Shrieking.net

This weekend I officially re-entered the world of employment and as such I’ll be starting work on Wednesday in the beautiful city of Oxford.  I’m excited about having money again and I’m looking forward to working on something meaningful again, but I’m a little bit unsure how I’m going to cope with the whole thing.  I’m sure it’ll be fine.

This means that I could really use a place to crash in Oxford for a while until I get myself a place.  If you have a sofa to lend me for a few weeknights, please let me know!  I won’t outstay my welcome, I’m tidy, and I’ll cook and clean and pay my way and keep your wine rack stocked.

Beginnings are hard to catch.  I couldn’t tell you how this all began: perhaps it was when I was sick of university and wanted to get away, perhaps it was when I decied to go to Australia, perhaps it was when I cancelled that trip and got a tattoo, perhaps it was when I booked my tickets, perhaps it was when I got on the plane.  But endings?  Endings are definite.  It’s always easy to work out where something ends.  The journey ends here, just where it began, and the world seems so much bigger, and I feel so much smaller, and my brain feels lost and damaged and full of useless anecdotes where my degree used to be.  I couldn’t tell you the finer points of web service programming these days, but I do know the average annual rain fall in London and I can compare it to the amount we had in one day out in Franz Josef, when I was out hiking on a glacier in the middle of a rainforest. I don’t know much about agents any more, but I sure as hell know what sun stroke feels like, because I got it, drinking Fiji bitter on the roof of a boat somewhere in the middle of the Yasawa islands.  Endings are not sad times, they’re just changing times.  Endings are everywhere.  One good thing about them is that you can almost guarantee that where an ending is found, there’s a beginning lurking just around the corner.  Of course, it’s hard to track it down, because beginnings are hard to define.  A lot of things are just beginning in my life, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

After some sleep, of course.

“When you reach the little house, the place where your journey started,
you will recognise it, although it will seem much smaller than you remember,
Walk up the path, and through the garden gate you never saw before but once.
And go home.  Or make a home.

Or rest.”   - Instructions by Neil Gaiman

• Total miles travelled: 30,800
• Hostels stayed in: 25
• Sofas crashed on: 6
• Hotels abused: 5
• Beach resorts lounged in: 5
• Times nearly arrested: 2
• Books read: 24
• Flights taken: 11
• Longest flight: 12 hours
• Longest bus journey: 18 hours
• Longest train journey: 37 hours
• Life-changing events: 4
• Brain-cells killed: 7

A huge thank you to everyone who I met along the way who made it what it was.  Special thanks to all my mates in Australia, those who stuck with me for any length of time (James, Romi, Sarah, Helen, Helen - thanks so much), and the super-hospitable folk in America who gave me sofas and beer (Jez, Beth, Nick, and friends), to whom I am forever in debt.  You’re all brilliant.

I’m home!  In England!  And I’m really, really tired.  I’ll write something about it when I’m a bit more composed.

Ko Pha-Ngan is something amazing.

I’m not quite sure if you can call it beautiful.  Bits of it certainly are, but the onslaught of the tourist has ruined it somewhat.  Somehow it has resisted the urge to become westernised though: no MacDonalds, no Burger King, no Starbucks.  I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before it all goes wrong.  Instead you have rows and rows of restaurants with Family Guy on repeat and bars lining the beach serving up absolutely lethal buckets of alcohol and red bull to the up-for-it party goers of the night.  The beach itself is pretty amazing, discarded bottles and buckets aside: it’s a crescent shape with gorgeous soft sand and jungle on either side.  The sun rises over it so at 7am the remaining dancers are treated to quite a view.

The full moon party itself was just unreal.  It almost ended before it began for me: while I was drinking with the guys from my resort, I suddenly found myself doubled up in pain from a stomach ache.  I had to go and lie down, and I heard them all walk past my bungalow on the way to the beach as I lay in the dark.  I decided to risk some painkillers - not always a good idea on a bad stomach - but they worked out ok, and I headed out at midnight.  Having no mates, I went over to the fire dancers and span poi with them for a while.  The Thai guys were awesome, really friendly and true performers.  I met a whole bunch of fire spinners from all over the world there and I didn’t leave until we ran out of fuel.

It was about 4am at that point, so I decided it was time to get drunk and have a dance.  I grabbed a bucket and headed over to Tommy’s Resort, which was sporting a huge psytrance stage complete with pretty visuals and a podium.  I was in my element there and made friends with everyone on the dance floor, where I stayed until 8am.  The sunrise was perfect, but as it washed everyone with colour again it became clear just how much of a party it had been.  Suddenly the beach was full of rubbish and passed out ravers.  I looked down and noticed that I was covered in soot from head to toe.  I actually had to throw away the clothes I was wearing that night!  Somehow, and I have no idea how, I found the guys I’d started the night with at this point.  We had a beer and then I went to bed.

After the full moon, Ko Pha-Ngan seemed to be stuck in a constant hangover.  Most of the people left for other islands, leaving the whole place a little empty and lacking in energy.  I don’t think I could have coped with much more, anyway.  I left for Samui and spent a few sleepy days wasting time in the sun.

Today I’m flying back to Bangkok to have a swift 2 day shopping binge before I get on that big old flight back home.  This will be my last blog entry before England, I guess.  That’s a bit of a weird feeling.  I never really thought I’d make it this far.  I’m glad I did, though.

Just a quick update for you so you don’t all think I’m dead.

I’m out on Ko Pha-Ngan right now, which is basically where the party happens.  All the time.  It’s pretty crazy and I can’t seem to escape a hangover: there’s really not much to do here apart from drink lots and sleep.  I suppose there’s diving and stuff too but for a poor traveler like myself it’s not financially viable.

Ko Samui was beautiful.  It’s low season right now, so the place was empty and I could get on with some serious sleeping on the beach without too much hassle.  Pha-Ngan is basically the opposite - most resorts are full and the whole place is busy, especially now because it’s the run-up to the full moon party.  After tomorrow I’m sure it’ll thin out a bit, it sounds like there’s a mass exodus from the island on the morning after.  Christ only knows why: I’m not getting on any boats the day after that party, I can tell you that right now.

My friend Helen goes home in 5 days, which is a bit weird because she’s one of these people who I can’t imagine ever not traveling: she’s done 19 countries or so in her year, and I’ve done, what, 6 now?  She’s awesome and you should read her travel blog because she can do the writing and it is the good.

I’ve put a few more photos up for your viewing pleasure.  Sorry I haven’t rotated them all up the right way but it’s a total pain to do that on Flickr.

I’ve spent far too long in this net cafe.  I’m going to go outside and do something else for a while.  See you later.  11 days to go!

I found myself in much better spirits by the time I got to Sydney airport.  When I said goodbye to all my friends, something clicked and I got all excited about traveling again.  My flight and the day surrounding it was mercifully uneventful and I met a couple of travelers at the airport who pointed me at a good place to stay, so I got myself settled into the country really easily, even if I was confused by the time difference, not sure that my watch was right, and running on 2 hours of awkward plane sleep.

The guest houses here are awesome.  Roughly 5 quid, often even less, gets you aircon, a double bed, ensuite, and a TV.  Beats paying 12 or more in America and Australia for a 16 bed dorm, that’s for sure. I have spent a lot of time lazing around in my room instead of being adventurous because I haven’t had a good laze about for a long time.  So what if I’m supposed to be traveling, I’m tired!

I have managed to get out and about a bit though.  Khao San Road is one of the world’s biggest backpacker meccas and it’s pretty unreal to visit: food and beer everywhere for crazy cheap prices (Roughly 1 pound a meal, 1 pound a beer), loads of bizarre steet vendors, and naturally, hundreds of bemused tourists trying to avoid getting ripped off and trying to ignore all the people trying to sell you suits.  At night the place becomes a weird backpacker party that’s something a bit like but not really even close to Fresher’s week and a festival rolled into one.

I did a bit of culture as well and went out to see a couple of temples, and the grand palace: absolutely amazing stuff.  So much gold and such unbelievable statues.  I took lots of touristy photos so you can check them out as usual.  Yes, that Buddha really is huge.  He’s 45m tall.

I’m off to Ko Samui tomorrow to get a tan so that I look like I’ve been traveling.  Then I’m going on to the full moon party to jump about to some techno, then I’m going to find a nice beach and sleep for a week before I get back home and the job-seeking madness has to begin again.

How do I feel about going home?  Good question.  I never thought I’d actually make it this far, I guess, so it’s only recently that I’ve really given it any serious thought, and I reckon I could write a good few pages on the issue.  I’ll spare you for now, but suffice to say, I can’t wait to be back in England to see everyone again and pick up my life where I left off.  Should be good, I reckon.

This is my last post from my laptop for a while!  I’m just about to head to FedEx and get it posted so I’ll be much less active online from now on.

I’m also going back to my UK mobile number from tomorrow.  My Australian number will no longer be active after 5pm Sydney time.

Wish me luck with the FedEx documentation.  I’m scared of it.

I leave the rainy land of Australia tomorrow forever and ever. It’s a pretty weird feeling. Thanks heaps to everyone who made the last 7 months pretty amazing.

Things I learned:
1. It rains EVERYWHERE. Even Australia.
2. There aren’t actually kangaroos everywhere. In fact, they’re barely anywhere.
3. Every animal is poisonous in Australia.

It’s been a real learning experience. I’ll miss you all so much! If you ever end up in England look me up and I’ll find you a couch to sleep on. I might even own a couch you can sleep on, who knows.

Keep in touch and stay awesome.
Thanks! xx

P.s.  Feeling much better today now that stuff is looking a little more sorted out.  Thanks for all your support, everyone!

I usually sleep uninterrupted but today I had a bad dream and when I woke up all that was in my head was the realisation that I was leaving Australia in 3 days. For some reason it never hit me before. I feel sick, and scared, and sad. It feels different this time around: when I left the UK I knew I was coming back, I knew that I had all my things there, waiting for me, some kind of investment in the country that kept me feeling like it wasn’t goodbye. When I leave here I’m cashing in my chips and leaving nothing, and that feels strange.

When something comes to an end it’s only natural to miss everything that was good about it. I just wish that the happiness I feel that those things existed in the first place was a stronger feeling than the sadness I feel about losing them.

Apologies for the uncharacteristically sad post. I’ll be back on form by the time I hit Thailand.

There aren’t many photos of me that I like, but this one is just outstanding so I had to post it.

Before you ask, no, I don’t know anything about golf.  I think it’s voodoo.