Bangkok as expected is shit. I don't really know how else to describe it. It is hot, busy, smoggy, hot, overcrowded, polluted, expensive, hot, people are unfriendly, toursty, oh and did I mention hot?
We arrived in Bangkok from Chang Mai on an overnight bus at about 5am. We got off the air-con bus, that like Vietnam has two temperature controls, desert and arctic (ours was on north pole). When we walked off the bus we realized that even at 5 am bangkok is ungodly hot and humid. Thank God we booked a hotel that was recommended to us in advance. When we showed up at 5 am expecting no way in hell are we going to be able to check in we were pleasantly surprised to know that the room was empty and we could go on up. That was the first and only pleasant surprise of my bangkok experience. After sleeping for a few hours, we headed to the hotel pool. The pool was a nice addition to the hotel (we booked this place knowing about the pool), and I don't know if I would have survived Bangkok without the pool and the elephant statue fountain spitting a spout of water into the pool center.
We went to a market the first night in Bangkok that was ENORMOUS, and after the market headed to the Banyon Tree Hotel for a "drink" at the skybar. Now I say "drink" with quotations, because when we got there, I couldn't even afford a glass of water. So we went up to the 60th floor and after having to wear loner shoes that didn't fit in order to get in (flip flops were not allowed) we took a couple pictures, clearly stuck out like sore thumbs, and busted a move out of there.
Now the thing I was not aware of when I got to Thailand was that upon arrival overland you only get a 15 day visa. Yes, you read correctly 15 days!!! WTF. So, I had to do what they call a "visa run" in order to get an additional 15 days. I booked a bus to Cambodia that left at 5 am (meaning I woke up at 4am) got to the border, left Thailand, entered cambodia, left cambodia, entered Thailand, and got an additional 15 days. On my way back from the border the bus told me the closest stop to my hotel (Rikka Inn, on Khao San Road) was the first stop. After getting off the bus and having 3 taxis tell me they refuse to bring me to the hotel because it was too far, I finally found a taxi to bring me. What one cab said would take 2 hours, took a mere 20 mins.
Khao San Road where our hotel was, is tourist and backpacker central. Carts line the streets selling ANYTHING you could possibly dream of. Bars line each side of the street, food stalls, more tattoo shops than I have ever seen, people grabbing you, blocking you, and trying to sell you everything from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Khao San is Mayhem.
Heidi and I tried to take a day trip and go to an Island (not a lay out, chill out, get tan, island) but a local inhabited island with some culture, the last day I was there. However after the complete lack of help from the boat operators, and getting yelled at we decided it wasn't worth our time or money, and decided to retreat back to our elephant fountain pool.
For dinner we went to what is known as "Bangkok's best Pad Thai". While we were at this outdoor restaurant a thai couple (one of the only friendly people we found) helped us order and told us this is "the best Pad Thai in all of Thailand, and the most authentic". Well, sorry Bangkok, outdoor restaurant, and nice couple. I didn't like it. I much prefer the westernized pad thai that I can get off the street stalls for much less money. Or really, I prefer the Pad Thai that I now am an expert at making. :)
I took an overnight bus to Koh Tao last night that arrived in a town called Champon at 5am. It connected to a boat that left at 7 am and arrived at the island a little after 9am. As you can imagine I am well tired. I finally found a place to stay here which was a bit tricky. The island is totally catered to divers, and since I am not diving most accommodation refuse to have guests if they don't dive with their company, OR their prices for a room are out of control. After walking for a bit, and finding a place not within my budget but as close as I could find, I found a small room, with electricity that comes and goes, a fan that doesn't really work, and a bed that is super uncomfortable. On the upside, the island is beautiful, and very relaxing. MUCH better than Bangkok, just more expensive, also it is equally as hot during the day, although at night I think it will cool down. Good thing I am on a beach here.
Ill be in Koh Tao for a couple nights then keep on island hoping, next on the list is Koh Phangan. 16 days left in Asia. Crazy how fast time has flown.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
care for a slice of Pai?
Pai is a slice of Heaven. I absolutely am enamored with this town. It is tiny, laid back, relaxed, chill and every other synonym for peaceful and great.
We have not done a whole heck of a lot in Pai, and that is how it is supposed to be. Apparently the saying is "do nothing in Pai".
We did manage to take a cooking class yesterday. "Let's Wok with Tee" was fabulous. We arrived at 10 in the morning and there was an older American couple who was also there. Ted and Suzanne. In the morning we learned all about Thai ingredients, spices, veggies, fruits etc. and then made curry for lunch. Between the 4 of us students, and the instructor (Tee) we had 5 different curries, and the were heavenly. (I personally made a Penang curry). Tee (a 33 year old Thai hippie) and his friend Peter (a 61 year old, who looks about 75, Thai hippie) then told us to take a break for a few hours while they go to the market to get the necessary ingredients for dinner. We went back to the class at 5:30 and proceeded to make a stir fry and a soup/salad each. I made a prawn Pad Thai, and a Tum Yum soup (spicy sour soup). The Pad Thai was great, the soup wasn't so good. Not because I didn't make it right, but merely I just didn't enjoy the flavors that went into it. All in all there were 10 dishes and we had so much food left over.
Tee and Peter told Heidi and I that if we want to make a dessert we can come back tonight. So we are going back at 6:30 to make dessert and eat dinner with the student tonight. Score! Free meal. :)
Today we rented motor bikes and cruised around the surrounding area. Pai is stunning, but incredibly hot. We went to two different waterfalls, and a natural hot springs where the local women were boiling eggs. The hot springs were 80 degrees Celsius and clearly we did not go in them.
Ted and Suzanne, our American cooking class-mates, have a car here and are driving back to Chang Mai tomorrow. They offered to bring us with them. We did not hesitate to accept the invitation. It, 1-Saves us money, and 2- Has to be better than taking a bus and feeling ill again. If it were not for the free ride I think we would stay here at least one more night (if it were up to me I would stay a whole week). It is so relaxing in Pai, and I am actually not looking forward to Bangkok where it is supposedly insane.
Anyhow, if you ever need a slice of Heaven, just come and have a slice of Pai.
We have not done a whole heck of a lot in Pai, and that is how it is supposed to be. Apparently the saying is "do nothing in Pai".
We did manage to take a cooking class yesterday. "Let's Wok with Tee" was fabulous. We arrived at 10 in the morning and there was an older American couple who was also there. Ted and Suzanne. In the morning we learned all about Thai ingredients, spices, veggies, fruits etc. and then made curry for lunch. Between the 4 of us students, and the instructor (Tee) we had 5 different curries, and the were heavenly. (I personally made a Penang curry). Tee (a 33 year old Thai hippie) and his friend Peter (a 61 year old, who looks about 75, Thai hippie) then told us to take a break for a few hours while they go to the market to get the necessary ingredients for dinner. We went back to the class at 5:30 and proceeded to make a stir fry and a soup/salad each. I made a prawn Pad Thai, and a Tum Yum soup (spicy sour soup). The Pad Thai was great, the soup wasn't so good. Not because I didn't make it right, but merely I just didn't enjoy the flavors that went into it. All in all there were 10 dishes and we had so much food left over.
Tee and Peter told Heidi and I that if we want to make a dessert we can come back tonight. So we are going back at 6:30 to make dessert and eat dinner with the student tonight. Score! Free meal. :)
Today we rented motor bikes and cruised around the surrounding area. Pai is stunning, but incredibly hot. We went to two different waterfalls, and a natural hot springs where the local women were boiling eggs. The hot springs were 80 degrees Celsius and clearly we did not go in them.
Ted and Suzanne, our American cooking class-mates, have a car here and are driving back to Chang Mai tomorrow. They offered to bring us with them. We did not hesitate to accept the invitation. It, 1-Saves us money, and 2- Has to be better than taking a bus and feeling ill again. If it were not for the free ride I think we would stay here at least one more night (if it were up to me I would stay a whole week). It is so relaxing in Pai, and I am actually not looking forward to Bangkok where it is supposedly insane.
Anyhow, if you ever need a slice of Heaven, just come and have a slice of Pai.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
elephant snot is gross
The trek in Chang Mai was good. Not great, not bad, just good. I am spoiled after the incredible 3 days we had hiking in Laos that I don't think anything will ever compare. A hike with no zip lines is a lame hike in my book now. We did ride elephants. Not as much fun as I envisioned, but I'm glad I did it nonetheless. They are uncomfortable to ride, very slow, and fairly scary. I was sneezed on a bunch of times as well, and frankly I don't need elephant snot in my life.
The hike itself was much more difficult than the one in Laos. It was very steep and very hot. It was only about 3 hours, (only about 2 1/2 of actually walking) but the last hour was straight up and exhausting. We stayed in a village in a hut where all our mattress pads on the floor were lined up one after the other. At night one of the local guys came around with a guitar and played us some local songs as well as some goodies like "hey Jude" and "hotel California".
Last night we met up with a few people from the trek at a bar called "roof top bar". It was a really great night, although my shoes were stolen. Most places in Asia you must take your shoes off at the door. This is the case for a guesthouse, restaurant, Internet cafe, bar, etc. Last night I was leaving the bar, and my shoes were gone. My favorite manky flip flops with my imprinted feet on them. I am ashamed to say that I took someone else's to walk home in. Same brand, same size, different color. I will say to my credit that my friend walked up to the bar with the flip flops in hand and asked if they belonged to anyone, no one responded so we think (or at least told ourselves) that the person must have taken mine by accident.
Today we took the worst bus ride in history to Pai. It was only 4 hours from Chang Mai but it was the most winding, hilly, road I have ever been on. Several people on the bus had to get out and throw up from car sickness. I was on the verge, but luckily enough I was able to muster through the ride with not puking. Pai is a little hippie town filled with art, music, cafes and great restaurants. Should be a peaceful few days. I think another massage may be in order here.
The hike itself was much more difficult than the one in Laos. It was very steep and very hot. It was only about 3 hours, (only about 2 1/2 of actually walking) but the last hour was straight up and exhausting. We stayed in a village in a hut where all our mattress pads on the floor were lined up one after the other. At night one of the local guys came around with a guitar and played us some local songs as well as some goodies like "hey Jude" and "hotel California".
Last night we met up with a few people from the trek at a bar called "roof top bar". It was a really great night, although my shoes were stolen. Most places in Asia you must take your shoes off at the door. This is the case for a guesthouse, restaurant, Internet cafe, bar, etc. Last night I was leaving the bar, and my shoes were gone. My favorite manky flip flops with my imprinted feet on them. I am ashamed to say that I took someone else's to walk home in. Same brand, same size, different color. I will say to my credit that my friend walked up to the bar with the flip flops in hand and asked if they belonged to anyone, no one responded so we think (or at least told ourselves) that the person must have taken mine by accident.
Today we took the worst bus ride in history to Pai. It was only 4 hours from Chang Mai but it was the most winding, hilly, road I have ever been on. Several people on the bus had to get out and throw up from car sickness. I was on the verge, but luckily enough I was able to muster through the ride with not puking. Pai is a little hippie town filled with art, music, cafes and great restaurants. Should be a peaceful few days. I think another massage may be in order here.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Laos was certainly not lousy
Loas was the antithesis of lousy. It was amazing from start to finish. It was phenomenal even with the terrible luck I had. I was sick, I broke my camera, and I broke my watch. Thank goodness bad things only happen in threes.
Last time I wrote we were on our way to Luang Prabang. The trip there was absolutely stunning. We drove a long 9 hours on a bus through the mountains on a VERY, and I mean VERY windy hilly road. The drive was beautiful, although typical Sarah style I slept through most of it.
When we arrived in Luang Prabang the tuk tuk driver dropped us off in what seemed to be the middle of no-where as far as guest houses were concerned. After walking around for about 30-45 minutes with our bags, asking every guesthouse we saw for prices and to look at a room, we finally found an English girl who pointed us the right direction for a cheap and clean place. We settled on Hoxieng Guesthouse and it was lovely. Luang Prabang is a bit more expensive than Vang Vieng. (We paid $7.50 each per night here). After a delicious green curry dinner and a stroll through the night market we passed out pretty early in the evening. There is not much night life in Luang Prabang, although we hear the place to go is the bowling alley.
The next morning we had the expectations of renting bicycles and going on a 35 km each way cycle to the waterfalls. That quickly did not happen when we FINALLY heard back from the Gibbon Experience in Houy Xai that we were booked on the trip starting on the 14th but we had to pay immediately. Pay Pal is the devil. We spent all morning long trying to get an Internet connection fast enough to set up Pay Pal accounts, call the Gibbon Experience, book a slow boat, set a schedule for the next few days and so on. By the time the day was practically over we had accomplished none of the above. My pay pal account did not want to work, The Gibbon Experience was not answering their phone, we realized we had an extra day in Luang Prabang so no boat tix had to be bought yet, and it was a hectic morning. Although by the end of the day after seeing a lovely temple and having a delicious meal once again, doing a little retail therapy at the night market all was good.
The next morning we did end up renting bikes, and we started on what was supposed to be a fairly easy 35 km bike ride to the waterfalls. We quickly learned that this was not an easy bike ride, and at the end of the 1 hour and 50 minute ride I was well exhausted. Thank goodness there was some absolutely icy cold water to swim in once we got there. The waterfalls were spectacular and it was well worth the bike ride. After swimming and hiking for a few hours we had to get back to town. I opted to take a tuk tuk back with the bike tied to the roof with the only other 3 crazy people who biked there. Heidi was wonder-woman and biked back to town.
We were absolutely shattered by the end of the day and after a cheap 5,000 kip vegetarian buffet (did I mention I have become a vegetarian on this trip?) and a cake for dinner we re-packed our overstuffed bags and went to bed early in order to be at the boat for an 8 am departure.
The slow boat is exactly as it sounds. Slow. It took about 9 hours to get to a town called Pak Beng where there is a compulsory overnight stay. Thank goodness the night before we left we ran into a french girl who told us Pak Beng is run entirely on a generator and there is no electricity from 10pm-6am. There is NOTHING in Pak Beng aside from a few guesthouses, a few restaurants, and lots of people selling breakfast on the street in the morning when everyone heads to the slow boat for day 2 of 2 to get to Houy Xai.
The second day on the slow boat Heidi and I opted NOT to sit on the solid wooden benches but instead park ourselves on the floor with all the local Laos people. This was a more comfortable option except for the feeding times when the sloshing and chewing, and gnawing of meat (who knows what kind of stinky meat this was) was being ingested.
When our 9 hour boat trip was over we ran, literally I could have gone no faster with my backpack on, to where we thought the office to the gibbon experience was. It was 7:10 pm, and we were supposed to have been at the office by 7. Once we found it, after kilometers of walking uphill, we were relieved to find out (don't forget we couldn't get ahold of them) that our reservations were there and we would be leaving for the experience the next morning.
A little about the Gibbon Experience... We originally heard of it from our friend Simon who we traveled with in Australia. We really knew nothing about it, and had only met one girl on our travels who had done it. She said it was a wonderful experience but the rats and the spiders in the tree houses we sleep in are out of control. Great... We all know how much I love rats and spiders. The only other thing we knew was that we zipline from tree to tree, hike for a few hours a day, and that was it. We had also been to the website once or twice, but it is also pretty vague. www.gibbonx.org/
We woke up and after a 3 hour drive to the jungle outskirts we met our guide Jaa Lee. After trekking for about one hour, we got a a base where we received what would be our best friend for the next 3 days. Our harness. We came to the first zipline pretty soon thereafter and it was frightening, exhilarating, amazing, and all things in between. The first one is always the hardest but once I was zip-lining hundreds of feet in the air with spectacular views, the wind blowing fast against my face so hard and fast that tears formed, I felt like a bird and I was loving it. We zipped and hiked for about 5 hours the first day, and once we reached out tree house for the night dinner awaited us as well as coffee and tea and a hornets nest in the bathroom. The first night I got zero sleep for fear of rats and spiders coming into my bed (although there was a tarp around me) and an early 6 am wake up call was no help either.
Day two we did more trekking, zip-lining, we swam in the most icy cold water I have ever been in. This was our only "shower" for three days. The hiking was not easy, it was not the most difficult climb, but with a harness on, walking in the super humid rain forest, it was a great workout. The guide we were with has done this every single day for one year and 5 months. They whistled as they walked up these steep hills and rocky terrain while wearing flip flops. Insane.
Night number two is when the rats came. I was lucky enough to not see any huge spiders, although I know they were there as the other members of the 6 person trek saw them. The rats on the other hand were very much present, and made lots of noise fighting with each other at night and crawling over the tarps that covered our beds in a tent like fashion. All said and done, the rats were not too bad, and in fact some were even ( I cant believe I am saying this) cute. Day three over breakfast and coffee in the tree house we were lucky enough to see some monkeys playing in the trees. Wonderful, and surreal.
We got back to Houy Xai at about 4 pm on the 16th. Those three days were by far one of my most favorite experiences while traveling. The forest was unspoiled, the guides were amazing, the zip lining was something I never thought I would do, and it was overall fantastic. I highly highly highly recommend doing it.
We got to Chang Mai Thailand yesterday (boat then bus) and this rainy morning we went to see some tigers. The tigers were adorable. So cute. We were allowed in the cage with them and were able to cuddle and lay with them. I am not sure if they are sedated or what, but they were awfully sleepy. So soft, so cute, so happy that I cuddled a tiger. The one we were with was named Boo, and he was about 10 months old. AMAZING how big they are at 10 months.
Tomorrow we head on yet again another trek. This one is only 2 days, but should be wonderful. We get to ride elephants! :)
Sorry for the long entry today, there was a lot to catch up on. Hopefully the internet in Thailand will be much faster and more abundant that Laos.
Last time I wrote we were on our way to Luang Prabang. The trip there was absolutely stunning. We drove a long 9 hours on a bus through the mountains on a VERY, and I mean VERY windy hilly road. The drive was beautiful, although typical Sarah style I slept through most of it.
When we arrived in Luang Prabang the tuk tuk driver dropped us off in what seemed to be the middle of no-where as far as guest houses were concerned. After walking around for about 30-45 minutes with our bags, asking every guesthouse we saw for prices and to look at a room, we finally found an English girl who pointed us the right direction for a cheap and clean place. We settled on Hoxieng Guesthouse and it was lovely. Luang Prabang is a bit more expensive than Vang Vieng. (We paid $7.50 each per night here). After a delicious green curry dinner and a stroll through the night market we passed out pretty early in the evening. There is not much night life in Luang Prabang, although we hear the place to go is the bowling alley.
The next morning we had the expectations of renting bicycles and going on a 35 km each way cycle to the waterfalls. That quickly did not happen when we FINALLY heard back from the Gibbon Experience in Houy Xai that we were booked on the trip starting on the 14th but we had to pay immediately. Pay Pal is the devil. We spent all morning long trying to get an Internet connection fast enough to set up Pay Pal accounts, call the Gibbon Experience, book a slow boat, set a schedule for the next few days and so on. By the time the day was practically over we had accomplished none of the above. My pay pal account did not want to work, The Gibbon Experience was not answering their phone, we realized we had an extra day in Luang Prabang so no boat tix had to be bought yet, and it was a hectic morning. Although by the end of the day after seeing a lovely temple and having a delicious meal once again, doing a little retail therapy at the night market all was good.
The next morning we did end up renting bikes, and we started on what was supposed to be a fairly easy 35 km bike ride to the waterfalls. We quickly learned that this was not an easy bike ride, and at the end of the 1 hour and 50 minute ride I was well exhausted. Thank goodness there was some absolutely icy cold water to swim in once we got there. The waterfalls were spectacular and it was well worth the bike ride. After swimming and hiking for a few hours we had to get back to town. I opted to take a tuk tuk back with the bike tied to the roof with the only other 3 crazy people who biked there. Heidi was wonder-woman and biked back to town.
We were absolutely shattered by the end of the day and after a cheap 5,000 kip vegetarian buffet (did I mention I have become a vegetarian on this trip?) and a cake for dinner we re-packed our overstuffed bags and went to bed early in order to be at the boat for an 8 am departure.
The slow boat is exactly as it sounds. Slow. It took about 9 hours to get to a town called Pak Beng where there is a compulsory overnight stay. Thank goodness the night before we left we ran into a french girl who told us Pak Beng is run entirely on a generator and there is no electricity from 10pm-6am. There is NOTHING in Pak Beng aside from a few guesthouses, a few restaurants, and lots of people selling breakfast on the street in the morning when everyone heads to the slow boat for day 2 of 2 to get to Houy Xai.
The second day on the slow boat Heidi and I opted NOT to sit on the solid wooden benches but instead park ourselves on the floor with all the local Laos people. This was a more comfortable option except for the feeding times when the sloshing and chewing, and gnawing of meat (who knows what kind of stinky meat this was) was being ingested.
When our 9 hour boat trip was over we ran, literally I could have gone no faster with my backpack on, to where we thought the office to the gibbon experience was. It was 7:10 pm, and we were supposed to have been at the office by 7. Once we found it, after kilometers of walking uphill, we were relieved to find out (don't forget we couldn't get ahold of them) that our reservations were there and we would be leaving for the experience the next morning.
A little about the Gibbon Experience... We originally heard of it from our friend Simon who we traveled with in Australia. We really knew nothing about it, and had only met one girl on our travels who had done it. She said it was a wonderful experience but the rats and the spiders in the tree houses we sleep in are out of control. Great... We all know how much I love rats and spiders. The only other thing we knew was that we zipline from tree to tree, hike for a few hours a day, and that was it. We had also been to the website once or twice, but it is also pretty vague. www.gibbonx.org/
We woke up and after a 3 hour drive to the jungle outskirts we met our guide Jaa Lee. After trekking for about one hour, we got a a base where we received what would be our best friend for the next 3 days. Our harness. We came to the first zipline pretty soon thereafter and it was frightening, exhilarating, amazing, and all things in between. The first one is always the hardest but once I was zip-lining hundreds of feet in the air with spectacular views, the wind blowing fast against my face so hard and fast that tears formed, I felt like a bird and I was loving it. We zipped and hiked for about 5 hours the first day, and once we reached out tree house for the night dinner awaited us as well as coffee and tea and a hornets nest in the bathroom. The first night I got zero sleep for fear of rats and spiders coming into my bed (although there was a tarp around me) and an early 6 am wake up call was no help either.
Day two we did more trekking, zip-lining, we swam in the most icy cold water I have ever been in. This was our only "shower" for three days. The hiking was not easy, it was not the most difficult climb, but with a harness on, walking in the super humid rain forest, it was a great workout. The guide we were with has done this every single day for one year and 5 months. They whistled as they walked up these steep hills and rocky terrain while wearing flip flops. Insane.
Night number two is when the rats came. I was lucky enough to not see any huge spiders, although I know they were there as the other members of the 6 person trek saw them. The rats on the other hand were very much present, and made lots of noise fighting with each other at night and crawling over the tarps that covered our beds in a tent like fashion. All said and done, the rats were not too bad, and in fact some were even ( I cant believe I am saying this) cute. Day three over breakfast and coffee in the tree house we were lucky enough to see some monkeys playing in the trees. Wonderful, and surreal.
We got back to Houy Xai at about 4 pm on the 16th. Those three days were by far one of my most favorite experiences while traveling. The forest was unspoiled, the guides were amazing, the zip lining was something I never thought I would do, and it was overall fantastic. I highly highly highly recommend doing it.
We got to Chang Mai Thailand yesterday (boat then bus) and this rainy morning we went to see some tigers. The tigers were adorable. So cute. We were allowed in the cage with them and were able to cuddle and lay with them. I am not sure if they are sedated or what, but they were awfully sleepy. So soft, so cute, so happy that I cuddled a tiger. The one we were with was named Boo, and he was about 10 months old. AMAZING how big they are at 10 months.
Tomorrow we head on yet again another trek. This one is only 2 days, but should be wonderful. We get to ride elephants! :)
Sorry for the long entry today, there was a lot to catch up on. Hopefully the internet in Thailand will be much faster and more abundant that Laos.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
I survived tubing in Vang Vieng...phew!
There is only one word to describe Vang Vieng. Wild! This town is out of control on so many different levels.
We arrived here at about 7pm on the night of the 6th. After wondering around for a bit trying to find a guesthouse that was cheap and clean we were approached by a guy limpin with both feet bandaged up. He told us he was staying in a nice place with 3 beds (two of his friends left that day) and he wanted to see if we wanted to stay in the room. After debating for a minute we decided to at least check out the room. It was cramped! Smallest 3-bed room I have ever seen. So Heidi and I said thanks but no thanks and found a guesthouse just a few yards away. However, Jay, our injured friend told us what was up with the town, the parties, the tubing, and how to not get injured.
Tubing starts around 1 pm, most people don’t get a tube and they just swim bar crawl down the river. Also the party at night doesn’t end until around 4 am. If we were interested he told us where to get opium shakes, mushroom shakes, and anything else we wanted, but just be careful when buying weed off the street because undercover cops try to catch you and make you pay up to $700 on the spot, or be whisked off to a 3 month jail sentence. Well Mom and Dad, you would be glad to know that no opium, mushroom, or any other kind of drug shake was drank during my time here.
That night, we went to check out a bar called the Bucket Bar. It is exactly what it sounds like a bar that sells drinks in beach buckets. It got pretty crazy there. We only stayed until 11ish because I am sick, and Heidi doesn’t drink. We were both still a little tired from our 7 hour bus ride here from Vientiane. There were lots of people around who looked like our gimp friend Jay. Limping, bandaged arms, eyes, wrists, legs, etc. Shit what is this river going to be like???
Heidi and I decided to get a tube each, I don’t think either one of us was ready for an all day drinking binge. Once again, I am sick. She doesn’t drink. So we met a group of 6 people on our tuk tuk on the way to the start of the river and they were basically on the same page we were. Stop at a few bars along the way, have a couple of drinks, but not get too drunk, because let’s face it, (this may sound boring to all you young and crazies) I am far too old and know way better than to get completely shit faced and tube down a river for 4 hours. I think I would rather die a different death.
The river was INSANE. You get there and the first bar was PACKED full of people. There is a rope swing insanely high, and the drop off is really close to a huge boulder, thanks but I think ill wait for a smaller rope swing. We found it at bar number 4 along the river. I believe it was called Sunrise Bar. The bars are about 50 meters apart down the river for a good 500 meters or so. Rope Swings or zip lines were at most of the bars as well as free shots for going. As you are tubing along the guys who work the bars throw a rope out to your tube for them to reel you in with. A great system. People were flying off the zip lines, flipping off rope swings, landing on all parts of their body in all sorts of really painful positions. There was a slide that threw you off into the water from far too high that everyone said knocked the wind out of them when they landed. Ill pass. Wow- I sound like a lame granny huh?? However I will say that I came out injury free, which is more than a good 50% of the people who go can say.
After going all the way down the river (most people don’t attempt this) and running to the tube rental place to have it back by 6pm in order to get our deposit back we were absolutely exhausted. I felt like shit, was losing my voice, had a terrible cough and was sneezing up a storm yet still thought I would be good to go rock climbing outside the following day. WRONG. I woke up in the morning and thought I may or may not die, so I passed on the rock climbing, and while Heidi went on a Kayak day trip I stayed in bed and watched two bootleg movies I bought in Vietnam.
It is probably a great thing that I was not 100% while here. I may have gotten a bit out of control like every one else around me where the party is 24/7. I will say that this is by far the most chilled out place I have ever been. The restaurants all play Friends, The Simpsons, or Family Guy all day long from open to close. People gather at the restaurant, chill out, recover from their hangovers, or their day on the river, and prepare for another massive night ahead of them. Many of the people we talked to while here said they have been here for 2 weeks with no intentions of leaving. This town will trap you. Like I said really chilled out place.
Tomorrow we are heading to Luang Prabang on supposedly a 8 hour bus trip, however if it is anything like our other buses it will probably be more like 10 hours.
We arrived here at about 7pm on the night of the 6th. After wondering around for a bit trying to find a guesthouse that was cheap and clean we were approached by a guy limpin with both feet bandaged up. He told us he was staying in a nice place with 3 beds (two of his friends left that day) and he wanted to see if we wanted to stay in the room. After debating for a minute we decided to at least check out the room. It was cramped! Smallest 3-bed room I have ever seen. So Heidi and I said thanks but no thanks and found a guesthouse just a few yards away. However, Jay, our injured friend told us what was up with the town, the parties, the tubing, and how to not get injured.
Tubing starts around 1 pm, most people don’t get a tube and they just swim bar crawl down the river. Also the party at night doesn’t end until around 4 am. If we were interested he told us where to get opium shakes, mushroom shakes, and anything else we wanted, but just be careful when buying weed off the street because undercover cops try to catch you and make you pay up to $700 on the spot, or be whisked off to a 3 month jail sentence. Well Mom and Dad, you would be glad to know that no opium, mushroom, or any other kind of drug shake was drank during my time here.
That night, we went to check out a bar called the Bucket Bar. It is exactly what it sounds like a bar that sells drinks in beach buckets. It got pretty crazy there. We only stayed until 11ish because I am sick, and Heidi doesn’t drink. We were both still a little tired from our 7 hour bus ride here from Vientiane. There were lots of people around who looked like our gimp friend Jay. Limping, bandaged arms, eyes, wrists, legs, etc. Shit what is this river going to be like???
Heidi and I decided to get a tube each, I don’t think either one of us was ready for an all day drinking binge. Once again, I am sick. She doesn’t drink. So we met a group of 6 people on our tuk tuk on the way to the start of the river and they were basically on the same page we were. Stop at a few bars along the way, have a couple of drinks, but not get too drunk, because let’s face it, (this may sound boring to all you young and crazies) I am far too old and know way better than to get completely shit faced and tube down a river for 4 hours. I think I would rather die a different death.
The river was INSANE. You get there and the first bar was PACKED full of people. There is a rope swing insanely high, and the drop off is really close to a huge boulder, thanks but I think ill wait for a smaller rope swing. We found it at bar number 4 along the river. I believe it was called Sunrise Bar. The bars are about 50 meters apart down the river for a good 500 meters or so. Rope Swings or zip lines were at most of the bars as well as free shots for going. As you are tubing along the guys who work the bars throw a rope out to your tube for them to reel you in with. A great system. People were flying off the zip lines, flipping off rope swings, landing on all parts of their body in all sorts of really painful positions. There was a slide that threw you off into the water from far too high that everyone said knocked the wind out of them when they landed. Ill pass. Wow- I sound like a lame granny huh?? However I will say that I came out injury free, which is more than a good 50% of the people who go can say.
After going all the way down the river (most people don’t attempt this) and running to the tube rental place to have it back by 6pm in order to get our deposit back we were absolutely exhausted. I felt like shit, was losing my voice, had a terrible cough and was sneezing up a storm yet still thought I would be good to go rock climbing outside the following day. WRONG. I woke up in the morning and thought I may or may not die, so I passed on the rock climbing, and while Heidi went on a Kayak day trip I stayed in bed and watched two bootleg movies I bought in Vietnam.
It is probably a great thing that I was not 100% while here. I may have gotten a bit out of control like every one else around me where the party is 24/7. I will say that this is by far the most chilled out place I have ever been. The restaurants all play Friends, The Simpsons, or Family Guy all day long from open to close. People gather at the restaurant, chill out, recover from their hangovers, or their day on the river, and prepare for another massive night ahead of them. Many of the people we talked to while here said they have been here for 2 weeks with no intentions of leaving. This town will trap you. Like I said really chilled out place.
Tomorrow we are heading to Luang Prabang on supposedly a 8 hour bus trip, however if it is anything like our other buses it will probably be more like 10 hours.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Oi gioi oi
Oi gioi oi! Oh my god!! One of the few things in Vietnamese I remember. Halong Bay was phenomenal. Quick recap: Lots of young people, about 26 of us I think. Split evenly between guys and girls, cold, rainy, absolutely stunning, great Canadian tour guide (huge crush), kayaking to caves, hiking to breathtaking views, booze, games, and fun. Yup, that about sums it up.
We got on the 3.5 hour bus journey to Halong Bay from our hostel (great fun hostel called Hanoi Backpackers) at 8 am. Once on the boat our Scottish tour guide introduced himself, said he was pretty shattered from the night before, but his sole purpose was to make sure we had fun. After a pretty terrific lunch on the boat, and getting to know a few of the other passengers we all hoped in kayaks for a trip around some of the Islands, and a walk around some natural caves. The weather was misty, cold, and had a majestic feel to it. The clouds were low, but transparent enough to see several mountains and islands in the far distance. The Kayak was great, thank goodness it wasn't any more hot, because working against the current is quite an exercise. We walked around some caves about an hour into the Kayak, and everyone debated stalactite, or stalagmite. Leonie enlightened us all with her Dutch theory that "tite" means tit and tits hang. So therefore, stalactite in from the ceiling. Leave it to the Dutch to make things clear.
That night, after another great meal, and a party on the boat, craziness ensued. Aussies were jumping from the top of the sail, bongs were being ripped not with pot but with this local tobacco that gives an immediate high for about 45 seconds. People were falling, breaking things, skinny dipping, and just being young and free. (cheesy I know, but true).
The next day everyone was nursing their hangovers, and what is the best way to get over a hangover??... (besides drink more) Exercise. The group split into two and our "Scottish" guide, (who came clean that he was really Canadian the night before) took about 10 of us on a hike on Cat Ba Island. (The biggest Island in Halong Bay) The top of the hike was really quite gorgeous. The majestic feeling remained, and it was a stunning 1 hour trek. The second night we spent in a hotel on the island, and the following morning we left for another 3 hour boat ride, 3 hour bus ride, and arrived back in Hanoi about 5 pm. What a terrific trip, what an exhausting trip. Oi gioi oi!!!
Also in Hanoi I saw Ho Chi Minh's dead body... Yeah wierd. He is in a freezing cold room, surrounded by 4 guards, in a glass case just lying there. Bizarre.
Heidi and I arrived by plane yesterday afternoon to Vientiane, Laos. Last night we went bowling at the local bowling alley after meeting up with two Danish girls we keep running into. Today at 2:00 we head off to Vang Vienne to go tubing, and trekking. Cant wait.
Oi gioi oi this trip is flying by!
We got on the 3.5 hour bus journey to Halong Bay from our hostel (great fun hostel called Hanoi Backpackers) at 8 am. Once on the boat our Scottish tour guide introduced himself, said he was pretty shattered from the night before, but his sole purpose was to make sure we had fun. After a pretty terrific lunch on the boat, and getting to know a few of the other passengers we all hoped in kayaks for a trip around some of the Islands, and a walk around some natural caves. The weather was misty, cold, and had a majestic feel to it. The clouds were low, but transparent enough to see several mountains and islands in the far distance. The Kayak was great, thank goodness it wasn't any more hot, because working against the current is quite an exercise. We walked around some caves about an hour into the Kayak, and everyone debated stalactite, or stalagmite. Leonie enlightened us all with her Dutch theory that "tite" means tit and tits hang. So therefore, stalactite in from the ceiling. Leave it to the Dutch to make things clear.
That night, after another great meal, and a party on the boat, craziness ensued. Aussies were jumping from the top of the sail, bongs were being ripped not with pot but with this local tobacco that gives an immediate high for about 45 seconds. People were falling, breaking things, skinny dipping, and just being young and free. (cheesy I know, but true).
The next day everyone was nursing their hangovers, and what is the best way to get over a hangover??... (besides drink more) Exercise. The group split into two and our "Scottish" guide, (who came clean that he was really Canadian the night before) took about 10 of us on a hike on Cat Ba Island. (The biggest Island in Halong Bay) The top of the hike was really quite gorgeous. The majestic feeling remained, and it was a stunning 1 hour trek. The second night we spent in a hotel on the island, and the following morning we left for another 3 hour boat ride, 3 hour bus ride, and arrived back in Hanoi about 5 pm. What a terrific trip, what an exhausting trip. Oi gioi oi!!!
Also in Hanoi I saw Ho Chi Minh's dead body... Yeah wierd. He is in a freezing cold room, surrounded by 4 guards, in a glass case just lying there. Bizarre.
Heidi and I arrived by plane yesterday afternoon to Vientiane, Laos. Last night we went bowling at the local bowling alley after meeting up with two Danish girls we keep running into. Today at 2:00 we head off to Vang Vienne to go tubing, and trekking. Cant wait.
Oi gioi oi this trip is flying by!
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