Historic Bangrak, food tasting and culture

South East Asia is the hub of the world for street food - in my opinion anyway. There is always something colourful, creative, strange and yummy being cooked on a corner somewhere. Sold for next to nothing and guaranteed to satisfied (but do be careful - be smart when buying and consuming street food - If others are eating from there, and its busy, its probably good - have a look around and check out how things are being handled/prepped - common sense will keep you tummy full and happy).

I love food - just because I choose to be vegan, doesn't mean I hate food - I LOVE IT! i love the smells, the colours, flavours and tastes (maybe its the French in me?)

So, after taking several strolls through the food markets, i decided to do a walking tour... why not. I love walking and meeting people and i love food - put the two together, right?

I booked through - Bangkok Food Tours. work up your appetite before hand. It's 1150 Baht ($45 AUD) which sounds a little steep, but you get soooooooo much food! if you're on a budget it may be tight, and walking around the markets would suffice.

The tour guide is great. You get a good mix of the weird and yummy. They also cater to Veggie heads like me!

I did the Bangrak tour - its the older section of the city and really interesting! i had a great time and the group I was with were really fun!

http://bangkokfoodtours.com/bang-rak-food-and-cultural-walking-tour/

Get on your bike and follow me...

Get on your bike and follow me

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I'm not a big fan of the 'tour group'. After my last day tour encounter in China... See (insert page link here), I was determined to minimize any tours to as few as possible. That said, I started to get a little anxious, when you are hearing impaired and traveling solo sometimes, and I hate that I am admitting this, you just want a big group hug!

So I did some research and found something that I thought would be perfect for me.

Follow me bike tours is a small tour company run out of Bangkok. They run bicycle tours around Bangkok, and the best thing about these guys is - they take you where no 'tourist' day tours take you. If you want to see the real Bangkok then this tour is perfect...not to mention your riding on a mountain bike all day which for me is perfect! I hate sitting in a bus looking out the window!

You start off at the

Charters Towers

Are you a historian buff? Love a good tale about the Gold Rush era? Love antiques and museums from this period?

Then head to Charters Towers. If you find yourself on a great Australian road trip whether it be carvaning, backpacking - or just cruising your way from town to town, you may find Charters Towers interesting.

Its about 140KM south west of Townsville in Australia's far north Queensland, it truly is a town the Time forgot. Boasting only a few of the modern day cons (a new McDonalds, a Subway and a Woolworth supermarket) most of the buildings here are still original Dating back to the days of the Goldmine boom.

There is a Country Target here - No its not the shop we are interested in, but the building. It still has the original arcade type display cases at the front. There is the old Stock Exchange building, which is just beautiful and the entrance to the 'Bank' (the converted theatre) is also quiet lovely.

There are plenty of tours to see and do - A ghost tour at night, The Old Miners Cottage, The Venue Battery - you can find a full list of things to do at this website, just make sure you plan your day as the tours operate at weird times and sometime not at all. So phone ahead, just to be sure.

www.charterstowers.qld.gov.au

In terms of accommodation - I didn't stay the night, I just drove out and back. There are plenty of options which can be found on the website.

Food wise - not that great. I found it hard to get soy milk! If you have allergies, bring your own food - or stock up at the Woolworth  There are plenty of places to eat at reasonable prices... but its nothing fancy - Basic sandwiches etc...

Razor-hurst Tour - Sydney

Although I was born and raised in Melbourne, I have spent most of my adult life in Sydney, as a result I have a few friends that live in and around Potts Point, Darlinghurst and Elizabeth Bay and to be honest - I've never really thought much about the areas history as our senses are always overloaded with an abundance of choices for restaurants, wine bars and pub/clubs.

Little did I know (and I am ashamed to say that) that this area holds such an amazing history and fascinating stories of gangs, alcohol restrictions, brothels, love and death.

So, in order to learn a little more about the history of the area, I took part in a walking tour run by Two Feet and a Heart Beat. These guys run several tours in Sydney and in Perth, and I highly recommend them based on m recent experience.

The Kings Cross Razor-hurst Tour.

We started the tour by meeting our guide, Valentino, under the infamous Coca-cola sign at 'the cross' section of William Street and Darlinghurst Road, Potts Point. To give you a little bit of history - The advert sign was built in 1974 by Coca-Cola and is heritage listed! How's that for a long lasting, still standing advertising slogan..... who feels like a Coke?

We start the tour with an overview and brief run down. The tour it is based on the stories of the once dominating Miss Kate Leigh and Miss Tilly Devine and compliments the Television Program Underbelly: Razor.

Now I'm not going to go into the details - that would ruin the story and the tour for you - but there is murder, prostitution, drugs, illegal betting, illegal drinking..... everything the 'underworld was known for back in the 1920's. The tour is amazing and definitely worth doing.

The tour guide we had, Valentino, knew EVERYTHING about the area and the events that took place. He was able to answer all our questions, keep us engaged and was thoroughly entertaining. I am still amazed at how much knowledge he has on the subject (and of Australian history in general).

If you are coming to Australia for a holiday, visiting Sydney or if you're like me, and have lived here for ages and haven't bothered to explore your own back yard... then jump on to Two Feet and a Heart Beat's website - buy yourself a ticket on one of their tours and get walking!

Prices for the tours can be fond on their website, but at the time of writing this blog it was $40, not to bad for an amazing and entertaining history lesson!