Travel Journal

Kanchanaburi

chloe_in_asia — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:47:00 GMT

Spent two great days in Kanchanaburi and off to Bangkok tomorrow for shopping at the weekend market!

The Bridge on the River Kwai is in Kanchanaburi so I have been learning all about the death railway which is really really interesting. Yesterday I hired a bike (as usual) and cycled round the museums and the cemeteries. The Thailand-Burma Railway centre museum was excellent with so much good information about something I knew relatively little about. The Japanese sent 270,000 Asian labourers and over 60,000 Australian, British, Dutch and American POWs to build the railway line from Bangkok to Burma. Of the 60,000 Allied POWs who worked on the railway, 12,399 died. The number of Asian labourers who died is unknown as no records were kept but it is estimated to be over 90,000. They died because of poor living conditions and Japanese brutality even though the Japanese had agreed to stick to the terms of the Geneva convention. One man died for every sleeper on the railway. I visited two allied cemeteries which were both very moving but so beautifully kept, just like the ones in Normandy.

Today I went on a tour and visited Hellfire Pass which is a cutting into the mountain dug by POWs so that the railway could pass through. After that we caught the train and rode on a part of the 130km of railway still in use (415km were originally constructed). We finished the tour with a trip to the actual bridge over the river kwai which is, in fact, just a bridge and wasn't quite the trip highlight you would imagine!

Also went to the Erawan National Park which has a seven tiered waterfall. Was on the tour with a lovely French family from Bordeaux with a daughter also called Chloe. They adopted me for the day and we had a great time swimming in the waterfalls, particularly at tier 5 where you can slide down the rocks (safely I promise).

Anyway dinner time now and shopping in Bangkok tomorrow. Going to have to say goodbye to my gorgeous hotel with little bungalows all along the river!

Home soon,

The happy traveller xxx

Cycling cycling cycling

chloe_in_asia — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:04:00 GMT

only got 2 mins on the internet but am safe and happy in a very hot and very busy Ayuttaya. It's mother's day so all the Thai's have a holiday and most of them seem to have come here. tomorrow I'm going to kanchanaburi to see the death railway and the national park. 3 days there and then back to bangkok to see the floating market and to think about coming home! Lots of love xxx

Homestay and Soppong

chloe_in_asia — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:01:00 GMT

Got back safely to Chiang Mai this afternoon and have booked my sleeper train this evening to Ayuthaya which is the old capital city and just outside Bangkok.

Had an amazing time on my homestay. Stayed with Susanan and her family who belong to a Lisu hilltribe. The village was so peaceful and right up in the mountains and the family was so lovely. Decided to spend two nights there just reading, walking around the village, helping with the cooking and gardening and playing with Susanan's 3 month old granddaughter. It was the perfect place to just take time out from having travelled constantly for 5 weeks and to just think about what an amazing time I have had.

I should point out though that despite being in the middle of nowhere the village was not what you would imagine. I realised this on the minibus to Soppong which I was sharing with 3 hilltribe women. They were dressed in their traditional clothes and speaking Lisu not Thai and then one of them pulled out a mobile phone about 5 times nicer than mine! Susanan said that village life has changed a lot recently as they now have televisions, electricity and mobile phones. The lovely thing about the village though was that the traditional way of life was still being preserved and it seemed that technology was having a mainly positive, not negative effect.

I left the village first thing this morning and went to the market in Soppong. From there I went to the Tham Lod caves which are among the largest caves in Asia. They were absolutely amazing and because I got there by 8.30 none of the tourist groups had arrived and me and my guide were the only ones there. The only way i can describe it was like something out of Lord of the Rings. There was a river running through the caves and we had to get a tiny bamboo raft along it. And at the entrance there were thousands of bats and swifts circling around and hanging from the ceiling. It was really really incredible.

Then lots of buses: one back to Pai and then a minibus from Pai to Chiang Mai. There were no problems though so it was only 4 when I arrived here. Train leaves at 9pm and arrives a 7am so hopefully will just sleep through that journey. Will spend one day in Ayuthaya and then head to Bangkok tomorrow evening or the following morning. Not going to spend long in the city though as am planning trips to the death railway, the floating market and maybe the beach :)

Nearly made it back to the start which means it's nearly time to go home. Going to make the most of the last few days.

Lots of love,

The ever-happy traveller xxx

Amazing afternoon in Pai

chloe_in_asia — Sat, 8 Aug 2009 21:28:00 GMT

So as if I hadn't already had a pretty good day already...

Went and had my haircut because Pai made me feel adventurous. For 3 pounds (!!!) she did a pretty good job. Unfortunately no one is here to back me up that its ok but its basically the Keira Knightley look that I promised I would do before I left.

After that I wandered around the 4 main streets which make up Pai and they were all very chic and pretty. Got quite hungry and someone pointed me towards a food market. The food market was good but even better was the festival going on in the field at the end of the street. I still have no idea what it was for but there were all these food stalls in a square and then a stage at one end with a THai band and Thai dancers. Tried something from nearly every stall then sat down on the chairs and tables in the middle of the square to eat sweet pork and sticky rice wrapped in a banana leaf which was very yummy

Then there were all these children who had set up games and craft stalls. One group was making bracelets out of string. They tied the string to their big toe and then looped different colours around their fingers and wound them in and out of each other to make it plait. Anyway you could try it out for free! So they taught me how to make 2 types and laughed at me when I couldn't do it but it was so much fun and they were really sweet. Then went back down and watched some dancing and ate more food - mini pancake things with all different fillings :)

Going to bed shortly as I have to get up for the bus tomorrow. Have really enjoyed my day in Pai and can understand why most of the travellers you meet here have been here for 3 months as opposed to 3 days.

Won't be able to blog for at least 2 days as there will definately not be internet in my homestay village. Might not blog for 5 days if I stay in SOppong longer and then i have to spend nearly 2 days travelling to Bangkok. So don't worry about me, as always just assume I'm having an amazing time.

Lots of love xxx

Chiang Mai and Pai

chloe_in_asia — Sat, 8 Aug 2009 16:09:00 GMT

Yesterday cycled to two museums in Chiang Mai which on the map looked easy enough but typically turned out to be considerably more difficult. Nevertheless it was a great adventure in the rain and I found them in the end and they were really good.

Took the bus to Pai (pronounced "pie" by travellers and "bye" by locals) and arrived at 8pm. There are only 2 streets so it wasn't hard to find a place to stay. Ended up at Charlie's House which is basic but clean and at 3 pounds a night I'm not complaining. The guy in the room next door is working for the army in Kuwait so I'm definately safe.

Went for dinner but cheated and bought a chicken and cheese sandwich with chips :) Met Roy from Israel who was good company and then went for an early night.

Today was a really really good day. Had my one and only lie in of the holiday and didn't wake up until 11.30! Think I really needed to catch up on some sleep and now I feel really refreshed and ready for the next few days. Had brunch and then hired a bike and made up for my lazy start with a 17km bike ride. Cycled through gorgeous mountain scenery and sometimes was the only person on the road. Stopped half way at the hot springs for a bath which was SO relaxing but really really hot. Cycled home past Pai Canyon and through some villages and only got rained on in the last 5 mins. Going to have my hair cut now as it's only 3 pounds and I feel I need a change.

Tomorrow I am going to Soppong where I have arranged a homestay in a tiny little village. It's run by 2 Canadians and is meant to be one of the least tourist homestays you can do so I'm really looking forward to it. Then I'm going to see the caves in Soppong which are the largest in Asia. Then back to Pai and onto Chiang Mai and back to Bangkok!

Happy and chilled after my day in Pai :) Lots of love xx

Back in Thailand

chloe_in_asia — Thu, 6 Aug 2009 16:39:00 GMT

Sorry for lack of blogging over the last few days. Left Laos a day earlier than planned and have been busy for the last two days exploring Chang Mai.

Took the slow boat up the Mekong from Luang Prabang to Huay Xai which was so relaxing and peaceful. 10 hours of travelling for 2 days but they passed so quickly. Overnighted in Pak Beng where there was no electricity and the generators cut out after 10pm so that was a painfully hot night without a fan. Beautiful views of the river and passed a few tiny villages where the men were fishing and the women were washign the clothes in the river. Another overnight at the border because it was closed by the time we got there.

Took a quick boat across the river to the thai border which was the most painless border experience so far. Then it was a 7 hour bus ride from Chang Khong to CHiang Mai which I think made everyone appreciate the comfort and fresh air of travellign by boat.

Chiang Mai is a great city. Went out with the boys last night and there were lots of great bars, an amazing night market and brilliant street food. Spent this morning looking around some temples which were really stunning and a very different style to most of the others I have seen in South East Asia. Beef and noodle soup from a street vendor for lunch $1 and cycling round the city this afternoon to see everything going on.

Probably moving onto Pai tomorrow by myself. Planning to do some trekking and maybe a homestay with a hill tribe. Then onto the tiny town of Soppong to see the biggest caves in Asia and maybe do some rafting.

Nice to be back in Thailand, particulary because of the food which is just so good and so cheap. Enjoying travelling with the Justin and Liam at the moment but also looking forward to meeting mroe new people in Pai.

Lots of love xxx

Elephants

chloe_in_asia — Sun, 2 Aug 2009 18:41:00 GMT

Only got 5 mins to tell you all about another completely awesome day.

Took a minibus out to the elephant camp. Rode on the elephants around the jungle for about an hour. It felt weird at first but was really fun. They are nothing like how you expect them to be - the top of their heads are really hairy and their skin is just so thick.

Then we went to the caves which were beautiful but it was so so hot. Spectacular views of the Mekong and the mountains around.

Lunch back at the elephant camp and then chilled while all the Laotians had their afternoon nap - they cease to function when it gets too hot. Then back with the elephants, rode them without the seat and then went bathing with them in the river. Mine really didnt want to go where they told it to but washing them (and being washed by them) was really really fun.

On the way back to LP we went to a village that makes rice wine. The clear wine was nice and not too strong but the whisky was like vietnam rice wine and was really really strong.

Back in LP now for a chilled out evening spending more money on the night market. Met up with the guys i met in Nha Trang last night and will probably travel with them until Bangkok.

Very happy, very chilled in lovely Laos. Going to waterfalls tomorrow then leaving for Thailand the next day.

Lots of love

Chloe xx

Luang Prabang

chloe_in_asia — Sat, 1 Aug 2009 13:20:00 GMT

Arrived safe and sound last night and stumbled across a lovely hostel. Am sharing a dorm with Tammy, 19 from South Korea who was so happy to have a room mate after being by herself for 2 days. We are meeting up tonight for dinner and might go on a tour tomorrow - kayaking and elephant trekking. Just chilling out in the city today which is absolutely gorgeous. More like a town, really relaxed, very cheap and right on the river. Will probably chill here for a few days and then might be meeting up with some English guys I met in Nha Trang. Will get the boat to the Thai border and then out to Chang Mai and maybe Pai. Haven't got any real plans but will probably just stick to Northern Thailand rather than going out to the islands and rushing back to Bangkok. Will spend at least 4 days in Chang Mai as treks are normally 3 days long and apparently the city is really nice too.

Off to buy some more shorts now and then going to hire a bicycle and just bobble about for the day.

Lots of love, Chloe xxxx

ps. mum and dad do you know you can log into your email account from abroad? just go to www.btyahoo.com and sign in. Then I can email you. Good luck Kits - I'm sure you will have a great time!

Airport

chloe_in_asia — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:43:00 GMT

Very weird to be at the airport - feels like i should be going home!

Happy to leave Hanoi as I felt I had seen everything. Sad to leave Vietnam as I have really settled into the culture and the country. Definately a place to come back to in the near future.

Onto Laos now. Will blog from Luang Prabang. MAking it up as I go along now - might go to Vang Vieng for tubing then have no idea where im going in Thailand other than Chang Mai.

More adventures! Lots of love xxx

Ha Long Bay

chloe_in_asia — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:51:00 GMT

I'm back :)

Had such an amazing time on my tour. Unfortunately I don't have much time to blog as I want to go to this museum before I catch my bus to the airport this afternoon.

Basically it was incredible. No picture can convey how stunning Halong Bay is. We were on an absolutely amazing boat with rooms which were nicer than lots of the hotels I have stayed in! Spent the first morning chilling on the sunbeds even though it was a bit cloudy and then did lots of jumping off the boat and swimming. In the afternoon we took kayaks out to the cave which was really fun. It was our tour guides first tour by himself so he did manage to get us a little bit lost but it all worked out as we found this cave which he didnt think anyone had been in before.

Went back to the boat for dinner - the food was absolutely amazing too. In the evening we just had a party on the boat and I was very glad I booked with the hostel as there were lots of other boats in the bay which were all silent by 10.00.

Woke up at 7.30 on day 2 and changed boats so that the people on the short tour could go back and we could go on to the beach. Can't really describe how amazing the beach was. Basically it was in the middle of nowhere and there were only 20 of us on it including all the staff. The only civilization we could see was only of the floating houses. Palm sleeping huts with little mattresses and mosquito nets, two gorgeous little puppies wandering around and surrounded by jungle. Spent the whole day chilling there, occasionally having to pinch myself when I realised where I was. In the evening we set fire to an old broken boat and all the paper rubbish and basically had a massive bonfire. The guides cooked an amazing barbeque with chicken, squid and sausages. Party on the beach. Swimming in the dark and the water was filled with plankton which sparkled when you moved. It was just incredible.

The next morning we got back on the boat and headed home. Still had an amazing 4 hours driving through the bay as no two views are the same and it just goes on forever and ever.

Back in Hanoi now and the whole thing seems a bit surreal as it was just so incredible. The people were great so I had plenty of company. And flying to Laos tomorrow so the adventures just go on and on :)

I will blog from Luang Prabang but not until tomorrow afternoon as I arrive this evening and will need to find a hotel and food before internet.

Lots of love to everyone

Chloe

Ps. Kits dont go on the internet on your phone as it will use up all your credit very very quickly. Just wait until you find internet. I know you are all having a great time so don't worry about getting in touch all the time. We can just text instead. Although please tell dad that I can't read picture messages on my phone (annoyingly) so please send regular texts. Thanks xxx

Spending more money :)

chloe_in_asia — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 19:46:00 GMT

Just blew $110 on a cruise to Ha Long Bay!

Arrived safely in Hanoi and spent the day walking around the Old Quarter. There are hundreds of companies that offer cruises and prices range from $15 to $200. The problem is that most of the cheap ones, even up to about $40, often scam you and cram the boats full so it's not quite the experience you had planned. I also don't want to end up on a boat full of couples and Vietnamese as this makes it quite difficult to meet new people. Fortunately someone told me about the Hanoi Backpackers Hostel. It is run by an Aussie guy and they organise their own boat trips. I asked people there what they thought of the trips and all advised against the $50 budget option and raved about the 3 day tour. So I'm all booked! Will be packed with backpackers and should be a once in a lifetime oppotunity. Leaving the day after tomorrow which means one more day to explore Hanoi. Tomorrow I plan to go the Mausoleum to see Uncle Ho and then to the museums in that area.

Hanoi is nice enough but takes a bit of getting used to. Walking around the old quarter is great as every street seems to be for a different thing. One was shops selling just sellotape and another was shops selling just herbs. Bizzare but brilliant. Then walked to the citadel and then to the Hanoi Hilton where American POWs were held which was very interesting.

Booking my flight to Luang Prabang tonight or tomorrow. Going to book into the backpackers hostel for tomorrow night and for when I get back from Ha Long Bay as I think that is my best chance of meeting someone who is going the same way as me.

Don't think I blogged about my tour of the DMZ but it was brilliant. Our lovely guide Hai (Hi) explained about all the places although there was really very little to see except the odd blown up tank and people selling 'souvenir' dog tags. Great trip though and met three English people so we all had a fun day. The Vinh Moc tunnels were absolute luxury compared to Cu Chi - you could stand up and everything - although I still dont know how people managed to live in them for up to 5 days at a time.

Will blog again tomorrow before a few days of radio silence while I'm in Halong.

lots of love xxxx

Hue

chloe_in_asia — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:48:00 GMT

A serious shock to the system this morning - our bus actually arrived on time. Still don't believe it as normally you have to add at least 2 hours onto any estimated time of arrival. We didn't quite know what to do with ourselves when we were standing at the bus stop at 11.30 this morning with so many unexpected hours to use. Stunning bus ride as well as it went along the coast road. Passed some places we recognised from the Top Gear special as well.

It was actually very fortunate we were so early as the only buses to Hanoi were tomorrow or Tuesday. So instead of hanging around we decided to whizz through the sights of Hanoi and will leave tomorrow on the sleeping bus.

So we checked into another gorgeous hotel and popped into the lovely, lonely planet recommended cafe opposite. Had a cheeseburger and chips for lunch and booked a moto tour with the lovely Thu who runs 'Cafe on Thu Wheels'. If anyone is ever in Hue you want to book into the Phong Nha Hotel, head to the cafe and not really move from there :)

Moto tour was $8 and our four lovely drivers took us around all the sights. The Citadel, the main Pagoda, the Japanese bridge, monks praying at a temple and the Tu Duc Tomb (apparently the best one). Then up to a mountain to see US bunkers and watch the sunset on the river which was just beautiful.

Back to the cafe and I was starving so ordered beef and fried rice AND spring rolls. They were completely delicious (yes I am seriously enjoying the food). Am now contemplating a pancake for dessert as it's only $0.50.

Tomorrow I have booked (from the same cafe) a tour of the Demilitarized Zone. Apparently there's not much to see but I thought zack would never forgive me if I came back without a good few photos of some blown up tanks! It workds out really well actually as the bus gets back to Hue at 6 but my bus leaves at 5. But Thu has arranged for the tour to drop me in a place the bus stops to pick people up just north of Hue. So its all good :)

Onto Hanoi tomorrow then. Of course will try to blog. Am going to book the boat to Halong Bay as soon as I get there and I'm already really looking forward to it.

Anyway I have resisted the temptation to have a pancake for long enough. Pancake and a lemon juice (which is so SO yummy) and then an early night as I leave at 6 tomorrow.

Lots of love to everyone! XXXXXX

My Son

chloe_in_asia — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:46:00 GMT

Today I went on a tour to My Son where there are ruins from the Cham era - about the 13th century. It was a beautiful setting, right in the middle of the mountains. Then took a boat trip back to Hoi An which was just wonderful. Everything here is poscard-picture perfect and I have way too many landscape shots on my camera! It is absolutely boiling here (not that I'm trying to rub it in or anything).

The sun has been out constantly for the last two days and by about 3 o clock it is too hot to do anything. All the locals seem to fall asleep at their market stalls and I just sit in the shade by the river and watch the world go by.

Back to the hotel now to chill and then out for dinner on the riverside. Leaving for Hue tomorrow morning which is supposed to be amazing.

Lots of love

Hoi An

chloe_in_asia — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:56:00 GMT

This morning I went to a tailors and blew $70 on dresses :P

It was possibly the best shopping experience of my life. The shop was run by two sisters who both spoke really good english. We sat down and chatted for ages then went through tons of magazines so I could pick the style of dress I wanted. I could also go on the internet to see if I wanted to make a copy of dresses from Topshop and Monsoon and places. After I had picked styles I then had the choice of what seemed like every fabric under the sun. Then they took my measurements and helped me to decide exactly what I want the dresses to look like. One is going to be cotton - blue and cream and one is going to be silk with a purple pattern. I'm going to try them on this evening and then they will make adjustments so I can pick them up tomorrow. I spoke to people who have shopped around and they said $70 is a really good deal so basically its all amazing. I just wish I could bring the shops home and have all my clothes made like that. Barry had a suit made for $100 and when he went to try it on today it looked absolutely brilliant. I wish I could get stuff for you guys back home too but there are too many measurements and too little space in my bag (already not entirely sure where im going to fit the dresses and glad I didnt choose to have a winter coat made although they did offer!).

Anyway so that was a very very enjoyable morning. I then rented a bike which cost a whole dollar for the day. Basically have just spent the whole day cyling round a very picturesque Hoi An. Went out onto the peninsular and through the villages where they were mending their boats and fixing fishing nets. All the little children you pass say 'hello what is your name' and even the adults are fairly eager to chat so they can practise their english. Cycled along the river and through the old town. It's so nice to be out of the cities and be able to get on a bike without fear of a moto taking you out!

Had lovely chicken satay with sesame seeds as an afternoon snack - yes mum I am actually in love with the food. Planning to chill out this evening as our tv has HBO and Star Movies. It has been so sunny all day so the tan is getting better. Have booked a trip to My Son tomorrow where there are very old ruins. Bus there and boat back so should be a nice day out.

As always, all good. When the biggest hassle of the day is not knowing which fabric to choose for your tailor-made dress, you know it's been a pretty good day.

Lots and lots of love xxxxxx

Hoi An

chloe_in_asia — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 07:55:00 GMT

Hi guys sorry I haven;t had time to blog much - I've been too busy having an amazing time.

Spent an afternoon on the beach when we arrived in Nha Trang and then went out in the evening and had a really fun night.

The next day I went on an island hopping tour which included visiting a weird aquarium and doing lots of swimming and eating. I met a lovely famiy from Vietnam and the daughter was the same age as me and wanted to practice her English.

This morning we arrived in Hoi An after taking the overnight sleeping bus. It was actually really good as the seats reclined to almost vertical and you were given a blanket so I slept for nearly 11 hours and feel ready to start another day today. Am going to look around some tailors and maybe get a dress made and then I might hire a bicycle and just cycle around to see the town. Tomorrow I might go to My Son and then we leave for Hue on Friday morning.

Still with my Irish friends, still safe and very happy. Lots of love to everyone

ps. zack you do talk some absolute rubbish sometimes. Chris and dad, shame on you for almost believing him

Nha Trang

chloe_in_asia — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 22:59:00 GMT

arived safely this afternoon. Sat on the beach and went in the sea. Can't blog tonight as we are going out for the evening but will catch up at some point tomorrow. All safe and very happy as always lots of love xxx

Possibly the best day so far...

chloe_in_asia — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:09:00 GMT

A big claim to make, but it has been an absolutely incredible day. The easyriders are motobikers who take you on trips around the mountain region and Dacia, Barry, Martin and I booked four for the day today. At $20 for the whole trip it was an absolute steal and something I would recommend to anybody making a trip to Dalat. Just make sure you get the real ones and not the copycats - age is a good indicator as those over forty are the ones who really know the area. Our guys had been doing tours for 12 years.

Anyway we set out at 8.30 this morning after breakfast. My driver was called 'tintin' and we also had Chin, Paul and Dan. They all spoke great English and were either storytellers or comedians.

First stop was the Pagoda just outside Dalat where Chin told us all about Buddhism plus some rather rude stories he had heard from Americans he had met. We listened to the monks chanting morning prayers and then got out fairly swiftly as all the tourist buses started to arrive.

From then on it was off the tourist trail and into the beautiful mountains of the Southern Highlands. We stopped at some of the farms and wandered around the fields. All of the work is done by hand and they grow lots of different foods including strawberries and cabbage. The weather isn't right for rice so they grow coffee and flour for export instead.

There are also a lot of farms that grow flowers and we went to see them too. Dan showed us around and explained the different types they grow and that Orchids and Roses are the ones that make the most money. They also import certain flowers from Holland which they grow in giant greenhouses made of bamboo and plastic.

After the farms we drove further into the mountains and stopped a lot to admire the view. In certain places you could imagine yourself as being in the French Alps. We stopped to walk up a hill to see the best view and the motos drove round and met us on the other side. At the top there were still bunkers and sandbags from the war; most of the mountainous areas were held by the Vietcong and therefore bombed by the US. All of the trees have been fairly recently planted and are pine trees as opposed to rainforest. The use of chemicals such as Agent Orange and napalm destroyed nearly all of the vegetation.

After more driving along windy mountain roads which was really exhilarating we stopped at a small house. Inside was a strong smell, kind of like rice boiling and there were three pigs on the floor fast asleep. Paul explained that the people used the excess rice they could not export to make wine. They burnt coffee shells for fuel and then added yeast to ferment the liquid. Interesting enough but it got a whole lot more interesting which he handed us a shot of wine each. Down in one and it BURNT so much! Like grappa or junipee but so much worse. Apparently it is 65% alcohol! They call it 'happy water' and when the farmers come home in the evening they will drink about half a litre each.

Feeling slightly wobbly but happy we set off again. An interesting idea, they chose to take us to waterfalls directly after rice wine. In order to get the best view you had to walk down a very small path and over rocks and slippery stones. Not the easiest thing after a shot of happy water but we made it. You could stand almost underneath the falls and we got absolutely saturated. Great fun though :D

Lunchtime was in a little house at the side of the road which I imagine the drivers stop in almost every time they take a tour. They placed a single hob gas cooker in front of us and then but a bowl of boiling stock on top. When it came to the boil they brought out a platter of raw meat and poured it in. When that had nearly cooked they added vegetables and noodles. Then you just served yourself out of the bowl. Basically Vietnamese Raclette and it was so much fun. The guides told stories and jokes all the way through the meal and laughed at our ineptitude with chopsticks. For less than $2 it was the best meal I've had all holiday and incredible value for money.

After lunch we went to a silk factory which was yet another amazing experience. Chin explained all about the silk worms and how they create cocoons of silk. Once they are fully cocconed they are placed in hot water which means the silk is easy to spin. They were doing it all by hand on these amazing machines. I will try to find a way to upload photos in Nha Trang because it is really tricky to explain. There was also the most amazing loom which was making the silk into fabric. Dad you would have been in seventh heaven as they explained how it all worked. It is the only 'old fashioned' loom still working in Dalat and there are very few left in Vietnam. It was an astonishing piece of machinery and the woman who was working it could spot the tiniest problem almost instantly.

Temporary glitch when my bike decided to break down. But there was a garage right next to where we stopped and between the four guides and a mechanic it took less than 10 minutes to fix. Back on the road we went to see a man who makes the brooms people use to sweep their houses. More incredible work by hand and a really sweet little girl sitting watching her dad.

Last stop was a touristy one - the crazy house. I'm pretty sure they only stop there to show you what you would have been doing if you had stayed in Dalat all day and done the guidebook tour instead of the easyrider tour. It was very bizzare and not interesting at all so I think they proved their point.

Back to the hotel to say goodbye to our lovely guides. Took lots of photos and their card. To anyone going to Dalat: just look for the easyriders with blue jackets and if you happen to come accross Chin, Dan, Paul or Tintin then it's your lucky day. Best $20 I have ever spent.

Going out for dinner later although I'm still fairly full from lunch. Bus to Nha Trang first thing tomorrow morning although we have heard that there is not much there other than the beach so I don't plan on staying for more than a day.

Loving Vietnam and having so much fun with my new friends :)

Lots of love to everyone, so glad youre all enjoying the blog - I will try to keep it up.

The Happy Traveller XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dalat

chloe_in_asia — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 19:31:00 GMT

Bus journey estimated time - 6 hours Actual bus journey time - 9 hours Always add at least 2 hours for any trip in SE Asia. This one had the added problem that we got halfway up the mountain and there was stationary traffic as far as you could see. Fairly bizzare experience as motos were coming down the mountain, cars were trying to drive up on the other side of the road and everyone was standing outside their buses looking confused. After about 45 mins the traffic started to move fairly slowly but still have no idea what caused the hold up. Everyone in the buses coming the other way looked just as confused as we did. Met 3 Irish people on the bus - 2 guys one girl - who have been travelling for a while all over the world. We are sharing a room for $4 each a night and have booked a tour with the 'easy riders' tomorrow to see the mountains and the countryside around dalat. Opted out of the tourist tour of the city as it is incredibly tacky - swan pedalos on the lake and neon lit bars! Going out for dinner at the street market in a bit - the food there looked amazing :) So basically travelling alone has worked out just as I thought it would - met 3 really interesting people and will be travelling with them until at least Nha Trang which we leave for on monday morning. Great journey, amazing hotel, brilliant company. Happy happy traveller xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ps. sorry i didnt shoot the gun boys - it was fairly expensive and you both know how inept I am with the air rifle so I didnt really want to embarass myself. And thanks for looking after Chris for me Kits. I'm hoping to get Harry Potter on DVD and watch it at the hotel or maybe find a cinema in Hanoi. Lots of love guys xxx

Going Solo

chloe_in_asia — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:10:00 GMT

Boys are travelling by moto and I'm travelling by bus - so this is where the real adventure begins! Some of you will think I'm brave and maybe some will think I'm crazy but it is so safe here and I am going to meet so many people along the way.

Moving on tomorrow but I'll start with today. Spent most of it at the Cu Chi Tunnels. Got a bus first thing this morning with our lovely guide called Bean or "Mr. Bean, like the television". He was born in Vietnam but moved to the US and ended up fighting for them against the Viet Cong! But he was captured and imprisioned and at the end of the war decided he wanted Vietnam to be his home and has never left. He had some brilliant stories and talked for the entire 2 hour bus jounrney to Cu Chi! Cu Chi is a network of underground tunnels created by the Viet Minh when they were fighting the US who had bases in Saigon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%E1%BB%A7_Chi_tunnels

Easier than me explaining I think. Anyway Mr. Bean took us around the area to see many of the entrances to the tunnels and the traps which the Viet Cong set - most of which were fairly gruesome! They must have been amazing people though judging by the stories Bean told of how they avoided detection and lived for years underground. The tunnels were on 3 leveles - 3m, 8m and 13m. At the end of the tour we walked through them for 140 metres. It was pitch black in parts and the tunnels were tiny! About 80cm wide and 130cm high. You had to bend down and when they got narrow we had to crawl. It was fairly scary but also made you realise how agile and nifty the people must have been as Bean said they could run through the tunnels carrying guns, food or children. And of course everything was stolen from the Americans - even the oil to light the lamps in the tunnels.

After that mega experience I went back to HCMC and visited the War Remanants Museum. It had some great if disturbing exhibits - particularly sad was an exhibition of photos taken of people disfigured by the toxic chemical Agent ORange which was dropped by the US. Zack you would have loved the exhibits of all the weapons, heliopters, tanks and bombs about 10 times as big as me. Also at the Cu Chi tunnels you could pick any model of gun they used - AK47 etc - and fire 10 rounds. I wasn't interested but I thought of you zack :)

Went back to the market for souvenirs, picked up my laundry, went for dinner and then home to lovely family run hotel.

I leave first thing tomorrow morning for Dalat in the mountains. I hadn't planned to stop there but it is halfway to Nha Trang and so breaks up the journey a bit. Apparently it's like the french alps and 'cold' by vietnamese standards at just 18 degrees (i tried to explain that that isnt cold).

I have booked my open bus pass which was $35 and will get me all the way to Hanoi. I just reserve my seat a day in advance and I'm off to the next place. There are even sleeping buses for the slightly longer overnight journeys. My route will be:

Saigon- Dalat- Nha Trang- Hoi An- Hue- Hanoi

Keep commenting guys - i love to hear from you I'm just sorry I can't reply. You can alwys facebook me as well and if I have a chance I will reply on there.

Lots of love from the ever happy traveller. So excited for the next stage of my adventure!

over and out xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Good morning vietnam!

chloe_in_asia — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:48:00 GMT

Title too cheesy? Maybe, but technically it's true as we arrived in Ho Chi Minh at 12.30am last night. It was an eventful trip but once again an amazing adventure. The boat down the Mekong was loud, full and fairly uncomfortable but I didn't really notice any of this as the view was too absorbing. First, beautiful cambodian countryside - farmers in the fields, boys cleaning their herds of cows in the river, little shacks with children waving from the edge of the water. Then after a painless border crossing it changed to beautiful Vietnamese countryside. Boats on the river, so much going on in the huts on the riverside. Floating villages extending out accross the river. Just beautiful. Arrived in Chau Doc which was nothing spectacular so got the bus straight away organised by a very cheery and efficient tour guide from our boat. Fairly terrifying journey in the dark and rain in a country with - as far as i can tell - no highway code whatsoever. I just closed my eyes whenever the driver attemped another overtake. It wasnt even us I was worried about but the poor people on their motos right at the side of the road. Anyway it was all going swimmingly until 70 km from HCMC (Ho Chi Minh City) when the door fell off. No jokes. Slidey minibus door and someone getting off just pulled it too hard. Fortunately Henry and John helped out to whack it back into place and it worked well enough to stay on till we got there!

Today I have done another Lonely planet walking tour and walked district 1 of HCMC. Been to the museum, reunification palace (great guide), the pagoda, the market and more. The market was completely overwhelming it was packed with rows and rows of shops and so much stuff I would love to bring home. Also met these great American guys who were able to take whatever they wanted home as they worked for Fedex and were flying back tomorrow. There are some beautiful paintings being sold which they had ordered and which I would love to be able to bring back. Anyway time up again at the internet cafe. There is a lovely little vietnamese baby who lives here who wants to watch some youtube so I will find something for him after this.

Booking my open bus tour tomoro. All the stops to Hanoi for just $30. Bargain.

Thanks for the comments everyone. Glad to know zack is ok elodie and that the pednor loop runs continue :)

Lots of love

The Happy Traveller