Feeling a little bit better about England than i was last night. Hoorah for that!
Lets do the low down on the trip shall we? The photos are going up onto Facebook as i type (as long as it doesnt fail again like it was doing before *shakes head in woeful manner*)
I forget where i was up to in the story, we went to Singapore, then to Sydney, met all of Ellens family (had many many meals out with them), went to Cairns / Palm cove, to the Great Barrier reef, swam with the sharks, fed a Kangaroo, ate a Kangaroo (not the same one ... would defeat the purpose of feeding it) went back to Sydney, rested a little (not much) went to Uluru (Ayers rock), Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), Simpsons gap, climbed many many mountainous ridges, gorges and canyons, learnt that the Grand Canyon is actually a gorge, climbed across a fallen tree and up through some rocks Indiana Jones style, slept under the stars in the Southern hemisphere, heard dingos calling the next night and decided to sleep in the tent, travelled back to Sydney, went to Bondi beach, decided i preferred Manly beach, made many many many hilarious jokes with Eliot over being in a place called 'Manly' along the lines of 'would you like to take a Manly tour Eliot' 'Why yes i would Soph but no asking for directions, thats not the Manly way!' .... ah Manly. Then we flew back to Singapore (8 hour flight, 2 hour time difference) for the night, landed at 9pm Singapore time, got to the hotel at 11pm Singapore time (1am Sydney time) got up at 5.30am singapore time to get back to the airport, transfer was late so checked in an hour before not the recommended 3 hours BUT luggage was the first off the plane. 13 hour flight to London Heathrow, remembered that i dislike Heathrow airport with a passion, another lane was in our bay (!!) and we had to circle a bit before being allowed to landed, so after landing the plane (i kid you not) circled the block trying to find another parking space, got through to boarder control and as ALWAYS the UK and EU line was SO long that it made me wonder if it would have been quicker to apply for US citizenship, get a greencard and a passport and go through the Non-EU passport line. Im actually not sure how that is possible, ever single boarder control i go through im in the longeest line, Singapore - the Singaporeans were walking straight through and we had to queue for ages, Oz, the Aussies had like one person in front of them, America, HUGE queue for non nationals, 10 people for US passports, i watch them, the system is pretty much "Ah Mr Bush, US citizen i can tell by your Tshirt, Welcome home Sir" Whereas a Brit trying to get back into our country is tested by how long they are prepared to queue for "Miss Pinwill, well you queued successfully for 2 hours without cutting in line and stayed adament that switching queues for be a mistake in the long run, whilst performing the manditory moaning, you are definately British, the tea is to your right"
*sigh*
Have not slept for 2 days am now jet lagged (im awake at 5am)
and i most desperately need a job
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Back
Well i'm back in England, and man am i depressed! England well and truly sucks
It may be the jet lag talking, but probably not, lets see how i feel in the morning
It may be the jet lag talking, but probably not, lets see how i feel in the morning
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Singapore and Oz!!
Okay!! i owe everybody a long blog! Actually i doubt anyone is still reading this ... maybe i will have to notify everybody on facebook first .....
ANYWAY! Whats new? well annoyingly i had some wonderful ideas for various blogging subjects whilst i was in various countries and unfortunately didnt have computer/internet access at the time, isnt that always the way??
So this one may be a tad rubbish but hopefully it will be kinda informative (and i plan to put some photos up on facebook as soon as i remember to bring my camera with me when i use the internet! - there are lots that need to go up it seems)
So whats been happening? (I realise i already said that once ...)
Well! We flew to Singapore about ... a week and a half ago, where we stayed for a few days as a stop over - Singapore is AWESOME!! i highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a place to visit, it turns out strangely that i think i like the concept of Singapore more than i like Australia really, the island itself is SO beautiful, and the people really are lovely, really polite and friendly but not in that overly friendly way ... maybe its a commonwealth influence type thing, they were British-ish whilst still being Oriental-ish .... i cant really explain it, you may have to visit yourself, but it was truely wonderful, we toured round the different parts of the main city, Little India, China town, the Government district and the Malay area, i'd learn a lot of info about the country on the plane, social customs, taboos, a little bit of Malay (Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and of course English are their main languages due to the percentages of different nationalities inhabiting the country) we also saw Raffles, the hotel, if you know anything about Singapores history i guess you will understand the significance of visiting here.
Anyway perhaps i am waffling about Singapore now, after all we were only there a couple of days (we will be back there for a day on our way back to England in a months time)
Now we are in Australia (the 8 hour flight wasnt quite as painful as the 11 (?) hour one to Singapore, we got to Sydney at about 6am, having not slept on the horribly uncomfortable plane (Singapore airlines is definately the best airline to fly with though, absolutely wonderful compared to others i have flown with). We finally got to see Grandad!!!! yay!!! Hilarious as always. We were staying at there house for a few days (went to see Sydney - the Opera house, the bridge, all those Sydneyish things) and then also went up to the blue mountains (Awesome, totally mindblowing, the pictures i took really just dont describe it in the slightest), and for the past couple of days we have been in Cairns, we flew up here on Saturday, yesterday (Sunday) we went to the Great Barrier reef (we are staying in Palm Cove and drove up to Port Douglas), we took the boat out to the reef, (yes, i was sea sick .... gross, very gross, almost made it as well, 3 minutes from the platform and bleurgh ... oh well, felt better after that though) we changed into our lycra wetsuits, donned our life jackets, fins, masks and snorkels and were in the water surrounded by fish bigger than my torso (which sneakly kept knocking me over - at first i thought it was Eliot but it turned out it was a double attack by these crafty fish), Alice took some photos underwater which i hope will turn out okay (with a waterproof camera of course) and there are some fantastic ones of us in wetsuits .... Looking at the reef (in very choppy waters by the way) was so so COOL, they are so colourful its crazy, you are mile and miles out in the ocean jumping into the water looking at these amazing reefs with brightly coloured fish swimming around you, possibly the most amazing experience i have even witnessed, totally exhausting (note to self - swimming against the current - impossible!) and i wasnt sick on the hour long (35 knots wind) journey back to shore. Today i am hanging by the beach, searching for crabs in the rocks and avoiding the Crocs (there was a big warning sign - hee hee!) and of course writting this!! (oh Eliot and i ate Kangaroo, Emu, Barramundi and Crocodile steaks for dinner the other day ....)
Well i guess thats a lot of updating there so i might end at this point!
Check out my facebook profile for some pictures at some point!!
ANYWAY! Whats new? well annoyingly i had some wonderful ideas for various blogging subjects whilst i was in various countries and unfortunately didnt have computer/internet access at the time, isnt that always the way??
So this one may be a tad rubbish but hopefully it will be kinda informative (and i plan to put some photos up on facebook as soon as i remember to bring my camera with me when i use the internet! - there are lots that need to go up it seems)
So whats been happening? (I realise i already said that once ...)
Well! We flew to Singapore about ... a week and a half ago, where we stayed for a few days as a stop over - Singapore is AWESOME!! i highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a place to visit, it turns out strangely that i think i like the concept of Singapore more than i like Australia really, the island itself is SO beautiful, and the people really are lovely, really polite and friendly but not in that overly friendly way ... maybe its a commonwealth influence type thing, they were British-ish whilst still being Oriental-ish .... i cant really explain it, you may have to visit yourself, but it was truely wonderful, we toured round the different parts of the main city, Little India, China town, the Government district and the Malay area, i'd learn a lot of info about the country on the plane, social customs, taboos, a little bit of Malay (Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and of course English are their main languages due to the percentages of different nationalities inhabiting the country) we also saw Raffles, the hotel, if you know anything about Singapores history i guess you will understand the significance of visiting here.
Anyway perhaps i am waffling about Singapore now, after all we were only there a couple of days (we will be back there for a day on our way back to England in a months time)
Now we are in Australia (the 8 hour flight wasnt quite as painful as the 11 (?) hour one to Singapore, we got to Sydney at about 6am, having not slept on the horribly uncomfortable plane (Singapore airlines is definately the best airline to fly with though, absolutely wonderful compared to others i have flown with). We finally got to see Grandad!!!! yay!!! Hilarious as always. We were staying at there house for a few days (went to see Sydney - the Opera house, the bridge, all those Sydneyish things) and then also went up to the blue mountains (Awesome, totally mindblowing, the pictures i took really just dont describe it in the slightest), and for the past couple of days we have been in Cairns, we flew up here on Saturday, yesterday (Sunday) we went to the Great Barrier reef (we are staying in Palm Cove and drove up to Port Douglas), we took the boat out to the reef, (yes, i was sea sick .... gross, very gross, almost made it as well, 3 minutes from the platform and bleurgh ... oh well, felt better after that though) we changed into our lycra wetsuits, donned our life jackets, fins, masks and snorkels and were in the water surrounded by fish bigger than my torso (which sneakly kept knocking me over - at first i thought it was Eliot but it turned out it was a double attack by these crafty fish), Alice took some photos underwater which i hope will turn out okay (with a waterproof camera of course) and there are some fantastic ones of us in wetsuits .... Looking at the reef (in very choppy waters by the way) was so so COOL, they are so colourful its crazy, you are mile and miles out in the ocean jumping into the water looking at these amazing reefs with brightly coloured fish swimming around you, possibly the most amazing experience i have even witnessed, totally exhausting (note to self - swimming against the current - impossible!) and i wasnt sick on the hour long (35 knots wind) journey back to shore. Today i am hanging by the beach, searching for crabs in the rocks and avoiding the Crocs (there was a big warning sign - hee hee!) and of course writting this!! (oh Eliot and i ate Kangaroo, Emu, Barramundi and Crocodile steaks for dinner the other day ....)
Well i guess thats a lot of updating there so i might end at this point!
Check out my facebook profile for some pictures at some point!!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Australia!
Took Hilary to the airport yesterday (i was still in my jammies, it was very early) and then spent the rest of the day doing laundry (some how i ended up doing everybodies laundry .....) and cleaning up the camping stuff. Im off to the dentists in a few minutes (need to stay on the NHS register) and then need to do some random things like picking up my contact lenses from the opticians, getting some Singapore and Australian dollars, phoning the water board and such - fun times!
But on a more positive note - im off to Australia on Saturday!!!! yay!! Okay i have absolutely no money left to actually do anything whilst im over there, because, well, hilary made us go to like 5 different countries whilst she was here, but oh well.
But on a more positive note - im off to Australia on Saturday!!!! yay!! Okay i have absolutely no money left to actually do anything whilst im over there, because, well, hilary made us go to like 5 different countries whilst she was here, but oh well.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Hilarys Visit
Well, after ten years away Hilary is finally back in England, and what a crazy trip we have planned, im sure i will be completely exhausted by the time she leaves, but then i get to rest in Australia for a month so im good with it!!
Today we are heading back to Hampton Court for the flower show, (this will be my third time this year - i should have gotten a season ticket)
Tomorrow will be off to the Isle of Wight via Brighton (apparently its the Folk Festival this weekend)
Then Monday we head out on our trip, to Bath then to Wales (Swansea-ish area) were we are camping for the night
Tuesday will be from South Wales up to Holyhead (thats still in Wales incase you didnt know)Camping there for the night
Wednesday we get the morning ferry to Dublin (Republic of Ireland) and make our way up to Belfast were we have a hotel waiting for us (camping in Wales can be a smelly experience, i know)
Then Thursday after hanging out in Ireland for the day we get the evening ferry to Scotland (Stranraer) where we are camping that night
Friday will be driving the 2 or 3 hours to Edinburgh and hanging out there and camping the night
Saturday we are heading back into England to the Peak district and staying at a Premier inn (Again i figure it will be luxury compared to camping?)
Before heading back to Enfield on Sunday (Hopefully in time for evening church)
Monday we are hoping Kayleigh is free so we can all day trip to France (its been a long time coming!)
and then the last Tuesday will be seeing the sites in London and (hopefully) seeing a play at the Globe (no we're not going to buy a cushion were gonna stand in the peasants section like the commoners we are!
And then off to the airport on Wednesday at early'oclock!
Crazy days!!
Today we are heading back to Hampton Court for the flower show, (this will be my third time this year - i should have gotten a season ticket)
Tomorrow will be off to the Isle of Wight via Brighton (apparently its the Folk Festival this weekend)
Then Monday we head out on our trip, to Bath then to Wales (Swansea-ish area) were we are camping for the night
Tuesday will be from South Wales up to Holyhead (thats still in Wales incase you didnt know)Camping there for the night
Wednesday we get the morning ferry to Dublin (Republic of Ireland) and make our way up to Belfast were we have a hotel waiting for us (camping in Wales can be a smelly experience, i know)
Then Thursday after hanging out in Ireland for the day we get the evening ferry to Scotland (Stranraer) where we are camping that night
Friday will be driving the 2 or 3 hours to Edinburgh and hanging out there and camping the night
Saturday we are heading back into England to the Peak district and staying at a Premier inn (Again i figure it will be luxury compared to camping?)
Before heading back to Enfield on Sunday (Hopefully in time for evening church)
Monday we are hoping Kayleigh is free so we can all day trip to France (its been a long time coming!)
and then the last Tuesday will be seeing the sites in London and (hopefully) seeing a play at the Globe (no we're not going to buy a cushion were gonna stand in the peasants section like the commoners we are!
And then off to the airport on Wednesday at early'oclock!
Crazy days!!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
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