Groovespook

Preperations? who needs em! (FYI: we do)
West Orange, United States
Maria's birthday.
The early morning sun is blasting through the city streets of New York. From my 17th floor office I see a wall of hotel room windows with increasing flickering lights and disturbed curtains as tourists are slowly getting their act together as they prepare to go into this megatropolis of bustling life. Massive corporations open their doors to the myriad workers bees like myself as we swarm about the streets and clock in to keep this silly engine running. I quietly sip my coffee and stare at 3 huge monitors filled with numbers and progress bars and emails and XMLs and PDFs for the last time in 4 weeks.
4 long, relaxing, quiet, stress-free weeks in Queensland. In the middle of nowhere. The Outback (with no Steakhouse).
We have been thinking and preparing to prepare to pack for what seems like weeks and yet tonight and tomorrow morning - hours before we fly out, is when all this is going to come together. Packing for us is easy, packing for Quinn, well, that is a different story, one that Maria has been researching for quite some time, her mothering instinct and general awesomeness has us pretty much ready to go, except none of the stuff is in suitcases and "carry-ons" yet. Fun times!!
"Ahhh Queensland, beautiful one day, perfect the next" That is actually the official slogan of the tourist industry there. And it is pretty much true, barring poisonous snakes and spiders and droughts and floods and intense sunburn and stuff. Thankfully we are going in spring so the weather should be lovely and mild.
My parents and sister moved to Coominya, just under 2 hours directly inland from Brisbane a year or so ago and have some acreage near an enormous reservoir. The property is filled with dogs and birds and yes, some poisonous snakes and spiders and droughts and floods and stuff and is regularly visited by roaming koalas and the odd lost cow.
Although this is less of a "travel and discover" trip like the Philippines was, we will still be seeing some sights and experiencing a fantastic part of Australia that I want to share here.
We fly out tomorrow. 20 hours in airports and airplanes with a 2 yr old boy eager to see more of the world. Usually flights excite me anyway, but this one a little more so as I am getting a chance to see the wonder and spectacle of it all through the eyes of a small child. He is going to LOVE it.
This is going to be a blast.
written by  Groovespook on October 17, 2014 from West Orange, United States
from the travel blog: Australia Family Madness 2014

NOT YET! NOT YET!
West Orange, United States
Hello there,
In the tradition that brought you Nuttter' s S.E Asia trip, Nuttter and I are about to embark on a 3 week strole through the Philippines. Journeying randomly through the major islands of the Philippines and taking in some of the awesome spectacles. Soaking up the tropical sun, snorkeling over coral reefs, boating around uninhabited islands and through 8 km long subtereanean rivers, drinking 25 cent beers and probably squeezing in a 90 minute $10US massage or 6.
Nuttter leaves on the 30th and I fly out on the 10th of July where we will rendezvous in Manilla.
written by  Groovespook on June 23, 2010 from West Orange, United States
from the travel blog: Nuttter and Groovespook go Philippine island hopping

Reality sets in - Departure in 3 days.
West Orange, United States
Well, in Three days, Nuttter gets on a plane, in Newark, New Jersey, for Tokyo, which is in Poland I think? Anyway, she then immediately jumps on another plane from Tokyo for Singapore, then from Singapore to Bangkok, which is in Austria. Or is it Thailand? This is probably around 30 hours of airports, airplanes, security, signs in strange languages, luggage racks, lame vegetarian options, and not much sleep.
Nuttter is nothing if she is not organised and prepared so this last 2 weeks have seen her a veritable whirlwind of camp stores, doctors visits (oh yes, no less than 4 different innoculations for diseases best left to the imagination). Researching and sleuthing the internet for tips and tricks for a trip that will see her trek over Thailand, Laos and Cambodia in a little over 6 weeks. A well deserved adventure for a travel enthusiast who has spent far too much time in one place.
I shall post here often to update the Nuttter fanbase with her exploits as best I can with the snippets of information I will get from the deepest darkest jungles of South East Asia and it's monsoon ridden rain forests.
BACK HOME:
I, alone and destitute with no love or anyone to care for me (sniffs), prepare to wreak havoc on the entire upstairs quarters of our home whilst Nuttter is making friends and taking 7000 pictures of ancient monuments and luxurious landscapes in S.E. Asia. I will also have boring updates about MY life to counter her adventures with some of the boring reality of... reality.
written by  Groovespook on July 9, 2009 from West Orange, United States
from the travel blog: Nuttter's S.E. Asian Escapade

Nuttter heads out today!
Newark, United States
So I, Groovespook, am about to assist my angelic and slightly nervous (remember this is the woman who back-packed Thailand, Cambodia and Laos last year before getting all soppy and sympathetic) Nuttter to the airport. In about ten minutes.
So the blog is officially starting now. We have had a tonne of well wishes from friends and family and are getting super excited. Well, I am not SUPER excited yet, but I am sure once Nuttter gets of the plane in Manilla, in about 24 hours time, she will be.
YAY!
Stay tuned.
Groovespook.
written by  Groovespook on June 30, 2010 from Newark, United States
from the travel blog: Nuttter and Groovespook go Philippine island hopping

Nuttter - safe and sound in Manila
Manila, Philippines
NUTTTER IS IN THE Philippines:
So I got word last night, which was the next morning for Nuttter (12 hours ahead), that all is well. An uneventful flight with only minimal amounts of bawling child over a 12 hour period at 38000 feet.
No issues with the expected taxi-scam-nightmare of Manila (thanks to a hotel shuttle bus). A quick clean out of the air-conditioner filters in the hotel room ensured a good nights sleep and now Nuttter sets off, in a wandering-no-set-agenda kind of gait for Naga City.
GROOVESPOOK AT HOME:
Has not made the bed... again.
Has almost finished consuming all perishables in the House.
Watched The Fifth Element... again.
Till next time!
Groovespook
written by  Groovespook on July 2, 2010 from Manila, Philippines
from the travel blog: Nuttter and Groovespook go Philippine island hopping

AND SO IT BEGINS!
Newark, United States
So although this is not really about me, it is mostly my voice so you will all have to suffer through my "prose".
As Nuttter's journey takes off in about 20 minutes, there is really no news. However, I am alone in the house and a little stunned that she is actually on her way so yes, this will be a little long winded as I get used to the idea of Nuttter galavanting around S.E. Asia for ages.
I shall endeavor to place Nuttter's direct quotes - when they come in - in italics (is that alright Joe? - just a slight paranoia from a man who thought "punctuation" was a scientific term describing the Sex Pistols and who never really got "grammar". Hell, there is a reason I cannot play Mad Libs. Ugh, me, surrounded by professional journalists...Oh, and Joe. OH SNAP! - yeah, I went there!) The Italics is a nice way you can skip to the interesting "real thing".
Nuttter will shortly be on a plane for hours and hours and I will be in a state of frantic worry and despair (is that overboard?) I will be slightly concerned (that's not enough is it?) I will be on tender-hooks! (perfect - a butchery metaphor) till I hear from our dear Singapore based friends on midnight, Friday night (their time) (around Lunchtime Friday).
So yeah, more about me. I have been buried in an utter whirlwind of one's and zero's at work which completely sucks. For a few minutes a day I actually weigh up what is happening to my love life and realize that the very reason d'etre for my existence, the woman who changed my world, switched on my hear... (oh, vomiting, sorry)... is leaving for deepest, darkest S.E. Asia for 7 weeks. Strolling around without a care in the world. Viewing ancient monuments almost completely swallowed by nature's awesome wrath, seeing a world far away from the Tri-State Area's self important TRIPE. (wait, that might be a bit harsh, I do love the place).
So, the last few days have been pretty tough for Nuttter. Responses to " I am going to Thailand, Laos and Cambodia for 7 weeks" - something Nuttter has learnt to play close to her heart (one wonders why until one reads 1 thru 5) - have ranged from...
1. "WHY? But holy crap, WHY?"
2. " Good God woman.. Alone?" (Images of diseased Asian children on roadsides begging for food. Lifeless, charred bodies in ditches filled with water &c., &c.)
3. "What? Where? (flashing images of land mines, snakes, Agent Orange, spiders &c., &c.)
4. "Woah, wow, that's... ...interesting, why?" (flashing images of Asian policemen with m-16's, prisons, drugs, sex trades &c., &c.)
5. "HE is letting you go there?" (images of Groovespook, sheepish, then angry, close up of mad bloodshot eyes &c., &c.)
to...
6. "THAT'S AWESOME!" (Images of young, spritely AUS, NZ, UK and SA backpackers, laughing and drinking &c., &c.)
7. "I am SOOOOOOO Jealous" (Images of Angkor Watt, majestic mountains jutting from impenetrable rain forests &c., &c.)
8. " I have always wanted to go there you are so lucky!" Images of cute rainforest creatures, smiling Asian children, Delicious FOOD &c., &c.)
The ratio of these responses, sadly, has been 80-90% 1-5, and only 10-20% 6-8.
Further research and canvasing by an independent body (I was under the influence of alcohol) has determined that the 80-90% "nay-sayers", have been mostly the American contingent. Closer and more constant in our lives, this has presented a bit of a telling tale. Namely. AMERICANS NEED TO GET OUT MORE!!! And yes, OUT OF AMERICA. I said it. I mean it. GO GO GO GO GO, the world is amazingly fantastic and only slightly scary.
Nuff said. Well, probably too much said really. But this is my intro rant for those that are not prepared for the style (if style it be deemed) of Groovespook.
AT HOME.
Today I intend to start removing all furniture from upstairs, setting up the living room as my new apartment and then bashing holes in the upstairs ceilings. YIPPEE!!!!
Groovespook.
written by  Groovespook on July 9, 2009 from Newark, United States
from the travel blog: Nuttter's S.E. Asian Escapade

Nuttter: The first few steps
Sorsogon, Philippines
NUTTTER:
The Philippines and I got off to a rough start. But then my first impression was Manila after all. Manila is a distant relative to New York City. The relative who shoots up heroin, doesn't shower and just doesn't give a shit. It was crowded, polluted, noisy and just plain grimy. There were just as many buildings being constructed as there were dilapidated structures. I just wasn't in the mood for it. So, I left.
I arrived late Thursday night and by Friday afternoon I was on a plane to Naga in South Luzon. The area is known for its mountains. Sadly, Naga and I didn't get along too well, either. I had a terrific and inspiring chat on the plane ride over with a young man who grew up in Naga and was returning to visit family. He also, it turned out, used to work as a guide on treks through the mountain. He told me I could do a one-day hike easily. Unfortunately, when I went to speak with the guy who arranges such things he said that wasn't doable. He sketched out a map and told me how I could get near the mountain and do some jungle trek, but it involved taking a bus, then a motorbike, then finding a guide, then timing the return so I didn't miss the last bus. I couldn't be bothered. So I left. (Sense a theme here?)
I took a bus bound south for Legazpi. It's known for the looming, perfectly conical volcano. And it is a sight. It's breathtaking. But I was seeking a smaller town vibe. (While Naga was smaller than Manilla, it didn't feel that way with streets choked with traffic and pedestrians and major exhaust fumes). Legazpi had similar potential. So, just before I arrived to Legazpi, I transferred to another bus and headed further south to Sorsogon. I'm happy I did. It's a one-main road type of place. Granted there's still a buzz of traffic but it doesn't seem as claustrophobic. And the drive there was fantastic. The concrete buildings slipped away and were replaced by papaya trees, gorgeous blue waters, patches of rice fields and limestone covered mountains. And, I just found out, the place I am staying at has managed to track down a mountain bike for me to ride tomorrow.
So, it's all good. Well, until I get lost that is.
As for the Philippines, I'm finally getting into the rhythm of it. I'd forgotten how unsettling the staring can be here (there's no way to blend when you are white, tall and a solo female). That part sucks, but everyone has been very nice and kind. Most people speak English (some very well and some not so much). There's definitely a difference in culture here compared to Laos. In Laos, the people are very modest and reserved. Clothing that covers the shoulders and goes as low as the knees are required. Here, men wrap or tie their shirts above their navels. Sadly, it seems to be only men who look like they are six months pregnant. And why do they do this? Because it's HOT here. You know it's hot when even the locals carry around washcloths to wipe the sweat from their upper lip and brows. And they do their best to avoid the sun by covering their heads with umbrellas or whatever else comes in handy.
I'm hopeful my body will get used to the heat soon and I won't feel like I'm walking around in 90-degree weather with a wool blanket wrapped around me!
GROOVESPOOK:
90-degree weather? PAH! I say, it's 90-degrees here too, only I am pushing a lawn mower over my straw-like lawn instead of a mountain bike through a glistening rain-forest. PAH! Again.
written by  Groovespook on July 3, 2010 from Sorsogon, Philippines

A Viscious Cycle.
Sorsogon, Philippines
NUTTTER:
Yesterday was a day of what was I thinking? I rented a mountain bike and was drawn a map of a route to take. The entire loop would be about 60 miles. Given I haven't ridden a bike in quite some time, I decided to turn back when I reached a particular sightseeing point. My goal was also to be back before it got too hot. Ideally, before 1.
Things didn't go as planned. I left at 8:30 and returned a very tired and roasted woman at 3:30. While the ride provided stunning scenery: papaya trees, mountains encircled by clouds, stunning blue waters and fairly empty roads, it was exhausting both physically and mentally. I reached the midway point of my ride around 10:30. I pulled off to stock up on bottled water and ended up chatting with a lovely family. Imelda is a mom of two, Kenneth and MaryGrace. She talked Kenneth, who is studying to be a nurse, to show me some magic tricks. He was amazing!!! I wish I could have recorded it. We ended up chatting for about 30 or so minutes and it was a nice break. It turns out Imelda lives in the town I'm staying in. She even offered me a ride back in her van if I was too tired and she wrote down her cell phone for me. I cycled onwards until reaching the beach area. There were several unmanned wooden catamarans along the beach, half of them dipping into the blue-green waters. It was quite a stunning place. The water was so warm. I dipped my feet and then noticed a middle-aged man had appeared near my bike and bag. I went over and we chatted for a bit. He, too, offered me a ride home. He invited me to his house on the beach for some coconut milk and to avoid the midday sun and to hang with his family, but my danger-stranger instinct was buzzing and I politely declined. He seemed nice enough, don't get me wrong. But I just felt weird about it and was leaning toward taking Imelda up on her offer.
As I cycled back, I knew I was beat. I was looking forward to putting my ego aside and accept Imelda's offer. But I'm fairly certain I rode right past her van without seeing it. I kept telling myself it was just around the next bend, the next hill, but after an hour had passed, I knew I had missed it. So, I sucked it up (and had some Gu thank goodness for that!) and cycled the whole way back. The heat was brutal. It was like cycling in an oven. I took lots of stops in the shade. During one break, a pedestrian struck up a conversation with me. He asked the usual questions: Where are you from? How long have you been here? How long will you stay? Where are you going? Are you traveling alone? He also asked me my age (not uncommon here to get asked that). I told him to guess and he said 13, then 20. Hmmmmm, my guess is he's not too good with the numbers. It was a pleasant conversation and gave me the break I needed. And while I had sunblock with me and did reply -- I swear I did -- but this morning, I awoke to sunburnt shoulders, hands and face. Ouch!
Needless to say, I opted to take it easy today. A hard thing for me to do -- I always feel the urge to keep going and exploring and doing. But after what I put my body through, I have to give it a day of rest. It's the least I can do!
GROOVESPOOK:
One of my molars fell out.
written by  Groovespook on July 4, 2010 from Sorsogon, Philippines

The trip.
Coominya, Australia
We started off in high spirits. Our arrival to Newark airport was painless (thanks J and T) and check in was actually friendly and efficient. To anyone who has been to Newark airport, or checked in to virtually every national carrier in America, this is a rare treat.
Of course, I blame Quinn for the fact that people are now nice and friendly to us, he has a winning way with people.
The flight took off at about the same time Quinn would normally go down for "night nights" so we thought we may have this in our favor.
We did not.
Being in an airplane is nothing like being in a crib, in a silent, dark room. Quinn figured this out fairly quickly and wriggled and writhed for most of the 5+ hour trip. Finally exhaustion took over and he slumped on top of me, like a comatose bag of coffee beans. Which coincided with our descent into LA.
So sleepy, grumpy Q and Maria and I and far too many carry-on bags navigated our way from one terminal in LAX to another on a shuttle bus, then on to customs. Customs was pretty much a horror show of an enormous line up and pat down and we made it into the terminal with about 20 minutes to spare. Fairly nerve wracking.
Qantas are pretty consistently awesome, in my opinion, and despite a wee fricassee with our stroller (it ended up about 5km away from where we needed it when we arrived in Brisbane-forcing us to walk with Quinn and ALL of our carry-on luggage to the enormously overcrowded customs center), the flight was pretty good.
Of course, the flight itself is 12-13 hours and, as it takes off at 11pm Saturday and arrives in Australia at 6am on Monday, for almost all of the passengers it can be counted as 1 good night's sleep.
We and our toddler-carrying neighbors, who I think may have been the only other people on the plane with a "little tacker" (Australian for small child), managed to dispel the "good night's sleep" option for at least the 12-16 passengers anywhere near us. Quinn and Monte fell into a synchronous ritual of melt-downs on a seamless three hourly schedule. Thankfully Quinn was a little more reserved than Monte so his street cred was slightly higher with our disgruntled neighbors.
The food was pretty good (that is coming from Maria who is the toughest critic - being one of those vegetarian types) and the service was cool too. I did get a kick out of a steward with a torch asking us if "everything is alright?" during a Quinn melt-down, which I found particularly interesting, as if he might have some magic way to stop a child from crying?
Finally we arrived and walked the 5km to the customs chaos (see earlier note on "fricassee" regarding our lack of stroller) , then on through the declaration arena where a dog nearly cost us $66,000 in fines for illegally smuggling an apple into the country.
And then on through the doors and there they were, grandma and grandad, overjoyed to see us and us them.
A great start.
written by  Groovespook on October 20, 2014 from Coominya, Australia
from the travel blog: Australia Family Madness 2014

Ferried About.
Davao, Philippines
NUTTTER:
And so following my crazy day of cycling in the heat for far too long and becoming crispy I gave myself a day to rest. The following day was a travel day.....a very long one. I left Sorsogon feeling energized and peppy. I got the 6:30 jeepny (very artistic open air long vehicles) to Matnog, the tip of the island I was on. After that scenic and bumpy journey I got onto a ferry to cross over to Samar, another island. Unfortunately the Davao ferry didn't leave for two hours. After the two-hour ferry ride I climbed aboard a very packed non-air conditioned bus. I sat shoulder to shoulder in a three-seater. Fortunately it rained so it wasn't too hot. But it was slow going on the roads as we had to stop whenever large vehicles came our way to let them pass. It was a scenic ride with water on either side at times. And a strange ride with the chirps of a chick and the loud sounds of a rooster coming from the bus. Because it was a regular bus this meant it stopped frequently. I did not arrive to my destination until 6. What time did I leave again. Needless to say my brain and body were fried and I spent yesterday recouping as best as I could.
GROOVESPOOK:
Dentist glued tooth back in, watched The Dark Crystal, had a beer.
written by  Groovespook on July 7, 2010 from Davao, Philippines

Coominya.
Coominya, Australia
I really do not know where to start now that the vacation has actually started.
Just catching up with the family is beyond awesome and capturing the emotion and the togetherness that just instantly spills out between us all is just too much to describe.
The interactions between Quinn and Grandma and Granddad and the family are just gorgeous to witness and the idiosyncrasies between them a dream to be a part of.
Quinn is at that magical age where he is picking up more words every day, chatty and grappling with pronunciations which, in Australia, is a hoot. “Gidday Maaate” he has down. Love it.
But where we are, Coominya, is also a slice of Australia you cannot buy in any package tour. The landscape is parched from a long lack of decent rain which seems to only keep the termites happy. Dotted throughout the gum tree tainted scrub are great mounds of glued dirt, as firm as a concrete slab and as big as (and often mistaken for) kangaroos.
My parents, Sarah and Sharon live in a sweet house on 10 acres of bushland. Compartmentalized into about eight or so fenced off areas with varying degrees of sheds and aviaries and kennels and ponds with (draws a deep breath) 9 puppies, something like 7 fully grown German shepherds, I can’t count the amount of beautifully colored birds of varying species, a couple of lizards, frogs, and, oh yeah, the poultry.
The poultry. A never-ending clucking and cooing brood of 20chickens, 4 ducks (actually 5 but the fifth is convinced it is one of the 20 chickens and lives almost permanently in a roost with the chickens laying eggs, oblivious to the other little cluckers), and 4 (I think, they move fast) guinea fowl.
I nearly forgot the 2 guinea pigs (not related to the guinea fowl). And yesterday, inconspicuously and allegedly based on a threat of rain, 7,000 ants in the kitchen. Though they did not last long. ;-) As I type this, Ella is oozing out of the stereo as mum and dad punch their iPads and chat about the day and a very cool, fresh breeze flows in.
Despite the menagerie of animal life, the place is as peaceful as rural Australia can get. I laughed at the first car that past our property at 8am (I was on the porch since 5.30am with poor, tired Q boy, still adjusting to having his idea of night and day turned utterly upside down whilst being flown halfway around the world a few days previous).
Since we arrived, Quinn has been face to face with kangaroos, wallabies, tree frogs, horses, all the afore mentioned creatures that live with us (yes, even the ants) and the unfathomably rare koala with attached joey that literally walked right past us, stared and nonchalantly dissed our humanity and casually climbed a tree at an empty, silent park overlooking Wivenhoe Dam. The damn is a body of water the size of Sydney Harbor about 10 minutes from the property. Dotted with Pelicans, Cormorants and soon-to-be-caught fish that hopefully include Bass, Yellowbelly, Perch, Murray Cod and “shit-loads” of other fine fresh water scaly things. Not to mention the Redclaw Crayfish which we intend to harvest in the coming few days on a small convoy of boats and kayaks.
As we drive down to the damn we pass an abattoir where Sharon works. Fields of cows awaiting shrink wrapping in much smaller pieces sit in fields that my father affectionately calls out to when we pass… “five days left,” “three days left” etc.
Tomorrow the extended, immediate family all congregate for a weekend of animal adoring, boating, fishing, Motorbike riding, barbecuing goodness as we all catch up and just live life to the fullest together as only we know how to do.
written by  Groovespook on October 23, 2014 from Coominya, Australia
from the travel blog: Australia Family Madness 2014

Air Supply in the Phillippines
Liloan, Philippines
Horses. I saw horses surrounded by lush greenery, eating and in the middle of nowhere. Free. It nearly made me weep. Nearly. And so I feel I am officially in the Philippines. The past couple of days have been a bit of a haze for me. It's been hard to get inspired and I'm not sure why. The heat? The effects of a long travel day or long bike ride? I'm not sure. But today I feel like it all clicked into place. A rhythm if you will. I left Catablogan this morning, taking a min-van for two hours and change to Taclobgon. It looked like a town with some charm (I use that word lightly) as most towns I've been in have been void of any personality (and full of pollution from all the vehicles). From there, I took a tricycle (it's basically a moped with a sidecar attached, quite fun to ride in) to the bus station. Found the van I needed for my next stop, got in and then....waited. Often the vehicles here will wait until they are full before leaving. Fortunately it only took 90 minutes before we were on the way. I also lucked out as I was able to secure a seat in the front, in the middle with a view of the road. I did not have this option on my first van ride. I was in the second row from the back, next to the window. And while we passed amazing views, I only caught glimpses as there was a large "Air Supply is performing in the Philippines" poster blocking my view. And the road twisted quite a bit. The man in front of me took out a small bottle and started sniffing it. I knew that trick all too well. Peppermint for travel sickness. You know it's bad when the locals are struggling.
On my second van ride, I was fortunate enough to sit next to a nice Filippino guy. His English was very good and we chatted the whole way. He was great and my only regret is I didn't give him my contact info as he is planning to be in NYC later this year. He is a seaman (he he he) and travels on the seas for long stretches of time. He was coming home from one of this trips. We talked about the local culture, politics, the land, etc. It really was a pleasant time. And it's the longest conversation I've had in a week! When we got to his final stop, I jumped off to use the Comfort Room (ie bathroom) and he paid for my entrance fee. He has three older sisters and they raised him well!
After he got off, I continued on for another 45 minutes. I could have gotten on a ferry that was leaving in 30 minutes. It would have been a three-hour ride, but I opted to spend the night in town and take the ferry (6 am) tomorrow. From there, I plan to take another ferry to an island I am trying to reach. The town I'm staying in is very small. And the room is definitely one of the cheapest I've stayed in. It's about $5 and it's very, VERY bare bones. I'll spare you the details. I've been spoiled by air-con rooms with bathroom towels and televisions. Needless to say, I have no doubt I'll be getting in early night's sleep! Not much to do!
Aside from a couple in Manila and another couple in Naga (only at the aiport), I have been the only tourist I have come across. The. Only. One. I am a walking freak show (or at least that's what it feels like some days). Without fail, people will stop and stare once they notice me. Conversations will end abruptly, something will be said to someone who hasn't noticed me and then all eyes are on me. Imagine walking into a restaurant and Every Single Person starting at you and continuing to glance over at you while you are there. I have to say it's been a bit exhausting at times mentally. I keep trying to imagine I'm some famous person and this is what happens when you are well-known, but it doesn't stick. Having said all of this, the people here really are very nice. They really go out of their way to make sure you are okay, have an answer, know where you are going.
Today, when I arrived in this small town Liloan, I asked the guy running the place if he knew what time the ferry left in the morning. He doesn't understand English. So, I went downtairs and asked two guys working a pawn shop (as you do). They translated my question to the hotel guy and he walked over to some people to find out. When he came back and said 6 a.m. and it would take five hours, I asked if there was a faster boat. The pawn shop workers and the hotel guy got a local to go on his bike to the ferry terminal to find out! Seriously. He came back in about five minutes with the news. 6 a.m., a three-hour ride and he even knew how much it would cost. So, even though I loathe the staring, they are a very nice bunch of people.
Miss you all and send me an email when you can. I might not have Internet access too often, but it's always good to hear from you!
Went to the Franklin Tavern Blues Jam.
written by  Groovespook on July 8, 2010 from Liloan, Philippines

Sing, sing, singapore!
Singapore, Singapore
Nuttter has safely arrived in Singapore, it's 1am, our friends have been partying it up a storm and were in high spirits when she arrived, I video conferenced on SKYPE and lots of fun is being had by all. Except me of course. At work. Not in Singapore. Tomorrow Nutter is slated to go into the jungle for a bit.
AT HOME:
The Ceiling of the Spare Um is now a mass of concrete and plaster on the floor.
Groovespook
written by  Groovespook on July 10, 2009 from Singapore, Singapore
from the travel blog: Nuttter's S.E. Asian Escapade

I have arrived (Alert the media! - oh, I am the media)
Malate, Philippines
Buses for 3 hours, Ferries for 4, then another bus for 6 hours. (From dispatches)
Groovespook:
So I got to Manila after a fairly painless but far-too-long mixture of airports, alcohol and airplanes and alcohol. Flying is a 24 passport to drinking in The Book of Porl. Negotiated my way to the hotel in Malate, threw my bags in the room and went straight down to the bustling, dirt, half constructed, cutlure-shock of the streets. Found a bar that was more like a bar than a strip club - which was difficult, not because I wanted to go to a strip club, just because nearly ALL the bars are strip clubs - and sat quietly in a corner with my first Red Horse beer and watched the Philippino underworld go by.
After a few minutes I was beckoned to the table near me by three lads, college kids areound 20 years old. They were incredibly happy and had already had a large sampling of my new favorite (despite my headache this morning) beer, The RED HORSE.
They precceded to buy me 5 of them (I didnt complain much as they were US .75 each) as I enthralled them with my exotic upbringing. Then they thanked me for making their lives interesting - hey, this was their own words - and told me of their aspirations to go out and see "The England".
Woke up early and walked down through the only slightly fecaly-infused streets to the bay. Actually I am not completely convinced that it is a bay and not just a water-logged refuse tip. It was pretty filthy.
Now I have 6 hours to kill before my flight to Davao and to the loving arms of my Nuttter!
written by  Groovespook on July 11, 2010 from Malate, Philippines

Singapore - Direct from the source. (No italics available - poo)
Singapore, Singapore
Just wanted to let you all know I have arrived safe and sound. Both flights were good (a little turblulence on that last one, but not too bad). I was quite surprised how many kids/babies were on the flights...even the 13-hour one!
It was wonderful to see my friends at the airport, Abby, Mesh and Virag. Lots of hugs and laughing and catching up. Singapore is stunning. Ridiculously clean. Slept well and woke up at the time I normally do, 6:30 a.m. Even went for a run this morning and it rained! It's quite muggy here so the rain felt good. Very tropical, lots of palm trees and lush green plants.
This morning we headed to Chinatown and Little India. We ate dosi, these huge crepe-like meals stuffed with different foods. Mine had egg and onion and then you get three chutnies on the side. Yum! Had a bit of a walk around and then came back and had a nap. I know, it's a hard life!
Abby and I are now off to go for a walk to grab a bite to eat. It's been so nice to just sit and chat and catch up and relax.
Miss you all and will keep you posted!
Nuttter.
written by  Groovespook on July 11, 2009 from Singapore, Singapore

Singapore Photos
Singapore, Singapore
Just posted a few photos of Singapore stuff.
written by  Groovespook on July 12, 2009 from Singapore, Singapore

Devilish Deviations in Davao
Davao, Philippines
NUTTTER: Is asleep
Groovespook:
The flight from Manila to Davao was uneventful, hell, flights always are aren't they?(attempts at jetsetter malaise). Oh, aside from the monumental Cumuli Nimbus I flew through that is.
Finally arrived at the Ponce Suites in Davao after a harrowing cab ride through insane slums mixed with the odd fancy house and saw my pretty princess for the first time in a number of days and the glow of love extended once more to envelope the both of us.
Then Nuttter mentioned (again - thanks to Raph) the Camp Sabros ZIP LINE EXTRAVAGANZA!!!
So off we went!
The journey to Camp Sabros featured local jeepneys trough bustling downtown Davao, a bus through tropical landscapes of breathtaking beauty, a motorbike turned into a five-seater minivan with intricately welded steal, and,finally, an old motorbike.The details of THAT ride I am leaving to the pen of Nuttter.
After all these modes of transport, it was our feet that traversed the last mile of washed-out dirt track to Camp Sabros. Nestled amongst the rain forest and pine trees commanding spectacular views of Mt. Apoand the surrounding valleys we trudged up to five young Filipppino lads , all incapable of understanding any English. Hand gestures (nice ones people) led up to the main camp administration and we (read: Nuttter) negotiated our zipline options.
We went with the 400 meter tandem followed by a whopping 830 meter solo. 400 pesos each. That's less than $10. Yeah.
I have video of our tandem ride which describes it, not only visually but-thanks to Nuttter's amazing ability to verbalize emotion--orally too but, being in the middle of nowhere in an internet cafe designed specifically NOT for people like me with USB HD video footage (Just crashed my second computer), you will not be able to see it, possibly for 3 weeks. sorry.
The solo one, as most of you can can only imagine, was like being suspended in time as this dream sequence of flying was realized. One of the most invigorating experiences I have ever had without doubt. Slowly gaining speed as the forest below dropped further and further away, the whir and hum of the harness above you increasing as the humid air refreshes and streams through your very soul. I felt my whole being open and release all fear as I ran through the various thoughts that I think all zipliners must have:
1. The Superman, complete with gestures of course!
2. The Airplane.
3. The Dream. Nutter referred to this one as The Twilight bit.
4. The Abandon. All care, fear and wordly thoughts get flushed from you.
5. The Panic.
After what seems like a minute of four, one looks up to realize that the ground and a large metallic structure is very, very quickly becoming your only concern. It is at the moment just slightly past your idea of when you can possibly safely stop without becoming part of this metal structure that you are yanked back to reality and then smoothly come to a halt in the arms of a disinterested and nervous young Filippino boy, who is more interested in getting you out of his way than hugging you and laughing and crying at the same time, which was my initial want when he unhitched me. Thankfully Nuttter, who went first, was able to attend to that!!
After a 7.5 hour bus ride through dense tropical madness on roads still being finished (or is it begun?) by people who clearly look like they have no business building roads, we are at last still. In Cagayun. A ferry to Camigun island awaits tomorrow morn, where we will spend 2 to 3 days ( if I can convince that mad Nuttter to sit still that is!)
love to all!
written by  Groovespook on July 14, 2010 from Davao, Philippines

Hop, skip, jump!
Bohol, Philippines
Hello all, Unfortunately, the internet access here is so incredibly lame that it is impossible to A. find a place suitable to sit in for an hour, and B. find anywhere were we can upload the fantastic blog entries that we have painstakingly typed into out iTouches.
So anyway, here is a brief run down of the last few days and believe me, I WISH I could fully convey what we have been doing and how surreal this life is right now!
From Davao and the Zip Line madness we took a seven and a half hour bus trek across Mindanao Island to CDO ( trust me, it is easier to say it that way) and stayed one night there before getting on another bus in order to get a ferry to Camiguim Island, then another small Jeepny to Seascape, a hostel with bungalows on the black sand beach. Really lovely.
We hired mountain bikes the next day and nearly killed ourselves cycling to a fantastic waterfall, deep in the forest and, as we found out, up increasingly steeper and steeper hills. I honestly have never exerted myself more than that day. But diving into that icy fresh water was incredible.
Then again, more Jeenpys and buses and ferries and motorbikes - yes, Maria, and I and a driver on a small 250cc motorbike WITH OUR BACKPACKS and no helmets in sight, careening through winding roads through tropical forests. I was sitting at the very back, on the handle normally reserved for the passenger. When we got to our destination, NutsHuts, it was another 750 meters down a dirt road. I N S A N E !
NutsHuts though is beyond description, we have another large bungalow nestled in rain forest next to an opal green river. There is a main hut with a restaurant that is up around 300 steps from us, and THAT is halfway up the gorge before we get to the 750 meter long dirt track that takes us to the road.
Tomorrow we are going to hike up the other side of the gorge and go to the BAT CAVES!!! (Well, I am going into the bat caves anyway)
Today we motorbiked all over Bohol and visited the Chocolate Hills, a geological anomaly (I blame the Aliens of course - testing sound based weapons about 3000 years ago) and then a butterfly farm.
Anyway, I have no water left in my body and we have to leave this closet filled with people and computers and eat somewhere, who knows, maybe the floating restaurant the tools up the river, maybe back to the cabin and the local delicacies.
Love you all and sorry we are incapable of contact and awesome stories as much as we would like.
Rest assured we are having a fantastic time. The Filipino people LOVE us, and us them!!!
written by  Groovespook on July 17, 2010 from Bohol, Philippines

Bangkok for a minute
Bangkok, Thailand
Just for a minute before hopping on another plane for Chiang Mai.
written by  Groovespook on July 13, 2009 from Bangkok, Thailand

Loboc - unexpigated!
Bohol, Philippines
So go figure. We are on a ferry to Cebu with the first wi-fi access yet that we have found so I can paste the blog I tapped into the iTouch a few days ago.
to even attempt to describe a quarter of the last few days of my life in the Philipinnes would take most of the storage capacity of Blogabond so I will try to compact what my eyes have seen and what my body has managed to accomplish, just at Camaguin Island.
The ferry from CDO to Camaguin was really awesome. Thanks to the jumbo sized Red Horse and a stunningly beautiful day.
Then the ferry landed and again the nightmare (for me) of getting to the next place loomed once more.
I am slowly getting used to the utter culture shock of getting off any type of transport and being accosted by thirty or so Filipinno drivers of various modes of transport. Thankfully at this point Nuttter brilliantly manages to not only explain where we need to go but how much it it SUPPOSED to cost.  I cower like an utter whimp at this stage of our travels and pretty much dread every minute of it.  My head says "we are literaly thousand of miles from anything remotely familiar and Western and could very well be dinner for these people" were it not for their smiles and good nature that is!
So we get to our hut, meet the obligitory gecko ( if there is NOT one in your room then worry about bugs) and whatch the sun set over the sea on our balcony through palm trunks.
Sucks here.
The next morning we hired mountain bikes and headed for Enigmata, a treehouse art gallery which we rode right past. Twice. In blistering tropical heat. Needless to say it was pretty amazing.  We then (foolishly, we found out later) decided on capigsawan falls. Well, after a 4km ride/walk/stumble/pant up roads so steep that the tricycles were banned, we made it! Just as two German tourists with filipinno girlfiends/daughters/wives motorbiked up there too, arriving about three minutes before.
Our vision of a perfect and private visit shattered, we dipped nontheless into the icy. Fresh water.  After our sweltering ride, a ride that proved that my heart is still able to kick it like a caterpillar engine, diving into that water did make it stop.
Just for a second.
There is something to be said for gradual changes in body temperature. Wow. So then, miracle of miracles, the germans departed and we were alone.  This pristine waterfall, cascading down about 170 feet, soaking a shear volcanic rock wall infested with foliage that is hell bent on reclaiming  every inch of planet was just picture perfect. Then, as we were thinking of leaving, 28 screaming adolescant Koreans then proved this was a good move.
The mind bendingly arduous journey up, 2 hours that my body is still coming to terms with 2 DAYS LATER, took a magical 9 minutes to fly down.
The next day we jumped on another crazy motorbike filled wih Filipino school kids and jumped on a ferry to Bohol.
The same nightmare scenario of tribesman wanting my flesh to feed thier children got us on a bus that just dumped us on the corner of some street 5 kms from Loboc.  Then an enterprising Filipino named Ta Ta managed to fit us on the smallest motorbike ever and drove us to where I now sit sweating over my iTouch. No internet access again but never Mind. We are in a small hut by the river. This would be idilyc if not for the local tourist boards brilliant idea to place multi-colored spot lights all along the river for the floating restaurants, repleat with cheezy live entertainment, to tool up and down the river.  Lame. But sort of fun too.
Thankfully this is only during lunch so we do get the majority of time listening to nothing but forest and birds and insects. David Attenborough's second home.
written by  Groovespook on July 18, 2010 from Bohol, Philippines

Oh the pressure!
Dumaguete, Philippines
sorry, still no photos, uploading is just not done but hopefully soon!!!
Well, once again access to the wide web world has been completely non-existent over the last few days. Really though, it is a blessing. Forcefully discomnected  from everything makes these days longer and that much more intense.
From our ferry to Cebu we spent one night in a room the size of the average American kitchen pantry. Had a nice whole fish together in a pretty ugly, dirty city.  Got up and out as quickly as we could and took a twenty minute flight to Bacolod on Negros Island - another in the Visayas group.
Anyone who has flown like us to Australia and England will know just how fantastic a twenty minute long flight is. Tee hee hee, it is like cheating. You get up in the air, the captain says you can unfasten your seat belts and then - I kid you not - he says "prepare for landing".
From Bacolod it was an awesomely beautiful ride on another local bus to Sippalay through mountains and rice fields. The locals forcing these huge black bullocks with enormous horns over carefully irrigated fields to churn the mud for the hand-placed shoots of rice.
From the bus on the main road we took a tricycle to the sea and the outlet of a small river. We walked to the river's edge as more and more school children gathered around us, asking lots of questions and laughing at our alien entities.
We hailed the small outrigger and a sinewy, shirtless, smoking, mute of a Filipinno paddled us across the river for 20p (40 cents) to a beach nestled between two small forested mountains of molten rock. The sea has eroded a rim around these mountains that makes them look as though they are floating five feet above the earth.
We disembarked on the other side, walked through the gorge and beheld a pristine beach about half a mile or so long. Bordered on both ends by these awesome mountains and dotted with small boats. We wandered up the beach past a couple of small resorts to Driftwood Village.  We met Babe, the manager, she immediately introduced us to the staff and they all learnt our names. We checked into our cabin, ran down and had a swim in the warm sea and then spent 3 days totally relaxing. Well, when we were not taking part in volley ball games with the staff and other guests on the beach or being royally whipped playing pool tournaments at the beach bar, or just wandering and exploring the rocky bluff.
Driftwood Village really was the most fun we have had so far. It was hard to say goodbye.  What made it really hard to say goodbye was the promise of a whole day in transit and a MASSIVE HANGOVER.
So we couldnt get the bus we needed due to the high tide cutting off tricycles from the river so we walked in the hot sun with our packs on.
Waited for ages for a bus which only took us from Sippalay to Hinnoba-an where we had to wait two and a half hours for the next bus. During  that time we were serenaded by a hermit woman who could not really sing but had a fantastic impression of a homeless woman and we played a lot of cards.
The next bus dropped us at yet another terminal at Bayawan and a mad dash into another bus that we needed a shoe horn to get into. It then continued to pick up people until children hung from the open doors!
Unfortunately the next bus was not only a much longer trip but the bus driver was terrible! Then we got to the hotel and it was fully booked so we had to wander about and find another place to stay.
So we are finally here. If the weather suits we will take a day trip snorkelling to Apo island after the awesome Swiss couple from Driftwood told us it was the most amazing snorkelling in their nine months of travelling.  Then Sunday is off to Palawan Island for 7 days of more random huts on deserted beaches. Ho hum.
As always, we miss you all and are LOVING EVERY MINUTE!!
written by  Groovespook on July 23, 2010 from Dumaguete, Philippines

Chiang Mai - Direct from the source.
Chiang Mai, Thailand
I left Singapore ridiculously early today and, this afternoon, find myself in northern Thailand. Chiang Mai to be precise. It's pretty full-on. An assualt on the senses. The city is surrounded by a moat and cars and motos and tuk-tuks zip by constantly, filling the air with noise. Side streets leading to the main road are packed with guesthouses, eateries and laundry places (by which I mean places where they wash your clothes and hang them out to dry).
It hasn't even been a full day and I am reminded by how friendly fellow travelers and locals can be. I struck up a conversation with an older American couple near the taxi stand at the airport and asked if they wouldn't mind sharing a taxi. They were heading to a guesthouse a bit further north than the one I was seeking (theirs was more expensive). At any rate, they were so friendly and quite inspiring....probably in their late 40s (she grew up in Philly, and he in NY). They are visiting Thailand for three weeks. When we got to their destination, Ken and Lee refused to take my share of the taxi ride. It was incredibly kind of them.
As I headed out to explore the streets of Chiang Mai (you think the streets of Greenwich can get confusing...this place is nuts!!!), I stopped to peek at my map. An older man (probably in his 60s) came up and asked if I needed help. He was American and has been living here for four years. Without even asking, he told me some good spots to check out.
It is so humid here.....taking showers almost seems futile. You just sweat up a storm within seconds. And the street signs are pretty funny....either there are no signs at all or the English version appears differently than what is on your map (apparantly a lot gets lost in the translation and some words just can't be translated!).
It will be a miracle if I find my way out of here.
As on the flights over, I'm quite surprised at how many families are here. Have seen families with youngsters on the plane over and walking the streets. Seems like it's quite the destination for families.
That's it for now. Will hopefully post again soon, but not sure what kind of internet access I'll find in the next few days.
Miss you all and hope everyone is well.
written by  Groovespook on July 13, 2009 from Chiang Mai, Thailand

Chiang Mai and the 300 temples.
Chiang Mai, Thailand
So, dispatches from Thailand have Nuttter wandering around Chiang Mai absorbing the local customs and snapping away at the amazing world she is now part of.
Unfortunately I could not get any photos from her as the internet cafe she is at is powered by hampsters. I have it on good authority that there are roughly 300 temples in Chiang Mai, they just sneak up on you! The humidity is so thick that you can cut it with a knife, Nuttter is working hard to retain moisture and drinking lots and lots of BOTTLED water.
Tomorrow, Nuttter heads for Chiang Khong, on the border of Thailand and Laos. Chiang Khong is a popular border crossing for backpackers and has many guest houses and some fantastic waterfall views along the famous Mekong River. Not sure if she will be staying there for a day or so or continuing into Laos.
MOZZIE BITE TALLY: 1. (Mozzie=Mosquito)
AT HOME:
Hindered by an unwarranted, unannounced and very rude 12hr day at work, nothing was done on Monday. Spare Um is 3/4 prepped for sheet-rocking, I have decided to do the walls as well, stupid not too when going so far. Once I am clear and clean and ready for sheetrocking, I jump into the Office and get that to the same stage.
written by  Groovespook on July 14, 2009 from Chiang Mai, Thailand

Nuttter speaks!
Dumaguete, Philippines
We just left what has been our favorite place to date. It was on the island of Negros on a quiet, beautiful beach known as Sugar Beach. The beach was lovely and the water was warm with just sand underfoot (no crunchy coral which tends to be more common). It was the perfect place. It had what I like to call the trifecta: good location, good people and good food. Staying at a place that meets all three of these things is not usually the norm!
It was just what we needed. We did a whole lot of nothing, ate well and recharged ourselves. We also met some great people. Most of that warm snuggly feeling was stripped away however by the time we reached our next destination, Dumaguete, a pleasant city (that is saying A LOT for the Philippines) some 5 hours away.
Traveling is never as easy as jumping on a bus and going. You usually have to take various forms of transport just to get to the bus and then, depending on the bus, there are stops galore. By the time we arrived into Dumagete, it was nearly 8 p.m. We left Sugar Beach at 11 a.m. Anyone doing the math? I said it's a five-hour ride from the two destinations. We left Sugar Beach by walking with packs on across the beach, taking a paddleboat, walking 1km in the heat and humidity (still with our packs on...and, by the way, both of mine are heavier than Porl's!). Then a tricycle to the bus stop. Waiting for the first bus, which, when it arrived zipped us to our destination in under an hour. Then waiting two hours or so for next bus. Then immediately getting onto our last bus which was very crowded. This meant sitting in the last row. For fellow motion sickness readers, you know my pain! Even with my travel sickness meds, I was hanging on for dear life -- and a red plastic bag just in case. Slowly, I made my way up as seats became available. Until I was nearly at the front. The bus driver didn't make the journey any easier on our bodies. He sucked. Honestly, the worst bus driver we've had. His idea of slowing down meant SLAMMING on the brakes. Often. On certain bus lines, there are conductors that ride the bus. The conductor is the one who punches out your ticket and who you pay. However, every so often, the bus will stop in some random remote area, and another bus employee will jump on. These are inspectors. They check the tickets and passenger count to make sure no one is riding for free. Typically, inspectors have gotten on a bus about two or three times during a journey. For whatever reason, inspectors got on this bus at least 10 times. Often the bus would pull over to the side and stop while the inspector did his thing. Try to imagine being on a VERY crowded bus in the heat with no air-con while a man looks through tickets. AGAIN. Give the crappiness of the driver (he also had a knack for starting to pull away before passengers were safely off the bus. Seriously!) I can understand why the inspectors got on so often. But after being on this bus for three hours, I was ready to scream.
I'm lucky to report Porl and I both survived. Me, from travel sickness and Porl from being hungover the entire day. My money was on him vomiting during the paddleboat ride, but he proved me wrong!
We were attempting to go to a nearby island for some snorkeling today but both of us just can't bear the thought of getting on anything with wheels today. So it's officially an internet-laundry-chilling out day.
Hopefully by tomorrow we will be ready again to take on the Philippines in all it's transportation glory!
written by  Groovespook on July 23, 2010 from Dumaguete, Philippines

YAY! some photos at last
Dumaguete, Philippines
Driftwood Village
The Chocolate Hills
Electrical standards
Us on a Ferry
The Stallion (codee name for the Red Horse Beer - not me... although??)
Happiness
my butterfly
The Longicorn Beetle
written by  Groovespook on July 23, 2010 from Dumaguete, Philippines

El Neato!!!
El Nido, Philippines
It is Monday, I think- hee hee - we are
waiting for the minivan to overfill in Puerto Princessa for the 6 hour trip to El Nido, the sweet spot of Palawan.
Nuttter has run off to see if there are indeed any cheaper options and I sit here, tapping away on the iTouch and keeping a third eye on our backpacks.
We had an awesome vegetarian extravaganza last night and Nuttter is still in heaven.  The staff were so suprized to see us they took pictures and made us fill in a guest book. Too funny.
Speaking of food, I decided to splash out yesterday in Dumaguete and get a filet mignon.
NOTE:
Never ever ever order a steak in a country with no cows.
Not only was my filet mignon simply an eighth of an inch slab of frozen london broil, but it tasted not completely dissimilar to cardboard AND it was the equivelent of three of any of our total dinner bills so far.
So, degected, I left Nuttter in the hotel in search of a whisky. Yeah, good luck with that!!! Honestly, you would have thought that the Speyside region of the Scottish highlands had never been invented.
I eventually found some Chivas Regal in a dodgy bar, so, sitting next to some 300 pound Swiss giant of a man, downed it and then went to (I know) McDonalds for 2 burgers! To nullify my crying stomach that was still coming to terms with the "thought" of filet mignon and the "reality" that it was forced to digest- or "let ferment" might be a closer analogy.
AAAAARGH I AM SO SICK OF ALL THESE COCKS!!!!
Every single place we go to seems to have a cockeral tethered to it somewhere, mostly underneath where we are sitting and I tell you now that I would not hesitate to cut the head off of every single one of them given a machette and two minutes.
Let me explain why in one numeral and two letters. 4AM. from 4am until noon these friggin creatures cock-a-doodle-dooing is enough for the most patient man - or in lieu of him, me - to lose his marbles.
Right now for instance I can hear at least 7 of them and one is four feet away from me.  My death stares only seem to make him louder.
So our eleven oclock departure time comes. And then goes. Not until 11:40 do we finally all cram into a Nissan Urvan built for fourteen people, revurbished for many more "Asian statured" peeps and housing - today for this eledged five hour trip - seventeen. This includes Nuttter, Groovespook and Adriane, a six foot Romanian stuck in the back!
The first five hours of our five hour bus trip were pretty sweet really. The driver tore through north Palawan as if the Philipino Police were chasing us whilst firing their M16's.
Then, during our last stop, the driver - a wisoned old man with a disconcerting perma-smile - let out air from all the tires. Hmmm I thought. Curious. Until we hit the dirt road. Then I realised why he let the air out. Never in all my born days have I been so glued to the "road" ahead. This guy - and he would make a brilliant rally car driver - continued the  "being chased by cops with guns" theme on roads NOT SUITABLE BY A LONG STRETCH!!!!!!
Needless to say I left finger nails in the seat in front of me.  What sucked about this the most was the view we all just ccould not look at.  We have all seen pictures of massive islands of rock surrounded by turqouise seas but has anyone been forced to ignore said views for fear of flying off the road?
Anyone on the private van from Puerto Princessa to El Nido has I will bet.
We got to El Nido and wandred around searching for accomodation. Finally found a sweet cabin 10 minutes out of town, got settled and trundled into the first beachside restaurant we could find and ordered a whole grilled Red Snapper. GORGEOUS!!
I then made the mistake of attempting to get a martini. Ugh. First try they gave me a glass of vermouth. Second try was half a glass of vermouth with a splash of vodka, which is where I left it.
Amd so to Tuesday. Feeling refreshed and vibrant from walking out the door and seeing a view that puts most postcards to shame, we took a tour on a small outrigger to a number of the small islands around the locale of El Nido for some snorkeling.
To describe what we saw today, picture the most amazing aquarium you have ever seen, make it the size of Manhattan and dive in. Every tropical fish you have seen in schools of ten to over a hundred, oblivious to us ungainly white snorkelers peering into their pristine world.
Those awesome little Neons that everyone thinks are so cute? Pests compared to the schools of Angel fish beneath them and the Parot fish below them.
We swam through thousands of neons, darting to avoid our flippers and all catching the sunlight at once as the swam around at lightning speed. Awesome.
Molusks and bright blue star-fish and space-like, spikey things creeping around along the sea floor amongst luminous yellow, blue and white corals.  Visability of at least thirty feet.  We spent the whole day in awe of the coral and the giant, magestic, molten rock mountains covered in forest. Protecting all this natural wonderment from the ravishes of the open sea.
Coming up for a break from snorkeling, it's like looking at Tolkien's Mordor, 500 years after Frodo and after the sea has risen eighty feet and some serious climate change.
We just got back to the room, it's raining and the freshness is so nice. We are both a little burnt but still totally blissed out. Who knows, we may have to devour another hour old whole fish for dinner!
The tour today was so we may be doing something very similar tomorrow.
written by  Groovespook on July 27, 2010 from El Nido, Philippines

The Mighty Mekong.
Chiang Khong, Thailand
Nuttter arrives in the luxury of an AIR-CONDITIONED VAN to Chiang Khong today. A border town between Thailand (good-bye) and Laos (Hello!).
Chiang Khong is a popular back-packing village/town/collection-of-small-buildings clinging to the mighty Mekong River, abound with spectacular views of the river and surrounding mountainous forestation. Replete with secluded waterfalls that provide welcome relief from the sweltering humidity for locals and travellers alike. The cool fresh water, piped directly from Evian I am told, thunders over volcanic rock into pleasant estuaries and pools. probably.
MOZZIE BITE TALLY: 1. "Cutter Advanced" has proved it's worth in Field testing so far.
AT HOME:
The office is well on the way to being in much the same state as Spare Um. Skirting board and window frames gone, the ceiling is cringing at that dormant hammer lying on the floor beneath it. It knows what's next.
written by  Groovespook on July 16, 2009 from Chiang Khong, Thailand

Loaung Namtha - Laos (from Dispatches)
Louang Namtha, Laos
Just heard that Nuttter has rented a bicycle ( I know, Nuttter on wheels - scary) and is cycling around Louang Namtha like a kid. Internet access and connection speed makes the hampster-powered Thailand look like FIOS so messages are short.
The bus from Chiang Khong to Louang Namtha took about 3 hours through incredibly windy roads and scenery that defies description - Photos should be coming in a few days.
written by  Groovespook on July 16, 2009 from Louang Namtha, Laos

It's all too much
El Nido, Philippines
Woke up wonderfully late this morning and wandered round the corner to Rosa's place for an awesome breakfast that included fresh fruit with meusli for Nuttter and an omelete with BREWED COFFEE for yours truly.
We ate whilst finding it impossible to ignore the massive looming mountain jutting out of the turquoise sea not half a mile in front of us. The gentle sea lapping against the edge of the restaurant our soundtrack.
Doing nothing today but deciding on a snorkel tour for tomorrow. We might get a chance to upload some pictures tonight if all goes well!
written by  Groovespook on July 27, 2010 from El Nido, Philippines

UBER diving (it's snorkeling in heaven)
El Nido, Philippines
again. I cannot help but flap on and on about where we are and what we are doing.
Time is not flying. Time too is on holiday. The cool breeze off the crystal sea cools our heels. Shaded by cleverly folded palm frons we sit on the silent porch of Pukka's. The staff quietly chat and laugh their simple laugh as I sip a cold beer and we read our books.
Beside me a wall of paper thin clam shells, strung together as a wind chime rattle in the breeze. Boats lay dormant and scattered across the bay of El Nido as the sun bakes off another layer of bright paint.  A random snorkeling tourist spouts past us.
This place is a dream.  Electricity is only on from 2pm to 6am so any form of noise is virtually stilled. Only the occasional tricycle or motor from an outrigger interupts the lapping waves.
Somewhere behind me a girl is singing beautifully. Nothing could be better than this.
I don't how this happened but VOOOM and it is the next day. We ho-hummed and did another snorkeling tour of some different islands around El Nido - the place I never ever want to leave - but just a half day tour, nothing too frantic.
During our last 2 hours it bucketed rain but suprisingly, under the warmer sea water, you just shrug and continue to irritate Nemo with your flipper, stare in wonder at the blue and black striped Napolean snake eel (yet stay safely five meters above them!!!!), marvel at the friggin longspine lionfish (I SAW IT I SAW IT I SAW IT!!!!) etc,.
really, we are now (recouperating) sitting in a cafe overlooking a view that is really beyond description and I have borrowed the restaurants copy of "bullshitly beautiful tropical fish you just saw but can't believe or, more importantly, name" and am rudely crying out "I saw that... I saw that" with reckless abandon.
So yeah, we are doing more of the same tomorrow and the tomorrow after tomorrow.
So boring.
Sorry.
written by  Groovespook on July 29, 2010 from El Nido, Philippines

Muang Xay/Muang Xay/Udomaxi/Oudomxay
Muang Xai, Laos
One of the greatest challenges I am facing now is the naming of Lao or Loatian villages/towns/cities. The language itself has some untranslatable noises and so maps and references on the internet to places where Nuttter has been and is headed are spelled differently depending on the source. Hence the entry title.
Good news is, the place where she is staying has WIFI!!! population of about 12 I think, but Wifi, LOVE the priorities.
Still no uploads of images yet but for the curious, if you click on any of the orange words (generally places - sometimes what Blogabond THINKS is places) it will take you to other blogs from backpackers that have visited these places - most of them have pictures) Alternatively, download Google Earth. it is fantastic and is linked to this site http://www.panoramio.com where the entire world post images and places them on the map of the world.
Nutter spent a fairly uneventful (reads: She did not get travel sick) windy, bumpy 4 hr bus ride from Louang Mantha to Muang Xai after a fantastic hike through the forested countryside.
She was joined on the hike by a couple of backpackers and a family of 4 (2 girls aged 12 and 13 with them) Lots of slipping and sliding in mud from recent rains made the trip more fun and word has it (though there are no eye witnesses) Nuttter was the only one that DID NOT fall in the mud.
Victoria, the 13yr old, found a leech on her and caused a bit of a panic through the group, turns out Nuttter had 4 on her. "Leeches, filthy little beggers" (Bogart - The African Queen)
They were still very small though so had not sucked much blood out. Bet you are all glad about that. Bet you all did not probably want to know that really. He he!
MOSSIE BITE COUNT: Still 1
LEECH COUNT: 4
Yeah, about that. I am staring out from a tranquil home, the upstairs apartment of Nuttter's sister, husband and angelic little boy. A choppy lake in Mantaloking reflects the early morning sky. It glistens on the water like muted, crinkling kitchen foil. The world slows down a bit when we visit here. Still, I am thinking about the office ceiling that I will be SMASHING TO PIECES this afternoon.
written by  Groovespook on July 18, 2009 from Muang Xai, Laos

The Slow Down.
Luang Prabang, Laos
Nuttter spent three entire days wandering towards Luang Prabang, still no pictures, the internet cafe's have cottoned on to the enormous downloading that back-packers are want to do and have pretty much made it as difficult as possible to do. Oh sure, they will put them on a disc for you for a nominal fee, but frown upon uploads and stuff so it has been a pain to get any visuals of this spritely young woman, dancing around giant ant hills (dancing to keep the ants off I am told) in giant rain-forests.
Nuttter should be slowing down the pace a bit and getting some much needed R and R now that a familiarity with Laos has started to take affect.
MOZZIE COUNT: 4
LEECH COUNT: 4
The Legend that is Rich came over this evening and, in a whirly-gig of high energy and coke swilling madness, helped to get another stage complete while I busied myself running cables all over the ceiling and walls for the ALL NEW ELECTRIC UPSTAIRS. Still prepping for Sheetrock, the walls are TERRIBLE and a myriad of hurdles must be crossed. Things are moving slowly and have me a bit panicky. Nothing a weekend away camping won't fix right? (gulp). Must not sweat it too much, rushing is the real danger here, not having it all done when Nuttter returns is not.
Unless I get the "expected" email from "Her Laosness, Queen of all the Ants" tomorrow, I doubt there will be another post until Monday of next week. Nuttter does read the blog though and is bitterly disappointed there are not more comments. She misses everyone greatly.
written by  Groovespook on July 22, 2009 from Luang Prabang, Laos

Snorkeling is so passe
We did not end up doing "the same thing tomorrow" after all my brandishing of the word SNORKELING from the last post. Oh no.
We happened to pass a small shop whilst idling down the streets of El Nido and, written on a blackboard was the phrase "Affordable day of diving - no PADI Certification required"
HELLO!!!!
DIVING!!!
We walked into the shop and Yoshi, an ex-Tokyo, Japanese (surprised?), pen-pusher sized us up for wetsuits, weights and other SCUBA what-nots for a day that featured (at least for me) 2, one hour long, thirty feet deep dives. Thirty feet is the max that you can go, assisted by a trained frog-man type.
The first session we both completed in turn. First I went in and Yoshi took me through the safety precautions. You know, how NOT to breathe in seawater if you lose your regulator, how NOT to have your sinus cavities in your head implode every 3 feet, how to keep breathing despite being THIRTY FEET BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE SEA (did I mention we went thirty feet below the surface of the sea yet?). That sort of boring rigmarole. Blah blah blah. Whatever mate, I'm an Australian. Sort-of.
Then Yoshi finished the training by holding my hand as we slowly swam out to coral magnificence THIRTY FEET BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE SEA.
It was utterly beyond description - even for me - and only really ruined by being completely in love to the point of dreamy extacy and then turning to find you are holding hands with a wrinkly but spry forty-something Japanese man and NOT your loving wife who made all this come true.
We surfaced - slowly enough so that the air trapped in the bronchials in my lungs did not explode (the bends) - and I sat on the snow-white, powdery beach, nestled amongst angry station-stones of razor sharp rocks covered in tangled, rain-forest. I made a magnificent sand castle whilst Yoshi stole Nuttter for her intro into a different magical world.
Porl on Miniloc Island
Unfortunately, Nuttter's right ear did not seem to adjust too well to being taken THIRTY FEET BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE SEA so for the rest of the day and even now as she sleeps beside me, her right ear "feels like there is a small balloon inside it".
This feeling is slowly dissipating and we are assured will be gone - at worst - in 3 (gulp) days, thank the lord who made eardrums!. But sadly this prevented her from wanting (understandably) to go for the second dive.
Boo. :-(
The second dive was from the boat. Yeah, you have all seen it, the backward-roll thing into the sea! Jacques Cousteau PAH!. I've done it!!!
Yoshi and I then descended once more THIRTY FEET BELOW..... you get it. This time we were amongst giant fields of cabbage shaped coral that would have been enough to behold if it were not for a school of (curse alert!) fucking thousands and thousands and thousands of beautiful Yellow-Striped Whiptails (Sea Bream family) that swam around us for ages.
Completely uninterested in making contact with us and explaining the secret of life, the universe and everything, You can tell they all smuggly know the answer to that question but they won't share it the smug little things.
These happy fish perfectly swished through the ether whilst I looked like a complete drunkard in a gravity fee environment, struggling to turn right-side-up to reach that pint of Boddingtons. Oh god, why did I just mention a real beer.
We spent an hour down there, Yoshi and I, like two very big, black, ugly-looking fish with monstrous deformities on our backs instead of elegant fins and - of course - spouting turbulent fractal blooms of molten glass, powering away from us up to the surface, THIRTY FEET... sorry.
Yoshi would occasionally wave his big metal rod at me (please- children might be reading this so keep the "that's what she said" comment to yourselves boys) and would point out various wonders of nature. He also had one of those kiddy's magnet-drawing, sketch-pad thingies and would let me know what fish was what and which thing was male or female.
Barracuda, crocodile needle fish chasing schools of neons for lunch, Red and White Snapper, Angel Fish and Parrot Fish galore. Stupid really. I will scoff at any aquarium for the rest of my life.
Little flowering polyps I could touch that would violently shoot back into crevices and holes in the enormous coral structures and then gingerly creep back out.
Damn! It is so amazing.
We surfaced and checked on poor nuttter. Stuck on a small boat not even comfortable enough to snorkel where we were anchored. So sad.
Then we motored back to town through a torrential tropical rainstorm that has not let up since!!!
We changed, Nutter improved a bit more and we most had to swim back to town through the rain for dinner. Pizza of all things. Welcomingly good as it turned out and then a native acoustic guitarist and his odd American electric guitar soloist companion got up and started serenading one and all.
Mariaand El Nido Beach
Nuttter as we round the corner from our secluded beach hut to El Nido Bay.
After three tunes I sucked up some Dutch courage and went up there and banged away at the random percussion with them! Yay! I think the Dutch courage came from Jockam and Sussana, two awesome Amsterdamians we met that were really helpful and fun, let us know the secrets of El Nido's restaurants and tours.
So I am still wired from it all and of course just want to dive again and again now that I have seen that brilliant world.
It is about midnight, the French family in the cottage next have discovered a cockroach or something and are yelling and jumping around. I daren't laugh at them. We have had a couple of big scary insect moments during the trip but thankfully my lightning-like Australian reflexes and my always handy flip-flops usually save the day- that is - when the 7-8 inch long geckos don't. Those beautiful but secretive lizards tend to keep a pretty good tab on the big nasty creepy things.
The really big geckos make an awesome sound, once or twice a night, I am trying to get some audio of it but it's tough, sometimes it seems right next our heads and realistically, we both don't quite feel at home without one these days!!
Apparently they are worth 500pesos each on the street! Hmmmmm.
The rain is expected to continue tomorrow so we may lay low, especially if Nuttter's ear is still even slightly dodgy.
Hoping to upload a few more pictures ASAP! And then we are just about done. Reality returns sharply in the form of 20 hous on a plane in a few days time.
I care not. This has been an event that has brightened my world view and released a lot of tension that came from stuff I don't think I could ever look at, or get so wound up about, the same way again.
Love!

Sniff, it is over.
Manila, Philippines
I have Sarah's loaned backpack on, once more (huge props!!) and am leaning back against it on the bed at Hedefes Cottages, prepped and ready to go.  I am super sad.  Said goodbye to "grandma", the lady in charge of these huts overlooking El Nido bay.
Watched Nuttter, my financier, pay the bill and I grabbed a coffee. The sea out front is still, like a mirror, and wonderfully reflects Cadlao Island.
Even the cockerals don't bother me this morrow. I am a little excited about the 6 hour van ride as we have had a lot of rain so the roads might be muddy and dodgy.  We secured the front seats with the driver so we will have the most leg room and a panaramic view.
The Flip is fully charged so I can get this rollercoaster ride in HD.  Maybe. One never really knows how this will pan out...
SIX HOURS LATER...
We didn't end up in the front seats of the nicer of the two vans. At the last minute we were shunted into the older, smaller, unhappier van.
We watched as racial favoratism reared it's ugly head and all the Filipinos got comfy in there whilst all the backpacking, gangly, longer-legged, white-folk joined us and bitched about the lack of leg room.
Tried to get a bit of the trip but aside from a twenty minute section of one-laned, mud-splattered madness it was a pleasant, non-event.
We are now sitting in a slightly less dodgy, cold-water-only but AIR CONDITIONED room waiting it out till our flight tomorrow morning for Manila, then, after a night there, STEAK AND WHISKY, I mean, HOME!
This whole trip has been a bit of a rollercoaster with what seems like 3 seperate, dream-like vacations mixed in.
Nuttter has done such an awesome job of organising everything and managing to deal with yours truly at the same time. I am so blessed and there is no way in the world I would have ever experienced SOOOO MUCH AWESOME WORLD without her.  She is a trooper!
THE NEXT DAY...
Especially today she troops.. We are at the airport awaiting now, our plane to arrive and take us to Manila. Palawan has seen fit to gift my wonderful Nuttter with a cold.
Boo Palawan, boo!
Traveling is always touch and go with Nuttter. It amazes me that she has managed to "local bus" it around almost all of S. E. Asia knowing what I know now about her motion sickness - let alone some ugly, stuffy, sinus yuckiness.
Crazy!
CUT TO 10pm in Manila.
We beat the local taxi driver in Manila into actually using the meter as opposed to making up some ridiculous fare, with the help of the local police - I kid you not - and just got back from the Green Belt Mall in Makate.  An awesome, restaurant-filled mall, replete with everything from TopShop to Rolex to an Apple store!!!
I just spent more pesos on a meal - Porl style - then 3 days of our usual budgeted meal allowance and am pretty damn content.  Nuttter is still ill unfortunately and it is 10:10pm which is 10:10am at home.  I am about to get onto home time by staying up as long as possible so that I die on the plane and be well rested when we get to EWR.
Or I might fall asleep now.......
written by  Groovespook on August 2, 2010 from Manila, Philippines

Luang Prabang, Laos - DIRECT FROM THE SOURCE!!
Luang Prabang, Laos
After my all-day hike, leech adventure. I headed south to Udomaxi. It's a sleepy pitstop of a place but beautiful nonetheless....surrounded by towering mountains surrounded by mist.
From there, it was another bus ride to Nong Kiahaw and who should be on the bus but the family that was part of my hike! In addition to the four of them, two French sisters (in their 50s) were on the bus. Plus me. It was a very winding and swervy road with stunning scenary. I think the worst part is seeing such lush beauty and not being able to document it!!
We arrived and all of us booked into the Sunrise Guesthouse, a lovely place with bungalows overlooking the river. Very sweet. The town has a bridge that pedastrains can cross that offers wonderful views of the river and surrounding mountains (and more mist!). I immediately hired a bike and went off in search of a cave in the area. Found it and did some exploring before cycling around a bit more and then heading back. Had a lovely dinner at an Indian restaurant (yes, Indian). The garlic naan bread was heavenly!
The next day I headed further south to Muang Ngoi Neau (that's okay, I still can't pronounce it properly). It rained the whole day, which was fine. It meant just chilling on the outdoor veranda/hutch that overlooked the river. Stunning views. The French sisters (I swear they were hardcore travelers... They are going for some 6 months and are now heading far north on a 5-hour boat ride) and I stayed at the same place. Another bungalow with views of the river and surrounding karts.
The "main road" in town was a dirt road about a mile/two miles long. The children would spend time drawing pictures in the dirt. There is no electricity except between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., which added charm to the place (seeing the food stalls light up with candles and Christmas lights). The following morning I was unsure if I was going to stay another day or not. The town is known for its cave so I decided to see if I could get to it before the 9:30 a.m. boat left. The roosters have a knack for waking me up. There was one right under my bungalow (I swear!) that started going at about 4:30 a.m.). Fellow roosters then tried to outdo him.
At any rate, I walked in my sandals through muddy paths and passed locals on their way to the rice field (I'm fairly certain they have never seen a tourist up that early). I went for about an hour before I had to turn back. At the bungalow, I decided I would stay on for another day. I ate and then returned to the trail determined to reach the cave this time. Again, I wore sandals. It's de rigour (the locals either walk barefoot or wear flip flops). I was having fun, snapping pics of clusters of butterflies and lovely flowers and stomping through the mud like a child when I stopped and looked down. And there they were.....leeches! I SWEAR I have had enough!! No guide around this time to de-leech me so I grabbed any old leaf and did my best. One was wriggling on my sandal in search of skin and another had latched on (quite well I might add) to my big toe. It truly ruined the hike for me because I was paranoid for the rest of the journey (although I'm happy to report there were no more leech attacks).
I reached the cave and headed back. It was neat to see the trail at different hours of the day (mist and no mist). In the evening, I partied with the locals! Well, not really partied. The son of the guesthouse owner invited me to join him for some drinks (and no, it wasn't like that). So, I took him up on it. Had my first taste of lao lao (rice whiskey). Tastes like tequilla. Had three wee glasses and held my own.
The next day it was off to Laung Prabang. When I got back to Nong Kiahaw, myself and five other backpackers learned that the minivan with comfy seats and AC was leaving at 1 p.m. and would take three hours. The sangwalthea (not sure about the spelling....bascially a pickup type of vehichle with "seats" in the back, covered. You sit and face one another)...that was leaving within minutes and would take four hours. We opted for door number two. It was quite an experience....sitting still for four hours, I felt like a caged animal. It was quite numbing both physically and mentally. But an adventure nonetheless. We even had three monks jump on for a short part of the trip. LOVE the orange robes.
We arrived early (which is shocking given how very slow everyone here moves....example: it took a restaurant 40 minutes to make a peanut butter and jam sandwich...I kid you not). Got settled and went exploring. Laung Prabang is complete culture shock. I went from no electricity, a bungalow with cows and roosters, a squat toilet (I'll spare you the details but there is no toilet paper involved) to this: a town that is teeming with tourists, streets are LINED with cafes offering cappuccinos, pizzas and pastries. The rooms are tiled and hotel like (no bed-net needed). It's nuts! I think this must be how Westerners feel when they first arrive in NYC.
At any rate, it's a lovely, decadent town. My first day and I sat myself down to a piece of chocolate cake and a fruit shake (thanks Ro and Nalini!). At night, the place comes to life with a whole section of street blocked off from traffic and it's full of vendors under red tents selling handicrafts and all sorts of items. Karen and Monica, you would never leave -- tons of jewelry, scarves, etc.
Now just trying to figure out how I'm going to head out. Wanted to take a flight, but they are booked for the next couple of days. Might have to be a bus... Eight hours. Eek.
Oh, and I found a gym today! I know, I know what you are saying, but I don't care! It was fabulous to go in and have a proper workout. Still able to lift the same weights.
Okay, signing off now. Miss you all dearly. As for the mozzie bite count, just got bit while tapping, so there!
Nuttter.
written by  Groovespook on July 23, 2009 from Luang Prabang, Laos

Laos - Direct from the Source.
Luang Prabang, Laos
YAY! PICTURES!
Laos is hot. How hot? Three showers a day hot. Constant sweat hot. Blazing, punishing sun hot. Want to feel like you are here? Preheat the oven to 400. When it reaches that temp, open the door and lean forward. That blast of thick heat is what it's like here. Every day. All day. Frankly I'm surprised I haven't melted yet!
Tourists here do their best to beat the heat. Walking around under umbrellas, drinking lots of water or having fruit shakes. Wearing shorts, t-shirts. Meanwhile, Lao people walk around in skinny, tight denim or cordoury pants and long-sleeved tops. Show-offs.
Nuttter.
Just got back from a great weekend camping in Wharton State Forest, checked email and YES! One from Nuttter and so have posted another blog entry and uploaded some great photos she took BEFORE cleaning up the camping mess and having a bath that may be the most wonderful bath ever.
written by  Groovespook on July 26, 2009 from Luang Prabang, Laos

The End.
Yeah, so Eew.
We have now been home for 5 days. We stopped taking the Malaria medicine on Friday - as prescribed - and well, we have both been in some strange haze. Feeling a bit like travelers and marveling at the weird things people do in this country.
3 reasons for our malaise.
1. The first and most obvious being jet-lag. A lethargic "almost" headache coupled with the expected muscular death as we do not continue getting up super early and walking 4 or 5 miles a day, either with or without backpacks. Oh, and drinking LOTS of water (always on hand as we trump around the Philippines).
2. The second being a certain nameless (enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli) bacteria that managed to lodge itself in BOTH of our respective digestive tracts and has been playing havoc with certain necessary movements since - and unfortunately during - our return. We are beginning to feel better, but this could last anywhere up to a month according to Doctor WWW.
3. Thirdly? HELLO… WE ARE NOT SNORKELING IN EL NIDO ANYMORE.
The reality of the end of this monumental vacation has been tempered nicely with the wonderful news of Nuttters sister giving birth to her TWINS! Little nieces A and B (long, long story - no names yet) are a trifle small and "pre-me" but otherwise are happy little creatures spending time in a greenhouse till they are properly grown and really prepared for the outside world.
Plus, the almost completely painless purchasing of a car that actually resembles something other than a PILE OF CRAP like we have been driving for years.
So tomorrow I go back to work in the big bad city of New York, laughing at the luxury of it all and hopefully with a better outlook. After all, I have been swimming with thousands and thousands of brilliant-yellow, tropical fish amongst giant techni-colored coral. I am looking forward to the lavish air-conditioned coach that will be driving me in style on paved roads. The free and drinkable water that spouts from everywhere. The BEEF I am taking in for lunch, cooked by myself in an incredibly hygienic kitchen (by Philippine standards, ahem). Seeing my fun-time co-workers and regaling them with stories of thousands and thousands of brilliant-yellow, tropical fish amongst giant techni-colored coral.
Once again, I extend a HUGE thank-you to my darling Nuttter, who organized everything and kept us on track. It truly has been a world-beater of vacations and I will not forget it. Thanks Babe.
And thanks to all the well wishers and followers too, it was really great to get a little feedback here and there from all our beloved friends and family who followed our little trek.
Anxious, dubious and pensive, I am off to work.
love to all!
Porl (aka Groovespook)
written by  Groovespook on August 9, 2010 from West Orange, United States

Vientianne - Not for long.
Vientiane, Laos
Dispatches from Laos have our hero making a bee-line out of Vientianne to Savannakhet. Vientianne is a little too touristy and - to date - the most expensive place so far. THe bus ride from Vientianne to Savannakhet was billed as 6 hours. reality: 9. OUCH!
AT HOME.
(snoring sounds) "wha... wha? oh, (picks up hammer and bangs on wall) working hard!" (falls back asleep). Nearly have 1 room totally prepped for sheetrock and lights and outlets.
written by  Groovespook on July 28, 2009 from Vientiane, Laos

Sand and Cheese Sandwich anyone?
Savannakhet, Laos
So after a 9 hour bus trip through winding dirt roads in towering mountainous rainforests virtually anyone would be a little ill. Nuttter is resting up and loving Savannakhet. Quiet, cosy litle town. Highlights are the English signs through out the town.
Sand and Cheese Sandwich.
High Peeds Internet.
Enjoy your test! (footer on a menu)
written by  Groovespook on July 28, 2009 from Savannakhet, Laos

Savannakhet, Laos - Direct from the Source.
Savannakhet, Laos
So, following a couple of days in Laung Prabang, it was time to hit the road. I had originally intended to fly to Vietianne but the flights were booked so I hopped on the bus. What a bus ride it was! I was told it would take 6 hours to get there...but, of course, we are talking about laos time. For whatever reason, I continue to believe them when they tell me how long these rides will take! Must be all the smiling they do. At any rate, it was an arduous journey. The first six hours was NONSTOP twisting roads. And I mean nonstop! I was not expecting it at all (where were you with that tidbit of info Lonely Planet?!). Thankfully, I've been taking a motion sickness tablet that works like magic! It doesn't make me sleepy and does the trick. I can even eat! It truly has made all the difference. But, despite the tablet, the bus journey was still grueling.
I did meet some nice people on the bus. A nice guy from Oz (Gold Coast, of course) and a retired couple from Brisbane and a newlywed couple (she was Australian and he was Japanese). The guy got off the bus a stop before me and the other two couples landed in Vietianne with me. It took not six hours, but nine. Granted, we did have to have a tire changed, but that only accounted for 30 minutes.
why so long then you ask? well, that brings me to the cultural lesson of the day. Laos transportation.
Here's how it works. As I mentioned before, the drivers operate on Laos time. This means you never leave on time. And you never arrive on time. There are some VIP buses out there for some routes (this means it's a direct bus to the location you want) but sometimes you have no choice but to go with the public bus.
To give you an example of how the public bus operates, I will use today. I left Savannakhet this morning at 10:30ish (see above regarding the ish comment). I'm fairly certain that the journey to Paske is probably only 3 hours. How long did it take? Five hours.
It started out well. The driver actually left only a couple of minutes late. Typically there is the driver and a co-pilot of sorts who sits at the front of the bus. He helps load baggage and handles the money/tickets. So off we go! Kind of... We then spent the next 45 minutes driving about 5 mph going through town as the bus driver beeped the horn to let the whole world know the Paske bus was coming through! We picked up more people as he went. Finally, after 45 minutes or so, we picked up speed and were going about 40 mph!
Then it's a typical public bus because everybody's gotta eat!!! The bus driver beeps his horn as we get close to a food stall stand and then he pulls over. Some people get off the bus to pee and others stay on. There's never anything said to the passengers so you have no idea if this is a long stop, a short stop or what. I caught on it was a long stop when I saw the driver and his two co-pilots sitting around a table eating! After all, it was noon and we'd already been on the road a whole whopping hour and a half!!!!
For those of us on the bus, we were treated to a group of women coming on board to sell their foods..... kebabs of various grilled meats. Each woman had a bunch of kebabs in each hand. finally, we get back on the road. We pick up more people on the way including a man with some 35 bags of grain (the size of a regular cement bag)!!! So, of course, that took quite a while as the co-pilots considered whether or not they could fit it all on, etc. We get going and then, before you know it, we pull over. A woman had requested this stop. I thought she was getting off the bus (that would be silly!) She wanted to buy some grilled meats at the food stall!!!!
Then, an hour later, it's another stop. And so on and so on. It's actually quite painful (can you tell). To add to the whole experience, there is ALWAYS cheesy Laos/Thai love pop songs playing. Loudly. Everyone seems to love it and it's all about the same thing (girl likes boy, he doesn't know she exists or he is cheating on her or whatever). But this trip was extra special as we had a TV on board so not only did we listen to the music but we got to see the videos (and the lyrics in both Thai and Lao which appeared karoke style, I kid you not). The music videos were too funny! They would depict the lovelorn male/female...adults but they acted like high school kids! Public displays of affection are not accepted here so the videos would never show couples kissing, instead, they would just look at each other, bat their eyelashes and look away. Or, a common theme, they would gaze at a photo of them as a couple on their cell phones and then slowly, dramatically, bring the phone to their lips and kiss it! Or, they would draw hearts in the air while lying on their hello kitty bedsheets (I'm not kidding) or they would call their girlfriend on their cell phone while in a trench in some war (hopefully you are laughing as hard as I did). Honestly, I felt like the main character from a Clockwork Orange by the time we arrived.
A special shout-out to Bloc Party, Home Video, Placebo and New Order....I could not have survived without you!
Needless to say, the trip was exhausting and I couldn't wait to get off the bus! I am now in Paske, southern Laos. From Vietianne, I travelled to Savannkhet where i spent the day and night. I was planning to stay another day but woke up to rain and decided it was time to go (another deciding factor was my guesthouse....very clean, cosy....the condom packet in the room should have been a giveaway...didn't realize people would actually be using them that night..but sure enough at 12:30, 1:30 and through the night I might as well have been sleeping in a brothel--I'll leave the rest to your imagination). It was time to go!
So that is that. Will plan to email again tomorrow. Miss you all and drop me an email and let me know what's cookin'!
Nuttter
written by  Groovespook on July 29, 2009 from Savannakhet, Laos

PHOTOS - Direct from the Source.
Savannakhet, Laos
Just a quick note, got 5 more photos uploaded today. Including this one that proves Nuttter is really there and gives us lonesome friends something to remember her by for the next few weeks.
written by  Groovespook on July 30, 2009 from Savannakhet, Laos

Pakxe - Direct from the Source.
Pakxe, Laos
Arrived in Pakxe and found myself in a large room with a double bed, AC and tv. The bed looked quite comfy and I was looking forward to getting a good night's sleep after the brothel incident in Savannakhet. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. I was in the shower, in the middle of shaving my legs (don't worry this is G-rated) when I felt a bump at my ankle....I felt something that didn't feel right. Well I look down and there is this creepy crawly worm/centipede/slug thing...lots of hairy legs. It scuttled away to the drain area and I used the shower head to make sure it kept going. But after a couple of minutes, I spied it trying to come back into the shower. A word hear about the bathrooms....the showers tend to be a hand-held shower head and there is a drain in the floor for the water...basically you get the bathroom soaked (toilet seat, sink, etc.) and then it dries throughout the day. I was impressed I didn't scream when I saw the bug but the girl in me did come out. I sprayed the drainage opening with DEET (good ole DEET) and kept the bathroom door shut and the light on all night. I also kept the TV on with no sound as a nightlight. I was so paranoid the bug would be crawling all over me during the night that needless to say I didn't sleep well.
I knew I couldn't stay another night there (in addition to the bug at about 4 in the morning a strange juggle animal sound started to come from the bathroom, which had a window). Not sure if it was a gecko (do they make loud noises?) or what but it didn't help the situation.
So, the next morning I checked out and found myself a lovely room on the main street. It normally went for 100,000 kip (or so they told me) but they said I could have it for 90,000 but I asked if they would do it for 80,000 and they did! It's on the top floor with a TV, a fridge and AC and no bug sightings to date. I slept very well last night (although I'll admit I watched crap television, too).
Today I did some wandering around town. It poured all morning so it was a lazy day. A good day to catch up on writing, etc. I was going to go to the gym but was feeling pretty tired in the afternoon and happened upon a spa that looked lovely. So, I went in for a facial. For one hour I was pampered starting with a foot scrub, the facial, an arm, hand and shoulder massage and even a neck massage all for under $10. Ladies, Laos is heavenly!!!
Of course, it begs the question WHY have I waited this long to treat myself to a facial! I'm hoping the budget will allow more of these...it could become addictive. The facial consisted of putting a sesame oil on my face and massaging it in and ended with cucumbers on my eyes and a paste of red fruit that hardened on my face. I was concerned because I've broken out a bit and wasn't sure if the oils would hurt rather than help but my skin looks and feels fantastic. Thank you, Laos!
Nuttter
written by  Groovespook on July 31, 2009 from Pakxe, Laos

Tadlo - from dispatches.
Ban Bakeng, Laos
No, this is NOT Nuttter ON AN ELEPHANT.
This is my fancy new Sub-Panel awaiting a few more cables and grounding rods and so forth. ho hum.
REAL NEWS - - -
I actually had a physical, real-time conversation with our heroine this morning.
Nuttter is in Tadlo which just simply does not appear on any map but from these dispatches I gleaned that it is "near" Ban Bakeng - north of Pakxe.
We are expecting a photo of Nuttter ON AN ELEPHANT (Walking is SOOOO Passé) and news has it that, apparently, the only thing that makes a westerner stand out more than just being a westerner in Tadlo is being a westerner and wandering about ON AN ELEPHANT.
Nuttter met a couple of Portuguese back-packers - they let those people go anywhere!! - and had a wizzy-jolly time chatting about the old country and probably struggling to speak Portuguese (Ouch! - I did go there!)
Nuttter is expected to head to the 4,000 Islands (wonder why they call it that? It's basically where the Mekong just spreads out over a huge area and creates a myriad of islands (probably 4000 of them)). Or she will make a bee-line for Cambodia.
Complications with the electrical side of this project have hindered the pace a bit, I have to instal a sub-panel to deal with the 5 new circuits for the upstairs (Retiring the steel wound 60 yr old stuff for EVER) So virtually everything has GROUND to a halt (there is a pun there - based around having to instal an 8 foot long solid copper grounding rod).
written by  Groovespook on August 3, 2009 from Ban Bakeng, Laos

4000 Islands.
Muang Khong, Laos
Si Phan Don, the 4000 islands. Of course, I cannot locate this on the map above so the closest neighbor is Muang Khong.
Nuttter is in a reqion of breath-taking beauty. The mighty Mekong has spread out into hundreds of tributaries that meander through swampy-grassland and rocky forests, at times restful and calm, at times violent and angry. The Mekong's murky turbulent water so bent on going south that it ignores everything in it's path. Probably.
RANDOM: The Mekong is the 10th largest river in the world. It is estimated to be 2703 Miles long and drains an area that is 307,000 Miles square.
Our adventurous princess is very close to Cambodia now and starting what can only be described as the next leg of this awesome journey, named so simply because it takes place in another country. Dispatches have Nuttter taking it easy for a couple of days and enjoying the sights and locales of the 4000 islands as we/she waves goodbye to Laos.
Oh the utter joy of neat wiring. I suspect by tomorrow that ALL of the wiring - bar connecting a 60 amp breaker and the mammoth #6 cable to the mains - will be complete and awaiting an inspection. Then I think I am going to make a big push for a sheetrock party on Saturday.
written by  Groovespook on August 5, 2009 from Muang Khong, Laos

4000 Islands - Direct from the Source.
Muang Khong, Laos
Tadlo
I was going to leave Tadlo after my first day/night there. Tadlo is a small, sleepy, relaxing spot known for its three waterfalls, two of which can be explored within half an hour. On my first day there that is just what I did. The third waterfall was an hour away by road and I just wasn't in the mood to be walking on a road for that long...didn't seem very scenic.
In the morning, I packed my bag and went to have breakfast. Started chatting to a couple in the place who went for an elephant ride at Tadlo Lodge (which offers lovely bungalows either right alongside one of the waterfalls or right ON TOP of it). And it will set you back a whopping $35 a night. It was much too romantic for a solo stay). At any rate, this couple really enjoyed the elephant ride so I looked into it. Then the owner of the restaurant asked if I was interested in doing a guided trek. I'm not a huge fan of guided treks here mainly because I'd much rather go off on my own and because they tend to bring you into villages where you stare at locals and they stare at you...it feels a bit too voyeuristic for my tastes.
But I was in the mood to interact with others and a French couple were going. So, I unpacked my bag, put on my hiking boots and went on the tour. The funny thing is at the restaurant, there were signs touting the tour "Take trek with English speaking guide, learn about Lao people and their working habits!"
Well, our guide was the restaurant owner's father, a lovely man with black dress slacks, a button down shirt and hat. Fifteen minutes into our trek and I asked him what the people of one village do for work and he just smiled and nodded. So much for English-speaking guide. Although, towards the end of the hike, he did turn to me and say: "You very nice person." So, it was all good!
I hiked with DeeDee and Julie, two very nice Parisians. We hiked to the base of the third waterfall and on our way back it poured. The three of us wore hiking boots and as usual, the locals walk around either barefoot or wearing flip flops. In all weather. It's quite humorous to see the falang (tourists) in their hiking gear, trying to gingerly navigate a muddy path when a local comes running through in flip-flops. Case in point, our guide helped each of us cross a stream. We walked across a line of stones while he held our hands and walked in the knee-deep river!!
The plan after the trek was to ride the elephant but they were booked. So, I went to visit the elephant (he just hangs out, unchained near the lodge). He let me feed him a banana. So I booked an 8 a.m. ride for the following day. The plan was to ride the elephant then leave Tadlo.
But that night I met the Portuguese duo, Isaac and Juoa. We had such a good time, they are the kind of people that light up any space. They are so full of life and positive energy. It was Joa's birthday the following day (the elephant ride day) and I decided to stick around for another night. I'm glad I did. We had fun. The guesthouse owner is a huge jazz lover and there was much music swapping. It was so nice to hear Portuguese being spoken and to hear Portuguese music.
The following day, myself and the two Portuguese (hereby known as the porkchops) headed for the 4,000 islands. We had a brief pitstop in Paske, where we had lunch at our favorite Indian restaurant (honestly, I came close to staying just for the food!) and I had to get more money out as the islands do not have any ATMs.
We then took a VERY crammed open-air truck-like vehicle to the 4,000 islands. It was a 3.5 hour journey in this vehicle that included about 35 adults, two infants, one toddler, bags and bags of food and, on top of the vehicle, a motorbike, more bags of stuff and chicken coops. I have photos that accurately capture the crammed nature of the ride. Because it's open-air, you get a lot of dust hitting your face, getting into your eyes, making looking out the back impossible (which is where we were seated). The porkchops were able to twist their bodies in a way that they could face the front but I didn't have that kind of room. Given my past experience in these vehicles, I was determined to get more space. So.....I stood on the back of the grate at the end of the truck with a couple of local men. It was soooo much better than sitting (although I did get hit with the sun). It was like riding a subway.....a long subway.
We arrived, found places to stay and got washed and had a lovely dinner. The next day, I hired a bike and took the island roads. The weather was perfect, a sunny day with a cool breeze. I felt like a kid whizzing past rice fields, guar and huts. The children are just the best...they scream out hello to you no matter how far away they are. And, if you prompt them, they will hold out their hands for a high-five as you ride past. Even the adults make an effort to say hello. It's quite endearing.
On my ride, I came past the porkchops, they were heading south, I was heading north. We chatted for a bit before going on our ways. I wanted to cycle to the northern point of the island (which is 24km in length and 8km wide). I did and then thought I was heading back to the starting line. But then this is me we are talking about. I am probably the first person in the history of the island to get LOST. I took a wrong turn and ended up intersecting the island and going north again. Imagine my horror when I saw the same structure I had just seen an hour ago! Too funny. So, at the end of the day, I rode for nearly six hours, got too much sun and saw a bit more of the island than I had planned.
The following day, myself and the boys headed further south -- a two-hour boat ride to the next island, Don Det. I woke up thinking I would take it easy but that never happens! After chilling out for a bit Joa and I took to bikes to explore the island we were staying on (Don Det) and the island you can get to via bridge, Don Khon. Of course, right after hiring our bikes it absolutely poured with rain. It stopped but it left the roads a very muddy mess. My sandals may look dorky (well, no maybe about it, they are dorky) but they stay on while walking through thick mud. Flip flops on the other hand...not so much. Poor Joa did his best to keep his flip flops on but halfway through our journey he was barefoot. We crossed to the other island and took in a lovely waterfall...a mass of gushing water everywhere. From there we cycled to a beach (well, kind of a beach). We were going to take a boat to see some dolphins but decided against it as the sun was setting and we had quite a journey back. We were absolutely covered in mud!
Back at the guesthouse, we got ourselves clean and then had a lovely dinner at the restaurant adjoining our guesthouse. The owner is a very lively woman. She is quite sharp and friendly....I was planning to move to another guesthouse but have decided to stay on because of the warm vibe from her and her family. The guesthouse we found is very basic. Just a wood bungalow, two hammocks, a bed and a mozzie net. No fan, no light inside the room. The electricity here runs from 7 until about 11. There are shared bathrooms (translation, you need to walk a bit to get to a squat toilet). In the evening, when I went to use the toilet there were two frogs hanging out! I have to tell myself I am camping, I am camping...it's really the only way to plough through.
It was quite nice hearing the river at night. It was a quiet night even though I didn't sleep well. But then, I haven't been sleeping well most nights. The beds are hard, the sheets are musty and sometimes bugs are included. But there you go.
This morning was a sad one. The boys headed off to Phomn Pehn. I am staying on for another day....I am telling myself it will be a day of rest...reading in the hammock, etc. But it's only 10 a.m. so that could all change!
I am sad to see the boys go, but I hope they will visit in NJ....you will all adore them!
Sorry no photos to attach, the connection is soooo slow and there are cobwebs on the computer. Seriously.
Totally not ready to do any sheetrocking tomorrow but 2 friends are coming over to hlep do it anyway. GULP!
written by  Groovespook on August 7, 2009 from Muang Khong, Laos

Kracheh (Kratie) - DIrect from the Source.
Kracheh, Cambodia
Maybe it was the ride into town. I finally got to ride on the back of a motorbike. It was me sitting on the back of the bike with my large backpack strapped on and my hands holding on (tightly) to the back seat while the driver kept my small pack between his legs and drove me about 2km into Kracheh, Cambodia. Or, maybe it was the room I chose: four walls, a window, a bathroom with a Western toilet and ants that keep to the floor, not the bed. Or, maybe it was the food: lots of fish (grilled not fried and inexpensive) and dishes with tofu (had a tofu mushroom burger with FRENCH FRIES for lunch for $3.50). Or maybe it was just the excitement of arriving into a new country. Maybe it was all of the above and more. Whatever the reason, I arrived in Kracheh this afternoon and am swept up in the energy of it all.
There is a food market down the road that sells all sorts of fruits and vegetables and meats and what looks like body parts at times. There is an assault of smells and noise and grit. It's a scrappy place with buildings that look slightly charred and side roads swimming in litter. Kids "play" by burning styrofoam or plastic. Despite this, I've fallen for Cambodia. The people have been very friendly, quick with a smile. Kids run up and say hello. And it's definitely a busy place compared to the sleepy 4,000 islands.
Opposite the market (figuratively and literally) is the Mekong River that is showcased along a lovely promenade with decorative lamps.
Just pottering on. Very lazily today.
written by  Groovespook on August 8, 2009 from Kracheh, Cambodia

PHOTOS - Direct from the Source.
Kracheh, Cambodia
Nuttter slaved over an ancient computer last night/this morning and has gifted us all with a few more visual snippets of her travels. Yay.
I know that she probably does not want me to post the "Pig-Mart" shot from the Umbrella mall in Cambodia but I am not the only meat lover amongst us! Vegetarians shield your eyes!
Video shoot in NYC today so my dried and damaged hands get a (sort of) break. ELECTRICITY IS FINISHED AND ON!!!!!!!
Groovespook.
written by  Groovespook on August 9, 2009 from Kracheh, Cambodia

Phnum Penh.
Phnum Penh, Cambodia
See details in the next post.
written by  Groovespook on August 14, 2009 from Phnum Penh, Cambodia

Batdambang - Direct from the Source!
Batdambang, Cambodia
And so I left Krache for Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh. Surprisingly, the bus arrived ON TIME. Crazy. Cambodia has such a different personality to laid-back Laos. You can see it just in the driving. Instead of mainly motorbikes and tuk-tuks, Cambodia's streets are occupied with SUVs (Lexus and Toyotas are quite popular) that scream down the streets packed with people. The roads are pretty much all paved so there is no game of miss-the-pothole. But the two countries do share similarities. They are full of such kind, helpful people. Always with a smile.
I arrived in Phnom Penh not sure what to expect. Quite a few travelers I've met along the way have had a lot of negative things to say about it (it's polluted, the traffic is nuts, it's dirty, it's too busy, etc.). But Phnom Penh and I got along just fine. Yes, the traffic is nuts but in an entertaining way (for me anyway). Picture New York City traffic except instead of yellow cabs you have motorbikes, cars and SUVs. And no traffic lights! It's complete craziness but somehow it works.
On my first full day there I spent most of the day on the back of a motorbike (it's the best way to get to the sights). So, for $10, I had my own driver from 9:30 until about 5. I wish I could have put a camera to my helmet because words cannot do justice to the traffic. There are no rules, you just go and people let you in. It was quite funny to see Chi, my driver, make a left-hand turn into the lanes with on-coming traffic. He would just continue zipping along until he could glide into the right lane. And intersections are amazing to watch! Cars and motorbikes edge forward to either cross a highway or turn into it and they keep edging out until they are in the way of oncoming traffic. I will say it was a bit unnerving to see a van or car heading straight for us. But, as you can tell from this email, I survived. I also wore a helmet. There was a moment when I was a bit fearful but after passing a motorbike with a male driver with two kids and a woman, that moment passed. There's me hanging on tightly while women passengers sit sidesaddle. Too funny. It was like being a part of a Bourne Identity chase scene.
On a more serious note, I went to visit two places that shed light on Cambodia's past. The first stop, S-21 was a former school that the Khmer Rouge turned into a holding cell/torture chamber during the 1970s. It was truly a somber and sad thing to witness but one that I felt was necessary. It's always one thing to read about history but to stand right where it happened, to see what was done, drives the point home. From there I went to The Killing Fields. This is where people who didn't die in s-21 and other victims were brought daily to be killed. They were told to kneel before a shallow mass grave before a blunt instrument was used to knock them out and into the grave where there throats were then slit. Just awful. Again, a somber experience.
From Phnom Penh I took an "air-conditioned" bus to Batdambang (northward bound). You know it's hot when the locals start fanning themselves. It was five hours of stuffiness which led to me splurging on an air-conditioned room. Truth be told, I enjoy the rooms with just a fan. It works for me. But after that bus ride, AC was on the menu!
Batdambang is a compact little place. Lots of old French buildings along a peaceful riverfront. My cooking class was good fun (I didn't burn down the place). There were eight of us and we cooked three meals although we all agreed we wouldn't be able to remember it! Thankfully we got cookbooks at the end.
Today I spent a lovely couple of hours cycling outside of Batdambang. It was such a gorgeous ride, winding roads shaded by coconut tree leaves. Again, the kids make such excursions well worth it. They always yell out hello or wave or run after you.
Tomorrow I am heading to Siem Reap. I am taking a boat. Leaves at 7 a.m. and takes about 5-6 hours. Have heard it's a very scenic ride, but I've also heard they pack in passengers. And then there is the sun....although it's a covered boat, you can opt to sit on the roof (which many people say is the best for viewing and space). So, let the chips fall where they may!
It's sinking in that my trip is coming to an end. It seems like the days are quickly passing by. While I will miss it, I'm looking forward to seeing everyone.
Until next time!
An enormous 10 yard long container (a "skip") gets dropped in our driveway this weekend that will spell T H E E N D for the 45 black bags of concrete debris and old gnarly pieces of "de-nailed" wood (yes, I de-nail my debris) that has lined our porch for the last 3 weeks. It also marks the ACTUAL beginning of SHEETROCKING. Only 3 weeks behind schedule. I have taken the next week off work completely to really dig in and get some serious sanding and spackling done. I hope that by Wednesday I will have all the sheetrocking up and can start working on the floors whilst spackling like a...spackler?
written by  Groovespook on August 14, 2009 from Batdambang, Cambodia

Siem Reap - Direct from the Source.
Siem Reap, Cambodia
I left Batdambang by boat. It was a lovely, slow ride on a longtail covered boat to Siem Reap. While it took 7 hours (leaving at 7 a.m.) it didn't seem that long with the changing scenery. Got to see lots of locals who live right on the river.
I arrived in Siem Reap and with my dirty clothes and backpack, took a tuk-tuk to a five-star hotel. I asked the bellboy if I was the first backpack he's ever carried. He said yes. Too funny. Had a bath!!! then met Virag, the man behind these luxurious digs. Was so good to see him and to chat and catch up.
The following morning we tackled the beast that is Angkor. We went to the two "main" temples, Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. Truly amazing feats of architecture.....every inch of stone seems to have an intricate carving (and I have the photos to prove it!).
The following day saw crazy me leave the hotel at 4:50 a.m. to catch sunrise at Angkor Wat. I waited with what felt like the papparazi and there was nothing to see! It was overcast so it was anticlimatic. The good part was being there in the early morning when not as many people are around. It was so peaceful and awe-inspiring to go past Angkor Thom in emptiness. What I thought would be a half day visit turned into an all-out marathon (I think because I didn't have Virag with me to be the voice of reason). I didn't leave the grounds until 6:30! The tuk-tuk driver (who slept during my temple visits) said I was a strong lady (I think he meant crazy). Unfortunately, I really overdid it and can't even think the word temple!
Today has been a day off of sorts. Virag and I visited two sites. One where you can see people making various stone and wood carvings and silk screen paintings. Then we went to a silkworm farm where we saw and learned about the whole silk making process. It was unbelievable. I ate a silkworm while Virag looked on in disgust (for those wondering, it tastes like corn).
Tomorrow I might go back to the temples (I bought a three-day pass) or I might not. It all depends on how I feel. My legs hurt just walking up regular stairs so that's not a good sign!
Nuttter
I decided against touring West Orange's 12 century Khmer temples and instead reluctantly demolished the wall separating Spare Um from the Office. The Plaster and Lathe walls are just over half an inch thick, which, on top of the 2"x4" stud walls - which really are 2"x4" (these days 2"x4" is really 1.5"x3.5") - makes that wall 5 inches thick. Add to that 2 pieces of Sheetrock and my brand new door frame (I splashed out on a new door (pending visitors note)) is too thin!!!!
I continue today and hope to have all doors in place and start some spackling on the ceilings.
written by  Groovespook on August 18, 2009 from Siem Reap, Cambodia

Angkor... What? PHOTOS - Direct from the Source.
Siem Reap, Cambodia
CHECK IT OUT!! Awesome pictures from our adventurous traveller...
Screws, not strewn haphazardly all over the place but in a "holding pattern" awaiting screwing.
The view from Spare Um into the office, late last night. Today I ache like a man that was putting up Sheetrock and framing doors for 11 hours the day before. Officially on a "go slow" today and now that I have some pictures from my Nuttter, I am celebrating by going to CHARLIE BROWNS! Big fat steak for Groovespook.
written by  Groovespook on August 19, 2009 from Siem Reap, Cambodia

Bangkok - The Beginning of the End.
Bangkok, Thailand
Dispatches from Bangkok confirm our Heroine is in Bangkok now, "One Night in Bangkok" echo's through the lobby of her guesthouse as she heads out into the searing humidity for a 12 hr temple sight-seeing day.
Nuttter's new swimming coach. It is amazing how well one swims with this behind you. (kidding!)
Refurbishing the door hinges. No time to strip the doors just yet but the doors will not go on with 5 layers of lead paint (cough cough) on these beautiful wrought iron hinges.
My reward after John Sanded the floors? hmmmmm. Thanks John.
Nice. Things are starting to come together.
written by  Groovespook on August 23, 2009 from Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok/Singapore - Direct from the Source.
"One night in Bangkok..." Well it turned into more than one. I ended up staying for about four nights. Two of the days were spent in a daze of exhaustion and heat. I took it easy...went to Siam Center, a huge mall that makes Short Hills look like a Kmart. They have a floor with cars. And not just any cars (think Lamborghini, Maserati, Lotus) And a whole level devoted to such an array of foods. Cauldrons of soups and curries and platters of spring rolls and clusters of bakeries.
I also spent some time enjoying the pool at my guesthouse (the only guesthouse to offer a pool!). But I also did some sightseeing in Bangkok and was particularly taken by Wat Pho and Wat Arun. Honestly, just when you think you've seen enough temples for a liftetime. Just when you think you are done. Bam! Wat Pho with it's intricate details and Wat Arun with it's granite like look, blows you away.
I also enjoyed some time at Luipini Park where the photo of the giant lizard was taken. Masses of locals gather in the evenings to take part in synchronized dancing to house music. It's mainly older people and quite a spectacle.
I also visited the Grand Palace, also stunning. And after a night of night marketing, my time in Thailand came to an end. Today, I arrived in Singapore, where my trip began. It's wonderful to see friends Mesh and Abby again. And surreal to be easing back into civilization (where I don't have to worry about the contents of a drink and eating raw veggies are safe).
And so the trip draws to an end. At the beginning of this journey I felt the time I had allotted was far too much. I wasn't sure how I would get through being away from Porl and my family (especially my nephew with his daily changings). And yet now, at the end of my trip, I feel it was just the right amount of time away. Just long enough for me to rediscover myself, to find Maria again (not just Maria of Maria and Porl). And time enough to know that I can still enjoy an adventure or two in life.
Mesh asked me tonight what the highlights of my trip were and it was simple: the people. The locals I encountered were so kind, so helpful, so easygoing. They always offered a smile even if they didn't understand what was being communicated. They would stop to give directions even if they couldn't speak a stitch of English. They would offer you a chair to sit inside their shop while torrential rain came down.
I was impressed and touched by the warmth I received. It truly was an experience. Of course, there was the scenery, the piercing green rice fields, the soaring mountains, the winding Mekong River.
Things I will not miss, however, include (in no particular order): leeches (okay, maybe in some kind of order), ants, mysterious bugs in showers, hard mattresses and even harder pillows, scratchy towels and punishing heat.
I could not have done this trip without several things: Music (a huge shout out to the shuffle feature, Kings of Leon, James and Home Video -- if you don't know Home Video, go to Pandora and check them out). A sense of humor (to laugh it off when the locals hack up loogies every 15 minutes during an 8-hour bus trip or stop every 5 minutes). And, of course, most importantly, this trip would not have happened if not for the gentle nudge and unwaivering support of Porl. For that I am grateful. Thank you.
And thank you for those who have kept up with the blog (my apologies if my entries were not as poetic as I would have liked). And thanks to those who emailed regularly and checked in.
I am sad to leave this easygoing vibe. This simple pace. But I am looking forward to seeing family and friends.
See you soon,
Too tired to move anything but the lambswool poly urathane applicator for the second coat on the bedroom floor. Back to my day job this week so not much is going on except making this mess of a house just slightly more livable for Nuttter's return. Hmmmm, should get some food in and move the beer out of the upstairs fridge SHARPISH!
written by  Groovespook on August 25, 2009 from Singapore, Singapore

Mariaand El Nido Beach

Porl on Miniloc Island

DIVING!!!

VEGE HEAVEN - Puerto Princesa

The Chocolate Hills

The Longicorn Beetle

Electrical standards

my butterfly

Driftwood Village