Weekend at TLCC land – Koolandilly
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Camped at TLCC club land, called Koolondilly, along the Wombeyan Caves Rd.
What a magic spot! Not too far from home, on the banks of the Wollondilly River, and with some basic facilities.
Excellent!
Glen Davis & the Lost City
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Went to Glen Davis, up past Lithgow and Portland, for the weekend
Went up on friday night, and didnt get to the camp ground till very late. Luckily Brian & Wendy were there to help get us set up in the dark!
Went 4wding up near the Lost Cities, and Kylie managed to slip on the pebbly surfaced road and badly grazed herself, while trying to get an action shot of the Patrol coming down the hill! This place will now be forever known as “Kylie’s Drop”
TLCC 4WD Driver Training at Willoglen
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What a great weekend!
A requirement of going on trips with The Land Cruiser Club is to pass the Level 1 & 2 Driver training at the clubs Willowglen property.
It’s not real challenging, ( though for us it was, just finding the place had me challended!) but was great fun.
Merry Beach – 1st Outing with the Camper Trailer
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This was our 1st outing with the Camper Trailer, and it took us quite a while to get set up!
Ended up being next to a work mate, mainly because he had the prime position overlooking the beach! (Sorry Peter & Pam)
we were over run by Kangaroos & “Killer” Possums, who expecting Brendan to have food in his hand, scratched him.
He was wary of them after that!
Cambodia & Vietnam Trip – Day 25
Up early to start our tour – should have made it for the afternoon.
We had a buffet breakfast. Brendan was very happy they had cornflakes. David didn’t eat much. I had scrambled eggs and baked beans. The bacon was beef as they are Muslim and don’t eat pork.
Met Louis, our driver and headed off. 1st stop the King’s Palace. We took photos with the guards and horses. A horse even tried to eat Brendan’s hair.
Next stop, the museum, very interesting. Saw gold making and wood making and Kris (blades) animals, clothes and different things. They even had a life size house out back to look at. We then went to a batik factory and saw how they made the shirts etc. bought a sarong for 56RM.
A quick drive around, the area, then back to the hotel.
Went out for a walk, had lunch a “Planet Hollywood” then to the shops, quite large shopping centres.
David put the memory cards in for processing approximately $0.65rm per photo. Bought a necklace and bracelet 1300rm 22 carat gold. You can even barter with it. I can return it years later and sell it back at a discounted rate!
Found a department store and bought six Lego castle men for Brendan for his birthday.
At 6.30 returned to hotel for tea. Went to Checkers and had the buffet. Not too great. Met an older couple from Melbourne, and organised to share a taxi, tomorrow night to go to China Town.
Cambodia & Vietnam Trip – Day 24
Not too long, a sleep. Alarm went off at 6.30am. David was going out to buy some slip on shoes.
In the end we all went and had breakfast at the lake. We bought some T-shirts and David’s shoes. Back to the hotel and packed.
Flight: Hanoi to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
1:30 PM-5:55 PM (Malaysian Airlines – MH 0753)
Hotel: Dorsett Hotel
172, Jalan Imbi
Malaysia 55100
603 2715 1000
603 2715 5000
20 June -23 June
Caught a taxi and went to the airport had a quick look around, then went upstairs to the lounge area for some lunch, very expensive and not too nice. Back down stairs and we hear the final call for our flight so we rushed onboard. The flight took approximately 3hrs, I slept most of it.
Arrived a KL & lined up in a huge line for immigration, then off to find our bags. Couldn’t even see our flight details on the board so we spent ages roaming around finally found them, as they had been taken off the baggage claim and sitting on the ground with a few others – most likely from our flight .
Caught the KLIA Ekspres, which is a non-stop, airport rail link service between the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and the Kuala Lumpur Sentral (KL Sentral), The non-stop 57km trip between KLIA and KL Sentral takes around 28 minutes with the trains departing at 15-minute intervals during peak hours and 20-minute intervals during off-peak hours. The KLIA Ekspres has a top speed of 176kph. It cost us approx- 30mr each, and ½ that for Brendan, had a porter take our luggage and show us where to go. Had another porter help us with our luggage and organise a taxi for us. Very efficient.
Arrived at the hotel and checked in 25th floor along way up. The room only had one bed so we had to organise for a rollaway.
Down stairs for tea. I had steak, so nice. Brendan – Chicken and Chips. David – Local Chicken Biyani – had nice mango chutney with it. We also organised a city tour, for the next morning 8.30.
Cambodia & Vietnam Trip – Day 23
After a terrible night sleep – very hot and we all had to share a bed that seemed smaller than a double but larger than a single we went up on deck for a quick tour, then breakfast at 9.00am. Eggs, bread and jam, watermelon.
We then cruised out to nearly open waters to go into another area – bumpy – didn’t feel too good!
With similar scenery, all around. At 9.30 those who were on the 3 day tour swapped boats – said goodbye to them and hello to the people returning form the 3 day.
Among them a young French couple, David has decided he doesn’t like the French! They were very annoying.
We then had the chance to go for another swim. The water was quite dirty – I didn’t go in. David did and there was quite a pull from the current. Brendan carried on, so eventually he went in as well, but by then the tide was turning so it wasn’t too bad. Getting him back into the boat was difficult, though. The French guy just laughed, instead of helping.
David really doesn’t like the French!
Made our way back to the harbour where we got onto our bus and headed for the restaurant for lunch, which had a terrible smell. We climbed up stairs to a small room where they bought out a variety of dishes – didn’t really like any, though. David just had plain rice!
Then back to the bus for our 3hr trip, back. About 5pm changed and went out to tea – Mamma Rosa, it’s quite up market. I had pizza and David had a Steak.
Picked up our photos (about 5c each) and headed back to the hotel for a long sleep.
Cambodia & Vietnam Trip – Day 22
A mini bus picked us up, from our hotel, for our overnight stay, at Ha Long bay. Picked up, a few other tourists, before changing to a larger bus, as gig buses are not allowed in the old quarter!
Three hour bus ride to cover 150km! Arrived at the harbour and boarded the boat had a very large banquet lunch and toured the sights.
Halong Bay is one of the most magnificent scenic spots in all of Vietnam and was designated by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage in 1994. It is a picturesque bay with some 3000 islets rising from the clear emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. Washed by water and lapped by waves for hundreds of thousands of years, the limestone basin has been carved into stalagmitic caves, crescent beaches and odd-shaped formations. Halong Bay is also famous for its varied ecological system with thousands of kinds of fish, hundreds of sorts of coral and other sea creatures. Moreover, the global value of Halong Bay in terms of geological process has been highly appreciated. In late 2000, UNESCO acknowledged Halong Bay as being a kast geological foundation, a second World Heritage criterion.div>
Different to what I expected. Lots more rocky outcrops/ islands sticking up out of the water everywhere, all covered with vegetation – very impressive. In the afternoon we visited a cave, still very humid and hot.
Back to the boat and made way for where we are staying the night. Had a long swim. Brendan enjoyed it as he had a life vest and could float around ok. Hopped on a kayak and paddled to a cave which led to an enclosure – may have been from volcano as all cliffs are in a circular shape – back out through the cave to get out!
We talked to the others, for a while, before showering in the tiny bathroom and up for tea – same as lunch.
Brendan went to bed easy! All sharing, the one small bed – David may sleep up top! More sitting around and talking.
One Aussie named Andrew based in Singapore and 2 English girls Jo and Bec. Brendan likes them!
Off to bed! Back to Hanoi tomorrow about 4.30pm!
Cambodia & Vietnam Trip – Day 20 & 21
Rain!!!
Slept well at the hotel, apart from no air conditioning, just a fan and it was raining so we couldn’t open the French windows! Had breakfast – same same – toast/ omelette or noodles!
Our guide phoned and as it was raining said too dangerous to do trek so we waited until lunch – still raining but insisted we do something. Organised to go to the Red Zou people village, Tammar, by Russian jeep! Leaked everywhere! Water everywhere rushing down the gutters!
Met by some local villagers and trekked in the rain to the next village where we went inside a family’s house. It was dry, but very basic inside. Felt obligated to buy something from the family. Ended up with a piece of pink embroided cloth – paid 200,000VDN! Walked back in the rain with our entourage! About 20 ladies at me to buy their stuff – very loud and claustrophobic!
Ended up with a few bags and bits!
We went back to the hotel, where we showered, and cleaned up, before checkout at 3.30pm. The Guide picked us up at 5.00pm for the bus back to Lo Cai. Long bus ride until we were left at the restaurant for tea. After being abandoned by our guide, we made our own way, across to the train station. Our train didn’t leave till 8.45pm, so a long, boring wait.
The same Aussie lady, Alexis, shared our berth back. We had a Vietnamese family of about six people, visit our cramped berth, taking photos and giving Brendan fruit/chocolate and even a photo!
Train back, still noisy, uncomfortable but unusual. Got back into Hanoi about 4.30am and got a taxi (who ended up taking us all over the place) back to the hotel arrived about 5am. We had to wake the staff, as all the doors were locked. Luckily we had our room booked, and we went straight up and into bed.
We slept until, about 11am. Up and went to the “Kangaroo café” where we had brunch! No Weetbix for Brendan though, as they had run out! Cheeseburger for me – really nice, tasted like a rissole. David had a chicken schnitzel and Brendan chips and some of ours.
We met a Brisbane family, on our way out, so we chatted for a while before walking up to “Fanny’s” for a nice ice-cream. Brendan had his, banana boat, one again, David had one with 3 different sorbet and ice-cream; mine was orange sorbet and chocolate ice-cream with orange liqueur – very nice.
We then walked back to hotel, stopping off at a few shops. Back out for tea – café by the lake and walked back to hotel via street markets not as good as HCMC.
Cambodia & Vietnam Trip – Day 19
Arrived at Loc Chi, at 5am, found our guide and then got on a mini bus, changed buses and then we were on our way. Was lightly raining and cloud cover was low. It took us about 1 ½ hrs to get to Sapa.
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Sapa
Sapa is located at the foothills of Vietnam’s northern mountain range at an altitude of 1,600 metres. In the early 20th century, the French took advantage of Sapa’s cool climate, developing it into a summer retreat from the heat and humidity of Hanoi. At that time, there were more French people living in Sapa than Vietnamese.
Today, Sapa retains its European feel, largely because of the remnants of French buildings, gardens and roads that populate this alpine city.
Sapa was originally home to the Black Hmong ethnic minorities. With the arrival of the French and, more recently, the growth of tourism, many of the hill tribes have moved away from Sapa’s city centre into the surrounding hill country. Still, ethnic minorities often come to Sapa’s main market to sell weavings and artwork.
Brendan had another sleep and I felt sick, not sure if it was that I hadn’t had anything to eat or if it was going around and around all the bends on the bus.
The hotel, was quite nice, it had a French feel to it. Had a shower and met Tingh, our guide, for breakfast. We had to walk into town, as it was raining we took umbrellas, had pancakes and lemon juice – no orange juice for Brendan.
Came back to hotel for a rest, had a good sleep and up again for lunch at 1pm, at another restaurant. I had chicken with chilli and garlic – not very nice. David had chicken and cashews. Brendan had a cheeseburger.
After lunch we went for a walk to Cat Cat village (French for waterfall) went down a very winding road, through the rice fields, saw water buffalo and farmers. Stopped at the house of some Black H’mong people to see how they live. Continued down to the waterfalls and crossed over a rickety bridge. Very nice, had to then go back up, very unfit, hot but not sunny. Made it to where motorbikes can go on an actual road and hired them to take us to the top. Thank goodness. I think I would still be walking up now.
Had a quick look through the markets – felt very sweaty. Headed back to the hotel, we will meet Tingh at 6pm for tea. The clouds have now rolled in and the rain is starting again. Hopefully it won’t be like this tomorrow.
Saw some Red H’mong tribe people in markets
