Well this is my last post from abroad as i fly home tomorrow, god this five weeks has flown by.
I do have to make an apology first as it was not my ad visors fault i missed the flight, what she had done was correct, it was a breakdown in communication between me and the check in girl!!
My last day in Laos was fantastic, so chilled out and i just wondered around the area again and had lunch by the river and did catch my flight to Hanoi!
Hanoi today has been good, i went around the sights and went to see uncle Ho in his mausoleum, which was kind of strange, but considering he has been dead so long he was looking remarkably good! Met some of the girls from the hostel while in the Temple of Literature, had some lunch then hired motor bikes to take us on a quick tour of the city which was a great laugh!
This evening went out for dinner with the Huyen who helped organise my whole trip and helped me out by phone whenever i had troubles in Vietnam. Good way to finish off what has been an amazing 5 weeks, but a little sad its all over!
Tomorrow is going to be a very long day in traveling, i have got to get the taxi to pick me up at 0730 from the Hostel and then its HKG and then London!
Thats it for these travels until the next ones, thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed it! M
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Laos Adventures
Hi All
Well ended up having an extra day in Laos as I missed my flight yesterday! Turned up at the airport (on time), only to be told that I needed a Vietnam visa before I flew into Hanoi, after my travel advisor in Hanoi told me that I could pick one up when I arrived. Rushed back into town to the embassy paid a fortune for an Express visa (ripped off), and then back the airport to see my flight taking off! Luckily the girls on the ticket desk were kind and transferred me to today free of charge (I think)! So my flight is now at 1645 today, so will be in Hanoi for tonight, tomorrow and then head home on Thursday :-(
This place has been great, I had a shock at the airport when I got here as my visa was going to cost $35.00 after being told $30.00 (great advisor, should have known better). Stood in the queue no cash point machine around and they would not let through to the machines until everyone had gone through and I could be escorted. Luckily a girl overheard what was going on and lent me $5.00 to get through, and then pay her the other side. Shared a taxi into town, could only find single rooms that were either dumps or wanting $50.00 a night (which is stupid), so we got a great twin room in a really nice place for $10.00 each. Spent the last couple of days with Nina, lucked out on the first night as we walked down by the river to see the sunset, guy offered us a ride in his boat for $5.00 each we negotiated him down too. What a sunset, that’s what I hoped to see involving the Mekong, after going to the delta in Saigon and being so disappointed. We booked onto a tour the next day involving mountain biking in the morning and then kayaking in the afternoon and stopping for lunch at these fantastic waterfalls. Kayaking down the river is the only way to see the Mekong in this part of the world, it is still untouched, miles of farmer and fisherman shacks on the side of the embankments with the very occasional house.
You will be pleased to know that although the day has been hot, Jesus it gets cold at night, down to about 10 deg (which is low for what I have been used too). Its so funny that all the backpackers who have done the same sort of route as me and come up from the beaches, are all wearing jeans t-shirts 2 jumpers and trying to find a restaurant or bar that is warm or has fire buckets under the tables. All the buildings just have open fronts with shutters and no windows, as normally it’s a lot hotter but this is the middle of winter! (I can handle winters like this).
Well got to go and be a tourist around town again, as I can not do any tours (Nina gone on a trekking one today), so I will do a few more temples! Just thought her face yesterday when I bumped into her in town after missing the flight was classic! Luckily she saved me again as she had found another room that was cheaper but it had 3 beds! Otherwise it would have been a march around town trying to find somewhere to stay!
Last post for me from Laos I hope otherwise I am going to miss my UK flight................ hmmmm 6 months in Laos!!!!! Maybe!
M
Well ended up having an extra day in Laos as I missed my flight yesterday! Turned up at the airport (on time), only to be told that I needed a Vietnam visa before I flew into Hanoi, after my travel advisor in Hanoi told me that I could pick one up when I arrived. Rushed back into town to the embassy paid a fortune for an Express visa (ripped off), and then back the airport to see my flight taking off! Luckily the girls on the ticket desk were kind and transferred me to today free of charge (I think)! So my flight is now at 1645 today, so will be in Hanoi for tonight, tomorrow and then head home on Thursday :-(
This place has been great, I had a shock at the airport when I got here as my visa was going to cost $35.00 after being told $30.00 (great advisor, should have known better). Stood in the queue no cash point machine around and they would not let through to the machines until everyone had gone through and I could be escorted. Luckily a girl overheard what was going on and lent me $5.00 to get through, and then pay her the other side. Shared a taxi into town, could only find single rooms that were either dumps or wanting $50.00 a night (which is stupid), so we got a great twin room in a really nice place for $10.00 each. Spent the last couple of days with Nina, lucked out on the first night as we walked down by the river to see the sunset, guy offered us a ride in his boat for $5.00 each we negotiated him down too. What a sunset, that’s what I hoped to see involving the Mekong, after going to the delta in Saigon and being so disappointed. We booked onto a tour the next day involving mountain biking in the morning and then kayaking in the afternoon and stopping for lunch at these fantastic waterfalls. Kayaking down the river is the only way to see the Mekong in this part of the world, it is still untouched, miles of farmer and fisherman shacks on the side of the embankments with the very occasional house.
You will be pleased to know that although the day has been hot, Jesus it gets cold at night, down to about 10 deg (which is low for what I have been used too). Its so funny that all the backpackers who have done the same sort of route as me and come up from the beaches, are all wearing jeans t-shirts 2 jumpers and trying to find a restaurant or bar that is warm or has fire buckets under the tables. All the buildings just have open fronts with shutters and no windows, as normally it’s a lot hotter but this is the middle of winter! (I can handle winters like this).
Well got to go and be a tourist around town again, as I can not do any tours (Nina gone on a trekking one today), so I will do a few more temples! Just thought her face yesterday when I bumped into her in town after missing the flight was classic! Luckily she saved me again as she had found another room that was cheaper but it had 3 beds! Otherwise it would have been a march around town trying to find somewhere to stay!
Last post for me from Laos I hope otherwise I am going to miss my UK flight................ hmmmm 6 months in Laos!!!!! Maybe!
M
Friday, January 9, 2009
Cambodia Last day!
Hi All
Well my trip is well and truly into its last days now as i head off for Laos!
I have to admit the small bit of Cambodia i have seen has been great and i think there will be another tour on the cards but next time spending more time here and possibly Laos. Sorry the pictures have no captions on them in facebook, but it has taken me an hour to just get these uploaded and i have to go!
Done a really touristy thing yesterday and went on an elephant ride around one of the wat which bit of a laugh really! Done some more tr eking around the jungle wat and a couple of others and then went to the floating village. That was a very strange and surreal place and part of me wishes i had not gone, but hey ho it was an experience.
Cooled down a little here but as i am heading 6 deg north and up in the mountains i think i will be wearing jeans tonight, the first time since xmas eve!
Until the next one! M
Well my trip is well and truly into its last days now as i head off for Laos!
I have to admit the small bit of Cambodia i have seen has been great and i think there will be another tour on the cards but next time spending more time here and possibly Laos. Sorry the pictures have no captions on them in facebook, but it has taken me an hour to just get these uploaded and i have to go!
Done a really touristy thing yesterday and went on an elephant ride around one of the wat which bit of a laugh really! Done some more tr eking around the jungle wat and a couple of others and then went to the floating village. That was a very strange and surreal place and part of me wishes i had not gone, but hey ho it was an experience.
Cooled down a little here but as i am heading 6 deg north and up in the mountains i think i will be wearing jeans tonight, the first time since xmas eve!
Until the next one! M
Last Day in SR
Well thats the last day of doing this place and i must admit i am now wated out! Done some more tours this morning and even went on an elephant ride just like a true tourist, which was pretty good fun! This afternoon we went to the floating village, which is all Vietnamese fisherman and family's living on the edge of the lake on stilted shacks. To be honest it was a very strange couple of hours, we saw total poverty and a weird sort of sea aquarium (for the tourists), which was totally bizarre!
Last night i ended up going to bed by 2200 i was so tired after not getting much sleep as my aircon in the room had died!
Will do beers and food tonight as its the last night for me in Cambodia!
Laos tomorrow, so looking forward to that as well as i have 3 days there sort of and then back to Hanoi!
Last night i ended up going to bed by 2200 i was so tired after not getting much sleep as my aircon in the room had died!
Will do beers and food tonight as its the last night for me in Cambodia!
Laos tomorrow, so looking forward to that as well as i have 3 days there sort of and then back to Hanoi!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Long Day
Its been a long day but it was so worth getting up at o stupid o'clock to go watch the sunrise at the Wat. I thought it was not going to be that busy but there was easily 3-400 people there at 0530 this morning. The place has a magic about it that you just can not put into words and it was just great. Got some really good shots and have been trying to load them to face book, but can not re size them in this place so will have to use the other cafe later.
After the sunrise i went up to the waterfalls with a south African girl i met last night so we could split the cost as a tuk tuk was $30 bucks. $15 bucks later and it was well worth the 1.5km hike up the hill so you can stand under the waterfall and cool down! Must admit i was wondering this morning if my new friend and her tuk tuk would find my hotel but they did so all was cool. Going out this evening with a tour group i met in Saigon, bumped into them today so thank god i am not having to do a sunrise tomorrow!
Going to hire a push bike tomorrow and cycle around the small circuit of wats and then that will be pretty much me done here!
Will try to upload pictures later, M
After the sunrise i went up to the waterfalls with a south African girl i met last night so we could split the cost as a tuk tuk was $30 bucks. $15 bucks later and it was well worth the 1.5km hike up the hill so you can stand under the waterfall and cool down! Must admit i was wondering this morning if my new friend and her tuk tuk would find my hotel but they did so all was cool. Going out this evening with a tour group i met in Saigon, bumped into them today so thank god i am not having to do a sunrise tomorrow!
Going to hire a push bike tomorrow and cycle around the small circuit of wats and then that will be pretty much me done here!
Will try to upload pictures later, M
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Angkor Wat!!
What can i say this place is amazing, the amount of temples that are here and the size that they are built to is just amazing. You can never imagine how impressive this place is until you have been here! The journey of 6000 miles is so worth it just for this place and i am going to be going to a remote part tomorrow which is not very touristy to see some wats and waterfalls, well it is supposed to be 91 deg tomorrow!! I am having to get up at 0430 so i can go do the sunrise at Angkor wat as it is supposed to be pretty special!
I have updated the pictures Saigon and will try to down load the rest in the next couple of days!
Hope everyone is good, not checking mails tonight as loading the pictures has taken sooooooo long!
Mike
I have updated the pictures Saigon and will try to down load the rest in the next couple of days!
Hope everyone is good, not checking mails tonight as loading the pictures has taken sooooooo long!
Mike
Monday, January 5, 2009
Killing Fields
Well I have done the grand tour today, hired a guy for 8 bucks to drive me around all day which was pretty cool. I went to the killing fields this morning, i was surprised that it was not a bigger area, what they done was concentrate it in one smallish area so people would not know what was going on. They hung speakers up in trees to drown out the screams as people which were being murdered! From there i went to the prison s-21 which used to be the main school, but turned into a torture/detention center by Pol Pot because there was to be no learning. All students, teachers, engineers, political party members etc were all detained there. Walking around and seeing pictures of some of the people is very sobering. I had met some guys who said do these 2 things first and then go shoot some guns, to be honest with you, after you see and read about what was done, the last thing you want to do is shoot guns!
Got taken around some Wat's and then to the palace which was pretty cool but they had a section closed off for some reason which was bit of a pain but did get to go around the silver pagoda. The whole floor is made out of silver tiles, which are all engraved, they have had to lay carpet on top where you walk to protect them.
Well its now the evening and i am going to get cleaned up, mozzi spray on and go find some food and a bar. Heading to Seim Reap tomorrow for Angkor Wat and the rest as i have 4 days there, I am really looking forward to it everyone says its amazing!
Till the next post, M
Got taken around some Wat's and then to the palace which was pretty cool but they had a section closed off for some reason which was bit of a pain but did get to go around the silver pagoda. The whole floor is made out of silver tiles, which are all engraved, they have had to lay carpet on top where you walk to protect them.
Well its now the evening and i am going to get cleaned up, mozzi spray on and go find some food and a bar. Heading to Seim Reap tomorrow for Angkor Wat and the rest as i have 4 days there, I am really looking forward to it everyone says its amazing!
Till the next post, M
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Cambodia, Phnom Penh
Well its Sunday i think and i have made it to Cambodia!! Staying on the capital for a couple of days so that i can go do the tourist trip around the killing fields etc.
Had a good few days in Saigon, my Mekong Delta trip was a let down to be honest, it was drag around a couple of islands where you were then pushed towards buying stuff!
The tunnels on the other hand were great, just what i wanted and expected, plus i got to be a real boy and shoot an M60 (could not hit anything), M16 (took 3 targets out the size of fire extinguishers from 70m !!) not bad from 10 shots, to finish i had to use an AK47!! Rubbish gun on accuracy but still pretty cool to shoot and get the pictures!
Ended my Saigon adventure on top of Sheraton hotel sky bar on the 23rd floor for some cocktails and a beer, which i like to thank Caitlin for suggesting, it was a good view.
Just got here so going to go and and Explore PP now so catch up with you later!!
Still having to wrap up in shorts and t-shirts!! ;-)
Had a good few days in Saigon, my Mekong Delta trip was a let down to be honest, it was drag around a couple of islands where you were then pushed towards buying stuff!
The tunnels on the other hand were great, just what i wanted and expected, plus i got to be a real boy and shoot an M60 (could not hit anything), M16 (took 3 targets out the size of fire extinguishers from 70m !!) not bad from 10 shots, to finish i had to use an AK47!! Rubbish gun on accuracy but still pretty cool to shoot and get the pictures!
Ended my Saigon adventure on top of Sheraton hotel sky bar on the 23rd floor for some cocktails and a beer, which i like to thank Caitlin for suggesting, it was a good view.
Just got here so going to go and and Explore PP now so catch up with you later!!
Still having to wrap up in shorts and t-shirts!! ;-)
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