Buddist blessings
I'm in Laos now. This is my first moment of internet indulgence and it feels good - I miss my computer comforts. Surprisingly though, I think the network here is faster than in Sydney!!!
So in the last 3 days, I've joined up with the Intrepid tour group who I'll be with for the next 29 days (yikes) and been thoroughly questioned about where Zain had gone (we all met up when Zain was still in Bangkok for the traditional tour group welcome meeting and then he disappeared) they thought he had to rush back to Scotland, and I had to disappoint and tell them it was for work and exams and stuff. They have all been sweet and made sure I know that they will be there for me. That's due to the fact that the group's average age is probably that of my mother!!! And EVERYONE is in a couple apart from me (of course) and the other token Scot on the trip, Stuart. So, there's English, Irish, Australian and Canadian. How very western of us. The Canadians are so young, but the rest of us have seen some years. Some of the group even joke that this will be their last trip before they pop their clogs!
We left Bangkok via sleeper train for Chiang Mai (which means New City) and it was all rather civilised. There were comfortable beds, clean sheets and a cabin 'porter' to look after your every food and beverage need. The toilets on the other hand were REPULSIVE. Now, I know this is to be expected, but doing the travel hover and trying to not vomit with the smell is very difficult. Needless to say I only went twice and after I had to lie down to stop myself feeling unwell!! Didn't sleep that well given that the brakes must be seen as a fun toy here and they were used liberally and also it was my fist night away from 'home' and without Zain. Anyway...
Arrived in Chiang Mai at 8am and straight into our waiting mini-buses to take us to our hotel and checked in. Quick turn around and then met up with our bicycle tour guide. I had decided to brave the roads (I can't actually believe I did that - taking my life in my hands or what!) and we set off for a 50km round trip. It was excellent and very flat which is always a bonus. We cycled out in to the country and saw temples, buddists, old buried cities, cows, locals, fruit farms, mad driving (including us riding on the motorway - never again!). Then back to the hotel to get ready for the group tour of the day.
We headed off in the mini-buses again to Soi Duthep (spelling?) which is a working monestery up an enormous mountain just outside of CM. It was an hours drive and most of that was uphill and very wyndy which made me feel very unwell. We also saw people running up the hill and cycling, so I can only deduce that they take their fitness very seriously. There was also a final climb to get up to the monestry - 306 steps which didn't look much, but certainly fooled me, I was shattered! The monestery was so beautiful. When we arrived it was sunset and the monks were chanting. It was amazing to see how still they were and to hear the chants. We also had a guide with us who was very good at explaining everthing that was going on. I also got blessed by the monk (who was texting at the same time - maybe I am going to become more technologically advanced perhaps?). It was really quite awesome and I got my white ribbon to prove it as well.
Then back down into the city to hit the night markets which CM are famous for. They were ENORMOUS. I was tired, so I didn't last long. Hit the sack and slept like a log.
Today we were up early (this is not a holiday for piss heads!) and on the road again to get to the Thailand/Laos border. Had a very uncomfortable bus journey with a couple of stops to break the tedium and got to the border at 3pm. The border is actually the Mekong river and that meant we had to charter 2 boats to get us across which was rather fun. Now chilling out in Huag Xai tonight and we leave tomorrow (early again) to travel down the Mekong on a house boat for two days.
So far the trip has been good and I have felt safe being with a group, but it is far more mass tourism than I thought it would be, and that's a bit of a disappointment. But better safe than sorry in this neck of the woods when you are a girlie on your own.
Swadee kah (hello, welcome, I'm fine, until next time, and my only Laotian word. They do speak French though, I think?)
posted by Yogini @ 10:04 am
1 comments
1 Comments:
Gross toilets, feeling filthy, mass tourism...that's what makes us feel alive!! Eat it up, sista...I hope Zain gave you some good tummy-drugs just in case. Love the image of the monk texting.
xx
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