We landed at Chiang Mai airport just as a storm was coming in, Danielle was waiting for us at the arrivals gate which was nice. She drove us to the place we were staying for one night and agreed to pick us up the next morning and bring us to her home. This place was in the middle of nowhere and looked like a 70's council block but for one night it was fine. We went for a walk to discover we were near the main road where there is a shopping center and a McDonald's so we were sorted. The next morning we met a South African couple also staying in the same place and we arranged to meet up for a meal one day in the week. Danielle picked us up and took us on a quick tour of the town and then to her home. From the outside it looks a nice house on a gated community and inside is a basic family home, it seems Thai homes don't have running hot water. We got around this by boiling water in a saucepan for washing up but they did have one hot water shower in the house. We met Pancake the 9 month old pug we were caring for and like most puppies she was cute and a bit of a handful.
We also had the use of a scooter which was good as we were both a bit nervous of using them over here but after a few trips out we were riding like the locals. The bikes tyre's both needed some air which we did but then 2 days later the rear tyre was flat again so took it to the garage for repair and for a new tube it only cost £3 and they did it straight away. Across the road was a 7/11 and Tesco store and also a night market everyday which was great for us. 6km away is a massive store called Big C which we took the bike too so we could do a bigger shop rather than the little stores close by, the prices are no different but you have more choice. I finally got a SIM card for my phone for emergency calls and a small amount of data. The house has a cleaner who was due today, she is a lovely lady who doesn't speak any English but with sign language we got by, she comes twice a week and the gardener comes one a month but we missed him. The estate has a pool and we spent a few hours there, Sally had a swim and I read as my shoulder is playing up again.
We are about 10km from the city and the old town so we have to get a local bus which was easy getting into town but a nightmare getting out. The old city has a wall around it and within those walls are loads of temples, there are two main temples the Wat Chedi Luang and the Wat Phra Singh temple. Both are magnificent places and have been looked after by the Thai's, we brought a roof tile where you can put your name to it, real tourist thing to do. When we got home after a long walk and two bus rides we found the gardener had been and the place did look a lot better.
Today we jumped on the bike and headed for the Grand Canyon water park, it's a massive canyon that is now filled with water. Half is just for swimming and the other half they have made into a inflatable water park. We only went for a look but will go back another time for a swim hopefully.
Once we have walked and fed Pancake in the morning the day is ours really but as she is only a puppy we do tend to only leave her for a couple of hours at any one time. As we had use of the scooter it was easy to get to the shops and a few of the local sights quite easily. On one of the walks I slipped on some mud and went straight down on my knee, I was covered in mud and bleeding so I headed home and left Sally to carry on walking Pancake. It was only a scuffed knee but it hurt like hell and once the scab grew it then became hard to walk. We met up with couple we had met at the hotel we stayed at for one night, we had a very nice pizza but no beer as it was an Election Day.
It's a nice day today so we decide to try and get to the Doi Suthep Temple, on the main road we got a red bus straight away and he took us there for 300THB. It was such a winding road up this mountain but the views were worth it when we got to the top. The temple is a huge structure with a much larger structure that surrounds it, the outer buildings seem to be the monks quarters. Although all these temples are all for the worship of the Lord Buddha they are all so different in size, color and design.
Wednesday nights at the outlet center is food market night and was told it's the best food in town so off we go on the scooter. I must admit the market was huge and very busy so a bit challenging on the scooter but we made it and brought lots of food to have as a picnic when we got back home.
Just as my right knee is healing I get up in the morning to find that Pancake had wee'd on the floor and I went flying and landed on my other knee, at least this knee wasn't cut just bruised.
We finally got to visit the Care for Dogs Shelter and was expecting to stay most of the morning but the guy giving us a reluctant tour had other ideas. He showed us around for 10 minutes and then said we had to leave as he had dogs to walk, we didn't feel at all welcome there and wasn't able to spend any time with the dogs. We did another city day but this time we took the bike to the Big C and then jumped on a yellow taxi and in 10 minutes we were back at the old city wall. We discovered some more temples and Buddhas that we missed on our first visit there. As it started to rain we headed into a cafe until it stopped, I do enjoy the coffee culture here and the cheap prices help. So now my knee has healed it was time to head to the pool for some light exercise as I've noticed that my knees are hurting so much more now, whether it's old age or they are worn out not to sure but the pool does seem to help.
The whether this week has been very overcast and we were running out of things to keep us busy so today we rode to the Royal Park. We were both surprised how big it was and how much we enjoyed the afternoon there. Standing high above the Royal Park is Wat Phra That Doi Kham temple which we said we would attempt to ride up to the next day. What a ride up this was, so steep and windy but we made it on our little scooter. The view from the top was amazing but the temple was just another Buddha temple, as the t-shirts say "same same"
So the day has come for us to say farewell to Pancake and Chiang Mai, we both enjoyed our stay here and Pancake was a dream to care for. We booked a taxi to take us to the bus station to catch our bus to Pai a little place high in the mountains north of Chiang Mai. I took a few sickness tablets and as normal they made me sleepy so the journey wasn't so bad and in 3hrs we were there.
We walked to our B&B which is a cosy little place with very small rooms but for two nights it was fine. Pai has a colorful past with a hippy and drug taking culture, but nowadays it's a place to chill with lots of bars and coffee shops. The Walking Street is where it all happens and that's where we hired a scooter from which cost £2 for 24hrs. The day we had the scooter it did nothing but rain but that never stopped us from visiting the main tourist sites even if it was a bit hair raising.
First stop was the Temple on the Hill which has a temple and a huge Buddha sitting high up on the hill. From their we walked across the WW11 bridge that helped the Americans get across to Burma.
Everyone said you must visit Pai Canyon so we did, not sure I would call it a canyon but it was nice to walk and climb around, although as it was raining some of the slopes were very slippery. Last stop was the Pam Bok Waterfall which took ages to find and not sure it was worth the effort. Now we are both soaked through and time for a coffee and cake break so we went to the best place for cake. Om Cafe has brilliant reviews for their food and the cake was not a let down either, set in nice gardens with friendly staff.
That night we went out and ate at the street food stalls washed down with a cold beer then back home to pack for our bus ride the next morning. So back on the bus at 10am which will get us back at 1pm then onto the airport for our flight to Myanmar that afternoon.
Monday 22 August 2016
Saturday 6 August 2016
Laos
Very sad to be leaving Phuket and all the dogs in B4 run especially Strawberry but looking forward to exploring Laos and our new adventure. Our flight to Luang Prabang was uneventful apart from a big storm once we had landed, thank God. It's visa on arrival in Laos and for $35 you get a 30 day tourist visa and it's very quick. Grabbed a tuktuk to our accommodation which was very central and only a short walk to the night market. Our room was meant to have a fridge but it didn't so after a long chat with owner they supplied us with one and then the shower was only running cold but they soon sorted it. Once the rain had stopped we went for a walk to the night market and it's a great market with nice street food, cheap too. The next morning after breakfast we walked over the Bamboo Bridge that gets washed away every year with the rain so you pay 50p to cross it and that way it helps with the rebuild the following year. The river is very fast flowing and very dark in color, not sure I would want to swim in it like some local kids were. We booked ourselves onto a tour out to the Kuang Si Waterfall and Bear rescue Center which left at 11am and took about an hour.
The waterfall was beautiful and one of the best I have seen in a long time, we climbed up the right hand side of the falls to the top. It was a hard climb but worth it once at the top and looking down at the falls but coming down the other side was a different story. The way down was slippery and yes of course I fell but a guy grabbed me to stop me falling any further down, my camera and elbow took a knocking but all ok. Back at the bottom you are able to swim but as my elbow was bleeding I decided not too but Sally was brave and went in.
The bear rescue center was a really good place where the Bears are cared for that have been rescued from the zoos and food traders. One bear had an arm missing but it didn't seem to have any effect on him and was playing with the other bears just fine. That night we went to the night market and ate a lovely bbq chicken and rice and no funny tummy the next day. This place is also famous for the monk ceremony, this is where they walk the streets and locals give them food to eat, Sally was up at 5am to watch this while I stayed in bed.
So now we are on a mini van for 8hrs to Phonsavanh, it's a funny little place but a must see as that's where you find the Plain of Jars on three different sites. Our accommodation was basic again but central to the town centre for eating and booking our next bus. Across the road was the UXO office which is where the people of Laos who have been affected by the millions of unexploded bombs dropped by the Americans in the Vietnam war 1964 to 1973 get assistance. It was called the Dirty/Hidden war as the world was unaware that America was dumping its excess bombs on Laos, also they were hoping to destroy the supply route into Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh trail. The MAG office is next door and this is the office for the program to trace and destroy the unexploded bombs so that the people can farm and use their land safely. Even today people are finding these bombs and salvaging them for scrap but unfortunately many explode killing or maiming before they even get out the ground. We wanted to visit the Plain of Jars which are scattered everywhere but only 3 sites are cleared of UXO's by the MAG teams. We paid for a driver to take us to the sites as its low season and lots of tours are not operating yet. While at the sites there are markers on the ground and you are advised to walk between the markers as this area has been cleared. The jars are unknown and they have lots of ideas what they were used for but I'm with the idea that they were funeral jars. The bodies are placed inside a jar and once they have decayed the bones are then buried. At site one is a large cave where the locals used to hide when the bombing raids were being carried out. Sites 2 and 3 are in much better condition and they are larger but site 1 is the biggest site with one of the biggest jars ever found.
So Phonsavanh done and time for another 7hr bus ride to Vang Vieng the party capital of Laos. One hour into the trip our mini bus broke down and we had a stop of an hour while the local garage put it back together. Our guesthouse was a dump, the worst we had stayed in so far but for two nights we would make do. We were just outside town but it was still only 10 minute walk, so off we go into town to see what's up. Lots of bars and companies offering kayaking and tubing down the Mekong, we found a nice bar on the rivers edge and watched the sun go down behind the mountains. Today is very hot but we wanted to do a hill walk that has amazing views but we needed to cross the river and no bridge. We saw a guy coming across in his boat so I asked him how much to take us across, £1 a bargain so we jumped in this very narrow boat that swayed a lot.
Once across the river and after a long walk around the paddy fields a local lady informed us the the hill was closed due to the rainy season. So after a drink and something to eat we headed for the Namsong toll bridge which was meant to lead us to a local cave but after walking around for an hour and no cave we gave up. That night was a huge thunder and lighting storm and we had to take shelter in a ladies shop until it eased up. We had decided that we were fed up with all this crap accommodation so we booked a 4* hotel for our next place, Vientiane the capital of Laos.
Still raining the next morning while we waited for our bus for our last bus ride to Vientiane which took 4 hours. The bus stops in the city centre where there are tuktuk's waiting to take you where ever you wish, we negotiated a fare for them to take us to our hotel and in 5 minutes we were there. By western standards the hotel is not a 4* but it's very nice and great having the 2 pools to choose from. As we were staying for 4 nights we actually unpacked and made ourselves at home, once sorted we headed out for a walk and something to eat as we hadn't eaten much. Once back at the hotel we headed for the pools and a cool off, very nice.
So we have 3 days of sight seeing and there is a lot to do and see. First stop was a short walk to the Patuxai which was built by the French and resembles the Arc de Triumph. Just across the road was a temple that's not on any tourist map and it should be. It was the Phat Tich Temple which was like a pergola and stunning in rich colors. A guy came out and said we could go to the top up some winding stairs, it was really high but the city view was amazing and we were the only ones there. We made a small donation at the top and lit a candle like I so often do at these holy places.
The next stop was the Pha That Luang, the most famous and visited land mark in Vientiane. This took 40 minutes to walk to on a very hot day so after the visit we had a drink at a local cafe to cool down a bit. The heavens opened up while at the cafe so we took a tuktuk back to the hotel and jumped into the pool. Vientiane has a huge night market along side the Mekong River so as it had stopped raining we headed there that evening. It's strange standing on the edge of the Mekong and you can clearly see Thailand on the opposite bank. On our evening walk we found That Dam a very old cone like structure now used as a round about, such a shame. Overlooking the Mekong is the Cho Anouvong statue, as if his surveying his land and looking out for attacks from the river bank. So after a nice cold beer and a meal we headed back to the hotel to relax and plan our day tomorrow. There is a place called Buddha Park which is 26km outside the city which we wanted to get too but needed to catch a local bus from the bus station. Like most bus stations they are crazy unless you know the system of getting the right bus, but we found our bus and told driver where we wanted to get off which happened to be the last stop anyway. The bus also goes to the Friendship Bridge which is the border crossing between Laos and Thailand, very busy border. Buddha Park is a collection of Buddhas of different sizes and meanings. It only takes half hour to walk around and was a bit of fun. After flagging the bus down to get back into town we wanted to get off early so we could visit the COPE center. The COPE center is a hospital for the victims of all the unexploded bombs around Laos, they also help people who have been in accidents or were born with a deformities. They supply the artificial limbs and wheelchairs and set up support groups for patients and their families. Once we had finished at the center we found a new shopping mall and headed in for a huge ice cream. Back at the hotel for a swim and a chill before heading out for some dinner. My evening meal wasn't that good so I saved the meat to give to the local street dog outside the hotel but he wasn't there but we did see a dog who must of recently had pups as she was in a right state so I gave her the meat as she needed it more than the other dog. Such a shame here as there is no help for these street dogs, no sterilization program so they just keep having pups.
After breakfast we hit the tourist trail again with the Presidential Palace then a walk to Vat Sisaket Temple followed by the Hor Phakeo Temple. All of these temples are different in size and structure but they are all used to worship Buddha. After stopping for a coffee we headed back to our hotel as we are flying out tomorrow and need to get packed. After breakfast we chilled for a bit until the hotel driver was ready to take us to the airport for our flight to Luang Prabang. Strange airport where there is no belts to take your luggage just a guy with a trolley to take them to the plane.
After 45 minutes we had landed and then waited for our small prop plane to fly us to Chiang Mai.
The waterfall was beautiful and one of the best I have seen in a long time, we climbed up the right hand side of the falls to the top. It was a hard climb but worth it once at the top and looking down at the falls but coming down the other side was a different story. The way down was slippery and yes of course I fell but a guy grabbed me to stop me falling any further down, my camera and elbow took a knocking but all ok. Back at the bottom you are able to swim but as my elbow was bleeding I decided not too but Sally was brave and went in.
The bear rescue center was a really good place where the Bears are cared for that have been rescued from the zoos and food traders. One bear had an arm missing but it didn't seem to have any effect on him and was playing with the other bears just fine. That night we went to the night market and ate a lovely bbq chicken and rice and no funny tummy the next day. This place is also famous for the monk ceremony, this is where they walk the streets and locals give them food to eat, Sally was up at 5am to watch this while I stayed in bed.
So now we are on a mini van for 8hrs to Phonsavanh, it's a funny little place but a must see as that's where you find the Plain of Jars on three different sites. Our accommodation was basic again but central to the town centre for eating and booking our next bus. Across the road was the UXO office which is where the people of Laos who have been affected by the millions of unexploded bombs dropped by the Americans in the Vietnam war 1964 to 1973 get assistance. It was called the Dirty/Hidden war as the world was unaware that America was dumping its excess bombs on Laos, also they were hoping to destroy the supply route into Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh trail. The MAG office is next door and this is the office for the program to trace and destroy the unexploded bombs so that the people can farm and use their land safely. Even today people are finding these bombs and salvaging them for scrap but unfortunately many explode killing or maiming before they even get out the ground. We wanted to visit the Plain of Jars which are scattered everywhere but only 3 sites are cleared of UXO's by the MAG teams. We paid for a driver to take us to the sites as its low season and lots of tours are not operating yet. While at the sites there are markers on the ground and you are advised to walk between the markers as this area has been cleared. The jars are unknown and they have lots of ideas what they were used for but I'm with the idea that they were funeral jars. The bodies are placed inside a jar and once they have decayed the bones are then buried. At site one is a large cave where the locals used to hide when the bombing raids were being carried out. Sites 2 and 3 are in much better condition and they are larger but site 1 is the biggest site with one of the biggest jars ever found.
So Phonsavanh done and time for another 7hr bus ride to Vang Vieng the party capital of Laos. One hour into the trip our mini bus broke down and we had a stop of an hour while the local garage put it back together. Our guesthouse was a dump, the worst we had stayed in so far but for two nights we would make do. We were just outside town but it was still only 10 minute walk, so off we go into town to see what's up. Lots of bars and companies offering kayaking and tubing down the Mekong, we found a nice bar on the rivers edge and watched the sun go down behind the mountains. Today is very hot but we wanted to do a hill walk that has amazing views but we needed to cross the river and no bridge. We saw a guy coming across in his boat so I asked him how much to take us across, £1 a bargain so we jumped in this very narrow boat that swayed a lot.
Once across the river and after a long walk around the paddy fields a local lady informed us the the hill was closed due to the rainy season. So after a drink and something to eat we headed for the Namsong toll bridge which was meant to lead us to a local cave but after walking around for an hour and no cave we gave up. That night was a huge thunder and lighting storm and we had to take shelter in a ladies shop until it eased up. We had decided that we were fed up with all this crap accommodation so we booked a 4* hotel for our next place, Vientiane the capital of Laos.
Still raining the next morning while we waited for our bus for our last bus ride to Vientiane which took 4 hours. The bus stops in the city centre where there are tuktuk's waiting to take you where ever you wish, we negotiated a fare for them to take us to our hotel and in 5 minutes we were there. By western standards the hotel is not a 4* but it's very nice and great having the 2 pools to choose from. As we were staying for 4 nights we actually unpacked and made ourselves at home, once sorted we headed out for a walk and something to eat as we hadn't eaten much. Once back at the hotel we headed for the pools and a cool off, very nice.
So we have 3 days of sight seeing and there is a lot to do and see. First stop was a short walk to the Patuxai which was built by the French and resembles the Arc de Triumph. Just across the road was a temple that's not on any tourist map and it should be. It was the Phat Tich Temple which was like a pergola and stunning in rich colors. A guy came out and said we could go to the top up some winding stairs, it was really high but the city view was amazing and we were the only ones there. We made a small donation at the top and lit a candle like I so often do at these holy places.
The next stop was the Pha That Luang, the most famous and visited land mark in Vientiane. This took 40 minutes to walk to on a very hot day so after the visit we had a drink at a local cafe to cool down a bit. The heavens opened up while at the cafe so we took a tuktuk back to the hotel and jumped into the pool. Vientiane has a huge night market along side the Mekong River so as it had stopped raining we headed there that evening. It's strange standing on the edge of the Mekong and you can clearly see Thailand on the opposite bank. On our evening walk we found That Dam a very old cone like structure now used as a round about, such a shame. Overlooking the Mekong is the Cho Anouvong statue, as if his surveying his land and looking out for attacks from the river bank. So after a nice cold beer and a meal we headed back to the hotel to relax and plan our day tomorrow. There is a place called Buddha Park which is 26km outside the city which we wanted to get too but needed to catch a local bus from the bus station. Like most bus stations they are crazy unless you know the system of getting the right bus, but we found our bus and told driver where we wanted to get off which happened to be the last stop anyway. The bus also goes to the Friendship Bridge which is the border crossing between Laos and Thailand, very busy border. Buddha Park is a collection of Buddhas of different sizes and meanings. It only takes half hour to walk around and was a bit of fun. After flagging the bus down to get back into town we wanted to get off early so we could visit the COPE center. The COPE center is a hospital for the victims of all the unexploded bombs around Laos, they also help people who have been in accidents or were born with a deformities. They supply the artificial limbs and wheelchairs and set up support groups for patients and their families. Once we had finished at the center we found a new shopping mall and headed in for a huge ice cream. Back at the hotel for a swim and a chill before heading out for some dinner. My evening meal wasn't that good so I saved the meat to give to the local street dog outside the hotel but he wasn't there but we did see a dog who must of recently had pups as she was in a right state so I gave her the meat as she needed it more than the other dog. Such a shame here as there is no help for these street dogs, no sterilization program so they just keep having pups.
After breakfast we hit the tourist trail again with the Presidential Palace then a walk to Vat Sisaket Temple followed by the Hor Phakeo Temple. All of these temples are different in size and structure but they are all used to worship Buddha. After stopping for a coffee we headed back to our hotel as we are flying out tomorrow and need to get packed. After breakfast we chilled for a bit until the hotel driver was ready to take us to the airport for our flight to Luang Prabang. Strange airport where there is no belts to take your luggage just a guy with a trolley to take them to the plane.
After 45 minutes we had landed and then waited for our small prop plane to fly us to Chiang Mai.
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