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Published: January 22nd 2007
In the past two weeks I've ruined 2 pairs of flip flops, 2 pairs of shorts, 2 t-shirts, 1 watch and damaged a camera. In the same time frame I've lost my mobile phone, a debit card and $150 cash! The bad luck doesn't stop there, as you know I crashed a motorbike and now I'm currently sat in a train station waiting to catch a later train because I've just missed mine (it was number 13). I now have to sit in a seat for 14 hours over night instead of lying in a bed.
The train is pretty much the end of my transport to Chaing Mai. This is what I've already taken in the past 24 hours...
a tuck tuck, a boat, a taxi, a plane, two buses, a sky train, and this14 hour train.
End of Thailand (the north) I feel as if I thoroughly explored Chiang Mai. Whilst there I did a cooking class, saw Thai Kick boxing, and went on a 3 day hill tribe trek. The trek was brilliant. A group of us trekked for about 4 hours a day through the jungle, stopping to ride elephants, swim in waterfalls, and
attempt bamboo and whitewater rafting. Our guide was hilarious. His laugh was identical to The Count out of Sesame Street. He was pretty skilled with a knife and bamboo too and managed to carve us our chopsticks, plates and cups.
I spent my last night in Chiang Mai partying with the people I trekked with (minus the Israelis because I only suggested going out after they'd left). The night went on till 3am and at 8am I was supposed to be on my way to Laos. Amazingly, even without an alarm, I made it! On route I met some comedy Australians, an odd Swiss guy (the 40 year old proudly showed us a picture of his biggest dump) and a fellow Brit. Minus the Swiss guy (I wonder why) we've spent the last week together travelling down the Mekong River to Vientiane (where I am now).
Laos Laos is by far the most beautiful country I've seen. It's 85%!w(MISSING)oodland and incredibly underdeveloped in comparison with its neighbours. This scares off the sex and drug tourists that plague Thailand and makes Laos brilliant. However, it also means I've had to do some 'real' travelling. I spent two
Boat Ride
So peacefuldays travelling down the Mekong in something barely better than a raft. The thing was so dangerously full people were sat in between isles on plastic chairs and we were rammed at the back.
The funniest form of transport has to be our 7 hour coach ride. After the boat we all decided a VIP bus was in order. However, when we arrived at the bus station nothing resembled the picture of a gleaming double decker bus our hotel receptionist had shown us. Instead a local bus sat there. We hopped on to experience the ride from hell. The seats were covered in plastic, which in 30 degrees heat makes you sweat like hell, there was no leg room and people were squashed in the isles. I had a smelly French guy squeezed into the isle next to me who took to sleeping on my shoulder. Me, being a polite Brit, didn't ask him to move, but instead, shouldered him in the head every time the bus hit a bump---
Vang Vein was the best day in Laos. Me and the others went tubing, which involves floating down the river on a tractor inner tube and stopping at
as many bars as possible. Each bar also had a trapeze swing into the river, which of course is perfectly safe with liters of BeerLaos in you! Unsurprisingly we were the last out of the river, having drunk about 10 pints and too many rice wine shots. I'd like to say we went to bed but that was only the start of the night....see pictures because I don't remember much! I've added so many there are two pages.
After a thoroughly relaxing time in Laos I'm heading for Cambodia on a propeller driven plane - yey!
Hope everyone is doing well and has managed to stick to their new year resolutions, if not, don't worry, Laos celebrates again on the 14th of April so you can start again!
All the best! Byeeeeee
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