PENANG HILL (or 'How I got a Monkeyphobia')

Around Europe there are plenty of mandatory signs telling us not to feed the birds. Little did I know, while walking past the Please Do Not Feed the Monkeys-signs at the beginning of our hike up Penang Hill, that this was also... A thing. But boy was I about to find out.

An attempt of getting the steepness of the roads captured in photography/Heidi's unexpected tan lines at the end of the day (it was cloudy for -heaven's- sake!)

Most people take the train when they go to the top of Penang Hill. But not your Scandinavian Trio. Those roads were the indeed the steepest I have ever experienced and it felt somewhat like we walked five kilometres straight up to the heavens. Sweat was pouring down every inch of our bodies, but we kept on. This was, after all, our first ever rain forest trekk. Figuring we would need something salty and energetic, 
I had brought snacks in the shape of salted peanuts.

    So there I was, chewing on said peanuts whilst we approached a group of monkeys hanging out on the road. Fascinating, really. They just sat there, picking fleas off each other (as you do) and were completely unbothered by our existence. Emily and Heidi casually took some photos but I tried my best to keep a distance; walking as far away from these creatures as the road would allow. 
We pass the monkeys and cross the next corner. 

 And there , halfway through my thinking "phew" and "we made it",  he is. Out of nowhere he comes jumping from the side of the road. Before I know it this metre-tall chimpanzee is bouncing just centimetres away from my face. He screams. I scream. Despite my 13 years in school they never said anything about how to get a jumping monkey away from you - what the heck do I do???

      I hear Emily's voice in periphery say something about him wanting the peanuts and I realize I have them locked in my hand. With the Please Do Not Feed The Monkeys-sign in the back of my mind I throw the bag of salted peanuts at him and he immediately disappears after it. 

The crisis is over. At this point there's another four kilometres to go until we reach the top of the hill and although I am out of peanuts I am now paranoid at every single sound coming from the djungle. 
While I do feel bad about littering in nature, part of me also hopes that that chimp will get a genuine belly ache from chewing straight into that plastic bag. 

An abandoned hotel at the top of the hill.

It's unfortunately a cloudy day so we cannot really enjoy the view from the top much. On the way up, we met a group of yankees on their way down, throwing some encouraging words of "It is a lot easier on your way down!". What a bunch of Liars! The way down is worse. With a mind thinking the worst bit is over and with legs like jello you now have to use the front side of your legs to break the speed all the way down, or else you'll have to run. (Although, if it saves you from the monkeys, is maybe not such a bad thing.) 

WWOOFing - EUNGELLA (or 'Land of the Clouds')

Last summer (or winter, we were in OZ after all) me and Ida spent travelling from different farms/families to scoop up enough days for our 2nd year aussie-visa. As we had heard so many stories of people getting ripped off working at farms, we decided to go WWOOFing. Basically - we worked a few hours a day in exchange of food and accomondation. We met so many interesting people, got to see how different families can be and take in plenty of beautiful Queensland-scenery. 

View from the breakfast table. 

We get off the Greyhound bus into a sizzling hot Queensland-afternoon. 
We are at a petrol station in MacKay and the three of us look around, a bit skeptical as to someone will actually show up (and whether that someone will be a complete nutcase) or not. 

A while past said time, a man in wellingtons approach us to ask "now does any of you happen to be from Sweden?" Gee, was it our 15-kilo backpacks or confused looks that gave us away? After a round of introductions we get in the car to start the hour-or-so long journey up to Eungella.  

Eungella is actually an aboriginal name and it translates to Land of the Clouds. And that is literally where we end up, as we drive further and further up the mountains. 

      Our days are spent planting and pruning baby hoop pines, which is rather physical work really, hence why we end up eating our host out of the house. We eat so much we're even feeling ashamed of how much we eat and so we start eating in secret... Which of course is still obvious when you stand there looking surprised that all the bananas have mysteriously disappeared from the bowl. If you know what I mean. 

We didn't have many distractions of Tv or the likes, so most of the time was spent reading to rewind (or manically and hysterically cleaning...) I finally started on (and finished) Norweigan Wood. 
In the late afternoons we'd go on long walks around the hoods, knicking mandarins off trees of gardens in need of love. They were such sweet fruits. That's other than the sour apples you can get ahold of in northern Sweden, I tell you. 

WE*RE IN ABERDEEN

We made it safe and sound to Aberdeen! (Although it was a bloody long journey - 16 hours in total travelling from Bath, I still feel a wee jet-lagged although I've just moved within GMT) The flat is currently ours alone, which feels very nice after spending the summer with constant do's and don'ts from our former house mates (who tended to leave piles of dishes covering the kitchen counter, not to mention used sanitary pads on the bathroom floor. Like don't throw stones when you're sat in a glasshouse, dear.) - But here on Hutcheon Street it's so tidy and IKEA-fresh, I feel we're staying in a hotel than a home. Hopefully that feeling will wear off soonish.

This beauty decorates our stairwell

Rain! In Scotland! :o // Just arrived to the room

Charles and Diana are hanging out in the bathroom, helping me to keep track of my make-up brushes.

 I have my courses and timetable set for the upcoming year, it will be a mix of Art History, French and Sociology. After the first encounter with most of the College of Art's lecturers this afternoon, I feel like it is Hogwarts I will attend. They were like a bunch of Professor McGonagall's presenting different topics. Or possibly a bunch of Hagrids, considering the accent. On the bottomline, I am so excited for the lectures to start next week!