Thailand...I can't stop smiling

The land of the thousand smiles...and only a few more weeks to enjoy it.



Arriving in Thailand, we had taken the overland route from Cambodia and the contrast in wealth and infrastructure between the two countries was very apparent. As we walked the few metres across "No Man's Land" we quickly realised that there would be very few pot holes and a lot less apparent poverty. Entering Thailand, a land of solid unbroken roads, modern cars, working street lights and relative order, we couldn't stop ourselves from glancing back with sadness to a broken but unforgettable Cambodia.


I had already spent a fair bit of time in Thailand 6 years ago whilst on my 'first gap period' and as I was arriving to the end of my traveling slog, my main objective was to relax and ease my way back into reality. Arriving in Bangkok was therefore not what I would call a pleasurable experience. We took base in the in-famous Koh San Road, a backpacker's mecca of fake t-shirts, fake ID cards, Starbucks, McDs, KFC, Burger King, massage parlours, web cafes, street vendors and NEON lights ... it is an experience to spend time in this area, one that can be enjoyed for one day maximum.


We quickly left BKK and headed north to Chiang Mai for a little "peace and quiet" and elephants galor. Pressed for time, we had pre-booked our train to Chiang Mai and our day outting to the Elephant Nature Park. It was therefore imperative that we catch our train to make it to the Nature Park. As we arrived at the train station in BKK, I glanced at the train ticket, only to realise that unless a miracle happened which stopped the train from leaving on time, we would miss it by 5 minutes. Carrying our already too heavy, 15 kg backpacks, we made a run for it.

Arriving panting and sweating, we handed our ticket to the Thai ticket controller who, comfortably sitting behind his wooden table informed us (unsurprisingly) that the train had just left. By then, two motor - taxi drivers had already accosted us, trying to convince us that we could still catch the train, if they took us by motorbike to the next station - No it's not free : 300 Baht each.

Quick ... quick...think....decision

Before we knew it, we were zig-zaging in and out of traffic, holding on for dear life to this small thai man whilst trying not to fall off because of the 15kg backpack we are carrying. My helmet is too big and is nothing more than a thin oval shaped red piece of plastic with a strap ... I am feeling the fear!

We made it on time to the station. By then the price had increased to 600 Baht each, for a reason we still don't know. Haggle, haggle ... ok 400 Baht each. Done.

We sit for a minute waiting for the train to arrive. We jump on only to find that our seats are occupied. Why? How? MOVE! Finally the ticket controller arrives, and leads us off the train. He flashes his light on the ticket, points to the date and says repeatedly "No train, no today". We take a closer look at our tickets and become aware with dread that these tickets are for tomorrow, not today.

Crestfallen, we realise that the agency had made a mistake and we hadn't double checked the tickets. Damn it! To avoid losing the money we had paid for the train, the hotel and the elephants WE HAD to get to Chiang Mai that night. In the end, luck was with us. We avoided the 3rd class, wooden benches no AC carriage and managed to find two seats in 2nd class AC . Pfffff....

We arrived in Chiang Mai and were welcomed by the rain, which we would see a fair bit of over the next three days. We walked around town, indulged in a fresh cup of Starbucks coffee, walked around the touristy and overpriced night market and enjoyed the laid back vibe that continues to kick in this northern city.

The next day we headed to the Elephant Nature Park. The Elephant Nature Park is a conservation center that hosts 30 elephants who live, eat and play in their natural habitat - whilst "Eco Tourists" feed and bathe them. We enjoyed it ... they enjoyed it and it's for a good cause.



Soon it was time to train it back down to Bangkok, where we then had to catch a night bus (and subsequent boat) to the paradise island of Koh Tao. I had been waiting for this break from travelling reality for a few days now. I felt I needed to isolate myself a little from the world to prepare myself for the big return home.

Koh Tao was the perfect spot for that. It is a small island, which boasts amazing diving sites, a laid back attitude and very few activities other than:

1. Reading a good book propped back on a Thai pillow gazing at a turquoise coloured sea and Buddha Rock.
2. Marvelling at how awesome it is to be in such a chilled environment
3. Drinking pineapple shakes and eating banana pancakes.
4. Diving ... Diving ... Diving ... Diving ... Diving
5. Did i mention diving ?
   

My last week was spent doing little more than the above. I got the opportunity to hang out with a great group of people from Sunshine Divers, comparing travelling stories and drinking beer together waiting for the day to end.





The time to leave arrived too quickly. I was reticent and sad to leave this paradise-like bubble but excited nonetheless to see my family and friends. The journey back into Bangkok was nightmarish and long. We arrived on Koh San Road at 5 am and found ourselves walking aimlessly around smelly streets to find a hotel room. Luck was with us, we found the last available room in the only hotel that seemed to have 24h service.

The following day was a blur of lastminute shopping, plowing through huge shopping malls for gifts for family, friends and oneself.



Soon it was time to say Goodbye Thailand, Goodbye Asia, Goodbye Fellow Backpackers, Goodbye Utopian World of Discovery and Daily Surprises...

...my heart is racing at the idea that this great adventure is ending. That soon I will be having to adjust to reality, to the daily routine of life ... and say goodbye to my faithfull companion that has stuck by me over thick and thin during the past 11 months, through the cold, the dust, the dirt and the wet (...)

(...) until the next adventure.


For now, I am heading home to Nice, to enjoy the rest of the summer and to figure out what happens next ...

Cambodia - the road to Angkor

Having endured a 10 hour bumpy ride from Saigon (which btw should have taken only 6hr), we arrived in Phom Penh tired and somewhat moody. We didn't really enjoy being hassled by touts, tuk-tuks and the many cambodian kids selling anything from wooden elephants to photocopied bestseller novels but hey this is Cambodia! We better get used to it.

Phom Penh is rather relaxing for a SE Asian capital city. It boasts a shaddy waterfront, a few Khmer Palaces and a dilapidated central market. Highly recommended activities include visiting the humbling and terrifying Killing Fields, people watching cambodian style (ie. watching scooters carrying 3,4,5 or even 6 people zig-zag-ing in and out of traffic!), honing your bargaining skills in the central market to purchase soap, fried crickets, pirated software/DVD/CD, fake watches etc ... and finally avoiding every tuk tuk driver and / or book-selling cambodian.



I met up with a friend of mine A, who decided to join me for the last three weeks of my trip. It was odd to leave the world of "solo travelling" and I think it ultimately made me lazy but it was enjoyable nonetheless. We hit the road fairly quickly, heading north to Siem Reap, the home of Angkor Wat - Cambodia's finest and most reverred example of Khmer temples. The bus ride was challenging in that we got stuck with the worst seats possible, impossible to recline and too high to lay your feet. After 3 hours, all my blood was in my toes and I was growing increasingly pissed off with the whole journey, wishing I could swap seats with all those people sleeping comfortably.

Once in Siem Reap, we found a hostel and a designated tuk tuk driver in less than 5 minutes (yes the're everywhere). I, by then was feeling a little queezy from the anti-malaria medication. I had avoided taken them in Central America and most of SE Asia but I quickly realised that Cambodian mosquitoes were surprisingly vicious and decided to make the most of my medical kit now that time was running out! Wrong decision as I started feeling ill, bad tummy and all. So in the end, I took the medication for 5 days.


We visited the temples of Angkor, the lost city of Khmer Kings, all beautifully set in a breathtaking park outside of Siem Reap. We grew quite fond of "our driver" especially when we noticed that he was studying english whilst we were visiting the temples. Needless to say, our tip at the end of the 3 days more than made up for the tough bargaining we had done initially. We're suckers through and through!

After Siem Reap, we followed other traveller's advice and embarked on an 8 hr boat ride through Cambodia's remote river system to make our way to a small town called Battangbang. The ride was an eye-opener. We saw remote parts of Cambodia, where people lived in very basic conditions, on small floating shacks with little more than a flimsy roof to protect them from the elements. Unlike Vietnam, the land is not really cultivated as the entire country was ravaged by bombs during the Vietnam war (and subsequently by the Khmer Rouges) - which makes for very raw images of nature.


Our last stop in Cambodia involved getting our hands dirty ... and indulging in some local cuisine. We took a cooking course where to be honest the only good thing that came out of it was the Chicken Amok I made. I managed to completely destroy the remaining three dishes on the menu through a combination of lack of skills and sheer fussyness (ie. not liking the initial ingredients and therefore omitting them !).

I will therefore leave you with a picture of yours truly in Action.

Enjoy!

Vietnam Part 3: Hoi An to Nha Trang

I arrived in Da Nang late, joined a group of fellow travellers (2 couples from the UK) and shared a taxi to the ancient city of Hoi An. Hoi An is a quaint city, nestled in the Central region of Vietnam. It's the home to an old imperial city and a myriad of tailors.



My first objective was to find a tailor to cook up some clothes for me. Easily done, there were approx 20 tailors to each street ie. plenty to chose from. After some very sweaty attempts at trying clothes on ( trying winter clothes in 30C heat is NOT a good combination!), I settled from a few suits, a winter jacket and a dress ... all to be posted home using seamail (I know, playing with fire!). They will hopefully arrive by the time i need to start interviewing for jobs at home. Fingers crossed.

I met some rather interesting people in Hoi An. I shared a room with an english couple, who after one night, decided to not be a couple or rather to reach the "it's complicated" stage. I was then left in the middle, relaying information to the one then the other. An initially awkward situation, which turned out to be rather entertaining.

I also met up with some old friends from Central America. I finally caught up with an Irish couple who I had travelled with from Guatemela to Costa Rica in October last year. They are also reaching the end of their trip and I foresee that we will be spending a fair bit of time together over the coming weeks. Cool :)

I left Hoi An soon enough, having sent my boxes home and quickly growing tired of the constant pressure to buy photocopied books/chinese lanterns / TShirts / Cards/ Kleenex/ Water ... you name it...all at inflated prices.



I boarded a night bus to Nha Trang - which in itself was an interesting experience. I had heard of these "sleeper" buses - fitted with 3 rows of narrow bunk beds and cruising at high speed over numberous potholes whith music blaring and neon disco lights to add to the experience. An experience only valium could make pleasurable.







Nha Trang is described as the home of Vietnam's best beaches - a gross overstatement in my eyes. I arrived early enough to witness families soaking up the morning sun, undertaking their daily exercise routine on the beach. The beach was rather beautiful but this impression dissipated as I began to see garbage floating on the beach or people washing their clothes. I guess we are spoilt in Europe.







I also wanted to see for myself if Nha Trang could live up to its reputation as Vietnam's best dive sites. I had two dives to figure it out. The first dive was average, visibility was low, coral dead in parts and very little fish. The second dive was a lot better, huge coral reefs, colourful fish and a few small caves made for a fun dive.

Verdict: Remember that it's fun to dive even when you can't see much!