Yay, our photo's have reappeared! Here are a few of our Angkor pics

Angkor

The 4 of us caught a flight to Siem Reap and somehow managed to fit ourselves and all of our luggage onto 1 tuk-tuk. We checked in at 'Prince Mekong Villa', a clean and comfortable place with free breakfasts, bikes and laundry and the huge bonus of the Swiss owners knowledge of the Temples. Angkor is the area of Cambodia that was the home to the Khmer Empire from the 9th to the 15th century AD. It has an abundance of temples of varying architecture and is set amongst forest and farmland. It receives around 2 million visitors a year.

Like eager little beavers we set off on tuk-tuks at 5:30am on the first of our 3 days in town. After watching the sunrise at a quiet spot we made our way to Banteay Srei, where we walked in absolute peace and quiet through perfect pink sandstone and unimaginably intricate carvings. The rest of the morning was spent wandering through a handful of other temples and by 1pm the heat and the call of our stomach's convinced us to call it a day.

The second morning saw us heading off on bikes just after 5am and with head torches fixed we cautiously navigated the dark back roads south of the temples. After watching the sunrise with a handful of others at 1 of the hilltop temples we approached the Southern Gate of Angkor Tohm and after entering we joined a couple of wild monkeys up on the wall. With the early morning sun on our backs we cycled along the wall for about half an hour, all the way round to the Western Gate where we dropped back down to ground level. From there we rode into the main tourist hub where we visited the staring faces of Bayon and walked along the famous terraces. After a quick snack at a deserted jungle temple and a visit to a few others we made our way back into town, dripping with sweat and with raging appetites.

Our time in Siem Reap was not totally focused on the temples but also on testing some of the cuisine. All of us got stuck in but myself and Stephane (who is pretty much a french version of me) excitedly consumed as much of the local fair as possible. He has a wine company that sells top french labels and was very keen to expose us to his passion. He bought a bottle that was way out of our daily budget and we enjoyed it with some strong cheese. It turned out to be a really fun evening and included an informal lesson on the confusing topic of french wine.

My advice to anyone visiting Angkor is to try and stay away from the crowds and stumble over rubble and through narrow passages alone, as if you the were the first to discover it's wonders. This of course is not the easiest thing to do with it being 1 of the world's greatest tourist attractions. A sunrise at Angkor Wat for example will be shared with a few others, around 5,000 or so, all scrumming for the best shot. We followed the masses on our third morning but as soon as the sun gazed down at us from between the towers we were off to Ta Prohm were managed to explore on our own. Ta Prohm has a fantastic setting in the forest, with gigantic trees actively engulfing the ageing ruins. It was also made famous by 'Tomb Raider' and has to be 1 of the most interesting sites in the whole complex. To end our morning and our time at Angkor we finally entered Angkor Wat. A very beautiful place with a wonderful layout that was sadly littered with tourists (like ourselves - but a lot more stupid) but was worthwhile nevertheless with awesome bass reliefs along it's outer corridors. The amazing thing about the place is that it looks like it was constructed only a couple of years ago.

We had originally planned to visit another group of temples but by lunch time on Day 3 we were officially templed out. Instead we took the afternoon off and later dragged a few beers up onto a hill to watch the sun set over the Tonle Sap Lake and the never-ending plains of Cambodia.

Many thanks to Stephane (wine guru and amateur National Geographic photographer) for the pictures.

Leaving Laos

To celebrate the conclusion of our time in Laos we joined the upper crust and dined at the rooftop restaurant of the Pakse Hotel. I even wore my going out shirt and when Stephane needed a cognac and cigar partner I accepted without hesitation.

Sadly no pictures of the event because our external hard drive has bilharzia or some similar virus and ALL of our pictures have been deleted. Lets hope 1 of my computer genius friends can help us out.

Champasak and Wat Phou

On the way back to Pakse we arranged to be dropped off at the ferry for Champasak and after ariving well after nightfall were pretty fortunate to make the last ferry. We climbed onto the back of a friendly locals bakkie and caught a ride with him to his guesthouse.

The following morning we set off on bicycles travelling about 8km south to Wat Phou. Even older than Angor the complex consists of a few buildings positioned on different terraces, all connected by a long and hypnotically beautiful row of Frangipani trees. We explored for a couple of hours and the when the heat and the onslaught of tour groups reached unbearable proportions we made our way back into town and stepped onto a long boat that took the 4 of us 2 hours up the Mekong and back to the centre of Pakse.

Siphandon: 4,000 islands and 4 kayaks

Siphandon is an area formed by the spread of the Mekong in Southern Laos. Even though we'd kayaked ourselves silly we decided that it would be a great way to see the islands and set off with our new french companions and a young dutch couple.

The kayaks were of the inflatable variety and even though at times it felt like we were paddling a bus down the river it was a great adventure. We spent the night on Don Khon and woke up feeling slightly lethargic after reluctantly sharing a bottle of laos-laos with our guide Lay. Day 2 gave us a bit of culture with a lesson in Buddhism and a look at the only train ever to travel in Laos. We had lunch and a swim near Leephi Waterfall and then took on some rapids on our way down to the Cambodian border, where we hopped onto a rock with a handful of other tourists and watched a group of rare Irrawaddy Dolphins playing in the distance. To round off the trip we stopped at the impressive Phapeng Falls and then made our way back towards Pakse.

Tad Lo

After eating a couple of frisbee-like pancake in the centre of Pakse the 4 of us (Stephane, Faustine, Jacks and myself) sorted out some money, decided on an agenda and made our way to the southern bus station. With a busy market and curious collection of farm animals and with hundreds of locals and the occasional bus, the 2 hour wait for transport was an adventure in itself. We eventually set off towards Sarawan and 2 hours later were dropped at the side of the road and pointed in the right direction.

We spent 2 nights in the quiet little tourist village and explored the mountains, waterfalls and many villages of the area. Even though Tad Lo is essentially set up for tourists it has a real rural charm about it and the fact that it only sees a couple of thousand visitors a year adds to it's attraction.

The 2nd French Revolution

After a night and day in Vientiane, exploring it's strange architecture (with it's own interpretation of the Arc de Triomphe), eating a wonderful curry and trying not to get too irritated with everyone trying to rip us off, we arranged to catch an overnight bus to Pakse (in the south of Laos). Everything happens very slowly in Laos but when our 7: 30 pick up hadn't arrived by 8:30 we were slightly concerned, especially because our bus was supposed to be leaving at 8:30. At 8:45 a young chap (that I had to really force myself not to strangle) arrived and reluctantly took us off to a packed van. We hopped on and an American looked at me and said 'welcome to hell'. I managed to shove Jackie onto the vehicle but for the 9km ride I was dangling from the bumper. We were drop-kicked onto a bus and forced into 2 seats at the very back, sandwhiched between a french couple and a chap from Nantes. At this stage we were in a bit of a bad mood but during a conversation with our Parisian neighbours that all changed. Sometimes you just get on with people and this was 1 of those times. We chatted for around 2 hours and then snuggled up and went to sleep. When we woke up the next morning in Pakse there was no doubt that we would be travelling together for a while.

VLT (very loaded truck) Tours

Instead of catching a bus from Vang Vieng to Vientiane we decided to split up the trip with a bit of kayaking. We weren't expecting a huge amount from the tour company but what we got was a joke. The sangthaw (or little open-sided van), with an engine the size of your average weed-eater, was packed with 14 clients, 3 guides, a driver, 9 kayaks and everybody's luggage. A wonderfully comfortable ride with exceptional customer service. The adventure became worthwhile around 2 hours later when we finally got into the water, paddling along a beautiful stretch of river, floating upside down through the biggest rapid and enjoying a better than expected lunch on the rocks.

I would recommend kayaking on the Nam Lik river but definitely don't go with VLT Tours.

Vang Vieng: 'Happy' with friends

If you look at guides or travel forums on Vang Vieng you'll see that everyone has some sort of opinion on the town. As we arrived, after catching a long and winding bus ride through the mountains, we realised why. There are about 10 restaurants that show nonstop re-runs of 'Friends'. The amazing thing is that they are all full of people. I have nothing against people who enjoy 'Friends' but in my opinion you could wait until until you get home or at least somewhere that is not blessed with such an amazing landscape.

Instead of tubing down the river like everyone else we decided to hire bicycles and ride off into the mountains. We covered around 30km's and passed rice paddies and locals laughing at the strange white folk cycling through their villages. The fact that I was sitting on the rear seat (to give me a bit more leg room) might have encouraged the reaction.

At every restaurant in town you can request the 'happy' menu and even after we hired bikes the guy asked if we wanted some happy in our baskets. We were happy enough to explore the sublime surroundings and to spoil ourselves with some great grilled fish and cold beer.

A short paddle

To get out of Luang Prabang and to give us a brief Beerlaos interval we arranged a kayaking trip that would take us down the Nam Ou River to the Pak Ou Cave, where we'd meet the Mekong and continue on a short way back towards town. Our guide was an ex-novice (monk) who quit after deciding that the transition from 20 to 270 rules would be too difficult for him to handle.
The trip was fantastic with mostly calm waters but plenty of activity along the way, with locals bathing, fishing and tending to their crops. The cave, with a huge collection of buddha's, was our lunch stop and worth a 5 minute look and from there we entered the Mekong and dodged longboats down to a village that makes laos-laos, a highly unrecommended petrol-like whisky.

Cooking Laos style

On the banks of a river near Luang Prabang, Jacks and myself spent a morning learning how to cook Laos food. Not 100% Laos of course without a pile of organs or blood but some wonderful and original dishes nevertheless. The most interesting was the ant-egg salad and our favourite was the stuffed lemongrass. We'll make it for you one day if you're good.

Luang Prabang: A pig in Gucci

After being well and truly off of the tourist radar in Chiang Mai we caught a plane and were thrust into the tourist mecca of Luang Prabang. The one positive of a place full of tourists is that they follow each other around like happy little lambs and if you make the effort it's easy to find a peaceful spot.

Take the airport for example. Everyone leaves the arrivals hall and lines up at the taxi desk outside, happy to pay $5 for a 3km ride into town. We tried to barter a bit but with so many willing customers they wouldn't budge. We walked off along the road and found a chap outside who took us to our guesthouse for $2.

Luang Prabang is without a doubt one of the most beautiful places we have seen. An intensely relaxed and calm feel with monks wandering it's streets and houses and restaurants perched on the banks of the Mekong. There is so much to see and do but simply sitting and doing nothing at all is good enough. At night the quiet streets tranform into colourful markets and the bars come alive.

Luang Prabang caters for those wanting the finer things in life with gourmet restaurants and places that will rub oils and herbs on something if you ask them to. A closer look however reveals a raw character that is far more refreshing but slightly disturbing at the same time. The local food market sells the usual spread of fruits and veg but if you explore the meat section you will find parts of animals that you never knew existed, mounds of jelly-like congealed buffalo blood, packets of bile and a smell that would bring a tear to a rhino's eye.

On our last evening in town we had positioned ourselves at our favourite sundowner spot and were sipping on a cold Beerlao when a longboat pulled up below us. A beautiful scene for a minute or 2 but when a huge live pig was thrown off the front of the boat, legs tied together, the atmosphere changed somewhat. As a couple of chaps carried the poor squeeling creature off upside down on a stick into town I couldn't help feeling that even though we were fairly comfortable and at home we were somewhere very different. Like a lot of the T-shirts in SE Asia say 'same same but different'.

Northern Thailand - Chiang Mai

Ayumi - our Japanese tour guide

Doi Suthep

A school's sports day

A lamyai tasting at the University Farm with P_Noi

Thai dinner with P_Noi and his masters students

Gan's dad, his rose-growing neighbour and the local police force

Gan's house

Me teaching Gan how to make spaghetti and him teaching me to be cool

In Chiang Dao with Gan's family (below)

We travelled overnight to Chiang Mai on a sleeper train for 2 reasons. We were meeting a girl from Japan named Ayumi (who we met in Scotland about 3 years ago) who had decided to organise her annual leave so that she could meet up with us. X (from the X factor story before) had also arranged for us to stay with her brother, so even though it wasn't part of our original plan, Chiang Mai was a definate.

All we knew was that X's brother, known as P_Noi or Shorty, worked at a university about 15km from the city. We had his number and gave him a call a bit later in the morning. Our plan for the day was to meet up with Ayumi and then make our way to P_Noi early evening. P_Noi said that he'd come and fetch us which was great. We had the day to explore the town with Ayumi. She had travelled to England a few years ago to learn English and it was during this time that we crossed paths in Scotland. It was fantastic to see her again and because she had already spent some time in the city she became our tour guide for the day. Her English in the morning was average, by the end of the day it was excellent and she was thrilled because all of a sudden she could express herself and joke around.

Evening arrived and so did P_Noi and his wife P_A0w. After formal introductions we set off with them in their car, not sure where we were going. P_Noi is the Associate Dean at a big university in the North of Thailand and speaks very good english. His wife, a very friendly lady, has very little english. We drove 15km out of town to an outdoor restaurant and enjoyed a wonderful meal. I'm not sure when it happened but sometime during the meal we went from being just strangers to friends and the rest of our time with them was unreal!

We spent 4 nights with them, sleeping in Tour's (their 10 year old son) room, and were treated like members of the family. We woke up the first morning to an empty house, they had left us breakfast (sticky rice and a variety of dishes), but amazingly left us alone in their home. So generous and so trusting, I'm not sure too many people we know would leave me alone in their house (hands up?).

In between lectures or exams P_Noi would race home and excitedly take us off to see something. We went up to Doi Suthep, a Temple high up on a hill overlooking the city, and he showed us with great pride the University farm, where they are currently experimenting with a fruit called lamyai (not sure of the spelling) that is like a sweet lychee. He was busy with exams one day and arranged for 2 of his masters students to look after us. We drove into town to fetch Ayumi and set off to various spots. P_Noi called a bit later and said that we should go shopping. We had mentioned that we had done a Thai cooking course in Bangkok and he was interested to see if we could make anything edible. Ayumi was also invited and she was asked to make Tempura (P_Noi had done his doctorate in Japan and was missing the food). We had a wonderful evening and everyone in attendance ate wholeheartedly. The guests included the whole family, including Grandad, 3 masters students and ourselves. Grandad seemed to enjoy my curry and ate the leftovers for breakfast, lunch and supper the next day. We got to know him quite well through smiling and various other forms of non-verbal communication and he loved looking after us. As soon as we appeared in the morning he would help us make coffee and get some breakfast.

Besides Tour (who was named because P_Noi enjoys travelling so much), the family also looks after a 12 year old boy named Gan. His folks live further north on a farm and because he attends a school in town, it's easier for him to stay with P_Noi during the week. He is a really great kid who showed an amazing and very mature interest in where we were from and what we were up to. He questioned me on my diet (through our interpreter) because his intention was to be fairly tall. I told him that I had eaten a lot of vegetables growing up and that my parents had planted me in a pot of compost. After finding out that Jackie was vegetarian he called his parents to see if they could cook something for her and then invited us to his home.

We travelled the 40km or so with P_Aow and spent the day with them on their farm. They're retired and now fill their days farming sweet tamarind. We were treated like royalty and enjoyed a fantastic lunch on their patio. We visited their next door neighbour, an 80 year old local chap who used to work on the railways and spent a few years in the UK. He grows and looks after rare rose varieties (just because he wants to) and seems to be a bit like the village mayor. We stood talking to him and Gan's dad for a while and the sheriff arrived for what seemed to be his daily chat. We chatted between the rare roses in the middle of the hills of Northern Thailand and after about half an hour Gan's dad managed to tear us away. The afternoon program was for us to join his family on an outing to a cave called Chiang Dao. Gan's dad drove around an hour to get there and we listened to Elvis classics while weaving between animals along the way. The caves were awesome, massive and culturally impressive with many shrines and buddhas tucked away in dark corners. I had my usual nap in the car on the way back to their farm and soon after we got there we set off back towards Chiang Mai. A great day with wonderful people.

Gan had asked us to teach him how to make Spaghetti. I tweaked the recipe slightly, having to use pork instead of beef, but served up a feast for the family and for a couple of P_Noi's guests (3 medical doctors from other universities). Gan was thrilled with his lesson and felt confident that he'd be able to make it for his parents (the only reason he wanted to know how to make it).

On our departure, even though we'd told P_Noi that we'd get to the airport on our own, he tricked us into getting into the car, telling us that he was going to take us to the bus stop, and drove us all the way to the airport. What an amazing family and an experience that was truly unique. An experience that occured because we took an Irish couple's (in Langkawi) advice and visited Koh Lipe, where we met X.