It is 7pm in Bangkok right now and we are done our shopping and heading for the airport. Although it will be a long flight with two major stopovers we are very excited to begin the new leg of our trip: Europe. Our itinerary for the flight is Bangkok to London arrive at 6:20 am, wait 12 hours and fly to Vienna, wait 14 hours and fly to Kiev. We should arrive in Kiev at 10:30 am on May 20th. I dont know what the internet situation will be like there and when we will be able to blog, but as soon as we have a chance we will.
Au Revoir
Monday, May 18, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
La Cucarocha
It's been a while I know. Pro, i have at least one good story to share with you. Con, I can't think of any. As Veronika mentioned we are back in Thailand and our first stop was Chang Mai.
The reason we chose Chang Mai is because we felt that it would be easier to cross the border from the North of Thailand. Turns out we had no idea of how long it was going to take us so we are killing the rest of our time in Thailand before Europe. Veronika mentioned that I did a good job finding us a place to stay on the first night. That is partially true. Yes I did find the area and hotel to stay at, which was surprisingly cheap in comparison to what we have become accustomed to. The problems are that we had a massive room with a tiny, piece of crap rotating fan. It was like lying down in a sauna. The other thing was that we had an issue with yet another "crazy insect".
Cockroaches are without a doubt a super bug. I'm sure they are the envy of all the insects in the world. People always talk about (at least i do) what one super power they would most like to posses. Insects would tell you that they would want to be a cockroach. They are lightning quick, gross, move best in the dark and now we have learned they could fly as well. My choice is a no brainer, to be indestructible.
The fiasco starts when Veronika went to brush her teeth and I was left in the bed completely exhausted and turned of the main light while leaving the lamp beside the bed on. With my incredible peripherals I noticed something crawling on the wall. When my eyes finally adjusted on the unwelecomed guest, I was watching the biggest cockroach int he world enjoy a jog on my wall. I was obviously freaking out but when Veronika came out of the bathroom, the cockroach flew to a new hiding place. Out of sight. It was similar to Shaggy and Scooby telling the rest of the gang they had just seen the ghost (which was always a guy in a costume). Veronika didn't believe what I told her and decided to take a shower. She will deny this. Once again I was left alone in the lions den with this man eating bastard. I don't know if they actually eat people but at this point I wouldn't be shocked at all. Veronika steps into the shower and the terrorist reappears. At this point he/she was messing with my head. Breaking me down psychologically so I tire out and then it can defecate on my forehead while I'm sleeping. I watched the roach parade on my bag, into the carry on and then into the corner at the foot of our bed. Veronika came out and I had already ran to the other side of the room to find a hiding place. I spoke in tongues when filling her in on what the situation was. The roach reappeared and one of us had to get rid of the bug while the other curls up in a ball to fight back tears on the bed. I made the choice for the both of us by nominating Veronika as the one to get rid of it. I sat there screaming like a little girl and Veronika did what most men would have done in that situation.
So yes, I found the place for a good price but we had to sleep with the lights on, it has made me completely paranoid which in turn is effecting my sleep. Also, if Veronika ever decides to break up with me I know it is because of how girly I get around bugs. She will deny it when I ask her to admit this but to her friends she will let them know I have a mangina. To an outsider that has never met me they might think that I might actually be a woman. I hate to brag but I am quite the mans man. I chop down trees, love cars, tools, hunting drinking beer out of a can and crushing it on my forehead when I am done. Last but not least I always try my best to participate in one puerto rican knife fight a month. All man!
The train from Chang Mai to Ko Lanta was supposed to be a 10 hour ride on an express train. I think the Thai's don't fully understand the concept of an express train. We stopped at every single train station with some stops lasting half an hour. To add to my displeasure I saw some baby cockroaches running around certain areas of the filthy train. The cabin we were in appeared to receive the type of cleaning you would do to your house the day your parents would come home from a weekend trip. Sweep everything underneath a carpet. The train didn't have a carpet so the trash was piled under neath our seats/beds. What the hell are we paying for? How much does it cost to hire a child to clean the trains? I know it sounds harsh but it beats them begging on the streets while their parents are sitting at a bar getting smashed while having engaging conversations with prostitutes. Needless to say I unwillingly slept for about 45 minutes on an overnight train ride that lasted 14 hours.
The bus ride from Bangkok to the pier took another eight hours and the ferry took a half an hour. Lets round the entire trip up to 24 hours of continuous travel with no sleep. I slept like a baby that night and was ready to relax on what could be the final beach we will see on the remainder of our trip. Oh wait it is time for the monsoon.
A monsoon sounds like a big deal in the same category as a hurricane or tsunami but really it is just the wet season. We are getting the opportunity to relax and eat at some restaurants we are familiar with. We did however, try a new Italian restaurant. I was starving and we all know Italians eat until there pants don't fit and the only way they can move away from the table is if someone has a wheel barrel handy. This Italian restaurant was the complete opposite. The prices were through the roof so I wanted to select a dish that will do the trick. I ordered the Crunchy Lasagna which included duck, salad, a bed of risotto and sun dried tomatoes. Whoever wrote the menu is a bloody con artist. The lasagna was two layers of pasta that were roughly the same size as half a toilet paper square. The salad was two forks of lettuce, the bed of risotto must have been the equivalent size of jimmy the crickets (of Pinocchio fame) mach box bed. The duck breast was way to small to be from an actual duck. It was closer to the size of a quail. Thankfully Veronika agreed that half of her real person sized pizza was a good trade for the three fork fulls of food I gave her. I know that there are restaurants that the chef provides quality food in small portions but in Thailand? You kidding me? The Restaurant was located in a part of the island that might be comparable to the most undesirable part of Scarborough. That is if Scarborough replaced all of the building with sheds and shacks.
Despite all of the above I have enjoyed my time in South East Asia very much. I will cook Thai food for anyone that wants and will wear an apron for show. I will do it on my own terms and not wear any clothes underneath. That's what I call dinner and a show.
Laters
The reason we chose Chang Mai is because we felt that it would be easier to cross the border from the North of Thailand. Turns out we had no idea of how long it was going to take us so we are killing the rest of our time in Thailand before Europe. Veronika mentioned that I did a good job finding us a place to stay on the first night. That is partially true. Yes I did find the area and hotel to stay at, which was surprisingly cheap in comparison to what we have become accustomed to. The problems are that we had a massive room with a tiny, piece of crap rotating fan. It was like lying down in a sauna. The other thing was that we had an issue with yet another "crazy insect".
Cockroaches are without a doubt a super bug. I'm sure they are the envy of all the insects in the world. People always talk about (at least i do) what one super power they would most like to posses. Insects would tell you that they would want to be a cockroach. They are lightning quick, gross, move best in the dark and now we have learned they could fly as well. My choice is a no brainer, to be indestructible.
The fiasco starts when Veronika went to brush her teeth and I was left in the bed completely exhausted and turned of the main light while leaving the lamp beside the bed on. With my incredible peripherals I noticed something crawling on the wall. When my eyes finally adjusted on the unwelecomed guest, I was watching the biggest cockroach int he world enjoy a jog on my wall. I was obviously freaking out but when Veronika came out of the bathroom, the cockroach flew to a new hiding place. Out of sight. It was similar to Shaggy and Scooby telling the rest of the gang they had just seen the ghost (which was always a guy in a costume). Veronika didn't believe what I told her and decided to take a shower. She will deny this. Once again I was left alone in the lions den with this man eating bastard. I don't know if they actually eat people but at this point I wouldn't be shocked at all. Veronika steps into the shower and the terrorist reappears. At this point he/she was messing with my head. Breaking me down psychologically so I tire out and then it can defecate on my forehead while I'm sleeping. I watched the roach parade on my bag, into the carry on and then into the corner at the foot of our bed. Veronika came out and I had already ran to the other side of the room to find a hiding place. I spoke in tongues when filling her in on what the situation was. The roach reappeared and one of us had to get rid of the bug while the other curls up in a ball to fight back tears on the bed. I made the choice for the both of us by nominating Veronika as the one to get rid of it. I sat there screaming like a little girl and Veronika did what most men would have done in that situation.
So yes, I found the place for a good price but we had to sleep with the lights on, it has made me completely paranoid which in turn is effecting my sleep. Also, if Veronika ever decides to break up with me I know it is because of how girly I get around bugs. She will deny it when I ask her to admit this but to her friends she will let them know I have a mangina. To an outsider that has never met me they might think that I might actually be a woman. I hate to brag but I am quite the mans man. I chop down trees, love cars, tools, hunting drinking beer out of a can and crushing it on my forehead when I am done. Last but not least I always try my best to participate in one puerto rican knife fight a month. All man!
The train from Chang Mai to Ko Lanta was supposed to be a 10 hour ride on an express train. I think the Thai's don't fully understand the concept of an express train. We stopped at every single train station with some stops lasting half an hour. To add to my displeasure I saw some baby cockroaches running around certain areas of the filthy train. The cabin we were in appeared to receive the type of cleaning you would do to your house the day your parents would come home from a weekend trip. Sweep everything underneath a carpet. The train didn't have a carpet so the trash was piled under neath our seats/beds. What the hell are we paying for? How much does it cost to hire a child to clean the trains? I know it sounds harsh but it beats them begging on the streets while their parents are sitting at a bar getting smashed while having engaging conversations with prostitutes. Needless to say I unwillingly slept for about 45 minutes on an overnight train ride that lasted 14 hours.
The bus ride from Bangkok to the pier took another eight hours and the ferry took a half an hour. Lets round the entire trip up to 24 hours of continuous travel with no sleep. I slept like a baby that night and was ready to relax on what could be the final beach we will see on the remainder of our trip. Oh wait it is time for the monsoon.
A monsoon sounds like a big deal in the same category as a hurricane or tsunami but really it is just the wet season. We are getting the opportunity to relax and eat at some restaurants we are familiar with. We did however, try a new Italian restaurant. I was starving and we all know Italians eat until there pants don't fit and the only way they can move away from the table is if someone has a wheel barrel handy. This Italian restaurant was the complete opposite. The prices were through the roof so I wanted to select a dish that will do the trick. I ordered the Crunchy Lasagna which included duck, salad, a bed of risotto and sun dried tomatoes. Whoever wrote the menu is a bloody con artist. The lasagna was two layers of pasta that were roughly the same size as half a toilet paper square. The salad was two forks of lettuce, the bed of risotto must have been the equivalent size of jimmy the crickets (of Pinocchio fame) mach box bed. The duck breast was way to small to be from an actual duck. It was closer to the size of a quail. Thankfully Veronika agreed that half of her real person sized pizza was a good trade for the three fork fulls of food I gave her. I know that there are restaurants that the chef provides quality food in small portions but in Thailand? You kidding me? The Restaurant was located in a part of the island that might be comparable to the most undesirable part of Scarborough. That is if Scarborough replaced all of the building with sheds and shacks.
Despite all of the above I have enjoyed my time in South East Asia very much. I will cook Thai food for anyone that wants and will wear an apron for show. I will do it on my own terms and not wear any clothes underneath. That's what I call dinner and a show.
Laters
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Back in Thailand
Yes we are back in Thailand. I know we were supposed to go to Laos to do the tubing that is highly recommended. Unfortunately, in the last few weeks we have been poor planners and even worse executioners. Hence we are riding our last few days before we leave for Ukraine in the North of Thailand.
I will begin this blog in the airport on the way from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. As we arrived in Bangkok and found the airline booths we frantically ran around to find the cheapest airfare to Laos. There was no cheap way directly so we settled for a close border connection and a city that we wanted to see often nicknamed as Bangkok's prettier twin sister, Chiang Mai. We bought a ticket with Bangkok Air since we heard about their free lounge. Unfortunately, we only had 35 minutes to check our bags and make it for our boarding time. We ran through the airport, found the lounge and raided it. They didn't have take away bags because this lounge was used for killing clock and relaxing before the flight, so we invented our own. We used tiny little popcorn bags and stuffed them with food. We grabbed cups of coffee and juice (after all this is the first time we saw free food). Needless to say the other passengers on the flight were not impressed with us. We boarded the plane, tired from all the running around that we did but not hungry, only to find out that they do serve quite a delicious meal on board (we ate that one too).
When we got to Chiang Mai, Marc did great research and found us a hostel in the center of backpackers town. What we didn't properly research is the best way to get to Laos. Although on the map Chiang Mai looked like the closest border connection with Laos, we failed to see the brown markings on the map which in fact are mountains. Unfortunately for us this is the furthest spot from Laos and if we took a bus from Bangkok we would have been there in ten hours. As we learned this information we realized that Laos was just not meant to be. We managed to make some friends with a group of English and Australian travelers. Last night we went out to a Western bar together, we exchanged interesting travel stories (now we sound quite professional at this) and had an overall great time. When we were back in the room Marc professed his disappointment at the poor drinking habits of the English. I assure him that once we are in Ukraine and meet up with Andrei he will not be disappointed.
In the last few days we have been quite active. We visited a Thai farm and learned how to make five different traditional meals. The beauty of it is that Marc and I learned 9 different meals in total and can host a traditional Thai dinner party. We first visited a local market which was an experience on its own. And then got a tour of the farm where we picked spices and vegetables for our individual meals. We met a girl from Australia (Kerry) who lives in Chiang Mai and volunteers at an orphanage. We met up with her the next day and she showed us around the orphanage. There were over 200 children living in one building. More than half the children have parents but they are either in jail or can't afford to take care of them. The section for toddlers was the saddest. They had 20 kids in one room to three women, half of the children were crying. Kerry said that the toddlers develop their motor skills much later in life than the average child because they don't leave their beds for three months at a time, not even for a stroll of fresh air. The only time they are out of their beds is to be showered or fed. We saw a deaf child and he was quite sweet. We took him out of his bed and played with him. Kerry said he really took a liking to us. When we were leaving, we made a significant donation and gave a flyer to our hotel so they can send more tourists there.
On a lighter note, we also visited the Chiang Mai zoo. We saw a lot of different animals and got to feed the Giraffes. I will post the pictures in a few days.
We have finally booked our Eurail Pass which allows us 10 travel days in 5 countries. So far we know that after we visit Ukraine we will visit Amsterdam, Brogues (Belgium), Brussels (Belgium), Frankfurt (Germany), Berlin (Germany), Prague (Czech Republic), Vienna (Austria), Rome (Italy), Venice (Italy) and the Amalfi Coast (Italy). We then fly to London and back home sweet home.
Kissess
Veronika
I will begin this blog in the airport on the way from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. As we arrived in Bangkok and found the airline booths we frantically ran around to find the cheapest airfare to Laos. There was no cheap way directly so we settled for a close border connection and a city that we wanted to see often nicknamed as Bangkok's prettier twin sister, Chiang Mai. We bought a ticket with Bangkok Air since we heard about their free lounge. Unfortunately, we only had 35 minutes to check our bags and make it for our boarding time. We ran through the airport, found the lounge and raided it. They didn't have take away bags because this lounge was used for killing clock and relaxing before the flight, so we invented our own. We used tiny little popcorn bags and stuffed them with food. We grabbed cups of coffee and juice (after all this is the first time we saw free food). Needless to say the other passengers on the flight were not impressed with us. We boarded the plane, tired from all the running around that we did but not hungry, only to find out that they do serve quite a delicious meal on board (we ate that one too).
When we got to Chiang Mai, Marc did great research and found us a hostel in the center of backpackers town. What we didn't properly research is the best way to get to Laos. Although on the map Chiang Mai looked like the closest border connection with Laos, we failed to see the brown markings on the map which in fact are mountains. Unfortunately for us this is the furthest spot from Laos and if we took a bus from Bangkok we would have been there in ten hours. As we learned this information we realized that Laos was just not meant to be. We managed to make some friends with a group of English and Australian travelers. Last night we went out to a Western bar together, we exchanged interesting travel stories (now we sound quite professional at this) and had an overall great time. When we were back in the room Marc professed his disappointment at the poor drinking habits of the English. I assure him that once we are in Ukraine and meet up with Andrei he will not be disappointed.
In the last few days we have been quite active. We visited a Thai farm and learned how to make five different traditional meals. The beauty of it is that Marc and I learned 9 different meals in total and can host a traditional Thai dinner party. We first visited a local market which was an experience on its own. And then got a tour of the farm where we picked spices and vegetables for our individual meals. We met a girl from Australia (Kerry) who lives in Chiang Mai and volunteers at an orphanage. We met up with her the next day and she showed us around the orphanage. There were over 200 children living in one building. More than half the children have parents but they are either in jail or can't afford to take care of them. The section for toddlers was the saddest. They had 20 kids in one room to three women, half of the children were crying. Kerry said that the toddlers develop their motor skills much later in life than the average child because they don't leave their beds for three months at a time, not even for a stroll of fresh air. The only time they are out of their beds is to be showered or fed. We saw a deaf child and he was quite sweet. We took him out of his bed and played with him. Kerry said he really took a liking to us. When we were leaving, we made a significant donation and gave a flyer to our hotel so they can send more tourists there.
On a lighter note, we also visited the Chiang Mai zoo. We saw a lot of different animals and got to feed the Giraffes. I will post the pictures in a few days.
We have finally booked our Eurail Pass which allows us 10 travel days in 5 countries. So far we know that after we visit Ukraine we will visit Amsterdam, Brogues (Belgium), Brussels (Belgium), Frankfurt (Germany), Berlin (Germany), Prague (Czech Republic), Vienna (Austria), Rome (Italy), Venice (Italy) and the Amalfi Coast (Italy). We then fly to London and back home sweet home.
Kissess
Veronika
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Mount Batur - Volcano Trekk
After long deliberation to go or not to on the Volcano Trek, we decided it would be a waste since we are here not to go. Everyone said the trek up the Volcano called Mount Batur will be really easy (everyone being people that were selling us the trip). The idea is you are picked up at 1am from the hotel, drive for 2.5 hours and then climb for 1.5 hours, wait for the sunrise have breakfast at the summit and climb down for 1.5 hours. It was anything but easy, and I will tell you why.
We were picked up by a driver that started to complain from the beginning that he is really tired, he has been driving for more than 24 hours. He stopped over 5 times to splash water on his face to wake himself up. He tried everything, he listened to music, opened the window, he drank water, pulled over and still he couldn't stay awake. I was so scared that I decided to forgoer my beauty rest and sleep in the car before the hike, for our safety. I talked to him occasionally and remembered what my dad told me about falling asleep behind the wheel. "Chew gum or nuts, as long as your jaw is working you will stay awake." Well I passed this wise tip to the driver in hopes that he had some gum to chew. He didn't but decided he will try anything to stay awake and found in his pocket, to my dismay a red hot chili pepper. He ate it at once and woke right up. However, he underestimated the strength of this little red pepper. He had to pull over yet again as he now couldn't drive because he was screaming in pain. At least he woke up and then I went back to sleep happy at an accomplished mission.
We arrived at the bottom of the mountain in complete darkness. Our driver was already getting ready to sleep and our guide has introduced himself. He gave us a pair of flashlights and away we went. To my asking of how long this will take and how far is the climb he said "very close and very easy." I was really happy about that. At this point it was 3:30 am in the morning to be fair I was really really regretting my decision to conquer this mountain. Who cares about the sunset, why am I here in the middle of the night with a flashlight and 3 hours of climbing ahead of me??? There was not turning back, so I looked forward and followed the guide. The walk at first was really easy. One foot after another, one after another. I kept checking my watch to gauge our progress, what felt like 30 minutes was really 10 minutes. The woods were dark and I couldn't see anything. Marc was right behind me still asleep and in his own world. I tried to talk to the guide but his English was no good and my Balinese was even worse. I checked my watch again only another 5 minutes have passed, I was getting really tired but I couldn't help notice that the road was getting steeper and we were definitely just starting our uphill climb.
When we have climbed for 30 minutes (serious uphill trekking) the guide allowed us a break. My shirt was drenched I was breathing heavy. I was really hoping that Marc was on the same page that we should just turn around and call it a night. He was fine and muttered a few words (his first in the last 30 minutes). I asked the guide again if it gets harder from here, he then pointed at the mountain and my jaw dropped. I finally saw our destination. We were walking on a flat surface and had 80%of the mountain left to climb. The mountain was 1770 high and one way climb was 5 km.
I decided to stick it out. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. We took a break every five minutes as my feet were just giving out. The guide after our break gave me his hand and dragged me up. We were climbing the mountain with rocks falling beneath our feet in the middle of the night in the dark. When we climbed for 1 hour and 20 minutes I said I was done. I did not care about anything other than stopping and getting my breath back. Marc made a good point that it is longer to go down hill. We sat for 10 minutes and then I got enough courage to finish the climb.
Forty minutes later we reached the top. I literally felt like I was on top of the world. My feet were shaking, my clothes were drenched, my chest was hyperventilating but we made it. The sun had another 1.5 hours till sunrise. We were the first to reach the top, and gathered at a restaurant. The chef was making boiled eggs and bread (not much of a choice there but you take what you can get) and we sat in the kitchen trying to get warm. Slowly other people started gathering and by the time the sun came up there were more than 50 people on the mountain. Everyone shared a secret bond through our sense of accomplishment. People were chatting, eating, trying to stay warm and waiting for the sun to come up. We ran into a Canadian group that we have travelled with previously. It was a surprising place to run into one another.
The scenery was truly breathtaking. In front of us was another mountain covered by clouds. At the bottom was a river, on top of the mountain the sun was rising and a few feet away we saw the Crater erupting with warm springs. Once the sun came out so did the monkeys. Marc fed them tomatoes that the guide has picked and we even saw some monkey business. In the end I do feel great that I did it, but in the future I need to prepare physically for such a hike.
Unfortunately, we are leaving Bali tomorrow and going to Laos. Not that we don't want to see Laos, but we really love it here. We are now researching a temple where Monks grow tigers and they run free and are very friendly (the tigers run free not the Monks, although I'm sure that they both run free and are really friendly). Marc said he will sit this one out, but I am really excited. We are not sure what the Internet situation will be like then, but as soon as we can we will blog.
Marc and I would like to wish a very happy mothers day to Mama and Charlene. We are sorry we couldn't be there in person but we love you and miss you very much. Please also wish Babushka Dina and Babushka Asya, Tetya Ala, Tetya Bella, Tetya Ira, Polina, Marina, Vika, Rita and all the mothers a very happy mothers day from us.
Kissess
Veronika
Monday, May 4, 2009
A working Day
I would like to announce that after a hard days work we are the proud owners of a new baby Canon camera!!! I cant explain how happy I am that we are able to once again take pictures and capture this trip. We have definitely missed some beautiful spots in the north and south of Lombok where we rented a scooter and explored the island. We drove by Buffalo's that were hanging out on the side of the road along beautiful mountains. Dined and wined at a seafood buffet by the ocean. Almost learned how to surf. Witnessed an Indonesian motorcycle race and saw 40 ft waves from a deserted white sand beach.
We are now back in this crazy city called Bali in our old hotel. I guess we just cant get enough. It felt like I was coming back home, a place I know and place I love. We are leaving Indonesia and going to Laos on May 7th. We are finally planning our trip to Europe and will order a Eurorail pass online to Kiev Ukraine. In a few weeks I promise to update with some pics from our new baby camera.
Till then Au revoir
We are now back in this crazy city called Bali in our old hotel. I guess we just cant get enough. It felt like I was coming back home, a place I know and place I love. We are leaving Indonesia and going to Laos on May 7th. We are finally planning our trip to Europe and will order a Eurorail pass online to Kiev Ukraine. In a few weeks I promise to update with some pics from our new baby camera.
Till then Au revoir
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