Bali!!

Hellooo there. I thought I should probably do a blog about Bali so far otherwise it will need to be so SO long and I will put off doing it.

The journey from Palembang was hitch free, if you think of the two plane delays as hitchless, as they didn't really stress out my journey so I think it was ok. Jakarta airport was as confusing as ever but after discovering I needed to change terminals I managed to find the yellow shuttle bus and make my way over to terminal 3. In the terminal building I saw for the first time in ages actual travellery people with those funny trousers that I wear too but still, it was weird seeing so many people wearing them. We were then told that our plane was delayed so I hadn't needed to rush to get to the terminal with half an hour to spare like I'd originally thought. We were given a free bread and cake thing and some water, which was rather nice considering the plane was only delayed by about an hour.

After reaching Denpasar airport a Spanish girl asked me where I was going to and we shared a taxi as we were both headed for Ubud, Bali wehay!! The taxi driver was full of facts about Bali and also tried to teach us the national anthem. A great start to the holiday. After phoning the homestay a few times he finally managed to find it and I was met by the owner, Ketut, a very nice man.

I've been in Bali three days now. Yesterday morning I went to a wood carving class. I was picked up and taken there on a motorbike. I made a Balinese mask worn by traditional dancers. When I say I made it, I mean that the man helped me out a lot. Some of it is my work though, and it is definitely something I would try again. Very enjoyable morning.

In the afternoon I went to explore the monkey forest in Ubud, and found a random American to walk around with. The weather took a turn for the worse so we got completely soaked, swimming pool stylee. It was cool to see all the monkeys and there were some very pretty views as well.

Today is Christmas Eve, I had a great day today. I was picked up at 7.45am and driven up and up through villages and towns where the normal people live here and up to a volcano. We (the tour group) had breakfast up here and managed to see the immense view of the three craters in the mini-volcano formed from an eruption - seen from the main caldera edge where the restaurant was located. We were lucky as the clouds shrouded the mountain view in mystery after about five minutes of arriving there. After that we visited a herb garden and place where they make coffee. We learnt about different types of coffee, including one made from beans which have made their way through the digestive system of a cat/fox type animal and out the other side. We were able to taste many of the teas and coffees, very nice!

After that we all got on a bike (each!) and started our ride down through the countryside of Bali. We visited a traditional compound where generations of families live, saw rice paddies and the beauty of nature. All in the comfort of a plastic bag style rain jacket to protect us from the pouring rain. To finish the tour we were taken to a lovely picturesque restaurant where we were able to try all the types of Indonesian food. Lovely!

This evening I am going to meet a new friend and have some food n that. I will write again maybe tomorrow... CHRISTMAS!!!

Prabamulih

A few weeks ago I was presented with two options. One was to work every Saturday for four months with no extra pay. The other was to get up at the crack of dawn every other Saturday and travel to a power station just outside a city called Prabamulih and teach there for two hours, and earn an extra one million rupiah a pop. Seemed like an obvious choice!

So today I made that journey alone for the first time. The journey takes about three and a half hours, so I got picked up by Udin the driver at 6.30am. Not a fun time of day to be up and about. I got in the car armed with my pillow and ipod and tried to settle down back to sleep. In between sleeps it's also fun to look out of the window. It's so nice to see some sights that are not just the blocky buildings and busy traffic of the city. Although there is a lot of crazy overtaking that goes on on Indonesian roads and a lot of beeping. And indicating seems to mean that it is ok for the car behind to overtake, not that you are intending to move, completely the opposite of the wide beliefs held in the UK with regards to driving etiquette. Anyway, along the way you can see green, yes, green! Fields and swampy areas where people live in run down wooden houses on stilts. There are little shops dotted about which are basically families selling stuff from their houses. Such a different way of life. Closer to the destination there are some more foresty areas where you can see trees arranged in neat rows with the bark stripped diagonally down the trunk with a collecting pot at the bottom to get the sap. During the journey we have to cross a few railway lines, which, safety first of course, involve the driver looking both ways for trains before venturing across the track. The last forty minutes of the journey require you to stop your sleep, or reading, or whatever. You will not be able to do that, the roads are filled with ruts and bumps like no British person could ever imagine. I can see Udin swerving the steering wheel this way and that in order to avoid the bumps but unfortunately this is not at all possible. You must pretend you are on some kind of slow and bumpy rollercoaster.

The teaching at the power station is really enjoyable. All the students are adults, so it's a nice change from school. The power station is owned by the Chinese, so the boss is providing English lessons as a common language for the Indonesian and Chinese staff to communicate, which I think is quite cool. They also provide an authentic Chinese lunch. Reminds me of my times visiting Tombo in Nanjing. I should learn to cook some Chinese dishes, I find the food really fills you up in a satisfying way, like you don't want to eat any more.

On the way back there was more of the same, plus an overturned lorry and a truck stuck in a pothole in the middle of a busy road. I got home around 3pm and had a rest before the evening's activities.

So, last night I was prepped for tonight by watching the first instalment of "The Hunger Games" trilogy. With Beth and Sarita we got becaks (little bike taxi things) to PIM to purchase our tickets for the second film being shown in the cinema. We then went to a nice restaurant for dinner before the film. The film itself was really good. I was pleasantly surprised seeing as I'm usually reluctant to see films that are this hyped up. I'd give it a few stars out of five!

On the way home we had to get becaks again as the one empty taxi we saw deliberately drove away from us. The becaks seat up to two people so this time I volunteered to ride alone. Obviously the heavens decided to open a couple of minutes into the journey. The guy stopped after this which was a bit worrying, but it was soon obvious that he was just trying to put the covers down to stop me from getting ridiculously wet, and also to try and put his lil handbag thingy that a lot of men have, into a plastic bag to protect it. However the plastic bag ripped and blew away out into the road. We finally arrived back at the house where Beth and Sarita had been waiting for a few minutes. I think they were starting to worry that I'd been kidnapped or something. I gave the driver my money, and a plastic bag for his manbag. I hope it wasn't too wet already, he was a nice guy and I don't want his belongings to get damaged!

Anyway I think I've waffled on a bit more than usual. I think it's because I've been up since 5.30 in the morning and it's now one thirty. I will now try and get some sleep to the soothing sounds of rain and rumbling thunder. Good night, and see you soon! 

Pottering

As a result of many westerners' negative views of this city I haven't really seen any of what Palembang may or may not have to offer for myself. So I decided to register with couchsurfing, a website full of people who like travelling and who are usually proud of where they come from. Becoming a member of the website allows you to get in touch with people from places you want to go, and you can meet up with them and even stay on their sofa, although I don't know if I'd ever go that far. Anyway I signed up and today I met up with a nice guy called Anthony. He works at one of the universities here as a lecturer in chemical engineering.

To start our tour we took a walk into the Chinese quarter. We stopped for some breakfast at a restaurant which is apparently very famous. First you have to choose a couple of things to put in a soup, then they bring this and some noodles with beef to your table. It was very delicious, and somewhere I definitely wouldn't have found on my own.

After this we walked to Ampera Bridge, possibly the most famous landmark in Palembang. Under the bridge is a little jetty. From here we would catch a boat to Kemaro Island. We had to climb over many colourful boats tied to the jetty in order to get to ours. Some sellers tried their best to sell me each item they had on offer in turn, each one I declined. Very funny though. After gracefully clambering into our boat we began the journey. The boats don't seem the safest but they are painted pretty colours and patterns. One of the bumpiest boat journeys I've been on, the bottom of the boat slapping down onto the water. Anthony pointed out some things along the way including the Arab quarter, harbour and oil refinery. It took about 10 minutes to reach the island, which is home to a seven storey pagoda and a temple. It was very peaceful there, so different to the busy city. The island is tiny but at Chinese New Year hundreds or maybe thousands of people go there to celebrate together. Of course we couldn't leave without me having my picture taken with numerous random men, then we headed back to Palembang.

Anthony had planned for us to go to the museum after that, but unfortunately it was closed due to an electricity failure; to be expected of Indonesia really. No matter, we then walked across the bridge and to a lovely little place called Kampung Kapitan. Here is where the oldest house in Palemang lies, in the old Chinese quarter. This little area is very pretty and the house doubles up as a Confucius temple. The man at the house let us come inside and look around. It was a very calm and airy place again not following the general common opinions about Palemang. The friendly man told us about the house and how his family have been living in this house for thirteen generations. The tourism board have tried to buy the house but they don't want it to change hands as it will upset the ancestors. I think it is nice the way it is anyway. He also showed us some pictures that had been given to the house in the 15th Century, it was quite amazing.

To finish the tour we walked back over the bridge and took a bus back to Rajawali. This was an enjoyable experience. Turns out some buses here have an oystercard-like system. Apart from it costs 3500 rupiah per journey (including transit), which is 19 pence. Slight difference in price there. So after today, a much more positive view of this city. Tomorrow Cisilia is paying for the teachers to go to Amanzi, a water park somewhere near Palembang. Not many chose to take her up on the offer, but I think it will be fun! I'll try to take some photos and write about it on here. Laters.

The way things turn out...

Hello.

There's been a lot of drama at work recently, which if you know me you'll probably know all about. Two people have resigned because of it, and as I am the world's most indecisive person I didn't really know what to do. I applied for some other jobs in Indonesia and Malaysia, just incase. I've been feeling like Rapunzel from the film "Tangled" where I change my mind from one extreme to the other in the space of a day. I received replies from some of these jobs, but all in periods of calm in Palembang. So I replied explaining the situation and politely turned down the offers. I wonder if I am doing the right thing a lot, but it seems that it is all happening for the better.

This way I can explore Sumatra which is a place where not many western tourists get to go. Awesome! I have a nice contact in Penang who if I'm ever in Malaysia I can meet to "discuss future opportunities" with them, and another school in KL is keeping my application on file as they are interested but cannot give me a visa until I am twenty six.

Funny how things turn out eh!? Let's hope that everything in life eventually works itself out!

I will do a more interesting post about some travels and that soon, but just keeping the blog alive for now. Love you all!

GROOVY CHEESE FLAVOUR CRISPS!!!

Indonesia!

Helloo. I've been here in Palembang for over a week now. The journey here from Singapore was interesting. I had to change planes in Jakarta and this involved a confusing time at the passport check where I managed to make friends with most of the staff just by filling in an arrival card. I then had to collect my bag and make my way to a different terminal. This was a very confusing affair but I was kindly directed to a bus stop where I could get on a little yellow bus complete with crazy driver to be taken to Terminal 1. Inside the terminal was crazily busy with trolleys everywhere and long queues. When I had checked in I went up to the gate area which resides in a big wooden structure like a giant log cabin on stilts. Very weird. I then sat and waited to hear the word Palembang as the display screens didn't really seem to be working. After a slight delay we got into the air and on our way.

Jakarta Airport domestic flights section - the log cabin

So, the first week of work went pretty well. I'm just learning the ropes but should properly get the hang of it soon. I teach between two and four classes a day with a wide variety of ages. It's nice!

I've met lots of nice people since being here. I have four housemates, Beth, Amy, Sarita and Zach; 3 British and an American in that order. All very cool people. I've also met quite a few of their friends who all also seem like nice and jolly people. Today we took a trip to Jakabaring, the venue for the 3rd Islamic Solidarity Games which is being held in Palembang at the moment. We rocked up and walked around trying to find where to buy tickets. Not as simple as one in a non-chaotic country might think. We were bombarded by manr requests to take photos of us. Some people just grab you while others ask nicely. Very strange thing to get used to. So we decided to hide out in the shade where loads of police officers were hanging out... Who then asked for a photo with us. We had a chat with them and stuff and they showed us where to get the tickets. We went for the VIP option at a very reasonable price of about £3. We made our way to our seats ready to watch an epic battle of a football match between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. By epic battle I just mean that it wasn't really that exciting. Not being a football fan myself, what I would say about it is that it was not very fast moving and the players seemed to fall over a lot, even when doing simple kicks. Anyway, Turkey were victorious with a final score of 2-1.

The score at the start: 0-0!

Now I'm back at the house. I've just had a jacket potato and I'm going to chill for a bit. I'll try and write again soon, promise!

The view from my window!

The Next Day

The next day was visa day. I got a taxi from the hotel around nine. The streets were busy as the Formula 1 was looming. The supposedly short journey cost about the same amount as going to the airport. When we reached the address I went to the 10th floor of this tall building where I would find an unexpectedly tiny office for a visa office with a desk and lots of piles of paperwork dotted around. I gave the required documents to the jolly fellow at the desk and he told me to come back after 4.30pm.

 So what to do with my day? Go to the S.E.A aquarium, the biggest aquarium in South East Asia obviously! Boasting the biggest perspex viewing pane in the world. Goodo. The aquarium is on Sentosa Island, where I had been with Joyce a year before to go to Universal Studios. The aquarium was fantastic, you should definitely go there! At first it doesn't look like an aquarium as there are lots of displays of shipping history through the ages, and how main ports have changes location over the years. And one of these displays was on Palembang, my soon to be home for the year. Spooky! After this display of information you take an escalator down into the basement where they keep the fish. There is so much to see there, including sharks, dolphins, and an animal I've been wanting to see for a long time. The manta ray! They can reach about 2 metres in length and are really cool. They had loads of other nice rays too. And eels. It was really amazing to see dolphins that close up too, I think I like them a bit more now.

After the awesome-ness of the aquarium I decided to go and find the beach, which you get to by passing a giant purpose built merlion and then carry on in a straight line to the other side of the island. Once there I had a little paddle and sat down. A girl came over to ask me a question and we got talking, turns out she's from Kingston. How crazy seeing someone from your home town half way across the world! Opposite us there was a little island reachable by a rope bridge. We decided to go and take a look. There were some viewing platforms you could climb up so this we did. The view was pretty cool. I later found out we were standing on the southernmost point of continental South East Asia. Cool!

After collecting my visa I went for a coffee and then on a search for some dinner. Now I am all set for Indonesia!!

While I wait for the shower to heat up...

... Which according to the sign on the wall should take fifteen minutes.

Helloo there, I'm in Singapore! For my avid followers, I am starting a job in Indonesia next week being an English teacher and am currently at a pit-stop on the way. Talking of pit-stops, it's the Singapore Grand Prix at the weekend and I was lucky enough to share my flight with the Caterham Formula One team. I had to google them to find out if they were actually famous, but there were loads of them and they had uniform-everything. The first thing I noticed was the shirts, with the name emblazened across the back, only then to see that they all had exactly the same jeans on. Whilst behind them in the passport queue I noticed that each of them was the owner of the exact same design of backpack. If that's not enough to make them look uniform then in addition to this there were the suitcases, very smart.

I got to my hotel at about 11 am, once again got no sleep on the plane. I sort of had a lie down but then decided it would be a better idea to go out and try to stay awake. I got some maps and things from downstairs and decided to have a walk into Little India. It's very bright and colourful there, the buildings are painted some crazy shades, it all looks very jolly. After this I took the train to the botanical gardens - amazing! There were lots of different trees and plants and different themed gardens. My favourite was called the Evolution Garden. It took you on a walk through time starting off at the beginning of the garden which consisted of just rocks, like before life began, then continued with mosses and things and primitive plants and finally on to present day and the plants we have now. They also had some petrified tree trunks. I've never seen them up close before, very cool.

I also took a verging on embarrassing amount of photos of orchids whilst visiting the National Orchid Garden, such beautiful flowers!

 
I came back to the hotel after this and had some free coffee, checked my emails and all that jazz. My taxi driver this morning had suggested that I go to China Town this evening because it's currently the Mid-Autumn festival. Seasons must be very different here as I'm sure it basically still summer, definitely not MID autumn. Anyway he said there'd be lots of lanterns and things, which there were, and that I wouldn't stop clicking my camera. I took one or two pictures and I'm pretty sure most China Towns I've been to have a lot of lanterns. It was still very cool though. I was drawn into a Thai restaurant for dinner by a chatty restaurant lady. I had Thai green curry. It was spicy but really tasty. It reminded me of my travelling days with Joyce (the nickname lives on). After that and glancing over the stalls at some of the tat available, I returned to the hotel. I've not long been back. And as you can see from the title I'm going to have a shower soon. It's all very exciting.

Tomorrow I have to go to the Indonesian Embassy to get a Visa so that I can actually continue my journey and start working. It seems pretty straightforward. I haven't decided exactly what I'll do with the rest of the day but I've heard there's a light show in the evening by the marina which I might check out. Anyway, I said to a few people that I would get back into telling you about the oh-so-thrilling events that I experience, so here I am. Enjoy if you like! 

Now, operation find phone charger so I can wake up in the morning. See ya!

Japanana!

Again, ahoy there! I'm still trying to catch up with real-life self on the blog, so this post is in relation to the events of four months ago, in a distant land... Japan!

Jo and I arrived in Tokyo and were helped out by a friendly lady who helped us get to grips with the trains and informed us exactly how to get to our hostel. We arrived and were guided to our teeeeny little room. The next day we went to the airport to meet Hazel. Due to not catching the exact train we should have done, we arrived a little (2 or 3 hours) after Hazel's flight actually arrived, by which time she had been interviewed by a Japanese film crew at least three times.

In the evening we met up with a friend of mine, Paul, who is living in Japan as an English teacher. He took us around the Shinjuku area, home to businessmen, shops and crazy lights. We went to a restaurant where we ate some typical Japanese food - okonomiyaki, a kind of egg pancake thingy mixed with ingredients of your choice. This type of food is fun because you get to cook it yourself. Although we had a Japanese speaker in the team we were still provided with an English menu, which provided us with great amusement. Following dinner we went to a bar to sample some Japanese alcohol.


The next day we met up with Paul again. He took us to a trendy, quite studenty area of Tokyo. We ate waffles and visited a cat cafe. In Japan many people live in apartments where pets are not allowed, so this is the next best thing. There were about eight cats in the place and toys were provided to entertain or confuse them, whichever you prefer. Also available was a range of fashionable hats which, if the cats obliged, you could put on the cats to give them a sophisticated air. The one in the leopard print hat looked particularly stylish.

Whilst in Tokyo we also managed to experience some real Japanese life. Just before I was born we lived next door to a Japanese family who since moved back to Japan and who agreed to show us some sights a bit more off the beaten track. We were met by Koichi at the train station where he drove us to his house to meet Mayumi, his wife. They showed us some photos from when they lived in England, with Hazel as a baby and a young looking Mum and Dad. They also showed us pictures of their two sons, who were unable to

make it to meet us that day. We proceeded to have tea and cake before getting back into the car. We were driven to a traditional Japanese house close to the city of Mito. It was really interesting to see and there were amazing views of the surrounding countryside. After this we were taken to a restaurant where we sampled some authentic cuisine. Lovely!

Our second destination in Japan was Kyoto. Instead of getting the horrendously expensive bullet train, we had booked a bus to take us

to the city overnight. Unfortunately the weather had been pretty awful and our bus was cancelled because of the snow. A fact that we only found out on arriving at the bus station. It would have been nice to be warned. Although perhaps we were - earlier that day I had recieved an email from the company but it was all in Japanese and it didn't occur to me that it may have been important. Lesson learnt! Anyway, we booked ourselves onto a bus for the next day but for now, we would spend the night in the cold bus station with some fellow stranded passengers. This was a long and boring 

experience, made worse by the fact that we were chucked out of the halfway warmth into the harsh outdoors between the hours of 6 o clock and 8.30. We spent this time in a 24 hour MacDonalds where Hazel and I enjoyed a MacDonalds breakfast, and Jo continued to sleep, as she had been doing for the past seven hours quite easily. We finally got on the bus at around eleven the next morning and arrived in Kyoto after a long and a little uncomfortable journey.


When we arrived it was already evening time so we hung out in the bustling lounge where we met some Americans who were kind enough to share their beer, and a very cool Japanese man called Shu.

The daytime activities of Kyoto involved walking around and stumbling across the many temples in the area. My favourite was probably the Golden Pavillion which as you can guess was very ornate and shiny and beautiful. Another highlight for me was the Nijo Castle, very impressive and old. In the past a special floor was used to protect the King. Footsteps on this floor will create the sound of birdsong to alert the guards of intruders. Very cool and clever, but maybe a bit annoying for the castle staff.

As mentioned above, our Kyoto hostel was rockin'! The second night we made friends with a number of people, to name a few - Tom and Jono from Australia, Nicole the Canadian, Rae our lovely new South Korean friend and Lisa from Germany. Jo and I being the popular party-starters that we are, persuaded everyone that a round of Ring of Fire was a good idea. And I think it was. Everyone was laughing and halfway through the second round we were approached by the grumpy receptionist who shut down the game due to unnacceptable noise levels. Shame! We decided the party was not over and headed out to a local bar. The next night we were expecting a quiet night in the hostel, which swifly changed to a trip to the karaoke, a favourite activity of mine and Joyce's! For a set price you could drink as much as you liked and sing to your heart's content. A jolly old time was had by all involved!

The next day we were to return to Tokyo for our last night in Japan. The bus journey was a lot smoother and more comfortable on the way back. We did some last minute souvinir shopping before heading back to the hostel and ensuring that all our things were packed. In the morning we said goodbye to Hazel who had to leave at some ridiculous hour like 6.30am or something, then Jo and I left at a respectable time of midday to catch our 6pm flight. This was the end of an unforgettable few months and we were looking forward to returning home and seeing our friends and family.

So, that's the end of my travels for the time being, although the past two entries have not been the as-it-happens, hard-hitting and gripping tales of before, I hope it gives you a fascinating thrill of a rollercoaster ride none the less. I will try to keep this up to date as there should be more exciting things coming my way this year. Let the good times commence!

...and WHERE have you been!?

Good day to you. A few people have been demanding the comeback of the fabulous Meg's Meanders. Well, maybe not with quite the desperation just implied, but it would seem some are interested in my vague ramblings. So here I am, once again! And I apologise to any avid followers. The last time I updated you was way back in December 2012 in a truly beautiful part of the world known as Langkawi, still miss that place!

So, since then, Jo and I visited Thailand. I don't think we stayed long enough to fully appreciate it, but there is definitely some beautiful scenery, especially on the island of Phi Phi. This island was made famous by the film "The Beach" and is therefore filled with gap year travellers and not much history. It is very veery pretty by day and party central by night. The done thing on this island seems to be buying drinks by the bucket and then finding yourself incredibly alcohol-ed up to the brim. This led us to an empty karaoke bar by 9pm where we rocked the place singing our hearts out with the staff, which I think they enjoyed. Busted out our tried and tested rendition of Eminem and Rihanna. Jo approved of our performance so much that she felt we should sing it a second time. After this more drunken times ensued, which I will not mention right now, but a tattoo artist said he liked my henna design and took a photo. This was a proud moment for me.

On the last day in Phi Phi, Jo unfortunately was suffering from a bout of food poisoning so I ventured off by myself to explore the island some more. I climbed up to the the viewpoint which you can see above. The climb was strenuous, mainly because of the incredible heat and humidity. It was worth it though, as I hope you can see from the picture.

Our next destination after Phi Phi demanded a sudden change in climate. From 30 degrees plus....... to minus ten. When we arrived in Seoul we were greeted by Tom with a stereotypical running hug. We hadn't seen our glorious friend for months and months and it was amazing to see him again. Upon leaving the airport we got many weird looks. This was mainly due to the fact that we were two girls not wearing coats in the extreme weather that South Korea experiences in winter. We must be crazy.

The first thing we did upon arriving in the city was head to Home Plus (the Korean version of Tesco) and buy ourselves some coats. Mine was a glorious yellow number with brown elbow pads, a reindeer themed lining and a peaked hood - all the styles in one coat! We got to our accommodation for the night where we met Tom's friend Dom. They took us to experience our first Korean dinner of barbecued meat in lettuce wraps with a traditional alcoholic beverage called soju. We then went out on the town for some drinking and dancing. Made friends with the DJ and introduced him to Shakin Stevens. Spreading the love around the world. You're welcome Korea.

The next day we travelled to Tom's town of Andong, which is less central and cosmopolitan but has many a delicious independent coffee shop. Here we would spend our days drinking coffee while Tom was at work and go to Halfway Village, a traditional Korean settlement. Which was covered in deep snow so we didn't really get the true feel something is telling me. Anyway it was cool and we saw a nice dog.

Our first meal in Korea!

Ingredients for "Jo and Meg's amazing eggnog" - our contribution to the Christmas Day celebrations with Tom and his friends.

Braving the elements at Halfway Village, graced by none other that Queen Liz a few years earlier.

A traditional Korean building in the village.

New year was celebrated by going for a nice meal in Seoul and then partying it up in a bar where we conga'd to Will.I.Am and Britney, those crazy Koreans. We visited the DMZ which is the area between North and South Korea and went to a nice seaside town called Busan.

All in all a fabulous time in a cold land - we love you Tombo!! Next stop Japan.