Hello,
After the awful day we had with the visa run to Cambodia, we went straight back to Koh Chang - a small island off the north gulf coast of Thailand. We stayed there until yesterday and had the most relaxing and fantastic time!
We got into a bit of a routine of lazily getting up just before lunch time, strolling over to a local cafe for brunch, where we re-discovered our deep love for English tea! Then we stayed in the cafe for 2 or 3 hours reading, writing in our diaries or playing sudoku, and after this we headed straight for the beach for most of the afternoon. And after a quick shower we would head out to have dinner at one of our favourite spots showing a few movies every night. As boring as it sounds, we did almost the same routine every day and we loved every minute of it!
A few days ago, whilst having our morning tea in our usual brunch spot, we noticed that one of the local men was holding and stroking something that looked like a rat!! With obvious curiosity I approached and on closer inspection realised that he was holding a new-born baby monkey!! He handed it over to me - it just about fit in my hand, it was shaking and sucking its thumb and looking for anything else to suck like mine and Laurence's fingers, and it still had its umbillical cord! Although it looked like the sweetest little creature, it seemed so vulnerable and defenseless and it really needed its mummy. I have no idea how they got hold of it and what happened to it after we gave it back to the men, as we never saw them again, but I really hope they returned it to its mum.
Koh Chang was soo relaxed and the beach where we stayed had everything we needed. The only reason we came back to Bangkok so early is that it was a bit too expensive on the island and we feel we know Bangkok well enough to save most money out here. So we plan on staying here for the final stretch until we come home - it's so close now and we are both getting very excited! We cant wait to see everyone and get right into the Christmas spirit.
That's all for now - lots of love from us both,
Rozzi and Laurence
xxx
Monday, December 7, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Koh Chang + The Dreaded Visa Run
Hellooo!
We are writing at the end of a ridiculously exhausting and frustrating day, doing a visa run to extend our Thai visa at the Cambodian border. So we might use the blog to let off some steam, if you don't mind!
So this "interesting" day started off with us leaving our lovely beach accommodation in Koh Chang - a paradise Thai island, to start making our way to the Cambodian border, which we did not reach until 1pm. There we had to argue with rather intimidating Cambodian Immigration Police who were trying to rip us off by charging twice the normal visa fee. When we refused to pay the extra amount and sat there for half an hour in a staring contest with five of them, they finally gave in and we got our visas for $20 each, the correct price. A short lived victory however, as 2 minutes later we were told that since we weren't staying in the country for at least 1 day, we would have to pay $10 each... So one way or another they managed to rip off the foreigners... And when we eventually got our Thai visa, already in a terrible mood and with a bitter taste of corruption, we headed to the nearest bus stop. After waiting for over 1 hour for a van to our destination and being majorly jerked around by the transport people (and that's a whole other story), we finally bused, ferried and tuk tuk-ed our way back to our place, in Koh Chang by around 10pm.
And now for the good news - we have been staying in Koh Chang for about 3-4 days so far and it is amazing!!! The beaches are beautiful and we are absolutely loving it here - that's why we may stay for another week or so, before going to Bangkok for the final stretch. We'll put photos up as soon as we can, and until then - let the tanning continue!
Lots of love,
Rozzi and Laurence
xxx
We are writing at the end of a ridiculously exhausting and frustrating day, doing a visa run to extend our Thai visa at the Cambodian border. So we might use the blog to let off some steam, if you don't mind!
So this "interesting" day started off with us leaving our lovely beach accommodation in Koh Chang - a paradise Thai island, to start making our way to the Cambodian border, which we did not reach until 1pm. There we had to argue with rather intimidating Cambodian Immigration Police who were trying to rip us off by charging twice the normal visa fee. When we refused to pay the extra amount and sat there for half an hour in a staring contest with five of them, they finally gave in and we got our visas for $20 each, the correct price. A short lived victory however, as 2 minutes later we were told that since we weren't staying in the country for at least 1 day, we would have to pay $10 each... So one way or another they managed to rip off the foreigners... And when we eventually got our Thai visa, already in a terrible mood and with a bitter taste of corruption, we headed to the nearest bus stop. After waiting for over 1 hour for a van to our destination and being majorly jerked around by the transport people (and that's a whole other story), we finally bused, ferried and tuk tuk-ed our way back to our place, in Koh Chang by around 10pm.
And now for the good news - we have been staying in Koh Chang for about 3-4 days so far and it is amazing!!! The beaches are beautiful and we are absolutely loving it here - that's why we may stay for another week or so, before going to Bangkok for the final stretch. We'll put photos up as soon as we can, and until then - let the tanning continue!
Lots of love,
Rozzi and Laurence
xxx
Monday, November 23, 2009
Hua Hin, Thailand
Hello!
Sorry we haven't updated on things in the past week - I guess we didn't think that enough had happened to write a new blog, but after a few concerned (and very sweet) emails we thought we should update you on where we are.
After Cambodia, we went straight to Bangkok, where we spent 3 pretty uneventful nights. We have sort of learnt our way around here, so we tend to spend our evenings either watching movies in cafes or going to the cinema! As you can see, not much has changed even out here!
After Bangkok we took a very comfy train down to Hua Hin, a popular sea side town which is a favourite holiday spot for the Thai Royals. We ended up staying in a room on stilts going out into the sea, which meant that every morning we were woken up by the sound of the waves crashing under our room! Although Hua Hin is nice, it is very touristy and busy, so we were missing our Cambodian paradise already... But it was great to catch up with our friends Kim and Frazer, who we met up with down there. We also got invited to a very special party at Frazer's dad's house in the Beverly Hills equivalent area there. First of all, the house itself was incredible and unlike anything we'd ever seen - it had completely open (ie. no walls or windows) living, dining and games room and the overall finish made it seem like a 5 star hotel! The party was really very posh, the Hilton had prepared the decorations and food, and it felt more like a wedding than a simple birthday party. Add to that it was a neverending buffet of delicious food and an open bar, and as you can imagine for 2 travelers - we were in heaven! lol The next day we slept until 4pm!!
Today is the second day after the party and we took the train back up to Bangkok and we will be making our way East, to a nice island near the Cambodian border, called Koh Chang. Our visa runs out on the 28th Nov, so we will have to pop over the border and back in to renew it.
So that's all for now. Thank you sooo much for the emails - we love reading them so keep them coming!
Lots of love from us both :o)))
Rozzi and Laurence
xxx
Sorry we haven't updated on things in the past week - I guess we didn't think that enough had happened to write a new blog, but after a few concerned (and very sweet) emails we thought we should update you on where we are.
After Cambodia, we went straight to Bangkok, where we spent 3 pretty uneventful nights. We have sort of learnt our way around here, so we tend to spend our evenings either watching movies in cafes or going to the cinema! As you can see, not much has changed even out here!
After Bangkok we took a very comfy train down to Hua Hin, a popular sea side town which is a favourite holiday spot for the Thai Royals. We ended up staying in a room on stilts going out into the sea, which meant that every morning we were woken up by the sound of the waves crashing under our room! Although Hua Hin is nice, it is very touristy and busy, so we were missing our Cambodian paradise already... But it was great to catch up with our friends Kim and Frazer, who we met up with down there. We also got invited to a very special party at Frazer's dad's house in the Beverly Hills equivalent area there. First of all, the house itself was incredible and unlike anything we'd ever seen - it had completely open (ie. no walls or windows) living, dining and games room and the overall finish made it seem like a 5 star hotel! The party was really very posh, the Hilton had prepared the decorations and food, and it felt more like a wedding than a simple birthday party. Add to that it was a neverending buffet of delicious food and an open bar, and as you can imagine for 2 travelers - we were in heaven! lol The next day we slept until 4pm!!
Today is the second day after the party and we took the train back up to Bangkok and we will be making our way East, to a nice island near the Cambodian border, called Koh Chang. Our visa runs out on the 28th Nov, so we will have to pop over the border and back in to renew it.
So that's all for now. Thank you sooo much for the emails - we love reading them so keep them coming!
Lots of love from us both :o)))
Rozzi and Laurence
xxx
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Cambodia
Hello!
The day after the Mekong Delta we headed straight for Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital. Although we stayed there 2 nights, we only really explored the city for 1 day, but we managed to pack it full of interesting experiences.
Our first stop in Phnom Penh was the S21 prison, an old school which had been turned into a torture facility during Pol Pot times. We learned so much about the recent Cambodian history there. It was a dark and unsettling and for some, including myself, rather emotional. It is unbelievable that something so horrible as the Khmer Rouge happened as recently as 30 years ago. We also visited the infamous Killing Fields, where Pol Pot's executers piled thousands of bodies of professors, doctors, monks, children, women etc... who had been tortured in S21. What seems incredible is how despite their horrific history, Cambodians seem to be very happy, smiley, eager to help and honest people - and this only adds to the mysterious charm of this amazing country.
We got to experience the Cambodian hospitality later on, when on the way back to our hotel we got sucked into some birthday celebrations, Khmer style! So we sat for a few hours drinking beer and eating chicken's feet (only Laurence, thank God!) with some very friendly and generous locals.
On our third day in Cambodia we headed down for Sihanoukville, desperate to get to a beach! We found the most picture perfect, crystal clear, white sandy and quiet beach called Otres. We stayed in very simple accomodation, with electricity only coming on for a few hours in the evening, and no access to internet, TV or phone. But none of that mattered since we were in beach heaven, so we spent around 5 days just reading, swimming, occasionally eating and drinking the delicious local whisky. It was perfection!! So, it is easy to see why we couldn't pull ourselves away from there to go to Siem Reap and see Angkor. That will have to wait for another visit. And I'm sure there will be more visits to Cambodia!
So following a looooong travelling day yesterday, we are now back in Bangkok. We'll be meeting up with our friends Kim & Frazer down in Hua Hin in a few days, and we will report back soon after that!
In the mean time, don't be shy to write us emails - we love to hear from back home!
Lots of love,
Rozzi and Laurence
xxx
The day after the Mekong Delta we headed straight for Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital. Although we stayed there 2 nights, we only really explored the city for 1 day, but we managed to pack it full of interesting experiences.
Our first stop in Phnom Penh was the S21 prison, an old school which had been turned into a torture facility during Pol Pot times. We learned so much about the recent Cambodian history there. It was a dark and unsettling and for some, including myself, rather emotional. It is unbelievable that something so horrible as the Khmer Rouge happened as recently as 30 years ago. We also visited the infamous Killing Fields, where Pol Pot's executers piled thousands of bodies of professors, doctors, monks, children, women etc... who had been tortured in S21. What seems incredible is how despite their horrific history, Cambodians seem to be very happy, smiley, eager to help and honest people - and this only adds to the mysterious charm of this amazing country.
We got to experience the Cambodian hospitality later on, when on the way back to our hotel we got sucked into some birthday celebrations, Khmer style! So we sat for a few hours drinking beer and eating chicken's feet (only Laurence, thank God!) with some very friendly and generous locals.
On our third day in Cambodia we headed down for Sihanoukville, desperate to get to a beach! We found the most picture perfect, crystal clear, white sandy and quiet beach called Otres. We stayed in very simple accomodation, with electricity only coming on for a few hours in the evening, and no access to internet, TV or phone. But none of that mattered since we were in beach heaven, so we spent around 5 days just reading, swimming, occasionally eating and drinking the delicious local whisky. It was perfection!! So, it is easy to see why we couldn't pull ourselves away from there to go to Siem Reap and see Angkor. That will have to wait for another visit. And I'm sure there will be more visits to Cambodia!
So following a looooong travelling day yesterday, we are now back in Bangkok. We'll be meeting up with our friends Kim & Frazer down in Hua Hin in a few days, and we will report back soon after that!
In the mean time, don't be shy to write us emails - we love to hear from back home!
Lots of love,
Rozzi and Laurence
xxx
Sunday, November 8, 2009
South Nam
Hello hello!
A quick update from us - all is well with me (Rozzi) now healthwise... the Dengue fever was weird but relatively painless and short-lived. Unfortunately, I think it tainted a few of our experiences in the North of Vietnam - moodswings etc (for once I have something to blame for those!).
So we stayed 3 days in Hue, which turned out to be very nice, and already we could feel the difference between North and the South, where the locals seemed to be a lot friendlier. From Hue, we headed down towards Hoi An - a lovely little town on the coast, with a strangely French feel with its narrow old streets and old architecture. We loved it there and we decided to stay 2 nights, whilst we waited for Laurence's 2 taylored suits and my dress to be made (ooops... we went a bit mad with the spending for a bit, but its all good value for money!).
From there, we went straight down to Nha Trang, which is meant to be a great beach spot, so we were hoping for a relaxing time sunbathing, as we hadnt really done that since Thailand. As you can imagine, we weren't really expecting a huge tropical typhoon and storm to hit the town as soon as we arrived, so other than a few brief ventures out to the nearest food place, we didnt get to see much of the place. It's amazing how within a couple of days the beach got completely covered in washed up tree branches and other general waste from the sea...
Our next stop was Ho Chi Minh City, aka Saigon! We have become a little lazy about visiting cities now - they all seem to be pretty similar and generally not that interesting, so other than the Vietnam War Musium, we really didn't do much else! So the day after we arrived in Saigon we went on a trip around the Mekong Delta. Now that is a pretty special experience! It is a huge river with so much life happening around and on it and I'm sure we will be telling tales of it when we get back :o)
So we ended our trip to Vietnam on a nice high and got the bus to Phnom Penh in Cambodia the following day, which is where we are now, writing this blog! Anyway, that's all for now, and we'll update again in around a week or so, after our Cambodian adventures.
Lots of love from us both,
Rozzi and Laurence
xxx
A quick update from us - all is well with me (Rozzi) now healthwise... the Dengue fever was weird but relatively painless and short-lived. Unfortunately, I think it tainted a few of our experiences in the North of Vietnam - moodswings etc (for once I have something to blame for those!).
So we stayed 3 days in Hue, which turned out to be very nice, and already we could feel the difference between North and the South, where the locals seemed to be a lot friendlier. From Hue, we headed down towards Hoi An - a lovely little town on the coast, with a strangely French feel with its narrow old streets and old architecture. We loved it there and we decided to stay 2 nights, whilst we waited for Laurence's 2 taylored suits and my dress to be made (ooops... we went a bit mad with the spending for a bit, but its all good value for money!).
From there, we went straight down to Nha Trang, which is meant to be a great beach spot, so we were hoping for a relaxing time sunbathing, as we hadnt really done that since Thailand. As you can imagine, we weren't really expecting a huge tropical typhoon and storm to hit the town as soon as we arrived, so other than a few brief ventures out to the nearest food place, we didnt get to see much of the place. It's amazing how within a couple of days the beach got completely covered in washed up tree branches and other general waste from the sea...
Our next stop was Ho Chi Minh City, aka Saigon! We have become a little lazy about visiting cities now - they all seem to be pretty similar and generally not that interesting, so other than the Vietnam War Musium, we really didn't do much else! So the day after we arrived in Saigon we went on a trip around the Mekong Delta. Now that is a pretty special experience! It is a huge river with so much life happening around and on it and I'm sure we will be telling tales of it when we get back :o)
So we ended our trip to Vietnam on a nice high and got the bus to Phnom Penh in Cambodia the following day, which is where we are now, writing this blog! Anyway, that's all for now, and we'll update again in around a week or so, after our Cambodian adventures.
Lots of love from us both,
Rozzi and Laurence
xxx
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
North Nam!
Hey everybody once again!
After Hanoi we took a 4 hour bus to Haiphong city only to find that all the boats to Halong Bay and Cat Ba island were full for the next 3 days. So we got straight back on another bus for 2 hours to Halong City. We booked a 2 day boat cruise for the next day and spent the night in $10-a-night luxury with a/c - whoa! In the morning, after much waiting around at the port, we finally got on the boat and started cruising through the mist of Halong Bay until we saw the beautiful islands start jutting out on the horizon and all around us.
Halong Bay is an amazing natural phenomenon and seeing it from the water on a nice boat was perfect. We went to a cave inside one of the islands that was nice but with caves it's a bit "seen one, seen em all". We cruised a bit further and then got out of the boat and into a kayak. We paddled around a few islands and then right up to one of the villages that literally float on the water anchored to the rockface of the islands. It was intriguing - we looked in through their windows to see them watching tv which was a bizarre scene for somewhere so remote and - on the water!
So we've spent 3 days now in Hue. It's a really nice friendly city and full of history with a beautiful old Citadel and ancient Pagoda. Unfortunately Rozzi hadn't been feeling great over the past few days and as soon as we settled in our hotel we went straight to the hospital. The doctors diagnosed her with Dengue fever, which usually last only around 1 week and is nothing serious. Luckily after just a couple of days on the medication the Vietnamese doctors prescribed, she is almost perfectly recovered and is ready to move on to the next destinations - Hoi An and Nha Trang. We'll keep you posted!
Lots of love
xxx
Laurence and Rozzi
After Hanoi we took a 4 hour bus to Haiphong city only to find that all the boats to Halong Bay and Cat Ba island were full for the next 3 days. So we got straight back on another bus for 2 hours to Halong City. We booked a 2 day boat cruise for the next day and spent the night in $10-a-night luxury with a/c - whoa! In the morning, after much waiting around at the port, we finally got on the boat and started cruising through the mist of Halong Bay until we saw the beautiful islands start jutting out on the horizon and all around us.
Halong Bay is an amazing natural phenomenon and seeing it from the water on a nice boat was perfect. We went to a cave inside one of the islands that was nice but with caves it's a bit "seen one, seen em all". We cruised a bit further and then got out of the boat and into a kayak. We paddled around a few islands and then right up to one of the villages that literally float on the water anchored to the rockface of the islands. It was intriguing - we looked in through their windows to see them watching tv which was a bizarre scene for somewhere so remote and - on the water!
In the evening we parked up next to about 10 other boats and there seemed to be a competition going for who could make the most trashy noise to ruin this idyllic and tranquil location. Our boat opted for karaoke... Great...
In the morning we got dropped-off back at Halong city and got straight on a 5hr bus to Ninh Binh where we bought a ticket for the 13hr night train to Hue. After so many days on buses we chose the luxury sleeper ticket called a "soft sleeper with a/c". Ironically it was probably the hardest bed we've slept on and that's saying a lot after the rock solid beds of Nepal. We arrived in Hue and went straight to a hotel and stopped doing anything as a matter of urgency. We needed to relax and it just so happened that our room had a computer and a tv, internet and HBO. Dreamy!So we've spent 3 days now in Hue. It's a really nice friendly city and full of history with a beautiful old Citadel and ancient Pagoda. Unfortunately Rozzi hadn't been feeling great over the past few days and as soon as we settled in our hotel we went straight to the hospital. The doctors diagnosed her with Dengue fever, which usually last only around 1 week and is nothing serious. Luckily after just a couple of days on the medication the Vietnamese doctors prescribed, she is almost perfectly recovered and is ready to move on to the next destinations - Hoi An and Nha Trang. We'll keep you posted!
Lots of love
xxx
Laurence and Rozzi
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Good Morning Vietnam!
Hello from Vietnam!
We have now safely arrived in HaNoi and spent yesterday aimlessly walking around the city. It is the busiest city ever, with mobs of motorcyclists carelessly and dangerously driving all over the place. Crossing the road is a scary experience and you feel lucky to be alive when you reach the other side!
We haven't really seen many of the attractions - we missed civilization so much in Laos, we decided to go to the cinema instead!
Today we are hoping to head over to Halong city (or HaiPhong) and get a boat over to Halong Bay tomorrow! That's the place where Top Gear filmed - with the millions of little islands. Paps, just for you I'll take loads of pictures! Again, we may be cut off from the interent for a few days (Nooo!), as we plan on getting a 2 day boat around the islands, but of course we will report back as soon as possible.
Lots of love from us both!
Rozzi and Laurence
xxx
We have now safely arrived in HaNoi and spent yesterday aimlessly walking around the city. It is the busiest city ever, with mobs of motorcyclists carelessly and dangerously driving all over the place. Crossing the road is a scary experience and you feel lucky to be alive when you reach the other side!
We haven't really seen many of the attractions - we missed civilization so much in Laos, we decided to go to the cinema instead!
Today we are hoping to head over to Halong city (or HaiPhong) and get a boat over to Halong Bay tomorrow! That's the place where Top Gear filmed - with the millions of little islands. Paps, just for you I'll take loads of pictures! Again, we may be cut off from the interent for a few days (Nooo!), as we plan on getting a 2 day boat around the islands, but of course we will report back as soon as possible.
Lots of love from us both!
Rozzi and Laurence
xxx
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