Laos, BKK, Beijing and Seoul

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Back in BKK after a month out in Laos. What a differance! Laos is so laid back and beautiful! There may be a curfew in the country, but it's still a great time. We did a bit of a round about route and went from Lauang Prabang to Vang Viene and then back up to Phosaven and then back down to Vietiene then on to the 4000 islands (also called Si Phan Don ). Laos is one of the places that i am glad to have got to now... it will clearly be a tourist trap/paradise in the next few years,and i at least got to see some of the gems before they get over crowded! (and yes Em, clearly by me going there and ultimately talking to other travelers - and writing this blogg - about these places will have the impact that i am glad to avoid, and yes if i was living in Laos i would capitalize on all the foreign money coming in too).
The Plain of Jars is a MUST SEE!!! The small town- Phosaven- is not to much to be desired, but the jars themselves are wonderful. The day gets a little exausting if you visit all three sites that are open to tourists. The Jars are massive. Some have survived the test of time and have not cracked with age or war. The Plain of Jars is one of the area's in Laos that was heavily bombed during the war. Trench lines still exist, Russian tanks littler farm land, crators from bombs and land mines are evident everywhere though-out the 3 sites. (Incrediable how people will try and destroy their 'enemies' and also in the process we come close to losing great history and wonders of this world.) It seems that a lot of travelers that i ran in to had no idea about the jars and many didn't go to them. Granted it is a HORRIBLE BUS RIDE there and back (the worst i've ever been on - VIP just means that more people are put on the bus regardless of space and you may just get bus asile room - which is small and coming from me that mean REALLY SMALL)
The capital of Laos is Vietneine (sp?). What a great city. We always get a little nervous when we arrive in the cities. We liek the smaller areas better, and cities are just to busy, dirty and noisy for us. Vientine was great. It was a city with markets, great river side restuarants (cheep and fabulous) and little 'marvals'/replica's of the western world. Not to metion the wine here is great! The selection, better yet the price! We only did a small stint in the city as we were heading to the 4000 islands.
These isalnds are onthe southern most tip of Laos and they are the little cottage areas that you crave in the summer at home. We headed to DonDet. The second largerst island on the river, i believe. These islands have no power during the day and only for about 4 hours at night the generators get turned on. We bathed in the river as well... it was either sit on the dock and bath or use the 'shower' which is just pumped river water as well... It so extreamly relaxed and calming. We had a fabulous bungalow over looking the river and it connected with two other bungalows, one which housed Elliot and Autin. We had a HUGE porch that was private to the 3 bungalows. We were able to cook our own food in the main house. What a chore it was!!! Food inLoas always takes a ong time to reach you after you order it, now i know why. The kitchen is small - little celings even for me - and the elements are large pots with burning coals in them. It gets really warm in there. I made breakfast for 7 of us one day and it was honestly a 2 hour production (of glory). 2 hours to make scrambled eggs, toast, sliced tomatoes and pumpkin hoemfries!! (it was pretty tasty though...) We all ended up meeting 3 more Canadians and so we made a big canadaina crew on the island. It also turned out to be Austins birthday so we gathered a mixed matched group of travellers together, rented canoes and headed out to to a patch a sand about a 30 minute paddle away. Well the paddling turned out to be a bit difficult for the Europens. Team Canada did alright though, no major issues on the way. Although we did have one canoe down (fumder) and 'team europe (spain and germany) just paddled in circles!!! It really was only a 15-20 minute paddle but with all the activites happening it took us a good 45 minutes!! (and the canoes are not like the canoes at home here folks! these little babies are thin and super long, just shifting you weight lightly can tip these beauties!) The 'beach' we had was great. We set up camp and had a great lunch of fresh fish, rice and spicy cucumber salad. the rest of the day was spent playing frisbee drinking and sitting in the water (burning a lot may i add..... sun stroke for me later that night... it's amazing how hot it can be out side but you can be shivering wraped in a flesse!!) Some local kids saw us on our beach and headed our way. We ended up hosting about 20 kids who just ran around and enjoyed the sun as much as we did!! That night was filled with drinking laolao around the campfire (out of a anti frezze style of container...) Our paddle back the next morning was so much eaiser!!! I think we all go the hang of the boats and made it back in record time!!
Sarah, Natalie and i rented bikes for an afternoon and headed to the waterfall that was somewhere on the island. It was a little Mary Poppins-ish as we road around on 1950's style bikes and singing 'a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down........." The waterfall on the island connected to DonDet was a sight to see... it consited of tons of wide (not so much tall) waterfalls all conecting in to the river, all side by side. We wandered around the area and found a secluded beach area that we could also go swimming in. thank God b/c it's really freaking hot in southern Laos!!
The rest of the time was spent lounging on our porch, swimming in the Mekong river, drinking larger amounts of laolao and beer. We had a few late night drunken river swims as well....!
Austin,Carver,Elliot, Sarah, Natalie and I all headed back in to Thailand to spent the last few days in the city together. Sarah was heading off to Hong Kong, Carver and I were off to Bejing and the other 3 were heading to the south of Thailand. BKK was much better this time around. We stayed away from the usual tourist trap and had a nice quite guest house that was also cheep for Bangkok. Take the taxi's in Bangkok as well..... they are SO MUCH CHEEPER!!! Also the skytrain is a must if you are planning to travel any distance in the city. Sarah and her best friend Ashley took us all out to a German Brewery (??!!) in Bangkok that has a full Caberet show going on as well. What an experiance!! A few of us were a little hungover from the night before still so we didn't exactaly tie on this night. Although Elliot and Natalie did!! The ended up staying after hours at the brewery and met a Thail guy named Poo. Poo is also one of the singers for the shows. Poo then offered to take us all out the following sunday to the other brewery.... this one being all Thai's - we were the only forigners. Poo was quite the host. First we went to his restaurant - in the Central World Plaza (for those of you who know BKK you'll understand the $$) It turns out that Poo also lived in NewYork City for 22 years... and he now own's 2 restaurants in Bangkok, as well as acting and signing.... He then piled us all in to his SUV and headed outta main Bangkok and got us a table at this brewery (table are usually taken by 7pm that's how popular these places are) We danced the night away to the live show. After that we all went back to the other brewery to spend the after hours there! (thanks poo - great nihgt!!)
Carver and I flew to Bejing the next afternoon. What a shock to the system!!! We left Bangkok at a HOT 35 degrees (celcious) and arrived to a fezzing -9 !!! WYF??!! Luckly we had baught winter coats in BKK before we left (i can't imagine what would have happened to us if we didn't..) We found a place to stay and we also found out how cold China really was. There seems to be NO HEAT ANYWHERE... that mean restaurants bars OUR HOTEL including th eroom and NO HOT WATER.... !!! I mean come on folks!! We spent the first day or two getting our berings and just wondering around the city and on the subway. Beijing is really quite nice.
Of course we went tot the Great Wall of China. It was really cool!! (obviosly!) But you really do have to hike! we started at the 'parking lot - we went to Simatai - (which is not a touristy spot- actually the great wall is really not repaired at all in these area's and is really falling apart) - and walked (up of course) 2 kms to reach the wall... then on the wall it's all stairs - and building codes were relly not in place at the time the wall was built. The stairs are all diffrent widths and hights, which makes the walking up them a work out (and a half depending on your phyical ability - and mine still sucks!) it was pretty cold, no wind block and by the time that we reached the last (acessable) tower we were about 800m. up! It was a breath taking view - that high up and NO ONE on the wall. (i'm also sure the SNOW AND ICE had something to do withthat as well!) The day was long though - we were up at 6am left at 7 arrived at the wall for 12 30 (!!) and we were off the wall for 330 and back at 'home' for 730 .... long day - and no hot water when we got back (clearly our room was cold as well - heat i took it for granted when it was 35 degrees!)

The next day carver and i went to the Forbidden city (again) (as with our schedual that we keep we didn't arrive the last time until the city was to close in 30 minutes so we decided to wait until later) We should have arrived earlier- surprize - but at the same time we were both disapointed. Yes dissapointed! odd to think that here though, but true. The city, as we think about it in our minds, is a huge expance of history. Which is true. We also envision elaborate halls, great courtyards, incredible beauty, and the richness of the chinees culture. 1st - the city is under a lot of restoration. Fair, the city is always under restoration (with the amount of people trodding though it how could it not be?) It takes 10 years to fully restore the city, and by that time they have to start all over at the beginning again. But now, with the 2008 Olympic's on the way, there is a huge restoration process happening. I'd say 1/4 - 1/2 of the city is unacessable. A great shame, a greater shame that the price is the same as always! 2nd- the first area that you come upon to the left in the city are little rooms that house the 'museum'. and i use quotatiuon marks here because i have never been so dissapointed with a museum in my life! The artifacts that were on display were not dated, for one, and they only tell you what the item is, no information about who what where when. (i guess that you should do your home work before arriving!)The set up was horrible, hords of people coming from all directions( and let me tell you that the chineese do not care to wait their turns, push shove push shove - but i guess it goes with the country, how many people are here!?). the rooms that house all the artifacts and information are all open to the air - well there are doors but they are all wide open and the heaters are turned off! If you have to ware touques, mittens, coats and scarves the heaters should be on!!! After we emerged from the artifact rooms we found signs to a coffee shop. So to warn up we went to find... da da da...Starbucks! Oh the communisits who like capatialisim!!HA! After our cappacinios and latee's we found some more halls of this and that. We wandered down only two of them (to see the bronze hall and the area designated to the concubines) and then to the gardens (beautiful, must be incredible in the summer) And just as we were to walk back down the other hallways the city closed! The sign says it closes at 530, don't beleive it! 430 it is! Even though i have these complaints, the city is really cool. I would go again (because i did miss so much) but i will do it 1. when it's warm out! and 2. when there is not so much restoration.
We are now in Korea visiting friends. We have been luckt enough to be introduced to soju and dondonju. Soju.. watered down vodka (taste) hangover like 10 mac trucks hit you all at once, and it dosen't stop. Just rolling ove rin bed even at 5pm the next evening is enough to make you cry!! We have not accomplished anything in this city at all except drink and eat (great food!!!) St.Patties day will probabbly be the same.
As for pictures.. there seems to be an issue with either my ipod that has ALL my pictures on it.. (tring not to freak out) or the itunes on this computer... so i can only post pic's of China on this entry... sorry hiofully there will be more later!
Thanks for sticking this long one out here floks!

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Photos

Me and Sarah
the after effects of canoeing without sunscreen!