Is been a while. I got to thinking about trying to update my blog but the problem is twofold. One, its a big task, if I really wanted to I would probably have done it by now, and two I am so forgetful id probably miss lots of information out anyway.
To update im here in Santa Barbara, California house sitting for a friend of a friend. Its a nice sleepy little place called Goleta and im happily encamped in a one bed condo with loads of nice facilities, cinema down the road, shops and lots of great food options. And, get this, IVE GOT A KITCHEN.
There are mountains to one side of me and sea to the other, the weather is generally steady late teens and ive even got a cool beach cruiser bike to get about when I don't use the super efficient bus network. six weeks hey is the plan, culminating in Kim and Ria flying out on 15/3 to visit for a two week road trip north up the Pacific Coast Highway and then on to Vancouver for hiking.
Mexican food is king here and boy am I taking advantage, especially in the small divey restaurants where the grub is plentiful cheap and suer tasty, and as per America the portions are usually enough to feed a small family. Its normal practice here to take what you don't heat home, and everyone does it
Fast forward six weeks, the picture has changed somewhat. The C word has arrived worldwide. Panic buying of toilet rolls and pasta, mass cancellation of major public events, airlines cancelling travel, complete lockdown of whole countries. At first most were quite calm about it, myself included and jokes were abound, then it began to spread, and spread and im sitting here wondering what the world will look like in a month, two months etc. Its having a devastating effect on businesses big and small, airlines, hospitals and is touching the lives of everyone.
Selfishly it probably means the girls won't come now too, and I wonder what this makes my travel look like for the next few months. As I type Trump has closed of all incoming travel from Europe, as of tomorrow but excluding UK.
Luckily I don't have anything booked up as I tend to wing my travel so essentially I can go anywhere at any time. Mars is looking attractive right now but alas I think I may not be able to afford the ticket.
So I guess ill be here in USA for a while unless is can find a way to Canada, im trying to decide what to do if im so stuck
Sunday, 15 November 2020
The land of smiles
I was going to head straight back to UK after Nam, primarily to get my van ready to tour Europe, and see friends and family after being away for seven months.
However, the flight costs were shocking, I guess because the after Christmas travellers were still moving about. Hmm where to go? Checking online I saw super cheap flights to Thailand, great memories there, good temps and cheap ish and after the solitude of Lam Dong I was hungry for human interaction and it didn't need to be meaningful!. Onward travel to UK was good value too.
Feeling a little rebellious I went against all the guidebook advice and headed straight into Patong, party capital - you only live once!
I stayed in a hostel just out of the way of the centre but walkable, on the fifth floor in a shared dorm for a kingly sum of £6 a night.
Heading out down the Main Street was an assault of sounds smells and colours, wow! I drank in the craziness and headed for the beach, head full of great memories of the last time I was in Thailand back in 2017 with my best friend Kim.
I was advised by another friend Caroline (who lives in the area) to head north up the beach to get away from the tourists a bit, I duly complied and was rewarded with a nice little cove to sit and read and swim. A couple of hours later id managed to find and arrange a meet-up with another solo lady traveller who was based in Krabi. Ok mission on, Krabi was a bus ride away and somewhere id never been so why not! Accepting a challenge is always fun. The next day I found myself on the old blue bus heading out of town up a huge hill, my legs stuck to the bench seat in the sticky hot weather and I was glad of my sarong to sit on. I love open bus journeys, you see so much and often strike up random conversations with other travellers and locals.
Arriving in Krabi I met up with Cass, she's half Singaporean and half Aussie - a beautiful confident lady with a fabulous personality, we hit it off straight away (plus her hostel had a swimming pool!) and ended up travelling together for the next ten days and we had a ball, we travelled to Kao Sok and stayed in the floating bungalows, went caving and saw spiders, bats, frogs and catfish, not to mention the beautiful rock formations, deep water and darkness that was all a part of it. We smoked weed and watched the sun go down on beautiful beaches, at amazing food and walked miles. We swam in lakes, went on boats and bartered, bantered and generally spent every day winging it!
I even changed my flight so I could stay another week in Thailand. I was sad to see Cass go but I think well stay in touch.
Next stop UK brrrrr
However, the flight costs were shocking, I guess because the after Christmas travellers were still moving about. Hmm where to go? Checking online I saw super cheap flights to Thailand, great memories there, good temps and cheap ish and after the solitude of Lam Dong I was hungry for human interaction and it didn't need to be meaningful!. Onward travel to UK was good value too.
Feeling a little rebellious I went against all the guidebook advice and headed straight into Patong, party capital - you only live once!
I stayed in a hostel just out of the way of the centre but walkable, on the fifth floor in a shared dorm for a kingly sum of £6 a night.
Heading out down the Main Street was an assault of sounds smells and colours, wow! I drank in the craziness and headed for the beach, head full of great memories of the last time I was in Thailand back in 2017 with my best friend Kim.
I was advised by another friend Caroline (who lives in the area) to head north up the beach to get away from the tourists a bit, I duly complied and was rewarded with a nice little cove to sit and read and swim. A couple of hours later id managed to find and arrange a meet-up with another solo lady traveller who was based in Krabi. Ok mission on, Krabi was a bus ride away and somewhere id never been so why not! Accepting a challenge is always fun. The next day I found myself on the old blue bus heading out of town up a huge hill, my legs stuck to the bench seat in the sticky hot weather and I was glad of my sarong to sit on. I love open bus journeys, you see so much and often strike up random conversations with other travellers and locals.
Arriving in Krabi I met up with Cass, she's half Singaporean and half Aussie - a beautiful confident lady with a fabulous personality, we hit it off straight away (plus her hostel had a swimming pool!) and ended up travelling together for the next ten days and we had a ball, we travelled to Kao Sok and stayed in the floating bungalows, went caving and saw spiders, bats, frogs and catfish, not to mention the beautiful rock formations, deep water and darkness that was all a part of it. We smoked weed and watched the sun go down on beautiful beaches, at amazing food and walked miles. We swam in lakes, went on boats and bartered, bantered and generally spent every day winging it!
I even changed my flight so I could stay another week in Thailand. I was sad to see Cass go but I think well stay in touch.
Next stop UK brrrrr
Lam Dong
I’ve stayed in non touristy places in different countries before. This however is a fairly new kind of experience. Firstly I’ve got sole responsibility of a dog, that’s a first. Lucky as I am Toby the bichon frisée is as calm as you like, never begs, sleeps all night and is generally more easy going than most humans.
Secondly - I am super remote, literally haven’t seen any other westerners apart from the owners since I arrived.
Aiden took me to the bigger town before they left Ed for their holidays. Da Lat is about 11km away - there is a supermarket there and a large night market so I picked up a few things.
Now a week later Im getting low on food so ventured out into the nearest village. There’s no ‘supermarket’ as such, just a series of small wooden or corrugated buildings selling locally grown produce, baby milk, crisps and snacks and pop. Very few other groceries. So usually it’s all veggies which I enjoy, some I’ve never seen before but usually carrots broccoli cabbage lots of leaves, I can’t find mushrooms or lemons and apples are super expensive. You can however get a big bagful of seasonal stuff for about £2!
If I want more choice I have to venture into Da Lat but I’m not overly bothered. It’s nice living so simply - and quite a rest too.
The house I’m staying in is huge, five bedrooms, tiled everywhere, very big doors and tall cowlings, but again simple not palatial. No curtains, not hot water apart from one small electric shower in a bathroom in the kitchen (?)
In the kitchen there’s no oven but there is a two burner gas job (large gas bottle underneath) a sink with a cold tap and a kettle, microwave and fridge freezer.
I’m living quite comfortably with such basic amenities and it makes me realise just show much extra ‘stuff’ we have in the west.
One thing I would swap is the matress it’s as hard as rock! I’ve come across this before in Asia, i wonder what they would think of our mattresses! My body is slowly getting used to it.
Lam Dong
As i arrive at each destination i start thinking about the next. Not in an unhealthy way you inderstand, more a tiny bit of planning, the process goes as follows:
Decide if i want to stay in the areaa/country - in this instance i felt id done Aussie justice in the time spent here.
Look at map - find places i havent been in the same hempisphere
Log onto Workaway and see whats interesting
Log onto Trusted Petsitters and again see what looks good
Then - and this is the biggie, check Google Flights and see wheres cheap, realtively warm and very interesting.
Vietnam was coming up trumps so i zoned in on Petsitters and Workaway. In my experience you need to send arounf 8-10 requests to get one or two positive responses in return, and then they need to be suitable and in the correct dates etc etc. I spend quite some time doing this admin before i confirm anything.
I make contact with Aiden and Susana in Lam Dong Privince, Da Lat, Vietnam - yup ive no idea where that is either. I see pictures of Toby the dog, seems small and inoffensive, and we start chatting on Whatsapp (Aiden not Toby). Aiden seems fun and sends me heaps of info. I do a little research and discover a good flight proce and that Lam Dong is pretty far out in the sticks. I decide it might be nice to hide in the hills for 3.5 weeks, thereby escaping the festivities bah humbug etc.
I tentatively confirm anf book the flights. The cheapest way is Melbourne - Balis Denpasar-Ho Chi Minh City - Da Lat god bless my carbon footprint (more on that later)
I continue my work in Melbourne and leave at 5am one morning by the ever trusty Uber to Melbourne to get my 7.45am flight to Bali. Farewell Australia, what a journey it was, i think i know you pretty well now. I sit on the plane and realise ive left my airpods at the money exchange desk inside the aiport, dammit, i press the call button and explain to the stewardess, she disappears and i begin to think ill not see them again ( i LOVE my airpods, podcasts and tedtalks keep me sane on flights!) Ten minutes later im told i can leave the plane and go and find them if im fast. Christ, here goes, i run off the plane and back into the terminal, as i do so im aware i may look quite dodgy charging through the middle of the airport like a mad woman but im on a mission. arriving at the money change desk its a different assistant serving, my heart sinks. I explain my predicament and before i reach the end of the sentence the lady passes me my airpods, i smile and dash back to see the whole plane is seated and ready to leave, gosh ive become THAT passenger havent i , the one holding everyone up. Meekly i return to my seat and keep my head down for the entire flight.
I made it to Bali avoiding crying babies, and intact of mind and arrived in the familiar fragrant Denpasar airport. Having been here before it brought back some good memories, stopping to ponder briefly i realised i had to collect my bag, go through customs and immigration and then re-enter the airport to take the flight to HCMC, this porcess took an age, especially when you are trying to explain to immigration you dont actually want to stay in Bali! they eyed me with suspicion - but eventually let me go, i dashed thorugh customs and outside then abck in to departures.
Its about 38 degrees and im running late, i check in, dump my backpack and then proceed through security. I grab a takeaway vegan bowl and arrive just in time to board my flight, wow who booked this schedule...oh yes it was me!
The flight to HCMC goes smoothly and at theis stage ive no idea what the coerrect time is and choose not to worry. Arriving in Ho Chi Minh iks an epxerience of its own, huge crowds of people all travelling with so much luggage, boxes wrapped in string, strange looking packages containing who knows what. I know ive got three hours intil my flight to Da Lat, but o cant relax, its time to source my visa. I managed to get a pre visa letter on line before i travelled, this means ive been 'checked' so in essence it should be a breeze, experience tells me not to count my chickens.
I arrive at the Visa area, its heaving and there appear to be three people serving behind glass panes. In mant countries people dont queue politely as we do in the UK, its kind of slightly less polite carnage. I join a messy queue and wait. After about 2 mins i reach the front and approach an official, i show him my letter and he sends me to a corner on the left and says photo. No idea what ive to do so i ask those around me, it appears i need a passport sized photo,aha! Ive an old one in my purse, knew id need that one day, i flourish it and Britishly rejoin the back of the ever growing queue. I reach the front again and triumphantly flourish my photo, he takes it and attaches it to my form, then asks for the Visa pre approval letter, i show him on my phone, he then points me to a computer and tells me to log in to my gmail and print it, huff! I do as requested (it took me several attmepts, i mean who knows their gmail password?) Now im getitng nervous, its 7.10pm and my flight it at 7.45, ive still not collected my luggage, checked in or been through immigration. I grow a pair and go straight to the front of the queue, strnagely no one bats an eyelid, i can imagine it being quite an issue at home.
Back to Mr Official who takes my paperwork, nods and asks me to take a seat on the other side of the room. Ive no idea why, or what happens next, im resigned to missing my flight and spendng the night on the airport floor. I dutifully obey and watch proceedings, ahhh everyone on my side of the room is slowly being called up, they have to pay some money and then they get their passport and visa. I listen intently and after about 15 mins i hear my name, 30 dollars later ive got my visa and once again, im running through the airport. Bag collected and immigration passed i head to the check in, they are shouting through the queues for Da Lat passengers and rush me through check in, i run again to the gate and upon arriving see the flight is delayed for 40 min and breathe....
Taking my seat on the plane i notice its tiny, my knees are jammed up againts the seat in front - thank heavens its a short flight, 50 mins. We take off and then ten minutes in we start our descent, it was actually a 20 min flight, not sure what happened there! ive never been on such a short flight and would have taken a train if id known.
Arriving in Da Lat Luc the taxi driver was waiting, it was nice to see a friendly face. His English wasnt great but we made small talk for the hour jounrey to Lam Dong.
Arriving at 1030pm i said hello to Aiden who was struggling to stay awake, met Toby who seemed delightful and hit the hay.
Workaway number four
I land in Melbourne and get a cab to my next workaway. Household jobs and maintenance in Coburg, Melbourne.
I arrive at the house at a little after midnight and find the front door is open but i am unable to find any people.
I wander around the kitchen and pop the kettle on, all the time hoping im in the right place and aren't about to get arrested/shot or attacked haha!
A few minutes later a car pulls up and out jumps Ben, an affable guy but i just want a cup of tea and sleep!
Im offered a caravan or a bedroom and i quickly accept the bedroom and retire with my tea.
First time in a bunk bed for years! i sleep soundly and wake around six. Kettle on again and a small woman shuffles past me with a faraway look in her eye as she descends on the medicine cabinet.
I say hi and get a mumble in return, ah well - must be another workawayer who has had a heavy night!
Ben is at work so i send him a Whatsapp and we make a plan for the day, my first job is to clean one of the caravans on the driveway as two new workawayers are arriving imminently. I find all the cleaning gear and get on it straight away. Just as i finish i find the two new guests have arrived, Fiorello and Lautano, from Uruguay and Argentina, in their 30s, and super lovely.i welcome them and show them around the little i know of the house and we drink tea. I see we are pretty much left alone so we find work that we think needs doing and get on with it.
Later that evening Janine arrives, shes Bens wife and ohhhh i recognise her, the shuffling figure from earlier that morning! wow, what a transformation! Shes like a whirlwind and we instantly get on well.
As we walk through the house spotting things to be done i write them down, and it soon transpires there's a huge amount of work to do and Janine wants me to supervise. Its then i learn there's another young volunteer called Eastern from Canada in the next room to me! He spends alot of time in there so i make a mental note to wheedle him out.
Janine changes the subject, to her marriage...i remain professional and listen. Her and Ben are experimenting with an open marriage and both seeing people. Why i need to know this i have no idea. I nod and learn they've been together 25 years and need something more. Erm ok.
They both go to work (phew) and i return to finding the tools we need to start some of the jobs.
I introduce everyone and we work for a few hours. Eastern is a curious character tall and skinny with a cocksure attitude - at 18 hes older than his years conversationally so we have some interesting conversations but in other ways, he tires easily and often is judgemental of others.
Lauto is a fun guy, his English is getting there and i soon fall into the role of teacher, which we both enjoy. Fiorello is pretty and smart and keeps Lau focused - they are a great couple and i enjoy their company immensely.
As im only here a week i work on redoing a day room for Janeene and Ben, so most of my time is taken sorting it out and prepping and painting. I work two long days and take a day off.
I decide to walk into Melbourne on the day off and its 10k, no chance of getting lost as you can almost always see the skyline.
When i arrive i feel suffocated almost immediately, blimey, ive been in the bush too long i think!
Towards the end of my stay i wake one morning and, to my surprise - or not, Janeene appears form her room (wrapped in atowel!) with someone that isnt Ben. she introduces me to Pete and we say hi. Ben then appears form another room. This house is like a pandoras box!
I arrive at the house at a little after midnight and find the front door is open but i am unable to find any people.
I wander around the kitchen and pop the kettle on, all the time hoping im in the right place and aren't about to get arrested/shot or attacked haha!
A few minutes later a car pulls up and out jumps Ben, an affable guy but i just want a cup of tea and sleep!
Im offered a caravan or a bedroom and i quickly accept the bedroom and retire with my tea.
First time in a bunk bed for years! i sleep soundly and wake around six. Kettle on again and a small woman shuffles past me with a faraway look in her eye as she descends on the medicine cabinet.
I say hi and get a mumble in return, ah well - must be another workawayer who has had a heavy night!
Ben is at work so i send him a Whatsapp and we make a plan for the day, my first job is to clean one of the caravans on the driveway as two new workawayers are arriving imminently. I find all the cleaning gear and get on it straight away. Just as i finish i find the two new guests have arrived, Fiorello and Lautano, from Uruguay and Argentina, in their 30s, and super lovely.i welcome them and show them around the little i know of the house and we drink tea. I see we are pretty much left alone so we find work that we think needs doing and get on with it.
Later that evening Janine arrives, shes Bens wife and ohhhh i recognise her, the shuffling figure from earlier that morning! wow, what a transformation! Shes like a whirlwind and we instantly get on well.
As we walk through the house spotting things to be done i write them down, and it soon transpires there's a huge amount of work to do and Janine wants me to supervise. Its then i learn there's another young volunteer called Eastern from Canada in the next room to me! He spends alot of time in there so i make a mental note to wheedle him out.
Janine changes the subject, to her marriage...i remain professional and listen. Her and Ben are experimenting with an open marriage and both seeing people. Why i need to know this i have no idea. I nod and learn they've been together 25 years and need something more. Erm ok.
They both go to work (phew) and i return to finding the tools we need to start some of the jobs.
I introduce everyone and we work for a few hours. Eastern is a curious character tall and skinny with a cocksure attitude - at 18 hes older than his years conversationally so we have some interesting conversations but in other ways, he tires easily and often is judgemental of others.
Lauto is a fun guy, his English is getting there and i soon fall into the role of teacher, which we both enjoy. Fiorello is pretty and smart and keeps Lau focused - they are a great couple and i enjoy their company immensely.
As im only here a week i work on redoing a day room for Janeene and Ben, so most of my time is taken sorting it out and prepping and painting. I work two long days and take a day off.
I decide to walk into Melbourne on the day off and its 10k, no chance of getting lost as you can almost always see the skyline.
When i arrive i feel suffocated almost immediately, blimey, ive been in the bush too long i think!
Towards the end of my stay i wake one morning and, to my surprise - or not, Janeene appears form her room (wrapped in atowel!) with someone that isnt Ben. she introduces me to Pete and we say hi. Ben then appears form another room. This house is like a pandoras box!
Fond farewells
Our last few days we speed around South Island NZ in a mad dash to see as much as we can and hope that our 30-year-old car holds out before we get it home.
Hampered by bad weather we make the most of the days and are welcomed by some lovely people in the evenings, Nic in the bohemian hostel in Picton, Bruce and Joy in their family home in Te Anau (with way too much whiskey for the boys) and a couple of interesting motels we stayed in. Milford Sound was spectacular, ive never seen so much water pouring from the tops of mountains and the roads are so incredibly loopy it takes you an age to get anywhere, much to our delight.
Soon we reach Picton and prepare to take the ferry back, our last night surrounded by the friend we made there, and a new one or two which was really lovely.
We say our goodbyes and take the ferry to Wellington and then drive to our Air BNB not far from there. It was a funny little self-contained lower floor - a little over doe and over-managed but most welcome - bonus washier and dryer which i took full advantage of!
The next day we made the six-hour drive to Hamilton to return the red devil sports car! We took the wonderful donors out for dinner and shared stories and laughs.
That night we slept well and were up early to take the coach to Auckland. Lloyds flight was at three and mine 9pm which meant a super long wait. We talked and said our farewells, i even had a little cry. Wed spent soo much time together i was unsure what life would be like without him.
I wandered the airport until my flight to Melbourne and mulled over my next moves.
Hampered by bad weather we make the most of the days and are welcomed by some lovely people in the evenings, Nic in the bohemian hostel in Picton, Bruce and Joy in their family home in Te Anau (with way too much whiskey for the boys) and a couple of interesting motels we stayed in. Milford Sound was spectacular, ive never seen so much water pouring from the tops of mountains and the roads are so incredibly loopy it takes you an age to get anywhere, much to our delight.
Soon we reach Picton and prepare to take the ferry back, our last night surrounded by the friend we made there, and a new one or two which was really lovely.
We say our goodbyes and take the ferry to Wellington and then drive to our Air BNB not far from there. It was a funny little self-contained lower floor - a little over doe and over-managed but most welcome - bonus washier and dryer which i took full advantage of!
The next day we made the six-hour drive to Hamilton to return the red devil sports car! We took the wonderful donors out for dinner and shared stories and laughs.
That night we slept well and were up early to take the coach to Auckland. Lloyds flight was at three and mine 9pm which meant a super long wait. We talked and said our farewells, i even had a little cry. Wed spent soo much time together i was unsure what life would be like without him.
I wandered the airport until my flight to Melbourne and mulled over my next moves.
Countryside lockdown
I spent a night in a hotel in Coventry, Kims Ian was not a well man and some of his symptoms and what ive read on the news made me a little nervous. Kim and I went for a long walk and then I headed towards Huntingdon where Marc and Laura had offered to put me up.
Here I am tw whole weeks later, firmly ensconced in the daily life here. And do you know, its quite nice!
When I arrived we were reporting daily on a few small numbers of Covid19 victims in the UK, fast forward and this has grown somewhat. Heres a few facts to give you an idea of the impact of this thing. As of today:
Ait transport has almost all but ceased in UK, easyJet have sent all their staff home for two months.
Our PM and a few of his sidekick have succumbed.
Social distancing is the new phrase of the day.
We are only allowed outside to shop for essentials, medical aid and once daily exercise.
Businesses are folding and diversifying all over the country/world
Panic buying and low staff numbers mean shops have very little stock of goods, whole sections are taped off for non essential goods.
its a surreal world and each day when I wake I wonder if it was some kind of strange dream, but no, its the new reality for some time yet.
Anyway back to here. Marc and Laura live in a nice house out in the sticks in a village called Upton. Its on the edge of some fields. They share their home with Moose (bulldog/rottweiller cross) three cats, Barney, Crystabelle and Teddy, two rabbits, a bearded dragon and three geckos. Im going to like it here.
Here I am tw whole weeks later, firmly ensconced in the daily life here. And do you know, its quite nice!
When I arrived we were reporting daily on a few small numbers of Covid19 victims in the UK, fast forward and this has grown somewhat. Heres a few facts to give you an idea of the impact of this thing. As of today:
Ait transport has almost all but ceased in UK, easyJet have sent all their staff home for two months.
Our PM and a few of his sidekick have succumbed.
Social distancing is the new phrase of the day.
We are only allowed outside to shop for essentials, medical aid and once daily exercise.
Businesses are folding and diversifying all over the country/world
Panic buying and low staff numbers mean shops have very little stock of goods, whole sections are taped off for non essential goods.
its a surreal world and each day when I wake I wonder if it was some kind of strange dream, but no, its the new reality for some time yet.
Anyway back to here. Marc and Laura live in a nice house out in the sticks in a village called Upton. Its on the edge of some fields. They share their home with Moose (bulldog/rottweiller cross) three cats, Barney, Crystabelle and Teddy, two rabbits, a bearded dragon and three geckos. Im going to like it here.
Busy living
Yes i havent written for an age i know... im sitting here looking for excuses and reasons and the only one i can think of is that im busy LIVING! So ill make no apologies and will try to update you on the last few weeks!
Last i looked we were in Albany WA, thats was aaaages ago and now im sitting in Swan Hill Victoria preparing to fly out to New Zealand before my visa expires on Thursday.
So heres a whirlwind tour of the last six weeks...i left you last in Albany WA where we were busy visiting tour operators and travelling the coastline, here are some highlights....
Being invited to a party where they lit a tree, and staying on a block with an incredible guy called Dundee for a few nights
Seeing the biggest trees ive ever laid eyes on and learning about plants and animals ive never seen before.
Driving around 20,000kms and almost circumnavigating Australia camping in a small tent and making fires to cook on every night
Snorkelling with sealions, manta rays and dolphins in the wild (no bait or enticement!)
Driving in the bush and the outback, not seeing any other cars for hours.
Camping in an old bus in the middle of the rainforest.
not washing for five days and not caring about it!
meeting the most incredible people who really care about the planet and environment.
Last i looked we were in Albany WA, thats was aaaages ago and now im sitting in Swan Hill Victoria preparing to fly out to New Zealand before my visa expires on Thursday.
So heres a whirlwind tour of the last six weeks...i left you last in Albany WA where we were busy visiting tour operators and travelling the coastline, here are some highlights....
Being invited to a party where they lit a tree, and staying on a block with an incredible guy called Dundee for a few nights
Seeing the biggest trees ive ever laid eyes on and learning about plants and animals ive never seen before.
Driving around 20,000kms and almost circumnavigating Australia camping in a small tent and making fires to cook on every night
Snorkelling with sealions, manta rays and dolphins in the wild (no bait or enticement!)
Driving in the bush and the outback, not seeing any other cars for hours.
Camping in an old bus in the middle of the rainforest.
not washing for five days and not caring about it!
meeting the most incredible people who really care about the planet and environment.
Gnarls Barnley
Two months, two whole months ive been here in the countryside, I can barely believe it!
In return for the very comfortable and hospitable home I am helping out, and Marc and Laura are so relaxed I kinda take it upon myself to do what I think needs doing and it seems to be going down well. a bit of cleaning and a bit of cooking here and there, some decorating and fixing things. We are working on the barn at the end of the garden, and what a mighty beast it is, over 20 years old and in definite need of repair. Marc and Laura work from home all day, I potter about and at weekends we launch ourselves full pelt in a somewhat amateurish and enthusiastic attempt at rebuilding and repairing the roofless and skeletal barn. until one evening, we were chatting about me being single etc and Laura had a swipe on my behalf on my Tinder account. Over the next few days I had many matches and spoke to a few, a pleasant and somewhat entertaining diversion. One chap was a carpenter and when I told him of the barn he got quite animated and gave all kinds of advice, culminating in a social distancing date of sorts where he drove over (only about 15 mins) and we went for a talk and a walk. He seemed more enthuse about the barn than may disarming company so I duly and socially distantly showed him our efforts. He expressed concern and shored up some of the perceived weaker areas and gave us a load of advice. The next day (I told you he was keen) he called and said he was worried and would be over at the weekend - this wasn't by invite but bemused and also slightly concerned by this we allowed it. Let me tell you the barn is large, and we were confident but soaking up the advice. Lets just say Mr Carpenter decided that the barn was rotten, we needed. a new barn, he would help us build a new barn, to our design and specification free of charge. We were stunned and readily agreed to all his ideas - some of which were fabulous, a bigger barn, dormer window, a mezzanine!! woohoo.
I spent Friday taking down the old barn, carefully with a crowbar and hammer, it took all day and was exhausting. Finally it was on the ground. Mr Carpenter arrived and helped me to clear the area, I cooked food and we had some wine, he slept in my camper van on the drive in readiness for the next days work.
Saturday came and we headed to get timber, loaded up and back we built frames. Soon the grand design began to shrink, why didn't we have a flat roof, what about three box shapes. All the beautiful ideas turned to dust and as we were being offered free help it was very difficult to argue agains this. Laura did, thank heavens and nicely put ti that we wanted a pitched roof, a single barn building and all the tings we had discussed. Mr C didn't like that Lau didn't agree with his awesomeness and accused her of getting 'the hump' We learned how to deal with our carpenter friend and by the end of the weekend we had an acceptable skeleton. Mr C however was not quite the convivial gent he had been - especially when I refused twice to 'come for a cuddle' in the van and we made several amends to the barn being built the way he wanted to do it. When he left on Monday we were slightly relieved as it did feel like he was a stroppy site foreman and we were the confused apprentices!
So, we had a barn, a new fresh pale wood skeleton, we had Youtube and we had hope!
Cancelations and Escalations
Wow, for once im gobsmacked at the speed of this virus across the globe, and the response by the authorities.
In a matter of days things have gone totally crazy. People buying toilet roll (go figure as the suits certainly isn't one of the symptoms) and pasta. Ironically sales of Corona lager are down, this both amuses me and concerns me at the level of stupidity in the country can affect the sale of a lager by name association. SMH.
Anyway the girls and I left it to the wire with regards them coming out to see me for the big road trip and eventually we came to the agreement that it wasn't a good idea, especially with Mr Trump closing the US borders to EU citizens, it was just a matter of time before the UK got involved and I could definitely foresee trouble ahead. I mean major attractions were closing, Disney, Yosemite, the bloody Eiffel Tower. I have to admit breathing a sad sigh of relief when we cancelled plans.
I slightly relaxed and went for a long walk and on my return Leigh, sold sensible and practical Leigh suggested I may like to consider my position and location in this debacle of virus. I had barely considered it, soo I mentally listed the pros and cons... there was no cv in Santa Barbara , I was in a nice house, I wanted for nothing. BUT my visa was diet to expire in a few weeks, us has 27 million under insured citizen and an unspecified huge amount of illegal immigrants, and trump was making some random demands on the borders etc. Potentially I could be stuck for months, unable to move with an expired visa (you can never return if your visa expires)
I began to look at flights and discovered they were thin on the ground. I was slightly panicked.
After hours of searching and much deliberation I booked a flight.
And here i am in Calgary Alberta.
Todays journey begins at 7 am, I took the early morning bus from Santa Barbara to LA passengers 4, roads so clear we were an hour early, then a flight to Calgary. As I approached my seat I saw a toddler and tried not to visibly groan but, contrary to the norm she was an absolute delight and slept all the way after a brief chat! ive sat next to worse behaved adults. I was a good student and held any coughs , tried not to touch my face and acted as if the whole world was lava. Arriving in beautiful clean empty eerie Calgary airport I have a three hour layover(where im currently sitting in a bar writing this) next I fly nine hours into London Gatwick, then another bus to Coventry to see Kim and Ian and get my van.
A beautiful new Dreamliner awaited me for the next leg- Calgary to London Gatwick. Taking my seat I note that the huge plane is at about fifty percent capacity and all the passengers are spaced evenly, there are no people sitting directly together. I can’t recall if this is strange or not but it pleases a sense of order and balance in my brain.
The journey was enhanced by Deadpool 2 and A Star is Born, but not really any sleep, never mind, the white wine was excellent and the Danish gentleman next to me reasonably amusing.
Arriving bleary eyed at Gatwick I grab a coffee whilst waiting for the coach to Birmingham.
Again numbers are considerably lower everywhere and now I’m picking up a sliglhty strange atmosphere about me, people very definitely trying to get home, not the usual holiday/business trip vibe. The bus trip also showed less busy motorways. England is chilly and sunny but does still feel welcome to me.
In a matter of days things have gone totally crazy. People buying toilet roll (go figure as the suits certainly isn't one of the symptoms) and pasta. Ironically sales of Corona lager are down, this both amuses me and concerns me at the level of stupidity in the country can affect the sale of a lager by name association. SMH.
Anyway the girls and I left it to the wire with regards them coming out to see me for the big road trip and eventually we came to the agreement that it wasn't a good idea, especially with Mr Trump closing the US borders to EU citizens, it was just a matter of time before the UK got involved and I could definitely foresee trouble ahead. I mean major attractions were closing, Disney, Yosemite, the bloody Eiffel Tower. I have to admit breathing a sad sigh of relief when we cancelled plans.
I slightly relaxed and went for a long walk and on my return Leigh, sold sensible and practical Leigh suggested I may like to consider my position and location in this debacle of virus. I had barely considered it, soo I mentally listed the pros and cons... there was no cv in Santa Barbara , I was in a nice house, I wanted for nothing. BUT my visa was diet to expire in a few weeks, us has 27 million under insured citizen and an unspecified huge amount of illegal immigrants, and trump was making some random demands on the borders etc. Potentially I could be stuck for months, unable to move with an expired visa (you can never return if your visa expires)
I began to look at flights and discovered they were thin on the ground. I was slightly panicked.
After hours of searching and much deliberation I booked a flight.
And here i am in Calgary Alberta.
Todays journey begins at 7 am, I took the early morning bus from Santa Barbara to LA passengers 4, roads so clear we were an hour early, then a flight to Calgary. As I approached my seat I saw a toddler and tried not to visibly groan but, contrary to the norm she was an absolute delight and slept all the way after a brief chat! ive sat next to worse behaved adults. I was a good student and held any coughs , tried not to touch my face and acted as if the whole world was lava. Arriving in beautiful clean empty eerie Calgary airport I have a three hour layover(where im currently sitting in a bar writing this) next I fly nine hours into London Gatwick, then another bus to Coventry to see Kim and Ian and get my van.
A beautiful new Dreamliner awaited me for the next leg- Calgary to London Gatwick. Taking my seat I note that the huge plane is at about fifty percent capacity and all the passengers are spaced evenly, there are no people sitting directly together. I can’t recall if this is strange or not but it pleases a sense of order and balance in my brain.
The journey was enhanced by Deadpool 2 and A Star is Born, but not really any sleep, never mind, the white wine was excellent and the Danish gentleman next to me reasonably amusing.
Arriving bleary eyed at Gatwick I grab a coffee whilst waiting for the coach to Birmingham.
Again numbers are considerably lower everywhere and now I’m picking up a sliglhty strange atmosphere about me, people very definitely trying to get home, not the usual holiday/business trip vibe. The bus trip also showed less busy motorways. England is chilly and sunny but does still feel welcome to me.
time to get a proper job, or is it?
I always knew the day would come, I didn't realise it would be quite like this though. Trying to find work in a pandemic strewn country where thousands were on furlough (id never even heard the world furlough until 2020!) and many many businesses were closed was going to be a job in itself. Coupled with not actually knowing what I wanted to do or where. Anyway cv freshly updated I entered the world of job websites for the first time in over 22 years. Wow what a different place it is. CVs are electronically scanned for keywords and unceremoniously dumped successful ed if none appear, no longer are further employers keen to know where you have worked since you left school or whether you intend to have children. I noticed that Carer and Delivery Driver jobs are about all that are on offer and decide im not massively keen on both. Needs must I applied for a couple of driver jobs whilst listening to the news. Hearing the government are employing 25k Contact Tracers to help track and control the spread of Rona I hit google and see if I can find one of these roles. Soon enough I see a Midlands agency are employing and send them my cv. Its a WFH role for a minimum of 12weeks full time, rotating shifts covering 8am-8pm 7 days a week.
Within days I get a call to say I have been successful and would be starting soon.
As I write I am six weeks into my new role as a Covid Contact Tracer. Im aghast and impressed that in all this time that ive had two calls to make, whilst I understand why (issues with data and less cases now anyway) its a shocking waste of money. So ive got creative with the 7.5 hours a day I have to spend by my pc. A £50 sewing machine and a bunch of clean old duvets and I was in the face mask making business in the blink of any eye! Ive sold over 70 masks and have a nice store of them. Oh and I bought a Horsebox.....
Within days I get a call to say I have been successful and would be starting soon.
As I write I am six weeks into my new role as a Covid Contact Tracer. Im aghast and impressed that in all this time that ive had two calls to make, whilst I understand why (issues with data and less cases now anyway) its a shocking waste of money. So ive got creative with the 7.5 hours a day I have to spend by my pc. A £50 sewing machine and a bunch of clean old duvets and I was in the face mask making business in the blink of any eye! Ive sold over 70 masks and have a nice store of them. Oh and I bought a Horsebox.....
I thought it a plan to perhaps run a horse box gin bar and operate at the new smaller event we are now allowed outside. I spent a few weeks repainting it, recovering the floor and getting the electrics sorted. It was the most fun doing it all - even the girls came over to help test it out - the hangover was enormous haha. Right now im triple tasking and its keeping my mind and body nice and busy!
Thursday, 5 November 2020
Living on the beach
Ah, its a dream isnt it, find somewhere nice to settle on your camper for a while, a quiet beach just a little out of town, a little bar, a few other friendly campers. Life is good. The little guy comes every morning to comb the sand in his tractor, he even waves now, three times a week the bins are emptied. Locals fish off the sea wall, dog walkers and joggers enjoy the gentle breeze as they go about their days. I think ive found the best place to be 'stuck' if or when the second lockdown comes. Feeling quite smug i settle nicely into a sort of routine. Wake up, wash, clean inside van, walk the beach into town, explore, but provisions, return to van, sit in sun and read, cook dinner and relax. Very nice indeed!
I have a new neighbour John who also lives in his van (posher motorhome tho) so we have hung out a bit and had a laugh. Last night we had huge storms, arc lightening across the bay, rain pelting down on my roof alot of the night. Ah well im cosy in my little van and life is good. a bit of rain is all part of it isnt it?
Waking this morning the 'bit of rain' is now A LOT of rain! Im still looking out fo the window and messaging my new neighbour and still feeling cosy. An hour later, thunder and lightening are still very much present and i look out of my window to see a river flowing rapidly under my van. Brain kicks in, im on sand, there is a lot of water. Oh shit. Do i try to move and risk bedding myself in? Do i wait it out - surely the storm will pass and it'll be all fine again? Checking my weather app theres another four hours of extreme weather. John braves it and heads for higher ground, i jump into the drivers seat and - filled with terrifying visions of being towed out of a big wet sandy hole - begin to drive. John calls and talks me through the route, im having hot flushes driving into large sandy puddles worrying im not going to make it to the other side. Swearing i slowly make it the two hundred or so yards off the beach and into the port. Bloody hell that was terrifying and exhilarating all at once!
Todays lesson - only park up on the beach in good weather. Check weather daily.
Now wheres the kettle
Sunday, 1 November 2020
Vanlife, the early days.
I aways knew would be a challenge, ive only really used my van for weekends and max 3 nights at a time. living in it is a completely different vibe!
Less is definitely more, unless you want to find yourself packing, unpacking and repacking several times a day. Its also useful to find items that have multiple uses, such as my table, it used to have one leg and would clip to the worktop inside the van, now ive added two legs and I can use it outside as well. Multi use items are worth their weight in gold!
Also, I don't have a fridge for space reasons and also as a veggie I have less that needs to be kept cool. I shop at Lidl/Aldi and local veg shops every 2-3 days so usually have fresh stuff at hand.
Water, I have two ten litre tanks under the sink (one fresh and one waste water), in my biggest cupboard. These are used up so fast and space is at such a premium that ive whipped them out, filled the cupboard with food and drink and now use a collapsible bucket for washing up. Ive four five litre bottles in the back that I fill up when im near water.
Loo - having a loo on board is essential - Covid has ensured that all public loos are now bolted shut, I understand why and am so glad I have my little portaloo. It tucks nicely into the gap where the fridge would have been and I can empty it at the many service stations on the motorway.
Cooker/gas - I have a fixed two burner hob and use it at least twice if not more a day. The gas here is super cheap and I rarely eat out so its a great tool . I also heat water to wash myself, hair and washing up. Totally needed - I know some people have a outdoor kitchen but I like to get the kettle on whilst im still in bed!
Talking of beds, mine is a rock and roll bed, its a bit firm and its a pain to put out each evening - so if you can afford it get a fixed bed and check that mattress! I don't have room for a topper so I gotta get used to it! Also bedding takes up a surprising amount of space - it fills my wardrobe area at the back so my small amount of clothes are in a backpack I keep in the cab.
Power - Im running a laptop, phone, sewing machine and my Garmin. Not a huge amount but I do like to have enough power to not have to drive about or start my engine. On board I have two super light and thin solar panels on the roof (£200 kit from Amazon) and a leisure battery under the drivers seat featuring a split charge system. This is more than adequate (it helps being in Spain of course!!)
Whats missing?
After just five weeks im more experienced at living in the van and the two biggest issues are my back (no high roof so often bent over whilst doing jobs and shower - all the beach showers are wrapped up so its not an option (unless you use them after dark!) so I wash in the sink. a few times kindly ex pats have let me use their showers - gosh you really do learnt to appreciate the small things!!
Bike - id love a small folding bike I can nip about on when visiting towns rather than driving my van to small villages etc. I am on the lookout for one!! I did bring my mountain bike but its bulky and im always worried it will get stolen.
Vehicle
The way I see it you have two choices - a spacious high roofed vehicle that offers comfort and full facilities, with the downside that you are more conspicuous, you can't get under many barriers in car parks (usually 2 metres max) and fuel consumption is not as good. Or, a smaller vehicle (such as my VWT5) that has good economy, can go almost anywhere, is pretty stealth (and I do like to stay on beaches and in more scenic places and really don't like caravan parks and campsites etc)
In summary the key is to get organised, think hard about the size of vehicle you want to live in. There is a definite trade off either way.
Keeping your van clean and tidy needs discipline and everything needs its own place, its surprising how easy it is to lose things in such a small area!
If you are thinking of living the van life some of these pointers may help you :)
Tuesday, 20 October 2020
Roadtrip!
I set off yesterday from Valencia to explore the coast south and beyond. As always I join a few groups on Facebook at the towns im passing through to gather info and find places to park up for the night. I use a selection of apps and don’t always hit the jackpot as its often not a safe feeling or not pretty. I do love a black!!
A fellow van dweller from Bristol, Marc, kindly recommended Xeraco a week earlier so I got in contact and he met me and showed me a great spot right by the beach.
After a quiet night, (lets not talk about all the mossy bites that wake me often) I woke early this morning to the sound of waves and set off in a previous failed mission of some sea caves along the coast from Denia called Cova Tallada (Cova is cave - geddit?). Recently id showed up at 10am only to find it swamped with tourists, something ive been trying to avoid where possible.
I drove through the mountains in the early mists, orange groves for miles and small smoke plumes where the farmers were clearing debris. It was beautiful. The oranges are not yet ready im reliably informed and they are bitter as hell, they look so luscious and orange you just want to try them only to be bitterly disappointed (lol) Also I learn that if a field has no boundaries, subject to fair use like your internet package, you can help yourself. Im not busy looking for pomegranate, butternut, orange, lemon, and all manner of goodies to fill my little rucksack!
Arriving at the nearest road to the caves I was one of only three cars, brilliant!
Id read up on the hike, 45 mins and a little tricky, they weren’t wrong! Narrow paths up and down the cliffs sheer drops and chains to hang on to! Ive noticed on the last few hikes ive been feeling a small degree of vertigo, I hear its common in women of a certain age and it makes me quite disappointed and more determined to go on, that said im so glad I got new boots a few weeks ago, the grip is insane!
Reaching the caves I scrambled up the wet rocks - my t short was wet and it wasn’t the sea, more fear of slipping and the strenuous hike. A few pics and a drink and I trekked back to the van in a now almost full car park.
Back on the road I was already thinking about where I might park up this evening. Looking ahead I was going to pass Benidorm and Alicante, neither of which I fancied. I prefer small towns and pretty little villages - but it was interesting to drive through the almost desolate tired tourist hotspots. Very strange to see empty restaurants and quiet streets.
After a couple of failed attempts at not so suitable spots I found talk of a peninsula online La Manga, with a spot right at the end. It was a good hour out of my way but you have to work for the good stuff sometimes!! On I drove and I passed so many high towers like buildings, some hotels and some residences, many for sale and again empty streets, although it is out of season and only 24 deg! After what seemed like forever the road narrowed - I had the sea either side of me and it felt a big wave would wash you away! I was at the end finally and arrived almost on a little beach. A couple of other vans were there and both not super friendly so i walked on the beach and made some food. And this brings me to now.
A Spanish guy in a motorhome has just pulled up next to me, we’ve had a chat, Jose (oh please rolls eyes) has gone fishing - this is about all we can manage to work out as our command of each others language is so bad haha!!
Anyway im going to sign off and enjoy a glass of wine and the cool breeze of the med.
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