So I'm not sure how much of this I already wrote but I committed to a country by country recap so here it is...Laos exceeded all expectations, no questions asked. The people there are extremely friendly, don't try to rip you off like in most tourist places and are genuinely happy. They lead such a laid back life style that I would bet stress is not even a word in their vocabulary. I can't tell you how many times I walked into a store to buy a drink or guesthouse to book a room and we had to scream "Sabadi" (HELLO!) and someone would wake up from the corner to take our money or show us the room...crazy! Aside from that, the country had sooo much to offer like the Mekong River, jungle trekking, tubing in Vang Vieng, and the beauty of the 4,000 islands in the South. Across the country the landscape was impressive and in the capital of Ventiene (didn't see much b/c we were sick) you didn't feel like you were in a big cosmopolitan Western city like in so many other countries. Given Laos is the poorest country in SE Asia, you would never assume so since the people are so rich with life. Anyways, I heard about some beautiful temples, hill tribes in the North, and a Plain of Jars (?!?!?) but can't see everything this time so I'll have to come back another time.
Surprisingly, the country was more expensive than Thailand, but not by much. In 18 days, I averaged $39/day. Part of the reason it was all so high was because of the Gibbon Experience which really messed up the budget at 160 euros, but worth every penny once we got out of the nature reserve...Add Laos to your list of must-visit destinations and think about doing some of the things off the beaten track...you won't regret it! Oh and how could I forget...the Laos people love the phrase "Same Same...but different!" Won't miss hearing that!!! They even have these really catchy t-shirts...might have to pick one up.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Day 129 -- Phnom Penh Cont'd...
So I realized this morning that I've been spelling the name of this city wrong all along...got it right now. We got an early start this morning since Mike needed to hit the doctor. After breakfast we made our way down to the Central Market so he could pick up a camera too. Prices weren't as bad as we expected. The crazy thing about Cambodia is that they don't even use their own currency, the riel. Everything everywhere is priced in USD which is a nice change since you know how much you pay for things, but at the same time it feels more expensive than it should be. At the supermarket today I got some razors, shaving cream, body wash/shampoo, and body spray for $17...felt like I was back in the States. Anyways, just a random thought.
Next we stopped into the Genocide museum to follow-up our visit to the Killing Fields yesterday. Feeling good and having a good day until we started walking around. Very somber tone and the stories you read published on the walls of what happened during the Khmer Rouge period is unbelievable. During this time almost a third of Cambodia's population was wiped away. The Pol Pot basically told all the people in the cities that America was going to bomb the cities and forced them into the countryside where they worked in cooperatives at rubber factories, in rice fields. Anyone with education was killed, schools/courts abolished...they were basically trying to turn this into a Communist country with no ties/dependencies to the outside world. Very hard to believe this happened in some of our lifetimes. Its even crazier to talk to the local Cambodians and hear how they were affected and what parts of their families are not around anymore because of this unfortunate tragedy. Anyways, we spent a couple hours there walking around trying to figure out how this happened and felt like it was time to get out. Back to the guesthouse where we had some food on the lakefront deck.
Dropped off our passports today to get our visas for Vietnam and booked bus tickets leaving tomorrow for Siem Reap...SR is the home of Angkor Wat, the temples you might remember from Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider. Looking forward to wandering around these impressive architectural wonders!
Next we stopped into the Genocide museum to follow-up our visit to the Killing Fields yesterday. Feeling good and having a good day until we started walking around. Very somber tone and the stories you read published on the walls of what happened during the Khmer Rouge period is unbelievable. During this time almost a third of Cambodia's population was wiped away. The Pol Pot basically told all the people in the cities that America was going to bomb the cities and forced them into the countryside where they worked in cooperatives at rubber factories, in rice fields. Anyone with education was killed, schools/courts abolished...they were basically trying to turn this into a Communist country with no ties/dependencies to the outside world. Very hard to believe this happened in some of our lifetimes. Its even crazier to talk to the local Cambodians and hear how they were affected and what parts of their families are not around anymore because of this unfortunate tragedy. Anyways, we spent a couple hours there walking around trying to figure out how this happened and felt like it was time to get out. Back to the guesthouse where we had some food on the lakefront deck.
Dropped off our passports today to get our visas for Vietnam and booked bus tickets leaving tomorrow for Siem Reap...SR is the home of Angkor Wat, the temples you might remember from Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider. Looking forward to wandering around these impressive architectural wonders!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Day 128 -- Phnom Phen
Body clock woke me up early again at about 7:30AM...not sure why it keeps doing that, but today was worth it. Decided to find us another guest house since we were in a room just big enough to hold 2 beds and found a place right across the street. Met a tuk-tuk driver, Soran who said he could take us to shoot AK-47s and M-16s like we had heard about so I told him we'd talk to him after breakfast. Made the move to the new room and had some food on the patio overlooking the river making a plan for the day....shooting range, doctor for Mike and the Killing Fields. We met up with Soran, negotiated a price for the day and were off. First stop, the doctor who was closed so then Soran said we should hit the range first...I think he gets a commission. We got out there and were given a menu of weapons and prices....We went with the AK-47 and M-16 and shared a magazing for each. These weapons have massive amounts of power and I was surprised at the small recoil. Anyways, what a rush and I think Soran took note of it. We made our way out of the range to the Killing Fields when he mentioned his friend could let us shoot bigger weapons. We were intrigued so we told him to call his friend and we'd talk to him.
We wandered around the Killing Fields for about an hour and it was very gloomy. Crazy how Cambodia has such highs and lows, but from what I've read its going to be like this the rest of the way. For those who don't know, Cambodia went through a serious period of genocide in the late 70's where at one point up to 300 people were being killed daily by the Pol Pot regime for no real reason. Even crazier to think this could happen in modern times. The Killing Fields have been declared a national museum and as you wander around you can feel what happened in the air. On one side you could even hear children playing at a nearby school and on the back wall you could see the farmers tending to their crops...amazing that these horrendous acts could take place without anyone raising suspicion. Anyways, we left the fields and met up with Soran's friend who took us out of town about 50km to an army base to have some real fun.
This base was full of tanks and in the back of our Land Cruiser they loaded us up with semi-automatic weapons, rocket launchers, grenade launchers, grenades...who knows what else. We got out to the middle of nowhere and had a chance to play with them. I went with the rocket launcher and grenade...great choices! Never experienced anything like this before. The rocket launcher was so intense once you put it on your shoulder...pulled the trigger and saw nothing but smoke before seeing an explosion in the distance. The grenade was even scarier b/c once the pin was pulled and I released my grip I had 6 seconds to get the hell away. I tossed it into a pond and saw water shoot up at least 30 feet in the air. This by far has been the coolest thing I have done on the trip and will never forget it. Never thought that in my life I would be able to fire a rocket launcher, but I guess you can do it for the right price in Cambodia...looking forward to seeing what else this place has to offer!!
We wandered around the Killing Fields for about an hour and it was very gloomy. Crazy how Cambodia has such highs and lows, but from what I've read its going to be like this the rest of the way. For those who don't know, Cambodia went through a serious period of genocide in the late 70's where at one point up to 300 people were being killed daily by the Pol Pot regime for no real reason. Even crazier to think this could happen in modern times. The Killing Fields have been declared a national museum and as you wander around you can feel what happened in the air. On one side you could even hear children playing at a nearby school and on the back wall you could see the farmers tending to their crops...amazing that these horrendous acts could take place without anyone raising suspicion. Anyways, we left the fields and met up with Soran's friend who took us out of town about 50km to an army base to have some real fun.
This base was full of tanks and in the back of our Land Cruiser they loaded us up with semi-automatic weapons, rocket launchers, grenade launchers, grenades...who knows what else. We got out to the middle of nowhere and had a chance to play with them. I went with the rocket launcher and grenade...great choices! Never experienced anything like this before. The rocket launcher was so intense once you put it on your shoulder...pulled the trigger and saw nothing but smoke before seeing an explosion in the distance. The grenade was even scarier b/c once the pin was pulled and I released my grip I had 6 seconds to get the hell away. I tossed it into a pond and saw water shoot up at least 30 feet in the air. This by far has been the coolest thing I have done on the trip and will never forget it. Never thought that in my life I would be able to fire a rocket launcher, but I guess you can do it for the right price in Cambodia...looking forward to seeing what else this place has to offer!!
Day 127 -- Laos to Cambodia
Today was one of those travel days that you hear about just hope never happens to you...I guess we weren't so lucky. Had to be at the internet cafe at 8AM so we could leave Don Det and make our way down to Phnom Phen, Cambodia. Got there at 8AM and it was a complete mess...they had no idea who was going where, only had 2 boats to shuttle people to the main island...total chaos! We sat around for about an hour which was good for Mike since he misplaced his camera and had some time to go looking around for it...no luck finding it. At least it was a new memory card so loss was minimal. After piling onto a boat which was way overcrowded, we made our way across and onto a bus. The bus to the Laos/Cambodia border was comfortable...everyone sad they were leaving Laos, but anxious to see what Cambodia had to offer. Made the border crossing with no problems...got a visa on arrival, passports stamps and boarded the coach bus headed to Phnom Phen...this is where the fun begins....
The bus was sold out and they didn't have enough room for everyone's luggage. The driver told those who couldn't fit their bags underneath to bring it on board with them...not sure what he was thinking since every seat was taken. Anyways, we made it work out somehow and we were on our way...so we thought. He gets up and says the bus died so we need to give it a push start. Everybody off the bus and a push start to get us started...it worked surprisingly. About 2 hours down the road we had our first flat tire...they reacted quickly and changed it within 30 minutes so we didn't have to deal with the heat for that long. Back on our way we made a long stop at a small village so they could repair the tire and we continued on. We got into Kratie about 3 hours late and after an ATM stop, the bus died again needing another push start...what else could go wrong?!? We had lunch at 4:30pm and back on the road when about an hour out of town...another flat tire. This time they moved tires around the bus and somehow got us moving again even though there were big holes in the side of the tire. We arrived at the next town, lost half the passengers as they were staying the night there before heading on a connecting bus to Siem Reap. The rest of us fought with the driver saying it was too late (11pm) and the bus not in any condition to keep going, but he insisted saying we could stay and buy new tickets again tomrorow. We stayed onboard and finally arrived into Phnom Phen at 3:45AM when we were scheduled at 7:30PM...funny how that works. Luckily found a guesthouse nearby that was open and had a room and crashed as soon as my head hit the pillow...what a day!
The bus was sold out and they didn't have enough room for everyone's luggage. The driver told those who couldn't fit their bags underneath to bring it on board with them...not sure what he was thinking since every seat was taken. Anyways, we made it work out somehow and we were on our way...so we thought. He gets up and says the bus died so we need to give it a push start. Everybody off the bus and a push start to get us started...it worked surprisingly. About 2 hours down the road we had our first flat tire...they reacted quickly and changed it within 30 minutes so we didn't have to deal with the heat for that long. Back on our way we made a long stop at a small village so they could repair the tire and we continued on. We got into Kratie about 3 hours late and after an ATM stop, the bus died again needing another push start...what else could go wrong?!? We had lunch at 4:30pm and back on the road when about an hour out of town...another flat tire. This time they moved tires around the bus and somehow got us moving again even though there were big holes in the side of the tire. We arrived at the next town, lost half the passengers as they were staying the night there before heading on a connecting bus to Siem Reap. The rest of us fought with the driver saying it was too late (11pm) and the bus not in any condition to keep going, but he insisted saying we could stay and buy new tickets again tomrorow. We stayed onboard and finally arrived into Phnom Phen at 3:45AM when we were scheduled at 7:30PM...funny how that works. Luckily found a guesthouse nearby that was open and had a room and crashed as soon as my head hit the pillow...what a day!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Days 125-126 -- Don Det, Don Khon
Got into Don Det around lunch time on whatever day yesterday was and found a cool guesthouse. All the bungalows on the river were full so we each picked our own bungalows just off the river. Not bad, hammock out front, mosquito net and attached bathroom for 30,000 kip (3.50 USD). The heat here is unbelievable and its supposed to get even hotter in the coming months...not sure how these people live here. Electricity only runs from 6pm to 10:30pm so all afternoon everyone justs lounges around in the shade...not really much else you can do. Makes for a really chill place and interesting walking around at night with a head torch trying to find your bungalow and into your bags before sleep. We hired some bikes in the afternoon and headed to a small waterfall on the opposite island of Don Khon. Couldn't swim in this one...looked a little too dangerous. Headed back before sundown and relaxed around on the hammocks before heading into town to get some dinner. Called it an early night after a long day. Back at the bungalows a group of Israelis were playing cards so I joined them until the lights turned off at 10:30...time for bed.
No fans in the bungalows so it was really hot...its bearable, but it takes a little bit to get adjusted. Got up, had some breakfast and then moved over to a new bungalow down the road right on the water. Planned to go to the big waterfall and see the dolphins today but instead spent the last day in Laos being Laos enjoying the Mekong....laid in the hammock looking out over the river, watched tubers pass going down the never-ending lazy river, read some of the books, wrote in the journal, just hung out...definitely felt good to do nothing and I can see why the Laos people are so laid back...sleep when you want, work when you want, open/close when you want...not a bad life. Taking off on a bus in the morning to Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia. Had planned to spend a few more days in Laos around the islands to kill off the kip but decided we gotta get out of this heat and plus we heard about firing AK-47s in Cambodia...sounds interesting! 12 hours left and 360,000 kip to spend...its going to be tough.
No fans in the bungalows so it was really hot...its bearable, but it takes a little bit to get adjusted. Got up, had some breakfast and then moved over to a new bungalow down the road right on the water. Planned to go to the big waterfall and see the dolphins today but instead spent the last day in Laos being Laos enjoying the Mekong....laid in the hammock looking out over the river, watched tubers pass going down the never-ending lazy river, read some of the books, wrote in the journal, just hung out...definitely felt good to do nothing and I can see why the Laos people are so laid back...sleep when you want, work when you want, open/close when you want...not a bad life. Taking off on a bus in the morning to Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia. Had planned to spend a few more days in Laos around the islands to kill off the kip but decided we gotta get out of this heat and plus we heard about firing AK-47s in Cambodia...sounds interesting! 12 hours left and 360,000 kip to spend...its going to be tough.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Days 123-124 -- Ventiene
So we woke up in Vang Vieng and both felt really bad...no more Indian food! Decided that we just needed to move and that if we were that bad off it would be better to be in the capital city, Ventiene rather than the tubing capital. As much fun as tubing was...it was tough to leave. The bus ride was horrible....very cramped minivan and I had my knees at my chest the whole time....sure makes for an interesting experience though. The driver could hardly stay awake and at our rest stop the group of us forced him to get some coffee so he would stop dozing off....
We got into Ventiene and checked into the first guesthouse with a room...overpriced but comfortable. Checked the temperature and was running a high fever so stayed in and food brought to the guesthouse. Rice soup and Fried rice...didn't touch the fried rice and could barely eat the soup. Woke up in the morning feeling refreshed and went to the international clinic. Doctor gave me some local meds which taste like crap (apparently what I brough with me wasn't good enough or he just didn't know what it was)...the meds are working though so thats a positive. Spent the day rehydrating drinking lots of water and catching up on some diary writing since tubing was all day adventures. Booked a night bus to Pakse and then a connecting bus to Si Phan Doh, home of the 4,000 islands at the Laos/Cambodia border. I wonder how many we'll check out in our few days there.
Been trying to get these pics uploaded and will do it as soon as I find a computer that works!!
We got into Ventiene and checked into the first guesthouse with a room...overpriced but comfortable. Checked the temperature and was running a high fever so stayed in and food brought to the guesthouse. Rice soup and Fried rice...didn't touch the fried rice and could barely eat the soup. Woke up in the morning feeling refreshed and went to the international clinic. Doctor gave me some local meds which taste like crap (apparently what I brough with me wasn't good enough or he just didn't know what it was)...the meds are working though so thats a positive. Spent the day rehydrating drinking lots of water and catching up on some diary writing since tubing was all day adventures. Booked a night bus to Pakse and then a connecting bus to Si Phan Doh, home of the 4,000 islands at the Laos/Cambodia border. I wonder how many we'll check out in our few days there.
Been trying to get these pics uploaded and will do it as soon as I find a computer that works!!
Days 120-122 -- Vang Vieng Tubing
All along our travels in Asia everyone kept talking about tubing in Vang Vieng and how it was their favorite place...no doubt its a lot of fun, but its a stretch to say its my favorite place. Maybe thats because it feels like Spring Break in Cancun and I'm a little too old for that...but still great nonetheless...Enough said, about Vang Vieng.
We got in mid-afternoon after a hell bus ride. We left on the 8:30AM and a friend left on the 10:30 and she got in before us...imagine that. We found a guest house on the river, more like a jail cell (50,000 kip) and took a swim in the river. Vang Veing is full of video bars that either let you put in a movie from the collection or they play Friends on repeat all day long...very addicting! That night we hit Bucket Bar for a big party and had whiskey buckets at 10,000 kip (1.20 USD) all night...good times.
Woke up the next morning with a headache but it was time for tubing. We got some b-fast at a Friends Bar and then rented a tube and jumped in a tuk-tuk to the start. Welcome to heaven. You basically float along the river in your inner tube and just bar-hop all afternoon. Perfect way to spend your days since Laos has a midnight curfew everywhere....Plenty of rope swings, ziplines and cheap beer/buckets to keep you occupied and before you know it the afternoon is over. We tubed all the way to the end Day 1. 2.5 hours and about 10 bars....long day! That night craving pizza and exhausted I fell asleep at the restaurant before going home and calling it an early night.
Next day it was time for more tubing...No tube today since we wanted to do some swimming. Tried out most of the swings and ziplines (good videos) and enjoyed an afternoon under the sun. The only real thing to do in Vang Vieng is tubing and everyone is out there during the day so you run into the same people over and over again...much different than some of the other cities we've been to. Indian food for dinner that night which was a mistake....we both ended up getting real sick with stomach issues and fevers....not fun!
We got in mid-afternoon after a hell bus ride. We left on the 8:30AM and a friend left on the 10:30 and she got in before us...imagine that. We found a guest house on the river, more like a jail cell (50,000 kip) and took a swim in the river. Vang Veing is full of video bars that either let you put in a movie from the collection or they play Friends on repeat all day long...very addicting! That night we hit Bucket Bar for a big party and had whiskey buckets at 10,000 kip (1.20 USD) all night...good times.
Woke up the next morning with a headache but it was time for tubing. We got some b-fast at a Friends Bar and then rented a tube and jumped in a tuk-tuk to the start. Welcome to heaven. You basically float along the river in your inner tube and just bar-hop all afternoon. Perfect way to spend your days since Laos has a midnight curfew everywhere....Plenty of rope swings, ziplines and cheap beer/buckets to keep you occupied and before you know it the afternoon is over. We tubed all the way to the end Day 1. 2.5 hours and about 10 bars....long day! That night craving pizza and exhausted I fell asleep at the restaurant before going home and calling it an early night.
Next day it was time for more tubing...No tube today since we wanted to do some swimming. Tried out most of the swings and ziplines (good videos) and enjoyed an afternoon under the sun. The only real thing to do in Vang Vieng is tubing and everyone is out there during the day so you run into the same people over and over again...much different than some of the other cities we've been to. Indian food for dinner that night which was a mistake....we both ended up getting real sick with stomach issues and fevers....not fun!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Days 118-119 -- Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang is one cool and laid back city. So last night we went out and everything started to shut down at 11pm. A little while later we were given plastic cups for our beers and then jumped in a tuk-tuk towards the bowling alley. Walked inside and its more like a night club than a bowling alley...music blasting, foreigners everywhere and beer. Luang Prabang, and from what I understand all of Laos has a midnight curfew...hard to believe and it feels like the 1980's. The bowling alley is the only place you can get a beer after everything closes so its naturally the best place to meet everyone. We bowled a few games and then headed back towards the guest house to get some rest.
Got up early the next morning (Day 118) and had some breakfast...good deal. 25,000 kip (3USD) gets you tea, OJ, 2 eggs, bacon, sausage, ham and a baguette...try getting that at home. After breakfast we rented bikes and then pedaled around for a couple of hours to see the city. Stopped into a few Buddhist temples, truly magnificent and then went to the Phousy Market. Probably one of the dirtiest markets I have ever been to...meat sitting out in the heat, fish floating aruond in dirty water, but I have to admit it all looked pretty good. Killed some time there and then back into the city for lunch with the crew from the slow boat. Time for sunset at a temple atop the hills overlooking Luang Prabang but after stopping for a fruit shake, we missed sunset by 5 minutes...ha! Took it easy that night since a long night before and spent the evening wandering around the night market and eating noodle soup from a street stall...good day!
Early start today (Day 119) and same breakfast again...too cheap to not go back. Hired a tuk-tuk and the group went to the waterfall. Waterfall was amazing and hiked up to the top to look over the edge and found a pool with a rope swing off a tree that provided some entertainment. Back into town for lunch and now its time to see if we go to the night markets or bowling again...not really much else to do at night here, but I am still liking Luang Prabang and Laos. The people are really laid back and you basically have to force them to sell you things since half the time they are asleep...much cooler than the hassling in Bangkok.
Had a scare with the camera since the memory card got corrupted. Was able to restore the pics but dont trust the computers here so I will get everything uploaded in Vang Vieng. Taking off on a bus for Vang Vieng at 8AM. Did somebody say tubing...
Got up early the next morning (Day 118) and had some breakfast...good deal. 25,000 kip (3USD) gets you tea, OJ, 2 eggs, bacon, sausage, ham and a baguette...try getting that at home. After breakfast we rented bikes and then pedaled around for a couple of hours to see the city. Stopped into a few Buddhist temples, truly magnificent and then went to the Phousy Market. Probably one of the dirtiest markets I have ever been to...meat sitting out in the heat, fish floating aruond in dirty water, but I have to admit it all looked pretty good. Killed some time there and then back into the city for lunch with the crew from the slow boat. Time for sunset at a temple atop the hills overlooking Luang Prabang but after stopping for a fruit shake, we missed sunset by 5 minutes...ha! Took it easy that night since a long night before and spent the evening wandering around the night market and eating noodle soup from a street stall...good day!
Early start today (Day 119) and same breakfast again...too cheap to not go back. Hired a tuk-tuk and the group went to the waterfall. Waterfall was amazing and hiked up to the top to look over the edge and found a pool with a rope swing off a tree that provided some entertainment. Back into town for lunch and now its time to see if we go to the night markets or bowling again...not really much else to do at night here, but I am still liking Luang Prabang and Laos. The people are really laid back and you basically have to force them to sell you things since half the time they are asleep...much cooler than the hassling in Bangkok.
Had a scare with the camera since the memory card got corrupted. Was able to restore the pics but dont trust the computers here so I will get everything uploaded in Vang Vieng. Taking off on a bus for Vang Vieng at 8AM. Did somebody say tubing...
Monday, February 16, 2009
Days 116-117 -- 2 Day slow boat to Luang Prabang
So we heard all this great news about the slow boat before we decided it was the best option for us...full of travelers, a big party, best way to meet people on the way to Luang Prabang, blah, blah...It turns out that the boat ride was almost all of that, but also 2 LONG days of sitting on a really slow boat. Started off on the 15th getting to the pier at about 9AM. Boat doesn't leave until noon, but were told that you want to get their early to get a good seat. Managed to score some seats right at the front which were really handy...but lets talk about the boat. Seats started filling up and as we got closer to noon, more and more people kept arriving. Quickly realized that there are no capacity limits...they just pack on as many people want to buy tickets. So we finally set sail and I'm sure well overweight (see the pics) and the highlight of Day 1 was the drunk guy who came on board saying he had "beer, valium and whiskey" who fell straight off the side when he reached "for something that wasn't there." Good humor...but glad he didn't get hurt. We arrived at Pak Beng, a tiny village or the one night stopover where we were immediately hounded by hundreds of kids selling guest house rooms...Apparently this village can barely accomodate the two boats so finding accomodation was a scramble. We found a place within our budget but the beds were like the wooden benches on the boat and walls were plywood since we got shhed by the room next door after talking for a little while...haha!
Anyways, not complaining about the boat ride...it was a great experience! One I would recommend to anyone who needs to get to Luang Prabang. Met some really cool people from Slovenia, Israel, France, Kashmir, the States, and England who we'll probably run into over the next week in Laos. Day 2 on the boat was only a little longer starting at 9AM and on a smaller boat with the same number of people. Only real highlight was the stop for chickens which were in small cages and were put above the boat...interesting. We got in this evening around 5pm and found a good guesthouse after some negotiations. Had the best shower since Hong Kong and the water was hot, not warm...Luang Prabang is supposedly the best city in Laos so look forward to checking it out over the next few days. Everything shuts down at 11pm except for an after hours bowling alley...you know where we'll be.
Anyways, not complaining about the boat ride...it was a great experience! One I would recommend to anyone who needs to get to Luang Prabang. Met some really cool people from Slovenia, Israel, France, Kashmir, the States, and England who we'll probably run into over the next week in Laos. Day 2 on the boat was only a little longer starting at 9AM and on a smaller boat with the same number of people. Only real highlight was the stop for chickens which were in small cages and were put above the boat...interesting. We got in this evening around 5pm and found a good guesthouse after some negotiations. Had the best shower since Hong Kong and the water was hot, not warm...Luang Prabang is supposedly the best city in Laos so look forward to checking it out over the next few days. Everything shuts down at 11pm except for an after hours bowling alley...you know where we'll be.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Days 113-115 -- Gibbon Experience
The Gibbon Experience: So where to begin? The group that arrived back from their trip the day we checked in all got sick from food poisoning or something similar so we were kind of unsure what to expect. All they did was complain, but at the end of it all they said would do it again in a heartbeat. Anyways, we woke up early and had some breakfast before reporting to the office. Watched a informational and safety video about the conservation project and then jumped in the back of a truck for the 2.5 hour drive into Bokeo Nature Reserve. I got stuck in the back of the truck with tons of luggage so nowhere to put my legs and it was freezing out. No big deal...all part of the experience right? We arrived and met the group leaving the reserve who gave me a machete with instructions to keep a tradition alive....really interesting guy who reminded me a lot of Daffy from the movie, The Beach.
So we decided to go with the Waterfall Experience since that is all they had available and am I glad we did. We started with a 2 hour trek to the waterfall...beautiful scenery but freezing water. Didn't want to waste the opportunity so had a quick swim. Had some snacks and then hiked further into the reserve to let the real fun begin. On the first day we probably hit about 6-7 ziplines and we stayed in Treehouse 6 which had a zipline going right into it...so much fun! You have to see the pics of these treehouses b/c they are too difficult to describe...amazing! The guides left us on our own and then we went on a zipline adventure around the area until sundown...it got dark fast! Had dinner, drank some whiskey and the guys decided to be brave and do the small triangle...with only our flashlights it probably wasn't the best idea to go zipping around, but we made it out alive and with no injuries. Time for bed and as soon as we hit the bed the rats were out. Had been warned about them before we got there...but didn't know they were that quick. They thuddered around chewing on our leftover food, rummaged through the trash...basically making enough noise to make you feel uncomfortable trying to sleep...all part of the experience is what I kept telling myself.
Day 2: Didn't get much sleep b/c of the overnight surprises. Forgot to mention the spiders that were the size of a hand that lingered around on the ceiling. Guides were there to fetch us at 7AM...had some tea and we were off. Moving treehouses today we again trekked in the jungle for about 2 hours with ziplines every little while to get us across long distances...so about these ziplines. I think the whole experience is not about seeing gibbons, but more about the zips. You have zips ranging from 50-400 meters and you're suspended about 200 feet above the treeline...talk about an incredible ride! Checked into Treehouse 4 @ about 1pm...had lunch and then went on an afternoon adventure on the zips without our bags. Long zips, short zips, visiting all the other treehouses...what an afternoon! That night we played drinking games and weren't up for another night adventure since we had such a big day.
Day 3: No rats to keep us up in Treehouse 4 so sleep was good...other than the occasional ant. Took off early again and went on an all morning zipping adventure. Did this real cool triangle of zips about 3 times before we had to take off. Made the trek back and said goodbye to the group...Luckily we ended up with a good, young group of people which made the whole trip that much better. 4 Australians, 2 Canadians and then Mike and I. The whole experience was amazing and I think they should consider a name change since its misleading to think you'll actually see gibbons (nobody we talked to saw any). Anyways, good 3 days that I'll never forget. I'll upload the zipline videos on Facebook since Picasa won't let me upload them for you to check out.
Tomorrow we're off on a 2 day slow boat to Luang Prabang....should be interesting!
So we decided to go with the Waterfall Experience since that is all they had available and am I glad we did. We started with a 2 hour trek to the waterfall...beautiful scenery but freezing water. Didn't want to waste the opportunity so had a quick swim. Had some snacks and then hiked further into the reserve to let the real fun begin. On the first day we probably hit about 6-7 ziplines and we stayed in Treehouse 6 which had a zipline going right into it...so much fun! You have to see the pics of these treehouses b/c they are too difficult to describe...amazing! The guides left us on our own and then we went on a zipline adventure around the area until sundown...it got dark fast! Had dinner, drank some whiskey and the guys decided to be brave and do the small triangle...with only our flashlights it probably wasn't the best idea to go zipping around, but we made it out alive and with no injuries. Time for bed and as soon as we hit the bed the rats were out. Had been warned about them before we got there...but didn't know they were that quick. They thuddered around chewing on our leftover food, rummaged through the trash...basically making enough noise to make you feel uncomfortable trying to sleep...all part of the experience is what I kept telling myself.
Day 2: Didn't get much sleep b/c of the overnight surprises. Forgot to mention the spiders that were the size of a hand that lingered around on the ceiling. Guides were there to fetch us at 7AM...had some tea and we were off. Moving treehouses today we again trekked in the jungle for about 2 hours with ziplines every little while to get us across long distances...so about these ziplines. I think the whole experience is not about seeing gibbons, but more about the zips. You have zips ranging from 50-400 meters and you're suspended about 200 feet above the treeline...talk about an incredible ride! Checked into Treehouse 4 @ about 1pm...had lunch and then went on an afternoon adventure on the zips without our bags. Long zips, short zips, visiting all the other treehouses...what an afternoon! That night we played drinking games and weren't up for another night adventure since we had such a big day.
Day 3: No rats to keep us up in Treehouse 4 so sleep was good...other than the occasional ant. Took off early again and went on an all morning zipping adventure. Did this real cool triangle of zips about 3 times before we had to take off. Made the trek back and said goodbye to the group...Luckily we ended up with a good, young group of people which made the whole trip that much better. 4 Australians, 2 Canadians and then Mike and I. The whole experience was amazing and I think they should consider a name change since its misleading to think you'll actually see gibbons (nobody we talked to saw any). Anyways, good 3 days that I'll never forget. I'll upload the zipline videos on Facebook since Picasa won't let me upload them for you to check out.
Tomorrow we're off on a 2 day slow boat to Luang Prabang....should be interesting!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Day 112 -- Chiang Mai to Chang Khaong (Laos)
So a travel day. Planned on getting up at 5:30 so we could be at the bus station by 6AM to buy our tickets since we were slack and hadn't taken care of that. At about 4:45AM at the door knocking is a group of Thai girls after a night out who were looking for the guys who had previously occupied our room...funny story and either way they made sure we weren't missing our bus. Got to the station, bought tickets and sat on the 8 hour trek to Chang Khaong. They were blasting Thai movies at 6:30AM...not sure who was paying attention so the iPod tuned out all sound.
The landscape was really cool...passing villages and small towns along the way and surprisingly the roads were good. Bus got in early and we made our way to the Mekong River to cross the border into Laos. Thailand immigration complete, we hopped on a sketchy small boat across the river which took all of 45 seconds and went through Laos immigration. Nothing like the border between the Texas and Mexico that I'm used to since here it looked like you could cross anywhere and be home free. We decided to go the legal route so we wouldn't get locked up. Stopped by the Gibbon Experience office to get checked in and next we found a guesthouse for 80,000 kip (8,500 kip = 1 USD) and its probably the nicest one we've had in all of SE Asia...they provided soap, towels, toilet paper! AMAZING! Even has a view of the Mekong! Anyways, going to eat some Indian food that we spotted to get a change from the loads of Thai food we've had over the past two weeks...tomorrow morning we're off for 3 days for our gibbon trek. check in then!
The landscape was really cool...passing villages and small towns along the way and surprisingly the roads were good. Bus got in early and we made our way to the Mekong River to cross the border into Laos. Thailand immigration complete, we hopped on a sketchy small boat across the river which took all of 45 seconds and went through Laos immigration. Nothing like the border between the Texas and Mexico that I'm used to since here it looked like you could cross anywhere and be home free. We decided to go the legal route so we wouldn't get locked up. Stopped by the Gibbon Experience office to get checked in and next we found a guesthouse for 80,000 kip (8,500 kip = 1 USD) and its probably the nicest one we've had in all of SE Asia...they provided soap, towels, toilet paper! AMAZING! Even has a view of the Mekong! Anyways, going to eat some Indian food that we spotted to get a change from the loads of Thai food we've had over the past two weeks...tomorrow morning we're off for 3 days for our gibbon trek. check in then!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Thailand Thoughts...
So I just wanted to share with you guys some thoughts about Thailand before I head into Laos tomorrow. Thailand is exactly what I remembered from last year...maybe even better! So I've seen more backpackers here than I ever anticipated and its hard to imagine how many people have chosen to explore this part of the world...I hear its only crazier south in the the islands. They say tourism is down about 40% this year so I could only dream of how many people used to be here...Anyways, everything has been really cheap here and I'm hoping it continues to get cheaper. I think this is the only place where a large beer (22 oz.) costs less (35 baht) more than a plate of fried rice or pad thai (30 baht). At 34.5 baht to the dollar you can see how far it goes. Mike and I have been getting our own rooms with twin beds and showers included for 200 baht for the room...unreal! I'm getting used to not sleeping in dorms and not having to lock up all my stuff all the time...won't last for long though.
About the Thai people...very friendly and they are welcoming to the tourists no matter what the news says about the political situation. I have felt really safe here even wandering around early hours of the morning back from the bars. There is a little bit of a language barrier which makes things challenging...but the Learn Thai podcasts have helped out and most that deal with the foreigners know basic English. Oh yeah, almost forgot....everything here is negotiable...from a cab ride to your guest house room. Never pay the price they ask or you'll get fleeced!
So in 15 days here I spent a little less than 18,000 baht. Sounds like a lot but converted to US its $515 USD. Thats a little over $34/day and that includes room/board, food, nightlife, small souveniers, bus/train tickets, cab/tuk-tuk rides...everything!! Oh yeah, a new backpack too. The mortgage payment alone at home comes close to $34/day so you can see why people choose to spend endless amounts of time here. Anyways, time is running out. I hope you want to come to Thailand sometime soon. I'll try to keep track of this for each country and let you know how it progresses...
About the Thai people...very friendly and they are welcoming to the tourists no matter what the news says about the political situation. I have felt really safe here even wandering around early hours of the morning back from the bars. There is a little bit of a language barrier which makes things challenging...but the Learn Thai podcasts have helped out and most that deal with the foreigners know basic English. Oh yeah, almost forgot....everything here is negotiable...from a cab ride to your guest house room. Never pay the price they ask or you'll get fleeced!
So in 15 days here I spent a little less than 18,000 baht. Sounds like a lot but converted to US its $515 USD. Thats a little over $34/day and that includes room/board, food, nightlife, small souveniers, bus/train tickets, cab/tuk-tuk rides...everything!! Oh yeah, a new backpack too. The mortgage payment alone at home comes close to $34/day so you can see why people choose to spend endless amounts of time here. Anyways, time is running out. I hope you want to come to Thailand sometime soon. I'll try to keep track of this for each country and let you know how it progresses...
Day 111 -- Pai to Chiang Mai
It was our last night and Pai and given our experience on the bus ride up here we knew to make it a quiet night. Went to a nearby bar from our guest house and sat around a campfire most of the night meeting people in the area...met 3 people from Texas who were all in different groups. That's the most Americans I think so far on this entire trip.
Anyways, slept innn this morning and got some breakfast before cruising around town for a little while before our 12:30 bus. Our driver was definitely trying to break the time record between Pai and Chiang Mai and was flying around the hills. I took a video that I'll try to upload so you guys have an idea of what I'm talking about. Sitting in the front seat at the back of the mini-bus I had the window open with the Ipod blasting to tune out the screams of the baby behind us. I've never heard a baby cry so loud and for so long...makes me think twice about children. Anyways, all of a sudden a hand comes from behind and throws out a bag full of spew....apparently somebody got sick during the ride! We made a stop and quickly figured out who it was as they dashed off to the bathroom. Local Thai person but you would think they'd be used to these roads.
Arrived in Chiang Mai late in the afternoon and got settled back into our guesthouse. Good value since we get our own room with hot shower for less than $6USD for the room. Taking the early bus to Laos tomorrow at 6:30 so it will be quiet night...Next stop - Gibbon Experience, Northern Laos!!! Looking forward to it...
Anyways, slept innn this morning and got some breakfast before cruising around town for a little while before our 12:30 bus. Our driver was definitely trying to break the time record between Pai and Chiang Mai and was flying around the hills. I took a video that I'll try to upload so you guys have an idea of what I'm talking about. Sitting in the front seat at the back of the mini-bus I had the window open with the Ipod blasting to tune out the screams of the baby behind us. I've never heard a baby cry so loud and for so long...makes me think twice about children. Anyways, all of a sudden a hand comes from behind and throws out a bag full of spew....apparently somebody got sick during the ride! We made a stop and quickly figured out who it was as they dashed off to the bathroom. Local Thai person but you would think they'd be used to these roads.
Arrived in Chiang Mai late in the afternoon and got settled back into our guesthouse. Good value since we get our own room with hot shower for less than $6USD for the room. Taking the early bus to Laos tomorrow at 6:30 so it will be quiet night...Next stop - Gibbon Experience, Northern Laos!!! Looking forward to it...
Monday, February 9, 2009
Days 109-110 -- Pai
So Pai...not really much to say about this place. A very hippy oriented laid back community in Norther Thailand. Most of the people we've talked to have been here for weeks and can't really justify what they've done. I think everyone is just really glad to leave the hustle of the big cities like Bangkok or are tired from all the trekking around SE Asia and once they get here they get trapped. Can't happen to us since we have a timetable to keep.
The bus ride from Pai might rank up worse than the train ride. Going through all the hills and there were about 673+ turns or at least it felt like that at 8:30AM after staying out until the early hours of the morning. Did somebody say motion sickness??
Once we got here we also just relaxed. Such a small place that we ran into several different groups of people that we've come across in Bangkok and Chiang Mai...funny how everyone has the same route. Checked out the city Day 1 and on Day 2 we went exploring to a couple of different waterfalls...I'm really enjoying the slow pace of how things are done here, but we're trying to continue on and not get trapped so its back to Chiang Mai in the morning...not before a night out to see the nightlife. This time we know about the tough roads so it won't be such a big night...
The bus ride from Pai might rank up worse than the train ride. Going through all the hills and there were about 673+ turns or at least it felt like that at 8:30AM after staying out until the early hours of the morning. Did somebody say motion sickness??
Once we got here we also just relaxed. Such a small place that we ran into several different groups of people that we've come across in Bangkok and Chiang Mai...funny how everyone has the same route. Checked out the city Day 1 and on Day 2 we went exploring to a couple of different waterfalls...I'm really enjoying the slow pace of how things are done here, but we're trying to continue on and not get trapped so its back to Chiang Mai in the morning...not before a night out to see the nightlife. This time we know about the tough roads so it won't be such a big night...
Friday, February 6, 2009
Day 107-108 -- Chiang Mai Flower Festival
Got done with the trekking and we decided to spend a few more days in Chiang Mai before heading to Pai. Not very much to see here...other than more Buddhist temples, but they are in the middle of their annual Flower Festival so thought that would be cool to check out. Spent the day taking care of loose ends...bus tickets, laundry, and then hit the Flower Festival in the evening. They had a Beauty Contest, actually 2 of them...one with all Thai locals and the other with internationals. Anyways, one of the girls in the International contest was from our trekking group and she ended up winning the contest...how crazy is that?!? Had a big night out to celebrate and then hung around Chiang Mai for one more day to check out the night market. Had to buy a new backpack since the original one was showing some wear and I needed some extra space for the things I keep picking up. Chiang Mai was unexpectedly as a really fun place. Nice atmosphere and I think with the Flower Festival it made it an interesting place to be. They had really good sushi at 5 baht a roll...went on a binge one night with about 20 rolls and only set me back like $3 US....gotta love this place. Next stop...Pai!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Days 104-106 -- Chaing Mai Trekking
So we signed up for this 3 day trek the night we got into Chaing Mai that left on Tuesday morning. They were supposed to pick us up at 9AM, but were late so we didn't take off until 10AM. No big deal since we were scrambling most of the morning and we needed that extra time...here is the rundown of what turned out to be an amazing three days:
Day 1: Left the hostel and picked up a few other trekkers from their guest houses and we stopped by an orchid farm. Honestly, pretty lame, but they did have some cool orchids and even a butterfly farm...but I only saw a handful of butterflies. Next stop was an elephant park where we spent some time feeding elephants and then had a quick lunch before jumping on the elephants for an hour trek through the hillside. Landscape was unbelievable and the elephants were stubborn...only moving after you'd feed them bananas...bad breath too! Jumped off the elephants and crossed the river in some crazy cable car contraption...fun, but not so sure about the safety. Then we began the trek up the to the Lahu village tribe. The trek kicked my @$$...the first part was easy enough, but after 2 hours, we had an hour of solid uphill trekking that wore me out...finally made it up though! Lahu village was an interesting experience. They were in the middle of their New Year festivities (my 3rd NY celebration this year!) so they had a huge party...lots of rice whisky flowing and local dancing to drums and a flute type instrument...their party didn't stop until 4 AM which was annoying since we wanted to get some sleep. Stayed the night in a traditional Lahu home on stilts...no electricity, suprisingly they had running water though. They spoke their own dialect so the Thai I've learned got me nowhere.
Day 2: Breakfast at 9AM and the group split...half had signed up for 2 day trek, while the rest of us were on the 3 day. We continued up the hill and trekked in the jungle for a few hours...great scenery! Stopped for lunch and our guide made our meal entirely out of bamboo, except for the 2 minute noodle packets. Firewood was bamboo, cups carved out of bamboo, bowls, pots, chopstix...it was crazy! He got the water from the stream so all we needed was the noodles and a lighter to get the fire started. Never forget this meal...you have to see the pics. After lunch we trekked for another couple of hours before finally reaching our next stop...a nice waterfall. Took a nice shower in the cold water and spent the night in another traditional home right beside the waterfall. Nice dinner and since we were the only 4 at this campsite we called it an early night after playing with the campfire got boring...good to get some rest.
Day 3: Late start @ 11AM and we trekked for an hour or so before reaching another waterfall. Swam around for about an hour before continuing the trek to the river. Arrived at the river and did some whitewater rafting down about 5 rapids and then jumped on a bamboo raft to float the rest of the way downstream. Bamboo raft didn't look safe at all, but it floated and was really fun...perfect way to end the trek. Had some lunch (pad thai!) and then headed back towards Chaing Mai where they dropped us off at our guest house....overall it was an amazing 3 day experience (and workout!) and I'd recommend you guys do one when you make it this way...all of the landscape/scenery was unbelievable as you'll see from the pics. The trek itself took you right into the thick of the jungle crossing rivers on logs...never experienced anything like this! Good times...and managed to come out safe with only a wet pair of shoes and a solid scrape across my shin...not bad.
The plan is to hang around Chaing Mai for a few days as they are in the middle of their annual Flower Festival and then see where we go...maybe Burma?!? or maybe Laos?!? I'll keep you posted...
Day 1: Left the hostel and picked up a few other trekkers from their guest houses and we stopped by an orchid farm. Honestly, pretty lame, but they did have some cool orchids and even a butterfly farm...but I only saw a handful of butterflies. Next stop was an elephant park where we spent some time feeding elephants and then had a quick lunch before jumping on the elephants for an hour trek through the hillside. Landscape was unbelievable and the elephants were stubborn...only moving after you'd feed them bananas...bad breath too! Jumped off the elephants and crossed the river in some crazy cable car contraption...fun, but not so sure about the safety. Then we began the trek up the to the Lahu village tribe. The trek kicked my @$$...the first part was easy enough, but after 2 hours, we had an hour of solid uphill trekking that wore me out...finally made it up though! Lahu village was an interesting experience. They were in the middle of their New Year festivities (my 3rd NY celebration this year!) so they had a huge party...lots of rice whisky flowing and local dancing to drums and a flute type instrument...their party didn't stop until 4 AM which was annoying since we wanted to get some sleep. Stayed the night in a traditional Lahu home on stilts...no electricity, suprisingly they had running water though. They spoke their own dialect so the Thai I've learned got me nowhere.
Day 2: Breakfast at 9AM and the group split...half had signed up for 2 day trek, while the rest of us were on the 3 day. We continued up the hill and trekked in the jungle for a few hours...great scenery! Stopped for lunch and our guide made our meal entirely out of bamboo, except for the 2 minute noodle packets. Firewood was bamboo, cups carved out of bamboo, bowls, pots, chopstix...it was crazy! He got the water from the stream so all we needed was the noodles and a lighter to get the fire started. Never forget this meal...you have to see the pics. After lunch we trekked for another couple of hours before finally reaching our next stop...a nice waterfall. Took a nice shower in the cold water and spent the night in another traditional home right beside the waterfall. Nice dinner and since we were the only 4 at this campsite we called it an early night after playing with the campfire got boring...good to get some rest.
Day 3: Late start @ 11AM and we trekked for an hour or so before reaching another waterfall. Swam around for about an hour before continuing the trek to the river. Arrived at the river and did some whitewater rafting down about 5 rapids and then jumped on a bamboo raft to float the rest of the way downstream. Bamboo raft didn't look safe at all, but it floated and was really fun...perfect way to end the trek. Had some lunch (pad thai!) and then headed back towards Chaing Mai where they dropped us off at our guest house....overall it was an amazing 3 day experience (and workout!) and I'd recommend you guys do one when you make it this way...all of the landscape/scenery was unbelievable as you'll see from the pics. The trek itself took you right into the thick of the jungle crossing rivers on logs...never experienced anything like this! Good times...and managed to come out safe with only a wet pair of shoes and a solid scrape across my shin...not bad.
The plan is to hang around Chaing Mai for a few days as they are in the middle of their annual Flower Festival and then see where we go...maybe Burma?!? or maybe Laos?!? I'll keep you posted...
Monday, February 2, 2009
Day 103 -- Bangkok to Chaing Mai
So internet is much more easily accessible here and I hope I can keep you guys updated more regularly...Last time I wrote, I mentioned I was jumping on a night train to Chaing Mai...night train from hell more like it.
So as somebody pointed out...Mike and I look like we are on a 'Harold and Kumar: Exploring SE Asia' trip since I'm Indian and he's Korean. Anyways...we decide to try local transport to save some money since overall we spent a lot in Bangkok. Long story short...we spent 13 baht each to get to the train station...it took us over an hour and we had to walk with our 18 kilo bags for at least a couple of miles. No big deal..I'm sure there is a lot more of this ahead. Back to the train ride....
We left the guesthouse at 5:30 and got to the train station at 6:45. Tired, sweaty and nasty...we decided to spend 10 baht on a shower before boarding the train...good idea!! Train scheduled to leave at 7:35, but didn't leave until 8:40....scheduled to arrive at 9:45AM, but arrived at 5:25PM. Welcome to SE Asia travel! Apparently the 'locomotive knocked out' according to the conductor which we interpreted as engine died. They brought in a new train and after 3 hours of sitting on the side of the tracks we were back on the road. If that wasn't enough, we had the two beds right by the door between two cars full of high school students on a field trip. These kids were up all night moving back and forth between the cars singing 'Disturbia' and every Alanis Morisette tracks known...no sleep at all! Arrived in Chaing Mai and checked into our hostel...leaving on a trekking trip into the jungle in the morning for 3 days so I'll check in when I get back. Until next time..
So as somebody pointed out...Mike and I look like we are on a 'Harold and Kumar: Exploring SE Asia' trip since I'm Indian and he's Korean. Anyways...we decide to try local transport to save some money since overall we spent a lot in Bangkok. Long story short...we spent 13 baht each to get to the train station...it took us over an hour and we had to walk with our 18 kilo bags for at least a couple of miles. No big deal..I'm sure there is a lot more of this ahead. Back to the train ride....
We left the guesthouse at 5:30 and got to the train station at 6:45. Tired, sweaty and nasty...we decided to spend 10 baht on a shower before boarding the train...good idea!! Train scheduled to leave at 7:35, but didn't leave until 8:40....scheduled to arrive at 9:45AM, but arrived at 5:25PM. Welcome to SE Asia travel! Apparently the 'locomotive knocked out' according to the conductor which we interpreted as engine died. They brought in a new train and after 3 hours of sitting on the side of the tracks we were back on the road. If that wasn't enough, we had the two beds right by the door between two cars full of high school students on a field trip. These kids were up all night moving back and forth between the cars singing 'Disturbia' and every Alanis Morisette tracks known...no sleep at all! Arrived in Chaing Mai and checked into our hostel...leaving on a trekking trip into the jungle in the morning for 3 days so I'll check in when I get back. Until next time..
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
