After dropping the car off at 08:00, and getting a lift to the airport with Jen (a lovely ozzie friend of Gavins (Mhairi’s brother who was here for 5 months)) it was time to fly to Hong Kong. Watching Sin City, Warm Springs (pretty ok film) and The Transporter (fairly awful) made the flight pass reasonably quickly!. Upon arrival found I could check in for my next flight, 18 hours early. Which was handy, met a bloke called Brian from Tallaght (North Dublin) and had a pint with him before he got his flight. Then it was time to curl up on 3 seats for the night.

So up at 6am and took a bus into Kowloon. It really is one massive skyscraper this place..

Went straight to catch a boat across to Hong Kong island, and to have a look at the Golden Bauhinia Square and the flag raising ceremony. The square marks the return of Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China.

Then I walked through Hong Kong park (really stiflingly hot even at 8am!). One of the things you really notice is that there are hundreds of people all over the place – in all the parks, quayside, etc. exercising. Tai Chi? who knows – but they really are all over the place.

After that I took the funicular railway up to the top of Victoria Hill to look out over the city, and had a nice 3km walk around up there. This next pic is of an India Rubber tree. The strands hanging down are actually roots, which take moisture and nutrients from the air. Once they hit the ground they continue being rootish, but also begin to hold the tree up as well.

Then got the plane to Bangkok, taxi to Khaosan road, and met Mhairi, as arranged, on the street corner. For once I was the late one ;) Mind you, hats off to Mhairi (who hasn’t written it up yet I don’t think), but while my taxi fare was 300Baht (6 Euro), she made it into town from the airport (train->bus) for 7Baht (14 cents). Did take 2 hours or so… but an interesting adventure for sure.

Before leaving Perth had a quick look around the bell tower they have. St. Martins church

Lend me a farthing say the bells of St. Martins

were going to melt their bells down and remake them, as they were too heavy for their bell tower and it was all going to fall down (eventually). Perth city council said “hold on a minute” (or something like that) and offered to take the bells, and give them the metal they needed.

End result was that St. Martins got what they wanted, and Perth got a nice set of tubular bells.

Ringing the bells is quite an art, takes about 3 months training to do it properly.

So just a few pics from the whitsundays which were only developed the other day… as it was an underwater camera. They came out kinda blue! but the lady in the shop told Mhairi that they were some of the best she’d seen off a cheapy disposable camera.. who knows – Anyway here they are..

Yesterday had a proper wander around Freemantle, really is a nice place. Mostly eating ice-creams and lazing on the grass reading books.. then back via Kings Park – where I had a wander through the botanical gardens and a short walk.. and Mhairi went off on a run. She managed to find ‘Jacobs ladder’ a staircase (100 odd steps or something). So she did it 12 times or something.. apparently there were other nutters doing it too ;) hehehe… No it’s all good, but I’ve been enjoying (Quite a lot) being lazy the last few days, I think Asia will be hectic enough.

I (stupidly) forgot to sort out my jabs before leaving NZ.. I think I’m pretty up to date on them all though typhoid is coming to the end of its life (I got jabs for vietnam 3 years ago – or 4 perhaps.. still, hopefully twill all be ok.

So one day left before flying to Hong Kong. I was going to try to have a couple of days there but it didn’t quite work out that way. Now I get in at 8pm and leave at 2pm the following day, so will try to check bags through and go for a wander around town. Then meet Mhairi again in Bangkok on Wednesday. Somewhere on the Khao San road most likely!

So thanks (big thanks) to Domhnall for having us to stay – it was magic getting to climb, and just being able to have the run of his place.. wonder where (and when) the next time I’ll see him!

Next day it was off touring the wine, cheese and chocolate tasting places all around the area. And a very pleasant day it was too. My favourite was a lone brewery. Which had the slogan

An oasis of beer in a desert of wine

Through connivance or not who knows ;) but I was the de facto designated driver as I was the only one insured on the car. Good day though, Domhnall left that evening for a party in Perth and drove up with Leask, Mhairi and I opting to stay down an extra day and go on a Bush Tucker tour.

Which started at 10am the following day.. our guide (Clinton) was excellent. We all canoed up the river, stopping off and looking at interesting points along the way.

like the paperbark trees. The aborigine believe that if you take your sorrows here, and leave them with the tree, that it will take them away, and slowly release them (peacefully). There were many other sights – the foods (like bush celery, various herbs, other leaves, berries (to ferment as often as not)), also plants with medicinal properties (including the buttercup?!? apparently like dettol), and flowers with hallucinogenic side effects (to smoke – eating them kills you).

Great tour though, and the food was delicious.

Anyone know what the difference (excuse my ignorance) is between a relish and a chutney?

There was a race at the end, to win a bottle of wine. Seeing as it was winner takes all, we crashed (and pushed) another boat out of the way just as we got to the beach taking the inside line and the path to glory and riches (and one bottle of white).

The girl – Celine was from Portmarnock – and used to go out with the drummer from a band called Kidicarus that my friend Morgan was the singer for. Tiny world.

Drove back up to Perth that evening, 4 days or something before flying out.. lots left to do!

The next morning we hired a car and headed south towards Margaret River. Mhairi’s brother Gavin lived (and surfed) here for 4 months ish. He’d hooked us up with the lovely lady he used to stay with (Barb). She was unbelievably hospitable, welcoming us into the house and really making us feel comfortable.

It was great to see Leask (friend of Gav’s and Mhairis that I’d met in ChCh) again. Dangerous though as a long nights drinking often ensues.. as it did.

At one point (I forget the name of the proceeding) Leask bought a shot of sambuca for each of us. What you had to do was

1: Pour the shot into a glass
2: Light the sambuca.
3: Expose some bare flesh (bum, nipple, chest etc..) and stick the glass to yourself (the alcohol burning creates a tight vacuum)

4: Once you’ve burned yourself enough, unstick the glass and quickly cap your hand over the top (don’t let any of those fumes escape)
5: Inhale the fumes through a straw (powerful enough)
6: Tip out any remaining fluid and inhale through a straw.

Fun.

Following morning up at 8am and off to go to the crag climbing.

Domhnall took us to a place called Willarbrup or something like that. The routes were excellent quality, brilliant friction and set against the Indian Ocean. Perfect.