Wrap up

Still another 2 weeks before we head back to UK. Must admit, now that I'm in HK, I am actually missing London...I realised this when I was in Bangkok a few days ago watching the film Closer, and there was a scene where Jude Law and Natalie Portman were riding on a London bus and in the background you can see the old houses and grey skys of London. Yeh, wierd, you must think, how can I miss that?! I didn't think it would be possible, but there's just a certain buzz about London that you just can't get away from!

Anyways, thought it was about time that I'd do a wrap up of my trip, just to remind myself of the fab time I had travelling round SE Asia and Oz.

Time spent away: 20th Sept - 17th Dec (pure backpacking and exploring); 17th Dec - 12th Feb (hols with family and friends)

Places visited:
Thailand - Bangkok, Koh Toa, Hat Yai, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Phuket, Phi Phi, Krabi, Similan Islands, Koh Lanta. (Hmmm... thought we went to more places than that!)
Australia - Cairns, Great Barrier reef, Sydney.
Malaysia - KL, Kota Kinabalu, Sarawak, Sandakan, Sabah, Langkawi, Penang.
Singapore
Hong Kong

Highlights:

• Trekking in Thailand - staying in a hill-tribe village and meeting lots of new travelling buddies
• Lazing on a beach bar in Koh Lanta
• Visiting secluded islands off Krabi - Poda and Chicken Island...true paradise
• Getting my PADI in Koh Tao
• Diving in the Similans
• Seeing sharks in the Great Barrier reef
• Eating fresh met-in-your-mouth salmon sashimi from Sydney fish market
• Dribing through North Queensland and stopping to swim in freshwater lakes and mini treks through lush rainforests
• Climbing Mount Kinabalu... a real killer, but truly rewarding
• Watching turtles lay eggs on Sepidan Island and setting baby turtles free into the ocean!
• Visiting the Orangutang sanctuary in Sarawak
• Eating all types of hawker stall foods - sharing a Dai Bo (Big Bun) with Kee, Dan, Fai, Kiks, Tony and Alan in Penang
• Chatuchuk market in Bangkok
• Massages at Healthland spa in Bangkok, and foot massages in Saladeng
• Eating 25p fried rice!
• Staying with families that have their own maids...makes me wanna move to SE Asia in the future!
  
• My bro's wedding at Hyatt, getting pissed in Jewel bar and meeting lots of ming sings there (partying with Edison, Cheung Pat Tse, Twins, Maggie Q and other young 15-min- fame HK ming sings)

Must say, that although i'm now in mighty debt (about 4500 quid...) from this trip, it has truly been the best 4 months of my life, and I'm totally grateful for my credit cards, overdraft and Kee!!

Peeling....

Rank, my tan is peeling and it looks like I have a Michael Jackson skin disease! Was walking along Mong Kok today and my mum turned to me and shouted "Ai ya! Look at your face, it looks like you have a disease!", got her really worried - she even wants me to see a doctor about it! Tried to explain that it was my tan peeling but she was having none of it! She said soon it will spread to my boobs, so i need to get it checked out.... er... i think i'll just let nature take its course, getting fed up with people saying i look like a philly!

Happy 2005 all!

This was actually my first proper English new year celebration in HK. Other times Ispent new year at home cos my mum never let me out!

We were taken to a Japanese restaurant in Wan Chai. Apparently the place in HK for Sushi. When we arrived at the place, I was taken back - I was expecting plush exterior and concierge - but instead it was a block of old flats, hidden between some dodgy garages. Walked up 2 flights of stairs and we arrived at the restaurant, which was a smallish room nicely furnished with dining tables and jap-style interior. It was 7-course meal, which lasted nearly 3 hours - the food was LUSH! The sashimi was fresh and sweet, the meat was tender, juicy and melt-in-your-mouth! I couldn't say it was the ultimate best jap restuarnat i've ever been to, but I would definitely rate it one of the top jap restaurants i've been to. I was told that below the restaurant housed the main fish and jap food supplier for all the top jap restaurants in HK - that was why the food here was so good here!

After eating, we celebrated the new year at a bar called 1/5, pretty plush bar filled with a good mix of locals and foreigners. Though it was a little too packed to have a boogie...

My new year's resolution... errr... don't eat too much junk food....again...