Thats it.
Its now officially over.
126 days, 4 continents, 7 countries, 24 cities and a bucket full of memories.
I have had a whale of a time. This is the best trip that I have ever taken part in. When I first got that fateful news on the day that we all got made redundant from Best Buy I had no idea that almost a year later I would have had such a ball. Special mention must go to my Granddad who without him and his incredibly kind generosity this wouldn't have been made possible. He would have been so proud of me and would have also been incredibly jealous.
My final flight home was the best flight that I have had out of the 11 flights I took. The Airbus A380 is on hell of a great plane and to top it off I had the coolest pilot alive.
As I sit here typing this in true Welsh fashion the rain is lashing down on the conservatory making it hard to hear the radio in the background. Welcome home Tom.
I never realised quite fully what I would be letting myself in for when I boarded that plane to NYC in early April. As it turned out there was nothing to worry about. I wish that it was as easy to make good friends back in the UK. All you have to do is sit at the end of a bar or in a hostel and within a few minutes you are striking up a conversation about different cultures and experiences.
I thought that it would be kinda cool to give a few tips to anyone who is still travelling or has become inspired by my blog to explore the wide world out there.
1) Don't trust anyone. This may seem harsh but it is true.
2) Your passport is worth more than life itself. Always know where it is and what it has been up to. Treat it like a teenage daughter of yours, don't leave it with strange men!
3) Say yes. Too many people say no, if you say yes more then your life/travels will be 100% better.
4) Pack a towel. I wish I had read Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy before I had set off.
5) Read Hitchikers guide to the Galaxy before you set off.
6) Have a plan, but dont stick to it.
7) You WILL spend more money than you intend to.
8) If you have any tenuous links to any country other than England, fully exploit them. I was looked on far more favourably when I said I was Welsh than when I was English.
9) Don't get stuck. The whole point of traveling is to travel. Don't get bogged down in one place, however amazing it is. How do you know that the next place isn't any better if you have never been there.
10) Have fun. It is the best time of your life. You were born to live you life, so ruddy get out there and live it.
Just some small points, ignore them if you want. Your choice.
I want to say thanks. Thanks to everyone who I met in a bar and whiled away the evenings putting wrongs to rights. My view on the world has become so much richer because of you. From the bloke in the NYC bar to the guy in Rotorua. All of you have been amazing. Thank you to all the fellow travellers who gave me advice along the way. Thank you to the Australian women, your men just don't appreciate you enough. Finally thank you to YOU, the readers. You gave me the excuse to track my travels and keep a record as I went along. In total I have had just shy of 3,500 views. That is bloody impressive considering I am just a random guy from Wales/North Somerset/Croydon. I have had views from way more countries than I visited. Latvia, Sweden & Brazil to name a few. You have all been amazing by reading this. Who knows what the future will hold in store for 'Tom the blogger'.
The future for 'normal' Tom is in the form of a festival starting tomorrow. This carefree lifestyle is kinda hard to give up.
So long and thanks for all the fish.
Tom
x
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Sunday, 12 August 2012
Bite It
So, this is it. In 48 hours time I will be sat at home back in South Wales with just memories and bed bug bites to show for my travels. Let me sum up my final days in Cambodia.
After I last blogged I decided that I hadn't seen enough wildlife in the country and invited over 50 of Cambodians finest bed bugs for a sip or two of my finest O+ pumping throughout my body. It itched like hell but all part of the backpacker experience. This was down in Sihanoukville but it still didn't stop me from sunbathing and drinking. I headed up to Phnom Penh for my last 2 nights in Cambodia. I was flying out from there and it seemed the place where I had made the most friends. It is weird, I love Phnom Penh. I love the buzz about the city, I love the fact that it is always busy, I love the people. However after spending 2 weeks in Sihanoukville it didn't feel the same. Cant put my finger on it, just didn't. Needless to say I got rather tipsy on my last night and then flew to Singapore yesterday. I really am not that impressed with Singapore. Its just another big city, no real soul and massive buildings. I am flying out of here tomorrow back home.
T
x
After I last blogged I decided that I hadn't seen enough wildlife in the country and invited over 50 of Cambodians finest bed bugs for a sip or two of my finest O+ pumping throughout my body. It itched like hell but all part of the backpacker experience. This was down in Sihanoukville but it still didn't stop me from sunbathing and drinking. I headed up to Phnom Penh for my last 2 nights in Cambodia. I was flying out from there and it seemed the place where I had made the most friends. It is weird, I love Phnom Penh. I love the buzz about the city, I love the fact that it is always busy, I love the people. However after spending 2 weeks in Sihanoukville it didn't feel the same. Cant put my finger on it, just didn't. Needless to say I got rather tipsy on my last night and then flew to Singapore yesterday. I really am not that impressed with Singapore. Its just another big city, no real soul and massive buildings. I am flying out of here tomorrow back home.
T
x
Thursday, 2 August 2012
One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer . . . . . .
. . . . . . in total costs me $1.75.
Good morning/afternoon/evening/that time when you get in drunk from the pub and bum around on the internet.
I am here in the seaside town of Sihanoukville. I decided that for the last 2 weeks of my travels that I just wanted to chill-out. Like properly chill. I have kinda had enough of sightseeing for the time being and it shows in the amount of photos that I have taken down here - pretty much none.
I don't really know the best way of describing this town. Its fairly small, but it is mental. So there is he beach front area (which I am glad that I am here in the 'low' season as I can imagine that it would get rammed in the Summer). Along the beach there are about 10-12 bars all selling ridiculasly cheap beers as well as all types of cuisine. As soon as you walk along the front you are accosted by so many small kids trying to sell you bracelets and small trinkets. Its all very well and good, but they are bloody annoying. There are signs all around the hostel that I am staying in saying that you shouldn't buy stuff off the kids because it will keep them on the streets. I am not buying stuff off the kids because I don't want to. I have lost count of the amount of time that I have been offered some 'ray-ban' sunglasses, whilst it was raining. That's another thing. The weather here is pretty poo. We get at least on major downpour a day. Last night the town lost power for 5 min.
My school days always taught me that you should 'just say no to drugs', and I have been, many times. I just must have the face for it because every tuk-tuk driver and his scabby street dog want to sell me some 'good weed'. When I inform them that I don't do that, I am then offered Ketamine, MDA, Coke, Ectasy etc etc. - Because obviously, I don't touch the weed but yea, if you have got some crystal meth going I will jump right on board (Disclaimer - I have never touch crystal meth!).
Now it does seem that I am moaning about my time here and that I ain't having a good time - WRONG. I do love this place, I do think though that if I was here longer that 2 weeks it would probably break me. I don't party too hard but I like to have a good time. This place will destroy even the most hardened clubbers. There is one bar called Eutopia. Its the nearest thing to a club that they have in the town. It has a 'pole' (for dancing) that has flames coming out of the top. It has a swimming pool and a jacuzzi that has more than once been frequented by the drunks. It is totally 'off the rails'. Then when you have had enough of the 50c tequila shots on offer the casino is always waiting for you. Where you can have unlimited free beer, cigarettes and food as long as you are playing at a table. Contary to popular belief I have been to the casino 3 times since I have been here and always broke even (technically I won because I drank, smoked and ate all of $5 worth of stuff - who's the looser now!).
I tend to wander down to the beach and chill out at a bar down there during the day. I have recently got into drawing. Not to sell loads of drawings or because I am any good at it but because it relaxed the heck out of me.
T
x
Good morning/afternoon/evening/that time when you get in drunk from the pub and bum around on the internet.
I am here in the seaside town of Sihanoukville. I decided that for the last 2 weeks of my travels that I just wanted to chill-out. Like properly chill. I have kinda had enough of sightseeing for the time being and it shows in the amount of photos that I have taken down here - pretty much none.
I don't really know the best way of describing this town. Its fairly small, but it is mental. So there is he beach front area (which I am glad that I am here in the 'low' season as I can imagine that it would get rammed in the Summer). Along the beach there are about 10-12 bars all selling ridiculasly cheap beers as well as all types of cuisine. As soon as you walk along the front you are accosted by so many small kids trying to sell you bracelets and small trinkets. Its all very well and good, but they are bloody annoying. There are signs all around the hostel that I am staying in saying that you shouldn't buy stuff off the kids because it will keep them on the streets. I am not buying stuff off the kids because I don't want to. I have lost count of the amount of time that I have been offered some 'ray-ban' sunglasses, whilst it was raining. That's another thing. The weather here is pretty poo. We get at least on major downpour a day. Last night the town lost power for 5 min.
My school days always taught me that you should 'just say no to drugs', and I have been, many times. I just must have the face for it because every tuk-tuk driver and his scabby street dog want to sell me some 'good weed'. When I inform them that I don't do that, I am then offered Ketamine, MDA, Coke, Ectasy etc etc. - Because obviously, I don't touch the weed but yea, if you have got some crystal meth going I will jump right on board (Disclaimer - I have never touch crystal meth!).
Now it does seem that I am moaning about my time here and that I ain't having a good time - WRONG. I do love this place, I do think though that if I was here longer that 2 weeks it would probably break me. I don't party too hard but I like to have a good time. This place will destroy even the most hardened clubbers. There is one bar called Eutopia. Its the nearest thing to a club that they have in the town. It has a 'pole' (for dancing) that has flames coming out of the top. It has a swimming pool and a jacuzzi that has more than once been frequented by the drunks. It is totally 'off the rails'. Then when you have had enough of the 50c tequila shots on offer the casino is always waiting for you. Where you can have unlimited free beer, cigarettes and food as long as you are playing at a table. Contary to popular belief I have been to the casino 3 times since I have been here and always broke even (technically I won because I drank, smoked and ate all of $5 worth of stuff - who's the looser now!).
I tend to wander down to the beach and chill out at a bar down there during the day. I have recently got into drawing. Not to sell loads of drawings or because I am any good at it but because it relaxed the heck out of me.
T
x
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