My First Post

This is my first post. There are only 3 weeks work left and then we're off! Have nothing organised yet but what the hey...

Have loads of web work to do before I go but we'll get through it and then I won't have to look at a piece of code for 8 weeks at least! The next post will be in Bangkok, Thailand... Bring on the 24th of July.

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Itinerary Time

I thought I'd better post an itinerary before I go. Just incase some poor soul feels the need to know where the hell Jonny has got to...

- Depart 24th July.
- Arrive in Bangkok. Stick around for a couple of days.
- Fly (hopefully) to Chang Mai.
- Head to Hanoi through Laos (which we hear is really nice).
- Travel through Vietnam to Saigon.
- Into Cambodia.
- Back to Bangkok where hopefully we'll meet the Leprechauns (Ian & Joe).
- Down to the islands, Ko Tao and Ko Phangang for full moon, half moon, quarter moon parties and the hell it's Tuesday let's have a party. Also and some scuba-ing.
- A little bit of time in Malaysia before flying out from Singapore.

So basically roughly a week each in North Thailand, Laos/Vietnam, Cambodia and then 3-4 weeks in the south islands before flying out of Singapore.

That's pretty much it. If anyone has any suggestions where we should and shouldn't go then let us know!

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Engines are GO GO GO

To celebrate our going away, Mal has organised a day out at the Go Kart track this Saturday. Obviously there is fierce banter and competition between the lads as to who will be bringing the glory home...

We have the form guide and odds below. Also provided are the Mario Kart 64 characters most descriptive of the drivers' talents:

Favourite - Julio (Mario)
Former Irish Champion Karter
EVENS

Contender - Jonny (Yoshi)
He's just brilliant full stop!
2-1

He pulled out cos his moth said it would be dangerous - Rusty (Bowser)
After telling his moth, "he's getting his hair done", he'll be at the starter grid... He's a dark horse this one.
5-1

Will his car even make it there? - Keith (Wario)
No form but if he drives that heap of crap he must have a chance!
13-2

Die Hard to the last - Batts (Donkey Kong )
Batts has been priming himself with months of conditioning for this one event. Babs & Stocks all the way
7-1

Safe bet - Dexter (Paratroopa)
Steady through the corners and lightening on the straights.
8-1

The Sharpshooter -Nialler (Diddy Kong)
Will be efficient and accurate through the corners but will he have the staying power?
10-1

Bitte - Burns (Koopa Troopa)
Will be wild and eratic but could be to his advantage
12-1

Underestimated - Ro (Toad)
Could be the outside bet with a chance, he'll be drinking red bull all Friday night!
13-1

Cautious to the last - Malojo (Princess Peach)
Will he play it too safe?
16-1

No hoper - Ray (Luigi)
Can hardly get out of the estate with his driving lessons...
25-1

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The Results are In!!!

We have the results of the Grand Prix! PADDY POWER were paying out before the race on Julio and they were right too...

1st - Julio (Mario)

2nd - Keith (Wario)

3rd - Dexter (Paratroopa)

4th - Ro (Toad)

5th - Mal (Princess Peaches)

Retired - Rusty (Bowser)

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We're HERE!!

Hello everyone!

We arrived today at 15:30 (Thai time) in Bangkok on a cloudy, humid day. With traffic and taxi haggling we were in the city centre by 18:00. We headed for T.A.T. (on Cheevers' advice). TAT is the Tourism Authority for Thailand. For once Cheevers' advice paid off!

The nice lady booked us 2 nights here in Bangkok, a bus to Chang Mai (North Thailand), a 3 day trek while there plus accommodation and also transport to Laos' capital (which I forget the name of atm).

So we have our next 2 weeks planned. She is also gettting our VISAs sorted for Vietnam. Only downside will be a 8 hour slow boat in Laos but they no longer do the "fast" ones due to the safety hazards involved in that form of transport.

Off to try some food and have a look at some shops, we'll try and get a pint somewhere too!

Thanks to all that gave me a call/text or came out for a drink before I took off. It was tough leaving y'all!

Talk to ye soon, YES YES!!

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Tuk Tuk & Baht Baht

Right the Tuk Tuk is the first mention in this post. What a vehicle!! We should get these in Ireland without a doubt. They fly (or "bomb" as Brian calls it) around the place. If you pay more than 100 Baht anywhere across Bangkok then go ahead and write sucker on your forehead.

We had one guy who drove us around in a circle 3 times yesterday... Eh, what do we look like? Idiots? They are the coolest way to get around. Tuk Tuk one and two are below. We ran outta battery in Tuk two... You can hear me saying, "the battery is flashing" at the end of the the second vid, roffles.

www.jealousofjonny.com/site_media/tha...

We haven't a lot of pics cos we bought a charger yesterday but then had to charge the camera last night. Today at 18:00 we head for Chang Mai by bus. Not looking forward to that (approx 10 hours) but we'll be sleeping some of the way hopefully.

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Flying VIP!

Just a quick post. Heading down with two couples, Irish and Dutch, to the night spot in Chiang Mai. We're up at 8:00 in the morgen so won't be a late one. We have a three day trek now so thought I'd post really quickly so you guys wouldn't think I'd disappeared!

Had a good bus journey to Chang Mai. Took 9 hours but it was on a great bus. Will post photos, most pimped out bus ever! Beats CIE hands down... Looking forward to the trek, going with 4 Irish girls, a Dutch couple, an Irish couple and two Welsh girls.

Today was very hot, no sun burn though :) Missing everyone loads but the sun, the faces, the smells, the food, the exitement of what we'll be up to tomorrow is driving us both on.

We have a new plan too. The plan changes everyday. Will reveal all soon. Stay safe as Rainbow would say, YES YES!

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Chop Choi (Thank You in Laos)

Bad news! The charger we bought in Bangkok died after just one recharge. So we have no camera and the photos of our trek are on the now dead camera. We'll be able to get them off but we'll have to find a Kodak shop or another charger.

We're really annoyed because we have some great pictures to show you and also we can't take pictures here.

We are in Laos at the moment. Great spot. We got a bus to Chiang Khong which is on the Mekong river. Laos is across the river. The next day we headed across and got our visas and customs checks which took a while. The passport is starting to look cool now with all the stamps and visas. We hopped on the slow boat. It took 7 hours but wasn't bad. We have lots of friends now that are pretty much doing the same thing. Food in Laos is gorgeous and cheap. They have only one beer here, Laos Beer!

We stayed the first night on the river in a very nice guest house. Electricity stops at 10:30 sharp so we were literally in bed at that time. They have a curfew on the border towns so they actually will lock you out of the guest house after that. We woke in the morning and two dutch guys, Jerry and Abion, asked us did we want to join them and a few others on another boat. We had tickets for the same boat again but Abion paid a captain to take us on a VIP/private boat to the next place. $200 got 15 of us down the river. It was class. We stocked up on beer and played cards and pretty much partied all 7 hours we were on it. Slow boats officially rock!

In LaoungPrabang now. Nice place. We went to a restaurant last night and then a pub. After we went bowling till 2 in the morning (was the only place open selling beer at that hour). Was great craic. Feeling the effects today though!. Off to the capital now in a half hour. 5 hour bus journey with the same crowd again. Good bunch though. Oh and the dutch guys are teaching me dutch again. Hope everyone is cool, sorry about the pictures but I am on it!

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Vietnam Here We Come!!

We fly to Hanoi this evening. Laos has been amazing. We met so so many cool people and have seen so many cool things!

So what happened on our way to the capital? Well we got our bus to Vangviang, 5 hours of hell with no air con on a minibus. It was tough but the next day was going to be quality so we didn't mind. Vangviang is basically a two street town. What makes it so good is that they decided to build bars along the Mekong River and give backpackers industrial size tubes and let them party all day!

Let me give ya a bit of background info first. The Mekong River starts way up in Tibet and enters the sea at Vietnam way in the south, passing through Thailand, Laos, Cambodia before gettting there. It's the same river we partied down on our slow boat. It's big and fast! So you get your tube, start at the top and float down. They throw ropes to you and pull you in to bars. The current is so stromg that if you miss a pub you have to wait at the next one. You couldn't swim upstream, even sideways is tough! They have music, food, drink (whiskey buckets and beer), volleyball, swings, zip-lines and huge poles to jump off (one is 100 feet high). We had great craic!

I was a little bit drunk so the rest of the lads were doing the swings more. One guy brought a camera so we'll have piccies soon. The internet is so slow uploading a hundred photos could take 2 days here!

In the capital now, Vientiane. Not much here except more temples etc so only spent one night here. Booked a plane to Hanoi at 17:00 today. Should be fun. In two weeks now we'll have been to 3 countries in South-East Asia which ain't half bad!

We say goodbye to all those we travelled with in Laos and we're starting afresh again. Thanks to Jerry and Huiben (the Dutch lads), Aiesha (Mon Cherie), Ruth, Mairead and Mary (the Irish, London girls), Will (the legend), John and Paula (our Mother and Father figures), and Dave (the krazy Kiwi). We may see some of them in Vietnam but if not guys, good luck and slan abhaile!

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On the way to Chiang Mai, Thailand

Some pics for ye at last!

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Trekking!!

Trek north of Chiang Mai.

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Hanoi Vietnam

Right so we're heading off now in an hour all the way down to Hoi An. It's 16 hours by bus! I have some pictures from last night. Will add some videos of us crossing the street. It's mental here!

Chat soon

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Views so far

I haven't really had time to write any coherent thoughts about the places we've been yet because we have so little time. But we'll have a quick run through our experiences so far. Ray you might wanna note some of this for your trip.

We started in Bankok. We had no hotel booked and arrived at the airport fairly smashed after a long flight. Straight away we were getting shafted. When you arrive at Bangkok airport you have to go down one or two levels to get a taxi. The taxis are multi-coloured (pink or yellow/green), we hit the top floor which is the deleuxe taxis. A taxi to town should only cost 400 baht approx or else you are being ripped off!

On Cheevers' advice we hit T.A.T. (the "Tourism Board"), except there is two TATs... T.A.T., who are imposters, and TAT the real tourist board! We went to the former and probably spent 50-100 euro over the odds. We booked 2 nights in Bangkok, a VIP bus to Chiang Mai, 2 nights in Chinag Mai, a 3 day trek while there, our visa to Vietnam, and the slow boat to Laos for 2 days. All this cost 250 euro, not bad at home but you can always haggle! Ask to see the exact amounts and breakdowns and question them.

Bangkok is crazy, ping pong shows, Westerns and Thai girls, bars, scam merchants and expenisve shopping malls. It's an experience and aclimatises you to the haggling world and the seediness of the place.

So off to the bus station for a 9 hour bus ride to Chiang Mai, near the north border with Burma. We got the VIP bus which costs 800 baht. If the travel agent tries to charge more say no I'll get the ticket myself and ask for the whereabouts of the bus station.

Chiang Mai is nice and quiet. We had a nice place and it was cheaper than Bangkok. We hit an "Irish Bar" and the market while there. Nice enough to see. We then went on our trek. You can be lucky with the trek. The quality of the experience depends on so many things, the people you are with, the distance you cover, the weather, the path you take, and the guides. We got lucky, great guides, great people and the weather wasn't too bad. Ponchos are a must in this season! We also got elephant rides and bamboo rafting as part of the trek. All in all a great few days.

When we got back we hit the town with the trekking crew and one of the guides. We had the guide drunk after 2 pints and a whiskey and he was off home. We stayed out and hit a night club. Good craic, seediest joint I've ever been in. Somehow we managed to get 6 in a Tuk Tuk after and neary broke the thing. The guy was not happy.

Next day we were up early for the slow boat. Books, iPods, PSPs as well as cushions are a must. 7 hours the first day and 9 the next. Laos is a lovely country, a complete change to the hustle and bustle of Thailand. We haggled a VIP boat the next day for $200 amongst 15 of us. This was a great plan. We had airplane bucket seats and a cooler of beer. Made the trip fly and we arrived before the other 60 peeps in LuangPrabang and got the choice of hotels in the area. Paid 400 baht for a room with four of us (8 euro). Some of the crew hit the waterfalls and they looked spectacular here. Blue water and deep plunge pools that you can dive into.

We hired a "VIP" bus to ViangVien. It was hell! No aircon and a 5 hour ride with no leg room! ViangVien is the tubing spot. Best laugh ever! Will post pics soon as I get them off Dave the Kiwi who brought his camera. A waterproof bag is a must BTW. Very handy for waterfalls and rivers etc!

On to the capital of Laos then, Vientiane. Nice place. Not much to do and quite expensive to stay. We had to pay $15 dollars to stay in a place because we arrived at like 9 at night. We got a flight to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Beware, you have to pay to get out of both Vietnam and Laos, no cost in Thailand. We had spent all our Kip in Laos so had to take out dollars!

In Hue now, waiting to catch a bus to Hoi An. 12 hours to here only to be told to get off the bus and wait for a 2 o'clock bus to Hoi An, another 5 hours. Playing pool in a bar with some Vietnamese now. Good laugh to pass the time. Oh and it gave me a chance to write some collective thoughts about the last 2 weeks and 2 days... Mad, 3 countries in 2 weeks. Check out our progress on a map of Asia. We've nearly travelled around Ireland 6-7 times in the number of Kms now. Oh the joy! We're getting suits done in Hoi An for a few days. Mum there'll be some suits heading your way soon! Whether I'll actually ever be home to wear them is another story!

YES YES!! Bring on Natrang!

And yes in defence of the waterfall pic, we were there about 6 days most of which was on a bus and of not with factor 50 involved. We're not on package holiday, it's backpackers tan all the way; arms, face and tops of the feet only! Meath farmers would be so jealous!

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Laos Piccies

Here are some of the Laos piccies that we got from the Dutchies we were hanging out with there. Both of them are gay in case you were wondering!

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Hoi An, Beaches, Motorbikes & Suits

Well we have our last night tonight in Hoi An. Really enjoyed the change of pace here. A lot of families here and of course clothes shops. Women call it heaven, men call it hell. Lads never bring your GF here, you'll never forgive her!

We arrived late four nights ago and got a crap hotel. Have stayed at a lovely spot since with a pool. Unfortunately Brian felt pretty rough the last few days and he slept quite a bit but we did a fair amount. Going to the beach, I got 2 suits, bought prezzies, I went partying at a beach party will 6 in the morn and watched all the footie. Really liked Hoi An but it's on to party town Nha Trang next!

2 nights there, then Dalat, then Hoi Chi Min adn back to Bangkok. We've had to skip Cambodia due to time constraints. Maybe we can go on the way home.

Hope eveyone is well and c'mon the 'Pool!!

Here's some more piccies to enjoy, I like the one where I display my chop stick skills!

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Nha Trang

Leaving Nha Trang today. Pretty cool place, although it's alot quieter than I expected. I suspect that most people are heading to Thailand for the Full moon party like us.

We basically partied for 2 nights here and not much else. We are feeling a little delicate today, but no time to rest, getting on a bus for another 10 hours today! Ho Chi Min, or Siagon, is next on the list. Then we fly to Bangkok to meet the lads. It's so weird to be seeing them in 3 days time. Feels like a lifetime ago that we last saw them and had a few drinks before they left.

Hope all is well at home, I checked the O'Connell street cam the other day and it was lashing. Pollard I love thee, good luck with the travelling and make sure you join facebook! No-one uses bebo anywhere else but Ireland.

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Good Morning Vietnam

Hey all!

Haven't posted in ages, so apologies all round. I haven't been online in a while for various reasons. First we flew back into Bangkok so I'll cover Ho Chi Minh and Bangkok first!

We went to the tunnels and war museum in Saigon. A great experience. Some gruesome pictures at the museum but the tunnel were cool. Myself and Brian had a quick fire of some AKs and M16s as we wouldn't be heading to Cambodia. The pics are fairly self explanatory. We saw the traps, walked through tunnels and met a Vet. The tunnels were so warm, how 15,000 Viet Kong stayed down there all day and night is unbelievable.

We flew out looking forward to meeting the lads for the first time in 3 months! It was nice coming in to Bangkok with a better understanding of what to expect and how to deal with it. The boys had a place on Koshan Road so we joined them for a night. We also met Will form Laos and partied all night! The lads were in great form but it was time to get to full moon so the train and Ko Pha Nang beckoned the next day...

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Sunrise, Sunset

Night train time, the day after the night before! So we got to Chumpon train station at 3 in the morn and got a 4 hour ferry to Ko Pha Nang. We headed to the far side of the island opposite the Full Moon beach, which is known as sunrise beach. Each evening on our beach we watched the sun go down before heading to the other beach, and if it was a really good night you'd see it rise again at 7 the next day!

We got to Ko Pha 4 nights before Full Moon, the place we stayed in was the best place I've been in my life. It was so chilled! We played pool all day and met so so many cool people. We stayed there night and day and then headed to the beach party! This place is the reason I haven;'t been online in over a week.

We eat, drank and danced every night at pool parties or on the beach to the wee hours. We had a ball. After like 3 nights of partying the lads, Ian and Brian, decided on the spur to head to Indonesia! Myself and Joe wished them luck and they quite literally headed the next day. The beauty of this place is you can up sticks and go anywhere... With the lads gone, Joe and I were determined to pick the pace up even more. We had another good night and then got ourselves ready for Full Moon.

To be quite honest I thought I would hate Full Moon. We were told by nearly everyone in Vietnam etc that the lead up was the best and the night itself was too busy and too commercial. But low and behold, we had the greatest night of our lives. We started at our Seaside resort at 5 in the evening with the Americans, and the English lads. Happy hour came and went, Killer games of pool with the whole pub involved came and went, and then came the Congo line! We were dancing, smiling, partying and we hadn't even got to the Full Moon yet.

We arrived on the beach at midnight and immediately I lost everyone. Not to worry I thought. The lads had challenged me to play "United Nations", basically get a piccy with as many nationalities as possible (bonus points for weird and exotic countries and of course beautiful ladies). Off I went, results are below. I think, from what I can remember, I met Dutch, Irish, English, Thai (obviously), Icelandic, Italian, French, German, Americans, Aussies, Spanish, Scottish and Northern Irish! 13 isn't bad!! It's hard when half the beach is fecking Irish!!

We finished at 9 in the morning and the best day, and possibly week, in our lives. Cheers to the lads, Gaz and Paul, the Yankees, the lads from Bath and the girlies from Manchester for a quality week and Full Moon. Oh and Yao, the coolest dude in Ko Pha Nang!

In Ko Tao now, Joe and I have booked diving and we're off the sauce for 5 nights! Balls of steel as Duke would say...

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Dive the live long day

We're still in Ko Tao. Both Joe and I passed our Open Water PADI so we are oficially dive extaordinaires! Joe decided that wasn't enough though so started the advanced course the very next day! I did the deep dive and will be doing the night dive too but not the whole course. Both of us will be certified to dive to 30m in Open Waters.

It has been pretty tough few days. Up at 6 in the morning, maybe 3 dives a day, plus the theory. It takes it's toll and we've bee in bed nearly every night before 10. I found it very tough, what with all my allergies, asthma and eye problems. Thanks to our quality instructor, Zoe, we nailed everything and got 98% on our exams (geeks!!). Here are some pics of last day and a few nights out.

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Samui my Seediness

We're no longer in Koh Tao. We headed to the travel agent 2 days ago and asked for a train to Singapore. It turns out a train to Singapore would take almost 36 hours traveling and hanging around train stations. Joe and I had been pretty much diving our asses in Koh Tao so didn't fancy a hell of alot of hours couped up on the train, only to arrive in Singapore and get on a plane! We booked a flight from Samui to Singapore and grabbed the morning boat yesterday.

This place is garbage! If anyone ever recommended I come here, I'd probably never speak to them again. It's dirty, smells and is so seedy. Joe and I had a bit of craic last night in between gropes. We leave in an hour after our 3 Burger Kings in 2 days. It's crazy we're leaving Thailand. We've had so much fun.

Looking forward to meeting the lads again, sharing stories and experiences before hitting Melbourne and getting setup for the settled down period between now and Christmas. If you guys read this, Joe and I will be in Singapore tonight, the 8th, and we'll book the hotel for 4 on the 10th. Pints are on you's. Here's some more Koh Tao piccies from Tim our Aussie mate's Facebook. YES YES!! No Koh Samui pictures I'm afraid, there just would be no point!

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Singapore Slinger

Joe and I arrived in Singapore on the 8th. Quality looking place! Shopping centre, after shopping centre but a little expensive. It's pretty much the same price as Ireland for everything. Although you do get a lot choice and diversity for your Singapore Dollar.

Joe and I shopped and played Counter Strike and pool until the lads arrived on the 10th. We went out last night and spent what can only be described as half a county's GDP on beer and cocktails. Good laugh though and it was good to hear about their exploits in Indonesia.

We are now in Singapore airport. Our flight is delayed by 3 hours. "Problem with engine 2", which doesn't sound at all worrying. We also tried to play a prank on Joe at airport security with a sex aid in his carry on luggage but it failed miserabley!!

Next stop for 3 months is Melbourne. Looking forward to it. Also, pretty big announcement... I'm off the drink for the next 3 months including the world cup. I'm about to have my last beer in Singapore and it will cost me 7 euro! I'll keep you all posted on my pioneering! Peace and love to all... Sober Jonny!

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Melbourne & Up & Running

Hey all!

We're down under and lovin' it. We have a new pad off Inkerman Street, St. Kilda (where else?) and the whole apartment block is Irish! We left the Home hostel and are sorting a DVD player and broadband currently, as lads do... "Get the essentials" as they say.

Melbourne is a great place. Love the city centre, love the suburbs. Transportation is perfection here. One ticket for bus, train and tram unlike at home. It means we pop in and out everyday on the tram with a weekly ticket. There are shops and fastfood joints all over town. We chill out most days, take pics and have a drink or eat.

The lads will be sorting jobs this week I'd say. I'm going to take it easy for a while. i have some web stuff to do for George. We will be posting Ian's pics soon, when we get all our laptops. Ian's pics are amazing, he'll be posting the best ones and I'll rob some of them too.

Make sure you leave a comment if you come on too, haven't spoken to loads of you in ages... Chat to you all soon.

El Gringo

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The Pad

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Apple's iTouch, the real deal!

I got Apple's new iTouch iPod a few weeks ago but was waiting for my laptop to get to Melbourne. Been dying to use it but had no music, no movies and no internet to try the browser. I threw a few pictures on it and had a play with those but had to wait 2 weeks for the cavalry to arrive.

I got my laptop last Tuesday and been playing with it everyday since. It was a dream on the 10 hour train from Melbourne to Sydney. 300, Heroes Season I, and Family Guy Season V, as well as my music all saw daylight for the first time on my new iTouch! I'll run through a few of the details for anyone thinking of a purchase.

Interface Intuition

The interface is unbelievable. No issues to date with it at all other than the usual "fingers too fat to dial" syndrome with the keyboard. As it's not an iPhone though you don't have to type quite as much without texts but it would be nice for Apple to address the keyboard issue next time around. Flipping through your albums and creating "On The Go" playlists is now as easy as pie. Movies can be stopped and will continue playing where you left off, and this works concurrently for all videos.

The feature of rotating the iTouch to the side ,so the screen re-orientates itself to the new position, allows for increased screen use as well as new features such as navigating through albums at any time while in the music section, similar to the feature in iTunes 7. Very nice touch!

Battery life

The battery life is pretty impressive for an Apple product! Watching movies is not as draining on resources as previous models despite the increased screen size. I have yet to test long periods of browsing but all in all a big improvement in this department.

Hardware

The screen is incredible! You have the usual issues with screen scratching and smudging (it is an iTouch after all, so smudges come with the territory) but the resolution is stunning with little or no glare for movies. The dimensions are quite astounding too! The 16 gig model is so thin and fits perfectly in the palm of your hand. The screen is ample size for comfortable movie watching.

Software

The iTouch staff have produced a development guide for web developers so web applications can be created to better suit web browsing needs of the fantastic Safari browser on the new iPod. Social network sites such as Facebook have already tailored a version of their application to the iTouch with more to follow. The other OS X borrowed software are as reliable and useful as ever; Safari for web browsing, a calculator, calender and contact list can be synced from your Apple Mac.

The main additions are custom built applications for iTunes and YouTube access and browsing. Both these apps work very well and strip the periphery elements of both web services to allow users direct access to media streaming and downloading.

CONCLUSION

The conclusion is simple really - GET ONE! I am usually quite hesitant when purchasing mark I iPods but this one has surpassed my expectations in every department. Alright there is not a whole lot of Gig for your Dollar but for users that already own a previous iPod model this can be a nice addition for web browsing, video watching and selective music "playlisting" or indeed a stylish introduction to the world of iPod for any newbies.

The Microsoft Zune team has declared it's intentions of eating into Apple's grip of the MP3 market (in the "long run") but Microsoft has it's work cut on this one I fear and it may well be a very long run.

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The new Garda Cricket website

Just wanted to know people's opinions on the new version of the cricket website I'm finishing off. This is the about page.

Post a comment, no slagging or I'll bhan hammer you!

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Sydney, 25 and the rest...

I haven't posted in a little while, mainly due to a lack of events of true merit. Since my last post I went to see Hard-Fi in the Prince of Wales, we have celebrated my 25th birthday (whaaahay) and visited Sydney to hook with a friend of Ian's.

Hard-Fi were class! The new album "Once Upon a Time in the West" is pretty solid, and for anyone in Melbourne if a decent band are playing The Prince check them out. Nice intimate venue, although lads watch out! The pub downstairs is "half & half", with one side of the bar catering to a gay audience. Joe and I only found out after being there a few times, haha. So don't moan and say Jonny sent you to a gay bar in Melbourne. There are a fair few bars in Melbourne like that. It is the bohemian/more fashionable version of Sydney.

The perks of being 25 are few but still by far the best is car rental in Australia. More on this later in the post but basically I can get the higher class of car/jeep here being over 25. Audi A4, Holdens (which are class) and pimped out Yutes (Aussie pickups). The birthday was a fairly Irish orientated affair. Got some of our friends over, few drinks and then on to our usual haunt of Revellers here in Melbourne. Great night, thanks to the lads (especially Joe and Frankie for looking after me) and indeed all the girlies that gave me 25 kisses... There's the second bonus! Older = More birthday kisses ;) Thanks to everyone at home for remembering me as well.

Right so onto Sydney then. Joe and Brian had headed to Perth the previous weekend to hook up with Erica/Suzie and the girls before they left Oz. They had a ball so can't wait to get to Perth eventually. Ian's friend, Nal, was heading to Sydney for a days so Ian asked would I be interested in heading up. I jumped at the chance of course, so we packed up and got a 10 hour train to Sydney. We grabbed a hostel on Pitt Street for 4 nights. A massive turn up for the books was a message on this here blog from a friend of ours Ian and Joe met in Sri Lanka, Matt from England. He was in Sydney working and was wondering where we were. On the Saturday we met both Nal and Matt and hit the town.

Sydney is a great spot, much livlier than Melbourne. We ripped it up with the two lads and I ended up staying up all night with Matt to watch the rugby final. Got to bed at 9 after 14 hours on the trot. I was back on the drink for the weekend away with Ian but did well to have 7 weeks in Melbourne (apart from the birthday) on the dry. It is possible, I can vouch for it!

Right so, what next? Well Matt had a good chat with me and Ian about coming up here for jobs. Being the sound man that he is, he had 3 agencies ringing me on Monday morning. In between "touristing" it up at the Opera House we popped in for a meeting with a recruitment agency (in our shorts and thongs... That's what flip-flops are called in Oz! I swear, no mess). So in my thongs, they went through our CVs. I rang Brian and pretty much on the spot we decided to move up here by the following weekend. The motivation for moving to Sydney after only 7 weeks in Melbourne was triple fold; (a) the jobs availability is better, (b) Sydney is far busier and more craic, and lastly (c) the accommodation situation. There is work in Melbourne but no real IT based positions. Melbourne is a tad more laid back than Sydney so we fancied getting up there to get decent accommodation and setup before the mad rush at Xmas.

Decision made then! Now the fun part. We are going for a meal this Saturday for our last days in Melbourne and then a big house party. After that we are renitng the biggest car the rental company can give us and we're going on a road trip to Sydney for two days. We arrive Monday/Tuesday with the job and appartment hunt on!

Whoa!! Big post but if you made it all the way through, I'll post after some more partying in Sydney... Oh and I'll do my best to get a job... Don't hold your the breath though! :P

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Garda Site launched

Hey everyone!

Just finished uploading the Garda Cricket Club site. Have a look, the lads put a good bit of time into it. Cheers to Joe and Brian for all their work.

There are a few bugs on it. If you spot any problems, leave a comment here and I'll sort it! Cheers!!

www.gardacricket.ie

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Road Trip

We left Melbourne on Tuesday morning. Brian and I went to the Europcar outlet down the road and picked up our Subaru Outback 4wd 2.5L estate. What a drive! Tiptronic gears and a sport setting... Yipes!

We packed the car, had a ton of stuff after only a few weeks (check out the height of wheel arch on the front suspension). We were on the road and leaving Melbourne by 9 o'clock. We drove through the city centre and took some photos as we did. Melbourne is roughly 12 hours direct to Sydney but we'd be taking the ocean road, for the views and the craic!

The drive was grand, Brian and I sharing the load. The roads are really good and Aussies are much better motorway and dual carraigeway drivers than the Irish are. They actually use the right lanes for overtaking, how silly is that!?! We hit a seaside town for some mini-glof (for the record Joe and Ian tied the lead with a score of 46!). I was let down by the par 2 forth, where the mini-golfer is challenged with what only can be described as the Everest of tee shots!! We stopped over in a quaint town called Bega with a lovely lady at a local motel sorting us with a room for the night.

Up early the next morning for the road to Sydney again, driving straight there as we had to drop the car off that day. We arrived in Sydney at 4 in the afternoon and Joe and Brian dropped the car back. We hit the town for a few drinks with our good friend Matt again. We had a brilliant night as always, actually managing to make it home before the sun came up!

We're here, here to stay for approximately six months. Brian has a job sorted here already, but no we have no accommodation as of yet. Joe and I are off back to Melbourne for the races next week. We will be meeting up with his lovely sister and doing a spot of betting on the horsies!

Hope everyone is well! In the next set of pics I'll be suited and booted, and at the races! And they're off!

In other news, the Dubs Down Under: Ray (my brother), Dave (Fitzy) and Dec (Codeine) have started their Asia adventure this week. Check out they're blog at www.dubsdownunder.net

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Melbourne Cup at Flemington

Oh yes! Only arrived in Sydney and we were jetting back to Melbs. Staying on Frankie's & Jalinda's floor for a few days. The Cup in a Tuesday this year with the whole state of Victoria on a public holiday. We were up early at 9 for the train. I had bought a new suit with the help of the lads back in Sydney and was looking sharp. Joe was his usual self, swagger included, looking the bee's knees.

We grabbed a train out to the course and were in for a quick bratwurst, hotdog and a beer. The day was a scorcher. We all got burnt. Joe and I won nothing, we had two second places but we throughly enjoyed it all the same. We drank champagne and smoked cigars none the less.

We hit the town and met up with Joe's lovely sister, Ann, and her friends. We had a great day and an even better night. Cheers to the lads in Melbourne for letting us stay on the floor and also to Ann and the girls for stuffing us at the track.

Enjoy the pics, the sun is getting hotter and hotter you'll be glad to hear. I am so burnt today. You can see it in the pics of the night!

Back to Sydney Friday for apartment hunting (more partying).. YAY

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House Hunt, Job Seek & Party, Party

From back to front, a week that ended with a relaxing Sunday on Bondi but started with the stress of a house hunt in Sydney.

Joe and I were back to reality in Sydney after a fantastic week in Melbourne. Saturday last meant the start of apartment viewings and house hunting. We have seen more than 20 properties in a week to date, including five in one day!

Apartment viewings have not been altogether fruitful. We have seen lovely places, not so lovely places and average places. The problem with Sydney so far, apart from the fact that half the world is here for the summer, is that most places want only 2 people to a 2 bedroom apartment. If it is the case that the place is suitable for more than 2 people then couples or girls are preferred. Joe and I have been very determined and have spoken to half the real estates in Sydney at this stage.

We will hear back from a couple of places this week, and I'm sure view a few more places so a final update will hopefully present itself this week.

The job hunt has taken a back seat while the accommodation remains unresolved. Joe is looking for something this week and, thanks to our good friend Matt, I have an interview on Tuesday with Common Wealth Bank. Fingers & toes crossed and all that! Brian is working away and Ian is hopeful of getting another contract offer this week.

We hit Cheers (YES the BAR) on Thursday for a few games of pool and beers. If you see me in a suit then you'll know we are dedicated to finding "the nicest pad in Sydney!!" When the weekend arrived, Brian and Matt went to see the band they liked at the music festival last week on Saturday night. The rest of us stayed in. Very grounded of us!

Sunday brought Bondi Beach day. We got up and headed over via train and bus, stopping for brekkie at Bondi Junction. Had a lovely relaxed day in the sun. We strolled up the Coast Path to see Cliff's Place. For anyone that doesn't know Cliff personally, he is an old hippy, I suppose, that lives in the cliffs on Bondi Bay. Didn't actually see him but wouldn't blame him. From the pics you can see how many people are actually in his back garden, not cool man!

There were some sculptures on the walkway. Very interesting modern art but not my thing! Everyone knows I'm a renaissance man. After we had a beer on the beach and Matt suggested we head back to his apartment block for a swim, sauna and jacuzzi! He lives in the Radisson don't cha know! Very suave and a great finish to the week.

This week we'll take jobs all around and a palace to stay in. Here's aiming high! Oh and if you see grumpy faces in the pics, it's because we know we're making everyone jealous so we might start pretending we're having a terrible time! ;)

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Off to work we go

In the morning I start work in Commonwealth Bank, Sydney. Matt was his usual courteous self and put my name forward for a job in his department. I did the interview on Tuesday with Aaron from Commonwealth. He was really sound and rang me Friday to tell me I was successful. Looking forward to starting tomorrow when I'll be doing 1st and 2nd line support for 2000 users throughout the company.

The other BIG news is we moved into a new house last night! The landlord, John, is sound. We now have enough space for the lads when they get over. I have a room on my own for the first while. A double bed, in whats been coined the "Japenese" room. I have a bed 2 inches off the floor, very oriental. The house is great. We still have no kitchen, he's finishing it up now ;) It's close to all kinds of amenities and the train. There are wooden floors and a brand new bathroom. We have a 32' TV and DVD player. Foxtel (Autralian Sky Digital equivalent) and 24MB broadband are on the way this coming week. We'll be renting a BBQ, cinema kit and some more TVs. I'll post pics after the weekend when we'll be having a few drinks. Til then it's get the head down for the first week in work.

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Sydney vs LA Galaxy

Well hello again all, this time Jonny has trusted me to upload to his blog seems after I blogged for Brian hits went up ten fold, He is a little worried Dubs down under are getting more interest at the moment LOL!

On a serious note we were lucky enough to get 6 tickets together for me, Jonny, Colin and a few of his friends in good seats just behind the goal and settled down in anticipation of a great end-to-end football match (I still cannot call it soccer!). Transport to and from the stadium was well organised and free which is always a bonus and the actual stadium its self was superb.

The match itself was a 80,000 sell out and considering Sydney normally only average 16,000 you can see the kind of effect me and Jonny had on the match, oh and some other fella called Becham or something! Well the match wasnt the most thrilling of matches and me and Jonny were itching to get on especially me in my new Galaxy shirt which Jonny kindly bought for me and got my name on as a thank you for helping him get a job at the bank! You really didnt have to do that Jonny but it was much apprecieted and I will get you back when you are least expecting it!

Anyhow hope you enjoy the pics they are slightly more interested than the game was!

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Bondi & Buideals

The weekend before the lads arrived we ventured over to Bondi beach for the time to go out for the night. We met up with Karen, Aoife, Elaine & Orlaigh in there's, and had a few beers as you can see :)

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The Dubs Down Under bus pulls into town

The lads arrived safe and sound ib Tuesday of last week. A quick catch up and a beer was had before the working crew hit the hay. We gave them the tour of the house and the festivities began the next night with all the crew hitting Sydney city centre. A fine night had by all and a sign of thinks to come?

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The XMAS Party

The following weekend the Xmas party was upon us. I have to say I'm not a fan of Xmas parties in general but OMG was it the best night ever. About 2000 people, a band that rocked the roof off, drink, food and all under the luxurious roof of the Hilton Hotel, Sydney.

I have to say it was hilarious and you should also check out the band that played it... http://www.myspace.com/sneakysoundsystem

You'll see pictures of my Team Leader, Aaron, and manager, Bev, below having a bit of a boogie. It was a 70's themed event but Matt & I got dolled up but didn't get costumed out. Hope you enjoy the pics as much as we did on the night.

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Little Leprechauns

We have posted our first comic! Episode one is a quick introduction to the Little Leprechauns, we'll be making it juicier and funnier in the coming weeks. Each of us will be making editions so we'll be having a pop at everyone (back home included)!

Leave us comments about what the Little Leprechauns should get up to. Just like to say we completed ripped off the Little Gamers instead of coming up with our style. Credit goes to those guys and you can find a link to their website in the comments on the first episode.

First one down, loads to go! Click here

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I AM BEOWULF

Forgot to post these a while ago. We went to see Beowulf in 3D at the IMAX and it was incredible! The biggest screen in the world, the best graphics I've ever seen, and in 3D, and the funkiest glasses!

The other shots are of some of the festive events that are happening in the city. This one took place on Darling Harbour. It involved a massive floating stage on the harbour water, fireworks (that would kick SkyFest's ass) and Santa on a jetski. No snow but festive all the same!

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Happy Xmas!!

Happy Xmas everyone! Hope everyone is well at home. I'll be adding the Xmas pics to this post, so it'll be a bit of a rolling one. Have two YouTube vids too as a little present for Xmas :) One from the, as always, amazing Stand and a sneak at the new Batman movie, which I can't wait for!

Happy Xmas everyone!

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Snow is falling... Well not really but you get the point

Happy New Year everyone! Sorry I haven't been on the update wagon since before Xmas but with working through Xmas and the New Year and all the things that were happening I haven't had time to sit down to be quite honest.

We'll start way back in '07 with Xmas eve and dinner. We had a great Xmas! The food was amazing you'll be glad to here. After avoiding a near national disaster when someone (who will remain nameless.... Dec!) left the turkey in the freezer over night, we sat down and had a fantastic night. There are too many photos and nights out to even remember over the period so I'll throw up the dinner piccies!!

Happy Crimbo!!

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Time for 2008!

With Xmas come and gone, secret santas out in force we organised New Years Eve. Matt & I finished work at 3 and had a few drinks while the troops assembled. We had a good night, sat under the Harbour bridge with a few drinks and the fireworks. I will try and get up the video of us at the countdown because it's meant to be hilarious, although I cannot confirm this as I have yet to see it.

Below is a video from one of the lads in work, he was near enough to where we stood on Circular Quay, Sydney Harbour.

Hope everyone else had a spectacular NYE!!

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Australia vs India, Day 4, SCG Jan 2008

The title says it all really. The best cricket team in the world by far against the current 20-20 World Cup winners. With the little master Sacchin Tendulkar and all the stars the Kangeroos have, Australia at the crease and an eventual last over win on the 5th day... A great spectacul and a good day all round!

We saw Hayden's hundred, slagged most of the Indian team off and we'll be doing it again you know!

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What a week

A quick post about the week so far and what's to come...

Did Kings of Leon the other week so will have the pics up soon as I grab them off Ray. This week has been crazy. Meech has left work and I'm still trucking away. Was on earlies this week, managed to go to the Sydney FC game on Sunday and have a feww pints after. Up at 5.30 all week but still got to Rage Against the Machine on Tuesday night. Pictures to follow of all.

This weekend is Australia Day. So Sydney FC game again on Friday night and then Coogee all Saturday. We have Monday off too as it's a bank holiday. Pictures and stories to come of all the above and more...

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Kings of Leon

The 9th of January brought Kings of Leon onto a stage in Sydney. We bought tickets like way back in September and in fact I had two extra because Meech & Brian decided to hit another gig the enxt night. The phone hopped off the desk in work when Ray, quite kindly, put my number on the Internet.

The gig was great, although it was the end of the world tour, so I think they were a little bit weary by the time the hit Australia. I loved it! Dec, Fitz, Ray & Colly from work loved it and I'd definitely would be grabbing another ticket for them again. They have an amazing sound and live put on a great show. Enjoy the pics and vids!

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Sydney winning the league?

Sydney FC's last game of the season was a home fixture against the Melbourne Victory. Melbourne were the defending chanpions but had a poor season and were not in contention for the league. Four teams were equal on points going into the last game of the season and Sydney looked like they had a chance. They needed to be beat Melbourne by 3 goals after results on Saturday.

The standard in the A-League is not that high but it is a league in it's infancy. The support however is far from muted! 33,000 plus game to see the game that Sydney went 1-0 up in after 4 minutes. The fans went nuts. Unfortunately, a less than sympathetic ref and a goal straight after half time from Melbourne made life difficult. The game finished 2-2 in the end with a clearcut pen for Sydney turned down.

Now the top 4 play a playoff for a second competition. Sydney are home in a 2 legged match on Friday. To the start the bank holiday weekend off with a bang, after work I'm meeting Steve from work and we'll be watching the game in the season ticket holders stand.

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Rage Against the Machine

Tuesday the 22nd was Rage Against the Machine in the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Paddy sorted the tickets and we hit town. I was actually nervous going to this gig. There's something every special about seeing a band when they haven't been around for 10 years and you know you will never see them again.

You hope they live up to what you remember them as becuase otherwise that memory is stuck with you forever. Every band plays a bad gig from time to time but from Tuesday night, I reckon it's a rare thing when it's Rage on stage.

I've never seen energy levels that high from a crowd. Aussie crowds are known to be subdued at the best of times but WOW. There was a Mexican wave circling the arena before even stepped on stage. The crowd behaved impeccably and even though there was rough and tumble it was in good spirits.

Enjoy the pics and vids, it was a special night. Lucky my camera got out of there tbh :)

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Lil Leprechauns are back!!

The Lil Leprechauns are back!! Go to the link under blog to keep up with all the antics.

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The Tahs!!

Super 14s is back! That meant the boys were off down to Sydney Football Ground to see the NSW Waratahs play The Hurricanes!

Good game of rugby. Well I've never been to one before but it seemed good lol There was one or two BIG hits and we were right beside the action.

AFL season starts back again soon so we'll be doing that too... C'Mon the HAWKS!!

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Australia Day

Australia Day is a national celebration of all things Australian. So if you ask an Aussie "it's Australia Day... What should I do?". They'll say "go to the park and get p***ed". It's not unlike a Saturday night at home then from my understanding.

There are fireworks. You can drink alcohol in the streets and generally have the craic. Vids to follow of me and Dec having some fun :)

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For Mum!

My beautiful mother arrived back in February to see myself and Ray, while also seeing Australia and New Zealand. She said she always wanted to see this place and had discussed moving here a long, long time ago! She's been fantastic since she arrived from Hong Kong and we have loved having her here. She was pampering the lads from day one and of course they all adore the lovely Anne Keane. Who doesn't!!

I have put together a few photos here of her time so far with us. She is in New Zealand as I write this, and having the time of her life as usual I would guess lol

Myself, Matt & Dave brought her to the Blue Mountains. We had a great time! Lovely day, up early on the train and having breakfast in the mountains at 10. We walked around, got the cable cars and train. We got some great photos and finally did something touristy since arriving in Sydney.

Back in Sydney she met the lads at the harbour to see the historic passing of the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria ships. Amazing event and two of the biggest feats of engineerig to be seen on waters anywhere on the world.

Mum and I then took off for Perth to get the best weather of the summer here so far. It got up to 42 degrees while we were there would you believe. We loved the beaches and walking at night time. We had a few drinks here, a coffee there and had a relaxing few days.

Since then she has been to Melbourne which she loved. TOLD YOU SO MUM! Loads of little shops and arcades, cafes and evening strolling.

We'll be gutted when she leaves but it won't be too long until we see her smile again I bet :)

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Oil & Water We Weren't

Back in February we booked tickets for Incubus in Luna Park. I have always been a fan of these guys. They're not huge in Europe, certainly much bigger across the pond, but some of their stuff has been greet since they strayed from a DJ mixed band.

The gig was set in an amusement park. Although the crowd was a little on the young girl and Aussie "I'm a surfer, I swear" level, Incubus threw down some good stuff. Certainly they are a band settled in their ways and sound. Look forward to the next installment in sultry, surfer sounds. Enjoy vids and pics guys! xD

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"Playgrounder Weekend Changed My Life!!"

Ok maybe a little bit of an exaggeration... Guitar Hero and Rubex cubes changed my life but still, pretty damn close!

For those of you completely confused, give me one post, a few pics and a video or two of your time to explain... Sitting on the train way back in January in the dry heat of the evening sun, sweating like crazy in a humid non-air conditioned cab of a Sydney train I spotted a diamond in the rough. This diamond was found in the gig guide of Mx (the Metro equivalent in Sydney) in the form of a festival taking place in March. The name of said festival was the Playgrounder Weekend. I liken it to a smaller Electric Picnic, an obvious plus, and Maximo Park were headlining!

Brian, Ian & Joe as well as the rest of the usual suspects were all up for it. When it came closer, in came the sick notes. Brian, Ian & Joe decided not too come, but we added Duane, Meech's mate, and Daragh, Dave's mate to the clan and off we went. Dec and Ray headed down, as the two employment challenged of the group, to set up the tent and the rest headed down that night.

The first night it lashed rain, so some of us stayed in the tent for preparation for the session ahead. Matt went out with Duane and had a merry time. The real stuff started on Saturday. Up at 8 because the tent turned into a sauna, being in Australia and with 8 lads in the tent. What an amazing start to the morning though. The festival is set down river to a small town 2 hours outside Sydney. To cross the river you have to get a ferry. it's that big and the mountains are that severe around it. The ferry takes 40 minutes to take you down to the fun and it felt like we were in an episode of Lost waking up on the Saturday.

After a cold, baltic if you will, shower and some warmup drinks we headed to the pool (yes an outdoor pool, take that Oxygen!!). We hit a few bars and then the main stage. It is a lot like Elecy Pic but not quite as extravagant as it's irish equivalent. The main stage was cool, we chilled and got a photo with some Indians and the Mario Bros... I will explain the latter as I'm sure you'll all be like whaaaaa?!?!? Saturday is fancy dress and of course, the Irish weren't gonna be letting the side down! You'll have to see the pics to believe it. The highlight of the night was a 7 year old boy seeing Fitzy dressed up. He almost died right there on his Dad's shoulders! We had a great night and there would be even more pics if I hadn't lost my camera :(

Sunday was just as cool. Maximo played the set of a life time and I gave Ian Brown some grief!! Enjoy all the pics, it was a classic weekend. We still shout in work "TAKE ME BACK TO THE ISLAND!" in reference to the fact that Matt actually thought he was on an island! He even told work that that's where he'd been... To infinity and beyond!!

PS Check the photos first as I have to post videos before pictures!!

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Sydney Swans

When we arrived in Melbourne, way back in September, it was AFL finals time. Victoria is an AFL mad state and with 3 Victorian teams in the last four the city was awash with colour and tempo. We didn't get a chance to see a game in the flesh but certainly enjoyed watching the pinnacle of the AFL season in some Aussie pubs in St. Kilda.

I wanted to get an AFL jersey, or guerensey as they are known here, but had no idea which team to choose. I picked the Hawks in the end and pretty much wore that jersy well into the New Year. When in Perth I bought all the lads back home one (I haven't forgotten about the rest of you either btw, just didn't have the cash >.>) and being on the West Coast I got an Eagles training jersey.

lol at the cheesy team music!

The new season started 4 weeks ago and we had pencilled in the Swans first home game in the SCG (the scene of our first day out at the cricket in January). Going to the game with Ray, Fitz and Dara all kitted out compelled me to also get a jersey for fear of looking the idiot in a Waratah's rugby jersey. The pictures are below, they don't tell half the story of the day. I will let Ray explain in his own words as he'll probably go nuts at me again if I tell it from my perspective. Needless to say, there were tears, although mine were from pure uncontrollable laughter... hahaha

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Paddy's Day with Mrs. Doyle & the rest!

I said I would throw the Paddy's pics up. Nothing spectacular. The lads went the park on the Sunday for the parade. I was struggling from the Saturday in town... These pics are from the Monday night when after work we hit the Junction for some Guinness. U2 tribute band were pretty decent, the pints weren't lol!!

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Ian is back?

I saw Ian with a camera in his hand the other day. It reminded me how little I've seen him out and about like he had been prior to arriving to NSW. It seems since we arrived in Sydney we have all lost our artistic and creatives touches. Why I don't know. Is it that we have worked alot, been out and doing alot? Brian, Joe & I really haven't done any design in 6 months. In a week in Melbourne we managed to design the whole gardacricket.ie site and add features we have never before used. Ian & Brian have taken very little photos since arriving here from Victoria. I can't really explain it but in Melbourne you definitely felt inspired by the city and ambiance around you. Melbourne is a stunningly beautiful place. The river by night, the lines and skyline of the skyscrapers as well as the culture of fashion and art, both street and contemporary, throughout the place are all inspiring.

This post is to highlight some of Ian's work which many of you probably have never seen. Brian has some great shots too and I have both their Flickr pages added to the navigation now under 'Randomness'. Below is some images he has taken in India, Melbourne and Sydney. Enjoy them and see more of Ian and Brian's work at their Fickr pages :)

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Toronga Zoo!

Wow! A little behind on the posts. I have definitely fallen into the comfort zone in Sydney, go to work, come home and chill, get up for work etc. Well that was before we got some new tenants at the house! The girls, Emma, Dee, Amy and Jenna, arrived 2 weeks ago and boy has the house changed. Not only are we back in tourist mode with more newbies but they have also shaken up a house that the "boys" up to this piont had been calling their own.

Anyways more to come on the girl's arrival later... This post is about a few bears, a tiger and some giraffes!! Enjoy the pics, there will be no more from Sydney soon so we'll cherish them.

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Finishing up in Sydney is harder than you know

Teapots, birthdays, zoos, parties, BBQs and shopping have been just a few of the things that have filled our far from mundane finish in Sydney. This place has been home for over 6 months now for me and coming into the final week I have only now realised how much I'll miss the place. When you come to Australia you are either a Melbourne man or a Sydney man. Having fallen in love Melbourne, Sydney has always been tougher to warm to. Of course most of the reason behind me missing it will be all the good times, friends and experiences squeezed into 6 months but part of me will miss working, living and breathing in this city.

Tomorrow morning I will be booking mine and Joe's flights back to the Northern Hemisphere. I say NH because a flight home is the last thing on our mind, lol. Itinerary is as follows (roughly):

• 30th May - Jonny & Matt head up the east coast


• 23rd June - Joe finishes work


• 29th June - Matt heads back to Sydney to meet up with Brian


• 30th June - Joe arrives in Cairns for diving with Jonny


• 4th July - Jonny & Joe fly to Auckland


• 4th August - Jonny & Joe fly from Christchurch to Sydney, Sydney to Kuala Lumpur


• 7th August - Jonny & Joe fly to Jakarta to meet Ian & Paddy for 2 months in Indonesia


• 5th October - Jonny & Joe fly to Colombo, Sri Lanka


• 10th October - Jonny & Joe fly to London


• 13th October - Jonny flies to Frankfurt

Quite a bit to go then, haha. It's all provisional and dates will most likely change. From Frankfurt I will make my way across Europe as far as money will allow. Perhaps to the South of France, who knows.

Looking forward to the east coast with Meech, the adventures have only just begun. Below is my last 2 weeks in Sydney, crazy looking back now, We had Brian's birthday at a Tapas bar, then Joe's with teapots and then United winning "that" match. You will see me congratulate Fitz in the pics, see Liverpool fans are gracious not like you Mancs. Peace out Sydney, maybe I'll see you again sometime, then again maybe not :P

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East Coast is Da Bomb!

Jega bomb, after jega bomb, after jega bomb... No seriously we do tourist stuff too and we have the photos to prove it.

We started off leaving the house at 8 o'clock on a dark and driery Saturday night. Leaving the lads and 2 girls was a strange feeling. Our home for 6 months, Ashfield, was a fantastic experience. It holds memories for all of us and we'll laugh next time we meet up at all of the stories that we were a part of while living on the "ranch".

The last post was about Sydney so lets get down the long journey home for myself & the boys that will be part of it. We arrived in Byron Bay at 9.30 in the morning the next day and jumped straight into a bus for the Lodge Hostel just outside the town. We got straight back into town after familiarising ourselves with "backpackerism" and hostel life again. No more digital TV and 42' plasmas for Matt & me. Byron Bay is a small little town. It's easy to get around and good for the surf and the ideallic, picturesque views. It's a nice spot to start/finish your East Coast journey as it's so laid back. The weather has been pretty poor so far so we got pics and spent the evening having a few drinks.

The next day we took the bus to Nimbin. Nimbin, for those that don't know it, is a small town an hour and a half from Byron Bay where hippies settled and started to grow weed in the 70s. Today it still has those same hippies, just not as youthful, and they are still selling and smoking weed. It is not legal for them to do so as many people think. They persist however, with the police cracking down once a year. It's a surreal place, not like Amsterdam, you are free to smoke in their cafes but police monitor the whole situation. We enjoyed the day and headed off on the bus to have a BBQ before heading back to Byron.

The next day it was on to Surfers Paradise. What a crazy place! A mix between Vegas, Miami and a holiday resort in Spain. Some cool people around and some good surf. Matt & I took advantage and hit the waves for our first time. We loved it. Although the waves were small, the stormy weather meant rough sea but we both managed to get up and ride some waves. Love the pics, especially the one where Matt breaks surf etiquette & takes me out while I was on a 10 footer!

Next on the road was Brisbane. We only booked one night as we estimated that Brissy would be crap. It lived up to our expectation unfortunately. We spent the day at the gym and walking around the city. Nothing to even to take a photo of so there is none here either, sorry haha.

We are at the minute in Noosa. Love Noosa. If anyone wants to retire, come here! It is a beautiful place with lovely shops, beach, houses and people. The weather is bad here so all we did was have a mountain bike, see some helicopters and enjoyed a few schooners (Aussie beers, they don't drink pints). Next on the road is Hervey Bay and Fraiser Island. It's an understatement to say we can't wait for that.

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Fraser Island

Jonny has asked me to blog this week for him so I will do my best to explain a superb week which started with a five hour bus ride from Noosa to Hervey Bay. As explained by Jonny Noosa was a haven, picturesque spot and we were sorry we couldn't have stayed longer but unfortunately Fraser Island was calling!!! For those who don't know Fraser Island, it stretches over 123 kilometres along the southern coast of Queensland with an area of 184,000 hectares. It is the largest sand island in the world, dotted with off road tracks and beautiful fresh water lakes. We booked ourselves on a 3 day, 2 night self-driven camping trip with our very own 4x4 vehicle.

We arrived from Noosa in good time for our pre meeting where we were broken down into 2 groups of 10 and 11, it's fair to say we were happy with the group we got which consisted of an English and Irish couple, me, Jonny and Four girls from England Taiwan, Germany and Denmark. After watching the safety video and running through the huge list of do's and don'ts, as a group we went shopping for 3 days worth of food and amenities for the trip. This was a great way to get to know our new group mates and yes we also stocked up on a few alcoholic beverages.

Next day we were up nice and early to collect our vehicle, sign for our camping and cooking equipment and load our vehicle, ready to board the ferry over to the island. Jonny volunteered himself to drive the first leg and off we set expectations high and the mood humorous. As soon as we arrived on the Island we knew we were in a for a special few days and the endless paragraphs I could write would not do it justice. As they say a picture paints a thousand words so all I will conclude on was Fraser Island is that it is a must do experience on the East Coast with some amazing and exhilarating views. Nothing quite beats sitting round a camp fire by moon light sharing stories and jokes with a cold beer amongst great company. I hope you enjoy the pics as much as Jonny enjoyed posing for them!!

After Fraser Island it was back to Hervey bay for a night and as a group we said goodbye to Connor and Edel, the Irish couple, and the rest of the group descended on the local nightclub (Morocco's) for an excellent night out and no we didn't hit the Jega bombs (they had none!).

Next stop was 1770. 1770 was not part of the original plan but as we have enjoyed surfing so much we decided to stop for a couple of days to catch some waves. We headed there with two of the girls we had met on Fraser Island, Sarah and Anna, and we have also arranged to meet back up with Pete and Rebecca (the English couple) and May the Danish girl in Airlie beach to do the Whitsunday's Islands. 1770 was another unexpected haven and we stayed in what has to be the best hostel so far, called Cool Bananas, and we were all sorry not ot have had longer here to enjoy the tranquillity and beauty of the place. We got a mornings surfing in and a few of us then heading off to watch the sunset with a few beers in the late afternoon.

So we now find ourselves in Airlie Beach eagerly awaiting to meet back up with the others and do the Whitsunday's tour which is basically 3 days, 2 nights sailing on a Catamaran around the Great Barrier Reef, I know it's a hard old life but after 6 months of working in Sydney we certainly are enjoying ourselves and I personally don't think I could ask for anymore.

In conclusion, an excellent week again full of laughter, breathtaking scenery, lifelong memories and some fast tracked friendships made along the way. Hope you enjoy the blog and pics and tune back in next week for week 3's update which should be full of more pics and some stories from Whitsunday's.

Meech

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Blue Seas, Blue Skies & White Water

We started week 3 of the east coast trip with a Monday sailing for Whitsundays. Whitsundays is a collection of islands and barrier reef that you access from Airlie Beach. Airlie Beach, aptly named, has no actual beach but is the camp zero for all your sailing trips in and around Whitsundays. We left on an overcast Monday, hoping that we would get one day of sunshine for a few decent pics.

The plan of action for the Pride of Airlie boat that we traveled on was two nights on Mole Island, the first day sailing straight there and the second day sailing to see White Haven Beach and do some snorkeling before returning to the island. We had some fun on the boat and the first night getting to know the other 51 people on the boat. We were with the guys and gals from Fraser Island again, Pete, Rebecca, Anna & Sarah so there were some familiar faces already on board.

We partied from 7.30 the second day, enjoying the views and the ride on the boat. We got some sun bathing in on one of the nicest beaches in the world, some beverages on top deck and some diving and snorkeling. We even managed some golf when we got back to Mole Island! The third day involved getting back to the main land with some lunch and snorkeling along the way. The sea was remarkably rougher the third day, which made for some interesting events on the sea sickness/bit hungover side. We arrived back, hit the hay for an hour and all met up that night for a few drinks to laugh and joke about the last two nights and three days. A cool time, in a quality place, with some crazy people. We loved it!

Now that we had gotten Fraser Island and Whitsundays out of the way on our east coast exploration we turned our sights on some adventure in Mission Beach. Matt wanted to do the skydive (mine will be over snow in New Zealand) and we said we'd give white water rafting a go too. On the Saturday morning Matt got up, ready for his pick up at 7.30. He was nervous, he'll admit that himself, but he was significantly more calm that I'll be when I wake up the morning of my jump so I won't slag him off. I got up after he left and walked to Mission Beach to see if I could see him land. I arrived at the beach at 9 o' clock on the dot to see 10 tiny black spots on the blue sky jumping from an aircraft 14,000 feet above me. Sixty seconds of free fall and three minutes of parachuting later Matt swung overhead. He was buzzing when he hit the ground, a smile a mile wide on his face. The pictures don't do it justice. His DVD is quite literally amazing to watch but still not a patch on the real thing.

The next day was rafting time. 7.30 pickup again for myself, Matt & Pete this time. Rafting was quality! We were due to spend the day on the Tully River, a grade 4 river with both technical and high volume rapids. We got a stroke of luck when there were 3 empty spaces on the Xtreme rafting boats so it meant we would also be doing rock jumps, rock slides and plunge pools, and some swimming through rapids. It was an amazing day! We loved every second of it, a bit sore typing this the next day but definitely worth it.

Not a bad week so... Snorkeling on the Great Barrier reef, lounging on some of the best beaches in the world, partying to the wee hours on a boat, sky diving and some white water action thrown in. How was your week? Haha

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See you Meech!

It's Friday morning & we're waiting to head to the airport to fly to Auckland, New Zealand. We can't wait! Last Saturday Matt headed back to Sydney to hook up with Brian and begin their trip home through New Zealand & South America.

Joe arrived the previous Tuesday & we partied until Matt left with some of the Fraser Island crew. Pete & Rebecca headed off to Asia while we met up with Anna & Sarah to watch some of the footie and have a dance. Anna I said I'd mention you so here you go, "it's ok, it's alright". Enjoy your travels, and good luck to both you and Sarah getting home!

Meech took off after a session on the Friday. Needless to be say he'll be missed. A class act and we'll all be in the local in Manchester before Christmas, I guarantee it! It's back to the Full Moon, Thailand team, Joe & I for some wild Kiwi experiences. I'll be going crazy over there; ski dives, snow boarding, glacier hikes, mountain biking and basically anything that'll make you go fast.

Here are some pics of the last two weeks, and I guarantee they will be nothing in comparison to the next post. We have one last night in Australia when we fly from Christchurch to Kuala Lumpur but for now, goodbye Oz.

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The Kiwi Experience - North Island

Joe & I landed in Auckland on a Friday night. A swift taxi ride & a few beers led us through to our first full day in New Zealand. Auckland was freezing on the Saturday & we lasted a half hour before buying two of the biggest jackets we could find on the high street. We went to the aquarium and took the Link bus around town. Auckland is a nice spot, good for a night out but not much in the line of tourist attractions.

On the Monday we got up nice and early to jump on the Kiwi Experience bus, which would take us down the north island & in a full circle of the south island. Now, the Kiwi bus has a wrap of being a bit of a party bus but in fact it's a good blend of activities, culture & sight seeing with some nocturnal socialising in between. We drove from Auckland, a quick photo opportunity at the top of the hill on the way out, to Mercury Bay. We stopped at the beautiful Catheral Bay & Hot Water Beach on this, the first day. Both sights are well worth it, and the hot water really is hot! Dig a hole & you'll find out how hot.

The next day we were on the bus at 7.30 for the journey to Rotorua, with a stop off at Hobbiton where the town was built for the Lord of the Rings movie. Rotorua is a nice little town situated around a heap of thermal vents and geysers. The place smells of sulphur dioxide (i.e. eggy fart!) due to all the geothermal activity. During the day ww did some Zorbing & some luging. The zorbing was a novelty but we much preferred the luging. That night we booked into the Maori experience. A great night, where we saw a Haka and heard stories of how the Maori came to New Zealand, finishing the night with a feast of food.

The Wednesday brought some much needed adrenaline action with Black Water Rafting in Waitomo. This isn't so much rafting as it is cave exploring and waterfall climbing. The only issue is the water is absolutely freezing as well as fast moving. The caves will test your threshold for cold while showing you beautiful caverns and labyrinths, with some glow worms thrown in. Off to bed that night knowing the big one was the next day... A skydive, but could Jonny go through with it?

Obviously I did because I KNOW everyone looks at the pictures before reading this but it turned out to be pretty funny. I was nervous most of the day, people taking the opportunity to poke fun and tease me. When I got to Taupo I felt calm and ready after a few deep breaths. It was Joe who was the more nervous of the two of us, as he was more concerned about the tiny plane bringing us up. I went first shouting "Slan Abhaile" at Joe as I disappeared out of the plane door. It was truly amazing! I can't explain the feeling, the scariest part was the parachuting when it all feels more real as you near the ground. Video is below in 3 parts. It's of us and the girls total, they don't do individual ones in Taupo.

After a huge party for the next two nights in Taupo we hit the road for River Valley. A lovely spot that allows visitors to do some white water rafting. The weather had been pretty bad so the river was 4 metres higher than it would normally be safe to raft it so we ended up with a hot chocolate and a night watching the rugby. The next day would be Wellington and the last stop on our north island trip.

Wellington is a quality place, nicer than Auckland with some nice people around town. We had a nice last evening out with Alan and Rob, the boys from Belfast that we traveled down the island with. The second day we even managed to catch up with the one and only Robbie O'Connell. He was in great form, settled and happy with family and work there was a smile painted across his face all night. The only thing he misses? The cricket of course. All the lads were mentioned with a warmth and he said he may one day return to hit a ball in anger for the Garda again.

New Zealand is all I hoped, and to be honest knew, it would be... A class act! The south island brings more adventure and culture. Sweet as, sweet as!

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The Kiwi Experience - South Island

Where to start? I'm panned out in a lovely ski lodge hostel in Queenstown in front of the fire with a cuppa in my hand. It seems like an age ago when we departed Wellington and boarded a ferry for the south island of New Zealand. We've had a ball as you can see from the pictures. It took 2 hours to get these pics together as there were so many. They still don't tell half the story of the fun we have had in our short time here. We've been scared sh*tless, thrilled beyond belief, partied out, and then all of the latter over again.

We hit Nelson to see the centre of New Zealand (Surely a farce! It just happens to be on top of the most scenic hill in the area) and also for a day trip around Abel Tasman. The Kiwi bus then continued to bring us to numerous gorgeous sites, waterfalls, mountain views & lakes. This country truly is astounding. The terrain, landscapes & views are quite literally out of this world. The pictures are out of sequence but we had the "Poo" party next. The Poo party, so called because it takes place at Mahinapua Hotel, is an experience unique to the Kiwi bus. Les, the owner of the hotel, allows the bus to stop and party for an evening in his hostel and pub. Fancy dress is a requirement & each bus must pick a theme. Les then takes a polaroid and puts it on the wall. The walls are now full with pics so they are now stored in an album. The place is crazy! You can see from the photos we chose a pensioner's party for our theme. I was voted 2nd best dressed for my interpretation of Jonny the grumpy old man (some pointed out I had been method acting in the role all my life). Mrs. Doyle won for her sensational portrayal of the Father Ted character and dancing to "Like a Virgin", before harrassing the police for a "cuppa".

After the Poo party we headed for Franz Josef to climb the little glacier there... It wasn't so small once you had to jump crevasses and scale glacier walls. The photos are amazing of our day spent on ice. We had a huge party that night, spawning the now famous Jega-thon. Franz Josef is a cool spot. Still pumped the next day we partied through to Wanaka, dancing in the aisle of the bus, posing for photos on the beach & a spot of karaoke down the back of the bus. Wanaka is a gorgeous little ski town that we wish we had boarded in. With one night there we headed to Queenstown after a stop at the puzzle museum.

Queenstown is the activity capital of the world. Bungys, swings, luging, skiing, snowboarding, rafting, jet boating & quad biking. If you have the capital you can quite literally do it all here. After Joe's bungy, we hit the canyon swing. We booked 3 days boarding in Remarkables & Coronet Peak. I loved it so much I did a fourth day and managed to do 2 nights of night skiing and get onto some of the blue as well as black slopes. Skiing in New Zealand doesn't compare to Europe or Alaska but it was really good fun with some significant snow falls in our time here.

Queenstown meant saying goodbye to most people from the bus as they went their separate ways on further travels or on the way home. This meant lots of partying and goodbyes. We have one more Kiwi bus to Christchurch to catch this Saturday. On the 4th August we head back to Sydney for one night before flying onto Kuala Lumpur. Thanks to all on the bus who made our time in New Zealand so special. Paddy, Nal & Iano watch out, Joe & Jonny are on the way back to South East Asia... And we're ready to surf & party till the sun comes up!

Sweet as New Zealand... I'll be back

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Indonesia - The First Part

No post for a while in these parts but then if I waited until I get home I'd probably still have posted before the Dubs Down Under or the Little Leprechauns on where they actually are now! I have skipped the stop off in Kuala Lumpur & Malaysia in this post, namely because it was a pretty tame few days where both Joe & I got some details sorted before heading for Indonesia. We did meet up with Stu from Portsmouth in KL that we'd bumped into in Auckland & Queenstown, New Zealand. We had a blast of a night but my goodness KL is expensive for the beer. More to come on KL because we have to fly to Sri Lanka from there later.

We arrived in Indonesia 4 weeks ago. We landed in Jakarta, which is on the island of Java and is the capital of Indonesia, to wait for the arrival of Paddy & Ian, but also Nal, Paddy's bother, & Ross, Paddy's friend. Indonesia is an absolute shock to the system. At first impressions Jakarta is the usual South-East Asian large city with smog, overpopulation and hustle, bustle lifestyle. The shock in Indonesia is the warmth of the people. Most places within South-East Asia travelers generally take a cautious approach, expecting most locals to exploit and hassle them but the Indo people are a class above even the nicest nations we've visited.

We stayed in the Jalan Jaksa area where most Westerns gravitate to in JKT. The lads arrived a few days later, unfortunately Ross & Nal were only staying for 2 days before heading back to Ireland. We partied for a few days to say goodbye to the boys before then heading for Batukaras for 2 weeks of surfing. We grabbed a 10 hour journey in economy class of a train to Banjar and then a 2 hour bus to Pangandaran before hitching a ride to Batukaras for another hour & a half. The train was great fun with locals flocking to our area of the the train to stare & paw four white people on a local train!

Batukaras is located on the south coast fo Java and is perfect for anyone learning to surf. The surf is a point break over a beach break which means consistent waves with none of the dangers associated with learning on reef breaks. There is little to do except surf, relax and sleep. Most days it's up at 5.30 for a sunrise surf, followed by a siesta and breakfast then more surf and some sunning ourselves. The end of the day is capped with a sunset surf until around 6 o' clock. After dinner it's hit the hay from anywhere between 8 and 10 depending on how much pain you were in after the 7 hours of surfing.

We left Batukaras 2 days ago with Ramadhan just having started. As most Indonesians are muslim they celebrate Ramadhan. This means for one month there is no eating, drinking or smoking from 3 in the morning until 6 in the evening. Most locals won't even surf because that would mean drinking. Although this sounds like it would have little impact for a few Westerns surfing away in Batukaras, it actually meant that no restaurants or shops are open anywhere all day. Pot noodles and biscuit sales spiked in Batukaras for the few days we were there during Ramadhan!

We are now back in JKT before a visa run through KL and onto Sumatra, which is an island of Indonesia close to Singapore. There they are even more muslim and remote so we fattening up in JKT before being back on the fasting. Meanwhile enjoy the pics. The pictures came at a price of lots of blood, some stitches and painful nights sleep.

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Sumatra Selamat Datang

We left Java for a visa stop in KL on the 8th September. After being extorted for money on the way in and out of Indonesia and 8 hours in McDonalds in LCCT KL airport we got on our way back to Indonesia and Sumatra. I didn't know much about Sumatra before I got here so I'll provide some points of interest for those who also have little background knowledge of this part of Indonesia. Sumatra is the world's 6th largest island with 40 million people spread across it's rugged volcanic terrain. Medan is the capital and Aceh to the north of the island has Indonesia's highest demographic for Islam. Up until 2004 Aceh was occupied by Indonesian troops as there was unrest in the province, with Acehians wanting independence from Indonesia outright. Aceh was also the area of the country most affected by the Tsunami.

With the background provided I'll jump into our experiences in our 12 days here. Medan is the capital and is the grimy, smoggy Indo city you become accustomed to in these parts. We stayed for a night, when it down poured and literally stranded us in a restaurant. We took the opportunity to chat to some locals and practice our Indonesian. The next morning he saw the mosque, Mesjid Raya, and the Sultan's Palace. This is the only mosque in Indonesia designed by a foreigner. We jumped on a public bus and headed for Berastagi after our fill of sightseeing.

Berastagi is the base camp for climbing the volcano Sibayak. we chose the easiest route with no guide. People have died on this volcano and after our climb down, specified in last year's Lonely Planet, I can see why. The route up is fine but I'd advise to take that way back down. The "steps" are quite literally deadly, especially during wet season. Volcano conquered we hit the road again for Danau Toba. Danau is a lake, formed by a volcano, it is the biggest lake in SE Asia. What makes it interesting is the pennilsula that forms right into the centre of the lake. The weather had subsided by September but during summer months this would be a lovely place. Expect to be hassled on the ferry though, takes the gloss off a little as guys will push and force cards and decisions of accommodation down your neck for the half an hour of pleasant seafaring.

After a few nights was the long haul back to Medan and onto Bukit Lawang. Lawang is the location of the Orangutan sanctuary set in the jungle there. Unfortunately time meant we missed the feeding and Orangutan seeing as we had to head back to Medan after one night to overnight to Banda Aceh. Lawang is a charming spot with lovely peolple. We wish we had met the Orang (People)-Utans (Of The Forest) as well though. Back on a bus on the worst road known to man before the 12 hour night bus into Aceh.

Banda Aceh is a charming place. Even after 12 hours overnight and being greeted by 30 guys shouting "mister, mister" upon disembarking from the bus I had to feel empathy for the people here. Wiped out by the Tsunami, even now they struggle to make a living. Homes lost, families destroyed, food, water, supplies nonexistent, these people are a credit to the Indonesian people. The pictures of the rebuild shows that 4 years later they still struggle, with no materials or man power to even get back to where they were, let alone prevent a catastrophe like this happen again.

I am in Pualeh Weh now, really quiet with the summer gone. The morning and beach is beautiful and deserted. Just what I need before the stresses and struggles of Ireland in a few weeks. Get relaxed is the only aim of a day. Tomorrow we head back to B. Aceh to try and get a flight to meet Ian and Paddy in Bali before the end of Ramadhan which is just crazy here. This will be 5th last post, all things going well, so enjoy and I'll wrap my Indonesia adventure up in our next chapter.

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I'll Bali you good!

To Bali we go to meet Pad & Ian for our last leg of Indonesia. Bali is, well Bali! Commercial, Costa del Oz but all part of the Indonesian experience. We organised to meet up with a Kiwi Experience friend in Marc from The Netherlands, and also a friend of his Martijn in Bali too. Alles goed!

After a couple of days catching up and partying, we all headed to the Gili Islands. A full days ferry ride and travel by road brought us to Gili Trawangan. The biggest of three islands, Gili T is a lovely spot of tropical heaven for diving, snorkeling, and all round relaxing. Eleven nights here involved lots of chilling out, watching movies on the beach front cinema, playing Nintendo Wii in the Irish bar and snorkeling away to our heart's content. Ironically the last part of our journey was the only one to exclude meeting any other Irish people. Two weeks of blissful chilling with Pad, Ian, Joe, the two Dutchies & Claudio, a German DJ from Frankfurt, was top! Party and relax/recover in equal amounts. Island life suited this band of humbled travelers indeed.

I shall keep this post short while the pendulum of anticipation of my return home swings between excitement and sorrow. Cheers to Claudio, Marc & Martijn for making an incredible finish to Indonesia. There is little I can say about a farewell to two of the best lads and friends I know. One is an oldie, the other a newbie but Pad & Ian have made a travel across SE Asia & Oz infinitely more enjoyable. They will be missed but good luck with travels and safe home boys. Selamat Jalan!

Next? Sri Lanka of course... My birthday has become an international event. Last year we celebrated on a chilly night in Melbourne, which seems a decade not a year ago, and this year with just Joe & I on the west coast of Sri Lanka. Sun, sea, sand & surf will be the candles on my cake... Home is not too far away now, not too far at all.

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