How to make shakes which are better than sex

I think I have completely fallen in love with the fruit shakes here in Asia. Honestly, the shakes in Asia are to die for... TO. DIE. FOR!  I could be told I would never be able to have sex again and if I had one of these shakes instead, I wouldn't be sad...

The main four shakes are watermelon, mango, pineapple and banana.

Mango/Pineapple/Watermelon shakes:

Half a mango/some pineapple/some watermelon depending on which you prefer
a shot (30mls) of sugar syrup
a cup of ice cubes
2 shots of malibu or something else to spice it up (optional, but recommended) ;)

(you could use some milk in this recipe if you wanted, but I prefer without, and they are usually made that way)

Put in a blender and blend

Banana shakes:
one banana
a splash of milk

a shot (30mls) of sugar syrup

a cup of ice cubes

Put in a blender and blend

Perfect for summer and VERY healthy!!

Enjoy!!!

Until next time,

Daniel

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7 ways to stay in shape (or get back into it) while on vacation.

Alright, so despite all my positive comments regarding my waterfall photo's, where I was climbing waterfalls in my underwear (see here) I've actually put on about 5-6 kilo's (about 11 pounds) since I left Perth in early November and have been hovering around the 83-84kg (185lb) mark, awfully close to "my line".

I have theory everyone should have "a line" which is the weight limit that when you hit you say to yourself "MMhmmmm GURl, if you don't start moving yo ass Shaniqua and Tashayshay will be awl up in yo grill hollerin' 'Baby Got Back'. So get yo hands off dat fried chicken...".

My line is 85kg, and I prefer to be at 75kg (165lbs) but it takes me more and more effort to get back down there these days. Stupid ageing.

But when I am getting back into shape, I have six easy ways to not dramatically alter what I do to start getting back on the healthy train while on holiday.


1./  Cut soft-drink, Drink more water - go for 4 litres a day.

Soft drink, soda, pop, fizzy drink, water you want to call it, it is REALLY bad for you.  Stop drinking it.  Replace with water, 4 litres a day, to start see some great results.  There is that old misconception that you only lose weight drinking so much water because you make so may dashes to the loo.  While that is true is that you have to move your butt to the loo a few more times a day it works for other reasons as well.  Your body actually retains water naturally (as it also retains energy from food etc) and by providing your body with a constant supply of water will cause your body to release it.  But the good part is, one of the places water is retained is right under the skin.  So if you are wondering why you can't get that tight skin look this might be the reason!  To help get my 4 litres a day up, I switch my usual drinks to soda water, which I think counts.

2,.  Carry around a few snack sized tins of tuna (and some spearmint gum)
Wanna know why, because you are suppose to eat more meals a day to increase you metabolism - six is the recommended amount.  But shoot, who has time to think of all that right? Who wants to prepare six meals? I can when I'm at home, but on holiday, nope.  But if you have a tin of tuna, you can knock one of those suckers back every few hours if you have nothing else and you have no excuse to not.  Foods high in protein (tune is) also help you feel fuller for longer, meaning you are less likely to need to snack on unhealthy foods.

3./  Implement the "Value for Calorie" concept
A friend of mine in Melbourne introduced this to me.  I was discussing how, when I was in training to lose weight, I would limit myself to four alcoholic drinks a week.  The result being, that when I actually had a drink, it was a drink I really wanted.  So instead of having 8 Budweisers in a week (*shudders*) I might have four Fat Yaks, or four nice aged scotches.  Also, because I wasn't buying as many drinks I could justify paying more for the drinks I was having.  My friend used the same process for food.  Instead of eating a lot of something that was ok or average, but not very good for you, limit yourself, and spend a bit more on something that was really good, but there was less of it.  So, aside from the booze example.  Why buy a bucket of cheap lollies, when you could have a small block of delicious gourmet chocolate?  It tastes better, and it ends up being better for you!  Or allow yourself ice cream 3 times a week only, but get the nicer stuff!

4./  Exercise where you can
You should be trying to exercise for 30-40 mins a day.  If anything else it will just make you feel great.  This doesn't have to be a chore though.
Why not:

1. go for a bike ride around town rather than taxi? 
2. go for a walk at sunrise/sunset? 
3. take up ocean swimming while away or use the hotel pool? 
4. take a yoga class?
5. have a lot more sex (it counts, but only if you are active.  No star fish!!!)

Aren't you glad I didn't put up a photo of two people having sex???

See, exercise doesn't have to be boring!!! :)

5./ Cut carbs in the evening

This can be hard because it includes alcohol and night time is usually when you drink.  But it also includes things like pasta's, white rice, breads, fruits (though not s bad) etc.  Go for some meat and vegetable dish instead and have your pasta etc at lunch time.

6./ Give yourself a challenge!!
I found two great internet programs to get you doing either 100 consecutive pushups or 200 consecutive sit-ups. It takes longer than you would normally be on break, it's about six weeks, but it is a great way to set some goals and strive for them while you have some time to yourself!

For 100 push up challenge go here.

For 200 sit up challenge go here.

7./  Take up daily massages.

They are good for your health... right??  If they are obscenely cheap, do it!! :)

What about you, do you have any health tips for while on holiday, or just in general?

Until next time!!

Daniel

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Rainy day blues!

It's bucketing down today in Koh Samui! I'm not sure why I'm so surprised.  TGhe forecast has been gloomy for weeks but the rains have finally come.  So instead of going out and trying to see things I'm spending the day in my hotel.  I think I'll do a little writing, a little planning for the week and I had the idea to watch the entire Godfather trilogy.  Well, that was until I saw how long they are. Godfather one and two are at least 3 hours long!!! I'm not going to lie.  The copies I had MAY not be pirated, but... oh, who am I kidding, the bloke who sold them to me may as well have had a wooden leg and a parrot on his shoulder!!  I never realised they were so long though!!  Bloody hell!

But I always think a day spent a hotel is a day wasted. I love getting out, doing things and meeting people.

So, aside from being a vegetable, I am progressing my fitness regime.  Yes, I am determined to get back in shape even if I am travelling!  I have put on about 6 kgs since I left Perth... SIX!!  And I have definitely lost muscle so I have probably put on more fat than that.  So, I'm cutting the boost, detoxing, checking into a yoga retreat and I've contacted my old trainer for some "low equipment" workouts, since hotel gyms can be quite bare.

But my question for you is, what do you like to do on rainy days either on holidays or in general.

Oh, and any fitness tips for while travelling?  Let me know and if I like them I'll put them in my next post!

Comment below or on Facebook.

Don't forget to like and subscribe!! :)

Until next time,

Daniel

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6 things from Asia to laugh at - toilet humour! :)

OK, it's giggle time.

I'm pro... whatever pro you need to be to support everyone being able to do what they want.  Doesn't mean I can't laugh at you though!

Not hilarious, but always makes me smile, this girl had just noticed herself on my camera display and couldn't stop laughing! 

Just in case you were thinking it was ok to use a urinal to wash your hands... it not, apparently...

 And this is weirder than the last. What the? I'm NOT allowed to clean my shoes or take a shower with the toilet hose??  Kill joys!

 At first I thought this meant no sex in the taxi van.  But then Monisha pointed out it obviously meant no HETRO sex in the van.  Of course!  :-/

At first, I thought this was a really nasty derogatory t-shirt and was thinking, "man, you allow gays to have sex in vans but then say gays cause AIDS... that's really mean!".  On second look though I figured out what it meant.  Sex standing up causes AIDS.  Makes sense, I guess.  Or maybe spanking causes AIDS... I dunno.

Hope that gave you a chuckle before the weekend.

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My final supper!

Contrary to popular belief, since I have begun travelling I actually have been packing on the kilo's like it's no one else's business! So last night I decided, that even though I am travelling, I need to cut out some of the excessive living and get my healthy on!!

To make sureI went out with a bang, last night I was talking to a friend back home who also digs his food and we picked out a room service meal for kings! Then I went to the hotel restaurant to eat because I  think there is nothing more depressing than ordering room service unless its a)breakfast, b)really late or c)you've been drinking ( oh come on, who isn't craving wok fried egg noodles after a night out!!!)

So, I wondered down to the beach restaurant, sat in a day bed and promptly ordred the below.  It was SOOOO  good!!

 To start with, cognac flavoured crab bisque, garnished with crab meta and served with pizza bread.

 Fried fillet of sea bass with white wine, caper and shrimp butter, served with sautéed zucchini and vegetables. 

A side of wedges 

Kahlua and chocolate flavoured mousse.  I'm not even apologising.... I enjoyed this with an espresso martini.

The net gain of my caffeine saturated dessert was that I couldn't sleep til 5 and I missed my morning yoga.  Fitness fail.  But screw it, it was worth it!!

What say you? Do you have any cheeky dishes you occasionally indulge in?

Let me know!

Until next time,

Daniel

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The Queen of Koh Samui

I have met the Queen of Koh Samui.  Not only is she the Queen of Koh Samui, she is one of the coolest most hospitable and loveliest people I have met! I love her!  This lady knows EVERYONE on this island and is more than happy to help you out should you need it.

Noi is the owner of the Gecko Club in the hills of Bophut, Koh Samui.  Once owners of the Gecko Club on Bophut Beach, Noi and Gary sold up and  moved up into the hills of Bophut for a bit of a more quieter scene and sweeping views of the island and ocean.  Can't really argue with these views can you?

View from the Gecko Club (stolen from their Facebook page!)

Noi met Dan (not me, the other Dan) in Ibiza many years ago, has helped us (being myself, Dan and Kim) do so much in and around the island its been incredible.Not only has she organised us with an awesome driver who wasn't going to rip us off, and told us the best places to see on the island, she also helped us get price reductions on anything we did. For example, I am currently staying in a 5 star hotel room which I am getting for less than $100 a night. That is reduced from the standard price of about US$400  a night, and it was about $240 on Agoda.com.  She also talked down the price of our own private speed boat when going to Koh Phangan, auditioned some DJ's for the full moon party, and other clubs on the island, and got us "Noi prices" when we went out.  This is a someone everyone who comes to the island needs to know and her club is definately a place you need to visit for a day. Lie down, and just chill out at. Really, make sure you visit her club and try some of her fruit shakes and her home made food. Her fish chicken soup and Beef massaman are to die for.

To get there, take the second right after the Bophut traffic lights at the Old Monkey Theatre Soi, and follow the orange flags and yellow signs.  Its 300 metres to the right after the golf course.

Facebook page is here.

Visit, chill out, make friends and enjoy Samui!!

Until next time,

Daniel

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Muay Thai (Thai boxing) - Koh Samui

I got me a free muay thai lesson!!

Muay thai, the national thai sport, is a martial art which is also known as the "art of eight limbs" or the "science of eight links" as it incorporates the use of strikes and blows from hands and feet, as well as elbows and knees.  Hence eight limbs as opposed to only feet or hands and feet used by most other fighting styles!

What I looked like, in my head!

While at the Gecko Club, I met a girl, Vivi, who was being trained by one of the muay thai masters here in Thailand and she offered to give me a quick lesson! :)

Yes, I totally got my arse kicked by a girl!  :)

It was actually really hard.  Not that I'm the best fighter in the world. I'm not.  Actually, the last time I was in a fight I got taken out in one punch and ended up with two stitches in my face. (Seriously, I did).  Well, actually, he was twice my size and I wasn't even looking at him when he hit me. So you couldn't call it a fight as much as a cheep shot from someone who didn't think I was funny when I'm drunk.  Honestly, I'm hilarious when I'm drunk.  Anybody who doesn't think I'm funny when I'm drunk is a douche.  He was obviously a douche. I mean, he hit someone half his size when they weren't even looking.  Douche. I hope he see's this.  He's some 'roided up idiot from Sydney who wears shirts too small for him and he doesn't have a neck.  I bet he has a small willy too...from all his roids!  HAHAHA  He's a douche with no neck and a small willy!!

Really, I am SO funny when drunk, I promise. :)  But wow, I'm digressing.

The stance was the hardest thing to get my head around.  You need to put your chin against your shoulder and hunch like an old man... for the whole time... (I'm actually not standing correctly in the photographs below).  It all got a bit too confusing after about 15 minutes and my masseuse arrived... and I get massages better than I throw punches, so I did that instead.

 And this is how you punch...

"Like this?"  "Yes, but punch like you mean it!!" 

"Like this???"

Folklore

The most popular folklore regarding muay boran is that of Nai Khanomtom.

At the time of the fall of the ancient Siam capital of Ayutthaya in 1767, the invading Burmese troops rounded up thousands of Thais and took them to Burma as prisoners. Among them were a large number of Thai kickboxers, who were taken to the city of Ava.

In 1774, in the Burmese city of Rangoon, the Burmese King Hsinbyushin (known in Thai as "King Mangra") decided to organize a seven-day, seven-night religious festival in honor of Buddha's relics. The festivities included many forms of entertainment, such as the costume plays called likay, comedies and farces, and sword-fighting matches. At one point, King Hsinbyushin wanted to see how muay boran would compare to the Burmese art lethwei. Nai Khanomtom was selected to fight against the Burmese champion. The boxing ring was set up in front of the throne and Nai Khanomtom did a traditional Wai Kru pre-fight dance, to pay his respects to his teachers and ancestors, as well as the spectators, dancing around his opponent. This amazed and perplexed the Burmese people, who thought it was black magic. When the fight began, Nai Khanomtom charged out, using punches, kicks, elbows, and knees to pummel his opponent until he collapsed.

However the Burmese referee said the Burmese champion was too distracted by the dance, and declared the knockout invalid. The King then asked if Nai Khanomtom would fight nine other Burmese champions to prove himself. He agreed and fought them all, one after the other with no rest periods in between. His last opponent was a great kickboxing teacher from Rakhine. Nai Khanomtom mangled him by his kicks and no one else dared to challenge him.

King Mangra was so impressed that he allegedly remarked, "Every part of the Thai is blessed with venom. Even with his bare hands, he can fell nine or ten opponents. But his Lord was incompetent and lost the country to the enemy. If he would have been any good, there was no way the City of Ayutthaya would ever have fallen."

King Mangra granted Nai Khanomtom freedom along with either riches or two beautiful Burmese wives. Nai Khanomtom chose the wives as he said that money was easier to find. He then departed with his wives for Siam. Other variations of this story had him also winning the release of his fellow Thai prisoners. His feat is celebrated every March 17 as Boxer's Day or National Muay Boran Day in his honor and that of muay boran's.

Today, some have wrongly attributed the legend of Nai Khanomtom to King Naresuan, who spent his youth as a royal hostage in Burma while Ayutthaya was a Burmese vassal. However, Nai Khanomtom and King Naresuan were almost two centuries apart.

Until next time,

Daniel

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Snorkelling and Wake Boarding - Koh Phangan

Yesterday, Noi, from the Gecko Club, Dan and Kim arranged for me to go on a day boat trip to Koh Phangan (where the full moon party is held) with Noi and her newly acquired French DJ's.  The day was incredible the sights were brilliant.

Are you jealous?

We drove our speedboat past an Island which is used for harvesting bird nests for birds nest soup, a delicacy here in Thailand.  There were all these red flags on bouys and on the island.  Those red flags mean "If you come on this island we will shoot you".  SHOOT YOU!!! They can't be that nice!!! Imagine if we had red flags around our Tim Tam factories!!

Our first stop was at a really shallow reef where we were able to snorkel and check out some coral and fish.  The coolest bit was feeding the fish bread.  I kept breaking it up and spreading it around me.  The fish kept biting me in their efforts to grab a feed which tickled like buggery!

Feeding fish break in the waters off Koh Phangan

Afterwards, we decided to have an international wake boarding competition.  Australia, England, France and Italy!! England, represented by Kim, won, hands down, however the rest of us had zero experience wake boarding and Kim got up first go and pulled off some jump and 180's.  English sure do show off when the actually get around to winning something don't they!! ;)

Kim doing her victory lap!!!

Kim and I after her stella board!! :)

The afternoon was spent finding venues for our French Dj friends to play at.  We found the Kangeroo bar (on the same beach as the Full Moon Party) which was nice, and we enjoyed some of the local beverages before heading home early as 2 of french boys turned quite ill and we needed to get them home.

After the Kangeroo bar the boat ride home was incredible!! We skimmed across flat seas, in full moon light, clear skies with millions of stars, and coming into Bophut there were chinese lantern's sailing into the air and fireworks shooting off all over the beach.  Absolutely surreal! :)

Our French DJ's,  Axel, Guilliam and Tony, who we followed around the island!

How to get there:

From Koh Samui, you can catch a ferry to Koh Phangan, however we hired our own private boat which will cost you about 30,000 THB for the day, which includes use of snorkel gear (but bring your own fins) and wake board.  They will also wait for you until you are done to bring you home to Koh Phangan

It was one of the best afternoons ever!!  If you can afford it (share with your friends) definitely book a private boat.  It will allow you to see a lot really quickly and boats are just fun!!

Thanks to Dan and Kim and Noi for organising a brilliant day!!  Looking forward to some more parties in Europe with you and our new DJ friends!!! :)

Until next time,

Daniel

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Challenge accepted: DJ tryouts and living the high life!!

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you've thought to yourself "how did this happen"?  Well that happened to me yesterday.  I met two friends of a mutual friend, who commented on a post a couple of days ago, at a club here and had an absolutely BRILLIANT TIME!

Dan and Kim left me a message on a post (here) after getting word that I was in town for a few days and invited me to one of their mutual friends' club, the Gecko Club in the hills of Bophet in Koh Samui.  Before I go further, a word of caution, if you are trying to find this place DO NOT go to the Gecko BAR! The Gecko BAR is a tacky little hole which is really a Japanese hooker bar. The Gecko CLUB is a premises in the hills of Bophet (the fishing village) which has a pool, and serves up great drinks, brilliant food, with some phat beats.  The club is really simple, but that is part of the charm, and the views are amazing.  The club looks out over what seems to be half the island.

Kim managed to take this snap by accident.  This pool had three levels and I didn't see the third one!! I ended up underwater fully clothed, but true to Aussie form kept my beer above water!!

After my accidental dunk!! AHahahah

As it turned out, the owner of the Gecko Club, Noi, has a son who is a DJ, and Noi is quite well known on the island, very quickly sorting me out a penthouse hotel room at a local hotel for a few nights! Cha-ching!! That day she also happened to be auditioning some french DJ's for a spot at ... wait for it... THE FULL MOON PARTY!!  So my afternoon was spent swimming, eating, drinking, lounging, and listening to top quality DJ's all afternoon!  (If you go there try the chicken soup or massaman. To. Die. For.) The DJ's were quite good too, I must say!  Noi liked them as well and after hearing them managed to get them a few gigs on the island.

Not a bad place to test out your DJ skills.  Our French DJ's auditioning for Noi.

To make things even more interesting, the DJ's are also making a documentary on their (The DJ's) touring around the world, and now that they are playing at the Full Moon Party tonight, guess who's going with them!!  Ch-YEAH I AM!!!  We have a private boat taking Noi, the DJ's, a film crew and Dan and Kim across tonight, but before that I have been invited to spend the day on the boat sight seeing around Koh Samui!  How lush!!!

Kim looking very at home!!

Anyway, these guys have planned a huge day for me, so I have to run!!

Until next time!

Daniel

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Elephant riding on Koh Samui

I rode an elephant.... and picked fruit.... and fed it!!!

I nearly fell off, but I'm too awesome for that!!!!

My driver picking some rambutan off the elephant! 

 Once I started feeding it, the elephant wouldn't put his trunk down!!!

It was scary!! But I didn't piss myself... MUCH!!!

Until next time,


Daniel

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Climbing waterfalls in Koh Samui!

I just added to my list of man-skillz: Conquering waterfalls!!!

OK, its not the biggest waterfall in the history of the planet, but it was still fun!!  I found this waterfall and my driver managed to catch a few snaps!!  I didn't have my boardies on me so you'll just have to deal with me in my undies!!  Secretly you love it!

 Harder than it looks, but climbing backwards was a bit easier!

 Secretly, this guy wanted to do this... and his girlfriend wanted him too as well.  He didn't. Sad faces all round really!  

Wasn't a bad afternoon!! What else should I conquer??

Until next time!!

Daniel

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Why having no plans give you the best days!!

Today was a brilliant day!! After posting about having nothing to do and no where to stay, I promptly found some accommodation for the night and hired a driver to drive me around the island for the day.  I wanted to see all the sights!!

First off we went and saw a few temples.  And while temples are temples, these were still pretty nice! I love how Asian temples are so vibrantly coloured and have mosaics of coloured glass and mirrors!! They absolutely gleamed in the sunshine today!

After the temples, we went and saw a petrified monk.  No, not a mummified monk, a petrified monk.  This thing has dried up and now just sits in a glass case.  Now, before I go further, if you had to picture a petrified monk sitting in a glass case, what do you think it would be wearing?  Go on, think about it.  A robe, perhaps gold in colour??  What about a pair of imitation Ray Bans?  Did you picture those anywhere?  Well, this guy had them!!  Wanna know something else?  Occasionally, other monks have to come and give the monk a haircut!!  That freaked me out. So I took a photo of his Ray Bans and left!

The Monk in his cage!!

I wonder how much Ray Bans gives for this advertising!! Monks would be all over Ray Bans rip offs now!!

We found a rock in the form of a cock at our next stop.  Actually, it was two!  I think it it a tenuous link, but apparently this is a young mans' penis...

Proud, strong, young man penis!

and this is an old mans' penis....  (this is Grandpa)

Droopy, limp, old man penis (lying on the rock).

There was also a stone that was suppose to look like the lady bits, which is called Grandma, but I got distracted by the below!!!  It was much more exciting than those rocks!!  LOOK AT THE CUTE!!  

I think Asia does cute like nothing else!! 

This is the owner of the dog, a lovely girl named Tang!  I nearly kidnapped her dog but Tang would not have a bar of it!! :)  

Dan, puppy and Tang!

After too many cocks made of rocks I made my way to an elephant ride (pics here) and climbed a waterfall (pics here) before having dinner looking at this sunset!!

Not a bad day!! 

Until next time!!

Daniel

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Thailand Challenge for Dan!!!

So, I've managed to get myself stuck on Koh Samui with no plans, no accommodation and no real way to get off the island until Monday.  So I need help in filling my days until then.

If anyone knows anyone on (or near) Koh Samui, Thailand, or has any ideas for what do to here please comment below or message me on FB or email.

To make things interesting, I will consider challenges if they are thrown at me.

I know too many cool people for this not to get potentially VERY interesting!!

Until next time,

Daniel

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Video post: New Years Eve Celebrations, Full Moon Party

The full moon party turned out to be the thing to do, and it was AWESOME!!!!    I couldn't be bother typing so I just did a quick video.  Note my brilliant editing skills!!!

Until next time,

Daniel

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What was important to you in 2011? Mine is YOU!

OK, so it's the last day of 2011.  I have no idea where the frick 2011 went mind you, but its gone and it its place remain memories, friends, and passport stamps.

Since I began writing this I have starting reading some other blogs a bit more, to see what works, what I like, etc, and a lot seem to do stuff like, "my top 10 blogs", or "look what I got in 2011", which is a bit tiring.  But, it is nice to reflect on things that have past to get a sense of satisfaction to reassure ourselves that time past was not time lost.

So, this morning I was sitting in my villa in Koh Samui (my coffee was brought to me without asking exactly how I like it, thanks to my amazing house staff), I was trying to think of the places I had been this year.  It wasn't a bad list, but not overly impressive either!  I managed to get to Bali, Indonesia, for a family friends' wedding and stayed at the beautiful Karma Kandara (website here). Then later in the year I, obviously, came to Asia and have visited Cambodia and now Thailand.  So, three countries in one year, which has been pretty standard for me over the last few years. In fairness though, usually that has been for work.  As I ran study tours and worked for Curtin University I was often in Malaysia (often going through Brunei), China and Vietnam.

When I thought about it though, this years travels seems that much more awesome.  Probably because I wasn't working! But because of that, the ability to focus on the travel, I met some really awesome people. Seriously, this year I have meet some of the coolest cats I know or reconnected with people who I had lost contact with and, for me, that is one of the beauties of travelling.

Then I got thinking more, still on the same topic, and thought about all the travelling I had done within Australia, and I was blown away with what relationships I had managed to make and maintain.

To give you a run down of the year:

I brought in the 2011 year in Tasmania at the Falls Festival with one of my best mates Benjie, his partner Narisha, and his friends Jimmy, Peter and Fleur, and Kajsa  We spent four days listening to bands, and sneaking about with contraband alcohol, before touring Tassie for a day or two. (We had also gone to the Taste of Tasmana food show in Hobart just after Christmas where I had managed to catch up with fellow Perthian/JCLA'er/GV alum Tristan, and my JCLA buddy/down right LEGEND Aimee).

Jimmy,Kajsa and I.  Fall Festival, Tasmania, Australia 

Benji and Narisha

This lead to numerous trips to Melbourne as I started a new job in April for not for profit company called Teach for Australia (website) and required me flying to Melbourne every six weeks or so.  The TFA guys were, hands down, some of the coolest people I have ever worked for! Not only that, the vision of the company (an Australia where every child has access to quality eduction) is a very humble, noble, and achievable one.

The travel to Melbourne for work saw me being able to catch up with my cousin Tim (and finally see his house in the hills - amazing) and Uncle Dave. Go out with the TFA crew for the Melbourne comedy festival (I got belly ache from laughing so hard), catching up with Mattie and Liam (and getting our party on before dropping me - bastards!! ;) ), being in Melbourne for the AFL Grand Final (offing Collingwood!), Brendan and the new TJ, also dead set legends, catching up with good friend and fashion blogger Carly (Lady Smaggle, blog here) and some how, yet again, turning lunch into an 11 hour adventure of coffee, ales, tapa's and ciders.... Then going back to Naked for Satan an hour after we left because everything was just far too good), catching up with one of dad's best mates Steve... the list goes on...

The TFA crew, Melbourne, Australia

Half way through the year was Bali and Gili T, as I said, which saw me meeting Katie and so many friends of the Kotovski clan (if you know the Kotovski's, you are in the clan.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, you're not.  Just... no).  The wedding and the venue truly made the wedding trip a moment where friendship could be made over a few days and you could have some awesome times.  For example, I spent over a million on tequila on the wedding night... ONE MILLION... rupiah.. :)  It was just awesome meeting Asheesh, Ravi's mates, Claire et al.

This is the after Moet glow.... Katie and I, Bali, Indonesia

After my TFA contract expired, I took a few weeks off.  I hung around to see some champions of champions graduate from the John Curtin Leadership Academy before heading to Asia.

JCLA grads!!!!

Since hitting Asia, I have met some awesome people from Europe, Johanna and Rose specifically from Siem Reap, Manu and Rachel from Koh Rong who I will be seeing again shortly,  and in Thailand I am now in a villa with 8 other awesome peeps, all relationships I hope will endure.

Johanna and I in Siem Reap

Ludo and I rocking it out

My partner in crime, Tash and I, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Rachel and I, Sihanouk Ville, Cambodia.

I have to be honest, I am seriously downright shocked as to how many hits this page is getting.   Russian reverse span bots aside, I love that it helps me remain connected to everyone I have met while travelling, and also my friends am family back home.  I, of course, love you comments and messages on FB.

Koh Samui, Thailand

So, my 2011 was incredible because I managed to meet a bunch of wicked people and remain connected via the wonders of technology!!

But, what made 2011 big for you?  Let me know!!

Until next time, and 2012!!

Daniel

Follow me on Twitter @TheDanFactor