The D Spot

Incredibly enough, even more stuff that I have learned, noticed, forgotten or been told...this time from Athens...following a Roman disaster

2008-07-24T11:02:00.000-07:00

When in Italy, gesturing from waist to knee and informing the local girls that you are "one quarter Italian" produces mixed results...most bad...this line is much better received by American backpackers.
Spain and Italy are filled with drinking water fountains (as well as the decorative kind)...by usiing one SIGG bottle, one can save money, remain hydrated, and reduce the use of plastic...all of which are good.
I have yet to visit a country that provides beer fountains...this is bad.
I have not yet been to Germany...so I still have hope...
Greece doesn't have a lot of drinking fountains...but it does have a Taverna on every corner...this is good.
In most European languages the word "no" is pretty self-evident (eg "non", "no", "niet" etc.) In Greek the word for "yes" is "ne"...I may be dimwitted...but I seem to find this surprisingly confusing.
Ipods are great...but they also isolate people...when in a train carriage, people used to talk to each other...now they are often filled with people listening to sounds from home, rather than interacting with others...this is bad.
Speakers can be bout inexpensively to suit MP3 players (mine cost $7US in Laos), sharing music brings people together an often results in the "my play list is better than your play list game"...this is good.
The Germans...always the Germans.
If you are even in Athen the Apollo Hotel gets the Big D-Man's "two thumbs up"...it's 70 Euros for a double or twin room, but it has a lovely roof top garden/bar thingie with amazing views of the Acropolis (The chick behind the bar also provides a pretty amazing view.)
When drinking canned beer on a rooftop bar, high winds can render a partially empty can a serious flight risk...this is dangerous.
Luckily, by ensuring that one's can is never partially empty, one can avoid this flight risk...this is also a little dangerous.
Rome is really small.
It is also filled with thousands ofpeople looking at the same tourist map and wondering where the heck they are.
Tourist maps don't always show North at the top of the page...this is very important to know, if, like me you use a compass.
The Tour de France, get waaaaay less TV coverage in Spain and Italy then I expected...seeing that both countries produce great riders.
The Germans...always the Germans.
SBS has the best Tour de France coverage in the world...except maybe France...(I don't know...I wasn't there.)
The German language Eurosport channel has pretty good coverage...and they say things like "ein minooten"...which sounds funny.
Watching German TV often results in being in a bar surrounded by Germans...again with the Germans.
More on TV...Spain appears to have a channel that shows "The Gilmore Girls" 24/7...the rapid dialogue between mother and daughter sounds funny in Spanish.
Still more on TV...Italy apears to have a channel that shows "Walker-Texas Ranger 24/7...this may be an insight to the Psyche of Italians.
I've been in Greece for 3 nights and haven't seen any of their TV yet.
Chuck Norris rules.
By sticking folded cardboard into the little key slot thingie that activates the lighting in one's room when leaving, one reatians electricity...this is handy for charging cell phones, ipods, camera batteries etc. It is also good for leaving the A/C running...but only if you will be out of the room for a short time...it is wrong to rape the planet.
The Trevi fountain is the most beautiful thing in Rome.
KLF's "The White Room" is the best albulm of all time.
Spanish girsl get prettier as one goes South.
Italian girls get prettier as one goes North.
All girls look prettier after 2 litres of beer.
By not carrying a daypack/camera bag/bum bag, one can more easily blend in with the locals...this is kinda cool in a low-key way...until a mono-lingual local addresses one excitedly in Basque/Greek/(insert local language here)...then things can become amusing.
Pamplona is filled with Aussies. (Well...most of Europe is filled with Aussies...but Pamplona more so.)
The Germans...always the Germans.
Rome is filled with Americans.
Older Americans seem to complain a lot (eg: "It's too sunny here." "Why would the Romans build a house here?" etc.)... this is bad.
Younger Americans continue to impress the heck out of me with their gererally open and worldly views - There I said it!
Younger, fit Greek guys, like most people, tend to wear a shirt when in the city. Fatter, older Greek guys take their shirts off...or do this wierd thing where they roll up their shirt to expose their gut roll...this is disturbing.
(I made a similar observation a year or two ago about Germans in Thailand...maybe this is an international trend that I have been slow to pick up on...)
Greek peopke are friendlier than the Romans...except for the Greek cab drivers...whom all worship the devil.
This is in direct contrast to the (,amy) Greek cab drivers in Melbourne...whom are all super-friendly.
This is in direct contrast to the (now many) Somalian cab drivers in Melbourne...whom all worship the devil.
Melbourne produces the greatest dancers in the world...and they SMILE when they dance.
The Germans...always the Germans.
I like to order girly coxktails with swizzle-sticks and little umbrellas, and fruit on the rim of the glass.
Both the Grreks and the Romans created incredible cultures...excelling in art, science, math, literature, and building. Neither has really recovered from the fall of the Roman Empire...both are still in decline.
Australia and Asia, with the occassional hiccough are building something that is often better than what they had in the past...maybe that is why I love Australia and Asia so much.
Avoid the district of Omonia in Athens after midnight...unless you are looking for heroin or a prostitute...I am looking for neither.
Did I mention the Germans...?

The Germans, always the Germans.

Random Musings from Northern Spain

2008-07-17T06:23:00.000-07:00

After 2 weeks in Spain it is almost time to leave.

I have been fortunate enough to spend all of my time so far in Euskadi (or the Basque Country).

The Basque people are awesome...they speak their own language (Euskara)...they have their own unique cuisine...based heavily on cod fish (aka bacalao)...they have their own fashion (funny shoes with rope soles, huge berets, and mullet hair cuts)...they have their own sports (lifting and dragging big stones springs immediately to mind).

They are a lot like the "Newfies"...with a strong maritime tradition and they are even more fiercely independent.

All of Spain loves their tapas...but in Euskadi...they have made it a way of life, at just about anytime of the day or night one sees groups of all ages walking from pub to pub...never staying for more then maybe two drinks and a snack (aka pinxos)...repeat...repeat...repeat...etc.

This technique definitely scores "two thumbs up" from the D-Man.

The Basque are ridiculously friendly...but not as quick to befriend people as much of the rest of Europe. This may be as a result of their location on the Iberian Peninsula being a regular route for foreign armies from pre-roman times.

Luckily, my cousin (aka prima), Jessica has been adopted by the locals in Azkoitia as one of their own...so I kinda' fell into my own little community.

Thanks Jess!

Most of our evenings have been well spent in the local bars (but always the "Dean"...Siempre the Dean)...telling jokes in a mixture of Euskara/Spainish/English, and meeting what seems like an endless stream of "colourful" characters. The constant movement of people from place to place means that if one stays at a venue for half an hour, then entire clientel has changed.

The Basque have a very generous nature, which often results in cloak and dagger work as people compete with each other to pick up the bill before they go to (yet another!) bar. But it seems to usually balance out by the end of the night. (Which is LATE...no one eats dinner until about 9PM...which means that they finish about midnight...then continue into the small hours of the morning). I appear to be the only person in Euskadi that requires sleep.

I have often found myself stuffed to the gills with food but unable to refuse my hosts
offers of more...most notably at one of the local, private eating societies (I went to San Martin)...where I had a small mountain of cod (bacalao) and what appeared to be 3 half-chickens...with my digestion aided by large volumes of the local red wine (aka vino tinto) that is generally very good and very cheap. (This is a dangerous combination).

Never one to sit on my laurels, I was then invited to go to a cider house in the mountains about 45 minutes from Azkoitia.

It was outstanding...there is a set price per head that includes a (large) meal, and unlimited cider. I was served a steak that seemed like it came from a brontosaurus...it was massive...and pretty rare..but when in Rome etc. etc. This was accompanied by another mountain of cod (bacalao), and cheese.

No salad and no sweets...exactly the way I like my meals.

By tradition, there is no drinking at the table...periodically "el hefe" (the boss), thumps his glass on a table...then anyone that it thirsty (read...everyone), follows him to the back where he pours straight from the vat, from a distance of several feet, straight into one's glass.

(It can get a little messy, and cider has a pretty strong smell, my advice...stand well to the side...rather than behind one's glass...it is safer for everyone involved.)

And remember...do not say "Thank You"...do not say "Gracias"...always say "Eskerrek Asko"

Jessica pours one for the D-man Old-Skool style

2008-07-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

My brain won't allow me to add any meaningful text...but this is a quick video of how to drink cider in the Basque Country...I like it!

The technique is to pour straight from the barrel at a long distance, to aerate the cider...then drink it in one...if there is any left over...chuck it on the floor.

This gets very funny...but very messy.

Daire's Running Of The Bulls - Pamplona, Wednesday July 9th 2008

2008-07-10T09:22:00.000-07:00

Like a lot of kids I had seen bits of the "Running Of The Bulls" in movies and on TV and had always wanted to take part...but I never knew if I would get the opportunity.

This is my own experience...

I had planned on running on Tuesday 8th of July, but the extra day I spent in San Sebastian (Donosti in Basque), meant that I would now run on Saturday the 12th.

This was a bit daunting, as that is the most popular day to run the bulls, and thus the most dangerous.

On Tuesday night, cousin Jess and I were having dinner in Azkoitia with her friends, Francesco and Rachel...going from bar to bar, as the locals do...eating some tapas at each stop. (The call tapas "pinxcos" in Basque)

We met 3 of her friends from the Epsilon racing team...her housemate Alex and their friends Marc and Rodrigo. Marc suggested that we drive to Pamplona tonight and enjoy the festival.

So we bought a bottle of rum, and went home to grab some supplies...coke...spare battery for my camera etc.

When got home, Alex told me that he had run twice before...but he was what the locals call a "chicken runner". (These are runners that start at the end of the course and run into the arena without seeing a bull in the street...although this is still quite exciting and pretty dangerous by normal standards as the bulls can still cause some trouble in the arena, the locals pelt them with tomatoes as they enter the arena.)

Alex then loaned me a shirt and neckerchief that he had worn previously...I decided that I would wear two neckerchiefs...Alex's for good luck...and my own...because...well I wanted to.

The Chicos (aka "the boys") each put 20 Euros in a "kitty" to meet our additional rum requirements for the night (it was almost enough!)

As expected of a racing engineer, Marc drove his BMW in true European fashion...faster than expected and close to stuff...walls...automotive barriers...etc.

This got my heart started and primed for the run ahead.

Marc had also run before...but this year I was the only encierro in the team.

We arrived in Pamplona and parked about 20 minutes walk from the main square an Avenidos de Bahnola....which as close as we could get. I know the name of the street as I we all entered it into our phones along with each other's phone numbers in case we got separated.

I warned Marc to check under his car before leaving if we had been separated as he may find me underneath!

My concerns about being separated were well warranted...there were what looked like hundreds of thousands of people (I didn't count). All were milling about the streets having a good time...and everyone was wearing a white shirt with a red neckerchief...so it was easy to get lost in the crowd.

We went to the main plaza and had some rum. There was some live music playing and a great atmosphere...everyone was happy an smiling and having a great time.

Earlier I mentioned that everyone was in red and white...by this stage in the evening most of the white shirts were pink...having been stained by wine or sangria that people were consuming in Herculean quantities.

It was then I realised that while I had been smart enough to remember to take my extra camera battery...I had been foolish (read: "Inebriated") enough to leave my camera in the kitchen Azkoitia :(

But, I wasn't really there to take pictures...I was there to run.

And drink.

And dance.

And party.

And run.

There was a good outdoor area playing some reasonable techno...mostly club anthems and some electro, we spent much of the night there.

(Dancing on a grassy hill is lots of fun, but hard on the calf muscles after a few hours.)

I managed to lose 3 Euros to a shifty gypsy with his rigged game of skill...you had 3 tries to hammer a nail fully into a piece of wood...it wasn't until afterwards that I realised that he would wait until your hammer was on it's way down and then he had about a million ways of moving the table ever so slightly so that you wouldn't hit the nail squarely.

(Never trust a gypsy)

I had two guys try to pick my pocket...but I was onto it pretty quickly...as was Marc...who called them out in record time.

(Thanks for watching my back Marc...you kick ass!)

Alex and Rodrigo provided additional entertainment by attempting to become intimate with half of the girls in Pamplona (about 3000 attempts each at last count).

Keep trying guys!

Daylight came and my time to run began.

Police cleared away the drunken revelers and cleaners removed much of the debris from the course.

Wooden barriers were erected to line the streets where the run would take place. Many of them had slits that you could slide underneath if a goring looked likely. Behind the barriers were paramedics...behind them, another wall, behind that spectators.

I entered the course by slipping through the coral type fencing around 7AM.

The policia moved the crowd from one place to another...resulting in my being further up the course than I had intended....to the end of the area known as Estafeta...so most of my run was in the area known as Telefonica...as it is in front of the phone exchange.

At this point there was little to do but wait. I ended up meeting some cool Aussie guys from Adelaide and a group of guys from Texas. It appeared that I had done a lot more research than the guys, and found myself in the unusual situation of being asked for expert advice of a past-time that I had never experienced. Luckily, I am always filled with advice...and this was no exception.

My best advice:

"Stay down!"

If you get knocked over by a bull or by the crowd the most dangerous thing to do is to attempt to stand. Being stepped on by a 600 kilogram bull can give you broken ribs and maybe a scar to impress the chicas with afterwards...but getting gored from behind can kill you.

This is how the last foreigner died.

After the bulls have passed, someone will tap you on the shoulder to let you know that it is safe.

One of the American guys gave me half of his newspaper, as it was too thick.

(It is popular to run with a rolled up newspaper...the idea is that you can wave it front of the bull's face and distract him...the idea is that, much like a matador's cape...he will follow the movement...instead of following you.)

Well, that's the theory.

I must say, that I would have felt more confident with a crowbar, or maybe a claw hammer. 100 Or so grams of paper vs. a 600 bull that runs 100 metres in 6 seconds doesn't generate a lot of confidence...but every little bit helps.

I also tucked part of my waist sash into my pocket. Bulls are colour-blind, but they are attracted to movement...like the matador's cape. I didn't want my dangling sash attracting a bull's attention anywhere near my balls!

It was at this time that I realised I was` standing next to this semi-famouse English guy with mutton-chop side burns that I saw on a documentary. He has run the bulls for 25 years and trained Jack Osborne (Ozzie's son), when he ran the bulls few years ago.

Mutton-chop man was looking uber-cool by relaxedly reading his paper. When I introduced myself he showed me his photo as part of an interview he delivered to the paper he was reading.

At 8AM the first rocket sounded...a few moments later the 2nd rocket sounded...this meant that all of the bulls had left the pen and were now in the street.

The crowd started moving forward...me...being part of the crowd, also moved forward. We started slowly...but then the rush of people and the noise behind us grew dramatically in intensity...the bulls were close!

Now the crowd started really moving, a lot of people started to panic, pushing and shoving, and making it very difficult to ensure that you would be standing or that you were control of your movements or your placement on the course.

Of particular importance is that you don't get caught out on the outside of a corner...the bulls, being so damn heavy, always take their corners wide (I could insert a pun now about "under-steer"...but I won't!). On the straight section it is safest to run along the wall...so that you can press yourself flat against it or slide under it or over the top of it, if the wall allows.

I had a very difficult choice to make...risk the crowds on the side of the street...where there was a lot of jostling and pushing, or risk the bulls in the middle of the street.

I chose the middle of the street, and thus the bulls...

Well actually, it was only 1 bull, a big black one that had separated from the rest of the herd and was running fast by himself.

The most dangerous thing is a bull that is separated from the pack. They are a herd animal and left to their own, they will stay together and not cause too much trouble. (Well no more trouble than one would expect of a group of bulls that are specially bred for their aggression.)

I saw that sucker and I ran, oh yeah I ran, I ran like Ben Johnson...with a tail wind and a bucket of steroids!

The clear ground was still in the middle of the middle of the street, so I stuck to my decision and moved...quickly.

I think I only looked back once, maybe twice...I was heading closer to the tunnel that leads into the bull fighting arena...and I was heading with conviction.

I was in the tunnel.

There was a surge of people behind me, and I knew the bull was close.

At this point I was keenly aware that this was the sight of the most fatalities in the history of San Fermin...caused by a pile up of people and a herd of bulls madly trying to go over and through the bodies before them.

I ran into the arena and went immediately to the left...knowing that the bull was right behind me.

Actually he wasn't right behind me...he stopped just outside of the tunnel and went on a bit of a rampage before going in.

So for several seconds I kinda' just stood there...clapping my hand against my newspaper and soaking up the excitement of the crowd.

Then the bulls arrived.

They were led across the arena into a holding pen until the bull fighting began later in the day.

There were some experts on hand, with matador's capes...to help lure them across the open area.

4 Minutes had passed from the firing of the second rocket until they were all safely away.

Whew!

When I say they were all safely away, I am not 100% correct. When then began was a succession of smaller (that is to say, smaller...as apposed to say, "small") bulls were led into the arena so that the encierros (bull-runners) could play with them.

This was exciting, but a little scary as the bulls were very unpredictable due to the large crowd of people moving this way and that to either get closer to, or away from the bulls.

I found this troublesome as it meant that the bulls could be very close, and changing direction or disposition...but I couldn't always see them.

If one has come close to being hit by the bull, but manages to escape, he is said to have been wearing the Cloak Of San Fermin...or Capa De San Fermin.

Now was my moment to wear the cloak...

After about 20 minutes in the ring, I was fairly close to one of the bulls, I had been closer to others and was starting to feel more comfortable with the whole situation. (That is to say, more comfortable, as opposed to "comfortable").

The people in front of me broke to the left and the right, like Moses parting the Red Sea. Except, instead of Moses, it was the bull that had parted a sea of people and now he was looking right at me...and wheeling about very aggressively.

He charged.

(I had earlier decided that I would rather be stepped on than gored.)

I dove into the ground immediately in front of the charging bull.

He went right over the top of me.

I felt great...I couldn't stop smiling...for hours.

As I write this, a day later...I am still smiling.

For another 15 minutes or so they continued to let some more bulls and some big oxen with cow bells into the arena. More excitement but nothing anywhere near as close as the one that went over the top of me.

I had no idea how long this would continue. I do remember wondering if it would only end after I had sustained an injury...which was seeming more and more likely.

A few minutes later and all of the animals had been penned, and we encierros faced the crowd again, as we had done when we entered and clapped and raised our hands above our heads, and they cheered.

I jumped the gate and walked back through the tunnel to meet my companions.

It was about 9AM...we stopped for a coffee and I also had a beer, my clothes and throat were dusty from the sand of the bull arena.

I had been awake for over 24 hours.

I had run the bulls.

I had no photographs.

But a had a newspaper that looked like it had been through a war, a t-shirt, a neckerchief, a sash, and memories that will never leave me.

And a hangover...Oh God, what a hangover!

What is San Fermin? (aka Bullrunning 101)

2008-07-10T05:28:00.001-07:00

What is San Fermin, what does encierro mean, how does Ernest Hemmingway fit into all of this?

These, and other questions will be answered...then I will ruthlessly copy and paste some links to some of the reliable sites about San Fermin and how to run with the bulls.

San Fermin is a festival that has occurred every year for hundreds of years in Pamplona, in the North of Spain, to celebrate their patron Saint...San Fermin.

It has all things that any self respecting European festival should...wine...music...food...parades with giant puppets etc.

But what makes San Fermin famous is the "running of the bulls".
This is because there are daily bullfights as part of the festivities...and the bulls need to be moved from the corral each morning to the bull fighting arena...about 900 metres away.

The local men would show their bravado and physical skills by running with the bulls through the cobblestoned streets and help herd them into the storage pen of the arena, so the bullfights could occur in the afternoon.

Ernest Hemmingway spent a lot of time in Pamplona, and though he never ran the bulls himself...he introduced it to the outside world in his 1926 novel, "The Sun Also Rises".

I haven't read it...but a whole bunch of other people must have...because each year since then...in growing numbers...foreigners have been flocking to Pamplona between the 7th and 14th of July...to risk life and limb for the chance to become an encierro, a "bull-runner".

Early records were never kept...but since the organisers started keeping records in 1926, when Hemmingway let the world now of Pamplona's amazing tradition, there have been 15 deaths...many of them foreigners...who don't have the same knowledge or experience as the local encierros.

Wikipedia...the greatest site in the free world has some good background information here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Fermin

A great guide to any aspiring encierro can be found here:

http://www.pamplona.co.uk/running-with-the-bulls/the-course/the-seven-main-bull-runs/the-seven-main-bull-runs.htm

Here is another good one:

http://www.lostgeneration.com/article7.htm

This next link is to the site that I printed out and kept in my pocket to study before I ran, I actually met the guy who wrote it while I was waiting for the bull run to start, he apparently has been running the bulls for 25 years...so he must be doing something right!

http://www.bullrunning.immortals.co.uk/running.htm

PS: If you don't want to run with the bulls...it is worth the trip for the party. (See below)

London Calling

2008-07-08T07:38:00.000-07:00

Back in London,

The UK put her famous weather on hold for my arrival, high twenties and sunny for the first few days.

Joey & Ron put out the red carpet and made me feel right at home on the Isle of Dogs...which isn't an island...but is now my favorite London suburb.

Joey was kind enough to take a couple of days off work and help me put a large dent in two litres of duty free rum.

Thanks Joe!

My short stay was perfect...very little sight seeing...lots of socialising...'cuz that's the way I like to roll.

Canada day started the way all good days of national pride should start...off to the pub with people I love...in this case, Joey & Douggie & Pierre and I.

This could have been a good lead in to a joke...

"A Canadian, and an Italian, and an Australian, and a Frenchman walk into a bar..."

Back On The Road Again...

2008-07-08T06:30:00.000-07:00

Whew!

Daire has left the building.

After a denim frenzy at the front of the Canadian Embassy with Hung and Bro and Luca I am finally away.

Special thanks to Marc for transport and Sandor for an outstanding send-off.

Is Daire ready for another growth spurt?

2008-03-09T17:52:00.000-07:00

That's a darn good question...seeing that I have just been diagnosed with Osgood-Schlatter's Disease about 20 years after when it is typical...anything is possible :)

No running, cycling, rowing or walking for 2 months...It's 37 degrees C in Melbourne and it is Autumn...oh well...nothing to do but drink beer and gain weight...shocking photos will be available in March.

Osgood-Schlatter's Disease

Osgood-Schlatter's disease usually occurs in teenagers. It causes pain and swelling just below the knee. It is named after the two people who first described it. It is not serious and usually goes away in time.

Who gets Osgood-Schlatter's disease?

Young teenagers, particularly boys, are the most commonly affected. It is uncommon over the age of 16. It is most common in teenagers who play a lot of sport involving kicking, running, or jumping. These kinds of sports cause repeated and vigorous use of the quadriceps muscles.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptom is pain just below the kneecap (patella). The severity of the pain tends to flare up and down. It is usually worse during, and just after, activity. It tends to ease with rest. Pain typically lasts a few months, but sometimes persists until you have finished growing. The knee joint is not affected, so knee movements are normal.
A small, tender, bony bump may develop a few centimetres below the kneecap. This occurs where the patella ligament attaches to the tibia ('shin bone'). The small bump is permanent, although in time it becomes painless.
No special tests are usually needed as the diagnosis is often clear from the typical symptoms.

What causes Osgood-Schlatter's disease?

Sometimes it develops for no apparent reason. However, overuse of the front thigh muscles (quadriceps) is thought to be a common cause. The quadriceps muscle is used to straighten the knee. This muscle pulls on the patella, which pulls on the patella ligament, which is attached to the upper part of the tibia.
Overuse of the quadriceps muscle can cause repeated stress and strain on the attachment of the patella ligament to the growing tibia. This can cause inflammation and pain at the site of the ligament attachment. In some cases, a small flake of bone is pulled off the tibia by the pulling ligament. Healing bone (callus) then forms which may cause a hard bony bump to develop.

What is the treatment of Osgood-Schlatter's disease?

Pain usually goes within a few months without any treatment. It may help to be reassured that the condition is not serious and is likely to go.
Paracetamol or similar painkillers may be useful when pain flares up.
If symptoms persist for 2 years or more, then immobilisation in a plaster to 'force' rest may be advised. A specialist may, rarely, advise an operation on the bony lump if symptoms still do not improve. However, they are more likely to advise patience as a natural easing of symptoms over time nearly always occurs.What about playing sport and other activities?
Sport or physical activity is not likely to cause any permanent damage, but may make the pain worse. However, it is often sporty teenagers who develop Osgood-Schlatter's disease. Difficult decisions may have to be made about training schedules and sporting commitments. Each case is different, and your doctor will advise. An approach similar to the following may be advised.
You do not usually need to stop sport. However, easing off strenuous or vigorous sport may be sensible for a while until the pain eases to a tolerable level. Let the pain be your guide. Play sport only to a bearable level of pain. Avoid heavy sport activities if the pain is bad. Consider a complete break from sport for a while if pain remains bad.
An ice pack applied below the kneecap for about 5 minutes before and after exercise may prevent some inflammation and pain.
Consider wearing knee pads during sports such as football and rugby to protect the tender area.
Consider seeing a physiotherapist for advice on exercises to strengthen the quadriceps muscles.

Man vs. Machine - Is Daire unstoppable?

2007-12-22T14:16:00.000-08:00

Yup!

While travelling home from work on Tuesday via the Burnley Tunnel on my beloved Honda Spacey, I got hit (twice!) by a truck hauling a flatbed trailer with a boat on it.

Luckily for me, I was able to keep my bike positioned between me and the truck with my feet after I hit the freeway.

Unluckily for my bike, it ended up beneath the truck...but prevented me from doing the same.

I've walked away with a few bruises (including a big one on my ego) and a strengthened belief that nothing can keep me down.

I'll buy something faster in 2008!

Incredibly enough...still more D-Style

2007-10-18T02:06:00.000-07:00

Daire O’Leary was once on Wheel Of Fortune and was the first to spin. The next 29 minutes consisted of everyone standing around awkwardly, waiting for the wheel to stop.

Bill Gates lives in constant fear that Daire O’Leary’s PC will crash.

Daire O’Leary has to maintain a concealed weapons permit in order to legally wear pants.

Most husbands are OK with their wives fantasising about Daire O’Leary while they are having sex, because they are probably doing the same thing.

Daire O’Leary can make a woman climax by simply pointing at her and saying “booya”.

The Movie Anaconda was filmed in Daire O’Leary’s pants.

When Daire O’Leary does his taxes, he send in blank forms and a photo of himself, crouched and ready to attack, Daire O’Leary has never had to pay taxes.

Daire O’Leary can divide by zero.

If paper beats rock, and rock beats scissors, and scissors beats paper, what beats all three at the same time? Answer: Daire O’Leary.

If Superman and The Flash were to have a race to the edge of space, who would win? Answer: Daire O’Leary.

Daire O’Leary is the only man to defeat a brick wall in a game of tennis.

Oxygen requires Daire O’Leary to live.

Jungle Brothers

2007-09-29T01:32:00.000-07:00

Me cleverly pointing at a cute little tamarind

The mega cool "walking palm"

John and I mucking around with a huge "rocket tree"

My first Tapir...he was bigger than expected...maybe 200kgs!

Tarantula coming out of his little hidey-hole

The Amazon Jungle is awesome.

After spending so much time at high altitude, it was great to breathe again!

After yet another luxurious flight with my friends at Air Condor, I arrived in Peurto Maldonado, famous for the "El Jaguar Zoo and Disco" (yup, probably the world's only combined zoo and nightclub)...a couple of hours journey via boat led me to the Eco Amazonia Lodge on the Madre de Dios River (one of the tributaries to the Amazon River), in an area known as Tambopata.

The jungle itself was amazing, there were "rocket trees" (with the big fin like roots) that were bigger than anything similar I have seen...because the soil quality is so poor, most of the nutrients are on top of the ground...as a result of decaying vegetation etc. Thus even these monstrously big trees have roots that only go 1 meter into the soil.

There was also a "walking palm" which grows roots above ground and by killing off old roots and growing new ones manages to "walk" through the jungle to take advantage of available light.

Peru must be home to more epiphytes (plants that grow on other plants...kinda like parasites...but not exactly) than any other country on Earth...There were trees so covered in orchids and bromeliads that one couldn't see the supporting tree. One of the trees, which the locals sometimes call the "tourist tree" peels it's bark like a sun-burnt gringo...thus ridding itself of any epiphytic tresspassers...in some areas they seemed the only variety that wasn't hosting a micro-community of guests.

There were more monkeys than I had thought possible...particularly at the very appropriately named "Monkey Island", ridiculously cute little tamarinds...as well as bigger brown and black capuchin monkeys (which the locals always referred to as cappuccino monkeys...without intending to be funny!)

The Cayman I saw were all pretty small by Aussie crocodile standards, but they were certainly big enough to give one a fright if you came across one at night. (They lie along the river bank and are easliy found by their eyes which reflect bright red when a flashligh is shone on them.)

Tambopata is also home to 700 types of butterfly and 1200 species of bird.

There were parrots, macaws, hawks, vultures...pretty much every bird that one can imagine...and one of my favorites...the carpenter bird, builds hanging nests shaped like tear drops...a single tree can contain many dozen nests...from a distance they look dangling fruit.

There were monkeys and tapirs wandering around the huts, making any trips around the compound have the potential for excitement.

I got to see some snakes and a tarantula...but missed out on seeing an anaconda :(

The incredible noise generated by the local bird population meant that waking up at 05:00AM was guaranteed...but as the generators were switched off at 22:00PM...most nights finished early after a few drinks in the hammocks along the river side...sipping rum and watching the fireflies.

It was a perfect contrast to the mountains and cities of Peru...a trip I highly recommend.

Macchu Picchu

2007-09-29T00:25:00.000-07:00

Doorway...the safest place during an earthquake

Llama chiilin' at machu Picchu

Me in front of Machu Picchu...Waynapicchu is shrouded with clouds in background

Frisbee at machu Picchu...outstanding!

Wow!

Machu Picchu was even more spectacular than I could imagine. I arrived at about 07:00 AM, and was unable to see much of anything...except clouds.

(Macchu Pichu is located at a level of elevation known in the Andes as the "cloud forest"...it is above the jungle and the rain forest...but still able to support a forest well higher than the tree line of most other places, due to the moisture in the air...it is about 2500 meters above sea level)

The clouds slowly lifted and unveiled Machu picchu in all of it's glory. It is waaaay bigger than I had expected, there were llamas roaming around adding to the vibe, and fewer tourists than I had expected.

Machu Picchu was built by the Incans around 1450, and due to it's hard to reach location was never discovered by the Spanish during their period of South American conquest. This is particularly handy as the Spanish conquistadors had a habit of destroying any signs of the Incan civilization they came across.

Thus, somehow, Machu Picchu remained unknown to the "Western World" until 1911, when American archaeologist Hiram Bingham "discovered" it.

It was quite a find...the whole area, with its deep valleys and what seems like an endless series of mountain peaks, one behind the other is one of the most beautiful places I have been. It would be well worth the trip, even if there were no Incan ruins.

The ruins were cool, although as the Incans didn't use writing, alot of information has been lost. Their construction techniques were outstanding, using a mixture of naturally occuring boulders for foundations and many sided stone blocks for the upper walls. (One of the stone blocks has 32 corners!)

There is a small mountain just opposite macchu Pichu called Waynapicchu...it only takes an hour to climb and offers an impressive view of the entire complex...definately worth the effort!

My frisbee got a brief workout, with only one (near) injury...sorry Richard!This year it has seen action at Angkor Wat, The Great Pyramid, The Sphinx, and now Machu Pichu. I will be packing it again next year...keep an eye out for the photos.

Peruvian Times

2007-09-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

I am finally here!

Peru has been insanely good, and I have not been to Macchu Pichu or the Amazon yet!

Lima is as nice a city of its size as I have seen (9 miilion people). The buildings are mainly old school colonial, lots of balconies and shutters, many made of clay bricks, which are cheap, but no doubt contribute to the exterme damage whenever an earthquake occurs.

The city itself still has some of the remains of a wall built around it by the Spanish to protect the Europeans in case other Europeans attacked (they didn´t!)

Prices are good, $25US secured me a fine hotel and $10US secured me a bottle od Special Reserve Havan Club.

Not a lot to see in Lima, lots of churches...if that´s your thing...it´s not mine.

The main square Plaza Del Mayo is kinda cool, armoured cars on guard in case the people revolt, and statues of people with Llamas on their heads. (apparently the spanish word for flame is the same as the local word for llama and the statues that were to have sexy flaming crowns instead ended up with llama purched precariously on their foreheads.

I have since left the ity and have been hiking the Andes, I have just finished the Lares Track, yesterday was the hardest day, two big passes to negotiate, the tallest 4950 metres which represented a gain of 1000 vertical meters from our departure point, after the first pass we decended about 1300 metres then did another 900 verticle metres...I was dry retching up the second pass...I had planned on avoiding the second pass and thus had neglected to take my pills for altitude sickness.

Camin in the Andes has been made sooooo much easier with the help of our porters, they have been feeding me like a king, supplying me with cup after cup of coca tea and even filling my sigg bottle at night with hot water. (at -5 Celcius and with a stiff wind it is certainly appreciated). These guys are so damned hardcore...they all wear flipflops over snow, scree, water...they are just unstoppable!)

The locals have all been really friendly, and their colourful garb makes my whole experience seem a little surreal...although that may be the altitude!

I spend much of my time time chasing the local wildlife..the llamas and alpacas have been hard to get a hold of, but a did find a cute little lamb that was my closest friend for a couple of hours...I wanted to keep him as a sleeping bag warmer...but alas our relationship had to end shortly after he made a mess on my T-shirt (he is still pretty cute though!)

Tomorrow I head off to Macchu Pichu!

Yup, more D-Style

2007-09-07T15:53:00.000-07:00

Daire O’Leary can believe it’s not butter.

Trains stop at a Daire O’Leary crossing.

Daire O’Leary’s laundry sorts itself.

When Daire O’Leary donates blood, he declines the syringe, and instead requests a handgun and a bucket.

Daire O’Leary likes his women how he likes his coffee, in a burlap sack trussed over the back of a donkey.

On his birthday, Daire O’Leary blows out his candles by blinking.

The last digit of pi is Daire O’Leary; he is the end of all things.

Superman owns a pair of Daire O’Leary pyjamas.

Daire O’Leary won a game of Connect Four in 3 moves.

Daire O’Leary does not hunt, because the word hunting implies the possibility of failure. Daire O’Leary goes killing.

Daire O’Leary can delete the Windows Recycle Bin.

Daire O’Leary sometimes sleeps with a nightlight, not because he is afraid of the dark, because the dark is afraid of Daire O’Leary.

Daire takes to the Rockies

2007-09-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

Wow! I am finally here. As a Canadian I have always been aware that the Rockies are one of the most picturesque places on the planet...above is a shot of Mount Rundell from my brother Sean's balcony in Banff. (The bottle is a blueberry and raspberry lemonade breezer that I thought would add the the photo composition, the colours have been left untouched.)

My time here has been ridiculously good. It all started with my cousin Jessica and me and a small bottle of Screech...it continued from that moment in exactly the way that I had hoped...sharing time with my family and friends...some of them old...some of them new...but all just outstanding.

Banff was as pretty a town as I have seen, surrounded by mountains and bears and elk and tourists wearing irridescent clothing in pastel colours with more pockets than anyone could ever need, getting excited about squirrels and such. (I am much the same, with more pockets than necessary and getting fired up about the local squirrel population...but have been able to withstand the need to wear lilac coloured polar fleece...so far)

Blogger doesn't seem to want me to upload anymore photos so I will be adding some to my FlickrR site tonight. (clickm on the link in the top right hand corner)

My brother Sean and Megan were married in Nakusp this weekend. The wedding was wonderful, Megan looked beautiful and Sean, well he looked like Sean...except even happier and more handsome then usual.

Our time in Nakusp was awesome, the mountains are smaller than around Banff, but no less attractive, there is a fine lake with a sandy beach that saw a lot of action in the early hours of the evening, and the locals were friendly.

At times it seemed like half of the population of Antigonish was there (ie the good half). As a team, we accomplished many fine achievements, including drinking the bars entirely empty of Alexander Keith's (that is a variety of beer...popular in Nova Scotia...for those not from Canada), and contributing to the highest cash register takings in a single night at the Leland bar in Nakusp.

Megan's folks...Barb' and Wes' are as nice as she is, and welcomed us into their family with fine hospitality anId open arms. They must be made of strong stuff, as they took the invasion of Nakusp by a bunch of O'Learys, Newfies, Nova Scotians, and wild haired mountain-men all in stride and helped everybody feel at home.

My brother Sean is better known as Heddo, aka Head, aka Head 'o Lettuce. It has taken some getting used to as being thought of as Heddo's brother, rather than just being Daire. Some of the locals have started calling me Leaf, as in Leaf 'o Lettuce. I think I like it, I might encourage it.

Daire aka Leaf O'Leary

More D Style

2007-08-02T02:49:00.000-07:00

When Daire O'Leary went skinny dipping in Scotland, he started the myth of the Loch Ness monster

Daire O’Leary uses ribbed condoms inside out, so he gets the pleasure.

Daire O’Leary doesn’t read books, he stares them down until he gets the information he wants.

Daire O’Leary lost his virginity before his dad did.

Daire O’Leary does not sleep, he waits.

On the 7th day, God rested…Daire O’Leary took over.

There is no “Theory of Evolution”…just a list of animals that Daire O’Leary lets live.

When Daire O’Leary does a push up, he isn’t lifting himself up; he’s pushing the Earth down.

Daire O’Leary can lead a horse to water AND make it drink.

Daire O’Leary doesn’t wear a watch; HE decides what time it is.

Daire O’Leary doesn’t believe in Germany.

Daire O’Leary has never blinked in his entire life. Never.

Daire O’Leary once shot down a plane by pointing his finger and saying “Bang”.

Daire O’Leary is Luke Skywalker’s real father.

Daire O’Leary doesn’t use spell-check, if he were to misspell a word; Oxford would amend the previous spelling of it.

If you wish to send Daire O’Leary a letter, just write “Daire O’Leary” and drop it in any mailbox. Don’t worry; he’ll get it.

Jordanian Sleeping Sickness

2007-05-22T02:24:00.000-07:00

Jordan is absolutely outstanding!

My last memories of Egypt will be of the hours spent baking in the Port Authority Terminal, surrounded by airconditioning units that were not switched on, and experiencing the joys of what was certainly not the world's filthiest toilet, but the worst I have seen for many years.

Arriving in Aqaba was like returning to civilized life, the Jordanians are very friendly, and unlike the Egyptians, they don't seem intent of removing the meager contents of this Canadian boy's wallet with insessant requests for baksheesh.

All of Jordan has been just incredible, Wadi Rum (Wadi means dessert valley), was beautiful, I can see why Laurence of Arabia spent so much time there, The Crusader's fortresses, such as at Shobak, were super cool (and allowed me to practice my favorite past time of pretending to be Tomb Raider).

But, beyond a doubt, everything I have seen on the trip, the Sphinx, the Pyramids, Climbing Mount Sinai, were eclipsed by Petra. I had seen so many photos, but after walking for about a kilometer through the Sik (the narrow cleft in the rock that joins Petra to the outside world) and seeing the facade of the Treasury cove into view was one of those moments that makes one's heart stop.

The Nebuteans that built most of Petra used to raid caravans, the then realised they could earn more by offering protection. The main trade was in spices and arromatics, like frankensense from Yemen, which was worth about $150 per kilogram. One camel can carry 200 kilograms of weight. A camel caravan would take 14 weeks to get from Yemen to Jordan and would often have 500 or 1000 camels. If my calculations are right that's 30 million dollars in a large caravan...no wonder the whole raiding/protection business was so popular (and rewarding).

I met a guy, Mohamed at a restaurant in Petra...he cracked me up, when the tourists would walk past we would say "wide camel" or "skinny camel" depending on their figure. Many hours later after the long walk to "The Monastery" or "The High Place" as the locals know it, I met up with Mohamed and his half brother and some of there friends, inside the most impressive of all Petra's buildings. We spent a long time drinking beduin tea, while some of them played on home made aluminium flutes or the arabic lute, others sang or clapped hands. (not being real good at beduin folk-songs...I mainly clapped...which is probably best for all concerned)

The Dead Sea is cool!

Yup, you can read a newspaper while floating in it, you can even do barrel rolls from your back to your belly without getting you face or newspaper wet. There is about 350 mgs of salt in every litre of Dead Sea water...which doesn't seem to impressive until it gets into your eyes. After rubbing myself in Dead Sea mud, and baking it into a hard shell before removing, I can vouch that my skin has never felt smoother.

I have been suffering from a horrible illness for the past few days that has resulted in my spending 12+ hours each day lying in a pool of my own sweat. Last night my fevers were so bad I became somewhat delusional. I spent much of the evening sitting under a cold shower. (which was just horrible, as my chills had been so bad that I had been wearing my polar fleece and many layers of clothes under a stack of blankets just to stop shaking, and it is pretty hot in Jordan in May).

That seemed to have the desired effect, and I am now wandering the streets of Amman, which is a lovely city, not especially historic or pretty, but easly to navigate, filled with friendly (semi) English speaking locals, and some of the funniest misspellings on signs etc that I have seen anywhere.

If it is the will of Allah, I will see you all soon.

My photos from Egypt, and Petra, and lots of other cool places are on my other memory card :(

But for your viewing pleasure I have attached a few piccies of me, under a castle at Showbak...looking for the secret escape route (I think I found it but it was filled with sand), hanging in some little jordanian clifftop village, and catching up ona bit of reading at the Dead Sea.

Walk Like An Egyptian

2007-05-15T01:10:00.000-07:00

That is to say with one eye on "creative" traffic & one eye on where you step!

I am staying in in Cairo, just off the nile river in Dokkir. My hotel is straight from the 1930's...the elevator is small (but cute...kinda like me). Luck much of Egypt it seems they have no fear of exposed electrical wiring.

I had no idea Cairo was this big! There are 17 million people here and sometimes it seems like they all want me to "contribute to the local economy".

It started on arrival at the duty free store...wher I was attempted to be short-changed 50 pounds, (this trick was also attempted by the friendly staff at the great pyramid ticket booth). Amazingly enough, no one in Egypt seems to have any change. The guys at the ticketing office for the pyramids/sphinx were seriously trying to convince me that they didn't have the equivalent of about 8 dollars US between them, luckily I am a man of great patience, and "praise Allah" the correct change appeared like a miracle once they realised I would never leave without my cash.

I was suprised to see so many horses and carts in the middle of the city, I actually saw a herd of sheep in the middle of Cairo...they were being fed what looked like cut grass placed on the sidewalk!

The Egyptians did a lot of work a few thousand years ago, but comparatively very little since. The cars here are proof that maintainance is optional, that being said, there does appear to be acar broken down about every 100 metres or so. Many have been abandoned, and just stay on the side of the road, gathering trash about them, and being used as a handy place to store garbage. (I find they make excellent landmarks eg: "first left at the wheelless Fiat500, then stop just before the mercedes with the roof and doors removed")

The touts by the pyramids were truly inspiring. There were guys wearing taxi cab & parking uniforms with badges removed trying to pass them-selves off as staff, guys with whistles trying to claim authority of some sort, guys on camels offering free photos and then asking for money. This seems to be an Egyptian specialty...eg:

"It is free sir, it is part of the entry fee to the pyramids, it is free"

"No thank you."

"It is 10 Egyptian pounds"

I have met many touts all over the world, these guys are up there for tenacity, but miles ahead of any others I have met in their ability to lie continuously; these guys should consider a career in politics.

In spite of that the pyramids were just fantastic, I spent most of the day roaming around, in, and when I was able...on the pyramids. the history of ther place was over whelming, but it didn't feel as spiritual as many otherplaces I have been, and I was kinda expecting a different vibe.

That being said, my body underwent a physiological transformation apon entering the King's Chamber of the Great Pyramid. (as predicted).

The Sphinx was outstanding, many people I know have found it underwhelming...but it was ace! I felt more energy from the Sphinx than I did the pyramids. (Brendan...look into some of your flaky pyramid power books...I may be on to a new discovery!)

I am off to spend the day in the museum, they have over 200 000 artifacts on dis[play, so it may take a while.

My mate, Daz B. aka D-Funk has told me that during his travels in the Middle East the most authentic "Middle Eastern / Arabic" country he has been to is Jordan.

I am so looking forward to it.

Sunny in Dubai

2007-05-14T03:57:00.000-07:00

Hi guys,

Sorry for delay in blog posting but family issues and alcohol had combined forces to keep me off-line.

The skinny:

Dubai is the main city of the United Arab Emirates, which have been around for less time than I have, joining in 1971, with Abu Dhabi and 5 other emirates in the area.

It is always warm and sunny, but people spend almost all of there time getting out of air conditioned luxury cars to enter air conditioned luxury buildings so it doesn't have a huge impact...except for me...I've been working on my suntan.

The local economy is worth about 47 Billion US per year, of which less than 3% comes from petroleum revenues. The make most of their cash from the Jebel Ali Free Zone, which allows no restrictions on labour import or capital export...kind of like a huge duty free store.

The population has skyrocketed in recent years...refer to the below timeline:

1955 - 20 000 population
1965 - 60 000
1975 - 183 000
1985 - 370 000
1995 - 674 000
2005 - 1.2 million

Currently there are 1 073 000 men and 349 000 women...mainly due to the influx of male labourers from India, Pakistan & Bangladesh to cope with the massive construction occuring in Dubai. Less than 17% of the population are "locals" (ie UAE Nationals), but they are easily recognisable by their local dress, the "dish-dash", a long white night-shirt with headdress.

You can pretty much do anything you want in Dubai as long as you don't hassle the locals, there is a mandantory 3 day jail term for drunkeness. I tried hard, but remained arrest free :)

Dee & Stu's wedding was great, held at the luxurious Mina Al Salaam hotel complex that is so sprawlingly (nice word D...changing an adverb to an adjective at the drop of a hat) big that the staff drive you around in boats (they have sea turtles and huge fish ion the man-made lagoon...it's pretty spectacular. Dad couldn't make it, but via the worders of modern technology, was able to give a speech on the big TV screen at the reception.

Dubai is a nice place to live, especially if you are alocal, as all of the hard work and low paying jobs are filled by Indians, Pakistanis, or Bangladeshis. (Kind of like how the Australians rely on the hard working expats from Canada to get the job done)!

The whole place is under construction, something like 17% of the worlds large building cranes are in Dubai. To cope with the deminishing land availabilty (and because they think it's cool), they are making alot of artificial islands to build on. (The most famous ofwhich is probably the 7 star Burj al-Arab hotel...you know the one, Andre Agassi played tennis on there helipad). There is also some insanely over the top residential projects, the biggest being The Palms and The World...mansions are only accessable via boat or helicopter...all of the residence own both.

This is my first time in the Middle East, and the transition was pretty easy...other the the preponderance of guys wearing dish-dashes and smoking Sheesha pipes...it is kinda like Melbourne. (or any other western city...I am hoping to get much more of a feel for tradional Middle eastern culture when I am in Jordan)

Bro and I were lucky enough to enjoy the hospitality of Dee & Stu's friend Ali. His pad was great, kinda like "Melrose Place", swimming pool, nice courtyard garden, 3 satelite dishes and about 3000 channels, house keeper etc. What made it best was the unmatchable hospitality Ali showed me, including my first (but not last, Sheesha pipe). Like every other westerner, I like the apple flavoured tobacco best.

Next post will be from Cairo...hopefully with photos attached.

D-Style

2007-05-04T00:08:00.000-07:00

When Daire O'Leary goes swimming he doesn't get wet, the water gets Daire O'Leary'd.

When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Daire O'Leary.

Daire O'Leary counted to infinity - twice.

Daire O'Leary hand is the only hand that can beat a Royal Flush.

Daire O'Leary gave Mona Lisa that smile.

Daire O'Leary can slam a revolving door.

Daire O'Leary once visited the Virgin Islands. They are now The Islands.

Daire O'Leary's calendar goes straight from March 31st to April 2nd; no one fools Daire O'Leary.

Daire O'Leary can speak Braille.

Daire O'Leary owns the greatest Poker Face of all-time. It helped him win the1998 World Series of Poker despite him holding just a Joker, a Get outof Jail Free Monopoly card, a 2 of clubs, 7 of spades and a green #4 card from the game Uno.

Daire O'Leary sleeps with a night light. Not because Daire O'Leary is afraid of the dark, but the dark is afraid of Daire O'Leary.

Once a cobra bit Daire O'Leary's leg. After five days of excruciating pain, the cobra died.

When Daire O'Leary exercises, the machine gets stronger.

Daire O'Leary doesn't use pickup lines, he simply says, "Now."

Daire O'Leary can kill two stones with one bird.

The only time Daire O'Leary was wrong was when he thought he had made a mistake.

The Green Fairy

2007-05-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

Only a few days to go before I leave for Dubai.

Adrian, Brendan, Dean, Simon & I had a little early send off...gourmet pizza, darts & absinthe...

I can now safely say the only mixed drink I will consume this year is the Monkey Gland. (2 measures gin, 1 measure orange juice, 1/2 measure grenadine & 1/2 measure absinthe.

Wedding Bells and Exotic Smells

2007-04-12T05:51:00.000-07:00

Photos of Petra...

Ooops! That's supermodel Petra Nemcova

That's the Petra I have been wanting to see

My Sweet Sister Is Getting Married!

It seems like my feet have just hit Australian soil and I will soon be overseas again.

My beautiful sister, Dee has beaten the O'Leary boys to the alter and will be marrying Stuart in Dubai in May. Stuart is such a nice guy that it is easy to forget he is an Englishman ;)

We all think that Stu is ace, and can't wait to have him in the family.

This is going to be a rare international gathering of the O'leary clan, with the nicest people in the world coming together from all corners of the globe to be part of this wonderful event.

Shenanigans...oh yeah...there will definitely be some shenanigans.

I haven't been to the Middle East before, and it just wouldn't seem right to be so close and not see the Pyramids.

Like just about everyone else the pyramids have been on my "must see list" since I was about 5 years old, and I am finally going to Egypt to see them first hand, in particular the big one at Giza...I don't know what to expect or how I am going to feel. I know that it is big...139 meters or 455 feet high. I know that it took a lot of work...2.3 million stone blocks...the biggest of which are about 80 tonnes! I know that my brother Brendan remains convinced it was built by a mysterious race that predates the Egyptians, (possibly with the help of aliens). I know that it is the oldest and only remaining of the original seven wonders of the world. I know that it is going to be one of the coolest things I have ever seen.

Petra has also been one of those places that I have wanted to see, not for as long as I have wanted to see the pyramids...in all honesty probably "only" since 1989 when I saw Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade. So I will be hitting the deserts of Jordan before coming home. I just love climbing around temples and pretending I am Tomb Raider.

I am so excited... I'm going to see my sister married...I'm going to see family I haven't seen in years...and I am going to places that have been calling me for as long as I can remember.

I can almost smell the camels.

The Dawn Of A New, Better Era, for humanity...

2007-04-06T05:07:00.000-07:00

The Bat Cave is no longer, but the Fortress of Solitude promises to be something more; to be all things to all people, a place where ideas and low carbohydrate beer flow freely, a place where emotions become tangible and are shared without ever being diminished, a place that manages to be in Camberwell while somehow existing outside of the space-time continuum, a place from which the happiness we share and the good deeds we do will spread outwards via osmosis and make the world a better place.

PS: If you look closely at the above photo, you can see me...I'm the guy in the cape.

PPS: We are having a "Fort Warming" party this Saturday, 14th April.

PPS: I have uploaded a few new photos to my FlickR site.

The Last Hoorah!

2007-03-10T10:05:00.000-08:00

I just couldn't help but publish this pic, I have always been an anti "day-pack-on-front-guy"...but after loading about 3000 kgs into my carry-on luggage (to conceal my snake whiskey from customs, and to bring my main pack down to a low 18kg) I had no other choice.

This was the last photo taken in Thailand, in Ko Samui, after an all day, multi-vehicle airport run, that just managed to get me from Ko Phangan to Ko Samui and back to Bangkok on the same day...in time to get my flight back to Oz.

Sometimes I wish I hadn't made it in time...I might still be there :)

NB: Special thanks to the österreichische Eiche (Austrian Oak) ...Christian Mossler for being such a great guy to travel with in the South of Thailand and departing Ko Phangan with no notice when I had to get my a$$ back to Bangkok.

The End Of An Era...

2007-03-07T23:50:00.000-08:00

The unimaginable has happened...

After an unbroken lineage spanning 16 years the Bat Cave will soon be no more.

I will be vacating The Cave later this month for new digs in Camberwell.

For all of those that have experienced "cave life" on a permanent or part-time basis, I hope that you will join me in a moment of silence, and reflect on all of the great times we have shared.

Reclining Buddha

2007-03-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

Possibly the best photo ever taken of the Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho in Bangkok...from the outside on the window ledge.

More photos are available at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/daireoleary/

Home again

2007-02-22T22:55:00.000-08:00

Wow!

I have returned safely to Australia & am now firmly ensconced in "Cave Life" at the Bat Cave in Camberwell.

I just had a few days in Ko Phangan...it was spectacular.

Ko Samui is still beautiful, & riding around the island was great...finding beaches with no one on them...coco nut plantations...funny little temples etc. was great, but maybe a few too many "farang" (foreigners) & a few too many tourist bars.

Ko Phangan was a lot more my speed (ie. SLOW). My Austrian friend Christian and I took a boat to the North East of the island to a beach called "Thong Nai Pan Yai"...it was perfect! Small cove with warm water...soft sand...and breakfast was spent alone with the waves...harder to find these days in Ko Samui. The frizbee was fantastic, the views were inspiring, and the food & drink was...well...it's Thailand...so the food & drink are always ace!

The boat trip to Thong Nai Pan Yai was as good as the time we spent at the beach itself. Our trustworthy captain "Toom" was happy to drop us off at any little beach or cove we saw on the way so we could have a beer or a swim or take a few photos. Arriving at the beach and jumping off the boat into knee deep water & carrying our packs high & dry made it seem like a real adventure. (but I get excited easily!)

Australian Customs retained my bottle of Cobra Whiskey that I had been carrying since my first day in Laos :(

But I was able to get my Scorpion Whickey safely through :)

(If anyone is suffering from Lumbago, Rhuematism, or "Sweaty Of Limb"...let me know...this can cure all illnesses and will also "make man strong")

So for the next few days, I will be re-acclimatising myself to life in the "First World"...doing laundry...and uploading a few more photos.

Is it me or is time going really, really fast?

2007-02-19T05:33:00.000-08:00

I have only 4 days left!

I have been delayed in my island hopping...but plan on taking the boat to KoPhangan tomorrow. The expats that I have been hanging out with in Ko Samui reckon that KoPhangan is still alot like Ko Samui was 15 years ago. I think that Hat Rin is the exception...the success of the FullMoon Parties once a month has led to half moon parties, blackmoon parties, noonmoon parties etc. There appears to be some type of moon party or recovery party every day of
the year.

So I think that for me...maybe one night at Hat Rin...then a couple of days on one of the beaches in the north accessable by boat only.

OMG I had a look at my recent Blog update...holy shit I have become quite the philosopher in my old age...or maybe it is all of the free time on my hands!

I have uploaded a few photos. Check them out!

More things I have learned, forgotten, or been told...

2007-02-14T04:37:00.000-08:00

Turn your bar fridge to maximum immediately after arriving - beer needs to be COLD

Wearing flip-flops in the shower can be a good safety measure...but not if you use the provided ones that have been used by every hippy since 1969

Vietnam has some of the worst dental work on the planet, but every guest house gives away free toothbrushes...why is it so?

I travelled through 3 countries in search of a one dollar haircut...only to pay 3 dollars in Bangkok

Your worst day on vacation can be better than your best day at work

The locals have scary powers of moving large loads on small motorcycles, one Canadian, plus a 25kg backpack, plus a day bag is dangerous (and funny looking)

Lie , Cheat, & Steal

If you must lie, lie to help a friend

If you must cheat, cheat death

If you must steal, steal a heart

The death toll in Ko Samui is evenly devided between motorcycle accidents and falling coconuts

Buying a local a beer is a far better way to learn about culture than reading a book

70 cent whiskey is proof that communism works

All sunglasses should come in one size only...extra extra large

Eat western breakfasts, no one should start the day with rice or porridge with fish in it...that's crazy talk

Everybody loves playing "connect four"

Use antibacterial handwash, flush the toilet with your foot

Take lots of ziplock bags, refuse the disposable plastic bags that every shop tries to give you

No internet cafe's have photo imaging software...this is a pain when all of your photos are over 3.5 MBytes

Chang beer is better than Singa, Beer Lao is even better

You meet the nicest people in the world when travelling by train

A 3 dollar digital watch tells the time everybit as well as a 500 dollar analog...but isn't as waterproof

Dancing is excercise

Jet skis and loud boats should be illegal

Men with fat, hairy bodies like to take their shirts off when it is hot...so do I

Everyone loves Uno

Stay at a quiet beach, play at a noisy beach

A 1 hour foot massage with a friend and a cold beer beside you is very hedonistic...but highly recommended

Buy stuff from locals, not the Quicki mart...some of these guys are doing it pretty rough

Leave nothing behind but footprints

Carry emergency toilet paper

South East Asia has great food, but usually lousy coffee...look for a French flag in the window...the French make great coffee

Get to Angkor quick...it will be an amusement park in 5 years

Frisbee is the world's greatest sport...nobody loses...everybody smiles

If you have a sensitive stomach...stick to banana pancakes...they could save your life

People from Oregon kick ass!

Bring speakers for your Ipod...music should be shared...save your headphones for buses and planes

Take at least one risk when you are on vacation (Try saying "yes" instead of "no"...in 50 years time you will glad that you did)

Take more than one risk

Condensation from a bottle of beer dripping on your belly is very refreshing

Booking early morning flights is dangerous...never sleep the night before you leave

I have a pure heart...this gives me the strength of 10 men

Luxurious accomodation is an incentive to stay indoors...rent the cheaper hut and only use it for sleeping

Take off your sunglasses when crossing busy streets in Vietnam...eye contact can save your life

Grinning luck an idiot and bobbing your head up and down gets one out of sticky situations better than sticking your chest out

The terms "local colour" & "rustic" have many mneanings and can be used in mixed company without offending the locals

Buy "English Primer" books and give them the the local kids...it will help them alot more than your spare change

Spend time with people who have good hearts...if you can...surround yourself with them

Orange is a good colour

Bangkok is not Thailand...it is Bangkok

Did I mention to take a risk

Cut your hair short...who needs hair product on vacation

Trust your judgement...you can often tell a person's spirit withinh 10 seconds

Always ask for a discount...my favorite is to ask for "poor Canadian traveller's discount"...sometimes it works

Change of plans

2007-02-14T04:27:00.000-08:00

Due to visa delays I have had to call off my trip to Myanmar.

I am still funning & sunning in Ko Samui, but will take boat to Ko Phangan in 2 days.

Then maybe Ko Tao.

Then maybe back to Samui.

Then Bangkok.

Then home!

Do I look happy?

2007-02-12T04:33:00.000-08:00

This is me in a boat some Vietnamese farmer made from a disposable fuel tank that was jettisoned from a B52 bomber in the early 70's.

I have got a few more here. A big Thanks to my good mate Tim, for e-mailing me some photos of a managable size.

No parental or management supervision is required to view this lot.

Just go to:http://www.flickr.com/photos/daireoleary

Sore Cheeks

2007-02-11T19:21:00.000-08:00

Hi guys,

No exciting news to share. I am incredibly relaxed. My days are spent relaxing on the beach, followed by touring the island on my little motorbike...which I also find very relaxing...then a massage on the beach...which is definately relaxing...then a few Long Island Iced Teas...which, again is pretty relaxing. (You guys get the picture...I'm very relaxed)

Yesterday I was sunbathing, and my upper body came under the shadow of a palm tree...rather than move 1 metre to be back in direct sun...I waited for the sun to move around the coconut palm...that is how lazy I have become. I am now almost as lazy as a Thai dog...which is well known to be the laziest animal on the planet.

My friend Bruce who lives in Bangkok and his girlfriend Natalia arrived in Ko Samui yesterday for some vacation...so I will be off to the East Coast where the nightlife is more active to join them for dinner and a drink or two...then probably back to BoPhut to catch up on my relaxing.

One of the locals yesterday told me that I was like a Thai...because I am always smiling. I have nothing to occupy my mind or stress me while I am here, so I spend most of the day reflecting on what a wonderful life I have had and what beautiful friends I have had to share it with me.

That is why my cheeks are sore...from smiling all the time.

Anyone for island hopping?

2007-02-09T19:46:00.000-08:00

A change of scheduling has left me "stranded" in the tropical paradise of Ko Samui.

After over a month of traildust, it is soooo good to be back to coconut palms & sandy beaches.

I am staying in Bo Phut (aka Fisherman's Village), it is one of the quiet spots on the island, with not a lot of distractions. Things have moved a little up-market since last time I was here, ATMs & internet are available, but the town has a special charm (just one street, lots of little fishing boats, plenty of elbow room on the beach etc.

Marc, you will be horrified to know that my hut is luxurious, with all the mod-cons including a fridge, TV & A/C. It's not quite the hut-life that I remember...but I could get used to it :)

I don't know how long I will be in BoPhut for...I am thining about heading to the East coast, then maybe take a boat to Ko Phangan and seeing if the sunshine is any different there.

The Chinese have a saying that the hours one spends fishing (recreationally) are added to the duration of one's lifespan. I feel the same about here...it's like a vacation in the middle of my vacation, and it's just fabulous.

If anyone needs to find me in case of an emergency, go to Na Thon, walk East along the beach until you see a small, brown, Canadian boy with a frisbee, a towel, and a big smile...I'll be next to the 3rd palm tree on your right.

Aaahhh, back in Bangkok

2007-02-06T22:32:00.000-08:00

Cambodia was just fabulous. The night life was pretty low key, but enjoyable, and Angkor has 1023 temples at last count (they still find them out in the jungle...I think 7 were discovered last year)

I am back in Bangkok...at it feels kinda like home after being in places that I had never been to before. Everything is just so much easier here...every ATM takes foreign cards...there is a 7/11 on every street corner...just about everyone speaks some English...you can get the same brand of anti-perspirant that you use at home and so on.

All that aside it is still pretty exotic in a lot of ways, everything is cheap & I love travelling by Tuk Tuk. (Transport in Cambodia was pretty funny, the locals like to attach a cart to the back of a two wheeled tractor and use it for transporting goods and people...but mainly motor cycles...little 110 cc Honda Dreams with huge trailers...it was unbelievable how much they could fit on those things. There was also quite a bit of roof surfing going on...but out of necessity, rarther than as an "extreme sport".) We took a bus through the Poi Pet pass from Siem Reap to Bangkok...the road was nuts...apparently the local airlines pay the Cambodians not to maintain the road...the pot holes were enormous...I saw a small family living in one and running a small Bed & Breakfast from the pot hole next door)

I have hit Khao San today & am about booking travel & visa to Myanmar...it should take about 3 days...I probably will be unable to access the net while I am in-country, but will do my best.

PS: Marc, can you e-mail my Hotmail account with the best e-mail address to contact you?

Stay cool...D

Tomb Raider

2007-02-04T03:33:00.000-08:00

I have finally seen Angkor.

I first saw photos of Angkor in National Geographic when I was about 5 years old, and like everyone else I knew it was pretty special. So I backed up my camera memory to CD & had 2Gbytes of photos available...unfortunately I was also drinking vodka and redbulls last night...conveniently served in a large plastic bucket...thus when I got home last night I was thinking only about my pillow and not about charging my camera's battery. I did get 6 pictures before terminal battery failure occured.

Ta Prom was even better than I had imagined. (This is the temple slowly being consumed by trees in the jungle that was used famously as a location for the Tomb Raider movie)

Being able to walk & climb & touch just about everything was such a buzz. There were heaps of statues, carvings etc just lying around in piles or having fallen down just left lying where it dropped. Many of the statues have been removed or have had there heads chiseled off so as to be sold to private collectors. Thankfully I have been told that at night there is a lot of security and theft isn 't a real problem any more. This is not a country with a lot of public liability concerns, so at the moment it's pretty much "access all areas".There is some pretty major developments underway including recreating many of the buildings entirely...I can't imagine the same sense of wonder wandering around a building that has been jointly built by a French/Cambodian consortium in 2009 as there is wandering around a temple built in the 12th Century.

More temples tomorrow, getting up at 4AM to make sure that I am there for sunrise...no buckets for the D-Man tonight :) Hoping to do a balloon ride over Angkor Wat.

Only a couple of days left in Cambodia...then back to Bangkok...

Holiday In Cambodia

2007-02-03T05:26:00.000-08:00

OMG!

I love Cambodia!

The border criossing from Vietnam was definately an eye-opener. From the moment we got on the ferry across the Mekon River, there were beggers, beggers, beggers, some with the most horrible wounds that one can imagine. I thought for a moment that it might be too much for the D-Man to take. Luckily things quietened down one we got a little further inland...but one cannot go past the scars of war that the beautiful people of Cambodia have suffered...both by the American during the Vietnam War...when Cambodia was continuously bombed in an attempt to break the "Ho Chi Minh Trail" that provide supplies to the Viet Cong & more recently during the reign of Pol Pot.

During the time of Pol Pot (1975 - 1979) the population of Cambodia started at 7 million people...1.7 million were killed directly as a result of his army...at leat 1.3 million died as a result of starvation & disease as a secondary cause...effectively killing half of the population.

No one that comes here can not come into contact with those that have had their lives turned around by Pol Pot and his efforts to return the country to "year zero". Everyone has lost family...at least 2 people each day are still killed or injured by landmines. About a week ago 9 people were killed while removing an anti tank mine...there was a second mine below it...designed to stop any mine removal process.

I went to S21 - a former high school with beatiful gardens...full of palm trees & frangipanis that was transformedinto a torture and killing centre...at least 17 000 people were killed her for crimes such as wearing glasses, speaking a foreign language, having an education, or just for sport. The photos taken by the Vietnamese when they liberated Cambodia in 1979 show canabalism, and unspeakable violence.

I spent the afetnoon in "The Killing Fields" where people were taken to be raped & killed. The photos of the pyrimids of skulls etc. are readily known...but I was not ready for walking on dirt paths where the bones and clothing of the killed are still poking up through the ground.

I have always thought of the scenes of mass battles of being somehow in the past...history...archeology. But seeing a women's canvas belt...very much like my own...lying on the path that I trod on was not a sight I will soon forget.

The people of Cambodia have moved on, as best that they can.

Phenom Pehn was great...a smiling happy city...with an average age of about 20 years old. They rely heavily on the tourist dollar, although they receive well less than a tenth of the visitors of Thailand or neighbouring countries. The bargening at the markets...the run ins with the tuk tuk drivers etc. are all done friendly & quietly. The people of Cambodia are rising from the ashes and looking towards the future...not dwelling on the past.

Went clubbing in Phenom Penh...The Heart Of Darkness is the place to be, I danced until my feet bled...my poor choice in fofoftwaer was the culpret.

This is my first night in Sien Reap...I have glimpsed Angkor & will finally see it for myself tomorrow morning. I cannot wait, I have been wanting to come here for so long it is rewally a dream come true.

I look forward to sharing my thoughts on this magical place, and sharing my happiness of tomorrow, rather than the sadness of the past.

Peace

Saiogon...still only in Saigon

2007-02-03T05:13:00.000-08:00

Every day I stay in this hotel room I get weaker...every day Charlie squats out in the jungle he gets stronger. Charlie don't get much USO...his idea of great R & R is cold rice & a little bit of rat meat.

(Quote from "Apocolypse Now")

Just kidding...I love Saigon (aka Ho Chi Minh City)

Hello!

The trend is continuing...life does get better the further South one goes (maybe that is why I love Australia so much)

Saigon is ace! It is alot like Bangkok...a great blend of East & West. The ammount of traffic is unbelievable...8 million people...4 million registered motor cycles & people...people...people.

I had a chance to visit the Cu Chi tunnels & crawl around like a tunnel rat...this was expected to be a highlight of my time in Vietnam...it was a little more touristy than I would prefer...but getting down there was an amazing experience and a very sobering thought about the perils that both sides went through during the "American War"...all believing they were doing the right thing & all probably scared wittless. The tunnels had periodic lighting & had been enlarged ti suit western bodies...but the vibe was there & there were a few spots of original dimensions to crawl into...the determination of these brave local guys is just unfathomable.

I had been expecting more of Hanoi...only worse, instead the people of Saigon endeared me to their hearts and there way of life...living in a city of transition...that still shows the scars of war...but also shows the scars of Nintendo.

Hoi An with no plan

2007-01-30T03:49:00.000-08:00

I am soooo god damn happy to have left Hanoi...it was a shithole. I had a fine time, but it was definitely incidental to the location. Not a lot to offer, dirtier, nosier, & with more pollution that Bangkok. No where near as cheap as Laos, or in many instances Thailand & populated predominantly by rude pricks that are keen to give you short change or try to steal your shit. Thankfully, I have headed south. Hue was great, would have liked to stay longer...people friendlier...less traffic...more smiles. We booked a motor cycle tour & I spend the whole day being carted around on the back of a bike owned by my new friend Loc...it was great...beautiful country side...met lots of locals...I could do that every day for a month. I am now in Hoi An for 4 days...no agenda...just free time, this is definitely the place to shop in Vietnam...but I am committed to try to keep travelling light & to come back with photos, memories & experiences...rather than souvenirs. The connection to Blogger always seems painfully slow since arriving in South East Asia. Further north everying was slow...now I can access everything except the one site that I want (ie my own) I promise to update site with photos as soon as I can.

Happy In Hoi An

2007-01-29T02:36:00.000-08:00

Whew!

I have finally left Hanoi. Don't believe TheLonely Planet...don't believe what yoursecond grade teacher told you...don't believe the hippy at the bus station. Belive The D-Man when he tells you...Hanoi starts out bad & then gets worse. Any time a city's main claims to fame are pollution & traffic my recommendation is to stay far away...

The motorcycle taxi guys are shiftier & more persistant that anyone else on the planet...Bangkok's Tuk Tuk drivers seem like MotherTheresa next to these guys...now I know why they won the war...shiftiness and persistence.

I will gladly share the tale of the nipple-cripple/ kung-fu fight I became involved in outside of the Army Museum with 6 moto taxi guys to anyone that it interested...but the tale is to disturbing for print and is worth at least one beer.

Since leaving Hanoi all has been looking up. Hue was beautiful, about a quarter of a million people, all of whom seemed friendly except the cyclo drivers that worked the night shift (a pattern is forming)

We arranged to havea group of locals take us on the back of their motor cycles for a full day trip around the country side...it took a little getting used to being on the back...but it did allow me to take some good photos and excellent video footage.

I have since arrived in wonderful Hoi An for 4 days. This might be the best of Vietnam has to offer. I rented a motor cycle and spent the whole day riding along the beaches and through the rice paddies. There was only one near miss as I cut off a policewoman on her motor cycle...but other wise pretty tame...nothing like Hanoi where all traffic lights are viewed as a recommendation only and the weak are killed and eaten.

The further south I go the friendlier the people are...though I suspect this may change in Saigon ...aka Ho Chi Min City...aka Ho' Ville...aka Ho Town.

I still haven't been able to use my frisbee...but the beaches of Cambodia & Thailand await. So I remain optimistic.

Good Morning Vietnam

2007-01-24T08:46:00.000-08:00

Hello,

Posts have been lacking...I have been on the move.

Did a border crossing from Lazy Laos to Northern Vietnam...before we reached the border I knew I was in a very different place. Cold war Russian styled border guards with not a smile to be seen.

Ha Long Bay was better than I could have guessed...every county thinks they have the nicest bay...Sydney Harbour...Bay of Islands etc. But this was outstanding. Limestone rock formations...caves...cliffs & beaches. I will upload photos when I get a better connection.

The boat we rented was superb, a beautiful junk, the best showers in SE Asia, outstanding food, French wine, a welcome change from my earler exploits in the region.

I have been in Ha Noi for a couple of days...mainly visiting revolutionary museums a dodging traffic. I was warned but unprepaired for the insanity of local traffic...a sea of motor cycles that stop for no man, dog, or red light.

I am on a sleeper train down south & will send an update when I find internet location with writing on the keyboard...this post has been done at a snails pace :(

I am fit and well & having a great time...drinking $5 per bottle whiskey & becoming infused with revolutionary fervor...or maybe fever.

Recent History of Laos

2007-01-16T22:35:00.000-08:00

1960's - Hmong tribesmen are trained by the CIA to fight against the Vietnamese.

The North Vietnamese use a supply trail known to the west as the Ho Chi Min Trail that runs into Laos to supply their troops. As a result Laos with a population at the time of 3 million people received as free gift from the government of the United States over 3 million tonnes of bombs, delivered by over 600,000 sorties...which averaged one bombing run every 8 minutes for 9 years.

1975 - Communist take power

1979 - Food shortages cause hundreds of thousands to flee to Thailand - the government allows very limited private enterprise within agriculture

1986 - Inspired by Gorbechev and his changes in the USSR - changes begin in Laos and they allow foreigners to enter

1995 - The USA stops the embargo on aid they have enforced for 20 years

2007 - Daire arrives

Alive and well in Laos

2007-01-15T21:05:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys,

Sorry for not dropping anyone a line for a while, I've been travelling by boat along the Mekong from Northern Thailand to Luang Prabang...where I now have internet access. Unfortunately it appears that access to Hotmail and a lot of the other popular web-based email servers are restricted by the gov't.

Laos is exactly what I had hoped for...the trip along the Mekong was just rediculously nice, we travlled by slow boat with a family from Luang Prabang , the view were amazing for the entire two days...the entire shoreline of the river was just one beatiful beach after another with limestone cliffs and thick, thick, thick, jungle. I took lots of photos, but there is no way they will be able to replicate the way the tapestry just continued to unfold as we chugged slowly along, beating the heat of the afternoon with ice cold Beer Lao.

We stopped a few times on the way and herds of tiny Laotian villagers would run onto the boat to sell us beer, dried fruit, or handicrafts. The kids prices were actually cheaper than what the guys that own the boat charged us...it was kinda funny to see them happily lose or business the the local guys, but that seems to be the way of Lao...they take the Aussie idea of being laid back to all new heights.

The Laotians are fabulous, they are probably the friendliest people I have ever met and possibly the laziest:)

The operate on "Lao time" which meens that you can go to a restaurant and wait for ever to get your food, and then find that they haven't given you what you ordered, because the chef thought you might like something different!

Being a communist country, there is no variety of goods available, every shop has the same two brands of chips, the same 5 brands of cigarettes, and the same two brands of water. The Laotian Kip is not the world's strongest currency...you get about 10000 of them for a dollar. I went out for dinner last night and had an "all you can eat deal" from a stall at the night market...total cost was 50 cents.

I haven't seen alot of Luang Prabang yet...but it might be my new favorite city (population 60 000). The whole city has been heritage listed by the United Nations as being the best preserved example of colonial architecture in South East Asia. All the building seem to have been built by the French...the decaying French buildings with hammer and sickle flags flying from the windows are really evocative...it really feels like a special place. They are not allowed to rent motorcycles to foreigners here so everyone rides around on bicycles...it gives the whole place a chilled out feeling that is very much Lao.

I could go on and on about the lovely people of Laos, they are like no other people I have met...even their language is lazy...they say "hello" as "Sawbadee"...they say "How are you" as "Sawbadee Bo"...then they reply "good" as "Sawbadee"...it is kind of funny whenever you greet a local to say the least.

I haven't heard back about my Myanmar visa yet...but I met a fellow traveller on the train to Chang Mai who is heading South to the Thai islands...so I plan on heading South for a while

I am off to explore the town and soak up a little of the local culture...hope that this dispatch finds everyone healthy and happy at home.

What I forgot about thailand

2007-01-08T22:59:00.000-08:00

In no particular order...

The police are all skinny, but the homeless guys are fat.

The dogs are the laziest in the world...I would like to be reincarnated as a thai dog.

Thais like to run the a/c flat out so they can have 4 blankets and a spead on the bed in the middle of summer.

Shower heads only comeup to my nipple...sorry Jamie///bathsonly for you :0

Singha beer tastes better in thailand.

Your man in Bangkok

2007-01-08T04:51:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys,

I am in Bangkok & I am fine & well. I am staying in Chinatown on the border of India Town aka Little India on Maha Chai Rd...there is definately a lot more local colour than Khao San Rd.

I went for a two hour walk at lunch time & saw 6 white people. Bangkok is every bit as cool as I remember it, the traffic is worse than I remember, I saw a guy on a motorbike go under the rear wheel of a pickup truck that turned in front of him and get dragged about 20 feet, I picked up his bike while some locals pulled him into the shade for "roadside assistance" - good news, the motor bike guy was OK except for a broken foot (which he kinda deserved, as he wasn't wearing any shoes!).

As a solo male traveller, I have been receiving more offers for more crazy shit than one can imagine. Did a 5 km run on the grounds of the old Mangkok Special Metropolitan Prison today...I think I lost 5 pounds!

I have to run guys, I didn't have my piece of paper with everyones's e-mail addresses on it. so I am sorry if I missed anyone.

Stay Beautiful

D-Man
xoxo

ps: I will be trying to limit e-mail use & just update my blog instead. Feel free to add comments to my page (but try and keep it clean!)

OMG - going away drinks

2007-01-06T12:32:00.000-08:00

I am a lucky guy...
I had a wonderful send off at the Bat Cave, lots of really cool , nice people & my sister & twin brother there for some family moments.
It's about 8 hours until departure...I still haven't packed yet, but I know I can get anything I forget "in country". So everthing is just ace!
I am so excited about the places I am going to go, at this moment Angkor is drawing me like a magnet, but it is still over 5000kms away and I have 3 countries to traverse and several weeks before I get to Cambodia.

See you guys in Bankok!

One Day To Liftoff

2007-01-05T23:52:00.000-08:00

Less than 24 hours remain until I fly out of Melbourne. Packing and champagne need to begin with great haste...