Vang Vieng baby!!

I only stayed in luang probang for a few days in the end before heading down to Vang Vieng home of the infamous tubing. I went on our first day there and it was mental. Basically tubing involves renting a tube, getting a tuk tuk to the river and then floating down the river, stopping off at the dozen bars along the way having a drink (or 2) having a go on the rope swings, zip wires, slides and other activities and the floating on to the next bar. This is one of the most dangerous activities i've ever undertaken, as the water is deep and fast flowing, the rope swings and slides are pretty big but if you let go at the wrong time you may end up on the rocks and a lot of the time the 'tubers' float underneath you as your swings along. Oh yea there's lots of cheap booze some people get drunk as do stupid things. Unsurprisingly there have been a fair few fatalites on the route. So dangerous but great fun. The firstt time i did it i started at 12.30 but didn't complete the course as it was dark before we left the last bar so we ended up getting out on a stoney beach and then clawed our way into a construction site before a tuk tuk came and picked us up. It was an interesting experience. I then found a job helping to promote a bar, i got free accomodation and free food which was cool but it wasn't as fun as i thought it was going to be so i left after 4 days. It gave me another opportunity to go tubing though and this time i finished the course. I'm now in Vientiane for a few days and am going to get the 22 hour bus to Hanoi.

Chiang Saen, Chiang Khong, Luang Probang

i continued my tour of northern thailand. Left chiang Rai on the 16th and went to chiang saen. Got dropped off at a random bus station so took me a while to find out where i was and somewhere to stay. It was a very quiet place and i was one of the only tourists there but fantastic views of the mekong river. Left next day (17th) to go to Chiang Khong. No busses so had to go in a pick-up truck with benches down either side to sit on. Driver managed to squeeze 15 people in which was unbearable but fortunately people got off quiet quickly. It was a two stage journey so i was droped off halfway in a small town. i had no idea what was going on, no one spoke english and there were no other tourists but i managed to sort myself out and get to chiang khong. Amazing views on the journey up and down the mountains and along the Mekong. Chiang Khong was pretty poor as well. I found a cheap room to stay in but unfortunately didn't take in the state of the room until much later. Did nothing all day but went to a bar in evening and watched 'hot fuzz' and 'the spirit'. Any way my room was a state, Dirty walls, floors, cobwebs everywhere, no one had bothered to empty the bin either so i came back from a bar later to find an army of ants coming though the window and cockroaches in the bin so i had interesting dreams that night. On the 18th i went to Laos. I complicated my visa application by trying to use my NZ passport to save me $5 US, that didn't go down to well and i ended up wasting a lot of time and using my British passport.

The border crossing was a town called Huay Xay the other side of the mekong to chiang khong and from there i had booked a 2 day slow boat trip along the mekong to Luang Probang. This involved 6 hours of sitting on a wooden bench folwed by an over night stay in pak beng and the another 6 hours. A large group behind me turned it into a booze cruise and got wasted but i was content reading my book and watching the scenery which was just rain forest, mountains and hill villages. It was an uncomfortable journy but was definately worth it. Spent the day yesterday in luang probang. Rented some bikes with some other people and spent the day cylcing around to temples and waterfalls which was nice. Unfortunately, the river downstream also doubled as a car wash with people driving their vans, trucks, cars, tuk tuks and bikes in to be washed. It pained me to think of the damage that was doing to the river with all the diesil, oil and chemicals going into it.

I'm, now in vang vieng and off to do some tubing this afternoon.

Chiang Mai, Pai, Chiang Rai

on the 11th i went with a group to tiger kingdom which is a zoo where you can touch touch the tigers. i wasn't planning to go as i had heard they were drugged but thought i would go an investigate. Apparently they weren't so i decided to pay and go in (wasn't cheap). Bit of an anti climax as all the tigers did was lie and sleep in the boiling heat so i got bored after 5 minutes so that was a waste of time. Went to the night market in the evening which isn't as spectacular as the sunday one but still pretty good. There were so many temptations, watches, clothes and food which i avoided. Fortunately the guy i was with was on a spending spree so it gave me an opportunity to hone by bartering skills. Then went to a bar to watch the thai boxing which was apparantly staged but still good.

On the 12th i decided to go to Pai to do some more trekking, didn't want to pay for a tuk tuk so walked for over an hour in the heat with my bag to get to the bus station. Got a local bus there whcih was good fun as it was like a bouncy castle and could barely make it up some of the mountains. Got a good glimpse of the jungle as well. Met a group of French guys so shared a room for the two nights in Pai which saved me some money. I got very frustrated by my level of French though.

13th - went to sort out another trek but because it's low season there are no other tourists so the costs of the treks are way more expensive and i'd either be on my own or in a tiny group which would be a bit dull so i abandoned that plan. Didn't take long to explore the town so i just chilled out for the day. Went out in the evening again with the French people but as it's low season most of the bars were empty.

Decided to leave Pai yesterday and head to Chiang Rai which unfortunately meant i had to go back to Chaing Mai which is like doing twon sides of a triangle. Wnet on a cheap ordinary bus to chaing mai but had to get a more expensive a/c bus to chiang rai as there didn't seem to be anything else. However it turned out that the long distance bus station in Chiang Rai was 7km out of town (a fact overlooked bu my lonely planet guide) so it was a bit of a mission to get out of town. I've managed to get my own tiny room for the same price as a dorm room so i've got my own space which is nice.

Today i went to look for another trek but it's the same story as Pai, there nore expensive as there are fewer tourists. As a result there's very little to do and few tourists to meet so i won't be staying here long. Probably going to head to laos soon and get the slow boat to Luang Prabang.

10/9 continued

included in the price so i could have a full on binge with out worrying about my money which was a welcome relief from my tight budgeting. The rain forest was incredible so i plan to head further north and hopefully do something similar. 

Chiang Mai (trek)

ok been gone 3 days in the jungle now but saw some thai boxing before i went, wasn't great as it was mostly just kids fighting. started the trip 3 days ago, went to a butterfly and orchids farm in the morning then did am hour elephant 'safari' which was hot slow and quite uncomfortable. also apparantly the elephants are beaten badly when they are young to make the, obey which took the shine off things. After lunch we started our trek in the monsoon rain which is heavy to say the least. The stream we had to cross over several times became knee deep so my trainers got soaked and being waterproof kept the water. So i decided to continue in flip flops and later bare feet. The path was all up hill but i found it pretty easy. Really enjoyed being in the rain forest away from the traffic and doing a bit of exercise. Spent the night in a hill tribe at the top of the mountain, acommodation was basic but fine, nice watching the sun set over the rainforest and mountains. The second day was all trekking mixed in with a few water falls where we could swim, again the trail was awesome and scenery superb. We spent the night in a bamboo shed facing the river (no wall just a veranda). The first event happened early on on the 3rd day when some nut job old frenchman decided to go for a swim in the river and got caught in the current and taken down some fairly beasty rapids, he survived with a few bumps and bruises. Next was the white water rafting which was short but good fun with some pretty cool rapids. So all in all a good trip, one of the best bits had to be the food which was superb and best of plentiful so as it was

Ayutalla, Chiang Mai

had a bit of a mare the other day took my malaria pill on an empy stomach and hurled a lot 30 mins later. Got the train to ayuthayya on the 4th. Rented a bike and spent the day clycling around the ruins which were pretty cool. had a pretty interesting time negocating the erratic traffic and got pretty exhausted in teh full sun all day. managed to get my self a shower in a guet house befre getting the sleeper train up to Bangkok. Great fun although a little squashed on the top bunk. enjoyed the a/C but journy took about 14 hours in the. Now in Chiang Mai and have found a cool little hostel full of backpackers with a pool table and a great common room but am only paying 70 bt/night (1.50 with a bad exchange rate) which is sweet. loads to do up here, it's a cheap alternative to queenstown really with bungy jumping, white water rafting, bikeing, off roading etc but i'm going to go for the 3 day trek tomorrow with elephant riding, white water rafting, trekking, swimming in water falls and 2 nights in the jungle. Went to an incredible night market last night, thousands of stalls filled the streets and hundreds of food stalls selling incredibly good incredibly cheap food kep me busy for a few hours. Very hot here, jut sweat all day but loads of cool people and cheap food and accomodation are keeping me busy. Might go to laos next week and take the slow boat to luang probang but havn't decided yet. North thailand way better that Bangkok so far.

3/9/2009

Slept a bit better. Person i was going to north with backed out so i'm on my own again. Went to museum which was way more expensive then my guide book said. Lot's to see and some amazing statues and arty stuff so spent a few hours there. Became a bit same same but same in the end though. I left had some 10bt lunch (so good yet so cheap) and then just went walking around places that looked interesting, Grand Palace various temples and shrines. Heading north tomorrow, hopefully to catch the 7.oo train so early start.

Bangkok day 3

couldn't sleep as i was still pretty jet lagged but gave me opportunity to plan trip a bit better. Money biggest worry but getting all stressed over just a few quid!! Went back to Tuk Tuk man for another 10bt ride but he wanted to drag me to the TAT tourist office where he earns a hefty commission on sales but i reckon they're a rip off. Went to train station to look at train times. Went in metered air-conditioned taxi which turned out to be cheaper then the awful tuk tuks where your subject to Bangkok's pollution. Journey took forever as traffic appalling. Ended up booking a sleeper train friday evening from ayuthayya to Chang mai which is a 13 hour journey. I'm getting the early train to Ayuthayya tomorrow morning which will give me a day to see the ruins. Getting fed up with tuk tuk men, suit sellers and people dragging me into the TAT offices but i'll manage. I'm definitely the youngest person traveling i've seen yet though. Got a water taxi back from station which was infinitely better, faster less polluted with a nice breeze. Saw lots of buddha satues in Wat Po amongst other things. Went for a swim on the roof top hotel pool. Only place i've found to escape the noise, pollution, heat and most of teh tuk tuks!!! Bangkok would be an awesome place to spend a few days in a group as lots to do. Looking forward to leaving though.

first day in bangkok

12 hour flight to singapore from LHR on the new A380 which is hench. Mostly watched tv and films so didn't sleep. I mamaged to get through immigration at the airport in tHAILAND WITHOUT PAYINGANYTHING SO THAT WAS A RESULT. i GOT STRAIGHT ON the bus to Khao son way. Getting off the bus i was imediately mobbed by people selling this and that but the first offenders were the tailors (of which there are hundreds) trying to get me to buy a suit. I went to 4 before i got to my hotel!! I slept in afternoon and then got a 10bt tuk tuk tour of a few attractions like the giant buddha. Unfortunately part of the deal involved me going into yet another tailor so the driver could get a fuel coupon. Traffic in bangkok is aweful especially in an open tuk tuk surounded by dirty diesil busses but it was fun none the less(i got to see some 'interesting parts of Bangkok) Had a 20bt dinner of noodles and things which was nice as i rekon i couldeat 3 coursesa day for a bit over a pound (street stalls only) Met up with an german seaking italian who also speaks english so explored the cuty with him and walked down Khao san road which is the livliest road i've ever been down. Otherwise bangkok is hot humid polluted and noisy but good fun. Still feel like i'm in a bit of a dream and am enjoying flying by the seat of my pants!!