Thailand

[Seagull's Return]

That's the baby. Fantastic place, so chilled, and the Laos-Laos - did you drink any of that?!! Crazy stuff! I spent Christmas 2002 there, 40 degrees, a hut on the water's edge, amazing week.

Think Si Phan Don is on Google Earth - I got my Lonely Planet out a while back and traced the Mekong up to Don Det etc from the maps in there.

When did you go?

Not long after you, beginning of 2003 I think. We came down the Mekong in the north to Luang Prabang (which on reflection isn't spelled like that, but I'm too lazy to check or even try to remember), then by road via Ventiane, and then just chilled for a while. Wonderful - I'll have a look for it on Google Earth, thanks for the idea! Got to say, I never miss travelling more than when I think of Si Phan Don.

 

[Beach Hut]

Just PM Ernest he knows everything about Thailand

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Not long after you, beginning of 2003 I think. We came down the Mekong in the north to Luang Prabang (which on reflection isn't spelled like that, but I'm too lazy to check or even try to remember), then by road via Ventiane, and then just chilled for a while. Wonderful - I'll have a look for it on Google Earth, thanks for the idea! Got to say, I never miss travelling more than when I think of Si Phan Don.

That's what we did. Got the slow boat down to Luang Prabang from the border, had a few days there, then got local bus down to Vientiane - the same bus that got shot up about three months later by Mhong tribesmen, scary to find out about that later. Did a trip up to Vang Vieng, then bus down to Savannahket, and onto the 4000 Islands for Christmas. Funny thing was, it was 40 degrees on Christmas day, but by the time we'd got to Hanoi for New Year, it was 5 degrees. Crazy change in temperature. Ah, the memories

 

[Seagull's Return]

We went down a day or two after the bus was shot up on Highway 13 - did you ever hear the full story? Apparently, there was a contract killing carried out on a bandit leader and his bodyguard who were in a car on the road, coming back from a spell in the relative safety of jail; as soon as the killers had ambushed them and riddled them both with bullets, the bus came round the corner, so they had to kill as many witnesses as possible, obviously. Even worse, immediately after THAT, a pair of Swiss cyclists came round the same corner - cue more murder.

By the time we heard about there being "trouble on Highway 13", there was a tour party of elderly yanks roaming the streets of LP whose company had refused to let them travel by road and were going to send them by air; one of them told me that there was a "whole goddamn bandit war going on down there, son - artillery and everything". However, we met a French girl who'd just come up by bus that morning who said it was fine now - and, of course, it was.

It's a fine trip to take, though, travelling north-south through Laos - I recommend it to everyone who'll listen (and indeed many who won't). Although the wooden benches on those boats down to LP make your arse ache a bit by the second day...

 

[eastlondonseagull]

We went down a day or two after the bus was shot up on Highway 13 - did you ever hear the full story? Apparently, there was a contract killing carried out on a bandit leader and his bodyguard who were in a car on the road, coming back from a spell in the relative safety of jail; as soon as the killers had ambushed them and riddled them both with bullets, the bus came round the corner, so they had to kill as many witnesses as possible, obviously. Even worse, immediately after THAT, a pair of Swiss cyclists came round the same corner - cue more murder.

By the time we heard about there being "trouble on Highway 13", there was a tour party of elderly yanks roaming the streets of LP whose company had refused to let them travel by road and were going to send them by air; one of them told me that there was a "whole goddamn bandit war going on down there, son - artillery and everything". However, we met a French girl who'd just come up by bus that morning who said it was fine now - and, of course, it was.

It's a fine trip to take, though, travelling north-south through Laos - I recommend it to everyone who'll listen (and indeed many who won't). Although the wooden benches on those boats down to LP make your arse ache a bit by the second day...

Bloody hell. I was in Cambodia I think when it happened and the story we'd got was that it was a political attack by disgruntled tribesmen, trying to put pressure on the government. Didn't realise it was a contract killing. Shocking. I'd heard about the passengers and Swiss cyclists getting done over, but thought that was 'collateral' as opposed to deliberate killing of witnesses. Shit. Am glad it was only a one-off, though, and not a sign of trouble in general. Those bus journeys were always an experience, 20 hours next to a chicken, car engine and woman with the pox

We stayed with Mhong villagers for a few days while we were up near LP, and they were a lovely bunch. Seem to remember being amazed that they used our Roman alphabet, yet the rest of the country wrote in squiggles.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

One of the things I remember clearly, too, is how friendly and welcoming all the monks in Laos were. They even shaved my hair at one of the monasteries on the 4000 Islands

 

[Seagull's Return]

I found everyone I met in Laos friendly, to be honest - although obviously I wasn't mixing with the criminal elite... that's a fine haircut you're getting there, by the way! I see you're sporting that season's Buddhist orange robe. Orange is the new black, as they used to chant in the more fashion-conscious wats. I didn't know the Hmong used the roman alphabet instead of the squiggly Lao one - maybe because it sets them apart from ethnic Lao? Or maybe just another of those weird Asian things.

f***, you're right about the bus journeys, it all comes back: pigs in sacks, chickens, dust, toothless crones waving bamboo skewers of barbecued cokcroaches, more dust...

Cambodia was also good stuff, I thought, although we didn't do much more there than the old Siem Riep/Phnom Penh/Sihanoukville tourist triangle there before going on to Vietnam. Hope to go back and see more of the place in a couple of years' time, all being well.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

I found everyone I met in Laos friendly, to be honest - although obviously I wasn't mixing with the criminal elite... that's a fine haircut you're getting there, by the way! I see you're sporting that season's Buddhist orange robe. Orange is the new black, as they used to chant in the more fashion-conscious wats. I didn't know the Hmong used the roman alphabet instead of the squiggly Lao one - maybe because it sets them apart from ethnic Lao? Or maybe just another of those weird Asian things.

f***, you're right about the bus journeys, it all comes back: pigs in sacks, chickens, dust, toothless crones waving bamboo skewers of barbecued cokcroaches, more dust...

Cambodia was also good stuff, I thought, although we didn't do much more there than the old Siem Riep/Phnom Penh/Sihanoukville tourist triangle there before going on to Vietnam. Hope to go back and see more of the place in a couple of years' time, all being well.

All this is bringing the memories flooding back, the whole of south east Asia is amazing.

If you do go to Cambodia again, try and go to Banlung, a tiny, dusty town off the tourist triangle. Took us two days to get there on the back of a pick-up, but it's only a 45-minute flight from PP if you fancy less of the hassle.

BTW, did you go to the haunted hill-station, near Kampot, outside Sihanoukville? Very spooky at night!

 

[Trufflehound]

Have they made the buses in Vietnam any bigger these days? The record when I was there was 51 passengers plus luggage in a vehicle the size of a transit. Spent 8 hours (between Nha Trang and Danang I think) with 7 others squeezed into the space behind the rear seats and the back door (room for two small or one normal person). But at least we were treated better than the 200 ducks on the roof, who were exposed to the sun the whole way. All but about 20 were dead on arrival from dehydration.

 

[Parson Henry]

Re: Re: Thailand

Well while I was there I had a shit in a ladyboys mouth while his underage sister wanked me off onto their mums tits.
Probably still available.

I worry for you sometimes Jim.

 

[butchy]

if you want any advice on the kingdom of the thais ask me young sir-off there next easter again hopefully