My first day on the island was completely uneventful. After disembarking, we took a highly expensive taxi to check out lodging in Sai Ree, but quickly realized that we would not be able to afford a bungalow there. Our taxi driver charged us even more to drive 3 km to the southern part of the island. We found a resort there that was ten times what we had been paying, but it was also the cheapest that was available. I really shouldn't complain about the prices. For a beautiful bungalow with an ocean view, I paid about $20/night. It was a little hard to swallow after our extremely cheap lodging in Chiang Mai, but we were now on the islands and had to adjust. The day was spent alternating between sleep and sun. I know, I lead an incredibly stress-filled life. Such a strenuous day! The one event of the day happened while eating lunch. The main restaurant was above and had a spectacular view of the ocean and another small island. Matthias, Uli, and I were eating when a shout came up from above. We looked over the rail and found ourselves looking into the water. Imagine our surprise when we saw a shark swimming 5 feet from shore. I watched with a horrified fascination as I considered that I was going to swim in the same waters. Uli reminded me that it was a reef shark, thereby squelching the visions of being eaten by a great white while snorkeling. It was still crazy to see a shark and such a great that I was in a national park with rules and restrictions. We were in the worst spot in the world to watch sunset, but the colors managed to come south. We ate dinner in the bar/restaurant right on the water. Our resort was the only one on the shore, so it was quiet and extremely peaceful. I could have sat there for hours listening to the waves crash on the shore.
The next morning, I got up early to stake my claim for a beach-front chair with an umbrella. I loved being able to sit and read while basking in the sun. We rented snorkels and masks, so in the afternoon, I took a dip. The corral started about 2 feet into the water, so I had lots of space to explore. Schools of fish swam around me while I tried my hardest to stay still. I think I could have stayed there for the rest of the afternoon, but then I remembered the shark and got a little scared. I couldn't help my reaction, since the thought of being in the water with a shark is never calming. We had decided to go into Sairee Beach for dinner and a black moon party. The moon parties on Ko Phangan are the big celebrations, but we had heard that the smaller parties were still fun. We ate dinner at a hole in the wall Thai place with great food. After dinner, we walked down to the beach and took in some live music and a couple of fire shows. The feeling of the islands was laid back to the extreme. People sat around talking about the snorkeling/diving/water sports they had tried earlier in the day. We went to a cabaret show featuring some amazing Thai Ladyboys. It was great fun and highly entertaining. After the cabaret, we continued our night of adventures and found The Cave and the black moon party. The tables were set up on the beach and the entertainment involved fire limbo, fire tossing, and fire shows. I opted to watch and not try my luck at the limbo. I figured I am terrible at the limbo without the bar being on fire, so I better not press my luck with a burning bar. The rest of the night was spent hanging out with people we met...all of whom happened to be Canadians from Vancouver. We also learned a valuable lesson. A taxi at 5:30 in the morning will cost you three times as much as a taxi during normal hours. Instead, we walked part of the way and found a reasonable taxi around 7 am. Gotta love those sleepless nights. Needless to say, the next day was spent lounging/sleeping on the beach. We had opted to stay another night before heading to the Western coast.
We caught the afternoon ferry back to Chumporn to begin our travels West. We ended up spending the night in Chumporn and found a lovely guesthouse with a highly friendly owner. He pointed us in the direction of good, cheap food. The "restaurant" was on the sidewalk, but it was a quarter of what we had paid on the island. It was a little refresher for the wallet. Our bus to Ao Nang left at 6:00am, so the shuttle picked us up at 5:30 and we were off. The bus ride was uneventful and we quickly arrived in the bustling, tourist-filled city of Ao Nang. We made our way to the Laughing Gecko to spend a couple of days. I spent the rest of the day lounging in a hammock and trying to finish my book...unsuccessfully. We ate dinner at a place called the Hippie Bar and watched yet another fire show. I'm not sure who told the Thai that foreigners love fire, but everywhere I go there is a fire show for tourists. Our lodging was a family-style bamboo structure with lots of bugs and frogs thrown in for free.
The next morning, we went to the beach and walked into town. The best part was watching the tide go out. By the time the sun set, the tide was out almost as far as we could see. I loved wandering and seeing the creatures left behind by the tide. The sunsets were spectacular in Ao Nang and my favorite part of the day. I also found a little massage parlor that had cheap Thai massages, so I definitely had a couple during my stay. We did opt to do something semi-productive while there, so we went on a tour of 4 islands for an entire day. The islands were beautiful with crystal-clear water. I got in a little snorkeling and a little sunburn. The sun and water wiped us out, so the original plan was to relax and not do much of anything. Instead, I made friends with a bunch of other people staying at the Gecko and we opted to explore the town. It was an awesome group of people from all over the world. I think meeting other people may be on of the best perks of travel. I now have even more people to visit.
The morning came too quickly and with it, our departure to Phuket. The day in Phuket was meant to be quiet and laid back, since Uli and Matthias left the next morning. I couldn't believe that it was already time for them to go home. For the night, our only requirement was that the lodging was cheap and the On On Hotel did not disappoint. The On On was once a regal place, but now looks decrepit and run-down. Fun fact: It was the hotel that was used in The Beach when Leonardo DiCaprio's character stayed in Bangkok. The movie does a great job portraying the dinginess. We scoped out a nearby movie theater and saw the new Alice in Wonderland with Johnny Depp in 3-D. We needed a little break from the heat of the Phuket afternoon. I was positively melting. We had decided to have a "nice" dinner instead of going for the cheapest thing for our last night together. Uli had scoped out an Indian restaurant earlier in the day, so that was our destination. Dinner was lovely and delicious and a wonderful end to a great 4 weeks of traveling together.
Uli and Matthias left so very early the next morning and I slept late. I decided to check out the colonial city of Phuket instead of going to the beaches. I didn't really have a ton of time before my flight, but I did manage to scope out the old post office and the market. I ate noodle soup for breakfast and Thai for lunch. My dinner was Mango and Sticky Rice, so I ended my month in Thailand right. I got out of the country without problem and arrived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Now, I have 3 days in the capital before returning to Hanoi. Countdown to home: 7 days.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Adventures in Ayutthaya
Our goal for the day was to get into Burma and get out again with new Thai visas intact. We wanted to get an early start, so we were up with the roosters and off to find a tuk-tuk that would take us to the border. After some negotiation, the driver agreed to a somewhat decent price and we were off. The border was crowded and we were approached by a gentleman immediately. He ended up being our guide through the border process and walked with us across the bridge to Burma. His grandfather had been a translator for the British during WWII, so he was very proud to use his English skills to help foreigners. We were ushered into a small room where our passports were taken, photographed, and examined by a burly looking Myanmar official. After 15 minutes, the passports were returned and we walked back across the bridge. Myanmar allows tourists to enter 1 km into the country and see the town. We opted to skip the propaganda and get back on the road. On the Thai end of things, we skipped the long line of Burmese waiting to get into the country and got our new passports without incident.
The tuk-tuk drove us to the bus station and without much delay, we were on our way to Ayutthaya. The ancient city was a 7 hour bus ride from Mae Sot, and I spent most of the ride staring at the countryside listening to a book on my i-pod. The bus was spacious and uncrowded, and the abundance of leg room greatly appreciated. The bus dropped us at the bus "station". The station was nothing more than a wooden structure with motorcycle taxis and one truck waiting. We were forced to pay whatever price the taxi driver wanted and were once again off to find lodging. The final winner was a lovely guesthouse right on the river and near the old city. The owner was an absolutely lovely woman who truly invited us into her home. The room was clean, cheap, and much better than the lodging in Mae Sot. The riverside restaurant provided a great ambience to sit and pass the time. We tried a number of different dishes in her restaurant and loved it. That evening, we paid 5 baht or about 15 cents to go across the river and see the temple ruins at night. We drove past the temples and took in their glory with the flood lights making the entire place spooky, yet holy. We made it back to the guesthouse before the ferry stopped running and crawled into bed.
The next morning, we got up and ate breakfast at our little home before crossing the river once again. We rented bikes for a very steep price of $1 for the day. After navigating slightly dangerous traffic, we were off to see the temple ruins in the daylight. The ruins were beautiful and majestic, but I couldn't help comparing them to Angkor. Nothing is quite as stunning as the complex in Cambodia, but Ayutthaya was impressive. As the day wore on, the heat got to me and I needed to rest in a cool, shady place. Uli and Matthias rode on while I pedaled through the city to the ferry. I slept beneath the fan and was rejuvenated enough for our late afternoon boat tour. We popped into 3 different temples and searched out the Buddhas in the various poses. We made it to the final stop just in time for sunset. I love watching the sun set over temple ruins. It is quickly becoming one of my favorite things to do. I love the constant of the sun setting mixed with the ancient holiness of the temple ruins. Now if only we had more temple ruins in the US.
We had met a French woman on the boat, so we had a lovely dinner with her. I now have someone to visit in Northern France when I get over there next. I've been so fortunate to meet awesome people while traveling. I will have to plan a trip around visiting everyone. We had decided to take an early morning train to Bangkok, so I attempted to repack everything. I'm not quite sure how I manage to empty my pack within the first 10 minutes in the room and then have to spend an hour repacking. I may be getting ready to not live out of a backpack. I woke late and rushed to get everything ready. We were lucky to be staying super close to the train station and made it with 5 minutes to spare. The train to Bangkok was 50 cents and took about 2 hours. Vendors wandered through the aisles selling food and drinks. We arrived without incident and headed towards Khao San Road and the inexpensive rooms.
The original plan was to spend a couple of days in Bangkok and check out a national park just outside the city. Unfortunately, the political environment of the city and country had other ideas. We arrived on Friday and the weekend welcomed thousands upon thousands of protestors. We adjusted the plan and got out of the city on Saturday night. I took in my last sights of Bangkok, ate some more street food, and bartered for the best deal. We did take the water ferry and the train to get our stuff back from the storage unit, so I saw new parts of the city. I received some terrible news on Friday. A friend from my week with First Descents last summer passed away. Rockie was a spitfire who had more spunk than I've ever seen. I was so completely crushed that I sat in the internet cafe crying unable to do anything. I was instantly angry that she had been taken so young. A part of my heart was gone and it was hard for me to get back into the traveler mode right away. I took the afternoon to wander and reflect. I realized that the best thing to do was to continue seeing the world and absorbing as much as I can. Rockie is now joining my parents and coming with me in all that I do.
Saturday night, we boarded the night bus to Ko Tao to begin the week of relaxation beachside. The bus was like every other bus we've taken, however we were put into groups based on where we were going. I fell asleep only to be jolted awake at 3:20 AM. Those of us going to Ko Tao were escorted off the bus and not so pleasantly left at the side of the road. The driver told us the next bus would be coming in 15 minutes. Our waiting area was a dirt patch in the middle of nowhere with nothing except dark buildings around us. We would have been easy targets for robbers. I'll be the first to admit I was a little uneasy about the whole situation. Two hours and many grumbles later, a bus arrived to take us to the ferry. We waited for another 2 hours before getting on the boat to the Island. I was past tired, so I alternated between reading and scoping out the incredible color of the water. I knew I was going to love it!
The tuk-tuk drove us to the bus station and without much delay, we were on our way to Ayutthaya. The ancient city was a 7 hour bus ride from Mae Sot, and I spent most of the ride staring at the countryside listening to a book on my i-pod. The bus was spacious and uncrowded, and the abundance of leg room greatly appreciated. The bus dropped us at the bus "station". The station was nothing more than a wooden structure with motorcycle taxis and one truck waiting. We were forced to pay whatever price the taxi driver wanted and were once again off to find lodging. The final winner was a lovely guesthouse right on the river and near the old city. The owner was an absolutely lovely woman who truly invited us into her home. The room was clean, cheap, and much better than the lodging in Mae Sot. The riverside restaurant provided a great ambience to sit and pass the time. We tried a number of different dishes in her restaurant and loved it. That evening, we paid 5 baht or about 15 cents to go across the river and see the temple ruins at night. We drove past the temples and took in their glory with the flood lights making the entire place spooky, yet holy. We made it back to the guesthouse before the ferry stopped running and crawled into bed.
The next morning, we got up and ate breakfast at our little home before crossing the river once again. We rented bikes for a very steep price of $1 for the day. After navigating slightly dangerous traffic, we were off to see the temple ruins in the daylight. The ruins were beautiful and majestic, but I couldn't help comparing them to Angkor. Nothing is quite as stunning as the complex in Cambodia, but Ayutthaya was impressive. As the day wore on, the heat got to me and I needed to rest in a cool, shady place. Uli and Matthias rode on while I pedaled through the city to the ferry. I slept beneath the fan and was rejuvenated enough for our late afternoon boat tour. We popped into 3 different temples and searched out the Buddhas in the various poses. We made it to the final stop just in time for sunset. I love watching the sun set over temple ruins. It is quickly becoming one of my favorite things to do. I love the constant of the sun setting mixed with the ancient holiness of the temple ruins. Now if only we had more temple ruins in the US.
We had met a French woman on the boat, so we had a lovely dinner with her. I now have someone to visit in Northern France when I get over there next. I've been so fortunate to meet awesome people while traveling. I will have to plan a trip around visiting everyone. We had decided to take an early morning train to Bangkok, so I attempted to repack everything. I'm not quite sure how I manage to empty my pack within the first 10 minutes in the room and then have to spend an hour repacking. I may be getting ready to not live out of a backpack. I woke late and rushed to get everything ready. We were lucky to be staying super close to the train station and made it with 5 minutes to spare. The train to Bangkok was 50 cents and took about 2 hours. Vendors wandered through the aisles selling food and drinks. We arrived without incident and headed towards Khao San Road and the inexpensive rooms.
The original plan was to spend a couple of days in Bangkok and check out a national park just outside the city. Unfortunately, the political environment of the city and country had other ideas. We arrived on Friday and the weekend welcomed thousands upon thousands of protestors. We adjusted the plan and got out of the city on Saturday night. I took in my last sights of Bangkok, ate some more street food, and bartered for the best deal. We did take the water ferry and the train to get our stuff back from the storage unit, so I saw new parts of the city. I received some terrible news on Friday. A friend from my week with First Descents last summer passed away. Rockie was a spitfire who had more spunk than I've ever seen. I was so completely crushed that I sat in the internet cafe crying unable to do anything. I was instantly angry that she had been taken so young. A part of my heart was gone and it was hard for me to get back into the traveler mode right away. I took the afternoon to wander and reflect. I realized that the best thing to do was to continue seeing the world and absorbing as much as I can. Rockie is now joining my parents and coming with me in all that I do.
Saturday night, we boarded the night bus to Ko Tao to begin the week of relaxation beachside. The bus was like every other bus we've taken, however we were put into groups based on where we were going. I fell asleep only to be jolted awake at 3:20 AM. Those of us going to Ko Tao were escorted off the bus and not so pleasantly left at the side of the road. The driver told us the next bus would be coming in 15 minutes. Our waiting area was a dirt patch in the middle of nowhere with nothing except dark buildings around us. We would have been easy targets for robbers. I'll be the first to admit I was a little uneasy about the whole situation. Two hours and many grumbles later, a bus arrived to take us to the ferry. We waited for another 2 hours before getting on the boat to the Island. I was past tired, so I alternated between reading and scoping out the incredible color of the water. I knew I was going to love it!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
A slice of Pai
We left Chiang Mai yesterday around noon to head towards the little town of Pai in Northern Thailand. Pai is about 150 km from Chiang Mai, but we had to cross over the mountains, so the trip took around 3 hours. The roads were narrow, the curves sharp, and the motion sickness never far away. I spent the majority of the trip with my eyes closed praying that I would not vomit all over the other people in the minibus. The country became even greener and the hils rose higher. We arrived in Pai and were dumped on a street with little more than a point towards the direction of the river. We had decided earlier that our plan was to cross the river via bamboo bridges and scope out the bungalows running along the river. After crossing 3 rickety bridges and inquiring about prices at 5 resorts, we settled on a nameless little place run by a lovely woman. She squeezed another mattress onto the floor of the bungalow and we were set. The price for the rustic, riverside accomodation? 200 Baht or just under $7. Yet another night of paying less than $3/person. I'm loving the prices of rooms. Sharing with Uli and Matthias has allowed me to save sooo much money. We dropped our bags and crossed the bridge once again. I realized that I would quickly have to get over my fear of the bridges, so I put on my brave face and never looked down. After my falls during the trek, I'm having trouble trusting my feet. I managed to cross without incident and we explored Pai...in about 4.2 seconds. The town is smaller than Amery but has a ton of character. We ate at a little Western/Thai place "owned" by a Thai woman married to a white man. In Thailand, foreigners are not allowed to own property, therefore many wives own the business and the foreign spouse manages it.
We wandered for the next couple of hours and ran into a couple of the people we rode up to Pai with. One in particular was an American who was loving the hippie vibe of the city. We checked out a couple of bars before heading back to our bungalow. The next day we woke to the sound of the rooster crowing. We had a late breakfast and rented motorbikes. We ran into the American again and his new friend from Norway. The five of us formed a biker gang and were determined to conquer the areas surrounding Pai. Our first stop was a waterfall about 15km outside of the city. I had never driven a motorbike before, but the rental was less than $6 for 24 hours. The automatic bike was easy to learn and way too fun to drive. On the way to the waterfall, I had a minor mishap and my bike fell over. In the process of falling, the bike took me with it and I got up with a burn on my arm. Most backpackers get burns on their legs from the exhaust pipe, but that would have been no good for me. I apparently feel the need to take it one step further and get a burn in a more random and illogical spot. Hence, the burn just below my wrist. I win.
The waterfall was gorgeous and consisted of a number of pools connected by small gushes of water. The local kids were sliding down, so Uli got the 411 and slid down. After accidentally going off a natural jump, she landed and quickly informed us not to do it. I climbed to a higher slide and had a go. There were a ton of others sliding and I managed to be the only one to pinball my way down. I had a blast, but have now developed a nasty bruise on my thigh. Thailand is beating my body much worse than I had planned.
We joureyed via our motorbikes to the hot springs even though it was hot outside. The springs are in a national park that cost three times more to get in than one night in our little bungalow. We paid the fee and didn't regret it for a minute. No one else was in the park and the area was magical. Vines wrapped around tree trunks, water bubbled down a stream into the pools, and I expected wood nymphs to pop out at any moment. We stripped down to our bathing suits and got into the coldest pool we could find. Despite the pool being the coldest, it took me 10 minutes to ease myself into the hot water. We soaked for a while absorbing as much of the good as we could. Further up the path, we found the source and a sign that informed us that the water was 80 degrees celsius. A group of Thai kids were boiling eggs in the sulfur infused water and enjoying a late afternoon picnic.
Uli, Matthias, and I left our friends and raced to the Pai Canyon to watch sunset. The sunset over the canyon was quiet and relaxing. We watched the orange turn red before hustling back to the bikes. We did not want to be driving on the curvy highway after dark. Upon returning to Pai, Uli picked a restaurant for dinner. We expected menus and got bowls of sticky rice instead. The restaurant had a set menu that consisted of 6 indecipherable dishes ranging from spicy to incredibly spicy. The worst part was that the price was 150 baht making it one of our most expensive meals. Needless to say, we found a place for a second dinner.
Back at the bungalow, I found a hammock with my name on it and read in the peace of the night for a while. The next morning, we woke early to eat breakfast and go out for one last ride before going back to Chiang Mai. We went in search of another waterfall. Instead of gushing water, we found a small stream ending in a pool with a trickle of water from above. We can only imagine how impressive the waterfall would have been during the rainy season. We returned the bikes with time to spare before catching our minibus back to Chiang Mai.
The minibus spit and sputtered as we climbed out of the valley that houses Pai. At one point, the bus pulled over to the side of the road and the driver informed us in broken English that the bus was overheating. A mysterious green ooze dripped from the engine. Twenty minutes and 5 liters of water later, we were on our way once again. We arrived in Chiang Mai at 5:30 and began the enternally joyful experience of wandering from guesthouse to guesthouse asking about rooms, prices, and availability. We eventually came across a room that would squeeze another mattress on the floor. During our search, we ran into Jen, an American we had met in Cambodia. She was in Chiang Mai for a couple of days, so we planned to grab dinner. Khao Soi was on the menu with mango and sticky rice for dessert. I love me some Northern Thai food! We took Jen down Hooker Street and to the night market. We went to bed earlyish, but made plans to grab breakfast with Jen before leaving for Mae Sot.
This morning, we ate at our favorite coffee shop in Chiang Mai and hopped aboard a tuk-tuk for the 40 minute ride to the bus station. We had tickets for the 11:45am bus to Mae Sot. The bus ride was 6 hours, but passed quickly with my activities ranging from reading to sleeping to listening to music. Our main goal for traveling to this western border city is to cross into Burma and get another free 14 visa into Thailand. New visa regulations have been put in place making it much more difficult for those of us wanting to spend more than 14 days in the country. We ate dinner at a street vendor and ate some more mango with sticky rice. I am loving the variety and cheapness of the street food. We've had a lazy night in and plan on getting up early to get to the border. Tomorrow brings another bus to the ancient city of Ayutthaya. I cannot believe I only have 3 weeks left!
We wandered for the next couple of hours and ran into a couple of the people we rode up to Pai with. One in particular was an American who was loving the hippie vibe of the city. We checked out a couple of bars before heading back to our bungalow. The next day we woke to the sound of the rooster crowing. We had a late breakfast and rented motorbikes. We ran into the American again and his new friend from Norway. The five of us formed a biker gang and were determined to conquer the areas surrounding Pai. Our first stop was a waterfall about 15km outside of the city. I had never driven a motorbike before, but the rental was less than $6 for 24 hours. The automatic bike was easy to learn and way too fun to drive. On the way to the waterfall, I had a minor mishap and my bike fell over. In the process of falling, the bike took me with it and I got up with a burn on my arm. Most backpackers get burns on their legs from the exhaust pipe, but that would have been no good for me. I apparently feel the need to take it one step further and get a burn in a more random and illogical spot. Hence, the burn just below my wrist. I win.
The waterfall was gorgeous and consisted of a number of pools connected by small gushes of water. The local kids were sliding down, so Uli got the 411 and slid down. After accidentally going off a natural jump, she landed and quickly informed us not to do it. I climbed to a higher slide and had a go. There were a ton of others sliding and I managed to be the only one to pinball my way down. I had a blast, but have now developed a nasty bruise on my thigh. Thailand is beating my body much worse than I had planned.
We joureyed via our motorbikes to the hot springs even though it was hot outside. The springs are in a national park that cost three times more to get in than one night in our little bungalow. We paid the fee and didn't regret it for a minute. No one else was in the park and the area was magical. Vines wrapped around tree trunks, water bubbled down a stream into the pools, and I expected wood nymphs to pop out at any moment. We stripped down to our bathing suits and got into the coldest pool we could find. Despite the pool being the coldest, it took me 10 minutes to ease myself into the hot water. We soaked for a while absorbing as much of the good as we could. Further up the path, we found the source and a sign that informed us that the water was 80 degrees celsius. A group of Thai kids were boiling eggs in the sulfur infused water and enjoying a late afternoon picnic.
Uli, Matthias, and I left our friends and raced to the Pai Canyon to watch sunset. The sunset over the canyon was quiet and relaxing. We watched the orange turn red before hustling back to the bikes. We did not want to be driving on the curvy highway after dark. Upon returning to Pai, Uli picked a restaurant for dinner. We expected menus and got bowls of sticky rice instead. The restaurant had a set menu that consisted of 6 indecipherable dishes ranging from spicy to incredibly spicy. The worst part was that the price was 150 baht making it one of our most expensive meals. Needless to say, we found a place for a second dinner.
Back at the bungalow, I found a hammock with my name on it and read in the peace of the night for a while. The next morning, we woke early to eat breakfast and go out for one last ride before going back to Chiang Mai. We went in search of another waterfall. Instead of gushing water, we found a small stream ending in a pool with a trickle of water from above. We can only imagine how impressive the waterfall would have been during the rainy season. We returned the bikes with time to spare before catching our minibus back to Chiang Mai.
The minibus spit and sputtered as we climbed out of the valley that houses Pai. At one point, the bus pulled over to the side of the road and the driver informed us in broken English that the bus was overheating. A mysterious green ooze dripped from the engine. Twenty minutes and 5 liters of water later, we were on our way once again. We arrived in Chiang Mai at 5:30 and began the enternally joyful experience of wandering from guesthouse to guesthouse asking about rooms, prices, and availability. We eventually came across a room that would squeeze another mattress on the floor. During our search, we ran into Jen, an American we had met in Cambodia. She was in Chiang Mai for a couple of days, so we planned to grab dinner. Khao Soi was on the menu with mango and sticky rice for dessert. I love me some Northern Thai food! We took Jen down Hooker Street and to the night market. We went to bed earlyish, but made plans to grab breakfast with Jen before leaving for Mae Sot.
This morning, we ate at our favorite coffee shop in Chiang Mai and hopped aboard a tuk-tuk for the 40 minute ride to the bus station. We had tickets for the 11:45am bus to Mae Sot. The bus ride was 6 hours, but passed quickly with my activities ranging from reading to sleeping to listening to music. Our main goal for traveling to this western border city is to cross into Burma and get another free 14 visa into Thailand. New visa regulations have been put in place making it much more difficult for those of us wanting to spend more than 14 days in the country. We ate dinner at a street vendor and ate some more mango with sticky rice. I am loving the variety and cheapness of the street food. We've had a lazy night in and plan on getting up early to get to the border. Tomorrow brings another bus to the ancient city of Ayutthaya. I cannot believe I only have 3 weeks left!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Banging around in Bangkok
The bus arrived at 7:45am to take us to the border. There were way too many people crammed on the bus, but we survived the ride. I slept badly, but nothing of significance happened on the way to Poipet. Just when I thought we had escaped Patrick, I noticed him on another bus headed to the border. It seems my luck hadn't quite been so good. It turned out that I didn't see him again, so I can only wish him safe travels and a new perspective on other foreigners. We arrived at the border hot, sweaty, and ready to be in Thailand. We were shuffled off the transfer bus and into a long line of foreigners. After getting our exit stamp from Cambodia, we walked across the border to Thailand where another line awaited. I waited patiently, stepped in front of the customs agent, and was finally admitted into Thailand. Woohoo! A minibus was waiting, and after a quick transfer to the tourist agency, we were off to Bangkok. The 2 hour ride took 4, but we had a great conversation with a bunch of Europeans about the state of the EU and how the US factors into the global community. I loved it! After only minor car sickness, we were dropped off at Khao San Road. I wasn't quite prepared for the immediate assault on my senses. Bangkok was bustling and I felt as if I had slipped into a reality I wasn't sure of. There were brands I recognized and modern luxuries. The first order of business was to find a guesthouse. We stopped at multiple places, but they were all full. We finally found a place that had a triple, so I bunked with the Germans. We dropped our bags and left to find food. Vendors were everywhere selling everything you could think of. I wanted Thai food, so another street restaurant was in our future. We got Pad Thai for $1 and I devoured it. We walked to Khao San Road and joined the throngs of backpackers checking out the items for sale, the men offering ping pong shows, and the bumping music.
The next morning, Uli and I got up early and went for a breakfast. We found a vegtarian restaurant and I had some delicious tomato soup with a freshly made orange shake. Our next stop of the day was a spa for some treatments. I got an awesome facial and spent an hour relaxing while someone massaged the tension away. We ran into Matthias and took a stroll around the neighborhood. The evening was relaxed and we avoided any of the bars or clubs that night. The next morning, we got up early to find a storage place to leave a pack and some stuff for a couple of weeks while we travel around Thailand. We stopped at the palace on the way back to the guesthouse. The Wat was gold-filled and incredible. While walking to the palace, we fell victim to two scams. The first happened near where we had lunch. A woman walked up to us and stuck a package of nuts in our hands. While we were fending her off, she slipped her hand up and stole Matthias's sunglasses. He realized it almost immediately after she left, but it was too late. Not 5 feet further, a smartly dressed tour guide walked up to us and informed us the the palace and wat were closed for a buddhist holiday. Lonely Planet had warned us, so we kept walking and saw the entrance. As we walked in, I looked down and noticed that my zipped purse was open. Within nanoseconds, I was hysterically riffling through my purse taking note of evertything. Whoever had opened my purse hadn't gotten anything, but I was on high alert the rest of the time in Bangkok.
We walked back to the guesthouse and spent a couple of hours lounding before catching the night bus to Chiang Mai. The bus left at 6 and was supposed to arrive at 6:00am. The bus was full and incredibly uncomfortable. I was uber crabby by the time we got to Chiang Mai. A tour company took us to their guesthouse, but I was hellbent to find another place. We were approached by a woman offering a ride to her family's guesthouse. We checked it out and negotiated a triple room down to 200 baht/night. It works out to around $2.50/night for each of us. So ridiculously cheap! Matthias and I convinced Uli to take a little nap before beginning our exploration of Chiang Mai. We left the hotel around noon and crossed the moat to get to the Old City. We knew we wanted to do a trek and a little research was required. We stopped at a travel agency and found a 2 day/1 nigh trek that we signed up for. Lunch consisted of my new favorite dish in the world: Khao Soy. It's a northern specialty made with egg noodles and curry. So delicious! After lunch, we stopped by one of the many Wats in Chiang Mai. We also got Thai Massages to help recover from the stressfilled bus ride. :) Uli wasn't feeling so great, so Matthias and I headed to the market to pick up a few supplies for the trek before going to bed early.
We packed quickly in the morning and were set for the trek. The guide picked us up and we joined the other 8 people for the 2 days in the jungle. The trek was good, but not the best I've ever been on. The hills were intense and proper hiking trails are unheard of. I've been in mudslides with better traction and steps. Needless to say, I fell 3 times by the time we stopped for dinner. I had a ridiculously bloody knee and the start of a nasty infection. Gotta love being in the middle of nowhere without proper first aid materials. We spent the evening with a hilltribe and got the opportunity to play music around the campfire with them. The women of the tribe put rings around their necks to elongate them, so some of the older women had as many as 30 rings. It was incredible to see another culture's view of what was beautiful.
The next morning, we woke early to hike a bit more. I am proud to say I made it to the elephant camp without falling. I was the slowest person, but no more scrapes or scratches. We went for a bamboo raft ride down the river before hopping on elephants and riding through the countryside and river. Such a cool experience! By this time, I was beyond dirty and so excited for a swim in the waterfall. The brochure advertised a waterfall, but what awaited us was a man-made collection of pools with water flowing in between. Not quite the waterfall I imagined, but still incredibly welcome after feeling so dirty. After the waterfall, we went white-water rafting. Our guide was inexperienced, so we spent lots of time going down rapids backwards and getting stuck on every rock in the river. We still enjoyed ourselves and laughed quite a bit. Matthias and Uli are such a blast to travel with and we are now starting to feel a bit like a little family.
We were dropped off at the guesthouse and we showered before heading to the night market. On our way, we checked out Hooker street and the bars filled with Thai women waiting for their Johns. There was no subtlety about what was happening. I took in the sight of so many white foreigners with so many beautiful Thai prostitutes. I can't help but be sad at the situation. The market was expansive and time consuming. We spent too much time and money looking at the goods, but it was cool to see the local artwork and goods.
The next morning, we slept late and headed towards a little cafe to grab breakfast. The place specialized in shakes made with chocolate, banana, nutella, and milk. So delicious! We stopped to check email and met up again to head towards the mountain. There was a Wat in the mountain that we wanted to check out. After fierce negotiations with a tuk-tuk driver, we drove the 15km and climbed the hill to see the Pagoda. I'm continuously amazed by the gold that is everywhere and the immediate peace I feel in the Wats. I could spend days in these places. We ate some fresh strawberries on our way back down the mountain. We headed to the guesthouse for showers before dinner, where Uli and I watched the sun set from our balcony and soaked in the colors. Last night was our second night of Khao Soy and every place we eat it is different. So much fun! We went to finish the night market and called it another early night. We haven't experienced the night life of Chiang Mai, but I don't feel like we're missing too much. I would much rather explore during the day and sleep well.
Today was a day filled with cooking. We took a Thai cooking course and spent the day learning how to prepare typical Thai dishes. It was so much fun, but I am incredibly full now. I don't think I can eat anything for a week! Uli, Matthias, and I made different dishes, so we could try them all. Let me know if you want to come over to sample some of my cooking when I get home. I have a certificate to prove that I'm now a master...ok, master may be pushing it, but I think I can make curry without a problem now. Tomorrow, we're heading to peaceful Pai for an even more relaxed couple of days in the northern countryside.
The next morning, Uli and I got up early and went for a breakfast. We found a vegtarian restaurant and I had some delicious tomato soup with a freshly made orange shake. Our next stop of the day was a spa for some treatments. I got an awesome facial and spent an hour relaxing while someone massaged the tension away. We ran into Matthias and took a stroll around the neighborhood. The evening was relaxed and we avoided any of the bars or clubs that night. The next morning, we got up early to find a storage place to leave a pack and some stuff for a couple of weeks while we travel around Thailand. We stopped at the palace on the way back to the guesthouse. The Wat was gold-filled and incredible. While walking to the palace, we fell victim to two scams. The first happened near where we had lunch. A woman walked up to us and stuck a package of nuts in our hands. While we were fending her off, she slipped her hand up and stole Matthias's sunglasses. He realized it almost immediately after she left, but it was too late. Not 5 feet further, a smartly dressed tour guide walked up to us and informed us the the palace and wat were closed for a buddhist holiday. Lonely Planet had warned us, so we kept walking and saw the entrance. As we walked in, I looked down and noticed that my zipped purse was open. Within nanoseconds, I was hysterically riffling through my purse taking note of evertything. Whoever had opened my purse hadn't gotten anything, but I was on high alert the rest of the time in Bangkok.
We walked back to the guesthouse and spent a couple of hours lounding before catching the night bus to Chiang Mai. The bus left at 6 and was supposed to arrive at 6:00am. The bus was full and incredibly uncomfortable. I was uber crabby by the time we got to Chiang Mai. A tour company took us to their guesthouse, but I was hellbent to find another place. We were approached by a woman offering a ride to her family's guesthouse. We checked it out and negotiated a triple room down to 200 baht/night. It works out to around $2.50/night for each of us. So ridiculously cheap! Matthias and I convinced Uli to take a little nap before beginning our exploration of Chiang Mai. We left the hotel around noon and crossed the moat to get to the Old City. We knew we wanted to do a trek and a little research was required. We stopped at a travel agency and found a 2 day/1 nigh trek that we signed up for. Lunch consisted of my new favorite dish in the world: Khao Soy. It's a northern specialty made with egg noodles and curry. So delicious! After lunch, we stopped by one of the many Wats in Chiang Mai. We also got Thai Massages to help recover from the stressfilled bus ride. :) Uli wasn't feeling so great, so Matthias and I headed to the market to pick up a few supplies for the trek before going to bed early.
We packed quickly in the morning and were set for the trek. The guide picked us up and we joined the other 8 people for the 2 days in the jungle. The trek was good, but not the best I've ever been on. The hills were intense and proper hiking trails are unheard of. I've been in mudslides with better traction and steps. Needless to say, I fell 3 times by the time we stopped for dinner. I had a ridiculously bloody knee and the start of a nasty infection. Gotta love being in the middle of nowhere without proper first aid materials. We spent the evening with a hilltribe and got the opportunity to play music around the campfire with them. The women of the tribe put rings around their necks to elongate them, so some of the older women had as many as 30 rings. It was incredible to see another culture's view of what was beautiful.
The next morning, we woke early to hike a bit more. I am proud to say I made it to the elephant camp without falling. I was the slowest person, but no more scrapes or scratches. We went for a bamboo raft ride down the river before hopping on elephants and riding through the countryside and river. Such a cool experience! By this time, I was beyond dirty and so excited for a swim in the waterfall. The brochure advertised a waterfall, but what awaited us was a man-made collection of pools with water flowing in between. Not quite the waterfall I imagined, but still incredibly welcome after feeling so dirty. After the waterfall, we went white-water rafting. Our guide was inexperienced, so we spent lots of time going down rapids backwards and getting stuck on every rock in the river. We still enjoyed ourselves and laughed quite a bit. Matthias and Uli are such a blast to travel with and we are now starting to feel a bit like a little family.
We were dropped off at the guesthouse and we showered before heading to the night market. On our way, we checked out Hooker street and the bars filled with Thai women waiting for their Johns. There was no subtlety about what was happening. I took in the sight of so many white foreigners with so many beautiful Thai prostitutes. I can't help but be sad at the situation. The market was expansive and time consuming. We spent too much time and money looking at the goods, but it was cool to see the local artwork and goods.
The next morning, we slept late and headed towards a little cafe to grab breakfast. The place specialized in shakes made with chocolate, banana, nutella, and milk. So delicious! We stopped to check email and met up again to head towards the mountain. There was a Wat in the mountain that we wanted to check out. After fierce negotiations with a tuk-tuk driver, we drove the 15km and climbed the hill to see the Pagoda. I'm continuously amazed by the gold that is everywhere and the immediate peace I feel in the Wats. I could spend days in these places. We ate some fresh strawberries on our way back down the mountain. We headed to the guesthouse for showers before dinner, where Uli and I watched the sun set from our balcony and soaked in the colors. Last night was our second night of Khao Soy and every place we eat it is different. So much fun! We went to finish the night market and called it another early night. We haven't experienced the night life of Chiang Mai, but I don't feel like we're missing too much. I would much rather explore during the day and sleep well.
Today was a day filled with cooking. We took a Thai cooking course and spent the day learning how to prepare typical Thai dishes. It was so much fun, but I am incredibly full now. I don't think I can eat anything for a week! Uli, Matthias, and I made different dishes, so we could try them all. Let me know if you want to come over to sample some of my cooking when I get home. I have a certificate to prove that I'm now a master...ok, master may be pushing it, but I think I can make curry without a problem now. Tomorrow, we're heading to peaceful Pai for an even more relaxed couple of days in the northern countryside.
Hanging in Angkor
Showers after the bus were soooo welcome and necessary. I wouldn't call what I did on the bus sleep...it was more like toss, turn, shiver, repeat. I was tired but not enough to go to bed. I needed to explore and see some of Siem Reap. Uli, Matthias, and I wanted to get 3 day passes for Angkor. Patrick decided to just do one day, so the group was down to 3. There are a couple of ways to tour the temples. Bicycles can be rented for cheap and you can explore at your own pace or you can hire a tuk-tuk for the day to drive you around. We opted for the tuk-tuk and were off. Uli had done some reading on the temples and suggested we start with a group of temples that were a bit further out of Siem Reap. The temples were the oldest and would be a good starting point to appreciate the architectural differences. The sun was out and the breeze was great as we rode along to the temples. After purchasing our expensive entrance tickets ($40), we drove 15 minutes to the first cluster. Impressive doesn't begin to encompass the first temple. The structure was crumbling giving it the sense of being ancient. I immediately felt a sense that the place was holy. The only interruption to my awe was the sound of multiple little kids running up offering to sell me things. I would slowly become immune to the begging, but it was a shock at first. We spent the rest of the day exploring the various temples and climbing up and down. Each was more impressive than the last. Our tuk-tuk driver was a great guide and very patient at each stop. We sat and watched sunset from the lesser crowded of the two spots. I'm not sure what the other place was like, but it was plenty crowded at our temple. We met another couple from Germany and two travelers from the US. I'm hoping to be able to travel with one of the American girls during my last couple of weeks in Asia.
We journeyed back to our guest house with just enough time to shower before dinner. During our wanderings, we had met a french girl traveling alone and made dinner plans to meet up. Gwen was lovely and a totally gentle spirit, but we were slightly late finding her hostel. In the meantime, we had run into Patrick and his new friend, Jane. Let's just say that by this time I was done with Patrick, his upity attitude, and the constant comments against the US and everything American. I was hoping we could avoid him until after dinner, but it was a no go. He is the type of person who thoroughly enjoys being right but is always looking for validation for his ideas. His passive aggressiveness was wearing, and I was ready for a little break. So, Jane, Patrick, Uli, Matthias, and I went in search of Gwen's hostel. After ten minutes of Patrick's grumbling, I left them at a restaurant and hopped on a tuk-tuk to get Gwen. We got back to the restaurant and joined the group. I use the term restaurant loosely; in reality, it was plastic chairs and tables set up on the sidewalk. The first comment from lovely Patrick was that he wanted to eat right away, but Uli and Matthias made him wait for us. He then proceeded to make fun of the US dollar, the new passport pages, and Gwen's accent. I was heated by the time the food came and ate in almost silence. I willed him to eat fast so he could leave, and the gods were on my side. We split up and Uli, Gwen, and I stuck together. We checked out the night market, but headed back to the guesthouse early. We had arranged for a 4:45am pick up, so we could see the sun rise over Angkor Wat. Sleep came easy and was peaceful.
I wanted to throw something when my alarm went off at 4:25am. I am NOT a morning person, so I struggled against the urge to go back to sleep and got dressed. In my tiredness, I did such a great job of dressing that I put my pants on inside out. Yes, I was THAT person. I met Uli and Matthias downstairs and we were off. It was pitch black out as we drove along. Siem Reap was still sleeping except for the backpackers still awake from their night out. Our driver dropped us off and we groped our way along the path to the temple. A vendor took pity on us in the dark and took us to the best place to watch the sunrise. We waited for almost two hours, laughing about the hoards of tired people arriving and the terrible coffee. Slowly, we were able to get a sense of our surroundings. The sight in front of me was incredible. As the sky lightened, the outline of the temple appeared. The sun rose slowly and majestically through the towers. It sounds totally corny, I know. We opted for some sightseeing before our lack of sleep caught up to us. We waited until 8:00am and climbed up to the top area of Angkor Wat. We had to be properly covered, since the Wat is still used by Buddhists and Monks live in the top area.
We took in the temples of the small loop, but I was losing energy fast. Uli was like the Energizer Bunny and just kept going, but Matthias and I were done by 2. I was sweaty, tired, and ready for a shower. Our last temple was intense. The stairs were almost a straight climb up and did not feel safe at all. I blindly followed Uli before getting about half way and realizing how high it was. After pausing in the middle and weighing the chances of falling to my death, I finished the climb. The fear was worth it, since the view was great and the carvings were some of the best. The tuk-tuk driver dropped us off at a travel agent and we were able to make our arrangements for getting to Thailand. I came on this trip with the goal of being more flexible and allowing the trip to take me where it may. I loved traveling with Uli and Matthias, so I opted to skip Laos for now and head to Thailand with them. We were finally escaping Patrick! We spent the afternoon lounging around Siem Reap and grabbed dinner at another street restaurant. My favorite dish in Cambodia was Lok Lak, but we decided to get grilled meat instead.
Uli and I had lobbied for another go at the night market and a foot massage. All over Cambodia there are stands for Dr. Fish. There is a type of fish that nibbles at your feet and removes the dead skin. For $2, I got 20 minutes of fish nibbling and a glass of wine. For the first 10 minutes, I couldn't relax. The fish tickled my feet soooo badly! Eventually, I got to love it. I want a tank of these little fish at home. We did some shopping and I picked up some more gifts from Cambodia. We called it an early night again, since we were going to be getting up early for the bus to Bangkok. Siem Reap was definitely a great stop! I can't wait to go back!
We journeyed back to our guest house with just enough time to shower before dinner. During our wanderings, we had met a french girl traveling alone and made dinner plans to meet up. Gwen was lovely and a totally gentle spirit, but we were slightly late finding her hostel. In the meantime, we had run into Patrick and his new friend, Jane. Let's just say that by this time I was done with Patrick, his upity attitude, and the constant comments against the US and everything American. I was hoping we could avoid him until after dinner, but it was a no go. He is the type of person who thoroughly enjoys being right but is always looking for validation for his ideas. His passive aggressiveness was wearing, and I was ready for a little break. So, Jane, Patrick, Uli, Matthias, and I went in search of Gwen's hostel. After ten minutes of Patrick's grumbling, I left them at a restaurant and hopped on a tuk-tuk to get Gwen. We got back to the restaurant and joined the group. I use the term restaurant loosely; in reality, it was plastic chairs and tables set up on the sidewalk. The first comment from lovely Patrick was that he wanted to eat right away, but Uli and Matthias made him wait for us. He then proceeded to make fun of the US dollar, the new passport pages, and Gwen's accent. I was heated by the time the food came and ate in almost silence. I willed him to eat fast so he could leave, and the gods were on my side. We split up and Uli, Gwen, and I stuck together. We checked out the night market, but headed back to the guesthouse early. We had arranged for a 4:45am pick up, so we could see the sun rise over Angkor Wat. Sleep came easy and was peaceful.
I wanted to throw something when my alarm went off at 4:25am. I am NOT a morning person, so I struggled against the urge to go back to sleep and got dressed. In my tiredness, I did such a great job of dressing that I put my pants on inside out. Yes, I was THAT person. I met Uli and Matthias downstairs and we were off. It was pitch black out as we drove along. Siem Reap was still sleeping except for the backpackers still awake from their night out. Our driver dropped us off and we groped our way along the path to the temple. A vendor took pity on us in the dark and took us to the best place to watch the sunrise. We waited for almost two hours, laughing about the hoards of tired people arriving and the terrible coffee. Slowly, we were able to get a sense of our surroundings. The sight in front of me was incredible. As the sky lightened, the outline of the temple appeared. The sun rose slowly and majestically through the towers. It sounds totally corny, I know. We opted for some sightseeing before our lack of sleep caught up to us. We waited until 8:00am and climbed up to the top area of Angkor Wat. We had to be properly covered, since the Wat is still used by Buddhists and Monks live in the top area.
We took in the temples of the small loop, but I was losing energy fast. Uli was like the Energizer Bunny and just kept going, but Matthias and I were done by 2. I was sweaty, tired, and ready for a shower. Our last temple was intense. The stairs were almost a straight climb up and did not feel safe at all. I blindly followed Uli before getting about half way and realizing how high it was. After pausing in the middle and weighing the chances of falling to my death, I finished the climb. The fear was worth it, since the view was great and the carvings were some of the best. The tuk-tuk driver dropped us off at a travel agent and we were able to make our arrangements for getting to Thailand. I came on this trip with the goal of being more flexible and allowing the trip to take me where it may. I loved traveling with Uli and Matthias, so I opted to skip Laos for now and head to Thailand with them. We were finally escaping Patrick! We spent the afternoon lounging around Siem Reap and grabbed dinner at another street restaurant. My favorite dish in Cambodia was Lok Lak, but we decided to get grilled meat instead.
Uli and I had lobbied for another go at the night market and a foot massage. All over Cambodia there are stands for Dr. Fish. There is a type of fish that nibbles at your feet and removes the dead skin. For $2, I got 20 minutes of fish nibbling and a glass of wine. For the first 10 minutes, I couldn't relax. The fish tickled my feet soooo badly! Eventually, I got to love it. I want a tank of these little fish at home. We did some shopping and I picked up some more gifts from Cambodia. We called it an early night again, since we were going to be getting up early for the bus to Bangkok. Siem Reap was definitely a great stop! I can't wait to go back!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The Mighty Mekong
After a bleary eyed good-bye with Jenny at 7:00 am, I was off for my adventure in the Mekong. I waited for my bus for almost an hour and was worried the entire time about missing it. I climbed aboard and saw friendly backpacker faces, so I knew I'd find friends in no time. We started the trip with a bus ride to the river and the floating market. The market consisted of boats with produce for sale. The seller would stick their product on a pole to advertise for the customer. We didn't buy anything, but it was quite interesting to see the wares for sale. After a quick ride through the market, we stopped at a honey farm and sampled the product. While it was quite yummy, I was not tempted to try to pack a jar of honey for 6 weeks through the tropics. We also saw rice-paper production, coconut candy production, and popped rice sweets production. The samples were delicious at each spot, but once again I held strong and bought nothing. We had a sample of snake wine, and I think I'm becoming quite the aficionado. I still haven't bought any for a souvenir, but don't be surprised if that's what I bring home. We hopped another boat and started our exploration of the Mighty Mekong. The land was lush and picturesque. I wanted to capture the warmth and the fertility of the land, but my camera was insufficient. We stopped in the afternoon at a Cham village and toured the Mosque. It was the first Mosque I'd ever been in where I didn't need to cover my head or shoulders. It felt bizarre. We saw lush rice paddies and interacted with small children who liked to follow us. One little girl was in love with my polarized sunglasses since she could see her reflection.
We ate lunch in a little village where we could rent bikes and tour around. Unfortunately, we weren't given enough time to explore properly, but we did get a bike ride to the boat. The bikes were rusted, without gears, and all one size. It was awesome. The boat took us to a larger boat, where we met up with a couple of other groups. The afternoon boat ride took about 4 hours. A couple of us found a spot on the roof and soaked up the sun and countryside. The Mekong was busy with ships and fishing boats. The crafts on the water were a mix of giant shipping boats, small fishing boats, and row boats manned by women. The clash of the agrarian culture with the industrializing nation was no more hidden here than on the streets of Hanoi. We ate dinner on the boat and started getting to know one another. The travel stories were shared, and I kept taking mental notes of things I wanted to see and do. After a minor confusion over rooms, we arrived in Chau Doc and got settled. I had paid for a single, yet when we got close, the guide informed me that the only rooms left were a triple or a double. The people left to fill those rooms were one German couple and 2 guys and me. I was NOT interested in spending the night with two guys, so my lovely new friend, Uli, offered to share the room with me and her boyfriend, Mattias would share with the other guys. I was saved! The hotel was bug-filled and not quite as beautiful as it sounded. I fell asleep super early and slept well. Our wake-up call came in the form of pounding on our door and window and yelling at us to get up. It was 5:55am. I slowly emerged from my mosquito net and got ready. We were back on the boat by 7:00am and off to see the fish farm. The farm has multiple kinds of fish and exports to all over the world. We got to see the feeding, before getting back on the boat for our journey to Cambodia. I had opted for the "slow" boat. I was unsure of what this really meant and no guide could tell me what it really meant. We arrived at the border without incident and began our wait. On the way, I discovered that I had never received a departure card in Vietnam. Apparently, this is a big deal. The guide was almost hysterical when he found out I didn't have it. After 15 minutes, he returned with a new departure card, told me to fill it out, and slip $1 in the card. I was buying my way out of Vietnam for a $1. The guide collected our passports and was off to get our Cambodian visas. Unfortunately, he was back shortly and not so kindly informed me that I was out of passport pages. I wasn't really out of pages, but there wasn't one completely clear one for a full page stamp. I had two options. 1. Go back to Saigon and visit the consulate for more pages...or...2. Slip $10 in my passport and write a note saying I would immediately go to the embassy in Phnom Penh and get more pages added. Ten minutes later and $10 poorer, the guide was off again to get the visas. He returned after an hour and we escaped the holding tank long enough to scarf down some food. The slow boat arrived and was the same model as the fast boat. The only difference was the wait time. We hopped aboard, arrived at the Cambodian border and cleared passport control. The boat ride to Phnom Penh was 3 hours and not quiet. The countryside was prettier than Vietnam with much less industry. There were more farms, and I spent the afternoon watching the daily life. I saw farmers washing cattle in the river and rice being planted in the fields. It was peaceful and welcome after the chaos of the city.
We arrived at the port and climbed off the boat with packs in-tow. A mini-bus awaited and our hour journey to Phnom Penh began. The difference between Vietnam and Cambodia was immediately visible. There were no old people and the infrastructure was majorly lacking. I spent the hour watching out the window and wondering what the next couple of days would have in store. The mini-bus dropped us off in the center, and I wanted to head towards the lake to find a place to crash. Uli and Matthias opted for the lakeside lodging as well, so we shared a tuk-tuk to the Number 10 guesthouse. An Austrian was along for the ride, so our group totaled 4. We looked at a couple of guesthouses before settling for a cheap, yet barely tolerable place. Our first order of business was showers and then dinner. We wandered away from the backpacker area and negotiated dinner for $1 per person. Gotta love those street restaurants! Dinner was Lok Lak and delicious! We took an after dinner stroll to get a sense of the area and check out the river. Uli and I were suckers for street kids, so we bought them some food before heading back to the guesthouse. I got into a minor scuffle with the vendor, since he tried to overcharge me. In the end, I was victorious and the kids were fed. I know that the food thing is usually a scam, but who am I to say the little ones didn't need food. They were so incredibly cute. By the time we left Cambodia, I would come to realize that begging children do a number to my heart and my wallet.
The next morning, I awoke early to start the sight-seeing. The first stop was the torture museum at the S-21 Prison. We had an hour there, before I had to head to the embassy for my page run. It's hard to escape the recent history of Cambodia and no where is the history more alive than at the prison. Our guide's father, sister, and brother were killed by the Khmer Rouge. She was emotionless as she shared the horror-filled history of the building and showed us photos of not only the victims, but also the torturers. She kept repeating that the torturers are now walking the streets free. I was struck by how young the Khmer Rouge were and how quickly those doing the torture became the tortured. It was humanity at its absolute worst. Considering the very recent history, I'm amazed Cambodia is as developed as it is. The Khmer Rouge meant to destroy everything that made Cambodia. Phnom Penh was harsh and depressing after the museum.
I had to leave before completing the museum, but a part of me was glad to get away. I hopped on the back of a motorcycle and zoomed off to the US Embassy. I had made an appointment and was welcomed in. After two security checks and relinquishing all of my electronic devices, I was in. I joined the 25 Cambodians waiting to hear about their visas in a room very similar to the waiting area of the DMV. I sat down to wait my turn, but the security guard followed me in and told me to go to window 7. As a US citizen, I jumped the line and was helped immediately. I handed over my passport after filling out the form and waited. I felt terrible for the people waiting as I listened to the embassy worker explain again and again that the application was being processed. In one instance, an entire family had to submit new documentation before the application could proceed. So many people wanting to get into the US, yet so few visas available. In less than 15 minutes I had my passport back and was on my way.
I met Uli, Matthias, and Patrick at the National Museum. I checked out the artwork and almost got suckered into buying another book from a small child. While I was at the museum and the embassy, they went out to the killing fields. I'm glad I didn't go. I'm not sure my spirit could have taken so much violence. We grabbed lunch before heading towards the Silver Pagoda and the Russian Market. The Russian Market has nothing to do with Russia and everything to do with clothes produced by big name brands in Cambodia. Lots of cheap clothes and textiles. I bought a krama, which is a traditional Cambodian scarf. It's now my favorite accessory. We wandered around the market for a long while. As a group, we had decided to go towards Siem Reap on the midnight bus, so we had an evening to kill. We grabbed dinner and sat by the lake until it was time to head to the bus station. After waiting for 2 hours, the bus arrived and we hopped aboard. I have never been so cold instantly in my life. For six hours, I shivered and shifted trying to find a comfortable place to sleep. We arrived in Siem Reap at 6:00am and headed straight for the guesthouse. We negotiated down to $5 a night for a single and showered immediately. The plan for the day centered around Angkor, which deserves it's own post. I'm hoping to fully catch up on my posts soon! I slightly miss Wisconsin, totally miss family and friends, but love traveling and my new friends! Much love!
We ate lunch in a little village where we could rent bikes and tour around. Unfortunately, we weren't given enough time to explore properly, but we did get a bike ride to the boat. The bikes were rusted, without gears, and all one size. It was awesome. The boat took us to a larger boat, where we met up with a couple of other groups. The afternoon boat ride took about 4 hours. A couple of us found a spot on the roof and soaked up the sun and countryside. The Mekong was busy with ships and fishing boats. The crafts on the water were a mix of giant shipping boats, small fishing boats, and row boats manned by women. The clash of the agrarian culture with the industrializing nation was no more hidden here than on the streets of Hanoi. We ate dinner on the boat and started getting to know one another. The travel stories were shared, and I kept taking mental notes of things I wanted to see and do. After a minor confusion over rooms, we arrived in Chau Doc and got settled. I had paid for a single, yet when we got close, the guide informed me that the only rooms left were a triple or a double. The people left to fill those rooms were one German couple and 2 guys and me. I was NOT interested in spending the night with two guys, so my lovely new friend, Uli, offered to share the room with me and her boyfriend, Mattias would share with the other guys. I was saved! The hotel was bug-filled and not quite as beautiful as it sounded. I fell asleep super early and slept well. Our wake-up call came in the form of pounding on our door and window and yelling at us to get up. It was 5:55am. I slowly emerged from my mosquito net and got ready. We were back on the boat by 7:00am and off to see the fish farm. The farm has multiple kinds of fish and exports to all over the world. We got to see the feeding, before getting back on the boat for our journey to Cambodia. I had opted for the "slow" boat. I was unsure of what this really meant and no guide could tell me what it really meant. We arrived at the border without incident and began our wait. On the way, I discovered that I had never received a departure card in Vietnam. Apparently, this is a big deal. The guide was almost hysterical when he found out I didn't have it. After 15 minutes, he returned with a new departure card, told me to fill it out, and slip $1 in the card. I was buying my way out of Vietnam for a $1. The guide collected our passports and was off to get our Cambodian visas. Unfortunately, he was back shortly and not so kindly informed me that I was out of passport pages. I wasn't really out of pages, but there wasn't one completely clear one for a full page stamp. I had two options. 1. Go back to Saigon and visit the consulate for more pages...or...2. Slip $10 in my passport and write a note saying I would immediately go to the embassy in Phnom Penh and get more pages added. Ten minutes later and $10 poorer, the guide was off again to get the visas. He returned after an hour and we escaped the holding tank long enough to scarf down some food. The slow boat arrived and was the same model as the fast boat. The only difference was the wait time. We hopped aboard, arrived at the Cambodian border and cleared passport control. The boat ride to Phnom Penh was 3 hours and not quiet. The countryside was prettier than Vietnam with much less industry. There were more farms, and I spent the afternoon watching the daily life. I saw farmers washing cattle in the river and rice being planted in the fields. It was peaceful and welcome after the chaos of the city.
We arrived at the port and climbed off the boat with packs in-tow. A mini-bus awaited and our hour journey to Phnom Penh began. The difference between Vietnam and Cambodia was immediately visible. There were no old people and the infrastructure was majorly lacking. I spent the hour watching out the window and wondering what the next couple of days would have in store. The mini-bus dropped us off in the center, and I wanted to head towards the lake to find a place to crash. Uli and Matthias opted for the lakeside lodging as well, so we shared a tuk-tuk to the Number 10 guesthouse. An Austrian was along for the ride, so our group totaled 4. We looked at a couple of guesthouses before settling for a cheap, yet barely tolerable place. Our first order of business was showers and then dinner. We wandered away from the backpacker area and negotiated dinner for $1 per person. Gotta love those street restaurants! Dinner was Lok Lak and delicious! We took an after dinner stroll to get a sense of the area and check out the river. Uli and I were suckers for street kids, so we bought them some food before heading back to the guesthouse. I got into a minor scuffle with the vendor, since he tried to overcharge me. In the end, I was victorious and the kids were fed. I know that the food thing is usually a scam, but who am I to say the little ones didn't need food. They were so incredibly cute. By the time we left Cambodia, I would come to realize that begging children do a number to my heart and my wallet.
The next morning, I awoke early to start the sight-seeing. The first stop was the torture museum at the S-21 Prison. We had an hour there, before I had to head to the embassy for my page run. It's hard to escape the recent history of Cambodia and no where is the history more alive than at the prison. Our guide's father, sister, and brother were killed by the Khmer Rouge. She was emotionless as she shared the horror-filled history of the building and showed us photos of not only the victims, but also the torturers. She kept repeating that the torturers are now walking the streets free. I was struck by how young the Khmer Rouge were and how quickly those doing the torture became the tortured. It was humanity at its absolute worst. Considering the very recent history, I'm amazed Cambodia is as developed as it is. The Khmer Rouge meant to destroy everything that made Cambodia. Phnom Penh was harsh and depressing after the museum.
I had to leave before completing the museum, but a part of me was glad to get away. I hopped on the back of a motorcycle and zoomed off to the US Embassy. I had made an appointment and was welcomed in. After two security checks and relinquishing all of my electronic devices, I was in. I joined the 25 Cambodians waiting to hear about their visas in a room very similar to the waiting area of the DMV. I sat down to wait my turn, but the security guard followed me in and told me to go to window 7. As a US citizen, I jumped the line and was helped immediately. I handed over my passport after filling out the form and waited. I felt terrible for the people waiting as I listened to the embassy worker explain again and again that the application was being processed. In one instance, an entire family had to submit new documentation before the application could proceed. So many people wanting to get into the US, yet so few visas available. In less than 15 minutes I had my passport back and was on my way.
I met Uli, Matthias, and Patrick at the National Museum. I checked out the artwork and almost got suckered into buying another book from a small child. While I was at the museum and the embassy, they went out to the killing fields. I'm glad I didn't go. I'm not sure my spirit could have taken so much violence. We grabbed lunch before heading towards the Silver Pagoda and the Russian Market. The Russian Market has nothing to do with Russia and everything to do with clothes produced by big name brands in Cambodia. Lots of cheap clothes and textiles. I bought a krama, which is a traditional Cambodian scarf. It's now my favorite accessory. We wandered around the market for a long while. As a group, we had decided to go towards Siem Reap on the midnight bus, so we had an evening to kill. We grabbed dinner and sat by the lake until it was time to head to the bus station. After waiting for 2 hours, the bus arrived and we hopped aboard. I have never been so cold instantly in my life. For six hours, I shivered and shifted trying to find a comfortable place to sleep. We arrived in Siem Reap at 6:00am and headed straight for the guesthouse. We negotiated down to $5 a night for a single and showered immediately. The plan for the day centered around Angkor, which deserves it's own post. I'm hoping to fully catch up on my posts soon! I slightly miss Wisconsin, totally miss family and friends, but love traveling and my new friends! Much love!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Mui Ne? Mui YAY!
After Tet, we were ready for the beach! On Monday afternoon, Jenny, Khanh, Matt, and I hopped on a bus for Mui Ne in the Eastern part of Vietnam. Bus seats were assigned with zero room for negotiation. When a woman asked to sit in front because she gets sick, he started yelling and informed us that we could sit in our assigned seats or stay in Saigon. The 4 hour bus ride turned into almost 6 and we arrived hot, tired, and ready for a shower. We had originally paid for bungalows on the beach...instead, we got a room with a small window overlooking the green, algae-filled pool. We negotiated hard for a better location and ended up slipping the security guard money for an extra room. Jenny and I snagged a bungalow overlooking the pool with bugs thrown in at no extra cost. We showered and left with the boys to go in search of dinner. We walked along the deserted highway with only motorbikes and taxis passing us. Most restaurants were closed, since it was almost 10:00pm. We wanted seafood and lucked out when we came across a seafood place full of plastic chairs and plastic tablecloths. The dinner was family style without much shellfish. Jenny has a wicked allergy to the tasty creatures. The boys and I shared crab with tamarind, which was spectacular. Feeling full, we hopped in a taxi and went back to the hotel to sleep. Jenny and I have been in the habit of sleeping late, and our first morning in Mui Ne was no exception. We slept late and got only to wander down the beach for a day of sun and sea. The South China Sea was beyond pretty. We drank iced coffees in the shade of palm trees, before beginning the ultra stressful task of basking in the sun. That evening, we met the boys for dinner after massages. Beauty treatments are so ridiculously cheap, so I am partaking as often as possible. The massage was heaven and a perfect completion of a day of rest and leisure. Since I had been in the sun all day, I opted for the aloe vera massage. As we were waiting for the appointments, we watched fresh aloe arrive. I love Southeast Asia! Everything is fresh! Seafood was on the menu once again for dinner, however, our choice was an epic fail. After 2.5 hours, we were served a plate of raw fish and a kettle of broth to cook the fish in. Apparently, it takes 2 hours to plate fish for a hotpot. We were lucky that the company was good and the conversation effortless. The boys had found a sweet restaurant earlier in the day, so that was our destination for after dinner drinks. We walked into Sankara, which was like a scene from a Puff Daddy video. The bar was filled with cabanas, white curtains, and an open bar. In short, the place was fabulous. In Vietnam, alcohol is not served past 11 without a major bribe for the officials. In Mui Ne, most things are open late, so we took in as much of the night life as possible. The following day, we slept late again and awoke in time for facials. The dragon fruit mask used fresh fruit and my skin soaked it up. I met up with the boys and sat by the beach watching kite surfers. We ate dinner in a little place that looked dingy but had great food. I've decided that the dirtier the place, the better the food will probably be in Vietnam. We left Mui Ne the next day, but not before checking out Joe's Restaurant for breakfast. It's run by an American from Vermont and has a super chill atmosphere. It is the only restaurant opened 24 hours a day in Vietnam. Gotta love that tradition of being able to get food anytime you want. The bus back to Saigon was roomy, and I slept well. We did see a terrible motorbike accident while stuck in traffic outside the city. The body had already been moved, but the image of the blood on the street has stuck with me. I'm amazed I haven't seen more accidents. Khanh, Jenny , and I walked in search of the best deal for a guesthouse and ended up at Hotel 96 in the heart of the backpacker district. Rooms have been super cheap, so Jenny and I got a double room for $15. Gotta love those rooms for under $10/person. Friday brought a beautiful day in the city and a plan for seeing the sights. We went to the Presidential Palace. The palace was totally uninspiring, especially since it was historically the locale of the fall of Saigon. We also went to see the War Remnants museum. While at the museum, I stood in front of the display about Agent Orange and cried. It's hard to be an American in Vietnam and not feel horribly about the war. There were pictures of babies born in 1997 that suffered from deformities due to Agent Orange poisoning. It was so tragic, and I had to get out of there. I understand that most of the museum was propaganda in support of the communist government, but the people suffered regardless. Jenny and I went for a lovely dinner of tapas and sangria. On Saturday, we meant to get up early and go see the Cu Chi tunnels, but we both ended up sick. We had gone to bed early, yet spent the night with stomach cramps. Instead of seeing the tunnels, we laid in bed nursing our painful stomachs. We did roll out of bed and ate a little something around 1. Food helped a bit, so we were off to the market and the Notre Dame Cathedral. The post office was beautiful and designed by Eiffel, so the building contained tons of French architectural flairs. Since we still weren't 100%, we went back to the guesthouse to pack and get ready for the next day. I left super early for my 2 day adventure through the delta and entrance into Cambodia. It was sad to leave Jenny, and I was nervous about traveling by myself. The Mekong and more adventures awaited.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)