On the ferry to Koh Chang, the blue moment

After the Cambodia experience we were ready to return back to Thailand, which to be honest felt already like home. With the concern of the rainy season (starts in that area around the end of May) on our minds, we headed to Koh Chang. Koh Chang was the biggest island we visited, and the feeling was totally different from those idyllic Koh Lipe- ambience with basically us and the locals staying on. We read from the Lonely Planet, which we managed to lose somewhere to the streets of Phnom Penh, that few years ago the government of Thailand decided they want to make Koh Chang a more upmarket-kind-of-a-place, and try to decrease the amount backpackers to the minimum. Well, the result was not exactly this. There were some really fancy hotels and mostly the main beach area was full of nice restaurants and a lot of shops, beauty salons, ATM’s and all that. We, of course, chose to go as far from this place as we could and found ourselves from the LonelyBeach!

 

On Koh Chang we had one of our best accommodations (the Top5 –list coming later!), Kachabura Chalet. The rainy season is not only a bad thing as we realised after getting the really nicely decorated bungalow with 300baht (~6€), during the season the price being 500baht. So, we decided to leave the old and windy “no-toilet”- bungalows (our usual ones!) to the others and stayed at this nice place, surrounded by the garden.

I got a new nickname from Laura, "Niksis". Here i am fixing a little cover for our shower so that Laura will be able to take a shower without the male workers on the roof of the bungalow next to us wont see her!

 

Sadly, we couldn’t do any diving on Koh Chang :(. I would have wanted, but as it was raining almost every night really heavily, the visibility wouldn’t have been too good. Also the one in Sipadan was the best last dive one can wish for. So, together we decided to let the nemos and the cute puffer fish as well as the mola-molas to wait for us few more months until we meet again. ; )

 

One of the best things on Koh Chang was the yoga sessions every morning. Finally we had enough time and space to do it and also I was participating! I also loved to cute breakfasts of our own, on our own veranda. We had one whole pineapple, plain yoghurt with muesli, fresh break with jam and depending on whose morning it was to buy the food, some surprise such as chocolate bars or coffee. And own music as well!! 

 

All in all, Koh Chang was a real chilling out place for us, as the rainy season had scared almost all the other tourists away. We enjoyed of the discount nights at the nice restaurants, barely empty beach and cheap accommodation. We also had time to look back at the wonderful months passed by. We had fun making TOP-5 lists of all the possible things, such as “Close to death situations, TOP-5” and “The crappiest nights TOP-5”. I’ll share some of these with you soon!

 

The week went fast without basically doing anything. We left Koh Chang knowing it was the second last destination before Bangkok and then Singapore. Back in Bangkok we were lucky enough to get to the real nice guesthouse called Lampu, the same as last time! This time we had only a day in Bangkok, so not that much time. We managed to do the essential any how; get the manicure plus pedicure, go to hairdressers, sell the old sheets to an old lady on the street (what a cheat, the do not buy everything in those “We buy everything”-places even though they say so!! At least not Finnish literature or broken huge torches), do some last laundry, eat the last Pad Thai, shop on Khao San Road and just feel the Bangkok. When the sun came up we took a taxi to the airport, watching the city bathing in the colours of orange and red, saying our bye byes.

 

Next destination: Singapore (after 10 weeks break!)

Cambodia in a whole was an unforgettable experience. After spending five days in busy and hot Bangkok, we headed back to basics, as we realized after crossing the Thai- Cambodia border. We shared a taxi with a nice Swedish family (mum, dad and four children aged from 14 to 24). The road was bumpy, but not too bad as I was able to sleep at the end of the trip even though my head was moving from one side to another all the time! Oh, and we heard one reason for the condition of road being that bad is that the thai- flight companies are paying to the Cambodians so that they wont build better roads and there for will get more flying passengers… You never know?!

The sunrise!

Big plans in Siam Reap

Our schedule in Cambodia was a bit tight. We started our visit from Siam Reap, which is famous for its ruins of Angkor Wat. Some might have seen these ancient temples in the movie called Tomb Raider for example. Our great plan in Siam Reap was to wake up at 4am, rent bicycles and cycle the 14 kilometres to the temples to see the sunrise. Easily, we thought in the evening. The reality hit again at the point when the alarm rang and it was all dark and own bed felt so good. As a compromise, we did wake up at that time, but let ourselves to take a tuk-tuk to the temples. So, there we were, at the great Angkor Wat, the greatest holiest "building", right before the sunrise!

This is the one with the faces of buddha

It was fun to climb on top of them!

Angkor Wat

Interesting small details which you would miss by just looking quickly

Hard to guess what is this one?

During the day we saw so many amazing temples. You really lost your sense of understanding, seeing these structures being built by people who had no machines, around the year 1100. I loved the one with the faces of Buddha on it. Of course we also had to see Ta Phrom, the one from Tomb Raider. Laura was doing some great stunts over there, getting all the attention from the cute Japanese tourist groups and I was her photographer.

She would really beat Angelina, dont you think! : )

Rushing to Phnom Penh, freaking out a bit as well!

The next morning we were already on the bus at 6.30am. Once again we had got the worst seats, the last ones on the back row, where you cant really adjust the seat and which is hot as the motor is under you and as a bonus you can feel all the bumps on the road. Well I wouldn't have really minded of all that. But there was this family with mum and two cute kids sitting on our right side and a couple on our left. The girl of the couple was sleeping on her boyfriend's lap for the whole trip, as she was having some kind of a rash which I was freaking about and Laura lost her nerves. The little boy was sick as well, as she started to throw up after eating a package of fish sticks. So, we had a nice trip all in all!

A welcome to Phnom Penh was quite an experience. As our normal local bus arrived to the bus station, already before stopping it was surrounded by maybe twenty anxious tuk-tuk drivers. I was really scared to get off from the bus! Every one was pulling us to different directions, trying to get the precious 1 dollar from the wealthy westerns (tries to describe us…).

 

Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia. Begging has been said to be one of the biggest problems on the streets of Phnom Penh. The whole cruel history of Cambodia really got into me in Phnom Penh. While staying in Cambodia I was reading this biography by Loung Ung, called First they killed my father (I recommend for all who are interested in the history of Cambodia!). It was so touching to read the cruel and awful history of the Pol Pot's communist movement with its Khmer Rouge which made the families leave their houses in 1975, from the 5-years-old girl's point of view. Pol Pot was the one, who decided that Cambodia cant let the foreign nations to play around with them, and that the country needs reforming. In his opinion, only the rural people were the real Cambodians, hard work was appreciated instead of education and all the intellectual was to be cut away as well as that all the influence from the nations outside Cambodia were poisonous and to be avoided. I followed the years between 1975 and 1979 with Ung, shared every feeling with her, almost feeling her pain as she describes the awfully cruel years they she and her family went through. I would so much like to think that it was just a book, but as tough as it is, it is reality. From 1 to 3 millions of Cambodians were killed during the Khmer Rouge years.

So in Phnom Penh I realised, every single local I see has suffered and experienced all that. I caught myself thinking, whether this man was a victim of a torture of the one torturing. Or if that old lady had lost all her family during those years. Its amazing how the nation can now live together in peace, after being forced to be against each others, after being forced to kill their own neighbours and friends and being separated from their loved ones, after suffering from malnutrition and diseases, the constant fear. I really admire Cambodian people, the point they have reached after a horrible history like that (which is not even that far in the history).

In Phnom Penh we visited the Security Prison 21, where the ones Pol Pot didn't think were good enough for his Cambodia (or who in other words were too good), were kept, tortured and then sent to get killed in Killing Fields nearby. I didn't really want to go and see the killing fields, where they had finally ended the lives of so many innocent people. S-21 was enough and even too much for me. I read articles about the history, saw pictures of the ways of torturing, watched the movie where the old lady was telling the sad story of her daughter, saw the blood on the floor, felt the sadness of the souls and wondered if the small children with their eyes full of fear and despair in the black and white pictures around the halls are now somewhere where they are safe. Its so hard to understand this life at whiles. That we are all the same in this world. But things like this happen all the time, we are killing each others. How could the world ever change?

After S-21 we went to have dinner, how ever inappropriate it sounds. We found this restaurant called Café Del Gusto, which was serving also some Italian and Greek food. And great desserts such as hot brownies with ice cream and lemon tart! The good thing in all this was the fact that 15% of the income was given to this organization helping young children. On the walls of the restaurant we saw pictures drawn by young girls who had suffered from being abused by their own parents by being sold to slaves to some strange men etc. These girls had been saved by this organization to their children's home where they were able to get some psychological help and feel safe. Also the waiter boy was really cute and he was so happy as we just talked English with him!

The first feta!!

The restaurant was really cosy, on the wall you can see the pictures 

Sun, Sea, Sand = Sihanoukville?

We were longing to meet our dear friend sea for a long while as we travelled to Sihanoukville, which is in the coast of Cambodia. Well yea, there was the sea. And a bit of sand. As well as some sun at some points when we were lucky enough. All in all, in Sihanoukville we cycled around, got burned because of the malaria pills, ate some good and some bad food, saw the ugly western men hitting on the local girls, were pissed off because of the rain and were looking forward getting to Thailand and Koh Chang.

This is how desperate we were!! :D 

Getting across the river, as the bridge is not ready yet! We saw many interesting ways of traveling, which were are working really well despite the doubts we might have had!

All in all, I will always remember Cambodia. The feeling I got there was so different. The country has so many different sides. The history is not far away, but still the people were able to be happy and smile. I really hope the future of the country will be brighter; the people have really deserved it!

 

"Sun is shining, and the weather is sweet yeah..." Though the rainy season will arrive any day now!

I have a lot to write about again, just the lacking the time right now! After Bangkok we have adventured through Cambodia, which left me full of big feelings. Now we are back in Thailand, location at the moment is Koh Chang.

All good, still! : ) Will report and share the pictures with you soon!

Sending the sunshine...

Wat Pu temple in Champasak

We ended up finding ourselves from the buzzling streets on Bangkok sooner than we were planning at the first place. This is the best thing in traveling without too many plans or exact dates.

Until around 16th of May we were strongly planning to go to Cambodia next, as we were already in the southern Laos, in the area called 4000 islands. In total we spent two weeks in relaxing Laos, enjoying the really friendly people with a real smile on their faces, happy children sending kisses and saying sabadee, enjoying the atmosphere or not being in a hurry at all.

I really felt good in Laos. I think Thailand used to be like Laos luckily still is. I hope they will never start rushing or paying more attention to tourists.

The only thing the french built in Laos, this bridge!

So, where was I? Yea, so we had come from Vientiane, the capital of Laos by our favourite way of traveling, a night bus. We skipped Savannakhet which was supposed to be 'extra friendly' by Lonely Planet, as i took only 12 hours to get straight to Pakse, which is more like our place which we found out with the Indian restaurant on its main street! : ) In Pakse we spent few days, nerding around for the school project (I'm NOT just on a holiday mum and dad, you see?!) and then left to our last Laos-destination, 4000 islands in the south. First we visited Champasak, which used to be a capital of Laos during the Khmer times. We cycled to this temple which is older than the one in Angkor Wat, Cambodia. Don Daeng   was a small island just next to Champasak and because of the tip we got from a local tourist office, we ended up going to this island. It is an island with a nice small local village and they get their living from rice as well as fishing. We wanted to support their project of this community lodge, which the villagers have built by themselves for the tourists to visit and see the real island life. Back to the basics, there we were with Laura, washing ourselves in the muddy Mekong river, eating dinner in the candle light watching out not eating the flying things at the same bite with the fish and sticky rice, trying to communicate with real basic english with maybe 5 understandable words. Cute it was, thats for sure, the locals being so proud of their lodge and having their own Village Guide and bicycle rental and all. Next morning we woke up at 6, as we didnt know that was the time for breakfast in Laos when we mentioned that the night before. The morning was full of mud as we decided to go cycling around the island after raining the whole night! Cycling ended up being pushing the bicycle in the mud, bare feet, me and the bike taking turn getting stuck to the muddy 'road', me losing my nerved on Laura who was losing her nerves and us both running out of water! Yea, one of the best adventures! ;)

Don Daeng as we arrived

Villagers with whom we didnt really have a common language but it didnt matter!

At this point we were not even desperate yet, and still all clean as well!

Me and my friend, having a little chat in Finnish

One of the cute children in Laos, he had such an adorable smile and laugh!!

My favourite piggy in Don Det! Such a cool pig he was. ;)

From Don Daeng we went to actual 4000 island, Don Det. Pretty place, relaxing days, me staying in bed for one of them, the cheapest accommodation so far (1dollar each!), good chocolate-banana pancake and chilling at the hammock.

This is from where we get to the point when we realised we were running out of money! So, instead of traveling for 5kilometers to the border of Cambodia we took a bus back to Pakse and another bus to the border of Thailand, the land of ATM's! We met this real nice New Zealander couple, with whom we got this best idea ever, to take a 12hours local night train with 3rd class to get to Bangkok by next morning. The picture tells it all! (Except the smell and the stickyness + the bugs and staring people and stinky toilet and aching neck and shoulders!).

The trip ahead of us!I'm adjusting..

Laura, Greg and Paula sleeping on our luxorius 3rd class seats! (03.00)

So, as a result, we got to Bangkok and rewarded ourselves with this almost a hotel kind of a place!! With own bathroom, hot water, electricity for the whole time and clean sheets and towels!! So so good! :)

This is so so so NICE!!! Note the lamp! ;)

Bangkok is cool, nice living atmosphere here, though i thought i wouldnt like the place with business, pollution and cheeky tuk tuk drivers! I was wrong and now we have been staying here for the last five days. Shopping mostly and just feeling the city life again. Tomorrow we'll take one more bus trip, to Cambodia, this time for 13hours, hopefully, i they wont leave us to the border as we are not willing to pay extra 20dollars for them to stamp the visas for us! We'll see. So, Siam Reap and Angkor Wat, here we come!

....on the night drink in this street bar we decided strongly to enjoy of these last weeks with Laura! Take the joy out of every annoying moment as this wont last for long anymore!

See you soon!

 

Lao-style minibus to the waterfalls! (Luang Prabang)


Huhuu? Mina paatin kirjoittaa suomeksi, kerrankin! Niin ja etta rakas ystavani Sofiakin saisi jotakin vihia siita, mita taalla oikein tapahtuu. Hassua kirjoittaa suomeksi tata, kun ei ole ookkosiakaan! Mutta kokeilaan.
Nyt ollaan siis etelaisessa Laosissa. Viime yona hyppasimme tapojemme mukaisesti amazing race-hengella sopon tuk-tuk -kuskin kyytiin, joka ei voinut olla antamatta periksi kahden vaalean suomalaisen tinkimiselle! Ehdimme nipin napin yobussiin Laosin paakaupungista Vientianesta kohti Paksea, jossa olemme siis nyt. Ensimmaista kertaa jouduimme taipumaan VIP-bussiin (10e 11h bussimatkasta maan toiseen paahan), silla paikallisbussi oli jo mennyt menojaan kun me myohaisherannaisina paatimme lahtea eteenpain!

Paikallisbusseista muutama sana. Ne ovat taalla Laosissa suloisia 60-luvulta peraisin olevia Hyundaita, ruoste tulee lapi seinista ja penkit saattavat olla irti lattiasta. Kukkaverhot silti viela muistuttavat ajoista, kun menopeli ei sammunut ihan joka makeen! Mieleenpainuvin laos-local bus kyyti tahan mennessa oli, kun matkasimme Luang Prabangista Vang Viengiin. Laura voi pahoin jo lahtijaisiksi ja bussin nakeminen ei auttanut asiaa. Kun vihdoin saimme moottoripyorat, riisisakit, evaskorit ja muut kapsakit viritettya, matka sai alkunsa Lao-popin tahtiin! Siina vaiheessa tiesin, etta edessa on loistava reissu! :D Eka pysays oli 2minuuttia lahdon jalkeen, kun pysahdyttiin tankille. Seuraava melko pian ekan jalkeen kun vanha pariskunta oli tulossa kyytiin tienposkesta. Vanha herra paasi kyytiin kapsakkeineen ja bussi huristeli jo menemaan, kun bussissa alkoi yleinen halina ja tajuttiin etta mummo olikin jaanyt kyydista!! Sielta se tati kuitenkin kipitti peruuttavaa bussiamme kohti, nousi ketterasti kyytiin ja taas mentiin! Tunnelmat olivat koko matkan ajan mukavat, moottorin saannollisin valiajoin hajoaminen ei haitannut ketaan, sita korjattiin kun jaksettiin ja sitten taas mentiin. Vessatauolle pysahdyimme 300metria virallisen taukoravintolan jalkeen, puskapissahan se sitten oli. Lisahaastetta tahan toi se, ettei meilla lauran kanssa ollut pitkaa hametta jonka suojissa kyykistya. Myos sodan muistot ja mahdolliset jaamistot tiepusikossa tulivat mieleen, mutta jalkeenpain olimme ylpeita reippaasta suomalaisesta asenteestamme! Bussimatka sujui lopulta ihan kivasti, olimme myohassa aikataulustakin vain inhimilliset 2tuntia, joka on taalla hyva. Maisemat olivat huimat, kun vuoristotie nousi valilla niin ylos etta alkoi paleltamaan ja mentiin pilvienkin ylapuolelle. Ikkunasta huiskutin pikkupojalle jonka housut olivat jaaneet leikin pyorteissa laittamatta jalkaan. Nain maailman suloisimpia pikkupossuja juoksemassa jonossa bambumajojen pihoilla. Perhe iltapesulla joen uomalla. Lapsia pyorailemassa koulusta kotiin. Harkalauma keskella tieta. Temppeleita. Arki taalla on sita antoisinta, pienet huomiot tasta elamasta taalla, tunne siita etta olen osa tata kaikkea.

Laosissa on oma tunnelmansa. Osa tulee tanne juomaan halpaa Lao-olutta ja polttelemaan, osa kauniin luonnon perassa. Kaikki tapaamamme matkalaiset ovat tykannneet tasta maasta ja pikkuhiljaa alan ymmartaa miksi. Taalla ei ole kiire mihinkaan. Ikavasta historiasta ei ole montaakaan vuotta, mutta silti ihmiset hymyilevat aidosti. Turisteihin suhtaudutaan terveen epakiinnostuneesti, ollaan ystavallisia muttei mielistella tai haluta esimerkiksi vain rahaa. Perheella saattaa olla ravintola oman kotinsa etuosassa, aiti tekee ruokaa perheellensa ja sitten siina sivussa myos turistille joka astuu sisalle kotiin. Turistien kanssa jutellaan, koska on hyva paasta harjoittelemaan englantia. Laosilaiset eivat ihaile lansimaalaisia sairaanloisesti, vaan ovat ylpeasti omanlaisiansa. Naisena taalla saa olla aivan rauhassa, pelata ei tosiaan ole tarvinut kertaakaan. Lauran kanssa ollaan yritetty paasta viela hieman normi turistia syvemmalle, jotta saisimme materiaalia myos hieman kouluun liittyen.

Huomenna lahdemme katsastamaan aluetta nimelta Four Thousand Islands, jossa dry seasonilla voi tosiaankin olla jopa tuhansia "saarelmia" Mekong joen pinnan ylapuolella. Talloin on mahdollista nahda myos uhanalaisia makeanveden delfiineita (hih teija, sinua ajatellen en sitten viitsinyt menna niiden kanssa polskimaan, kylla nyt kaveria sen verran pitaa kunnioittaa!!). Nyt niita ei nae, koska ne ovat uiskennelleet lampoisempiin vesiin sadekauden tielta. Laosista matka jatkuu kohti Kamputseaa (mika suomenkielinen nimi?!), nahtavyyksien kautta toivottavasti rannalle (vieroitusoireita!). Sitten onkin enaa jaljella Bangkok himoshoppailuineen (niinpa, milla rahalla...), viimeinen biitsi, Singiksen oikeaoppinen hyvasteleminen (tama on jo suunniteltu perusteellisesti!) ja lento kohti rakasta koti suomea.

Mutta ennen sita, nautimme jokaisesta hetkesta joka on jaljella samalla asenteella, kuin olemme tehneet tahankin asti!

Palataan taas, ensi kerran Kamputseasta?


Matkaa jatkuu ja laulu soi! : )


P.S. If there is still someone reading this blog in english, just let me know of you guys!! Will get back to english though anyways. My dear monika still following?