Cruising down the Mekong

I arrived in Chiang Khong, Thailand by bus from Chiang Rai on Thursday (28 December) afternoon. While I was eating a late lunch Ivo found me (we had planned to met up at a guesthouse in Chiang Khong). So Helen, Ivo, and I were reunited again and had another fun night, along with a Kiwi guy, Glenn, who Helen and Ivo met on their bus ride to Chiang Khong. We all went out to eat that evening and discovered that Chiang Khong is definitely not your typical border town. It is actually a nice, quaint little village. And the locals there are really friendly too.

The next morning (Friday, 29 December) after breakfast we walked up the street from our guesthouse to the Thai exit port. Went through Thai immigration, crossed the Mekong by taxi boat to the Laos side (to the Lao town of Huay Xai), got our Lao visa there (very easy but $35), and went through Lao immigration. Then we took a taxi to the slow boat ferry pier a short ways up river, bought our tickets for the boat journey to Luang Prabang ($20 for 2 days boat journey), and boarded the wooden, long and narrow, open-air boat. Around 11:30 am we were chugging down the mighty Mekong river towards Luang Prabang, Laos.

The boat was packed, and almost every single person was a foreigner. It seemed almost everyone was drinking and the ride took on a very party-like atmosphere with lots of mingling and drinking. The scenery was also fantastic but the Mekong is a depressingly filthy river. Early that evening we arrived at the half way point, the village of Pak Beng, Laos. It really wasn't a very nice village; I think due mainly to the fact that it caters almost exclusively to people spending just a few hours there to eat and sleep. The whole village was overpriced, but we didn't have much choice. After dinner we (Ivo, Helen, Glenn, and myself) met up with some people we had met on the boat ride for a drink (Bat-Shahar and Michal from Israel, and Nicole from Australia).

The next morning (Saturday, 30 December) we went down to the boats to find they had split the passengers into two boats. This was nice because we had much more room to move around, but it was also a much more subdued ride with virtually no drinking or partying. Everyone was reading and sleeping on this leg of the boat journey. The scenery continued to be fantastic, and the Mekong, filthy. Eventually we arrived in Luang Prabang, Laos early in the evening. I was ready to be off the boat by now.

My first impression of Luang Prabang was that I was really going to like this place. Although its the second largest city in Laos (with only 26,000 people), and the second most popular tourist destination in Laos, it feels like a small town and you can easily walk everywhere. Unfortunately I think everyone else feels the same affection for Luang Prabang as the city was packed with tourists waiting to bring in the New Year. There was almost no accomodation left in town. We checked several places before finding, perhaps, the last room in town. The Merry guesthouse had one large, spotless room left with 4 single beds, a balcony, a spotless bathroom, and two more spotless common bathrooms just outside the door. They were asking an exorbitant price (by Lao standards) for it but as it was the last room in town, we had to take it. 1000 baht, about $25-$30, split 6 ways. Somewhere along the way we lost Glenn, but Ivo, Helen, Bat-Shahar, Michal, Nicole, and I piled into the large room. We had a really fun evening starting with drinks on the balcony, then into town to eat at the night market. We met several people in town from the boat ride that had a much more difficult time finding a room so we considered ourselves very lucky. We are all going to stay together in the room for another couple of nights and we have big plans for New Years Eve this evening.... Its a good, fun group.

Chiang, Chiang, Chiang

I took it slow and easy in Chiang Mai on Wednesday (27 December) morning before taking the bus to Chiang Rai. Although there are nearly hourly buses to Chiang Rai, the earliest I could get on a bus was 1:30 PM and I had arrived at the bus station just after 11 AM. Holiday traffic I guess. Finally I was heading out of Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai if only for 1 night.

Arrived in Chiang Rai and had a little difficulty finding a place to stay, but finally did. Then went to find internet and for dinner at the Chiang Rai Night Bazaar (not as big as the CM night bazaar). Wandered around the bazaar for a bit before heading back to the guesthouse.

Thursday (28 December) - today- I have no time really to see Chiang Rai - which makes me wonder why I came here! I need to leave for Chiang Khong soon to meet Ivo and Helen this evening. I also had to take care of a few last minute things before I leave Thailand (haircut, cheap internet, ATM, buying suncreen, etc.) since many conviences and various sundries aren't available in Laos. Paid 50 Baht (~$1.50) for a haircut this morning which made me laugh considering I thought my $8 haircut from a 'salon' last time I was in Thailand was a good deal.....

Soppong, Thailand

On Monday (25 December - Christmas) morning I woke up early and took the bus from Pai to Soppong, Thailand, about an hour and a half away and not to far from the Burmese border. After checking out all the guest houses in Soppong proper (just a small village) and not finding any thing cheap or interesting, I decided to head to Cave Lodge, a guesthouse about 9 km out of Soppong and near the entrance to one of the main attractions of the area, Tham Lod (Lod Cave). There were no buses going up the road so you either had to have your own tranportation, hire a relatively expensive motorbike taxi, or hoof it on foot. I decided to do the later since the motorbike taxi wanted 70 baht and I only paid 30 baht for the bus ride here! So on principle I couldn't spend such an 'exorbitant' amount for such a short distance. About 2 kms into the 9 km walk, a pickup truck with 2 vacationing Thai couples pulled up and offered me a ride. I wasn't even flagging anyone down, they just stopped! So I happily jumped in the back of the truck for the rest of the ride.

When I arrived at Cave Lodge (guesthouse) I was surprised to see the 4 Canadians there whom I had met at a waterfall near Pai. They had rented a jeep from Pai to drive to Soppong and where heading out to go see a cave and do some swimming and they invited me along. We piled in the jeep and drove back to Soppong and on to Coffin Cave. I think many caves in the area are called 'Coffin Cave', since many of the caves contain old (really old ~2000 year) wooden coffins. We hiked a short ways up a steep track and explored the shallow caverns. The caverns were large and shallow enough that you didn't need any lights. After hanging out there for a bit we went back down the trail, across the road, and down to the river for a quick, refreshing swim.

Then we headed back to the guesthouse and walked down to Lod Cave, one of the largest caves in southeast Asia. They now require you to have a guide to enter Lod Cave, so the 5 of us, plus another Canadian girl that we ran into at the guide stand, hired a couple of guides (all guides are female) who carry lanterns and show you around. Everyone else wanted to take a bamboo raft through the cave (even though its possible to walk/wade) since a river flows into, through, and out of the cave and is quite navigatiable. It was pretty cool, if over priced by Thai standards, and we got off at various points to explore some side caverns. It was quite a big cave, but not as big as the caves I saw in Malaysian Borneo a couple of years ago. Pretty impressive though, nevertheless. We exited the cave as swarms of cave swallows were returning for the night. After a little break there, the raft guide (male) pulled us back up the river through the cave to the entrance.

Back at Cave Lodge I finished showering just in time for the Christmas dinner party. It was a fine feast and I can't remember the last time I ate so much. Unfortunately due to the amount I ate, or more likely due to some questionable preparation of some previous meal, I got sick during the night and had a couple of different vomiting sessions. Too bad the outdoor toilets were so far away as I didn't make it all the way there on the second round...

I felt better by late the next morning (Tuesday, 26 December) although I didn't have much of an appetite all that day. Everyone had left that day so the guesthouse was pretty empty and the village and surroundings were no place for a solo traveler. You really need at least another person for any exploring due to the remoteness. I walked around the small village around Cave Lodge for a little while but still wasn't feeling that super. So I decided to head back to Pai so that I could take a bus the next morning from Pai to my next destination, which couldn't be reached directly from Soppong.

As I was packing up, the guesthouse owner got word that I was leaving and offerred me a ride to Pai since he was driving right through Pai on his way to Chiang Mai just then. I eagerly accepted the ride and arrived in Pai about an hour later. Once in Pai I discovered that the bus to Chiang Rai - where I wanted to go next - was way too expensive since there was no direct service and only a private bus. Plus it left way to early in the morning and I would have to change buses enroute too. So I decided to go back to Chiang Mai for the night where I might be able to meet up with Ivo and Helen. Then I could go to Chiang Rai from Chiang Mai at my leisure. So I had only 30 or so minutes to spare before the last bus left Pai for Chiang Mai.

Arrived in Chiang Mai around 8 PM and luckily Julie (as in Julie guesthouse where I've been staying in CM) had a room for me.

My First Time!

The feeling of the wind in your face, the unobstructed 360 degree views, the bugs in your teeth..... On Friday (22 December) I road a motorbike for the first time in my life. I've been on the back of a motorbike many-a-times, but never directly behind the wheel. I had scouted motorbike rental places the previous day while exploring Pai, but today was the day to follow through. Pai was the perfect place to 'learn how' to ride a motorbike. Very little traffic and plenty of small, windy back roads to explore. I thought the balancing part would be very similar to a bicycle but it wasn't. A motorbike is much heavier than a bicycle but I got the hang of it soon enough. After riding around Pai town a little bit getting used to the new sensation, figuring out turning, signals, brakes, and gas, I headed off to explore some of the sights around Pai that are best reached on a motorbike. To make things just a bit more interesting cars drive on the left (i.e. wrong) side of the road in Thailand, but it had been so long since I have driven and I've spent the past ~2.5 months in countries where they drive on the left (Nepal too), that that part really wasn't an issue for me. In fact so many people have their first motorbike ride experience in Pai that there are signs along the roads which read "please remember to drive on the left". I rented an automatic so as to make things as simple as possible, since I've never actually driven a stick..... It was really cheap to rent the motorbike, only 100 Baht plus 40 Baht for insurance. So less than $4/day total. Plus maybe $1.50/day for fuel. The motorbike only holds 2 liters of fuel!!

First I drove to Mo Paeng waterfall which wasn't really that impressive but a nice place to explore a little and hang out in the sun. I met 4 Canadians there (1 guy and 3 girls; Scott, Blair, Kara, Jess) who I would continue to run into in Pai and beyond. Then I went back to Pai for lunch and then on to Pam Bok waterfall. Getting to this waterfall was a little tricky due to the bumby, dirt road and narrow bridges. This made riding on paved roads feel like a breeze. I was extremely cautious and super aware the entire time I was on the motorbike. I didn't want to go very fast either. Local drivers are extremely motor bike friendly and give you plenty of room and communication (i.e. honks). After Pam Bok waterfall I road to Tha Pai Hot Springs. Only a couple of small, way-to-hot pools, are outside the park entrance and it was too pricey to go into the park, so I had to be content with watching the locals boil eggs in the springs just outside the entrance. Here I ran into the 4 Candians again who were going into the park. Then I stopped by a resort/hotel (Tha Pai Resort Camping) that pipes some of the spring water into a bathing pool there. I didn't get in though.

Then I headed back to my bungalow in Pai where I ran into Ivo and Helen again. I knew they were coming in Pai that evening and it was fun to meet up with them. We went out to dinner at a great Mexican food place (Pai has really, really fantastic Thai and international food) and then for some beers by fire at the bungalows.

On Saturday (23 December) Ivo and Helen rented a motorbike too so I had some company to explore some more of the back roads with. We had a good map and drove all around just enjoying the scenery and fun roads. After lunch in Pai, we drove out to Pai Canyon and hiked around there for a little while. Pai Canyon is not really anything much other than some small, unique ridges rising above the valley affording some moderate views of the surroundings. Then we made some stops at both hot spring spots again, opting once again not to get in at either place. Then back to Pai for dinner and a little drinking and fun. There was a ban on alcohol on Saturday due to a public holiday (local elections) which had the affect of causing everyone to consume more alcohol due to the difficulty in obtaining said alcohol.

On Sunday (24 December) morning I returned the motorbike, having explored all the local backroads and points of interest. Then I saw Ivo and Helen off, who were going to Chiang Mai to spend Christmas there. We made plans to meet up at the Thai/Laos border on 28 December to take the boat down the Mekong to Luang Prabang, Laos together. I spent the rest of the day walking around Pai, relaxing, doing laundry, and hanging out with some others in the bungalow restaurant which over looks the river. All the restaurants in Pai are open-air which is really nice this time of year. After dinner at the bungalow restaurant, we went out looking for something to do, but ended up coming back to the fire by the bungalow which was packed with people, many very intoxicated (second and last day of public holiday). I had decided to take a night off from all the partying due to an ever so slight hangover Sunday morning.

Monday morning, 25 December, Christmas day, I decided there wasn't much left for me to see or do in Pai so I decided to head up the road to Soppong, Thailand (per Alan's suggestions). It felt like any other day to me but would turn out to be unlike any Christmas I'd had before.

Pai, Thailand

On Thursday (21 December) morning I took the bus from Chiang Mai to Pai. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Pai. Its advertized as being a quiet little scenic (if over touristed) piece of Thailand. It was exactly that, but not as bad as I expected. It still has some charm left in it.

I found a simple little - probably overpriced - bungalow by the river where some other travelers who had been on my bus where also staying. Access to the bungalows was by a small bamboo foot bridge across the river which added to the vibe of the place. After walking around the town for a bit and getting a feel for the place I went back to the bungalows. I met some more people there and later a group of 6 or 7 of us went out for dinner at a fantastic pizza place(supposedly the best pizza in Thailand; it was pretty good). Then we went to a bar for a bit that had some fun, local, live music. By 'local' I mean one of the girls in our group got up and sang a couple of songs with the volunteer (?) band. I think it was like 'open mic' night or something. Good times. Then back to the bungalows to sit by the fire, which they lit every night (which was great because it was rather chilly).

Chiang Mai - night bazaar revisited

On my last night in Chiang Mai (Wednesday, 20 December) I went to the semi-famous Chiang Mai Night Bazaar. It was just as I remembered it from 2 years ago and the vendors are selling all the same stuff at pretty much the same prices. It was kind of strange to see it exactly as I remembered it. I wanted to buy a cotton Thai 'farmer's' shirt since all I have are synthetic tee shirts and they are getting pretty old after 7 months of wear. After looking at - I think - every single vendor I finally found one I liked. I'm pretty sure I over paid at $4 but there was only 1 vendor that had my size.... Then I walked back to the guesthouse. One thing I like about Chiang Mai is that even though its a big city (200,00 people) everything is still within walking distance and it feels like a small city - but has all the conveniences of a big city.

Bit the bullet!

I finally had to bite the bullet and buy another pair of shoes today (Wednesday, 20 December). Its been inevitiable for a while now - since my trek in Tibet - even though I've been putting it off. The pair I've been wearing for the past ~7 months (for who knows how many miles of city walking and mountain hiking) were literally falling apart. They've been repaired twice but everyday a new hole would appear! The soles are almost worn smooth on the balls of my feet - which is one of the reasons I couldn't walk on the icy snow in Nepal. Plus I wore through my original insoles long ago and have been using insoles that are too short (read: annoying) for a month now. So I realized Chiang Mai was my last chance for a couple of months to buy good quality shoes here in Thailand (where you can buy quite literally anything). I paid the same price I would pay back home which is a lot ($90) by Thai standards and really hard to swallow when I'm "counting pennies" on a daily basis for food, accomodation, transport, etc. I guess I'll call that a Christmas present for myself even though it was more a necessity. The impetus may have been the big box they have at my guesthouse where they are collecting any and all clothing items to give to Burmese refugees; so my old shoes will go to a good, needy home and not in the garbage.

Prior to my 'shoe shopping', I walked around some parts of Chiang Mai I hadn't seen before. Originally Chiang Mai was a walled city with a moat around it. Most of the wall is gone now, but I wanted to walk the perimeter anyways. I stopped by a couple of nice, untouristed Wats along the way too (Mornthean Temple, Wat Lok Molee, and another I don't know the name of). There are so many Wats/temples here that you really couldn't possibly see all of them; and I personally wouldn't want to as I get 'wat-ed out' rather quickly.

Met some other travelers people in my guesthouse last night (Tuesday, 19 December) but none that are going to Pai or Chiang Rai. Everyone is heading to the islands for Christmas but I'm glad I'm not. It would be way too crowded for me. This guest house has a great hang out area and its great for meeting people. I remember meeting some cool folks last time I stayed here too.

I'm ready to head to Pai tomorrow as there isn't much more to see here for me. I may go to the night market tonight for a look-see and maybe to buy a cotton shirt since I only have synthetic ones with me and they are getting kind of old. The Chiang Mai night market is where I stocked up on Christmas gifts on my last trip here....

Chiang Mai, Thailand

I just arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand this afternoon (Tuesday, 19 December), a few hours ago. The train ride was fantastic. I love riding on trains and especially sleeping on them and Thai trains are quite clean and comfortable, even in non-AC second class. I really like the layout of the second class carriages in Thailand (and Malaysia). There are no compartments and the beds just line both sides of the carriage with curtains that you can close. Trains beat any other form of transportation I can think of other than boats!!

I gave the taxis and tuk-tuks at the train station "the finger" and decided to walk the 45-minutes to town. I had walked to and from the train station last time I was here and was curious if I would remember the way. I found my way to the same guest house I stayed at last time I was here - Julie guest house - even though it wasn't in my book or on my map. Fortunately it is still running strong - and strangely unchanged after 2 years - so I checked into the dorm room there.

Its really nice to be back in Chiang Mai. I forgot what a relaxed town it is; worlds away from Bangkok. The weather is also fantastic. It was down right cool on the train last night. Its strange to walk along the street and see something familiar and then all of a sudden remember whats around the next corner. I think I'll be here 2 nights before heading to Pai and possibly some other towns up that way.

Heading to Chiang Mai soon

In a few hours I'll be boarding the night train to Chiang Mai, Thailand. I'm not super excited about Chiang Mai since I've been there before, but I'm ready to get out of Bangkok. I've had enough of it for now. Bangkok is where I thought I would be flying out of for home 6+ months ago when I started my trip, so this feels like a second phase of my trip is just beginning. I'm really looking forward to it. Hopefully I'll be able to meet up with Ivo and Helen in northern Thailand.

Yesterday (Sunday, 17 December) I took the passenger ferry boat down the Mae Nam Chao Phraya (river). It was a nice way to see part of Bangkok and the passenger ferry is quite cheap. The last ferry stop happens to coincide with a station of the futuristic (sort of) sky train, an elevated light rail system, albeit with only 2 lines its not very expansive. So I planned to take a ride on the sky train for different views of Bangkok. Its really nice and efficient and my only complaint is that neither line come any where close to the area I'm staying. I got off the sky train at the same station I got on! So with the 'discovery' of the passenger ferry boats and sky train, I figured out a way to take public transport to some other parts of Bangkok, as the bus system is apparently really difficult to figure out. Then I took the ferry back to my 'hood.

Since I'm on such a long trip I've found my days of sight seeing are actually quite short. I take my time in the mornings getting started and get back early in the afternoon or evening. I'm never in any real hurry to see sights and if I don't get to see something in a particular city I'm never too disappointed. I always feel that I've left something to see next time I visit, even if it doesn't seem like I'll be back in a particular city in my life time. Compared to a lot of people I meet I see a lot less in a given period of time. But I've gotten use to that.

My friend, Juliana, from San Fran who I first met in Tibet, was in Bangkok for the last night of her trip so I met up with her and a friend on Sunday night and we went out on the town for a little while. It was good to see her.

Today (Monday, 18 December) I really didn't feel like doing any sight seeing so I went and laid by the roof top pool of a hotel that I stayed at previously (shhhhhhhh.......). It was nice to escape Bangkok for a little bit.

My train leaves at 10 PM tonight but luckily I can hang out at my hotel until then.

Bangkok

Today (Saturday, 16 December), after deciding where I should go next and dropping off my laundry, Ivo, Helen, and I went to the train station to buy our respective train tickets. On Monday (18 December) evening I will take the night train to Chang Mai, Thailand. My train ticket was $15 for a 15-hour night train journey. Not bad. Since I went to Chang Mai last time I was in Thailand, I will just spend one or two days there. My main reason for going to Chang Mai is so I can then take short bus rides to the towns of Pai and Chang Rai which I didn't get to see on my last trip. Then I will cross the border into Laos.

After the train station, we strolled through the streets of nearby China Town, then took the river boat taxi back up to where we are staying. Ivo and Helen leave tomorrow so I have 2 more days in Bangkok solo. Hopefully I can see some more sights that I didn't get to see last time.

Bangkok with a Bang

Ivo, Helen, and I have been partying pretty hard the past couple of nights in celebration of our arriving in Bangkok (as if you needed a reason). The first night we were here (Wednesday, 13 December), Ivo and I were standing on the street in varying states of soberness and as a LadyBoy passed by Ivo said, "man", just loud enough for her/him to hear. She approached him, punched him in the face like a girl (i.e. glacing blow), and walked away. We were both completely stunned and couldn't stop laughing. The three of us really have a good time.

Last night (Thursday, 14 December) we started the action around 7:30 PM with beers at the street side bar. An Irish couple (cousins), who Ivo and Helen had met earlier in the day, joined us for the night's fun. After beers we went to a Thai boxing match (Muay Thai). It was pretty cool; more interesting than a typical boxing match. Then we went to some bars and played pool until the wee hours of the morning. Around 4 AM we were playing pool and this crazy, drunk Thai girl who had been there all night came up and punched me in the face (almost completely unprovoked). Man she was crazy. Although it didn't hurt - possibly because I was fairly drunk - she actually drew blood!! So I joined Ivo in the "I got punched in the face by a girl" club. We went through a couple of bottles of whiskey at the second bar. It was a long and expensive night and I got back to my hotel room at 6:30 AM after the sun rose.

I slept past noon today (Friday, 15 December) before having breakfast and switching rooms to one with a window. The new room is much cooler because of the open window but more important is the natural light. Then we went down to the post office because both Helen and I needed to ship some stuff home. I shipped home 5 kgs (11 lbs) worth of stuff I didn't need any more such as my tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, along with some other stuff. It was $28 which seems pretty reasonable but it will take 2 or 3 months. After all this it was already 4:30 pm!! The days are really short when you sleep so late. I'm going to take it easy(ier) tonight....

Bangkok, Thailand - major culture shock!!

Its now 25+ hours since I arrived in Bangkok and I'm still walking around amazed. I'm experiencing (problably) the biggest culture shock I've ever had - reverse culture shock. It started when we - Ivo and Helen from Holland, and I - touched down yesterday (Wednesday, 13 December) at Bangkok's brand new, ultra-modern, super efficient airport. The airport could have been in any western city in the world. It was spotless and amazing; way better than Bangkok's old airport. We wisked through customs and baggage claim. Then we took a brand new taxi from the queue - thats right they actually have queues, lines, and order here. We raced off down the brand new 10+ lane highway towards downtown and its skyline of modern high rise buildings. So many new, fancy cars on the road. I'd say 95% of the vechicles look like they are less than 5 years old. And the silence.... no honking!!! I can't believe it. People actually staying in their lanes and not vengefully trying to cut others off. They actually let you merge in. Finally we arrived at our destination, Kho San Road.... Dejavu!!

I don't remember it being so freaking clean and - dare I say - sterile here. The street vendor's stalls are spotless. I can't believe I was ever afraid to eat food from those stalls at one time. And I really don't see trash anywhere. But there are also a ton of tourists here. So many white faces and blond heads it just really doesn't fit in with the Thais. Lots and lots of pretty girls too, which I completely forgot about as well; both tourists and Thais. Only one word sums up my experiences in Bangkok so far - AMAZING. Amazing that this is Asia that is.

Ivo, who has also been to Bangkok before, felt the same way and we couldn't stop talking about it or staring at everything. The 3 of us spent the night eating, drinking, and taking it all in. We even paid a visit to the place we had both stayed on our previous trips, the D&D Inn. Its a really nice place with roof top pool and bar right on Kho San Road. The price has also gone up from 450 Baht to 550 Baht ($11 to $14) so I won't be staying there this time around. We spent the evening at some bars on Kho San Road (KSR, the main tourist drag) talking and watching the show.

As we were sitting there on the street side bar I made a comment that KSR really felt like a place where I would run into somebody I knew. I had a really strong feeling about it and kept looking at passing faces. Ivo and Helen had the same feeling. About an hour later, Ben from New Zealand whom I trekked with in Tibet, came walking up. Creepy eh!

It should come as no surprise in this modern city that everything is really expensive, at least twice the price of Nepal. From food, to rooms, to taxis, to internet, it is going to take some getting use to these 'high' prices. I guess that is the price you pay for luxery....

I didn't even mention the heat yet. When we stepped off the airplane we could immediately feel a wave of heat hit us. It had the same feeling of warmth as sitting next to a fire on a cold night. The heat felt good. Tee shirts, shorts, and sandals 24-7 from here on out. But my guesthouse room is down right hot. I was sitting there sweating while I was unpacking (no A/C, only fan). I took a cold shower which felt great! Its really strange to feel hot like that after 6+ months of cool weather. The last time I even approached being hot was in Beijing!

This morning (Thursday, 14 December) I slept in a bit after the late night. The first thing I needed to do was go to the US Embassy and have pages added to my passport. I only have 3 pages left and I'll need a page each for the Lao, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Burmese, and Indonesian visas. So I actually really needed to do this to continue with my trip. When I was filling out the application I was reading about having to send the passport in and it taking a couple of weeks and express processing (3 days) was $60. So you can imagine my pleasant surprise when upon handing in the application and asking how long it would take, the woman said 30 or 45 minutes. It took 10 minutes and was free. Amazing. So I have 25 more pages for visas and stamps now.

Then I walked along the up market shopping and hotel street of Th Sukhumvit. I was shopping for contacts which amazingly I found after about 4 hours of going into the numerous optical shops. The problem wasn't finding my brand, roughly one third of the shops carried them and all shops had contacts that would have worked, the problem was finding my brand for a reasonable price. After getting quotes from various shops ranging from 400 to 1200 Baht per box (3 lenses), I got 2 boxes for 375 Baht each before taking a taxi back to KSR. All that non sense took most of the afternoon. That is about 50% more for contacts than what I pay back home, but I really had no choice!

Kathmandu - last day

On my last day (Tuesday, 12 December) in Kathmandu - and in Nepal - I woke early ready for a full day of sight seeing only to discover the city socked in with dense fog - but at least it wasn't raining. But fog was also not good for sight seeing as I really wanted clear weather to see the temples and views. It has been cold the past few nights in Kathmandu and last night it was less than 40 degrees F in my room! I thought I had finished with the cold nights already. It never stopped raining the day before, so I didn't venture outside of Thamel. So whatever I didn't see today, would have to wait for my next visit. I hung around Thamel until noon when the fog started to lift and decided to give it a go.

First I walked down to Nepal's most important Hindu temple, Pashupatinath. Unfortunately (or not) non-Hindus are not allowed in the temple so all you can really do is walk around the grounds surrounding the temple. This proved to be pretty interesting though because the temple is set right on the banks of the holy Bagmati River - a very dirty and unimpressive 'holy river'. And you know what Hindus like to do next to holy rivers? Cremate bodies... It was pretty unceremonial though. Lots of monkeys running around too, trying to steal my lunch!

Once I tired of the touts harrassing me, I headed towards the village of Bodhnath and the Bodhnath Stupa, one of the world's largest stupas. From the top of a hill I could see the stupa over a maze of low residental buildings so I just started walking towards it zig-zagging every which way through the maze of tightly packed residences. Finally I found the entrance after getting a bit frustrated by the feeling of being 'lost' in the maze. It was pretty neat there at the stupa with lots of Tibetans walking around the stupa. Then I took a taxi back to Thamel.

The only sight I didn't get to see that I really wanted to was Swayambhunath, or Monkey Temple. There is still lots I would like to see around Kathmandu, but I knew I wouldn't get to them on this trip. Among them are Dakshinkali, Bhaktapur, and Nagarkot. So I have some work to do when I return to Nepal.

I'm going to dinner tonight with the Dutch couple that are on my flight tomorrow - Ivo and Helen - and with Nadia and Anya, the Dutch mother-daughter duo. My last night in Kathmandu and a I have some rupees to get rid of....

Tomorrow I catch my Royal Nepal Airlines flight to Bangkok at 8:30 AM. Soon I'll be done with the cold weather for good.

Kathmandu - RAIN!

I woke up to rain - actually to the thunder - this morning (Monday, 11 December)! This is the first time it has rained in Kathmandu since I've been here, and maybe even only the third day of rain (2 while trekking) since I've been in Nepal! I've really enjoyed pretty good weather here. The rain really puts a damper on my sight seeing plans for today. So unless it clears up this afternoon I'm going to have to really squeeze things in tomorrow on my last day here.

Last night (Sunday, 10 December) I met Nadia and Anya for dinner again. We had another fun evening.

I'm really looking forward to getting over to southeast Asia. I'm probably going to head for Laos as soon as possible after I arrive in Bangkok. I don't want to be anywhere near Thailand during the holidays. Its so crowded there then.

But I will certainly miss Nepal and I'm definitely coming back sooner rather than later.

Kathmandu sight seeing - finally

I finally managed to get out of Thamel this morning (Sunday, 10 December) and go see some of the sights. After breakfast I took a taxi to Patan - a city just across the river from Kathmandu and if you didn't know any better you'd think you were still in Kathmandu since it is one continuous mess of buildings the whole way - to see the Patan Durbar Square (Temple Square). Lots of old brick and wood temples crammed into a small area. Cool architecture and interesting back streets. Then I walked over to Kathmandu's 'Old Town' and its Durbar Square. Definitely more tourists - and therefore touts - there and not as peaceful. Then I walked back to Thamel. So there was lots of walking around in the smog today!

I needed to get back to Thamel by 4 pm so that I could meet someone who was buying my down jacket. Sold! So my load is slightly lighter now since I won't be needing that down jacket in Thailand!! I paid $80 for it in Tibet and sold it for $50 so I didn't loose too much money on it and I really got some good use out of it. Beats shipping it home to further add to my collection of gear..... My load will really lighten up in Bangkok when I can send my tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad home.

Chitwan National Park

I just arrived back in Kathmandu this afternoon (Saturday, 9 December) after spending 5 days relaxing and "safari-ing" in Chitwan National Park in southern Nepal. Here is a summary...

Monday, 4 December:
Took the bus in the morning from Kathmandu to Sauraha, the main village just outside (north) of Chitwan. Checked into great little guesthouse right on the Rapti River. Went to explore the village. While exploring the village, I ran into a French guy that was looking for people to join a jeep safari on Wednesday. Kept the idea in the back of my mind as I tried to plan what 'activities' I want to do in and around the park.

Tuesday, 5 December:
I decided not to do anything the first day due to a little 'catch' they have with the *daily* entrance fee to the park, so I spent the day relaxing. As I was wandering into the village I saw some elephants heading for the river and relized it was time for the elephant bathing. People can get into the river and ride/play on the elephants as they squirt you with water through their snout - I was content just to watch however. Elephants are simply amazing creatures! They really look like dinosaurs with their slow, rolling gait. I decided to go on the jeep safari the following day so I went to book that trip. Then I spent the rest of the afternoon lounging in the guest house's hammock by the river. The temperature was perfect, and not hot like I was expecting. There also really weren't many mosquitoes contrary to what I read in my guidebook.

Wednesday, 6 December:
By 7:30 AM we were taking wooden canoe ferrys across the river to meet our jeep on the other side. By 8 AM nine of us plus our guide and driver were crammed into the 'jeep' (no roof) and headed off into the park in search of wildlife. The very first animal we saw was a 'red jungle cock' which despite my initial assumption that is was a sexually transmitted disease, turned out in fact to be a wild chicken. Then we saw, in order, peacocks (lots), spotted deer, barking deer, sambar deer, crocodiles (aka; 'marsh mugger'), 'one horned Indian rhinos' (partially obscured and from across a small lake), langur monkeys, storks, an eagle, wild bores, and numerous smaller birds. It was an amazing trip and we arrived back in the village at 6 PM. I didn't see any Bengal tigers, leopards, or sloth bears though. Can't win them all. It was crazy to see a peacock fly; that is a huge bird!! Then we all went out for a 3-hour long dinner. Good times. During dinner I was talking to a Dutch couple and we found out that we were on the same flight to Bangkok on 13 December. Small world eh!

Thursday, 7 December:
Again I watched the elephant bathing in the morning and in the afternoon I went on an 'elephant safari'. This is one of the most popular activities in Chitwan. 4 of us crammed into a wooden platform strapped to the back of an elephant, and the driver\trainer sat in front of the platform. The 1.5 hour journey started with great success. Not 10 minutes after leaving a small village, we saw a mother and baby rhino drinking at a small pond. We were perhaps 50 feet from it. That was pretty cool. Then we saw the standard fare of peacocks, birds, and deer, before getting a good look at another crocodile. Then we saw a whole heard (10) of peacocks. That was a cool experience, but as I discovered when I rode an elephant in Thailand, I really don't like riding on elephants! Frankly I find it a bit scary and at the very least, quite uncomfortable. That evening I had dinner with a Dutch girl, Nadia, and her mom, Anya, whom I met at my guesthouse.

Friday, 8 December:
Up until Thursday afternoon, I had planned to head back to Kathmandu on Friday, but I really wasn't ready to leave the relaxed atmosphere so I stayed another day with no particular plans for that last day. Friday morning I rented another piece-of-shit bike and rode the 10 or 15 minutes to the elephant breeding center. The problem with the bike this time was the seat and seat post weren't tight so once I hit the bumpy dirt road my seat tilted back at a 45 degree angle which is actually really painful!! But my shitty biking experiences aside, the breeding center was cool. Lots of mother elephants with their babies. And they even had a new born elephant that was 11 days old and still wobbly walking around. Funny little (relatively speaking) creature. Then I took the bike back and ditched it before going to catch the end of the elephant bathing (again). Spent the rest of the day reading and sleeping in the hammock by the river. Had dinner with Nadia and Anya again that evening.

Saturday, 9 December:
Took the bus back to Kathmandu. All bus rides in Nepal seem to take 6-8 hours and cost $5 regardless of the actualy mileage covered...

"Smoke something?"

"Smoke something?" Now there is a question that I get asked upwards of 20 to 25 times a day; no exaggeration. More commonly asked after dark, and typically not asked before around 11 AM, I get asked this question by shady looking guys on the street all over Thamel. If I smoked pot, Kathmandu would be the easiest possible place I've ever been too to get it. I just had dinner in a 'hippie' vegetarian restaurant and the guy sitting at the table next to mine decided light up a joint just as I finished eating. I think that is a first for me, but I've never been to Amsterdam.

Anyways, I'm heading to Royal Chitwan National Park tomorrow morning for 3 or 4 days. I read that internet is really expensive and slow there so I may not be emailing or blogging for several days. I also booked my flight to Bangkok today. Unfortunately I got stuck flying the "notoriously unreliable" - to quote my Lonely Planet guidebook - Royal Nepal Airlines. I heard they only have 2 planes (Boeings fortunately) in their entire fleet. I fly from Kathmandu to Bangkok on Wednesday, 13 December at 8:30 AM (flight #401). Soon I'll really be enjoying the heat.

Kathmandu recoup

Yesterday (Friday, 1 December) and today (2 Dec) I didn't really do much in Kathmandu - again - other than relax and unwind from the trek. Kathmandu - and Thamel in particular - seems to have a way of taking up all my time without doing anything. I still haven't seen any of the sights here and I've actually only ventured out of Thamel (the tourist ghetto) once or twice. I keep telling myself that I'm saving all the Kathmandu sight seeing for my last few days here before I fly out. I have however spent a combined 7 or 8 hours on the internet the past 2 days and eaten quite a bit. Actually I've been keeping fairly busy shopping for guide books and reading books, doing laundry, burning pictures to DVDs and other 'traveler' business.

It is noticeably cooler here in Kathmandu now than before I left for trekking, especially in the mornings and evenings. I'm constantly wearing a sweat shirt. So in that light, I think I'm going to nix my plans for taking a kayaking course or a rafting trip. Its a bummer because I was really looking forward to some kayaking, but I'm not digging the thought of being cold again right now. I don't enjoy the water unless its hot. I think I will spend one or two more days in Kathmandu and then head down to Royal Chitwan National Park for a few days. It should definitely be warmer there being part of the hot, northern Indian plains. Then its back to Kathmandu for 3 or 4 days of sight seeing and then off to Thailand. I'll probably book my flight pretty soon in that case.

I'm getting pretty excited about seeing some more of Southeast Asia.....