Back home... new blog

Just a quick word to say that whilst I'm back in Melbourne, I'll be updating the following blog instead:

http://aroundthewaywithgirlbug.blogspot.com/

It will just be a little record of all the fun things to do in Melbourne, places to shop & eat... really whatever tickles my fancy at home.

Enjoy xo

GB

Vietnam... the best til last??? Almost

The ideal way to begin a stay in a new city is to have a good friend come find your accommodation and show you the town. I was extremely lucky that I found myself in Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon) sans map or guide again... but instead I descend the stair to find the super fabulous Paula waiting for me in the guest house.

I haven't seen Paula since August last year when she left for Vietnam. She's been working as a tour guide... score 2 for the bug!! And came bearing a little map of the city ... score 3!! Yes I do live the charmed life, I know.

So what do 2 old friends do in a new city?? We hit the markets & shops... I walk away with a cool hand made from recycled materials, beaded necklace & a white kaftan-like shirt. OK better behave... no $$ remember. One of the highlights of the shopping spree is seeing the ever-cheerful Paula almost issue a smack down to a Viet stall vendor. I've never seen Paula fire up before... its usually all smiles ... but this was hilarious. Thanks for that fond memory ... that little woman was certainly a little tyrant and deserved the take down. The rest of the stall vendors and onlookers were as entertained as I was .. hehehe

Lunch was a more peaceful affair. And YUM! YUM! YUM! Eating out in Vietnam is much more easier than China as most places have English explanations of the dishes. Finally, I can be guided by my moods & taste buds rather than aimlessly pointing and hoping for the best. But also the food is divine... well everything I ate was divine and super fresh. I think having some fresh ingredients whether it be mint, lettuce, bean sprouts... whatever to a noodle dish, just lightens & enhances the flavour. Especially when its stinking hot too.... light, fresh & delish is the way to go.

A few things about Vietnam I didn't know about til I got here. One, they are known for their coffee (2nd biggest exporters after Brazil) and this country is a good place to get cheap pampering (massages, manicures, pedicures w00t w00t!! I hear you cheer). I was happy to discover both :D And yes if I read a guide book or anything before I got to Vietnam, I may have discovered these facts... but hey, I've done well without a guidebook for so long... why start now?

So after lunch, Paula & I hit the beauty salon for pampering. I'm down for a reflexology foot massage (my feet were screaming for it) and a pedicure to match my cool Chinese manicure. Ah bliss! This is the perfect way to catch up with girlfriends... shopping, lunch & pampering.

This was a perfect day only marred by the penis viewing incident. I was wandering the frenetic streets of the city... and lo & behold... there is a man shaking his wang after a wee. Discretion... P-lease!! WTF?? Suffice to say, that was one of the scariest visions on my trip. Thanks Saigon for that memory... hopefully it won't haunt me for a lifetime...

My plan for Vietnam was always to relax on a beach for several days before heading home.... a vacation from my vacation, in other words. Paula had suggested heading down to Phu Quoc... I knew nothing about it but Paula's OK was enough for me to give it a go.

Before I take you to Phu Quoc... I forgot to send a thank you to the English guy who lives in Germany. The handle on my luggage broke a little in San Francisco but on the Maglev in Shanghai, the damn handle broke right off. To quote the ever talented Antonio Banderes in the tragic film Assassins "sh!t, f#%k, m0thaf#%ker!!". I cannot remember his name... Stuart perhaps... but he helped carry my bag up the escalator and was going to carry it to check-in for me... thankfully a trolley was nearby and he didn't have to go to all that trouble. But it is nice to know, when you're at a miserable low, there are gentlemen & ladies out there willing to give you a hand. So thank you to you all!

OK Phu Quoc.... what a treat! What a little piece of paradise! Motorcycles and scooters scatter the streets of this island just as they do the cities. Once I hit the dirt road where my resort was located, I was excited to the nth degree. Sea Star Resort was surprisingly great. It was a family run resort with bungalows right on the beach. Trip Advisor gave the restaurant mixed reviews ... all I can say is those folks either didn't order the delicious meals I had or they're just plain retarded. Mouth watering sea food delights!! I couldn't have been happier.

My time here was pretty much spent doing exactly what I wanted to do... wake up, eat, rest, swim, nap and then repeat cycle. Occasionally I strayed a little from this. One day I took a boat ride exploring the south island archipelagos. We got to fish (eh not that interested) and snorkel. I'm thrilled to have rediscovered snorkeling again. What have I been doing all these summers? I could swim/float all day. I may have annoyed the other people on the tour by always being the very last person back in the boat. The water was just a heavenly temperature. And to see the little fishies .... wheeeeeeeeeee :D I discovered that I can still manage to squeal with delight under water. It was a fantastic day of snorkeling however my inadequately applied sunscreen meant I awoke to 1 burnt butt, 1 burnt ankle, 1 burnt knee & redness around bra strap. Doh!

The following day on the island, I learned a valuable lesson last nite... never trust food advise from scrawny American gal. Her appreciation of food is never going to match that of an ethnic girl... clearly food will never be a priority in her life. Her recommendations was to check out a particular stall in the Night Market. It wasn't a complete dud but it certainly wasn't anything to be suggesting to others.

Whilst in Phu Quoc, all I kept thinking about was Melbourne as it was getting so close to the end of my trip... "there's no place like home, there's no place like home" and funnily enough, my tour guide around the north of the island's name was Toto. Where were my ruby slippers??

Toto took me for a motorcycle ride up north to swim at some of the island's northern beaches and ride through the mountains. It was a fun day out. Admittedly, it felt quite strange to be casually swim in Vietnam and looking over your shoulder to see Cambodia just a stone's throw away. I also met a bunch of Vietnamese Catholic priest and nuns who were holidaying too. The woman were fascinated with the colour of my skin. As I said goodbye to them, many reached out to touch my skin. It was so weird to them.

Before heading back to Saigon, have to tell you my last night meal at Sea Star Resort may have been the BEST MEAL EVER!! Tamarind crab with rice... I was ripping apart those babies to get to the succulent crab flesh like I had eaten for days. Even reflecting on it now, my eyes roll back in the head and *droolz* *

Although my time in Phu Quoc was blissful, there is something enchanting about Saigon. The crazy pace of the streets ... I don't know... it must be hypnotic. I was happy to wander the streets for as long as my feet would carry me. I think I felt invigorated each time I successfully cross the crazy streets!! So much fun!!!!

I didn't do anything spectacular when I returned to Saigon. I visited the War Remnants Museum and once again indulged in another massage with complimentary foot massage. I couldn't find the original beauty salon I went to so I chose this other place cos it was part of a major hotel & thought it was a safe bet. Not so. I'm almost certain I went to one of those "massage" places that include hand jobs & the like. It had a brothel-type feel to it. During the foot massage, I soon discovered I was the only female clientele ... I left as quickly as possible. Hehehe

Unfortunately I spent all my $$ on massage & pampering treats so had to wait til I was on board flight to eat. Of course I got hungry pretty quickly as soon as I realised my mistake. There was no point in getting $$ out as I was then going to have to change most of it back again... so I waited, waited & waited whilst listening to my belly grumble. Suffice to say, airline food never tasted quite so good until you starve yourself for 8-10 hours :(

On a positive note, I can say #Singapore airlines rocks... 25kg baggage limit!! This is 1st time @girlbug added stuff to her checked luggage w00t!! You have no idea how long I waited for this moment :P

So Melbourne... here I am :D

Will do a final round up shortly. Apologies for taking so long with this one but new job is keeping me very busy.

Later (1 more post, I promise)

GB xoxox

PS - if you checked out my flickr & are wondering why I took so many photos of motorcycles, I was completely enthralled by ALL the bikes EVERYWHERE!! Couldn't get enough of it... such a buzz from crossing the street each time :D

Hangzhou & then some...

I will try and be brief with this update... but if you've been reading this for a while, you know I tend to go on a bit :)

So day trip to Hangzhou... thankfully left really early to catch my train since my hostel directed me to the wrong station. Doh! Got to Shanghai Southern Station with a few minutes to spare. I bought an economy ticket and was packed in with the rest of the people... kids, families, friends and some tourists. But mainly it was one heck of a lot of Chinese people. Thankfully I had a seat for the 2 hour journey...

When I arrived at Hangzhou, I was the only white person to alight so obviously I was the most popular girl with all the awaiting vendors trying to sell rides, hotels stays, whatever. Unfortunately what I needed was another train ticket back to Shanghai... the queue was ghastly so I consulted my torn out Lonely Planet section... apparently there was a tourist centre that could book your tickets. Off I go on an adventure by cab to find this holy grail. Get there... no luck... they only sell bus tickets. Fck!! So then I hop into another cab to find the train ticket office nearby... I'm in luck. There's still a queue but its not quite as horrific as the one at the train station. 2 hours after arriving in Hangzho, I have my holy grail - the return ticket home.

Train ticket queue

Hangzhou is well known for its lake.. called the West Lake (*sniggers* directed at Judge & Stowie only). By the time I get there, I'm relieved but well & truly exhausted. 2+ hours by train & 2 hours trying to get a train ticket... so when a Chinese man cut in front of me in a line to get a ferry ticket, I lost my cool. I started yelling "No! No! No!" and gently pushed him out of the way. Chinese people don't really value the first-in-first-served ideal but if you yell a bit, they back off. This didn't bother me much in Shanghai as I was a carefree traveler with plenty of time to spare. In Hangzhou, I was a cranky, tired & lost traveler who was ready to unleash her rage on whoever got in her way. Oh well.

So now a ferry ticket in hand, I bought an ice cream and chilled out on the ferry ride over to 3 Mirrors Facing the Moon Island. On the way, I met this gorgeous little girl who was too young to understand that not everyone speaks Chinese so she continued to blabber away to me. Gawd she was a chatterbox & very cute!! She must've thought I was an idiot for not understanding her. BTW I now have a dream of doing an Angelina ... the Chinese kids are so damn cute!!!

My new BFF & her mum

My new BFF & Girlbug.
If I waited a sec longer, she was sticking her tongue out

Anyway....The island was beautiful and tranquil. The only thing that freaked me out was a cockatoo. My fear of birds has not dissipated in my travels. Just found more varieties to fear hehehe. I really enjoyed Hangzhou, I wish I got to spend more time there.


I did manage to walk around part of the lake (actually it was pretty fkn huge trek) and made it to a tower with stunning views of the lake and the city (not sure of the name of the tower- I was wandering around aimlessly for hours). By the time, I finished my trek, it was getting dark and I had to head back to the train station.




I found it very difficult to hail cabs in China... I only managed to succeed if I got one as it was letting passengers out. Again I was having trouble hailing a cab at the tower, but thankfully this lovely couple came to my rescue for a fee. I agreed to it as it was the same cost as the taxi ride over here so I didn't feel I was getting ripped off. Plus I got to chat to the woman who showed me her engagement photo. They were now married.. they were v.cute. I really wish I brought a little map to China to show people where I came from as many of the Chinese I spoke to didn't know where Australia was and thought I was English.

Gee I do recall saying I was going to be brief hehe.

So back in Shanghai.. what's a gal with tired feet to do. More walking! I checked out the following:

* The streets of Old Town
* Temple of the Town Gods
* Yuyuan Gardens & Bazaar
* Acrobatics in the evening at Lyceum Theatre (originally told to go to another venue... thankfully met some Norwegian tourists with a guide who were going to the same place and managed to find it in time.. phew)

PS: if you want to check out the numerous pics head to my flickr account.

It was great fun to check out all that stuff but I was so SOOOO tired... the next day was May Day. I didn't think I could deal with the most heavily populated country having a public holiday so I stayed in bed. I ventured out for lunch and soon realised I made the right call to lay low. I walked out of the hostel into a swarm of people slowly moving in 1 direction - think peak hour heading into Flinders Street station... but EVERYWHERE and relentless. I went to the local eatery, pointed at noodles and sat down. Lunch done.. time to go back. Not as easy as I thought it would be. Police were making sure pedestrian traffic was one way.. so around the block I go with the rest of the throng... but then police have blocked the entrance to my street. I pointed to the street and said hotel... the policeman kindly let me pass under the blockade and once agin I joined the swarm of people til I reached me hotel... a lie down was required after that small adventure.

On my last day, I was um-ing & ah-ing about what to do.. I hadn't checked out the French Concession yet plus there were other places to see & things to do. So how did I spend my last day?? I found a little nail salon in the People's Square Station... and got my nails done. The girls spoke a teeny tiny bit of English, enough to ask me to choose colour, move seats and to find out what I was doing here. It was one of my highlights of my stay in Shanghai.. not only did I get pampered & got the crazy nails with flowers painted on them with jewels :) but we all got to laugh at the shenanigans of the other vendors just outside the door.



I only spent a week in Shanghai to get a taste for it. And I liked what I saw.... I really want to explore some smaller villages and head north to the Sczechuan province... the food is so delicious. I must admit though, I'm happy to say goodbye to the constant spitting in the street, coughing up phlegm, the jostling and the pushing in front of you in queues. They are things my Western little butt won't ever get used to.

Onto the next stop... Vietnam.

Later
Girlbug xoxo

China .. part 1

One of the more lasting impressions China had on me was the amount of people living there. I think I picked my jaw off the ground many times when I encountered swarms of people on the street, on the trains and even in temples & gardens.

I left San Francisco on Saturday afternoon & arrived in Shanghai on Sunday evening .. so have essentially lost a day. My first day began with a blessing, I meet the lovely Annabel from Germany. She's studying Chinese up north and had been in town for a few days to meet up with a friend. It was her last day so we decided to team up together to ride on the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel and check out the Chinese Museum of Sex.

I'd been told that the Sightseeing Tunnel is freakily good. And it didn't disappoint. Its a pod that travels beneath the river... only you encounter the most bizarre light show & music for the ride. We were in fits of giggles ... it was just so out-there!! My pics don't do it justice so if you're ever in Shanghai, go for a ride on the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel. You won't be disappointed unless you have been completely robbed of any sense of fun and the enjoyment of the ridiculous.

Unfortunately, when we got the other side we couldn't find the Chinese Museum of Sex. It was hilarious to watch Annabel have to ask locals for directions to this place. Eventually we headed back to where we started from (its original location) to be told that it was there but its now "broken". Um.... my first response was to laugh... "how does one break a sex museum" ... then relief "if the sex museum can be broken, perhaps this isn't a place I should go to". Another local explained it wasn't broken but it have moved to another city... doh! I heard great things about this and it got a great write up in Lonely Planet. But I must complain about the editorial team at LP... I read about this Museum in the Shanghai section - that its a must see! I discovered later when researching my day trip, that it is in fact in another city having been moved from Shanghai. Good work Lonely Planet for contradicting information in the same book! Should've stuck with wiki travel & the other online guides I've been using... far more useful.

Anyway enough griping about LP... the plan was also to head to Jimao Tower. We didn't quite make it there. First, as girls do we headed to the mall. This was probably one of the most quietest visits in China. Super Brands Mall was big, clean, and almost sterile .. possibly due to the lack of people. A did score a little H&M dress for a cheap price so Yay to me. Perfect for the summer heat in Vietnam. Once we hit the streets again, Annabel & I couldn't resist the allure of the Oriental Pearl Tower. It was gigantic, pink, looked like a spaceship and had a roller coaster ride in it. Jimao Tower was wiped off the to-do list and replaced with this crazy gem. And I'm glad we did, we had a ball checking out the views & starting to catch the sunset, we ran about like kids in the dizzy cabin to re-create the feeling of light-headedness (I'm sure the constant laughing caused lack of oxygen to flow to our lungs and in effect, the dizziness was achieved) plus we spent a fair bit of time in the Shanghai Municipality History Museum (yes the Museum did have funny mirrors to play with ... wtf? indeed). Several hours later, we finally emerge from the Oriental Pearl Tower, exhausted but not done yet.

Back on the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel for the return trip (again didn't fail to disappoint). We headed to Bar Rouge for some cocktails, people watching and views from across the river. Stunning views, not to many people and the cocktails were "too-die". Incidentally, 1 x cocktail cost more than my accommodation. Hehehe

Farewell Annabel... it was a blast hanging out with you on my 1st day in China.

I've been very blessed with the generosity of friends .. and also friends of friends along my trip. The next day I planned to meet Karlo's mate Jim for dinner. Karlo is a new friend from New York... thanks to the super-fine Ceridwen. And Jim is Karlo's old room mate.

The timing for this meet up was perfect as he worked near People's Square and I was heading to the Museum located there. After an interesting walk up the main street & some of its side streets, I find the People's Park and take refuge. With pastries in hand, I sit in a quiet shady spot and listen to a girl practicing her flute. It was really a delightful way to relax before hitting the Museum.

The museum was awesome and well worth a visit. A highlight was running into Han Juan who was staying at my hostel but had already left. We chatted a bit and I met some of her friends. She's such a cutie.. we were going to try and meet up later in the week. Anyway, the ceramic section was by far by favourite part of the Museum and apologies in advance if you sat through all the flickr pics of vases, bowl and serving dishes. I likey & can't help myself :P

Dinner with Jim was a delight. Its always great to meet wonderful people in your travels. So thank you Jim for over-ordering on the Szechuan feast. I wish I could've made a bigger dent in those yummy dishes... but having downed 2 iced coffees prior to dinner didn't leave room for overindulgence :)

A visit to Hangzhou was on the cards so early night it was.... more to come on China.

Later
GirlBug xoxo

☼ California Dreaming ☼

A quick run down on Southern California to give you the highlights. After a fantastic time in San Francisco, it was nice to have some down time in Santa Barbara with Roxanne. My time down in Southern California was best summed up eating & resting. I discovered the joys of cable TV... caught a Moonlight marathon on my first night in. Yay!! Since I was hooked on cable, I couldn't move to buy yummies for dinner. I did what any self respecting web geek does... I found an online delivery service & got Chinese home delivered... ah bless :)

We managed to squeeze in a trip to L.A. for an evening. It was perfect timing to meet up with Melody again. The three of us hit the Beverly Wilshire (Pretty Woman hotel) for a drink before heading to Chateau Marmont (Hotel where Jim Belushi died)... the cocktails were delish (the margaritas I had were a Hunter S Thompson recipe) and we topped off our stay at Chateau Marmont with desserts & more drinks.

Er...Clearly we didn't have enough to eat so we headed to Mel's Diner for a burger & curly fries. Curly fries are my current obsession... I hope I can continue my fix in Australia. See what I mean... eat, eat, eat. I'm pretty sure DJ Andrew K was seated in a booth nearby. After all the cocktails we had, I thought it best not to go & introduce myself hehehe

These curly fries are from a quaint little eatery in Summerland... but this is pretty much what I ordered at Mel's Diner hehe

We took in the sights of L.A. (as you do by car)... can check Rodeo Drive, Melrose, Sunset & Hollywood Blvd off the list. I saw the Kodak Theatre and gave a hi-hello to Oscar winners past.

Just back on the topic of eating... this little place called La Super Rica is one of my favourite dining experiences on the west coast. Cheap & super delicious. The good write up is gets in Lonely Planet is well worth it :)

Onto road trip #2... up along Highway 1. We start at Montecito heading all the way up to San Francisco. There were some great stops along the way:

* Solang .. bizarre little place that looks like Holland & Denmark with all its windmill, poppies and strange architecture. Bizarre but quaint

* Madonna Inn .. a serious overdose of pink. This place was strangely tragic, delicious pies and roomfuls of tizzy women (Euro-trashiness without the Euro)

* Cambria ... sweet seaside town. We stayed at the Fog Catcher Inn (heated swimming pool heaven) and ate the Sea Chest (pretty yum but its so popular the wait times are killer when you're hungry). On a stroll along the beach, I stumbled upon harbour seals laying on the rocks... a delightful surprise. I accidentally made a sound and one other seals looked up at me. To make eye contact with the seal was one of the most amazing moments on my trip. Quite breathtaking.

* The coast line .. this is really a spectacular coast line. Breathtaking views... we even had a chance to feed the squirrels. So cute.. how does one resist?

Unfortunately, we had to breeze through the rest of the coast so I didn't get to spend the time I wanted in Big Sur. This place looked jaw dropping-ly gorgeous. Its a must 'come back' and spend more time here place. Another lengthier road trip on the cards, perhaps...

Once we reached San Francisco, I had a fun night out with the @pwndepot crew. Too much meat (I won't forgive you @steveprice), booze and tikkie bars.... they sure know how to show a gal a good time. I'm going to miss these guys.

Just a couple of shout out before I finish up...

A big thank you to Roxanne for the 2 X road trips and showing me a lovely time in Southern California, to Mia, Julie & Norm for your Montecito hospitality and also the @pwndepot crew for all the fun times. I'll be back again.

So a week in China to follow...

I'm so close to home now... I'm really itching to get back and see family, friends but most especially Ben.

A couple more posts then home

Cya soon
GirlBug xox