...All I wanna do is...?

Travel, that is!?Although I don't imagine that this will be the final trip I take...At any rate, this page is a journal of my travels this fall.?I will update it whenever possible (that vague concept of time again!) and add photos whenever I can.

Anyway, here we go again - I'll set off for Japan on 30 October, 1999 (arriving a day later, mind you), then carry on to SE Asia on 10 November, as unfortunately that is all the time my meager budget will allow for Japan. From there, it is still unknown - carry on to Africa??Stay and celebrate Y2K in tropical paradise(Bali, Indonesia would not be a bad place)??Attempt to head for Aus??New Zealand??Ah, the decisions I face(although at this point - the former is prevailing as the most likely option....so without further ado, here's the journal that will eventually answer these questions.....

15 October, 1999 - Today I did the first re-confirmation of my flights - oops, almost forgot, this is coming up a lot faster than I'm ready for!?Not too many preparations done yet - I work better under pressure :). This weekend I get my new backpack, yippee! Word of advice - get one that you can unzip all the way, or access from the bottom, because the others are a real $%^#$%!! pain. This is why I am sooo excited about it.

23 October, 1999 - Yet another progress leading up to entry..and yes, this should be the last..well, maybe second last(this time next week I will be in Los Angeles in transit). Managed to knock a few things off of the 'to do' list. All the hidden preparations and costs..argh! Anyway, on a totally unrelated note, took a break from the travel stuff to see Great Big Sea in concert. Man, was it ever fun. Can't hear a bloody thing today though.

29 October, 1999 -Coming down to the final moments..and always the busiest..cursing myself for not getting these things in order before..although some out of my control...like trying to set up a safari in Africa, and not having an address to have stuff sent to! Not to mention France, etc, etc...so yes, I guess one decision has been made, that I will continue with the orignal plan for SA. So the next entry will be a real one, who knows when, so until then...sayonara!

10 November, 1999 - Well, so far I've survived! Phase one has passed(that would be Japan) which was wonderful, and only a few minor mishaps, hardly worth mentioning! The weather in Tokyo was not so great, but the further south I went, the warmer it got. My hosts were wonderful, I think I was really spoiled! Everything from being introduced to foods such as Sushi and chankanobe, to climbing mt. Kuzyu on Kyushu island(the second highest, but only by 4 metres!). Kyoto still wins as my favourite though, both for the sights and the Gaijin pub for a little chance to be social...until 9am! All in all, very good. So I will return....?????? Don't even know where I will be tomorrow!

1 December, 1999 - Some journal this is turning out to be! Every 3 weeks, nothing wrong with that! Or shall I say every country? Yes, got 'stuck' in Thailand a little longer than I had planned, and am realising a month was not anywhere near enough for this amazing part of the world. I could spend a month in the south of Thailand alone, easily.

Anyway, where have I been since...well, I flew up to Phuket(lazy, lazy I know!), and ended up on a divine little island known as Koh Phi Phi after meeting Kylie at the airport. thought the pic looked good, why not? So I ended up giving this diving thing a try, and it was alright, so now I'm fully certified. Can't say I've been a complete slacker on this holiday! Met tons of cool people as well, everyone from locals to other foreigners to some right from my home province...it's a small world after all. they say you should go north then south(OK, this is what these Welsh guys coming from Chiang Mai had said), because otherwise you will not want to leave and this is so true. I found it quite hard to do so, but was quite keen on chiang Mai and the hilltribe trek. I did end up in Bangkok for some time - and I am glad I did not plan to spend any time there! this place makes London look like a Garden of Eden yeeech! Although the palaces and temples were nice, the smog, tuk tuks and various other traffic kill the effect. The best of the worst, Khao san road, a sort of hippie/backpacker area with some good shopping, etc and the cheapest connection I found for internet.

Chiang Mai was alright, but I think I had great expectations, and it wasn't quite up to it? The jungle trek was everything I had expected, including the bamboo raft, elephant ride, etc and the vast majority of the trekkers were cool(you know who you are!) great weather to boot, and no snake sightings for myself.

but, the south had it's draw, although this time I landed on the other side(Gulf of Thailand v. Andaman sea), and I think the Andaman is my preffered place. Koh Samui is rather touristy, and I never though I would find myself stuck in traffic in a place like this! But, first of December, a new month, and some excellent weather to start it off - you have to love the decisions such as 'pool or beach?' and 'shall I swim now, or eat?'. A nice end to a very nice visit indeed. Next off to Malaysia(on the 8 am ferry...yuk!) for Penang and the cameron highlands, and then to fulfill my western cravings in Singapore before heading off...although given the opportunity, spending more time in Thailand would definitely be an option! font>

So that would be Barcelona, plenty of sights, I don't think i covered so many sights the whole time i was in Africa....Park Güell, Palau Güell, Sagrada Familia(of course!), Picasso Museum, Tibidabo etc, etc, nice to have some nightlife after a small break from it in Pretoria. The weather cooperated for the most part, although one day it did snow. I was quite shattered by this, wondering how on earth will i survive in France....yeeoow.

At any rate, I arrived here in Amboise rather weary after 14 hours of train travel. I think the nicest things were a homecooked meal, 'let me show you to your room', as in this is where I will live, I can actually just tear that damn pack open and leave the stuff here for a while, it was the coolest feeling.....the novelty has since worn off, mind you. As for my first impressions of Amboise - COLD COLD COLDER.....needless to say I had quite a time coping. And to top it off, everyone was(shock shock horror horror) speaking French! Now mine is not so great so communication was rather difficult off the start - getting better now. And to add to my maladjustment(if such a word exists in the English Language), despite all my risqué street crossings in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Johannesburg, etc, i get hit by a car here. A town of 11,000 people, who would think. Loads of fun!

Else than that, learning a bit of French(maybe the next entry I will give the bilingual thing a go, mais maintenant je ne parle pas bien français!!!!). People I have met here seem really cool, and I had some very quiet weekends off the start - have since discovered the one local bar open past 11 o clock in Amboise, and the 86 F grand cocktails that go with....a few too many at times....managed to get out of here with a cool group including Australians Tam & Richard(oooh, so nice to communicate in English for us!), Natalie & Susanna(Germany, ditto with the English), Scandinavian contingent with Terhi, and Chinatsu, a lovely Japanese girl I met for the first time, and naturally, Niki(see below) for a much needed change of scenery this past weekend to Tours, the 'big metropolis' 20 minutes away...mostly shopping, and a top night out at a restaraunt and some local pubs despite the fact i was told i have a big bum(a mix up with the english language by the German guy who calls himself Niki), Poulet Frites - sans Poulet(yes, Tamara, that is yours!!!), etc, etc. The next day saw some Chateaux in the area - Azay le Rideau and Chambord, the latter I was quite impressed with, even though it was dreadfully freezing inside(quel surprise, i so miss the leisurely beaching days of Thailand!!!). Perhaps this weekend I will go to Luxembourg, so maybe there will be another entry..........until then......ça c'est la vie a la petite ville d'Amboise. A bientôt!!!!!!!!!

14th March, 2000 - 'My 20th Country(Mon 20ième pays) - and yes, Luxembourg has its own beer and an airline, it is a country - never mind they use Belgian coins. And probably one overlooked, as it were by myself the other 2 times i was in Europe. But for those considering, I think this one does warrant a stop - despite the fact that is was even colder than Amboise! The sights can all be done in a day, but at night there are some lovely restaraunts near the old town and place d'armes(main square with the tourist office). Back to the sights - the Bock Casemates are worth a look - don't forget your torch(guess what I forgot?), as well as a wander along the Chemin de Corniche and their Notre Dame Cathedral. All in all, a nice change for me and a neat city to visit. I do not know how to sign off in Luxembourgois, so à plus tard will have to suffice for now(and a 'Dank U').

24th April, 2000 - The final entry(sob!). Yes, I made it back, all in one piece and with the majority of my luggage in tact. So I see the last entry was the 14th of March, and if memory serves, life was rather hectic after this point..the week leading up to St. Pats was most excellent, if a little rushed...including the Churchfitters concert in Tours, where Natalie, Tamara and I got to strut our stuff on the dance floor to the Irish tunes, and even earned us a mistaken identity for being Irish by some local French music students, who recommended a pub for our big night out later that week in Tours. So after a night at the shaker(the local watering hole in Amboise, the only one really open past the midnight hour) where I shared a few 'big ones' with Niki, we, along with Tam and Mayumi(Japan) hit the road the following day for Tours, and 'la grand fete de la St. Patrick' at said suggested pub in Tours...well, no wonder these students had recommended it, as it turns out, they WERE the band! but most excellent indeed! The following day was just really nasty,as you will have after a night of drinking too much Guinness, dancing on tables and meeting more French students galore...glad we left the Shaker behind on this night, this was definitely the REAL party. The following weeks were much less eventful..b>

Pretty much everyone else left on the following Saturday - Mayumi, Satomi, Chinatsu, Minako, etc. including Lucy and Helen for the weekend, so rather than sit around bored with nothing to do in Amboise, joined Mayumi for a couple nights in Paris - it was brilliant, I have never eaten so many Nutella Crepes in my life, and the real treats of Chinese food one night, Japanese the next. But reality kicked in for me Monday to return to Amboise for the final 2 weeks. By this time the weather had turned absolutely dreadful again, but on the upside we were joined by a number of Germans who were most entertaining! Since they were well endowed with vehicles, even had the privelege of making a few trips to Tours just for the evening. And had Christina join me with Mme. de Gonzaga, which was cool because she was great to talk to and have around. And in these final weeks I did manage to finally go with the bicycle to Chateau Chenonceau and see the one here in Amboise(how long did it take me????). I think Chenonceau wins out as my favorite though. The last week was just manic, trying to pack, plan the final trip and whatnot, the end was there before I knew it...a bit sad in a way, but also glad to move on and be on the road travelling again. Had a final, somewhat quiet night at the shaker with Helen, Lucy, Christina and Daniel(quel surprise - German!), and headed out for Paris the next afternoon...b>

The final travels in Europe - after some disaster on the RER, I finally managed to meet up with Steph in the early evening - it was great to see her after 2 years, and her and her family were great hosts, and spoke French nice and clearly, so I actually understood the majority and could respond a bit as well, a far cry from the last meeting in London! Continuing with the exotic food in Paris theme, headed out for Indian this time, and spent the next day sleeping and chilling before catching my overnight train for Milan. Well, that was not a lot of fun, as I made the mistake of booking a seat rather than a couchette - never again! Ugh...arrived in Milan very weary, with no lire, and shattered once again over the foreign language stuff...and the weather was dreadful...so much for these dreams of finding warmth in Italy! Spent most of the day piddling about, shopping, etc., and met up with Roberto that evening for some pizzas and catching up, etc. Tuesday I saw some more sights, like the castle, and hit the main shopping streets. At least the rain held off today....Roberto and I hit the pub for some pints and sandwiches and I was off again for Verona the next morning. Verona was beautiful, much more than I expected, and finally, my warmth! Sunny and 20, it was brilliant to wander around the old town and just watch people spilling into the streets and dining al fresco again. Sights in Verona included the old coliseum, dating back to the first century. Very Similar to that in Rome, including the scaffolding that was all about the Roman coliseum when I was there 3 years ago as well. Also saw Juliet's house and Tomb, which included museums to justify the entrance fees, the Scaligeri graves and palace(a prominent family in Verona during the 15th century), and climbed up to S. Stefano Palace to watch the sun set over Verona. Afterwards came meeting number 3, this time it was Wai Ming, who I had not seen in 3 years - and in that 3 years the changes showing through were a lot less hair, and speaking Italian...a long way from our Jasper days I thought. Met Rhonda as well, and we had the local speciality 'piadini' for dinner. Friday hit the markets in Santarcangelo(say that 10 times fast), and the afternoon in Cesanatico, where I got to see the adriatic sea(probably for the last time in a long time) and stuck my feet in only because it was really cold. Friday night got in some boogying at the disco in Rimini, very similar to the last time I was here and what I recall of Italian discos. Early start(well, felt early for poor exhausted me) for Rimini and San Marino(country #21!!! albeit it is rather small and they use Italian Lire, they do their own thing). Sunday headed out early to Munich, and upon discovering the Prague overnighter was full booked on the very early train the next day, and rocked up at a hotel near the train station - a score in my opinion, Hotel Monarchia, a mere couple blocks for DM75..taking advantage of the favorable exchange rate to get in as much sleep as possible in the morning. Spent a leisurely evening wandering down 'memory lane' in some of the same places I had been last time. And shame, missed Niki by one week(!)....double shame, this is definitely the town for the 'big ones'. As for Prague(Czech, country #22...), outside the train station and the area in which I stayed(literally on the wrong side of the tracks!), it certainly has reason for claiming to be Europe's most beautiful city. Saw Hradcany(castle district) and Stare Mesto(the old town), the Charles bridge, and did the boat tour for a bit of a different perspective. All a bit rushed though, caught a very early train for Paris on the 19th, leaving at 6 am and arriving at 9pm...no changes...alone....needless to say I was getting rather restless and started wandering the aisles by the time we were going through France. Saw Frankfurt from the train, and many others as we basically passed right through the whole of Germany... Far less trouble on the RER this time, good thing, I was about ready to collapse by the time I got out to Conflans fin d'Oise and saw Steph again...some proper food and early to rest as I needed to be up to do the final pack and be on my way in the morning. Steph headed into the centre with me, and after she left I did feel a bit sad to be leaving, and the realisation that the ENTIRE trip had come to an end, not just a phase like leaving Asia or Africa...and to boot, the gruelling journey that lay ahead....if going from Europe to America, I strongly suggest the route crossing the Atlantic for these short little 6, 7, 8 hour flights......

...and finally, the 46 hour, 3 day flight crossing 4 continents. For me it was a bit like going back in time, retracing the steps I had made to come to France. The teaser stop was definitely the brief one at KLIA, where the temp was 26 degrees, and I could see the swaying palms and know what Asian delights are so close by......and although the queue at the transfer desk was a bit of an annoyance, hardly comparable to first, Johannesburg(yes, this is great, to get a Visa for a country I will be in for 6 hours!), and fetching my luggage there. However, unlike Los Angeles, at least this airport is equipped with decent showers, and fortunately I had enough time to take advantage...really wanted to get on the Mauritius flight leaving around the same time as mine though. Even a brief stop at Narita in Tokyo where I nearly got left behind after thinking I had lost my boarding pass...not that this would have been a bad thing, I would far rather spend any number of nights in Tokyo than even the afternoon I had to at the dreadful Los Angeles airport...welcome to America, the queues at customs outdid even those at Johannesburg, just with more busibodies running around, and having to go through 10X the bureaucratic Bulls*** that would not even be questioned by my OWN customs department, and I RESIDE in Canada! Call me crazy, but since when does a 2 year old, expired BRITISH work holiday visa of a CANADIAN citizen in TRANSIT(ie, I am meant to be here for 3 hours and (thankfully) have an onward ticket OUT OF HERE!!) concern US customs???????? My little beef about our 'lovely' neighbours to the south...and no, not anywhere near the trouble with cdn customs, just let me on my way out to see my mother for the first time in 6 months. And experiencing a little culture shock being back! Phew!

...and some final thoughts....naturally, all these things always go too quickly, and still adjusting to life here in Canada, looking at all the big streets, and even driving again....ahhh! But to reflect on some highlights, Kyoto's charm in Japan..and the brief escape from it at the various pubs..followed some time later by my favorite spot of the whole trip I think(and one I had not originally planned to see, go figure!)...being Koh Phi Phi island in Thailand, just a time when everything seemed to be going just perfectly, and add in a tropical paradise with gorgeous weather, some really cool people and the most chill, laid back atmosphere I had seen in a while. I still question why I left....but at least eventually happened upon Knysna, South Africa(sensing a theme with the 'K's' here), where my mind just seemed to free itself, and the realisation I am on my own, so far away from everything back home(and yes, that was a good thing!)...the week at Barcelona was tops as well(breaking the pattern, unless they have recently changed to 'K-arcelona'!), but poor planning in being exiled out to small town life immediately after, with colder weather and some more culture shock in Amboise...however, all was not bad there, and things improved as the days went on, the highlight being the first 3 weeks in March with 'un group tres sympa' - Me, Niki, Tam. toss in some travelling(ok, a 20 minute train trip should not count, but it felt like it to us, so we were sure to behave in our festive moods!), improvements in the local weather, our many jokes and constant laughter with each day whilst they were there...shame it was short lived, but here for a good time, not a long time, right? the top 3 weeks, far and away....seeing some old friends throughout Europe at the tail end was nice, and add in that going back in time thing, but Verona was the city that was tops for me in that 2 weeks....just had that sort of 'feel' to it(still not rivaling Phi Phi or said 3 weeks above though...)....until the next journey....safe and happy travels,

andrea :)

~Home ~ The Low-down on London ~ My Travel Page ~ Photo Gallery~ Travelog~Calgary~The French Stuff~Africa and Asia ~ Australian Anecdotes (a travel journal)

"Gotta make a plan

gotta do what's right

can't run around in circles

if ya wanna build a life

well I don't wanna make a plan

for a day far away

while I'm young and while I'm able

all I wanna do is_"

-Green Day