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Published: January 28th 2007
Current mood: Chilled to the core!!
So..... after falling Victim to the usual scams thrown at you in southeast asia Fiona and i had to spend the night in the lovely (just like a Pattaya room) Stung treng!! Happy i was.... i just love it when Mossies wanna share every bit of space you have!!!
The scam was the typical really on my behalf (being sold a ticket that was supposed to take me all the way to Laos in a day but finding out that it was a pish ticket sort of thing) but Fiona fell for much worse of a deed!! She was told of how she could obtain her visa on the border so after spending $10 on her bus ticket out of Phnom Penh to Dong Kralor (the border but excuse spelling) she also had to depart the bus in Stung Treng to find the Visa'a cant be bought on arrival! Now being Canadian her visa is the most expensive and she was thrown into a $49 fee Plus either another $10 dollar delivery fee and then $5 a night for her room in a shit hole why she waited or a $20 return fee
back to Phnom Penh to get her approval!!! how naughty is that ay!!!
So deciding to Stay and wait rather than return to the capital only i had to get up the following morning to make the Laos border crossing! So up and ready for 7am and over to the pick up point for half past i was greeted by my moto driver who took me down to the river for the first part of my trip!! Fully loaded i jump on the back of this Motorbike and head down at asian pace (which is far to fast when you have a bag on the back of a bike but very slow when waiting for a bus) to reach the Mekong around 200 metres down the road.
Arrrrrrrrrrrrgh i cant believe it!! i mean not today, not on the day i finally get out of Cambodia to escape it and its problematic apeal! I stand to watch the suspecting others (border jumpers) and to my shock shock Horror i spot a person i wished i would never had to have seen again (it was simply so much better to believe that he was simply an effect of too
much happy Pizza) STEVE!!!!!!!!! Shit...... Keeping my head down in hope he doesnt remember me im rumbled and he approaches me with (and youll never believe this) ' I angered you in a previous Life??? Ahhhh man its 7.30 in the god dam morning the guy is really a sad case!!!! my reply went like this!! "i guess you did ay if thats what you believe but i seem to remember you pissing me off in this life in a little FARANG attraction known as Siem Reap just after i had done the bus of doom!! you caught me at a bad time then and now is no different.... im standing here trying to eat my Bread for F**k sake why are you bothering me this time???"
As expected he then bashes on about the Buddha stuff and confusiouc and im begeinning to think this bread is also happy when i stop him and say ' mate please leave it out!! it sounds as though you have been hitting the herb and god knows what far to hard and you are very confused man!!!! im going to walk to the other side of the boat now and i think you
should stay here!!! im Leaving Cambodia and all of you Farang talk behind man i think you should to!!!!" Muttering to myself god damb Freak as i walk away!! hahahah Don det is far to far away right now!!!!
Done and dusted im away from the loopy chap and walking from the boat to see i have a private pick up waiting for me!! feeling abit silly as eveyone else is on a mossie pit i jump in Lap up the luxury and head to the border which to be honest was a really easy crossing!!! at times slow but on the Laos side its expected due to Laos time!!!
After crossing the border points and paying the fees we are picked up as a group (Steve on the roof........ i Wish) which was genearally a comfortable whilst ignoring the nutter time!!
Don det and the four thousand islands Well... on arrival and for alot of the boat trip from the port after our mini van ride i had the same feelings as i had on arrival to Railay Beach or when riding through Hoi-An at the time of a sunset.......... i was mind blown and
very Content!! (Happy times). Few things missing this time but never the less the island at first glance were overwhelming and unbelievably calming!! From the boat that like Railay seems so low to the water everything looks massive in scale!! Ahh you should see it guys!!!
The boat pulls into the beach section where like Railay we depart the boat and are instantly knee deep in water walking up to the shore with bags on our backs looking around in amazement!! Up the Sandy Shore and onto the Sandy Path we are greeted with a left or right option!! So choosing Left Myself, Aaron, Carly and Naomi (all ozzies that i have met crossing the border) walk for a little while before finding a little set up at MR NOU PHIT's Bungalow resort!! The set up consists of around 8 Pads 5 of which are detatched and on the waters front!! so myself checking into number one and the guys choosing Number 5 we soon check in and are quickly visited for payment by Mr Phit himself!!! so within minutes we realise he is a cheaky bloke to say the least and at the point of dropping the bags
onto the beds the price of the rooms went up by a dollar hahahaha the chopsy fellow!!!
So after telling him he is cheaky i agree to pay the three dollars for my seperate Bungalow with a Mekong View and head over to the restaurant for a bite to eat!! The guys join me a little while after and we descover that the food of the island is something to compete with!!! ( i have just found the alternative if not better to the Banana Pancake) Sticky rice Puddin laced with Coconut milk and chocolate, topped with sliced Banana!!!! HEAVEN ON A PLATE!!!
After Nosh we head to the pathway to have a wonder and see what is to do on the lovely island of DON Det!! Super warm and loving every minute of it we wonder for an hour or two talking of our trips and generally catching up!! displayed everywhere are are adverts for Kayaking trips and tours so booked up we head back to grab a beer and head out to see the talked about sunsets!!! Ahh they really are Blissfull!!!
At the point of the Sun Dropping the innevitable i suppose happens within
minutes!!! On an Island where there is only three hours (sometimes 4) of electricity the sun goes down and the Generators turn on!!! so like a Christmas tree in the middle of the wilderness the Island lights up like Blackpool Illuminations!!! (a little exagerated) so in any Dark place.... surrounded by Water for miles upon on miles and with Greenery and bush dotted everywhere a light to a fly is Play time to a child!!! the bell goes and the children run for it!!! Guys i tell you now and this didnt put me off or should it you but shit the amount of flies that swarm the lights made my Brummy Arse twitch for a good hour or 10 hahahah (you know what im like!!)
So away from the Bars and onto the Path we are completely in the dark so by torchlight i head back to the Hut and snuggle down for a noisy nights sleep!!! Rooster for breaky anyone?????
In the morning i get up shower in the outside shack...... knock for the guys and get some breaky!!! after my banana Bread we all bole down to the Kayak shop for a great day to
say the least!!!
It began with a few hours of calm Kayaking down stream watching the pond life pas by, the children play, and the water Buffalo Bathe before heading to land for a few kilometres of walking to see some little villages and a mini Waterfall/ Rapid in the Mekong!! after picture time the guides appear with our gear on the heads and throw us to the foot of the rocks and into the Rapids for some fun Kayaking!! hahaha this was wicked i was shitting bricks as it was a little rough but after loaduing into the boats we were all well ready!!!
Aaron and Carly were in a Tandom and myself and Naomi in another! one by one the other guys taking part in the tour were pushed off to face the rapids and eventually it was my turn!! hahahahah so off we go and are nocked all over the place before Capsizing which was a great crack and floating to calmer waters hahahahah what a day!!! After recovering and getting back to the boat we are off again for a few more hours of little rapids and calm gliding through some outstanding scenery!! After
a few hours the tummies are rumbling and we approach this rock in the middle of the Mekond that we grab some Fried rice on and fruit all prepped by the tour guides!!! Whilst eatind in the mini island with Panoramic views of on one side Cambodia and the other side Laos we are greeted by occasional fresh water Dolphins in the distance jumping from the water!!! ahh man i was loving it!!! one of the better days in my life!!! Up ther ewith the Wall!!!
an hours swimming we head back to the water until we reach a pick up point about an hour down stream where we board a really dusty bus to see the largest waterfall in SE Asia!! was a great day!! From here we all jumped back on the bus where we would go down to catch our boat back to the islands!!! Thanx Mr lee, was a great tour mate!!
In the evening and now having something more in common we go to see another Sunset (this i can get used to) and share a few beers before bed time!!! tomorrow the plans are to get the Laundry done and rent some
bikes to go explore the other island near to us called Dong Kon?!?!??!
The following Day the guys were planning to leave so whilst eating Breaky we meet up with another steve who is a good lad who decides he wants to come along on the bike ride!!! myself and steve heard of a party that was to happen on the weekend!!! So finding out what was to do and spending the last day chilling out with the ozzies we book up and spend the day riding around.... eating the best Pancake in Laos apparently (was good to be fair) and chilling on Beaches in between swimming in the river!!! these islands are simply paradise!!!
On Saturday Morning the guys leave (Had a wicked time chaps...... Happy Days!!! see you in Melbourne..... hey AZZA hows the MO???? hahahah).
After Saying good bye me and Steve head down to get the party started which i reckon the Ozzies should have stayed for!!! It began with a boat ride to a private island where by 10.30 we were on the piss and eating BBQ!!! For $5 per person we had the pleasure of trying 6 different ypes of duck
from 6 different island all with a different taste!!! So many chickens, ducks and kebab sticks later (not leaving out the sticky rice) we continued to dance about to the tunes pumped through a system powered by a Car battery until we were well oiled and warm enough to swim in the river!!! Ahh the day went well met loads of wicked people and even ended up drinking with some girls from the UK who i sat oposite without talking to for Christmas Dinner!!! it was a wicked party!!!
So swimming around drunk the day ticks by and the sun begins to fall so on demand a makeshift floating dance floor appears to which most of us dive on to and continue the partying through the sunset and back to don det for more celebrations!!!
Everbody it seemed stayed out no one was to pissed to last and we all got back to the Reggae bar where after the party which was great i spent three days drinking and eating happy alternatives whilst sleeping on the Hammocks and jumping from the 25ft diving board into the river from the restaurant edge hahahah awesom!!!
Between myself and steve
the plan from the Hammock was to head out on the 16th up to Savannaket and then onto Thakek to do a motorbike trek to Kong Lor Caves!!! I cant wait!!!
anyway guys stay tuned for more of me and my stories!!!! Don det is great get out here soon you crazy kids!!!!
love you all at home!!! miss all you brothers and sisters and everybody in the Family!!!
love to you all from a Brummy!!!!
Niki.................. xxx
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Unreal Pics mate!! What an adventure... never forget Steve's hair as he jumped into the river... Catchya soonishly! ME!