Scary stuff!! My heartrate has gone up again reading this! I certainly couldn't cope with it-think I'd prefer the zipwires!!Thank goodness I can picture you both now relaxing on a beach........you aren't planning any sky diving are you?!!Can't wait to see you. Mama x
Hi David, looks like you had a nice unforgettable memory in Chiang mai.
Next month I am going to Chiang mai with my family and considering of staying in Vanilla Place.
Hope that we can enjoy the trip as you did... ^_^
Moving... Hi Darling. The Elephant sanctuary sounds like it would be a bit heart wrenching. I'd love to go there though, despite that.
Keep well
love
Dad xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx missing you.
Bungee Jump David you keep frightening the living daylights out of us with these Bungee jumps, Im pleased you took you glasses off first though. Rachel could you not have made David a cake on the cookery course although that one looked lovely. Enjoy the rest of your time in the north xx
Sounds Wonderful and looks beautiful Ah yes-I think I could cope with this place! Good that you got a rest from all the frenetic activity of Hanoi-does that make me sound old? Would the fish nibble those feet, David?! Have a great time back in Thailand. xxx
Black feet Is this just Hanoi dirt or is it 3 weeks worth of dirt?
Glad you are enjoying your Bia Hoi, not too many I hope, you may fall off your small yellow chair!! Great speaking to you this morning. Enjoy Thailand x
Awesome scenery Aaaah....at last, my kind of holiday.
Looks spectacular. Is that where "The Beach" was filmed? Looks like it if not.
Have fun back in Thailand.
Don
Too posh?! Hi David,
You have remembered you are working in Newcastle schools?? However, the suit sounds perfect for when you come for dinner! The spending sounds very restrained considering the prices-only 1 box? It'll be like Christmas when(if!)it arrives-oh yes, it will be Christmas!!
Enjoying the blogs very much!
The Terrorist Yes... I'm quite surprised that the "Baader Meinhof" passport has worked anywhere.
You do realise that I'd consider 10 years reasonable for a "disposable" suit.
Some of mine are older than you!!!
Have fun both
Walt
My daughter looks like a terrorist!! It's taken me 2 days and many deep breaths to calm down from reading this!! I always said you looked like a terrorist on that photo and I wouldn't let you into my country!! Thank goodness they did eventually! Stick very close to David-he clearly looks more respectable!
Mama x x
Stress! Ha ha ha, good to know I can convey the tension anyway! Aside from that íncident we are having a great time, and things like that add to the fun (afterwards!).
Its excellent that so many people are reading the blog :)
Take care at home, watch the border crossing into Whitley Bay, who knows what could happen!
Rachel xx
Same same... not different! Ha, yes it was exactly the same for us with the tuk tuk and the wrong drop off. We didn't have the visa, thats why we had to pay. But hey... in the grand scheme of things its very little to us, and much more to them! Rachel
Facebook works but through a proxy.
Vietnam uses the same internet filtering technique as China. But most Vietnamese I met have a facebook account anyway. It's not that difficult to get around.
You can use a proxy, but use it wisely ... proxies are not always safe ... so NO banking stuff ok?
Surft to either :
- proxylicious.net
- newipnow.com
- chewthefat.org
- totalnetprivacy.com
- sitegetter.net
- swifttunnel.com
- proxify.com
There are countless of others. Just surf to one and then fill in the address you want to go to and click "go" (usually). You'll have to live with adds on the page though.
If you don't want that. Ask a nerdy friend at home to set up a SOCKS tunnel for you, as I have. And let him email you the instructions to make it work. It's best to ask a friend who uses Linux (and a pc that runs 24/7). All you have to do is change some settings in Mozilla Firefox (or other browser, but I use Firefox).
Hope this helps.
And again ... be wise about the use of proxies. Your credentials are not guaranteed!
Tom (also in Vietnam atm, leaving Mui Ne in a few minutes, going to Nah Trang)
Exactly =) Hehe, yeah that's travel for you
Me and my gf had the same experience last year.
Let me guess, you crossed the border at Aranyaprathet (Thai side) and then from Poipet (Cambodian side) to Siem Reap, right? =)
My gf and I took a train to Aranyaprathet, and had to stay the night there! Not the most cosy town. The next day we got a very awkward lift to the boarder. Where we had the visa check (free btw ...?? How come you paid money? You had no Cambodian visa?). We also had this nice "guide" guy, who really seemed to help out but then asked for a tip. A big one, lying about the currency. He also wanted us to exchange USD for Riel.
Then the taxi to Siem Reap. The taxi driver was calling a lot during the ride so we knew something was up. Even though we had stated very clearly "no stops" and made him repeat it. He stopped anyway, next to a group of tuk-tuk drivers. But then messed up there. As the taxi driver did not want to go further, we -had- to take a tuk-tuk. So I asked if the tuk-tuk ride was in the price and the taxi driver said "yes". I told that to the tuk-tuk driver who didn't seem happy about it, haha
So we didn't pay for the tuk-tuk ride into town. But he dropped us off at the wrong place. On purpose I guess, as he was frustrated.
As many people as possible should be warned about these scams. As they are not going anywhere. A local told me that the police acts on the scams every few months (half year or so?). But just a few weeks after they do, the scammers are back.
You just have to keep aware and live with the knowledge that these people are very poor and will do a lot to get some income. If they don't get it from you, they'll get it from the next guy. Plenty of tourists to scam!
Enjoy your travels!
Sounds great! Keep these blogs coming guys, it's really cool to be able to read your adventures as you go along. How was the Poipet to Siem Reap road?
Also, there's a 6.30 in the MORNING???
Scary fish! You know how much I like fish but nibbling your feet-noooooooo!!!!
And then eating them!!-presumably not the same ones!
Also I'd keep away from the dodgy temple guys.
Can we have a pic of your face next? Missing you!
Sounds awesome Well jealous! It sounds like you're having an amazing time, reading about Chatuchak made me all sentimental and happy :) Nice job on the reverse-scam! Keep the blogs coming.
Oh and with the taxi drivers I found you only need one word to negotiate effectively - "Meter" - you just might have to repeat it 14 or 15 times before they agree!
David and Sackboy are off around the world to have many adventures (and Rachel is coming with, we tried to get rid of her but she just wouldn't take no for an answer, honestly!). This time it is Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, and we are going to keep everyone back home up to date as we go, pictures will be provided for your enjoyment and so our parents have proof we are still alive.
Enjoy, David... full info
Mama
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Scary stuff!!
My heartrate has gone up again reading this! I certainly couldn't cope with it-think I'd prefer the zipwires!!Thank goodness I can picture you both now relaxing on a beach........you aren't planning any sky diving are you?!!Can't wait to see you. Mama x