The Gecko Wanderers' Expedition to SE Asia

Two nights in Bangkok @ Bangkok, Thailand

2006-12-02T21:50:00.000Z

As always, we were late. It took 4.5 hours of nervous and reckless driving from Ljubljana to reach Munich barely in time for our flight. Deja-Vu. After spending 13 hours on two Emirates jets, we crashed into the oozy scene of Bangkok's Khao San Road, and headed straight for the bar.

The next day, we convinced Tana to see the Emerald Buddha and the Royal Palace complex, while we took to exploring Bangkok's busy Chinatown markets. In the afternoon we got back together for a visit to the fancy shopping centers in downtown Bangkok. The destinations provided for two contrasting doses of culture shock.

We had an early bus to catch the following day, and to avoid oversleeping, we decided not to sleep at all. Instead, we spent the night at the guesthouse bar in the company of our lady-boy waiter and his (her?) lady-boy friends. The main topic of conversation that evening is not hard to guess.

Thailand/Cambodia border crossing @ Aranyaprathet, Thailand

2006-12-03T20:26:00.000Z

It took us a whole day on busses, tuk-tuks and taxis to get from Bangkok to Siem Reap. We crossed the border to Cambodia at Poipet, closely following Gordon Sharpless' exhaustive notes on the matter. Most of what is said in those notes turned out to be true, including the scornful statement that "Poipet more or less rhymes with toilet and the two are virtually indistinguishable".

Cambodia: First impressions @ Siemreab, Cambodia

2006-12-04T19:51:00.000Z

Siem Reap was our first stop in Cambodia. In Khmer, Siem Reap means, quite literally, "Victory over the Thais". As you might imagine, relations between these two countries are not exemplary.

I spent the morning wandering around central Siem Reap and the old market. The others made better use of their time -- by sleeping well into the day. We got back together for lunch, which was an opportunity to sample the delicious Khmer Amok.

Floating Village @ Phumi Phnum Kraom, Cambodia

2006-12-04T22:37:00.000Z

In the afternoon, we arranged a trip to the Tonle Sap lake and visited the nearby floating village.

Angkor @ Angkor Wat, Cambodia

2006-12-05T12:08:00.000Z

The ancient city of Angkor is definitely one of the highlights of any trip to this part of the world, and ours was no exception. At its height in the 12th century, the city was home to more than a million people and covered an area the size of Los Angeles. Today, Angkor Wat is a UNESCO world heritage site, and the largest religious complex in the world.

We only spent a day among the ruined temples, but we tried to make the best of it. We reached the magnificent Angkor Wat by bicycle before sunrise, and headed back towards Siem Reap only after sunset. In the process we also got soaked to the bones in a tropical downpour.

At Ta Phrom temple, we had an unexpected encounter with, none other than, my favorite ex-president of the United States! We knew something was up as soon as we saw the heightened security and the fancy cars in front of the temple. To be honest, I was kind of hoping it would turn out to be miss Jolie, checking out the set of her next Tomb Raider sequel. Now THAT would be something :)

Cross-country drive @ Phumi Kbel, Cambodia

2006-12-06T22:01:00.000Z

We spent the next day on the road from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh (the Khmer capital). In short, the country is as flat as a pancake and covered with rice fields. Oh, and there's also plenty of palm trees and reckless drivers.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia @ Phnom Penh, Cambodia

2006-12-07T20:20:00.000Z

Cambodia is very liberal in their attitude towards drugs, which is why Phnom Penh is sort of like the Amsterdam of South-East Asia. While in Phnom Penh, we stayed at a guesthouse in the shabby backpacker-hippie ghetto near Boeung Kak lake. The Boeung Kak hippies have a good taste for music, which was very much appreciated. It was good fun, and we didn't get much sleep here.

Phnom Penh itself is rather run-down, except for the royal palace complex, which is maintained to a high standard, in stark contrast to the rest of the city. Among other buildings, the palace grounds are home to the famous silver pagoda and a French-style mansion built by Napoleon III.

Sihanoukville @ Kampong Saom, Cambodia

2006-12-09T02:35:00.000Z

Our next stop was Sihanoukville, a busy coastal town in southern Cambodia and a favorite holiday destination for Khmers. We spent three nights at Sihanoukville's Serendipity beach. During the days, we would lay at the beach, drink beer, play pool, and feast on the excellent seafood. Miha had some work to do, so he set up a beachfront office in one of the internet cafes. On the second day, we took a relaxed boat trip to the uninhabited islands just off the coast.

A peculiarity of Serendipity beach is that it is infested with children, which spend most of their time hanging around foreign tourists, trying to sell their parents' handiwork. These lovable little beasts are cute, know all the latest jokes, speak excellent English, and will ultimately charm you to death. We fell victim to the persuasive powers of these master merchants, and ended up buying gifts and souvenirs for ourselves, our families, our friends, as well as all distant relations.

Cambodia/Vietnam border crossing @ Phumi Phnum Den Khang Cheung, Cambodia

2006-12-11T19:21:00.000Z

We got our Vietnam visas early Monday morning and arranged a taxi from Sihanoukville to the border crossing at Phnom Den. It was there and then, right out of the blue, that the greatest tragedy of our journey befell us. We forgot our GPS in the car!!!

To add insult to injury, we were harassed by a gang of moto riders from the moment we crossed the Vietnamese border at Tinh Bien. These guys were persistent. Tinh Bien is not exactly a bustling tourist destination, and cars, or other motorised vehicles of any kind, are in short supply. If you don't speak Vietnamese, you won't get very far here. After about two hours, we gave up and settled for a mild rip-off in exchange for a moto ride to the nearby city of Cahu Doc.

On the bright side... The ride to Phnom Den, and the border crossing in particular, were scenic. At the border we were officially proclaimed as healthy, SARS-free individuals (although this incurred a small fee). Finding transportation from Chau Doc to Saigon was also a piece of cake. Finally, and most importantly, the responsible member of the party had a backup GPS device (a GPS-equipped mobile phone). All was not lost.

To quote a passage on Tinh Bien from the budget travellers' blue bible: "Give it a miss for now". We happily ignored this sound advice, and I guess we would do it all again if we had the chance.

Saigon @ Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

2006-12-12T19:59:00.000Z

We weren't quite prepared for the chaotic scene of downtown Saigon (actually, Ho Chi Minh City is politically correct, but even the Vietnamese don't use this name much). The traffic is the thing we'll remember most of all, and of course, Bo Tung Xeo -- The marinated beef that you grill yourself, right on your table. Delicious!

Wind, sea, sand and palm trees ;) @ Mui Ne, Vietnam

2006-12-14T22:02:00.000Z

After the chaos of Saigon, we spent two relaxed days away from the masses, staying at a seaside resort in Mui Ne. The miles of sandy beach here are mostly deserted, except for small fishing communities, scattered among the dense palm trees.

Mui Ne is perhaps best known as a prime spot for wind- and kite-surfing, so Miha (with the kite board) and myself (on the windsurfer) spent a day on the water. Mui Ne is also home to Vietnam's own little desert, complete with sand dunes and all. They certainly make for some nice photos.

We left Mui Ne the same way that we arrived, taking a long bus ride to Nha Trang, the next coastal town on our journey to the north.

A pit stop at the floating bar @ Vinh Ich, Vietnam

2006-12-16T20:05:00.000Z

There was only one thing that we really wanted to do in Nha Trang: To find a boat with a floating bar facility, and book a trip to the nearby islands. In this we succeeded admirably. Memorable experiences include the crew band, big fish, our beloved alien goddess hotel receptionist, the Russian princess and her macho friend, beach volleyball with our Canadian connection, and possibly more stuff that we just can't remember. A thing to forget was my "extra crunchy" crab vermicelli, which killed my appetite for crab for the remainder of the journey.

Back in town, we had plenty of time to sober up before hopping onto the night train to Danang. The train ride was slow and miserable, but we slept reasonably well nonetheless.

Hoi An, Vietnam @ Hoi An, Vietnam

2006-12-17T20:35:00.000Z

Hoi An is a historic town near Danang with a distinct bohemian character. It's also a bit pricy, and overrun by posh tourists. The old colonial architecture mostly accommodates art galleries and workshops, smart restaurants and tailor shops.

As it turns out, I have a soft spot for Vietnamese art, and ended up buying a 5kg lacquer on wood painting here. This was to be my burden for the rest of the trip, but I managed to lug it through five airports without incident, and the prize is now proudly displayed in my study.

Marble mountain @ Hoi An, Vietnam

2006-12-18T20:19:00.000Z

On the way from Hoi An, we stopped at the marble mountain near Danang. This is a strange geological phenomenon -- a bunch of rocky hills, literally made of marble, sticking right out of the plains. The most scenic one is named, quite unimaginatively, the Marble Mountain.

There are a couple of pagodas built on the mountain, but what impressed us most was the mystic cave temple. Rays of sunlight pierce the crevices in the cave ceiling, barely illuminating ancient Buddha images, altars and shrines. The serenity of the place is overwhelming.

Reluctantly, we left the temple behind and headed towards Danang Airport. After an hour or so in a comfy Vietnam Airlines Boeing 777, we were in Hanoi.

Hanoi, Vietnam @ Hanoi, Vietnam

2006-12-19T17:10:00.000Z

In Hanoi, we first payed our respects to Uncle Ho by visiting his final resting place. If you only have 2 hours to spend in Hanoi, the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum is the thing to see. Visitors queue in a slow procession around the leader's maticulously preserved body, which lays silent in a glass casket. The guards demand strict discipline and respect from the visitors. You must be properly dressed and keep your hands out of your pockets. No bags or cameras are allowed in the mausoleum, and talking is strictly prohibited. A violation of these rules is met with a polite, but stern warning gesture from the guards. You simply do not violate the rules twice. I personally found the whole experience bizzarely exhillarating.

After the mausoleum, we visited the Ho Chi Minh museum, a typical, monumental communist building. The modern exhibition of Ho Chi Minh's life is itself a work of art, and is well worth a visit. We saw two more of the city's prime attractions on this busy day: The Temple of Literature (this is where most of the photos were taken) and the Turtle Pagoda, a small shrine set on an island on Hoan Kiem Lake.

I was beat that afternoon, so I decided to hit the sack early, while Miha, Tana and Ziga spent the evening in a jazz bar in the old quarter. They joined me at the hotel soon after midnight; The military raided their party to enforce the 12:00AM curfew.

Ha Long Bay @ Cay Queo, Vietnam

2006-12-20T18:14:00.000Z

We spent the following two days in Ha Long Bay, which is possibly Vietnam's prime attraction. The photos speak for themselves, and there's really not much to add. Yes, it's pretty. The night on the bay was quiet and peaceful.

The water puppets show @ Hanoi, Vietnam

2006-12-21T23:32:00.000Z

On the way from Ha Long Bay to Sapa, we stopped shortly in Hanoi. We had just enough time to grab something to eat and to see the traditional water puppets show. This was followed by another sleepless night on the train.

Trekking among the terraced rice paddies @ Mong Hoa, Vietnam

2006-12-22T17:01:00.000Z

In Sapa we met up with Key, who was to be our guide for the next three days. To our surprise, we were not the first bunch of Slovenians he had met. Together we set out to explore the picturesque, terraced rice paddies in the surrounding area.

Trek to the Fansipan base camp @ Sin Chai, Vietnam

2006-12-23T20:11:00.000Z

It was now time to do what we really came to Sapa for. We set our sights on Fansipan, the roof of Indochina, looming 3143 meters high above the Sapa valley. The first day of our climb was easy going, rewarded with a hearty dinner at the base camp (which is lovingly called Hotel California by the guides). We huddled around a camp fire before turning in for the cold night.

The roof of Indochina @ San Sa Ho, Vietnam

2006-12-24T14:30:00.000Z

The second day proved much more difficult. We started early and made the steep ascent to the peak in just over four hours. The descent was a long, up and down struggle, covering a considerable distance back to the road. We were picked up by an old Russian army jeep and arrived back at the Sapa Summit Hotel at nightfall.

Karaoke night @ Lo Sui Tong, Vietnam

2006-12-25T03:22:00.000Z

On Christmas Eve, we celebrated our victory over the mountain in a karaoke bar in Sapa. Over a couple of bottles of Hanoi vodka, our mood got progressively lighter, while our singing got progressively worse. At 2:00 AM, after scaring away the other customers with our take of "Hotel California", we decided to call it a day.

Idle running @ Chu Lin, Vietnam

2006-12-25T13:31:00.000Z

On our last day in Sapa we were numb and lifeless, idly waiting for the night train to take us back to Hanoi for a final day of shopping, writing postcards, and pondering about what has passed in the last 27 days.

Our trip was almost over, but not quite yet. In short...

Fly to Bangkok, argue at the Thai immigration office over how to pick up our bags, get photographed, buy a Thai visa, pick up the darned bags, enjoy an extra spicy Thai supper, fly to Dubai, go to McDonald's (there's no McDonald's in Vietnam, imagine that!), fly to Munich, drive to Ljubljana, clean up the mess that the burglars left in the house, and brace for the New Year.