Footprints in the sand

5 months after flying off into the unknown, we are coming home!

It's been an incredible journey; I've seen amazing places, met wonderful people and learned a lot about myself.

Before I left I could only dream about being on the road and hopefully living somewhere different for a change. I spent my days dreaming, not sure how to make it a reality.

Now, I can honestly say it takes losing everything to find out what you really want, and whilst a life on the road isn't for me, I've still had a wonderful time.

We are about to pack up our tired and worn out belongings for the last time, so I've been thinking about my best memories from our journey. There are a lot, but here is my top ten!

1. Mui Ne, Vietnam

Mui Ne will always be special to me as its where we recharged our batteries after a stressful and emotional start to our trip. In Mui Ne we found good food, cold beers and a very chilled out vibe. It was just what the doctor ordered.

2. Hoi An, Vietnam

Walking into old Hoi An was a magical experience and one I wasn't prepared for. It was quintessential of the orient and had everything I had been craving to see; ancient temples, lanterns and even a tea house.

3. Halong Bay, Vietnam

Sailing through the cliffs of Halong Bay is top of many peoples top ten, I imagine. Travelling by boat is a firm favourite of mine too and I can't imagine a better end to our time in Vietnam.

4. Angkor temples, Cambodia

The hot weather, bugs and incredibly early start didn't dampen our wonderful day at the temples of Angkor one bit. I loved exploring the ruins and seeing the sun rise over Angkor Wat.

5. Songkran, Thailand

Celebrating a festival with the locals from across the street! On Songkran we shared beers, food and laughs with the families opposite our beach bungalows and loved every minute of it! There was also a German man, but I don't know where he came from!

6. Pad Thai on Ko Phangnan, Thailand

Surprisingly the best Pad Thai we has was in a little hut restaurant on a quiet stretch of road near Haad Yeo beach. It was so ridiculously cheap and ridiculously amazing we went back for more!

7. Monkey forest in Ubud, Bali

Real monkeys stealing my bananas and sitting on my shoulder like I'm Captain Barbossa! Enough said!

8. Catching waves in Kuta Bali


I loved getting sporty (and an awesome tan) on the beach in Kuta. The water was deep and clean. There is nothing like the rush of riding a wave all the way to shore.

9. Eating pizza in Naples, Italy

7 days and I-dont-know-how-many pizzas! That was some very good eating and definitely the best thing about Naples.

10. Living like a local in Santo Stefano, Italy

Finding the real Italy after spending so much time in the cities. The life and culture in our corner of Piedmont is traditional and rich. I have always wanted to live in Italy and I'm so proud that I've had the chance to do so in such a wonderful place!







Thank you everyone for sharing the journey with me through this blog! I'll be posting about my future and past adventures as they come up so keep a weather eye on the horizon!

Blissed out in Bali part 2: Kuta

5-15 May

We'd heard mixed reviews about Kuta; an Australian ghetto, a nightlife centre, just plain horrid. Regardless we decided to give it a go, as the beach was well reviewed and we knew we would surely find gems as we do anywhere.

Arriving we discovered Kuta is truly about as different from quiet, sleepy Ubud as you can get. The hawkers were more aggressive, there were more tourists and it wasn't as pretty. We found our place, Hotel Bakung Sari and settled in before going for a walk.

Soon enough we found the beach. It was long, deep and sandy and even had a few lifeguards. The beach was a great place for first time surfers, and it's curve reminded me of my local beach in Bournemouth.

The following day we headed back to the beach. We intended to hire a few beds for the day, but at 200 idr we instead flopped on the sand. It was really hot, around 34degrees, so it wasn't long before the crash of the waves beckoned us in. The water was amazing. It was cool and clear and didn't have any seaweed! I was in heaven jumping over the waves and splashing about like a kid. There were a lot of people selling things, from handy things like ice cream to more unconventional beach paraphernalia like bows and arrows, but we'd mastered our "no" face by now so it wasn't much of a bother.

In the evening the road near us was closed and full of people in traditional Balinese dress participating in some kind of ritual. The street smelled of incense and the sound of the gongs rang out. It was nice to know there are still parts of traditional Balinese life in Kuta.

On Wednesday we decided it was time to try out something new, and this time it was body boarding. Mark hadn't done it before and it had been a long time for me. We managed to negotiate hire on one board for the day for 80 idr. After a while I got my sea legs back and rode my first wave all the way to the shoreline. The waves were big enough to surf on, but I held my own amongst the surfers I think. It's such a great feeling when the wave picks you up; all the tiredness from your paddling is instantly replaced with excitement. Mark was a natural too, of course, and I get to thinking about if this could be a new hobby for at home?

We enjoyed a few more lazy days before Marks birthday on the 10th. He'd decided he wanted to go to a water park and it turns out we are only a hop skip and a jump away from Waterbom, Asia's number 1 water park! I'm dubious about how good it will be, but I'm so pleasantly surprised! The slides are great quality and the park is clean and safe. We have a fantastic day racing, dropping and swirling around on the flumes and slides and burn countless calories climbing all the steps.

In the afternoon we chat to our friends before going for a sunset drink on the beach. We eat at Havana, a Latino restaurant which lured Mark in with it's temping chicken wing challenge. I'll let him tell you about that! Afterwards, we thought about finding some nightlife, which we hadn't done since leaving the UK. We were given info on the beach about the Sky Garden and decide to give it a go. It was a mostly empty super club and we eventually found the 'VIP traveller lounge offering free drinks and tapas' or 'room for drunk teenagers with free blue vodka drinks from the sticky bar'. It isn't long before we decided to leave, and when we did we found a different world outside. Kuta had become Ibiza! We had no idea this was where it all happened, only a few roads from where we had been staying. Its surprising, but no where could tempt us in.

The rest on our time in Kuta is quiet. We enjoy the beach and pool at the hotel and discover some great places to eat, namely pizza from Pizza Pronto on Poppies 1, and Fat Chow for a mix of Asian cuisine on Poppies 2.

Before we knew it it was time to pack. We'd come to the end of our time in Bali and South East Asia and we are going to Italy for the summer. Looking back its amazing how much we've seen and done in the past 2 and a half months; going south to north in Vietnam, the temples of Angkor, island hopping in Thailand - its been amazing.

I came travelling, giving up a safe secure life at home because there was something inside me that needed to get out there; go where the wind took me and find out what I liked. I've learnt so much, a few of which I've already mentioned, but I'll leave now feeling I've done what I came to do. That's why I decided to remove my anklet. I bought it and put it on in Mexico on our honeymoon, when our travels were just an idea. I promised myself it would be a daily reminder of what we would be working towards, and I've done it.

Blissed out in Bali part 1: Ubud

28 April - 5 May

The journey was over, not only the journey from the Thailand to Indonesia, but my personal journey from home to Bali. I was praying that it was going to be everything I dreamt of!

Arriving at night is never good though, and we were driven into the hilltop town of Ubud at speed, only capturing glances of what awaited us the next morning, including to my surprise an Accessorize store! The first thing I noticed when we got out of the car though was the stars. Thousands and in patterns I'd never seen before.

The following day we visited the market, which was filled with enough trinkets to fill a house, and at some very tempting prices. The town was beautiful and filled with arty shops and cute cafés, each working hard to create an atmosphere of paradise, right down to the flowers in the waiters and waitresses hair. After a siesta, pre dinner cocktails turned into dinner in a garden which overlooks a stream and valley of palms.

The next day we followed the road to the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. I had been expecting something like Monkey World back home, but the second we arrived I knew this would be different. The little rascals happily jumped on your shoulders, picked through your pockets and grabbed at the bananas we'd bought. So many of the visitors were scared or nervous, but I loved getting up close and personal with these cuties! The rains came over in the afternoon so we spent the rest of the day reading and relaxing at our home stay whilst watching it pour.

I was eager to see some of the countryside so we hired bicycles for the next two days. After packing some lunch we headed in no real direction at all in search of a good view and some beautiful scenery. We weren't disappointed, and found luscious views of rice terraces and fields before getting well and truly soaked in the rain. I can't say I didn't feel a little like Liz in Eat Pray Love as we cycled past endless fields; my bike even had a basket and a bell! They must have cut the scene of her heaving her bike up the hills in the pouring rain though!

After so much exercise we are in need of some pampering, so the next day after trading in some of our books at an independent shop, we got massages! It was honestly the most comfortable I'd been since getting out of my own bed 2 months ago, and I can feel the strain of carrying and heaving my backpack to and fro melting away.

As each day passes now, I feel more and more that I have quenched some of the wanderlust that is within me. I was desperate to get out of the UK and into the unknown, and I feel that I've accomplished that. Whilst I know I will always want to travel and see new places, I know I'll be happy to do so within the safety and stability of a regular life at home.

On our last day we decided its time to pick up some souvenirs. I'd been coveting something since the first day we arrived but the guy in the shop isn't budging on price. Luckily I found something very similar at the price I wanted soon after and left happy! At dinner we headed down one of the quieter roads and found a nice looking place that turned out to be one of the best meals we've had yet! Only when we are back at the home stay do we realise its the 2nd best reviewed restaurant in Ubud! No wonder they asked if we had a reservation.

Before we knew it we were packing our bags again and checking out of what has been the most lovely of weeks. Next we are off to Kuta where hopefully we will find some cheap cocktails and an opportunity to ride some waves!

Ko Phangnan and the journey to Indonesia

19-28 April

After a somewhat irritating wait and ferry, we arrived on Ko Phangnan around lunchtime and against all odds found a man from the hotel waiting with a transfer for us and anyone else checking in that day. It was a good start!

The heavens opened as we meandered through the island to our hotel in Haad Yeo,  but it didn't detract from the cosy and neighbourly feeling I got.

Our beach was quiet and relaxed. No one is playing music and even the water melted silently into the sand. It looked like the perfect way to spend a week.

After relaxing for the afternoon and going for a short walk we ate dinner and watch the sunset. Not long after the sun had disappeared we noticed loads of crabs were jumping, sparing and moving about beneath us. It wasa bit like something from a nightmare but I was happy to be safely perched on the decking!

We spent the next few days working hard... on our tans. We were in a nice and comfortable hotel and it feelt like a holiday (though we avoided spending like it was a holiday by eating lots of cheap microwave pizza from 7/11 and Pad Thai for dinner). Other than snorkelling and scuba trips, and very wild parties, there isn't a lot to do on the island so we were happy to keep the week really cheap by making our own fun, mostly by jumping in the pool!

One day we walked to neighbouring Haad Salad beach to go goggling (snorkelling, without a snorkel). It was a steep climb over the hill but the beach was gorgeous. Unlike ours the sea was full of some kind of sea cucumber and lots of small fish. Whilst it was shallower than Weymouth we had a good time and got to recreate a picture of my brother who stayed there some years ago. This was also the moistest day on record for us. As we led on the beach my whole body was soon covered in beads even though the heat was more tolerable today.

Towards the end of the week, feeling a bit like we'd been lazy, Mark decided to go for a run on the beach. I've missed running whilst we've been away, but the thought of even trying it in this heat makes me feel dizzy. Even so, I feet very jealous as he bid me fair well!

We spent our last day of Thailand island hopping by the pool, eating magnums and having dinner at our favourite spot before we packed and spent a sleepless night worrying about the journey ahead of us.

Ultimately, our next destination was Bali, but to get there we had a long journey that involved ferries, trains and planes through 3 countries and a time zone.

On 26 April we caught the Raja ferry to Surat Thani and spent the night in a hotel made from brightly coloured container units whose interior resembled an aeroplane toilet complete with blinding white lights.

I still couldn't quite see that we were on our way to Bali, the place I'd been looking forward to most. In my mind all I could see what a hellish journey.

After a bad nights sleep we were up and on our way to Surat Thani train station at 7am, only to find the train would be delayed. At 9am we boarded the train to Hat Yai not far from the border with Malaysia. We entertained ourselves by playing 20 questions and a game where you have to link 2 movies based on the actors who stared in them. I was a little too scared for my health to use the toilet, so by the time we roll in to Hat Yai around 1.30 I was tired, and bursting!

After a KFC lunch in the shopping centre we were back on a train by 4 and on our way to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. We stopped for a short while at the border to pass through customs, immigration and the loneliest looking duty free you've ever seen. From here on it was non stop to KL for us and after another pretty sleepless night we arrived at 6am and stumbled wearily into Mc Donalds for pancakes. This was our base for a few hours before the coach to the airport, more McDonald's and our flight to Bali.

Its not until we were flying over the island as the sun was setting that I finally realised I'd made it to the other side of the world. I'd crossed the equator and was about to land in paradise! It may have been the journey from hell, but hopefully it was all about to be worth it!

Culture vulture

Lots of people go travelling because they want to experience new things, and I am no exception.

I mean, what better opportunity to try something different than when I'm living in a new country, doing a different job and surrounded by opportunity!

There are a lot of things I've read about that take my fancy, but some appeal to a side of me that's been waiting patiently to be awakened.

Like a cookery course in Thailand. It’s an untapped passion of mine to cook, and my brownies are notorious in my office. I recently went on an evening cooking class for a friend’s birthday and really enjoyed it; I even prepared the shrimps, poo removal and everything! Taking a cookery class in Thailand, one of my favourite cuisines would be great fun and a fantastic way to immerse myself in a small part of Thai culture, smiling all the way.

Like a day as an elephant trainer! I love a bit a nature and an elephant experience is right at the top of my list of must do's. Another friend who recently visited Thailand was shocked by some of the treatment of elephants she saw, so it's important to me that wherever we have our experience the elephants are property cared for and not exploited. Elephant's are beautiful, majestic animals and the biggest I think I'll ever be able to get close to.

Like a yoga and meditation retreat! I'm not a Buddhist, I don't have a yogi, I don't even attend a regular yoga class, but I am craving something. I love to stretch out after a run, and wish I knew how to calm my mind, so yoga with meditation sounds (and has always sounded) right up my street. But I also feel I need to explore my feelings around belief, faith and spirituality. It's these things that a yoga class in a sweaty gym might never be able to provide and if I'm perfectly honest, I'm too nervous to attend a real yoga class with so little knowledge of what its all about.

Like scuba diving! Nothing says Gili Island culture to me than a short scuba course, and with my awesome aqua shoes in my backpack, it's only the fear I get of inhaling water whilst submerged and wearing a weighted belt that I have to worry about! But hey, I'm not going to let that stop me!

So there it is, my culture vulture wish list, because if not now, when?

Carpe diem.