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Published: September 9th 2007
Well hello again all! It's been quite a while since the last installment and we've done lots! So, sorry, it'll be a fairly beefy one again! Lots of photos on here - which take an absolute age to upload - we'll rename them in a couple of days or so instead of having just numbers. Enjoy...!
So, we told you of our plans to ride elephants and such like so here we go! The Erawan waterfalls were really pretty and it was a good day for it too. Took over an hour to get up and we swam in the pool at the top trying to avoid getting nibbled by the fish! Didn't have too long there because of our jam-packed day but we took lots of pics on the way down - including some of a couple of monkeys who were scavenging around a bin lower down! After lunch we headed over to see the elephants. Wow! They were awesome. After a bit of reading, we were happy enough to do the trek as they treat them better here than some other places. We got on to the elephants from a high platform and trekked for a bit. We
went through a small local village, waving at the children and then went through some water - think the elephants liked this bit! Out of the water, our guide said I could sit on the elephant's neck (rather than on the seat on his back). Wow again! I was sitting on an elephant it was ace - he felt so cool! It also meant Dave didn't get quite such a spine bashing as he could sit in the middle of the seat! We then got taken to the river Kwai to get on a bamboo raft. this was cool but we were straight in when we told we could swim - it was wicked! From here, we went to the Death Railway, walked along it to get to a cave with a large budha (and some cool bats!) in and then we waited for the train. then we rode the stretch on the death railway and caught our bus to the famous Bridge Over the River Kwai. It was cool here - we had about 15 minutes or so to take some pics before heading back. Overall - an awesome day!
The next day, we caught a local bus
to Suphanburi and then over to Ayutthaya, really only for a stopover on the way north. Ayutthaya is on a island formed by 3 rivers meeting (if my memory serves me correctly - was a while ago now!) and we were happy to stay for just one night. not much there really, though the night market was ok and we enjoyed the novelty of a pancake on a stick! I had a bird-shaped one and Dave, an elephant! Random but yum! The next day we caught the train to Phitsanulok, further north, which tok aobut 7 hours. Not the most comfortable or cleanest of journeys! we were covered in muck but the time we arrived - like simply scratch your skin and get black nails filthy! Nice! Had a really nice guesthouse here which was good as meant we could catch up on some sleep! We wandered around the town and headed to (get ready for it) Wat Phra Si Ratana Mahahat (!) which houses one of the most beautiful and revered Buddha images in Thailand. It was really peaceful there and it was beautiful too. From here we walked down to the food market. We noticed loads of Thai
people jogging up this road and thought it was a bit strange, at the end of the road, we saw its name - Healthy Road! Not entirely sure if they only run here but we thought it was pretty cool anyway! the sky had come over extremely black and as the locals started to batten dow the hatches, we thought we might be in for a big one! It didn't thunder/lightning too much but there was so much fat rain! the next day, we caught a bus to Sukothai which is an old historical park full of stone chedis and Buddhas. We rode round on groovy old bikes and got rather sunburnt! We had some rice there afterwards and learnt a little more Thai from the woman there.
Next day, we caught a nice VIP bus up to Chiang Mai (maybe 6 hours?) but had a bad vibe when we got there and were a little disappointed with the surroundings. It was really touristy and pretty seedy in some places too. There are lots of treks to do there and ride elephants and kayaking etc but as we were so disappointed and sure we could do simliar things elsewhere
in a nicer area and for less money, we decided to ship out. We tried our luck at the airport and managed to fly out the next day. We went to Luang Prabang in Laos. It was really nice here with a great night market. We both bought a band each and were tempted by some other goods but saved our money! We tried some water buffalo (bit salty) and had sticky rice on a stick - all good! Went to the Phousy Market but not really one for tourists - lots of raw meat for sale - some very fresh! The smell and the flies weren't very nice at all! Next day we went to nearby waterfall - it was simply stunning here and we were really glad we went. No fish nibbling at us either! Once we'd come back down again, we saw a beautifully intricate and colourful spider and took pictures of the cool (and big!) plants around. Met a nice Australian family on the bus home who gave us some ideas about travelling to Vietnam.
Took a very very windy bus journey (mum, you'd have hated it!) to Phonsavan where the mysterious Plain of Jars
are. Almost stayed in a jungle hut but the bug to Laura/Dave ratio was not good so we stayed in a guesthouse down the way. Eating out that night, we think we may have had a couple of mouthfuls of rat meat. Hmmmm - not pleasant - we became vegetarians for the remainder of our time here! Saw an hour long film about the UXO (unexploded ordnance - often known as Bombies) around Laos and what is being done to make it safer here. Went to Plain of Jars with a German and Danish couple. The jars were kinda cool, but you don't really need to see all 3 sites! Possibly the best part of this tour was our guide Mai who was a simply great person who's studying English. We learned from him a bit about Lao culture and just about him too!
Bus south to Vang Vieng. Had mixed thoughts on this place as it seems to be a bit of drug den which isn't really up our street but, as with most places, it's there if you want it - just take or leave it. Vang Vieng was stunning. As was the view from our balcony
room. Wow! Succumbed to watching re-runs of Friends in one of the bars and had a pizza and fruit shakes - declined the offer of having a 'happy pizza'! Went caving and kayaking the next day which was probably the best day we've had yet. Kayaked a bit then went tubing (like big rubber rings!) into a cave - two massive spiders near our heads at one point (those of you who know me know this is not a good thing for me!) - and then we crawled around a bit in the dark waters. Kayaked down river again, getting soaked by the guides and watching the Korean couple in out group veer all over the place and finally capsize - so funny! Stopped at one of the many bars en route - again offering many 'special' drinks etc. The one we stopped at played Chili Peppers continously so I was dead pleased! There was a rope swing into the river here too and Dave was really brave and got straight up there. I was a bit more nervous but I did it the end - it was cool! We met a really nice girl called Jenny on this tour
who was travelling with her 9 year old son. He wanted to do the jump but she wasn't sure. We told her what it was like and Dave offered to go first and wait for Josh in the river. Josh enjoyed the jump! Jenny was tempted too and I said I'd go with her if she wanted some moral support! She did it and I did it again too! From here, we kayaked back down to Vang Vieng. A wicked day.
Caught bus down to Vientiane (the capital) the next day. Not to much to report from here as it's not so great! Laos is the least developed country in SE Asia and this was evident in Vientiane. Had a very nice crepe from the night market and enjoyed some baguettes at a local French bakery (the French influence is still pretty big here). We also went bowling here too which was a good laugh especially when the girl typed our names onto the screen I had to spell it out and Dave became 'Gape' and I became 'Liurn'. This amused us lots! I guess you had to be there! Took an overnight bus down to Pakse, slept a
bit! Next day we took a motorbike out to Paksong and the Bolaven Plateau. We stopped at a gorgeous waterfall at Tad Yueang - really really pretty and then we lazed there in the sun for a bit - hard life! The following day, we took a fume-filled-lung-fest journey to Champasak. We rode many many kilometres in the heat of the day to Wat Phu Champasak - an archaelogical historical ruin type thing. Though we were so hot and bothered when we got there that, after peaking up to it, we decided it wasn't worth the entry fee! Has a well deserved orange shake at the end of our journey and helped the guy at the guesthouse there with some English. Caught the boat at 3pm back to Pakse, we enjoyed waving at the local kids on the riverbanks on the way. Next day, we got bus down to Si Phan Don (4000 islands) right in the south of Laos - about 5kms from the Cambodian border. We'd looked at crossing into Cambodia from here but were unsure of the journey on the other side. However, once down there we realised it was relatively easy to do but had already
booked a flight from Pakse. We took a 10 minute boat ride to the main island - Don Khong and stayed the night there. It was so so hot and we were a little disappointed that there was not really anywhere to just kinda laze about. A bit put off by the kids here too who were all too quick to ask us for a book or a pen or whatever. Sailed the next day to Don Det, took a very bumpy tuk-tuk ride to the south of the island as not too impressed by the north (no tubing by the beach on northern tip - because there was no beach! Probably because the Mekong was high). Stayed really cheaply (1 pound fifty!) on banks of Mekong next to bridge that joined to Don Khon (different to Don Khong!). No fan here (not much electricity on the island!) so we knew we were in for a warm night. I even braved the dark, insecty washroom for a wee and a cold shower. Dave's much braver than I but I did manage it! Wandered over bridge to Don Khon and checked out a really dramatic waterfall there - not pretty but
really powerful. Also walked a Lao 1km (about 3km!!) in the scorching heat to a beachy area - didn't spot any dolphins though which can happen apparently! Once back, we lazed about in hammocks and read for a while before getting some fodder! Watched a beautiful sunset from the bridge and then an even more amazing light show in the distance as a storm ravaged the sky. Awesome. Unfortunately, what followed was our most uncomfortable night's sleep ever. Bar none! The mosquito net was pretty decent, thankfully, and we weren't too worried aobut the geckos or bugs around. But the heat was so so stifling. Think we may have drifted in and out of sleep a couple of times but were happy to get up about 5.45 with the sunrise, pay and sail across to the mainland!
Back in Pakse now til our flight on Tuesday. It's pretty dull here - and bucketed dow earlier today) but there were no earlier flights. We fly at 17.55 to Siem Reap in Cambodia where we can't wait to go and see Angkor Wat! Wicked.
Right, sorry it's such a beast. Thank you all for your messages, it really is so
great to read them - makes us smile. Sorry we can't write individually to you all but we're getting there with our emails etc!
Hope you're all well wherever you are - we're glad we didn't go to Central America first - weather!!!
Much love,
Lau and Dave :o) x
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Neil
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Nice Trainers...
I have to ask...Just *what* are you wearing on your feet in that pic? It all sounds amazing and the photos are breathtaking. It's like having your own personal Judith Chalmers.