Full Circle

So, we are back in Thailand once more as we rapidly approach the end of our epic 4 country mystery tour of South East Asia. We have survived the land crossing from Poipet in Cambodia to Aranyaprathet in Thailand and with only the short hop down to Bangkok to sort out, we are definitely on our route home and thinking about bad weather and returning to work. God, that's depressing. It's been an absolute blast these last two weeks. The group has worked so well, we have packed in so much. I think that everyone has had an amazing experience and there is much talk of doing it all again sometime in the not-too-distant future. 

So, would I want to organise a similar trip again ? Hell yes ! There has been a lot of research, planning and organising. But that is what I love doing. I'm wasted in my current job. I should be dragging groups of backpacking softies across the globe. Seeking out mid range hotels, exciting experiences and amazing locations wherever I can find them. 

Already the cogs are turning and ideas for the next Windy Goes Global are forming. Asia has been fantastic. Hot, cheap, fascinating and easy to travel around. But, there are so many other places I'd love to visit myself and to take a group to. Africa, South America, Caribbean or Australasia. Who knows ? 

Anyway, our last day in Cambodia. Minibus booked for 1pm gave some of us an opportunity to slope off and do a cookery course. John, Ralph and Holly joined me at Temple in Pub Street as we learned how to cook Khmer style food. 

Is it me or does Ralph look particularly French today ? 

Khmer food is similar to Thai but 'simpler'  . Smells great too. Within an hour we had produced some mango salad and spring rolls. Hot work this cookery, so when they offered us a soft drink we chose beer. 

Next up was Khmer curry with chicken and various vegetables cut with a wobbly bladed knife to produce interestingly shaped chunks. It was a bit warm. We had another beer. 

Finally we produced a banana and sago pudding (Ralph went for the pumpkin and sago option) and toasted our success with an ice cold beer. I'm surprised chefs get any work done with the amount they must have to drink. At 30p a pint though it would have been sacrilege not to. 

Back at the hotel, Lucas had been given the options of crocodile farm or crazy golf. "Mum, you can see crocodiles any time" he informed his mother. Yes Lucas, Weymouth is infested with them. Like vermin they are. 

So, with a heavy heart the 13 of us boarded our 12 seater air con minibus and headed for the border a few hours drive away. The air con didn't work as Jo was slumped against the control panel and my bottom was numb from sitting on the wheel arch. 

Jo and I travelled this route (in reverse) about 12 years ago in a shared taxi. It's improved a fair bit since then. The road is now tarmacced instead of hard baked mud and potholes and the little locals cafe right on the Cambodian border where Jo ate her rotten fish soup and got ill looked like it had gone a bit upmarket. Wonder if they have a fridge yet....

Despite Eileen's concerns, the border crossing was relatively smooth. Well as smooth as can be expected with 13 pedestrians, all with heavy baggage, vendors, beggars, unruly traffic and 30+ degrees heat. We made it, only losing Ralph who had rushed off to buy yet more football shirts. 

We were all in the pool at the Indochina Hotel within half an hour with a cold beer. Back in Singha country, yay ! 

It's a funny town Aranyaprathet. It's the end of the railway line and a major border crossing point for travellers going to and from Cambodia but it does appear that most just pass straight through. Not many signs in English and a lack of top end restaurants. Not a problem, we found a local restaurant. 

Our bill for the thirteen of us, including several rounds of drinks, came to about £40. We left a tip of about £10 and still knew we had had very good value. 

Back at the hotel we were alarmed to hear some shrieking coming from Holly and Marks room. Loud enough for Elena to come out of her room in a towel and join us. Mark had had an accident. A most regrettable accident. Luckily he wasn't injured. It wasn't that kind of accident.... He found an urgent need to launder his smalls in the bathroom sink, but perhaps he should have waited for his wife to finish brushing her teeth first.

 As I lie here in bed writing this, the train to Bangkok that perhaps we should have been on has just rattled out of Aranyaprathet station. We are banking on finding some sort of minibus type transport later from somewhere near by. I'm sure we shall work something out. It gives us a few more hours by the pool, it gives Marks pants a few more hours to dry and Holly some time to get over the trauma. 

There Was An Old Woman....

The title is not a reference to my darling wife who hit 40 yesterday, but more to do with the evening meal. 

Why are we so squeamish about eating insects and other creepy crawlies ? It is done on most continents, just not in Europe. In Africa when the locusts swarm they are known as 'sky prawns'. In Mexico they coat grasshoppers in chilli and fry them to make 'champolines'. In Australia they have honey ants and witchetty grubs. So why, when presented with a beautifully presented plate of scorpion salad, tarantula doughnut or spider samosa do people find it so repulsive ? 

To be honest, most of the creatures pictured did not have a lot of flavour. A tarantula has far too many drumsticks and scorpion is a bit chewy. You have to try these things though whilst abroad, don't you ? 

Jo had alas gone home before we finally found the Bugs Cafe in Siem Reap. She was feeling ill. May have been due to the champagne and birthday cake we had consumed before we set off. So it was down to young Lucas to show us adults how it was done. The boy done well. 

Strangely, after eating scorpion and spider he later turned his nose up at creme brûlée. Weird child. 

Back Street in Siem Reap is the slightly less 'Westernised' area of the town. Basically less elegant and expensive restaurants less neon lighting and cheaper prices for meals, beer and tourist tat. $1 glasses of draft beer or less if you found a happy hour. A barbecue selling tiger prawns the size of a mackerel for a few dollars. None of that flouncy air conditioning. 

I think I'm going to miss the heat next week back in England. Not sure I'll miss the water bugs though. Far too much outer casing. 

We had started our leisurely day in the pool with few hard and fast plans. The hotel is a couple of miles out from the centre. A 2 dollar Tuk Tuk ride. These Tuk Tuks are different from the Thai versions. These are motorbikes with detachable trailers. 

I think we probably pay more than the locals still as the drivers are always want to know where and when they can collect us. 

In town Lucas insisted on giving the fish tank massage a go. Large tanks of 'doctor fish' that you can dangle your feet in to. The fish then chew all the dead skin off. 

It tickles. Not really sure if it made any difference to my feet at all but it was an experience shared by several of us. 

Holly reported back that the crocodile farm was open but that Lucas may find it a little disturbing. She had watched a live duck being fed to the crocs. Lucas agreed that spending time in the swimming pool was a better use of his time. 

Marc, John and Ralph found various museums around town. When I was here in 1996 I had been offered the opportunity to go to a range and fire all sorts of military hardware. You could even lob a few hand grenades around or fire an RPG for a few dollars. For a few dollars more you could have a cow for target practice. I politely declined these offers.

It would seem these ranges are now part of the war museum. The prices have gone up considerably since 1996 and they must have run out of hand grenades (unless there have been too many tourist related health and safety breaches). You can still vapourise a cow from 100 metres away but the price is now in 100's of dollars. Again, perhaps something I won't be taking Lucas to experience. 

Tomb Raiders

Angelina Jolie was here by all accounts. Tomb Raider was filmed in the ruins of Ta Phrom, one of very many temples around Angkor Wat. Possibly my favourite temple to wander around in previous years. They have left it with the vegetation, including huge trees, still growing out of the walls. Jo and I wandered around it 12 years back with just a few other visitors. Alas now we had to share it with bus loads of Chinese, Korean and Western tourists all clamouring for a selfie opportunity. 

Jo's 40th birthday dawned with us several miles apart. She was still asleep back at the hotel. I had ventured out with Ralph, John and Mark to view the sunrise over the main temple. A 5am start that strangely didn't appeal to Mrs Spooky (or as it turned out young Lucas who had had a late night. I crept out like a ninja. 

The sunrise was alas a bit cloudy. A few photo opportunities of cackling, squawking hordes of Chinese tourists and the temple behind them. We looked around the main temple as the temperature rose then returned to the hotel for breakfast. 

On our way back, Ralph spotted an advertising board for cakes. Sure enough inside they sold some garish birthday cakes, smothered in brightly coloured cream. These things didn't just say 'Happy Birthday', they screamed it in your face in a screechy Cambodian voice. We bought one. 

At the crack of 8-30am we had everyone present and correct in Reception for the arrival of our guide. We were off for a full on day of templing as the heat (Oh my God the heat !) grew. 36 degrees of moist heat feels a lot hotter than 36 degrees in the desert or on a beach in Europe. Eileen had lost 3 stone by 11. 

I think I had seen all of the temples we visited before but still well worth seeing. Some had been further restored and besides, this is a World Heritage site and a truly beautiful location. Just bloody hot. 

And what is there not to love about ancient stone buildings and jungle ? 

My camera packed up mid morning. I should have charged the battery I guess. 

After lunch we made the 30 minute trip out to Bante Srei. Pleasantly tranquil after the 'Boxing Day Sales' atmosphere of one or two of the previous temples. 

I was going to dip out on another visit to the main temple of Angkor Wat but didn't in the end. I'm glad I went, as the sunlight moves around, the building seems to change colour. It's a photographers dream building. If only I had a camera instead of my phone. 

So, finally, as sunset rapidly approached we set off for the last temple. This was where I proposed to Jo back in early 2004 as the sun set over the jungle. On that occasion we shared the temple and the view with maybe 10 others (including the disparaging monk as Jo was sick). This time we found a long queue of people as they only let a few hundred up at a time. Arse ! Sunset 20 minutes away, most up there would be waiting to view the sunset. We were going to miss it. 

The Gods were smiling on us though. Cloud obscured the horizon so most of the sunset viewers gave up. We reached the top, just as the fiery red ball burst through the clouds in a very late show of defiance. We saw the sunset from the top of the temple ! 

We even found the exact spot where we had sat before and showed Lucas where his mother had thrown up all those years ago. 

We trooped back down, happy, tired, sweaty and thoroughly templed out. 

We dragged Jo down to the pool when we got back for sparkling wine, birthday cake and presents. 

The meal at the Chanery Tree restaurant was exquisite and up market. So, so different to the run down roadside eateries I found on my first visit here nearly 20 years ago. Siem Reap has changed beyond recognition. Many might say for the better.... I'd reserve judgement on that. Let's just say it's changed....

 

Crossy Road

Lucas is frequently borrowing my phone. It's not that he has a huge list of friends he needs to converse with, it's because he loves to immerse himself in the world of 'Crossy Road'. For those of you who can recall, think of 'Frogger' but.... No, just think of Frogger. Crossy Road is a blatant copy of the 1980s video game. Guiding your frog (or in this case person/dragon/Korean barbecue) across an insanely busy road. 

I managed to chivvy both Jo and Lucas out of bed early to experience the real Crossy Road on offer just outside our hotel. 

The trick we found was, like the rest of the traffic, ignore the mopeds. Just walk slowly in to the road in front of them. The moped riders avoid you. It is scary but it works ! Well, on the whole it works. Hanoi apparently has one road death an hour. I'm guessing many are moped riders and pedestrians. 

To get to the road we passed through the foyer of the hotel. Freshly fumigated it seemed. We were all coughing, wheezing and sneezing before we even got outside. 

The old market is an eye opener. Weird fruit and veg I didn't recognise. Smells of herbs, spices and coffee. Women carrying two baskets tied to sticks over their shoulders. Butchers with no fridges, just piles of freshly chopped meat lying there in the raging heat that was building. 

Then Lucas spotted the terrapins. Tanks of live fish, crabs trussed up in leaves and cages of terrapins  awaiting their date. This was blatantly not a pet shop. This was a Vietnamese market in its raw state. Lucas was all for buying all of the terrapins so we could release them somewhere. He had his £20. It was a plan of sorts, alas we had a minibus booked in 40 minutes. Jo suggested he could donate some money to a charity that dealt with turtle rescue and if he did so, she would double it. He was all up for donating the full £20. Plus his pocket money. Jo winced as her generosity bit her on the bottom. 

So, off to Hanoi Airport for our flight to our next country. Well, it was in fact 2 flights. We flew via Luand Prabang once more. Looked out for bathing elephants in the Mekong but saw none. 

It was raining in Cambodia as we put down again. Our first rain of the trip. Not the cold, unpleasant stuff at home, it was still 30 odd degrees. Still glad I told them not to bring coats. 

Our minibus driver was a jovial chap who said his name was Mr Happy. I was expecting him to be much shorter, with a beard and 6 equally short friends but not out here it seems. He was keen to spend a day taking us around the temples tomorrow and grabbed my thigh in a disconcerting manner a few times. We got to our hotel without too much serious molestation. 

Boy, Siem Reap has changed since last time Jo and l were here. We thought it would but the pace has been incredible.  We were in downtown Siem last time in a cute little guest house. This time our hotel was in a bustling street 2 miles from the centre. The place is expanding like an epidemic. 

I first came to Siem Reap with my friend Mike in 1996. The borders had only opened a few years before after the Pol Pot regime had slaughtered over a million of the population. Then Cambodia was a poverty stricken wreck of a country with only 7000 tourists a year and hotel rooms available for a dollar. Less than 20 years on there are 5 star hotels, a tourist district in town, posh restaurants and bars and much foreign investment. 

We ended up in the tourist district that night. Just off 'Pub Street' which didn't exist last time we were here. A band of land mine victims struck up with their local music opposite and continued their whiny, tinkly racket all evening, in competition with the local bars throwing out a more westernised and modern alternative. 

Cambodian BBQ provides the tourist with a traditional style tabletop cooking experience with soup, noodles and raw meat to cook. Such traditional Khmer fare as swordfish, snake and, erm, kangaroo. It was an experience. 

Not sure I'd go for snake again though. Not that I have any issues with eating snakes, it's just like chewing gristle. 

Hanoi Hilton

It was an early start for the journey back to Hanoi. It was going to take 2 boat trips and a coach and around 7 hours of traveling. Fortunately the first 2-3 hours were on board and were sailing back through Ha Long Bay. They even paused to allow us to throw ourselves off the top deck once more. 

The scenery was, once more, stunning. 

Nail Island. Can't imagine why it's called that. 

It's been a wonderful few days in a truly awesome location and the company organising the tour have certainly done a brilliant job looking after us. 

We managed to get back to Hanoi in time to view the prison, or Hanoi Hilton as it was affectionately known by the American pilots who called it home in the 70's. The shackles, the sloped floor of the punishment cell and the huge guillotine are all stark reminders of what humans are capable of doing to each other. 

Our hotel in Hanoi for this one night was the cheapest of the trip. In a small street the doorway led to a narrow, steep flight of stairs and a compact reception area. The rooms were of a decent size. It was adequate for a night and all for £11 a room including breakfast. 

There was a difference of opinion about our evening meal. John, Eileen and Elena set off for local street food, Marc went Walkabout. The other 9 set off for Jaspas. It turned out to be a little bit posher than I expected, but hey, Hanoi is a foody Mecca. A man needs a colossal T-Bone steak, large cold beers, starter and desert sometimes. The Hanoi Ladies Wine Appreciation Society also convened their meeting.

 

The bill was a disconcerting and buttock clenching 8.4 million dong. I fumbled to find a calculator. About £245. Close to £30 a head. Pricey for out here but it was a classy looking restaurant and fabulous food. It was a chance to get rid of the rest of my dong as we won't need it where we are going. 

Next destination has been duly announced. Siem Reap in Cambodia. A chance to see Angkor Wat once more for Jo and me. Truly a jewel in South East Asia and in my humble opinion a brilliant climax to an awesome trip. 

Jo and I visited there back in 2004. We got engaged at sunset on one of the temples of Angkor. It's almost poetic that we shall be back in the same spot for Jo's significant birthday tomorrow. Sad that we are going to be entering our fourth and last country of the trip but really excited to be going back to Angkor.  

Lucas wants to watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat. Jo, strangely, wants to have a lie in and will admire the photos. 

The Windy Olympics

I guess we have all allowed our personal fitness to take a back seat over the last week or so. Well, I say that. We have climbed a few steps to various temples and hotels, lugged rucksacks in the heat and wrestled the odd excited elephant but there has been little enthusiasm for running or finding a gym. Time to readdress the balance it seems. 

I was up to watch the sunrise over Ha Long Bay. The light cloud cover put paid to that but by 8 we were off to view some caves. Limestone outcrops generally produce the best caves and this area is no exception. 

Of course there were the compulsory few hundred steps to contend with. 

We were moving location from Ha Long Bay to nearby Cat Ba Island for tonight. All part of the package. Tho, our guide was doing a great job. The journey involved boats and then a minibus then another boat and a bus to our hotel overlooking Cat Ba Bay. A triple room on the 7th floor overlooking the fishing fleet and floating restaurants. 

Cat Ba is approximately 30 square kilometres with a population of 10000 and it borders Ha Long so is made up of limestone karsts with jungle. Small sand coves and sheer cliffs are dotted around the dramatic coastline. 

Another multiple course meal at the Green Mango on the harbourside and we were set up for the afternoons activities. 

A short boat ride through the floating village...

A short cycle through the national park along what appeared to be a cycle track.

The peleton moved off with a lot of creaking and squeaking, some of it due to the poorly maintained bikes. 

Roadworks cut short the cycling event as the track was not completed. 

Back on the boat for the next event, the diving. There were three different heights available for competitors, lower deck, upper deck and roof. Lucas managed the upper deck several times. 

Few were able to match the style, elegance and perfect entry of his father though from the high board.  

The swimming event took us out from the boat to a nearby beach on a deserted island. Clear, warm waters in an idyllic location as the sun dropped behind the hills. 

In the evening many of the fishing boats in the harbour turn on brightly coloured lights as well as the lurid neon lighting of the floating restaurants. Perhaps a bit OTT, like Las Vegas at sea. 

Many of the bars along the front have happy hours (some all night) with local beer around 30p and cocktails £1.30. A Vietnamese Hotpot was ordered. 

A cauldron of hot soup with a plate of raw fish, prawns, squid and clams, another plate of vegetation and some packets of dried noodles. Think of a fondue but Vietnamese style. Plenty to keep 4 chaps sustained for a while. 

Another day down. Another great day of travel and sightseeing and plenty of new ideas for forthcoming trips and tours. People eager to visit other continents or do Windy 500 type events in Asia...I can see I have a lot of thought and researching to do when I get back from this one. 

 

All At Sea

"Dad, I'm a bit scared" said Lucas as I was putting him to bed. 

"What of ?" I asked suspiciously.

"You know that film Titanic ?"

"Lucas. This is Halong Bay. It's 30 degrees. We aren't going to hit an iceberg. Goodnight."

Halong Bay off the coast of Northern Vietnam is apparently one of the seven natural Wonders of the World. I'm amazed and disappointed to say it's the first of the seven that I've seen. Really must travel more. A collection of many limestone hills covered in greenery sticking out of the water. Truly a beautiful spectacle, and fortunately not an iceberg to be seen anywhere. 

The day had started with several trips to the cash point. I had been transferring money to various accounts and then clearing it out in cash. 22 million dong on the first trip which I took down to Kangaroo Cafe, glancing nervously over my shoulder as I made the trip, then a further 13 million and finally with a little assistance from the Damens, another 8 million. All paid for ! 

We said goodbye to Raquel before she set off for the airport and the flight home and at 8 we boarded the bus for the 4 hour trip. Half way we visited a workshop for disabled craftsmen. All sorts of paintings, sculptures, clothing and the like with some huge numbers next to them. I admired a table and chairs hewn from huge lumps of multicoloured marble. Couldn't even lift a chair mind you and as for the price tag.... 9.9 billion dong. About £30,000. 

We were taken out by tender to our vessel. 

It could take 16 guests. We had the boat to ourselves. En suite rooms over the first two decks, dining room and bar on the middle deck and sun deck upstairs. 

We sat and ate lunch of several courses with wine, beer and cocktails as the scenery changed outside. I would have no idea what you would pay for a similar experience in Europe but it would be a hell of a lot more than what this trip cost. 

Ti Top Island was our first point of call for a dip in the sea. It is possible to climb the 400 steps to the viewpoint at the top. I didn't, several did. 

Back on the boat we were now moored in the middle of a bay surrounded by another 30 or so similar vessels. I kept Mrs Spooky's fluid levels topped up with pina coladas as we watched the sun dipping down towards one of the limestone hills. 

There can't be many more picturesque destinations on the planet than this one. 

I know what you are thinking. That's not a pina colada. You are right, it's a Long Island Iced Tea. It captures the sunlight better than pina colada. 

By 7pm we were sat once again in the dining room enjoying another multi course sumptuous meal. Even Lucas was eating well. Huge prawns, stuffed crabs, stir fried chicken with vegetables, dragon fruit and more, topped off with a birthday cake for Jo as they had heard it was her birthday in a few days. 

What an amazing place. Well worth the effort to get here. For just over £100 each for 2 nights accommodation, transport and some stunning food in such a fantastic location, this has to be an absolute bargain. 

I hope it doesn't get swamped with tourists. Alas being this close to China, Korea and Taiwan, all with rapidly increasing populations and wealth, there will without doubt be more and more people looking for vacations a short distance away. These 30 vessels could easily become 60. I'm enjoying the relative peace and tranquility though at dawn on the sun deck.

The last 36 hours have included some fraught moments, negotiating borders, flights and high finance. The downtime since then has been awesome though.  

High Finance

A relatively quiet sort of day today. Well, apart from 2 birthdays and another new country to visit. 

Lucas was late to wake up after his previous late night but we had a peaceful poolside morning lined up. By 10 we were resuming the Lucas throwing competition. John, Marc and Raquel had set off early to see the UNESCO sites in town. All very sensible. 

So, our last opportunity to experience Lao food was at Salt and Pepper with the jovial young French waiter. The staff were very amienable and created a table for 14, provided cold beer and wine and as many spring rolls as we could manage. 

I'm going to miss Laos. 

A beautiful country with friendly, welcoming people and elephants. 

2 days was never going to be enough (then again a 2 week trip is never enough). 

All these experiences in one small area (and we missed a fair few to be honest) and so many more destinations in Laos still to visit. One day....

Our plane to our next destination, Hanoi, was propeller driven and small. Marc and Holly looked apprehensive. Don't know why, I'm sure the mechanics of Laos are competent. After all, we had been seeing the standard of workmanship over the last two days. What could possibly go wrong. 

Hanoi airport is a huge, modern looking complex. Certainly compared to the intimate little airport of Luang Prabang. It was a shock to the system finding major, bustling civilisation again after the laid back rustic Laos. 

Hanoi is ridiculously hectic. Every man and his dog has a moped and absolutely no road sense at all. Helmets, lights and traffic lights are treated with contempt. Apparently there is a road death every hour in Hanoi. I'm amazed it's so low. The life expectancy and the age a Vietnamese citizen is able to acquire their first moped must be roughly the same. Families of 4, women riding side saddle, children no more than 10, you'll see it all in half an hour on the roads of Hanoi. 

The Golden Rice Hotel is a beautiful looking building. Alas I had other matters to attend to, so left Jo to check in. 

The Kangaroo Cafe around the corner is run by Max, an Aussie, and his parter Thuy. I had been in touch with Thuy by email to organise the next few days. I still had to pay for this and so far no money had changed hands. I was wondering how this was going to work. I needed to find about £1300 in local currency somehow. At about 33,000 dong to the pound, that's a lot of dong. I popped out and took out 5 million. It was a start. Only another 43 million needed by 8am tomorrow. 

I returned to the hotel with my head spinning with numbers. We foolishly decided to eat in the hotel. Well, it looked like a classy establishment. We woke the restaurant staff up, they looked a bit surprised to see customers. No wine, so they were dispatched to the local shop. Warm beer, so we had to drink it with ice cubes. My dish arrived first. It looked like a Batchelors Savoury Rice with bits of crab stick. Massively disappointing. Lucas's garlic bread arrived after I had finished mine and he finished it well before Jo's cheese on toast arrived. 90 minutes for cheese on bloody toast ! I took poor, tired Lucas to bed before several had even received their meals. Our first really disappointing meal of the trip and boy, was it poor. Hanoi is supposedly a bit of a foody Mecca but you would struggle to believe it from this place. They negotiated a suitable discount though.