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| Amazing Thailand.... again! |
| 05.30.04 (7:22 am) [edit] |
Have had a wonderful few days in Thailand. Am still travelling with Terry and Lucile, and their mate Steve has joined us. They are a lot of fun and keep getting pissed, but I can't as I have eaten something that doesn't agree with me and can't stay off the toilet long enough to finish a cold beer, boo :oops:
We have done a lot of temples in the last few days, travelling slowly from Laos through the east to Bangkok. We stopped in Surin and took a one day tour, taking in seven temples, with a guide called Pirom. He was a brilliant guide, so full of interesting facts and "short" stories which lasted at least half an hour each but were fascinating! I hope I manage to retain some of the info, maybe if I keep off the beer?! Before I got ill, we had a crazy night out in Surin. We were looking for a bar where aspiring artists go to play their music and instead ended up in the commercial bar area of the town. We found a tiny bar with an old guy on the piano and an even older guy singing (it was peeing it down with rain so we thought we'd have one beer there while waiting for it to stop). After a while they ran out of energy and a guy with a guitar took over. He spoke pretty good English and could sing a whole range of old favourites so I sang "Hotel California" with him and Terry played and I sang "Sorry" by Tracey Chapman. By this time all the people had left, don't know why, so we joined our new friend and went over the road to another bar where we sat till the wee hours of the morning drinking and playing and singing. Was so cool. Woke at twelve the next day, ooops!
We then went to Phimai and wandered round the temple there. We also went to see the amazing Banyan tree, which grows up then its branches come down and form roots and it becomes two trees and then it does it again! Very clever! It's HUGE!
Am now back in Bangkok, and it is as hectic as ever! Khao San Road, the backpacker's mecca, is full of people wandering round with no direction. The weekend market we went to today was CRAZY! Sooo many people, Thai and tourists alike, trying to buy everything from tacky souvenirs to pets to kitchen items to clothes, I swear you could find everything you needed and loads of stuff you didn't on that market! I also bought a ticket to Australia! Have decided that I am getting a bit disenchanted with the whole moving around and packing everyday, so am going to take a break in Oz then come back to finish my planned route. I leave here on June 12th, excited! Am so looking forward to seeing all you guys in Sydney on Sunday 13th June, hooray!
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| Au revoir Laos |
| 05.22.04 (9:12 pm) [edit] |
The time has come to leave this wonderful country, the amazing people who don't try and rip you off as much as elsewhere in SE Asia and the yummy food. I am so sad to leave. But I will be coming back someday, that I know for sure.
The last few days here have been fun. After leaving Savannakhet I went to Pakxe with Terry, Lucile and Emma. Pakxe is a nice city, we spent a pleasant day at a weaving village nearby where I managed to restrect my buying to only one bag(!!) and then at the market and a museum. We had a very amusing evening at a bar with an aging fooball team! One of them took a shine to Emma aand bought her an ice-cream sundae then came and sat with us, but couldn't speak a word of English and just nodded, smiled and made a strange noise! His friend translated and told us his name was Ding Ding Ding and he wanted to marry Emma!! Well, you can imagine the ribbing she has been getting for the last couple of days......
We went to Si Pan Dan, othe 4000 islands in the Mekong right in the south of Laos. We took a boat trip and saw a couple of quite spectacular waterfalls (a little too spectacular for my liking, they were so huge and fast I couldn't go swimmimg :( !) and the rare irawaddy dolphins (well, their fins, anyway, they weren't much up for jumping around). Had a couple of funny evenings drinking lao-lau cocktails, playing cards and general silliness!!
We also went to Wat Phu, one of the most important pre-Angkorian ruins which was rather spectacular. I am looking forward to seeing Angkor more than ever now.
Well, must dash, have to go and get some dodgy form of transport which will be filled with everything from people to chickens to half-dead lizards to rice to boxes of cigarettes. At least we won't starve if we break down!!
To finish my ramblings about this incredible country and the wonderful people I have met here, here is an email I received from one of the guides from my trek.....
dear . hannah
how are you ?
where are you now, I think of you very much, on the last tuesday nigth I dream of you, I would like thank you very much for you help me when we were trekking 0n the Dong Phu Vieng mountain, I think that I an going to see you in the future, on the occassion I would like to give your family have a good helth and success every things. and I bless you have a good trip on the Champasack province and on the Chambodea country.
sincerly,
you are the best friend,
from Sy ( Boonyang)
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| Trekking and amazing people |
| 05.18.04 (8:40 pm) [edit] |
I went on a three-day two-night trek in Dong Phu Vieng NBCA (National Biodiversity Conservation Area, aka national park) with two French guys, Francois and John, and a French Canadian, Alain. It is a very new trek, we were only the fifth group ever to do the trek so it was a great experience. Nothing like the converyor belt, one-group-out-another-gro up-in trek I went on in Thailand. We stayed in two Katang villages where they have no electricity and a very simple but enchanting lifestyle. We were very lucky to have three guides, one leader and two trainees, plus the villages provide guides to tell us about the local area, so there were more guides than trekkers!
The first day we trekked 8km, easy trekking but it was bloody hot! The Frenchies all chatted amongst themselves (they were all quite a bit older than me so it was hard for me to join in, especially in French!) and I talked and sang and had a great time with the three guides, Tia, Boonyang and Nang. I was lucky that Nang came because otherwise I would have been the only woman and men and women cannot sleep together when they are visiting the village (of course the villagers sleep together when they are married). The three of them were such amazing people, all very different personalities. Tia was always joking and smiling, he made me laugh so much, he would start a story and then start laughing before he got to the funny bit!! Boonyang was more serious and took his work very seriously. And Nang just loved to sing, so we entertained (or annoyed?!) the rest of them with renditions of Westlife and Backstreet Boys songs! That night I had to bathe in the middle of the village by the water pump, trying to clean myself under a sarong not showing any flesh from below the knee upwards, with an audience of about 20 people!! Men, women and children! Quite a feat, I tell you! Dinner was great and then we took part in a blessing ceremony. The elders of the village had sacrificed a chicken and it was sitting on a plate beside a bottle of Lao Lao (potent rice wine) and some pieces of yellow cotton. They tied the cotton round our wrists while chanting and wishing us a good, long, happy life, lots of money, a good husband and the like. Then we had to drink the Lao Lao and eat the chicken. After three days I could take off the cotton without cutting it and keep it forever for luck. Interesting. The villagers then played and sang some traditional folk songs for us, was so nice to hear.
The next day after a terrible night's sleep (no electricity = no fan!, small village = cockerels and buffalo making a hell of a noise!) we set off for an early morning stroll through the sacred forest. We were told not to point or take photos, anything that resembles a gun is bad for the spirits of the forest. We were lucky enough to see some Silvered Langurs, but it was hard to show each other where there were hiding!!! After brekkie we set off on an 18km trek to another village. The Frenchies trekked very slowly and moaned the whole way. Nothing was good enough for them, especially Alain. I tried to mediate a little as the guides were finding it very difficult to deal with their complaints about the food and the water (we had boiled water from the village, they wanted mineral water!?!) and said that the guides couldn't do anything so they should save their complaints for the boss when we got back. It didn't work. Oh well!
The second night bathing was easier as the village is by a river, so we got to swim around and play with the kids. There was no entertainment organised, so I sat and chatted with the guides and they translated questions from me to the villagers, and some strange questions back! They wanted to know all about marriage and divorce in my country!
The third day we trekked a little and then took a boat and a pickup truck back to Savannakhet. Alain kicked off because he had a beer when we got back and thought the guides should pay for it. He started yelling and shouting at Nang and she retaliated which was a shame but I don't blame her. I hate being white at times like that!
Anyway, it turns out that Savannakhet is not at all boring, you just have to know where to go! The night we got back I went with Tia and Boonyang to a night club called Happy Night and danced the night away, was so much fun! They are such wonderful people. The next day I went to Tia's house for lunch and to help him write a report about the trek, then in the evening we all went to karaoke, all three guides were there and some of their friends, was a great experience. I was so sad to leave yesterday morning. It is truly the people who make the place. The people here have made my experience so special.
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| More offers...... |
| 05.18.04 (8:07 pm) [edit] |
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After Vientiane I got the bus to Thakhek where I wanted to see the surrounding countryside which is supposed to be beautiful. However, the only way to see it on the cheap is by renting a motorbike and riding along a dirt road with lots of potholes. I am too chicken!! So I only spent one night there, met a lovely Scottish guy called Kevin and got the bus to Savannakhet with him. On first glance, the town looked very quiet and, to be honest, a bit dull. We wandered round the market and saw lots of smiling people who yelled "Sabaidee!" ("Hello!") to us. Even the kids who were supposed to be having a lesson at school leaned out the window to shout to us!! The highlight of the day was sitting by the Mekong watching the sun set over Thailand while sipping orange shakes. We also ate at the riverside stalls, delicious papaya salad and sticky rice with a whole grilled Mekong fish, yummy! The next day I tried to go to the dinosaur museum but it was closed for lunch. As I was wandering back to my guesthouse I met Amphone, a tuk-tuk driver with very good English. He offered to take me on his motorbike to see That Ing Hang, a very important stupor, apparently! So we set off and rode along a back road through beautiful farming villages. After seeing the stupor, which was quite big(!), we headed to a national park and drove around a tiny track through the forest. It was so nice, and very romantic, Amphone kept telling me!!! I told him that he couldn't say that until he had known me at least a month, so he said that everyday was like a month, and when could he kiss me?! I told him after six months. Clearly sticking to my usual habits!?!?!
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| Cheeky monk(ey)! |
| 05.17.04 (3:11 am) [edit] |
I was in Vientiane merrily wandering aroung Wat Sisaket when a small novice monk came up to me and introduced himself in English. I talked to him and looked at his TOEIC book and made encouraging noises about his English as a dutiful ex-English teacher should. I also glanced at his exercise book and was surprised to see the words "kiss" and "sex" in there, but I guess you should always broaden your vocab, so I let it go. He offered to show me round the temple and when we arrived at a deserted room that used to be the library, he pulled me towards him and asked for a kiss!! Bearing in mid this is a maybe-15-year-old novice Buddhist monk who is a good few inches shorter than me dressed in orange robes! I said "No!" and pulled away, but that obviously wasn't enough as he then asked, "Would you mind if I have sex with you?"!!! Well, when someone asks so politely, it seems rude not to say something nice, so I did the adult thing and ran!!!! Fast!!
I typed a lot more earlier but lost it all, so you will have to wait a while for the next installment! Bye for now! xxx
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| Lao PDR |
| 05.09.04 (2:41 am) [edit] |
They say that this means Lao People's Democratic Republic, but I have discovered that it really means Lao People Don't Rush. It is so laid back here which is wonderful, unless you are trying to get somewhere! It is a really wonderful country though, the people are so friendly and helpful, and the food is great!! The French left steaks and baguettes (and not much else!) behind and the Lao food is delicious. Not as spicy as Thai food, but lots of interesting flavours to try!
I took the slow boat from Huay Xai on the Thai border to Luang Prabang, the old capital of Laos. It took two days; six fun hours on quite a large boat playing cards with lots of people on the first day, and eight miserable hours on a tiny boat with my knees around my chin bashing my head every time I tried to stand up and stretch a little on the second day!! But Luang Prabang was worth every minute. It is a beautiful city surrounded on three sides by the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. There are many temples to see and the old Royal Palace with an interesting museum. I hadn't done very thorough research and didn't know that the King of Laos and his wife were banished to the north of the country in 1975 by the communists for not agreeing with their regime and haven't been seen since. Laos has a fascinating history.
But enough of the boring talk! I met a fantastic group of people on the boat and we had a fantastic few days together in LP. Julie, Gerrit, Rolf, Julian, Ben, Angus, Pierangelo, Dagni and I all stayed in the same guesthouse and all got drunk together every night! The first night we found a gay bar which had Happy Hour till 9pm with 2 for 1 cocktails, brilliant! So the next night we went there at seven as it was Pierangelo's birthday and the others had ordered a cake for him. The cake didn't get to us till 9pm by which time we were all wasted and starving!! So we wolfed it down and dashed over the road for some food and more beer! Was such a great evening, we met a funny Japanese guy called Shu and he entertained us all evening playing a game of "Can you do this?!" which involved us showing him tricks we could do (such as patting your head and rubbing your tummy!) and him trying to execute them while stoned and pissed!! Guess you had to be there......
Anyway, the following day we dragged ourselves out of bed at 5am to go and give alms to the monks. They wander the streets every morning at stupid o'clock and people give them food. They cannot eat anything they have not been given (ie. had someone else's grubby fingers all over!) and they have to finish eating by noon everyday. Sounds like no fun to me! We then climbed a hill to a temple. Felt like shit!! But it was an interesting morning! R&R was in order for the rest of the day and I only managed half a beer before an early night!
The next day we went to a beeeeaaauuutifuuuul waterfall. It was so amazing, many tiers cascading down into crystal clear pools where we could jump off rocks and swim around. Honestly! It was [b]that[/b] good! We also climbed to the top and looked down over the edge of the falls, amazing. It was Dagni's birthday that day so in the evening, guess where we went?! Yep, the gay bar!! This time we managed to eat at the night market beforehand so we didn't get as drunk as fast (although I was more drunk by the end, go figure!). The bar owner gave Dagni a bottle of whiskey for her birthday and so at closing time (11.30 here in Laos, it is a communist country after all and curfew is midnight) we headed down to the river's edge and drank some more!
The next morning had to get up early again to go to a village festival hat out guesthouse owner had invited us too. Was feeling a little delicate, but thought that some water would sort me out. Drank all my supplies on the way to the village and found there was no water there at all. Not a drop. Only Lao lao, the local firewater made from rice and goodness only knows what percent alcohol! So, we started drinking at 11.30am, people kept coming round with bottles, wishing us good luck and laughing at the grimaces on our faces as we downed copious amounts of the stuff! We asked for water but were told again that there was none, but we could have some tea. Hooray, something to maybe rehydrate us a little! Out came the diesel cans full of pink stuff that tasted a lot like I imagine petrol would! Ugh! But it was better than Lao-lao. We were fed some quite tasty but strange food (with Lao-lao to wash it down!) and then taken off to this guys house to drink beer and eat raw fish, the local delicacy it says in all guide books NOT to touch! I managed to avoid it by drinking more beer instead!! We also danced a lot as all the men wanted to dance with Julie and me, they found it hilarious that we were so tall and ungraceful I think! We were eventually driven back to town at about 5pm, totally drunk and very tired. But it was an incredible experience I don't think many people get to have here in Laos.
I said a sad and fond farewell to Julie after a fab three and a half weeks together and headed north with Gerrit. We spent the next couple of days in a town called Muang Ngoi Neua which is only accessible by boat. There's not a lot to do there which was good as we had to stay in our hammocks not too far from the toilet!! Since the festival my tummy hasn't been quite right, needless to say!
Gerrit and I then headed to Vang Vieng where we hired a motorbike and drove around the beautiful countryside. We visited a couple of caves and floated through one of them on a tyre inner tube pulling ourselves along on a rope! Was fun!
I am now in Vientiane. It's a nice city but there's not a whole lot to do, so will leave tomorrow. Gerrit left yesterday and so I am alone again. Wierd after travelling with people for the last month. I hope I meet another Julie and the gang from LP again soon! Thank you guys! I love you!
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