13 October 2014 by thesmartwayround

Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world…

“Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine…”

– Humphrey Bogart, Casablanca

The dingy, overcrowded and dark hotel bar at the Havana Hotel in Cairo is probably not the first choice of bar to meet up with a friend. Long and rectangular with just enough room between the lounges and seats to squeeze past, during a week in October 2009 it became my regular haunt.

The not so glamourous entrance to the Hotel Havana

With time off between the summer and winter seasons in Europe, but not enough to do things independently I decided to jump on board an overland truck from Cairo to Nairobi. First things first however, visas and welcome letters had to be arranged. It was at the Australian Embassy waiting to get a letter confirming my Australian passport was real for Sudan that I met Chris. After reading an inch thick travel advice, and followed by the question, “So you still want to go to Sudan?” we had our government stamped confirmation letters and we were on our way.

Over the next few days Chris and I spent the days rummaging through Cairo’s souks, hopping between the Ethiopian Embassy and generally exploring Cairo. Throughout we met several other travellers who would be accompanying us on our adventure south. Every night we would return to the Hotel Havana, where most people were staying before the trip, to have a few beers, catch up and get to know each other.

Chris had spent some time in Dahab before arriving in Cairo to sort visas. During his time there he had met a British girl who would be joining our trip. As Chris put it, “Natalie is a really cool chick”. As the week progressed the odd assortment of intrepid adventures travelling with us filtered into the hotel, but no Natalie.

Natalie relaxing in Dahab before we met

One evening, several days before the trip, the band of merry adventurers had assembled in the bar. A thick smoke wafted up towards the ceiling from the various shisha pipes scattered throughout the bar and the heavy scent of apple tea hung in the air. In the background Arabic dance music rang out from an old CD player behind the counter and the low drum of hushed conversation would be broken by raucous laughter from one group to the next.

The rusty old metal detector at the front door would occasionally beep as a new guest entered but the fully armed security guard would only ever give a disinterested glance. I think the security was more there to make us feel safer but I had a feeling if something did happen they would be the first ones out the door!

It was at that point my life changed forever.

Against this backdrop of curling shisha smoke and apple tea the door from the hotel opened. A stream of bright iridescent light streamed into the bar followed by a ghostly silhouette. As the door creaked closed the beaming smiled Natalie replaced the silhouette. “That’s Natalie, the chick I met in Dahab”, Chris exclaimed. I don’t know how and I don’t know why but the moment I saw Natalie I knew I was going to marry her! Little did we both know, it was on that summery night in the smoke hazed hotel bar in Cairo The Smart Way Round was born.

It must have been love…

That was five years ago. Our adventures have taken us all across the world, five continents and numerous countries. November sees the one-year anniversary of The Smart Way Round but the adventure started years ago. That’s the thing about travel, you never know who you are going to meet. I am always reminded of a comment a guest made on one of my first ever trips around Europe, “You make friends for a reason, a season or a lifetime”. Well in Cairo in 2009 it was definitely the latter….

– Dean

The Smart Way Round was born!

8 September 2014 by thesmartwayround

Oktoberfest 2014: Top Day Trips out of Munich

It is now less than two weeks until Oktoberfest begins and if you followed are Pre Oktoberfest Checklist you should hopefully just about be ready to go! While a week-long beer drinking binge sounds good on paper, after a few days of being jammed into the Oktoberfest tents you may be looking to get out-of-town and rest your liver. Below we have listed a number of great day trips all within a couple of hours journey from Munich.

1. Ludwig II’s Fairytale Castles.

‘Mad’ King Ludwig’s castles are the jewels in the crown of Bavarian tourism. Neuschwanstein is the most famous, with an estimated 1.4 million visitors every year. Neuschwanstein was also the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Cinderella castle and has captured the imagination of tourists since the King’s mysterious death in 1886.

The view of Neuschwanstein Castle from Mary’s Bridge

However, while most people flock to Neuschwanstein, his other two castles are equally as impressive. Linderhof, near the famous Bavarian religious town of Oberammergau (also worth a look if you have time) is the only castle Ludwig ever completed. Much smaller than the other two, it is a far easier visit than Neuschwanstein and also doesn’t get the crowds. Nestled amongst the mountains and surrounded by lovely gardens, Linderhof would have to be our favourite of the three.

The smallest and only palace to be completed, Linderhof

The final castle is situated on an island in Bavaria’s largest lake, the Chiemsee and is situated almost half way between Munich and Salzburg. Herrenchiemsee was built to be a living breathing museum dedicated to Ludwig’s idol, Louis XIV of France. An almost exact replica of the central sections of Versailles, Herrenchiemsee is probably the least visited of the three but has an idyllic location and can only be reached by a boat ride out to the island.

Numerous companies offer day trips from Munich and often combine Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Oberammergau. If you do go with theses agencies double-check what you are booking, as a lot of the tours DONT include entrances into the castles themselves.

Rear facade of Neuschwanstein

2. Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site

Visiting a concentration camp is not something you will necessarily say you enjoyed, but it is something you will be glad you have experienced. Dachau was the first camp set up in the 1930’s and now days is part memorial and part museum, dedicated to all those who suffered under Hitler’s regime. Getting out there can be a little tricky on public transport, however a number of local tour companies offer trips out to Dachau normally meeting in Marienplatz. We highly recommend the audio guide.

Shadow of the entrance gate into Dachau

3. Berchtesgaden and the Eagle’s Nest

According to legend when God was creating the earth he gave all the natural beauty to the angels to distribute evenly around the world. As you can imagine this is a time consuming job. With the angels running behind schedule (he did only give them a week after all), God bellowed out “Hurry up!”, and the angels dropped all the natural wonders in Berchtesgaden.Or so the story goes.

Looking down over Berchtesgaden and the Eagle’s Nest

Approximately two hours from Munich the region of Berchtesgaden is stunningly beautiful. Dramatic mountains, crystal clear lakes and rivers and of course Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. Specially designed local buses drive you up one of Europe’s most amazing, and somewhat hair-raising roads to the base of the Eagle’s Nest. From here it is a short walk through a tunnel to the original elevator made of polished brass before arriving in the building itself. Eagle’s Nest has a little something for everyone, incredible alpine scenery and photo opportunities for the nature lovers and some very interesting history for the history nerds (like me). Our tip, try to get there early, queues for the buses and the elevator can be very long if the weather is good.

4. Salzburg

The hills are alive! That’s right, after only a two hour train journey you could be yodeling away Julie Andrews style in the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart . Salzburg makes for a great day trip from Munich if for no other reason to just ‘pop’ over the border into Austria.

Salzburg’s gorgeous Old Town

Combine the imposing Festung or fortress towering over the city and the charming medieval streets and alley ways, Salzburg is a photographer’s dream. There are plenty of sights from ‘The Sound of Music’ to keep you amused or for something totally different head out to Hangar 7, the home of Red Bull. For great views of the old town and fortress head to the Cafe Sacher and enjoy a slice of the famous chocolate cake, Sacher Torte.

Sacher Torte, yum!

There are numerous other possibilities that we haven’t mentioned her as well. Nuremberg has a great old town and huge city walls, while from Garmisch-Partenkirchen you can catch a cable car up to the top of Germany’s highest mountain. If you fancy staying in Munich there are also some great experiences to keep you busy. We love Mike’s Bike Tours, a great way to see loads of the city and have a seriously fun time doing it. You can also hire bikes from them and they also run trips to Neuschwanstein and Salzburg.

Remember (if you haven’t had too much beer), Munich is a great city and so is the surrounding countryside, so make sure you take time out from Oktoberfest and get out there and explore!

– Dean

Prost!

28 July 2014 by thesmartwayround

Our Top Wildlife Experiences So Far… Part 1

Nothing beats seeing wildlife in their natural habitat and over the years we have been lucky enough to see our fair share. From almost being trampled by a family of elephants in South Africa, searching for the elusive nocturnal Bamboo Lemur in Madagascar to the other worldliness of Antarctica, in this two part blog we explore our favourite wildlife experiences from our travels so far….

1: Mountain Gorillas in the Parc National des Volcans Rwanda

This would have to be one of the most amazing hours of our lives. We hiked for roughly an hour into the rain forests of the Parc National des Volcans in Rwanda to get up close and personal with one of mans’ closest relatives.

One of the most amazing hours of our lives.

Visiting the Gorillas is strictly regulated, and rightly so, with less than an estimated 800 still in the wilds of Rwanda, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo. Only 10 visitors per day get to spend one incredible hour with a family watching them go about their business. Despite their size, (the males can weigh over 200 kg), they can be extremely quiet and the sound of them beating their chests was more like hollow drums being beaten than anything out of a King Kong movie.

Up close and personal with a 200kg Mountain Gorilla

They truly exhibit human like tendencies and when they make eye contact you can sense the intelligence behind those eyes. It is an experience you will never forget. I never thought anything would top visiting Antarctica, I was wrong.

2: Penguins in Antarctica

Antarctica is like another world, virtually devoid of human interference and one of the few places in the world where nature rules supreme.

Just one of the colonies of Penguins to be found in Antarctica’s harsh environment

It really is a privilege to visit Antarctica and to watch a colony of roughly half a million penguins squawk, clamber, dodge and bully each other was one of the highlights of my years of travel. Each penguin had a totally unique personality, and armed with your camera and just sitting still they would move around, investigate and try and make sense of you being there. Antarctica is one of the few places in the world where wildlife has not had to learn to fear man and the penguin’s curiosity was fascinating to behold. We can only hope that it remains this way.

The penguins go about their business as if you were not there

3: Madagascar’s Diverse and Unique Wildlife

After watching the BBC documentary series on Madagascar we thought we would be lucky to see half of what they experienced on the program, how wrong we were. Getting our Attenborough on was far easier than we thought, and we were lucky enough to see over 20 species of Lemur (our new favourite animals, sorry penguins you have dropped to number two!), dozens of incredibly colourful chameleon and geckos that looked like leaves. We never thought we would get so excited about spotting insects!

A Ring Tailed Lemur in the Andasibe National Park, Madagascar

Each national park was famous for a different variety of Lemur, or a special type of Chameleon. Our tip, make sure you link up with experienced local guides in the National Parks, without a good one you wont see a fraction of what can see you.

One of the stunning Chameleon we saw on Madagascar’s northern islands

4:Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya

You can’t talk about wildlife experiences without mentioning Africa! While not the most famous, we loved Lake Nakuru National Park. A stunning location and diverse wildlife made this one of our best game park experiences in Africa. Containing four of the big five (the park is too small for elephants) as well as loads of monkey and flamingo all set around a beautiful large lake and only a couple of hours out side Nairobi, make sure you add this to your Kenyan wish list.

Our first Lion in Lake Nakuru National Park

5: Diving with Thresher Sharks in Malapascua, Philippines

While there are without doubt far better dive sites in the world, and perhaps because it was my first shark experience Malapascua makes the list. It is one of the few sites in the world where recreational divers can see these deep-water sharks. Every morning at dawn they swim up to a cleaning station at 30m below the surface. Their ribbon like tails majestically waving behind them and their huge black eyes and open mouths they almost look as if they were stoned! For divers, their fist shark experience is always something special, and mine was no exception.

The amazing tail of the Thresher Shark off Malapascua

Divers lined up at dawn as the Thresher sharks swim up to a 30m cleaning station

Next week in Part 2 we round out our top 10 wildlife experiences. Any ideas what we will find? Leave a guess below or tell us about your favourite wildlife experience around the world and we will have to add it to our travel bucket list!

– Dean

16 June 2014 by thesmartwayround

A Glimmer of Hope in Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies grow
Between the crosses row on row…

– John McCrae

This year marks the commemorations of the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of The Great War, the war to end all wars.

Sadly the Great War was not the conclusion of hostilities but rather the beginning of one of, if not the bloodiest centuries in World History.

The next four years will see major battles remembered, historical debates reignite, blame and finger-pointing intensify, because for many countries WWI was a defining point in their history.

Gallipoli, the Somme and Flanders are all spoken with a deep-seated respect and reverence as thousands laid down their lives, often in appalling conditions fighting a war that no one could comprehend but felt compelled to participate in.

The battles in Flanders were some of the worst, soldiers fighting in waist deep mud and freezing conditions during the winters of 1915-1917.

The Iper Cloth Hall, home to the Flanders Fields Museum

However during this dark time, a ray of light, a glimmer of hope sprang from the small town of Poperinge. The village is situated about 12 km from the town of Ypres, today know as Iper and during the war as ‘Wipers’ by the Commonwealth forces.

The front facade of Talbot House

This glimmer of hope was called Talbot House. Talbot house was founded as a ‘every mans’ club by army chaplains Neville Talbot and Philip ‘Tubby’ Clayton. It was set up without discrimination of rank as a respite from the horrors of war. Men could shower and sleep in a clean bed often for the first time in months. Even if only for a short time, Talbot house was designed to allow men to forget the war and atrocities associated it, like Tubby Clayton said, it was “An Oasis in a World gone mad”.

Talbot House from the rear gardens

Now days Talbot House is not only a museum but also a guest house with nine rooms in the original building and three rooms in the garden block. Staying at Talbot House truly gives you a very unique experience and a historical link to your Battlefields visit. The staff are very friendly and incredibly knowledgable and more than happy to sit down with you and help you plan your visit to the surrounding sites. Their hints, tips and advice all designed to ensure you get the most from your visit of the region, and it certainly helps getting some insider knowledge of out of the way places, monuments and cemeteries.

Talbot House is a great base to explore the region. From Poperinge you can easily visit the Tyne Cot Cemetary, largest in the region, or the Canadian Memorial commemorating the first use of mustard gas. Not far from Poperinge are some intact German trenches where Adolf Hitler served and was almost captured by Canadian troops and numerous other cemeteries and monuments.

One of the many Commonwealth War Graves around Poperinge

Most convenient of all is the proximity to Iper which houses the stunning In Flanders Fields Museum and the famous Menin Gate. No visit to the region is complete without attending the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate. At around 8:00pm every evening the Last Post has been played uninterrupted, (except during the Second World War) since 1928 and is an absolute must if in the area.

The Menin Gate in Iper with 54,896 missing soldiers names engraved on it

Vancouver Corner Memorial to the first ever mustard gas attack

The next four years will be a sombre time for reflection and remembrance for the thousands of lives lost many of which perished in the mud of Flanders Fields. However while it is important to remember the tragedy that was the Great War, we should also remember men like Neville Talbot and Tubby Clayton and celebrate what they did to help alleviate the suffering of those weary soldiers. By basing yourself in Talbot House you are honouring their efforts, in a special way you are remembering those who fought and most importantly, you are keeping this amazing piece of history alive.

– Dean

“In all my experience I have never known a place so vital to morale as Talbot House”

– General Sir Herbert Plumer, 1928

9 June 2014 by thesmartwayround

The Magic and Wonder of Prague’s Charles Bridge

The ancient splendour and beauty of Prague, a city beyond compare, left an impression on my imagination that will never fade

– Richard Wagner

Walking the Castle District or the Old Town of Prague is like walking through the streets of a fairy tale. Colourful facades, a stunning mix of architectural styles it is easy to see why the city is the Central European Hollywood. Every turn leads down a picturesque alley way or beautiful square that could easily be the scene from a movie. In fact over the years Prague has starred in Mission Impossible, XXX, Amadeus, Ghost Protocol and Casino Royale but to name a few.

Somehow every visitor to Prague is drawn to one spot in particular, as if by a force of gravity, and that spot is the majestic Charles Bridge.

Charles Bridge as seen from the River

Now like any good fairy tale or folk story the Charles Bridge is shrouded in myth and legend, much like the thick mists that can envelope the bridge itself during winter. This fact and fiction is easily blurred when talking about Prague’s tourist showstopper.

Charles Bridge has two faces, the hustle, bustle and energy of the day and the magical and mysterious by night. During the day the bridge is packed. Tourists and locals alike jostle for position for that perfect photo of the Castle, or peruse the myriad of artists plying their wares. You will find hand made jewellery; caricature artists and some amazing painters and photographers lined either side eager to help you spend money. Not only that but it is not uncommon to find jazz bands, Dixie bands and soloists all eagerly entertaining passers by hoping for a generous coin or two thrown into their hat.

Artistic creations galore adorne the bridge by day

At night however the bridge really comes alive. Towering over the bridge the illuminated Castle looks more like a giant painting or film set than the seat of the Czech Government. The towers and statues illuminated at night throw an eerie light over the bridge and you can feel the myths and legends enveloping you from all sides. While the Charles Bridge is great fun during the day to get a real sense of the true magic of the bridge you must visit it at night.

Prague Castle at night from Charles Bridge

Now as we said what is fact and what is fiction can be hard to separate in Prague but as the saying goes, ‘Never let the truth get in the way of a good story’ here are a couple of our favourites and the most famous ones.

First is the construction date, Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV was not only devoutly religious but also believed heavily in numerology. So to construct the bridge he consulted his numerologists to find the perfect date to lay the foundation stone. That date? The year 1357, 9^th day of the 7^th month at 5:31 am in the morning, or a pyramid of odd numbers

7 7

5 5

3 3

1 1

Fact or Fiction? Actually fact!

Second legend states that as the bridge was being built a number of the arches would continually collapse when one day there was a huge crash of thunder and strike of lightening and the devil (who thanks to the Simpsons will forever look like Ned Flanders for me) appeared and offered to help. The Devil promised to help the young architect complete the bridge on the provision the first soul to cross it was the Devil’s reward. One the day of completion the architect thought he could out smart the Devil and bought a rooster down to the bridge. Little did he know however that while he was mustering up the rooster the Devil had gone to the architect’s home and told his wife that she was desperately needed at the bridge. When the architect arrived at Charles Bridge he saw his wife rushing across the bridge and realised the Devil had won their game of wits!

Fact or Fiction? I think we better say fiction on this one, but the Devil does appear a lot in Central European and Germanic mythology so you never know!

Third legend believes that Charles IV insisted that every village in his Kingdom supply him with a horse cart full of eggs so the egg whites could be used in the mortar to hold the bridge together.

Fact or Fiction? Fact! Egg whites were also used in the construction of St Vitus Cathedral as well. As the story goes one village supplied the Emperor with a cart of boiled eggs. Now if the architect had of released the rooster over the bridge it begs the question, what comes first, the chicken or the egg?

Poor old Jan of Nepomuk, Patron Saint of Bridges

The final legend relating to Charles Bridge is based around the most famous statue on the bridge, that of Jan of Nepomuk. He was the court priest to Wenceslas IV the son of Charles. Wenceslas was a quite a horrible man, he would often walk around the markets of Prague in disguise and if a merchant sold him under weight good he would have the merchant nailed to his scales, and he allegedly had a chef roasted alive one evening for ruining his dinner!

Now Wenceslas confronted Jan and demanded to know what the Queen had told him during her confession. Jan refused and as punishment the King had Jan’s tongue cut out, he was tied up in a sack and was thrown off the Charles Bridge into the heaving Vltava River below! Jan’s body then floated in the same spot for several days and when it sank a ring or crown of five stars circled the water where his body disappeared. Amazingly Jan of Nepomuk is now the Patron Saint of Bridges!

Relief one, rub for good luck

Relief two, rub to return to Prague

The Charles Bridge’s most famous statue is of Jan and below it are two reliefs. The one on the left shows a solider patting a dog and represents loyalty and the relief on the right shows Jan being thrown into the river. Rubbing the relief of the solider is supposed to bring you good luck and rubbing the relief of Jan being thrown from the bridge means you will return to Prague. A little further down the bridge is a small iron framework with a depiction of Jan floating below the bridge. This is the exact point where he was thrown to his death; it is also good luck to rub this one.

The site where Jan was thrown to his watery grave

Fact or Fiction? Well a little bit of both. Jan was thrown to his death off Charles Bridge but it is believed because the Kind didn’t agree with the new Archbishop Jan was going to appoint. Lets be honest, the confession story is far more exciting.

There are many more myths and legends about the bridge but also about Prague itself. The foundation of the city, the Astronomical Clock in the Old town are all steeped in scurrilous rumours, magical stories some with a hint of truth but many passed down from generation to generation from medieval times.

The famous Astronomical Clock, also surrounded by myth and legend

One thing is for sure, like Richard Wagner said the legends of Prague and experiencing Charles Bridge in all its glory is something you will never forget.

Do you have a favourite myth or legend of Prague? If so leave a comment or link below.

19 March 2014 by thesmartwayround

Melbourne: Seeing your home town differently

Having lived and worked in Europe for the past 11 years, married to Natalie and armed with my UK Residence Permit I guess I would now be considered to be an ex-pat.

While I am lucky enough to live in one of the Worlds most amazing cities, London, a part of me will always call Melbourne home.It is only when you live away from, and then return, do you truly appreciate your home town.

Working in Europe I always wondered if Parisians strolled down the Champs Élysées and gave the Arc d’Triompe a second thought, or as the Romans wizz past the Colosseum on their Vespas they realised what an amazing piece of history their city had, even if Londoners appreciated having the greatest public transport system in the world, the Tube? (I can tell you the Londoners don’t!).

So over the last few years I have had the opportunity to experience Melbourne in a different light, I have had the chance to be a tourist in my home town.

Melbourne’s Flinders Street Station

Put simply, I love Melbourne, it really is the best city in Australia. OK, city rivalries aside, Melbourne doesn’t have the ‘Big Ticket’ wow factors like Sydney does, such as the Bridge, Opera House and Bondi, and probably needs a little more exploration but once you do it is an incredible city.

One thing Melbourne is famous for is its cafe scene and it’s love affair with coffee. We can thank the Italian immigrants after WWII for really kick-starting this. One of the best places to experience Melbourne’s cafe culture is in Degraves Street. A small little pedestrian alleyway running between Flinders and Collins streets, it is filled with outdoor cafés and has an amazing energy and ultra cool vibe.

Degraves Street in the Melbourne CBD

The Yarra River is the heart and soul of Melbourne and a stroll from Flinders Street Station down to the Casino and docklands area is also a must. Great restaurants, quirky bars and modern art awaits you, but it also gives you a great feel for Melbourne’s redevelopment over the last 20 years.

Natalie with one of the modern art pieces along the Yarra River

Now if you are more adventurous you can head out to various suburbs for a different taste of Melbourne. Carlton is the ‘Italian’ district and Lygon Street plays home to some of the best Italian restaurants in the city. Or perhaps down to St Kilda for some city beach chill time. Every inner suburb has a different feel and is famous for something different, and only after exploring a few of them do you truly understand what Melbourne is all about.

Of course Melbourne is also famous for its love of sport and if you are lucky enough to visit during a major event you quickly learn Melbourne loves sport almost as much as coffee!! We finish our visit coinciding with the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix – one of the jewels in the city’s sporting crown. Much like Kevin Costner’s movie Field of Dreams, in Melbourne, if you host it, they will come! In fact half of Melbourne will still turn up to watch a sport they know nothing about.

Gearing up for the Grand Prix

Great shopping and great museums also contribute to the Melbourne experience. Every time I visit now I see something different and I have a greater appreciation for my home town. It makes me want to get out and explore London more, a promise Natalie and I have made repeatedly on this trip.

Now while I love Melbourne I am the first to admit it is not perfect, but no city is. Apart from the trams, in particular the Circle Line Tram which does a loop around the city and is free, yes free, ask any Melbournian and they will tell you the public transport system is not great, (Londoners take note). Australia, not just Melbourne in particular is very expensive for tourists but these are small considerations. It is no wonder that Melbourne is regularly voted one of the world’s most liveable cities.

Melbourne’s famous old trams

If you have never been a tourist in your home town get out there and explore, visit the famous sites, eat at the famous cafés and restaurants, go and see that show or museum you have always said you would, who knows, you might just discover you live (or have lived) in a pretty incredible city and you never knew it!

– Dean

13 March 2014 by thesmartwayround

Chapter 11: Melbourne, The In-laws and the Great Outdoors

Touchdown!

We made it, Melbourne, our furthest away point and the whole reason for our overland adventure was now a reality. Landing in Melbourne felt like a world away from what we had experienced through Myanmar, India, Nepal, Tibet and so on.

The sign at Melbourne Airport

Despite our excitement about arriving back in Australia there was also a twinge of sadness. Australia was our penultimate destination, our target to reach by any means possible and here we were. So our excitement was tempered by the fact that in a few short weeks we will be back to normal life, well as normal as it gets for us! However this was not going to stop us having an awesome couple of weeks.

While I grew up in Melbourne, it is no longer ‘home’ ever since my folks sold up and retired down to Torquay. Put simply if there is a better place in the state of Victoria to live it hasn’t been found yet. At the beginning of The Great Ocean Road, one of Australia’s most stunning coastal drives, a short drive to the world famous Bells Beach, Torquay was the perfect spot for us to chill and relax for a few days after our epic adventure. Walks along the beach, a glass of red on the balcony looking for kangaroos, does life get any better?

Torquay front beach

Of course our visit to Oz wouldn’t be us if we didn’t try and cram as much into a brief visit as possible. This included catching up with awesome friends Matt, Kirsty and my favourite kids in the world and spending a few days in Melbourne itself.

I love Melbourne, it is such a vibrant and cool city. Natalie and I have developed a routine in Melbourne which revolves around shopping, particularly the outlet stores near the Crown Casino and Docklands area, walks along the river and normally a drink in Federation Square. We may do the same thing everytime we visit but it is the sense of familiarity we love.

This time however we had one important thing to do, and that was to pick up Natalie’s parents from the airport. They were flying out for our wedding party and it was a surreal experience.

Natalie’s parents help us out an awful lot, particularly with airport drop offs and pick ups and not to forget her Mum’s mercy dash to Paris airport with my newly issued residence permit so I could return to the UK after our honeymoon!

So patiently we waited, welcome sign in hand hardly believing this moment had come. If you have never experienced it, it’s quite a strange feeling picking up your parents or friends from home in another country.

Waiting for Natalie’s parents to arrive

After a late night arrival the following morning we hit up one of Melbourne’s famous lane ways for breakfast before I returned to Torquay and Natalie spent the next day and a half exploring Melbourne with her folks. They rode the free Circle Tram, had dinner on the Colonial Tram Car as well as going up the 88 floors to the Eureka Sky Deck viewing platform and they seemed to really enjoy catching up and re-living old haunts!

The Cole family’s arrival in Torquay was a chance for everyone to catch up, consume a little too much wine, and explore the surf coast region as we prepared for our Wedding Party.

It’s been great having both families together again and also wonderful that Natalie’s parents can see where I grew up and where we spend our time down here in Australia. Week one in Oz has been great and with dawn breaking on Wedding Party day we couldn’t wait to catch up with all our friends and family.

Australia, it’s good to be home!

– Dean

9 March 2014 by thesmartwayround

Chapter 10: All that glitters in Myanmar really is gold!

After an amazing few days in Mandalay it was time to move on. We decided we would mix things up a bit and decided to take a night bus. We were told the journey would take 10 hours: hurray we thought. We’d save a nights’ accommodation money.

We got to the bus station and all was looking rosy. Dean cast his expert eye over the bus, raised an eyebrow and nodded in agreement. With our oversized bags on board we got on. The bus had the makings inside of a good nights’ sleep. With only three well-recling seats across, fluffy (fluorescent pink!) blankets and free (almost boiling as the bus had obviously been in the sun all day!) water it had the makings of a good journey. There was only one fly in the ointment, the quality of the roads! Now for all my travels, I can be at times the world’s worst traveller as I get ill at the drop of a hat. Unfortunately this journey was no exception. As we swayed from side to side on the dark roads I felt like I was on a super turbulent flight and my stomach started to churn. Needless to say it was a long journey and I was still ill the next day! That said it actually wasn’t as long as we thought. I felt a tap on my shoulder and the voice of the conductor said, “Your stop arriving”. We looked at the clock – 3.33am – having left at 8pm it really wasn’t a 10 hour journey!! Our hotel took pity on us though and didn’t charge us for this extra bit of a nights’ stay – so thank you Good Will Guest House in Nyaung Shwe at Inle Lake!

Originally we weren’t sure how long to have at Lake Inle, but my bout of bus-induced-sickness made the decision for us. We had two full days and it was perfect. On day one we took it easy and explored town, the local markets and then headed out on our bikes to a couple of monasteries we had spotted a few hours early on our taxi ride in. One of them, Baw Ri That, was one big gold stupa surrounded by lots of smaller stupa. There were no tourists there and it doesn’t make the Lonely Planet, but in our opinion it was the best one in the area. From there we headed out to the Red Mountain vineyard for sunset and a glass of wine to settle my stomach! You may have read my previous blog about our trip there so I won’t repeat myself, but in brief Myanmar wine is surprisingly good – if only we could get it in the UK.

A good drop

The next day we were up early and headed out on our longboat on Inle Lake. Whilst a bit too much of a tourist hot spot you can understand why. It’s beautiful and a must see. As we sped out onto the lake we saw the first of many fishermen catching their prey. What is unusual about these guys is the way they fish. Whilst throwing their wooden net from their sand-pan style boat, they stand at the end of boat and row using their leg wrapped around the oar. It’s hard to describe yet fascinating to watch and a technique I have never seen anywhere else in the world. We would have been quite happy to have watched them all day but we had things to see!

An unique fishing technique

Enjoying Inle Lake

Our ‘boat driver’ Mon Pei took us to a number of sights during the day but the first was to see the markets which were today in Inthein. These markets float from village to village daily so it depends on the day of the week where you will find them. We were pleased they were here as it also gave us the chance to see the Shwe Inn Thein Paya temple ruins. Not dissimilar to some of the Angkor Wat complex, these ruins had trees growing amongst them.

Shwe Inn Thein Paya

Our next stop took us to see the Padaung tribe ladies. These ladies are famous for wearing copper rings around their neck. They are super heavy and they never take them off, resulting in their neck being stretched as much as 14cm. As they are so heavy they do not go to school or work and we’d heard lots of conflicting things about them. Some people say they like following the tradition others say young girls are forced into it and we never did get to the bottom of it. We felt uncomfortable really as it seemed like these ladies were on show much like the monks in Mandalay, but we bought a few of their handicrafts ever hopeful it would help them in some small way.

Gazing out

For the rest of the day we visited a couple of craft places and cruised around the stilted villages and floating gardens. The lake is home to so much life. Life that is massively different to our own. I can’t imagine walking down the stilts of my house and washing in a sarong in the lake with people driving past. But this is what these families are used to and judging from so of the smiles, they really enjoyed waving to passers-by.

Our time at the lake was over and it was time to move on. We decided to fly back to Yangon and it was the best decision. We checked in at Heho airport and waited for our flight. I saw people disappearing outside next to the tarmac so I followed! I spent the most amazing 45 minutes watching the planes land. I was so close the back draft of one it nearly blew me back inside! The pilots were stood smoking whilst the re-fuellers did their job in flip flops talking on mobile phones. I saw over eight planes land / take off and loved being closer than any other airport security would allow. Eventually my fun was over and an airport official ushered all us plane spotters back inside!

Plane heaven…

Back in Yangon and we hit the real Myanmar heat – 36 degrees! We spent a day there initially visiting Sule Paya (a beautiful monetary situated in the middle of the Yangon’s main roundabout!) and walking through some of the Colonial areas of town. It was a nice introduction.

The next day we set off for what turned into one of the highlights of the trip. I had seen pictures of Mt Kyaikhtiyo or as its more commonly called the ‘Golden Rock’ when we applied for our visas in Kathmandu and I instantly wanted to go there. It took us about four hours to reach the bottom of the rock but then the adventure really began! We loaded into the back of a 36 ‘seater’ (just a narrow bench too small for even the smallest bum!) and hung on for the ride! As the truck spluttered and lurched forward everyone held onto each other. The single track path up the mountain was VERY steep but somehow we made it! The next challenge came when the hotel we booked had lost our reservation… And was full! However this turned out for the best as we walked into the temple complex and found a pilgrim hotel with a view over the vast forests below and cheaper as well. Perfect!

Simply Stunning

We then spent the next 24 hours gazing at the Golden Rock at every time of day. For Buddhists this is a really scared and holy site and it certainly had ‘something’ special. Like all holy sites in Myanmar you leave your shoes and socks at the door (or in our case our hotel room). There isn’t much you don’t walk through! We’d become accustomed to having dirty feet, but our problem here was burnt feet! The midday sub has heated the marble flooring to such a degree that we could barely walk on some bits! We quickly learnt to avoid the black tiles and run from shady patch to shady patch!

Sunset

We returned later on it the afternoon and watched the sun go down. As it did the rock almost became more golden, if that’s possible. We bought some gold leaf and Dean went and rubbed it onto the rock for both of us (ladies are not allowed). Once darkness has fallen the rock was beautifully illuminated and so we re-took all our pictures again! By this point several pilgrim groups where already chanting their mantras. Some of them we’d find in the same place doing the same thing several hours later at sunrise – that’s dedication for you!

Dean rubbing the gold leaf onto the rock

We had a few hours rest before getting up for sunrise. Here it was almost like someone drawing the curtains on the rock as the shadows peeled back and the sun lit up the gold. It’s a difficult place to get to but one that’s truly spectacular and well worth the effort.

On the way back we spent a very enjoyable day in Bago. We visited several temples and sights, but the two most noteworthy off us were the lying Buddha (and his ever-so-slightly smaller brother next door) and Kyaik Pun. Which is four giant sitting Buddha’s each with funky sparkled nails!

Kyaik Pun

On the way back from Bago we stopped at Taukkyan War Cemetery. This is maintained by the commonwealth was graves commission and contained the remains of 6374 allied service men, as well as the inscription of the names of 27,000 others whose bodies were never found. Perhaps the most powerful headstones I saw were those for shoulders killed on the exact day that Dad was born. The Lonely Planet sums up this site very well and say, “slowly, as you walk around reading the names of those who died and the epitaphs commemorating them, the heat of the sum seems to fade and the noise of the road recedes, leaving you alone in the silence of your own thoughts in this immensely sad place”. They have never said a truer word.

Taukkyan War Cemetery

When we got bank to Yangon we did the rounds of all the sites, before saving the best until last. Rising up about parts of Shwedagon Paya – a magnificent pagoda both in the day and at night which is the jewel in the crown for Yangon tourism. So much so they have even built lifts up to the base, but it really isn’t that far so we walked. This Myanmar icon certainly didn’t disappoint and the longer we sat ‘watching it’ the more special it became. The diamond orb right at the top holds over 4351 diamonds of unthinkable size carats whilst slightly below, the umbrella section contains over 1/2 a ton of gold and is encrusted with 83,850 items of jewellery and 4016 small gold bells. Within the complex are many bells, Buddha images etc etc as well as an interesting photo exhibition. However the site of the pagoda as a whole stands out above all these things put together. There is a white marble Buddha for each day of the week, and tradition states that you find the day of the week you were born, then place five cups of water over Buddha praying for five different things – the last of which should be the health of your family. Dean and I both found the relevant day and joined in. We had left if until late in the afternoon to visit as the light is best. The sun initially made the gold glisten before slowly dipping. As it got dark the lights came on and again camera shutter clocks resonated out. This truly was a fitting place to finish our time here.

Shwedagon Paya

Dean pouring water over the Buddha image for his birth day of the week

Myanmar is a very special place. Since it opened up tourists has flocked, mostly in groups (try and go independently as the money gets to local people more). However no matter how much or how little people have, they are always willing to give you a wave or smile and say hello. Coming from India we had our defences up. Rarely do street sellers there offer you help or advice without a catch. In Myanmar they fall over themselves to help out and it was something that we both admired and appreciated. When you’ve been travelling for a while, certain countries begin to stand out as having especially nice people and for us, they can really make or break our experience. Myanmar is special anyway, but the people here make it stand out as one of the friendliest places we have ever visited as well as one of the best. It’s simply amazing.

– Natalie

19 February 2014 by thesmartwayround

Some Like it Hot – Food in India

For Dean, when he arrived in India he thought everything was going to be so hot and spicy that there would be little left of our insides by the time we left…. Whilst this excited him I was a little worried! The mass spice attack hasn’t been the case but we haven’t been left disappointed. The food has been nicely ‘warm’ whilst not blowing our brains out and above all has been amazingly tasty.

I have stuck to vegetarian dishes which have been so good that I wonder if I’ll ever truly turn back to meat (with the exception of my Mum’s Roast pork and Mother-in-law’s steak!).

My favourite, which surprisingly came in a number of different combinations were the Thali dishes. Essentially a big silver tray full of yummy goodness. Most had a kind of lentil Dahl, veggie curry, curd (yoghurt which came in handy for cooling things down!), spicy rice and of course some chapati or roti to scoop everything up with. The elaborate versions even had fruit and some come with meat. It was like a mini buffet on a plate and from Nepal onwards they became my dish of choice!

Thali

In Jaipur one speciality were tandoori skewers of (mainly) meaty goodness. I passed on this but Dean enjoyed them on a few occasions and seemed to think that you could never have enough!

Our favourite restaurant in Jaipur

I have mentioned our love of samosa in a previous blog and this continued right until the end. However along the way we discovered other yummy lunchtime options and snacks. One day Dean had a Masala Dosa (wafer thin savoury crepe) which was a top choice whilst I sampled vegetable Pakora – bite size deep fried veggies! some things here are not so healthy, but hey we are on holiday!

Masala Dosa

One of the most exciting part of train travel was the food circus that emerged before your eyes both when on the train and at stations when waiting. Sellers with their leaf-made-plates served up a storm to travellers on the train, using playing cards for spoons. You could get anything from samosa to tomato soup, popcorn, nuts and full on dinner platters. Not to mention the constant calls of “chai chai chai” from the sellers offering tea! Once one train pulled out of the station the vendors would load the bowl of their offerings onto their head and climb down onto the tracks to cross the lines to meet the next train. Why use the bridge when you can walk through the yukkiness and amongst the rats! I guess speed is of the essence. On the one journey where we tried the a/c class coach I was disappointed with the lack of vendors. They make the journey exciting. As I write this on our last train calls of “byriani byriani (a type of spicy rice)” have just passed by!

As well as snacks and Thali we have tried many amazing curries. My Dhal Makhani (black lentils with butter) was especially good at a hole in the wall restaurant in Jaipur but we’ve also had some good butter paneer (a kind of cottage cheese) and Dean enjoys a Lababdar…. Key for me is looking out for the word “Aloo”. This means potato and generally speaking means I’m going to love it!

You just got to hope your hands are clean…

Not to be outdone, sweet treats and drinks all rein supreme in India. On our second train the family who bought me chai also offered me some Indian sweets. Customary when Indian weddings are involved. This family were on their way back from a wedding and had lots of sweets to share! To be honest I’d stick with a bar of Cadbury chocolate any day but I was grateful for their offering. My favourite sweet treat was Jalebis – deep fried batter dunked in sugar syrup. Right up my street!

For drinks one thing that rules on a hot day is a fruit Lassi. Essentially a milkshake like drink with the key ingredient being yoghurt. They come with ‘seasonal’ fruits (or more to the point whatever is available!) and banana was our favourite! No matter what the temperature Chai is everywhere and must be tried. Its a kind of spiced tea which is milky and sweet and is served in small cups.

One thing that concerns a lot of people about the food here is the World famous Delhi Belly. To say we haven’t suffered at some point would be untrue however we decided we wanted to get out there, eat with the locals and try what we could. If all else fails there are pharmacies everywhere who will sort you out 😉 .

The food here has been amazing. Three weeks on and I’m not bored of curry, in fact I can’t wait to try something new from the menu at India Cottage – our favourite curry house in the UK! The food in Myanmar has a lot to live up to!

Bon appetite!

– Natalie

The Smart Way Round

Travel blog of two overland adventurers and now family travellers. Just because you have kids doesn't mean the adventure stops.

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Some Like it Hot – Food in India

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