Bridge over the River Kwai

We joined our bus outside the hotel for our River Kwai trip at about 7:00am, enough time for a quick breakfast in the buffet. Out trip was with four other people, all from Queensland and they’d just been to Phuket and were stopping in Bangkok on their way back home.

As we waited outside a hotel to pick up the last two travelers, we watched people heading off to work, stopping at a roadside kitchen to pick up their breakfast. Bangkok is huge and I can’t remember when we exactly had left the city and were in the rural areas of Thailand. We passed huge trucks bringing in sugar cane to sugar factories and stopped at a petrol station for a rest on the way up. I went to the toilet, observing a sign indicating if you were urinating, then head to the left. This took me outside the toilet, where the urinal was on the external wall!

Bangkok. Taking it easy

Today we just wandered around MBK. We had the best buffet breakfast at this hotel, but I wasn't feeling the best, so took it easy. A few times during the day I broke out into a pouring sweat which had nothing to do with the heat, as the arcade was fully airconditioned. I was disappointed with the prices of electrical goods; iPods costing the same as they were back in Australia, and similar with phones. I wasn't feeling well enough to venture to the IT Centre so we stocked up on clothes. The day was pretty much just spent shopping, sorting out and confirming our day trip tomorrow or sleeping the afternoon off in the hotel room. We ventured back into MBK later in the evening for dinner, but I don’t think I ate much if anything, though there was a nice café at the hotel lobby where I managed to have a coffee and some really nice ice cream.

A few days in Thailand

We flew into Bangkok International Airport again, 3rd time on this South East Asia trip, though this time we would actually leave the airport!

The usual out of the plane then onto a bus and driving around half of the airport saw us eventually at the customs gate which we passed through to meet up with our ride to the city. The trip to our hotel Pathumwan Princess seemed to take forever passing through the early evening of a huge Bangkok.

We checked into the hotel and tested the view from our 27th floor room window before venturing out into MBK to find somewhere to get dinner. We found the food court at the far end of the mall, and collected our plastic food credit card and proceeded to wander among the many food stalls. Eventually deciding on a shop selling soups, I picked up a duck wanton soup which I think didn't agree with me. I’d eaten from street vendors in Myanmar and market stalls in Lao only to be stricken down by a food court in Bangkok! It left me a bit tender and under the weather for the rest of the Bangkok trip.

We wandered around MBK a little more then retired for the evening.

Luang Prabang all laid back

Today was our last day in Laos :(
We did a small morning tour of the city with our guide; visiting the King’s Palace which was now a museum. No photos were allowed inside, indeed we had to place our cameras, hats and backpacks into lockers before entering. Inside were all sorts of artifacts from around Laos, as well as the preserved Kings Palace, including his bedroom, sitting chambers, welcoming chambers with detailed paintings depicting Lao life on the walls. His throne and various suits and swords were also on display. A very interesting place.

We then visited a temple bejeweled in glass mosaic; green on the outside and red on the inside.

Luang Prabang and Kuangsi Waterfalls

A much later start to the day today; our pickup was at 9:30 so we had plenty of time to relax over breakfast.

Nikhom arrived on his motorbike, and our driver brought the mini-van along shortly after. We headed out through the suburbs of Luang Prabang, passing scores of schools with their yards a sea of bicycles. The houses thinned out and the water buffalo became more frequent as we left the city. The road started weaving through the mountains, and we passed many young teak plantations and small villages.

Luang Prabang and Pak Ou Caves

Up early today for a 6:00am pickup. We watched the monks doing their dawn alms collection. Very beautiful to watch. A large family had come to give alms and they were the centre of attention with lots of tourists taking their photo, even before the monks arrived.

The monks came in single file in their saffron robes accepting rice, bananas and other food without acknowledgement. When their bowls were full, or just at their choosing they take some food out of their bowls and give it to some poor children who were standing at the side of the procession.

Pakse

Today was a transit day. Our guide wanted to pick us up at 8:00 in the morning for an 11:45 flight. This would have left us sitting at the airport for nearly 4 hours. When challenged the night before, he said it was something to do with the airport, and not knowing enough I didn't argue it with him. But after checking with the hotel desk, I decided to leave him a message and we would make our own way to the airport.

I was up when he arrived so told him directly that we would just catch a tuktuk to the airport ourselves. He said to leave it with him, and a phone call later he said he had a driver arranged that would take us to the airport at 10:00. Much better.

Si Phan Done

I was up before dawn, and walked out to watch the sun rising over the Mekong. Some monks were walking along the river but I missed a beautiful photo of them with the sunrise as the battery went flat in the camera and I was locked out with Michelle still asleep and couldn't change it.

We are not quite getting what is meant to be happening with our new guide. He said he would pick us up at 8:00, but was at our hotel at 7:00. Questions on whether we were late or he was early or checking the time on our watch didn't really get resolved. I guess this was laid back Laos.

We had a filling breakfast of scrambled eggs and the most beautiful sweet orange juice. We rushed our breakfast, finishing at 7:30 only to not be able to find our guide anywhere. We wandered along the banks waiting; he showed up soon after but then we couldn't find our boat driver. Eventually we were off down the river.