January 13, 2007 Railay, Thailand

January 13, 2007
Railay, Thailand

For the first time in a while I slept in. I stayed in bed all the way until 10:00. By that time I was starving and made my way to the resort restaurant for some breakfast. It was the first time I have ever had poached eggs. Not bad.

After eating I returned to my room and did some R&R&R (Rest, Relaxation, and Reading). I puttered around the room until about 11:45. At that point I decided that I had better get outside and enjoy the day because I could hear some love making going on between Paul and his lady friend...

My first destination was Diamond Cave. After accidentally exploring a large part of the island, I found it. I paid the 40 Baht entry fee and investigated the cave. I was most impressed with the glittering walls (hence Diamond Cave…). After only a few minutes in the cave I took off and decided to do some more exploring.

As I meandered down the path I saw a ladder leading up into another cave. I decided to be adventurous and check it out. Unfortunately, it was not very cool. It turned out to be a dark room that locals use to store wood…

At this point I realized that I did not have my sunscreen with me. I headed back to the resort. As I passed by the restaurant I ran into Matt and Lisa. I joined them for lunch and then made my way to my room to get my sunscreen.

I then headed back out and continued my exploration of the island. I walked all the way down the west beach and came to a rocky area. Somehow I found a well hidden path and began climbing. It took me over the rocks and through the trees. I ended up on a neighboring beach.

The entire area was filled with rock climbers. People were climbing everywhere I looked. I was fascinated by some of the more brave individuals who were climbing the tallest peaks. Still, I continued on.

I walked all the way to the end of this beach and wanted to keep going. Unfortunately, the only way to keep going was to start rock-climbing. Not having the appropriate gear (karabiners, harness, etc.) I turned around and headed back to Railay.

By the time I made it back to the beautiful white-sand beach I was hot and tired. I jumped in the water and swam around for a while. I then sat under a tree and finished “Extremly Loud and Incredibly Close”.

Once I was done reading I crossed to the other side of Railay and headed up to my room. I showered and then went through some pictures.

In a little bit I will try to meet up with the couples for some dinner. We will probably take it easy tonight and head to bed early.

January 12, 2007 Railay, Thailand

January 12, 2007
Railay, Thailand

Paul and I got up a little before 8:00 and chilled out for a bit. I read while he smoked a few cigarettes. After a bit we realized that Lisa and Matt probably wouldn’t be getting up for a while. Thus, we went wandering around the beach.

After wandering up and down the beach we decided to check if the Ya-Ya Resort (all the places here are called resorts, even though they aren’t what I think of as resorts) had any cheap rooms. The receptionist informed us that they had 7 open rooms for 700 baht each (the cheapest place we have found so far). We booked three rooms because Paul had a lady friend coming to visit…This meant that I had a room to myself but also that I had to pay 700 baht (almost $20)!

Once we were moved into our new rooms we sat down at the resorts restaurant and had some breakfast. When I finished my chocolate banana pancake I headed back to my room and prepared for the day.

At 11:45 I headed down to see if any of the others were ready to go. They weren’t. I decided to head off on my own. I set out in search of a hike to a lagoon (which Lisa described as the most difficult hike she has ever done and recommended that I get a guide to take me). Eventually I found the trailhead. The only reason I found it was that I saw ropes hanging down from the rocks…Not wanting to wait around for a guide I decided to head up on my own.

The first part of the hike was quite steep. I used the guide ropes and took off my sandals because they kept falling off. About fifteen minutes later I reached the top and the trail split in two. I went left and the path lead to a viewpoint overlooking the entire beach. It was very beautiful and I took a bunch of photos.

I then headed back to the fork in the road and headed the other way. The beauty of the area amazed me as I wandered through the jungle. A few minutes later I reached part of the trail that descends down into the lagoon. It was straight down! The only way to get down was to use the ropes and rock climbing techniques. At this part of the hike I ran into a father and son from Sweden who decided to turn back because it looked too difficult. I also met a hippie from Colorado meditating on an overhanging rock.

The third (and final) tier was the most difficult part of the journey. There was a very unstable rope ladder that I attempted to use. However, as soon as I stepped onto it, it began to wobble and did not feel at all safe. Instead I began searching for another way down. Just as I was about to give up hope the Swedish father called down to me and told me to make my way to the right. I was amazed when I found a much easier path down this portion of the hike.

When I reached the lagoon (about 1:00) I was excited to see that I was the only one there. I wadded into the water and then explored the surrounding area. In total I spent about half an hour hanging out by the lagoon. It was nice to have such a beautiful area all to myself. NOTE: Cliffs surround the entire lagoon and the only way in is to do the difficult hike.

The hike out was much easier than the way in and went much faster. I passed a bunch of people on their way down to the lagoon and was glad that I did the hike when I did. Coincidently, as I was descending the final portion of the hike and returning to the road, I saw Lisa, Paul, Matt, and Paul’s lady making their way to the beach.

Covered in mud and dirt I followed them to the beach. We found a nice spot on the crowded sand and relaxed. A little while later Lisa and I jumped in the water and went for a swim. We made our way to the beautiful rock formations. When we got there we spotted some guys at the top jumping off into the ocean. Obviously, I climbed up and joined them. It turned out to be about a 20-foot jump…

Still, the highlight of the beach occurred as we were walking back to our towels. We spotted a large topless woman playing paddleball. While slightly disturbing, it was hilarious!

At 16:00 I left the beach and made my way back to my room (the others remained at the shoreline). I took a shower and then relaxed in my bed and caught up on my blog.

The plan for the rest of the evening is to grab some dinner at 19:00 and then head out to a few of the beachfront bars.

January 11, 2007 Phi-Phi – Railay, Thailand

January 11, 2007
Phi-Phi – Railay, Thailand

I woke up this morning around 8:00 and read in bed for a while. Just as I finished my book Paul woke up and we headed out for our free breakfast. After a quick meal I returned to the room and packed up my things.

We got out of our room a few minutes before checkout (11:00) and I headed to use the internet for a while. As soon as I finished using the computer I made my way to meet up with Lisa, Paul, and Matt at the beach.

Though the beach was quite crowded I found them fairly easily. I had forgotten to bring a towel so I decided to just lie in the sand. Eventually, I felt the need to go for a swim. I was surprised to find that the ocean was incredibly shallow. I walked out more than 100 meters and the water was barely above my waist. Still, it was fun to be in the water.

We stayed at the beach until about 14:00 (don’t worry I wore lots of sunscreen). From there we found a nice café and had lunch. When we were done eating we made a stop at several bookstores so I could pick up some literature. I traded in “The Curious Story of the Dog in the Night-Time” and picked up two new books.

We then returned to our hostel to pick up our baggage. At about 15:15 we headed down to the docks and got on a ferry to Railay. The first hour of the journey we were on a large ferry and I spent the entire time reading one of my new books, “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” (Lisa’s recommendation).

Eventually we came to a beach and the ferry crew told us that all the passengers heading for Railay had to got on small wooden boats for the rest of the journey. The packed the boats incredibly full. Luckily it was only a 15-minute ride.

When we arrived at the beach we had no idea what to do. We had no accommodation and most places were totally full. First we tried the place Lisa stayed last time she was here (Ya-Ya Resort)but the cheapest room they had was for 2,000 baht! We wandered to a number of places before finding a place at the end of the beach for 400 baht per person (about $11). Thought he rooms were quite simple (mattresses on the floor and almost no light), it was nice to have a place to sleep.

Once again Paul and I shared a room. After unloading my luggage and taking a quick shower I jumped in our hammock and got back into my book. As I was reading it started to rain incredibly hard. When the rain finally let up Paul and I grabbed some dinner at the hotels restaurant.

Unfortunately, the food and the service were terrible. Just as we finished eating Lisa and Matt showed up. The four of us wandered around town for a while and stopped at a few bars. While I didn’t have anything to drink, the English boys tossed back a few beers.

At around 20:00 Paul and I returned to the hotel. After hanging out in the restaurant for a few minutes we retired to our room. I got cleaned up and read until I fell asleep.

January 10, 2007 Koh Phi-Phi, Thailand

January 10, 2007
Koh Phi-Phi, Thailand

I woke up this morning at around 8:00. Paul was still fast asleep so I grabbed my book and read in bed for about half an hour. When he woke up we headed to a nearby restaurant for our free breakfast (it came with the room).

On our way back from eating we stopped in at a travel agent and asked about their snorkeling/beach tour. After shopping around we discovered that everyone charged an identical price. We talked it over with Lisa and Matt and then booked the tour leaving at 11:00.

At 11:00 a man on a bike came and escorted us from the hotel to the boat. After waiting for what seemed like a long time, a group of six Israelis joined us. Then, the 10 of us set out on our all day tour.

Our first stop was only a short ride away. Lisa, Matt, Paul, and I went snorkeling for about 20 minutes (the Israelis decided to stay in the boat). Unfortunately, the boat did not have the best snorkeling equipment and all of the masks leaked. Still, it was fun to be back in the water and swimming around.

Next, we stopped for an hour at a beautiful white sand beach to eat lunch. Though the island was incredibly beautiful it was quite crowded and our fried rice was not the best. After eating I went for a swim and then walked along the water, exploring the island.

When we got back into the boat there was fresh pineapple for everyone. I devoured the fruit as we cruised to Monkey Beach. When we got to Monkey Beach we joined a large group of tourists looking at some very fat monkeys (I think they are overfed by tourists). After watching the monkey eat a piece of watermelon I decided to go for a swim.

Sometime around 15:00 we got back into the boat and made our way to Malay Beach (where they filmed the movie “The Beach”). The water was surprisingly choppy and everyone ended up completely soaked. By the time we got to Malay Beach everyone was ready to get out of the boat.

Our driver dropped the four of us off in the middle of the bay to do some snorkeling and told us to swim to the beach. Though it looked like it was quite far away, it was not a bad swim. On the way we saw numerous fish and I even picked up a sea cucumber and used it to squirt Lisa. Sadly, most of the coral in the bay was dead…

When we reached the shore we found Paul, who was completely out of breath. Not an experienced swimmer, he panicked as he was making his way to the shore and inhaled several mouthfuls of water. A few minutes later Matt joined us and we all returned to our boat.

After throwing our stuff into the vessel we explored the island for a few minutes. It was by far the prettiest stop of the day. The jungle came down and met the sand. There were awe-inspiring cliffs and turquoise water.

At 17:00 we began the journey home. Once again there were rough seas and everyone got very wet. Still, we made it back to Phi-Phi in one piece. Once back in the room I took a quick shower and threw on some cloths for the evening.

Lisa came and got me for dinner at 18:30. We went to the restaurant next door and watched “You, Me and Dupree” while I ate a chicken sandwich. When the other boys arrived we ventured to a more expensive restaurant, where everyone else ate dinner. After we were done eating we went to a low-key bar and played cards while sipping a few beers. When we were done (23:15) I returned to the room and the others went out to continue partying.

January 9, 2007 In Transit – Koh Phi-Phi, Thailand

January 9, 2007
In Transit – Koh Phi-Phi, Thailand

We arrived in Bangkok at 4:00 (2 hours early!). I believe it is the first time in recorded history that a bus in Thailand has arrived ahead of schedule. After securing our luggage, Ilse and I shared a cab to the airport.

Since it is almost impossible to sleep at the Bangkok airport, we made our way to a café and had an early breakfast. After eating we headed upstairs and parted ways. I sat down and waited for Lisa Johnson and Ilse caught a flight to Phuket.

At 6:40 Lisa arrived. Together we wandered the airport and I looked for a new book to read. At Lisa’s recommendation I purchased The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. We continued meandering around the airport and eventually decided to try the wireless internet. Curiously, it only worked when we sat at a very specific spot in the airport…

At 8:50 we checked our baggage and went through security. We then checked out some more shots. I was excited to see that the Nike Store still had lots of apparel with Oregon and Eugene on it.

Eventually we boarded our plane. At 11:15 (almost 30 minutes late) we left Bangkok and began our journey to Phuket. While I immediately fell asleep, Lisa had trouble getting any sleep because of a crying baby.

Once we landed I grabbed our baggage while Lisa got us tickets to Phi-Phi island. In a lucky turn of events we found a french couple also making the trip and the four of us split a cab to the docks.

By the time we arrived at the dock Lisa and I were starving. We grabbed a few sandwiches and the jumped on the boat. Once the boat left the dock Lisa fell asleep. I read for the entire hour and 45 minute journey.

When we got off the boat in Phi-Phi we were accosted by what seemed like hundreds of people trying to sell us expensive rooms and boat rides to other beaches. Luckily, Lisa’s friends Matt and Paul (both from England) had already gotten two rooms. We waited near the dock for Matt to come get us and show us to the guesthouse.

I ended up sharing a room with Paul so that Lisa and her sort of boyfriend could stay together. After throwing down my bags I jumped in the shower and tried to relax after almost 24 hours of traveling.

A few minutes after 17:00 Matt, Lisa, and I headed down to a local bar (with a boxing ring) to watch Paul do some sparing with an old (but very muscular) German fellow. It was fun to watch and relax with a beer.

I found it quite funny that as soon as he got out of the ring Paul lit a cigarette and expressed his need for a beer. So, after he grabbed a quick shower the four of us headed down to a local restaurant for some dinner (I had a delicious pizza).

When we were done eating we made our way to one of the many bars on the island. We sat at a table with a few drinks and grabbed a Connect-4 set. The other three took turns trying to beat me. Paul was the only one that managed to get a win…

Eventually we ended up back at the bar with a boxing ring. We had a few drinks and watched drunken people fight one another. The best fight of the night was between two girls. At first they were quite timid but after a few minutes they were slugging it out. It was hilarious. I think that more bars in the USA should have boxing rings…

I returned to the room at 23:45 and put a DVD into my computer (the others stayed out). However, I was so tired that I fell asleep during the opening credits.

January 8, 2007 Pakse, Laos – In Transit

January 8, 2007
Pakse, Laos – In Transit

I woke up this morning at 6:30 and puttered around the room for a while. After taking a shower I made my way downstairs and used the internet (with Spizz) for almost an hour. When we were done we went back upstairs, got B, and headed out for breakfast.

Just as yesterday we went to the restaurant next-door to our hotel and waited a long, long time to get our food. We filled our bellies and then returned to our room. Everyone was a little sleepy after breakfast so we decided to lie back down and watch some BoB.

After two episodes I went for a walk around town and decided to cut my hair. I cut almost all of it off (sorry mom and Jackie). Feeling several pounds lighter I returned to the room and began packing my things.

At 15:00 I said goodbye to the boys (who are going to Cambodia) and I set off on my own to the travel agent, to catch a bus to Bangkok. While waiting for my ride to the border (everything was a little late, as always) I met a girl from Holland (named Ilse, just like my cousin) also making the journey to Bangkok. As it turns out, we were the only two making such a trip. The two of us squeezed into the front of a truck and got a ride to the border.

After passing through immigration we got on a song tao and headed for the bus station. We arrived at the bus station at about 16:30. Since our bus was not leaving until 18:00 we had some time to kill. I purchased some snacks and we sat around with some German guys as we waited.

At 17:45 we decided to get onto the bus. As we attempted to board the VIP bus (which we paid for) we were told that we had seats on a different bus. We complained to no avail. The VIP bus was completely full and we were forced to ride on a second-class bus.

As it turns out, it was not that bad. We got on early enough that we got the two seats in the front of the bus (the ones with the most leg room). Even better, the bus was quite empty for the first half of the journey and I had an entire row to myself.

Just before midnight the bus made a dinner stop and everyone got off. I used my dinner coupon to get a scary looking soup and ate only a few bites. When everyone was done eating we piled back into the bus and resumed the journey. I drifted in and out of sleep the rest of the way.

January 7, 2007 Pakse, Laos

January 7, 2007
Pakse, Laos

I woke up this morning at 6:30 and stayed in bed for another half our. At 7:00 I got up and showered. Just as I was leaving to use the internet (8:00ish) Spizz jumped out of bed and joined me.

As we were finishing up on the internet B came downstairs and joined us. The three of us then headed next door for some breakfast. Sadly, there were only 4 items on the breakfast menu. Even worse, it took at least 40 minutes for our food to come once we ordered.

After eating we returned to our room and got our things together for the day. Next, we hired a song tao for the day ($30). We had him take us up onto the Bolaven Plateau and to three of the better-known waterfalls. A young local accompanied us in the back of the vehicle. As we left town he sniffed some cocaine and asked if we would like some too. We all declined this strange offer…

Our first stop was the Tad Fan waterfall. We were dropped off at the gate and walked into the park area (5,000 Kipp fee). From a resort at the edge of a ravine we looked across the canyon at the waterfall. It was an incredibly large waterfall. We were all quite impressed by the falls. The water was coming falling so far that it made a spectacular noise as it hit the rocks below.

We wandered around the area and found a small path. Wanting to get closer to the waterfall we started hiking down. After about 20 minutes the trail dead-ended at the edge of a cliff. Still, we were treated to some awesome views along the way.

When we were finished admiring the waterfall we headed back to our vehicle and continued on our way. We then stopped at Tad Yueang waterfall. After a short hike we reached the dazzling falls. After taking numerous photos we made our way to the waters edge. As usual I felt the need to jump in the water.

Though it was initially cold, B and I swam around for quite a while. After climbing on some of the rocks we made our way to the edge of the pool and saw an awesome snake! He was bright orange and about three feet long. However, no part of its body was more than an inch thick. When we were done watching the snake cruise around we climbed some more rocks and then returned to Spizz.

We hiked back up out of the waterfall and then explored a few of the upper pools. Then, we sat down at a local restaurant for a quick bite to eat. Though the fried rice was much different than the stuff we have had before, it filled us up and allowed us to finish the day.

Our last stop of the day was Tad Paxuam waterfall. Once again our driver dropped us off outside the gate and we hiked in (with another 5,000 baht entrance fee). For some reason Spizz decided to complain for the entire walk to the falls. Even when we got there and found that it was amazingly beautiful he continued whining. After taking a bunch of photos we sat down at a restaurant overlooking the waterfall and the other boys ordered some fruit shakes (I just sipped my water).

A short while later we made our way back to the song tao and headed for Pakse. We got back into town at around 16:30. I made my way to a local travel agent and booked organized my return to Thailand. Then, the three of us used the internet for a few minutes.

When we were done B and I grabbed some dinner while Spizz played around on my computer. After eating we headed to a local massage parlor and relaxed for an hour. Upon returning to the room we sorted through some photos and chilled out.

Though it is already 21:00, we plan on watching and episode of BoB before falling asleep…

January 6, 2007 Si Phan Don – Pakse, Laos

January 6, 2007
Si Phan Don – Pakse, Laos

Once again I woke up quite early. I stumbled out of our bungalow and took my usual place in the hammock. I sat there and read my book for a few minutes. A little while later Spizz came outside and told me it was pas 9:00 and I should pack up my things.

Just as I finished packing I looked at the time on my iPod and discovered that it was only 8:30. This type of mistake is common when traveling with Spizz so I took it all in stride. With my things packed up I returned to my relaxing spot and finished Kite Runner.

When the other boys were ready we wandered down for a quick breakfast. After eating we grabbed our luggage and made our way to the rivers edge to hop into a boat and return to the mainland.

We reached the mainland at around 11:00 and purchased tickets for the 12:00 bus to Pakse. We were accompanied on the bus by our Dutch friends from last nights dinner. Though the ride was not very comfortable, it went surprisingly fast.

Just after 14:00 we arrived in Pakse. We booked a room and then jumped on the internet to figure some things out. By 15:00 we were all starving and took a break from the computers. After consuming some fried rice we returned to the internet and I chatted with Jackie and her sister for a while.

Once we were done on the computers we headed up to the room and decided to lie down for a while. We put on an episode of BoB. Next, we went through our photos from the island. By the time we finished it was time for dinner.

We each grabbed a pizza from the Italian restaurant next to our hotel and had a long, relaxing dinner. We did not get back to the room until after 20:00. We spent the remainder of the evening lounging around and watching more DVD’s.

January 5, 2007 Si Phan Don, Laos

January 5, 2007
Si Phan Don, Laos

I woke up quite early this morning (7:00is). For almost an hour I stayed in bed and hoped to fall back asleep. Eventually I gave up and relaxed in the hammock and delved deeper into Kite Runner. After two hours of reading Spzz woke up and we grabbed some breakfast.

When we were done eating I called home once again. Jackie was visiting my family and I took it as an opportunity to reach out to several loved ones at one time. After talking for almost half an hour I felt much better about things and decided to rededicate myself to the trip!

Feeling much, much better I returned to the bungalow and decided to shave off my beard. It was my first shave in a month (since before Jackie left). To my dismay, my electric razor broke halfway through the process. I sat on the porch halfshaven and attempted to fix my razor. Just before I was about to give up, it fired back up and I finished cutting off my facial hair.

I then decided to continue my trying to learn how to juggle. For the next thirty minutes I played with Spizzle’s balls (not in a sexual way…). When I was done I was quite hot and in need of a cold shower.

I then jumped back in the hammock and read until lunchtime. Lunch was not the greatest of experiences. We had to wait almost an hour for simple (peanut butter and nutella) sandwiches.

After eating I decided to rent a bicycle and explore more of the island. Unfortunately, I was stopped at almost every turn. One of the pathways led to a rundown bridge that I was scared to cross. The other dead-ended into a rice paddy. After an hour of riding around I returned to the bungalow and hung out with the boys.

We decided to watch another episode of Band of Brothers before grabbing dinner. Sadly, we were not treated to a sunset. Clouds rolled in and even dumped some rain on the islands. Still, we met a cool couple from the Netherlands and had a tasty meal.

When we were done eating we came back to our porch and put in another episode of our new show. By the time it was over (9:00ish) I was exhausted and ready for bed…

January 4, 2007 In Transit – Don Khom

January 4, 2007
In Transit – Don Khom

I woke up this morning at 6:00 when the bus driver turned on the loud bus music. Thirty minutes later we arrived in Pakse. From there we jumped in a song tao and headed for the southern bus station to get onto another bus.

When we go there we were told that the big bus was not leaving for several hours but we could pile into a song tao. Not wanting to sit around, we jumped in. The vehicle was so full that Spizz stood on the back for the entire journey (2.5 hours).

Eventually we arrived in Si Phan Don, an area considered one of natures wonders because there are more than four thousand river islands in close proximity. We hired a boat and set out for the smallest of the inhabited islands, Don Khon. As usual, it was a very small and very unstable vessel. Still, we made it to our island.

We planned on staying at one of the nicer establishments in town but found it to be full. Instead, we got cheap bungalows from the place next door (where a room costs $3 per night, for 2 people).

After settling in (just after 11:00) we headed straight for the nearest restaurant. Though it took forever to get our food, the meal was quite tasty. When we were done eating I headed back to the room and jumped in the (cold) shower to rinse off the dirt I acquired during our long travel south.

A few minutes past 12:00 the three of us rented bicycles and started exploring the island. Interestingly, we were given very simple and uncomfortable bikes even though the road is quite rough. It made for an interesting journey.

Even so, it was quite fun. Our first stop was a massive waterfall a few kilometers from our bungalows. Sadly, the there was so much water and such a strong current that it did not look safe to swim. After taking a bunch of pictures we continued cruising on our bikes.

The dirt road came to an end at a sandy beach. Excited that there might be an opportunity to get in the water, B and I rushed to the edge of the river. The thick layer of scum covering the water ended that excitement…Instead, we considered taking a boat trip to see the river dolphins. After much deliberation we decided against such an adventure. It was quite hot outside and we did not want to be out in the sun that long (plus it was about $10).

After a quick rest at the beach we jumped back on our bikes and headed toward our bungalows. B and I decided to go searching for the internet. This quest took us across a bridge and to the other side of the adjacent island. In all, it was a long arduous bike ride (about 10K). When we got there we were surprised to find that most of the internet cafes were not working because of a recent earthquake near Taiwan. The only connection to the world wide web was using a dialup connection. It was the first time in a long time I have used such a slow connection.

After checking my email we began our journey back to the bungalow. Hot, sweaty, and tired we arrived at our place to find Spizz fast asleep. I went on a walk to cool down and then made a stop to phone Jackie and discuss my recent thoughts about heading home early.

Feeling slightly better I returned to my room and took a cold shower (16:00). I spent the remainder of the afternoon reading Kite Runner in our hammock.

As the sun started to set B and I decided to wake up Spizz so that we could all go get dinner. We watched a beautiful sunset as we ate dinner on a floating restaurant. While eating we became friends with a crazy Scottish guy and his French traveling companion. We were quite amused because they were stereotypes of their countries. The Scotsmen drank throughout the night and the Frenchie complained in a thick accent. The only negative of the experience was the incredible number of bugs. Tornados of flying insects congregated around each light.

We returned to our bungalow and decided to put in an episode of Band of Brothers (which B recently purchased). After watching we all climbed into our beds. Unable to fall asleep, I continue reading my book well into the night (not getting to sleep until almost midnight).

January 3, 2007 Vientiane – In Transit, Laos

January 3, 2007
Vientiane – In Transit, Laos

I got up early this morning (8:00is) and made for the internet café to make a call home. After discussing some issues with my mom I returned to the room and finished packing my things. Once we were all packed up we headed to a travel agent to figure out how to get out of Vientiane.

We sat down with a travel agent and asked to book a flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. We were told that it would be $140 and then made a trip to an ATM (they didn’t accept Visa) to extract the necessary funds. When we returned with the money we were told that there were some problems with the reservation and that the price had gone up!

Unwilling to pay the extra money (and advised not to by the travel agent), we were back to square one. We made a trip to the bus station and booked a VIP night bus to Pakse (southern Laos). Next, we returned to the city and grabbed some food.

When we were done eating we went back to our hotel and checked out of our room, leaving our bags at the front desk. Each of us went our separate ways for the afternoon. I made a trip to the internet and spent a while looking into some of my options.

For those who have been following my blog closely, the last two weeks have not been as great as the previous 4 months. I was quite frustrated with the situation and have considered a number of options, including coming home early.

I pondered this thought for most of the afternoon. I chatted about it online with Jackie and thought about it as I walked on the bank of the MeKong. I also emailed my travel agent and asked if it was even a possibility.

At 16:30 I met up with B for some dinner. We had an awesome meal at the Swedish Café and then decided to get a massage (B got a body scrub). While the massage was quite nice, B reports that the body scrub was less than extraordinary.

We got back to the hotel a few minutes before 19:00. From there we loaded into a song tao and made our way back to the bus station. We spent the next hour wandering around and waiting until we could get on our bus.

At 20:00 we loaded onto the bus (a 32 seat VIP) and were excited by how much room we had. I reclined my seat and tried to get to sleep. In turned out to be the coldest bus ride yet! My seat was located on top of the air conditioning unit. As such, I had a very difficult time keeping my feet and legs warm. I searched throughout the bus and found several extra blankets but I was still cold. Eventually, I changed seats and fell asleep…

January 2, 2007 Vientiane, Laos

January 2, 2007
Vientiane, Laos

WARNING: Almost nothing at all happened today so you might as well skip this one…Sorry, not much at all has happened recently ☹

We woke up this morning at around 8:30. I took a quick shower and then we headed out for breakfast. We went to our usual breakfast spot and were surprised by how terrible the fruit and yogurt was. Still, we filled our bellies and then headed out.

Our first order of business for the day was to figure out what to book a flight to Cambodia and figure out what to do with our remaining time in Laos. We price checked at a couple of travel agents and then decided to use the internet.

While using the internet the annoying Canadian girls showed up and asked the other boys if we would like to mini-golfing. Not wanting to sit around and do nothing (and not wanting to do all the planning) I agreed to go.

It turned out to be a terrible experience. We walked around for ½ an hour and then sat at a café and everyone else drank beer. I had no desire to do any such thing and just sat there, not very happy that we were not taking care of our tickets. Eventually everyone got up and we set out in search of mini-golf once again.

We hired a tuk-tuk driver and headed out of town. The driver ended up taking us to a driving range. Not knowing what to do we asked to be driven back to town. As expected, the driver wanted some extra money. Interestingly, the Canadian girl with $300 sunglasses and a $400 purse complained about paying this guy an extra dollar…

By the time we got back to town I had had enough. I said my goodbyes and left the group, not very happy about our situation. I went for a short walk to blow off some steam and then went to use the internet. I wasted some time checking basketball scores and statistics and then got to chat with Jackie for a bit.

At 16:30 I returned to the room to meet up with the boys and then take care of our tickets. I sat in the room for over an hour before they showed up. We hurried to the travel agents only to find that they were all closed. I was slightly upset with my companions as we headed off to dinner.

After dinner I made a quick trip to the ATM and then went back to the hotel. Upon walking in I was challenged to some more video game soccer. Naturally, I accepted the challenge. I spent the next couple of hours playing video games, which made me feel a little better.

At 20:30 I returned to my room and began packing up my things. I hope to get to bed at a decent hour and get up early and start doing something fun…

January 1, 2007 Vientiane, Laos

January 1, 2007
Vientiane, Laos

Happy New Year!

We woke up surprisingly early this morning (9:00ish) and decided to get something to eat. At first we thought we might not be able to get any food because everywhere was still closed. New Years is one of the biggest holidays of the year here and almost everything was closed. Still, we eventually found a nice place to eat.

After breakfast we returned to our room feeling tired. We decided to honor the New Years tradition of doing nothing on the 1st. Not able to watch a parade or football we put on a movie. After finishing the last of our Entourage episodes we headed out to use the internet for a while (13:30).

We had to search for quite a while before finding an internet café that was open. We then used the internet and made a few calls home to say happy New Year (at 16:00, just as the calendar was turning over in the USA).

At 13:30 we left the internet café and headed back to the guesthouse. I then hung out in the common area and played some video game soccer. After beating a tourist one of the local kids challenged me. Although he put up a good fight, I showed him that Americans are still the best at video games…

When I returned to the room we decided to watch Accepted (which B recently purchased). After the movie we returned to the nearby restaurant (where we had breakfast) and had a large dinner.

We got back our room at 7:00 and then put on yet another movie. In honor of Peter Baston we watched Clerks II (He talked about the movie throughout Europe). Tired of watching movies we spent the remainder of the evening lounging in the room, reading, and trying to fall asleep.

December 31, 2006 In Transit – Vientiene, Laos

December 31, 2006
In Transit – Vientiene, Laos

Our bus pulled into the Vientiene bus station at 5:30. From there we squeezed into a song tao and headed for the city center. We jumped out in a location where there were numerous guesthouses. We were quite surprised to find that all of them were full. Slightly worried we continued wandering the streets in search for a place to stay. Every place we went to was full, even the expensive ones.

After more than half an hour of searching we found a place, a cheap one at that. We stumbled into our room and immediately fell asleep. I slept until 11:00 and then jumped in the shower. When I returned the other boys were pulling themselves out of bed.

Once everyone was up we decided to get some food. Spizz and I were starving because we hadn’t eaten since lunch the day before (B had a sandwich on the bus). After a large meal we started exploring town. Everything was closed! Apparently New Years is a very big holiday here and all of the shops, internet cafes, and travel agencies close for several days.

Not knowing what to do, we returned to our room. At 13:00 B and I headed for Pha That Luang (Spizz wanted to just chill), the most important structure in Laos. After a short tuk-tuk ride we arrived at the golden monument. We wandered all around the building and took numerous photos. Though it was smaller than I had imagined, it was magnificently shinny. The glimmering gold and perfectly blue sky made for a beautiful scene.

As we were leaving the temple we ran into two monks that spoke (some) English. We sat and talked with them for several minutes. They were interested in hearing about our trip and seeing some of the photos we had just taken.

On the tuk-tuk ride back to our hostel B spotted an ATM and I went to takeout some money. It was an interesting experience. I pulled out 500,000 (50 USD) Kipp and the machine gave me the entire sum in 1,000 notes. It was a ridiculously large stack of money.

We returned to our hostel a few minutes before 16:00. We met back up with Spizz and then decided to get massages ($4) because they were one of the only establishments open. After 1.5 hours of massage we continued exploring town and found a DVD store that was open. They had a large selection of movies, each one selling for the equivalent of $1.50. We stocked up on some entertainment and then grabbed some dinner.

After Pizza and Pepsi we returned to our room with a few beers. We spent the early part of the evening watching BeerFest and having a couple of drinks. When the movie was over we went out looking for a party. We jumped in a tuk-tuk and asked to go to the nearest New Years celebration. The driver drove us to the rivers edge where he talked to one of his friends. He then dropped us off about a block from where he picked us up and told us the party was just down the street. Slightly annoyed we started walking down the street in search of the party. Much to my dismay we ran into the Canadian girls from the bus and they joined us. Eventually we found the bar we were looking for. After some deliberation (I did not want to spend the evening with these girls) we all paid the fee ($8) and headed in.

There was lots of live music, alcohol, and white people. We had a few more drinks and got our faces painted. As we partied we met some nice tourists from all over the world. Just before midnight everyone was given sparklers to bring in the New Year. We left the bar sometime after 1:00.

On the way back to our hostel at group of locals beckoned us over to their table, where they were celebrating the New Year. They treated us to a couple of beers and we hung out with them for a little while. Eventually we decided that we needed to get back to our place and get some sleep.

By the time we got home it was 2:00. We started a movie but I immediately fell asleep.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

December 30, 2006 Luang Prabang – In Transit

December 30, 2006
Luang Prabang – In Transit

We woke up this morning at around 9:00. After packing some of our things we headed out to get some breakfast. We decided on a cheap spot near our guesthouse. We all had pancakes and fruit shakes. I tried to order a corn shake but were told that they were out. Maybe next time…

After breakfast we returned to our room and finished packing. We checked out and then set out for the days activities. B decided to visit the waterfall after hearing Spizz and I talk about how cool it was. Us Coos Bay boys made headed for the Pak Ou caves.

The song tao (which I have learned is really sawngthawe but I am going to keep referring to them as sang tao because it is more fun) ride was quite long. After about 45 minutes we arrived on the rivers edge. To our surprise we then had to pay for a boat ($3) to take us across the MeKong to the entrance to the caves.

The boat ride was intense because were on a small, unstable boat. Still, we made it across the river and began exploring the caves. The caves were slightly disappointing. They were nowhere near as large or exciting as the ones in Phetchaburi (see November 29 – 30).

When we finished exploring the small dark caves we headed back to the river and got back in our boat. We took the short ride back to the other side and then returned to our vehicle. It was another long, dusty ride back into town.

Once back in town (13:45) we grabbed some lunch and then spent some time on the internet. From there we went back to our hostel and added some freshly done laundry to our bags. It was then time to chill out and do some reading. I finished “The White Masai” and then we cruised around town looking for a bookstore.

As we made our way into town we got sidetracked and instead visited the night market. While shopping we ran into B (who also loved the waterfall) and made a plan to meet back at the hostel at 18:00. Once Spizz was done purchasing some souvenirs it was almost time to go.

We all met back in the lobby of the hotel at 18:00. We grabbed our bags and caught a song tao to the southern bus station. We spent the next hour waiting for our bus. At 19:00 we loaded our stuff in the vehicle and piled onto the bus. Though everyone was assigned a seat, it was a sit anywhere bus.

I was optimistic that it would be a comfy ride because the seats next to me were empty. Unfortunately, just before the bus left the station two Canadian girls jumped on the bus and filled the seats. Even worse, they were incredibly stuck up and complained about everything. I found them to be unbearably annoying. The bus journey was no better. My seat did not recline and I had nowhere to rest my head. The road was so bad that even I was unable to fall asleep…It was a long, long night.

Things got better half way through the (9 hour) journey when the bus made a pit stop. Some people got off the bus and the Canadian girls moved to more comfortable seats. As such I had much more room and was able to get some sleep.

December 29, 2006 Luangprabang, Laos

December 29, 2006
Luangprabang, Laos

For the first time in what seems like forever we were able to sleep in. I woke up at 9:30. When I returned from my morning shower the other boys started getting up. Once they had prepared themselves for the day we set out in search of some food. We returned to the French café where we had dinner and treated ourselves to a nice breakfast. NOTE: We were amused by a beggar who entered the shop in a military outfit asked everyone for money and then left. He returned 5 minutes later in a totally different outfit and asked everyone for money again.

By the time we left the restaurant it was nearly 11:00. We returned to the room and grabbed a few things before setting out on the days adventure. B decided to stay behind and send a few post cards while Spizz and I went to check out Kwang XI Waterfall.

Spizz and I headed back to the main street in town in search of a song tao that would take us to the waterfall. Eventually we found a driver who would take us there for 5 USD each. On the way we stopped and picked up an Israeli couple. It was a surprisingly long drive (35 km) and took over half an hour.

When we arrived we had no idea what to expect. We purchased our tickets (15,000 Khipp) and headed into the park. On our way to the waterfall we were surprised to find a bear and tiger rescue center. Excited, we watched the black bears play in their enclosure. Next, we went in search of the tiger. We looked for quite a while before finding the large tiger hiding in a small building in his enclosure. When he spotted us he came to the edge of the fence to investigate. Fascinated, we watched the Tiger for a long time before moving on.

Eventually we pulled ourselves away from the wildlife and continued our journey to the waterfall. After a few minutes we came upon a beautiful swimming hole. The water was such so blue it looked as if someone had spilled food coloring into the pool. Obviously, I had to jump in.

We left the swimming pool in complete awe. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. A few minutes later we were shocked to find another large pool, even more beautiful. Again, I jumped in. After taking a number of photographs we continue on. We passed several more amazing swimming holes before reaching the main waterfall.

The main waterfall was massive. It came cascading down from incredibly high. We wandered around the base before finding a trail that went to the top. It was an incredibly steep hike. Halfway up we stopped at gorgeous viewpoint and took some more photographs. We then continue our steep hike to the top.

Exhausted, we reached the top of the waterfall. We looked out across a striking valley and waded through the river feeding the falls. After a short rest we started back down the mountain.

We got back to the swimming holes at 15:30. We then rushed back to our driver because we had planned to meet the Israeli couple at 15:00. Fortunately, they were not back yet either. As we waited for them we decided to eat an early dinner.

We all piled back into our song tao and headed back into town. Just as on the way there the road was quite dusty and we crossed over some rundown bridges. We got back into town a few minutes before 17:00.

From there we returned to our room and took showers to wash off the mud from our hike up the mountain. We then sorted through our photos for the day and told B how awesome the waterfall was.

A little after 18:30 we headed out to grab some dinner. We went to a sportsbar that had, get this, the exact same menu as the place we have been eating at since we got here. Everything was exactly the same, from the prices to the selection.

After dinner we headed down to use the internet before retiring to our room for the evening.