one thing i forgot to mention about my activities yesterday... on the way to the tunnels we stopped off at a handicraft place that employs handicapped or "unlucky" [not sure what that means - i guess poverty-striken] people. they do paintings with inlays in mother of pearl or egg shells. it's amazing and you really have to see the processes to appreciate how many hours goes into creating them. me and dee both bought a small one each. very impressed.
today i got a haircut [with shampooing included - a 1st for me] for 3 dollars. dee got one for 6 dollars. about 6 times cheaper than ireland. reverse culture shock will be a b1tch. i'm not paying 5 euro for a pint... that's for sure!
all over asia it seems to be rainy season and amid all of the humidity, it rains like a monsoon about once a day, but only for about an hour or 2. there's brilliant lightning aswell that lights up the sky like fireworks and thunder that you can feel in the pit of your stomach. i actually awoke from a siesta one day in a dizzy stupor, shouting, as i thought there was gunfire outside our hotel as the thunder was that loud and sticatto. crossing roads here is taking your life in your hands - just close your eyes and don't slow down!
as mentioned before, we're heading on a mekong delta tour tomorrow for 2 days so will not be able to the internet i imagine.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
30/05/2007
on our final day in phnom penh we had a look at the royal palace, which is pretty surreal, as outside the gates of this golden bastion is major poverty. the palace was pretty cool with plenty of artifacts from cambodia's previous kings. we headed to vietnam the following morning to ho chi minh city.
ho chi minh [and vietnam in general] seems far more developed than cambodia. the roads are decent, there's more cars, and the shops in the city are nice. there's even a KFC here! not that i'd ever eat there again...
this morning we headed out to the cu chi tunnels about 90 mins from the city. this is where the majority of the fighting was done in the vietnam war. our vietnamese guide was an interpreter during the war for the americans so was full of great information. the tunnels themselves are absolutely tiny - i got to journey down one of the larger sections to see what it was like for the rebel force. i even got to kill some gooks! ok, ok, maybe not quite... but i did get to fire some rounds off at a shooting range using the trusty AK47 - the russian semi-automatic that has been the weapon of choice for rebels for the last god knows how long. was a weird experience. phil would be proud i guess. i've shot using that weapon in so many computer games i've lost count. dee took a film of me while shooting, so will show ye when i get back. not a habit i'll be taking up though, don't worry ma.
we also headed to the war museum today and saw loads of tanks and airplanes. there was geansai-loads of photos from the press in the vietnam war era aswell. to top off the busy day, i decided to go have a look at the opticians here in vietnam to see could i pick up a pair of glasses for a reasonable price. an eye test, frames, and glare coated lenses all set me back 25 euro. sweet.
heading to some markets and shops tommorow, then we're off to the mekong delta tour for 2 days; which starts in vietnam, and ends in cambodia. a quick stop there and then off to thailand!
ho chi minh [and vietnam in general] seems far more developed than cambodia. the roads are decent, there's more cars, and the shops in the city are nice. there's even a KFC here! not that i'd ever eat there again...
this morning we headed out to the cu chi tunnels about 90 mins from the city. this is where the majority of the fighting was done in the vietnam war. our vietnamese guide was an interpreter during the war for the americans so was full of great information. the tunnels themselves are absolutely tiny - i got to journey down one of the larger sections to see what it was like for the rebel force. i even got to kill some gooks! ok, ok, maybe not quite... but i did get to fire some rounds off at a shooting range using the trusty AK47 - the russian semi-automatic that has been the weapon of choice for rebels for the last god knows how long. was a weird experience. phil would be proud i guess. i've shot using that weapon in so many computer games i've lost count. dee took a film of me while shooting, so will show ye when i get back. not a habit i'll be taking up though, don't worry ma.
we also headed to the war museum today and saw loads of tanks and airplanes. there was geansai-loads of photos from the press in the vietnam war era aswell. to top off the busy day, i decided to go have a look at the opticians here in vietnam to see could i pick up a pair of glasses for a reasonable price. an eye test, frames, and glare coated lenses all set me back 25 euro. sweet.
heading to some markets and shops tommorow, then we're off to the mekong delta tour for 2 days; which starts in vietnam, and ends in cambodia. a quick stop there and then off to thailand!
Sunday, May 27, 2007
27/05/2007
took the 5 hour bus from siem reap to phnom penh [capital of cambodia] yesterday. staying in a guesthouse called the bright lotus, which is not as good as the last one in siem reap [bou savy], but ok. food is good here though. loving the asian food, noodles, rice, veggies; it's all good. had a few drinks last night for the first time in a while which was nice - drink is much cheaper her than malaysia or singapore.
headed off to the killing fields this morning and then to the genocide museum after. crazy stuff. and only happened 30 years ago! basically the weirdo leader of a rebel group got into power and decided that he wanted to make cambodia a group of peasant farmers. he went about this by killing all intellectuals, leaders, teachers, medical staff, diplomats... even anyone with glasses! [as they were considered intellectual]. then presumably no one could take over his rule as all that was left was farmers with no education. i don't fully understand it, but thousands were tortured and killed. pretty depressing stuff.
to cheer ourselves up we decided to go to massage by the blind, which is on the same street as our guesthouse. it is a good cause, and they are meant to be very good as they have hightened scences and all that jazz. anyway, this cambodian lady battered and rubbed the cr4p out of me for an hour. we chose the relaxing japanese option, so i'd shudder to think what the more serious ones are like. it was nice all the same, and i'm now very relaxed and ready for a kip. i think next time i'll opt for an aromatherapy or reflexology massage... maybe tomorrow, as it only cost 5 dollars!
traffic here is completely insane, but we've become used to it now. motorbikes all over the place, tuk-tuks, and a few jeeps. merging is a black art that requires driving on the wrong side of the road weaving through traffic like the film ronin until you get a space on the right side. fun fun! we're gonna have a look at the royal palace and russian market tomorrow. then off to ho chi minh city the day after that [in vietnam].
headed off to the killing fields this morning and then to the genocide museum after. crazy stuff. and only happened 30 years ago! basically the weirdo leader of a rebel group got into power and decided that he wanted to make cambodia a group of peasant farmers. he went about this by killing all intellectuals, leaders, teachers, medical staff, diplomats... even anyone with glasses! [as they were considered intellectual]. then presumably no one could take over his rule as all that was left was farmers with no education. i don't fully understand it, but thousands were tortured and killed. pretty depressing stuff.
to cheer ourselves up we decided to go to massage by the blind, which is on the same street as our guesthouse. it is a good cause, and they are meant to be very good as they have hightened scences and all that jazz. anyway, this cambodian lady battered and rubbed the cr4p out of me for an hour. we chose the relaxing japanese option, so i'd shudder to think what the more serious ones are like. it was nice all the same, and i'm now very relaxed and ready for a kip. i think next time i'll opt for an aromatherapy or reflexology massage... maybe tomorrow, as it only cost 5 dollars!
traffic here is completely insane, but we've become used to it now. motorbikes all over the place, tuk-tuks, and a few jeeps. merging is a black art that requires driving on the wrong side of the road weaving through traffic like the film ronin until you get a space on the right side. fun fun! we're gonna have a look at the royal palace and russian market tomorrow. then off to ho chi minh city the day after that [in vietnam].
Friday, May 25, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
25/05/2007
to sum up siem reap in cambodia:
- looking at amazing temples that are falling apart [because they are 900 years old]
- hiring a guide, but he knew as little as we did
- hottest place so far on our trip
- super-humid
- nicest people EVER [so far]
- great food + fruit
- great shakes [smoothies]
- nutters on motorbikes [some carry whole families!]
heading to phnom penh tomorrow to stay in a guesthouse called the bright lotus
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
22/05/2007
the 4 star hotel in kuala lumpur was as per the photos, fantastic. had a bath every night i was there! we didn't see much in KL, just lazed about as it was very hot and humid. we went to see chinatown, and i bought myself a watch [long overdue - my current one is rusting from the inside out!]. we also went to a cultural dance show near the tourist office - was pretty good. spent the most time in the food court in the petronas towers - we ate there every night!
got a cold from the eskimo bar in singapore, it only hit me in KL, still recovering, but should be gone soon. taking more pills than my granny in the morning at the moment: vitamin C, sudafed, malerone [maleria tablets], garlic tablets [to keep mozzies away], lemsip, vicks and olbas oil. godda love it!
just got to siem reap in cambodia today - our first guest house aswell; that's all they've got in cambodia and vietnam [no hostels]. it is huge and is pretty much a hotel. tv and air con in room and en suite. nice. tuk tuk driver met us at airport and is going to bring us around the temples for the whole day tommorow for $12 dollars! [they use US dollars over here mainly]. in case you do not know what a tuk tuk is, then here's a pic...
that's dee in the front and i'm driving [i've got an awesome tan]
got a cold from the eskimo bar in singapore, it only hit me in KL, still recovering, but should be gone soon. taking more pills than my granny in the morning at the moment: vitamin C, sudafed, malerone [maleria tablets], garlic tablets [to keep mozzies away], lemsip, vicks and olbas oil. godda love it!
just got to siem reap in cambodia today - our first guest house aswell; that's all they've got in cambodia and vietnam [no hostels]. it is huge and is pretty much a hotel. tv and air con in room and en suite. nice. tuk tuk driver met us at airport and is going to bring us around the temples for the whole day tommorow for $12 dollars! [they use US dollars over here mainly]. in case you do not know what a tuk tuk is, then here's a pic...
that's dee in the front and i'm driving [i've got an awesome tan]
Saturday, May 19, 2007
19/05/2007
met up with reuben last night in singapore. still can't get over how lucky we were to stumble into each other miles away from home. went shopping for electronics [got my digital SLR], then headed to clarke quay for pints. went to eskimo bar; which has the air con turned up to the max and the staff wear fluffy jackets and it's pretty damn cold when you're wearing a tshirt! roo was fine and dee borrowed a jacket from the bar, but i was freezing my nuts off! headed to an irish pub with a very original name - molly malones. drink is SO expensive here. it's not really worth it. also, you can smoke in the bars so woke up with sore dry throat this morning - i forgot what it was like a few years ago in ireland - thank god for the smoking ban back home.
heading to kuala lumpur tomorrow morning at 10am. going to a 4 star hotel in the city. Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel. can't wait. filthy cheap aswell. living it up. probs get massages and all. proper toff. here's some pics:
Friday, May 18, 2007
18/05/2007
well here we are in singapore. the gateway to the orient.
we headed off to sentosa island yesterday. it was the military base for the english to protect the busy singapre port back in the day. now it's just a recreational area, but has a museum called fort siloso which we went to. pretty cool for a museum, but required a fair bit of walking in very hot humid weather. humidity here is about 100%. nuff said. we also went to an aquarium on the island, and a pink dolphin show. dee got a photo with one after the show.
we boogeyed around little india today in singapore, then headed to sin lim square, which is a huge shopping centre full of gadget shops. they are mad about gadgets here. prices are much better than home aswell. i;ll be bankrupt, but i don't care... i just bought a new mobile phone, and i'm buying a digital SLR camera tonight! [watch out peter!].
meeting reuben tonight would you believe? he emailed yesterday to say he was in malaysia working for 6 months and would i like to meet up! he is just across the border, so he can get a bus or taxi to singapore. he's staying in a hotel down the road from us as our one is full. our one is not the best hostel anyway. cockroaches are massive here, and small lizards crawling the walls - cool! heading out on the p1ss tonight with roo i guess.
we headed off to sentosa island yesterday. it was the military base for the english to protect the busy singapre port back in the day. now it's just a recreational area, but has a museum called fort siloso which we went to. pretty cool for a museum, but required a fair bit of walking in very hot humid weather. humidity here is about 100%. nuff said. we also went to an aquarium on the island, and a pink dolphin show. dee got a photo with one after the show.
we boogeyed around little india today in singapore, then headed to sin lim square, which is a huge shopping centre full of gadget shops. they are mad about gadgets here. prices are much better than home aswell. i;ll be bankrupt, but i don't care... i just bought a new mobile phone, and i'm buying a digital SLR camera tonight! [watch out peter!].
meeting reuben tonight would you believe? he emailed yesterday to say he was in malaysia working for 6 months and would i like to meet up! he is just across the border, so he can get a bus or taxi to singapore. he's staying in a hotel down the road from us as our one is full. our one is not the best hostel anyway. cockroaches are massive here, and small lizards crawling the walls - cool! heading out on the p1ss tonight with roo i guess.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
15/05/2007
well, leaving oz tomorrow. it got better as the weeks went on. our last few stops were a blur of long drives and one night stays in hostels in 1770, airlie beach, townsville, and finally cairns. the best hotel we have had in oz has been cairns and the best experience we have had in oz was the barrier reef (off the coast of cairns).
we sped out on a hydrofoil to the reef today. i am not a strong swimmer, so i was not sure what i would be capable of. i tried snorkeling for the 1st time in fiji and loved it, but if i ever felt uncomfortable or unconfident, i could always just stand up as the water was very shallow. not the same out on the reef! it was about 15 - 20 metres deep. i thought i'd be majorly freaked-out, but not only did i snorkel for hours in 2 reef spots, but i also skuba dived!
there was an offer on, and if we paid for the skuba before we got on the boat, it would only cost 10 dollars for the 1st introductory dive... bargain! the way i overcame the snorkeling fear (at extreme depths) was because i took a magical swimming aid with me. god bless the noodle. what a savior. no effort required to keep your self afloat. here's a pic:
we sped out on a hydrofoil to the reef today. i am not a strong swimmer, so i was not sure what i would be capable of. i tried snorkeling for the 1st time in fiji and loved it, but if i ever felt uncomfortable or unconfident, i could always just stand up as the water was very shallow. not the same out on the reef! it was about 15 - 20 metres deep. i thought i'd be majorly freaked-out, but not only did i snorkel for hours in 2 reef spots, but i also skuba dived!
there was an offer on, and if we paid for the skuba before we got on the boat, it would only cost 10 dollars for the 1st introductory dive... bargain! the way i overcame the snorkeling fear (at extreme depths) was because i took a magical swimming aid with me. god bless the noodle. what a savior. no effort required to keep your self afloat. here's a pic:
then the skuba. well, i guess you don't have to be able to swim. sounds weird, but underwater moving is very different than moving on the surface of the water. we got a 5 minute chance to try out the equipment and let them know if we wanted to proceed (dee got out at this point). a small group then decended - 3 guests and a guide. we rented an underwater camera for the trip (which we got for free as they forgot to charge us) so we got some amazing pics. we took about 350 pics, and most of them are a blurry mess, but a small selection came out great.
when snorkeling at the 2nd reef i spotted a sea turtle. he was swimming around and through the reef, so i swam right along side him and let him lead the way (he seemed to know where he was going). it was an amazing experience. i got loads of pics of him, most of them of his arse, so i decided to speed up and swim past him to get a pic of his face. just after i got one, he changed direction and all of a sudden he was directly below me - he must have been no more than a foot away from me. got a pic of that aswell.
all in all, i had just as much fun and saw as much wildlfe when snorkeling as when i was skuba-ing, but i guess it was a different experience; the whole, "i should be drowning, how come i'm still breathing" thing.
flying to singapore tomorrow at 1pm. 9 hour flight. 3 or so days there to shop till we drop. i hear the singaporians are crazy about their gadgets, so i may pick up a mobile phone when i'm there.
Friday, May 11, 2007
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