Chiang Mai, North of Thailand

Last days with Parina were pretty OK, despite the attitude of her husband, which is to be called Hula hula, for reasons only insiders understand. Did a lot of biking and running. Payed my Income taxes for 2010 (thanks for the messages Wen!!). Stayed in the most beautiful house (better: castle) you can imagine (see video's (still to be published)). Parina's family was so hospitable! I felt home right away and at some ceremonial church-like service they even did a prayer for me, which was appreciated. Mean that!!
This morning Marina (good (and very good looking)) friend of Parina brought me to the bus station, from where the trip to Chiang Mai started. Arrived here at 1 PM, found a nice room, strolled around city and orientated about how and when to cross the border. There are visa running trips (with only as a goal to extend your visa), so that's a good option. Anyway, we'll see.
Now: some food and there's Chelsea - Man C on a big screen in a few bars here, so... Hup Man C!!

Laterz,
Jan.

Fairytale in Northern thailand

Yesterday: long, long trip to mom and dad of Parina. Very hospitable people and i felt home right away. Then came the big suprise: we stay in the house of a friend of Parina. Well, house... it's a castle. Literally. I did not belive my eyes. I made some movies, to be published later. Really amazing time here (except for Ulf who is spoiling a lot of fun by drinking too much, as was to be expected).
So today: shopping (bought a dictionary for Parina's dad, since he tries so hard to communicate with me), then back to town by bike (yep, bike, 20 KM's) where i'm updating this weblog (among other things).
Soon to Cang mai, from where i will cross the border to Lao again (and see Vientien and perhaps Vien Vang), before going back to BKK.

Laterz,
Jan.

Mountains in North Thailand.

2 days of tripping in the mountains: the views are stunning (thanks Paul for teaching me that word), the way of traveling very comfortable (big USV (yeah, yeah, i know... not exactly in line with my opinion about how to handle the environmentproblems, but... complaining would be too unpolite)), the people i stay with (Parina's sister (very kind woman, who makes me feel at home) and Ulf (hmmmm, never mind)) are basically OK.
I made a lot of pictures and movies (finally, after not having touched the camera for a month (don't know why not)(,which i will publish when i'm home). I link to them will be on this blog.
Food is great and err.... going 'home' now and take a shower.

Laterz,
Jan.

Oh yeah: Thai people can't drive cars. Taking risks when passing over, drive too slow when not necessary and too fast when not smart, don't keep left, etc. And they really don't grasp the concept of shifting gears (climbing a mountain in 5th gear will not work guys).
So, no wonder: 15.000 killed (2004) and how many injured? And it's not just the worse conditions of the road. Government has to do something here.

One exception: Juan (college of Parina) knows how to drive.

Up in the mountains (North of Thailand)

Yesterday: spend a relaxing day in Kalasin. Preparing for the trip, running, reading, meeting some old friends for the last time (for the next few years anyway), going for a nice diner with Ulf and Parina. Some chatting afterwards and an early night.
Today: went to the north to the house of Kasin, the sister of Parina. Great place to be: rural area, mountainns in the background (where we will go tomorrow). To go short: although the end of the trip is nearing, i'm still having a great time.

Laterz,
Jan.

Back in Kalasin...

Yesterday last day in Lao. Spend it with Adi from Israel. Nice bloke, great time. Some bicycle trips in the environment, the dinosaur museum (very tiny), then Adi took the nightbus to Vientiane.
This morning i left Lao by bus. Crossed the border to Mukdahan and from there to Kalasin. All went well, so i arrived here round noon. Good to see my friends here again. Too bad i only got a 15 days visa. It forces me to visit Malaysia before i fly back to Holland. What a shame isn't it?

Laterz,
Jan.

Back in Savannakhet

The trip to the Bolaven plateau with Dean and 4 others was fantastic. Take a look for yourself if you like:

www.molon.de/galleries/Laos/Bolaven/

Again, visiting these poor rural area's i realize how incredibly rich the west is. It's an open door (dutchism?), but still.

Today back to Savanahketh, which went very quick, since we were dropped of at the bus it self in stead of the northern busstation. I came here with Adi from Israel. Over here, booked a room in my old (3 days ago, haha) hotel, had a bite, a siesta and some winterolympics on the television (yeah, luxury room). Now about to have dinner with Adi, in a restarant on the Mekong river (were i ate before).

Plans: tomorrow cycling in this environment en the Dinosaur museum.The day after: crossing the border to Thailand, and bus to Kalasin. You'll here from me again from there if all goes well.

See ya,
Jan.

Pakse, also Lao

Pakse here and now. Nice city, but not that much to do. So, one day of arranging things and cycling in the area and a one day trip to the bolovan(?) plateau, which is supposed to be great.
I arrived here yesterday with Thomas after a long long and slow busride by a local bus. Being dropped of 8 km's before we arrived town (which turned out to be a scam, coz later on it seemed that the bus did go to the center of town, but ok). Found a expensive hotel here, got some indian food (yummy) and Thomas hit the sack then. I stayed for a stroll through town and a last beer. During that last beer i could just prevent that this English guy (Dean) started a fight with a German, although he had good reasons for it to do so. (Can't go into details about that.)
This moring i wanted to arrange al kinds of things, but that was done in like 10 minutes. After that went to town to get some breakfast and guess who i met again? Yep, Sebastian, Pieter and Brian! So nice to see them again. Finally a chance to say a proper goodbye and to exchange email-addresses. After that switched to a cheaper room and here i am now updating my blog in an internet cafe down the road in Pakse.

See you all later,
Jan.

Savanahket, Lao that is...

Here i am, Savanahket, Lao, suffering from a huge hangover due to beerlao, which is strong beer i can tell by now. Ouch! The trip to here was a nice, but uncomfortable one: Picked up early (6 am), by minibus (13 people in a 8 persons minibus), from there to the border (met Pieter and Sebastian from Holland, nice blokes), spend about an hour crossing the border (lend 40 $ to Lisa (Holland too), get her cross the border), busride to Savanahket, through a beautifull countrysite. Lao is so quit and relaxing compared to Vietnam!! Love it here!
Arriving here, trying to find a hotel with 5 other people (Pieter, Sebastiaan, Lisa and then there is Thomas (Germany), and Brian (USA)), ending up at the hotel where the bus dropped us off initially. Then: food and beer with the six of us, which was so incredibly nice! Good converations... and then... the beer struck!
So, now i'm miserable, but that's my own fault i guess. Still had a great evening.

Later more,
Jan.

Hue, part 2

Spend 6 days here (including tomorrow) and that was OK, but enough. Trips in the rural environment are really nice. The Vietnamese rural site is really like you expect Vietnam to be. Big terraces with rice fields, where you can ride your bicycle endlessly. There is a daily routine again: breakfast with banana pancakes and coffee (i think Vietnamese coffee is the best in the world!), long walks or a trip (either organized or on my own, by bicycle), running in the park, food, some drinks in a (cheap) local restaurant. On the 11th of February i plan to go to Lao, though i got only 7 days to spend there since i have to be in Kalasin again on the 18th for a trip with Parina and Ulf to the North of Thailand (where no tourists go). Looking forward to that. Too bad i have to miss Hanoi though. 4 months and still running out of time...hmm, bad planning perhaps?

See ya all laterz,
Jan.

Hue...

Last day in Nha Thrang was spend with.... Ed, from Alaska. Met him before in both Phnom Penh and Saigon. Funny how the same people show up all the time. Of course we had dinner and a good conversation again and also the next day (last one in Nha Trang) was shared with him. He is an experienced traveler and has lots of stories about it as well.

Too bad i did not get the chance to say a proper goodbye to Paul and Heyley. Have 10 more fine traveling months guys. I'm not jealous about you at all. (Grrr....) (Still have a little less than 6 weeks left for myself, so... no complaining.)

The sleeperbus (nightbus with some bed(ish) kind of chairs) to Hue was a long and tiring one, but OK, here i am. Did a little nap when i arrived here, then the first explorations in town. I think i can have a few good days here. And no old travelers to meet up here (probably), so... on my own again. Instead of Hanoi i plan to visit Lao before i go back to Kalasin. I's so easy to cross the border from here...
Well i'll let you know how it all ends... Now, some running (found a nice park to run in).

Greetz, Jan.

Nha Trang (that's how i should have written it)..

After a stunning busride through the highland of vietnam i entered a beachresort again, this time with a big city connected to it. Nha Trang is good for a couple of days but... i must go on soon otherwise i won't make it up to Hanoi. So... days on the beach again, did a nice boattrip along the islands today, met Paul and Heyley again (just shortly, since they were exhausted) and also Nicolai (from Russia) and Jerson (from Brazil). Last two are foreign exchange students in Seoul (Corea), visiting Vietnam now. Oh yeah, and Florian from Germany.
Well, no really much to tell, since the days here are touristic (in stead of travelic) and so my activities are predictable (sunbathing, swimming, good food, nice conversations, nice people). One more day here and then to Hue, by nightbus. Hear from me again when im there probably.

Laterz, Jan.