In South East Asiatag:www.insea.co.uk,2007://12007-04-21T09:06:57ZMovable Type 3.33Last time in Bangkoktag:www.insea.co.uk,2007://1.1102007-04-21T06:08:58Z2007-04-21T09:06:57ZWe arrived in Bangkok two days ago at about 10am which gave us the day to explore another part of Bangkok. It took a while but we found a nice hostel on Kuousan Road for the last two nights of...
Kuousan Road is not too bad. We have done the last of our shoping and had a good opportunity to look around and sit in cafes before heading home.
]]>
Journeys Endtag:www.insea.co.uk,2007://1.1092007-04-21T05:53:20Z2007-04-21T09:09:26ZToday is our last day in Bangkok. This afternoon we leave and fly home. I can't believe it's all over already. It seems to have gone so quickly. Just thought I would share some of the highlights of the trip....
I still find it amazing to think how grateful they were and how much they wanted to learn when they had nothing. It really makes you appeciate what you have and I would recommend volunteering the way we did to anyone. Cambodia is an amazing place with outstanding people.
Diving in Vietnam was wonderful. I think mainly because it was the first diving I've done. It's a bit nerve wracking at first but once you get used to it, it becomes a lot easier. Once you get over the in-built survial instinct to try and keep yourself above the water its fine.
It's just a different world down there , and it was amazing to see all the fish, just like on Finding Nemo.
I also loved spending time in Sapa. It was so different from everywhere else we went. The people were friendly, most of them wearing traditional dress and the scenery was amazing, and seeing everything appearing and disappearing in the mist was magical.
It's an superb feeling travelling to a new town or city, or even country and trying to imagine what it's like. You've read the guide book and other people have told you about it but it's so exciting getting there and seeing for yourself, knowing that every single day when you get up you're going to see something completely new and breathtaking.
]]>
Koh San Roadtag:www.insea.co.uk,2007://1.1082007-04-21T05:47:31Z2007-04-21T08:41:27ZFor the last two nights we have been staying on Koh San Road, Bangkok. At first I found it really hard to cope. It's just so busy and after being places like Cambodia and Vietnam for the last few months,...
Koh San Road is the main road where all the backpackers stay in Bangkok. It's full of bars, restaurants, markets stalls and neon signs, and it never stops. All we wanted to do was to find somewhere quiet to have some food and drink, then go to bed early.]]>
Back in Bangkoktag:www.insea.co.uk,2007://1.1072007-04-19T07:46:15Z2007-04-21T08:34:10ZThis morning we flew out of Chaing Mai and into Bangkok. It was such an easy journey. We were so glad we decided to fly. It is strange being back in Bangkok again after all this time. It's just so...
This morning we flew out of Chaing Mai and into Bangkok. It was such an easy journey. We were so glad we decided to fly.
It is strange being back in Bangkok again after all this time. It's just so big and busy. This time we are staying on Koh San Road, which is the place all of the backpackers go. Not sure that I really likebeing back here. It just seems non stop.
We just have two nights here before we fly home. I can't believe it is over already.
Thailandtag:www.insea.co.uk,2007://1.1062007-04-17T08:34:45Z2007-04-18T07:53:02ZThis is now the second time we've been in Thailand. It was weird coming back here after being places like Laos and Cambodia. Thailand is so much more developed. Chaing Mai even has a Tesco's, how weird is that? The...
This is now the second time we've been in Thailand. It was weird coming back here after being places like Laos and Cambodia. Thailand is so much more developed. Chaing Mai even has a Tesco's, how weird is that?
The currency in Thailand is the Baht and there are about 70 Baht to the pound. Thailand, unlike all of the other countries we've been to, only deal with Baht, not US dollars.
Everywhere you go in Thailand there are big posters of the King and Queen and most people here seem to be very patriotic. Lots of people wear yellow t shirts in support of the king and a man was just put in prison for defacing a poster of the king while he was drunk. He was later pardonned by the King so didn't serve his sentence.
The King has recently taken over a lot of the roles of the government (on the demand of the people) but I'm not sure of the details.
Chaing Mai Zootag:www.insea.co.uk,2007://1.1052007-04-17T08:27:02Z2007-04-18T07:51:50ZThis morning we visited Chaing Mai Zoo. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. We'd heard that there were loads of different animals but I wasn't sure what conditions they would be kept in. I was actually quite suprised at...
Some of the enclosures were a bit on the small size but most of the animals looked well looked after.
There were so many different animals there and the zoo is so big that we almost got lost, more than once. We saw Lions and Tigers and Bears, loads of birds, Hippos Rhinos, Giraffes and even Giant Pandas.
You hd to pay an extra 100 baht (about 1.50 pounds) to see the Pandas because they had a big special enclosure with air con and mist spraying them.
Maybe Chaing Mai Zoo is not the best zoo in the world but it was well worth a visit.]]>
Back in Chaing Maitag:www.insea.co.uk,2007://1.1042007-04-17T08:17:23Z2007-04-18T07:46:43ZChaing Mai seems a completely different place now the New Year Water Festival is over. On our way back in from Pai we thought that we would get soaking wet because it was the last of the festival but we...
Today Chaing Mai is a relaxed place and pretty place. The old part of town has a moat and a wall all the way around it. A few days ago the moat was full of people swimming but now we can see loads of really big fish.]]>
Interesting Chang Mai Road Triptag:www.insea.co.uk,2007://1.1032007-04-16T11:34:26Z2007-04-18T07:55:33ZAfter a few day in Chang Mai at the water festival we decided to hire a jeep for a couple of days and look around. We found a place in town with a good Suzuki jeep at a reasonable price...
At first it was quite nice sitting round the fire but then all the really big bugs came round and some of the beetles were about the size tenis balls and they kept landing on us.
Eventually we headed to bed and were really glad we'd had brought a big bug net with us.
The second day wasn't as warm. We packed all the stuff up and headed down the road and found some hot springs. Unfortunately they were far too hot - bubbling hot so we gave them a miss.
The road got more intresting, a long windy mountain pass which was really steep in some places. As we headed downhill I put my foot on the brakes to slow the jeep down but there where nothing there that was scarry - heading down a steep hill with no brakes, four people on the jeep and all the kit!! I didnt think it was giong to stop but somehow I sorted it out by using the enghine and the hand brake.
We stopped at last at the bottom of the hill in the middle of nowhere with a jeep with no brakes and we had to carry on bacuse there was nothing else we could do. The next few hours of driving over the mountains were horrible. A few times I thought I was going to have to crash the jeep to stop it but we made it to a little town called Pie where we contaced the police who rang the hire company. The police really went out of their way to help us.
We dumped to jeep at the police station and got the bus back to Chang Mai where the hire company were very sorry and they gave us our money back for the bus but I'm sure they will put the jeep straight back on hire.
]]>
Songkram (Katy)tag:www.insea.co.uk,2007://1.1012007-04-13T04:14:13Z2007-04-16T06:41:03ZOnce in Chaing Mai it became clear why it had been so difficult to get here. Everyone wanted to be in Chaing Mai for the SongKram (New Year). SongKram is a big New Year festival that goes on for 3...
Once in Chaing Mai it became clear why it had been so difficult to get here. Everyone wanted to be in Chaing Mai for the SongKram (New Year). SongKram is a big New Year festival that goes on for 3 days, although they do try to stretch it out for up to a week.
The main part of SongKram seems to be to throw water over anyone and everyone. People crowd along the side of the roads with buckets and water pistols and throw water over everyone going past. Other people sit in the back of pickup trucks with big barrels of water throwing it over the crowds. The weather is really hot so it's quite nice to get wet, apart from when people put ice in the water.
Of course we had to join in - it would be rude not to, so we purchased a bucket each and spent a good few hours throwing water over people
The Endless Journey (part 2)tag:www.insea.co.uk,2007://1.1002007-04-13T04:11:05Z2007-04-15T14:39:10ZSo ... we made it to Chaing Mai. It was about 8pm and then it took about an hour or so to find some where to stay. It was good to have a hot shower and have a meal,...
So ... we made it to Chaing Mai. It was about 8pm and then it took about an hour or so to find some where to stay. It was good to have a hot shower and have a meal,
The Endless Journey. . . .tag:www.insea.co.uk,2007://1.992007-04-11T07:57:24Z2007-04-15T14:45:06ZTwo days ago we left Luangprabang on a boat to go to Chaing Mai, Thailand. We're still not there. The first day was on a boat, travelling up the Mekong. It was good to start with. The scenery was beautiful...
We stayed here for the night. Early the next morning we took a different boat further up the river.
This was supposed to be a shorter journey that took us right to the border, where we could cross into Thailand and get a bus straight to Chaing Mai. Of course things didn't go to plan. The boat was 2 or 3 hours late which meant that by the time we arrived the border was closed. Not so much of a problem. We just stayed there for a night then the next morning (this morning) we got up early and crossed the border. This was suprisingly easy and I thought things were looking up. I was wrong. Once in Thailand we saw lots of adverts for buses to Chaing Mai, unfortunately everyone of them was full. So we decided that the local bus would be just as good. On arrival at the station we found that this bus was also full. Eventually we decided to get a bus to Chaing Rai (on the way to Chaing Mai) because we were asured that buses leave from Chaing Rai to Chaing Mai all the time. Two and a half hours on a bus later we arrived in Chaing Rai. We went striaght to the ticket office to find that all the buses are full until 4.30pm. (5 hours later)
We are now waiting. We only hope that when we reach Chaing Mai, at what will probbably be about 9pm we can find somewhere to stay...]]>
Waterfall, Bears and Tigertag:www.insea.co.uk,2007://1.982007-04-11T07:40:42Z2007-04-15T14:33:55ZWhile in Luangprabang we went to see a waterfall. We weren't expecting too much as it is dry season so we thought there would not be much water in the river but it turned out to be pretty amazing. The...
The waterfall was spectacular and really massive, with lots of pools that we swam in on the way. Then at the top you could look down on it all.
In the same area we came across an enclosure with bears in it. They turned out to be moon bears that had been rescued from poachers as cubs. Apparently there are a lot of this type of bear in the area and poachers take them to put in bile farms, so the bile can be used in chinese medicine. The guy there told us that they rescue about three every year but it could be so many more. They are at present building another, much bigger enclosure so they can take more and eventually hope to be able to release some of the bears back in to the wild.
In another enclosure nearby there was a tiger. Same story, it had been rescued from poachers about three years ago and it's mother had been killed. So it has lived here ever since. The tiger did look good but maybe slighly bored. It's enclosure was big with lots of trees and vegetation but it did look bored.]]>
Luangprabang (Katy)tag:www.insea.co.uk,2007://1.972007-04-07T05:09:07Z2007-04-15T14:27:04ZWe arrived in Luangprobang yesterday afternoon. The journey here was okay. We decided to pay a few dollars more and travel on a mini bus instead of a big coach. I'm glad we did as the journey was on winding...
Luangprabang is where the King used to live, before he was made to abdicate in1975. There are lots of temples here, some of them dating from the 1500's. ]]>
Climbingtag:www.insea.co.uk,2007://1.962007-04-04T11:36:10Z2007-04-04T18:50:56ZToday we went climbing about 2 km out of Vang Vieng. The site is on the river, we actually paddled past it yesterday. It was an amazing place. I saw the rock face as we alked towards it, then there...
The site is on the river, we actually paddled past it yesterday. It was an amazing place.
I saw the rock face as we alked towards it, then there was a corridor, in between the two faces, that was about 2 -3metres wide. Most of the climbs were in this area.
I've never climbed anywhere like this before. The climbing was mostly pretty easy, although there were some harder routes, but the holds were good and I found myself getting really picky about what I used.
]]>
Kayaking in Vang Viengtag:www.insea.co.uk,2007://1.952007-04-03T10:53:02Z2007-04-03T12:11:32ZToday we went kayaking. Joe wanted to go on some massive rapids but unfortunately it's dry season and all the rivers are really low. So we opted for a more sedate days kayaking. Joe managed to persuade them to let...
Joe managed to persuade them to let him use the guides play boat and I had to share a sit on top with an american girl named Anna.
The river was, as promised, pretty flat although there were a few little drops that made it a bit more interesting. The area was amazing with big limestone cliffs all around us. We stopped off a few times along the way to go in some caves.
These also were pretty amazing and unlike the ones in Halong Bay, they seemed to be left as they were found, no lights or pathways.
At one point we were just paddling along and I spotted a heard of Water buffalo in the water. You could only see the tops of their heads and their horns sticking out. I think they had some calves with them because when they saw us they got into a defensive huddle with the biggest one rising out of the water. It was time to paddle on.
]]>
Kuousan Road is not too bad. We have done the last of our shoping and had a good opportunity to look around and sit in cafes before heading home.
]]>
I still find it amazing to think how grateful they were and how much they wanted to learn when they had nothing. It really makes you appeciate what you have and I would recommend volunteering the way we did to anyone. Cambodia is an amazing place with outstanding people.
Diving in Vietnam was wonderful. I think mainly because it was the first diving I've done. It's a bit nerve wracking at first but once you get used to it, it becomes a lot easier. Once you get over the in-built survial instinct to try and keep yourself above the water its fine.
It's just a different world down there , and it was amazing to see all the fish, just like on Finding Nemo.
I also loved spending time in Sapa. It was so different from everywhere else we went. The people were friendly, most of them wearing traditional dress and the scenery was amazing, and seeing everything appearing and disappearing in the mist was magical.
It's an superb feeling travelling to a new town or city, or even country and trying to imagine what it's like. You've read the guide book and other people have told you about it but it's so exciting getting there and seeing for yourself, knowing that every single day when you get up you're going to see something completely new and breathtaking.
]]>
Koh San Road is the main road where all the backpackers stay in Bangkok. It's full of bars, restaurants, markets stalls and neon signs, and it never stops. All we wanted to do was to find somewhere quiet to have some food and drink, then go to bed early.]]>
Some of the enclosures were a bit on the small size but most of the animals looked well looked after.
There were so many different animals there and the zoo is so big that we almost got lost, more than once. We saw Lions and Tigers and Bears, loads of birds, Hippos Rhinos, Giraffes and even Giant Pandas.
You hd to pay an extra 100 baht (about 1.50 pounds) to see the Pandas because they had a big special enclosure with air con and mist spraying them.
Maybe Chaing Mai Zoo is not the best zoo in the world but it was well worth a visit.]]>
Today Chaing Mai is a relaxed place and pretty place. The old part of town has a moat and a wall all the way around it. A few days ago the moat was full of people swimming but now we can see loads of really big fish.]]>
At first it was quite nice sitting round the fire but then all the really big bugs came round and some of the beetles were about the size tenis balls and they kept landing on us.
Eventually we headed to bed and were really glad we'd had brought a big bug net with us.
The second day wasn't as warm. We packed all the stuff up and headed down the road and found some hot springs. Unfortunately they were far too hot - bubbling hot so we gave them a miss.
The road got more intresting, a long windy mountain pass which was really steep in some places. As we headed downhill I put my foot on the brakes to slow the jeep down but there where nothing there that was scarry - heading down a steep hill with no brakes, four people on the jeep and all the kit!! I didnt think it was giong to stop but somehow I sorted it out by using the enghine and the hand brake.
We stopped at last at the bottom of the hill in the middle of nowhere with a jeep with no brakes and we had to carry on bacuse there was nothing else we could do. The next few hours of driving over the mountains were horrible. A few times I thought I was going to have to crash the jeep to stop it but we made it to a little town called Pie where we contaced the police who rang the hire company. The police really went out of their way to help us.
We dumped to jeep at the police station and got the bus back to Chang Mai where the hire company were very sorry and they gave us our money back for the bus but I'm sure they will put the jeep straight back on hire.
]]>
We stayed here for the night. Early the next morning we took a different boat further up the river.
This was supposed to be a shorter journey that took us right to the border, where we could cross into Thailand and get a bus straight to Chaing Mai. Of course things didn't go to plan. The boat was 2 or 3 hours late which meant that by the time we arrived the border was closed. Not so much of a problem. We just stayed there for a night then the next morning (this morning) we got up early and crossed the border. This was suprisingly easy and I thought things were looking up. I was wrong. Once in Thailand we saw lots of adverts for buses to Chaing Mai, unfortunately everyone of them was full. So we decided that the local bus would be just as good. On arrival at the station we found that this bus was also full. Eventually we decided to get a bus to Chaing Rai (on the way to Chaing Mai) because we were asured that buses leave from Chaing Rai to Chaing Mai all the time. Two and a half hours on a bus later we arrived in Chaing Rai. We went striaght to the ticket office to find that all the buses are full until 4.30pm. (5 hours later)
We are now waiting. We only hope that when we reach Chaing Mai, at what will probbably be about 9pm we can find somewhere to stay...]]>
The waterfall was spectacular and really massive, with lots of pools that we swam in on the way. Then at the top you could look down on it all.
In the same area we came across an enclosure with bears in it. They turned out to be moon bears that had been rescued from poachers as cubs. Apparently there are a lot of this type of bear in the area and poachers take them to put in bile farms, so the bile can be used in chinese medicine. The guy there told us that they rescue about three every year but it could be so many more. They are at present building another, much bigger enclosure so they can take more and eventually hope to be able to release some of the bears back in to the wild.
In another enclosure nearby there was a tiger. Same story, it had been rescued from poachers about three years ago and it's mother had been killed. So it has lived here ever since. The tiger did look good but maybe slighly bored. It's enclosure was big with lots of trees and vegetation but it did look bored.]]>
Luangprabang is where the King used to live, before he was made to abdicate in1975. There are lots of temples here, some of them dating from the 1500's. ]]>
The site is on the river, we actually paddled past it yesterday. It was an amazing place.
I saw the rock face as we alked towards it, then there was a corridor, in between the two faces, that was about 2 -3metres wide. Most of the climbs were in this area.
I've never climbed anywhere like this before. The climbing was mostly pretty easy, although there were some harder routes, but the holds were good and I found myself getting really picky about what I used.
]]>
Joe managed to persuade them to let him use the guides play boat and I had to share a sit on top with an american girl named Anna.
The river was, as promised, pretty flat although there were a few little drops that made it a bit more interesting. The area was amazing with big limestone cliffs all around us. We stopped off a few times along the way to go in some caves.
These also were pretty amazing and unlike the ones in Halong Bay, they seemed to be left as they were found, no lights or pathways.
At one point we were just paddling along and I spotted a heard of Water buffalo in the water. You could only see the tops of their heads and their horns sticking out. I think they had some calves with them because when they saw us they got into a defensive huddle with the biggest one rising out of the water. It was time to paddle on.
]]>