Ever since I have known Jane, she was a big Oasis fan. Whenever Wonderwallwas heard, she always said, “that’s my favourite song.” She also kept saying, “if they ever get back together, we have to go and see them.” I always replied, “yep, you’re on” (mostly because I never thought they would actually do it!).
Well, they did!
Originally the tours were just in the UK, but to my relief, they announced shows in Melbourne and Sydney. I scrambled for tickets and managed to secure two tickets for the Nov 8 Sydney show.
So we had a weekend in Sydney, immediately after getting back from Thailand. Jane further complicated things by traveling to Melbourne for work between Thailand and Sydney. That meant I flew alone from Perth and met Jane in Sydney via Melbourne.
Seeing it was close to our anniversary, we decided to splurge on the hotel, choosing the Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel at Circular Quay. The location was ideal, just a two-minute walk to Circular Quay.
I arrived later than Jane and was disappointed to be placed on the 8th floor with a less than spectacular view. Jane complained the next day and they changed us to the 21st floor with a nicer view. The room itself was a little dated and was a bit disappointing for the price we paid.
View from the 21st floor, Sydney Marriot
The next day (Friday) we had nothing planned, so we explored the city, even though we’re both familiar with the town. We had a late breakfast at the Naked Duck, which was very nice. Walking down to the Pitt St Mall, we did a bit of shopping. There was a Call of Duty Black Ops 7 promo event, where Jane and I won a T-shirt and a Body Bag. We saw the musical, The Lovers, at the Theatre Royal Sydney. We took a chance and booked tickets for that night. Before the show, we had an early dinner at Tapavino right next door to the hotel.
The Lovers was a modern take on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It was quite entertaining. Jane loved it.
The LoversBO7 gear
Saturday was concert day. We woke late and made our way to Circular Quay for lunch. We had pizza at Bennie’s. Back to the hotel for a pre-concert nap before making our way to Accor Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park.
Getting to the concert was quite easy. There was an express train from Central Station. We arrived early and bought some “merch.” We caught up with Jane’s Melbourne friends. The opening act Ball Park Music was quite good.
Oasis came on stage right on time (refreshingly) at 8:45 pm. The hits came thick and fast. An early highlight for me was “What’s the Story Morning Glory.” “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” was another belter.
They left the three biggies until the end with “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” “Wonderwall,” and “Champagne Supernova.” They played for two hours solid with fireworks to close it out. The 75,000 fans loved every minute.
We got back to our hotel, ears ringing, around 1 am after getting McDonald’s at Circular Quay.
We made it!75,000 People
Sunday was home time. We checked out of the hotel at 11 am and ventured into the city. We went up the Sydney Tower Eye to see the spectacular views of this picturesque city. The last time I went up the tower was in 1983 – things have changed a bit since then.
Sydney TowerQantas lounge
Seeing it was our anniversary, we booked Qantas Lounge Passes for the trip home. We arrived three hours early to take advantage of the free food and drinks.
We arrived home exhausted (despite the many naps we took).
Jane and I have decided to give Bali a rest and explore other parts of Southeast Asia for our “relaxing” type holidays. We booked a week in Koh Samui, Thailand’s second largest island sitting in the Gulf of Thailand. We took a Luxury Escapes package staying at the Pavilion Samui Villas and Resort. The Pavilion Samui resort is situated on Lamai Beach, southeast of the island. It’s about a 30-minute car ride from the airport.
Getting there
We flew Singapore Airlines (from Perth) via Singapore. As Koh Samui airport only allows two airlines, Scoot and Bangkok Airways, the Singapore to Koh Samui (USM) leg was operated by Scoot. Coming home we flew Bangkok Airways to Singapore. Nothing to complain about, all flights were excellent.
Samui International Airport is quite primitive. It reminded me of traveling around the small cities in the Philippines. Nonetheless, it was quite efficient, and our transport to the hotel was waiting for us.
It was raining hard. The picturesque view on route to the hotel was somewhat ruined, but i didn’t dampen our excitement however.
Lad Koh View Point
Pavilion Samui Villas and Resort
We arrived at the hotel and were informed we were upgraded to a balcony jacuzzi room. It sounded wonderful. The room was indeed nice, but traipsing up and down the stairs got pretty old after a week. The view from the balcony was neither the ocean nor the pool.
The hotel was empty. We should have done some research, as we didn’t know it was the wet season in Koh Samui. Apparently, Phuket and Koh Samui have differing wet seasons. Some patrons came and went. But it was actually nice to have the place to ourselves most of the time.
The luxury escapes package included: daily breakfast; daily lunch or dinner; daily free-flow drinks (1-hour limit); massage for two (…meaning 2 massages for Jane).
The breakfast was nice with a good variety without being spectacular. The egg chefs were excellent (I resisted saying eggcellent there). I tried fried, poached, and omelet. Jane stuck with her omelet every day.
The lunch and dinner menus were the same and offered a large variety, from Thai dishes to European and burgers and pizzas. Most of the food was good, although there were a few “misses.” We tried to stick to the Thai dishes.
The highlight, though, was the free-flow drinks from 3:30 – 4:30 PM, particularly the cocktails. We’ve had drinks packages before, and we’ve found they are usually pretty stingy with the spirits. The cocktails at the Lookout Bar were first class. Jane’s favorite was the mango daiquiri, which wasn’t actually on the menu. I floated between beers (Singha, Chang, and Leo) and Mai Tai and Piña Colada cocktails. Chit behind the bar was excellent. After the free-flow session, happy hour kicked in where there was buy one, get one free. We were usually too hammered to kick on, though.
Ang Thong Marine Park cruise tour
Before we left, we had booked a Ang Thong Marine Park Discovery Day Cruise tour through Luxury Escapes for Tuesday. The weather looked promising, and we were looking forward to exploring past our beach area. However, the day before, we were dismayed when they informed us it was cancelled due to insufficient attendees. Luxury Escapes had no hesitation in providing a full refund.
Island tour
Rebounding from our canceled cruise, we hastily booked another tour. This was a Half Day Highlights Koh Samui Tour through Viator on Wednesday.
Wednesday, as it turned out, was the wettest day of our trip. It didn’t stop raining the whole day.
The highlights included: Wat Plai Laem. A beautiful temple characterised by architecture that blends Buddhism and Chinese culture
Wat Phra Ya. The Big Buddha Temple is one of Koh Samui’s most iconic landmarks. Located on a small island connected to the mainland, it features a massive 12 metre tall golden Buddha statue that can be seen from miles away
Lad Koh View Point. View over Chaweng Bay and the coastline. This would have been much more spectacular on a clear day,
Hin Ta Hin Yai. Grandfather and Grandmother rocks. A large rock located on the coast of the sea, shaped like male and female genitalia. We could see the the granddad, but the grandmother was too slippery apparently. No comment.
Wat Khunaram. The mummified body of Loung Pordaeng is housed in a glass casket at Wat Khunaram in Koh Samui, passed away in 1973 and his body has remained remarkably preserved.
Na Muang Waterfall. Stunning waterfall features a cascade that flows into a natural pool. They say you can have a swim in the pool, but the recent rains made it very powerful and dangerous to get near.
Our guide, Yai was very lively and quick with his jokes. He also “conned” us into buying coconut caramel and coconut ice cream from the local vendors. Despite the rain it was thoroughly enjoyable and informative.
Wat Plai LaemWat Plai LaemYai, our guide was energentic and funnyGrandfather rock in the backgroundMummified MonkNa Muang Waterfall
Cocktail class
The hotel had some free activities in anticipation of rainy days. These included a “Mixology Cocktail Class” and “Thai Culinary Class.” There were others, but Jane and I signed up for those two.
The cocktail class was run by our favorite barman, Chit. There were only Jane and I in the class. We got to choose a cocktail from the menu, and Chit showed us the recipe and how to make it. Jane chose the Piña Colada, and I chose the Mai Tai.
It was a bit of fun, and the results were delicious.
Cocktail making with Chit. Jane Piña Coldada, Alan Mai Tai
Cooking class
The next day was the Thai cooking class. Jane and I were join by Walter, a newly arrived German fellow. The dish of the day was Tom Yum Goong (hot and sour prawn soup). Walter opted for Tom Yum Gai (chicken) because he had a seafood allergy. We had the hotel chefs guiding us through it. Again the results was aroi mak mak!
We chatted to Walter and his wife Jutta later over cocktails. They were a lovely retired couple who were spending 5 weeks travelling around Asia. He gave me his details and invited us to visit him when we get to the south of Germany (around Munich or Stuttgart region).
Thai cooking class with new friend Walter. Making Tom Yum Goong
Beach life
The rest of the holiday was spent hanging around the beach and exploring local bars and restaurants.
Photo 1: 3.08pmPhoto 2: 4.15pmPhoto 3: 6.05pm
The last night we had dinner at the Lamai Night Markets. The eateries were all popular with tourists. A had a Massaman curry for 120 THB ($6 AUD) which was one of the best meals of the trip.
Lamai Night Markets
Thoughts on Koh Samui
This was my third trip to Thailand. Jane’s second. It was a welcome change to our normal relaxing Bali holidays. We should have done some research on the weather before we chose Koh Samui. It rained quite a lot. But reading the news, there was a lot of bad weather in other parts of Thailand, and indeed all over the world, including Australia. The weather didn’t ruin the trip however and we did have a great time.
Highlights were:
Hotel staff were nice
Cocktails were plentiful and delicious.
Half day trip around the island was fun
Not being at work
Comparison to Bali
As I said we were trying new destinations. So how does Koh Samui stack up against Bali?
Alan
Koh Samui
Bali
People
3
4
Food
4
3
Getting there
4
5
Things to do
4
5
General Vibe
3
4
Total
18
21
Jane
Koh Samui
Bali
People
4
4
Food
5
5
Getting there
5
4
Things to do
5
4
General Vibe
4
3
Total
23
20
Pretty close, but Bali just pips Koh Samui for me and the opposite for Jane. We’ll definitely be back to Thailand. Perhaps Krabi, Chang Mai or Phuket.
Hiroshima, of course, is famous for suffering the horrendous tragedy 6 Aug 1945 when the first ever Atom Bomb was used in war. The effect was devastating wiping out nearly half of the population instantly. Countless others died in the years following from the effects of the radiation. Hiroshima people have turned this tragic event into a shrine for peace and a constant reminder to the world that the use of nuclear weapons is evil.
Jane and I wanted to visit this city on the last trip, but we couldn’t quite fit it into the schedule.
We caught the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka station at 11.20 arriving at 12.51 (yes, it arrived dead on time). Our hotel was not far from Hiroshima station, so we just caught a taxi to the Smile Hotel. We were too early for check-in, so we dropped our bags, and embarked on a 1km walk to the Peace Memorial Park.
Hiroshima had a very different feel to the giant metropolises of Tokyo and Osaka. The streets were wide and far less crowded. The hustle and bustle were replaced by calm and serenity. At last, some relief. It was a cold day so we went into the Peace Memorial Museum to learn more about the 1945 event.
After purchasing the 400 yen ($4.40 AUD) we joined the line that snaked around the various exhibits. There were lots of people in the museum – all silent. It was quite an eerie feeling. People quietly reading the stories, trying to imagine what was like. I found myself quite emotional while reading about the people living there at the time.
We made our way back to the hotel, as it was check-in time. We will be revisiting the peace park the next day as part of the Hiroshima and Miyajima tour.
The Smile Hotel is “no-frills”. Rooms are only serviced every three days. Amenities, such as toothbrushes, combs, sewing kits, and yes pyjamas, can be taken from a store next to the reception. Towels can be changed each day by leaving them outside the door. Our room was nice. Again small, but clean and comfortable. The shower was hot and strong with a rain-shower head. Very welcoming on a cold day.
We ventured downtown to check out the shopping. As we’d had enough of ramen, sushi and other Japanese food, we went looking for “ethnic” restaurants. We found an Italian place simply named “Pasta”. The menu was in Japanese and the waiter’s English was not strong, but despite that we had a delicious pasta and garlic bread and a couple of glasses of decent Italian red.
The next day was the tour of Miyajima Island and Hiroshima Peace park. Our guide was due to pick us up from the hotel at 7.30, but I managed to get Jane out of bed at 6.30 to try and get some breakfast. It was going to be a big walking day, so we needed to fuel up. Ramen on a cold morning hit the spot. As were finishing the meal Jane noticed with great excitement that it started to snow outside. She ran out of the restaurant gleefully to “catch some flakes”.
Smile Jane – you got your wish!
We proceeded to take a million photos as we didn’t know how long it would last. It lasted all morning and got a lot heavier. Sei (pronounced “Say”), our guide was waiting at the hotel. He outlined the itinerary. It was a walking tour, with quite a bit of public transportation. Our JR Pass helped a lot, but did not cover busses and trams.
First was a bus and train ride to the ferry terminal for the trip to Itsukushima, also known as Miyajima. It is known for its ancient temples and the large red wooden “gate” just offshore. The ferry trip took just 10 minutes and we disembarked in the heavy snow and made our way to view the Torii Gate. Sei commented that he never seen the Torii Gate in the snow and was impressed how majestic it looked. A couple of deer were wandering around too, which seemed to make it more magical.
A short walk to the Itsukushima Shrine was the next stop. This is a 12th century Shinto Shrine. The structure was impressive with stunning views over the bay and the Torii Gate. Up the hill another important shrine of the island, Diasho-in. This is a Buddhist temple, which struck me as odd being so close to the Shinto Shrine. When I asked Sei about, it he said most Japanese worship both Shinto and Buddhism. He said its not unusual for Japanese households to have tributes to both religions in them. The Buddhist temple was quite different from the Shinto, but equally impressive. Again, there were plenty of deer roaming around, quite comfortable being around the people. Sei left us for a while to roam around the shopping area before heading back to the ferry terminal. We sampled the island speciality treat Momiji manjū. A filled baked and deep fried rice cake. I had custard while Jane has red bean paste. It was still snowing and a hot snack as just the ticket. Jane had a Matcha Latte also – Matcha and red bean… there’s no accounting for taste!
Torri GateThe snow is starting to get oldMomiji Manju
After the ferry ride and train to Hiroshima city it was time for lunch. Sei gave us a couple of options, but there was no other choice for me than to sample Hiroshima’s famous Okonomiyaki. This is a strange combination of pancake, cabbage, noodles, egg and other fillings cooked on a large barbeque plate, teppanyaki style right in front of you. It was a fun experience and delicious. I added seafood to mine, while Jane had the “classic”. Sei, a 78 year old small man gobbled his up quickly, while Jane and I struggled to finish ours. We asked Sei to explain to our hosts that we enjoyed the food but were just too full to finish it.
“Danny” flipping the Okonomiyaki
Back on the bus to the Peace Memorial Park. Sei took us to all the significant monuments. Sei came to Hiroshima in 1965, twenty years after the bomb. He recounted that the city had been rebuilt about 80-90% by then. The Atomic Bomb Dome (Genbaku Dome) was significant for me. A building that partially survived the blast so close to the detonation point. Again, it was a sombre reminder of what could happen to the world in the hands of madmen. Lucky there are no madmen in charge of nuclear weapons these days… phew!
The tour did include a visit to the Peace Memorial Museum, but as we had already did that, Sei took us to the Shukkeien Garden. Getting there involved riding on two trams. Finding the 280 yen fare proved frustrating. The garden nestled in the heart of the city, is a miniature Chinese style garden. It has stopped snowing and the sun was out and it was almost warm. As we strolled around the garden we reflected on the day’s activities and learnings. How lucky we are to be here and experiencing this. “Hats off” to you Hiroshima, turning something so horrible into something beautiful and inspiring.
Shukkeien Gardens
Sei guided us back to the hotel (more “fare fumbles”) and we thanked him for a wonderful tour, despite our feet crying out in pain.
The next day we were back on the Shinkansen to Shizuoka. I had booked a Ryokan in a smaller city to contrast the big city hotel stays. A Ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn. I wanted to experience some traditional Japanese culture away from the frenzy of Tokyo and Osaka. Shizuoka is a smallish city on the way from Hiroshima to Tokyo. We changed trains in Kobe. After arriving at the Shizuoka Station we caught a suburban train to Mochimune, where our hosts from Nihon Iro picked us up.
What a contrast it was! The room was spectacular, unlike the hotel rooms we’d stayed previously. The bedroom was spacious, there was a kitchen and dining area and the bathroom had a large bath.
Ryodan Nihon Iro
The receptionist suggested some things to do, so after unpacking we headed down the road via the stony beach. We stopped for an ice cream, before visiting the Mochimune Spa. This had a traditional Japanese Onsen. I’d wanted to try this as this uniquely Japanese experience, but I had read that they usually don’t allow people with tattoos to use the facilities. We tried out luck but was a hard “no” with the attendant gesturing the “no deal” arms crossed sign. On a positive note, the spa fronted onto the fishing harbour which afforded a spectacular view on Mt Fuji. The setting sun painted the mountain majestically with golden light. It was still too early for dinner, and we made our way back to the room, not before stopping to grab some drinks.
The majesty of Mt Fuji from Shizuoka
We were too tired to go out to find food, so we just had some cup noodles and snacks in the room. I ran the bath, and we soaked in there sipping our drinks.
The next morning, we had breakfast prepared for us in the room. What a treat this was. It was a traditional Japanese breakfast with local produce. This is included wild boar caught in the nearby mountains and locally caught fish.
Breakfast ay Nihon Iro
After breakfast we checked out wishing that we could have stayed another night. But as this was the last day of our JR Pass we had to leave for Tokyo.
Back on the Shinkansen for the hour and a half trip back to hustle and bustle of Tokyo. Our hotel this time was in Shinbashi. It was a fair walk from Shinbashi station, so we decided to catch a taxi straight to the hotel, saving us the task of dragging our cases through the street. The taxi only took 10 minutes and cost 1500 yen ($16.50 AUD) – a good deal I thought, while Jane was frowning. The 1899 Hotel is a small boutique hotel with a tea theme. The room was very modern and continued the tea theme in the décor. Even the toiletries were green tea scented. This completed a clean sweep of hotels in our trip – all were excellent.
Riding the Shinkansen like the prosTea service and Hotel 1899Shinbashi StationShopping
We walked into Ginza to explore the designer shops and grabbed dinner in the red light district in Shimbashi.
Our last day in Japan involved hunting for pasalubongs – gifts for people back home. We had an exhaustive list and it exhausted us. We travelled to Shibuya, back to Ginza and Tokyo station and clocked up the biggest step count of the trip. Fed up with Japanese food again, we opted for Italian and had a nice pizza and pasta at a restaurant close to our hotel. We packed our cases and retired early with aching feet. We had to be up early to catch the Narita Express to the airport for a 10am flight.
What a whirlwind trip this was. We crammed quite a lot into the 11 days. All very enjoyable and most fulfilling. We will return to Japan again the future. Next time perhaps hiring a car and exploring the hinterland staying in Ryodans. We both love the people, the culture and the natural beauty of Japan.
When Green Day (American punk band) announced their Japanese tour dates Jane and I looked at each other and knew we were thinking the same thing. We must see God’s Favourite Band in Japan! We visited Japan in 2018 and loved it so much we’d always said we’ll go back. What better excuse to visit this weird and wonderful land again 7 years later?
Green Day were only performing four concerts in Japan. Two shows in Yokohama, one in Nagoya and one in Osaka. We quickly scanned airfares and saw Singapore airlines had quite reasonable fares to Tokyo (around $800 return). I managed to secure tickets to Green Day’s Osaka concert and we booked the Travel to Tokyo, knowing that we can easily travel by train to Osaka.
We had been to Osaka on the last trip, but only as a day excursion from Kyoto.
Soon after, Green Day announced their Australian tour dates. We were dismayed to see they omitted Perth from the tour. Jane and I looked at each other and said do we dare see them again in Syndey? Yes, we shall. We bought tickets for the Engie Stadium show and booked flights to Sydney immediately arriving home from Japan. I know what you’re thinking – madness. But as an aging band, it might be the last time Green Day embarks on a world tour.
Our fight on Singapore Airlines, via Singapore left at 1am and arrived Singapore 6.20am. We tried to get some sleep on the plane. The flight to Narita (Tokyo) left Singapore 9.20am and arrives 5.00pm. There’s one hour difference between Perth and Japan. Quite a long journey.
Narita airport is quite a way from Tokyo City and the best and fastest way to get into town is riding the Narita Express (NEx) train. This arrives at Tokyo Station which is perfect for our hotel. The Hotel Metropolitan Marunouchi.
Tokyo Station is massive, and it took ages to find the right exit for the hotel. We eventually found the Nihonbashi Exit and the hotel was right outside. It took a little while to learn the reception was on the 27th floor of the Sapia Building. Our room was on the 28th floor affording spectacular views east over the Shinkansen rail lines.
The room was small, but that’s expected of Japanese hotels. It was very clean (again expected) and modern. It was a challenge to find a resting spots for out two large suitcases. One the bed lay two sets of pyjamas – so civilised!
As it was only around 8pm, so we ventured outside to find somewhere to eat. It was bitterly cold (around 2 deg C) and we found ourselves back in the train station where there was plenty of eating options and much warmer! We had our first beer and Ramen for the trip. After a long and tiring day we were able to relax – it was good to be back in Japan.
The viewHotel Pyjamas
The priority of the next day was to validate our JR Pass. I had bought this online via Klook. Buying the pass before you travel was a strong recommendation from all sources. As the previous night navigating our way around Tokyo Station proved frustrating. Even with the many information maps posted around the station it was still hard to get your bearings. We eventually found the JR Pass office and a nice attendant talked us through the process. She also booked our Shinkansen tickets for Osaka and Hiroshima trips – easy!
We settled in and had lunch at a nearby restaurant still in the station.
We decided that we can’t spend all our trip inside the Tokyo station, so we ventured out to visit some touristy spots. First stop was Harajuku. We walked down Takeshita Street which was much less crowded than when we visited in 2018. We ended up in the usually shaped building which seems to have no name, where Jane was on the hunt for Matcha ice cream. We found it in the food court on the 5th floor. I ordered a black sesame ice cream, and we ate it on the terrace outside in the freezing cold like proper tourists.
Matcha Matcha
We strolled around Harajuku and into the Yoyogi Park until our feet started to hurt. We decided head to Shinjuku for a rest (drink). We had a walking food tour booked, so we thought we’d better find the meeting place, then have a drink somewhere near and rest of feet. There were plenty of bars in the vicinity, but they all opened later in the evening. We settled for a restaurant that was promoting their “happy hour”. We ordered a couple of drinks and noticed the menu says we still had to order at least one food dish. With our food tour coming up we didn’t need full stomachs. We ordered some Sashimi, nonetheless. Jane struck up a conversation (in broken English) with a group of four Japanese gentlemen eating and drinking next to us. Jane was asking them about their food and the next thing they plonked one of their croquettes on Jane’s plate. We clinked our glasses and shouted Kanpai!
The walking food tour kicked off at 5.30 outside a Starbucks close to Shinjuku station. We were promised 13 dishes from four different restaurants in the area. We walked through the famous Izakaya alleyway Omoide Yokocho. This looked great and I was looking forward to sampling something from one of the tiny restaurants. But we emerged out the other side with empty stomachs. We proceeded onwards to four different restaurants with the guide, Shingo explained the dishes and their origins. There were quite a few drinks included too, which I didn’t expect. Sake tasters were the go for the first venue. The last venue was dessert, Taiyaki, which is like a custard filled waffle in the shape of a fish.
The food did all taste great and was plentiful. The other people on the tour were friendly and interesting, including a couple from Uruguay. I would describe the tour as “good”, as the food was nothing new to Jane and I. Shingo was nice and seemed knowledgeable about the food and its origins. I suspect the tour was aimed at first-time Japan tourists with little exposure to Japanese cuisine. I guess Jane and I are blessed with so many good Japanese restaurants in Perth.
We checked out early and made our way back into Tokyo Station to find our Shinkansen line and have breakfast. The JR Pass agent recommended a place to buy a bento box for the journey, but we couldn’t find it despite having a station map with her directions. We settled for some snacks from a convenience store. The train left on time (of course) and we were zooming through the Japanese countryside in no time. The JR Pass agent booked us seats on the right side of the train, so we’d have a great view passing Mt Fuji. The mountain really is spectacular.
We arrived at Shin-Osaka station three hours later and made our way to Osaka Station via a short train ride. We were shocked to find that Osaka station was even more complicated than Tokyo station. First there’s two “terminals” one for JR lines and the other for private lines. Our JR Pass allowed us free travel on the JR lines only. Knowing which was which was challenging. Secondly the station has two names – Osaka station and Umeda Station. If you didn’t know that it made it difficult to navigate as Osaka station sometimes didn’t appear on the map.
Getting to our hotel, however, proved easier than first thought. The Rihga Royal Hotel has a free shuttle bus from the station to the hotel. Once we found that, things became a lot easier.
The Rihga Royal is not located in a tourist area and not close to any train stations. I guess that’s the reason they run the shuttle buses. We checked in and found that the hotel is much grander than we expected. The room was very nice – again quite small.
We ventured back out to Osaka station via the shuttle and made our way to Dotonbori area. We’d been there before and knew there was plenty to see and eat and drink.
We woke late and decided to walk around the area around the hotel and find somewhere for breakfast. We found a lovely little restaurant called Yorozuan opposite the Nakanoshima Museum of Art. The staff didn’t speak much English but were very friendly and we somehow ended up with a delicious meal.
We decided to pay a visit to the museum too. There were two exhibitions. We decide on the “Space In-Between: Shizuko Yoshikawa and Josef Müller-Brockmann”. Shizoku specialised in painting colourful crosses and Josef, her husband designed advertising posters. Perhaps the other exhibition might have been more interesting.
Back to the Hotel to freshen up and get ready for the big concert. As we’d bought the tickets “internationally” we had to exchange a voucher at the venue – 30 minutes before the gates opened. We decided to get there quite early and scope the place out. Osaka-Jo Hall is right next to Osaka Castle so we could also catch a glimpse of it. We had an early dinner at a restaurant near the hall that specialised in Katsu Curry. The box office opened, and we procured our tickets easing my anxiety. We joined (pushed in) the massive line for merchandise and bought a couple of sweatshirts. We wore them straight away and it was a very cold day.
The concert was fantastic as expected. A Japanese punk bank, “Aburina Town” opened. A trio of girls gave a high energy and fun performance. Lyrics all in Japanese, but very enjoyable. Green Day came on stage at 7.30 on the dot and opened with “The American Dream is Killing Me”. They went on to play all of the Dookie album with a few later hits thrown in. They then went into American Idiot, playing most of the album. They finished at 9.30 on the dot and we couldn’t help thinking that they were strictly confined to that window. The last song was “Good Riddance”. The highlight for me was “Jesus of Suburbia”. There was less chit chat than previous concerts we’ve been to and very little swearing from Billie Joe. It will be interesting to compare this with the Sydney show next week. I suspect it will be longer and much more swearing. We got the train home with Jane constantly singing “… I am one of those melodramatic fools…”.
Don’t wanna be an American IdiotGod’s favourite band
We had nothing planned for the next day, so we decided to go shopping downtown. It was Sunday and most of Osaka had the same idea. The place was packed. We found some respite in the basement of Daimaru, where we found a little bar. Jane had their Sake taster set and I had a couple of Japanese beers and a Okinawa Gin and tonic. We headed back to Dotonbori and had the famous Takoyaki on the street. That certainly hit the spot on a cold night. On the way home we found a nice-looking pub and topped up with a very amateurish pizza. You can’t win them all.
We usually have a family lunch with the whole family in attendance. Due to growing family size and various commitments its getting harder to arrange one big event. Mum is in an aged care home. Dad is recovering from stomach surgery. So, it’s more feasible to split the group into smaller festivities.
We decided to have a Family holiday in Bali over Christmas and New Year 2024.
My three sons, Mitchell, Anthony, Aidan and his wife Ena joined Jane and I, Bettina and Bianca. The girls’ boyfriends Aonghas (pronounced like Angus) and Aaron also joined making a party of ten.
We all arrived on Christmas Eve and stayed for various lengths. Jane and I (and Bettina and Aonghas) stayed 8 nights, leaving on New Year’s Day. Mitchell was there for five nights, Bianca and Aaron six, while Aidan, Ena and Anthony stayed nine.
We booked Villa Naga Maya in Legian for eight nights. The villa consisted of three buildings surrounding a decent sized pool. The Villa complex had a total of five bedrooms which meant Anthony and Mitchell shared a room. The villa manager added a bed to their bedroom.
Villa Naga Maya
Aidan, Ena. Mitchell and Anthony had an early flight and arrived around 8am. The villa management was kind enough to let them check-in as soon as they got there. This was such a useful bonus. No hotels would dream of letting guests check-in that early.
The Villa was quite nice, although a little old showing signs of aging. The pool was big enough for the boys to flex their muscles. The rooms were spacious and clean. They were serviced everyday. The WiFi was quite fast, but struggled to reach the top floors. The shower in Jane and my room was ok, but the others complained the water pressure was not good enough for a good shower. The location was ideal. The best thing about the Villa was the manager Ita. She was attentive and bent over backwards to help us. Allowing early check-in and late check out was very handy.
Jane, Bettina, Aonghas and I arrived about 8.30pm and Bianca and Aaron a couple of hours later. Once we were all there, we went out for the customary Nasi Goreng and Bintang. Sugar Ray’s Bar and Restaurant was the closest so we went there. We had been to Sugar Rays in 2019, to celebrate my sister’s birthday.
Most of the group were tired from the early flight so we retired straight after. Also the next day was Christmas Day!
We woke late and eventually assembled in one of the villas for secret santa gifting. The rules this year was to buy your secret santa an “outfit”. What type of outfit was left to your imagination. As you can see below, some people’s imagination were working overtime. All agreed that Anthony as the “Second Helping” was the winner.
Christmas day outfits
Most of the following days were taken up by Breakfast, Swimming, Napping, Lunch, Drinking, Dinner, Sleeping.
There were some noticeable highlights:
Karaoke:
The girls wanted a Karaoke night and found a place in Kuta: Zero4. As we were yet to have dinner we looked around for a restaurant. Next door was Nasi Tempong Indra. It was huge and packed. We went inside and were shown to a table. We quickly noticed there were no other foreign patrons. This place was for locals, and furthermore was Halal. There were a few frowns when Aidan walked in with an open Bintang. Bettina, Aonghas and Jane decided not to eat there, announcing that we’re all going to contract Bali Belly! A prediction that proved correct, although its unlikely this was the source of the BB. The food was very cheap and quite tasty. It was served with a killer chili sauce that none of us could handle. Looking around, the locals were lapping it up like it was ketchup.
We finished up and went next door to exercise the vocal chords. Everyone took a turn brutalising classic pop songs. It was all good fun with memorable performances:
Aonghas and Anthony: Waka Waka (This Time for Africa): Shakira
Aonghas and Aaron: Hips Don’t Lie: Shakira
Bianca and Bettina: We Are The World
After an hour Mitchell and I couldn’t stand it any longer and headed for home. Mitchell picked up a Martabak Manis from a little stall across the road. The others stayed another hour, but took videos of there performances so Mitchell and I got enjoy it later.
In my 20 plus visits to Bali I’ve never had the dreaded Bali Belly. Most of our group suffered. I got it on the fourth day. After a night at a Greek Restaurant, Santorini (Seminyak) I felt a little sick. I vomited twice on the walk back to the Villa. I proceeded to poo and spew the whole night. I must point out that Santorini were in no way to blame for the Bali Belly. We couldn’t pin-point the root cause. It seems most likely that the heavy rain in Bali was a factor. As I said we all contracted it, but at different times. For all of us it only lasted 1-2 days and we “worked around” it. Mitchell organised a white water rafting tour, but has to cancel due to insufficient healthy participants.
Four laps:
Aaron was a late addition to the touring party and didn’t make it on the the group chat member list. We joked that he has to “pay the admission fee” which we hastily decided that it was to complete four laps of the pool – underwater. It seemed like an impossible feat, but we continues to goad him into it. Aaron is a fit and competitive guy and took up the challenge – and completed it! Welcome to the chat Aaron.
Boxing Day:
For me Boxing Day is always “Cricket Day”. The traditional MCGtest match always starts in 26 December. Starting at 7.30am Bali time, we were up early to Sugar Rays for breakfast. Nineteen year old Sam Konstas was making his debut for Australia which added extra interest. And what a debut! The young man came out all guns blazing targeting world’s current number one bower, Jasprit Bumrah. Konstas hit the Indian bowlers to all parts of the ground for a very well made 70 runs. The debut will go down as one of the most exciting in history. The afternoon session as spent in another sports bar Winx. Jane loved the Nasi Goreng there. I wont bore you with too much more cricket, but Australia went on to win the match, going 2-1 up in the series.
Up early for the Boxing Day test matchWinx Sports BarSantorini (Seminyak, not Greece)Mozzarella: Grandad’s Christmas Drink
New Years Eve:
New year’s Eve is also Jane’s Birthday. She had booked Chez Gado Gado for dinner. It was a nice 15 min walk from our Villa. The plan was to eat there and walk back down the beach watching the fireworks until the midnight countdown. Shortly after we sat down the heavens opened up and it poured. We were hoping the rain wouldn’t put dampener on the celebrations. The staff at Chez Gado Gado was very efficient. We finished at about 9pm, and the rain stopped as well. We made our way back down the beach until we found a free space. Anthony was keen to try the fireworks he’d bought earlier in the day. As fireworks are illegal to own in Australia, this was new and exciting for all of us. After watching some other “experts” on the beach got all the training we needed and it was time to fly. Anthony bought three small and one big roman candle. Each fired eight rockets. It was quite spectacular!
We got back level with our villa as it was still only 10pm. We decided to go back to the Villa for a swim, but come back to the beach for the countdown to midnight.
At 11.30 Anthony Jane and I trekked back to the beach. The other’s were too tired. I’m glad we went. The fireworks were massive! They filled the sky constant – loud – bright. I’d never seen so many explosions in my life. The video below does not do it justice.
If you’re reading that as “is”-“lay” then stop it right now and pronounce it “eye”-“la”. Like island without the nd.
The seed of this UK trip was to go on a whisky trail. This is it. Islay is a beautiful island off the west coast of Scotland. Famous for its nine distilleries producing Scotch Whisky with a distinctive smokey taste. I booked the 4 day tour with Scottish Routes.
Edinburgh to Islay
No time for breakfast at the Royal Scots club before checking out as the tour started at 7.45am in the heart of the Royal Mile. We were met by our driver and tour guide, Jamie, wearing a kilt. It wasn’t long before we “were on our way” – yes, with the Proclaimers song blasting out the speakers. There were 15 of us on the tour. Our five, Three American couples, a Father and Son from Ottawa and a Aunt/Nephew combo from Sydney. Everyone was friendly and we got along well.
Jamie was very knowledgeable with Scottish history and geography and gave us some great insights to the brutal history of Scotland. The word brutal was used a lot! As we past landmarks Jamie would tell us a story usually followed up with a song pertinent to the place or historical fact. The music selection was excellent and befitting to the moments. The scenery was stunning despite the overcast and misty weather. There were great views of the lochs and glens as we traversed the highlands.
We stopped in the town of Callandar for a mid morning snack. Many of us had missed breakfast so this was a good opportunity to grab something. I bought a chicken and leek pie – not bad. We also stopped in Inverary for a toilet break before arriving at Kennacraig to catch the ferry to the island. We had some lunch on the two hour ferry journey from Kennacraig to Port Askaig on Islay’s east.
Rest stop in InveraryCrossing to IslayLoch Fyne
Bunnahabhain and the Whisky Vault
As we docked at Port Askaig we boarded the van and drove off the ferry to our first whisky experience of the tour. A tour and tasting at Bunnahabhain Distillery. The tour was conducted by two young girls. They were very knowledgeable about the whisky making process despite their young age. We had two drams to taste. I bought a whisky glass from the the gift shop. I was later to find out that all the distilleries gave you their tasting glass as a souvenir.
Next stop was The Islay Whisky Vault. This is a shop selling the island’s whisky. We tasted four drams here including Kilchoman Sanaig – which I ended up buying at the Kilchoman distillery itself later. This is a good place to get an unbiased view of the different brands across Islay.
This was day one after a long drive. It was time to check-in to our accommodation in town of Bowmore. The five of us plus the Canadians and one the American couple (Texans) stayed at Bowmore House. The others stayed at other accommodation in Bowmore and other parts of the island.
The hosts of Bowmore House, Andrew and Alison were very friendly and a keen whisky lovers. Andrew provided us with information about Islay and Bowmore specifically. He strongly suggested we make reservations for dinner each night as most of the restaurants get full. We didn’t have reservations for the first night, so we just went for drinks at the Bowmore Hotel and had a few bowls of chips.
We booked dinner at the Bowmore Hotel’s Restaurant for the following night.
Bunnahabhain warehouse Tasting at the Whisky VaultBowmore House
Lagavulin, Ardbeg, Laphroaig
After a substantial breakfast the next morning, Andrew brought out a tray of whisky – surely not! “Who’d care for a dram?” he asked. Whisky for breakfast? Yes indeed, just about everyone had one.
Jamie picked us up at 9.30 and we travelled to the south coast of Islay. First stop was the ruins of Kildalton church. A medieval church, graveyard and Christian cross have stood up pretty well for hundreds of years.
Todays distilleries are the big 3 in my book. First on the list is my favourite Lagavulin. If you’re fans of the TV series Parks and Recreation you’ll be familiar with Ron Swanson’s favourite drop. Nick Offerman, who played Ron in the series has become synonymous with the brand and features in in the advertisements. Lagavulin even have special “Offerman” releases. My sons bought me the latest Offerman release for Father’s Day.
We enjoyed the “Warehouse Experience” at Lagavulin, where we sampled four whiskies straight out the casks. Members of the tour group (including John) were invited to draw up, with their mouths, the whisky from the cask. It was then funneled into a bottle and distributed for tasting to the group. What an experience! After the tasting we had some time so I got my drone out and flew it over the bay. I also got some nice footage of Dunvaig Castle ruins on the point of Lagavulin Bay. Dunvaig Castle was the stronghold of Clan MacDonald in the 12th century. Jamie later recounted a story of the feuding MacDonald and Campbell clans, mentioning that castle. Visiting Lagavulin was perhaps my highlight of the Islay tour.
Next stop was lunch at Ardbeg Distillery. Dad and I were still full from breakfast so we shared some Cullen Skink, a fish chowder with potatoes and other veges. I also flew the drone off the coast. There was tasting for four of their products. Ardbeg is owed by Louis Vuitton and you can see their influence in the decor the buildings.
Final stop for the day was perhaps the most best known distillery on Islay, Laphroaig. We had the full distillery production tour here. What’s unique about Laphroaig is that they still dry and smoke the barley onside. We got right up and personal to the barley floor and even threw some peat into the smoking fire. I chose to take-away my tasters in what they call “driver’s drams” as I wanted time to capture the iconic Laphroaig sign with my drone. I took some videos from out in the bay and photos of us standing in front of the big letters.
It wasn’t without mishap though. For my last drone video of the day, I thought I’d try a tricky “quickshot”. These as pre-programmed patterned built into the drone. I thought I’d selected spiral and began the programme. The drone started circling which was expected. What was not expected though, it wasn’t climbing. I saw on the screen the tops on roofs wizz by very close and before I could stop it, it crashed into a big tree. I rushed around the corner to see if I could find it. Luckily one the distillery workers had seen what happened and was quite amused by it all. He showed me where it crashed and to my relief I found it relatively unscathed.
Back to Bowmore for a rest before dinner. We had some beers in Dad and John’s master suite before heading to The Bowmore Hotel for dinner. The food was nice and we all enjoyed. It was pretty pricey for a pub meal though, at £50 ($100 AUD) per head. I guess that’s “island prices”. We booked Peatzeria for the following night.
A wee dram for breakfast? Don’t mind if I do.Kildalton churchJohn sucking out the whisky at LagavulinBarley drying floor at Laphroaig Adding extra peat at Laphroaig
After other big breakfast with whisky again, a sunny morning greeted us for another full day. The three distilleries were on the today’s agenda were a little unknown for me. I’d certainly head of them, but was unfamiliar with their range.
First stop wasn’t a distillery, however. Jamie took us to the Islay Woolen Mill. The mill is famous for providing their products to big movies such as Braveheart, Rob Roy and Forest Gump. The mill itself is very pretty, surrounded by a fast flowing river. In the past the river was used to drive the looms.
The first whisky today was a full tour of Bruichladdich Distillery. If you’re having trouble trying to pronounce the whisky names this YouTube series may help, or visit the distilleries in person! The Bruichladdich was comprehensive and even included a taste straight of the wort vat. This is the mashed barely and yeast liquid waiting to be distilled into a spirit. It tasted like a home brew beer. The whisky tastings here were sensational, however I was disappointed when I saw the prices. My favourite was the heavily peated Octomore. But at £175 ($350) a bottle it was out of my budget range.
Bruichladdich is also where The Botanist Gin is produced. I tasted some of their gin range. I was surprised to discover an Aged Gin. I’d never heard of a gin being aged before. It’s put into whisky casks for three years giving it’s taste a whisky influence and a coppery colour. I bought a bottle of it, embarrassed that my first purchase in Islay was gin.
We pushed on to Kilchoman Distillery, where we had some lunch. Lunch was a choice of soup and sandwiches. I had the Cullen Skink again. After lunch was a full distillery tour. Jamie suggested that if we’d had enough of the whisky making process, he could drive us down to Machir Bay and have our drams on a Scottish beach. All but two of us opted for the beach. That was a unique and fabulous experience. Dad chose to have a rest and stayed in the bar on a comfy seat. We returned and John and I both bought a bottle of their Sanaig.
The final distillery of the tour was Andrew’s favourite Bowmore, right in the town itself. Bowmore is one of the oldest distilleries in Islay and the town of Bowmore grew around it. We had three tastings. All were great including a 25yo. I didn’t check the price of that, but I guessed it’s eye watering.
That concluded the whisky part of the tour. There was certainly plenty of excellent whiskies to sample. It was thoroughly enjoyable, made better by a nice people in the group and Jamie’s organisation, knowledge and humour.
Dinner at Peatzeria was nice and simple where were shared some pizza. We finished with some Scottish tablet ice-cream. The name Peatzeria is a derived from the island’s peat used in many of the distilleries to get the smokey flavour into the whisky.
The Islay Woolen MillThe Islay Woolen MillThe Botanist Gin stillTasting Kilchoman at Machir Bay beachTastings at Bowmore
Islay to Edinburgh
We’re up earlier today as we need to catch the ferry back to the mainland. After another whisky breakfast we said goodbye to Andrew and Alison and made our way to Port Ellen taking a different ferry from the one that brought us here. It was a glorious bright and sunny day. Once on the mainland we made our way to Inverary for lunch. We secured a table in the beer garden of the Inverary Inn and enjoyed a nice lunch. Loch Fyne was looking picture perfect in the sun.
We skirted Loch Lomond, the largest lake in Britain. Jamie told a story of two brothers captured by the English. One of them was to be executed and the brothers agued who it should be. One struck the other unconscious so he would be saved. When he regained consciousness he found a note from his brother saying he’ll take the low road back at meet him in Scotland. In Scottish legend, anyone who dies outside Scotland takes the “low road” back to their homeland, where they will finally be at peace. This was the inspiration behind the song The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond.
O ye’ll take the high road and I’ll take the low And I’ll be in Scotland afore ye
We stopped in the town of Luss so we get a photo on those Bonnie Banks.
We took a south route back to Edinburgh through Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow. We said goodbye to some of our new friends as they ended their tour there.
We got back to Edinburgh around 6.30pm and sadly our tour ended. What a magnificent tour it was. Expertly organised and full of interest and experiences, not to mention lots of whisky. Jamie, our tour guide was first class. I would not hesitate to recommend this tour to anyone.
Graeme met us at Deacon Brodies with our suit cases and Clive, Anthony and I said goodbye to Dad and John and caught an uber to out AirBnB near Tyncastle Park the home of Hearts football club. We got a questionable take-away and hit the sack early.
Back to the mainlandLunch at the Inverary Inn…on the Bonnie Bonnie banks of Loch LomondLoch Fyne
Back home
We caught an afternoon flight back to London and stayed one night at an AirBnB in Stanwell, quite close to Heathrow, as our flight back to Perth was early the next morning. Even though our accommodation was ten minutes from Heathrow Taxis and Ubers were charging us £40 ($80 AUD) for the privilege. Robbery! The next morning we were up at 6am and caught an Uber £32 this time. to Heathrow Terminal 2 to begin the long trip back to Perth via Singapore. Singapore Airlines were excellent as usual and had us back in Perth on schedule. Although it felt like the weekend was stolen.
Wrap up
The whole trip was spectacular. It really was a whirlwind visit with a lot of activities crammed in. Highlights of the trip for me were:
The London Eye with Anthony
The Royal Mile bevvies with Dad, Clive, John, Anthony and Graeme. Then dinner and kick-ons with Anthony and John.
The morning revisiting Blackwood Cres, Sciennes, Meadows and Greyfrairs Bobby with Dad.
Lagavulin Warehouse Experience and drone flight.
Other thoughts:
Travelling with 5 men was difficult at times. It’s hard to find things that we all wanted to do. There were differences in opinion at times. But nothing serious enough to be unpleasant. Thanks everyone for their effort to get along.
Travelling with an 82 year old was challenging sometimes. Dad had trouble walking at pace and with stairs, uneven roads and footpaths. Everyone pitched in to make sure he didn’t fall over and allowed him time to rest. I’m very glad to share this experience with Dad. I know it meant a lot to him to visit the motherland for the last time. I can tell he had a good time, so thanks to the group for their patience.
London – expensive; Edinburgh – more expensive; Islay – even more expensive. If you’re planning a trip to the UK, prepare to pay through the nose.
I enjoyed the trip very much. I hope to visit Scotland again soon.
Sometime in 2018 I was having a whisky and cigar with my good mate Clive. He was telling me he’d traced his family history on his mother’s side to Scotland. Clive is very well travelled, but he explained further that he’s never been to Scotland. He went on to say he’d love to visit Scotland and go on a whisky trail. Maybe it was the whisky talking, but I immediately jumped on board and said “I’m in!”. We talked about it over the next few months and decided to aim for August 2021. We all know that was soon to be a fruitless proposition. We postponed until 2023, when we booked our flights for August 2024. My Dad, Ian and Brother in law, John joined us on the booking. A few months later my Son, Anthony joined in, making the touring party five boys. When I say boys, Ian (82), Clive (75), me (61), John (55) and Anthony (34) perhaps I should say a touring party of five old farts.
We booked flight with Singapore Airlines, from Perth to London, via Singapore. A couple of days in London sightseeing then catching the train to Edinburgh. Another couple of days sightseeing in Edinburgh, then embarking on a four day whisky tour to Islay. Back to Edinburgh for one night, flying to London and the next day home.
Dad and John decided they wanted to extend their time in Scotland so they changed their booking to return a couple of weeks later. As it turns out, neither of them are spending that extra time in Scotland. My sister, Ann is meeting up with John and they’re going to Ireland. Dad is going to visit his brother in Nice.
Six years of planning came to a climax and we’re off!
My Dad hasn’t travelled for around 15 years and he’s not as mobile as used to be at 82 years of age. This is probably his last opportunity to visit the motherland, so everyone is making a strong effort to make this trip special.
London
We arrived in London to beautiful weather. 25 deg and blue skies. I bought several jackets and jumpers, but no sunscreen and no hat. Surely the good weather will not last. Touching down at 3.30pm gave us plenty of time to get to our accommodation and hit the pubs for a few bevvies and bite to eat. Immigration was simple, our bags came promptly and we were out of the terminal pretty quickly. We then proceeded to wait in line for the elevator for what seemed an eternity to go down one floor to the taxi stand. We actually wanted to catch an Uber thinking that they would pick up at the same place as taxis. Nope, we’d have to line up again at those elevators to go to the fourth floor. We decided to catch a taxi. Luckily one taxi could fit us all in, including our suitcases. We got to accommodation, the Victory Services Club around 6pm in the swanky district of Marble Arch. The VSC is a military based club, of which Clive is a member. Anthony had booked cheaper accommodation close by. Clive and I shared a twin room and Dad and John shared another.
We had a beer in the hotel’s lounge and bumped into the CEO of the VSC who welcomed us and told us some of the history of the place. We kicked on for another beer at the Carpenters Arms, then onto the Portman for a few more and some food. Our body clocks still adjusting to the time difference, we were all pretty tired from the flight so we hit the sack pretty early.
I was up early the next day and went for a walk around the area hoping to get a coffee in before the boys woke for breakfast. Starbucks was the first to open at 6.30, so I settled for a warm cup of milk (aka latte with an extra shot). Breakfast at the VSC was pretty good.
A tour of the Tower of London was the go today. We got the tube to St Paul’s station and walked to the Tower. We spent a couple of hours exploring the grounds, towers and listening to the stories. We also saw the world famous Crown Jewels. Again the weather was perfect, mid 20s with some scattered fluffy clouds. We took some photos of the Tower Bridge, which was nearby.
Lunch was Clive’s pick. He’d researched the Churchill Arms in Kensington. A traditional English pub with strangely a Thai menu. The food was pretty good. Dad was getting tired from all the walking and stairs, so we sent him back to the hotel in an Uber. Anthony, John, Clive and I pressed onto Portobello Market in Notting Hill. Once Jane found out I was in Notting Hill I have to find and take a photo of the famous places in the movie Notting Hill. I agreed but it wasn’t my highlight of the trip. She seemed chuffed with the photos anyway.
Back to the Carpenter’s Arms, where Dad rejoined us.
The next day we did the tourist thing and joined a hop-on hop-off tour bus. There was a stop at Marble Arch so we signed up for a day pass and off we went around the monopoly board.
First stop Trafalgar Square. Disappointingly it was roped off for cleaning. We passed the National Gallery and saw there was some Van Gogh’s on exhibition, and more importantly free entry. We spent about an hour there looking at the old paintings. What an unexpected and wonderful find!
Back on the bus to Covent Gardens. We spent a while walking through the arcades and piazza before stopping for a beer at the Nag’s Head pub.
Back on the bus over the Tower Bridge to the pier for a ferry ride to Westminster Bridge. A central spot to see the House’s of Parliament, Big Ben and the London Eye. The day was taking a toll on Dad and Clive so they called it quits and Ubered back to the hotel. Anthony and I went for spin on the London Eye. At £42 ($84 AUD) it was too rich for John. John was right it wasn’t worth the money, but it was a good experience.
Back on the bus to visit then King at Buckingham Palace. Charlie wasn’t home and it was getting late so we headed back to the hotel.
We’re off to Edinburgh today. We decided to take the train for the experience. Sitting together share a drink and watching the countryside roll by. Nice and simple, huh? Not so, as it turned out. I have booked the 11am train to Edinburgh some months ago, but a few days ago we were horrified to learn that the London North Eastern Railway (LNER) was having industrial action issues with train drivers threatening strikes. They cancelled our train!
They website and app said we could change the time of departure or get a refund. The only train available was the 3pm, which would get into Edinburgh about 7.30pm. Less than ideal, but at least we knew we would get there. Clive suggested we still get to Kings Cross early and see if we can get on an earlier train. LNER did announce they would put extra trains on for the weekend as the strike was averted at the last minute.
We got to Kings Cross about 9.00am and enquired at the LNER desk and the attendant said just get on the next train, our tickets would be good for any of the trains today. The next train was 10:00 so we waited outside for the platform to be announced. Once we got the go ahead we stormed the gates will a huge crowd. John stayed back with Dad, as Clive, Anthony and I raced forward to find seats to suit our party of five. The staff were all saying “all free seating today”. We did indeed find a group of four seats, with Clive a few rows back, and settled down. People were still streaming on the train and it wasn’t too long before the people that did book our seats came and asked us to vacate them. Arguments ensued and we could tell things were about to get ugly when a somewhat large guy started physically threatening another man near us. Anthony, John and I got out of our seats and looked for others that were spare. Nothing doing – I guess we’re standing. There was quite a few others standing too. Luckily Dad and Clive managed to hold on to their seats. Whether it was free or some kind person gave up their seat to Dad, I don’t know. But we were grateful.
Some people disembarked at Doncaster and a seat opened next to Clive and I grabbed it. On the next stop, York, Dad’s whole block of four seats became available so Anthony, John and I joined Dad. Clive held onto his seat. So finally, we got some relaxing and enjoyed the rest of the trip.
All aboard – standing room only!Managed a sit down after a while.
We crossed the river Tweed into Scotland. First time I’d been to the country of my birth in 54 years.
Crossing the river Tweed into Scotland
We arrived at Waverly station around 2.30pm and got the escalators up to Princes Street. The Royal Scots Club, was a 10 minute walk from the station and the streets were so busy it didn’t look like we were going to easily catch a taxi. So we decided to walk with our luggage. It turned out to be more than 10 minutes and much tougher walk because Hanover street was quite steep. Again Anthony had booked a a nearby hotel for himself. We eventually got there, unpacked and met up again down in the club lounge for our first Scottish beer. Scottish beer tasted pretty good, so we headed out the Royal Mile for some more. First stop was Deacon Brodies Tavern. My cousin Graeme, his partner Sarah and son Max met us there for a little catch up. Graeme stayed for a couple of pints. We took some time after to explore the famous Edinburgh Royal Mile. The laneway to the castle was blocked off due to the works associated with the Tattoo that had taken place the week before.
The next day was going to be a day of reminiscing for me. Leaving Scotland at the age of seven in 1970, I still remember snippets of Edinburgh. I wanted to visit those places again 54 years later. Clive and Anthony caught the hop-on hop-off tour, John went to see a Football match (Hearts v Dundee) and Dad joined me for a walk down memory lane.
Dad and I caught an Uber to Blackwood Crescent. We lived there in 1968 and wanted to see the street and see how well I remembered it. It was exactly how I remembered it! We were a little unsure what the house number was though. Dad thought it was number 20, with the yellow door (pictured below). We then retraced the route to my first school.
Left at the end of Blackwood Crescent, down a narrow laneway to Causeway Side. Left onto Sciennes House Pl, right onto Sciennes, then left onto Sciennes Rd (yes they all have the same name). Along Sciennes Rd until to get Sciennes Primary School. Again this was exactly as I remembered it.
We continued down to The Meadows, a large park. I remember walking here with my Mum. We took a seat and took in the view of Arthur’s Seat. Onward through the Meadows via Jawbone walk. I couldn’t remember that path, but Dad was disappointed to discover that the whale jawbone arch had been removed. The path took use to the other side of the Meadows and that left a short walk to Greyfriars Bobby. The memory of the statue of the little dog and his story have been with me for a long time since my aunty Jean pointed it out to my cousin, Steven and I on the bus all those years ago. Bobby stayed by his master’s grave long after he died. A monument to his loyalty is loved by many. There was a queue to take a photo with him. Anthony and Clive joined us and we had lunch at the Greyfriars Bobby Pub. Dad, Anthony and I had Haggis, Neeps and Tatties. Clive was having “none of this foreign muck”. Dad was mortified that they substituted his neeps (swede) with carrots. The Haggis and Tatties were good though. Anthony and I tried to console him by say they’ve just substituted one crappy vegetable with another crappy vegetable.
After lunch we caught an Uber to Princes St Gardens to take some photos of Edinburgh Castle. I don’t have clear memories of the gardens, but do remember it being more flowery. It was a nice stroll, but the day (and the stairs) was taking its toll on Dad and he wanted to go back to the hotel for a rest.
What a great day! Highlight of the trip so far. It was so special to share that experience with my Dad. I have to say I did get a bit emotional at times.
Blackwood CresSciennes SchoolThe MeadowsArthur’s SeatBobbyGreyfriars Bobby memorialEdinburgh Castle
Anthony messaged me saying he was booked in the Mary King’s Close tour. I said I’d join him at the Royal Mile. The tour was great with a talented guide explaining the hidden streets and the characters under the Edinburgh City Chambers. There were no photo allowed unfortunately.
Visiting the doctor
John, Dad and Clive joined us back at the Royal Mile for dinner a Bella Italia. Early to bed as we start the whisky tour to Islay early tomorrow.
Yeah, off to Bali again. This time a villa in Seminyak, then a big hotel also in Seminyak. Sounds boring – yep we didn’t do much other than sitting around a pool (or bar) and drinking and eating. I even considered not writing a blog entry for it.
Villa Damai Oasis in Seminyak
My son, Anthony was joining Jane and I for the first part of the trip. We booked Villa Damai Oasis, a 2 bedroom villa in Seminyak. Anthony arrived the day before and already had the Bintangs on ice for our arrival on Saturday.
We arrived on time and were eager for the Bintangs, although, not before some umm pomoch’ drug drugu… Indonesia has recently introduced an electronic Visa On Arrival (eVOA) system where you can apply and pay for your visa before you arrive. Once you have that, you can use the electronic gates and bypass the grumpy immigration officials. I filled this in for Jane and myself. When Jane checked hers, she noticed that her date of birth was showing as 30/12/00. Even though she’s not 2024 years old, the visa was issued without any error highlighted. We we got to the electronic gates Jane received the dreaded red X – no entry. I tried mine and got the green light. Jane had no choice to line up and go through the manual Immigration process. The immigration officer told Jane her visa was invalid and would have to pay again. As Jane was about to leave and line up to get another VOA… lets just say the nice Immigration officer let her though – all nice and legit like.
Made met us out the front and before you know it we were in full Bali mode in the pool with a good story to tell.
The Villa was nice and in a good location, although a little old. The rooms were comfortable and the bathrooms good. There was supposed to be shampoo, but we couldn’t find it despite the caretaker saying it was there. No problem though as Jane always brings her own shampoo and conditioner. The beds had a mosquito net which was a little annoying to deal with.
First job the next day was to visit Nikki Tailor. We have a few alterations and I wanted to see if I could get a linen jacket made. I got measured and left the alteration work with them and made out way back to Villa.
The next few days were spent eating, drinking and lazing in and around the pool.
Some notable restaurants:
Double Six Rooftop Bar has nice happy hour (2 for 1) cocktails and good food overlooking Double Six beach. We caught the sunset and had many many cocktails. Anthony’s fav was Pina Colada.
Asparagus has a great buffet breakfast for only $14
Che Gado Gado was a huge restaurant with a live band playing 80s & 90s classics. They also invited kids on the stage – mainly singing Taylor Swift songs. This was recommended to us. It was ok, but there are much better restaurants around.
Revolver (Seminyak) is a trendy little underground type restaurant with wanky coffees. We had breakfast there are the food was great. The coffee was indeed good. Highly recommended.
Villa PoolDouble Six rooftop barAt Mr and Mrs DicksLookout she’s pointing in the wrong direction
We also tried some axe throwing. Good fun.
Anthony needed a bullseye on his final throw to win a free beer… Wayan!
Grand Mercure in Seminyak
On Tuesday Anthony was going home and we moved to the resort style Grand Mercure Hotel in Double Six region of Seminyak. As Anthony had a late flight he spent most of the day at the pool with us. The hotel was very nice. It has a huge pool which was a little cold as it was shaded for most of the day. That wasn’t a bad thing – less sunscreen required. Ordering food and drinks was pretty easy, by simply contacting the bar with a WhatsApp message. We opted for the Junior Suite room. It was huge with a sitting area, large balcony overlooking the pool and an awesome rain shower. At around $220/night it was good value. Breakfast wasn’t included, however we paid ($17) for it a couple of mornings. The food was very good with a comprehensive selection.
Again for the next few days were spent eating, drinking and lazing in and around the pool.
Lunch at Mozzarella Dhyanapura at Seminyak. We’ve been to Mozzarella many times and it never disappoints. Cocktails were great. The have a few restaurants in Bali. This was the first time we’d been to the Seminyak one. Great menu variety and the staff are very friendly and efficient.
Yanti Bar for dinner. This a popular pub in Legian. We got there and watched Friday Night football. The food (pasta) was good and there was a excellent band playing 70s classics.
We ventured further out of the area a few times. We collected our alterations and Jacket from Nikki tailor. All the work was top notch. I was very happy with the Jacket. We will definitely go back there in future visits. I will look to get a suit made next time.
We had an early-ish flight back home on Saturday. We were up and checked out of the airport by 6am. Made took us to the airport. We checked our bags in to the news that there was technical issues at Perth airport and the flight would be delayed by one hour – no big deal. We found another Revolver restaurant in the departure lounge and settled in with a coffee (iced matcha for Jane). The travel-blog gods must have decided this vacation was way too boring for a blog entry, so they decided to spice things up by cancelling our flight.
Apparently, the technical issues at Perth airport got serious enough to cancel ALL inbound and outbound flights. Something to do with the Fuelling machine. This was a first for me. I’ve had plenty of delayed flights, but never a cancelled flight. To try and get more information, we hurried to the gate where an angry mob was quickly forming. A nervous Jetstar employee addressed the mob and explained that essentially Perth airport was closed and no flights were allowed in (and out) until further notice. He explained that Jetstar will endeavour to rebook all passengers on later flights. He also suggested that we could re-book ourselves online. The mob seemed to get angrier for some reason. Jane and I left the poor Jetstar employee with the wolves and made our way back through immigration to the check-in counters to collect our bags. Jetstar check-in staff explained the same situation. We quickly realised that we’re spending another day, at least, in Bali. While we were waiting for our bags I checked online for other flights. There was only one available the next day – but that was via Sydney. Denpasar to Sydney: 5 hours – a 5 hour layover – Sydney to Perth: 5 hours. It didn’t sound pleasant, but we booked it anyway. We could always change it if something better opens up. At least we knew we’d be back in Perth on Monday – unless the travel-blog gods decided to even more brutal and close Sydney airport too.
A young girl backpacking by herself looked very confused and asked our advice. We told her we’d booked the horror flight back and we were going back to a cheap hotel in Legian for the night. She asked if she tag along. We caught a ride back to the Sun Island Hotel in Legian. We had stayed there a few times before and know that its comfortable and inexpensive. The said they had a room for a night for $75. We had stayed at this hotel before for around $40/night, so this was a bit of a shock. Nevertheless, we took it. This was a little pricey for Marcel, the backpacker, so she left to find cheaper digs. We learned later that she managed to get on a flight to Perth later that night.
While we were waiting for the room to be ready, Jane decided to relieve her stress by having her nails done (Sharon Spa – Jane recommends). I found a café to resume that coffee that I started in another life. I searched for a better flight. Nothing doing. The fuelling issue was still unresolved, with more flights cancelled. We walked around the streets of Legian killing time. The fuelling issue in Perth was resolved around noon and flights resumed. We persisted looking for a direct flight, without luck. At least we knew now that the airport would be open for our scheduled return time.
Old and tired (the pool I mean)
We found a nice restaurant for dinner: Bande Nere Pizza & Brunch specialising in Italian food. We chatted to the owner who introduced us to the young chef. The food was very delicious. We’ll definitely be back.
The next day we tried to negotiate a late check-out. The desk clerk said they could only do 12 noon, but could offer us a room for an hour later in the afternoon for a shower. The football was on at 11am so we checked out and found a sports bar to watch the Melbourne v Fremantle game. The game was great if you’re a (Fremantle) Dockers fan with a 94 point thrashing of the (Melbourne) Demons – at least something was going right. Jane decided she needed her hair washed ), so we trudged the streets again looking for a place she had googled – Prestige Beauty Salon (Jane also recommends). After that we found (Jl.) Benesari Street in Legian. This narrow street runs parallel to (Jl) Legian and is full of cafés, shops and hotels. We stopped in Benih Cafe for lunch. This trendy little restaurant was great and the food was delicious. Soon it was time to leave for the airport after our shower and “freshen up”. This time we caught a Grab taxi and got to airport in good time – and cheaper too! At the check in counter we asked if we can get on the earlier direct flight to Perth. The check in clerk said that flight was already over-sold, so no dice.
We eventually boarded the Boeing 787 to Sydney and arrived 6.15am. We had to collect our bags and proceed through immigration/quarantine and travel by shuttle bus to Terminal 2. This was getting tiring. Upon arrival at Terminal 2 we were told we cannot check-in until two hours before departure time. So, we had to wait a couple of hours on uncomfortable chairs. Eventually they let us in, and had something to eat and tried to make ourselves comfortable for another five hour flight.
Pretend you’re happyThese certainly helped
After being awake since 8.30 am Sunday we eventually made it home at around 3pm Monday: 35 hours of very little sleep. Special commendation to Jane for not killing anyone during the ordeal (although she came close a few times).
We’re not sure what happened to the other passengers on our cancelled flight. Jetstar didn’t appear to put on any extra flights. Perhaps they’re still living it up in Bali with a nice insurance claim. I guess we’ll never find out.
Despite the challenges of getting home, it was another enjoyable Bali holiday. We’re already looking to book another one in October… and perhaps December too.
JellyfishKing Travel 