We're currently experiencing technical difficulties

Unfortunately we managed to pick up a virus on one of our memory cards so we're having a bit of trouble uploading all of our recent photos.  Hopefully we'll get it fixed and have them all up there soon for your viewing pleasure.

p.s. if anyone has any suggestions for removing viruses from memory cards let us know.   As you can imagine, "I have a virus on my memory card, can you help me remove it?" is a bit of a tricky sentence in Lao.

Vang Vieng - taken down by one of our own

After a month of living dangerously, dining out at street stalls, pointing at unknown foods and saying "yes please, I'll have some of that," munching on hairy pieces of pork, and thoroughly enjoying every minute of it - we were finally taken down by one of our own.  Craving a bit of a change from rice and noodles we decided to treat ourselves to something delicious, familiar, and undeniably western - steak and ale pie and chips.  Yum. Seemed like a great idea at the time but what followed suggested otherwise.

We spent the next 48 hours inside our room.  Well, that's not entirely true.  We surfaced briefly to move to another guesthouse just down the road so that we could have the luxury of television to occupy us when we weren't on the toilet.  Based on how we both felt we knew that we'd be bunkering down for a while so we justified the extra expense.  Incidentally, the Domon Guesthouse in Vang Vieng is a lovely place with big, bright, and airy double rooms with ensuite bathrooms and satellite TV for only 80,000 kip.  Highly recommended for the sickly and happy and healthy alike.

Despite our condition, we still managed to squeeze in some fun while in Vang Vieng.  The most popular activity in town is getting as drunk as possible while tubing down the Nam Song River.  It's basically spring break SE Asia.  We decided to give that a miss and go for something a little more, er, sensible.


We booked a 1-day excursion with a company called Wonderful Tours.  All the companies seem to offer pretty much the same excursions for similar prices but this outfit seemed to be the most organized, and besides, we liked the owner who was full of energy and spent about 20 minutes persuading us that his company was the BEST in all of Laos.


He was a man of his word.  We really enjoyed the tour.  We spent the morning tubing through a cave, then after lunch we kayaked about 10 kilometres back to town, with a brief stop for some "carb-loading" at one of the many bars that line a small section of the river and mainly cater to the aforementioned tubing crowd.  The whole day cost us 100,000 kip each and was well worth it.

Monks with Umbrellas

Prior to getting on the slow boat we decided that after being crammed on to a boat for 2 days straight we'd need a few days in one place to relax before moving on again.  A UNESCO World Heritage Place and described in our trusty LP guidebook as "a tonic for the soul", Luang Prabang seemed like the perfect place.

We ended up spending 5 days here and really enjoyed it.  When we first arrived on the boat we were greeted by the usual cluster of touts attempting to get us back to their guesthouse.  As we hadn't done much research we didn't have anywhere in mind to stay so we shopped around with a couple of the touts to see what was on offer.  We eventually chose one that looked decent and decided to check it out.  The place was ok and we spent the first night there (Lee even watched Man U v Liverpool on a little TV with some of the guesthouse staff) but it was a bit basic even for us and was located a bit far from the center of town so we decided to look for somewhere a bit better the following day.

After stopping into a few places we finally found Chanhthaphone Guesthouse, a great guesthouse on a little side street just off of the main road where the popular night market is held each night.  Our room was immaculate and the bathroom was nicely decorated and large.  The shower was amazing - the best we've had in southeast Asia, possibly the whole trip.  The owners were also lovely and they had a cute little dog called "Dodo" which Courtney played every time we were either coming or going.  We got the room for about $9 a night which is a pretty good deal in Luang Prabang as prices have been rising sharply the last few years as tourism has grown.

It might not look luxurious but this bathroom was amazing!

We spent most of our time walking around town exploring the old quarter and soaking up the laid back atmosphere.  Laos was under French rule until 1953 and the French influence can definitely be seen in the architecture and cuisine of Luang Prabang.  Beautiful Chateaus are interspersed with huts constructed of wood and corugated iron and gourmet French food is served alongside traditional Lao dishes.

Talking of food, there are tons of restuarant choices in Luang Prabang but our favorite place to eat was the narrow alley just of the main street with the night market.  During the day it was lined with empty wooden tables but at night it was packed with street vendors serving all kinds of delicious local food.  Pretty much any appetite could be satisfied here.  Our favorites were the all-you-can-eat vegetarian place (put as much as you can on a plate for about a $1) and Sum Noodle which had delicious bowls of noodle soup made by Mrs Sum herself.  The soup cost about a $1.20 but Mrs Sum's smile was free.

                                                                                    Mrs Sum's Noodle Soup

Monks with Umbrellas
Another enduring image of Luang Prabang is the Buddhist monks with their umbrellas walking around town.  All Lao men are expected to enter into monkhood at some point in their lives and it, judging by the amount we've seen, it seems like all of them go to Luang Prabang to do it!  It's so interesting to watch them going about their business.  Courtney is fascinated by them and has been inspired to learn more about Buddhist monks just by being around them for the last few days.  Tomorrow morning we're getting up at 5am to watch the morning almsgiving, a ritual involving people giving rice to the monks.

Kuangsi Waterfalls
On our 3rd day in LP we rented a tuk tuk and headed out to the famous Kuangsi Waterfalls.  The waterfalls are about 32k outside of the main town and it cost us about 60,000 kip ($8) to get there and back.  There are several falls with the biggest being about 180 meters high.  We hiked up the very steep slope to get to the top of the biggest fall (probably not worth the hike in the end), crossed at the top and then back down the other side.  The best part of the day was swimming in the beautiful turquoise pools at the bottom.  There was a smaller waterfall near the bottom that we jumped off a few times and also a rope swing that was great fun.  A great way to cool off.

The infamous Slow Boat

There are so many stories about the slow boat online and in the guidebooks and the majority of them say how bad it is - overcrowded, ancient boats, unsafe drivers, scams, unpredictable schedules, etc, etc.  Faced with the prospect of another long and bumpy ride on a crowded bus on dodgy roads, we decided the boat would be the way to go.  Besides, we'd also heard that the boat afforded riders with views of some great scenery along the way and a glimpse of many Laos villages that are scattered along the river.

Most of what we heard about the boat was true.  The boat was decrepit, it didn't leave anywhere near on time, and it was crowded.  In fact, crowded is an understatement.  It was bursting at the seams.  From the time got on and the time we finally departed, the boat dropped about a foot or more in the water.  Luckily we were among the first people on so we had our choice of places to sit.  We chose to spread out on the floor in the front of the boat, away from the noise and fumes of the engine and more spacious than the rickety wooden benches that were crammed together in the middle section.  This was probably our best decision of the trip so far.

Just when we thought the boat was full, another tuk tuk would pull up and unload a bunch more backpackers.  Then another...and another.  They just kept coming.  Along with a few others, we attempted to protest to the driver that the boat was too full and a second boat was needed to accommodate everyone but we were completely ignored and soon after the engine was fired up and we were off.

Despite all that, we had great time!  We met a fun group of people on the boat and together we created a bit of a party atmosphere in the front section (the people stuck in the back hated us).  Day 1 of the boat trip was also Lee's birthday which Courtney wasted no time in telling everyone.  Midway through the day Lee went to the bathroom and when he returned he was surprised with a full rendition of Happy Birthday from half of the boat which concluded with Lee performing a keg stand on a can of Beerlao (orchestrated by a hilarious Belgian guy called "T-Bone" who ended up being the unofficial Entertainment Director for the duration of the trip).  At 6pm we finally arrived in Pak Beng, the midway point of the trip and the place we would be staying for the night before continuing on in the morning.

Day 2 was a little more subdued as the boaters recovered fromthe Day 1 festivities but we still enjoyed a pleasant meander down the river to Luang Prabang.

Thailand to Laos

Crossing the border
Although Thailand was amazing and there was still so much we hadn't seen, we had to keep moving to stand any chance of completing our ambitious itinerary and seeing Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia in little more than 5 weeks.  We decided to cross the border from Chiang Khong in northern Thailand to Huay Xai, a small riverside town in northern Laos.  From there the plan was to travel south either by bus or boat to Luang Prabang - more about that later.

Pai to Chiang Khong
After a bit of research we decided the best option to get to Chiang Khong from Pai seemed to be the overnight "VIP" minibus.  We purchased tickets for 650 baht each which also included a room in Chiang Khong as we would be arriving at approximately 3am (we read that buses rarely stick to schedules so we were prepared for an arrival time anywhere between 3am and 6am).

The VIP sounds luxurious but it was far from it.  The first few hours on the bus were cramped, bumpy and mildly terrifying but other than that pretty uneventful.  At about 1am we pulled into a 7-11 in the middle of nowhere (they're everywhere in Thailand) for a quick comfort stop - food, drink, toilet, stretch, etc.  After 15 about 15 minutes we were loaded back onto the bus in preparation for getting back on the road.  The driver however decided he wasn't ready to get going yet and proceeded to mill around inside the store checking out magazines and having one or two more cigarettes.  This went on for something like 15 minutes.  Originally we thought he was just taking an extra long break, which was fine with us as our main priority was him staying awake long enough to get us to our destination in one piece, but then we discovered the real reason for his lolly-gagging - he was supplementing his bus driver salary with a bit of side business in drug-running!  The pieces started to fall into place while we watched as he participated in a well-rehearsed sequence involving himself, a 7-11 employee and two teenagers who arrived (obviously slightly late) on a motorbike.  If we had any doubts as to what was transpiring they were erased when one of the teenagers gave our driver a little nod and smile as he peeled out of the parking lot on his motorbike - another happy customer.

Another successful transaction completed, we continued on our way.  A couple of sleepless hours later we arrived in Chiang Khong.  The room that was included in our ticket was, as expected, terrible but we were so tired that we really didn't care and fell straight to sleep.  The following morning we left Thailand on a longtail boat across the Mekong which cost us a whopping 40 baht ($1.30) each.

Laos
In Huay Xai on the Laos side we grabbed a room for the night at the Saybadee Guesthouse (very nice room with a huge bed and view of the Mekong from the balcony for $9) and then set about securing transport south to Luang Prabang.  We had heard that due to the Mekong River being very low boats were not running and the only option would be a 16 hour bus ride.  However, after asking around a bit we were pleased to learn that the Chinese had opened a dam or two up river and the boats would start running the following morning.  We booked ourselves a couple of spots on the first boat out in morning, a bargain at 250,000 kip each! (only about $27 for a 2-day trip)

Taking the Slow Boat
There are so many stories about the slow boat online and in the guidebooks and the majority of them say how bad it it - overcrowded, ancient boats, unsafe drivers, scams, unpredictable schedules, etc, etc.  Faced with the prospect of another long and bumpy ride on a crowded bus on dodgy roads, we decided the boat would be the way to go.  Besides, we'd also that the boat afforded riders with views of some great scenery along the way and a glimpse of many Laos villages that are scattered along the river.

Most of what we heard about the boat was true.  The boat was decrepit, it didn't leave anywhere near on time, and it was crowded.  In fact, crowded is an understatement.  It was bursting at the seams.  From the time got on and the time we finally departed, the boat dropped about a foot or more in the water.  Luckily we were among the first people on so we had our choice of places to sit.  We chose to spread out on the floor in the front of the boat, away from the noise and fumes of the engine and more spacious than the rickety wooden benches that were crammed together in the middle section.  This was probably our best decision of the trip so far.

Just when we thought the boat was full, another tuk tuk would pull up and unload a bunch more backpackers.  Then another...and another.  They just kept coming.  Along with a few others, we attempted to protest to the driver that the boat was too full and a second boat was needed to accommodate everyone but we were completely ignored and soon after the engine was fired up and we were off.

Despite all that, we had great time!  We met a fun group of people on the boat and together we created a bit of a party atmosphere in the front section (the people stuck in the back hated us).  Day 1 of the boat trip was also Lee's birthday which Courtney wasted no time in telling everyone.  Midway through the day Lee went to the bathroom and when he returned he was surprised with a full rendition of Happy Birthday from half of the boat which concluded with Lee performing a keg stand on a can of Beerlao (orchestrated by a hilarious Belgian guy called "T-Bone" who ended up being the unofficial Entertainment Director for the duration of the trip).  At 6pm we finally arrived in Pak Beng, the midway point of the trip and the place we would be staying for the night before continuing on in the morning.

Day 2 was a little more subdued as the boaters recovered fromthe Day 1 festivities but we still enjoyed a pleasant meander down the river to Luang Prabang.

A Slice of Pai

Leaving Chiang Mai was sad for us because we loved the feel of the town but we heard from a traveler in Australia (and then several along our southeast asia tour) that Pai could not be missed. We decided to head further north and check out a Thai town set in the mountains. The bus ride would take close to four hours and after Lee read several online forums describing horrific stories of local hill tribe folk, who are not used to motorized vehicles, vomiting throughout the journey on the public bus we decided to spend a couple extra dollars for the VIP bus they have set up for tourists. Our bus ride would cost us 200 baht ($6.25) for the journey up north. All the forums ensured us that it was worth the money because travelers have no problem with the windy, bumpy roads....we were looking forward to the air conditioning and comfortable seats they were advertising.


The VIP van picked us up an hour late from our guesthouse, very typical Thailand hospitality, and then proceeded to drive around town to pick up the other eight passengers. The rest of the group consisted of a Norwegian couple and their three young children, a British couple, and a solo french traveler. After about thirty minutes into the journey on the very bumpy roads the youngest Norwegian, probably around age 3, started getting sick. When asked if he usually gets sick on car rides, the mother replied "no, its usually the older one." We knew we were in for a treat. After holding onto our seats, noses, and stomachs we finally arrived.

Lonely Planet guidebook describes Pai as a hippy town and we would certainly agree. From the streets filled with restaurants serving muesli/yogurt and falafel to the "Keep Pai Green" T-shirts everywhere you turned, we knew there had been westerners in town before we arrived. As we were walking to the guesthouse we were planning to stay in, which was located 5 minutes outside of town and was going to cost 500 Baht ($16) a night, a fellow traveler said she was staying at a place right in town that was "clean and basic" for only 300 Baht per night. We decided to save a couple bucks and check out Mr. Jans Guesthouse. Our room was definitely basic, fairly clean (with a small ant problem in the bathroom), but had a lovely front porch that overlooked a wild flower garden. We explored the town over the next two days and soaked up the small town feel. We went out to dinner the second night with the British couple from our van, Mark and Yaz, who gave us great tips for traveling through Vietnam.

Courtney was dying to go on a Elephant Trek and after speaking to several different companies in town we decided on Joy's Elephant camp, both for the price and the fact it was a family run business. Joy, the mother of the family, owns one elephant and only allows four hours of trekking per day to ensure the animal stays happy and healthy. We paid 900 Baht total and planned to trek for about an hour and a half.

After our banana pancake breakfast (yum), we met at the main office and took a 15 minute car ride out to the camp. The driver, who we learned was also our trek guide, let us out right next to the 3 ton, 31 year old, female elephant we were going to be sharing the morning with. Both of us were taken back by her size and slowly walked into the covered pavilion away from the elephant to watch from a distance. Our trek guide got right to business and started feeding the elephant huge banana tree branches. She looked pleased and ready for tourists to crawl all over her (or so we hoped). We were told to climb up to a platform about 10 feet high so we could mount the elephant. Courtney got on first and Lee sat behind. The guide kept insisting Courtney move closer to the elephant's head and sit directly on the neck, resting her hands on the animal's head for balance. This being completely unnatural, Courtney resisted for a bit but got the hang of swinging with the elephant's movement in no time. Poor Lee had the best ab workout in months having nothing to help balance him but a small rope tied around the elephant's stomach.

At first the guide took us into the hills. The scenery was beautiful with small homes tucked away in the hills. Every so often the elephant would stop to have a nice, long scratch against a large tree trunk or rock. It was hilarious but hard work to hang on. The best part for us was getting into the river. The thought of "playing" in the river with a 3 ton animal was of course frightening but once we got started it was loads of fun. You could tell the animal and trek guide had mutual respect for one another and the elephant did follow direction so that put our nerves at ease. Every time we would climb back onto the elephant she would toss us back into the water. It was a really great experience. After the ride we were able to hang out and feed the elephant some peanuts. The family was very chatty and told us all sorts of things about caring for the elephants.

Chiang Mai

After the intensity of Bangkok we decided to head to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand for some R&R.  There are several options for getting there from Bangkok including flying, busing it, or taking the train.  Flying is obviously the quickest way but it's almost the most expensive and you don't really get to see any of the Thai countryside.  The bus is the cheapest option but we heard a few stories about crazy drivers and a good deal of vomiting.  So we decided to ride the train up.  We booked ourselves on the night train which left Bangkok at 6pm and arrived in Chiang Mai at 7am the next day.  For about $20 each we were able to get spots in the air-conditioned sleeper train which meant we each had our own bed!  The train is a bit slower than the bus but we were willing to accept a longer journey in exchange for a decent night's sleep.  The train ride was great. There's some nice scenery along the way and we got to watch the sun come up over the mountains as we passed through the countryside on the way into Chiang Mai.  For a couple of bucks extra we also got a nice hot breakfast in the morning served right to our seats.

Chiang Mai was beautiful and much more our speed than Bangkok.  The old city is contained within moats and the remnants of the walls that were built to keep out Burmese invaders some 700 years ago.  We stayed in the eastern part of the old city, close to the Tha Phae Gate in a great little place called Baan Nud-Kun (http://baannudkun.com/index.php).  We got a nice sized room with an en-suite bathroom for only 400 baht per night which is about $11.  There were cheaper options but you get what you pay for and this place was definitely worth splurging (haha).

We spent 4 days wandering around and getting lost in the little Sois that meander through the city.  Thai Massage is very popular in Chiang Mai so we decided to treat ourselves.  We went to a beautiful place called Muan Boutique where we had 1 hour Thai massages for $5 each.  Worth every penny.

Every Sunday they shut down Ratchadamnoen Rd and have a huge market that almost runs from one side of the city to the other.  They call it a "walking street."  We were lucky enough to be there on a Sunday so we checked it out.  It was great.  Very arts and craftsy.  So much better than the markets we had seen in Bangkok.  The food was incredible too.  We ate green curry, fresh noodle rolls, pad thai omelet and finished up with fried bananas.  Delicious!  And all for the grand sum of about $2!

Random photo of the day

DSCF0561
Originally uploaded by LeeSenior

We found this while shopping for deodorant in Chiang Mai.

Bug bites

We met new friends Kim and Lauren (hi guys!) over breakfast at Suk 11 and decided to go out with them for dinner and drinks the following night.  Lauren got a tip from a friend about some great places to eat on Soi 38 ("Soi" basically means little street) so we decided to check it out.  After a delicious dinner we stopped in at Cheap Charlie's, a popular bar on the same street as Suk.

After a few drinks, we were still a little hungry so we decided to grab a snack...

Street Meat

This is what Thailand is all about.  Although we've been told a few times, "don't eat food from street stalls, you'll get sick" (Hi Aunt Donna!) you really can't avoid it.  And besides, it's where some of the best food is found!  Although we didn't eat from this particular stall (we actually took this picture because the food looked pretty nasty) we've eaten from a bunch.  Most of the time you'll find some sort of an English menu but if not seeing something you like and just pointing works just fine.  Best of all, it will cost about $1.

Sawatdee Bangkok

We arrived in Bangkok in the early evening after our marathon journey from the central coast of Australia to south east Asia.  Our bargain flight turned out to be not such a bargain after we discovered that we wouldn't be fed so we had to purchase drinks and snacks on the plane.  We survived the 9-hour flight on a ham and cheese sandwich and a bar of chocolate.  Tired and hungry we made our way through the airport to find a ride into the city.

Several failed attempts to secure a room over the phone from Sydney Airport meant that we didn't have a place to stay yet so we just decided to head to the famous (infamous?) backpacker mecca Khao San Road in hopes that we'd be able to find a place to crash.

After dodging a number of aggressive touts trying to get us into their cab/bus/hotel we paid 300 baht (about $10) for two tickets for the standard airport bus into the city.  The ride in took about 30 minutes and gave us a glimpse of what was to come in Bangkok - skyscrapers, billboards, traffic, and seas of humanity at every turn.

Once at Khoa San Road we spent a good hour walking around trying to find a decent place to stay.  After we were turned away from a couple of places and with our patience wearing a little thin we finally found a place that was recommended in our Lonely Planet book - generally a good sign.  Luckily the New World Lodge (www.newworldlodge.com) had a room for us and we took it right away.  As usual though, first night in a new country we paid waaaay more than we wanted to.  Still, it only cost us as much as we were spending per night in Australia, but rather than staying in a dorm room we had a huge private room complete with our very own private bathroom and balcony overlooking the Khlong Canal.  We even had the luxury of satellite TV which Lee was particularly happy about as when we turned it on there was a football match on.  Courtney was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow and Lee managed to get to half-time before turning in for the night.

Although lovely, New World was a bit above our price range so, after a much needed night of rest, we set out in the morning to find somewhere a little cheaper to use as a base to explore the city for the next few days.  After some rooting around online we came across Suk 11 Hostel, a place located just off of Sukhumvit Road, a busy commercial area in eastern Bangkok.  The Suk 11 website was pretty sharp (don't just take our word for it: www.suk11.com), the hostel itself looked like it had a ton of character and it was in our price range so we decided to book 3 nights there.  We weren't disappointed.  Suk 11 is great.  We would highly recommend this place to anyone visiting Bangkok.  Beautiful building, clean, spacious rooms (AC available if required) and a great location.  Breakfast is included with the room too and it's great - fresh fruit, toast, tea and coffee and a different Thai style offering everyday such as fruit-rice pudding.

All settled at Suk we decided to do some sightseeing.  Many of the main tourist attractions in Bangkok are along the Chao Phraya River which is often translated as River of Kings, so traveling up and down it by boat is generally the most efficient (and pleasant) way to see everything.  Traffic in Bangkok is a nightmare so we decided to take the relatively new Skytrain or "BTS" as some call it, a 10 year old monorail that runs through the newer parts of Bangkok and conveniently stops at Central Pier where you can jump in a boat to take you up the river.  Nana Station was only a 2 minute walk from our hostel so it was perect.  A one-way trip to the pier cost us 35 baht each (about $2 in total) and we were at the pier in about 20 minutes, a fraction of the time it would have taken us in a taxi.

We decided to buy day passes for the Chao Phraya River Express which allowed us to take unlimited trips up and down the river all day.  Each pass cost about $5 (150 baht).  It seemed like a good deal until we realized later in the day that we'd only be taking about 4-5 trips total and a single ride only cost 25 baht!  Oh well.

One of many beautiful buildings at the Grand Palace

The chaos of Khao San Road

Traveling by boat we visited the Grand Palace, Bangkok's biggest tourist attraction and definitely a must-see, and Khao San Road just to see what all the fuss was about.  We planned to visit a couple of other temples also, Wat Pho and Wat Arun, but spent so much time wandering around the Grand Palace that we were too hot and tired so we headed back to the hostel.  We'll be back in Bangkok again before we leave Thailand so our plan is to see what we missed then.

Sydney to Bangkok

Our flight to Bangkok left from Sydney so we had to make our way south on the train the day before to ensure we made our flight. We took the Countrylink train from Byron Bay (shuttle bus to Casino and then train) which ended up costing us less than the bus would have as they offered student discounts for ISIC members (Courtney is a member). It was a marathon 14 hour journey on the train to Sydney. The night train would have been a better option but our flight was leaving at 6:30am so we had to travel during the previous day. The scenery from the train was beautiful though and offered us some different views to the ones we had on the way up the coast in the car. We also got to see tons of Kangaroos! Apparently they prefer hanging out by the railroad rather than the highway.

We "slept" overnight in the airport to save a few bucks on accommodation (if you can call laying on the hard, cold, concrete floor of an airport with about 50 other people around you, cleaning vehicles constantly coming by, and bright insutrial strength lights shining down on you sleeping) but we basically squandered our savings the next day eating ludicrously over-priced food in the airport (eggs on toast and a coffee each cost us a whopping $30!)

From Sydney we flew to Melbourne where we had a 5 hour layover before finally boarding our flight to Bangkok, Thailand.

Kicking back in Byron

For our last week in Australia we decided it would be nice to stay put relax somewhere rather than moving from place to place as we've been doing pretty much the whole trip so far.  We loved Byron Bay so we decided to go back and spend the week on the beach.  We stayed at a great place called Belongil Beachhouse (http://www.belongilbeachouse.com/).  Belongil is located right on the beach slightly out of the main town - a perfect spot to kick back for a week.

We were pleased to discover that Belongil offer extended stay rates for guests staying more than 3 days so we got a great rate on a private room (only the second time on the whole trip we've not had to share a room with a bunch of strangers!)  The outdoor spaces around the beachouse were great, we had dinner outside most nights under the thatched roof huts, listenting to live music from the little cafe next door.

Unfortunately it rained almost constantly for 2-3 days so we didn't get as much beach time as we had hoped.  Instead we ended up relaxing at the beachouse, doing a lot of reading and recharging our batteries for the next leg of our trip, Thailand.

The rain didn't stop us taking surfing lessons though.  We weren't too worried about getting wet as we knew we'd be spending plenty of time in the water anyway.  We took lessons with a company called Kool Katz (http://www.koolkatzsurf.com/) whose owner is apparently known as "the Steve Irwin of Learn to Surf" - he was definitely quite a character.  The lessons were the cheapest in Byron Bay too at $49 for four hours - perfect for our budget.  We were both able to stand up and ride a few waves (as promised by the company's flyer) and, other than Lee almost crippling the Steve Irwin of Learn to Surf, we both returned from our first surfinf experience in one piece.

Besides the rain there was one other unfortunate experience during our stay at Belongil...bed bugs!  Courtney was practically eaten alive by them.  We didn't discover them until the third day, after they had had a good munch on Courtney's skin (for some reason they didn't really like Lee) and the bites are soooo itchy (they get worse before they get better as Courtney later discovered).  The staff at Belongil were great about it though and couldn't stop apologizing.  They immediately moved us to a new room, payed for us to wash all our clothes to make sure there were no stowaway bugs and refunded us a night's stay for the inconvenience.  Our new room was fine with no trace of bugs so it was probably an isolated case.

Surfers Paradise

Most backpackers traveling up the east coast continue north from Hervey Bay towards Cairns.  For us Hervey Bay was our northermost stop and from there we started to travel south again to our next stop, Surfers Paradise.  Travel pals Kate and Lizzie will eventually be following the traditional backpacker route and heading all the way up to Cairns but luckily for us, Kate's Aunt had arranged a brief stay in a resort in Surfers for a few days so they had to backtrack a bit before going north again.

Surfers Paradise is sort of an Australian Florida, or Miami to be more precise.  Beautiful beaches with a backdrop of high rise buildings containing hotels and condos above restaurants, bars, and shops.  We booked ourselves into the YHA by the harbour and were rewarded with free wine and cheese at reception, a nice treat after the 6 hour drive from Hervey Bay.

The following day we went down to Scrapper Rocks, a beach just south of where we were staying, to check out the Quicksilver/Roxy Pro Surfing Contest - the perfect way to spend a day in Surfers Paradise!  Later in the evening we met up with Kate and Lizzie for a night on the town and our last night together before we go our seperate ways :-(  The night was almost ruined before it got started when we were refused entry to the first bar we went to on account of Lee's flip-flops.  Apparently there is a "dress-code" in Surfers and guys cannot wear flip-flops into a bar.  It's a beach town!  Called SURFERS PARADISE!  Determined not to let this minor setback spoil our fun, Lee went into the nearest store and picked out a pair of the cheapest shoes he could find.  As he was buying them the girl in the store commented "buying some pub shoes are you?"  Apparently this store sells shoes regularly to bemused tourists who come to Surfers and can't get into bars because of their footwear.  In the end we had a great night out at Waxy's Bar, the place that originally turned us away.  Rather than try to describe it in words we'll let the pictures do the talking.

The dingo stole my ham

3 hours north of Noosa is Hervey Bay, the gateway to World Heritage Site Fraser Island.  The only way to see Fraser is by 4x4 vehicle as all of the driving is done either on the beach or on trails made of deep, soft sand.  We decided to book a package deal that included the 4x4 plus 2 night accommodation in Hervey Bay (to stay in before getting onto Frase and upon return to the mainland) and 2 nights at a campsite on the island.  All of the camping equipment was included with the vehicle which was handy as we only own 2 sleep sacks and a spork between us.  The 4x4s hold 9 passengers so it was us, Kate and Lizzie and 5 young Swedish guys.  The idea is that everyone who can drive takes turns on the island.  All of the Swedish guys were under 21 so for insurance puprposes couldn't drive.  Lizzie left her license in the UK.  That left us and Kate.  The vehicles are all manual which makes sense as they are 4 wheel drive off-road vehicles but we figured even though we both only drive automatic at home we would pick it up quickly and be just fine.  Then we were informed that the clutch and gearbox are NOT covered by insurance.  Without much choice in the matter, Kate was quickly designated official driver for the trip.

The Fraser Island team with Sheila Svensson (our aptly named 4x4)

We were made to sit through about 45 mins of videos informing us of all of the things on the Island that could either injure or kill us including reckless driving, various snakes, Tiger Sharks (Fraser Island is a breeding ground for them), and Dingoes (the video actually said if a Dingo threatens you remain calm and back away slowly.  However, if a Dingo attacks you "defend yourself aggressively"...what?!?)

We loaded up our 4x4 with food and booze (plenty of Goon) and headed for the ferry.  Once on the Island we were immediately in deep sand on narrow trails surrounded by tall trees and bush.  It was like something out of Jurassic Park, especially with the huge hungry prehistoric bugs flying around and attacking us any chance they got.  After about 40 mins driving on the bumpiest trails in the  road we were shaken, a bit sweaty, and ready for a dip to cool off.  Luckily our first stop was Lake Mackenzie.

Beautiful Lake Mackenzie

Lake Mackenzie is rated one of the top 10 beaches in the world, not sure who decided this but they weren't wrong.  The lake is in the most amazing setting.  The water is crystal clear and warm and the beach is a long stretch of fine white sand with a backdrop of trees and bushes.  We had lunch here and were joined by a huge Moniter Lizard who was invariably looking to score some food.

We left Mackenzie in the early afternoon and after a brief stop at Central Station, a former logging depot with a crystal clear creek runnning through it, we headed for camp.  Because the main north south road on the island is the beach you can only travel at certain times due to the tides.  If you're not sure when high tide is you could find yourself stranded on the beach, getting a bit wet, or worse.

Setting up the tent was a bit of an ordeal.  None of us are campers so it was pretty much the first time we had seen a tent, never mind construct one!  The Swedes put us to shame by effortlessly erecting their tent before we'd even got a stake in the ground.  We finally got the thing together and as we were admiring our accomplishment we were joined by some of the local wildlife - two dingoes.  Now, after the scary videos we were made to watch before getting onto the island our natural reaction should have been one of terror.  However, in this case we weren't too alarmed as the Aboriginies that look after the campsite where we were staying said that these particular dingoes had been around for years and were sort of their pets.  They did look pretty well-fed so we felt fairly safe and confident that they wouldn't attempt to chewing on one of our legs.

For dinner we decided to have mince meat and pasta.  Not the original plan but our ice had melted much earlier in the day and it didn't look like the mince would make it through the night.  We also had burgers and sausages in the cooler and we all agreed they stood a much better chance of still being edible the next day.  After dinner pretty much the entire campsite decided that copius amounts of Goon and other alcoholic beverages should be consumed.  After all, what else is there to do when you're on a huge sand dune surrounded by deadly animals and insects?  Not much sleep was had on the first night due to a combination of loud partying, frequent dingo fights right next to our tent, and Lee's snoring.

Up at 6am the next morning, we had a quick breakfast before jumping into the 4x4 and traveling north up to Indian Head and the Champagne Pools.  Indian Head is the furthest we could drive in our rental so we walked the rest of the way to the Champagne Pools, an hour round trip.  It was definitely worth it.  The pools are set in craters formed in volicanic rock and are filled with ocean water crashing onto the rocks.  They get their name from the bubbling and fizzing that occurs when sea water fills the pools.  Its the only place on Fraser Island where you can swim in salt water as the ocean has strong currents and is teeming with Tiger sharks (the east coast of the island is a Tiger shark breeding ground) so swimming is NOT recommended.

After a dip in the pools we hiked up Indian Head which provides incredible views of the island and Pacific Ocean and is a great spot to try and catch a glimpse of sharks, rays, and whales.  In the short time we were up there we saw a shark, a large sea turtle and a stingray, very cool.

Back at camp for lunch we decided to cook the rapidly deteriorating burgers (they were delicious and nobody got sick) and then drove inland to Lake Allom for a swim.  The lake is full of tea tree oil from the surrounding tea trees so apparently very good for the skin.  It was very different from Lake Mackenzie.  The water was very dark due to the tea tree and other deposits in it so you couldn't see through it at all.  We were a bit apprehensive about swimming in it until a Hungarian man that was hanging out there said using some very limited English that a group was there just before us and they were all swimming it in.  That was all we needed to hear so we all waded in, being careful to avoid stepping on any of the numerous turtles that had come over to see what we were up to.  We all enjoyed cooling off in the lake but in retrospect the Hungarian guy's English was so bad that he could have been saying a group was there earlier and they were al eaten by giant Fraser Island crocodiles.  Anyway, we all survived and returned to camp with silky smooth skin and clean, soft hair.

The second night was a little calmer than the first with a lot of the campers still recovering from the first night's partying.  We taught the Swede's how to play Farkle and then took a nighttime walk down to the beach with one of our aboriginie hosts.  The sky was clear so we saw so many stars including the Milky Way which was clearly visible.

After a decent night's sleep we were up early again for our last day on the island.  The day got off to a bad start when we discovered that the ham we had planned to have for lunch that day had been stolen by one of the resident dingoes.  Apparently all the years of hanging around the campsite with drunken backpackers, the dingoes have learned how to open coolers!

They may look cute but they WILL steal your ham

We packed up our tent and supplies and headed south towards the ferry.  On the way we stopped at Eli Creek for a swim and Lake Mackenzie for one last time.  As our ham was being enjoyed by the dingoes we had no choice but to eat what was left of our food supplies - cornflakes, bread and jelly (jam for the English readers).

Mmmmm

Back on solid ground in Hervey Bay we grabbed some much needed showers (Courtney's first for 3 days!), washed some clothes, then headed into town and treated ourselves to a nice dinner.