I arrived yesterday at KL’s hyper modern bus terminal and took the commuter train to the city centre. The public transport system is fast, efficient and cheap, a real pleasure to discover the city (if there was so much to discover). I went directly to a guest house, which was recommended by the owner of my guest house in Melaka. It was really horrible with rooms as large as prison cells and without outside window (needless to mention that there was no private bathroom and no air condition neither). A single room was “on offer” for 50 Ringgit (12,50 EUR) which was out of question for me. The next guest houses were similar and I really started to worry. At the end I found a brand new place with rooms for 65 Ringgit, including private bathroom and air condition (and very good mattresses). It has a window to the interior, not to outside but it is very quiet, so ok for me. Actually I didn’t want to spend more than 10 EUR per night for accommodation (and I have never passed this limit except the first night in Bangkok) but in KL I have to make an exception. A room for 10 EUR in KL is definitely not fun!
Yesterday afternoon I was strolling through Chinatown, where my guest house is located. It’s also the centre of KL. Just before sunset, I went to Merdeka Square (where the country’s independence was proclaimed) to take pictures of the sunset and KL’s skyline. There are some colonial buildings, so it’s a nice contrast. Then I had dinner in a food court in Little India before going to the roof-top terrace of another hostel, which is almost next door to mine. I met some people there and it was a nice final of the day.
Generally spoken I am really impressed how multicultural this society is. If you go to KL, you almost don’t need to go to India or China. For me the main problem is that I don’t know which dish to try first; there is so much great food everywhere!
Today I woke up at 7:30am to get entrance tickets for the Petronas Towers. There are 15 min time slots available for visiting the Towers and if you arrive late it may happen that all tickets are sold out. When I arrived the queue was already huge. I was really surprised that you have to pay 50 Ringgit. Someone told me recently that it was for free but obviously since 2010 you have to pay. I found it quite of a rip-off and so I decided to go back to the guest house and continue sleeping. It was raining anyway and I guess the views you have from the tower are quite poor under these conditions. There is also a kind of television tower in KL (called Menara KL) with a platform 276m-high. It’s not as high as the Petronas Towers but I thought that you probably have a great view of the Petronas Towers from there. On the foot of Menara KL there is a small leisure park. I only wanted to go up the tower but tickets are only sold in combination with the 3D cinema and the zoo – for 45 Ringgit. What bullshit! Why do I have to pay for a cinema and a zoo when I only want to ascend the tower? On principle I didn’t buy the ticket! Besides, it was still raining. At the end I don’t care about their towers here. They take advantage of the fact that the towers are the main touristic highlights (in a city which doesn’t have too many other sights) and I will not support this rip-off. I will come back to KL anyway, so the chance was still there if I wanted.
I planned to leave KL on Monday but I think I will already leave tomorrow. There is not too much to do and the weather isn’t very good, drizzling all day long.
Saturday 31 March 2012
Thursday 29 March 2012
Melaka (March 27-29)
Some say that Malaysia is a bit boring because travelling is so easy. The infrastructure is like in a Western country, transport is comfortable and punctual and everybody speaks English. Generally spoken, Malaysia is a lot more advanced than its neighbours in Southeast Asia (except Singapore). But boring? I know there are travellers who need their daily dose of unreliable and uncomfortable transport, chaotic street life, etc but I would definitely not call this country boring. It’s the most multicultural country I have ever been to with a rich mix of nationalities and religions. Although dominated by Islam, there are also large communities of Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. The population is composed by Malayans, Chinese, Indians, Westerners and many others. This is the main reason for its fabulous cuisine. Unfortunately there are very high taxes on alcohol which turn the evening beer into a luxury.
I decided to go first to Melaka instead of Kuala Lumpur. The airport lies between the two cities, so it made more sense to go first to Melaka and then to Kuala Lumpur. Melaka is a city full of history. First conquered by the Portuguese, it was then taken by the Dutch and finally by the British before Malaysia gained independence in 1957. There are still various monuments and buildings from the different periods.
I found a very nice guest house with large common areas and a roof-top terrace. The staff is really cool, they organise a bike tour every evening to different markets and eateries. Some of the other guests stay here for longer; it’s really like a big family! The bike is the perfect means of transport as Melaka is not very big and because it’s flat. The biggest surprise for me was the climate. I expected unbearable heat and humidity but it’s really enjoyable. The temperatures are moderate, between 22°C and 32°C and there is always a nice wind blowing from the sea. All other places I have been to at similar latitudes were a lot worse (Melaka is only 240 km north of the equator). I didn’t witness yet one of the torrential rainfalls which occur quite often. It sometimes seemed as if it was about to rain with dark thunderclouds appearing but then there were only some few drops.
Yesterday I did a little bike tour around the city. Although not very exciting, I also went to the sea front to have a look at the Strait of Melaka and the ships passing by. The Strait of Melaka is one of the busiest shipways in the world, chokepoint for all ships operating between Europe and the Far East but Melaka’s harbour is not playing a major role any more; it has been replaced by Singapore.
Tomorrow I will go to Kuala Lumpur and continue my culinary journey!
I decided to go first to Melaka instead of Kuala Lumpur. The airport lies between the two cities, so it made more sense to go first to Melaka and then to Kuala Lumpur. Melaka is a city full of history. First conquered by the Portuguese, it was then taken by the Dutch and finally by the British before Malaysia gained independence in 1957. There are still various monuments and buildings from the different periods.
I found a very nice guest house with large common areas and a roof-top terrace. The staff is really cool, they organise a bike tour every evening to different markets and eateries. Some of the other guests stay here for longer; it’s really like a big family! The bike is the perfect means of transport as Melaka is not very big and because it’s flat. The biggest surprise for me was the climate. I expected unbearable heat and humidity but it’s really enjoyable. The temperatures are moderate, between 22°C and 32°C and there is always a nice wind blowing from the sea. All other places I have been to at similar latitudes were a lot worse (Melaka is only 240 km north of the equator). I didn’t witness yet one of the torrential rainfalls which occur quite often. It sometimes seemed as if it was about to rain with dark thunderclouds appearing but then there were only some few drops.
Yesterday I did a little bike tour around the city. Although not very exciting, I also went to the sea front to have a look at the Strait of Melaka and the ships passing by. The Strait of Melaka is one of the busiest shipways in the world, chokepoint for all ships operating between Europe and the Far East but Melaka’s harbour is not playing a major role any more; it has been replaced by Singapore.
Tomorrow I will go to Kuala Lumpur and continue my culinary journey!
Monday 26 March 2012
Pai & Chiang Mai (March 25-26)
Bye Thailand! It has been a great time with you! I am sad because Thailand is the ideal place to travel with an impressive cultural heritage, nice people, great food and also because it is so easy to meet people here. I really enjoyed my stay and who knows if I come back one day!
Tomorrow I fly to Malaysia. I’m really curious because it’s a different culture and also a different climate zone – 100% tropical. Let’s see how I come along with humidity and daily rainfalls.
My last days in Pai were very similar to the previous days, so I won’t go into details. Only one thing: the rats the French girl was talking about (see previous blog entries) really exist; I have seen them in my bamboo hut last night! I finished my stay yesterday evening in a very Pai-authentic way, that means going to a reggae bar. The offered songs from the funny little band were “No woman, no cry”, “Redemption song” and “Buffalo soldier” – in an infinite loop. They suddenly stopped playing in order to get some alcoholic “refreshments” and I think they never got back to their instruments. We left earlier.
This evening I will enjoy Thai food for the last time here in Chiang Mai, go to bed early and have a 6 am wake up tomorrow. I have an appointment with Borja from Madrid (I met him in Pai). Let’s see if he is there. He was quite surprised when I told him that I don’t use a mobile phone. He seriously asked me how I can make appointments with people without a mobile phone. I told him that in the classical way (from the old times before everyone had a mobile phone), that means agreeing a place and a time. It’s so easy!
Tomorrow I fly to Malaysia. I’m really curious because it’s a different culture and also a different climate zone – 100% tropical. Let’s see how I come along with humidity and daily rainfalls.
My last days in Pai were very similar to the previous days, so I won’t go into details. Only one thing: the rats the French girl was talking about (see previous blog entries) really exist; I have seen them in my bamboo hut last night! I finished my stay yesterday evening in a very Pai-authentic way, that means going to a reggae bar. The offered songs from the funny little band were “No woman, no cry”, “Redemption song” and “Buffalo soldier” – in an infinite loop. They suddenly stopped playing in order to get some alcoholic “refreshments” and I think they never got back to their instruments. We left earlier.
This evening I will enjoy Thai food for the last time here in Chiang Mai, go to bed early and have a 6 am wake up tomorrow. I have an appointment with Borja from Madrid (I met him in Pai). Let’s see if he is there. He was quite surprised when I told him that I don’t use a mobile phone. He seriously asked me how I can make appointments with people without a mobile phone. I told him that in the classical way (from the old times before everyone had a mobile phone), that means agreeing a place and a time. It’s so easy!
Saturday 24 March 2012
Pai (March 22-24)
Yesterday I went out with some people I met on the streets. Some of them were belonging to the “alternative” scene, visible through their tattoos, piercings and clothes. It has to be explained that Pai as a tourist destination has once been founded by hippies in the 90s and that this place is especially attracting “alternatives” from around the world. In Pai, “alternative” has already become the mainstream. There are loads of tattoo and piercing studios and shops selling all kind of “alternative” insignia.
Yesterday evening I had to leave this group of people because from my point of view, a normal conversation was simply not possible. The list of discussed topics was reduced to drinking, smoking (not tobacco), tattoos and piercings (combined with an elevated alcohol level). They think they are different and cool compared to the “normal” people but I don’t think it is very alternative to get tattoos and piercings, drink latte ice shakes, eat veggie burgers (because meat is bad!), get spiritual enlightenment by drinking fancy tea sorts (to balance body and soul) and enjoy all the other Western amenities which are offered here. By consuming alcohol and marihuana and who knows what else, body and soul will never be balanced anyway, useless to spend money on fancy Indian tea!
The really alternative people (in a positive sense) would never go to Pai anyway because this place has as much to do with traditional Thailand as wearing rags, piercings and rastas has to do with being alternative. For me being alternative is having a specific mindset. For me it means being extremely tolerant and open for new things, having the absolute will to immerse in new cultures. I am not this person but I met people who are like this, obviously not in Pai. They don’t need to wear specific clothes (if you can call rags clothes) or piercings or whatever because being alternative is part of their mindset and doesn’t need to be defined through their outward appearance.
Wearing rastas, piercings and tattoos is equal to wearing suit and tie, it means belonging to a specific group of people. This is nothing bad (and I don’t have a problem with that) but I cannot hear these comments anymore from “alternatives”, who think that they are so tolerant because they discover “exotic” countries like Thailand. At the end of the day, the only reason for them to come to Thailand is because it’s cheap, an important factor taking into account that a large part of their travel budget is spent for alcohol and marihuana. Pai is a very nice town (otherwise I wouldn’t have come back) but it could be everywhere on earth. “Alternative” towns look pretty much the same everywhere. Fortunately, the mainstream alternative places also attract lawyers or investment bankers (who can live like kings with their fat bonuses and pay-offs from previous jobs). They are the new “alternatives” in Pai. Long live capitalism!
Yesterday evening I had to leave this group of people because from my point of view, a normal conversation was simply not possible. The list of discussed topics was reduced to drinking, smoking (not tobacco), tattoos and piercings (combined with an elevated alcohol level). They think they are different and cool compared to the “normal” people but I don’t think it is very alternative to get tattoos and piercings, drink latte ice shakes, eat veggie burgers (because meat is bad!), get spiritual enlightenment by drinking fancy tea sorts (to balance body and soul) and enjoy all the other Western amenities which are offered here. By consuming alcohol and marihuana and who knows what else, body and soul will never be balanced anyway, useless to spend money on fancy Indian tea!
The really alternative people (in a positive sense) would never go to Pai anyway because this place has as much to do with traditional Thailand as wearing rags, piercings and rastas has to do with being alternative. For me being alternative is having a specific mindset. For me it means being extremely tolerant and open for new things, having the absolute will to immerse in new cultures. I am not this person but I met people who are like this, obviously not in Pai. They don’t need to wear specific clothes (if you can call rags clothes) or piercings or whatever because being alternative is part of their mindset and doesn’t need to be defined through their outward appearance.
Wearing rastas, piercings and tattoos is equal to wearing suit and tie, it means belonging to a specific group of people. This is nothing bad (and I don’t have a problem with that) but I cannot hear these comments anymore from “alternatives”, who think that they are so tolerant because they discover “exotic” countries like Thailand. At the end of the day, the only reason for them to come to Thailand is because it’s cheap, an important factor taking into account that a large part of their travel budget is spent for alcohol and marihuana. Pai is a very nice town (otherwise I wouldn’t have come back) but it could be everywhere on earth. “Alternative” towns look pretty much the same everywhere. Fortunately, the mainstream alternative places also attract lawyers or investment bankers (who can live like kings with their fat bonuses and pay-offs from previous jobs). They are the new “alternatives” in Pai. Long live capitalism!
Wednesday 21 March 2012
Pai (March 18-21)
66 days are lying behind be and 66 days ahead. This is approximately half time. In Pai my life has completely decelerated. I’m moving my ass from bed to the hammock (checking mails and Facebook and reading news on the internet), then walking 2 minutes to town (breakfast, consisting in some toast, fruit salad and mango shake), then back to my hammock (reading one chapter of the book, about 25-30 pages), then lunch (normally a rice or noodle dish), then back to my hammock (surfing the web or in the best case reading another chapter). In the dusk I go back to town to check out if new people have arrived. I already know the hippies and Rasta people who live here or get stuck for a longer time, so I’m looking for normal travellers. I have dinner and then check out the bars.
On Monday I met a French girl I had already met in Chiang Mai. I recommended her my guest house in Pai and she actually showed up. On Tuesday morning I met her in a very bad shape. She told me that she hasn’t slept because there were rats in her bamboo hut and that she has been crying. She decided to leave Pai immediately and go back to Chiang Mai (although she wanted to stay a whole week). I have to admit that rats inside the hut are not very delightful but is that a reason to immediately leave? She could have changed the guest house... By the way, I have the bamboo hut next door!
I think I haven’t mentioned yet that on Saturday evening I went to a very nice bar with Lauren. They had really good live music there and the bar was full of people (tourists but also a lot of Thais). It was the bar’s 16th anniversary and obviously they organised gigs of the best bands you can get in Northern Thailand. The weekends seem to be quite busy here compared to “working days”, so I’m looking forward to the next weekend. It will be my last one. On Monday I go back to Chiang Mai and on Tuesday I will fly to Kuala Lumpur. The laziness of Pai will have an end then (and also the chilly nights)!
On Monday I met a French girl I had already met in Chiang Mai. I recommended her my guest house in Pai and she actually showed up. On Tuesday morning I met her in a very bad shape. She told me that she hasn’t slept because there were rats in her bamboo hut and that she has been crying. She decided to leave Pai immediately and go back to Chiang Mai (although she wanted to stay a whole week). I have to admit that rats inside the hut are not very delightful but is that a reason to immediately leave? She could have changed the guest house... By the way, I have the bamboo hut next door!
I think I haven’t mentioned yet that on Saturday evening I went to a very nice bar with Lauren. They had really good live music there and the bar was full of people (tourists but also a lot of Thais). It was the bar’s 16th anniversary and obviously they organised gigs of the best bands you can get in Northern Thailand. The weekends seem to be quite busy here compared to “working days”, so I’m looking forward to the next weekend. It will be my last one. On Monday I go back to Chiang Mai and on Tuesday I will fly to Kuala Lumpur. The laziness of Pai will have an end then (and also the chilly nights)!
Saturday 17 March 2012
Pai (March 16-17)
Yesterday was the most perfect day since I started travelling. I was picked up at the guest house and taken to the place where minivans leave from Chiang Mai to Pai. The minivan was real luxury with comfy seats, leg space and a driver, whose target was to arrive in Pai as soon as possible. I had the same target. We made the route in sensational 2,5 hours and arrived at 11 am. I met Lauren, a Canadian girl on the ride and also two English whose names I have forgotten. In Pai, Lauren accompanied me to the guest house where I had already stayed when I first came to Pai. The woman at the reception smiled. She recognised me and said: “You are back! Have you been trekking?” I was a bit confused and told her that yes, I have been trekking but that I have also been to Laos and Cambodia in the meantime and that 6 weeks have passed since last time. Then she was surprised. I asked if number 4 is vacant and it was! I am back to my old bamboo hut! Then she said that the price is now 200 Baht instead of 300 because it’s low season. I was really close to tears; Pai is so nice to me!
The town is really quiet now, nothing compared to six weeks ago. The streets are half empty and not packed with people. I don’t know what happened and why all of a sudden, many tourists have disappeared. In Bangkok for instance, the guest house was almost fully booked and I didn’t have the impression that it is low season. Same applies for Chiang Mai which is only 150 km away from here.
Anyway, I went to the Yellow Sun bar yesterday (my favourite place), then had dinner with Lauren and finally went back to the bar. Yes, life is quite simple here! The night was cool as expected, guaranteeing a relaxing night.
My permit for Thailand expires March 26 (because you only get 15 days entering at land borders), so I will at least stay here until that day. Depending on my mood, I will probably extend the visa. This would mean having to pay a visa-run service to Myanmar, which is quite expensive. I will see. I guess that the days here will be quite similar. I will inform you in case there is some variation, such as an excursion but don’t expect too many blog entries during the next week.
The town is really quiet now, nothing compared to six weeks ago. The streets are half empty and not packed with people. I don’t know what happened and why all of a sudden, many tourists have disappeared. In Bangkok for instance, the guest house was almost fully booked and I didn’t have the impression that it is low season. Same applies for Chiang Mai which is only 150 km away from here.
Anyway, I went to the Yellow Sun bar yesterday (my favourite place), then had dinner with Lauren and finally went back to the bar. Yes, life is quite simple here! The night was cool as expected, guaranteeing a relaxing night.
My permit for Thailand expires March 26 (because you only get 15 days entering at land borders), so I will at least stay here until that day. Depending on my mood, I will probably extend the visa. This would mean having to pay a visa-run service to Myanmar, which is quite expensive. I will see. I guess that the days here will be quite similar. I will inform you in case there is some variation, such as an excursion but don’t expect too many blog entries during the next week.
Chiang Mai (March 15)
The last weeks I was dreaming of eating a burger with fries but I resisted the temptation because it didn’t seem coherent to go to McDonalds or Burger King in a country with such fantastic food like Thailand. Finally at Bangkok’s airport there was an opportunity. At airports food is always expensive so it didn’t make a difference going to McDonalds or having local food. Furthermore there was free Wi-Fi so the choice was easy. As a big surprise, the Big Mac tasted like everywhere in the world. It is like you had never eaten anything else in your life, food without soul.
When I left the airport building in Chiang Mai, I had this great experience of a different climate. It was a great relief compared to Bangkok – hot, but not humid and the sky was blue! I shared a taxi with two French and found a nice German run guest house in the centre. I really like Chiang Mai, the people are amazingly friendly and life is so relaxed – what a contrast to Bangkok’s big city madness! I used the evening for going to the barber and eating at the town’s abundant food stalls. I am so slim that I really have to gain weight. Chiang Mai is the perfect place!
When I left the airport building in Chiang Mai, I had this great experience of a different climate. It was a great relief compared to Bangkok – hot, but not humid and the sky was blue! I shared a taxi with two French and found a nice German run guest house in the centre. I really like Chiang Mai, the people are amazingly friendly and life is so relaxed – what a contrast to Bangkok’s big city madness! I used the evening for going to the barber and eating at the town’s abundant food stalls. I am so slim that I really have to gain weight. Chiang Mai is the perfect place!
Friday 16 March 2012
Bangkok (March 13-14)
Tuesday and Wednesday I explored the modern part of Bangkok. On Tuesday I first started with the Golden Buddha in the Wat Traimit temple (5,5 tons of pure gold), then continued to the Golden Mountain (a temple and pagoda located on a small hill) and ended the tour at the Jim Thompson house near Siam Square (the commercial centre of Bangkok). Jim Thompson was an US-American entrepreneur dealing with silk and textiles from Thailand. He built an impressive teakwood mansion in Bangkok before he mysteriously disappeared in Malaysia in 1967. Today his teak house is a museum and can be visited. The climate in Bangkok really made me feel tired, so I spent the evening relaxing in the guest house (with air condition!).
On Wednesday I took the fantastic subway (with brand new stations and trains, all air conditioned!) and went to the Sukhumvit neighbourhood. I explored Bangkok’s little Arabia but at 10 am the quarter was still dozy with some few men having their morning tea. Then I went all the way along Sukhumvit Road to Siam Square. It wasn’t particularly interesting but I had some nice stops in some of the frozen shopping malls, not to buy but rather to cool down. Then I went from Siam Square to the Lumphini Park by Skyrail train. I was really tired from the heat, so my plan was to rest on a shady park bench. I lay down to have a nap but after five minutes a policeman indicated that I had to sit on the bench, not lie down. What the f***? I thought a park is for recreation. How can I refuel my batteries without lying? I can only guess the reasons for this rule. Anyway, Bangkok seems to have too many policemen if they are even scheduled to control that nobody “misuses” the city’s park benches.
In the evening I went back to the wonderful place I have been to two days before with Wolf and the Swedish guys. I was completely alone on the terrace and spent two hours taking dozens of pictures of Bangkok’s skyline, really cool! At the end I have to say that Bangkok is not so bad. It’s big and chaotic and it’s definitely too hot and humid but there are some really interesting places (Khao San Road is definitely not one of them!). I don’t regret having spent three more days there and the skyline pictures were really worth it! You can see one on my Facebook wallpaper.
On Wednesday I took the fantastic subway (with brand new stations and trains, all air conditioned!) and went to the Sukhumvit neighbourhood. I explored Bangkok’s little Arabia but at 10 am the quarter was still dozy with some few men having their morning tea. Then I went all the way along Sukhumvit Road to Siam Square. It wasn’t particularly interesting but I had some nice stops in some of the frozen shopping malls, not to buy but rather to cool down. Then I went from Siam Square to the Lumphini Park by Skyrail train. I was really tired from the heat, so my plan was to rest on a shady park bench. I lay down to have a nap but after five minutes a policeman indicated that I had to sit on the bench, not lie down. What the f***? I thought a park is for recreation. How can I refuel my batteries without lying? I can only guess the reasons for this rule. Anyway, Bangkok seems to have too many policemen if they are even scheduled to control that nobody “misuses” the city’s park benches.
In the evening I went back to the wonderful place I have been to two days before with Wolf and the Swedish guys. I was completely alone on the terrace and spent two hours taking dozens of pictures of Bangkok’s skyline, really cool! At the end I have to say that Bangkok is not so bad. It’s big and chaotic and it’s definitely too hot and humid but there are some really interesting places (Khao San Road is definitely not one of them!). I don’t regret having spent three more days there and the skyline pictures were really worth it! You can see one on my Facebook wallpaper.
Tuesday 13 March 2012
Bangkok (March 12)
I have finally finished my loop – I’m back to Bangkok! Yesterday I met Wolf (a German guy) in the bus to the border. My original plan was staying one night in Aranya Prathet (a border town on the Thai side) and continuing the next day but he told me that there is a train to Bangkok, leaving at 2 pm. I decided to follow him because I haven’t been on a train yet during my trip and I was really curious. It was a great thing! First, the train ticket is ridiculously cheap, 48 Baht or 1,20 EUR for a six hours ride! Second, you have plenty of room for your legs and third, the train leaves you in the centre of Bangkok (not in a remote bus station). Apart from that, a train ride is nicer because you see a lot more from the landscape.
After arrival at Hua Lamphong station in Bangkok, we had dinner in a food stall opposite to the train station and met an English guy who recommended a guest house not far away from the train station. We went there and it was really nice – not cheap but brand new and with a nice common area. We decided to stay there and shared a room for one night. We also met some Swedish guys there and went to a roof top bar with them. It was actually Wolf’s idea because he knows Bangkok quite well. The bar was absolutely amazing; with an almost 360° panorama view on the river and Bangkok’s skyline. Unfortunately I left the camera and tripod in the guest house. I could have taken amazing pics!
I still have two more days in Bangkok until I return to Northern Thailand by plane. I didn't like it the first time in Bangkok, so I will give it a second chance. I think it may help not staying in the horrible Khao San road area and exploring the modern Bangkok and other sights I haven't been to before.
After arrival at Hua Lamphong station in Bangkok, we had dinner in a food stall opposite to the train station and met an English guy who recommended a guest house not far away from the train station. We went there and it was really nice – not cheap but brand new and with a nice common area. We decided to stay there and shared a room for one night. We also met some Swedish guys there and went to a roof top bar with them. It was actually Wolf’s idea because he knows Bangkok quite well. The bar was absolutely amazing; with an almost 360° panorama view on the river and Bangkok’s skyline. Unfortunately I left the camera and tripod in the guest house. I could have taken amazing pics!
I still have two more days in Bangkok until I return to Northern Thailand by plane. I didn't like it the first time in Bangkok, so I will give it a second chance. I think it may help not staying in the horrible Khao San road area and exploring the modern Bangkok and other sights I haven't been to before.
Siem Reap & Temples of Angkor (March 8-11)
There is not much to say. The huge Angkor area with its hundreds of larger and smaller temples is just amazing. On Thursday after the arrival in Siem Reap I met Lotte and Johan, a Dutch-Swedish couple I had already met two times before, really a coincidence! They had already been to the temple area for two days but still hadn’t seen the more distant temples, around 40 km off the main temple area. We agreed to share a Tuk-Tuk the next day to visit these remote temples and share costs. I didn’t regret it! At the end we did a large tour and ended with the sunset at Angkor Wat, really impressive!
On Friday evening I met two German girls (Claire and Sonja) at the guest house and we shared a Tuk-Tuk the next day to visit other temples, for instance the famous Ta Prohm site, where parts of the Tomb Raider film were shot. It’s a very mystic place because huge trees have overgrown the temples. After eight hours of visiting different sites we were really tired. The weather was actually quite bearable but you need to stay in the shade wherever and whenever possible. In the temple area I met two other people I already met before, Rodrigo, a Chilean who lives in Berlin and Ruth, Peruvian who lives in Stockholm. In the evening we all went for dinner and had some drinks in Siem Reap’s Pub Street. It is a bit similar to Khao San Road in Bangkok but more modest and without so many drunk people, so actually not too bad. Of course this street is only aimed for tourists (as is the whole city). In fact, Siem Reap, a town with 150.000 inhabitants only exists because of Angkor.
The third day (Sunday), I went to the temple area with Ruth, Sonja and Claire to visit the remaining sites. It’s impossible to see everything but the most interesting places can be seen in two or three days. The three day pass is the same price as two days, so it’s worth going three days and taking it easier. We ended up visiting the interior of Angkor Wat, which I hadn’t seen before and stayed until after sunset. This time I went to the opposite side of the temple to observe the sun setting behind it. I have some really nice pics!
The three days in Siem Reap were really great because I met a lot of people to share the experience of visiting the Angkor temples. I was actually thinking of skipping Cambodia because I was tired of travelling on horrible buses but at the end I’m glad I didn’t! I really liked Cambodia (more than Laos), mainly because the people are more open and friendlier.
On Friday evening I met two German girls (Claire and Sonja) at the guest house and we shared a Tuk-Tuk the next day to visit other temples, for instance the famous Ta Prohm site, where parts of the Tomb Raider film were shot. It’s a very mystic place because huge trees have overgrown the temples. After eight hours of visiting different sites we were really tired. The weather was actually quite bearable but you need to stay in the shade wherever and whenever possible. In the temple area I met two other people I already met before, Rodrigo, a Chilean who lives in Berlin and Ruth, Peruvian who lives in Stockholm. In the evening we all went for dinner and had some drinks in Siem Reap’s Pub Street. It is a bit similar to Khao San Road in Bangkok but more modest and without so many drunk people, so actually not too bad. Of course this street is only aimed for tourists (as is the whole city). In fact, Siem Reap, a town with 150.000 inhabitants only exists because of Angkor.
The third day (Sunday), I went to the temple area with Ruth, Sonja and Claire to visit the remaining sites. It’s impossible to see everything but the most interesting places can be seen in two or three days. The three day pass is the same price as two days, so it’s worth going three days and taking it easier. We ended up visiting the interior of Angkor Wat, which I hadn’t seen before and stayed until after sunset. This time I went to the opposite side of the temple to observe the sun setting behind it. I have some really nice pics!
The three days in Siem Reap were really great because I met a lot of people to share the experience of visiting the Angkor temples. I was actually thinking of skipping Cambodia because I was tired of travelling on horrible buses but at the end I’m glad I didn’t! I really liked Cambodia (more than Laos), mainly because the people are more open and friendlier.
Thursday 8 March 2012
Phnom Penh (March 5-7)
Phnom Penh is surprisingly clean compared to what I had seen before in Cambodia. It’s a quite modern city, I would say similar to Bangkok but smaller. The city has a doubtful reputation for being a favourite place for sex tourists. You can see plenty of establishments right in the centre, it’s really obvious. Nevertheless, it’s a place you can stay longer, with a nice atmosphere and good food. The people are very friendly. It’s normal that in the centre tourism is their business, but they are very polite and don’t get on your nerves.
I went to Phnom Penh with a French couple I have met several times before, the first time in Pai, which was 5 weeks ago! We checked in a nice guest house with a fantastic roof top terrace. My room was a bit musty and humid but still ok. Phnom Penh is quite expensive compared to other places in the region, really surprising because Cambodia is a very poor country. The guest house room was 12 USD and a decent dish for lunch or dinner can be around 4 USD. In Thailand for example you can eat great for 1 USD.
I did some of the excursions in Phnom Penh together with Guillaume and Aurélia (the French couple). On Tuesday morning we went first to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (also known as S-21), where the Red Khmer once tortured and executed their compatriots. It is really not easy to digest what you see there and it is unbelievable that all this happened only 33 years ago.
In the afternoon I went to the Royal Palace (a set of temples and other official buildings of the Kingdom), but it wasn’t too exciting. It is very similar to the Grand Palace in Bangkok. The late afternoon and evening was reserved for chilling at the roof terrace, having dinner, etc. Wednesday was quite similar. We went to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek in the morning. It is really unbelievable which kind of atrocities human beings are able to commit. I will not go into details here but it was terrifying.
In the evening I met a German photographer’s couple and I had a very interesting conversation with them. They travelled exactly in those countries which I plan to visit next and vice-versa, so it was very useful for both sides. They also showed me photos and videos from their trip, really great what you can do if you know how! I also said good-bye to Guillaume and Aurélia who continued to Sihanoukville this morning. I took a morning bus to Siem Reap, where one of the main highlights, if not “the” highlight of Southeast Asia is waiting for me – Angkor Wat. It is almost useless to mention that the bus ride was horrible. This time it was the air condition (in a bus without possibility to open windows) which failed. It didn’t have enough power for the whole bus – not nice taking into account the outside temperatures of 35°C.
I went to Phnom Penh with a French couple I have met several times before, the first time in Pai, which was 5 weeks ago! We checked in a nice guest house with a fantastic roof top terrace. My room was a bit musty and humid but still ok. Phnom Penh is quite expensive compared to other places in the region, really surprising because Cambodia is a very poor country. The guest house room was 12 USD and a decent dish for lunch or dinner can be around 4 USD. In Thailand for example you can eat great for 1 USD.
I did some of the excursions in Phnom Penh together with Guillaume and Aurélia (the French couple). On Tuesday morning we went first to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (also known as S-21), where the Red Khmer once tortured and executed their compatriots. It is really not easy to digest what you see there and it is unbelievable that all this happened only 33 years ago.
In the afternoon I went to the Royal Palace (a set of temples and other official buildings of the Kingdom), but it wasn’t too exciting. It is very similar to the Grand Palace in Bangkok. The late afternoon and evening was reserved for chilling at the roof terrace, having dinner, etc. Wednesday was quite similar. We went to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek in the morning. It is really unbelievable which kind of atrocities human beings are able to commit. I will not go into details here but it was terrifying.
In the evening I met a German photographer’s couple and I had a very interesting conversation with them. They travelled exactly in those countries which I plan to visit next and vice-versa, so it was very useful for both sides. They also showed me photos and videos from their trip, really great what you can do if you know how! I also said good-bye to Guillaume and Aurélia who continued to Sihanoukville this morning. I took a morning bus to Siem Reap, where one of the main highlights, if not “the” highlight of Southeast Asia is waiting for me – Angkor Wat. It is almost useless to mention that the bus ride was horrible. This time it was the air condition (in a bus without possibility to open windows) which failed. It didn’t have enough power for the whole bus – not nice taking into account the outside temperatures of 35°C.
Monday 5 March 2012
Kratie (March 4)
Yesterday we were ripped off. “We” includes all the tourists who have booked a transfer from 4.000 islands in Laos to a specific town in Cambodia (in my case it was Kratie, half way between the border and Phnom Penh). The day started how travel days in Laos normally start – with trouble! Our boat to the riverside almost sank because it was packed with about 15 people and the respective luggage. First there was only a little bit of water in the boat and no one was worried because the riverside was quite close but then the water level inside the boat increased rapidly. After we shouted to the boat driver (because our backpacks were already partly under water) we stopped at an island and thus avoided capsizing. From there we were distributed to other boats.
Our bus which was supposed to take us from the riverside village to the border was two hours late and as they overbooked it, three of us had no seats. I was one of them because I waited until they finalised the procedure of trying to stow all bags in the luggage compartment (to make sure the bags will not fall out on the way) and then when I entered the bus it was too late. Nobody thanked me for my supervision! The border was only 20 minutes away and as we paid 30 dollars for the visa-on-arrival instead of the official 20 dollars, the border procedure was pretty straightforward. We learned that the Lao officer receives 2 dollars bribe for giving the departure stamp quickly, then 3 dollars for the first Cambodian officer (who issues the visa), another 3 dollars for the second Cambodian officer (giving the entry stamp) and 2 dollars “administration fee” for the Mafia cartel from 4.000 islands. They are so kind to “help” the tourists with the immigration procedure but have to charge you for that service. Apart from the border scam it has to be mentioned that they sell bus tickets for 23 dollars which would normally cost 7 or so. The problem is that you have no choice because on the islands they have formed a cartel and there is no competition.
As it we could expect we had to change the bus and finally travelled to Kratie in a minivan with 20 people or so. I took an analgesic to reduce the pain for my back and my legs because there was no space. I was really pissed off because after paying so much money they pack you into these horrible minivans as a consequence of overbooking. These people working in tourism are so useless, I really hate them. I am not used to so much incompetence. The worst is that I bought my ticket on 4.000 islands from an American guy. I mean if you get ripped off by locals, it’s maybe understandable because they are poor but an American! He should really be ashamed of himself to belong to this Mafia. I am sure he has also been a backpacker some time ago and was in the same situation as the people he is now ripping off!
Anyway, we finally arrived in Kratie, a spotless Cambodian town. The stay there was more meant as a stopover. I met a lot of people there who I have already met before in Laos or even Thailand and I spent a very nice evening. Today I continued to Phnom Penh in a big bus with own seat and paid USD 6,25 for 8 hours bus ride. It’s also possible to travel without pain!
Our bus which was supposed to take us from the riverside village to the border was two hours late and as they overbooked it, three of us had no seats. I was one of them because I waited until they finalised the procedure of trying to stow all bags in the luggage compartment (to make sure the bags will not fall out on the way) and then when I entered the bus it was too late. Nobody thanked me for my supervision! The border was only 20 minutes away and as we paid 30 dollars for the visa-on-arrival instead of the official 20 dollars, the border procedure was pretty straightforward. We learned that the Lao officer receives 2 dollars bribe for giving the departure stamp quickly, then 3 dollars for the first Cambodian officer (who issues the visa), another 3 dollars for the second Cambodian officer (giving the entry stamp) and 2 dollars “administration fee” for the Mafia cartel from 4.000 islands. They are so kind to “help” the tourists with the immigration procedure but have to charge you for that service. Apart from the border scam it has to be mentioned that they sell bus tickets for 23 dollars which would normally cost 7 or so. The problem is that you have no choice because on the islands they have formed a cartel and there is no competition.
As it we could expect we had to change the bus and finally travelled to Kratie in a minivan with 20 people or so. I took an analgesic to reduce the pain for my back and my legs because there was no space. I was really pissed off because after paying so much money they pack you into these horrible minivans as a consequence of overbooking. These people working in tourism are so useless, I really hate them. I am not used to so much incompetence. The worst is that I bought my ticket on 4.000 islands from an American guy. I mean if you get ripped off by locals, it’s maybe understandable because they are poor but an American! He should really be ashamed of himself to belong to this Mafia. I am sure he has also been a backpacker some time ago and was in the same situation as the people he is now ripping off!
Anyway, we finally arrived in Kratie, a spotless Cambodian town. The stay there was more meant as a stopover. I met a lot of people there who I have already met before in Laos or even Thailand and I spent a very nice evening. Today I continued to Phnom Penh in a big bus with own seat and paid USD 6,25 for 8 hours bus ride. It’s also possible to travel without pain!
Saturday 3 March 2012
4.000 islands (February 29 - March 3)
On Wednesday I fell in love – with a bus! You’d probably ask how it is possible to fall in love with a bus but in Laos it’s possible. The bus from Tad Lo to Pakse was a real bus with seats, and the best – there was enough space for my legs! It was half empty, so I could have even put my legs to my virtual seat neighbour. It was early morning and a gentle and refreshing wind was blowing through the small windows. I put on my iPod and was even about to sleep but then I started to realise that the 2 hours on this bus were too valuable to spend them sleeping.
In Laos heaven and hell are close together. I had to change bus in Pakse and the vehicle that expected me for my trip to 4.000 islands was a pick-up truck. Here they call it Song Tauw. It’s a harmless name for a vehicle that was designed to torture their passengers. Well, the truth is that it has never been designed for passenger transport but who cares? I will not mention all the details of the 3,5 hours trip, only the most important facts: Unlike the pick-ups I have used before, it had 3 sitting benches instead of two. That means more passengers, animals and goods per square centimetre. My “seat” was one of the better ones. I was sitting on the edge of the middle bench with my feet on the footboard. That meant I had space for my legs (always watching out not to fall outside) but the flipside of the coin was that the exhaust pipe was below my legs. I breathed a mixture of black and definitely not healthy Diesel emissions and the usual dust from the road. It wasn’t very recommendable neither to turn my head towards inside the torture chamber because the smell was not better. As I knew after the trip there were living fish in a big box under the middle seat (and the box was leaking!). It definitely seems as if my last “bus” ride in Laos was one worthy of this country!
Before I start describing the beauty of 4.000 islands, I have to mention a topic which really makes me angry. It’s the environmental awareness (or better said non-awareness) of the locals. Two days ago I observed the lady from my guesthouse washing the dishes at the river, just below my bungalow. Apart from the dishes there was also a bit of garbage in her basket (such as cans and plastic bottles) and guess where the garbage landed – in the river! I have seen people throwing garbage everywhere but the behaviour of this lady has a different quality because here they live directly from the beauty of this place. I don’t think that tourists would be very keen to swim in a river full of garbage. If they continue like that, maybe in a couple of years there are no tourists any more. The behaviour is so short-sighted and I don’t know if it is because the people have no education (although I think you don’t need to go to school or university to understand this simple correlation) or if they just don’t fucking care. I am really asking myself why other countries give development aid to countries like Laos if the people here are not willing to contribute a tiny little bit to the conservation of their nature (and hence also foster economy through tourism). The country is still lucky because it has only 7 million inhabitants, that’s simply too few people to achieve massive destruction of nature. For the sake of fairness I have to add that I have also seen tourists (mainly the type of Vang Vieng tourists whose single objective is to get drunk) who threw beer bottles and cigarettes into the water. That is even worse because they should have received the education to know what is right or wrong. I have no words to describe how angry I am.
Anyway, 4.000 islands is really a beautiful spot of nature. It’s a delta of the Mekong before the river flushes down a series of impressive waterfalls further south. The region is the southernmost point of Laos, located next to the Cambodian border. In dry season the water has a nice green to turquoise colour. If you also consider the palm trees growing here, you could really think of being at the coast. It’s really nice swimming in the fresh water and relaxing in the hammock of my bungalow. The day before yesterday I rented a bike in order to go to the next island but unfortunately I had a flat tyre on the way. I didn’t want to go back so I stopped a motor bike, whose driver was so kind to take me. On the other island I went to see one of the 6 big waterfalls of the Mekong River (in former times insuperable barrier for steam ships). On the way back there was no motorbike, so I had to walk more than one hour in the midday heat. Due to agricultural use of the soil, there were no trees and no shade, really tough in these latitudes! Apart from this “incidence”, there is not much to tell. I spent many hours lying in my hammock, reading or listening to music, accompanied by a Dutch-Swedish couple who I met on the “bus” ride and who was staying in the bungalow next door.
Tomorrow I will leave Laos and enter Cambodia. In general I would have expected to be nature more abundant in Laos but I am not disappointed. It is a relaxed place and if you are able to accept the people’s relaxed attitude (implying good and bad things) then you can spend a great time here.
By the way, I have fully recovered from my sickness :-)
In Laos heaven and hell are close together. I had to change bus in Pakse and the vehicle that expected me for my trip to 4.000 islands was a pick-up truck. Here they call it Song Tauw. It’s a harmless name for a vehicle that was designed to torture their passengers. Well, the truth is that it has never been designed for passenger transport but who cares? I will not mention all the details of the 3,5 hours trip, only the most important facts: Unlike the pick-ups I have used before, it had 3 sitting benches instead of two. That means more passengers, animals and goods per square centimetre. My “seat” was one of the better ones. I was sitting on the edge of the middle bench with my feet on the footboard. That meant I had space for my legs (always watching out not to fall outside) but the flipside of the coin was that the exhaust pipe was below my legs. I breathed a mixture of black and definitely not healthy Diesel emissions and the usual dust from the road. It wasn’t very recommendable neither to turn my head towards inside the torture chamber because the smell was not better. As I knew after the trip there were living fish in a big box under the middle seat (and the box was leaking!). It definitely seems as if my last “bus” ride in Laos was one worthy of this country!
Before I start describing the beauty of 4.000 islands, I have to mention a topic which really makes me angry. It’s the environmental awareness (or better said non-awareness) of the locals. Two days ago I observed the lady from my guesthouse washing the dishes at the river, just below my bungalow. Apart from the dishes there was also a bit of garbage in her basket (such as cans and plastic bottles) and guess where the garbage landed – in the river! I have seen people throwing garbage everywhere but the behaviour of this lady has a different quality because here they live directly from the beauty of this place. I don’t think that tourists would be very keen to swim in a river full of garbage. If they continue like that, maybe in a couple of years there are no tourists any more. The behaviour is so short-sighted and I don’t know if it is because the people have no education (although I think you don’t need to go to school or university to understand this simple correlation) or if they just don’t fucking care. I am really asking myself why other countries give development aid to countries like Laos if the people here are not willing to contribute a tiny little bit to the conservation of their nature (and hence also foster economy through tourism). The country is still lucky because it has only 7 million inhabitants, that’s simply too few people to achieve massive destruction of nature. For the sake of fairness I have to add that I have also seen tourists (mainly the type of Vang Vieng tourists whose single objective is to get drunk) who threw beer bottles and cigarettes into the water. That is even worse because they should have received the education to know what is right or wrong. I have no words to describe how angry I am.
Anyway, 4.000 islands is really a beautiful spot of nature. It’s a delta of the Mekong before the river flushes down a series of impressive waterfalls further south. The region is the southernmost point of Laos, located next to the Cambodian border. In dry season the water has a nice green to turquoise colour. If you also consider the palm trees growing here, you could really think of being at the coast. It’s really nice swimming in the fresh water and relaxing in the hammock of my bungalow. The day before yesterday I rented a bike in order to go to the next island but unfortunately I had a flat tyre on the way. I didn’t want to go back so I stopped a motor bike, whose driver was so kind to take me. On the other island I went to see one of the 6 big waterfalls of the Mekong River (in former times insuperable barrier for steam ships). On the way back there was no motorbike, so I had to walk more than one hour in the midday heat. Due to agricultural use of the soil, there were no trees and no shade, really tough in these latitudes! Apart from this “incidence”, there is not much to tell. I spent many hours lying in my hammock, reading or listening to music, accompanied by a Dutch-Swedish couple who I met on the “bus” ride and who was staying in the bungalow next door.
Tomorrow I will leave Laos and enter Cambodia. In general I would have expected to be nature more abundant in Laos but I am not disappointed. It is a relaxed place and if you are able to accept the people’s relaxed attitude (implying good and bad things) then you can spend a great time here.
By the way, I have fully recovered from my sickness :-)
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