Journey to Laos

We had a horrendous journey from Cambodia to Vientiane in Laos- arriving 27hrs and 4 buses later. We had a 4.30 am start, were both sick in the coach toilet in the morning from dodgey bread, then the air con broke... it was sweltering for about 1.5 hrs before  it came back on. Then we didn't have enough money for the Laos visa and they threatened to leave us at the border (but we managed to make up the rest with Thai baht) and finally they crammed an extra 20 people on the bus that sat on the aisle on plastic stools! By this time me and Jake were in laughing in hysterics because the day had been so awful, Jake saw the people get on and just said 'those poor souls' which set me off for ages.

After only spending a day in Vientiane we decided to leave for Vang Vieng  the next day on another five hour bus, it was here we planned to spend New Years. Vientiane is a nice city, much cleaner and prettier than Bangkok. There seems to be alot of money around and everyone drives in nice cars and there is much less poverty in the streets but there is not alot to do for tourists.

Vang Vieng is out in the country surrounded by the mountains and extremely pretty. The main attraction is tubing during the day time, where you rent out the inner tube of a bus tyre and float down a river lined with bars, zip wires and swings and they try and get you plastered. You have to be so careful though because there have been quite a few fatalities and injuries.

Tonight is New Years and Jake has been sick again this morning, hopefully he will be well enough to celebrate tonight!

Cambodia

The morning we left for the Cambodian border we got up early and got a taxi. The taxi ended up taking up to the wrong bus terminal and we ended up trying to race to the right one so we could get the bus in time. We managed to get the bus which took five hours to reach the border. At the border we were taken to the official entry point at Poipet and then had a horrendous couple of hours of queuing and filling out forms. Cambodia uses US dollars and their own currency Riel alongside one another. It cost us $20 to enter the country. We then caught a bus to Siem Reap on the other side which we were told would take 3 hours but took around 5. During that time they stopped off for a break and I was swarmed by children trying to take all my jewellery and ask for money.  Crossing over into Cambodia, it is immediately obvious that it is much poorer than Thailand. They have a horrific history and it was only a few years ago that they were liberated from the Khmer Rouge and it's leader Pol Pot. However, the Khmers are a really lovely people and  we found them so friendly. Siem Reap is a very small city but we really liked it there. We also met some lovely people, one of these was our Turkish friend Aslan who we rented out bicycles out with. I couldn't remember the last time I got on a bicycle but we ended up cycling around 100km over three days around Angkor Wat, which is 8km outside Siem Reap and what many people call the 8th Wonder of the World. It consists of about 60 ancient temples which are over 1000 years old. Unlike England which would have everything sealed off with ropes and fences you can climb all over them. Jake's bike chain snapped whilst we were out in the middle of nowhere at the temples but luckily we found some Khmers that were happy to help and we were surrounded by a massive crowd all trying to do what they thought was best. Luckily we sorted it out a 4 dollars later and it didn't end too badly!

During our time in Siem Reap we also met Emily and so we spent Christmas day with her and Aslam. We spent the day going to the floating markets in Siem Reap where the people live in houses on the river and there are shops, schools and churches all floating on the water. The kids float around in mini bath tubs with snakes wrapped around their necks asking for 'Dollar' if you take pictures of them, they literally follow you everywhere. We also went to a crocodile and fish farm whilst we were there and we saw where they had skinned the crocodiles for leather. In the evening we had a very traditional Khmer dinner, I was planning to get a Christmas dinner as I had been fantasising about roast potatoes and gravy for about 3 weeks but they were all about $15 and consisted of mashed potatoe and cauliflower cheese.

On Boxing Day Jake and I decided to treat ourselves by buying a day pass to one of the luxury hotel pools in Siem Reap. It was so nice to do nothing and sunbathe after all the cycling and sight seeing! Especially as the next day would be spent on a 27 hour bus journey.

Koh Lanta and Bangkok

On the morning we were due to leave for Koh Lanta, this time Jake was ill. We decided that we would get the ferry over anyway, which took approx 3 hrs, and left Phi Phi after three days. Koh Lanta is much much bigger than Phi Phi and because it is a very Southern island it has a heavy muslim influence. It is not as pretty as some of the others but it has lots of sandy beaches and the weather was great whilst we were there. We treated is at a mini holiday because knew the  next few weeks we would be doing lots of travelling in a short space of time. When we first arrived we were taken to the resort we had chosen to a Bamboo Hut, we could see straight through the walls so we decided to move to another hut which was much nicer, for hardly any more money we even had a TV. There was an amazing pool where we were staying which looked out over the sea, which had beautiful sunsets at night. We also met lots of people and spent alot of time with them. The first couple of nights were spent with Tom and Megan, during which we had our first Thai massage. They are really quite painful and even though Jake told his elderly woman to go softly he still ended up limping away! The same night we went to the market down by the Pier and had dinner in a restaurant where we picked our own fish and had it BBQ'd. When they left we moved into the beach hut they had been staying in which was even better and had it's own private pool, although we were paying less. After five days of relaxing we booked a night train to head up to Bangkok. We took a three hour bus to get to Trang. Whilst we waiting for the train we decided to explore around the town, we were the only Western people so everyone was staring and waving at us, which was felt really strange. At the market we bought a whole pineapple which they sliced infront of us to eat on the train. We also went to the local supermarket to try and buy some snacks, we got excited when we saw they had chocolate but it tasted disgusting so we ended handing it out to Thai children - which they loved!

The train up to Bangkok took 15 hours. We both had a top bunk but the air con made it freezing. We arrived in Bangkok at 6am in the morning and booked a room for one night. It was really strange coming back to Bangkok after being down the islands for three weeks. We decided to wanted to try and get to Cambodia as soon as possible and spent the day trying to organise how to get there. All of the travel agencies were extremely expensive and we had read that the ones in Khao San Rd often involved scams, eg) stopping at places to make you spend money. We were also very cautious because there are hundred of visa scams on the border which coaches are involved in. This involves making you pay double the price for you visa and unoffical check points. In the end we went to the Bangkok bus depot ourselves and booked the bus for a quarter of the price. Then we arranged a Tuk Tuk to take us to the Grand Palace which we hadn't managed to see last time.

Phi Phi Island

Phi Phi Island is one of the most photographed islands in Thailand because it is so beautiful, it was made popular tourists after The Beach was filmed there. Despite it being extremely small it is extremely packed and overdeveloped because so many people go there. The town is completely pedestrianised and the locals cycle everywhere. Jake felt that it was a bit of rat run because everything was so close together but I quite liked it, although it would have been better with less people. Due to demand everything is extremely expensive there for Thailand, so you don't get much for your money. The first place we stayed we paid 14 pounds for a night and it felt like a prison cell, with a ridiculous amount of steps in such a tiny room. It had no windows, like a sauna and next to construction work, so after one night we decided to upgrade to the Tropical Gardens. The rooms are made out of wood and you are made to feel like you are staying high up in tree houses, it was much better and had a pool. We stayed on Phi Phi for three nights and it was a really nice time. We bumped into Matt and Matt again and spent a couple of nights at the beach parties, where there are fire shows and lots of separate parties. There was also a bar where you watched Thai boxers fight and then when people were drunk enough they would volunteer to fight the boxers for a free bucket of alcohol. One of the most hilarious moments was watching a fat man get kicked in the balls.

On the second day we went on a boat trip to Maya Bay where The Beach was filmed. The scenery was amazing and we did the best snorkelling I have done in my life. We stopped in deep water and swam out to where there were hundreds of tropical fish that surrounded you. We even saw quite a few rainbow fish. We also stopped at Monkey beach..which is obviously covered in monkeys, they loved the bananas that people were giving them, although they can be quite aggressive and steal things. The people one that tour were also great fun so we had a really great day.

Krabi

We left for Krabi at 630 am and legged it over to the boat, got soaked,  then watched the sun come out for the first time in days as we sailed away! We got a coach from Surrathani when we got off the Ferry which had the smallest toilet I've ever seen and then arrived in Krabi around 1pm. We arranged accommodation for 250 baht, which was 2.50 each for the night, at a hostel. The room was fine but the toilet didn't flush (like most in Thailand) so you had to DIY by filling up a bucket and pouring it down the loo. Krabi town is away from the sea but is next to a river, we found a place to eat and then bumped into Matt and Matt who we had got the coach there with and who we ended up spending the next few days with as we kept going to the same places. The next day we went on the Four Island Tour which was one of our best days yet. We went snorkelling round these little islands off the coast of Krabi, some of my favorite pictures are from that day as the scenery was beautiful, made better by sun at last! The next day we had arranged to get a ferry to Phi Phi but in the night I had a migraine and was sick outside the hostel in the morning. The owners found it extremely interesting and came out to watch me and try and sell us things at the same time, I must have looked lovely. We decided to get it anyway and I luckily I felt better after a couple of hours!

Koh Phangan Safari

I haven't written on this blog for about three weeks so I am going to try and remember everything we have done... After exploring the island on the moped - the locals found it really funny that we were wearing bike hats as none of them do-  we decided it would be a good idea to book an organised tour. We'd had snatches of sun and a few hot days but as the week went on the rain was getting worse. We booked a tour for the next day and that night it was the worst rain yet, it kept us up because it was so loud- in the morning I expected to see everything had flooded. We were picked up and sat in the back of these trucks they convert into taxis by putting seats in the back. We made friends with the people on our tour, who were all really interesting, there were around 12 of us with nationalities from America, Finland, Israel, Australia, South Africa and of course England! The day was so packed we went to the Chinese Temples, the island's waterfall, saw elephants, had an archery lesson, went to the beaches, had a herbal sauna and saw thai boxing. I got taught  by one of the boxers for a bit, he said I had a hard kick! It was a really good day, by the end we were exhausted and we got back found out the Black Moon Party had been cancelled because of the rain, so we had a few drinks with the other people staying where we were.


Whilst we were on Koh Phangan we ate really good thai food, it is usually the places that look the worst that are the best. Every night we went to the market and chose our veg by putting into a basket and then it would be made into a noodle dish. One night we got a puncture on the moped when we drove down, so we took it straight to a garage, which charged us 60 baht with is the equivalent of one pound twenty. We found out afterwards the place we rented them from would have charged us sixteen pounds. We have spoken to lots of people that have been scammed by the rental place claiming you have scratched the bikes when you haven't and making them pay so it was good that we sorted it out ourselves.

We left Koh Phangan after nine days, we had a great time there..lots of it spent lying in a hammock and exploring the island, but the last few days the weather had been so awful it meant we were excited to leave and head over to Krabi.

We left Bangkok on the 28th and got a night train which took 12 hours, then a coach that took a couple of hours and a ferry that took a couple of hours- so it was a long journey! The train was actually really comfortable, they convert the seats to make bunk beds. The ferry took us to Koh Phangan, which is a really lovely island. It is so pretty, the archetypal idea of paradise! Where we is staying is literally right next to the sea and there are lots of little huts and tree house bars that are really quiet and chilled out. We are staying at the Beach Club Resort, which we didn't realise is still under construction and we are the first people to stay in the rooms, which still haven't been painted. We keep having really heavy downpours so it is quite muddy down some tracks, but the weather changes so quickly and then dries everything out, then the sun is boiling. This part of Thailand is just coming out of the rainy season. Everyone travels round the islands on mopeds so we have hired one, for the equivalent of two quid a day. It is a really good way to explore the beaches. We went to Hat rin last night where the full moon party is held. The Black Moon party is on the 6th and then the King's birthday, which the Thailand apparently really celebrates. There are pictures of the King literally everywhere and apparently it is illegal to speak badly about him. One of the best things about travelling has been meeting all the people and we have met some really good people where we are staying, from all over the place. We have another week on the island before we head over to Phuket and Phi Phi, so hopefully it will stop raining completely in that time!

Arrival

The flight over was good, the plane was about only a third full, however, unfortunately this still didn't make Jake feel any better about flying. We arrived in Bangkok at 3:30pm but didn't get to our hotel till 6:30pm, due to check in queues and the fact that we hit rush hour just as we left the airport. Bangkok is a huge city, with advertising everywhere- on the biggest bill boards I have ever seen. Our hotel was in Khao San Road, possibly the most packed road in Thailand because it is where all the tourists go and all the street sellers. It was quite a culture shock because of the heat, pollution and smell. I am ashamed to say that the first thing we ate was a Subway because we literally didn't have the energy to be more adventurous! Khao San Road even has a Boots and a Starbucks is being built. Jet lag has affected us the last few nights and we keep staying up till 5 or 6 am because we can't sleep and in English time that is about 10 or 11pm. The last couple of nights have been fun though, once you get used to Bangkok's pace there is lots of things you can do. We ate at a great place with a waterfall in the restaurant and had one of those fish spa treatments where you put your feet in a tank and they swarm around to nibble the skin! Jake also went a bit 'I'm a Celebrity' and ate some deep fried crickets, which he said weren't too bad! Yesterday we went on a Tuk Tuk ride, with a crazy driver who thought it was hilariously funny when he went over bumps and we went flying. We went to some Thai temples and organised our train down South to the Gulf of Thailand. We checked out of our hotel today and are waiting to get a sleeper train down tonight.
Lots of love xx

Date Postponed.

Unfortunately Jake hasn't been well for the last 6 weeks, ironically we think it is because of the vaccines which he had to have to travel. On Friday we decided to postpone, so we are now leaving on the 24th at 930 pm.

The Countdown

Due to demand for a 'new age gap yahh' blog I have decided to supply one. This is mainly due to the fact that people (Imogen/Dervla/Maddie) have expressed a concern they won't know where I am and what I am doing, I'm hoping this will be just as good as a GPS tracker.

I think a blog is probably a fairly good idea though because I would have sent a round email to everyone to give them updates, but seeing as I don't have everyones address this will be far easier but less personal. To talk privately, my email is laura_ayesha@hotmail.com and my skype is laura.ayesha

Jake and I leave at 9.30pm on the 15th November. For the last few months it has been all work work work to save up. The last few days have been more about the equipment and visas, which Jake has sorted out. Seeing as my flight intinerary is already going internet viral I'll try and put it up in advance, we are taking about seven flights over the four months, not including the internal ones. Seeing as Jake doesn't like flying this should be interesting!