Somewhere down the crazy river - Laos

I meant to post this last year, beginning of last year, like Jan 2011. Oh well, only a year late. I will finish out our adventures as promised. Let's see.. we left off in Thailand heading towards Vietnam via Laos......


Our trekking adventure included transport over the border into Laos and a trip down the Mekong river. Leaving from the border town of Chiang Khong in the early morning, we were transported to the border a mere 1 km away! We could have walked! Anyhow, we all rushed out to que up in the Exit line, Brian & I trying to get there first since we had "overstayed" our 30 day Thai visit - to the tune of a $30 fine! It was so worth it.
After a short trip across the river into Laos, we checked into the country. Another $35 for their visa. Again, we hurried up to wait for our long boat down the river.
Laos; What a SURPRISE! Immediately, I was already liking it. I'm not sure if it was just the nice weather, or less people around? It was just a feeling, like you have in Hawaii with island time. It is very relaxed there.
The river boat trip was a blast. We had an over night stop in a small town. As we found it sometimes was not beneficial to reserve/ book a room in advance, so we immediately hopped off the boat when it hit shore with the aim of getting into town before the masses. We were immediately cut off on the sandy shore by several hotel vendors (usually the owners themselves) trying to book out their place. Being a little leery, they all had pictures of the rooms & hotels to show us. It turned out to be really easy, very fun, and a great place for $10/night! It was like this everywhere we went in Laos. Nothing shifty about it, just very honest people trying to get your business. It was so lovely, I know I am not doing it justice explaining.
This little town was so cute. A cross between something you imagine out of an old western and a mountain town. I was one street - dirt and hilly. However, hotels and restaurants lined it, everyone was out and about dining & drinking, and it was abuzz with energy. They even had a bakery with scones, muffins and espressos! Yeah, kitty Kat heaven.
Our final destination in Laos was Luang Prabang. Famous for it's temples, food and night markets. This was just one of the coolest little places on earth! (Well, so far that I've been too & definitely making my top 5 list - TBA soon!).

FOOD: Check! The food here was great, very affordable, and loads of vegetarian options everywhere. From the Cafes and bakeries to the street, and everything in between. Actually, all of Laos was affordable! Too bad our Vietnam 30 day Visa's had a fixed start and end date because I could have used a few more days exploring this country for sure!

NIGHT MARKETS: This was so much fun and way better than anything in Bangkok, or Chaing Mai for sure! One, it was way mellower, and the prices were incredibly inexpensive. The quality was amazing and the crafts were so unique that I had to pick up some gifts. Jeez, my backpack was starting to get way to heavy again!

TEMPLES: There is so much to say here but I'll let the pictures do most of the talking. One amazing thing I will elaborate on was the incredible experience that everyone is welcome to participate in, the morning food offering for the monks. Regardless of how one thinks or what you believe, this was just so cool on so many levels. The morning we decided to participate, we rose at 5am, yes I know. We hit the streets of the small town around 5:30 am in our long pants & shirts (well, past our knees & covering our shoulders). We strolled into the center of town, a mere 5 minutes away. We were hoping to catch the last of the night market and then be in a good position to view the offering. We didn't have much info to go on.

Walking into town, we didn't see much activity. When we hit the center, a lady came up to us and sold us food & treats, and sat us down on a mat on the street corner. Okay, well we thought, guess we are in the correct spot but where's all the people? Asking the vendor, she kept saying soon, soon, you sit here. Okay, 45 minutes later, things started to come alive. Right after sun rise and finally around 7am, the streets started to show signs of life. In single file lines, with their silver containers/bowls at their hips, lines and lines of monks came out from all directions. The brilliant orange color of their wardrobe set against the morning light of the town was quite striking. Then came the offering. As a women, I was not to look them in the eye. I just grabbed some sticky rice & a treat, and shoved it in their container. That was their food for the day. Whatever they got. From the very small to the very old, it was truly an experience for us. It is a very old tradition that has not been lost in this small town. However, it is now carried on mainly for tourism, and is not without it's "commercial" component. When we ran out of food, the vendor lady tried to sell us more right away. Some people complain that it is just a scam for people to make money, and sure, it doesn't hurt for the Laotians that are capitalizing. However, the monks are still being feed and we are gaining a truly incredible experience, steeped in tradition. I just felt it was still a win-win.

It was time to leave this little town, and we were looking forward to Vietnam. We had already stayed 3 days/2 nights longer than planned, and were losing time on our Vietnam Visas quickly. After hearing the horror stories about huge amounts of rain, the buses, border crossings, and scams (especially the ones of buses sliding backwards down steep, muddy hills, and into guard rails, delays for days at the border, scams with transportation, etc.), Brian looked me in the eye and then bought plane tickets. I was relieved!

Bye, bye Laos...til we met again - I'll be back!

Great pictures, click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/katnbrian/sets/72157625998854883/

Trekking, Elephant riding & bamboo rafting, oh my!

Our next adventure was to be all the way up in North Thailand, in the shopping mecca of Chaing Mai. To get there we took the train which was a really neat experience. As budget would dictate, we were in 2nd class but was surprised at how nice it was. We had dinner served to us in our seat, that later folded out to the lower bed with real sheets, a pillow and a very nice, clean, white cotton blanket. It was fabulous! I was on the top bunk that dropped down from overhead. We both could even lie completely flat in our beds. Anyhow, we were impressed.
Due to such bad weather, and flooding in general, we didn't arrive at Chiang Mai until noon. Oh well, less time to shop and better on the back. Even though we downsized our packs I don't think I can carry anything else!
Off to town we ventured to the day market. On the way, I spied the evil empire - Starbucks but the latte sure tasted great. Not a big SB fan but it was so much nicer than the "shopping capitol". No bargaining and no bargains to be had - what a bust! We were there for the trekking anyhow so no matter.
On to the old city section and some temple sight seeing. We made it as far as the outer wall before we had to duck into a burger joint. It was a complete wash out as it rained so hard that the water in the canal raised at least a foot. The street had a good 1/2 foot of standing water in it by time we finished our burgers, veggie for me, and cheesy fries.

Concerned about the adventure trek we had planned for the next 3 days, we headed back to the hotel. After that night's meeting, we were still a go. Their was 4 of us, plus our guide. The other couple were from Switzerland. Maybe I could practice my German - Not!
Trekking was good but not in the way I expected. Our first day we had elephant riding on the agenda. I was excited and the animals were magnificent. However, the ride was not really that enjoyable as I was literally freaking out for the entire hour! I thought we would stroll through the Flat jungle, and maybe wade through a stream. Instead the elephants were made to climb these ridiculously steep, and very muddy, slippery hillsides with us ridding on top of them! I had a death grip on Brian’s hand.

Next up was lunch, followed by a quick stroll through the Karan Hill tribe village where as chance would have it, a wedding was going on. Well, the reception at least. We were requested to sit down and share in some local rice whiskey. Two huge shots later, we managed to politely excuse ourselves. Now we just needed to hike for 5 hours!

We arrived at base camp early, around 4:30pm. Plenty of time to jump into the waterfall pool for a swim, except for the fact that it was raining, freezing, and cold. Since the bathroom consisted of two holes in the ground, each in a wooden shack, no shower, no lights, no paper, no sink (bring on the hand sani - you get the picture) - not one of us went in that night.
The accommodations were less than thrilling, more like 3rd world bamboo hut with musty smelling wool blankets, and a moldy sleeping bag. Oh well, when in Rome. Dinner was fabulous, but the bamboo mat on the elevated hut floor was uncomfortable to say the least.

Up early, as I could no long lie down any longer, Brian decided to venture into the water for a quick swim. As there was only 4 of us, our schedule was a bit casual and we got started trekking around 10am. Just after our breakfast of toast and jam, and more toast and jam :). At least there was coffee. It was no latte but it was hot and good.
All geared up, rain poncho's on - off a hiking we would go. As it turned out, we hiked so fast that we arrived at our lunch spot early. We all quickly decided to venture on to our dinner and final destination village. We arrived at 1:15pm!

Needing a break, we all sat down at the picnic table for some lunch. We were then descended upon by the local women and children whom attempted to engage us in purchasing their crafts. Of course, we all obliged. After all, I got 3 hand made bracelet for a $1, and it made their day. We were then attacked by a vicious 2 pound kitten! The picnic table even had "beware of kitten" etched into it. So cute, I wanted to put it in my backpack!

After lunch we all wanted to keep going for the day so our guide suggested another village we could stay at. Unanimously, we got our gear on and 3 hours later arrived. We were all so glad we did, as this was so much nicer. This had cinder block bathrooms, still eastern, and showers! Nothing fancy, but a cold water shower was bliss as the sun was shinning still.
This was our last night and was to be our "homestay". However, we still stayed in a separate bamboo hut, like the previous night, but the villagers were much more interactive with us. Again, the local ladies sold us their wares. I purchased some lovely handmade Holiday gifts for our moms.

It was our final day and I can honestly say that I was ready to get back to city life. Well, that amenities, that is. However, this was the day we had water water rafting on the agenda! Super excited we hiked out of the hills to the pick up location. It was a great day, with no rain.

Our white water rafting, ended up being bamboo rafting. Several people including ourselves were more than bummed out. For the Swiss couple whom had never been white water rafting, they were very disappointed. However, it turned out to be really fun.

The 45 min trip down the river took all of 15min! Due to all the rainfall the previous days, the water was fast! Instead of riding the rapids, the bamboo rafts kind of just went through them. We were totally soaked, but it was a blast.

Check out all the pic's here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/katnbrian/sets/72157625998758463/

We're Back!

We are back in the homeland and so happy to be here for the Holidays. I know I am about 3 countries behind on blogging and pictures, but no worries I'll be uploading photos & stories soon. We will be staying in the city the 20th - 4th of Jan, then back to my parents in the East Bay. We would love to visit with everyone so just send us an email.
It's good to be home.
Meow!

Tigers save the world

Hands down one of the best experiences of my life, making Thailand a sure thing on my list of the top 5 places in the world! .

Tigers, cubs & kitties oh my! This Tiger Temple, run by monks is where you can touch, pet & walk huge tigers. You get up close and personal when a giant tiger head lays in your lap. Meow!

Kitty Kat in heaven, being with my own kind. We were even privileged enough to see the trainers exercise, more like play, with the big cats. They put us in a cage & surrounded us with 6 full grown tigers. They brought out some toys & wow - jumping, stalking & rough housing ensued - right in front of us not more than 5 feet away, if that. I can't tell you how cool this was. Well, pictures are the proof!


PS - oh yeah, we saw the bridge over the river Kwai too. We had lunch & had to endure a 4hour bus ride each way - so totally worth it.

The latest version of the bridge of the river Kwai

One of the many items in the store by the bridge :)

For 3USD I got to feed this little guy his bottle.

Getting a helping hand & some instruction with the kitten :)

Our first group shot

Kitty likes the belly rub! Brian the kitty whisper.

That's one big dude!

Rough housing

and a little stalking...

What's left of the last tourist

Tiger's really can fly!

My very own photo session - in kitty heaven

See all the fabulous pictures here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/katnbrian/sets/72157625154310023/

Back to Bangkok

If you can get past the dirt and grim, Bangkok is a city with great energy & atmosphere where shopping reigns supreme. We stayed on the West side of the city in the Banglamphu area, which in the last 20 years has developed into a world famous "backpacker ghetto". It offers cheap accommodation, ranging from 'mattress in a box' style hotels to reasonably priced 3-star hotels. It definitely has a rockin pulse & a wicked crazy night scene - not that we went out that much. The few times we did, we had a great time. We met up with our friend Martin, from Rarotonga, and he showed us that all the food carts turn into bar carts at midnight. Taylor and Denis came up from the wedding and we wandered around Khao San road, eating scorpions and drinking beers until exhausted. We just couldn't hang as the scene didn't get into full swing until about 1am. One could go 24/7 there, if that's what you are in to. Us, well, we went to look at some old crap :) as usual.

The guardian at the gate

Our last day in Bangkok before heading north, we spent visiting the reclining Buddha. Supposedly this is the largest of it's kind in all of Thailand. I think it was pretty big, and maybe they should extend that statement to include East Asia?

The reclining Buddha - so big it doesn't all fit in the picture.

This temple was so much more. First, the Buddha was huge and indoors. Second, it was just one of a series of Buddha statues and temples in the complex. It was really quite something. We just thought it was one outdoor structure. We had no idea just how cool it would be, and it was located directly across from the Palace. I had shorts and a tank top on, so we couldn't go in there. However, that was fine by us because by time we were done with Wat Pho, we had had it. There is just only so much you can absorb.

Standing, lucky Buddha

One of many halls lined with Buddhas - so cool!

One of the temples

I think this was the happy Buddha?

Inside a temple making offering in a borrowed Hawaiian shirt

Brian snacking on a Scorpion - oh yes he did!

Pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/katnbrian/sets/72157625154208437/

The Wedding Party

We had one day in Bangkok, where we needed to do some shopping and last minute prep stuff for the wedding we were to attend. Wouldn't you know it, I was so sick that it took all my effort just to get to the hotel. Which of course we didn't have reservation for or even one picked out! After Brian telling the bus driver to stop so he could take a step outside the door and hurl, we were on are way downtown to hopefully a bed. Brian being the super hero he is, not only found us a great place in a fun location, at a resonable price, but got us into our hotel room at 9:30 am. A saviour as that's where I remained until 11 am the next day when I could finally lift my head up and get out of bed. Then off shopping we went because the mini bus was due at 4pm to take us down south to Pattaya (the town near their house). Joy.

One of the main reasons to be on this side of the globe was to attend our friend's from SF, Thai wedding in October. The wedding was set to occur on the 10th hour (am), of the 10th day, of the 10th month, of the 10th year, and lasted 14 hours (if you count the 2 hours of prep time)! And, it was to happen at the home they built.
First, there was a parade of the grooms family & friends (us included), who brought food offerings to Vena's family, the groom having to "buy" his way into the family (and had to brow additional money from others since he ran out) and all. Then there was all of Vena's siblings (15 of them) & their kids, the ceremony, the blessings, the food, the pool party, the reception, the singers, the Thai dancers, and then more food (jumping shrimp salad - yes it was alive, now that's fresh). Too bad I didn't have much of an appetite.

Their beautiful home

The food offering

It was a wonderful day and we felt very privileged and bless to be included in their special day. Unfortunately, the camera battery died and we only had taken a few pictures, but hopefully we will get more from others at at later time. Plenty of pictures were taken by all. But, click her to view our Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/katnbrian/sets/72157625154105117/

Phuket Town / Veggie Festival

Phuket Vegetarian Festival

A colourful event held over a nine day period in early October, this celebrates the Chinese community's belief that abstinence from meat and various stimulants during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar will help them obtain good health and peace of mind.

We arrived on opening night of the festival on our way to Bankok. The streets were lined with food booths 2kms long. A dream come true for me and I was going to eat my way through. And, I did. I wanted to try everything. Not such a good idea. Just because it was vegetarian, I should have known better and stuck to the rules. You know, nothing raw, only fruits that come with peels (like bananas, or organges), no ice, be wary of dishes and nothing steamed in bamboo or leafs. Those are the rules.

With that said, off we ran. The both sides of the streets were lined with wall to wall vendor booths selling everything veg! Yummy.

By pure chance we stumbled into the temple to watch what we can only believe was the opening ceremony. Luckily I was already wearing my long shorts covering my knees and had a white long sleved t-shirt I could throw on.

It was crazy. People everywhere, some in trances but none with knives through there face, at least not yet. Once they raised the golden tree, we were back on the street for more treats.

We boarded the luxury bus at 7pm bound for Bangkok. Now, back to those rules. Well, what can we say, we broke em. Not thinking, drunk on veggies or in that "trance" or something, we ate some stir fry (delicious as it was but not worth it) in a banana leaf.

By 9pm we were sick. By morning I was praying for the bus to be there. It was terrible. Food poisioning twice in 3 days, not fun.

Meow

Festival pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/katnbrian/sets/72157625260037808/

Ao Nang, Hong Islands, & Phi Phi

Ko Mook was great and we planned on island hopping our way through the southern islands. One problem - it was low season and apparently a lot of forms of public transportation were just not running = i.e. ferries, mini vans & buses.

We paid extra to avoid going through Trang again only to have to go through Trang, again. Well, that's traveling for you and just part of the adventure.


Anyhow, we arrived late in our next destination. A little town called Ao Nang, near the popular beach town of Krabi. It was great! It was like we walked into civilization again with a Starbucks and Subway. Yeah I know, but that Starbucks latte was so hard to resist and soooooooo good. Meow!

All kidding aside, this was a very cute little beach town. And, it was perfect for my morning runs. Can you say beach and shopping and massage oh my.
Since our plans to island hop were derailed because of low season we opted for a Hong island tour as the next best thing.

The morning of the 5 island tour however, it rained so hard that we had serious doubts of going. So did the tour people who asked if we still wanted to as the streets started to flood out. Being that everyone else was game and we had nothing else to do, we went for it.

We boarded the speed boat via the beach.. It was going to be a wet one! The weather cleared, the islands were beautiful, and we had a nice day of swimming, snorkeling and sightseeing after all.

Next stop, a quick ferry ride on one that was running, over to Phi Phi island. Pronounced Pee Pee. So that explains why it's pronounced "Poo ket", and not "fucket". he he. This was the hardest hit of all the places in Thailand, during the Phuket Tsunami due to it's shape. All I can say is that it has recovered. It's like the Miami beach, spring break of Thailand. We didn't make it to the full moon party, but our sheetrock free, all wood hotel, had a litter of kittens, so I didn't care about anything else.

I got double the trouble, and am loving it

We shared a great dinner on the beach, toes in the sand, with a great sunset and a bottle of wine. I don't know if it was the Mexican food, margarita's or the Thai food, but that night didn't go so well. By the next morning I was feeling better, but not great. That's okay, I had a day to recover before the Vegetarian festival began back in Phuket town.

View Pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/katnbrian/sets/72157625278852746/