vientiane street map
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
jars and jarring
I was pleased to have given myself extra time in Luang Prabang as it rained for about 50% of the time - and I mean RAIN! Buckets of it all day long. But it failed to stop the enjoyment of the town as it's just so damned pretty!
Besides I had a decent hotel room with private bath for $6.25 a night! It's a bit weird when your breakfast at a decent cafe costs more than your hotel room. But that's Luang Prabang for you.
Several dinners I ate at the evening market's veggy buffet - a large mixed plate for 10,000 kip ($1.25) then I'd go to a French cafe and have a 50,000 kip coffee and dessert!
wat xieng thong l.p.
l.p. museum
luang prabang dragons
l.p. temple
monks
small temple
temple detail
When I eventually left L.P. I was mildly irritated (barely contained expletives) as the large (comfortable) bus I was promised and paid for, mysteriously had broken down and instead I had to get on a mini bus that was already packed to the rafters with locals and other paraphernalia stored on the floor. After failing to convince me to squeeze in with four Laotians on the back seat (made for four not very large persons) for the 8 hour ride to my next destination, instead I took the assistant drivers half-seat which at least had leg room if not back support.
He wasn't happy but then I was paying for the journey and he was being paid.
The eight hour journey passed quite quickly vomit notwithstanding. (The locals don't seem to handle road travel too well.) I was heading for the town of Phonsavanh in order to visit the Plain of Jars. (you're sitting in front of a computer - Wikipaedia it.) The final 4 hours of the journey was on such a torturously potholed winding mountain road that on Google maps it resembles a particularly nasty looking varicose vein.
It was to be a fleeting visit, arrive the evening, arrange transport for early the next morning - see the sights on a full day tour (easiest option unless you have your own vehicle) and then take a twelve hour bus trip to Vientiane the next morning. There is no point spending longer in Phonsavanh - you can see all the sights/sites in one day and the town is as exciting as a bowl of tepid wallpaper paste. (Sorry - my analogies don't work too well in extreme humidity.)
The jars themselves I have to admit were a little underwhelming - but in their defence I have been a little spoiled ruins wise. (I expect the Germans have a word for that...) And it rained the entire time. The track to one of the jars sites was so incredibly muddy that my sandals picked up so much of the sticky clay that it felt like I was wearing boots of steel. I kept trying to wash it off in one of the myriad of rivulets that cascaded down the path. In one small pool, I stepped in to rinse off my right sandal and sank up to my knee.
wet ride to phonsavanh
jars
jars 2
jar et moi
My randoms this part of the trip were two Schweizerdeutsch and a German.
'out of the rain' smiles
Besides I had a decent hotel room with private bath for $6.25 a night! It's a bit weird when your breakfast at a decent cafe costs more than your hotel room. But that's Luang Prabang for you.
Several dinners I ate at the evening market's veggy buffet - a large mixed plate for 10,000 kip ($1.25) then I'd go to a French cafe and have a 50,000 kip coffee and dessert!
wat xieng thong l.p.
l.p. museum
luang prabang dragons
l.p. temple
monks
small temple
temple detail
When I eventually left L.P. I was mildly irritated (barely contained expletives) as the large (comfortable) bus I was promised and paid for, mysteriously had broken down and instead I had to get on a mini bus that was already packed to the rafters with locals and other paraphernalia stored on the floor. After failing to convince me to squeeze in with four Laotians on the back seat (made for four not very large persons) for the 8 hour ride to my next destination, instead I took the assistant drivers half-seat which at least had leg room if not back support.
He wasn't happy but then I was paying for the journey and he was being paid.
The eight hour journey passed quite quickly vomit notwithstanding. (The locals don't seem to handle road travel too well.) I was heading for the town of Phonsavanh in order to visit the Plain of Jars. (you're sitting in front of a computer - Wikipaedia it.) The final 4 hours of the journey was on such a torturously potholed winding mountain road that on Google maps it resembles a particularly nasty looking varicose vein.
It was to be a fleeting visit, arrive the evening, arrange transport for early the next morning - see the sights on a full day tour (easiest option unless you have your own vehicle) and then take a twelve hour bus trip to Vientiane the next morning. There is no point spending longer in Phonsavanh - you can see all the sights/sites in one day and the town is as exciting as a bowl of tepid wallpaper paste. (Sorry - my analogies don't work too well in extreme humidity.)
The jars themselves I have to admit were a little underwhelming - but in their defence I have been a little spoiled ruins wise. (I expect the Germans have a word for that...) And it rained the entire time. The track to one of the jars sites was so incredibly muddy that my sandals picked up so much of the sticky clay that it felt like I was wearing boots of steel. I kept trying to wash it off in one of the myriad of rivulets that cascaded down the path. In one small pool, I stepped in to rinse off my right sandal and sank up to my knee.
wet ride to phonsavanh
jars
jars 2
jar et moi
My randoms this part of the trip were two Schweizerdeutsch and a German.
'out of the rain' smiles
Thursday, July 26, 2012
lounging in luang
Luang Prabang really is a lovely little town in central northern Laos.
My second days ride on the boat was really pleasant - bigger boat, less people and great weather.
mekong river ride
mekong river view
Arriving in L.P. I immediately felt certain I would like the place. Being off season it is relatively quiet tourist wise, but the weather is completely unpredictable. Yesterday it rained almost the entire day. Fortunately I have given myself about four days here to wander the streets and visit the temples.
The town is very well kept, tidy and neat with beautiful buildings and back lanes.
luang laneway
laneway
There is also an abundance of temples scattered around the town. I have enjoyed wandering around the town (when it isn't raining) getting a feel for the place. I've visited a few of the temples but you can tire quite quickly from them. Yesterday afternoon I went into one of them for the afternoon chanting by the monks. The sonorous drone in the humid and darkened hall was quite mesmerising. Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
view from temple
temple doors
shrine
national museum rooftop
chanting monks
My second days ride on the boat was really pleasant - bigger boat, less people and great weather.
mekong river ride
mekong river view
Arriving in L.P. I immediately felt certain I would like the place. Being off season it is relatively quiet tourist wise, but the weather is completely unpredictable. Yesterday it rained almost the entire day. Fortunately I have given myself about four days here to wander the streets and visit the temples.
The town is very well kept, tidy and neat with beautiful buildings and back lanes.
luang laneway
laneway
There is also an abundance of temples scattered around the town. I have enjoyed wandering around the town (when it isn't raining) getting a feel for the place. I've visited a few of the temples but you can tire quite quickly from them. Yesterday afternoon I went into one of them for the afternoon chanting by the monks. The sonorous drone in the humid and darkened hall was quite mesmerising. Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
view from temple
temple doors
shrine
national museum rooftop
chanting monks
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
mekong meandering
I am currently sitting in a little cafe in Pakbeng - a one street town in North Western Laos. I arrived here last night after a 7 hour boat ride down the Mekong which would have been incredibly scenic if it hadn't rained non-stop. But in a slow-boat full of mostly gap year European backpackers it was anything but boring.
I was glad to finally get out of Bangkok. It didn't really feel as if I had started my trip.
I flew to Northern Thailand to a small city called Chiang Rai for just a couple of days en route to the Laos border. Being monsoon season and rainfall unpredictable I decided to forgo the trip into the mountains for the scenic dawn view!
One of the other recommended sights was Wat Rong Khun aka The White Temple. An odd blend of modernist Thai construction and Disney, it was however quite striking after having visited many of the bog standard Thai temples.
white temple
white temple
white temple
white temple sculpture
Another highlight of Chiang Rai was running into a couple of 'randoms' (term for chance meetings with strangers).
One was a French guy who chucked his job 15 years ago and started global roaming. He's lived in Tokyo and New York and is once again off backpacking for 6 months or more.
The other was a young Aussie (24) on his first o/s trip. He flew to Hanoi, bought a motorbike and then proceeded to ride all through Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and had just completed Thailand. He was about to ride back through Laos from the north to Vientiane the capital to sell the bike! We all met in a cafe and hung out together until I left yesterday.
chiang rai clock tower
bug food
more bugs
and more bugs
night bazarre
Before I left Chiang Rai I went in search of some mozzie repellent - found one tube in a local pharmacy which stated on the front "repels mosquitos and snails". My mind boggled a bit.
Pakbeng, this little town out in the middle of the Laos jungle is the halfway point of the boat trip. It is probably one of the only reasons for it's existence.
Tonight I should be in Labang Prabang.
I was glad to finally get out of Bangkok. It didn't really feel as if I had started my trip.
I flew to Northern Thailand to a small city called Chiang Rai for just a couple of days en route to the Laos border. Being monsoon season and rainfall unpredictable I decided to forgo the trip into the mountains for the scenic dawn view!
One of the other recommended sights was Wat Rong Khun aka The White Temple. An odd blend of modernist Thai construction and Disney, it was however quite striking after having visited many of the bog standard Thai temples.
white temple
white temple
white temple
white temple sculpture
Another highlight of Chiang Rai was running into a couple of 'randoms' (term for chance meetings with strangers).
One was a French guy who chucked his job 15 years ago and started global roaming. He's lived in Tokyo and New York and is once again off backpacking for 6 months or more.
The other was a young Aussie (24) on his first o/s trip. He flew to Hanoi, bought a motorbike and then proceeded to ride all through Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and had just completed Thailand. He was about to ride back through Laos from the north to Vientiane the capital to sell the bike! We all met in a cafe and hung out together until I left yesterday.
chiang rai clock tower
bug food
more bugs
and more bugs
night bazarre
Before I left Chiang Rai I went in search of some mozzie repellent - found one tube in a local pharmacy which stated on the front "repels mosquitos and snails". My mind boggled a bit.
Pakbeng, this little town out in the middle of the Laos jungle is the halfway point of the boat trip. It is probably one of the only reasons for it's existence.
Tonight I should be in Labang Prabang.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
boring in bangkok
Well I am finally away once again, having left Sydney for good last week.
I've been in Bangkok all of this time as I needed to finish off some major dental work before continuing with the travels.
There's not a lot to blog about as I am not enamoured with the city. But this post is just to get the ball rolling!!
More to come.....
Scenic - but be thankful it aint in smellavision
The Rolls Royce of fruit - and a dollar a kilo
Bangkok Centre for Arts and Culture
Inside BCAC
well thank goodness its fresh
I've been in Bangkok all of this time as I needed to finish off some major dental work before continuing with the travels.
There's not a lot to blog about as I am not enamoured with the city. But this post is just to get the ball rolling!!
More to come.....
Scenic - but be thankful it aint in smellavision
The Rolls Royce of fruit - and a dollar a kilo
Bangkok Centre for Arts and Culture
Inside BCAC
well thank goodness its fresh
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