Thur 24 - Wed 30 Jan - Chiang Rai, Chang Mai and Bangkok

After crossing the border from Laos into Thailand we checked into a lovely little guest house in chang rai near the border. We were sorry we weren't going to be there longer as it was quiet and had a lovely pool area. However by the time we checked in there was just time for a very welcome shower. I have never been so glad to have a shower and wash my hair as I was convinced I was crawling with nasties after the past two days travelling. Clean clothes on and we were off to a local restaurant overlooking the river to the Lao border beyond. I enjoyed my favourite Thai green curry which, apart from being much spicier, was just like we have it at home.

An early night was welcomed by all of us as we had another 6am start in the morning to travel to Chang mai. We were picked up by another luxury mini bus and stopped after a couple of hours to visit the White Temple. This was the most spectacular temple we had seen on our trip and was designed and built by a local artist. It is still a work in progress but is absolutely stunning. As the name suggest the entire temple is white and has been hand made with tiny pieces of mirror set into the white plaster which sparkle I. The sun. The attention to detail is incredible and we spent quite a while wandering around admiring it and also looking at the gallery of paintings done by the same artist.

 

We were then back on the bus to continue our journey, making another brief stop at a cashew nut factory where they demonstrated how cashew nuts are harvested and processed which explained why the are so expensive. We were able to sample loads of different flavours of cashew nuts and bout some to enjoy on our travels.

Just Before lunch time we arrived in Chang mai, where we rented bicycles and went on a cycle tour of the city. This included a number of temples around the old walled town, a lunch stop and a visit to the local market. It is always fascinating to wander around markets in foreign countries, especially when you have a local guide who can explain what all the strange foods on display are.

 

We went back to the hotel for a welcome swim as we finally had a hotel with a pool! In the evening chris and I caught a tuk tuk and went to visit the night market which was huge and interesting but a bit touristy and commercial compared to others we had been to.

The next morning we were up early again as we had a busy day planned. our first stop was at an elephant camp where we were once again privileged to be able to ride the elephants. Asian elephants are much smaller than African elephants and these ones also had seats where you sat so it was a much more comfortable experience than e larger African elephants we rode in Zimbabwe six weeks before. We climbed aboard and set off with our guides and a big bag of bananas to feed the elephants on the way. I also had a two year old baby elephant In tow who ate more bananas than his mum! We rode through the jungle and through the river for about forty minutes and it was an amazing experience. We feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to ride both varieties of this amazing animal in one trip.

 

Next stop was at a local village where we were able to watch the local women weaving the traditional garments for the area which are gorgeous bright colours and all hand woven. I bought so e brightly coloured scarves to brighten up the gift shop whe. We get back. After a quick lunch we drove down to the river for the next fun activity of the day - bamboo rafting! About ten pieces of bamboo each about ten metres long are tied together to make a floating raft. We then sat on the raft while the oarsmen guided us down the river, over rapids, around rocks and down into the valley below. I was horrified when they pointed out two huge snakes on the way - the first one swimming in the water and the second one was a large python wrapped around a tree above our heads. Luckily we were travelling quite fast on the rafts but I kept my hands and feet well in after that! We had so much fun on the rafts and after the first rapid gave up trying to stay dry and by the end of the trip we were soaking!

Back to the hotel for a quick swim, wash and change before we boarded the night train for the lag let of our tour - to Bangkok. The Thai train was lovely and so much newer and cleaner than the Vietnam trains we had used earlier. After supper I settled down into my bunk bed for so e much needed sleep while chris found a new friend and ventured off to check out the dining and bar carriage - this turned out to be a crazy night club on wheels full of drunken revellers so he had a great night.

Next morning we arrived in Bangkok and checked into our hotel which was just across the road from the station. The two girls decided to take themselves off to a water park for the day as they had been to Bangkok at the beginning of their trip. Chris and I enjoyed a lazy morning and in the afternoon charin took us on a walking tour of the city, visiting the temple of the golden buddha. A walk through china town which was fascinating. As it was really hot, and we still had a few days in bangkok to explore, we cut short our walk and caught a tuk tuk back to the hotel. In the evening we went for our final dinner together, after which we left charin and the four of us went down to the back packing area of town. And the famous hoi San road.

This proved to be the craziest place I have ever seen. Hundreds of bars, shops and stalls selling everything imaginable - t shirts, shoes, knives, tattoos, street food and drink, scorpions on kebab sticks, drugs, hair braiding, and massages on Sun loungers lined up in the street. Music blares from every pub and the whole place is buzzing and exciting. It is where the opening scene from the book and film The Beach is set and now I know why that was such a crazy book.

 

After saying our goodbyes we left the girls there after a couple of hours while we returned to our hotel. Our tour was now over and they were leaving early the next morning to continue on sir travels while we planned to have a lie in , the first for a very long time!!

Next day we moved to our 5 star hotel & spa on the 'other' side of town.(Christmas present from Dot my mum). It was absolutely lovely with the comfiest bed and pillows that you could wish for!! We enjoyed a jacuzzi, Infinity pool & steam room during our relax time after our long journey.... We were not too sure about the plain glass wall between the toilet and bathrooms though!! Very odd....

During the next two days we mainly chilled but on our last full day in Bangkok we got the sky train to the river and took a boat to the Grand Palace to see the Emerald Buddha but it was shut as we got up late haha.

After a lie in we had a beautiful breakfast and reluctantly checked out of the hotel. Again we took the sky train this time to Victory Monument to catch a mini bus to Kanchanaburi, home of the famous Bridge over the River Kwai. To say the mini bus driver had a death wish would be a huge understatement, we arrived a few hours later with hardly any nails left!!!

 

 

 

Sat 19 - Thur 24 Jan - Laos

We were lucky that our transfer from Vietnam to Laos was by air rather than the 12 hour drive of previous tours! An hour's flight took us to the capital of Laos, Vientiene. The city was tranquil and clean in contrast to Hanoi we had just left and it made a pleasant change. We checked into our central hotel early evening and then went to an outside restaurant for supper.

Cherin recommended the local hot pot and after seeing the alternatives ready to be chosen and grilled for you which included whole fish, frogs and birds on skewers, we decided to go for his recommendation. The hot pot is kind of a do it yourself soup where they bring you a pot of boiling stock as well as meat, fresh veg, chilli, garlic and rice noodles. You throw some each into the pot, wait for it to boil for a few minutes and then use your chopsticks to eat it from the pot with some sticky rice - yummy!

We then wandered around the night market which was also pleasant as the Laos people are so quiet and gentle so no one was hassling you to buy and we were free to just wander through and admire all the lovely handcrafts for sale. We sampled the local pancakes - made on a road side stall and a cross between a very thin pizza base and a crepe cooked on a skottle then filled with Nutella and sliced banana and topped with condensed milk. It was divine and we ate it while walking back to our hotel.

The next morning we were out early as we only had half a day to explore Vientiene before we were back on the road at lunchtime. We hired a tuk tuk for half a day to take us around.

Our first stop was at Cope - a rehabilitation centre for victims of bombs dropped in the 1970's by the Americans during what is known as "the Secret War". Cluster bombs were dropped throughout the country and caused mass deaths and injuries of the Laos people, but what is even worse is that thousands of the unexploded bombs landed in fields and forests and over the years have been detonated by farmers and children and continue to injure and kill. We watched a documentary about how Mag are working with and training the local people to be aware of, and how to deal with the thousands of cluster bombs that still litter the country. The rehabilitation centre helps people who have survived horrendous injuries and to fit them with prosthetic limbs where possible. It was a real eye opening visit and very emotional to see details of the horrors of a war I knew nothing about.

We then got back in our tuk tuk and visited Wat Si Saket, the oldest and most important wat in Vientiene, which contains over 6000 Buddhas. Next stop was Haw Pah Kaew which was originally built in 1565 as a royal temple to house the Emerald Buddha. In 1778 the emerald buddha was sent to the royal palace in Bangkok and Haw Pah Kaew is now a museum with superb examples of Buddhist art and architecture.

 

 

 

After a quick lunch of noodle soup at a local restaurant we were into our lovely comfy mini bus which was a great contrast to the rickety buses we had used to travel Vietnam. One of the advantages of being only a small group on this leg of our tour! The four hour drive from Vientiene to the small town of Vang Vieng took us along windy narrow roads and gave us a chance to see little villages, farms and animals. We stopped in a village where fishing is the main occupation and saw the road side stalls selling all sorts of fresh and sun dried fish and fishy products! Mmm luckily we had already had lunch!!

 

The little town of Vang Vieng is set against the backdrop of the dramatic limestone Lao mountains along a bend on the Song river. The area is very picturesque and the quaint town is popular with tourists but still quiet and peaceful. Our hotel for the night was right on the river front and we each had a little bungalow on stilts. After supper it was lovely to go to sleep with the sounds of frogs and crickets rather than noisy traffic.

Next day we booked a tour to head out of town to trek to a local village, explore caves on tubes and then kayak back down the river to vang Vieng. We all piled into a tuk tuk with kayaks loaded on the roof and set off along the river side road about 20 km out of town. A short hike through the village complete with curious kids, pigs and chickens brought us to a clearing where the river ran straight through a cave. We got into the freezing cold but crystal clear water, sat in tubes and strapped head torches on then using a rope which runs through the cave we propelled ourselves along. It was an amazing sight and the torches shone up the stalagmites and stalagtites in the roof of the caves. After about 40 minutes as our arms were aching we emerged out of the cave and back into the sunshine and the pool. After a quick lunch of barbecued kebabs and fried rice we hiked back to the tuk tuks and drove to the point in the river where we would kayak. It was 9km along the river back to town so I was a little nervous that it would be too tough for me. However one of the guides offered to pair up with me and Chris went with Cherin so we had a great time. Once I had managed to actually clamber into the kayak (not particularly gracefully!) we set off down the river for what was to be an amazing, peaceful and picturesque trip. It took us about two and a half hours to cover the distance past villages and other boats. By the time we got out at the end we both in agony and the front of our thighs were protesting painfully. But we had enjoyed a unique experience and were glad we had let the girls talk us into doing it.

Once back at the hotel I enjoyed a long hot soak in the bath. After a huge variety of bathrooms in the range of hotels we have stayed in it was lovely to have a bath instead of a shower and use the little pot of bubble bath I had been carrying with me since I left home! Perfect timing and well appreciated!

Next morning we were back on the road very early on our longest journey of the whole trip - an 8 hour drive through the mountains to the Unesco heritage listed town of Luang Prabang. The journey was interesting as once again we went through lots of little villages and past fields but the road was very windy and the journey was slow. We stopped at a mountain top cafe for a break and some fresh pineapple and I was fascinated by the loo with a view! As you sit on the loo there is a huge big open view out over the mountains and the valley. Not a soul in sight for miles so no chance of a peeping Tom!

Our guest house in Luang Prabang was a short walk from the town centre. We arrived in time to climb up Mount Phousi in the centre of town. At the summit is Wat Chomsi, a gold spired stupa, from where we watched the most beautiful sunset behind the mountains. Unfortunately dozens of other tourists had the same idea so it was very crowded in the small area but the view was worth the puffing and panting to get to the top.

We then climbed back down and wandered through the night market where locals sell the beautiful woven cloths that are made in the area as well as paper lanterns and other handcrafts.

The next morning we woke up at 5 am for a unique experience, giving alms to the local monks. Monks can only eat food which is given to them so devoted local people get up before sunrise every morning, cook rice and sit on the street waiting for the monks who walk through the streets to accept donations of food which is put into their baskets as they pass by.

As our guide Cherin spent time living in a temple when he was young he understands the custom so we were privileged with his guidance to be able to buy some rice and join in with the ceremony.

After breakfast back at the hotel we caught a tuk tuk and went up into the mountains and visited Kuang Sii waterfalls, impressive 3 tier waterfalls in lush forest vegetation. The limestone rocks form the clear bright blue water which cascades over a number of falls and pools. We swam in the FREEZING blue pools and then spent some time wandering through the forest and it was nice to have a relaxing day. Of all the beautiful waterfalls I have visited over the years I think that these are the most stunning.

 

Nearby there is a bear sanctuary where rescued bears are housed after being trapped and mistreated. These beautiful Asian bears are becoming more and more rare in the wild and it was good to see that this charity is trying to make the world aware of the plight of these animals as well as taking good care of these ones which have been rescued.

 

That evening cherin's recommendation for dinner was the Lao equivalent of a hot rock. A barbecue restaurant where your food is brought for you to cook yourself on a hot wok in the middle of the table. We went for the safe option of chicken and pork while the girls tried water buffalo which they said was delicious! A soup is made in the "moat" around the wok from stock, noodles and vegetables while the meat is grilled in the middle.

 

Next morning was another early start as we set off at 7am on our two day boat trip which would take us up the Mekong river from Luang Prabang to the Thai border. We were lucky to have our own private boat which is designed to carry about 50 people so there was plenty of room for the five of us plus our local guide to relax. The long wooden boat is owned and driven by a local couple who live on the boat for most of the time. we set off when it was barely light so the open sides meant that once we were on the river the wind was freezing so the blankets they gave us to wrap up in we're most welcome. From the boat we had a different view of life in Lao from the river and saw lots of little huts and villages on the dee of the water. It was lovely to have a day to chill and relax as we had had lots of early mornings and busy days.

 

That night we were half way through our journey and just before it got dark we arrived at the village where we to spend the night in a home stay. Luckily we were able to leave our large bags on the boat as it was a steep climb up a narrow cliff path to get to the village. We were welcomed by the villagers and caused quite a bit of interest amongst the children who don't get visitors very often and rarely, if ever, see foreigners. Our guide gave us a tour of the village which has 70 homes and a small primary school. It was very humbling to see how the people live, how hard they work to survive and yet how happy they are. Dozens of kids, dogs, chickens and pigs wander happily around the village in harmony. Supper was served back down on the boat and then we had to make the treacherous hike back up the narrow cliff path in pitch darkness with our torches. We were glad we had taken our overnight bags up earlier. Boys and girls were in different houses so the girls and I were in one house, while Chris shared with our tour leader Cherin and our guide. By the time we got back from dinner our hosts had made up our beds for the night in their front room - a bright pink mosquito net tent with a thin mattress and blanket. I was glad for Mums old sheets that we had carried around with us since we left Zimbabwe. I was also glad that I had thought to use the toilet before I left the boat and not had much to drink as the toilet was a hole in the ground within a pitch black shed beneath the house!

 

As we had sat chatting to the lady who was hosting the men in her house (with the help of our guide translating) by the time we headed to our house for bed at about 9pm the whole village was in darkness and silent except for the odd dog barking. We woke up the lady of the house who got up and turned on the only light in the house which was in our room. She then stood sleepily and waited for us to get into our cocoons so that she could turn the light off. So the 3 of us scuttled into our beds obediently without a wash and were then plunged into pitch blackness! Needless to say the rock hard floor, strange noises outside and inside the house and the fact that every time someone moved the whole house on stilts shook, meant that none of us managed to get any sleep. The sound of the cockerel at 4 am was actually welcome as it meant we did not need to lie there much longer waiting for our 5am wake up call!

We once again made the trip down the cliff in pitch darkness to our boat which was waiting for us on the river. As soon as the first rays of daylight appeared we set off again down the river on the second half of our journey. It wasn't long before we all found a corner on the boat to curl up in and catch up on some sleep.

A few hours later we arrived at the Laos/Thai border. We had to dock on the Laos side first and get a tuk tuk to take us to immigration. After we finished there it was a short hop by a little narrow boat across the Mekong river to the Thai immigration offices. Farewell Laos and hello Thailand !!