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Published: October 7th 2006
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Hi everyone!
Have been doing a lot of heavy travelling, so have not been able to get to a computer. So here goes:
Chiang Mai
Wevt on a 2 day trek in the jungle. As you saw we were with a group fo people we had never met bfore, but it turned out to be OK. The first day was v. hard on the old legs and lungs, having done no exercise for 4 wks. The slope was v. unforgiving in the scorching heat. We swam in a waterfall and slid down the rocks which was amazing. In all the trek took 4.5 hours to a 'hill tribe', a community of about 50 people who are self sustaining in the jungle. The place was amazing, they even have a school. Al the younget kids run about with hardly any clothes on playing among the chickens, pigs and BUFFALO that they tribe keep. Slept in a bamboo hut with 7 other people ON BAMBOO, which was the most uncomfortable thing i've ever tried to sleep on (in fact didn't sleep!!). Breakfast of toast done on the open fire...amazing expereince.
Left here for Chang Kong on the border of
Laos to pick up a 2 day slow boat to Luam Prabang (Laos). We got on this boat thing and could not believe it...it was so low on the water and had about 200 people on it..including locals and the chickens and kids. This is the second most uncomfortable thing we've done (beside the bamboo). Another boat with better seats, that looked sooo comfortable, that you could actually stand up on pulls up beside us and about 50 westerners jump ship throught he windows!! We weren't fast enough and had to spend 6 hours on this plank of wood with an engine! Stopped of in Pak Beng for the night and must have had mice in our well dodgy room as I woke of to find 3 perfect balls of cream cotton in the floor and a HOLE about 10cms on my cream combat trousers!! So glad I didn't see anything or I would have freaked out!
Day 2 on the boat was better as it was a different one, with most of the seats being v. comfortable. It was still a 6 hour journey however. I must say that the scenery was just spectacular, floating along the Mekong,
although a lot of it looked like Scotland (with jungle and a few guys running around with guns!!!).
Luam Prabang - Laos
This place is a world heritage sight and was such a relief from the boat. It was so easy going compared to Thialand. We saw some amazing sights and bumped into a monk called Johnnie, believe it or not, who told us about the history of all of the stuff in his temple. Some of the budhas and relics are amazing (hopefully you'll see some pics).
Met a lovely couple called Catherine and Richie from Dublin and we clicked straight away. Went to an amazing waterfall with them and bumped into some more guys from the boat (English and Irish). Much fun was had jumping off the waterfall (how sae this was is debatable!! Sorry Mum!!) and swimming in cristal clear water.
Viang Vien - Laos
Hired a mini bus with all of the guys and girls we had met (in total 9 of us) to take us to Viang Vien, which was 3 hours south of Luam Prabang to go TUBING! Basically your in a big tube (1 each), the kind you
get when you go down flumes and the pool. Then you glide down the BIG Mekong river with your group ( NO GUIDE!!) and stop off and various bars along the way. Most bars have zip slide and swings into the water, so we were all flinging ourselves off these massive things (some of them about 15 - 20 feet in the air). V. dangerous, but amazing. No photos cause didn't want a repeat of our new camera in the water!! Hangovers all round by 7pm. We had set off at 10.30am and it should take about 2hours to get down the river...but we finished and 6pm with MANY stop offs at bars!
Vietianne - Capital of Laos
Bus again to Vietianne. Supposed to be the capital city but not to well developed, this wasn't helped by the fact that the weather was like Scotland..grey and rainy! Flew out with Catherine and Richie the next day to Hanoi in Vietnam and the rest of the guys went to Hoh Chi Minh City.
We're now in Hanoi, but need to get off the computer, so I'll update on more adventures in while.
Rossco - Well done you!! And just think you weren't even going to do the MPH!! Knew you could do it!! Keep up the football commentary. Graeme loves it!
Pat - Shame about the house...try not to worry too much, it'll all come good in the end! At lease I'll be there for the BIG PARTY!!
TMCG - Plent of the dodgy Lao Lao whiskey was drank the day of the tubing...it's like paint stripper!!
Love to all
K n G XXX
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colin
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hi, thats me just got emils sounds like you are both having such a great time. been scuba diving once was brill. will look in more often and will keep in touch. have fun colin x