Day 144 – 146: Vang Vieng (backpacker hell)

After sadly saying goodbye to lovely Luang Phrabang we got picked up from our guesthouse to head for Vang Vieng (VV). Not learning the lesson from getting a ‘tour’ to places we had booked a transfer from our guesthouse to VV – I was pleased that we got a nice seat on a mini bus but was very much upset when we got to a mini bus centre, 10 mins later, and had to change buses. These were uncomfortable and (again) we were all rammed in. The only plus side is we had some cool people in the bus to chat to and reminice about Newcastle (they were from Low Fell)!

Anyway, Stu was stuck next to Barry Owens and a couple that insisted on kissing each other at regular intervals so he thoroughly enjoyed the 5 hour mini bus journey which was also at a worringly high speed.

We arrived in VV safely but were shocked to find that the “spectacular natural playground” (Rough Guide, 2005) was in fact a built up town with no character. We managed to find an guesthouse that overlooked the river and was quite comfy and had a cute pet pig. We had a few beers with the people from the mini bus that night and the man from the ‘bucket bar’ kept plying us with free drink – Adam was very sorry about this when he felt rather ‘ill’!

We did give VV a chance but we just felt we did not fit in there – think drunk brittish teenagers shouting alot, where the greatest cultural activity was sitting in one of the many bars showing endless episodes of Friends. We did partake in the tubing (getting on a inflated tractor tube and floating down the river stopping off at bars along the way – they just pull you into the bars from the water). This was fun but I had my sensible head on (I know this does not happen often) and did not drink too much as the river was actually very full and the currents strong.

The day after the tubing we decided enough was enough and booked ourselves onto a bus to Vientiene to see Rachel!

Day 141 – 143: Lovely Luang Phabang

What a lovely place Luang Phabang is (that is probably why it is a UNESCO World Heritage City)! Our 1st day there we made very good use of the coffee shops and had a lovely relaxed breakfast with some decent toasted bread (we are easily pleased) – Stu’s eyes also glistened with delight at the smell of fresh coffee!

The main thing about Luang Phabang is that it is so chilled out and so pretty (but it also has the positives of chicken baguettes and Beer Laos on every corner). We spent most of our 3 days here wandering around the lovely craft shops (Adam managed to get a fab original painting for a really good price), going to the night market (again, Adam bought lots of stuff – even a very tasteful pink Beer Laos t-shirt – but I managed to hold back on the cushion covers), visiting waterfalls and Watts. The Watts were really nice and a lot older than Thai ones. We did not see all of the Watts in Luang Phabang (nor did we want to) but they were definitely our favourite. There were also a lot of friendly monks to chat to at the Watts.

 

On the 2nd day we also visited Kuang Si Falls which is quite spectacular. Parts of it were just like a swimming pool in a posh hotel and the colour of the water was amazing. We climbed to the top and then had a swim in the pools at the bottom which were very refreshing!

Alongside stuffing our face with cake and coffee we also managed to sample some of the local delights in Luang Phabang (in desirable order): Luang Phabang sausage, stuffed bamboo, Laap, Wine Laos (not to be repeated) and Adam bravely took on the whiskey that had been preserving snakes and scorpions for sometime!

Day 138-140: Journey into Laos

We were sad to leave Chaing Mai as it was such a fab place, but after a leisurely last morning in Chiang Mai we reluctantly pilled onto the smallest mini bus filled with backpackers. We had paid for a ‘trip’ to take us to the Thailand boarder at Chaing Khong, transport us across and get us into a slow boat on the other side. However, after squeezing onto the mini bus we relalised suddenly this may have been a mistake and we should have just sorted it out ourselves. There were some ‘characters’ on the bus who made us laugh in a ‘I’m so glad I’m not you’ sort of way and the journey itself was fine. We arrived at a guesthouse in Chaing Khong and were pleased to find that we were not sharing dorms and had our own room. After dinner we sat on the verandah of the resturant and consummed some Chang Beers.

The next morning I felt dreadful! Chang Beer is very strong and it was not agreeing with me at all. Anyway, we got up early, in time for when we were told we were being picked up and taken across the border. Only to be left waiting. Eventually, we got to the border and got our stamp into Laos with no problems at all (apart from Adam being shouted at by the man sorting our visas). Being in a ‘group’ ment that we were waiting around a lot of the morning – something that was annoying Adam and Stu (a lot) – but eventually we rocked on up to our long boat. It was a old thing and seemed to be crammed with people (but we had yet to get on)! We managed to get a seat (allbeit hard and wooden) and settelled down to our relaxing journey.

The joureney down the Mekong was really nice and chilled out. Our bottoms were sore by the end of the day but we saw lovely views from the river and got to see the rural Laos.

On arrival at Pakbeng (our overnight stop on the journey) we got to our accomodation – it was listed in the guidebook as one of the ‘better’ places to stay (however, I would have dreaded to see the less desirable and cheaper guesthouses). We did try to make light of the situation and say it was fine but me and Stu realised it was the worst place we had stayed on our trip thus far (thank god that we had our own (clean) sleeping sheets)! However, it must be said the relaxing drink overlooking the Mekong made up for the accomodation.

We got up very early the next morning and hotfooted it down to the boat to get a good seat. All of the comfy seats were taken so we ended up on a hard seat again. More of the same on the 2nd day of the journey (apart from a bit of rain and everyone a bit more subdued today). 

After 7 hours on the boat we arrived at Luang Phrabang. What a lovely relaxed town. We managed to get a really nice room in a colonial style guesthouse (with a hot shower – luxury). More beer and a dinner on the riverfront recouperated us after the long journey!

Day 134 – 137: Chiang Mai

If we thought that five months was not enough time to adequately do the whole of South East Asia, then Adam was soon in for a shock when we sat down to plan our 4 weeks together. He came with a list of places he wanted to see while he was here and, unfortunately, we had to unceremoniously tear up his plans. Gem and I had learned from experience that travelling anywhere takes up a day and if you only spend a day in each place, you are soon going to be worn out. Add the fact that our budget doesn’t extend to taking too many flights (especially on monopoly run routes) and it became clear that we were going to struggle to fit everything in. Plan C had us heading north to Chiang Mai, spending a few days there and then hopping over the border to Laos – this gave us the option to fit the most important things for each of us in, without doing the worst bus journey on the planet (Bangkok to Siem Reap).

So, on Sunday morning, we got the early train from Bangkok. We were quite amused when the national anthem sounded at 8.00 and everybody stood up (they are a very loyal bunch the Thais). The journey itself was fine – not as comfortable as the sleeper train but reasonable enough, although it was a couple of hours delayed and we didn’t get into town until 20.30. Adam was a little worried that we had booked him into a guesthouse that only cost $4 (the green tulip) but it was a lovely little place, possibly one of the best we have stayed in. Very new and clean, away from the busier end of town where all the other backpacker-type places are. It also had a lovely little roof garden to chill out on with a beer or two (from which we saw some bizarre flying lights one evening – unfortunately rationalism kicked in and we guessed they must have been some sort of mini hot-air balloons sent from the airport but it would have been much more fun to think they were ufos).

Our second day in Chiang Mai, we signed up to do a little trek – this wasn’t a proper 3-day hike through the jungle mind (I was outvoted on that one), more of a day long excursion involving a small trek, an elephant ride and white-water and bamboo rafting. Surprisingly, the elephant ride was the highlight of the day; we spent an hour trundling along and then back through the river. Ours had a little baby with it which was quite cute… The hiking was a bit of a joke, five minute stroll to a small waterfall, where we all went for a swim and the rafting was quite fun, although you could encounter more dangerous rapids in your bath-tub (and our bamboo raft was overladen and sunk)!

The next day we did a Thai cookery course (with these guys), which was a whole lot of fun. There was only the three of us doing it; first of all, we were taken to a local market and our chef told us bout all the different ingredients that are used in Thai cookery, then he took us to his house and we spent the day cooking and eating lots of lovely food )

We started with with some spring rolls and hot and sour soup (gem did the coconut one), then made a stir-fry each with a papaya salad, and finished with green/red curry followed by mango and stickey rice. Half way through the guy’s wife taught us to carve vegetables which, needles to say gem enjoyed more (and was better at) than adam and myself!!

We really enjoyed Chiang Mai, it is a lovely and relaxed town. It is still a pretty big city but does not have the hectic feel of Bangkok. It was a shame we couldn’t stay longer and explore a bit more but we were on a much tighter schedule with Adam around, so the following day we started our epic journey into Laos…

Day 131 – 134: All the Wats (Bangkok)!

Moving on from our luxury accommodation, we met Adam at our new hotel – Siam II; for a budget place, this was actually pretty good – it even had a pool. Adam had flown all the way from Canada and was pretty tired but we managed to persuade him to have a few beers with us! Unfortunately we got a bit carried away with having a friend with us on our trip and had a very late night in the khaosan area (and managed to pick up a random American)!

We had waited until Adam joined us to do the main sights of Bangkok (so we did not have to do them twice). The Grand Palace in Bangkok is really spectacular (especially as we had not seen any Wats yet) but very busy indeed. It was also really unbearably hot when we went there – especially as you have to make sure your shoulders and knees are covered! Luckily we were able to go and swim in the pool at the hotel to cool down.

The day after, we were not as hungover, so could put up a better attempt at exploring. My favourite part of Bangkok was chartering our own boat (which was big enough to fit about 20 people) and going through the canals. It was amazing to see all the houses on the water (some of which were nearly falling into the water) and different parts of Bangkok.

The reclining Buddah was also fab and HUGE! And after visiting another Wat (largest solid gold buddha) in the Chinatown part of the city we did start to feel a bit ‘watted’ out. The market in China town was worth a look though and I loved the flower market – i could not belive that they were selling about 2 dozen red roses for 40 baht (about 70 pence)!

Shopping on the Kho San Road was also fun – I got very excited indeed when I saw ‘Boots’……but after about an hour it becomes a bit ‘too much” – it is full of the worst example of backpackers (who we are steadily becomming to detest); self-righteous, drunk europeans and north american with no concept of where they are and how their actions might be perceived, (not to mention their aversion to soap!!)!

I think after a week in Bangkok it was time to move on. Everything is quite a hassle no taxi drivers want to take you anywhere with their meter on, people tell you places are closed and then when tuk tuk drivers do want to take you somewhere they insist on taking you to a tailors enroute……grrrr! However, the massive shopping malls are nice and there is some lovely stuff to buy at the markets. I suppose it is just another big city – once you have seen the sights, then it is time to move somewhere more pleasant. Next on our list was Chiang Mai.