Ok so I am now 2 whole countries behind on this thing. I am officially useless at blogging. It is really hard to find the time to write it and also to find a computer that is not painfully slow!
Our firs top in Vietnam was Chau Doc, a town jut past the Cambodia Vietnam border. We took a little time to relax and adjust to the change of pace...life is pretty chaotic in Vietnam! In the evening we took a motorbike ride up Sam Mountain to watch the sunset over Cambodia...beautiful. We chilled at the top of the mountain in hammocks with a beer for a while and decided tat we already liked Vietnam!
From Chau Doc we made the long journey to Ho Chi Minh City. I have never ever seen traffic like this! Vietnam is very heavily populate with a population of almost 90 million...I swear they all live in HCM! The locals mainly drive motorbikes or scooters and they will stop for nothing and no one. Crossing the road is terrifying but we were given the tip that you just have to walk across really really slowly, do this and they will avoid you....make sudden jumpy movements and they will hit you. I have some amazing photos of all the traffic congestion at rush hour.
In HCM we explored the huge Ben Thanh Market and I bought some souvenirs that, along with a canvas painting I bought Cambodia, were going to be a total pain in the ass to carry around for another month! Our first evening in HCM was a very drunken one. After dinner we ended up in a bar that was called 'fucking strong buckets.' They definitely were fucking strong buckets. Despite the fragile heads in the morning we got up early and travelled to the Cu Chi Tunnels, a complex network tunnels just outside the city where the locals lived during the Amercian war to keep safe. This was a really interesting day and Lis and I felt glad that the buckets had not stopped us from learning about Vietnam's recent war history. While at the tunnels we got the opportunity to shoot a M61 machine gun (i think this is what it was called!) Not too sure I just know that it was a really big gun!
In the evening we boarded the first of 3 sleeper trains on our travels through Vietnam. As we were expecting the worst it actually wasn't that bad! Tiny cabins with small bunks and one very dodgy squat toilet per carriage but we all seemed to sleep pretty well and before we knew we woke up in Nha Trang.
Considering it is supposed to be rainy season in Vietnam we were very lucky with the weather in Nha Trang, it was beautiful. Situated on the coast we spent the day relaxing on a beautiful beach, wandering around the local shops and markets and drinking iced coffee. Vietnamese coffee is delicious! That evening we went to an amazing restaurant where you paid around 3 quid to get your own table bbq and an endless supply of fresh prawns meats and vegetables to bbq yourself. Would have been really really good value if they hadn't marinated absolutely everything in red chillies so ended up getting through about 4 beers each at dinner. After dinner we hit the town, Nha Trang has many nice bars along the beach, it almost felt as though we were on holiday somewhere in the med. However, when walking from one bar to the next we came across a large dog which had a cat in its mouth and it literally chewed it to death in front of us. It was horrible. It suddenly hit me that we were in fact in Vietnam where this kind of thing does not even get a second glance from the locals. 4 beers down I got really upset about the whole thing and made a teary phone call to Mum who told me I wasn't in Kanas anymore and to go and get another drink down me!
The next day in Nha Trang was spent seeing some temples (I do have the names written down somewhere but I have seen so many bloody temples that it is hard to remember them all by name!), the White Buddha, and visiting the mud baths. We were very lucky with our timing in visiting Vietnam as it was the run up to the Chinese New Year. Vietnam has been independent from China for less than 1000 and there is still a strong Chinese influence within the Vietnamese culture. New year is called 'Tet' and the phrase 'Chuc Mung Nam Moi' means Happy New Year. I said and heard it so often that I swear the saying will stick with me for life. The streets of all the towns and cities were decorated and the streets lined with stalls selling big pots of yellow flowers which are lucky to have in your house at this time of year. It was a really interesting time to be in the country.
From Nha Trang we headed north by sleeper train to Hoi An. This particular sleeper train was not so enjoyable. There were so many locals trying to make their way home for the holidays and so, extra, not quite so comfortable, transport was put on to accommodate the vast numbers of people. Fighting through the crowds of locals to get on the train was a nightmare, once on, trying to make your way along the corridor of the carriage was almost impossible. There was just Vietnamese bodies everywhere! Once we had managed to vacate the Vietnamese village that was in our cabin we relaxed a little and felt like we shouldn't complain about our cabin in which there were 4 beds and 1 person to each bed when next door in another 4 bed cabin there were 18 Vietnamese people trying to sleep!
We arrived into the city of Danang and made our way straight to the town of Hoi An. I absolutely loved this place! Beautiful river, architecture, shops, cafes, beach. I could have spent so much longer than a couple of days here. Hoi An is famous for its tailor shops where you can purchase whatever design of whatever item of clothing you desire, made for you within a few hours. Safe to say I spent a little bit of money here!
From Hoi An we continued or journey north to the town of Hue. Here we had our first rainfall but we purchased really attractive ponchos and spent some time visiting the former Royal Citadel, modelled on the Forbidden City in Beijing, and once home to the Nguyen Emperors. We also made a visit to the seven tiered pagoda a some of the tombs of the former rulers of Vietnam. While in Hue we ate in some really cool places but I must admit I wasn't the greatest fan of Vietnamese cuisine and was starting to miss Mums home cooking a bit.
From Hue we boarded our last sleeper train in Vietnam and made our way to the beautiful and famous Halong Bay.It was New Years Eve while on the train so we bought some booze to take on and celebrated just as hard as if it was our own New Year. When we got off the train there was a sudden shock to our systems as it was bloody freezing! So off with the shorts and on with the thermals. Halong Bay was absolutely amazing! We boarded a sailing junk, enjoyed a seafood lunch and sailed around the thousands of islands that rise dramatically from the water. It is stunning. I just wish that the weather had been better as although it was dry it was really overcast and grey. I will have to go back and see it in the summer one day, my pictures just don't do it justice!
We finished our travels of Vietnam in Hanoi, the capital, which was also verrryyy cold. The city is usually nicknamed Hanoi-se due to the vast numbers of people, traffic and the obsession the locals have with beeping their horns. However as it was Tet and most people have around 10 days off work at this time the city was strangely ghostly. This was probably a blessing though as it meant that I was unable to buy anything else!
We said goodbye to some great friends in Hanoi and celebrated our farewell with a big night out in our thermals!
The next day we headed for the airport to fly back to the sunshine in Vietiane, Laos....
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Thursday, 19 January 2012
....the rest of Cambodia!
First chance Lis and I have got to actually spend a little time on a computer! I have done and seen so much in the last ten days!
Before leaving Siem Reap in Cambodia we took a boat trip across Tonle Sap Lake (the largest lake in Asia) to visit the floating village. A village which does exactly what it says on the tin - it floats on water. The people living there are all Vietnamese refugees and they live in unbelievable poverty. I honestly cannot describe the way of life for these people and I hope that my photos convey just how moving an experience it was. As we were getting to the village, small boats were coming up along side ours with small children in them holding a snake around their neck. They were trying to pass us the snake to hold in exchange for a dollar. Boats with mothers with a baby asking if we wanted to hold their baby for a dollar. Really heartbreaking stuff.
However, the mood lifted a little when we got to go to a small marketplace and buy food to take to the local school. The school consisted of 2 classrooms jam packed with kids, the majority of whom were orphans. We got to hand out food to the children and play with them, amazing experience!
The journey to Cambodia's capital - Phom Penh then began. By the time we arrived there we only really had time to have a quick explore and grab a bite to eat. However we still found the energy to hit the town for a night out. With buckets of your favourite cocktail working out at around a quid it would just be rude not to.
The highlight of our time in Phom Penh was definitely the visit we took to the S21 prison and the killing fields situated just outside the city. I honestly cannot explain how shocking and emotional this experience was. The former security office 21 in 'Democratic Kampuchea' was created on orders of Pol Pot for the detention, interrogation, inhumane torture and killing of innocent Cambodians during his 1975-79 regime. Of the tens of thousands who entered this prison, no one ever escaped and only 7 people survived. Only 2 of these survivors are still alive today. We were so lucky as we had the opportunity of meeting Chum Manh, one of the survivors. Most days he sits outside the prison in which he was detained, physically still suffering and affected from the torture he endured to tell his story.
The killing fields were the areas where those who survived such prisons were taken and brutally killed. The killing field we visited was truly haunting. Here 20,000 people were executed and murdered. The 129 mass graves and 8,000 human skulls at the site bear testimony to this unspeakable crime. As we walked around looking at each mass we were literally stepping on bones and teeth which had been brought to the surface of the ground due to teh heavy rain in the wet season.
SO after all that a few strong drinks were definitely in order!!!!
From Phom Penh we headed down to the Southern coast of Cambodia to Sihanoukville - backpackers paradise! Lots of bars and cafes along the beach. We used our time here to chill out have some beach time, take a boat trip to an uninhabited island, get our nails painted and legs threaded on the beach for a few dollars and of course drink a few more buckets.
We were really sad to leave Cambodia. I WILL be going back there one day.
Right now I am in Hoi An in Vietnam, beautiful place! Will write about my Vietnam adventures later....got shopping to do just now :)
Loads of love from Vietnam
xxxxx
Before leaving Siem Reap in Cambodia we took a boat trip across Tonle Sap Lake (the largest lake in Asia) to visit the floating village. A village which does exactly what it says on the tin - it floats on water. The people living there are all Vietnamese refugees and they live in unbelievable poverty. I honestly cannot describe the way of life for these people and I hope that my photos convey just how moving an experience it was. As we were getting to the village, small boats were coming up along side ours with small children in them holding a snake around their neck. They were trying to pass us the snake to hold in exchange for a dollar. Boats with mothers with a baby asking if we wanted to hold their baby for a dollar. Really heartbreaking stuff.
However, the mood lifted a little when we got to go to a small marketplace and buy food to take to the local school. The school consisted of 2 classrooms jam packed with kids, the majority of whom were orphans. We got to hand out food to the children and play with them, amazing experience!
The journey to Cambodia's capital - Phom Penh then began. By the time we arrived there we only really had time to have a quick explore and grab a bite to eat. However we still found the energy to hit the town for a night out. With buckets of your favourite cocktail working out at around a quid it would just be rude not to.
The highlight of our time in Phom Penh was definitely the visit we took to the S21 prison and the killing fields situated just outside the city. I honestly cannot explain how shocking and emotional this experience was. The former security office 21 in 'Democratic Kampuchea' was created on orders of Pol Pot for the detention, interrogation, inhumane torture and killing of innocent Cambodians during his 1975-79 regime. Of the tens of thousands who entered this prison, no one ever escaped and only 7 people survived. Only 2 of these survivors are still alive today. We were so lucky as we had the opportunity of meeting Chum Manh, one of the survivors. Most days he sits outside the prison in which he was detained, physically still suffering and affected from the torture he endured to tell his story.
The killing fields were the areas where those who survived such prisons were taken and brutally killed. The killing field we visited was truly haunting. Here 20,000 people were executed and murdered. The 129 mass graves and 8,000 human skulls at the site bear testimony to this unspeakable crime. As we walked around looking at each mass we were literally stepping on bones and teeth which had been brought to the surface of the ground due to teh heavy rain in the wet season.
SO after all that a few strong drinks were definitely in order!!!!
From Phom Penh we headed down to the Southern coast of Cambodia to Sihanoukville - backpackers paradise! Lots of bars and cafes along the beach. We used our time here to chill out have some beach time, take a boat trip to an uninhabited island, get our nails painted and legs threaded on the beach for a few dollars and of course drink a few more buckets.
We were really sad to leave Cambodia. I WILL be going back there one day.
Right now I am in Hoi An in Vietnam, beautiful place! Will write about my Vietnam adventures later....got shopping to do just now :)
Loads of love from Vietnam
xxxxx
Monday, 9 January 2012
From Bangkok to Siem Reap
Don't have much time but here is a VERRY quick run through of the last couple of days!
Met the group, all lovely! Very lucky to have met such nice people!
On the first night we had dinner together followed by a few beers.....and some deep fried grasshoppers and cockroaches!! When in Thailand eh.
Yesterday we arrived in Siem Reap....instant change in both scenery and culture from Thailand. Last night we spent the evening in the suburbs of Siem Reap where we got a taste of local life, were cooked dinner by the locals at a small school for English (consisted of a shak with a white board and a clock) and played with the children all of whom were desperate to speak English to us. Was an amazing experience!
Today we got up at silly oclock and watched the Sun rise over Angkor Wat....absoluetly beautiful!! Spent the day around a few of the temples including the one in which Lara Croft was filmed....they are all incredible!
Tonight we are heading out for a few 30 pence beers in Siem Reap town. Not too many though as the long journey to Pnom phen is on the agenda for tomorrow.
Already LOVE Cambodia....very excited for our next stop.
Met the group, all lovely! Very lucky to have met such nice people!
On the first night we had dinner together followed by a few beers.....and some deep fried grasshoppers and cockroaches!! When in Thailand eh.
Yesterday we arrived in Siem Reap....instant change in both scenery and culture from Thailand. Last night we spent the evening in the suburbs of Siem Reap where we got a taste of local life, were cooked dinner by the locals at a small school for English (consisted of a shak with a white board and a clock) and played with the children all of whom were desperate to speak English to us. Was an amazing experience!
Today we got up at silly oclock and watched the Sun rise over Angkor Wat....absoluetly beautiful!! Spent the day around a few of the temples including the one in which Lara Croft was filmed....they are all incredible!
Tonight we are heading out for a few 30 pence beers in Siem Reap town. Not too many though as the long journey to Pnom phen is on the agenda for tomorrow.
Already LOVE Cambodia....very excited for our next stop.
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Greetings from Bangkok!
Where to start?!
Lis and I arrived in Bangkok yesterday...exhausted! 2 delayed flights due to very windy UK weather meant a little bit of stress but somehow we managed to catch all our connecting flights. Abroad the long haul journey we discvovered that suduko is impossible and that Lis does not travel well (something she didn't actually mention when we booked to TRAVEL the world?!) Menatl note also made to never eat plane food again.
Couldn't believe how crazy Bangkok was when we took our taxi from the airport to the hotel. The traffic is insane and the roads are just complete free for alls. Our hotel is MUCH nicer than we were expecting, comfy beds, slippers and dressing gowns provided etc. We definitely are not roughing it yet! Expecting to check in and meet our tour group in the evening we had a panic when we found out our tour doesnt actually start Saturday and we had arrived a day early. oops! So an extra night at the hotel it was then - just as well really as it has given us time to get over our jet lag a little. In the evening we went out for dinner at a little restaurant packed full of locals and travellers nearby the hotel. We paid around 2.50 each for a seriously good thai green curry and a drink, amazing! The sights and sounds of the city are like nothing I have experienced before.
Today we have been out and about exploring. We made a trip by the metro to Chatuchak weekend market. It was amazing! You can buy eveything from jewelry and scarfs to puppies and baby rabbits. Lis had to drag me away before I bought a bundle of them and posted them home.
At 6pm this evening we meet our tour group and leader for the first time, we are really excited to meet everyone. Think dinner and a few beers to get to know each other is on the agenda. Tomorrow we begin the LONG journey to Cambodia It is approx 4 hours to the border (where we have to adhere to protocol and cross by foot) and then a further 3 to Siem Reap where we will be spending the next few days. Already packed the sick bags for lis.
Will tell all about Cambodia next week!
Biiig love to everyone at home (you unlucky bastards :))
Lis and I arrived in Bangkok yesterday...exhausted! 2 delayed flights due to very windy UK weather meant a little bit of stress but somehow we managed to catch all our connecting flights. Abroad the long haul journey we discvovered that suduko is impossible and that Lis does not travel well (something she didn't actually mention when we booked to TRAVEL the world?!) Menatl note also made to never eat plane food again.
Couldn't believe how crazy Bangkok was when we took our taxi from the airport to the hotel. The traffic is insane and the roads are just complete free for alls. Our hotel is MUCH nicer than we were expecting, comfy beds, slippers and dressing gowns provided etc. We definitely are not roughing it yet! Expecting to check in and meet our tour group in the evening we had a panic when we found out our tour doesnt actually start Saturday and we had arrived a day early. oops! So an extra night at the hotel it was then - just as well really as it has given us time to get over our jet lag a little. In the evening we went out for dinner at a little restaurant packed full of locals and travellers nearby the hotel. We paid around 2.50 each for a seriously good thai green curry and a drink, amazing! The sights and sounds of the city are like nothing I have experienced before.
Today we have been out and about exploring. We made a trip by the metro to Chatuchak weekend market. It was amazing! You can buy eveything from jewelry and scarfs to puppies and baby rabbits. Lis had to drag me away before I bought a bundle of them and posted them home.
At 6pm this evening we meet our tour group and leader for the first time, we are really excited to meet everyone. Think dinner and a few beers to get to know each other is on the agenda. Tomorrow we begin the LONG journey to Cambodia It is approx 4 hours to the border (where we have to adhere to protocol and cross by foot) and then a further 3 to Siem Reap where we will be spending the next few days. Already packed the sick bags for lis.
Will tell all about Cambodia next week!
Biiig love to everyone at home (you unlucky bastards :))
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