Friday 10 October 2014

OUR FIVE YEAR RETROSPECTIVE

.......previously in Malaysia.....

Although Rich and I have been travelling sporadically since we first met 17 years ago, it's now been five years since we sold up, dropped out and started our new lifestyle as permanent travellers on "The Journey" as we call it. We have been so incredibly lucky in the experiences we've had, the places we've visited and the amazing people we've met.


Co-incidentally, we found our selves currently visiting family in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Cairns in October, exactly as we did five years ago before we left Oz, so it seemed a appropriate time for a bit of a look back in pictures at some of the high points of The Journey. These are all photos we wished to use the first time round, but had to be left out due to space.



  • Our first year was a bit of a whirlwind blur, with the new feeling of freedom still strange in our bodies. After some recovery time in some of our favourite places, we were keen to explore more of India........


Eccentric artist in Singapore, 2009

Monitor lizard, Malacca, Malaysia, 2009

Leaving Ko Chang, Thailand, 2010

Holi festivities, Calcutta, India, 2010

Starting young, India, 2010

Waiting for toy train, Darjeeling, India, 2010

Sadhu, AssamIndia, 2010

Stunning Himalayas, Sikkim, India, 2010

Buddhist monastery, Sikkim, India, 2010

Beautiful dancer, Richenpong festival, India, 2010

Allahabad market, India , 2010

Ayodhya ghats, India, 2010

Bodhgaya ruins, India, 2010

The stunning Gwalior fort, India, 2010

Enormous Jain carvings, Gwalior, India, 2010

Bhojpur temple, India, 2010

Contemplative Rich on a train, India, 2010

Indian train, 2010

Ghat at Varanasi, India, 2010

Varanasi cutie, India,  2010

The wonderful town of Varanasi, India, 2010


  • Year two saw us visiting some familiar places, many beaches and the new destination of Burma. An unexpected twist to the year was a 3 month trip to Canada........




Sunset off Perhentian Island, Malaysia, 2010

Our favourite rotisKuala Lumpur, 2010

Great friend, Fruitopia, Thailand, 2010

Resting under the eye of the King, Thailand, 2011

Gorgeous Thai girls in a festival, 2011

Phanom Banan, Cambodia, 2011

Nong Khai sculpture park, Thailand, 2011

A golden Buddha, Thailand, 2011

Scenic Inle Lake, Burma, 2011

Beautiful mango seller, train station, Burma, 2011

Inside sublime Bagan temple, Burma, 2011

Buddha babies, Bagan, Burma, 2011

Stunning scenery, Bagan, Burma, 2011

Enjoying the rare good weather in BC, Canada, 2011



  • The third year was a fantastic exploration of the new Indonesian destinations of Sulawesi and Sumatra, with which we fell in love, and plenty of rest in the usual places in between........




Malaysian shop, 2011

Pantai Bira, SulawesiIndonesia, 2011

Kids playing in a lake, SulawesiIndonesia, 2011

A man and his chook, SulawesiIndonesia, 2011

Traditional building, SulawesiIndonesia, 2011

Ko Bulon Lae, Thailand, 2011

Old tile design, Penang, Malaysia, 2012

Thaipusam festivities, Penang, Malaysia, 2012

Lake transport, Sumatra, Indonesia, 2012

Rice fields, Sumatra, Indonesia, 2012

Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia, 2012

Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia, 2012

Market fish, Sumatra, Indonesia, 2012

Gunung Sibayak, Sumatra, Indonesia, 2012

Outside cave, Sumatra, Indonesia, 2012

Nakon Si Thammorat temple, Thailand, 2012



  • Year four saw the fascination with Indonesia continue, with our most adventurous travel yet in Kalimantan, followed by a 6 month stint helping our friend run his hostel in KL (of course with beaches either side to recover!).....



Little sweetie, Kalimantan, Indonesia, 2012

River house, Kalimantan, Indonesia, 2012

Sun setting on Pelni ferry, Indonesia, 2012

Rich on boat trip, Kalimantan, Indonesia, 2012

Mahakam river festival, Kalimantan, Indonesia, 2012

Kalimantan Christian carvings, Indonesia, 2012

Beautiful young girl, Kalimantan, Indonesia, 2012

A well deserved rest, Thailand, 2013

Homeless man, BangkokThailand, 2013

Us in Bangkok market, Thailand, 2013


  • Our fifth year was jam packed with activity and amazing new experiences, with India, Dubai, Iran, Armenia and Georgia taking up a full year's worth of  adventure (with just a touch of R and R in Malaysia at the end!).........

Street scene, Calcutta, India, 2013

Glorious coloured statue, India, 2013

Ghats, Omkareshwar, India, 2013

River scene, India, 2013

Maheshwar fort, India, 2013

Detailed carving of musicians, India, 2013

Inside Chittorgarh, India 2013

Pushkar building, India, 2013

Striking colours, India 2013

Camels for sale, Pushkar Camel Fair, India 2013

Bored girls waiting to perform, Pushkar, India, 2013

Musician busking for tourists, India, 2013

Old door and lock, India, 2013

Gorgeous doorway (one of many!), India, 2014

Dubai scenery, 2014

Mosque interior, Iran, 2014

Qeshm island architecture, Iran, 2014

Masked woman, Minab, Iran, 2014

Gorgeous cuties dressed up for a wedding, Chabahar, Iran, 2014

Baluchistan scenery, Iran, 2014

Sufi man, Kerman, Iran, 2014

Rural scenery, Kerman, Iran, 2014

The stunning desert scenery in Kaluts, Iran, 2014

Amazing cave village of Meymand, Iran, 2014

Lonely tree, Iran, 2014

Mosque doorway, Iran, 2014

Beautiful colours in a mosque, Iran, 2014

Carpentry shop, Yazd, Iran, 2014

More lovely scenery, Iran, 2014

Common sign in Iran (not supported by the  population), 2014

The stunning scenery around Masouleh, Iran, 2014

Masouleh village, Iran, 2014

Detail in an Armenian monastery, 2014

Unusual landscape, Goris, Armenia, 2014

Monastery door, Armenia, 2014

Tatev monastery, Armenia, 2014

Majestic Mount Kazbegi, Georgia, 2014

Spectacular defensive towers, Shatili, Georgia, 2014

Ruined tower, Georgia, 2014


This blog was so enjoyable for us to make, and look back at the fun we've had- here's hoping in five more years time, we can chronicle a whole new batch of adventures!


.....coming up, our Best/Worst List for 2014......