Day 20 – Mekong River & Pak Beng

November 10, 2012 by linkintiara

We set off after a simple breakfast provided by the hotel.

Immigration at the Chiang Khong (Thai) border
The foreigners in my group breezed through this part of the immigration because their passports had been processed in bulk much earlier. I, on the other hand, was stuck waiting in line to get the departure stamp. I boarded a longtail boat once I received the all-clear from the authorities.

5-minute longtail boat ride that will ferry me across the Mekong River

Immigration at the Huay Xai (Lao) border
Tables were turned here; the foreigners in my group stood around waiting to pay for their visa-on-arrival whereas I walked straight up to the Arrivals window to receive an entry stamp after surrendering U$1. Being part of ASEAN rocks!

Cramped structure that houses a forex counter, arrivals/departure counter and foreigner visa fee counter

Slow boat from Huay Xai to Pak Beng

I wonder which slow boat is mine?

My group waited at a restaurant overlooking the pier for eons before we were summoned to board. We waited some more after settling into our seats before a local guy showed up and called for our attention.

He began his speech by saying we should not question him (rebel in me wanted to yell out why not?! but suppressed the urge) and then he rattled these off:
– the slow boat will only depart at noon (Lonely Planet said 10am)
– we are estimated to reach Pak Beng at 7.30 pm
– Pak Beng has no electricity (bullshit because Lonely Planet listed a few guesthouses that offered wifi for God’s sake)
– Pak Beng only has a few guesthouses and there is a high possibility of it being booked out for the night but – guess what – he knows of some guesthouses that still have limited rooms! 300B (U$ 10.08) for a room with shared bathroom and you could top up 200B (U$6.72) to get a private one.

He proceeded to walk around collecting money from those who were shaken up by his speech; I chose to risk being stranded for the night.

I hereby name him the Fearmonger

Sights along the Mekong

Many oohs and aahs were heard from the passengers who spotted this pristine and quiet beach

There were very few fishing villages to be seen along the journey

This was pretty much the same old view for the entire duration of the ride

Sarika Guesthouse
We reached Pak Beng at 6 pm. Upon retrieving my belongings, I sprinted up the steep slope that lead from the pier to the main road (or as much of a run-walk as I could manage with my big bags). Logic being, if guesthouses had limited spots, I must snap one up fast, right?

I reached the first guesthouse and a lady came out to welcome me with a place to stay for 200B – I took it without hesitation. This room came equipped with a private hot shower for a fraction of the price quoted by the Fearmonger (200B instead of the 500B he asked for!). It was also the closest guesthouse to the pier.

Oldish decor but decent enough for one night

Pak Beng
This small town probably exists because of the passengers brought by the long boats. I saw many familiar faces as I took a short stroll along the main street – it was hard not to bump into someone from the same boat! Ended the day with a nightcap with a Dutch passenger, Catharina, who was also wandering the street alone. We chatted at the bar until we were chased out (closing time was 9.30 pm btw).

Quiet and surreal street outside the guesthouse

Day 19 – Chiang Khong, Thailand

November 9, 2012 by linkintiara

Journey to Chiang Khong and beyond

I needed to find a way to get to Laos that was cheap and quick. Julie’s Guesthouse offered a tour package that I found to be pretty decent.

For 1,700B / U$57.11, I had these logistics sorted out for me:

– minivan from Chiang Mai to the Thai border city of Chiang Khong
– accommodation at Chiang Khong
– dinner at Chiang Khong
– ferry from Chiang Khong to the Laos border city of Huay Xai
– pre-packed lunch for the slow boat ride
– slow boat from Huay Xai to Pak Beng
– slow boat from Pak Beng to Luang Prabang

The minivan picked me up about 10 in the morning. I sat next to a chatty Dutch guy who was really into Sri Lankan boys; so much so that he moved there permanently.

Wat Rong Khun

After lunch, we stopped by at this gorgeous yet bizarre temple. Some of the people in my tour group had this attraction listed in their itinerary though mine did not but I got to visit it anyways.

Weird decor around the temple

Temple was blinding in the midday glare

The path that lead through the depths of hell to heaven (assuming the temple is heaven, of course). It was a pity that no photos were allowed inside the temple – the interior was a weird sight to behold with Angry Birds, Terminator, Doraemon and Kungfu Panda depicted on the murals along the wall!

Chiang Khong

We finally reached after enduring a 6 hour minivan ride. I had 1 hour to explore this place before darkness descended upon it.

The small town of Chiang Khong has two rows of shophouses lining the main road, most of which were closed for business by sunset.

The Mekong River (and Laos beyond it)

Namkhong Resort & Guesthouse

During check-in, I was given the keys to room 312 despite being assigned to room 322 on the hotel’s roster but I didn’t dwell too much on that. I was unpacking my bags and settling in before I realized something in my room was amiss – the toilet (or lack thereof!). I went back to the receptionist and showed him the itinerary stating clearly that I was to get a double bed with bathroom … and was moved to a spacious pad with an outdoorsy bathroom! A good thing too as I was still recovering from the diarrhea.

Day 18 – Chiang Mai, Thailand

November 8, 2012 by linkintiara

Wat Chiang Man

Elephant chedi – the oldest construction within the temple complex according to Wikipedia. Interestingly enough, Lonely Planet makes no mention of this structure

Pun Pao Chiang Mai

There were many varieties of colorful paos to choose from

I settled with the “fried chicken in white sauce” pau which was a long-winded name for Shepherd’s Pie pau

Buak Hat Park

Had my small lunch of “fried chicken in white sauce” pau here. The park was very peaceful

Wat Phra Singh

Lifelike model of a monk

Poodle that belonged to the sulky janitor who lightened up once I paid attention to her pet

Wat Chedi Luang

See the string coming from the top of the chedi?

It leads to a contraption that the devotees use to pour water on the Buddha seated at the top of the chedi

Ordination for young monks (my guess)

Cycling around Chiang Mai’s Old City

The roads here are ruled by fast-moving vehicles which can be especially traumatizing when making a turn at the four corners of the inner city. Many tuktuks also scour the narrow street and make frequent stops to pick up/drop off passengers.

Standing atop the half-crumbled city walls looking out at the moat separating the inner city from the outer one

Day 17 – Chiang Mai, Thailand

November 7, 2012 by linkintiara

Trip to Doi Suthep

Yesterday, I eavesdropped on a Dutch girl’s conversation and ended up making plans with her to go to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep – the temple atop a mountain. We were prepared to pay for the tour that was offered by Julie’s Guesthouse but the receptionist told us of an alternative that was much cheaper and more practical. We followed her advice by hopping on a tuktuk that brought us to a university (100B / U$3.36 per car) and from there, a shared tuktuk up to the mountain (450B / U$15.13 per car of 9). The only downside was having to bum around for 30 minutes for the trickle of tourists to fill the second tuktuk up before it was deemed “full enough” to go.

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

It wasn’t easy-peasy to reach the top. The entrance fee of 30B / U$1.01 was collected off to the right hand side and no one seemed to check the tickets.

After having seen so many temples gilded in gold in Myanmar, I was taken aback by the one on top of Doi Suthep that glittered with different colored mirrored glass.

Had to put on sunnies because the temples were bursting with so much radiance

Chedi at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

Lonely Planet says there is a jungle trail from Wat Phra That Doi Suthep to the waterfalls. We asked around but the locals insisted the route has been closed due to snakebite accidents that occured recently :S

Despite all that, we were really adamant to walk down to the falls so we went in search of the National Park HQ. To our dismay, even the HQ ladies confirmed what the locals have been trying to tell us. Dejected, we went back to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep and boarded a tuktuk (incidentally, the same one that brought us up). We paid for the full fare and were let off at the side of the road leading in to the waterfalls.

Mon Tha Than Waterfalls

There is a 3km uphill walk from where we parted ways with the tuktuk to the base of the waterfalls. The incline was pretty steep which caused diarrhea-ed out me to huff and puff a little more than usual. I was pretty sure I turned green from all that exertion too.

Upon reaching the base we rested for a bit – it was pretty with many dragonfly/butterfly hybrids flitting around. The falls were devoid of tourists so it was a great time to bask in sunlight and mist.

We climbed further up and noticed a signboard listing out the 8 levels of the waterfall.

Heroically resolved to reach the 4th tier…

… but we couldn’t even go past the 1st tier because there were no park staff in sight 😦

Ended up settling on this small excuse of a waterfall

Trip back to Chiang Mai

A car drove by us as we were plodding down the hill. To our surprise, it stopped 100m ahead and the German behind the wheel asked if we needed a ride. You don’t say! We piled into the car gratefully and were sent back to Chiang Mai! What a great turn of events indeed!

Day 16 – Chiang Mai, Thailand

November 6, 2012 by linkintiara

Julie’s Guesthouse
The staff were very prompt in replying to emails and I secured a dorm bed within 5 minutes of popping the question. Upon reaching Chiang Mai’s train station, I spotted a tuktuk driver bearing the sign for Julie’s Guesthouse. I’d like to think they sent a driver to pick me up but it was more of an advertising gimmick to entice orphaned foreigners who never made prior reservations. The ride is free if you will stay at Julie’s but 30 baht (U$0.98) if you do not.

I was given a bed in a 4-person dorm for 80 baht (U$2.60). The room, bathroom and common area are spotless.

Chose the corner bed

Chill-out beds at the rooftop. Travelers who arrive before the check-in time are advised to come up here for a quick snooze while waiting for the lobby to open – how considerate is that?

Chose to hang out at the common area downstairs for the rest of the day. There are many mats and cushions set out on raised platforms and there is an assortment of tables and chairs all around. Wifi is faster down here and you can chill out to relaxing Starbucks-like music. The only grouse? I did not feel the backpacker’s scene though I could see it happening around me.

Personal Rant
Many people would sit next to me but very few would initiate a conversation. I noticed this less-than-friendly behavior did not hold true among Caucasian strangers. One would usually make the first move by hazarding a guess whereabouts the other came from and then a conversation would pick up from there (even if one or both parties do not speak English as a first language). So, apparently halting English combined with weak vocabulary spoken in a thick accent are acceptable. That pretty much dispelled the belief that my Malaysian accent is unintelligible.

So what can it be then? Is it racism at work or is it something else? Does my Asian looks cause these white people to have pre-judgments about me? Are they associating me with the immigrants they’ve seen in their own countries? Are the Chinese too loud, too uncouth, too dirty, too calculative, too sneaky… What am I to them?

I did, however, notice that the next best thing to do is try and speak to these people. Interrupting a conversation you’ve been eavesdropping on sounds rude (and it is) but I tried it and it worked 70% of the time. The other 30% got me ignored but it’s better than not trying, right?

Day 15 – Don Muang Airport, Thailand

November 5, 2012 by linkintiara

Left Baggage at Don Muang
Deposited my heavy backpack at the counter for 75 baht (U$2.44).

Clinic at Don Muang
Consulted the doctor about my diarrhea. He agreed with the Ciprofloxacin that I have been taking and told me to wait and see. I have to commend the staff for being very efficient and prompt.

Sleeper Train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai
This is the best train experience I’ve ever had in my entire life! Sure, it did not pull in to the station till one hour past its scheduled departure time but pfft, these are negligible issues when you consider the other perks.

I could hardly believe that this train could be so clean! The beds need to be set up by a train attendant and he does so with freshly laundered and clean smelling sheets! The toilet is also odor-free all night long (trust me, I performed regular inspections).

The journey was pleasant. There were only few (non-disruptive) stops along the way and the train rumbled smoothly without any rocking or creaking – there was neither cause for nausea nor train sickness!

My only grouse was not picking the lower berth. The upper (763 baht / U$24.84) did not have much space and it was without a window =(

TMI
My diarrhea is not getting any better. In fact, my stomach is too hypersensitive. It gives a warning growl as soon as I take my first bite of food and smirks as I run to the toilet 15 minutes later. I meandered around Don Muang from 10 am to 6.30 pm stationing myself within sprinting distance from the toilets.

Day 14 – Yangon, Myanmar

November 4, 2012 by linkintiara

Yangon Circle Line
Braved the public train despite warnings given by a Burmese friend. It cost only U$1 and I could hop on and off anytime I wanted. The entire loop would take 3 hours to complete though.

I could not get a seat upon boarding so I stood by the door. Moved in to the centre once it started to get crowded (it was an automatic reflex having lived in Singapore for 4 years) but that was a bad idea. There was no fan/AC and hardly any ventilation provided by the opened windows. I scrambled out to stand by the doorway before the vegetable sellers with their baskets of produce could trap me in.

TIL stools are very useful in crowded trains

Betel nut seller and fan seller

Around me, people were clipping, trimming and bundling their vegetable produce nonchalantly.

Got myself a seat but it wasn’t long before I was splattered by mud and leaves from guys who hauled at least 5 big bundles of very fresh water cress in to my carriage.

Watercress, watercress everywhere!!!

I never got off to explore any stations, not even the big market called Danying Kone because I didn’t want to relinquish my hard-earned seat. The heat and pollution were also getting to me and I wanted to go back to rest.

My diarrhea episodes began upon reaching my hotel 😦

Day 13 – Yangon, Myanmar

November 3, 2012 by linkintiara

Bus to Yangon
The bus from Kinpun to Yangon was horribly crammed. Small stools were provided to those who didn’t get the cushioned bus seats; latecomers were made to stand.

Halfway, the bus directed those without proper seats to get off and pile onto a pickup truck parked at the side of the road. I thought this was an alternative means of transportation; little did I know it was just to ferry those people across the toll booth legitimately. They scrambled back on to the bus as soon as both vehicles were out of the authorities’ sight.

Note the pickup parked in front of this bus whose sole purpose was to drive extras across a toll booth

This journey took an incredible 5 hours but it felt longer than that because of all the stops taken along the way to let people off (and to take new ones on).

White House Hotel
Used a share taxi to get from Aung Mingalar Bus Terminal to the White House Hotel. My fare was still 5,000 Ks (U$5.87) despite having shared with 2 other locals and bearing with the half hour detour to get to their place @#$@!

Stumbled in to the hotel and was annoyed to the max when they told me it was full WTF. “You asked me to come and see it for myself! You even told me there was no need to reserve a room because there were so many that were vacant!” I was getting hysterical. The receptionist could only shrug helplessly and give a feeble response that an influx of visitors had come in much earlier. I was royally fucked by them yet I was partially responsible for this predicament. Tip: insist on making a reservation even if the hotel tells you to chill out and walk in to “see for yourself”.

Walked around with my heavy backpacks in search of a room. The fourth hotel I went to yielded good results (room was reasonable for its price) so I checked in.

Garden Guest House
This clean, new-ish single room with AC and fan had an attached bathroom going for U$12. The only bummer was that it didn’t have wifi. No worries, Tokyo Donut was but a short walk away. The Wifi password is given with purchase of food/drink starting from 500 Ks (U$0.59). Don’t bother lurking there without paying as they change their passwords daily.

Day 12 – Kinpun, Myanmar

November 2, 2012 by linkintiara

Bummed when I heard the pitter-patter of rain upon waking up in the middle of the night. That spelled slippery slopes and a wet, miserable day ahead for me.

Climbing Mt Kyaiktiyo
Passed a few locals going in both directions. A spry old guy I met along the way even told me that this was his third trip up the mountain! The weather was perfect – cloudy for the most part and cool from the rain the previous night.

Relaxing at one of the many rest stops along the way

Carefree kids seen along the way

I heard young voices reciting the ABC. The monk who caught me spying invited me in to be greeted by the little ones. He then told me he would be stationed there for 3 months.

Students diligently writing under the supervision of a monk

Kyaiktiyo Rock
Entrance fee to see the sacred rock was US$6.

Only males are allowed to paste gold paper on to the rock

Journey down Mt Kyaiktiyo
A very careless lady who bore preserved fruits and a container of fish sauce sloshed the latter down on my shirtsleeve and bag. I tried my best to wipe the stains and smell off but it was futile – I stank badly of fermented fish and there was no way to mask the odor!

There was a pickup truck right outside the entrance to Kyaiktiyo that ferried people down to the Yatetaung Bus Terminal where another pickup truck would drive us back to Kinpun. Only locals were allowed on the first truck; tourists couldn’t board due to ‘safety reasons’. I realized it was due to the very steep incline when I went on foot (must have been like 30%). Another alternative would have been to employ the sedan bearers and be carried like royalty.

Guy happy to be carried up the steep slope

I reached Yatetaung and climbed onboard an empty pickup truck. One should never have to go through the inhumane experience of having to wait 2 hours for the truck to fill up to the max (everyone must cram skin to skin; I hoped in vain that the people around me couldn’t trace the odor of the fish sauce back to yours truly) and then to be whipped around while the driver fulfilled his dreams to drift down ala Initial D. This rollercoaster ride cost K1,500 / U$1.75.

At least one of the sardines looked happy to be on board

(video of the crazy ride will be uploaded later)

Day 11 – Kinpun, Myanmar

November 1, 2012 by linkintiara

Caught a 6 am bus to Kinpun (7,000 Ks / U$8.22) an hour after I arrived in Yangon’s Aung Mingalar bus station from Nyaungshwe. Kinpun will be my base camp for climbing Mt Kyaiktiyo.

Upon arriving at Kinpun, a representative from Sea Sar Guesthouse asked if I needed a room. I had already booked with Pann Myo Thu but figured I could ditch them since Sea Sar was just a short walk away and the price quoted was $4 cheaper. In case you were wondering – yes, I called the other hotel to cancel my reservation.

Sea Sar Guesthouse
The room looked like a crime scene as eloquently described by Lonely Planet. It was simple with a single bed, fan and attached bathroom that had a few kinds of insects on web display. I half expected to find a snake each time I entered the bathroom as the drainage was a hole the size of a tennis ball and it conveniently lead out to the jungle behind.

Service was good at this guesthouse. The receptionist could speak decent English and he helped me to call the White House Hotel in Yangon (my next destination 2 days from now) to enquire about rooms. The person on the other end boasted that they had many rooms of different sizes so I was to go there to check it out for myself. I figured that meant Yangon was not as packed (unlike Bagan and Inle Lake) so I hung up without making any reservations.

Sea Sar Restaurant
I walked out to search for food and was immediately intercepted by another Sea Sar personnel who guided me to their restaurant. I was pretty disappointed with the selection of food that looked identical to every other menu I’ve come across in the country. There was the typical fried rice, fried noodles, fried chicken which should not be confused with KFC as fried means stir-fried in most cases (with the exception of spring rolls). I vowed to eat more street food and to avoid restaurants if I could help it.

Bawga Theiddhi Hotel
A massive hotel in the middle of this small town offers decent wifi whether you’re inside the lounge or lurking at the parking lot. Paid 1,000 Ks (U$1.18) to obtain the wifi password. Good news: the password remained the same for the 2 nights I was at Kinpun.

Personal rant
Hopping on that bus to Kinpun brought my plans forward and now, I have extra days to spend wherever I wished. My inclination was to chill out instead of visiting another place since I’ve had enough of bus rides. Then again, the prospect of spending an extra night in Yangon (my end destination) was not very exciting either. I didn’t want to fight through the throng of people just to get from one street to the next (not to mention all the scams I’d be subjected to in that big city).

I’m also craving more personal interaction rather than the hi-and-bye typical of solo travel. I wished that I could have met a fellow traveler whose itinerary was roughly the same. At Kinpun, I noticed only families and those traveling in groups; it was futile to make connections with them so I remained the lone ranger.

solotiger

Solo Travels of a Tiger