I'm not gonna lie to you all - this has been a real disappointment. Sapa wasn't on my initial itinerary but after recommendations from a number of different travellers about how good it is and how spectacular the scenery is, I decided to come here for a day.
When I got back to Hanoi, I booked an overnight bus to Sapa for that same evening. I'm still playing catch-up in Vietnam a little bit so decided to shoot straight up there. Sapa is northwest from Hanoi and I was told it might be cold - I guess I'm used to that. Bus picked me up at 7pm.
Day 1: Arrived in Sapa at 7am. Managed to get some sleep on the bus and my plan was to spend the whole day exploring here and then get another overnight bus back to Hanoi, from which, I can head south.
The fog here is unbelievable and it's absolutely freezing. Sapa is usually misty apparently but you can get above the mist and there are supposedly some breathtaking views in every direction. It's a small town on the edge of a mountain and it's apparently surrounded by rice fields and other mountains. Unfortunately, I can't see more than 3 feet in front of me outside and I couldn't tell you how good the views are.
After finding my bearings this morning, I took a walk up to a high-up radio tower to see if there was any view at all. There wasn't and unfortunately, there wasn't a great deal to see on the way there either. After that, I took a freezing cold ride on the back of a moped to an even higher vantage point. The view was still non-existent and I need a meal by the fire at a local restaurant to thaw me out afterwards. Since then, I've been in an internet cafe (which is why the blog is now so up to date). Freezing cold and dense fog still outside. Nothing going on in the town.
A real shame because Sapa is meant to be one of the most scenic places in Northern Vietnam, which is why I was keen to incorporate it into my trip. Nothing that can be done though - I could hang around until tomorrow but the locals tell me they are expecting worse and I want to head south. Overnight bus back to Hanoi tonight, FINALLY check out Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum tomorrow morning and then I'm heading south to either Nimh Binh or Hue. I need some sunshine. Hoping to catch up with the others at some point too.
Disappointing but that's life. Been pretty smooth up to this point so was gonna happen sometime. Still loving the experience.
I'll blog again when I next get the chance
Love
Chris / Buttsy
Friday, 23 December 2011
Halong Bay
Day 1: I was very excited about this. Rich had told me how spectacular the bay is and the 3-day tour seemed really good so I had high hopes.
The bus picked us up at 8am and we set off for the 4 hour journey to Halong City, where we would get on our boat. With myself, Jay, Andreas, Jakob and Miriam were Mitja (Germany), Sebastian (Argentina), Tom & Georgia (A young aussie couple) and a few others who we didn't talk to as much.
Arrived at Halong City about 1pm and our tour guide (Duc) gave us all tickets to board our boat. Once we got on, we all wanted to go up on the roof, only to be told that it was a health and safety risk and we couldn't while the boat was near the harbour. Ironic that they have regulations for a boat pulling away at about 1mph, considering everything else they don't worry about in S.E.Asia. We all had a laugh about that.
Settled down for lunch on the boat and checked into our rooms for that night (also on the boat - not too shabby either). We then went out to explore the Bay. All I can say is: WOW!!! It's amazing, one of the best things I've ever seen. There's something like 3000 Islands that comprise Halong Bay and none of the photos I took can do it justice (I will put some up soon - promise) It's pretty breathtaking.
We stopped off after a while to explore a cave on one of the islands. Pretty good but nothing compared to Kong Lor - that's now the benchmark when it comes to caves. It was impressive though, despite the fact that there were too many colourful lights in there and there was a ''natural'' water spring (which Aussie Tom questioned and then found the pump for! haha). Duc was desperately trying to convince us it was natural. Quite funny.
While exploring the cave, I also bumped in Ross (guy from Swindon) and we caught up on what we had done since the cave. It's amazing how many times you bump into people again later in your trip.
Back onto the boat (but not the roof) and we went further into the Bay. It gets more amazing the further you get in and got even better when we went kayaking around and between some of the islands. This was really good as you can then appreciate the size of some of them and get right up close.
Got some good photos there and then back on the boat to get to the edge of Cat Ba island, where we would be anchoring and spending the night. After dinner, myself, Andreas, Miriam, Mitja, Tom and Sebastian settled down for some cards playing a game that Mitja knew from Germany. It was a really good game actually and we had a good laugh playing. Got to know them all much better and all really cool people. Mitja, Sebastian and Jay are all heavily into their meditation and it was quite interesting chatting to them about that - I've not been converted yet though!
Had to be in bed by 10:30pm (boat rules).
Day 2: Up early for breakfast. Today, we would be spending the day and night on Cat Ba island. After breakfast, we went onto the island and got on a mini-bus to the first stop. This was a 2 hour trek, up and back down a small mountain. Of course, I hadn't been told that trekking was involved in the package so didn't bring my trekking shoes - Duc had reminded us to bring them about an hour after we had left Hanoi. Cheers mate. So it was trekking in pumps for me - not ideal but it wasn't too challenging and we all made it to the top. I wasn't the only one without the right footwear either - surprise, surprise. It's sometimes quite difficult to find out exactly what you need for these tours.
Anyway, the trek was good and gave us some great views of the Island from the top. We then climbed back down and got back on the bus to head to our hotel and check in. When we arrived, Miriam and Jakob enquired about the extra Kayaking they had booked while back in Hanoi, only to be told be our new tour guide (Tom) that ''we don't offer that here''. He was aggressive from the start with quite a few of us and Miriam got a bit upset. The trouble with some of these tours is you never know if you are always going to get what you ask for. Its very easy for them to get out of it. Unfortunately, that just seems to be the way sometimes out here and you just need to get on with it. Maybe the meditation chats did have an effect on me!
After lunch, we had the option of ''free time'' or to go on a trip to Monkey Island. I chose the latter and was joined by Jakob and some other guys from another group. We got a boat over to the Island and were ''greeted'' by a number of Monkeys sitting on the beach, waiting for tourists. I'm not sure what type of monkeys they are but it became an interesting trip.
We were briefed on the way (again, something new to S.E.Asia) that these Monkeys will bite you if they are agitated and you get close enough to them. We were also told not to have anything hanging loosely off our clothing, as this would prompt them to try and grab it. While we all took the advice on board, one lad didn't and swiftly had one of his expensive walking boots (and sock) taken by one of the monkeys. Can't say he wasn't warned. A guide managed to retrieve the boot later on, but the sock was the monkey's now!
As we hung around on the beach watching them, 2 Monkeys got into a little disagreement, which then resulted in one of them chasing after me and then Jakob. I ran towards a hill and Jakob ran towards the water. They are quite small but I didn't want to get bitten. It was a mix of terrifying and hilarious (more terrifying - you should have seen the look on the monkey's face. He wasn't happy).
The 2 of us then whimped out on the beach for a while just watching them. We had tried to climb the hill at one point but were then confronted by 5 of them so thought better off it (we did manage it later though). Was really funny. Later on, another Monkey swiped a full can of coke from another tourist. It hadn't even been opened but he managed to make holes in the side and drink the whole thing. It was quality to watch and they had calmed down a bit so we were able to get pretty close this time (some great photos and videos). At one point, his mate wanted some of it but was swiftly hissed away. He did get a cookie from someone else later though. Was great to watch them at work and that alone made the trip well worth it.
Got the boat back to Cat Ba and back to our (nice) hotel. Settled down for dinner with everyone else and told them all about the monkey business and how they had missed out. That evening, went out for a few beers with Miriam, Jakob, Jay, Mitja and Sebastian in the local town. I've drunk SO much Beer since I've been away :)
Day 3: The long trip back to Hanoi. Had breakfast and then got the bus back to the boat, which would take us on a different route through the bay and back to Halong City. This was one of the advantages of this tour as it meant we didn't just go the same way there and back. Halong Bay was just as breathtaking on the way back and we had a rare glimpse of sunshine to go with it this time. All chilled out on the roof back to the bay. Then it was lunch and the 4 hour bus journey back to Hanoi.
When we got back to Hanoi, we all went our seperate ways as were going to different parts of Vietnam. Was a real shame to leave them all and that's one of the hardest things about travelling alone sometimes. You spend 3/4 days with a group and get close and then you part again. That's part of the adventure though and you know there's loads more people to meet along the way so it's all good. They are all heading south in Vietnam as well though so I've no doubt we will cross paths again before the country is finished. I hope so.
Halong Bay has definately been the highlight of the trip for me so far. If you come to this part of Asia, you have to see it. Fantastic scenery. Rich - spectacular is correct my man. I loved every minute of this trip - great people, great laughs and a superb place to share it all.
Everyone else is heading south, which I will be too in a couple of days. Next for me though is ...........
The bus picked us up at 8am and we set off for the 4 hour journey to Halong City, where we would get on our boat. With myself, Jay, Andreas, Jakob and Miriam were Mitja (Germany), Sebastian (Argentina), Tom & Georgia (A young aussie couple) and a few others who we didn't talk to as much.
Arrived at Halong City about 1pm and our tour guide (Duc) gave us all tickets to board our boat. Once we got on, we all wanted to go up on the roof, only to be told that it was a health and safety risk and we couldn't while the boat was near the harbour. Ironic that they have regulations for a boat pulling away at about 1mph, considering everything else they don't worry about in S.E.Asia. We all had a laugh about that.
Settled down for lunch on the boat and checked into our rooms for that night (also on the boat - not too shabby either). We then went out to explore the Bay. All I can say is: WOW!!! It's amazing, one of the best things I've ever seen. There's something like 3000 Islands that comprise Halong Bay and none of the photos I took can do it justice (I will put some up soon - promise) It's pretty breathtaking.
We stopped off after a while to explore a cave on one of the islands. Pretty good but nothing compared to Kong Lor - that's now the benchmark when it comes to caves. It was impressive though, despite the fact that there were too many colourful lights in there and there was a ''natural'' water spring (which Aussie Tom questioned and then found the pump for! haha). Duc was desperately trying to convince us it was natural. Quite funny.
While exploring the cave, I also bumped in Ross (guy from Swindon) and we caught up on what we had done since the cave. It's amazing how many times you bump into people again later in your trip.
Back onto the boat (but not the roof) and we went further into the Bay. It gets more amazing the further you get in and got even better when we went kayaking around and between some of the islands. This was really good as you can then appreciate the size of some of them and get right up close.
Got some good photos there and then back on the boat to get to the edge of Cat Ba island, where we would be anchoring and spending the night. After dinner, myself, Andreas, Miriam, Mitja, Tom and Sebastian settled down for some cards playing a game that Mitja knew from Germany. It was a really good game actually and we had a good laugh playing. Got to know them all much better and all really cool people. Mitja, Sebastian and Jay are all heavily into their meditation and it was quite interesting chatting to them about that - I've not been converted yet though!
Had to be in bed by 10:30pm (boat rules).
Day 2: Up early for breakfast. Today, we would be spending the day and night on Cat Ba island. After breakfast, we went onto the island and got on a mini-bus to the first stop. This was a 2 hour trek, up and back down a small mountain. Of course, I hadn't been told that trekking was involved in the package so didn't bring my trekking shoes - Duc had reminded us to bring them about an hour after we had left Hanoi. Cheers mate. So it was trekking in pumps for me - not ideal but it wasn't too challenging and we all made it to the top. I wasn't the only one without the right footwear either - surprise, surprise. It's sometimes quite difficult to find out exactly what you need for these tours.
Anyway, the trek was good and gave us some great views of the Island from the top. We then climbed back down and got back on the bus to head to our hotel and check in. When we arrived, Miriam and Jakob enquired about the extra Kayaking they had booked while back in Hanoi, only to be told be our new tour guide (Tom) that ''we don't offer that here''. He was aggressive from the start with quite a few of us and Miriam got a bit upset. The trouble with some of these tours is you never know if you are always going to get what you ask for. Its very easy for them to get out of it. Unfortunately, that just seems to be the way sometimes out here and you just need to get on with it. Maybe the meditation chats did have an effect on me!
After lunch, we had the option of ''free time'' or to go on a trip to Monkey Island. I chose the latter and was joined by Jakob and some other guys from another group. We got a boat over to the Island and were ''greeted'' by a number of Monkeys sitting on the beach, waiting for tourists. I'm not sure what type of monkeys they are but it became an interesting trip.
We were briefed on the way (again, something new to S.E.Asia) that these Monkeys will bite you if they are agitated and you get close enough to them. We were also told not to have anything hanging loosely off our clothing, as this would prompt them to try and grab it. While we all took the advice on board, one lad didn't and swiftly had one of his expensive walking boots (and sock) taken by one of the monkeys. Can't say he wasn't warned. A guide managed to retrieve the boot later on, but the sock was the monkey's now!
As we hung around on the beach watching them, 2 Monkeys got into a little disagreement, which then resulted in one of them chasing after me and then Jakob. I ran towards a hill and Jakob ran towards the water. They are quite small but I didn't want to get bitten. It was a mix of terrifying and hilarious (more terrifying - you should have seen the look on the monkey's face. He wasn't happy).
The 2 of us then whimped out on the beach for a while just watching them. We had tried to climb the hill at one point but were then confronted by 5 of them so thought better off it (we did manage it later though). Was really funny. Later on, another Monkey swiped a full can of coke from another tourist. It hadn't even been opened but he managed to make holes in the side and drink the whole thing. It was quality to watch and they had calmed down a bit so we were able to get pretty close this time (some great photos and videos). At one point, his mate wanted some of it but was swiftly hissed away. He did get a cookie from someone else later though. Was great to watch them at work and that alone made the trip well worth it.
Got the boat back to Cat Ba and back to our (nice) hotel. Settled down for dinner with everyone else and told them all about the monkey business and how they had missed out. That evening, went out for a few beers with Miriam, Jakob, Jay, Mitja and Sebastian in the local town. I've drunk SO much Beer since I've been away :)
Day 3: The long trip back to Hanoi. Had breakfast and then got the bus back to the boat, which would take us on a different route through the bay and back to Halong City. This was one of the advantages of this tour as it meant we didn't just go the same way there and back. Halong Bay was just as breathtaking on the way back and we had a rare glimpse of sunshine to go with it this time. All chilled out on the roof back to the bay. Then it was lunch and the 4 hour bus journey back to Hanoi.
When we got back to Hanoi, we all went our seperate ways as were going to different parts of Vietnam. Was a real shame to leave them all and that's one of the hardest things about travelling alone sometimes. You spend 3/4 days with a group and get close and then you part again. That's part of the adventure though and you know there's loads more people to meet along the way so it's all good. They are all heading south in Vietnam as well though so I've no doubt we will cross paths again before the country is finished. I hope so.
Halong Bay has definately been the highlight of the trip for me so far. If you come to this part of Asia, you have to see it. Fantastic scenery. Rich - spectacular is correct my man. I loved every minute of this trip - great people, great laughs and a superb place to share it all.
Everyone else is heading south, which I will be too in a couple of days. Next for me though is ...........
Thursday, 22 December 2011
Hanoi
Night 1: Got picked up at 6pm and was taken to the Bus station for the trip to Hanoi. This was my first ''sleeper bus'' so didn't really know what to expect but it was actually quite luxurious. You get to almost lay down flat and there's just about enough room. There were quite a few locals on the bus, and they like to sit near the front as they get dropped off at various points prior to Hanoi. Didn't bother me though - loads of room at the back.
Also on the bus was a couple of girls from the U.S (Lauren & Whitney) who were really nice and we all got chatting instantly. Off we went to Hanoi. Had a great time in Laos but was looking forward to moving on.
Day 1: The bus parked right by the border crossing at about midnight, even though the border doesn't open until 7am. This was good though as it gave us all an opportunity to sleep (quite hard when the bus is moving) and also for the driver to sleep.
I was a bit nervous about this border crossing as I'd heard some horror stories. These included; drivers stopping in the middle of the night and demanding more money and being ripped off at the actual crossing. Thankfully, none of this happened and it all went quite smoothly.
We arrived in Hanoi at about 6pm (sick of the bus at this point) and myself and the 2 girls agreed to go to the same hostel. They had been to Hanoi earlier in the trip and knew the way around. We all got on really well and I wanted to hang around with them for a bit as they were both going back to the states tomorrow. We checked into a guesthouse and then went out for some dinner and to check out the nightlife in Hanoi - pretty good.
Ended up the 3 of us coming back to the room and staying up until about 3am (all pretty pissed) playing this american dice game they knew. It was really good laugh and I managed to get a win under my belt.
Day 2: The 3 of us went for breakfast in Hanoi and they then showed me the way to the backpackers hostel they had stayed at previously. I checked in there and we went our seperate ways for the day. The girls had some last minute gifts to buy and I wanted to start sight-seeing. Agreed to meet up at 6pm for dinner before they go.
So Hanoi is pretty bonkers and makes Bangkok seem like a walk in the park. The amount of motorbikes is quite staggering and is only surpassed by the amount they honk their horns. Crossing the road is extremely difficult at first and you're not even safe on the pavement sometimes because one of them might get bored of the traffic and decide to off-road and toot you on there. It's madness.
The girls had told me that you just need to walk across slowly, even when there are loads of Mopeds coming. Strangely, this seems to work and they just drive around you. It takes a while to force yourself off the curb though - walking into traffic doesn't exactly come naturally but you have literally no choice in Hanoi. They won't stop for you so you can be waiting for hours otherwise. Organised chaos I suppose because I haven't seen any accidents yet. Bit different when there are cars around though - they find it harder to go around you.
That afternoon, I slowly and with great difficulty made my way around the city. It's so busy and getting lost is ridiculously easy. One minute, you know where you are on the map and then, 10 yards later, you're lost again. Finally got my bearings and went to check out the Vietnam Natural History Museum and the War Museum - both interesting, more-so the War Museum. I then went to check out Hoa Lo Prison - no longer in use but was used for American prisoners of war. Also very interesting. The Hanoi towers were right next door as well - both quite big.
I somehow made it back to the girls hostel for 6pm and we went out for dinner. Nice meal with them and we said our goodbyes and exchanged contact info. Had a really cool few days with Lauren and Whitney so was a shame they had to go back home.
Found a bar showing the footy that evening (harder than I thought it would be) so I stayed to watch a couple of games with the locals. Nice little 2-0 win over Villa for the pool so I was very happy.
Day 3: Up early because I wanted to go check out the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. This is the main attraction in Hanoi as it's the final resting place of the most famous and respected Vietnamese leader. Instead of trying to walk, I decided to take one of the locals up on their offer of a motorbike ride and got there within minutes - if you can't beat em, join em. Unfortunately, it was closed (travel book let me down again) but I did get a good look around the outside. Impressive building, surrounded by the Presidential Palace, The House on Stilts (where Ho Chi Minh used to live) and a nearby Pagoda. Spent some time checking all these out and get some sight-seeing photos. Also went to the Ho Chi Minh Museum, which is also nearby and was quite interesting.
After there, I made my way back towards the Old Quarter (city centre) via a statue of Lenin and the Temple of Literature. While on my way, I was stopped by a lady selling fruit and wearing a conical hat. I said I didn't want any fruit and she said ''no, no'' and that she wanted to take my photo wearing all the gear. Stupidly, I fell for it and let her put all the gear on me and take what's actually a really good picture. However, when I then tried to walk away, she wanted money for it. When I said no, she preceded to chase me down the street, while carrying all the stuff (and I'm not the fastest). Must have looked quite funny. Anyway, in the end I felt bad and gave her about 30p for some Pineapple (I don't even like Pineapple much). She seemed satisfied enough and I managed to lose her. Pretty funny and I did get a good photo out of it.
Hanoi starts to grate on you after a while. The traffic is a constant battle and the locals constantly asking if you want a ride on a motorbike can get very annoying when you're trying to walk around. It's part and parcel of life out here though and I'm glad I've experienced it. It does feel like real Asia when you are here seeing it all first hand but it does get exhausting after a while.
While walking back to the hostel, I bumped into the German couple I had met on the slow boat into Laos (Jakob & Miriam). Had a catch up with them and they told me about a deal they had got for a 3 day tour of Halong Bay, starting the following morning. I was planning on booking something similar and thought it would be cool to go with them so I went and booked the same deal.
That evening, I went out for a couple of beers and some food with 2 lads from my new hostel -Andreas (Germany) and Jay (USA). Had a good laugh with them and they booked on the same trip for the following morning. Halong Bay, here we come......
Also on the bus was a couple of girls from the U.S (Lauren & Whitney) who were really nice and we all got chatting instantly. Off we went to Hanoi. Had a great time in Laos but was looking forward to moving on.
Day 1: The bus parked right by the border crossing at about midnight, even though the border doesn't open until 7am. This was good though as it gave us all an opportunity to sleep (quite hard when the bus is moving) and also for the driver to sleep.
I was a bit nervous about this border crossing as I'd heard some horror stories. These included; drivers stopping in the middle of the night and demanding more money and being ripped off at the actual crossing. Thankfully, none of this happened and it all went quite smoothly.
We arrived in Hanoi at about 6pm (sick of the bus at this point) and myself and the 2 girls agreed to go to the same hostel. They had been to Hanoi earlier in the trip and knew the way around. We all got on really well and I wanted to hang around with them for a bit as they were both going back to the states tomorrow. We checked into a guesthouse and then went out for some dinner and to check out the nightlife in Hanoi - pretty good.
Ended up the 3 of us coming back to the room and staying up until about 3am (all pretty pissed) playing this american dice game they knew. It was really good laugh and I managed to get a win under my belt.
Day 2: The 3 of us went for breakfast in Hanoi and they then showed me the way to the backpackers hostel they had stayed at previously. I checked in there and we went our seperate ways for the day. The girls had some last minute gifts to buy and I wanted to start sight-seeing. Agreed to meet up at 6pm for dinner before they go.
So Hanoi is pretty bonkers and makes Bangkok seem like a walk in the park. The amount of motorbikes is quite staggering and is only surpassed by the amount they honk their horns. Crossing the road is extremely difficult at first and you're not even safe on the pavement sometimes because one of them might get bored of the traffic and decide to off-road and toot you on there. It's madness.
The girls had told me that you just need to walk across slowly, even when there are loads of Mopeds coming. Strangely, this seems to work and they just drive around you. It takes a while to force yourself off the curb though - walking into traffic doesn't exactly come naturally but you have literally no choice in Hanoi. They won't stop for you so you can be waiting for hours otherwise. Organised chaos I suppose because I haven't seen any accidents yet. Bit different when there are cars around though - they find it harder to go around you.
That afternoon, I slowly and with great difficulty made my way around the city. It's so busy and getting lost is ridiculously easy. One minute, you know where you are on the map and then, 10 yards later, you're lost again. Finally got my bearings and went to check out the Vietnam Natural History Museum and the War Museum - both interesting, more-so the War Museum. I then went to check out Hoa Lo Prison - no longer in use but was used for American prisoners of war. Also very interesting. The Hanoi towers were right next door as well - both quite big.
I somehow made it back to the girls hostel for 6pm and we went out for dinner. Nice meal with them and we said our goodbyes and exchanged contact info. Had a really cool few days with Lauren and Whitney so was a shame they had to go back home.
Found a bar showing the footy that evening (harder than I thought it would be) so I stayed to watch a couple of games with the locals. Nice little 2-0 win over Villa for the pool so I was very happy.
Day 3: Up early because I wanted to go check out the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. This is the main attraction in Hanoi as it's the final resting place of the most famous and respected Vietnamese leader. Instead of trying to walk, I decided to take one of the locals up on their offer of a motorbike ride and got there within minutes - if you can't beat em, join em. Unfortunately, it was closed (travel book let me down again) but I did get a good look around the outside. Impressive building, surrounded by the Presidential Palace, The House on Stilts (where Ho Chi Minh used to live) and a nearby Pagoda. Spent some time checking all these out and get some sight-seeing photos. Also went to the Ho Chi Minh Museum, which is also nearby and was quite interesting.
After there, I made my way back towards the Old Quarter (city centre) via a statue of Lenin and the Temple of Literature. While on my way, I was stopped by a lady selling fruit and wearing a conical hat. I said I didn't want any fruit and she said ''no, no'' and that she wanted to take my photo wearing all the gear. Stupidly, I fell for it and let her put all the gear on me and take what's actually a really good picture. However, when I then tried to walk away, she wanted money for it. When I said no, she preceded to chase me down the street, while carrying all the stuff (and I'm not the fastest). Must have looked quite funny. Anyway, in the end I felt bad and gave her about 30p for some Pineapple (I don't even like Pineapple much). She seemed satisfied enough and I managed to lose her. Pretty funny and I did get a good photo out of it.
Hanoi starts to grate on you after a while. The traffic is a constant battle and the locals constantly asking if you want a ride on a motorbike can get very annoying when you're trying to walk around. It's part and parcel of life out here though and I'm glad I've experienced it. It does feel like real Asia when you are here seeing it all first hand but it does get exhausting after a while.
While walking back to the hostel, I bumped into the German couple I had met on the slow boat into Laos (Jakob & Miriam). Had a catch up with them and they told me about a deal they had got for a 3 day tour of Halong Bay, starting the following morning. I was planning on booking something similar and thought it would be cool to go with them so I went and booked the same deal.
That evening, I went out for a couple of beers and some food with 2 lads from my new hostel -Andreas (Germany) and Jay (USA). Had a good laugh with them and they booked on the same trip for the following morning. Halong Bay, here we come......
Kong Lor Cave
Day 1: This trip wasn't on my initial itinerary but after reading some travel books and a good recommendation from back home (cheers Ali), I decided to make it my next stop.
The cave is much further south in Laos, so I knew it would take a few days out of my trip. I was just hoping it would be worth it. Pick up was at 9am from my guest-house in Vientiane and then it was a half hour tuk-tuk ride to the bus station. Met a nice Australian couple (Felicity & Andrew) on the tuk-tuk and we had a good chat.
The bus set off at 10am and it was going to be a pretty long trip. Not much to report here I'm afraid, other than chatting some more to the aussies and listening to my Ipod - I was listening to the Backstreet Boys if anyone cares.
We arrived at the village next to the cave at about 4.30pm. Seriously, in the middle of nowhere. The scenery was very nice though - limestone cliffs all the way down to the cave. Not many locals about (very small village) but the ones that were, were very friendly and happy to exchange a nice ''sabaidee'' (hello) with us as we all arrived. I checked into a guesthouse (not many to choose from so thankfully the price was cheap - we couldn't really argue if they had quoted us loads. Like I said, middle of nowhere).
I then met another aussie couple (Erin and Peter), who had just checked into the same guesthouse and would be doing the cave tomorrow as well. They were also very nice and we got on really well. They had been travelling across S.E.Asia on just their bicycles, which I thought was quite impressive. A great way to do it if you have the time (and energy) as there's some fantastic scenery.
The 3 of us then wondered down to check out the opening to the cave, which was a 1km walk away. Beautiful spot down there and the cave looked very intriguing. We were all looking forward to the boat-ride through it tomorrow.
That evening, the 3 of us settled down for dinner with 3 others, who had done the cave trip that day. Ross & Cheryl (from Swindon unbelievably - small world) and Matt (New Zealand). They were all buzzing about the cave and had really enjoyed it so it seemed as though we had made a good decision. We all had dinner together....well, sort of. It was a family guest-house we were staying at and they could only cook one meal at a time, meaning they got served in the order they were ordered. Luckily, I ordered first so I was alright - Peter ordered last and had quite a wait. I didn't know that was going to happen, honest.
After dinner, the 6 of us had a few beers and settled down to play cards for a few hours (the nightlife wasn't up to much in the village). Had a great laugh with them all - really nice people and we all compared trips and gave each other tips on places to visit. Matt gave me some great recommendations for New Zealand as well, which I was grateful for. We then said good-night and goodbye as they were getting a bus to Vientiane at 7am the following morning (and I wasn't getting up to wave them off). All exchanged emails / facebook info and then it was off to bed.
Day 2: Got up just before 8am, as we were told that the cave wouldn't be open until then. Myself, Erin and Peter walked down, paid the boatmen near the cave and we were good to go.
The first part of the cave, you need to walk through as there are a number of boulders blocking the entrance. When you get just inside, there are loads of longboats ready to go. We got in one, with our 2 guides - each equpped with a highly necessary headlamp and off we went.
The light disappeared pretty fast behind us to the point where it was pitch black, barring the headlamps. It was amazing - like nothing I've seen before. The cave is huge and goes up so high in some places. We made it to about half way and we then had the opportunity to get out and walk through the cave for 15 minutes. This was also brilliant - some really unusual sculptures and there was enough lighting for us all to get some decent pics. Thankfully, the don't over-do the lighting so you can still find your way around without the creepiness of the cave being lost. We got back in the boat (not very smoothly) and then continued to the other end.
Like I said, the cave is 7km long and it took us about an hour to get to the other end - that's pretty long. Grateful to see some light at last, the other end of the cave was just as picturesque as the start. We stayed there for a half-hour break to take some pictures and watch the water Buffalo that were hanging around.
Back in the boat and through the cave back to the start. No stopping for a walk this time, apart from the points where the boat got stuck, as the water was quite shallow in some areas. I was quite popular with one of the guides for helping them, while walking barefoot on the pebble floor (if they can do it, why can't I). In reality, it hurt quite a bit but I didn't let it show. Very brave.
We made it back to the start and all reflected on an amazing experience. The travel book had compared the cave to something out of Indiana Jones and you couldn't really argue after doing the trip. That cave will take some beating in my eyes. One of the highlights of the trip so far.
That evening, the 3 of us hung out with another couple, who had arrived to do the cave tomorrow. A guy from Spain (Alberto I think - had made some arrangement with his work that allowed him to travel for THREE YEARS - he had only completed one. Dunno how he managed that) and his Brazilian girlfriend, whose name escapes me. Played cards for a few hours with them and Alberto gave me some great travel tips and my favourite quote of the trip so far. When I said I had planned to spend a week in Rio De Janeiro later in the trip, he said: ''Yeah a week is ok but if you're travelling alone, maybe 15 days''. Haha - sounds like a good place and I'll see what I can do.
Also worth a mention is this little boy, who was one of the sons of the family who ran the Guesthouse & Restaurant. I think he must only be about 8, yet he was the only one who spoke even partial english (and his was pretty good, considering the obscurity of the village he comes from). He was able to take all our food and drinks orders and sort out the payments for everything. I don't know how he's ended up learning it so well but respect to the little man. We would all have been a bit stuffed without him!
I then tried to plan how best to get out of the village and get to Vietnam. This was quite tricky and there wasn't anyone in the village who could speak enough English to help me out (travel book was no good either). So I decided to get the 7am bus back to Vientiane in the morning. It would mean going back on myself but I thought I'd rather do that and know where I am than risk getting lost in the middle of nowhere. Early start for me then.
Day 3: Said goodbye to Peter and Erin - fantastic people, some of the nicest I've met on the trip so far. I then boarded the bus and off we went.
Quite a major tyre burst on the journey, which involved the 3 guys running the bus having to work as a team to get it changed. I did think about offering to help but they seemed to have a pretty good system going and I'd have probably just slowed them down. Anyway, it took them about 30 mins to do it and the tyre was completely ruined - don't know what we ran over.
Got back to Vientiane about 4pm and immediately booked a 24 hour overnight bus to Hanoi, Vietnam for that evening. It would mean yet more travelling but the cave trip had put me a few days behind my plan and I wanted to get to Vietnam asap. Bus was coming at 6pm so I just had time to get some food and chill out for a bit.
The cave is much further south in Laos, so I knew it would take a few days out of my trip. I was just hoping it would be worth it. Pick up was at 9am from my guest-house in Vientiane and then it was a half hour tuk-tuk ride to the bus station. Met a nice Australian couple (Felicity & Andrew) on the tuk-tuk and we had a good chat.
The bus set off at 10am and it was going to be a pretty long trip. Not much to report here I'm afraid, other than chatting some more to the aussies and listening to my Ipod - I was listening to the Backstreet Boys if anyone cares.
We arrived at the village next to the cave at about 4.30pm. Seriously, in the middle of nowhere. The scenery was very nice though - limestone cliffs all the way down to the cave. Not many locals about (very small village) but the ones that were, were very friendly and happy to exchange a nice ''sabaidee'' (hello) with us as we all arrived. I checked into a guesthouse (not many to choose from so thankfully the price was cheap - we couldn't really argue if they had quoted us loads. Like I said, middle of nowhere).
I then met another aussie couple (Erin and Peter), who had just checked into the same guesthouse and would be doing the cave tomorrow as well. They were also very nice and we got on really well. They had been travelling across S.E.Asia on just their bicycles, which I thought was quite impressive. A great way to do it if you have the time (and energy) as there's some fantastic scenery.
The 3 of us then wondered down to check out the opening to the cave, which was a 1km walk away. Beautiful spot down there and the cave looked very intriguing. We were all looking forward to the boat-ride through it tomorrow.
That evening, the 3 of us settled down for dinner with 3 others, who had done the cave trip that day. Ross & Cheryl (from Swindon unbelievably - small world) and Matt (New Zealand). They were all buzzing about the cave and had really enjoyed it so it seemed as though we had made a good decision. We all had dinner together....well, sort of. It was a family guest-house we were staying at and they could only cook one meal at a time, meaning they got served in the order they were ordered. Luckily, I ordered first so I was alright - Peter ordered last and had quite a wait. I didn't know that was going to happen, honest.
After dinner, the 6 of us had a few beers and settled down to play cards for a few hours (the nightlife wasn't up to much in the village). Had a great laugh with them all - really nice people and we all compared trips and gave each other tips on places to visit. Matt gave me some great recommendations for New Zealand as well, which I was grateful for. We then said good-night and goodbye as they were getting a bus to Vientiane at 7am the following morning (and I wasn't getting up to wave them off). All exchanged emails / facebook info and then it was off to bed.
Day 2: Got up just before 8am, as we were told that the cave wouldn't be open until then. Myself, Erin and Peter walked down, paid the boatmen near the cave and we were good to go.
The first part of the cave, you need to walk through as there are a number of boulders blocking the entrance. When you get just inside, there are loads of longboats ready to go. We got in one, with our 2 guides - each equpped with a highly necessary headlamp and off we went.
The light disappeared pretty fast behind us to the point where it was pitch black, barring the headlamps. It was amazing - like nothing I've seen before. The cave is huge and goes up so high in some places. We made it to about half way and we then had the opportunity to get out and walk through the cave for 15 minutes. This was also brilliant - some really unusual sculptures and there was enough lighting for us all to get some decent pics. Thankfully, the don't over-do the lighting so you can still find your way around without the creepiness of the cave being lost. We got back in the boat (not very smoothly) and then continued to the other end.
Like I said, the cave is 7km long and it took us about an hour to get to the other end - that's pretty long. Grateful to see some light at last, the other end of the cave was just as picturesque as the start. We stayed there for a half-hour break to take some pictures and watch the water Buffalo that were hanging around.
Back in the boat and through the cave back to the start. No stopping for a walk this time, apart from the points where the boat got stuck, as the water was quite shallow in some areas. I was quite popular with one of the guides for helping them, while walking barefoot on the pebble floor (if they can do it, why can't I). In reality, it hurt quite a bit but I didn't let it show. Very brave.
We made it back to the start and all reflected on an amazing experience. The travel book had compared the cave to something out of Indiana Jones and you couldn't really argue after doing the trip. That cave will take some beating in my eyes. One of the highlights of the trip so far.
That evening, the 3 of us hung out with another couple, who had arrived to do the cave tomorrow. A guy from Spain (Alberto I think - had made some arrangement with his work that allowed him to travel for THREE YEARS - he had only completed one. Dunno how he managed that) and his Brazilian girlfriend, whose name escapes me. Played cards for a few hours with them and Alberto gave me some great travel tips and my favourite quote of the trip so far. When I said I had planned to spend a week in Rio De Janeiro later in the trip, he said: ''Yeah a week is ok but if you're travelling alone, maybe 15 days''. Haha - sounds like a good place and I'll see what I can do.
Also worth a mention is this little boy, who was one of the sons of the family who ran the Guesthouse & Restaurant. I think he must only be about 8, yet he was the only one who spoke even partial english (and his was pretty good, considering the obscurity of the village he comes from). He was able to take all our food and drinks orders and sort out the payments for everything. I don't know how he's ended up learning it so well but respect to the little man. We would all have been a bit stuffed without him!
I then tried to plan how best to get out of the village and get to Vietnam. This was quite tricky and there wasn't anyone in the village who could speak enough English to help me out (travel book was no good either). So I decided to get the 7am bus back to Vientiane in the morning. It would mean going back on myself but I thought I'd rather do that and know where I am than risk getting lost in the middle of nowhere. Early start for me then.
Day 3: Said goodbye to Peter and Erin - fantastic people, some of the nicest I've met on the trip so far. I then boarded the bus and off we went.
Quite a major tyre burst on the journey, which involved the 3 guys running the bus having to work as a team to get it changed. I did think about offering to help but they seemed to have a pretty good system going and I'd have probably just slowed them down. Anyway, it took them about 30 mins to do it and the tyre was completely ruined - don't know what we ran over.
Got back to Vientiane about 4pm and immediately booked a 24 hour overnight bus to Hanoi, Vietnam for that evening. It would mean yet more travelling but the cave trip had put me a few days behind my plan and I wanted to get to Vietnam asap. Bus was coming at 6pm so I just had time to get some food and chill out for a bit.
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Vientiane
Day 1: Pick-up was at 9am to embark on the 4 hour bus journey to the capital. I'm getting pretty used to buses by this point and 4 hours feels like nothing. I was also grateful that the roads (and driver) were far better than those that had got me to Vang Vieng and it was a much smoother journey. We arrived in Vientiane at about 1pm.
After searching around and finding a cheap enough guest-house (I'm working to a budget of course), I left my bag and had the rest of the afternoon to explore the city. A lot of people in Vang Vieng had tried to put me off coming to Vientiane, saying it was pretty dull and there wasn't much to see or do. I think they are doing it a disservice though and I really enjoyed an afternoon of sight-seeing.
First off, I went to check out the main city temple (Wat Si Saket), which was quite impressive and more unique than some of the temples I've come across previously. Then it was onto Patuxai, the Laos version of the Arc De Triomphe, which was also well worth seeing. It's quite difficult to get to because it's in the middle of a roundabout and, like in Paris, the drivers don't particularly want to let anyone across. I eventually got there though and climbed to the top of it to get some great views and snaps of the whole city.
The highlight of Vientiane for me though was the Golden Stupa (Pha That Luang). This was quite a walk to get to but is well worth seeing for anybody whoe ever visits this part of the world. Another very unique building that's situated in it's own enclosure so you can walk all the way around it. Spent some time there taking photos and checking out the other temples and large buildings that were close-by. Some brilliant works of achitecture out here.
After leaving the Stupa, I decided to head back towards town. I'd done a fair bit of walking all day and was getting a bit tired. On the way back, I lost my bearings a little bit but was pretty confident I was on the right road to get back when a local pulls over on his Moped. Seeing me looking confused at my map, he asks me where I'm going. After giving him the card for my hostel, he then gets out his phone and makes some calls (how nice). After about 10 minutes, he then tells me to walk exactly the way I already was! So now I'm tired, still a bit lost and 10 mins later than before. Nice of him to try though.
After making it back, I hit the streets in town and, after some price comparison (something you need to do on a regular basis out here - the range is incredible sometimes), I booked my next excursion - A long trip to see Kong Lor Cave (7km long no less), which is further south in Laos. I then got some street food and checked out Vientiane by night. Not much more to see besides a couple of cool statues to be honest.
Only a day in Vientiane but I filled it up nicely and liked it there. Saw everything I wanted to see. Next stop ......
After searching around and finding a cheap enough guest-house (I'm working to a budget of course), I left my bag and had the rest of the afternoon to explore the city. A lot of people in Vang Vieng had tried to put me off coming to Vientiane, saying it was pretty dull and there wasn't much to see or do. I think they are doing it a disservice though and I really enjoyed an afternoon of sight-seeing.
First off, I went to check out the main city temple (Wat Si Saket), which was quite impressive and more unique than some of the temples I've come across previously. Then it was onto Patuxai, the Laos version of the Arc De Triomphe, which was also well worth seeing. It's quite difficult to get to because it's in the middle of a roundabout and, like in Paris, the drivers don't particularly want to let anyone across. I eventually got there though and climbed to the top of it to get some great views and snaps of the whole city.
The highlight of Vientiane for me though was the Golden Stupa (Pha That Luang). This was quite a walk to get to but is well worth seeing for anybody whoe ever visits this part of the world. Another very unique building that's situated in it's own enclosure so you can walk all the way around it. Spent some time there taking photos and checking out the other temples and large buildings that were close-by. Some brilliant works of achitecture out here.
After leaving the Stupa, I decided to head back towards town. I'd done a fair bit of walking all day and was getting a bit tired. On the way back, I lost my bearings a little bit but was pretty confident I was on the right road to get back when a local pulls over on his Moped. Seeing me looking confused at my map, he asks me where I'm going. After giving him the card for my hostel, he then gets out his phone and makes some calls (how nice). After about 10 minutes, he then tells me to walk exactly the way I already was! So now I'm tired, still a bit lost and 10 mins later than before. Nice of him to try though.
After making it back, I hit the streets in town and, after some price comparison (something you need to do on a regular basis out here - the range is incredible sometimes), I booked my next excursion - A long trip to see Kong Lor Cave (7km long no less), which is further south in Laos. I then got some street food and checked out Vientiane by night. Not much more to see besides a couple of cool statues to be honest.
Only a day in Vientiane but I filled it up nicely and liked it there. Saw everything I wanted to see. Next stop ......
Friday, 9 December 2011
Vang Vieng
Day 1: Up early as the minivan was picking me up at 8.30am. Said my goodbyes the Kent and Stafan and I'll definately miss them. By far the 2 most chilled-out people I have ever met and friends for life I hope. Had a fantastic few days hanging out with them, getting to know them both and finding out about Sweden (and telling Kent that he needs to say ''pardon'' instead of his Teminator style ''what'' if he doesn't hear someone properly). Have already planned to go out there to see them for a ski-trip as my next holiday. In turn, they are gonna come to England to check out some footy games (although it may be hard to combine Liverpool, Spurs, Leeds, Millwall, a manchester derby and a glasgow derby in one week). I'll try my best lads.
As they say in Sweden.....''NAJS''
Said goodbye to them and embarked on one of the more interesting trips of my life....
After some disagreements between everyone in the mini-van and the driver about our bus tickets (not quite the chilled Laos I was so far familiar with), we finally set off on the 6 hour journey to Vang Vieng. Whilst necessary, the travelling is generally the most boring part of all this backpacking lark. But not this trip.
Think African safari bumpy, while being at the top of a massive mountain, peaking over the edge, while the driver is on his phone and trying to impress his girlfriend in the front seat. I'd been warned about this trip by one of the bleary eyed english lads prior to departure and he wasn't wrong. They advise you not to do the trip at night and I can definately see why. It. Was. Crazy. Bumping all over the place on a cliff-edge the whole time and the driver is over-taking people on blind corners the whole way. It was definately an experience and I actually quite enjoyed it. The same can't be said for everyone else in the bus (I've got some good photos and a video of one of the bumpiest parts), which included the 2 english girls I met at the waterfall.
Anyway, I'm pleased to announce that we arrived safely and I'm now in Vang Vieng. When the bus ride finished, I didn't know whether to shake the drivers hand (for handling some very difficult ''roads'') or have a go at him for some of his driving. Seriously, some of the driving in S.E.Asia is so crazy it's untrue - you just can't believe what you see.
Arrived a few hours ago and I've just been for a walk around the town and to see where the infamous ''tubing'' takes place (going down a river on a rubber-ring - looks very cool). Meant to be quite lively around here at night so I'm going to see what's happening later. Few people from my guesthouse are heading out so I'll probably join them.
1 or 2 days here and then it's either Vientiane or a 7km long cave at Kong Lo (or both). Gonna see how I feel and I'm just trying to book things as I go at the minute, which seems to be the best way. Anyway, having a great time, met some amazing people and I'm all safe and sound.
Day 2 (Proper Tubing): Blogging is quite difficult when you have significant memory loss and that is the story of my first tubing experience. Crazy but brilliant. Here are the bits of the day that I can remember.
4 of us from our guest-house had arranged to meet at about 11am to head down there together. This was myself, Matt, a young guy from the states, and Mike and Laura, an english couple from the north. We met up and then made the walk into Vang Vieng to hire our tubes. It's then a tuk-tuk ride up to the start point, which is about 3km away.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Tubing, the basic premise is that you float down the river on a rubber-ring, whilst stopping at a few makeshift riverside bars on the way. You are then meant to reach the finish point and get your tube back to the cartel by 6pm, so as to get your deposit back. The whole journey floating down the river is meant to take between 3-4 hours. Sounds simple enough.
The reality is quite different, hence why I have called this day "Proper Tubing".
The 4 of us arrived at the start point at about 11.30ish. We were greeted with a free shot of Whiskey each and then settled down for a beer at the first bar (we haven't come into contact with any water yet). We then floated down the river for all of about 10 seconds to the 2nd bar, which we were at for about 4 hours I reckon, drinking and laughing the day away.
This bar had a couple of lads working at it who were self-proclaimed "Beer-Pong" champions, a sport I was not familiar with. Matt plays quite regularly in the states so he filled me in on the rules (not too hard to pick up) and we watched as these two won match after match after match. It's basically 2 on 2 and you have to land a ping-pong ball in the opponents glasses the other end of the table. Other additional rules include jumping on the floor in a mad scramble should the ball get loose and a clean catch of the ball if it misses, means the other team has to drink. There were 6 cups for each team and you need to land the ball in all of them one-by-one until all your opponents cups have been eliminated, and the contents drunk.
Simple enough. So myself and Matt (who I was now expecting big things from) decided to take them on. This is where things start to get a bit hazy. They told us they had won their last 30 matches or something and proceeded to beat us 3 games in a row. They were very good and had clearly been in Vang Vieng for far too long - I envied them. We gave them a good run and came close to a win but ultimately ended up losing and getting pretty hammered.
Spent some more time boozing with the english couple and some aussies we had met and then, about 5 hours into the day, we decided to venture over to bar number 3. Another 10 seconds in the water and we were there and from here on, I can't remember much. The 4 English lads were there (of course) and I have vague recollection of some dancing and also getting a zip-wire into the water. You climb up to about 30ft and start coming down the wire, only for them to pull the cord half way and send you tumbling into the river. Such a good laugh.
At about 8pm (I think), I'm walking back to the town (with no tube) and I'm rescued by some sort of drunken tuber pickup truck, full of others who were clearly in the same situation as me. Got back to town and next thing I know, it's 3.30am and I wake up in my guest-house room wearing just my swim-shorts (and feeling horrendous). And no, I didn't get my deposit back.
Like I said, proper tubing.
Day 3 (Hungover Tubing): A day filled with a terrible hangover and some ill-advised hangover-driven decisions. I'd not really slept since half 3 and felt no better when the morning came. I'd only initially planned to spend a couple of days in Vang Vieng but didn't feel I had done enough to justify saying I had "gone tubing in Vang Vieng". After all, we had made it no further than bar 3 and had covered about 0.0001 percent of the river. As far as I was concerned, that wouldn't count and I'd need to do it properly. Not today though - it was cold outside and I wanted to take my hangover to visit some caves (the other main thing that Vang Vieng is famous for).
I walked into town and hired a very suspect mountain bike. Suspect because the front wheel wobbled all over the place and I couldn't raise the height of the seat to accomodate my legs. So they were knocking the handle bars as I was peddling. This wasn't making me feel any better.
So I decided to embark on the 11km ride to "The Elephant Cave", one that our guest-house owner had recommended. Basically, I made it about three-quarters of the way there, got lost (no english signs and not a brilliant map with me), got lost some more and then headed back to town. I returned my bike, tried to forget the whole thing and wondered how I would now fill my afternoon...........
......Tubing of course. Despite the fact it was cold, I was intent on completing the river. So I hired a tube again and got the tuk-tuk to the start point. I decided to skip all the bars and just float down this time - bad idea! The water was freezing cold and I made it about 75 percent of the way before deciding enough was enough and getting a tuk-tuk back to town. (I think this is what gave me the cold that I'm just now shaking off). I got my deposit back this time though (and got some VERY strange looks from the guys at the cartel as I did) and then made my way back to my guest-house feeling a bit foolish.
That evening, I just moped around in town, got some food and watched the footy. Practically all of the bars and restaurants in Vang Vieng have either "Friends" or "Family Guy" on all the time trying (and succeeding) to lure tourists. I found one showing the footy though and then it was bed for me.
Like I said, hungover day and some bad hangover decisions. Dear, dear. Oh well.
Day 4 (Caving + Organised Tubing): After my failings the previous day, I decided to book onto an organised tour to visit the main caves in Vang Vieng. There are loads around so I booked a package that included 4 caves + more Tubing.
Pick-up from the guest-house was at 9am and there was just me, the guide (Kun) and 2 french girls (Pauline and Camille) on the trip. Both really nice and very chatty so we all got on well. First stop was the Elephant Cave, which contains several sculptures of Buddha and some rock shaped kind-of like an Elephant (wasn't actually that clear but the people out here seem determined to name each cave or rock formation after some sort of animal!). I saw what he meant though - most of the time you just nod along, even if you don't see it!
Then it was on to two more caves, which were much more impressive. Both very dark and we went quite far in, making me glad I hadn't found them all on my own the day before. A guide was definately necessary, or I might still be in there now! Had a bit of a fright at one point though. ''Health'' and ''Safety'' aren't really words they are familar with in this part of the world and we found out first hand in one of the caves when Pauline's entire leg disappeared down a hole. The warning from Kun had simply been a casual ''watch out left'' and while myself and Camille had managed to avoid whatever he was talking about, Pauline wasn't so lucky. Fortunately, she was ok and only had a few scratches but it could have been much worse - especially when we shined our lights on the even larger hole that was about 6ft behind her. Like I said, they don't do health & safety briefings. These caves were really good though and very enjoyable.
The final cave (Water Cave) was also really good (although freezing cold). This one allowed you to tube inside it with a rubber ring by pulling yourself inside by a rope. This was also really fun and we got quite deep inside before making our way back out. Very cold by this point and eager to get back out into the rare bit of sunshine I've experienced. It's been mostly overcast everywhere so far so I've still got my English tan! Then it was lunch and back to the truck to take us to the Tubing start point.
I'd initally planned to skip the tubing this time, given my 2 days experience, but it was such a hot day that I decided to join the girls and Kun and go one final time. This was organised tubing though because he wanted to get us to the end of the river for a certain time, where the truck would be waiting for us. This meant we were only allowed to stop at one bar - quite a shame because there were loads of people partying and it's far better to be there when it's hot (and the big slide was finally open). We wanted to stick around but had to go with Kun (they were his rubber-rings) and this time, finally, we made it to the end of the river. Was very slow again but much nicer to be doing it when it's hot. I don't think my liver was too upset I skipped the bars this time either!
We reached the end and all said our goodbyes. Had been a really cool day hanging out with the girls and getting some tips on places they had been, that I'm visiting later in the trip. While I was in town, I booked a bus to take me to the capital, Vientiane, first thing in the morning. I'd spent one day longer in Vang Vieng than I'd initially planned but I get the impression that happens to a lot of people - it's the sort of place that grabs you and you find it hard to leave. I'm convinced there were some people who had been there for a good couple of years! Can't say I can blame them.
That evening, I went out into the town with some people from my guest-house - Anthony & Nicola (England), Darrah (Ireland), Mike (Canada) and Nils (Holland). All really cool people and we went out for a meal and a few beers in some of the clubs. The night ended with us all sat chatting around the fire out the back of one of them. It's amazing how many people and different nationalities you come across doing this.
After 3 different days of Tubing, I can safely say that ''Proper Tubing'' is the best. The float to the bottom of the river is nice but it's far better to be getting hammered at the start, messing around on the zip-wires and slides. Great laugh and part of me fancied another day of it (was meant to be hot again tomorrow). But the decision was made and I was moving on. Vang Vieng - it's been emotional. Next stop - Vientiane.
As they say in Sweden.....''NAJS''
Said goodbye to them and embarked on one of the more interesting trips of my life....
After some disagreements between everyone in the mini-van and the driver about our bus tickets (not quite the chilled Laos I was so far familiar with), we finally set off on the 6 hour journey to Vang Vieng. Whilst necessary, the travelling is generally the most boring part of all this backpacking lark. But not this trip.
Think African safari bumpy, while being at the top of a massive mountain, peaking over the edge, while the driver is on his phone and trying to impress his girlfriend in the front seat. I'd been warned about this trip by one of the bleary eyed english lads prior to departure and he wasn't wrong. They advise you not to do the trip at night and I can definately see why. It. Was. Crazy. Bumping all over the place on a cliff-edge the whole time and the driver is over-taking people on blind corners the whole way. It was definately an experience and I actually quite enjoyed it. The same can't be said for everyone else in the bus (I've got some good photos and a video of one of the bumpiest parts), which included the 2 english girls I met at the waterfall.
Anyway, I'm pleased to announce that we arrived safely and I'm now in Vang Vieng. When the bus ride finished, I didn't know whether to shake the drivers hand (for handling some very difficult ''roads'') or have a go at him for some of his driving. Seriously, some of the driving in S.E.Asia is so crazy it's untrue - you just can't believe what you see.
Arrived a few hours ago and I've just been for a walk around the town and to see where the infamous ''tubing'' takes place (going down a river on a rubber-ring - looks very cool). Meant to be quite lively around here at night so I'm going to see what's happening later. Few people from my guesthouse are heading out so I'll probably join them.
1 or 2 days here and then it's either Vientiane or a 7km long cave at Kong Lo (or both). Gonna see how I feel and I'm just trying to book things as I go at the minute, which seems to be the best way. Anyway, having a great time, met some amazing people and I'm all safe and sound.
Day 2 (Proper Tubing): Blogging is quite difficult when you have significant memory loss and that is the story of my first tubing experience. Crazy but brilliant. Here are the bits of the day that I can remember.
4 of us from our guest-house had arranged to meet at about 11am to head down there together. This was myself, Matt, a young guy from the states, and Mike and Laura, an english couple from the north. We met up and then made the walk into Vang Vieng to hire our tubes. It's then a tuk-tuk ride up to the start point, which is about 3km away.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Tubing, the basic premise is that you float down the river on a rubber-ring, whilst stopping at a few makeshift riverside bars on the way. You are then meant to reach the finish point and get your tube back to the cartel by 6pm, so as to get your deposit back. The whole journey floating down the river is meant to take between 3-4 hours. Sounds simple enough.
The reality is quite different, hence why I have called this day "Proper Tubing".
The 4 of us arrived at the start point at about 11.30ish. We were greeted with a free shot of Whiskey each and then settled down for a beer at the first bar (we haven't come into contact with any water yet). We then floated down the river for all of about 10 seconds to the 2nd bar, which we were at for about 4 hours I reckon, drinking and laughing the day away.
This bar had a couple of lads working at it who were self-proclaimed "Beer-Pong" champions, a sport I was not familiar with. Matt plays quite regularly in the states so he filled me in on the rules (not too hard to pick up) and we watched as these two won match after match after match. It's basically 2 on 2 and you have to land a ping-pong ball in the opponents glasses the other end of the table. Other additional rules include jumping on the floor in a mad scramble should the ball get loose and a clean catch of the ball if it misses, means the other team has to drink. There were 6 cups for each team and you need to land the ball in all of them one-by-one until all your opponents cups have been eliminated, and the contents drunk.
Simple enough. So myself and Matt (who I was now expecting big things from) decided to take them on. This is where things start to get a bit hazy. They told us they had won their last 30 matches or something and proceeded to beat us 3 games in a row. They were very good and had clearly been in Vang Vieng for far too long - I envied them. We gave them a good run and came close to a win but ultimately ended up losing and getting pretty hammered.
Spent some more time boozing with the english couple and some aussies we had met and then, about 5 hours into the day, we decided to venture over to bar number 3. Another 10 seconds in the water and we were there and from here on, I can't remember much. The 4 English lads were there (of course) and I have vague recollection of some dancing and also getting a zip-wire into the water. You climb up to about 30ft and start coming down the wire, only for them to pull the cord half way and send you tumbling into the river. Such a good laugh.
At about 8pm (I think), I'm walking back to the town (with no tube) and I'm rescued by some sort of drunken tuber pickup truck, full of others who were clearly in the same situation as me. Got back to town and next thing I know, it's 3.30am and I wake up in my guest-house room wearing just my swim-shorts (and feeling horrendous). And no, I didn't get my deposit back.
Like I said, proper tubing.
Day 3 (Hungover Tubing): A day filled with a terrible hangover and some ill-advised hangover-driven decisions. I'd not really slept since half 3 and felt no better when the morning came. I'd only initially planned to spend a couple of days in Vang Vieng but didn't feel I had done enough to justify saying I had "gone tubing in Vang Vieng". After all, we had made it no further than bar 3 and had covered about 0.0001 percent of the river. As far as I was concerned, that wouldn't count and I'd need to do it properly. Not today though - it was cold outside and I wanted to take my hangover to visit some caves (the other main thing that Vang Vieng is famous for).
I walked into town and hired a very suspect mountain bike. Suspect because the front wheel wobbled all over the place and I couldn't raise the height of the seat to accomodate my legs. So they were knocking the handle bars as I was peddling. This wasn't making me feel any better.
So I decided to embark on the 11km ride to "The Elephant Cave", one that our guest-house owner had recommended. Basically, I made it about three-quarters of the way there, got lost (no english signs and not a brilliant map with me), got lost some more and then headed back to town. I returned my bike, tried to forget the whole thing and wondered how I would now fill my afternoon...........
......Tubing of course. Despite the fact it was cold, I was intent on completing the river. So I hired a tube again and got the tuk-tuk to the start point. I decided to skip all the bars and just float down this time - bad idea! The water was freezing cold and I made it about 75 percent of the way before deciding enough was enough and getting a tuk-tuk back to town. (I think this is what gave me the cold that I'm just now shaking off). I got my deposit back this time though (and got some VERY strange looks from the guys at the cartel as I did) and then made my way back to my guest-house feeling a bit foolish.
That evening, I just moped around in town, got some food and watched the footy. Practically all of the bars and restaurants in Vang Vieng have either "Friends" or "Family Guy" on all the time trying (and succeeding) to lure tourists. I found one showing the footy though and then it was bed for me.
Like I said, hungover day and some bad hangover decisions. Dear, dear. Oh well.
Day 4 (Caving + Organised Tubing): After my failings the previous day, I decided to book onto an organised tour to visit the main caves in Vang Vieng. There are loads around so I booked a package that included 4 caves + more Tubing.
Pick-up from the guest-house was at 9am and there was just me, the guide (Kun) and 2 french girls (Pauline and Camille) on the trip. Both really nice and very chatty so we all got on well. First stop was the Elephant Cave, which contains several sculptures of Buddha and some rock shaped kind-of like an Elephant (wasn't actually that clear but the people out here seem determined to name each cave or rock formation after some sort of animal!). I saw what he meant though - most of the time you just nod along, even if you don't see it!
Then it was on to two more caves, which were much more impressive. Both very dark and we went quite far in, making me glad I hadn't found them all on my own the day before. A guide was definately necessary, or I might still be in there now! Had a bit of a fright at one point though. ''Health'' and ''Safety'' aren't really words they are familar with in this part of the world and we found out first hand in one of the caves when Pauline's entire leg disappeared down a hole. The warning from Kun had simply been a casual ''watch out left'' and while myself and Camille had managed to avoid whatever he was talking about, Pauline wasn't so lucky. Fortunately, she was ok and only had a few scratches but it could have been much worse - especially when we shined our lights on the even larger hole that was about 6ft behind her. Like I said, they don't do health & safety briefings. These caves were really good though and very enjoyable.
The final cave (Water Cave) was also really good (although freezing cold). This one allowed you to tube inside it with a rubber ring by pulling yourself inside by a rope. This was also really fun and we got quite deep inside before making our way back out. Very cold by this point and eager to get back out into the rare bit of sunshine I've experienced. It's been mostly overcast everywhere so far so I've still got my English tan! Then it was lunch and back to the truck to take us to the Tubing start point.
I'd initally planned to skip the tubing this time, given my 2 days experience, but it was such a hot day that I decided to join the girls and Kun and go one final time. This was organised tubing though because he wanted to get us to the end of the river for a certain time, where the truck would be waiting for us. This meant we were only allowed to stop at one bar - quite a shame because there were loads of people partying and it's far better to be there when it's hot (and the big slide was finally open). We wanted to stick around but had to go with Kun (they were his rubber-rings) and this time, finally, we made it to the end of the river. Was very slow again but much nicer to be doing it when it's hot. I don't think my liver was too upset I skipped the bars this time either!
We reached the end and all said our goodbyes. Had been a really cool day hanging out with the girls and getting some tips on places they had been, that I'm visiting later in the trip. While I was in town, I booked a bus to take me to the capital, Vientiane, first thing in the morning. I'd spent one day longer in Vang Vieng than I'd initially planned but I get the impression that happens to a lot of people - it's the sort of place that grabs you and you find it hard to leave. I'm convinced there were some people who had been there for a good couple of years! Can't say I can blame them.
That evening, I went out into the town with some people from my guest-house - Anthony & Nicola (England), Darrah (Ireland), Mike (Canada) and Nils (Holland). All really cool people and we went out for a meal and a few beers in some of the clubs. The night ended with us all sat chatting around the fire out the back of one of them. It's amazing how many people and different nationalities you come across doing this.
After 3 different days of Tubing, I can safely say that ''Proper Tubing'' is the best. The float to the bottom of the river is nice but it's far better to be getting hammered at the start, messing around on the zip-wires and slides. Great laugh and part of me fancied another day of it (was meant to be hot again tomorrow). But the decision was made and I was moving on. Vang Vieng - it's been emotional. Next stop - Vientiane.
Luang Prabang
Day 1: Up early to catch the slow boat for part 2 of our trip. After doing some rock-climbing (just to get on to the boat - seriously, sooo dodgy), we set off about 10ish. The day was much the same - lots of banter with Kent, Stafan, Adam and Abbie and plenty of cards along the way. This trip also took about 7 hours and it did tire us all out more this time. Would have been nice if the journey had been as advertised but still far better than getting the bus. The swedes were a bit more annoyed - they had been told it was a double-decker boat, where you could sun-bathe on top! Haha. All had a good laugh about it though.
Arrived in Luang Prabang about 5pm and, after trudging round several guest-houses, the 3 of us found a good deal. We checked in and went out for some food and to check out the night market. Stafan is a pretty harsh negotiator - seems to work though. They both also sorted out a flight to Bangkok for Saturday as they are heading down to Pattaya to finish their trip. Few more beers along the main road.
I'd read in my travel books that Laos was a lot more chilled than Thailand and it certainly seemed that way. If you walk away from a market stall, they don't hassle you and instead just let you get on with it. Much better and my early impressions of Luang Prabang were good. Pretty small place and didn't seem a huge amount to do but the very mellow atmosphere was definately welcome.
Day 2: Got up early again as the 3 of us had planned to check out the town and see the sights. After some breakfast, we went to visit the Royal Palace Museum (pretty cool - very impressive mosaics inside). There won't be any pictures though as cameras aren't allowed inside. Also checked out the main temple, which is pretty nice - although I've seen A LOT now. Good photos of that though.
In the afternoon, we hired mountain bikes and embarked on a gruelling 35km ride to a waterfall outside of Luang Prabang - one of the few sights to see. Most of the journey was downhill and yet, we were all shattered on arrival (me more than the swedes though - the guys are machines). After getting our breath back we had some lunch and went to check out the waterfall. Very nice so we went in for a swim and to jump off the small (but looks high when you get up there) cliff above. Also several fish nipping away at your ankles in there - a bit less comforting than the Fish Spa in Bangkok, especially as you couldn't see them and some felt quite big. Met a couple of english girls there and got chatting to them as well as the 4 english lads (who all looked severely hungover - what a surprise).
I'm ashamed to say that I opted for a tuk-tuk back to Luang Prabang as I was still knackered and didn't fancy the ride. Kent and Stafan wanted to ride back though (like I said - machines) so I arranged to meet them back at the guest-house later. Got in a tuk-tuk with an older couple from New Zealand and their daughter who lives in Sydney. Going to both places later in the trip so I picked their brains about places to visit etc and we compared places we had been (that's basically the first thing you talk about with fellow travellers - of which, there are many). All really nice people and gave me some good recommendations.
I didn't get off the bike ride completely as it happens. The tuk-tuk driver decided to drop me about 3 miles outside Luang Prabang saying that ''he doesn't go into there''. Great - what did I say about tuk-tuk drivers!! Probably karma for me whimping out of the ride back. So I rode back to the guest house.
The lads arrived a short while later, havng done the trip back in about 1 hour 20 mins. Glad I took the easy option as I couldn't have kept up with that. Went out for another cheap but vey nice meal and some more beers. I also booked my mini-bus trip to Vang Vieng for the following morning. Luang Prabang is nice and very chilled but we had basically seen it all in about a day and I wanted to move on. Another good evening of laughs with the lads.
Arrived in Luang Prabang about 5pm and, after trudging round several guest-houses, the 3 of us found a good deal. We checked in and went out for some food and to check out the night market. Stafan is a pretty harsh negotiator - seems to work though. They both also sorted out a flight to Bangkok for Saturday as they are heading down to Pattaya to finish their trip. Few more beers along the main road.
I'd read in my travel books that Laos was a lot more chilled than Thailand and it certainly seemed that way. If you walk away from a market stall, they don't hassle you and instead just let you get on with it. Much better and my early impressions of Luang Prabang were good. Pretty small place and didn't seem a huge amount to do but the very mellow atmosphere was definately welcome.
Day 2: Got up early again as the 3 of us had planned to check out the town and see the sights. After some breakfast, we went to visit the Royal Palace Museum (pretty cool - very impressive mosaics inside). There won't be any pictures though as cameras aren't allowed inside. Also checked out the main temple, which is pretty nice - although I've seen A LOT now. Good photos of that though.
In the afternoon, we hired mountain bikes and embarked on a gruelling 35km ride to a waterfall outside of Luang Prabang - one of the few sights to see. Most of the journey was downhill and yet, we were all shattered on arrival (me more than the swedes though - the guys are machines). After getting our breath back we had some lunch and went to check out the waterfall. Very nice so we went in for a swim and to jump off the small (but looks high when you get up there) cliff above. Also several fish nipping away at your ankles in there - a bit less comforting than the Fish Spa in Bangkok, especially as you couldn't see them and some felt quite big. Met a couple of english girls there and got chatting to them as well as the 4 english lads (who all looked severely hungover - what a surprise).
I'm ashamed to say that I opted for a tuk-tuk back to Luang Prabang as I was still knackered and didn't fancy the ride. Kent and Stafan wanted to ride back though (like I said - machines) so I arranged to meet them back at the guest-house later. Got in a tuk-tuk with an older couple from New Zealand and their daughter who lives in Sydney. Going to both places later in the trip so I picked their brains about places to visit etc and we compared places we had been (that's basically the first thing you talk about with fellow travellers - of which, there are many). All really nice people and gave me some good recommendations.
I didn't get off the bike ride completely as it happens. The tuk-tuk driver decided to drop me about 3 miles outside Luang Prabang saying that ''he doesn't go into there''. Great - what did I say about tuk-tuk drivers!! Probably karma for me whimping out of the ride back. So I rode back to the guest house.
The lads arrived a short while later, havng done the trip back in about 1 hour 20 mins. Glad I took the easy option as I couldn't have kept up with that. Went out for another cheap but vey nice meal and some more beers. I also booked my mini-bus trip to Vang Vieng for the following morning. Luang Prabang is nice and very chilled but we had basically seen it all in about a day and I wanted to move on. Another good evening of laughs with the lads.
Pak Beng Village
Day 1: Up early to get the mini-van to the border and a speed boat over the Mekong River into Laos. We all finished sorting our Visas out and then had some breakfast, waiting for the slow boat to depart at 11.30am. It was going to be 2 days of boat-rides along the Mekong River (with a village stop-over in between) to take us to Luang Prabang. Better than an 18 hour bus journey I hoped.
Really enjoyed the boat ride. It went VERY slow but I sat with Kent and Stafan and we chatted and played cards with Adam the whole way. Great banter with them - their english is pretty good but they both sound quite robotic with it so I tried to help out with certain words. In turn, they attempted to teach me some Swedish, which isn't the easiest language to learn shall we say (I can now count to 10 and say thanks - that took about half an hour) Great laugh though and all really nice lads. Played a couple of Swedish card games (they both won - think we were being stitched) and one that I recommended. Unfortunately, Kent won that one as well.
Stopped for photos of some river villages along the way, which was pretty cool. The views from the boat were amazing too - lots of mountains either side and very dense forest. It did take longer to get to our stop-over village than had been told though - 7 hours instead of 5. Didn't care though as the whole journey had been really fun.
Arrived at Pak Beng Village early evening and checked into a guest-house with my new swedish friends. We then went out for some traditional Laos food (minced buffalo and sticky rice - very spicy but nice) and some beers at the only bar in the village. Everyone from the boat was there and we all sat around chatting for hours. Met a really nice German couple (Miriam and Jakob), 2 dutch girls and some other English lads, who have been drunk for the complete duration of their trip by the sounds of it! All in all, a good evening meeting loads of cool people.
Really enjoyed the boat ride. It went VERY slow but I sat with Kent and Stafan and we chatted and played cards with Adam the whole way. Great banter with them - their english is pretty good but they both sound quite robotic with it so I tried to help out with certain words. In turn, they attempted to teach me some Swedish, which isn't the easiest language to learn shall we say (I can now count to 10 and say thanks - that took about half an hour) Great laugh though and all really nice lads. Played a couple of Swedish card games (they both won - think we were being stitched) and one that I recommended. Unfortunately, Kent won that one as well.
Stopped for photos of some river villages along the way, which was pretty cool. The views from the boat were amazing too - lots of mountains either side and very dense forest. It did take longer to get to our stop-over village than had been told though - 7 hours instead of 5. Didn't care though as the whole journey had been really fun.
Arrived at Pak Beng Village early evening and checked into a guest-house with my new swedish friends. We then went out for some traditional Laos food (minced buffalo and sticky rice - very spicy but nice) and some beers at the only bar in the village. Everyone from the boat was there and we all sat around chatting for hours. Met a really nice German couple (Miriam and Jakob), 2 dutch girls and some other English lads, who have been drunk for the complete duration of their trip by the sounds of it! All in all, a good evening meeting loads of cool people.
Chiang Khong
Day 1: Mini-bus arrived on time so I said goodbye to the lady of reception (Noo-Noo), who was really friendly and had helped me out loads with navigating the city and booking my trip to Laos.
We then wen't round picking up people from other hostels (2 english couples, 2 swedish guys and a girl from Lithuania). Got chatting with all of them on the bus and they were all really nice - all comparing trips and where we had all been / are heading etc. So easy to meet people while travelling because everyone is in the same boat.
On the way to the Laos border, we stopped off at ANOTHER temple. This one, The White Temple, was the best I'd seen yet though - very impressive architecture. Stayed there for half an hour and then headed off towards our guest-house.
Had a long chat with Sigita (lithuanian girl) on the way and we exchanged emails and may meet up later in the trip. Both up for some trekking and are doing quite similar routes so we'll see. Arrived at the guest-house early evening and had an hour before dinner to go check out Chiang Khong. Basically, I didn't need my camera for this as there is precisely nothing to see. Just one long road of shops. Think people only go there as a stop-over before getting into Laos.
We sorted out our Visas for Laos and had dinner. Had a good chat and a beer with Adam and Abbie (English couple) and the 2 swedish lads (Kent and Stafan). Good laugh with all of them.
We then wen't round picking up people from other hostels (2 english couples, 2 swedish guys and a girl from Lithuania). Got chatting with all of them on the bus and they were all really nice - all comparing trips and where we had all been / are heading etc. So easy to meet people while travelling because everyone is in the same boat.
On the way to the Laos border, we stopped off at ANOTHER temple. This one, The White Temple, was the best I'd seen yet though - very impressive architecture. Stayed there for half an hour and then headed off towards our guest-house.
Had a long chat with Sigita (lithuanian girl) on the way and we exchanged emails and may meet up later in the trip. Both up for some trekking and are doing quite similar routes so we'll see. Arrived at the guest-house early evening and had an hour before dinner to go check out Chiang Khong. Basically, I didn't need my camera for this as there is precisely nothing to see. Just one long road of shops. Think people only go there as a stop-over before getting into Laos.
We sorted out our Visas for Laos and had dinner. Had a good chat and a beer with Adam and Abbie (English couple) and the 2 swedish lads (Kent and Stafan). Good laugh with all of them.
Saturday, 3 December 2011
Chiang Mai
Day 1: Worst, Journey, EVER. Got about 10 seconds sleep and we arrived in Chiang Mai an hour later than planned (7am). The bus felt like it didn't have any tyres, rocking all over the place the whole time. We also drove through quite a shallow flood at one point. John (canadian guy) told me he had counted 20 buses past us through the course of the night. Apparently, we passed one but it then passed us again. He told me not all overnight buses are like this though so hopefully a one-off. It's his 4th year in a row of travelling S.E.Asia so I guess he would know - not a fan of the canadian winter apparently.
Got a mini bus to the guest-house and got there about 7.30am. The lady who runs it then told me that the pick-up for the trek would be at 9.30am and that I could have a room to get a hour's sleep, shower etc. Didn't sleep (again - dunno what I'm running on) but felt quite good in the morning and ready for the pick-up. Met an american guy (Andy) and a lad from London (Olly) and we set off to get to the trek.
Picked up some more people on the way - 2 canadian girls (Julia & Katy) and 2 french people (Beniot and Beniot's girlfriend - can't remember her name. They spoke no english, me, no french). All got chatting on the 1.5 hour drive to the trek and got along really well. My rush to pack in the morning had mean't that I'd forgotten some key items though (namely sun-cream, change of clothes). No worries though, I had left 2 very heavy travel books in my bag though - idel for a 3 day trek up a mountain and through the jungle. You can tell all was still a bit manic.
On the way to the trek, we stopped at an Orchid Farm (didn't do a lot for me) and a Snake Show, which was really good. They had Python's, Cobras, King Cobras, Rat Snakes - all sort. Saw them in the cages - apart from the few occasions when the staff decided to take them out and frighten us all. Beniot did wear the rat snake as a hat though - fair play, I wasn't volunteering. The staff also had this HILARIOUS trick of creeping up behind you and pinching the back of your ankles while we were walking around. Apologies for my french but I S**t myself when they did it to me. They thought it was the funniest thing ever though.
There was then a show with some of the snakes. This involved the staff teasing the king cobras into trying to bite them, throwing random bits of rope into the crowd to scare us all (it worked). The staff were pretty crazy - one putting a snake's mouth inside his and giving the cobra several kisses. Maybe they have been there too long! Another guy jumped into a black pool of water with a massive python and then popped out with it wrapped around his neck! Mental but good to watch. All-in-all a very good show and definately lessened my fear of them............until later.
We then began the mountain trek led by our guide Whiskey (he's a cool guy). The terk was scheduled to be for 2 hours to reach this tribal village. I really enjoyed it but I'm not kidding, it was gruelling. At times, we were climbing up about 75% vertical and it was tough. All sweating buckets but all loving every minute. Had to wait for one of the canadian girls every so often - she was a wee bit hesitant when it came to any sort of bamboo or other manufactured bridge. Whiskey was getting a bit impatient, despite the fact that he kept complaining of a knee injury he had sustained on a previous trek. He was also doing the whole thing in a pair of flip-flops in comparison to our (highly necessary) waling shoes. Dunno how he was doing it but he was seriously motoring up there.
We arrived at the tribal village in the early evening and sat down for a well-earned beer and rest. The locals prepared us a great meal and we stayed up chatting to Whiskey about his life and how the tribe lives. Was amazing hearing it all - so far removed from what we are used to. He's had 3 wives - all have left him because he has to work so much doing tourist treks like this. He also told us that he's saving for his own Bamboo house, which will cost about 20,000 Baht (about 400 quid). He hopes to have it done by next year.
A really good day, thoroughly enjoyed by all. Now for a very cold, pretty uncomfortable night's sleep in a Bamboo hut.
Day 2: After a good breakfast (scrambled eggs, toast and jam), myself, Andy and Olly split from the rest as they had booked a shorter trek than us. We exchanged emails and said our goodbye's and au reviours to the canadian girls and french couple and then us lads set off on what was to be the best day yet.
Again, it was a day of jungle trekking. Less gruelling than the day before but far more tricky under-foot. Climbing along river-side boulders and along narrow trails behind Whiskey. His knee had misteriously fully recovered now, because another tribe member had prayed on it the night before! I said he was faking it and he laughed. He also told us that he only smokes 1 or 2 fags a day - I saw him with at least 5. We had some good banter with him throughout the day.
The trek itself included visits to 3 different waterfalls, each more impressive than the last. We had a swim in the first 2 - pretty cold but well worth it. While we swam in the first one, Whiskey made some amazing bowls for us out of Bamboo. He then went into his backpack and served us all with still warm and utterly delicious noodles he had prepared before we left in the morning. And we also ate it with our new chopsticks, which he had also just made. Was amazing - a really talented guy. A great experience.
Along the way, he stopped suddenly in the middle of the jungle and looked to his left. We stopped shapish behind him asking ''what's up?'', to which he replied ''snake''. Brilliant. We didn't see it and he didn't give us time to look any further (all a bit more courageous after the previous day's show). It was a Cobra apparently but Whiskey wanted us out of there. Fine by me!
For the next 10 mins, the 3 of us were talking about snakes and Whiskey said that they don't like people talking about them because the guides are so scared of something happening to a trekker. So it was basically his way of telling us to stop talking about them. Again, fine by me! Saw some massive centipedes in there as well.
The day's trekking came to an end and we arrived at another tribal village, complete with 4.5 ton Elephants! Here, there was a group of french teenagers and a really cool swiss couple, who we would be joning for the final day tomorrow. Another delicious meal was prepared for us and we spent the evening round the campfire chatting to the swiss couple. (I've got nothing against the french by the way but they spoke hardly any english either. Olly is fluent in french though so we left all the translation to him). Anyway, the swiss couple were great and we had a really good laugh with them.
Day 3: Great breakfast, complete with pancakes this time - not bad for a jungle tribe. Then it was a day of Elephant trekking (3 of us riding on his back along the river and up some pretty steep hills - Olly was pretty nervous). I loved every minute of this - fantastic experience. The only downer being when the swiss couple overtook us on their elephant right near the end. A pretty slow race (something I'm familar with) and we lost (something I'm also familar with). Great laugh though.
We then bought some bananas for 20 Baht and fed them to all the elephants. I got caught between 3 of them who wanted the next banana and I was running out fast! I tried to be as fair as I could (4.5 tonnes - you don't want to mess) and then bolted to go and feed the baby elephant. He was a bit less intimidating.
We then had a cool afternoon of white-water rafting and bamboo rafting, which was great fun. English, Swiss and American in one boat, French on the other. We thrashed them. Luch to finish and then we were done. We all tipped Whiskey and told him to put the money towards his new house. Can't help feeling it will be going towards cigarettes and booze though (he says he drinks everything except wine). Absolute legend though, who we had had great fun with. We were all really greteful for a superb trek.
Then it was back to Chiang Mai, where I now find myself. Off out for a few beers and some food with Olly and Andy now and hopefully to catch some Thai Kick-boxing, which is popular around here. Gonna hang around in Chiang Mai for another couple of days and getting touch with John (canadian from the bus), who said he would show me around.
Then it's onto Laos. Heard some great things about there from the Canadian girls so I'm really looking forward to that.
So yeah, I went out for some beers with Olly and Andy and we caught some Thai Kick-Boxing as planned......well, not quite. We got in a tuk-tuk and asked to go to an event we had a flyer for but when we got on, the driver said he knew a better one and that we should go there. We believed him and turned up at his recommended place, only to find that it was teenagers!!!
The joke was on him though as it was actually awesome. Saw some pretty good fights and some even better knock-outs. There was also one fight where 5 blokes had to kick-box while blind-folded, which was also highly entertaining. Goes to show that you can't trust a tuk-tuk driver though - as if I didn't already know!
After that, the 3 of us went for a walk around the more ''alternative'' areas of Chiang Mai. Just as seedy as Bangkok basically but you do get hassled less. Stopped for a couple of beers and some visual ladyboy identification. Very hard to tell with some of them but the broad shoulders and adam's apples are a bit of a give-away on others. Andy seemed to think he had a knack of spotting them - we didn't delve too deep into why that might be!!! Anyway, few beers and a good laugh and we were back to the guest-house.
Day 4: Olly had to shoot off early doors as he was heading down to the southern islands to meet up with his mate. We said our goodbyes in the morning and then Andy and I headed into the city for a final look-around. It had been straight rice/noodles/rice/noodles on the trek. Nice as the meals were, a full english breakfast was in order so we stopped for one. Then we headed in to check out the 2 main temples in the centre of Chiang Mai.
We then parted ways as I wanted to book my trip to Laos and Andy was heading to Bangkok that evening. Had had a really good laugh with him and Olly over the past few days so was a shame to see them both go.
I went back to my hostel and booked a boat trip to get me to Luang Prabang, Laos. I had initially planned to get the bus but, after being recommended the boat trip by the swiss couple on the trek and after some price comparison, I decided to go for the slow boat. A more scenic route into Laos I hoped. Booked the mini-van to pick me up at 9.30 the following morning to take me to the Laos border.
Had the rest of the day to kill so I caught a jumbo (big tuk-tuk) to check out Doi Suthep, another temple which was about a 45 minute drive outside the city. Getting a bit ''templed-out'' by this point but Andy had said this one is quite unique and worth a look. The journey took us up a MASSIVE, winding hill, which makes you feel a bit sick when you're on it. I spoke to our driver who told me that he had been doing this drive back and forth for 25 years. I asked him if he was bored of it, to which he smiled and emphatically replied ''YES!!!, but then didn't elaborate.
The temple itself is pretty nice and gives you some amazing views over Chiang Mai. Lots of people praying inside and young buddhist monks banging on drums. There's also a large Buddha outside, which is quite impressive. Got some nice photos, which I will upload soon (basically when I remember to bring the lead to the internet cafe with me).
Got the jumbo back after spending about an hour and half up at Doi Suthep (don't feel as sick on the way down thankfully). In the evening, I went to check out the heavilly crowded night market and try some local foods from the night stalls - so much to choose from. It was the King of Thailand's birthday that day so the streets were absolutely packed. Crossing the road was virtually impossible as well, despite the vast amount of people and 2 police-officers blowing whistles in tandem, but for no apparent reason. Seriously, they went on for ages.
Back to the guest-house. Up early to head to.....
Got a mini bus to the guest-house and got there about 7.30am. The lady who runs it then told me that the pick-up for the trek would be at 9.30am and that I could have a room to get a hour's sleep, shower etc. Didn't sleep (again - dunno what I'm running on) but felt quite good in the morning and ready for the pick-up. Met an american guy (Andy) and a lad from London (Olly) and we set off to get to the trek.
Picked up some more people on the way - 2 canadian girls (Julia & Katy) and 2 french people (Beniot and Beniot's girlfriend - can't remember her name. They spoke no english, me, no french). All got chatting on the 1.5 hour drive to the trek and got along really well. My rush to pack in the morning had mean't that I'd forgotten some key items though (namely sun-cream, change of clothes). No worries though, I had left 2 very heavy travel books in my bag though - idel for a 3 day trek up a mountain and through the jungle. You can tell all was still a bit manic.
On the way to the trek, we stopped at an Orchid Farm (didn't do a lot for me) and a Snake Show, which was really good. They had Python's, Cobras, King Cobras, Rat Snakes - all sort. Saw them in the cages - apart from the few occasions when the staff decided to take them out and frighten us all. Beniot did wear the rat snake as a hat though - fair play, I wasn't volunteering. The staff also had this HILARIOUS trick of creeping up behind you and pinching the back of your ankles while we were walking around. Apologies for my french but I S**t myself when they did it to me. They thought it was the funniest thing ever though.
There was then a show with some of the snakes. This involved the staff teasing the king cobras into trying to bite them, throwing random bits of rope into the crowd to scare us all (it worked). The staff were pretty crazy - one putting a snake's mouth inside his and giving the cobra several kisses. Maybe they have been there too long! Another guy jumped into a black pool of water with a massive python and then popped out with it wrapped around his neck! Mental but good to watch. All-in-all a very good show and definately lessened my fear of them............until later.
We then began the mountain trek led by our guide Whiskey (he's a cool guy). The terk was scheduled to be for 2 hours to reach this tribal village. I really enjoyed it but I'm not kidding, it was gruelling. At times, we were climbing up about 75% vertical and it was tough. All sweating buckets but all loving every minute. Had to wait for one of the canadian girls every so often - she was a wee bit hesitant when it came to any sort of bamboo or other manufactured bridge. Whiskey was getting a bit impatient, despite the fact that he kept complaining of a knee injury he had sustained on a previous trek. He was also doing the whole thing in a pair of flip-flops in comparison to our (highly necessary) waling shoes. Dunno how he was doing it but he was seriously motoring up there.
We arrived at the tribal village in the early evening and sat down for a well-earned beer and rest. The locals prepared us a great meal and we stayed up chatting to Whiskey about his life and how the tribe lives. Was amazing hearing it all - so far removed from what we are used to. He's had 3 wives - all have left him because he has to work so much doing tourist treks like this. He also told us that he's saving for his own Bamboo house, which will cost about 20,000 Baht (about 400 quid). He hopes to have it done by next year.
A really good day, thoroughly enjoyed by all. Now for a very cold, pretty uncomfortable night's sleep in a Bamboo hut.
Day 2: After a good breakfast (scrambled eggs, toast and jam), myself, Andy and Olly split from the rest as they had booked a shorter trek than us. We exchanged emails and said our goodbye's and au reviours to the canadian girls and french couple and then us lads set off on what was to be the best day yet.
Again, it was a day of jungle trekking. Less gruelling than the day before but far more tricky under-foot. Climbing along river-side boulders and along narrow trails behind Whiskey. His knee had misteriously fully recovered now, because another tribe member had prayed on it the night before! I said he was faking it and he laughed. He also told us that he only smokes 1 or 2 fags a day - I saw him with at least 5. We had some good banter with him throughout the day.
The trek itself included visits to 3 different waterfalls, each more impressive than the last. We had a swim in the first 2 - pretty cold but well worth it. While we swam in the first one, Whiskey made some amazing bowls for us out of Bamboo. He then went into his backpack and served us all with still warm and utterly delicious noodles he had prepared before we left in the morning. And we also ate it with our new chopsticks, which he had also just made. Was amazing - a really talented guy. A great experience.
Along the way, he stopped suddenly in the middle of the jungle and looked to his left. We stopped shapish behind him asking ''what's up?'', to which he replied ''snake''. Brilliant. We didn't see it and he didn't give us time to look any further (all a bit more courageous after the previous day's show). It was a Cobra apparently but Whiskey wanted us out of there. Fine by me!
For the next 10 mins, the 3 of us were talking about snakes and Whiskey said that they don't like people talking about them because the guides are so scared of something happening to a trekker. So it was basically his way of telling us to stop talking about them. Again, fine by me! Saw some massive centipedes in there as well.
The day's trekking came to an end and we arrived at another tribal village, complete with 4.5 ton Elephants! Here, there was a group of french teenagers and a really cool swiss couple, who we would be joning for the final day tomorrow. Another delicious meal was prepared for us and we spent the evening round the campfire chatting to the swiss couple. (I've got nothing against the french by the way but they spoke hardly any english either. Olly is fluent in french though so we left all the translation to him). Anyway, the swiss couple were great and we had a really good laugh with them.
Day 3: Great breakfast, complete with pancakes this time - not bad for a jungle tribe. Then it was a day of Elephant trekking (3 of us riding on his back along the river and up some pretty steep hills - Olly was pretty nervous). I loved every minute of this - fantastic experience. The only downer being when the swiss couple overtook us on their elephant right near the end. A pretty slow race (something I'm familar with) and we lost (something I'm also familar with). Great laugh though.
We then bought some bananas for 20 Baht and fed them to all the elephants. I got caught between 3 of them who wanted the next banana and I was running out fast! I tried to be as fair as I could (4.5 tonnes - you don't want to mess) and then bolted to go and feed the baby elephant. He was a bit less intimidating.
We then had a cool afternoon of white-water rafting and bamboo rafting, which was great fun. English, Swiss and American in one boat, French on the other. We thrashed them. Luch to finish and then we were done. We all tipped Whiskey and told him to put the money towards his new house. Can't help feeling it will be going towards cigarettes and booze though (he says he drinks everything except wine). Absolute legend though, who we had had great fun with. We were all really greteful for a superb trek.
Then it was back to Chiang Mai, where I now find myself. Off out for a few beers and some food with Olly and Andy now and hopefully to catch some Thai Kick-boxing, which is popular around here. Gonna hang around in Chiang Mai for another couple of days and getting touch with John (canadian from the bus), who said he would show me around.
Then it's onto Laos. Heard some great things about there from the Canadian girls so I'm really looking forward to that.
So yeah, I went out for some beers with Olly and Andy and we caught some Thai Kick-Boxing as planned......well, not quite. We got in a tuk-tuk and asked to go to an event we had a flyer for but when we got on, the driver said he knew a better one and that we should go there. We believed him and turned up at his recommended place, only to find that it was teenagers!!!
The joke was on him though as it was actually awesome. Saw some pretty good fights and some even better knock-outs. There was also one fight where 5 blokes had to kick-box while blind-folded, which was also highly entertaining. Goes to show that you can't trust a tuk-tuk driver though - as if I didn't already know!
After that, the 3 of us went for a walk around the more ''alternative'' areas of Chiang Mai. Just as seedy as Bangkok basically but you do get hassled less. Stopped for a couple of beers and some visual ladyboy identification. Very hard to tell with some of them but the broad shoulders and adam's apples are a bit of a give-away on others. Andy seemed to think he had a knack of spotting them - we didn't delve too deep into why that might be!!! Anyway, few beers and a good laugh and we were back to the guest-house.
Day 4: Olly had to shoot off early doors as he was heading down to the southern islands to meet up with his mate. We said our goodbyes in the morning and then Andy and I headed into the city for a final look-around. It had been straight rice/noodles/rice/noodles on the trek. Nice as the meals were, a full english breakfast was in order so we stopped for one. Then we headed in to check out the 2 main temples in the centre of Chiang Mai.
We then parted ways as I wanted to book my trip to Laos and Andy was heading to Bangkok that evening. Had had a really good laugh with him and Olly over the past few days so was a shame to see them both go.
I went back to my hostel and booked a boat trip to get me to Luang Prabang, Laos. I had initially planned to get the bus but, after being recommended the boat trip by the swiss couple on the trek and after some price comparison, I decided to go for the slow boat. A more scenic route into Laos I hoped. Booked the mini-van to pick me up at 9.30 the following morning to take me to the Laos border.
Had the rest of the day to kill so I caught a jumbo (big tuk-tuk) to check out Doi Suthep, another temple which was about a 45 minute drive outside the city. Getting a bit ''templed-out'' by this point but Andy had said this one is quite unique and worth a look. The journey took us up a MASSIVE, winding hill, which makes you feel a bit sick when you're on it. I spoke to our driver who told me that he had been doing this drive back and forth for 25 years. I asked him if he was bored of it, to which he smiled and emphatically replied ''YES!!!, but then didn't elaborate.
The temple itself is pretty nice and gives you some amazing views over Chiang Mai. Lots of people praying inside and young buddhist monks banging on drums. There's also a large Buddha outside, which is quite impressive. Got some nice photos, which I will upload soon (basically when I remember to bring the lead to the internet cafe with me).
Got the jumbo back after spending about an hour and half up at Doi Suthep (don't feel as sick on the way down thankfully). In the evening, I went to check out the heavilly crowded night market and try some local foods from the night stalls - so much to choose from. It was the King of Thailand's birthday that day so the streets were absolutely packed. Crossing the road was virtually impossible as well, despite the vast amount of people and 2 police-officers blowing whistles in tandem, but for no apparent reason. Seriously, they went on for ages.
Back to the guest-house. Up early to head to.....
Bangkok
Day 1: Arrived in Bangkok at about 8.10am. After passing through VERY slow passport control and collecting my bags, I got a Taxi and asked to go straight to Khao San Road. I hadn't booked any accommodation so given that is backpacker central, I thought it would be a good place to start. The drive took about 45 mins and gave me an early introduction to Bangkok traffic (seriously crazy).
I finally arrived at Khao San Rd and the culture-shock was pretty incredible. No sooner had I got out of the taxi, than I was being mauled by the locals, each asking where I was staying, given the rather large backpack I had on. I was then practically forced into a police station (not literally but the people of Bangkok don't really give you much choice). I was then sat down and dictated to by some guy who I wouldn't trust as far as I could throw. He's bombarding me with rules about where I shouldn't say (Khao San Rd basically) and showing me phone videos of people who had come in earlier claiming all their money had been stolen. Anyway, I didn't like him and left as quick as I could, backpack still weighing me down on these insanely crowded, sweaty and dirty streets. Like I said, culture-shock. I hadn't slept a wink on the plane either.
After walking round the surrounding roads for a while, I finally found a guest-house that was recommended by my lonely planet book (on Khao San Rd - surprise surprise). They had a room so I checked in and tried to firstly come to terms with it all and then get some sleep. Was about midday by this point though and so so hot and humid - sleep was not happening. So I decided to go explore the city.
After walking around for a couple of hours I had my first tuk-tuk experience, which wasn't the best. They will offer to take you on a tour of the city and kept telling me that today was a one-off and I could travel around all day for 10 Baht (about 20p). I soon found out that this involved detours to suit shops, jewellers and tourist info centres, which I hadn't asked for. The drivers want you to stay in these for at least 10 mins so they can get ''free gasoline'' coupons. As it happened, I stayed in the tourist info place for about an hour and got some good information (and nearly booked some things, which I'm now glad I didn't). Anyway, I finally go outside where my driver is waiting and he's got his precious coupon. Then, as we're driving away, he starting having a go at me for how long I was in there!!!! Can't win. I did get to see some of the smaller temples on my trip out though so wasn't a completely wasted trip.
In the evening (still no sleep since before my flight from UK), I decided to explore Khao San Rd and prefered it much more at that time of day. Still busy as anything but a bit more chilled than in the daytime. You get constantly stopped by locals wanting to sell you suits etc and have to fight you're way past them. Some will just grab your hand and follow you for ages. I was warned about all this but nothing can really prepare you.
Got some food from a stall and then settled down for a beer in one of the bars. A fellow lone-traveller was doing the same and I got chatting to him for a couple of hours. He's doing a similar trip to me but in reverse so we exchanged emails and may meet if our paths cross. Finally hit the sack about 9pm and did sleep. Woke up again at 3am though but wasn't too bothered - Just went down to the hostel bar and watched 2nd half of the Liverpool game - Get in!!!
Day 2: Got up late morning and went to a nearby travel centre to book a trip to Chiang Mai. Got a very good price for a 3 day, 2 night trek there (about 47 quid, including overnight bus to get there) so I booked it. Bus would be picking me up at 5.30pm that day. I'm going back to Bangkok later in the trip so wasn't fussed about missing some stuff (Grand Palace etc). I will see the rest of it then.
Spent the next few hours on a tuk-tuk again (prepared this time though - sort of). Actually went to see a lot of the bigger temples this time and also a large mansion. The driver tried to pull the same trick on me once we had seen them though but I wasn't falling for it this time and fancied having a proper look-around on foot. So I got off and walked the streets again for a couple of hours trying (and failing) to get my bearings. Eventually I'd done so much walking that I got another tuk-tuk back to Khao San Rd. I asked for the direct price this time though.
Got back and had a couple of hours to kill before my bus. Treated myself to a Thai foot massage and Fish Spa (awesome if you havn't tried it). Weird sensation at first and a bit ticklish but quite relaxing when you get used to it. Spoke to another couple of travellers, while there and had a good laugh.
Went to catch the bus at 5.30pm, it arrived at 6.30pm. Was gonna be a long trip, due to arrive in Chiang Mai at around 6am. Once on the bus, I sat next to this cool canadian guy and we chatted for hours. Really nice bloke. Tried to get some sleep before our early arrival in........
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