Singapore – 16-18 October 2014

Yes I appreciate it seems odd writing a blog about Singapore given it’s been a month since I left but it's good for me to look back in years to come on where I went when.

It felt like a short week for me even though I will be working in the Singapore office on Friday. After another busy day (Thursday, 16 October) I left the office and headed to the airport, by train. Yah no more issues trying to get a get a taxi!!! I had checked in before work (how I've missed that!!) so it was straight through security then to the lounge.

On arrival into Singapore for the first time ever we packed at the gate closest to immigration - a major plus given its midnight! Had a second win when I got to the taxi line, only 3 people ahead of me. Thankfully it was a fairly quick trip to Lois and Nic's place.

It was a major struggle to get out of bed a few hours later when my alarm went off (on Friday, 17 October). Coffee and lots of it will be needed today!!

After a pleasant day in the office (so nice to see everyone again) I met Lois and Keryn for dinner - felt like I'd never left :)

Saturday morning I woke up feeling absolutely awful (this time I can’t blame it on alcohol) - clearly the busy days and stress/worry of looking for an apartment has taken its toll. As I'm here for Lois' hen party its up and adam! Lois and I head out to Sentosa for an afternoon of relaxing at a hotel spa - it's been something I've wanted to do while living in Singapore so it's great to finally do it!

Its takes all my might to leave - what a wonderful day to spend the afternoon. If I still lived here I would be here once every two months.

We kick off Lois's hen party at Ku De Ta, unfortunately it's raining so the views aren't up to their normal standard but still impressive. Dinner is at Chopsuey.





Sunday after a relaxed morning I have lunch with Anna before heading to the airport.

It's been a super quick trip but so nice to be back again to see everyone!

One night in Bangkok – 28-31 August 2014

Well actually its 3 nights but who's counting!

It's been awhile since I was last away.... (5 weeks but who’s counting), and with my move to Hong Kong approaching very quickly I decide to have a 3 day break away from the organized craziness before I leave Singapore for good.

I finally leave work at 7.30pm on Thursday, August 28, 2014; my flight isn't due to depart until 10.50pm but I can't face the crowds on the MRT so opt for a taxi. Another error free trip through the airport and straight to the lounge :)

The flight is a quick 2 hours, landing 20 minutes earlier than scheduled which is a nice change. It's a cool 27 degrees and raining we are told, um not the weather I was after thanks very much! The taxi line is its normal craziness; I managed to pick a line that seemed to move smoothly for once.

Bangkok is one hour behind Singapore, so I'm dying to get into bed.....hopefully the rain doesn't hold us up too much and I can be in bed by 1.30am new time. Aah the joys of not having to be up by a set time tomorrow :)

After a small mishap with the driver on arrival to the hotel, I'm finally all checked in and heading to my room. It's a huge suite - lucky me! (All I keep thinking is I'm sure my HK apartment will be smaller than this.....) Shortly after entering there is a knock at the door, ummm no sorry wrong room time to go elsewhere thanks very much!

Finally into bed at 3am Singapore time, sounds like it's been a great night out.....but alas no!

Friday morning after a wee sleep in and breakfast downstairs it's time for coffee!! Clare and I met up around 1pm and walk down the road to their local - gastropub owned by a kiwi. The menu is amazing, I'll have one of everything thanks! We decide on wine, of course, and a platter to start with. Lovely sitting catching up - this should be an every Friday afternoon occasion :)

Early evening we head back to hotel to Clare's apartment (her husband is the general manager) and keep drinking. I need to keep remembering to drink water and that I don't bounce back from big nights / ok days like I use too!!

Saturday morning (August 30, 2014) I'm a little slow - no chance of getting to breakfast so room service is eventually ordered. It's coffee I'm really after, I manage to get myself sorted and head out across the road.....that will be all for now! The afternoon will be spent by the pool relaxing.

We somehow manage to “recover” from yesterday and the wine begins to flow again. Once Michael finishes work we head for dinner – delicious French – before coming back to the hotel via tuk tuk. Awesome fun!!!



Sunday morning I wake feeling so much better than yesterday morning :) after a relaxing start, packed up my room then met up with Clare and family. We headed off to a newish kiwi owned restaurant for brunch.

Back to the hotel just before 1pm, after collecting my bag and checking out the fun started trying to get a taxi that would take me to the airport by meter. Finally I'm in one.....but it's driving ridiculously slowly - ooh dear.

We are going 20 kms an hour, increasing to 40 for a short time which felt like we were racing!! I try to ask the driver to go fast by asking how far to the airport, he answers me with laughter saying 5 hours. Ooh dear. After about 20 minutes of driving we pull off the motorway and stop to get gas; I'm now very scared. My friver thinks it's hilarious and won't stop laughing - I quite frankly don't see what's funny....

After getting gas we do speed up a bit but still not at the normal speed of everyone else, honestly this is driving me crazy!  I'm over the moon when we finally arrive at the airport and I can part with this mad man of a driver! Unfortunately not a pleasant end to my lovely weekend in Bangkok but hey ho it’s been lovely to be here again.

Coolangatta, NSW / QLD, Australia - 23-28 July 2014

Mum and Dad have decided to have their winter break away in Coolangatta, Australia where it's "warm". Now coming from the tropics I totally disagree - the high over the past week hasn't hit 20 and one morning when I checked it was 5 degrees.....why ooh why did I think it would be nice to join them for a few days??!

Wednesday, July 23, 2014 after working for the day I take a taxi to the airport. Check-in was relatively painless; for the first time on a flight I was on passengers were being asked if they wanted to take a different flight as the plane was overbooked and had some issues with a few seats. No thanks, I'm good.....I need to get to the warmth.....

Unfortunately my upgrade to business class didn't come through, there is always a slim chance it might happen at the gate but highly unlikely given the flight is overbooked. I have a couple of hours in the lounge, first stop is to order an Aperol spritz. I'm told they have run out - double whammy! So Capri spritz it is. Not quite the same but not awful either. When I go up the second time the friendly bar man tells me he has a half bottle which they have been told to serve to VIP's - seems a little odd to me given it's not exactly a high end spirit. Ooh well. I feel like I'm back in high school as he "steals" me some :)

Finally time to board; the pilot announces it's a quick 6.50 hour flight to Sydney - now I'm pleased my upgrade didn't come through. Due to the curfews at Sydney airport we need to remain at the gate for a good 30 minutes before we take off. Not sure why the rush to get us all boarded then.

Thankfully the flight passes by fairly quickly - on arrival into Sydney it's a freezing 8 degrees.....ooh dear. I have a very quick trip through immigration, baggage and customs then the fun begins. For some strange reason Qantas is unable to help me on my onward journey as the flight is operated by Jet Star, what the?! So off I head to find the bus to terminal 2, where would you believe it I have to pay $5.50 - again what the?! I need coffee and quickly!!

The friendly bus driver makes up for some of the nonsense.

On arrival at terminal 2 I'm told it's too early to check in - I'm about to cry.....never again will I do a mixture of Qantas and jetstar.

I go and sit down to wait until I can check in, was told 15 minutes; my faith has been restored slightly when the check-in guy comes over and tells me the flight has opened up. Great I can get rid of the suitcase and walk over to terminal 3 for a shower and breakfast in the Qantas lounge.

I manage to get some sleep on the 1.5 hour flight up to the Gold Coast (airport); Mum and Dad had said they would meet me, they did but were slightly late.

The apartment we have has amazing views of the sea - as it's whale watching season I'm hoping we may spot one :)



It's only mid-morning but I feel like I've been hit over the head with a massive plank of wood!

We have lunch with someone who used to work with Dad and her husband; lovely seeing familiar faces again.

We walked home then Mum and I head across the road to the local shopping centre - a super quick look in the shops with much longer spent in the supermarket :)

Coolangatta is a township that sits in both New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland (QLD); would make life interesting when it's summer as part of the town would enjoy day lights saving time (NSW) while the other side (QLD) would not. Very confusing I would say!



We had drinks and dinner at home which suited me, means it can be an early night.

Friday, July 25, 2014 I woke at the lovely hour 6.30am....far too early to be awake so forced myself back to sleep and finally woke at 9am :) bliss!

We had a quiet morning in the apartment, love not having to rush!! Late morning we took the bus to Tweed City shopping centre - after a delicious coffee (how I miss thee) Mum and I left Dad and went and looked at the shops. Not overly exciting but nice to be able to 1) afford to buy basically everything (unlike a lot of the shopping centres in Singapore) and 2) be able to fit everything.....not everything is negative zero sizes here!

After having lunch and chilling out back at the apartment I went off for a 40 minute run, mainly along the water. Was cool in the shade with the wind!

Before heading out for dinner we relaxed with nibbles and wine :) Dinner was Japanese in the town area of Coolangatta - QLD side.



Saturday morning we walked into the township for coffee – Mum and Dad’s local while here
We had decided to take the bus to Broadbeach and as soon as we walked out of the café there it was….thankfully it stopped and let us on. The driver was very nice and let me on for free. I was told if an inspector came on to tell them all we had was a $50 note. The trip was so much longer than we expected, finally we arrive! Coffee is required.
Walking down the road we came upon Dracula's (theme restaurant) where we had been when we came to Surfers Paradise as a family about 20 years ago.  I can’t believe it’s actually still standing.


After a much needed coffee we had look around the shopping centre before starting the journey home again! The whole way we were on the lookout for somewhere to stop for lunch. On the way we had passed so many places but of course when you aren’t looking for somewhere there they all are! We finally decided to get off the bus when we see a couple of places and thankfully ended up at a great place (The Outcider) for a very late lunch and delicious cider.

We were close enough to be able to walk back to the apartment – a nice end to the day.

The evening was spent at the apartment, drinking yummy vino watching the super 15 semi-finals.
Sunday (27 July 2014) after breakfast we went for a walk along the beach / boardwalk; great start to the day! We definitely were not the only ones out; and the amount of surfers in the water was huge. The massive highlight was seeing two whales – wow wow wow! Makes me want to go on a whale watching trip….hmm perhaps Canada next July…..



After coffee Mum and I did some last minute shopping then collected fish and chips for lunch. YUM!

We had the afternoon relaxing before heading out for drinks and an early dinner.

Monday morning after some last minute packing and breakfast I was off, took the 9.20am bus to the airport for my 10.55am flight to Sydney where I would have around 3 hours before my flight to Singapore. It’s been a wonderful relaxing 4 days, shame I wasn’t staying for a few extra days.
I wonder where in the world my next trip will be…….

Bintan, Indonesia – 13-15 June 2014

It's been exactly one month since I arrived back in Singapore from a trip away so it's time to depart again!

Friday, June 13, 2014 I'm off to Bintan, Indonesia with my friend Anna for a weekend of R&R.

After meeting at the ferry pier we check in (took all off 2 minutes), through immigration (about 2 seconds) then straight to duty free (much longer! One needs to decide what one would like to drink all weekend). We are going Emerald Class which means lounge access.....nothing like the Qantas lounge!! The most important part of Emerald Class is being able to get onto the boat last and get off first. Bonus for two reasons – one less time on the boat = less chance of being seasick and first in the immigration line in Bintan.

The 1 hour trip seems to go on and on, but we finally arrive. We are one of the first off the boat, thanks Emerald Class, so means no line for immigration :) a huge plus!!

After a very short wait we are taken by the hotel’s car to the hotel, about a 10 minute drive - Angsana Resort and Spa. Our room is a very long way from the lobby; I'm asking Anna if we are staying back in Singapore??!!!

There is a beautiful full moon which we enjoy from our balcony with wine, cheese and crackers. A lovely start to our weekend away!



Saturday morning we wake early, Anna heads off for a walk on the beach and I go for a run. It's already very hot and it’s only 8.15am!! I had forgotten how hilly Bintan is! Manage to run for 20 minutes before having to stop and walk (for another 20 minutes).

We meet at breakfast and take our time, love not rushing! It's still very hot, doesn't help that I'm still trying to cool down and there is no a/c – all open air; then very quickly the heavens open and continue for a few hours. Brings the temperature down a lot which is a pleasant change!!

We did go and lie under an umbrella for a while before giving up with the rain and heading to our balcony. Mid-afternoon Anna goes for a massage and shortly after the rain stops so I head to the pool. Ye ha!

We enjoy wine, cheese and crackers on the balcony before being taken by a golf cart to the Banyan Tree for dinner. A delicious (but expensive) Thai meal - well worth it and would return......once I've made my millions.



Sunday (June, 15, 2014) morning we have a walk on the beach before heading to breakfast. No idea where half these people have come from as it's packed!! Thankfully it wasn’t like this yesterday morning.

We have a couple of hours at the pool in the sun before having to pack up and check out of our room. Back to the pool for the afternoon, with a spot of lunch at the restaurant on the beach. Nice way to end our break.

It's been a lovely 2 days away; could do with an extra day but I'm sure that would always be the case no matter how long I was here for!

We are on the 5.35pm boat back to Singapore, which means a 4.30pm departure from the hotel. It’s good not having to be rushing off.

On arrival at the ferry pier there are people everywhere! Thankfully we have our boarding passes already so head straight to the lounge. We even get to skip immigration as the staff handles that for us - a nice touch!

Kunming, China – 11-13 May 2014

The flight from Lijiang to Kunming was an easy 50 minutes - once we were off the plane it was a LONG walk to baggage claim/arrival. And in my typical history the guide was nowhere to be seen. Not a good start! I managed to find a phone that had free local calls (very impressive!); Elane was surprised to hear from me....hopefully telling her I'm at exit 3 is enough. Only time will tell.

Elane arrives and is very apologetic, Lily (guide from Lijiang) didn't send a message advising I'm on an earlier flight so she wasn't expecting me until 10.30pm. Very glad I got on an earlier flight!! Because I was delayed the driver had gone home so we head upstairs to the departures area to try to get a taxi. Not easy when you have 'traffic police' telling the drivers they can't pick us up. At last one agrees, suitcase is in the boot then the 'traffic police' bounce. They take photos of the license plate and get documents from the driver.....all the while shouting who knows what. The driver told us to wait, he will be 3-4 minutes but after a while Elane heads over to work out what's going on. While they're both away I notice at least 3 groups of people getting into taxis that had just dropped people off, clearly because the 'traffic police' are tied up with us they get away with it. Bit of excitement for my arrival.

Finally we are on our way, Elena tells me both she and the driver got told off and the driver had to pay RMB 100....eeks. She told me not to worry about it, so ok I won't but I do feel bad he had to pay a fine.

We arrive at the hotel (Crown Plaza), major luxury compared with the last two nights and any other time still very nice!! Elena gets me all checked in then I'm on my own, which suits me. Walking into my room I could be anywhere in the world - huge plus is the comfortable bed.

Monday (May 12, 2014) I have a wee sleep in, no crying babies woke me in the night which was great!! After washing my hair (a huge luxury....) I head down to breakfast. A few communications problems I finally get my poached eggs. I'm now set for the day.

We leave the hotel at 9am and drive about an hour and a half to The Stone Forest or Shilin. I find the drive interesting - always something new to see.

On arrival at The Stone Forrest the first stop is the bathroom, these are super plush (and very clean) compared with the others I’ve been in this trip, and have small TV's in each stall. It helped me to realise which way to stand which is handy!

We have to get in a golf cart to take us to the entrance, seems a bit strange to me but hey ho.

We have about an hour and a half wandering around Stone Forrest; definitely an impressive site. Thankfully in places it was cool. A nice break from the heat of the sun.



After exiting the Stone Forrest site there are numerous restaurants touting for our business, I'm open to where we go and given both Elena and the driver (Mr Wong) want to eat I know it will be good and fingers crossed not tourist prices.

I'm half way through my fried rice when I pluck up the courage to ask Elena what something is - part of me doesn't want to know! Thankfully its potato, a little strange having potatoes in fried rice but hey ho.

From here we drive about 30 minutes to Jiuxiang Caves; I'm surprised how warm it is after being in cold Lijiang. We get on a canoe type boat (sits around 10) for a small trip up and down the river. Very touristy but looking at the rocks is nice, and at least it’s col.

It's now time to get out of the sun :) and head indoors to visit the Caves.

Walking through the caves it reminds me of my time in Guilin (doing exactly the same thing). Wouldn’t say they are anything to write home about; other than the Twin Waterfalls. Twins being special in my family.




After watching a small show, with 6 locals dancing, we begin the long hike up - 336 stairs! Definitely got the heart rate up; thinking I deserve a beer later.

At the top of the stairs there is a ski lift to take everyone up the mountain to the exit - haven't been on one of these for ages. The last time I believe was when I was in Switzerland a few years ago.  Good views of the countryside.

We arrive back into Kunming at 4.45pm; thankfully the majority of the one and a half hour journey was traffic free.

I chill in my room for a bit before going out for a brief walk - had wanted to find somewhere to sit and have a drink (to be my first since arriving in China) but had no luck so returned to the hotel bar instead. Definitely not cheap but cheaper than Singapore prices!

For dinner I ate in the hotel, feeling quite tired and just couldn't face going out again.

Tuesday (May 13, 2014) is a nice relaxed start time of 10am so I take my time. For the second morning in a row I have other people sharing the same table as me at breakfast - this time they had already set down their food so they remained. I made the mistake of saying hello in Mandarin and they starting to talk to me.....whoops, sorry but I can’t reply and actually have no idea what you are saying.

Elena is late because she was unable to get a taxi, then an accident on the highway - I'm happy just relaxing in the lobby.

We drive around 30 minutes to Western Hill (which is also known as Sleeping Buddha Hills); it's a very hot day so I'm a little worried about the 6 + km hike up and the fact you can’t stop along the way to buy water. Elena asks a lady how long it takes to walk up.....3 hours is the reply. Surely not??!

We begin the walk up, which is all on asphalt; passing numerous people. It’s going to be a quick trip! Our destination is Dragon Gate which built on a cliff is literally at the top of the mountain. The views of Dianchi Lake and Kunming city are spectacle – you can see for miles and miles.



After coming down from Dragon Gate we stop for lunch, Elena gets chatting to two Chinese guys who want to join us for the walk down. As long as they can keep up with us that’s aok with me.

I've lost count of the number of people who have made a comment about how well I use chopsticks - those 5 years of boarding school really paid off!!! From memory it was every Monday night we had to eat with chop sticks; we also had to eat fruit with a knife and fork. Anyway I digress.

It's a quick one hour trip downhill. I keep zig zagging to stay out of the hot sun. Mr Wong (driver) is very surprised how quickly we walked up and that we walked down again. We did have the option to take a chair lift down (which the majority of people do) but I declined, much preferring to walk.

I can't believe my time in China has come to an end (next stop the airport); I've been so fortunate to see and do so much in my 4 days here. I've realised again how difficult it is to get around if you don't speak Chinese.

I had a lady immigration officer checking my documents; all was going well until a man came over (perhaps her supervisor) and started to look at my passport. I got the awful feeling he thought it was a fake....thankfully after a few minutes he returned it to the lady and off I went. How I would have got myself out of this is anyone's guess!

Will I come again (to China) - no plans at this stage but you never know. One thing is for sure I am keen to know what China will be like in 10-20 years.

Lijiang, China – 9-11 May 2014

Yes it's true I'm off to the airport yet again (on Friday, May 9, 2014) - no time for the grass to grow with me, far too many places in the world still to be explored!!

This time I'm off to Lijiang, via Kunming, for two nights then return to Kunming for two nights. Both of these places have been on my "to visit" list for awhile now so I'm excited to be finally going!

For the first time in a very long time I'm not flying a One World airline which means no lounge access for me, instead I have to wander around the airport filling in time, not an experience I’m keen to repeat too soon.

On arrival into Kunming I'm off the plane fairly quickly and straight through customs; now the fun begins as I need to go and check-in for a domestic flight. Hmmm I really should have been practicing my Mandarin. In the end I'm sorted, now to find somewhere to eat. One of the first places I see is McDonalds, yeah no. Then I see a sign saying Chinese restaurant, perfect. It's a lot of miming but in the end I manage to get a table and order :) My waitress shows me my order on her screen but all I see is numbers....I have absolutely no idea if what I've ordered is there but I suppose that's half the fun. Dinner is super delicious - stir fry beef with vegetables!

I hadn't realised how big Kunming was until I needed to walk to the gate, wow this airport is huge! I'm one of only a small handful of foreigners (that I can see) so am stared at constantly.

After a 40 minute flight we land into Lijiang, like Kunming it's definitely bigger than I expected.....I need to keep reminding myself this is China so everything is big!! After a few small issues locating my guide, Lily, we are off. Would have been helpful if she had my name written on a sign....

It's about a 30 minute drive from the airport to Lijiang; on arrival I'm told cars aren't allowed in most places of the Old Town and that there are at least 70 entrances. So now the fun begins working out which is the one for the guest house.

I'm staying at Carnation Inn, a small 5 room guest house. I've been told no one speaks English - fingers crossed all will be ok once Lily leaves me.

The room is very cute (and surprisingly not that small); however then I notice there is no way to lock the room. What the. Lily gets one of the staff up to advice I'm to put a piece of wood in the door. Yeah like that is going to hold if someone wants to try to get in. So after doing my best to close the door I move the only chair in front to add a tiny bit more weight.

I'm feeling quite tired now so get into bed - my king size bed is actually a pile of rocks, this will make for some interesting sleeping!

Saturday (May 10, 2014) I wake before my alarm, it's been a fairly restless night - not only with the rocks but the temperature (cold). Thankfully the shower is decent with lots of hot water!! Lily is collecting me at 8.10am so a cup of tea is needed to get me ready for the day.  Lily had prepared me a breakfast as the guest house doesn't have a restaurant - I manage eat a banana and have one slice of "bread"; very sweet of her but unfortunately I’m not big on the majority of things.

I remember awhile ago telling someone I was going to Lijang and they advised as it’s high altitude some things may break once I’m there…..so I’m busy getting dressed after the shower and my deodorant ball decides to take a wee trip, whoops!

First stop is Jade Dragon Snow Mountain / Yulong Snow Mountain; after getting tickets then standing in a long line for a public bus we then join a line for the cable car to take us up to the top of the Mountain (well as far as you can go before having to walk to the top). The cable car takes around 15 minutes and for the majority of the trip you can’t see more than 50 metres. In some ways I’m very pleased as its crazy steep! One arrive it’s a freezing 5.1 degrees and is snowing…..we are 4,506 m high and very quickly I realise I should have purchased oxygen like the majority of the other tourists had.

I manage to step outside for no more than 3 minutes – just far too cold for me!! Watching the snow fall is pretty but thanks very much I’ll do that from inside; no need for me to go for a walk around.



After returning to the ticket place at the bottom (cable car, then bus down) we take another bus to White Water River, which is formed by the runoff from the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. I’m feeling absolutely terrible after being up the mountain (due to the altitude) so elect to slowly walk around. No need to be joining the very long line to take a golf cart – I have legs for a reason! The reflections in the river from the mountains surrounding are amazing; on a clear day you get the reflection from Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Not today unfortunately.



We head back to the ticket place and after a wee break go to the Lijiang Impressions show which is a culture show demonstrating the traditions of the local minority culture; the backdrop of the mountains make it easy to get distracted when the actors speak (in Chinese).

From here we head to Yushui Village, to see the Three Layers of Water. Like White Water River, Three Layers of Water get there water from Jade Dragon Snow Mountain runoff.

While the scenery so far has been absolutely stunning, it is time to visit a local village - Bai Sha Village. It’s a quaint little place with a river running through it; if your shop or house is on the other side you just build a small bridge and bobs your uncle you are set. It was great to see it wasn’t overrun with tourists, nor had shops geared to the tourist. I visited the Baisha Naxi Embroidery Institute, which is free for locals (and tourists) to come in and learn. They do this to preserve the traditional Naxi craft.



Our last stop for the day is Shuhe Old Town; John (owner of the travel company I used for my trip) had told me to come here at night as it’s very pretty. As I still don’t feel that great I decide we will visit now. It’s a beautiful, quaint Old Town that like Bai Sha Village has a river / canals running through it. The water is crystal clear. It’s lovely just to wander around. There are a number of fruit/vege ‘stalls’ setup along with snack food. Lily and I munch on a corn cobb while wandering. Can definitely understand why John said to come here at night time, it would be extra special.



I have a brief stop at the hotel before we head out to wander around the Lijang (Dayan) Old Town, it's still light (the sun doesn't go down until about 7.30pm at the moment) which is a nice change for me.



Finally just before 7.30pm we sit down for dinner - I'm thirsty, starving and tired!! And still feeling a bit funny from my altitude sickness. It's only been one day but this trip is definitely not a holiday!!!

After dinner we wander around the Old Town, definitely more picturesque in the evening. One "street" we wander down is called Pub Street, think super loud, super super loud and each bar has its own entertainment. Each place is basically packed with either couples or groups of family (with children). Not my cup tea tonight nor if I was on my own.

Sunday morning (May 11, 2014) I'm up early which is annoying after being woken in the night by two incredibly loud screaming children, thank goodness for earplugs.

This morning we are heading to Black Dragon Pool then onto Tiger Leaping Gorge where we are going to hike for a couple of hours. I'm very excited!!

Thankfully the driver meets Lily and I shortly after we leave the guest house to help carry my suitcase up the hill.

Black Dragon Pool was built in 1887; on a beautiful day (which it isn't today) you can see Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the reflection. It's peaceful wandering around - there are locals dancing, doing tai chi, playing badminton, running and walking. Lily shows me a majiang (mahjong) tree which if you touch three times when you next play majiang you have good luck. I could spend hours here but unfortunately we only have 40 minutes. On leaving I notice a handful of older looking men carrying their bird cages into the park. I remember seeing this in HK so am not at all surprised, after all it's good for the birds to get out and "chat" with their friends too.



We have a brief look at the 'Dongba Mytha' Naxi Dongba Culture Exhibition, which showcases the local Dongba scripture.

I'm on the road again - driving now to Tiger Leaping Gorge; thankfully the driver is happy to go on the newly built motorway otherwise I’ve been told it's a windy journey through the mountains. The scenery is out of this world!!! I know New Zealand has amazing scenery as well but boy this is spectacular.

I had mentioned to Lily yesterday about the strawberries at the small fruit and vege stalls we saw, she had told me we would get some today so after driving for a bit we stop at some stalls to buy - yum yum! And nice and cheap, RMB 10 (basically SGD 2).

Before we start our hike I make the mistake of going to the bathroom.....all I'll say / ask is why ooh why do Chinese woman (older ones) like to go to the bathroom with the door open....

It's so nice and peaceful on the hike, with mountains and rock to our immediate right and the river and mountains to the left. We walk for about an hour, stopping along the way for photos, before we reach the "tiger" about to leap onto a huge stone to cross to the other side (tiger leaping stone); this is the end of the hike so we turnaround and walk back to where we started.



After getting away from what seems like hundreds of tourist buses we head to the first bend of Yangtze River then onto Shigu Village - a Naxi local village. Nice to wander around and see daily life.

Time to get into the car again, this time we are heading back to Lijiang for a late lunch and wander around the Old Town again. Then it will be time to head to the airport.

I enjoy a chicken fried rice for lunch, it was tasty although I was so hungry I nearly would have eaten anything and it would have been ok. We then wandered around the Old Town, at one point tasting yak milk, which is very sweet. Reminded me a bit of the milk bottle lollies I had as a child. The Old Town is quite different during the day, still lots of people around but a different buzz.


Thankfully Lily insisted she gets me checked in before leaving me as there is an issue with my flight - the lady told Lily it's good we arrived early as my original flight has been badly delayed and is likely to be cancelled. Luckily I was put on a slightly earlier flight.

Hard to believe my 2 nights in Lijiang has come to an end - in some ways it's gone very fast and it other ways I feel like I've been here for awhile. I've had a great time and am very pleased I came; time now to explore another part of China. Kunming here I come.

Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia - Easter 2014 (17-22 April 2014)

Yes it's that time again - I'm heading to the airport (on Thursday, April 17, 2014). This time I'm heading to Ningaloo Reef, via Perth, to celebrate Susan's 40th birthday.

This is a trip that's been in the planning (Susan not me) for months so I'm super excited!! Not that I really have any idea on the actual location and what we can do, other than swimming with the whale sharks!

My taxi driver is telling me no drinking at the airport (as I'm coughing my lungs out).....but.....surely one won't matter.....

After a super easy check in I'm set and ready for the lounge - I'm a good girl and listen to my taxi driver....only non alcoholic drinks for me :)

Even though the flight is 4.45 hours it feels like it's much longer, I'm ready to get off after 2!!

On landing it's a quick exit, stop at duty free - yes thanks with 20% off!! Now the fun begins waiting for my transfer. It's a chilly 16 degrees here; a major shock to the system to me.

Finally at 12.25am I crawl into bed....now for some serious shut eye as we are on the 4.30am shuttle back to the airport for our flight up to Exmouth. The things you do for your friends!

At the lovely hour of 4.10am (on Good Friday, April 18, 2014) I get a knock on my door to say we are leaving in 15 minutes (to the airport), I feel like I've been hit by a very big truck!!!!

We have a 5.30am flight to Exmouth; on arriving at the airport I'm amazed at how busy it is! There are at least 20 flights all before 6am, wholly molley this is one busy airport.

My eyes are literally closed the whole 2 hour journey - finally I sleep!  We are met at the airport by someone from the hotel and after about thirty minutes arrive in the "town" of Exmouth. First stop is collecting the 2 rental cars. There will be 8 of us in total so it makes sense having two cars.

It's now around 8.30am and I feel like I've been up for hours and hours. A very strong coffee is needed! Following shortly behind breakfast. We decide to collect some supplies from the supermarket and head to our hotel.

Sharon very kindly cooked us breakfast :) I'm now ready to face the day.

Driving between the "town" and our hotel I'm amazed at how many dead kangaroos there are - so sad. Means we need to be bloody careful when driving, especially at night time as there isn't many lights around.

On leaving the hotel we are greeted with two mean looking emu's....thankfully we have the car to protect us.

Now time to go exploring, this time in the opposite direction from where we have come from. The heat is already out and kicking in full force. A major amount of sun screen will be needed.

We head off to Sandy Bay, about an hour’s drive away. Along the way spotted a kangaroo waiting to cross the road.  Thankfully it waits until we pass before deciding to head back in the direction it came from.

Sandy Bay is absolutely picturesque - white sandy beaches with crystal blue warmish water. Heaven!!! We have a couple of hours here relaxing, I move from sea to sand sea to sand. What a way to spend a day.



We head up to the lighthouse to watch the sunset - an amazing site! As soon as the sun is down it's time to head down. We are all pretty had it (it’s hard work being on holiday!) so decide to head in for dinner earlier than originally planned. We were able to be seated straight away thank goodness as I was starving!!! It's really nice sitting outside and not sweating, I could easily get use to this dry heat.



After a delicious Italian dinner it's back to the hotel and basically straight to bed - lights out minutes after 9pm :) it's expected after being up since the lovely hour of 4am!!

Saturday (April 19) we wake early, not surprising given the early night. After a leisurely breakfast we head into the "town" to get some lunch things then head off to Turquoise Bay.

On arrival I'm amazed how busy it is - not a car park spare.....buggar. We end up following the other cars and park in a bus only section - perfect.

Turquoise Bay is a snorkel beach; we were told yesterday that the currents can be quite strong, by just looking at the sea it's very obvious. I decide not to snorkel and instead just hang out on the beach.
Colleen and I go into the sea and within seconds are washed down by a very large and super strong wave. Wow wee. Me be-hind got a good exfoliation!! Time to walk down the beach a bit too where it's calmer before getting in.

This beach is a lot busier than Sandy Bay where we were yesterday - not really my cup of tea.

We have a few hours relaxing, before the sand blowing everywhere gets to us, then it’s time to head back to home base.

I'm desperate to wash the salt off me so jump into the cold pool.....nice to be drinking chlorine rather than salt water.

Early evening we head into "town" for dinner, like last night we are earlier than our reservation and after a short wait we are in.

Another delicious meal (so nice being back in Australia!!) we head back to the hotel....having to stop as a kangaroo wanted to cross the road. A tad scary in the dark.

Easter Sunday (April 20, 2014) we are up early - today we are going swimming with the whale sharks, the reason we are all here!! I'm a tad nervous and this increases as the time goes on.

After getting onto a small speed boat (which makes a few trips between the land and the boat) we are all set and ready for our day. There are 20 of us in total on the boat, and are split into two groups.

The water is absolutely beautiful, crystal clear. So exciting to be going out for the day on a boat. I've remembered this time to take some motion sickness tablets before getting on the boat, better to be safe than sorry.

Our first stop is to snorkel around/through a reef, good practice for me before we head off to meet the main event for the day – the whale sharks.

The time has come to get back onto the boat, always an interesting experience, before we motor off towards the horizon, through the reef. Ooh dear it's a tad rough now.....time to focus my eyes on the land.
10am signals the start of whale shark spotting. Our boat is in a group with 4 other boats and they all share the same spotter plane. The wait begins.

After what seems like a short wait the race is on - we are the first boat to arrive. Group one (which all 8 of us are part of) are the first ones in the water, eeks alive the heart rate is racing.

We basically get in the water, someone from the boat yells to put our head down and the whale shark swims by us. Wow wow wow!!! What an amazing experience - and within seconds it's all over. The whale shark is just too fast for us and after heading down is off swimming.

We are fortunate to have 6 swims with the whale sharks - each one a different experience. One was slow enough that I could swim next to it, WOW.

After an amazing lunch (Ningerloo Blue Charters really looks after us!) it's time for another snorkel.

We are just about to start heading back to shore when another whale shark boat radios in to say they have come across approximately 100 false killer whales; the staff ask us if we want to go see. I'm beside myself with excitement and am thankfully everyone on the boat is more than happy to head off in that direction. This day just keeps getting better!!

We finally arrive in the spot (after spotting dolphins along the way) and the looking begins. I just can't explain how awesome this is when we spot the first false killer whale. I feel so very fortunate being here.

We cruise around the area following a few whales then spot a flying Spanish mackerel escape a mouth and start flying over the water, making 3 "dips" before disappearing. Wow!

What a way to end the day!!!






Throughout the day we saw dolphins, whale sharks (including a young 2-3 year old), octopus, flying Spanish mackerel, hundreds of different types of fish (including Nemo's cousins), Minky whale, stingray, turtles, and false killer whales.

I cannot say enough about the staff; all four are extremely passionate about what they do and not once weren’t helpful. Every time we saw a whale shark, or anything else for that matter, they were just as excited and happy as we were.

Can’t believe the day is over; would be awesome to do this day after day….only problem would be the decreasing bank balance!! After a semi quick turnaround at the hotel we head out for dinner.

Easter Monday (April 21, 2014) we are up early again. A quick breakfast, with coffee, is consumed before four of us hit the road for the 1.5 hour trip to Coral Bay to swim with the Manta Rays.

It immediately becomes apparent that the crew today are definitely nowhere near as good as yesterday; we really were spoilt yesterday!

Similar to yesterday after a briefing we head off for a snorkel first; it's a bit choppy which isn't too pleasant but I've now got the hang of snorkelling with a swell so head off.

The coral is amazing! It's just so peaceful cursing around under water taking is all in. The highlight was definitely watching a turtle swim down from the surface and park itself half under what looked like a rock. Brilliant.

After we are all back on-board it's off to the area where the Manta Ray's have been spotted previously. Like yesterday we have a plane spotting for us so it's not long before one is located. The 4 of us are in the second group today so have a wee bit longer to get ready before having to slide into the water. The first thing I notice is how murky the water is - definitely not the best for watching the Manta Ray's.

Within a few minutes one appears - wow. Even though it's big we are able to keep up with it and are fortunate enough to see it rolling over and over and over again.  An amazing site. Then off it goes, as the visibility is poor it's not the easiest at times to spot it. A real shame but can't be helped.

The second time we get in the visibility seems better and we are able to swim with it for awhile. I have a mild panic when it starts to come up and straight towards me - eeks alive reversing with flippers on, and people around, is not easy!! Thankfully it moves away and we keep swimming with it.

After getting out of the water we spot a tiger shark so follow that for awhile. One of the crew informs me it was swimming quite near to us when we were in with the Manta Ray's.....glad I know that now and not when we were in the water.

After lunch we stop again to snorkel, the current is very strong so a decision is made to drift snorkel; meaning we just go along with the current. That didn't work out so well as after a few minutes when I come up for air I hear the captain telling us to swim away from the boat into the shallower water which means straight into the current. Here comes the workout! It did cross my mind that we may be doing this as there is a tiger shark close by.....I pick up the pace!! Unfortunately the coral and fish in the shallower waters aren't that great (and the visibility isn't that great either) they were so much better in the deep water. Time for me to get out.

I elect not to get in the water for the last snorkel, instead enjoy the views of the water from the top deck. The captain points out a Sea Cow (Dugong) in the water; we really have been so fortunate to see so many different animals / mammals throughout the past two days.

We get back to shore an hour later than planned, no problem with me as it meant we got to see a lot more. After filling up the car with petrol we have a quick look see around the town of Coral Bay. I'm very glad we aren't staying here - the caravan park seems over flowing and it doesn't look like there are many options for eating.

Throughout the day we saw Sheep, Cows, Dead kangaroos, Crows (eating the above dead animal), Sea Cows (Dugong), Turtles, Manta Rays, Sting Rays, Eagle Rays, Dolphins, Tiger Shark, Assorted reef fish and Emu's.

While it's been another good day this company definitely has nothing on the one from yesterday - shame we didn't do this first as the expectations wouldn't have been so high.

We get back to the hotel around 5.45pm, a very long but enjoyable day. Time to wash the salt off my body!!

For dinner we head into the town; service isn't the best but thankfully the food is tasty.

Tuesday morning after a wee sleep in and packing up I enjoy a leisurely breakfast. It's so nice not to be rushing off. After dropping off the rental car the hotel then drives us to the airport. I'm really not ready to leave - another couple of days here would have been perfect!

Ningerloo Reef was never a place I knew about until Susan suggested we come here for her birthday, now it's a place I'll never forget!

Bali, Indonesia – 27-30 March 2014

I have to say getting a taxi on a Thursday afternoon is streets ahead of trying to get a taxi on a Friday afternoon.......must remember this! After another crazy day at work I lock my computer and walk out on Thursday, March 27, at 4.30pm. I'm off to Bali for a long weekend. I know it's hard to believe but I still have carry over vacation days to use from last year and it's use (before 31 March) or lose - no thanks I'll use!

After a nice and quick taxi ride and check-in I'm heading straight to the lounge. A drink is needed!!! Even though it's only been 4 days (at work and yes without alcohol) it's been a looong week.

After downing two Aperol spritz it's time to head to the gate with a quick stop at duty free. Need to get myself sorted for my 3 days off doing absolutely nothing!

Shortly after our departure time the pilot makes an announcement advising a mountain on the island of Java, Indonesia has just spewed out volcanic ash and head office in Melbourne has advised we have to wait here until they give clearance and there is a possibility we might not be going. Bloody hell - a little scary. After a quick Google search (and a phone call to my trusty corporate security guy at work) I can't find anything on the news so thinking it can't be too severe. Thankfully it's not too much longer until the pilot announces we have been given the all clear. I can now breathe a sigh of relief.

On arrival into Bali we are put onto busses to take us a short distance to the airport - never can understand this when it would be quicker to walk. The first thing that strucks me is the fact the part of the airport I'm in is basically brand new. I then continue walking and wonder where I am, the whole place is new! Nice and easy through immigration, thanks APEC card, then after clearing customs find a man holding a sign with my hotel name - perfect! Not easy though to get to him, through duty free (where they are having a 10% off sale as it's new....) and round another counter, past and through the "taxi drivers" and we are reunited. He tells me the airport was built last year, makes sense given there are parts that are still under construction. We have a small wait before the car arrives - he's very sweet chatting to me the whole way then waits until we drive off. A lovely greeting after the pain I went through booking the hotel!

After a quick trip we arrive at the hotel, I'm immediately greeted with a cold towel and put on a golf cart to take me to the lobby. I was more than happy to walk but was told no because it's upstairs. Ok off we go.

Check-in is painless - everyone is being super friendly and nice. I'm wondering if it's because of the prior issue with booking or just because that's how they are. After being told I've been upgraded to an aqua studio room I do my best not to scream in excitement, instead nod my head, smile and say thankful. The excitement piece can come later. Then I remembered I'd booked a room type with an upgrade (if available)......

I'm able to walk to my room which is nice - on walking in I'm amazed at the size, wholly smoke you could fit a small country in here, then in the bathroom an army. Shame I'm not here for longer!!! In what's becoming normal fashion for me I'm given a tour of my room before being left alone. Loving the direct access to the pool - this though will need to wait to tomorrow, sleep is needed.

Friday morning I wake super early but force myself to go back to sleep. It's great not having to get up to an alarm. After a leisurely breakfast, sunscreen is put on then I'm straight to the pool with my book. Man it's hot! It's not long before I'm in the water. And for the next few hours am in out in out. This is the life.

Mid afternoon I decide to head to the gym and run 5 km's - this is to help with the blue cheese and wine I'll be drinking in a few hours. After a late lunch it's back to the water I head; this time entering from my room. Such a nice wee luxury :)


I spend a couple of hours chilling on my balcony over wine, blue cheese and YouTube - a great way to waste an hour or three.

As I'd been for a small walk after lunch outside of the hotel I decide there is no need to leave again for dinner; I enjoy dinner and a delicious cocktail before returning to my room to watch a movie. Another great day on holiday!

Saturday morning after a sleep in (heaven!) I head to breakfast then resume yesterday’s position by the pool with a book - ground hog day for me. Such a shame I'm not here for longer than 3 nights.

It's another hot hot day so after a few hours I return to my balcony to continue reading - love dipping into the pool when hot. It's the heat that's making me hot not the vino I've been consuming.....

Shortly after sunset I head to the roof top bar for a cocktail; immediately I'm kicking myself I didn't get here sooner - the view is amazing! I decide on a pepper mojito before going onto the trio of mojito's (raspberry, coconut and mango). All absolutely delicious.

It's earth hour tonight and I'm very pleased to see the hotel is taking part. Eating in the dark is no problem - choosing what to eat was a tad difficult.

Sunday morning I wake early, always seems to happen on my last day. After breakfast I retire to my balcony to enjoy the last of my break away.
I've had a lovely 3 nights (which feel like it's been much longer) and would definitely return. Shame my return flight back isn't a couple of hours later!

I ended up sharing a taxi to the airport with a lady (another hotel guest) as my taxi didn't turn up. Definitely a huge bonus staying close to the airport, you don't need to leave as early. Check-in is super easy. With the upgraded airport comes a fee of course - having paid that I join a long line to clear immigration. Clearly no need to add more counters when the lines keep getting longer......

As I discover very quickly the immigration line was practice for the crazy long line to use the bathroom and even longer line to get into my gate. All seems a bit too much but hey ho.

Singapore here I come......for about 3 weeks that is :)

Bintan, Indonesia – 21-23 March 2014 – Sarah’s and Phen’s Birthday

Woo hoo a weekend away! This time I'm off to Bintan to celebrate two friends’ birthdays.
In typical Friday afternoon rush hour in Singapore it starts to rain and of course not a taxi around.....I have purposely booked an 8pm ferry (on Friday, March 21, 2014) so did have time on my hands.

After a slow crawl I finally arrive at the ferry terminal - very glad that it was wet and I didn't arrive any earlier as it's not exactly exciting.  On check-in I'm told there are still seats in Emerald Class and I would like to upgrade; sure why not. Means a seat upstairs, more space, a drink and being able to leave the boat first once we dock.

On boarding I'm amazed that the boat is moving so much, hoping that once we depart it will calm down a bit. Unfortunately that isn't the case, after 20 minutes the rolling starts - all that goes through my head is it's a one hour journey it's a one hour journey.

On arrival into Bintan I'm very glad I upgraded as it means I can get off the boat first - yah dry land. Thankfully I have two nights here before I have to get back onto the boat!

Getting through immigration is painless with my APEC card, after my bags go through security (not sure what I could have added to them, other than duty free, since I left the ferry terminal in Singapore??!) I'm free and into Bintan.  My hotel has free transportation to and from the ferry pier, saves me the hassle of working out how to get a taxi.

After check-in I meet up with Sarah and Isabel for a couple of hours; sitting outside with the beautiful ocean breeze and next to no noise is heaven. Shame I'm just here for 2 nights.

Saturday morning I wake early, I hadn't closed my wooden blinds properly. It probably was good as I wanted to go for a run before meeting the others for breakfast at 9.30am.  Must remember to close them correctly tonight!

Eeks what was I thinking - it's crazy hilly here!!! At least now I'm ready for the day.

The rest of the group arrived while I was out running – they have 5 hours to wait until their check-in, drinking by the poolbar while they waited made perfect sense.

I was slightly more sensible, after breakfast I waited to the big hand said 12.

What could be a better way to escape the heat than taking a nice cool dip in the pool with chilled drinks in our hands? Between the 10 of us we had 2 bottles of Grey Goose, 3 Veuves, a bottle of Tequila, Gin, and 3 bottles of wine? We were well stocked up on booze, but I was mildly horrified to think we would consume all that alcohol over the course of the day! (Hello coconut water and Panadol tonight!)
Feeling lucky we wouldn't be caught, we smuggled most of our alcohol to the poor bar. Over the next few hours, we ordered rounds of lemonades and tonic waters and poured our booze in our lemonades in the corner. Not exactly the most elegant way to make a drink but we were saving hundreds of dollars! It may sound silly, but due to the incredibly high prices of alcoholic drinks at the resort, it was a brilliant plan. A fair few pina colada’s were also ordered!! We were also extremely lucky the barman at the pool was a kind and patient man, he pretty much turned a blind eye to what was happening and only asked we paid corkage for 3 bottles for $90. Bargain! After hours of drinking in the hot sun, it was a miracle we all made it to the poolside bbq at 6:30. We were all abit wrecked and tired from the poolside fun but the food at the meat station picked everyone back up! After devouring kilos of lamb chops and satay sticks, we were again ready for more debauchery - it was time to pop open the bubbly!
We had smuggled the bottles of Veuve into dinner, keeping it hidden under the table. Before we knew it, we all emptied our water glasses and replaced it with champagne....well done to us for getting away with it!

Sunday morning after a wee sleep in its time to get up and head to breakfast. I'm taking the 3.30pm boat back to Singapore so still have a few hours to relax.

Today is basically all blue sky, I'm so pleased yesterday wasn't like this otherwise I know I would be red red red.

Special thanks to Phen for being a guest writer for this blog.

Sydney, Australia – 6-10 March 2014 (with Mum)

My excitement for Sydney really kicked into gear on Wednesday night when I received to text from Qantas telling me my upgrade had come through - woo hoo!!

After a crazy crazy busy day at work on Thursday, March 6 it's time for my long weekend to Sydney. Nice and painless check-in and straight through immigration to you guessed it the Qantas lounges. First stop was the bar - now I'm on holiday!! Sticking with last nights theme (on Facebook) I choose an Aperol spritz, one of my favourite drinks from when I lived in Venice, Italy.

I elected to have the turn down service on the plane rather than eat and was thankful that most other people around me selected the same option - smelling the food would have made it very hard to say no.

We arrived into Sydney early, so typical when I'm flying business class! Mum and Dad were arriving in 2.15 hours so I was in no rush to clear immigration and customs. After having a much needed coffee, just wandered around and tried to stay awake.

Dad headed off with his work colleagues and Mum and I took the train to Townhall then walked to the hotel. Nice and easy! We were thankfully allowed to check-in early so after a shower headed off for a much needed lunch at Galloways (in the old state theatre building). It had been recommended to Mum and did not disappoint -- fresh oysters, tuna tartare and mussels with a glass of bubbles. It was definitely a lot more formal than we expected but totally worth it and I would absolutely return.

The rest of the afternoon we wandered around the shops and streets, stopping for a coffee late afternoon. Nice to be back here.

After pre-dinner drink and sorting out Mum's iPhone we went to a Greek restaurant for dinner and were very lucky to get the last outside table that overlooked Darling Harbour - watching the sunset was amazing followed by delicious food! A great end to our first day in Sydney.

Saturday morning after a sleep in we headed off to Bondi Junction in search of a place for brunch that Mum had read about - more a coffee place so after a coffee we headed back to a place we had passed earlier. Definitely didn't disappoint.

To walk off our brunch we went shopping - breaking news there were purchases for both of us!!!!

A fuel stop was needed before we began the journey back into the city.....only 4 stops on the train buy hey ho!

Lee had recommended a Mexican Restaurant in Newtown, which had BYO, so off we headed for dinner. A smallish place that had amazing food; even better was the $3 BYO charge - super cheap!!!

Sunday morning we walked down to the Rocks for brunch to a place Mum and Dad had been for dinner on a previous trip. Another great place! After a look around the markets we headed back out to Bondi Junction to collect a dress I'd had altered.

Mid afternoon Dad arrived at the hotel; we had a couple of hours together before we met his work colleagues at 6pm for drinks in the hotel then dinner down at Kings Wharf. Can't believe Mum and my 3 days have come to an end.

Monday (March 10) after a very relaxing morning I drag my suitcase down to the MS building and have an hour catching up with one of my Australian colleagues – now I’m wishing I had extended my stay and worked out of the office. Ooh well there is always another time.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – 30 January – 2 February 2014 (CNY)

Gong Xi Fa cha!!

Chinese New Year weekend and after leaving work at 3pm I'm off to Ho Chi Minh City :) My flight isn't to 7.35pm so I decide to take the MRT - no need to rush to the airport. It's a very easy journey and after having to cross the platform at one stage, arrive within 40 minutes of leaving the office.

Check-in is very easy and I'm moved up 4 rows which is great (no not to business class)....it's the small things in life!! Though immigration promptly and now to the lounge - ooh how I've missed you (again it's the small things.....it's been an interesting couple of weeks at work).

Aperol spritz is ordered immediately, which goes down a treat. I have 2.5 hours here before having to head off for my flight and need to pace myself.

I manage to drag myself away from the lounge to take my flight - thankfully no waiting at the gate. It's a fairly uneventful flight and within minutes of disembarking I'm through immigration (no line....helps to be at the front of the plane) and in a taxi. Aah HCMC how I've missed you!

Motorbikes galore :) The streets are particularly busy tonight due to the Vietnamese Lunar New Year called "TET".

An easy check-in at the hotel ends with a room upgrade - nice!! I'm greeted in the room by a red packet and two oranges, a nice treat.

The view from my room is pretty cool, I'm on the 18th floor so can see quite far!! Due to the TET celebrations the streets below are packed with people and ooh so much noise! There is a flower show on, featuring local flowers and other ornamental plants, hence the busyness. Right now I'm more than happy staring down! I have 15 minutes of fireworks to look forward to at midnight.....hoping I might be asleep by then (I have a very busy day tomorrow); then again with the noise that might not be the case.

I wake fairly early on Friday, January 31, 2014; thankfully my sleep wasn’t disturbed too much last night. There is a dragon and lion dance on at 8.30am in the lobby so I decide to go and watch that before going to breakfast. It's an enjoyable show.

I'm in no rush today so take my time at breakfast as well as getting to the pool, because of this there are no loungers left - hmmm tomorrow will need to be more onto it!! I have a couple of hours relaxing at the pool (finally got a lounger) before heading out for a late lunch to a restaurant (Lemongrass) that I've been too before. It definitely does not disappoint!! I eat enough food to last me the rest of the day and the next 2 days.....The letter in my room from the assistant manager in the hotel advises a lot of the restaurants in the city are closed due to the TET holiday so hopefully I won't be eating at the hotel for the rest of the time.

I decide to brave the crowds and walk down Ng Yen Hue Avenue which, closed off the traffic; it’s hosting the flower display I can see from my room. Wow it's really impressive! The (Year of the) Horse is everywhere throughout the display. I continue to wander the streets, enjoying the sights, smells and sound of HCMC. I decide to stop for an iced coffee (with condensed milk none the less)....a little stupid given its 4pm in the afternoon but hoping the beer later will counteract it so sleep actually will happen!!

A doctor is needed and quick smart!!! It's been nearly 23 hours since I arrived in the country and only now having a drink - no wonder I've been feeling a bit off this afternoon......I seem to spend bloody ages trying to find someone (outside) to sit and enjoy a beer and watch the world go around. In the end I decide on a place that is a stones throw from the hotel. This is the life. It's an early return to the hotel for me - where I read what I need to do for my blog and review / change a resume for a friend. I'm joined by the constant hum of the outside world :)

Saturday morning I wake at 6.30am, who does that on holiday??! And it wasn't due to hunger nor being hungover. After a relaxed breakfast I'm at the pool by 9am and enjoy a good couple of hours there. The water is beyond freezing - such a contrast to the temperature outside the pool.

First stop needs to be for coffee; I seem to arrive at the right now as I get the last outside table. Great for people watching! For some strange reason I decide to eat lunch somewhere different.....not my smartest decisions given so many places are shut due to the TET holiday. I find myself wandering towards Nha Hang Ngon, a restaurant that I always visit when I come to HCMC. A beer is ordered first.....now to review the massive menu.

I decide to have a manicure; Murphy's law no-one stops me on the street to offer their services, so typical! So I return to where I saw the latest place. How I managed to survive is beyond me as the language barrier was huge!!!! Anyway 30 minutes later I'm leaving with my nails painted :)

Now time for a beer....my walk around now begins - while there are more places opened today than yesterday it's still a struggle to find somewhere that I can sit outside and watch the world go by. And would you believe it I end up in the same place as I was yesterday but in a better spot. Life is good!

I find it fascinating watching people; seeing how people carry themselves on a motorbike - some with helmets, lots (mainly children) without. The most I've seen on a motorbike is 5 people but the more common is definitely 4. Motorbikes carrying a huge pile of balloons and one with the pet dog are among the "not so much the norm" I've seen sitting here.

I've found this afternoon and evening quite cold and wish I brought my jeans!! I get chatting to two guys from Toronto over beers and they laugh at me when I say that....for them it's tropical compared to the weather they have had and is still happening. Not for me thanks very much!!

I try to return to Lemongrass for dinner but they can't seat me for another hour (by that stage I'll be close to returning to my hotel room) so I head down the road to Vietnam House restaurant where I have a seat right by the window. Allows me to continue my people watching - perfect!

Sunday morning I thankfully slept past 7am! A sleep in compared to yesterday morning. I'm in no rush today - so after breakfast I relax in the room for a bit. Not the nicest weather to be sitting by the pool so I head out for coffee (and of course people watching) instead. I return to the room to pack up before going out again for my final (Vietnamese) meal. After looking at a couple of places that I've been too before I decide to venture out and go to the Ngoh An restaurant. That's where my venturing ends!!! Beer with vermicelli noodles and spring rolls wins again.

On check-out at the hotel the receptionist asks me if I've enjoyed my stay, which I have; then remarks that I look tired......not the look I was going for today but there you are. To the airport I go!

This is my 5th or 6th trip to HCMC and for some reason I feel like this will be my last visit; it's an amazing city which I do feel at ease at and would encourage everyone to visit at some stage in their life. Back to reality I go.

Yangon, Myanmar – 26-29 December 2013

On arrival into Yangon we are put onto a bus and taking to the terminal. The guys are staying at the hotel opposite from me so we decide to share a taxi. The first thing that strucks me is the number of cars everywhere! I've had a good 4 days with seeing all types of transportation but nothing too extreme of what I see here....yes of course it's normal as it's a big city. Our taxi driver decides he needs to stop and spit at least three times in the 40 minute journey, not the nicest thing to arrive too.

I have a couple of hours chilling in my room before meeting Eddie and Tommy in the lobby. We head across the road to the Sakura tower for a drink on the 20th floor - the views of the city are amazing; especially as day turns into night.

I'd read in my trusty lonely planet the pavements are all very uneven and there are often big holes, it is so true! You wouldn't want to be walking these streets in heels or after lots to drink.

Tommy had read about a restaurant for dinner, Monsoon, which is also in the LP book so off we trekked. Was interesting walking there taking in daily life - can't wait to wander the streets tomorrow with my camera out. Dinner was absolutely delicious, an IndoChine restaurant, and one I would highly recommend.

We wandered back to the hotel a different route and were surprised at how deserted the streets are: things really so come to a grinding halt in the evening and it's just gone 9pm as we leave the restaurant.

Friday I wake early after a fairly distributed night - the power kept going on and off. Had breakfast in the hotel before heading out at 8.45am; the heat was starting!! I did the walk from the lovely planet book; a great opening into life in Yangon. To start with people were getting themselves off to whatever they do, then slowly the streets started to get busy with all of the "shops" starting to open. From what I saw you can basically buy anything you want!!!

The heat increases as the morning goes on; finally at 11am I reach my final stop - the Bogyoke Aung San Market, which means for the most part I'll be out of the hot sun. Time for a fresh juice.

I head back to the hotel for a break from the sun for a short time before going off to the train station. I've been recommended by Paula and Andrew to do the Circle Line train trip. Not the easier place to find but thankfully a family helps me out and within a few minutes I'm on the train. My hotel told me there is 3 levels of trains, air conditioning train, trains with seats (open windows) and trains with bench seats (open windows). I opt for the bench seats and sit back to enjoy the 3 hour ride.

Great to see daily life. I was surprised how "clear" the water was given everyone seemed to throw their rubbish there. The SEA games have just been on, and even some still going on; along the journey I noticed numerous volleyball courts and even saw a few matches in play.
I enjoy watching the sunset from my room - talk about a view! Then head out for dinner, I'm not feeling the best so want somewhere close and good.

Saturday, December 28th I'm woken by my alarm, first time this trip, and I went to bed early. Still not feeling great so after a leisurely breakfast I relax with a book by the pool for a few hours. Hunger makes me move mid-afternoon - the one thing I'm craving is a tea leaf salad.

The one place that is a must to visit in Yangon is Shwedagon Paya which can be seen in quite a few places around the city. Getting their (by taxi) is an experience in itself - traffic is back-to-back for the first 10 or so blocks then we are off, perhaps on an F1 racing track???!
Shwedagon Paya is a lot bigger than I imagined; there are 4 entrances so I had thought I would carry around my jandels but this isn't allowed. I find a tour guide and ask the name of the entrance then I'm off :) Close up it's even bigger and more golder (is there such a word?!!). Clearly a lot of other people (both locals and foreigners) have the same idea as me coming for sunset. I'm approached a couple of times by guides but decline; I prefer to wander myself and this way I can just switch off and take in my surroundings.

I manage to get myself a taxi back to the hotel without any trouble, again having an F1 driver! Who will be moving to Singapore next year, thankfully not as a taxi driver!!!

Eddie and I meet in the lobby for a chat; Tommie has hurt his ankle so isn't going anywhere.

Being my last night I want to eat tasty food so decide to head back to Monsoon Restaurant. As I'm alone I decide to take a taxi and nearly freeze to death when I jump in as the a/c is on full bore. My driver laughs when I ask him to switch it off, preferring to have the windows down instead.

There are no tables for me so I sit at the bar for a while, it's 50% off the cocktails so yes thanks I will!! It's my last night after all. The tea leaf salad wins again - sorry eggplant I can eat you in Singapore.
After another enjoyable meal I head back to the hotel.

Sunday morning again I wake early, after a leisurely breakfast (which I'm really getting use too!!) I finish packing then head to the airport. I made sure for this flight I had checked in online, didn't want to be in a long line again.

The ride to the airport was another interesting one (especially given the taxi driver didn’t know where he was going…..), so much to see! And it's all just daily Yangon life.

All checked in within minutes, no line this time. Thank goodness I didn't arrive 2 hours before my flight - there is absolutely nothing to do at this airport!!

I've had a wonderful 9 night stay in Myanmar; it's a fascinating country that I do hope to return one day. One thing that amazed me the whole time was the locals staring at you (which I should be use to given I live in Singapore) but as soon as I smile at them they smile back then quickly look away. It’s a refreshing change from Little India in Singapore. Don't change too much Myanmar!!