Pictures, People, Places - Entry 5 - Australia

We finally got to Oz.....  Closer each day.....

The Bryan Family Reunion in Swanhill .......

Melbourne, Max, Laith and Kylee!!!

Magic Mackay

Caro, Damo and Lachie we miss you..........

Wonderful Whithaven and the Great Barrier Reef . . . .

Oranges and vino.....

You Ozzie's,  you were all so wonderful to us, housing us, feeding us and showing us the sites.  Get your butts over to England and we'll return the favour!

Pictures, People, Places - Entry 4 - Singapore/Indonesia

What great times, Sam and Mike, we love you and thanks to our other family in Singapore...

Pictures, People, Places - Entry 4 - Cambodia 2

Another one for Cambodge!

A Journey To Anywhere

In the middle of Thailand in what might as well be in the middle of no where we are once again faced with a dilema with no outcome that could be described as desirable. We have been dropped off and informed with half a gesture and grunt that this is the place that we have to wait for our connecting bus. The sun is sweltering and the locals are looming like vultures for any thing they might get. Feelings of discomfort and danger congeal and all we can do is hope that our bus comes soon and both our health and our belongings make it along for the ride.

Our saviour, our knight in shining armour took the form of something that even in a child's wildest imagination could barely be described as a bus.

The dilema was this - Do we risk our lives on this dilapidated rust bucket or do we stay and pray for a better option. We of course had to take our chance with the time bomb on wheels because even with the strongest faith the chance of a better option was a lottery shot and we had already paid for our tickets.

It went a little something like this;

Red bull and red eyes were our guide on this journey to anywhere.

10 speakers, 5 stereos and 2 amps in sight and the only sound was coming from the tired engine and the wind permeating the myriad holes throughout the exterior.

It's important to know the time when travelling and the bus came fitted with a dusty clock that still worked. It was just set to a time zone 6 hours away.

7 fans to keep you cool, it seems no expense is spared on this mystery tour. Strange though how only the drivers still works.

Snoopy has made a guest appearance and has come along for the ride. A sad truth that those football stickers will be around long after the bus.

The dash board is more rust than dials. There is no indication of speed or the limit.

More people than seats, no breeze just heat.

No cause for concern, the driver it appears came prepared with a paint brush, a tooth brush, some nail clippers and two pairs of glasses. Such an emergency tool kit reasures even the most paraniod of travellers.

There are enough cables here for 50 stereos and those are just the ones on display. No need for a map, the wires it appears are leading the way.

Joseph Davies 30/08/10

Singapore and Australia

In a quest to actually be writing about something that happened recently the next few blogs shall be even more succinct and pacey. Get ready for 2 months in not so many words;

Singapore

Words and memories live from my brain; gratitude to Sam and Mike (we love you), Bintang (5 star island paradise), 25 US dollars for a 30 day visa to Indonesia (we stay just one day), Malaysian style family gatherings, love and food (eat with your right hand only, the left is for something else), one crazy night out with some inside VIP treatment (FREE booze), reunion with an old uni friend (great to see you Claire), lots of dodgy music made up for with some most excellent dancing and a cheap bottle of whisky that actually cost me several hours in customs and I still to this day have never drank a drop.

Australia

6 weeks in Australia was largely one reunion followed by some amazing hospitality and then on to the next reunion. All of the things below we have done over the 6 weeks but will be presented in the form of one perfect day in Australia.

In the words of Run DMC; it goes a little something like this........

Arrive in Sydney at 5 in the morning and the rising sun in the perfect blue sky acting as a metaphor for the potential of the 6 weeks to come. Breakfast is a divine Salami Pita and a cappuccino that passed the spoon test with Ms Kylee Rusna waiting for Laith to finish work. The setting, the food and the laughter set the tone for all of our 2 weeks in Melbourne which really is the Australian city of culture. After breakfast its off to Swan Hill for the Bryan family reunion for a classic bit of reunion crashing which will no doubt take off like the wedding variety. It was really interesting to see 5 generations of the same family all together and we were treated to some great hospitality and even a slide show which was actually hilarious. The late morning is spent at the Whit Sundays, truly one of the most beautiful places on Earth. After all kinds of slides, bumps and acceleration on our power boat we arrived at the lookout. The reality of the view eclipsed the post card, the silica of Whitehaven was truly something to walk on and behold. Seeing Chantelle snorkeling and the splendor of the Great Barrier Reef was a memory that will not fade. Lunch is fresh Mud crabs that Damo and I caught that morning with Caroline and Lachlin in Mackay. The experience we had there was more delicious than the crabs and that is saying something. The afternoon was spent with Trefry on a winery tour of Orange with plenty of sunshine and swallowing. For Dinner it is off to the suburbs of Sydney with Mickey and Brooke for a house gathering. We are so fashionably late we are bordering on being rude but this is laughed off quickly and everyone and everything is grand - great people, great food, great times. To finish we will head back to Melbourne and The Corner Hotel for the Rocksteady reggae romp. Seeing 70 year old Stranger Cole bob, skank and rock with the 30 piece ska orchestra warmed my soul and whenever I cast my mind back I can still feel the heat and happiness deep inside. And then of course before we tuck each other in and congratulate ourselves on quite an incredible day in the land of the Roo it is off to probably the worst Kebab shop in Australia for a dirty donner and the perfect greasy punctuation to a perfect day.

Special thanks to all that made this day possible, we witnessed generosity and kindness that shatters the bitter media's portrayal of the world and restores your faith in the human condition.

Joseph Davies 14/06/10