Insert witty title here......

The bus journey to the beach can only be described as arduous.  Luckily, there was no sign of a hangover as I left in the relatively early hours.  I had a good seat by the window so stuck my iPod on and settled in for leg one of the journey from Battambang to Phnom Penh.  

Not sure whether it was because it was a public holiday in Cambodia on that day, but the driver insisted in playing Asian music at top volume as well as having the tv on?  Even with my iPod on full blast, I could still hear the terrible singing over my own choice of music! 

The road network in Cambodia is ok but still in it's relative infancy.  There was no dual carriageway, just single tracks and frequently no tarmac,  just stones so it was a bumpy ride at times.  We also had to stop on at least two occasions to let cows  across the road ?!?  This was like the equivalent of the M1 at home - it would be unheard of at home !  Rest of the journey was uneventful although some amazing scenery and eventually, we arrived in PP where I had to transfer to another bus.

Wasn't so lucky with seat choice this time....right at the back in the corner with an annoying American couple in front of me who insisted on reclining their seats full tilt even though one of them was then resting their head on my knees.  I shuffled around a bit to give them a hint but they werent getting it....

  Some very different sights on this journey - travelling west from PP there was no particular countryside or views to speak of.   Just endless industrial parks with hundreds of women leaving them as they clocked off for the  day.  Actually, maybe not hundreds,more like thousands ?? Not a single guy among them other than the truck drivers who were taking them all home....to the large scale council estate type places we passed a little further down the road.  I have to say, it looked disgusting - loads of rubbish on the streets and generally just run down.  I wondered about whether these people earned more money than some of the more rural families I had seen over the last few days.  I guess they did judging by their clothes and general demeanour but I wondered at what cost given where (and possibly how) they lived ?

Leg two of the journey was shorter than the  first in terms of distance but seemed to take twice as long.  I eventually arrived in Sihanoukville around 8pm - scheduled arrival was 5pm :-(. That's public transport for you I guess and at least I was not subjected to the blaring music this time...just endless Bruce Lee films dubbed into Khmer.  

First day in Snooky (as it's often called by the local expats) was a scorcher!  I made it to the beach by 10am, found a lounger, fought of the various hawkers and dozed. I was awoken by a strange feeling in my stomach around midday - figured it was my body's  way of reminding me I needed a midday beer.  Alas, that was not to be the case and what followed was a rapid deterioration in my well being.... God knows what I had caught or eaten or whatever, but it was the worse sickness I have had since leaving home.  I was bed ridden by 2pm (luckily, my guesthouse was only 20m from the beach!)  and only managed to get up again the following day thanks to a recommendation from a fellow traveller for a miracle cure - apparently it's  like domestos - kills all known germs dead.  Tuk tuk driver was despatched with $20 and hopefully the right translation of what I wanted.    I expected never to see him again it but within 10 mins he was back with the booty. I dragged myself back to my room - crawling up 3 flights of stairs and collapsed into bed. I had no idea what the doseage was - so took pot luck and prayed I wouldn't OD.  Within the hour, I felt vaguely normal again and then slept for 12 hours solid.  

Day two was spent sleeping in bed and occasionally,  when I could muster the effort, sleeping on the roof terrace.  Luckily it was a cloudy day so no sun bathing opportunity  had been missed.  By the end of the day, I felt a thirst for a  beer and thus realised I had come through the worst of it.  Only upside was a few more grams of weight loss to add to the 10kg I have already shed in 5 months. 

Next day was spent making up for lost time.  I took a boat trip around the islands off the coast.  It was great.  The sun was shining, the sea was calm and we stopped off at some amazing rustic beaches with just a few  beach huts and a single restaurant for entertainment.  I can definately see me heading back there in the future - a bit like the Maldives at a third of the price.  

Last few days were spent doing what I do best - lounging.  I was staying on Serendipity Beach but Otres beach was my favourite place....no hawkers, just chilled jazz and the sound of the waves rolling onto the shore.  

My beach break was over all too quickly and it was time to was to Phnomh Penh.  I'd heard PP was like Marmite - you either love it or hate it - so I wasn't sure what to expect.....

Various beach pics from Sihanoukville and islands

I thought TOWIE had reached Asia.....until I realised Ream is an island off Cambodia :-)

So here I am, return day minus one. Sitting in a souless transit hotel on the outskirts of Bangkok......

Funny that I felt as nervous today as I did when I first left the UK to start my trip. It's a feeling I have kind of got used to on every "transit" day I've had over the past few months but this time, it's different. I guess this is another big change for me after little or no routine for the last few months - I'm taking a leap back into the "real" world where I'm not really sure what awaits me.

I will be coming home much lighter in many senses - financially, physically and emotionally. Wish I could say the same for my physical baggage which seems to have stayed constant around the 23kg mark no matter how much stuff I leave along the way. Its been good to break some of the old routines.. I am sure some of them will re-surface in due course but for now, I am optimistic that I am truly changed woman! The time away has allowed me to put a great deal of perspective on life and to realise what is really important to me. Like:

- Being nice to other people and thinking of them before yourself (most of the time)

- Recognising that real friendship is a two way thing. A massive thank you to all those who have stayed in touch, your messages have really brightened my days (well most of them anyway!). For those of you who have been more "out of sight.....", well, you know who you are and am sure we will catch up soon :-)

- Listening to my body and knowing that I am tired, hungry, thirsty, sick.....and doing something about it rather than just pushing on through regardless. I have recovered from my (fortunately few) illnesses much quicker as a result I am sure. Have also realised that I won't drop down with exhaustion if I don't eat lunch every day !

- I can pretty much do anything I want to (within certain boundaries of course!)

Some of you might worry that this trip has stretched my independent streak to an even greater level than it was before. Maybe, but it's also made me realise the value of myself and what I can do...... something that I think 20+ years of working in a competitive corporate environment has probably drummed that out of me. I have no doubt whatsoever that I will end up back in that environment again (old dogs and new tricks etc...) but perhaps this time, I'll approach it with a different mindset and a clearer understanding that it isn't the be all and end all of life. That at the end of the day, you are dispensable, and no matter how many hours you slogged or how many favours you did for people, it counts for little when the chips are really down. This I have learned from my own and others' practical experience.

Would I do it again ? Probably not. That's not to say I haven't had an amazing time but its also made me realise what I am missing back at home. Sure I can make small talk with people - helpful to get an interaction going but sometimes its inane and feels so false. I want to be able to relax back with friends knowing that we're on a similar wavelength. I've had enough of surfing the internet to look for hotels.... how many reviews on TripAdvisor are real anyway ??! I want to be able to eat simple food on my own sofa.....how I crave a simple cheese and pickle sarnie or a roast dinner !

Would I recommend this kind of trip to anyone else ? Hell yes !!! I have met some great people (and hopefully made a few friendships that will endure the miles apart), seen some amazing sights, interacted with some of the most humble and kind people I have ever met, and experienced the feeling of wonder when you do/experience something that is out of your comfort zone or normal way of living. There are some places I definately want to return to in the future, and some that are just going to be ticks on my travel itinerary. More on this in my next and final post ! No lasting regrets about where I went or didn't go whilst away, not sure I would actually change that much to be honest.

If you are thinking about whether to take the plunge - there is absolutely no need to worry about feeling lonely or not knowing why to do. Its a well trodden path around the main Asian counties so although it might feel or seem like a big deal, there are countless people who've already done it and many more who will later follow in your footsteps. I do wonder about some of the people I've met en route....where are they now and what amazing things are they discovering today ? It's weird to think that there is this whole little sub-culture out there of people who live their lives on the road.....I'm not sure what they are searching for but I guess once you have the travel bug, it's kind of difficult to know any other way. Luckily, I've shaken mine off - it doesn't mean the end of long, exotic holidays at all but I'm over the need to feel completely free of the 9-5 and with no responsibilities other than to myself.

So home time ..... I have unfortunately already made a to do list but unusually, the first four or five items are things that I need to do for myself. I have some plans for the flat, some (more) shopping to do, lots of photos to sort out and lots of catching up to do with family and close friends. So, let's get the good times rolling back in Brighton, preferably with some decent cheese and a good bottle of red wine ;-)

See you all soon !

Our transfer to the Gili Islands could not have been easier - we managed to barter two tickets and a return transfer from Ubud (about an hour from the coast) for less than the price of a single ticket at normal prices :-). Shame I won't be able to put these skills to use back home ! There's been alot of chatter on travel forums about the crossing to the islands. Many locals have tried to cash in on the growing appeal of the islands and offer to take you for cut prices in their fishing boats. And many of them have sunk as the crossing is not always the smoothest. We had booked with a new company so I was a little concerned about track record but all was good - life jackets and life boats aplenty, we had an amazing journey over to Gili Trawangan in the sun.

On arrival, the usual hoards were there to flog accommodation etc..."Welcome Home" was one of the first phrases I heard from the locals and it certainly rang true for me. Clean white sands, glistening turquoise sea, a little Bob M playing in the background.... I really felt this was what I had been looking for for the last 5 months or so. There is no motorised transport on any of the 3 Gili Islands so a horse and cart transported us to our pad for the next three days...god knows how it managed with the weight of my case and all the dusty, sandy track (no roads) around the island. We stayed on the north of the island- deserted beaches (no rubbish), soft white sand, great snorkelling and beautiful sea. Within half an hour of arrival, we had Bintangs in hand and life was good.

This was kind of how the rest of our time here panned out: snorkelling or walking when we got up, breakfast, chilling on the beach, Bintangs at lunchtime, afternoon tea around 4pm, cocktails at 6pm and then "downtown" for dinner and a couple of drinks in the evening. The snorkelling was right off the beach and was probably the best I have done in my trip - so many fish and so easy to get to them....just a 30 second walks from our bungalow and a quick swim off the shore. I wondered why people bothered to pat for a snorkel trip when it was really that easy.

The only break from the routine was the day we decided to go to Gili Air, the smallest of the three islands. On that day, we had breakfast before snorkelling ;-)

We had managed to escape the notorious Kuta cowboys on the mainland, but inadvertantly acquired a couple of Gili gigolos here. Admittedly, one of then did have an amazing set of tattoos on his very tanned back (picture to follow...) but fortunately had hair like Amy Winehouse when he tied it up. His mates were all Bob M wannabes who were actively seeking a western woman to "teach them stuff". We both dodged a few roaming hands and slippery tongues ...big thanks to Eric from San Francisco on our last night who valiantly chaperoned us back to our hotel to save any awkward goodbyes ....

Gili Trawangan

We ended up staying an extra night on the Gili's. It was so easy to lost track of time there....to be honest, I would have stayed there for the rest of my holiday had I been on my own. I loved the simplicity of the place - yes, there were a few upmarket establishments but the large majority of accommodation was simple bungalows or beach shacks with quite a few places having a simple BBQ. Only slight downside for me was that as well as being pursued by the islands' gigolos, the local jellyfish were somewhat hot for me !! My body had clearly seemed to acclimatise to the Asian mossies as I was no longer a huge target for them. However, by the end of day 2 in Gili, I was looking like an escapee front the local leper colony. People looked at me a little strangely ...not sure if I had some contagious disease, or if I was a bit of an S&M nut (the stings swell up in red blotches and I had several in lines across my arms that made it look like I have been whipped or restrained in some way) .... The man in the dive shop said there was no prevention (except not to go in the water) and vinegar was the only cure .....on the basis I didn't want to smell like a chip shop as well as looking a fright, I decided just to live with it.

It was all too soon time to leave the islands....otherwise I'd probably still be there even now....back to the mainland to "Hotel find of the century". A bargain deal on Booking.com for a room with private terrace, private swimming pool and loads of they extras....ok, so it was bloody miles from anywhere but what luxury ! I could have stayed there for a few days and just not moved....I am determined to go back here at some point in the future just to take fulll advantage of the chauffeur and butler facilities.....if I can get the same deal !! We had a beautiful sunset on Jimbaran Bay along with a beautifully fresh seafood dinner. A great atmosphere on the beach, hundreds of people chatting, drinking and laughing as the BBQ smoke haze wafted through the air.

Sunset over Jimbaran Bay

We ended the Bali trip with a couple of "culture" days. Hired a driver to go to various arty places - wood carving, batik painting, silversmiths, coffee plantations ..... a few little bargains purchased along the way. Also managed a couple of temples, volcanoes and some dolphin watching in Lovina. We had a few cheeky glimpses of dolphins but unfortunatly nothing long enough to get any pics. It was like a scene from Wacky Races.....about 30/40 little boats scouring the horizon to find the dolphins.....someone gets what they think is a spot and everyone changes direction. Few minutes later.....we all switch again. Very funny to watch.

Mount Batur Volcano

Taman Ayun Temple/King's Palace

Ulun Danu Beratan Water Temple

And then it was all over....time to head back to Bangkok for some last minute shopping and then home. It was all over bar the shouting :-(

My arrival  in Bali was not as I might have anticipated.  I had visions of a balmy evening, palm trees sweeping across white sandy beaches and a  chilled, if slightly up-market, feel.   I have long wanted to visit Bali and had it in my head that this was to be my beach nirvana - saving the best of the best until last and enjoying every damn minute of sunshine, sand, calm seas and a few late night cocktails.  

Shattered illusion number one  - it was bloody raining.  And from the looks of things,  had been for some time.  The roads were flooded, everything was soaked.  No, no, no...... This was my last two weeks and I was prepared to sacrifice myself to the sun given it's probably the last I'll see this year.  I hurriedly tried to recall a sun prayer....

The airport taxi arrangements were at best, strange.  Pay the kiosk man (fine), and then play spot the driver.  I realised after a while that they all wear the and grey and White floral shirts .... But guessing which one is actually your actual driver was another game in itself.    After asking three or so, I had a tap on the shoulder and  we were eventually off.... in a car with a mad driver who seemed to have rather dubious braking capability.  After a few near misses and a little aqua plane on the wet road, I was safely at my little (rainy)  oasis in Seminyak. 

As with many of the places I've been, it was low season so had managed to procure a rather nice (large!) bungalow for me and lou who was arrived the next day.  I settled into the lobby bar with a Bintang, had a chat with the barman, listened to the rain and read some leaflets about what to do on the island.

At which point I realised the whole point of my trip!!  There was a half day jolly to meet  in Ubud !!!  It's surely what I had been truly searching for all these months and would at last find the answers to all those questions going round in my head.  My EPL moment was just a heart beat away... ;-) 

Day two in "paradise":    it had rained all night (this I know because my bungalow had a thatched roof and it sounded like it does when you are in a tent...) and continued all morning .  Around lunchtime, there was a break in the cloud so I made a run for it. 

Shattered illusion number two:  the beach was only a three minute walk but firstly...it was a religious beach so no sunbathing allowed?  That was a new one for me.  But this  was actually probably a good thing as I when I saw the state of the beach, I did begin to wonder if I would even want to walk on it, let alone spend hours soaking up the rays (if  it ever stopped raining long enough).  It was disgustingly filthy - I wouldn't have minded if it was natural rubbish but it wasn't.  Plastic everywhere.... bottles, bags, tubes, etc etc ....where was my sandy white beach?  Clearly not here.  The sea was so rough and the waves were massive, so no swimming allowed.  I was really beginning to wonder if Bali was just a travel agent's dream.

I walked from Seminyak into Legian refusing various offers of bracelets, sarongs, massages and an invite to a timeshare presentation (although the offer of free cocktails meaty swung it for me).  Then the sun came out....

I grabbed a lounger, ordered a Bintang and life was good for a few hours.  Picked up Lou from the airport, had a good natter and a few more Bintangs and life was looking alot better. I realised how much I had missed talking to someone who had similar background and outlook.... Plus she bought loads of glossies for me to read and plan my new S/S 2012 wardrobe from :-)

Day three:  it was so hot and humid.  The sun did not make an appearance all day.  Luckily, we were going shopping so not too much of a problem although some of the roads were still flooded so meant we had to wade through puddles a fair bit.  Not that this deterred me from making several purchases including some rather cute leopard-like Fendi mules....god knows when or where I will wear them but they were in the sale so a good bargain ;-). Luckily we were on a "long" lunch break when it next rained ....

Next day was a scorcher.  At last!!! If I said it was a little too hot at times, then I would probably sound a little two-faced.  Nice long walk northwards to Echo Beach (yes, of the song.....from 9-5 I have to spend my time at work  my job is very boring I'm an office clerk......   Refresh your memory here:  http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?v=VrPDp8VTkBk 

Fantastic surf (struggled to stand up beyond knee height), great food, cheapish bar and one of the best sunsets I've seen for a while.  It was a fab day that I will remember for a long time.  

Next day - inland to Ubud on the trail of Ketut and Wayan Medicine lady.  Our bungalow was just amazing, views over a rice field, breakfast and afternoon tea on the verandah (darling).  So much shopping, so little time.  Oh, and we also did a couple of amazing walks from the LP guide....met an amazing little artist in the middle of nowhere who was hand painting carved wooden eggs (amazing to watch and a bargain to buy!), saw some fantastic scenery (rice fields, palm trees, rivers and the odd amazing villa), some very colourful butterflies and met a crazy-eyed farmer who's only spoken English was "money".  We had to pay him to cross his field... At first, I though we were in for a bit of trouble.  The look in his eyes was a little drug-addled plus he was brandishing a rather large scythe that he had been using to cut down trees.  However, on production of 20,000 rupiah note (about £1.50), he was transformed into a sweet little old man who was happy to pose for a few pictures with us! 

Monkey Forest was great entertainment  for a few hours.  The monkeys ranged from very cute through to slightly vicious.  When one landed on my shoulder, I shrieked like a banshee as figured I was going to get scratched to pieces.  Actually, it's claws were quite soft...still didn't like it though....  Some of them would literally rummage through the pockets of your trousers or bag and nick anything that looked remotely edible.  We also saw load of baby monkeys that were so so cute! 

Overall, Ubud was very chilled and more what I imagined Bali to be like.    I really liked it (perhaps because it only rained once).  It was quiet without being dead and lacking atmosphere.  It was stylish in a nice way (unlike Seminyak which felt a bit fake boobs, bling and east european glam at times).  It was a really genuine place and at times, you felt you were miles from anywhere.  A very spiritual place without trying too hard. 

We didn't make it to Ketut's place after all.  I read some reviews and it seems the place has turned into a bit of a conveyor belt ....literally, take a ticket as if you were at Tesco's deli, pay your $25 and then be told the same as the person in front of you.  I guess it's tourism at it's best (worst??).  We did go to Wayan's place though.   Not quite the welcoming place you see in the film....just a load of locals lounging around looking a little bit out of it if I am honest.  We walked past a couple of times, gawped and went for a something to eat instead.  

I was by now, missing the beach.  We had had plenty of sun in Ubud and I could not complain but I needed to know that there was more on offer than just what I had seen in Seminyak/Legian and Kuta.

So, next stop: the Gili Islands.  Fingers crossed the travel books hadn't over-egged this place too.  

Penang was an interesting place and I say that in the nicest possible way.  

I arrived on Chinese new year's day (23 Feb).  It was late afternoon by the time I ventured into town and was surprised by the lack of activity.   Even people..... Just no-one around and hardly anything open.   I walked for around and hour before I found somewhere open for a beer ..... And that seemed to be the only place open.  I imagined CNY to be a big party time but it's actually very family oriented hence the lack of life in the place.  As it was, I ended up in a bloody Brit bar, eating fish and chips whilst listening to their "Best of the 80's" collection.  Reminded me of a few good tunes to download mind you...   :-) 

The next day was pretty much the same - I visited a few Chinese temples, hindu temples and islamic mosques.   This place us a real mix of cultures - in Little India, the bollywood music was booming out at top pitch and a few  cafes were serving really good food at rock bottom prices.  It was really interesting to see how the different religions happily co-existed alongside each other....I wonder why it doesn't work like this elsewhere in the world ?

In Chinatown (actually, pretty much all of the town is Chinatown),  I managed to catch a NY celebration at one of the temples - lion dancing, loads of noise and firecrackers.  I was conscious of butting into a celebration for the locals so kept a discrete distance from proceedings but one little old man beckoned me in and took the time to explain to me what was happening.  He was so sweet and invited me to join his family at the free buffet afterwards. I was not sure but felt rude to say no.  They were very welcoming but most of the time,   I had no idea what was going on or what  I was eating......however, when the pigs trotters arrived, I knew it was time to move on. I did not want to outstay my welcome so bade my farewells to Lin and his family and moved on.  

Life got a million times better (food wise that is) that evening.... I discovered a little wine bar near my hotel .  It's called "that little wine bar"..... And boy, did they do some serious wine.  I had a cheese plate for dinner (it was actually one of the desserts  but I have missed cheese so much   I had it main :-). ).  I could have eaten it all night despite the calories and cholesterol.  Pure bliss on a plate.  And the place was run by a scouser ?!?? 

Next day, I ventured out on the bus. The bus service in Penang is amazing, about 50p a ticket for anywhere you want to go on the island and all buses have air con and free wifi !!  I went off to Penang Hill - good views over the city, but personally, I thought it was a bit of a waste of time and couldn't understand for the life of me why it was so busy (with locals).   Next stop was the Kek Lok Si temple - an amazing Chinese temple in the hills. Stunning (wish I could post some pictures - google it and hopefully you'll agree) and full of locals celebrating NY.   Some amazing carvings and statues and the place was full of colourful Chinese lanterns.  I decided to purchase some "wish ribbons" as gifts for everyone at home.  These are coloured ribbons that have messages on them like "good luck in your career", "prosperity" etc..... They are then hung on the tree outside the temple so that the gods will look favourably on them. I got two lots - one to hang on the tree and one to bring home for people.  Let's hope what I have wished for you is what you would like and it actually comes true !! 

I took pot luck on the next bus leaving the area and ended up in Batu Ferringhi which is Penang's beach resort (must have been my natural homing instinct....).  Nice beach, reminiscent of Thailand but nothing too special.  Had some great seafood on the beach as the sun went down. Very nice indeed. 

Next and penultimate stop before home was Langkawi.  I had booked a beach front motel in Pantai Cenang.  Its one of the main resorts, but I was at the quieter end, within walking distance of the main strip.  No big features other than a couple of seafood restaurants and the view.....and boy, it was worth the extra money a night compared to the rooms at the back of the small resort.  At night, I sat on my verandah with a cold beer (back to cheap beer prices again, don't know how I will manage when I get home?!) and listened to the waves rolling in.  Some gentle music on the I-pod and a couple of candles. I wasn't sure it could get any better than this.....until I saw the beach the next  morning in full sunlight.   Stunning white  sands, clear blue seas with a few gentle waves and nothing else to spoil the view..... actually, would have been tonnes better to have shared it with someone else but it was not to be ..... For now anyway..... 

And that's  basically how I spent the next 6 days - lazing on the beach or lazing on my verandah. Excellent preparation for my last stop in Bali !   

I am kind of sad that this is almost the end of my trip but I am ready to come home.  I wanted to get the travel bug out of my system and I think this last 5m has been just the right amount of time to do it.  I have loved visiting new places and meeting new people but now I want to be back amongst friends and not to have to think about where I'm going to stay each night or what I'm going to talk about with the people I meet along the way.  Not that it's been difficult but you know..... I just want it to be easy again, back on familiar territory where I  know what I'm going to get when I order from a menu or where "it's"  going to be at. 

BTW everyone - You  have my express permission to remind me of this comment when I start to moan about day to day life back in Brighton ;-) 

The only thing I promise to moan about is the weather....I will certainly miss seeing the sun every day. 

See y'all soon !!!