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  • Amelia Wilkinson
  • Amelia Wilkinson

This side of things

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  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler

    Busy day in Brisbane

    Sep 14–15, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    I arrived yesterday afternoon in Brisbane! I find busses exhausting so I went for a bit of a walk around the city and relaxed.

    But this morning, I woke super early and dragged Alex with me to the other side do the city. I have been following a bakery owner for ages, before I left England. And a few months ago I realised she was based in brisbane so immediately added it to my list for brisbane. Since then I told Alex and we both agreed to go when we met in Brisbane. So 8am, we are walking across half the city for 40 minutes to Brooki bakery.

    And because we are crazy we decided to walk for another 40 minutes along the Riverside to a little park on the furthest edge of the city to our hostel. Why? Who knows, but it was pretty.

    Anyways, these cookies. Omg. Amazing. Divine. Gorgeous. Better than I was expecting. 10/10. I cannot rave about these enough. So good. I mean, look at that cross section! We got the NYC cookie (the best seller) and the biscoff one and shared so we could try both.

    We then decided to begin the 2hr walk back but we're thankfully stopped by a helpful local after over hearing us complain about the price of the boat. One of the boats is free and thanks to them we decided to get it. The boat ran from where we were all the way to the centre of the city. We got off a few stops earlier so we could walk through southbank.

    By this point we had been out for around 4hrs so I left Alex in the city and headed back to my hostel to change and relax before I met Mia for lunch.

    Mia and I met in Albany back in March, so 6months ago. We have both done so much since and we were instant friends then and it happened again today. We met at 1pm and finally left the restaurant at 8pm. We spent over 7hrs just talking about everything. I am definitely going to miss her as she is probably never going to never leave Aus despite growing up in England very close to me. Hopefully we shall meet again one day.    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler

    Morning walk

    September 15, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Due to the fact that I am a little bit crazy, I woke up early and went out on a mission this morning. I walked all the way to the Valley again and got a brownie and another biscoff cookie from Brooki again. I also got a coffee because I have no impulse control. No regrets though. Genuinely, top tier. I think the brownie was better than the cookies which is a very unpopular opinion if you ask her fan base!

    I did however go there for a second reason. There is a hiking shop in the valley and it is the only one in brisbane that sold the stuff I wanted for vietnam. I now have a dry bag so my ipad won't get soaked when it rains while we are riding.

    I then did a bit of a speed walk back to the city to meet my tour guide for 10am. The guy in the store was really helpful and gave me some good tips for vietnam but he did make me almost late!    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler
    22

    Walking tour

    September 15, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    I last minute booked (as in 12hrs before) a walking tour of Brisbane. Its run by the City Council and I got lucky and managed to book in on the free tour.

    We spent 3 hrs walking around the city and learning about the history and little quirks of the city. We visited the newest building with a little jungle walk going through the bottom level. Then to the oldest building, a windmill that was previously used as a punishment for the convicts centuries ago.

    We walked through roma street parkland which was full of flowers and lizards. Then found some of the art work in the city. There is an artist called the blue ninja who dresses in a blue nija outfit and creates tiny blue sculptures and hides them in the city. There are a few laneways with art in the city which we walked down before finding a bench with kangaroos on it. They are made from scrap metal and we're surprisingly cute.    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler

    History and bells

    September 15, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    In the second half of our walk we found some churches and a massive book store that was giving ancient vibes.

    At the end of the walk I headed back to the city Hall where they do tours of the bell tower. Sadly the bells have always been mechanically rung but the original lift and views of the city made up for it.

    Below the bell tower was a museum which wasn't super interesting. But I met Alex again and we did a bit of a walk through the city. We came across a climate change protest that was wlaking through the centre of the city. It was very loind but not very big. Then headed to the brisbane museum. Again, a little disappointing as the dinosaur exhibit we wanted was $25 and we did care that much.

    We took a break by the river for a bit before parting again. It was 4pm by this point and I had been walking around the city for nearly 8hrs on and off so was exhausted and very ready for sleep.    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler

    The city loop

    September 16, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Once again I woke up early for literally no reason and dragged Alex out around the city with me. Today we did a loop from my hostel, over the go between bridge, all the way down south bank and to kangaroo point. Before crossing Story Bridge, getting the free boat from Riverside to the marine museum and across the bridge to the botanical garden, then back to the city and finally on the 33 bus because its free, so why not.

    We got a pastry each at a very popular French bakery at kangaroo point. Alex got a pain au chocolat, which she made me pronounce a thousand times before I got it right, damn French people. And I got a raspberry tart. It had creme fresh (don't hate me for the bad spelling), at the bottom and a sweet jelly like topping full of fresh raspberries. It was honestly one of the best pastries I have ever had.

    We had so many great views of the city as we walked. The main part is on the north side so as we were walking we essentially circled the entire thing. I also spotted a few more of the blue nijas artworks as we were going about.

    We had a great day but after 6hrs of walking, I was dead yet again. I got back around 3pm and just laid in bed for the rest of the day. Bit lazy but I was dead!    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler

    View of the city

    September 17, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    So today I finally met up with Tom and Ari. I met them on Gili T and promised I would come see them when I was in brisbane.

    Tom met me at my hostel and brought his bike and drove us up Mt Coot-tha. The view from the top today was so clear. We did a bit of the loop around the peak but as we were both in jeans we didn't go far. It was super hot but beautiful.

    Back in the city we met Ari at their place and ended up deciding to play basket ball. Not sure how but it was fun, turns out I'm not awful. I'm not great but not awful.

    We then headed to the hill for sunset and watched the city lights turn on as the sky darkened. We basically just chilled and chatted the whole time.    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler

    Travelling once more

    September 18, 2023 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    Guess who's flying again. Yep, its me. No jokes though, I feel so happy. I actually love flying.

    My dumbass decided to get a 9,30am flight which would have been fine but the airport is 30 minutes from town and I get so anxious with flying so I was up at 6,30! Thankfully the journey was super easy, check in was simple and I had a bit of time after to walk around and get breakfast. I got a raspberry and white choc muffin, a solid choice. Then it was time to board.

    The plane was tiny and didn't have proper spinny things (I can't think of the word) it has these tiny wings, crazy. The view however was beautiful. I rarely fly during the day so was enjoying the view immensely. I was flying with Rex and they gave us a free drink and cookie, so much better than jetstar and cheaper.

    I arrived in Sydney at 11 and was in the hostel by 12. Unfortunately check in wasn't until 2pm but I expected as such so it was fine. I dropped my bag off and went for a walk.

    I have already been here since knew the city layout. I went first to the war memorial as the museum and art gallery are very close. The museum has basically the same exhibits as the one in Brisbane so I didn't stay long. The art gallery had a hall of landscapes so I was very pleased. Landscape are definite my favourite kind of art, that and interpretive sculptures.

    I then got some lunch and sat in the park for a bit reading. Finally I went back to the hostel as it was getting a little cold and checked in. The lift is broken so I ahd to climb 4 flights of stairs, yay. But the manager saw me checking in and carried my bag the whole way. I felt kind of bad but not enough to do it myself!    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler

    Bondi-coogee walk

    September 19, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    On my second to last day in Australia, I took the bus out to Bondi and did the famous Bondi to Coogee walk.

    I arrived around 9am and set off. All in all the walk took about 1.5hrs and it was nice. A simple walk with only minimal slopes. Unfortunately it was boiling hot. Around 28° as I finished and I was struggling a little.

    I spent a few hours on the grass by the beach. The sand was packed with people and provided no shade whatsoever. I did swim briefly when I first arrived at coogee but the waves were very strong and I did not trust my capabilities. It was however freezing cold which was gorgeous after being so warm while walking.

    Around 1 I walked through the town and found something for lunch. This rice salad was amazing, and hit the spot perfectly.

    I took the 2,30 bus back to the city and walked through the main area before heading back to my hostel. I needed to do laundry so did that and had a very long shower.    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler

    One last day

    September 20, 2023 in Australia

    My final day in Sydney. I'm going to be honest, I don't know how I got here. But ok then.

    I decided to do a walking tour of Sydney. I did this walk before back in January, where I met Moni, but I decided to do it again. I didn't want to be alone on my last day and hoped that tour would have someone I could spend the day with. Thankfully, it did.

    After the tour, 7 of us ended up going to get ice cream together. I made friends with 2 girls on the tour, and then we grabbed 3 other guys from their hostel and the tour guide to come with us. We then went down to the botanical garden, walked around and choose a spot at the far end with the sights in the distance. We ended up staying there for the rest of the day as the sunset.

    We grabbed some food for dinner and then I headed back to my hostel around 8pm. My flight is a 10 tomorrow and I am exhausted from spending all day with people.

    An excellent final day to my time in Aus.    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler

    Vietnam

    September 22, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    Woke up on my first morning in my 3rd country of this trip. The jetlag was hitting me a bit so I slept for around 10hrs but woke up at 5am so that wasn't ideal but it was ok.

    Today a girl in my room and I paid to go on a tour of the chi chu tunnels found in southern vietman. We set of from our hostel and began the 2hr drive. I handt realised how long it would take but it was an ok journey.

    We did stop part way through at a centre created by a charity to give jobs to those effected by Agent Orange. They create these incredible mosaic style pieces out of egg shells and pearls. The pieces were beautiful and all sales went to fund the charity and those helped by it.

    The tunnels themselves were quite something. They are incredible feats of human ingenuity and strength but our tour guide was weird. It was like he was trying to be neutral and give both sides of the story, but he ended up have very little to say about either. He was clearly pro north vietnam and the communist side but was maybe trying to hide that fact as he was in the southern part of the country. I'm not sure but it was not as informative as I had hoped.

    Back in the hostel I had a rest. The travel in the mini bus and jetlag was getting back to me. In the evening dad arrived. We went out for dinner and had a drink in the hostel bar. The roof bar had a great view of the city at night.    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler
    1

    Ho Chi Minh City

    September 23, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Dad and I spent the day walking around the city and visiting the sites. We started at the war museum, which was fascinating. The exhibit covered three floors and the outside, which was a little much in my opinion but still fascinating. There were sections on the machines, the countries involved, the countries against it, agent orange, and so much more. It was honestly incredible to experience.

    I had been told by some other travellers that the museum is better to do than the tour, and they were right. I didn't learn anything in the tour that I didn't in the museum but so much more in the museum than tour.

    The city is manic, I am very glad we are not picking up bikes here, I would not enjoy riding through this city. We found a market style place with a load of stalls for lunch as we wandered through the city. After getting highly confused on how to withdraw money from atms, we found our way back to the hostel.

    Dad then took a trip across town to see an old government building while I waited with the bags. We then caught a taxi to the train station for our night train.

    The train is pretty basic. Not awful though, we grabbed some snacks before setting off.    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler
    1

    Hoi an

    September 24, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    After an interesting night's sleep, we arrived in Da Nang. The train was actually better than I feared it would be, but 17 hours on a train is rough no matter what.

    Someone from our hotel in Hoi An picked us up from the train station. An air-conditioned taxi after the train was very nice. But the hotel was far better. It was a much needed break after so much travel.

    The hotel did food as well so we decided to eat in for lunch. Then, relax for what was left of the afternoon.

    Around sunset, we decided to walk down to the night market. One of the biggest markets in Vietnam, it stretched across one bank of the river and half of the island opposite. We had our first taste of vietnamese Banh Mi and some pancakes. Once the sun set, the lights strung around the entire market could be seen clearer. It was beautiful.    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler
    1

    Bike pick up

    September 25, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    Finally, the time came for us to pick up our bikes. After a relaxing morning, we found some lunch and then headed out to the shop to collect the bikes. Mine is a blue one, and Dad's is red. Adjusting to the semi automatics is a bit weird. But the bikes ride nicely, and Hoi An is quiet enough to be able to ride pretty well.

    Dad and I spent most of the day just relaxing and preparing for the journey ahead of us.    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler

    Ha Van Pass

    September 26, 2023 in Vietnam

    Day one of our journey to the north took us back to Da Nang and to the Ha Van Pass. The entire landscape was stunning, and the views across the bay and the mountain were phenomenal. The ride held a lot of turns but was so worth it.

    The journey after the pass was less nice. A bit of main road and then large detour through the fishing villages. The detour was nice, the main road less so.

    We arrived in Hue just before the rain began, which was perfect. The hotel also ordered us in dinner. We ordered the crispy noodles, which were surprisingly good. The spring rolls were as well. The rain stopped during, and the frogs came out and screamed for ages. It was super loud!    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler

    To Khe San

    September 27, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Today, we headed inland and twisted through the central mountains towards the west of the country. Our destination for the day was Khe San, a main border city near Laos at the bottom of the Ho Chi Minh Tay.

    The views were once again incredible. The entire area was covered in jungle and lushously green. Loads of waterfalls and rivers banked the road on each side. The road was a dark brown, almost red in places, which makes a stark contrast.

    The journey was quite a long one today, which was a little tiring but a good start.

    Khe San is not the nicest of cities. Rather industrial and full of trucks transporting goods. It was pretty dirty and not very tourist catered. This was quite a contrast to the other side of the country where it caters well to tourists.    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler

    Ho Chi Minh Tay #1

    September 28, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 28 °C

    So the Ho Chi Minh Tay is part of the Ho Chi Minh trails that criss cross Vietnam and Loas. They were built during the 19th century and named after the president that led the country through the vietnam War.

    The Ho Chi Minh Tay is a length of road that goes from Khe San to Phong NHA and is famed across the world for its views and loved by motorcyclists.

    We decided to stop at the tiny town of Long So halfway so as to break the journey up. It is usually an 8hr days so the break halfway was really nice.

    That being said, the accommodation was certainly bare, but it did enough for us for the night. The hotel was a bit strange as they kept our passports as a deposit style thing. It was a tad unnerving, but we had little choice. The place also had WiFi, which was spread after a busy day of riding.

    Despite the occasional chill when up the top of the mountains, the ride was gorgeous. It was similar to the day before but even better as we were so high up at times we could see for miles.

    The town, however, was very lacking. There were a few restaurants listed on Google, but none were open. We managed to find someone who cooked us some pho. Dinner ended up being some snacks we bought from the store because the options were even more lacking come sunset.    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler

    Ho Chi Minh Tay #2

    September 29, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 29 °C

    Dad and I got up pretty early today and headed out for the second half of the Ho Chi Minh Tay. Yesterday, we rode for ages and barely saw another vehicle. Today was just the same.

    About an hour in we past 2 other bikers going in the other direct. We stopped for a bit for dad to climb a waterfall for some water, and they passed us. We stopped for a while and got some tips going forward.

    The rest of the day was pretty smooth sailing. I am certainly struggling a little with the long days of continuous riding. Siting for so long isn't the most comfortable thing to do. After about 2 hrs, it becomes quite uncomfortable. But regular breaks are helping.

    We arrived at Phong NHA about when we expected too, so that was nice. Our accommodation for the next few days is honestly gorgeous. We each have a room that overlooks the river and mountain opposite with an adjoining balcony.

    The rain began once again, but the cover of our balcony kept me nice and dry as I relaxed. We went to a vegetarian restaurant in town for dinner which was surprisingly good. I got the aubergine and lemon grass, top tier.    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler
    1

    Phong NHA

    September 30, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    We woke pretty early today. The weather gets super hot at midday, so morning is a nicer time to be out. We also wanted to visit the caves today, which can get very busy. We were on the first boat out today, so we were the first there.

    The caves were crazy to wander through. The size and majesty of them were fascinating. I would have loved a tour guide that could have told us about the caves, but that wasn't quite possible with the language barrier.

    We took a boat ride to get their across the river. The family we shared the boat with shared some pomelo with us on the way back. A very nice little trip.

    The rest of the day, I relaxed with the view and my book. Dad and I went back to the vegetarian place for lunch while we got our bikes fixed. A good day.    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler

    Tea Plantation

    October 1, 2023 in Vietnam

    Dad and I departed from the Ho Chi Minh Tay and continued inland and north to somewhere neither of us had heard of. The tea plantation was rather remote but gorgeous. The road down was fairly easy to traverse but long. The days seem to only be getting longer!

    The cabin we were staying in looked out over the lake. The place booked us on a boat tour of the lake. It dropped us off across the lake, and we climbed up to look down over the landscape. They also cooked us dinner, a massive array of dishes. Lots of vegges, rice, meat, and eggs. They were very hospitable and kind despite being a little surprised when we arrived.    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler
    1

    Ninh Binh

    October 2, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    Another long day took us from the lake side back to the modern world. We left pretty early again today as we had to traverse from the west of the country to the east.

    It did not so well, unfortunately. We ended up going th wrong way for around 20 minutes, so then we had to go back on ourselves. Then we got onto the right track, but it turns out we weren't actually allowed on this road. So, about 20 minutes outside of Ninh Binh, there was a massive tunnel, and a bunch of workers waved us off. We ended up in the middle of nowhere, and it took 1.5 hours to then get to our accommodation. A very long morning.

    Thankfully, our accommodation is gorgeous. The hotel is so nice, has a pool and it is just outside the main part of the city so is quiet. Just around the corner is also a very nice-looking restaurant where we went to get food for a late lunch.

    We then got a little mixed up with timings and left at 4pm, which was an hour early, but it worked out for the better. We headed to a viewpoint atop Hang Mua, a large hill on the outskirts of Nimh Binh with views on either side. It had 400 uneven steps to get up, which I underestimated and nearly died getting up. I blame the long bike rides for that! We watched the sunset from atop the hill before heading back down.    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler
    1

    Tam Coc

    October 3, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Up early once more, we had a little baot trip. Tam Coc is an old suburb of Nimh Binh, there long before the city became popular and known for its beautiful lake and river, and the way the locals captain their baots. Now, they do tours of the area for tourists, still using their traditional technique of paddling with their feet.

    Around 2 hrs, with the sun beating down on us, we silently traversed the river and ducked our way through caves.

    As we had gotten up pretty early again, we headed to a cafe with a view of the lake for a drink before going back to relax for the day. Pool plus air con is glorious.

    Didn't do much for the rest of the day. I needed to relax before tomorrow and the trip to Hanoi.    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler

    Hanoi

    October 4, 2023 in Vietnam

    Well, today did not go quite to plan. The road up to Hanoi from Ninh Binh is straight and simple. But Hanoi is awful.

    About 15 minutes from Styles base, where we were heading to drop off the bikes, we were at an intersection. A woman's trailer on her bike hit me as she tried to overtake. I did not come off but ended up crushing my thumb and forefinger on my left hand. Badly bruised my left foot and became very unsettled. It was not a good moment. After a break, wary of everything and trying not to break down again, we finally arrived at Style.

    We got to our hotel, and after a couple of hours to calm down, I was fine.

    Hanoi City is a thriving massive place full of people, vehicles, and chaos. Dad and I wandered through the old city to a cafe for some drinks, then down to the lake and found a driver. Across the city are cyclists, with cabins in front of their bikes pushing tourists around. It was a surprisingly nice way to see the city, a lot clamer than on a bike and more relaxing than walking around.

    We found a stall that sold Banh Mi for our takeaway dinner, and I turned in for an early night. I needed the rest.    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler

    Thac Ba Lake

    October 5, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    One mildly painful day ahead today.

    We picked up our bikes from Style around 9am. My bike was fixed after the damage it sustained yesterday, and we set off.

    Leaving Hanoi was an interesting experience. We needed to find an atm again and did not do all that well. We ended up doing a circuit of the city for about 40 minutes trying to find one. Eventually, we made it out of the city and spent the next 4 hours doing and xageratwd loop towards thac ba. We were forced to change route due to a road we couldn't go on. Then, we ended up being unable to make it around through the countryside and spending hours more than we had to. The final hour of riding was on unsealed roads, so it was as fun as you would expect.

    But our destination was worth it. Despite being exhausted from the ride and in a bit of pain, you can't ignore the beauty of this place. We each had a cabin that overlooked the lake. A gorgeous view once again. The accommodation made us a massive spread for dinner. Once again, amazing food.    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler

    Ha Giang

    October 6, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Finally, up into the mountains.

    I am very sad to leave this idyllic place, we left early again in an attempt to get to Ha Giang without being rained on. The first 1.5 hours was once again on unsealed roads as we made our way around the lake and then headed out north east towards Ha Giang.

    The roads, for the most part, were good, but the quality of buses with crazy drivers was not fun. There is a lot more traffic up here. Perhaps we were just more remote the last week, but it. Is certainly busier.

    Our accommodation in Ha Giang is a little underwhelming. The room I am in has no air con. I will be fine because it isn't that warm, but there is also no view which we paid for, so that sucks. But there we go.

    The place also cooked us dinner, and we had a convo with a young couple here hiking around the mountains. They gave us some tips for the rest of the journey.    Read more

  • Amelia WilkinsonThis side of thingsTraveler

    Views of Ha Giang

    October 7, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Our first day up on the Ha Giang loop!

    We set off in a bit of 5, thankfully cleared up quickly. All the way up the mountain was twists and turns but easy enough to do. About halfway up, we had to weave around some cars that were stopped due to two trucks that were passing. But the road was crumbling beneath one of them, so it had stopped directly in the middle of the road, stopping all traffic.

    Up near the top, we stopped at a recommended spot for a coffee and a look out across the hills. It made for a nice break on our way towards Yen Min, where we are staying the night.

    The roads were fine but unfortunately there was one point that was not so safe. A large stretch of the road was unsealed again, and some of the corners were not great. I ended up coming off on one of the corners. Injured my palms, but thankfully, that was all. Not what I wanted, but we kept on going.

    That evening we ate another meal cooked by the accommodation with a load of people doing a joint tour. There were probably 20 people on this tour, and we had a nice evening with them. One of them had an injured hand from riding as well, so I felt less dumb with my injury.    Read more

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