| 16 ° 34 'N, 104 ° 45' E May 6 2010, 14:34  Days like this make you quickly realize that planning is only useful if the weather permits. Rain is a showstopper, a strong wind can upset the taking up and frost with a plan too soon is not feasible anymore. But heat, that great limiter forget all too easily ... until he actually thwart your plans. Now today, we had few big ideas, but a visit to the Thai consulate then. Because we are at the Thai border only a 15-day visa can get, it's quite a luxury to a consulate around the corner that issues stamps for 60 days. The word 'luxury' was not the first word that I thought when I saw the huge line at the counter saw. Rows are my hobby anyway, but at 40 degrees (wind chill at least) is waiting soon languish. No breeze in sight, no fans, and certainly no air conditioning, only patience. Oddly enough, one of the two rows of considerably shorter than the other. I chose the shorter and accepted the additional heat that accompanied it. The row was rumored that the visa for Thailand would be free. At the counter, I learned that the citations are indeed free ... starting next week. Shame about the money, but after all the waiting and yearning I did not want to return empty-handed things. Judica has not slept well through the heat, so they stayed behind in the room wisely. On my way back to the guesthouse, I bought a pineapple shake. The lady spent a few minutes to prepare (ingredients: fresh pineapple, sweetened condensed milk, crushed ice and a secret liquid stuff) and then poured the blender in a plastic bag is empty! Funny. She stuck a straw into the bag, tied it shut and handed it to me entirely in a small bag. A strange feeling, a bag of ice water. Anyway, Judica has taken another sip of the rest I enjoyed. Anyway, tomorrow we pick up our visas and leave for Tha Khaek hoping that we find cool off, perhaps in a canoe. Until then, here we try to tame the heat. And perhaps most difficult is it to our Australian 'family friend' to avoid: he does not stop talking and terrorizing as the only place in the guest house where a little to keep. He's probably lonely and drinking certainly too much of the yellow gold, but that only makes the situation difficult. Anyway, tomorrow we leave. Perhaps even a few brief impressions of Laos so far: In May, the very hot and people are all very relaxed and adapt well to it again. The Mekong is a beautiful and intriguing phenomenon because he so clearly separates rich from poor. Garbage cans are made of old tires are very artful. The food is great and omnipresent. Along the river they see many stalls selling fish and chicken barbecue. Kindness is clearly the norm and people are certainly not as intrusive as elsewhere. Furthermore, Savannakhet infested monasteries. People are clearly divided into two groups: monks and cooks. And finally, it's warm here.
michiel Dewit | Tags: Laos , Mekong , Savannakhet , Garbage , Hot
Posted in Laos , Savannakhet | No Comments » 16 ° 34 'N, 104 ° 45' E May 5 2010, 13:20 We sit in our room ... I feel a little trapped. This morning we got up early to start our bike ride. Where we wanted to rent bikes had only two very rickety bicycles,. Eventually we find somewhere else to settle two granny bikes. On the trail then, a nice route totaling about 30 km, not much for an absurd cycle. The bikes we had rented was (like most bikes here) without gears. It felt like the bike in first gear constantly had to just kick hard and fast forward. Very very tired because you do not have nice breeze to cool you. Of course we went too slowly. Slowly we saw some other parts of the city, it shows something bigger than we thought. After twenty minutes we stopped bike in the shade of a small tree. We both had 1.5 liters of water with us and all the bottles were half empty. It was crazy to go cycling. Even in the early morning it felt like 30 degrees. We reversed and cycled back. Actually we should have known better, May / June is the beginning of the wet season and thus the warmest period of the year. Many trips etc. can not do that because the rain transforms the road into mud puddles ... but also because it's too hot to be active. Today we have reached 40 degrees but have seen no rain. At the hotel we did not know what to do, it was so hot. The air conditioning in the room does work, but he is old and not nearly as good. On the roof there was an occasional breeze passed, but it was too hot. Sick of the heat but I'm still lying in bed all day ... we hung around the guesthouse. Michael has the afternoon to eat something but I felt miserable. Tomorrow we bring the forms to the consulate the next day so we can continue to the north. At 200 km from here is a village where you can make several trips including kayaking ... I am looking forward to the water and have almost mirages back to Siberia and Mongolia. You can dress against the cold, but heat is not (or at least I do not know). juutsel | Tags: bikes , hot , Laos , Savannakhet
Posted in Laos , Savannakhet | No Comments » 16 ° 34 'N, 104 ° 45' E May 4 2010, 15:15 Our first day in Laos is coming to an end. Tonight, we at the same restaurant as yesterday ordered the same as yesterday. I had rice with delicious roast duck and rice with fried egg Judica. Delicious eaten. We have just looked back in the day: it was a relaxed afternoon (because quite slept) and we have been much more appropriate. What we really need to get used to the heat. It is here all afternoon and a good part of the morning oppressively hot. That went well and we drink all our lamb, but it does everything it tiring. So today only digestible outings: the dinosaur museum (!) And a walk along the Thai embassy. The museum was a room there where two walls along a number of large dinosaur bones of a skeleton were hanged. Nicely done, with a rope light to the contours mark of the beast. Furthermore, nothing special, a couple of display cases with bones and French texts. At the consulate (which is a kind nepambassade) of Thailand, we discovered that we have a 60-day visa for Thailand to buy. This is easier than required after 30 days out of the country should, because at the border simply no longer available visas. Thursday, we provide the forms and Friday the stigmas or dry. In the meantime, we just ride a bike, good Dutch. The paths on ... There are no great things to see (like almost nowhere in Laos), but small enough to stuff a day on the bike is worth it (according to the brochures). We shall see. And in the meantime we have time to breed a new motorbike adventure ... juutsel | Tags: Consulate , Dinosaur , Laos , Museum , Savannakhet , Thailand , Visa
Posted in Laos , Savannakhet | No Comments » 16 ° 33 'N, 104 ° 45' E 3 May 2010, 5:21 p.m. I lie there, under our mosquito nets in our soft bed in Savannakhet. We are now a bit about the culture shock first round. Laos is quite different from Vietnam and we were still not prepared. The previous post (if not behind the firewall is stuck) was a bit zeikerig in tone. Now, a few hours later I see that it just really had culture shock. Go back to the bus. This morning at 6 o'clock we left, we went by bus from Hue to Dong Ha for it to move. There was another couple who took that route. A Swiss man with his (20-25 years younger) Laotian girlfriend. The man immediately began to talk to us when we were sitting just outside (the rest of the bus had a tour including breakfast, we had to wait) he started about a lesson on mopeds, etc. In itself okay, but for it was 6:30 in the morning, we were tired and that the man is not at an acceptable volume spoke just cried. Throughout the journey, he came and talked to us, even though SJE the ears of the MP3 player indeed he did not understand that we did not need. As such he had knowledge of the country, but answer to your question was not because he did not listen to what you said. I sat by the window and got Michael a few times 'saved'. Then I asked something so trivial in Dutch with an excuse for his attention elsewhere could focus. Is not it incredible that there are people who are undesirable as forcing and not stop. Anyway, we were glad that we men no longer have to have our neighborhood. He was really nice, but today our interlocutor. When we arrived at the bus station there were a number Tuktuks with driver. They asked if we wanted a ride but we first wanted to acclimatize. Accustomed to the Vietnamese aggressive way of providing clear I said no. In Vietnam had a long discussion followed on why etc. Here they took away and I immediately felt guilty. A friendly 'no' is enough here and that really get used. We're just a bit to eat and have the "street" Savannakhet explored. We notice immediately if the atmosphere is different here. The busy we were used in Vietnam is gone. There are no horns, and there was little traffic anyway. During a drink (with a complimentary glass of clean water), we met 'Mike', a very friendly man from Great Britain where we have certainly half hours chatting. He spoke so restrained, beautiful English and soft. After Pierre (Switzerland) was really a pleasure to actually have a conversation instead of a one-sided monologue to hear. The man radiated a kindness if I had wanted to adopt him as Uncle  . For dinner we wanted a bit of local food after the 'international' (read Italian) meals we enjoyed in Hue. Looking arises because of the noodles, we are not a fan either. We saw a nice tent and asked for rice, which they did not, but they pointed directly to where we could get it. Again such a remarkable difference ... In Vietnam, had said that they had not asked where and when you ... or they would have flapped their hands to indicate that they did not know. We went to the place and there are wonderful meal. Avery had rice with duck sauce and a nice (supplemented with cucumber green for touch) and I went for the easy rice with a fried egg. It tasted good and came immediately to chilled water from a water tank. No extra cost, just service. So we're pleasantly surprised, the rhythm is lower here, everything is more relaxed and we have good speed a little to find themselves. The country is poorer and untouched. The lack of money and awareness of tourism as a major source of income seems to be to ensure that people are really friendly. For example, Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries for the big toeristenbubs. Laos is still a bit unknown to the masses and we are now reaping the rewards. Let's just wonderful to sleep the sleep to catch up tomorrow a new day in this soft and friendly country. See if we can get the same relaxed level. juutsel | Tags: bus , culture shock , Eating , Laos , Savannakhet
Posted in Laos , Savannakhet | No Comments » 16 ° 33 'N, 104 ° 45' E May 3 2010, 13:09 Dear friends, family and other acquaintances. With permission of the party and the police, I can tell you that we are this morning in the Democratic Republic of Laos are received. Of course nothing but positive messages, great people, beautiful buildings. In short, let's cut the crap ... It is a little bit disappointing, actually. Laos is a beautiful country, but Savannakhet is not exactly the city that we had proposed. We are just spoiled. After more than one month Vietnam with his bouncy economy, we are a bit forgotten that there are countries with a less crackling situation. While we are on the motorbike in Vietnam quite a few quiet little villages encountered, but were not provincial capitals. Savannakhet is. This city is not a high rise in sight. The Catholic Church puts its tower is also far above the rest. That is beautiful. But it's quiet streets. Because Savannakhet on the Mekong river and the river also marks the border with Thailand, we have here on the shore overlooking the city on the Thai side. That looks more like a vibrant, wealthy city. But they have not fixed barbecues on the banks. Go back to the events of today and yesterday. Our main activity was relaxing yesterday. We did so by enjoying the air conditioning in the hotel room, stately dining out and a few bus tickets to Laos to buy. We had Sylvia, to us a few days on our journey unaccompanied, heard horror stories about her bus trip to Ninh Binh (remember that joke from the bus to Ninh Binh? That was not working). She stood quietly in the night along the highway, the bus broke and the driver on his camp bed. Not good. Anyway, we are so for a more luxurious bus gone, just in case. $ 18 per person. That's a lot of money. The bus was obviously a bit disappointing. We were expecting something very luxurious, but just got a beautiful Laotian bus. With air horn, but just slightly different. There were pumpkins for example in the luggage compartment. My bag was just there to. The ride took a little longer than expected and the handling at the border was a bit stressful. No friendly people there (but we did our last visit to Lao Bao) and we could easily lose a lot of U.S. dollars for visas and stamps. And then our guesthouse: it was recommended by the Lonely Planet, a year or so ago. It is attractive, in its own way, Lao, but not overly luxurious. The people are very friendly (and speak English) and we have actually a large room with air conditioning and a hot shower. On the bird's nest into the frame rebate we just do not talk. Now, first go looking for food, some acclimatize. Then back to the room. Perhaps even a chat and then all of a quiet ear impressions process. We are in Laos and here it is free! No idea yet what we do tomorrow, but I guess we just have a quiet day on a motorcycle to explore the area. But maybe it is something quite different. Because we are in Laos, the land of unlimited possibilities (the party reads it). Oh, one more informatiefje: We are now in an internet cafe. No WiFi in our room, of course. We will therefore probably not every day some of us heard and thrifty with the photos. So do not worry! michiel Dewit | Tags: bus , Lao Bao , Laos , Mekong , Savannakhet
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