#gottogetout

[comicbookgenie]

#fantasyart #flying #motorcycle #gottogetout (at Sioux Falls, South Dakota) https://www.instagram.com/p/CA4XZPKjXnq/?igshid=18h5n3cw2hm2n

[merfben]

Some pictures of the California Poppies off of a dirt road in West Lancaster, California. #californiapoppies #westlancaster #socialdistancing #poppies #gottogetout (at West Lancaster, Lancaster) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-4wcAwnwkI/?igshid=19lgyyp38q3se

[acaligirlontherun-blog]

.1

50319

hello! I just ended my freshman year of college two days ago. When I tell you I couldn't be more happy. I literally COULDNT be more happy. thus far in my college career, I have been to two college about to be three. I am not entirely sure why, but I am never happy...anywhere I go. I feel like I am wasting my time going to class like I am wasting my youth. I am only 18 years old. Why do I feel like this? 

My original goal was to be a stock broker, then lawyer, then a CSI, then a teacher, now a psychologist. It took me five majors...FIVE... to finally decide what I want to do with my life, but really, I don't want to do that. I don't want a 9  to 5 only making 70k/year. I mean, I do, but don't at the same time. Like I want to help people but I want to be on a bigger platform. 

I am from a small town in the wonderful blue state, jersey of the new. (aka New Jersey). I have talked about moving to LA since about the ripe age of 13. At first, it was supposed to be me and my old best friend; the ONLY problem, her mother HATED me. So after planning for about three/four months, I had to stop. I know that this was pre-mature and stuff, but I has 13/14 in high school and I wanted to g e t o u t as soon as possible. I would budget and look at places to live and look at jobs and just about anything I could do to feel a little bit closer to LA. Mind you, I have always been someone who thrived off of the NYC lights, but there was...still is... a glimmer, a light about LA. and there was nothing more appealing than that. As the years went on, I never wanted to get too excited because there was no one else that would want to come with me. 

moving forward, I was in my junior year of high school. COLLEGE. that's the only word you hear. COLLEGE this and COLLEGE that.i didn't want to hear another thing about college. like I didn't have the grades or the money. I didn't even want to do anything like that. spend so much money for what? a piece of paper? crazy concept. 

....to be continued 

[lokenblackmane]

1 step forward 2 steps back *le sigh

Ok so christmas was quiet and...well so was new year to be honest!

Since before chrimbob though, it’s been quite a crapper. I’ve moved in the right direction being more disciplined with sugar maintenance, i’ve been eating a little less than usual, avoided pit fall temptation i usually would and i feel good about it. Pity that’s the only thing that seems to be going right. i think i’ve been under this illusion that cause i’m putting my health right and works been pretty fun, that’s everything's fine.

Nah it’s not - i’m still a social misery, i can’t remember how to talk to people face to face. Even Christmas day with old friends was awkward! i’ve known them since i was 4 and i still had no clue what to talk to them about and when i opened my mouth ... it felt clumsy and not something someone near the same age would even talk about - i can’t even talk to the people right in front of me! and the people i can talk to, either ignore me regardless, have a quick point to make at me or just basically abuse my trust.

Pah - right now i’d rather be my own company cause it seems no-one can really be bothered with mine - That’s right, i’m turning my back on the world, it’s all bollocks!

I need some new goals, i need to get away from here - end of the month i need to get out of this city. I promised i’d meet someone but im not going to do them any good and i’m pretty damn sure they’ll be better off - besides the fact i rarely get to talk to her anyway, i think it’s for the best - saves disappointments right? 

[gottogetoutblog-blog]

10 Adventures in 10 Days with Stray Asia: Luang Prabang (awesome!)

Luang Prabang is an awesome little place where you could happily hop off the bus, and stay for a week or more. We had just two nights and in hindsight I wish I had stayed here (and also the next stop, Vang Vieng) a few days longer. At least this stop included one whole day for activities, as half days in places are tricky and make you feel rushed. Those choosing Stray to travel around South East Asia (with more time than me!) could easily 'hop off' the bus at places like this, and simply get onto the next bus which is normally just a few days away. That’s the beauty of the Stray service.

We started out by driving to probably the best known tourist site at Luang Prabang, the Kuang Si waterfall. Others on the Stray crew at this point opted to go to a rice paddy and learn about the 14 steps of making rice instead. They told me they ate all sorts of different variants and also drank rice wine and said it was interesting seeing how much work went into generating a small amount of rice. Now back to the waterfalls, I am a bit funny when it comes to travelling: I really like having experiences that are 'just mine' and are not too commercial or busy. Although I am a traveller myself in this country, I hate being around too many travellers. Go figure. Anyway on arrival to the Kuang Si carpark (about 45min by tuk tuk which is a very enjoyable drive through beautiful scenery) I saw dozens of tour vans lined up.. this immediately put me off paying to go in, and so I instead of visiting with the rest of the crew I opted to run the 25km back to town! I had never intended to run the whole way, but to get picked up by my returning crew an hour or so later. Unfortunately for me the 1.5 hours the driver estimated to return became more like 2.5, by which time I had run around 16km in the burning heat, wearing just sandals (not the most supportive running shoe) and was half dead. Even shirtless and in lightweight Macpac shorts, I was absolutely drenched in sweat and really puffing. By the time the guys picked me up I had blisters on my feet that would stay with me about a week, and the straps of my pack had rubbed my skin raw on my shoulders and hips. Nevertheless (I’m not looking for a medal, this is just a blog!) It was great getting some excercise which you do tend to miss out on a wee bit when travelling around a lot, and the run through the countryside and little villages was awesome. A highight was running stealthily through a heard of wilderbeast or whatever they were. I desperately racked my brain to remember if I had seen any National Geographic shows outlining if they are dangerous when disturbed or not, as they had huge horns. In the end it was fine. That evening after a long shower we went to the 'Aussie Bar' near our guest house, which had a lot of familiar foods from home like steak and chips, pies, burgers and bangers & mash. I spent a solid 15 minutes trying to explain to the local waitress that what I really wanted was the chicken (from the chicken parmigiana) added to the garden salad - to make a chicken salad. This was all just too much but thankfully in the end my Stray guide came to my rescue and luckily, I didn't end up with two meals as sometimes happens when you try mess with the system! Again, it amazes me the level of English here even though it is by far the most commonly used language amongst travellers. My guides inform me they learn English all the way through school (in Laos he was referring to, not Thailand) but I have seen almost no evidence of this at most of the tourist attractions or eateries I have visited.. where you might expect at least some understanding of the basics. Tourism is pretty new through Laos I guess, and that culture of service you get in some other countries (staff wanting to really please the travellers etc so they come back or tell their friends) isn't really there yet. It's OK though, it is quite fun trying to get messages across using sign language, and anyway who am I to complain - I don't know a single word of their language either, and it is their country not mine.

The football was on the big screens in the Aussie Bar which kept the European members of our crew happy, but for me it had been a big few days that had culminated in this giant run only an hour earlier, and I hit the sack to regroup.

The next day in Luang Prabang was huge, and cycling as a group around this world heritage city was possibly the highlight of my 10 Adventures in 10 Days (certainly near the front anyway, but the trip isn't finished yet). The way the booking of non-tour activities (i.e those not included in your Stray pass) works by the way is that your Stray tour guide generally makes some suggestions for what to do the day prior maybe on the bus or boat or however you are travelling. Sometimes more than a day ahead if it is likely to be busy. At this time of year it is low season, and so there was never any issues with over booking. Actually if anything it was more a case of some activities not being in operation at all, or not running due to low numbers. Your tour leader brings out a book called 'the tour bible' that lists the options in an upcoming city, along with their price and how long they take and minimum numbers etc. It is all nicely organised for you and the guides have generally done most activities personally, or at least have feedback from past guests about how good they are so can make suggestions. Several of us had decided on cycling, and were upgraded from a half day to whole day for the same cost which was nice. This was because we had to use a different supplier as the usual one had folded or wasn’t open or something. We started off the day by meeting our cycling tour leader at the accommodation then boarded his tuk tuk to the shop. He sized us up for bikes (entry level mountain bikes but worked OK) and then we headed out of the city. I think on this tour, it should be noted that 65km is a really long way if you aren't cycling fit! Also the guide didn't have spare tubes or any tools which I found odd considering the rough terrain, and unsurprisingly we had two punctures resulting in someone from head office having to drive to our destination with a spare! Not the smartest.

The ride was a real highlight for me, and we went to some markets and a temple, checked out a silk weaving factory and also a paper-making shop. It is really interesting seeing village life, and watching the women work is quite mesmerising. Would a Kiwi girl be willing put her hands in glue for 8 hours a day making paper mâché? Me thinks not.

Towards the end all of us were breathing pretty heavy and sweating profusely and in some serious pain in the nether-regions.. again I must warn, a full day (65km) shouldn't be attempted by people without what I would call a moderate to strong fitness level. I was totally knackered, and would consider myself pretty fit. The heat is the hardest bit because it just saps your strength and you really can't drink enough water. I had my water bladder in my Macpac day pack (useful for carrying the gifts I purchased and also wallet etc) and drained the whole 3 litres by half way through, as well as several bottles that were complimentary. If you have read my last few blogs you will understand I hate drinking from plastic bottles and therefore adding to the waste situation here, but when it comes down to getting a nasty gastro bug from drinking the local water that could ruin your whole trip vs. adding a couple of extra bottles to the already huge pile here.. well.. sorry. I'll donate to a 'clean up Thailand' fund or something.

Once cleaned up and after an essential power-nap a few of us 'hit the town'. Luang Prabang has a vibrant nightlife and there are many great places to check out, some of which are quite unique. Jon, the Dutchies our guide and I went to a place just up the road called the Garden Bar (name lost.. but you will find it easy enough by saying garden bar) which as the name suggests is a bar, inside a garden. On this night it was bucketing down with rain so we had to sit under cover, but this was a really cool place to eat and drink surrounded by vegetation. We opted for a self-cook-bbq meal which is where a hot plate comes out that is placed over some burning coals. You order the type and volume of meat and vege that you want, then cook it collectively and eat until you are full. This is a really social and engaging way to share a meal and I thought it was a great idea. The thought of tripping over and landing hands (or face..) first into the burning coals in the middle of your table is probably best avoided. I doubt this format of cooking would pass the OSH tests in New Zealand, but hey that's the whole idea in South East Asia: you do things you would not normally have the chance to.

Next we went to 'the' bar in Luang Prabang called Utopia. Every traveller has heard of it within an hour or two of arriving. It is an awesome indoor/outdoor type place where they do yoga during the day, and party-party during the night. You are seated amongst an oasis of trees in groups, or you can play pool or hang around a lake of sorts. Utopia was a pretty cool experience, but after Jon and I had trialled the WHOLE cocktail menu (two for 20k kip) at the last place it is a bit blurry. Next, what everyone does (due to a lock-out around 11pm in the township) is to board a tuk-tuk and drive to a bowling alley out of town. Weird I know, but it was actually really fun as literally everyone who wants to drink later than this in Luang Prabang makes a beeline for this place so it has a real party atmosphere. I have no idea what my bowling was like but recall a few slips on the polished floors and haggling with our driver over the price to get home. It was quite expensive to get out there (maybe 500,000 kip) but between a few of you it is not so bad and normally the drivers will negotiate. Traveller tip: ALWAYS agree a price before getting aboard a tuk-tuk or taxi: not doing so is like giving them an open cheque to charge what they want, and you could get stung. These drivers are negotiating day in/day out and know all the tricks to get cash out of unsuspecting tourists (such as taking me on a half hour drive to get to the Stray office from my hostel in Bangkok, which I later learned was a 2 minute walk). Be warned.

We had to leave early the next day, and thankfully Brad our Stray guide woke Jon and I up from our respective comas, as otherwise we could have missed the bus. Needless to say, the drive from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng was missed as we slept off those cocktails from the night prior.

In summary Luang Prabang is a fantastic place for those wanting adventures, culture, shopping, eating or relaxing. Because it is protected the site will always look this way and can not be built over etc, which is great news as it is really clean and beautiful.

Next stop as I do 10 Adventures in 10 Days through South East Asia with Stray, is Vang Vieng - adventure capital of Laos.

[gottogetoutblog-blog]

10 Adventures in 10 Days with Stray Asia: missing the bus in Chiang Mai (silver lining)

I have finally had a break in my awesome trip around South East Asia on the Stray Asia bus, so am ripping into some blogs. 

When I was caving in Chiang Mai last week I made friends with two climbers from the UK (both living in Hanoi) who were open to having me tag along. This is quite a big deal in climbing circles, they typically don’t really want rookies along as it is a liability and slows experienced climbers down.

I am dead keen to get more into climbing and this sounded excellent to learn from some pros (and to avoid paying full price with the tour company, of around 4000b). Unfortunately, as with my last blog, my taxi could not find the destination in time and so the bus left without me! Serves me right I suppose, but heck, 9 minutes is a bit mean when they knew I was coming.

Ironically missing climbing was actually not a bad thing, as my hands and feet were ripped up from the day prior on the indoor climbing wall (500b for the day, really good value) and to be honest I wanted a day to myself. More to the point, as they say, with every cloud there is a silver lining and in my case it came in the form of an American named Joy. 

We met in the cafe I was sitting in (not far from the Thailand Climbing headquarters) and got chatting straight away. She is a crossfit instructor who essentially lives to travel.. she coaches lifting and training in various destinations and has been to something like 50 different countries already. We decided to make the most of the day we had at our disposal (her, a day off work. Me, no climbing c/o missing the bus) and so hopped aboard her scooter and went cruising around Chang Mai. Tip: for first time visitors to this city arriving on the Stray Asia bus or by any other means, getting a scooter is a great way to see the city. It DOES require some riding experience though, and certainly nerves of steel..

Joy shared some great travel hacks with me including dispelling the myth about Thai food being risky for your belly (her opinion: if everyone is eating it and no-one seems to be getting sick, it is probably ok!). After three months living here she had really sorted out her directions which was lucky for me, as I was totally disoriented. After cruising around some markets trying things like sticky rice with ice cream, Thai sausage, and meat-on-a-stick (we both like high protein / low fat options so she showed me how that is possible without getting sick) we decided to check out a place called the Chiang Mai Grand Canyon she had seen trending on Instagram. Next tip: you can find out about a lot of ‘off the beaten track’ adventures by searching Instagram.

Now this was a totally awesome thing to do and I cannot recommend it enough! You wont yet find it on many tourist books or brochures as it is relatively new and has only just been ‘commercialised’ after being a secret spot for locals for a long time. Getting there was approximately an hour out of the city by scooter (note, scooters are only about 120b per day) but you could also tax a taxi or possibly a bus for about the same price. The ride itself was part of the attraction: sitting on the back of this little scooter, loaded up with my Macpac alpine hiking pack full of things like waterproof overtrousers and head torches (both of which = totally useless in Thailand) was heaps of fun. The warm wind is cooling to your skin as you ride along, and many of the locals smile and wave. We took a couple of wrong turns but eventually made it to this so called Grand Canyon and were both amazed by what we had found.

The canyon (50b entry, including a free cup of tea of coffee) was apparently a quarry at some point, and is now filled with beautiful blue water that appears clean and sparkling. I uploaded some photos to Facebook. Huge white stone cliffs tower high above the water, so depending on your appetite for adventure you can either take a walking track down to the waters edge for a leisurely swim, or jump straight in from either the low or high cliffs. We were feeling hot and a bit burned after half a day in the sun, so dumped our gear and promptly jumped from the 30m cliff. This is the 'low' level but is still higher than anything I have ever jumped off in NZ. The water is super deep so there was no chance of hitting the bottom, at least I don't think so.. we did hear rumours of someone dying here not long ago. We swam around a bit and met some nice people (everyone here is chatty and friendly). A French guy with a Thai girlfriend joined us on the floating bamboo platform that was conveniently placed in the middle of our giant swimming pool.

We watched a few brave lads jump from the 50m clifftop and I gathered the courage to do it too, with a new friend named Rob from the Netherlands. We were going to jump together (two Robs) but even after several people counted me down, I chickened out and so he went alone. It was darned high.. and the thought of hitting the bottom or slipping and not clearing the small lip at the bottom of the cliff worried me. In the end I did it and the free fall felt like forever! I have not been skydiving and frankly am not that keen on the idea, but perhaps there is some similarity. It was about 2-3 seconds in the air and then you hit the water with a huge splash. I made a rookie error which was to have my arms out flapping like a bird, and when I hit the water it apparently made a giant slapping noise as my outstretched arms got a spanking.

The rest of the day involved hours of chatting, then the inevitable beers and nightmarket that followed. The crew were at the hostel already warming up when I got back and we ended up having a nice dinner, but then I called it in early as I was beat.

The lesson here, is that good things can happen as long as you have a postiive attitide and are willing to go with the flow. Joy and I may never see each other again, but we both have amazing memories of a fun 48 hours spent in Chiang Mai, an experience I would never have had if I had caught the bus to caving.

The next blog will cover off an awesome motorbike ride I did to Chiang Dau, as I spend a few days off my Stray Bus exploring Chiang Mai!

[gottogetoutblog-blog]

10 Adventures in 10 days: Caving in Chiang Mai

Caving was awesome! $3900b and I spent the day with a fun crew learning all about knots and harnesses and ropes and different types of rock formations. It was awesome to get into this huge cave (30m deep) and experience an underground labyrinth of tunnels and huge caverns. The guide was knowledgable on a range of matters, many of which were unfortunately lost on us due to the language barrier. My hands are aching from climbing the ropes and mostly from the indoor rock climbing I had done the day prior.

We drove to our destination in an open-sided taxi which was fun, and met some pros at the same time (you can book a trip with guides and gear, or if you have your own gear just use the company as a shuttle service). I had good intentions to join them the next day and even paid for everything(!) but I got delayed in the morning and missed the shuttle to the mountains by a matter of minutes. Serves me right. The shop begrudgingly offered to drive me to to the meeting point but I decided i didn't want to slow down the whole group so instead got a refund and have pulled up into a cafe to have super strong coffee and do some writing. My feet and hands are aching anyway so there's no point pushing too hard.. this is meant to be a holiday!

Last night I was persuaded to go to a 'ladyboy' show with my Stray Travel roomies, which was a heck of an experience.. Not something I am normally in to. But my overarching experience was that these drag queens or whatever you refer to them as, are blimmen hard working and very talented. What a life it must be to treated as an exhibition all day every day and to have to put on layers of makeup and wear outrageous costumes and have drunk Western tourists pointing and laughing. Speaking of makeup, in one show the dancer transforms from full-blown female to a male by changing clothing, taking off the wig and actually wiping his/her makeup off throughout the segment. The crowd loved it, and I thought the messaging was significantly deeper than just a 20b side-show! Pretty metaphorical stuff. Yikes.

My night ended by hearing a band playing literally all my favourite grunge hits from the 90s and early 00's. The 19 year olds I am travelling with had no idea who Pearl Jam, Rage Against Machine or Green Day were but for me it was bliss. Apart from the ever so slight Asi-an accent on the lyrics, the covers were superb / bang on and before long I was up 'moshing' to Killing In The Name Of much to the disgust of my companions who made dad jokes and said I was very embarrassing. I guess this is growing up.

[gottogetoutblog-blog]

Presently touring through Chiang Mai, South East Asia and came across these amazing ruins from a bygone era. Thailand is a pretty awesome place to visit and you can do so on a shoe string! I am on a Stray Asia bus, meaning I can hop on / hop off where ever I wish, on the route. More info at www.straytravel.asia