A Journey to Well Known Places

Have you ever found yourself thinking ‘you know, I would really like to spend a lot of money tromp through the mud with wild animals in the middle of a jungle’? I did. And it was really neat. Erica and I signed up for the 3 day 2 night package at Uncle Tan’s. If you happen to find yourself on the east side of Malaysian Borneo then I recommend you stop in for a visit. After an uneventful night in Sandakan, Erica and I woke up early and got a taxi to Uncle Tan’s HQ. We had a coffee and accepted their offer to transport us to neighboring Sipalok to see the feeding at the orangutan rehabilitation center. That was a treat. We saw about 6 orangutans swing in from the surrounding protected jungle for some banana treats. The program rescues orphaned and injured apes from all over eastern Borneo and raises them while slowly weaning them off of human help. While the orangutans were eating the macaque monkeys gathered to pick off the remains. They are very cheeky those macaques and it was fun to watch them squabble for the fruit and swing around on the trees. Then it was off to the jungle. We took a two hour van ride and an hour long boat ride to the camp area. We had our own bungalow right by the lake. The room had three piles of mattresses in various states of mildew and a mosquito net over each pile. It was nicer than the place in Phenom Phen with the rat, but not much. There was an elevated walk way connecting all the buildings of the camp, which is good since we arrived in the wet season and that adjective described everything around us for the duration of our stay. We tromped through the mud in the jungle in the morning, afternoon, and night with a guide pointing out the various wildlife around the camp. We waded thigh deep in snake and crocodile populated marsh area. We saw lots of interesting plants and animals; from a little bat sleeping in the curled new leaf of a jungle yam plant to river otters that somehow managed to continually evade the many crocodiles in the area. Bright plumed kingfishers and large horn billed birds flew all along the river. Five foot long monitor lizards strolled casually through the camp ground and a family of wild bearded pigs turns up daily to forage in the area. Then there was the troop of macaques that came by every afternoon. They make a habit of darting through the dining area and grabbing whatever they can. People have lost cell phones and cameras like that. When we were there they only got away with a can of condensed milk and a piece of French toast though. There was no running water although we got electricity from 6 to midnight. We emerged from the jungle after the experience in desperate need of showers and naps. Alas, it was not to be. Instead we boarded another bus and took a three hour ride to Mount Kinabalu national park.

Borneo. The name conjures images of jungles and monkeys and death marches through the jungle. It still is that, minus the death marches but with great beaches. It is as ‘out there’ as we have been so far. Right now we are riding an express bus from Kota Kinablau to Sandakan. We are seated near the toilet in the back and the stench is overpowering. Erica calls it the butt bus. Aptly named. Maybe we should have slept in a little and caught the 8:30. Oh well. We landed in Kota Kinabalu four days ago and took a taxi to our hostel right across the street from the Atkinson clock tower. The first day we spent seeing the sights of the town which included the clock tower and a giant statue of a leaping marlin. Well, everyday can’t be exciting. The next two days though, we took a ferry to the national park twenty minutes outside of town. It was great. We snorkeled around the coral and saw lots of very colorful fish and plants. I even saw a sea turtle grazing along the reef. We are taking the bus to Sandakan so that tomorrow we can transfer to Uncle Tan’s jungle experience.

We returned to Kuala Lampur with shopping on the mind. We had been told that KL was the place to pick up cheap electornics, clothes, and souvenirs. There were some good bargains, but you really had to hunt for them. We spent hours cruising the malls and outlet stores for stuff to take with us and to send back. I ended up buying a new laptop and we both bought some desinger glasses on the cheap. It was not quite as easy to find good cheap food in KL as it was in Georgetown, but we did manage to eat some good Indian and Malay dishes. We toured the national museum, a tribal museum, the state mosque (Erica had to wear a loaned robe and head cover….I wish I had the camera with me), and the aviary. The aviary was really neat. It is the largest in the world and home to thousands of birds. We brought the camera for that one. As soon as I figure out how to make my ipod work with my new computer I will upload all of our remaining pictures. After a few days in KL we caught a bus to a town called Tanha Rata in the Cameron Highlands. It is a cool mountainous area about three hours outside the capital. The town was very small and sourrounded by tea plantations. We took several jungle walks. We even got ambitious and walked 11 kilometers to the Boh tea planation. We took a cab back though. One 11 km walk is enough for me in a day. The town is small, but there are appearantly many mosques in a very small area. I know this because starting at 5am on morning they started chanting their call to prayer…..one right after another. There must have been 6 different mosque all wanting to pray that morning. It went on for 45 minutes. I felt no closer to God afterwards and more than a little tired. Then it was back to KL for our flight to Borneo.

After we left Singapore we discovered that there were many sights and attractions in that small country. Not that we really cared. No slight to Singapore intended, but really it was great to lay around in a real apartment during the day and talk to native English speakers in the evening. My friend David Bills and his wonderful wife PY graciously made their home our home for five relaxing days. To those of you that do not know David he is Angella Bills twin and Bradly B’s big brother. If you don’t know Bradley I recommend you go to a Chant show in Austin and introduce yourself. You won’t be sorry. Anyway. We hightailed to Singapore (instead of leisurely meandering down peninsular Malaysia and eventually reaching the city state) for a Thankgiving feast. And a feast it was. What a spread. We had Texas style brisket, ribs, pico de gallo, guacamole, salad, potatoes, cranberry apple cobbler, pumpkin pie and much much more. We ate like it was going out of style. I ate myself uncomfortable and somehow managed to stay in that uncomfortably full state for the entire stay of our visit. It was hard not to. They had CABLE and a very comfortable guest bed. It was like being at home…only a nicer version of my home. While David and PY worked long hours and trained for a half marathon we slept in, layed on their couch and ate. Not once did they threaten to skewer us. We also befriended some of David and PY’s friends, Amit and Monisha, and might even see them (all) again in India. We went to little India one day and even went to a museum, but we did so between meals. I was sad to leave that little slice of paradise, but we have alot of ground to cover. After a traditional breakfast of short ribs and pig small intestine we bused it back to KL to see the places we missed in our forced March to Singapore.

We arrived in George town at night and walked around for what seemed like a long time before we finally settled on a guest house. It was an old Chinese wharehouse that had been converted to turn of the century boarding rooms. The place was neat, but the mattress was thin and it was overpriced, so the next day we moved on to someplace with less character……and a better deal. We stayed in China town and little India was just down the road. China town was pretty old and well preserved while little India was like a carnival. It was Deepavali so there was music and dancing in the streets. Georgetown was our first introduction to Malaysian eating and we were thoroughly impressed. We ate dim sum for breakfast and banana leaf rice and curry sets for dinner. Delicious. All of it. Oh so good. There is limited sightseeing in Georgetown. I went to the old British fort and an Islamic museum. Both were OK. We also went to Penang hil and that was cool. It was about an hour bus ride outside of town and another 45 minute trolley ride to the top….sort of like a smaller Victoria Peak in Hong Kong. The views were good and we went on a canopy walk high in the tall trees. I, being afraid of heights, broke a sweat and didn’t enjoy it until I was safely on solid ground again. That same afternoon we headed off to the train station and took the ‘polar express’ to Kuala Lampur. They blasted the AC until it was uncomfortably cold. Poor Erica got so cold that she put on three layers of clothes and still shivered. In KL was hopped on yet another, more reasonably climate controlled, and headed to Singapore for Thanksgiving.

We did go to Ko Phi Phi after all and it was amazing. Just knock your socks off beautiful. It was expensive and VERY touristy. Every available inch of the low lands has been built upon, but if you look in the other direction towards the water you will be impressed. We stayed for three days. Most of our time was spent on the beach, although we did take a snorkelling trip. The snorkelling was good and the views from the boat were great. I got sunburned pretty bad and wore a tee shirt the rest of the time on the island. We met some nice Swedes that gave us a mask and snorkel so we wouldn’t have to rent one the rest of the trip. From there we went to Krabi for a third and final time. The very next morning we awoke before dawn and took a minibus to a little port town and got another boat to a national park island called Tarotau. While not quite as beautiful as Ko Phi Phi it was very charming and relaxing for what it did not have. Since it is a national park all the accomodation and food is run by the Thai park service. They have very limited housing and we were lucky to get a room with no advance booking. Apart from the park workers there were only about 40 other tourists on a 30 kilometer long island. It was great. Many times we were literally the only people on the beach. The bungalows had electricity from 6pm to 10pm. At 10 they shut off the generator and the whole island went dark. The night sky was so pretty. One night there was a thunder storm on the ocean miles away. We sat on the beach and watched the stars. When the lightening flashed it lit up the whole beach. Definitely a memorable experience. The island is also home to several troops of macaque monkeys that have developed a taste for the little crabs that run around all over the beach. I walked to close and too fast to some and they ran into a tree. When I got closer the big male shoot the tree branch at me and hollered. It was kinda fun to tease the monkeys. We spent three relaxing days on Tarotau getting a minibus to Georgetown in Malaysia. The friendly Thais have a billboard on the otherside of customs that says “Wish you had a good time.” We did.

We are in Krabi town now actually. Again. It was a 10 hour bus ride, but we rode in style and hardly noticed the time (the Gamboy helped). After just one night here we made our way to Railey beach. Beautiful. Really. It is not an island, but the only way to get there is by boat and things are priced accordingly. No matter though. We found a nice little unairconditioned bungaloo for only $10 a night and spent 6 days laying around on the beach. At night we would just hang out on our porch and watch the bats and the stars. Lovely. Erica did some rock climbing and I did a little snorkelling, but otherwise it was lazy time for both of us.

We finally pulled ourselves away and made for Ko Lanta. It was not what we were expecting. The beach was rocky and the weather rainy. Boo. Most of our time there was spent reading in a gazebo on the beach, although we did go to a ‘Hello Hight Season’ party at our guest house that was fun. We stayed only two days and came back to Krabi for the excellent food and cheap accomodations. I am not really sure where we are going next. Maybe Ko Pi Pi if the weather clears up (it has rained the last four days) or maybe Trang to check out some less frequented beachs just south of here. Who knows? We will figure it out tonight.

Cheers everyone. We hope you are well.

So, after almost 4 months of travelling together 24 hours a day, Erica and I decided we needed a little ‘away time.’ She can tell you about her experiences a little later. I went to Vien Vang. It was kinda surreal. There are restuarants (several of them) that show nothing but Friends episodes of big screen TVs from the moment they open until they close at night. There was one that showed Family Guy. There is a bar imaginatively called the Jack Johnson bar that plays, you guessed it, Jack Johnson music nonstop all day. All these places serve happy tea and pizza. The seats are more like little beds. People stay for days and weeks. I also went tubing there. That was great fun. There are bars all along the river. They have people with long tow poles standing on the banks ready to pull you in for a beer and a try at their giant swings over the water. It was like tubing the Guadalupe, but shorter and with bars instead of a cooler of beer.

From there I went to Phonsavan. It was a six hour bus ride down winding mountain roads through thatched villages. The bus blared Asian pop music, the passengers puked, and the bus workers climbed in and out of the moving bus through the windows unto the roof. The man in front of me casually rested his hand on the stock of his AK 47 the whole trip. This I did because I wanted to see the jars. Yes, jars. Big, old, stone jars. In a field. They are so old that no one knows what they were used for or why they are there. They just are. All over the place. There are only three sights that have been cleared of old mines and unexploded bombs, but arial photography shows there are over 100 sites in total. Large mysterious jars. That was neat. And the town was blissfully quiet in comparison to Vien Vang.

Then it was off to Vientenne. I found it rather unremarkable. There is one really cool wat that is gold and shimmery. It is on the cover of the Lonely Planet Laos. Otherwise I was not too impressed. I spent two nights there and took a marathon 17 hour bus ride down to the Thai coast to go to Ko Samet.

The beach was a nice break from Laos. I stayed in a cheap little guest house outside of the park. I swam and napped during the day and went out at night. Full of tourists both Thai and western, but very relaxing. After three days there I met Erica in Bangkok and we headed down the Thai peninsula to Krabi for a some more beach time.

We woke relatively early and left our posh hotel room (no really. It was very nice. It had AC, hot water, AND cable) to head for the tour operator to head to Laos. We paid too much for a visa service that boiled down to someone standing next to me and saying in English “Stand in that line.” Whatever. The boat was set to leave at 11, so of course at 12:30 Laos time we set off. They over filled the boat so it ran low in the water. Then it started raining. Erica was fighting off a cold and had wanted to stay in Thailand another day, but I wanted to get to Laos in time for my birthday. After 30 minutes she was soaked to the bone, shivering, and glaring at me. Luckily the sun came out and they sold beer on the boat. We befriended some other travellers and all was OK in the world again. We spent around 14 hours in a slow puttering covered boat coursing up the Mekong river. It was beautiful. The trip was relaxing and scenic. Laung Prabang was a great first stop in Laos as well. It is a very well heeled tourist town with some pretty temples and great food. We climbed up 1000 steps to a temple on a large hill overlooking the city and surrounding area and watched the sun set over the river. Glorious. We spent my birthday drinking with a British couple and eating great curry by the river. I honestly never imagined I would spend my 35th in such an amazing place. And I got a Gameboy. Awesome.

We are in a small town called Chaing Khong now on the Thai/Laos border. Tomorrow we are taking the slow boat to Laung Prabang. The slow boat entails sitting a plastic seat with no cushion in an open aired boat (with a roof though) for seven hours….two days in a row as it putters down the Mekong. I have seen alot more of the Mekong than I thought I was going to get to. In fact, our hotel room over looks the might brown river. After I finish typing this I am going to have a few beers and gave at it for a while.

Since it has been so long since I blogged I am just going to have to sum up.

After Bangkok we went to a smallish town called Kanchanaburi. That is were the bridge over the river Kwai is. One person died for every meter of track laid from this town to Burma. Over 100,000 total. The Japanese engineers estimated 5 years of work to completion, but worked the POWs and other asian unfortunates so hard they got it done in 16 months..at a terrible price. We also went to a national park and saw some beautiful waterfalls with lots of fish and monkeys. We swam and hiked. It was great.

From there we went to Ayutthaya, which was the second capital of Thailand before it was sacked by the Burmese. It had lots of old temples (wats) that were all lit up at night. I am sure they are cool during the day, but we didn’t stick around to find out. After Angkor Wat we are pretty templed out. We stayed in a guest house with a very nice owner and hung out with a British couple until late. I left my passport in the room and the lady came to the train station just as it was pulling away. I saw her and waved. She looked panicked and held up my money belt with my passport in it. Then I panicked. They stopped the train and she handed my stuff off to Erica…as I had run down the train the other way to try to catch up with her for an in-motion hand off. Whew. That was lucky.

Next stop was Phitsanaluk. I wanted to ride the train in Thailand and this was the closest stop to where we really wanted to go. This place was pretty neat. We saw some temples, but the most fun was drinking with expats at the local pub until all hours of the morning.

Then it was on to Sukothai; the first capital of Thailand before it was absorbed by Ayutthaya. More temples. These were quite nice though and we spent two lesuirely days biking around them.

We spent three days in Chaing Mai, although we don’t really have much to tell about it. The night market is cool. I like the town itself quite a bit. We just didn’t do much there. I got some xbox360 games for my brother for cheap and a couple hacked PC games for myself. If you have any software requests for me pass them on. I will be back in Thailand after Laos.

It was a 3 hour bus ride from Chaing Mai to Pai up a winding mountain rode and through a police check point. Fantastic. Could have stayed there for months. It was very small and quiet with a large number of businesses catering to backpackers. We rented motor bikes and rode around the mountains for hours. Simply beautiful. We did not want to leave, but our visas were close to expiring.

Back to Chaing Mai for a night then on to Chaing Khong, I mean Chaing Rai because the bus to Chaing Khong was all sold out. We spent one night in Chaing Rai, ate in the market and went to bed early. We will spend one night here and off to Laos we will go. I hope you are all well. Cheers.