Well, here we are on the last day of 2007. It's been a pretty eventful year for me to say the least. I've been out of the UK for over three quarters of it for a start, visiting 7 different countries along the way. My occupation has changed from something mundane to something relatively unusual and I now live 8000 miles from home. Such a lot has been going on that I should take time to review it, so I thought I'd do a few of those silly best/worst lists that you always get in the papers at this time of year.
Let's start with obvious - BEST COUNTRIES VISITED (in reverse order):
5. Thailand
4. Vietnam
3. Cambodia
2. Japan
1. India
BEST FOOD:
3. Noodle soup and baguettes (Vietnam)
2. Big fat prawns (Goa, India)
1. Green curry (Thailand)
WORST FOOD
5. Kimchi (Korea)
4. Grasshopper (Cambodia)
3. Dweji Galbi (Korea)
2. Bebimbap (Korea)
1. Kimbap (Korea)
BEST JOURNEYS
3. Train ride from Hampi to Goa
2. Allepey to Kochi by boat through the backwaters
1. Boat down the Mekong from Chiang Kong to Luang Prabang
WORST JOURNEYS
3. Saigon to Phnom Penh (purely for hangover level!)
2. Bangalore to Hampi (1st attempt!)
1. Siem Riep to Bangkok
BEST SCENERY
3. Ko Phi Phi (Thailand)
2. Hampi (India)
1. Luang Prabang (Laos)
WEIRDEST INHABITANTS
3. Japan
2. India
1. Korea
FITTEST BIRDS
3. Thailand
2. Korea
1. Japan
GRIMMEST TOILETS
3. Thailand
2. Laos
1. India
WORST POP MUSIC
3. Korea
2. India
1. Thailand
Anway, that my review of the year for now! I'm off for a rest before the big party tonight.
Sunday 30 December 2007
Tuesday 18 December 2007
Merry Xmas!
Hi everyone, I thought I'd better update this blog as I haven't done anything except add some pictures in the last couple of months. This is mainly due to the fact I haven't really done anything all that exciting. Except for the general continued novelty of being in a foreign country I haven't got all that much to write about.
I'm looking forward to a couple of days off over Xmas, but that's literally it, a couple of days! Boohoo, poor me whose had a 4 month holiday this year, I hear you all cry! Well I'm about to make up for it by doing 12 hour days for the next month. It shouldn't be too bad though as its going to be too cold to do much anyway, plus I will get paid well for it.
Xmas day itself should be fun too... unless it goes wrong in which case it'll be a disaster! We've got 10 people coming over to our apartment for Xmas dinner. A couple of the girls are going to cook up a turkey and the works in a little table top oven we've bought - should be interesting! We could end up eating pot noodles and just drinking! Hopefully not, I have every faith in them!
Anyway, merry xmas and happy new year to everyone and hopefully I'll talk to everyone over the holiday period. If not then, I should have more to write about when its over so staaay toooooned!
I'm looking forward to a couple of days off over Xmas, but that's literally it, a couple of days! Boohoo, poor me whose had a 4 month holiday this year, I hear you all cry! Well I'm about to make up for it by doing 12 hour days for the next month. It shouldn't be too bad though as its going to be too cold to do much anyway, plus I will get paid well for it.
Xmas day itself should be fun too... unless it goes wrong in which case it'll be a disaster! We've got 10 people coming over to our apartment for Xmas dinner. A couple of the girls are going to cook up a turkey and the works in a little table top oven we've bought - should be interesting! We could end up eating pot noodles and just drinking! Hopefully not, I have every faith in them!
Anyway, merry xmas and happy new year to everyone and hopefully I'll talk to everyone over the holiday period. If not then, I should have more to write about when its over so staaay toooooned!
Sunday 7 October 2007
Chusok and beyond
Well, that's it now. No more holidays until Christmas, ouch! Chusok was a fun three days off. There was a lot of partying and even a bit of sightseeing thrown in. I managed to get over to a different area of Seoul called Insadong where there are some quaint little tea shops. Tea shops are a traditional Korean place which sell tea of all different flavours. I had some lemon flavour and it was pretty nice, although it did taste a bit like lemsip! Insadong also has a nice little park containing a war memorial and an 600 year old pagoda.
This week we had another public holiday on Wednesday which was a nice suprise. I don't really tend to know about the holidays until a day or two before so its always nice to have the good news that I don't have to work the next day! The Tuesday night was someones birthday so I ended up going out to Hongdae and Sinchon. Sinchon was another new place for me and it seemed like a lot of fun. There were lots of mad little bars and the streets were lined with high buildings and neon signs.
Wednesday was another fun day as it was the birthday of the owner of my local bar. There was a private party for him from 5pm with free food and booze. Wahey. Unfortunately, after the previous nights activities I didn't manage to drag myself down there until 10pm!
On Thursday it was quite depressing to realise I'd had my last day off until 25th December, but on the brightside, hey, it was only 2 days until the weekend! Saturday was a good day, I met up with a girl I used to work with back in London who is also out here. It was great to see a familiar face again, even though we didn't know each other all that well back at work. We went over to Sinchon again at night and it was even madder than before. The top 2 univerities in Korea were having their equivalent of the Oxford v Cambridge boat race day, but here they play each other at football, rugby, ice hockey and basketball instead. There were thousands of students out on the streets, one lot dressed in red and one lot in blue. Songs were being sung and conga lines snaked down the streets but nothing was too rowdy and there was absolutely no trouble, as there almost certainly would've been in England!
As for my Korean, its picking up ever so slightly. This month I've learned:
Win chuk = left
Orun chuk = right
Chingu = friend (I think!)
Mek ju = beer
Dak = chicken
Dok = rice cake
Chi geh = soup
Dweji = pork
Yok = subway station
Hmm, writing it down has made me realise that at least half of my Korean skills are food and drink related! I'm really going to have to diversify. I also need to learn to read a bit I think. Wish me luck with that!
This week we had another public holiday on Wednesday which was a nice suprise. I don't really tend to know about the holidays until a day or two before so its always nice to have the good news that I don't have to work the next day! The Tuesday night was someones birthday so I ended up going out to Hongdae and Sinchon. Sinchon was another new place for me and it seemed like a lot of fun. There were lots of mad little bars and the streets were lined with high buildings and neon signs.
Wednesday was another fun day as it was the birthday of the owner of my local bar. There was a private party for him from 5pm with free food and booze. Wahey. Unfortunately, after the previous nights activities I didn't manage to drag myself down there until 10pm!
On Thursday it was quite depressing to realise I'd had my last day off until 25th December, but on the brightside, hey, it was only 2 days until the weekend! Saturday was a good day, I met up with a girl I used to work with back in London who is also out here. It was great to see a familiar face again, even though we didn't know each other all that well back at work. We went over to Sinchon again at night and it was even madder than before. The top 2 univerities in Korea were having their equivalent of the Oxford v Cambridge boat race day, but here they play each other at football, rugby, ice hockey and basketball instead. There were thousands of students out on the streets, one lot dressed in red and one lot in blue. Songs were being sung and conga lines snaked down the streets but nothing was too rowdy and there was absolutely no trouble, as there almost certainly would've been in England!
As for my Korean, its picking up ever so slightly. This month I've learned:
Win chuk = left
Orun chuk = right
Chingu = friend (I think!)
Mek ju = beer
Dak = chicken
Dok = rice cake
Chi geh = soup
Dweji = pork
Yok = subway station
Hmm, writing it down has made me realise that at least half of my Korean skills are food and drink related! I'm really going to have to diversify. I also need to learn to read a bit I think. Wish me luck with that!
Tuesday 11 September 2007
Seoul, Smog and Soju
The time in Korea is really flying now. I've been here over 2 months already. It almost feels like home now, but with a slight twist - a bit like looking through the looking glass at a world you know to see a slightly skewed version looking back. Sometimes I can forget where I am as most of my friends are westerners over here for the same reason I am, but other times it can seem very alien.
I've been having a lot of fun since I came back from Japan. My school threw a welcome dinner for me and a new American teacher. It was good to get to know some of the Korean teachers better and to see how they enjoy a night out. We had some nice food and then proceeded to get stuck into the soju. It ended up with the woman boss proclaiming the benefits of the female orgasm and the American teacher vomiting in the gutter. Thankfully (as everyone who reads this know well knows) I can hold my drink and was heralded as an 'English Gentleman' by all my workmates... hmm, they'll soon learn!
I've seen a few new areas of Seoul, but not enough really. I'm planning to get out and about alot more in the next couple of months as the weather has lost some of the relentless 100% humidity of the late summer. Apparently it should be nice now until possible December and then it will turn icily cold. I'm also aiming to learn a lot more Korean as up to know I only have the following:
An yan eh seh oo = hello / goodbye
Gam sa han mida = thank you
Hanido Juseoo = one more please
Yogio = here (politely)
Agymar = old lady
Agyshe = old man
The last two might seem weird terms to learn but they are used quite a lot here. Because Korea is a confucionist society there is a lot of respect for the old and they are kind of used to describe someone whose the head of the household. So our landlady is the house agymar, and the shop round the corner is referred to as the agymar shop because its an old lady. Anyway, I'll put some more terms up once I know them!
Last week I had a fun day out. It was a stag do for an aussie bloke I know out here (also called bachelor party or bucks night depending which country you're from). We went to the horse racing track and then out in Anyang where we gave him a few suprises. I can't really mention them here, law of the stag and all that! No stripper though, not really the done thing in Korea.
The job is going pretty well, and I seem to be quite good at it as it unexpectedly turns out! Some of the kids are really cute, but of course on the flip side some are little gits. I'm getting better at being able to control and discipline the kids too which makes the lessons run smoother, and I'm also learning some fun games which helps them to enjoy the lessons, which again, makes it all run smoother.
The week after next its Chusok here, which is the major public holiday in the year and means I get 3 days off, woohoo! I think I'm going to use it to see a bit more of Seoul and do some of the touristy stuff that I haven't really bothered with up until now. I'll report back then with some hopefully interesting info.
I've been having a lot of fun since I came back from Japan. My school threw a welcome dinner for me and a new American teacher. It was good to get to know some of the Korean teachers better and to see how they enjoy a night out. We had some nice food and then proceeded to get stuck into the soju. It ended up with the woman boss proclaiming the benefits of the female orgasm and the American teacher vomiting in the gutter. Thankfully (as everyone who reads this know well knows) I can hold my drink and was heralded as an 'English Gentleman' by all my workmates... hmm, they'll soon learn!
I've seen a few new areas of Seoul, but not enough really. I'm planning to get out and about alot more in the next couple of months as the weather has lost some of the relentless 100% humidity of the late summer. Apparently it should be nice now until possible December and then it will turn icily cold. I'm also aiming to learn a lot more Korean as up to know I only have the following:
An yan eh seh oo = hello / goodbye
Gam sa han mida = thank you
Hanido Juseoo = one more please
Yogio = here (politely)
Agymar = old lady
Agyshe = old man
The last two might seem weird terms to learn but they are used quite a lot here. Because Korea is a confucionist society there is a lot of respect for the old and they are kind of used to describe someone whose the head of the household. So our landlady is the house agymar, and the shop round the corner is referred to as the agymar shop because its an old lady. Anyway, I'll put some more terms up once I know them!
Last week I had a fun day out. It was a stag do for an aussie bloke I know out here (also called bachelor party or bucks night depending which country you're from). We went to the horse racing track and then out in Anyang where we gave him a few suprises. I can't really mention them here, law of the stag and all that! No stripper though, not really the done thing in Korea.
The job is going pretty well, and I seem to be quite good at it as it unexpectedly turns out! Some of the kids are really cute, but of course on the flip side some are little gits. I'm getting better at being able to control and discipline the kids too which makes the lessons run smoother, and I'm also learning some fun games which helps them to enjoy the lessons, which again, makes it all run smoother.
The week after next its Chusok here, which is the major public holiday in the year and means I get 3 days off, woohoo! I think I'm going to use it to see a bit more of Seoul and do some of the touristy stuff that I haven't really bothered with up until now. I'll report back then with some hopefully interesting info.
Sunday 12 August 2007
Going Japanesy
I`ve had a weekend of fun in Osaka, Japan. I had to go over to get my work visa for Korea as you cannot get it inside the country. It`s all the better because my school paid for the flights and also gave also me $300 spending money. Furthermore, they arranged it so I could stay over the weekend to get more time here. Shame eh?!
I arrived on Friday morning after a disgustingly early start and went straight to the consulate. It took literally 5 minutes to hand in my application and then I was free for a whole weekend in Osaka! Next step was to find a hotel. Easier said then done. Three and a half hours later I was finally checked in to a place a little more expensive than I had been planning to pay, but at that point I just wanted a shower and a bed and I would`ve probably sold my soul to the devil to get them.
After a bit of a sleep I went out to explore some more. Its quite overwhelming walking around Japanese streets on your own. Its hard to tell what all the buildings are as obviously the writing is in Japanese, but also there are many different establishments in one building. After a bit of a walk I stopped for some Japanese food, something quite similar to the Galbi restaurants we have in korea where you barbecue it yourself at the table. Delicous! After a little stroll I came across the first pub-like buildings I`d seen. Joy of joys it was indeed a pub! I popped in for a drink and got talking to a Spanish guy who said I was the first westerner he`d spoken to in 10 days in Japan. I can understand how it would happen as there aren`t many of us about.
Next day I got up for a day of sightseeing. I started off at Osaka Castle which was a once a stronghold for a ruler of Japan (I think). Its a huge place and very beautiful. There are a couple of moats with some sort of red plant floating on the surface, giving it a quite otherworldly appearance. There are also plum and peach groves and a few gardens dotted about. Very serene. Next stop was the Umeda Sky Tower. This is one of the tallest buildings in Osaka and has a viewing platform on the top. I timed my arrival for around sunset so I could get both day and night views. I`m glad I did as the view was awesome. Especially when the sun had just gone below the horizon and the sky was red and pink.
I arrived on Friday morning after a disgustingly early start and went straight to the consulate. It took literally 5 minutes to hand in my application and then I was free for a whole weekend in Osaka! Next step was to find a hotel. Easier said then done. Three and a half hours later I was finally checked in to a place a little more expensive than I had been planning to pay, but at that point I just wanted a shower and a bed and I would`ve probably sold my soul to the devil to get them.
After a bit of a sleep I went out to explore some more. Its quite overwhelming walking around Japanese streets on your own. Its hard to tell what all the buildings are as obviously the writing is in Japanese, but also there are many different establishments in one building. After a bit of a walk I stopped for some Japanese food, something quite similar to the Galbi restaurants we have in korea where you barbecue it yourself at the table. Delicous! After a little stroll I came across the first pub-like buildings I`d seen. Joy of joys it was indeed a pub! I popped in for a drink and got talking to a Spanish guy who said I was the first westerner he`d spoken to in 10 days in Japan. I can understand how it would happen as there aren`t many of us about.
Next day I got up for a day of sightseeing. I started off at Osaka Castle which was a once a stronghold for a ruler of Japan (I think). Its a huge place and very beautiful. There are a couple of moats with some sort of red plant floating on the surface, giving it a quite otherworldly appearance. There are also plum and peach groves and a few gardens dotted about. Very serene. Next stop was the Umeda Sky Tower. This is one of the tallest buildings in Osaka and has a viewing platform on the top. I timed my arrival for around sunset so I could get both day and night views. I`m glad I did as the view was awesome. Especially when the sun had just gone below the horizon and the sky was red and pink.
In the evening I headed out for a big night. I started off at a bar I`d been to the day before. I sat at the bar and met up with an American girl and a couple of Japanese lads. Their group were off to a club nearby and the asked if I wanted to join them. It was a hip-hop club which I don't like usually but it was fun, especially when two Japanese rappers were on stage! I had a good night and didn't get home til the wee hours.
The next day I didn't do much at all and all too soon Monday came around and, after picking up my visa it was time to go 'home'. Japan is an amazing county, it shocks all the senses at once. I think I'll be back.
Thursday 26 July 2007
A bonafide Engish teacher
The last week has seen me really settle into life in Seoul. I'm finally off the couch and into my own bedroom. It's the biggest and best room in the apartment and even has an ensuite bathroom.
More importantly I've got a job! I now work at Jumi's Natural English (JNE) School, teaching kids aged 7 to 15. I went in for my first day yesterday to observe some of the classes taken by the Korean teachers. Teaching the young ones seems to be a lot of fun as it is just a lot of games and roleplays, but teaching the older ones is OK too as they can have real conversations with me. Although, being teenagers, they generally stay quiet and sullen!
The bosses seem pretty nice. One of the directors bought me lunch after I'd signed my contract, and I think they were quite impressed by how much I like their Korean food, even the holy Kimchi that I mentioned in my last post!
Overall it seems that life is going to be pretty sweet over here. I should be pretty well off as Korean private schools pay their foreign teachers well, and the cost of living is relatively low. For example, the rent on my apartment is less than 400 quid a month - and that's shared between 3 people!
The next step is going to be to start learning a bit of Korean I think. Its essential to do so as simple things become hard to do if you can't read signs or ask directions etc.
More importantly I've got a job! I now work at Jumi's Natural English (JNE) School, teaching kids aged 7 to 15. I went in for my first day yesterday to observe some of the classes taken by the Korean teachers. Teaching the young ones seems to be a lot of fun as it is just a lot of games and roleplays, but teaching the older ones is OK too as they can have real conversations with me. Although, being teenagers, they generally stay quiet and sullen!
The bosses seem pretty nice. One of the directors bought me lunch after I'd signed my contract, and I think they were quite impressed by how much I like their Korean food, even the holy Kimchi that I mentioned in my last post!
Overall it seems that life is going to be pretty sweet over here. I should be pretty well off as Korean private schools pay their foreign teachers well, and the cost of living is relatively low. For example, the rent on my apartment is less than 400 quid a month - and that's shared between 3 people!
The next step is going to be to start learning a bit of Korean I think. Its essential to do so as simple things become hard to do if you can't read signs or ask directions etc.
Friday 20 July 2007
Seoul
Well I've finally arrived at my ultimate destination and have been here for nearly 2 weeks now. The job hunt is going OK and I have two possibilities in the pipeline. One is at a very good school where I can make plenty of money, the other is at slightly less money but less hours and much less formal. I'm going to try and go for the latter.
Seoul itself seems like a good place to live for the next year. There are loads of young ex-pats living out here which makes for a thriving social scene. I think it helps me a lot having Martin and Baldy out here as I've kinda slotted straight into their group of mates. They can also tell me where everything is and give me tips on what to look for in a job etc. I'd imagine it'd be pretty hard to come over here on your own not knowing anyone.
I have got a pretty cool apartment sorted out with Baldy, although I'm still sleeping on the sofa at the moment! One of the housemates moves out next week so I'll have my own room at last. Most people who come over are provided with housing by the schools where they teach, which amounts to little more than one room incorporating bedroom, living room and kitchen in one. My apartment is much better than that, with a big lounge and kitchen area, 3 good size bedrooms, a laundry room and a bit of outside space ideal for BBQs.
In the 2 weeks I've been here I've been out on the town a few times. There seems to be 2 main areas, though I'm sure theres more places I haven't been to yet. the first is Itaewon which is near to where I'm staying. It was originally set up for the GI's from the American army base just round the corner, however they're not allowed out after 11pm now after a bit of trouble in the area so now its the ex-pats playground. Its a bit cheesy really, because of all the western amenities and food places you can't always tell you're in Korea. It also has a slightly sleazy side in some parts. The other place to go out is Hongdae which is definitley my favourite by far. Its a lot more upmarket and cutting edge than Itaewon thanks in part to being located near a big university. There are live bands and other cool music in trendy bars that aren't very expensive. Ideal! We had a great night out there last week and another one is planned tonight.
One thing that's definitely unique about Korea is its cuisine. I absolutely love the traditional Galbi restaurants. The meat is brought out to your table raw and cooked on a barbeque set in the middle of the table. You then take pieces off and place them in a lettuce-like leaf, add some of the side dishes, then wrap it all in the leaf and shove it all in your gob in one go. It's really tasty and sociable too. While I'm on the subject of food I can't not mention Kimchi. All Korean food comes with side dishes, even if you order a soup you'll get lots of little plates of veggies and dips. These vary but the one thing you're guaranteed to get it is Kimchi. Its a type of cabbage and is usually slightly pickled. Its not bad actually but the Koreans go mad for it. They say it can prevent or cure all kinds of illnesses and health problems from heart disease to cancer to bird flu! Its almost like a sacred food.
As I said, I'm off to Hongdae tonight so I'm sure there will be more fun and frolics to report on shortly!
Seoul itself seems like a good place to live for the next year. There are loads of young ex-pats living out here which makes for a thriving social scene. I think it helps me a lot having Martin and Baldy out here as I've kinda slotted straight into their group of mates. They can also tell me where everything is and give me tips on what to look for in a job etc. I'd imagine it'd be pretty hard to come over here on your own not knowing anyone.
I have got a pretty cool apartment sorted out with Baldy, although I'm still sleeping on the sofa at the moment! One of the housemates moves out next week so I'll have my own room at last. Most people who come over are provided with housing by the schools where they teach, which amounts to little more than one room incorporating bedroom, living room and kitchen in one. My apartment is much better than that, with a big lounge and kitchen area, 3 good size bedrooms, a laundry room and a bit of outside space ideal for BBQs.
In the 2 weeks I've been here I've been out on the town a few times. There seems to be 2 main areas, though I'm sure theres more places I haven't been to yet. the first is Itaewon which is near to where I'm staying. It was originally set up for the GI's from the American army base just round the corner, however they're not allowed out after 11pm now after a bit of trouble in the area so now its the ex-pats playground. Its a bit cheesy really, because of all the western amenities and food places you can't always tell you're in Korea. It also has a slightly sleazy side in some parts. The other place to go out is Hongdae which is definitley my favourite by far. Its a lot more upmarket and cutting edge than Itaewon thanks in part to being located near a big university. There are live bands and other cool music in trendy bars that aren't very expensive. Ideal! We had a great night out there last week and another one is planned tonight.
One thing that's definitely unique about Korea is its cuisine. I absolutely love the traditional Galbi restaurants. The meat is brought out to your table raw and cooked on a barbeque set in the middle of the table. You then take pieces off and place them in a lettuce-like leaf, add some of the side dishes, then wrap it all in the leaf and shove it all in your gob in one go. It's really tasty and sociable too. While I'm on the subject of food I can't not mention Kimchi. All Korean food comes with side dishes, even if you order a soup you'll get lots of little plates of veggies and dips. These vary but the one thing you're guaranteed to get it is Kimchi. Its a type of cabbage and is usually slightly pickled. Its not bad actually but the Koreans go mad for it. They say it can prevent or cure all kinds of illnesses and health problems from heart disease to cancer to bird flu! Its almost like a sacred food.
As I said, I'm off to Hongdae tonight so I'm sure there will be more fun and frolics to report on shortly!
Thursday 5 July 2007
Koh Samui
I've been on Koh Samui for 5 days now. It's a nice island but the weather is overcast so I haven't been able to go to the beach at all which slightly defeats the object of being here! Oh well, of course I've been continuing the party where I left off on Koh Phangan instead. The Thai islands really are a hedonists playground, I've started calling it the Costa Del Asia! It's so unlike the rest of the region, it's almost like being at home with all the fast food outlets and shopping precincts.
Today is the last full day of my travelling circuit. I can't believe its gone so fast. I fly off to Bangkok tomorrow night, and straight on to Seoul from there. It'll be good to see my friends again, although the prospect of actually working for a living again is slightly daunting! Although, if I'm lucky it won't seem too much like work and might only take up 4 or 5 hours of my day.
Today is the last full day of my travelling circuit. I can't believe its gone so fast. I fly off to Bangkok tomorrow night, and straight on to Seoul from there. It'll be good to see my friends again, although the prospect of actually working for a living again is slightly daunting! Although, if I'm lucky it won't seem too much like work and might only take up 4 or 5 hours of my day.
Sunday 1 July 2007
Ko Phangan
Ko Phangan is the maddest party island on Earth. It's official. Nothing can touch it when the full moon party is in full swing. It makes Ibiza look like a February afternoon in Margate.
I arrived on Tuesday evening and got myself a bungalow on a beach called Ban Tai, 4km out of Hat Rin where the full moon party is held. The next morning that decision seemed slightly pointless as it p*ssed it down with the hardest rain I've ever seen for hours. I didn't mind too much really though as I slept til lunchtime anyway.
Around 3pm the rain subsided a bit and I headed into Hat Rin to meet Adrian. Since there was nothing else to do we thought we may as well go for a beer! All the bars in Hat Rin play movies and sitcoms all day so we ended up swigging a few Beer Chang's watching Family Guy and playing some pool. Later on we met a few more Irish lads and headed down to the beach where the real action goes on!
There are bars all along the beach front, blaring out house and hip-hop all night long. We wandered among them drinking our buckets. There were 5 of us originally, but each one of us ended up wandering around alone talking to random people, which is what I think every other person on the beach was doing too. I also managed to lose my flip-flops somehow!
Next day I managed to scrape myself out onto the beach in mid afternoon for a bit before heading back into Hat Rin. I didn't bother buying anymore flip flops as I'd probably just lose them again anyway. I won't bother to describe the night as it was pretty much a carbon-copy of the previous one (except without the distraction of shoes!).
The next day was Friday and the night of the big full moon party. Woohoo! I got into town about 5pm and met with Adrian for a few warm up beers. It was a real struggle after the previous 2 nights but we forced ourselves. We decided a bit of sea air might help so got down to the beach early, bumping into the other Irish lads on the way. It was only about 8'0'clock so we chilled out with a couple of beers, all swearing not to buy a bucket before 11pm. We lasted until around 10.30 which I think was a good effort!
By that time the beach was absolutely heaving. There were estimated to be around 10,000 people there, but there may have been more as this month was the full moon party's 20th anniversary celebration. The bars seemed to be playing their music louder than ever and it was deafening. Everybody was covered in flourescent bodypaint and jumping around like mad people - it was fantastic. The party went on and on and on. Everybody seemed to be wearing a lot less clothing and crashed out bodies were starting to appear on the beach! The sun came up and still everyone was going. Of course we'd all lost each other but we bumped into each other intermittently before staggering off again.
I finally went home exhausted about 7 or 8am. Adrian was out until 12 but he'd passed out sleeping for a few hours on the beach (losing his wallet in the process). I took a disposable camera out so I'm looking forward to seeing what I've managed to take on that! The next day was obviously a train wreck so I'm not even going to go into how bad I felt...
Off to Samui tomorrow to meet the other lads. I've also started applying for jobs in Korea. Scary stuff that... I could potentially be working in a couple of weeks time!
I arrived on Tuesday evening and got myself a bungalow on a beach called Ban Tai, 4km out of Hat Rin where the full moon party is held. The next morning that decision seemed slightly pointless as it p*ssed it down with the hardest rain I've ever seen for hours. I didn't mind too much really though as I slept til lunchtime anyway.
Around 3pm the rain subsided a bit and I headed into Hat Rin to meet Adrian. Since there was nothing else to do we thought we may as well go for a beer! All the bars in Hat Rin play movies and sitcoms all day so we ended up swigging a few Beer Chang's watching Family Guy and playing some pool. Later on we met a few more Irish lads and headed down to the beach where the real action goes on!
There are bars all along the beach front, blaring out house and hip-hop all night long. We wandered among them drinking our buckets. There were 5 of us originally, but each one of us ended up wandering around alone talking to random people, which is what I think every other person on the beach was doing too. I also managed to lose my flip-flops somehow!
Next day I managed to scrape myself out onto the beach in mid afternoon for a bit before heading back into Hat Rin. I didn't bother buying anymore flip flops as I'd probably just lose them again anyway. I won't bother to describe the night as it was pretty much a carbon-copy of the previous one (except without the distraction of shoes!).
The next day was Friday and the night of the big full moon party. Woohoo! I got into town about 5pm and met with Adrian for a few warm up beers. It was a real struggle after the previous 2 nights but we forced ourselves. We decided a bit of sea air might help so got down to the beach early, bumping into the other Irish lads on the way. It was only about 8'0'clock so we chilled out with a couple of beers, all swearing not to buy a bucket before 11pm. We lasted until around 10.30 which I think was a good effort!
By that time the beach was absolutely heaving. There were estimated to be around 10,000 people there, but there may have been more as this month was the full moon party's 20th anniversary celebration. The bars seemed to be playing their music louder than ever and it was deafening. Everybody was covered in flourescent bodypaint and jumping around like mad people - it was fantastic. The party went on and on and on. Everybody seemed to be wearing a lot less clothing and crashed out bodies were starting to appear on the beach! The sun came up and still everyone was going. Of course we'd all lost each other but we bumped into each other intermittently before staggering off again.
I finally went home exhausted about 7 or 8am. Adrian was out until 12 but he'd passed out sleeping for a few hours on the beach (losing his wallet in the process). I took a disposable camera out so I'm looking forward to seeing what I've managed to take on that! The next day was obviously a train wreck so I'm not even going to go into how bad I felt...
Off to Samui tomorrow to meet the other lads. I've also started applying for jobs in Korea. Scary stuff that... I could potentially be working in a couple of weeks time!
Ko Phi Phi
Phi Phi was a nice little island. It was good to just chill on the beach for a couple of days and swim in the clear blue sea. The island is quite idyllic, with big cliffs bursting out of the sea, topped with jungle. The sand is white and the people are so laid back I thought I'd just landed in Jamaica.
Unfortunately I could only stay for 2 days as I had to get to Ko Phangnan for the full moon party. On my last night I did manage to have an entertaining evening with a bunch of Aussies though, in a bar where the entertainment was a ladyboy cabaret! But I can guarantee the only thing that was sore in the morning was my head!
Unfortunately I could only stay for 2 days as I had to get to Ko Phangnan for the full moon party. On my last night I did manage to have an entertaining evening with a bunch of Aussies though, in a bar where the entertainment was a ladyboy cabaret! But I can guarantee the only thing that was sore in the morning was my head!
Saturday 23 June 2007
Siam Reap to Bangkok to Krabi
Oh my god! Worst. Journey. Ever!
The Cambodian side of the border was like a lunar landscape - craters everwhere. The bus was discovered to have a flat tyre after only about 10 minutes too, so every rest stop meant the bus staff disappearing for 45 minutes to pump it up for the next leg.
Eventually we bounced our way to the border town where we were inexplicably transferred to another bus to travel the last 5 minutes of the journey to the border point?!?!? After we'd crossed the border we were then kept waiting for around 2 hours for our coach. We were told we were waiting for some people to cross the border but since there are buses scheduled to leave every half hour this doesn't really make sense either! At least everyone was consoled with the fact that the next bus would be a luxury coach.
The luxury coach was a god send... For approximately 30 seconds until a strong smell of piss started to waft up from the toilet. There was a fault with it which meant we had to stop every 30-40 mins for a guy to pour water down it or something, followed by a spray of his aftershave to try and sort out the smell!
The final straw came when the bus ground to a halt only 20km from Bangkok with a broken clutch! We were stranded for at least 2 hours with no clue as to what exactly the bus staff were doing about it. Eventually a mutiny was staged and everyone was off at the side of the road hailing mini-buses or taxis for the last little bit.
We finally arrived at the Kao Sahn Road around 11pm, 15 hours after we'd begun our supposed 10 hour journey. After a brief argument about the price with the taxi driver (just to top it off!). We got to our rooms and went for a much needed beverage.
I wasn't going to suffer another bus journey today so I treated myself to a flight to Krabi. It was only 20 quid so I thought it was worth it to save my sanity! I was aiming for Ko Phi Phi but unfortunately the last boat has gone and I'm here for the night and leaving in the morning. Also the cloudy weather isn't looking like it's best suited to a few days on a tropical island. Oh well it can change at any time, and hey at least I'm not sitting in an office in London!
The Cambodian side of the border was like a lunar landscape - craters everwhere. The bus was discovered to have a flat tyre after only about 10 minutes too, so every rest stop meant the bus staff disappearing for 45 minutes to pump it up for the next leg.
Eventually we bounced our way to the border town where we were inexplicably transferred to another bus to travel the last 5 minutes of the journey to the border point?!?!? After we'd crossed the border we were then kept waiting for around 2 hours for our coach. We were told we were waiting for some people to cross the border but since there are buses scheduled to leave every half hour this doesn't really make sense either! At least everyone was consoled with the fact that the next bus would be a luxury coach.
The luxury coach was a god send... For approximately 30 seconds until a strong smell of piss started to waft up from the toilet. There was a fault with it which meant we had to stop every 30-40 mins for a guy to pour water down it or something, followed by a spray of his aftershave to try and sort out the smell!
The final straw came when the bus ground to a halt only 20km from Bangkok with a broken clutch! We were stranded for at least 2 hours with no clue as to what exactly the bus staff were doing about it. Eventually a mutiny was staged and everyone was off at the side of the road hailing mini-buses or taxis for the last little bit.
We finally arrived at the Kao Sahn Road around 11pm, 15 hours after we'd begun our supposed 10 hour journey. After a brief argument about the price with the taxi driver (just to top it off!). We got to our rooms and went for a much needed beverage.
I wasn't going to suffer another bus journey today so I treated myself to a flight to Krabi. It was only 20 quid so I thought it was worth it to save my sanity! I was aiming for Ko Phi Phi but unfortunately the last boat has gone and I'm here for the night and leaving in the morning. Also the cloudy weather isn't looking like it's best suited to a few days on a tropical island. Oh well it can change at any time, and hey at least I'm not sitting in an office in London!
Siam Reap (Angkor Wat)
The journey to Siam Reap wasn't too bad. It was a bit hot and the A/C wasn't all that, but I'm well used to it now. There were a few too many stops but we spent those watching the locals tucking into their favourite snack food - fried grasshoppers! Yuk! After much staring we were offered some too. None of dared munch on a whole one but we all had a little leg each. I just couldn't imagine crunching on an insects head, they're huge over here! 
When we arrived in the town the commotion was intense. There were tuk tuk drivers everywhere trying to get us to go with them to guesthouses. There were cops there literally beating them back with sticks! We went for a cold soft drink and chose one recommended by the guide book which turned out to be very nice. We all hit the hay early for a ridiculously early 5am start to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat.
Next morning we clambered into the tuk tuk with bleary eyes and high expectations for the day ahead. The Angkor Wat temple complex is so called after the biggest temple there, however there are loads of smalller and temples for miles around. They were each built by the king at the time trying to outdo the previous king. We started off at Angkor Wat itself, watching the sunrise over the magnificent 800 yr old structure that's taller than Notre Dame cathedral. Once the sun was fully up we started to wander around and climbed up the steepest, slipperiest steps I've ever seen to the summit of the building. It's very impressive, every inch of stone has some sort of elaborate carving on it.
After Angkor we ate breakfast and continued round in our tuk tuk to the next set of ruins. Some of them were interesting but some were little more than a pile of rubble. We carried on round for 7 hours in total and saw all the main sites. All of us were all shattered by the end of it. It was a good day out and I'm glad to have seen what is sometimes called one of the wonders of the world... but I can't really understand those who get 3 day or week long tickets! You'd have to be really into either architeture, history or religion to do that. 
After a good afternoon's sleep it was time to hit the town. What we'd seen of Siam Reap the day before looked good and were eager to try out some of the bars. We weren't disapointed. It was a quality night out. We even bumped into Matt and Katie who I'd met in Hue and and Saigon, which especially good as it was her birthday. A fun night was had by all and it didn't end until the sun came up. Just to illustrate the point, Chris was meant to get his bus to Bangkok at 8am but by 11'o'clock he'd already decided it wasn't happening!
Next day was a write off with none of us waking up until 3pm. But we needed the rest as the day after we were all getting the bus bound for Bangkok together. The journey is notorious with every backpacker as it is rumoured that Bangkok airlines pays the Cambodian government to keep the roads in bad condition so people prefer to fly on a route they have exclusive rights to! Ten hours of fun ahead! 
When we arrived in the town the commotion was intense. There were tuk tuk drivers everywhere trying to get us to go with them to guesthouses. There were cops there literally beating them back with sticks! We went for a cold soft drink and chose one recommended by the guide book which turned out to be very nice. We all hit the hay early for a ridiculously early 5am start to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat.
Next morning we clambered into the tuk tuk with bleary eyes and high expectations for the day ahead. The Angkor Wat temple complex is so called after the biggest temple there, however there are loads of smalller and temples for miles around. They were each built by the king at the time trying to outdo the previous king. We started off at Angkor Wat itself, watching the sunrise over the magnificent 800 yr old structure that's taller than Notre Dame cathedral. Once the sun was fully up we started to wander around and climbed up the steepest, slipperiest steps I've ever seen to the summit of the building. It's very impressive, every inch of stone has some sort of elaborate carving on it.
After Angkor we ate breakfast and continued round in our tuk tuk to the next set of ruins. Some of them were interesting but some were little more than a pile of rubble. We carried on round for 7 hours in total and saw all the main sites. All of us were all shattered by the end of it. It was a good day out and I'm glad to have seen what is sometimes called one of the wonders of the world... but I can't really understand those who get 3 day or week long tickets! You'd have to be really into either architeture, history or religion to do that. After a good afternoon's sleep it was time to hit the town. What we'd seen of Siam Reap the day before looked good and were eager to try out some of the bars. We weren't disapointed. It was a quality night out. We even bumped into Matt and Katie who I'd met in Hue and and Saigon, which especially good as it was her birthday. A fun night was had by all and it didn't end until the sun came up. Just to illustrate the point, Chris was meant to get his bus to Bangkok at 8am but by 11'o'clock he'd already decided it wasn't happening!
Next day was a write off with none of us waking up until 3pm. But we needed the rest as the day after we were all getting the bus bound for Bangkok together. The journey is notorious with every backpacker as it is rumoured that Bangkok airlines pays the Cambodian government to keep the roads in bad condition so people prefer to fly on a route they have exclusive rights to! Ten hours of fun ahead!
Tuesday 19 June 2007
Phnom Penh
My first night in Cambodia was absolutely horrible! It was dark and p*ssing it down when I arrived, the roads were flooded and I didn't know where I was. I wandered around for a bit looking for a hotel but just succeeded in getting wet and having to walk through gutter water in flip flops! I eventually gave in a got a tuk tuk to take me to a guesthouse from Lonely Planet. It was a right dump but at this point I didn't care I just wanted a bed! Sometimes LP is gives some really crap advice. It had told me the neighbourhood where this guesthouse was located was one of two backpacker districts but there was absolutely nothing there but 2 guesthouses.
I ate a pretty disgusting meal and read a bit of Bob Wilson's autobiography that I picked up in Nha Trang and then formulated a plan. I really needed to find Adrian (if he'd made his bus!) as he had given me his scuba-diving licence for safe keeping in my money belt the previous night and he wouldn't be able to dive in Thailand without it. He also owed me 20 bucks! :) I read about the other backpacker area on the waterfront in the guidebook so I planned to move there the next day, so that either I'd see Adrian around or meet some other people.
Next morning I got up early and moved straight away. The other backpacker area was a bit of a slum but it definitely had more of a buzz about it and there were plenty of bars and restaurants too. The first guesthouse I looked at was a hole so I moved swiftly on. Avoiding the hoardes of touts I came across Number 9 Sister Guesthouse and immediately fell in love with its waterfront terrace bar/restaurant/chill-out area. I didn't care what the room looked like but thankfully it was pretty nice too. I got the check-in sheet and my luck was in there too, the name above mine was Adrian's!
I met up with Adrian over breakfast, along with another English guy called Chris. We decided to do the full Phnom Penh experience that day. This includes the famous Killing Fields and S-21 prison where Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge tortured and killed thousands of innocent Cambodians. The other key Phnom Penh activity is the shooting range. We hired our tuk tuk for the day and decided to do the shooting range first as a lot of people had told us you don't really feel like it after seeing some of the horrors at the other 2 places.
We arrived down a dusty track to a little metal roofed building, indistinguishable from most of the little farmhouses... except for the rack of M16's, Ak47's and tommy guns lining the wall!! I only intended to spend $10 or so on ammo but when you get 3 lads together, dress them in combat gear and let them play with guns then we tend to get carried away! We all chose to shoot an AK47 machine gun and a Colt 45 hand gun... at a cost of $45. Oops. Oh well, it was worth it. When in your life do you... Oh. That's what I said when I shot an AK47 only 2 days ago! We were led through a door into the actual firing range which consisted of a dark tunnel with a target and a load of tyres at the end to stop the bullets going through the wall. The Colt 45 was first, it has a hell of a kick and is a lot heavier and more difficult to aim than I imagined (from watching too many American movies!). Next up was the AK again. It was much better this time as it wasn't screwed on to anything and I could also fire it in automatic mode, firing a hail of bullets at once. After that it was time to get some pictures with the guns in our shooting outfits. I'll post them up as soon as I can as they are worth the $45 alone!
I ate a pretty disgusting meal and read a bit of Bob Wilson's autobiography that I picked up in Nha Trang and then formulated a plan. I really needed to find Adrian (if he'd made his bus!) as he had given me his scuba-diving licence for safe keeping in my money belt the previous night and he wouldn't be able to dive in Thailand without it. He also owed me 20 bucks! :) I read about the other backpacker area on the waterfront in the guidebook so I planned to move there the next day, so that either I'd see Adrian around or meet some other people.
Next morning I got up early and moved straight away. The other backpacker area was a bit of a slum but it definitely had more of a buzz about it and there were plenty of bars and restaurants too. The first guesthouse I looked at was a hole so I moved swiftly on. Avoiding the hoardes of touts I came across Number 9 Sister Guesthouse and immediately fell in love with its waterfront terrace bar/restaurant/chill-out area. I didn't care what the room looked like but thankfully it was pretty nice too. I got the check-in sheet and my luck was in there too, the name above mine was Adrian's!
I met up with Adrian over breakfast, along with another English guy called Chris. We decided to do the full Phnom Penh experience that day. This includes the famous Killing Fields and S-21 prison where Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge tortured and killed thousands of innocent Cambodians. The other key Phnom Penh activity is the shooting range. We hired our tuk tuk for the day and decided to do the shooting range first as a lot of people had told us you don't really feel like it after seeing some of the horrors at the other 2 places.
We arrived down a dusty track to a little metal roofed building, indistinguishable from most of the little farmhouses... except for the rack of M16's, Ak47's and tommy guns lining the wall!! I only intended to spend $10 or so on ammo but when you get 3 lads together, dress them in combat gear and let them play with guns then we tend to get carried away! We all chose to shoot an AK47 machine gun and a Colt 45 hand gun... at a cost of $45. Oops. Oh well, it was worth it. When in your life do you... Oh. That's what I said when I shot an AK47 only 2 days ago! We were led through a door into the actual firing range which consisted of a dark tunnel with a target and a load of tyres at the end to stop the bullets going through the wall. The Colt 45 was first, it has a hell of a kick and is a lot heavier and more difficult to aim than I imagined (from watching too many American movies!). Next up was the AK again. It was much better this time as it wasn't screwed on to anything and I could also fire it in automatic mode, firing a hail of bullets at once. After that it was time to get some pictures with the guns in our shooting outfits. I'll post them up as soon as I can as they are worth the $45 alone!
The afternoon was a much more sombre affair. We walked round the Killing Fields which is eerily silent. There is not much there now as most of the mass graves have been dug up to see the extent of what went on. The place must have been literally heaving with bodies though as there are bits of bone and clothing visible in the ground everywhere. The site is dominated by a 70 ft high glass tower that contains all the skulls of the 8000 + victims they've discovered. It is really one of the most shocking things you'll ever see.
The next stop was perhaps more harrowing. S-21 prison is where those suspected of collaborating against the Khmer Rouge regime were taken, interrogated and brutally tortured before being sent to be killed. What's even more shocking is that the building was formerly a school until Pol Pot coverted the classrooms into torture chambers and tiny cells. They even used the climbing frame as a set of gallows. Sick. They have a picture of everyone who died at S-21 and there are hundreds of them. They also have pictures of the 11 or 12 corpses that were found in there torture rooms strapped to iron beds when the regime finally fell. The beds are still in the rooms along with leg clamps and other instruments for inflicting pain. Unsuprisingly the place is ghostly silent.
After the days horrors we spent the evening undertaking some serious R+R on our lovely guesthouse terrace, enjoying some comedy DVDs and a couple of beer Angkors. Next day it's off to Siam Reap and the spectacular Angkor Wat - Cambodia's national symbol and the world's largest religous complex.
Monday 18 June 2007
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Saigon is a mad city. 9 million people and 5 million motorbikes make for plenty of hustle and bustle.I slept OK on the bus so I headed straight out in the morning with a Swedish guy I met on the bus. We managed to see most of the sites inside the city of Saigon. There isn't anything really spectacular here, but there are one or two buildings of interest.
In the evening we met up with another guy from the bus (yet another Irishman!) to go to see the market and go for a few beers in a bar in the backpacker district. It doesn't seem to ever close so we were up pretty late. The next day was a bit of a lazy day, during which eating breakfast was about the most strenuous activity!
In the evening I met up with Adrian (the Irishman) and we went back to the same bar although had a much earlier night as we were both booked on tours of the Cu Chi tunnels the next day.
The Cu Chi tunnels are an amazing network of tunnels built by the Viet Cong to help them hide from and fight the South Vietnamese and the Americans. After a bit of a history lesson and a look at some of the traps they used we were able to walk through an 80m section of tunnels. Well walk isn't really the right word as the tunnels are only about 3 ft high and less wide. And this is after they've been widened twice for tourists! The Viet Cong used to live in these tunnels for most of the day and only come out at night. They had ingenious systems for letting out smoke from cooking with the early morning mist, as well as spiky traps and little holes where they could jump up and shoot unsuspecting GI's.
The tunnel complex also featured a shooting range so I just had to have a go! It was pretty expensive at $1.30 a bullet but I thought what the hell and got 10 for an AK47 machine gun! Well, I thought, when am I going to get another chance to do this? The noise was deafening and I'm not really sure if I hit the target much but it was fun.
That evening was to be my last in Vietnam so of course it was going to be a bit of a sesh. But Adrian and I had booked on buses for Phnom Penh in Cambodia for 8 am so we had to be a bit careful. Oops, I wasn't careful at all. Three separate groups of people I'd met along the way in Vietnam turned up so we had a big group of 9 or so people at least. This was going to be an epic session after all! It was really good fun and a great way to say goodbye to a country I've enjoyed so much over the last month. We finished up at 6 am and Adrian and I said we may aswell stay up so I went off to pack. However when I got back to my room my bed was just calling at me to lie on it for an hour. I set my alarm but my inebriated state of course meant I did it wrong! Next thing I know and it's 12'o'clock. Doh! I legged it down to the travel agents and managed to blag my way onto the last bus of the day at 1pm for no extra money. Phew! At least I was on my way, even if I was 5 hours late!
Wednesday 13 June 2007
Nha Trang
The bus journey was mediocre. I met up with Fern, an English girl I also know from Hanoi randomly on my bus. We also saw the Irish guys and gal at the rest stop half way. It's so weird with some people, it's like there's some magnetic link between you and everywhere you go they're there.
When we got to Nha Trang it turned out there was some kind of festival on and rooms were pretty hard to come by. We persevered though and eventually got some really good rooms for $7. Neither of us slept much on the bus so we hit the hay until the afternoon before going for a wander. We settled on a bar from the Lonely Planet. We were there about 10 mins and guess who walks in? The Irish! Well that was the beginning of a quality night. We headed over to The Sailing Club which is a classy bar on the beach. We got stuck into the 'personal buckets' - like big jam jars full of vodka, coke and ice, or pretty much any combi you want. Before long there was a bit of dancing, talking shite and frolicking in the sand going on! 
Next day I went for a bit of exploring on a motorbike. I didn't really find much thought. Nha Trang is a destination renound for its lovely beach and nightlife rather than it's historic sights. That night I went to the Sailing Club again with Fern and the personal buckets were no less potent! I had to go back and experiment for research purposes you understand!
Amazingly I actually managed to get up OK the following day and rent a bike to go to Ba Ho waterfall. It's a pretty nice ride an hour out of town. The road took me through the mountains where I could see the whole town laid out below. Although Highway 1 wasn't one of my favourite moments, it's just a case of hang on and get out of the way of anything bigger - e.g 10 tonne trucks! The waterfall was nice if not spectacular and it was a worthwhile day out.
The night was pretty uneventful as I was to leave the following day on yet another 12 hour bus journey to Saigon.
When we got to Nha Trang it turned out there was some kind of festival on and rooms were pretty hard to come by. We persevered though and eventually got some really good rooms for $7. Neither of us slept much on the bus so we hit the hay until the afternoon before going for a wander. We settled on a bar from the Lonely Planet. We were there about 10 mins and guess who walks in? The Irish! Well that was the beginning of a quality night. We headed over to The Sailing Club which is a classy bar on the beach. We got stuck into the 'personal buckets' - like big jam jars full of vodka, coke and ice, or pretty much any combi you want. Before long there was a bit of dancing, talking shite and frolicking in the sand going on!
Next day I went for a bit of exploring on a motorbike. I didn't really find much thought. Nha Trang is a destination renound for its lovely beach and nightlife rather than it's historic sights. That night I went to the Sailing Club again with Fern and the personal buckets were no less potent! I had to go back and experiment for research purposes you understand!
Amazingly I actually managed to get up OK the following day and rent a bike to go to Ba Ho waterfall. It's a pretty nice ride an hour out of town. The road took me through the mountains where I could see the whole town laid out below. Although Highway 1 wasn't one of my favourite moments, it's just a case of hang on and get out of the way of anything bigger - e.g 10 tonne trucks! The waterfall was nice if not spectacular and it was a worthwhile day out.
The night was pretty uneventful as I was to leave the following day on yet another 12 hour bus journey to Saigon.
Hoi An
Hoi An is nice, if a little dull. Actually I probably think that because it's quite a lot like Hue and I had a feeling of been there done that. I also had a little bit of a cold and sore throat that possibly put me on a bit of a downer in general.
The first day I arrived just consisted of a little bit of wandering around the little town. On the positive side it is a very attractive little place with old french colonial style buildings and winding little streets. It's reminiscent of being in some old film set. A lot of character sums it up well I think.
In the evening I took a stroll out for dinner and a beer. Usual thing, find a place with a pool table and you get talking to someone before long. I met up with an English guy and a Welsh girl and I think the pool table must have had big pockets because I was kicking ass for once! After that bar we headed on to one of the towns few late spots - King Kong bar. It was run by a jovial Canadian fella (and his dog called Stinky!). He took us off to another random bar to see the sunrise over the river which was very beautiful. I got an especially good view as an old lady offered to take me out to the middle of the river in her little canoe! The little thing was shaking all over the place as I fidgeted but she managed to keep it upright and even let me row it back to shore. Very random. After that I headed off for a noodle soup breakfast with Josh (the Canadian) and hit the hay.
Obviously most of the next day was one of those all too common washouts but I managed to make it out for the evening. That night I met Esther from Holland around the same pool table and ended up hanging out with her over the next couple of days. The following morning I got up and rented a bike and cruised over to the beach for some much needed r and r. After a good afternoon topping up my tan and swimming in the South China Sea I met up with Esther for dinner. I'm proud to say not one drop of alcohol passed my lips! For a whole day, it's a rare occurence!
Next day I met Esther bright and early (at 10 am!) and we got some more bikes to head over to The Marble Moutains. Unsuprisingly they are mountains made of marble where you can visit some quite impressive holy caves and sweet little pagoda's. Really nice, even if the ride was a little bit hairy at times. Vietnamese driving is not safety first I can tell you.
I was due to head off to Nha Trang the following evening so we went out for a last dinner and some food. We bumped in Josh which is a common occurence in these parts in such small towns and relatively few ex-pats going to the same places. Then slightly later in the evening I bumped into some of my Irish buddies from Hanoi! They were down to 3 now as another 3 of them had got bar jobs in Hanoi! I had a few with them and it turned out they were also off to Nha Trang the next day.
I got to bed pretty late again and just spent the next day packing and sorting my stuff out for the 12 hr bus journey ahead. I have to say I'm getting a little bit tired of buses now. I think I might look at getting boats or something around Cambodia.
The first day I arrived just consisted of a little bit of wandering around the little town. On the positive side it is a very attractive little place with old french colonial style buildings and winding little streets. It's reminiscent of being in some old film set. A lot of character sums it up well I think.
In the evening I took a stroll out for dinner and a beer. Usual thing, find a place with a pool table and you get talking to someone before long. I met up with an English guy and a Welsh girl and I think the pool table must have had big pockets because I was kicking ass for once! After that bar we headed on to one of the towns few late spots - King Kong bar. It was run by a jovial Canadian fella (and his dog called Stinky!). He took us off to another random bar to see the sunrise over the river which was very beautiful. I got an especially good view as an old lady offered to take me out to the middle of the river in her little canoe! The little thing was shaking all over the place as I fidgeted but she managed to keep it upright and even let me row it back to shore. Very random. After that I headed off for a noodle soup breakfast with Josh (the Canadian) and hit the hay.
Obviously most of the next day was one of those all too common washouts but I managed to make it out for the evening. That night I met Esther from Holland around the same pool table and ended up hanging out with her over the next couple of days. The following morning I got up and rented a bike and cruised over to the beach for some much needed r and r. After a good afternoon topping up my tan and swimming in the South China Sea I met up with Esther for dinner. I'm proud to say not one drop of alcohol passed my lips! For a whole day, it's a rare occurence!
Next day I met Esther bright and early (at 10 am!) and we got some more bikes to head over to The Marble Moutains. Unsuprisingly they are mountains made of marble where you can visit some quite impressive holy caves and sweet little pagoda's. Really nice, even if the ride was a little bit hairy at times. Vietnamese driving is not safety first I can tell you.
I was due to head off to Nha Trang the following evening so we went out for a last dinner and some food. We bumped in Josh which is a common occurence in these parts in such small towns and relatively few ex-pats going to the same places. Then slightly later in the evening I bumped into some of my Irish buddies from Hanoi! They were down to 3 now as another 3 of them had got bar jobs in Hanoi! I had a few with them and it turned out they were also off to Nha Trang the next day.
I got to bed pretty late again and just spent the next day packing and sorting my stuff out for the 12 hr bus journey ahead. I have to say I'm getting a little bit tired of buses now. I think I might look at getting boats or something around Cambodia.
Monday 4 June 2007
Hue
I've been in Hue for 4 days now. It's a nice quaint little city with a lot less hustle and bustle than Hanoi.
The overnight bus journey here wasn't one of the better ones. I didn't sleep all that well, but it was a nice big comfortable bus so it wasn't too bad. I got in at 8 am and ducked in somewhere for a coffee while all the hotel touts buggered off. They're always there in every town and city but I've learnt that they are usually employed by the over-priced places in poor locations, i.e. the places that need to literally drag you in, in order to get any business. After 10 mins I walked off by myself and found a decent little place for only $4 a night.
Since it was early morning which I don't usually see I thought I'd start sightseeing early for a change. It was already really hot at that time of day but I cracked on anyway and went for a walk around the City's famous Citadel, where the Emperor used to live. Unsuprisingly it is an absolutely massive place and it took ages to walk around. By the time I'd finished it was the middle of the day and I think possibly the hottest temperature I've ever experienced. I went and chilled for a bit before heading out for a much needed cold beer.
I went to the DMZ bar and got talking to an English guy over the traditional travellers meeting dance, a game of pool. I didn't sink many pool balls but I did manage to sink quite a few of the local Huda beers at 30p a pop. Which reminds me, I think Vietnam is the cheapest country I've been to on my travels, which is weird as everyone I spoke to previously seemed to think it was more expensive than the other SE Asian countries.
Later on in the evening I bumped into a Kiwi I'd met in Hanoi. Bumping into people from previous locations is happening more and more now as a lot of people are on the same trail so I'm forever catching people up or vice versa. I went on with the Kiwi to another bar but it was empty. Hue being a nice and peaceful place doesn't have much of a nightlife. Still, there were a few people in there and we still managed to party until dawn!
The next day was non-existant for me, after the bus and late-night partying I didn't actually wake up until 4pm! Bit bad really as I had to have an early night to get up at for 5am the next day for my tour of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
I miraculously managed to get up bright eyed and bushy tailed at 5am for the day trip. It was an OK day, there's not really much to see anymore as the Vietnamese have tried to remove as many traces of the war as possible, so basically we saw where things used to be. For example, the Ho Chi Minh trail is now the Ho Chi Minh highway. Great, I have a picture of a random road! There was one saving grace though and that was the tunnel system we visited. The local people stayed on to help defend the DMZ and used the tunnels for shelter when the Americans bombed the area - which was quite often! The tunnels go 15 and 23m underground and are really thin and low, built for tiny Vietnamese people. I also met a few people on the tour bus who I went for a few beers with in the evening.
The day after was a quiet day of wandering and sitting in cafes. Mostly sitting really as it was just too hot to do anything else. It's a constant 40 degrees in Hue. Next morning was another early(ish) start for the bus to Hoi An, a little town 4 hours down the coast. I'm hoping to get to the beach there as well as take in some of the historic sights.
The overnight bus journey here wasn't one of the better ones. I didn't sleep all that well, but it was a nice big comfortable bus so it wasn't too bad. I got in at 8 am and ducked in somewhere for a coffee while all the hotel touts buggered off. They're always there in every town and city but I've learnt that they are usually employed by the over-priced places in poor locations, i.e. the places that need to literally drag you in, in order to get any business. After 10 mins I walked off by myself and found a decent little place for only $4 a night.
Since it was early morning which I don't usually see I thought I'd start sightseeing early for a change. It was already really hot at that time of day but I cracked on anyway and went for a walk around the City's famous Citadel, where the Emperor used to live. Unsuprisingly it is an absolutely massive place and it took ages to walk around. By the time I'd finished it was the middle of the day and I think possibly the hottest temperature I've ever experienced. I went and chilled for a bit before heading out for a much needed cold beer.
I went to the DMZ bar and got talking to an English guy over the traditional travellers meeting dance, a game of pool. I didn't sink many pool balls but I did manage to sink quite a few of the local Huda beers at 30p a pop. Which reminds me, I think Vietnam is the cheapest country I've been to on my travels, which is weird as everyone I spoke to previously seemed to think it was more expensive than the other SE Asian countries.
Later on in the evening I bumped into a Kiwi I'd met in Hanoi. Bumping into people from previous locations is happening more and more now as a lot of people are on the same trail so I'm forever catching people up or vice versa. I went on with the Kiwi to another bar but it was empty. Hue being a nice and peaceful place doesn't have much of a nightlife. Still, there were a few people in there and we still managed to party until dawn!
The next day was non-existant for me, after the bus and late-night partying I didn't actually wake up until 4pm! Bit bad really as I had to have an early night to get up at for 5am the next day for my tour of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
I miraculously managed to get up bright eyed and bushy tailed at 5am for the day trip. It was an OK day, there's not really much to see anymore as the Vietnamese have tried to remove as many traces of the war as possible, so basically we saw where things used to be. For example, the Ho Chi Minh trail is now the Ho Chi Minh highway. Great, I have a picture of a random road! There was one saving grace though and that was the tunnel system we visited. The local people stayed on to help defend the DMZ and used the tunnels for shelter when the Americans bombed the area - which was quite often! The tunnels go 15 and 23m underground and are really thin and low, built for tiny Vietnamese people. I also met a few people on the tour bus who I went for a few beers with in the evening.
The day after was a quiet day of wandering and sitting in cafes. Mostly sitting really as it was just too hot to do anything else. It's a constant 40 degrees in Hue. Next morning was another early(ish) start for the bus to Hoi An, a little town 4 hours down the coast. I'm hoping to get to the beach there as well as take in some of the historic sights.
Cat Ba
Not a lot to report from Cat Ba Island. I had 5 days of doing absolutely nothing but relax by lazing around on the beach and going to bed early. As a result I'm now darker than my poo after a night on the Guiness!
The beaches are called Cat Co 1, 2 and 3. Cat Co 1 is a bit of a package holiday monstrosity with a massive hotel behind it with the full works, including waterchutes. I avoided it and took the wooden cliffside walkway round to Cat Co 2. It's a little bay with white sand, clear blue sea and a view out on to some of Halong Bay's little islets.
Halong Bay is one of Vietnam's natural wonders. It's a bay (obviously!) with hundreds, or maybe thousands of little islands that burst out of the sea. The effect is a stunning vista but it's impossible to describe really so I'll post a few pics up from the boat trip I took on the way back to the mainland.
The boat took me back to Halong City where I got a bus back to Hanoi and then another overnight bus to Hue in central Vietnam. The bus ticket is an amazing deal, $22 (11 quid!) for an open ticket from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City at the other end of the country. It allows me to stop in Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang and HCMC for as long as I want. I simply ring up the day before I want to leave and they reserve me a seat on the next bus coming through. 
The beaches are called Cat Co 1, 2 and 3. Cat Co 1 is a bit of a package holiday monstrosity with a massive hotel behind it with the full works, including waterchutes. I avoided it and took the wooden cliffside walkway round to Cat Co 2. It's a little bay with white sand, clear blue sea and a view out on to some of Halong Bay's little islets.
Halong Bay is one of Vietnam's natural wonders. It's a bay (obviously!) with hundreds, or maybe thousands of little islands that burst out of the sea. The effect is a stunning vista but it's impossible to describe really so I'll post a few pics up from the boat trip I took on the way back to the mainland.
The boat took me back to Halong City where I got a bus back to Hanoi and then another overnight bus to Hue in central Vietnam. The bus ticket is an amazing deal, $22 (11 quid!) for an open ticket from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City at the other end of the country. It allows me to stop in Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang and HCMC for as long as I want. I simply ring up the day before I want to leave and they reserve me a seat on the next bus coming through.
Thursday 24 May 2007
Hanoi
The bus journey from Vientiane was certainly an experience! This was no luxury coach, it was old and rickety and totally full. There were various boxes, crates and sacks being loaded onto the roof and into the aisles. Every bit of available space was put to use, filled with what looked to me like a load of old junk, but obviously its important enough to someone to transport it hundreds of miles to another country! I was not looking forward to spending 24 hours on it.
We pulled away from Vientiane at 7pm, straight out into the remote countryside, in the darkness with rain lashing down. It felt like the beginning of a bad horror movie. I spent the first couple of hours chatting to some of the people around me and reading my book. We pulled in at a little roadside rest stop for half an hour and then it was time to try and get some sleep. Thankfully Ally had given me a few of his valium tablets and they were an absolute life saver. I popped one of those and fell asleep on my big pillow against the window for a couple of hours until the next stop. We stayed at the next stop for 2/3 hours as there was no rush to get to the border because it doesn't open until 7am. After a little walk around and another valium I was out like a light pretty much until we reached the border.
Crossing the border was a bit of a hassle as there are quite a few forms to fill in and various processes to go through. There were no real problems though, except for when we returned to the bus we found the border guards had spilled a tin of green paint while they were searching it, covering the floor where the bags were being kept! A lot of rearrangement and a few green stripes on our feet, clothes and bags and we were ready to go again. I spent the rest of the day napping, talking and reading and it seemed to go relatively quickly and smoothly. Not everyone felt that way though, loads of people hadn't slept as well as me and thought the journey had been pretty hellish. Oh well, another lucky journey for me it seems. I think my threshold for putting up with discomfort and long boring journeys has really increased during my trip. It really doesn't bother me like it used to and I now just accept that we'll get there when we get there. I think this seems to be the Asian mentality towards journeys too so perhaps its rubbed off on me.
We arrived in Hanoi at around 7pm and I went off with a group of people I met on the bus to get a room. Three Irish lads, and an English guy and girl. After a much needed shower we headed out for an even more needed drink. We'd heard everything shuts at 12pm here, but soon discovered that its only the shutters that come down while the party continues behind them! A quiet beer turned into us returning to the guest house at 9.30 in the morning and the next day was a write off!
We pulled away from Vientiane at 7pm, straight out into the remote countryside, in the darkness with rain lashing down. It felt like the beginning of a bad horror movie. I spent the first couple of hours chatting to some of the people around me and reading my book. We pulled in at a little roadside rest stop for half an hour and then it was time to try and get some sleep. Thankfully Ally had given me a few of his valium tablets and they were an absolute life saver. I popped one of those and fell asleep on my big pillow against the window for a couple of hours until the next stop. We stayed at the next stop for 2/3 hours as there was no rush to get to the border because it doesn't open until 7am. After a little walk around and another valium I was out like a light pretty much until we reached the border.
Crossing the border was a bit of a hassle as there are quite a few forms to fill in and various processes to go through. There were no real problems though, except for when we returned to the bus we found the border guards had spilled a tin of green paint while they were searching it, covering the floor where the bags were being kept! A lot of rearrangement and a few green stripes on our feet, clothes and bags and we were ready to go again. I spent the rest of the day napping, talking and reading and it seemed to go relatively quickly and smoothly. Not everyone felt that way though, loads of people hadn't slept as well as me and thought the journey had been pretty hellish. Oh well, another lucky journey for me it seems. I think my threshold for putting up with discomfort and long boring journeys has really increased during my trip. It really doesn't bother me like it used to and I now just accept that we'll get there when we get there. I think this seems to be the Asian mentality towards journeys too so perhaps its rubbed off on me.
We arrived in Hanoi at around 7pm and I went off with a group of people I met on the bus to get a room. Three Irish lads, and an English guy and girl. After a much needed shower we headed out for an even more needed drink. We'd heard everything shuts at 12pm here, but soon discovered that its only the shutters that come down while the party continues behind them! A quiet beer turned into us returning to the guest house at 9.30 in the morning and the next day was a write off!
The following day I went for a stroll to the market and pick up a few things. I managed to get a t-shirt of the Vietnamese flag (yellow star on red background) and some fake Ray Ban's for $3. I also got an overdue haircut which seemed to take far too long, nothing like the 5 minute jobs I usually get at home. After that I took a wander round the lake and temple in the centre of town before meeting up with the others to go and watch the Champions League. This meant another late night as it didn't kick off til 2am here. I was pleased with the result as I didn't want to hear those scouse gits bragging for another year, and especially pleased as I had a fiver on Milan to win 2-1!
Today has been a lazy day. Most of the others are off on a train to go trekking to Sapa in the north tonight but I'm off to Cat Ba island to do nothing on the beach in the morning! It should be a pretty straightforward trip, just a couple of hours on the bus and then a ferry.
[UPDATE: The early night I had planned turned into a sesh til 5am in the Irish bar where one of the lads I was with has started working, but I'm now quite used to that sort of behaviour so the journey to Cat Ba was totally fine, if a little late starting at 12pm!]
Friday 18 May 2007
Laos
The journey to Laos was not nearly as horrible as I'd imagined. In fact it was a few of the best days I've had traveling!
The bus journey from Chiang Mai to Chiang Khong was nothing special. The guy who was organising it seemed to be a bit drunk at 9.30 in the morning and I was slightly worried when he said he had a 'special room for you, double bed so you can take ladyboy'! Thankfully I did indeed seem to be one of the few with a double bed, but even more thankfully there was no sign of a ladyboy in it! The accomodation was a bit on the shoddy side, it was a row of bamboo huts with a shared shower and toilet block on the end, but it was adequate enough for one night.
After dumping my stuff I got talking to some of the other people who had been in my mini-van, and some more people who had arrived earlier. We sat together for the evening, ate dinner and had a few drinks looking over the Mekong river to Laos on the other side.
It was an early start in the morning with breakfast between 7.30 and 8.30, and then off down to the river crossing at 9.30. I was feeling sick and actually threw up my breakfast which is not what you want when you are about to spend 2 days on a boat! I took an anti-biotic I had bought in Chiang Mai and hoped for the best.
We all piled back in the mini-van for the short drive down to the border crossing, then into a tiny, precarious boat for the 150 metre river crossing. Within 2 minutes I had successfully negotiated my first overland border crossing and had my feet safely and dryly planted on Laos soil. After a quick immigration stamp and acquiring some Laos Kip (19,000 Kip = 1 pound!) and we were off to the main boat. There are some terrible stories about these boats from other travellers and within the Lonely Planet; everyone says they are cramped with only hard wooden benches to sit on for each of the 8 hour trips. I wasn't looking forward to it, especially as I vomited again going down to the boat. We had been told the number of our boat but as we were walking down to it a man tried to tell us to get in to another one. It had big car seat type seats and looked pretty luxurious but we assumed it was a scam to get us to pay loads more money, however when we reached our boat (with hard benches as described above) we were told it was full and they were using 2 that day, and we should indeed get on the luxurious looking boat. Result! After that we spent a nice relaxing day on the boat; reading, sleeping and just watching the beautiful scenery go by - with many envious looks from the people on the other boat as they occasionally came side by side.
In the late afternoon we arrived at our halfway stop-off, Pakbeng. We clambered up the hill to a nice guesthouse and had another relaxing meal along with a first taste of Beer Lao. Another early start in the morning combined with the fact they turn the electricity off at 10.30 in that region meant an early night for all.
We met up for breakfast and picked up our pre-ordered pack lunches (fried rice & spring rolls for me) and ambled down to the boat for 8am. Unfortunately our nice car-seated boat was not available this time... but we got an even better set up! The boat we were on had a big floor space at the back and loads of padded cushions and quilts to put on the floor. There were 9 of us so we quickly grabbed all the padding we could and made the space our own. It was perfect. We lounged around with much sleeping, eating and card-playing. It was like play-school!
In the evening we arrived in Luang Prabang (LP) feeling relaxed, refreshed and raring to go. It became apparent that we wouldn't all get into one guesthouse so we split up and arranged to meet back outside a restaurant (which became 'the meeting place'). Come nightfall we were sitting in The Laos Laos Garden, drinking sweet Lao Lao cocktails. Lao Lao is the local spirit and pretty potent I think. At 11.30pm it was kicking out time and it seemed the only place to go was the local bowling alley! Very random I know but the night was yet young so we headed off in a tuk tuk and some more drinks there.
The next day I clambered out of my bed at 11am and headed off to see some sights. I took in LP's most famous wat (temple) and then up a long stone staircase to LP's highest point. Halfway up I bumped in Sean and Aoifa, two of the people from our newly formed little group. We continued to the top together after a bit of a breather and took in the spectacular scenery. From that high up you can really see how remote LP is. Outside of the town, there is nothing but forests and mountains as far as the eye can see. After the climb back down we were wandering down the main street when I bumped into a familiar face - Ally from Pai. Well actually The Shetland Islands, but I know him from Pai!
Later that night we hit the town again. This time adding Ally and his girlfriend Courtenay to our ever-expanding troupe. After a few more Lao Lao cocktails it was that all too early 11pm closing time again. How did we cope when it was like this in Britain? After asking around it really did seem the only late night option was the bowling alley (or Bao Ling as it says on the sign!). This time we decided to actually bowl. We paired up for mixed doubles and my pairing kicked ass in the first game. We didn't fair quite so well in the next, which I'm certain has nothing whatsoever to do with the empty Beer Lao bottles that were piling up around my chair somehow!
The next couple of days were spent wandering the beautiful streets of LP and hunting for bargains at the night market. I'm the king of haggling in SE Asia thanks to my on the job training during my month in India. I think Ol' Blue Eyes got the wrong place because if you can do it there, you can do it anywhere! Much too soon it was time to leave. Most of the group were heading east to the Plain of Jars but I needed to move on quickly to get to Vietnam as my visa had already started. With this in mind I got a bus straight down to Vientiane, the Laos capital.
The bus journey was 9 hours during the day, but it really wasn't that bad at all. I arrived in the early evening and I was instantly disappointed with the city. There are quite a few concrete monstrosities and it's not particularly pretty as many of the guidebooks say it is. It's also really expensive for things like accomodation. Well, compared with other towns and cities in SE Asia anyway. I ate a meal, had a drink then headed off to bed.
The bus journey from Chiang Mai to Chiang Khong was nothing special. The guy who was organising it seemed to be a bit drunk at 9.30 in the morning and I was slightly worried when he said he had a 'special room for you, double bed so you can take ladyboy'! Thankfully I did indeed seem to be one of the few with a double bed, but even more thankfully there was no sign of a ladyboy in it! The accomodation was a bit on the shoddy side, it was a row of bamboo huts with a shared shower and toilet block on the end, but it was adequate enough for one night.
After dumping my stuff I got talking to some of the other people who had been in my mini-van, and some more people who had arrived earlier. We sat together for the evening, ate dinner and had a few drinks looking over the Mekong river to Laos on the other side.
It was an early start in the morning with breakfast between 7.30 and 8.30, and then off down to the river crossing at 9.30. I was feeling sick and actually threw up my breakfast which is not what you want when you are about to spend 2 days on a boat! I took an anti-biotic I had bought in Chiang Mai and hoped for the best.
We all piled back in the mini-van for the short drive down to the border crossing, then into a tiny, precarious boat for the 150 metre river crossing. Within 2 minutes I had successfully negotiated my first overland border crossing and had my feet safely and dryly planted on Laos soil. After a quick immigration stamp and acquiring some Laos Kip (19,000 Kip = 1 pound!) and we were off to the main boat. There are some terrible stories about these boats from other travellers and within the Lonely Planet; everyone says they are cramped with only hard wooden benches to sit on for each of the 8 hour trips. I wasn't looking forward to it, especially as I vomited again going down to the boat. We had been told the number of our boat but as we were walking down to it a man tried to tell us to get in to another one. It had big car seat type seats and looked pretty luxurious but we assumed it was a scam to get us to pay loads more money, however when we reached our boat (with hard benches as described above) we were told it was full and they were using 2 that day, and we should indeed get on the luxurious looking boat. Result! After that we spent a nice relaxing day on the boat; reading, sleeping and just watching the beautiful scenery go by - with many envious looks from the people on the other boat as they occasionally came side by side.
In the late afternoon we arrived at our halfway stop-off, Pakbeng. We clambered up the hill to a nice guesthouse and had another relaxing meal along with a first taste of Beer Lao. Another early start in the morning combined with the fact they turn the electricity off at 10.30 in that region meant an early night for all.
We met up for breakfast and picked up our pre-ordered pack lunches (fried rice & spring rolls for me) and ambled down to the boat for 8am. Unfortunately our nice car-seated boat was not available this time... but we got an even better set up! The boat we were on had a big floor space at the back and loads of padded cushions and quilts to put on the floor. There were 9 of us so we quickly grabbed all the padding we could and made the space our own. It was perfect. We lounged around with much sleeping, eating and card-playing. It was like play-school!
In the evening we arrived in Luang Prabang (LP) feeling relaxed, refreshed and raring to go. It became apparent that we wouldn't all get into one guesthouse so we split up and arranged to meet back outside a restaurant (which became 'the meeting place'). Come nightfall we were sitting in The Laos Laos Garden, drinking sweet Lao Lao cocktails. Lao Lao is the local spirit and pretty potent I think. At 11.30pm it was kicking out time and it seemed the only place to go was the local bowling alley! Very random I know but the night was yet young so we headed off in a tuk tuk and some more drinks there.
The next day I clambered out of my bed at 11am and headed off to see some sights. I took in LP's most famous wat (temple) and then up a long stone staircase to LP's highest point. Halfway up I bumped in Sean and Aoifa, two of the people from our newly formed little group. We continued to the top together after a bit of a breather and took in the spectacular scenery. From that high up you can really see how remote LP is. Outside of the town, there is nothing but forests and mountains as far as the eye can see. After the climb back down we were wandering down the main street when I bumped into a familiar face - Ally from Pai. Well actually The Shetland Islands, but I know him from Pai!
Later that night we hit the town again. This time adding Ally and his girlfriend Courtenay to our ever-expanding troupe. After a few more Lao Lao cocktails it was that all too early 11pm closing time again. How did we cope when it was like this in Britain? After asking around it really did seem the only late night option was the bowling alley (or Bao Ling as it says on the sign!). This time we decided to actually bowl. We paired up for mixed doubles and my pairing kicked ass in the first game. We didn't fair quite so well in the next, which I'm certain has nothing whatsoever to do with the empty Beer Lao bottles that were piling up around my chair somehow!
The next couple of days were spent wandering the beautiful streets of LP and hunting for bargains at the night market. I'm the king of haggling in SE Asia thanks to my on the job training during my month in India. I think Ol' Blue Eyes got the wrong place because if you can do it there, you can do it anywhere! Much too soon it was time to leave. Most of the group were heading east to the Plain of Jars but I needed to move on quickly to get to Vietnam as my visa had already started. With this in mind I got a bus straight down to Vientiane, the Laos capital.
The bus journey was 9 hours during the day, but it really wasn't that bad at all. I arrived in the early evening and I was instantly disappointed with the city. There are quite a few concrete monstrosities and it's not particularly pretty as many of the guidebooks say it is. It's also really expensive for things like accomodation. Well, compared with other towns and cities in SE Asia anyway. I ate a meal, had a drink then headed off to bed.
The next morning I went for a wander around to see the sights and sort out my bus ticket for Hanoi. My first stop was the Morning Market where I went hunting for a cushion for the bus journey. The place was huge and sold everything you could possibly imagine from electronics to clothes to handicrafts. I managed to pick up nice big embroidered pillow for about $3. Next I headed off to see a big temple which is supposed to be the most impressive in Laos. To be honest I think 'quite nice' is about the upper limit of the superlatives I can use to describe it. It has a big gold spire in the centre and a square walkway around the edge where paintings by local artists are on display and for sale. I managed to pass half an hour or so before going to sit under a tree outside to escape the heat and consult the Lonely Planet on what else there was to see. I only sat for a minute before I was joined by a monk. He told me all about where he was from and what his life as a monk is like, and also what he wants to do in the future. Being a monk here isn't like being a monk in Europe, it's not usually a lifelong thing, they'll just do it for a few years and often study as well. A couple of monks I spoke to said they want to learn English well enough to become tour guides!
I passed the next day just wandering around and hanging out waiting for my bus that night. In the evening I was sitting outside my guesthouse waiting for my bus pick-up when a familiar face came bowling up the street, it was Ally again! He sat down with me as I waited... and waited... and waitied. The bus pick up was over 45 minutes late so I rang the bus company and they told me the travel agent had booked me on yesterday's bus rather than todays and that I couldn't go today as it was full. Great. It was slightly annoying as I had to fork out for another night in the hotel but I wasn't too bothered as it meant I was able to hit the town with Ally. We went for a few beers and watched a bit of the FA cup final before moving on to a club on top of a hotel, looking out over the Mekong to Thailand.
The following day was a bit of a groundhog day as I again sat around waiting for the bus, only this time with a slightly sorer head! This time the bus pick up did actually come and I was able to begin the epic 24 hour journey to Hanoi and another new country.
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