So on Sunday I crossed the Vietnam border into Laos. Don’t get me wrong, Vietnam is an amazing amazing country but I’m really not gonna miss all them horns, seriously, it was non stop for two weeks. Laos already seems a lot more chilled out, for example: right now I am in the Capital, and it’s like being in Cardiff on a Sunday, peaceful but a lot warmer!
So since it was about this time last week that I last wrote on my blog I thought now would be a good time to do it. Again, I’m not online as I do this, so I’m using “Windows Live” which I’m now discovering I really don’t like to use. Yeah it might be easier to arrange your photos on here (compared to using “blogger” online), but as soon as you publish your posts using Windows live, it just does whatever the hell it wants with the arrangement of my photos (hence why my Hong Kong photos are all over the show). So by the time I do post this, I’d imagine I’ll be in Vang Vieng.
I think when I last wrote in my blog I was in Hoi An (Vietnam). So here’s a few pics of my journey from Hoi An to Hue driving over Hai Van Pass and past Lang Co beach:
So anyway, in Hue, I headed off for another bike ride, checking out the hectic, old city, which (again) played a missive part in the 2nd Vietnam war. The town was meant to be left to rot (as a ‘lesson to be learnt’) but due to tourism the city was restored and kept intact. A lot of the buildings there were developed by the French too. Whilst on my little biking adventure I crossed a bridge over to this little tiny island and it felt like a different world, even though nobody spoke much English at all there (and I don’t speak any Vietnamese) they all seemed very excited to see me there. But I don’t have pictures as my camera’s (my phone’s) battery died. But everyone stopped and wanted to talk…what can I say! So chilled out, and so different to the city that surrounded the small island.
The following morning we took a scooter tour of the city (again with some amazing views) and right into the countryside….however my phone was still dead as I had a little to drink the night before (the night ended on a 7 shot bucket) so I didn’t charge my phone (but I will be getting hold of some photos). On a positive though, I found out, whilst I was there, that I should be able to get my camera back from Hong Kong. Sweet. After the scooter tour we had to endure another night train journey, this one was 13 hours taking us to Hanoi, before taking a 4 hour bus ride to Halong Bay, which included a boat trip to Bay Chai Harbour (this was the first cloudy day that I’d seen for a while).
I enjoyed Kayaking through and under the grottos.But I’ve gotta admit, I was slightly unimpressed with the caves that Vietnam were trying to make one of the 7 “natural” wonders of the world…all seemed kinda…..well, fake to me. You’re trying too hard Nam. Apparently you have to use your “imagination”…….na!
After a night at Halong Bay we headed back to Hanoi (the capital of Vietnam). a couple of days of sightseeing. The most hectic city I think I’ve ever been too, yet there didn’t really seem to be much going on (I suppose it’s a very different story if you live there and know the deal is). But I actually saw Ho Chi Minh (I’d never heard of him before I came to Vietnam, but then I don’t really think we were taught about Vietnam at school, not quite like the Americans (long long story cut very very short, he reunited the North and South (of Vietnam) together)) in the Ho Chi Minh’s vestige in the presidential palace area, and Hoa Lo prison which was built by the French to prison those involved with the Vietnamese revaluation, it was then used by the North Vietnamese to imprison American pilots that were shot down, including John McCain.
The house were Ho Chi Minh lived and worked in from 1954 to 1958
And the house he lived and worked in from May 1958 to August 1969
And where is body currently is.
John McCain's pilot suit.
I have no idea when pancake day (that’s shrove Tuesday to anyone not English) was/is but over my last few days in Vietnam I had my fair share of pancakes, they even did lemon and sugar pancakes (to a Canadian or an American, when I say pancake, I mean crepe). However at some point along the line I think I may have giving myself a little bit of food poisoning (not from the pancakes, I kinda think it was my omelette in Halong?), slept most of Saturday afternoon, then dragged myself out of bed to head out for the night (as it was the last night for a few people on our tour), I was eating again, drinking again, but it didn’t last long. So I headed home, I got woken up at about 1, 2 or 3 (i dunno what the time was) to my roommate, Jorge, coming back and laughing “oh how the tables have turned, now it’s you that’s ill and me that’s coming home drunk”…after he’s just spent about the last week getting over (what we can only assuming) his episode of food poisoning. Now you can say that I got ill at the best of times or you can look at it that I got it at the worst of times (and it is the first time that I’ve been ill since I left England (6 months ago, pretty much)). As on Sunday we left Hanoi (which I was quite glad of to be honest (it wasn’t my favourite place in Nam)) and took a 8 hour drive to the Laos border, that driver did NOT wanna take his time driving up them whindy mountain roads leading up to the boarder, on what is (best to say) not the smoothest roads I’ve ever been on and not the best suspension that a bus has had. So it was a nothing day anyway, but at the time I could think of nothing more than just being passed out on a flat, non bumpy bed.
After having to pay USD $1, goodbye Vietnam, what an experience, whata shock to the system, what great people (the ones I didn’t have to ignore cos you wanna sell me a hat or bracelet and the ones not constantly beeping their horns, we get it you’re behind us) even in customs they have a laugh and joke with you:
And after getting all my Dong (we’re gonna miss that one) converted into Kip, paying $35 for my visa + $1 extra charge + another extra $1 cos it’s weekend (seriously), hello Laos…and the sun cam out:
After another hour drive, from the border we ended up in Lak Xao, which was just a stop over point for the night (last night):
In a semi conscious state, last night, I did get to watch Liverpool turn over Man u though. Before having to really drag myself out of bed this morning as we had an early start to get the bus.
On route:
We arrived in Vientiane (the capital of Laos) earlier this afternoon. I’ve still been taking it easy. But I did get to speak to a Novice Monk, Kit (I may or may not have spelt his name wrong), whilst watching the sun set over Thailand.
Still got a morning here in Vientiane before we head off to Vang Vieng tomorrow (That’s Tuesday, cos I dunno when I’l be posting this).
It’s amazing how much different both Vietnam and Laos are. Don’t get me wrong here, Vietnam was an amazing country full of some amazing people, but already from being in Laos from such a short time, as soon as you cross that border it just feels more chilled out, considering how poor this country is no one really hassles (I was careful not to use the words ‘begs’) you for there service, it doesn’t feel like people only want to talk to you because they know that you have money, it feels like the want to actually talk to you as you clearly a westerner (and they are sometimes very honest, i.e. “ah, you’re from England, do you mind if I practise my English with you”). Just one grope though, and I’ve only just learnt about this and I’m not going to change my lifestyle, so don’t think that I’m getting on my high horse here (also to any American that reads this, I’m having a dig at your government and not the people of your fine country), but, America GET OVER HERE, TO LAOS, AND CLEAN UP THE MESS YOU’VE MAD. During the 2nd Vietnam war, Laos pretty much got dragged into the war, and long story short, America dropped (I don’t remember figures off the top of my head) a mass amount of cluster bombs on Laos, in fact it’s the most bombed country in the world, more bombs were dropped here by the Americans during the nine year “secret war” (that Richard Nixon denied – 5 years into it) then by all the allied troops during the second world war. The problem with that is that 30% of these bombs failed - failed…not inactive, meaning that they are still all over Laos, and kids over here make money from scrap metal. about 700 people a year a being killed by these bombs as most don’t even know what they are. And it seems that there’s a handful of Aussies and a couple of Brits over here trying to train the Laos people on how to detonate these bombs safety. I really could go on, but I feel it’s best not to.
Anyway, speak soon. Just over a week till I see someone from hone. Just over two weeks till Oz. And just over 3 weeks till my new roommate is flying over from England!
Oh and Mum, don’t worry, my stomach is sorta starting to feel better. I was very unadventurous with the Laos food at first (I had beans on toast for lunch today), but this evening I had something Laos, can’t remember what it was, but as soon as I saw pumpkin was in it, I was sold! And yes I’ve been drinking plenty of water, and yes I’ve been taking rehydration tablets.
No comments:
Post a Comment