awanmulan

deep conversation brings you closer to one another

Spent a night with my girl friend at Awanmulan in Negeri Sembilan during my short trip back to Malaysia.

Why Awanmulan?

So my dear friend threw me a list of 9 retreat places in Malaysia, and told me to pick one.

There are all over the peninsular. Pahang, Penang, Selangor, KL, Negeri Sembilan. 

Selangor and KL are out because that's too close to home. Lol. 

Pahang and Penang are kinda too far. 

Out of the 3 options left for N.Sembilan, I randomly chose Awanmulan. 

She went like, 'Ok. I'll book it tomorrow.'

We are similar in a way where we dislike being dilly dally on our decisions. We tend to decide promptly and let 'come what may' take care of the rest. 

So when the owner Mr.Teng asked how did we come about Awanmulan, did we hear from family/friends/news/blog?

I said we saw online and picked it randomly. Haha.

entrance which looks kinda dodgy.

The road leading to the estate is narrow and seems to fit only one (non-standard) traffic lane at a time. Fret not, cos Malaysians are known to be able to survive any road/traffic conditions - especially traffic jams and flooded roads. Lol. One-lane road is just a small potato.

It's only about 1.5 hours drive from Klang Valley area. 

We arrived about 2.30pm at the gate. 

The gate was locked. The 'guard house' was empty and looked creepy. Haha.

After a few missed calls, Mrs.Teng finally picked up the call. 

Apparently, you would be asked to describe the 3 signs on your right before they come down to unlock the gate for you. 

3 signs - Dusun, Cabinz, and Shorea.

Being a Tuesday, we were the only guests that day.

Mr.Teng happily showed us around the different cabins in the estate. 

He is one proud father whose architect-son designed all the cabins in the estate. 

We didn't have our phones with us during the introductory 'tour' so no photos were taken. What a shame.

We booked the Sasterawan for RM550 a night.

There was supposed to be wifi provided but I couldn't locate any during our stay.

But it's ok. 

Wifi isn't one of the reasons we came here for. 

Phone network was pretty unstable too - duh otherwise it wouldn't be called a forest right. Haha.

Room wasn't air-conditioned but ceiling fan was provided.

Being in the middle of a forest, the night air was cool so you don't really need an aircond.

I wouldn't even use the ceiling fan if I were on my own - but I guess my friend would suffocate without it. Lol.

the bed

Very clean toilet and shower.
Towel, sarung, and shower gel were provided.

For ladies especially: no hairdryer.

the toilet. wallpapers are from magazine/newspaper cuttings.

open-roof outdoor shower.

This is where we chill, cook, eat, and dance with the insects after dusk.

the verandah

Forgot my swimmers!

Since there were only us that day, Mr.Teng allowed me to go into the pool with sarung. 

He also humorously said, 'Make sure your sarung don't float up when you jump in.'

Hahaha. Ok noted, uncle. 

Please make sure you have your swimmers with you if you intend to swim.

Alternatively, you could join the hiking trip (at some costs) provided by the 'locals' of the forest. 

Of course, you'll need sneakers for that which we don't.

We dipped in the pools for about 3 hours until sunset. 

Dip. Not swim. Haha. The sarung will be floating everywhere if I swam.

There were mosquitoes everywhere, even when we were in the pool. 

Involuntary blood donation of some kind.

the smaller pool

the bigger pool. hardly any blue sky in Msia.

the bigger pool

sunset from the pool

one of the cabins

garden outside the owners' home.

The cooking facilities were quite complete - induction cooker, kettle, microwave over, steamer, fridge, etc.
And also a mini BBQ pit, charcoals, fire starter, and matches!

The only things missing were the ingredients - BYO please.

Clean drinking water was also provided.

There were only two sets of everything - two bowls, two spoons, two forks, etc etc.

No chance of sneaking in an extra guest.

We were not supposed to move the furniture around. *woops*

But we wanted to have dinner the 'steamboat' way. So we shifted the table a little but also 'carried' it back to its original spot after. 

Yes. To protect the flooring, carry the furniture. Don't drag them. 

Don't expect 5-star housekeeping or whatsoever. Wash after yourselves.

Thanks to the dedicated housewife who thinks instant noodle is too saddening on its own.

Our supposedly camping-style instant noodle dinner turned out to be a luxurious korean noodle with kimchi, mussels, octopus, enoki, and oyster mushroom.

our dinner

After sunset, the insects come out to play.
They come in all shapes, forms, and colours. At least they don't bite nor sting.

Initially, we were busy shooing them away.
After a while, we got accustomed to it.
The insects are 'calmer' if you don't try to flag them off. So I decided to sit still and be treated like part of the nature. Lol.

  

   

The iron-housewife didn't forget fruits from the to-bring-list. Must salute her!

vitamin C booze

The surroundings were pitch black except for the light from our verandah.
In other words, you can't do much here.
You're partially disconnected from the outside world, with no wifi, and surrounded by nothing.
The only 'thing' that could possibly entertain you is the person in front of you - that's if you went there with a company.
We actually joked that if we spent longer time there, we might get too bored and end up fighting.

We spent the night talking and talking, sharing stories and views on life while the insects accompanied us through.

Breakfast was provided and delivered at 8am - nasi lemak with instant coffee, boil your own water.
Rice was too wet but we're not fussy on food. So it's ok.

breakfast

We checked out before 12pm.
Had a little chat with Mrs.Teng before we left.
She's nice and friendly.
She told us to visit each time I'm back in Msia.
Hmm. Need to do some budgeting before that. Lol. It's not the cheapest place for a short getaway.
But I must admit, we did spend quality time there.

The first thing we did when we were out of the forest was to head to a saloon and have our hair washed and blown dry.
It's totally the housewife's idea though I'm starting to feel uneasy with my not-so-fluffy hair too.

Then we headed to Seremban for some beef noodles.
Nothing so special about it, except for the price.

RM8 for a bowl of clear soup noodle with beef.
RM8 for 10 beef balls which didn't taste beefy at all.
RM6.50 for a mini pre-packed coconut!!!

RM33 for this meal.
OMG!!!

And I thought bahkuteh was the most expensive meal. I was so freaking wrong.
I had to demand for a receipt with the breakdown of prices to be sure that we pay for the right items.

Seremban clear soup beef noodle - just noodles with beef slices, some shallots, and chilli sauce.
I repeat.
Clear soup with noodles, beef slices, shallots and chilli sauce.
RM8.
And not tasty.
You made my jaw drop.
Not coming back and not recommending it to anyone.

quinn seremban beef noodles

Coin meter parking still exists these days - at where a bowl of clear soup noodle costs RM8.
Technology isn't picking up with inflation.

Then we went to get some siewbaos and egg tarts.

Apparently, the egg puff was the famous one. But the wait was too long so we decided to ditch it.

We then stopped by at the Majestic Hotel KL for hi-tea before going home.
Luckily, we had our hair washed and blown prior! Hahaha.
Can't imagine us walking in with greasy and sticky hair.

It was indeed a 2D1N well-spent.
We don't need it often.
Just need to do it once in a blue moon with the right person.
Thanks for your time and company!

le meridien chiang rai

expensive doesn't always mean good

Woke up to this dirty water view overlooking a hazy river on the last day of my 15 days holiday. 

Lots to share but little time to write. Haha. 

Le Meridien Chiang Rai. Not something I'll recommend to people.

No daily newspaper.

Receptionists/Room service speaks below average English.

Room phone with biscuit crumbs on it.

Provides homebrand toiletries set. 

stained glass door at the restaurant

Dirty and stained doors at the buffet restaurant.

Took 15 mins to deliver a bottle opener.

Replaced all towels when not told to do so - what's with the environmental-friendly reminders in the room when your staff don't even follow simple NO-instruction.

At 6 times the street price, it serves the worst khaosoy among all the others I had in Chiang Rai.

And it's located so far away from the town centre.

Any small hotels with high ratings on Agoda could have done better than this hotel.

Definitely has low value for money.

myanmar 2016 - Day 5

when you travel, you voluntarily get pushed to the limits

This is by far the dirtiest feet photo I've ever taken in my history of feet-photos. This is not a pair of tanned feet. It's a pair of mud and dusts-covered feet.

Just when you think it's the dirtiest it could get, it got worse each day.

I kept comparing my feet to the locals' as somehow theirs were not as dirty - I'd say clean. How did we end up with so much dirt? Lol.

It's either we haven't mastered the skill of not catching dusts on our feet or because we have fairer feet than theirs so the dusts become obvious.

Shoes are not allowed in all monasteries, temples, and pagodas. As most of the sightseeing places are either monastery, temple or pagoda, it means we walked barefeet most of the time. Apparently in Myanmar, socks are part of shoes too. So no socks allowed! Wtf...

The 40 degrees weather isn't helping! The floor is scorching hot! Marble, wood, cement, stone, tar, sand, wild grass, you name it - apart from being hot, they sometimes come with pokey elements too. It's like undergoing a perseverance, patience, and determination test.

After 5 days, blisters developed under my feet due to the hot grounds. I so had enough of all these feet-burning sites. Thankfully, we'll be having 1.5 days break from temples and pagodas or else I'll go berserk.

Apart from dirt and blisters, there are also mozzy bites and bruises everywhere on my legs. Goodbye fair and smooth princess legs. Hahaha.

The weather was so hot that a layer of mist/cloud formed at the horizon. Otherwise, sunset would have been better.

Sunset - U-Bein Bridge.

Dinner was half cup of Nescafe and 2 biscuits. Haha. Didn't have appetite and got sick of the local food.

Missing Sydney and Tibet.

Price Guide:
Whole day driver costs to Amarapura, Sagaing, and Ava = 45000 kyat + 5000 kyat tips.
Boat to Ava = 1000 kyat per person return.
Horse cart at Ava = 5000 kyat per person. 
Lunch burmese food = 3733 kyat per person.

(1200 kyat = 100USD)

my dear sister

blessed to have sisters

These days, it's hard to find travel mate.
Perhaps the places I want to go are not appealing to many - India, Myanmar, Nepal.

Shopping
Food-hunting
Spa and massage
Luxurious hotel or homey Airbnb
High tech world-class transportation

In exchange for...

Dusts
Dirty food
Polluted city
Dodgy motel
Traffic jam
Charcoal pills
And immeasurable life experience, which can never be 'shared' on Facebook or 'posted' on Instagram.
Sadly, if it can't be 'seen', it won't be popular.

The few who might be interested are in Msia and Singapore, with different holiday periods it's hard to get a mutual period and length of travel.

After repeating (as usual) a few times to my sis about not being able to find travel mates to Myanmar, I think she had enough of listening to the same whinge over and over again.

Despite always nagging me for travelling to ulu places - end up with food-poisoning and had to visit the local hospital, out of contact for a few days due to bad reception, altitude sickness, delayed flights, etc. - she signed up as my Myanmar travel mate.

Haha. You're the best!

I know I'm sometimes (maybe always) unpredictable, random, out of the norm, lazy in planning, lazy to check for cheapest prices, make quick decision and deal with the issues later, bad in time scheduling, etc.

Maybe in other words, I'm not an organised traveller and not the best travel partner.

Thanks for still willing to jump on this 'sinking' ship.

I don't wanna do anything less than 7 days and I also know it's hard to leave the baby behind for more than 7 days, hence I really don't wanna drag her along with me - especially knowing that it won't be some kind of luxurious, pampering, eat-till-you-drop trip.

Can change place, don't change me

I said I can find other people to come with me so she won't have to.
She insisted to come.
Not for the sake of seeing places.
More of being my company and being in my company.
I appreciate that.
It's something you can never get from a normal friend.
And something people without sister will ever understand.

The whole bunch of things friends will consider before accompanying you to anywhere or sparing just few hours of their time are:
- why, where, how, what, when, who
- destination
- purpose
- budget
- annual leaves
- work commitment
- weather
- their partner
- their interests
- their pet
- their diet
- their me-time
- their savings plan
- their sleep
- anything you would never think of...

Sometimes, I use these 'excuses' myself.
The 'excuses' may be true to some extent, but the better truth is, the company isn't right.

And 'friends' will probably take...
A year to decide if they wanna go on a holiday with you.
6 months to decide if they wanna invite you to a holiday with them.
3 months to decide if they wanna visit you.
1 month to decide if they wanna spend the next long weekend with you.
1 week to decide if they wanna spend the next weekend with you.
3 days to decide if they wanna have dinner with you.
Just because there are so many other people and things who/which come before you. That's what waiting-list is for.

Truly, there is only ONE main reason - you are not the person they wanna spend time with.

Other than giving me life, the next important thing that Mum gave me are my lovely sisters. Couldn't have asked for anything else.

I'm also appreciative of my other non-biological sisters who entered my life by fate.

One offered to accompany me to Myanmar, though she can only do 4 days due to family commitment, I'll have to do the remaining 3-6 days on my own. Well, at least she tried. And no, the last thing I want is for people to sacrifice for me, so she's not allowed to come along. Haha. 

In the end of the day, what's important is the quality of the company. Destination doesn't matter.
In order to be able to travel together, we decided to choose a nearer place, for under 5 days.

'Change place and not change her'.

Oh Myanmar...I shall visit you when a travel mate comes along.

All of you, thanks for loving me. I love you too.

of memories and brush

travel to see what you haven't seen,

explore what you haven't known,

experience what you haven't felt. 

It has been more than a decade

Since I last painted

I got myself a cheap palette,

brush, and colour which looks faded

Painted a house in Nyalam

Occupied by Tibetans

Where ladders replace staircases

And safety doesn't come first

It's been a year since I visited Tibet

Much of it still lingers in my head

More precious than anything money can get A life experience I shall never forget

#missingtibet

impromptu 526 km Part #2

happiness out of little things

Day 2 of the impromptu 526 km.

The morning started off with Reggie watching the Wallabies vs England in the rugby world cup at 6am, in the dark and with a muted tv. I wouldn't have mind the tv noise, really.

Occasionally in my dreams I could hear a female shouting Bummer!, Good Job!, some random cursings, and some wicked laughters. Haha. Reggie being reggie. 

The Wallabies won the game. Yay! Though I know nuts about rugby. Aussie Aussie Aussie!

And then at 8am she got out of her bed and started chanting "Wakey wakey"... such a familiar wake-up call. Lol. 

She then went to make simple lunch of bread+tuna - the usual hiking food.

Looks pathetic but couldn't have asked for more. 

And then she excitedly told me, 'Look what I bought! Crunchy peanut butter! When i saw it I was like "it's Clarisse's favourite, I have to get this".'

My favourite?? Okayyy.

It's not my favourite actually. Hahaha. Just that I can't think of what else to go with the pathetic strawberry jam toast other than peanut butter - it's a supplement, not a favourite. Nevertheless, being a careless person she is - someone who can misplace 3 earphones in one month, I appreciate the fact that she noticed the peanut butter after seated next to me in the office for the last 1.5 years. 

Whether it's garlic butter, peanut butter or almond butter, it doesn't matter. Just by knowing that someone remembers little things about you, that is a kind of happiness.

peanut butter, with love

Being engineers, we were taught to always travel with a first aid kit whenever out and about.

So before we left, she asked if I've got a first aid kit.

I said Err...no? I only have band-aids. That's my first aid kit. Haha.

She said Oh ya same...Hahaha. I have band-aids and wet tissue. 

Two hopeless ladies. Lol.

And then, off we go to face the day's challenges.

On our way to the Green Camp

The said "hard" walk

Hot hot hot. 35 degrees.

Even sunblock melts under the sun. 

It was a steep hike.
It was tough going up due to the lack of stamina and hard going down due to the slippery loose stones.

Seconds before/after I fell into the gap
 right next to my left foot.
Obstacles on my left, right, down, and above.

Everytime I go on a hike, I either faint, dehydrate or fall. It's a curse. Haha.

This time, it was a fall.

It was so painful that I thought I've sprained my ankle or fractured some bones.

And Miss Reggie was just sitting on some high rocks recording my fall while saying, 'Hahaha. Clarisse is struggling to get herself up, and still holding on to her fan.' 

Zzz.

Thankfully, the ankle was tough and the bones were strong. Just some bruises and scratches.

So much for joking about the first aid kit right.

Some random bugs also stung my ass while I was resting. Bugger.

First, I thought it's just this...

Then, there was more intense pain elsewhere...
And I found this.

Also on the hand...

We went on to do a few minor hikes.
And a medium difficulty - Governor's Walk.

View from the summit of the Governor's Walk

On the way out, the engineer has to stop for a photo of this rail overbridge with some 'impressive' crash beams/columns. Ahhhh.....give me a break.

The hopeless co-driver taking a selfie.

Random shot of me.

  

The Sawn Rocks

Final spot of the day - Sawn Rocks.

Amazing rock formation.

Baa baa white sheep crossing the road.

We drove for at least 160 km (return) today.
Bumped into kangaroos, sheep, and lizard along the way. 

Gotta depart early tomorrow and get into Sydney before the traffic builds up on Pacific Highway.

That's all from Mount Kaputar National Park for now.

There are camp sites around the national park with hot shower, drinking water, and bbq facilities. If I could find some camping companions, I shall be back.

All in all, it's a beautiful place with half the crowd you'll see in Blue Mountains and the Royal National Park. 

The plain fields are so huge, it seems boundary-less which reminds me of Tibet. 

Travelling with random people isn't all that bad. Perhaps because our personalities kinda compliment each other?

It all started with me trying to keep her companied. But I guess in the end, we were each other's company in the otherwise lonely long weekend.

More than 1200 km covered in 3D2N.
Thanks for the impromptu 526 km.

impromptu 526 km Part #1

if it makes someone's day, why not?

The usual question to be asked on Fridays is What's the plan for the weekend?

Being a long weekend, it's even more unavoidable. My answer was No Plan for the whole of Friday morning. 

Until my ex-colleague/friend text me at 10am asking if I had something planned for the weekend. I said No wassup?

She proposed a 500 km, 6 hours drive northwest of NSW for a FEW hikes in the Mount Kaputar National Park. 

Ok. Maybe I shouldn't have asked after all. Hahaha. I'm not really in the mood to be on-the-go. Just felt like hibernating indoor for 3 days.

She couldn't find anyone to go with her and really wanna make use of the long weekend to go as far as possible. Blue Mountain's for normal weekend she said.

T_T

Oh my. I'm not good at rejecting offers. And it's disappointing to get rejected, I try not to.

I waited for a couple of hours for anyone to come up with other plans so that I can 'reject' the hiking plan more appropriately. Unfortunately, haha, it seems like I don't have that many friends with that little plans to occupy me for a weekend.

Why not make her weekend less lonely? That makes two less lonely people in the world. Hehe. If I were in her situation, it'll really make my day if someone would just say Yes to my random last min crazy plan.

So in the arvo, I replied Okay to the 500 km, 6 hours, and couple of hikes. Whatever this leads me to, come what may. I told her I'm very UNFIT - the last time I trained for a hike was May 2014 - I don't have a walking stick and hiking shoes.

She ensured me that I'll be fine, sneakers are fine and the "hard" rating is meant for old people to take note, young people should be ok. 

Well, we'll see if I faint tomorrow. 

She then said she's gonna try book the motel for 3D2N. 

I was like What??!?! 3D2N?? Not 2D1N?? Don't even know what situation I'm putting myself in before agreeing to it. 

Gosh. There go my laundry, tax return, house-vacuuming, toilet and kitchen cleaning, white rice in the fridge since Monday, snuggling in bed for the entire morning...and so many more.

The accommodation was booked in less than 10 mins - the efficiency of a senior engineer with some lack of patience. Haha. 

Next, is the car. She said we can use her car for the trip cos it now has 4 new tyres! (Yay!) AND no radio (Not yay). Hahaha.

I said that's ok, we can enjoy the sounds from the new tyres. Lol! Bringing me to Holland, really.

I was so unsure about this very impromptu trip - planned and booked in 10 mins at 17 hours prior to departure. Only left with a couple of yours to pack and buy the necessities for the hikes. Plus, I haven't been on a trip with her before, tho we've known each other for 5 years or so. She could be quite opinionated, maybe that's a plus since I prefer not to make decisions.

526 km,  6 hours 6 mins.
It took us 7 hours with 2 stopovers.

Not a bad drive after all. It was hard trying to
keep myself awake the whole time though.

I thought of offering to take over the driving task only to find that it's a Manual car. Lol. The last time I operate a manual car was 13 years ago for my driving rest. Sorry, all I can do is to be a responsible co-driver - stay awake and navigate.

Indeed a motel.

My hiking companion.

Rest for now.
Tomorrow will be a challenge. *fingers crossed*

Tokyo finally!

before the start of every new job, always take a break

After my trip to Tibet last October, my bro-in-law asked where would my next holiday destination be.
I replied India, Nepal.....
His response was, 'WHY?? You don't like Japan? You never want to visit Japan?'
Hahaha.
It's not because I don't like Japan, I simply prefer to experience the undeveloped side of the world.

Because of his very spontaneous response (as if I dislike his country) which left me a little embarrassed and guilty...Japan became one of the 'next' destinations.

I'm not a city-traveler but...

For such a last minute and unplanned holiday, where else to go other than to visit a place where accommodation's readily available, cities are well-connected, there's no way you could get lost, there's no way you would starve as long as you have coins and know how to press a button...

MOST importantly, getting to see your loved ones in a supposedly unfamiliar city...and knowing that they will be anticipating your arrival...

This time, it has to be TOKYO!

A huge Thank-You to my bro-in-law, mum-of-bro-in-law, sister, and baby nephews for the hospitality.

After Singapore and Australia, this is the 3rd developed country I visited.

It's different from my usual holidays.

Here,
I was allowed to make random plans, because the trains go anywhere, anytime.
I didn't need a guide.
I was spoiled with too many choices for food and drinks.
I witnessed a higher level of civilisation.
I encountered vending machines at every corner of the street.
I woke up one morning to learn that I slept through an earthquake.
Coke for as cheap as a dollar.
And so much more...

I was completely wrong with the preconception that big cities are never gonna impress me.

Whitsundays - Part 1

Sometimes we need some random impromptu decisions to land us somewhere we barely thought of visiting. 

HAPPY BELATED OZ-DAY!

So, I went on a 4D3N getaway to the Whitsundays over the Australia Day long weekend.

Exploring Australia is always EXPENSIVE; from getting there, to the accommodation, the entrance fees, activities, and food. On a tight budget, it would still add up to at least $700 for a 4D3N trip. It's only gonna get more expensive if it coincides with a long weekend. Due to all the flying and transits, 3D2N won't be sufficient for an interstate holiday. And 4D3N would mean 2 x Annual leaves (AL) + Sat Sun with cheaper flights, hotel, etc. OR 1 x AL + Public hols + Sat Sun with more expensive costs. Either way makes no difference - something has to be compromised.

I opted for the '1 x AL' as leaves are more scarce.

When Tiger Airways was having its sales last May 2014, I thought I might check out some flights and go somewhere I've never heard of or never planned on visiting in Australia.

I've come across people who last visited Melbourne 10 years ago, who have never been to the Gold Coast, or only visited NSW for business purposes, etc. This is how rarely people in Australia travel around Australia. I thought I should start visiting the beautiful places on this massive piece of desert, bit by bit before it backlogs and eventually never gets fulfilled.

Getting there
Direct Sydney - Whitsunday (Proserpine) route is only serviced by Tiger Airways (Tue, Thu, Sat). Approximately 190 aud return on Light Fare (no checked baggage). 10 kg (max 2 pieces of hand-carry baggage) is allowed on board the 2 hours flight.

Alternatively, you can also fly with other airlines to Proserpine or Hamilton Island Airport with stopover at Brisbane, Melbourne, or Adelaide - not quite time efficient nor economical.

Where exactly are the Whitsunday Islands? 
It's located at the central coast of Queensland, some 900 km to the North of Brisbane. I have absolutely no idea about Whitsunday until 7 months after buying the tickets, when I had to plan for the trip that I started checking out this place on the internet. Lol. As impromptu as it was.

There are the Whitehaven Beach, Great Barrier Reef (GBR) adventures, and sailing trips.

Seasickness
The thing that started freaking me out was the seasickness. On the internet, most people talked about having seasick during the trip and whatsoever. I thought well, it's too late to back out, come what may! I went to the chemist and got myself a pack of Kwells and those motion sickness wristbands. It says on the pack that Kwells may cause drowsiness but I didn't get that effect at all.

However, the sea was surprisingly calm - just a little choppy at times but that's more like bumpy than sway-ey so it was okay. No biggy. Maybe the wristbands worked really hard to keep me straight? I guess if you're doing the island hopping (Whitsunday Island, Long Island, Hamilton Island, Daydream Island), the islands are pretty much 'hidden' from big waves anyway. I can't be sure with the GBR though, as it's way out in the deep sea.

Weather
I honestly don't think January is the best season to visit Whitsundays. I just found out that the highest rainfall occurs in January, with temperature easily shoots above 30 degrees, humidity level above 70%, and thunderstorms almost everyday. Everyone knows Queensland is prone to flooding and you don't want that to happen because the roads will be closed and you can't access the airport. Don't expect to get lucky all the time so please do a thorough research on the crazy weather before booking.

Overall, it was extremely HOT - I felt like my Havaianas were reaching its melting point as it started burning my feet and causing blister, sunblock is mandatory and adding to the high humidity, my body was as sticky as glue. I couldn't cross my legs as skin-to-skin contact makes everything sweaty and wet. The rain and thunderstorms have been very very kind as they only visited during the evenings and cleared before sunrise. Too lucky!

Enough of talking...

Sydney

Nearing Whitsundays - blue sky, blue sea, blue air

Green undeveloped land as we descend

to be continued...