29/04/13
I was picked up from my hotel just after 7 and taken to where the bus was waiting, we left around 8. The bus was a really fancy 'VIP' coach with large comfy seats, but at the Thai border we swapped for a minibus. The crossing wasn't nearly as swift as going into Cambodia. This time it took over 2 hours. By the time we were through it had started raining again so everyone got rather damp whilst walking through no man's land. The minibus was nearly full, the only seat was up the front, next to an English girl called Sam who was from Manchester and had been teaching English as a foreign language for the past year and is now travelling, I spent the next 5 hours chatting to her which certainly made the journey go faster. We stopped just once and I quickly went to get some food, by now I was starving as I hadn't had any breakfast. When we got to Bangkok the bus was meant to drop us off at the end of the Khaosan road but it was actually 2km away. I hadn't got a clue where I was going to stay (like usual) so I just headed towards the Khaosan area in the hopes of finding somewhere. The hotels are all twice as expensive as either Vietnam or Cambodia, the cheapest I found was $8 a night, I went for it but I can't say it's that great, the only plus side is it is within spitting distance of the Khaosan road, where I spent a couple of hours just walking up and down. Even if you go at a snails pace it is still too fast to see everything, there's far to much stuff to look at, including a few people offering odd food, like scorpion, fried maggots, cockroaches etc. plus there are shops where you can buy knuckledusters and taser guns (disguised at mobiles) and others selling fake ID cards (including driving licences and fake degree certificates (it would certainly save 3 years and a few grand, tempting...).
Tuesday, 30 April 2013
Sunday, 28 April 2013
Day 55 God Squad
28/04/13
My alarm sounded at 6 so I reset it for 7 and fell back to sleep almost straight away. 07.00 came round far too quickly though. For the fifth day in a row I hired a bike (although it does feel like I have a case of bikers bottom). I cycled 16km to the Roluos temples, smaller and less visited than the Angkor ones, but they're still mightily impressive. For lunch I went to a cafe called Sister Srey, I had been there before but came back today because they do a roast on Sundays. It was more expensive than I would normally pay for lunch but it was a huge portion and worth every penny (or even cent). There was more heavy rain just after lunch but thankfully it cleared up quickly, although it does seem to look like we have reached the start of the wet season. At 16.00 I turned up to the Christian Fellowship of Siem Reap which was holding a service at said time. It is an international church so it spoke English which made a nice change to other foreign churches I have been to, I also knew most of the worship songs which was an added bonus. As usual they asked all the new people to stand up and say our names and where we're from. After the service a guy came up to me and introduced himself, it turned out he was from Cambridge and was here with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) and was excited to talk to another English person as it had been some time since he last had. He also introduced me to a couple of other team members, including a cute American girl,who definitely had the hots for me. I bumped into them in town but they had already eaten so I went to grab some food and then went to meet them. But I couldn't find them which was a bummer. I might see them in Thailand though because they are spending 2 weeks whilst I am there too,it just depends which end of the country I am in.
My alarm sounded at 6 so I reset it for 7 and fell back to sleep almost straight away. 07.00 came round far too quickly though. For the fifth day in a row I hired a bike (although it does feel like I have a case of bikers bottom). I cycled 16km to the Roluos temples, smaller and less visited than the Angkor ones, but they're still mightily impressive. For lunch I went to a cafe called Sister Srey, I had been there before but came back today because they do a roast on Sundays. It was more expensive than I would normally pay for lunch but it was a huge portion and worth every penny (or even cent). There was more heavy rain just after lunch but thankfully it cleared up quickly, although it does seem to look like we have reached the start of the wet season. At 16.00 I turned up to the Christian Fellowship of Siem Reap which was holding a service at said time. It is an international church so it spoke English which made a nice change to other foreign churches I have been to, I also knew most of the worship songs which was an added bonus. As usual they asked all the new people to stand up and say our names and where we're from. After the service a guy came up to me and introduced himself, it turned out he was from Cambridge and was here with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) and was excited to talk to another English person as it had been some time since he last had. He also introduced me to a couple of other team members, including a cute American girl,who definitely had the hots for me. I bumped into them in town but they had already eaten so I went to grab some food and then went to meet them. But I couldn't find them which was a bummer. I might see them in Thailand though because they are spending 2 weeks whilst I am there too,it just depends which end of the country I am in.
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| Restoration |
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| Some areas still haven't caught up with the 20th century, let alone the 21st! |
Saturday, 27 April 2013
Day 54 Floods
27/04/13
Unfortunately I forgot to turn off my alarm so I was woken at 6 again, luckily I managed to get back to sleep. I went to the National Museum (entry was steep) and I was surprised and impressed. I actually enjoyed it, aside from the same lame statues again there was lots of other stuff which was good, so good in fact that I spent a good couple of hours there. After lunch I went for a coffee whilst I waited until 15.00 when the climbing centre (a little out of town) opened. But before I left it started to rain, hard. At 16.30 it had eased enough for me to ride my bike without drowning, but that's not to say the roads weren't damp. Most of the roads were partially or fully submerged, some a foot deep, which made interesting cycling, especially when I car came the other way. I found the road where the centre was, at least where I thought it was, I tried many other roads nearby but to no avail, so I turned back. On the way I stopped to look at one of the hotels, it was billowing smoke, possibly started by an electrical fault seeing as it was still raining hard. Back at my hotel I search for the climbing centre again, found a more detailed map and set out once more but still no luck, I threw in the towel just before 6 and went for a couple of beers. I paid then headed to my bike so I could cycle to a concert, on my way I bumped into Vanessa, I told her my plans but didn't invite her, she was keen to get food anyway, I didn't protest. The concert itself was really good, the performer, Beatocello a Swiss doctor. He had first come to Cambodia in '74 but had only stayed a year before the Khmer Rouge took over, he returned in 1991 and constructed a hospital, 4 more have since followed. He still works as a doctor but plays cello every saturday to raise funds for the hospital, a man totally devoted to a vision!
Unfortunately I forgot to turn off my alarm so I was woken at 6 again, luckily I managed to get back to sleep. I went to the National Museum (entry was steep) and I was surprised and impressed. I actually enjoyed it, aside from the same lame statues again there was lots of other stuff which was good, so good in fact that I spent a good couple of hours there. After lunch I went for a coffee whilst I waited until 15.00 when the climbing centre (a little out of town) opened. But before I left it started to rain, hard. At 16.30 it had eased enough for me to ride my bike without drowning, but that's not to say the roads weren't damp. Most of the roads were partially or fully submerged, some a foot deep, which made interesting cycling, especially when I car came the other way. I found the road where the centre was, at least where I thought it was, I tried many other roads nearby but to no avail, so I turned back. On the way I stopped to look at one of the hotels, it was billowing smoke, possibly started by an electrical fault seeing as it was still raining hard. Back at my hotel I search for the climbing centre again, found a more detailed map and set out once more but still no luck, I threw in the towel just before 6 and went for a couple of beers. I paid then headed to my bike so I could cycle to a concert, on my way I bumped into Vanessa, I told her my plans but didn't invite her, she was keen to get food anyway, I didn't protest. The concert itself was really good, the performer, Beatocello a Swiss doctor. He had first come to Cambodia in '74 but had only stayed a year before the Khmer Rouge took over, he returned in 1991 and constructed a hospital, 4 more have since followed. He still works as a doctor but plays cello every saturday to raise funds for the hospital, a man totally devoted to a vision!
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| Breakfast |
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| Enough water around to put it out! |
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| A restaurant name... |
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| Beatocello |
Friday, 26 April 2013
Day 53 Guess Wat?
26/04/13
Yep more cycling and temple visiting. A bright and early start at 6 followed by a 20+km ride, visiting 2 wats on the way before breakfast. I then proceeded to cycle around for over an hour searching for the road that would take me to a collection of minore, less visited temples 10-15km away. I didn't find the way and wasn't up for the massive detour to get to them so I went back to Siem Reap for lunch. In the afternoon I cycled out of town again to another wat, built around the same time as Angkor Wat but it sees very little attention from tourists because it is off the beaten track. I also got a massage from a blind man, it was literally as if his hands had eyes it was brilliant, he spent an hour massaging m and I could easily have stayed longer. Again I met with Vanessa for dinner, I have to say that she isn't very good at conversations, I would ask her a question and she would reply but she never turns the question around on me, therefore ending the conversation and either leaving a silence or forcing me to think up of another conversation starter, seeing as this was another skill she lacks. I am not sure I can cope with another night. The only rest I got was when a storm started and I read a book to pass the time!
Yep more cycling and temple visiting. A bright and early start at 6 followed by a 20+km ride, visiting 2 wats on the way before breakfast. I then proceeded to cycle around for over an hour searching for the road that would take me to a collection of minore, less visited temples 10-15km away. I didn't find the way and wasn't up for the massive detour to get to them so I went back to Siem Reap for lunch. In the afternoon I cycled out of town again to another wat, built around the same time as Angkor Wat but it sees very little attention from tourists because it is off the beaten track. I also got a massage from a blind man, it was literally as if his hands had eyes it was brilliant, he spent an hour massaging m and I could easily have stayed longer. Again I met with Vanessa for dinner, I have to say that she isn't very good at conversations, I would ask her a question and she would reply but she never turns the question around on me, therefore ending the conversation and either leaving a silence or forcing me to think up of another conversation starter, seeing as this was another skill she lacks. I am not sure I can cope with another night. The only rest I got was when a storm started and I read a book to pass the time!
Thursday, 25 April 2013
Day 52 back on the bike
25/04/13
Relatively speaking I had a lie in, until 08.50 at least. I loaded some photos onto facebook then went for a leisurely breakfast. Afterwards I hired a bike, this time a 3 speed town bike. I rode 11km towards the Tonle Sap lake along some pretty neff roads. To see any of the lake you have to get a boat, as I was alone I was stated a price of $25, I promptly got on my bike and rode back to Siem Reap. Of course this was during the midday heat so attracted a lot of attention from the locals I past. I had a late lunch and then spent the remainder of the afternoon in 2 different coffee shops. For dinner I went to a french/khmer restaurant and just after I had ordered a German girl came and asked if she could join me. It is always nice to chat to someone and seeing as Essa spoke almost perfect English it was very easy, so we spent the evening chatting of a few beers, she is currently teaching English in Thailand.
Relatively speaking I had a lie in, until 08.50 at least. I loaded some photos onto facebook then went for a leisurely breakfast. Afterwards I hired a bike, this time a 3 speed town bike. I rode 11km towards the Tonle Sap lake along some pretty neff roads. To see any of the lake you have to get a boat, as I was alone I was stated a price of $25, I promptly got on my bike and rode back to Siem Reap. Of course this was during the midday heat so attracted a lot of attention from the locals I past. I had a late lunch and then spent the remainder of the afternoon in 2 different coffee shops. For dinner I went to a french/khmer restaurant and just after I had ordered a German girl came and asked if she could join me. It is always nice to chat to someone and seeing as Essa spoke almost perfect English it was very easy, so we spent the evening chatting of a few beers, she is currently teaching English in Thailand.
Wednesday, 24 April 2013
Day 51 Wat a day!
24/04/13
Last night I forwent the guinness I promised myself as it was 10 times the price of the local brew, the wallet speaks. My day started when my alarm went off at 04.00. The only times you get up that early is when you're catching a plane,your baby wakes up, you're making a summit attempt on a mountain or you are going to watch a sunrise. Not surprisingly it was the last one that got me up at the unearthly hour. By 10 past I was downstairs getting on my hired bike. I rode about 4km to the ticket office (everyone entering the park needs one), it was just after half past when I got there and I found out that they only open at 05.00, something the guys at the hotel failed to mention. Whilst waiting I chatted to a Canadian couple, here doing dentistry. The husband started playing Wide Awake by Katy Perry, rather appropriate I thought. At 04.50 I had my photo taken and my 3 day pass issued (costing $40). It was another 3km to Angkor Wat, the first temple you reach by road and the best place to watch the sunrise. I had quite a while to kill before the sun came up so it was lucky I bumped into the Canadians again. At about 6 the sun rose above the horizon, illuminating the mother of all temples. It was just the start of an awe inspiring day. I saw 27 major temples and a number of smaller (house size) ones too, each one was unique in structure and carvings. I am very glad I got a 3 day pass, even though I spent 14 hours there I probably could have spent twice as long. My legs are feeling it this evening though, I haven't done much cycling recently and the 65km+ really took its toll on me, coupled with walking up copious amounts of stairs 'leading to heaven/enlightenment', they're a little sore. My favourite temple was Ta Prohm, an atmospheric and rugged temple (also used in Tomb Raider), it is slightly overrun by the jungle, with a number of large trees being very much part of the structure. It was a relief to finally get into the shower because not only was I discustingly sweaty but my feet and legs were almost black with grime. I think I will wait to see how the legs are doing in the morning before deciding what to do, plus I need to catch up on sleep at some point!
Last night I forwent the guinness I promised myself as it was 10 times the price of the local brew, the wallet speaks. My day started when my alarm went off at 04.00. The only times you get up that early is when you're catching a plane,your baby wakes up, you're making a summit attempt on a mountain or you are going to watch a sunrise. Not surprisingly it was the last one that got me up at the unearthly hour. By 10 past I was downstairs getting on my hired bike. I rode about 4km to the ticket office (everyone entering the park needs one), it was just after half past when I got there and I found out that they only open at 05.00, something the guys at the hotel failed to mention. Whilst waiting I chatted to a Canadian couple, here doing dentistry. The husband started playing Wide Awake by Katy Perry, rather appropriate I thought. At 04.50 I had my photo taken and my 3 day pass issued (costing $40). It was another 3km to Angkor Wat, the first temple you reach by road and the best place to watch the sunrise. I had quite a while to kill before the sun came up so it was lucky I bumped into the Canadians again. At about 6 the sun rose above the horizon, illuminating the mother of all temples. It was just the start of an awe inspiring day. I saw 27 major temples and a number of smaller (house size) ones too, each one was unique in structure and carvings. I am very glad I got a 3 day pass, even though I spent 14 hours there I probably could have spent twice as long. My legs are feeling it this evening though, I haven't done much cycling recently and the 65km+ really took its toll on me, coupled with walking up copious amounts of stairs 'leading to heaven/enlightenment', they're a little sore. My favourite temple was Ta Prohm, an atmospheric and rugged temple (also used in Tomb Raider), it is slightly overrun by the jungle, with a number of large trees being very much part of the structure. It was a relief to finally get into the shower because not only was I discustingly sweaty but my feet and legs were almost black with grime. I think I will wait to see how the legs are doing in the morning before deciding what to do, plus I need to catch up on sleep at some point!
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| Angkor Wat at dawn |
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| One of the faces on the Bayon |
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| My trusty steed |
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| Impossibly steep stairs |
Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Day 50 St Georges Day
23/04/13
I'm 50 days through my travels but still some way short of halfway. On this momentous day I started with breakfast at Cafe Kinyei again, where I whiled away over an hour, waiting for my bus to Siem Reap. It left just 30 minutes late making it the most prompt service in Cambodia. We stopped once during the 3.5 hour journey and we were dropped a couple of km from the centre of town. My tuktuk driver dropped me at a friends hotel rather than the one I requested, he did eventually take me there. I had the most disappointing vindaloo curry ever, maybe they mistook what I said for corma! Wanting to make the most of the remainder of the afternoon I took up the hunt for a couple of wats, not surprisingly they looked exactly like the other 100 wats I have visited already. I thought that perhaps a miniature model of the Angkor temples would be worth the visit, they certainly weren't. They were created by a local artist, some time ago by the looks of them. I just hope tomorrow will be more exciting. I haven't been patriotic today but I did see a pub selling Guinness, so I think I will head there (I think it is the closest I will get to an English bitter).
I'm 50 days through my travels but still some way short of halfway. On this momentous day I started with breakfast at Cafe Kinyei again, where I whiled away over an hour, waiting for my bus to Siem Reap. It left just 30 minutes late making it the most prompt service in Cambodia. We stopped once during the 3.5 hour journey and we were dropped a couple of km from the centre of town. My tuktuk driver dropped me at a friends hotel rather than the one I requested, he did eventually take me there. I had the most disappointing vindaloo curry ever, maybe they mistook what I said for corma! Wanting to make the most of the remainder of the afternoon I took up the hunt for a couple of wats, not surprisingly they looked exactly like the other 100 wats I have visited already. I thought that perhaps a miniature model of the Angkor temples would be worth the visit, they certainly weren't. They were created by a local artist, some time ago by the looks of them. I just hope tomorrow will be more exciting. I haven't been patriotic today but I did see a pub selling Guinness, so I think I will head there (I think it is the closest I will get to an English bitter).
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| Worlds largest religious building in miniature |
Monday, 22 April 2013
Day 49 Circus Time
22/04/13
Breakfast was at Kinyei Cafe and was a bowl of good old muesli again. I spent the morning wandering the city finding hidden Wats and old french buildings that are dotted around Battambang. I read and had a couple of drinks by the river then a security guard came over and sat down, he spent the next 10 minutes talking useless rubbish so I dashed to the toilet, paid and left. I then went to the museum, which I had been waiting to open at 14.00. I arrived on the hour and after 25 minutes got up to leave but sat down again when I saw a woman carrying some keys. It cost $1 to get in and would have been better spent on a bottle of water. The museum was just one large room and contained mainly stone work, all very similar stuff I had already seen and equally boring, I waited twice as long outside as I actually spent inside the place it was that enthralling, certainly one to miss out. I had an early dinner then went to a circus performance at 19.00. The group, Phare Ponleu Selpak was made up of school age children, with some who have just left. It was a circus in the same way that the Cirque du Soleil (CdS) is one, mainly dance and acrobatics. CdS better watch their backs as these guys were incredible, they seriously could give CdS a run for their money!!
Breakfast was at Kinyei Cafe and was a bowl of good old muesli again. I spent the morning wandering the city finding hidden Wats and old french buildings that are dotted around Battambang. I read and had a couple of drinks by the river then a security guard came over and sat down, he spent the next 10 minutes talking useless rubbish so I dashed to the toilet, paid and left. I then went to the museum, which I had been waiting to open at 14.00. I arrived on the hour and after 25 minutes got up to leave but sat down again when I saw a woman carrying some keys. It cost $1 to get in and would have been better spent on a bottle of water. The museum was just one large room and contained mainly stone work, all very similar stuff I had already seen and equally boring, I waited twice as long outside as I actually spent inside the place it was that enthralling, certainly one to miss out. I had an early dinner then went to a circus performance at 19.00. The group, Phare Ponleu Selpak was made up of school age children, with some who have just left. It was a circus in the same way that the Cirque du Soleil (CdS) is one, mainly dance and acrobatics. CdS better watch their backs as these guys were incredible, they seriously could give CdS a run for their money!!
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| Evidence of the French |
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| Just one of the incredible stunts performed. |
Sunday, 21 April 2013
Day 48 Bamboo Express
21/04/13
We got into Battambang just after 7 this morning, as usual there was the clamour to grab custom by the hotel reps but I decided to catch a lift on a tuktuk with 2 American girls who had already booked ahead, the price for a room was $7 which is quite steep for me so I asked the driver if he knew any cheaper options, he took me to a place with almost identical amenities for $3 a night. I got my guidebook out, hoping to find somewhere for breakfast but seeing as I didn't know where I was on the map it was a pointless exercise. I just sat down in a local restaurant, where nobody spoke English, and got served some boney chicken with rice, rather tasty for $1. The next 30 minutes were spent wandering around in the wrong direction trying to find something marked on my map, finally I found a coffee house, near the river, which was down a side street (it turns out it was on the same road as my hotel but I didn't know at this point). The coffee house called Kinyei Cafe is probably the nicest cafe I have ever been into, it is really rustic with bare brickwork and wooden stools and tables with leather chairs and a narrow staircase leading upstairs, through a trapped door, plus they do traditional English food including scones. After having a drink I hired a bike from them and rode a few km to the Bamboo Railway where I met the 2 girls again, Anne and Camden. We shared a carriage and enjoyed shooting down the warped rails at 30kmph. When you meet a car coming the other way the one with least passengers has to be lifted off the rails, easy when they are only 3m long, mainly made of bamboo, resting on 2 boogies (sets of wheels) and driven by a petrol engine It will be a shame when this enterprising venture is stopped when they finally update the rail link, in my books it is one of the most enjoyable experiences of the trip so far. I spent the rest of the day with Camden and Anne visiting 2 temple complexes which were a long way out of town, I'm very glad I didn't cycle to them, not least because I would've got horrifically lost. I ate an extremely late lunch at half 4 then headed back to Kinyei Cafe for banana bread and a coffee, I think I might be returning here tomorrow!I have also made a montage of my time in Vietnam here is the video link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jftojzrXYvo
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| Easy |
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| If only all travel was this simple |
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| Apparently older than Angkor Wat |
Saturday, 20 April 2013
Day 47 Travel
20/04/13
After packing and having breakfast, there wasn't much time before my boat to the mainland arrived, as not many people stay over I was the sole passenger on this seagoing vessel. Back on terra firma I bargained for a tuktuk which took me to the town centre where I tried a couple of places for tickets to Battambang, a town the other side of Cambodia. One place wanted to charge me twice the price of another and was going to take longer so I politely declined their generous offer.. The other establishment was still charging a princely sum of $17 including a lengthy stop of 7 hours in Phnom Phen, but it was the best deal on the table so I took it. I spent the next 2 hours in a cafe reading and eating, then I turned up at 12.45, as requested, to wait for the bus. The 'bus' was in fact a minibus and left at 13.10. We went to two different hotel to pick up more passengers, the first place there was nobody waiting, apparently they would be at the bus stop when we go back, as they weren't we waited 5 minutes, which turned into 15, by 13.45 only one extra person had turned up so we left without the last passenger who was far beyond fashionably late and beyond late so it was their own fault they missed out. Four and a half hours later we rocked up in Phnom Phen where I have spent the last 3+ hours in 2 different drinking establishments, I am currently sat in an Irish bar, hoping that there is going to be some Premier League action in a short while. I still have 4 hours to kill until my bus leaves at 00.30, I can see this is going to be an evening of procrastination!
After packing and having breakfast, there wasn't much time before my boat to the mainland arrived, as not many people stay over I was the sole passenger on this seagoing vessel. Back on terra firma I bargained for a tuktuk which took me to the town centre where I tried a couple of places for tickets to Battambang, a town the other side of Cambodia. One place wanted to charge me twice the price of another and was going to take longer so I politely declined their generous offer.. The other establishment was still charging a princely sum of $17 including a lengthy stop of 7 hours in Phnom Phen, but it was the best deal on the table so I took it. I spent the next 2 hours in a cafe reading and eating, then I turned up at 12.45, as requested, to wait for the bus. The 'bus' was in fact a minibus and left at 13.10. We went to two different hotel to pick up more passengers, the first place there was nobody waiting, apparently they would be at the bus stop when we go back, as they weren't we waited 5 minutes, which turned into 15, by 13.45 only one extra person had turned up so we left without the last passenger who was far beyond fashionably late and beyond late so it was their own fault they missed out. Four and a half hours later we rocked up in Phnom Phen where I have spent the last 3+ hours in 2 different drinking establishments, I am currently sat in an Irish bar, hoping that there is going to be some Premier League action in a short while. I still have 4 hours to kill until my bus leaves at 00.30, I can see this is going to be an evening of procrastination!
Friday, 19 April 2013
Day 46 Rabbits
19/04/13
My alarm was set for 08.00 but I woke before then. After packing and paying I walked up the road and had breakfast at the same place as yesterday, mainly because it was right next to the pier where I was picking up my boat to Rabbit Island from. I have no idea why it is so called because I didn't see any evidence of rabbits living there. Our boat across was full of tourists and wasn't what you would call a ferry, more a glorified canoe. There was a fair amount of water at the bottom which sloshed about frequently, giving most people wet feet. I also got a wet bag at one point when an extra large wave breached the side, luckily no harm was done. The anchor was thrown overboard and we cruised to a graceful stop, 20m from the beach, we all climbed out into the knee deep water, some more gracefully than others. Everyone else apart from me was just there for the day, I hung around for our boat driver who was showing me the way to a bungalow. He came back with 2 huge blocks of ice, each 25kg. Nearly the whole population lives without freezers so the only way to keep things cool is a daily delivery of ice. He took me down a trail that led to the beach and my own beach hut, nothing luxurious but I had electricity and an en suite to boot. I spent the rest of the day swimming, sunbathing and reading, generally enjoying not doing much, I finished it off watching the sun set and having a delicious prawn curry!
My alarm was set for 08.00 but I woke before then. After packing and paying I walked up the road and had breakfast at the same place as yesterday, mainly because it was right next to the pier where I was picking up my boat to Rabbit Island from. I have no idea why it is so called because I didn't see any evidence of rabbits living there. Our boat across was full of tourists and wasn't what you would call a ferry, more a glorified canoe. There was a fair amount of water at the bottom which sloshed about frequently, giving most people wet feet. I also got a wet bag at one point when an extra large wave breached the side, luckily no harm was done. The anchor was thrown overboard and we cruised to a graceful stop, 20m from the beach, we all climbed out into the knee deep water, some more gracefully than others. Everyone else apart from me was just there for the day, I hung around for our boat driver who was showing me the way to a bungalow. He came back with 2 huge blocks of ice, each 25kg. Nearly the whole population lives without freezers so the only way to keep things cool is a daily delivery of ice. He took me down a trail that led to the beach and my own beach hut, nothing luxurious but I had electricity and an en suite to boot. I spent the rest of the day swimming, sunbathing and reading, generally enjoying not doing much, I finished it off watching the sun set and having a delicious prawn curry!
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| My home |
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| Sunset over the sea |
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| Boat driver |
Thursday, 18 April 2013
Day 45 Tranquil
18/04/13
This place is seriously cheap, I know I got an absolute steal with the guesthouse but compared to elsewhere in Cambodia Kep is really cheap. My breakfast consisted of 3 massive pancakes and an iced coffee, in total setting me back $3 as did my late lunch which was a prawn spaghetti dish, something that would probably cost 10xs the amount at a half decent English restaurant. After breakfast I walked 2km to Kep central where I was so hot I had to get a drink, I ordered a grenadine syrup which took me back to the family holidays we had in France where this was always my drink of choice. I then spent the next couple of hours climbing and exploring the hill that overlooks the town. The hill is brilliantly signposted thanks to the owner of the Led Zeppelin cafe which is at the foot of it and offers superb views over the bay, it was a shame that it wasn't open today. At the summit (268m) there was no view as many trees obscured it but along the trail on the way up there was a couple of places that offered wicked panoramas of the town and sea. I was also lucky enough to see lots of different types of gecko and lizard, including one massive blue, red spotted lizard which was over a foot long and a couple of inches wide. There were loads of other insects/animals I couldn't see but could hear, animals I certainly had never heard before. My rather late lunch was in a restaurant called Brise de Kep, recommended by Juliet and well worth the visit, even if it is only for the balcony with its views. The rest of my afternoon was spent walking back to the guesthouse, dipping my toes in the sea and having a couple of drinks at the sister restaurant of Brise de Kep. As I write this now the sun is setting, there is hardly any noise as I look out to sea at the islands and can only think of one word. Tranquil.
This place is seriously cheap, I know I got an absolute steal with the guesthouse but compared to elsewhere in Cambodia Kep is really cheap. My breakfast consisted of 3 massive pancakes and an iced coffee, in total setting me back $3 as did my late lunch which was a prawn spaghetti dish, something that would probably cost 10xs the amount at a half decent English restaurant. After breakfast I walked 2km to Kep central where I was so hot I had to get a drink, I ordered a grenadine syrup which took me back to the family holidays we had in France where this was always my drink of choice. I then spent the next couple of hours climbing and exploring the hill that overlooks the town. The hill is brilliantly signposted thanks to the owner of the Led Zeppelin cafe which is at the foot of it and offers superb views over the bay, it was a shame that it wasn't open today. At the summit (268m) there was no view as many trees obscured it but along the trail on the way up there was a couple of places that offered wicked panoramas of the town and sea. I was also lucky enough to see lots of different types of gecko and lizard, including one massive blue, red spotted lizard which was over a foot long and a couple of inches wide. There were loads of other insects/animals I couldn't see but could hear, animals I certainly had never heard before. My rather late lunch was in a restaurant called Brise de Kep, recommended by Juliet and well worth the visit, even if it is only for the balcony with its views. The rest of my afternoon was spent walking back to the guesthouse, dipping my toes in the sea and having a couple of drinks at the sister restaurant of Brise de Kep. As I write this now the sun is setting, there is hardly any noise as I look out to sea at the islands and can only think of one word. Tranquil.
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| Where I stayed |
Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Day 44 Farewell
17/04/13
Today I said goodbye to the Currys, but it wasn't before I had been given a tour of the OMF office by Alastair, where he and Juliet work most the time, they both lecture once a week at the university. I caught a tuktuk to the central market and wandered around until I found my bus. On the bus I got chatting to an Israeli who was travelling to the next town, Kampot. He moved to the front after a while because he had had enough of the locals behind us, they were extremely noisy, including an hour where one of their children played very loud music from a phone, including multiple repeats of Gangnam Style, one of the worlds most annoying songs. The road itself was very much like a clay tennis court, apart from it wasn't flat, it had lots of big puddles, there was no net, there were no tram lines, or any other road markings for that matter and there certainly wasn't a man sitting in a highchair at the edge of the road either but apart from that they're two peas in a pod. We finally arrived in Kep (pronounced Guype), I started asking around for a cheap place to stay and after a while this french guy comes up to me and shows me a couple of pictures of his place, a seriously nice wooded beach house, 20m from the beach and he could offer me a bed for $2, it didn't take me long to agree, now I am here I can happily say that it is in my top 5 places to stay, along with my own bed and a certain field in North Wales. It is so chilled too, I like it a lot.
Today I said goodbye to the Currys, but it wasn't before I had been given a tour of the OMF office by Alastair, where he and Juliet work most the time, they both lecture once a week at the university. I caught a tuktuk to the central market and wandered around until I found my bus. On the bus I got chatting to an Israeli who was travelling to the next town, Kampot. He moved to the front after a while because he had had enough of the locals behind us, they were extremely noisy, including an hour where one of their children played very loud music from a phone, including multiple repeats of Gangnam Style, one of the worlds most annoying songs. The road itself was very much like a clay tennis court, apart from it wasn't flat, it had lots of big puddles, there was no net, there were no tram lines, or any other road markings for that matter and there certainly wasn't a man sitting in a highchair at the edge of the road either but apart from that they're two peas in a pod. We finally arrived in Kep (pronounced Guype), I started asking around for a cheap place to stay and after a while this french guy comes up to me and shows me a couple of pictures of his place, a seriously nice wooded beach house, 20m from the beach and he could offer me a bed for $2, it didn't take me long to agree, now I am here I can happily say that it is in my top 5 places to stay, along with my own bed and a certain field in North Wales. It is so chilled too, I like it a lot.
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
Day 43 Killing Fields
16/04/14
Another not so early start at 9 was followed by another cereal breakfast. I then borrowed a bike, walked down the road to inflate the tyres and headed off towards the Killing Fields (Choeung Ek), following an excellent hand-sketched map drawn by Alastair. The place itself was very quiet and reflective as everyone was deep in their own thought. At the entrance we were given audio guides which led us around the various mass graves and finished at the Memorial pagoda which contained hundreds of skulls and bones of victims. It is estimated that 3 million people were murdered under the Pol Pot regime considering the population was around 8 million it is a sizeable proportion, many of those were children and babies. After leaving I grabbed some lunch then cycled back along the road and continued onto the centre of Phnom Phen, where I booked a bus ticket to take me to Kep tomorrow. I didn't/couldn't cycle back as I had a slow puncture, it apeared that the rubber had perished, so I caught a tuktuk back. It was nice to be out on the bike again even if it was just 25km.
Another not so early start at 9 was followed by another cereal breakfast. I then borrowed a bike, walked down the road to inflate the tyres and headed off towards the Killing Fields (Choeung Ek), following an excellent hand-sketched map drawn by Alastair. The place itself was very quiet and reflective as everyone was deep in their own thought. At the entrance we were given audio guides which led us around the various mass graves and finished at the Memorial pagoda which contained hundreds of skulls and bones of victims. It is estimated that 3 million people were murdered under the Pol Pot regime considering the population was around 8 million it is a sizeable proportion, many of those were children and babies. After leaving I grabbed some lunch then cycled back along the road and continued onto the centre of Phnom Phen, where I booked a bus ticket to take me to Kep tomorrow. I didn't/couldn't cycle back as I had a slow puncture, it apeared that the rubber had perished, so I caught a tuktuk back. It was nice to be out on the bike again even if it was just 25km.
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| Mass graves |
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| A chilling reminder |
Monday, 15 April 2013
Day 42 S-21
15/04/13
I had an early night and a slow start to catch up on missed sleep. Feeling refreshed I had my first bowl of cereal since leaving England, also the first time having milk! Alastair rang a friend to pick me up on a motorbike (as they are a little way out of town) and take me to Toul Sleng Genocide Museum. It was originally a called Toul Suoy High School until the Khmer Rouge took over it and named their prison S-21. It was estimated that between 13,000 and 20,000 met their deaths here. It was really quite harrowing some of the torture techniques they used, seriously barbaric. I got dropped back at the Curry's just in time for lunch, which again was splendid, this time it was with another missionary family who live just down the road. We spent most the afternoon playing Villagers of Catan, a complicated but good game!
I had an early night and a slow start to catch up on missed sleep. Feeling refreshed I had my first bowl of cereal since leaving England, also the first time having milk! Alastair rang a friend to pick me up on a motorbike (as they are a little way out of town) and take me to Toul Sleng Genocide Museum. It was originally a called Toul Suoy High School until the Khmer Rouge took over it and named their prison S-21. It was estimated that between 13,000 and 20,000 met their deaths here. It was really quite harrowing some of the torture techniques they used, seriously barbaric. I got dropped back at the Curry's just in time for lunch, which again was splendid, this time it was with another missionary family who live just down the road. We spent most the afternoon playing Villagers of Catan, a complicated but good game!
Sunday, 14 April 2013
Day 41 Curry
14/04/13
Yet again my alarm woke me too early. Today I was going to church. I was picked up by Alastair Curry, a long term missionary. We rode to the church where I met his wife (Juliet) and 2 daughters (Hannah and Ellen). I was welcomed by the whole congregation and they even sang me a welcoming song, not that I understood a word of it, it was the same story throughout the rest of the service, although Alastair did translate a lot of the sermon for me. After it had finished most the members ate together which was really nice. Once we had finished I picked up my bags and all 5 of us went to grab a drink. Whilst talking I realised Alistair and I have a lot in common, he too was a keen climber and mountaineer so we had a lot to chat about. Later I went to the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, both mightily impressive architectural complexes. 2 hours later I took a tuktuk back to the Curry's house (where I will be staying for the next couple of days, an extremely generous offer I couldn't refuse).Dinner was honestly one of the nicest meals I have had since I left England, it was a rendition of spaghetti bolognaise followed by bread and butter pudding and a couple of mugs of tea, its just a shame they are going away on the 17th, I could happily stay longer.
Yet again my alarm woke me too early. Today I was going to church. I was picked up by Alastair Curry, a long term missionary. We rode to the church where I met his wife (Juliet) and 2 daughters (Hannah and Ellen). I was welcomed by the whole congregation and they even sang me a welcoming song, not that I understood a word of it, it was the same story throughout the rest of the service, although Alastair did translate a lot of the sermon for me. After it had finished most the members ate together which was really nice. Once we had finished I picked up my bags and all 5 of us went to grab a drink. Whilst talking I realised Alistair and I have a lot in common, he too was a keen climber and mountaineer so we had a lot to chat about. Later I went to the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, both mightily impressive architectural complexes. 2 hours later I took a tuktuk back to the Curry's house (where I will be staying for the next couple of days, an extremely generous offer I couldn't refuse).Dinner was honestly one of the nicest meals I have had since I left England, it was a rendition of spaghetti bolognaise followed by bread and butter pudding and a couple of mugs of tea, its just a shame they are going away on the 17th, I could happily stay longer.
Day 40 Who New
13/04/13
The Kebab last night was probably one of the best I have ever eaten, a shame that the bus ride wasn't as good. At the tour office we filled out the visa application and paid $25, $20 for the visa and $5 for a bribe. Law enforcers really shouldn't be corrupt! It was another sleeper bus, but not one I was familiar with, this was a new style, actually the Knight Bus from Harry Potter, it was actually 3 decks! Albeit on a double decker bus. The configuration was new too, it had 2 double beds rather than 3 singles, fortunately I acquired a double to myself so I was able to spread out, I didn't much fancy getting cosy with a Vietnamese local. The crossing was straightforward, clearly the bribe worked. I didn't do much this afternoon apart from go to a museum, which if history is your thing then it would be really interesting, personally I thought it was a waste of money. I was randomly walking the streets, looking for somewhere to eat when I thought someone call my name, I turned round but there was nobody there, it happened again and this time I saw Matt, followed closely by ben (2 of the lads I shared a dorm with in HCM). They proceeded to show me their tuktuk driver, who greeted me with a rather friendly hug, he was rather worse for wear, so Matt kindly offered to drive, an offer that was accepted. We then spent the next 10 minutes driving round the city, going the wrong way down one way streets with 8 people (Ben, me, Tom, Jack, 3 of their friends and the driver) in the back, it was one of the best experiences of the trip. I left the others at their hotel then got some street food and waited for them so we could go out, because I found out that evening that it was the New Year, something I didn;t know.
The Kebab last night was probably one of the best I have ever eaten, a shame that the bus ride wasn't as good. At the tour office we filled out the visa application and paid $25, $20 for the visa and $5 for a bribe. Law enforcers really shouldn't be corrupt! It was another sleeper bus, but not one I was familiar with, this was a new style, actually the Knight Bus from Harry Potter, it was actually 3 decks! Albeit on a double decker bus. The configuration was new too, it had 2 double beds rather than 3 singles, fortunately I acquired a double to myself so I was able to spread out, I didn't much fancy getting cosy with a Vietnamese local. The crossing was straightforward, clearly the bribe worked. I didn't do much this afternoon apart from go to a museum, which if history is your thing then it would be really interesting, personally I thought it was a waste of money. I was randomly walking the streets, looking for somewhere to eat when I thought someone call my name, I turned round but there was nobody there, it happened again and this time I saw Matt, followed closely by ben (2 of the lads I shared a dorm with in HCM). They proceeded to show me their tuktuk driver, who greeted me with a rather friendly hug, he was rather worse for wear, so Matt kindly offered to drive, an offer that was accepted. We then spent the next 10 minutes driving round the city, going the wrong way down one way streets with 8 people (Ben, me, Tom, Jack, 3 of their friends and the driver) in the back, it was one of the best experiences of the trip. I left the others at their hotel then got some street food and waited for them so we could go out, because I found out that evening that it was the New Year, something I didn;t know.
Friday, 12 April 2013
Day 39 Fiasco
12/04/13
Yet another early start at 06.00, a habit I really don't want to get into. I packed the few things I had left out last night, ate the last banana and walked 5 minutes to the main road, where I hoped to pick up a taxi to take me to the port. The first 3 people I asked didn't have a clue where/what the port was, they kept saying the airport and didn't understand the word ferry. Eventually I found I motorbike who would take me, so I pointed on the map where we had gone for diving, it took me nearly half an hour to realise that we were going to the wrong port, I dug out my map, realised my mistake and asked my driver to turn round. It wasn't a short way and I would have only a couple of minutes to get on the boat if we made it in time. The guy performed majestically, driving like his life depended on it, a couple of times I thought my life depended on it too! We made it, with 10 minutes to spare. I ended up sitting next to the manager of the restaurant I ate at last night, a nice chap who helped me buy a bus ticket to Ho Chi Minh (HCM) when we docked. Just after we had bought it a man with a placard, with my name on it, came up, asked who I was and the proceeded to say he was there to help me buy a ticket. I then had to go sell my first ticket and buy one of another company. The I hopped on a minibus transfer to the bus station and climbed aboard my bus. We stopped just once where I bought a pack of fake oreos, hardly enough to stave off hunger. We got to the HCM bus depot just after 5, it was piddling it down so every ran under shelter. Another free minibus transfer took me closer to the city centre, but it was still far too far away from the main tourist area for me to walk. Yet again I had to hire a motorbike rider to take me there, it was easily the scariest ride I have ever been through, the roads were the busiest I have been on, the driver was a little bit crazy, I was clinging onto the back with 2 rucksacks on and the road was slick with rain, the whole 10 minutes I thought we would wipeout on any corner, it was a relief to get off. I dropped my bag off with the bus company who would take me to Cambodia ths eening and went to get some food as I was starving, no prizes for guessing it was more street food. I then hit up a internet coffee shop where I have been for 2 and a half hours, having bought only one drink. I am getting hungry again and I saw 60p kebabs down the road that look appealing. But I am sure I will be back as I have another 2 and a bit hours to kill before my bus leaves at 23.30.
Yet another early start at 06.00, a habit I really don't want to get into. I packed the few things I had left out last night, ate the last banana and walked 5 minutes to the main road, where I hoped to pick up a taxi to take me to the port. The first 3 people I asked didn't have a clue where/what the port was, they kept saying the airport and didn't understand the word ferry. Eventually I found I motorbike who would take me, so I pointed on the map where we had gone for diving, it took me nearly half an hour to realise that we were going to the wrong port, I dug out my map, realised my mistake and asked my driver to turn round. It wasn't a short way and I would have only a couple of minutes to get on the boat if we made it in time. The guy performed majestically, driving like his life depended on it, a couple of times I thought my life depended on it too! We made it, with 10 minutes to spare. I ended up sitting next to the manager of the restaurant I ate at last night, a nice chap who helped me buy a bus ticket to Ho Chi Minh (HCM) when we docked. Just after we had bought it a man with a placard, with my name on it, came up, asked who I was and the proceeded to say he was there to help me buy a ticket. I then had to go sell my first ticket and buy one of another company. The I hopped on a minibus transfer to the bus station and climbed aboard my bus. We stopped just once where I bought a pack of fake oreos, hardly enough to stave off hunger. We got to the HCM bus depot just after 5, it was piddling it down so every ran under shelter. Another free minibus transfer took me closer to the city centre, but it was still far too far away from the main tourist area for me to walk. Yet again I had to hire a motorbike rider to take me there, it was easily the scariest ride I have ever been through, the roads were the busiest I have been on, the driver was a little bit crazy, I was clinging onto the back with 2 rucksacks on and the road was slick with rain, the whole 10 minutes I thought we would wipeout on any corner, it was a relief to get off. I dropped my bag off with the bus company who would take me to Cambodia ths eening and went to get some food as I was starving, no prizes for guessing it was more street food. I then hit up a internet coffee shop where I have been for 2 and a half hours, having bought only one drink. I am getting hungry again and I saw 60p kebabs down the road that look appealing. But I am sure I will be back as I have another 2 and a bit hours to kill before my bus leaves at 23.30.
Thursday, 11 April 2013
Day 38 Rough Riding
11/04/13
I slept until 09.00 but when I woke it was raining so I didn't hurry to get out of bed and waited an hour till it stopped. I had a banana to keep me going, hired a motorbike and was off. I headed north and took the coastal road, as soon as I was out of Duong Dong (the main town on the island) it was dirt tracks. The coastal road was practically uninhabited and the best road I have ever been on, truly spectacular riding. I kept along this road for 60km, stopping twice for lunch and a drink, both for considerable lengths of time as they were so good. Finally I reached asphalt again. The next 10km was flat out along a recently built dual carriageway which had about 10 vehicles on its whole length. I wasted an hour or so in my room before grabbing some street food dinner again. Clearly the place I went this evening was a more upmarket place than last night, the table next to me all had glasses of wine, personally I didn't think it quite fitted with the cheap utensils and plastic chairs.
I slept until 09.00 but when I woke it was raining so I didn't hurry to get out of bed and waited an hour till it stopped. I had a banana to keep me going, hired a motorbike and was off. I headed north and took the coastal road, as soon as I was out of Duong Dong (the main town on the island) it was dirt tracks. The coastal road was practically uninhabited and the best road I have ever been on, truly spectacular riding. I kept along this road for 60km, stopping twice for lunch and a drink, both for considerable lengths of time as they were so good. Finally I reached asphalt again. The next 10km was flat out along a recently built dual carriageway which had about 10 vehicles on its whole length. I wasted an hour or so in my room before grabbing some street food dinner again. Clearly the place I went this evening was a more upmarket place than last night, the table next to me all had glasses of wine, personally I didn't think it quite fitted with the cheap utensils and plastic chairs.
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| A nice enough place to stop for a drink! |
Wednesday, 10 April 2013
Day 37 A bad start
10/04/13
At around 02.30 I was woken by a massive clap of thunder, hundreds more followed over the next hour, accompanied by seriously heavy rain, it made the stuff we experience in Dalat look like drisle. The worst thing about the weather was the fact that my room was unfortunately not storm proof and let water in at 3 separate points, one of the above my bed, fortunately there was enough room on the bed for me to find a dry patch. I had set my alarm for 07.00 but it didn't go off/ I slept through it (genuinely I don't know). I finally woke up at 08.05, a slight problem as I was meant to be picked up to go diving at 08.00, at a place that was 15 minutes walk away. I managed to change, pack my bag and be out in 3 minutes, flip-flops aren't the best running footwear so I took them off and ran barefoot along the road, hoping that they would still be there. Luckily a couple of other customers had taken a long time so they hadn't been waiting long, I clambered aboard and for the first time noticed that my feet were both rather sore, 2 blisters on each foot was my payment for the run, but thankfully I had made it. 40 minutes along dirt roads to the port then an hour on the boat to the first dive site. There was only 5 tourists so I quickly got chatting to an English couple, the husband I would end up buddying with. For the first dive they dropped us off in the wrong place, so we had to swim 10 minutes to see something other than sand, even when we reached the coral it was underwhelming. The second site was better with a lot to see, but the highlight was lunch. Surprisingly I was rather hungry by now and I was delighted to see a large spread, I had bowl after bowl of noodles, squid, rice, omelette fish and veg soup, topped off with about half a pineapple and a banana, I also took 3 others for the road. We got back mid afternoon and I didn't really do much apart from chill in my room until I got hungry again so I set out on the hour long walk to the town. This evening I had scallops, freshly prepared and eaten on the street in a night market. I headed back towards my lodgings, hoping to find a bar on the way t stop off at, every single one I passed was empty. I finally went in one, Rory's, which was 50m from where I was staying. I hadn't been sitting down 5 minutes before a french girl I met on the minibus from the ferry and an English girl turned up, we spent the next hour or so chatting and enjoying the lightening storm just off the coast, literally every 30 seconds another bolt or sheet would illuminate the sky, they were all different colours, white, yellow, blue and purple, an awesome display. We called it an early night as none of us slept very well the previous night.
At around 02.30 I was woken by a massive clap of thunder, hundreds more followed over the next hour, accompanied by seriously heavy rain, it made the stuff we experience in Dalat look like drisle. The worst thing about the weather was the fact that my room was unfortunately not storm proof and let water in at 3 separate points, one of the above my bed, fortunately there was enough room on the bed for me to find a dry patch. I had set my alarm for 07.00 but it didn't go off/ I slept through it (genuinely I don't know). I finally woke up at 08.05, a slight problem as I was meant to be picked up to go diving at 08.00, at a place that was 15 minutes walk away. I managed to change, pack my bag and be out in 3 minutes, flip-flops aren't the best running footwear so I took them off and ran barefoot along the road, hoping that they would still be there. Luckily a couple of other customers had taken a long time so they hadn't been waiting long, I clambered aboard and for the first time noticed that my feet were both rather sore, 2 blisters on each foot was my payment for the run, but thankfully I had made it. 40 minutes along dirt roads to the port then an hour on the boat to the first dive site. There was only 5 tourists so I quickly got chatting to an English couple, the husband I would end up buddying with. For the first dive they dropped us off in the wrong place, so we had to swim 10 minutes to see something other than sand, even when we reached the coral it was underwhelming. The second site was better with a lot to see, but the highlight was lunch. Surprisingly I was rather hungry by now and I was delighted to see a large spread, I had bowl after bowl of noodles, squid, rice, omelette fish and veg soup, topped off with about half a pineapple and a banana, I also took 3 others for the road. We got back mid afternoon and I didn't really do much apart from chill in my room until I got hungry again so I set out on the hour long walk to the town. This evening I had scallops, freshly prepared and eaten on the street in a night market. I headed back towards my lodgings, hoping to find a bar on the way t stop off at, every single one I passed was empty. I finally went in one, Rory's, which was 50m from where I was staying. I hadn't been sitting down 5 minutes before a french girl I met on the minibus from the ferry and an English girl turned up, we spent the next hour or so chatting and enjoying the lightening storm just off the coast, literally every 30 seconds another bolt or sheet would illuminate the sky, they were all different colours, white, yellow, blue and purple, an awesome display. We called it an early night as none of us slept very well the previous night.
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
Day 36 Stress and Relaxation
09/04/13
I hopped (as well as you can with a rucksack on your front and back) onto the back of a motorbike, it took me to an intermediate bus station. It was 21.30. I was meant to be getting another bus to the proper station just after 11, but at half 10 I was told my bus was outside. As I got to it the doors closed and they weren't opened even when I showed my ticket to the driver, as he pulled away a boy on the bus pointed and said something about me and the whole bus laughed. I had to wait another 10 minutes for the next one, which gave me a 5 minute window to get on the sleeper bus, which was in fact plenty. Calling it the sleeper bus is really rather ironic as I have never once slept on one and I have now got 5 or 6 of them. Looking back at this I realise it was the worst one yet, it took roughly 6 hours, during which I read HP 3, listened to 1/3 of the Hobbit audio-book and was eaten alive. You always get given a blanket to cover you, mine was obviously infested with lice or something as when I was waiting for the boat and on the boat itself I counted 20 bites just on my hands and a similar number on each arm and shoulder, it took all my willpower not to scratch and itch them, I resorted to stuffing my hands in my pockets so I wouldn't be tempted. The island itself is beautiful, really quite something. A few of us piled into a minibus and taken to the stretch of beach known as Long Beach, which is the main tourist area. I picked up an early lunch then walked a few km down the road to the island's main town, Duong Dang, I then decided it would be nice to walk back along the beach rot, not such a smart idea in hindsight. At times I was wading through thigh high water and crawling/climbing over struts that belonged to a stilt house, whilst getting battered by waves. Back at the beach hut I am staying in I changed and went for a swim, sunned myself, read a bit, whilst sipping a nice cold beer. Dinner consisted of BBQ shrimps which were lush then I spent quite some time wandering the streets and ended up in a coffee house, then I had to walk all the way down the strip again.
I hopped (as well as you can with a rucksack on your front and back) onto the back of a motorbike, it took me to an intermediate bus station. It was 21.30. I was meant to be getting another bus to the proper station just after 11, but at half 10 I was told my bus was outside. As I got to it the doors closed and they weren't opened even when I showed my ticket to the driver, as he pulled away a boy on the bus pointed and said something about me and the whole bus laughed. I had to wait another 10 minutes for the next one, which gave me a 5 minute window to get on the sleeper bus, which was in fact plenty. Calling it the sleeper bus is really rather ironic as I have never once slept on one and I have now got 5 or 6 of them. Looking back at this I realise it was the worst one yet, it took roughly 6 hours, during which I read HP 3, listened to 1/3 of the Hobbit audio-book and was eaten alive. You always get given a blanket to cover you, mine was obviously infested with lice or something as when I was waiting for the boat and on the boat itself I counted 20 bites just on my hands and a similar number on each arm and shoulder, it took all my willpower not to scratch and itch them, I resorted to stuffing my hands in my pockets so I wouldn't be tempted. The island itself is beautiful, really quite something. A few of us piled into a minibus and taken to the stretch of beach known as Long Beach, which is the main tourist area. I picked up an early lunch then walked a few km down the road to the island's main town, Duong Dang, I then decided it would be nice to walk back along the beach rot, not such a smart idea in hindsight. At times I was wading through thigh high water and crawling/climbing over struts that belonged to a stilt house, whilst getting battered by waves. Back at the beach hut I am staying in I changed and went for a swim, sunned myself, read a bit, whilst sipping a nice cold beer. Dinner consisted of BBQ shrimps which were lush then I spent quite some time wandering the streets and ended up in a coffee house, then I had to walk all the way down the strip again.
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| Long Beach |
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| The night market |
Monday, 8 April 2013
Day 35 Procrastination
08/04/13
I had a lie in till 09.00, took advantage of the free breakfast, packed, then checked out. I left my rucksack at the hostel and headed to the Royal Palace. En route I decided to stop and have a drink, after reading for 45 minutes I left and made my way to the palace. Unfortunately the palace is shut from 11 till 1, I turned up at 11.15, just my luck, so I found another coffee shop and whiled away the next 2 hours. Just after 13.00 I rocked up at the palace and spent the next hour exploring the 5 levels, being both impressed and underwhelmed by the many rooms, not quite Buckingham Palace but not a bad pad. After a late lunch of beef noodle soup I took a circuitous route back to our hostel where I met the other guys again. I spent some time trying to find a cafe which I had read about that also had a book exchange, eventually I found it and changed 3 books, ready for my travelling and beach times coming up. I also booked a night bus to Cambodia on Friday. We all went to the park and had a kick about with a Vietnamese toy (basically a long thin, springy shuttlecock), every now and then locals would come and join our circle and show us all up. After some street food I snuck back into our old room for a shower, which was much needed, before heading to the bus station in a taxi at 21.30, although the bus leaves at 23.00, which takes me to the coast where I can look forward to an early boat ride.
I had a lie in till 09.00, took advantage of the free breakfast, packed, then checked out. I left my rucksack at the hostel and headed to the Royal Palace. En route I decided to stop and have a drink, after reading for 45 minutes I left and made my way to the palace. Unfortunately the palace is shut from 11 till 1, I turned up at 11.15, just my luck, so I found another coffee shop and whiled away the next 2 hours. Just after 13.00 I rocked up at the palace and spent the next hour exploring the 5 levels, being both impressed and underwhelmed by the many rooms, not quite Buckingham Palace but not a bad pad. After a late lunch of beef noodle soup I took a circuitous route back to our hostel where I met the other guys again. I spent some time trying to find a cafe which I had read about that also had a book exchange, eventually I found it and changed 3 books, ready for my travelling and beach times coming up. I also booked a night bus to Cambodia on Friday. We all went to the park and had a kick about with a Vietnamese toy (basically a long thin, springy shuttlecock), every now and then locals would come and join our circle and show us all up. After some street food I snuck back into our old room for a shower, which was much needed, before heading to the bus station in a taxi at 21.30, although the bus leaves at 23.00, which takes me to the coast where I can look forward to an early boat ride.
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| The Royal Palace |
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| One of the state rooms |
Sunday, 7 April 2013
Day 34 Delta Force
07/04/13
Yesterday evening was a subdued affair with the lads. Henry, from Essex, died in the tunnels (expected scorpion bite) it hit the lads pretty bad as they were with him at the time, so we just went out for a KFC. This morning I rose before anyone else in the dorm, because I was heading to the Mekong Delta. The bus was meant to arrive at 08.00, 45 minutes later we finally boarded the minibus, on the journey I chatted to a guy from Hong Kong and we spent most the rest of the day together, along with 2 Norwegian girls, also on a gap year. After the minibus journey we joined forces with a coach party and got on a boat together. The first island we landed on they specialised in making coconut candy, one of the tastiest sweets I have ever eaten, so I had about 10 of the samples. On the next island we were given free fruit and were serenaded by the local women including a version of 'If you're happy and know it clap your hands', possibly one of the weirdest experiences of the trip so far. I ate so much fruit, I think tomorrow my bowel movements might be quite fluid.
Yesterday evening was a subdued affair with the lads. Henry, from Essex, died in the tunnels (expected scorpion bite) it hit the lads pretty bad as they were with him at the time, so we just went out for a KFC. This morning I rose before anyone else in the dorm, because I was heading to the Mekong Delta. The bus was meant to arrive at 08.00, 45 minutes later we finally boarded the minibus, on the journey I chatted to a guy from Hong Kong and we spent most the rest of the day together, along with 2 Norwegian girls, also on a gap year. After the minibus journey we joined forces with a coach party and got on a boat together. The first island we landed on they specialised in making coconut candy, one of the tastiest sweets I have ever eaten, so I had about 10 of the samples. On the next island we were given free fruit and were serenaded by the local women including a version of 'If you're happy and know it clap your hands', possibly one of the weirdest experiences of the trip so far. I ate so much fruit, I think tomorrow my bowel movements might be quite fluid.
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| up a creek without a paddle |
Saturday, 6 April 2013
Day 33 National Pillow Fight Day
06/04/13
An earlyish start for pretty much the whole dorm, by 07.30 I was out of the hostel, the other English lads were heading to the Cu Chi Tunnels. I tried to find a hairdresser that the guys recommended but my searching proved to be fruitless, instead I headed to the War Remnants Museum which was really interesting and chilling at times. After spending some time there I went to the Ho Chi Minh museum, which in all honesty was a waste of both time and money. At 13.00 I met up with Charlotte (who I met in Kathmandu nearly 3 months ago) and 3 of her friends, who are all on their spring break from studying in Thailand. We wandered around the city until 3 o'clock, when the pillow fight was meant to start in the park, 45 minutes later it eventually kicked off. I can honestly say that the next 30 minutes were some of the most exhausting I have ever experienced, the combination of the physical exertion and the heat made me sweat so bad. Once it had finished I was told by a number of people that I hit very hard, I certainly took it as a compliment, go hard or go home. We all then headed to a bar to chill out, when I left I tried finding another hairdresser and eventually found one and agreed a price and got a neat cut.
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| Selling pillows to those who haven't got them |
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| The fight in progress |
Friday, 5 April 2013
Day 32 Wandering Englishman
05/04/13
Breakfast was included in the room price, so naturally I took full advantage of it. I then set out to start a self guided tour of the city. The trouble was that I didn't know where the hotel was on the map. After half an hour of searching I did eventually find the start of the tour (which is set out in my guidebook). I visited: a park, a massive market, a statue, an art museum that I didn't go in, antique shops I didn't look in, I walked through a street market, past a tower, then a fancy hotel, a theatre, yet another fancy hotel, another park, a statue again, some committee building, Notre Dame Cathedral, an old post office, a palace and a turtle lake, all in all a good long wander. The highlight of the day though was going up the Bitexco Financial Tower, an impressive 68 storey building, with a massive heli-pad on level 53 and a 360 degree viewing platform at level 49. One of the reasons that I went up was to try out my new camera, a 5 mega pixel canon, costing a pricey £30, lets just hope it lasts. Again I went out with the Surrey lads and an Essex boy (Henry) who is new to the room, we all picked up a couple of beers afterwards.
Breakfast was included in the room price, so naturally I took full advantage of it. I then set out to start a self guided tour of the city. The trouble was that I didn't know where the hotel was on the map. After half an hour of searching I did eventually find the start of the tour (which is set out in my guidebook). I visited: a park, a massive market, a statue, an art museum that I didn't go in, antique shops I didn't look in, I walked through a street market, past a tower, then a fancy hotel, a theatre, yet another fancy hotel, another park, a statue again, some committee building, Notre Dame Cathedral, an old post office, a palace and a turtle lake, all in all a good long wander. The highlight of the day though was going up the Bitexco Financial Tower, an impressive 68 storey building, with a massive heli-pad on level 53 and a 360 degree viewing platform at level 49. One of the reasons that I went up was to try out my new camera, a 5 mega pixel canon, costing a pricey £30, lets just hope it lasts. Again I went out with the Surrey lads and an Essex boy (Henry) who is new to the room, we all picked up a couple of beers afterwards.
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