Begin at the Beginning

Some of you may be wondering: how did that strange girl that writes too much get to where she is now? From rainy old London to a boat in Malaysia in the middle of a storm. In a nutshell, this is how it happened: My parents had sex around 24 years and five months ago.
TMI,sorry.

Well after working enough to save up a little bit of money (my thanks to Cote Brasserie and the Foxman!) I was wondering how far around the world you could get for the lowest amount of money. Skyscanner helped me with this - they had flights to Bangkok from London for 300GBP. Kate had given me a wonderful book for my birthday - pictures and a short description of every country in the world. I flipped to the page on Thailand: beautiful beaches, stunning lady boys and strange food. It sounded like a great place to start! I booked my ticket, singular, that night. I didn't really consider how much* time you need to get organised for a round the world trip - I figured one month was long enough for me to give my notice and have some jabs. Apart from missing one of the shots, I just about made it to the airport in time! 


In the local supermarket...

My adventures in Thailand were as much as to be expected - and more! I overdosed on temples pretty quickly, found that although there are some beautiful lady boys out there, there are also some pretty unfortunate ones too, started couchsurfing, met loads of cool people (more on all these adventures later) and before I knew it, my first month was gone! In this time I'd also got my open water and advanced PADI qualifications, attended the obligatory full-moon party and successfully navigated the Bangkok public transport system, on the way to the airport for my second month on the road - in Burma!

Burma was very special - this is where I was adopted for the first time, met some truly incredible and inspirational individuals, saw the temples at Bagan, went swimming in lake Inle, got into trouble with the immigration officials at Naypyidaw and went back in time, to a place where the locals didn't bother with modern inconveniences like tractors, or electricity. I also had the most fun I've probably ever had - before or after - during Thingyuan (Burmese New Year festival) which was pretty much a nation wide water fight. It was a short flight back to Thailand, but such an extreme difference in the development of the two neighboring countries. 



Teaching colours, using Twister

Back to Thailand, then, for some air conditioned 7/11 treats. I took the train up north, and spent some time hanging out in Chiang Mai, before taking the bus to Chiang Rai, and settling here for the next 10 months or so as I found a school that was willing to let me teach their students (I'm still not sure why they let me). I had a fantastic time here, learning a lot more about Thai culture than you could ever find in a book, making friends, adopting families and hopefully teaching somebody something. 

I had some holidays in this time - a month I spent in Lao, making new friends, and meeting some old, whilst kayaking, rock climbing, visiting waterfalls, sustaining the worst injury of this trip so far (broken finger - thanks to the excellent Nurse Lauren, it's only slightly wonky now), tubing, doing some cultural stuff, like going to Phonsavan and seeing the plain of Jars, plus the caves at Vieng Xai. I was lucky to be in Vientiane, applying for my Thai visa, whilst the beautiful Lao Loi Krathong festival was in full force. I made my way back to Thailand (in time to see the festival all over again) and back to school. 

Riding a water buffalo, of course.

"Gravity works like this..."

I started to make plans for moving on - a fellow traveller had told me about findacrew.net, and I eagerly set up a profile, although I didn't have much of an expectation - I thought it would be another of those things I am endlessly signing up for, only to unsubscribe six months later when you realise your inbox is full of junk emails you've stopped opening. Happily, I couldn't have been more wrong if I'd tried. I got in touch with Captain Brian, of Furthur - we met up at New years in Phuket, and I delayed my return to school so I could join the trip to the Similan Islands for diving - something I am very glad I did. I met some other crew whilst here - Julie and Anya, my first companions on the boat.

Beautiful beach at Koh Raja

That beautiful holiday ended all too soon - back up north for another few months of 'teaching'. When school had finished for good, I made the 24hour bus journey - 1000 miles! - back down to Phuket, where the boat was waiting in Royal Phuket Marina, ready to cruise again. New crew this time, but the journey was just as fantastic, as well as some more incredible diving around Koh Ha, Racha Yai/Noi, Hin Deang and Hin Mueng and on, towards Malaysia. 

The rest of the last eight months have flown by - we've done some amazing things, met awesome people - not to mention the diving! - and cruised down the length of Malaysia, past Singapore all the way to Flores in Indonesia, before changing direction to head up around the coast of Borneo. 

"Room for one more?"

Boat travel suits me very well - I'm a lazy backpacker, and being able to sleep in one bed, yet have a different view nearly every day is incredible. It's a fantastic way to get around, especially all these archipelagos that are made of thousands of islands. I can't wait to get to the Philippines and see another new country, both above and below the water. Making a profile on find a crew has been one of the smartest things I've done on this trip so far. Maybe the best part is that long bus rides are now optional!


Now you know where I am, and how I got here. I aim to write about everything that I've previously done on this trip, as well as all the exciting new things.

*There's so much else you have to do! 
- Vaccinations (I got rabies, Hep A and B, yellow fever, a tetanus booster and unfortunately, a completely pointless and expensive Japanese B encephalitis shot. I also picked up lots of anti-malarials).
- Start a travel blog (Ha! Who has time for that before you leave?) 
- Go shopping. Seriously, I barely had any of the necessary stuff: a good first aid kit, walking boots, a big backpack, a raincoat, travel proof clothes - e.g. quick drying, wrinkle proof lightweight clothing. If you can find something that looks good and also has UV protection built in, you get extra points! Also a travel towel - mine is an attractive shade of puke green, but was a bargain. Most important on your list: a sleeping bag liner - if made of tightly woven silk these things stop bed bugs from biting you, and anyone that's ever been bitten will tell you what a horrific experience that is.
- Some things I took that I've barely used - a sleeping bag, waterproof matches (actually I used those up really quickly lighting mosquito coils), and the new raincoat.
- Organising travel documents - visas etc, making sure your passport has enough pages/years left on it. It's a good idea to scan and save an electronic copy of all these things in case you find yourself in a situation without your passport. 
- Changing money - there are some bank accounts you can set up from home that allow you to exchange your money before you leave so you won't be charged with a terrible rate every time you hit up an ATM when you're on the road. This is probably most useful if you're going to the US, Australia or New Zealand (I didn't find them in any other currencies). Otherwise it's a good idea to travel with some back up cash, in case you get stranded/have an emergency/lose your bank card. 
- Saying goodbye. Organising one big party/event and hoping everyone can be there would have been a sensible way to do it, if you can spare some cash from your travel budget.
- Planning an itinerary. Although this is definitely optional, and I've never been very good at it, it's nice to know where you're heading from the airport at least. 

Good luck and safe travels!

Would you make a good crew member?

 

Findacrew.net does an excellent job of allowing boats and potential crew to get in touch with each other. Before you get on a boat however, this is just a short survey to find out if you will do well at sea. I've seen from Brian's point of view how hard it is to know what makes a good crew member based only on a profile, when the crew has no experience and idea of whether they can do it or not. It can be a frustrating experience for crew too, if they travel a long way only to get to the boat and realise they are not so well suited to the nautical life. Hopefully, this questionnaire will help you and potential boats from making any commitments if this isn't really your thing. Write your answers on a piece of paper (scores are at the end). And no cheating!

1) Have you ever worked in a bar or restaurant (and been good at it)?    

2) Can you read a book in a moving vehicle? (Don't try this while you're behind the wheel!)  

3) Are you allergic to fresh air or sunshine?  

4) Can you swim?      

5) How many miles, on average, do you like to run every day?
a) Less than 1        
b) between 1 and 3 
c) More than 3

6) What is your opinion of books?
a) I hate reading, unless it's Cosmo.        
b) The only reading I do is this blog while I'm connected to the internet.
c) Reading books is my favourite hobby

7) Which statement is most true of you:
a) A quick wash once a day is enough
b) I shower when I notice that I'm starting to smell
c) I shower three times a day if I have time.

Plus some questions specific to this boat - 

8) Which of these mugs can you not use, ever, on pain of death?
a) Furthur Adventures (left)
b) Best Crew Award - Sam 2013 (middle)
c) Breakfast in the Buff, Boulder Colorado (right)

9) When is the best time to play a prank on Brian?
a) when he is sleeping     b) I would never do that!            c) Anytime.

10) Which statement best suits you:
a) I enjoy watching tv and get angry if someone disturbs my concentration.
b) I fall asleep during anything I watch.
c) I have no short term concentration at all. I have to constantly be doing something. 

The results:

1) Yes = 10     No = 0 (I've noticed the crew we've had who have previously worked in a small bar/restaurant/close team atmosphere are much better at looking around and seeing the jobs that have to be done, and getting on and doing them. It's a nicer environment for everyone if they can all work together and do some jobs without needing to be told)

2) Yes = 10     No = 0 

3) Yes = 0     No = 5 

4) Yes = 200 No = - 50

5) a) 5 
    b) 0
    c) - 5 
Although it's good to keep fit, if you're a gym junkie you'll struggle to find enough exercise room on a small boat. Yoga would be a good thing to take up before embarking on that month long passage. 

6) a) - 5
b) 5: You get points for having excellent taste, but you might find it difficult being in remote areas with little connectivity - and not knowing when you will have a good enough connection to look at all those cat videos on Youtube.
c) 10

7) Which statement is most true of you?
a) 10
b)  20 (unless you smell so much that everyone else can notice it)
c) - 10
Water is a limited resource, especially on a boat!

8) Which mug can you never use?
a) 20
b) 0
c) 0

9) When is the best time to play a prank on Brian?
a) 15  
b) - 10
c) 50

10) Which statement best suits you? 
a) 10
b) 10 (as long as you don't snore)
c) 0 (fidgets don't want to hang around while Brian is getting his daily t.v. fix. Go upstairs/downstairs and clean the boat, or read a book).

Well done for finishing! 
Top score: 340 : Congratulations if this was you!
bottom score: - 80: Maybe you shouldn't go near the water.

If you did well and have decided that being on water is the place you need to be, there is a key question you should ask your captain before you embark.

Your trip sounds incredible and nearly too good to be true! I hope you won't be offended by me asking this: Do you have the funds to complete this trip?

A good captain should not be upset by this question - it shows you're an intelligent person, aware of the dangers of getting on an unknown boat. I've heard some horror stories of crew being stranded in a really remote place when the boat has needed to be fixed, the Captain has run out of money, and asks the crew to give financial assistance or to email their parents if they don't have enough. Although you might have an agreement with your captain that you'll cover your costs for food etc, you probably don't want to be in a position where you or your parents are asked for hundreds, or thousands of dollars just so you can get to the next port. It's worth asking, just to avoid future difficulties.

My Favourite Things II

There were a lot of things that should have been on the last list, but were somehow missed out. Here's a few more of my favourite things we've done in the last 8 months on Furthur:

1) Swimming with a turtle. We'd anchored the boat for the night out in the Similan Islands, and finished diving for the day. This giant turtle appeared (possibly looking for dinner to be thrown overboard) and swam around the boat for over an hour. We watched, delighted, as he stayed in the area and came close to check us out. Eventually, I slipped quietly into the water to get a closer view as he passed by. A very special moment for me.

2) NYE at Patong Beach, Phuket - hanging out at Paris Hilton's party, stealing life jackets, drinking whiskey on the beach at six am, going to a special adult's show, having our hair sprayed full of silly string and generally acting like teenage delinquents. What a night!

3) Penang - Rosie and I were shown around Georgetown at night by an infamous ex-crew member, Troy, (oh the stories I've heard!) who was an absolute gentleman in the way he  helped us climb over the fence of a temple we broke into (not that I'd encourage that kind of behavior, but the twilight vistas from Kek Lok Si are absolutely fantastic), politely introduced us to the local mafia, gallantly helped us to get drunk, offered his arm as we stumbled around Little India and escorted us back to the boat, all before 4am!

4) Practical jokes, especially the ones that surprise Brian. He's a great target during nap time. Unfortunately these things work both ways, so I'll use the photo of the only successful prank Brian's played on me - waking up with a face covered in shaving cream, to the laughter of Sandra, Anna, Rosie and Venus. Thanks for the support, guys. 

"It doesn't count if you do it before 9am!"

5) Spending all night star gazing, with the help of a neat little Stargazer app on Venus' tablet. It cleverly uses GPS to work out what you're looking at, and helpfully labels all the constellations, planets and some individual stars. There is nothing so fantastic as doing this on the deck of a ship, in absolute darkness, miles and miles from the nearest source of light pollution. 



6) Komodo village - visiting this extremely poor area, where we make a donation to the school, stroll around the houses built on stilts and of course, make balloon animals for children. Brian starts this process - everyone else quickly becomes involved as demand far exceeds output.

"Well how do these things work anyway?"

7) Helping the students from SMK Marine School in Labuan Bajo study. Although they have the strongest desire to learn the skills needed in the nautical world, the school doesn't have very good resources and can use any help they can get. Which is why they let Brian teach some classes. Only joking! He did a fantastic job, and even took out several groups of students on the boat, giving them an opportunity to navigate and steer by themselves - they were thrilled. 

A selection of kids, teachers and crew

8) Flying a pirate ship kite from a boat. One of the neatest purchases to be had in Bali - 50,000 IDR. And worth 10x that in terms of the fun we've had with it. Because we're six years old. And obviously way too cool. Kate, Del and Ronnie.

9) Finding out what was the point in the packet of mustaches my mum sent. Like I said, very cool six year olds. 

10) Watching dolphins fly through the waves beneath the boat. Along with all the other wildlife we get to see on a daily basis, like sea eagles, whales, flying fish, monkeys (swimming monkeys!), Komodo dragons etc 

Hopefully there will be some equally amazing activities, fun crew and more dolphins in my last few months here on the boat.

Waking up at 3am: Not usually worth it

It's not often that a 3am wake up call is rewarding. As far as I'm concerned, 3am is a good time to be going to bed after a night on the town rather than getting out of it. Unfortunately, living on a boat means different rules apply - namely, whilst under way, someone always has to be on watch. We look out for fishing boats, cargo ships, icebergs, mermaids - you name it, we try to avoid it.

I have somehow landed the best/worst shift: 3-6 (that's AM and PM) which means yes, I have to wake up at 2.50am to get conscious before I start, but I also get to witness a beautiful sunset and sunrise...and it's not often I am awake for both of these in one day!

So I'd just finished my morning watch and I was dragging my weary self back to bed, when I heard this exhale noise from outside the back door. I looked out, confused, and saw a cloud of steam rising from the back of the boat. Worried, I ran out to see if the generator was producing smoke (bad news) and instead saw something that my sleep deprived brain struggled to make sense of: a dark grey mass, glistening in the light of the dawn, barely a metre from the back of the boat. My very first whale! His square head was out of the water, and as he dived again I got to see the rest of him; bony spine and huge body and a flick of his tail as he went back below. Eventually something clicked into place and I started shouting to get everyone's attention (opinions differ as to whether it was 'Holy shit!' I said first, or 'Woaaaaah!' but whatever it was, Emily and Siem came running, thinking there was some kind of disaster) and were quick enough to see it too - a small pod of Sperm whales, slowly crossing the path the boat had made in the waves. They surfaced every few metres and we saw lots of 'blow' - not steam! The animal I saw most clearly was at least 8m long, possibly a juvenile and most fantastically square headed - almost a right angle. He looked right at me and winked! Or maybe that was sleep deprivation...

 If you squint and turn your head to the side you can just about see where the whale was...and some blow.










I'm glad the girls were quick enough to come and see - it was a fantastic moment to see those  majestic animals up close, but it does make me wonder how much we miss because we're too busy to look out for it. If I'd have gone to bed a single minute earlier, those giant, graceful creatures would have passed us right by and we'd have been oblivious. 

 




It's not often that waking up at 3am is worth it - but today was definitely one of those days! 

A much better shot of some beautiful dolphins (who doesn't love dolphins?) that we saw frequently in Indonesia, as they ride the bow wave.