On Saturday Ewan, Nicky and I left for a road trip to Pai and Mae Hong Song. Driving was very chilled out and we stopped off at some random points along the way including a fish cave which was actually just a little hole in the ground. Pai is like a hippy haven with cool markets.
We stayed in the mountains above Pai in little bungalows. Slept under a mosquito net to the sound of all sorts of creepy crawlies. Was such a beautiful place and the people that owned the bungalows were lovely and invited us to have dinner with them.
On Sunday we drove further through the mountains to Mae Hong Son. We stopped off in the mountains where Burmese Hill Tribe people lived. Mae Hong Son was lovely too, there is a lake and a gorgeous temple. Here's a picture of the temple - our guest house was just to the left: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Mae_hong_son_1.jpg
On the way back to Chiang Mai today we stopped off at a prehistoric place where they had Neanderthal graves etc! We ended up driving 200km out of the way in the end but we found the right track eventually.
My Thai visa runs out on the 4th December so I will be heading to Laos. Hoping to do some volunteering on an organic farm... not sure yet!
Monday, 29 November 2010
Friday, 26 November 2010
First Days in Chiang Mai
First impressions of Chiang Mai are that it's lovely. The air is much clearer and less humid than Bangkok and the people seem genuinely friendly and not out to rip you off all the time.
My friend Ewan met me where the bus dropped us off and I went and checked in to a guest house. They don't really have hostels in Thailand with dorm rooms so I got a whole room to myself, double bed and satellite TV with on-suite bathroom for 200 baht a night. Luxury! I even have proper towels. It is so nice having a room to myself after sharing dorms for almost two weeks and I'm really valuing some alone time.
First day in Chiang Mai we ate some good food and drove round the city on the motorbike, getting orientated. We went to the local Forrest temple, Wat U-Mong, which was amazing. I met Ewan's girlfriend who is really lovely and we went for a couple of drinks at an open bar that had some really weird electronic music. I either loved it or hated it - still undecided. We were driving proper Thai style, three people on a moped, all we need now is a dog balancing on the handlebars.
Yesterday I hired a moped and we drove up into the mountains. We went and looked at a waterfall for a bit and stopped off at a temple on the way which was the best one I'd seen yet. We drove up almost to the top of the mountain where there was a viewpoint and watched the sunset. Beautiful - hopefully there will be some pictures going up on FB at some point. It is so lovely not having to think about working, I feel like I'm on holiday in Chiang Mai.
Yesterday evening we went out for "One quiet drink." I am very hungover today. Nothing changes eh!
My friend Ewan met me where the bus dropped us off and I went and checked in to a guest house. They don't really have hostels in Thailand with dorm rooms so I got a whole room to myself, double bed and satellite TV with on-suite bathroom for 200 baht a night. Luxury! I even have proper towels. It is so nice having a room to myself after sharing dorms for almost two weeks and I'm really valuing some alone time.
First day in Chiang Mai we ate some good food and drove round the city on the motorbike, getting orientated. We went to the local Forrest temple, Wat U-Mong, which was amazing. I met Ewan's girlfriend who is really lovely and we went for a couple of drinks at an open bar that had some really weird electronic music. I either loved it or hated it - still undecided. We were driving proper Thai style, three people on a moped, all we need now is a dog balancing on the handlebars.
Yesterday I hired a moped and we drove up into the mountains. We went and looked at a waterfall for a bit and stopped off at a temple on the way which was the best one I'd seen yet. We drove up almost to the top of the mountain where there was a viewpoint and watched the sunset. Beautiful - hopefully there will be some pictures going up on FB at some point. It is so lovely not having to think about working, I feel like I'm on holiday in Chiang Mai.
Yesterday evening we went out for "One quiet drink." I am very hungover today. Nothing changes eh!
Bangkok
Bangkok is massive and I felt totally lost there. Managed to get my bearings on the second day and went to look at the sights before I got the bus to Chiang Mai in the evening. On the way to the Grand Palace I ended up getting hustled! It was absolutely seamless and before I had time to think about what was going on I had shelled out about 30 pounds for a boat ride around Bangkok. I am lucky in that it could have been a lot worse but it definitely put a bit of a downer on Bangkok as I felt like I couldn't trust anyone there.
The Grand Palace was packed with tourists, you couldn't move without getting in someone's photograph. The emerald Buddha was cool but there were guards kind of patrolling the room telling people off for pointing their feet at it or having a camera out; not exactly conducive to a spiritual experience. Got out of the Grand Palace pretty quick and went to have a look at Wat Pho. There were far fewer tourists here and it was absolutely beautiful. Saw the reclining Buddha and had some time to chill out before my 12 hour bus ride to Chiang Mai.
The bus ride was the best one I'd had yet. I booked the ticket through a travel agent in Koh San Road. After booking the ticket I read in the Lonely Planet that the tourist bussed often under-deliver and get robbed so was a bit paranoid before getting on. It ended up being a bus just for tourists; there were some Germans, Israelis, one Japanese dude and a guy from Iceland. The bus wasn't even quarter full so everyone could lie down and get some sleep. Was also cheaper than the regular buses which are always full... landed in Chiang Mai at 7am.
The Grand Palace was packed with tourists, you couldn't move without getting in someone's photograph. The emerald Buddha was cool but there were guards kind of patrolling the room telling people off for pointing their feet at it or having a camera out; not exactly conducive to a spiritual experience. Got out of the Grand Palace pretty quick and went to have a look at Wat Pho. There were far fewer tourists here and it was absolutely beautiful. Saw the reclining Buddha and had some time to chill out before my 12 hour bus ride to Chiang Mai.
The bus ride was the best one I'd had yet. I booked the ticket through a travel agent in Koh San Road. After booking the ticket I read in the Lonely Planet that the tourist bussed often under-deliver and get robbed so was a bit paranoid before getting on. It ended up being a bus just for tourists; there were some Germans, Israelis, one Japanese dude and a guy from Iceland. The bus wasn't even quarter full so everyone could lie down and get some sleep. Was also cheaper than the regular buses which are always full... landed in Chiang Mai at 7am.
Monday, 22 November 2010
Leaving Langkawi
I paid for a ticket to Bangkok via a tour operator so probably paid about £10 more than if I'd done it all myself but it was really useful getting picked up from my guesthouse and the port at Satun and ferried to the bus station.
The ferry from Langkawi to Satun took about 1.5 hours and then I got ferried onto an open-backed truck and dropped off at the bus station to begin another bus mission. I was kind of lucky in that I got a seat at the top and front so I got a really good view and loads of legroom. First impressions of Thailand are that the people are really lovely - always smiling and helpful.
The journey was okay. They played some Thai music and put a Thai film on which I watched. It was absolutely mental - I'm unsure whether it was supposed to be a horror film or a comedy, probably a bit of both. I'm getting slightly better at sleeping on busses so managed to get a couple of hours in. Due to the bus driver being a maniac I arrived into Bangkok bus station at about 3am. Wandered around the bus station looking lost for a little bit then found a taxi rank and made by way to Koh San Road which is where the back-packy area is.
There were loads of people wandering around, it seems Bangkok never sleeps. I had the name and address of a good guesthouse just off Koh San Road which I found my way to and checked in there for the night. Paid 350 baht which is about 7 pounds - more than I'd usually spend but wasn't really in the mood to start bargaining and just wanted to get some kip. Plus arriving at 4am, you get two nights sleep for the price of one!
Today I've had a wander around Koh San Road and done some shopping. Bangkok is cool but massive and I feel a bit lost here. Tomorrow I'm planning on going to the Royal Palace and Wat Phi which are supposed to be stunning and I think I can walk from here.
Tomorrow night I'm heading to Chiang Mai on yet another overnight bus. I've heard only good things about Chiang Mai and will be visiting my friend Ewan there so looking forward to it.
The ferry from Langkawi to Satun took about 1.5 hours and then I got ferried onto an open-backed truck and dropped off at the bus station to begin another bus mission. I was kind of lucky in that I got a seat at the top and front so I got a really good view and loads of legroom. First impressions of Thailand are that the people are really lovely - always smiling and helpful.
The journey was okay. They played some Thai music and put a Thai film on which I watched. It was absolutely mental - I'm unsure whether it was supposed to be a horror film or a comedy, probably a bit of both. I'm getting slightly better at sleeping on busses so managed to get a couple of hours in. Due to the bus driver being a maniac I arrived into Bangkok bus station at about 3am. Wandered around the bus station looking lost for a little bit then found a taxi rank and made by way to Koh San Road which is where the back-packy area is.
There were loads of people wandering around, it seems Bangkok never sleeps. I had the name and address of a good guesthouse just off Koh San Road which I found my way to and checked in there for the night. Paid 350 baht which is about 7 pounds - more than I'd usually spend but wasn't really in the mood to start bargaining and just wanted to get some kip. Plus arriving at 4am, you get two nights sleep for the price of one!
Today I've had a wander around Koh San Road and done some shopping. Bangkok is cool but massive and I feel a bit lost here. Tomorrow I'm planning on going to the Royal Palace and Wat Phi which are supposed to be stunning and I think I can walk from here.
Tomorrow night I'm heading to Chiang Mai on yet another overnight bus. I've heard only good things about Chiang Mai and will be visiting my friend Ewan there so looking forward to it.
Langkawi
Did I mention that Langkawi is absolutely beautiful?
We hired mopeds and drove round the Island for the day. We went to check out the cable car but it was closed down as there was some problem with it and they couldn't say when it was going to open again. So we drove off to a waterfall which was absolutely gorgeous and there were seven pools at the top which you could swim in and slide down.
Driving around the island was great fun. We were like a 30mph version of Easy Rider - or Thelma and Louise. I think we entertained the locals too! We drove around to another waterfall and then through the jungle dodging monkeys. The scenery was like in the movie Avatar. The only mishap we had on the bike was when we had to shoo some monkeys away from it but they were more interested in their own reflections in the mirrors than they were in us.
I could easily have stayed another week in Langkawi but had to keep moving...
We hired mopeds and drove round the Island for the day. We went to check out the cable car but it was closed down as there was some problem with it and they couldn't say when it was going to open again. So we drove off to a waterfall which was absolutely gorgeous and there were seven pools at the top which you could swim in and slide down.
Driving around the island was great fun. We were like a 30mph version of Easy Rider - or Thelma and Louise. I think we entertained the locals too! We drove around to another waterfall and then through the jungle dodging monkeys. The scenery was like in the movie Avatar. The only mishap we had on the bike was when we had to shoo some monkeys away from it but they were more interested in their own reflections in the mirrors than they were in us.
I could easily have stayed another week in Langkawi but had to keep moving...
Escape from Penang
Made my escape from Penang yesterday. Only stayed one day as wasn't
much to see in Georgetown and didn't want to make way to touristy
area. Got a boat to Langkawi which took 3 hours. The on-board
entertainment was a movie - The Titanic of all films! The only thing
that hit an iceberg my rucksack which I thought was fair game for a
safe passage. Was travelling with a Finnish lady I met in Penang and
we got a taxi together to Gecko Guesthouse run by an English lady
called Rebecca.
Langkawi is absolutely gorgeous. It feels like we are in the middle of
nowhere with chickens and cats running around everywhere. We are only
a two minute walk from the beach: Golden sand, blue sea and bright sun
all day. The sea is so warm but caution is needed as there are
jellyfish. There was a German guy catching them with a palm leaf. He
caught about 20 of them by the time we left the beach today so only
another couple of million to go - great service.
Tomorrow we are hiring a moped and driving round the island. As my
travelling friend here has had her driving license stolen I am the
designated moped driver. It's going to be a scary ride but should be
worth it for the waterfall and the chance to see more of the island.
It's going to be hard to leave here but got to keep moving. On Sunday
I'm taking a bus to Bangkok for about 40 quid. I leave here at 8am on
Sunday and arrive at 6am on Monday. You would have thought I would
have learned after my last bus ordeal and got a flight but it'll be
worth it to save 100 by not flying... I say this now!
much to see in Georgetown and didn't want to make way to touristy
area. Got a boat to Langkawi which took 3 hours. The on-board
entertainment was a movie - The Titanic of all films! The only thing
that hit an iceberg my rucksack which I thought was fair game for a
safe passage. Was travelling with a Finnish lady I met in Penang and
we got a taxi together to Gecko Guesthouse run by an English lady
called Rebecca.
Langkawi is absolutely gorgeous. It feels like we are in the middle of
nowhere with chickens and cats running around everywhere. We are only
a two minute walk from the beach: Golden sand, blue sea and bright sun
all day. The sea is so warm but caution is needed as there are
jellyfish. There was a German guy catching them with a palm leaf. He
caught about 20 of them by the time we left the beach today so only
another couple of million to go - great service.
Tomorrow we are hiring a moped and driving round the island. As my
travelling friend here has had her driving license stolen I am the
designated moped driver. It's going to be a scary ride but should be
worth it for the waterfall and the chance to see more of the island.
It's going to be hard to leave here but got to keep moving. On Sunday
I'm taking a bus to Bangkok for about 40 quid. I leave here at 8am on
Sunday and arrive at 6am on Monday. You would have thought I would
have learned after my last bus ordeal and got a flight but it'll be
worth it to save 100 by not flying... I say this now!
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Epic Mission!
KL was okay but really just another city and I wanted to escape. The hostel was amazing though and met so many lovely people and picked up heaps of travelling tips. Heard a few horror stories too of people getting all their stuff nicked and their consulates doing nothing to help so now I am uber paranoid = uper careful. Met a lovely German lady who had been travelling for years, she was going back to Germany so we did some swapping - I gave her my winter coat and in return acquired a nice pair of flip flops and my bag for her bum bag! The German/ Canadian couple said it was okay for them to take the bag to the school in Indonesia without me so I plotted my escape from KL.
Decided it would be a great idea to take the night bus from KL to Penang- sleep on the bus and therefore save one night's accommodation. Plus by the time I got to Penang I figured it would be nice and light so would have plenty of time to wander round and find a cheap and clean hostel. Reality was a little bit different though!
Malaysians can sleep literally anywhere/ anytime - I, however, cannot. Didn't manage to get a wink of sleep on the night bus and we arrived in Penang at 5am this morning. The bus dropped us off about 15km south of where i was expecting and i made a schooboy error and only had 11 ringets on me. A taxi to Georgetown cost 30. There were a couple of Chinese backpackers that wanted to share a taxi with me but that would only leave me with 1 ringget. Plus at this point I had arranged to couchsurf with someone and had the number to call when i got to Penang but I thought they might not appreciate a call from me at 5am. So I decided to do it proper traveler style and walk to the city center - the taxi drivers thought I was mad; but they would!
So I started walking along the main road - the roads in Malaysia are pretty mental anyways and the pavement ran out. So I had to hop on the crash barrier and walk along there else risk becoming roadkill. I was following the main road signs for the cars to George Town where i was headed. It was still pitch black at this point. Anywhoo... I found a little path along the side of the road which turned out to be a bog. In my mind it was from the rain - I am not thinking about what else it could have been! It was fun though just me and my backpack and as the sun came up you could hear the Muslim call to prayer everywhere. Lush.
I eventually stumbled on a cash machine that had an ATM and a toilet!!!! That was pretty amazing. The people there were lovely and told me how to catch buses (I was determined not to get a taxi and do it the cheap way)! So I stumbled across a Tesco (yeah) at about 6:30am after hours of walking and not having slept and lo and behold there was a bus. The bus ride was 2 ringget (peanuts) and was so beautiful. Saw all sorts going on - typical Asian things like people doing Tai Chi in the park at 7am. The driver shouted at me when it was time to get off so I was in the backpacker area.
The decision was; do I wait for it to become a reasonable hour and ring the couchsurfers or look for a hostel? I decided it couldn't hurt to have more of a wander seeing as though I'd walked miles anyway. Also I wanted to practice my cheap but clean hostel finding skills! Went around about 10 hostels asking about prices and looking in the rooms. No-one would give me a room cheaper for just a couple of hours. So after contemplating over a coffee I have checked in at (something like) 'Happy Hostel'! And who do I bump into? Only two girls from Brighton, literally just down the road from where I lived.
Anyway I am now showered and have met a Finnish lady who is getting the ferry to Langkawi tomorrow so I'm going to join her as it's on my way and I've heard it's beautiful. Don't really think much of Georgetown and don't have the balls to hire a scooter to see the good bits of Penang. Keeping moving is good as it means I get to see more. So tomorrow Langkawi and hopefully beautiful beaches and relaxing times. After that, Thailand!
It's midday here now and I've been awake and missioning for 27 hours so I think I am justified in pressing 'Publish Post' before I proofread!
Decided it would be a great idea to take the night bus from KL to Penang- sleep on the bus and therefore save one night's accommodation. Plus by the time I got to Penang I figured it would be nice and light so would have plenty of time to wander round and find a cheap and clean hostel. Reality was a little bit different though!
Malaysians can sleep literally anywhere/ anytime - I, however, cannot. Didn't manage to get a wink of sleep on the night bus and we arrived in Penang at 5am this morning. The bus dropped us off about 15km south of where i was expecting and i made a schooboy error and only had 11 ringets on me. A taxi to Georgetown cost 30. There were a couple of Chinese backpackers that wanted to share a taxi with me but that would only leave me with 1 ringget. Plus at this point I had arranged to couchsurf with someone and had the number to call when i got to Penang but I thought they might not appreciate a call from me at 5am. So I decided to do it proper traveler style and walk to the city center - the taxi drivers thought I was mad; but they would!
So I started walking along the main road - the roads in Malaysia are pretty mental anyways and the pavement ran out. So I had to hop on the crash barrier and walk along there else risk becoming roadkill. I was following the main road signs for the cars to George Town where i was headed. It was still pitch black at this point. Anywhoo... I found a little path along the side of the road which turned out to be a bog. In my mind it was from the rain - I am not thinking about what else it could have been! It was fun though just me and my backpack and as the sun came up you could hear the Muslim call to prayer everywhere. Lush.
I eventually stumbled on a cash machine that had an ATM and a toilet!!!! That was pretty amazing. The people there were lovely and told me how to catch buses (I was determined not to get a taxi and do it the cheap way)! So I stumbled across a Tesco (yeah) at about 6:30am after hours of walking and not having slept and lo and behold there was a bus. The bus ride was 2 ringget (peanuts) and was so beautiful. Saw all sorts going on - typical Asian things like people doing Tai Chi in the park at 7am. The driver shouted at me when it was time to get off so I was in the backpacker area.
The decision was; do I wait for it to become a reasonable hour and ring the couchsurfers or look for a hostel? I decided it couldn't hurt to have more of a wander seeing as though I'd walked miles anyway. Also I wanted to practice my cheap but clean hostel finding skills! Went around about 10 hostels asking about prices and looking in the rooms. No-one would give me a room cheaper for just a couple of hours. So after contemplating over a coffee I have checked in at (something like) 'Happy Hostel'! And who do I bump into? Only two girls from Brighton, literally just down the road from where I lived.
Anyway I am now showered and have met a Finnish lady who is getting the ferry to Langkawi tomorrow so I'm going to join her as it's on my way and I've heard it's beautiful. Don't really think much of Georgetown and don't have the balls to hire a scooter to see the good bits of Penang. Keeping moving is good as it means I get to see more. So tomorrow Langkawi and hopefully beautiful beaches and relaxing times. After that, Thailand!
It's midday here now and I've been awake and missioning for 27 hours so I think I am justified in pressing 'Publish Post' before I proofread!
Monday, 15 November 2010
I'm Alive!
Yep, I'm alive and in Kuala Lumpur. Flight was really good - I got three seats to myself so sprawled out and managed to get some sleep. Good job as there were no TVs or any entertainment on the flight. Landed into KL 30 mins early and found my way to a bus okay. Fended off touts at KL Sentral and managed to get a proper taxi to the hostel all okay.
Today I've been wandering around KL. Went to the National Mosque which was great. Chatted to a lovely lady about Islam for ages and learned loads of new things. It seems like Monday in KL is like Sundays in England so nothing much really was open. Went for a (very) long walk to the Lake Gardens which were cool and then managed to get brutally lost. Ended up at some government building barricaded by three police officers and was pointed in the opposite direction! Tomorrow I'm going to go and check out the planetarium and the Islamic Arts museum as they were shut today.
Weather is really hot and humid here although it rains for about an hour once a day. The thunder storms are amazing. Watched one through the window of the plane as we were descending into KL. Hostel is basic but totally fine. Sharing a room with some other girls and it's all good. The other backpackers are all really friendly and I'm hearing loads of amazing stories. Hopefully I'll have a few to tell when I get back!
My plans have changed already. Have been speaking to a German lady who has just come from a school in Sumatra, they let travelers stay there for free in exchange for talking English to the students there. I'm going to travel there with a German/ Canadian couple - a train ride and then four hours on a boat - and give them the suitcase full of donations as I think they need it more than the school in Thailand. Sumatra looks like a really interesting island so I might spend some time there. I might travel through Indonesia or I might get a boat to Penang and go into Thailand. Decisions decisions!
Today I've been wandering around KL. Went to the National Mosque which was great. Chatted to a lovely lady about Islam for ages and learned loads of new things. It seems like Monday in KL is like Sundays in England so nothing much really was open. Went for a (very) long walk to the Lake Gardens which were cool and then managed to get brutally lost. Ended up at some government building barricaded by three police officers and was pointed in the opposite direction! Tomorrow I'm going to go and check out the planetarium and the Islamic Arts museum as they were shut today.
Weather is really hot and humid here although it rains for about an hour once a day. The thunder storms are amazing. Watched one through the window of the plane as we were descending into KL. Hostel is basic but totally fine. Sharing a room with some other girls and it's all good. The other backpackers are all really friendly and I'm hearing loads of amazing stories. Hopefully I'll have a few to tell when I get back!
My plans have changed already. Have been speaking to a German lady who has just come from a school in Sumatra, they let travelers stay there for free in exchange for talking English to the students there. I'm going to travel there with a German/ Canadian couple - a train ride and then four hours on a boat - and give them the suitcase full of donations as I think they need it more than the school in Thailand. Sumatra looks like a really interesting island so I might spend some time there. I might travel through Indonesia or I might get a boat to Penang and go into Thailand. Decisions decisions!
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