
We got to Germany & Ramstein for Kyle so he was happy, although there's nothing special there he got his photo taken under the RAMSTEIN sign to prove he made it. We loved Germany, friendly, clean & picturesque, with the most amazing food & the only place we found swimming holes to cool us in this icreadible heat wave we've struck here in Europe.
We got to Luxembourg, Belgium, Amsterdam, the Holland coast & back to France for our ferry back to London.
Gotta go out of time, catch you all soon, Cheers

Some Things Need to be Shared!

2006-07-14T22:03:00.000+10:00

I had just got off the double decker bus in London after a rain storm & walking along the street I notice the guy in front of me start to run (he got out just in time) as I see a truck come around the corner & through a huge puddle which splashed up & covered me from head to toe in mucky, dirty street water. Yuck!!! It all happened so quick & I had no-where to go, stuck between the road & the building. It was a good laugh for all those who witnessed & what else can you do in those situations except laugh!
That night I had to clean myself (this was before we found showers at Kings Cross station) so we found a lane way & Kyle punched holes in a plastic water bottle & tipped it over me while I washed myself, a real bush shower, it was very funny, especially when some-one walked past!
Trying to live on £20 a day in London is quite a challenge but a good exercise for future travel & living experiences. Thank goodness for Whetherspoons & their cheap meals, 2 for £5.50, so 2 meals a day & a bus ticket each & the budget's gone. So lots of sitting in parks, reading & juggling (I'm getting better, slowly!).
It's certainly a good time for Kyle & I to really get to know each other! I think that's good.
We lost our fantastic sleeping spot we had found in a quiet dead-end lane where we spent a week of uninterupted nights & mornings until the neighbours confronted us & told us we had better move on or they'll have to inform the authorities. It was a shame as we were very comfortable & felt safe in our little corner of outer London.
It is really hard to find a good sleeping spot where you don't get woken up early by the local traffic, I'm always waking Kyle saying, "we have to get going there's too many people" & he replies, "where I havn't seen anyone", "No that's cause you're asleep!"
He hates waking up early & hates me draging him off to see stuff, (that's because the only stuff to see has to be free & that's more galleries & museums!!!) & I've said it before "there's only so much you can see & take in".
But I want to make the most of London while we're here!
We did get to the TATE MODERN, (I see where Inveresk, (Tas) got their achitecture ideas from, it's exactly the same, nothing's new is it?) & what we saw of it was great, some really interesting contempory art.
Next I hope to go to Shakespeare's Globe & for £5 you can stand for 2hrs & see a play, but I reckon it would be worth the experience, if my legs hold out!
& I'm still to get to Portobello Market, gotta have a look!
We went & hung out at SOHO, gay paradise! Some nice little boys there! & managed to have a fantastic avo tea in a fab patisserie that worked out to be $30 AUD, you just can't convert when in London it's too scary.
So we're slowly working our way around London & getting to see all different parts & working out the bus system. This place is so huge but doesn't seem to be or register as it's made up of all these little sections/boroughs.
I made a mistake earlier when I said Paris was more expensive, it was only because we were doing so much & had to pay for everything. London is definitely a killer & the money flies out of your pocket while you're standing still!
I love the fact that there are so many nationalities living all together, you can hear 10 different languages in as many minutes. Us Aussies brag about being multicultural, but it's nothing compared to London.
Not enough cheese for Kyle & he's been days without it, I'd better rectify that before he has serious side effects.
All for now, Mazz & Kyle. XXX

FESTIVAL TME!

2006-07-11T02:40:00.000+10:00

We fell upon a free music festival here in London, Finsbury Park, in support of a racist free society so you could imagine a great line up of world music & comedy events, great stuff. We found the circus tent & got ourselves some juggling balls & glow poi to keep us entertained in our low income state, so we're both happy now.
Although we're getting a bit sick of fried chicken, (it's pretty popular here & cheap), so naturally one's drawn to it. We've found the no-name equevallent of a supermarket & it's pretty good & cheap with no frills, & everyone sells alcohol, no shortage of that around!
We're getting a good look around the suburbs & checking out what's good & what's not & playing a fair share of pool, I'm getting good & can even beat Kyle fair & square now!
Saw Pirates & it's as fun & frivilous as you'd expect, but that's what it's all about & they do a good job of it.
Looks like we might be home around the end of July so looking for freeloading places for us to crash at until we sort it all out, any offers welcome & needed please! Looking forward to seeing you all again & catching up & filling you in, although we're loving this blog for that.
Keep smiling you lot, Cheers, Mazz & Kyle XXXXX

PHOTOS ARE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-07-08T02:22:00.000+10:00

everyone go back through our previous ones they have been updated with our fabulous photography of us and other things(all the places we've been), and ildi there is a Chimera(gargoyle) in there for you.
We've found showers at Kings cross station so we're set now!

Adventure Troubles

2006-07-06T06:34:00.000+10:00

Mad but happy

we're out of money till the credit card thing is sorted out so were not doin much and being pretty bored about it, but were still off to see pirates of the carribean tomorrow.weve become proud supporters of wetherspoons cos thats about all we can afford, other than that everything is fine and dandy missing everyone over there, lots a love and cheesy thoughts sent from Mazz & Kyle.

Back in London Town

2006-07-04T01:51:00.000+10:00

We're just passing through on our way to the top end of Europe, as we're running out of money & Kyle needed to get to Germany, we decided to cut through UK instead of driving all that way. We figured it was about the same cost doing it this way instead of driving but would take less time & we get to see more Europian countries up the top end rather than just France & I want to see more!
So back in London for a few days only but jeez it helps speaking the same language, we found Spain really difficult & had to sort out a few things which was near impossible when it's a different language. We couldn't even find a laundrymat & we never got better at the meal deal.
I started to get really desperate for Spanish food so we walked the streets until we found something & ended up getting steak & lasagna with Acky Breaky Heart playing in the background. The next night we waited until later as it seemed everyone goes out late to eat, but again missed the mark & everything was closing so we got a few last tapas/pintos & beers, then walking home we hear fireworks, & there's a festival on the other side of town, I've had too much to drink so can't drive, & so we missed that too.
I think we just missed Spain all together!
Our crossing on the ferry was excellent, some funny entertainment, very calm waters & saw whales, many dolphins & some flying fish which was an unexpected bonus to the trip.
Saw a great movie, The Constant Gardener, if you want something to see it was very thought provoking & nothing of what I expected.

Those credit card checkers appear to do their job well, someone tried to use mine to buy a set of golf clubs for $8,500 glad someone was on the ball & put a bar on the card.

Only stopping for a few days to fix up that & sort some more freeloaders for Germany,
The money's tight now so things are a bit boring for the both of us, but managing to use the spare time to practice those circus skills, a reason for everything.
Hey who's the annonymous comment maker on the sight, reveal yourself, or maybe you're just a fly in & we have no idea who you are, but thanks for the comments anyway.
Pictures are still on the way & hope I'm next talking to you from Amsterdam or someplace exotic like that!!!

It´s All Too Confusing!

2006-06-28T01:24:00.000+10:00

I´m waiting for Kyle to finish his shower & can´t get onto the sights I need so will add an update.
Yes, that was a shower, we couldn´t handle ourselves any longer so took a rather expensive hostel for 2 days while we sort stuff out about getting back to UK which is proving to be rather difficult at present.
It´s more expensive here than in France & we were told Spain is cheaper, we keep getting the bum end of peoples´ recomendations, I wonder what that´s all about?
Anyway we´ll finally get our smelly washing done, if the lady that we can´t understand comes back, she said she´d organise it, I certainly can´t cope with sleeping with it in the room, it´s that bad!
And we may even get to meet & chat to some different people if we´re lucky. I reckon we´re both going a bit nutty after 2 months of each others company.
It´s a very confusing city here & we keep getting lost & driving in circles & the road signs & traffic lights are crazy, I just want to get out of the city where it´s easier & I can drive slower.
Saw a couple of guys washing out of the drinking fountain this morning where we had found a place to sleep for the night, & thought that might be Kyle & I if we didn´t find this place. We´re doing alright with our sleeping spots though, usually just drive around until we find a nice place, usually by the coast somewhere, & most places are set up for campervans & caravan holiday makers & you´re allowed to be there, & they´re usually pretty full, especially campervans, they´re a big thing in France.
Well Kyle is clean & happy, now it´s my turn.
Until another Day, take care all XXXXX

ONE GOOD THING ABOUT EUROPE!

2006-06-27T21:48:00.000+10:00

"not baguettes again" the daily chore

typical Parisian street

They sure know how to make a good coffee.
and that coffee addiction that was cured(don't believe her she's lying) is now back in full force and she's lovin it.

Now in Spain

2006-06-25T23:41:00.000+10:00

We hit the North coast of Spain which was magnificent driving along the coast cliffs & little towns & are now in Bilbo Bilbao, where the increadible museum is by Guggenheim with amazing architecture & some fantastic art, but the building really is something to see! You may remember it was in one of those pictures from the leaflets out of the age last year, (the world form the air with fantastic photos from all over the world), anyway we had no idea we were in the area & it just popped up in front of us, I love it when that sort of stuff happens, complete surprise & a treasure of an experience. There were only a couple of art pieces that took our breath & imagination away, again much Religious artifacts & paintings & then some contempoary stuff that just leaves you wondering? But the building itself was worth the visit, not a straight line anywhere except the floor, covered in titanium that shimmers & the whole place has a feel of the sea & fish.
I reckon that´s where they got the design for Federation Square, very similar concept with the building structure visible & being able to look through glass & sections of the building.
The food here is quite different lots of little tapas, (small portions of fancy foods) that sit along the bar, usually uncovered, no prices on anything & we have no idea what we´re ordering or how it´s done so it´s quite funny to watch us stumble our way through each country & culture & situation.
Still going well but Kyle´s missing the pool table as they don´t seem to play in France or Spain & I think he´s looking forward to going back to England where he can play & talk to others for a change!
have no idea what we´re doing from here, I have to go back to England for a second, which is good news but a bit of a pity as it cuts into our budget & travel destinations, but as long as the outcome is wothwhile then that will be good.
Spain was quite different driving into with baskets of hanging flowers in the streets & many high rised apartments, one after the other, all on top of each other:
It´s much harder to get around as we know no Spanish, at least in France my high school French helped a little!
Sighning off

What I´ve discovered about the French!!!

2006-06-25T22:47:00.000+10:00

And right through the palace they go

look how pretty he is

The French don´t use the toilet, that´s for sure! Everywhere we go there are no toilets, even in these huge amazing parklands they have all over the place, no toilet! We found ourselves in Bordeaux on the night of the ´Fete De La Musique´´, massive crowds, to crushing point at some stages, bands playing all over the city in alleys & outside cafes, but no public toilet anywhere. Many puddles of urine in every covered doorway & dark alley, (alright for you guys), but nowhere for us women to piss! And if you do happen upon a toilet in the street they´re often closed at 8pm, what´s with that? You don´t need a toilet after 8!
Hence I´ve mastered the art of covert pissing, only works if you have a ong dress on to disguise the fact that your undies are around your knees, but I´m getting good at it, what else is one supposed to do? Kyle just laughs at me, again!
They love their car horns & honk all day & you don´t dare pause a second after the lights turn green, they´re right onto you, impatient bastards!
And they really don´t like the Poms, as soon as you say your from Aus they talk & smile & help, it´s really quite amazing!
Well it´s turning into quite an adventure now as we´ve headed out of the city & into the little towns along the coast where no-one speaks any English, so we´re doing lots of pointing & driving in circles.
The car´s getting good use & so far we´ve driven 1,500 miles (2,400km), not bad. But whoever told me that everything is so close in Europe has something to answer for, so far we´ve seen France & it´s huge, none of this driving 3 countries in a day?
I think Kyle & I are starting to go mad after 2 months together, we´re quite batty now as we chat away to each other & sound like a couple of mad idiots bantering away about nothing.
I´ve come to realise how much I miss conversation as there´s no-one else to talk to except Kyle & only so much you can say to your traveling companion & son each day! So far we´ve not been meeting many other travelers or those that speak English to stike up a converstion with & God help the first one I find, they won´t be able to get away!
Sorry about the photo situation, so far haven´t found a computer that we can download onto, pity as we have some great photos to share, but as soon as we can we will.
Chat soon XXXXXX

Traveling the Countryside

2006-06-22T04:19:00.000+10:00

We're now in Bordeaux, vine country, stretches for miles & miles, fields of grape vines, chateauxs, churches & the most amasing, ancient towns, & round-a-bouts!
Did the French invent the roundabout or do they just think they're fantastic? I'll be very happy to never see another one again, they are every few hundred yards but at least when you're lost you can keep going round in circles until you decide which direction to go in, & we've been doing our fair share of getting lost!
I'm loving the country roads & I don't have to go fast & can be a real tourist as I putt along checking it all out.
We had our first swim in the French seas & it was cold & refreshing, after so many hot days in Paris it was nice to have a swim. We found ourselves on another Island, Ile de Ré on the west coast near La Rochelle, full of ancient old forts & bunkers from the war.
The car's going well & usefull as we find ourselves running out of money, we sleep in the car & sneak into caravan parks for showers & to fill our water bottles, our diet of bagettes, ham & cheese is still sustaining us, with a bit of fruit in between & then we visit the fab patisseries but we've even found a supermarket that sells cheap wine to wash it all down with!
Our plans have changed slightly as an interview & trial day for a school has come up, so back to London before heading off to Germany where Kyle is very keen to check out.
We've decided it's too far & too fast to try & see any more than that at this point, so we're happy to see two countries reasonably well, even still it's pretty fast as there's so much. I've never done so much driving in all my life!!!
Choà for now, MAZZ & KYLE

Just a quick word from Kyle

2006-06-16T00:52:00.000+10:00

Heard people are trying to contact me my e-mail is cheesy.special.k@hotmail.com

AND WE THOUGHT LONDON WAS EXPENSIVE!!!

2006-06-15T22:17:00.000+10:00

We've managed to find our way around the maze & the language & the driving on the wrong side, all quite OK, amazing!!!
We've been doing all the touristy stuff, Eiffel tower, Arc de Triomph, Champs E'Lysees, Moulin Rouge, Notre Dame & it's all pretty fantastic, old, beautiful, busy, crowded & alive.
My feet are about to fall off, my legs are so tired & I don't recon I've lost any weight from it all, what's going on?
We've climbed so many steps but all worth it for the views of Paris, it is so huge, all the little streets running everywhere, if you don't stick to the main roads you're lost.
It's so expensive, I can't handle it guys, far more expensive than London because you're paying to see & do everything, (which must be done), but shit it eats into the budget in a big way. We've also not been able to get any freeloading so that adds to the cost. We're now sleeping in the car for our last couple of nights so that we can go to the Louvre & the D'Orsay.
It's also been stinking hot & Kyle & I can't wait to get to the beach, country & have a swim & relax, all this touristy stuff is so exhausting!
We've found fantastic little side streets full of cafés & restaurants that aren't too pricey, & I've sat in cafés along the siene & ate dinner by the river, all of which I've longed to do. We eat bagettes for breakfast, lunch & dinner because it's the cheapest, drink plenty of water from the free fountains around the city & occasionally buy a beer because I'm so hot!
We have to come back to do Disneyland, can't fit it in this trip but one wants to come back here as there's so much to see & do you could visit many times & still enjoy it & see new things. Maybe when Celina joins us?
Catch up in a few days, hope all is well at home XXXXXXX

In PARIS Finally!!!

2006-06-10T21:32:00.000+10:00

We've made it after many years of dreaming I'm finally here. Wow it's crazy, can't read anything, have no idea where we are or where we're going or what we're doing or how to find out cause we can't speak or understand anything/one! Even the keyboard is different & confusing! Is it any surprise?
Ian you'd love these motorways, it's great not having to worry about your spead limit & cruising along as fast as you like, as long as you keep out of the way of those going much, much faster, & do they go fast, even the little old ladies tear down the road.
We took the 1am night boat from UK to Calais (as that was the cheapest), slept on the side of the road for a few hours (that's one good reason about having a car, it's our third night in it now & we're a bit smelly!!!) & then spead off down the motorway, me crying with excitement, joy & sheer amazement that I've finally made it.
We hit Paris in a mad frenzy as I missed the last petrol stop & we were now on empty, managed to turn off & find a gas station ($100 AUS to fill, FUCK!)
I then nearly had our first crash as I'm leaving, GREAT START!!!
So then I was stressed, lost, confused & flustered, but still we drove around in circles until we found somewhere to park & try & find out where we are & what we're doing & we're still struggling to do that!!!
Oh well the real adventure begins as we navigate foreign languages & places.
Any tips at this stage are greatly appreciated as we flounder our way around the maze!
Our little car we bought has turned out to be a good one, I'm amazed at myself & my ability to pick them, considering I know next to nothing about cars. It's comfy to sleep in thank goodness, plenty of room for our luggage without being under our feet, (as long as I don't fill up the gaps with crap), & hopfully cheap on petrol after our last fill-up, It's also great to have the freedom & convenience to get around.
Time's up, hope to be in Paris for 2 weeks, providing we can find some freeloaders to help us, then we'll head out into the country side. Let you know what it's all like Mim.
Choa for now XXXXX

European Adventures

2006-06-08T21:13:00.000+10:00

Hi guys we're off to france tomorrow it's gonna be real exciting we got a car just the other day it's a greenish blue 1993 Vauxhall Astra no.L901 FGS, just so everyone knows in case we get into trouble and need help. we're in Folkstone now a little coastal town 10 mins away from the ferry(ti's a lot like a little tassie town) very quiet here and not much to do. found cheap accomodation last night, in the front seat of uor new car and was surprisingly comfortable. ohpe everyone else is doing well lots of love from Mazz & Kyle

In London Still

2006-06-06T00:18:00.000+10:00

the famous double decker bus(we love them)

Amazing up close

Hi All,
We are still loving London & all our Freeloader hosts have been excellent, friendly & helpful, so that's a bonus. I've managed to catch up with Jeremy Fee (uni days & some acting together), so plan to lob at his place for a few more days while we car hunt.
Yes we're on the big car hunt, many cheap ones, it's just getting around to view them that's a bit hard, but reckon it's the best & cheapest way to get ourselves around.
London is so expensive, spent more money here in 2 weeks than in the whole time in Malaysia, & we're not doing much, lots of walking & a little bit of beer drinking. We were introduced to the cheapest pub meals around, £5.95 for 2 meals, so that's where we hang out, 'Whitherspoons', & they're all over the place.
The sun has come out & the jumper's off, so that's a bonus & I found 'Brick Lane Markets', now that's a fabulous & very colourful place, (left Kyle at home playing the computer, so he was happy), & I was in my element just walking around & looking at the variety & bizarrness of it all.
Waisted a morning at Buckingham Palace watching the changing of the guards, what pompus nonsense all that is!!! Took Kyle on his first pedal boat in Hyde Park, a little bit more time waisting & spent quite a bit of time in the free Museums & Galleries, excellent stuff but very sore feet!
I've been doing a bit of bus hoping as it's a good, cheap way to see around London & try to guage where one might live if one had to find somewhere in a few months.
I've had a few interviews with agencies & it sounds positive, & I'd be very disappointed if I can't get a job in this climate & with my skills, but right now it's more traveling & sightseeing to be had & enjoyed before I have to worry about serious & sensible stuff like working.
Photos are delayed until we find the right connections & it's also very hard to get good photos, the postcards do such a better job, so if you're lucky enough to get one please keep it for me for when I get back so I can add them to the scrap book, thanks. It's all a bit expensive so hope you don't expect too many & if anyone gets one from Kyle treasure it, it will be a rareity, I certainly can't get him to write any, even though I've bought them for him & even put stamps on them. That's got to be a boy thing for sure!!!
Hope you are well & happy, we are & I could certainly get used to this not working stuff! But that might mean going to India for 6 months to stretch the money out, which could be a very feasible option.
Love to all, Mazz & KyleXXXXXXX

FINALLY IN LONDON & FEELIN GOOD

2006-05-31T23:00:00.000+10:00

We're here & it feels so great & so right. I've been waiting a long time to get here & I'm so happy.
We have found the most wonderful people on this freeloaders site, helpful, friendly, informative & fun & so our budget is going ok because of it.
we've been checking out all the streets on the monopoly board it's been real fun, been eating lots of that cheese stuff that isn't in malaysia(mmmmmmm cheesy goodness). been down the Thames, been to Greenwich where we stood in today & yesterday at the same time, (so informative & interesting). Saw Big Ben & Westminster, I can't believe how beautiful it is. Been to a few great British pubs & even like the beer, (so far Kyle's had no trouble getting one!). Seen amazing & interesting Markets, sat upstairs at the front of the double decker buses, of course, traveled the underground & had our ears assaulted by the terrible screeched until they hurt, (MIND THE GAP = for those of you who have been here!!!), and we've walked & walked & walked.
The architecture is amazing & beautiful & there's so much to see. My son picks on my enthusiasm & excitement, but I don't care cause it's all fantastic to me.
We have to move out of UK so that the agencies can legally look for work so most of UK will be done later, but that's ok as so far it's rained every day & is so F'n cold, I have so many layers on & still not warm, (winter's going to be fun!!!). But it still doesn't dampen my spirits.
We're not sure which direction to go, Ireland or Europe, we may have to toss a coin as both are going to be fantastic
Mazz & Kyle Signing off.

London at Last

2006-05-25T19:25:00.000+10:00

Phi Phi Island which was devistated in the
tsunami, but now all back togehter,
although those who have been here before
say it's completely different now.
Did some fabulous snorkelling here &
there's some fabulous remote islands that
you could enjoy, but we only did a day trip.

Check out that pile of chillies, there's never enough chillies in Thailand!
The fabulous Markets which I just loved & we tried
some great food & drinks, Thai donuts & sweets,
sugar cane juice which was fab & totally different taste
to what I've tried in Melb & I had a local
milkshake which they carry around in little plastic
bags & I didn't even mind that it was strawberry,
which I would normally refuse! trip.
The array of foods available was amazing &
most we had no idea what it was, & the fish &
chicken out in the open with flies all over & a bit
of ice to keep it somewhat cool!!!
We were still game & tried some interesting stuff.

Hello All Readers,
Well we hit London last night & it was a relief to feel the cold air except it's raining now & has been for a few days. We are staying with our first freeloader Habiba Nabatu who is African & absoutely beautiful & helpful & so welcoming & going out of her way to help us, it's amazing & so comforting, so trusting & open it retores your faith in the human race. We are here until 27 May then head to our next freeloader spot. If you know anyone about to travel then pass on the word about this 'Global Freeloader' site, it works & is fantastic!
On our budget we have less than £40 per day, a train ticket costs £5.40 each so the money's not going to stretch far. We went to St Paul's Cathederal but it was £9 to go in for a look, the outside was very pretty!
Anyway I'm very excited to be here, I feel like a kid with their first lollypop. Today we're just looking around & getting our bairings & sussing out how much everything is & what we're going to be able to afford to do!!! The feet are going to get a good work out!
We had to have a pub meal & try a british beer which we enjoyed, but that was the budget for the day.
The train system is almost identical to Melb so it makes it very easy, but the place seems huge & there's so much to see.
I think I would really like to work here as I feel I've been waiting a long time to get here & it feels so right.
I take back the statement about carrying all this stuff in my backpack, I had on the warmest dress, singlet, my jumper, coat, scarf, beanie & gloves; am I glad I packed it all, it was cold & wet. That's London!!!
Thanks for all your comments & don't panick we do read them, a copy of every comment gets automatically sent to my email address, so we see them all. But you need to make sure you sign your name as it's a bit hard to guess who's writing sometimes!
Nik please send your email address as the one we have doesn't work & if that was your comment without a name - keep the chin up fella, we want to see you over here sometime.
Off for another day of sightseeing in the rain, when I get Kyle off the game machine that he has access to, making up for lost time. Will post some photos when we have some as forgot the batteries for the camera yesterday. But have our packed lunch with us to save a bit that way, a bit different from Malyasia & Thailand where you can eat out 3 meals a day!!!
But I can tell you it's good to get a good coffee, I had to give up for a month as it wasn't worth it in M & T the asians don't get it like we do!
Take care all, Love Mazz & Kyle XXX

More random Adventures

2006-05-22T13:15:00.000+10:00

Well not much has happened lately went to phuket and didnt realy like that then we went to the east coast of malaysia(after travelling for about 26 hours) to the perhentian islands which we spent the time lounging on the beach getting sunburnt, we also went for a day snorkeling tour which was realy fun(as i saw a shark). now were back in KL doin all our last minute jobs before we get to london. were doin fine well miss the fabulous food though it will be a relief to get out of this heat finally, mazz wonders why she didnt listen to those people who said to pack less and take more money.

How many people can you fit in a ute? travelling in thailand we counted 22 in one of them it was ludicrous the amount of people squished into all sorts of vehicles 5 person familys on 1 motorbike 6 people squished onto the back seat of a car, and the amount of utes with so many people crammed on there wasn't any sitting room it was crazy. anyway thats the excitement for this adventure mazz & kyle singing off

Island Adventures

2006-05-11T15:32:00.000+10:00

OMFG Just came from the best little tropical island ever!!! KoLiPe in Thailand at the end of their season so we had the whole beach to ourselves with white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters just like in the brochures you always see(at last) heaps of really cool places i.e. stayed at the "PORN resort" & drank & played pool at "Pooh's Bar" & had coffee at the "Chill out" bar & met great people at the "Peace & Love" bar & at the 'MONKEY" bar where there was a very friendly baby monkey to play with. Went snorkelling for the first time it was the best,so much to see under the clear blue waters. had proper thai massages on the beach(ouch, but not as good as michele's) now we're in Phuket Staying at a fancy hotel for only $40 AUD a day but really kills the budget.
trying to post photos for all to see hope they turn out
kyle still likes his long pants even in this weather but did get him in a sarrong at the beach like a real local, & wears a ponytail!!!
what else to say: foods great and cheap, as is the grog(yipee), plenty of mozzies though(urgh) & flies for the first time since leaving Melbourne

More adventures in langkawi

2006-05-06T01:23:00.000+10:00

Our last chance for an update for at least 5 or 7 days. Off to KohLiPe tomorrow 6/5/06 by boat from Langkawi quite expensive RM100 each but we were told it's worth it, only to find out that it's the end of their season & everything closes on the island by the 10th May and our last chance to get off the island, so we're lucky to fit it in & will only be spending 4 nights there, but that should be ok. It will be interesting to see if there are other tourists still around or we might have the place to ourselves, but lucky we found out about that bit of info before we got stuck on the island!!!
Another day of fun riding around on the scooter! We got to do a bit of touristy stuff today, went on an increadibly high cable car up the side of the mountain to overlook the bay & cluster of islands(there are 99 exotic tropical islands in total). And a beautiful clear day it was, until we got to the top & the clouds came over & wouldn't go away!!! Just our luck, we waited about an hour & finally gave up, so we have photos of fog! We did cross the suspension bridge which was an amazing feat of engineering & architecture & quite scary, so was the cable car ride, so high & a little windy. We did get to climb the 600 steps to the seven wells which was pretty good once you got there sweaty & hot.
These Malay people amaze me with their scooter riding, most without helmets, wearing sandles, thongs & even dreeses & you should see the families, kid on the front, dad driving, kid in the middle, mum on the back holding the baby on the side & the kids often don't wear helmets. There seems to be no laws, young kids drive them with their sister/brother on the back & they carry all sorts of stuff loaded up & hanging over the sides. They seem to have their own road rules, driving on the wrong side, turning anywhere, crossing each others path & you hardly ever see the police. Don't worry we are very slow & safe drivers, but I wonder whether Kyle should be driving without a licence??? he doesn't mind though & is a pretty good driver(of course).
We've swum in healing waters naked & traveled as much of the island as time permitted, but we didn't get to swim in the sea, too busy riding. Keep that for the next spot when that's all there will be to do!
Gotta Go chat when we get back from KohLiPe Chao.

(mumsy with the fantastic view in the background from the top of the cablecar mountain)

(skinny dipping in the sacred healing waters)

Motorbike Adventure in Penang

2006-05-03T21:27:00.000+10:00

Hey we're in Penang & finally sitting on the beach drinking beer & swimming (not cooling off as the water is the temp of a bath), in the dirty water (the locals don't swim just leave that to the tourists who don't know how dirty it is) not crystal clear like the brochures?. But I'm wrapped to be here & enjoying the R & R.
We've found our fun, yes we took our lives at risk & hired one of these little scooter/motorbike thingys that they all ride here & went off for the day exploring the island, the best way to look around. For RM 50 = $20 & a few $ for petrol we spent 10 hours checking out & finding the most amazing places & getting all the stares, don't think many white people do this sort of thing!!! Kyle & I fought over who was driving as we both loved it, & don't worry too much we were very slow & careful until we got lost, found ourselves in the middle of the city in peak hour, Oh La La, it was mad, crazy & scary, they drive anywhere, wrong side of the road, no indication, passing you on the left & right side, but we managed & did well in fact. Only one little scrape into a wall (my fault) & grazed my arm, ouch, but don't tell mum.
So we want more, we had the best fun & saw more than we could have any other way, but boy did our arses heart by the end of the day!!
Off to Lankowi another picturesque island for a few days then onto another island off the coast of Thailand (gotta get to Thailand), Co Li Pe told it's great, but not going to the minland of Thai as heard there's unrest there at the moment. No internet there but cheap everything.
After this we come back & go to the East Coast of Malaysia & more island hopping.
Kyle is off fire twirling tonight with the locals & I'll drink more beeeeer.
All is well, will be back on after Co Li Pe in about 7 days
Cheers to all, run out of time XXXXX

Another day in KL

2006-04-27T22:29:00.000+10:00

It's hard to believe we're in another city!!! Still hot & muggy but learning how to deal with it: up early & out, inside in middle of day (either shopping plaza & there's plenty of them, or nap) then out again in evening. Experienced our first storm stuck for 3 hrs & napped in a chair while we waited.
Malaysia is an easy city to negotiate, everyone speaks English & everthing's written in English. The people are friendly & so clean, no litter & street sweepers & toilet cleaners wherever you go.
We're not good at bargaining yet & way off our budget, so heading for the beaches at Penang & then on to Thailand to hopefuly spend less. Yes that's THAILAND (I think I know where I'm going). At least I know with Kyle at my side = calculator for the money convertion & navigator that you don't argue with = He's good!!!
Food is great, trying all sorts of stuff 'Frog Porridge' is my next adventure. Did the touristy thing & went out with a guide & it turned out great, took us all over & learnt lots, but mostly we're getting around well enough. Although watch the hawkers, held a snake & tried to charge us 10 ringet each, but they don't tell you that first, gotta know that nothing's free.
Have moved into a hostel which is cheaper & better, meet other travelers & get tips & chats.
You could buy heaps here it's well set up for the tourist trade, bulk discounts etc, but you need lots of money.
Lots & lots of walking, that'll be good for me, but the feet are sore, lots of reflexology which will check out tomorrow.
Will be good to get out of the city & see some of the real Malaysia, so no update for a few days as we get into some serious relaxing.
Take Care All, Love MAZZ & KYLE XXX

Were Finally Here and Doing it

2006-04-25T23:21:00.000+10:00

Well we made it, all that preparation & now can finally relax, if you can in this humidity. It's not so hot just sticky & sweaty.we've just been wandering a bit around the city today, checking out the sites. went to the twin towers (now the tallest buildings in the world).
You take your life into your hands crossing the street, everyone gathers at a spot & when there's enough people you just walk out in one mob & the traffic has to stop, on your own it's a little more risky but those with more guts just hold up their hand & step off the side walk.
The smells coming out of the gutters are a bit rank & definitely an assault on the nose.
the time situation is fine were only 2 hours behind Aus & you feel rich with all this Ringet in your pocket but don't go into a market they won't let you out in a hurry.
No freeloading yet, but the airconditioned hotel is good, we just need someone to show us around as it's a big city, and comes alive at night!!!
so until next time keep eating that cheese
Cheers XXX

We're Finally Off

2006-04-12T18:22:00.000+10:00

We've done it, Kyle & Mazz are finally off on April 24th at midnite. We'll be sorry to leave Celina behind, but I'm sure she'll catch up with us somewhere over there.
First stop is Kuala Lumpa for a whole month, because it's cheap & Mazz wants somewhere to R&R before hitting UK & Europe, although I know I won't do KL by halves as I'll want to see & do everything possible.
We hit London at the end of May for a few weeks, hopefully we'll catch up with Ebony & a few others we know or have been given addresses & then spend summer traveling Europe & seeing some fabulous sights & having amazing adventures.
Will keep you all posted!!!!!