in search of the Buzz

Vang Vieng

had a pretty sumptuous breakfast at Joma's, in the heart of Vientiane. as i sipped the fantastic coffee while waiting for my transport to pick me up... i was wondering what sort of excitement can Vang Vieng bring me, heck, leave alone bring these "farangs" to this little town 3 hours away from the City... Lonely Planet was a great help in giving me a view, or maybe a thought about this small town, but nevertheless, nothing can deceive what the eye sees.

the minivan arrived 20 minutes late, and it was full with farangs... and me being the only Asian white boy in it... it was just a minivan that picks up those who paid for the bus ride to the bus, of course. first impression of the bus when i first saw it was... "wow, not bad". at the front of the bus, is a huge sticker that reads "King of Bus". not bad for just below 5 dollars. bus was almost packed... thankfully, i was the second to get into the bus... i managed to find a seat, next to a little girl. skeptical... but hey, at least i got a seat. as the other farangs started to board the bus, they managed to find a few seats but not for an Irish couple. no comfy seats but plastic chairs, already in the bus, just in case of this situation. see, the buses here have no seat numbers... its a free for all. so, be early! as everybody started to settle down in the bus (not really for the Irish couple), the bus started to move... and had weird loud sounds coming from it as well. nevermind, its moving... it hit me that there were 3 extra Lao fellas in the bus as well. weird...

its going to be a 3 hour bus ride, or longer, depending on "situations"... yes that is scary. first stop... after almost an hour through the trip... TOILET BREAK... no no... not like R&Rs back in Malaysia, what you see is 5ft high grass and yes... please go ahead and take a leak. ladies, bring along an umbrella... and a friend of course. everybody was astounded... but being farangs... who cares! first sign of the bus with a problem... my view was that their brakes were heating up really fast, affecting the gears and clutch... solved in 30 minutes... long break... back on the road.

half an hour later... a long traffic jam. there was a queue.. a very long queue of cars, trucks and vans. we were stuck, not knowing what was going on at the far end. after reading stories of buses being robbed on this highway and so forth... everything i held was close to me. the traffic moved, and stopped, moved and stopped. until to a point that we can see a bridge... yes, we were crossing a bridge and seems that the actual bridge used for vehicles from the City actually collapsed! hell yea! and that was why we had to use the other bridge, and traffic was slow cause they would allow a certain number of cars to go through before the other direction comes. conclusion, it was a very narrow bridge.
after going through crazy Lao driving, whereby we nearly hit another car which was 2 inches from the bus and another incident where the opposite vehicle was 5 inches from the bus... the bus broke down again. 4 hours into the journey... the problem that i suspected came happening again. it was another wasted 30 minutes.  finally, we entered the province of Vang Vieng... seeing the signboard brings a smile to my sorrow face. it was the country side, mountains towering us, river flowing gently and kids doing somersaults into the river... i was feeling the vibe already... UNTIL... we dragged to a stop. it was there and then that i even thought of hitchhiking to the town. but i kept myself from it and waited for almost an hour before the mechanics and the driver settled it. remember when i said there was 3 Lao fellas in the bus... and yes, i know why now... they are mechanics!!... call them the bust attendants too, as they do check tickets.


6 MF-ing Hours!!!

Lonely Planet said 4-5 hours!!! and what can the eye not deceive... it was true, Lao buses look VIP but they forgot to have a VIP engine in it! my suggestion is, get a minivan to Vang Vieng, it would cost maybe a dollar or two more, but the journey would be much faster... especially if you are on a tight schedule, like me...


SABAI-DEE VANG VIENG!!!

grabbed my backpack and headed straight out to the main road. see, VV is so small, there are 2 main roads... you are assumed lost if you see too many trees around you on a very very straight road... thats the highway.

Good morning Vang Vieng!

with no reservations on hand, i walked towards the GuestHouse i wanted to stay in... Bansuan Riverview Bungalows. i saw the sign and started to walk faster as there was another lady in front of me walking the same direction. being kiasu, i overtook her and she halt me back. her first words were, "hi, your first time in Vang Vieng?"... as i screeched to a stop, smoke hollowing from my slippers, i said ÿes". then we were approached by a local, telling us that the bungalows inside is fully booked and his GH has one room left. as we stared at each other, the lady and me, we came to a conclusion that we could share the room for the first night. at the back of my head was that i could save half the price of the room... with a stranger! it was a quick decision as i was dead tired from the bus ride, frustrated and hungry. we stayed at Le Jardins de Organique and the room was 60,000 kip, about 7 dollars. view was pretty awesome, overlooking the mountains of VV. it has 1 double bed and 1 single bed as well. simple room, nothing much to offer but it was good enough.

my new friend in VV is Ing, a Thai lady. surprisingly, she was also in the bus, sitting just behind me. we quickly headed for a meal, at 5pm. she was traveling alone as her friend that she came with, flew back to Thailand because of an emergency. 2 solo travelers in a new place. we started exploring VV... a cowboy town that sells loads of VV t-shirts, singlets, everything you need when you are at the river. internet cafes are located everywhere and restaurants were galore, serving all sorts of food, Lao, Aussie, etc. the sun was setting and we found ourselves in this island, just a bridge across from the mainland of the town. this little island is a home to 3 bars and a GH. and the view of the sunset was simply out of this world. it was amazing... in Discovery Channel's words, This World Is... Awesome! i just couldnt help my fingers snapping on the shutter of my camera as i enjoyed the scenic view of the sunset, setting over the mountains. this little flick certainly brought smiles to our faces after the horrid bus ride we had. as VV started to get dark, it started to rain as well, and we were on our way out of the island and back into town. and we landed ourselves on a restaurant for dinner of course. if you were to read about VV from forums, reviews and books, you are sure to come across these phrase, "kicking back watching reruns of FRIENDS". and YES! its effing true! the tables and chairs are built into a bench like with pillows all around you. and of course, FRIENDS were playing. i also did noticed that now they are playing reruns of The Family Guy. improvising! a cold shower and the bed never felt so comfortable. and this, is my first day in Vang Vieng.

puts a smile on my face everytime

the FRIENDS lounge

VV is so small that you are for sure to bump into the same people that were with you in the horrid bus ride. the Irish dude and his other half was still around, the Frenchies i met was still hanging out together and the German guy is still seeking for his adventure. got up early the next day and the morning view of the mountains are just amazing. mist hanging around the mountains, it was scenic! breakfast... done. we also decided to move to the actual GH i wanted to stay in, Bansuan Riverview Bungalows and here i am, in a new home. talking about being a nomad. check out the Tour agency and we confirmed our tour of Vang Vieng, a half day tour of the jungles and mountains; hiking, trekking, caving & kayaking. the tour costs me 120,000 kip (15 dollars more or less). up on the truck, it took us out of the town and through the village and villagers. we were going to the starting point of our tour. first task... kayaking for about 15 minutes. it was a good  slow start. then we parked our kayaks at a villager's stop.

awesome lodging!

view from the room

the room

it was simply amazing, having to see the locals there trying to calm their guard dogs after we invaded their land. the sight of the jungles were just in my face. its now or never... we started hiking. Noi, our tour guide, was simply funny and can really entertain himself. hes one helluva joker. we hike and trek to a point where we stopped and Noi suggested we go to the waterfall first, then do the caving at the end. Yes Sir!  the hike was tiring, adventurous and out of this world. to a point, i was actually kinda put off or simply scared as two other villagers started to appear from the jungles. Noi said that they just came back from their daily catchings. they hunt for crabs and frogs close to the waterfall. and yes, i could smell the salt water crabs as they walked pass us. the trekking continues... and now, i found myself at the peak, not the highest peak of course, but the peak of the hill we were trekking all this while. the waterfall can be seen and it was amazingly high! the waterfall starts from the peak of the mountain! it was incredible. the lush green covered mountains were just an eye candy! and there you go again... another 2 villagers came walking pass us. same catches... this is how Laos can be, so natural and localized. at some point, you might just feel like one of them... as we continue the journey closer to the waterfall... we went downwards from the hill we were on top and found ourselves on flat ground. it was a land filled with buffaloes and cows. the local villagers here rare these grass-munching, stomach-filling animals and they are for sale. a fully grown cow would cost around 1 million kip or more. now, we are lucky as there was no sign that says, "Trespassers would be shot!". as we strolled pass the dang filled grass (which explains the extreme lush greenery), we were in another jungle now. we have been hiking and trekking for almost an hour now. as we crossed rivers and streams, it started to rain. it was my first time doing this in the rain. drenched with rain and sweat, we continued our journey; just had to be a little more careful hiking as the paths are extremely slippery and muddy.
Noi told us that the management allowed him to take us on a Full Day Tour, instead of the Half Day Tour Ing and me decided on. now, this is worth the money! haha. the mini-waterfall is drawing close... the sounds of the waters crashing on the rocks on a nearby stream lifted my spirits to continue hiking. and there we were, climbing through the rocks in the river. with moss all over the rocks, it was tiring and difficult to climb upstream. after all the hard work, there it was, the mini waterfall we came for. it was awesome... the water was cold, cooling breeze, water crashing into the stream... it was well worth the adventure. all i can do was just stare at the falls, and started snapping my shutters again. Noi was swimming in the shallow waters but i found a rock just nice for me to relax... it was my personal little haven...

the dang filled area

mountain peak number one

the mini waterfall we climbed towards

after enjoying being in my little haven, we started to climb downstream to where we entered from. we were on our way hiking back to the jungles and this time to the cave. going back the same way we came from, we found ourselves back at the dang-filled open land. from there, the cave that we were going is pretty near. and there it was, NamTham Cave. getting into the cave was difficult; steep wooden wood as our ladder and we are in it. as the lights went out, we were deep in the cave. the atmosphere was cold, the water was cold, i was freezing. at one point, we were walking through waters until my chin! thats about 5 feet deep of water. pushing myself through the waters whilst holding on to my flashlight, the only thing that i could feel on my feet were stones and rocks, slippery ones too. the cave was not that big, maybe about 500 meters and sunlight can be seen. and there it was, my real caving adventure; i was a virgin. out in the open, i know that the tour is about to end. and we were back on our feet trekking through the thick and long grass. as Noi paved the path... i was exhausted. and we are back at our kayaks. from here on... it would be kayaking for about 20 kilometers back to the town dock.

5 feet high water filled cave!

it was a tiring kayak ride, exciting at the same time. then, we found ourselves at the heart of VV's main attraction... the Swingers! bars and restaurants can be found at both sides of the river. this is also the main starting point for tubing, the farangs fave past time. Noi told us to docked at Smile Bar, on the left side of the river, downstream. we had lunch there as we watched the farangs swinging off themselves into the river. Smile Bar provides food, drinks, a volleyball court, mud-volleyball, mud-tog o'war pit and the ultimate swinging action. after watching a bunch of farangs play volleyball, tug o'war and swinging, they started to leave when one of their buddies dislocated his shoulder at the mud-volleyball court. after having much rest, Noi was ready for the swinging, and so am i! hah! in VV, this is much more fun than tubing, personally. and there i go... 1st attempt, ahhhhhhhhhhh.... wooooooooooooohhhhhhhh... weeeeeeee... thunderous SPLASH!!! as Noi threw a inflated inner tube for me to hold on as he pull me back to the dock, my face was plastered with a huge smile. it was FUNNN!!! and FANTASTIC!!! one might feel like being in a circus as those professionals swing around on the trapeze. 2nd attempt, i was swinging so high that i might actually get back up at the platform... and after going back and forth twice, i let my hand off the trapeze and left my heart at the handle. at my 3rd and final attempt, then only i did see the sign that states, "Swing 3 times then let go". i was doing it twice!! ok, this time, i followed the instruction and the splash wasnt that great. oh well, i guess i am hardcore! haha! seriously, swinging on the trapeze is a tiring job. after landing in the river, you still have to get your ass back at the dock. it was tiring and we were done. Noi did it twice, i did it thrice but Ing didnt do any... i guess it is understandable.

bracing myself...

holy-mother-of-godddd.....!!!

Smile Bar's Mud-Pit

by the way, swinging is FREE! you just have to buy a drink at the bar and go on... its all yours. whilst tubing down the Nam Song River, the bar guys would normally shout out calling you to come to the bar and try our their swings... if acknowledged... they will throw a rope with a bottle attached at the tip at you. hold on to it and they will pull you in. simple as that. as we make our way back to the town on kayak, bars are aplenty, left and right of the river. some with loud music and some a little mellow. there was this bar with a HUGE slide... simple... just like Sunway Lagoon in Malaysia, go down the slide and find yourself maybe 10-15 feet in the air before you plunge into the river. now that is heart-stopping. too bad i was too tired to actually try it. half-way kayaking, Noi screamed at us, asking us to go ahead... he needed to take a leak!  WTF... hahaha... this guy is funny, as he scrambled out of the kayak to get on land. as we approached the town and the sights and views got familiar, we knew that the Tour had finally come to an end. one word... MEMORABLE! a BIG thank you to VLT Tours and Noi. cheers!

again, Ing and me found ourselves at another restaurant but with the similar ambiance of the typical "lepak"culture in VV. headed to a bar on the little island, one called Rock Bar. it was quiet, surprisingly... and yea, just drinking Beerlao and chatting. called it a night and went back to the GH's garden facing the river to relax and absorb my last night in VV. river was pretty calm, and the mountains were asleep. the village across the river are in darkness, presumably sleeping. it was a peaceful night with stars twinkling above my head. one thing i told myself before i fall into deep sleep.... I Shall Return...!

my VIP bus (once bitten, twice shy?) was due to arrive at 1.30pm. after having breakfast, Ing and me decided to go for a walk, across a bridge that would cost 4000kip to get across and back. this bridge leads to the best caves and mountain views in VV. VV is simply scenic, shutterbugs are most encourage to come to this town. VV has fantastic eco-tourism sites and landscape artists and photographers would consider this as a haven for them. as i walked through mud pools and rocky roads, i get to experience the villager's life and surroundings. paddy fields, dogs humping, wooden bridges, shallow rivers, locals getting on with their errands, children cycling to school... its amazing. a life that i would not have experience back home but the life here is something that i would certainly respect.

"please to pay"

the paddy field

cant get enough of the my lodging

strictly made of bamboo!

sunrise view

checked out of the best GH in VV, in my own account, we headed to the town carrying memorable memories of VV with us. as i parted ways with Ing, she was a great friend; friendly and down to earth. who would have known that i had met a great friend in a foreign country. she was heading to Luang Prabhang, my initial town to visit and i am heading back to the capital. same concept as Vientiane, a minivan pick me up and dropped us at the bus station. as the bus arrived, i jaw dropped in shock... it was that very "King of Bus" i took from VTE to VV. hence, once bitten, twice shy. this time, i was prepared, i brought food and water enough for a 6 hour ride. and there i go... in the problem prone bus...


sorry, no pictures this time as my initial laptop has gone nutty and my pictures are all there. dont worry, will get the pictures up when i get that lappy fixed. 

the journey continues...

immediately i greet my good old friend with a handshake and a hug. why the BIG smile? he actually saw me at the immigration and was smiling... but i didnt notice him until i got through the immigration. and yes it did, the BIG smile caught my attention.

here i am... in LAOS... 

as i dumped by backpack at the backseat of his Pajero, we rolled towards the city of Vientiane. not as big as Phnom Penh (of course), we were at the Mekong River in 10 minutes... and i had my first meal in Laos, Vietnamese food. weird, yes, food, delicious! without a doubt we started chatting about the old times, 10 years ago mind you. it was funny, yet memorable. things that happened in school should stay in school, but heck, 10 years on it should be brought out on the table! done with the eating and we headed to his office, Lao-Singapore Business College. yes, he used to be a teacher at this school before becoming the Operations Manager. nice and simple office, shared with another Lao colleague, we continued chatting as he brought me here to "show face" at the office. 

IndoChina Handicrafts

Home sweet home, not mine, but such a lovely house Horace got here. single storey with huge trees in the compound. took a cool shower, changed me clothes and my next destination is SengDara, a local Club House cum Sports Club. just the perfect time for me to relax after quite a hectic few days ago. went swimming, sauna, steam room, and a relaxing body massage. oh yesss, besides feeling that i was floating, it was all goooooooooooooooooooooooooood! wait, before this, we had lunch at Khop Chai Deu, the most popular falang hang-out in town, according to the Lonely Planet book. lunch was good, typical Lao food. great experience and it was buffet! :D

half a day gone by and we were off to a gathering at his friend's house. upon arriving, we were greeted with this huge house! yes, its big, wide compound and a guard house... suddenly i felt like i was in Bukit Damansara. it was a FS Gathering, where a religion called Baha'i have their followers in a Faith, Fun and Fascinating surrounding. met many new friends here i might add... the owner of the house is a French man, working as the Finance Advisor to the UN... now that explains the house. :D dinner was simple Lao food, yet delicious. it was a great night, listening and learning about a different religion with the company of people from different countries. 

haywire!

the next morning, Horace, Cathy (Horace's wife) and i went for breakfast at Sticky Finger's, close to the riverside. the pork ribs are good here and i tried a piece myself, and yes, it was fantastic! the sauce was amazing, sweet yet sour. after breakfast, i was dropped at Talat Sao, The Morning Market. walked through the market but nothing seems to attract me... other than the Beerlao t-shirts. walked another round and into the shopping mall... i told myself, thats it... im done with the Morning Market. left the market with a Beerlao t-shirt i purchased in my bag, i headed to the Palace. as i was walking half way, i thought to myself, better not waste my time walking there, so i detoured and went towards the Patuxai, the Victory Monument. as i was walking, i detoured again, this time i saw the signpost that pointed me to That Dam, the Black Stupa. as i strolled in the very blue sunny sky with the sun shining through my skin, i noticed infront of me many guards and sorts. so i mind my own business and continued walking. then it struck me about the guards... it was the American Embassy! hah! still afraid eh? That Dam is actually one of many stupas around Laos, but this one is exceptionally special, its Black. no idea why it is black; maybe it aged since centuries ago... or maybe it built with a significant meaning behind it that im not wary of.  anyway, a roundabout is built around the Black Stupa and i headed back to the main road towards my original destination, the Patuxai.

That Dam @ The Black Stupa

amazing as it looks, the Victory Monument looks like a piece of huge concrete  from far, but the architecture and design is beautiful. built looking like an arch for the Greek Gods, this structure is also known as the Vertical Runway, because the money donated was to build a runway for planes but they government instead built this Arc de Triomphe. detailed designs of ancient beliefs can be found all around the monument, images of Gods and mythical creatures are part of the internal design of the arch. pay 3,000kip (less than a dollar) and i am up in the monument itself! the view is magnificent and i get to view Vientiane city in a super wide panoramic view. again at the top, craftsmanship of high details can be seen on the statues and shapes of the pillars. as i wandered around at the top, there was more flight of stairs going upwards... skeptically, i went up and hey, a spiral staircase to the peak of the monument! up there, the space is pretty limited, i would say maybe 8 persons or less, 2 to a window. didnt stay up there too long as it was a little crowded, i went downstairs and browse through some souvenirs that were sold by vendors inside. took another long look at the city, absorbing the sunshine and i am off... strolled downstairs back to solid ground. rested a moment, contemplating and thinking where would be my next destination.

panoramic view of Vientiane

as i walked through the extreme heat of the sun, i just wanted to goto the Riverside... and from there, let my feet do the talking. wasnt too sure about the roads in Vientiane as well, so i just walked and walked and walked and hey... a very familiar place. it was the restaurant i had lunch with Horace yesterday. brilliant! now i know where i am... as i strolled through the streets of Vientiane, one most common sight would be the Wats. there are about 5 temples within the 5km radius in Vientiane. namely, Wat Mixay, Wat Xieng Gneun, Wat Chanh, Wat Onteu and so forth. the most disappointing part would be not knowing which Wat i have visited as the signs are all in Lao language! only one temple stated their name in English, which is Wat Mixay! these temples have amazing architecture and design... looking at them makes me go wow! stopped by at a local souvenir shop and got myself some postcards and other misc souvenirs. "only these?", i heard someone saying... ok ok, i got myself 2 other t-shirts as well. souvenirs are not really cheap, compare to Phnom Penh, t-shirts are roughly around USD3, compared to USD2 in Phnom Penh. well, i have enough of t-shirts now. another attraction would be the Fountain, with no water. yes, i went there and the fountain wasnt operating. its just a pretty small park with a fountain in the center of it. nothing much actually... 

water-less fountain

various Wats @ Temples

as i continued walking, i ended up at the Lao National Cultural Hall. amazing, the building is simple beautiful, kept me in awe most of the time, even when i was snapping away on my camera. with pillars as high as 4-floors greeting you, it was magnificent and grand. opposite would be the Lao National Museum. not as outstanding as the Cultural Hall, the Museum is just 2-storeys high and looks pretty dull. i didnt enter the Museum as the operating hours were done. as a matter of fact, i didnt enter any of the buildings i visited... mainly the Wats. the Lao culture on a Wat is pretty strict... it is best not to enter the Wat if you are not dress for it; long pants and a t-shirt, nothing fancy, nothing revealing for ladies. since i was in my usual shorts, i didnt go into it or even the vicinity... RESPECT! talking about culture, i read somewhere that Lao people are pretty conservative and all, including tattoos, dreadlocks,etc... but i got a culture shock when i saw many locals with tattoos, all over their hands and legs... hmmm... i guess that particular article i was reading is a little too outdated... :D

Lao National Cultural Hall

the signboard speaks for itself :D

ala Sunway Lagoon

tired... only thing that can describe me... i took a tuk tuk to meet up with Horace at a Lao waterpark. it seems that the owners of this waterpark (forgot the waterpark's name) is from Sunway Group, the people that brought Malaysians to Sunway Lagoon! hah! nothing compared to the one in Bandar Sunway but i guess it was good enough for the locals. as we left the waterpark, i just realized the time... it was sunset!! you know me and sunsets... so i told Horace to drop me off at the Riverside and there i was... soaking in the sunset, gold in color... breathtaking! as the sun sets from the Mekong River... i just took a moment to savor everything insight... it was plain calming and relaxing. not forgetting taking photographs of nature's beauty of course. *speechless*

Lane Xang Cruise

as the sun set, it was closed to 7pm and i was walking through a wave of shops selling all sorts of stuffs by the roadside and riverside. trying to look like a local, doing his shopping at night stalls, i came across a painting seller. it was different, creative and... different. had a pep talk with the seller and it is him, the painter of all the paintings in the stall... ok, him and his girlfriend's. he is actually a lecturer in Vientiane University of Fine Arts and paints for fun. very innovative painting skills... and im pretty sure to buy one when i am there again. hehe. dinner was at SingMal Restaurant (i think), located next to the Cultural Hall, a Malaysian owner, that cooks one heck of a Mee Goreng Mamak! haha! how much i missed this. 

headed home early, as i was going to VANG VIENG the next morning!! woohoo! bought a VIP Bus ticket that costs me 40,000kip (close to USD5) and i am damn excited! before i decided on VV, i was thinking about Luang Phrabang... a UNESCO Heritage Site. but then, i chose VV as i think that i needed more days in LP compared to VV...

we shall find out what the BUZZ is all about Vang Vieng soon!

the journey begins... Angkor - Singha - Lao

my fight was at 9.40am; dragged my excited yet lazy ass up, got ready, concluded some final details, fine tuning my backpack and i am off to Phnom Penh International Airport. i guess the feud between the Thais and the Khmers are still raging, hence the "passport checker" asking me WHY am i going to Thailand... "holiday", i answered... hmmm... skeptical.... flying on Asia's Boutique Airlines; Bangkok Airways was not what i expected... i could say that it was good... not a budget airlines for sure, food was serve and just as i munched down my last bite of the Thai salad, the cockpit dude announced that we will be descending in any moment. yes, the flight only took an hour max, and here i am in Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok! woo hoo!

Sawadi-kap

pink is in!

BANGKOK - yes, im excited and all... embarrass to say this but... shhh... its my first time in BKK... hahah! yes, you can imagine my excitement... i hope... anyway... got out of immigration, collected my backpack, went to the money changer, got myself a bus ticket to Hualamphong Railway Station and i was sitting and waiting for 20 minutes before the bus arrived. there was only 5 of us in the bus... which was great! haha! arrived at the Railway Station and was approached straightaway by touts; "you got train ticket, sir?", "you can keep your luggage here" (whilst pointing at a shady old shophouse across the street). "NO THANK YOU..." with a smile of course. 

i think they are in the wrong field... Realtors cum Designers? 

Singha... reprazent!

dropped off my backpack at the Railway Station's luggage center and noticed tonnes of luggages and backpacks scattered from the room all the way to the main entrance of the station! ok, i might have exaggerated, but seriously, they were everywhere! mine was comfortably snugged with other backpacks behind the counter. *phew* 

aint hot here, boy!

it was noon... hungry and had little time to move around BKK. decided to take the underground MRT to Si Lom, 2 stations away and turned to McD's right away when it stood in front of me.... how RUDE! had lunch there, and strolled across the cross junction to a monument... some dude standing coolly under the blazing sun... neway, got some photos and walked myself to the BTS, Bangkok's SkyTrain. station was called Sala Daeng... took it and headed to Saphan Taksin station, where the Central Pier, Sathorn Taksin is located. 

the plan was to take the Chao Phraya Express Boat down the Chao Phraya River (of course) to anywhere i would like. took the one price for all day... 150baht... regretted... the furthest destination is priced at 11baht one way... sigh... anyway... the boat ride was not bad, where you get to see Bangkok's mega structures... including a train on water! 

spot the lady washing her clothes...

choo choo boat

Wang Lang... heard they sell guns here... ;)

Wat Arun, one of Thailand's oldest temples is perched close to the riverside and its stunning. though i didnt go into it, from afar, it looks amazing. as the boat spears through the waters of the Chao Phraya, villages can be seen washing their clothes, doing their routine as visitors look with amazement. my first stop was Wang Lang, not too sure why but heck, im going down. they had a little market by the river and also food stalls along the roadsides. just a typical day in Bangkok i guess as the locals stroll past me as i stood there snapping away my camera. didnt really wanna walk far from the pier, i strolled down the road and made a u-turn before reaching the main road. i wasnt equipped with a map, so thats the reason for me to turn back anyway. grabbed an Iced Coffee from a stall and it was Kopi Tarik! gracefully Tarik right before me; priced at 25baht. back to the boat, i got off at Tha Thien.

Wat Arun

again, a small market is based near the pier. as i was walking, i was approached by a local. as we talked, he claimed to be the "manager" of the market by the pier. so i was, ok, cool. first he thought i was Thai, then as we chatted, he recommended me this attraction... not known by many. it was a Wat... Wat Rajapradit. a temple where they filmed The King & I... according to him. how true is this, i really dont know. tried Googling bout it but it seemed to be a normal Wat, a very very very old Wat. since 1864 mind you. since i wasnt interested in going too far, i thanked him for the info and went along. next i was at Wat Pho, another beautiful Wat. the statues resembles Buddhism thoroughly, statues that looked like those in China... for real! statues of Gods guarding the gates, etc... for a moment i thought i was in China! again, i didnt pay any the entrance fee to enter the actual Halls of the temple, was just hanging around the garden and surroundings. the Grand Palace is actually situated next to Wat Pho but the visiting times were at 3.30pm and i was too late. so, its back to the pier for me.

right? you feel like you're in China right!?!?

as i feast my eyes to the beautiful surroundings through the boat, i came to a halt at Central Pier, Sathorn Taksin. off i went, hanging around the pier, loitering like bums. as i walked to the SkyTrain, i noticed a garden, sort of like a park where peeps just lay back and hang out. and so i did... relaxed myself, snapped some photos and back on the train. it was more like a big, interesting U-turn from Hualamphong Railway Station. back at Sala Daeng, i had dinner at a local noodle shop. also found a shopping center with a supermarket in it to get some snacks and breakfast whilst in the train. 

arrived at Hualamphong Railway Station at around 6.30pm, i walked towards the attendant and asked about my train to Nong Khai. train leaves at 8.00pm and i was early, but i got a rude awakening when the attendant said i have 20 minutes to board the train before it leaves! oh blardy hell; rushed to the luggage storage, got my backpack, walked as fast as i could to the platform... and i stopped. where the hell is the sign that states the coach number! approached another attendant and lucky me, it was right in front of me. got up the train, found my seat and dropped all i had. yes, i was sweating like a pig! as i waited and waited... damn train didnt move an inch after 20 minutes. then another 30 minutes... and finally it moved at 8.15pm! oh come on!!! damn attendant... screwing up my slow walks. yes, i was cheated by a local. thankfully it was only TIME.... :D

platform number 3

to my relieve....

so much for sniffer dogs... Oi falang... no smoking!

honestly, i was being paranoid if i was on the right train. the whole time actually... i asked a worker in the train where he was preparing the bunks, he has no idea what i was saying. FINE! got off the train and saw a signage outside the train that says "Bangkok - Nong Khai". relieved! got up the train, that worker that was preparing the bunks, was changing to another uniform... he was actually a train attendant! can you believe it...! how can he not know what i said, at least there was a Thai word in it... NONG KHAI. so, paranoia dissolve as the train started rolling...

now you dont...

now you see it!

Hualamphong Railway Station

as i slept through the journey to Nong Khai, the bunk wasnt that bad after all. it was comfy, has a mattress, blanket and a pillow. i didnt believe myself, after sleeping for almost 10 hours, i was awaken by the sight of the early morning sunrise. it was fantastic, just looking at the sun rising from the horizon, a sight that i am not able to experience in life, simply because waking up early for sunrise just dont seemed to be in the agenda. as the sun rises, silhouettes of trees and the green grass just pleases my eyes, and soul. it was fantastic, dreamy yet realistic.

wonderful sunrise plus the cool mists...

NONG KHAI - a tuk tuk to the Thai border would normally cost 30baht, but since i was alone, it costs me 40baht. it was relatively easy to go into Laos by land, through Nong Khai and the infamous Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. after immigration, get a mini bus at a cost of 15baht. once at the Laos border, go to the immigration counter and get a Arrival & Departure Card. it cant be found anywhere and only in the office. fill it up and you are good to go. the funny yet stupid thing is, this immigration officer held my passport, flipped the pages, looks at my face; and asked me, "you Philipine?"... to my horror, i managed to blurt out, "No, Malaysia". what was she thinking?!! she then started flipping some papers hanging in front of her and then i was thrown a question... or maybe a statement... not too sure from her tone of voice... "no visa". and i coughed up "No". *chop* *chop* thank you! noob... :D

and here i am... in LAOS. and there he was... my good old, high school mate, Horace; looking at me with a huge smile...