http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Emilyk/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Emilyk en-us Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:22:33 +0000 Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:22:33 +0000 I'm actually writing this from boring old Paris I got back from my India trip today. It was a sad flight an I'm already homesick flight and I actually had to offer a package of kleenex to the sad young guy sitting next to me going off to study in America...Anyway I just had to write this one last post because several interesting things happened on my last day1. Finally tried a Vadapav very http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Maharashtra/Mumbai/blog-317971.html I'm really sad because about 200 photos somehow disappeared from one of my picture cards...so no photos of the Bird's Lagoon the backwaters or most of my travels across Kerala. I am usually really good about backing up but what with staying in remote places and the lack of good efficient internet services I let 200 photos accumulate and now they are gone Anyway have been doing lots of eati http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Maharashtra/Mumbai/blog-316644.html Je suis de retour a Mumbai et j'ai trouve de l'internet convenable alors ce post est pour toi car je sais que tu adores ce genre de chose.Les photos ont ete prise entre le 12 et le 24 au Kerala et je pense que j'en ai d'autres sur un autre carte que je posterai demain ou apres demain.Tout va bien a Mumbai hier j'ai mange au MacDo un Chicken Maharajah Mac et j'ai un photo aussi. C'est un peu compl http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Kerala/blog-315829.html After the Silent Valley area I spent two nights in Vythiri. Unfortunately there was some sort of general strike and all the roads were blocked so I got stuck hanging around the hotel my one day there. Fortunately the food was good. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Kerala/Wayanad/blog-315824.html I spent three nights 161718 with no electricity in the woods and it was really fun. Once again the location is not on the travelblog available locations list but it was near to Silent Valley which unfortunately I could not visit because it is the bad season monsoon. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Kerala/blog-315816.html From the 12th to the 15th I was at the Bird's Lagoon Resort near Thattekad which is not listed in the available locations.Anyway it was a really nice place with great service excellent food and a perfect location. I didn't see all that many birds because it is not the season but I did have a really nice rest here in this peaceful place. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Kerala/blog-315815.html I did the one day tour of the backwaters including lunch. It was really nice and peaceful on the canals. Will post photos later. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Kerala/Kochi-/blog-315812.html I'm not really in Kochi but somewhere slightly north and still with really sketchy internet access. Anyway my time off the grid has been interesting I've taken lots of photos and will be back to Mumbai on Sunday 24 where I will make it my priority to update this blog.And also have a lot of really cool jungle spider and bug photos for Maya you are going to be so sad you didn't come with me...b http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Kerala/Kochi-/blog-314921.html Arrived in Kochi last night. My Indigo flight was cancelled at the last minute and I didn't find out until I got to the airport so it was quite the adventure finding another flight but somehow it all worked out and I'm here.The town itself is just a tourist trap and I'm just looking forward to leaving. Of course this is just my opinion because the guidebooks love it and it is full of tourists. I a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Kerala/Kochi-/blog-310387.html Bombay is totally fascinating. There is a good vibe and lots of energy. I am surprised that I liked it so much. The first day I was really stressed about getting to the dentist's on time and just going to the dentist's stresses me out as well but he was kind and gentle. I go back on the 24th for him to finish up. I forgot to take a photo of the hotel but it was really not bad clean room and ho http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Maharashtra/Mumbai/blog-310384.html I'm writing this on the 10 Sunday arrived safely and everything's fine except that I am feeling incredibly frustrated by the lack of decent internet access. Either it's too slow you can't upload photos or else they have these tiny little booths where my face is 3 inches from the screen. I'll try to post more later there has to be a decent internet cafe somewhere in Kochi hmmm after check http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Maharashtra/Mumbai/blog-310365.html Just checked out of my room so this is it the end of my Asia adventure. I really would love to continue for another month...I was just thinking how fun it would be to get a ticket for Hanoi. Perhaps next year.I have had a fabulous time in Bangkok and Laos where everyone stays calm and you always feel safe and I am not looking forward to all the grumpy hysterical people I will have to affront in http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central-Thailand/Bangkok/blog-85524.html Back in Bangkok I decided to explore the city a little. The river taxi stop is not far from the guesthouse so I took it to go to Chinatown. Also a few photos from my last night in Vientiane.De retour a Bangkok et moins fatiguee et plus habituee au chaleur je profite pour explorer un peu la ville. Chinatown et le river taxi et aussi quelques photos de ma derniere nuit a Vientiane. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central-Thailand/Bangkok/blog-85070.html Je suis arrivee hier a Vientiane...10h30 de bus...le plus penible jusqua present mais c'etait aussi le derniere fois demain je pars pour le Thailand et puis bientot de retour a Paris c'est passe trop vite. Arrived in Vientiane yesterday 10 and a half hours on the bus because I did the long haul from Luang Prabang to Vientiane straight through without stopping in Vang Vieng. It's nice to be back http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vientiane/blog-84434.html Tomorrow is the big annual boat race in Luang Prabang so I will stay here at least through to Thursday. Leave for Vientiane on Friday 10 hours of bus again... and then back to Bangkok on Monday.Demain c'est le course de bateaux a Luang Prabang et aujourd'hui ils s'entrainent... http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-83607.html It's been rainy and overcast since Friday so the photos are just ok. I'm going to stay until Wednesday so maybe I will have some luck tomorrow and get some good light.Il pleut depuis Vendredi alors pour les photos ce n'est pas l'ideal. Peut etre demain...And also if anyone out there is planning a trip to Laos I cannot speak highly enough of the Footprint guide I've been using. The people with the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-83361.html The day after I arrived in Phonsavan I visited the Plaine des Jarres it was really pretty boring. Had I known I would have skipped Phonsavan and taken the long way to Luang Prabang through Nam Nouan and Nong Khiaw...oh well perhaps next time.Le Plaine des Jarres ne vaut franchement pas le detour quelque vielles jarres en pierre et puis c'est tout. Si j'avais su j'aurais pris un autre chemin po http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/East/Phonsavan/blog-83356.html This was absolutely the most exciting bus ride of my life...and the longest and the scariest and the most uncomfortable as well. Nine and a half hours on twisting mountain roads going through the most beautiful scenery...I got bit by a leech when the bus got stuck and we all had to get out and push so that is another first for me it's not painful at all and I didn't even notice til I got to th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/East/Sam-Neua/blog-83142.html I went out to visit the caves but no one was home...the access is really badly marked so I sort of wandered around and finally found one cave but there was no guide or anything and I hadn't brought a flashlight so I couldn't really visit.It was a beautiful ride out there in any case the countryside is just magnificent.Je suis allee de Sam Neua a Vieng Xai en songtheaw pour visiter les grottes ma http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/East/Vieng-Xai/blog-83136.html This entry was written in Luang Prabang on 19 August because there was no electricity in Sam Neua when I was there. This was a really interesting town. In order to save time I flew from Vientiane on Lao Airlines. The landing was spectacular because it's just a little airstrip in the middle of the mountains and the airplane was really small too just 17 passengers. It was pretty exciting and much http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/East/Sam-Neua/blog-82926.html