Cambodia - Kingdom of Contrasts

For more pictures check out album 1 and album 2

Although it's one of the least developed countries in the region, Cambodia was a positive surprise to us, and it immediately joined the Philippines on top of our list of favorite Asian countries. Poverty and developmental problems are much more visible in Cambodia than in its neighboring countries, but the feeling of sincere hospitality and big smilies are also more apparant here. Cambodia is a land of enormous contrasts. One day you'll find yourself walking in the footsteps of the ancient kings of Angkor, taking in the breathtaking architecture and the greatness of the Khmer history. This aspect of Cambodia will fill you with veneration and pride. The next day your heart and mind is filled with disgust and sadness as you walk in the footsteps of Pol Pot and his comrades of the Khmer Rouge. Learning the awful and heartbreaking stories and witnessing the infamous S-21 (Tuol Sleng) and the Killing Fields make a lasting impression and teach you about the cruelty and atrocities of humankind. And from there it's just a short drive to white beaches, calm sea and 'no worries'.

The people of Cambodia are still struggling and suffering from the outcome of the dark era, due to underdevelopment, poverty and, not least, unexploded ordinances. Cambodia is one of the countries with the most unexploded ordinances and land mines in the world. Every year between 800 and 900 people are hurt or killed by land mines. It's so bad that guidebooks warn you against even going off the main roads to 'make water'. If you follow international news you'll also know that some of the leaders of the Khmer Rouge are facing charges in the long waited genocide tribunal, set up by the UN in Phnom Penh. Although Pol Pot, the mastermind behind the nightmare, died in 1998 many other leaders are still alive and live among it's own people or in exile. I will return to this dark period in Cambodia's history later, but first let's check out the mystical and fascinating temples of Angkor.

We arrived Siem Reap by bus from Saigon, a 12 hour journey, including a lunch break in Phnom Penh. On the way we stopped for some snack at a road side market, and I soon realized that when Khmer people talk about snack they don't always have potato chips in mind... As we got out of the bus a little girl approached us, and in her hand she held a huge black spider. As you might know, I'm not a big fan of spiders, but I'm quite fascinated by them (meaning I hate spiders, but I have to check 'em out). Anyway, I kind of forgot about the spider incident, but not for long. As we walked around the market we saw several women cooking something in big frying pans. We went over, and as we got closer we understood what they were frying; huge black spiders! On one side the women had big 20 liters buckets filled with live spiders, on the other was another bucket, filled with deep fried crispy take-away ready-to-eat spiders. So, if you feel like munching on spider meat, go to Cambodia.

Spiders before and after a hot round in the frying pan.

(Check out these videos from youtube video1; video2; if you dare...)

Still a bit flummoxed by the spider experience we arrived Siem Reap. The city is mainly a gateway to the temple complex at Angkor, but the city itself is also very nice. We only stayed for two days here, and we regret we didn't stay longer (good reason for going back I guess...). Anyway, we had a very long and interesting day exploring the temples. If you ask Katrine, she'll tell you that it was a bit too long. I, however, loved it and think it was an amazing, almost divine, experience. I felt like Indiana Jones being on tour with Lara Croft!

We rose at 4:30 in the morning, had a quick breakfast in our room (bread with liver spread! We found liver spread!) and met our tuk tuk driver at 5 a.m. sharp. We stopped only to buy a pass to the temple area before heading straight to the world famous Angkor Wat. It was pitch black when we arrived and we hadn't, of course, brought a torch. We stumbled our way through the first temple entrance and groped over to a small pound, from where we, apparently, had a good view of the main temple. As night turned to day the mystical silhouette of the majestic Angkor Wat appeared in front of us. While people were still waiting for the sun to work its way higher on the sky, Katrine and I moved gently away from the crowd and entered the past. We actually had the temple more or less to ourselves for the first half hour. The feeling of being alone and exploring this amazing structure was awesome. Hot tip, stay ahead of the crowds!

As the light changes throughout the day
Angkor Wat also changes its mood

When it got too busy we left Angkor Wat and started the rest of the adventure. The temple area is huge and you need some kind of transportation to get around, at least if you plan to spend only one day in the temples. Our tuk tuk driver took us around the whole day, but we explored on our own. I think we managed see more or less all the temples of Angkor, and were feeling very tired at the end of the day. In between all the temples we also visited a small orphanage. To meet a bunch of lively children was a welcomed break from all the monumental and dead buildings. The last temple we saw was situated on top of a hill, and together with thousands of tourists we saw the same sun that rose behind Angkor Wat set in the distance. I won't bore you with detailed descriptions of the temples, symbols, funny tourists, history etc., I'll rather let the pictures speak for themselves.

The twilight gives Angkor Wat an even more mystical
appearance than it already possesses


The temples are not only grandiose and massive, there are also
beautiful details and fascinating designs wherever you turn

Katrine is trying to get a hold on the history of the ancient Khmer era.
Were and what does this hallway lead to...?

Khmer people (Cambodians) are a smiling people. Perhaps they're inspired by these huge smiling faces

Many of the buildings have almost totally succumbed to mother nature. But since the Europeans 'discovered' the temples humans have slowly retrieved them. Massive preservation and restoration has, and is still taking place. Many of the temples still serve the purpose as spiritual meeting places and religious rituals still take place today.

From Siem Reap we took the bus back to the capital city. Despite some magnificent royal palaces, Phnom Penh is not the most attractive city in South East Asia. It's situated by a rather dirty river and large parts of the city looks a bit run down, but it still has a lot to offer, such as good food, interesting history and most important of all, friendly people. A very cool and interesting aspect of Phnom Penh is the many charity restaurants, cafés and shops. These places have been established as funding initiatives for worthy causes and as training centres for young staff, orphans and street kids in particular. They are being trained as waiters and chefs, and they're taught different arts and skills. And honestly, this is where we were served some of the best food on our trip and they definitely offered us the best service!

Two of the main 'attractions' in Phnom Penh are related to the Khmer Rouge era (1975-79); the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21) and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. In 1975 Pol Pot's security forces turned Tuol Svay Prey High School into Security Prison 21 (S-21), which became the Auschwitz of Cambodia. Only a handful out of an estimated 20 000 inmates survived the torture and the unimaginable conditions at S-21 (read the story from a survivor of the Tuol Sleng). We spent a few hours at S-21 learning the horrible and bizarre history and ideology of Pol Pot and his communist comrades. The goal was to 'restart civilization' in 'year zero' and to create an anti-capitalist, anti-intellectual state based on collectivity and agriculture. The ideology led to systematic killings of teachers and people who, inter alia, wore glasses, spoke foreign languages, or had lived in a city. The irony is that many of the Khmer Rouge leaders represented exactly what they wanted to eliminate. For instance, Pol Pot, the great leader himself, were educated in Paris and had previously taught French litterateur at a college. Their sick attempt of social engineering led to the deaths of around 1/5 of Cambodia's population (an estimated 1,5 million people; some claim the number is much higher), through executions, torture, starvation and forced labor. After our visit at S-21 we met up with our tuk tuk friend and drove to Choeung Ek, which is known under the name Killing Fields. This was the final destination for most of the inmates of S-21 and others. Thousands of men and women, old and young, were brutally bludgeoned to death and dumped in one of the 129 mass graves. It's impossible to comprehend what actually took place at these sights. Children's laughter, the green, lush vegetation, the nice warm breeze, the singing birds, and the friendly, smiling people makes the whole scene very self-contradictory and it makes it even harder to imagine and understand what actually took place. I had the same feeling when I visited the concentration camps in Poland and Germany and some of the sights of the genocide in Rwanda.

Clockwise, starting from the large photo: Originally a high school, S21 stands as a symbol of the meaningless and systematic mass killings and torture carried out under the leadership of Pol Pot; the classrooms were used as chambers of torture; S21 was surrounded with barb wire and tall fences; one of many children kept at S21; an anonymous scull of one of thousands of innocent victims; thousands of profile photos of the 'inmates' are displayed at S21; painting showing one of the modes of torture; even babies didn't escape the cruelty of the Khmer Rouge.

Inside the monument lies hundreds of anonymous sculls that have been removed from the mass graves in the so-called Killing Fields. The excecutioners beat children against this big tree till they were dead.

Over the last couple of weeks we had learnt a lot about the Vietnam War, the old Cambodian kingdoms and the Khmer Rouge. But it was now time to check out Cambodia's beaches and engage in some serious relaxation. About four to five hours south of Phnom Penh you'll find one of the major beach side tourist hot spots in Cambodia. It's called Sihanoukville, named after an earlier king, and it's definitely more touristic and developed than we'd expected. However, it's way less touristic than most places in Thailand, and much cheaper. Having said that, don't expect to escape the big crowds of backpackers and charter tourists, especially in the main tourist areas. But if you don't feel like hanging around drunk tourists and you're on a tight budget it's definitely easier to find more quiet beaches and much cheaper accommodation and food here than in neighboring Vietnam and Thailand. So, next time you're in the region, remember that you don't have to stay in crowded Thailand to find beautiful beaches and good food.

Cambodia has a beautiful coastline; even monkies love it!

We really enjoyed Cambodia, but eventually all good things come to an end. We're certain that we'll go back one day. But for now it was time for us to cross the Thai border again and start preparing ourselves for the long flight home. However, we still had about 10 more days to work on our tan (which we did on Koh Chang) and do some sightseeing and final shopping in Bangkok. We also had three days in Hong Kong before embracing the Norwegian winter again. So, stay tuned for the last chapter of tour de Asie 2009. I promise it won't be as comprehensive as this one...

I'm not a veteran, but I've been to Nam

For more pictures click album 1, album 2 and album 3

For a lot of people the name Vietnam is automatically associated with the horrible Vietnam War in the 1960s and 70s. Many people also automatically think of the involvement of the US and the massive popular anti-war movement. As the title illustrates, I also have those associations. But, it was now time for us to broaden our knowledge and get some new perspectives and associations to the name Vietnam.

Our first meeting with, and impression of Vietnam can be summarized in two words; 'charmingly chaotic'. The chaotic part is most likely connected to the fact that Vietnam holds more than 86 million people (13th in the world), in an area smaller than Norway! However, many factors made the seeming chaos appear rather charming. For instance, the atmosphere was good and people were happy as a big holiday was about to take place. As part of the preparations for the holiday people were buying big fruit trees that they strapped onto their motorcycles, making the whole scene look even more chaotic and, yes, charming...

Chaotic and charming ;)

We arrived Hanoi in the late afternoon without a visa and no ticket out of the country. This could've caused us problems and perhaps even a night or two at the police station (at least that's what we had heard). Katrine was quite anxious and didn't enjoy the flight too much, but luckily we had no problems getting a visa upon our arrival. Together with the Chileans (seven of them by now!) we went straight for the old quarter, where we found a small hostel/hotel. For the first time in a while we felt that we got great value for our money; 12 US$ for a spacious double room with AC, cable TV, breakfast and free internet. Not bad, huh! Hanoi was pretty cold and very stressful, but it was all somehow very charming and interesting, at least for the few days we spent there. The traffic is among the worst I've ever seen. Thousands of motorcycles honking their way through the narrow streets and crowds of people, and buses that don't stop for no one. The traffic isn't controlled by robots (or traffic lights as most non-Africans would call them), so at first you feel like you're walking the green mile every time you try to cross the street. But, after a while you realize that you just have to walk, and the sea of motorbikes will pretty much treat you like the Red Sea treated Moses back in the days... (Alright, I get it, enough with the amazing anecdotes)

After some sightseeing in the capital, we were off to one of the most famous tourist attractions in Vietnam, Halong Bay. Our spirits and expectations were high and we were looking forward to see this natural wonder, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But, in the end we were quite disappointed. Not because of Halong Bay though. The bay area itself is truly stunning and unique, with thousands of small and big islands erected straight from the ocean. We were disappointed because of the way the trip was arranged, the unprofessional tour guides and the fact that we didn't get what we had paid for. In addition, it was windy, cloudy and freezing cold. We didn't have warm clothes at all, and despite us buying gloves and beanie, we were still shivering. And, believe it or not, on top of it all we had a huge rat running around our cabin eating our Orios in the middle of the night! We spent two days floating around Halong Bay, but unfortunately we didn't enjoy it too much. I'm sure, though, if you go there in the summer, when the weather is nice and warm, it should be an amazing experience. The tour company reached a new level of unprofessionalism (if that is even a word...) when the bus driver, for no obvious reason, started yelling at his costumers on the way back to Hanoi. Well, at least we can say 'been there, done that', and from there it could only get better...

Katrine was freezing and very happy;) One of the oddly shaped islands that make Halong Bay unique and beautiful

The tour also included a visit to some amazing caves (the lighting is not natural, if you wondered...), and some floating fishing villages. This is a floating house, but they also had a floating bank and a school!
Traditional boats and typical Halong Bay scenery

The same evening that we got back from Halong Bay we 'checked in' on the night train from Hanoi to Huê. This was the night when the Têt holiday started, which explains why suddenly the happiest Vietnamese guy you can imagine jumped into our cabin singing 'happy new year songs' and offering us gifts(!). For non- Vietnamese people the Têt holiday isn't too exciting as almost everything close and the prices for accommodation and transport get much higher than normal. Têt is the Vietnamese New Year and it's the most important and popular holiday in the Vietnamese calendar. Traditionally it's a celebration of the ancestral spirits that return from heaven for their annual three day visit with their family. And, the holiday goes on for days. At least the main attraction in Huê was open, the Citadel (the old city). Within the city walls of the Citadel you can see the forbidden city with the old palace and other historic monuments. Much of this is in quite bad shape as it's one of many places that suffered severe damages from American bombings during the Vietnam War. We decided not to stay in Huê for very long, and our next move was down to the charming city of Hoi An. We could easily have spent a few more days in Hoi An, but because of the Têt we figured we'd rather spend some time traveling down to the warm weather and get there by the time things opened up again.

Inside the Citadel in Huê. The picture of Ho Chi Minh (communist revolutionary and former president) is seen everywhere in Vietnam.

From the charming city of Hoi An

Nha Trang, one of Vietnam's most touristy cities, was next on our list. We arrived at sunrise and were feeling a bit stiff after a night on the sleeping bus (a bus with actual beds). We walked around looking for a place to stay, but it was pretty hard to find. Finally we managed to find a decent room at a fair price. We spent two nice days in Nha Trang; one day on the beach and one on a boat. The boat was packed with people, but since most of the Asian tourists by all means try to avoid sunlight and don't like to swim, we enjoyed a spacey roof top almost by ourselves;)

From Nha Trang we experienced a horrible and nerve wrecking bus trip. We were going to a small beach side tourist village called Mui Ne, and I have never, not even in Africa, experienced more idiotic driving. 'Maniac' is the only adjective that rightfully describes our driver. And the scary and sad part is that there are thousands of maniacs like him on the roads in Vietnam. Miraculously we arrived Mui Ne in one piece, and it was a good place to get rid of the tension created by this bus ride. Mui Ne is also a perfect place for kite surfing and wind surfing. I've never seen so many kites in the air at the same time. At the most I counted around 100 kites; an incredible sight.

Mui Ne is El Dorado for wind surfers and kite surfers

However, if you turned your head 180 degrees you would have a clearer view. The next picture is from Nha Trang where more traditional tourist activities are popular. (I had to make it bit arty to make it interesting though...)

Katrine had been singing and talking about 'Miss Saigon' for weeks already so we were quite enthusiastic when we finally got to Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City which is its official name. Saigon soon became our favorite destination in Vietnam. Cheap and central accommodation was easy to find and the city had a lot to offer. In many ways Saigon was very different from Hanoi. Overall we found that there are many differences between what used to be North and South Vietnam. If you ask us, we'd tell you that the southern part was the most enjoyable. We spent much time walking around the city, sightseeing and shopping. The most interesting was the War Remnants Museum, which gives you a rich insight into the Vietnam War. It must be a bit embarrassing to be an American visitor at this museum as the the whole exhibition was, not surprisingly, very anti American.

Another interesting war related activity that we enjoyed was the Cu Chi Tunnels. These tunnels are part of an impressive network of connecting underground tunnels that were used by the Viet Cong during the war. It was incredible to see how the Viet Cong soldiers lived and fought. Most of the tunnels are really narrow and claustrophobic, and although the ones that tourists try are widened, I still had problems, and I ain't too big... In the tunnels there's also lack of fresh air and light. Learning about the Viet Cong and seeing the tunnels was very interesting, but we also needed some non-war related fun. On our last night in Vietnam we went to a fancy live jazz club. It was cool, very western and ridiculously expensive, even for a Norwegian! That was the end of Vietnam. We have definitely gotten some new, different and nice associations to the name Vietnam, but I don't think we'll ever stop thinking about the war when we hear the name.

Saigon is a lovely mix of designer shops and communism, local snake wine and international jazz clubs

...and war history

From Saigon we headed to another country with a recent history of violence and war. Stay tuned for the next post from what came to be one of our favorite countries in the region - the amazing Kingdom of Cambodia.

Wild and Beautiful Laos

For more pictures click album 1, album 2 and album 3

Katrine and I had extremely high expectations about Laos. A majority of the people we have met, who have travelled in South East Asia, had already awarded Laos with the 'Best Country Award'. Like with a movie that has received an Academy award, you obviously have high anticipations about a country that has received so much praise from fellow travellers. It can be a bit unfair, I guess, to go to a place having too high expectations. This will surely make it harder for that place to redeem. This was the case of Laos.

We crossed the boarder from Thailand into Laos by boat crossing the mighty Mekong River. On the other side it was all pretty chaotic, with lack of information and people running wild with our passports going crazy when we were asking politely to get our passports back. Our initial plan was to take the 'slow boat' down the river, all the way to Luang Prabang, a two day journey. But we changed our minds when we found out that we could go by bus instead, and arrive the same night. At least that is what we were told. When we first asked it was a nine hour bus ride leaving 'now'. Then someone told us it was 11 hour, leaving 'soon'. Asking a third person, we were now told it was a 12 hour bus ride arriving at 11 p.m. It ended up 13 hours on the bus, arriving Luang Prabang (LP) at two in the morning! And just to make it even worse the bus driver stopped around seven kilometres outside the city centre, where some of his friends (at least we assume they were) were waiting for us like blood hounds to take us into town for 10 times the tourist price (meaning 20 times normal price). And when we got to the city centre everything was closed, or rather barricaded. Luckily we were a good group of people travelling together. We had met five cool Chilean guys on the bus from Chiang Mai a few days earlier, whom we were to stick with fro the 10 days or so. The eighth member of the group was a guy from South Africa. Like restless zombies we roamed the dark streets of LP for more than two hours, knocking on the doors of more than 20 guesthouses before someone would let us in. By that time we were seriously considering sleeping outside one of the wats (temples). The first 20 hours of our Lao experience had been everything but great. We hoped for better days ahead, and fortunately they were. LP presented itself from a much better side the next day.

Group shot from our first night in Laos. At least we all look happy...

The UNESCO-protected World Heritage City of Luang Prabang is truly beautiful and charming. The old city, were we were staying, is built on a peninsula with the Mekong River making a natural moat around the city. French colonial architecture mix nicely with traditional Laotian and Buddhist architecture. In the middle of the city is a big hill. If you climb the steps to the top you will be rewarded with a beautiful wat and a spectacular 360 degree view. And if you are there at the right time you will witness one of the most magic sunsets you can imagine.

The first day was spent biking and walking around the city center. On the second day we (the Chileans, Mr. South Africa and us) went to Pak Ou, around 25 kilometers upstream the Mekong River. Pak Ou is a holy place and famous for its limestone caves filled with Buddha sculptures.

For 'good luck' you can buy different birds and animals and then release them. They will most likely be recaptured soon after, and then resold to other tourists.

Later that same day we went to see the amazing waterfalls of Tat Kuang Si. As I wrote in an earlier post, for a waterfall to impress a Norwegian it has to be pretty spectacular, and this one certainly was. The river system of Tat Kuang Si consists of a series of smaller waterfalls and pools and one big waterfall at the top. The pools and waterfalls look almost artificial and the colours of the water are verdiris green and clear blue and turquoise. It was the perfect place to take a dip, although it was a bit too cold to really enjoy it... The park also has a rescue center for bears that have been confiscated from traffickers and poachers.

The pools and waterfalls of Pak Ou look more like a man-made amusement park than a natural river system. Every morning in Luang Prabang the monks walk through the city collecting food and other things from the locals.

The following morning we left the South-African guy behind and caught a minibus down to Vang Vieng. When we arrived at the bus station the bus guys tried to disregard all physical laws and squeeze way too many people into one minivan. It took us almost one hour of heavy verbal arguing, and not until 'chica' (Daniela, the Chilean girl) physically pushed one of the local guys into the minivan they understood that we wouldn't fit. Well done chica! Once on the road it took us about seven hours to get to Vang Vieng (VV). The extraordinary nature of Northern Laos really unfolded as we moved southwards. The scenery in VV was also truly spectacular. Our room only contained a mattress on the floor and a mosquito net, but we had a magnificent view of the river and the mountains, and it was cheap!

Vang Vieng is more or less famous for one thing, that is the activity of tubing. For you who aren't familiar with the Laotian Tubing, it means floating down the river on an inner tube only conveyed by the current of the river. It may not sound very exciting, but all the 'watering holes' along the river don't only make sure people aren't dehydrated. Most of the bars attract the 'tubers' with free shots and some serious water activities, or they simply throw the 'rescue line' in your head... Some people, or should I say most people, tend to get a bit too drunk and start acting like Supermans and Catwomen, which often end up in bad injuries. A few people have actually drowned, and believe me, the river is not that vehement... Anyway, it was fun and the water wasn't too cold once you got used to it. Another strange Vang Vieng feature is the 'Friends' restaurants. These restaurants are showing the TV series Friends non-stop. I'm sure Jennifer Aniston and her colleagues receive a large sum in royalties from these places; or perhaps not... It isn't a bad idea though, but I wish they had a Seinfeld and a Simpson restaurant as well.

One classic example of a wannabe catwoman without the power of a super hero (pic 1); one guy who actually hold at least one of superman's powers (pic 2); and a water slide that doesn't require any super powers at all.

Our last stop in Laos was its capital, Vientiane. We only stayed here one night, so we didn't see too much of the city, but honestly, I don't think we missed out on anything extraordinary. Sitting on the river front watching the sun set behind the Mekong River one last time was very pretty though. All things considered, Laos was alright. It didn't live up to our expectations, which probably was too high in the first place. It was more expensive than what we've been told, the people were a bit reserved and didn't speak much English, and we had some awful restaurant experiences. However, the natural beauty and the good times we shared with our new friends surely made it memorable in many good ways as well.

Thailand Part 2 - More than just 'Neo-Syden'...

For more pictures click album 1 and album 2

I've been really busy lately, that's why the cyber-version of Torstein's world has been so stagnant. However, the real world has not been stagnant at all. Over the next few weeks I hope to show you the rest of the amazing Asian adventure. Here comes the second, and final, part of our Thai experience...

Before I continue the story in north Thailand, I have to tell you a funny story from Bangkok. Five years ago me and my buddy Per were in Bangkok where we bought some tailor-made suits. I remember that they took a picture of us, posing in our new outfits, but I never thought I would see that picture again... Now, five years later, I walk into the same tailor shop. I talk to one of the guys there asking about prices etc. I told him that I had been a costumer back in the old days, and suddenly he asks if I bought a winter coat last time I was here, which I did. 'Yes'. The next thing that happens is that he pulls me over to one side of the shop and points to a big picture of Per and I! "This picture has been good business for us" he said smiling and certain that I would continue to be a costumer of his...

Then and now, five years later!

Since we were going back to Bangkok again after touring around Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia, we decided to stay for just one night before getting on the road again, or rather on the rail this time. We took the night train to Chiang Mai, the biggest city in the northern part of Thailand. As Lonely Planet so eloquently puts it, Chiang Mai (CM) is a 'cool place to kick back and soak up the Thai-ness that may been missed on the beaches of the south coast'. The city and the region as a whole has a unique cultural heritage, which is displayed nicely through the 300+ temples in CM. We arrived CM at the same time as the sun. The cool air reminded us that the northern hemisphere is still lulled in winter, and it was an indicator on what we were to expect for the next couple of weeks. It was a bit hard to get used to wearing shoes, socks, trousers and sweaters again. During daytime, however, it got nice and warm. On the first day in CM we walked around the old city admiring a few of its many temples, with all its glitter and gold and the peaceful monks dressed in orange.

Later that day we went to the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre where elephants are given medical treatment and young elephants are being trained to do all kinds of crazy things. The elephants can for instance make paintings of trees and flowers, play soccer, play harmonica, throw darts at balloons, and swing their trunk like a fan (!)... On the second day we went on a full day tour with elephant riding, trekking through the jungle to a waterfall (the waterfall wasn't very impressive. Keep in mind that Norway has some spectacular waterfalls...), white water rafting (not too exciting rapids, but nice scenery), and bamboo floating (useless way of transporting tourists down the river). Perhaps I don't sound too enthusiastic about the tour, but it was good overall, although our guide was pretty annoying, running around with a megaphone in the jungle (!). That night we went to the huge night bazaar, and later to a Lady Boy bar from where we were watching live Thai boxing, a very interesting combination...

Two days packed with fun were over and the next morning we headed off to Chiang Kong, a small town situated on the bank of the Mekong River. Our hostel was overlooking the river and Laos on the other side. As we were sitting at the restaurant talking to our new friends suddenly the whole sky was lit by a huge firework sent off from the Lao side. And, two hours later it started again. This time even bigger. We don't know why, but we figured out that it was all arranged to welcome us to Laos the next day. Was this how Laos would be; fireworks every night, to honour us? Well, not exactly... See what happened in Laos in the next post. Coming to a computer near you!

Thailand Part 1 - The Ultimate 'Neo-Syden'...

For more photos of 'neo-Syden' click album 1, album 2

After a few relaxing days on Langkawi, we were off to the all time Scandinavian favorite, Thailand. Thailand to me is the ultimate 'neo-Syden'. Most of you Norwegians reading this blog are familiar and probably very comfortable with the concept of 'Syden'. When explaining this concept, some of my foreign friends have found it quite amusing. For you who don't know it, let me explain it very briefly. Traditionally 'Syden' has been the warmer areas of southern Europe; places with beaches, cheap food and drinks; places that are a little different but not too different from home. In Syden you can get Norwegian food, Norwegian newspapers and you'll meet Norwegians working in the restaurants etc. Another characteristic is that you can go on charter or package tours directly from Norway. Traditional Syden destinations are, for instance, Mallorca, Cyprus, the Greek islands, the Canary Islands etc. You get the picture. In recent years, however, Syden as a geographic area has broadened and Thailand, among other non-Mediterranean countries, has emerged as a top Syden destination; or what I will call 'neo-Syden'.

Anyway, from Langkawi we took the boat across the border and got on shore in Satun, a city that doesn't have too much to offer, so we went straight to Krabi. Krabi is a quiet and charming town worth staying for a day or two, although it is not too exciting. We stayed here one night only, but we had time to walk around the night market and go on a boat trip up the river to see a cave and a fish farm. Early next morning we were picked up and started the journey towards the famous Phi Phi Islands. Phi Phi is not only known for its towering mountains, pristine beaches, and marine life. The islands were also devastated by the tsunami in 2004. On the main island, Ko Phi Phi Don, which is the only island that is inhabited, around 5000 people was killed by the tsunami. Today it is all rebuilt and not much remind you of that tragic event four years ago.

Krabi is a small and charming city nicely situated by a river. We had an interesting encounter with a few of the inhabitants of the fish farm...

To get to the Phi Phis we booked a day trip to some of the islands, and as the tour stopped at Phi Phi Don for lunch we grabbed our luggage and left the group. The next two days were spent here, on one of the most touristic islands you can imagine. We hadn't seen too many Scandinavians on our travels so far, but Phi Phi almost gave us an overdose...

The islands around Phi Phi Don are stunningly beautiful, if you manage to see past the masses of tourists, which isn't always so easy. For instance, we stopped at the famous 'the Beach', known from the movie with the same name, and we literally had to fight our way through all the speedos in world. At least that is how it felt. 'The Beach' was more packed than Bondi Beach on a hot Australian summer day. But again, with a little effort, you can see through the crowds and experience some extraordinary natural pieces of art. Imagine to be the only one there! I made an effort to capture these natural sights without too many people spoiling them, and I think it worked. However, here is one showing how the Phi Phi islands really look like....

On one of the days we went sea kayaking. We figured it would give us a better chance to get a bit away from biggest crowds, and we were right. Although Monkey Beach was quite packed at times, we had some moments almost by ourselves. After two days of Swedish meatballs, Norwegian waffles, Russians wearing stilettos on the beach, restaurants named 'Viking-something' and techno music it was time to move on. We took the ferry to Phuket, on the other side of the Andaman sea. In Phuket we stayed for one night, in the city, before taking the long road up to 'the Venice of Asia', also known as Bangkok, and further up to the north of Thailand.

Sea kayaking is a nice way of escaping the biggest boat-loads of tourists

The next part of our Thai adventure is under construction, but will be out soon. So stay tuned for 'Thailand Part 2 - More than just 'Neo-Syden'!!

Hospitalized in Kuala Lumpur

For more photos click album

Was it the Christmas dinner? Or was it the 'not-so-well-done' fried egg I had for lunch? Or perhaps it was the toxic water I swallowed in Kuta? Whatever the cause, my stomach and body wasn't happy at all. As I told you in the previous post, I was pretty stupid and went shopping and surfing in the heat, even though I was suffering from fever, dizziness and dehydration. After spending a whole day in Bali waiting for our flight, we arrived Kuala Lumpur (KL) at two in the morning, where we spent another night at the airport, this time on a bench though... I woke up the next morning feeling very dizzy and having stomach cramps. We stumbled around the airport for a while, being a bit worried as I had discovered blood in the diarrhea. (Maybe too much information.) Anyway, we got to Chinatown where we checked in at the worst hostel we've been staying in on this trip. For the rest of that day I wasn't feeling any better, but we decided to stay there overnight (after consulting our medic friend, Tore, on phone from Norway) and pay a visit to a doctor in the morning. Katrine was also feeling a bit sick, but fortunately she was feeling better than me. By the way, it is pretty nice to travel around with a personal nurse;)

Our first hostel in KL. Not the best place to be sick. The hospital was a lot better.

The first picture shows the view from our hospital room. It was quite nice at midnight when the fireworks started. The Petronas Twin Towers are world famous, both for their height and architecture.

The next day we went to the emergency room at one of Malaysia's better hospitals. One hour later I was receiving fluids and antibiotic through a tube while enjoying the view of KL's skyline from my private room on the seventh floor. We got an extra bed for Katrine, and that's how Glenewagles Medical Center was to be our 'hotel' for the next two nights, one of them being New Years Eve! I had probably been food poisoned in Indonesia and I was very dehydrated when we arrived the hospital. (Later we found out that I had dysentery.) We went for a couple of 'home leaves', which we spent window shopping at some of KL's many huge shopping malls. This made us feel even more dizzy, so it didn't take long before we crawled back into our hospital beds. New Years Eve was spent in bed watching the Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy on TV. Not the most exiting start of the new year, but definitely memorable. When we were 'released' from the hospital it was time for real shopping and sightseeing. Actually, before we left the hospital, Katrine was also prescribed some antibiotic. So, high on nasty bacterias and antibiotic we jumped on a tour bus to take us around the city. We went to see the majestic Petronas Twin Towers, made some great bargains in Jalan Petaling (the market in Chinatown) and walked up the 227 steps to the famous Batu Caves.

KL is a nice city. It is very multicultural and has a somehow calm atmosphere, for a big city. Our stay here was a bit hectic as we moved six (!) times and stayed in five different places (including the airport) in seven days. One of these places being a nice Arabic 'home stay' in the Arabic Square. Our stay became longer than we had planned for, but KL is definitely not the worst place to get stuck for a few days, and especially if you need medical treatment. It is not cheap though, so I am glad I have travel insurance. (I have already been refunded everything!)

From KL we took one of Malaysia's luxurious buses (only three seats in each row and great space for your legs) to Alor Setar, from where we caught a taxi to Kuala Kedah and then with boat to the island of Langkawi. Langkawi (situated on the north west coast) is one of Malaysia's hottest tourist spots, and it has a lot to offer, including tax-free shopping... However, we didn't feel like doing too much the two days we were there, except laying on its fine white sand beaches, swim in the warm, clear ocean, and eat fried rice. We rented a sea kayak for a couple of hours just to get some exercise and to get to a small island with a beautiful beach. We stayed in Pantai Chenang, on the western part of the island, so we enjoyed beautiful sunsets.

The white sand beaches in Langkawi

The sunset made us a little bit corny....

From Malaysia we headed into Thailand...the adventure continues exclusively on torsteinsworld

Christmas in Indonesia

For more photos click album 1, album 2, album 3

As you probably have understood from reading the previous post, we both enjoyed the Philippines a whole lot! But, after three incredible weeks it was time to move on. And in South East Asia, exciting destinations is one thing that there is no lack of. From Cebu we flew to Kuala Lumpur, via Kota Kinabalu on Malaysian Borneo. We had a spectacular view of Mt. Kinabalu (4095 m) as we approached our mid-way stop. In Kuala Lumpur we stayed one night at the airport floor. Even though KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) has been awarded 'world's best airport' three times (03, 06, 07), its floor is still pretty hard...

The airport floor wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep. Eating Banana Split in Bali was much better...

Anyway, we got some sleep and the next day we disembarked on the legendary island of Bali. I'm not really sure what we had expected, and perhaps the recent visit to the pristine Filipino islands was still on our minds, but we were quite disappointed with Bali, or rather Kuta-Legian. Kuta beach has obtained a special, almost mythical status amongst Norwegians, and honestly, I can't understand why. Sure, there are some good aspects, such as the shopping and the blood red sunsets. The highly visible Hindu culture is another nice side of Kuta-Legian. However, these aspects do not outweigh the pollution, the dirty, smelly beach, the traffic, and the rubbish that is everywhere. The surf is supposedly world class, but it is hard to fully enjoy it as pieces of plastic stick to your arm on every paddle, dead fish float around you, and as you have to concentrate more on not swallowing any water than actually catching a wave. Having said that, on one of the late evenings in Legian I had one of the best surfs ever:)

Every evening the rather dirty and smelly Kuta-Legtian beach turns into a postcard-perfect sunset, displaying every possible nuance of yellow and red.

We stayed for three nights in Legian, in a nice, spacey room surrounded by a fantastic Hindu garden, full of gods, the smell of incense, and a couple of dogs. We spent the days mostly shopping. But we also went for a half day to the cultural city of Ubud, which was a welcomed get-away from Kuta-Legian. On the way to Ubud we stopped at an impressive Hindu temple. In Ubud we visited the palace and spent some time together with the monkeys of the Monkey Forest Sanctuary. It was all good fun until I felt a stream of warm liquid running down my neck. A little monkey bastard who was sitting on my head (!) suddenly thought it was a good idea to pee on me!

The monkeys were very cute, until one peed one me. The picture is taken at the exact moment when it happened. Enlarge it and see for yourself. As you can see he was struck by a red lightening and suffered a slow death...

Some of Bali's several thousands nice sculptures

Outside our room and on the bottom of our pool

We were glad to leave smelly Kuta-Legian on 'lille julaften' (the day before Christmas Eve), going to its less touristic neighbour, Lombok. First three hours bus ride to Pandangbai, via Ubud. Then five hours on a ferry to Lembar, before getting on a minibus to Senggigi, another two hours. Senggigi, and Lombok in general, has a much more relaxed, laid back atmosphere than its big brother to the West. So it was all laid out for a relaxed and joyful Christmas;) As the sun set in the ocean, making Bali's volcanoes yellow and red in the distance, we were dining on the beach, being almost alone in the restaurants. We both missed our families and the Norwegian Christmas, but we, at least, had a good three course Christmas dinner on the eve of the 24th.

On Christmas day we actually came pretty close to a white Christmas. Together with our new friend George, a language professor from Minnesota, we drove two hours south, from where we took a small boat to the amazing Gili Nanggu. I guess this island was everything we wanted Indonesia to be like. The beaches were so bright that we had to wear shades. The ocean changed from light green to light blue, reflecting the silky sand and the colorful corals, before the deep gave it a dark blue color. When we entered the water we were immediately surrounded by hundreds of fish, and even more when we revealed our treat, a banana and a couple of slices of bread... Gili Nanggu is a small island, it only takes you about 15 minutes to walk around it. However, you can easily spend hours taking inn the empty, white beaches that surround the island. Hidden in the lush vegetation that comes all the way down to the beach were thousands of grasshoppers. We also had a close encounter with a couple of big and nasty spiders. One looked like the devil himself. The island is also a turtle sanctuary, hosting a new generation of teenage mutant ninja turtles. Well, all good things come to an end and soon it was time to work our way back up to Senggigi. On the way we stopped to look at a couple of wedding parades that literally blocked the road. Awful music, but hopefully a happy marriage.

Gili Nanggu has most of the features a tropical paradise
should have...

...including giant spiders and pagurus bernhardus

The next day was spent by the pool, frying our dark Latino skin in the Indonesian sun. Then, during the final night in Lombok our stomachs started making trouble, a revolt that would later culminate in a couple of nights in a hospital in Kuala Lumpur. (I'll get back to the hospital story in my next post.) We both took a few pills and got ready for the bumpiest and most hazardous boat ride we have ever experienced. And keep in mind that the oceans around Norway aren't the calmest... I can't tell how high the waves were, but we couldn't see above them when we were in the 'valley', and they broke (!) onto the boat. It wasn't very pleasant, and most people got pretty sea sick. The only peaceful thing to rest our eyes on were the dolphins that seemed to enjoy the rough sea. Anyway, we came across to Bali, where we spent one more night before flying out the following evening. By that time I had a fever and felt pretty awful. It didn't stop me from having a last surf in the toxic sea though, probably a very bad idea as I just got worse.

To be continued...