This was long overdue and now that I have a charger for my laptop, I can continue updating. Only now I lost my iPod instead with all my music. I’ll be purchasing an iPhone once I get to Australia or Argentina so I can use sim cards and make phone calls every now and then since I’ll be living in Argentina for a little while (Keep reading)
Vientiane, Laos
Spent a bit too much time in Vang Vieng between recovering and partying. Good fun though. Short bus ride from Vang Vieng to Vientiane (the capital of Laos). In most of the places Chris and I arrive at we have no idea where we will be sleeping and usually rely on other travelers to tell us where to go and that’s exactly what we did. For a low season we were surprised how packed most of the guest houses were. We’ve checked into RD Guesthouse which is next door to the more popular packed guest house called Mixay. Time for some exploration.
Vientiane is certainly very different from the other destinations we’ve been to in Laos. It’s a city but I wouldn’t really call it that either. It’s fairly small with most buildings being at most 4 stories high. Tuk-Tuks and motorbike drivers are much more aggressive here. Didn’t take long before we were offered for weed, girls, drugs, and anything else they may have in their menu. Seriously they name at least 10 things as I continue to walk past them. Different people handle this in different ways and what I do is continue walking as if they don’t exist and the words pass on by as they continue to talk to me. Even if I say NO, they continue to hassle you as if I was going to change my mind. Key is to stay chill because I can see this being pretty annoying to someone who doesn’t stay calm. China was pretty bad as well but I was never offered girls and drugs on a constant basis. Sad to see the economy going in this direction however you need to understand they are doing whatever it takes to get food on their table. Not saying it’s right but they don’t have many options here.
Not much to really see in Vientiane so we only stayed one night while our Cambodia visa was being processed. Ate pretty good local food, sat by the river with a beer, and walked around town. I never took a million of anything from an ATM (Cash Point? LOL) before so I had to do it and took out a million in KIP currency. I was a millionaire for the day haha. Met up with Ruth as well again in Vientiane which was nice. Walking down to get some Indian food (which we’ve been eating so much of lately) we spot Victoria and Laura sitting down! Met them in Xi’an, China over a month ago and we’ve been chatting on face book to meet again. Unfortunately they were only stopping by Vientiane for a few hours waiting for their next bus to Vang Vieng so we didn’t have much time to talk or hang out. I’m glad we were able to meet up again though. Very nice girls and hopefully see them down the road sometime again soon.
Next destination is Pakse, Laos!
Pakse, Laos
Pakse was similar to Vientiane in some ways in terms of the city layout and aggressiveness. Don’t get me wrong though, the people of Laos are extremely nice and laidback. Matter of fact it’s TOO laidback. Order a meal and pray they didn’t forget about your order. For our first night in Pakse we met up with Ruth again and we all went out for Bowling. Since my average score at bowling is 300, I decided to take it down a notch and make sure I got below 100 on every game we played and let them win. If you know me well then you would know bowling is certainly not my game lol. After a few Beerlao’s though, I feel accomplished if I hit more then 3 pins. No foreigners were in the building at all and seemed like it was just a bunch of rich lao folks. Our neighbors bowling were absolutely hammered and were cheering us on as we cheered them on. Conversations were limited since we couldn’t understand anything either of us were saying to each other but it was very amusing. The connection humans can have by simply smiling is an all powerful and entertaining communication. Smile as often as possible passing by anyone and you can make a big impact on someone’s day.
The next two days were perhaps the best experiences I’ve had in Laos. The experience was very similar to Tiger Leaping Gorge in China. The real purpose of travel. From Pakse, Chris and I rented motorbikes for the next two days and decided to ride all across southern part of Laos. We did have a map and the road signs were very simple to follow. There was a circuit that took us all the way around and lead us back to Pakse. Beautiful weather allowed us to ride for hours on end from west to east part of Laos. It did rain but like usual it stopped very quickly. During our 6 hour ride on day one, we made several stops on small town villages. The people at each of these villages were the friendliest people I have ever encountered. Willing to just give you everything they have to make you feel comfortable. You simply cannot just buy a soda or water without sitting down at their table and having a short conversation with them. The shops are very small usually within their own home selling some beverages, chips, and perhaps fruits. The kids though! I was greeted by every single passing kid during the whole ride. When they noticed me coming by from a mile away, they will run out to the streets to scream Hello and wave with the biggest smile. It really put me a whole new state of mind of appreciation of life itself. It was as if I was an alien passing by but they loved it. Their living conditions may not be the best but they seemed happy. Everyone in the family contributes to the table working and helping no matter the age. Passing by the villages we also made a few stops to some beautiful waterfalls along the way. As it was getting dark, we made a stop by a guesthouse with our own bungalow. The next day was much like the first one and were heading back to Pakse. We have been spoiled by the kindness of people. In a total dream with the wind blowing on my face and the beautiful views riding down an empty road surrounded by nature itself with a fantastic blue sky made me think to myself “How in the world did I get this lucky”. Then again by the time I got back to Pakse I had the absolute worst sunburn LOL. I’ve under estimated the sun because with the wind blowing on the motorbike, you don’t really realize the strength of the sun. It’s ok though, I did find a shop that sold Aloe.
Next destination: Four Thousand Islands, Dondet, Laos. My last stop in Laos.
Four Thousand Islands
Not really sure if there really is Four Thousand Islands and it seems most of the islands are small and uninhabitable. Dondet seemed to one of the most talked about island and we decided to go there before going to Cambodia. It did require a boat ride to get to the island and electricity only last 4 hours a day from 7pm to 11pm. Although there were some activities, none of them seemed worth while checking out. We stayed two nights here and our days were pretty much lazy days of nothingness. Laying in the hammock enjoying the view and watching the sunset. Very nice chilled out island. Our guesthouse did have Dog, Cat, and Special shakes which was interesting to see and no I did not order them lol. The second night the sky showed it’s true power. Rain roared down fiercely with thunder shaking even the ground. Now that it’s rainy season, nights like these are common. Since morning the sun has been beaming down enough to cook a white man so the rain is somewhat relieving. Every half a second there would be bolts shooting down from the sky with no pause for at least an hour. Spectacular room from the balcony hammock over looking into the water and the other islands around it. For the rest of my time in Dondet I finished reading Into The Wild and started reading another book called First They Killed My Father. Both books which are fantastic.
Next destination: Siem Reap, Cambodia
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Chris and I had an interesting experience getting into Cambodia. First we had nearly no money on us as we spent the remaining of the money on tickets to Siem Reap. No ATM’s were located on Dondet and the nearest ATM was pretty far off. As we were getting on the boat to get to the bus station our ticket guy says he charged us the wrong price to Siem Reap and instead charged us for Phnom Phen which is cheaper. I only had enough for one or two more meals and still that wasn’t enough to cover what he was charging us now. We gave him everything we had and was left with nothing till we get to the next ATM in Cambodia. Thankfully we already had our Visa for Cambodia so we figured we were safe without having to pay anything. We get to the Lao border and suddenly there’s an exit fee. I have absolutely nothing on me and they want $3USD. I’ve already used my backup money I had earlier. I scramble through my backpack and found $1USD and beg to the officials that this is all I had. Thankfully they let me through. Many people were bitching about the exit fee because in reality there isn’t a fee at all. It’s just money the officials pocket for themselves due to the low pay they receive at their current job. Next mission is getting into Cambodia. And to no surprise there’s an entry fee of a dollar. Screwed again and this time I really don’t have anything. I do my sad little begging once again and he was nice enough to let me through. You know what the best part is? Chris was in the same exact shoes as I was with no money. With both of us begging, we finally got through and everything was ok. It all worked out. After a brutally hot and humid bus ride to Siem Reap, we’ve finally made it.
Really good first impression of Cambodia. For our first day we usually walk around randomly and just get a feel for the city. Loving the environment and the feel Siem Reap has. Apparently however Siem Reap province is the poorest of all of Cambodia if you walk outside of the city. Everyday I seem to be learning more and more of the Khmer Rouge from the book “First They Killed My Father“, surroundings, and stories. There are tons of beggars here and land mine victims. Quite depressing and very aggressive market places trying to make a living from the few items they sell that nearly every store sells. This is where you really learn to appreciate what you have in life. Cambodia started using US Dollar as their main currency together with the Riel. Most of the items purchased are in US Dollars however you can pay in Riel with an exchange rate of $1 = 4000Riel.. Weird system but they needed to do it to drive their economy up.
One of my favorite streets in Siem Reap is Pub Street (surprised? Lol). Great tasting restaurants and very alive during the night. I nearly forgot about the 4th of July celebration at home so to celebrate I had a traditional Cambodian BBQ which was delicious!! Then for the next two days Vodka + Redbull did the trick at the two bars Angkor Wat Bar and Temple Bar. We’ve had a reunion with Jemma and Clare and had a wonderful night out on pub street. I got ehh a little wasted lol. Had the time of my life with the best people. Couldn’t have been any happier. How the heck did I get home though? LOL
Angkor Wat was really spectacular. Not much to really say as the pictures really describe what I saw. Saw the sunset as well. Very beautiful and amazing master pieces.
Next destination: Phnom Penh.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Upon arrival of Phnom Penh the first thing that comes to your mind is the traffic and madness of the road. It’s an organized mess consisting of motorbikes, cars, and tuktuks driving in every single direction without any regard of traffic lights or one way signs. After crossing the street a few times, I’ve now mastered the game. You just keep on walking and everyone just drives right around you. The Tuk-Tuk drivers here remind me a lot of Vientiane with their offerings. The backpacker area where my guesthouse is seems to be filled with this. I’m trying to understand why a tuk-tuk driver keeps asking me if I need a ride if I had already said no and was already asked a dozen times by the person right before him. Does he think I may have changed my mind? Wouldn’t I have already gotten a tuk-tuk if I needed one? It doesn’t bother me really but I find it interesting and just play along with them.
Went to a shooting range and shot a AK47. The gun has some serious power. You feel that kick hit you pretty hard. The menu gave me choices to shoot with an Uzi, Shotgun, M60, etc. Then you had the choice of shooting a chicken as your target which I decided against doing. Behind closed doors you can shoot a bazooka at a cow for a few hundred dollars if that floats your boat. I’d just want to shoot a bazooka on a plain field just to see it explode.
I’ve finished the book “First They Killed My Father” and it’s really put a light on what really happened in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime. Cambodia really has been through a lot of suffering and I believe more people need to know about it to make sure this does not happen again anywhere else in the world (which actually is.. Read what’s going on in Zimbabwe). I went to the Killing Fields where thousands were killed and buried. You are in complete silence walking through the field as it seems so unreal and hard to imagine. Next we went to the S21 prison where they brutally tortured and murdered thousands more for no apparent real reason besides their own fake sense. Walking through the prison cells gave me the chills as I started to remember everything I had been reading in the book. Images of the cruelty took over me a few times and I had to step outside and take a deep breath to put myself back together. Khmer Rouge regime happened only 35 years ago so nearly everyone older then 35 has a story to tell you. Many of the families have lost their loved ones. Cambodia will unfortunately never be the same and they continue to suffer with the many landmines and memories however you can tell they are pushing forward for a better future.
I’ve spent a good amount of money throughout Laos and Cambodia, more then I would have liked to spend. To balance my budget I decided to stay a full week in Phnom Penh and continue to live cheaply. The expensive part of traveling is the buses, train rides, and air tickets and if you settle in one place a little longer then you end up saving much more. To be honest I don’t really like constantly moving around, I’d rather much stay in a place longer then most to get a real feel of the environment and culture.
Next destination: Bangkok, Thailand (and this time I’m going to bring backup money!)
PS: My plans change so often it’s hard to decide what I’ll be doing even the next two days. This “plan” however is the best of it’s kind and I’m super excited about it. Here’s the idea… Thailand for 30 days > Australia 30 days > New Zealand 30 days > Buenos Aires, Argentina where I will be living and working for a few months!!! > then continue travel back up north to the states!. Really excited to see my family in Buenos Aires and settle just for a little while in a whole new culture. Can’t wait to work on my Spanish again and get it back to what it use to be.
Putting pictures here would take AGES. So instead please go to my picture albums on facebook.
