Toodlepip Thailand!

The guidebook says there's not much to see in Chumphon, and I guess that's pretty accurate, but I managed to keep myself occupied! On Thursday, I had a wander around the town and spent even more time online (well, I'd not been on at all for a week in Ko Tao!) as I killed the hours before the night train to Butterworth, Malaysia. I bought my ticket in the morning and somehow ended up with surplus baht! Could I find a bank that would exchange them for ringgit? Erm, no. No can do. Nope. Sorry.

Anyway, in my quest to change the pesky notes, I wandered into the Farang Bar, which incidentally, was the place I'd had toast at 4 a.m. before boarding the Barf Boat to Ko Tao, just over a week earlier! It looked much different in daylight/no rain! There I got the waitress to right down "sticky rice and mango" and "Thai iced tea" in Thai, as I was having no luck locating either in Chumphon by myself! Also, I was advised that it would be easy to change my baht at the train border crossing and met Ivor, a helpful expat from London, who was more than happy to give me the lowdown on Georgetown, my next port of call.

I must admit, after Ko Tao, I was feeling at a loose end and didn't have a plan of action, so heading down to Malaysia was my way of keeping moving/occupied! I didn't know what I was letting myself in for. Anyway, after an hour with Ivor, I had a little map drawn up for me, indicating a reliable guesthouse, an ATM, a 7-11, directions to Little India and the night food market! By the end of it, I was feeling rather excited about Georgetown, and by Ivor's recommendation, consumed the most amazing curry I've ever had! That evening, I ventured out to the night market in Chumphon, with my little Thai notes, and successfully procured TWO iced teas and a helping of sticky rice! Well, it would have been rude to leave Thailand without doing so!

The train to Butterworth was over an hour late by the time I clambered into my upper bunk, but the earplugs and eyemask were soon donned and off I rocked to sleep. Good job really, I had fifteen hours ahead of me before I would arrive at my destination. Put it this way, I survived three overnight buses in Vietnam, so anything else is just child's play! The border crossing was smooth, I just had to hop off the train, get stamped out of Thailand and into Malaysia, before hopping back on again.

By this time, the beds had all been collapsed and the seats were comfortable enough - good job as trains in Malaysia are s...l...o...w! I know this, as my GPS never registered more than 35mph! I was only using it to check how near we were to Penang, as I didn't want to be one of those stories, you know, "Tourist Asleep On Train Held For Questioning By Singapore Officials." Or something equally incredulous!

It was around 2pm by the time I arrived in Butterworth and I was on a mission - no, I didn't need a taxi thanks, I would be taking the ferry, no I didn't need a taxi thanks, I would be walking the 900m to the guesthouse! Luckily, I got the last single room at SD Guesthouse and it was time for a nap!

View of Butterworth from Georgetown

That evening, I ventured into Little India in search of chai! And I found it, delicious and only 33p a cup! I also had a chicken massala - imagine my face when a banana leaf appeared and blobs of stuff were placed upon it! Imagine my relief when some rice and a curry-like dish appeared AND the waiter asked if I'd like a spoon, phew! It wasn't bad really, just different to curries at home. Fair enough really, as Indian food in the UK is actually more Pontefract than Pondicherry (or at least more Birmingham than Bombay!)

On Saturday, it was a scorcher, so of course I spent most of the day walking miles and miles in the heat! I managed to locate two geocaches (one a multi) and visit Fort Cornwallis, which was as pointless as the Rough Guide described, but cheap enough not to matter. On Sunday, I took a local bus to Kok Lek See pagoda, apparently the largest in the world outside of China, and it was rather impressive. Even more impressive was the massive tower of scaffolding surrounding the bronze statue of the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy atop the hill! I thought they were building some kind of super skyscraper behind the temple, but it was only after I had paid to take the lift up to see the statue did I realise the reality... I swear, they know I am coming. First it was Notre Dame back in 1994, then Angkor Wat at sunrise. If the Opera House is covered in scaffolding in December, it wouldn't surprise me. If Machu Picchu is, I will require a large sum of compensation from the Peruvian government!!!

Kek Lok See Pagoda

When I got off the bus, I didn't notice a bus stop for the return journey, so off I set in the midday sun from when I'd came, in the hope that soon there would be a point from which I could make it back to Georgetown. After a good half hour, I was resigned to the fact that I'd be getting a lot of exercise, when a bus came around the corner - I started to sprint and lo, a bus stop appeared in front of me, just in time! "Very good running, very speed!" quipped the driver! Nutter! When I disembarked he asked my where I was from and "Would I like to be his friend?" Nutter!

That evening, I headed out for more Indian delights, this time locating another chai vendor very close to my guesthouse who served me it in a polythene bag for only 18p (in your face, Starbucks!) I had chicken tandoori and a plain naan, and it was absolutely delicious, before heading back for the evening.

Today, I went on another local bus to Penang Butterfly Farm, made it back again safely without having to sprint (although I did need to ask for directions to the bus stop), had more chai, booked a flight to Bali next Tuesday and booked a bus ticket to the Cameron Highlands tomorrow. I hate trekking, as you may remember, loyal Blog followers, but hopefully I'll be amused enough by tea plantations. I reckon I'll spend just a couple of nights there before moving ever south to Kuala Lumpur!

So that's Malaysia so far! Although I'd forgive you for thinking that I'm in India! I'll save that for World Tour Two!!!

The Best Few Weeks Ever...

Well, you may have noticed that it has been quite some time since my last post, and so much has happened over the last fortnight, that I don't even know where to begin! I can't remember everything with my usual clarity, so I'm going to have to resort to some bullet points - which is good for you, dear reader, as this would otherwise be one of the longest blog entries on record!

After Bangkok, I headed off to Kanchanaburi for a couple of nights. It was a great little town and I stayed in a lovely little guesthouse with a pool. I met Stephanie on the way there and we had a great time at Erawan National Park, where we walked all the way up to the 7th level waterfall, before coming back down for a swim! That afternoon, we rode along the Death Railway and visited the "Bridge Over The River Kwai" and it was great to see a little more of Thailand.

The Bridge Over The River Kwai

On Sunday (9th), we visited the Thailand-Burma Railway Museum, which was very informative and put a lot of the previous day's sights in to context. It was then time for a quick lunch before heading back to Bangkok. I'm so pleased I had a few hours to kill, it gave me plenty of opportunity to part with more cash on Khao San Road... I don't need any more t-shirts!!!

The bus journey down to Chumphon was OK, but OMG, the ferry crossing over to Koh Tao was honestly the worst boat journey of my entire life! I was alright at first, as I'd been napping, but the sound (and smells) of everyone else throwing up roused me from my slumber and I very nearly joined their club! The sea was incredibly rough, it made the Scillonian Ferry look like the Swans at Alton Towers!

It was absolutely bucketing it down when I arrived at Mae Haad Pier, and I was glad to be quickly whisked off to Buddha View Dive Resort, where we were quickly checked in and handed towels! After a good few cups of tea, I felt much better and quickly got to know the other guys from the Open Water course: Justine (UK), Paul (UK), Giuliano (Italy), Elin & Jostein (Norway) and Jeremy (Australia).

We started the course on Tuesday morning where we met our instructors, Jesper (Denmark) and Lizzie (UK). It wasn't long in the classroom before I was thinking to myself "I want to do what this guy does for a living!" We had great fun, even before we had made it into the pool that afternoon. It was still raining, which in a way didn't matter as we spent well over an hour underwater without surfacing, yet I don't think I've ever been that cold in my entire life! It was so good to get out!

On Wednesday, we went out to sea for our first dive - it was fantastic and once you learn how to scuba-dive, it becomes second nature. On Thursday, we took our Open Water exam in the morning (only got 2 wrong, damn it!) and then had two more great dives, and another two on Friday morning (during which we were filmed, so I am now in possession of an absolutely hilarious DVD)! It was a little sad to finish the course, but not too much so, as the Buddha View gang had already convinced me to do the Advanced course as well! So roll on Saturday, more diving!

The Best Open Water Group... Ever!!!

On the Advanced course, I dived five more times:

- Deep dive to 30m (but didn't get to see the whale shark there!)
- Navigation Dive (visibility was bad and I forgot how to use a compass!)
- Night Dive (we had 4 out of 6 conditions where you shouldn't night dive!)
- Underwater Naturalist (where I took a camera, but forgot how to operate it!)
- Underwater Photographer (where the lens fogged up after I'd figured it out!)

So, by Sunday afternoon, I became a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver! On Monday, I booked a fun dive in the afternoon, as I really needed to catch up on sleep after four 6am starts in a row. But, would you believe, I was wide awake again, so I got up and had breakfast. There, I met up with Giuliano and his friend Riccardo, who had been taking the Emergency Rescue course. They were waiting for a taxi to take them out on a fishing trip. So, Emma, the voice of reason, has a personality transplant, packs a bag at lightning speed and jumps on their taxi to the pier, leaving a cloud of dust and many apologies to the dive staff in her wake!

Well, I have never fished in my life before, and it showed! But luckily, after a while, I caught a little tiddler that had to be thrown back in, as it was too small to eat! Eventually, I mastered the knack and by the end of the day, I'd caught 11 fish, many of them big enough to hold on to! After getting back to the resort (and realising that we all looked like lobsters after a day on the deck!), we gave most of our haul to the kitchen staff and barbecued plenty of snapper and trevally for dinner. It tasted so good, even better for having caught it, cleaned it and cooked it ourselves!

And then it was Tuesday, Happy Birthday to ME! I had one of the best birthdays ever - in the morning, I went out again for two fun dives and so it was great to be able to take a leisurely pace and not worry about crashing in to the rest of the group! The visibility had greatly improved, and I saw so many different fish, it was like being in another world. That afternoon, I was robbed by the Thailand Postal Service (£30 for 3kg Surface Mail?????????) and later met up with the guys at the resort for a few birthday drinks! I had dinner with Team Italy again, and was so surprised when they said they were treating my to an Aloe Massage on the beach. I probably should make it clear at this point that we went to a proper massage place and they weren't actually offering to do it themselves, LOL!

So after an hour, we were all so relaxed that I assumed we'd all just crash for the night. But no, off we jumped on a scooter to Mae Haad. Half way there, Riccardo spotted a little Mini Golf place and made a quick u-turn! In the end, we found tenpin bowling there as well, so we opted for that instead. When I say tenpin bowling, what I mean is a little lane in a wooden shack, where a guy sat at the end to rack up the pins, and then rolled the bowls back along a track to us at the start! I won the first game hands down, but was completely slaughtered in the second. I would like to point out that I had nearly polished off a small bottle of rum at that point, and I would have won both had I been sober!

It was then back to the resort for a few more at the Eazy Bar, in one of the most chilled out bars ever. It was a great end to a great day. So, it was really hard this morning to tear myself away from Buddha View and all the great people I've met there. I've never felt so welcomed in my entire life, absolutely ALL of the staff are great and I'll never forget the support I had from Lizzie, Jesper, Perry (NZ), Darren (WARRINGTON, UK!!!) and Charlotte (UK) - thanks to you all, so so much!

So now I am in Chumphon for the night, and I have absolutely no idea what my next move should be. There's not much to stay here for, but I don't know if I should head over to Koh Phi Phi (which is beautiful, but will bleed me even drier after all the diving extravagances thus far), or take the train directly into Malaysia. I'm really at a loose end and soooo tired from all the scuba, I just can't think straight!

Watch this space...

Back In BKK!

I made it, here I am , back in Thailand!!!

Today ran really smoothly:

Up at 7am, mango shake & bread at 8, minibus at 9, arrived at Hanoi airport at 10, checked in by 11, in air by 1, landed in Bangkok at 2, on express bus by 3, on Phra Athit Road by 4, checked in and online by 5pm!

I'm in Merry V Guesthouse, as recommended by Amanda & Tom, it's cheap and cheerful, with the best internet price in the area! I stayed a mere 2 minutes away at the Navalai, so I know the area - it was great to hit a city that I felt familiar with!

I now need to have a chill out and find out the best (and cheapest) way to get to Siam Square - I'm meeting A&T at the Paragon Cinema for JAMES BOND!!! Can't wait. Just need to get out the GPS now to find the restaurant from my very first night in Asia, all those weeks ago...

Vietnam Redeemed!

I've just read through my last post and good grief, wasn't I a Victor Meldrew?!! You'll be pleased to know that things are much better...

I went off to the DMZ on Wednesday, and visited the Vinh Moc tunnels, which were rather impressive. It was another wet and grey day, but it gave me the opportunity to meet some new folks, including Aurelie from France, who I later shared a room with back in Hue that evening (spreading the cost, yippee!!)

Thursday arrived and the rain had abated, so off we set to explore the city and by some miracle, the sun came out and it was very hot, much more like it at last! The Citadel is a very bizarre place - it was obviously impressive at its zenith, but the ravages of time and war have reduced it to but a shell of its former self. It's undergoing a LOT of renovation at the moment, so hopefully in the not-to-distant future, it will regain some of it's former glory.

Aurelie departed for Hoi An at 2pm, so I spent the afternoon chilling out with The Bourne Identity - the book - which after only a few pages, was obviously quite different from the film. I spent my time until 5.30pm so engrossed in the story that I bought the copy (which was the hotel's property) for a ridiculous $5!!! That may not sound much, but this thing is over 20 years old, is falling apart and was only $5.95 AUSTRALIAN dollars in 1981!!! Still, I knew that to buy a new copy somewhere, $5 was a much better deal!!!

I later boarded my final (woohoo!) night bus and I actually got a bed at the back that had plenty of legroom and was completely flat, so I could actually recline properly. It was a great relief; however, being deposited on the banks of the Red River in Hanoi at 7am on Friday morning ("free transfer to the Old Quarter will come soon" - yeah, right!!!) cancelled out any slight positive feelings I may have developed for the system!!!

Eventually, I made the 4km+ trip to the right area of town in a taxi with some fellow scammed travellers and the rain returned, I have never seen a sky so black in my entire life! I made it to the guesthouse that Aurelie had recommended and it was refreshing to meet Lee, a lovely Vietnamese girl who was honest, upfront and straightforward about everything - she didn't have a room for me (and wouldn't promise me one for later) but I was welcome to hang around for a few hours should one become available. Thank goodness one did in the end as the rain was so torrential, the thought of scouting for alternative accommodation was NOT appealing...

That afternoon, I ventured out in the rain, but it was so bad, it was impossible to do anything enjoyable. Many of the streets were flooded up to knee-deep and my feet were raw from walking in soggy sandals. I decided to book my trip to Halong Bay for Saturday, in spite of the rain. I figured it better to be stuck on a boat with a group of new people, than stuck in a hotel room on my own... And I was right! The weather in Hanoi on Saturday morning was still blooming awful, but as we set off east, the rain lessened and it was merely overcast at Halong Bay. I was soon onboard the boat, where 14 people set off around the limestone karsts and ventured inside Surprising Cave (which, surprisingly, was a surprise to the man who discovered it!!!)

Halong Bay, Vietnam

After that it was time to kayak around at sunset, before heading back to the boat. We dropped anchor for the night and then everyone started to jump off the top deck into the bay. I was thinking "How ridiculous!" until I then realised that it was about time I did something a little reckless instead of playing it safe all the time (sorry Mum!) So, I clambered over the railings and then instantly froze solid as I viewed the drop below - a good 5 metres I'd say (which doesn't sound much, but it is, honest!) It took a good deal of procrastinating, but I eventually took the plunge, and after finally emerging, all I could do was to shout back up to the guys on the boat "I did it!!! I did it!!!" to rapturous applause!

It was great to swim in the dark as it was possible to see tiny phosphorescent plankton in the water, excited into light-emitting action by our splashing around. It was extremely magical, it was as if the stars had been reflected in the sea. However, treading water for a good half hour straight doesn't half tire you out, no matter how fascinating the results!

On Sunday, we reached Cat Ba island. I sensibly elected NOT to trek through the national park, as some boxes don't need ticking, especially after Chiang Mai! I enjoyed chatting with my new roommate, Mark from Australia, as we waited for the rest of the group to make it down from the "steep" climb. They assured me that I had made the right decision as the trail description was accurate!

After checking in at the hotel, we had free time to explore Cat Ba Town and its beaches, which were very beautiful, but a little chilly seeing as it was quite overcast. However, I have never been so pleased with grey skies, especially as they weren't unloading another deluge!!! That night, the boat gang ventured out for drinks and we ended up having some deep debates about religion, politics, environmentalism... my brain hasn't been that stimulated for years!!! It was great to meet some cool people - Dave & Lyn from Australia and Amanda & Tom from the U.S.

We returned to Hanoi yesterday afternoon, and it was great to see it had finally stopped raining, so Amanda, Tom, Mark & I headed out for some great pork balls with noodles (of which the name I have forgotten!) and a delicious mango shake! Today, I managed to see a little bit of Hanoi, enough to feel I can leave in the morning without hanging my head in shame (although I must admit, on Friday, I never thought it would be possible as the rain was never-ending!) I visited the Hoa Lu Prison and Temple of Literature, before a tasty lunch of more pork balls and another AMAZING dish that I cannot even describe and that I do not know the name of! Hopefully, I'll be able to find it online at some point! We then watched the traditional water puppet show, which was great fun before heading out for yet more mango shakes!!!

Old Quarter, Hanoi

So, as I type this as I wait to meet the guys for dinner (yes, I haven't stopped eating for about three days!) I can honestly say that I have finally clicked with Vietnam and that Hanoi is NOT the city I thought it would be, based on everything I had heard before. I could see myself visiting here again some time in the future, a concept that was incomprehensive but a few days ago. I'm really looking forward to flying back to Bangkok tomorrow, but luckily I will leave with fond memories of Vietnam. I just have to work out my next moves through the islands and on to Malaysia!

BTW, I know I've gone on (and on) about the rain a lot, but on the Vietnamese news, it said that Hanoi has just had the most rain for FORTY YEARS!!! Believe me, it has been newsworthy!!!

La Pluie Dans Hué

Yikes! Thought I'd never dry out... best fill you all in with the last few days!

After the "Room 01" incident, I was rather shook up and still very tired from the awful bus journey. Although I did have an offer to join my new Aussie pals, Nicole & Irene, at the local mud spa, I declined as my bearings were all out of whack! Instead, I retreated to the new room, and had a light nap, which was slightly disturbed by the odd ant or two crawling over me...

That afternoon, I finally emerged from the room and bumped straight into Josh, who I knew was staying at the same place, but I wasn't expecting to see him that early in the day. We wandered down to the beach, which was obviously very beautiful, but it was such a shame that it was still very, very grey and cloudy. I tried to locate a geocache in the area, but for the second time in Vietnam, it was allegedly placed on a "power distributor" with a magnet and again I couldn't find the blasted thing!!! I'd better get one somewhere before I leave the country next week.

Nha Trang, beautiful but grey, grey, grey...

On Saturday, the weather hadn't improved, so I decided against a boat trip around the coast. I sometime struggle to decide between a "free boring day stuck in a hotel room" or a "spoiled day-trip day that cost money" - sad, really!!! Anyway, determined not to stay in the hotel, I ventured out for breakfast and then treated myself to a pedicure. I enjoyed it so much, I then got a manicure too, so all the dead skin and flaky bits that I'd been biting at were no more! Admittedly, I didn't bother with any nail polish (as I knew that it would look shabby after a few hours backpacking), but it was only £5 in total. BARGAINOUS!!!

I took a long walk along the beach, then spent the rest of the afternoon uploading the rest of my Angkor photos. Damn this weather, it makes it all too easy to just sit online!!! After grabbing dinner with the Aussie girls, it was soon time to board another overnight bus... oh dear...

I'd like to say it was better this time (as I had a bed with more legroom) but it wasn't. The roads between Nha Trang and Hoi An are ATROCIOUS, and so my head was banging along the bottom of the floor for most of the night. Plus, we had a snorer and a shrieking baby. Could've murdered someone, I'll tell you... Still got another damn night bus to catch yet as well!!! I'll never do it again, not unless I know for sure it is like the one to Pakse in Laos.

Anyway, I arrived in Hoi An at 6am ish, to another scramble of touts and hotel staff trying to get you in to their place. I was too tired to argue and so soon me, Irene and Nicole were sharing a room in a nice hotel with free internet (oh dear) and a pool. I was grateful to share with the girls, as a single there would have been way out of my budget, but it was very reasonable to split a triple room.

We headed out to The Old Quarter and were soon in the market, getting hassled. I thought Turkey was bad, but I can honestly say I've had my fill of Asian markets. I soon ended up with a fake Kipling bag ("Where's my monkey?") and some little paintings, which will no doubt go in a shoebox with all my other foreign artwork! Oh yeah, forgot to mention, first thing that morning, we went to a tailors to get measured up for some bespoke clothes - I opted for a Oriental blouse in blue Chinese silk, a bargain for $20 (but still a source of concern, given the many horror stories about dodgy shops I'd heard). We had to go back after 5pm to collect our garments.

Old Quarter Market, Hoi An

So 5pm arrived, and we went back, but the lady from the morning soon hurried my out of the shop and said to come back after 6.30. So that was concerning, especially as I was still wondering why they'd been so keen to give us free bottles of water that morning that weren't sealed... was it so that they could drug us, and we would be chuffed with whatever bit of tat they'd knocked up for us? I'm getting extremely paranoid with all this travel, it's a shame really. I started out being quite trusting, but the constant hassle gets to you a bit and you forget that most people over here are really kind and genuine.

So, it was a great relief to find that after the second time, my blouse was there as promised and looked great and well made. I then had barely enough time to run round the corner to meet Rianne and Daniele at their guesthouse, my Dutch and Italian friends from Chiang Mai, who were in Hoi An for one more night.

So yesterday, after Irene and Nicole checked out a 6am to catch an impromptu flight to Hanoi, I changed hotels and joined Rianne and Daniele in hiring bikes so we could ride to the beach. It was still overcast and spitting, but I was so glad to actually get onto the sand and have a good swim, it didn't matter that it wasn't perfect weather. At lunchtime, imagine my surprise when I guy I went to primary school with walked past my table - we probably hadn't spoken for a good 15 years, so it was hilarious to have a good chinwag on a little beach in Vietnam. It is indeed a very small world.

Anyway, after a great day where I actually felt like I had done something constructive, I said my goodbyes to Rianne and Daniele (who were leaving on the night bus to Nha Trang) and retired to my room where I decided to repack my bag whilst watching Die Hard 2. It was nice to have Bruce Willis for company, LOL! I discovered that my trainers (that I haven't worn since I trekked in Chiang Mai) have gone mouldy, so I'm sooo glad I spent a fortune on them and have ruined them already!!! Oh well, they are still wearable, just stinky!!! When I know there will be some hot sunshine, I'll give them a good scrub with Vanish, but until then, I daren't get them wet again!

So, I was up again early this morning to check out and head back to my original hotel to board the bus to Hué, another sleeper but quite bearable in the daytime. It was a relatively short journey, and I was checked into a reasonable room by lunchtime. ($6 but on the ground floor next to reception - the hotel guy thought I was loopy when I checked until the bathroom bin and behind the towels before accepting it!!!)

I barely had time to settle before I heard the rains begin. I could tell, even from the confines of my windowless room that there was no point going outside, so I quickly drifted off to sleep for a much-needed nap... Hours later, it was till lashing it down, but I'd started to feel woozy from the day-sleep. I decide to brave the flooded roads, nearly knee deep in places, to walk to a supermarket for face wash and shower gel, as I'd run out days ago.

So I was soaked again, and nothing is drying at the minute. I can smell the dampness everywhere! I did give my sandals a good scrub with soap though, seeing as they were wet already, so that should freshen them up a bit. And, it was heavenly to have a hot shower (first one in ages that worked!) with Dove shower gel, as I'd been managing with cheap hotel soap!

The weather forecast is pretty horrendous for the next few days. That left me with another difficult decision: to stay in the hotel watching TV tomorrow, to leave Hué and go straight to Hanoi tomorrow night and have a whole week stuck there, or to risk a day-trip in the deluge. I opted for the latter so I'm off to the Vietnamese DMZ tomorrow, and hopefully when it does rain, it doesn't disrupt things too much. It's a real shame that Vietnam has been so wet - it hasn't just been heavy downpours in the afternoon interrupting the sun, it's been real grey misery... I don't feel I've been able to enjoy it as much as possible, especially being on my own for times as it isn't that easy to bump into people out and about when everyone is running around under ponchos!!!

But, at least I'm off on the trip tomorrow and then I'll have one last day in Hué, hopefully seeing the Citadel, on Thursday before I arrive in Hanoi Friday on morning. I just hope to goodness that I can get to Halong Bay and that the weather doesn't ruin that - if I can't sail out there, I'll be in Hanoi for 6 nights and by all accounts there doesn't seem to be that much to do there. I'll be very ready to leave Vietnam by then, so I hope some good fortune comes along to ensure that Halong Bay is a success and redeems my experience here before I have to leave...

What Doesn't Kill Us, Only Makes Us Stronger...

Well, that's the theory, and I will confirm it should I ever make it home in one piece, with all my nerves intact!

The sleeper bus from HCMC to Nha Trang was NOT at all like the one I took to Pakse. Each "bed" was a single reclining chair, very airline-like, where you put your feet under the head of the person in front. Great - only if you were lucky enough to not be by the toilet, as the mini-stairwell leading to it meant that the footroom was non-existent. How pleased I was to be in said bunk, 7C!!! I then committed that heinous crime, I moved to an empty bed, and then completely looked oblivious when the rightful occupant boarded. I'd like to be able to say that I felt guilty when the poor guy slept with his knees around his ears in my bed... but I didn't!

It was quite a hideous trip, not only did the driver beep his horn all night, the roads seem to be covered with cattle grids in Vietnam and we weren't allowed to use the toilet. Don't know why. We did have ONE toilet stop, throughout the entire 10 hour trip, but this was pretty pointless after only one hour on the road and had no benefit to the succeeding nine!!!

We arrived at last in Nha Trang (peeing it down, crap crap crap!) Isomehow ended up on the back of a motorbike, all bags in tow, to a hotel that promised a single for $5 a night. Lo and behold, it was the Good Hotel, which incidentally, a friend I met in Laos is already staying at, although he did warn me that "Good" was a bit of a misnomer...

Anyway, I had to wait a while for the room to be ready, so when I finally was let in, I was happy to take it. Double bed, fan, looked clean enough... I soon realised that I probably wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight, as I was only partitioned off from reception (and the awful Vietnamese karaoke on the TV) by a pane of glass. Thaknk Goodness for earplugs!

I took a long shower, grateful to wash off the stench of cold sweat that had developed overnight, whilst sweating profusely in the AC, glad I don't have pnemonia. I was a little perturbed to spot a pair of thin worms, snaking their way along the bathroom floor. Not to worry, I soon showered them down the plughole! I lifted up the bin, assuming that is where they had originated; I wish I hadn't bothered...

Out came HUGE clumps of ants, and I mean thousands, so soon the entire floor was swimming with black blobs, with me perched precariously upon the toilet seat, in only my birthday suit. I took a good 10 - 15 minutes to get them all down the plughole, which I had to unblock! I rinsed under the bin, and more and more of the damn things kept coming!

It seemed that that problem was solved, until about 6 or 7 more worms appeared, so I rinsed all the walls and around the door frame, releasing a spider in the process. All done, all gone. Until, as I was cleaning my teeth, I looked down and out of a crack in between the wall and door frame, thousands more ants, and their eggs, were emerging back into the room. ENOUGH! I had to get out - cheap is only worth it if it is cheerful, and by this time, I was not! I grabbed the towel, to dry off and then it really was the last straw...

There was now a COCKROACH to contend with, so I yelped and dashed out of the bathroom, leaving the towels and said monster in a puddle in the bathroom. I managed to dry myself off with some napkins I'd taken from a cafe in HCMC, and I was staright to reception to complain.

I'm now in a room on the 2nd floor, that seems to have only one or two ants - it's $6 per night and I made the receptionist check under the bin and behind the towels before I agreed to move. I hope to God I don't get invaded again, my nerves couldn't take it, I am still itching and it was over an hour ago since I left Room 01... I know I will have nightmares tonight...

So, now I am at a loose end, the rain in Nha Trang looks like it will prevent any proper sightseeing, so I'm thinking I will end up northwards sooner than planned. So I could be stuck in Hanoi for longer than I would have liked, but I'll just keep the thought of the Thai Islands ever-present in my mind... Not sure I'm liking Vietnam quite so much anymore!

Good Afternoon Vietnam!

Off I set, on Monday morning, on the nicest bus I've been on so far, it wasn't four decades old, and with only nine of us between forty-five seats, there was plenty of space to stretch out!

I soon got chatting to a lovely couple from the U.K. - Paul is a Brit and his wife, Carolina, is Argentinian. We soon had the world map out and she was giving me great advice about the best things to see in South America, and how to get around! Just hope I don't forget it all before next spring!

The passage to Vietnam was very smooth, so much so that I completely missed our river crossing on a ferry, not quite sure how that happened, but never mind. Soon, we were at the Cambodian-Vietnam border, a far cry than the one from Laos. Here, there are casinos along the roadside, and there's an actual building with passport control, X-ray machines and duty-free!!!

We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC, or Saigon for old-schoolers), just as the thunderous deluge began. Thank goodness I had put my waterproof cover over my rucksack before setting out that morning! It quickly became apparent that the stories of Vietnam being more expensive were indeed true, $10 for a single room!!! Well, that might not sound like much, but don't forget, last week I paid only 50p!!!

I'm not quite sure how it came about, but soon a Vietnamese lady was escorting us down a side alley and before I knew it, I had arranged a room for myself for $5, which was actually big enough to sleep three people, with it's own balcony nonetheless! Paul & Carolina had got a similar deal barely round the corner, and we were staying in local houses, rather than the usual guesthouses, which made a refreshing change.

We arranged to meet that evening for dinner, after the rain had stopped. I made my way over to their place, but there was no sign of them yet, so a spent a long hour chatting to their hostess and playing with her two tiny chihuahuas, Boh Boh and Moh Nee. So cute, but hard to believe that they are actually dogs and not large rodents!!! She gave me a sweet green bean snack to try, which was not too bad - I was not so keen on the milk snack, which was like sweet, cheesy, gone-off milk. Oh well, at least I wasn't rude and I did indeed finish it all off.

Anyway, once the guys had emerged from their room, we headed out for dinner, which was remarkably cheap, it was Happy Hour and our food was discounted by 10%, first time I had seen that! We arranged to meet up the following day for a wander around HCMC.

Off we set on Tuesday morning to the large market in the Cholon area, around 6km away from where we were staying. We decided that it would be lovely to stroll along the Saigon River en route (mistake - poo!!!) and then it seemed like our destination would never appear - it was lunchtime by the time we arrived and I was thoroughly drained by the stifling heat and craziness of the motorbike drivers here. MUM - please note that although I had to walk out in front of seething masses of bikes, none of them hit me and as I am here writing this, you can see I'm not in traction somewhere!

Cholon Market, Ho Chi Minh City

After seeing a couple of pagodas later on, I needed to get back home for a nap, which took longer than expected as there happened to be a huge university complex right over the direct path I would have liked to have taken! That evening, I organised a day-trip to the Mekong delta and purchased an air ticket from Hanoi to Bangkok, so I need to be 1000km northwards by Bonfire Night!

Yesterday, I went on the delta trip, and it was OK. Another box ticked, but I have indeed seen enough of the mighty Mekong for several lifetimes. We visited a coconut candy 'factory' (which is delicious and very chewy, like a cross between coconut fudge and toffee) and a honey farm where I held a python! After lunch, we took kayaks along canals shaded by water palms (I was waiting for Martin Sheen to appear from the depths as any moment!) to sample some local fruits and hear traditional Vietnamese music.

Rowing down the Mekong Delta

Last night, it was again time for me to be productive and organise my transport for the next two weeks. It took several pages of notepaper and a lot of guide-book studying, but for $40, I am taking an open bus to Nha Trang tonight (sleeper, to save on accommodation), and then I will have stops in Hoi An, Hue and finally arriving in Hanoi in about a week's time, so I can visit Halong Bay and be back in good time to get to the airport for my flight to BKK.

So, today, I have been wandering about the city, trying to dodge the traffic and moto touts, who don't seem to understand that some of us are content to walk for free! I also plucked up the courage to get a haircut! Yikes, after one I had in Korea 18 months ago, that was quite a feat, believe me. But rest assured, I do NOT look like a small Vietnamese boy and for £1.82, who could complain?

So I have a few more hours to kill, and hopefully I can get back into the guesthouse to retrieve my backpack (as I can't quite remember which shop the lady works in, if she isn't at home!) This internet cafe is cheaper than the one I've been using previously in HCMC, only 13p per hour! Although it stinks of old houses!!! So, off I go to Nha Trang, which is supposed to be a beautiful beach town, althought the whole of Vietnam seems to have thunderstorms forecast for the next 10 days or so... Poncho anyone?

Cambodia!

We left Kratie early on Tuesday morning and set off on yet another long journey, this time to Siem Reap. We finally arrived around 4pm, which gave us just enough time to get from the bus station to a guesthouse, drop off our bags and then hop into a tuk-tuk to...

...ANGKOR WAT!

Yes, after nine years of waiting, the time to see this masterpiece had finally arrived. We got to the entrance gates just after 5pm, which meant we could buy our tickets there and then for sunset, but they would only start from the following day, so in effect, we were getting a little bit of a freebie! Of course, there was no way that I could commit a heinous offence by buying just a one-day pass - oh no, I went for 3 full days!!!

Our tuk-tuk drivers recommended that we view the sunset from a mountain overlooking Angkor Wat, so off we set up the path, just as the sky started to turn beautiful shades of orange. Just as we made it to the top though, and began our ascent up some steep steps, the heavens opened and it absolutely HEAVED it down! So, it was just hilarious really, we just stood under my umbrella (which was not use for 4 people at all), getting soaked, and worrying about all the precious non-waterproof belongings we had in our daysacks, as we'd all been keeping our most important bits and bobs near to us on the bus journey!!! By some miracle, nothing was ruined, at least in my bag!

Once back at the guesthouse, we dried off and grabbed some dinner. It was soon time for bed before getting up (YET AGAIN) at the crack of dawn, literally this time... 4.30am did my alarm go off on Wednesday, and by 5.15am, we were back outside Angkor Wat to watch the sunrise. Was it worth it?...

...What do you think?!!

The early start meant we had loads of time to cram in the main sites on the "little circle" route that most people view. After watching the full sunrise, we spent about an hour exploring the complex, viewing the bas reliefs and for me, all this was done whilst listening to Tomb Raider themes on my iPod, I was in the game at last!

Next stop was Angkor Thom, the walled city just north of AW. The approach to the south gate was particularly impressive:

Devas lining the approach to Angkor Thom

The Bayon is within Angkor Thom, and it really is a spectacular place, 216 stone faces look out, in the cardinal directions, over the forest. I've never seen anything quite like it. After taking in a few more of the Thom temples, it was time for lunch and then just as it started to rain in the afternoon, we were off to Ta Prohm, THE Tomb Raider temple (well, in the film and as far as I am concerned, that doesn't count!!!) But anyway... this is the one that has the trees growing over the walls, so I really was in my element here and a good few Lara Croft poses were struck by yours truly! I must get around to wading through the hundreds of photos I took that day!

Anyway, I could ramble on and on about Angkor for pages, but I won't - the following day, I went off on my own back to the area to view the main sites on the "big circle" route and planned for the third day to be spent visiting a smaller area of temples at Roulous before visiting AW one last time for sunset. It wasn't to be, alas, as on Friday, it was overcast and then raining for most of the afternoon. It was a bit of a shame, but I felt that I had done it all justice in 2 days (plus it gave me 7½ hours to kill in an internet cafe and I finally got some more pictures uploaded to Flickr (check them out!!!))

On Saturday, I left Siem Reap and headed to Phnom Penh. Really, they should do bus miles!!! I stayed at Okay Guesthouse, near The Royal Palace, which I managed to cram in that afternoon. It was very beautiful, but similar to The Grand Palace in Bangkok, so it was a little bit "been there, done that!" but on the positive side, also "box ticked!" The Silver Pagoda was a bit of a damp squib - yes, there are some amazing treasures in there, but when most of the silver floor tiles are covered with carpet, and the ones that are exposed are covered in duct tape, it's a little hard to be excited. The guide books always make things sound much more exciting than they often are...

On Sunday, I got up early (not by choice now, but by body-clock habit) and walked to the S21 Prison, Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. It wasn't quite as gruesome as I was expecting, but it was a very sombre experience to witness the school that was converted into the Khmer Rouge's main prison, where over 17,000 people were tortured and later executed at the Choeng Ek killing fields. it was hard to imagine how all this happened, under Pol Pot's dictatorship, just a few years before I was born. I also learned that for a long time, the Khmer Rouge were supported by the U.N. - how did that happen, it beggars belief???

In the afternoon, I took a motorbike ride to Choeng Ek Genocide Memorial - Mum, please note that I DID wear a crash helmet, so my insurance should have covered me!!! It was much smaller than I expected and again, not quite a grim, but still very humbling. It is now very serene, almost like an oasis of calm after the horrors that were carried out here, the peace interrupted only by the croaking of frogs in the pools formed in where many of the mass graves were excavated...

Sunday evening, and a long day, I decided it was time to leave Cambodia and head off for pastures new. I booked my ticket, bought the guidebook and set my alarm - ready to head off (on my own, nonetheless) to Vietnam!

Leaving Laos

It was yet another early start for the intrepid travellers on Saturday, as we boarded yet another minivan, this time bound for Don Khong, the largest of Laos'4000 Islands. Soon, we were on the banks of the Mekong, waiting for another ferry to whisk us over to Muang Khong, the main (and perhaps only?) town on the island. Well, hamlet would be more accurate!!!

We quickly found a simple but cheap guesthouse (which was welcome after the expense of Vientiane) and dropped off our bags. We were soon off riding around the island on bicycles, all this before midday! It was great to finally feel like I was in the real Laos, cycling past forests, rice paddies and cattle grazing by the roadside.

As we sped along, the guesthouse leaving us further and further behind, I imagined getting a puncture and having to walk all the way back again in the midday sun. it would be just my luck! However, things were going swimmingly until Kendall's bike chain came off, and it took considerable effort and the use of some sturdy twigs to get it back on again, especially as it had got wedged behind the front and back cogs, and was bone dry - not a single drop of oil anywhere! It was a relief to set off again, and thank goodness we had got our bad luck over and done with for the day!

We enjoyed a leisurely lunch back at the guesthouse, before setting out in the afternoon in the opposite direction, and this was even more rewarding as we passed through many tiny settlements and watched the locals harvest their rice crop by hand. It was so good to be away from the tackiness of Vang Vieng, and the posh, touristy boutiques of Luang Prabang! Some children were fascinated with us as we zoomed by, so we stopped for some 'hellos' and photos - one little guy was chuffed to take a red biro from me, bless him!

Beautiful Laos Children

After using the GPS to work out that we were a good 5km away from the guesthouse (and that was as the crow flies), we thought it best to head back again. It wasn't long though before I found it a real struggle to keep going. "Are we going uphill?" I asked, my thighs burning, which I couldn't quite understand as the road looked as flat as a pancake...

Flat was the operative word - I looked down and Emma had a puncture! Damn it, I knew it!!! I peddled on regardless, but as the girls started to move away from me, it was futile to continue on. Kendall offered me her bike, and she took Fiona's (who hitched a ride on the back). Katie then took mine by the handlebars and cycled all the way back to the guesthouse with two bikes. I felt awful about it, but when I attempted to do the same, my weedy arms couldn't take the weight and I just couldn't cycle in a straight line.

Eventually, we all made it home again and worked out that we had done about 15 miles over the course of the day, not bad really! Cold showers were required all around and then we just took it easy until dinner on a verandah over the Mekong. It was time for bed as another early start lay ahead of us...

On Sunday, we took a little boat south along the river to Don Det, a much smaller island close to the border with Cambodia. It was a lovely journey, much better than all the buses we had been cramped into, and soon after landing on the island, we quickly found some quaint little bungalows with a sunset view. Imagine our delight to find that it was only 15,000 kip per night for a twin, which worked out at roughly 50p each!!!

Mr. Ki's Bungalows, 50p per night!!!

We soon met up with Nat, from Wales, who has a photography degree - poor girl had her ear bent by me all day, plus I showed here all my Moo cards!!! I don't think she minded too much really, and we spent the afternoon browsing each others' snaps. We ventured out in the evening to a little Indian restaurant, and I splashed out on a chicken rogan josh (well, I think it was really a tikka masala in disguise), steamed rice, a butter naan and TWO cans of Sprite! Well, I had an excess of kip and once you leave Laos, you can't exchange it anywhere! What a nightmare, when the bill arrived, it was 10,000 less than I thought it would be, so I had to order dessert, just to spend some more!!!

This morning, we had YET ANOTHER early start as we boarded the little ferry back to the mainland and squashed ourselves into another minivan to the Cambodian border. We were dropped off and were a little concerned when the vans pulled away. We were even more concerned when moments later, they drove back past us, with no bags on the roof, in the direction we had just come from!

We were charged a dollar each to be stamped out by Laos immigration, which we were expecting, even though technically this is a scam, as we all had Cambodian visas, paid for in full. However, once we walked the few hundred yards across no-man's land to the Cambodian officials, it all kicked off... They wanted to charge us $2 each to get in, even though we had all paid at least $20 for out visas. I was quite prepared to pay it, as a couple of dollars I could live with (although had it been much more than that, I may have joined in the fuss!)

An American girl started kicking off at the officials, protesting that she had paid already and that "I want you to give me my passport back right now!!!" To cut a very long story short, many people made such a fuss that the passports were stamped and no money was taken - by the time I made it to the front, I simply handed over mine, and waited. I wasn't asked for any money, so when it was handed back to me, I simply thanked them and made a discreet exit...

Anyway, off we went after a good while in a different minivan to Stung Treng for lunch, then onto a third van to Kratie - it was gone 4pm by the time we arrived. The girls went straight out on motorbikes back to the Mekong to go look for Irrawaddy dolphins - I stayed back to have a long shower and a long nap...

Week Three

Well, I've a lot to cram in here since my last post, so I'll try and avoid "going around the houses" too much (good luck with that!)

Last Sunday, we had an easy day - that is, after waking up at 5am to watch the almsgiving to the monks, which was pointless as I was at the wrong end of town and then nothing happened until 6am. After going back to bed, it was a rainy morning, so we took the opportunity to grab a cuppa and plan our onward movements.

In the afternoon, Katie and I made it up Mount Phou Si, so admire the views of Luang Prabang and do a little more temple spotting! I must admit, I had had my fill of the town by now; yes it was very pretty, but I felt like I was stuck in an expensive resort on the Med, all the boutiques and cafes were full of middle-aged Europeans with greying hair. No offence to middle-aged Europeans with greying hair, but I'm backpacking, I could have seen you all out on the Greek islands, this is Asia!!! I guess there was just something I couldn't put my finger on about LPB that didn't sit right with me, but to many others, they loved the place, so each to their own I guess.

Monday - we were off on a "VIP" bus to Vang Vieng that should have taken "4 hours" - and there was a lovely toilet on board!!! Hmmmm, the toilet didn't function, and was dirtier than most of the squatters I have encountered so far, the "AC" was possibly wind because we were moving, the roads were HORRENDOUS and then we suffered a blowout at the rear of the bus, just under where we were sat! Everybody jumped up and someone spotted "smoke", so mass hysteria set in and everyone shouted "stop the bus!" and grabbed their belongings. In fairness, it was a standard puncture and the "smoke" was probably dust, but it later transpired that many people thought that the local guy with a rifle sticking out of his trousers, that we had noticed at lunch, had got a little trigger happy!!!

Bang Vieng!!!

We eventually arrived in Vang Vieng after 7 hours (OK, 30 minutes of that was stoppage time whilst the back wheel was changed). Vang Vieng is a pointless little backwater that exists only for tubing, a silly 'sport' where you float downriver on an inflated tractor tyre inner tube, stopping every few hundred yards at bamboo shacks, to get drunk and jump off rope swings and zip lines. Sorry, I can't be more generous than that; without the tubing, there would be nothing there. The main street was a line of guesthouses, playing Friends on repeat all day, every day. I decided to avoid alcohol whilst tubing, so it was quite boring for me to sit in the bars doing nothing, so I decided to float off down to the end. Once again, that was just my opinion, as everyone else had a great laugh!

Katie was feeling a bit ropey, so she decided to float downriver with me, so off we went, avoiding the bars and just taking in the scenery (which in fairness to VV, is pretty spectacular). The heavens opened and we froze for about 10 minutes, then I got wedged on a tree in the middle of the river, which was absolutely hilarious as I had to pull Katie back by the arm, so she could hold on to the branch while I freed myself... we had a real giggle over that one!

Eventually, we could just about make out a (poor) sign that the tubing stretch was at an end and we needed to disembark - unfortunately, we were right on the other side of the river and the current was very strong. I jumped out of my tube, and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was only a few feet deep at this point... However, the current was so strong that it was pulling me along the gravel bottom on my feet and it was impossible to stand still. I could see the "Get Out Here" sign moving closer and then away from me again at a huge rate of knots, and it was only when a local boy jumped into rescue me, did I manage to make it to the river bank at last!

By Wednesday morning, we were ready to leave and after getting up early, we managed to squeeze onto a minivan to Vientiane at 9am. We had had enough of VV and arrived in the capital in the early afternoon. We had a bit of a shock when all the guesthouses claimed to be full, and then when we did find one with space, it was three times the price of a room in VV. Very expensive for Asia, but I guess still very cheap compared to home.

We had a general wander around the town and market in the afternoon, and then met up with Josh, Guy and Adam for a lovely dinner at La Terrasse (as recommended by the Lonely Planet and Rough Guide). I settled for a tomato salad whilst the others splashed out on steaks, and we had a lovely evening strolling through the night market. On Thursday, we took a tuk-tuk to Phra That Luang, the national symbol of Laos, and it was great to actually see some authentic Asian culture.

The national symbol of Laos

That morning, I had walked over three miles at 7am to the Cambodian Embassy to drop off my passport and visa application. I then had to do the trip again at 4pm to collect it, so I certainly got my fair share of exercise! Mad, you might think, but it would have been 160,000 kip in a tuk-tuk or an extra $20 for an agent to arrange it for me, so you do the math...

At 9pm, we boarded the "VIP" sleeper bus to Pakse - oh no, not "VIP"!!! However, we were pleasantly surprised when it finally pulled up at the bus station and it had proper air-con, actual beds, pillows and duvets, and looked as if it wasn't half a century old! It was great, just like caravanning (well, a little bit!) I was lucky enough to have a "double" to myself, so I settled down to read Homer's Odyssey with my head lamp, before I popped on the eyemask and ear plugs and settled down for the night.

We arrived in Pakse at around 7am this morning and quickly hopped into a tuk-tuk to Sabaidy Guesthouse. Quaint little place, reasonably priced, miserable staff, poor communication skills, but it will be fine for one night until we head off to the 4000 Islands tomorrow. Today, we were off on a tuk-tuk yet again, this time going on a river ferry with it, to Wat Phou, a pre-Angkorian Hindu temple in the mountains near Champasak. It was very Tomb Raider, I was expecting wolves to jump out at me and to find shotgun shells under rocks, but it was nowhere near as impressive as the Rough Guide made out - I'll save that kind of excitement for Angkor Wat. However, it was another box to tick and another place I have seen that many others will never get the opportunity to visit, so it was well worth it.

So, here I am again after a much needed shower and I'm very, very tired. It'll be an early night tonight before another early morning bus trip to Don Khong. I'm not sure how likely it will be to find an internet cafe on the islands, so it may be some time next week before I am online again. By that point, I should be in Cambodia (YIPPEE!!!) but that all depends if we make it across the "unofficial" Laos-Cambodia border... See you on the other side!