Finding Nemo

We have a total of just over 3 weeks at Bingin which becomes two then one and before we know it its our last night in our little ‘Villa’. The morning arrives and with teary goodbyes our procession of bags and porters ascend the cliffs to Ketut our driver. We are headed for Tamarind a resort on Nusa Lembongan, a smallish island south of Bali for some more SURF and snorkeling. Ketut takes us to Sanur our departure point to the island, its hot, confusing and crazy busy. After so many weeks of living somewhere permanent it’s a bit of a shock to be in ‘Ops Mode’ again, Nicky sits on the pile of bags and surfboards and with a resigned look on his face says “Dad I don’t know if I want to be doing this”.

We are pounced on by 5 touts offering various options on reaching our island when completely to our surprise we see a man approaching waving a placard with CRAIG KILLEEN written on. Rescued we follow him down the beach and there purring in the silky sea is our ‘ride’, a super sexy fast looking craft with Tamarind written on the side. Powerful engines fire up and we are soon pounding through deep blue sea towards our destination.

The island feel reaches out to us, reggae music wafts across the water and Blackie the resort owner and his smily staff are all waiting thigh deep in the breakers to carry our bags and boards onto the beach and into our new home,. The resort consists of five bungalows and a pool bar area right on the water and is empty other than a pretty Dutch Girl who immediately becomes part of our family (much to Bills delight). I think she is super relieved that we have arrived as this is a small island with nothing other than a few resorts, bars and warungs.

First things first, I set off down the road to the village to find a scooter when Ketut drives up, “want a ride to town” he says, “no thanks” I reply “I want to rent a scooter’. “You can rent mine if you can drop me back at work first”. I ask for paperwork, he laughs and says just return it when you have finished, you can leave the keys with anyone here if I am not around.

Blackie organizes his cousin Made to take us snorkeling on his fishing boat which is a brightly colored trimarang. Made is a cheerful fellow flashing big gums and buckteeth. We hug the coast passing forests, cliffs and bays, seaweed farming is the main source of income and the bays are laced with seaweed farms consisting of underwater netting fences from which the seaweed is harvested.

We arrive at our first dive spot called Gamut Bay and a new world is discovered. All 5 of us go under and come up screaming spontaneously with delight. We feel like we are in inside Finding Nemo – in an Imax theatre with surround sound. A feast of colors, forests of coral, bright sand and deep blue crevasses open up. We found Dory ( just keep swimming , just keep swimming) but Nemo was nowhere to be found. Nicky and I (Lou) decided all we were missing was the turtles saying “woooowwwww this is incredible hurry up guys surfs up !!!!” Nicky, Bill and Lou feed the fish with bread and there is underwater giggling going on as swarms of fish nibble our fingers. They all have there own personality depending on their colors and the coral they hang out in.

There are three surfing options near us - Playground, Shipwreck and aptly named Lacerations. Playground is a 400 m paddle away from our resort, through anchored boats and buoys and becomes our wave of choice. It’s a user friendly left and right break that works for both Bill and I, what better than to have your son paddling out with you in time to watch the sun rise?

This was probably the best surfing overall, like the name suggests playground is less hardcore and I can feel more like a big fish in a small pond. The most outstanding memory of the trip for me has got to be paddling out as the sun rises each morning and then catching wave after glassy wave but more than just a wave experiencing the sensation of flying over crystal clear water and seeing every detail of the magnificent world below!

Moving to Medewi ........ and Back

We opt to call our driver Ketut to take us out to Medewi and pack up ready for the big move. There are no internet cafes in Medewi and so Craig has to stop somewhere on the way and try to connect his modem onto a local network which proves really tough and takes most of the morning of driving around, wasting time with Bali geeks, without Ketut it would have been impossible. Eventually Craig buys another modem, get it configured and off we go.

Next stop is provisions, Ketut who is showing incredible patience stops at Hardy’s, a local version of Shoprite. We have fun working out all the provisions needed for our trip with our taximan in tow pushing the trolley. Whilst eating lunch at a Warung Nicky discovers wonderland, a kids play emporium with a water slide – this child has the largest capacity for fun fun fun, we go and watch him hanging with the locals flying down the water slide.

We arrive at our new house a few hours later, the owner is nowhere to be found and has left us with 2 girls and a young man, none of who can speak a word of English. The girls are super shy, they giggle and look confused every time we try to communicate.

Craig organizes a scooter and promptly looses the paper work for the licence and then discovers even more frustratingly that there is no signal so no internet and the nearest internet café and any form of civilization is 40 minutes drive away.

That night the girls cook us dinner which is painfull. a really weird combination of sausages (eewww imagine whats in them), rice, prawns? Ugly looking sausages at that and salad with an instant Bali salad dressing. The owner still hasn’t arrived, in fact he never does so its really hard to try and make these girls understand that we want them to leave us alone to do our own thing.

Early next morning I (Craig) head for the break, which is what I came for right? Over night the swell has arrived and its humongous, I stand around nervously in the early morning light trying to figure the sets out and plan a route to paddle out. I watch 4 gnarly Aussies paddle out and they get pounded, eventually I follow a young local trying my hardest to keep up with him and manage to get out past the backline. I am now out and to be honest petrified, the waves are mountains and the surfers are unfriendly and all look like pro’s. My first wave is a disaster, I realize too late someone is already up and riding and drop in on a Frenchman, we collide and my skeg gashes his head. Whilst all this is going on the set of the day arrives and we are caught in front and I am pounded by wave after relentless wave. An hour later I make it back to the beach after cutting my leg open on jagged coral.

This is not working out too well, still we make the most of it, our surfer guide Harris takes Bill out at too more friendly break and he has his first surfing lesson. There is not much else to do but our Villa has a glorious pool and so Lou and the boys hang out there.

Next morning early I decide I have to get over this fear and go back out. Harris is with me this time and shows me the best way to get out to the backline, the swell is if anything bigger and I am thinking what the hell am I doing here. To non surfers the way it works is that the surfer closest to the point where the wave is breaking has the right of way and it’s a continual game jockeying for position. Harris takes me far out and I am thinking why so far when this set arrives blocking out the horizon, I look around and realize I am in position and everyone is watching me. Harris is shouting paddle paddle and proving beyond doubt that a males pride is far stronger than his sense of self preservation I paddle.

Next second I am up and dropping down the biggest wave I have ever caught….... ever.
I hit the bottom at speed, make the turn and settle into the wave. Medewi is regarded as the longest left in Bali and I am riding it, this smooth green wall of water that goes on and on for ever. I eventually kick out what seems like a kilometer away and begin the long paddle back out to the point with adrenalin pumping, grinning like a fool to big cheers from Harris. More waves follow and I think that this is all worth it.

Surf and sweeping vistas aside we last another two days and decide this is not for us. (Well lets face it Craig is getting a surf but with no internet connection he is a grumpy bear and not such fun for us) also we are in the middle of nowhere, the only way I (Lou) is going to get any company is to paddle out to the backline and make friends with Aussie surfers and as you all know me well, know I am more a yoga class, massage and glass of wine kind of girl.

We sms Ketut who arrives promptly the next morning to save the day, he negotiates a payoff to the scooter owner for losing the licence, a payoff for our surf coach Harris (what a gem) who we had booked to spend a week with Bill, payoff for the board and bootie rental and finally explain and cut a deal for the accommodation which has been booked for another week. Thank god for Ketut as he had to do the maths with the staff who had borrowed money from us to pay for the electricity……..it was all very complicated. But it was such a relief to leave, it was a wired place and the Aussie owner, well he was probably getting pissed somewhere and we found out he hadn’t paid his staff for 2 months (thank god we left them a tip too)

Anyway we are finally packed and hightail it out of there back to civilization.

Phnom Penh

With a banging on the door all hell breaks loose the next morning. The night before I had switched our cheap Chinese alarm off instead of on. Our pick up is outside pacing, he still has three more collections before getting us to the main bus station to catch our 7am, “super deluxe AC” to Phnom Penh.

Ten minutes later with vast amounts of luggage and sleepy children in tow we board the pick up which is a rickety old relic without windows. Louise and I have a good chuckle as we watch the horrified expressions of some Australians as we arrive to pick them up, “Hiya mate is this bus taking us to Vietnam”?

Another bus another journey, except now I’m (Lou) having an allergic reaction which started in Siem Riep in a small way just my arms were itchy, on the bus ride I was having an internal dialogue about what could be wrong, I would get these hot flashes somewhere on my body followed by intense itchiness, it would move all around, it was freaky.

By the time we get off the bus at Phnom Penh and the taxi drivers all attacked us I was ready to blow, which I eventually did, I mean come on they can see I’m with Craig and the boys and we are walking towards a tuk tuk , they still come into your face and say “madam tuk tuk , come with me!”

“CAN’T you see I’m with my husband and I have a tuk tuk, back (f>>K) off for god sake!” I yelled at them, Nicky told me later that they all were smiling and laughing at the mad woman ! Oh well! It's good to release some anger sometimes :)!

Craig decided to follow the 3 South African girls (mmm wonder why) who were staying in a budget guest house, oh help me god, so we had a look I thought, please no, we tried a few others which were just tooo expensive, said ok went back, jeeez Louise, it was horrid at R120 a night for all of us a dormitory room 4 single beds, lets just say it wasn’t the highlight of our trip. (…..It was great, clean rooms, cheap beer and food, lots of interesting travelers and we have to do at least one backpacker joint on the trip, part of the experience!)

Not to mention the itchiness was getting progressively worse and eventually I surrendered to the fantastic orgasmic scratching with my hairbrush, out of control I was doing myself serious harm, even the strong antihistamines Murray prescribed were doing nothing, I can only think it’s the MSG which Asians use in everything and I mean everything. The second night after nearly exfoliating my skin off, we stopped at a pharmacy and he said allergy (duh) Erticaria? Take these, cortisone, it did help but it took a while for it to go completely but by that stage would have taken anything to stop the itching, my god it’s terrible, and the worse thing is, msg is their salt.

Given Cambodia’s magnificent civilized past its recent history is horrific, 25-30% of their population were tortured, beaten and massacred just 30 years ago, their only crime being that they were educated, Pol Phot’s grand plan to develop an Agrarian utopia of subservient peasants

We decided to explore Phnom Penh and went to the war Museum, oh my god, thank goodness we didn’t go to the killing fields, Nicky said straight away that there were ghosts. What was once a school became a torture chamber where Pol Phot did the most horrendous things to anyone considered an enemy to their cause. I was creeped out and depressed, it is incredible brutality and they kept meticulous records with photo’s to prove it all. The fact that most of the leaders haven’t been brought to justice astounds me beyond anything, Pol Phot died of old age in exile a few years ago. The photographs are haunting. There is still something in the atmosphere in Cambodia, how can a country just continue after such a brutal time. There has been little retribution for the people who caused such pain, no reconciliation, just a get on with it and dry your tears kind of attitude.

A poem written by a prisoner explains that time so well (below)

That night we popped in to the Foreign Correspondence club to cheer up, a beautiful colonial building on the Mekong River as another tropical storm hit. To be sure this setting must be the inspiration behind the launch of a thousand novels.

We sat next to a Dutch girl, who was writing to her friends back home on why men are such bastards- she met a cool European man at a bar the previous night really hit it off was thrilled and then gave him her phone number, on the way out his Cambodian wife pops up and asked her why she wasn’t taking her husband home, it was fine with her as long as she used a condom!!!
She is in love with Phnom Penh and is here to teach English. She recommended that night’s restaurant a hip, trendy and organic place that supports training of Cambodians for the service industry – good food and sadly as always crazy expensive white wine.

We have a family vote to end the traveling and settle down somewhere in Bali for a while (surf beckoning). I was keen to carry on but the boys were tired and it was 3:1 Our last stop was Saigon (Ho Chi Min City) from where our flight was booked to Bali, hasty emails to Lawrence and Janine to see if we could join them, flight numbers and dates changed, we were set.

Last Night in Bangkok

So Nicky, Bill and Lou set of for Bangkok again with a card of a hotel in Ko San road area. We arrive at the Wild Orchid something or other and I just think nooooway anyway I go and check out the room and then the next price range up and then eventually the top range room which is on the 6th floor with NO LIFT- huh?

We decide to leave and get a cab to our trusty hotel near the river when some sweet Thai girl says we have a better hotel just round the corner called Villa Cha Cha and it has a pool. We are sold, she grabs a heavy pack – lucky Nicky and head for the mad streets with us in tow, it’s not just round the corner but a lengthy walk and when she slips into this alley I’m thinking paranoid thoughts. Then out pops Villa Cha Cha from the swirling mass of stalls and mess, we check in very excited and happy to have found a home.

The problem is Craig is on a plane from Turkey and then onto the Wild Orchid villa and we are not there, how to get a message to Craig with no phone and no computer. So I found an internet café logged onto Craig’s email gmail and sent an urgent message from Craig to Craig??? Hehehe
The boys and I hit Fuji and had sushi yippee; love Bangkok did some good shopping whilst boys got their fix of Games in the big Kids entertainment emporium.

I get the message as I arrive in Bangkok which after Turkey is starting to feel like home, easy transfer into the city taking no bullshit from the taxi drivers and find my way to the hotel. What a relief to walk into the Cha Cha and see my tanned and chilled family sipping mango lassies around the pool. Louise has chosen a particularly crazy part of Bangkok, restaurants and shops line the streets, and in front of these a second tier of restaurants and bars line the pavements.

We emerge from our alley and fall into a papaya salad, chilli fish and Tiger beer. Much later I weave of nonchalantly down the road with promises to find a trip to Cambodia. Feeling jet lagged and spaced out I catch a tuk tuk across town to the train station, find an agent, stared earnestly into his eyes for a sign of honesty, think I see it and pay over good money for 4 tickets and a hassle free ride to Siem Reap in Cambodia the next morning.

Evening’s arrived when I return, we dump the boys in air conditioned comfort watching scratchy pirated DVD’s and head back into the human tide looking for a night on the town. Dinner is Indian, lots of white wine and ends with a hubbly hubbly shisha pipe watching the second tier of restaurants through the haze on the pavement. It has been particularly hot and humid even by Bangkok standards, the heavens open up and a tropical downpour engulfs the world outside.

Total non panic as rickety awnings emerge, restaurants and bars continue unabated – wires stretched overhead, bare light bulbs, grills, fires, dogs, chickens, rabbits, gas and all. Our last night in Thailand …… just over a month from North to South and everywhere in between - we love it!

I DID IT FOR MY HUSBAND

We had seen signs up everywhere for the half moon party, and whilst I was sort of reluctant, I knew it was something Craig would love to do.

We started the evening at a bar near us and had hooked up with a few people who would share a taxi to the party. Nice people 2 girls from Germany, Catherine ourselves, Joquim and some guy who moaned the whole way about how expensive the taxi was- (I would have loved to say something but hey, I'm chilled so just smiled and thought - shut-uuuup) In the bar a local called Gak (I know but it is a Thai name and probably sounds beautiful to them) made a mushroom shake, it looked too hideous for words, I had to decline although the others didn't , then off on the back of a bakkie with bench seats on a shit road mmm (was I firkin mad, what would our boys do if anything happened) the driver god bless his soul Mr. Handsome loved him as he was sent from heaven safe slow responsible driver - I was sooo going home with him

We arrived and my first feeling was ………..

This is so contrived!!!!!

on the walk up to the party locals sit waiting to pounce on you – offering all kinds of drugs and selling body painting, standing with pointer sticks and you point to a psycadellic picture you wanted painted somewhere on your body part with allot of Baht (moola)
Food stalls every thing from pizza to revolting sausage, Thai food, falafel (always an Israeli at a party selling a falafel)
Bars that sell buckets with local rum - and a variety of additions
Lots of visual entertainment (psychedelic kind)
Lots of very DRUNK farangs and Thai's
mmmmmm it was gonna be a long night
There was a Reggae band to start which were quite good in a Thai island kind of way - no woman no cry,
Then the heavy trance started
Craig went skipping off to do his sweet smiley trance dance and I watched with fascination at the goings on.
A voyeur all evening was I and some of the things I saw!!
you know the kind of guy that is definitely not cool, he has newly acquired Thai pants on with his t-shirt off and tucked into the back of his pants, slightly podgy (and white obviously a new arrival) he had painted on each of his arms - the first was lips with the seductive tongue sticking out !!!!And on the other arm 7eleven????????????????????Huh
After about 3 hours (yes I did it) you know that movie, she is just not that into you, well I felt like, I just can't get into this. I was reaching the end of my tolerance level and left a message for Craig that he would find me outside.

This is so contrived!!!!! on the walk up to the party locals sit waiting to pounce on you – offering all kinds of drugs and selling body painting, standing with pointer sticks and you point to a psycadellic picture you wanted painted somewhere on your body part with allot of Baht (moola)

Food stalls every thing from pizza to revolting sausage, Thai food, falafel (always an Israeli at a party selling a falafel)

Bars that sell buckets with local rum - and a variety of additions
Lots of visual entertainment (psychedelic kind)
Lots of very DRUNK farangs and Thai's

mmmmmm it was gonna be a long night

There was a Reggae band to start which were quite good in a Thai island kind of way - no woman no cry,

Then the heavy trance started......

Craig went skipping off to do his sweet smiley trance dance and I watched with fascination at the goings on.

A voyeur all evening was I and some of the things I saw!! ..... you know the kind of guy that is definitely not cool, he has newly acquired Thai pants on with his t-shirt off and tucked into the back of his pants, slightly podgy (and white obviously a new arrival) he had painted on each of his arms - the first was lips with the seductive tongue sticking out !!!!And on the other arm 7eleven????????????????????Huh

After about 3 hours (yes I did it) you know that movie, she is just not that into you, well I felt like, I just can't get into this. I was reaching the end of my tolerance level and left a message for Craig that he would find me outside.

I was sitting opposite the food stall and this REALLY drunk girl all sweaty - makeup gone awry look about her, staggered and weaved up to a food stall pointed to a kebab and a revolting looking sausage both on a stick, took about three weaves and a lot of concentration to pay with the right bills - she staggered over and sat down next to me weaving and rolling - she was out of it, after nearly impaling her eye with the kebab stick she latched onto the kebab and bit down, it was tough so she was pulling hard with her teeth, yess! she got her bite, but her co-ordination was so impaired that as the rest of the kebab was freed - it flew into the air and all the dogs milling around pounced and devoured it in a second, she was confused for a moment - looked at her empty hand and then started talking to the dogs, whilst doing so her multi-tasking skills had lapsed and her last remaining food item the revolting sausage gently rolled off her plate into the sand - the dogs were there in a second, OHHH, I was laughing so hard by this stage.

Let’s just say it was the highlight of my evening - reality entertainment!

The trip home was funny too and we had a few drunk girls who were talking such hog wash one of them a South African living in London who whilst sober has this very affected poncey accent, but while drunk it keeps slipping from slur to south African, ha-ha, so Bust!!!!

Ok so been there done that got the badge, in fact I felt like I needed an endurance badge.
The thing is, - Full moon party started 20 years ago by a few traveling hippies and now they have full moon parties , half moon parties, black moon parties after parties 2 days before parties 2 days after parties , pool parties, where is the hippie soul in all of that, I would have been happier in the Yai Bar just down the beach from us , plays groovy sexy music , you can swim if you get to hot and well, its far cooler than crowds of sweaty drunk, high, young , I think I have been there and got the badge, I want soul !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Craig left for Istanbul and we are schooling till lunch and chilling for the day Bill played in the 5 o’clock local soccer game - must say he is braver than me. It looks pretty hardcore - go Bill
Nicky made friends with some local kids at Central gets to have free pool games must say the kid’s skills in Fuzeball and pool improving.

Pak Beng to Vang Veiene

We had a late start with the boat as some tossers woke up late and the boat won’t leave until everyone’s on, lots of stunning backpackers. The thing about westerners is we are so focused on instant gratification, and when you travel this way you really get to slow down, you cannot throw a western tantrum and demand to start the boat, they would look at you as if you were quite mad, it is such a good lesson on stillness, inside and out, it takes TIME, while you are on the journey find joy, stretch sleep (on the floor) play cards, read, speak to others including the locals- hear their storey, broaden your mind watch how others live along the way. Amazing scenery- incredible settlements and people, so simple yet beautiful. I watched our sons accept the time and even though we got “when are we gonna get there?” a few times – guess who???

Bill personified his Buddha nature and was amazing no complaints, he went with the flow, Nicky was entertaining, irritating and then started sitting at the periphery of some young backpackers playing cards, next thing he was in playing and speaking with all these young people, he eventually got his dad and Bill to join the game, he has a knack that one - MR Personality.

We finally got to Luang Prabang late and tired beyond explanation, puffy ankles from no exercise, we found an expensive but stunning guest house and booked in – the hunt for the real one was the next morning’s mission. (Which made our French owner very grumpy – but hey that’s normal for the French) oh and mission accomplished next door stunning Laos people and rooms at half the price, clean – aircon, what more could a family want.

That night it was the best exfoliation, shower, hair wash I have ever experienced, there is something quite spiritual in those first moments of being clean; you can face the world again!