Arrived in Bangkok after the bus that should have taken 7 hours, was 4 hours late! Luckily it dropped us off in the end of town we needed to be in (it shouldn't have!).
We are staying North of the backpacker district of Ko Shan Road. It is a road where manier backpacker descend in search of the "Thai experience" before they inadvertently head South to lie on a beach. The road itself is Camden market squeezed into a road too small. Banging toons, people selling everything from suits to shesha's, fortunes to ping-pong shows (table tennis yes. . . ?).
Like many cities Bangkok has many ethnic districts from "Little Arabia" to 'Chinatown'. Chinatown is pretty much like being back in China, so I assume the same for Little Arabia. Both are of equal fun to walk around and see them deep frying whole ducks (head included!).
Getting around town is easy, everywhere is traffic jammed even at the best of times. The best method of assault is a three wheeled vehicle named "Tuk tuk" after the noise the LPG fuelled engine makes. Nothing beats flying thought backstreets of Bangkok at 50mph, I would almost call it an extreme sport!
Sunday, 30 August 2009
Thursday, 27 August 2009
Monday, 24 August 2009
Viva La Sihanoukville
Sihanoukville was a blast. Lovely white beaches, with some more secluded than others. The sea was always inviting for a swim in it's calm, warm and shark free waters!!
We arrived back in Phnom Penh on Tuesday where our thai visas were waiting for us in all their A5 size glory.
A couple of days hanging around before we left for Battambang. We had a pleasant few days there where we went to a crocodile farm and also rode a bamboo train or "norry" as the locals refer to it. It's a bamboo bed frame that sits on the wheels of a tank (that drive the caterpillars) and a chainsaw motor that s connected to the wheels via an oversized cam belt and that's about it. One then flies down a buckled and warped single track at around 20-30mph, if you meet another bamboo travelling in the opposite direction a simple comparsion of what loads each train has and the lightest is disembled to let the other pass. Simples!
After this we headed to Siem Reap (where we are now based) and today we started to disect the Unesco herritage site of Ankgor Wat. We have three day passes that will take us to Wednesday evening where we plan to stay one more day before leaving for Bangkok on Friday.
We arrived back in Phnom Penh on Tuesday where our thai visas were waiting for us in all their A5 size glory.
A couple of days hanging around before we left for Battambang. We had a pleasant few days there where we went to a crocodile farm and also rode a bamboo train or "norry" as the locals refer to it. It's a bamboo bed frame that sits on the wheels of a tank (that drive the caterpillars) and a chainsaw motor that s connected to the wheels via an oversized cam belt and that's about it. One then flies down a buckled and warped single track at around 20-30mph, if you meet another bamboo travelling in the opposite direction a simple comparsion of what loads each train has and the lightest is disembled to let the other pass. Simples!
After this we headed to Siem Reap (where we are now based) and today we started to disect the Unesco herritage site of Ankgor Wat. We have three day passes that will take us to Wednesday evening where we plan to stay one more day before leaving for Bangkok on Friday.
Thursday, 13 August 2009
Peaking in Phnom Penh
Residing in Phnom Penh, applied for our Thai visas today as they aren't issuing above 15 days across land crossings, so fingers crossed that we get them on Monday.
We had a morbid day yesterday visiting the Genocide and Killing Field Museums. They're to commemorate those who were tortured and killed under the Khmer Rouge reign (1975-1979). Seems that every single Cambodian was persecuted against by a very paranoid Totalitarian state.
Having done Phnom Penh and not having the passports to carry on we will be sunnying it up in the south (Sihanoukville) for a few days!
We had a morbid day yesterday visiting the Genocide and Killing Field Museums. They're to commemorate those who were tortured and killed under the Khmer Rouge reign (1975-1979). Seems that every single Cambodian was persecuted against by a very paranoid Totalitarian state.
Having done Phnom Penh and not having the passports to carry on we will be sunnying it up in the south (Sihanoukville) for a few days!
Sunday, 9 August 2009
Cambodia the sheep
We have completed the two day Kayak and another couple of days on the island of Don Det (four thousand islands). The Kayaking was the best way to see everything on the islands, from the waterfalls to the Irrawady Dolphins. Our guides were a right couple of Laotian lads. They really made the trip and invited us to a night of drinking Laos style! During which time we befriended all of the Islands tourist board - three men by the name of, Mr King, Mr Cricket and Mr Chicken. It wasn't until we the next day we realised how useful it was to know those incharge of the islands tourist spots!
I'd like to say that the following nights were blissful sleeps by the river. . . I don't like to lie. Aside from monkeys fighting and letting themselves in our room, time was divided up into listening to the dogs and goats furious conversations, our neighbours conversations and if you could get to sleep on the concrete bed in the blistering heat (there was a mattress, soft option not included, but they did provide a sandbag as a pillow!) you were duly awoken to the national anthem of the rooster each and every bloody morning from 3 til around 5, maybe 8.
A concious decision was made to leave Laos behind and make a run for Cambodia.
I'd like to say that the following nights were blissful sleeps by the river. . . I don't like to lie. Aside from monkeys fighting and letting themselves in our room, time was divided up into listening to the dogs and goats furious conversations, our neighbours conversations and if you could get to sleep on the concrete bed in the blistering heat (there was a mattress, soft option not included, but they did provide a sandbag as a pillow!) you were duly awoken to the national anthem of the rooster each and every bloody morning from 3 til around 5, maybe 8.
A concious decision was made to leave Laos behind and make a run for Cambodia.
Wednesday, 5 August 2009
Four Thousand Islands Sauce
Now in Pakse for a second time, awaiting a two day Kayak down and around Four Thousand Islands.
We have been to a few places before here: Savannkhet, Pakse (the first time), Tad Lo and Pakse (part two). We didn't stay 24hours in Savannakhet, (for those who have seen Big Fish the place is like Spector but the second time around), for those who haven't; it's a mix mash of Indochina and Soviet buildings all desperately needing attention. People were very receptive, the most we've felt but there wasn't a great deal else.
We were in Pakse a day too because we wanted to hop over to Tad Lo (about 1.5hours East) to check out the waterfalls, before returning to start our adventure South. Tad Lo was a peaceful little place, with raging waterfalls (due to it being wet season) and a nice hammock to sit back and have a few tasty (and well deserved) apple juices :).
Back to Pakse, in double the time, as thats how public transport likes to play it. Sometimes you're at your intented destination unbelieveable early but more often that not it's a ride that allows for you to fully appreciate every centimetre of the surrounding area!
We have been to a few places before here: Savannkhet, Pakse (the first time), Tad Lo and Pakse (part two). We didn't stay 24hours in Savannakhet, (for those who have seen Big Fish the place is like Spector but the second time around), for those who haven't; it's a mix mash of Indochina and Soviet buildings all desperately needing attention. People were very receptive, the most we've felt but there wasn't a great deal else.
We were in Pakse a day too because we wanted to hop over to Tad Lo (about 1.5hours East) to check out the waterfalls, before returning to start our adventure South. Tad Lo was a peaceful little place, with raging waterfalls (due to it being wet season) and a nice hammock to sit back and have a few tasty (and well deserved) apple juices :).
Back to Pakse, in double the time, as thats how public transport likes to play it. Sometimes you're at your intented destination unbelieveable early but more often that not it's a ride that allows for you to fully appreciate every centimetre of the surrounding area!
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