A well deserved break!

Cambodia and the amazing people.

danielle — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:19:00 GMT

Many of you have reminded me that I failed in keeping up with my blog duty once I got to Cambodia... And there is not much I can say to that of course. My only excuse beeing that as I started to see the end of my trip come closer I chose to reserve the cyberworld very little time and spend more in the real one. You will agree that that was a wise decision...

However, because I promised I would finish what I started and just so my parents could remove the "round twit" plate that was placed in my adolescent bedroom when I was branded with the everlasting getting "round to it" logo, I am about to take you back to the depths of South East Asia and this time right until the end.

The last time I wrote in my journal I was about to leave Siem Reap and expressed the fact that I was prepared to find my trip here somewhat unsettling due to the horrific events that took place only recently in Cambodia. Fellow travellers had warned me that Cambodia could be quite rough at times and yes learning about the country's history and seeing what people whent through here is indeed very disturbing. Travelling around Cambodia is not always easy as they lack the infrastructure, some border crossings are quite tough and poverty prevails. However, this is contrasted by the incredible warmth of the population. Arguably Cambodia is not as lush and beautiful as its neigbouring countries but it undoudbtedly has the most outgoing and friendly people I have ever met. Seeing the tragic events that shaped a big part of these people's lifes, one cannot stop but marvel at their incredible hospitality and sense of humour. One gets the general impression that far from feeling defeated and bitter they have a desire to go forward and make the most out of the life they are able to live today. Politically the country is at a standstill and there are still many failures and contradiction in the system but people will do anything to keep at peace. It seems that for that very reason they avoid looking back more than necessary and are able to come accross as extremely positive and outgoing people. Of course this is a personal opinion and I know too little about the country to be able to give an objective overview. Lets just say that it is the general feeling I got and this is why I enjoyed my time in Cambodia so much.

I must say that I found people's attitude on the whole to be very uplifting in South East Asia. Maybe because unlike people in the western "civilised" world, they seem to take a lot less things for granted and are thus far more aware of others. People have an easy smile, are helpful, patient and polite. In fact coming back to Europe was a bit of a shock in that sense. I realized that I was starting to take these attitudes for granted, when in fact back in the west they seem to be exceptions to the rule and in the same line of thoughts I had forgotten how morose people in the street look here ... I am aware that I am exagerating somewhat and am beeing a bit harsh here. However, it is quite ironic to come back from a place like Cambodia and see that the same people who have all the real reasons to be unhappy gave me a lesson on positiveness... It makes me wonder what they would think of us?

On that though I shall leave you for now but I promise to write until the end.

Gallery: Cambodia: Battambang and Phnom Pen

danielle — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:23:00 GMT

Gallery: Siem Reap Cambodia

danielle — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 13:18:00 GMT

Siem Reap: first introduction to Cambodia!

danielle — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 23:21:00 GMT

Aaaah so where was I when I left you last time? Oh yes that's right I was in heaven...

We left heaven at six in the morning in a truck loaded with a reasonable amount of people (nobody was hanging out of the back..), 3 bags of fish and 4 ducks. Then on the way from the bus station to Pakse I counted 13 people plus 1 baby on our tuck tuck (the normal capacity would be for about six people). It doesn't stop to amaze me how people here manage to load any means of transport to a point where you just think: "impossible, this has to collapse!" but no it never does. They just pile more and more on and seem to master cubic meters and the art of balance to the perfection. Today I saw a scooter with 6 people on it. The other day one was carying 3 pigs on the back seat (I am not joking!), I have even seen a scooter carying two people and a bicycle...

So when we boarded our propeller Lao airline Plane for Siem Reap we marveled on how luxurious it was! As much as we enjoyed traveling the local way, this time there were no bumps, no animals, no dust, we had one entire seat to oureselves and a hostess that handed out scented cloths..eeer We actually decided to fly because it seemed sensible after hearing that the cambodian border crossing is very tedious. It takes ages, is very tiring and you are expected to pay some bribes along the way. Not worth it if you don't have much time to spare and don't want to arrive in Siem Reap exhausted. On the other hand If I had the time I would definately have gone overland just because you experience so much more that way.

We finally had to say goodbye to Laos; a country that I repeat has stolen a piece of my heart. I really loved my time there and as much as I am reluctant to recomend it to people, because I am selfish and wish it could always stay as it is: if you have a chance go now because unfortunately it is not going to stay that way for long.

Now I am writting from Siem Reap where we have spent three days exploring one of the most beautiful sights in the world. The temples of Angkor, capital of Cambodia's ancient Khmer empire are just breath taking. It so incredible to be here and be able to witness such beautiful cultural heritage. Unfortunately we are not the only ones and getting up at 5 in the morning trying to beat the hoards of Japanese and Korean bus loads is quite exhausting but still worth the effort. Standing at six in the morning in the middle of Ta prohm the jungle temple (where Tom rider was filmed), practically alone is a must.

Apparently Siem Reap has been overwhealmed by tourism over the last years to the extent that the infrastructures are collapsing (sewage systems etc...). If nothing is done about it the sights might literally start to sink. Hopefully this will not happen. The point is that coming from Laos one can see that tourism in Cambodia is way more advanced. Siem Reap is very touristy and offers a pampered vision of Cambodia. I gather that once away from it you get a very different impression of the country.

We are talking about a country that has suffered terrible times, namely ocupations and genocides up until the late 1970's. It's entire territory was riddled by landmines by the Khmer rouge in the 1980's and nowdays 300 people a month still get injured by landmine explosions. Somehow I was expecting a rough introduction to Cambodia but the beauty of the temples and the fact that Siem Reap has been accomodated for tourism stirs you a little away from reality.

Still reality is lurking behind the facade and I imagine my trip here to be quite unsetling at times once I move on. I was a bit worried at how I was going to be able to handle this but I must say once again the people make up for it. Cambodian people so far have been amazingly kind, they have a great sense of humour and always a smile on they face. Once again it makes you think. People who live in such poverty, who have suffered mutilations and wars and still find the strenght to smile. And their smiles are often much wider than most of the ones you find back home...

Tomorrow Julia is heading to Vietnam (Yes on the roads alone again) and I am taking a boat trip down the Mekong to a place called Battamban. Then I Shall head to the capital (Phnom Penh) for a couple of days. After that I will go down South to Kampot and to Kep by the beach and try to take a boat back to Thailand. My time left here is running out and I wish I had more ....

Still I miss you all of course :)

Gallery: Si Phan Don: a glimpse of heaven

danielle — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:46:00 GMT

A taste of heaven on earth

danielle — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:36:00 GMT

"There must be a rule in Laos that says the further south you go the more relaxed it becomes, because just when you thought your blood pressure couldn't drop any more, you arrive in Si Phan Don..." (The lonely planet).

Literally Si Phan Don translates as the 4000 Islands; namely the thousands of Islets that litter the mekong river at the very South of Laos on the border with Cambodia. This was to be our last stop in laos before heading out of its boundaries, so after a brief appearance into "civilisation" we boarded a bus packed with cement bags, 30 people (of whom 6 where hanging off the back), a goat jammed between our bags on the rooftop and headed straight to Don Det. This Island was to be our home for the next 6 days.

After a 3.30 hrs intense but interesting bumby bus trip and a 20 mins boat trip with a spectacular sunrise we finally got to our destination. And oh surprise! The lonely planet was once again slightly outdated... Our hoard of backpackers was offloaded straight into what seemed like a Lao reminiscence of Benidorm. Basically the very north of the Island has developped a worst version of Vang Vieng's idea of tourism only without the friends episodes blaring out of TV sets all day long (electricity supplies cannot quite handle that...yet).

So yes Laos is slowly going the way Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam are but gladly it is still a few years away from that. So when I say the lonely planet is only slightly outdated I mean that you only have to walk a few kilometres down the Island to leave Benidorm behind and fall into blissful Laos again. Not only Julia and I were advised to do that beforehand, but we also literally had no choice but to walk to find a place to stay ("sorry full"!).

It was pitch black by the time we got to our quiet location and were greeted by the friendliest face we saw that evening: "I have bungalow free 2 dolars!" hurray! We were spot on too: we got one of the nicest locations on the Island, lovely bungalows by the riverside run by a lovely family who served the best food. And yes we have come to the conclusion that we are being looked after by a guardian angel, and yes our blood pressure dropped to its lowest levels and yes we found paradise on earth!!!

I am just going to give you a sense of what we lived for that week so you don't get too jealous hey! Obviously the fact that in our quest for a place to stay, our guardian angel guided us to the loveliest guest-house on don det added a plus to our experience. The islands are beautiful and beeing surrounded by such beauty from dawn to dusk was ahhhh I cannot describe it with words. We awoke to the sunrise on the mekong river every day just about the same time as our solitaire Buffalo neighbour who bathed in the first rays of sun... We became hammock-bound icicles and time just seemed to have no purpose anymore. Only the moments are what mattered most and there were plenty of good ones. Cycling around the Islands was great but indulging in laziness was the best. To sum it all up we loved it and so would you if you had set foot on HEAVEN ON EARTH!

I am now writing from Siem Reap in Cambodia. We just arrived today, I shall keep you posted soon.

Gallery: From Vang Vieng To Champasak

danielle — Thu, 7 Feb 2008 15:41:00 GMT

I am in exactly the right places, thinking, doing and feeling exactly the right things...'

danielle — Thu, 7 Feb 2008 15:11:00 GMT

The author of the book I am reading now travels through Japan, China and Russia using the same moto `I am in exactly the right places, thinking, doing and feeling exactly the right things...'. Well I could not have put it any better! Everything I do here feels so right, every moment just lapses perfectly into the other, it is just a perfect jigsaw puzzle. I just wish it had more pieces to it... My puzzle is quite small (only 2 months!) but still very rich in colours and details.

I have now left the organic Farm in Vang Vieng where I spent 2 very special weeks and met some incredible people. And really, that is when you realize that it is mostly the people that shape your travels. Both my encounters with Lao people and fellow travelers have been the highlights of my experience here: a real breath of fresh air.

I am now traveling with Julia, a lovely american girl I met on the farm. We left Vang Vieng and traveled to Ventiane (Capital of Laos) where we arranged our visas for Cambodia. After reading that you have to have a masochist streak to you if you try to go local and attempt the 12 hour overnight bus Journey down to Pakse in a vehicule filled to the brim with both animals and humans we decided to fork out the extra 2 dollars and go VIP...Even though this is normally against my principles it was a wise decision!

Our Super VIP bus arrived at 7 am and we started a whole expedition which involved a tuck tuck journey, a local bus and a boat trip to get to Champasak. When we set foot on to the mekong's shore again we knew we had made the right decision. Champasak is beautiful, the villages are still relatively off the beaten track (judging by the scarce amount of tourists that choose to spend the night there), the people are extra nice and eager to interact with us (mass tourism has not yet spread its corrupting tentacles) and life is so so so relaxed. My whole body just drifted into a layedback mode that was unknown to me yet. blissful!

Most people go to Champasak for the day just to visit the What Phou Champasak temple. The ruins are enchanting and date back to the period of the famous Angkor Watt site in Cambodia. Definately worth seeing especially on your way to Cambodia. Unlike most others we decided to stay 2 nights and make the most out of this charming location. And we where among the very lucky few (I quote the lonely planet) who get to visit the neighboring Island, which name I shall not mention because if you are planning to go there you should work a little extra hard and help preserve this gem of a place.

The island is about 8 km long. We spent the whole day biking around beautiful villages in which time seemed to have stoped. At one point we sat by a dirt road and some buffaloes enjoying the scenery when a whole family came out to 'talk' to us. They spoke no english we spoke practically no Lao but we managed to spend 1 hour with them exhausting all the Lao in our phrasebooks and wished we had planned for a homestay. We both came away amazed that such a place still existed. Amazed at the quality of life these people seemed to have despite not having as many dollars as us... Just dazled and amazingly amazed!

Know we are back into 'civilisation' and I am writing to you from a computer screen in Pakse. We just came here to get over and done with civilised things... booked our flight to Siem Reap Cambodia for the 14th, whent to a bank and are heading back to our blissful Lao lifestyle shortly. We are going to the 4000 islands, at the very south of Laos where electricity runs out at 10 PM and you can rent a bungalow for 1 dollar by the mekong river. So I guess you will not hear from me for a while hey!

Thanks to all for your messages I really enjoy reading them please don' t stop!!!! This is a part of civilisation i still enjoy :)

Gallery: Rescued photos from virus disaster

danielle — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 23:46:00 GMT

Stay another day in Laos

danielle — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 23:42:00 GMT

As you must have guessed for youreselves I have acquired a new concept of time since I have set foot in Laos...Hence the large gap since my last post! Please forgive me but bear in mind that I am really enjoying this new concept. In fact I almost even forgot my birthday!!! I realized it was the 20th of January at 6 o clock in the evening...We just made up a last minute celebration :) Thks for your messages, it is always so nice to hear from home.

So for those of you that have been inquiring about my current situation on planet earth, please rest assured: I AM OLDER BUT HEALTHY, HAPPY AND HAVING THE TIME OF MY LIFE!!!

In fact I think that I have slowly let myself fall in love with this country and was pleasantly surprised to find out that I was given a 2 month visa for Laos instead of the standard one. While in Luang Prabang I picked up a brochure entitled "Stay another day in Laos".It develops the idea that as a tourist you can contribute to the community by using your time and spending your money wisely (for those interested the web page is www.stay-another-day.org). Following that idea and the fact that I am having the best time here I decided to stay another few days/weeks in Laos and explore the realms of sustainable tourism.

I am now writing to you from Vang Vieng where I have spent the last week working on an organic farm (www.laofarm.org) at which I am staying. The surroundings are stunning, with caves and mountains all around. It is also known as a back packers paradise where you can sit in a cafe and watch friends all day...eeeer go tubing down the river and jump of really high swings into the water while Bob Marley is blearing out of loud speakers. Trashy you may ask! Yes totally but still you have to do it at least once for the fun!!!

I did that once but have spent the rest of the time on the farm helping build a house, cruising through lovely landscape and bathing in amazing lagoons. So I am also up to my knees with cement! I have met a lovely crowd of people, and have been sucked even further into the deapths of Asia.

The trip from Luang prabang to Vang Vieng was stunning. Unfortunately all my pictures were erased by a virus so I have just memories and nothing to show you... I have so much to tell but halas not too much time to write so I shall try my best to update you on the missing parts as soon as I can! I have the funniest anecdotes involving monkeys defleeing cats, dancing at a wedding party and well eeeer many more but that is for NEXT TIME!

Gallery: Laos: Luang Prabang

danielle — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 22:59:00 GMT

Lao: The refuge of the last dreamers...

danielle — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 21:50:00 GMT

Guys! Guys! I know it has been a while since I have not written and believe me I have so much to tell you that I don't think I can do it in one go! (Dad internet cafes have sprung up like chicks throughout Laos but you will be gald to hear that I have not seen one Mac Donalds yet :).

So instead of starting from the begining like expected I shall start from the end, ie the most exciting bit! Yesterday I attended a Baby shower party in a small village outside of Luang Prabang (Former capital of Laos situated in the North). It was an amazing experience and I just have to share it with you.

I left Chiang Mai (Thailand) and entered Laos through the northern border at a place called Chiang Khong in Thailand. Then I took a slow boat down the Mekong river to Luang Prabang. The journey was 2 days long and the scenery was amazing. It was the perfect trip to enter into the lovely laid back athmosphere that prevails throughout the country. I met Alan and Daniel on the way to the border. We traveled together and met Sit on the boat. Sit is from Laos and was going back to his wife's village to see his new born baby. We got on really well and when we got to Luang Prabang he invited us to go and visit him the next day, which obviously we did!

More I travel more I come to realize that hospitality is a word that we know too little about back in Europe. The highlight of my trips have always been meeting incredibly kind and welcoming people, who have twice as less than we have but give twice as much...

Sit and his family are one of these people. We whent to visit the baby, spent a lovely day with them and got invited to a delicious meal (aaaaaah the food makes me go crazy here! it is sooooooooo good). Then just like that he invited us to go to the party he was giving for the baby, the following monday. And what a party! It is a big celebration where the baby gets blessed by all the family who perform some rites to wish him a good life. After the ceremony the party begins and you basically eat, drink (a lot)and dance from 10 am until dusk or even late in the night. We all had a wonderful time! I will never forget any of it and I can t wait to tell you in details when I get back.

I am still in Luang Prabang which is a beautiful town that has been given the world heritage label by Unesco. French architecture mingles amid beautiful temples and a very relaxed village feel (Lao only has 6 million inhabitants so i was told so even the major cities feel like villages). It is a great place to relax and there is also plenty of voluntary work opportunities (teaching english or spanish for example at schools or temples etc) for travelers who are interested. Tomorrow I am going to give some classes to children.

Laos had been labled by a french writer as a refuge to the last dreamers... a place where western influence did not disturb the peaceful pace of the lao people (well aside from the bombs that were dropped by them during the war and the french domination period..). While Lao is still an amazing place to relax, the tourist industry has boomed over the last years and I am afraid that the last dreamers have to venture a bit further out as time passes by. 5 star hotels, resorts and guest houses spring up every day, so do the internet cafes (there is a monk sitting on the computer next to me) and I am sure carefour is on its way. Laos though is still a gem of a place where it takes an 8 hour bus journey to get to the next town... 200 km down the road! And where life adjusts itself to the tranquil pace of the Mekong river... I am loving it!

Well I guess i will have to tell you about the beginning in my next post...

Gallery: Laos, crossing the border and the trip down the mekong river

danielle — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 02:22:00 GMT

Gallery: Thailand: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Chiang khong

danielle — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 22:13:00 GMT

From Bangkok to Chiang Mai; planning the Grand Escape

danielle — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 01:53:00 GMT

Ok so last time I left you, I was writing from busy and bustling Bangkok. You will be pleased to see that not too much time has passed since ... See not only am I thinking of you but I am keeping up with my blog duty!

For me Bangkok is a lighter version of what I imagine India to be : a place where all your senses are called to function simultaneously. It is Thailand all in one! The noise, the colors, the smells make this city fascinating but also slightly overwhealming. Most guides recommend to leave the capital city for the end of the trip in order to really be able to appreciate it. I agree! So although I enjoyed my stay in Bangkok, I happily boarded on the overnight train to Chiang Mai.

I must say that the minute I got to Chiang Mai station I new that i had made the right decision in traveling up North. Chiang Mai is a major city but feels like a village, it is scattered with temples where you can sit for hours and adapt to the slower pace at which the Thais live (It is very contagious believe me!). The food is delicious in a superkalifragelisticexpealidotious way and the people are lovely with a capital L.

Needless to say that in the end I changed my route and decided to make the most of the city instead of heading of to Pai before my grand escape to Laos.

Wright now I am in a town called Chiand Kong just on the border with Laos, overlooking the Mekong river. It looks like the pace is getting slower as I go along... so as the Thais would say : "sabai sabai" Or in other words it is just fine. I shall write more about my very eventfull and enjoyable stay in Chiang Mai (with photos!!!) once I get to Laos.

My time is limited so I can't write more but promise you a feast of words next. hey! hey!

Landing In Bangkok

danielle — Fri, 4 Jan 2008 19:20:00 GMT

First of all thanks to all of you for those lovely emails you sent me. I will try to answer as soon as I can and send you lots of electronic besos meanwhile.

So after spending new year in the sky I landed in Thailand just 3 days ago. I suppose Bangkok is not the best place to arrive if you want a GENTLE introduction to the thai culture. Don' t get me wrong, I love the cahos of the city but as it is my third time here I decided to take it easy instead and work my way slowly through the jet lag process.

The fact that I am staying in a little heaven of a place made my plan all the easier. The hostel is called suk 11 and I strongly recomend it to anyone who is planning to stay in Bangkok (www.suk11.com).

Also travelling alone makes you much more of an observer and I am enjoying walking around the streets of Bangkok, eating out of the thai stalls and talking to people. The thai people are very friendly and my phrase book and I have been having some interesting social moments. So I am sorry to say that I have not really been on any tourist sites so far and do not have much photos to show you for the moment but I am enjoying myself very much.

As I said when travelling alone, one s attention spam is much wider and although it is an advantage most of the time it can also be a disadvantage. Especially in Bangkok where one cannot stop but notice the extent of the sex industry. I am quite tired of bumping into middle aged european loosers holding hand with beautiful thai girls. It is a very sad situation to witness especially when you realise that most of these girls do not have many other options. It gives much room for reflection on our own society where people are so succesfull and ... lonely that they need to go all the way to Bangkok to buy some love!

Aside from the sex tourists I have already met some very nice people though! While I was sitting at the bus stop at the airport I met a lovely Swiss couple who turned out to be going at the same hostel as me! So I spent a few days with them before they left for Cambodia (I am sure we will meet again at some border...)

Yesterday I whent to collect my visa at the Laos Embassy. Believe me it was an expedition in itself and I still am asking myself how I managed to get there in the end. But I did it!!! Just as well I met another American backpacker who knew his way back...

So tonight I am taking the overnight train to the north of Thailand (Chiang Mai). The plan is to go trecking near Pai which is about 4 hours from Chiang Mai and cross the Laos border from the north. Once in Laos I shall take a boat down the Mekong river to Luang Prabang. I am really looking forward to getting to Laos as I have heard so many good things about it. Only the transport systems are really bad (it can take up to 2 days to go 100 kms!!!) so i guess I will be spending a lot of time there. And yes I shall have photos to show you...

The big jump!

danielle — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 11:15:00 GMT

So this is it then! I have two days left to head off and my entire floor is covered with junk. Nothing has reached the inside of my backpack yet...Anyways just how many things does one need after all? Seriously!

Yes I am as disorganised as ever but at this point in life I reckon this will never change. However, as experience has shown me in the past I WILL GET ON THAT PLANE! I will forget quite a few things on the way, but my head will remain screwed on (or so I hope!).

I cannot promise the unpromisable but I shall try to write on this journal as often as posible. Just so you can keep track of my whereabouts and so my parents don't phone the secret services if they haven't heard from me in a while :)

I suppose that once I get to Bangkok I will spend a few days organising my route (YES YOU READ WELL: ORGANISE!)and then I shall head off to Laos.

Up until the I wish you all a GREAT NEW YEAR!!! Hope you have a ball! Please have a few drinks on my behalf but behave :) And don't forget to send me some news from time to time (you know they have secret services in Asia too...).

Feliz Ano nuevo!!!! Pasarlo fenomenal! Espero noticias suyas.

Lots of Love

Dannie

Gallery: Taking a bit of Barcelona with me

danielle — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 10:09:00 GMT