Travellers Stories

So after arriving in Pattaya in the afternoon, I decided to get some rest before
I would take a look at the nightlife Pattaya had to offer. Can you believe I
got the penthouse suite and there was no hot water. Just another thing I
needed to add to my troubles. So the night came and went walking up the main
street to see if I could find a good hangout place.  Walking, I could see GO
GO bars a many, as well as some ladyboy hot spots. But I was looking for a
place that played hip hop or reggae and that was ladyboy free. I was looking
carefully for about two hours, then I heard some hip hop and went inside.
Ordered a drink and look around. I began to kick myself and shrieking
CRAP! at the same time. After careful analysis, I had still walked into
a ladyboy club. This isn't the spot for a straight man to go. And now, my
glass was still half full, nowhere near half empty, so if I wanted my value
for money, I should have guzzled the drink down like breathing air. I asked
the ladyboy next to me if there was a reggae or hip hop place in town. Can
you believe the ladyboy gave me attitude. He flicked his hair with a sound
of 'huh.' My neck a snap back and me a say 'Ah hell naa, you did not just
throw a hissy fit at me!' Fortunately, another 'nicer' ladyboy was able
to show me towards the right direction.

As the night continued, I didn't really have any luck with finding the type
of place I wanted to go. I decided to return to my accommodation. Walking
in, the head bar mistress yells out at me in her heavy Thai accent 'Hey
SIR, You take nice lady tonight!' My Australian accent came out of me 'Naa
mate, Naa, I'll be right mate.'

So there I was at this one place and there was a Nigerian guy who was there
really getting into the music. Wearing nice hip hop clothes, latest fashion,
really getting into the music. Brotha was looking good. Anyway, I started
introducing myself to a couple people around and talking to them and he came
and introduced himself to me. He was a nice guy, but amidst all the styling
and fashion, brotha didn't hook no deodorant. A necessity in a country with
tropical heat.

We are there in the club and he wants to dance with this Russian girl.
Unfortunately for him, both her and her boyfriend weren¡¯t so keen. Next
thing he says 'Dance with me.' To me. Brotha tried to hold my hand,
Jamaussican responded "Yo playa, I don¡¯t roll like that you know, brotha
just be chillin. I replied. Then to add to the situation, there were some
more Thai girls interested in a brotha. " They want to test out a brotha's
wallet? Are they real girls or ladyboys? I don't like surprises. I think
it's time I went back." I thought in the back of my head. Reflecting on the
night, there was a great live music scene that they had in Thailand and
always had the crowd rocking everynight. The attention from the girls is
what seemed to be every man's dream, as long as you can tell which ones are
the girls.

apan Trip
On Monday morning, I had to go for a day trip to Japan, which they call a
visa run, which saw me go by hovercraft to Fukuoka city and I would return
back after thirty hours. After my pickup came early and failed me for having
breakfast, brother jumped on board hungry, but managing...I met another
Australian, not your usual optimist, but wasn't to bad. Was difficult to make
conversation with him at first when I asked him where he lived in Australia
and he said the south side...and I said "where, Logan, Sunnybank?" And all
he would say i "South side" Whilst waiting for the boat, I noticed a some
students eager to talk to me, so I said hello, how are you....next thing, 20
people surround m and are trying to have a conversation with me and then
they start taking photo's...got me feeling like Kanye west....testify...come
up iin the spot lookin extra fly...til he day I die...I'ma touch the
sky...Then on the boat, met an american guy named Lopez....we got to know
each other sitting in the same seat area...then he just started talking all
this rubbish that I didnt want to hear...you know when that happens to
you...stuck in a situation for a certian amount of time and you can't hange
the settings. So he thought alot of himself and kept on wanting us to spend
more money on taxi's, but me being to Japan before...and the weakness of the
Australian dollar, I knew things weren't so viable for a brotha at that
present time....we headed to the embssy and then filled out the visa
application forms to be met by a the cutest immigration lady we have ever
seen. Lopez decides he's gonna vibe her...but she can't speak english....so
it was an interesting scenario nonetheless. I tried to speak my Japanese
and somehow, my proficiency has improved to another level that I could liase
between 2 languages...It felt like a magnificent achievement. Next, we tried
to find our hotel.

We decided to organise ourselves as a team. 3 australians, one eglishman,
one american and one canadian. We had decided to catch the bus and after
getti g on several of the wrong buses, we finally managed to get onto one
that was headed towards our hotel. we got of at the stop only to realise
that we were at the wrong stop. I saw two foreigners walking towards us in
the distance...finally...another person who could speak english...I go up o
them.."excuse me"...can you beleive...they looked and then dissed a
brotha....then I'm there standing like" what just happened" I told the guys
and they just laughed it ver..but finally anothe Japanese lady was able to
help withh directions to the hotel. we caught the bus and then made it to
the hotel. a very nice hotel and a brotha was getting a free breakfast too.
We decided we would go and explore a little later in town..so I went to have
a rest to find a little kimono thing in their...brotha got changed and
started doing some bruce lee action fighting movie scene...felt good..then i
took a rest for half an hour.

Unfortunately, 90% of the time we were in Fukuoka, it was raining and I
didn't have an umbrella and I wasnt going to buy one fo 500
yen....(yeah....bit stubborn....but japan ain't cheap neither...plus they
didnt give me my allowance yet)So I walked alongside eveyone else as we
headed towars town. We stopped by a shrine and then went to starbucks where
I met another African American and just got talkin for a while and then left
him with his 2 girls to ...handle his biz-ness. We continued walking up
through the upmarket stores and by the time we got out, it was time to eat.
We had a look around and the others decided to go to a place where it cost
2000Yen for a meal each...so I bounced to a place called Yoshinoya and got
the same meal for Australian Budget...was good yo...and got to use more of
my Japanese so I was feeling really good. I later went to meet up with them
and I was standing ouside waiting for them. An older japanese guy that could
speak english started talking with me, asked \me what i was doing? I told
him that I was waiting fo my friends. He asked me if I had eaten, and I said
yes, I'll just wait for them to finish..then we started having a
conversation and I found out that he was a business owner and had a business
in new york and that he was with his young wife...or most probably,
girlfriend..he later insisted that I come inside with him and eat with him
and he said he'll pay...afte asking me three times, I went in and we
continud talking. Then he bought me sake...told me to drink....and he begged
again...so I tried it....it was alright...strong though....the food was good
and he let me try some good chicken. mmmmm...tasty.Then he was asking me
where i am from...started saying i was cool ang he liked his girl...then
asked me if i liked girls...then came the awkward part of the
conversation....he said" I think you are bi-sexual...you like
men?"...dammmmmmn...I could here the record scratch right down man...like
everything just stopped at that point in time...then I notice the look in
his and his girls eye and then I felt my loss of appetite for chicken and
was hoping his generosity was purely for his kindness and not for his or his
girls ambitions. Then my friends decided to go  so I thanked them for their
kindness and we continued our night in Fukuoka.

After walking for 10 minutes, we came to a place like an old English pub,
but walking inside and they were playing classic reggae music. We sat down
and ordered drinks, mine strictly orange juice and we continud talking and
sharing stories about where we all came from. I wanted to check out the
Fukuoka club scene before I left, even though it was a Monday night. As we
left the pub, the worker gave me instructions on how to get there and they
also gave me a free pink umbrella because they saw how much it was raining.
It was so kind of them. I later split from the group and made my way to the
club.

At the club, I was outside when a young man came outside to greet me. He
could speak a little English and with my little Japanese, somehow, we were
striving to have a conversation with each other and he was explaining to me
what time people go to the club and that they had sean paul perform at their
club only 2 weeks ago. I went inside and joined him and then I met his DJ
friend and he bought me a drink. We shared stories and then another guy
about 40 years old was insisting on having me dance...so I later said
ok...and we went and busted a couple moves out on the floor.....he moved
really bad...but you know...I was keeping things optimisitic, so I was like
in Japanese..yeah man that was tight , yo...that was cool. After our dance
session, he bought me a drink and then he and his friend left the club. I
continued talking with the dj and the staff behind the bar in Japanese cos
only one person could speak a little english and everyone was having an
awesome time while they were busting out some old school classics. Then at
one, I was too tired so I went to go home and the guys gave me instructions
and took me to the street where I could find my hotel. Then my night came to
a close and I was looking forward to a free buffet the next morning.

The next day, I woke up expecting to find my new friends down at the buffet
as i woke up late, but to no avail. So I helpe myself to a big breakfast and
then I later saw them come down one by one and we all shared our stories of
the previous night. We then went to pick up our visa's...somhow, Lopez
managed to score the immigration chicks email..and then started boasting
about getting some erotic magazines...that just killed our vibe with
him....we went back to the ship port and was chilling there. While waiting,
I said hello and started talking with another young korean male and then
next thing, everyones taking photo's and aking questions and treating me like
a rock star.."testify...." u know how it goes. Then I'm walking through the
ship port and they are all folowing me too. ahh....this is quite
interesting. Arriving back in Korea was alright. We caught the train then
bus and parted ways...ad an embarrasing experience almost walking into the
wrong toilet, but in the end, a brotha succeeded. After the bus, I caught
the taxi and tried  to have a conversation with the driver (to no avail) and
then I went home.  The start of a new day...working in Korea.

A new journey
I had bought my plane ticket in the light of a new adventure in Europe, where I would return to my birthplace of England.
Looking for another working and travel experience, I was excited naturally. I had been in Korea and didn’t know what to expect. And it was fabulos. Australia is cool, but my adventurous spirit was driving me towards a new experience. And given the opportunity that I could also further my Career whilst experiencing a new culture…what the hey…take a chance.
The cost was leaving my family behind….the best thing I felt about Australia was the time I shared with my family…But we will reunite..good times are endearly cherished though..

At the airport
I was waiting with my brothers in the line for about half an hour to check in and whilst we were waiting, one of the guys changed the barricade behind us while I was waiting for the China Airlines Check in. Then the guy at the desk goes “You are waiting in the exit line, go to the end of the queue.” After waiting for half an hour, I went up to the guy, since we would have to wait behind another 30 people. He tells me to go to the back of the line again. I was telling him to serve us next since we did the right thing and then they wanted to send us to the back…he stepped back saying that he hadn’t seen anything because he just arrived..trying to convince me to wait only 10 minutes, when I had already been waiting half an hour…Mum who witnessed the incident said “She saw a bit of my father in me for that moment.” They ended up upgrading me to first class for one of the legs of the trip. Which was cool. Real glasse and real china plates.

Then the plane was delayed initially. Just before I got on the plane, ended up talking to a very attractive Korean Chick…Like boom badda bey! All of a sudden, my Korean pronunciation became a bit more fluent than usual…Jokes started to come back out..Made a brotha feel like I should have made a stopover in Seoul. A cool hour we chilled and talked anyway.

Nice airline hostess
The first leg..those Chinese girls were very pretty..The ORIGINAL AUTHENTICITY MATE…THE ORIIIIIIGINAL.  Like everytime they offer you something, you just smile and nod.. Kick your feet back and enjoy. Especially in first class….ahh…it was a good feeling, that’s for sure.

RUN FORREST RUN..Delayed once, twice, thrice…RUN DAVID RUN
So I flew on China Airlines and Lufthansa airlines. ANd can you beleive that I got delayed on all three flights. My route was  Brisbane-Taipei-Frankfurt-London. And the gap I had between Taipei-Frankfurt arrival to the Frankfurt-London arrival was originally for 2 hours. But then the flight got delayed by like an hour, and by the time I got to Frankfurt, I only had 20 minutes to get from one terminal gate to the other terminal gate to go to London. Plus I had to re check in my ticket. I sprinted and sprinted whilst checking out a few nice German chicks along the way, but not to get off focus, Keep sprinting and bypass the cancer stick section to make it on the skytrain with 10 seconds to spare. Caught the skytrain and continued the sprint through the airport without a clock in sight. Had to go throught the metal detector and since  a brotha had blinged it up, I got slowed down like a rap star…but got through alot faster than if I was wearing a turban.

Off came the chains, the bracelets, the hats, the belt…I caught the big german woman sneak a peek at a brotha.
Got my things again and went to the desk…brotha made it..and on top of that, the flight got delayed again..but made it none the less.

So I got off the plane as one of the first people to get through customs and was only waiting for my bag before I could go to and meet my family. 15 minutes turned into half an hour which then turned into an hour and a half. They had put my bag on another flight that was coming in the afternoon. That’s all I needed. A missing bag to have no clothes. I had to stay in the same underwear for 4 days…CRIMINALS MATE…I should have got some compensation for that. But it was good to meet my family at the airport. The next few days we were chasing up the whereabouts of my bag…They were running us around, but I finally got my bag yesterday afternoon…yes, finally, some of my fresh and orignal clothes. However, in that meantime, I asked my cousin if I could borrow some pants. In Australia, pants mean shorts or jeans….just something to cover below the equator in a stylish kind of fashion. But in England, pants means underwear and he brought me a pair of his undies…I was like..”yo cousin…cheers, but some jeans will do me just fine man”

So when meeting my cousins and family for the first time, I wanted to make a good first impression. So I talked, I joked, I styled, And then my Aunt mentions to me “Your fly is undone”….No don’t say that…look down for the confirmation…Back of my head I’m screaming…Noooooo..but on the outside…just playing it cool…”Thanks Auntie, I’m glad someone told me” Meanwhile my cousin is laughing uncontrollably. But as long as it was  the fabric that was the only thing seen, it was fine by me.

Germany
Travelling to Berlin in Germany was an eye opener. A city that was formerly at the forefront of the Cold War, as well as formerly being at the hub of the worlds financial sector gave many opportunities to explore and to take in the historical significance that Berlin had to offer.

Accommodation
I found the accommodation well priced too and it was pretty close to one of the main centres of the city. Although you had to travel on the train, it was only about 10 minutes to the centre of town. The trains were running frequently too and finding the accommodation was quite simple also.

The hostel was quite a large one with many international guests
Transportation.
I found that travelling in Berlin was very simple and convenient. On the weekends, the city trains and trams ran all through the night, so there was no fear of getting back to the accommodation to have a good nights rest before heading out onto the next adventure the next day.

The transportation on the metro was reasonably priced too. You could purchase a 24 hour ticket that would allow you to travel from the airport to the city and on the metro lines. This made it very simple to get around. If you do not buy a ticket, you have to be careful because on the trains, there are undercover policemen that will fine you on the spot if you travel without a ticket.

The sightseeing spot highlights.
Tours.
The tour I love to recommend is the Fat Bikes Tours. As well as showing you the best places to see in the city, there is a fun and enjoyable aspect that they bring into the tour. You get the fresh air and a chance to cruise around the city on a bike. But make sure you stick with the group to ensure that you don’t get lost.

Along the way, you also get a chance to stop off for lunch of delicious German sausages and German beer (Although I don’t recommend you to drink and ride), but it is a very enjoyable experience.

Nightlife.
The German’s know how to enjoy themselves. Being in Germany only for a night and having short notice trying to find a hot nightspot, I was able to find one street strip where most of the people were enjoying themselves to dance music. Most places were about 10 EURO to get inside, but the DJ style of music was different to that which is experienced in most other countries, as the German’s have a strong musical talent in dance and techno music.

The language.
Fortunately, the German’s also have a good proficiency in English. Although at times, it is handy to have a phrasebook with you. But if you are just travelling to the city centre for the weekend, you should be fine with language survival.

Denmark, Copenhagen.
Denmark is an interesting place to visit.

Accommodation
I found the accommodation for a hostel was expensive and overpriced. Unlike most other hostels in Europe, the hostel where I stayed, Danhostel, seemed to add a fee on for everything. I ended up paying 40 pounds for a night, whereby you could rent out a hotel for the same price. So I would recommed that if you are travelling to Copenhagen, check out the price differences between the hotel and hostels, as well as their locations in the city.


Living cost.
Upon travelling in Denmark over the weekend, I found that it was quite expensive in terms of the general living costs, such as accomodation, health and dining. This seemed to be due extensively to the value of the Kroner, which is the local currency in Denmark.

Copenhagen is a small city. The central area of Copenhagen is comprised mostly of stores and shopping boutiques. There’s roughly about 2 main streets where all of the main franchise shops are operating. But again, due to the value of the Kroner, shopping in central Copenhagen is quite expensive.


The language.
I was surprised in my travels that the young Danish people are fluent in English. So it is convenient to go to Copenhagen without struggling to communicate if you can speak English. However it seemed that both Danish and English were widely spoken in Denmark.

Sunday.
Denmark still seemed quite traditional in the sense on the Sunday, as the whole city seemed as if it had shut down. As a christian state, it seemed like they still observed the sanctity of Sunday, with only a few shops opening.

Temperature.
I went to Denmark in mid November and it seemed like it was colder during the day than it was at night surprisingly. Copenhagen has quite a few canals as well, so it seemed like the arctic breeze that was coming from off the shores were sweeping through the city. And the gloomy grey skies later became subject to cold rain across the city. At midday, the city thermometer read 7 degrees.

If you go to Denmark, it is recommended that you go during the summer. Otherwise, if you decide to go in the other seasons, definately take warm attire.

Tours
Copenhagen is actually quite small and most of the highlights of the city are focused around buildings, art and architecture, although there are a few gardens provided by the royal family that can be of interest as well.

There are self guiding tours available whereby you can walk the tour path which will take you approximately three hours. It’s good if you want to experience the fresh Danish air and to combine exercise with sightseeing and photography. Just be sure to take an umbrella when the weather changes.

Flights
You can book some cheap tickets via easyjet to Copenhagen. It is best that you book about 4 months in advance, as I was able to purchase a return for 60 pounds. However, expect delays and prepare your transport well on the other side of the shore wherever you may be travelling too.
Nightlife
Nightlife in Denmark is also interesting. It is a place where you cannot go out early to have a good time. You need to go out around midnight and there are streets that are full of bars and also nightclubs where you can enjoy some of the Danish nightly entertainment.

When partying with the locals, it is best to have good drinking skills, as the Danish men and women are good with their beers and everybody having at least one drink in their hand at all times during the night will add to the enjoyment of Danish bar entertainment.

Before I went to Spain, I received a helpful letter from my Spanish friend Lorenzo Melchor, who gave me the best advice on how to enjoy Barcelona in a weekend.

“…as I promised, to send you details about Barcelona. This is a list of places I recommend you to go and enjoy:

- Las Ramblas (Metro Catalunya, Liceu or Drassanes): this is the most popular street in Barcelona. A long avenue with restaurants, coffee shops, memmory shops, people running shows in the street, etc. It starts in Plaza Catalunya (a big square where most of buses stop, with a Hard Rock Cafe and a FNAC store, as well as the Tourist Information, get a map over there and ask for some advices) and it ends in Plaza Colon (closeby the sea).

- El Barrio Gótico: if you walk from Plaza Catalunya down Las Ramblas, you have the Gothic District at your left. This is the old city of Barcelona and you have just to walk and get lost in their streets. You will see beautiful squares, gothic churches and a cathedral. Really worthy!!

One warning! Do not turn right when walking down Las Ramblas. Otherwise, you will go in “El Rabal”, which is a district with many drug dealers, whores, etc. Everybody makes that mistake in their first time in Barcelona and you will feel very unsafe.

- Passeig de Gracia (metro Passeig de Gracia or Diagonal): this is a street that starts in Plaza Catalunya in the opposite side than Ramblas. It is a very nice street with beautiful buildings designed by Gaudi: “Casa Batlo” that has skulls as terraces and windows, and “La Pedrera” that has a good design. If you want to spend money, choose one of them and go inside.

- Sagrada Familia (metro Sagrada Familia): this is a cathedral that has been under construction for almost a century. It would be worthy to pay the entrance and get an audiotour to understand the meaning of the scenes in each facade (one was designed by Gaudi, and the other one was built in the old style). Unfortunately, there is not much to see inside because they are still building it, although there is also a museum in the basement.

- Parc Güell (metro Lesseps or Alfons X): a great place with beautiful gardens to spend a sunny day with a sandwich and maybe a girl You will have spectacular landscapes of Barcelona.

For two days, I think this is enough but you will see that there are many other options. I hope this will help you!

Cheers,
Loren

PS. I forgot to mention there is a very nice and magic place that I recommend you to go and have a drink. Its name is “El bosque de las hadas” (The fairy forest). It is at the end of Las Ramblas, close to Plaza Colon. You have to look for the wax museum (museo de cera) box office and it points out to a little street turning left Las Ramblas (if you see to the sea). Go in that little street, and at the end of it, you will find this place.
Good luck!”

A weekend trip in Ireland was indeed a nice escape to see if you are living in a big and busy city, such as London.



As the title says ‘The charm of the Irish’, as upon my arrival until my departure, I felt a great deal of warmth that was shared with the Irish people. People greeting you on the street in a major capital city seemed very new to me, but I loved the warm feeling it generated and at times where I was lost, a person nearby would be so kind to give me a helping hand.

From a tourists perspective, Northern Ireland is such a beautiful country. The landscape was the greenest I had ever seen in my life with fresh moisture in the air and a gentle breeze on your back. And I was only experiencing the initial charm that Ireland had to offer.

Getting to the Belfast city centre.

Upon arrival at the airport in Ireland, there is a bus you can catch return (310)  for 10 pounds which will last you for a month. This bus will drop you in the heart of Belfast inside the shoping district. Once you arrive in the centre, you will be approximately 200m from the Belfast Welcome Centre. In the centre, you’ll find the heart of Northern Ireland. Shops galore, cafe’s, buildings both new and classical. The city is full of history. Walking on the streets, you will see an array of performers and the charm that Ireland is known for. There are walking and bus tours available to explore Belfast city and to aid you in taking your first steps into Irish culture.

Tip: The Belfast Welcome centre is the tourist information centre of Belfast. The staff are very friendly and helpful to assist you in recommended tours, storing baggage and finding accomodation as well as activities. Before going to Ireland, I’d recommend to visit their website at www.gotobelfast.com to help with planning your trips and tours.

Accommodation in Belfast.

There are many accommodation options to choose from in Ireland, however, if you are travelling single or as a couple and would like to go for one of the cheaper value for money options, then staying in the International Youth Hostel which provided a cosy place to rest and the option of not having too many people in the one room. Security was a big plus and the people, including the staff that I met there were friendly and breakfast was very cheap if you decided to buy some, or alternatively there were facilities there to provide your own.

Tip: If you are interested in finding out about the other accomadation that is available in Belfast, visit Hostelworld. for a comprehensive list of accommodation.

Belfast tours.

Belfast offers a range of tours from the Titanic tours to city walking or open bus tours. Going outside of Befast, the must see destination in Ireland is the ‘Giant’s Causeway’ which is a fantastic natural wonder that exists of the northern coast of Ireland, approximately 2.5 hours away from Belfast. There are also tours to the Giant’s causeway that give you the option of going along the coastline which will take a full day, or to do the express tour which is roughly 6 hours.

Tip: Due to the moist weather that is usually in Ireland, an Umbrella and raincoat is a handy item to bring on your trip especially with walking tours and unpredictable rainfall.

Irish nightlife.
Something I credit the Irish with is they know how to entertain. Whether it is street performances or going out to the Irish pub. The entertainment is one to be enjoyed. The down side I found was that the places closed early (1am in most cases) which I found surprising. But nonetheless, I can surely say withot a doubt that the Irish know how to entertain themselves.

Some of the fond and humourous memories of my time in Ireland.

The fondest memory I have in Ireland was going to the Giant’s causeway. I was just totally amazed at the natural wonder and the green of Ireland that meets the coastline. It was just a fantastic place to see and to experience one of nature’s best wonders.

In addition, the Irish people were wonderful and helpful. The men were charming and the women were stunning and all in all, it felt like a very good place to be.

After having a haircut mishap the night before flying to Ireland, I was repremanded to headwear for 3 days straight. In that time as I ventured to a popular Irish pub, headwear was not allowed. Slightly redfaced, I walked inside to be greeted by several Irish men and women. Although one Irish lad had spotted my haircut malfunction from the second level of the pub and called for my attention in his strong Irish accent “Aye matey…Missterr T, Aye matey’s missterr T”. Smiling at the joke, I walked away with a laugh and an experience of the Irish humor.

Total cost of my weekend trip in Belfast.

* Easyjet flights - £70
* Return bus transfer - £10
* Overnight in Hostel - £13
* Walking building tour - £6
* Giant’s Causeway tour - £15

Total cost - £114

In closing, Northern Ireland is a lovely getaway spot to travel for weekend trips and diubg a quick tour. The cool breeze, fresh nature and warm people really make Ireland a great place to visit and to experience in your lifetime.

Post written by David James

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