Wow, Wow, Wow, Wow, Wow.
Meg and Sam have this dreadfully banal Charlie and Lola tape, which they have fortunately now lost interest in but which used to be a firm favourite. (For those without kids, Charlie and Lola are a really annoying brother and sister about whom there are endless boring stories, and who need some top tips on how to speak properly). Anyway in one of the stories Lola discovers the tooth fairy and says, in her irritating voice, 'I can't believe that there is a tooth fairy, WHY didn't someone tell me this before?!'.
For some reason, this refrain keeps going round in my head as we look around Angkor Wat. The ruins are STUNNING. Not just impressive, or beautiful or any of the usual adjectives. They are absolutely breath-taking and I am incredulous that I've never realised quite what I've missed out on by not coming here before.
Angkor Wat itself is a single (but huge temple) which is amazing, but what I had failed to realise was the sheer number of temples that form part of the group, and the variety contained within.
Our first stop was the Bayon (see photo below) which is a huge temple with faces carved out of the rocks staring out in all directions. Again, I had seen pictures before but I hadn't realised quite how big it was, or quite how many faces there were staring out at you. But this was just for starters. We have been exploring solidly for four days and have continued to discover new favourites every day; we have still only really touched the tip of the iceberg. It is just staggering. Some temples are immaculately maintained, others have been left slightly more 'naturally', with the jungle still all around and tree roots working their way through ancient stone work. Some are huge pyramids with steep staircases you can climb, others have cloister after cloister after cloister, each brilliantly carved.
There are hundreds of them and only the most impressive merit a mention in the guidebooks and on the standard tour itinerary.
On the third and fourth day, Mum and Dad hired bikes and we rode out to some of the temples a little further away. We all felt very virtuous as the buses and tuk tuks roared past us.
They left this morning and the children are bereft. There were tears all round and even the promise of ice-cream did not do the trick....Meg continued to sob for the best part of twenty minutes!
The Kids
Southern Laos....
Sunday 27 March 2011
Sambor Prei Kuk
From Phnom Penh we hired a van to take us west, stopping for the night in a smallish town, well off the tourist trail, called Kamphong Thom. En route we climbed a holy mountain (the only slight hill in a country that thus far is as flat as a pancake). The views from the top were beautiful, as were the temples and the 850 steps up gave us all a good work out. Well, most of us. Mike was not feeling quite so lively and persuaded the van driver (against his better judgement) to drive him to the top. We then all jumped in for the descent, which was positively perilous as the brakes were awful and the incline very steep. We had a precarious moment when the brakes suddenly failed and we went careering around a corner but fortunately the driver got things under control again.
The following morning we headed to some Pre Angkorian ruins called Sambor Prei Kuk. These are about 1200 years old and consist of more than a hundred brick temples situated in the middle of the jungle. They are wonderfully atmospheric; during our morning there we saw perhaps 5 other tourists, so these are rather off the beaten track but we all loved them. You were able to clamber over all of the ruins so the kids played at Indiana Jones and we all played hide and seek endlessly.
We then drove on towards Siem Reap, the base for visiting Angkor Wat.
We then drove on towards Siem Reap, the base for visiting Angkor Wat.
Phnom Penh
After a week or so following the Mekong south through Cambodia, we cycled to where our quiet road intersected a major highway into Phnom Penh and jumped on a mini bus. There was just too much traffic, and the drivers too crazy, for cycling to be fun. Arriving in Phnom Penh we biked to our hotel and even that was an experience that you wouldn’t want to repeat too often. The following day, in a state of HIGH excitement, we headed out to the airport to meet Mum and Dad who were arriving for ten days. It was lovely to see them; we’ve been away for nearly five months now, the longest I’ve spent away since my tour leading days. Over the next couple of days we went sightseeing in and around the city, returning frequently to the blissful oasis that was out hotel (the Billabong, in case anyone is heading in this direction). There was a pool there and the kids spent many an hour showing off to Granny and Grandpa.
More pictures
More pictures
Saturday 26 March 2011
pictures
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Meg holds on tight to an orange (given to her by friendly Chinese child passing in 4wd). The old lady tried to extricate it but Meg was not having any of it.
Friday 11 March 2011
Hello Cambodia
Here we are in Cambodia, in a small Mekong town called Kratie. We arrived from Laos a couple of days ago, after a long hot dusty ride over the border. Met a couple of very friendly but corrupt officials who were after money for all sorts of ingenious things - exit stamp, money please; temperature check for health reasons, money please; entrance stamp, money please. Luckily we were almost completely out of funds (Mike's rather blase confidence that there would be bank facilities at the border having proven unfounded) and were thus genuinely unable to pay most of these.
Our initial impressions of Cambodia are very favourable - it is perhaps very slightly greener than southern Laos, but still parched. The people are very friendly and continue to take a great interest in the children. The landscape through which we cycled at first was very remote with rather frightening land mine signs placed frequently along the road to deter you from heading into the bush, but the towns are lively, with great markets and more to look at than in Laos.
We are spending a few days exploring the Mekong and then heading for Phnom Penh to meet Mum and Dad. All are very excited!
Our initial impressions of Cambodia are very favourable - it is perhaps very slightly greener than southern Laos, but still parched. The people are very friendly and continue to take a great interest in the children. The landscape through which we cycled at first was very remote with rather frightening land mine signs placed frequently along the road to deter you from heading into the bush, but the towns are lively, with great markets and more to look at than in Laos.
We are spending a few days exploring the Mekong and then heading for Phnom Penh to meet Mum and Dad. All are very excited!
Thursday 10 March 2011
The 4000 Islands
From Champasak we crossed the Mekong on a small boat and rode south to an old temple called Uo Muong. This was atmospherically situated in an large forest but truth be told, you needed a vivid imagination to get much out of it. Still, it was a beautiful ride to get there, on small tracks past quiet villages. Our intention was to continue south on the main road, stopping in some small guesthouse along the way, but it was just too hot and we were running out of steam, so we jumped on another bus and headed for the 4000 islands. This is in the far south of Laos, where the Mekong spreads wide across the plain, divided into countless smaller streams that curl around small islands, some inhabited, some not. Our destination was Don Khong, the largest of the islands, where we believed that we would be able to stock up on some Western food and there wasn't a bakery to be seen. Seizing the bull by the horns, we took a boat back across to Mekong (third of the day), rode south and then headed to Don Det, one of Laos' backpacker hubs.
As the boat pulled into the beach, sure enough there were some pink backpackers sunbathing, a bakery promising cake and lots of cheap and cheerful bungalows. Unfortunately, Mike had been having what we will delicately refer to as chafing issues during the course of the day, and decided that he wanted to stay somewhere posh. Cake - tick. Hamburgers - tick. Cold beer - tick. Internet cafe - tick. Cheap bamboo bungalow - tick. Posh hotel - nope. Round and round we went, trying everywhere that looked like it would cost more than a dollar, and none of them had a room (or didn't want us to stay there; we were pretty grimy). Eventually we got to the end of the island, it was getting dark, the chafing was getting worse, the moods were remarkably light, but the options were running out. Then, bliss, around the corner we see an old railway bridge leading to another island, one renowned for being for the more discerning traveller. We tried one hotel; full. Tried another; turned out it was a monastery. But finally, FINALLY, we found somewhere that did the trick. Blew our budget for a few days but it was worth it.
I liked the islands and cycled around with Meggles. Mike thought they were dull and wouldn't put his delicate rear anywhere near a bike seat so him and Sam were less adventurous. We celebrated Meg's birthday (three!) and ate Mekong fish.
As the boat pulled into the beach, sure enough there were some pink backpackers sunbathing, a bakery promising cake and lots of cheap and cheerful bungalows. Unfortunately, Mike had been having what we will delicately refer to as chafing issues during the course of the day, and decided that he wanted to stay somewhere posh. Cake - tick. Hamburgers - tick. Cold beer - tick. Internet cafe - tick. Cheap bamboo bungalow - tick. Posh hotel - nope. Round and round we went, trying everywhere that looked like it would cost more than a dollar, and none of them had a room (or didn't want us to stay there; we were pretty grimy). Eventually we got to the end of the island, it was getting dark, the chafing was getting worse, the moods were remarkably light, but the options were running out. Then, bliss, around the corner we see an old railway bridge leading to another island, one renowned for being for the more discerning traveller. We tried one hotel; full. Tried another; turned out it was a monastery. But finally, FINALLY, we found somewhere that did the trick. Blew our budget for a few days but it was worth it.
I liked the islands and cycled around with Meggles. Mike thought they were dull and wouldn't put his delicate rear anywhere near a bike seat so him and Sam were less adventurous. We celebrated Meg's birthday (three!) and ate Mekong fish.
South from Savanakhet
So, our bikes were repaired, all squeaks gone, brakes and chain oiled, new crankshaft fitted (not sure what it means, sounds painful, but apparently crucial) and we were ready to go. We decided to hop on a bus to Pakse (in the far south of Laos) to save ourselves a couple of hundred scorching and rather dull kilometres. From Pakse we searched out the new road to Champasak, eager to put our spiffy new wheels to the test. 20km of shiny tarmac later and we were full of the joys of spring. We stopped at what we thought were some minor road works for a drink and then carried on; alas, they were not just a a small section of road repairs; contrary to popular belief the road was in fact not finished, in fact not even close, in fact not even close to being close. We hauled ourselves over loose scree, rutted verges, deep sand, loose gravel and some strange fine dust that was so thick yet loose that you couldn't get any purchase, getting ever more despondant. The squeaks started up again, the crankshaft started to grind and when we finally arrived in Champasak 25km later, all the good work of our trusty mechanic was gone. AAAAAARRRRGGGGHHH!!
Anyway, we stayed in and around Champasak for a couple of nights in order to visit the beautiful Wat Phu. (You can imagine the many fun games two five year old boys (one in a 39 year old body) can have with the combination of 'Wat' and 'Phu' in a single name....time just flies by in Laos!). The site is stunning and we spent a wonderful morning clambering over the ruins and enjoying the view from the top. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and fully deserving of it, despite the fact that it is little known abroad.
Anyway, we stayed in and around Champasak for a couple of nights in order to visit the beautiful Wat Phu. (You can imagine the many fun games two five year old boys (one in a 39 year old body) can have with the combination of 'Wat' and 'Phu' in a single name....time just flies by in Laos!). The site is stunning and we spent a wonderful morning clambering over the ruins and enjoying the view from the top. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and fully deserving of it, despite the fact that it is little known abroad.
Thursday 3 March 2011
The Mullet
A few days ago, we decided that Sam's hair needed a trim. You may recall that Sam previously had an 'interesting' hair cut when in Thailand.....helmet hair, without need of the helmet. Well, it was in his ears and mindful of Granny's impending visit (nothing Granny dislikes more than hair in the eyes, isn't that right mother?!) we decided it was time to try again. We found a market, found a willing hairdresser and off she went. Mike is rather protective of his son's blonde locks and looked on aghast as she chopped mercilessly with no apparent design, skill or plan. Within minutes he looked truly extraordinary. By the time she finished, he had an absolutely brilliant 1980s mullet. Now, I know he is half Australian, but there was no way my son was going around looking like some Aussie rules footballer so an hour later, we found a barber. He did a much better job but Sam now sports a shorter hair cut than ever before. It looks great but I must admit, he looks worryingly like a poster boy for the Hitler Youth. I'll post before and after pictures when we can find somewhere to do so.................
Off the beaten track......pretty much off any track whatsoever....
From Lak Sao, where we ended 'day from hell' as described in the previous post, we headed south on a small road. We knew it was not going to be tarmaced so we knew what we were letting ourselves in for, but nevertheless it was hard work. The whole day was spent bumping over rocks and gravel, getting covered in dust every time a truck went past, slewing through piles of sand, avoiding pot holes, bumping over more rocks, getting stuck going up hills etc etc. Sam, Mike and I were fine but I felt a bit sorry for Meggles bouncing around on the back of my bike, rather plaintively singing (Bumps Bumps Go Away - our Laos version of the more well known 'Rain Rain Go Away'). We stopped frequently but by the time we arrived at our guesthouse we were covered from head to foot in a fine red dust, with aching shoulders and wrists and sore bottoms.
The following day saw another 20km of this before the tarmac resumed (joy of joys) and we raced on, relishing the smooth surface. Unfortunately we somehow missed our guesthouse and had to ride for miles and miles before we found another one so were all knackered by the time we eventually found somewhere (idyllically situated next to a huge cement factory).
On the plus side this meant that the next day we only had a short distance to cycle and were able to stop at a large cave and explore; we found a beautiful pool near the far end of the cave and all stripped off and skinny dipped. Bliss. No sooner had I got my clothes back on, two women appeared at the mouth of the cave and giggled immensely at the view of Mike trying to struggle back into his cycling shorts without getting them dirty.
Finally, we arrived in Tha Kaek (back on the Mekong, and therefore on the main north/south highway). We devoured cheeseburgers and chips and then bumped into some cyclists who told us about a great bike shop in the next town, so we hopped on a bus and here we are in Savanakhet. Bikes are being repaired, kids are being stuffed with Western food, and everyone is happy!
The following day saw another 20km of this before the tarmac resumed (joy of joys) and we raced on, relishing the smooth surface. Unfortunately we somehow missed our guesthouse and had to ride for miles and miles before we found another one so were all knackered by the time we eventually found somewhere (idyllically situated next to a huge cement factory).
On the plus side this meant that the next day we only had a short distance to cycle and were able to stop at a large cave and explore; we found a beautiful pool near the far end of the cave and all stripped off and skinny dipped. Bliss. No sooner had I got my clothes back on, two women appeared at the mouth of the cave and giggled immensely at the view of Mike trying to struggle back into his cycling shorts without getting them dirty.
Finally, we arrived in Tha Kaek (back on the Mekong, and therefore on the main north/south highway). We devoured cheeseburgers and chips and then bumped into some cyclists who told us about a great bike shop in the next town, so we hopped on a bus and here we are in Savanakhet. Bikes are being repaired, kids are being stuffed with Western food, and everyone is happy!
Lest you think it all a bed of roses......
So, we had a wonderful visit to a cave and the next day we were to head onwards. As mentioned previously Mike broke a spoke coming in to Nahin so he had to spend an afternoon repairing it as well as other small gripes and problems on the bike. One of his wheels had also developed a puncture overnight so I repaired that. The following morning we rose at the crack of dawn to continue east. Unfortunately, my repair job hadn't done the trick and the wheel was flat again. Not good. A Pleasants row ensued. Eventually the inner tube was replaced (I hasten to add that neither of us could find the leak so I still maintain I did the perfect patch up and the pumping (by Mike) was somehow defective) and we set off, now in the heat of the morning. The road rose sharply so our mutual bad moods were further worsened by a 7km climb in the baking sun, up a never-ending steep hill, with big trucks belching past on their way to the tunnel bore site. You can imagine the scene.
Eventually we got out of the hills and were beginning to get out of our ill temper when my bike suddenly gave out a loud hiss and the rear wheel flattened instantly. Off we went to the side of the road, unloaded, repaired the puncture and headed to a noodle shack nearby for lunch. Noodle soup consumed, we clambered back on our bikes only to find that my rear wheel was once again flat. I'm far too mature to cast aspersions.........
Finally that puncture (third repair job of the day) was dealt with and we set off. Our spirits improved as the road flattened out but 5km from our destination a vicious head wind started up and the last bit took us perhaps 6 times longer than it should have.
Headed out to dinner that evening to 'Only One' restaurant, which was a farce. Had the worst meal of the trip - so bad I refused to eat anything and went off somewhere else leaving Mike to shovel in congealed fried rice and gristly chicken.
As you can imagine, not our finest day!
Eventually we got out of the hills and were beginning to get out of our ill temper when my bike suddenly gave out a loud hiss and the rear wheel flattened instantly. Off we went to the side of the road, unloaded, repaired the puncture and headed to a noodle shack nearby for lunch. Noodle soup consumed, we clambered back on our bikes only to find that my rear wheel was once again flat. I'm far too mature to cast aspersions.........
Finally that puncture (third repair job of the day) was dealt with and we set off. Our spirits improved as the road flattened out but 5km from our destination a vicious head wind started up and the last bit took us perhaps 6 times longer than it should have.
Headed out to dinner that evening to 'Only One' restaurant, which was a farce. Had the worst meal of the trip - so bad I refused to eat anything and went off somewhere else leaving Mike to shovel in congealed fried rice and gristly chicken.
As you can imagine, not our finest day!
Kong Lo Cave
After our 'fun' in Laos answer to Patpong, we continued south on the main highway. It was pleasant but nothing like as exhilarating or beautiful as some of the mountain roads in the north. So, after 3-4 days we decided to head east, along one of the routes that lead to Vietnam then work our way south on a less used smaller road before heading back to the main artery that follows the Mekong. As soon as we started east, the scenery was once again beautiful as we headed into hills. The traffic dropped off straight away and we were into a landscape full of karst peaks and jungle. (I don't know why everyone heads to Vang Vieng....the whole of Laos is jam packed with karst scenery yet without the hordes of backpackers. However, I won't start that rant again.) We stopped at one point in a particularly scenic place, and the jungle was very dense around us, so dense in fact that we were soon surrounded by swarms of some flying insect that just loved our salt sweat skin, so we had to carry on. The end of the first day saw us finally cresting a huge hill (so steep that the lorry drivers barely managed to overtake us and one stopped to give us some water as he figured we must be struggling). At the top there is a viewpoint and a small shrine where the truckers stop to make offerings for successful completion of the gradient. The view was staggering...one of the best in Laos and that is saying something.....miles and miles of karst peaks, one ridge behind another, stretching to the horizon. We had had a long day so it was nearly sunset by this point and we could barely tear ourselves away.
But, we did and we had a great run down the hill into a small town called Nahin. We had to stop along the way as Mike broke a spoke but that is for another entry.
Nahin is a strange place, home to a 13km tunnel that is being bored through a nearby mountain, for hydroelectric reasons, I believe, though I can't quite figure out how a tunnel can assist in that. Anyway, point being that there are lots of men (engineers, mechanics, labourer etc) and therefore once again a glut of 'ladies of the night'. We were there to visit a nearby cave that Kong Lo cave, which we had read about.
This cave stretches for 7km through a limestone mountain and you can take a boat ride through the whole thing, emerging into a pristine and gorgeous valley on the far side. Rather unexpectedly (a cave is a cave is a cave) this turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. The cavern through the mountain is vast - sometimes 100m in width and in height, and puttering through in a small three person boat just with the light of the driver's head torch, was really something. One small section has been lit and you can climb up to the top of the cave, past endless stalactites and stalactmites lit in weird and wonderful colours. It was a geography lesson in action.....I had the mantra 'tights fall down' going through my head throughout.
Somehow this cave doesn't figure on most people's itinerary in Laos, but it really is superb and the kids loved it.
But, we did and we had a great run down the hill into a small town called Nahin. We had to stop along the way as Mike broke a spoke but that is for another entry.
Nahin is a strange place, home to a 13km tunnel that is being bored through a nearby mountain, for hydroelectric reasons, I believe, though I can't quite figure out how a tunnel can assist in that. Anyway, point being that there are lots of men (engineers, mechanics, labourer etc) and therefore once again a glut of 'ladies of the night'. We were there to visit a nearby cave that Kong Lo cave, which we had read about.
This cave stretches for 7km through a limestone mountain and you can take a boat ride through the whole thing, emerging into a pristine and gorgeous valley on the far side. Rather unexpectedly (a cave is a cave is a cave) this turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. The cavern through the mountain is vast - sometimes 100m in width and in height, and puttering through in a small three person boat just with the light of the driver's head torch, was really something. One small section has been lit and you can climb up to the top of the cave, past endless stalactites and stalactmites lit in weird and wonderful colours. It was a geography lesson in action.....I had the mantra 'tights fall down' going through my head throughout.
Somehow this cave doesn't figure on most people's itinerary in Laos, but it really is superb and the kids loved it.
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