Hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year and enjoyed the snow I hear was in abundance. We wanted to try and make some phone calls to mates during this time but we didn't want to abuse our hosts telephones. At least you know the thought was there!
Been a bit lax on the diary entries lately, but I imagine you have all been having fun not spending time on a PC over the last couple of weeks so you have probably not even noticed our absence on the web ! Since our last entry, we feel like we have been having a bit of a holiday from our travels and Col from his work to some extent. Probably sounds ridiculous, but it really has been nice not to have had the constant planning and travelling that the last few months has involved (not complaining though).
After we left New Zealand, we headed for Melbourne where we spent about a week with friends John and Illona. Col's mate John is the press officer for the Australian Tennis Open, so we left Australia with rucksacks full of new branded clothes and had a chat with Tod Woodbridge into the bargain. John also managed to wangle us a personal tour round the newly refurbished MCG cricket ground where I had a gab with Australian cricketer Shane Warne and very sadly I asked him to sign my cap....(yes I am a gimp but it was only because I knew it would impress my bro!). John also got us some tickets for the famous boxing day test match at the MCG which was an experience (mainly because of the beer swilling Aussie cricket louts sitting behind us who were full of hilarious chat).
We had a lovely relaxing time with John and Illona and enjoyed extreme temperatures from 14 - 43 degrees! We chilled out in their spa (nothing new for us travellers there), had many a festive drink, enjoyed preparing the huge christmas dinner whilst singing cheesy christmas tunes, went swimming at the beach on christmas day, played cricket in their back garden, went on a 65km bike ride (sore bottoms galore) and generally had a good time. It was very different being in the sun and so far away from family and friends (apart from the ones we were staying with obviously) at Christmas, but all in all it was great.
On Boxing day it was awful to hear about the Tsunami and the devastasion it has caused throughout Indonesia and south east asia. The impact seemed to get worse and worse every time we switched on the television, with so many small villages having been wiped out completely and the death toll mounting by the day. Given the fact that Thailand was our next destination, we called Col's friend Simon (who lives in Hua Hin on the opposite coast) to check everything was OK where he is. All was fine on that side of Thailand, so we flew into Bangkok on 30th December and headed down to Hua Hin that night. To be honest, in that area the only evidence of the disaster area close-by was the convoys of trucks filled with military heading south to help in the aftermath. Every Thai taxi driver talks to you about the Tsunami and every shop has boxes for donations... on our BA flight over here all money donated was also going towards the disaster fund. At least people seem to be doing what they can to help and whilst it won't help those whose families have been killed it will at least help them rebuild some of what has been destroyed.
We had another fairly relaxed time staying at Simon's over new year down on the beach and by the pool. Indulged in a Thai massage on the beach for the princely sum of 2 pounds for an hour...I had forgotten how cheap this country is. The only remotely active thing we did in Hua Hin was a motorcycle (well, moped really) day trip further south to some amazing caves with huges staligmites and staligtites. This was a great day but we were pretty relieved to be away from the Thai drivers who don't seem to follow any sort of driving etiquette.
We are now spending a couple of days in Bangkok organising our next two or three weeks before India. We are infact on the famous Khao San Road as I write and it's bringing back memories of last time I was here with Caz and Marianne....it's not changed - apart from getting even more touristy I think! We are planning to head to Vietnam for a couple of weeks which we are really looking forward to - I have heard nothing but good reports about it from others who have been. Apparently it's similar to Thailand 30-40 years ago.
hope everything is going well for you all at home...looking forward to hearing your amusing new year stories etc! We are now going to be waiting with baited breath every time we check our messages to hear news of the arrival of baby Broon....any day now. Will sign off for now and have downloaded a few pics of our Christmas and New year antics for your enjoyment!
HAVE A GREAT 2005.
Gill and Col x
PS Col apologises for his lack of chat on this website, but he has been busy working away while I write up our diary entries. Some of you might have been able to see some Col chat in his articles that are being published as we travel ! He wishes everyone all the best for the new year too.
