Mark's Trip Round The World Blog [Archive]

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2010-03-05T23:27:00.001Z

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Kate's Skydive

2010-02-12T10:32:00.001Z

Facebook on Holiday

2010-01-29T13:53:00.002Z

List of my statuses from Facebook while I was on holiday.

- will be in NEW YORK this time tomorrow =]
02 June 2009 at 14:55
- is loving new york and is waiting to get the tour of the United Nations!
04 June 2009 at 20:25
- is shopping in New York and away to see the Mets play on Tuesday =]
05 June 2009 at 18:31
- is sitting in an italian cafe having dinner in New York.
07 June 2009 at 23:55
- is in New York uploading some photos online. Away to cross the Brooklyn Bridge later followed by a Mets game - woop!
09 June 2009 at 18:09
- in New York. Just updated the blog. Off to Los Angeles on Friday. WOOOP =]
11 June 2009 at 03:12
- shoved some photos from New York on his blog and facebook. LA on Friday
11 June 2009 at 15:45
- paid $6 to have his photo taken with barney.
14 June 2009 at 05:04
- has lost his Mobile Phone as it was last seen riding The Simpsons at Universal Studios. Most annoying thing ever.
16 June 2009 at 03:53
- was having an awesome holiday until he lost his phone.
16 June 2009 at 04:18
- is away to Hawaii tomorow =]
17 June 2009 at 06:55
- is in the Apple Store in Hawaii. Gone jet-sking. Tomorrow it's the surf lessons - WOOP!
20 June 2009 at 05:58
- is a tiny bit Sunburnt from all the time he spent on the beach in Hawaii - aint life a bitch.
21 June 2009 at 02:52
- is in Sydney airport waiting for his connecting flight to New Zealand.
23 June 2009 at 06:05
- is in Auckland, New Zealand putting more photos up from his trip!
24 June 2009 at 02:25
- is in New Zealand.
30 June 2009 at 05:40
- is waiting at the airport for the weather to clear up before he skydives out a plane at 15,000ft! =s
30 June 2009 at 23:34
did his first Skydive from 15,000ft yesterday - photos in the album =D
02 July 2009 at 03:42
- has a phone now. SEND ME YOUR NUMBERS IN A COUPLE OF HOURS.
04 July 2009 at 23:56
- has a phone now so send me your numbers again please. I will not make a group.
08 July 2009 at 08:07
- wonders if he should stay in New Zealand for the rest of his life.
08 July 2009 at 08:17
- is in an internet cafe trying to burn some more photos onto CD and failing - stupid program.
09 July 2009 at 03:56
- is in a sunny Cairns slightly hungover =]
19 July 2009 at 06:22
- is scared at the photos which are soon to be tagged.
19 July 2009 at 09:15
- enjoyed his mini rainforest trek and is looking forward to a good BBQ by the pool.
21 July 2009 at 06:11
- is off out tonight for Power-Hour. $10 for all you can drink. =]
22 July 2009 at 06:58
- has a horrific hangover. The Australian sun aint helping that much either.
23 July 2009 at 05:35
- just discoverd that this time next week he'll be back in Glasgow.
24 July 2009 at 04:34
- is just back from the Great Barrier Reef. =] Photos up soon.
25 July 2009 at 07:18
- just adding photos off the Great Barrier Reef to my blog!
25 July 2009 at 09:34
- just arrived in Tokyo and although he expected to be confused, is totally overwhelmed and has spent his first hour in the airport wandering.
26 July 2009 at 11:14
- is gutted the video he made of the film he took at the Great Barrier Reef is now gone.
27 July 2009 at 11:32
- does love how his Hotel has free unlimited Internet...*sigh* oh Tokyo.
27 July 2009 at 12:10
- is just back from Tokyo Disneyland Park.
28 July 2009 at 14:46
- is just back from his last day in Tokyo. Home tomorrow. What a trip. =[
29 July 2009 at 12:03
- is trying not to laugh in the hotel internet lounge after the old guys computer at another desk blurted out "************"
29 July 2009 at 12:13
- is back in Glasgow =]
31 July 2009 at 07:40 -

Tokyo Disneyland Pictures - All

2010-01-27T14:54:00.006Z
All images taken by myself and hosted on:

PlusNet Deleted My Blog!

2009-12-30T01:18:00.002Z

Aplogoises for any missing images/links/incorrect info. I've had to try and put my blog back together from a variety of sources after my ISP made my blog disappear.

PlusNet have a policy of a daily traffic amount that visitors can download from my site. (Viewing pages, images and movies all come out of this bundle). If you go over several times you're webspage gets archived until you come up with an agreement to not do it again. I did go over several times and, after an agreement, got my webspage reinstated....However...it seems my blog (the entire /rtwblog directory) and other files had gone missing.

Surely they cant have just deleted several files? PlusNet, over the phone, claim they haven't. I'm pretty sure somebody didnt personally go into my webspage and remove it, all I know is it's not there. Infact, according to the ftp server, nothing has been touched since October 2009. Which is weird, as I have stats listing that people have been visiting the blog as close as 27th December 2009, just before the webspace was archived.

The text has been recovered from Blogger.com and the style sheets and images from my external harddrive. Images hosted on Facebook and other providers has been fine but there are huge gaps for files uploaded through Blogger.com but stored on the PlusNet server. It'll take me a while to fix these but I'll do it as fast as I can.

PlusNet claims it was nothing to do with them. They didnt delete it. They do admit to deleting hundreds of customers emails in 2006^[+] and it appears somebody else has had the same problem with webspage going missing. ^[+]. Nobody seems to know what happened...maybe it was my Christmas lights?

I'm really disapointed with PlusNet. After 9 years with the company - with only minor problems - I thought it was a match made in heaven. However, it appears all good things come to an end. I'm currently on the lookout for a new hosting service.

Some New Zealand Videos

2009-12-19T15:48:00.001Z

Some Tokyo Videos

2009-12-17T02:18:00.000Z

Some Hawaii Videos

2009-12-17T02:17:00.000Z

Some Los Angeles Videos

2009-12-16T11:22:00.000Z

Some New York Videos

2009-12-16T11:20:00.002Z

Some Tokyo Disneyland Videos

2009-12-16T11:19:00.000Z

2009-10-14T15:45:00.002+01:00

Wordle

2009-10-08T16:55:00.003+01:00
I was bored in University one day during lunch so created a Wordle of my blog feed. A wordle shows more common words larger than less frequently used words. The posts used were those posted from the 14th June till yesterday.

Skydiving Video

2009-10-04T18:20:00.001+01:00

Warning!This video contains strong language.

Tokyo Pictures

2009-10-02T12:03:00.003+01:00

Disneyland Tokyo Pictures & Video

2009-10-02T11:47:00.001+01:00

Frequently Asked Questions - Updated!

2009-10-01T15:52:00.000+01:00

This FAQ was updated after I came back from my trip. To see the one that was written before hand, click here.

Who the hell are you?
I'm Mark. I'm 20 years old from Glasgow Scotland. Studying at Dundee University.

What's this trip thing?
I decided it would be cool to go to New York over summer for a few weeks. Two mates from home thought I should go to Australia. I decided to go from New York, straight to Australia via a Qantas World Trip ticket allowing me to visit 6 places.

Have you been to these places before?
Out of the 6 places I had only been to New York before.

Who are you going with?
I travelled with Kate in New York, Los Angeles, Hawaii and New Zealand. In Australia I met up with my friend Cat in Brisbane for two days, before heading to Cairns with Rachel and Sarah. I hit Tokyo all by myself.

How can I get updates?
I set up a FeedBurner mailing address. This mailing address is still active. Every morning it scans the site and if there has been a new post, it will send an email to you. To subscribe, use the box on the left hand side. I also set up an RSS Feed and iGoogle application. Again, links are in the sidebar. You could also follow me if you have me on Facebook. Alternatively, you can just check this site out every-so-often.

How are you updating this blog?
My plan was to update this on my (Nokia 5800 Xpress Music) using ShoZu software. This did work with the exception that New York does not have as much free WiFi as I had hoped. What also didnt help is I lost my phone in Los Angeles in Universal Studios. This meant I was without a phone for a few weeks and had to use internet cafes for the rest of the trip.

How often are you going to update the site?
I updated it as often as I could.

Isn't this whole trip ridiculously expensive and could turn out to be a complete disaster?
Expensive, kinda. I spent over my budget but it was 100% worth it. There were no real disaters. Losing my phone was depressing but I got over it, eventually.

I have another question!
Click here to email me.

Panoramic Photos

2009-09-23T21:38:00.002+01:00
So it's taken a while but I've finally gotten round to stitching the panoramics photos togethter. Have a look. Some of them are pretty awesome.

Click each image for bigger version.

Tokyo Disneyland

2009-07-28T17:45:00.018+01:00
So day two in Tokyo and I decided to go to Tokyo Disneyland. Not very cultured I admit but something I fancied doing since I knew there was a Disneyland in Tokyo.

Warning!This post is a very detailed description of what I did. If you aren't that bothered, feel free to ignore it and check back for another post with photos. To make it easier, rather than describing the attractions, I will link the title of each ride to the Wikipedia page for the ride, and beside it put a YouTube link if you wish to watch a ride-through. As this huge description is being used in many contexts, there are abbrevations used throughout as well. Don't say I didn't warn you! If you have any questions leave me a comment or send me any email.

I had hoped to arrive for the Rope Drop (Park opening) but missed it by about 20minutes. As I walked through the gate and into Tokyo Disneyland `Main Street` the buzz was crazy. The amount of people that visit seems to be much higher than those in the American Parks. I thought, being as clever as I am, the rule of thumb is always, get a FastPass for the second biggest attraction immediately, then standby the next.

However, this went out the window when the newest attraction - Monsters Inc Ride & Go Seek - had a standby queue of 200minutes and FP was already down to 4pm in the afternoon. I thought I should leave the ride till later in the day when hopefully the standby time will have gone down. I thought I`d do the same for AstroBlaster and head to Splash and Big Thunder Mountain. On my way by spotted Haunted Mansion which turned out to be a walk on so I went for that. Great classic ride. Was pleased to see the singing Busts and the catchy tune in English.

After that headed I for Splash Mountain to pick up a fastpass and then walked to Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road
. Standby was already on 90minutes but since I assumed all the other rides would be the same, I thought I might as well go for it. When I went to WDW when I was 7, I never went on BTMRR so I was quite excited. To be honest, I left a bit disappointed. There weren't any great falls or air time and thought thought it came across pretty tame. Yes I know its Disney but still. Kinda disappointed.

By the time my 90minute (which turned out to be 60minute) experience at BTMRR finished, I headed to Splash Mountain for the FP. FP queue was empty so pretty much walked on and loved the ride! Great length, great theming, good music (though all translated into Japanese, a recurring theme through the day) and a good few drops. The final drop was a bit of a disappointment but the crowd in my log made it worthwhile - mentally excitable Japanese oldish woman. I like how all the signs don't say `elderly`, they say `people of advanced age`.

After Splash it was about 11.30 so I headed to the stage area of Tomorrowland to watch One Mans Dream 2:The Legend Lives On . Short catchy title Im sure you`ll agree. Great opening where a picture of Mickey infront of a house in black and white comes to life and slowly turns into a colourful house with a colourful lively Mickey and Minnie. Lasted 20minutes which felt was good.

After the show I remembered I had a FP oppertunity which wasn't being used (Len Testa would not be impressed) so I walked around to Space Mountain and got a FP. Noticed the standby line was 40minutes so thought I could easily wait as well. Space Mountain, first time riding one, was pretty good but I totally understand now what people mean when they say they feel they are about to have their heads cut off. I was too worried to keep my head up half the time nevermind wave my arms around. Crikey. All I saw was steel coming towards me at a mental speed. Great ride though. Really enjoyed it. Corners were fast, no real airtime but nonetheless pretty exciting.

After Space I walked past Star Tours and totally forgot the ride existed in Tokyo Disneyland. Wait time was 5 minutes and yet they have enough queue space for about 4hours worth of queue. How popular was this ride ever? I thought the ride was rubbish. Never been a fan of Star Wars but I assumed I would enjoy a simulator nonetheless. I suppose I lost a lot because it was in Japanese but still. After being on the Simpsons Ride 4 weeks ago, this looked rubbish. I even remember the good ol` Body Wars being better. Did the speech really take away from it? The woman beside me was holding on for grim death. Bless. I think a Star Wars 2.0 is desperatly needed.

Went into Adventureland for Pirates Of The Caribbean . By this time it had started to rain but luckily the queue was at 40minutes and most of that queuing was inside. The pirates ride was awesome. Much better than I remember it as a kid. The Jack Sparrow AA`s are SO unbelievably realistic. The fog screen during the ride is great too. I found myself reaching out like all the other kids on the ride to see how it was done. If I had to pick another ride I would have wanted another go on before the park closed it would have been this or Splash. The songs and most of the speech was in English but occasionally there were sections spoken in English followed by Japanese.

After Pirates I headed to Jungle Cruise where the standby was at 35minutes. I asked if the infamous skipper spiel was in English and was told it was Japanese. I also asked if it was just the English jokes in Japanese but was told it was original Tokyo Disneyland spiel. I speak no Japanese but I *think* I could tell there were certainly some of the jokes used in the WDW/DL versions. Somebody can maybe confirm this.

After Jungle Cruise it was time for one of the shows. 'Cool The Heat' is basically all about having fun with a few songs and characters on stage as they shot huge amounts of waters out of cannons around the stage and castle. What's that you say? I`ll get wet? We`ll surely I cant get that wet - I'm 500m away from the stage? But wait, everyone around is wearing some form of waterproof? A cast member has told me to cover my camera? Oh no. I filmed it and got really wet and I`ll shove the results on Youtube later. The YouTube link at the moment is just a randomers video. Good show. Only 6minutes but its great if its totally boiling and you need a cool down. The Japanese seem to get so easily involved in the shows. They`re enthusiasm is awesome. They do 5 shows a day with each centred around one of the major 5. The show I saw was about Minnie Mouse. I still have the last song in my head. Finally something entirely in English.

he show only featured 4 dancers, Goofy and Minnie which made me wonder if there were any places I could meet Mickey. They don't seem to have many Meet and Greets - or they aren't advertised as much. I saw Cinderella, the Fairy Godmother and another Princess walk about but that was about it for the day. Then it occurred to me the best place to find Mickey would be his house. After a 50minute wait in his garden (with lovely cool sprays to kill off the heat) I met Mickey. Woop! Obviously I havent met Mickey personally when I have been this tall but he is really is quite small. I'm 5ft 11 and he must of only reached 5ft 6 maybe? He was cool though and I managed to get 2 photos by faking I had forgotten to put the Flash on. Oooh yeah! They placed us in groups of around 12 and you all have the chance to have a photo and conversation (as much as you can with a mouse who is saving his voice for the parade).

After Mickey I went to Space Mountain and had to play the confused `My Fastpass has run out but can I still use it?`-card. Luckily they have the same policy as they do in WDW and I queued up expecting not to feel as scared at being decapitated. I was wrong.

After I came out the Jubilation Parade was going by. Some pretty cool floats. Music was semi-catchy (Not as good as Dreams Come True Parade) and it had no parade stops. All the characters that you expected to be there, were so that was good. No complaints.

Since I was in Fantasyland I went to hit up Pinocchio`s Daring Adventure. I'm not sure if WDW ever had this but I wanted to see what it was like. Pretty standard Snow White/Peter Pan ride. Clever effect of you going into a cage which was pretty cool. Bog standard ride - again all in Japanese.

By this time I had totally forgotten about Pooh`s Honey Hunt
. This is a pretty cool ride as it is completely trackless and one of the first rides to use this technology in any of the Disney Parks. It uses a LPS system which allows many trains to be in the same scene and zoom about happily in what appears to be a random way but is infact totally controlled. You really need to see the YouTube video to understand what I mean. I LOVED this ride. Probably my favourite in the park. It was so so clever, the efforts were great and every ride is kinda different as you get a different ride depending which one of the 3 trains you jump in. Great ride. I went back at the end to ride this again. When you see tiger bouncing, your train actually bounces too. This doesnt come across on the video to well.

The evening show - Monsters Inc - Its Laugher We`re After - had two shows. It takes place infront of the castle and there is a huge seating area which is drawn randomly for seats using your park ticket in a lottery-type scheme in Tomorrowland. (I'm not sure how many people actually lose, though I did see a few people leave without tickets). I won a seat at the side but turned out with a great view. I had to be there at 9pm or my seat would be inaccessible so I figured I should go try get on the Monsters Inc Ride & Go Seek ride before 9pm. It had a two and a half hour wait but it seemed a waste to go to Tokyo Disneyland and not wait it out. The queue was split inside and out.
The queue inside is themed like the huge entrance area of the Monsters Inc lab in the movie. The ride premise is you use a flashlight to try and find monster targets hidden around the scenes. Frankly I found the whole thing a bit of a mess. I didn't feel there was any correlation between what the people in the train were putting at with their torches, and what was happening in the scenes. Really disappointed. I'm not sure what other reaction about the ride was but I was disappointed. This put me off queuing for the Buzz Lightyear ride. Possible mistake, I'm not sure. The only good thing were the AA`s which, in fairness, looked pretty cool. However, I reckon it would work best as a cool dark ride which a story rather than this weird level of non-interactivity.

As I left Winnie I hit the Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade (with usual Electrical Parade music). Some fantastic floats. Went on for about 30minutes possibly with loads of characters including some which I thought shouldn't have really been there and infact, the character had to introduce himself. Peter`s Dragon anyone? The only odd thing was that the loop for the characters speech and the floats was really short. Maybe it was from where I was standing but I could just hear the first 20secs of the start of the loop again as they began to go out of earshot. Great parade overall though. I'm always in two minds as to whether to put Mickey first or last. With this parade the major 5 (except Pluto) all passed before the end, leaving the last float as a bit of a weird mix of ChipNDale and Pluto.

After this I hit up Snow White. I remember as a child in WDW being a bit scared and I could never remember why - I still don`t.

I made it with about 3minutes to spare before the Monsters Inc Show - Club Monsters - It's Laughter We're After . Again conducted all in Japanese except for the songs. Great lights/fireworks/water effects. Lasted about 25minutes and was pretty cool. Got some videos of that too I shall try link to soon.

As in WDW I was counting on the fact that if you are in the queue before the park closes, you get to ride. I couldn't decide if I should try Buzz Lightyear or one I had already done. I went for Winnie the Pooh again.

That`s my day, now for a few random thoughts.
- Everything is Japanese. I was surprised and just HOW much stuffed had been dubbed into Japanese. I`m fully aware it is for the Japanese market but I was surprised at the length they had gone to in all aspects of the park. It appeared the only attractions that had an optional English extra was the Microadventure (aka, HISTA). I passed on that. Luckily they did have `this is the wildest ride in the wilderness` which made me smile but for the other 99% it was entirely in Japanese. Most of the castmembers I came across in fairness could understand what I was saying. I speak no Japanese but still had a good day. Plus I know understand "How many is in your party?" which leads me on to my next thought.
- Ride Capacity. One major complaint is the sheer size of crowds that visit TDL and the lengthy waittimes. I now know why. I'm not sure if it is a cultural thing but the castmembers do nothing to fill up trains. I was travelling as a solo person and for the most part got my own train. During Snow White and Pinocchio there was a 4 behind and infront so got the entire train to myself for the ride. In Pirates I got an entire row! Suitable for 5 people, all to myself. There was a couple behind me as well. With Splash, BTMRR, Space x2, Haunted Mansion and Monsters Inc I got my own row as well. They have no SingleRider facilities at TDL and not once did they take somebody who was further back in the queue to fill up space. Good in a way, but not great when trying to reduce queues.

- I thought maybe I would get a few mental looks as I was completely by myself and going to Disneyland by yourself is not really what the average person does, however, I didn`t feel out of place at all. Maybe it was the large crowds I just blended in or they assumed I had friends at other attractions - I'm not sure. The only awkward time was when a man asked if I was holding the space for friends. When I said `no` he asked me if I was by myself, and then again to confirm I was by myself in the entire park. We didn't talk much after that.
- Tokyo does a great job with themeing - as all Disney Parks do, but they really do.

Overall a pretty great day. I know people will probably think I wasted a day in Japan but I really enjoyed myself. The ticket was around 38pounds, I spent 4 on lunch and 5 on popcorn and drinks. A full fun day from 9 till half 10. I`ll try get some of my photos and videos up soon. The ones used here have been taken from a variety of sources.

In the meantime, thanks for reading,

First Day In Tokyo

2009-07-27T10:30:00.005+01:00

So day 1 in Tokyo,

Thought I would start off going to the usual and hit the Imperial Palace. Asked the
reception for the easiest subway station route and got given a list of things to do which included 3 different changes on the subway station. Horay (/sarcasm)

Went into Shingawa station which - from the map - I was lead to believe is a small little suburban railway station with 3 lines running through it. The place is three times in the size of Central. I followed the instructions and headed for the JR line. Went up to the ticket machine and bought the cheapest ticket I could get knowing you can just pay the right amount when you get off. However, the ticket is like half the size of the hole the ticket barrier has which threw me. Asked a lovely little attendant who assured me it would be fine.

Luckily it was and I managed to work my way through all the transfers to get to the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace which turned out to be closed on Mondays. Horay! The grounds look lovely though. So do the high walls blocking any view of the gardens. Thought I should go for a wander to try make my epic journey not a complete waste of time. I ended up at some lovely garden which the guide book said I should have hit up. Woop.

After a little walk and a fake browse round a lovely airconditioned shop, I headed for the Yasukuni Shrine. Took a few great photos and then headed to the museam building for a browse. As I entered a large adult family (possibly there as a reunion it looked like) asked me to take a photo of them in front of some huge train. Not a problem I thought.　５minutes later one of the ladies of the group presents me with a little gift. It was so random but cute. Didnt really know what to do but didnt want to offend so accepted it and attempted to say Thank-You in Japanese. She just looked a bit confused/scared. Turns out the present is a cork beer mat - random, but a gift none the less!

The musesm was pretty interesting. They dont like the Americans much and the whole thing was very...baltent? "The Americans were clealy showing no sign of trying to help end this war early." They also have one of the human torpedo submarine things where one person would sit in it and basically ram the thing into a warship, exploding the ship and themselves. One of the headsets actually played one of the last phonecalls or messages one of the men sent to their family. Bit depressing but interesting.

After the visit to the Yasukuni Shrine I took the subway again to the another shrine. Quite a famous one which Im not attempting to spell out incorrectly but its where all the tourists go. Its got a market? Ill google it later. It was good as well. Some random girls asked me to fill in some questionaire about Korea and my knowledge of it. I lied where I thought I could as not to appear too ignorant. In return got some Korean fan. Random. Im racking up these free gifts.

After this I took the subway again (my biggest expense so far) and went to the electronic centre. Place is full of shops selling every electronic you could think off and men shouting the prices at you. After a browse it was about 6 so took the subway (AGAIN) back to the hotel and here I am. This is the first place I have CNN and BBC World News on the tele - oh yeh!

The weather is really hot and humid but it did start raining earlier on. Slightly dissapointed but did find an umbrealla for 2pounds fifty. (theres no pound sign, hence why I have to type it all out.)

Anyway, all is well and there are some great photos on my camera but since I cant plug it in here, the ones on this post are from Google.

Im going to try edit the Great Barrier Reef video tonight and upload it.

In the mean time, hope all is well, talk to you soon!

Just arrived in Tokyo

2009-07-26T12:27:00.002+01:00
Although I fully expected to be confused by the signage in Japan, it's such a shock to find yourself in a non-english speaking country after spending the last 7 weeks travelling in the US, NZ and Oz. Finding English on any sign which isnt a major airport sign is mental.

So far I've been here an hour and a half and havent left the airport merely because the hotel I thought I was staying out, is named very much like the one I am staying at. And so do the train stations they are near. Luckily the locations are fairly similar too - but I got such a fright on the plane when I matched the name of the hotel on the Expedia printout, and the one I was reading about in the guidebook. To add to the fun the cash machine gave me 2 10,000YEN notes so I had a to break the equivalent of a 100 pound note on a bottle of coke and a packet of gummy bears. The shop assistent did not look amused.

Anyway, I'm now away to either get the train or the bus to my hotel. If I make it there alive it will be nothing short of a miracle. =p Actually, the chaos is quite a good laugh.

Talk to you soon (hopefully!)

Love

Great Barrier Reef

2009-07-25T10:14:00.004+01:00
So today Sarah, Rachel and I went on a tour to the Great Barrier Reef with Passions of Paradise. It involved a trip out at about half 7 with a trip to Michaelmas Cay and Paradise Reef. Because of Rachel's asthma, she was unable to take part in the Scuba diving but we managed to snorkel in both locations in a cold 24'C.

We hired an underwater digital camera so here are some of the photos. Once I’ve got more time I’ll get some of the videos we took up too. The videos look AMAZING.

Enjoy the photos, click the comments button - have to go pack for Tokyo tomorrow.

End of NZ & Start of OZ

2009-07-25T08:21:00.005+01:00
New Zealand
Finally got to a Global Gossip to get some photos from the end of NZ and my short visit to Brisbane up.

The first photo shows my favourite corner in NZ. It's basically a 190degree turn in the space of like 40yards.

The last day traveling to Christchurch was great. Our weather was good and although it was snowy, we didnt need our snow chains.

Brisbane
The flight to Brisbane was fairly uneventful. The next day we went to the GoldCoast beach and I tried Sushi for the first time on the Sushi Train.

Cairns
After my short 27 hours in Brisbane I traveled up to Cairns to meet with Sarah and Rachel.

As you've probably read in my other blogs, had a few good nights out and a BBQ. On the Tuesday the three of us went on a little rainforest hike which was good fun and, even better, free! Had a good view of Cairns, the airport, and the rainforest from the top. I talked about it here.

Have to run for dinner but I've just arrived back from the Great Barrier Reef so will have some photos from there up ASAP. They have to be developed first from the underwater camera place. Unfortunately Rachel was told she couldn't dive due to her asthma but she still managed to come out snorkeling with us which was cool. Photos soon.

Great Barrier Reef Tomorrow

2009-07-24T10:40:00.005+01:00

Finally booked our trip to the Great Barrier Reef tomorrow. Going on a suba-dive and have a few places to snorkel with too. Cannot wait. Luckily Sarah and Rachel's work has cover so all three of us can go. Also rented out an underwater camera so hope to get some amazing videos and pictures. They should be up tomorrow as well.
Also tomorrow Im gonna put the photos of Australia online and burn them onto CD before I hit Tokyo.

Staying at the Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa for 4 nights to check out Tokyo before the long flight home. Checked out the way to the airport as I get in quite late into Tokyo. Subway or airport shuttle seems the way forward. Cannot wait. It's weird to think this time next week I shall be back in Glasgow.

Spent the morning playing in the apartment pool like 12 year olds. Good times.

It's Wednesday!

2009-07-22T07:39:00.005+01:00

Cairns life is much less slow paced than the other parts of the trip. Which is nice and means I have more time to update this, but with less things to say.

In the mean time, I updated the sidebar with Hit Words which means seeing entries about certain subjects is easier. On the right under 'Hitwords'. Or click here to be taken straight to it on the page.

Off to Gilligans tonight as we didnt go yesterday. Dinner is the left overs from the BBQ. I will try get some pics up soon.

Cairns Life

2009-07-21T07:11:00.004+01:00

Today we decided to get up early and go for a little trek in the nearby Rainforest. Took us like an hour longer than we thought so we went for a shorter route round Mt Whitfield and over the Rainforest Boardwalk near the Botanic Gardens. We got slightly disturbed by the huge warning sign about a Cassowaries - these huge birds that just walk about and try and kill dogs.....what the heck? And that photo doesnt do it justice, they are 2meters tall.

Today we dedicated to BBQ day so after Ive used the net, myself and Sarah are away to buy some BBQ food and a few drinks before tonight and another night out in Gilligans or Woolshed. What a stupid name.

My camera seems to hate most of the internet cafes in Cairns so until I find one, the photos from Brisbane and Cairns and staying firmly on my camera. Bad times. The ones from the night out are from Cathrines.

We're off to do Suba Diving on Saturday and then on Sunday I hit another JetStar* flight (hopefully this time, WITH free drinks) and hit Tokyo. Anyway it's 28'C so Im away to get stuff for the BBQ.

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First night out in Cairns

2009-07-19T10:16:00.002+01:00

Day 2 (well technically three but Day 1 we didnt do anything) was spent having a little trip round the town centre and going out to Gilligans. Also experienced my first 'goon'. Basically a predrinkage of bagged Wine by a company called Stanley.

About to be kicked out but on the plus side Sarah and Rach have jobs at a travel shop which has free 30minutes free internet so this blog can be updated a whole lot more often when I'm waiting for them to switch shifts.

Planning on going to the Barrier Reef and the scenic railway - exciting.

Speak to you soon (im about to be kicked out my a hungry Rachel).

In Cairns

2009-07-18T06:28:00.004+01:00

Arrived last night at Cairns airport from Brisbane after spending a good 27hrs with Cat.

In Brisbane we went for a Vietnamese in the city centre and then just mucked about in a few bars then went home and wathced a movie. Good times.

Arrived at the airport to a huge sign saying WHITESIDE that Sarah and Rachel had made. Fun times. Went checked out the apartment which is my home for the next 9 days.

Going to go subadiving in the Great Barrier Reef on Monday probably. Going to go on a railway into the rainforest soon and we're going to have a BBQ soon too.

So much fun being with Sarah and Rachel. The chaos has begun clearly.

Speak to you all soon

And then there was one.

2009-07-16T03:11:00.004+01:00

Im sitting in Christchurch airport (really small and empty) since Kate has just jumped on her flight to take her home to Glasgow.

Cat is picking me up at the airport in her new car for one night in Brisbane. Then tomorrow evening I'm on another flight to Cairns to hang out with Sarah and Rachel.

CANNOT WAIT.

They tried to charge me extra for being 22.4kg but I soon reminded the lovely lady I had a RTW ticket so the woman let it pass. (I was less than half of my RTW allownace). The free space in my bag is getting smaller and smaller. Packing is getting less and less fun.

Having a good time though and cannot wait to try and get through Australian Immigration and Customs without appearing on Nothing To Declare.

Wish me luck!

Fox Glacier

2009-07-12T23:38:00.003+01:00

Weather for the future

2009-07-09T05:29:00.000+01:00
Cairns
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Tokyo
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Dolphins in South Island

2009-07-09T04:41:00.000+01:00

New Zealand Update

2009-07-08T07:57:00.003+01:00
Hey everyone,

We arrived in Auckland for a two day stay and spent most of the time doing the chores like laundry and money changing and map-buying.

We picked up our van at the airport and quickly nicknamed him Sammy. Driving in New Zealand is exactly the same as the UK except for some crazy right of way law and the fact everybody seems to obey the speed limit.

We started going north to Paihai. Saw Rainbow Falls and Haruru Falls - both lovely. Our first attempt at going to a Parking Site was fun. Nobody was around, it was dark and there was some creepy stalkerish cat. We later went to another one and had a lovely little sleep in Sammy. There's a big double bed and above room for another double bed.
There's a cute little fridge (of which the contents daily fell onto the floor if one of us had forgotten to pin the lock) and a cute wardrobe we used to store food. The oven we used to store phones/fans/clothes and any other stuff we didnt want to put on the floor.

We went to the first Stone House in New Zealand and walked around a very quiet museum. After reading about colonialism Mark asked 'Is any of this our fault?' as it seemed to point the finger at us.

Day three we went from Kaitaia to Auckland via Dargaville where we had a lovely fish and chips lunch on the beach from a shop which wanted to batter a fish which they assumed we had caught. (the shop was run by a 9 year old). Mark also attempted to buy a dry marker and write over Sammy - this failed. Kate had the total urge to visit Cape Reinga by avoiding all other driving directions and heading north.

When we reached Auckland we decided to ditch the van in a carpark and have a night out. We paied $72 for a room which saw 3 hours sleep. We remembered we had to checkout at 10am at about 10past. We then had a McDonalds followed by a nap in said Carpark. However, we did manage to do the SkyWalk at Auckland's Skytower. Check the walk out here. Very scary as the winds reached 80kmph but the cloud was around so our views came and went.

After Auckland we went south to Waitmo Caves. Spent an awesome afternoon caving and abseling 700m underground down waterfalls and rocks. Saw some wonderful and shiny glow-worms (not actually worms). Caving was awesome. Very wet but fun.

After this we went to Taupo. Stayed at a cool holiday park where the reception dude was really helpful giving us information about what to see and do. Stayed an extra night because we liked it so much. Really, really nice atmosphere in Taupo. Had a very entertaining and almost free lunch at the Chill Restraunt which was awesome. God bless the two waitresses.

In Taupo we visited the Craters of The Moon - a cratered valley that's hissing with clouds of steam and boiling mud. Was a nice little hour walk.

We heard from receptionist dude that it would be cheaper to SkyDive here than in South Island. As Kate really wanted to Skydive we thought we would check some of the companies out. Taupo Tandem Skydiving were really nice and we both ended up jumping from 15,000ft. The whole experience was incredible - really nice people and the DVD is hilarious.

Then drove down to get the ferry in South Island which we used a place to sleep for 3 hours. When we were awoken every so often (usually by an announcement claiming there were new scones on the Cafe Deck) the scenery was lovely.

In Kaikoura, inspired by our exciting adventures we tried to book a dolphin swim. The booking lady seemed unconvinced that the weather was good. We left feeling a bit concerned we had paid for a boattrip with no swimming-dolphin option. As we sat in the car for a bit we decided to create an array of excuses to try and get our depoist back. Mark was seasick, Kate couldn't swim and we both were allergic to sealife. Luckily we went back the trip had been cancelled. Mark & Kate 1 - Dolphin Lady Nil.

On the way to Christchuch we stopped at Hanmer Springs which we only discoverd after like 4hours of calling it HAMMER springs. (yes read back, it was Hanmer). It was a lovely little naturally heated open air spa resort with pools ranging from 35' to 41'. (though it did smell of Sulpher) Spent a lovely 2 hours into dusk paddling about.

We arrived late in Christchurch and spent 3hours of our time looking for the sodding Moorhouse Cinema. Went saw The Proposal then went for a few drinks in some nice jazz bar then off to a cool Stock Exchange Bar where the drinks change price every 3 minutes depending on demand.

Then travelled to Dunedin which is supposed to be alot like Scotland but we didn't think it was - at all.

We decided to skip Stewart Island and head to Te Anau. Spent a day kayaking in Milford Sound area of Fiordland. We saw some seals and birdlife but we saw DOLPHINS TOO. =] Swam around and under our kayaks for 25minutes or saw. Was totally sureal. Scenery was incredible as well. Once we've uploaded the photos from the camera you can see how awesome it really was.

Today we are in Queenstown planning the next (and last) few days in New Zealand. Our plan will involve taking some Snow Boarding lessons, Glacier Walking and maybe a bungee jump for Kate. We decided to give Rafting a miss due to time/money. (A 1 hour raft gives us a day of snow board lessons with some change).

Then we're off to Christchurch for a few days and then this part of the holiday is alllllll over and Kate has the fun of a 23 and a half hour flight to London.

That's all for now, off for some drinks. Queenstown seems really busy and like a huge ski/snow boarding resort. Me and Kate feel right at home - being all sporty and that and everyfink.

Speak to you all soon,

Love Kate & Markx

Weather

2009-06-24T04:33:00.002+01:00
Auckland
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Just the weather we are used to =]

Waiting in Sydney

2009-06-23T07:21:00.003+01:00
Hey.

Just spent the last 10 hours on a flight from Hawaii. Had to get up at some stupid time and Kate almost left her phone but all is well.

2 hours to go before our flight to Auckland.

Hawaii!

2009-06-21T03:20:00.000+01:00
Aloha!

Its day three in Hawaii and we are slightly sunburnt from yesterday's beach day.
Arrived around 1pm on the first day so just had a wander round town and soaked up the sun on the beach. Hotel is really nice. 'More lemon pledge....'
On day 2 we went jet-skiing - it was without doubt a highlight. So so fun despite getting totally soaked doing it. Yesterday we had a lovely chilled out beach day. Hawaii is so relaxed and lovely. =] We were going to have a surf lesson today but have decided to have it tomorrow due to Kate's sunburn. The term 'lobster' comes to mind. Kate got her results from University. All passed well so no resits to return home to. Woop.

Last night we went to the Cheesecake Factory and it was a lovely meal until the waitress unsubtly hinted that we should tip. Boo! We tipped less because of it.

We've just had a lovely lunch at the Sheraton Hotel on the beach. Much more posh than we are. Views were amazing though.

Yet again we are scaffing the internet from a Mac store so will probably update again when we get to the lovely little country of New Zealand. (Where hopefully Mark will have his phone again).

Love to all

Kate & Mark

Los Angeles

2009-06-17T07:32:00.002+01:00
So tonight is Kate and I's last night in Los Angeles.

Due to our flight times we really only had 4 days to spend here.
Day 1 we walked up Sunset Blv to Hollywood Blv and saw the Chinese Theatre, Kodka Theatre and all the hollywood walk of fame. After some searching on my phone we managed to find Judge Judy's star and got some photos. We also went on one of the 'movie stars home tours' which was pretty good fun. At night we went to a little Italian which served us wine with dinner. Such a good laugh at dinner - the waitress was such good banter. Turns out we went again tonight for dessert.

Day 2 we spent at Universal Studios Hollywood. I loveee theme parks so was so excited to go. Kate bought us both 2 for 1 day passes so we saved a few bucks. Some of the rides are awesome, some are okay. The Simpsons ride is totally amazing IF you are in the middle section of the ride (booths 3 to 6). Any others and you can kind of see the other carts. The ride is still good but some of the effect is gone. Jurrasic Park theming is good except for the fact you can clearly see some of the animatronic stuff which they have made no attempt to hide. Drop seems to last forever and has such a big build up.
After Kate refused to do the Mummy Ride and I had to go on myself, I managed/froce her on and she loved it. It was my favourite ride in the park. 0 to 60 in 2 seconds. Only bad thing about the ride was it was so so short. We went on like 20 times over the two days and each time we could hear some person go 'is that it?' Bleh.
Day 3 we went back to Universal and I lost my phone. Luckily it didnt put too much of a downer. I was totally gutted but we still managed to have an awesome day. The house of horros is scary as hell the first time, it's okay the second.
Today we spent the morning trying to phone Universal and Orange and sort out my phone but in the afternoon we went to Santa Monica Beach. Really nice day out by the beach and on yet another rollercoaster.

Tomorrow we're off to Hawaii. 10:30 flight so have to get up at like 6am? Ah well.

Except for my phone being all lost, it's been sooo much fun so far. Loving it.

My phone will probably be out of order till the first bit of New Zealand so Facebook me or e-mail me if you need anything,

Talk to you soon,

This document has not be spell checked.

Phone's Gone

2009-06-16T05:00:00.003+01:00

Just an update to say my phone went missing in Universal Studios today so you shouldn't contact me through that route (or if you do, don't expect a reply). Universal told me to call them tomorrow to see if it was handed in. *fingers crossed*

Kate and I at The Mets vs Phillies

2009-06-14T06:41:00.001+01:00

Update with Photos

2009-06-11T03:29:00.003+01:00
Hey. Thought we'd talk about what we've done along with some photos. Here is a very brief summary of what we've done.

Day 1 we went round Times Sq. Very touristy but good. Saw a comedy show. Was good despite the angry Scottish jibe and the awkward girls from New Jeresy who LOVE NAPS.

Day 2 we went to Grand Central Station and did a tour round the United Nations. Extremely interesting and got to go round the General Assembly. Tour guide was slightly racist however. Tad awkward. (not really). "Sometimes I think they pretend not to understand". Bought Billy Elliot tickets but the guy first time around tried to charge us $82 each. 5 minutes later some lovely dude gave us good seats (though at the back) for $40. Ka-ching!
Ate in Little Italy which was lovely and got served wine even though we are under 21 (he did check both our IDs) - score!

Day 3 we went shopping cause it was slightly rainy. 5th Avenue. Tiffanys, Abercrombie and Fitch (the most amazing shop ever), Disney, H&M, Diesel. Didnt buy much as it was very expensive. Had lunch in some weird pizza shop in the Rockafella Centre with lots of young American Children (they weren't with us).

Day 4 went to Flat Iron building. It was an emotional highlight for Kate. Went to Madison Sq Park (where picture was taken). Sun was shining brightly. Was quite hot. Kate FINALLY bought some shoes after hers broke. (Her socks were touching the ground for about 3 days). Went to lunch at Alphabet City got good tan (and a burnt nose for Kate). Went round a market near 36th St which we're pretty sure gave us Swine Flu. (jokes).

Day 5 we got the bought to Liberty and Ellis Island. Totally fantastic day with fantastic views. First time we had been on Liberty so was nice to see around. Mark got told he was too harsh to Kate at a HotDog stand. We've actually met so many funny and friendly New Yorkers! They get a bad reputation! We've had such a laugh with them. Walked through Wall Street and passed by the World Trade Centre site. We went to Chinatown where Kate asked if she had to pay in Yen in the stores. Ignorant, Racist, Biggot! Another dinner in Little Italy as we enjoyed the first one so much.

Day 6 we went on a Boat Trip recommended by Mark's neighbour. Boat trip took us around the entire island of Manhatten. We saw all the sights and it was great. =]. Also sailed down the Hudson River and under the Brooklyn Bridge. Was really sunny and all-in-all a nice day. In the evening we planned on having a nice dinner but had a McDonalds on the way home and felt too full. Done.

Day 7 went to the Brooklyn Bridge and had a wander. It was good until we got half way across and felt so hungry we had to speed the last bit along. Got to the end and begged the poor drinks seller for 2 cokes. Decided to have a huge lunch in Little Italy then spent the next 4 hours complaning about how ill and full we were. Recovered in time for the Mets baseball game. Atmosphere was really good. The fans were mixed but everybody was in really high spirits. We understood how to play as it was just like rounders. ;) Mets won in the end so all was well. (Mark bought a keyring, Kate bought Chips)

Today we went rented bikes and spent 2 hours cycling round Central park.

This was a really short update but just to say we leave New York to go to Los Angeles on Friday. Will update again soon but just wanted to get some photos and some more info up.

Lots of love,
Kate and Mark x

times sq

2009-06-08T01:47:00.001+01:00

Little italy

2009-06-08T01:34:00.002+01:00
Hey. Lovely and sunny here. Currently just had dinner in little italy. It feels like it could be italy. Yesterday went to the flat iron building and went to alphabet city. Saw Billy Elliot on Broadway. Was AMAZING. Spent the day going to Liberty island which was good. The owner is hinting to chuck us out but we shall hopefully blog soon. Kate and Mark.

From the Apple Store - New York

2009-06-04T16:19:00.002+01:00
Hello,

Day 2 in New York. We arrived yesterday and wandered about New York. Times Sq, got dinner in the infamouse Brooklyn Diner and went to a comedy show in the evening. All very exciting.

Todays play is to go see Grand Central Station and the United Nations. This evening we're heading to Chinatown and Soho. Check out Alphabet City. Perhaps have dinner in Little Italy and see another show tonight in the Lower East Village.

Lots of Love

Mark & Kate x

Quotes

2009-06-03T12:00:00.003+01:00
To be updated soon
Day 1: In The Flesh
Day 2: Flags and Badges
Day 3: Waiting for the Man
Day 4: Eye-TV
Day 5: Ignorant Racist Bigot
Day 6:
Day 7: Cher begins with C
Day 8: Wrap us in silver foil
Day 9: Do you work here?
Day 10: Bunny, come to mama.
Day 11: We're not gypsies!
Day 12: Dancing Queen!
Day 13: What's your name?
Day 14: If we fall from that height we won't die.
Day 15: The Hawaiian Moon
Day 16: Can I tick more than one?
Day 17: If you guys have any questions about tipping...
Day 18:

(New Zealand Trip)

Day 1: I really need you to be a bit more optimistic right now.
Day 2: We're not a fish and chip shop.
Day 3: Guys I'm so sorry I brought you here.
Day 4: I feel like a sholdier going to war.
Day 5: Oh my god I nearly hit that lama.
Day 6: And if it hasn't worked - bugger it.
Day 7: I'm never off that bloody bungee.
Day 8: Wheres the rest of the pasta? in the cupboard under the sink!
Day 9: She gets seasick and I can't swim.
Day 10: Let's start slow clapping.
Day 11: She's a total whore. I cant wait to get off this sodding island.
Day 12: Mark I've found some scottishness - come quick.
Day 13: Guys, is everyone on Facebook?
Day 14: Oh Kate look, they've got irn bru!
Day 15: And Lonely Planet will back me up!
Day 16: Did anyone else fall off the magic carpet?
Day 17: Idont think a stat highway should run through a cattle field!
Day 18: What do you mean the instructor helped us break the ice?
Day 19: I need help theres a parrot on my car.
Day 20: If I behaved like that my mother would have killed me.
Day 21: Stop trying to move like a mermaid.
Day 22: You sure you want to spend your last $5 on a Chicken Sandwich Meal.

This Time Tomorrow

2009-06-02T16:30:00.005+01:00

I'll be in New York City =].

Not started packing yet. Still want to go to Silverburn to get somethings.
Really I'm too tired to believe I'm going on holiday for 8 weeks. Sarah left today for her trip to Thailand followed by Australia. The accommodation in Australia seems sorted so that should be good (and hopefully cheap).

I've come to terms with the fact that I'll come back from this trip with absolutely no money whatsoever. It's a gutting reality. Also, the Bank of Scotland should be shot. My credit card runs out at the end of June while I'm on holiday and they seem to go out their way to be unhelpful. Eugh.

12 hours I'll be getting up to go to Glasgow Airport. I'll probably be bored at my nut so will blog at one of the airports / on the plane. Let's hope LHR has free Wi-Fi. (Y).

6 Days To Go

2009-05-27T11:51:00.005+01:00

This time next week I'll be in sunny New York. Crazy thought - I just wish I wasn't so tired and I could appreciate it more. Luckily most of the things on my to do list from my previous post has been done. My flights to Cairns (not Darwin) have been booked. I'm spending one night in Brisbane and then going to Cairns with Rachel and Sarah. They are planning on working loads and then taking many of the days off I'm with them to explore Cairns and do all the touristy spots.

Kate came over yesterday and we sat from the start of the trip to the end making sure everything seemed in order. This involved booking the tickets on the ferry. So that's done.
Kate's mum sent me a text giving me details of places it would be nice to do and see in Tokyo Now that remains is to pack everything up in Dundee and move it to Glasgow. Giving Bell my key? Possibly the worst idea ever?

The closer the trip gets the odder the whole thing feels like it's not really happening. And I wish I was less tired so I cared more.

I also need to try plaster this URL around my family and friends. Postcardless holiday perhaps.

So much to do!

2009-05-15T19:46:00.007+01:00

I've got less than 19 days before I go and it's scary when I think about how much stuff hasn't yet to be done. Here is the joyful list:
- Book the Ferry in New Zealand from North Island to South Island
- Book flights in Australia to get from Brisbane to Darwin
- Book Accommodation in Japan.

Notice these all involve spending more money =[

Oh a better note, Kate has bought us 2 days worth of tickets to Universal Studios Hollywood which is fantastic. We're in Los Angeles for 6 days so I think we might spend a day in the half in the park. One of the coolest things about it is it gives me the chance to visit the set of Desperate Housewives. How sad but cool is that? Woop.

Oh well, 19 days to go and I still don't even know what to pack. Who cares mind you, its going to be the coolest summer ever.

Safety Abroad

2009-05-02T18:16:00.003+01:00

With swine flu turning the world into a state of panic, and me about to leave in a month to a country filled with panic, I thought I'd do a post about what various places are saying about the Swine Flu and about safety abroad in general.

United States
Human cases of swine influenza, including one confirmed death in Texas due to swine flu infection, have been reported in certain areas of the United States. 160 cases in total. As far as it affects where I am going, there has been 50 cases found in New York, 24 in California and none in Hawaii.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office recommends basic hygiene requirements taken very serious but [u]does not suggest not going[/u]. The only country it recommends avoiding is Mexico. Last year the biggest contact made with the FCO was about replacing lost or stolen passports.
My own insurance has said it is okay to travel, as have the airlines (British Airways, Qantas and American).
In other safety aspects, the FCO warns about night time crime on the streets in Los Angeles and New York - nothing unexpected.

New Zealand
Other cases in New Zealandhave been found as well but the airlines all seem happy.
The main types of incident for which British nationals required consular assistance in New Zealand last year were replacing lost or stolen passports (over 630 cases); hospitalisations and deaths, mainly as a result of outdoor activities.

Australia
Suspected human cases but nothing substantial at the moment. Australian Health services seem to be poised and ready to go. The main types of incident for which British nationals required consular assistance in Australia during last year were due lost or stolen passports (2,006 cases) and deaths (76 cases).

Japan
Swine flu hasn’t seemed to touch Japan - yet. Again FCO was involved mostly due to lost or stolen passports. They mention a slight threat from North Korea too.

General
I think I'm probably going to unless the insurers of the airlines tell me I shouldn’t. Mostly I feel sorry for the airline staff. They don't get a say if there going to Mexico or not. I think its important to remember that swine flu hasn't really killed a lot of people yet - not compared to usual flues - but it's unfamiliarity is what is troubling the world.
In general, I think everyone going abroad (esp. to many places) should register for the FCO's LOCATE service. If they have any reason to contact you, they can. Also, if any of your family need to contact you, they can trace you down. I know from experience how good the FCO are at tracking people down in the state of chaos.
You can access Foreign Office travel advice by country on it's website or you can telephone 0845 850 2829 for the same information. The telephone line is open 24 hours a day.

Slight change of plans

2009-04-28T23:03:00.002+01:00
After hearing in March that Sarah and Rachel will be in Cairns in Australia and not Brisbane, I finally did something about it and went to STA to sort a change of flights. Looks like I'll be doing Christchurch to Brisbane, spending a night and day there seeing Cat, then flying to Cairns to hang out with Rachel and Sarah. Then fly directly to Japan from Cairns. £165 change fee but that seems pretty okay to me.

Still to book the New Zealand ferry and hotel in Japan - thats if the swine flu doesnt sweep out the entire airline industry before June.

Banner Image Descriptions

2009-03-16T23:56:00.006Z

Image 1 - New York, USA. The Great Hall on Ellis Island. Between 189 and 1954 was the main entry facility for immigrants entering the United States. One of my favourite attractions the last time I visited New York in 2007.

Image 2 - Los Angeles, USA. Griffith Observatory. Location featured in many Hollywood movies. It's location provides many views of Los Angeles including downtown LA and Hollywood.

Image 3 - Hawaii, USA. The traditional view of Hawaii's green and mountainous landscape. This photo was taken at the National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kauai.

Image 4 - Auckland, New Zealand. A nightscape of downtown Auckland. The green mast is the famous Sky Tower.

Image 5 - Australia. The sun setting on a hill in the Australian outback. The hole which appears to be in the hill is a Mirage.

Image 6 - Japan. Sushi - the national food of Japan. The word sushi itself comes from an archaic grammatical form of a word that is no longer used in other contexts; literally, "sushi" means "it's sour".

Image 7 - International Travel. This image is just to signify the many hours travelling I'll spend on my trip. This photo was taken in Sydney which is the only airport which I will stop at, but not actually get out of. I'll have flight connections to catch here twice during my trip.

Note: NONE of these photos were taken by me. They were collected of various sources on the internet to use on this site before my trip. I have no ownership of them and didn't take them. Photos I have taken on my trip can be found elsewhere on this site.

Frequently Asked Questions

2009-03-16T23:27:00.010Z

This FAQ was written before I went on my trip.came back from my trip. To see the one that I updated after, click here.

Who the hell are you?
I'm Mark. I'm 20 years old from Glasgow Scotland. Studying at Dundee University.

What's this trip thing?
I'm going away for 2 months around the world. (Clockwise).

Have you been to these places before?
Out of the 6 places I've only been to New York before.

Who are you going with?
I'll be with my best friend Kate in New York, Los Angeles, Hawaii and New Zealand. After this, Kate travels back home and I go to Australia to meet Sarah and Rachel. After Australia I hit Tokyo myself.

How can I get updates?
I've set up a mailing address. Every morning it scans the site and if there has been a new post, it will send an email to you. To subscribe, use the box on the left hand side. I've also set up an RSS Feed and iGoogle application. Again, links are in the sidebar. You can also follow me if you have me on Facebook. Alternatively, you can just check this site out every-so-often.

How are you updating this blog?
I'll be updating the site using my mobile phone (Nokia 5800 Xpress Music) using ShoZu software. I'll also be updating from various internet cafe's across the world.

How often are you going to update the site?
As often as I can.

Isn't this whole trip ridiculously expensive and could turn out to be a complete disaster?
Possibly.

I have another question!
Click here to email me.

Contact Me Abroad

2009-03-16T19:10:00.001Z
If you actually know me and you need to contact me abroad, here is my advice:

If it's not very urgent, the quickest and most effective way is to text. This will cost you the price of the normal text message and wont cost me a penny.

You can also just email me at my usual address
coolmark18@hotmail.com. I'll be checking my email a lot, along with my Facebook. Feel free to leave me as many messages as you like to try avoid the boredom that international transit can bring. That said, if I don't reply quickly, I'll probably be doing something fantastic, but I will get back to you.

If it is urgent or you just want to hear my voice you can phone me on my usual mobile which I should have with me. Remember the time difference please. This will cost you the price of calling whichever country I am in and will also cost me a lot too. (USA: 70p/m, NZ: £1/m, Australia: 70p/m, Japan: 90p/m) Silly Orange network.

Rach is coming

2009-02-24T17:20:00.002Z
It appears Rach has decided she is coming to Australia - although we're still not sure when, she will be there.

Woop.

Video Intro

2009-02-09T14:13:00.001Z

All booked

2009-01-06T01:35:00.003Z
Flights, and accomodation in LA, Hawaii and New Zealand is all booked and paid for.

Tour Map

2008-12-11T22:26:00.003Z

Our To Do List

2008-12-07T02:14:00.007Z
I thought a to do list might be a little more useful:

New York
- Hot Dog
- Broadway
- Marriet Lift's again
- Brooklyn Diner

L.A.
- Hollywood Sign
- Stars
- Beach

Hawaii
- Beach

New Zealand

Australia
- Spend time with Sarah & Rachel

Tokyo
- Who knows.