Day 143
We got up while having breakfast we watched a pilgrimage of 200 Buddhist monks pass by the restaurant it was really something to see with their bare feet and brown carrier packs.
In the afternoon we went to the Dead Railway Museum which was dedicated to all the people who lost their lives making the death railway between Borneo and Thailand. It was the inspiration for the film “The Bridge Over the River Koi”. The Museum was very informative and gave a non-bias account of what happened there and the picture of how many people died there and what the conditions were like. Afterwards we visited the POW Graveyard that was outside.
Yvonne gave my hair a well needed chop taking at least 4 inches off it, it looked healthy again, then we had dinner and packed up to be ready for the next morning before an early night.
Day 144
We had a long drive day to get to the town where the ferry left for Koh Samui. We arrived at the hotel, which was really nice compared to the hotels we stayed at before had some dinner and headed to bed.
Day 145
First thing after breakfast we had a big truck clean as we were leaving the truck very shortly and had to have it clean for the boat trip back to England. We spent nearly 3 hours scrubbing the insides clean and taking the black off all of the pots and kettles; it was hard work as it was well burnt on. We finally finished and jumped into the shower and threw out of sooty black t-shirts as all our truck cooking was over until Australia.
We got back onto the truck and headed to the ferry port to catch the 3pm ferry. We had lunch at the port and I had the hottest chilli sauce of the trip so far. It burnt the mouth off me. We all loaded onto the ferry and set off on our hour and half boat journey through the islands of Thailand to Koh Samui. We arrived and go into our disco taxi and headed to the hostel “Monkey Samui”. The hostel was nice and the staff very friendly. Our dorm walls were all glass with peach curtains which was strange but it had air con so we were happy. We went down to the beach and ate dinner in a bar on the beach and sat on the beach a la Shirley Valantine and had a few drinks on the beach with some of the others on the trip.
We spent the evening organising the dive trip in Koh Tao.
Day 146
We were up at dawn and off to the catamaran port to go to Koh Tao. It was pretty quick going over and we stopped off at two other islands on the way. I realised on the boat that I was eaten alive by mozzies the night before, 30 bite on one leg alone, it must have been the hostel we stayed in. We arrived at 9am and checked into Crystal Dive Resort. We had our dive review in the afternoon as we hadn’t been diving in a while with our dive instructor, an Irish guy named Keith from Cork. It was really nice to get into our dive gear again and refresh all the basics again.
In the evening we went out for burgers for dinner and had a drink in the resort bar and watched the dive videos of the groups who passed their tests that day. They were really cool and showed a lot of wildlife. We were excited to go diving the next day. We headed off to bed early as we were up early the next morning.
Day 147
We were up early and down at the centre to get kitted up and onto the boat for our first dive. It was great everything was ready for you on the boat so all you needed to bring on was your BCD and fins. There was so much space to set up compared to the boats at home. We got set up, had our initial briefing and we set off. We were given our first dive site briefing by Livvy our dive master and what we expected to see at it. We kitted up and off we went under the crystal clear water. We had a slow easy dive with loads of time to see the fish around us including parrot fish, angle fish, a sea snake and blue spotted ray. It was so colourful and loads of fun. We came back up on a high after our first taste and couldn’t wait for the next one.
We got back on board and changed our tanks and were back upstairs on the sun deck for the second roll call of the morning and briefing for our second site. It was so much fun to be in the water again and to be paired up with Yvonne made it even better. We saw loads more fish including prawns, barracuda, crocodile fish, butterfly fish and trigger fish. The Trigger fish are the most aggressive fish on the coral so we were warned to stay a safe distance away from them. They were so much bigger than the other fish we saw in the water. We came back up to the surface and back to the centre by lunch time. We had to wash our tent for the boarder control in Australia so we set to washing it, poles, pegs and all. It took a good 2 hours before we headed down to see the town of Sairee Beach and enjoyed an afternoon swim on the beach before a good walk back to our accommodation we finished off the tent and headed for dinner in a nice Italian restaurant then back to bed for another days diving on the next day.
Day 148
We were up and off to the boat for going dive day on the boat. It was a great day with 4 great dive locations, mango bay, white rock, twin peaks and Lean Tian. We saw so much marine life, juvenile sealip fish, trigger fish, little and big grupers, blue spotted ray, clown fish, bat fish, enemy fish and lots more. We played in the underwater playground called buoyancy world, with loads of opstical courses and things to swim through, it was great fun. We were jumping off the top deck of the boat and watching the rescue course going through the motions and enjoying the sun all day. When we eventually went in to dock we were tired, excited and a little burnt.
We found out that the local restaurants had a roast dinner on a Sunday so we went out for a roast Chicken dinner, it was massive the plate was huge it took up half of the plate and it had loads of veg, chichen and mashed potatoes on it. YUM YUM. We were getting the ferry the next day so we stayed out for a bit chatting to some of the divers we were diving with and exchanged stories and advice on diving and travelling. It was a nice evening but by 11pm we were exhausted and headed home to pack up and bed.
Day 149
We were on the ferry by 9 and very sorry to be leaving Koh Tao and vowing to be back again really soon. We got back to the hostel on Koh Samui and first thing I realised was how many mozzies were around. We got in touch with the girls that were staying further down the island and arranged to meet up with them for the night and stay in their hotel. We picked up our bags and hopped into a local taxi and off we went to Lani to check in to their fancy hotel. First thing was into the pool to wash away all the days travelling and enjoy the view out over the beach before dinner. For dinner we had a seafood bar-b-qued it was amazing, a whole fish,3 crabs, 6 prawns and 2 squid. God we were so full after it we could barely move.
We left the restaurant and stopped to pick up breakfast for the next day on the way to Swing Bar where they had a fire show on. We got comfortable on the front row of deckchairs and watched the show, I was so amazed at how good they were and mad jealous I didn’t have mine. Half way through the show Gayle got one of the guys attention and asked if I could have a go, he wasn’t too sure but let me have them. I was on cloud 9. It was so much fun. I went back to the table after shaking with nerves and excitement.
We then played limbo with a fire poll that didn’t go too low and I won a t-shirt, this was turning into the best night ever. To my amazement one of the guys came over later in the night and gave me them again and let me have a longer go, even relighting them for me it was SO COOL. I was the happiest person in the bar. When the fire show was over we danced until the small hours then headed back to the hotel for a few hours’ sleep before heading for the ferry at 5.
Day 150
We arrived at the ferry and slept most of the way back to the truck and set off for the Malaysian boarder. We hadn’t got much sleep the previous night so we slept for most of the day on the truck. The boarder was pretty easy and the truck didn’t take too long to go through. We stopped for the night is a rough but ready hotel. We were so tired from the diving and the night out that we got dinner and went straight to bed.
Day 151
We drove to Kuala Lumpur and arrived there in the late afternoon and checked into the hostel for 3 nights. We had dinner in the massive shopping centre that was straight across the road for the hostel and did a bit of shopping. We were on the hunt for high heels for Will’s (our diver) fortieth birthday in Singapore. We spent hours walking the 11 floors to find shoes to go with our tailored dresses from Vietnam. We were all shopped out by the time we found the shoes and went back to the hostel to catch up with the others and hear about their time in Koh Samui. Time was getting precious as 4 people from the truck were leaving in Singapore.
Day 152
We explored the Chinatown markets picking up the last of our Christmas presents and admiring the knock off hand bags. It was amazing the quality went from really good to not so good. We really enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the stalls. We finished off our afternoon there with a look around the Christmas shops that lined the side streets. They were just like Donal’s at home just on a much bigger scale with every kind of decoration you could imagine including a signpost that said “Let It Snow” very strange in 30 degree heat.
We got back to the hostel and started on the repack taking out anything that was to be sent home the next day and organising our bags as we were leaving the truck at the next stop. It took most of the afternoon to get sorted and labelling the things going home. We then did some internet chores and went for dinner and chatted to the group in the bar before bed.
Day 153
We packed up our box for the post office and sent it off after sitting outside the post office packing and filling out forms for the package with 6 others from the truck. When we got it sorted we went back to the hostel and had a day of looking for places to stay in Sydney.
In the evening we went to see the Patronas Towers and enjoyed their dancing fountains before heading home to bed
Day 154
On the way to Singapore we stopped off in the port town of Malaka, once the largest port town in Malaysia for trading spices and goods of the Fareast during the times of the East Indian Trading Company. We went to the Maritime museum which was a wooden ship with loads of information on Malaysian external rulers and their influence on the country. While we were in the boat it started to pour down rain for the rest of the afternoon spent in the town. We got soaked and eventually dried off in the truck on the way to Singapore.
We left the truck at the Singapore boarder and lugged our bags through the boarders and onto a bus to the hostel. We all looked like turtles carrying our homes on our backs. We arrived at the hostel, checked in, changed money and went in search of dinner. We were staying in Little India so we headed to a local Indian restaurant and had the best Indian food I’ve ever had. After dinner we headed back to the dorm, got set for the big day out the next day and headed to bed.
Day 155
We woke late and went for dinner before getting ready for the celebrations for Will’s Birthday starting in Raffel’s home of the Singapore Sling. It was great we were all dressed up and everyone looked really different to our usual backpacker clothes. We stayed in Raffel’s for a drink, then when we were leaving Raffels we said a very sad goodbye to Nick and Julie as they were off on a cruise for the next part of their adventure and headed to Orchard Towers and went from a disco bar to a live music bar where we stayed for the rest of the night before McDonalds and home.
Day 156
We got up late and had a lazy day. Before going to the Night Safari we heard that the ferry to Indonesia was broken down so we had to book flights to Jakarta and stay in Singapore an additional night.
The Night Safari was a great opportunity to see the nocturnal animals in the night. We spent 4 hours wandering between the lions, tigers, bats, bat monkeys, weasels, mouse dear, tapir and rinos. It was great. When the Safari closed we headed home to bed.
Day 157
We went to the day zoo after lunch and saw loads of animals in large enclosures with loads of space. The zoo is twined with Australia Zoo that is supposed to be the best Zoos in the world and it really shows, each animal was very comfortable in their areas with some mild interaction with the public. We had a great day and got to see whit tigers, pigmy hippos, leopards, zebras, giraffes, maerkats, Warthogs, ringtail lemers, seals, penguins and orang-utans. It was a great day out.
We then headed down to the dock for the evening in Boat and Clark Quay. It was a busy place full of people ready for a great night out. We were leaving in the morning so we headed back and packed up praying our bags were under weight.
Day 158
We were up packed and said another sad goodbye to Adam, Cozzy and Wayne staying behind and heading off on another adventure. We were at the airport by 1, checked in and waiting for our flight by half past. We wandered around the airport and eventually boarded the flight off to Jakarta.
We got a bus and taxi to our hostel, it was run by an Irish guy who was really sound. It was apparently much nicer than most hostels in Indonesia. We got pizza and watched Twilight Breaking Dawn movie in the hostel cinema area in prep for the Cinema the next evening.
Day 159
I spent time catching up on my diary in the morning while Yvonne talked to our tour leader about a job that she is taking for the month of January leading a tour group for four weeks.
In the afternoon we went to the Planetarium where we were adopted by a group of teenage girls with lots of questions and “you are beautiful” “so white” “pretty nose” madness. We enjoyed the show even though it was in Indonesian. When we got back we had some dinner from the street seller at entrance to the hostel, he came well recommended and was delicious, fish balls with egg, veg and potato in broth.
That evening we headed out to the cinema and enjoyed the last Twilight movie, Lindsey was so excited.
Day 160
We left Jakarta behind us and got a train to Yogyakarta. The train ride was a long one 8 hours, but it gave me time to catch up on my diary and a great view of the paddy fields and jungle that the train tracks cut through.
We arrived in Yogyakarta in the pouring rain and there was a mix up with the hotel so we had to wait a while before it was sorted. When we got to our hotel for the next few nights it was not very nice so we went to dinner and Karen set out to find another for us for the further two nights.
Day 161
We were up and moved to the second much nicer hotel by 9am the next morning. It had a pool and much nicer, cleaner rooms. We jumped straight into the pool and cooled off before going to explore before the rains started again. We booked a tour to the ancient temples the next day and had an afternoon catching up on some sleep. In the evening we headed out for dinner in a local restaurant with really good Indonesian food and amazing chocolate mousse for desert.
Day 162
We were up and on the bus at dawn to go and see the ancient Buddhist temple of Borobudur and the ancient Hindu temple of Prambanan. They are older than the temples at the Ankor Complex in Cambodia but just as amazing. They are severely affected by earthquakes and a lot of the smaller temples have crumbled as a result.
The Hindu temple has the story of a kind prince wanting to marry a beautiful princess and her condition was that he had to build 1000 temples in one night. With the help of the spirits he built 999 and she saw this and rose dawn early so he could not complete it. He got really angry and turned her into stone and built the 1000th temple around her.
We were approached in both temples by students learning English to have conversations with them as practice, in Borobudur we had no problem with this until they all started crowding around us asking us to fill out their forms for their teachers and to take photos as we were heading back to the bus. We didn’t offer to talk in Prambanan as we thought we would get stuck again.
In the afternoon, we booked our place to stay in Sydney and started to catch up on our blog. At dinner time we went to the place down the road and ate and chatted with the group which was now a small group of 10 before going back to the hostel to Skype Eva’s christening and bed.
Day 163
We got up and packed and were on the overnight bus to Bali by 1pm. It was an 18 hour bus ride, with a ferry crossing to get to Bali. The bus was comfortable enough but the aircon was set so low that we were all freezing for the night. We used extra blankets off seats that weren’t being used to keep ward. It was not the best night’s sleep ever but certainly not the worst.
Day 164
We arrived in Bali bus station by 7 and we grabbed taxies to the hotel we were staying in. It was lovely an amazing pool and very confortable rooms with big beds and a clean bathroom. We went for a swim and them explored the area, checked out the shopping mall and beach before coming back for another swim, dinner and an early night.
Day 165
We were very tired from the overnight bus so we slept in and had a day of internet jobs and updating the blog as it was cloudy and we needed to catch up on our blog. We went out to a lovely restaurant on the main strip for the evening and had amazing seafood lagasane for dinner. We were the only people in the room which was nice and we sat and chatted for a few hours.
Thursday, 29 November 2012
Saturday, 24 November 2012
Day 124 continued
The queue is pretty big when we arrive at the bus station and there is a bit of a stampede when the
bus arrives. Everyone is rushing to get the good beds. We all get settled in for the night and are on our way soon.
For anyone who has not seen a sleeper bus before, they have three rows of bunks. One row of bunks is along either side of the bus and one along the middle of the bus. Each bed is sitting up slightly with the leg area underneath the up-sloping part of the bed on front. They are pretty cool if you are smaller than 5’6” but for anyone over that it is cramped and very narrow.
Day 125
We arrive in Mui Ne at 6am and are dropped off at the hotel and thankfully the rooms are ready for us to check in. We all crash out for a few hours. On our breakfast hunt we come across a fancy beach side restaurant called The Sailing Club. We enjoy a delicious brunch and looking out on the fabulous white sand beach and the crashing waves.
After being forced to neglect our blog in China we are forced to ignore our beautiful surroundings and head back to the hotel and upload a load of photos and a few other bits on the internet.
To make up for the day indoors we stroll along the beach before dinner. The walk was great and with a really big wave every so often we all ended up wet to the knees but with the heat here we were dry very quickly.
We all eat fabulous sea food at the Four Seasons restaurant, no not that one but it was nice all the same. We end the evening in the Why Not bar playing pool and dancing.
Day 126
Today we are spending the day in the Disney land of Vietnam called Vin Pearl Land. It is on an island off the bay. It even has the sign on the hilltop like the Hollywood sign. The island has a theme park, an aquarium, a water park and a beautiful beach.
After the cable car ride over to the island we have a great morning going on rollercoasters, merry-go-round, pirate ship, chair-o-planes and on to the arcade rooms after.
The aquarium was my highlight even though the tanks were very small for the massive fish they had. They had every kind of tropical fish you can think of from angle fish to the Nemo clown fish and even the Hawaiian Humuhumnukunukuapooa’a (a cool colouredfish we spotted everywhere on or trip to Hawai’i a few years ago). They had turtles and massive rays. It was amazing. We even spied a scuba diver in the big tank cleaning the tank, the girls thought that this was hilarious , the world’s biggest pooper scooper apparently.
We head for the water park and spend the evening speeding down the slides and lounging in the lazy river.
After an action filled day we head back on the cable car just as the towers are starting to light up. It is beautiful. Dinner in the sailing club again and when leaving we ask for a stamp in case we decide to come back for the night club later.
All clean and a bit more rested Feng and I hit the town. We have a good boogie in the Why Not bar for an hour or two and then on to the Sailing Club when the music gets too heavy for us. The Sailing Club is a totally different crowd to the Why Not bar. It is full of local tourists and westerners who are obviously on holiday not backpacking but the atmosphere is electric and as we walk in the Super Mario theme is being remixed so we are straight to dance floor and part the night away.
Day 127
We are having a relaxing day today after the madness yesterday. After a late breakfast we head to the beach and spend the day enjoying the sun. No partying for us tonight as we leave first thing tomorrow morning for the kite/wind/surfing capital of Vietnam!
Day 128
The drive to Mui Ne is beautiful, we whizz past little villages and farmers in the fields. Mui Ne is a huge long beach which is lined with beach resorts and local restaurants. We check in and head for lunch before looking at the beach. We stop in a few places to price a few windsurfing lessons. They are ridiculously priced, I wouldn’t pay those prices at home never mind in Vietnam so we resolve to rent a few surf boards in the morning.
We walk the strip after a bit and end the night with a bit of sea food at our hotel. The prawns were hand-picked in front of us. It is great being beside the sea again!
Day 129
The surf isn’t great this morning but we rent the biggest board the surf school has and head out for a bit of fun. We are really enjoying our time in the waves dodging the kite surfers, of which there are hundreds, and playing in the shallows. We even attempt two of us on the board at the same time but without much success.
We are booked into a tour for the evening to go to the yellow, orange and red sand dunes near the town. We all pile into the cool old land rovers all set for a big trek to the sand dunes and we drive five minutes down the road and pull up at a little lane. Although we are a little confused we head on down the lane to find what looks like someone’s back yard. After a little consultation with our drivers we discover a fabulous little stream called the Fairy Stream. We all slip off our sandals and walk up-stream to find a whole new world hidden behind all the houses. The stream is a glorious burnt orange colour from the red sand bed with over hanging forest on one side and tall sand dunes on the other. With the water lapping at our ankles, we wander along drinking in the beautiful scenery. We are disappointed when we have to head back to the jeeps but we are all looking forward to seeing the famous red sand dunes.
In Mongolia we all expected to see sand blowing gently over hills of sand like on National Geographic, we definitely didn’t expect it in Vietnam but that is what greets us today. It is like a scene from Laurence of Arabia, well if there were dirt bikes and dune buggies in it I suppose. The noise spoils the tranquillity that you see on the TV but it is beautiful. The Bikes and buggies look like good fun too. We all get free sand blasting body scrub on the way up to the top of the highest dune. Sand for miles is the view from the top and we even catch a few people sand mating to the bottom (like snow sledging but on the sand). On the way back to the truck we pass a fabulous lake covered with lotus flowers. It is the first time I’ve seen them growing wild, they are beautiful.
We make our way to the red sand canyon. This is almost a carbon copy of the Fairy Stream but without the water. Unfortunately on the wall of the little valley people have decided to etch messages into the sand. It is disappointing as the biggest problem in the area is erosion and they don’t need people coming for a two week holiday and helping it along.
The gold sand dunes are our next stop before going to the fishing village for sunset. It is much the same as the white sand dunes but without the dirt bikes and dune buggies. It is very beautiful in the rapidly diminishing sunshine. They fishing village is bustling as we drive through, it looks like school is just over with at least two hundred white shirted teenagers on the road. We just make it to the pier for the sun setting over all the wooden fishing boats. It is very picturesque.
We are all jaded after a long day so after a bite to eat, sea food of course, and a quiet drink it is time for bed.
Day 130
With another long drive day today we are up early and on a bus to Ho Chi Ming city, formerly Saigon. The drive takes most of the day and it is after lunch when we arrive. We had a little trouble with our accommodation here, we were booked into the usual place and then Karen got an email to say that the roof had collapsed and they could no longer honour our booking. We all had a bit of a giggle, it worked out for the best though as we ended up in a new hostel which was in the centre of the city.
After a bit of a stroll around we head back to the hostel and get dressed up for a night on the town. We accept any excuse for a party. Martin is heading on to Bangkok tomorrow to meet up with Will so we are calling this Martin’s going away party. Before we leave though we find out that one of the girls has gotten bad news and has to go home. We are all devastated for her and are sorry to see her go.
We head out and give her a bit of space. Our spirits are dampened but we have a good night all the same, bumping into one of the guys from our bus earlier (who we nicknamed The Chad) and drinking in a little local place which consisted of little plastic chairs squeezed around the corner of a little shop front which served only beer. After a bit it starts to rain and the lady comes out to roll out a cover and we all jumped up to give her a hand, like with the tarp on the truck. She is confused but glad of the help. Our dancing shoes come out not long after that in the night club.
Every person we met since we arrived has been telling us to watch our bags and to look after each other. We find out why when we are walking the short distance to the hostel. We hear a scooter rev up and take off and then see a girl running after it. The driver has just snatched her bag out of her hand. It wasn’t a small hand bag either, it was a school bag! We were all a lot more conscious after that, walking linked with bags in the middle.
Day 131
I’m the first up today and so I make my way upstairs to catch up on emails and facebook. Breakfast is a tasty roll in a bakery and we make our way to the War Museum. The first sight we get is of the American fighter jets, tanks and weapons that surround the museum. Off to one side there is an exhibition about the prison set up by South Vietnamese and American forces. Inside is an amazing and shocking display of war photographs. It shows all sides of war and some tell sort stories about the photographs. The museum seems a little one sided, telling all the terrible things that the American army did during the war but never mentioning the Viet Kong.
We detour through the market on the way back to the hostel. It is bustling with people selling food, clothes and souvenirs. Dinner tonight is in a little restaurant close by. We both order sea food, Brenda arrives with the prawns resting on a coconut. The food is fantastic.
We are up early tomorrow to see the Cu Chi tunnels so it is off to bed early.
Day 132
On the bus to the tunnels we are told lots of information about Vietnamese culture and the tunnels by our tour guide. This is what we were told about Cu Chi.
The Viet Kong was the Cu Chi people’s enemy as were the Americans. They wanted to live separately form both sides. But the American army built their Saigon base in the heart of their land and so the Cu Chi people went to war with them. They built a series of tiny tunnels which they moved into during the war and used in guerrilla warfare. The American base was built over the centre of the tunnel system. The Cu Chi rebels would pop up out of their tunnels attack the base and then disappear into the tunnels again. The American army used chemical weapons to destroy the crops and forest in the area to try and run the Cu Chi out of the area but they stayed to the end of the war.
We spend about two hours walking around the tunnels and see the weapons and traps that the Cu Chi used and how they lived underground. He whole time we are walking around we are listening to the sound of gun fire from the shooting range where you can pay to fire a genuine weapon form the ‘American’ war as it is known here.
At the end of the tour we get the opportunity to go down into the tunnels and walk either 25 or 50 meters. The tunnels are pitch black inside and very spooky. They have put in some lighting but after 25meters I’ve had enough and make my way out. We watch a short movie about the ‘American killer’ heroes of Cu Chi before making our way back on the bus to the city.
We are dropped off at the market on the way back and have another meander through and head back closer to the hostel for a bit of lunch. When we order our soft drinks Brenda get her 7up in a Guinness glass. It is unexpected things like this makes us smile. Chilling out for a bit is the only agenda for the afternoon before going for dinner.
We get a nice treat on skype after dinner when we get to chat to our granny and aunty for the first time since we left home. It is great to catch up.
Day 133
Our bus to Phnom Penh today is really nice with loads of leg room and reclining back and foot rests if you want to sleep. We take full advantage of it all the way to the Cambodian border. It is possibly the easiest border crossing we have had but they do take our finger prints. Very son we are back on the bus and on route to Phnom Penh.
The hostel isn’t the nicest we’ve ever stayed at but it is cute as all the beds have their own mosquito nets. We are lucky and get the room with air conditioning. We drop our bags and head straight out for lunch. We eat in a on the balcony of a restaurant overlooking the river. We are amazed with the amount of branches and greenery floating on the river.
Back in the hostel we begin to sort out the list of things we want Wacker to bring over to Australia when he comes. It is a shame he can’t bring over a full Irish or a carton of real fresh milk :)
We make our way back to the riverside for dinner and eat in a really nice bar with good music. It is only now that we have realised that it is the Saturday before Halloween. The bar staff are dressed up with skeleton clothes or a cloak on. We end up parting the night away upstairs in their night club.
Day 134
Today we want to see the palace but unfortunately it is closed to visitors because the king died about a week ago and he is lying in state. The walls outside the palace are swamped with flowers, incense and Cambodians paying their respects. A group led by monks pass us and shortly a flock of birds take flight from the middle of the group. I assume it was a ceremony of some kind.
We wander slowly towards the national museum passing lots of nice hand craft shops. The museum is full of artefacts from Anghor. They are amazing. You could spend the whole day in the museum looking at all the displays.
The night market is opening when we are heading back to the hostel. A few of us decide to have a look around and have dinner from the stalls. There isn’t much in the stalls we haven’t seen before so we make our way to the food area. A large sitting area is surrounded by lots of stands with all sorts of food. We pick what we want and hand them in to be bar-b-qued and find a spot on the mats. The food is delicious and topped off by the wonderful friendly atmosphere. Supping on fresh fruit shakes we head for the hostel for more skyping and to look into dive resorts on the Thai islands.
Day 134
I had enough of war and killing in Vietnam but have been encouraged to go to the killing fields and S21 prison when here.
First stop is the S21 prison, formerly a school it was turned into a prison during the reign of Pol Pot and the Kamir Rouge. Men, women and children were brought here for as little as stealing a small amount of food for their starving families. Very few ever left alive, they were all tortured and beaten and those who lived long enough were then sent to the killing fields. The prison is a shocking demonstration of how humans can be led to do horrific things to each other. There are rooms and rooms of photographs of all the ‘prisoners’ who were held in the prison over the 4 year period it was open. I decided after one building of photographs that I had had enough and waited outside for the others to finsh.
The Killing Fields is our next destination today. After the prison I’m not looking forward to it. This is where anyone who the Kamir Rouge or Pol Pot himself decided he didn’t like or was ‘plotting against him’ was sent to be killed. It is unexpected when you arrive at a beautiful grassland area with birds singing and fish jumping in the lake, but the history of this place is a brutal one. We are all given a headset which will tell us all the information about the place as we walk around. The stories are awful and I won’t share them with you but they are very tastefully dealt with. You hear the basic history but if you want to hear more you select another number on the headset. The headsets allow for a tranquil and respectful atmosphere in the area. They staff have managed to create a peaceful resting place for the people buried in the fields. I am glad to that I came.
Back in Phnom Penh and it is back online again for more research into our upcoming diving trip to Ko Tao.
Day 136
We head downstairs after packing up this morning to find a big group of people sleeping on the lobby floor. We tip toe around them and order breakfast, yum toast and real tea! We are off to Siem Reap and Anghor Watt today. It is a long drive on a tightly packed bus. We arrive around four o clock with just enough time for a bite to eat and then into a tuk-tuk to see sunset over Anghor Watt.
(Angkor is a series of palaces and temples built between the first and fifteenth century, used by locals for religious ceremonies)
I will let the photographs speak for the place. It was magnificent.
Day 137
Sun rise at Angkor Watt
Angkor Thom
Tonight is Halloween night so we are hitting the tiles. After driving through the town earlier I have chickened out of my toga idea but Lindsey has offered her mask as she is staying in tonight. We have a great night dancing the night away with the mummy bar staff and a few others who are dressed up.
Day 138
We visit more temples of Angkor today.
We stop off at the market on the way back to the hotel. There are lots of jewellery stands at the market. If you are into your bling, this is the place to get it. The prices are really good and you can bargain them down even more.
Day 139
Today is spent travelling from Cambodia into Thailand and on to Bangkok. It is a long day and we are ready for good night out when we finally get to Bangkok. We meet up with Will and the others who went ahead at the hotel. Will’s friend Wayne has joined us for a bit too. He is staying until Singapore for Will’s birthday.
Today is Sarah’s birthday and although she had to go home we are going to celebrate it for her. Bangkok lives up to its reputation and we have a great night on Ko San Road with some not making it to bed until after dawn.
Day 140
We relive last night in the room with lots of laughter and giggles before heading for brunch. The sightseeing gets pushed back and we wander through the streets to get a feel for city. There is a real buzz in the air. Dinner is a kebab from a street vendor and then we settle in at a little bar with a god band playing all the classics. Another great night had by all.
Day 141
A quick breakfast and then we head for the palace. Due to the strict dress code Wayne has to rent a pair of trousers; they are bright red with elephants on them. It sounds strange but there are lots of people with them on. Everywhere you look in the palace gold catches your eye. Every inch of the palace is decorated with fancy tile work or a gold statue. The main attraction of one of the temples is a Buda carved out of Jade. Initially I think it is quiet small but when we get into the temple it is much more impressive. We sit and people watch here for a bit out of the sunshine. The heat of the day gets to us after a few hours and we make our way to the air conditioned shopping centre.
Back at the hotel later and we find out that incredibly Lindsey has bumped into friends from home on the street and has arranged to meet up for a drink. We head back to the live music bar and start another mad night out in Bangkok. I don’t know what they have put into the air here but it just makes you want to be out and about dancing and partying.
Day 142
We awake with a start this morning, we have slept through our alarm and one of the girls is knocking on the door to make sure we are up. We rush about the room getting packed up cursing Bangkok and its party atmosphere. We bundle into a taxi twenty minutes later and off to the truck. It is great to be back on the truck again. It’s nearly like getting back into your own room after a holiday. We all settle into our seats for a long drive to Kanchanaburi home of the Death Railway and setting for ‘The Bridge over the River Kwai’ movie.
It is a quaint little town and we decide to leave the exploring for tomorrow and have an early night.
Bangkok has taken its toll on us.
The queue is pretty big when we arrive at the bus station and there is a bit of a stampede when the
bus arrives. Everyone is rushing to get the good beds. We all get settled in for the night and are on our way soon.
For anyone who has not seen a sleeper bus before, they have three rows of bunks. One row of bunks is along either side of the bus and one along the middle of the bus. Each bed is sitting up slightly with the leg area underneath the up-sloping part of the bed on front. They are pretty cool if you are smaller than 5’6” but for anyone over that it is cramped and very narrow.
Day 125
We arrive in Mui Ne at 6am and are dropped off at the hotel and thankfully the rooms are ready for us to check in. We all crash out for a few hours. On our breakfast hunt we come across a fancy beach side restaurant called The Sailing Club. We enjoy a delicious brunch and looking out on the fabulous white sand beach and the crashing waves.
After being forced to neglect our blog in China we are forced to ignore our beautiful surroundings and head back to the hotel and upload a load of photos and a few other bits on the internet.
To make up for the day indoors we stroll along the beach before dinner. The walk was great and with a really big wave every so often we all ended up wet to the knees but with the heat here we were dry very quickly.
We all eat fabulous sea food at the Four Seasons restaurant, no not that one but it was nice all the same. We end the evening in the Why Not bar playing pool and dancing.
Day 126
Today we are spending the day in the Disney land of Vietnam called Vin Pearl Land. It is on an island off the bay. It even has the sign on the hilltop like the Hollywood sign. The island has a theme park, an aquarium, a water park and a beautiful beach.
After the cable car ride over to the island we have a great morning going on rollercoasters, merry-go-round, pirate ship, chair-o-planes and on to the arcade rooms after.
The aquarium was my highlight even though the tanks were very small for the massive fish they had. They had every kind of tropical fish you can think of from angle fish to the Nemo clown fish and even the Hawaiian Humuhumnukunukuapooa’a (a cool colouredfish we spotted everywhere on or trip to Hawai’i a few years ago). They had turtles and massive rays. It was amazing. We even spied a scuba diver in the big tank cleaning the tank, the girls thought that this was hilarious , the world’s biggest pooper scooper apparently.
We head for the water park and spend the evening speeding down the slides and lounging in the lazy river.
After an action filled day we head back on the cable car just as the towers are starting to light up. It is beautiful. Dinner in the sailing club again and when leaving we ask for a stamp in case we decide to come back for the night club later.
All clean and a bit more rested Feng and I hit the town. We have a good boogie in the Why Not bar for an hour or two and then on to the Sailing Club when the music gets too heavy for us. The Sailing Club is a totally different crowd to the Why Not bar. It is full of local tourists and westerners who are obviously on holiday not backpacking but the atmosphere is electric and as we walk in the Super Mario theme is being remixed so we are straight to dance floor and part the night away.
Day 127
We are having a relaxing day today after the madness yesterday. After a late breakfast we head to the beach and spend the day enjoying the sun. No partying for us tonight as we leave first thing tomorrow morning for the kite/wind/surfing capital of Vietnam!
Day 128
The drive to Mui Ne is beautiful, we whizz past little villages and farmers in the fields. Mui Ne is a huge long beach which is lined with beach resorts and local restaurants. We check in and head for lunch before looking at the beach. We stop in a few places to price a few windsurfing lessons. They are ridiculously priced, I wouldn’t pay those prices at home never mind in Vietnam so we resolve to rent a few surf boards in the morning.
We walk the strip after a bit and end the night with a bit of sea food at our hotel. The prawns were hand-picked in front of us. It is great being beside the sea again!
Day 129
The surf isn’t great this morning but we rent the biggest board the surf school has and head out for a bit of fun. We are really enjoying our time in the waves dodging the kite surfers, of which there are hundreds, and playing in the shallows. We even attempt two of us on the board at the same time but without much success.
We are booked into a tour for the evening to go to the yellow, orange and red sand dunes near the town. We all pile into the cool old land rovers all set for a big trek to the sand dunes and we drive five minutes down the road and pull up at a little lane. Although we are a little confused we head on down the lane to find what looks like someone’s back yard. After a little consultation with our drivers we discover a fabulous little stream called the Fairy Stream. We all slip off our sandals and walk up-stream to find a whole new world hidden behind all the houses. The stream is a glorious burnt orange colour from the red sand bed with over hanging forest on one side and tall sand dunes on the other. With the water lapping at our ankles, we wander along drinking in the beautiful scenery. We are disappointed when we have to head back to the jeeps but we are all looking forward to seeing the famous red sand dunes.
In Mongolia we all expected to see sand blowing gently over hills of sand like on National Geographic, we definitely didn’t expect it in Vietnam but that is what greets us today. It is like a scene from Laurence of Arabia, well if there were dirt bikes and dune buggies in it I suppose. The noise spoils the tranquillity that you see on the TV but it is beautiful. The Bikes and buggies look like good fun too. We all get free sand blasting body scrub on the way up to the top of the highest dune. Sand for miles is the view from the top and we even catch a few people sand mating to the bottom (like snow sledging but on the sand). On the way back to the truck we pass a fabulous lake covered with lotus flowers. It is the first time I’ve seen them growing wild, they are beautiful.
We make our way to the red sand canyon. This is almost a carbon copy of the Fairy Stream but without the water. Unfortunately on the wall of the little valley people have decided to etch messages into the sand. It is disappointing as the biggest problem in the area is erosion and they don’t need people coming for a two week holiday and helping it along.
The gold sand dunes are our next stop before going to the fishing village for sunset. It is much the same as the white sand dunes but without the dirt bikes and dune buggies. It is very beautiful in the rapidly diminishing sunshine. They fishing village is bustling as we drive through, it looks like school is just over with at least two hundred white shirted teenagers on the road. We just make it to the pier for the sun setting over all the wooden fishing boats. It is very picturesque.
We are all jaded after a long day so after a bite to eat, sea food of course, and a quiet drink it is time for bed.
Day 130
With another long drive day today we are up early and on a bus to Ho Chi Ming city, formerly Saigon. The drive takes most of the day and it is after lunch when we arrive. We had a little trouble with our accommodation here, we were booked into the usual place and then Karen got an email to say that the roof had collapsed and they could no longer honour our booking. We all had a bit of a giggle, it worked out for the best though as we ended up in a new hostel which was in the centre of the city.
After a bit of a stroll around we head back to the hostel and get dressed up for a night on the town. We accept any excuse for a party. Martin is heading on to Bangkok tomorrow to meet up with Will so we are calling this Martin’s going away party. Before we leave though we find out that one of the girls has gotten bad news and has to go home. We are all devastated for her and are sorry to see her go.
We head out and give her a bit of space. Our spirits are dampened but we have a good night all the same, bumping into one of the guys from our bus earlier (who we nicknamed The Chad) and drinking in a little local place which consisted of little plastic chairs squeezed around the corner of a little shop front which served only beer. After a bit it starts to rain and the lady comes out to roll out a cover and we all jumped up to give her a hand, like with the tarp on the truck. She is confused but glad of the help. Our dancing shoes come out not long after that in the night club.
Every person we met since we arrived has been telling us to watch our bags and to look after each other. We find out why when we are walking the short distance to the hostel. We hear a scooter rev up and take off and then see a girl running after it. The driver has just snatched her bag out of her hand. It wasn’t a small hand bag either, it was a school bag! We were all a lot more conscious after that, walking linked with bags in the middle.
Day 131
I’m the first up today and so I make my way upstairs to catch up on emails and facebook. Breakfast is a tasty roll in a bakery and we make our way to the War Museum. The first sight we get is of the American fighter jets, tanks and weapons that surround the museum. Off to one side there is an exhibition about the prison set up by South Vietnamese and American forces. Inside is an amazing and shocking display of war photographs. It shows all sides of war and some tell sort stories about the photographs. The museum seems a little one sided, telling all the terrible things that the American army did during the war but never mentioning the Viet Kong.
We detour through the market on the way back to the hostel. It is bustling with people selling food, clothes and souvenirs. Dinner tonight is in a little restaurant close by. We both order sea food, Brenda arrives with the prawns resting on a coconut. The food is fantastic.
We are up early tomorrow to see the Cu Chi tunnels so it is off to bed early.
Day 132
On the bus to the tunnels we are told lots of information about Vietnamese culture and the tunnels by our tour guide. This is what we were told about Cu Chi.
The Viet Kong was the Cu Chi people’s enemy as were the Americans. They wanted to live separately form both sides. But the American army built their Saigon base in the heart of their land and so the Cu Chi people went to war with them. They built a series of tiny tunnels which they moved into during the war and used in guerrilla warfare. The American base was built over the centre of the tunnel system. The Cu Chi rebels would pop up out of their tunnels attack the base and then disappear into the tunnels again. The American army used chemical weapons to destroy the crops and forest in the area to try and run the Cu Chi out of the area but they stayed to the end of the war.
We spend about two hours walking around the tunnels and see the weapons and traps that the Cu Chi used and how they lived underground. He whole time we are walking around we are listening to the sound of gun fire from the shooting range where you can pay to fire a genuine weapon form the ‘American’ war as it is known here.
At the end of the tour we get the opportunity to go down into the tunnels and walk either 25 or 50 meters. The tunnels are pitch black inside and very spooky. They have put in some lighting but after 25meters I’ve had enough and make my way out. We watch a short movie about the ‘American killer’ heroes of Cu Chi before making our way back on the bus to the city.
We are dropped off at the market on the way back and have another meander through and head back closer to the hostel for a bit of lunch. When we order our soft drinks Brenda get her 7up in a Guinness glass. It is unexpected things like this makes us smile. Chilling out for a bit is the only agenda for the afternoon before going for dinner.
We get a nice treat on skype after dinner when we get to chat to our granny and aunty for the first time since we left home. It is great to catch up.
Day 133
Our bus to Phnom Penh today is really nice with loads of leg room and reclining back and foot rests if you want to sleep. We take full advantage of it all the way to the Cambodian border. It is possibly the easiest border crossing we have had but they do take our finger prints. Very son we are back on the bus and on route to Phnom Penh.
The hostel isn’t the nicest we’ve ever stayed at but it is cute as all the beds have their own mosquito nets. We are lucky and get the room with air conditioning. We drop our bags and head straight out for lunch. We eat in a on the balcony of a restaurant overlooking the river. We are amazed with the amount of branches and greenery floating on the river.
Back in the hostel we begin to sort out the list of things we want Wacker to bring over to Australia when he comes. It is a shame he can’t bring over a full Irish or a carton of real fresh milk :)
We make our way back to the riverside for dinner and eat in a really nice bar with good music. It is only now that we have realised that it is the Saturday before Halloween. The bar staff are dressed up with skeleton clothes or a cloak on. We end up parting the night away upstairs in their night club.
Day 134
Today we want to see the palace but unfortunately it is closed to visitors because the king died about a week ago and he is lying in state. The walls outside the palace are swamped with flowers, incense and Cambodians paying their respects. A group led by monks pass us and shortly a flock of birds take flight from the middle of the group. I assume it was a ceremony of some kind.
We wander slowly towards the national museum passing lots of nice hand craft shops. The museum is full of artefacts from Anghor. They are amazing. You could spend the whole day in the museum looking at all the displays.
The night market is opening when we are heading back to the hostel. A few of us decide to have a look around and have dinner from the stalls. There isn’t much in the stalls we haven’t seen before so we make our way to the food area. A large sitting area is surrounded by lots of stands with all sorts of food. We pick what we want and hand them in to be bar-b-qued and find a spot on the mats. The food is delicious and topped off by the wonderful friendly atmosphere. Supping on fresh fruit shakes we head for the hostel for more skyping and to look into dive resorts on the Thai islands.
Day 134
I had enough of war and killing in Vietnam but have been encouraged to go to the killing fields and S21 prison when here.
First stop is the S21 prison, formerly a school it was turned into a prison during the reign of Pol Pot and the Kamir Rouge. Men, women and children were brought here for as little as stealing a small amount of food for their starving families. Very few ever left alive, they were all tortured and beaten and those who lived long enough were then sent to the killing fields. The prison is a shocking demonstration of how humans can be led to do horrific things to each other. There are rooms and rooms of photographs of all the ‘prisoners’ who were held in the prison over the 4 year period it was open. I decided after one building of photographs that I had had enough and waited outside for the others to finsh.
The Killing Fields is our next destination today. After the prison I’m not looking forward to it. This is where anyone who the Kamir Rouge or Pol Pot himself decided he didn’t like or was ‘plotting against him’ was sent to be killed. It is unexpected when you arrive at a beautiful grassland area with birds singing and fish jumping in the lake, but the history of this place is a brutal one. We are all given a headset which will tell us all the information about the place as we walk around. The stories are awful and I won’t share them with you but they are very tastefully dealt with. You hear the basic history but if you want to hear more you select another number on the headset. The headsets allow for a tranquil and respectful atmosphere in the area. They staff have managed to create a peaceful resting place for the people buried in the fields. I am glad to that I came.
Back in Phnom Penh and it is back online again for more research into our upcoming diving trip to Ko Tao.
Day 136
We head downstairs after packing up this morning to find a big group of people sleeping on the lobby floor. We tip toe around them and order breakfast, yum toast and real tea! We are off to Siem Reap and Anghor Watt today. It is a long drive on a tightly packed bus. We arrive around four o clock with just enough time for a bite to eat and then into a tuk-tuk to see sunset over Anghor Watt.
(Angkor is a series of palaces and temples built between the first and fifteenth century, used by locals for religious ceremonies)
I will let the photographs speak for the place. It was magnificent.
Day 137
Sun rise at Angkor Watt
Bayon
Angkor Thom
Tonight is Halloween night so we are hitting the tiles. After driving through the town earlier I have chickened out of my toga idea but Lindsey has offered her mask as she is staying in tonight. We have a great night dancing the night away with the mummy bar staff and a few others who are dressed up.
Day 138
We visit more temples of Angkor today.
We stop off at the market on the way back to the hotel. There are lots of jewellery stands at the market. If you are into your bling, this is the place to get it. The prices are really good and you can bargain them down even more.
Day 139
Today is spent travelling from Cambodia into Thailand and on to Bangkok. It is a long day and we are ready for good night out when we finally get to Bangkok. We meet up with Will and the others who went ahead at the hotel. Will’s friend Wayne has joined us for a bit too. He is staying until Singapore for Will’s birthday.
Today is Sarah’s birthday and although she had to go home we are going to celebrate it for her. Bangkok lives up to its reputation and we have a great night on Ko San Road with some not making it to bed until after dawn.
Day 140
We relive last night in the room with lots of laughter and giggles before heading for brunch. The sightseeing gets pushed back and we wander through the streets to get a feel for city. There is a real buzz in the air. Dinner is a kebab from a street vendor and then we settle in at a little bar with a god band playing all the classics. Another great night had by all.
Day 141
A quick breakfast and then we head for the palace. Due to the strict dress code Wayne has to rent a pair of trousers; they are bright red with elephants on them. It sounds strange but there are lots of people with them on. Everywhere you look in the palace gold catches your eye. Every inch of the palace is decorated with fancy tile work or a gold statue. The main attraction of one of the temples is a Buda carved out of Jade. Initially I think it is quiet small but when we get into the temple it is much more impressive. We sit and people watch here for a bit out of the sunshine. The heat of the day gets to us after a few hours and we make our way to the air conditioned shopping centre.
Back at the hotel later and we find out that incredibly Lindsey has bumped into friends from home on the street and has arranged to meet up for a drink. We head back to the live music bar and start another mad night out in Bangkok. I don’t know what they have put into the air here but it just makes you want to be out and about dancing and partying.
Day 142
We awake with a start this morning, we have slept through our alarm and one of the girls is knocking on the door to make sure we are up. We rush about the room getting packed up cursing Bangkok and its party atmosphere. We bundle into a taxi twenty minutes later and off to the truck. It is great to be back on the truck again. It’s nearly like getting back into your own room after a holiday. We all settle into our seats for a long drive to Kanchanaburi home of the Death Railway and setting for ‘The Bridge over the River Kwai’ movie.
It is a quaint little town and we decide to leave the exploring for tomorrow and have an early night.
Bangkok has taken its toll on us.
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