Jess Marshall
After spending three and a half years in New Zealand and Australia I've caught the bug again and headed for South East Asia. I've traveled Malaysia (peninsula and Borneo), Sulawesi, Indonesia, Lao, Philippines and I am now volunteering in Thailand. I have 8months volunteer work at a orphanage 3hrs west of Chiang Mai, it is mainly children from the Karen villagers who have little or no citizenship. I spend my time doing jobs around the school and attached guesthouse/ cafe, teaching English and training the local staff. Its an awesome CHALLENGE, no really i love it, but learning a completely new and very different culture has its challenges. Jess off to c the world
Travel Blog Posts
January 26th 2012
It was that time again to do my visa, this time I had to go to MaeSai so that I could cross the border into Myanmar to get (try) my 60visa extension. I wanted to spend a couple of days in ChiangRai first so I left MaeNaChorn on the sunday. It took me 12hrs to finally reach my guesthouse! After Rut took me to MaeCheam and I caught the sonteyose to ChiangMai I switched bus terminals all pretty smoothly but then it seemed like everyone wanted to go to ChiangRai and I had to cue for an hour to buy a ticket. The next bus with an available seat was a 3hr wait. There is nothing to really do out by the bus station so I was a book then as it was Chinese NewYear there ... read more
Visa Run to Chiang Mai
Published: December 22nd 2011Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang MaiDecember 19th 2011
It was time to make a quick trip to Chiang Mai to get my 30day visa extension. Tawee took me to MaeCheam on the motorbike and it was seriously cold! But i prefer his driving on the bike than in the car. After getting my noodle soup breakfast i took the sonteyo to Chom Thom then onto Chiang Mai without problems. On the way into Chiang Mai there is a Tesco Lotus, my first shop calling before i arrive : ) Oo it was going to be an expensive few days. I bought some brownie making stuff to make with the kids as i had promised, then loads of other stuff for them and supplies for me. Then i started to think it could be an interesting trip back carrying all the bags especially if i ... read more
Loi Krathong festival in Chiang Mai
Published: November 18th 2011Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang Mai
November 13th 2011
It was time to take a break from MaeNaChorn and head to Chiang Mai for the Loi Krathong festival. Its the festival of light, lanterns are lit and float up into the sky and small boats have a candle inside them lit and are floated down the river. An amazingly beautiful festival. We wanted to leave MaeNa Chorn at 8, so we had to get the house parents to take us to MaeCheam, then from there we would catch a yellow taxi for an hour n half to Chom Thom then another yellow taxi to Chiang Mai for another hour n half. The only problem with the yellow taxi's is they are kind of open jeeps with a roof with two rows of seats facing in. People get on and off where they want and you ... read more
November 1st 2011
I checked out earlier than the staff started so I wasn't able to get them to help me organise a taxi back to the foundation office. Mission two. I went to the market to get breakfast before trying to find transport there and I knew it wasn't going to be easy. The yellow taxi's said the red taxi's and they said it takes an hour which it doesn't and 400b! So I figured get to the airport plaza and try from there. The taxi driver took me to the airport thinking thats where I wanted to go with all my bags. In the end I got out there as there were taxi's that would take me. The metered taxi's refused to but on the meter as it was outside the city. In the end I to ... read more
A quick stop in Chiang Rai
Published: November 3rd 2011Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang RaiOctober 31st 2011
Just for a change Chiang Rai's bus station is actually in the town, this you think would be normal but is a rarity! Usually having to take a tuk tuk 'very far' to get to your guesthouse. After first going the wrong way we found a 'local' English teacher who showed us to where the guesthouses were. The first two we checked were full! But we still found one no problem. After checking into the guesthouse I went in search of a Western Union to send money that I been trying to do for four days but it was Saturday afternoon and everything was closed. I gave up in the end and with Emily walked to the night market. I never noticed but when you are walking around a very busy market you walk slow but ... read more
Just another border town
Published: November 3rd 2011Asia » Thailand » Northern Thailand » Chiang KhongOctober 29th 2011
Arriving in Chiang Khong we checked into Boom guesthouse. After sitting on a boat for two days we had to then walk 1km to find an ATM so after getting organised we headed out and stopped off at a cafe on the way back for dinner. A few of the locals were having a drink and after eating they insisted we join them. They gave us both a whiskey and coke but after tasting it to please them I passed it over to Emily. They told us stories about the town when tourists had to spend three days there waiting for a visa and one of the guys was a traveling tattooist with lots of stories. We sat with them for an hour or so before going back to the guesthouse. It had been a long ... read more
October 28th 2011
Getting back into Thailand I wanted to take the spectacular boat trip up the Mekong river. Two days to Huay Xai with a stopover in Pak Beng for the night. After buying my ticket from the boat ticket desk (all of the tour operators were charging commission) I quickly stopped by the morning market to buy some snacks for the journey. The boat is literally someones house boat, but it is very long with wooden benches and tables in the middle of the boat with open side's so you can take in the amazing view and at the front of the boat there are some, more comfortable chairs. They give you cushions to sit on but your bum definitely goes numb sitting on a wooden bench for two long days straight. We left Luang Prabang at ... read more
October 26th 2011
There are three waterfalls in the area to visit, i've seen so many waterfalls I wasnt sure I needed to see more but I was assured these were amazing. So through the guesthouse I booked a tuk tuk to Tat Kuang Si and it was impressive. There was only myself with an older Australian couple so we could spend as much time there as we wanted. The waterfall had two swimming areas and luckily it isn't high season so it was pretty quiet. The waterfall has formed its way through limestone and is over a few tiers. Although the water was slightly refreshing I went in for a little swim! We sat at the cafe for mango shakes, I dont know how I will ever survive without mango again. It took us about an hour ... read more
October 23rd 2011
I took a minibus from Vang Viang to Luang Prabang 6hrs through the mountains and valleys, the scenery absolutely stunning. We stopped at the top of the mountains for lunch. Getting out of the minibus everyone was saying toilet, toilet and showing you where. Then you go and they all say 2000, 2000! Have to laugh. When we arrived in Luang Prabang the driver then said more money, more money because he dropped us off in the town and 'saved' us money on the trip from the bus station! Luang Prabang is known as one of the most picturesque towns in South East Asia and it really is, i love this town its so French, the buildings are beautiful and the streets look old, with big French style guesthouses everywhere. Most of the guesthouses seemed to ... read more
October 21st 2011
I got picked up from the guesthouse in a tuk tuk which I guessed as we weren't putting our bags on the roof was taking us to the minibus funnily though some of the other passengers hadn't guessed this and thought we were doing a four hour trip in a tuk tuk with our bags on our knees. Anyway we were loaded into the minibus and were on our way. It was stunning scenery that we passed through, and the road was bumpy, windy, then a bit more bumpy and to top it off the driver spent most of the time swatting mosquitos! So it made for a fun and comfortable trip! The minibus dropped us off outside a guesthouse in the town but a short walk towards the river and a guy at Johnnys ... read more
Jess off to c the world
| Joined | May 25th 2011 | Trips | 7 |
| Last Login | February 23rd 2012 | Followers | 1 |
| Status | BLOGGER | Follows | 0 |
| Blogs | 72 | Guestbook | 2 |
| Photos | 761 | Forum Posts | 1 |
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Trips
Peninsular Malaysia
May 1st 2011 -» May 17th 2011
2 Amazing months in Borneo
May 17th 2011 -» July 4th 2011
Indonesia
July 5th 2011 -» September 1st 2011
Philippines
September 2nd 2011 -» September 23rd 2011
Thailand
September 24th 2011 -» October 15th 2011
Loas
October 16th 2011 -» October 28th 2011
Thailand again
October 29th 2011 -» ongoing
May 1st 2011 -» May 17th 2011
2 Amazing months in Borneo
May 17th 2011 -» July 4th 2011
Indonesia
July 5th 2011 -» September 1st 2011
Philippines
September 2nd 2011 -» September 23rd 2011
Thailand
September 24th 2011 -» October 15th 2011
Loas
October 16th 2011 -» October 28th 2011
Thailand again
October 29th 2011 -» ongoing
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