Postcards (Hong Kong, Rio, Torino, Melbourne, Hyderabad and many others ... Add your location)

[Magpie Girl]

Had 3 weeks in beautiful Otranto. The sea was the clearest I have ever seen and it was a joy to swim almost every day.

I spent the last week in Lecce, a small city full of baroque architecture, a roman colosseum and a roman theatre. Subterranean passage ways and houses dating back more than 200 years BC

Went to Gallipoli (in Italy) for a day - I must say I was missing the sea - and enjoyed seeing the very interesting castle

And yesterday I travelled to Matera, in Basilicata.
This place is beyond amazing.
The ancient area, known as the Sassi, consists of houses that were built in caves.

Unfortunately it's raining today and the streets are extremely slippery, and hence rather dangerous. I'm staying in a B&B that was once one of these homes.


Saying goodbye to Otranto - a beautiful sunset

The amphitheatre in Lecce. It was a colosseum, and was discovered under street level about 200 years ago when they built a church nearby.

Italy's Gallipoli

Matera

 

[Magpie Girl]

Yesterday I walked the 'Path of the Gods'.
8 kms of track winding over the mountains above Positano and Praiano, arriving in Agerola after 2.5 hrs
I passed a few people, but was mostly on my own.
It felt like a real achievement to do it alone, and to complete it.

Silence, except for the occasional cow bell.
Beautiful, beautiful scenery, and many vineyards above me.
So high!



Then took the bus to Amalfi, and another to Positano - always an interesting experience on the extremely high and narrow roads, especially the hairpin bends, along the coast

 

[PieNSauce]

Yesterday I walked the 'Path of the Gods'.
8 kms of track winding over the mountains above Positano and Praiano, arriving in Agerola after 2.5 hrs
I passed a few people, but was mostly on my own.
It felt like a real achievement to do it alone, and to complete it.

Silence, except for the occasional cow bell.
Beautiful, beautiful scenery, and many vineyards above me.
So high!
View attachment 87103
View attachment 87104

Then took the bus to Amalfi, and another to Positano - always an interesting experience on the extremely high and narrow roads, especially the hairpin bends, along the coast

Great Pics MG. You have to love those roads don't you. Frankly I had to wonder why they don't make it illegal to drive buses there. They are positively scarey!

 

[Magpie Girl]

A week in beautiful Positano.
Lazy days enjoying the beach, the scenery and the surrounding areas.
Ravello, Sorrento, Amalfi and Casserta

It's just the most amazing area of steep, craggy mountains, very high narrow and windy roads, and the sea.


Positano

Sunrise (view from my balcony)

Final day on the beach

Then onto Rome for the last 3 days, catching up with friends and preparing for flight home.
I love walking down and new street and seeing where it takes me, and this time I discovered the Palazzo dei Quinale.
It's only open on Sunday mornings, and it's where the president of Italy lives.
It was absolutely magnificent inside.
And I've never seen so many tall Italian men! I found out that all of the President's guards have to be taller than 195cm!


After I'd taken this I found out you're not allowed to take photos!


Last sunset in Rome

So that brings my Italian adventure to an end, and this is my final postcard.
Arriverderci tutti!

(I arrived home in Melbourne last night)

 

[Vicky Park]

A week in beautiful Positano.
Lazy days enjoying the beach, the scenery and the surrounding areas.
Ravello, Sorrento, Amalfi and Casserta

It's just the most amazing area of steep, craggy mountains, very high narrow and windy roads, and the sea.

View attachment 88739
Positano
View attachment 88740
Sunrise (view from my balcony)
View attachment 88741
Final day on the beach

Then onto Rome for the last 3 days, catching up with friends and preparing for flight home.
I love walking down and new street and seeing where it takes me, and this time I discovered the Palazzo dei Quinale.
It's only open on Sunday mornings, and it's where the president of Italy lives.
It was absolutely magnificent inside.
And I've never seen so many tall Italian men! I found out that all of the President's guards have to be taller than 195cm!

View attachment 88743
After I'd taken this I found out you're not allowed to take photos!

View attachment 88759
Last sunset in Rome

So that brings my Italian adventure to an end, and this is my final postcard.
Arriverderci tutti!

(I arrived home in Melbourne last night)

Loved the postcards MG, well done!

Those 195cm President's guards - any chance we could snaffle a couple as international rookies for the Pies?

 

[Mars II]

Remember this old thang?

 

[DaicosianMarvels]

I am currently in Madrid and have been here for over a week, another five and half months to go.

I will be traveling around on weekends to cities like Lisbon, Dublin and Amsterdam, I will post some photos up when I get some good ones.

In the meantime enjoy the weather because I am absolutely freezing here. I will never complain about winter in Australia ever again haha.

 

[Magpie Girl]

I am currently in Madrid and have been here for over a week, another five and half months to go.

I will be traveling around on weekends to cities like Lisbon, Dublin and Amsterdam, I will post some photos up when I get some good ones.

In the meantime enjoy the weather because I am absolutely freezing here. I will never complain about winter in Australia ever again haha.

have a fantastic time
are you studying or working there?

 

[DaicosianMarvels]

have a fantastic time
are you studying or working there?

First month I am studying Spanish 25 hours a week and after that I start work.

I love it so far and can't really say a bad word about the city. I have been to watch Madrid play basketball, I have also seen Real Madrid play soccer twice and I have loved the atmosphere and the whole experience that I dreamed of when I was a child.

The nightlife here is very different to what we have in Melbourne. There are so many options for people of all ages, if you want to go clubbing well no one is there until 12.30 at least and if you leave before 5 you would be one of the first people to leave. It's nuts! If you like a quiet night at café or if you want to have churros you can do that till 5 in the morning as well.

This weekend I will be going to Portugal for two days and I will give you my thoughts on the country.

Being here will also make the time go faster until the footy season starts as well which is another plus.

 

[speedytiger]

Just lobbed in the philippines, place is mad. Cant post pics (you might not want to see midget boxing anyway) amazing place.

 

[Magpie Girl]

Just lobbed in the philippines, place is mad. Cant post pics (you might not want to see midget boxing anyway) amazing place.

enjoy, and stay safe

 

[NT.Thunder]

Just lobbed in the philippines, place is mad. Cant post pics (you might not want to see midget boxing anyway) amazing place.

Shouldn't StKilda be undergoing pre-season training and not be on their end of year footy trip.

Very interested to hear more mate

 

[jefffff34]

Paris, January 12 2015, five days after the Charlie Hebdo massacre.

 

[jefffff34]

First month I am studying Spanish 25 hours a week and after that I start work.

I love it so far and can't really say a bad word about the city. I have been to watch Madrid play basketball, I have also seen Real Madrid play soccer twice and I have loved the atmosphere and the whole experience that I dreamed of when I was a child.

The nightlife here is very different to what we have in Melbourne. There are so many options for people of all ages, if you want to go clubbing well no one is there until 12.30 at least and if you leave before 5 you would be one of the first people to leave. It's nuts! If you like a quiet night at café or if you want to have churros you can do that till 5 in the morning as well.

This weekend I will be going to Portugal for two days and I will give you my thoughts on the country.

Being here will also make the time go faster until the footy season starts as well which is another plus.

Madrid is awesome. We got the train from Lisbon to there overnight a month back.

Lisbon was very confronting. Drug dealers everywhere, but beautiful architecture.

 

[NT.Thunder]

I'll have to have a bit of a look in here but has anyone got any recommendations for places to stay, even if it's just area, and things to do for 4 days in Hawaii in December? Got some cheap flights so heading over for my 40th.

I'd like to do Pearl Harbour but after that, open to ideas

 

[speedytiger]

Shouldn't StKilda be undergoing pre-season training and not be on their end of year footy trip.

Very interested to hear more mate

Just got back. Philippines was amazing, easily the best people i have ever met. Some brilliant beaches that have hardly been touched. We did a few islands, snorkling, wedding and other adventures but the key thing i remember is the smiley faces.

We were in Hawaii last year, i'll put on the memory cap and try to give you some tips

 

[Maggie5]

I'll have to have a bit of a look in here but has anyone got any recommendations for places to stay, even if it's just area, and things to do for 4 days in Hawaii in December? Got some cheap flights so heading over for my 40th.

I'd like to do Pearl Harbour but after that, open to ideas

Some great shopping places and cheap. Buy US$ before it drops further.

 

[speedytiger]

Some great shopping places and cheap. Buy US$ before it drops further.

I actually didn't find Hawaii that cheap for shopping. The best we did was the factory outlets. Maybe we were in the wrong areas, all the spots people told us to try were no better than here.

Pearl Harbour was really good, need to allocate plenty of time. We did whales, diving, helicopter, swimming with dolphins but the best experience was the sunrise up on a volcano. Then you ride bikes down. It was awesome, especially when the mother in law crashed and hit her face! All the other things we did you could do anywhere and be just as good but for a unique Hawaii experience the bike ride and Pearl Harbour win for me

 

[ottoman]

It was awesome, especially when the mother in law crashed and hit her face!

ROFLMAO

 

[speedytiger]

ROFLMAO

2 days out from her sons wedding. Took a lot of putty to fix that mess!

 

[Manic Magpie]

Visited a Thai friend in prison 2 days ago and had my passport, traveler's cheques, money, credit card, myki card and every piece of ID I have stealthily removed from my laptop bag while I stood in line to deposit money into my friend's prison account. A temporary passport will cost $210 followed by $268 for a new passport to replace my one year old passport. AMEX have treated me like a criminal and are dealing with me online and over the phone only. The OZ embassy loaned me $147 plus the temp passport and fine cost. A friend back home paid for my accommodation online. I can't say I am having a lot of fun.

Bad times do bring out the good in others. The room cleaner bought me lunch and delivered it my room when I was left with 50 baht on my first day. The office ladies at the condo at which I was staying have made all sorts of phone calls on my behalf and plied me with coffee and snacks. I will be $1000 out of pocket as a result of this experience and spend most of the holiday chasing up money, passports and stamps at immigration offices. I have gone from taxis to buses and realised that living frugally is not so bad in many ways.

 

[Magpie Girl]

Visited a Thai friend in prison 2 days ago and had my passport, traveler's cheques, money, credit card, myki card and every piece of ID I have stealthily removed from my laptop bag while I stood in line to deposit money into my friend's prison account. A temporary passport will cost $210 followed by $268 for a new passport to replace my one year old passport. AMEX have treated me like a criminal and are dealing with me online and over the phone only. The OZ embassy loaned me $147 plus the temp passport and fine cost. A friend back home paid for my accommodation online. I can't say I am having a lot of fun.

Bad times do bring out the good in others. The room cleaner bought me lunch and delivered it my room when I was left with 50 baht on my first day. The office ladies at the condo at which I was staying have made all sorts of phone calls on my behalf and plied me with coffee and snacks. I will be $1000 out of pocket as a result of this experience and spend most of the holiday chasing up money, passports and stamps at immigration offices. I have gone from taxis to buses and realised that living frugally is not so bad in many ways.

Really sorry to hear this MM.
It's a terrible thing to happen - especially while trying to help your friend
Hope help comes quickly and you get to enjoy some of your holiday (and I hope you have travel insurance)

 

[Manic Magpie]

Really sorry to hear this MM.
It's a terrible thing to happen - especially while trying to help your friend
Hope help comes quickly and you get to enjoy some of your holiday (and I hope you have travel insurance)

I have basic travel insurance but don't think its going to cover my losses. I basically take out insurance for health and theft of items but not cash and passports.

I have visited my friend about 10 times in prison and believe me it allows you to see a side of Thailand you'd prefer to think did not exist. There are 80 in his room, so tightly packed in that men are unable to roll over at night. Fluorescent lights shine throughout the night and only the thinnest of mattresses are allowed and no pillow. Disease and infection spreads quickly in these conditions, particularly conjunctivitis, flu and skin infections. Without money life is a battle - prisons allocate $1.40 for each inmate per day, and corruption probably reduces that amount. Goods and food available inside at the 'shop' are much more expensive than outside. The wardens do not give a s**t about the prisoners - they would happily let you die before seeking medical attention. Visits last 10 minutes behind a glass screen blurred with wire mesh. Prisoners in a line one side, visitors on the other, communicating by phone.

There are no foreigners inside and I am the only foreign visitor. I speak some Thai which helps cope with the red tape and chaos. My friend had pleaded with me by letter to visit because he has had a very sore throat for 2 months and hoped I could convince the authorities to admit him to hospital. Despite him hardly being able to speak, I failed to convince anyone that he needed outside help. 'Only two months' a female warden said to me. 'That's not long'. Then when she was told he was in for 13 years she replied 'Only 13 years! That's not long. Don't you worry yourself about him!'

My friend cried when I told him of my failure to get him help. He quickly recovered some composure. You can't show weakness to your fellow prisoners. Similarly Thai visitors do not cry. It shows that you are afraid the prisoners will not cope and succumb to the torturous and incredibly monotonous existence. I am not usually much of a crier but my emotions get the better of me all too frequently during my visits.

The poor bugger will be wondering what has happened to me. Last I saw him I was returning next day, but with no passport there can be no visit. Besides, I have been busy trying to restore my documents and financial security. At least I get to try out the AFL overseas football site tomorrow. At 12.40pm local time, the Pies and Blues will provide a welcome distraction from my woes.

 

[Manic Magpie]

This bird is sitting on its eggs in the airconditioner on my little balcony. I took the photo through the bathroom window.

 

[Magpie Girl]

That's a terribly sad and horrific account of the situation there MM, beyond my imagination really
And a nightmare for you

Words are inadequate but, for what's it's worth, I'm thinking of you
Stay safe