So after another night train a whole lot of hasstle and a hefty ammount of money i'm now almost sorted. At least I now have an identifiaction again with my emergency passport which allow me to get to New Zealand where I can apply for a new one in a matter of days. I'm back in my familiar hotel in Bangkok and found out even better places than before. After meeting a british couple in immigration who moved out here 2 years ago I was told about an amazing mall which is one of the biggest in the world and has in it an IMAX, maddame tussauds, aquarium (which i visited and acted like an excited 5 year old) and every type of shop you ever needed. It even included a handful of car show rooms on the 4th floor. The only annoyance is that the iphone 4 was launched in this very centre last night at midnight and I am constantly having people coming up to me asking if I would like one and do I know it can hold x ammount of music and play HD movies and uses wifi and so many amazing aps, they are rubbing it my face and I end up shouting at strangers saying "I know I had all these amazing things but some idiot stole it" and quickly they are quiet.
I really am loving Bangkok every time I come and am seriuosly considering emmigrating but not oo sure what job i would considered for only being able to say thank you, hello and prawn noodles in thai.
I am tommorrow flying to Koh Samui to stay for a night to catch a connecting already booked flight to SIngapore where I will then officially be back on schedule. Curently I'm feeling good and love being here so much that not too bothered about having missed the full moon party until I see my friends photos and I am sure at that point will be rather jealous. I hope everyone reading this is well and I apologize if I have txt you any rude messages or just blatently ignored you, it's not me it's a stupid thai man making a quick buck
Friday, September 24, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
22.09.10 Cambodia rubbish, Koh Tao amazing
so since the 10th when I last wrote my blog quite obviously alot has happened all of which I may not be able to remember but i'll try.
So, firstly I went to Pnom Penh which I hated the only place so far that I am totally not a fan of and not planning on going back. The capital city of Cambodia was dirty and unfriendly with not much to see or do. I moved accomodation three times after the first two places lonely planet had suggested were bug ridden with VERY stained sheets and no security and I feel when travelling by myself as a girl it was safer to move somewhere I was safe and very slightly more comfortable. I visited S21 the prison where thousands of Cambodian citizens were tortured under the communist regime of the Kmer Rouge in the 1970's. It was a very eerie place with blood stains still visible but fascinating and culturally educating. I then went to the killing fields 15km out of the city were prisoners were taken to be killed and where they have found mass graves of upto 500 people. Also very eerie but wonderfully maintained for memorial purposes.
Along with a rather small national museum and another temple there was not much for me to do in the almost three full days I was in the city and I was quite glad when I got back to Bangkok. I am sad that I feel I saw the wrong parts of CAmbodia, as most poeple who go there absolutely love and call it their favourite SE asian country, but not I.
When I arrived back in BANgkok I had another night before my sleepere train to the islands down south. I visited Jim Thompson's house, an american born at the trun of the century who was made famous by his exporting of thai silk to the western world. HIs house is now a memory to him and museum of many of the beutiful Thai antiques he collected and his wonderfully traditional house which is kept in perfect condition in a enclosed landscaped plot. I enjoyed it much more than I expected I would.
I then travelled to Chumpon that night to get the boat to Koh Tao where I completed my PADI open water scuba diving course. I was meant to begin the course on the 16th but after finding that there was to be noone else in my group I waited till the next day to start the 4 day course of theory and practical skills and fun dives with a lovely Belgium person called Robin who I became very close to as a brother type friend. We both succeeded in completing our theory and practical skills very well and eveen chose to do an extra night dive where we saw Baracuda's hunting and eating smaller fish. I am quickly falling in love with scuba diving and am excited to see the GReat Barrier Reef in full detail when I get to Oz.
I have spent my nights on the island enjoying great thai food which I am in no way getting bored of and the cool chillout bar based on the beach with fire shows and gorgeous sea views. Yesterday the boys rented moped's so as I have never driven one before myself and my roomate Cari jumped on the back and we headed to the other side of the island where we found a gorgeous beach with coral at 2m and huge rocks 4o foot high to jump off, it was amazing and we all wish we had discovered these smaller bveaches sooner as they are much more peaceful and picture perfect than the slightly more tourist beach where I stayed called SAiree beach.
I have made great friends whilst on the island from many countries and as most people carry on from here to Pangan for the monthly full moon party I was hoping to go with them until 2 nights ago when my bag was stolen. Sitting on the beach late at night I turned around to find my bag gone. When I went back to the scene of the crime early the next morning my bag had been found but my wallet, iphone and passport were gone. To get a new passport I must today travel back up to Bangkok and appear in person and wait what could be 4 weeeks to get a new one. I am really upset about missing out on the fun of the full moon party as it is a staple for every back packer to THailand and being with my great new friends for another four nights plus my lovely hotel I had booked was prepaid I was really looking forward to it. On top of that I now have no ipod for the next 3 months of travel which has made 12-16 hour bus and train rides more bareable, also a few sentimental things went missing probably not taken on purpose but went along with the idiot who stole my stuff. HOpefully I can get my passport sorted ASAP but probably will have to also miss out on the Singapore leg of my trip as a quicker than waiting emergency passport only allows for one journey which will have to be to Oz so this is also a big bummer. It is difficult to be having to go through SO MUCH hassle and not even have anyone to shout at or a direct person to tell the police about. I have abolutely loved this island, the feel of it, the look of it, the diving and all the amzing people I have met and going to miss when they all meet at the huge beach party on Pangan but at least I have my health.
I am now going to have a huge lunch with beer attached as I needed cheered up and food makes me happy before I head off at 2pm to catch the boat back to the mainland. Bangkok here I come, again.
So, firstly I went to Pnom Penh which I hated the only place so far that I am totally not a fan of and not planning on going back. The capital city of Cambodia was dirty and unfriendly with not much to see or do. I moved accomodation three times after the first two places lonely planet had suggested were bug ridden with VERY stained sheets and no security and I feel when travelling by myself as a girl it was safer to move somewhere I was safe and very slightly more comfortable. I visited S21 the prison where thousands of Cambodian citizens were tortured under the communist regime of the Kmer Rouge in the 1970's. It was a very eerie place with blood stains still visible but fascinating and culturally educating. I then went to the killing fields 15km out of the city were prisoners were taken to be killed and where they have found mass graves of upto 500 people. Also very eerie but wonderfully maintained for memorial purposes.
Along with a rather small national museum and another temple there was not much for me to do in the almost three full days I was in the city and I was quite glad when I got back to Bangkok. I am sad that I feel I saw the wrong parts of CAmbodia, as most poeple who go there absolutely love and call it their favourite SE asian country, but not I.
When I arrived back in BANgkok I had another night before my sleepere train to the islands down south. I visited Jim Thompson's house, an american born at the trun of the century who was made famous by his exporting of thai silk to the western world. HIs house is now a memory to him and museum of many of the beutiful Thai antiques he collected and his wonderfully traditional house which is kept in perfect condition in a enclosed landscaped plot. I enjoyed it much more than I expected I would.
I then travelled to Chumpon that night to get the boat to Koh Tao where I completed my PADI open water scuba diving course. I was meant to begin the course on the 16th but after finding that there was to be noone else in my group I waited till the next day to start the 4 day course of theory and practical skills and fun dives with a lovely Belgium person called Robin who I became very close to as a brother type friend. We both succeeded in completing our theory and practical skills very well and eveen chose to do an extra night dive where we saw Baracuda's hunting and eating smaller fish. I am quickly falling in love with scuba diving and am excited to see the GReat Barrier Reef in full detail when I get to Oz.
I have spent my nights on the island enjoying great thai food which I am in no way getting bored of and the cool chillout bar based on the beach with fire shows and gorgeous sea views. Yesterday the boys rented moped's so as I have never driven one before myself and my roomate Cari jumped on the back and we headed to the other side of the island where we found a gorgeous beach with coral at 2m and huge rocks 4o foot high to jump off, it was amazing and we all wish we had discovered these smaller bveaches sooner as they are much more peaceful and picture perfect than the slightly more tourist beach where I stayed called SAiree beach.
I have made great friends whilst on the island from many countries and as most people carry on from here to Pangan for the monthly full moon party I was hoping to go with them until 2 nights ago when my bag was stolen. Sitting on the beach late at night I turned around to find my bag gone. When I went back to the scene of the crime early the next morning my bag had been found but my wallet, iphone and passport were gone. To get a new passport I must today travel back up to Bangkok and appear in person and wait what could be 4 weeeks to get a new one. I am really upset about missing out on the fun of the full moon party as it is a staple for every back packer to THailand and being with my great new friends for another four nights plus my lovely hotel I had booked was prepaid I was really looking forward to it. On top of that I now have no ipod for the next 3 months of travel which has made 12-16 hour bus and train rides more bareable, also a few sentimental things went missing probably not taken on purpose but went along with the idiot who stole my stuff. HOpefully I can get my passport sorted ASAP but probably will have to also miss out on the Singapore leg of my trip as a quicker than waiting emergency passport only allows for one journey which will have to be to Oz so this is also a big bummer. It is difficult to be having to go through SO MUCH hassle and not even have anyone to shout at or a direct person to tell the police about. I have abolutely loved this island, the feel of it, the look of it, the diving and all the amzing people I have met and going to miss when they all meet at the huge beach party on Pangan but at least I have my health.
I am now going to have a huge lunch with beer attached as I needed cheered up and food makes me happy before I head off at 2pm to catch the boat back to the mainland. Bangkok here I come, again.
Friday, September 10, 2010
11/0/10 I think I love Bangkok
After arriving typically two hours later into Bangkok on the 9th I have spent two full days enjoying Bangkok and now reached my new destination of Cambodia. On the first day in the Thai capital i visited the grand palace, the cities most famous historical sight where men and women were to be strictly covered to the ankles and then an afternoon of bargaining for fakes in the mall and very fashion conscoius clothes in the market stalls outside. The clothes here are very on trend and infact have many styled on vintage items. After trying to barter with stubborn expensive taxis myself and Kristina had a thai massage near the hotel and then met some of the last of our group for our last dinner on the backpackers favourite Ko San Road. The freshest of fish and squid was cooked on the street side barbeque and eaten with fat noodles and thai beer. After dinner we spent a few hours looking round the night market and joining other travellers in one of the many chilled out bars offering live music before bed after a long first day in Bangkok.
The next day we were up early to say goddbye to our last leaving member and myself and the three girls left venture out to the floating market 100km out of the city. It was a fascinating place where you got aboard a long skinny speed boat and jette dlaong the canals to be met with floating stalls selling food and souvenirs, it was great to see but seems like it is now for tourists rather than a working thai parsons market, which i believe it may be at the weekend. Oh, and swimming along side us at one point was a monotour lizard, 3 foot long and living in the drains, it was carzy and unfortunately i didn't get a photo as my camera had died by this point but terrifying to see what could come up my toilet. That afternoon i left the girls to venture out again on my own to try and book transport into Cambodia but after both travel agents lonely planet told me about did not offer the chance to book buses or trains only flights, I took them up on the offer and backed out of the bus ride i was very nervous about. I have been told by Hannah a veteran traveller from our group of now 10 months to avoid tourist buses as your bag kept in the hold can either be theived or hidden with drugs so I chicken out and paid for an internal flight whic also meant far leass hastle with the Cambodian visa. That afternon I travelled via metro and sky train which ar emuch cheaper than taxi and very modern, I also enjoyed a starbucks which i found and enoyed every sip and had my feet nibbled at by fish eating all the dead skin from my disgusting flipflop wearing feet. I am really enjoying Bangkok and feel it is city I could even live in. I very much like that it has deep set traditions imbedded into everything but yet very modern and clean and apart from touting tuk tuk drivers offering there services and that of a ping pong show not much hasstle for westerners.
Yesterday I arrived in Siem Reip the town based around the Angkor temples and enjoyed a look at some of the smal temples yesterday afternoon and the big ones this morning starting at 5am to see the sunrise behind another of the wonders of world "Angkor Wat". The whole temple area is amazing and feels like being a theme park with something new to be found in every forest clearing, I have counted that I have now visited 47 sites and that is only about half of all possible to see in and around the area. Yestarday evening I paid to go the the nationa museum which helped in my understanding of hte sybolic statues and arcitecture of the many sites included angkor wat and angkor thom the two biggest attractions.
Last night I had one of the best meals I have had sinse being in SE Asia suggested again by onely planet I ate at a restaurant in the centre of town where I ha a selection of cambodian Kmer dishes with some of the typical asian dishes but the flavours were gorgeous and I easily finnished it all.
I am now about to head for lunch and who knows I may end up back there but I think this afternoon I need a nap as my 4.30am wake up and walking around the vast expanse of angkor is starting to take it's toll. I leve tomorrow for Pnomh Penh, the Cambodian capital and my final stop in my very short visit to the country.
The next day we were up early to say goddbye to our last leaving member and myself and the three girls left venture out to the floating market 100km out of the city. It was a fascinating place where you got aboard a long skinny speed boat and jette dlaong the canals to be met with floating stalls selling food and souvenirs, it was great to see but seems like it is now for tourists rather than a working thai parsons market, which i believe it may be at the weekend. Oh, and swimming along side us at one point was a monotour lizard, 3 foot long and living in the drains, it was carzy and unfortunately i didn't get a photo as my camera had died by this point but terrifying to see what could come up my toilet. That afternoon i left the girls to venture out again on my own to try and book transport into Cambodia but after both travel agents lonely planet told me about did not offer the chance to book buses or trains only flights, I took them up on the offer and backed out of the bus ride i was very nervous about. I have been told by Hannah a veteran traveller from our group of now 10 months to avoid tourist buses as your bag kept in the hold can either be theived or hidden with drugs so I chicken out and paid for an internal flight whic also meant far leass hastle with the Cambodian visa. That afternon I travelled via metro and sky train which ar emuch cheaper than taxi and very modern, I also enjoyed a starbucks which i found and enoyed every sip and had my feet nibbled at by fish eating all the dead skin from my disgusting flipflop wearing feet. I am really enjoying Bangkok and feel it is city I could even live in. I very much like that it has deep set traditions imbedded into everything but yet very modern and clean and apart from touting tuk tuk drivers offering there services and that of a ping pong show not much hasstle for westerners.
Yesterday I arrived in Siem Reip the town based around the Angkor temples and enjoyed a look at some of the smal temples yesterday afternoon and the big ones this morning starting at 5am to see the sunrise behind another of the wonders of world "Angkor Wat". The whole temple area is amazing and feels like being a theme park with something new to be found in every forest clearing, I have counted that I have now visited 47 sites and that is only about half of all possible to see in and around the area. Yestarday evening I paid to go the the nationa museum which helped in my understanding of hte sybolic statues and arcitecture of the many sites included angkor wat and angkor thom the two biggest attractions.
Last night I had one of the best meals I have had sinse being in SE Asia suggested again by onely planet I ate at a restaurant in the centre of town where I ha a selection of cambodian Kmer dishes with some of the typical asian dishes but the flavours were gorgeous and I easily finnished it all.
I am now about to head for lunch and who knows I may end up back there but I think this afternoon I need a nap as my 4.30am wake up and walking around the vast expanse of angkor is starting to take it's toll. I leve tomorrow for Pnomh Penh, the Cambodian capital and my final stop in my very short visit to the country.
8/09/10 boat done. bus done. now train...
Yesterday was another full day on the boat and a 6 hour bus ride into the north thai city of Chang Mai. We have around 4 hours here before taking our final mode of transport, sleeper train, to Bangkok this evening.On our way t Changmai this morning we were able to stop at a temple aptly named "'white temple." It was rather more unusual than your usual temple in that it has only been built very recently, it is a stunning ornate and a little quirky. It was painted completely white with mirrored tiles adding to it's sparkle and surround by a moat accessed by a dragon and gargoil gaurded lake. You entered into the building over purgery with hunrdeds of stone carved hands reaching to the sky and everywhere there was space was an vulgar face or carving. Inside sat a waxwork wonk, which was rather random, and the newly murieled walls did not depict the normal buddhist symbols but instead the matrix, star wars and the terminator. The significance in this I did not see but ascinating all the same. Even the white traffic cone to the carpark of the building were white and red striped with a four headed skull on top.
This afternoon in Chang Mai, I have already been 10km out f the city to see the traditional making of the ancient Thai umbrellas which was interesting and the factory workers offered to paint of anything including the clothes on your back but i opted for a small design on the back of my camera quite literally puting my name on it.I am now about to meet with the rest of teh group again to spend my night aboard the sleeper train hopefully arriving in Bangkok early tomorrow morning where our group officially disbands and i get ready for the next part.
This afternoon in Chang Mai, I have already been 10km out f the city to see the traditional making of the ancient Thai umbrellas which was interesting and the factory workers offered to paint of anything including the clothes on your back but i opted for a small design on the back of my camera quite literally puting my name on it.I am now about to meet with the rest of teh group again to spend my night aboard the sleeper train hopefully arriving in Bangkok early tomorrow morning where our group officially disbands and i get ready for the next part.
5/09/10 SLOW boat by name slow by nature
We have just left Luang Prabang on a slow boat along the Mekong river and won't reach our final port till tomorrow evening on the Thai border, although it is nice to hve te space to walk around and a western toilet on board i'm bored and not too sure if can handle 24 hours of this with a stop in an elecrticitiless town tonight. Yesterday was a fun day though, myself and my current room mate Katrin had a ride aboard an elephant which ws fun at a sanctuary for rescued elehphants used for logging then went swimming in a waterfall which has been added to with small slides and swings after lunch we climbed to the top of Luang Prabang to a gorgeous temple set in the hillside's caves and dinner was another river side graden setting restaurant which was attended by alot of hippy types playing volley ball. There we said goodbye to Chloe one of the members of our group as she was set on returning to Vang Vieng and fill up the party meter before she saw any more temples, it is sad to see another leave and makes me think even more that i chose the wrong tour to be starting a fresh and by the end will have travelled more days than beens tationary in one place. hopefully my group joining my on my PADI will be more eager to start a fresh with a lease o life as i join them at the same time as everyone else.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Laung Prabang
Yesterday turned out to be a very enjoyable day, in the afternoon I ended up actually bumping into others from the group and travelling by tuk tuk to go to a beautiful waterfall which you could swim in a jump of high ledges, so much fun and very refreshing in the humidity.
Later on we enjoyed some of the tourist bars and alcoholic buckets making many new friends who I will be bumping into i'm sure in the south of Thailand. One ofthe memmbers of our group loved Vang VIeng so much she is coming to the next town with us and then heading back in two days to work for as long as possible in the tubing capital.
Today we have traveled on a very windy dangerous coach for 8 hours to arrive in Laung Prabang, another small Laos city which initially seems very nice and has one of the friendliest and traditional craft markets I have seen. We then went to dinner at a place called Lau Lau gardens where we were in a garden setting and had a barbeque in the middle of the table to cook seafood, meat surrounded by a moat of vegetable and noodle soup, gorgeous romantic setting and very tasty food. Tomorrow is a full day in the city before a boat ride the following day.
Later on we enjoyed some of the tourist bars and alcoholic buckets making many new friends who I will be bumping into i'm sure in the south of Thailand. One ofthe memmbers of our group loved Vang VIeng so much she is coming to the next town with us and then heading back in two days to work for as long as possible in the tubing capital.
Today we have traveled on a very windy dangerous coach for 8 hours to arrive in Laung Prabang, another small Laos city which initially seems very nice and has one of the friendliest and traditional craft markets I have seen. We then went to dinner at a place called Lau Lau gardens where we were in a garden setting and had a barbeque in the middle of the table to cook seafood, meat surrounded by a moat of vegetable and noodle soup, gorgeous romantic setting and very tasty food. Tomorrow is a full day in the city before a boat ride the following day.
roam Laos
So it's now been 5 days in South East asia and I've been busy with travelling buddies to write on this for a while so here is everything in a oner.
I stayed in Hanoi,. Vietnam for two nights which was a pleasant city not too chaotic and centred around a gorgeous spirtiual lake. I met wityh my new group on the second nuight and was surprised to find Rachel who was in the year below me at school just about to finnish the trip I was continuing. Everyone else on the tour have been travelling together for 20 days already and I am the only newbe whivh was inittially terrifying and means that there is no possibility of a Cambodian travel buddy as they have all already been there. But I was soon part of the group.
For the first three days we did not much else apart from travelling by bus from place to place to try and get to Laos and then spent only a half day in Laos's capital Vientiene, a small capital very clean with a few buddhisst temples. I enjoyed a bonding session with two others from the group whilst in the city enjoying maithai happy hour before leaving the next day with a head-ache to go to Vang Vieng.
I am currently in Vang Vieng, a town made famous for it's tubing experience in which you float down a river on a tube and dot from bar to bar whilst flinging yourself off high platforms a rickety slides. I tried it and survived but when it got dark at 6pm I did scare myself into believing I would never stop floating and end up 4 months later in the gulf of Thailand but that didn't happen. DEfinately a once in lifetime thing and possibly the only plce where it would be allowed by health and safety. After the traumatic event I arrived back at the hotel to change and shower before dinner but then the rain started and the elctricity went out so when we finally walked into town we were refused service so it was bed with an empty stomach and very wet hair.
Today I awoke to glorious sunshine so decided to rent a bicycle by myself and have already cycled in and around the town and river for two hours, enjoyed an authentic Laos massage and currently sitting have lunch in a tourist bar which plays friends on a loop. I think unless other plans are made the rest of the afternoon will also be spent relaxing before another long bus journey tomorrow.
I stayed in Hanoi,. Vietnam for two nights which was a pleasant city not too chaotic and centred around a gorgeous spirtiual lake. I met wityh my new group on the second nuight and was surprised to find Rachel who was in the year below me at school just about to finnish the trip I was continuing. Everyone else on the tour have been travelling together for 20 days already and I am the only newbe whivh was inittially terrifying and means that there is no possibility of a Cambodian travel buddy as they have all already been there. But I was soon part of the group.
For the first three days we did not much else apart from travelling by bus from place to place to try and get to Laos and then spent only a half day in Laos's capital Vientiene, a small capital very clean with a few buddhisst temples. I enjoyed a bonding session with two others from the group whilst in the city enjoying maithai happy hour before leaving the next day with a head-ache to go to Vang Vieng.
I am currently in Vang Vieng, a town made famous for it's tubing experience in which you float down a river on a tube and dot from bar to bar whilst flinging yourself off high platforms a rickety slides. I tried it and survived but when it got dark at 6pm I did scare myself into believing I would never stop floating and end up 4 months later in the gulf of Thailand but that didn't happen. DEfinately a once in lifetime thing and possibly the only plce where it would be allowed by health and safety. After the traumatic event I arrived back at the hotel to change and shower before dinner but then the rain started and the elctricity went out so when we finally walked into town we were refused service so it was bed with an empty stomach and very wet hair.
Today I awoke to glorious sunshine so decided to rent a bicycle by myself and have already cycled in and around the town and river for two hours, enjoyed an authentic Laos massage and currently sitting have lunch in a tourist bar which plays friends on a loop. I think unless other plans are made the rest of the afternoon will also be spent relaxing before another long bus journey tomorrow.
first leg done!
I am now sitting in Bangkok airoport waitng to board the plane to Vietnam. Leaving the safety of friends in India was sad but i had a very enjoyable last day consisting of south indian cuisine, Aman's mother and a last look round Delhi.
The Thai airways flight from Delhi's spanking new airport left at midnight and with a short flight of 3.5 hours I haven't had any sleep yet and won't till tonight but I can't wait for a night in my luxury hotel before meeting my new tour group tomorrow, yey!
The Thai airways flight from Delhi's spanking new airport left at midnight and with a short flight of 3.5 hours I haven't had any sleep yet and won't till tonight but I can't wait for a night in my luxury hotel before meeting my new tour group tomorrow, yey!
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