http://www.friendbookmark.com/userpost/71/ Most recent videos, photos and websites posted by MarlyTravel https://www.friendbookmark.com/videos/2270/marlys-visit-to-belgiumThis is Marly's visit to Antwerp, Belgium. When I arrived, I met Kitten. I wasn't too sure at first but then we became best buddies. We went sailing along the Belgian coast. I was scared at first but I was tied down very well so that I wouldn't end up in the water. At one stage though, I thought they were going to make me walk the plank!!. I even had fun doing my Titanic moment. We went on a pub crawl. I am not a big drinker, despite what the photos show! However, I don't remember how I ended up, upside down in the bag! I had fun riding a bike and we went to Market Square. There are so many beautiful buildings to see. https://www.friendbookmark.com/videos/2269/marlys-visit-to-broken-hill-outback-nsw-australiaI went to Broken Hill with Marlene. Broken Hill is a mining town in outback New South Wales, Australia. The line of load in Broken Hill is the richest deposit of Silver, Lead and Zinc in the world. We saw a beautiful sunrise and a huge Wedge Tail Eagle just sitting on a fence. There were also a lot of Emu's around. The roads are long and there is not a lot to see for miles and miles. When we arrived in Broken Hill, we went to the Tourist Information Centre, to get some maps and I had a sit on an Emu (not a real one!) We had a look around the town and saw the fountain at the Twin Lakes. We stopped to have a look at the Court House. It is a very beautiful old building. While we were there I had a close look at a sort of dug out canoe. Carved from Bloodwood, it represents a contemporary interpretation of aspects from traditional indigenous culture, including images portraying animals from the river. The canoe is made in two pieces, weighs approximately one tonne and contains water to represent a certain irony that it has lost it's function-it cannot float. Water is vital to this region and to the traditional people, the BAAKANTJI, which literally translates as "People of the Darling River". I visited Brown's Shaft at the Junction Mine and then went to see where The Royal Flying Doctor is based. I saw one of the older planes they used before and one of the new ones. On top of JP Keenan lookout, I got a good view around Broken Hill. I was very excited to go and see the gallery of the famous painter, Pro Hart. There was an amazing painted Rolls Royce car! At the Living Desert, there are Sandstone sculptures and a Flora and Fauna sanctuary. There is so much to see and do, even though the town is a long way from anywhere. I enjoyed my visit very much. https://www.friendbookmark.com/videos/2268/marlys-visit-to-bali-part-1Bali is such a beautiful place. The people are warm, friendly and will go out of their way to help you. I want to thank Ketut Mendra for driving us around. I highly recommend Ketut if you need a driver in Bali. You can contact me and I will give you his details. In this video you will see, in order of appearance, driving around Bali, stone carvers in Ubud, Ubud, Ubud market, Ubud Palace, private temple for the royal family, scenic driving, harvesting rice, Marly and Ketut, rice terraces, wood carvers at Bakuduwi (Garuda Village), Spring Water Temple, Snakeskin fruit (Salak), Mt Batur, driving through the lava fields, Lake Batur, floating restaurant on Lake Batur, rice terraces, scenic driving, temple, scenic driving, traditional Balinese weavers and huge statues in roundabouts. https://www.friendbookmark.com/videos/2267/marlys-visit-to-bali-part-2Bali is such a beautiful place. The people are warm, friendly and will go out of their way to help you. I want to thank Ketut Mendra for driving us around. I highly recommend Ketut if you need a driver in Bali. You can contact me and I will give you his details. Welcome to part 2. In this video you will see, in order of appearance, waterfall at Tegenungan Village, silver jewellry making at Celuk, Ulun Danu temple at Lake Bratan, monkeys by the side of the road, GitGit Twin waterfalls in Campuhan, scenic driving, Mercure hotel Kuta, Kuta, Bali bombing memorial, Kuta, Kuta beach, Discovery Mall or "Disco Ferry" as someone calls it, surfing at Kuta, Hard Rock Cafe at Kuta, Balinese ceremony on Kuta beach and Kuta beach sunset. https://www.friendbookmark.com/videos/2266/marlys-visit-to-bali-shangrila-beach-club-candidasa-baliThis resort is wonderful. Candidasa is a small piece of paradise in Bali. The staff here are amazing. A big hello to all of them. https://www.friendbookmark.com/videos/2265/marlys-visit-to-candidasa-baliCandidasa is a small piece of paradise on the East coast of Bali. Shhh, don't tell anyone, we want it to stay that way. https://www.friendbookmark.com/videos/2264/marlys-visit-to-goa-lawah-bat-cave-temple-baliThis is Goa Lawah, Bat Cave Temple in Bali. https://www.friendbookmark.com/videos/2263/marlys-visit-to-tirta-gangga-water-palace-baliThis is the beautiful Tirta Gangga Water Palace, in the Eastern part of Bali. https://www.friendbookmark.com/videos/2262/marlys-visit-to-munich-germanyI travelled to Munich with Stuart. Also joining us was Lisa, a friend of Stuarts who was kind enough to hold me up and show me things. Munich is one of the biggest cities in Germany and the capital of the state of Bavaria. A lot of clichÃs some people think are typically German are really only from this state, for example, the leather shorts (Lederhosen) worn by some of the men and the elegant Dirndl dresses worn by the women. First we went to a place called Schloss Nymphenburg, a big old palace complex. This was where the royal family of Bavaria, the Wittlesbachs, used to spend their summer holidays. Inside there was a really interesting collection of paintings called the Gallery of Beauties. One of the Bavarian kings created it to show off all the beautiful women in his kingdom. Theres a huge park around Nymphenburg with forests, lakes and canals. We saw a few fish in the canal who were swimming around with the mouths above the surface as if they were trying to breathe air or something. Really, who would have thought there could be such a thing? Then we went into the Museum Mensch und Natur, a natural history museum right next to the palace. It was really fascinating. There were paintings and models of giant insects and displays about whats inside humans and what they eat in different parts of the world. I even saw a model of a big red kangaroo from back home in Australia. One thing I found deeply disturbing, though, was the display about the story of Bruno. Bruno was a big Italian brown bear, who, just like me, loved to travel. A few years ago he walked all the way across the Alps through Austria and into Bavaria. He killed a few sheep and other animals (a guys gotta eat!) and when the hunters couldnt catch him he was shot. With a tear in my eye we caught a tram into the city centre. We walked from a city square called Karlsplatz-Stachus, and through one of the old city gates into the pedestrian zone. There we saw a group of six men carrying a crocodile down the street. There are some strange things going on with the animals in this town, honestly! We arrived at the magnificent main square, Marienplatz, to have a look at the town hall. Its a stunning building, stuffed with Neo-Gothic sculptures and its famous clock, the Glockenspiel. It plays a nice tune and theres a play of figures up the top. They dance around and then tow figurines on horseback have a jousting contest. In the Middle Ages they used to have real jousting right there on Marienplatz. The we walked down to Munichs famous food market, the Vitualienmarkt, and met a guy from Paris called Nic for coffee. Coming home on the train we shared a bottle of Oktoberfest beer. The Oktoberfest in Munich is one of the biggest parties in the world: it ropes in between six and seven million people from across the world every year. The beer was great, but a little strong for me, I dont know how Id go drinking from one of those one-litre beer krugs they have at the festival! Thank you Stuart and Lisa for a great time! https://www.friendbookmark.com/videos/2261/marlys-visit-to-mt-buffalo-australiaI went to Mt Buffalo with my friend Neil. Mt Buffalo is in the high country in Victoria, Australia. We had a look at Mt buffalo Chalet. You can stay there and be right in the middle of the snow. We made some snowmen and had a look at a couple of the ski runs. Cresta Valley run was closed while we were there. We went tobbogining at Dingo Dell ski run. I froze my little butt off but we had a great time. https://www.friendbookmark.com/videos/2260/marlys-visit-to-geelong-australiaI went to visit my friend Michelle in Geelong. Geelong is a regional city in the state of Victoria in Australia. It is on the edge of Corio Bay. We had a look at the beautiful view of the city and the waterfront. We went for a walk around the waterfront. It is very nice, with lots of palm trees and places to eat. They also have lots of interesting Bollards, which depict the history of Geelong. I had my photo taken with some of them. We had a look at Cunningham Pier and the 100 year old Carousel. You can ride on the Carousel, it is fully restored. We waited for the ride to finish before we took the photo. We went further around and had a look at Eastern Beach. There is a beautiful swimming area and playgrounds. After that, Michelle took me to see the home ground of the local Australian rules football team. The Geelong Cats. They are doing a lot of work outside the stadium. Then we took a drive to the Surfcoast and went to Bells Beach. That is where they have the famous Rip Curl Pro surfing competition at Easter every year. There were a few surfies in the water when we went. Thanks Michelle. I had a wonderful time. It is a beautiful place. https://www.friendbookmark.com/videos/2259/marly-in-zadar-croatiaWhen I arrived in Zadar, I met Leo's little dog, Rony. I liked him but he was a bit jealous of me. That night they had a welcome party for me. Leo's apartment is right next to the water. It is in a wonderful spot. The next day we took a walk from their apartment through the Marina, to the "Barkajoli" and we took a ride across Zadar port. I'm glad Leo was holding me tight, I was afraid I might fall in! Then we got to the city and the fish and fresh food market. The ladies on the market really liked me, and when they heard I was from Australia, they wanted to have their photo taken with me. I really enjoyed it. I love meeting new people. So, we bought everything we needed for lunch, and then decided that it is really time to take a little rest and drink coffee at city main square. I only had water. I don't like coffee. And after coffee (and water), we went sightseeing through Zadar. When you visit Zadar, you "must see" the Sea organ. On the Sea organ, two students were listening to the beautiful music, and preparing for their exams. I joined them and they were glad to take a short break to chat with me and enjoy the spring sunshine. After that we took a walk with Leo's beautiful wife through Riva. We also visited the Cathedral. After all of that walking and the wonderful sunshine, we were feeling very tired, so we decided to go home. But, and I really don't know who told them, two young reporters from the local TV station come and did an interview with Me. it was all very exciting. If you are in Zadar, on a Saturday when the basketball team is playing, you must to go and watch the game. Zadar is the town of basketball. Everyone loves and supports the team, which is one of the best in Croatia. With a great history. The first Croatian in the Hall of Fame was our Kresimir Cosic. So, Leo took me to a game. It was very exciting and the best part was that Zadar won the game. Leo was very happy. I had so much fun with Leo and his family and I would like to thank them very much for having me and showing me around. https://www.friendbookmark.com/videos/2258/marlys-visit-to-bali-palms-resort-candidasa-baliI had the pleasure of staying at Bali Palms Resort in Candidasa, Bali, for one week. The resort is not fully open yet, they are still finishing a lot of the units. Also some of the facilities are not open, however, I had a wonderful stay. My one bedroom apartment was huge and the pool is the biggest one in the area. There was only one other couple staying, so we had the resort to ourselves. https://www.friendbookmark.com/videos/2257/marlys-visit-to-nirwana-resort-baliPan Pacific Nirwana Resort is right at Tanah Lot temple. The resort is wonderful. Lots of activities, big pools, lagoon style. The resort is surrounded by the golf course. Our room was next to the 6th fairway. The Day Spa is fantastic. I highly recommend it. They have a free shuttle into Kuta or Seminyak. There are private cabanas on the clifftop or by the pool. They even come and turn down your bed at night. There are several different places to eat, catering for all tastes. the staff are friendly and helpful. https://www.friendbookmark.com/videos/2256/marly-fossicking-with-opal-jim-at-lightning-ridge-nsw-australiaWhile visiting Lightning Ridge, Marly went fossicking with Opal Jim, at the Grawin opal fields. https://www.friendbookmark.com/videos/2255/marly-meets-barbara-at-lightning-ridge-historical-society-nsw-australiaWhile visiting Lightning Ridge, Marly met Barbara, who runs the Lightning Ridge Historical Society. https://www.friendbookmark.com/videos/2254/marly-meets-kaye-at-the-opal-wilderness-shop-lightning-ridge-nsw-australiaWhile visiting Lightning Ridge, Marly met Kaye, at the Opal Wilderness shop. https://www.friendbookmark.com/videos/2253/marly-visits-the-australian-opal-fossil-centre-lightning-ridge-nsw-australiaWhile visiting Lightning Ridge, Marly went to see the Australian Opal & Fossil Centre. They have a wonderful collection of Opal and fossils. In the video, some of the exhibits are explained. https://www.friendbookmark.com/videos/2252/marlys-visit-to-western-australiaI went to Western Australia, with my friends Bill and Marcia, that I met in Bali. I had a great time touring around with them. There is too much to write here, so visit my page on my mum's website to read more. Thanks again Bill and Marcia! When we arrived and checked in at our resort, the lady gave us a package that had been waiting for our arrival. Of course, it was Marly, the teddy bear that would be accompanying us on our Western Australian adventure. There was much to-do getting Marly out of his confinement from the five day trip across Australia from Melbourne to Perth! And a thirsty little devil he was! A whole bottle of Coca-Cola right off the bat!! Our first day trip was to drive south to Margaret River. It seemed to be the general consensus with the Australians we talked to that we had to visit Margaret River for its many well-known wineries. Lunches are packed and Marly is ready to go! On the way to Margaret River, we stopped in Busselton, the home of the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere. Our guidebooks said the jetty was closed in early 2009 for repairs but would be open again soon. The jetty was begun in 1853 and continually added to for a total length of nearly two kilometers until it was closed to shipping in 1972. A small train was used to haul goods, particularly lumber, in and out from the ships to the shore. A cyclone in the late 1970s destroyed a small branch of the pier which ran from about midpoint into shore and did tremendous damage to the main pier. They have since tried to rebuild it as a tourist attraction boasting an underwater observatory in addition to a train ride. Our next day was to Pinjarra and Dwellingup, inland from Mandurah. We found the Pinjarra Visitor Center and wandered around inside for a bit. We went to the "historical park." It turned out to be a lovely large park that the Murray River ran through. And over the Murray River was a long pedestrian suspension bridge. The river was home to more ducks and other water fowl. From here we traveled up in elevation to Dwellingup which is known for its Jarrah forests. Jarrah is of the eucalyptus family of trees and is highly prized for its hardness and termite resistance. When Jarrah is seasoned, Jarrah wood is so hard that conventional wood-working tools cannot be used. Jarrah was exported to England where it was cut into blocks and used as foundation under asphalt roadbeds. We visited the Forest Heritage Center where they have a renowned working school of fine wood training. The building complex is shaped in the form of a big leaf. The two little leaves are the visitor center, the main school the large leaf. They had many lovely items from jewelry boxes to furniture made from jarrah wood on display. We had a lot more adventures. Too many to put here. https://www.friendbookmark.com/videos/2251/marlys-visit-to-parramatta-sydneyI went on a quick trip to Parramatta, with Marlene. Parramatta is a suburb in Sydney, Australia. We got there late and I got to have breakfast in bed the next day. Then we went for a walk along the Parramatta river. You can get the Rivercat and go along the river to Sydney. You come into Circular Quay under the Harbour bridge. We went to the market at Parklea. It is the biggest undercover market in Australia. We visited Sydney Olympic park, where the Sydney 2000 Olympics were held. We had a look at the cauldron that was used in the opening and closing ceremony. It is now a water feature. Also the stadium where the opening and closing ceremony was held. We visited Bondi beach as well. It was a whirlwind trip but I had fun.