diary – Page 17 – angusmccoll

MONDAY 29 SEPTEMBER – Phu Quoc Island

Phu Quoc Island is just off the southern coast of Vietnam near the Cambodian border. If you were to continue the Vietnam/Cambodian southern border straight out into the ocean, Phu Quoc would easily fit into Cambodian territory. Through some quirky bit of administration, it falls under Vietnam control (I’ve since read that there is tensionContinue reading “MONDAY 29 SEPTEMBER – Phu Quoc Island”

SUNDAY 28 SEPTEMBER – Ho Chi Minh City

Today is a lazy day. I will be flying out for Phu Quoc Island tomorrow, which is the main aim of this brief visit to Vietnam. I watched a Vietnamese movie at the local shopping centre. There were Hollywood options but I chose to watch one made in Vietnam, with English subtitles of course. It’sContinue reading “SUNDAY 28 SEPTEMBER – Ho Chi Minh City”

SATURDAY 26 SEPTEMBER – Singapore to Ho Chi Minh City

It’s just a transit day today. I’m flying to Vietnam with Air Asia. Air Asia is a budget airline based in Malaysia but they seem to have branches all over Asia. I think they are reasonably new but are very successful. Typical of low-budget airlines, you pay for everything onboard but that’s ok. They haveContinue reading “SATURDAY 26 SEPTEMBER – Singapore to Ho Chi Minh City”

FRIDAY 26 SEPTEMBER

I only have one day in Singapore and I have a task to do. I haven’t organised my rail pass for Japan yet so I have to visit a travel agency. There are some in China town. The subway is fantastic here, very logical and easy to use. And if I do hesitate in frontContinue reading “FRIDAY 26 SEPTEMBER”

WEDNESDAY 24 SEPTEMBER

PHOTOS TO FLOOW SOON Over 10 million people live in inner Jakarta but if you include the outer reaches, around 30 million call it home. It is Indonesia’s administrative heart from where this very diverse nation is governed. What a job that must be. What a history it has endured to get to this point.Continue reading “WEDNESDAY 24 SEPTEMBER”

TUESDAY 23 SEPTEMBER

PHOTOS TO COME WITH GOOD WIFI I’m still weakened and a feverish from flu. I’ve got a map showing that the Monument Nasional is within walking distance so that is my plan for today. I’ve only come to Jakarta to exit Indonesia for Singapore. I don’t think many people come here as tourists. There areContinue reading “TUESDAY 23 SEPTEMBER”

THURSDAY 25 SEPTEMBER

PHOTOS TO FOLLOW Arrived in Singapore. Australians do t require a visa for Singapore. And there are no inconvenient arrival and departure taxes to pay. That may be buried in the price of the ticket. Indonesia was constantly asking for departure taxes whether you were flying international or domestic. It’s an inconvenience to ensure youContinue reading “THURSDAY 25 SEPTEMBER”

SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER

PHOTOS TO FOLLOW WITH GOOD WIFI I start the day with no real agenda apart from visiting an old Dutch fort, Fort Rotterdam. The Dutch used this fort to oversea the harbour. There is a magnificent museum here that explains the history of Sulawesi and it’s many cultures. It tells of how Islam was introducedContinue reading “SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER”

MONDAY 22 SEPTEMBER

Jakarta Jakarta Jakarta… I hit this city feeling low and it didn’t get any better. My last night in Makassar was a shocker. Complaining sinuses from a persistent head cold and indigestion for the second time in my life made sleep hard to come by. If it wasn’t for previous experience of indigestion I wouldContinue reading “MONDAY 22 SEPTEMBER”

SATURDAY 20 SEPTEMBER

Makassar is at the opposite end of Sulawesi to Manado. It sits on the southern tip of this strangely shaped island and is the capital of Sulawse with a population of over 1.3 million peoples. And it is the fifth largest city in Indonesia. Makassa is in complete contrast to Manado. It’s population is largely Muslim and asContinue reading “SATURDAY 20 SEPTEMBER”