Day 100 Hanoi to Perth

It’s actually coming to an end! I am sitting here staring out at the lights of Hanoi writing my very last blog post. Who knew that 100 days in South East Asia would fly by so quickly, show us more than we ever thought possible and teach us to view the world in a completely different light. I vow to love harder, work harder, smile more often, and appreciate every small and big thing that I already have in my life. I will always be thankful when I am able sit down on a toilet (instead of squatting), and grateful that I don’t have to carry hand sanitizer everywhere. I’m looking forward to a real cup of tea with my mum, hugging my dad, talking to my sisters, meeting our niece, planning our wedding, and spending time with family and friends. Fresh air, water straight from the tap, a cold breeze, and a wardrobe will never be taken for granted again. So many things to look forward to and yet so many things I’m not ready to farewell…the people, the children, the spiritually, the landscape, the food, the colours, and the adrenaline of not knowing what to expect next. All things must come to an end and the next adventure will start soon enough…Goodbye South East Asia.       

Day 96 - 99 Hanoi

Hanoi is like being on a furious motorbike at high speed, chaotic and colourful, street life carrying on frantically. The footpath isn’t for walking, it’s for motorbikes, its for trading, its for food stands, its for locals to sit on tiny chairs eating Bun Cha while sipping iced coffee. However amongst the fury of the cities roaring engine, the old quarter and lake area awaits. History, narrow streets, great restaurants, little boutique shops, and large trees blocking the burning sun all join the local footpath mall to create an authentic yet pleasant experience of Hanoi. Mike and I stayed in a great hotel called Golden Ledged right in the heart of the old quarter. We spent nights watching the most intense lightening storms we have ever seen while rolling grilled pork spring rolls and eating banana flower salad. During the day we weaved our way through the maze (taking small steps and almost closing my eyes everytime I crossed the road), perspired a couple of rivers and visited many of the museums including Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum. Being our last stop we also decided to invest in some R&R and experience the perfectionism of Hanoi’s day spas for a next to nothing price. Hanoi will definitely be a stop in the near future.    

Day 90 - 95 Sapa

Sapa…where do I begin? The places on this trip that really reach down and tug at my soul are always the hardest to write about. I’m afraid that mere words can’t do any justice, paint the landscape, and illustrate the beauty of the people and their daily lives. Mikes photos are a very good start; hopefully his pictures accompanied by my words can begin to tell the story of some very amazing people and their home. Their names were Shu, Su and Ge. They stood at about 5ft tall with beautiful open faces, high cheekbones sprinkled with freckles and intricately wrapped long hair. Their ages were hard to depict but their deep brown eyes suggested knowledge and wisdom far greater than I will ever achieve. They approached us with hoards of other women as soon as we stepped out of our van onto the streets of misty Sapa. Dressed in bright and detailed clothing, hand made and died with indigo grown in their village. Large heavy jewelry dangled from their ears and covered their necks. The ladies squabbled for our attention following us through the streets practicing their English with enthusiasm and introducing us to their crafts. A young girl smiled up at me and asked if I had any children. Slightly confused by my answer she proudly confessed that she was 20 and had a baby girl at home. “I need to have a boy soon though” she said anxiously. As we came nearer to our hotel our fan group had depleted to a few and that’s when Shu timidly approached me. She had a desirously happy baby tied to her back, barley noticeable as she sheltered him from drizzle with her umbrella. She was refreshingly shy compared to the other ladies but was keen to know everything about us. As Mike checked into the hotel I was reluctant to leave Shu and her friends Su and Ge, it was a once in a lifetime experience chatting to women whose lives couldn’t be more opposite to my own. A few minutes later as Mike emerged from the hotel I had somewhat anxiously agreed to accompany them to their village the following day, a 4 hour trek over 1000 year old buffalo tracks. We agreed to meet them at 9.30 as they tied bracelets around our wrists (a way of remembering us). Then as quickly as they appeared they vanished around the corner as a dominant looking police man came down the street. We later learned that it’s illegal for the hill tribes to sell or converse with the tourists outside of the designated marketplace and this had us a little worried. That night sitting on our balcony staring out over the hazy mountains covered in a patchwork quilt of rice fields we thought about all the things that could go wrong on our trek. We would be taken deep into the forest where the men would shoot us with bows and arrows and take the clothes off our backs…we would be taken hours out of Sapa then forced to pay ridiculous amounts of money to get back…we would be fed chicken that had been sitting in the sun for days resulting in life threatening food poising. If South East Asia had taught us anything it certainly had made us more cautious and maybe a little less trusting of people. As the morning of our trek approached we packed our bags put shoes on for the first time in nearly 4 months and went off to meet our “friends”. They were very happy to see us that morning, it was almost as though they hadn’t expected us to turn up but their lives would be that much better if we did. We followed Shu, Su, and Ge out of town, a 4 hour journey that they made twice a day. We learnt about their families, their children, their rituals, and their daily lives as they tried to comprehend ours. Language barriers had us in fits of laughter, as we tried to respond to their many questions. They scaled the hills at an amazing pace, steady legs and Shu even had her 4 month old baby on her back. We passed over hills, muddy steep trials, and hugged shady bamboo paths overlooking the valley. The view was amazing, vivid green rice paddies, and indigo fields speckled with huts. Old bridges took us over the gushing river that fed the surrounding land. Village ladies walked by greeting us with wide smiles. Young boys rode buffalo and dusty bare bummed children followed their older siblings. We were headed for the village of Lao Chai, home of the Mong people. There are several hill tribes in Sapa each with their own language, traditional clothing and way of life. The Red Dao people wear red head cloths and shave off their eyebrows. Shu, Su and Ge took us away from the main village, buying fruit and tofu on the way through and up a steep climb to an area they said was never visited by tourists. Their community was made up of around 40 people (mostly children) 2 buffalos, 1 chicken, 3 dogs, 4 puppies, a kitten, a rice field, 2 industrial threading machines and about 8 very basic bamboo homes. Their dark homes (most without electricity) consisted of the dining area with a hole in the dirt floor for cooking, a food preparation area with running water from the stream and sleeping quarters. We sat on small stools as their shy children came to greet their mothers and marvel at these tall and strange looking foreigners. I will never forget the sound of laughter and amazement on their faces when Mike took their photos and they saw themselves on the camera. We brought crayons and paper as they happily drew lines and gazed at all the colours. The children stay in the village but the men go into the forest every day to hunt and bring back bamboo for the homes. We were very lucky that 2 men had stayed at home in preparation of arrival. They had tidied, cleared and were ready waiting to help the ladies prepare us a welcome feast of rice, fried tofu, tomato, cucumber and noodles. We drank rice wine and herbed home brew feeling extremely lucky to meet these wonderful people (and not to have been shot with bows and arrows)  We sat with some of the most wonderful women that lunch time, women who walked 8 hours every day, had arranged marriages and moved out of their family homes at 18, gave birth to their babies on the dirt floors of their homes without medical help, made the most exquisite jewelry, clothing and home wares, had blue stained hands from indigo dye, worked in the rice fields, cooked amazing meals, chatted to strangers all day to learn English and earn a living for their families, and ran from policeman who banned them from certain areas of Sapa. They would take the clothes of their backs for their families in the cold winter and eat the family pets to survive but the beauty of their tribe’s existence, the spark of life in their eyes, and the incomprehension of our way of life meant they were pretty happy with their hand in the card game of life. We brought handmade pillowcases off Shu, Su and Ge to remind us of them, and handed over $700,000 dong. (3 pillow cases and $35 seemed measly for what we had just experienced) They appeared more than happy with our contribution and gave us departing gifts especially for our brothers and sisters. After a short walk the men took us back to Sapa by motorbike as we promised to return again one day with our family. We left them waving on the side of the road and felt like we were saying goodbye to old friends. The rest of our stay in Sapa was spent sheltering from the chilly breeze, drinking hot chocolate, and dreaming of our unforgettable trek. Shu, Su and Ge left such an impact on us that we got 3 sets of photos printed that Mike took in their village, hired a motorbike, brought a map and found our way to their village again to give them a tangible memory. Something they may be able to show other tourists to make persuade them to do a trek with these amazing ladies, and  feel a little safer about accompanying them to their homes…not a bow and arrow in sight.                                 

Day 84 - 89 Halong Bay

With heavy packs we left Hoi An and flew to Hanoi in Northern Vietnam. Hanoi was where we were based for the next couple of days as we arranged our Halong Bay tour. There are over 400 tour boats on the Halong harbour ranging from 5star to a small junk boat not quite afloat. We learned about the boat that sunk in the harbour in 2010 claiming 11 lives, and other stories of people booking through travel agents only to find themselves on a completely different boat. After what felt like a stab in the dark, even after Mike’s hours of research we found ourselves on the Paloma cruise. A 4 hour bus ride took us to the harbour where we stepped aboard the ornate wooden junk boat for 2 nights on top of the green waters of Halong bay. From the French windows of our small pretty cabin we gazed in amazement…it was like being on the set of pirates of the Caribbean, surreal but somewhat daunting. As we sailed further from the harbour into Ba Tu bay we left the community of house boats, grinning toothless sailors and the rubbish which plagues this pretty place and entered serenity.  Wedges of jungle laden limestone had been littered throughout the bay, creating a maze of ocean and rock, coves and caves, and a small collection of pretty wooden boats also exploring the area. It was low season in the bay, HOT but luckily for us clear skies and not a drop of rain. We were joined by 12 other great people on a boat that would usually take 55 in the high season; it was fantastic to have such a small group.  We spent our days eating, eating, and ah eating, kayaking, swimming (in the clean spots), learning to cook the Vietnamese way, cave exploring and lounging on the top deck getting lost in the view. One of the highlights was our trip through a floating fishing village. 300 people who have created a community on the water, who basically never step on land and earn a living selling fresh seafood to tour boats. Families pack into small fishing boats for up to 3 weeks at a time, leaving angry looking German Sheppard’s to guard their floating bungalow. How do the guard dogs survive on their own you ask? (well I certainly did) They have evolved into sleek swimming, fish catching canines that even drink salt water. People living on the water their entire lives amazes me but salt water drinking dogs…this trip has made my head ache.

Day 79 - 83 Hoi An

We left too prematurely for our liking. Sun kissed skin, a belly full with the Vietnamese cuisine and bags filled to the brim with our very own personalised fashion boutiques. It definitely wasn't goodbye Hoi An, it was see you again next year (and every year after that, funds permitting). We had heard fantastic things about this beautiful heritage town in central Vietnam, but it still went above and beyond. Nestled on the banks of the river Hoi An is a timeless classic. A mixture of French architecture with a strong ancient Vietnamese influence. The narrow streets are filled with colourful shop fronts, lanterns, vines, and old fashioned bicycles. But one of the major draw cards of this stunning town is the 400+ tailors and shoe makers. You are able to design all of your own clothes, chose your fabrics, and have a perfectly made garment exactly as you requested ready for you the next day. Imagine finding a dream designer dress worth over $1000. You take the picture of the dress to a tailor who takes your measurements and recommends the type of fabric which would work best. You chose the fabric from the millions of samples on the shop floor and come back the next day for a fitting to find an exact replica the has been tailored made for your body. The final touches are made, and you take away your perfectly made personalised dress for $80. Its not only women who become totally addicted to the experience, Mike was a man on a mission and couldn't stop...resulting in 30 items. We spent 5 days there and in between fittings we lounged on the pristine beach ( yes Hoi An is even home to one of the best beaches in Vietnam). We ate some of the best Vietnamese food we have had on the trip, walked through the bustling markets, spent hours on shoe street, explored the surrounding countryside on motorbike, and even had the opportunity to catch up with old friends. Its not only our amazing experience and memories of Hoi An that we hold close it's 11 pairs of hand made leather shoes, 2 suits, 1 wedding suit, 3 pairs of groomsman pants, 4 ties, 4 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of shorts, 3 dresses, 4 shirts, 3 winter coats...and an extra suitcase. Whoops, we just couldn't stop!!!! (If you ever go to Hoi An and struggle with a choice of tailor, don't miss A Dong Silk) 

Day 78 Night train to Danang (Hoi An)

There were hundreds of people carrying everything but the kitchen sink on the train tracks that night. As the slow old train pulled in at 10pm we were a little anxious to find out who else would be in our 4 berth cabin. Cramped dark corridors illuminated by street light lead us to the locked door of cabin number 7 where we waited. It only took a few minutes until we realised that we had been locked out by our cabin partners who had boarded the train in Ho Chi Minh City. It took another few minutes for our knocks to be answered by stifled groans and the doors opened...I immediately felt terrible as the old lady hobbled back into her bed, at her feet curled a little girl wrapped in a bumble bee towel. On the opposite bed lay another frail little  lady with wispy white hair holding her hand up to block the light that flooded in when we opened the door. We quickly and quietly settled on the top bunks and I could sense that Mike was secretly relieved that the people below us would prove to be no threat in the night. It was pretty chilly on our top bunks as we were close to the air con unit. After we managed to put on almost every item of clothing sleep came quite quickly...we would wake up in the morning and be in Danang a few hours later (or so we thought). It was 4.30am when they started and Vietnamese are not quiet communicators...I know my Nana wakes up at this time, but she lays in bed and listens to News talk ZB, QUIETLY!! It was half an hour of what seemed liked heated discussion until the curtains were violently drawn at first light. Then it was food preparation, the kitchen pantry was reviled and breakfast was served consisting of noodles, soup and fruit. Mike and I stared in disbelief as the little bumble bee girl woke for food then fell back into a deep sleep. It was 5.30am and there was no way we were getting any more sleep. The loud conversation continued throughout the morning, music was played, train staff pushed carts of chicken soup through the carriage as we watched central Vietnam unfold. Thats when I truly saw green for the first time.  Not one natural thing is ever exactly the same, and that goes for colours. I doubt that any man could ever recreate the colour of a Vietnamese rice paddy boarded by the bluest sky on a hot summers morning, it's simply breathtaking. After admiring the countryside it didn't take much to realize we were running late, we just didn't know it was 7 hours late. That's when the nightmare set in, it was truly frustrating being stuck in that cabin. Bumble bee girl was our inspiration, quiet and well behaved, finding small things to amuse herself, staring patiently out the window. If she could do it so could we...and we did. At 4.30pm that afternoon, 18 hours later we arrived. 

Day 74 - 77 Nha Trang

Our winding bus ride from Dalat to the costal city of Nha Trang was hideous to say the least. Send me on a boat on rough sea any day and I will just fall asleep but put me on a bus with 40 other people, smelly food, loud vietnamese music and a crazy horn honking erratic driver contending with narrow, winding roads....my tolerance and the state of my stomach decreases rapidly!!!! We were so happy when we arrived in sunny Nha Trang, welcomed by the sudden increase of heat, and tropical white sand that wrapped around the coast. Even though this beach paradise was a busy tourist hub it hadn't developed one ounce of tackiness, it was beautiful. We stayed in the night life area, down the end of a small alleyway which was shared by hundreds of locals. At night all the children  would spill out onto the street and play soccer, while their mothers and grandmothers sat on small chairs outside crusing garlic, and drying seafood. Many of the homes that joined the family run restaurants were rooms with fold up beds, and most of the food preparation was done on the street or in the restuarant kitchen, with meal time huddled on the floor. This communal living is typical of South East Asia, they basically live on top of each other and i get the feeling that even if they had more space they wouldn't have it any other way. We were spoilt by so many choices of food, and bars. To our surprise we found a superb Indian restaurant named Ganesh (Mike had one taste of the meaty lamb tika masala and it was our dinner for 2 nights in a row). One night before our Ganesh indulgence we also discovered a rowdy bar (as well as all the other tourists). Mike settled down and watched the Warriors as I managed to somehow stumble upon an opportunity to get unbelievably cheap music on my iPod. I watched in fascination as one of the owners downloaded 100 new albums for me for $20! As I was happily scrolling through my new music Mike got chatting to a two brothers from New Zealand and suddenly the world became a very small place. Mike basically had a job interview and I was grilled about PR & Marketing and what kind of career direction I will go in when we return home. One of the brothers owned a construction company and the other brother was a very experienced marketing director. It just proves you never know who you going to run into and what opportunities await...even in a seedy bar in Vietnam. With an exchange of emails and promise to contact them upon our return we left that night feeling slightly elated and more hopeful about our job prospects in New Zealand. However the elation was short lived as we prepared for what turned out to be a very unique experience both unforgettable and painful on our night train to Danang.

Day 70 - 73 Dalat

High in the hills of Vietnam is "the sound of music" film set, or a Austrian/Vietnamese atmospheric town. 17 degrees during the day was a refreshing relief even quite cold compared to the high 30's we had been experiencing every day. Dalat is responsible for producing most of the country's fresh produce, flowers, wine, and diary products...it's a patchwork quilt of vegetable patches, roses, strawberry fields, trees, and colourful  houses perched on climbing narrow streets. The lake is at the centre of the action complete with swan peddle boats. Horse and carriages roam the surrounding gardens helping this place live up to its name "romantic city". Mike and I stayed at a little guest house in town called Thien An with one of the best provided breakfasts we have had on this trip...avocados, peanut butter, vegemite, and marmite were an awesome surprise. The marmite/Vegemite (Asian brand) cost the owner $160,000 dong per jar which works out to be $8US (a lot in Vietnam) but he had worked out that these jars were key to bringing New Zealanders & Australians to his guest house. We had an action packed 3 days in Dalat, tobogganing to waterfalls, gondola rides, garden walks, market visits and hooning around the picturesque countryside on our motorbike. On one of our favourite days we visited "crazy house" a house created to look like the roots of trees, and hollows in logs. It was an amazing feat for architecture with rooms in every nook and cranny. Our crazy visit was topped off with a hot drink and cupcake at our favourite cafe Windmills. This became a regular indulgence every afternoon to escape the rain and "cold" (I don't think we are going to adjust too well to the NZ winter).

Day 68 - 69 Ho Chi Minh/Saigon

Flying through the clouds over Ho Chi Minh revealed a ginormous Asian city, that was clearly recovering remarkably well from the war. On the ground we were surprised further, it was prosperous, on the surface it was a booming. A very loud, very busy, overwhelming place. There is 85 million people in Vietnam if that gives you an idea how crazy one of the biggest city's is. Beeping and honking of horns filled the air 24/7 and we had to learn to fall asleep with the sounds of the city beneath us. It rained the majority of the time and we learned in the wet season it pours all afternoon, every afternoon for 3 months straight. Buckets, plastic bags, anything slightly waterproof became DIY raincoats as all motorbike drivers pulled off the roads and occupied any sheltered space along the streets.Ho Chi Minh was the first time we were able to really get into Vietnamese Cuisine...crab and shrimp spring rolls, fresh spring rolls, beef and ginger, chicken and lemongrass, caramelised pork, and Vietnamese fried rice YUM!!!!  A few less authentic items snuck in there...you have to love big cities in Asia as its easier to find food thats a little more reliable for travellers stomachs, western bakeries, fast food chains, but surprisingly or maybe not so surprising for controlled Vietnam...no McDonalds in sight. 

Day 65 - 67 Phu Quoc Island (Vietnam)

Crossing into Vietnam from Cambodia was relatively easy (apart from the guy demanding $2 US per person before we could pass, just because he could) after being slightly intimidated we entered Vietnam. I was filled with anticipation and excitement as Vietnam had been on my must list for a long time...the streets instantly changed from bamboo stilt houses of the Cambodian countryside to brick and plaster painted in pastels, a larger degree of wealth was clearly evident. There were so many more people walking the streets each donning a cone shaped bamboo hat and studying us inquisitively. We made our way to Ha Tien where we boarded the ferry to Phu Quoc Island. The boat ride hurled us into culture shock where we quickly learnt that their where going to be a few differences from quiet and chilled back Cambodia/Laos. It was Loud, they where so loud, it was obviously not rude to stare for very long periods of time, there was no such thing as personal space, the young children were confident and chubby and loved to annoy mike by hitting him on the head and taking his sunglasses (I couldn't stop laughing which didn't help the situation). Once arriving on Phu Quoc we were greeted by what seemed like hundreds of screaming motorbike drivers wanting to take us to our hotel...it all happened so quickly and all of a sudden I was on the back of a motorbike with my 15kg pack slung over my drivers lap watching Mike disappear in the distance.  Wow...it was adrenalin, fear, and a feeling of "this is crazy fun" mixed all into one as we zoomed over bumpy roads to catch up with Mikes driver (who was happily chatting away to Mike in Vietnamese). Our introduction to Phu Quoc, shaped the rest of our stay which resulted in some very memorable motorbike experiences. Phu Quoc was a large beautiful island with a long stretch of beach and paradise coves. Some of the island is slowly becoming a package tourists dream but SLOWLY enough to share the beach with the local kids and dogs still ensuring an authentic experience. On other parts of the island there was dense jungle, and thriving towns, colourful markets with everything from half dead chickens, to cabbage to dogs in cages (soon to be on the table...which I plead ignorance too). We hired a motorbike for 3 days and Mike found it a true rush driving through this crowded marketplace with thousands of honking Vietnamese, while in between cursing I held my breath. One day we set out across the island in search of "Sai Bao" which is described as the most pristine beach in Vietnam. We had had a huge thunderstorm the night before so the roads were quite muddy so the journey took longer than expected but once there it was worth it. The sand was white and the ocean clear as we sat in the warm water watching the dark clouds in the distance roll in. We were quiet happy to be swimming when the rain and mist settled in, the beach transformed into a lord of the rings movie set. Once the salt started to sting our eyes, skin wrinkle, and hair stand up on our arms we ran for shelter as the rain pelted down and wind roared. We had heard about these soaking monsoon rains but our entire trip it had only ever rained for 30 minutes or so each day. This time it was different, cold and threatening. We decided to wait it out and ordered soup to warm us up, there was no way were going to dry out in a hurry. The soup arrived on our table...the consistency of uncooked egg whites with meat, with a stench of fish that had been sitting in the sun. Mike told me it was dog in vomit and that was that, there was no way we could eat it and there was no way Mike was paying $200000 dong for it...all of a sudden I was following Mike, trying to keep up  in the stinging rain and wind, weaving behind palm trees hiding from the staff. As soon as we got to our motorbike we knew we were in trouble, it had flooded and we were knee deep in muddy water. Somehow we managed to get the motorbike out and skidded as fast as we could away from that place. 1km down the road we realised that we had successfully "done a runner" from dog in vomit in the torrential monsoon rain on a flooded back street in Vietnam and it was hallirious. It wasn't entirely over though, it poured for 5 hours straight, some roads were impassable, we were drenched,freezing and muddy, and Mike had to pull out some serious motocross skills to get us home in one piece.  After warming up back at our hotel I realised that was one of the most adventured packed, adrenaline filled afternoons I had ever had.  

Day 61-64 Sihanoukville - Kampot - Kep

Our next stop in amazing Cambodia was the beach side town of Sihanoukville. This place was alive and humming with party seekers...its definitely on the cards to becoming one of the biggest holiday destinations in asia. The beaches around Sihanoukville were surprisingly beautiful with white squeaky sand. Mike and I enjoyed some beach time, enjoyed watching the All Blacks cream the Irish, snuck into the fancy resort down the  road to have a swim at their exclusive beach, found an awesome Italian restaurant, fought of ladies wanting to "thread" all the  hair off my entire body...paint my toes...or make me a bracelet, and I almost tried to steal a gorgeous 4 month old baby who sat with me through dinner sucking on her fingers (much like another adorable little girl). After our cuddles her mother put her in a front pouch and jumped on the back of a motorbike with her 4 year old  son, husband and mum...it will never cease to amaze me what they can fit on a motorbike. After three days at the beach we made our way to the french riverside town off Kampot for an overnight  stay. Arriving in the afternoon we biked around the crumbling city and decided to do a sunset tour on the river. After our tour we found a  restaurant run by kiwis and had our first roast New Zealand lamb in what seemed like years. The next morning we were on the road again, 2 hours later we were back on the coast in the stunning seaside fishing village of Kep. Kep is famous in Cambodia for its seafood and crab, restaurants line part of the shore where you can sit and literally watch the fisherman catching your meal.  The sea breeze was a welcome change, in this lush paradise that I imagined was not dissimilar to Mission Bay 50 years ago (just a cambodian version). Kep was the "it" place for the french and wealthy cambodians before the war, and still hasn't fully recovered but is well on its way. It sees only 50 tourists per high season and the locals are so eager to learn english. The children wave out to you every time you pass, people are so willing to help and ask questions about where we have come from, you barely have to smile at someone and they beam at you as though you are long lost family and its an invitation to improve their english skills. We met a young a man working at our guest house who had been learning english for 5 months and he was amazing. He travelled to Kampot once a week for an hour to his english  lessons, and he had 1 million questions for Mike and I. He was from a family of 5 and his parents could only afford to educate the oldest  son ($5 US tuition fee a day) however he was glad he didn't have to carry the burden of having to do well really well at uni to please his hardworking parents. As we continued chatting our van to take us across the boarder into Vietnam arrived, and like many of the Cambodian men our new friend swung Mikes 22kg pack across his 155cm and 60kg frame and hiked off towards the van saying "don't worry its not heavy, its good practice for me because Im going to learn english and travel the world". Within that sentence I later realised it was the perfect metaphor for this country and summary of our visit here, he spoke on behalf of all young Cambodian's translating to ...our past is heavy but we can carry it, the weight helps us realise how easy reaching our potential can be. Mike and I are officially in love with these people, there smiles, friendliness, positivity and resilience far outweigh the negative of Cambodia.

Days 57 - 60 Siem Reap

I have found it very difficult to begin this particular blog post...there is so many things to say and very few words to explain the emotion experienced. I wont begin with the gut retching poverty you probably wont want to read on and I don't blame you. We almost didn't come to this country, I  wanted to close my eyes to it all and selfishly surround my  self with positive things. We came though and we found out something unexpected... that behind a recent dark history, and the poverty lays a country with a powerful and captivating ancestry, impressive architecture and culture, and beautiful people that want to show you their amazing country. Siem Reap proved to be a jewel in the rough  somewhere that is fast becoming one of  the most famous tourist destinations in the world. We stayed at the lovely Soria Maria hotel for four nights and enlisted the help of the fantastic Mr. Yang Sam Rach who drove us around ancient Angkor for 3 days in his tuk tuk. The ancient Angkor region just out of Siem Reap is made up of over 45 known temples and buildings rediscovered in the early 1900s completely overgrown by the thick jungle. The restoration process is still going on today and the magnificent temples have survived several wars, looting, the time of evil  Pol Pot, and neglect to become one of the 7 man made wonders of the world. The temples are believed to be constructed from around 900AD onwards and still survive to tell their tale  explaining the existence of the powerful and inspiring Khmer people that created this empire. Like the pyramids its hard to comprehend how these architectural masterpieces were constructed without modern technology. Almost every inch of stone is carved depicting scenes of everyday life, worshipping the Khmer Gods and religion. Huge lions, elephants and serpents guard the entrance of temples while the faces of huge buddhas look at you from every direction. The huge constructions, the carving and conscriptions along with the huge roots of silk trees intertwined through the stone make some of these temples magical and spiritual. Of all the temples we saw Mike and I enjoyed the famous Angkor Wat the best, watching the sun set over one of the libraries as the night insects AKA Gods sung in the trees. Siem Reap is not only about the temples...markets, amazing food, music, quad bike riding through villages, yummy bakeries, and the people make this place hum. They close down the main street "pub street" in the evening to all traffic and it just comes alive with the restaurants, bars, music, night markets, and hilarious tuk tuk drivers fighting for your business. However its obviously not all cotton candy and one third of the population lives on less than 40c a day. To put it bluntly the poverty is depressing, the street children's only chance of survival is to beg and manipulate the tourists. Dishevelled and dirty young mothers cary the new borns across their fronts in scarfs...rotting teeth and very thin due to lack of food or drug addictions they clasp their hands in prayer begging for money. Children as young as 4 walk the streets alone looking for cans or glass bottles, little girls tug at your clothes as they offer their postcards, scarfs, bracelets, and cold drinks. Land mine victims play their instruments and look at you with big hopeful black eyes. The feeling of helplessness is awful and the Cambodian government doesn't seem to be helping (the opposite of the dol pushing government I grew up with). Handing out money to the children keeps them on the street fuelling substance abuse or worse still goes to bastard pimps. Mike and I managed to distract them with games, naughts and crosses in the dust, fresh water, coco cola, food, sometimes they just wanted humour...something to brighten their repetitive days or something that got their intelligent little brains ticking. The children that gathered around the temples selling their wears knew every trick in the book, knew the basics of so many different languages that they had learnt from tourists, had the most beautiful smiles and knew who was the "weakest" amoung us. It got to a point where after what seem likes hours of following you around begging you to buy their wears they offer you "$10 for NOTHING" even though it lightens the situation it doesn't make the lump in my throat and the ache in my heart go away. The Khmer Rouge, evil Pol Pot and Vietnam war really hurt this country but the people are so resilient and positive. We are so glad that we have had the opportunity to visit Cambodia and learn about the history and culture of these people. Knowledge is power and maybe if we all have the knowledge and visit this awesome country we can have the power to help,  even if its in a small way. If you want to learn more about Cambodia's history read "First they killed my father" by Loung Ung its a powerful true story about a little girl trying to survive the brutality  of the Khmer Rouge Army.  

Day 55-56 Phnom Penh (Cambodia)

We were prepared for a big day as we crossed from Laos into Cambodia. After a long wait at the Cambodian boarder we crossed the bumpy countryside to Kratie where we enjoyed 1 nights stop over. The next morning at 6.30am we boarded a van with 13 other people for our journey to Phnom Penh. It was absolutely unbelievable how many people they could squeeze onto transport, Mike was pure entertainment for some of the Cambodians who thought it was hallirous how his legs wouldn't fit behind the seats (he ended up having to sit on the bags). Upon arriving in the chaotic and messy Cambodian capital we were spotted by a few "tourist spotters" on motorbikes who followed the van until it stopped. I was a little panicked when 10 men started banging on the windows and yelling at us all before the van stopped...sitting on the bags had its pros as we had a quick escape route out the back doors. I was actually pleasantly surprised once we got out, most of the yelling was directed at the locals in our van and we were generally treated with a "don't scare the white people too much" attitude. The first tuk tuk driver that approached us took us to our guest house for $2, my fists and wrists ached afterwards from hanging on so tight. Our days in Phnom Pehn were mostly educational, Cambodia has a horrific past history something we had very little knowledge of. We visited the S21 prison and learnt about the evil Pol Pot and Khmer Rouge, I'm not going to go into any detail about that. It actually left us wanting to know more and helped us understand why Cambodia is like it is today. The poverty and homelessness was to say the least distressing, but these people are so friendly and gentle. There sense of humour is fantastic and they smile no matter what, they are beautiful. We made sure we spent quite a bit of time at good cause dining restaurants and shops like "Friends". This place takes in older street children, gives them accommodation and trains them in hospitality, the food is amazing and the kids even better. Phnom Penh full of narrow dusty streets, food vendors and markets, tuk tuk drivers approach you on every corner as dirty children drag plastic bags in search of cans along the road, the huge riverfront park is full of people exercising, and practicing martial art as huge pictures of the king and queen hang over them, the smell of fish and noodle soup fills the air as motorbikes whizz past. This city was a culture shock and history lesson it left us wanting to learn more and see more. However a feeling of immense helplessness that has developed and the word "big softie" that the beggars and children see on my forehead is going to cause a few more tears. 

Day 52 - 54 Don Kon

We have on quite a few occasions become flash packers...opting for a flight rather than a long bus ride. So in one of our flash packer days we took a flight from Luang Prabang to Paske in Southern Laos. Our time in Paske was limited as we were off to find the hospital to remove my stitches and then to the bus stop to travel four hours south to an arena know as 4000 Islands. Here the Mekong widens and you can find thousands of islands in the middle. Our hospital search in Paske was another memorable experience and for some reason our tuk tuk driver took us to the Vet, apparently a Vet is as good as a doctor in Laos. After our trip to the real hospital we were on our way to the bus terminal where we boarded a local bus (a converted lorry truck). There were already 30 people on board with more climbing on the roof and others hanging out the back, I now know why a noticeable amount of Asians fall asleep on transport...it's a coping mechanism and the only polite thing to do instead of steering at the other passenger 1 inch away from your face. Sharing our trip with bananas, sacks of rice, and sleeping children we travelled three hours of red dirt roads, and made a few stops for "meats on stick" until we made it to the jetty to get over to one of the main islands Don Det. We decided not to stay at Don Det as we had heard of more local experiences at its neighbouring smaller island Don Kon. We were so glad that we had made that decision as upon getting to Don Kon we were greeted with the most beautiful sunset of the trip on the shores of the Mekong.  We stayed at the Floating Studio an amazing room literally floating on the river, and it was actually quite difficult to drag ourselves off the deck. Once we could pull ourselves away we explored Don Det top to toe, the waterfalls, the villages, bike paths, and scanned the river for dolphins. We were almost the only tourists there and felt as though we blended into local life. The Laos children and families on the island were the happiest I had ever seen. Every one worked on the land, big families meant more help around the properties and little 5 year old girls would be doing their difficult chores with such precession that all Mike and I could do was steer in amazement. Each family had at least 2 pigs, many chickens, 2 dogs, 2 cats, 1 kitten, 2 cows, 5 children, 1 bicycle or motorbike for the entire family to share and on occasion the dog. Mike and I would just sit in the family run restaurants observing their family life, the coming and goings, the laughter, the lady's at work washing clothes in the river, the dusty bare bumed children playing with kittens, men dragging fishing nets up the bank. We really hope that life in this beautiful little place only changes for the better and no too much from where it stands today, life in one of its most simplest and purest forms.

Day 49 - 51 Luang Prabang

A world heritage city surrounded by the Mekong, slightly crumbling french villas and bright flowers line the narrow streets, a mixture of freshly baked baguettes and laos fried bananas fill the air, monks walk the street with their umbrellas trying to hide from the hot sun, the local children play in groups on the street and families on bicycles whizz by. Luang Prabang's French history and truly amazing residents makes this beautiful city one of the best in South East Asia. Mike and I couldn't believe our luck when we arrived from Vang Vieng as the sun was setting. Our drive over the mountain that day once again revealed authentic and basic Laos village life and we were not expecting Luang Prabang to be so...boutiquey so Asian European and yet so close to the hill tribes. The accommodation we had booked the day before via agoda turned out to be a really goody. Mansion Duabula was set in the pretty residential quarter of Luang Prabang but only a 5 minute bike ride to town. The gardens and Lilly ponds were amazing and could be attributed to the hardworking caretaker who was out there everyday working his 70 year old butt off, complete with a huge smile and bamboo hat. On our days here we took the free bikes and rode around town, explored the night market (one of the best and tranquil we have experienced) watched the monks in their monasteries, and visited the waterfalls surrounding the town. Our tuk tuk driver ( who became our regular for our stay and of course looked like he had won the lotto everytime he saw us) took us out to the waterfalls one morning back through animal run streets and laughing children. Here we visited the Bear sanctuary which has been set up to rehabilitate bears that have been captured and used on the black market. It was distressing to see bears who had been kept in very small cages for the first years of their lives and used for their bile. Some of the bears were stunted, some very very slow and wobbly (they have never experienced so much space and freedom of movement). The other Sun bears who had been at the Sanctuary longer where well on their way to happier lives, beautiful and healthy, full of character and play fighting. The Bear Sanctuary is truly a fantastic organization, it just astounds me how cruel some human beings can be. After watching the bears we made our way up to the waterfalls...they didn't look real. Icy cold water cascading down into a  bright colour blue I have never really seen in the water before, it was almost like a movie set. Mike enjoyed his first cold swim this entire trip and jumping of the rope swing. After our Bear and waterfall day it was back into town for a salami baguette and carrot cake.  The food in Luang Prabang was awesome, by day it was French patisseries and by night it was the night market where you can fill a plate with the freshest local foods for 10,000kip each ($1.50)...we can't rave about this city well Laos in general enough. 

Day 46 - 48 Vang Vieng

Vang Vieng is a mountain haven that has developed so much more than its neighbouring communities due to the tourists who visit for the experience of "tubbing" - floating down the Mekong river on the inner tube of a tractor tyre and visiting the many bars, rope swings, and slides that are popping up everyday. Like me you have probably heard the horror stories of the magical yet potentially life threatening tubbing world so as we approached the river that afternoon we had manifested into the perfect tubbing candidates...excited, eager and wearing our sensible/cautious hat...or so we thought. 6 hours later little Laos children were making an absolute killing from our 2 pairs of jandels, 2pairs of sunnies, a watch, a singlet and the 3 cameras we literally saw floating past. Mike and Bec's tubbing experience also resulted in our water lodged camera, 5 stitches and a fractured cheekbone. Let me start at the very beginning... After crossing the river on a pulley system we were greeted at the first mad bar AKA "booze shack" with a friendship bracelet and were not allowed to enter until we had a shot of whisky. We met so many great people, played some crazy games and shared our travel stories until we were off down the river holding hands. The next thing you know locals dressed in spiderman outfits are throwing out ropes and pulling us into their bars. I cant explain how cool it is drifting down the river with a tribe of other mad tourists, with the stunning view of limestone cliffs in the distance. The tubbing experience was  exhilarating and the rest of the day was filled with  dancing and floating along the Mekong river until...my sensible hat fell off and I managed to slip and knock myself out. Of course after my extreme paranoia that something was going to happen it did. The result...5 stitches to the gash on my forehead, a very swollen eye and a possible fractured cheekbone. I soldered on though and with the help of Mike got back in my tube and floated down the river (no more bar stops) until it got dark, made our way back to shore for a tuk tuk into town. In town it was a hospital stop for stitches (really wasn't a pleasant experience) pizza with our tubbing friends and then home to bed with a few painkillers. We wont forget our tubbing experience in a hurry the scar will always remind me of the fun we had, however it was a swift reminder of how easily accidents can happen even when your not jumping off sky high jumping platforms into murky water, or drunkedly swimming across the river without your tube like some idiots. Becs lesson of the day: "don't worry about the other idiots just worry about yourself". Unfortunately i didn't venture out for the rest of our stay the embarrassment of the state of my face put a stop to that, however Mike enjoyed watching the All Blacks beat Ireland in the "Irish Shack". The group of irish devised a game in which every time the all blacks scored they got a free shot (the irish  owner happily obliged) anything for a free drink. By half time everyone was very happy when NZ scored.  Mikes Lesson of the day "the irish will happily cheer for the All Blacks over their own country if they get free drinks out of it" however I think we all already knew that. 

Day 45 Bangkok to Vang Vieng (Laos)

We were actually quite excited about an overnight train...we had this little booth closed of from our neighbours by a curtain. The booth magically transformed into top & bottom bunk and came equip with clean pillows and blankets. We made sure we brought ear plugs and eye masks to drone out the loud old train and block out the lights. We actually got about  6 hours of relatively comfortable sleep and arrived in Nong Khawi , Thailand 14 hours later. Getting over  the boarder was easy it was the rip off artists on the other side that were the difficult part and suddenly getting used to the Lao Kip. $1 Aus is about $7500 Kip so when bus drivers were shouting out figures in hundreds of thousands it took a while to process while suddenly they were picking up our bags and dumping them in the back of their minivans. We finally made it to Vientiane the capital of Laos about 40 min later  in search of a bus to Vang Vieng. The trip to Vang Veing would take about 4 hours and according to our guide book cost no more than $60,000kip each. The first quote we got was $100,00 and when we showed him the figure in the guide book he just laughed and told us it was an old book. Something was a bit fishy so we decided to ask some fellow travelers who were  also heading in our direction. They said they had been waiting for 2 hours  for the mini bus to Vang Vieng which they had paid $50,000kip each for but the driver was looking for more passengers. The man who wanted to charge us $100,000 each was still hanging around and suddenly dropped his price to $60,000.  After a lot of work we finally got down to $50,000 but were told we had to leave NOW. All four of us got into the small minivan and thought  we were on our way...until we had to get into another van and proceeded to guesthouses picking up more people. We learnt that the other passengers had only paid $35,000kip each through their guesthouses. Lesson of the day in Laos..."Try and organize all transportation through your guesthouse". It didn't take long and the driver stopped for food in which we took the opportunity to try Laos Soup...a clear broth with roast pork, chicken sausage and noodles, accompanied with a large plate of green vegetables and herbs that you add yourself. Back in the van and we suddenly found ourself on a dirt road winding up into the hills...it was a journey with plenty to look at. Slowing down for old  woman in bamboo hats herding their cattle, young woman carrying babies on their backs and water containers on their heads, stopping for ducks, chickens, goats and pigs to cross the road, naked children playing in fits of laughter, the view of huge limestone cliffs in the distance, rice fields bordered by small huts and villages. It was breathtakingly beautiful, by all means they have non existent monetary wealth, but yet so so much wealth in the land, in the community and in those unbelievably happy children.  

Day 41 - 44 Bangkok

Our trip from Koh Tao to Bangkok was another biggie, a 2 hour ferry coupled with a 9 hour bus ride. Arriving in Bangkok late at night in the pouring rain just added to our confusion, this city was enormous and so spread out. It was even a bit of a challenge for the experienced and talented map reader/direction sensor among us...aka Mike.  After joining up with fellow travelers who were heading to the same area as us we shared one speeding, horn honking, aggressive, rally driving taxi to Sukhumvit. We stayed at a B&B called Room@bangkok where each room is individually decorated, and all its furnishings match its name. We stayed in the very cool & quirky black rose room. Our  next few days in Bangkok were really a mixture of two things...shopping & eating. We walked basically non stop from 9am to 5pm at the amazing and huge Chatuchak markets. This place is over 20acres of stalls ranging from vintage clothes to animals, from artwork to plants. We were in awe at the  share range of things and the unbelievable price that we ended up having to box and ship back our purchases to NZ. We visited the Patpong markets, and tried to avoid the ladyboys and young thai women in underwear. We explored the huge MBK mall in Siam and the Siam markets. We got lost in the gourmet food market at the very fancy Pagoda mall. The food selection at this  place was amazing, the heavily decorated cupcakes and cakes were the best I have ever seen. Mike and I sat down to a "pick & mix" fresh salad (that consisted of everything you would ever  dream of putting in a salad) and a bounty bar cake!!! On our last day in this shopping addiction fueling, crazy smog breathing, land of 10 million motorbike city we spent some time at the post office shipping our purchases home, and prepared ourselves for our overnight train journey to Laos.

Day 38 - 40 Koh Tao

Big big statement "I think Koh Tao might be our top Thai Island". Known almost solely for diving but with so much more to offer... its touristy enough to have all the mod cons and award winning restaurants but its almost perfectly balanced with the untouched element and uninterrupted local life. I suppose all the Thai Islands are like this but Koh Tao or Turtle Island was our exact cup of tea.  We stayed at Samatha Bed & Breakfast about a 5 minute walk from the beach and "main strip" in Sairee. Recently opened this place was all concrete floors and corrugated iron. Like a factory fitted out as a home with rustic finishings, quirky add ons, and just enough charm...it was so cool and inspired us to draw our dream home in the sand on the beach one day. The staff where all smiles and made the best banana pancakes ever. To our surprise it was all go on this little island and every day after an early breakfast our bags were packed and we were off on our motorbike. We soon learnt why all the motorbikes had huge tyres...the paths to all the best beaches/dive spots where off road riding at its best. With a map in hand we maneuvered our way over mountains, steep and rocky dirt paths, and through the jungle. The first steep and muddy hill we encountered I actually got off the bike and walked just so Mike had the chance to prove it was actually possible to get down. We discovered some amazing beaches like picture perfect Mango Bay, shark Island, Hin Wong Bay which felt almost prehistoric with its huge boulders and strange looking glowing fish. We got lost several times in the middle of no where and had a couple of close calls but Mikes long legs saved the day as he was able to get them to ground before we flew off, but it was still so much fun. For a perfect end to a day of motor cross, beach exploring and snorkeling there was nothing better than a spot of shopping followed by baked barracuda stuffed with feta and cherry tomatoes and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice BLISS!

Day 34 - 37 Koh Pha Ngan

Koh Pha Ngan was 4 days of complete and utter contrast. After our short boat ride from Koh Samui we arrived at the notorious "full moon party" venue. We had arranged to meet up with Fiona and CP a few days earlier so we could experience this party haven together. We knew we had come at a quiet time, the next full moon being 5th of June and the place carried quite a sleepy vibe, but that didnt stop us visualizing the madness of the moon, and experiencing it to a certain degree. Stalls lined the streets filled with fluro singlets and body paint, bucket stalls lined the beautiful beach and with night fall came the music. After lazing around in the awesome paradise bungalows pool we ventured out in search of the crowd and found them amoungst the fire dancers and painted people dancing on table tops. The small crowd was all we needed to realize how utterly insane the place could get on a full moon party. We drank cocktails and ate some delicious Thai food as we watched the bucket stall vendors fight for business. We watched some very talented locals fire dance, and watched some very silly tourists almost burn their faces off playing the balloon game. The balloon game involved them taking a mouthfull of kerosene and spitting it out at the stick of fire they held infront of them, in order to light the target on fire. Boatfulls of people ventured out into the dark sea to partys at other bays which apparently kicked on for the entirety if the weekend. We could of almost joined those boat people but we had made a commitment for the next three days that a bad hangover would not help. The next moring after saying goodbye to Fiona and CP we where on our way to the "commitment"...3 days at a Ayurvedic/yoga/massage/cleanse retreat in the hills of Koh Pha Ngan. Something that we never thought we would experience but was actually very rewarding. At Monta Vista retreat we participated in a Ayurvedic cleanse that included fresh fruit, herbs, and small Tri Doshic Meals. We woke early every morning for yoga looking out at the amazing view and struggled with swithing the mind off at meditation. We enjoyed daily massages and learnt the principles of Ayurvedic (natural healing & the power of the mind). Even though it was a great experience and we learned things that we will incorporate into our daily life  we were glad it was only 3 days...The yoga/massages where amazing but the cleansing food or lack of it was a little hard. We are now rearing to go, refreshed, rejuvenated and ready for the next half of our adventure.

Day 30 - 33 Koh Samui

I want to begin my Koh Samui post by thanking everyone who looks at, reads, and or comments on my blog.  Its comforting to know that you can follow our journey, have a way of pin pointing where we are, and its good feeling to see that some of you are actually reading my wordy travel experiences. I suppose it will save you from millions of "When we were in South East Asia..." stories when we return, but you might just get them anyway. So our Koh Samui experience started by taking a long tail boat from Railay, a 1 hour wait in Krabi, a 30 minute mini van ride to a bus stop in central Krabi, another 1.5 hour wait, a 3 hour bus ride to Don Sak, a 30 minute wait for the ferry, and a 2 hour ferry ride to Koh Samui. We arrived on the jetty just in time for the most intense tropical downpour and made our way through the steam rising on the asphalt to a tuk tuk. We drove around the coast, past beautiful stretches of sand, and contrasting small towns until we made it to Chaba Resort in Chewang. When ever I have heard other peoples tales of holidays in Thailand they largely take place in Phuket or Koh Samui so I just made the assumption that they were just the "same same but different" however from all the "Koh Samui is too touristy" talk from hardcore back packers we actually came to realize that this mixture of over the top flash and sleepy rustic is under-appreciated by some. Samui locals were definitely not as pushy as Phuket which really helped the laid back vibe and added to the feeling of safety which i suppose is how we plucked up the courage to hire a scooter one day. It was great to do some exploring, find peaceful little swimming spots, drive through the gorgeous little fisherman's village of Bohput, and witness how the locals lived their lives outside of the tourist hubs. Driving around the crazy streets was really really fun, but it came to an end too early because of course "we" had to watch the bloody State of Origin.  After a scooter day I started to wonder if accidents really happened as frequently as we were told (until our taxi driver one day hit a pregnant lady on a scooter which is totally different story in itself and re installed my fare of scooters in Thailand) One really enjoyable yet painful day pulled us off the beach, away from Ark bar and on a boat bound for Anthong National Park. The collection of limestone islands that make up the park seemed not that far in the distance from the bow of the speed boat but as we all should know the ocean isn't always what it seems. As soon as we got beyond the shelter of the bay the swells began to increase and the boat would drop off with such force the fiberglass felt as though it was about to shatter. We continued at a gut retching speed,  with our organs and joints being jolted and mussels completely tensing all the way into Anthong. As the Thai crew sat on the bow (with Mike of course) enjoying being completely saturated and laughing at the hellish ride the rest of the us where at the back of the boat hanging on for dare life. 6 out of the 15 where physically sick with plastic bags and last nights dinner everywhere, with the our tour guide telling them to "hang off side of boat for fresh air and wet face".  I was really thankful for my stable sea legs at that point and really felt for those pale face people. Thank goodness Mum, Amy or Sue were not on that boat!! Stopping was definitely the best part of the trip with the crystal clear water, amazing snorkeling, the breathtaking emerald green lagoon on Koh Mae Ko, kayaking through the caves, and lunch at a local fishing village. The fishing village was on the banks of a hand dug canal that the locals had made in order to get the fishing boats in and out. They cooked us a feast of sweet & sour chicken, local stir fried vegetables, steamed rice, deep fried prawns, thai chicken soup and fresh watermelon, YUM! Our unbelievably happy tour guide "Ye" was great and we managed to get back to shore that night alive. Other highlights of our Koh Samui stay where finding an awesome local restaurant, set up in a shed with the kitchen in the middle. Our orders were taken down on ripped up pieces of cardboard, and averaged on 65B per meal ($2Aus). The place was packed, the staff running around chaotically weighing seafood, cooking, taking orders, and squeezing fresh juice. Our food was amazing...squid, massaman curry, phad thai, papaya salad, and basil and bean salad what a feast! A feast that we would dream about quite frequently at our next stop Koh Pah Ngan... 

Day 26 - 29 Railay

Imagine arriving in a bay that looks as though God has been playing with a melting pot of limestone, chucked a few rocks down into the ocean, and poured the rest of the melting substance over the top so it drips and then drys like icicles. Add jungle, coconut palms, mangroves, white stretches of sand, jade coloured water and a littering of resorts on the shores and you have Railay. We arrived by longtail boat, which sounds like  a motorbike and looks extremely labour intensive to maneuver. Our boat driver took us as far as he could until it was all ashore, wading through the mud and mangroves with our packs on our back. We stayed at the Sand Sea resort on the West side which was a 5 minute walk from our mangrove arrival on the East. We soon realized this may be one of our favourite stops, with so much to explore... We had some huge days and there is no better feeling than your head hitting the pillow in utter exhaustion after a meaningful, inspiring, and physical day. Some of the highlights included climbing up "the mudslide of death", the reward a magical view at the top. I really didn't think I was capable of pulling my body up that gigantic cliff, it was fear more than anything but determination = suprisingly pleasent results ohh and I had some help...Mr Beavis managed to carry the bag, my shoes, scale up and down the bank like a monkey, and give me a hand at the same time. After the climb we made our way through tangled tree roots to Ao Phra Nang beach to wash the red clay from our legs and bake/age our bodies a little bit more in the sun.  Yesterday we hired a kayak and set out for the surrounding bays, and limestone caves. With the weather on our side we decided to venture out to the outer unhabitated Islands, which was absoloutley worth the 20km round trip row, and mind games to get us there. We spotted some strange looking sealife, and naked french people,  experinced absoloute silence in the middle of the ocean (something we havent heard for a long time), sheltered near the mouths ofthe cave from the blearing sun, found some of the best swimming spots on the trip so far, and Mike got a nasty jelly fish sting on his lip. Unfortunately our stay here is coming to an end as we prepare for an early morning to our next destination Koh Samui. 

Day 23 - 25 Koh Phi Phi

Hello world...its been a while since we checked in. We are safe and sound at breathtaking Railay. A gorgeous bay landlocked by limestone cliffs, just out of Krabi and only accessible  by boat. Since arriving here the heavens opened up, pouring with sunshine, sparkling waters, adventures, and most importantly the lining started returning to our stomachs. Unfortunatley in Koh Phi Phi we were hit with a case of the travelers bug (something in the form of food poising, gardia, or gastro that seriously affected our stomachs). So the beautiful island of Koh Phi Phi is now known by Mike as Koh Poo Poo. Apart from being bunkered down in our room we did manage to go for a swim under the shade of the overhanging limestone cliffs, get lost in the maze of narrow alleyways teeming with trinkets, and we even "managed" (JUST) to climb up to the view point overlooking the island. On our last day on the island, with cloudly minds, unstable legs, and homesickness starting to set in we jumped abroad the ferry to Railay. As we sat on the  bow breathing the salty air, with the wakes lapping at our feet and watching the huge jellyfish swim by I once again realized how special this South East Asia journey is and how lucky we were to be out here in the world. A bad tummy may slow us down but not for long...

Day 20 - 22 Phuket

We were really excited about the next step of our journey, Thailand. We decided to fly into Phuket from Penang as it meant we received a 30 day visa instead of a 15 day visa if we had entered over the land boarder. I was glad to be flying as the boarder between Malaysia and Thailand is still quite dangerous with recent car bombings in March. We booked accommodation at Peach Hill Resort just between Kata Beach and Karon Beach about 10 minutes drive from the famous Patong. It took about an hour from the airport to get to our accommodation and the drive was more than overwhelming...hundreds of stalls selling fake everything, people everywhere, scooters everywhere, restaurants, bars, lights, massage parlours, Aussie bars blasting AFL, thousands of deck chairs along the beach and so much more. Phuket = CRAZY! After a relatively quiet first night in Karon (quiet by Phuket standards) we ventured off into Patong for the day. Transportation was by Tuk Tuk after we were approached by what seemed like thousands of taxi drivers offering "cheap price". All day it was "I make nice suit for you mate, taxi, tuk tuk, please come in for a look, massage, manicure, dvd, cheap price for you". There were people grabbing our wrists, lots of hand shaking and a few very sneaky tactics to try and get us into their shops. The funniest thing was they have all seemed to have perfected the Aussie accent "Gidday mate, would you like a suit...what about a dvd mate" and if we ever informed them we were infact New Zealanders it suddenly became "oh Kia Ora bro". I found the entire experience quite overwhelming and just wanted to be left along while Mike relished in it, bartering with them, telling them he could get it cheaper down the road, joking with them, coming back with quite a few witty responses that they couldn't even respond too. I was a sucker at first, and pretty sure I got ripped off with my first purchase but got better and harder as the day wore on. Mike had a massage and I had a manicure and pedicure for next to nothing, enjoyed some amazing Thai food, walked along the beach with all the Russians in G-Strings and middle age English men, absorbed the craziness, and we even got to feed a baby elephant that was roaming the streets one night which was my highlight. Phuket is something we definitely had to experience however its not somewhere I will be coming back to in a hurry. Today we are off to Phi Phi Island for 3 nights were "The Beach" was filmed and apparently can be described as the most beautiful island in the world...can not wait. 

Day 18-19 Penang

After 24 hours of traveling it was wonderful to be in Penang. The best thing however was our day was going to be one of the easiest day's we would probably experience in a big asian city as we were meeting up with Sean. Sean is one of Mikes  work colleagues from Melbourne and is originally from Penang. Our dates somehow matched and we were so lucky that Sean and Lyn   were able to show us around, and introduce us to some of the local delicacies. Penang has arguably the best food on offer in Malaysia and some of the smelliest we were soon to find out. We toured through historical Georgetown to a very busy old style cafe where we tried the famous Laksa that had been boiling away all day. The spicy/sour broth complete with noodles and seafood was delicious! We had a feast that included Cendol a Malaysian desert with shaved ice, coconut milk, beans, and sweat peas it was interesting and surprisingly ok. Later that day we checked out some of the beautiful hotels along the water front, and Sean explained how there is a lot of new development going on in Penang on reclaimed land. After driving around this pretty city Sean & Lyn decided to go on a  hunt for Durian, a famous local fruit. We had noticed that this fruit was banned in many public places and hotels in Malaysia and we were soon to find out why...because of its smell. Think of the smell of gas, chuck in a few garbage trucks and blue cheese and you have Durian. We drove up into the hills to a roadside fruit stall, a colorful display against the green back drop were we tried Rambutan, Mangosteen, Jett Fruit, Star Fruit and of course Durian. The smell put us off completely but we couldn't pass up the opportunity to try it. It was heavy in texture like a root vegetable, very very strong like garlic, quite sweet but almost like a meat...very different and something I wouldn't eat again. The rest of  our time in Penang we walked the  streets of Georgetown, admired the  old  architecture, tasted the cheap and amazingly delicious hawker food, and prepared for the next step of our journey  into Thailand.

Day 17 Perhentian Islands to Penang

Our last night on the island was restless to say the least. I have never experienced more than 50 mosquito bites on my arms & chest, something I can add to my list of "hopefully never again"...oh and mum there is no Malaria on Perhentian so don't freak out. We boarded the 8am boat back to Kuala Besut and crossed our fingers and toes that we would make our 11am bus in Kota Bharu to Penang. Fiona, CP, Mike and I jumped in our 1970 Mercedes with our taxi driver Zoul and made our way to Kota Bharu. There was a little confusion about the location of our bus stop but thank goodness for technology and google maps however our trip was still destined for a series of unfortunate events. Once at the bus stop we were told there was no 11am  bus and the next one wasn't until 10pm. Zoul our taxi driver was very concerned about our wellbeing at this "middle of nowhere" bus stop  and decided to stick around and ask everyone he could if there was another bus departing for Penang before 10pm. Thank goodness he decided to stay with us as we were back in the cab and at Central bus station in the middle of Kota Bharu in 20 minutes. It was distressing to realize that our research had failed...there was indeed no 11am bus as so many internet sites informed us. It was either wait in Kota Bharu for 12 hours or hire a car and drive to Penang. Kota Bharu can be explained in a sentence "A place that none of us ever ever want to go back  to or be in for a second  longer". So hiring a car it was and the boys somehow had the confidence to drive in crazy motorcycle Malaysia. Zoul amazingly was still sticking around to save the day and took us to his friend who knew were we could hire a car. He became increasingly chatty & had suprisingly good English which he told us he learnt at night school when he got the job to drive tourists around. Later on we discovered his friends directions were wrong and there was no car hire place in sight, this really put him in a spin with his head lowered and shirt wet with perspiration he was devastated that he had wasted our time and couldn't stop apologizing. We were happy that we were safe in his taxi rather than on the streets of Kota Bharu but doubt started to enter our minds to whether Zoul knew that there was no 11am bus from the very start. We decided to go to the airport to rent a car and Zoul kindly drove us. We obviously gave him quite a bit more money for all his effort and there were even hugs and handshakes all round. Its nice to believe that there are actually nice people in this world like Zoul who will go above and beyond the call of duty to help strangers & I suppose we will never find out if he took us for a real ride knowing there was no 11am bus in the first place. After saying goodbye to Zoul things just got so much better...we found out there was  a 3 day minimum to hire a car and a hefty interstate tax, we even looked at flights. After a while we admitted defeat, we would be catching the 10pm bus. We were over the moon that we would be spending the day in Kota Bharu with our packs in the heat, and a night of paid accommodation in Penang we wouldn't be enjoying. It  was a day of killing time thats for sure and I am glad there were four of us to lighten the load and bring some humor to our situation. We spent 3 hours in KFC because it had Aircon and plugs to charge our electronics, 1 hour in the shopping mall, 2 hours walking the streets, 2 hours trying to figure out which hawker food wouldn't make us sick, 2 more hours in McDonalds for the Aircon, bathroom and Wifi, and an hour at the bus stop. I have never been so happy to start a 7 hour bus trip in my life, and at 5.30am after a couple of hours of fitful sleep and dressing like Eskimo's because of the Aircon we arrived in absolutely awesome Penang alive just 12 hours late...

Day 13 - 16 Perhentian Islands

At some point during our 5 nights on the Perhentian Islands we realized we were in actual fact on holiday. We had spent the last 14 days charging around making sure we saw & experienced everything we possibly could. But here apart from swimming, snorkeling, walking over to the other side of the island (Long Beach) eating and drinking there wasn't a hell of a lot to do and it was fantastic. A typical day on the Perhetians involved...1) waking up  in a sweat once the sun started streaming in. 2) making our way as quickly as possible to the wharf for a swim. It was the deepest jumping off point and offered some cool temporary relief from the heat. 3) a cold shower.  4) Breakfast on the beach = Roti Canai with home made curry sauce. 5) Lay in the sun, read, swim, snorkel, read, lay in the sun. 6) cold shower. 7) Light Lunch,  snickers shake, or skip the food and stay in the water. 8) Walk to another beach spot, read, swim, lay in the sun. 9) Watch the storm roll in signaled by the cracking thunder and fork lightening in the distance. 9) Cold shower. 10) Make our way to dinner which usually involved a beach BBQ, rice, banana bread & watermellon. 11) Early night or big night at long beach drinking monkey juice, dancing to cheesy music with the locals, and buying the best burgers I have ever eaten at 3am from a stall on the beach...and that pretty much sums it up. We were also lucky enough to run into the first kiwi couple we have seen on this trip and  strangely enough Mike knows them SMALL WORLD!  It was really good to be able to hang out on the island with Fiona & CP, chat about travel plans, party with and tomorrow travel to Penang with. 

Day 12 Kuala Lumpur to Perhentian Islands

We decided to fly from  KL to Kotu Bharu. We were rather interested to see what an overnight train journey on ''the jungle line'' would be like but taking a 45 minute flight for $35 Aus each seemed like the better option. We arrived in Kota Bahru at 3.30pm and were told the last ferry  departed Kuala Besut at 5pm (give maybe 20 minutes due to Island time). We jumped in a taxi at the airport for our 1 hour journey to the jetty. We weaved through small towns overtaking families on motorbikes, children on motorbikes, women, men and animals on motorbikes. It was great being able to people watch as we drove.  Malaysia is predominantly muslim in faith and  I had heard that Kota Bahru was a little more extremist than the cities as small towns often are. On our drive every single lady I saw was wearing the traditional muslim head dress. It makes western woman stick out like a sore thumb. Mike helps out a bit there though, a tall, pale skinned, hairy english man gets a few looks too. Once we arrived in Kuala Besut just in time for the last boats to Perhentian islands things were a little more relaxed, more tourists & malaysian holiday makers lined up to jump on the boats destined for a few days of paradise. 35 minutes later on glassy water we arrived at Coral Bay...these Malaysian Islands just keep getting better!! We walked along the white sand beach asking for accommodation and finally settled on a small room at Fatimah's about 30metres from the beach...it was more than basic but for $10 a night, cold running water, a fan, and a mosquito net we couldn't complain. We were just happy to be here and time would tell if we could hack it.

Day 10 - 11 Kuala Lumpur

I never had any formulated opinions or thoughts on Kuala Lumpur, in my mind it was just another huge Asian city, a stop over destination perhaps full of shops & fake watches. I was right about the fake watches however there was so much more depth to the city that I could have ever imagined. Exploring the city at night was fantastic, everything comes to life, the lights, the people, street stalls, clubs, food, and last but not least the buildings. The Petronas towers were spectacular at night, huge & bright, actually quite beautiful towering over the green park beneath them. We were lucky enough to book dusk tickets to go up the towers to view the city from the sky bridge & then the 83rd floor. Mike & I agree thats its the best view of a city that we have ever seen. Other than exploring the city by foot and monorail we ventured out to Batu Caves about 30 minutes out of the city. The Batu caves are a Hindu worship site featuring a 40m gold Hindu statue. The limestone caves are really impressive full of wall paintings, shrines and MONKEYS...so many monkeys. Hearing all the Japanese tourists screaming every time one got too close, or tried to steal their food was frequent. I loved them, I could of sat there all day on the steps and watched them. On our train trip home from the caves we watched a huge storm roll in and cover the city in complete darkness. The thunder was intense and the downpour saturated the city in minutes. Unfortunatley we got completely saturated too but we couldn't complain since we had such a awesome hotel to go back to & dry off. The Istana hotel really did make our stay in KL that much better. We took full advantage of the buffet breakfasts, afternoon high tea, and complimentary cocktail hour with nibbles (the nibbles were more like a feast and substitued for our  dinner most nights) We can never be guaranteed aircon, power, or full tummys so why not make the most of it & a bubble bath or two.     

Day 9 Melaka to Kuala Lumpur

One of the easiest journeys we have made so far... an air conditioned bus with complimentary water and green tea and 2 hours later we arrived in KL. We decided to stay somewhere a little more fancier and why not when the Aus dollar is on our side. After a short trip on the monorail admiring the skyline of this huge city we arrived at The Istana hotel. Marble floors, water features, amazing artwork and the very happy staff of Istana were a heavenly sight. We both suddenly became a little self conscious in our jandels, t-shirts and carrying our sweaty back packs in this palace however that soon disappeared when we entered our room. The bathroom was bigger than the rooms we have been staying in and the view...so those are the Petronas Towers!  

Day 8 Melaka

A huge day of travelling from Tioman Island brought us to Melaka about 10.30pm in the evening. We had no idea what our accommodation would be like as we booked it about 3 hours prior and there wasn't much to chose from seeing that we would be arriving the weekend before Malaysian Labour day. Our little taxi with no seat belts took us to the 1st Inn Hotel right on the edge of vibrant China town. Noise, horns, karaoke from the surrounding bars, colourful tuk tuks blasting Adele and Lady Ga Ga, the smell of food and thousands of people on their way to the Jonker street night market greeted us all at once. We dumped our bags in our surprisingly spacious room for $30Aus a night and took off for the night markets in search of food. We had managed to book a room right in the middle of the action on the edge of the river and within a 2 min walk to the creative hub of Jonker street. After exploring the stalls and sitting down to a bowl of Curry Mee (a local noodle curry, consisting of coconut milk, spices and fish) bed was calling after an exhausting day. Melaka was originally a Malay fishing village however in 1511 the Portuguese conquered the city and soon after the Dutch, then British. The European influence is still hugely evident in this pretty little city with many of the original buildings still standing, and many bakery's and street stalls selling the famous pineapple and egg tarts. Walking along the river side almost feels as though you are in Europe. During our 2 days hear Mike and I took a tuk tuk ride around the city which was hilarious. We learnt about the Melaka tree which opens its foliage to the sun during the day and closes it up again at night (sometimes its referred to as the tree of life - for you mum) We explored St Paul's Church built in the 1700's and other historic buildings, spent hours visiting stalls on Jonker Street, walked the length of the river admiring the street art and water displays, and Mike even learnt a few very cleaver card tricks from an old magician "selling" his secrets.