Blogs from Asia - page 14329

I forgot to mention Pai. I read so much about it that it would have been the missing link to this trip. Pai is in a beautiful valley ...surrounded by majestic mountains. Pine trees actually grow there...the air is cool in the mountains..not the valley. It was another windy bus trip...thank God our drivers have all been good. Have heard of stories from other travellers who have thought themselves on a trip to hell. So Pai...sleepy little village where all the hippies go to smoke dope. Many farang have moved there because it's such a laid back little place. So of course we have to find a place to sleep that night...ask a couple of locals and they stare at us and say NO. OK..that didn't help. Finally found a wacked out farang who looked like ... read more

Today is the NUS Rag Day 2006. Rag Day is a tradition in NUS (National University of Singapore) and it is an annual event where each of the different faculties and halls of residence builds a carnival-style float, integrates the float with a musical dance, and creates a spectacular show. This year (2006) is the first year where I participated in Rag as a spectator. In 2003 I joined Science Rag as a freshman, in 2004 I joined the Science Rag committee, and in 2005 I missed the Rag Day because I was doing my attachment in Vancouver, Canada. This year, due to heavy workload in school and other commitments, I didn't join the Science Rag team. Instead of building the float and entertaining my friends (like what I did in 2003 and 2004), this time ... read more

Walk through the very narrow alleys and be amazed by all he things you can buy here for almost nothing.Enjoy all sorts of food street vendors sell all over the place! It is also nice to just walk in the more quiet streets to breath the atmosphere. Directions: To view typical China Town scences straight ahead to Ratchawongsi Road until the intersection of Yaowarat Road. ... read more

Finally..i get this travel blog thing figured out and before i know it ....i'm leaving in 2 days. Well..it certainly has been the adventure of a lifetime...and now i'm hooked on this place. Really..i didn't know what to expect before coming here...forget about reading all those travel reviews that put the fear of the great Buddah in you. You just don't know till you go see for yourself. Arriving in Bangkok was really not as bad as i'd heard...at least not for the first few minutes. Oh..the heat...the noise...the smells. I'll never say that our pulp mill stinks again!! So we take a taxi to our first nite in a luxurious hotel...the Holiday Inn. Not too shabby. But we decided...after a nice hot shower and some food..that really ..this is not necessary and rather extravagant so ... read more

Today was possibly the craziest day in Vietnam! We booked a private tour again, with the same guide named Lam, to the Cu Chi Tunnels which are a couple of hours from Saigon. During the war, the tunnels were used by the north Vietnamese army to hide, to transport weapons and necessities and to set up traps for the enemy. Unlike the Vinh Moc Tunnels in the Demilitarized Zone, these tunnels are over 200km in length and you cannot walk upright in them. The soldiers would have crawled on their stomachs but we crouched down and shuffled along on our feet. These tunnels are not for the claustrophobic but wow, were they ever amazing. The entrances are tiny doors hidden by leaves and branches, which you slide into. We got to try one of the hidden ... read more