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Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019
  • Tamsin Gallie
  • Kate Saxton
  • Tamsin Gallie
  • Kate Saxton

Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019

Post Cancer "Fuck it" World Trip ticking off major ticket items - Trans Mongolian Railway, Russia, Bhutan, Italy etc
Moscow, Mongolia, Manchester and everywhere in between Читать далее
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  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019
    1

    Bayan- oglii and a beautiful lake

    7 октября 2019 г., Монголия ⋅ 🌙 6 °C

    Had a slow day today. A late breakfast at 8.30am after which we thought we were heading to the lake. However we were informed at breakfast we were off to the museum at 11.30 am and had “free time” until then despite all markets and shops being closed on a Monday.
    We all went for a coffee and then feigned Interest around the museum. Unru the guide was obviously over us today as she could hardly be assed to string a sentence together. She dragged us around some local stalls that were open to fill time until lunch at 1pm- seriously!
    We finally got out to the promised lake at 3pm and had a blissful hour enjoying the snow capped altai mountains and glacial lake.
    Then it was back into town to a look out before we were finally dropped back to the hotel at 6pm. Dinner at 7pm but i am giving it a miss due to an annoying migraine- too much excitement yesterday!!!    Читать далее

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  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019
    1

    Kate hands over 8000yr old arrowhead

    8 октября 2019 г., Монголия ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    This afternoon we got a taxi to the Institute of Mongolian Archaeology to meet Turbat Tsagaan a professor of Bronze Age studies.
    K wanted to hand over the quartz arrow head she found in the Gobi Desert last week.
    It turns out to be a definite Neolithic arrowhead 8000-9000 yrs old!!!
    Interestingly Turbat used the term BP which google later told us meant “before present” which is a much more scientific measure of time than BC ( before Christ) especially if u r from another religion.
    Turbat said he would pass the arrowhead onto the stoneage dept as he was Bronze Age ( we think maybe the Stone Age dept don’t speak English) whereas Turbat has just come back from a conference in Germany yesterday and spoke excellent English.
    Sadly his personal skills were a little limited as we were not offered a seat which was a good job because his office and building were filled with archaeological amazeball items- including a photo of a Bronze Age skeleton he had dug up from the Uglii region we had just come from- enlarge the photo of Kate and u will see it in the background!!!
    Turbat said he would use the situation in his next talk as we suggested he educated the tour guides that at future finds by tourists are automatically handed in.

    http://mongolianarchaeology.academia.edu/Tsagaa…

    https://www.google.com.au/search?q=quartz arrow…:

    K found it at the following location if ur not asleep yet!;
    Umnugobi province
    Bulgan Soum, close to Khavtsgait petroglyphs -
    she has a bloody good eye and a good heart for wanting it to stay in Mongolia and not as a souvenir. Good spotting!!    Читать далее

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  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019

    Bayan- Ulgii to UB- last day of tour!

    8 октября 2019 г., Монголия ⋅ 🌙 1 °C

    Up at 5.30am for a 6am pick up to the airport. We luckily had a jet so the 3 hour flight turned into 2 hours and with the hour time difference we landed in UB at 11.20am.
    Checked back into the Ramada for the last time and then off to lunch.
    K and I got put into a taxi which u get by just standing in the street and putting ur hand out and getting into any car that stops!! It doesn’t have to be a registered taxi.
    We went to the Institute of Mongolian archaeology as per previous post, and then made an elderly man v happy by getting in his car for a lift back to the Ramada. We showed him the wad of notes which was the correct amount so he nodded all was ok. 2 metres up the road he stopped the car in the middle if the road, rolled down his window and asked another driver for directions!!
    We got back fine and we were all v happy!
    A bat mobile was parked in the Ramada car park! ( mongolia gets more bizarre every day!!)
    We dropped off our laundry, sorted out Unru’s tip and then we had 11 mins before pick up for the cultural show ( see seperate post).
    After the show it was dinner at a Mongolian BBQ and then back to Ramada 17th floor for a nightcap.
    Long but great day.... and tmrw we r free!!! 1 more day in UB before train to Beijing on Thursday.    Читать далее

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  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019

    Tumen Ekh Cultural Show

    8 октября 2019 г., Монголия ⋅ 🌙 1 °C

    Amazing!!!! So for our last night we were taken to a cultural show in UB and after the Kazakh one in Uglii our expectations were low.
    However the 1 hour show was mind blowing!!
    Sadly we didn’t pay the $10 pass to take photos or videos which was a shame because it was all mind blowing but I have included the links from you tube showing the same show.
    The throat singing was unbelievable- a rare cultural skill.

    https://youtu.be/OsnjoK2HFSQ

    https://youtu.be/F2rgH9oWb8E

    https://youtu.be/uGXsxE3K7jg    Читать далее

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  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019

    Last day in UB- day 100!!

    9 октября 2019 г., Монголия ⋅ ⛅ 0 °C

    Our last day in Mongolia before getting the train to Beijing tmrw.
    Had our last hotel breakfast and then went to do a bit of shopping and planning for Sri Lanka.
    Picked up the laundry and walked for the last time to Sukhbaatar Square.
    We had our last dinner with our tour friends at Gandan Temple Reataurant (after all admitting none of us had lunch today as we r all fed up with eating!!)
    Came home at 9pm, packed, filled in our tour feedback form ( a little too honestly for K’s liking) and now off to bed before an early 05.30am start.    Читать далее

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  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019
    2

    Trans Mongolian UB to Beijing

    10 октября 2019 г., Монголия ⋅ ⛅ -4 °C

    Goodbye UB and goodbye Mongolia- u have been more than fab.
    Up early at 5.30am (well actually we had been up most of the night as K’s gut finally gave up playing nicely on day 100- poor thing)
    Got the transport to the station and then jumped on our 1st class carriage ( our treat due to the border crossing into China).
    What a difference the chinese trains are compared to the Russian ones.... we have our own toilet and shower!!! ( K got a new lease of life at the sight of our own clean toilet!).
    We are due to leave at 07.30am arriving in Beijing 14.35 pm tomorrow.
    Now to sit back as we go through the Gobi.... and a 4pm beer o’clock with the tour friends who are 4 carriages down.    Читать далее

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  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019

    Beijing with no cash!

    11 октября 2019 г., Китай ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    After a v lovely last train trip ( despite the 5 hour mongolian/ Chinese border crossing where we were off the train until 1am) we arrived in Beijing at 14.35pm. K was feeling a bit better so that was a bonus.
    At a balmy 19 degs it was a lovely temperature.
    We said a sad farewell to our Brisbane tour mates and hope we catch up in the future as we really did enjoy their company (We were endlessly thankful they weren’t like people we encountered from other tour groups- loud, rude and obnoxious).
    Arriving in beijing we had a little ramp off the train instead of 5 neck breaking steps and then an escalator- China put on a v easy welcome... and there it ended!!
    Planning to get cash from an ATM for a taxi we came unstuck as the only ATM at the train station wouldn’t work with overseas bank cards.
    We walked to find a nearby one as per google maps- impossible to access without going through a hospital so we decided to walk to the accommodation - 3kms.
    On the way we found a bank so withdrew enough cash for dinner, drinks and subway tickets to the airport tmrw.
    An hour later ( thanks to the luggage and booking.com having the wrong location of our accommodation) we finally turn up at the Nostalgia Hotel. Their card machine “ wasn’t working” and we needed to pay in cash.... 400 of our 500 yuan!
    No worries we would pay for dinner with the visa.... off we went to find something to eat as we were both starving due to no lunch. To cut a long story short we couldn’t find a restaurant that would accept the visa..... so we ended up in Starbucks with a coffee and a chocolate muffin as our meal!! It did have a rooftop terrace so it was nice!
    Tmrw we have the morning not to need money and then we r off to airport to fly Beijing to Bangkok.
    Photos to follow as I can’t get them to load.    Читать далее

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  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019

    Beijing to Bangkok/ Tiananmen Sq- not!

    12 октября 2019 г., Китай ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Nostalgia Hotel provided a v restful sleep but sadly no breakfast- we are now on enforced fasting after too much tour food ( or rather due to lack of cash!)
    We decided to visit Tiananmen Square before heading off to the airport.
    However what we were not prepared for were literally thousands of Chinese people in tour groups queueing and pouring through the security checkpoints ( around all sides) required before we could even set foot within 50m of the square.
    We could then see lines of more people in their 1000’s within the square itself.
    Due to this we decided to call it quits for our collective sanity and instead went .... to Starbucks for a coffee and breakfast muffin!!
    We checked out and then got the subway (Line 2 and the Capital Airport Express) straight to the airport, hereby avoiding walking between more hacking, smoking hoardes of people.
    Now all checked in and waiting to board our Thai airways flight to Bangkok where we just overnight before flying to Sri Lanka tmrw am. Nice curries here we come!!!
    Photos to follow....    Читать далее

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  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019

    Bangkok to Colombo

    13 октября 2019 г., Таиланд ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Another early start but the Lilac Relax residence was fab with its free airport pick up and drop off transfers.
    The bus even left a little early.
    Sri Lankan airlines in a bit like Air Niugini with everyone checking in with what looks like a new fridge or washing machine!!
    Massive queues at immigration held us up a bit but now having a quick coffee before boarding for the 3 hour flight to Sri Lanka.
    K has cracked out a clean T-shirt- big day!!    Читать далее

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  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019

    Welcome to Colombo

    13 октября 2019 г., Шри-Ланка ⋅ 🌧 28 °C

    Overwhelming- sums up our first day in Sri Lanka.
    We arrived and got through the airport with total ease.
    We then made the bus driver laugh as we 2 x refused to get in his shithole bus looking for the “better one”.... only to jump on the shit one 20 mins later after paying $6.... for both of us which was double the price as we had luggage.
    A 45 min bus trip and a 25 min walk in 29 deg heat delivered us to Shalimar Hotel.... much nicer than we thought!
    We then sussed our Maradana train station for our train to Galle tomorrow before getting a TukTuk to town.
    Straight for a coffee and a bite to eat as we were starving and then a wander around a little of Colombo saw us accosted by many “friendly” locals... all men with suggestions of where to visit and what to do and offering to come with us.... no thank you!!!!
    One put us In a TukTuk and we found ourselves on our way to the Gem Palace where there was a sale on Sri Lankan gems.... today only- WTF??!!
    By now we were pretty overwhelmed so we found refuge in a rooftop bar of a nearest hotel..... only to find there’s no alcohol to be served anywhere today as it’s a ‘Poya’ - full moon public holiday!!
    After a juice we got a tuk tuk back to the hotel preparing for our coastal trip tmrw to Galle.    Читать далее

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  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019
    1

    Hello Galle ( pronounced Gawl)

    14 октября 2019 г., Шри-Ланка ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    We were up at 5.30am for the early (6.30am) local train south to Galle- a Dutch fort town on the south west coast.
    The thunder and lightening monsoon storm of last night had stopped and it was a beautiful light as we walked 2 mins to the train station.
    Buying our $2.40 tickets was super easy and we got great seats on the coast side of the train... until a local lady pointed out I was in the “clergy only” seats!!
    Had a great trip through shanty towns and past huge coastal tourist resorts to arrive in lovely Galle at 9.30am.
    Just having breakfast in the Heritage Cafe and remarking on the weirdness of the faded marks of colonialism on places such a Galle. Off to explore.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galle

    http://www.heritagecafeandbistro.com/    Читать далее

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  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019

    Galle to Jetwing Yala

    15 октября 2019 г., Шри-Ланка ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    So for all of you still reading this page at day 106 I am v v sorry. The next 5 days are going to be v annoying and probably cringeworthy.
    Today we started with an unexpected free breakfast at our accommodation.
    We then walked to the large supermarket so we could get cheap food and water for the next 5 days so we didn’t have to pay hotel prices!
    It was then our first experience with “PickMe”- an app like Uber through which we booked a car and driver to take us the 3.5 hours to Jetwing Yala.
    Amila turned up early and at an agreed price of $90 we piled our luggage and supplies into his tiny car and off we set just before the agreed 10.30am.
    1.50pm we arrived to the next 5 days of total luxury and doing nothing at Jetwing Yala - our hotel on the edge of Yala National Park and right on the beach. It exceeded expectations and needs a post of its own!    Читать далее

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  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019
    2

    So i cant sea swim when i want....

    15 октября 2019 г., Шри-Ланка ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    Arriving at Jetwing Yala we were met by staff who took our bags and our supplies before being provided with lemongrass cleansing towels and ginger iced tea!!
    More importantly we were met by the roaring ocean.
    Whilst being shown to our ocean view room we were Informed we could only sea swim between 10am-5pm..... because of the wild elephants and wildlife that use the beach!!!
    However we could use the 70m pool between 6am-9pm or the gym in between massages or safaris!!!
    The whole place is ridiculous...but we love it!!
    Our bathroom is bigger than the average Tokyo apartment!
    K was disconcerted when I spotted 2 monkeys outside the room who promptly urinated and ran off!!! She then jumped feet at a squirrel.... god knows how she will cope if we see a leopard or elephant in the park!!
    Sat on our balcony for lunch before exploring the hotel and then finished off with beers on the veranda... oh yeah they have dedicated a bar to the Rugby World Cup and r playing all the games... live!!! I may never leave!!    Читать далее

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  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019
    1
    214

    Its been a BIG day!

    16 октября 2019 г., Шри-Ланка ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    So we thought we wouldn’t have any news except for our breakfast, views of the pounding surf, photos of the 75m pool blah blah blah..... but then....
    At 3pm we were just leaving our room to go back down to the pool after a rain shower.... and there was an elephant!! Apparently his name is “short tail” and he often frequents the hotel.
    They def don’t feed him but he has spent the past 3 hours walking around the property eating the natural bush.
    We r now sat on our balcony with a wine and some cheese watching short tail as he munched his way towards the beach- loving this place!!    Читать далее

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  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019

    Massages and monkeys

    17 октября 2019 г., Шри-Ланка ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    We really can’t show many photos from today as it was the same as yesterday- breakfast, beach, pool, rest- but no “short tail” visit today sadly.
    Instead we went for Ayurveda massages this pm (don’t worry there’s no photos to post!!).
    Now treating ourselves to a beer and dinner instead of more processed cheese and crackers!
    Tmrw it’s safari day so all fingers crossed the leopards know they need to be out playing!!
    Looking at photos it looks as if K has dressed to colour co-ordinate with the surroundings once more!    Читать далее

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  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019
    2

    A leopard and lots of other things

    18 октября 2019 г., Шри-Ланка ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Up at 5am for our morning safari to Yala national park 15 mins away.
    We were greeted by a large group of brits who must have arrived yesterday but luckily we took our packed breakfast boxes and met our driver (his name we never quite got at that time in the morning in the dark!!)
    15 mins later we arrived at the park gate....to a queue!!
    A queue of jeeps and tourists- and this is quiet season.
    Once the park opened at 6am in we went and after being under and over taken by kamikaze jeeps we parked up whilst driver joined the queue to get the actual park tickets.
    6.20am In we went .... after being joined by a park guide we never asked for and didn’t want!
    The park was a beautiful mix of water holes and greenery with heaps of water buffalo wallowing up to their horns bathing in the water.
    Suddenly there was a blockage of Jeep’s and whisperings there was a leopard. Anyway to cut the next 10 mins of manic Jeep driving, 7 point turns in front of us and general jostling it was decided the leopard had gone.... then came a call on the guides phone.... another leopard was up ahead.... just from whence we had turned!
    Back up we sped and just got in place to see a male leopard cub 1 yr old walking through the bush just at the side of the road. He was pretty well camouflaged if he wasn’t moving and although we weren’t in a spot for a great photo we did have a clear visual with our eyeballs - we were extremely lucky.
    Despite Yala having the biggest population of leopards in the world (30) they r nervous animals and not easily seen so our sighting this am was special.
    However that was it for leopards. We spent the next 3 hours spotting everything from monitor lizards, mongoose, sambar deer, 100’s of peacocks, to skinks, spotted deer and jackals.
    We arrived back at the hotel at 10am hot and a bit tired.
    Also we hadn’t taken any cash so the guide and driver were pissed off we didn’t tip them- tipping has been the bane of our trip so far- pay your staff properly and do away with tipping!
    Despite this little bit of a sour taste it left us with we had a fabulous am on our Sri Lankan Safari    Читать далее

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  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019
    6
    12

    Last day at Yala - go the ABs!!

    19 октября 2019 г., Шри-Ланка ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    This am after breakfast we had been told we had “missed” short tail by 30 mins...not to be disappointed we “tracked” him... not hard as we just followed his foot prints across the dunes and found him at the next door property.
    Walking back to our beach we got caught in a monsoon downpour but it was lovely just to sit on the beach and listen to the rain.
    This afternoon has been dominated by the Rugby World Cup quarter finals.
    Now sat with a beer in a deserted bar with NZ winning 22-0 against Ireland at half time. Go the AB’s!!.... the wallabies r on their way home! ( sorry Nathan Skinner our number 1 Find Penguins reviewer!!)    Читать далее

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  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019
    1

    An unexpected goodbye!!

    20 октября 2019 г., Шри-Ланка ⋅ 🌧 25 °C

    This am we reluctantly checked out of Jetwing Yala and were picked up by our driver Amila to take us to Ella.
    Ella is 2.5 hrs away, in central Sri Lanka hill and tea country.
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ella,_Sri_Lanka

    We were lamenting about the fact we didn’t see Short Tail before we left.
    As we drove around the corner to exit the property..... there was Shorty!! He came so close to the car we could have touched him through the window.!! We just sat there in wonderment as he stopped and then slowly sauntered past.... I think he came to say he was going to miss us!!    Читать далее

  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019
    1

    Ella train station

    20 октября 2019 г., Шри-Ланка ⋅ 🌧 20 °C

    We arrived in Ella at 12.20pm after a v easy drive climbing up into the hills.
    We checked into Leisure Dream inn and then after planning our afternoon we got a tuk tuk 2 mins to Ella township.
    Ella is surrounded by lush, green imposing hills. The reason they r so green is because it is totally and utterly pissing down!!
    We had lunch in Chill cafe and ended up watching the Wales vs France nail biter.... well done Wales. It’s too wet and foggy to see anything we had planned- Little Adam’s peak and Nine arches bridge.
    We walked to the train station to get our ticket to Kandy for Tuesday- the trains we wanted were sold out so we had ended up on the 6.40am one.
    It is so v v wet that we decided To just come to another bar and watch the Japan vs South Africa game.
    Let’s hope it dries up a bit tmrw so we can see the sights of Ella before leaving on Tuesday.    Читать далее