28 February 2010
Cape Town ctd.
We had a much better day today. Here are a few piccies, with some really amazing ones to come tomorrow.
27 February 2010
Singapore--->Cape Town
Hi everyone,
We've been in Cape Town for three days now. The first day we were too jetlagged to do much, and the next two nights were made difficult by the dormmate-from-Hell. Said dormmate was kicked out yesterday, so we were able to get some sleep last night. Now the problem is just the heat--it's as hot here as it was in Bangkok, and I just wasn't prepared for that. Plus, nowhere here has fans or airconditioning, so it's been uncomfortable.
The city is beautiful to look at, but a little dodgy to walk around in. I've stashed my wedding ring with my money belt in our safe--I just didn't want to risk it. Table Mountain is stunning, and the waterfront is modern, but there are a lot of very poor people here too. I'm not quite sure what to think of the place yet.
We've been trying to decide which direction to head, so that we can buy our last air tickets. Staying on budget here is tough, so we were looking at balancing four weeks here with two weeks in Egypt (where it's much cheaper). But Rory and I can't seem to decide on anything, and I'm tired of arguing. The only thing that seems clear is that this trip is a crappy honeymoon. Staying in dorms, in places where it's too hot to hold hands, is not my idea of romantic.
I haven't taken many photos (and when I have, I've used Rory's old camera so the pictures aren't great). I don't feel safe carrying around our nice camera. I might post some later, we'll see.
Love,
Ames
We've been in Cape Town for three days now. The first day we were too jetlagged to do much, and the next two nights were made difficult by the dormmate-from-Hell. Said dormmate was kicked out yesterday, so we were able to get some sleep last night. Now the problem is just the heat--it's as hot here as it was in Bangkok, and I just wasn't prepared for that. Plus, nowhere here has fans or airconditioning, so it's been uncomfortable.
The city is beautiful to look at, but a little dodgy to walk around in. I've stashed my wedding ring with my money belt in our safe--I just didn't want to risk it. Table Mountain is stunning, and the waterfront is modern, but there are a lot of very poor people here too. I'm not quite sure what to think of the place yet.
We've been trying to decide which direction to head, so that we can buy our last air tickets. Staying on budget here is tough, so we were looking at balancing four weeks here with two weeks in Egypt (where it's much cheaper). But Rory and I can't seem to decide on anything, and I'm tired of arguing. The only thing that seems clear is that this trip is a crappy honeymoon. Staying in dorms, in places where it's too hot to hold hands, is not my idea of romantic.
I haven't taken many photos (and when I have, I've used Rory's old camera so the pictures aren't great). I don't feel safe carrying around our nice camera. I might post some later, we'll see.
Love,
Ames
23 February 2010
Bangkok--->Singapore
Our one day in Bangkok ended up being a bit of a dud. We traveled all the way across town on the Skytrain so that we could go to a rooftop bar for a drink at sunset--sounds lovely, right? Except our guidebook forgot to mention there is a strict dress code. So strict, in fact, that nobody in our elevator (7 people) were admitted. Then we had a cheap meal elsewhere, and went back to our hotel.
We got up this morning and left for the airport at 5:45am. We drove about ten minutes, and then our cab hit a motorcycle as we entered an intersection--nearly head on. We stopped after we hit them, and then the car behind us smashed into the back of us. Behind them was a bus--and things could have been a bit more serious if they had rear-ended us instead. We were relieved not to be hurt, and also relieved that they could still remove our bags from the smashed-up trunk. The guys on the motorcycle weren't so lucky--they were hurt, but limped away, leaving bits of motorcycle behind them. I think they were drunk--the accident was definitely their fault. I felt terrible for our cab driver, but the police seemed decent, and they found us a new cab within a couple of minutes.
Then, as we were on our way again, we thought we'd forgotten our new camera at the hotel. We almost turned around, which would have meant missing our flight. In the end we did the right thing--it was just tucked away in one of our backpacks. But I was still upset about the whole morning.
We're in Singapore now. It's still very hot here, but I also still like it. We have about six more hours until we head to the airport again. Singapore Airlines were nice enough to check in our bags (12 hours early!). I'll write again from Cape Town.
Cheers,
Amy
21 February 2010
Ko Chang--->Bangkok
Hi again,
What a lovely week on Ko Chang. I wholeheartedly recommend KB resort for a relaxing holiday. Such luxury--and on a budget!
We didn't do a whole heck of a lot since I last wrote. We did rent a two-person kayak and rowed across to a little deserted island. The views were beautiful, and the beach there was great, but I don't have any pictures because we didn't want to risk drowning the camera. Otherwise, we read a lot (LOVED Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin) and spent a lot of time in the hammock/on the deck/on the beach.
Little Fruit Bat followed us to our new bungalow and acted as our bodyguard the rest of our stay. The staff said that she chooses people from time to time, and when that happens she is a dedicated watchdog. That was certainly true for us--she always seemed to know where we were. She also knew when we were leaving, though, and she got very upset. It broke my heart a little.
We returned to Bangkok yesterday, but to a completely different part of town. I don't particularly like it, but then again it's only until early tomorrow morning. Then it's off to the airport, and Singapore, and then South Africa.
So long Asia. On to the next leg of our adventure!
Love,
Ames
What a lovely week on Ko Chang. I wholeheartedly recommend KB resort for a relaxing holiday. Such luxury--and on a budget!
We didn't do a whole heck of a lot since I last wrote. We did rent a two-person kayak and rowed across to a little deserted island. The views were beautiful, and the beach there was great, but I don't have any pictures because we didn't want to risk drowning the camera. Otherwise, we read a lot (LOVED Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin) and spent a lot of time in the hammock/on the deck/on the beach.
Little Fruit Bat followed us to our new bungalow and acted as our bodyguard the rest of our stay. The staff said that she chooses people from time to time, and when that happens she is a dedicated watchdog. That was certainly true for us--she always seemed to know where we were. She also knew when we were leaving, though, and she got very upset. It broke my heart a little.
We returned to Bangkok yesterday, but to a completely different part of town. I don't particularly like it, but then again it's only until early tomorrow morning. Then it's off to the airport, and Singapore, and then South Africa.
So long Asia. On to the next leg of our adventure!
Love,
Ames
18 February 2010
17 February 2010
Vientiane--->Bangkok--->Trat--->Ko Chang
Hi everyone,
I apologise for taking so long to update this. The few times we've been on the internet, we've been busy researching places to stay both here on Ko Chang and also in Cape Town. Africa is approaching quickly, and we are a bit under-prepared.
We left Vientiane after one night and headed to Bangkok on the night bus. We were totally swindled by our hotel in Vientiane, and the bus was not as advertised. We paid 800 baht per person, and then found out we could have done it ourselves for about 500. We were promised dinner, movies, and a 6am arrival time on Khoa San--and then didn't stop for food until midnight (and it was terrible), the movies were in Thai only, and the bus dropped us off at 4.30am at the Northern Bus Terminal. It was pretty much a disaster.
So we got a taxi to Khao San, only to find out that everywhere was full and wouldn't be able to check us in until at least 11 (if they had rooms, which nobody was sure). We finally got a room after killing SEVEN hours around Khao San, and we were so exhausted and dispirited that we went straight to bed for a couple of hours.
After one night in Bangkok, we left for Trat in the morning. Trat is where the ferries leave from for the Eastern islands, and it was actually a pleasant little town in itself. The streets were leafy and quiet, and every window revealed families eating together, watching TV, or playing with their pets. We had some awesome curries at a local restaurant and then called it a night.
We caught the ferry to Ko Chang the next morning (which meant that we hadn't spent more than one night in a place for almost a full week). Our aim was to find somewhere nice, and then just stay put for six nights or so. We arrived on the island, took a taxi to our chosen beach (Kai Bae), and then started the hotel search. It wasn't easy. Everywhere was booked solid, and our options were looking depressing (dirty, smelly, windowless bungalows). It took us about two hours to stumble into KB resort, who did have one room available--and it was perfect. A lovely, wooden fan bangalow with tons of windows, set in beautiful gardens. We pounced on it, and then found out that a beautiful breakfast buffet was included, which made it easily within budget.
So we spent the first three nights in that bungalow, watching sunsets from a hammock, drinking beer on our private deck, and swimming in the sea and our gorgeous swimming pool (for about 31 US per night for both of us). Our luck nearly ran out, though, as the resort thought they were full again and nearly had to kick us out. We spent hours searching for another place yesterday with no luck, and we were wondering whether we might have to leave the island. Very luckily, they offered us a different family bungalow for a discounted rate for the next three nights--so we remain at our resort, which was a huge relief.
The best things about KB are the breakfasts and the resident dogs. The breakfasts are massive, and include tasty treats like pineapple samosas, banana pancakes, and omelets made to order. The dogs are always around, and are real characters. My favorite is one we call 'fruit bat' (because her face looks exactly like one). She has taken to sleeping on our porch--not on the ground, but actually on top of our patio table. She growls at other dogs if they come too close, but she's nothing but cuddly with us. It's been really fun to have a temporary dog.
So we have three more nights on Ko Chang, and then two more in Bangkok before we fly back to Singapore. I'll try and post some pictures this evening.
Love,
Ames
I apologise for taking so long to update this. The few times we've been on the internet, we've been busy researching places to stay both here on Ko Chang and also in Cape Town. Africa is approaching quickly, and we are a bit under-prepared.
We left Vientiane after one night and headed to Bangkok on the night bus. We were totally swindled by our hotel in Vientiane, and the bus was not as advertised. We paid 800 baht per person, and then found out we could have done it ourselves for about 500. We were promised dinner, movies, and a 6am arrival time on Khoa San--and then didn't stop for food until midnight (and it was terrible), the movies were in Thai only, and the bus dropped us off at 4.30am at the Northern Bus Terminal. It was pretty much a disaster.
So we got a taxi to Khao San, only to find out that everywhere was full and wouldn't be able to check us in until at least 11 (if they had rooms, which nobody was sure). We finally got a room after killing SEVEN hours around Khao San, and we were so exhausted and dispirited that we went straight to bed for a couple of hours.
After one night in Bangkok, we left for Trat in the morning. Trat is where the ferries leave from for the Eastern islands, and it was actually a pleasant little town in itself. The streets were leafy and quiet, and every window revealed families eating together, watching TV, or playing with their pets. We had some awesome curries at a local restaurant and then called it a night.
We caught the ferry to Ko Chang the next morning (which meant that we hadn't spent more than one night in a place for almost a full week). Our aim was to find somewhere nice, and then just stay put for six nights or so. We arrived on the island, took a taxi to our chosen beach (Kai Bae), and then started the hotel search. It wasn't easy. Everywhere was booked solid, and our options were looking depressing (dirty, smelly, windowless bungalows). It took us about two hours to stumble into KB resort, who did have one room available--and it was perfect. A lovely, wooden fan bangalow with tons of windows, set in beautiful gardens. We pounced on it, and then found out that a beautiful breakfast buffet was included, which made it easily within budget.
So we spent the first three nights in that bungalow, watching sunsets from a hammock, drinking beer on our private deck, and swimming in the sea and our gorgeous swimming pool (for about 31 US per night for both of us). Our luck nearly ran out, though, as the resort thought they were full again and nearly had to kick us out. We spent hours searching for another place yesterday with no luck, and we were wondering whether we might have to leave the island. Very luckily, they offered us a different family bungalow for a discounted rate for the next three nights--so we remain at our resort, which was a huge relief.
The best things about KB are the breakfasts and the resident dogs. The breakfasts are massive, and include tasty treats like pineapple samosas, banana pancakes, and omelets made to order. The dogs are always around, and are real characters. My favorite is one we call 'fruit bat' (because her face looks exactly like one). She has taken to sleeping on our porch--not on the ground, but actually on top of our patio table. She growls at other dogs if they come too close, but she's nothing but cuddly with us. It's been really fun to have a temporary dog.
So we have three more nights on Ko Chang, and then two more in Bangkok before we fly back to Singapore. I'll try and post some pictures this evening.
Love,
Ames
11 February 2010
Luang Prabang--->Vang Vieng--->Vientiane
So much travel again! We left Luang Prabang on a VIP bus to Vang Vieng, didn't like it there, and grabbed another bus to Vientiane. We arrived last night, and have now booked an overnight bus (shudder) for tonight. We'll end up in Bangkok at 6am tomorrow morning.
Our time is ticking down, so we're looking to spend a bit of time relaxing before we fly to Cape Town. Our new goal is to get to Ko Maak, but you never know. We sure don't!
I'll try to put up a few more pictures of Laos. It's been lovely here.
Love,
09 February 2010
Luang Prabang ctd again
Rory fixed the camera--yay Rory!
So here are a few photos of today's activities. We took a boat up the Mekong to a cave full of ancient Buddhas. Enjoy!
So here are a few photos of today's activities. We took a boat up the Mekong to a cave full of ancient Buddhas. Enjoy!
08 February 2010
07 February 2010
Luang Nam Tha--->Luang Prabang
Hi everyone,
It's been ages since I've blogged, and that's because we've been busy bees. We finished our trek on my birthday--it was a pretty good trip, but didn't quite meet our expectations. For one, there is no wildlife. Laos is so poor that all of the animals are eaten as soon as they're spotted. I'm not complaining though, as Laos is still very friendly, safe, and attractive.
To celebrate my birthday, our entire trekking group (plus some Dutch travellers we met at the border) went out for Indian food and Beerlao. I haven't mentioned it before, but Beerlao is delicious--by far the best beer we've had so far. I had a lovely birthday.
We caught a public bus to Luang Prabang the next morning and spent the next ten hours crawling along the terrible main highway. The arduous journey was worth it though, as Luang Prabang is stunning. The entire town is a world heritage site, and it does feel timeless here. There are monks in their orange robes everywhere, and quiet French cafes, and the Mekong is always in the distance.
I'd love to share pictures with everyone, but our memory card has contracted a computer virus. We're not sure what this means, but for now I'm unable to view the photos we've taken. Bummer.
I'll write another update soon--I'm sure I'll think of more to say. A lot has happened!
Love,
Ames
It's been ages since I've blogged, and that's because we've been busy bees. We finished our trek on my birthday--it was a pretty good trip, but didn't quite meet our expectations. For one, there is no wildlife. Laos is so poor that all of the animals are eaten as soon as they're spotted. I'm not complaining though, as Laos is still very friendly, safe, and attractive.
To celebrate my birthday, our entire trekking group (plus some Dutch travellers we met at the border) went out for Indian food and Beerlao. I haven't mentioned it before, but Beerlao is delicious--by far the best beer we've had so far. I had a lovely birthday.
We caught a public bus to Luang Prabang the next morning and spent the next ten hours crawling along the terrible main highway. The arduous journey was worth it though, as Luang Prabang is stunning. The entire town is a world heritage site, and it does feel timeless here. There are monks in their orange robes everywhere, and quiet French cafes, and the Mekong is always in the distance.
I'd love to share pictures with everyone, but our memory card has contracted a computer virus. We're not sure what this means, but for now I'm unable to view the photos we've taken. Bummer.
I'll write another update soon--I'm sure I'll think of more to say. A lot has happened!
Love,
Ames
03 February 2010
Pai--->Chiang Mai--->Chiang Rai--->Chiang Kong--->Huay Xai--->Luang Nam Tha, Laos
Hi everyone,
We've been travelling a lot the last two days, and we have some busy times ahead too. Yesterday we were on the road for nearly 12 hours, and JUST crossed the border before it closed for the evening. Then this morning we caught an early bus and made it here to Luang Nam Tha.
The bus was awful. There was an intensely smelly Frenchman that actually made the Laos women riding with us physically ill (over and over and over again). Even I ended up on the side of the road at one point, but I couldn't make myself throw up. It was terrible. The road was also windy and rocky, so the combination was lethal.
The good news is that we've booked on to an overnight trek through the National Park here, so we leave early the next morning, hike to a waterfall and stay in a small village, and then hike back out again through the forest and rice paddies (on my birthday). I'm very excited.
So I won't be blogging again for several days. Cross your fingers that we see some wildlife tomorrow!
Love
Ames
We've been travelling a lot the last two days, and we have some busy times ahead too. Yesterday we were on the road for nearly 12 hours, and JUST crossed the border before it closed for the evening. Then this morning we caught an early bus and made it here to Luang Nam Tha.
The bus was awful. There was an intensely smelly Frenchman that actually made the Laos women riding with us physically ill (over and over and over again). Even I ended up on the side of the road at one point, but I couldn't make myself throw up. It was terrible. The road was also windy and rocky, so the combination was lethal.
The good news is that we've booked on to an overnight trek through the National Park here, so we leave early the next morning, hike to a waterfall and stay in a small village, and then hike back out again through the forest and rice paddies (on my birthday). I'm very excited.
So I won't be blogging again for several days. Cross your fingers that we see some wildlife tomorrow!
Love
Ames
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