It was an uncomfortable ride from Vientiane in Laos, to Hanoi. 26 hours on a local bus, with men that did not have any qualms about keeping the windows open and smoking- rendering the gentlest puff of cool air futile. It was smoky, and hot, and the bus stank of expensive blue cheese- entirely my fault, for who was to know that my sandwich would melt into a sticky green mess within an hour.
We arrived in Hanoi, having heard tales of Vietnamese taxi drivers with penchants for ripping off tourists left right and centre. With that in mind we spent ten minutes negotiating a good price from Hanoi bus station to our hotel. The cunning rat tried to rip us off anyway.
Hanoi was a blur, intense heat, sweat, baguettes and more motorcycles (xe om's) than I have ever seen. Hurtling round corners, driving the wrong way down the roads; the theme tune to Vietnam is a constant 'toot beep' that carries on into the early hours. Women carry sticks over their shoulders, selling nuts and baguettes and fruits that look like potatoes, their conical hats shading their tired faces.
We went to a museum, I burnt my leg rather badly on the engine of the motorbike taxi- and spent three hours with a limp, unable to relax unless a can of Pepsi was thrust on my blistered leg. Will was ecstatic at the prospect of not trawling around a museum for the afternoon. We saw traditional Vietnamese dress, houses, and then went back to our air conditioned room, smug that we had ventured out into the sun for a few hours and achieved something. Then we napped, exhausted.
A trip to Vietnam would of course not be complete without a trip to the stunning Ha Long Bay. Renowned for its beauty, and a world heritage sight, the Bay is essentially hundreds of limestone karsts sticking out into the ocean- dotted with floating villages, and caves. The Ha Long Bay trip is notorious for being a bit dodgy- you are sold a package, with pictures of Junk boats and luxury. Then you turn up onto a ramshackle old boat with unfriendly staff, and are herded around for the day. Which is what happened to us. The boat itself was pretty majestic, all old dark wood and carved dragons. We had a lunch- squid, of course, with spinach and rice. That was dinner for the evening as well. In short, we spent the day on the ocean, kayaking, swimming, and taking it in.
The only low point was the trip to the cave- a real thing of beauty, ruined by the 300 or so people pushing past you, shouting, taking pictures. And not just of the cave. Now I am not beautiful nor odd looking by any means, which are the only reasons I could think someone would want to take a picture of me. Either that, or they were having a giggle at my pissed off sweaty red face- on three separate occasions Vietnamese people snapped me with their phones, chuckling to themselves. Which was a odd.
Sunset in the bay was great, we took some good pics, then settled down below deck for some drinking games. The Vietnamese staff on board weren't having any of that though, sniffing people's drinks for alcohol so that they could impose a 'tax' for any brought on board; even threatening to search peoples bags. A mutiny ensued. Well actually, a mutiny would have been ensued had we not given in and paid our $5 tax each. We drank the night away, some staying up to watch the disastrous England vs Algeria.
Hue was the next stop on our sped up trip through Vietnam- an hours bike ride around the citadel and city was more than we needed, and we jumped on the bus to Hoi An.
Hoi An is essentially a town of tailors. Suit tailors and dressmakers and hotels, and that. is. it. But we took advantage and got carried away, getting a suit made each, enjoying the bespoke service for $70 a suit. Will even went and got a powder blue linen suit made- when he wears it, he looks like a 70's millionare- someone who wears a lot of gold and probably owns a boat in Miami. Hoi An itself was beautiful- we spent a few days just relaxing, biking to the beach, and eating good food.
I write now from Nha Trang, where we have spent the past five days stuck in a comfort zone. We have rented motorbikes, zoomed around, eaten delicious food and lapped up the luxe- staying in nice hotels, sitting watching dvd's, pretending we aren't going home in a few days.
On our second day, we drove a few kilometres down the coast, to a pagoda. We were conned into giving 'donations' and buying postcards, you think by now we would be used to saying no to touts and vendors. But the pagoda was beautiful, with a giant white Buddha sat atop a hill. We then drove off (a white knuckle ride down a highway) to the mineral mud baths. Sort of like a Thorpe Park attraction for the Vietnamese, the ordeal involved sitting in hot tubs pumped full of mud, then mineral water, then swimming. Very strange, sat shoulder to shoulder semi nude with a couple of Vietnamese men splashing mud about, but there we go.
And now we finish our journey in Saigon, just for a day. Then we fly to Bangkok, to buy souvenirs, and to recollect on the perfect few months we have just enjoyed, before boarding a plane back to reality.
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Sunday, 13 June 2010
Laos has not been kind to us.
We have had a run of bad luck since arriving in Laos that shows no signs of abating. I want to put Will's post into a little more perspective.
We arrived in Laos over a week ago, on a rocky minibus journey over from Thailand, to the party tubing town of Vang Vieng. Known as a place where people go, get drunk, and inevitably hurt themselves, I had braced myself for perhaps a broken finger, or a few bruises from drunken zipwiring. On our first day, I was mauled by a puppy. Now I say mauled, the playful little Andrex thing nipped my finger. No blood was drawn. In my drunken haze, I saw myself as some sort of Dr Dolittle, wandering around in my bikini clutching a puppy to my breast. In hindsight, it was a brush with a rabid death- Will accompanied me to the hospital the next day to get a shot, a hungover paranoid wreck, muttering gibberish about how you can get rabies from saliva. Will went into detail about the way that Rabies attacks the nervous system, ending in an unimaginably painful death. So that was comforting.
The next day we had been tubing for the afternoon, and were making our way home in a tuk tuk. A few enterprising people thought that going on the roof meant more people in the tuk tuk carriage. Well it knocked us off balance a few miles up the road, and we had an unremarkable, slow, yet intensely scary crash into a ditch. People on the roof were whooping- In my very sober state (still worrying about the impending rabies, and unable to even bear the smell of more whisky) all I wanted to do was jump out of the vehicle, which was now at a 45 degree angle laid on a bush. Tried to push it upright again, but failed. We didn't get a refund, sadly.
So that was two bad things that happened. They say bad things happen in threes. So it stands to reason that me and Will got chronic conjunctivitus from the river water, and spent three days with pussing, bloodshot, mole like eyes. I took the mickey out of Will, he did look quite sweet, but little did I know how painful it was. Moving your head and eyes makes you want to vomit, and you constantly feel like you have a migraine. And tissues are a necessity, lest your eyes crust over. Am only just getting over that. Apparently you can catch it from water contaminated with faecal matter.
Now, on the scale of bad things happening, things seemed to be getting worse. On a bumpy bus ride to Luang Prabang, we narrowly missed running over a toddler by inches. And our engine cut out for a bit. But Luang Prabang took the biscuit for overall crapness and bad luck. Last time I came here, it was my favourite place in Laos, small, quaint, and French inspired. This time around, it was tarnished by the pinkeye, the curfew (dont be out past midnight!) and oh yes, our robbery.
I was asleep, not wearing many clothes as it was so hot, next to the window. I had been up and down all night with an imagined fever and my eyes were sore and infected. Will was laying next to me, facing the window. He woke up, glanced over at the floor, and noticed something moving. Thinking it was me moving my stuff around, he was about to berate me... but realised, no, in actual fact thats a man's arm rooting through his bag. "F**k Carmel, theres someone in here" he shouted, disorientated. Me with my crusty eyes and no glasses leapt against the wall wailing. Will realised whilst I was feeling around for my glasses that in fact, someone was using a 2 metre long stick with a hook on, to navigate our posessions through the bars. Will leapt up, shouted, and the man fled. We switched the lights on, and straight away I noticed my handbag had gone, along with my drybag containing all my valuable electricals. Alerted the owners, ran outside, and found my handbag tossed on the floor, along with my passport and bank cards. My cash had gone, along with my older camera and my ipod. Lost some good pics and videos, which I was most upset about, but me and Will were more spooked by someone watching us sleep, going through our stuff. Will was very macho, 'Ooh if I had got up and twisted his arm', that sort of thing. I was just glad he was there.
Went to the police the next day, who are an absolute joke. After some sort of weird Quincy style investigation involving footprints, and some Vietnamese homeless people next door, they made a 'police report'. And also made me write my own contract, saying I wouldnt sue the guesthouse, who I later found out had been robbed in a similar manner before.
So all in all, Laos didn't hold a spark for me anymore. I was dying to get out and go to Vietnam, but flights were expensive, and we needed to apply for a visa, so we chose to get a bus out the next evening. Our 'VIP' bus (note- normal bus, but with pink pleated curtains and doilys over the headrests) left at seven thirty, and made it no more than about fifty miles before breaking down. For five hours. Will and Glynn were well on their way at this point, having drunk a fair amount of BeerLao, so they tried to get morale up by making a campfire. We laid down on the tarmac road, some hippy wearing pyjama bottoms had brought a bongo with him, and looked up to see shooting stars.
We arrived in Laos over a week ago, on a rocky minibus journey over from Thailand, to the party tubing town of Vang Vieng. Known as a place where people go, get drunk, and inevitably hurt themselves, I had braced myself for perhaps a broken finger, or a few bruises from drunken zipwiring. On our first day, I was mauled by a puppy. Now I say mauled, the playful little Andrex thing nipped my finger. No blood was drawn. In my drunken haze, I saw myself as some sort of Dr Dolittle, wandering around in my bikini clutching a puppy to my breast. In hindsight, it was a brush with a rabid death- Will accompanied me to the hospital the next day to get a shot, a hungover paranoid wreck, muttering gibberish about how you can get rabies from saliva. Will went into detail about the way that Rabies attacks the nervous system, ending in an unimaginably painful death. So that was comforting.
The next day we had been tubing for the afternoon, and were making our way home in a tuk tuk. A few enterprising people thought that going on the roof meant more people in the tuk tuk carriage. Well it knocked us off balance a few miles up the road, and we had an unremarkable, slow, yet intensely scary crash into a ditch. People on the roof were whooping- In my very sober state (still worrying about the impending rabies, and unable to even bear the smell of more whisky) all I wanted to do was jump out of the vehicle, which was now at a 45 degree angle laid on a bush. Tried to push it upright again, but failed. We didn't get a refund, sadly.
So that was two bad things that happened. They say bad things happen in threes. So it stands to reason that me and Will got chronic conjunctivitus from the river water, and spent three days with pussing, bloodshot, mole like eyes. I took the mickey out of Will, he did look quite sweet, but little did I know how painful it was. Moving your head and eyes makes you want to vomit, and you constantly feel like you have a migraine. And tissues are a necessity, lest your eyes crust over. Am only just getting over that. Apparently you can catch it from water contaminated with faecal matter.
Now, on the scale of bad things happening, things seemed to be getting worse. On a bumpy bus ride to Luang Prabang, we narrowly missed running over a toddler by inches. And our engine cut out for a bit. But Luang Prabang took the biscuit for overall crapness and bad luck. Last time I came here, it was my favourite place in Laos, small, quaint, and French inspired. This time around, it was tarnished by the pinkeye, the curfew (dont be out past midnight!) and oh yes, our robbery.
I was asleep, not wearing many clothes as it was so hot, next to the window. I had been up and down all night with an imagined fever and my eyes were sore and infected. Will was laying next to me, facing the window. He woke up, glanced over at the floor, and noticed something moving. Thinking it was me moving my stuff around, he was about to berate me... but realised, no, in actual fact thats a man's arm rooting through his bag. "F**k Carmel, theres someone in here" he shouted, disorientated. Me with my crusty eyes and no glasses leapt against the wall wailing. Will realised whilst I was feeling around for my glasses that in fact, someone was using a 2 metre long stick with a hook on, to navigate our posessions through the bars. Will leapt up, shouted, and the man fled. We switched the lights on, and straight away I noticed my handbag had gone, along with my drybag containing all my valuable electricals. Alerted the owners, ran outside, and found my handbag tossed on the floor, along with my passport and bank cards. My cash had gone, along with my older camera and my ipod. Lost some good pics and videos, which I was most upset about, but me and Will were more spooked by someone watching us sleep, going through our stuff. Will was very macho, 'Ooh if I had got up and twisted his arm', that sort of thing. I was just glad he was there.
Went to the police the next day, who are an absolute joke. After some sort of weird Quincy style investigation involving footprints, and some Vietnamese homeless people next door, they made a 'police report'. And also made me write my own contract, saying I wouldnt sue the guesthouse, who I later found out had been robbed in a similar manner before.
So all in all, Laos didn't hold a spark for me anymore. I was dying to get out and go to Vietnam, but flights were expensive, and we needed to apply for a visa, so we chose to get a bus out the next evening. Our 'VIP' bus (note- normal bus, but with pink pleated curtains and doilys over the headrests) left at seven thirty, and made it no more than about fifty miles before breaking down. For five hours. Will and Glynn were well on their way at this point, having drunk a fair amount of BeerLao, so they tried to get morale up by making a campfire. We laid down on the tarmac road, some hippy wearing pyjama bottoms had brought a bongo with him, and looked up to see shooting stars.
Saturday, 12 June 2010
Crashes and Shitty Eyes
So me and Carmel got the bus to Vang Vieng in Laos which was pretty terrible. 14 hours overnight. Carmels discovered that she cant sleep unless shes sleeping on my lap, and I can't sleep if she is, so neither of us had a great time.
We arrived in Vang Vieng at about 2pm. Its basically a few roads intersecting each other, with restaurants showing non stop family guy and friends all day every day.
The next day we left for some tubing at about 1pm. Got a Tuk Tuk down to the river, jumped out and walked down to the river bank where we're greeted with shots of scorpion whishkey.
Well, short on internet time so I'll wrap it up (im sure Carmel will pad it out a bit more soon)
Got a Tuk Tuk back from the river, crashed into a ditch.
Got conjunctivitis from some pooey river water, Carmel laughed, she got it and spent all night awake crying and moaning..boo hoo...
Woke up at 4.20am this morning to see a shape near the window in the corner of the rom. Thought 'fucks sake...whats she doing now?'
Then realised she was still in bed next to me.
Put 2 and 2 together and made 'Fuck, someones poking their arm and a stick into our window'
Shouted at them, ran to the window, he ran off..blah blah...ipod gone, but at least no passports and stuff got stolen, so its all good.....
We arrived in Vang Vieng at about 2pm. Its basically a few roads intersecting each other, with restaurants showing non stop family guy and friends all day every day.
The next day we left for some tubing at about 1pm. Got a Tuk Tuk down to the river, jumped out and walked down to the river bank where we're greeted with shots of scorpion whishkey.
Well, short on internet time so I'll wrap it up (im sure Carmel will pad it out a bit more soon)
Got a Tuk Tuk back from the river, crashed into a ditch.
Got conjunctivitis from some pooey river water, Carmel laughed, she got it and spent all night awake crying and moaning..boo hoo...
Woke up at 4.20am this morning to see a shape near the window in the corner of the rom. Thought 'fucks sake...whats she doing now?'
Then realised she was still in bed next to me.
Put 2 and 2 together and made 'Fuck, someones poking their arm and a stick into our window'
Shouted at them, ran to the window, he ran off..blah blah...ipod gone, but at least no passports and stuff got stolen, so its all good.....
Friday, 4 June 2010
Ye Olde Chiang Mai
Mountains encircling the horizon, stretching into the sky....impossible to tell where the two meet. The ancient walled city a footnote on the page of Chiang Mai's resplendent surroundings.
As much as I love Carmel, and as glorious as her writing style is, I find it somewhat..well...I've just had a beating for what I had voiced as my opinion, so i'll leave it at that....something about a ponce or spaz...i cant remember...asian sensorship at its best.
We welcomed in Carmels birthday with a trip to Bangkok airport. Had a birthday chicken sandwich on the plane.
Got a taxi to a hotel/spa we'd booked the night before. We paid 20 quid each but apparently got upgraded for free to some room worth 150...result.
The place was worth every penny for a couple of reasons.
1. I've found that a consistent dumping routine is almost impossible to achieve while travelling. The unpredictability of what might come out is matched only by the trauma of trying to do it squatting down, flip-flopped-feet in an inch of 20 assorted Thai piss, whilst the train you're riding on smashes you into the wall every 2 seconds.
Therefore, after a 22 hour train journey, the Buck Rogers style toilet of the hotel was a huge plus.
2. Having to go to the shops any time you want something to eat or drink for a month begins to get on a mans tits...so the minibar containing beers and pringles was nice.
Doubtless Carmels reasoning for the hotels worth would be the beautiful setting, friendly staff..etc. But each to their own.
Oh actually, I just remembered. In Bangkok it had been Carmels plan to take me to a jewellery shop where she could spend all my hard earnt money on some expensive fake tat that would probably turn her arm green and make her fingers drop off (birthday stuff). The evening we were there, she was annoyed at me for no discernable reason..I went out and bought her a nice dress, came back with the gift whereupon she wept tears of joy (almost definately tears of joy)
Anyway, the point is I managed to get Carmel a present for once that probably wont get mysteriously eaten by bears or something.
Carmels birthday night in Chiang Mai...went to the market, realised girls cant haggle..had a pizza...lovely.
Saw some tigers in a glorified zoo yesterday, got to stroke them...but although they were definately smacked off their tits, the keeper wouldnt let me put my head in ones mouth for a picture...booooo!
Maybe going on a trek or something tomorrow...then the day after probably going to go to Laos for some tubing. Days upon days of boozing, rope swings, and floating down a river...might die..
x
As much as I love Carmel, and as glorious as her writing style is, I find it somewhat..well...I've just had a beating for what I had voiced as my opinion, so i'll leave it at that....something about a ponce or spaz...i cant remember...asian sensorship at its best.
We welcomed in Carmels birthday with a trip to Bangkok airport. Had a birthday chicken sandwich on the plane.
Got a taxi to a hotel/spa we'd booked the night before. We paid 20 quid each but apparently got upgraded for free to some room worth 150...result.
The place was worth every penny for a couple of reasons.
1. I've found that a consistent dumping routine is almost impossible to achieve while travelling. The unpredictability of what might come out is matched only by the trauma of trying to do it squatting down, flip-flopped-feet in an inch of 20 assorted Thai piss, whilst the train you're riding on smashes you into the wall every 2 seconds.
Therefore, after a 22 hour train journey, the Buck Rogers style toilet of the hotel was a huge plus.
2. Having to go to the shops any time you want something to eat or drink for a month begins to get on a mans tits...so the minibar containing beers and pringles was nice.
Doubtless Carmels reasoning for the hotels worth would be the beautiful setting, friendly staff..etc. But each to their own.
Oh actually, I just remembered. In Bangkok it had been Carmels plan to take me to a jewellery shop where she could spend all my hard earnt money on some expensive fake tat that would probably turn her arm green and make her fingers drop off (birthday stuff). The evening we were there, she was annoyed at me for no discernable reason..I went out and bought her a nice dress, came back with the gift whereupon she wept tears of joy (almost definately tears of joy)
Anyway, the point is I managed to get Carmel a present for once that probably wont get mysteriously eaten by bears or something.
Carmels birthday night in Chiang Mai...went to the market, realised girls cant haggle..had a pizza...lovely.
Saw some tigers in a glorified zoo yesterday, got to stroke them...but although they were definately smacked off their tits, the keeper wouldnt let me put my head in ones mouth for a picture...booooo!
Maybe going on a trek or something tomorrow...then the day after probably going to go to Laos for some tubing. Days upon days of boozing, rope swings, and floating down a river...might die..
x
Wednesday, 2 June 2010
Perhentian Islands to Chiang Mai
A good, juicy, bloody soft steak is hard to find in South East Asia. Usually the meat is tough, rubbery, with a sweet sauce seeping into fatty tendons. I have just had the best steak of my life, cooked to rare perfection, with a spicy South American sauce on top. And it was cooked not in a resort, but in a shanty Spanish restaurant, by two former Nobu and Mayfair restaurant chefs chopping and frying their way along the hippy trail.
The Perhentian Islands nestle in the north of Malaysia, near the border with Thailand. To say they are stunning would be an understatement, every beach I have been to in Asia has been stunning or beautiful or lovely, but the Perhentians are something else. The water is so clear and blue it looks like a swimming pool, so still and serene. The sand is pure white and as fine as flour. There are no ATMs on the islands, no payphones, and if you want to use the internet, you should be prepared to walk far and pay over the odds. But for some reason, this tiny island not only looks like paradise, but is a haven for fresh food, cocktails, and the ever popular 'monkey juice' (local rum).
After a mammoth train journey from Kuala Lumpur, me and Will arrived at Pulau Kecil in the morning. Padding off down the beach, we came across a bloke called Glynn- we met him in Borneo and he and Will bonded over whisky- I say bonded, I mean at three am they sat outside our hut hugging and declaring their special friendship with eachother. Will was sick in the sink shortly after. Anyway, Will was really happy to see Glynn because he knew that meant a bit of pub time, so we had a hunt for some accomodation.
Perhentian popularity has soared quicker than the island could keep up, everywhere was full save a dorm room up on the hill. As we got there, Norman, the friendly but dim receptionist, led us to our cramped dorm, that had no electricity until night time. Now, Norman was an interesting creature- shaved legs and a feminine face- surely a woman? But hoarse voice, and the name... found out two days later when we asked for him/her and another bloke said 'the boy is not here'. Anyway, im side tracking... we were a bit skint on the island what with all the lovely cocktails, steaks, and rum, so could only really do one dive- I won't go into detail, but it was called T2, went round lots of underwater boulders and swim throughs, very fun. We moved out of our dorm after a few nights, and moved into a chalet that was surrounded by monitor lizards.
Saturday night was ladies night on the island, free drinks for ladies, and men who dress as ladies. Well, Will and Glynn had a lovely time with flowers in their hair fondling their fake breasts (indeed fitting in with the locals... ladyboys I mean, not perverts who go round fondling). Had some great boozy nights, and met some lovely people. (I will definitely put pics up soon...)
One thing that tarnished our experience- theft. When we pulled up on our first day, Glynn seemed withdrawn and down- he had his wallet, passport, and journals stolen the night before. The story was the same with other people we met; cameras, cash all stolen. A friendly locksmith told us that there were some local drug addicts that lived on the island, who would nick if there was an opportunity. After four perfect days we left Glynn behind to get a new passport, while we headed for Thailand.
The morning we left, Will felt a bit worse for wear; he had gone to 'the pub' (shack with a fridge and cushions) the night before, so of course getting up at 7, and going on an incredibly bumpy boat made him feel great. We weren't really sure how we were going to get to Thailand- the southern provinces are notorious for terrorist attacks and insurgences from people fighting for independence. Anyway, after some dodgy local buses, we walked over the deserted border post and almost trotted right past passport control.
'Where the bloody hell do we go now'?
'Um. Dunno.. motorbike taxi?'
Hopped on the back of a motorbike, wind in my hair, felt like some sort of spy crossing border. Got to Sungai Kolok train station- walked over the tracks to the entrance. Remembered when saw mugshots of wanted men that in 2008 said train got bombed.
'Bugger, shall we get the bus?'
'Why?'
'Um, well, just remembered, the train was a bit bombed a few years back. Lots of terrorists'
"********* sake ***, well we can't get the bus, we'll have to..."
Lots of men with kalasnikovs and big guns, very reassuring. Train was fine incidentally, me and Will had bunk beds, had our dinner next to a soldier. He smiled, I said 'big gun'. He nodded, felt uncomfortable, went to find Will.
Woke up 22 hours later pulling into Bangkok. Became so bored on the train that I read Harry Potter, which was alright actually. Will was overjoyed and gleeful (geek) that I could finally have some Dumbledore banter with him. Bangkok was completely quiet, the old Khao San Road that heaved in the day with people was pretty dead- cars driving down the road without having to toot, few tuk tuks careering madly round corners. I was vaguely disappointed, but lots of guesthouses and restaurants had some good discounts. Anyway, yesterday was my birthday, so I am off to slip off and join Will in our hotel's infinity pool.... More blog to follow.
The Perhentian Islands nestle in the north of Malaysia, near the border with Thailand. To say they are stunning would be an understatement, every beach I have been to in Asia has been stunning or beautiful or lovely, but the Perhentians are something else. The water is so clear and blue it looks like a swimming pool, so still and serene. The sand is pure white and as fine as flour. There are no ATMs on the islands, no payphones, and if you want to use the internet, you should be prepared to walk far and pay over the odds. But for some reason, this tiny island not only looks like paradise, but is a haven for fresh food, cocktails, and the ever popular 'monkey juice' (local rum).
After a mammoth train journey from Kuala Lumpur, me and Will arrived at Pulau Kecil in the morning. Padding off down the beach, we came across a bloke called Glynn- we met him in Borneo and he and Will bonded over whisky- I say bonded, I mean at three am they sat outside our hut hugging and declaring their special friendship with eachother. Will was sick in the sink shortly after. Anyway, Will was really happy to see Glynn because he knew that meant a bit of pub time, so we had a hunt for some accomodation.
Perhentian popularity has soared quicker than the island could keep up, everywhere was full save a dorm room up on the hill. As we got there, Norman, the friendly but dim receptionist, led us to our cramped dorm, that had no electricity until night time. Now, Norman was an interesting creature- shaved legs and a feminine face- surely a woman? But hoarse voice, and the name... found out two days later when we asked for him/her and another bloke said 'the boy is not here'. Anyway, im side tracking... we were a bit skint on the island what with all the lovely cocktails, steaks, and rum, so could only really do one dive- I won't go into detail, but it was called T2, went round lots of underwater boulders and swim throughs, very fun. We moved out of our dorm after a few nights, and moved into a chalet that was surrounded by monitor lizards.
Saturday night was ladies night on the island, free drinks for ladies, and men who dress as ladies. Well, Will and Glynn had a lovely time with flowers in their hair fondling their fake breasts (indeed fitting in with the locals... ladyboys I mean, not perverts who go round fondling). Had some great boozy nights, and met some lovely people. (I will definitely put pics up soon...)
One thing that tarnished our experience- theft. When we pulled up on our first day, Glynn seemed withdrawn and down- he had his wallet, passport, and journals stolen the night before. The story was the same with other people we met; cameras, cash all stolen. A friendly locksmith told us that there were some local drug addicts that lived on the island, who would nick if there was an opportunity. After four perfect days we left Glynn behind to get a new passport, while we headed for Thailand.
The morning we left, Will felt a bit worse for wear; he had gone to 'the pub' (shack with a fridge and cushions) the night before, so of course getting up at 7, and going on an incredibly bumpy boat made him feel great. We weren't really sure how we were going to get to Thailand- the southern provinces are notorious for terrorist attacks and insurgences from people fighting for independence. Anyway, after some dodgy local buses, we walked over the deserted border post and almost trotted right past passport control.
'Where the bloody hell do we go now'?
'Um. Dunno.. motorbike taxi?'
Hopped on the back of a motorbike, wind in my hair, felt like some sort of spy crossing border. Got to Sungai Kolok train station- walked over the tracks to the entrance. Remembered when saw mugshots of wanted men that in 2008 said train got bombed.
'Bugger, shall we get the bus?'
'Why?'
'Um, well, just remembered, the train was a bit bombed a few years back. Lots of terrorists'
"********* sake ***, well we can't get the bus, we'll have to..."
Lots of men with kalasnikovs and big guns, very reassuring. Train was fine incidentally, me and Will had bunk beds, had our dinner next to a soldier. He smiled, I said 'big gun'. He nodded, felt uncomfortable, went to find Will.
Woke up 22 hours later pulling into Bangkok. Became so bored on the train that I read Harry Potter, which was alright actually. Will was overjoyed and gleeful (geek) that I could finally have some Dumbledore banter with him. Bangkok was completely quiet, the old Khao San Road that heaved in the day with people was pretty dead- cars driving down the road without having to toot, few tuk tuks careering madly round corners. I was vaguely disappointed, but lots of guesthouses and restaurants had some good discounts. Anyway, yesterday was my birthday, so I am off to slip off and join Will in our hotel's infinity pool.... More blog to follow.
Sunday, 30 May 2010
Sandakan, Semporna, and Diving Sipadan
Having only qualified a few weeks ago, me and Will are pretty lucky to have dived at Sipadan. Relaying tales to fellow divers of turtles, sharks, and endless coral, we end up getting choruses of 'What! But you've only just qualified!.
Google a picture of Sipadan, a tiny island on the east coast of Borneo that is widely regarded as one of the best places in the world to dive. Reef sharks, white tips, turtles, corals, hundreds of different varieties of fish, everywhere at a visibility of 30 metres. A 600 metre shelf that drops down endlessly. Water so clear you can see as you would on land. Nothing else will compare.
We stayed off the coast of Semporna in a place called Singamata, basically a hotel built on stilts in the bluest of seas. It had an 'aquarium' in the middle next to the restaurant that you could dive in, with huge wrasses and lots of other fish. Our balcony opened onto the sea; Will showed off his backflips into the ocean, everyone was very impressed. For around five pounds a day we stayed in a dorm room, with meals included. Meals consisted of noodles, fish, and rice. For four days. Never thought I could suck the meat out of a fish head, but there we go, thats what a longing for western food does to one. Will struggled, had to get a boat to the mainland to get a steak.
After a few days sunning and generally not doing a lot, we booked our diving at Sipadan. Did three dives there, each one unbelievable. The currents were really strong on our first dive, so I was swimming hard, using lots of air, trying to stay neutrally buoyant. Had a problem with my bcd and couldnt get all the air out of it, so swam over to Will and pointed to my deflate button. However he misunderstood, inflated my jacket, and I shot up a few metres to the surface. Feelings of embarassment were quickly overtaken by panic- 'If I get the Bens and die, I will bloody kill Will' I muttered to myself as I spluttered to the surface. The next two dives were relatively trouble free, and were the best dives I could imagine. Managed to make our air last for a long time- Will had a safety stop and used all his air and had to borrow mine, which was a bit silly.
Anyway, stayed in Semporna for a week, then did a mammoth two night journey from the east coast of Borneo to the east coast of Malaysia, one night on a coach, one night on a train. In third class...
We have met some amazing people travelling so far, some more fun than others (a few posh spazzes)... which has made the experience just awesome.
We are now at the Perhentian Islands on the east coast of Malaysia- stayed here for a few days doing more dives, and are heading back to Thailand tomorrow...
Google a picture of Sipadan, a tiny island on the east coast of Borneo that is widely regarded as one of the best places in the world to dive. Reef sharks, white tips, turtles, corals, hundreds of different varieties of fish, everywhere at a visibility of 30 metres. A 600 metre shelf that drops down endlessly. Water so clear you can see as you would on land. Nothing else will compare.
We stayed off the coast of Semporna in a place called Singamata, basically a hotel built on stilts in the bluest of seas. It had an 'aquarium' in the middle next to the restaurant that you could dive in, with huge wrasses and lots of other fish. Our balcony opened onto the sea; Will showed off his backflips into the ocean, everyone was very impressed. For around five pounds a day we stayed in a dorm room, with meals included. Meals consisted of noodles, fish, and rice. For four days. Never thought I could suck the meat out of a fish head, but there we go, thats what a longing for western food does to one. Will struggled, had to get a boat to the mainland to get a steak.
After a few days sunning and generally not doing a lot, we booked our diving at Sipadan. Did three dives there, each one unbelievable. The currents were really strong on our first dive, so I was swimming hard, using lots of air, trying to stay neutrally buoyant. Had a problem with my bcd and couldnt get all the air out of it, so swam over to Will and pointed to my deflate button. However he misunderstood, inflated my jacket, and I shot up a few metres to the surface. Feelings of embarassment were quickly overtaken by panic- 'If I get the Bens and die, I will bloody kill Will' I muttered to myself as I spluttered to the surface. The next two dives were relatively trouble free, and were the best dives I could imagine. Managed to make our air last for a long time- Will had a safety stop and used all his air and had to borrow mine, which was a bit silly.
Anyway, stayed in Semporna for a week, then did a mammoth two night journey from the east coast of Borneo to the east coast of Malaysia, one night on a coach, one night on a train. In third class...
We have met some amazing people travelling so far, some more fun than others (a few posh spazzes)... which has made the experience just awesome.
We are now at the Perhentian Islands on the east coast of Malaysia- stayed here for a few days doing more dives, and are heading back to Thailand tomorrow...
Monday, 24 May 2010
Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary
A lesbian Orang Utan show wasn't quite what we expected when we went to Sepilok sanctuary. We had heard that we would be lucky to see two or three at feeding time- but from the moment we went into the rainforest we were surrounded by curious cheeky apes. One pinched a baby bottle from a pram and suckled on it, another grabbed a Japanese tourist and made her wail. Then at the end we were treated to a bit of a show from two female Orang Utans, who went from grooming to shagging in two minutes. We couldn't step over them, and it felt wrong to watch...Finally have some time to upload photos
Friday, 21 May 2010
Palm Oil and Man of the Forest
Here in Malaysia, there is a tree that bears a fruit so rich in oil, that it is taking over the country. Like Japanese Knotweed, it spreads quickly, invasive; the lush tropical rainforests of Borneo are being taken over by a tree synonymous with paradise. Palms. Unlike weeds however, they are not spreading naturally- instead great trees, mangroves and flora are being pulled up, or burnt down, to make way for the plantations.
Thanks to the topic of environmentalism coming ever to the fore, many people are aware of the ecological problems that mass production of Palm Oil causes. We have seen the pictures of orphaned Orang Utans, watched the rainforests being burnt to pulp. Being in Borneo, even in Sabah where the problem isn't as endemic, it is disheartening to see miles and miles of palm trees sticking out of the ground in neat rows. Lorries containing Palm Oil are on every road, trucks bearing tonnes of the stuff drop fruits frequently on the uneven roads. Speak to most Malaysians out here and it seems that there is a dichotomy- economic vs environmental. The story of the earth.
Malaysia is the largest producer of Palm Oil, used in both the commercial food industry and for Bio Diesel. It's certainly big business for Malaysia, who export around 18 million tonnes of the thick red fat every year. Many people, me included, see biofuels as a positive step for the environment- a good, clean, affordable alternative to petrols. However this need for biofuels, which by the way isn't limited to South East Asia, but also to the European Union, means that demand is constantly growing- in forty years time, some predict we will be relatively reliant on palm oil. And there is some irony in the fact that many people buy biofuels because they are environmentally aware, not realising the effect production is having on the rainforests- which according to Greenpeace outweighs the use of biofuels for a green motive altogether.
There are several main reasons why the production of Palm Oil is detrimental. First the ecological reasons- burning and cutting down species of plants that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Many rainforests lie atop peat bogs, that when disturbed omit tonnes of carbon. And then there are the social impacts of Palm Oil- true many are benifitting from exports, but also poor working conditions and low pay could possibly lead to an elite few people getting richer, rather than the country as a whole. Finally, there is the face of Palm Oil's problems, a rotund brown leathery face framed with a shock orange hair, a curious face that with its haunting brown eyes is the sole reason why people sit up and talk about palm oil. The Orang Utan could be extinct in the wild in as little as ten years.
There are four sanctuaries in the entire world, two in Malaysia, the rest in Indonesia. Sepilok is based in Sabah, near the town of Sandakan in North East Borneo. It sits on the edge of a rainforest, and has been rehabilitating orphaned or abused orang utans since the sixties. As you enter the park forest, with walkways in a small area of rainforest, you can see the magnificent apes swing through the trees grooming, eating, playing. When you look in their eyes, it is easy to envisage man's relationship with one of its closest ancestors. It can be very emotional to see them, knowing that many will never be able to do so- certainly our children and grandchildren will only read about the Orang Utan in books, perhaps even in history books.
Orang Utans are very much like humans in their breeding patterns. Females will generally have few partners, having two or three babies in their lifetime. Their offspring- no, their children, will stay with them until they are around seven years old. Which means that even now, if steps are taken to preserve the rainforest, it will be years before we see a definitive change in numbers.
Will will probably disagree with everything I have said in this blog, and to be fair to him, he has a point. Things of beauty are being destroyed everywhere on earth- who are we to step in and disagree with what Malaysia are doing. It is impossible to boycott Palm Oil, it is simply ubiquitous. Just be aware that the butter that you buy, the chocolate that you eat, and the fuel in your car may have had an impact on the rainforests here. Whether that will deter you, who knows, my shopping habits won't change much. But to hold the hand of an Orang Utan, to be able to look into its eyes, is enough to make you want to preserve the life of our little orange relatives.
www.rspo.org
http://www.palmoiltruthfoundation.com/
Thanks to the topic of environmentalism coming ever to the fore, many people are aware of the ecological problems that mass production of Palm Oil causes. We have seen the pictures of orphaned Orang Utans, watched the rainforests being burnt to pulp. Being in Borneo, even in Sabah where the problem isn't as endemic, it is disheartening to see miles and miles of palm trees sticking out of the ground in neat rows. Lorries containing Palm Oil are on every road, trucks bearing tonnes of the stuff drop fruits frequently on the uneven roads. Speak to most Malaysians out here and it seems that there is a dichotomy- economic vs environmental. The story of the earth.
Malaysia is the largest producer of Palm Oil, used in both the commercial food industry and for Bio Diesel. It's certainly big business for Malaysia, who export around 18 million tonnes of the thick red fat every year. Many people, me included, see biofuels as a positive step for the environment- a good, clean, affordable alternative to petrols. However this need for biofuels, which by the way isn't limited to South East Asia, but also to the European Union, means that demand is constantly growing- in forty years time, some predict we will be relatively reliant on palm oil. And there is some irony in the fact that many people buy biofuels because they are environmentally aware, not realising the effect production is having on the rainforests- which according to Greenpeace outweighs the use of biofuels for a green motive altogether.
There are several main reasons why the production of Palm Oil is detrimental. First the ecological reasons- burning and cutting down species of plants that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Many rainforests lie atop peat bogs, that when disturbed omit tonnes of carbon. And then there are the social impacts of Palm Oil- true many are benifitting from exports, but also poor working conditions and low pay could possibly lead to an elite few people getting richer, rather than the country as a whole. Finally, there is the face of Palm Oil's problems, a rotund brown leathery face framed with a shock orange hair, a curious face that with its haunting brown eyes is the sole reason why people sit up and talk about palm oil. The Orang Utan could be extinct in the wild in as little as ten years.
There are four sanctuaries in the entire world, two in Malaysia, the rest in Indonesia. Sepilok is based in Sabah, near the town of Sandakan in North East Borneo. It sits on the edge of a rainforest, and has been rehabilitating orphaned or abused orang utans since the sixties. As you enter the park forest, with walkways in a small area of rainforest, you can see the magnificent apes swing through the trees grooming, eating, playing. When you look in their eyes, it is easy to envisage man's relationship with one of its closest ancestors. It can be very emotional to see them, knowing that many will never be able to do so- certainly our children and grandchildren will only read about the Orang Utan in books, perhaps even in history books.
Orang Utans are very much like humans in their breeding patterns. Females will generally have few partners, having two or three babies in their lifetime. Their offspring- no, their children, will stay with them until they are around seven years old. Which means that even now, if steps are taken to preserve the rainforest, it will be years before we see a definitive change in numbers.
Will will probably disagree with everything I have said in this blog, and to be fair to him, he has a point. Things of beauty are being destroyed everywhere on earth- who are we to step in and disagree with what Malaysia are doing. It is impossible to boycott Palm Oil, it is simply ubiquitous. Just be aware that the butter that you buy, the chocolate that you eat, and the fuel in your car may have had an impact on the rainforests here. Whether that will deter you, who knows, my shopping habits won't change much. But to hold the hand of an Orang Utan, to be able to look into its eyes, is enough to make you want to preserve the life of our little orange relatives.
www.rspo.org
http://www.palmoiltruthfoundation.com/
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
Long Post and Long Journeys
Back to the heat and bustle in Kuala Lumpur last week- we got a bus from the Cameron Highlands to the Malaysian capital, and booked a flight to Borneo. We stayed in Chinatown for two days, sucking in the culture and perusing the markets. I know now why the Malays are always sharply dressed in designer labels- they are flogged on the market for a pittance. Got myself some nice 'Ray Bans' for two quid, and Will showed off his haggling skills and got some shorts for four quid. Might even get a head start on the Christmas shopping at this rate.
After our second night at the Reggae guest house we were staying in, we took a flight to Kota Kinabalu in Borneo. We flew with Air Asia, so the flight was pretty Ryanair standard, but it was only a few hours so it was bearable. Anyway, got a taxi into the city, which lays on the coast in the north east of Borneo. It is an area famed for its lush greenery and wildlife, as well as the notoriously hard to climb Mount Kinabalu. It is the second highest mountain in south east asia- and as me and W puff mounting some of the pavements out here, we decided against climbing it.
We arrived to KK on the day of the harvest festival, so in the evening the streets were alive with music, drums, and throngs of people cheering. After a night in the city (a sleepless night I might add, the Malaysians know how to party... and stay up til 2am singing karaoke), we took a ferry to the tiny island of Mamutik.
The island is practically uninhabited, and has a tiny beach that runs down one side where there are plenty of fish. I had this wonderful, Robinson Crusoe-esque idea in my head that we could camp, and that we would meet people around a fire and have a lovely time, so I convinced Will to rent a tent. We set off down the beach, armed with our rucksacks and a tent to pitch up next to the two other tents that sat in the middle of the bay. Now, as we emptied the tent, I realised that we had no groundsheet, no tent pegs, no roll mats, and no waterproof cover. 'It's fine, we can Ray Mears it!" we told eachother, still excited about the prospect of camping.
Let me just say, camping on a tropical desert island isn't all it's cracked up to be. The people in the other tents were asleep by 7pm (sad gits, hippy types, you know). The sun went down, and we had no means to make a fire (There is the threat of fines and 3 years imprisonment for setting fire to the vegitation on the island). And then Will found a great hole in the floor, and convinced it was a tarantula, proceeded to shine a torch down it and jab it, until it became clear it was a huge crab. The insects, hard ground, and morning heat made it almost impossible to sleep for more than 20 minutes at a time.
The next morning we woke up at 6am, groggy and insistent that we were leaving. We got chatting to a guy in the next tent called Ben, who was in Will's words, a bit of a posh twat. He honestly thought he was a bit like Ray Mears, carrying around little bags of coffee and catching fish with his crude little home made fishing line. We got a bit caught up in it all, and Will hastily made his own fishing rod (plastic bottle with line wrapped round, hook on the end, weighted with a lump of coral)to catch our lunch with. After three hours, they had surprisingly caught four little fish, enough to have with a bit of rice. We left them, and went off to arrange an afternoon dive. For around 20 quid, (we haggled a bit) we did a 45 minute dive around a pyramid reef, teeming with marine life. We saw puffer fish, lion fish, box fish, and hundreds of other varieties. It was great to finally utilise our Padi knowledge, and just swim without having to do any skills underwater. It was a perfect afternoon.
However, it wasn't long before a monsoon reared its head, and any thoughts of making fire were quashed with each crack of thunder. Fearing the worst, with puddles rapidly building up in the tent, we moved over underneath the shelter, and pitched up on the concrete. We caught a glimpse of a monitor lizard after the rain stopped, and tried to tempt it out with the mornings catch. It timidly poked its head out, reached with its claw for a fish, then retreated back into a drain to eat. After a while, we got bored of waiting for it to come out, and left it.
Had another horrible nights sleep, covered in sand and damp from the rain. I woke up looking like I had some sort of fourteenth century plague- sandflies and mosquitos ravaged me in the tent, and I now have around fifty bites covering me from shoulder to ankle on my left side. People are looking in restaurants, and I am covering up as I seriously think it might be putting people off their dinner.
After our few nights 'roughing it', we headed back to the mainland and onto a bus to Sandakan, home to lush Bornean jungles and the infamous Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary. Now, me and W have been rating each town referring to the concentration of 7/11 corner shops, a great place to pick up a cheap lunch and bottle of water. The more 7/11s, the better the place. Sandakan has no 7/11s, in fact it doesn't seem to have a lot of anything. A few supermarkets, lots of dreary seaside flats drenched in washing, and lots of men sat on pavements smoking. Will hummed the first few bars of Ghosttown as we looked around for a place to stay. Luckily, we struck gold with a chinese guesthouse that had air con, televisions, and an alarming collection of knock off dvd's. If you have watched the League of Gentlemen on DVD, you may remember an unsightly character called Pop, a greek landlord that is far too overfamiliar with his tenants. Well we have dubbed the owner of May Fair Guest House Pop, as he pops in our room and cleans up, sits outside having his dinner, and last night came over and went 'You two, you take five dvd hmm? Choose five dvd and watch!".
After a night in the comfort of Pop's, we took a bus to Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary, which is deseving of it's own blog entry, to come a bit later...
After our second night at the Reggae guest house we were staying in, we took a flight to Kota Kinabalu in Borneo. We flew with Air Asia, so the flight was pretty Ryanair standard, but it was only a few hours so it was bearable. Anyway, got a taxi into the city, which lays on the coast in the north east of Borneo. It is an area famed for its lush greenery and wildlife, as well as the notoriously hard to climb Mount Kinabalu. It is the second highest mountain in south east asia- and as me and W puff mounting some of the pavements out here, we decided against climbing it.
We arrived to KK on the day of the harvest festival, so in the evening the streets were alive with music, drums, and throngs of people cheering. After a night in the city (a sleepless night I might add, the Malaysians know how to party... and stay up til 2am singing karaoke), we took a ferry to the tiny island of Mamutik.
The island is practically uninhabited, and has a tiny beach that runs down one side where there are plenty of fish. I had this wonderful, Robinson Crusoe-esque idea in my head that we could camp, and that we would meet people around a fire and have a lovely time, so I convinced Will to rent a tent. We set off down the beach, armed with our rucksacks and a tent to pitch up next to the two other tents that sat in the middle of the bay. Now, as we emptied the tent, I realised that we had no groundsheet, no tent pegs, no roll mats, and no waterproof cover. 'It's fine, we can Ray Mears it!" we told eachother, still excited about the prospect of camping.
Let me just say, camping on a tropical desert island isn't all it's cracked up to be. The people in the other tents were asleep by 7pm (sad gits, hippy types, you know). The sun went down, and we had no means to make a fire (There is the threat of fines and 3 years imprisonment for setting fire to the vegitation on the island). And then Will found a great hole in the floor, and convinced it was a tarantula, proceeded to shine a torch down it and jab it, until it became clear it was a huge crab. The insects, hard ground, and morning heat made it almost impossible to sleep for more than 20 minutes at a time.
The next morning we woke up at 6am, groggy and insistent that we were leaving. We got chatting to a guy in the next tent called Ben, who was in Will's words, a bit of a posh twat. He honestly thought he was a bit like Ray Mears, carrying around little bags of coffee and catching fish with his crude little home made fishing line. We got a bit caught up in it all, and Will hastily made his own fishing rod (plastic bottle with line wrapped round, hook on the end, weighted with a lump of coral)to catch our lunch with. After three hours, they had surprisingly caught four little fish, enough to have with a bit of rice. We left them, and went off to arrange an afternoon dive. For around 20 quid, (we haggled a bit) we did a 45 minute dive around a pyramid reef, teeming with marine life. We saw puffer fish, lion fish, box fish, and hundreds of other varieties. It was great to finally utilise our Padi knowledge, and just swim without having to do any skills underwater. It was a perfect afternoon.
However, it wasn't long before a monsoon reared its head, and any thoughts of making fire were quashed with each crack of thunder. Fearing the worst, with puddles rapidly building up in the tent, we moved over underneath the shelter, and pitched up on the concrete. We caught a glimpse of a monitor lizard after the rain stopped, and tried to tempt it out with the mornings catch. It timidly poked its head out, reached with its claw for a fish, then retreated back into a drain to eat. After a while, we got bored of waiting for it to come out, and left it.
Had another horrible nights sleep, covered in sand and damp from the rain. I woke up looking like I had some sort of fourteenth century plague- sandflies and mosquitos ravaged me in the tent, and I now have around fifty bites covering me from shoulder to ankle on my left side. People are looking in restaurants, and I am covering up as I seriously think it might be putting people off their dinner.
After our few nights 'roughing it', we headed back to the mainland and onto a bus to Sandakan, home to lush Bornean jungles and the infamous Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary. Now, me and W have been rating each town referring to the concentration of 7/11 corner shops, a great place to pick up a cheap lunch and bottle of water. The more 7/11s, the better the place. Sandakan has no 7/11s, in fact it doesn't seem to have a lot of anything. A few supermarkets, lots of dreary seaside flats drenched in washing, and lots of men sat on pavements smoking. Will hummed the first few bars of Ghosttown as we looked around for a place to stay. Luckily, we struck gold with a chinese guesthouse that had air con, televisions, and an alarming collection of knock off dvd's. If you have watched the League of Gentlemen on DVD, you may remember an unsightly character called Pop, a greek landlord that is far too overfamiliar with his tenants. Well we have dubbed the owner of May Fair Guest House Pop, as he pops in our room and cleans up, sits outside having his dinner, and last night came over and went 'You two, you take five dvd hmm? Choose five dvd and watch!".
After a night in the comfort of Pop's, we took a bus to Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary, which is deseving of it's own blog entry, to come a bit later...
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
Strawberries and cream in the Cameron Highlands
Well we are now well and truly off the Thailand tourist trail. We made it to Malaysia, finally- a minibus dropped us off at the border. Clutching our passports, and with no Malaysian Ringits, we set off in taxis and local buses, arriving to the island of Penang late afternoon. My first impression of Malaysia is how modern everything seems in comparison to Thailand. No more straw shacks, think high rise buildings, new cars, and excellent roads. We hopped off the ferry and stayed in Georgetown for a night- a city unremarkable in itself, but as a hop off for Malaysia was great.
There is a real mix of ethnicities in Malaysia; Indians, Chinese, and Malays battle it out in the restaurants- and seemingly everyone speaks English. Beers and alcohol are more expensive here, possibly to do with the fact that 95% of the population are muslim. Had a few curries since we have been here- Fresh Naans and proper thick curries- yum!
Anyway, after a night in Georgetown we set off for the Cameron Highlands. Some 6 thousand feet above sea level, we have gone from searing humidity to chilly evenings. The evidence of British colonialism is apparent- Golf courses and 'high tea' served after 4pm are popular everywhere.
This region grows 40% of Malaysia's fresh produce, particularly strawberries- local strawberry jam is excellent. Today we went on a tour around the highlands, starting at a Rose Garden (Terribly British, but unfortunately also terribly boring). We then headed to a tea plantation- rows and rows of tea bushes as far as the eye can see. We went to the factory, saw how it was made, and even tasted a cup of the Boh Tea.
Finally we went to a 'Butterfly and Insect Farm'- Basically a mesh room of enormous butterflies, and all manner of creepy crawlies in vivariums- We saw giant scorpions, and held enormous dung beetles.
Not sure where we are going next, possibly Taman Negara national park, maybe Borneo- we have yet to decide.
There is a real mix of ethnicities in Malaysia; Indians, Chinese, and Malays battle it out in the restaurants- and seemingly everyone speaks English. Beers and alcohol are more expensive here, possibly to do with the fact that 95% of the population are muslim. Had a few curries since we have been here- Fresh Naans and proper thick curries- yum!
Anyway, after a night in Georgetown we set off for the Cameron Highlands. Some 6 thousand feet above sea level, we have gone from searing humidity to chilly evenings. The evidence of British colonialism is apparent- Golf courses and 'high tea' served after 4pm are popular everywhere.
This region grows 40% of Malaysia's fresh produce, particularly strawberries- local strawberry jam is excellent. Today we went on a tour around the highlands, starting at a Rose Garden (Terribly British, but unfortunately also terribly boring). We then headed to a tea plantation- rows and rows of tea bushes as far as the eye can see. We went to the factory, saw how it was made, and even tasted a cup of the Boh Tea.
Finally we went to a 'Butterfly and Insect Farm'- Basically a mesh room of enormous butterflies, and all manner of creepy crawlies in vivariums- We saw giant scorpions, and held enormous dung beetles.
Not sure where we are going next, possibly Taman Negara national park, maybe Borneo- we have yet to decide.
Saturday, 8 May 2010
Malaysia- Not!
Thai's are known for their scamming ways. Tuk Tuk drivers will offer free rides, then pop you off to a suit/gem shop and pressure you until you buy. Touts hawk you to buy their wares/stay in their guesthouses/buy their travel tickets 'Is good price, same same!". Well, I fear we have been travel scammed.
We set off for Malaysia this morning after a late night; sleepily hopping onto a ferry then a minibus. There were ten of us crammed into a supposedly 'air conditioned luxury minibus'- in reality barely cool air circulated around the vehicle; we were tired, sweaty, cranky, and unhappy. It's fine, I reassured myself. Tonight we will enjoy a cold beer in Penang, take in the city of Georgetown, relax and go for a bite. Well it's NOT SO!
We are still in Thailand, albeit in a more southern region than we set off this morning. We reached Hat Yai, the nearest large city before the border crossing. 'PENANG! PENANG'!, our driver called. Lovely, here we go, we will get onto a big bus and get taken down to Malaysia in comfort. Oh no, of course not, because its Thailand and nothing is simple and easy is it.
We were taken into a tourist office, and told by our guides that there was some sort of commotion at the border crossing. A protest. 'Shit. Is it the redshirts?' 'Noh'. 'The Muslims?' I asked? 'Noh. There is a protest by travel companies, the transport. Border closed. Many vans, 20, wait. May be okay tomorrow though. We take you now to nice guesthouse'. Hmm, well none of this really rang true in my head. The people we were on the minibus with seemed to carry on their journey, only four of us, the ones going to Penang, were told about this trouble. With hesitation, we got into a car and were taken to a guesthouse about two blocks away.
'You stay here one nigh'. Tomorrow I come, I call maybe 9 o clock in morning, if all is okay, we go'.
'Right. Jolly Good'.
Now what was running through my mind now was that the tour company was in cahoots with the guesthouse. After all they dropped us here, in this big city, obviously not knowing our way around.
'They are gonna charge us a lot Will... I'm not sure about it'. Well I was wrong, its only 200 baht a night for a double room with ensuite. Which is roughly four pounds. So no scam there then, surely?
The room however, is akin to a crack den. Long fluorescent corridors lead to wooden bolted doors, giving off an aura of a prison. There is a big double bed, but the springs have unearthed themselves from the cotton and poke upwards. The less said about the toilet the better- it is a hole in the floor with a bucket next to it.
'How...how do I... do it? God I wish the Thai people would learn how to enjoy a nice poo. It doesn't have to be this big, uncomfortable squatting affair' Will muttered.
Anyway, time will tell as to how this will turn out. Worse case scenario, we have lost a tenner and have been dumped here by a phony tour company, never to be seen again. Or perhaps they will turn up tomorrow, apologetic for the delay. All I know is after asking around at the train station and several other travel shops, there are no riots, no protests on the borders. And the Thai ticket sellers have made themselves forty quid richer, as well as a bit of commision from the guesthouse where I type this now...
We set off for Malaysia this morning after a late night; sleepily hopping onto a ferry then a minibus. There were ten of us crammed into a supposedly 'air conditioned luxury minibus'- in reality barely cool air circulated around the vehicle; we were tired, sweaty, cranky, and unhappy. It's fine, I reassured myself. Tonight we will enjoy a cold beer in Penang, take in the city of Georgetown, relax and go for a bite. Well it's NOT SO!
We are still in Thailand, albeit in a more southern region than we set off this morning. We reached Hat Yai, the nearest large city before the border crossing. 'PENANG! PENANG'!, our driver called. Lovely, here we go, we will get onto a big bus and get taken down to Malaysia in comfort. Oh no, of course not, because its Thailand and nothing is simple and easy is it.
We were taken into a tourist office, and told by our guides that there was some sort of commotion at the border crossing. A protest. 'Shit. Is it the redshirts?' 'Noh'. 'The Muslims?' I asked? 'Noh. There is a protest by travel companies, the transport. Border closed. Many vans, 20, wait. May be okay tomorrow though. We take you now to nice guesthouse'. Hmm, well none of this really rang true in my head. The people we were on the minibus with seemed to carry on their journey, only four of us, the ones going to Penang, were told about this trouble. With hesitation, we got into a car and were taken to a guesthouse about two blocks away.
'You stay here one nigh'. Tomorrow I come, I call maybe 9 o clock in morning, if all is okay, we go'.
'Right. Jolly Good'.
Now what was running through my mind now was that the tour company was in cahoots with the guesthouse. After all they dropped us here, in this big city, obviously not knowing our way around.
'They are gonna charge us a lot Will... I'm not sure about it'. Well I was wrong, its only 200 baht a night for a double room with ensuite. Which is roughly four pounds. So no scam there then, surely?
The room however, is akin to a crack den. Long fluorescent corridors lead to wooden bolted doors, giving off an aura of a prison. There is a big double bed, but the springs have unearthed themselves from the cotton and poke upwards. The less said about the toilet the better- it is a hole in the floor with a bucket next to it.
'How...how do I... do it? God I wish the Thai people would learn how to enjoy a nice poo. It doesn't have to be this big, uncomfortable squatting affair' Will muttered.
Anyway, time will tell as to how this will turn out. Worse case scenario, we have lost a tenner and have been dumped here by a phony tour company, never to be seen again. Or perhaps they will turn up tomorrow, apologetic for the delay. All I know is after asking around at the train station and several other travel shops, there are no riots, no protests on the borders. And the Thai ticket sellers have made themselves forty quid richer, as well as a bit of commision from the guesthouse where I type this now...
Friday, 7 May 2010
Shark Swims and Cliff Jumps
We have spent the past few days on Phi Phi island, a place I have been to before but nevertheless came back to, drawn by its emerald clear sea's and sweeping white bays. Have been out of action for the past few days, 'tummy troubles' had me bedridden most of yesterday, but I think secretly Will was happy to have a day in bed curled up reading. This morning we climbed up to one of the highest points on the island to take in the view of the magnificent bay- a climb that I swore I would not do again. Hundreds of steps, afternoon sun- not a pretty picture. But the end result was worth it (just).
We went out on an excursion this afternoon, first stopping at monkey bay to cavort with some alarmingly tame apes for a few minutes- feeding them bits of fruit etc. Then we went cliff jumping...
Those who know me well might know that jumping off high stuff isn't something I relish. Nevertheless, I donned a pair of rubber shoes and haphazardly climbed the side of the cliff. That was bloody hard work, but when we got to the top I got a bit panicked (think tears and shaking...). The sad thing is, and I am sure you will laugh, it was only 8 metres high. Anyway, Will was first off, and after much deliberation I climbed down to two metres and daintily launched myself off the tiny drop, feeling more than a bit pathetic.
Next we went for a snorkel, and swam above some breathtaking coral reef, bright almost fluorescent colours that were clear as anything in the sea. We swam with some black tip reef sharks (only babies, a few feet long at the most), but still it was humbling to see them snaking through the ocean, tiny predators.
Late in the afternoon we stopped at Maya Bay, the setting for the Beach. When I came here previously the tide was out and it was packed- not even postcard worthy. Yet today, framed with clear blue skies, it was stunning. We stayed for an hour or so, taking it all in, and we had a chang beer and a quick game of footie with the locals before coming back.
Tonight we are heading out for our last big night before we go to Malaysia, we went out for a few drinks last night and watched some Thai boxing. Will was adamant that after a few drinks, he could 'have a go'. We will see how that goes tonight...
We went out on an excursion this afternoon, first stopping at monkey bay to cavort with some alarmingly tame apes for a few minutes- feeding them bits of fruit etc. Then we went cliff jumping...
Those who know me well might know that jumping off high stuff isn't something I relish. Nevertheless, I donned a pair of rubber shoes and haphazardly climbed the side of the cliff. That was bloody hard work, but when we got to the top I got a bit panicked (think tears and shaking...). The sad thing is, and I am sure you will laugh, it was only 8 metres high. Anyway, Will was first off, and after much deliberation I climbed down to two metres and daintily launched myself off the tiny drop, feeling more than a bit pathetic.
Next we went for a snorkel, and swam above some breathtaking coral reef, bright almost fluorescent colours that were clear as anything in the sea. We swam with some black tip reef sharks (only babies, a few feet long at the most), but still it was humbling to see them snaking through the ocean, tiny predators.
Late in the afternoon we stopped at Maya Bay, the setting for the Beach. When I came here previously the tide was out and it was packed- not even postcard worthy. Yet today, framed with clear blue skies, it was stunning. We stayed for an hour or so, taking it all in, and we had a chang beer and a quick game of footie with the locals before coming back.
Tonight we are heading out for our last big night before we go to Malaysia, we went out for a few drinks last night and watched some Thai boxing. Will was adamant that after a few drinks, he could 'have a go'. We will see how that goes tonight...
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
Railay Beach- Koh Phi Phi
The past few days have been a time in mourning. My beatiful new Canon camera has died, and I am hoping I can find a nifty Thai man with a screwdriver to help resuscitate it. It's last few moments were spent recording me and Will cavorting on a remote island in Krabi. It met it's fate falling headfirst into the sand...
As a result, I have no pictures of Railay and Phi Phi, truly two of the most beautiful places in the world. We travelled on an overnight ferry, packed in like slaves to the mainland from Koh Tao. Will was being cocky and arrogant because he had a spare bed next to him, allowing him to stretch out unlike the rest of us sardines. Then the grossest chubby American came and sat down next to him, baring his arm pits and forcing those withing a ten foot radius to smell his putrid odour. Put me right off my dinner that did.
Anyway, after a night of travelling, we finally reached Railay beach. Have a google of it, go on. I bet it will bring up the most beautiful pics of limestone cliffs and deep blue sea. It is a climbers paradise, and on our second day me and Will attempted a trip to the lagoon. What we failed to realise however, is that the lagoon is situated inside an ancient volcano structure. And there are nothing but a few ropes tied onto trees to save you from a broken spine. After reaching the summit, we 'pressed on to Moscow' (I was shaking, not a fan of heights, especially not with the knowledge that we were in a f*****g volcano thing), and didn't quite reach the lagoon at the bottom (you have to shimmy up the ropes holding your own weight, that wasn't gonna happen). But I am told by Will that it was beautiful. The whole of Railay seemed like the set of Jurassic Park, weird sqawks every now and then, and trees that you could live in, all framed inside a lush canopy.
The next night we went for a curry on the beach, did a bit of snorkelling, and had a night swim with the phosphorence, which was amazing.
We got to Phi Phi yesterday and are relishing the comparative civilisation- There is a 7/11 shop here! Went out last night, watched a fire show and had a few buckets. For those who are unfamiliar with the bucket concept- imagine a child's pail half filled with vodka, and topped up with coke and ice. They were giving them out for free at a bar we went to yesterday, accompanied by free shots for those brave enough to face the giant fiery skipping rope. Naturally Will was up first, and rocked it- I did the fire limbo, jumped through a ring of fire, and as we got more pissed, had the balls to jump through the ring on Will's back. Covered in scratches and bruises today, but all was worth it. I think our plan is just to stay here until we cannot bear anymore buckets, then either bus down to Malaysia, or take in the quiet island that is Koh Lanta.
As a result, I have no pictures of Railay and Phi Phi, truly two of the most beautiful places in the world. We travelled on an overnight ferry, packed in like slaves to the mainland from Koh Tao. Will was being cocky and arrogant because he had a spare bed next to him, allowing him to stretch out unlike the rest of us sardines. Then the grossest chubby American came and sat down next to him, baring his arm pits and forcing those withing a ten foot radius to smell his putrid odour. Put me right off my dinner that did.
Anyway, after a night of travelling, we finally reached Railay beach. Have a google of it, go on. I bet it will bring up the most beautiful pics of limestone cliffs and deep blue sea. It is a climbers paradise, and on our second day me and Will attempted a trip to the lagoon. What we failed to realise however, is that the lagoon is situated inside an ancient volcano structure. And there are nothing but a few ropes tied onto trees to save you from a broken spine. After reaching the summit, we 'pressed on to Moscow' (I was shaking, not a fan of heights, especially not with the knowledge that we were in a f*****g volcano thing), and didn't quite reach the lagoon at the bottom (you have to shimmy up the ropes holding your own weight, that wasn't gonna happen). But I am told by Will that it was beautiful. The whole of Railay seemed like the set of Jurassic Park, weird sqawks every now and then, and trees that you could live in, all framed inside a lush canopy.
The next night we went for a curry on the beach, did a bit of snorkelling, and had a night swim with the phosphorence, which was amazing.
We got to Phi Phi yesterday and are relishing the comparative civilisation- There is a 7/11 shop here! Went out last night, watched a fire show and had a few buckets. For those who are unfamiliar with the bucket concept- imagine a child's pail half filled with vodka, and topped up with coke and ice. They were giving them out for free at a bar we went to yesterday, accompanied by free shots for those brave enough to face the giant fiery skipping rope. Naturally Will was up first, and rocked it- I did the fire limbo, jumped through a ring of fire, and as we got more pissed, had the balls to jump through the ring on Will's back. Covered in scratches and bruises today, but all was worth it. I think our plan is just to stay here until we cannot bear anymore buckets, then either bus down to Malaysia, or take in the quiet island that is Koh Lanta.
Friday, 30 April 2010
PADI diving course- Koh Tao
I am now a qualified scuba diver! We have spent the past four days in and out of the classroom and sea, learning about diving, buoyancy control, and what to do if you run out of air 18 metres under the sea (scary stuff). Did my first deep dive today, and saw some pretty cool stuff- sea snakes, clownfish, weird lobster thing- no turtles or sharks yet but there is still time. Jon, our instructor, is from Birmingham, and managed to make even the most exciting things sound bland and dull- but hey the dive time underwater was just amazing. The water is so clear thanks to the sun, and we swam through some cool underwater caves out at Green Rock. We met a couple of Aussies on our course who are awesome- we were afraid we might have been stuck with a couple of older people, but it's all turned out well.
So we rented a scooter yesterday and drove around the island, taking in all the bays and inlets. We were so tired last night that we had a mammoth fifteen hour sleep and woke up this morning feeling terrible! The weather has been, of course, beautiful, hot enough to fry you up in five minutes.
We are heading to Krabi tomorrow night on a night boat/bus, to do a bit of climbing and in my case more sunbathing. Last time I came here Krabi was my all time favourite place, so I hope that this time it will deliver..
So we rented a scooter yesterday and drove around the island, taking in all the bays and inlets. We were so tired last night that we had a mammoth fifteen hour sleep and woke up this morning feeling terrible! The weather has been, of course, beautiful, hot enough to fry you up in five minutes.
We are heading to Krabi tomorrow night on a night boat/bus, to do a bit of climbing and in my case more sunbathing. Last time I came here Krabi was my all time favourite place, so I hope that this time it will deliver..
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
Leicester- London Heathrow-Bangkok-Koh Tao... All in one go!
National Express. Tube. Plane. Taxi. Train. Taxi. Boat. Taxi! After travelling for 40 solid hours on public transport, we finally arrived in Koh Tao yesterday morning. The flight from London to Dubai was fine, but the 7 hour connection left us feeling tired, cranky, and more than a bit bored of the airline dvd selection. We landed in Bangkok in the evening, and were met with a blistering damp heat- summers are humid out here. We got a taxi to the train station, and settled outside a restaurant to enjoy the first pad thai noodles and chang beers of the holiday- however we had some unwelcome company in the form of cockroaches and ticket touts. We waited with trepidation and sweaty backs for the train to arrive, whisking us away from the sewer smells of busy smoggy Bangkok, to the laid back turtle dive paradise that is Koh Tao.
The train was fairly busy, and the air conditioning system was little more than ceiling fans on the roof of the train, but the 600km journey was fairly comfortable, even if the ticket men were very intimidating.
Seven hours later and we were on the final leg of the journey- the boat to Koh Tao. Once again I was reminded that there is a big difference between English Time and Thai Time- Our train was half an hour late, and the ferry took around twice as long to get to the island as was stated. There is a great laid back vibe here in Thailand- I wouldnt be surprised if the train driver stopped somewhere for a chat and a cigarette break...
The troubles with riots in Bangkok seem to be met with mixed views among travellers, I overheard people on the plane saying they were going straight to Khao San, others saying they wouldn't consider staying the night. We were in a taxi yesterday with a couple who's hotel had been attacked by redshirts- 'I't was great- the nicest people in Bangkok are the redshirts. They are the only ones not trying to scam us'. Quite.
Anyway, we are staying on a beach hut a few metres from the pure white sands of Sairee beach. The hut consists of little more than a matress, a table, a fan, and toilet-cum-shower, but it suits us. We went out for a little drinky last night, which, invariably, led to me and will dancing in a bar watching a couple of eight year olds doing some fire poi. As we walked back I found a rope swing above the sea- and with the confidence and grace only a few cocktails can instill in a person, swang myself above the water- only to fall with a thud to a hard sandy ground a second later. Will found it very funny, my leg did not.
Today was the first day of our Padi course- learning to scuba dive down to 18 metres. What the day actually consisted of however, was four hours in a classroom watching delightfully 80's videos and swotting up.
Me and Will haven't had a chance to tan yet- we are probably the palest people on the island (ginger people exempt, of course). But we have a few months of bronzing ahead of us yet...
Tonight we enjoyed a laid back night, thai curry, followed by thai massage, which was excruciating and invigorating. Will worried about having the more attractive lady massage him, but I think he preferred it in the end...
The train was fairly busy, and the air conditioning system was little more than ceiling fans on the roof of the train, but the 600km journey was fairly comfortable, even if the ticket men were very intimidating.
Seven hours later and we were on the final leg of the journey- the boat to Koh Tao. Once again I was reminded that there is a big difference between English Time and Thai Time- Our train was half an hour late, and the ferry took around twice as long to get to the island as was stated. There is a great laid back vibe here in Thailand- I wouldnt be surprised if the train driver stopped somewhere for a chat and a cigarette break...
The troubles with riots in Bangkok seem to be met with mixed views among travellers, I overheard people on the plane saying they were going straight to Khao San, others saying they wouldn't consider staying the night. We were in a taxi yesterday with a couple who's hotel had been attacked by redshirts- 'I't was great- the nicest people in Bangkok are the redshirts. They are the only ones not trying to scam us'. Quite.
Anyway, we are staying on a beach hut a few metres from the pure white sands of Sairee beach. The hut consists of little more than a matress, a table, a fan, and toilet-cum-shower, but it suits us. We went out for a little drinky last night, which, invariably, led to me and will dancing in a bar watching a couple of eight year olds doing some fire poi. As we walked back I found a rope swing above the sea- and with the confidence and grace only a few cocktails can instill in a person, swang myself above the water- only to fall with a thud to a hard sandy ground a second later. Will found it very funny, my leg did not.
Today was the first day of our Padi course- learning to scuba dive down to 18 metres. What the day actually consisted of however, was four hours in a classroom watching delightfully 80's videos and swotting up.
Me and Will haven't had a chance to tan yet- we are probably the palest people on the island (ginger people exempt, of course). But we have a few months of bronzing ahead of us yet...
Tonight we enjoyed a laid back night, thai curry, followed by thai massage, which was excruciating and invigorating. Will worried about having the more attractive lady massage him, but I think he preferred it in the end...
Friday, 23 April 2010
Day 0- The Night Before...
If somebody had told me several months ago that volcano insurance would be a viable travel expenditure, I would have shrugged it off as a ridiculous precaution. Now, however, I am kicking myself; I am a week late into my travel plans because an irate Icelandic Vesuvius has blown up a bit. Quite how much nobody really knew, so the airspace was closed. For a bloody week.
The past six days have been quite a rollercoaster, and more than a few times when the flight ban looked set to continue for months, me and Will toyed with the idea of jacking it all in and going inter railing. But the Eurostar was booked solid, and we didn't much fancy Europe, so we thought we would probably just sit and wait it out. Which meant lots of sleepless nights, and days of me wandering the house looking pallid and distant refreshing the NATS website and clutching the phone, desperate to get through to Emirates. It took four attempts at booking and rebooking flights, but tomorrow our adventure begins.
However, the extra week hasn't been all bad. The weather in England is deliciously warm and sunny, and the flight ban has presented me with a few more days of English comforts (flushing toilets anyone?), and some precious time spent with my boyfriend (ahh, how sickening I hear you say). But I finally feel ready to go, my bags are packed, a new camera has been bought, and the hoo haa with the airlines is over thanks to a few test rides, some crackpot scientists and some extremely aggresive tactics by British Airways. But I won't go into that now; like me you are probably sick to death of headlines about the volcanic ash plume.
This blog, although it will act primarily as a self indulgence, is also manner for my loved ones to keep track of where I am, and I suppose it will serve as a diary of sorts. I hopefully be able to give a first hand account of what life is like in Thailand at the moment, and also help show you my journey from Thailand, throught Malaysia and Indonesia, and into Vietnam and Laos.
Just please, don't ask me to bring back any red t-shirts as souvenirs...
The past six days have been quite a rollercoaster, and more than a few times when the flight ban looked set to continue for months, me and Will toyed with the idea of jacking it all in and going inter railing. But the Eurostar was booked solid, and we didn't much fancy Europe, so we thought we would probably just sit and wait it out. Which meant lots of sleepless nights, and days of me wandering the house looking pallid and distant refreshing the NATS website and clutching the phone, desperate to get through to Emirates. It took four attempts at booking and rebooking flights, but tomorrow our adventure begins.
However, the extra week hasn't been all bad. The weather in England is deliciously warm and sunny, and the flight ban has presented me with a few more days of English comforts (flushing toilets anyone?), and some precious time spent with my boyfriend (ahh, how sickening I hear you say). But I finally feel ready to go, my bags are packed, a new camera has been bought, and the hoo haa with the airlines is over thanks to a few test rides, some crackpot scientists and some extremely aggresive tactics by British Airways. But I won't go into that now; like me you are probably sick to death of headlines about the volcanic ash plume.
This blog, although it will act primarily as a self indulgence, is also manner for my loved ones to keep track of where I am, and I suppose it will serve as a diary of sorts. I hopefully be able to give a first hand account of what life is like in Thailand at the moment, and also help show you my journey from Thailand, throught Malaysia and Indonesia, and into Vietnam and Laos.
Just please, don't ask me to bring back any red t-shirts as souvenirs...
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