Bradley Around the World

Koh Samui Airport

2008-09-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

Is beautiful.

An airport, complete with Check-in, Immigration and a departures lounge, all outdoors!

I have no reason to doubt that this may be THE best airport in the world.

I'm just sitting in the Singha Sports Bar, in the outdoor shopping complex here, enjoying an ice cold...coke! That's right, I seem to have stopped drinking alcohol, but for how long...

During my whole time in Thailand I've had 1 beer and that was because it was bought for me. However i can imagine this alcohol free Brad will expire once i meet up with Danny in Australia.

I'll let you know how Singapore goes!

Leaving Thailand

2008-09-28T06:28:00.000-07:00

Well I'm leaving...again.

This time however, not back to England. I'm heading to Singapore!

And I couldn't have chosen a better time to head to Singapore, the weekend of the first ever Formula 1 Night Race. My flight leaves from Koh Samui this afternoon so I'm off to say my goodbyes and get packed ready for the trip.

I also have the pleasure of flying from Koh Samui airport, which the Thai Ministry of Tourism have dubbed 'The Most Beautiful Airport in The World'. I'll let you know if it lives up to the suggestion...

No Deviations

2008-09-22T23:22:00.000-07:00

That's right! I'm not deviating from my itinerary!

I have my flight booked from Koh Samui, Thailand to Singapore on the 25th September and my onward flight to Brisbane Australia is also in place. So this time there will be no return trip to England.

I've spent most of my time here in Thailand in Koh Phangan again. A day in Bangkok when i landed saw me check into hotel, make some new Thai friends who i then went to see a movie with and book my gruelling trip from Bangkok to Surat Thani in the south. An 18 hour trip via Bus and Boat which sees me back, in what has become 'home' this year, Phangan.

Whilst here I've done absolutely...nothing...

Relaxing on beaches, eating good food and catching up with friends has been a great break. However, I'm really looking forward to heading down to Singapore to continue my original plans and then onto Oz, where I'll meet up with Dan.

My plan is as follows, but I wouldn't rely on my abiding by it in anyway, as when i meet up with Dan, only god knows what will happen:

25th Sep - Fly to Singapore

28th Sep - Fly to Brisbane, Australia

29th Sep - Land, meet Danny and ...?

Sometime around Christmas/New Year - Head back to Thailand (probabaly Koh Phangan)

After that - I don't know

I have been looking into the idea of attending a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foregin Language) course in Australia and then trying to get a job in Bangkok when I return to Thailand. However a friend of mine may also be able to assist with me acquiring a job in Thailand, as his brother is the manager of a Travel Agents in Bangkok and he has informed me there's a good chance he can get me a job there.

If so, I may spend some time in Bangkok working and such, before deciding where to go next. If not, then I guess it will be back to Australia, where I have the required visa to work and earn without having to return to England.

It's a tough life eh?

Well I'll update you with my Singapore adventures in a couple of days.

Back on track

2008-09-07T22:48:00.000-07:00

Back on track
So, again I'm off on my travels to Eastern Asia (and this time the
Pacific, I promise). After a rather uneventful coach ride from
Birmingham to London, I found my first spot of adventure onbaord my
flight to Bangkok.
After waiting in the departures lounge for several hours, I boarded my
Boeing 747. Just as the pilot charged the engines and prepared to take
off, he disengaged the engines and informed us that a fuel pump had
failed. We had to head back to the Terminal to take onboard another 10
tonnes of fuel. We were additionally informed however, that this isn't
a major problem, as this aeroplane has 20 fuel pumps in total and the
extra fuel was just precautionary.
So the time is 00:30 in England and the storm clouds that have been
hovering above our country for the last few days have given our plane
a very, very good shake.
We seem to have weathered the storm however and are now cruising, en
route to Bangkok.
The flight is expected to arrive at 17:30 Bangkok time (11:30 GMT),
so I'll be staying the night in Thailand's great capital again.
Here's a brief summary of my proposed itinerary, which will no doubt
be altered sooner than later:
6/9/08 - Flight to Bangkok
7/9/08 - Arrive in BKK and stay the night
8/9/09 - Head to the south on the Songserm coach and boat service (a
grueling 17 hour trip)
9/9/08 - Arrive in Koh Phangan
23/9/08 - Head to Kuala Lumpur, Malsysia, on some (yet to be booked)
form of transport
24/9/08 - Arrive in KL and stay the night
25/9/08 - Head to Singapore; again, on some (yet to be booked) form of
transport
26/9/08 - Arrive in Singapore and stay the night
27/9/08 - Board an aeroplane to Brisbane, Australia
28/9/08 - Arrive in Brisbane, find Danny and then...
Some time near X-Mas - Head back to KP, Thailand for celebrations
Some time after X-Mas - Head back to Australia

Expect some serious deviations from this, especially surrounding the
Christmas plans, as they are subject to ample financial backing from
working in Brisbane, Australia.

A good start so far. Our national football team won 2-0, I'm back on
track with my trip and dinner is about to be served.

Sent from my iPod Touch

Heathrow

2008-07-10T13:04:00.002-07:00

Heathrow

I've just landed. I have no idea how to get to anywhere from here and
this is MY country haha.
Should be an entertaining afternoon trying to get back to Birmingham!

Brad

Bangkok - Round 2

2008-07-10T13:04:00.001-07:00

Bangkok - Round 2

Well I'm back here and this time I've discovered a whole other side to
Thailand. The non-tourist, Thai version of Bangkok.
I'm staying in an apartment block that's maticulously clean, there's a
cleaner sweeping the tiled floors, wiping banisters and walls and
ensuring there is no litter all day, everyday. For this I'd pay ...
140 baht (£2.30) a day, which includes air conditioning and a spotless
apartment big enough for a couple to live comfortably.
I've learnt that 100 baht for a taxi (which I previously had believed
was a good deal for a 5 minute journey) is a complete ripoff! 35baht
(50p) will get you 2KM on a taxi meter. I guess you live and learn.
I've been eating at roadside noodle bars, which at first some may find
visually unapealling (a glass booth with a stove and plastic garden
furniture to eat off), but if ever you get the chance, eat at one of
these! The food is incredible. And there's an added bonus, the most
I've paid for one of these great meals is ... 75baht (£1.25).
I've also experienced every form of public transport Bangkok has to
offer! Bus, Underground (London could learn a LOT from the Thai tube
system), BTS Skytrain which is basically a citywide monorail, very
fast and the maximum fare is 50p and finally van buses, which are
basically open back vans that you flag down, jump in and pay 15baht to
the driver once you reach your destination.
Staying in the non tourist region of Bangkok was at first a little
intimidating. For the 15 days I stayed on Soi 77 of Ram Intra, I
didn't see another foreigner. A refreshing change after I aclimatised
to being the minority.
Thai people, from my experience here, are the friendliest people I
have ever met. The lady who owns our apartment block brought me a
basket full of treats to my apartment for my Birthday, people always
have time to assist with directions or help finding a place and the
general attitude Thai's adopt is one of 'mai-bpen-rai. No problem'.
Lets say you go to McDonalds and your food takes more than a couple of
minutes, in England there'd be an almighty fuss (I witnessed this only
the other day when an English woman got all stressed that the guy
behind her got his food first). Here people refrain from getting
annoyed over petty things such as this, after all your not starving
and when your food's ready, you'll get it. 'Mai-bpen-rai'!
After enjoying Bangkok it was time for me to head home.
I'll definately be coming back here, Thailand is a great place.
Whether you want a chilled out holiday on the beach, a part packed
break or a city vacation, Thailand really is the place to go.

London here I come... Great...

Brad

Back To Bangkok

2008-07-10T13:03:00.001-07:00

Back To Bangkok
Yup! It seems my funds have come to an end and it's time to head back
to BKK. However, my holiday isn't quite over. I've got some free
accomodation for a week or two and enough money to see more of Bangkok
than Khao San.
Today I have a 16 hour journey from Phangan to the Capital.
Time to pack.

Brad

Motorbike Accident!

2008-07-10T13:02:00.003-07:00

Motorbike Accident!
That's right!
I fell off.
Dan and I were discussing the day previous how amazing it was that
neither of us had fallen off.
I guess it was inevitable...
Anyway it was nothing serious just minor scrapes and such, nothing to
worry about.
As for the incident it was rather funny. I was driving behind a taxi
van full of people, I braked and the bike decided it wasn't keen on
slowing down so instead it went all wobbly and I fell off, infront of
all those people.
Doh!

Brad

Visa Run

2008-07-10T13:02:00.001-07:00

Visa Run
Urgh!!!!
A night boat for 6 hours, with no air conditioning, a sweaty mini-bus
ride with a bunch of hippies for 5 hours and a long-boat ride to
Myanmar sees me good until July 17th!
The return journey was just as disgusting, only the boat trip was
during the day and guess what, tomorrow is Full-Moon, so the boat was
full of drunken 'travellers'. Just what I didn't need after my mission.
Once I got back home to Koh Phangan I was met at the peer by some Thai
friends and I then attempted to drive a moped back to my bungalow. A
silly idea. After 22 hours without food or sleep my body gave in and
my eyes closed whilst driving! Fortunately, only for the briefest of
moments. It was then I decided that having a backy on a moped from a
girl was better than dying, so that's what I did. Looking rather
exhausted (and camp (only whilst on the back of the bike I might add))
I arrived home and slept!
Visa run over.

Brad

New Found Home

2008-07-10T13:01:00.000-07:00

New Found Home
Well Dan and I have cancelled our tour of the other islands here in
favour of staying in Koh Phangan. The beach raves, chilled out mood
and the fact that Harvey's bar is located on this island means that
we're staying!
I've also found out that the 800baht a day we're paying for our
bungalow is extortionate in comparison with some of the homes that are
available for rent here, from as little as 5000baht/pcm or 10000baht/
pcm (which is what I opted for) which got me a brand new bungalow with
air conditioning, a TV and DVD, electric shower (a rare thing out
here) and a kitchen! That's right, I can cook my own bacon sandwiches
and such in the comfort of my own home. Brill!
Now, I'm sure you all think we're crazy for not continuing to travel
the south islands and for staying here, but I'd be more dissapointed
to leave Koh Phangan than excited to see yet more beaches and
snorkelling spots.
So it looks like were going to be here up until June 18th or so.
Stay tuned...

Brad

Koh Panang continued...

2008-07-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

Koh Panang continued...
After a few days recovering from Half Moon, I was finally well enough
to brave the outside of the bungalow.
So we rented mopeds again, which I must say I'm becoming quite the
expert on, and headed north to Haad Yao to see what the beaches in the
north had to offer. The craziest moped journey so far, riding across
unfinished or unstarted roads and 20% downhills, got us to our
destination. The beaches, in comparison with Koh Samui left a lot to
be desired. Gravelly sand, dirty water and tourists everywhere are
what's on offer. It's just aswell that this leg of the trip isn't a
beach holiday.

Brad

Offline Blogs

2008-07-10T12:59:00.000-07:00

Offline Blogs

Here they are, the blogs I promised...

Brad

I'm Alive!

2008-06-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

WOW!

It's been wayyyy too long since i last blogged, sorry!

Well, where to start?

Last time i blogged i had just been to my first Half Moon Party, what a Thailand freshman i was!

Well to cut a long story short, Dan and I are still in Koh Phangan! We fell in love with the place after the insane parties, chilled out mood and great people we met and decided this was the place for us to spend our time in Thailand.

So I moved out of the resort (which was costing a fortune) and moved into a Bungalow in the North of the Island (a place semi-immune to the invasion of foreigners ever full moon party). My bungalow is...well it's gorgeous, a brand new build and i love it. And i get this paradise home for the shocking price of......200 GBP a month, bills included (Photo's to follow).

Now, Dan and I are quite the Phangan resident's. We have friends both foreign and Thai, it's irregular for us to go into town without seeing atleast one person we know.

However, i have a predicament.

My Australian Visa states that i have to have 2000 UK pounds in the bank to enter the coutnry and my arrangements to take care of this have fallen through...soooo it looks like i'm going to spend the rest of my holiday here in Thailand, perhaps travelling down to some of the other islands to see what they have to offer before returning back home.

My flights booked from Bangkok back to London Heathrow on August 14th (sad face), so I'll be seeing you all sooner than expected!

Afetr making a decision to stay here in Thailand for the remainder of the trip, i had to commence a Visa Run to Burma. Urgh! What a trip. 23hours of non stop travelling got me from Phangan to Surrtiani, Surritani to Ranong, Ranong to Myanmar and then back. A sweaty trip with no food or sleep see's me good for another month here.

I'll update you all with more information on what i'm up to when i have it/when i have decided, but for now I'm heading home August 14th!

I haven't got too much time to update with too many tales as i have very little money on me and i need to go and eat, but i'll be sure to upload my offline blogs as soon as i get chance so you can see what's been going on here.

Speak soon!

Half Moon Party

2008-05-16T19:11:00.000-07:00

Half Moon Party
A combination of alcohol induced memory loss and selective memory loss
means this blog won't be too long...

Wow.

...that's all.

Brad

Koh Panang

2008-05-16T19:10:00.000-07:00

Koh Panang
So we're here! The highlight of our Southern Thailand adventure. And
after less than a week it's lived up to all of my expectations.
On our first night here we decided to upgrade our room from the
cheapest bungalow to the most expensive. A whopping £5 a night extra
gets us air conditioning, a flushing toilet (that's right, the other
room didn't have one), a hot shower, satellite television and plug
sockets. Not a bad deal at all.
After unloading our packs we decided to head to Had Drin, party
central, to see what we had in store. A town made up of bars and only
bars saw us top up our depleting alcohol levels and decide that it
would be a good idea to ask a stranger if we could hitch-hike in the
back of his pickup truck. A great decision on my part, as the guy
lived opposite our hotel and we were back home in no time.
The next day we took a wonder up and down our street to find 'Harvey's
Bar', a brand new bar Dan had found, owned by a Scotish chap. This
time we really have found the greatest bar in the world.
This place is so new that the pool table had never been used, we order
food from a menu that hasn't even been written and after one nights
drinking, that sees us dust off a box and a half of Heineken, we're
now the barmans best friends.
So far, we've helped write the food menu; suggested, collected and
installed a Playststion 2 from the owners house into the bar and when
Harvey needs to pop out for a bit, we run the bar, serving drinks and
choosing what music to play. In exchange we often get the keys to the
pool table, I got to update my iPod from his HUGE music collection and
when we're the last customers he closes up, turns off the music and we
watch Family Guy until it's time to sleep or until it's time for
breakfast. It's like being back home in a mates house, who's
girlfriend cooks the food and you have a few beers whilst playing the
Playststion.
Half Moon tomorrow...

Brad

Paradise Found

2008-05-01T05:06:00.000-07:00

When I said perfect beaches, clear waters and easy living I thought it was wishful thinking. But that's exactly what we've got. Koh Samui is paradise. White sand and crystl water beaches with so few people on them it's incredible. The sea is warm and refreshing and the weather is fantastic. 35 degrees on average.
I live in a bungalow that looks out onto the sea. We have plug sockets and room service! Water costs 15p a bottle and a bottle of Heineken is about a pound.
The food is excellent, usually a toasted sanwich, burger and fries or a salad wrap.
This really is living the dream. I was up at 5:30am yesterday and went for a jog along the beach, sea splashing against my ankles as i ran. That Everest trek really paid off. Half an hour running in 30degree heat was only halted by my body's need for water, oh and the fast that 3 (rabid looking) dogs gave chase to me. However the resort owner reassured me that I'd be safe to continue "jus' thro' stone" she advised me. I decided against pelting dogs with pebbles and went for a shower.
Tomorrow we're going to rent some mopeds and book ourselves a game of golf at the local course. Because apparently I can ride a moped and play golf? I love Thailand.
Infact I'm quite the expert on the old Suzuki moped. Just 2 days ago I overtook an American guy, who was acting ultra cool, on a Harley Davidson...
We've got 7 more days of lounging around on the Koh Samui beaches until we leave for Koh Pang Nang, the paradise island with beach parties every night. Alcohol is bought by the BUCKET not bottle or glass and the government tourist adviser showed us a great photograph of a sign outside the Half Moon Party that read:
No Drink
No Drugs
No Weapons
from outside...

I think I'll be going to the SevenEleven to stock up on Paracetamol tomorrow.
Just had my 1st beer, hmm I wonder where this is heading?

Photos!

2008-04-30T01:58:00.000-07:00

I've spent the last 2 hours uploading photos, naming them, organising them into 'Sets' and I'm still only half way through!

I've set up a Flickr account and here's the link to my Photostream show: http://www.flickr.com/photos/47916421@N00/show/

My Yahoo ID is:
bradley_w_2003

so that you can search for me on Flickr, if the above link doesn't work.

Enjoy!

Danny's Running a Blog!

2008-04-28T02:41:00.000-07:00

Check out Dan's tales @ www.dannyhontour.blogspot.com

Southern Thailand, here we come!

Khao San

2008-04-27T04:58:00.001-07:00

Khao San
It seems to be whatever you want it to be. A place to watch every
Premier League game live, a bunch of night clubs, a place to sleep, a
place to eat and a place to go shopping. A hub for Thailands
backpacking population. A start point for any Thai adventure and for
some unlucky soles, the duration and end of their adventure.
Clubbing every night and sleeping every day seems like great fun for a
while but for me, it's not enough. I want beaches, clear water with
white sands and bungalows along the beach. So that's exactly what
we've gone and got.
Six weeks of travelling the southern isles of Thailand. Full moon
parties on the beach and a half moon party in the jungle. That's how
it should be!
So i bound myself to keeping you up to date with my tales of Khao San
Road.
An average night out sees Dan and I in Gulliver's sports bar, which
until 10pm is infact a sports bar. Come 10pm it becomes and Electro/
Hardcore/RnB/Dance and Trance club. The pool tables are pushed aside
in favour of a podium and the place fills with Europeans and Americans
and hundreds of Thai girls. Quite the transformation.
At 2am, now extremely drunk on Smirnoff and Amareto, we grab a tuk-tuk
and head for some random night club. 7am usually sees us stumble back
into our room for a day of recovery.
Some very strange things have occurred during these nights out
including me purchasing a Thai policemans coat, a tailor made suit
fitting and just last night we were hosts, in our £3 a night room, to
2 German lads, a Thai lad and 2 American girls. Very surreal, but funny.
Bangkok is a great place. The Khao San Road is incredible and a must
see, but I'm tired of it already and I can't wait for our Southern
Thailand retreat. Paradise islands, beach parties and air conditioned
beach bungalows.
Tomorrow we have a 14 hour coach journey to Koh Samui.
Maybe I'll get to catch up on some sleep.

Brad

Bangkok

2008-04-27T04:57:00.001-07:00

Bangkok
McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Cinema, Bowling, Shopping Mall and Khao San Road!
Back to civillization, but with a terrible overtone to the first
day...the Blues lost 5-1 to the villa!
After running around Bangkok airport for half an hour trying to find a
shop, so that we could get the football score, and failing to do so,
we left the airport in a taxi for Bangkok city centre. 900Baht we paid
to jump the queue, which was a good mile long.
The heat is overwhelming here. It's humidity like I have never
experienced. Even being in the clouds can't compare to the damp air
here.
We found an English bar and the barman broke the football news to us.
Dan wasn't overly sympathetic...
At 11pm we ate McDonalds followed by another taxi, this time to the
Khao San Road. Backpackers heaven. Bars, clubs and £1.50 a night rooms.
I'll update you with more Khao San Road tales as they develop.

Brad

The Morning After

2008-04-21T23:35:00.001-07:00

The Morning After
Me: Shall we get him some water?
Dan: We're not his mom!
Me: He rode a motorbike...
Dan: Get the water!

Brad

Let The Fun Begin

2008-04-21T23:34:00.001-07:00

Let The Fun Begin
13 days of walking. 70 kilometres trekked in 78 hours. 9 days uphill,
4 days down. 8 suspension bridges and 10,000 Yaks.
Apettite loss, headaches, fatigue, sunburn, sleepless nights at -12
degrees, 42% less oxygen and a week without a shower.
Worth it?
Without a doubt.
My Intrepid Encounters trek to Mount. Everest Base Camp was something
I'll never forget.
We trekked for an average of 7 hours a day, staying on guest houses
and tea houses along the way. Considering we were 3 days away from the
nearest road the variety of food was pretty good. Eggs, chips, pizza
and the odd local dish or too were all on offer. The higher we went
however, the more expensive things got. A 13Rs. bottle of water
(that's about 11p) ended up costing 350Rs. (that's about £2.90!).
The last day of ascention was the hardest. A 9 hour day to base camp
and then back to Gurak Shep was the most physically demanding day. It
was however totally worth it. We saw an Everest expedition descend and
I enjoyed an ice cold beer and cigar on the rocks overlooking the base
camp tents.
The descent was fast and easy. We took less than half the time to get
down than we took to get up to 5400m.
Our guides: Santosh, Jhanbo, Rham and their leader Durje were
incredible. After a days walking we were ready to collapse. These guys
turned into waiters once we entered a guest house, taking orders,
serving food and making sure everyone was in good health.
Our first step back into civilization was Namche! A night of showers,
pool and a few too many drinks marked the end of the hard work. An
easy day followed and then the final sprint to the end.
Lulkla awaited us. The airport. The closet we had been to sea level
for 12 days. A night of extremely heavy drinking resulted in 3 hours
sleep and me getting on an aeroplane, hungover, wearing a sleeping
bag. That's right! I boarded the plane IN a sleeping bag.
After landing I struggled back to the Katmandu Guest House for food
and sleep.
A few hours later, hangover now cured, it was time to celebrate the
achievement again. A night out in Khatmandu consisted of several
'dance bars', 2 casinos and one of our pals riding a random strangers
motorbike! A quite surreal; but unforgettable night.
The evening after we went to yet another casino and lady luck was on
my side. 3000Rs. became 12000Rs. Win!
Our flight to Thailand is this afternoon. A new adventure awaits.

Intrepid Brochure: 'What is it they say about only living once? And
boy is this living!'

Dan (whilst in the Indian casino): It's like taking Ghandi from a baby

Brad

Wi-Fi

2008-04-21T23:17:00.000-07:00

Just waiting for some WiFi access so that i can upload a few new blogs.

Stay tuned!

The Monkeys and Temples

2008-04-04T04:48:00.001-07:00

The Monkeys and Temples
Today was the most rewarding day so far. The day began with breakfast
at the khatmandu guest house. The food here is outstanding and
ridiculously cheap.
We had previously discussed the idea of paying a local taxi driver to
drive us around for the day to see what khatmandu has to offer. Best
idea ever.
The trip began with a visit to the 'Monkey Temple'. This place was
insane. 326 steps take you to the top of this amazing structure where
the various temples are located. Three local children accompanied me
throughout the visit, all no older than 13. One of them was born as a
monk, living in a monastery, and provided me with an insight into the
local beliefs. Even out here where his parents couldn't afford milk to
feed their new born child, this boy aspired to be a doctor and live
life as a monk.
He explained how the monkeys inhabit the temples land, as their
natural homes were destroyed as a result of the citys development.
After a good hour we departed and headed for Durbar Square. Another
area filled with religious sancturys. The area was home to the old
royal palace, constructed in the 17th century. It was also home to
'kumari', a ten year old child that is worshiped as living goddess. We
were allowed to enter the courtyard of her home, but foreigners may
not enter the home of this child. Remarkable.
After a day of intense cultural surroundings we headed back to our
hotel to backup our photos and to eat.
I'm now sitting in Shisha Terrace cafe and bar. The heavens have
opened and I doubt we'll be leaving in a hurry. I'm lying down on
cushions, in a bar, listening to the rain batter the sheet metal roof
and thunder cracking in the sky.
Tomorrow afternoon, Everest meeting.

Brad

Did I say a drink or two?

2008-04-03T20:46:00.001-07:00

Did I say a drink or two?
I meant a drink or twenty!

Brad