I want a pony

I love a lazy Sunday and yesterday was just that.  Waffles with the home team kicked off the day and then we went our separate ways.  I hit up the Corso with a friend and we checked out the Ocean Care day markets and then the regular markets.  Just a lazy Sunday stroll and window shop.

By afternoon, after the waffles, the tasty Greek bakery delights and dinner at The Pony Room looming it was clear some sort of effort was required.  A 90 minute yoga challenge was accepted and I sweated and ommed my way through my downward dogs.  All this was for the Sunday evening $10 all you can eat pizza at The Pony Room on Pittwater Rd - and you want to be guilt free for all you can eat pizza!

The home team reconvened and hit the bar, trading our $10 for a plate and grabbing a longneck of pear cider while we were at it.  Regrettably the pizza was a bit slow in making its way from the kitchen to our plates, but after ensuring the waiter was aware of our rumbling stomachs the cheesy, thin crust pizzas hit our plates piping hot, washed down with the ice cold ciders.  Delish!

Check this link to SMH for their Pony Room review http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/restaurants-and-bars/the-pony-room-20101116-17vfe.html

Nina's back

Travel excitement is elevated.  I went to the travel agent yesterday, who alleviated some of my financial fears. It looks like we can fly from Sydney to London via South Africa, Botswana and Tanzania and with a jaunt in New York for under $3000.  Happy days!  Now trying to find a tour from gaborone to dar es salaam via the Delta.

Slim local adventures lately, although managed to fit a few in this morning.  First up, an ocean swim with the Manly Groupers.  Instead of the usual journey from Manly to Shelly and back (right beach to left beach and back in the below picture), we dodged surfers and paddle boarders to head towards North Steyne because the water was dodge after all the rain.  Not a bad swim, but a bit murky and I feared both the pollution and the possibility of a 'marine attack'.  After making it to dry land I shoved a handful of vitamin c down my throat and hoped for the best.

In need for some liquid relief I decided to meet my brother, who loves all things German, at Das Kaffeehaus on Market Lane in Manly and make the most of the $12 Bier & Bratwurst lunch special.  A very generous portion of bratwurst and sauerkraut in a toasted bun with a side of roast potatoes and a litre of beer made for a very nice way to warm up after the morning's aquatic session.

After having our fill the next stop was Desire Books, just down the road, which is a favourite place to loose myself and find a good second hand story.  Last year, on a strict family christmas present budget (not self imposed), I bought all my Christmas presents there.  Today was a bit more 'in and out', but I still managed to come away with five or six books - plenty for a three year old nephew (who hopefully won't realise his Christmas presents are second hand) and a small New York travel book for the 2011 adventures.  They're located on Whistler street, but I've just discovered they're on Blogspot too!

Then home for some time out on the couch via the Asian grocers for a bag of endamame.

Final bargain adventure for the day was date night - dinner at Chat Thai at the wharf ($7.50 green papaya salad for the honeymoon memories) and a giant chicken and cashew stir fry, followed by a two for one coupon and the Manly Cinemas.

Deal breaker was that they cinemas had stuffed up their times and we didn't get to see the facebook movie so instead went in to see the Fair Game flick and we were thoroughly impressed.  Though the cinema did manage to stuff up again by cutting the film out midway through the film.. will have to write a letter..

Top the day off with a rainbow paddlepop from the servo and all that made this Saturday in Manly a little bit lovely.

Summer is here!

Months until epic journey around the world: 2
Tickets bought for epic journey around the world: nil
Further employment gained since last post: also nil
Current bank account balance: $835
Hours of sunshine on first day of summer: nil

Dear Blogworld,

It appears that El Nina is here to help us welcome in summer and the Christmas season and I hear she's here to stay.  That really is the kind of luck that seems to follow me around - the summer I decide to take off work and enjoy the Manly lifestyle is the summer the drought breaks.

Not to worry, managed to fill the morning so far.  Have looked at flights from Sydney to Johannesburg for February and decided on a direct flight there.  You do have to make quite a big decision though, there is a flight via Malaysia with an overnight stop over that's $700 cheaper and would probably leave you a richer person in dollars and experiences by taking it.  I'm a bit sad that we have opted out of this flight.

I also looked at some train travel from J'burg to Cape Town in the hope of a Darjeeling Ltd experience but the website Man in Seat 61, although they recommend the ride, make it clear the journey will be far from the hippy/lux train journey Wes Anderson created.  Have also seen train trips for as little as AUD12 from Durban to J'burg that Seat61 says are cheap, efficient and safe but you do have to share a sleeper.  Would love to hear some recommendations on train travel in Africa if there are any out there, as we'll be journeying on to Botswana at least.

Next up I headed down to Power Yoga down the road and was pleased not to fall on my face this time in the crow position.  Was nice to bump into a friend from my early morning training sessions and to find out she works in a clothing store with some very cool clothes in it!  Shame I missed the name of the shop because it's got some great stuff in the window (didn't dare touch any of the merch after the sweaty yoga session).  Will find it out later and get some photos up.

Now my tasks for today are to get the wedding thank you cards drawn up, written up and out the door.

Might also be a good idea to get onto that job search again.  In desperate need of a couple of weeks worth of work to get the cash in the bank… Anyone need a Christmas shopper?

Best wishes blogger world,

Destination Two

It nearly took us a boat, a bus, two flights, a train ride and a ferry ride to get home, but after the second flight we cracked it and opted to taxi home from the airport to Manly.

It was strange to be back in Sydney after nearly four weeks away from home and I remember already having an itch to get back on a plane and continue seeing the world.

I've been back in Manly for about six weeks now and while it's been my home for three years I'm now seeing it from the eyes of a holiday maker.  Generally I'm only working two hours a day and late in the afternoon so my mornings have been left free to make the most of the destination.

Lately a new cafe has opened up just outside our back door.  It's a fantastic little joint named The Troubadour that's been decked out in mismatched chairs, old paintings and lights.  My three favourite things about this cafe (aside from the location and great coffee) are the scotch finger biscuits and shots of soda water that come with your coffee; the cute table numbers ("this one's for pig"), and the little outdoor courtyard.  Just brilliant!  Oh and check out the spoon - there is so much detail that has gone into the design of this place! It's at 194 Pittwater Road and I'm loving the refurbishments happening at this end of the street.

Sunshine Bubbles

After a hectic first 11 days of October we boarded a flight bound for Phuket via Singapore on the 12th.  Gutted to find out that the airline did not do upgrades we were pleasantly surprised when two glasses of champagne and a celebratory chocolate cake showed up.

On landing in Phuket and arriving at the Indigo Pearl we were greeted with a cool drink and the welcome words 'we've taken the liberty of upgrading you to a private villa' and a bottle of chilled champagne.  But Indigo Pearl was not our final destination, so after tasting the local food and drink (read 'cocktails on the beach' and 'breakfast buffet') and taking a quick bike ride we headed for the jetty and our private speedboat to Koh Yao Noi and the Six Senses Resort.

The view from the speed boat to Yao Noi

From the moment we boarded the boat we were in Honeymoon Heaven - cool face towels, watermelon juice and tasty snacks.  Disembarking and things just got better - greeted by our own butler, the hotel manager and the word of the moment 'upgrade' we jumped in a golf buggy to be taken to our ocean view villa - #43 on the hillside.

This place makes you feel like a rockstar!  Our villa had a view to die for, a private pool, spa bath, indoor and outdoor showers and outdoor living area as well as more welcome treats - more champagne, lunch and would we like the butler to book the complimentary massage for today or tomorrow?  Don't forget to reset your watches for 'Island Time' too - no kidding.

Villa views.

Villa views.

We had four days at Yao Noi and filled them with massages, cocktails, island tours (tuk tuk, bike, canoe), swimming and reading.  Our first attempt at chasing the sun was only a partial success - by the second day the clouds were upon us and the day was broken up with some amazing tropical storms that rolled across the island to us.

While the resort was absolutely stunning we had some amazing experiences when we escaped.  A little lean-to just outside the resort gates fed us two nights in a row.  AUD16 bought us four dishes, four beers and some cans of tonic water to take home to the gin we'd bought in town.  The green papaya salad was AMAZING and there was a constant stream of locals and bob-tailed cats to keep us entertained.  The tuk tuk and the bikes took us into the town a couple of other times during our stay where we stocked up on island priced goodies to take back to the villa.

Rainy days

Rainy days

Island tours

Island tours

Island tours

 But all good things must come to an end and on day four it was time to head back to the jetty for our next destination - three days at Zeavola, Phi Phi.  This time we were still spoilt rotten, but we had quite literally been spoilt by Six Senses.  No upgrade, no champagne, no view, no private pool, no butler and I think I used the term 'glamping' to describe our villa.  What rotten little kids we were!!  The place really was amazing, but I would recommend hitting Yao Noi as your second destination and Phi Phi as your first if you choose to follow this path.

Highlights in Phi Phi included: sun (and plenty of it), a longtail ride to town, dinner on the beach, cheap (AUD5.50) cocktails (and far too many of them), geckos and being served drinking coconuts while sun baking on the beach.

Longtails.

Tonsai Bay

Sun, Mosquito Island and Bamboo Island in the background.

There's a little palm tree in the background - a 'love tree', planted at our friends' wedding before our visit.

Suffice it to say that this leg of our Chasing the Sun journey will make up the more luxurious part of our total journey, but if you can't spoil yourself on your honeymoon when can you?  We returned home with a low bank balance, one full time job between us and a dream to continue our honeymoon in 2011 to Africa, Europe and the US…

Where there's a will there's a way.  Note to self, look for flights and job before day is out.

Holiday stats:
Flights - 4

Transfers - 6 (three boat, three car)

Resorts - 3

Cocktails - at least 2 a day, increasing to far too many by the second last night… we found a great place down near the Sea Gypsy village that only served drinks with double shots.  Food was quick, cheap and tasty and we could dig our feet into the sand as we ate… no RSA here though!

Visits from resort doctors - 2.  The first after I got a bit of mud in my eye on a bike ride and woke up that night with tears streaming down my face and the second after making the very poor decision to snack on a cob of corn in Tonsai Bay that had been sitting around in luke warm water for who knows how long.  Silly me!  Not what you need before an hour long boat journey to Phuket followed by a half hour transfer to the airport and two flights home.

Free champagne - 3

Success as honeymoon destination?

Absolutely.

Solace

This blog celebrates the journey in search of sun, fun and adventure across the world.

As it stands, we are part way through the adventure at the time of this blog's creation.  The adventure really began back in September with a letter of resignation.  After four year's worth of groundhog days and an upcoming wedding a bit of time out was just what was required.

Wedding done (on a cloudy day in the country - great for photos!) the first stop on the adventure was Phuket for an island honeymoon...