Category Archives: Travel

Day Trip Part 1- Green Canyon

Image June 7, 2015 Pax Leave a comment

Today we tried to be like most tourists and do a day trip. So we got a little gang together and our new local friend & guide for the day to show us round. First stop was the corner cafe to get a second breakfast as 50% on the gang stayed up way to late having drinks with our guide, who was now so hangover that I think he needed to die or at lest sleep for 3 days… So after a late start we hit the road to our first stop the green canyon. To get to the canyon you need to get a boat for about 30 minutes its a nice chilled ride up the river, then you need to park the boat & pay extra, so you can swim and explore the canyon, but its worth it. The boat ride was awesome but exploring the canyon was amazing ..

The Gang almost ready to roll 🙂 ZzzzzZzzZzzzz
Jumping from the rock was cool, I don’t why, but the rock is super smooth not like any of the other rocks in the canyon. There is a very small water fall, that falls onto the rock so i think there mast be something in the water, but thats just my guess 🙂 Look over there its a another tourist …….. Our guide sleeping we took about 10 photos before we woke him up. He was looking all Zen, but I think it was just his hangover working overtime ……

Indo, Java, Ocean, Surf, Travel

Evening Sliding in Batu Karas

Image June 4, 2015 Sara Leave a comment

Swell – check. Current – check. Arms almost falling off – check. Some photos from tonight, this waves is so nice and mellow (lot of longboarders) but then the inside section sort of walls up faster and then if there’s some swell around you can surf it to the next bay which some of these guys been doing tonight.

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Sri Lanka, Travel

What about traveling Sri Lanka with those Buddhist tattoos?

Image June 2, 2015 Sara Leave a comment

So before heading off to Sri Lanka I was googling around for visas and cool places to surf and stumbled upon this article – it’s about a British woman who got arrested and deported from Sri Lanka for displaying her tattoo of Buddha. And it seems to have happened to a few other travellers to… travel advice from the British is

‘The mistreatment of Buddhist images and artefacts is a serious offence and tourists have been convicted for this. British nationals have been refused entry to Sri Lanka or faced deportation for having visible tattoos of Buddha.’

Ehrm so Pax has not one but two sleeves with Buddha on his arms. So this is going to be interesting I thought while Pax suspected I was playing a trick on him. Anyways off we went and took the good advice not to wave our arms around passing through immigration. And then – well quite a few local people reacted when they seen Pax arms but I suspect only because of hearing about that British woman not because they felt offended in any way. And when we asked why it would be offensive it was hard to get a proper answer the best one we got is something along the lines that if you have Buddha on your arm and then do something bad it’s disrespectful to Buddha. But altogether I would say nothing to worry to much about – Sri Lankan people are cool.

Indo, Java, photo, Surf, Travel

Longboarding With Pax Take #1

Image June 1, 2015 Pax 3 Comments

We have been here in Batu Karas for about 2 weeks and I was starting to get a little over it. There has been no waves and then when the waves came there was a surf comp on grrrrr. I was thinking what to do then Lisa (legend) one of the ozzy girls we meet let me take out her longboard. It took about 3-4 waves to get the hang of it and then I started having fun fun fun.. The next day off I went to rent a longboard for the week, there was a lot of people dropping in (Sara was even one) but I still got a wave or 3 on my WMD (9.4 longboard). Here are some of the photos from my afternoon surf on my newly rented longboard with a Gopro mount haha lucky we have a Gopro ready for action..

Almost losing my head to someone not holding on to there board…
Getting a little drop in LOvE by SaRa (Girls first) haha x

photo, Travel

Been talking about that selfie stick for a while…

Video May 25, 2015 Sara Leave a comment

road trip, Sri Lanka, Travel

Sri Lanka Train Trip

Image May 24, 2015 Pax Leave a comment

After 2 months in Sri Lanka its was time to hit the road and head for Indonesia. But before we set flight there was one thing i had to do and had be waiting the whole time for, A train trip thought the mountains. The only thing was the night before i got sick, i spend the night talking to the toilet and we become good friends… So 5am come round and i was not looking forward to getting on that train. We did get there in the end, and it was lucky that we booked tickets the night before, because we spend almost 4 hours alone on the train.. I was lucky i didn’t have to make friends with the toilet again but it was still a long 10 hours, when you are not feeling the best. I now have to go back and do it again, it had some amazing views and i loved it, but i spend most of my time feeling sorry for myself. If you do end up in Ella, do the walks and the train (maybe only 2-3 hours) it was great and hope you all will love it as much as i did (and don’t get sick)… 🙂

Sri Lanka, Travel

Views from Ella

Image May 24, 2015 Sara 3 Comments

On our way out of Sri Lanka we made a stop in Ella. Ella is a cool little place up in the highlands where you can do some hiking since the temperature is not to hot to move in. So we checked into this amazing little guest house with awesome views of the hills and a waterfall. And yeah to be honest I’m quite a lazy hiker, there’s this mountain in Bali that I say I’m gonna walk up to – but always next time I’m there. And next time sort of comes and goes all the time. So I had this idea that I would sit on our super awesome balcony with my coffee and my book and just chill out and enjoy the views. Well that didn’t happen which is a good thing, we had this professional hiker straight out of Nepal that we meet in Arugam bay with us. So Tim tricked us to just go have a look at the track on our first night and then since we’d already gotten that far we might just as well have a closer look and then we’re at the top of the world… or little Adams Peak. Second day we made the walk up the Ella Rock which was just as cool.

Above the clouds!

Thanks for the photos, motivation and good company Tim 🙂

View from the balcony 🙂

The way to the top was loooong.

Tricky farmer telling you the wrong way and then want’s to be your guide to the top.

Our guest house from the other side.

Walking on the railway tracks, no worries you can hear when the train comes…

And the train comes and you didn’t have time to cross the bridge to the other side…

Bali, Surf, Travel

Hmmmmm looks like

Image May 18, 2015 Sara Leave a comment

we’re in Bali 🙂 To busy eating good food (drinking Bintang). Puss Puss

Sri Lanka, Surf, Travel

Hello from Arugam Bay

Image May 13, 2015 Sara 2 Comments

So finally we got our act together and made the move over to the East coast. Also known as the surfing mecka of Sri Lanka. In a small little fishing village called Arugam Bay is where it’s at. Midigama still tried to keep us – giving us with two flat tyres on the way over. I didn’t really notice as was having a good snooze in the back of the van.

So today we’ve been on a tuk tuk tour trying to find some waves. First place we checked out was called peanut farm. It was like peanuts alright. I’d say the tuk tuk driver’s been talking the good waves up a bit…

So we’re checking out another flat spot… It’s still the beginning of the season here and not that much swell around so a lot of the spot’s are not working yet.

Main point in A-bay. Last night the guys had awesome waves. When I went down this morning it was 2ft of tiny mush closing out on the reef. Still 20 people out. The joys of a world famous surf spot I guess 🙂

Sceptical faces. Because we came back to check the waves two hours later…

Sri Lanka, Surf, Travel

When the Season is changing

Image May 9, 2015 Sara Leave a comment

Last night we had the biggest rain so far and I woke up by a thunder that made the windows shake and a lightning show worthy of new years in Sydney. But it’s nice with a change, coming from a country with crappy weather I can never stay inside just bumming around when it’s sunny without feeling like I should go out and do something. So today has been all about reading, watching movies, drinking coffee and enjoying having the house to our selfs (we’re the only guests left and the owners left for a few days in Colombo). The surf season here on the South Coast of Sri Lanka is coming to an end (season is said to be November to April). I think we made the most of it but now there’s a mix of swells, the wind picks up to early and yeah it’s time to move on (there’s still some off season spots to surf if you’d happen to be here during that time). Lucky us the East Coast also has surf (ok the most famous breaks in the country) and the season there is starting right about now 🙂

photo, Sri Lanka, Travel

Midigama Temple

Image May 9, 2015 Pax Leave a comment

On Buddhas birthday we also went up to the temple at Midigama. Here are some photos of the temple & some of the cool locals we meet.. Some monks, you know, just standing around 🙂

24 Buddhas but i could only get 10 in the photo 🙂 I wanted to get a photo with me and Sara with the monk boys, but monks can’t touch or be seen with woman, so i had to go it alone.. Some photos of the local hipsters, a cool lot of kids, they where happy to try to talk to us and get their photo taken…

Sri Lanka, Travel

Good Bye Midigama We Will Miss You

Image May 8, 2015 Pax Leave a comment

As you all know we have been staying in Midigama (Sri Lanka) for the last 2 months, its sad to say but the surf session has come to and end. Even in the morning at 5:30am the wind is up and the waves are no fun to play on (AKA S@#T). So in the next day or 3 its time for us to move on, but Midigama will stay in our hearts for a long time. We have meet some amazing people here from day one. The locals have been the friendliest people I have meet anywhere always giving and happy to help. The tourists have also been great, well at lest the once we got to hangout with, everyone is from somewhere new and all happy to live the simple life and just be. Its also been some crazy times like taking the bus anywhere is an extreme sport, you can die at anytime. A trip here would not be complete with out a trip to the rice & curry place and also Mamas. If you never got to eat at one of these places you’ve never lived. With all of that said the best place to eat and stay is the Senya guest house, its a nice little guest house 5 minutes from everything, wave, food, and transport. Senrath is the owner and one of the most humble and amazing people you will come across anywhere, so if you do end up here in Midigama spend a night or a month with him, you will not be sorry..

Good Bye Midigama we’ll miss you OXOXOXO

Food, Friends, Sri Lanka, Travel

Buddhas Birthday

Image May 6, 2015 Pax Leave a comment

Buddhas birthday is one of the major festivals in Sri Lanka. It is celebrated on the first full moon day of the month of May. People engage in religious observances and decorate houses and streets with candles and specially made paper lanterns. Some stores give out free meals for people. They give all types of food away from rice & curry to ice cream and the place where we have been eating a lot was one of the places that gives free food on this day. This day is like Christmas in the west, but the big difference is the Sri Lankan people don’t just give to family and friends – they give to everyone. If you are driving, walking, flying past they will wave you over and make you eat. Its not a big ego day of what did you got, its a day when everyone gets the same free LOVE.. The coloured flags are also put up everywhere, they are the buddhist flag, The Buddhist flag is a flag designed in the late 19th century to symbolise and universally represent Buddhism. This is one day I wish we had in the west, its nice to know that everyone gets to eat on this day (even the homeless dogs) and the people are so happy to give .. Peace & LOVE x

Ps – HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUDDHA 🙂 Me with Mama she’s been feeding us for the last 7 weeks

The homeless beach dog he’s cool

Food, Sri Lanka, Travel

Road/Boat Trip To Cinnamon Island

Image May 1, 2015 Pax Leave a comment

Well its day three out of the water and my foot is starting to get better (I hope).. What do you do when you know, you are not going to surf ? What else but learn how to make Cinnamon on an island in the middle of a lake Koggala (Thanks Sylvain for taking us with you). We all went to take a look around a lake about 15 minutes from Midigama called Lake Koggala, word on the street is you can ride a bike round it, so off we went to cheek it out. After we got there we found out that not the case (so the local dude told us, but you can get a boat round it for 2500 LKR each with me he said, hmmm thats $75 for the 3 of us NO WAY).. We ended up on the other side of the bridge 300 meters away, and found a guy to the same trip for 2000 LKR or $20 for all of us not each, a much better deal. So of we went with our new captain to see all the great islands round the lake.. On the way out on the boat the Rain started and it looked like a storm was blowing in, not good for us but Lucky it passed after about 20 minutes.. Our stop was Cinnamon Island only one guess what they do in there, thats right make cinnamon. They showed us step by step how to make it witch was really cool. I never knew cinnamon is made from what looks like the bark from the tree. They cut the branches off the tree, then cut what looks like the bark off, it looks like a rolled up piece of paper when they are done. Then it needs to dry in the shade for 2 weeks. After 2 weeks it gets crashed, put through a strainer then its ready for use..

Ocean, Parade, Sri Lanka, Surf, Travel, Waves

Photography Duty 101

Image April 28, 2015 Pax Leave a comment

Today I had the morning off, I have a cut on my foot and its not getting better by being in the water everyday. So i took the morning off and thought it would be nice to get some photos of sara surfing in the morning.. We just found out that RED BULL are going to start sponsoring us with our walk to the surf because its so extreme. Most mornings we leave in the dark and have to walk down the path thats full of dangerous obstacles, first its the crazy Dog then the Train that can come at anytime, if you can make all that way without getting hit, you have the most dangerous of all the ROAD. Its full of crazy buses that don’t stop for anything, they will pass on blind corners and ever get 3 buses wide on some parts of the road and thats with out a passing lane. Today Sara was the only one in the water for about an hour, so i got some great shoots before everyone come. It was just us and the fishermen living the early morning dream ..

One of the CRAZY buses —- HELP
The local DoGG always happy to say hi… Even the Pro’s take some falls !! Sara and one of the fishermen, just chilling on the morning sun 🙂 Great start to the morning 🙂

Sri Lanka, Surf, Travel

South of South

Image April 27, 2015 Sara & Pax 1 Comment

What to do when the surf conditions around the corner won’t make the cut? We packed ourselves on the scooter (look mum – helmets) and headed for the south. We’ve got to know of a little beach down the road (1 or 2 hours away) called Blue beach, that had waves and was meant to be beautiful, so off on the hunt we went. Blue beach wasn’t our first stop we needed a long awaited FOOD stop HMMMMM we love the food stops.. They don’t have a Pie shop but the have the next best thing the BREAD shop and everyone knows kiwis love bread! So after we loaded ourselves with food (bread) off we went to find Blue beach… It takes a good hour from Midigama to get there but it wasn’t a disappointment.. It was loaded with coconut trees and fun little waves to play on. The only bad thing about Blue beach is everything costs way to much so pack your lunch and lots of water.

Any decent road trip should start with a stop at the pie/roti/bread shop…

Team Norway and Germany is on the road to!

There’s so many spot’s around and so many breaks with pretty much empty lineups.

Blue beach an hour south or so – beautiful little beach – even nice if you don’t surf just to spend the day swimming and chilling.

Friends, Sri Lanka, Travel

Happiest Man In Sri Lanka !!!

Image April 25, 2015 Pax Leave a comment

We have now been staying in Midigama (Sri Lanka) for about 6 weeks. Most days we run into a local dude, that has to be one of the most happiest people i have ever met. I don’t even know his name, but he always will stop to say hi, and talk about how good the day is. Him and his girlfriend who is just as nice, just got a new puppy and we see them walking him round the village, from time to time. The other day we where watching the sun go down and they turned up and we got some happy snaps of them … Next time i see then i will get there names but for now, I’m happy that we don’t need names to be friends 🙂

Sri Lanka, Travel

Turtle’s on the loose

Image April 22, 2015 Sara Leave a comment

We meet a man yesterday who invited us to come and watch turtles being released back into the ocean. This local man keeps the eggs safe from fishermen trying to sell the eggs as food and other damage from boats or fishing nets on the beach. They keep the eggs until they’ve hatched and then when the newborn turtles are ready they’re getting a bucket ride down to the beach to be released. Seems like a really great initiative.

Tiny little turtle getting ready for the swim of his life.

No doubt about it these guys know where’re they are going.

Sri Lanka, Surf, Travel

And we had swell

Image April 19, 2015 Sara Leave a comment

Eating. Sleeping. Watching to many episodes of Games of Thrones. Drinking instant coffees. Surfing some fun and uncrowded waves. Eating cake. Just one more episode. A sunset surf? Another day in paradise.

Sri Lanka, Travel

Sri Lankan New Years 2015

Image April 15, 2015 Pax 2 Comments

We have been in Sri Lanka for the last month and the people here are so amazing, always friendly and with a smile on their face. Yesterday was the new years celebrations here and to top off how amazing these people are, they don’t go off drinking and start the year with a hang over. They spend it with their family having great food. The Sri Lankans give food to their neighbours and also give the people around the village food. We have been staying in a guest house here in Midigama and yesterday all the people we see and try to chit chat with (our Singhalese needs a bit of work) each day, when we are walking to the surf, came over and gave us food. We got cakes, sweets, fruits, and rice meals. It was like X-mas for us in the food department.. One of the other crazy traditions they have is that they set off fireworks but only the bangers, so you will be sitting there and it sounds like you are in a crazy WAR. Its was 7:30 am and they must have set off about 1 million bangers in about 15 minuets. We where surfing and I could see all the birds flying around not knowing what was going on. I wish I could have gotten a photo of 1000’s off birds in the sky it looked amazing (but the birds might not have thought the same)…. All and all I had a great day and now I can start my new years resolutions again with out a hang over..

THANK YOU AMAZING SRI LANKA !!!!!!!!