Three’s Company in the Land Downunder
Like many of Rebecca's and Gadi's close family and friends I have been following their exiting trip since the very beginning. That is no longer the case since I've been given the honour of taking part in the last leg of their journey, and getting away from our sunny, yet very cold Canadian Winter. After the usual airport mess and several near-missed flights I was finally reunited with them in Sydney after ten long months.
The reunion party was to be short-lived, as was my first visit to Sydney, because straight away it was off to Newcastle and the first stop on our way to the Great Barrier Reef. The view and ambiance of Newcastle driving in was unimpressive to say the least, especially with public urination in broad daylight. All hope was not lost, because the next day we continued north to the quaint town of Port Macquarie, home of the Koala hospital. While we were disappointed that we weren't allowed to hold the poor little devils, we were thrilled that they weren't asleep when we arrived.
Injured Koala
At the invitation of Rebecca's and Gadi's new-found close friends Nathan and Becca, we continued on the Brisbane where I was to have my first experience in a big Australian city. Like most big cities, Brisbane has a lot to offer locals and tourists with extensive resources, but for backpackers on a budget, we could always enjoy the healthy blend of older and modern architecture from the river cruise.
Brisbane City Center
From Brisbane it was off to Hervey Bay where we would embark on journey of excitement and discovery into the Australian wild, and plenty of 4x4 driving. We booked the self guided tour of Fraser Island where we were grouped with travelers like us from all corners of Europe. The trip included everything from the most crystal clear freshwater lakes, just like the pictures in the brochures and miles of gorgeous, yet shark infested coastlines. The trip was also one of great enlightenment, for instance we learned that Dingoes, for all their fierce reputation, are nothing more than a pack of pussies scavenging for people food. Our group was foolish enough to the leave the grease-covered grill overnight only to be covered with dingo prints the following morning.
We were also introduced by our Dutch counterparts to their peculiar concept and custom of swaffeling, something that has been known to cause international incidents. It basically involves hitting one's semi-erect penis against other persons, objects, and world-famous landmarks. No more details necessary.
However, by far the most memorable experience on the Fraser Island tour was the outcome of me drinking too much cask wine, locally known as "goon." There were already several achievements that I had done, such as displaying my aptitude for the butterfly swim, and speaking German (according to them) without an accent, something so far I've been unable to replicate in my own language. Nevertheless, my moment of applause came when a busload of tourists specifically stopped to witness me getting sick from the combination of excessive goon and 4x4 bouncing, I didn't feel like walking too far from the road. Nothing a swim in the crystal clear Lake McKenzie can't fix.
Crystal Clear Lake Mckenzie
The last destination in Australia, and the most North that we would come was Airle Beach, from where we would experience the edge of the Great Barrier Reef. The sailing tour we booked involved snorkeling to see exotic tropical fish and coral, visits to beaches of sand so pure it doesn't heat, reef sharks no larger than a cat, and some sailing. We thought that while snorkeling we had found Nemo and his parents, however upon verifying with the chart we were disappointed to find that they were only found his long-lost cousins.
I'm on a boat, mother f#@ker!
Our Australian Outbackish experience was complete, and it was time to return to Sydney and civilization. In two days we drove more than two thousand kilometers, a feat admired by many locals. Though my time was limited, Sydney made a lasting impression on me which I hope to enjoy one day soon in the future. A visit with my army friend Josh resulted in a day of sailing on the harbour to see a race of the fastest sailing ships in the world. At night time we explored the vast variety of culinary treats, from world-famous Sydney meat pies to churros that rival the very same in Madrid.
Sydney Opera House
And so concluded our short yet very sweet tour of the land down under. I still never understood why the British sent their convicts to a land of Paradise. While there we compiled a list of our five favorite activities;
5. Learn to drive on the left and not confuse the turn signal with the wiper blade lever
4. Master the Aussie accent and language
3. Learn to pronounce local towns and cities
2. Spot live wildlife, including koalas and kangaroos
1. Try not to run them over
Auzzie-land
Traveling in Australia is very easy and so was the transition. Same language, similar culture. The biggest shock was the prices, especially after traveling through India and SEA. Everything just seems so expensive.
We landed in Sydney and were greeted by Matt and Marisol, friends we met back in Thailand. They were so nice to drive us around town and show us some of the major sites, including their favorite beach and the Olympic Complex.
Olympic Stadium, Sydney
After a couple of days of relaxing in Sydney we took off to Melbourne. I really loved this city. We stayed with a friend and former co-worker, Yuri. This guy knows how to party! The first night we went to the famous Queen Victoria night market and then out to a bar. The next night we started at one drinking-hole called Bimbo's before heading over to Crown Casino. I wasn't allowed into the night-club since I was eating flip-flops (the downside of having a limited wardrobe). Instead we sat in a bar where we drank two bottles of champagne. Then it was off to another disco to dance the night away. The evening ended around 5:30am with a night-cap back at Yuri's place.
Strange baby at Bimbo Bar
Yuri and champain
We did manage to do some site-seeing too. We rode the free tourist bus around town to see the Docklands, Shrine of Remembrance and the Botanical Gardens. An interesting museum is the Australian Center for the Moving Image, a fascinating gallery dedicated to film, TV and digital media. I re-lived my childhood by playing the original Nintendo!
Melbourne skyline
Melbourne is a city worth exploring. Just walk around the various neighborhoods, taking in all the sites and easy going culture.
Shrine of Remembrance
Angkor What?!
Our stay in Cambodia was very short because there is still so much of the world to see and so little time. Less than two months to go before the end of our "adventure of a lifetime"!
Our main goal was to visit Angkor Archeological Park. We spent one day checking out the sites of Siem Reap including Pub Street and the day market. We also went to the night market where I got a pedicure done by tiny little skin-eating fish. It tickled at first and I'm not gonna lie - I didn't notice much difference. Oh well, I've always wanted to try it.
Fish massage and pedicure
We wanted to see all the major sites of Angkor in one day so to get the most of it we joined a group tour. At $13 a person we had transportation in an air-conditioned bus, a guide and unlimited water which is much needed on a hot day. I would recommend this option as opposed to getting your own tuk-tuk. Firstly, it costs about the same. Second, drivers don't offer much information. Last, AIR-CONDITIONING!!
Angkor Wat
The temples did not disappoint! We checked out Bayon and Ta Prohm which is the famous "Lara Croft Tomb Raider" temple. Angkor Wat was saved for last where we watched the sunset over the magnificent temple.
Monks at Bayon
From Cambodia it was back to Bangkok. We took the opportunity to catch up on some shopping. MBK Mall is six solid floors of shopping goodness. You can buy anything and everything here. Of course, Koh San Road offers some great deals too. As a break, we went to the Royal Palace which was far more beautiful than expected. The temple is incredibly decorated with little mirrors that twinkle and dazzle in the sunlight.
Thai Royal Palace
That marked the end of the "Asia" portion of our trip. It was time to change gears and move on. Australia, here we come!
Laos-Cambodia border corruption
After leaving Don Det and the 4000 islands in Laos we wanted to head to Siem Reap, Cambodia. We hopped on a bus and headed for the Dom Kralor border crossing. The corruption on the border is far worse than expected. We expected to pay US$20 for the Cambodia visa with a "processing fee" of US$1-2. This is WAY off!
We arrived at the Laos border and were requested to pay US$2 per passport to stamp out. A little more than we would have liked to pay for the bribe but there wasn't much choice (although we did short change the guy and gave about US$3 for both of our passports).
We then enter Cambodia and are required to pass through a health inspection. To get our passports back we had to pay US$1 per passport. Again, we cheated and I slipped the guy only US$1 for both passports and walked away quickly.
Next to get our visa. Again, it is known that the Cambodian visa costs only US$20. On this border crossing they wanted US$23 per visa. We were a large group of people and we started to argue the price difference. The border officials then started bargaining with us and offered US$22! We laughed at them and the price was immediately raised back to US$23.
A few of us decided to stand our ground and pay only the official price. We were just ignored! In the end we had to cave-in and pay their "special" price. Gadi and I got away with paying US$45 for both passports so we saved an additional dollar. A small defeat.
You'd think that it was all over, but no. Once we got the visa we stood in another line-up to get the visa stamped. Guess what? They wanted another US$1 per passport! At this point I said I had no more money left. I whipped out my wallet and showed them the empty folds. They agreed to do it for free for me. Another small defeat and another US$2 saved.
Finally got our Cambodian visa
After the whole ordeal we boarded the bus again. We looked out the window at the health inspector just in time to catch him pocketing the cash. It is just infuriating!
In the end, the visa which should cost only US$20 turned out to cost much more. If you payed all the requested bribes the Cambodian visa costs US$27! Be prepared to have extra cash and it is best to bring US dollar bills.
I wish you all the strength and patience!
Laos, more than just tubing
We have quickly realized that our time was coming short. We had to decide on how much to see in Laos and if we were heading for Vietnam and/or Cambodia. We settled for cutting out Vietnam from our planned itinerary and visit Seam Reap in Cambodia. Sorry if we have upset anybody for our choice but we had to make sacrifices. I guess it gives us a good excuse to come back some other time.
After our odyssey on the two day slow boat we arrived in the old Laotian capital, Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang is a town located where the Khan and Mekong Rivers meet and has the privilege of being part of the World Heritage of UNESCO. The presence of temples and specially monks is a common sight. We only stayed in town for a couple of day so we visited some of the main temples. To tell you the truth, I am a little templed out. You see one it's great, you see three it's pretty nice, you see fifty and I get the point. The only bad part of this town is that they charge you for every temple you see so this helped us out on selecting a minimum number of them to visit. The one we do recommend was the Phu Si (no I didn't make it up). You should get there for sunset because this temple is located on the top of the hill and you get a nice view of the city.
How many monks can you fit on the back of a trunk?
While walking through town we came upon a man selling a very strange looking concoction. There was a large glass jar containing all kinds of snakes, scorpions and giant centipedes. When we asked the man about it he said it was Lao Whiskey or better known as Cobra Whiskey. Honestly, it looked more like a witch's potion. Once again i had to prove my manhood and give the alcohol a try. After all, when in Lao we should do like Laotians do and I drank it. It really wasn't too bad!
Cobra Whiskey: Scorpions, snakes and other things
Our next stop in Laos was Vang Vieng. This town is known by travelers as a party town. We thought the place would be touristy but not to this extent. Here you will find a handful of restaurants playing back to back to back Friends and Family Guy episodes and a tour agency in every corner. The main reason people come here is for the infamous tubing experience.
We didn't know what to expect about tubing but let me say it, it was awesome. You start your day by renting the tube from one of the two shops in town. They take you on a tuk-tuk up the river and this is where the fun begins. Lined up on the river there are bar after bar. The music is pumping and the drinks are flowing. You get the chance to swing and slide from some questionable swings, ziplines and water slides but at that state you don't care too much about your well-being. Ah, you can't forget to stop for some mud wrestling and mud volleyball! One catch about the tube rental is that you have to be back by 6 pm if you want your full deposit back. Be careful not to get stuck in the bars because it takes a good amount of time to get back, I am speaking from experience.
Vang Viang and it's surroundings do have things to offer including some caves and not too far off some almost untouched villages. We rented scooters to explore. When we pulled over by a small village, all the children came out to meet us. They were excited and scared, as if they've never seen a white person before. One baby even burst into tears as I waved hello.
Village children
For our next destination we wanted to mix it up a bit with our transportation method. We opted to take a kayak tour to get to the city of Vientiane. It was very nice but I wish we were in the wet season so that the river would have more rapids.
Truthfully, Vientiane was my least favorite city in Laos. For a big city there was no night life. There is a curfew and everything closes at 11:30 at night, I think it got something to do with the communist regime.The highlight of our time there was when we visited the Buddha Park. This place as the name suggests is where a bunch of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures are laid out in a park. The sculptures are said to have been made by unskilled artists under the direction of the designer.
The famous leaning Buddha in Buddha Park
After hopping from place to place we were ready to relax in the 4000 islands. The tiny island of Don Det is very chill place. We got a tiny bungalow overlooking the river which contained a bed, mosquito net and two hammocks. There wasn't even electricity in our room but that didn't matter since electricity is only turned on between six and ten at night. We had some down time and caught up on our reading while swinging in our hammocks. It was paradise.
A Lao Sunset