A Bike, a Bingle and a 180B

This weeks excitement seems to stem from a complete disregard for a number of key maternalistic and social conditioning messages.  
 
Message number 1 -  Don't ride a motorbike without a helmet.
 
Sound advice.  But in Thailand, also easily ignored.   But what about knee pads?  Thursday was Julie's first time on a motorbike, and, coincidentally, also Julies first time OFF a motorbike.  Not to worry.  The bike survived to tell the tale and Julie has managed to keep elastoplast profits at an all time high.  You can explore the entire island on scooters which we hired for around $10 a day.  A much easier way to get around than using a Datsun 180B.
 
Message number 2 - Don't accept lifts with strangers. 
 
All considered another sound piece of advice unless you are stranded in the middle of nowhere because some idiot didn't give exact specifications to the taxi driver.  Sure - where we got dropped off is close to the village we wanted to go to, but then on a global scale Melbourne is close to Sydney.    After wandering hopefully for about 1km along a dirt road, one of the locals (many of whom had been pointing, laughing, and asking us where we were going) stopped us and asked if we wanted a taxi.  Sounded like a good idea.  So he bundled us both into the back of his Datsun 180B, put his learner-driver brother behind the wheel, and sent us on our way.   But yes, we got there in the end.
 
Koh Samui is a nice enough place if you can fight your way through the pale English tourists complaining about the heat and the shape of the chips.  Then there are the dour looking Germans.  Try not to mention the war.   All in all this is mostly still a party town.  Taxis with loud speakers blaring out the abilities of the local ('resident') English DJ's and people with cockeny accents trying to sell you time share (Only if you are over 35, Married and away from home for less than six weeks).  All in all an interesting enough place with more than enough personality.  Managed to add to the tattoo collection whilst I was here. 
 
The business class flight from Sydney to Bangkok was just fantastic - we had the new Qantas sleeper seats.  Would have been nice to have been ablt to explore Bangkok for a day or two but our schedule didn't allow time.   We leave Koh Samui tomorrow for Hong Kong for 2 nights before our next adventure in Victoria Falls.
 
More soon. 
 
Ric.

Happening All Over Again

It doesn't have a great deal to do with Lonnie Gordon, but it seems to be happening all over again.

After over 4 months of travel last year, and a subsequent 8 months in Melbourne (Its near the Antarctic you know) - it didn't take much to twist my arm. Another adventure is underway!

Miss Julie asked me to go away for five months. We leave Sydney on Tuesday, July 13th.

I pondered and considered then thought... my goodness, we could drink an awful lot of beer in 5 months, why the hell not. I negotiated two grand prix's, a paralympic opening ceremony, and the land-mine avoidance tour of eastern Europe into the itennerary and Hey Presto ! Miss Julie agreed.

However. Because, during my stay in Melbourne and befriending several locals, I may have developed a propensity to spend a lot of beer on money, I decided I would come home somewhere near November.

Julie has bought a pair of hiking boots that apparently make her look like mini mouse (which I find interesting because Julie doesn't have big ears). These (the boots, not the ears) will certainly be handy. Perhaps especially in Bosnia, should they have anti-mine capability built in. Now we only have to work on replacing the suitcase on wheels with a backpack.

It all starts with One night in Bankok (because of the song) followed by 6 nights in Koh Samui and two in Hong Kong. Then off to Africa (with a flying 24hr visit to Victoria Falls followed by a 5 day safari) and then Egypt (Via London for 12 hours).

Moving on to Hungary for our first F1 Grand Prix (Arriving Budapest 10th August). We then plan on touring Eastern Europe - Yugoslavia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Albania, Slovenia, before heading to Milan for the Italian F1 GP in Monza on September 12. We spend three days in Madrid before catching up with Liesl in Athens for the Paralympic Opening (17th September)and then off to the Greek Islands, back through Albania (Tirana and Durres) and across to Southern Italy (Bari) for a fortnight through the south up to Rome.

We part company at Rome and Julie goes on to London, New York, Mexico and Las Vegas. On October 15th I head from Rome to Miami and then on to Cancun and Mexico, and a stopover in Dallas before arriving back in Oz on or about October 29th.

I'm just a little bit excited but will be looking forward to keeping in touch. More Soon!

Ric.