The run down of our four weeks spanning Cambodia, Laos and the start of Thailand!
Cambodia - 18th - 23rd August
Phnom Penh - 18th - 20th Aug
We were sad to leave Vietnam as we had such an ace time but Cambodia was calling and it was time for another bus ride to a new country. After a pretty heavy night out on our last night in Saigon we were pleased to have a long lie before getting our bus to Cambodia - unlike Valeria and Andrea who made it to the airport for their flight to KL on 2 hours kip - we are not that hard core!
Arriving in Cambodia's Capital City - Phnom Penh - we had a few main sights in mind that we wanted to go to - Section 21 and the Killing Fields. On the first night we arrived we settled into our dorm and walked down the riverside to find some dinner and had a wander round the night market before heading back for an early night in preparation for a busy day tomorrow.
Take a deep breath....
Today was one of the most difficult days of the trip so far. We arranged with a tuk tuk driver to visit S.21, the Killing Fields and the Russian Market. We met our driver and headed for the first stop. We didn't know too much about the recent history of Cambodia and had no preconceptions about what to expect other than we knew it would be tough viewing. Section 21 (formerly Tuol Svay Pray High School) was used as a brutal prison, torture, interrogation and execution center for anyone who opposed the communist Khmer Rouge regime from 1976 - 1979 following the end of the Cambodian Civil War. An estimated 14,000 men, women and children entered S.21 and only 7 are known to have survived when it was closed in 1979. Much of S.21 has been left in the same state it was found in and you walk through the classrooms that had been turned into torture chambers just as they were left c.35 years ago. Many of the walls are lined with photographs of the prisoners that were held in S.21 along with forced confessions of the crimes they were supposed to have committed. Whether the prisoners signed a confession or not - the final outcome was still the same - the only purpose of collecting a signed confession was to justify the actions of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. It really was horrendous to read about the sheer numbers (not just Cambodians but also some people from Europe, Australia, America and other Asian countries) who were tortured and killed at the hands of young Cambodians - many of which were supporting the Khmer Rouge and committing genocide out of fear for their own lives. Many of the executioners and torturers defected and, once they were caught, found themselves on the receiving end of the punishments they had dished out to hundreds and thousands of their own countrymen and women.
As we left S.21 and made our way towards the Killing Fields - a short c.15k trip - we found it difficult to imagine what it would have been like to live in Cambodia 30 years ago. Between 1976 and 1979 Cambodia lost 25% of its population. Neighbours and friends were willing to turn each other over to the Khmer Rouge to save themselves, there was no one to trust and those who were surviving must have been living in perpetual fear.
The Killing Fields
The short distance from S.21 to the Choeng Ek Killing Fields would have been a similar route that all prisoners made from S.21 to the fields - many of whom thought they were being moved to another prison or being set free - this was not the case. We now knew more about what to expect here but I'm not sure you can ever be prepared for being so close to the evidence of mass murder.
We had an audio guide here which was really useful as it gave us loads more information and brought to life the personal stories of those who lost loved ones and even accounts from those who worked at the fields for the KR. There are many many pits with thousands of bodies found in each one. Due to the vast amounts of bones in the area it has not been possible for archaeologists to excavate the fields 100%. As a result, following the heavy rains during the monsoon season the ground moves and new bones reach the surface so people working there are constantly excavating. In fact, as you walk round the fields you can clearly see bones that have just surfaced on the walk ways and paths and have to be careful to avoid walking on them. The most disturbing area in the whole compound was the killing tree where babies and toddlers were killed before being tossed into the pits.
There is a memorial to the people who died there - a very tall structure which includes a glass case in the middle with lots of shelves - on each shelf are hundred of skulls that have been collected from the area. It is by no means the complete collection of all those who died but serves as a reminder to everyone about the thousands of people who died there.
The UN helped Cambodia set up a special Genocide Tribunal which opened in 2006 for the most senior men and women of the Khmer Rouge to be judged and sentenced. Whilst some have been sentenced, the trial still continues today but came too late for Pol Pot - the leader of the regime - who died in 1998 without facing trial. Many survivors of the regime and those involved with the trial have reported that due to lengthy delays and the ages of those on trial, many of the ex Khmer Rouge leaders will become too frail to be sentenced (the sister in law of Pol Pot has Alzheimers and has been released on medical grounds) or will die before the trial reaches conclusion.
We left the killing fields feeling pretty low and a bit overwhelmed with what we had learned during the day. Our final stop of the day was a Russian Market - a massive indoor market selling everything from clothes to food and car parts to cosmetics and medical supplies. We wandered around for a few minutes and had some noodles before heading back to our hostel - not really in the right frame of mind for a shopping spree!
Back at the hostel later on we bumped into Uli which was great and we headed out for some dinner and a few drinks with her.
Siem Reap - 20th - 23rd Aug
The following day we took a bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. We had originally planned to also visit Sihanoukville on the West coast as we heard it has lovely beaches but we were short of time and heard the Thai beaches were similar so headed straight for Siem Reap and saved up some beach days for Thailand! Our bus wasn't until the afternoon so we took a last wander round Phnom Penh and had some lunch but not before Cal Y had his first shave and hair cut in nearly 3 months! Almost unrecognisable and looking about 10 years younger Cal E and Sarah couldn't quite believe it was the same person!
We arrived in Siem Reap in the early evening and took a wander round the town. It is a lovely place with lots of bars, cafes and restaurants and with a street called Pub Street there seems to be a pretty decent night life! We headed into town for some tea and a few drinks before hitting the local night spot "Hip Hop" for a night cap - well really also because they had a big screen and the Manchester United Vs Everton game was on and Cal E needed his football fix (even if it was at 3am) - although we went home with a sad bunny as Man U - shock horror - LOST!! Oh dear!
The next day we had a lazy day wandering about and clocking up some internet hours as we updated the blog and sorted out some admin and caught up with the folks on skype. Things for Cal E went from bad to worse as during a pretty severe storm there were several power cuts and our internet cafe lost electricity right after 2 hours of solid blogging...who hadn't saved the last 2 hours of typing.......oh dear (again!). Sarah and Cal Y decided to leave Cal E to it as he turned a fuming purple colour at the computer with steam coming out his ears - safer to keep a reasonable distance at times like these! The remainder of the evening was low key as we had an early night in preparation of our 4am wake up call to go to the famous Angkor Wat temples for sunrise.
ANGKOR WAT?
Not going to lie - we had never really heard of Angkor Wat before we left the UK but as we started speaking to people who had been to Cambodia and did a little Lonely Planet guide book research it became clear that this was not to be missed. Everyone said it was amazing but surely it couldn't compare to the Taj or some of the other impressive forts and temples we had already seen??.....WRONG!!!!
A little grumpy from our 4am wake up call we trundled along to the entrance in our tuk tuk - secretly delighted we had decided to take the lazy option and not cycle the 7k trip at this time in the morning. Arriving in the pitch darkness we got our tickets and went to the main temple to watch the magical sun rise beside a lake - it really was an impressive sight and after some picture taking we headed into the first Hindu temple - Angkor Wat.
The first temple was enormous and surrounded by a massive moat. As you wandered round you could get lost in all of the walk ways, corridors and different temples within the complex. We spent an hour or so walking around and taking pics before meeting our tuk tuk driver to take us to the next temple which was a short drive away.
There are many many temples in this area - Angkor Wat being the main one - and the were all built in the 12th-13th century. They are pretty spread out so you either need a few days to go see them all or you can do the main ones in a day if you have a tuk tuk. We opted for the day tour with the tuk tuk and visited about 4 or 5 of the main temples.
As we went from temple to temple they were all equally as impressive and all had different styles with different carvings and structures. Our favorite was a temple that had been engulfed by massive trees and their route systems had entwined themselves around the temple walls and carvings - it was such an impressive sight. Along the way there were people selling paintings of some of the carvings which were pretty cool so we splashed out on some of those - hoping they will survive the next few months of traveling and make it home in one piece!
We headed back into Siem Reap by the afternoon - tired from our early rise and lots of exploring - we chilled out the rest of the day and managed to get hold of a copy of the movie the Killing Fields and watched it that evening. It was really in interesting to watch it after we had seen the museum etc so recently and understood a little of what actually went on.
This was our last day in Cambodia....tomorrow we fly to Laos!!!
Laos 23rd - 28th August
We had heard so much about Laos, and looking back it's hard to believe we were very close to omitting it. However, we came, we saw, we want to go back.
Luang Prabang - 23rd - 25th August
As usual, we were pushed for time leaving Cambodia, so in order to work with our entry to Thailand, we hopped on a cheap flight to Luang Prabang in the north, and intended to work our way down the northern part of Laos.
After the flatness of Cambodia, the flight into LP airport treated us to spectacularly lush green mountains and the Mekong river snaking its way in between them.
After getting into town, getting lost, then finding a cool (and obviously cheap) place to stay, it was time to figure out what we were going to do there over the next few days in this beautiful, small city. After wandering around the humongous night market in the centre of town, we found a side street with lots cool food stalls. All you can pile on your plate for £1.50 (including a beer), that'll do me! We then managed to book a trip for the next day including a boat trip along the Mekong to the Pak Ou caves, and then a trip out to the Kuang Si waterfalls.
Pak Ou caves, Kuang Si waterfall and bare feet bowling!
So, off we go. In the morning we headed down from our guesthouse to the river to where our long boat would set off. As our guesthouse was on the banks, it didn't take long. On the boat we met three people from Luxembourg - Tom, Tom and Kim. Having now met five Luxembourgers on our travels, that means we now know about 50% of their population.
The boat tide took around an hour, which was a fun experience to be bobbing along the Mekong in yet another country. The caves themselves were smaller than we had imagined, but the number of Buddha statues that it contained made up for any disappointment. There were literally thousands, placed there for worship.
Following the boat ride back, involving a stop at a "whisky village", we set about heading the 32km to the Kuang Si waterfalls via a tuk tuk. Once you arrive there is a 15 minute walk up to the first major fall, which takes you through a bear sanctuary. These guys have been rescued from various situations and are there for recovery. Having seen, amongst other things, bear paw whisky at the village earlier, we could see why they needed protection.
The only problem with this bar (and the others in town) is that it closed at 11pm. So, what to do now? Of course, you jump in a tuk tuk like everyone else and travel 15km to go ten pin bowling in your bare feet (as naturally they have no shoes left!). Cal Y would like me to add that he managed his best ever score. Bare feet must have helped!
The main thing you notice about Vang Vieng when you walk through town is that it seems as if it is a place that has sprung up around the tourist draw of the tubing. But when the tourists outnumber the locals 15-1 in town, you can see why. The buildings on the main streets are mostly restaurants, which all show reruns of Friends or Family Guy...non stop! This is coupled by them mostly serving pizza and burgers. An odd combination considering the incredible Laos scenery that lines the river in their backdrop. The first night was a fairly quiet one as we still weren't on top form. We eventually settled down in our bamboo beds and got some shut eye.
The next day was our first tubing day. Unfortunately we are
unable to provide photos from the tubing, for fear of losing our cameras
in the river. To be honest, it's probably best there was no
photographic evidence...
We picked up our large tubes then headed a few km north to where the tubing begun, which was, of course, a bar! This first bar pumped out dance music, had ten tables set up for beer pong, sported extremely muddy volleyball, continuously sprayed out water to those in need of a shower water, and had whisky buckets for £2. The place was mobbed. We spent a good couple of hours on the beer pong tables and enjoying the company. Cal's basketball move even made an appearance in a dance off with an Irish boy. Cal still maintains he won.
It was then time to tube down to the next bar. This involved getting back in your tube, setting off down the river, then having the next bar throw a plastic bottle attached to a rope to you, grabbing hold, then getting pulled in. The festivities go on until dark, where you either float back down to town, or you come in earlier and get a tuk tuk back. At night everyone then descends on Bucket Bar to dance into the night. Three words can explain the vibe in Vang Vieng. "Spring Break, woohoo"!! We got this from one of the friends episodes we watched in town.
So, our first day of tubing was over. We had a lot of fun and managed to stay out of trouble. So we decided to stay another day :-) And we were not the only ones who this happened to either. Some guys had been there for two weeks! There was also a t-shirt which read "I'll leave Vang Vieng tomorrow"!
One of my most memorable moments I have of this experience was sitting in my tube, casually floating down the river, a beer in my hand, the most stunning mountain scenery, and just laughing to myself. What the heck kind of place is this?!
Unfortunately we have heard vicious rumours from other travellers that in the few weeks following our visit, tubing in Vang Vieng has now be closed down. Don't worry mum, we got out safely. The only picture we managed was the view from our hostel. Not too shabby.
Our next day was another four hour mini bus trip to the capital Vientiane, just for a night, before getting the train to Bangkok the next morning. It was a pretty quiet one to be fair - but I would just like to add that in Vientiane we had possibly the best pizzas we have ever eaten. You need to "Go West-ern" once in a while.
Laos - we'll be back.
Into Thailand... 28th Aug - 14th Sept
Bangkok - 28th Aug - 1st Sept
Following a fairly comfortable overnight train from Laos we made it to our next destination - Thailand!! By this point we had decided to spend at least 2-3 weeks in Thailand starting with Bangkok then Chiang Mai, Pai, Koh Phi Phi and ending on the east coast islands.
We arrived in Bangkok early and headed straight to the hostel following some swift haggling with the tuk tuk driver........we have definitely got the hang of this by now!! We dropped off our stuff in our pretty nice dorm and headed out to see some of the city. We started by heading to the famous Khaosan Road. It wasn't far and as we walked along it was amazing the sheer number of shops and stalls that occupied a spot on the street. Predominantly T-shirt shops, suits shops and Pad Thai stalls it was full of tourists and locals alike!!
We then decided to head to the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre which was recommended in the LP. We grabbed a tuk tuk (of which there were undoubtedly more than anywhere else we'd been) and went to see some Bangkok culture! The centre was a bit of a rip off of the Guggenheim in NYC but was still very cool with art all over the walls as well as chic art and clothes shops and trendy cafes. We spend a good couple of hours just wandering around before hunger got the better of us and we headed next door to the biggest Mall in Bangkok - MBK. This isn't a mall like Buchanan Galleries or The St James Centre, this place is HUGE!! Crammed with shops and stalls selling everything imaginable just trying not to get lost was going to be a challenge. We found our way to "Food Avenue" for a bite to eat and then had a scope round the shops. Cal Y and Sarah decided to invest in a new camera, following Sarah's being stolen in Hanoi, and having spent the last 3 months with Cal E and using his camera they decided to go for the same one. Before we left we had just enough time to grab some blank T-shirts and arrange some laser printing for our now famous "Esch Heure Geil.....Man" t-shirts!! We then had to rush back to catch up with Nick that we met in Varanasi for a few evening beers!!
We met Nick who hadn't changed a bit, still sporting the long beard and longer hair, the man epitomises the traveler look! It was great to catch up over a few beers on Khaosan and hear how the rest of his trip round India and Nepal had been. It's all the things he did that emphasises the need for 4-6 months to see India and Nepal properly.
As usual over a few beers time got away from us and before we knew it, it was 2am and Cal Y and Sarah were heading to bed. Cal E and Nick decided a visit to "The Club" was needed and so headed there for the last hour.
The following day we dragged ourselves up at a reasonable time to head to the Wat Pho Temple and see the Reclining Buddha. Due to the expense and time needed to see the Grand Palace we decided to give this a miss and in the end we think it was a good decision as the temples of Wat Pho and the Reclining Buddha were awesome, much better than expected. The biggest golden Buddha statues we had seen, all really impressive and worth a visit. We then went for a boat ride down the river before having a wander through one of the markets near the hostel.
We had then arranged with Nick to meet again and go see some Muay Thai (Thai boxing) that evening. Unfortunately the stadium for the boxing that night was on the other side of Bangkok so we fought our way through the horrific Bangkok traffic for over an hour before at last making it to the stadium. It was well worth the journey, the stadium was small and sweaty but had a great atmosphere and as interesting as the fights were watching the spectators and "bookies" as they all bet on the fights throughout each one. We saw some great fights too with some big hits including one knock out where the guys legs literally just collapsed. Afterwards we also went to see some Thai table tennis before heading back to Khaosan road to finish the night off with a few final beers.
Our final day in Bangkok we slept in following another late night so grabbed a quick lunch and said farewell to Nick who we'd had a great couple of days with. We then had time for a couple of hours of shopping around Khaosan, all of us investing in a number of T-shirts to replace the one in our bags that were now well past their best before date!! We then headed back over to MBK to collect our T-shirts and then straight to the train station to catch the next overnight train up north to Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai - 2nd - 5th September
We didn't have accommodation booked for our arrival in Chiang Mai so when we got there we just went with one of the tuk tuk drivers who offered us a good deal at fairly central hostel. The big thing to do in Chiang Mai is trekking so once we'd dropped our stuff we went for some food and then to look at some potential treks to do the following day. As expected there were loads of places offering similar deals so following a chat with a few of them we settled on a 2 day 1 night trek that took us through the jungle south of Chiang Mai and staying in a small village. The rest of the day we just spent looking around Chiang Mai and seeing some of the temples and markets within the old city.
That night the weekend market was on so we headed out for dinner in the market which was a mixture of great and awful. The dim sum we had was delicious and a real bargain at only 1 quid. Sadly Cal Y then opted for some tempura prawns that (unknown to him) had been cooked whole including the head, shell and tentacles which were not good at all. The market was great though with live music which we enjoyed with a few beers and then Sarah even got her nails done which the boys watched the Man Utd game in the one place was showing. It wasn't a late night though as it was an early start tomorrow for the trek.
Our trek the following day started at 8am as we made our way south with the 5 others that made up our group of 8. Our first stop was at an elephant camp where we rode the elephants into the start of the jungle and down a river. It was a much better elephant ride than the one in Nepal, the elephants seemed to be treated much better and with only 2 people on each elephant (as opposed to the 4 in Nepal) it was also much more comfortable for us on top. The elephant mahouts were fun guys too allowing us to sit on the front of the elephant and teaching us the commands. We got some great photos here as shown below.
After the elephant ride we started our trekking proper. We trekked to the first of two waterfalls we would stop at to have lunch. No one swam in this one as it was pretty fast following but it was nice to relax in the mist of the waterfall. We then trekked on for the rest of the day through the jungle. Our guide was a great laugh and we saw some spectacular views and really interesting parts of the jungle. Sadly no lions, tigers or bears though :).
We then arrived at the village we'd be staying in for the night, a really small village on the outskirts of the jungle that had one hut set aside for trekkers. We met another group of 8 there and we all dumped our stuff and headed straight for the showers. Once cleaned up we sat at the table in our hut and got to know everyone properly. We were lucky to have some great people in the group including 5 French, 2 Germans, a couple of lads from London, a Swede, an American, a Canadian and finally a hilarious Japanese guy. We had a delicious dinner of chicken curry cooked by the locals and then had a sing off with a group of the local kids who came to visit. All ranging from 3 - 13 they sang a huge number of local songs and then asked us to sing them some songs we knew. The best we managed was "Doe a Deer" (a tartan army classic) and then everyone sang auld land syne although the French and Germans may have had their own words!! As we were all tired from the day of trekking we didn't last long and before midnight nearly everyone was off to bed, after a few more tunes on the guitar!
Our second day trekking got underway around 9am as we headed back into the jungle. We trekked for an hour or so before stopping at an awesome waterfall that everyone was able to swim in. It was a pretty humid day so a swim in the waterfall was great and better than any morning shower!!
We then headed on and continued trekking for another 2 and half hours through the jungle. It had rained pretty heavy the night before so the trail was very slippy which wasn't ideal for the 2 Calum's, one in converse the other in Onisuka tigers, neither with much grip!! Still everyone managed to keep their feet, just, and we reached the end of our trek at 1pm. We then headed for some lunch and to finish the day we were going "bamboo rafting"!! This involves floating down a river on nothing more than a few pieces of bamboo held together by string. The fast parts of the river were great fun and despite our best efforts not to get wet (no one had swimming gear on) Cal Y was thrown off at one point as the raft captain (Thai guy steering the raft) tipped the raft right up on its side. Sarah and Cal E were crouching at this point so managed to stay on but Cal Y, standing full upright, had no chance and was left swimming back to the raft! It was great fun though and a beautiful day for it so even a drenched Cal wasn't complaining.
We then arrived back in Chiang Mai for a final night before heading to Pai. It was a quiet one in the end entailing just a few beers in the evening at the hostel and then dinner in a local place nearby. Again I think everyone was tired from the day of walking and rafting so it was bed by midnight and an early start the next day to get to Pai as soon as we could.
Pai - 5th - 7th September - a state of mind....
We left Chaingmai for a relatively short bus ride north to the lovely sleepy own of Pai. As the guide book states - it's not so much what there is to do in Pai but rather "a state of mind....". We arrived in the afternoon into the centre of Pai and were debating whether to walk or get a left to our hostel - Spicy Pai - which was a little out of town - when the heavens opened and we were caught in the middle of a massive rain storm. There is only one thing to do when the weather gets like that - head to the nearest cafe for a long lunch and watch the storm as it passes through - so that is what we did!
After a couple of hours it was safe to head back out and we walked to our hostel which was one of the coolest places we have stayed so far. The hostel was built in the middle of a rice field and made entirely out of bamboo! The beds in the dorm room were not only 2 stories high but 3 and provided an excellent assault course for the hostel's family of pet cats and kittens.
After we settled in we went back into town and rented some bicycles, booked ourselves onto a cooking course and found the second best burger place in the world (the first being Ferg's in New Zealand naturally!) - Burger Queen - mmmmmm delicious!! After stuffing ourselves we had a quiet drink at a nearby bar before walking back to out bamboo house.
Hot springs, bikes, cooking and party time!
Today was a busy day! Once we surfaced we took our bikes and went into town for brekkie at Big's Little Cafe for a HUGE fry-up to get ready for the rest of the day - we then cycled 7km or so to the hot springs. The road was pretty hilly and we were knackered by the time we got there so were looking forward to a nice soak to ease our muscles. On arrival we walked about and found some springs were 80 degrees and you could actually buy eggs to boil them in the spring!
We preferred to soak ourselves rather than the eggs so we found a pool at a more reasonable temperature and had a lovely soak. Then it was back on the bikes for the ride back into Pai and to get ready for our cooking class!
We had decided what 4 meals each we were cooking the day before so between us we made green & red curry including making the paste from scratch, chicken & cashew nut stir-fry, pad thai, papaya salad, tom-yam soup, spring rolls and sweet coconut rice with mango - mmmmmmm! The class started with a trip to the market to pick up our ingredients and a quick explanation of what they all are etc. We then headed back to the school to begin our lesson in the outside garden kitchen. We started with the curry paste which involved a lot of grinding in the pestle and mortar and was great fun. We lost electricity at one point and had to cook by candle light and head torch adding to the challenge! Cal Y learned how to make amazing spring rolls and Cal E learned when asked the question "how spicy do you want your soup?" the answer in Thailand is always - "not very"! 4 chilies later Cal's soup was HOT!!!! Sarah's new fav desert came in the form of coconut rice and mango - a bit of an effort required with overnight soaking of the rice, then steaming for an hour in a bamboo steamer and then stirring in coconut milk and leaving for another hour but the end result is most definitely worth it!!!
After well and truly stuffing ourselves we headed to meet some of the folks from our hostel who were having a night out at a local bar which was hosting an open mike night. There was loads of really good music, dancing and the return of the buckets! The night continued onto a rasta bar which even survived a visit from the local police man and his dog!
The next day we checked out of our lovely Pai hostel and headed back
to Chaingmai to catch our flight to Phuket - a long, tiring day of
traveling but a week of Island hopping awaits! Woop Woop!!!
Cambodia - 18th - 23rd August
Phnom Penh - 18th - 20th Aug
We were sad to leave Vietnam as we had such an ace time but Cambodia was calling and it was time for another bus ride to a new country. After a pretty heavy night out on our last night in Saigon we were pleased to have a long lie before getting our bus to Cambodia - unlike Valeria and Andrea who made it to the airport for their flight to KL on 2 hours kip - we are not that hard core!
Arriving in Cambodia's Capital City - Phnom Penh - we had a few main sights in mind that we wanted to go to - Section 21 and the Killing Fields. On the first night we arrived we settled into our dorm and walked down the riverside to find some dinner and had a wander round the night market before heading back for an early night in preparation for a busy day tomorrow.
Take a deep breath....
Today was one of the most difficult days of the trip so far. We arranged with a tuk tuk driver to visit S.21, the Killing Fields and the Russian Market. We met our driver and headed for the first stop. We didn't know too much about the recent history of Cambodia and had no preconceptions about what to expect other than we knew it would be tough viewing. Section 21 (formerly Tuol Svay Pray High School) was used as a brutal prison, torture, interrogation and execution center for anyone who opposed the communist Khmer Rouge regime from 1976 - 1979 following the end of the Cambodian Civil War. An estimated 14,000 men, women and children entered S.21 and only 7 are known to have survived when it was closed in 1979. Much of S.21 has been left in the same state it was found in and you walk through the classrooms that had been turned into torture chambers just as they were left c.35 years ago. Many of the walls are lined with photographs of the prisoners that were held in S.21 along with forced confessions of the crimes they were supposed to have committed. Whether the prisoners signed a confession or not - the final outcome was still the same - the only purpose of collecting a signed confession was to justify the actions of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. It really was horrendous to read about the sheer numbers (not just Cambodians but also some people from Europe, Australia, America and other Asian countries) who were tortured and killed at the hands of young Cambodians - many of which were supporting the Khmer Rouge and committing genocide out of fear for their own lives. Many of the executioners and torturers defected and, once they were caught, found themselves on the receiving end of the punishments they had dished out to hundreds and thousands of their own countrymen and women.
As we left S.21 and made our way towards the Killing Fields - a short c.15k trip - we found it difficult to imagine what it would have been like to live in Cambodia 30 years ago. Between 1976 and 1979 Cambodia lost 25% of its population. Neighbours and friends were willing to turn each other over to the Khmer Rouge to save themselves, there was no one to trust and those who were surviving must have been living in perpetual fear.
The Killing Fields
The short distance from S.21 to the Choeng Ek Killing Fields would have been a similar route that all prisoners made from S.21 to the fields - many of whom thought they were being moved to another prison or being set free - this was not the case. We now knew more about what to expect here but I'm not sure you can ever be prepared for being so close to the evidence of mass murder.
We had an audio guide here which was really useful as it gave us loads more information and brought to life the personal stories of those who lost loved ones and even accounts from those who worked at the fields for the KR. There are many many pits with thousands of bodies found in each one. Due to the vast amounts of bones in the area it has not been possible for archaeologists to excavate the fields 100%. As a result, following the heavy rains during the monsoon season the ground moves and new bones reach the surface so people working there are constantly excavating. In fact, as you walk round the fields you can clearly see bones that have just surfaced on the walk ways and paths and have to be careful to avoid walking on them. The most disturbing area in the whole compound was the killing tree where babies and toddlers were killed before being tossed into the pits.
There is a memorial to the people who died there - a very tall structure which includes a glass case in the middle with lots of shelves - on each shelf are hundred of skulls that have been collected from the area. It is by no means the complete collection of all those who died but serves as a reminder to everyone about the thousands of people who died there.
The UN helped Cambodia set up a special Genocide Tribunal which opened in 2006 for the most senior men and women of the Khmer Rouge to be judged and sentenced. Whilst some have been sentenced, the trial still continues today but came too late for Pol Pot - the leader of the regime - who died in 1998 without facing trial. Many survivors of the regime and those involved with the trial have reported that due to lengthy delays and the ages of those on trial, many of the ex Khmer Rouge leaders will become too frail to be sentenced (the sister in law of Pol Pot has Alzheimers and has been released on medical grounds) or will die before the trial reaches conclusion.
We left the killing fields feeling pretty low and a bit overwhelmed with what we had learned during the day. Our final stop of the day was a Russian Market - a massive indoor market selling everything from clothes to food and car parts to cosmetics and medical supplies. We wandered around for a few minutes and had some noodles before heading back to our hostel - not really in the right frame of mind for a shopping spree!
Back at the hostel later on we bumped into Uli which was great and we headed out for some dinner and a few drinks with her.
Siem Reap - 20th - 23rd Aug
The following day we took a bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. We had originally planned to also visit Sihanoukville on the West coast as we heard it has lovely beaches but we were short of time and heard the Thai beaches were similar so headed straight for Siem Reap and saved up some beach days for Thailand! Our bus wasn't until the afternoon so we took a last wander round Phnom Penh and had some lunch but not before Cal Y had his first shave and hair cut in nearly 3 months! Almost unrecognisable and looking about 10 years younger Cal E and Sarah couldn't quite believe it was the same person!
Before After!
We arrived in Siem Reap in the early evening and took a wander round the town. It is a lovely place with lots of bars, cafes and restaurants and with a street called Pub Street there seems to be a pretty decent night life! We headed into town for some tea and a few drinks before hitting the local night spot "Hip Hop" for a night cap - well really also because they had a big screen and the Manchester United Vs Everton game was on and Cal E needed his football fix (even if it was at 3am) - although we went home with a sad bunny as Man U - shock horror - LOST!! Oh dear!
The next day we had a lazy day wandering about and clocking up some internet hours as we updated the blog and sorted out some admin and caught up with the folks on skype. Things for Cal E went from bad to worse as during a pretty severe storm there were several power cuts and our internet cafe lost electricity right after 2 hours of solid blogging...who hadn't saved the last 2 hours of typing.......oh dear (again!). Sarah and Cal Y decided to leave Cal E to it as he turned a fuming purple colour at the computer with steam coming out his ears - safer to keep a reasonable distance at times like these! The remainder of the evening was low key as we had an early night in preparation of our 4am wake up call to go to the famous Angkor Wat temples for sunrise.
ANGKOR WAT?
Not going to lie - we had never really heard of Angkor Wat before we left the UK but as we started speaking to people who had been to Cambodia and did a little Lonely Planet guide book research it became clear that this was not to be missed. Everyone said it was amazing but surely it couldn't compare to the Taj or some of the other impressive forts and temples we had already seen??.....WRONG!!!!
A little grumpy from our 4am wake up call we trundled along to the entrance in our tuk tuk - secretly delighted we had decided to take the lazy option and not cycle the 7k trip at this time in the morning. Arriving in the pitch darkness we got our tickets and went to the main temple to watch the magical sun rise beside a lake - it really was an impressive sight and after some picture taking we headed into the first Hindu temple - Angkor Wat.
The first temple was enormous and surrounded by a massive moat. As you wandered round you could get lost in all of the walk ways, corridors and different temples within the complex. We spent an hour or so walking around and taking pics before meeting our tuk tuk driver to take us to the next temple which was a short drive away.
There are many many temples in this area - Angkor Wat being the main one - and the were all built in the 12th-13th century. They are pretty spread out so you either need a few days to go see them all or you can do the main ones in a day if you have a tuk tuk. We opted for the day tour with the tuk tuk and visited about 4 or 5 of the main temples.
As we went from temple to temple they were all equally as impressive and all had different styles with different carvings and structures. Our favorite was a temple that had been engulfed by massive trees and their route systems had entwined themselves around the temple walls and carvings - it was such an impressive sight. Along the way there were people selling paintings of some of the carvings which were pretty cool so we splashed out on some of those - hoping they will survive the next few months of traveling and make it home in one piece!
We headed back into Siem Reap by the afternoon - tired from our early rise and lots of exploring - we chilled out the rest of the day and managed to get hold of a copy of the movie the Killing Fields and watched it that evening. It was really in interesting to watch it after we had seen the museum etc so recently and understood a little of what actually went on.
This was our last day in Cambodia....tomorrow we fly to Laos!!!
Laos 23rd - 28th August
We had heard so much about Laos, and looking back it's hard to believe we were very close to omitting it. However, we came, we saw, we want to go back.
Luang Prabang - 23rd - 25th August
As usual, we were pushed for time leaving Cambodia, so in order to work with our entry to Thailand, we hopped on a cheap flight to Luang Prabang in the north, and intended to work our way down the northern part of Laos.
After the flatness of Cambodia, the flight into LP airport treated us to spectacularly lush green mountains and the Mekong river snaking its way in between them.
After getting into town, getting lost, then finding a cool (and obviously cheap) place to stay, it was time to figure out what we were going to do there over the next few days in this beautiful, small city. After wandering around the humongous night market in the centre of town, we found a side street with lots cool food stalls. All you can pile on your plate for £1.50 (including a beer), that'll do me! We then managed to book a trip for the next day including a boat trip along the Mekong to the Pak Ou caves, and then a trip out to the Kuang Si waterfalls.
Pak Ou caves, Kuang Si waterfall and bare feet bowling!
So, off we go. In the morning we headed down from our guesthouse to the river to where our long boat would set off. As our guesthouse was on the banks, it didn't take long. On the boat we met three people from Luxembourg - Tom, Tom and Kim. Having now met five Luxembourgers on our travels, that means we now know about 50% of their population.
The boat tide took around an hour, which was a fun experience to be bobbing along the Mekong in yet another country. The caves themselves were smaller than we had imagined, but the number of Buddha statues that it contained made up for any disappointment. There were literally thousands, placed there for worship.
Following the boat ride back, involving a stop at a "whisky village", we set about heading the 32km to the Kuang Si waterfalls via a tuk tuk. Once you arrive there is a 15 minute walk up to the first major fall, which takes you through a bear sanctuary. These guys have been rescued from various situations and are there for recovery. Having seen, amongst other things, bear paw whisky at the village earlier, we could see why they needed protection.
The waterfalls themselves were incredible. Spread out slog a few
hundred meters and cascading down multiple levels, there were areas for
swimming, diving, and the ever popular rope swing.
The uppermost waterfall was the most impressive, however it did present a problem to look at (and take pictures of) due to the amount of spray that was lashing down on you!
Having taken in this behemoth we headed back down for the rope
swing. Basically you wade through the current to a tree, upon which you
climb out on a branch and retrieve the rope with a long stick, whilst
also endevouring to keep your balance on the branch! Then gravity takes
over. Swinging out and letting go you land in the pool formed by the
waterfall almost overhead. Then trying not to be swept away by the
current you come back to shore and try again.The uppermost waterfall was the most impressive, however it did present a problem to look at (and take pictures of) due to the amount of spray that was lashing down on you!
We met the Luxembourg guys doing the same thing, so arranged to go out for a couple of drinks later.
That night we grabbed some (as always) awesome Laos curries and
then wandered down to the waterfront with the Tom's and Kim to the
town's most popular bar, Utopia. Set outside on the riverbank, it was a
cool place to sit on you cushion crossed legged on the floor and enjoy a
beer. Or in Sarah's case, regret being enticed by a glass of wine for
the first time in three months to discover it tastes like cider...The only problem with this bar (and the others in town) is that it closed at 11pm. So, what to do now? Of course, you jump in a tuk tuk like everyone else and travel 15km to go ten pin bowling in your bare feet (as naturally they have no shoes left!). Cal Y would like me to add that he managed his best ever score. Bare feet must have helped!
Good night, good people, but the next morning did not feel so
great. After deciding we needed some food before bed, we each shared the
cheese and ham baguette we bought at a street stall the night before to
take on our excursions during the day. Bad idea.
All three of us felt extremely ropey, just in time for our 5 hour minibus ride through the Laos mountains on the windiest roads we've yet travelled, on our way to Vang Vieng. Tubing awaited, so we put on a brave face!
Okay, so the bus ride was not pleasant, but one on of our designated toilet stops we were treated to some outstanding Laos scenery from the restaurant of which this was the view:
Vang Vieng - 25th - 27th August - let tubing commence!
Our next installment of Laos was to be the picturesque town of Vang Vieng, the home of Tubing. For those who don't know, tubing involves getting a large inflated inner tube, sitting in it, and floating down a river. Throw in multiple riverside bars and you've got one heck of a fun day.
We arrived in Vang Vieng at night time, and headed to our new abode - Easy Go Hostel. Upon arrival we were greeted by three drunk English people who were just arriving back after a days tubing. They were all in top spirits, even though the first girl, Jess, had a cut down her nose that hadn't yet stopped bleeding. The second girl was just as drunk but seemingly injury free. And finally the guy, Jimmy, arrived hobbling along afterwards, with a makeshift walking stick, and a balloon tied to his shoulder... What were we letting ourselves in for?
Turns out Jess had accidentally been caught in the face by an
unnamed friend. Jimmy's injury involved tripping off a platform and
hurting his knee pretty bad - aggravating an old rugby injury. We sat
in that night and chatted - both lovely people.All three of us felt extremely ropey, just in time for our 5 hour minibus ride through the Laos mountains on the windiest roads we've yet travelled, on our way to Vang Vieng. Tubing awaited, so we put on a brave face!
Okay, so the bus ride was not pleasant, but one on of our designated toilet stops we were treated to some outstanding Laos scenery from the restaurant of which this was the view:
Vang Vieng - 25th - 27th August - let tubing commence!
Our next installment of Laos was to be the picturesque town of Vang Vieng, the home of Tubing. For those who don't know, tubing involves getting a large inflated inner tube, sitting in it, and floating down a river. Throw in multiple riverside bars and you've got one heck of a fun day.
We arrived in Vang Vieng at night time, and headed to our new abode - Easy Go Hostel. Upon arrival we were greeted by three drunk English people who were just arriving back after a days tubing. They were all in top spirits, even though the first girl, Jess, had a cut down her nose that hadn't yet stopped bleeding. The second girl was just as drunk but seemingly injury free. And finally the guy, Jimmy, arrived hobbling along afterwards, with a makeshift walking stick, and a balloon tied to his shoulder... What were we letting ourselves in for?
The main thing you notice about Vang Vieng when you walk through town is that it seems as if it is a place that has sprung up around the tourist draw of the tubing. But when the tourists outnumber the locals 15-1 in town, you can see why. The buildings on the main streets are mostly restaurants, which all show reruns of Friends or Family Guy...non stop! This is coupled by them mostly serving pizza and burgers. An odd combination considering the incredible Laos scenery that lines the river in their backdrop. The first night was a fairly quiet one as we still weren't on top form. We eventually settled down in our bamboo beds and got some shut eye.
We picked up our large tubes then headed a few km north to where the tubing begun, which was, of course, a bar! This first bar pumped out dance music, had ten tables set up for beer pong, sported extremely muddy volleyball, continuously sprayed out water to those in need of a shower water, and had whisky buckets for £2. The place was mobbed. We spent a good couple of hours on the beer pong tables and enjoying the company. Cal's basketball move even made an appearance in a dance off with an Irish boy. Cal still maintains he won.
It was then time to tube down to the next bar. This involved getting back in your tube, setting off down the river, then having the next bar throw a plastic bottle attached to a rope to you, grabbing hold, then getting pulled in. The festivities go on until dark, where you either float back down to town, or you come in earlier and get a tuk tuk back. At night everyone then descends on Bucket Bar to dance into the night. Three words can explain the vibe in Vang Vieng. "Spring Break, woohoo"!! We got this from one of the friends episodes we watched in town.
So, our first day of tubing was over. We had a lot of fun and managed to stay out of trouble. So we decided to stay another day :-) And we were not the only ones who this happened to either. Some guys had been there for two weeks! There was also a t-shirt which read "I'll leave Vang Vieng tomorrow"!
One of my most memorable moments I have of this experience was sitting in my tube, casually floating down the river, a beer in my hand, the most stunning mountain scenery, and just laughing to myself. What the heck kind of place is this?!
Unfortunately we have heard vicious rumours from other travellers that in the few weeks following our visit, tubing in Vang Vieng has now be closed down. Don't worry mum, we got out safely. The only picture we managed was the view from our hostel. Not too shabby.
Our next day was another four hour mini bus trip to the capital Vientiane, just for a night, before getting the train to Bangkok the next morning. It was a pretty quiet one to be fair - but I would just like to add that in Vientiane we had possibly the best pizzas we have ever eaten. You need to "Go West-ern" once in a while.
Laos - we'll be back.
Into Thailand... 28th Aug - 14th Sept
Bangkok - 28th Aug - 1st Sept
Following a fairly comfortable overnight train from Laos we made it to our next destination - Thailand!! By this point we had decided to spend at least 2-3 weeks in Thailand starting with Bangkok then Chiang Mai, Pai, Koh Phi Phi and ending on the east coast islands.
We arrived in Bangkok early and headed straight to the hostel following some swift haggling with the tuk tuk driver........we have definitely got the hang of this by now!! We dropped off our stuff in our pretty nice dorm and headed out to see some of the city. We started by heading to the famous Khaosan Road. It wasn't far and as we walked along it was amazing the sheer number of shops and stalls that occupied a spot on the street. Predominantly T-shirt shops, suits shops and Pad Thai stalls it was full of tourists and locals alike!!
We then decided to head to the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre which was recommended in the LP. We grabbed a tuk tuk (of which there were undoubtedly more than anywhere else we'd been) and went to see some Bangkok culture! The centre was a bit of a rip off of the Guggenheim in NYC but was still very cool with art all over the walls as well as chic art and clothes shops and trendy cafes. We spend a good couple of hours just wandering around before hunger got the better of us and we headed next door to the biggest Mall in Bangkok - MBK. This isn't a mall like Buchanan Galleries or The St James Centre, this place is HUGE!! Crammed with shops and stalls selling everything imaginable just trying not to get lost was going to be a challenge. We found our way to "Food Avenue" for a bite to eat and then had a scope round the shops. Cal Y and Sarah decided to invest in a new camera, following Sarah's being stolen in Hanoi, and having spent the last 3 months with Cal E and using his camera they decided to go for the same one. Before we left we had just enough time to grab some blank T-shirts and arrange some laser printing for our now famous "Esch Heure Geil.....Man" t-shirts!! We then had to rush back to catch up with Nick that we met in Varanasi for a few evening beers!!
We met Nick who hadn't changed a bit, still sporting the long beard and longer hair, the man epitomises the traveler look! It was great to catch up over a few beers on Khaosan and hear how the rest of his trip round India and Nepal had been. It's all the things he did that emphasises the need for 4-6 months to see India and Nepal properly.
Nick enjoying some local cuisine
As usual over a few beers time got away from us and before we knew it, it was 2am and Cal Y and Sarah were heading to bed. Cal E and Nick decided a visit to "The Club" was needed and so headed there for the last hour.
The following day we dragged ourselves up at a reasonable time to head to the Wat Pho Temple and see the Reclining Buddha. Due to the expense and time needed to see the Grand Palace we decided to give this a miss and in the end we think it was a good decision as the temples of Wat Pho and the Reclining Buddha were awesome, much better than expected. The biggest golden Buddha statues we had seen, all really impressive and worth a visit. We then went for a boat ride down the river before having a wander through one of the markets near the hostel.
We had then arranged with Nick to meet again and go see some Muay Thai (Thai boxing) that evening. Unfortunately the stadium for the boxing that night was on the other side of Bangkok so we fought our way through the horrific Bangkok traffic for over an hour before at last making it to the stadium. It was well worth the journey, the stadium was small and sweaty but had a great atmosphere and as interesting as the fights were watching the spectators and "bookies" as they all bet on the fights throughout each one. We saw some great fights too with some big hits including one knock out where the guys legs literally just collapsed. Afterwards we also went to see some Thai table tennis before heading back to Khaosan road to finish the night off with a few final beers.
Our final day in Bangkok we slept in following another late night so grabbed a quick lunch and said farewell to Nick who we'd had a great couple of days with. We then had time for a couple of hours of shopping around Khaosan, all of us investing in a number of T-shirts to replace the one in our bags that were now well past their best before date!! We then headed back over to MBK to collect our T-shirts and then straight to the train station to catch the next overnight train up north to Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai - 2nd - 5th September
We didn't have accommodation booked for our arrival in Chiang Mai so when we got there we just went with one of the tuk tuk drivers who offered us a good deal at fairly central hostel. The big thing to do in Chiang Mai is trekking so once we'd dropped our stuff we went for some food and then to look at some potential treks to do the following day. As expected there were loads of places offering similar deals so following a chat with a few of them we settled on a 2 day 1 night trek that took us through the jungle south of Chiang Mai and staying in a small village. The rest of the day we just spent looking around Chiang Mai and seeing some of the temples and markets within the old city.
That night the weekend market was on so we headed out for dinner in the market which was a mixture of great and awful. The dim sum we had was delicious and a real bargain at only 1 quid. Sadly Cal Y then opted for some tempura prawns that (unknown to him) had been cooked whole including the head, shell and tentacles which were not good at all. The market was great though with live music which we enjoyed with a few beers and then Sarah even got her nails done which the boys watched the Man Utd game in the one place was showing. It wasn't a late night though as it was an early start tomorrow for the trek.
Our trek the following day started at 8am as we made our way south with the 5 others that made up our group of 8. Our first stop was at an elephant camp where we rode the elephants into the start of the jungle and down a river. It was a much better elephant ride than the one in Nepal, the elephants seemed to be treated much better and with only 2 people on each elephant (as opposed to the 4 in Nepal) it was also much more comfortable for us on top. The elephant mahouts were fun guys too allowing us to sit on the front of the elephant and teaching us the commands. We got some great photos here as shown below.
After the elephant ride we started our trekking proper. We trekked to the first of two waterfalls we would stop at to have lunch. No one swam in this one as it was pretty fast following but it was nice to relax in the mist of the waterfall. We then trekked on for the rest of the day through the jungle. Our guide was a great laugh and we saw some spectacular views and really interesting parts of the jungle. Sadly no lions, tigers or bears though :).
We then arrived at the village we'd be staying in for the night, a really small village on the outskirts of the jungle that had one hut set aside for trekkers. We met another group of 8 there and we all dumped our stuff and headed straight for the showers. Once cleaned up we sat at the table in our hut and got to know everyone properly. We were lucky to have some great people in the group including 5 French, 2 Germans, a couple of lads from London, a Swede, an American, a Canadian and finally a hilarious Japanese guy. We had a delicious dinner of chicken curry cooked by the locals and then had a sing off with a group of the local kids who came to visit. All ranging from 3 - 13 they sang a huge number of local songs and then asked us to sing them some songs we knew. The best we managed was "Doe a Deer" (a tartan army classic) and then everyone sang auld land syne although the French and Germans may have had their own words!! As we were all tired from the day of trekking we didn't last long and before midnight nearly everyone was off to bed, after a few more tunes on the guitar!
Our second day trekking got underway around 9am as we headed back into the jungle. We trekked for an hour or so before stopping at an awesome waterfall that everyone was able to swim in. It was a pretty humid day so a swim in the waterfall was great and better than any morning shower!!
We then headed on and continued trekking for another 2 and half hours through the jungle. It had rained pretty heavy the night before so the trail was very slippy which wasn't ideal for the 2 Calum's, one in converse the other in Onisuka tigers, neither with much grip!! Still everyone managed to keep their feet, just, and we reached the end of our trek at 1pm. We then headed for some lunch and to finish the day we were going "bamboo rafting"!! This involves floating down a river on nothing more than a few pieces of bamboo held together by string. The fast parts of the river were great fun and despite our best efforts not to get wet (no one had swimming gear on) Cal Y was thrown off at one point as the raft captain (Thai guy steering the raft) tipped the raft right up on its side. Sarah and Cal E were crouching at this point so managed to stay on but Cal Y, standing full upright, had no chance and was left swimming back to the raft! It was great fun though and a beautiful day for it so even a drenched Cal wasn't complaining.
We then arrived back in Chiang Mai for a final night before heading to Pai. It was a quiet one in the end entailing just a few beers in the evening at the hostel and then dinner in a local place nearby. Again I think everyone was tired from the day of walking and rafting so it was bed by midnight and an early start the next day to get to Pai as soon as we could.
Pai - 5th - 7th September - a state of mind....
We left Chaingmai for a relatively short bus ride north to the lovely sleepy own of Pai. As the guide book states - it's not so much what there is to do in Pai but rather "a state of mind....". We arrived in the afternoon into the centre of Pai and were debating whether to walk or get a left to our hostel - Spicy Pai - which was a little out of town - when the heavens opened and we were caught in the middle of a massive rain storm. There is only one thing to do when the weather gets like that - head to the nearest cafe for a long lunch and watch the storm as it passes through - so that is what we did!
After a couple of hours it was safe to head back out and we walked to our hostel which was one of the coolest places we have stayed so far. The hostel was built in the middle of a rice field and made entirely out of bamboo! The beds in the dorm room were not only 2 stories high but 3 and provided an excellent assault course for the hostel's family of pet cats and kittens.
After we settled in we went back into town and rented some bicycles, booked ourselves onto a cooking course and found the second best burger place in the world (the first being Ferg's in New Zealand naturally!) - Burger Queen - mmmmmm delicious!! After stuffing ourselves we had a quiet drink at a nearby bar before walking back to out bamboo house.
Hot springs, bikes, cooking and party time!
Today was a busy day! Once we surfaced we took our bikes and went into town for brekkie at Big's Little Cafe for a HUGE fry-up to get ready for the rest of the day - we then cycled 7km or so to the hot springs. The road was pretty hilly and we were knackered by the time we got there so were looking forward to a nice soak to ease our muscles. On arrival we walked about and found some springs were 80 degrees and you could actually buy eggs to boil them in the spring!
We preferred to soak ourselves rather than the eggs so we found a pool at a more reasonable temperature and had a lovely soak. Then it was back on the bikes for the ride back into Pai and to get ready for our cooking class!
We had decided what 4 meals each we were cooking the day before so between us we made green & red curry including making the paste from scratch, chicken & cashew nut stir-fry, pad thai, papaya salad, tom-yam soup, spring rolls and sweet coconut rice with mango - mmmmmmm! The class started with a trip to the market to pick up our ingredients and a quick explanation of what they all are etc. We then headed back to the school to begin our lesson in the outside garden kitchen. We started with the curry paste which involved a lot of grinding in the pestle and mortar and was great fun. We lost electricity at one point and had to cook by candle light and head torch adding to the challenge! Cal Y learned how to make amazing spring rolls and Cal E learned when asked the question "how spicy do you want your soup?" the answer in Thailand is always - "not very"! 4 chilies later Cal's soup was HOT!!!! Sarah's new fav desert came in the form of coconut rice and mango - a bit of an effort required with overnight soaking of the rice, then steaming for an hour in a bamboo steamer and then stirring in coconut milk and leaving for another hour but the end result is most definitely worth it!!!
After well and truly stuffing ourselves we headed to meet some of the folks from our hostel who were having a night out at a local bar which was hosting an open mike night. There was loads of really good music, dancing and the return of the buckets! The night continued onto a rasta bar which even survived a visit from the local police man and his dog!
