Our second of four stops in Burma was Inle Lake, which can be found in the Shan District, Eastern Burma. We arrived around 4 am on a night bus in Nyaungshwe the main town just above the lake and found ourselves wandering the quiet streets for our guesthouse. We found our way to their locked front gate after about half an hour and had to wake the poor guys up! Unluckily the room wasn't ready until about 10 o'clock, which meant we slept outside in the chairs before eating an absolute triumph of a breakfast. Fresh coffee, fruit plates, an amaretto biscuit to rival any other, eggs on toast and pancakes which helped make up the wait for the room!
After the room was finally ours, we left Aquarius Guesthouse, hired a push bike each and hit the road. We ended up at a monastery just outside town, where we grabbed some street food of samosas, a chapati and a couple of local style doughnuts. The doughnuts are made with sweetened sticky rice, deep fried until crispy and golden brown on the outside and then to top it off, covered in sugar. Not the healthiest of snacks, but not half tasty! We enjoyed our feast leaning up against a tree, where we could gaze out across the rice-paddy fields with the surrounding mountains as a backdrop.
We met up with our friends around lunchtime and decided to go on an adventure, attempting to cycle as far around the lake as possible. When we say it was hot, at one point we must have started to melt! The start of the ride was fairly easy going, nice and flat, but the views were still phenomenal. Our plan was to reach the hot springs and use that as our first goal, unluckily we got completely lost! We cycled past a group of about ten monks, asked for directions and then misinterpreted what they said. This ended up with us cycling up a dirt track into a small village, where we had our first casualty of the day. Kerry was attempting to cycle up a small hill with a small ledge on a bike that was stuck on its highest gear. When her legs could no longer propel her up the slope, she fell sideways over the ledge, it was impossible for her to put her legs down. Luckily she wasn't hurt and could laugh it off as it looked like something from a sitcom.
After hours and hours and kilometre after kilometre of cycling in the gruelling heat we finally had to say no more. We rode into a local village on the lake that was beautiful. The houses were on stilts and where intertwined with small canals. The only mode of transport there was by boat and we quickly snapped up the services of a local and his long tail boat. With five people and four bikes, we set off, through the maze of man-made canals, flying past huge floating vegetable plots and shops. In this moment we knew that the trip to Myanmar was worth every penny and would be remembered for the rest of our lives.
The next day we arranged a tour of the lake on another long tail boat, we were told this was a must do and it didn't disappoint. We left fairly early and had an hour or so zipping along the water towards the morning market. This was a real Burmese local market and was packed to brim with everything you could imagine... Souvenirs, jewellery, clothes, suspicious looking medicine and food. We tried samosas and banana doughnuts which were delicious.
After a walk around the maze of stalls we jumped back into our boat and headed to a floating weaving factory. Here they made traditional longyis, scarves and various other garments. The employees here were mainly ageing women who had clearly been working the looms for decades and could work intricate patterns into the cloth without blinking. By this point, four days into our adventure through Myanmar, Lots was itching to get herself a longyi. With the help of the lady in the shop, she chose a green silk, floor length longyi with ties to hold it secure. Locals don't wear longyis with ties, instead they knot the fabric at the front, something which Lots couldn't quite get hold of, so to spare her the embarrassment of a longyi disaster we opted for the easy option.
Happy with our purchase we jumped back into the boat and made our way to the opposite side of the lake to the floating monastery. The monastery looks quite worn from the outside but inside the carvings, buddha statues and paintings depicting the origin of Buddhism made for a beautiful site. The monastery was also home to several newborn kittens owned by the monks which of course occupied all the girls attention. By this time, it was late afternoon and we decided to head back to the town. It had been a fabulous day exploring every nook and cranny of the lake and we are glad we got to share this experience with our friends Kerry and Ronan.
That evening we met our friend Louise who had arrived from Yangon that day. We found a BBQ restaurant where all the raw meat was displayed in a giant refrigerated cabinet. We were each given a small plastic basket and asked to go and pick the meat we wanted cooked. Once we had chosen we put our selection into the basket and handed it to the man behind the BBQ who returned the basket full of cooked meat a little later... A genius idea we think!
Tomorrow we make the 7 hour journey to Bagan by ourselves whilst our friends enjoy a couple of extra days at Inle Lale, slightly jealous but time in Myanmar is not on our side and we need to move swiftly. Bye!
Saturday, 13 July 2013
Monday, 1 July 2013
Mingala Ba Burma
After a cheap and easygoing Air Asia flight, we landed in Yangon in the afternoon. You can tell as soon as you land that Myanmar hasn't been influenced by the western world quite like the more modern Thailand and other Indochina countries. The first thing you notice is that all the men are wearing longyi. These are traditional skirts worn by both sexes and are more common place than shorts or trousers. The women also wear what looks like yellow face paint, but is actually whitening cream not rubbed in to their skin, but instead smeared on in a warpaint fashion... Something that took a lot of getting used to!
This is an exciting time, the government have just started letting tourists back into the country and are slowly opening their doors to more capitalist ideals. While we were in Yangon there was a Southeast Asian economic summit that included the likes of Tony Blair. The consensus from the people is that the country is moving forwards, away from civil unrest towards an influx of foreign investment and tourism. Lets just hope the money is shared amongst the people and not just stuffed into the governments pockets!
The Burmese people are diverse in culture and origin. Each state has its indigenous people and their way of life differs from the food they eat, to the religions they believe in and the languages they speak. We met a young hotel worker who explained that he was from the southern Taninthary division who lived in a fishing village. He moved to Yangon two years ago not being able to speak Myanmar (Yangon's dialect) and couldn't read or write. He spoke fairly good English, but his education consisted of a small amount of schooling and then rice farming with his father.
On the first day we decided to do a walking tour of the city with our new English friends (Ronan and Kerry), starting at Sule Paya (Paya is the Burmese word for temple), located at the centre of the city which the British built the road structure around. We quickly had to buy some umbrellas as the downpour was torrential! Whilst sheltering from the rain in the temple, a monk came and introduced himself and offered to show us around. He explained the two different forms of Buddhism, the history of the temple and about his Buddhist beliefs. He then helped us partake in a ritual where you poor water over a Buddhas head, the amount of times you poor it over the head all depends on your age. The Buddhists believe that there are eight days in their religious week. Each of those has a different animal that represents the corresponding day. Wednesday (the most religious day) is split up into two days, morning and afternoon, an elephant with tusks represents the morning and an elephant without tusks is the afternoon. We found out that we are both born on a Tuesday which is the day of the lion. If you are going to be an animal then the lion is not a bad one to end up with, especially when one day is represented by a rat! Each animal (day of the week) has a different shrine and depending on which day you were born on means you perform the water pouring ritual on your relevant shrine.
We then proceeded to a tea house, we've heard it was a must to do in Yangon and it meant some respite from the monsoon. The first one we came across was completely packed full of locals, which was a pity as it was recomended in the Lonely Planet guide as the best. Nevertheless we pursued our quest to find some good tea and a bite to eat. We ended up in the muslim district in a tea house called Golden Tea. The four of us sat down and had some very sweet tea, not to mine or Lots taste, but the samosas, potato and onion bhajis and the semolina cakes were delicious. We had all this for $2.50, what a bargain!
The tea shops in Yangon are famed for being the places that general day to day business is made. As Burma is only open and running during day time hours, the tea houses act as an English pub would for the locals. Additionally, if you believe the rumours, the government supposedly plant spies in the tea shops to make sure the Burmese populace are behaving and keeping in line with the military run governments directives.
We spent that evening at the famed golden temple, Shwedagon Paya. This for us is the religious jewel of Southeast asia and comes to life at night, when the gilded surface of the Paya is gleaming from the surrounding floodlights. The sheer size and beauty of this religious monument makes the entire place feel mystical. When we visited it was also fairly empty and because it was low season there were no tourists, making it even more enjoyable. The majority of people were monks dressed in their maroon coloured robes and Buddhists worshipping the statues of the Lord Buddha; this only improved the aura surounding the temple and made the experience unforgettable. We finished off the evening in the Chinese district looking for some bargain street food. We hit the jackpot and gorged on some local Burmese cuisine as well as some tasty Shan noodles.
The next day being our final in Yangon, we decided to go on a circular train ride around the city before getting on the night bus to Inle Lake. We were shown on the train by a local who took our nationalities and names for record (we think this may have been the government keeping tabs on us but we're not sure!). The whole trip lasted about two and a half hours. It allowed us to steer away from the tourist trail and get a feel for what the 'real' Burma was like, even though we saw many squallers and horribly poor working conditions, we also saw football matches, children playing in lakes and markets on train platforms. The trip was a pretty good way to spend the morning and an especially good way to gain an insight in how people live outside of the city. It was also not uncommon to see people drying their clothes on the railway tracks, using their initiative we say!
Anyway, next stop Inle Lake. This will be the only place we visit in the Shan District and is suppose to rival most places in Asia for sheer beauty!
This is an exciting time, the government have just started letting tourists back into the country and are slowly opening their doors to more capitalist ideals. While we were in Yangon there was a Southeast Asian economic summit that included the likes of Tony Blair. The consensus from the people is that the country is moving forwards, away from civil unrest towards an influx of foreign investment and tourism. Lets just hope the money is shared amongst the people and not just stuffed into the governments pockets!
The Burmese people are diverse in culture and origin. Each state has its indigenous people and their way of life differs from the food they eat, to the religions they believe in and the languages they speak. We met a young hotel worker who explained that he was from the southern Taninthary division who lived in a fishing village. He moved to Yangon two years ago not being able to speak Myanmar (Yangon's dialect) and couldn't read or write. He spoke fairly good English, but his education consisted of a small amount of schooling and then rice farming with his father.
On the first day we decided to do a walking tour of the city with our new English friends (Ronan and Kerry), starting at Sule Paya (Paya is the Burmese word for temple), located at the centre of the city which the British built the road structure around. We quickly had to buy some umbrellas as the downpour was torrential! Whilst sheltering from the rain in the temple, a monk came and introduced himself and offered to show us around. He explained the two different forms of Buddhism, the history of the temple and about his Buddhist beliefs. He then helped us partake in a ritual where you poor water over a Buddhas head, the amount of times you poor it over the head all depends on your age. The Buddhists believe that there are eight days in their religious week. Each of those has a different animal that represents the corresponding day. Wednesday (the most religious day) is split up into two days, morning and afternoon, an elephant with tusks represents the morning and an elephant without tusks is the afternoon. We found out that we are both born on a Tuesday which is the day of the lion. If you are going to be an animal then the lion is not a bad one to end up with, especially when one day is represented by a rat! Each animal (day of the week) has a different shrine and depending on which day you were born on means you perform the water pouring ritual on your relevant shrine.
We then proceeded to a tea house, we've heard it was a must to do in Yangon and it meant some respite from the monsoon. The first one we came across was completely packed full of locals, which was a pity as it was recomended in the Lonely Planet guide as the best. Nevertheless we pursued our quest to find some good tea and a bite to eat. We ended up in the muslim district in a tea house called Golden Tea. The four of us sat down and had some very sweet tea, not to mine or Lots taste, but the samosas, potato and onion bhajis and the semolina cakes were delicious. We had all this for $2.50, what a bargain!
The tea shops in Yangon are famed for being the places that general day to day business is made. As Burma is only open and running during day time hours, the tea houses act as an English pub would for the locals. Additionally, if you believe the rumours, the government supposedly plant spies in the tea shops to make sure the Burmese populace are behaving and keeping in line with the military run governments directives.
We spent that evening at the famed golden temple, Shwedagon Paya. This for us is the religious jewel of Southeast asia and comes to life at night, when the gilded surface of the Paya is gleaming from the surrounding floodlights. The sheer size and beauty of this religious monument makes the entire place feel mystical. When we visited it was also fairly empty and because it was low season there were no tourists, making it even more enjoyable. The majority of people were monks dressed in their maroon coloured robes and Buddhists worshipping the statues of the Lord Buddha; this only improved the aura surounding the temple and made the experience unforgettable. We finished off the evening in the Chinese district looking for some bargain street food. We hit the jackpot and gorged on some local Burmese cuisine as well as some tasty Shan noodles.
The next day being our final in Yangon, we decided to go on a circular train ride around the city before getting on the night bus to Inle Lake. We were shown on the train by a local who took our nationalities and names for record (we think this may have been the government keeping tabs on us but we're not sure!). The whole trip lasted about two and a half hours. It allowed us to steer away from the tourist trail and get a feel for what the 'real' Burma was like, even though we saw many squallers and horribly poor working conditions, we also saw football matches, children playing in lakes and markets on train platforms. The trip was a pretty good way to spend the morning and an especially good way to gain an insight in how people live outside of the city. It was also not uncommon to see people drying their clothes on the railway tracks, using their initiative we say!
Anyway, next stop Inle Lake. This will be the only place we visit in the Shan District and is suppose to rival most places in Asia for sheer beauty!
Sunday, 30 June 2013
Diving in the deep blue sea
From the start of the trip we knew we wanted to do our PADI Open Water Certificates in Koh Tao. The first island on the East coast of Thailand from Bangkok is the dive capital of South East Asia. With over 60 dive schools on the island it is a must do.
We chose to do our course with New Way Diving, a dive school with rave reviews on TripAdvisor. We sent them an email the day before we were meant to arrive and received an email back almost straight away. They offered us a deal we couldn't refuse - the 4 day course with 5 nights accommodation on the beach for 20 000 baht (£420) between us!
We arrived on an over-night bus/ferry ride from Bangkok and were greeted by a sign reading NAT before being taken on the back of a pick-up truck to New Way diving HQ. We were still a little dazed from a restless night travelling but completed some medical forms and signed some other necessities before we were taken in a moped sidecar to our home for the next 5 nights.
Safe to say we hit jackpot with this accommodation!! A modern, sparkling clean apartment which was a stones throw away from the beach. We spent the rest of the morning napping, eating and having a dip in the sea before we went for our first theory lesson at New Way.
It was then that we met the rest of the newbies, 6 Quebecens, 3 other Brits and 1 Brazilian. We were then split into smaller groups, Nat and I being grouped with Mathias the Brazilian whom had spent the last year living in Germany. Our instructor was Rafal, a Polish ex-pat who had spent 8 years living in South West England during which he had learnt to dive in Weymouth! We were given a textbook to work from plus a worksheet of questions to answer. After each topic we were given a test to prepare us for the final exam at the end of the week. The first afternoon consisted of watching a two hour video and answering questions on the topics - simple enough!
The next day was an 8 AM start with 3 hours of theory, sizing up for wetsuits, fins etc and a lesson on how to set up your equipment before an 11AM lunch break. After, it was our first time in the water. Some dive schools take you to a shallow swimming pool to practise basic techniques but New Way chuck you in at the deep end (literally) and take you to a shallow beach. The boat ride was a rocky one and Lots filled up on Sturgeon as a precaution! We put on our wetsuits, flippers, BCD (breathing apparatus), weight belts, mask and snorkel, did our safety checks and proceeded to the leap of death.
The leap of death - a big step off the side of the boat sounds easy but with all the equipment on which is extremely heavy outside of water, is much harder than it seems! The boat was not an actual diving boat, but an old fishing boat which means climbing up the side and jumping from a greater height. When it came to Lots turn, she was helped up, put in the right position (left hand on weight belt, right hand covering the mouth regulator and mask) but refused to jump in. After a countdown from Rafal, there was still reluctancy to enter the water so a friendly push from the Thai captain helped quicken proceedings.
The afternoon was spent learning all the basic techniques required to be able to do the first dive such as taking equipment off and back on in the water, emergency breathing, clearing the mask (Lots favourite) and a horizontal version of a controlled emergency ascent.
Once back on solid ground, we were tired from a challenging first day of diving, but it was not too end there! More theory once back at the centre as well as a maths lesson from Rafal (to Lottie's dismay), by 8 we were free.
By luck, this weekend was Koh Tao Festival 2013. An annual celebration on the island, a nearby field was decked with copious amounts of food stalls, games, displays and two performance stages. We enjoyed the local schools hip hop performance (?!) and a DJ set before we made our way back home for a much needed sleep.
The next day was d-day, dives 1 and 2... no going back now! But before, the theory test. The two of us and Mathias all passed (phew) so we were good to go. Another rocky journey to Lighthouse Bay and we were kitted up, safety checking and stepping into the water. We made our first descent down the mooring line. The sensation of being weightless in water with so much equipment on is a unique one but an amazing one too. We reached a depth of 10.7 metres and were down for 39 minutes. This time consisted of practising underwater skills, buoyancy and some exploring. Dive 2 was a short boat ride away to Mango Bay. This time we only went a depth of 6.8 metres but spent the majority of time swimming around and enjoying the marine life on offer. There were plenty of Clownfish (Lots favourite) to keep her happy plus the odd Triggerfish thrown in for fun... a fish that will attack if you get to close in its proximity, it rears a horn on the back of its neck if it is feeling defensive, safe to say we steered well clear from them!
First day of diving complete, back to HQ to fill our log books in and enjoy a beer with Rafal. That night we went back to the festival where Nat proceeded to consume two spicy pork kebabs, one corn on the cob, one beef kebab, one chocolate chip ice cream and a slice of chocolate cake, washed down with a Chang... All this diving makes for a healthy appetite!
Dives 3 and 4 the next day were truly spectacular. Waking up at 5 and being out on the water by 6 meant we were the first dive school out there. It was well worth the early morning as being the only ones in the water is hard to come by on an island housing over 60 dive schools! We rode out about an hour to a bay called Chumpon, close to the mainland. We felt like we could really relax and enjoy the diving whilst taking in the colourful coral and it's surroundings. Visibility was clear and there were no currents to fight with so we swam to a depth of 18 metres for 45 minutes where we mingled with some Yellow Fin Barracuda. The final dive was similar, except Rafal gave us compasses so we could navigate ourselves, something Nat was a genius at due to his practise on ships.
The rest of the day was spent consuming beers, filling in log books, getting our certification and saying our goodbyes. Diving was truly wonderful and we would recommend it to anybody heading to the South Islands. New Way diving and Rafal were welcoming, friendly yet professional and made our first diving experience memorable.
Now for filling our logbooks with 100 more dives!!
We chose to do our course with New Way Diving, a dive school with rave reviews on TripAdvisor. We sent them an email the day before we were meant to arrive and received an email back almost straight away. They offered us a deal we couldn't refuse - the 4 day course with 5 nights accommodation on the beach for 20 000 baht (£420) between us!
We arrived on an over-night bus/ferry ride from Bangkok and were greeted by a sign reading NAT before being taken on the back of a pick-up truck to New Way diving HQ. We were still a little dazed from a restless night travelling but completed some medical forms and signed some other necessities before we were taken in a moped sidecar to our home for the next 5 nights.
Safe to say we hit jackpot with this accommodation!! A modern, sparkling clean apartment which was a stones throw away from the beach. We spent the rest of the morning napping, eating and having a dip in the sea before we went for our first theory lesson at New Way.
It was then that we met the rest of the newbies, 6 Quebecens, 3 other Brits and 1 Brazilian. We were then split into smaller groups, Nat and I being grouped with Mathias the Brazilian whom had spent the last year living in Germany. Our instructor was Rafal, a Polish ex-pat who had spent 8 years living in South West England during which he had learnt to dive in Weymouth! We were given a textbook to work from plus a worksheet of questions to answer. After each topic we were given a test to prepare us for the final exam at the end of the week. The first afternoon consisted of watching a two hour video and answering questions on the topics - simple enough!
The next day was an 8 AM start with 3 hours of theory, sizing up for wetsuits, fins etc and a lesson on how to set up your equipment before an 11AM lunch break. After, it was our first time in the water. Some dive schools take you to a shallow swimming pool to practise basic techniques but New Way chuck you in at the deep end (literally) and take you to a shallow beach. The boat ride was a rocky one and Lots filled up on Sturgeon as a precaution! We put on our wetsuits, flippers, BCD (breathing apparatus), weight belts, mask and snorkel, did our safety checks and proceeded to the leap of death.
The leap of death - a big step off the side of the boat sounds easy but with all the equipment on which is extremely heavy outside of water, is much harder than it seems! The boat was not an actual diving boat, but an old fishing boat which means climbing up the side and jumping from a greater height. When it came to Lots turn, she was helped up, put in the right position (left hand on weight belt, right hand covering the mouth regulator and mask) but refused to jump in. After a countdown from Rafal, there was still reluctancy to enter the water so a friendly push from the Thai captain helped quicken proceedings.
The afternoon was spent learning all the basic techniques required to be able to do the first dive such as taking equipment off and back on in the water, emergency breathing, clearing the mask (Lots favourite) and a horizontal version of a controlled emergency ascent.
Once back on solid ground, we were tired from a challenging first day of diving, but it was not too end there! More theory once back at the centre as well as a maths lesson from Rafal (to Lottie's dismay), by 8 we were free.
By luck, this weekend was Koh Tao Festival 2013. An annual celebration on the island, a nearby field was decked with copious amounts of food stalls, games, displays and two performance stages. We enjoyed the local schools hip hop performance (?!) and a DJ set before we made our way back home for a much needed sleep.
The next day was d-day, dives 1 and 2... no going back now! But before, the theory test. The two of us and Mathias all passed (phew) so we were good to go. Another rocky journey to Lighthouse Bay and we were kitted up, safety checking and stepping into the water. We made our first descent down the mooring line. The sensation of being weightless in water with so much equipment on is a unique one but an amazing one too. We reached a depth of 10.7 metres and were down for 39 minutes. This time consisted of practising underwater skills, buoyancy and some exploring. Dive 2 was a short boat ride away to Mango Bay. This time we only went a depth of 6.8 metres but spent the majority of time swimming around and enjoying the marine life on offer. There were plenty of Clownfish (Lots favourite) to keep her happy plus the odd Triggerfish thrown in for fun... a fish that will attack if you get to close in its proximity, it rears a horn on the back of its neck if it is feeling defensive, safe to say we steered well clear from them!
First day of diving complete, back to HQ to fill our log books in and enjoy a beer with Rafal. That night we went back to the festival where Nat proceeded to consume two spicy pork kebabs, one corn on the cob, one beef kebab, one chocolate chip ice cream and a slice of chocolate cake, washed down with a Chang... All this diving makes for a healthy appetite!
Dives 3 and 4 the next day were truly spectacular. Waking up at 5 and being out on the water by 6 meant we were the first dive school out there. It was well worth the early morning as being the only ones in the water is hard to come by on an island housing over 60 dive schools! We rode out about an hour to a bay called Chumpon, close to the mainland. We felt like we could really relax and enjoy the diving whilst taking in the colourful coral and it's surroundings. Visibility was clear and there were no currents to fight with so we swam to a depth of 18 metres for 45 minutes where we mingled with some Yellow Fin Barracuda. The final dive was similar, except Rafal gave us compasses so we could navigate ourselves, something Nat was a genius at due to his practise on ships.
The rest of the day was spent consuming beers, filling in log books, getting our certification and saying our goodbyes. Diving was truly wonderful and we would recommend it to anybody heading to the South Islands. New Way diving and Rafal were welcoming, friendly yet professional and made our first diving experience memorable.
Now for filling our logbooks with 100 more dives!!
Saturday, 15 June 2013
Glowing plankton, one bad belly and a WONDER of the world!
During our stay in Phnom Penh we decided that we couldn't miss out on visiting Myanmar (Burma) so we applied for our visa's at the embasy. The whole process takes around four working days, but as we went on a Thursday we ended up having to wait a day short of a week!
What to do with six spare days in the capital of Cambodia. We headed down to the coast on a relatively short bus journey to Sihanoukville. This is what can only be described as the party town of Cambodia and is full to the rafters with young travellers. We stayed here for one night and decided to quickly move on to what we thought was going to be an idilic island, Koh Rong, but what it actually turned out to be was "So Wrong" (Lots, 2013). Back to basics, limited electricity and beach bungalows, mixed with a huge hippy population. We stayed at a place called Coco Bungalows, otherwise known as "Nono Bungalows" (Lots, 2013).
Koh Rong did have one very cool feature. At night, if you went swimming about fifty meters from the beach, you were then surrounded by bio luminescent plankton. If you thrashed your arms and legs around the water would light up around you. It was one of our favourite experiences.
After a two night stay we decided to head back to the mainland, to a place called Otres Beach and stayed in some bungalows in the shape of Mushrooms. It was a great place, but unluckily lots had food poisoning so we didnt get to make the most of the beautiful beach.
Next it was time to head down to Siem Reap to explore the temples of Angkor Wat, a must see if your visiting Southeast Asia. We enjoyed our time here the most as the town has a great night life, with good food and places to drink, as well as having a wonder of the world on its door step!
We decided to explore the temple sites for three days and hired a tuk tuk driver named Walter. He was great and made the trip a sensational success. We started off the first day visiting the temple that was used to film the first Lara Croft film. Unluckily it was under reconstruction and there was scaffolding in places. The temple directly nextdoor was beautiful, we spent the better part of an hour wondering around and soaking up the atmosphere. For the rest of the day Walter took us around stopping off at interesting sights, including the Eastern entrance to Angkor Thom. This is where you pass over a moat on a bridge covered in statues of dragons and guardians, then you pass through an ancient gateway, theres no gate anymore but it is still a beautiful sight to see.
We finished the day with a walk along the Elephant Terrace, at the heart of Angkor Thom, along past the Palais Royal and the beautiful Baphuon, finally ending up at the jaw dropping Bayon Temple. Seeing the level of detail in the carvings, the shapes of the spires and the sheer magnitude of Bayon Temple makes the visit to Cambodia in itself worth all the effort!
That evening Walter took Nat to play football with the other local tuk tuk drivers. The game was played on a full size pitch where Nat was the striker, netting a top right hand corner finish. Playing in the same team was our Belgian friend Tom, who was the main force in midfield. Standing at a cool 6 ft 5" he was the tallest on the pitch by at least 5 inches.
The next day we got up for sunrise at Angkor Wat. We arose at 4.30 in the morning and were outside Angkor Wat at around 6 am. Sadly it was cloudy which obstructed our view of the sun rising, although it didn't take any of the beauty out of the temple. The sun shone off the clouds and created a deep purple and blue background to see the temple against. Angkor Wat is the seventh wonder of the world and even though it doesn't quite boast the beauty of Bayon or the serenity found at some of the smaller temples, the complexity of the inner and outer buildings, the moat system and the outer walls, mean the temple of Angkor Wat deserves the title Wonder.
Later that morning we went and visited some of the smaller temples to the North of Angkor Thom. Here is where we actually found our favourite temple of our three day visit. Ta Sohm temple was not the most impressive in size or skill of construction and it hadn't been fully renovated, but it felt more rustic and untouched. Coupled with the feeling of serenity and the fact that we were almost the only people there, the experience of walking around this ancient ruin was unforgettable.
That night we stayed up until 2 in the morning to watch the champions league final. Watching it on a big screen in the street along with plenty of German tourists made for a good atmosphere. But we only made it to half time as it all became a bit too much for Nat and fell asleep in his chair!
The final day was spent mainly enroute to our final temple of the trip, Banteay Srey. Its 37 km out of Siem Reap, but decided to make the effort as we heard it was a 'must visit' if you had the three day temple pass. The temple itself is fairly small, but still very pretty and is surrounded by a moat enclosed in a stone wall. Just outside the temple was a small exhibition highlighting the work undertaken over the decades to restore the complex to its former beauty.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Siem Reap. Our next stop is the island of Koh Chang for a short break and then on to Bangkok. From there we fly to Burma to experience something that we hope to be life changing.
What to do with six spare days in the capital of Cambodia. We headed down to the coast on a relatively short bus journey to Sihanoukville. This is what can only be described as the party town of Cambodia and is full to the rafters with young travellers. We stayed here for one night and decided to quickly move on to what we thought was going to be an idilic island, Koh Rong, but what it actually turned out to be was "So Wrong" (Lots, 2013). Back to basics, limited electricity and beach bungalows, mixed with a huge hippy population. We stayed at a place called Coco Bungalows, otherwise known as "Nono Bungalows" (Lots, 2013).
Koh Rong did have one very cool feature. At night, if you went swimming about fifty meters from the beach, you were then surrounded by bio luminescent plankton. If you thrashed your arms and legs around the water would light up around you. It was one of our favourite experiences.
After a two night stay we decided to head back to the mainland, to a place called Otres Beach and stayed in some bungalows in the shape of Mushrooms. It was a great place, but unluckily lots had food poisoning so we didnt get to make the most of the beautiful beach.
Next it was time to head down to Siem Reap to explore the temples of Angkor Wat, a must see if your visiting Southeast Asia. We enjoyed our time here the most as the town has a great night life, with good food and places to drink, as well as having a wonder of the world on its door step!
We decided to explore the temple sites for three days and hired a tuk tuk driver named Walter. He was great and made the trip a sensational success. We started off the first day visiting the temple that was used to film the first Lara Croft film. Unluckily it was under reconstruction and there was scaffolding in places. The temple directly nextdoor was beautiful, we spent the better part of an hour wondering around and soaking up the atmosphere. For the rest of the day Walter took us around stopping off at interesting sights, including the Eastern entrance to Angkor Thom. This is where you pass over a moat on a bridge covered in statues of dragons and guardians, then you pass through an ancient gateway, theres no gate anymore but it is still a beautiful sight to see.
We finished the day with a walk along the Elephant Terrace, at the heart of Angkor Thom, along past the Palais Royal and the beautiful Baphuon, finally ending up at the jaw dropping Bayon Temple. Seeing the level of detail in the carvings, the shapes of the spires and the sheer magnitude of Bayon Temple makes the visit to Cambodia in itself worth all the effort!
That evening Walter took Nat to play football with the other local tuk tuk drivers. The game was played on a full size pitch where Nat was the striker, netting a top right hand corner finish. Playing in the same team was our Belgian friend Tom, who was the main force in midfield. Standing at a cool 6 ft 5" he was the tallest on the pitch by at least 5 inches.
The next day we got up for sunrise at Angkor Wat. We arose at 4.30 in the morning and were outside Angkor Wat at around 6 am. Sadly it was cloudy which obstructed our view of the sun rising, although it didn't take any of the beauty out of the temple. The sun shone off the clouds and created a deep purple and blue background to see the temple against. Angkor Wat is the seventh wonder of the world and even though it doesn't quite boast the beauty of Bayon or the serenity found at some of the smaller temples, the complexity of the inner and outer buildings, the moat system and the outer walls, mean the temple of Angkor Wat deserves the title Wonder.
Later that morning we went and visited some of the smaller temples to the North of Angkor Thom. Here is where we actually found our favourite temple of our three day visit. Ta Sohm temple was not the most impressive in size or skill of construction and it hadn't been fully renovated, but it felt more rustic and untouched. Coupled with the feeling of serenity and the fact that we were almost the only people there, the experience of walking around this ancient ruin was unforgettable.
That night we stayed up until 2 in the morning to watch the champions league final. Watching it on a big screen in the street along with plenty of German tourists made for a good atmosphere. But we only made it to half time as it all became a bit too much for Nat and fell asleep in his chair!
The final day was spent mainly enroute to our final temple of the trip, Banteay Srey. Its 37 km out of Siem Reap, but decided to make the effort as we heard it was a 'must visit' if you had the three day temple pass. The temple itself is fairly small, but still very pretty and is surrounded by a moat enclosed in a stone wall. Just outside the temple was a small exhibition highlighting the work undertaken over the decades to restore the complex to its former beauty.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Siem Reap. Our next stop is the island of Koh Chang for a short break and then on to Bangkok. From there we fly to Burma to experience something that we hope to be life changing.
Thursday, 30 May 2013
Phnom Penh
We reached Phnom Penh in the afternoon and it was stifling! We didn't expect the increase in temperature and were glad we had air conditioning at the hostel. The first night we met up with the Belgium's and ended up in a Australian pub with a free bar and some live music. Good start to Phnom Penh.
Our first full day was spent doing the two main tourist attractions, the killing fields and the genocide museum. Though they are dark and morbid, the experience was a real eye opener into the Khmer Rouge regime. They were responsible for mass genocide and killed one in four Khmer people. The regime killed the majority of educated people, anyone against the Khmer Rouge regime and anyone with affiliations to the so called traitors. People that didn't suffer death had to work the fields, farming mostly rice and living off two bowls of rice porridge a day. The Cambodian people had a choice, be part of the regime and work in extreme conditions or be subjected to the killing fields. The regime is so hated that the Cambodian people now pronounce their identities differently. Instead of Khmer they pronounce themselves as "Khmar", but the word is still spelt the same.
The reason for so many deaths was the Khmer Rouge killed all family members of anyone they executed. This was so that they would have no potential enemies in the future. Although the Khmer people have been through such atrocities, the people are incredibly friendly and very warm hearted.
We visited the genocide museum next. Set up in an old prison called S-52. The buildings were converted from a school into a holding area for people who were inevitably going to the killing fields. In a way this was more disturbing than the killing fields, with dark rooms, long corridors and small brick cells, the buildings send shivers down your spine.
The rest of Phnom Penh is pretty nice. It has a good night life, some tasty food and some great backpacker hostels. We stayed at the White Rabbit, which was owned by an American, Kiwi and a Khmer lady; this gave the place a really relaxed feel and was a good base to explore the city from. Not forgetting to mention the hostel cat... Jerry. Permanently asleep, you would find him behind doors, in corners, on the bar (!) and even once on our bed.
Tuk tuk drivers generally don't know where they are going and often you need a detailed map with directions to get anywhere in Cambodia. We found this out when trying finding the Myanmar embassy. Luckily we stumbled upon it in the end! We found that it would take six days to process the visas, so we decided to go to Koh Rong and Otres Beach on the south coast to fill the void of time.
Our first full day was spent doing the two main tourist attractions, the killing fields and the genocide museum. Though they are dark and morbid, the experience was a real eye opener into the Khmer Rouge regime. They were responsible for mass genocide and killed one in four Khmer people. The regime killed the majority of educated people, anyone against the Khmer Rouge regime and anyone with affiliations to the so called traitors. People that didn't suffer death had to work the fields, farming mostly rice and living off two bowls of rice porridge a day. The Cambodian people had a choice, be part of the regime and work in extreme conditions or be subjected to the killing fields. The regime is so hated that the Cambodian people now pronounce their identities differently. Instead of Khmer they pronounce themselves as "Khmar", but the word is still spelt the same.
The reason for so many deaths was the Khmer Rouge killed all family members of anyone they executed. This was so that they would have no potential enemies in the future. Although the Khmer people have been through such atrocities, the people are incredibly friendly and very warm hearted.
We visited the genocide museum next. Set up in an old prison called S-52. The buildings were converted from a school into a holding area for people who were inevitably going to the killing fields. In a way this was more disturbing than the killing fields, with dark rooms, long corridors and small brick cells, the buildings send shivers down your spine.
The rest of Phnom Penh is pretty nice. It has a good night life, some tasty food and some great backpacker hostels. We stayed at the White Rabbit, which was owned by an American, Kiwi and a Khmer lady; this gave the place a really relaxed feel and was a good base to explore the city from. Not forgetting to mention the hostel cat... Jerry. Permanently asleep, you would find him behind doors, in corners, on the bar (!) and even once on our bed.
Tuk tuk drivers generally don't know where they are going and often you need a detailed map with directions to get anywhere in Cambodia. We found this out when trying finding the Myanmar embassy. Luckily we stumbled upon it in the end! We found that it would take six days to process the visas, so we decided to go to Koh Rong and Otres Beach on the south coast to fill the void of time.
Sunday, 19 May 2013
Saigon - Sadly it's time to leave Vietnam!
We have both loved our journey from North to South, it's been an adventure and luckily we got to cap it off with the amazing city of Saigon. Also known as Ho Chi Minh, it was named after their victorious leader; he's so revered and loved that he's not only had a city named in his honour, but is encased in glass in the mausoleum found in Hanoi.
We got to Saigon quite late in the afternoon, so only went for a quick wander around district 1. This is the the main backpackers area and is full of shops, restaurants, hostels and has a large market, operating both in the day and at night. Our first night was spent with the Belgians and the soon to leave English girls. We went for a curry at Ganesh, one of the highest rated restaurants in Vietnam and can be found in Hanoi, Hoi An and Saigon. On the recommendations of some British army doctors we met in Mui Ne, we then went in search of a hidden bar full of locals and cheap cocktails. We found it fairly quickly by chance. From the outside its very unassuming and looks more like the side alley for a locals house. It has no signs and we think it must be a hidden hotspot for the more affluent locals. When you walk in, the place opens up into a Moroccan themed bar, full of shishas on short legged tables, where people sit around them on cushions.
The next day we did a bit of sight seeing. We started at the war museum. The courtyard in front of the museum has American fighter jets, tanks and helicopters on show, it even has a plane with a rotary engine. These were used by the southern Vietnamese forces to conduct low level bombings; given to them by the Americans as out of date weaponry, the Southern forces used them to aid ground attacks against the more motivated northern troops.
The museum starts with a room paying homage to "uncle Ho" and his love of the Vietnamese children across the nation. The rest of the ground floor was mainly based on propaganda posters slandering the Americans, as well as anecdotes and encounters of the Viet Minh meeting other nations to lobby support. The rest of the museum took a bit of a sour turn, with disturbing images mainly in the genocide and agent orange room. These were enough to make Lots sit outside and take a pass on the other gruesome images.
We then visited the Grand Palace, home of the Southern Vietnamese government prior to and during the war. The palace looked more like a 70's three story concrete flat block as it was demolished during the revolution prior to the war and was rebuilt. Inside it's a bit more glamorous and exhibits the old living quarters for the ex-president and his family, as well as meeting rooms, bunkers and a ball room.
Our last day started with a half day Chu Chi tunnel tour. About two hours out of Saigon, this is where the village of Chu Chi hid and fought against the American Army. They wore no uniform and fought as part of the Vietnam Cong using guerrilla warfare techniques. They used boobie traps made from bamboo and metal spikes designed to maim their enemies. We had a tour around from a guide who called himself "John Wayne"!
Then came the opportunity that made Nats day...shooting an original M1 Carbine from the war. He required ear muffs to deafen the sound plus have an instructor hold him in place due to the recoil and the fact he had to stand on tip toes to reach the gun in the first place!
We then went into the tunnels, or a small part of the tunnel system that ran along a 100m stretch. It was a tunnel on level one (out of three) where we had a go at attempting to get through the dark tight squeeze. You had to go on hands and knees to get through, but luckily you could get out at 20 metre intervals. Lots made it 20 metres feeling the claustrophobia and popped out with an American girl who was having a panic attack! Nat made it the full 100 metres, out first, dripping from the heat, but luckily Lots the saviour was there with a bottle of water which Nat gulped down, only to find Lottie had picked up someone else's bottle by mistake...they were left without!
That evening, we ditched our shorts and t-shirts for dresses and shirts and headed for the SkyBar. Shaped like a sail, it is by far the tallest building in the city and houses a bar on the 52nd floor. We got in an elevator all the way up and were greeted by a chic, modern bar and an outside helipad to top it off! To say the views at night were spectacular would be an understatement. The view stretched for miles and the array of lights were beautiful. We enjoyed a couple of drinks here (all we could afford!) before we headed to the night market for our last taste of Vietnamese cuisine. Something we will both miss.
The next day we head to Cambodia on the bus, our fourth country of the trip so far. We have loved Vietnam from start to finish - a country brimming with culture, history, friendly people, crazy drivers and spectacular beaches. It will be missed!
We got to Saigon quite late in the afternoon, so only went for a quick wander around district 1. This is the the main backpackers area and is full of shops, restaurants, hostels and has a large market, operating both in the day and at night. Our first night was spent with the Belgians and the soon to leave English girls. We went for a curry at Ganesh, one of the highest rated restaurants in Vietnam and can be found in Hanoi, Hoi An and Saigon. On the recommendations of some British army doctors we met in Mui Ne, we then went in search of a hidden bar full of locals and cheap cocktails. We found it fairly quickly by chance. From the outside its very unassuming and looks more like the side alley for a locals house. It has no signs and we think it must be a hidden hotspot for the more affluent locals. When you walk in, the place opens up into a Moroccan themed bar, full of shishas on short legged tables, where people sit around them on cushions.
The next day we did a bit of sight seeing. We started at the war museum. The courtyard in front of the museum has American fighter jets, tanks and helicopters on show, it even has a plane with a rotary engine. These were used by the southern Vietnamese forces to conduct low level bombings; given to them by the Americans as out of date weaponry, the Southern forces used them to aid ground attacks against the more motivated northern troops.
The museum starts with a room paying homage to "uncle Ho" and his love of the Vietnamese children across the nation. The rest of the ground floor was mainly based on propaganda posters slandering the Americans, as well as anecdotes and encounters of the Viet Minh meeting other nations to lobby support. The rest of the museum took a bit of a sour turn, with disturbing images mainly in the genocide and agent orange room. These were enough to make Lots sit outside and take a pass on the other gruesome images.
We then visited the Grand Palace, home of the Southern Vietnamese government prior to and during the war. The palace looked more like a 70's three story concrete flat block as it was demolished during the revolution prior to the war and was rebuilt. Inside it's a bit more glamorous and exhibits the old living quarters for the ex-president and his family, as well as meeting rooms, bunkers and a ball room.
Our last day started with a half day Chu Chi tunnel tour. About two hours out of Saigon, this is where the village of Chu Chi hid and fought against the American Army. They wore no uniform and fought as part of the Vietnam Cong using guerrilla warfare techniques. They used boobie traps made from bamboo and metal spikes designed to maim their enemies. We had a tour around from a guide who called himself "John Wayne"!
Then came the opportunity that made Nats day...shooting an original M1 Carbine from the war. He required ear muffs to deafen the sound plus have an instructor hold him in place due to the recoil and the fact he had to stand on tip toes to reach the gun in the first place!
We then went into the tunnels, or a small part of the tunnel system that ran along a 100m stretch. It was a tunnel on level one (out of three) where we had a go at attempting to get through the dark tight squeeze. You had to go on hands and knees to get through, but luckily you could get out at 20 metre intervals. Lots made it 20 metres feeling the claustrophobia and popped out with an American girl who was having a panic attack! Nat made it the full 100 metres, out first, dripping from the heat, but luckily Lots the saviour was there with a bottle of water which Nat gulped down, only to find Lottie had picked up someone else's bottle by mistake...they were left without!
That evening, we ditched our shorts and t-shirts for dresses and shirts and headed for the SkyBar. Shaped like a sail, it is by far the tallest building in the city and houses a bar on the 52nd floor. We got in an elevator all the way up and were greeted by a chic, modern bar and an outside helipad to top it off! To say the views at night were spectacular would be an understatement. The view stretched for miles and the array of lights were beautiful. We enjoyed a couple of drinks here (all we could afford!) before we headed to the night market for our last taste of Vietnamese cuisine. Something we will both miss.
The next day we head to Cambodia on the bus, our fourth country of the trip so far. We have loved Vietnam from start to finish - a country brimming with culture, history, friendly people, crazy drivers and spectacular beaches. It will be missed!
Saturday, 11 May 2013
Walking on the beaches, looking at the...coconuts
First stop on our descent to Saigon was Hoi An. Most people we'd met had said this was the place to go. So, off we went, hopping on a relatively short bus journey from Hue and ending up in arguably the most affluent place in Vietnam.
We got there quite late in the afternoon, so we checked in and then went wandering for a meal. The term "hidden gem" is used too often when travelling and reviewing places, but, the Bale Well restaurant definitely lives up to the term! We stumbled upon it by chance, looking down a back alley and seeing a bustling restaurant. We sat down expecting a menu to be brought, but suddenly this poultice of food started appearing bit by bit. Unsure of what was happening, we started to dig in and were quickly halted by a waitress. Finally when the meal was set in front of us we then discovered, under the tutelage of a waitress, how to actually eat it. The idea is that you make a large spring roll wrap with rice paper, encasing barbecue pork/chicken, salad, fried vegetables and a mini spring roll (yes, a spring roll in a spring roll!). You then dipped the messy masterpiece you had just created into a pot of chilli-satay sauce, it was delicious! Topped off by a mini-chocolate pudding and fresh pineapple. All in all, it made for a memorable meal! That night after we got back we bumped into one of Nats school friends and his girlfriend, James and Natalie. We ended up in a bar called Why Not, cheap drinks, good music but there were a few rats. One actually ran up Nats shin!
Hoi An is beautiful at night, lit up by hundreds of lanterns, which are found mostly along the riverbanks and among the adjoining streets. During the day you've got expansive markets to explore, or a short cycle to a huge beach that stretches as far as the eye can see. Hoi An is famous for its tailors, you can get suits, dresses, shirts and even shoes made from scratch. The services filter from the shops into the markets offering a range of prices, typically between $100 and $200 for a suit, and about $50 for dresses. It was also at Hoi An where Lottie developed a love for coconut juice! When you order one at the beach, they pick it up from the bottom of the tree, hack away one end and stick a straw in, as fresh as that! We had a great time in Hoi An and both agree that we would like to visit again (maybe when it's time for a new wardrobe!).
Next it was down the coast to Nha Trang, where you'll bump into a Russian every few steps (due to there being direct flights from Moscow). We only stayed here for two nights on our way down to Mui Ne, but had a great time! The highlight was the boat trip we took on our second day. It was only $7 each so we thought it would be a bit like a booze cruise full of Westerners (and maybe Russians), but actually it was mostly packed with Vietnamese. We stopped at an aquarium, then went for a swim in some of the most transparent water we've seen; although little did we know that the fun would start later! For the entire morning we were told to expect a Vietnamese boy band at the floating bar (one of our four stops), but we took this as a joke..so after lunch and when we were at anchor, the crew started bringing out a home made drum kit and a few guitars onto a makeshift stage. Another tour boat rafted up next to us to join in the fun too. They performed a few songs and were surprisingly skilful! Then the captain (lead singer) asked everybody on board which countries they were from and made one person get up on stage and represent their country with a performance! There were only 4 Brits on board and it was Nat who took it for the team, getting up and singing Wonderwall, Oasis (luckily a song he knows every single word too!).
Early the next morning we travelled 4 hours down the coast to the little town of Mui Ne. Surrounded by sand dunes, this area lies in a microclimate making it around 10 degrees hotter than the rest of Vietnam! Our hostel was located next to the beach, making it an ideal place to jump in the sea and cool off. That afternoon we spent swimming and exploring. In the evening we joined in a pub quiz with some friends and surprisingly (and annoyingly) came 2nd out of 15 teams! The next day we hired a small sailing boat. Lots on the helm and Nat on the main. We had been looking for a boat for Lots to learn to sail in for some time, it was a bit of a bonus that next door happened to have one! The only mishap that came was when we attempted a jibe, Lots moved across the boat a bit too quickly and ended up sliding off, backwards into the sea.
On our final day in Mui Ne we went on a sand dunes tour. We visited the Fairy Stream (a shallow stream you can walk down that runs adjacent to the dunes), the White Dunes and the Red Dunes. Nat rented a quad bike to explore the dunes, which was a great way to get around quickly without burning your feet in the heat of the day!
Our next port of call is Ho Chi Minh City, swapping the beach life for the city! Wish us luck.
We got there quite late in the afternoon, so we checked in and then went wandering for a meal. The term "hidden gem" is used too often when travelling and reviewing places, but, the Bale Well restaurant definitely lives up to the term! We stumbled upon it by chance, looking down a back alley and seeing a bustling restaurant. We sat down expecting a menu to be brought, but suddenly this poultice of food started appearing bit by bit. Unsure of what was happening, we started to dig in and were quickly halted by a waitress. Finally when the meal was set in front of us we then discovered, under the tutelage of a waitress, how to actually eat it. The idea is that you make a large spring roll wrap with rice paper, encasing barbecue pork/chicken, salad, fried vegetables and a mini spring roll (yes, a spring roll in a spring roll!). You then dipped the messy masterpiece you had just created into a pot of chilli-satay sauce, it was delicious! Topped off by a mini-chocolate pudding and fresh pineapple. All in all, it made for a memorable meal! That night after we got back we bumped into one of Nats school friends and his girlfriend, James and Natalie. We ended up in a bar called Why Not, cheap drinks, good music but there were a few rats. One actually ran up Nats shin!
Hoi An is beautiful at night, lit up by hundreds of lanterns, which are found mostly along the riverbanks and among the adjoining streets. During the day you've got expansive markets to explore, or a short cycle to a huge beach that stretches as far as the eye can see. Hoi An is famous for its tailors, you can get suits, dresses, shirts and even shoes made from scratch. The services filter from the shops into the markets offering a range of prices, typically between $100 and $200 for a suit, and about $50 for dresses. It was also at Hoi An where Lottie developed a love for coconut juice! When you order one at the beach, they pick it up from the bottom of the tree, hack away one end and stick a straw in, as fresh as that! We had a great time in Hoi An and both agree that we would like to visit again (maybe when it's time for a new wardrobe!).
Next it was down the coast to Nha Trang, where you'll bump into a Russian every few steps (due to there being direct flights from Moscow). We only stayed here for two nights on our way down to Mui Ne, but had a great time! The highlight was the boat trip we took on our second day. It was only $7 each so we thought it would be a bit like a booze cruise full of Westerners (and maybe Russians), but actually it was mostly packed with Vietnamese. We stopped at an aquarium, then went for a swim in some of the most transparent water we've seen; although little did we know that the fun would start later! For the entire morning we were told to expect a Vietnamese boy band at the floating bar (one of our four stops), but we took this as a joke..so after lunch and when we were at anchor, the crew started bringing out a home made drum kit and a few guitars onto a makeshift stage. Another tour boat rafted up next to us to join in the fun too. They performed a few songs and were surprisingly skilful! Then the captain (lead singer) asked everybody on board which countries they were from and made one person get up on stage and represent their country with a performance! There were only 4 Brits on board and it was Nat who took it for the team, getting up and singing Wonderwall, Oasis (luckily a song he knows every single word too!).
Early the next morning we travelled 4 hours down the coast to the little town of Mui Ne. Surrounded by sand dunes, this area lies in a microclimate making it around 10 degrees hotter than the rest of Vietnam! Our hostel was located next to the beach, making it an ideal place to jump in the sea and cool off. That afternoon we spent swimming and exploring. In the evening we joined in a pub quiz with some friends and surprisingly (and annoyingly) came 2nd out of 15 teams! The next day we hired a small sailing boat. Lots on the helm and Nat on the main. We had been looking for a boat for Lots to learn to sail in for some time, it was a bit of a bonus that next door happened to have one! The only mishap that came was when we attempted a jibe, Lots moved across the boat a bit too quickly and ended up sliding off, backwards into the sea.
On our final day in Mui Ne we went on a sand dunes tour. We visited the Fairy Stream (a shallow stream you can walk down that runs adjacent to the dunes), the White Dunes and the Red Dunes. Nat rented a quad bike to explore the dunes, which was a great way to get around quickly without burning your feet in the heat of the day!
Our next port of call is Ho Chi Minh City, swapping the beach life for the city! Wish us luck.
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