Readjusting to normal life

It was always going to be with a heavy heart that I had to return home from my travels. Put simply it's been difficult readjusting to normal life; a life which only a few weeks ago seemed a million miles away. But I don't see that as a bad thing. I mean after all, if I'd returned the same person as I'd left what would have been the point going in the first place?

So on my return to drowning England, and despite my fast fading tan, I'm determined to continue making the best of every day and to remember some important lessons I learnt whilst swanning about in the sun (yes, I did actually learn something other than the fact I like hot weather!)

I have learnt to slow down. Take it easy.

Before I left I was always rushing around at a hundred miles an hour, constantly on the move, constantly doing something. If I wasn't at work, I was socialising, if I wasn't socialising I was at the gym. What was the rush? Why was I running about like a headless chicken? Who knows.

I love being active and adventurous, but I now appreciate a bit of good old fashioned down time too. And if I have to wait, be it for a friend, in traffic, in life, what does it matter. A few minutes, hours, even weeks won't make a difference. Plus, there's always plenty of interesting things around us, which we so often overlook. I now see waiting as an opportunity to look and see what I would have otherwise missed.

I have learnt to let go of where I once was.

There are things, people, situations from my past that before I left I was struggling to let go of, that in all honesty if I could I would have turned back the clock and gone back to. Travelling to so many stunning places, so many that I fell in love with and grew attached to, and then having to leave them, taught me the power of letting go. I realised if I wanted to go to the next amazing destination I had to leave the one I was currently at behind - and what a great life lesson. We have to let go of where we were in order to get where we want to be. I can't turn back time and be back travelling again, and I accept that now. Whilst I'll always remember it with incredible fondness, I'm leaving my amazing adventure behind, so that I can move on to my next one - can't wait to find out what it'll be.

I have learnt it doesn't matter if you don't always have a plan.

Now, don't get me wrong I love a good plan. I plan at work, I make plans with my friends, I even planned a lot of our road trip, and I've always had a life plan. If you read my early blog posts you'll know last year I was starting to embrace the certainty of uncertainty and learning to live without a plan, but I think travelling has provided clarity on why. If you're always working to one end goal, what happens when you get there? A lot of people think when they get to the end of their plan, they'll be happy. But I've seen too many people (and marriages) finding once they get where they wanted to be, that something else is missing. Not always planning for the future, living in the now and embracing the new, for me is the only way to be truly happy.

Yes, it's good to have something to work towards (and I'm sure in time, I'll have some shape of life plan again) but don't defer happiness in favour of it. We are constantly changing, being shaped by the world around us, so I'm not too worried that I haven't decided who I want to be or where I want to go yet. Whilst travelling some of my favourite moments were those in which we embraced our freedom and decided to visit a place we hadn't already planned to visit, or to stay a bit longer at the places we wanted to stay, so why wouldn't that apply in the rest of my life? I'm going to become the person I end up becoming, and in the mean time I'm going to focus on enjoying today.

Diving and partying - Ko Samui & Koh Tao

So here it is, the end of the most incredible adventure of my life. Wow, has it been amazing! And the last five days have finished it off perfectly, on the beautiful islands of Koh Tao and Ko Samui.

It had been a good couple of weeks since I last had some proper beach time. So when we arrived on Ko Samui, I felt almost like I'd come home; back to the white sands and crystal clear waters I'd become accustomed to on my journey through the US, Mexico and Australia.

After a nice morning jog in Khao Sok, where rather hilariously I was joined by a mini pack of dogs (keep your puns to yourself), we headed in our open truck to the east coast. With a mad dash and a bit of grovelling to the terminal staff we jumped on the midday ferry just in the nick of time, with the only casualty being my beloved Havianas.

The unintended exercise was worth it, however, as we got to our resort in Ko Samui in plenty of time to soak up some sun, nearly drown in the sizeable waves and have a beer or two on the beach, watching the sun go down.

Throw in some nice food, a couple of massages, fire throwers, cocktails, a bit of Muai Thai, a lady boy show, pet monkeys, planking and some very dodgey looking rocks and that pretty much sums up our time in Ko Samui.

As you can imagine, it was a pretty fun couple of days, but as a more commercial island with little diving to be done, really Ko Samui - for me at least - was just the prelude to the paradise that is Koh Tao. 'Turtle island', as it's otherwise known (apparently due to its shape rather than an abundance of sea turtles) had all Ko Samui had to offer plus a whole load more. Our resort was nicer, the beach more paradise-like, the nightlife equally as crazy, and crucially there was plenty of scuba diving to be done!

In fact, it was my favourite diving of the whole trip. Despite the 6am starts, lack of whale sharks and an incident where one of the women couldn't equalise and we had to resurface, the warm calm water and dive sites just a few minutes boat ride from the shore are pretty tough to beat.

Huge shoals of barracuda, blue spotted stingray, stripy sea snakes, pink nemos (I've never seen them before), giant grouper, big napoleon fish, yellow box fish, moray eels, the list of sea life goes on. And I got to dive another shipwreck - always a bonus!

The only downside was on the second morning, first dive of the day when we descended 18m to the reef only to find a fishing net caught in the coral. The glassed over eyes of the ensnared fish in the net and the couple that continued to desperately squirm in a hopeless attempt to free themselves really was a harrowing site. And whilst I was determined not to let it ruin what was otherwise an incredible few days diving, it's clear the Thai government needs to do more to enforce no fishing over the protected reef as it's quite evidently continually being openly ignored. Otherwise, in a few years time there won't be any point diving as there won't be much to see. 

Okay, rant over. Koh Tao really is a fantastic place though and the last evening where I was reunited with my little 'Schatzchen' (or hunny to those that don't speak German), Denise from our northern Thailand tour, was my favourite night out to date.

A yummy dinner, nutella pancakes, delicious cocktails, buckets of vodka red bull, fire throwers, big rings of fire to leap through, late night swims - and all right on the beach, just a couple of minutes walk from our hotel room. Talk about going out with a bang - quite literally in my case as I fell (with some help) the 2 metres from the big pool to the shallow one. Oops.

Now following an evening in Chumphon, which was interesting in its own right, especially since support for the protesters was quite clear as people gathered en mass on the eve of the election to hear the protest leader's broadcast on a big screen, and our final sleeper train - I'm genuinely going to miss them - I find myself back in Bangkok. After some last minute souvenir buying, a massage and one final dip in the pool it will be time to say good bye to my incredible new friends, who I feel I have known much longer than I actually have, and head to the airport and home, where the real world awaits me *sigh*. Oh well, I can't complain. I have just had the best five months of my life after all.

Sawadee Ka Thailand, till next time.

Sensory overload

I've been in Bangkok for two days now and wow has it been a sensory overload.

A different language, different culture, different people, protests, Singha beer, rice, markets, chicken feet, temples, boats, fish, Buddhas, Asian-style toilets, shisha, rice, gold, China town, Tuk tuks, shrines, Chang beer, monitor lizards, sarongs, mopeds, Pad Thai.

It's been crazy, a bit lonely, but it's been interesting and at times a lot of fun. Bangkok actually isn't quite as mental as I anticipated; surprisingly there are times when it's quite peaceful. It also isn't as steeped in history as I expected - a lot of the temples are newer than I'd have thought. 

There are some beautiful spots as well as some not so beautiful. I'm certainly looking forward to returning in a few days, when my senses have calmed down a little, to explore a bit more.

Exploring Sydney

After ten days in Sydney (plus two at the beginning of December), I think I've started to get a feel of the city. If nothing else, I certainly know which attractions and places I liked and which I'd avoid. So here's my take on being a tourist in the beautiful city by the sea and my recommendations for anyone visiting:

1) Allow for plenty of beach time

For me, the greatest attraction in Sydney is the beaches. I know there are lots of nice beaches all over Oz and there are plenty of major cities in the world that are based by the sea - we've been to a fair few on this trip - but having such beautiful beaches in such close proximity to a thriving city centre seems pretty rare. From Manly to Bondi, Bronte to Coogee, even Cronulla further south, you're spoilt for choice and they're all only a short distance from the Central Business District (CBD) by public transport. My favourite was Coogee and the coastal walk up to Bondi with its spectacular shoreline is a must do.

2) Don't waste your money on the open top tour bus

Between the three of us, we've done open top tour buses in a fair few cities - London, Paris, Florence, Barcelona, San Francisco, LA - and unfortunately the Sydney buses are by far the worst. We were really looking forward to being proper tourists and learning about the history of Sydney and to put it nicely were left feeling disappointed. The two buses (city and Bondi) not only overlap one other, the city bus retraces part of its route so you end up hearing the same uninspiring recorded description a multitude of times; the buses stop for some time at each stop so it takes longer than the advertised 90 minutes; the Bondi bus doesn't stop at Bondi Junction - one of our favourite places in Sydney; plus we found the speakers on the buses tended to be either too loud or too quiet; then to top it all off the driver of our last bus was clearly on a mission to get home as he sped through the streets like a maniac - so much for the photo opportunities! At $40 it's not cheap either, so I'd suggest spending your hard earned cash on a good map and guide book and taking to the city by foot instead. You'll learn much more, trust me.

3) Check out The Rocks

Where the city began, The Rocks is one of the few places in Sydney with some real history. It has also been developed beautifully and now has a plethora of quirky shops, nice restaurants and fancy hotels to offer. One of the most expensive parts of the city, it's worth a visit regardless. And if you are feeling plush head to the nearby Park Hyatt hotel for afternoon tea. With views to die for, spectacular champagne and a good selection of sandwiches, cakes and scones, it comes highly recommended.

4) Visit Bondi

These days a lot of people write Bondi off as 'too touristy', and there is definitely a lack of Sydney residents there of a weekend, but that doesn't mean it's not worth a visit. If you don't fancy the busy beach and sea - which does somewhat resemble the remnants of a shipwreck as everyone crams in to the small space between the flags - there's still the cafe's, quirky shops, the crafts market, even a nice green grass verge for you to 'chillax' on. And that's all before I've even mentioned Bondi Junction.

5) Shop 'til you drop

You're not short of choices of where to shop in Sydney, from the Pitt Street mall to the Queen Victoria Building (QVB) Sydney has some good stores, including some personal favourites such as Topshop and Zara. If you do like to shop make sure Westfield at Bondi Junction is on your hit list.

6) Dine up the Sydney Tower

I had a lovely meal in the 360 restaurant at the top of the Sydney tower. Fabulous food, great wine and an amazing view. And whilst it won't be the cheapest meal you've ever had at $95 for three courses (not including drinks) I think it stacks up well, especially compared to London prices.

7) Take a day out to visit the Blue Mountains

Lack of time and transport meant I wasn't planning on really leaving Sydney, but after a trip to Scenic World in the Blue Mountains I'm glad I let my friend convince me to go. If you like picturesque views, it's definitely the place for you. And the three different modes of transport around the mountain range, especially the steepest railway line in the world (I'm not sure if that's strictly true, but it certainly felt like it) add a little excitement to the day.

8) The Opera House and Harbour Bridge are expensive

Before I came to Australia, the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb was on my to-do list, but once I found out it was over $200 my mindset changed. Yes, it may be a major landmark in not just Sydney but the whole of Australia, possibly even the world, but boy do they want a lot of money to climb it. The Opera House is another landmark demanding a considerable sum to enter it. I'll let you make up your own mind, but in my view it's not worth it. Especially if like us you happen to stumble upon an open door and get to see the concert hall for yourselves.

9) Visit the Olympic Park when an event is on

I love the Olympics and still remember Sydney 2000 remarkably well, so jumped at the chance to take a drive round the park. It was worth a visit as we were passing by, but in reality there's not a massive amount to see. What I hadn't realised is our stay in Sydney coincided with a warm up tournament for the Australian Open at the park; if I'd have known I would definitely have booked tickets. And there's other events that occur in the park, from gigs to 20-20 cricket matches (we saw the team warming up), so if you're planning a visit just to the park check in advance if there's anything going on.

10) Bring a cardigan

My vision of Sydney - in fact the whole of Australia - was that it's always sunny. Now I know that's not going to be strictly true, but 22 degrees, cloudy and windy in the middle of summer came as a surprise. Albeit only a couple of days we were there, make sure you pack a cardigan just in case. Don't expect the humidity of places like Miami, Cancun and Cairns, however hot it is during the day, it cools down of an evening.

Sittin' on the dock of the bay

When we decided to come and explore the US I envisaged beautiful beaches, dramatic landscapes and exciting cities - and thus far we've had plenty of that. But I also imagined quiet little towns, country folk and in the words of Otis Reading, sittin' on the dock of a bay, wasting time.

Well now we're in Fairhope, Alabama and we have found just that. A sleepy country town by the sea, we've found some lovely people - never have I felt more like a celebrity than on the beach today, where the young local girls for whom British tourists are definitely not the norm, spent most of the day fascinated by our accents, quizzing us on England and One Direction - but we also found the most stunning dock.

And so today, I have been living by Otis  Reading's words:

Looks like nothing's going to change

Everything still remains the same

I can't do what ten people tell me to do

So I guess I'll just remain the same

Sittin' here resting my bones

And this loneliness won't leave me alone

It's two thousand miles I roamed

Just to make this dock my home

Now I'm just gonna sit at the dock of the bay

Watching the tide roll away

Sittin' on the dock of the bay

Wasting time

I can certainly think of worse places to be 'wasting time'.

Heaven on Earth

After an eventful start on Friday (with a forgotten credit card mishap) we picked up our car, or KiKi as we affectionately call her, and got out on the road. That road brought us to a place I think is actually heaven on earth, The Florida Keys.

Stopping off in Islamorada to eat the best food we've had so far, as we sat looking out on the palm trees, sunshine and sea, I knew it was going to be a good few days.

It took literally minutes to spot our first bunch of dolphins, then we arrived at our glorious hotel in Key West. Located right near the sea and a short walk from the marina and all the bars, with a lovely swimming pool, jacuzzi and breakfast included, we are living the life.

From biker bars to aligators, crazy dancing, meeting special agents, late night swims, moped rides, beer by the pool, key lime coolers, key lime pie, amazing views over the sea, giant iguanas, tropical storms, we've had it all. 

And we left our mark in Key West attaching our dollars to the ceiling of the dollar bar.

We even found the most scrumptious veggie cafe (much to Soph's delight) in Key West, with Sezchuan noodles, falafel pittas and Moroccan vegetable and lentil soup. Good job we weren't there longer or Soph may literally have spent her whole budget in that place!

And importantly for me I got to do some diving in Key Largo. Diving of many firsts, first time I've been out on a boat without someone I already know, first time I've dived in the rain and first time I've seen eagle rays, lobster and a whole load of jelly fish.

I really couldn't ask for more. And we've not even swum with dolphins yet - that's what we're up to tomorrow morning before we head on to the Everglades, where I plan to cement my nickname of Ray Mears.