You are currently browsing the category archive for the 'Travel' category.
I have my big backpack filled with everything I need for the trip. I also have a daypack.
I seem to have packed my backpack with so many things that I thought I would need. But, haven’t used at all. I guess it’s good to be prepared. I read many different guides stating what to bring on trip. I just realize now that you can mostly find things everywhere. Even small towns have pharmacies and shops. All you have to do is describe your ailment and usually they can understand. It’s crazy to have all my things packed together. Sometimes I find things that I forgot I had packed. It’s easy to buy t-shirts, underwear, sarongs, hat, sunglasses and socks along to way. It seems that both my backpack and daypack have gotten heavier. I think it’s good to pack light.
Here’s what I recommend taking on a trip around the world:
2 pants (Northface is nice – 1 pair that turns into a pair of shorts), cotton dress, dress shirt, 2 cotton t-shirts, underwear for a week (Ex-Officio makes good underwear), beach shorts, 3 bras (1 black), 3-4 pairs of socks, bathing suit, light rain jacket, silk liner (great to use when you’re sleeping on a bus), hair ties, iPod, money belt, cheap watch with an alarm, earplugs, sleep mask, travel towel, headlamp (Petzl is the best!!), pen, Sharpie, strong eyeglass holder (if you wear glasses), toothbrush, small toothpaste, good waterproof shoes (Merrell or Northface), flip-flops or waterproof sandals
First aid – some band-aids, antiseptic, anti-histamine, aspirin, tape, lozenge, rehydration salts, sewing kit
Medicine – any that you need like allergy medicine or antibiotics For women – Birth control can be bought cheap in Thailand at Boots or Tesco Lotus
Nalgene containers are great for liquids like for Beauty products.
Beauty Products – lotion, shampoo, razor, small perfume, moisturizer, exfoliator
Make-up – small bag filled with a lipstick, eyeshadow, foundation, mascara
A great bag is made by Eagle Creek called sacs. I really like the X-small, Small, Medium and Large sacs. They hold everything. I have my make-up in one bag. Toiletries in another..underwear, socks and bras in another.
Expect to lose things if you’re backpacking. It’s hard to always remember to check the hostel/hotel room you’re in for things you’ve left. I have lost a few things like tweezers, a sharpie, contact lens holder and a nalgene container filled shampoo. I remember before I went traveling. I asked a backpacker about carrying the backpack and traveling. She told me that your clean clothes are with your dirty clothes – so everything starts to smell. I decided to bring a big plastic bag to put my dirty clothes in.
It’s hard to buy souvenirs. I have bought some for friends and family. It’s best to ship it home. If it’s light, I just keep it in my bag.
I actually like carrying light. It’s convenient since my backpack is on my back and my daypack is in the front. I see carrying around luggage and it just seems much harder. My big backpack weight is 22 pounds. That’s not too bad.
I didn’t even know how to pack things so the weight was distributed well. REI has a good page with expert advice. It definitely helps where the weight is. I put too many heavy things on top and my backpack felt about twice as heavy. Some people like to fold their clothes while others roll them. I do both. Just do what you like. It seems that clothes in your backpack are bound to get wrinkled. When you’re backpacking, you don’t care much about your appearance. But, I guess folding it might be better for less wrinkles. I think rolling is good to save space especially when you have to stuff things into small spaces.
I was really set on doing my own laundry. I bought a clothing line, drain stopper and Campsuds. Campsuds is for washing clothes and even hair. You don’t need much I did buy two pairs of Ex-Officio underwear that is lightweight and dries very quickly. That has come in handy. It’s very cheap and easy to get laundry done on the road. Sometimes you do have to pay to get it ironed. Of course, sometimes you do wash your own clothes. The clothesline has come in handy for letting bathing suits or clothes dry.
Travel Gear Resources:
REI
Northface – great clothes and backpacks
Walkabout Travel Gear
The Container Store – Nalgene containers
Backcountry
Altrec
I have been traveling with my boyfriend around the world since October 1, 2008. Lil Dave (the monkey) is writing a blog about all of our travels. So check it out! I should have posted that last year but didn’t.
I decided to write about my thoughts on backpacking. I’ve had a lot lately.
I knew I would miss my family. But, I seriously miss them A LOT!! I miss playing with my nieces and nephews the most. Ivan calls his parents on Skype a lot and writes them e-mails. So, I know it’s partly my fault since I don’t call my parents nearly enough. I do write e-mail though to my brother, sister and sister-in-law. It’s just hard being away from them. I know they’re doing good.. just wish I could see them! I recently took a nap this afternoon. I dreamt I was back home and visiting my family. It felt so good to see them! I’m going to try to call more – so I won’t be so homesick.
I feel out of the loop with everybody. I have no clue what people are doing lately. I try to write some people – but it’s hard writing everybody. I just wish they would fill me in more on what’s happening. I know when I get back, I’ll hear many stories. And I know people will ask what I did on my RTW trip. I just encourage everybody to read the blog. That really shows what I’ve done.
I haven’t talked much about my future traveling plans. I’m going to be doing a RTW (’round the world) trip with Ivan in a few months. We’re traveling to Southeast Asia first. Ivan and I will be staying in hostels and couchsurfing. I am pretty excited. I’ve read a few great RTW blogs, books and seen a great documentary on backpacking around the world. It has given me some insight of what it’s like to go backpacking around the world. I am also a bit scared. I guess it’s the big unknown. I haven’t done anything so bold in my life. I’m basically quitting my job and going traveling for a year. I know some of my family and friends probably think I’m nuts. I tried to take a Leave of Absence at work but they only allow a month, unless it’s military or maternity. Of course, if I do come back to the company within 6 months, I’ll still have the same hire-on date. At least that’s good.
I still have so much to do in Las Vegas. I have to pack things up for storing. I’m going to spend lots of time with family and friends. I still have lots of things to purchase for the trip. I’m constantly looking at different products I have to buy online and comparing prices. I bought my big backpack The North Face W Terra 40. It’s 40 Liters (2,400 cubic inches).
My long W Terra 40 backpack
It’s going to hold a lot of stuff. I don’t know how heavy it’s going to be since I don’t have everything yet. I don’t even know how to pack this thing. REI has great advice about packing at this site. I’m so glad that Ivan has been a HUGE help. He’s traveled to many places before. So, he has helped me with what to buy and told me about great books and blogs to read.
Here’s some great resources if you’re thinking of backpacking -
Books:
The Rough Guide to First-Time Around the World
Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel
Documentary:
A Map for Saturday is a great documentary about a RTW trip. A guy named Brook quits his great tv producer job to travel the world for a year. He chronicles the trip and his feelings. It also includes other backpacker’s views and feelings about traveling. It’s a great movie and very well made.
Websites:
Backpacking / budget travel advice
Vagabondish – The Travelzine for Today’s Vagabond
Art of Travel
Traveler’s Health
Budget Globetrotting
Blogs:
RTW Trip
Around the World Travel Blog
Reading about the different areas you’re going to be exploring helps out. Right now, I’m reading Southeast Asia on a Shoestring
I’ve been trying to save money. It’s been hard for me. I’ve given up buying books, mangas and anime. I did buy Bizenghast 4 the other day. It’s such a beautiful story with awesome artwork. I just have to read what happens next! I’ve been trying not to spend as much.
I know there’s going to be things I’ll have to deal with on the road. I’m going to miss my family and friends. I will be keeping touch with them with Skype, the internet and a blog. Of course, the comforts of home may be another thing. I have an open mind. I’m looking forward to the adventure to come. I’m going to learn and explore new places. I’m going to embrace the unknown.
I have all the pictures up now from my vacation. I finished putting descriptions too.
Check out the collection here.
Direct link to:
England Album
Scotland Album
Blog Posts:
Flying and Exploring England
Sweet Tour
Day 1 & 2 in Southend
Day 3 in Southend & A Walk around the River Thames
Whisky, ghosts and lochs in Scotland
Nessie and Illusions
Dungeons, Wines and Laughs
Eastbourne and Trying to Get Back to Vegas
Video Links:
Morris Dancers
Ivan on The Waltzer
Guy playing the Bagpipes
Hope you enjoy it!.. and leave some comments if you have a flickr or youtube account!
Ivan and I had breakfast at the Gladwyn. It was a nice big breakfast. The two guys who ran the place were really nice. We walked down to the Eastbourne Pier.
It’s a small pier. The weather was overcast and windy. Ivan looked up my flight and it was delayed for 25 minutes. We took a train to Heathrow airport. I didn’t want to leave. I had the best time in England and Scotland with Ivan. I went to check my bag in. I had a flight with Air New Zealand to Los Angeles. I would then board a plane on United at 11:15 pm to Las Vegas. The lady at the counter said at 5:15 pm. The plane would start boarding at 4 pm. My stomach kept boiling. I was having stomach problems. I kept checking the screen to see if the gate would show up. I’m glad that I had my iPod and a book to read to pass the time. Then, it said at 5:30 pm that it would board at 6:30 pm. There was an announcement at 6 pm about where the gate would be for my flight. I have three and half hours in Los Angeles until my next flight to Vegas. I thought it would be enough time even though we were running late. Finally, everybody boarded the plane. I think I got on about 7 pm. We were waiting on the plane forever. Thank goodness we were allowed to watch the movies and tv shows. We finally left at 8:30 pm. There was problems with the plane that engineering had to fix before we took off. There was a lot of people going to a connecting flight to New Zealand. So, a lot of people on the plane had questions. I didn’t think I’d make it in time for my other flight. I talked to one of the flight attendants. He told me that there were a lot of people traveling to Las Vegas so I wouldn’t be alone. I told him my flight was booked separately from my flight to Los Angeles. He said that there would be represenatives in Los Angeles who could help me get another flight. The flight was 10 hours and 15 minutes long. I saw Be Kind Rewind. It was alright, not as funny as I thought it would be. I also saw The Golden Compass. This movie was an original movie. I liked it, but I have to wait to see what happens in the sequel. I slept like 4 hours on the plane. I watched Run Fat Boy Run. This movie was very funny. I enjoyed it a lot. We arrived in Los Angeles at 11 pm. Everybody on the plane had to go through Customs. So, I missed my flight already. I got my luggage and then was trying to find somebody from Air New Zealand to help me out. I asked the lady if I could get a flight to Vegas tonight. But, unfortunately there were no more flights for tonight. She said I could fly out at 9 am on Monday, July 7th. I was annoyed by this. I just wanted to go home and sleep in my bed. The airline did pay for my new flight and my hotel room for the night. I was staying at the Hilton LAX. I also got a free breakfast buffet. I got the dinner buffet too but I didn’t use it. The hotel was really nice. It was a big king sized bed on the 3rd floor. The bed was so soft. There was a door that led right to the pool area. I slept for a few hours. I got up around 6:45 am. I had a good breakfast at the buffet. I put my stuff through the x-ray machine and walked through. Then, they said I needed to step to the side. Great, I was randomly picked. Yah, I look like I have a bomb in my cell phone. How annoying. The guy took samples wiping a fabric onto the inside of my bags. Then, a lady patted me down. I went to go sit at the gate. My flight was on time. Thank goodness. The plane actually got there earlier than planned. My mom picked me up from the airport. It was good to find getting back to Vegas. It was so hot though. Ugh. I miss London weather already. I was so tired. I went to get my first TwinRex (Hepatitis A & B) shot at Immuvax.
On July 4th, Ivan and I went to eat lunch at Pret a Manger. It’s a sandwich place that makes wraps, salads and sandwiches. It’s really good food. I wish they had stores in Las Vegas. They have a great variety of delicious sandwiches at good prices. I had a tasty Italian baguette.
We went to the London Dungeons. There was Sweeney Todd and Jack the Ripper. The place has actors who tell you things or show you around. There’s a mirrored maze that we couldn’t find our way out of. Thank goodness one of the guides found everybody.
There’s also a boat ride and a free fall drop ride. I liked the Jack the Ripper part.
There was displays of the murders. Ivan and I really enjoyed it. I didn’t get scared though. The London Dungeons has a great gift shop.
Next, we walked to Vinopolis. Ivan purchased The Spirit of Vinopolis package. It included a Wine Tasting class, the Vinopolis tour, 5 wine tastings, 1 premium wine tasting, 2 whisky tastings, 2 absinthe tastings, 2 beer tastings, 1 Bombay Sapphire tasting and a Vinopolis Tasting Notebook. There was so many different wines from around the world to choose from. There were Carter’s crackers availabe to eat too. We went to the Brew Wharf to have the two beers. We also had a Selbach-Oster Reisling Kabinett 2002. It was really sweet wine. We were so pissed (drunk) at this point. It was so much alcohol. It was a fun place. I liked trying the different wines. We walked to the Borough Market. This market has a great selection of fresh foods and wine available to buy. We tried some bread and cheese samples here. Afterwards, we went to the Wine Wharf to have a drink. We went to the upstairs area and came upon a private party. We got a glass of champagne. Ivan felt weird, like people were staring at him. He felt like we didn’t belong there. We went downstairs to finish the drink.
We had dinner at wagamama. We shared the Ebi Gyoza (vegetable dumplings) and chicken skewers for our appetizers.
Ivan had the Yaki Udon for his main course.
I got the Yakisoba. It was really good, but a little salty. Ivan and I were walking around. I couldn’t even see straight. I guess it was all that alcohol and then the meal. We went to the park and lied down. We fell asleep for a little while. We were planning to do the Jack the Ripper tour. But, we were too tired to do the tour.
We walked over Tower Bridge. Then we walked down the River Thames. It’s such a great view. I got to see the London Eye and Big Ben at night.
Beautiful! I forgot it was 4th of July on this day. It’s a big holiday in the US. I had a great 4th of July in London.
I still needed to do more souvenir shopping on July 5th.
We headed to Carnaby Street.
We had lunch at Leon. The sign looks like an advertisement for the circus. Ivan got the Magic Mackerel and Hummus again.
I had the Free Range Grilled Chicken with Aioli Sauce. I also got a side order of Moroccan Meatballs. My chicken dish was really good. The meatballs were decent.
We were going to Eastbourne to see Lee Evans in the evening. We took the train to Brighton. It’s a nice seaside town. It was such a gorgeous day.
Ivan and I went to the Brighton Pier. The pier has an arcade and a funfair with rides. We rode a Haunted House ride. Ivan went on the Waltzer. See if you can find him in the video below!
Ivan on the Waltzer
It’s a really nice pier, although not as long as the Southend Pier. We took a train to Eastbourne.
We checked into the Bed n’ Breakfast, the Gladwyn. Our room was called Beijing.
It had great Chinese and Japanese decorations. It was so pretty. The whole place had beautiful artwork. It was such a lovely place. We had dinner at a cafe. We then walked to the Congress Theatre. We were going to see Lee Evans. He’s a hilarious comedian. This was my first time seeing him. The theatre was really hot. Lee is so funny. He was on stage for almost three hours with an intermission. It was a great show. I laughed so much.
Next up… my last day in England and the craziness of getting back to Vegas!
We got picked up early on the morning of July 2nd at 9 am. Some of us wanted to catch the boat on the Loch Ness, so we started earlier than usual to try to make it on time.
We made a stop to see the River Affric Walk and the Ancient Forest.
It had gorgeous views. We also saw Fort Augustus. We made it for the boat ride. We took the Royal Scot boat on the Cruise Loch Ness. The boat ride was an hour long.
I never knew that the Loch Ness was so deep. It’s 620 feet deep (189 m). We took some pictures and we found some monsters in the picture.
Nessie sighting
Woah, Nessie is actually real! I can’t believe it!!
I bet she hides at the bottom of the Loch Ness to avoid the tourists. The boat ride was very cool. We drove some more. We stopped to see the Commando Memorial. We made a stop at the Spean Bridge Mill again. Of course, we got more free whisky samples. The shop had some free cookie samples. Ivan thought the cookies tasted like dog food. We drove on and stopped to see the Strathmashie Forest. We saw a gorge there. We were driving along more. We made a stop at the Strath Gary in Pitlochry. Ivan and I had tea and a a scone. We were dropped off on the Royal Mile around 7 pm for the end of our tour.
Ivan and I checked in again at the Smart City Hostel in Edinburgh. We went to an Indian restaurant to eat. But, unfortunately it was too busy. We didn’t want to wait, so we left and walked around. We saw a Thai restaurant called Ayutthaya. Ivan looked at the menu and thought it looked good. We got the fish cakes to start off with. The fish cakes were dry and didn’t have much taste. We were hoping the rest of the meal would be better. We ordered Singha beers. We shared the Guey Teow Pad Se Ew with Chicken and the Goeng Massaman Curry. The Pad Se Ew was really tasty. The curry was great as well. The Massaman Curry had potato cubes, peanuts, onions and chicken. It was a good dinner. After dinner, we walked around. We were thinking about listening to some music at a bar. We couldn’t decide which one to pick though. Finally, we found some good music playing at The Tass bar on the Royal Mile. There was a lot of people playing Scottish folk music. We had some whisky and a Cream Cutie. We stayed to listen to the music for a little while. It was really good music.
Ivan and I woke up on the morning of July 3rd. We packed all our stuff and put it in luggage storage. We proceeded to Chocolate Soup to get some breakfast. We each got a fruity smoothie and a raisin bagel for us to share. We walked to Camera Obscura. It’s a cool museum. We saw optical illusions, lighting tubes, holograms, 3D pictures, bendy mirrors and other great things.
We went on the rooftop and it had great views of the city.
I had never seen the picture in the Magic Eye pictures. The museum had a few pictures of the Magic Eye. it was framed so I could see the light on the glass. I looked at the light and looked beyond the picture. I actually saw it! It was amazing to see those pictures.
Oh I am tiny!
This was a really cool museum. There was so many interesting things to see here. We were so hungry at this point. Ivan read that the best restaurant on Tripadvisor was the Wedgwood We headed there for the pre-set lunch menu. It included 2 or 3 courses at a reasonable price. Ivan got a beet dish for his appetizer. I got the chicken yakitori. It was good. Ivan got the soused salmon for his main dish.
He thought it was good.
My main course was the tomato, asparagus and spinach penne pasta. It was quite tasty. The service was a little slow. After lunch, I did some souvenir shopping. Ivan wanted to try deep-fried pizza. We went to Clam Shell to try some. We thought it would be covered with batter. But, it turned out to look like regular pizza.
It wasn’t very good either. We caught our flight back to London City Airport. We walked from the airport to Ivan’s flat.
The area where Ivan lives is so beautiful. I really like walking around the docks. It’s a pretty quiet area. We went to Nakhon Thai for dinner. It has a great view of the docks. We got the Fish Cakes for our starter. It was delicious.
We had a glass of wine. Ivan had the white while I had the red. I usually like the reds better since they’re usually milder.
Ivan ordered the Yam Woonsen. It’s a clear noodle salad with chicken and prawn. He also got the Pak Boong, which is a vegetables mixed in chili and yellow bean.
My main course was the Ped Phad King. It was roasted duck mixed with mushrooms, ginger, pineapple and spring onions. It was great. I wanted to try the mango sticky rice. I’m glad we ordered it. It was sooo delicious and sinful.
Ivan and I flew to Edinburgh, Scotland on Monday, June 30th. We went to the Smart City Hostel to store our luggage since it was too early to check in. We decided to take a free tour of the city. Our tour guide was an American guy named Thomas who had some Scottish roots. He had this crazy mustache. He knew a lot about the city.
We went to a lot of different spots on the Royal Mile and around it. I didn’t know that J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter in cafes in Edinburgh.
School that inspired Hogwarts
We saw the school that inspired Hogwarts.
We also passed by the Elephant Cafe where she wrote the first Harry Potter novel. J.K. Rowling currently lives in Scotland. She’s English, but moved to Edinburgh in 1994. We saw different things like Edinburgh Castle, a graveyard and cathedrals.
Edinburgh Castle
This was a great tour. If you ever go to Edinburgh, take the free tour.
We had a late lunch at Always Sunday.
I got the deal that comes with 3 different salads with bread. It was all really good. Ivan had a bowl of soup.
We went to check out the Scotch Whisky Experience.
The tour shows you how to taste whisky with a whisky tasting. They give everybody a glass with whisky inside. We got to keep the cute little glass as a souvenir. The guide told us about the history of whisky and how it’s made. Next, we took the Whisky Barrel Ride. It’s the slowest ride ever. I do have a better appreciation of whisky now. I didn’t know anything about it previously. It’s such a long process to make the whisky.
We stopped by the bar to have some whisky. Ivan had the Original Glenmorangie. I had the Famouse Grouse Liqueur. They were both good. The whisky is so strong to me. I like the liqueur better since it’s a lot smoother.
At night we went on the Ghosts and Ghouls tour. Our guide had a big booming voice. So, he scared people very easily. The tour took around to different sights where murders and hangings took place.
At the end of the tour we went down to the vaults. Our tour guide told us stories about the ghosts that supposedly haunt the vaults. It was pretty dark in all the vaults. There’s only a light at the bottom of each room.
The last vault really creeped me out. We paid a little extra to go down to the cellar. Here the guide tells ghost stories while you have a drink. Ivan and I each got a nice glass of red wine. Ivan told me later that he kept feeling something on his shoulder. He said he believes in ghosts and the occult. I asked if he really felt a ghost or something. I didn’t think Ivan actually believed in ghosts. But, he was just pulling my leg (playing a joke on me). Our tour guide was great at telling stories. I had a great time on the Ghosts and Ghouls tour.
Edinburgh is a nice city. It reminds me of London but a lot smaller. The sun doesn’t go down until almost 11 pm in Edinburgh.
We stayed at the Smart City Hostel. It’s such a clean hostel. It even has a cafe where you can purchase food and alcohol. Ivan thought it was very clinical.
On July 1st, we were going to the Loch Ness & Inverness Highland 2 Day Tour. The bus picked us up at 9:30 am. It was showering all day. We stopped by Edinburgh Castle to take a picture. We were driving North of Scotland towards the Loch Ness. We would stop maybe every now and then to take pictures. Our tour guide Peter would tell us stories about Scotland and the different places we were passing by. He was very knowledgable about Scotland. I liked that he played bands or singers that were Scottish. So, we heard a lot of Scottish bagpipe music. Ivan thought he could be more fun and have everybody introduce themselves. We had many 16 people on the bus. There was a lot of Asians. There were some people from Australia and Israel as well. Scotland is so gorgeous and green.
We stopped by to see Hamish the cow. He’s a hairy cow. Ivan bought a few bags of vegetables inside the shop so we can feet Hamish. They have souvenirs with Hamish’s picture on it. He gets so many visitors that feed him vegetables, he doesn’t seem to like grass as much anymore. There was already other people feeding him big vegetables. We didn’t know if Hamish would want more food.
Hamish the cow
But, he lapped up all our vegetables. I fed him a few things and I touched his tongue. He smelled bad, but he was cute. We stopped by a cafe for lunch later on. Ivan had a chicken panini and the cream of pepper soup. He liked both dishes. I had the Hot Beef Roll. It was good. We drove past where they filmed Hagrid’s house in the Harry Potter films. We made a short stop at the Spean Bridge Mill. This shop has free whisky samples. We really liked that. We tried three different kind of whiskys and two liqueurs. I really liked the Heather Cream. It’s a Single Malt Scotch Whisky Cream Liqueur. It’s so creamy and delicious. We had lots of samples. Ivan bought a small bottle of Drambuie. We drank it on the bus. It was a smooth whisky. We continued driving along and saw Aleister Crowley’s house, which was once owned by Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin. Ivan was trying to think of a Nessie cartoon he watched as a kid. He looked up online and found it was called The Family Ness. It’s a British cartoon that played during the 1980’s. We went to the Falls of Foyers.
It was simply beautiful. The bus did stop by the Loch Ness and we took some pictures. Tomorrow we see more of the Loch Ness.
We were dropped off in Inverness for the night. Ivan and I were staying in Dalmore Guest House.
There was also a mom, her daughter and a woman named Kylie were also staying at this Bed & Breakfast. Kylie is an Australian woman who works as a nanny at a day care. Ivan, Kylie and I walked to the main part of Inverness to get some dinner. We went inside Blackfriars to have some food. Ivan and I each had a whisky while we waited for the food to arrive. We shared food. We started off with the chicken satay. It was good. Our main course was Fish & Chips. It was also good. We walked to the Hootenanny bar. Ivan and I each had a Bulmers cider. We stayed for a short while talking and listening to the band. Inverness is a charming city. It’s so much smaller than Edinburgh.
Up next… the rest of the Scotland trip with a boat ride on the Loch Ness!
On the morning of June 29th Neal made a great big breakfast for Ivan and me. The meal consisted of scrambled eggs, vegetarian sausages, mushrooms, bread, cheddar cheese, tea and strawberry smoothies. It was the best home made breakfast I’ve had in years. Wow, it was really delicious!! It was such a sweet thing for him to wake up early and make everything for us.
We drove towards the pier and walked around Southend. There’s actually some places with Las Vegas names like the Circus Circus.
The places have games and arcade games right near the pier.
We went inside one place and played a game. It’s like bingo.. but you have to cover the numbers with a little black plastic thing that’s attached to all the numbers.
Numbers Game
I actually won once. It must have been beginner’s luck. There’s a free theme park right by the pier. It has cool rides and roller coasters. We didn’t ride anything.
I think Ivan really wanted to ride the big yellow roller coaster. Then we walked to the Southend Pier with Ivan’s parents. This pier is the longest in the world.
It’s 1.34 miles according to Wikipedia. Yes, we did walk down most of the pier and then took the train back to the beginning.
I am taller than Ivan for once!
It was a little cold and windy on the pier.
Denise & Ken
It was definitely good exercise! It was quite a walk.
My feet were hurting afterwards.
We went to the Cliffs Pavilion to have tea and a scone. It’s nice to have a cup of tea to just relax and talk.
I really enjoyed my time in Southend. It’s a nice place. There’s things to do that are different from London. Ivan’s family were all so welcoming and friendly. I see where Ivan gets his kindness from. Ivan’s mum Denise is so sweet. She’s just like any cool mom. She’s always willing to help you out. She told me if I needed anything I shouldn’t be shy and just ask. Ivan’s dad Ken is full of knowledge. He’s a little quiet but a nice guy. Neal, Ivan’s brother, is a funny and cool guy. He’s also a good cook. I wish we spent more time with Ivan’s family in Southend.
Ivan’s parents drove us to the train station. We took the train back to London. The ride is about an hour long. We dropped off our luggage at Ivan’s flat. We went down to the River Thames to walk around. It’s a great walk since there’s so much great things to see.
Tower of London
We walked past Tower of London and I took some pictures. We walked down Tower Bridge.
It’s a beautiful bridge.
We also walked past the HMS Belfast. It’s a big floating Naval museum. We walked a lot and got to see the Tower Bridge at night time.
What a great view! It’s really weird since it doesn’t get dark until like 10 pm in London. But, Ivan said in the winter it can get dark really early like 3 pm. It was a good day with a lot of beautiful sights.
That’s it for now! I’ll have another post up as soon as I can. It’s been a lot of editing of pictures. Also, I must head to the library to get internet access. I’ll have some Scotland pictures next time!
I’ve felt so free on this trip. It’s just great being here in England. London’s a great city. I think that since I don’t have a cell phone or even a watch… It just makes everything feel so carefree to me. I’ve just been mostly laid back. It’s so great to be on vacation. I don’t have any worries.
Ivan and I took a train to Southend-on-Sea, Essex on June 27th. We were staying at Ivan’s parents house for the weekend. Ivan’s Dad picked us up at the station. They have a great two-story house.
I like the Conservatory. It’s a nice place to relax. We sat in the Conservatory and had food and drinks. There was lots of food like scones with strawberry jam, muffins, crackers with cream cheese, wheat bagels and chocolate chip cookies. Everything was very good. I had a glass of orange juice. The food was all very delicious. Ivan bought his parents a Wii. He set everything up. We played the Wii Sports. We played tennis, bowling and golf. Ivan also got the QuickShot Mega Pack. It comes with pink and blue skin. Also, there’s a thing where you put the Wii remote and then attach different things to eat like a tennis racket, wheel, golf club and a bat. I think it’s pretty kewl. That night, Ivan, Neal and I went to the pub to have a drink. There’s a big field we walked in and shortly after we arrived at The Parson Barn.
We each had a Kronenbourg. The kitchen had just closed. So, after the beer we walked to another pub. They had stopped serving food as well. We got lucky and found a cab driving by. Ivan flagged it down. We got in and weren’t really sure where to eat. We figured that we would find something in the central part of Southend. I didn’t mind what we ate. We asked the cab if there was a good Indian restaurant. But, he wasn’t sure. Ivan mentioned that it was lucky that we caught the cab. The cab driver said that he thought he was a cab fare he was supposed to pick up in that area. We saw an Indian restaurant and Ivan told the cab driver to stop. He checked it out and thought it looked good. We went inside Sonali Tandoori. We shared three different curries. Ivan and I both ordered a Cobra beer. I can’t remember what kind of curries we got. But, they were all good. It was a bit spicy. One was a great tomato sauce. We stopped by ASDA (British Wal-Mart). Neal wanted to make some passion fruit mojitos. We arrived back at the house. Neal made some good mojitos and we talked a bit. I saw a photography book that Neal made with his work. He’s a talented photographer.
So, I’ve been writing down more backwards things. I think that England is backwards. Or maybe America is backwards. Who’s to say really? I was in ASDA and I noticed that the 2 Liter Coke bottles were shaped differently than in the U.S. I thought it was rather weird so I took a picture of it.
Different Shaped 2 Liter Bottles
The guy who worked there probably thought I was mental. He said she’s taking a picture of the Coke bottles. He said something to me. But, I didn’t have a clue to what he said. Sometimes it’s hard with the accents. I think he said that I should have waited until they stocked it fully before taking my picture. In England time is in military time. So, I actually have to think when I want to know the time. Ok, it’s not that hard. But, it’s just something to get used to. Also, how the dates are written are a bit backwards. We put 07/03/08 for July 3rd, 2008 and in England it would be 03/07/08. I’ve seen this before.. but it kind of throws you off when you’re used to seeing it one way. Another thing I noticed is the sinks. The faucets in most public bathrooms seem to have a double-spout tap. So, there will be a tap for hot on the left side and cold on the other side. It’s weird since the hot side is usually boiling and the cold is way too cold. I turn on both taps and try to combine the water together with my hands.
Ivan told me about the great cheddar cheese that is made in England. Cheddar cheese was originally made in a village called Cheddar in Somerset, England. The cheese is so much better than the American version. It’s so nutty and just tastes delicious. It’s better to be eaten alone to appreciate the distinct flavor.
On Saturday, June 28th Ivan’s family and I headed to the Leigh Folk Festival. The festival had different activities going on throughout the day. Ivan’s parents wanted me to see the Morris dancers. It’s a traditional English folk dance.
Here’s a video of the dancing. My video kept blurring up though. I’m not sure why though. Hope my video isn’t crappy on this new digital camera.
Morris dancers
The Morris dancers were definitely something very English that I’ve never seen before. I like when they use the sticks and they hit their friends’ stick.
Everybody was really hungry at this point. We had a reservation set for 1 pm at The Boatyard.
Cool bar in The Boatyard
It’s weird that the tide of the sea can recede over a mile. I’ve never seen that before. It makes the boats seems so sad and lonely. I didn’t actually get to see the sea at full tide. Ivan’s mum told me it can come in really fast.
Boats at Low Tide
The restaurant is very nice inside. At lunchtime, there’s a set menu for a 2 or 3 course meal.
I picked the roasted chicken and cream cheese tart with a chili sauce for a starter. It was really tasty. I got the Crunchy Confit of Duck Leg for my main course. The duck had a crispy skin and it was placed on some baked beans.
I thought it was rather weird combination. But, it actually quite good. The duck was excellent. I had a great meal with Ivan’s family. The view was fabulous from our table. We were thinking of getting dessert. Unfortunately, the service was a bit slow. We said we’d probably just grab some ice cream while walking around. We went back to the house not long after lunch.
Ivan, Neal and I went to The Parson Barn again for some beer. We were playing the card game Cheat. A band came on to play. We decided to go outside to drink and continue playing our game. There were so many mosquitoes flying around. The pesky bugs were trying to suck our blood. I got bit in the butt. I guess my jeans were riding a bit low that night. It certainly hurt. As I found out later.. I got bit twice. It was definitely fun playing Cheat. Neal is a fun and funny guy. He has a sense of humor similar to Ivan’s. We headed back to the house. We watched some of the performers from the Glastonbury Festival. We saw Jay-Z and Amy Winehouse perform. Ivan performed some hypnosis to show his mum. He hypnotized me. I thought Ivan was Jay-Z. I told him to do an improv rap like the did at Glastonbury. He tried but it wasn’t very good. I also thought that Ivan’s mum Denise was actually my dad. It’s easy for me to get hypnotized since it’s been done so many times by Ivan. I don’t know if Denise actually believed it or not.
I don’t know when I’ll get a chance to put up another blog post. It might not be until I get back to Las Vegas. We just have so much planned since we’re back in London. I will update next time with my last day in Southend. We then went to Scotland. We did a nice 2 Day Tour of Loch Ness and Inverness.
