http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/lkrhoads/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from lkrhoads en-us Fri, 01 Jan 2010 01:38:36 +0000 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 01:38:36 +0000 . . . and I really love Indian food. That probably sounds like a real non sequitur but stick with me on this one if you will. I was in the northern part of Laos in Luang Namtha and wanted to make my way over to Vietnam either to Sapa or Hanoi whichever seemed to be easierquickest. I suspected that it would probably take me two full days of travel to make the trek across the border but i http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/blog-407262.html Going to see Uncle Ho's preserved body was probably one of the creepiest things I've done in a long time. I guess I went out of macabre curiosity and a sort of sideshow interest which I realize is not the most respectful of attitudes but I can assure you that I had second thoughts about the whole thing once I got there. Ho Chi Minh was born in 1890 and led the Viet Minh Independence movement http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Red-River-Delta/Hanoi/blog-407239.html Hoi An is another UNESCO World Heritage site and is charming in a similar way to Luang Prabang although a little OK maybe a LOT pushier in its commercialism. The streets sound a little something like this You buy something You look in my shop Looking free Good price Motorbiiiiike Want cold water Coke Not lucky today no sales You be lucky first customer Motorbiiiiike http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/South-Central-Coast/Hoi-An/blog-404751.html As I started to write this blog which is backdated by a couple months I decided to look at the Wikpedia description of Vang Vieng just for curiosity's sake. At the end of the entry under the See also section was a hyperlink to Banana Pancake Trail. That name made me chuckle to myself because I think that Courtney and I have definitely been on that trail once or twice and we certainly in http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-404705.html I've already written about my V.I.P bus experience but since then I've gotten a lot more busminivansongthaewriding experience in Laos under my belt. The roads in northern Laos are by necessity due to the mountainous topography quite curvy. I think the country has come a long way in terms of infrastructure from what I understand but some roads are extra difficult to travel because of th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/North/blog-392403.html This morning I was released from 10 days of voluntary silence and am now back out in the 'real world.' It feels strange to be here in a not entirely wonderful way but I feel a renewed sense of peace and serenity which will hopefully serve me well as I get ready to head back home after being away for 7 and a half months. We strived to do everything mindfully and therefore more slowly at the re http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Southern-Thailand/blog-397939.html I think that Luang Prabang definitely deserves its place as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is truly a beautiful place and even the constant gray caused by the slash and burn agriculture couldn't take away its beauty and charm though I must admit that it would have been even lovelier with some blue skies now and again. Admittedly my photos are somewhat disappointing and don't really capture a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/blog-392693.html A lot of people ask what it's like to travel alone here and I can say that I have enjoyed it for the most part. I do however think that Southeast Asia can be a little tougher for a solo traveler than some other parts of the world I've traveled in such as Latin America and Europe just because of the way that accommodations are set up. In Latin America and Europe and AustraliaNew Zealand f http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/blog-392436.html In comparison to Thailand Laos seems to shut down shockingly early at night. Many guesthouses have curfews the latest of which seems to be 12 AM as ours was though some are as early as 1030 PM. The waitstaff at seemingly hip little bars and restaurants in Luang Prabang start making gestures of closing as early as 1030 and 11. I was concerned about this situation. It's not that I like to http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-392429.html I spent my first day in Luang Prabang wandering aimlessly around the streets just taking in the Frenchish architecture and taking it easy for the most part. I popped into a few of the wats of which there are a ton for good measure and marveled at all the orangerobed monks walking around. But I digress . . . After we were reunited in Luang Prabang for one evening Courtney went off on her o http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-392409.html In trying to get more insights about what differentiates the cuisine in Laos from Thai food I hit a little goldmine of information on my first full day in Luang Prabang solo since Courtney had left for her overnight trek. The goldmine's name was Tamarind Cafe and I found it to be so delightful and informative that I knew I had to take Courtney there when she got back. A Laos man and Australia http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Muang-Houn/blog-387572.html I took the muchrecommended at least by the guidebooks 2day boat slow boat ride down the Mekong River to get from the border with Thailand down to Luang Prabang to meet up with Courtney for our 'last hurrah' in Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng. It was . . . SLOW. But it was also fun and from and from what I hear from others who've already been to Laos a much cosier way to travel Laos than the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/blog-387551.html The Plain of Jars near Phonsavan Laos is a big plain of well . . . jars. This vast expanse of stone jars is one of the great unsolved mysteries aliens anyone of the world and is pretty much the only reason to make a trip to Phonsavan. It has the feel of a town that is just starting to be developed into more of an attraction still on the traveling path but a bit less trampled than the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/East/Plain-of-Jars/blog-384655.html I've made it safely back to Luang Prabang after a very . . . interesting . . . bus ride on the V.I.P bus from Phonsavan. I've learned from my bus journeys thus far in Laos that the roads are extremely curvy though wellpaved at least. I got to the bus station in Phonsavan this morning hoping that I could make it farther north than Luang Prabang today but had mostly given that idea up after http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/blog-384656.html Ko Phangan is wellknown on the backpacker circuit as a huge party island and home of the infamous Full Moon Party. The timing was just a little off for Stephanie and Kari to experience the drunken druginduced for some debauchery of that monthly ravelike beach party but I've already had my one and only experience with it with Fiona and Virginia this past July. Don't get me wrong the Fu http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Ko-Pha-Ngan/blog-381411.html Before I hop over the border to Laos tomorrow morning well not hop so much as take a ferry since the border is the river here I am making a stop in the northernmost part of Thailand. Yesterday I was in Chiang Saen which is close to the infamous opiumpoppy growing region at the convergence of Thailand Myanmar Burma and Laos known as the Golden Triangle.From Chiang Saen it was a pleasant http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Northern-Thailand/Chiang-Saen/blog-381052.html Thailand is about 95 Buddhist according to the sources I've seen. There is a small Muslim minority and an even smaller group of Christians. Officially the form of Buddhism here is called Theravada Buddhism which is the oldest form of Buddhism preceding Mahayana Tantric and Tibetan Buddhism. I was confused when I first got here however about all of the offerings I would see in various pla http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/blog-381388.html While Stephanie and Kari spent their day at cooking school I decided to head to Wat Doi Suthep which out of the seemingly billions of wats in Chiang Mai is supposed to be one of the most 'important' to see. The wat is about 15 kilometers outside of the center of the city up a winding mountainous road. Songthaews leave from the north gate of the moat when they are full. As I headed toward t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Chiang-Mai/blog-381054.html The muchanticipated visit from BoulderDenver friends Stephanie and Kari has arrived They bought their tickets to come over here back in August after I was accepted to do the TEFL program but before I had even booked my ticket back to Thailand. Although I was sad to leave the students it was great that I was racing off to Bangkok to meet up with the girls something I was really looking f http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/blog-380740.html Though I am really excited about traveling for the next two and a half months first with Stephanie and Kari in Thailand then on to Laos and Vietnam it is totally bittersweet to leave the school. It is even sadder in this case because I will probably never see these children again. Even though I may come back to Thailand again in the future it is unlikely that I would find myself in Chonburi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central-Thailand/Chonburi/blog-380730.html