Sunday, April 24, 2011

Paradise by day... hell by night!- Koh Phi Phi & Phuket

Paradise by day... hell by night!- Ko Phi Phi


Ok, so it really wasn't hell by night but for the first three nights I must say it was pretty darn close. After our flight from Bangkok it just took one bus ride to Phuket and a really beautiful ferry ride to Ko Phi Phi to get to our final location. Once we arrived we had no clue where to go but we were lucky enough to run into a scuba instructor who was able to give us a few tips. 

We made our way to the affordable backpacker area and were lucky to find a room for what may have been the lowest price in town. I think most of you would have cringed at the sight of this room. I haven't really explained the type of accommodations Liz and I have been staying in because I have gotten quite used to them and they're just part of the gig but this one was definitely something to write home about. At first glance it seemed clean enough. It wasn't the cold water shower, cockroach we shared the room with, or toilet that only flushed by throwing a bucket of water down it that made Liz and I finally check out of this lovely abode. But it may have been the hottest room in Ko Phi Phi as the only window opened up to a muggy hallway. After two nights almost gasping for the air and sleeping no more than a wink at our luxurious stay, we decided to move on so we could really enjoy this island we called paradise.


No worries friends, Liz and I have skills, we were able to move to a new place for the same great price.We did have one evening which included an attack from over 100 little bugs, but a little bit of bug spray solved that problem and it was just plain paradise from then on. Ko Phi Phi just may be most beautiful beach I have ever seen. We spent our days relaxing on the beach, enjoying the clear blue water, and swinging by our favorite fruit shake stand every afternoon. I think we may have stayed for a month or two if we didn't already have flights booked else where. After our amazing time in Koh Phi Phi we spent a day in Phuket and another day in Bangkok for the Thai New Year, Songkran. The Thai New Year is a three day celebration where the locals celebrate buy painting every one's faces white as you walk by and throwing water at everything in sight. We basically spent three days soaked with water due to the fun celebration. We were able to really enjoy the New Year spending half of it with the locals in Phuket and the end of it with our friends in Bangkok. We got to have one final night with Ed, Leo, and Kirsty before saying goodbye to South East Asia. Thailand is an amazing place. I truly loved it and I must say it was one of my favorites. It definitely holds a little place in my heart and I hope to make it back someday.


First night out in Ko Phi Phi!
We had Buckets! Choice of Thai Whiskey or vodka
Our day in Maya Bay- where they filmed the movie 'The Beach'


Tour of Maya Bay
Amazing! So pretty
Fish!
Liz snorkling
cool rocks
Sunset on our way back from Maya Bay
Great day!
Finished with a night out- behind us the delicious late night sandwich stop
Cooling down after doing my best dance moves on the beach
Beach Bars
Another awesome sunset
Amazing Ko Phi Phi- paradise!
Picture from our room of Day 1 Thai New Year in Phuket- we couldn't take pictures from the street because our cameras were not safe!

                                    

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Five buses, One flight, Three Countries in 4 Days!- Cambodia

After Vietnam Liz and I had a quite the travel experience to Cambodia. As Liz says we did "Cambodia in a Flash." I would have loved to spend more time there but we saw what we could in the time that we had. Cambodia is a place that makes you feel grounded and leaves a big impact. We started in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia and only had one day there (it took two overnight buses to get there). We met a tuk tuk driver named Vidal who took us all around the city and gave us a very good history lesson of the area. In the 70's, the people of this area experienced a cruel and awful genocide. During this genocide there was a famous prison called S-21 which held and tortured the most important prisoners of the genocide. We visited this prison which had mug shots of all of the prisoners, torture rooms, stories of the survivors, and the grave stones of the only prisoners found at S-21 when the prison was invaded. Only seven people were found alive at the prison at the fall of the prison.

From there we went to "The Killing Fields" where prisoners were taken to be killed and buried in mass graves after being held at S-21. Today they have a huge memorial in this field to honor the people that were murdered in the genocide. It was a very somber day for Liz and I but we were grateful to learn more about what the Cambodian people have survived and how strong and resilient the people are there. Regardless of their suffering, the Cambodian people are kind, happy, intelligent and the nicest people we met in South East Asia in my opinion.

The next day we took a bus to Siem Reap, Cambodia to catch the sunrise at Ankor Wat the following morning. Come 5am we were at Ankor Wat ready for an incredible photo shoot of the famous wat (temple) when we slowly realized the sky was cloudy and our hopes of a colorful sunrise and amazing picture were not meant to be. Regardless of the unsuccessful sunrise, Liz and I explored Ankor Wat and enjoyed a day of wat touring and a nice dinner in the lovely town of Siem Reap. While we were only in Cambodia for a short time we loved the food, people, and learning about the history and recent struggles of this country. After our Cambodian adventure we took two more overnight buses to Bangkok and and early morning flight out to Phuket..... stay tuned for an update on my last week in Thailand in the West island of Koh Phi Phi.

With our tuk tuk driver Vidal- he took us to an authentic Cambodian Lunch

Chicken Amok- so good

Toul Sleng Genocide Museum  (S-21 Prison)- gravestones

S-21

Prisoner Holding Room

Prison

Cell block

Buddhist Stupa holds the remains of over 8,000 prisoners

The Victims Found in Mass Graves

Memorial

Field of Mass Graves

Red Peanut Curry Noodles

Market in Phenom Phen

Market in Siem Reap

Streets of Siem Reap



Ankor Wat

Liz and I after our unsuccessful sunrise :)

Crazy steep stairs at Ankor Wat

Stairs to the top of the Wat were closed for the day- typical for us! No problem :)

We climbed this arch to touch the nose of the Budda


Don't be scared Liz!

touching the nose!

T- our tuk tuk driver in Siem Reap
For additional information on the Cambodian Genocide:
Click here for more information on the S-21 Prison
Click here for more information on the Killing Fields

Friday, April 15, 2011

 Vietnam

After our fun time in Vang Vieng, Liz and I took off for Vientiene, Laos. We only made a trip there to take care of my visa for Vietnam- it had the incorrect dates. I was told previously I would have to pay for an entire new visa and could have issues because I already had one. We gave ourselves three days there in case I had any issues. When we arrived to the Vietnam Embassy on day one the employee working the office just asked me for $10, took out a pen, and changed the dates himself in approximately 5 seconds. It was all in Vietnamese so I had no clue if it was going work or what it said but that was that and three days later we were off to Vietnam.

When we got to Vietnam we only had one day and night in Saigon. We walked around the busy city and eventually made our way to the War Remnants Museum. It was extremely interesting to see the story told by the Northern Vietnamese but it isn't an easy place for any American to see. The outside of the museum is surrounded by old US tanks, airplanes, and helicopters while the inside of the museum  thanks all of the communist countries who supported Vietnam against the United States and shows the destruction that the war caused to the many people affected by it. I would recommend it to anyone as a place to see but be prepared for the propaganda against the US before you go.

From Saigon, Liz and I made our way to a beach town in Vietnam called Mui Ne. We spent most of the week relaxing and enjoying the small beach town. Leo and Kirsty were able to make it for a reunion on our last two days. We had an awesome time walking through a ferry stream, checking out a fishing village, and riding old crappy ATVs through white sand dunes!

My Vietnam Visa- corrected with a pen- lets hope they let me in!

Outside of the War Remnants Museum

Vietnam thanks the Communist Countries for their support


Saigon traffic- crazy mo-peds!

Really dirty overnight bus taken at 8am in the morning- we were told it would be a sitting bus- but surprise- we got a dirty sleeper bus! :)

We love hammocks

Our beach bungalow

Kite Surfers everywhere along the beach

Mui Ne at night

Dinner anyone?- frog, giant fish, eel?

Yummy dinner- Beef Pho, spring rolls, yellow curry

Amazing Vietnamese coffee on the beach- so good   

























   

Great day at the beach and some refreshing gaspacho

Walking through a village where they make barrels and barrels of fish sauce- smelled so bad!

Ferry Stream

Leo rides and Ostrich

Amazing view after hiking up a red sand dune

Fishing Village

White Sand Dunes
ATV ride on the white sand dunes! So funny
Sliding down the white sand dunes

Hilarious- didn't work too well

Red Canyon

Hey up there! Hike for the sunset at yellow sand dunes

Amazing sunset

Bonfire on the beach- last night in Mui Ne
Fire dancer