Globetrotter Postcards

My Last Sydney Commute

2012-01-20T08:07:00.000+11:00

There is faint chatter, some not-so-muted music and of course that one person who is on the phone the entire trip. From the train window i see the sun slowly rising against a faint haze and a few scattered clouds. Its going to be a hot day. Perfect beach weather. The houses I've seen countless times slip by still unremarkable as ever.

My thoughts drift to my almost-last day at work. I will no longer be commuting to my job in the city. I'll be working from home - wherever that ends up being - in London.

Its time for a change. Those two years as a flight attendant have changed me. I am no longer content with 'the norm'. I have seen what can be done in 2 years, what can be done in 10 days, 32hrs, 12hrs, or even 4hrs. Besides, who decided what would be the norm anyway? Surely the norm should be what you make it? But i digress...

Ever since my first London layover, no, ever since Disney made Mary Poppins and i read the books, I've always felt London held a kind of magic. My first layover just cemented the fact that i love the city and it felt like home. And it will be my home for the next 2 years. It will also be my base for travelling around Europe ;)

I am excited and nervous. Actually, terrified might be a more honest description. I love Sydney, it has been my home for over 25years and i will miss it. Moving to London is the next adventure and i hope you will all keep reading and join me in exploring this new chapter.

Vanishing Point

Photo Tour - Cesky Krumlov

2011-12-04T19:16:00.000+11:00

As a final installment to the posts on my Czech Republic adventures, i thought i would share with you something quite beautiful - Cesky Krumlov.

Purely by accident, it turned out to be another town that had received a UNESCO World Heritage listing (if you read my post on Bath, UK you'll know what i mean). Cesky Krumlov is a very well preserved Medieval Town on the Vltava river and it is a gorgeous place. It is a few hours outside Prague but well worth a visit. By joining a tour i got to sit back, relax, enjoy the views of the country go by and meet a few people.

Below are some photos from the grounds of the Castle and around town. Unfortunately no photos were allowed inside the castle (you should have seen our guide go nuts at one tourist who tried to take photos - scary!) But the Castle is well preserved and they have gone to a lot of effort to keep it in a state as you would have seen it many moons ago. One of my favourite sites is the Masquerade Hall.

Anyway - without further ado, enjoy the photos!

A view of Cesky Krumlov, The Castle Tower and The Town

The interesting thing is that all those bricks you see are actually painted on.

Castle Tower and the 2nd Courtyard

A view of the castle, Vltava and town.

The other side of the river - the town and riverside pub

A view of the town and the Castle Tower

A very yummy sweet pastry...

Wait for it...

There it is! Mmmm...YUM!

A view of the Castle Tower from the Vltava

Cesky Krumolv Town Square

Maybe I'm not worldly enough but Ive never seen a cone this shape before...oh and the ice-cream was delicious too!

A cute pub overlooking the Vltava river

People canoeing on the Vltava

And that rounds out my Prague/Czech Republic trip. I hope you enjoyed my posts.

Till next time - keep travelling!

Photo Tour - Prague by Night

2011-11-29T21:23:00.000+11:00

Prague by Night!

For Prague by Day click here.

Prague is a very safe city. I was out at around 10pm at night taking the photos included in this photo tour and i didn't feel unsafe for a moment. I even to the metro home with no drama whatsoever!

I really enjoyed my walk around the city. For most of the night it was raining, but i think it gave my photos a little something extra. Plus, not many people go out when its raining so you have all the touristy spots to yourself :)

Charles Bridge/Karluv Most

Prague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral

Prague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral...and a lamp on Charles Bridge. You can actually see the rain captured in this one.

Old Town Square - Astronomical Clock on the left and the Church of Our Lady Before Tyn

Old Town Square - Church of St Nicholas

Old Town Square - Old Town Hall. I love the effect here with the people fuzzy in the foreground.

A view f Powder Gate


Municipal House

Short and sweet - I hope you enjoyed this photo tour and my small attempt at taking more artistic photos.

Photo Tour - Prague by Day

2011-11-27T17:28:00.000+11:00

Prague!

O an T are two of my best friends from my time as a flight attendant. Both are from the Czech Republic and I have always wanted to see this country that is their home. Finally i have - well a part of it anyway and in this photo tour you'll be able to ssee some of it with me.

I spent a few days in Prague to see the city and hopefully a bit of the country too. T was home for a little while before jetting off to explore piloting jobs which was very lucky as we managed to catch up for an afternoon. It was surreal but great. I also went on a couple of tours and did a lot of walking!

A killer on any type of shoe except sneakers, Prague is a beautiful city! Despite the rain i enjoyed my time there, learned a little about its history and sampled its yummy food -you must try the garlic soup!

Enjoy the Photo Tour!

Prague National Museum - sadly it was closed when i was there so i couldn't visit.

Looking down Wenceslas Square (aka Vaclavske namesti)

The National Museum and Wenceslas Square

Hotel Europa/Hotel Evropa - A famous Art Nouveau building on Wenceslas Square

Architecture on Wenceslas Square

Architecture on Wenceslas Square - and no I'm not talking about the H&M store!

These guys were performing some sort of folk dance. A saw a number of others through the days i was in Prague, it looked like some kind of cultural festival.

A beautiful Art Nouveau building, Municipal House (aka Obecni Dum) is now home to the Prague Symphony Orchestra.
It is here however where Czechoslovakia was declared an independent state in 1918.

Powder Gate

A marionette shop front

Such detail! This is a small marionette witch.
The marionettes are quite expensive but i would have loved to be able to buy one for a keepsake or a quirky decoration

Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) - on the left is the Old Town Hall and home to the famous astronomical clock and the white building to the right is the baroque Church of st Nicholas

Prague's famous Astronomical Clock

On one of my tours we were told a story about how on a weekend during a very busy summer holiday season in 2007 the clock broke down and stopped working. Disaster! People who had come to see the dancing statues were disappointed and missing out. There are only two people in Prague that can fix this clock and as it happened, both were away on holidays. The mayor had to call each one and ask them to come back to fix the clock. One refused, the other, thankfully, agreed, came back and fixed the clock. Naturally he was generously compensated.

Top part of Prague's Astronomical Clock

Looking down at the Old Town Square from the top of the Old Town Hall

From the top of the Old Town hall, Jan Hus Monument on the left and the Gothic Church of Our Lady Before Týn

From the top of the Old Town Hall - the baroque Church of St Nicholas and views further afield

The prominent St Vitus's Cathedral in the grounds of Prague Castle from Charles Bridge

Street vendors and pedestrians on Charles Bridge

Funnily enough, before i went, all i heard was to watch out for pickpockets and the crazy prices of the vendors on Charles Bridge. I cant say i didn't see any pickpockets - because, lets face it, they would be crappy ones if they could be spotted - but i can say that i did end up buying a lot of souvenirs and little gifts from the vendors here because they were far cheaper and more unique that some of the souvenir shops elsewhere.

Charles Bridge

Grounds of Prague Castle

Prague Castle guards

T striking a pose!

My attempt at striking a pose!

Walking through the maze of alleyways and roads around Prague Castle, we kept popping up in areas with great views.

A view from Charles Bridge

I promised T that this would make it into my Blog. As we were crossing Charles Bridge, we looked over the side to see these two ducks swimming and bobbing away. T looks at them and with a totally serious look on his face says "that duck is trying to drown itself but its not having much luck!" I could not stop laughing! It was something out of a cartoon!

T - aka the comedian - on Charles Bridge

Moi on Charles Bridge

A lookout near Prague Castle - spot the Prague guide in my back pocket!

Charles Bridge (aka Karluv Most) viewed from a lookout near Prague Castle

The Golden Lane - Prague Castle

By far the teeniest, cutest "house" in the Golden Lane - Prague Castle

Next up, Photo Tour - Prague by Night.

Little Venice, Regents Park, Camden Markets

2011-11-26T19:12:00.000+11:00

Often the best way to see London is to take a walk. And i did. I started in an area known as "Little Venice", walked along Regents Canal, detoured for lunch at the Boathouse Cafe in Regents Park and continued back along Regents Canal to end up at Camden Markets. Whew! But it was worth it!

So first up, here are some photos of houseboats along Regents Canal. Next time i visit I'd like to do a little cruise in one of the boats - you truly get a different view from the canals and it is hard to believe that you are in London!

Regents Canal - Little Venice

Regents Canal - Canal Boats

Regents Canal - This is one of a number of fancy houses i saw along the canal

Regents Canal - A little cafe forms part of the bridge

Regents Canal - More house boats!

Regents Canal

Regents Park is huge. Honestly, it deserves its own day rather than trying to fit it in with other places to visit. It is sort of segmented into different parts. There is the zoo, large open spaces for those who want to kick a ball around, quiet shady places for just lying in the sun or reading a book, open air theatre, walking paths, the lake which you can paddle out on in a hired paddle boat, alternatively you can hire out deck chairs and of course lots of gardens filled with flowers.

Regents Park

Regents Park - Paddle Boat Hire

Regents Park

Regents Park garden

Finally Camden Markets. This is another place that deserves its own trip. It is an eclectic mix of vintage, fashion, crafts, ethnic food and more. I love how the entrance to it from the canal looks like a drawbridge of an old fort. All the shops here offer something a little different, a little crazy and very unique. Some are very protective of their wares though and have signs asking that no photos be taken. You can get lost in the maze of winding alleyways lined with shops - but that's not such a bad thing...

Camden Markets - Canal entrance

Camden Markets - Canal entrance and food stalls

Camden Markets - for some reason this reminded me of Chaktuchuk Markets in Bangkok

Camden Markets

Camden Markets - Stable Arch

Camden Markets

Camden Markets - Cyberdog

Camden Markets

Camden Markets - A little Moroccan place complete with little stools and Argeela

I hope that you enjoyed this little walk through London with me. Next up will be Prague so check back soon!

Barcelona day 3 - Casa Batllo and La Sagrada Familia

2011-11-21T14:04:00.000+11:00

Hearing: Rihanna - Cheers (Drink to that)

I should warn you that this is a photo and Antoni Gaudi heavy post. If it isnt your sort of thing, come back soon for my remaining posts on London and Prague.

Casa Batllo and La Sagrada Familia were the final two stops of my Barcelona touring. How else would you cap off such a trip except by seeing what Antoni Gaudi is most famous for?

I did want to see another house designed by Gaudi, the La Pedrera. Its inside was described to me by i girl i met in line for the La Sagrada Familia as Alice in Wonderland on crack...however, the line outside was too long and i had to give it a miss.

The balconies are designed to look like waves crashing on rocks.

Casa Batllo is such an amazing house. From the entrance hall to the roof top my eyes were hungrily taking in every detail of the breath-taking house. It really is such amazing architechture and design - you would be hard pressed to find a straight surface anywhere. The use of light, curved shapes and coloured glass added to the sense of whimsy gleaned from the facade of the house.

Here are some photos from the outside. It is said that, like a great work of art, many people see different things in the facáde of the building...some see bone, others see masks...what do you see?

The below are photos from inside the house, these are the various main living spaces and other parts that caught my eye. The glass above the doorways appear one colour on one side and another if you see them from the other side.

A beautiful ceiling - inspired by the sea

The roof and upper or "attic" floor were different from the rest of the house. The attic was simple white and made use of a lot of natural light. Not a single artificial light was on in the photo taken of the hallway. The roof was a colourful mosaic in a similar style to the facáde of the house...look at those chimneys!

Casa Batlo rooftop - and a lot of people on audio guides!

Antoni Gaudi did not simply design large structures...outside Casa Batllo, the paving tiles and lamp posts were designed by him too.

I cannot overstate how awe-inspiring La Sagrada Familia is. The night before my visit, Dan's sister was saying to me during our tapas dinner that she was stunned when she walked in and that she must have used up 6 rolls of film (she prefers film photography). I thought she was exaggerating. When i walked in, i was gobsmacked. I cannot put it any other way. I stood there and the only thing that came out was "holy crap" over and over for about a minute. I realise that some religious people might be offended, and honestly, i know it was inappropriate, but it wasnt intentional, it was as if i had no control over what i was saying, i was that affected.

The structure is not complete. A lot has been done since Gaudis death but you can actually see the differences even though it is being built using his designs. I spent a long time there. I did take photos but they hardly capture its brilliance so i strongly recommend you check out their website, those photos do it more justice. At one point i simply stopped and sat somewhere to try and take it all in.

My favourite part is looking up at the ceiling. The columns inside the Cathedral are designed like tree trunks and the ceiling to look like the underside of a canopy of trees. Unlike most churches and cathedrals i've seen in Europe, this one does not have the large amounts of stain glass depicting scenes from scripture and is full of bright light. I could go on but it is something that you really must see and experiance for yourself. In the meantime, here are some modest photos taken by myself.

Photo Op!! :)

Before flying back to the UK, i did sqeeze in some shopping while in Barcelona. I picked up some presents for friends and family and a few beautiful pieces of jewellery for myself - nothing fancy but just beautiful and unique. I'll have to post about that another time though, this post has been long enough! If your still with me till now - well done!

Barcelona Day 2 - Park Guill and Mt Tibidabo

2011-10-09T15:55:00.006+11:00

Hearing: Traffic and my cat purring

Welcome to the photo tour of Day 2 in Barcelona.

Barcelona has a lot to offer a tourist, but my time was limited and also, having learnt from previous experiences, rushing from one sight to the next didn't really let me enjoy or take in where i was or what i was seeing. There were a couple of must-see items on my list but i was more than happy just to absorb the city itself. With this is mind i bought myself a 2 day ticket on the Barcelona hop-on, hop-off Bus Turistic. It turned out to be a good choice. First up were the places that were a little further out from the city centre. This meant Park Guell and Mt Tibidabo.

Park Guell is the work of Antoni Gaudi. Its is whimsical, yet earthy and functional. There is so much detail and beauty in this park that you could easily spend the whole day there. Even as i was "rushing" i still found that i was there for a few hours.

Outside Park Guell, nearing the Main Entrance

Park Guell Main Entrance

Park Guell Entrance Lodge

Park Guell - The Colonnade

Park Guell - The Colonnade ceiling

Park Guell - Looking down from the Colonnade to the Main Entrance Lodge

Park Guell - View of the Main Entrance Lodges and the Sinusoidal Bench above the Colonnade

Park Guell - The Sinusoidal Bench above the Colonnade

View of La Sagrada Familia from Park Guell

Park Guell - "Aqueducts"

After Park Guell was Mt Tibidabo. Reaching there involved a rickety tram and funicular ride. Hopping off at the tourist bus stop, the blue wooden tram was a very cute sight. Everyone packed in and the slow ride up the streets of suburban Barcelona began.

Mt Tibidabo has great views over Barcelona and its grounds are home to the Tibidabo Amusement Park and Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor (Expiatory Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus - a large church with a statue of Christ arms open evoking the statue in Rio de Janeiro). Some of the rides at the Amusement Park are not for the faint-hearted, they leave you hanging over the edge of the mountainside! If you do find yourself visiting this place, do not underestimate how cold it can get up there, despite it being summer, i found myself wishing I'd brought a light jacket.

Inside the tram to Mt Tibidabo

The Funicular station for Mt Tibidabo

The Mt Tibidabo Funicular - Hop on everyone!

Mt Tibidabo Amusement Park and the Expiatory Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Rides here are not for the faint-of-heart...

Views from Mt Tibidabo over Barcelona

Beautiful mosaic inside the Expiatory Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Between Park Guell and Mt Tibidabo, i completely lost track of time - the long daylight hours of Summer didn't help either. I hopped back on the tourist bus and enjoyed the drive back to Placa Catalunya.

Placa Catalunya

Wanting an authentic Tapas experience for dinner, my hosts and i went off in search of a decent place that wasn't too expensive or touristy. The first place we decided on, we ended up leaving after half an hour due to poor service. People who came after us got served and we were still waiting on our bread; as we were leaving, we saw them trying to smuggle in prawns for one of the dishes we ordered!

It turned out to be a good thing though because a few turns down random alleyways later in the Gothic Quarter and we stumbled across a great place. It had a huge bench down one side with all sorts of dishes and ingredients behind a glass that also ran the length of the bench and a small back room full of tables and chairs, football posters hung up on walls and a clamorous but friendly atmosphere. The prices were cheap, the service fast and the food was oh so, so good! Very fresh and full of flavour. It was a true authentic Spanish tapas place and we couldn't have been happier. It was a great way to end the day.

Vanishing Point

Day 1 in Barcelona

2011-09-24T19:56:00.001+10:00

Hearing: Loca - Shakira

To get myself in the mood for this blog I'm listening to Shakira. Her video clip for one of her more recent songs 'Loca' is filmed in Barcelona, especially on Barcelonetta Beach which i mentioned in my Barcelonetta Beach post back in July.

Day one in Barcelona was quite the introduction. I found my way from the airport to my friends place on Barcelonetta Beach and then lugged my bag up 3 floors via a teeny-tiny staircase, which made me wonder...how did anyone ever manage to get any furniture into their apartment?

It was great seeing Mele again and outside of Sydney, it added a flavour of the surreal. First stop of my introduction to Barcelona was Port Vell and the Christopher Columbus column where we would be meeting up with Dans parents, also, it happened to be the bottom of the famous La Ramblas.

La Ramblas is the famous shopping avenue in Barcelona, it runs from Placa de Catalunya all the way down to Port Vell which is 1.2km. It is lined with shops and the wide pedestrian avenue that runs down the is filled with all sorts of stalls, from flowers to souvenirs and your street performers. I must say though that the street performers here are amazing! Ive seen a number in the various cities and the ones here kick their butts! May favourite is the Alice in Wonderlands Mad Hatter - awesome costumes and expressions!

Off La Ramblas are many winding streets and alley ways. We wandered through them to the Mercat de Sant Josep (also known as La Boqueria) market which has everything you could ask for food wise, all fresh and extremely good quality, man was it packed though! We drifted through the streets of Barri Gotic (the Gothic Quarter), saw some old roman buildings, and more of Barcelona's architecture. By this time i was well and truly lost, and happy to be so. For lunch Dans parents chose a restaurant in a small square. We found a sunny spot outside and i had my first chance to try some Spanish food. I have to say that everything i ate in Barcelona was exceptionally good, it was fresh tasty and cheap! Even something as simple as a baguette cheese sandwich was brilliant.

La Boqueria Market

Barri Gotic

The walk home was just as interesting, Mele and Dan showed me a very whimsical bar which made me think it had come out of a twisted Peter Pan book before stopping by a great old building that had a beautiful glass ceiling; it was home to the local post office...

Weird bar - too much flash used but it was quite dark in there

A fairy sitting by a pool

Loved the floating lady in this room of the bar

Post Office ceiling

Back at Barcelonetta a while later (by which time i was on my 4th coffee for the day to keep me awake since i had only gotten 2 hrs sleep the night before), we took a walk to the local grocery to buy some supplies.We decided to do dinner at home and we bought lots of fresh yummy stuff that didn't cost the earth as it would have here, and took it home for our feast :)

Say what??? Store on our way to the local grocery.

My two lovely hosts, Mele and Dan

All in all, not a bad start to my first trip to Spain!

The Cotswolds (Burford, Bibury, Burton-on-the-Water)

2011-08-07T13:12:00.000+10:00

Hearing: drone of building aircon...

Im in the Sandpit on the last 2wk stretch of my holidays. While waiting for a friend of mine - O, to arrive for a day of what i am sure will be a good catch up (i havent seen her in 2 years!) i thought i would post about a trip i did when i was back in London to the Cotswolds and some of the villages there.

Our first stop was Burford. The main attraction here was the High Street lined with old houses, pubs, tea-shops and cute little stores. While walking along, i found that there were little laneways to access homes behind these shop fronts, they were always marked "private" and cordoned off but they were just so pretty that i had to sneak a photo.

Burford - The old building where 'tax' was paid at the end of market day

Burford - The Cross at the entrance to the village is an old reminder to merchants to trade fairly in the market under the eyes of god

Burford - an example of the cordoned off residences

Burford - one of the old homes along the High Street

There was a little arcade of shops that i wandered into mainly because the storefront to a lollyshop caught my eye. It was what you expect old fashioned lolly shops to look like...shelves upon shelves of glass jars filled with all sorts of sweets, chocolate, toffee, nougat and more...see for yourself in the pics below. I saw one jar that was filled with what looked like small yellow beads called Millions and just had to try them. I bought 100gms in the yellow, lemon flavour, and the same in raspberry (though that one didnt taste as good as the lemon) and the assistant put them in cute little paper bags.

Burford - Old fashioned lolly shop

Burford - Old fashioned lolly shop front

The cute wrapper for my "Millions"

My "Millions"

Burford - the courtyard at the end of the arcade

Another place that i stopped off in was Huffkins. Our guide told us that it was famous for its baked goods...i needed a coffee so i grabbed it from there along with a strawberry tart...very yummy :)

Next on the agenda was Bibury. This place...my word...so beautiful. We only had a short time here but i could have spent longer. Its a very small village but blessed with such natural beauty that while I'll let the photos do the talking on this one, bear in mind that they really dont do it any justice.

Bibury

Bibury - the swan asked for a hefty fee to be in the picture

Bibury

Bourton-on-the-Water was our last stop and the place we had the most time. There are a lot of attractions here such as the Dragonfly Maze, Birdland (not as lame as it sounds i am told), the Model Villiage and more. But forget all that. Its beauty is in the river that runs alongside the village High Street. And as luck would have it, that day the weather was perfect! It was sunny and warm and it was as though the whole villiage was out on the banks of the river socialising and soaking up the sun. Kids were playing in the water, chasing and trying to catch trout while parents took photos of them trying to capture the innocent pastime. The water itself was crystal clear and shallow, i was tempted to find a spot on the edge of the river and let me feet dangle over the edge into the water it looks so pleasant. Crossing the river were many little foot bridges and alonside were little pedestrian paths. It really was just so picturesque, i can understand why it has been regulary voted one of the prettiest villages in Britain.

Bourton-on-the-Water and the river Windrush

Bourton-on-the-Water

Bourton-on-the-Water - the little kid was determined to get that fish!

Bourton-on-the-Water - a local band came out to play for the people out enjoying the sun

Bourton-on-the-Water

The Cotswolds are not so far from London, if you are there on a holiday, make the effort to visit some of the villages or even join a tour if you dont want to drive around yourself. My tour for a full day only cost me 40pounds which i think is quite fair. Anyway, thats all for now, hope you enjoyed your virtual trip through the Cotswolds with me.

When in Bath...

2011-07-26T18:55:00.016+10:00

Hearing: Two people chatting - they don't seem to be able to grasp the concept of a "quiet carriage"

I'm on a train on my way back to London from Bath where i have just spent a day walking around and seeing the sights. Out of the window fields, hills and farmhouses rush by. Cow laze together while sheep graze away on some very green grass which contrasts with the honey-brown colour of the fields of wheat.

Arriving in Bath around 10am this morning my first stop was the Jane Austen Centre. Although i know that Jane did not enjoy living in Bath & that it affected her writing, she is still the main reason behind my trip.

After the Jane Austen Centre i spent some time exploring, taking photos and just being a typical tourist. I walked to the Circus (not one with clowns but a set of houses built around a circular road), and the famous Royal Crescent where one house is currently on the market for a cool 3.5million pounds...that's about 5.2million dollars. Lots of people were enjoying the sun in the park in front of it and painters and artists were out trying to capture that magic glow of the stone when lit by sunlight.

The Royal Crescent

I walked past all the known Jane Austin residences including 13 Queen Square, 25 Gay St, 4 Sydney Place, i even took a walk in the Sydney Gardens where she often walked. To get to Sydney Place and Gardens you need to cross to the other side of the river Avon. I went via Pulteney Bridge (very cute i might add) and on the way back ducked down a little side staircase to scope out a little maze called Beazer Maze. And it was not just for kids as several adults took up the challenge to find their way to the middle.

Sydney Gardens

Sydney Park

Beazer Maze

Pulteney Bridge

Pulteney Bridge from the river

Back in the centre of Bath i meandered through the many lane ways and cute stores, a warm cheese and veg pasty in hand, while waiting for the Mayor tour to start. The tour is run by volunteers and runs for about 2 hours. It was well worth it, i always enjoy hearing the little bits of history that i wouldn't normally come across on my own. The guide told us about how Bath was founded (originally by the Romans), how it was lost and then discovered again after it had been built over, how it grew into the social city in history most people hear about, where the original city walls were and all the architectural quirks that can be found...if you know where to look.

The tour ended back at the Bath Abbey Churchyard and left me with just enough time to check out/rush through the Roman Baths before heading back to the station to catch my train. Unfortunately the Roman Baths are no longer in use and are just an exhibit but there is a brand new fancy Spa facility just down the road.

The Roman Baths (left) and Pump Room (right)

Bath Abbey

Roman Bath

The Roman baths natural spring

The Roman baths cold plunge pool - now a wishing well for some

Me! And the Roman baths ground level

I do wish that i had a bit more time for a cream tea in the pretty Pump Room and a narrow boat ride along the Avon, but still, I'm happy i managed to get to the main points of interest and the weather was very nice and warm...all in all, a pretty good day! :)

Barcelonetta Beach, Barcelona, Spain

2011-07-20T21:53:00.039+10:00

Hearing: Jazz and Hip-hop/funk music

I just had to post from here...

To my right there are a bunch of young guys and girls doing some street dancing. To my left, couples are swing dancing away. It is 9.53pm on Barcelonetta Beach. It has only just gotten dark and i have been walking along the beach absorbing this electric atmosphere for at least the past hour and a half. I'll post up a couple of videos i took earlier.

Its amazing here, so much life and activity. People are just starting to have dinner in the surrounding restaurants and cafes. There are bicycle riders, skateboarders, roller bladers, joggers, strollers, dog-walkers going up and down the boardwalk. Two guys are busking - singing in English and another language along with their guitar and base around who a crowd has gathered to watch and listen. When i came out people were still in the water, some playing water volley ball, normal beach volley ball, paddle ball, still stretched out, chatting with friends, working out on the outdoor gym, playing football (futbol - ie soccer), i even saw a guy practicing some very fancy gymnastic style flips and a couple of people going over the sand with metal detectors.

In front of me is the boardwalk followed by a cafe/bar on the beach lit up with pink and red neon lights and behind that the beach and shoreline with small waves crashing away too add to the music. The streetlights make everything glow a soft orange in places and cast shadows across the beach, boardwalk and plazas in other places. Everywhere i look something is happening; people milling about, watching, chatting and soaking up the atmosphere.

I love it here. Ive been in Barcelona for 3 days now and I've enjoyed every minute. A good friend of mine, Mele, is staying here with her husband and they have been very kind in letting me crash on their sofa (Thanks guys!). Its been great - although i must say, surreal too - seeing them here. Ive been out sightseeing which i have to post about later. Ive been to a fair few places, mainly the Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Tibidabo, the Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter), La Ramblas, Port Velle, Casa Batllo and of course Barcelonetta Beach just to name a few. All these posts along with a couple from London are in the pipeline.

Tomorrow is my last day here. I have some shopping to do for souvenirs, take advantage of the sales and a last stint on the beach to absorb as much sun as i can - I've already gotten a slight tan in my short time here! The weather has been great, very mild, so its perfect for anything you want to do or wear!

Anyhoo, my coffee has gone cold and my foots asleep, time to walk it off and see what else is happening on this beach.

Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick Castle

2011-07-15T21:07:00.002+10:00

Hearing: People chatting in the street and faint traffic

Today i went on a tour that took me to a couple of places i was interested in seeing just outside London. It had a lot packed in to the one day and as such we didn't get a huge amount of time in the places we visited, but i still think it was well worth it.

The tour guide i must say was very good. He was knowledgeable and well spoken and had a dry sense of humour which reminded me of my friend A a lot. There are a couple of stories and jokes that i jotted down which i will retell here along with some of my photos from the day. There are 5 in total (though the guide told us more) but you'll need to scroll past the photos to see them all.

Story 1 - As we were driving out of London, the guide pointed out a small green square near Marble Arch, not really uncommon for London. This square however had a morbid history. Public hangings used to take place there (last of which was in 1783) much to the amusement and excitement of the Londoners of the time who would take a day off work specially so they could attend. The hangings became such a popular event that tired seating was introduced so that everyone could get a good view.

Oxford

Christ Church College

Christ Church College - Tom Quad

Christ Church College - the cloister fountain

Christ Church College - stairs to the Dining Hall (Look familiar? it was used for a scene in the 1st and 2nd Harry Potter movies)

Christ Church College - Dining Hall - used in the 1st and 2nd Harry Potter movies

Christ Church College - Dining Hall

Oxford - Radcliffe Camera (used as one of the many University of Oxford libraries)

Oxford - A copy of Venice's Bridge of Sighs

Oxford

Oxford - Sheldonian Theatre

Oxford - Bodleian Library

Story 2 (joke) - Driving past Buckingham Palace Gardens we were told how the gardens were only "open to the public" on certain days. During the year special garden parties are arranged for some 3000 guests who have done work for charity or made such contributions where guests mingle, and possibly have the chance to speak with or see the Queen. They usually finish around 5.30 at which point they all leave at once and clog up the roads "for important people...like us"

Stratford-Upon-Avon - Shakespeare's Birthplace

Stratford -Upon- Avon - Inside Shakespear's Birthplace - Dining room

Stratford -Upon- Avon - Shakespear's Birthplace from the inside looking out on to the courtyard

Stratford -Upon- Avon - Shakespear's Birthplace

Stratford -Upon- Avon

Stratford -Upon- Avon - Shakespear's Birthplace (Street view)

Story 3 (joke) - Also on the way some low income housing was brought to our attention. As the guide went through what was required by a person to qualify for lo income housing by the government he dryly added that one of those requirements is that you can afford a satellite...and indeed it did look like every house had a satellite sticking out on the side.

Warwick Castle - Main Entrance

Warwick Castle - So many grand rooms, so little time!

Warwick Castle -Madame Tussaud's works her magic on the Queen

Warwick Castle -More of Madame Tussaud's work

Warwick Castle - View from the mound

Story 4 - In describing the underground, the guide said that when it first began people would say that it was like going to hell. That was in the pre-electric days where the trains ran on steam. (I never thought about that aspect before but i can imagine how horrible it must have been!)

Story 5 - Continuing on from his underground story the guide spoke of how the Queen was please with the "new"train line to Windsor Castle as it allowed her to get there without being covered in dust. Other people however were afraid of the train. Doctors would advise pregnant women not to go on them. Religious people said it was unnatural for humans to travel at such high speeds - that it was an insult to the Lord.

Hope you enjoyed the stories and photos, till next time...

VP

London Deja Vu

2011-07-10T15:00:00.095+10:00

Hearing: Westminster Abbey and the Big Ben chimes, traffic going past on Broad Sanctuary/Victoria Street

London in the summer has this smell. Nothing unpleasant, its quite nice actually but i cant describe it properly. It smells like summer, fresh, floral, sweet, but something more...

National Gallery and St Martin-in-the-Fields

After landing into Heathrow yesterday and hopping on the tube it hit me like a forgotten memory. It was bright and sunny and a great welcome for the start of my holiday. the only "downers"were that there was trackwork on the the Piccadilly line so it was hop-off, bus it, and hop back on. And when i checked into my accommodation i found that it was a lower ground room that looked out on to a cement wall a metre away. The trackwork thing couldn't be helped, the room however has put a dint into my expectations. Unfortunately the place is full and i was advised to speak with the office on Monday to see if there is anything they can do. I'm not one to usuallymake a f uss but there is one thing i loathe to put up with, its a room with no natural light, anything else, small bed/room/ensuite/no ensuite etc i don't care. But i digress, the place overall is pretty good not to mention the fantastic location.

My view during lunch

2012 Olympics Countdown Clock

After dumping my stuff i headed out for a wander and in search of a grocery store. Lots of people were out and about. I found a Waitrose, picked up some stuff and headed back to my room. I would like to say that i toughed it out and stayed up to fight jet lag but i couldn't. Over 30 hours of travel was just too much and i was sound asleep by 8pm. It did bite me in the butt though. I woke up around 5.30am for a moment not realising where i was & was not able to go back to bed. I bummed around the room, ate strawberries id picked up yesterday, did my usual internet stuff (the place has free internet!) and then headed for breakfast.

Don't know if this is a new installment in Trafalgar Square but I've never noticed it before

Soon enough i was out and about, not walking, but bounding down the street on my way to Piccadilly Circus. I did intend to take Tottenhamcourt Road but ended up on Oxford St which was fine by me. All the stores had sales and i couldn't help popping into a few. I was good though and managed to walk away without spending anything. I think the trick is that i was hungry so food took a priority. I bought myself a sandwich from Pret-A-Manger and polished it off fairly quickly once i got to Trafalgar Square.

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament

Crowds near the London Eye

London is BUSY! There are tourist groups everywhere. Ive never seen so many. Maybe its because its the weekend or maybe its just because its summer. I'll find out soon enough. There was a countdown clock placed in Trafalgar Square counting down the 326 days, hours, minutes and seconds to the 2012 Olympics in front of which people were taking photos.

Two London icons, the London Eye and Big Ben

Did i mention i got asked for directions? i LOVE it when that happens. It makes me feel like i really belong in a place, that i don't stick out like a tourist.

So after finally snapping Nelson properly thanks to the fab zoom on my new camera i headed down to Westminster Abbey where i have been people watching this past hour and trying to make myself realise I'm not in a dream even though my eyes are insisting that i am. Its an eerie feeling i can tell you. I look about here and i get this sense of Deja Vu, and yes i know i have been here before but i don't have a better way of explaining it. I guess the jet lag and overcast weather doesn't help.

My view as i write this post

I should wander around a bit more. I'll post photos of my meanderings to close out this post. Enjoy!

A couple of guys i saw just chilling out in the Victoria Tower Gardens next to the Houses of Parliament

See all those people on the right? They are cuing up for the London Eye!! The cue doubled back on itself a couple of times too!

South Bank - something is always happening here

There is something in the air...

2011-07-09T20:51:00.035+10:00

Hearing: Hum of the A340-600 and various passenger murmurings

Well if you didn't guess it from the above line, you don't know me very well. Yep VP is travelling again. And where to this time?? Well you will find out soon enough. I did think that i should wait till i got to my destination but here i am, mid-air over somewhere in Turkey and i cant wait to break the news.

Yours truly is finally taking a holiday, a proper one after over 2 years being nothing but a workaholic i am finally spreading my wings again and i plan to make the most of with with 6 weeks away! It is good to be in the air and travelling again.

First stop London! Of course i have been there before but i missed it so much that i have decided to make this my base for 4 weeks before heading on to the sandpit to spend some time catching up with friends and seeing all the changes that have happened since i was living here.

The first leg of the flight found me in Business Class! It was completely unexpected, a treat from a person i know/knew...don't know what to make of it actually but i am not about to look a gifthorse in the mouth, then again, i would trade it (yes your read right) to find out...why?

I am travelling on my old airline for 3 legs of this trip and i have already noticed lots of differences. The immediate being the service, and the safety demo, the second is that i no longer jump every time the call bell rings or watch the FA's every move. I still watch of course out of curiosity but i don't know...its just different now, and I'm glad in a way, i feel a lot more relaxed.

I don't have a full itinerary while in London, mostly i just want to be able to do nothing and simply wander about. I have a friend there who i hope to catch up with if he has time but mostly i just want to be in London and experience it for longer than a couple of days. I do have ideas on where i want to go and what i want to see/do but nothing is set in concrete. One of my plans is to get out of London and see Bath and Oxford.

There are a couple of side trips too, one is already locked in to Barcelona, the other...not so much. I have 7 days towards the end of the month where nothing is booked. I have been thinking Prague but wouldn't mind doing a bit more, Berlin-Amsterdam-Brugge maybe...if anyone has suggestions please feel free to leave a comment.

Regular posts with photos can be expected now that there is something else to report on other than the dreary life of a Sydneysider, suburbanite, workaholic ;) so make sure you stay tuned!!

Back in the air...

Vanishing Point.

How to get notified of airline open days

2011-05-08T11:23:00.018+10:00

Hearing: Michael Buble - Haven't met you yet

If you read my last post on my almost Japan trip you will remember that i mentioned trying to rent a room in Tokyo through a website called Sakura-House. While browsing the site i came across several buildings i wouldn't mind renting a room in but not all the rooms were available and the room status could change from day to day as people already renting could move to another location without losing a months rent.

So what does all this have to do with helping you get notified about airline open days? Well, as it was becoming a time consuming task to check each buildings site to see if there had been changes (and even if there were any - did i notice?) i went in search of a little technical help.

ChangeDetection.com is one heck of a nifty site and it saved me a LOT of time and effort. It basically monitors a webpage you nominate and then emails you when there are changes and actually highlights whats changed! Brilliant! I used it to monitor the buildings and got notified when a room status had changed and i could easily tell which room it was.

You, however, can use this FREE service to keep tabs on your favourite airline. If the airline publishes updates of when and where it is holding open days you can get notified. If it publishes new jobs, you can get notified. If you need to login to see job opportunities - you cant get notified. But hey, its still a fantastic little tool. And you are sure to know as soon as something comes up so you can relax knowing that you wont miss an upcoming opportunity.

For example, say you wanted to keep an eye on the Emirates open day schedule all you would have to do is copy the URL of that page paste it into the changedetection.com website and provide your email address. Anything happens to that site and you'll get an email. Not too shabby huh?

Of course there are other tools and websites out there that can do the same thing for you, I'm just mentioning this one because i have used it (i have not been paid to review or recommend it). It might not be the best or it might, either way it does the job and i found it really useful. Try it for yourself.

Disclaimer: Please use at your own risk, if an opportunity is missed for any reason through using the changedetection.com site or similar VP & Globetrotter Postcards cannot be held accountable. It is recommended that you test out the features of such sites ensuring they give you correct results before relying on them.

My almost Japan trip

2011-05-01T21:09:00.006+10:00

Hearing: Dr. Dre, Skylar Grey & Eminem - I Need a Doctor

It is quite obvious to anyone who has been reading this blog for a while that i haven't really don't much by way of travelling. In fact "Globetrotter Postcards" should be renamed to "Stay at home Postcards". Since my trip to Thailand in 2009 i actually haven't been on any overseas trip. I hang my head in shame. For someone who for two years barely spent a week on the ground at one time this has been a drastic turn of events and a huge adjustment. However, i must say that my confinement has been of my own infliction. I made myself promise that i would not go anywhere after Thailand unless it was to Japan.

Shibuya Crossing (http://www.flickr.com/photos/poagao/2305789735/)

All my close friends know that Japan has been a dream of mine since i was in year 3 and my teacher introduced this strange and vastly different culture and language into the classroom. Since then i took Japanese in high school and a semester at Uni. Even flying with my old airline was meant to get me that bit closer. The airline was meant to fly there 6 months after i joined. It ended up flying there 6 months after i left instead.

Shinjuku (http://tumblr.inky.me/post/112921528)

So i saved and saved and saved! I planned to be there a month during cherry blossom season and then one day i would post live from the heart of Tokyo. Surprise! But nature had other plans it seems.

Cherry Blossoms in bloom (http://www.accessjapan.co.uk/newlookimages/CherryblossomsKanonjiRiverFukushima800.jpg)

Unless you have been living under a rock, you would have heard of the disaster that Japan went through almost 6 weeks ago and is still recovering from. I had my ticket booked - a bargain on sale with Jetstar - my first nights accommodation and had planned to sit down on the 16th to book the remainder of my accommodation (more on that a bit later). But disaster struck the day before and a huge earthquake hit off the coast of north-eastern Japan and was of such magnitude that it was felt all the way down to Tokyo. The city of Sendai was wiped out - literally - by the massive and crushing tsunami that hit in the wake of the earthquake. To top things off the 3 nuclear reactors were under threat. In the days that followed there were explosions, areas evacuated for fear of radiation and a rush to try and avoid a total nuclear meltdown.

I watched the news with horror and sadness over the loss of lives and the devastation. I agonised for a week over different options and all sorts of pro/con arguments regarding my trip but in the end i cancelled my trip. It wasn't an easy choice.

Japan to me has always been a very unique place. I'm not just talking about the ultra modern Tokyo. I'm talking about the festivals, the tradition, the people. My trip was to take me to Tokyo, Kyoto/Osaka, Hiroshima. I was planning to rent out a room in Tokyo through Sakura House, dump my stuff there and travel around the country lightly. It worked out cheaper than other types of accommodation and would give me a chance to meet expats who lived and worked in Tokyo. It is a bit tricky to book with them though as they only allow "advanced bookings" if you arrival coincides with a room being available no longer than 2 weeks, that can be a bit tricky. The best thing to do then is just wait till you have 2 weeks left before you arrive and book then.

I haven't given up my dream. It has just been postponed to next years Cherry Blossom season, who knows, maybe by then I'll have enough to keep me there longer than a month!

If you are interested in helping Japan recover, please donate to the Japan and Pacific Disaster Appeal. While Japan is a country that bounces back well from disasters, its people still need all the help they can get and any little bit extra can go a long way.

http://www.phototravels.net/japan/japan-sakura.html

Australian Airlines

2011-04-24T23:23:00.000+10:00

Hearing: Tinie Tempah Ft. Eric Turner - Written In The Stars

Australian Airlines!! Its long overdue but finally a post to introduce the airlines of my home country. Here is the unofficial list (for a complete list please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airlines_of_Australia) which looks at the main players in the Aussie skies.

For all you Aussie wannabe cabin crew - good luck!

For non-Australian citizens or residents, please note that the majority of Australian airlines do not hire internationally and then base you in an Australian city as some airlines of the Middle East do.

Qantas - The Spirit of Australia

Virgin Blue - V Australia - Pacific Blue

Jetstar

Tiger Airways

Careers

PPrune appears to be quite busy at the moment with Aussie airline threads. Check out some i have included below.

Oman Air

2011-02-27T15:44:00.000+11:00

Hearing: Broken Strings - James Morrison

http://www.omanairblog.com/omanair/2009/10/oman-air-goes-for-the-balenciaga-look.html

Oman Air - This airline doesnt offer much by way of cabin crew information - strike that - it doesnt offer any information at all! Flicking over to their website today i noticed that if a job is posted in the vacancy section it will provide some decent details but there were no jobs advertised for Cabin Crew. Everything else on their website is general info.

The PPrune thread i found is not great but its better than nothing. Also in an effort to give you guys some kind of information i contacted one Oman Air cabin crew with some questions in the hopes that i'll be able to share this information. If i get an answer i'll be sure to post an update so keep your fingers crossed!

Oman Air Global Website

Oman Air Career page

Oman Air Job Vacancy

VPs Skydive with Sydney Skydivers

2011-01-23T15:41:00.001+11:00

Hearing: Watercolor - Pendulum

We interrupt our regular Cabin Crew Wannabe postings for a post that was screaming at 14,000ft in the making...

For my birthday a couple of months ago i decided to do something drastic, something insane, something completely incredible...i decided to throw myself out of a perfectly good working plane...

...of course i was strapped to a guy at the time...and that guy had 2 parachutes strapped on his back but still its not every day that a normally sane person will willingly throw themselves out of a functioning aircraft.

But I'm getting ahead of myself here. Every year for my birthday i like to do something different to mark the year. Last year it was skydiving, the year before was a week with my friend O who flew in to Sydney, unfortunately the year before that was lame but 2005 i was in a plane flying home to Sydney from Damascus and 2004 i was in Scotland visiting the Rosslyn Chapel and so on.

2010 i wanted something different, i was tossing up between visiting Uluru, Skydiving or Abseiling. Uluru proved too expensive at the time and abseiling wasn't too crazy to put it on the map. That left skydiving and when chatting with my friend A, he was even more eager than me, egging me on to do it and encouraging me. He said that he'd trained for a solo dive once but the trainer ran off with the money before he could complete it and how he wished he could do it now...*evil grin*....

Me: "Well why don't you do it with me?"

A: "When are you thinking of doing it?"

Me: "On my birthday but i can do it around that time too"

*quick check to see when A was available and would be in Sydney and date decided on*

A: "OK sure" *huge smile from A*

Me: "Cool, I'll check with the company and book it then let you know the details"

*A's smile falters...*

So A was roped into going with me, poor guy - he said it was one of the scariest things he has ever done. The night before we were due to jump he sent me an SMS "You were supposed to change your mind by now!"

Off we went one sunny morning down to Picton where Sydney Skydivers is based. We filled in forms that basically said that we wanted photos/videos to show how terrified we were and wont sue them if we were injured or killed ourselves.

Outside as we waited to be called to our deaths we watch the sky become patched with the bright colours of parachutes and notice that everyone lands safely. I guess it is an everyday thing for sane people to throw themselves out of planes, then again, A would probably debate whether that makes them sane at all. There were a lot of guys and girls there and not all of them were there for the tandem jumps. Most were doing solo dives or practicing formations.

Goodness knows how many times we had to pee before the loudspeakers crackled our names. Half nervous and half excited, we trudged over to get into our gear, meet the instructors and receive those all important instructions.

A and I gearing up

A and i meet our instructors both of which are very professional and have over 20years experience each. For my instructor, this is his second job, his day job is training military personnel in skydiving - go figure. I assume that given the expensive nature of this kind of activity one would only build up experience if they were loaded with $$$ or it was their job. But i digress, once all formalities are done, we head out to wait for our plane. Given the large number of people skydiving that day the center is using a Sky-Van which opens at the rear rather than the smaller one with the side door. It lands, taxies up to us and we all pile in for the agonising trip up to 14,000ft. There are at least 20 people going up with us for solo jumps or formation practice, the ride up feels long and as i look around at the faces, i can see that while they are experienced divers, each still has nerves and their own method of dealing with it.

A and the SkyVan

At one point A who is sitting opposite me points at the window behind me and mouthed something i don't quite understand. I sit up and peek outside to see that we were level with the clouds...holy cr@p! We are high, oh so very high! He told me later that it wasn't the clouds he was talking about, he had noticed a Virgin Blue plane cruise past and it had hit him how high we were and how wrong it was to be jumping from this height...suffice it to say that it probably didn't help his nerves.

Reaching our altitude the traffic lights inside the door illuminate indicating ready, everyone stands up and prepares themselves. A and i get strapped to our guys. The next thing i know the doors are open and the plane lurches sickeningly with each person that jumps out. We shuffle forwards, A in front and I'm the last. Another person jumps, shuffle-shuffle, another person jumps, lurch, shuffle-shuffle, another, shuffle...i can see clouds and in the distance the ground appears to float by...A's turn...i don't even register his jump. "Feet up!" barks my instructor, somehow i comply, lean my head back and..........

Lining up for the jump

OMG...there goes A....what am i doing??!!!

AAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaRRRRRRRRggggggggggggggggggHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

watch myself jump out of the plane.You know you cant scream during freefall? I tried. I read somewhere that screaming actually helps instead of just clamming up but all the wind just goes into your mouth. You cant talk/be heard either unless you really yell in which case you can faintly be heard.

50 seconds of freefall felt an eternity, initially i felt like i was underwater, you know that feeling when your swimming or mucking around with friends in the water and some water accidentally goes up your nose? It was like that, but i figured out pretty quickly that it was because i had my head up and the wind was rushing up my nose! So i was like 'stuff looking up for the camera' (it was mounted on the wrist of my instructor) and bent my head down to breathe. Once that was sorted i managed to still have time to take in the experience, the feeling of not so much falling but being suspended in the air while the wind rushed past (boy was it cold!), the clouds below and the fields beyond that.

Finally reaching the altitude required, my instructor tugs open the parachute and we hit the breaks and start to float.

When i was i kid i used to dream about touching a cloud or holding it in my hand, i used to think they were solid - i blame the opening scene of Mary Poppins for that - and when i was a Flight Attendant, part of the thrill was being above clouds and seeing all the different shapes they make and occasionally seeing a lightning storm cast electric light through the puffs and swirls of pink clouds.

I finally got my dream - sort of - it wasn't something i expected or thought about when i booked this insanity but it just happened that while gliding down my instructor took us through a big cloud...everything went white and misty...i was a kid again and i stretched out my hands to try and grab hold of this cloud...

Oh look the ground...

Trying to fulfill a childhood dream and touch a cloud

Then...

Me: I cant see anything, how do you know where your going?

Instructor: I don't!

You'll be surprised to hear that i actually laughed at this! I didn't panic, and sure enough once we broke through the bottom we could see everything and he guided us towards the drop zone. Believe it or not, i found it very peaceful and serene. Being so high up, the world is quiet, the views stretch off into the distance and for a moment the world is yours. Not bad at all for a day job, or as my instructor put it..."it pays the bills".

Through the cloud and enjoying the view

I hear "Legs up" and the spell is broken, the end feels faster than the beginning in a weird twist of time and before i know it I've landed on my butt and my instructor is struggling with the parachute that insists on staying airborne. Untangled finally the whole exhilarating experience rushes upon me and I'm laughing and walking back thankfully in one piece - take that disclaimer!

Sweet, sweet solid earth...My instructor congratulates me on not killing the both of us.

Call me crazy but i would do the whole thing again without a moments hesitation. The adrenalin/terror/excitement is indescribable and each person has a different experience; even though A and i jumped the same day, the same time with the same company we both had a different experience but one thing is for sure, it was one we couldn't stop talking about later!

So if you ever get the chance to do something like this, i say, GO FOR IT!

Additonal Emirates Blogs and Cabin Crew Links

2011-01-10T22:03:00.001+11:00

Hearing:

Here are some additional Cabin Crew wannabe resources and forums i came across recently and some more Emirates Cabin Crew Blogs.

http://www.thirtythousandfeet.com/flightat.htm
http://wwww.cabincrew.com/ccnetwork/forum_topics.asp?FID=3
http://www.airlinecrew.net/

Emirates cabin crew blogs:

http://danielleindubai.blogspot.com/

http://getreadyfortakeofflis.blogspot.com/
http://twentysomethingflightattendant.blogspot.com/

VP

Royal Jordanian

2011-01-03T18:37:00.001+11:00

Hearing: Cars driving by, Merlin (my cat) purring next to me, leaves rustling in the wind.

Happy New Year Everyone!!

I hope everyone has had a safe and enjoyable holiday season. I wish you all a wonderful & exciting 2011. For all you cabin crew wannabes...i hope that 2011 is the year you land your dream job in the skies.

With that in mind...Welcome to the first post of 2011 - Royal Jordanian!

http://www.rj.com/en/tabid/130/Default.aspx

Based in Amman, Jordan and launched in 1963 as "Alia" it was later renamed Royal Jordanian, its network spans 53 detinations world-wide and it is a member of the OneWorld Airline Alliance. For aviation uniform lovers check out their uniform gallery.

Royal Jordanian Global Website

Royal Jordanian Career Website

Royal Jordanian Cabin Crew Info - Non-Jordanian (Female Only)

On to the basics...

Location: You will be based in Amman

Age: 18-30 years

Height:158cm

Salary:

- 1356 USD monthly base salary

- 850 USD per month flying allowance (though the website doesnt say if this is an average or how it is calculated)

Healthcare: Medical care + life insurance provided by company

Travel Discounts:Annual airline tickets for you and your family (though they do no specify the terms and conditions)

To apply, all you need to do is send your CV/Resume and a full body photo to Cabincrew@rj.com

Unfortunately that is all the information i could find on their official website.

Some other links that may be useful include:

PPrune Royal Jordanian thread
CabinCrew.com Royal Jordanian thread

It has been very difficult finding any cabin crew blogs, i dont know if the crew are just too busy flying to keep a blog or if Royal Jordanian has a problem with it or if my searching skills are just that bad....please let me know if you have come across any!

Gulf Air

2010-11-21T17:17:00.000+11:00

Hearing: I cant be tamed - Miley Cyrus (oh and my not so small kitten purring away...)

Gulf Air - "Guaranteed to make you smile"

image from http://www.link2portal.com/energy/company/64283/gulf_air

Gulf Air used to be a very large airline and very popular, it was almost as big as Emirates. With the launch and expansion of Etihad Airways however some of Gulf Airs destinations were taken away and as a result the airline has shrunk significantly. Gulf Air is based in Bahrain a small island East of Saudi and North-west of Qatar. At present it appears that they are only hiring Bahraini nationals though in the past they have hired crew world-wide.

Gulf Air Website

Gulf Air Career Website
Gulf Air Flight Attendant Information

Gulf Air on Facebook

The information on this website is more scattered than other airline career sites but if you head to the FAQ page you'll be able to find the details. Also don't forget that they have the "Sky Nanny" positions available which other airlines we have covered so far do not.

Location: You will be based in Bahrain

Age: 20-30years

Accommodation: Company provided shared accommodation with 1-2 people.

Salary: Tax free salary, allowances and end-of-service benefits depending on length of employment (Unspecified)

Annual Leave: One free annual leave ticket per year

Healthcare: Company provided including dental

Travel Discounts: Available to you and certain family members travelling on Gulf Air and partner airlines
Training period: 8 weeks

I have also found the below details taken from the Gulf Airs Bahrani Nationals - Flight Attendant vacancy page (so please be aware that these may only apply to Bahraini Nationals applying)

Height: Min 5 feet 3 inches (1.58m) tall

Leave: 36 days

Status: Single with no children

Qualifications: University/College

I have had some difficulty finding cabin crew blogs or many forum sites but here is a list of sites/articles that i could find:

PPrune
Gulf Air Crew & Ground Staff (ex & current) Facebook page

All-female Bahraini crew for Gulf Air (article)

Skytrax passenger reviews

If your a Gulf Air flight attendant and would like to share your blog, please contact me via email (see the about me page) or include your site by posting a comment.

VP

Cheeky Air New Zealand ads

2010-11-10T10:04:00.001+11:00

Hearing: (You make me) Smile - Uncle Kracker

Recently my manager at work brought to my attention some clever (albiet cheeky) Air New Zealand ads. Now this manager has travelled with several airlines and now refuses to travel with any airline other than Singapore and Emirates. But as a result of these ads he said, and i quote: "i am so going to fly with them next time just coz of those ads!"

The Air New Zealand adverts are 5 in total and promote the new seating and service for their new 777-300 aircrafts. Check them out for yourself at the Air New Zealand You Tube channel - my favs are Happy Hour and The Intimate Art of Touch (included below).

And no this post was not sponsored by Air New Zealand or anyone else...i really think they are clever and a bit naughty which is a refreshing change in advertising and from airlines who take themselves far too seriously.

Qatar Airways

2010-10-27T22:08:00.000+11:00

Hearing: Unbroken - Stan Walker

Next up is a post on Qatar Airways Cabin Crew. Qatar Airways is the national airline of Qatar, a small country located on a small penninsula west of the UAE.

Qatar Airways Global Website

Qatar Airways Career Website

Qatar Airways Cabin Crew Jobsite

Image from: http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/homepage.html

This airline has a reputation for being strict and even assigning cabin crew curfew! However, as always, hearesay should be taken with a pinch of salt. The Cabin Crew jobsite is quite comprehensive. The information below has been taken direct from their cabin crew information pages.

Location: You will be based in Doha, the capital

Age: Minimum 20 years

Height: You need to be able to reach 212cm

Contract: 3 year open ended contract

Accommodation: company provided, furnished shared with own bedroom

Salary: Tax Free - 1579 USD inclusive flying pay and location specific layover meal allowance + you get an unspecified welcome bonus + end of service benifits

Healthcare: Medical care + life insurance provided by company

Travel Discounts: with Qatar and its partner airlines
Education: At minimum you must have completed High School

At the time of writing this post there were a number of scheduled open days (no invitation letter required), it is best to check here for an updated schedule

For those of you interested in Private Flying, Qatar Airways have their own version called Executive Crew which you can apply for on their website if they have a job advertised. You do need 5 years experience though.

Qatar forum threads (bear in mind some information here might be outdated):

PPrune 1st thread
PPrune 2nd thread

Some Qatar Cabin Crew Blogs:

http://starvillanueva.multiply.com/journal

http://cabincrewwall.com/qatar/doha/ (only 4 posts about the open days intervies and first impressions of Qatar)

http://devilboy69.multiply.com/journal (last post was October 2009)

Unfortunately those are the only blogs from Qatar crew i could find. I did hear from a friend that they are very strict with people who blog about their airline so its highly possible there are more out there they are just not saying who they work for. If you do come across any please let me know! Better yet, if your a Qatar Airways FA and wish to help others achieve their dream to fly but want to stay anonymous flick me an email!

Aviointeriors Skyrider

2010-09-20T18:29:00.000+10:00

Hearing: I love the way you lie - Eminem Ft Rihanna

We interrupt the Airline Cabin Crew Career Information posts for some airline crazyness...

.....saddle seats with 23 inches of leg room...no im not joking.

To have a peek at this new development head on over to the Sydney Morning Herald gallery here.

These seats were designed by Aviointeriors, an Italian company that specialises in providing aircraft interior products.

http://www.aviointeriors.it/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=141:aviointeriors-launches-a-super-high-density-seat&Itemid=155

I can see Ryanair taking an interest in this new seating style...Ryanair has become infamous in the airline industry for its drastic measures to save money, at one point it was looking at charging for the use of onboard lavetories and selling tickets for standing room only. More recently they have caused a stir for claiming they were seeking approval to remove co-pilots from short-haul flights and instead train up cabin crew to assist (click here for guardian article). I know that even while people complain about cost cutting, they will still buy cheap airfares, air safety should always come first...no execeptions not even to save money.

I digress...after investing in the development of these seats, it will be interesting to see which airlines will be willing to fork out to have them installed on their aircraft! Low cost carriers? Airlines based in countries with large populations? Time will tell who the buyers will be and if passengers are willing to give them a go too.

Would you fly an airline with such seats? How long would you willing to be seated in them? Post a comment and let me know!

VP

Etihad Airways

2010-08-02T14:57:00.003+10:00

Hearing: Airplanes - B.O.B ft Haley Williams

Next up - Etihad Airways! Similar to Emirates, this post is on everything Etihad Cabin Crew i could pull together. Just like Mel from Tampax Towers did in the Emirates post, feel free to add anything by posting a comment or contacting me!

image from http://careers.etihadairways.com/ehire/English/FAQs.aspx

Etihad Airways - It is the national carrier of the UAE (United Arab Emirates) - not Emirates as most people beleive. It is based in Abu Dhabi one of the other Emirates in the UAE.

Etihad Global Website

Etihad Career Website

Etihad Cabin Crew Website

Their Cabin Crew jobsite has been updated since i first started writing this post. It still has lots of information cabin crew wannabes want to know. Make sure you check out the FAQ section for Cabin Crew as there is valuable stuff there and also do a job search for "cabin crew" for some additional information. Be sure to refer to information on the Etihad website before listening to what anyone else says/what you hear elsewhere. I have summarised some of the information here to act as a quick reference but make sure visit the website too!

Location: You will be based in Abu Dhabi

Age: Minimum 21 years

Height: 162cm. You need to be able to reach 214cm without shoes

Salary: unspecified - tax free

Experience Required: 2 years customer service (part time for 2 years is accepted)

Other: Ability to swim at least 25m unaided in open water, without a flotation devic

Assessment Day Schedule (taken from the cabin crew job advert on their crew website - please note that you do need an invite to attend):

August 2010

Abu Dhabi, UAE
Milan, Italy- Cabin Crew Open Day on 5th August at Radisson Blu Milan, 0830 am- 1030 am*

Athens, Greece- Cabin Crew Open Day on 3rd August at Crowne Plaza Hotel Athens City, 0830 am- 1030 am*

Barcelona, Spain

Dusseldorf, Germany

Dublin, Republic of Ireland

London, United Kingdom

September 2010

Abu Dhabi, UAE
Copenhagen, Denmark

Oslo, Norway

Warsaw, Poland

Helsinki, Finland

Paris, France

Brussels, Belgium

Budapest, Hungary

Bratislava, Slovakia

* Please bring a copy of your updated CV, one passport sized photograph and copy of your passport details page.

Etihad forum threads (bear in mind some information here might be outdated):

PPrune

Cabin Crew

Some Etihad Cabin Crew Blogs:

Nikita - Once Upon A Dream

Around the Globe

If anyone comes across any other website that may be useful please let me know. In the meantime good luck to all those interested in applying for Etihad, i wish you well and email me if you want to share your experience!

Emirates

2010-04-11T13:25:00.000+10:00

Hearing: Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition

As promised here is a post on everything Emirates Cabin Crew i could pull together. Feel free to add anything by posting a comment or contacting me!

image from http://www.emiratesgroupcareers.com/english/Careers_Overview/cabin_crew/default.aspx

Emirates Airlines - for those who dont know - is the most popular airline in the Middle-East and the one that most people want to join. Emirates is an airline based in Dubai, UAE (United Arab Emirates).

Emirates Global Website

Emirates Career Website

Emirates Cabin Crew Jobsite

The Cabin Crew jobsite has a lot of information most applicants want to know, eg, minimum age, height 'restrictions', pay etc. I recommend you rely on that information first before any other source. I have summarised some of the information here to act as a quick reference but do have a look at the information provided on the website, even the FAQ page has additional info!

Location: You will be based in Dubai

Age: Minimum 21 years

Height: You need to be able to reach 212cm (standing with ur arms stretched above ur head)

Contract: 3 years non-binding with 6 months probationary period. It can be renewed for another 3 years

Accommodation: Company provided (which means free with no electricity/water/phone bills!!)

Salary: (in 3 parts)

- 3915 dirhams (approx 1065 USD) tax free per month

- 53.50 dirhams per hour paid between chocks off and chocks on

- meal allowance in the currency of the country of layover

Annual Leave: 30 days + one free annual leave ticket per year

Healthcare: Medical care + life insurance provided by company

Travel Discounts: Some available on joining, others after probationary period.

Emirates run a number of Global Open Days throughout the year in various locations, for details check out this page. There are currently several scheduled for April and May 2010. Global Open Days are usually very busy. Bring your resume and photos and most importantly you need a lot of patience. The day serves mainly as an introduction to the company and there is time later to submit your resume and say a quick hello to the recruiters.

Global Assessment Days on the other hand are by appointment only and you need to submit your resume beforehand. For that schedule click here.

Emirates forum threads (bear in mind some information here might be outdated):

PPrune

Vogue

Some Emirates Cabin Crew Blogs:

Airboy

Melisa - The Emirates Chapter

Lisa's Cabin Crew Blog

Tampax Towers
Life as i know it
Going for it
TobyTime
Pink Poodle
Dstar Duubai
Carine in the Sandpit
The Flying Kiwi
Aerobatics Ash
Shaun Wykes
Flying High
Flying at 35,00 feet
Danielles cabin crew blog

Maicon Soares An Emirates wannabe blog!

A lot of these blogs talk about the travel side of the job but there are some nuggets of information for the hungry wannabe (like i used to be) which gives a personal insight in to what it is really like to live in Dubai and work for Emirates.

If anyone comes across any other website that may be useful please let me know. In the meantime good luck to all those interested in applying for Emirates, i wish you well and email me if you want to share your experience!

VP

Flight Attendant Wannabes

2010-04-05T15:20:00.002+10:00

Hearing: Muse - Undisclosed Desires

I have been recently inspired to try and post some useful information for all those looking to get their wings. Being a flight attendant for me was a dream come true, to get paid to travel around the world, sleep in gorgeous hotels, have the uniform that makes people look and wish they were you or wonder about the exciting life you lead. I have mentioned in previous posts that the reality is not really like that but it never stopped me for going for my dream job, and after leaving i have no regrets. I strongly recommend for anyone interested in getting a flight attendant job to go for it! No matter what anyone says, everyone will agree that it is worth the experience and the lifelong friends you make.

So in that spirit here are a few sites to get the flight attendant job seeker - aka flight attendant wannabe - a start in their research.

One of my favourites is PPrune. It was where i met Tray and got in touch with someone who helped me get to the open day of the airline i ended up working for. It is a web forum filled with people helping each other out with info on airlines and some interview advice. Do use your common sense though as some things need to be taken with a grain of salt. The best page is the aptly named Cabin Crew Wannabes.

While the PPrune forum is good for personal info and networking you should always check what the airline has to say on their job pages. As i worked for a Middle-East airline I've got some links below direct to the Cabin Crew pages for a bunch of Middle-East airlines which are very good at hiring expats - ie, you don't have to be a citizen of that country to be hired.

Emirates Cabin Crew
Qatar Airways Cabin Crew
Etihad Airways - Main Careers Page (cabin crew recruitment schedule)
Gulf Air - Flight attendants (scroll to the bottom for links to interview dates/recruitment process/career development pages)
Royal Jordanian - Flight Attendant Careers page
Oman Air - Cabin Crew Recruitment (This was a tricky one to find. Sorry guys, only female expats accepted)
Air Arabia - Careers page (note: Air Arabia is a low cost "no frills" carrier)
Bahrain Air Cabin Crew Careers (Relatively new airline - started in 2007. Appears to be a low cost "no frills" carrier)
Middle East Airlines - They only recruit nationals (Lebanese Citizens) but I've included them here just in case anyone was wondering about them.
Kuwait Airways - The site has a link to the Careers page but it doesn't work. They do have a contact form where you can select Job opportunities from the drop down list.
Saudi Airlines - They have a career page where you need to login, but i couldn't find where to sign up! There are contacts for Human Resources though that might be handy if you are interested.

Airlines without careers pages but might be worth a look at the contact us page if your really interested:
Egypt Air
Iran Air
Palestinian Airlines
El AL (Israel Airline)
Arkia (Israel)

If any links are broken please let me know.

I will do my best at adding any more i come across and if there are any missing you would like me to add then just shoot me an email. I'll even try to post airline specific posts with as much information as i can find to help provide all future flight attendants with a good resource for their research. If you already are a flight attendant with any of the above airlines and want to share your knowledge and experience to help others achieve their dream please contact me.

I'll also try to be comprehensive and add other airlines from different continents but given the number of airlines it might take a while!!!

From one ex-FA to all FA wannabes,
VP

Bye Bangkok

2010-03-14T19:41:00.000+11:00

Hearing: Fire Flies - Owl City (i love this song!)

My last 2 days, well 2 and a half days in Bangkok were spent, shopping, relaxing, pampering and not doing any sight-seeing. I had so much fun. I booked myself into a hotel right near the shopping strip so i wouldnt have to go far to get home laden with shopping if i got carried away...but more about that later.

After checking in, first this was first, a traditional Thai massage. Now beleive it or not, in all my coming and going to BKK while flying, i never once stopped to get a massage, never having had one before i didnt know what i was missing out on. Anyway, i booked myself in and spent the hour trying not to laugh. Let me explain why. Firstly it was a nice place, they brought me in gave me pj's to change into and then a Thai girl came in...
She started with my feet...all i knew was that one minute she was smiling at me the next she was beating my feet into a pulp!! heehee...and she managed to find every possible ticklish spot i had! I swear i did all i could not to crack up laughing but i think she knew and she was super nice about it. She was even good enough to laugh with me when my stomach growled that it was hungry round about the time she was massaging my arms. She must have thought i was one weird girl. But i tell you what, she gave one heck of a massage for someone so tiny and my body felt really relaxed afterwards.

The next day i decided i would do some gift shopping and maybe get a manicure and pedicure. Leaving the hotel i decided to just wander around and not head anywhere in particular. It was the smartest thing i did!! I ended up down alleyways filled with shops that appeared to be small start ups of young fashion students/entreprenures and held far more interesting clothes than the mainstream shopping centres/malls.
At one point i found myself near some interesting restaurants...if you look closely at the one on the right, at the top is a small shark. And the photo on the left...take a look at the menu to get an idea of the scale of those shark fins! I would not like to encounter one of those alive!

Back into the alleyways I came across one store that really was challenging. It was an accessories shop. Unique accessories. Earrings!!! I was in there like a shot. In the matter of seconds i had already picked out 7 different pairs i would be more than happy to buy. How i exercised restraint i dont know. I only walked out with one pair.

Really cute!! I was in there looking at everything and started chatting to the 2 ladies in the store. One spoke surprisingly good English, turns out that she had lots of family in Sydney and had even been here a couple of times. She wasnt the designer though. It turns out that a bunch of friends travel around to gain inspiration and when they hit on something really funky they design a couple of pieces and she sells them in her little shop. In fact the shop had only been open for a month or so! I did ask if they had an online store as i was very interested in the designs and would definetly buy some more later. That really surprised her because she asked me if i really would do that and when i said absolutley and explained i really loved earrings but it was hard to find unique designs she was really flattered. Anyway, i did give her my email address should they build a website bought my pair and continued my trek through the labrynth of alleys and shops.

Im sorry to say that the rest of that day - shopping wise - wasnt very fruitful, i guess after the fantastic find with the earrings everything else just wasnt good enough. I did buy some jeans though. Anyway once i saw it was useless to keep shopping i opted for a movie and while waiting for my session time I pampered myself with a manicure/pedicure.

Going to the cinemas was a surprising experience. They have the usual hollywood blockbusters and Thai productions but the difference was in the showing. Like you would expect, they ran advertising and movie preveiws but just before showing the feature they ran a montage of the Royal Family complete with national anthem. Everyone in the audience stood up. Everyone. The teen rebels, parents, expats, tourists (including me) - everyone stood up. I thought it was a nice touch, cant see it happening in Australia though lol! And i enjoyed how everyone - a melting pot of cultures - reacted the same to different scenes.

Day 2 was a lot more successful shopping wise, my bag was packed with Thai silk scarves, colourful handbags, clothes, and much more. In fact i had to make a trip back to the hotel to leave my stuff in the baggage hold because i couldnt carry it all any more!! The bell boys had a good laugh at me, but that was alright, im sure they get that a lot.

Well, that was that, i had my last Tom Yum soup hopped in a cab and headed to the airport to catch my flight home.

Hope you enjoyed the posts about my trip. Sorry again they took ages to complete and thanks for bearing with me :)

VP

Kata Beach and Phang Nga Bay, Phuket

2010-03-06T18:35:00.000+11:00

Hearing: Starstrukk - 3OH!3 ft. Katy Perry

((I have finally gotten around to putting together another post about my Thailand trip. It is extremely overdue but at least its done now. Sorry for taking so long!))

The penultimate leg of my trip was Phuket. Flying in to the island provides for some breathtaking views from among the clouds. A 600bhat taxi and almost 2hrs later (due to traffic) i arrived at the lovely Kata Beach in a newly opened hotel which had the most pools I've come across, I think at one point i counted 9! The hotel and the views were an absolute bargain for the price.

Oh my gosh, such a comfy bed!!

Phuket is a touristy island anywhere you go, some like Patong Beach, moreso than others. Kata is very pretty, not overcrowded and only a short drive to Patong. I spent a lot of time on that beach just people watching, soaking up the sun and enjoying some beautiful sunsets. I confess i didn't swim though, i just played around in the shallow waters. It was monsoon season, there were flags along the beach and signs warning of strong undercurrents and I'm not a strong swimmer and didn't have much confidence in the almost non-existent life guards.

Remember in 2007 the One-Two-Go plane that crashed at Phuket airport after sliding off the runway? You can still see part of the plane covered in tarps in the photo. There is also a nearby shrine set up for those wishing to pay their respects or remember those who lost their lives in the accident.

Some views on the way to and from the accident site

On one of the days i joined a tour to Phang Nga Bay, James Bond island and lunch at the floating village. The weather wasn't great but i had so much fun!! I met a lovely girl travelling with her family also from Sydney, we partnered up for the canoe trip. It was on of the many highlights of the tour. It was high tide but the guide expertly maneuvered us under teeny-tiny openings in the rock faces to tranquil lagoons on the other side teeming with fish with feet! And they jumped on the surface of the water if you splashed them before they dove in! The scenery was beautiful, you can see for yourself. I can imagine if the day was sunny how its beauty would be magnified ten-fold.

yes its as tiny as it looks and yes we did get through it without a scrape ;)

you might need to click on this picture to see the tiny fish and its feet...

This little guy came right up to the edge of our canoe, he was tiny, bout the size of the palm of your hand but apparently they grow quite large.
Our canoe guide told us that this was the local "7 Eleven"! heehee

The well known images of James Bond island.

The final day of my time in Phuket was spent on the beach again :) I also got a couple of henna tattoos, ate lots of yummy seafood and said goodbye to my lush bed, the beautiful views and went to bed with the sound of some critter honking away through the night. The next day i hopped in to my shared airport transfer (at 200bhat it was much cheaper than a taxi) and headed back to Bangkok.

VP

Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand

2009-11-18T21:57:00.000+11:00

Hearing: Death Cab For Cutie - Meet Me On the Equinox

"If you have been to Chiang Mai but haven't been to Doi Suthep then you haven't been to Chiang Mai..." At least that's what my tour guide said. And I'm not inclined to disagree...see what you think.

Doi Suthep - Located on a peak overlooking the city, Doi Suthep is beautiful. Avoid the crowds and go at sunset or just after. The monks chanting echos through the small temple grounds and the view at night is very calming. The steps to the top require some energy...but its well worth it.

Day Tour - Doi Inthanon National Park

First stop: Wachiratharn Waterfall

Next, the White Karen Hilltribe:

There are several Karen tribes in Chiang Mai, the White Karen hill tribe is so called because all the young unmarried girls wear white. Only after they are married do they wear colour. They have a small 'church' and school and their houses are made from pretty basic material - the 5th photo shows the 'rich family home' because its made with actual wood compared to those made from bamboo and big leafs. The top (if memory serves me correctly is usually for the kitchen and sleeping, the space under the house is to keep the animals and serves as a sitting area during the day. They have their own rice field that is watered by water from a nearby waterfall. The 2nd photo is a bin believe it or not. I saw a lot of these around Chiang Mai. They are made from recycled tyres.

Unlike other tours to local tribes i heard about this is pretty authentic. There are no kids running up to you begging for money, no stalls trying to sell things to any visitors, just the village. It does make some money but in a less in-your-face way. They hand make and sell scarves, local dress and bed sheets/spreads. There is a little hut where they work and keep their wares for sale, but you wouldn't know its there if you don't walk in to look around. I bought a scarf (and till now i wish id bought more than one) which had a purple and black pattern and was really soft. It takes them 3 days to make (see the lady in the first photo) and they sell it for 200bhat - that's less than 8 dollars!!

I really enjoyed this part of the tour.

Third stop: Royal Garden Sirbhumi

The story here goes that this whole area used to be opium fields and the King decided to get rid of them but his people wouldn't have a way to support themselves as they only knew how to grow and harvest opium. So he set them up to farm vegetables and flowers (not opium poppy) and even said he would buy some of their harvest each year. Now travelling through the area you can see fields and fields of vegi farms - during the monsoon season they are covered in plastic to prevent excess watering (see 6th photo). This garden was built around that time and its beautiful.

Lunch break:

The King and Queen Twin Chedis

The Kings Chedi was built before the Queens (but the queens is by far more decorative and pretty). The grounds are landscaped and if you plan to visit, be prepared to get wet and bring a jacket. I was there not 3 minutes before a mist (or it could have been a cloud even given how high up we were) blanketed the area and you could only see white.

Last stop, the highest point in Thailand

To the right of where I'm standing in the photo there is a track which funnily enough leads to higher ground where you can find the Chedi in the second photo - the small square stone in front of it marked the 'old' highest point.

There are a lot of natural flora and fauna and the little guy in the third photo was just as inquisitive about me and the rest of the tour group as we was about him! He and a few other birds came to see us on our coffee break at the end of the tour and they came quite close!

VP

Ayutthaya

2009-11-14T14:24:00.001+11:00

Hearing: Evacuate the Dance Floor - Cascada

Ayutthaya is located about an hour - two hours (depending on your means of transport) outside of Bangkok. Like some other cities in Thailand, at one stage this was the capital. In 1767 this city was bombed by the Burmese. A lot of it is ruins as can be expected but theres still a lot there to see.

Trains to Ayutthaya leave from Hua Lampong station. The customer service ladies at the entrance are very helpful, they spoke English, pointed out the next train on a timetable and gave directions to the "foreigners" ticket booth. There are fancy, first class, and express trains but if you have the time, opt for the much much cheaper train fare that gets you an old train (that means no air conditioning people!) and a more authentic ride to your destination. Be prepared to be among various locals and have food peddlers selling drinks, snacks and proper meals pre-packaged in plastic containers go up and down the aisle every 10-15 minutes. The way back cost 20bhat...all in all, not a bad way of spending a single aussie dollar :)

On the way to Ayutthaya

Ayutthaya is big. Do not underestimate it. There are no taxis on the island only tuk-tuks but you can hire a scooter if your game. I recommend picking a few places your really interested in if your only there for a day as you wont be able to cover everything. However if you are spending the night, take your time and see a few more place. Scooter hire and accommodation can be found directly across the road from the station. I opted for a tuk-tuk driver who was hired out for the mad run around Ayutthaya.

At Wat Yai Chai Mongkol

Wat Phra Si Sanphet

Wat Mahathat - One of the main reasons i wanted to visit Ayutthaya was this...

Its a sacred site and there is always a guard on duty ensuring all tourists who want to take a photo with the buddah's head crouch down so their head is not higher.

Chedi at Wat Phu Khao Thong

VP

Bangkok

2009-10-03T15:49:00.000+10:00

Hearing: Agnes - Release Me

Chaktuchak Weekend Markets
These markets are massive and are only open on the weekend. They sell almost everything you can think of, furniture, clothes, household goods, jewelery, pets, ornamentals and much more! You can spend hours just wandering around looking and things - and you can quite easily get lost too. One way to get to the markets is to walk through a park near the train station. Some school kids were doing an assignment and a boy approached me with a survey about Thai food all in English to practice. They were really sweet and as i love Thai food i was more than happy to answer their questions. I even got a photo taken with them but i cant seem to find it.

Anyway getting back on track. The photos below are from the markets and some of the funky stuff on sale. One photo is of the infamous Bangkok traffic - see the blue taxi...and the clothes photo - no its not for dolls, its dog clothes, there were a bunch of shops specialising in all sorts of dog outfits!

The last photo is Tom Yum Soup. It is devine! Usually made with prawns or seafood this is such an addictive dish. There is a small restaurant near Pantip Plaza (a technology mall) which sells this soup for 35-40 bhat (about one dollar) and its one of the best ive had. Even the dish they serve it in is cool. By the way, since coming back to Sydney, ive tried a Tom Yum here (13 dollars) and they had noodles in it!! So very wrong...lol!

Wat Arun - The Temple of Dawn

Wat Arun is a beautiful temple. The best time to go is either at dawn as the name suggests or dusk. Of course you can go during the day when you can walk around inside but going at night is something a little different and you get the place to yourself. To get there, try taking the local water taxis, one guy tried to charge 400-600bhat for a private trip there and back but with the local ferry/taxi its 3bhat (or was it 6bhat?) per sector. Now thats a big difference! So be adventurous and try them, you get a cool ride on the river with the rest of the locals on a traditional motorised long boat and a view of the temple from a very different angle.

Cabbages and Condoms Restaurant

Its not as sleazy as it sounds!! I tried to find a link to the restaurant in Bangkok but google advised that its an unsafe site so your just going to have to trust me on this (you can find its sister restaurant site in the Birds and Bees Resort, Pattaya here).

Initially my flatmate mentioned it to me (when we were both FA's) so i had to go check it out for myself.

Street food for dinner

Next stop - Ayutthaya

VP

Thailand trip updates

2009-09-22T15:31:00.000+10:00

Hearing: I gotta feeling - Black Eyed Peas

Its high time i posted about my trip to Thailand dont you think?

I think i'll break my posts up according to the main places i visited though otherwise it will be a marathon post! Be warned, they will be photo intense!! So starting with Bangkok - Ayutthaya - Chiang Mai - Doi Inthanon - Phuket - Phang Nanga Bay. Hmm and i think i'll make a seperate post about the local carriers too. I think our carriers in Australia can learn a thing or two.

Overall it was a brilliant trip. The moment i set foot in Bangkok i felt like id arrived home...Hmmm i'm sure ive said that somewhere before and im sorry if im repeating myself. Can i just say Thai Airways are just lovely to fly with! I have this habit now of always watching what the flight attendants do in regards to safety demos and service and comparing with my old airline or other airlines ive flown with. Needless to say that from a service point of view they were very sweet and wonderful.

Hmm looks like this post is already turning into a post about carriers...well why not? I flew with Thai Airways from Sydney to Bangkok return. Learn to love online check in people!! I picked myself a window seat before leaving home, and skipped the long que when i arrived at the airport, the look on peoples faces...they must have thought i was que-jumping! Anyway i digress...From Bangkok to Chiang Mai i flew Air Asia. Chiang Mai to Phuket was the "we fly smiles" Nok Air and Phuket to Bangkok was One-Two-Go (operated by Orient Thai). All were wonderful as low cost carriers go. And beleive it or not, you dont have to pay for everything, they offered free drinks (non-alcholoic of course) and peanuts/savoury snacks. Well done i say! It just that little bit extra that is really appreciated. You wont get that on Virgin Blue or Jetstar here! And they were so, so cheap!

Being an ex-flight attendant im also in the habit of reading the safety card each time i get on a new aircraft. I came across one on Nok Air that was really brilliant and different. They used cartoon anime to illustrate the safety card. It really got my attention and gave me a laugh too - the drawings were too cute! See for yourself!

A handy thing to know about these carriers if you are going to use them are the airports they fly in/out of. Air Asia operates to Bangkoks Suvarnabhumi Airport but Nok Air and One-Two-Go operate out of Bangkoks Don Muang Airport. I think Don Muang is a bit closer to the city than Suvarnabhumi and it was the main airport for all international and local carriers till Suvarnabhumi was finished. Im not sure but i beleive it was a military airport before its commercial use and now most of it has closed down now save for those two low cost carriers operating out of it.

On to uniforms!

Nok Air - Canary Yellow! But somehow i like it. Googling "Nok Air Uniforms" i found a cool blog all about flight attendants that i'll be adding to my links. Click here for the post with a photo of Nok Air flight attendants in their uniform. I also found this photo which just looks fantastic.

Air Asia - Red with a white shirt, very attention getting and it looks great. You can see it on the splash page of the airlines website.

One-Two-Go - Navy suit and white shirt with coloured stripes around the neck, pics here and here.

I have to say (if you havent figured it out already) im partal to Nok Air. Its a refreshing fun airline, the colors are bright, the staff friendly, service good, cheap fares, even the planes they fly are colourfully painted with the nose painted with a beak to make it look like a bird! Look at this one.

Ok so on to the next posts. I'll try and make a post a week at the least so stay tuned!

VP

Hello from Kata Beach, Phuket

2009-07-20T17:04:00.002+10:00

Hearing: Waves crashing on the beach

Yours truely is currently walking along the beach and splasing around in the shallow waters. Ive been taking some photos and just generally enjoying the view, sun, sand and the sound of the waves.

Its monsoon season and red flags are dotted right along the beach which means strong undercurrents and no swimming allowed. But everyone is ignoring that and taking a dip anyway. I actually find that a bit worring because if something should happen there are only a couple of life guards around and they are mainly towards one end of the beach.

Anyway, im not a strong swimmer so i´ll be sticking to tanning, taking photos, people watching and playing in the shallow waters to cool off. I feel very lucky because im sure it must be freezing back home and here i am on a beautiful beach with a cloudless sky and perfect water...

VP

Chang Mai, Thailand

2009-07-16T00:40:00.004+10:00

Hearing: Thai tv series, hum of crickets, fan whirring

Im in Chang Mai, at a lovely little boutique hotel. Its brand new and has only been operating a year. At the moment im using their free internet in the lobby to download some of the photos from my camera on to a usb drive and hopefully to upload some into this post. But im getting a wee bit sleepy as it is 1am back home so i'll see how it goes.

My trip so far has been brilliant. Me and T - who is an old flying friend of mine decided to do a trip to Bangkok almost 3 years ago. This is that plan, chopped, changed, haphazardly thrown together and finally in motion. First stop was Bangkok, now Chang Mai, and next Phuket. Penang was supposed to be after that but it was axed on account of dreading the thought of having to pack up and fly another time to what essentially will just be another beach location.

So i'll be here for a couple more days and then on to sun, sand and lots of doing nothing... heehee :)

Anyway, today T and i took a walk for what was supposed to be a food run and turned into us walking to the Chang Mai Night Bazzar. Nothing out of the usual tourist market found in Bangkok, but we bought a few things and then looked for a place to have dinner. Only it was seriously disappointing to find that most places were very tourist oriented. 2 Starbucks within a block of each other, a Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Burger King and Subway...i mean i can understand it in Bangkok but not Chang Mai...and also lots of "foreign restaurants" like German beer houses...we ended up going back to a local place we saw as we were walking and had the most divine Tom Yum Soup which had pieces of crab, whole prawns, fish and mussels in it and we also had Salt and Pepper Squid. And it cost less than 300baht (approx 12 Australian dollars)...

I know ive been saying this endlessly the past couple of posts but i will get to updating about the Bangkok part of my trip. There is just so much that i want to do it justice and have the photos ready to ease the blocks of writing. And also i didnt really have much time in Bangkok to do anything aas i was constantly on the go.

Well it looks like ive run out of steam...till next time, g'night!

VP

On the way to the airport

2009-07-15T11:13:00.000+10:00

OMG! I just drove past my old crew hotel! My gosh it feels weird. Im in a taxi on my way to Suvarnabhumi Airport. Chiang Mai is next on the itinerary and i´ll be there for a few days before heading to Phuket. Yes ladies and gentleman i am being a thorough tourist and going to arguably the most touristy beach in Thailand but how can i not?

Anyway i know i havent posted up what i have been up to in Bangkok or any photos but ive been flat out and lacking time to sit at an internet cafe so please bear with me, they will be posted soon.

VP

15Baht in Thailand

2009-07-14T10:04:00.001+10:00

What does 15 Baht get you in Thailand? How does a 2hr trip to Ayutthaya by train sound? Unbeleivable? Well beleive it. Yeah its not a fancy air conditioned train but who cares? In fact i specifically chose to sit in a carriage that has wooden floors and seat benches cuz its just something you dont get everyday. And i love it :D

I´ll be taking photos as i go along and post them up when i get the chance. Ayutthaya here i come!

VP

Lunch at Cabbages and Condoms

2009-07-13T18:09:00.004+10:00

Hearing: light rain, people chatting, soft clink of cutlery n piano music.

Welcome to day two of my 2 weeks leave. At the moment im in a restaurant called Cabbages and Condoms having lunch and no im not joking. They have free Wi-Fi here so im typing this up on my mobile in between mouthfuls of delicious Thai food. I'll post again soon with what i've been up to so far and include some photos.

From a defrosted VP.