so here's me, in the final hours, being the small early morning ones waiting for my *lovely* 20 hour, change 2x flight back over the pacific. Guess I am stuck waiting in these hours cos I booked the cheapest ticket and you get what you pay for!
so, summing up - here goes, something I've never been good at, and am even worse at when in this moment of being on the verge of a big change AGAIN, etc, etc, but I try..
(Thailand) post new year carnage arrival in Bangkok, free tuk tuk ride followed by invite to tuk tuk party (um, no..), reuniting with Next in Khao Lak, Tsunami museum, Similan islands, beaches, crab-hunt, perfect meditation spot, singing Japanese song live at the bar, dancing latin dance on stage with random Mexican, Happy Snapper, Thai rock star, Finnish porn star, 'my precious' bucket, 'Boris and Natasha', mad Aussie boys, Lady boys (which were Thai, not aussie), gastroenteritis, Wat Po Massage massacre (err..school..), Cambodia border run rip off, Sheesha on the beach with the Swedes, Treehouse sunsets, being chatted up by various randoms, 'the other side', French connection 'Fry ink' Dutchman, crazy singing kayaking, beer for breakfast, chasing buses in Chonburi, One night in Bangkok, night train, diving with sea fishes, eating same at beach bbq after, mopeds and dodgy island roads, boats, boats, boats, dive, dive, dive, bbq, bbq, bbq, flaming skipping ropes
(Laos) 'are you going to Vientiane to shop for a husband? (first interaction with locals; asked by a Lao woman in tuk tuk from border as she used my THAI/English phrasebook...), Beerlao, deep red Mekong sunsets, lecherous local men (surely not the ones from the husband market, hah!), job offers - arrange contract signing - um, no don't want job (je ne veux pas travailler...) - arrange Vietnam visa and bus to Luang Prabang instead, Monk chat, horror night bus with kid puking and tarzan swinging to get into seat, Mekong cruise, buddha cave, 'Lao Lao', 'the other side of Luang Prabang', Moto-taxi driver/stalker 'do you want Lao boyfriend', the wish to head north, but..
(Vietnam) Motorbike madness, squirmy fish and chunky frogs, hyperactive temple minders/lost in translation, 'stylish' cafes, cyclos, elusive 'bia hoi', conical hats, Hoi An tailor made clothes addiction (contagious!), tomato roses and cucumber fans, random Mr. Trung tour, Vietnam boy band sings 'La Bamba', round boats, night bus, night bus, night bus, War remnants museum, Reunification Palace, Mekong Delta and Coconut candy, yum!
I won't miss:
- mozzies
- being an involuntary smoker (ie, inhaling all that of others)
- recurring gastroenteritis
- potentially being ripped off at every turn
- night transport
I will miss:
-coconuts
-the gorgeous weather
-sage-robed monks walking the street being a common, everyday occurrence
-temples and buddhas
-the sea
-the fish (seeing and eating, bad bad bad)
-fresh fruit, fresh fruit shakes, dragonfruit, starfruit, sapodilla, mango, oh the list goes on..
-not needing shoes
-bamboo
-coconut trees
-the absolute freedoms a solo traveler has at times
-beaches
-night transport
-sunlight
-the buzz of Bangkok and Saigon
-the peace of Vientiane
-the people!!!!!! including, but not limited to:
-'Next': although not someone new on this trip but rather from a trip many years ago. Thanks for all the travel arranging in Khao Lak and all the fun times!!! Though maybe next time no 7.30 boat trips the morning after that many big Singhas, ok? ok! hee hee
-Stefan and Christoph : the 2 people on the similans trip who actually socialized with me, and then bore witness to my stellar Japanese number in Khao Lak after. good times, good times!
-Malin: simply put, you just rock. One could not find a cooler chick to travel with
-'Boris and Natasha' (don't worry guys, I do know your real names, but I'm just uh..protecting your identity, hah!): shame my stomach had other plans and didn't allow me to meet you all in Phuket, but nonetheless nice to see you Khao Lak!
-Magnus: the victim of mine and Next's nationality guessing game. Good so, great meeting you in Khao Lak and sharing a shisha on Koh Chang!
-Nyi Nyi: totally spelled wrong, the great Burmese guy working at my place in Khao Lak. just an all round lovely person (see earlier entry) who went out of his way to help me, especially in times of gastro-crises and ensuring I caught my bus to Surat Thani.
- Wat Po Massage Crew!: Marco, sexy-italian-police-gogo boy, 'I almost failed for having too sexy hair' Yuko, Mushroom mama Yukiko, Hardcore drinking Hiroki, Ana, Otto..couldn't have asked for a better group
-Toom: good to see you after all those years, and thanks so much for all the travel arranging on the Bangkok side of things! hope to see you again soon too!
- Jenn: sooo glad to meet a non-Calgarian..Calgarian. great convo on that Cambodia bound bus, and lets keep each other sane in the homeland
-Obi wan Timobi! for keeping the force on ko Chang, on land, in the water, in the kayak..and being my first paying massage customer!
-Byron and Sarah, for the introductory evening in Vientiane
- Marnie, the great yoga teacher in Vientiane who not only brought me some inner peace, but job hunt tips which helped me make the informed decision I did
- Kheum, the monk I was priveleged to meet at the monk chat. 2 of the best hours spent on the entire trip
- Matt: could a more STYLISH person exist? I highly doubt it. Hopefully we can stylishly own another exotic city one day (um, ya, maybe Chicago counts for me?)
- Irene: who else would be so kind as to buy a random Vietnamese old man an ice cream, just cos she was eating one and he was standing there?
- Marcia: although she only joined us for one dinner in Hoi An, an exceptional lady in her 50's who'd come to Vietnam on her own to search for teaching work (hmm, sound familiar? hopefully she lacks my commitment phobicity though..)
- Cooking (with) Class! Terry, Lisa and again Irene, I thoroughly enjoyed, despite the fact your roses and fans were all better than mine
- Uri & Daniel: Para bailar La Bamba, Se necessita una poca de gracia! Thanks for the great spirit on that boat trip despite the rubbish weather! Of course with that great band, how could we not smile..
- Roberto: grazie, grazie mille per tutto (including that story about the americans on the NY - Dublin flight who thought they were part of the EU..)
- Tiffany: for the short but fulfilling convo in Ko Tao...
- Carmen: dive buddy number one! what a great day..
- Dan and Becca: more divers!
- Rosie, Annabel and Kieran: great to meet such a down to earth group of people where one might not otherwise find them (ie, the haad rin beach area). Made the 'munchies' day and fish bbq that night so much more enjoyable. we still should have commandeered that boat though..
and one side note on someone I actually did not have the fortune of meeting, but was rather told about by a girl who was on a Surin islands trip with this person: a lady, in her 70's called Betty. She is American, and retired from the foreign service, now living in Nepal. Never married, never had kids. why? 'no commitment'. kudos to her for living how she wanted. by the account I was given, she lives quite happily (and healthily) trekking the mountains of middle asia. I saw a photo of her and she looked about 10 years younger, at least..coincidence? I think not. I mention it only, because I always like to hear about those who zig while others zag. Even nowadays being so independent can be met with resistance, so I cannot imagine how it would have been for her.
Happy travels to all of you, and should you land in..well, wherever I may land, I welcome you!
all in all, this trip has been...a trip. I left Vienna last year running on empty, but I now return to the homeland, by choice (for now!) with fully charged batteries. I'm incredibly, incredibly blessed and lucky to have had this experience, and in the iconic words of Ahhhnold...'I'll be back'!
29 March, 2009
The Final Countdown: Blowing it all out in Thai Paradise
Return to bangkok, ko tao, ko phangan, dive dive dive, boats boats and more boats but no bloody sharks. only snappers. in the sea and on the grill...
Miss Saigon (and Mekong Delta)
So being on the local bus from Ninh Hoa meant that I would arrive a proper bus station, rather than setting down straight in the centre of the backpacker ghetto. Coming from a northerly direction that meant arriving at Mien Dong bus station (Ben Xe Mien Dong), which isn't the most conveniently located place, but nothing too horrific. Although admittedly, I must say it was not my favourite activity, arriving at 4am, knowing public transport won't run until around 6, and even if it did..the guesthouse receptions were likely not open anyway. Sit in the terminal on a proper seat, or on the street. tough call....
So I watched the comings and goings of people under the glaring fluorescents and was soon approached for conversation by a local man. Of course, being tired, hungry and dehydrated (yup, when traveling that many hours on a bus with no toilet, best not be emptying the giant water bottles I reckon), it amplified my paranoia that this was a distraction to rob me. Must have picked up paranoia by osmosis from my friend Davina, for whom it has been a major life feature since being interrogated by both Japanese and American immigration officials. anyway, totally irrelevant tangent.
In the end the paranoia was all for nought. The man came from Da Lat. Told me it was a good romantic place to visit for couples, and I thought, but did not say, thank god I gave that a miss - I prefer social environments, generally given rise to with groups and solo travelers. And really the only thing he wanted was to practice speaking English. Fair play, I know that lessons don't come cheap and that I'm more than willing to offer. He also showed me which bus to take (number 26 if memory serves to go to the Ben Tranh Market in the centre), told me the cost (3000 Dong), and he actually walked with me out to it to show me, verified cost and destination with the driver and saw me off. So yeah, at times it can be difficult to find the balance between letting your guard down and being open to experiences and exercising a certain degree of caution.
Be aware though; some people still try to get money any which way they can, and in this case it was charging me an extra full fare for my luggage, despite the bus never became anywhere near being full. after this they also insisted that i not store it on a seat. Well, as far as I was concerned, the bag had paid for a seat so it was getting one (just made it easier for me to make a quick exit when the time came). Then I'm reasonably certain I overpaid a xe om driver, judging only from the fact he was too nice. well, and it wasn't that far but arguing over a few thousand Dong at that point..not worth it.
I'd booked myself for the following night into a place called Phan Lan Guesthouse, which was right in the Pham Ngu area (aka Backpackers ghetto, Saigon's own Khao San road!). The reason I had done that was, well, well-intentioned. I had a plan to, rock up there in the morningon the day before, hope they would let me store my luggage, head back to the bus station, get a bus to any town on the Mekong Delta, and then search for an overnight homestay. However, as I grew more and more weary on my nightbus, I realised this was probably not a good idea; as I also know, I do'nt sleep well on them and usually the first thing I need is a few more hours in bed to top up to the night's sleep quota. and how would i enjoy the Delta if the one thign I wanted to do was sleep? so I figured a day trip would be a better option, and that would give me time in Saigon to suss one out, as well as take my requisite nap. Good plan.
Thankfully Phan Lan (which actually has 2 locations in the area) had a room for me that night as well. though the poor chap had just woken (it was around 6:30 am!) and was confused about what I wanted, he managed it in the end, and said I would be staying at their second location, which I was happy about as it was hidden in an alleyway, ie, quiet. He rung them up and they were waiting for me, also groggy eyed, and if I thought Vienna was bad...I had a room here on the 5th floor. No lift. Well worth it though, there was a pretty little terrace up there that afforded some nice views over Saigon..sunset, or sunrise. The staff here were generally quite friendly as well and take notice of you (note for all those who end up staying out all night, as yes, they will worry..)...I crashed for 3 hours and then went off on the hunt for a good day tour to the Mekong. Most were in the $10 - 20 range, though I hadn't wante to go with the absolute cheapeast. After all, you get what you pay for. I did find one that was perfect and had everything I wanted, but at $55 was a bit steep. And, once I justified it to myself, ended up being unable to go anyway as there were no other takers. minimum of 2. uff.
No worries however; saved myself a bit of cash and booked through my guesthouse for $20. they were off at the beginning - late pickup, seeming totally disorganized - then i was most unimpressed at being made to sit in a minivan for other people's pickups..ie, an old bickering Australian couple who stuck me in the middle of it..only to have minivan one hour later pull up to leave us at bus - 2 blocks from my hotel! grr. grr. That could have been an extra hour of sleep.
Anyway, once the bus left it was all rectified. Still I was stuck by the bickering couple, but popped my sunnies on and feigned (well, and a bit for real) sleep. Seriously, I cannot understand why even go on the holiday if all you area going to do is fight and complain, and congratulated myself on being single. It continued for the rest of the day, but thankfully I found solace with Roberto, another solo traveler from Italy and 2 Austrian lasses and had a fantastic day. For whatever disorganization they had off the start, they made up for it brilliantly. the guide was hilarious, and the rest of the day was streamline smooth. We took in things like fresh honey, banana schnapps (well, they called it wine, but..that was questionable with the appearance of the shot glasses) and locally made coconut candy in Ben Tre. We took bikes through the village and had numerous school children calling out 'hello!' to us. We also took a boat back to Saigon, which was much more peaceful, and one of those perfect moments sailing along outside, observing water life and for me, conversing in French with a family from France. Things could not have been any better!!! But..total bonus...I saw durian trees for the first time! Who would have thought durians could grow on trees? they are so big!
and maybe that planted the idea that, en route 'home' with Roberto, and running randomly into Irene of Hoi An fame on the street, we should go for ice cream! Of course to the place that was meant to have good durian flavour ice cream. It's called 'Fanny's'. Roberto went with a safe option, whereas Irene and I took the more exotic flavours of durian and chilli chocolate. We organized to meet for dinner later as well (a bit backwards, which I trust was my influence) and at Robertos suggestion, hit up a bbq place where they cook the food in front of you - Fab night. One could not have asked for a better day.
Unfortunately, I cannot recall the name of the tour company I went through - sometimes you book through one place, but its another operating it, etc, etc....but if you go to Phan Lan Guesthouse and book through them it ought to be the same one ($20US).
The next day was a short one owing to my scheduled flight back to Bangkok. Having been entranced by the rooftop pool at the Rennaissance Riverside, I'd decided to go there and have a bit of fitness, followed by lounging out at the pool. a slight bit of luxury ;-). To refill my stomach though, I returned to backpacker ghetto and hit up Pho 24 for one last quick noodle soup (yum!) and Sozo, the bakery cafe on Bui Vien - who make great cookies, cakes and coffee and have a program to train and employ those from disadvantaged backgrounds. They do a damn good job of it; the service was fantastic. Despite being served the wrong coffee they changed it immediately. The fellow who waited on me was deaf and wrote his apologies on a note, in English. I replied that it was not necessary, and his English was excellent. He was very thankful in the end. Highly recommended.
And with that I paid my final $9 US in Vietnam to a taxi and followed the signs 'Back to the Beginning' (as in, flew to my original landing point, Bangkok).
Saigon and Mekong Delta - 2 thumbs up (well, 3 if i had that many).
So I watched the comings and goings of people under the glaring fluorescents and was soon approached for conversation by a local man. Of course, being tired, hungry and dehydrated (yup, when traveling that many hours on a bus with no toilet, best not be emptying the giant water bottles I reckon), it amplified my paranoia that this was a distraction to rob me. Must have picked up paranoia by osmosis from my friend Davina, for whom it has been a major life feature since being interrogated by both Japanese and American immigration officials. anyway, totally irrelevant tangent.
In the end the paranoia was all for nought. The man came from Da Lat. Told me it was a good romantic place to visit for couples, and I thought, but did not say, thank god I gave that a miss - I prefer social environments, generally given rise to with groups and solo travelers. And really the only thing he wanted was to practice speaking English. Fair play, I know that lessons don't come cheap and that I'm more than willing to offer. He also showed me which bus to take (number 26 if memory serves to go to the Ben Tranh Market in the centre), told me the cost (3000 Dong), and he actually walked with me out to it to show me, verified cost and destination with the driver and saw me off. So yeah, at times it can be difficult to find the balance between letting your guard down and being open to experiences and exercising a certain degree of caution.
Be aware though; some people still try to get money any which way they can, and in this case it was charging me an extra full fare for my luggage, despite the bus never became anywhere near being full. after this they also insisted that i not store it on a seat. Well, as far as I was concerned, the bag had paid for a seat so it was getting one (just made it easier for me to make a quick exit when the time came). Then I'm reasonably certain I overpaid a xe om driver, judging only from the fact he was too nice. well, and it wasn't that far but arguing over a few thousand Dong at that point..not worth it.
I'd booked myself for the following night into a place called Phan Lan Guesthouse, which was right in the Pham Ngu area (aka Backpackers ghetto, Saigon's own Khao San road!). The reason I had done that was, well, well-intentioned. I had a plan to, rock up there in the morningon the day before, hope they would let me store my luggage, head back to the bus station, get a bus to any town on the Mekong Delta, and then search for an overnight homestay. However, as I grew more and more weary on my nightbus, I realised this was probably not a good idea; as I also know, I do'nt sleep well on them and usually the first thing I need is a few more hours in bed to top up to the night's sleep quota. and how would i enjoy the Delta if the one thign I wanted to do was sleep? so I figured a day trip would be a better option, and that would give me time in Saigon to suss one out, as well as take my requisite nap. Good plan.
Thankfully Phan Lan (which actually has 2 locations in the area) had a room for me that night as well. though the poor chap had just woken (it was around 6:30 am!) and was confused about what I wanted, he managed it in the end, and said I would be staying at their second location, which I was happy about as it was hidden in an alleyway, ie, quiet. He rung them up and they were waiting for me, also groggy eyed, and if I thought Vienna was bad...I had a room here on the 5th floor. No lift. Well worth it though, there was a pretty little terrace up there that afforded some nice views over Saigon..sunset, or sunrise. The staff here were generally quite friendly as well and take notice of you (note for all those who end up staying out all night, as yes, they will worry..)...I crashed for 3 hours and then went off on the hunt for a good day tour to the Mekong. Most were in the $10 - 20 range, though I hadn't wante to go with the absolute cheapeast. After all, you get what you pay for. I did find one that was perfect and had everything I wanted, but at $55 was a bit steep. And, once I justified it to myself, ended up being unable to go anyway as there were no other takers. minimum of 2. uff.
No worries however; saved myself a bit of cash and booked through my guesthouse for $20. they were off at the beginning - late pickup, seeming totally disorganized - then i was most unimpressed at being made to sit in a minivan for other people's pickups..ie, an old bickering Australian couple who stuck me in the middle of it..only to have minivan one hour later pull up to leave us at bus - 2 blocks from my hotel! grr. grr. That could have been an extra hour of sleep.
Anyway, once the bus left it was all rectified. Still I was stuck by the bickering couple, but popped my sunnies on and feigned (well, and a bit for real) sleep. Seriously, I cannot understand why even go on the holiday if all you area going to do is fight and complain, and congratulated myself on being single. It continued for the rest of the day, but thankfully I found solace with Roberto, another solo traveler from Italy and 2 Austrian lasses and had a fantastic day. For whatever disorganization they had off the start, they made up for it brilliantly. the guide was hilarious, and the rest of the day was streamline smooth. We took in things like fresh honey, banana schnapps (well, they called it wine, but..that was questionable with the appearance of the shot glasses) and locally made coconut candy in Ben Tre. We took bikes through the village and had numerous school children calling out 'hello!' to us. We also took a boat back to Saigon, which was much more peaceful, and one of those perfect moments sailing along outside, observing water life and for me, conversing in French with a family from France. Things could not have been any better!!! But..total bonus...I saw durian trees for the first time! Who would have thought durians could grow on trees? they are so big!
and maybe that planted the idea that, en route 'home' with Roberto, and running randomly into Irene of Hoi An fame on the street, we should go for ice cream! Of course to the place that was meant to have good durian flavour ice cream. It's called 'Fanny's'. Roberto went with a safe option, whereas Irene and I took the more exotic flavours of durian and chilli chocolate. We organized to meet for dinner later as well (a bit backwards, which I trust was my influence) and at Robertos suggestion, hit up a bbq place where they cook the food in front of you - Fab night. One could not have asked for a better day.
Unfortunately, I cannot recall the name of the tour company I went through - sometimes you book through one place, but its another operating it, etc, etc....but if you go to Phan Lan Guesthouse and book through them it ought to be the same one ($20US).
The next day was a short one owing to my scheduled flight back to Bangkok. Having been entranced by the rooftop pool at the Rennaissance Riverside, I'd decided to go there and have a bit of fitness, followed by lounging out at the pool. a slight bit of luxury ;-). To refill my stomach though, I returned to backpacker ghetto and hit up Pho 24 for one last quick noodle soup (yum!) and Sozo, the bakery cafe on Bui Vien - who make great cookies, cakes and coffee and have a program to train and employ those from disadvantaged backgrounds. They do a damn good job of it; the service was fantastic. Despite being served the wrong coffee they changed it immediately. The fellow who waited on me was deaf and wrote his apologies on a note, in English. I replied that it was not necessary, and his English was excellent. He was very thankful in the end. Highly recommended.
And with that I paid my final $9 US in Vietnam to a taxi and followed the signs 'Back to the Beginning' (as in, flew to my original landing point, Bangkok).
Saigon and Mekong Delta - 2 thumbs up (well, 3 if i had that many).
Nha Trang, No Thanks...But Doc Let, No Problem!
The sleeper bus (this was unlike any bus I'd seen before; 3 rows of 'bunk' beds occupied the body of the bus, in a scene akin to a Japanese capsule hotel) pulled into Nha Trang in the early twilight hours, but it could have been pulling into anywhere. Or more specifically, fill in the blank with whatever over-touristed beach resort you like. The only reason I knew I was still in Vietnam was the constant harassing from xe om (moto taxi ) drivers and the fact that yeah, some places will still accept Vietnamese Dong.
Now, I don't want to be too hard on the place, cos after all, there must have been a reason for going there, other than the fact it was a perfectly placed stop between Hoi An and Saigon? But really..it did seem more like a plastic Miami beach type resort.
OK, OK, some pluses - I did get some of the cheapest accom of the trip here, and from what I gatehered, quite possibly the cheapest room in the city. It was a small guesthouse called 'Sao Mai' located on Nguyen Thien Thuat, a few blocks up from the beach. nothing special about the room really, it was your basic twin but had hot water and wasn't too noisy at night. The people running it were a friendly enough lot as well, and the location is good, you have many restaurants and whatnot around.
The beach was, well, a city beach; from any angle one could have a view of building developments, or the hollywood-esque 'Vin Pearl' sign, marking the entertainment complex on an 'island' - connected by cable car to the mainland. It did suffice however for wiling away an afternoon when one feels lazy from a night bus ride. And if its cocktails by the sea in one of the beach bars you're after, you'll probably take to the place a bit more. I will also say, there is some nice food to be had there at what are still fairly reasonable prices. One night I was out a with a group and we did splurge on a buffet (100,000 Dong), but knowing that part it would go to a good cause helped. This was at Crazy Kim's bar on Biet Thu, and the good cause was the program the owner runs for street and/or otherwise compromised children called 'Hands off the Kids!' , and included a classroom at the back of her establishment. Volunteering to teach English there would be my only motivation for going back to this Nha Trang, should I land in the area there. On another note, she also owns a gym..just a few metres down from the bar, which I took advantage of and was quite happy to do that. The gym is small, but spacious and modern at the same time with a balcony. They have various fees, from one time drop in to one year. They'll even supply the soap and shampoo (thank god, as i'd forgotten mine at the guesthouse!)
One thing that many people do here are boat tours around the islands. There are a great many of them on offer, Mama Linh's being the most famous. So I decided, not. I ended up on a slightly cheaper one, but I can't recall the name. something brother's cafe, i'd booked it through Sao Mai. and really, for $6 US, there's no risk there. However, I will say, not to have great expectations for the other islands and scenery, be it above land or below sea. the beaches were rocky, the marine life almost non-existent, and most corals bleached or dead. So if you go, go with intent to have a good time, and meet people. The tour leader was pretty funny, they did their own boy band rendition, which included 'La Bamba', something most entertaining for the 2 Chileans, Daniel and Uri. Lunch was fantastic (that alone was worth the $6, we got a lot of food), and the floating bar is pretty hilarious too, I won't spoil it though by giving away details ;-). We also had crap weather, but managed to have a good time nonetheless. And it was Uri and Daniel who ended up being good company in the evening along with their friends at Crazy Kim's and the Sailing Club, so it was overall a worthwhile endeavor for me.
However, after 2 nights I was ready to leave. And I don't know, but something about the nightlife..the vibe was just off. The sailing club is as nice as place as any, stylish even, making me wish Matt had been there, but the crowd...maybe pretentious is a word to use. So I was glad to head on out the next day. My initial intention had been anyway to find a more remote beach, or to spend at least a small amount of time in a place that people might ask 'where?'. ie, somewhere not Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hue, Danang, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Mui Ne, Dalat or Saigon (ie, the tourist bus stops). Feeling a little burnt out from always worrying about rip offs - one side note, Nha Trang is notorious for pickpocketing and theft. So I was more than wary, and well, I was fine. However stories I'd heard also stemmed from people taking heaps of cash on a big night out - and thats just failing to use a little common sense. Taking a gangsta wad of cash with you to get totally wasted in a town notorious for theft...one shouldn't expect to hang on to it.
Of course anyone can be in the wrong place at the wrong time, regardless of how careful you are, but practicing a bit of caution could save you a lot of trouble. I left my valuables in the hotel safe; not entirely failsafe, but they are then responsible for it. If you leave it in the room, not so. When going out, I took only what I intended to spend that evening, and my room key, leaving all else in the safe. I had no problems there at all.
However, this burnout also lead me to suspicion about my transport to Doc Let - one of the people there insisted on me using their friend's moto taxi to get there, cos well, they all have friends in something don't they? hahah. However the price was right, so I agreed to it, confirming it on more than one occasion. And was pleasantly surprised. The driver expected no more, and did extra things such as checking if i needed to use the toilet, giving a break for stretching, giving me some information about the surrounding area, and then not realising I had a reservation at Doc Let resort, waited to shuttle me elsehwere in case there was a problem, but did not want any extra money. So once again, this is another service I suggest using if staying at Sao Mai.
So yes, where I ended up - Doc Let (pronounced 'Yop Lek'). At a resort frequented by mainly domestic tourists called 'Doc Let Resort', oddly enough, along a very pretty stretch of beach about 45 kms north of Nha Trang, but in feeling, about 1000kms from there. I had a nice little bungalow, though the rest of the place..could use a decorator. Or at least a non-soviet era one. However, if one avoids that area..which I would advise doing anyway during the day as there are heaps of tourists, and at night its eerily quiet..it can be quite nice. Wander down the beach in either direction, and expect a stretch of it to yourself. The only person I saw during my time in
'my spot' was a local fisherman with his bike, who seemed to think it of the utmost importance to immediately wrap the bike in cling film...(despite it being clear blue skies)? I had long stopped asking questions by this point. the food was also good and very cheap. I was in shock about prices once I reached Saigon!!
It was nice having a full lenght pool to myself for sport purposes, but after later discovering the Paradise Resort - run by a Frenchman and his family - 2kms down the beach, I reckon that might have been the nicer choice. They had some old school style bungalows in a very pretty setting right along the beach. also, meals are included, and likely taken with a group which would have been nice. It also gave access to a nearby town called Dom Ha, which seems quite underexplored by foreigners...I am not joking when I had people literally stop their activity as I walked by, or in some cases, laughing. ok, well, so the latter one should be nothing new for me actually.
The other place I didn't make it to but heard rave reviews about was called Jungle Beach Resort. This one needs to be booked far ahead though I think, as its quite small and popular. I was mistaken about the price on the internet, and later informed by a friend that she had paid just $22 US a night (not the $54 i saw advertised), including full board, and free tea and water all day. And she loved it. Ahhh, had I more time...It's about 60kms out of Nha Trang. If you stay at Sao Mai in Nha Trang, they have the contact details there for you.
Getting away...being off the tourist route meant also being off the fancy sleeper bus route. Since I was collected in the nearby village of Ninh Hoa, I was on the local bus and was the only whitie. So my bus wasn't quite as nice for the stretch down to Saigon, but for half the price (it was $10 US for a 10 hr journey), I coudln't complain. Realising this of course, after I'd tried telling them it was the wrong bus (!).
Now, I don't want to be too hard on the place, cos after all, there must have been a reason for going there, other than the fact it was a perfectly placed stop between Hoi An and Saigon? But really..it did seem more like a plastic Miami beach type resort.
OK, OK, some pluses - I did get some of the cheapest accom of the trip here, and from what I gatehered, quite possibly the cheapest room in the city. It was a small guesthouse called 'Sao Mai' located on Nguyen Thien Thuat, a few blocks up from the beach. nothing special about the room really, it was your basic twin but had hot water and wasn't too noisy at night. The people running it were a friendly enough lot as well, and the location is good, you have many restaurants and whatnot around.
The beach was, well, a city beach; from any angle one could have a view of building developments, or the hollywood-esque 'Vin Pearl' sign, marking the entertainment complex on an 'island' - connected by cable car to the mainland. It did suffice however for wiling away an afternoon when one feels lazy from a night bus ride. And if its cocktails by the sea in one of the beach bars you're after, you'll probably take to the place a bit more. I will also say, there is some nice food to be had there at what are still fairly reasonable prices. One night I was out a with a group and we did splurge on a buffet (100,000 Dong), but knowing that part it would go to a good cause helped. This was at Crazy Kim's bar on Biet Thu, and the good cause was the program the owner runs for street and/or otherwise compromised children called 'Hands off the Kids!' , and included a classroom at the back of her establishment. Volunteering to teach English there would be my only motivation for going back to this Nha Trang, should I land in the area there. On another note, she also owns a gym..just a few metres down from the bar, which I took advantage of and was quite happy to do that. The gym is small, but spacious and modern at the same time with a balcony. They have various fees, from one time drop in to one year. They'll even supply the soap and shampoo (thank god, as i'd forgotten mine at the guesthouse!)
One thing that many people do here are boat tours around the islands. There are a great many of them on offer, Mama Linh's being the most famous. So I decided, not. I ended up on a slightly cheaper one, but I can't recall the name. something brother's cafe, i'd booked it through Sao Mai. and really, for $6 US, there's no risk there. However, I will say, not to have great expectations for the other islands and scenery, be it above land or below sea. the beaches were rocky, the marine life almost non-existent, and most corals bleached or dead. So if you go, go with intent to have a good time, and meet people. The tour leader was pretty funny, they did their own boy band rendition, which included 'La Bamba', something most entertaining for the 2 Chileans, Daniel and Uri. Lunch was fantastic (that alone was worth the $6, we got a lot of food), and the floating bar is pretty hilarious too, I won't spoil it though by giving away details ;-). We also had crap weather, but managed to have a good time nonetheless. And it was Uri and Daniel who ended up being good company in the evening along with their friends at Crazy Kim's and the Sailing Club, so it was overall a worthwhile endeavor for me.
However, after 2 nights I was ready to leave. And I don't know, but something about the nightlife..the vibe was just off. The sailing club is as nice as place as any, stylish even, making me wish Matt had been there, but the crowd...maybe pretentious is a word to use. So I was glad to head on out the next day. My initial intention had been anyway to find a more remote beach, or to spend at least a small amount of time in a place that people might ask 'where?'. ie, somewhere not Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hue, Danang, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Mui Ne, Dalat or Saigon (ie, the tourist bus stops). Feeling a little burnt out from always worrying about rip offs - one side note, Nha Trang is notorious for pickpocketing and theft. So I was more than wary, and well, I was fine. However stories I'd heard also stemmed from people taking heaps of cash on a big night out - and thats just failing to use a little common sense. Taking a gangsta wad of cash with you to get totally wasted in a town notorious for theft...one shouldn't expect to hang on to it.
Of course anyone can be in the wrong place at the wrong time, regardless of how careful you are, but practicing a bit of caution could save you a lot of trouble. I left my valuables in the hotel safe; not entirely failsafe, but they are then responsible for it. If you leave it in the room, not so. When going out, I took only what I intended to spend that evening, and my room key, leaving all else in the safe. I had no problems there at all.
However, this burnout also lead me to suspicion about my transport to Doc Let - one of the people there insisted on me using their friend's moto taxi to get there, cos well, they all have friends in something don't they? hahah. However the price was right, so I agreed to it, confirming it on more than one occasion. And was pleasantly surprised. The driver expected no more, and did extra things such as checking if i needed to use the toilet, giving a break for stretching, giving me some information about the surrounding area, and then not realising I had a reservation at Doc Let resort, waited to shuttle me elsehwere in case there was a problem, but did not want any extra money. So once again, this is another service I suggest using if staying at Sao Mai.
So yes, where I ended up - Doc Let (pronounced 'Yop Lek'). At a resort frequented by mainly domestic tourists called 'Doc Let Resort', oddly enough, along a very pretty stretch of beach about 45 kms north of Nha Trang, but in feeling, about 1000kms from there. I had a nice little bungalow, though the rest of the place..could use a decorator. Or at least a non-soviet era one. However, if one avoids that area..which I would advise doing anyway during the day as there are heaps of tourists, and at night its eerily quiet..it can be quite nice. Wander down the beach in either direction, and expect a stretch of it to yourself. The only person I saw during my time in
'my spot' was a local fisherman with his bike, who seemed to think it of the utmost importance to immediately wrap the bike in cling film...(despite it being clear blue skies)? I had long stopped asking questions by this point. the food was also good and very cheap. I was in shock about prices once I reached Saigon!!
It was nice having a full lenght pool to myself for sport purposes, but after later discovering the Paradise Resort - run by a Frenchman and his family - 2kms down the beach, I reckon that might have been the nicer choice. They had some old school style bungalows in a very pretty setting right along the beach. also, meals are included, and likely taken with a group which would have been nice. It also gave access to a nearby town called Dom Ha, which seems quite underexplored by foreigners...I am not joking when I had people literally stop their activity as I walked by, or in some cases, laughing. ok, well, so the latter one should be nothing new for me actually.
The other place I didn't make it to but heard rave reviews about was called Jungle Beach Resort. This one needs to be booked far ahead though I think, as its quite small and popular. I was mistaken about the price on the internet, and later informed by a friend that she had paid just $22 US a night (not the $54 i saw advertised), including full board, and free tea and water all day. And she loved it. Ahhh, had I more time...It's about 60kms out of Nha Trang. If you stay at Sao Mai in Nha Trang, they have the contact details there for you.
Getting away...being off the tourist route meant also being off the fancy sleeper bus route. Since I was collected in the nearby village of Ninh Hoa, I was on the local bus and was the only whitie. So my bus wasn't quite as nice for the stretch down to Saigon, but for half the price (it was $10 US for a 10 hr journey), I coudln't complain. Realising this of course, after I'd tried telling them it was the wrong bus (!).
12 March, 2009
In Stitches: Hoi An
Perhaps, subconsciously, I knew that this was going to be my favourite place in Vietnam. And that would be my excuse for once again flying to it. :-). Actually, initially I had intended to do the 16 hour train journey from Hanoi, since it would be an overnight train and thus not cost me my precious remaining time which I wished to maximize seeing places rather than sat on ridiculously long bus rides. However, when realising that the cost of the train was $40 US, and the Vietnam airlines website, which I had checked just for a lark, had a flight from Hanoi to Danang (Hoi An does not have its own airport, but this one is 30 minutes away by car) for $35..the temptation of saving both time AND money was more than enough to have me clicking 'confirm booking' without a second thought.
And thankfully so; after meeting Matt in Hanoi he had decided to ditch on his Ha Long bay trip to join me in Hoi An, but unfortunately for him that flight had sold out. So he took the train. And we had mutually eaten something that gave us a separate destination: gastroenteritis-land. However whilst I, having secured us great lodgings, was able to suffer in comfort, dear ol' Matt was stuck with those train toilets, cursing me and my $35 flight the whole way ;-). Thankfully my issue was sorted out at the clinic the next day and I could go off and enjoy my time in this pretty little town!
So, the small practical bit out of the way first; that being, yes, if one wants to fly here, book the flight to Danang. from here taxis will service the route to Hoi An, and the price, well, once again will depend on the number in your party. Try to find people to share with...hahaha..I always find this to be quite funny advice, as finding people to share with is not always a viable option - its not like you can rock up at your local 7-11 and purchase them. As the only people who could have potentially shared with me decided to keep to their own little group, I parted with a whopping 260,000 Dong for the trip - they between 6 paid 290,000 and I can't quite believe one of them was about to complain over it! so yeah, once again, if you're doing the solo traveler thing, have the cash prepared. They won't take a credit card, but there is a cashpoint at the Danang airport.
That said, I did find agreeance with Lonely Planet on the point that Hoi An has some of the best value accomodation going in Vietnam. Not necessarily the cheapest, but still incredible value for the price. So I booked Matt and I into a place called Thanh Binh III, which was just a few minutes away from the Riverfront action, but nice and quiet. We each paid $17/night - not the advertised rate but for once solo travelers get a break! hurrah! for this price though, I had an incredibly large room and a bed big enough for about 4 people, bathtub, hot water, my own terrace with palm trees, breakfast, swimming pool and free internet. For some comparison, in Saigon I had to pay $16 for a simple twin room with none of the above amenities. One thing to note though - I found this out later on, and therefore might have gone a bit cheaper, is that many hotels have a second, or third version, and the higher the number, the more amenities, and the more expensive.
The other reason I was glad I ended up flying was it gave me an extra evening in Hoi An, and after grabbing some great cheap food at the central market stalls, I met Irene from Switzerland who was absolutely lovely and we had a great evening going to the Cargo club for tea and sweets and being 'stylish', getting ready for Matt's arrival! haha. She also decided to join me for the cooking course.
We went with Red Bridge, which is far and away the msot expensive option, but included much more than learning a couple Vietnamese dishes in the back of a restaurant. I would definitely recommend splurging for this, as we got a tour of the market, along with an education of what is used for what. Then they took us by boat down the river, taking the sights before arriving at 'the school', where we got another tour of their herb garden, before we learned how to make 4 dishes, with a hilarious chef before sitting down to lunch to enjoy our spoils. They also threw in steamed ocean fish and had no issue taking out onions for me as well. And if one wants, you can stay and hang out by the pool afterwards. however, it wasn't exactly swimmy weather to I headed back on the boat with the others. Great group for that, including more solo travelers Lisa from Australia who was doing a buzz tour of Vietnam and Terry from USA - who works half the year as a lifeguard and goes off on adventures for the other half. He was definitely the most adventurous of us in terms of trying food and will eat pretty much anything on offer abroad - monkey brains anyone?
And finally we arrive at the reason for my title; one thing that either brings a lot of visitors to Hoi An, or captures them after they've arrived is Tailor Made clothes. You needn't be in Hoi An more than a few seconds to take notice of the many shops abounding offering anything from winter coats to suits and dresses, or even a copy of your favourite shoes. In the beginning I was taking the piss a bit on Irene, but soon found myself equally hooked and trying to remember which appointments were at which shops, and even one time ended up in a shop frantically searching their catalogue for a 'must-have' skirt i'd seen the day before..only to realise, I'd seen it somewhere else before sneaking out sheepishly (!). I had about 7 different things made in about 7 different places, and there are 2 of them i'd recommend: One is Impressions boutique, which has a few branches throughout the city, but I had luck at the one on 166 Tran Phu Street. For me the fact they were constantly busy and one of the few who didn't try to solicit your business when you walked past was a good indicator. And the one who had the skirt I was after and did an excellent job of it was 'Hai Pho' at 663 Hai Ba Trung str. They will usually make most things inside a day, but allow a bit more time for fittings and tweaking, if need be.
Then you could wear your new outfits and go be 'stylish' - something Matt and Irene and I continued to do, and on the last night Matt and I hit up a place called 'White Marble' on Le Loi Street. The reason I chose it was, that funny chef who taught our cooking course also worked there. This is a good choice if you want to have a nice night out, and suiting for Matt's last night in Hoi An. The food was excellent, if in small portions (its one of THOSE places) and the upstairs has sofas and affords a view of the shops below. It's also a wine bar. For those in search of cheaper eats, they can be found at the central market, but watch the ice and green veggies...the doctor figured this was what catapulted me back into a state of gastroenteritis. There are also numerous great restaurants along the river, in Hoi An you are also spoiled for food choice!
In one of the restaurants, we were approached by a man called 'Mr. Trung' who will do tours of his fishing and pottery village for $10 US per person, including a homemade lunch by his wife, served in his home. Matt and I were meant to do this, and after Matt left on an earlier flight and I had to reschedule by one day, I was still charged the same amount, nothing extra. It was good value and I definitely recommend it.
And thankfully so; after meeting Matt in Hanoi he had decided to ditch on his Ha Long bay trip to join me in Hoi An, but unfortunately for him that flight had sold out. So he took the train. And we had mutually eaten something that gave us a separate destination: gastroenteritis-land. However whilst I, having secured us great lodgings, was able to suffer in comfort, dear ol' Matt was stuck with those train toilets, cursing me and my $35 flight the whole way ;-). Thankfully my issue was sorted out at the clinic the next day and I could go off and enjoy my time in this pretty little town!
So, the small practical bit out of the way first; that being, yes, if one wants to fly here, book the flight to Danang. from here taxis will service the route to Hoi An, and the price, well, once again will depend on the number in your party. Try to find people to share with...hahaha..I always find this to be quite funny advice, as finding people to share with is not always a viable option - its not like you can rock up at your local 7-11 and purchase them. As the only people who could have potentially shared with me decided to keep to their own little group, I parted with a whopping 260,000 Dong for the trip - they between 6 paid 290,000 and I can't quite believe one of them was about to complain over it! so yeah, once again, if you're doing the solo traveler thing, have the cash prepared. They won't take a credit card, but there is a cashpoint at the Danang airport.
That said, I did find agreeance with Lonely Planet on the point that Hoi An has some of the best value accomodation going in Vietnam. Not necessarily the cheapest, but still incredible value for the price. So I booked Matt and I into a place called Thanh Binh III, which was just a few minutes away from the Riverfront action, but nice and quiet. We each paid $17/night - not the advertised rate but for once solo travelers get a break! hurrah! for this price though, I had an incredibly large room and a bed big enough for about 4 people, bathtub, hot water, my own terrace with palm trees, breakfast, swimming pool and free internet. For some comparison, in Saigon I had to pay $16 for a simple twin room with none of the above amenities. One thing to note though - I found this out later on, and therefore might have gone a bit cheaper, is that many hotels have a second, or third version, and the higher the number, the more amenities, and the more expensive.
The other reason I was glad I ended up flying was it gave me an extra evening in Hoi An, and after grabbing some great cheap food at the central market stalls, I met Irene from Switzerland who was absolutely lovely and we had a great evening going to the Cargo club for tea and sweets and being 'stylish', getting ready for Matt's arrival! haha. She also decided to join me for the cooking course.
We went with Red Bridge, which is far and away the msot expensive option, but included much more than learning a couple Vietnamese dishes in the back of a restaurant. I would definitely recommend splurging for this, as we got a tour of the market, along with an education of what is used for what. Then they took us by boat down the river, taking the sights before arriving at 'the school', where we got another tour of their herb garden, before we learned how to make 4 dishes, with a hilarious chef before sitting down to lunch to enjoy our spoils. They also threw in steamed ocean fish and had no issue taking out onions for me as well. And if one wants, you can stay and hang out by the pool afterwards. however, it wasn't exactly swimmy weather to I headed back on the boat with the others. Great group for that, including more solo travelers Lisa from Australia who was doing a buzz tour of Vietnam and Terry from USA - who works half the year as a lifeguard and goes off on adventures for the other half. He was definitely the most adventurous of us in terms of trying food and will eat pretty much anything on offer abroad - monkey brains anyone?
And finally we arrive at the reason for my title; one thing that either brings a lot of visitors to Hoi An, or captures them after they've arrived is Tailor Made clothes. You needn't be in Hoi An more than a few seconds to take notice of the many shops abounding offering anything from winter coats to suits and dresses, or even a copy of your favourite shoes. In the beginning I was taking the piss a bit on Irene, but soon found myself equally hooked and trying to remember which appointments were at which shops, and even one time ended up in a shop frantically searching their catalogue for a 'must-have' skirt i'd seen the day before..only to realise, I'd seen it somewhere else before sneaking out sheepishly (!). I had about 7 different things made in about 7 different places, and there are 2 of them i'd recommend: One is Impressions boutique, which has a few branches throughout the city, but I had luck at the one on 166 Tran Phu Street. For me the fact they were constantly busy and one of the few who didn't try to solicit your business when you walked past was a good indicator. And the one who had the skirt I was after and did an excellent job of it was 'Hai Pho' at 663 Hai Ba Trung str. They will usually make most things inside a day, but allow a bit more time for fittings and tweaking, if need be.
Then you could wear your new outfits and go be 'stylish' - something Matt and Irene and I continued to do, and on the last night Matt and I hit up a place called 'White Marble' on Le Loi Street. The reason I chose it was, that funny chef who taught our cooking course also worked there. This is a good choice if you want to have a nice night out, and suiting for Matt's last night in Hoi An. The food was excellent, if in small portions (its one of THOSE places) and the upstairs has sofas and affords a view of the shops below. It's also a wine bar. For those in search of cheaper eats, they can be found at the central market, but watch the ice and green veggies...the doctor figured this was what catapulted me back into a state of gastroenteritis. There are also numerous great restaurants along the river, in Hoi An you are also spoiled for food choice!
In one of the restaurants, we were approached by a man called 'Mr. Trung' who will do tours of his fishing and pottery village for $10 US per person, including a homemade lunch by his wife, served in his home. Matt and I were meant to do this, and after Matt left on an earlier flight and I had to reschedule by one day, I was still charged the same amount, nothing extra. It was good value and I definitely recommend it.
08 March, 2009
Holy Motorbikes Batman, Welcome to Hanoi!
a little 60 minute flight was all it took to go 180 degrees from peaceful, chilled out Luang Prabang back into the full on glaring and blaring Asian big city, with myself prepared for everything I'd been told - hotel scams, rude people ripping you off and so on and so forth. A for effort on their part though. I decided on the Vietnam airlines shuttle into the city - at $2 per person this is the cheapest transport one will get from the airport to the city, my intention to get off at their office and continue on to my pre booked accom..tangent here...as you see, the scam centres around taxis and shuttles telling you things like the place you want to stay has moved, is full, etc, etc...having something reserved prevents this, and really all it took was a few minutes online and voila. the shuttle is hard to find, but a key is the people running it are in uniform and have vietnam airlines ID hanging on their neck. the uniform is a navy blue suit. there are many other shuttles who will actually lie to you and tell that is the one, but they are not. One said first they go 1km from the vietnam airlines office, and quickly said after, no we go there. They others will also list prices in Dong; as far as i could tell vietnam airlines shuttle was the only one that listed it in dollars ($2 to their office).
However the place the shuttle dropped me off did not match up with my ghetto map (more the problem of the map than the shuttle), and I was initially mobbed by loads of..i'm not sure, motorbike taxis, accomodation touts, who will try to take your luggage out of the bus, and continue grabbing it while you are walking. something I stopped only by turning and giving a firm 'back off!', but it was then i realised i had no idea where i was going. Was approached by more motorbike taxis and when one offered to take me and my 20kg luggage for $1, i took him up on it. good so, i'd have never found the place on my own in the dark with my screwy map.
So Hanoi backpackers it was; after having been rather antisocial in Laos i thought time to suck it up, stay in a dorm and meet other peeps. Also save a bit of cash. Dorm beds go for $7.50. They are pretty organized there, and I was shown to my room in the annex (well, mine and 7 others). If you would like a quiet reprieve both from the full volume Hanoi noise and the alcoholic 12 year olds, i'd request to be placed in this building. I suppose second best from that would be their third property (they are all within mere metres of each other) called 'The Other Side'. The dorms are new, clean, smart and the bunks are some of the best I've ever come across. very sturdy. You're also given a large locker, reading light and little shelf. The free breakfast is from 6.30 til 10 - bananas, baguettes, tea/coffee. upgrade to things with eggs or pancakes for another 30,000 Dong or so.
And yup, you'll likely meet people. Hang about the hostel bar and someone or other will chat you up. In my case it was a few minutes before a fellow Canadian did this, and I continued on with the group to the Irish pub as was standard. Was an ok evening, but lecherous men abounded (this time unlike Laos, it was all foreigners) so I made my excuses and ran out in Cinderella time (ie, before midnight). Its also a young crowd, and one with all the peer pressure to drink, which I am just so over.
thankfully the next morning at breakfast I joined forces with Matt of Chicago, who was a bit more on the same wavelength as myself. We did a walking tour of Hanoi and looked like the worst kinds of tourists holding out our map, haha. We also read about getting some 'squirmy fish' and 'chunky frogs' down one market street and psyched ourselves up to eat some but bailed in the end. Fine 'Fear Factor' candidates we would have made. Another entertaining point of the walk was nipping into a temple - which is more like someone's house, 102 i believe it was called, to have the artisan there who was evidently (and rightly) proud of his work pointing out everything, including how fascinating it was that he turned the light on. Of course we were served the obligatory tea, all parties being lost in translation as this guy spoke not a word of English.
Halfway through upon reaching the Dong Xuan market (which i called the 'Don Juan' Market for memory's sake) we called defeat and headed off for food in a cyclo taxi. we had quite an interesting time of it with them - our initial price paid was 70,000 dong and the last one was an easily bargained 40,000..we just wondered if we were losing weight. price was for the ride, not per person thankfully. The rest of the afternoon was gleefully spent mooching around in cafes around the cathedral, eventually dinner and a futile hunt for the famous 'Bia Hoi', and of course not to mention risque street crossings that could easily rival those in Bangkok. If you haven't been on the verge of being driven over by a bus or one of many honking motorbikes, you haven't been to Hanoi...
I headed on out the next day by plane to Da Nang - a steal at $35 for the one way ticket on the 75 minute flight, considering the 16 hour train journey starts at $40! bookable on the vietnam airlines website, domestic flights in vietnam are clearly a deal, as the flight was as normal as any, no delays and luggage showing up on time.
Hanoi was great, but a bit too buzzy for my liking so i'm glad now to be in peaceful Hoi An and looking forward to heading south to a beach again!
However the place the shuttle dropped me off did not match up with my ghetto map (more the problem of the map than the shuttle), and I was initially mobbed by loads of..i'm not sure, motorbike taxis, accomodation touts, who will try to take your luggage out of the bus, and continue grabbing it while you are walking. something I stopped only by turning and giving a firm 'back off!', but it was then i realised i had no idea where i was going. Was approached by more motorbike taxis and when one offered to take me and my 20kg luggage for $1, i took him up on it. good so, i'd have never found the place on my own in the dark with my screwy map.
So Hanoi backpackers it was; after having been rather antisocial in Laos i thought time to suck it up, stay in a dorm and meet other peeps. Also save a bit of cash. Dorm beds go for $7.50. They are pretty organized there, and I was shown to my room in the annex (well, mine and 7 others). If you would like a quiet reprieve both from the full volume Hanoi noise and the alcoholic 12 year olds, i'd request to be placed in this building. I suppose second best from that would be their third property (they are all within mere metres of each other) called 'The Other Side'. The dorms are new, clean, smart and the bunks are some of the best I've ever come across. very sturdy. You're also given a large locker, reading light and little shelf. The free breakfast is from 6.30 til 10 - bananas, baguettes, tea/coffee. upgrade to things with eggs or pancakes for another 30,000 Dong or so.
And yup, you'll likely meet people. Hang about the hostel bar and someone or other will chat you up. In my case it was a few minutes before a fellow Canadian did this, and I continued on with the group to the Irish pub as was standard. Was an ok evening, but lecherous men abounded (this time unlike Laos, it was all foreigners) so I made my excuses and ran out in Cinderella time (ie, before midnight). Its also a young crowd, and one with all the peer pressure to drink, which I am just so over.
thankfully the next morning at breakfast I joined forces with Matt of Chicago, who was a bit more on the same wavelength as myself. We did a walking tour of Hanoi and looked like the worst kinds of tourists holding out our map, haha. We also read about getting some 'squirmy fish' and 'chunky frogs' down one market street and psyched ourselves up to eat some but bailed in the end. Fine 'Fear Factor' candidates we would have made. Another entertaining point of the walk was nipping into a temple - which is more like someone's house, 102 i believe it was called, to have the artisan there who was evidently (and rightly) proud of his work pointing out everything, including how fascinating it was that he turned the light on. Of course we were served the obligatory tea, all parties being lost in translation as this guy spoke not a word of English.
Halfway through upon reaching the Dong Xuan market (which i called the 'Don Juan' Market for memory's sake) we called defeat and headed off for food in a cyclo taxi. we had quite an interesting time of it with them - our initial price paid was 70,000 dong and the last one was an easily bargained 40,000..we just wondered if we were losing weight. price was for the ride, not per person thankfully. The rest of the afternoon was gleefully spent mooching around in cafes around the cathedral, eventually dinner and a futile hunt for the famous 'Bia Hoi', and of course not to mention risque street crossings that could easily rival those in Bangkok. If you haven't been on the verge of being driven over by a bus or one of many honking motorbikes, you haven't been to Hanoi...
I headed on out the next day by plane to Da Nang - a steal at $35 for the one way ticket on the 75 minute flight, considering the 16 hour train journey starts at $40! bookable on the vietnam airlines website, domestic flights in vietnam are clearly a deal, as the flight was as normal as any, no delays and luggage showing up on time.
Hanoi was great, but a bit too buzzy for my liking so i'm glad now to be in peaceful Hoi An and looking forward to heading south to a beach again!
07 March, 2009
Living Peacefully - Luang Prabang
It all begins with a night bus from Vientiane...something that seemed like a good idea at the time, although in all honesty I am not sure the day one would differ all that much. Apart from the fact you could take in the scenery, and perhaps potentially being left on the side of the road, alone, would not be as scary a prospect. Thankfully this did not happen to me, but read on to see how it was avoided...hee hee.
so of course, pickup at 18:00 means 19:30, no worries, and then i arrive to the mammoth bus and i'm hunting for a viable seat only to realise they are assigned seats. there was this couple to be separated by an aisle (oh my god, 9 hours with a 50cm aisle between us how will we survive) and Andrea being patron saint it seems agrees to trade. And am due some good karma i reckon..
so first i was sat next to a local girl and her lad comes up and starts saing 'this is my little darling' and i'm thinking here we go again...so i was like ok dude wheres your seat..and this being SE Asia i was starting to think I'd only be changing again for a sizeable sum of kip...but he actually isn't on the bus at all, so no trade necessary. He just, you know, needed to make sure she was taken care of...odd, surely, as she WAS (or at least appeared to be) an adult, and local..thereby I am not entirely sure what myself the foreigner who's Lao language consisted of 'hello' and 'thank you' was meant to do...suppose make sure she wasn't left at the side of the road toilet stop maybe?
then it turns out she is in the wrong seat anyway so all that for nothing really. Though I had wished she stayed since I then got stuck next to a woman with a small child. One who was kicking constantly, intermittent with screaming. or self being used as nappy changing table, and oh, have i mentioned the puke? kid puked. all over the aisle thankfully not on self. required recall of junior high gymnastics team skills to remove self from seat and not get flip flop covered in it. all to the setting of bad lao karaoke blasted on the TV, and when the finally shut that off the girl behind me was blaring the same stuff from her mobile whilst kicking my seat. i got it from mboth ends!! ahh!!!
one of the best bits was going to the toilet..i tried to do this during our pitstop..in the bus of course was a bush in the dark. not that i've never done that, but considering the bus left with no warning and no one's missing me if i dont get back on..can't risk it. so i used the bus one. but bus left, tossing self to and fro with toilet water, and then i had to get over the people who were sat on stools and boxes in the aisles, which required swinging from the overhead storage bins like tarzan, or cirque du soleil acrobat to get back into my seat. also avoiding the puke.
that couple slept rather soundly in MY seat. I repeated to myself, it could be worse; I could be going all the way to Vietnam, or be in one of those aisle seats, and remembered how lucky I was the next journey would be done by plane.
However, if Luang Prabang was the reward, it was well worth it. I was wondering how it would be, and worried that since everyone had hyped it up so much the power of expectation might cause disappointment, but not so. After finding a suitable guesthouse, in which I had a nice terrace, garden and a view of a few points of the city, I recovered and set off to explore. The concentration of temples is astounding, and the atmosphere is just taking life slowly. I wandered up the hill to the gold stupa I'd seen from my guesthouse room and had a fantastic view of the entire city from up there. And there were surprisingly few tourists. Wandered back down through another temple, where the buddha statues were labelled by days of the week (ie, Saturday's buddha), and there was a buddha footprint. I decided on dinner down by the river at one of the cheaper foodstall/restaurant hybrid things - not quite so casual as the riverside in Vientiane, but great food and service nonetheless!
The following day I took the advice of a few other travelers and decided to hit up the waterfalls, combining with a boat trip down the river to the buddha cave and a village that produces 'Lao Lao' (Lao whiskey). For anyone else wanting to do this or any other trip, I'd recommend allowing the time to shop around; the prices I was quoted varied wildly from 150,000 to 100,000 kip for pretty much the same thing. They of course will want you to book straight away as well...of course, you could also get a tuk tuk to drive you to the waterfalls, or take a motorbike out. However those options work better when you are in a group; for myself, it was cheaper to join the group in the minivan. The waterfall is quite nice, and very refreshing in the heat! You can also see Asiatic black bears that have been rescued from poachers.
The next day was not going to be a full one as I had my flight to Hanoi, but I think I did alright in terms of fitting stuff in! Starting the day off with yoga and then a great little breakfast in Joma (yes, there is a branch in LP so I hadn't had to give up my Joma habit when I left Vientiane!) and then went down to make a deal with the Mekong riverboat drivers to take me to 'the other side'. Again, this is always a problem for solo travelers - the high price paid for complete independence...though I did get him down to 20,000 kips from 50,000 which was alright considering he took me there, dropped me off away from the regular tourist boat stop and waited as long as I wanted which could have been all day had I not had my flight. Well, that was part of my bargaining power I guess, saying he would be back in time to pick up another fare for the day...hee hee.
The other side was less developed, with a paved road for only part of the way (albeit lest we forget the satellite TV!), and very very peaceful. There is a simple temple one can wander up to (of course they will want a nominal amount of money for this from the foreigners) but it was well worth it and the only other people I saw up there were a couple of chatty Australians and the children who are following you trying to get money for flowers. They ask for other things too, such as pens and tissues and can be rather persistent so if you head to the other side be prepared...however it is worth it.
My last activity was of course one of my favourite..haggling with the tuk tuks for transport to the airport. Again I was prepared to part with larger sums than most owing to the solo traveler thing, and when the Aussies from the other side told me it would be 50,000 kip I was prepared for this gouge..so was pleasantly surprised when I began shopping around the tuk tuks and their initial prices were half that. It did make me laugh a bit, how I was just enquiring and their immediate response was 'you go NOW!'. I just thought, I only wish I were able to travel with a small handbag as my only luggage! Anyway, I ended up being stalked by a moto taxi driver (as in he kept following me down the street asking 'have boyfriend? have boyfriend? want Lao boyfriend?'. He asked 40,000 at first, but we agreed on 25,000 for a later guesthouse pickup with luggage and the whole sidecar thing just cracked me up so I thought I can put up with one last lecherous local before hopping the flight to Hanoi.
Oh, and don't arrive at the Luang Prabang airport too early. It's really a very very small airport.
so of course, pickup at 18:00 means 19:30, no worries, and then i arrive to the mammoth bus and i'm hunting for a viable seat only to realise they are assigned seats. there was this couple to be separated by an aisle (oh my god, 9 hours with a 50cm aisle between us how will we survive) and Andrea being patron saint it seems agrees to trade. And am due some good karma i reckon..
so first i was sat next to a local girl and her lad comes up and starts saing 'this is my little darling' and i'm thinking here we go again...so i was like ok dude wheres your seat..and this being SE Asia i was starting to think I'd only be changing again for a sizeable sum of kip...but he actually isn't on the bus at all, so no trade necessary. He just, you know, needed to make sure she was taken care of...odd, surely, as she WAS (or at least appeared to be) an adult, and local..thereby I am not entirely sure what myself the foreigner who's Lao language consisted of 'hello' and 'thank you' was meant to do...suppose make sure she wasn't left at the side of the road toilet stop maybe?
then it turns out she is in the wrong seat anyway so all that for nothing really. Though I had wished she stayed since I then got stuck next to a woman with a small child. One who was kicking constantly, intermittent with screaming. or self being used as nappy changing table, and oh, have i mentioned the puke? kid puked. all over the aisle thankfully not on self. required recall of junior high gymnastics team skills to remove self from seat and not get flip flop covered in it. all to the setting of bad lao karaoke blasted on the TV, and when the finally shut that off the girl behind me was blaring the same stuff from her mobile whilst kicking my seat. i got it from mboth ends!! ahh!!!
one of the best bits was going to the toilet..i tried to do this during our pitstop..in the bus of course was a bush in the dark. not that i've never done that, but considering the bus left with no warning and no one's missing me if i dont get back on..can't risk it. so i used the bus one. but bus left, tossing self to and fro with toilet water, and then i had to get over the people who were sat on stools and boxes in the aisles, which required swinging from the overhead storage bins like tarzan, or cirque du soleil acrobat to get back into my seat. also avoiding the puke.
that couple slept rather soundly in MY seat. I repeated to myself, it could be worse; I could be going all the way to Vietnam, or be in one of those aisle seats, and remembered how lucky I was the next journey would be done by plane.
However, if Luang Prabang was the reward, it was well worth it. I was wondering how it would be, and worried that since everyone had hyped it up so much the power of expectation might cause disappointment, but not so. After finding a suitable guesthouse, in which I had a nice terrace, garden and a view of a few points of the city, I recovered and set off to explore. The concentration of temples is astounding, and the atmosphere is just taking life slowly. I wandered up the hill to the gold stupa I'd seen from my guesthouse room and had a fantastic view of the entire city from up there. And there were surprisingly few tourists. Wandered back down through another temple, where the buddha statues were labelled by days of the week (ie, Saturday's buddha), and there was a buddha footprint. I decided on dinner down by the river at one of the cheaper foodstall/restaurant hybrid things - not quite so casual as the riverside in Vientiane, but great food and service nonetheless!
The following day I took the advice of a few other travelers and decided to hit up the waterfalls, combining with a boat trip down the river to the buddha cave and a village that produces 'Lao Lao' (Lao whiskey). For anyone else wanting to do this or any other trip, I'd recommend allowing the time to shop around; the prices I was quoted varied wildly from 150,000 to 100,000 kip for pretty much the same thing. They of course will want you to book straight away as well...of course, you could also get a tuk tuk to drive you to the waterfalls, or take a motorbike out. However those options work better when you are in a group; for myself, it was cheaper to join the group in the minivan. The waterfall is quite nice, and very refreshing in the heat! You can also see Asiatic black bears that have been rescued from poachers.
The next day was not going to be a full one as I had my flight to Hanoi, but I think I did alright in terms of fitting stuff in! Starting the day off with yoga and then a great little breakfast in Joma (yes, there is a branch in LP so I hadn't had to give up my Joma habit when I left Vientiane!) and then went down to make a deal with the Mekong riverboat drivers to take me to 'the other side'. Again, this is always a problem for solo travelers - the high price paid for complete independence...though I did get him down to 20,000 kips from 50,000 which was alright considering he took me there, dropped me off away from the regular tourist boat stop and waited as long as I wanted which could have been all day had I not had my flight. Well, that was part of my bargaining power I guess, saying he would be back in time to pick up another fare for the day...hee hee.
The other side was less developed, with a paved road for only part of the way (albeit lest we forget the satellite TV!), and very very peaceful. There is a simple temple one can wander up to (of course they will want a nominal amount of money for this from the foreigners) but it was well worth it and the only other people I saw up there were a couple of chatty Australians and the children who are following you trying to get money for flowers. They ask for other things too, such as pens and tissues and can be rather persistent so if you head to the other side be prepared...however it is worth it.
My last activity was of course one of my favourite..haggling with the tuk tuks for transport to the airport. Again I was prepared to part with larger sums than most owing to the solo traveler thing, and when the Aussies from the other side told me it would be 50,000 kip I was prepared for this gouge..so was pleasantly surprised when I began shopping around the tuk tuks and their initial prices were half that. It did make me laugh a bit, how I was just enquiring and their immediate response was 'you go NOW!'. I just thought, I only wish I were able to travel with a small handbag as my only luggage! Anyway, I ended up being stalked by a moto taxi driver (as in he kept following me down the street asking 'have boyfriend? have boyfriend? want Lao boyfriend?'. He asked 40,000 at first, but we agreed on 25,000 for a later guesthouse pickup with luggage and the whole sidecar thing just cracked me up so I thought I can put up with one last lecherous local before hopping the flight to Hanoi.
Oh, and don't arrive at the Luang Prabang airport too early. It's really a very very small airport.
Vientiane 101
During my short 2 week 'sejour' in this city, through the course of my job hunting, I managed to also gather information on staying, eating, and various diversions - and thus, here are the fruits of labour from a once upon a time would be expat (hybrid traveler ;-)):
*note: prices quoted in kip, and current from February 2009. The exchange rate at that time was 8400 kip for $1 US.
Staying:
first off, a NON-recommendation - phone phaseuth guesthouse, on Pangkham Road near Nam Phu square. I never stayed there, but did check it, and the room offered for the price was poor value. I met others who stayed, and were charged upwards of 200,000 kip, which is quite a lot for what they got.
Places I did actually stay - and liked include MOIC guesthouse, which is a few blocks from the Nam Phu square on rue Mantathourat. walk down Rue Settathirat, past khop chai Deu, until you reach the 'True' Coffee place - its very shiny and new, with a red sign. Turn right into the road before it. MOIC is very unassuming - look up to see the balconies, as well as their small blue sign. Its a basic place, but the rooms are large, with balconies, A/C and fan, hot water and TV for 100,000 kip a night. Its in a good location, but note to solo ladies out there - the male staff can be a bit amourous (tho not aggressive) so if this is an issue for you perhaps pass this by....in which case you may want to consider..
Laos Heritage Hotel - an absolutely lovely place (with friendly female staff) set in, as one might guess, a heritage style house. singles go for 125,000 and doubles for 165,000 including breakfast (tea, toasts, marmalade, fruit). they have 2 locations, but the reception for both is Baan Champa, 125 Phnom Penh Road, near the national stadium and tennis courts. the rooms are very cosy and its a quiet place to stay. breakfast is taken outside in the garden, and at the second location (Baan Champi) there is also a large terrace. I really liked it here and felt at home so it was worth the small splurge!
For those who are really on a budget, Sabaidee Guesthouse on rue Settathirat (just next to the 'True' coffee place) is in an excellent location and offers dorms at 20,000 kip per night, singles for 50,000.
Eating:
oh, one of my great joys in life! Especially with all the lovely cafes and bakeries in this town...
For some good, cheap Laos eats and the obligatory beerlao whilst watching the deep red sunset on the Mekong, simply head down to the riverfront; there are innumerable places that are basically simple bamboo huts where you can sit on the floor with cushions and the family running the place will wait on you with smiles. one can get the usual noodle and fried rice dishes for around 15,000 kip, and lovely fruit shakes in the neighborhood of 5,000 - 8,000 kip. If you hit it right, and are on your own, you may find some people to chat with, local and foreign. on a few nights I chatted with a Lao man working in California, but comes back when he can to see his wife.
Bakeries: Joma was far and away my favourite. Located on Rue Settathirat just down from Nam Phu, across the street from the well-known Khop Chai Deu and next to the Pimphone supermarket, they have great hot and iced coffees, light meals such as sandwiches with a variety of breads, chilli in a bread bowl and a nice greek salad. Not to mention the chocolate chip and ginger snap biscuits, which became a daily staple for me along with the fruit shakes and coffees. another popular one was the Swedish bakery, owned by an award winning Swedish pastry chef who chucked all in back home to start up in Vientiane. Outdoor and upstairs seating available at both places, the Swedish bakery is located directly in the Nam Phu square and thus affords a view of the fountain
Breakfast: I was a fan of the simple cafes on Rue Samsenethai, across from the Asia Pavillion hotel. Not far from the black stupa, they all have fruit shake stands out front and offer reasonably prices breakfasts with baguettes, fruit plates or muesli fruit and yogurt. They will also rent bicycles for 10,000 kip a day, but you will need to leave either a passport or $20 US for a deposit.
Fruitshakes - try Noy's Fruit Heaven on Rue Hengboun, not even a block from the cultural centre.
French Restaurants: for great whole wheat crepes, and as they advertise, a charming balcony, head to Ty Na restaurant at 68 Pangkham Road (Nam Phu Square). Prices around 50,000 kip for those, so it's good for a nicer night out or so. Friendly service as well. Closed Sundays. I also ate at 'La Cave des Chateaux' right in the Fountain square, which is also a charming place. I took the steak dinner menu for 67,000 kip which was great and although expensive for Laos, still excellent value by Western standards.
Expat Hangout: Sticky Fingers on Rue Francois Ngin (across from the Hotel Tai pan) is THE place, specifically Wednesday and Friday nights. Food and drink available, and include lemon lime bitters..a treat for me as I've not seen it since Australia, although not surprising given the owner is Australian! For those looking for work or other things with regards to residing there, there is a comprehensive information board located on the main floor.
I had a good pizza at 'La Terrace', which, has a nice terrace and apparently is also recommended for its other dishes.
The Pimphone Supermarket, located on Rue Settathirat right next to the Joma bakery is expat food haven if you are craving something from home, be that europe, N. America or Australia. Of course the price tag for such luxuries is attached, but I did allow it for myself once or twice whilst there. It's also got an information board for expats, similar to sticky fingers and it seems one can get anything in Vientiane..if memory serves I believe I saw a posting there for dog training...
Internet: after hitting a few slow ghetto cafes in the centre, I was pleased to find the cafe at Green Discovery, which is just a few blocks down from the cultural centre on Rue Hengboun. They are also a travel agent and do adventure tours, so one stop shopping if you're after both. They had a decent connection, and appeared to also have wireless, with headphones for skype. they are also open from 8:00 until 23:00, daily, and there was a friendly younger guy there who always greeted you with a smile and 'sabaidee'! It's also a cozy atmosphere.
Laundry: many viable options also exist on Rue Hengboun - often it's next day service for around 10,000 kips a kilo. don't expect ironing like in Thailand though; that will be extra, thank you!
Late night convenience: later fruit shake and snack stands can also be found at the other end of rue Hengboun, as well as a block away at Rue Samsenethai. many shops and thigns shut around 20:00 or 21:00, but at the end of Rue Hengboun (and a few other locations dotted throughout Vientiane) one will find the red-signed 'M Point Market' which is open until midnight and is a sort of hybrid convenience/grocery store.
Cash Machine: Many of these abound in Vientiane, but take note, not all cash machines are created equal. For example, the ones outside the M Point Market have a limit of 700,000 kip on one withdrawal. For those requiring extra cash, and also for a fairly reliable machine, the ANZ bank on Rue Lane Xang will allow up to 2 million kip per withdrawal. It saved me when a few other machines were down that day...
and now for some more fun stuff!!!
Massage: almost about as common as in Thailand finding massage parlours/spas in Vientiane! there are 2 I found that I liked; one was the white lotus, on rue Phangkham, about 50 up from the fountain. the prices are reasonable, in the lower range for Vientiane, and the setting is very conducive for relaxing. The other one, which was probably one of the best value places (cheaper than white lotus, but just as good) is called 'Dao' massage, and is located on Rue Francois Ngin, slightly further up from sticky fingers. It is located above a medical clinic in a charming colonial style area and Dao often leaves his sign out with the prices during the day. If Dao himself is there, allow a few extra minutes to chat with him; he likes the opportunity to practice his English, but said people rarely had the time. It's a pity for them, as I had an enjoyable conversation with him and got some insight into how the local people live and he's a courteous enough fellow.
Swimming: If its sport swimming you are after, you are in luck. there are a few outdoor pools in Vientiane for this, which didn't ever seem to be at all busy. At times I ahd the entire thing to myself to do lanes. One is located in the city centre, just a few blocks behind the large Lao plaza hotel. I believe it is just called 'Vientiane pool', and is a proper 25 meter pool. there are also smaller children's pools..not the most atmospheric place to hang out by the pool, but at 10,000 kip for entry....its still great for those who want a bit of exercise. it's open from 8:00 until 20:00 each day. a bit further out is the sokpuluang pool, which is the same size, but surrounded by greenery...a better option if you want to hang around and sunbathe after. For those wnating to just hang out by a pool, Hotel Lane Xang (at the river end of the road of its namesake) will allow non guests usage for 30,000 kips for one day. I have to say though, they are not all that attentive, so you could probably just try to wander on in and act like you stay there. I'm too honest for this though ;-). A more expensive, but nice option is the hotel Tai Pan.
Gym: speaking of which, they also have a small fitness facility. As I generally only used this, I only know that they charge $6.50 US for entry for both the fitness and the pool which includes towels and drinking water. I was also told of, at the end of my time there, another large fitness facility on DongPalan road, which included a free 1 hr massage!
Yoga: Vientiane Yoga (www.vientianeyoga.com) is a great little studio run by the same lady responsible for sticky fingers, Marnie. the schedule and the map are all on her website. For those staying a longer time, after 6 classes, you get one free. the cost is 50,000 kip and the class lasts 90 minutes. you may want to check the map on the website against a larger vientiane one; if you are in the centre you will need a bike or a taxi - i tried to walk it once and didn't even make it halfway (!).
Sightseeing: not something I really did a lot of, apart from the obligatory Patouxy and That Luang, which are withing walkign distance of each other.
I did however check out a couple of other things that might not be on the usual tourist radar. The first was monk chat; the one I went to was the first ever done in Laos, but if you are lucky they will have subsequent ones. This one took place at Vat Ong Tue, located in the centre just off rue Settathirat. its noted on all the maps. Basically, what it was, was a group of expats bringing monks together with foreigners interested in buddhism. It was a sort of exchange, as the monks wished to practice speaking English, and the foreigners in turn could learn about buddhism from them. At first the monks were a bit shy..well, save for Kheum, who was very chatty with me and keen to practice his English. It was a wonderful 2 hours. Watch for posters in the centre of Vientiane; or closer to the time groups of people will walk around handing out flyers advertising the event. It was pretty low key, and free of charge.
the other thing I decided to go see..as I'd seen many posters in Vientiane, as well as from riding past it on my way to the yoga studio, was something called 'COPE', which stands for 'cooperative orthotic and prosthetic enterprise'. For more information, check their website: http://www.copelaos.org . Basically they provide orthotic and prosthetic limbs, medical care, surgery and rehabilitation to those who are in need and cannot otherwise afford it, quite often the victims of UXO (unexploded ordnance). They have set up a small, very well organized and informative museum, including a variety of documentaries to watch. For me it was a real eye opener and worthwhile to check out and leave a small donation for the great work they do.
Shopping: Vientiane's biggest shopping centre is Talat Sao, which can be accessed easily from Rue Lane Xang, and is also conveniently located across the street from the main post office. Here one can purchase everything from a multitude of 'laos skirts' to mobile phones and Laos SIM cards. next to it is also a H'mong tribe market, and on the other side, the morning market.
*note: prices quoted in kip, and current from February 2009. The exchange rate at that time was 8400 kip for $1 US.
Staying:
first off, a NON-recommendation - phone phaseuth guesthouse, on Pangkham Road near Nam Phu square. I never stayed there, but did check it, and the room offered for the price was poor value. I met others who stayed, and were charged upwards of 200,000 kip, which is quite a lot for what they got.
Places I did actually stay - and liked include MOIC guesthouse, which is a few blocks from the Nam Phu square on rue Mantathourat. walk down Rue Settathirat, past khop chai Deu, until you reach the 'True' Coffee place - its very shiny and new, with a red sign. Turn right into the road before it. MOIC is very unassuming - look up to see the balconies, as well as their small blue sign. Its a basic place, but the rooms are large, with balconies, A/C and fan, hot water and TV for 100,000 kip a night. Its in a good location, but note to solo ladies out there - the male staff can be a bit amourous (tho not aggressive) so if this is an issue for you perhaps pass this by....in which case you may want to consider..
Laos Heritage Hotel - an absolutely lovely place (with friendly female staff) set in, as one might guess, a heritage style house. singles go for 125,000 and doubles for 165,000 including breakfast (tea, toasts, marmalade, fruit). they have 2 locations, but the reception for both is Baan Champa, 125 Phnom Penh Road, near the national stadium and tennis courts. the rooms are very cosy and its a quiet place to stay. breakfast is taken outside in the garden, and at the second location (Baan Champi) there is also a large terrace. I really liked it here and felt at home so it was worth the small splurge!
For those who are really on a budget, Sabaidee Guesthouse on rue Settathirat (just next to the 'True' coffee place) is in an excellent location and offers dorms at 20,000 kip per night, singles for 50,000.
Eating:
oh, one of my great joys in life! Especially with all the lovely cafes and bakeries in this town...
For some good, cheap Laos eats and the obligatory beerlao whilst watching the deep red sunset on the Mekong, simply head down to the riverfront; there are innumerable places that are basically simple bamboo huts where you can sit on the floor with cushions and the family running the place will wait on you with smiles. one can get the usual noodle and fried rice dishes for around 15,000 kip, and lovely fruit shakes in the neighborhood of 5,000 - 8,000 kip. If you hit it right, and are on your own, you may find some people to chat with, local and foreign. on a few nights I chatted with a Lao man working in California, but comes back when he can to see his wife.
Bakeries: Joma was far and away my favourite. Located on Rue Settathirat just down from Nam Phu, across the street from the well-known Khop Chai Deu and next to the Pimphone supermarket, they have great hot and iced coffees, light meals such as sandwiches with a variety of breads, chilli in a bread bowl and a nice greek salad. Not to mention the chocolate chip and ginger snap biscuits, which became a daily staple for me along with the fruit shakes and coffees. another popular one was the Swedish bakery, owned by an award winning Swedish pastry chef who chucked all in back home to start up in Vientiane. Outdoor and upstairs seating available at both places, the Swedish bakery is located directly in the Nam Phu square and thus affords a view of the fountain
Breakfast: I was a fan of the simple cafes on Rue Samsenethai, across from the Asia Pavillion hotel. Not far from the black stupa, they all have fruit shake stands out front and offer reasonably prices breakfasts with baguettes, fruit plates or muesli fruit and yogurt. They will also rent bicycles for 10,000 kip a day, but you will need to leave either a passport or $20 US for a deposit.
Fruitshakes - try Noy's Fruit Heaven on Rue Hengboun, not even a block from the cultural centre.
French Restaurants: for great whole wheat crepes, and as they advertise, a charming balcony, head to Ty Na restaurant at 68 Pangkham Road (Nam Phu Square). Prices around 50,000 kip for those, so it's good for a nicer night out or so. Friendly service as well. Closed Sundays. I also ate at 'La Cave des Chateaux' right in the Fountain square, which is also a charming place. I took the steak dinner menu for 67,000 kip which was great and although expensive for Laos, still excellent value by Western standards.
Expat Hangout: Sticky Fingers on Rue Francois Ngin (across from the Hotel Tai pan) is THE place, specifically Wednesday and Friday nights. Food and drink available, and include lemon lime bitters..a treat for me as I've not seen it since Australia, although not surprising given the owner is Australian! For those looking for work or other things with regards to residing there, there is a comprehensive information board located on the main floor.
I had a good pizza at 'La Terrace', which, has a nice terrace and apparently is also recommended for its other dishes.
The Pimphone Supermarket, located on Rue Settathirat right next to the Joma bakery is expat food haven if you are craving something from home, be that europe, N. America or Australia. Of course the price tag for such luxuries is attached, but I did allow it for myself once or twice whilst there. It's also got an information board for expats, similar to sticky fingers and it seems one can get anything in Vientiane..if memory serves I believe I saw a posting there for dog training...
Internet: after hitting a few slow ghetto cafes in the centre, I was pleased to find the cafe at Green Discovery, which is just a few blocks down from the cultural centre on Rue Hengboun. They are also a travel agent and do adventure tours, so one stop shopping if you're after both. They had a decent connection, and appeared to also have wireless, with headphones for skype. they are also open from 8:00 until 23:00, daily, and there was a friendly younger guy there who always greeted you with a smile and 'sabaidee'! It's also a cozy atmosphere.
Laundry: many viable options also exist on Rue Hengboun - often it's next day service for around 10,000 kips a kilo. don't expect ironing like in Thailand though; that will be extra, thank you!
Late night convenience: later fruit shake and snack stands can also be found at the other end of rue Hengboun, as well as a block away at Rue Samsenethai. many shops and thigns shut around 20:00 or 21:00, but at the end of Rue Hengboun (and a few other locations dotted throughout Vientiane) one will find the red-signed 'M Point Market' which is open until midnight and is a sort of hybrid convenience/grocery store.
Cash Machine: Many of these abound in Vientiane, but take note, not all cash machines are created equal. For example, the ones outside the M Point Market have a limit of 700,000 kip on one withdrawal. For those requiring extra cash, and also for a fairly reliable machine, the ANZ bank on Rue Lane Xang will allow up to 2 million kip per withdrawal. It saved me when a few other machines were down that day...
and now for some more fun stuff!!!
Massage: almost about as common as in Thailand finding massage parlours/spas in Vientiane! there are 2 I found that I liked; one was the white lotus, on rue Phangkham, about 50 up from the fountain. the prices are reasonable, in the lower range for Vientiane, and the setting is very conducive for relaxing. The other one, which was probably one of the best value places (cheaper than white lotus, but just as good) is called 'Dao' massage, and is located on Rue Francois Ngin, slightly further up from sticky fingers. It is located above a medical clinic in a charming colonial style area and Dao often leaves his sign out with the prices during the day. If Dao himself is there, allow a few extra minutes to chat with him; he likes the opportunity to practice his English, but said people rarely had the time. It's a pity for them, as I had an enjoyable conversation with him and got some insight into how the local people live and he's a courteous enough fellow.
Swimming: If its sport swimming you are after, you are in luck. there are a few outdoor pools in Vientiane for this, which didn't ever seem to be at all busy. At times I ahd the entire thing to myself to do lanes. One is located in the city centre, just a few blocks behind the large Lao plaza hotel. I believe it is just called 'Vientiane pool', and is a proper 25 meter pool. there are also smaller children's pools..not the most atmospheric place to hang out by the pool, but at 10,000 kip for entry....its still great for those who want a bit of exercise. it's open from 8:00 until 20:00 each day. a bit further out is the sokpuluang pool, which is the same size, but surrounded by greenery...a better option if you want to hang around and sunbathe after. For those wnating to just hang out by a pool, Hotel Lane Xang (at the river end of the road of its namesake) will allow non guests usage for 30,000 kips for one day. I have to say though, they are not all that attentive, so you could probably just try to wander on in and act like you stay there. I'm too honest for this though ;-). A more expensive, but nice option is the hotel Tai Pan.
Gym: speaking of which, they also have a small fitness facility. As I generally only used this, I only know that they charge $6.50 US for entry for both the fitness and the pool which includes towels and drinking water. I was also told of, at the end of my time there, another large fitness facility on DongPalan road, which included a free 1 hr massage!
Yoga: Vientiane Yoga (www.vientianeyoga.com) is a great little studio run by the same lady responsible for sticky fingers, Marnie. the schedule and the map are all on her website. For those staying a longer time, after 6 classes, you get one free. the cost is 50,000 kip and the class lasts 90 minutes. you may want to check the map on the website against a larger vientiane one; if you are in the centre you will need a bike or a taxi - i tried to walk it once and didn't even make it halfway (!).
Sightseeing: not something I really did a lot of, apart from the obligatory Patouxy and That Luang, which are withing walkign distance of each other.
I did however check out a couple of other things that might not be on the usual tourist radar. The first was monk chat; the one I went to was the first ever done in Laos, but if you are lucky they will have subsequent ones. This one took place at Vat Ong Tue, located in the centre just off rue Settathirat. its noted on all the maps. Basically, what it was, was a group of expats bringing monks together with foreigners interested in buddhism. It was a sort of exchange, as the monks wished to practice speaking English, and the foreigners in turn could learn about buddhism from them. At first the monks were a bit shy..well, save for Kheum, who was very chatty with me and keen to practice his English. It was a wonderful 2 hours. Watch for posters in the centre of Vientiane; or closer to the time groups of people will walk around handing out flyers advertising the event. It was pretty low key, and free of charge.
the other thing I decided to go see..as I'd seen many posters in Vientiane, as well as from riding past it on my way to the yoga studio, was something called 'COPE', which stands for 'cooperative orthotic and prosthetic enterprise'. For more information, check their website: http://www.copelaos.org . Basically they provide orthotic and prosthetic limbs, medical care, surgery and rehabilitation to those who are in need and cannot otherwise afford it, quite often the victims of UXO (unexploded ordnance). They have set up a small, very well organized and informative museum, including a variety of documentaries to watch. For me it was a real eye opener and worthwhile to check out and leave a small donation for the great work they do.
Shopping: Vientiane's biggest shopping centre is Talat Sao, which can be accessed easily from Rue Lane Xang, and is also conveniently located across the street from the main post office. Here one can purchase everything from a multitude of 'laos skirts' to mobile phones and Laos SIM cards. next to it is also a H'mong tribe market, and on the other side, the morning market.
20 February, 2009
Battling Buses and Blistering Heat on my Bike...
...all in the name of looking to join the ranks of the employed. However, as am not employed, am still doing the budget thing, and to cover the distances I need to I decided a little pushbike at 10,000 Laos kip per day (slightly over $1 US) was the way to do it. Especially making numerous trips to call on language schools, which could easily cost 10x that in the tuk tuks.
So there's me, all set to go, in one of my 3 non-khao-san-road outfits, topped off with a vietnamese rice farmer style hat (this has actually gotten laughs out loud from passing locals) paddling along with the strong sun beating down on me. I'm not sure if it were pure mirage or reality, but I swear a temperature board read over 40 degrees in the heat. Not so easy to look presentable. Today I had to nip into a supermarket for 20 minutes so as not to look as though I'd just done Olympic sprints.
Even less easy when some schools have no real address I can find..if I am lucky, I get a street name and go from there. Yesterday I reckon I rode the better part of the way to Thailand before realising I'd gone wrong, but in the end managed to find the school I was aiming for.
Good so, as I was called today for an interview which went well and may lead to my residing in Vientiane a while (yay!). I've had other positive responses, so now its time to wait and reap the fruits of my labour (ie, hunting down these places on foot and the pushbike in these temperatures..I like heat, but its even too much for me. Which must mean its hot hot hot!).
Tomorrow I go to the pool.
So there's me, all set to go, in one of my 3 non-khao-san-road outfits, topped off with a vietnamese rice farmer style hat (this has actually gotten laughs out loud from passing locals) paddling along with the strong sun beating down on me. I'm not sure if it were pure mirage or reality, but I swear a temperature board read over 40 degrees in the heat. Not so easy to look presentable. Today I had to nip into a supermarket for 20 minutes so as not to look as though I'd just done Olympic sprints.
Even less easy when some schools have no real address I can find..if I am lucky, I get a street name and go from there. Yesterday I reckon I rode the better part of the way to Thailand before realising I'd gone wrong, but in the end managed to find the school I was aiming for.
Good so, as I was called today for an interview which went well and may lead to my residing in Vientiane a while (yay!). I've had other positive responses, so now its time to wait and reap the fruits of my labour (ie, hunting down these places on foot and the pushbike in these temperatures..I like heat, but its even too much for me. Which must mean its hot hot hot!).
Tomorrow I go to the pool.
17 February, 2009
Andrea v. the Mosquito: attack and counter-attack
As much as I love being here, there is one small thing that bugs me.
All the bloody mozzies. Of course others like having me around. I am a sort of..michelin 5 star buffet for them, which means that they often go straight for my sweet blood rather than that of my...'mcdonald's' companions, as it were. I can really be sitting there bordering on looking as though I've broken out in a rare tropical skin disease from all the bites while whoever sits with me feels no pain - with or without the mozzie spray.
Now having been back in Bangkok a few days, where I suppose its survival of the fittest for mosquitos (or any living thing really) and also having been enclosed in a mozzie-free sealed enclave for 3 nights, I'd forgotten about the need for my mozzie spray.
And on the first night in Vientiane felt the brunt of that, full force. feet, legs, arms, even ears and face. FACE! and no warning at all, like that annoying sound in the ears. Thankfully due to my Thai tiger balm the face damage was minimal the next day, but these Laos mozzies are something else.
I saw it flying around the next night and tried to get it. Normally live and let live, but in this case its a matter of skin survival AND it DID attack first, so I went for it. Generally I can get them quite easily but this one has stealth, I'll give it that. I took it as a reminder to use the sketolene and managed some sleep for the time being.
This afternoon the bugger was taunting me once again. in the shower, buzzing around until finally landing on the mirror. Aha! I thought, going in for the kill with a plan to squish it on the mirror. Though forgetting that mirror was one of those adjustable ones, thereby letting mr. mozzie escape whilst flinging up enough to hit the shampoo on the shelf and set of a domino effect of creams and soap falling in the sink and on the floor in a catastrophic mess while it sailed high up into the ceilings, which are something akin to my old Vienna altbau flat (ie, very high and very challenging for the..vertically challenged).
So the mozzie lives another day. I will prevail in this though! hah!
All the bloody mozzies. Of course others like having me around. I am a sort of..michelin 5 star buffet for them, which means that they often go straight for my sweet blood rather than that of my...'mcdonald's' companions, as it were. I can really be sitting there bordering on looking as though I've broken out in a rare tropical skin disease from all the bites while whoever sits with me feels no pain - with or without the mozzie spray.
Now having been back in Bangkok a few days, where I suppose its survival of the fittest for mosquitos (or any living thing really) and also having been enclosed in a mozzie-free sealed enclave for 3 nights, I'd forgotten about the need for my mozzie spray.
And on the first night in Vientiane felt the brunt of that, full force. feet, legs, arms, even ears and face. FACE! and no warning at all, like that annoying sound in the ears. Thankfully due to my Thai tiger balm the face damage was minimal the next day, but these Laos mozzies are something else.
I saw it flying around the next night and tried to get it. Normally live and let live, but in this case its a matter of skin survival AND it DID attack first, so I went for it. Generally I can get them quite easily but this one has stealth, I'll give it that. I took it as a reminder to use the sketolene and managed some sleep for the time being.
This afternoon the bugger was taunting me once again. in the shower, buzzing around until finally landing on the mirror. Aha! I thought, going in for the kill with a plan to squish it on the mirror. Though forgetting that mirror was one of those adjustable ones, thereby letting mr. mozzie escape whilst flinging up enough to hit the shampoo on the shelf and set of a domino effect of creams and soap falling in the sink and on the floor in a catastrophic mess while it sailed high up into the ceilings, which are something akin to my old Vienna altbau flat (ie, very high and very challenging for the..vertically challenged).
So the mozzie lives another day. I will prevail in this though! hah!
15 February, 2009
Bound for the Border, baby! (First impressions of Vientiane, Laos)
After yet more haggling with the scam artist taxis in Bangkok (really, one day please build the MRT long enough to reach Khao san, or maybe i gotta stay elsewhere...), I finally boarded the train that would take me out of Thailand after one visa run, and already overstaying this visa by 2 days (that will be 1000 baht, thank you!). Oh well, that 1000 baht bought me an extra 2 days in paradise and money well spent.
On the train I was fortunate enough to meet Sarah, a well travelled half-Indian lass from London and if this were a preamble to my time in Laos, I would be well pleased with that. Parted with my overstay fee in Thailand, and substantially more to the Laos government for my visa...Again, like Turkey, I wonder what we Canadians did to them to make us have the most expensive visa of the bunch, but what can you do. $42 USD. ouch. so now anyone else out there you know you are cheaper than this for entry into Laos. ;-)
Thankfully following this Sarah and I took the cheapest transport option of a Tuk Tuk that contained a cheery driver, unlike some of the snarly Bangkok ones and this was a most fortunate decision as along the way we collected Tony. Tony is half Spanish, half Phillipine so a wee laugh over all us half Asians and he was a godsend. not only telling us what the maximum we should pay for transport in Vientiane was, but actually showing us personally where to find accom, and even offering his place should we be unsuccessful. He also works here as a teacher in the international school (cha-ching) and gave me a few names of schools and thankfully his email, so its been a pretty positive vibe thus far.
Sarah and I grabbed our first real food in what felt like ages, and bless her, she watched my mammoth luggage over a beer as I searched high and low for decent cheap accom - I was being picky about it all as this is the place I could be staying in for quite some time while I conduct my job hunt. Thankfully it is rather compact here centred around Nam Phu, although certainly not with the variety of khao san (but also not with the khao san crowds). As its high season I was mostly out of luck and on my way back to the cheapest available ghetto room I could find when a non-descript guesthouse caught my eye. Why? I looked up. Always look up...had nice balconies so I enquired - as soon as I was handed the key to view room '1' I smiled as I knew I'd hooked a winner; what I am getting in return for 100, 000 Laos kip (about $11 USD, cheaper than the aforementioned cheapie) is a massive room with larger than king size bed, fan, AC, hot water shower, TV, wardrobe and balcony big enough to hold 7 people at least. Not to mention great central location. Its called MOIC, and only a block from the Nam Phu fountain.
Yup, the sun is shining on me once again..literally, and figuratively! And now a different breed of sunset awaits...yup, time to try a beer Laos with my nice company over the Mekong river. something tells me I'm gonna be sticking around a while...
On the train I was fortunate enough to meet Sarah, a well travelled half-Indian lass from London and if this were a preamble to my time in Laos, I would be well pleased with that. Parted with my overstay fee in Thailand, and substantially more to the Laos government for my visa...Again, like Turkey, I wonder what we Canadians did to them to make us have the most expensive visa of the bunch, but what can you do. $42 USD. ouch. so now anyone else out there you know you are cheaper than this for entry into Laos. ;-)
Thankfully following this Sarah and I took the cheapest transport option of a Tuk Tuk that contained a cheery driver, unlike some of the snarly Bangkok ones and this was a most fortunate decision as along the way we collected Tony. Tony is half Spanish, half Phillipine so a wee laugh over all us half Asians and he was a godsend. not only telling us what the maximum we should pay for transport in Vientiane was, but actually showing us personally where to find accom, and even offering his place should we be unsuccessful. He also works here as a teacher in the international school (cha-ching) and gave me a few names of schools and thankfully his email, so its been a pretty positive vibe thus far.
Sarah and I grabbed our first real food in what felt like ages, and bless her, she watched my mammoth luggage over a beer as I searched high and low for decent cheap accom - I was being picky about it all as this is the place I could be staying in for quite some time while I conduct my job hunt. Thankfully it is rather compact here centred around Nam Phu, although certainly not with the variety of khao san (but also not with the khao san crowds). As its high season I was mostly out of luck and on my way back to the cheapest available ghetto room I could find when a non-descript guesthouse caught my eye. Why? I looked up. Always look up...had nice balconies so I enquired - as soon as I was handed the key to view room '1' I smiled as I knew I'd hooked a winner; what I am getting in return for 100, 000 Laos kip (about $11 USD, cheaper than the aforementioned cheapie) is a massive room with larger than king size bed, fan, AC, hot water shower, TV, wardrobe and balcony big enough to hold 7 people at least. Not to mention great central location. Its called MOIC, and only a block from the Nam Phu fountain.
Yup, the sun is shining on me once again..literally, and figuratively! And now a different breed of sunset awaits...yup, time to try a beer Laos with my nice company over the Mekong river. something tells me I'm gonna be sticking around a while...
Beer. It's Not Just For Breakfast.
10:30 am, 11 February 2009. Mainland ferry port, Trat province, Thailand.
Tim and I having sorted out our respective transport on to Pattaya and Bangkok, took a seat facing the sea, wishing we were back at the perfect beach that we had just left behind - both for different reasons, and well some of the same I suppose.
'want something to drink?', Tim asked, motioning to the nearby shop.
'Fuck it, get me a Singha'.
Tim's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and the response included something involving fear, but he obliged, and joined me in that drink. the reason for said reaction was that I was largely dry and avoiding alcohol during our time on the beach, being drawn more to beverages of the fruity tropical variety.
Nonetheless, we toasted our sorrow, all the while laughing at the hour in which we were drinking. Having downed my small singha faster than Tim (which added to the fear factor) I used his line of the week 'one for the road?', then went to leave my luggage on my bus, him with 4 beer bottles looking to be somewhat of an alcoholic.
The beers did help, as after dashing after my bus I managed to pass out most of the way on it, but still being afflicted with the dry mouth as though I'd been out the night before. Meeting Andy, an American found at lonely beach, I got a laugh out of him asking had I been out drinking the night before, and I said, no, this morning at the ferry port! With reason. However this conversation was cut short when I noticed our bus pulling away from the curb and found myself once again chasing after it, propelled by a strong wish NOT to be stranded in Chonburi (I really must break this bus chasing pattern though).
Arrival in Bangkok was overwhelming after being locked off in paradise for all that time. I felt paralysed when trying to cross streets I'd learned to careen myself through with ease, and found myself staring wide-eyed at the immense variety of food options and viable ways to spend my money. Starting with checking into the Rikka Inn..I was going to ease this painful transition as much as possible by allowing myself to enjoy that roof pool. Unfortunately they only had doubles for 800 baht left, but considering i'd come in WELL under budget in Koh Chang, I thought sod it, you only live once. Was also a little too overjoyed at the prospect of my own toilet and a shower that produced more than dribble, but when you've hair mounted on your head as I do, these things can make all the difference. Popped in to see Toom to sort out my ticket onward out of Thailand (finally) and made the culture shock worse for myself by heading out to Mahboonkrong and Siam Square to buy the iPod paraphernalia which had gone missing in Koh Chang. The taxi ride was entertaining enough, never mind a German guy on a neighboring motorbike taxi, in cahoots with his driver, were attempting to get me to jump ship on my tuk tuk and join him.
Tim arrived the next day at Rikka whilst I sat poolside and checked himself in and that night we hit the buckets. It was more of the same from the massage party with me countering the Hill tribe sellers offers with my own offer of a thai massage (though fair enough, without my certificate there its easy to thikn i'm some crazy falang charlatan) but a few takers that left me with more souvenir bracelets. Was also doing some marketing for the cocktail place by holding out the 'very strong!' cocktails and bucket signs, which unfortunately for me the next day, are definitely NOT false advertising!!!!!! All in all another cracking night, even if I suffered dearly the next day....
Tim and I having sorted out our respective transport on to Pattaya and Bangkok, took a seat facing the sea, wishing we were back at the perfect beach that we had just left behind - both for different reasons, and well some of the same I suppose.
'want something to drink?', Tim asked, motioning to the nearby shop.
'Fuck it, get me a Singha'.
Tim's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and the response included something involving fear, but he obliged, and joined me in that drink. the reason for said reaction was that I was largely dry and avoiding alcohol during our time on the beach, being drawn more to beverages of the fruity tropical variety.
Nonetheless, we toasted our sorrow, all the while laughing at the hour in which we were drinking. Having downed my small singha faster than Tim (which added to the fear factor) I used his line of the week 'one for the road?', then went to leave my luggage on my bus, him with 4 beer bottles looking to be somewhat of an alcoholic.
The beers did help, as after dashing after my bus I managed to pass out most of the way on it, but still being afflicted with the dry mouth as though I'd been out the night before. Meeting Andy, an American found at lonely beach, I got a laugh out of him asking had I been out drinking the night before, and I said, no, this morning at the ferry port! With reason. However this conversation was cut short when I noticed our bus pulling away from the curb and found myself once again chasing after it, propelled by a strong wish NOT to be stranded in Chonburi (I really must break this bus chasing pattern though).
Arrival in Bangkok was overwhelming after being locked off in paradise for all that time. I felt paralysed when trying to cross streets I'd learned to careen myself through with ease, and found myself staring wide-eyed at the immense variety of food options and viable ways to spend my money. Starting with checking into the Rikka Inn..I was going to ease this painful transition as much as possible by allowing myself to enjoy that roof pool. Unfortunately they only had doubles for 800 baht left, but considering i'd come in WELL under budget in Koh Chang, I thought sod it, you only live once. Was also a little too overjoyed at the prospect of my own toilet and a shower that produced more than dribble, but when you've hair mounted on your head as I do, these things can make all the difference. Popped in to see Toom to sort out my ticket onward out of Thailand (finally) and made the culture shock worse for myself by heading out to Mahboonkrong and Siam Square to buy the iPod paraphernalia which had gone missing in Koh Chang. The taxi ride was entertaining enough, never mind a German guy on a neighboring motorbike taxi, in cahoots with his driver, were attempting to get me to jump ship on my tuk tuk and join him.
Tim arrived the next day at Rikka whilst I sat poolside and checked himself in and that night we hit the buckets. It was more of the same from the massage party with me countering the Hill tribe sellers offers with my own offer of a thai massage (though fair enough, without my certificate there its easy to thikn i'm some crazy falang charlatan) but a few takers that left me with more souvenir bracelets. Was also doing some marketing for the cocktail place by holding out the 'very strong!' cocktails and bucket signs, which unfortunately for me the next day, are definitely NOT false advertising!!!!!! All in all another cracking night, even if I suffered dearly the next day....
Paradise, Pure and Simple!
For Malin and I, sunset sessions became synonymous with Treehouse at Lonely Beach, for their rickety wooden terrace which jutted out over the sea, and included lounge chairs, funky lights and a nice chilled out atmosphere.
It was here that their poster for a second location on Long Beach caught my eye, as I thought this may be the place I'm looking for - FINALLY the possibility I could fall asleep and not have bass pounding all night. Places that unfortunately seem to be fewer and further between in Thailand. plus at 200 - 300 baht a night, the price was right. Malin was set to leave in 2 days time from the day I'd made this discovery and thus thought I would time it with her departure as I felt a bit ready to move on, though not yet ready for Bangkok and the reality of job hunting in Vientiane, but also it would have been slightly strange...lonely even (bad pun, yarr) to stay at lonely beach when Malin left. Even though Marco of massage course fame had rocked up in his Italian style..I get an sms saying he is thikning of coming to koh chang, the next day a call to say he is on Lonely beach.
and inevitably, sat in our usual spot each night we were always chatted up by randoms. ok, random men. Kept life interesting, and this particular night's taker was a newly arrived Dutch lad Marnix also in search of no bass, so it seemed I might have company over on Long Beach.
It also seemed a good place to recover from my new set of ailments (skin infection and a cold. who gets a cold in THAILAND?)..I tell you at this stage I was a walking Thai pharmacy and could probably do a guidebook about Thai clinics! I liked nature beach - we had a fair deal, Malin and I with a hut for 400 set in a nice tropical garden. ours was the cheapest of the lot. I was in a way glad to leave as 'Soda', one of the local workers, had taken to Malin, and was slightly creepy - and with Malin gone, well...I was glad to be as well. He asked here I was going, i said long beach 'no people go there!'. GOOD!!!
Anyway, of course the treehouse I had a taxi to treehouse II, leaving at 10am (or thereabouts) and making the reverse trip at 8 am (or thereabouts). oh so convenient travelling in Thailand. even if it did have to go round the better part of the island to get there. I didn't time exactly but estimate about 2 hours or so, including the shopping stops - I recommend taking advantage of these if heading out to Long Beach for any period of time as there really is not a lot out there.
Which, was grand. One night was spent at Treehouse, after which was discovered a small set of huts owned by a small French guy - official name is 'Zion' but over at Treehouse its called 'the French Connection', who had beachfront huts for 300 - 400 baht, which were much nicer than Treehouse. Number 1 is the best one, straight on the beach, at the end. distinguished by having the only covered shower of the lot, haha. They offer a lot more privacy and peace, but the atmosphere can be a bit antisocial and couply. Granted Treehouse is still there for your social interaction and it seemed at that time to be a relatively good crowd - As such along the way another dutchie joined the group (Tim) and he soon made his way down to the French Connection as well, and yup, this was it. This was the Thailand I once knew.
Oh, and one very exciting note: Tim was my first paying massage customer! Well, the first one I actually did ALL the steps on and he thought worthy of a 100 baht donation! yay!!!!! Also having regular correspondence with Tim to this day leads me to believe he is alive and well and survived his first Thai massage. given by a Canadian. Albeit, a Wat Po certified one! :-)
Of course, its not for everybody; if you are looking for the party with bass, pass on by. Electricity at the treehouse runs only from 6pm until 1 am, and at the french connection it shuts off even earlier. the accomodation is simple little beach huts - at Treehouse the common showers are actually a large basin of water with the little scoop, and at french connection, there is a severe lack of water pressure...so if you've a large crop of Japanese hair as I do, remember to practice patience. or at least try to ;-). the toilets there are also thai style. There is very limited reception, if any, on mobile phones and until recently, no internet although I believe Treehouse is giong to change that (of course only at night though!)
but it is peaceful and uncrowded and beautiful. enough so to make me overstay my visa and just be lost in paradise. We also took a wander 300 m to the end of the road where sat a simple restaurant who hired out kayaks, which we then took to another small island - currently a tad deserted but of course a resort is going to open there in March. nonetheless we enjoyed having the beach to ourselves, and Tim and I had a right blast blasting out tunes of all sorts (never a full song though!) while rowing away. the kayaks cost 300 baht for the day and are built for 2 people..we would haev liked a tri-yak but such upmarket things are only available on lonely beach it seems!
However, reality called, and I timed it that I left with Tim en route to Bangkok - I think its a good thing that we did this so we had the support group otherwise I reckon we might still be out there..me going further into debt, Tim missing his flight and a year later something out of Robinson Crusoe!
I love being in Laos but think often of this little paradise, and Tim and I had a little nostalgia whilst partying in Bangkok to drown our sorrows after! Too bad also that Malin missed out on that bit owing to her flight back home. All the cool people always leave too soon!
It was here that their poster for a second location on Long Beach caught my eye, as I thought this may be the place I'm looking for - FINALLY the possibility I could fall asleep and not have bass pounding all night. Places that unfortunately seem to be fewer and further between in Thailand. plus at 200 - 300 baht a night, the price was right. Malin was set to leave in 2 days time from the day I'd made this discovery and thus thought I would time it with her departure as I felt a bit ready to move on, though not yet ready for Bangkok and the reality of job hunting in Vientiane, but also it would have been slightly strange...lonely even (bad pun, yarr) to stay at lonely beach when Malin left. Even though Marco of massage course fame had rocked up in his Italian style..I get an sms saying he is thikning of coming to koh chang, the next day a call to say he is on Lonely beach.
and inevitably, sat in our usual spot each night we were always chatted up by randoms. ok, random men. Kept life interesting, and this particular night's taker was a newly arrived Dutch lad Marnix also in search of no bass, so it seemed I might have company over on Long Beach.
It also seemed a good place to recover from my new set of ailments (skin infection and a cold. who gets a cold in THAILAND?)..I tell you at this stage I was a walking Thai pharmacy and could probably do a guidebook about Thai clinics! I liked nature beach - we had a fair deal, Malin and I with a hut for 400 set in a nice tropical garden. ours was the cheapest of the lot. I was in a way glad to leave as 'Soda', one of the local workers, had taken to Malin, and was slightly creepy - and with Malin gone, well...I was glad to be as well. He asked here I was going, i said long beach 'no people go there!'. GOOD!!!
Anyway, of course the treehouse I had a taxi to treehouse II, leaving at 10am (or thereabouts) and making the reverse trip at 8 am (or thereabouts). oh so convenient travelling in Thailand. even if it did have to go round the better part of the island to get there. I didn't time exactly but estimate about 2 hours or so, including the shopping stops - I recommend taking advantage of these if heading out to Long Beach for any period of time as there really is not a lot out there.
Which, was grand. One night was spent at Treehouse, after which was discovered a small set of huts owned by a small French guy - official name is 'Zion' but over at Treehouse its called 'the French Connection', who had beachfront huts for 300 - 400 baht, which were much nicer than Treehouse. Number 1 is the best one, straight on the beach, at the end. distinguished by having the only covered shower of the lot, haha. They offer a lot more privacy and peace, but the atmosphere can be a bit antisocial and couply. Granted Treehouse is still there for your social interaction and it seemed at that time to be a relatively good crowd - As such along the way another dutchie joined the group (Tim) and he soon made his way down to the French Connection as well, and yup, this was it. This was the Thailand I once knew.
Oh, and one very exciting note: Tim was my first paying massage customer! Well, the first one I actually did ALL the steps on and he thought worthy of a 100 baht donation! yay!!!!! Also having regular correspondence with Tim to this day leads me to believe he is alive and well and survived his first Thai massage. given by a Canadian. Albeit, a Wat Po certified one! :-)
Of course, its not for everybody; if you are looking for the party with bass, pass on by. Electricity at the treehouse runs only from 6pm until 1 am, and at the french connection it shuts off even earlier. the accomodation is simple little beach huts - at Treehouse the common showers are actually a large basin of water with the little scoop, and at french connection, there is a severe lack of water pressure...so if you've a large crop of Japanese hair as I do, remember to practice patience. or at least try to ;-). the toilets there are also thai style. There is very limited reception, if any, on mobile phones and until recently, no internet although I believe Treehouse is giong to change that (of course only at night though!)
but it is peaceful and uncrowded and beautiful. enough so to make me overstay my visa and just be lost in paradise. We also took a wander 300 m to the end of the road where sat a simple restaurant who hired out kayaks, which we then took to another small island - currently a tad deserted but of course a resort is going to open there in March. nonetheless we enjoyed having the beach to ourselves, and Tim and I had a right blast blasting out tunes of all sorts (never a full song though!) while rowing away. the kayaks cost 300 baht for the day and are built for 2 people..we would haev liked a tri-yak but such upmarket things are only available on lonely beach it seems!
However, reality called, and I timed it that I left with Tim en route to Bangkok - I think its a good thing that we did this so we had the support group otherwise I reckon we might still be out there..me going further into debt, Tim missing his flight and a year later something out of Robinson Crusoe!
I love being in Laos but think often of this little paradise, and Tim and I had a little nostalgia whilst partying in Bangkok to drown our sorrows after! Too bad also that Malin missed out on that bit owing to her flight back home. All the cool people always leave too soon!
02 February, 2009
Chai Yen Yen, Chai Yen Yen..
aka, taking it easy!
something hard NOT to do on the island of Koh Chang! So after a couple days to recuperate from the graduation party, and Malin's overnight bus from Khao Lak we headed out at some ungodly hour of the day on separate buses as I would be doing the visa run to Cambodia to re-fuel my time in Thailand (ie, a money making scheme for the Thai government, and well, the Cambodian one).
Fortunately for me I met some pretty cool people - first a girl from Calgary who was, well SO not a girl from Calgary and quite a lot like myself and we exchanged stories at warp speed with tons of laughs. secondly was a visa run veteran from Singapore who has been waiting on a work permit in Bangkok for some months and knew the routine very well so I just tagged along with him. After we paid the Cambodian cops a sort of bribe to run our passports in (while one cop sat there talking to me, smiling, 'cambodian police take care you!'), and out of Cambodia it was all smooth sailing off to Ko Chang, where Malin had a room waiting for me. Had a lovely evening eating dinner overhanging the sea, before moving on to a beach bar with a fire show and shisha! For those in need of doing a visa run, the Cambodian visa costs 1200 baht, and the police bribe was 500. If you are closer to it, one might be better off going to Laos, where you need just spend one hour rather than 500 baht. Depends whether you've more time or money I suppose ;-)
***note added 25.02.2009 - I was misinformed - if doing this visa run, just ignore them and go straight on out and back in. this came from an English guy with 8 years in Bangkok behind him who knows the system, well, much better it seems. and that was what i was originally going to do. Guess like with anything, 1, live and learn, and 2, people who seem well sussed aren't always - thankfully I've only done it once, unlike that guy who must be paying the pensions of the dodgy Cambodian Police. again, DO NOT pay them any money just do it yourself. From now on I'll trust my own instincts more***
Next day we moved on to Lonely beach for a bit more peace and here I have remained, back to starting my day with yoga or swimming in the sea, breakfast on the beach and just relaxing, taking life at a slow pace and meeting some more interesting people. Perhaps its due to the name, but we've seen the highest concentration of solo travellers here. Creates a good vibe...speaking of which, the sunset once again awaits!
something hard NOT to do on the island of Koh Chang! So after a couple days to recuperate from the graduation party, and Malin's overnight bus from Khao Lak we headed out at some ungodly hour of the day on separate buses as I would be doing the visa run to Cambodia to re-fuel my time in Thailand (ie, a money making scheme for the Thai government, and well, the Cambodian one).
Fortunately for me I met some pretty cool people - first a girl from Calgary who was, well SO not a girl from Calgary and quite a lot like myself and we exchanged stories at warp speed with tons of laughs. secondly was a visa run veteran from Singapore who has been waiting on a work permit in Bangkok for some months and knew the routine very well so I just tagged along with him. After we paid the Cambodian cops a sort of bribe to run our passports in (while one cop sat there talking to me, smiling, 'cambodian police take care you!'), and out of Cambodia it was all smooth sailing off to Ko Chang, where Malin had a room waiting for me. Had a lovely evening eating dinner overhanging the sea, before moving on to a beach bar with a fire show and shisha! For those in need of doing a visa run, the Cambodian visa costs 1200 baht, and the police bribe was 500. If you are closer to it, one might be better off going to Laos, where you need just spend one hour rather than 500 baht. Depends whether you've more time or money I suppose ;-)
***note added 25.02.2009 - I was misinformed - if doing this visa run, just ignore them and go straight on out and back in. this came from an English guy with 8 years in Bangkok behind him who knows the system, well, much better it seems. and that was what i was originally going to do. Guess like with anything, 1, live and learn, and 2, people who seem well sussed aren't always - thankfully I've only done it once, unlike that guy who must be paying the pensions of the dodgy Cambodian Police. again, DO NOT pay them any money just do it yourself. From now on I'll trust my own instincts more***
Next day we moved on to Lonely beach for a bit more peace and here I have remained, back to starting my day with yoga or swimming in the sea, breakfast on the beach and just relaxing, taking life at a slow pace and meeting some more interesting people. Perhaps its due to the name, but we've seen the highest concentration of solo travellers here. Creates a good vibe...speaking of which, the sunset once again awaits!
29 January, 2009
Graduation Day: Day 5
So we all did it. Somehow I managed vaguely, after 2x practicing and 2x being practiced on, most of the steps. Ok, Ok, a slight bit of cheating as my 'victim' would give me subtle reminders. dear ol' Marco ended up lost in translation and assumed that practice test was the real thing. Perhaps my mention of the graduation party meeting time and place threw him off and he was already mentally heading into the buckets, but when we were told 5 minute break and then test, he flew into a panicked frenzy whilst doing turbo massage on me.
As the exam itself was a group effort we were all able to follow one another, tho the differing speeds could make that difficult. Ana, who was sat next to me was discouraged at having blanked on one step, but got it back in the end and of course, we all passed. hah.
With smiles on our faces and certificates in hand, we boarded our daily boat back down the Chao Phraya, laughing and dancing down Soi Rambuttri and the Khao san road. Upon reaching the end of it, everyone had peeled off to their various accomodatoin and only Marco, who resides in my neighbor guesthouse, and I remained. When a taxi driver asked the requisite 'where you go, where you go, you need taxi', Marco scooped me up and said 'I'm her taxi!' , and then bolted through Thanon Tanao's traffic with me in his arms, much like the video game frogger.
our evening began at 9pm, first finding the cheapest bucket on Khao San's neighbor road (vodka and red bull at 150 baht each) and promptly began pulling people in for massage. Yukiko had the first customer, one of the women who wander the roads selling various hill tribe like paraphernalia. Bad deal for her though, she massaged the woman and still ended up paying 100 baht for a bracelet. Next was an easy one, a lone fellow Canadian, followed by myself chasing 2 Brits down the street. It was the chasing bit they were impressed with initially and had brought them in. We soon more than doubled our group with our 'clients' before heading over to Khao san to continue the party.
As it was to be Marco's birthday the following day, at midnight we presented him with a collective gift: calvin klein briefs which he wore over his shorts and we tried to sell him off as the sexy-Thai-masseur-Italian-policeman (and yes, he really is in the police!)-gogo boy dancer.
All in all, super! now I've reunited with Malin (who knocked on the door to find my messy hungover self) and we are off to Ko Chang for 'chai yen yen!'.
As the exam itself was a group effort we were all able to follow one another, tho the differing speeds could make that difficult. Ana, who was sat next to me was discouraged at having blanked on one step, but got it back in the end and of course, we all passed. hah.
With smiles on our faces and certificates in hand, we boarded our daily boat back down the Chao Phraya, laughing and dancing down Soi Rambuttri and the Khao san road. Upon reaching the end of it, everyone had peeled off to their various accomodatoin and only Marco, who resides in my neighbor guesthouse, and I remained. When a taxi driver asked the requisite 'where you go, where you go, you need taxi', Marco scooped me up and said 'I'm her taxi!' , and then bolted through Thanon Tanao's traffic with me in his arms, much like the video game frogger.
our evening began at 9pm, first finding the cheapest bucket on Khao San's neighbor road (vodka and red bull at 150 baht each) and promptly began pulling people in for massage. Yukiko had the first customer, one of the women who wander the roads selling various hill tribe like paraphernalia. Bad deal for her though, she massaged the woman and still ended up paying 100 baht for a bracelet. Next was an easy one, a lone fellow Canadian, followed by myself chasing 2 Brits down the street. It was the chasing bit they were impressed with initially and had brought them in. We soon more than doubled our group with our 'clients' before heading over to Khao san to continue the party.
As it was to be Marco's birthday the following day, at midnight we presented him with a collective gift: calvin klein briefs which he wore over his shorts and we tried to sell him off as the sexy-Thai-masseur-Italian-policeman (and yes, he really is in the police!)-gogo boy dancer.
All in all, super! now I've reunited with Malin (who knocked on the door to find my messy hungover self) and we are off to Ko Chang for 'chai yen yen!'.
26 January, 2009
Wat Po Torture Course: Day 4
my feet hurt. my back hurts. my legs have pain in places I did not even know exist. My head will surely soon explode from overload of information and lack of memory space much like a computer on the fritz.
Why again did I do this? Aaeeeghghghghghg.
Why again did I do this? Aaeeeghghghghghg.
25 January, 2009
Massage Massacre: Day 3
Hurrah, hurrah, allelujah we have finished all 5 steps. Thankfully myself a bit better rested today, and even the river ferry commute made more pleasant by the fact that next to no one was on it. And also thankfully making the earlier one as the Japanese posse was a wee bit late..all of us owing to their night out the night before, but reality, they just missed the boat and very few run on Sundays.
I however, was the first one again, thinking that my punctuality may make up for the fact that pretty much anythign in my backpack is likely considered 'too sexy' save for the pink pullover and in no way with this heat and the physical nature of thai massage am i wearing it. have been hunting around khao san for something 'not sexy' and not succeeding :-S
most of the day was spent reviewing all 3 steps. I have to say I have a newfound respect for all these thai masseurs now and how hard the work is. In all my wisdom I thought it a *good idea* to do yoga again, and although the heat warmed away the stiffness during the practice it was back full force this morning. Which was in a way unfortunate as I seemed to be used a lot as the teacher's demonstration unit (ie, the massage was quite powerful).
Also managed to get some cool photos today, in addition to the great ones of Wat Po and Wat Arun from the roof of the school.
One thing I really like about this, is everyone smiles and greets you and we get random fruit handouts. Its a nice warm environment.
I however, was the first one again, thinking that my punctuality may make up for the fact that pretty much anythign in my backpack is likely considered 'too sexy' save for the pink pullover and in no way with this heat and the physical nature of thai massage am i wearing it. have been hunting around khao san for something 'not sexy' and not succeeding :-S
most of the day was spent reviewing all 3 steps. I have to say I have a newfound respect for all these thai masseurs now and how hard the work is. In all my wisdom I thought it a *good idea* to do yoga again, and although the heat warmed away the stiffness during the practice it was back full force this morning. Which was in a way unfortunate as I seemed to be used a lot as the teacher's demonstration unit (ie, the massage was quite powerful).
Also managed to get some cool photos today, in addition to the great ones of Wat Po and Wat Arun from the roof of the school.
One thing I really like about this, is everyone smiles and greets you and we get random fruit handouts. Its a nice warm environment.
Massage (or our version thereof): Day 2
I slept poorly. People slamming doors all night in my guesthouse (seriously, is it really so much effort to close it lightly???), my sleep was also riddled with biting mozzies, apparent dreams of gumby-like contortion/abuse and Geralyn, dear dear Geralyn, having her friday night drinkies and sending me text messages at 5.45, and when i finally slept again, 6.45. Geralyn I love ya, BUT.....
I managed it. We start off the day by praying. The rest of the group it appears are praying to a shrine with a photo of the first teacher of Thai massage. Not that I was capable of following the chanting in Thai anyway, so no worries there. Then one minute meditatoin, in which case I just do what I do every day.
However as they continued to fill our heads at seeming warp speed of information, also whilst being made to 'sit on heels', which my softie western self finds most uncomfortable, I did start to question my decision to engage in this course and whether or not I'd ever remember all these steps (and steps within steps). Seems I was not alone in sleeping poorly though, again poor Ana, she is staying direct on the Khao san road so one can forget sleep pretty much as its a constant party. We also learned steps 2 and 3, but unfortunately left with little time to practice.
Another predicament that I had..which I only have myself to blame for, and yes, we are responsible for all our suffering...having practiced yoga for the first time in 2 weeks, my dear old legs were a wee bit stiff, so having the pressed and prodded was painful enough to have me crying out in the 3 languages of the surrounding folk (Japanese, Thai and well, English only for me as I am the only native speaker of it). Really really wondering what will happen when they add steps 4 and 5 (the final one) tomorrow..
Ended the day by eating a bunch of fruit they had given us and havinga laugh and a recap before boarding our ferry back to the Khao san area. Those crazy Japanese girls had a plan to hit Patpong (for ping pong shows or booze or both, i'm not sure) and much as I'd like to join them...I was once again kaputt. or i'm just getting old.
I managed it. We start off the day by praying. The rest of the group it appears are praying to a shrine with a photo of the first teacher of Thai massage. Not that I was capable of following the chanting in Thai anyway, so no worries there. Then one minute meditatoin, in which case I just do what I do every day.
However as they continued to fill our heads at seeming warp speed of information, also whilst being made to 'sit on heels', which my softie western self finds most uncomfortable, I did start to question my decision to engage in this course and whether or not I'd ever remember all these steps (and steps within steps). Seems I was not alone in sleeping poorly though, again poor Ana, she is staying direct on the Khao san road so one can forget sleep pretty much as its a constant party. We also learned steps 2 and 3, but unfortunately left with little time to practice.
Another predicament that I had..which I only have myself to blame for, and yes, we are responsible for all our suffering...having practiced yoga for the first time in 2 weeks, my dear old legs were a wee bit stiff, so having the pressed and prodded was painful enough to have me crying out in the 3 languages of the surrounding folk (Japanese, Thai and well, English only for me as I am the only native speaker of it). Really really wondering what will happen when they add steps 4 and 5 (the final one) tomorrow..
Ended the day by eating a bunch of fruit they had given us and havinga laugh and a recap before boarding our ferry back to the Khao san area. Those crazy Japanese girls had a plan to hit Patpong (for ping pong shows or booze or both, i'm not sure) and much as I'd like to join them...I was once again kaputt. or i'm just getting old.
Wat Po Massage Course, Day 1
I showed up at 8.30 am, filled in some forms, handed over a sizeable sum of Baht and started my course at 9:00 (or shortly thereafter...Thai time!). Initially I was wondering how it would all work, and not sure I would have any classmates or not, but they filtered in one by one. Thus far, a fantastic lot of folk, including the 3 Japanese, Yukiko, Hiroki and Yuko, all of whom I believe are closet (or not so closeted) alcoholics, Ana from Spain who is here specifically for massage courses, Marco the quiet Italian (bless him, I really wonder how he does it as his English is limited) and on the other end of the spectrum a chatty Czech fellow who actually brings girls over from Thailand to do massage in Prague.
Now somehow I ended up in the Japanese group, and Yuko with the Europeans (???)...so part of my course is being taught in Japanese and I think I get lessons of another sort in addition to this.
So, there are all in all 5 stages. the first stage being rather long took the entire first day for us to learn. Bending, pulling and tweaking each other in ways that I only thought possible in more advanced yoga classes, we muddled through before introducing Ana to the riverboat ferry..the poor girl had paid an astonishing 500 baht from the Khao san road to Wat Po - in a tuk tuk! (for relativity here, I paid 400 in a meter taxi from the airport to Khao san, a considerably longer distance, in the middle of the night when no other option existed). sleeping time....10pm..
Now somehow I ended up in the Japanese group, and Yuko with the Europeans (???)...so part of my course is being taught in Japanese and I think I get lessons of another sort in addition to this.
So, there are all in all 5 stages. the first stage being rather long took the entire first day for us to learn. Bending, pulling and tweaking each other in ways that I only thought possible in more advanced yoga classes, we muddled through before introducing Ana to the riverboat ferry..the poor girl had paid an astonishing 500 baht from the Khao san road to Wat Po - in a tuk tuk! (for relativity here, I paid 400 in a meter taxi from the airport to Khao san, a considerably longer distance, in the middle of the night when no other option existed). sleeping time....10pm..
22 January, 2009
Coming back to Khao-Lak
So after I made my escape from the skyscrapers and mammoth shopping malls of Phuket, I got back to Khao Lak's peace and took a deep breath. Nyi Nyi of course greeted me with a smile and said my room was still there for me.
Next was also waiting for the proof of life (ie, surviving Phuket) and I then made all my travel arrangements with him for returning to Bangkok and going on the 'James Bond' tour that my German friends Stefan and Christoph had given thumbs up on. Next worked his magic and got me on a fantastic tour...
costing less than most advertised ones at 1700 baht, I was collected promptly at the promised time outside my 'hotel' by Albert, a most informative multilingual guide, and 2 other German couples. We of course hit the island known as James Bond island, owing to the filming of 'The Man with the Golden Gun' there, and wouldn't you know, you can even get a copy. Following this was the sea canoe - I had one with a guide to myself, and it wasn't long before we rowed off that he broke into a round of 'Hotel California' and we were off; Oasis, Joan Jett, 'Proud Mary' and many others. It garnered some attention from the other groups in the sea canoes who were doing the standard sightseeing to watch us row by belting out tune after tune.
I would have liked more time in the Muslim sea village at which we ate a fantastic lunch (being on a tight budget my food largely consisted of 25 baht noodle soop from street stalls so I was in culinary heaven), but in compensation we had more time at the cave temple, with monkeys cavorting in front of it, myself drawing a most unfortunate fortune (tho really most things in it were not applicable) and attempting to undo it by having myself blessed by a monk.
All in all, a success and I would recommend for sure booking with Khao Lak Asia Tours, and try to get Albert as your guide. He proved to be a real cracker of a person, having done the Southeast Asia route, and knowing many people in town he turned up at this (rather unfortunate) night in the Happy Snapper, sitting in his seat and dancing the night away (I may also add, I estimated Albert to be in his 60's..chronologically anyway!). Next and I were at it again with the Singha, trying to promise to take it easy for my last night celebration the following night, but yuhhhh.....
However it was not a mere hangover that took me down the next day. Rather, an extremely nasty stomach bug manifested itself early evening, and even a trip to the pharmacy proved futile (and if that is the case in Thailand you know you have problems). Next took one look at me the following day and off to the clinic it was. it took 3 injections, very strong antibiotics and about 5 other medications to put me right again. One also knows its bad when the doctor asks if you have insurance! Thankfully, I do!
What is even worse is being told, in a Thai seaside town - that you cannot eat 1) fried foods. 2) spicy foods. 3) seafood. throw in the fact I know lactose does you no favours in these situations, and Nyi Nyi telling me to stay away from fruit.. I was literally on a bread and water diet. Tho oddly seemed to have gained weight as was asked before massage yesterday if I were pregnant. again! (flashback: Istanbul's Grand Bazaar).
2 days later I managed it though (with a bus showing up bizarrely 15 minutes early, sending Nyi Nyi and a random taxi driver into Olympic sprint mode as the bus barrelled past, my luggage in tow!). All in all, Khao Lak is unfortunately going the way of many places in thailand with the development and I fear will soon be not much different than its neighbor Phuket. Gone are the simple beach huts, and post-Tsunami production included only pricey bungalows. But in the meantime, I definitely can recommend the following:
1. Noi Travel (of course I am biased here since that is where Next works, but at least you can know he will give you a fair price and do his best, and was stellar with all my arrangements and has gone out of his way for other guests).
2. The rooms behind the southernmost 7-11 - I believe the company is actually called 'Khao Lak Tour Company'. simple, clean functional rooms at a very reasonable price in a good location.
3. Khao Lak Asia Tour company - for the James Bond tours, and most likely others
4. Medsye - I did my Similan islands trip with them. Very well organized, as they should be - they are the original operator to the beautiful Similans.
Next was also waiting for the proof of life (ie, surviving Phuket) and I then made all my travel arrangements with him for returning to Bangkok and going on the 'James Bond' tour that my German friends Stefan and Christoph had given thumbs up on. Next worked his magic and got me on a fantastic tour...
costing less than most advertised ones at 1700 baht, I was collected promptly at the promised time outside my 'hotel' by Albert, a most informative multilingual guide, and 2 other German couples. We of course hit the island known as James Bond island, owing to the filming of 'The Man with the Golden Gun' there, and wouldn't you know, you can even get a copy. Following this was the sea canoe - I had one with a guide to myself, and it wasn't long before we rowed off that he broke into a round of 'Hotel California' and we were off; Oasis, Joan Jett, 'Proud Mary' and many others. It garnered some attention from the other groups in the sea canoes who were doing the standard sightseeing to watch us row by belting out tune after tune.
I would have liked more time in the Muslim sea village at which we ate a fantastic lunch (being on a tight budget my food largely consisted of 25 baht noodle soop from street stalls so I was in culinary heaven), but in compensation we had more time at the cave temple, with monkeys cavorting in front of it, myself drawing a most unfortunate fortune (tho really most things in it were not applicable) and attempting to undo it by having myself blessed by a monk.
All in all, a success and I would recommend for sure booking with Khao Lak Asia Tours, and try to get Albert as your guide. He proved to be a real cracker of a person, having done the Southeast Asia route, and knowing many people in town he turned up at this (rather unfortunate) night in the Happy Snapper, sitting in his seat and dancing the night away (I may also add, I estimated Albert to be in his 60's..chronologically anyway!). Next and I were at it again with the Singha, trying to promise to take it easy for my last night celebration the following night, but yuhhhh.....
However it was not a mere hangover that took me down the next day. Rather, an extremely nasty stomach bug manifested itself early evening, and even a trip to the pharmacy proved futile (and if that is the case in Thailand you know you have problems). Next took one look at me the following day and off to the clinic it was. it took 3 injections, very strong antibiotics and about 5 other medications to put me right again. One also knows its bad when the doctor asks if you have insurance! Thankfully, I do!
What is even worse is being told, in a Thai seaside town - that you cannot eat 1) fried foods. 2) spicy foods. 3) seafood. throw in the fact I know lactose does you no favours in these situations, and Nyi Nyi telling me to stay away from fruit.. I was literally on a bread and water diet. Tho oddly seemed to have gained weight as was asked before massage yesterday if I were pregnant. again! (flashback: Istanbul's Grand Bazaar).
2 days later I managed it though (with a bus showing up bizarrely 15 minutes early, sending Nyi Nyi and a random taxi driver into Olympic sprint mode as the bus barrelled past, my luggage in tow!). All in all, Khao Lak is unfortunately going the way of many places in thailand with the development and I fear will soon be not much different than its neighbor Phuket. Gone are the simple beach huts, and post-Tsunami production included only pricey bungalows. But in the meantime, I definitely can recommend the following:
1. Noi Travel (of course I am biased here since that is where Next works, but at least you can know he will give you a fair price and do his best, and was stellar with all my arrangements and has gone out of his way for other guests).
2. The rooms behind the southernmost 7-11 - I believe the company is actually called 'Khao Lak Tour Company'. simple, clean functional rooms at a very reasonable price in a good location.
3. Khao Lak Asia Tour company - for the James Bond tours, and most likely others
4. Medsye - I did my Similan islands trip with them. Very well organized, as they should be - they are the original operator to the beautiful Similans.
21 January, 2009
of Aussie Boys and Ladyboys...
ok, going 180 degrees from my last entry here!
Phuket. Is an island in the south of Thailand that I have only ever once flown into, and once flown out of. as I was just a 2 hour bus ride away, and Next thought I should see more than the airport, I made the trip and realized exactly why the airport had sufficed on my previous visits...
Patong.
the main beach of the area, which I can imagine was once a very pretty spot, is now at best an example of what tourism overdevelopment can do. If anyone coming to Thailand has visions of waves lapping on white sand beaches fringed with coconut trees and quaint palm and bamboo huts, they had better plan to head elsewhere. Patong is like Bangkok. high rise hotels alongside Subway, McDonald's and Nike and all manner of other western things that make one wonder why spend the airfare. Not to mention the traffic.
That latter one I experienced firsthand. Now knowing that Phuket has gotten well expensive, I figured within the hub would be the place to find 'cheap' accomodation. I got a room at CT guesthouse, which is on the street opposite the famous Bang-la, for 800 baht (!). Thankfully that room was shared and thus so was the cost. My other thoughts were, I had also come for the nightlife - and easier to head out in the daylight to other nicer beaches, but be able to crawl home after some buckets in Bangla. So I got a little scooter, and with it managed to check out a temple and a couple other beaches, and not kill anyone/get killed. Kata beach, although still developed, is not anywhere near the level of Patong and is a good swimming beach - a nice place to chill before my company arrived in the form of Malin of Khao Lak fame, and off we were..sort of.
I'd had to sort out one of my usual little..troubles...with being in a new climate, etc and had a wee infection to fend off. At this point I was somewhat thankful for the Patong infrastructure, which includes well stocked pharmacies open till all hours and some hours later was back up and running. This night we just took in the scenery, watching prostitutes run after potential customers pondering which were female and which were...male...
the next night though, went off. Bars, buckets, boys (some of which had nicer dresses than we!). We fell in with some random partying aussies, including one who had a perma-joker grin on his face but they were a right laugh. In the mix of course were the obligatory lady boys, and we carried on in a club til the wee hours, me literally dancing til I dropped, deciding I'd had enough of Patong and promptly boarding the bus back to Khao Lak where I could breathe again (and not pay 250 baht for one bloody chang beer!!!).
Phuket. Is an island in the south of Thailand that I have only ever once flown into, and once flown out of. as I was just a 2 hour bus ride away, and Next thought I should see more than the airport, I made the trip and realized exactly why the airport had sufficed on my previous visits...
Patong.
the main beach of the area, which I can imagine was once a very pretty spot, is now at best an example of what tourism overdevelopment can do. If anyone coming to Thailand has visions of waves lapping on white sand beaches fringed with coconut trees and quaint palm and bamboo huts, they had better plan to head elsewhere. Patong is like Bangkok. high rise hotels alongside Subway, McDonald's and Nike and all manner of other western things that make one wonder why spend the airfare. Not to mention the traffic.
That latter one I experienced firsthand. Now knowing that Phuket has gotten well expensive, I figured within the hub would be the place to find 'cheap' accomodation. I got a room at CT guesthouse, which is on the street opposite the famous Bang-la, for 800 baht (!). Thankfully that room was shared and thus so was the cost. My other thoughts were, I had also come for the nightlife - and easier to head out in the daylight to other nicer beaches, but be able to crawl home after some buckets in Bangla. So I got a little scooter, and with it managed to check out a temple and a couple other beaches, and not kill anyone/get killed. Kata beach, although still developed, is not anywhere near the level of Patong and is a good swimming beach - a nice place to chill before my company arrived in the form of Malin of Khao Lak fame, and off we were..sort of.
I'd had to sort out one of my usual little..troubles...with being in a new climate, etc and had a wee infection to fend off. At this point I was somewhat thankful for the Patong infrastructure, which includes well stocked pharmacies open till all hours and some hours later was back up and running. This night we just took in the scenery, watching prostitutes run after potential customers pondering which were female and which were...male...
the next night though, went off. Bars, buckets, boys (some of which had nicer dresses than we!). We fell in with some random partying aussies, including one who had a perma-joker grin on his face but they were a right laugh. In the mix of course were the obligatory lady boys, and we carried on in a club til the wee hours, me literally dancing til I dropped, deciding I'd had enough of Patong and promptly boarding the bus back to Khao Lak where I could breathe again (and not pay 250 baht for one bloody chang beer!!!).
Nyi Nyi
This is someone's name. I'm not sure on the spelling because I have only heard it, managed to pronounce it correctly one time and seen it written in the person's native language - Burmese. So I'll do my best phonetically there...
Anyway, as this is one of the most interesting and sound people I've come across on this trip I thought I'd make a small entry about him. Nyi Nyi (aaghh...ok, letting go of my spelling issues) is originally from Burma although has lived in Thailand and therefore managed to escape the horrors that are happening in his country. I met him as he worked at the small guesthouse I stayed at in Khao Lak - he worked there every day, as most people here in the tourism (and likely other) industry do for about 12 hours each day, dealing with tourists who I am sure are not always pleasurable to deal with, even if his English was excellent. He dealt with all my requests happily, efficiently and far above standard, including helping me move rooms when I was sick. I often saw him eating his meals at the desk while doing paperwork.
In our western world, when people are working that many hours they are likely to be a bit surly and stressed, but Nyi Nyi was always smiling and cheerful, be it first thing in the morning or at the end of the day.
With one exception - when he spoke of the situation in his home country. Understandably, as I can't imagine anyone smiling while recounting tales of monks being murdered, or how their leader had spent $50 million USD on his daughters wedding, meanwhile many people live in poverty. For myself, who I'm ashamed to say, knows little about the situation, it was interesting for me to hear it firsthand and made me realise how extremely lucky and blessed I am as I have never known such a situation, and nor am I likely to.
After hearing this it made me think what a strong person he must be, to have endured it, escaped, and have very little or no contact with his family still there, and be completely on his own in Thailand. He spoke of keeping a steady supply of medicines (he was actually giving me heaps of advice during my own stomach issues) as there was no one to take care of him.
When he had free time, he would read, and study. He was reading a book about Hitler, as he likened Burma's leader to him and wanted to understand why - although I don't think any decent human being ever could in either situation. He studied, and was keen to practice a few words of Japanese that I taught him, to use with Japanese tourists. Also it was thanks to him that when I left, I did not miss a bus that had come early, a critical connection in getting back to Bangkok, as he ran out into the street, my luggage in tow, until the bus stopped.
The night before I asked him to write in my travel diary, which he did saying he was so glad to meet me and may God bless me. I think perhaps that is the reverse, and I certainly know I am already immensely blessed, so I return that to him, and should he ever read this one day I wish him all the best for whatever he wants in life (although he has no time for things like internet!).
Anyway, as this is one of the most interesting and sound people I've come across on this trip I thought I'd make a small entry about him. Nyi Nyi (aaghh...ok, letting go of my spelling issues) is originally from Burma although has lived in Thailand and therefore managed to escape the horrors that are happening in his country. I met him as he worked at the small guesthouse I stayed at in Khao Lak - he worked there every day, as most people here in the tourism (and likely other) industry do for about 12 hours each day, dealing with tourists who I am sure are not always pleasurable to deal with, even if his English was excellent. He dealt with all my requests happily, efficiently and far above standard, including helping me move rooms when I was sick. I often saw him eating his meals at the desk while doing paperwork.
In our western world, when people are working that many hours they are likely to be a bit surly and stressed, but Nyi Nyi was always smiling and cheerful, be it first thing in the morning or at the end of the day.
With one exception - when he spoke of the situation in his home country. Understandably, as I can't imagine anyone smiling while recounting tales of monks being murdered, or how their leader had spent $50 million USD on his daughters wedding, meanwhile many people live in poverty. For myself, who I'm ashamed to say, knows little about the situation, it was interesting for me to hear it firsthand and made me realise how extremely lucky and blessed I am as I have never known such a situation, and nor am I likely to.
After hearing this it made me think what a strong person he must be, to have endured it, escaped, and have very little or no contact with his family still there, and be completely on his own in Thailand. He spoke of keeping a steady supply of medicines (he was actually giving me heaps of advice during my own stomach issues) as there was no one to take care of him.
When he had free time, he would read, and study. He was reading a book about Hitler, as he likened Burma's leader to him and wanted to understand why - although I don't think any decent human being ever could in either situation. He studied, and was keen to practice a few words of Japanese that I taught him, to use with Japanese tourists. Also it was thanks to him that when I left, I did not miss a bus that had come early, a critical connection in getting back to Bangkok, as he ran out into the street, my luggage in tow, until the bus stopped.
The night before I asked him to write in my travel diary, which he did saying he was so glad to meet me and may God bless me. I think perhaps that is the reverse, and I certainly know I am already immensely blessed, so I return that to him, and should he ever read this one day I wish him all the best for whatever he wants in life (although he has no time for things like internet!).
08 January, 2009
Japanese Songs, Latin Dance, 'Wir Sprechen Deutsch'..must be Thailand..
Sawatdi Kha from Khao Lak! Thus far loving life here and enjoying ample amounts of sun and sea. Managed to find one of the few remaining cheap and simple rooms run by a nice family (my place doesn't even have a name, i just know I reside behind 7-11). It seems a few more of these establishments exist, but unfortunately the beach is now lined with the more upmarket bungalows which were the ones to be built up after the Tsunami.
And after many years, got to spend some time with 'Next', a Thai friend from Phi Phi, back in the day. we took off on the moped for the beach, and a market where we grabbed a few Thai snacks to eat on the terrace of his travel shop. and being as evil as he is, booked me on the boat trip to the Similan Islands, and took me drinking the night before. We hit the Singha beer with a vengeance, first taking in some Thai live music and then heading to the more raucous 'farang' bar, also with live music. and just as i was about to say..this is THE last beer, another round was on teh table. uff. We danced, we sang, and en route out of the toilets I was grabbed by a random Mexican (who had previously sung 'La Bamba' on stage) and flung into some variation of Salsa , or whatever it was, on the stage (!), and enough to have him saying 'you are really a dancer!' and it took numerous minutes after to convince him there is NO latin in me (Canadian, Japense, Scottish, Norwegian....yuh) and that I actually dont even like latin dance (no surprise, i take issue with the whole man must lead thingie)...adding to my randomness which he couldnt get his head around I got a skewed face for the fact I dive and do yoga. Ended up semi-drunkenly going into the tree pose, as in no way was i doing a sun salutation on a bar floor...
made for a rough start as i lugged my bag into Next's shop in the morning and headed out to the Similans. Which, I must say are the most beautiful islands I've seen here. Its been kept pretty basic and I had a little tent to call home for the night with the sounds of the sea to lull me to sleep. Unfortunately though, as package tourists start to invade even this little corner, the group..well, they kinda sucked. And it IS an expensive trip. Basically what I did was what they call this open ended tour/ticket - it costs 2000 baht. one can take a regular boat for this price and then have to pay the 400 baht park fee. Whereas by doing this tour you get to stop at snorkelling sites, viewpoints, a lunch and the fee is included. the tent goes fora whopping 570 baht, but the bungalows far more. you could do the 2 day tour, but this is considerably more expensive..4200 baht which gets you an afternoon boat tour with dinner and a morning one with breakfast and lunch. i preferred my option which gave me the chance to explore the island on my own. i think these trips are also more expensive from Phuket..
and again..teh company..ehhh...save for a cool finnish lad, and 2 germans, Stefan and Christoph. I still had a wonderful time though, exploring on my own, snorkeling in crystal clear waters with an array of tropical fish chasing each other, and hiking up to the viewpoint which apparently few seem to know about - meant i was on my own for the entire thing and I found one of the best meditation spots yet. Of course I took advantage and it was a beautiful start to the day.
Had a rather fun evening back in Khao Lak last night with Next and the German lads, in a low key little thai place - the ones I miss, built with bamboo, lined with fairy lights and where you sit on the floor sipping your mai tai. They also had some live music and Next..I thought he was joking. We made an agreement that if he went up and sang a Thai song, I would go up and do a Japanese one (as its pretty sad, i'm not sure i know any english ones start to finish!). And lo and behold..he was up there singing it, so next I had to keep up my end of the bargain. had a quick run through with the guitarist and he got the tune..too bad I couldnt sing in tune but at least there were no Japanese about so if I stuffed up the words no one would know. hah! so again my rendition of 'Ashita ga Aru sa' went off alright and the barmaid even thanked me after for it..though presumably she was thanking me for leaving the stage (!).
So getting into the groove here, and enjoying life simply..waking smiling each day, and starting the day by either practising yoga or running on the beach, then breakfasting outside whilst watching the world go by. It's like I've been sleeping for years, and I'm finally waking up!
And after many years, got to spend some time with 'Next', a Thai friend from Phi Phi, back in the day. we took off on the moped for the beach, and a market where we grabbed a few Thai snacks to eat on the terrace of his travel shop. and being as evil as he is, booked me on the boat trip to the Similan Islands, and took me drinking the night before. We hit the Singha beer with a vengeance, first taking in some Thai live music and then heading to the more raucous 'farang' bar, also with live music. and just as i was about to say..this is THE last beer, another round was on teh table. uff. We danced, we sang, and en route out of the toilets I was grabbed by a random Mexican (who had previously sung 'La Bamba' on stage) and flung into some variation of Salsa , or whatever it was, on the stage (!), and enough to have him saying 'you are really a dancer!' and it took numerous minutes after to convince him there is NO latin in me (Canadian, Japense, Scottish, Norwegian....yuh) and that I actually dont even like latin dance (no surprise, i take issue with the whole man must lead thingie)...adding to my randomness which he couldnt get his head around I got a skewed face for the fact I dive and do yoga. Ended up semi-drunkenly going into the tree pose, as in no way was i doing a sun salutation on a bar floor...
made for a rough start as i lugged my bag into Next's shop in the morning and headed out to the Similans. Which, I must say are the most beautiful islands I've seen here. Its been kept pretty basic and I had a little tent to call home for the night with the sounds of the sea to lull me to sleep. Unfortunately though, as package tourists start to invade even this little corner, the group..well, they kinda sucked. And it IS an expensive trip. Basically what I did was what they call this open ended tour/ticket - it costs 2000 baht. one can take a regular boat for this price and then have to pay the 400 baht park fee. Whereas by doing this tour you get to stop at snorkelling sites, viewpoints, a lunch and the fee is included. the tent goes fora whopping 570 baht, but the bungalows far more. you could do the 2 day tour, but this is considerably more expensive..4200 baht which gets you an afternoon boat tour with dinner and a morning one with breakfast and lunch. i preferred my option which gave me the chance to explore the island on my own. i think these trips are also more expensive from Phuket..
and again..teh company..ehhh...save for a cool finnish lad, and 2 germans, Stefan and Christoph. I still had a wonderful time though, exploring on my own, snorkeling in crystal clear waters with an array of tropical fish chasing each other, and hiking up to the viewpoint which apparently few seem to know about - meant i was on my own for the entire thing and I found one of the best meditation spots yet. Of course I took advantage and it was a beautiful start to the day.
Had a rather fun evening back in Khao Lak last night with Next and the German lads, in a low key little thai place - the ones I miss, built with bamboo, lined with fairy lights and where you sit on the floor sipping your mai tai. They also had some live music and Next..I thought he was joking. We made an agreement that if he went up and sang a Thai song, I would go up and do a Japanese one (as its pretty sad, i'm not sure i know any english ones start to finish!). And lo and behold..he was up there singing it, so next I had to keep up my end of the bargain. had a quick run through with the guitarist and he got the tune..too bad I couldnt sing in tune but at least there were no Japanese about so if I stuffed up the words no one would know. hah! so again my rendition of 'Ashita ga Aru sa' went off alright and the barmaid even thanked me after for it..though presumably she was thanking me for leaving the stage (!).
So getting into the groove here, and enjoying life simply..waking smiling each day, and starting the day by either practising yoga or running on the beach, then breakfasting outside whilst watching the world go by. It's like I've been sleeping for years, and I'm finally waking up!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)