HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY

Happy Australia Day! We are just about to head to Aussie Bar with Jasmine and Sean (our Aussie mate!).

Man last night was a big hassle when TRYING to get Sean from the airport... For an hour we were stuck tryinna get INTO the car.. It was frozen and we just couldn't open the doors no matter who we asked to help and no matter who we called (the car union, or what ever it was called, was really no help at all). Finally we realized we had to get that liquid that melts locks from the servo and we really had to run because it was 5 minutes till closing time! That bottle was good-for-nothing though, and we couldn't get any door to open. FINALLY I spotted a taxi driver and after waving to him, he took out his lighter, warmed up the key, and opened the front door just like that. LOVE TAXI DRIVERS!



Anyhoo, we've pretty much finished the bottle of Captain Morgans (who was with me at school today <3) so we are gonna head off soon. Pretty concerning though, that we are ALSO going to a cruise tomo... Fuuuu. I. DON'T. KNOW. HOW. I'LL. HANDLE. BUT, Sean wants to see "the biggest buildings that leave Helsinki every night", so we are gonna head off to Stockholm ;)

HOPE to make it out alive.

ps. I just realized that I have school tomo 12-14.30 and then cruise leaves at 17.30 (gotta be there at least an hour earlier) AND I should ALSO make it back home to get my stuff at one point... Yeaaah, tomorrow we will see.. :D

Kuinka budjetoida?

Multa on nyt pariin otteeseen kysytty rahan keräämisen ja budjetin suhteen, niin pistetäänpä vastaus nyt samalla postaukseen :)

Oon rahottanu matkani tekemällä niska limassa duunia mm. kassalla (tätä ennen muilla paskaduuneilla kuten siivoomiselle, subwaylla ja PUHELINMYYNNILLÄ) ja säästämällä lähes kaiken. Oon tehny valintani, että en muuta vielä himasta pois ja se on suuri etu. Se että asun vielä vanhemmillani mahdollistaa sen, että voin säästää lähes kaiken kun ei ruokaa tai vuokraa tartte maksaa. Olen siitä hyvin kiitollinen vanhemmilleni :)

Rahaa tarttee sen verran kuin tarvitsee lentolippuihin + budjettiin. Eli kandee laskee niin, että lennot + vakuutus + mahd. rokotukset + mahd. hankinnat (esim. rinkka ja muut asiat, joita joudut ostamaan) + mahd. viisumit + mahd. kulut, joita joudut matkan aikana maksamaan (esim. puhelinliittymä, jos oot pistäny sen sellaselle “on hold” -liittymälle, josta maksat esim. vain euron kuussa) + päivä budjetti x pvt + kandee aina varata EXTRA rahaa, koska aina tulee jotain paskoja eteen, joihin meneekin enemmän rahaa, kun on laskenut. + jos tiedät, että haluat esim. hypätä laskuvarjohypyn, niin kannattaa ottaa selvää, paljonko se maksaa, ja varaa sen verran ylimääräistä myös.



Esim. itse varasin Balille pelkkää budjettia varten 20e/pv x 30pv = 600e + 200e extraa. Sit päälle tietty lääkkeet (esim. japanin aivokuume, josta pulitin 240e, malarialääke) + vakuutus + jotkut pikkusälät, joita jouduin ostamaan (rinkat sun muut mulla on onneks jo edellisiltä reissuilta) ja lennot tietty.

Pakko nyt jälkiviisaana sanoa, että meni VÄHÄN enemmän rahaa tuolla Balilla, kun mitä olin odottanut :D Toisaalta, en kuitenkaan noudattanut mitään niin suuria Backpacker-periaatteitani rahan käytön suhteen, koska kyseessä oli joululoma, jolla halusin oikeasti rentoutua ja pitää hauskaa (koska olin raatanut viimeiset 5 kuukautta niska limassa koulutöitä ja duunia tehden), joten baarissa tuli käytyä välillä, vaikkei päiväbudjetti sitä olisikaan sallinut.

Kannattaa myös ottaa huomioon, että välillä sattuu haavereita, jonka vuoksi on hyvä olla mukana luottokortti. Maksaessasi lääke- ja sairaalakuluja kerää kaikki kuitit talteen ja pyydä vaadittavat todistukset, jotta saat kerättyä rahasi vakuutukseltasi helposti.



Myös yksin matkustamisen hyvistä ja huonoista puolista on kyselty, ja niistä voi olenkin jo kirjoittanut tänne.

Kirjotin tuon tekstin puolisen vuotta sitten, joten voisin lisätä jotain tuosta yksin matkustamisesta Interrailiin ja Baliin verraten: Mun mielestä oli IHANAA istua junissa yksin, kun pysty vaan keskittyä siihen olemiseen, maisemien ohi vilahteluun ja omissa ajatuksissa seikkailuun. Vietin myös Portugalissa ollessani yhden onnellisimmista päivistä, kun matkakumppaninani oli pelkästään kamera ja iPodi lähtiessäni lautalla Costa da Caparican -niemelle. Tuntui vaan niiiin hyvältä olla yksin ja nauttia olemisesta ja ympäristöstä.

Jos en olisi ollut yksin reilillä, niin tuskin myöskään olisin hengaillut paikallisten lifeguardejen kanssa portugalissa, tutustunut belgialaisiin poikiin junassa Berliiniin  tai voinut noin vain lentää Tomin pyytämänä hänen setänsä luo Lontooseen (hyläten kaikki alkuperäset suunitelmat "en helvetis tuhlaa aikani johonki Englantiin!").

Balilla taas kun selvisi, että hostelleja saarella ei ole (paria lukuun ottamatta, jotka itse asiassa maksavat saman verran tai enemmän kuin hotellit!), ei yksin reissaaminen ollut oikein vaihtoehto. Onneksi Jassu oli samaisella saarella niin pystyttiin jakamaan asumiskustannukset. Mutta kun tiemme erosivat, oli kuitenkin niin paljon jännempää tallustaa rinkka selässä sitä tietä yksinään, vaikka kuinka hauskaa (ja sekavaa) meillä oli ollutkin Kutalla sun muualla ;) Kun ei ollut reissussa sen kotoa tutun tytön kanssa, tutustui paljon useampaan ihmiseen ja päivätkään eivät olleet niin arvattavia.

Olen tullut siihen tulokseen, että kyllä se yksin matkustaminen vain on kivempaa. Vaikka vietettiinkin Jassun kanssa tehtiin koettiinkin yhdessä vaikka mitä liftaamisesta bikini waxeihin, niin I can't help to think, että mitäköhän kaikkea muuta olisi tapahtunut, jos olisi backpackanut tän kuukauden ihan omillaan? Toisaalta - everything happens for a reason - en usko, että olisin tavannut kaikkia niitä ihania ihmisiä (mm. Milka <3), jos olisin tehnyt jotain toisin.

Matkamessut 2012

Vähän ennen kuin lähin Balille, sain Rantapallolta viestä, että me blogaajat saadaan liput Matkamessuille, joissa Rantapallo on yhteistyökumppanina ! :) Kyl siinä vähän hymyilytti, että jes, kolme päivää sen jälkeen, kun olen palannut himaan Indoista, pääsee taas metsästelemään lentolippuja ;) 
Eka kerta ku olin kunnolla ulkona Suomeen palattua. Olin onnekkaasti saanut angiinan koneessa (vai mistä lie) ja jumitellut vain himassa villejä kauppareissuja lukuun ottamatta.  Olin vähän sellanen "joo-o, nyt ollan Suomessa" -fiilis, kun käveli ekaa kertaa uusilla talvikengillä (edelliset vuodethan olen tainnut talsia connut/vansin slipparit ja villasukat jalassa, mutta tänä vuonna nöyristyin.)  siinä lumipyryssä.


Mulla oli komle-neljä ihmistä mielessä, jotka olisin ensisijaisesti halunnut ottaa mukaan aveciksi. Halusin antaa jollekin aidosti reissaamisesta kiinnostuneelle ihmiselle lipun (secluding "moi kävin sikailulomalla Sunny Beachillä"/pakettimatkat jeejee), mutta kun kaikki kaverit olivat maailmalla (Joel Kambodiassa, Kimsu Nykissä, Veera missä lie Kaakkois-Aasiassa ja Milkankin jätin Balille), mukaan lähti rakas pikkuveljeni. Ei oltu ehditty kunnolla hengailemaan kolmeen kuukauteen Balin ja broidin kahen kuukauden Puolassa suoritetun työharjottelun vuoksi, joten oli kivvaa viettää tämmönen iltapäivä yhdessä :)


Kävin Brasilia-kojulla tiedustelemassa hieman asioita tulevia juttuja vartennnn... siitä sitten myöhemmin.
Ja menin moikkaamaan ihanaa Josslinia! Oltiin siis juuri laskeuduttu Helsinki-Vantaan lentokentälle, kun aloin puhumaan vierustoverini kanssa (sitä ennen olin liian kiireinen jumittaessani Breaking Badia) ja sain tietää että kyseinen zambialainen nainen oli tulossa tänne "Travel fairsiin" "oh sweet! -...heey. I'M GOING THERE TOO!" Joo, oli aivot hieman jumissa angiinasta. Vaihettiin yhteystietoja ja lupasin tulla moikkaamaan :) Josslin oli niin iloinen nähdessään mut ja ilo oli kyllä molemmin puolinen :) Ihana tyyppi!  


Kuubassa tanssittiin

On hyvä ottaa mukaan henkilö joka a) kuvailee sua mielellään b) kantaa sun toista kassia >:)



Kävin Rantapallon blogiloungessa ja tutustuin Hannaan :)




  
Löysin Indonesia-kojun ! Kyseinen herra oli Lombokista ja vähän harmittelin, etten ehtinyt käymään siellä enkä kiipeämään Gunung Rimjania!  Oli kyllä niin ihanaa huikata taas "Sampei jumpa" pitkästä aikaan <3
Eksyttiin kans AirBalticin kojuun, jossa oli jonkinlainen pallopeliviritelmä menossa. Airbaltic-mies tuli heittämään: "Hey, do you wanna play a game?"
Sandra & Patrick: "hahahahahahahahahahahhhhha no"
Airbaltic-guy: "Why not? o_O"
Sandra: "Well, the last time I heard someone say "I wanna play a game" to someone, that person had to saw there foot off"
-Airbaltic guy cracks up hysterically and stops persuading us to play the game-



Vuoden travellerit 2012 -finalistit piinapenkissä.

Jos vuoden travelleri -kisaan sais osallistua yksin, niin tekisin sen. Don't get me wrong, I like to travel with someone, mut paljon siistimpää on reissaa yksin. Enemmän mahdollisuuksia, ei kompromisseja, tutustut enemmän ihmisiin - ja hei, sielt tien päält voi löytyy vaik mitä siistei tyyppei, joiden kaa voit reissaa niin kaua kunnes niitten naama rupee kyllästyttämään!

   Muutenki, mun ois vähä vaikee osallistuu tähän reissuun kenenkään kanssa, kun osa matkakumppaneista asuu toisessa maassa tai toisella puolella maailmaa. Ja vaikka mulla onki ollu matkakumppaneita, niin en oo tehny mitään noist reissuist yhen ja saman henkilön kanssa, jonka voisin sit ottaa kisaparikseni :D SO PLZ, antakaa myös meille "yksinäisille susille" (lol) mahdollisuus osallistua!


Kävästiin broidin kanssa taas hieman Rantapallon boothissa ja lueskeltiin vähän Madventuresien uusinta!

..ja kokeiltiin Samsungin täbiä, joita Rantapallon loungesta löyty :) Huom. olin just postaamassa tänne ;D

Alko olemaan sen verran paska olo tän angiinan vuoksi, niin hiipsitiin sitten kotiin ennen ku vuoden travellerit ehittiin valita :/ Se olis ollu jees nähä, mutta ens vuonna sitten!

Kaiken kaikkiaan kiva päivä ja vaikken mitään lentoja löytänytkään, niin oli kiva mennä verkostoitumaan ja tapaamaan ihmisiä :) Rantapallolle kiitosta!

vituttaa duuni

AUSTRALIA DAY

Darude

Matkamessumoi!

Terkkuja Matkamessuilta ! Koska Rantapallo on tapahtuman yksi yhteistyökumppaneista, me blogaajat saatiin tänne ilmaset liput! :) Super nice, tuli just oikeeseen saumaan mutta siitä ja messuista myöhemmin - mä lähden nyt katsomaan ketkä on vuoden travellerit 2012!

Running away from the cops... twice

17.1.2012

Jesus, what a journey back home!!!



Woke up, Milka came to get me, and I was pretty sure I wouldn't get any of the souvenirs bought... I especially didn't have anything for my dad yet, because I had relied on the idea that I would go the Denpasar surely at one point and buy a kilo of Saffron from the local market. Well, didn't happen.

Managed to sort things though because Milka was a doll and drove me around <3 You are the best, girl! I bought my mom not-the-original, but still with-the-same-technique-made as the "most expensive coffee in the world" aka shit coffee (made in Indonesia). Original brand costs nearly 15€. And you know what the secret ingredient is? Shit. That's right. They get cats to shit and make coffee out of it... NICE.



Also, managed to sort the Saffron business... My dad can now say he is a very happy owner of Saffron worth of 4000€ ! I read on Lonely Planet, that you could buy Saffron for 230 000 rps/kilo at Denpasar's market, but actually, I managed to get it for an even better price! Milka drove me to Bintang Market and I was shocked to only find 50 gram bags of Saffron "fuuuuu i'm not gonna get my dad anything.. he won't do anything with this amount of Saffron". But then a light bulb lit in my head.. 1000g/50grams=20 bags and if one bag costs 7200rps, 7200 x 20 = 144 000 rps. I had to calculate again just to be sure - no fucking way, it's actually cheaper to buy it this way than from the market as a bulk ! I guess cause these bags are for locals and thus priced for locals... At the market I doubt I would've even got it for 230 000rps.. At least in Ubud they asked 250 000rps for _300_ grams. I was laughing  at the thought of emptying a plastic bag worth of tiny saffron bags on the table, when my dad would only be expecting a large package :D "Yeah, bought you a kilo...in 20 bags!" So yeah kids, paid less than 13€ for a kilo of Saffron.. do the math.



Anyway, we headed to the beach and I got my last share of Padang Food. I WILL MISS YOU, dear delicious Padang! Milka got her toe nails painted and when the lady asked me whether I wanted mine too, I was liek whatta hell, gotta get rid of this money anyways and I have probably 7 layers of black nail polish on my nails, which would be good to get cleaned up.



After the beach we headed to Kuta because this batini dyed singlet had been creeping in my mind for 2 weeks now so I wanted to buy it. Spent the rest of my money on those two tops and then Milka announced that we should go get my stuff from Canggu and leave to the airport. As we were driving and almost on the free way, a fucking cop tries to pull us over for me not having a helmet - we just speeded off.



When we got my stuff, and headed back towards Kuta (since the airport was that way) we get stuck in the lights. There's a line of four car ad heaps of scooter before us as I spot a cop - and a motor bike cop ! I tell Milka about this and tell her to get on the right hand side as soon as possible. It was nerve wreckingly exciting ducking behind Milka's PINK helmet so that the cop wouldn't notice my helmetlesness. What made it more exciting was that we were stuck in the lights. Just then as I am hiding behing Milka's back, I saw the neon yellow vest and the police hat shifting to the right hand side - to the side we were on. I try squinting as small as I can but the cop has noticed us and tells us to pull over with this angry expression on his face. We got off of he bike and the cop goes "You are not wearing a helmet and you ran away already once when I stopped you" - FUUUCK, it's the same cop : D



Milka had to go to his booth and I was just laughing at the thought that Mika doesn't even have a license.. Wasn't concerned though about that because I knew he Indo cops probably have no idea what the real Finnish Driver's License looks like. I was more worried about the sum we would have to pay him. I didn't have ANY money left.. I only have 150 000rps to get out of the country (airport tax). Milka returned and told me the cop wanted 200 000 rps but Milka had told him she had no money "go talk to your friend". As we were discussing what we would do (only pay the standard 50 000rps and I would pay Milka back with a back transfer) we saw the cop getting on his bike and speeding off.

"SHIIT SHIIT GET ON THE BIKE, DRIVE DRIVE DRIVE - FUCK, THIS COP WON'T LET ME GET ON MY PLANE FOR SURE IF HE CATCHES US LEAVING FOR THE _SECOND TIME_ TODAY!"



It was truly adrenalin-sparking business being driving the SAME _ONE WAY ROAD_  the cop was driving on. Not to mention that, as usual, the road was stuck with traffic and thus we could bump into him any minute. I kept my eyes open for the cops neon yellow vest as Milka drove. "STOP STOP STOP!!!!!"  Milk stopped JUST a _METER_ behind the cop ! He had pulled over some westerner and I was so amazed when the cop just took off withough noticing us.. I mean, we were so close that he should've probably seen Milka damn _pink_ helmet flashing in is rear-view mirror.



The cop took a right and we were sooo happy because the airport was on the left <3 We managed to get to the airport and I said bye and cya to my Milkyway <3 Promised her, that if she would get fined on the way back home, I would pay her back via bank transfer :D

Problems didn't end here though... oh no, not at all. As I payed my airport fee and proceeded to get my passport checked, the guy tells me
"you've overstayed your visa with one day"
"what?? noo... no, I mean I came here on the 17.12 and today's the 16th of Jan, right?" "Yeah... 31 days"
*did some counting*
"Oh nooo, what now?"
"You have to pay 200 000"
"200 000 '?!?!?! bu I don't have _ANY_ money *I show him my empty wallet thoroughly*"
"Get some from the ATM"
"But.. I don't have anything on my bank account.. Everything's on my savings account"

So I ended up having to get money out with my credit card (Thank god for Mastercard<3) and although I had to pay the same amount I payed for my whole month's visa, I was just laughing about it :) ..Although I still have no idea, whether the guy just came up with the number... I do not trust the officials in Indonesia... :D



Had my last Bintang on the airport (broke but still worth the 5€ I swipped with my Mastercard) and got on the plane to Kuala Lumpur. In Kuala Lumpur I nearly missed my flight because I was too busy reading blogs and didn't hear any announcements (there were none??). When I got to Amsterdam I felt utterly shit. All my muscles were hurting, I was chronically getting cold shivers, then again at times I felt as hot as an oven, my eyes hurt and the lights looked too bright and I felt very disoriented. I felt like crying because I knew I still had 6 hours to go before I would be home.

Now, writing this three days later, I can tell you, I apparently got TONSILLITIS. WTF. Was a bit surprised when the doc called me :D Oh well, like my mate said:

"mut mita suurempi fail sita parempi matka aina

se on sellane laki

oon huomannu tan kun oon suorittanu empiirisia tutkimuksia"

PS. Jeff told me on Facebook, that only the driver is supposed to have a helmet. But the cops just pull over westerners who don't know about the law with the hope of a bribe..

Last Days at Berawa Beach

Bored on the beach, I am...

The last days went by just chilling, laying on the beach and not doing really anything.
Fetched Milka's and my stuff from Jeff's villa  and went to stay at Putu homestay although it was really expensive for my day budget (well.. actually it WAS my whole day budget... without breakfast included... woot. too lazy and tired to care anymore). That first day I was just soo hungover that I went to the beach and fell asleep. I kinda had this race against time to get tanned. I hadn't cared to tan the whole time I was there, but at the end of my trip I kinda started feeling like I wanted to be a bit brown before heading back home to the cold...!

Taking photos of my jewerly, I am...

..And legs (DAMN Balinese Kiss!!!)
...Just Wishing I could go in the SEA. perkele. 

Anyway, when I got back from the beach I took another nap, and although I sill felt slightly hangover that evening, Jean and Jeff convinced me to go out with them. And I'm glad I went! We had such a good time. We arrived to Alley cats 25 minutes before it was closed and we just guzzled down double doubles, beers and tequila shots :D Afterwards headed to Eikon and just killed the dance floor. Had such a good time! I was really amazed that the guys where the ones who wanted to leave first - I mean, I was the one with a hangover and a sick case of lack of sleep. I actually considered that maybe I should just stay behind but fuuu, THANK GOD my drunken brain made a good decision for once! I realized that there would be no way I would get home - not even with a cab :D Try getting home in the dark in Berawa where everything looks the same and no one knows the street names 8) So yeah, got on Jeff's bike (wouldn't get to the back of Jean's no matter what! fucking mad man) and we headed to the servo to get some drunken munchiez... haha epic :D



The rest of the days went pretty much the same minus the partying.  Also Milka came the next day and we spent the whole day in my hotel room because of the sick thunderstorm. We went to have some dinner with Jeff & Jean, and me and Milka were supposed to go out with the Finnish exchange students/what not but then I started feeling suuuuuuper tired so I just went home (sorry Milka!). I was glad I went though. We had such a good time on Friday with Jean and Jeff that it would've been hard to top it ;)



On Sunday I did nothing but just wait for Milka to come and get me so that I could stay one night with her and her Finnish mates' villa but yeah, she might've had some obstacles on her way (like getting lost, going surfing with Kiwies and one guy getting into an accident...) so I never saw her that day. I felt so pissed off at myself for being so dependent of Milka and her bike... I really wanted to rent my own but I dunno... It was the nd of my trip, no one was there to teach me (Jeff had left and Jean was  busy with his own things) so I never got the courage to just rent myself one.



That evening I was going crazy cause I had eaten barely anything that day, all the shops were closed and I didn't have a scooter.. I decided to walk to Warung Satya (the place where we had brekkie with the germans and where we always ate with jeff and jean) and have some dinner. I called Jean and guess what - he was already there! He asked whether I wanted him to get me. When he arrived a minute later I got on his bike and told him I had to go to the ATM first. So we drove there and in the midst of out way Jean goes "Ohhh... so I finally got you on my scooter" "oh yeah... oh shit..." And then he started driving like crazy and aaaaa :D fuck. Thank god he didn't go on for that long.



BUT then Jean taught me to drive a scooter !!! AAAAA IT WAS AMAZING :D I only drove for like 30 seconds to the restaurant but my hands were shaking :D It was soooooo cool. Loved it. We had dinner with Jean's friends and had some beers  I really wanted to go out in Kuta (last night hey!) and I ALMOST succeeded in getting Jean on board. But I realized I didn't want to be on his bike after he had finished a bottle of wine (+ all the other booze he'd drink in Kuta) so I stopped pursuing him ;) It was a good decision though. I insisted to Jean I wanted to drive myself home on his scooter and I did. MAn I got hooked. NEXT TIME I'm gonna rent a bike from day 1. Seriously. LOVE the freedom of it! Hassle free, cheap, easy in traffic and super fun. Man. Choked, should've not been such a pussy ! No one cares anyways that you don't have a license - I mean, Milka doesn't have a license and she always just flashes her expired Finnish ID as her "driver's license" ;)

    Hähää! Mikäs sieltä muukaan kuin MUOVIPUSSI! - That's why you _keep your beaches clean!_

PS. My iPod is dead thanks for me being too hangover for my brain to think straight...