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India; Kerala region, Kochi (Cochin), 21st – 24th March

2010-04-11T13:23:00.001+01:00

India; Kerala region, Kochi (Cochin), 21st – 24th March

Sunday morning is an earlier start than we expected. We’d booked another private taxi to take us to Cochin in the Kerala region of India for 8.30 am. We’re woken up by the hotel reception at 6.30am informing us that our taxi was downstairs waiting for us. Another mis-understanding with our Indian friends, one thing to remember about this country; when you’re looking for a confirmation of something, the classic Indian head wiggle doesn’t necessarily mean they confirm, it just means that they heard you speak ... if they understood or not is another matter! :-)

We manage to make it downstairs by 8am, and we start our journey ... one to be remembered for the rest of our lives. We managed to get a driver that appeared to have passed his driving licence the day before, to drive us a distance of about 350km. On the badly maintained roads this should normally have taken us about 5 hours; we arrive at 4pm, if you do the maths that’s about 3 hours longer than it should have been! This guy was the slowest, most hesitant driver on this planet. He was scared of everything on the road, and he used the foot pedals in a way that made you want to vomit! A hugely painful journey. Half the battle was also keeping Nico calm enough to not throw him out of the car and take over the driver’s seat.

Getting nearer to our destination we witness one of the saddest moments of probably our entire journey. Minutes before passing through a small village, there had been an accident. A bus had hit two men on a motorbike. Neither were wearing a helmet, both were on the ground in a pool of blood. Unfortunately the ambulances were too late. There was nothing that could be done, they died immediately. The villages gathered up, women in tears, and we imagined their families receiving the news. Terrible. After seeing that, we forgot about our bad driver, and did the rest of the journey in silence with heavy hearts.

A cold shower, and we make our way into town for an ice cold beer. It is unbearably hot, hot, hot!!! The humidity in the air is not humane; it is exhausting to be constantly sweating like this. Neither of us had experienced heat like this before. To make it worse, it is important in India to be covered up when you dress, especially for women. It’s a sign of respect, and is vital if you want to be treated with respect. The problem is that unless you’re first instinct when it’s hot is to strip off, but you can’t do that here.

You may notice Nico’s light black eye in the photos ... courtesy of Renu’s inability to co-ordinate her movements, she head buts Nico when trying to see something on the computer screen.

It’s beautiful here in Kochi, the mix of Dutch, Portuguese and English architecture is fascinating. We add another country to the mix that evening ... it’s a long awaited pasta dish for dinner at a great Italian restaurant. There are some cravings that just can’t wait to be satisfied.

Monday morning we go down for breakfast, and within 5 minutes, sweat out half our body heat. So we decide to stay indoors until the heat half dies down. Thankfully we have some films on the laptop to keep us busy! We brave the outdoors around 3pm ... we are not convinced that the sun is any more forgiving at this time, but anyways. A 20 minute rickshaw ride away and we’re in Mattancherry, Fort Cochin’s neighbouring village. We’re here to explore Jew Town, which is exactly as the name describes. A seemingly unlikely settlement of Jews in South West India, that made it here centuries ago mainly from Europe. The Jews have travelled to many corners of the world, but it’s true that we would not expect to see a Jewish community here in India. It was so interesting, yet strange, to see Jewish symbols and names all around the area, mixed in with Indian culture; the Pardesi Synagogue being the centrepiece of our exploration.

We take a walk around the antiques shops and spice sellers (Mattancherry once being the main port of Kochi for spice trade), and then settle for a cold drink at the waterside at an antiques shop, cum cafe-restaurant. Lovely. A little wonder around the Dutch Palace before we are back at Fort Cochin. We take some time to admire the massive impressive structures of the Chinese fishing nets at the port before going back to our local bar and more Italian food :-)

Tuesday is our big day in Kochi. We’re up early and ready for main purpose of our trip here. We’ve organised a boat trip through the Kerala back waters. The morning is spent on a little non-motorised boat going through the little canals of the backwaters, passing through little waterside villages spotting hundreds of water snakes and a beautiful kingfisher. It is superbly beautiful, soul calming. We make a stop at a Spice Garden village, where our guide explains loads of interesting facts about different fruits and spices, before we make a stop on a little island for lunch. It’s a typical Kerala lunch, and is delicious and fresh. Unfortunately the afternoon is less interesting, as we’re on a larger house boat, cruising through the larger water ways and lakes, but there is not much to see.

We pamper ourselves to dinner that night at a super fancy hotel-restaurant, The Old Harbour. During dinner, there is a wonderful show of classical Indian music. The musicians are really not bad, reminiscent of the music played by ‘Shakti’. A real treat.

The next day we have lunch at a well recommended restaurant, Dhal Roti (which we are not all that impressed with), before we get into our Ambassador (a fabulous looking Indian car) to take us to the airport. Our flight to Bangalore is at 4pm.

Over here for the pictures.

India; Tamil Nadu region, 15th – 21st March 2010

2010-03-24T04:31:00.000Z

Chennai (Madras), 15th – 16th March

With a hint of nerves mixed with bags full of fatigue, we finally land in the country that we have been led to believe to be the most challenging of our entire journey ... India. We only have a month here and have chosen to visit the South. This decision came as a result of many conversations we had with people throughout our journey who have already visited India, where most advised that if it’s the first time we are visiting India, we should start with the South as it will be less intense, less gruelling. The last 10 months of travelling are starting to take their toll now; we’re tired and are starting to look forward to our return to ‘normal’ life. Despite this, it is not without a certain degree of emotion that we land here, this is after all Renu’s mother country, where her heritage lies, and it is also our last country of discovery.

Chennai is everything we expected, and more! Busy, crazily so, smelly, polluted, piled under dirt and rubbish, poverty struck families in every nook and cranny of the city ... more than anywhere else we’ve visited in the world, do we feel that we truly live in different worlds to these people.

We don’t have plans to stay in Chennai, but were hoping to see some classical Indian music and dance here, but unfortunately there were no shows on that evening. It was still an experience though to take a tuk-tuk through the streets of Chennai in the evening...and our first curry in India was also quite an exciting moment :-). We decide to leave the very next day, and so take a 4 hour bus to Pondicherry.

Puducherry (Pondicherry), 16th – 19th March

So proof that we are starting to miss Europe, we’ve come to this town to take in the remnants of the French presence in this part of India. We spend our time walking around the French quarter admiring the lovely architecture, strolling along the beachfront, visiting the badly maintained local museum and eating at fancy restaurants. Renu attempts to get some ‘made to measure’ trousers at the crazy bazaar ... but they end up not really being made to measure, just very, very badly tailored, so no new clothes for Renu :-(.

Despite the French influence, there is no mistaking that you are in India ... colourful clothes, spicy curries, piles of rubbish and honking cars! An interesting mix!

Pictures.

Madurai, 19th – 21st March

We’re getting very lazy in the last leg of our trip now, and given that we’ve been really careful until now and have generally always taken public transport, we’ve decided to treat ourselves from herein. We take a private taxi to Madurai, arriving around 4pm. Upon arrival, there’s a familiar thought running through our minds; ‘oh oh, think we’re not going to enjoy this...’, but after a little rest at the hotel we venture out into the town as the sun goes down. It turns out to have a very pleasant vibe, even for us as non-lovers of the big city. Despite the ground being covered in rubbish, we notice as we walk through the streets that there is a lovely smell in the air, a burst of incense and spices all mixed together, covering the usual smell of exhaust and piss. A city that was once famous for spice trade, it is one of the oldest cities in India that exemplifies Tamil culture more than most places in the state, as it has no European influence. So far we are impressed. We finish the evening off with one of the best curries ever, bursting with flavours of millions of different spices, on the fabulous rooftop restaurant of our hotel.

It’s an early Saturday morning start for us, eyes open at 7.30 am. We have a busy day planned. First visit is to Sri Meenakshi Temple, the Tamil equivalent of the Taj Mahal apparently! It’s a massive temple complex, with very weird but wonderful looking sculptures. We didn’t go in, but it was enough to admire the architecture from the outside.

Next stop was our main reason for coming here, to visit the Gandhi Memorial Museum, a chance to learn a little more about and pay tribute to one of Renu’s greatest heroes. Madurai is where Gandhi first took up wearing the dhoti (long loincloth), as a symbol of unity with his people, and it is here where they exhibit the last dhoti he was wearing (still blood stained) when he was assassinated in Delhi. There is also an exhibit of some of his other belongings, like his famous glasses. The museum explains India’s fight for independence over many centuries, and how Mahatma Gandhi moved his people to fight (non-violently) for this until success. Though the history is fascinating, we were disappointed with the museum itself, the exhibitions were not well done, and the history was badly explained, but still, it was important to make the visit.

The afternoon was spent walking around the bazaars taking in the ‘trade vibe’ of the place. There are thousands of merchants, each specialising in their own produce, be that spices, textiles, fruit and vegetables ... you name it. We discover a little market-warehouse that seems to be a converted temple ... it is quite magnificent. Religious statues and carving fill the place, and we’re mesmerised by the architecture. After walking around and admiring the place, Nico finds himself ordering three very lovely Indian shirts, made-to-measure:-)

That evening we go back to our rooftop restaurant and enjoy another curry exploding with spicy savours. Though, we realise a little later that it’s a little too much of an explosion, the spices are so heavy on the stomach that we find it very hard to digest and end up having a crappy night’s sleep. Which is a shame, cause we have another long day of driving tomorrow, destination Cochin, in the Kerala district.

Pictures.

Sri Lanka; The South Coast, 8th – 15th March

2010-03-18T17:44:00.000Z

Tissamaharama; Yala National Park, 8th – 9th March

Thanks to the taxi decision, we arrive around midday at our guesthouse, Vikum Lodge, a lot earlier than previously expected. The guesthouse is pretty, but unfortunately, badly run and not as clean as it should be. We spend the entire day in the outdoor communal area of the guesthouse, reading, drinking beer, engaging in philosophical discussion with a very sweet English couple and dining with a lovely French couple, Carole and Luc, from Marseille.

It’s a 5am start on Tuesday morning and we’re in a jeep heading to Yala National Park ... the whole reason why we have come here to Tissa. We have organised a morning safari around the park. Despite a disorganised start, it turns out to be amongst one of the best things we’ve done on our trip. Luck was on our side today, big time!

Yala National Park, is a wildlife protection zone of spanning over 120,000 hectares in size ... made up of forest, scrub, grass plains and lagoons. Heaven for animal lovers. We see all sorts of wonderful birds, crocodiles, monitor lizards, wild boars, funky faced monkeys, dear, peacocks, buffalo, mongoose, the jungle fowl (Sri Lanka’s national bird) ... we feel truly blessed already. But this is only the beginning. In this massive piece of land, there are about 30-35 leopards inhabiting the space. Of course, being shy animals, and being so few in number, we are warned that the likeliness of seeing one is very slim ... if we’re lucky we may see one very far and high up in the trees. Well nobody could have been luckier than we were today.

We approach another jeep (that turned out to be Carole and Luc’s jeep), and they signal to us to slow down and keep quiet. We turn off the engines and peer through the bush, eventually spotting this majestic cat. What a moment, it was so amazing to see that we found ourselves holding our breath longer than we should! It disappears, we wait a while, and we see it coming out of the bush right in front of us. It moves with such grace and finesse. This cat defines elegance. It’s crouched down hunting the young buffalo a bit further up the road. What a treat to this cat in its natural habitat! The master of camouflage is out in the open and has seen us, but he doesn’t care, he’s more concerned about his next meal! Even the guides and trackers were intrigued ... this is a rare occasion even for them. How lucky to get such a clear, close-up view, and for such a long time! That is until another jeep comes screeching up behind us, with two English tourists screaming their heads off ... of cause the leopard got scared away! Did they think they were in a zoo or something? So irritating!

Our luck didn’t stop there ... 10 minutes later we spotted some wild elephants, and then a black bear running through the bush and on to a massive rock, and then, just before leaving, we get a quick glimpse of yet another leopard! A female one this time, but she was scared of us and ran off into the bush. What a wonderful morning, the chance to see all these wondrous beasts in their natural habitat! There’s not much in life that can compare to that.

We got back to the guesthouse around 10.30am. Luc and Carole did a full day in the reserve, but offered us a lift to Mirissa (our next destination) as they had hired a private driver and were going there too. We couldn’t face the bus again. So we hung around at the guesthouse waiting for them to finish their day of animal spotting and tell us more about it.

Click here and here for the wonderful pics.

Mirissa, 9th – 12th March

In the car at 6.30 and in Mirissa by 9pm. Sri Lankans go to bed early, everything seems to be closed, but luckily we manage to get some dinner with Carole and Luc at their guesthouse ... fresh grilled fish with fries and salad, perfect.

The next day we decide to change our guesthouse for one on the other side of the road for a quarter of the price, but still with the most perfect view of the sea. We’re pleasantly surprised by just how idyllic Mirissa is ... we thought that we were all beached out, but it’s so lovely here that we consider staying a little longer than planned. You’re almost in paradise here.

Our main reason for coming to Mirissa is to go Blue Whale spotting, as you can apparently see them not far from the south coast of Sri Lanka. We take a scorching hot walk to the port to find out a little more about it ... it turns out to be ridiculously expensive, so unfortunately no whale spotting for us this time. The next two days are spent with Luc and Carole; hanging around on the beach, lunching and dining on some mean rice and curry dishes, drinking cocktails and battling the playful waves.

Click here for photos.

Galle, Unawatuna, 12th – 13th March

Friday morning, we’re up early and have breakfast at a little food hut right in front of the guesthouse ... Roti (Indian bread) and Dhal (lentils) curry ... a classic breakfast for any Sri Lankan. A short trot down the road and we’re back on another bus to Unawatuna, where we will spend the night and use as base to visit the city of Galle.

Once we find an appropriate place to lay our head and dump our bags, we’re back on another local bus to Galle. A very impressive city, where the Dutch influence is incredibly pleasant. Now being a mainly Muslim populated town, we thought that we had come to visit at the worst time ... Friday afternoon, when most of the town is closed for prayers. It actually turned out to be the most peaceful time to visit, and meant that we didn’t get suffer as much from tourist harassment ... just a continuation of the long hard stares at Renu ... presumably wondering what a ‘Sri Lankan girl’ is doing in Western dress, walking around with a white man! Ignoring the stares, Renu indulges in watching a little part of a cricket game, while Nico comments on the futility of the game:-)

Back in Unawatuna, we change into our swimming gear for a late afternoon dip at the beach, mainly to cool down from the heat of the day. The beach is nowhere near the idyllic place the guide book describes it to be, but we make do:-). As we come out of the water, we turn and see unexpectedly our friends Carole and Luc that we’d left in Mirissa. It’s really nice to see them, we’ve known them barely a week, but have got quite close and it feels like with known them for a lot longer! We have a few drinks at a beach bar as the sun goes down, and then head off for probably the best Italian food in all of Sri Lanka, this is once Luc and Carole has bought almost an entire shop’s worth of hard carved wooden objects!

Click here for the pictures.

Hikkaduwa, 13th – 14th March

Another bus to Hikkaduwa, we didn’t originally plan on coming here, but as it’s Saturday night, we thought it might be a good place to do a little partying, especially as Carole and Luc plan to join us here. It turns out to be a wonderful surprise ... a fabulous beach with perfect ways for surfing ... we decide immediately that we will definitely be back here for a future holiday of surfing, tea and curry! We spend the afternoon playing in the waves, while a thunder storm breaks out above us. Fabulous. Unfortunately that night, we’re unable to find Carole and Luc, so the party ends up being a quite one between the two of us. We’re just sad that we don’t have more time to spend here. Back to Negombo tomorrow.

Pics are here.

Negombo, 14th – 15th March

We need to head to Colombo where we’ll change buses to get to Negombo as we get our plane to Chennai tomorrow. Its long painful journey on a local, rusty tin-bucket city bus, not enough room for us and our bags ... jam packed, crazy driving, constant beeping and sweaty bodies falling all over you. We arrive at the same guesthouse we stayed in two weeks ago, Ocean View ... in a state of disrepair. The evening is spent recuperating before possibly the hardest part of our long journey ... our visit to Incredible India!

Sri Lanka; The Hill Country, 1st – 8th March 2010

2010-03-17T10:13:00.000Z

Negombo, 1^st – 2^nd March

We land in the city of Colombo at around half past midnight, we’re now +5.30 GMT ... yes, it took Renu a while to get her head around that half hour business too! Renu is already starting to feel closer to her homeland, Mauritius, when she sees how much luggage the Sri Lankans try to pass through the plane! Upon arrival, all this excess baggage delays us getting back our bags. We’d arranged for our guesthouse to pick us up given how late we were landing. We’d decided to stay in Negombo, a little seaside province just outside of Columbo. We’re in bed by 3 am, but actually 4.30 am according to our body clocks as we’d come from Thailand.

That morning Nico breaks his sunglasses and blames it all on Renu. We take a tuk-tuk into Negombo town centre to check our buses for the next day. We get stopped by some guy running an English class, who thought that Renu was Sri Lankan and that Nico was going to marry her and so he thought that we’d want to buy his three bedroom house on the lake...we thought that he is hugely imaginative too, but still, a very lovely man. The highlight of the morning of course is when we stop at a sweet little tea house for our first cup of real Sri Lankan tea, with a chocolate muffin. Bliss. We spend that afternoon and evening walking along the rather polluted beach and dining in the touristy area where we were staying.

The most incredible thing that hit us on our first day in Sri Lanka is just how friendly and how kind the people are here. Of course, like anywhere else, they won’t miss a business opportunity, but it is done in such a way that you do not mind too much parting with your cash. But in any case, most of the time the people are sincerely interested in talking to you and genuinely want to help you.

Tuesday morning, we’re back in a tuk-tuk to Negombo bus station to catch our bus to Kandy, the hill country.

Pics are here.

Kandy, 2^nd – 4^th March

After a friendly negotiation about how much we should pay to take our bags on the bus, we start our 4 hour ride to Kandy. When we arrive, our tuk-tuk has some trouble finding our guesthouse, Forest Glen, as it’s outside of the city, in the county, but it was well worth the search. It’s a lovely family house, with very cosy rooms surrounded by exquisite views.

Straight into town for our first rice and curry, and sublimely delicious it was too! We discover that the city is actually very relaxed, for a city, and is even quite pretty with the lake in the middle. It is still however, far too hot to walk around between 11am and 4pm. So we spend the afternoon at our snug little guesthouse, having dinner there, made by Indra herself; the owner of Forest Glen.

After breakfast, we come back to our room to pick up our bags and shoes. Just as we go to shut the door, we see something remarkable. There are hundreds of monkeys, swinging from try to tree, sliding down the telephone wire, climbing onto the house, perched on the balcony, stealing fruit from garden trees ... right before our eyes, in front of our bedroom door on the balcony! They were hilarious to watch, they’re little rascals, causing havoc everywhere they go! The scary part is that when in large groups, they are super confident. Shooing them away is virtually impossible, they’ll just pretend to plunge at you to make you scared ... and it works!

We walk into town watching the monkeys all the way. It’s a quick morning trip to the train station to check our tickets for tomorrow, a glass of coke in a fancy hotel and then lunch in a very crappy restaurant. Renu gets mistaken for a Sri Lankan, and feels embarrassed to have to explain over and again that she does not speak Sinhala. Once again, it’s too hot to be out, so we back at our guesthouse again for an afternoon nap. We had the privilege of changing rooms to the one next door where the windows give you panoramic view of the surroundings! We make the most of this just before the sun sets, watching the monkeys who are back in force again as well as spying on the enormous bats! Dinner again at the guesthouse, but today it’s a rather unimpressive take-away biriyani ... never mind, you can’t have a good food day every day. Early night as we’re to get the train at 8am tomorrow.

Pics of Kandy are here.

Nuwara Eliya, 4^th – 6^th March

At Kandy train station early on Thursday morning, we buy ourselves two second class tickets for Nanu Oya, where we’ll get picked up and taken to our hotel in Nuwara Eliya. Though second class is twice the price of third class (there was no first class), it was still only 1 Euro, so we thought ‘what the hell’ ... a bit of comfort for the 4-5 hour journey will be nice.

We get on a train, and then change trains about half an hour later at Peradeniya junction. This is where the fun starts ... we get on the train looking for a seat in second class; of course there are none available! So we end up spending most of the journey stood at the door, next to the smelly toilets (along with a fair few other tourists) for a few hours until some seats in third class became available! The tickets are basically pointless! A sense of humour is essential to get through those situations J

Nuwara Eliya is in no way the little heaven in the hills that we expected it to be ... though there were some interesting colonial buildings. We were hoping to do a trek through Horton Plains National Park to Worlds End, where it is said to have a spectacular viewpoint, but unfortunately Nico’s back problems came back at full throttle, so he was unable to walk anywhere. We ended up doing very little but walk around the unimpressive town, send some bits and pieces by post, and doing a quick visit to Pedro’s tea plantation ... which was very interesting to see the whole process, and of course the surroundings were very pretty.

Click here for the pictures.

Ella, 6^th – 8^th March

Saturday morning, we make our way very early to the bus station, so we can be sure to get a seat on our bus to Ella. The bus leaves at just gone 7am, and as the driver conducts the bus like a nutcase through the wonderful hill lands, we realise that we’re in for yet another eventful journey in Sri Lanka. Sure enough, after an hour of the drivers heavy right foot, we start to smell a strange odour in the packed out bus ... the engine was starting to overheat ... and our bags were sat right on top of the engine. Nico is really starting to stress out ... the engine is smoking, and the smell is getting stronger and stronger. He’s not being overcautious in thinking that the engine could possible catch fire at this rate ... the driver continues to push the bus up the hills despite the state of its engine. Eventually, the driver pulls up and feeds the radiator with some water in an attempt to cool it down. Nico grabs our bags and signals Renu to get out of the bus quickly. We try to flag another bus down, but it won’t stop. Our driver calls us back into the bus after 10 minutes, and we reluctantly get back on. A few kilometres down the line, and it’s a blessing in disguise, the bus clonks out completely ... engine smoking like hell and the radiator spewing out water, but not on fire! It was that bus’s last day on the roads, for sure. Everyone gets out, gets their refund from the driver and tries to catch another bus. We’re still in the hills, a fair few kilometres away from the next town, Bandarawela ... basically in the middle of nowhere. Tired now, we decide to cut our losses and catch a tuk-tuk that takes us to Banarwela, where we catch another bus to Ella, and again another tuk-tuk to our guesthouse, The Hilltop. What a journey! The owners take us for alcoholics as we order a refreshing beer on arrival ... we feel like it’s about 3pm, when in actual fact it’s only 10.30am! The guesthouse is perfect, just what we needed after a journey like that. Serene, with blissful views of Ella gap.

We go for lunch and then take a walk around the pretty little village before heading back to the guesthouse to chill out for the afternoon. We climb the outdoor steps to our room ... Renu goes straight in to take a shower, while Nico hangs around outside to take a picture of a squirrel in the tree just two meters from our bedroom window. Renu gets out of the shower and hears Nico’s trembling voice calling her name. He then shouts out a very strange question, “do you want to be scared to death”, to which Renu naturally answers “er, no, not really”. It turned out that there were two ‘big’ snakes curled around the tree ... just outside our window J We watch them nervously with fascination. They were two rat snakes (so not venomous) mating; the female was around a meter and a half long, while the male was a good two meters long! It was a very beautiful site, if not also quite terrifying!

We have dinner at the guesthouse that night, home-made by the owner. Quite delicious it was too. More wildlife treats that evening as we watch bats flying around and spot some crazy looking insects.

Sunday is a lazy day hanging around the guesthouse. We do leave for a few hours that afternoon to treat ourselves to a full two hour Ayurveda treatment; full body and head massage, steam bath, 50 herb sauna and shiro dhara (warm oil dripped soothingly on the forehead). Although vaguely relaxing, we found the massages to be pretty crap, and all a bit of a rip-off. That evening we eat a Rawana’s Holiday Resort restaurant ... it had excellent reviews, so we thought we’d give it a try. The food was not bad at all, though the service was terrible considering the price tag attached (warm beer, warm water, part of our order missing and not at all spicy as we had requested).

Monday morning, we decide to get our arses in gear and finally explore the area a little. We leave at 7am and take a two hour walk up to ‘Little Adam’s Peak’. It’s a very pleasant walk through some tea fields, with a stunning panoramic view from the top. We stop for a yummy Sri Lankan breakfast at a cafe in the village before heading back up to our guesthouse to take a shower, pack and move on to our next destination. Of course we plan to catch a bus, cause we’re on a bit of a budget, but temptation comes knocking on the door. Another couple had hired a taxi and were passing by Tissa, where we were going next ... if we shared with them, the price would be halved. Feeling lazy after our last two eventful journeys we decided to accept. A pleasant, stress free journey ... where we even got to pass Rawana Falls and we got to see the most enormous Monitor Lizard crossing the road in front of us!

Great pics here.

Thailand, Nong Khai-Bangkok – 26th – 28th February - Thaïlande, Nong Khai-Bangkok, 26 au 28 février 2010.

2010-03-15T04:32:00.002Z

It’s a quick and efficient bus journey to cross the Friendship bridge border to Nong Khai, Thailand. It takes only an hour and a half end to end, and we have the privilege of seeing the custom guards asleep at their desks :-)

We’re in Nong Khai to take a night train to Bangkok, where we’ll eventually take our plane to Colombo, Sri-Lanka. The problem is that the Friday we arrive in this little town, we end up having to waste the day away at a grotty restaurant opposite the train station, playing cards, waiting for our train. The train leaves at 6.20pm, dead on time, and is surprisingly clean ... other than for the small cockroaches running about! :-) We had decided to treat ourselves to a 1st class private cabin, but that doesn’t stop the journey from being extremely bumpy for its twelve hour duration. As we are rocked back and forth throughout the night, we can’t help but wondering if the train has been fitted with square wheels!

See here for the pics.

We pull up into Bangkok train station on Saturday morning at 6.30am, wrecked. It’s unbearably hot and humid already. We jump in a taxi that takes us to Khoa San Road, as we’re meeting Jean-Noelle and Sarah at their hotel (D&D), where they have very kindly booked us a room. They are up and ready waiting for us for breakfast, and so we spend the day hanging out with them until they go to the airport at 2am to get their flight back to La Reunion. It’s was really lovely to see them again, such a lovely couple. The rest of our time in Bangkok is spent shopping, getting massages, getting bored and eating a last pad thai ... yummy! Saturday night we also meet up with Heather again for dinner and drinks.

Pics are here.

Sunday evening, we bid goodbye to South East Asia, as we make our way to the airport to catch our plane to Sri-Lanka at 10pm. Our time in this continent has felt like a series of contradictions. We enjoyed our time here, but are pleased to be leaving. It’s been a constant battle between love and hate ... we’ll be glad to get away from that feeling of being a wallet on legs, from people that only seem to talk to you cause they want to sell you something, from that annoying smile, pretending incomprehension when you ‘complain’ about something, the difficulty in getting around alone and un-noticed unless you speak the language, the bad smells and mounds of rubbish everywhere you go ... but yet on the other hand, you can only admire the pride with which they hold on to their cultural diversity, the love they show for their families, the strength they can show when they come together as one in the face of adversary, their quiet and polite demeanour, their ability to keep calm, the spice in their food and the absolute splendour of their lands. If your character is low on patience and open-mindedness ... this continent will soon show you how to grasp more of it.

Thaïlande, Nong Khai-Bangkok, 26 au 28 février 2010.

Le trajet en bus de Vientiane à Nong Khai en passant par le pont au dessus du Mékong est rapide et efficace. Seulement 1h30 au total et nous avons même la chance d’apercevoir des gardes frontières endormis dans leur box ou jouant au solitaire sur leur pc.

Nous sommes Nong Khai pour prendre un train de nuit jusqu'à Bangkok d’où nous prendrons un avion jusqu'à Colombo au Sri Lanka. Nous arrivons en début d’après midi à la gare de Nong Khai et passons donc le reste de notre temps dans un restau en face de la gare à jouer aux cartes et boire des bières. Le train part a 18h20, pile a l’heure, et est étonnamment propre, a part pour les quelques minuscules cafards qui se baladent dans notre compartiment. Nous avons décidé de faire les riches et avons opte pour une cabine en première classe, ce qui n’empêche pas le wagon de secouer et sauter sur les rails pendant les 12h qui nous séparent de Bangkok.

Quelques photos.

Nous arrivons à Bangkok le lendemain matin à 6h30, casses. Il fait déjà affreusement chaud et humide. Nous sautons dans un taxi qui nous amène à Kao San Road ou nous avons rdv avec Jean-Noël et Sarah. Ils nous ont gentiment propose de nous réserver une chambre dans un bon hôtel ou ils ont l'habitude de descendre (le D&D). Ils sont déjà debout et prêts à 7h30. Nous passons le reste de la matinée avec eux jusqu'à leur départ pour l’aéroport, retour à La Réunion. C’était vraiment bien de les revoir et on espère que ce n’était qu’un au-revoir vu que l’ile Maurice et la Réunion ne sont séparées que par une heure d’avion. Nous passons le reste de l’après midi à faire du shopping et le soir nous retrouvons Heather avec qui nous passons un bon moment.

Photos.

Dimanche soir, nous disons au revoir à l’Asie du Sud Est. Notre avion pour le Sri Lanka décolle à 22h. Ces quelques mois dans cette région du globe nous ont semble être une série de contradictions. Nous avons adore mais sommes contents de passer a autre chose. Ce fut une guerre constante entre l’amour et la haine… nous sommes heureux de nous débarrasser de ce sentiment d’être des portefeuilles sur pattes, de ces gens qui ne vous parlent que car ils ont quelque chose a vous vendre, de ce sourire a la con qui feint l’incompréhension lorsque vous voulez vous plaindre de quelque chose, de la difficulté d’organiser son voyage seul, de le vue et des odeurs des montagnes d’immondices qui jonchent les rues, les villes, les campagnes, les rivières. Mais d’un autre cote, on ne peut être qu’admiratifs devant la fierté avec laquelle ils conservent leur diversité culturelle, l’amour qu’il montrent envers leur famille, la force dont ils font preuve dans l’adversité, leur humilité et leur politesse, leur capacité a rester calmes, leur nourriture épicée et la beauté de leurs pays. Si vous êtes impatients et peu ouvert d’esprit, ce continent vous apprendra très vite changer…

Laos (North), Wednesday 10th – Friday 26th February 2010 - Nord Laos, mercredi 10 - vendredi 26 février

2010-03-01T09:47:00.005Z

Huay Xai, 10th – 11th February

We arrive in Huay Xai around 2.30 pm and decide to stay here for the night. This is our first taste of Laos, and despite being a border town, we’re happy to be here ... it’s pretty, the food is good and the people seem really lovely ... even if they don’t have the best organisation skills. The next day we paid a little more for a minibus to take us to Luang Nam Tha, and we were told it would be 2 hours quicker. In the end we waited one hour for them to find more clients to fill up the bus, the bus driver stopped to get petrol, then again to recharge his phone, then again to make a phone call, then again to buy something or other, and then drove like a nut case so we all felt like we were going to vomit, and then stopped again for an hour so he could have lunch, and then continued to drive like a nutcase on very bad roads, nearly crashing into a goat and a truck, twice. Hard on our nerves, even with the spectacular scenery along the way. The upside of the journey, we meet Jean-Noel and Sarah, and French couple living in La Reunion Island.

Pics are here.

Luang Nam Tha, 11th 15th - February

Luang Nam Tha is fairly boring. We hang around town until Saturday morning, eating at the night market and hanging around with Jean-Noel and Sarah ... who are nothing less than excellent company.

We’re really here for the apparently amazing treks you can do; either to visit the local tribes or to observe the abundance of wildlife in the jungle, where roams apparently 37 species of large mammals including leopards, elephants and tigers and there are also all sorts of snakes, spiders, birds and a world of other weird and wonderful creatures.

Saturday morning we meet in front of the tour agency to start our two day trek. We decide on a jungle trek to observe wildlife as we already met some ethnic minorities in other parts of Asia and did not enjoy the experience as much as we thought we would. We jump into the mini-bus around 10am, stop off at the market to pick up some food, take a lovely drive to a little village where we start our trek. We start to walk, and after 20 minutes realise that it won’t be as leisurely as we thought, as it’s all uphill for 4 hours, but that’s fine, we’re happy to be out in the open. We stop half way for lunch that’s spread out on banana leafs ... and around 4pm arrive at the camp where we will spend the night. It’s just a wooden open hut with no separate rooms, no electricity, and we sleep on the floor in sleeping bags. It’s rough, especially as Renu is not feeling too well, but its fine, we’ve done worse...even with two sleeping bags missing! We couldn’t believe it, you pay $45, and they don’t even have enough covers, but never mind, luckily Renu and Nico brought their own so the situation is saved. The only really, really annoying part is that we walked for four hours and saw nothing but a leaves, trees and a little spider. As lovely as our guide was, he was not at all trained to spot any of the wildlife we were hoping to see ... not even a bird!

The next day of trekking is a similar story, except the last 20 minutes before we arrive at a little village, where we walk through some rice paddies and there is some really lovely scenery. Upon arrival we spend some time with the people at the village and then take a walk down to the pretty river before getting in our minivan back to town. Once in town, we discover that the double room we had booked had been taken and so we had to get a crappy twin room instead. Nico restrains himself from strangling the people at the hotel. All in all, not the most successful of treks! We have a good night at least, as we have dinner at a yummy Indian restaurant with Jean-Noel, Sarah, Julie (a Franco-Swiss girl we met on the trek), and with everyone else that did the trek with us. We finish the night off with drinks at our hotel restaurant with Jean-Noel and Sarah and lots of laughs.

The next day is another early morning as we take a bus to Udom Xai, where we plan to get a connecting bus to Nong Kiaw.

Click here for the pics.

Udom Xai, 15th – 16th February

We get on a crappy little bus, packed out like sardines, arriving in Udom Xai around 12.30. Once again, the scenery along the way is stunning. The town is an ugly hole with nothing to do. We want to get a bus as quickly as possible to Nong Kiaw, an enchanting little village a little further west. The only problem is that there are no buses leaving today! We have to spend the night in this hell hole! We stay in a guesthouse 15 minutes down the road from the bus station and wait for the time to pass.

A few pictures here.

Nong Kiaw, 16th – 18th February

We’re at the bus station an hour and a half before the bus is due to leave, to be sure we get a seat and don’t have to stay another night in this place. Noodle soup for breakfast and hang around waiting for the bus to leave. It’s late to leave, of course. Another journey with striking views along the way. We arrive in Nong Kiaw, and we’re breath taken ... it really is as beautiful as everyone says it is! It magical, everything that we dreamed for in Asia, a very quiet, small, laid back village, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by majestic scenery ... it’s just a shame that we only took out enough from the cash-point for a few days ... we could have stayed here for a good while if we had the cash on us.

We spend the afternoon soaking in the exquisite setting ... we order a lunch that takes more than an hour to get to our tables (that’s how laid back it is here!), walk through the village a little more and finish off having dinner at a fine Indian restaurant, wondering all the while how this Indian man found himself settling here.

Wednesday morning we get ourselves up early with big plans for the day. It’s cloudy today and a little fresher than usual, so perfect for walking. We walk two and half kilometres outside the village feeling like we’re centre stage of some scenic painting, to the Tham Pha Tok cave. We arrive at the makeshift entrance office, where we are greeted by a bunch of very sweet kids collecting the fee...apparently there’s some special reason why they were not at school that day, but our Lao was not quite up to scratch to understand what they were trying to explain to us. One of them offers to be our guide around the cave (for a small fee of course) ... we had to accept looking at his cheeky face as he offers. It is incredible walking around the cave, not so much for its aesthetic beauty ... we’ve seen more impressive caves ... but more for the knowledge that this cave was used as a hide out for the villages during bombing throughout the second Indochina war. We hope to keep on going to see a waterfall a little further on, but Nico gets lazy when he’s told that it’s another two kilometres away :-)

Back at the village, we bump into Julie again. After lunch together, we hire some bikes and decide to go back in search of the waterfall. Of course the road is not flat ... climbing the hills in the scorching heat with a town bike with no gears, is quite honestly gruelling ... to say the least. Admiring the scenery along the way eased the pain a little, but in the end the heat got too much and about seven kilometres down the line, we decided to abandon our search for this nonexistent waterfall. It turned out in the end that we’d taken the wrong path anyway. Too bad.

Back in the village, we’d hoped to console ourselves with a traditional Lao massage, but then heard word that the lady in the village that did them was a bit of a crook and gave crap massages ... so we decided to go for beers instead ... you’d have done the same! We ended spending a superb night with two middle aged Aussie guys, and an American art professor retiree. Fresh beer, good food, stimulating conversation and wonderful company, all that in a quite perfect location ... what more can you ask out of life.

Get a taster for the place here.

Muang Ngoi Neua, 18th – 19th February

The next morning we meet Julie for breakfast, as we will get a boat one hour up river to Muang Ngoi ... apparently a little village even more remote than where we are now, with no cars ... as it can only be accessed by boat. It’s still very cloudy and a little cooler today. It’s a shivery boat ride, but yet we imagine that if the weather had been as it was two days previously it could be one of the most beautiful boat rides known to man.

Okay, so the village is not as secluded and traditional as we thought it may be, but still it’s lovely. There are seemingly some beautiful walks that can be done in the area, but we decide to take it easy for the day and go the day after for the weather may brighten up then. We go for lunch and have a little nap before we hope to discover the village a little more. While snoozing, a storm breaks out, a big one. It lets up for just enough time that evening for us to have a quick dinner and buy a bottle of Lao-Lao (local rice wine) to accompany us though a game of cards back in the room. The storm continues on through the night along with some vicious cat fights and the guys next door that snores very loudly! We wake up exhausted, to another cold(ish) cloudy day, and decide that we’ve had enough ... we take the boat back to Nong Kiaw, and get straight on a bus to Luang Prabang. It’s a shame, we’d hoped to take the seven hour boat ride down, but it was far too cold for that...

Click here for pics.

Luang Prabang, 19th – 22nd February

Friday afternoon we arrive in Luang Prabang, and start our two hour search for a guesthouse ... the prices are verging on ridiculous in this town. Carrying our backpacks for that long was starting to get too much, until we bump into our saviours Jean-Noelle and Sarah again (from Luang Nam Tha)! It’s really great to see them again. They also take us to their hotel, the only cheap place in the area, though it is a dump!

Cool, we’ve found a room. We settle in, have a beer downstairs with J-N and Sarah, then meet up with Julie who suggests we have a glass of wine with a very lovely person from Canada whom she’d met a few days previous. Heather has quite an extraordinary passion ... she spends 3 months of the year working in Thai prison giving support to all prisoners that have been sentenced to life (mainly foreign) for being caught with drugs ... here it has to be made clear that in Thailand, if you’re in possession of more than one joint, it’s considered trafficking ... thus, a life sentence, and there is nothing that your country can do to help you. This is the case for a lot of people she works with, guys on holiday that get caught with a bit of weed. Anyway, you can make what you want of that, but it’s a pretty crazy situation. She advised that we read ‘The damage done’ by Warren Fellows to understand a little more, and follow this link for her website. Of course, we haven’t had a chance to read the book ourselves, so could vouch for it just yet. The evening finishes with us stuffing our faces at one of the food stalls at the night market!

We spend the rest of our time in Luang Prabang visiting the town, admiring the temples and the beautiful French colonial architecture, drinking red wine and eating the yummy food that the mass array of restaurants have on offer. Red wine always stimulates the mind and so we also get talking about our return back to Europe and start to prepare our CV’s – arrrgggg!!! Renu also discovers her first grey hair, not cool! :-(

Pics are here.

Vang Vieng, 22nd – 23rd February

Our first instinct is to skip this place, as we here it’s where all young travellers go to go tubing in the river and stop at bars with loud crappy music along the way. It’s not really our scene, but it’s on the way to Vientiane, and so we decide to break up the journey and of course there must be some great scenery and walks in the surrounding area. We arrive Monday afternoon, and sure enough the scenery is quite superb, but that night we are kept awake in our little bungalow by loud thumping music and shouting until 3am. Sleep deprived (second night running now), Nico has a fit in the morning and declares that we are leaving this “hell-hole” immediately. Sure enough, we’re back on a bus to Vientiane at 9.30am!

Pictures.

Vientiane, 23rd – 26th February

Okay, so we’ve been to Marrakesh, we’re yet to visit India ... but surely, Vientiane has got to be one of the hottest cities in the world! We step out of the tuk-tuk, and before even picking up our bags, we’ve broken out into a sweat. We decide that it’s best Renu stays in a cafe with the bags while Nico goes in search of a hotel, rather than both of us running around with our bags in the heat. The rest of the day is spent recuperating from the heat and lack of sleep.

Wednesday, we hire a scooter again and visit the area a little, we soon realise that Vientiane is also probably the quietest, smallest and most-laid back capital city in all Asia. Like Luang Prabang, it boasts some very beautiful French colonial architecture, as well as some lovely temples. We make the most of the place, getting massages drinking red wine and Ricard pastis, and eating some much missed French food. We also found a beautiful place overlooking the Mekong River, where we had a drink and watched the sun go down.

Click here for the pics.

So that’s it, our short time in Loas is over. Friday we take a bus to Nong Khai in Thailand, where we’ll take a train to Bangkok. This country has been phenomenal, we’ve loved every minute of it and wished that we’d spent more time here compared to some of the other countries we visited in Asia ... but we’ll be back for sure. It has a beauty incomparable to anywhere else, and the beauty doesn’t stop at the places you visit ... every bus we took, we were in breath taken by the magnificent scenery around us all the way. The people are splendidly kind and friendly, a relaxed mentality compared to everywhere else we’ve been ... no tourist harassment!!! We really hope it stays as it is, rather than selling its soul to tourism as the other countries in the region have done.

Nord Laos: mercredi 10 au vendredi 26 février 2010.

Huay Xai, mercredi 10 au jeudi 11 février 2010.

Nous passons le poste frontière situe en bordure du Mékong vers 14h30 et décidons de faire un halte pour la nuit car nous sommes levés depuis 5h et venons de faire 7h de bus. Huay Xai est une toute petite ville ou les voyageurs ne s’attardent en général que quelques jours pour organiser leur prochaine étape.

Nous réservons deux sièges dans un mini van pour aller à Lunag Nam Tha le lendemain. Le lendemain matin nous partirons avec une heure retard car le chauffeur ne voulait pas faire le trajet tant que le mini van n’était pas plein. Il a conduit comme un demeure et nous avons fait une pause dejeuner inutile à une heure de notre destination. Voila pour les compétences organisationnelles Lao. Ceci dit, les paysages de montagne et de foret sont superbes et la nourriture jusqu'à présent n’a pas été mauvaise. Dans le bus nous faisons la connaissance de Jean-Noël et Sarah (de La Réunion) avec qui nous sympathiserons au cours des jours suivants.

Photos ici.

Luang Nam Tha, jeudi 11 au lundi 15 février 2010.

Petite ville assez ennuyeuse, nous tournons un peu, dinons au marche de nuit et passons du bon temps en compagnie de Jean-Noël et Sarah.

Nous avons opte pour ce village a cause des fabuleux treks qu’il est possible de faire dans la région. Soit a la découverte des différentes communautés ethniques ou pour observer l’abondance d’animaux sauvages dont léopards, éléphants et tigres (pour ne citer que quelques unes des 37 espèces de mammifères présents) et autres reptiles, oiseaux et insectes…

Samedi matin, nous avons rendez-vous devant l’agence qui organise notre trek de 2 jours dans la jungle, (espérant voir des animaux) car nous avions déjà choisi un trek à la rencontre des ethnies locales dans le nord du Vietnam et l’expérience nous a laisse un gout amer. Nous parons vers 10h et faisons une halte au marche local pour faire des provisions. Encore 40 minutes de route et nous arrivons dans le petit village à flanc de montagne d’où nous commençons à marcher. Nous réalisons au bout de 20 minutes de marche que les 4 prochaines heures ne vont pas être de tout repos. Nous ne faisons que monter et nos jambes et nos poumons souffrent après ces dernières semaines d’inactivité. Nous stoppons a mi-chemin pour un dejeuner local dans des feuilles de bananiers et repartons pour arriver au camp vers 16h. Il s’agit d’une grande cabane en bois avec des ouvertures sur tout le contour (pas de fenêtres ni porte), sans électricité, les toilettes se trouvent dans une petite cabane séparée a l’extérieur. Le soir nous dormirons sur des matelas de fortune et heureusement que nous avions pris nos sacs de couchage « au cas où » car il n’y en a pas suffisamment pour tout le monde. Et dire que nous avons paye l’équivalent d’une fortune pour les locaux pour faire ce trek et ils ne sont même pas capables de prévoir ces petits détails. Bref, nous avons vu pire, ce qui nous embête le plus c’est que Renu ne sent pas bien et qu’en 4h de marches nous n’avons absolument rien vu. Notre guide a beau être très gentil il n’est pas du tout forme à débusquer quoi que ce soit. Même pas un petit oiseau…

Le jour suivant nous redescendons par un autre chemin et nous ne voyons toujours rien. Vers la fin, nous traversons des rizières et pouvons au moins dire que nous avons vu de beaux paysages pendant au moins 20 minutes. Nous passons quelques instants avec les villageois et descendons vers la rivière suivis par les enfants du village avant de reprendre le minibus pour Luang Nam Tha. Arrives en ville, la chambre que nous avions réservée n’est plus dispo (merci Sara et Jean-Noël !!! ;-)) et a la place nous avons une chambre avec des lits séparés. Nico parvient à ne pas étrangler le staff de l’hôtel. Nous nous vengeons par un bon repas avec Sarah, Jean-Noël et le groupe qui nous a accompagne pendant le trek. Nous finissons la soirée au bar de notre hôtel avec Sarah et Jean-Noël autour de quelques bières.

Le lendemain nous nous levons encore assez tôt et prenons un bus pour Udom Xai ou nous espérons avoir une connexion pour Nong Kiaw.

Photos ici.

Udom Xai, 15 au 16 février 2010.

Nous prenons un bus minuscule et bonde jusqu'à cette ville médiocre ou nous arrivons vers 12 :30. Le paysage en route est magnifique, la ville a l’arrivée est un trou poussiéreux. Malheureusement il n’y a plus de bus pour Nong Kiaw ce jour est devons passer la nuit sur place dans un B&B a 10 minutes a pied de la gare routière.

Quelques photos par ici.

Nong Kiaw, 16 au 18 février 2010.

Nous sommes a la gare routière d’Udom Xai 1h30 avant le départ du bus pour être certains d’avoir une place et ne pas avoir à passer un autre jour et une autre nuit dans ce trou. Soupe de nouilles au petit dej (le dejeuner local…. Nico adore !!!) et nous passons le temps tant bien que mal avant le départ tardif de notre bus, qui est en fait un mini van ou 12 personnes vont s’entasser Les paysages en route sont encore une fois sublimes. Arrives a Nong Kiaw, nouvelle surprise, c’est aussi beau que ce que l’on nous a raconte ! Tout ce dont nous avions pu rêver en Asie : une petit village calme, au milieu de nulle part, entoure de paysages de rêve. Dommage que nous n’ayons pas retiré plus d’argent a Udom Xai pour y passer plus de temps car il n’ya a pas de distributeur sur place.

Nous passons l’après midi à nous imprégner de l’atmosphère du village, commandons un dejeuner qui mettra plus d’une heure à arriver (c’est vous dire a quel point tout le monde est relax), marchons a travers le village et le soir dinons dans un tres bon petit restaurant indien en essayant de comprendre comment cet indien a bien pu arriver jusqu’ici et s’y installer…

Mercredi matin, nous essayons de nous lever assez tôt. Le ciel est nuageux et il fait un peu plus frais que la veille, un temps parfait pour marcher les 2km et demi hors du village dans une campagne superbe jusqu'aux grottes de Tham Pha Tok. Arrives a la petite cabane de fortune qui sert de guichet, nous sommes accueillis par un groupe de jeunes garçons qui sont la pour encaisser le droit d’entrée et dont un se propose pour nous accompagner dans les grottes. Les grottes sont immenses. Assez grandes pour toute la population locale s’y soit refugiée lors des bombardements de la seconde guerre d’Indochine. Le guide nous dit qu’il est possible de voir une tres belle cascade a 2 km de la mais Nico n’a pas envie de marcher plus loin et nous rentrons donc au village.

De retour au village, nous tombons sur Julie, qui était dans notre groupe lors du trek à Luang Nam Tha. Après dejeuner nous louons des vélos et décidons d’aller à la cascade. La route est malheureusement pleine de cotes et les vélos n’ont qu’une vitesse. En plus, les nuages qui le matin nous protégeaient du soleil ont disparu et laisse place au soleil et a une chaleur infernale. Le paysage nous fait quelque peu oublier la chaleur et la difficulté de la tache mais au bout de 7 km nous n’en pouvons plus et décidons de faire demi-tour. De toute façon, nous n’étions pas sur le bon chemin pour les chutes d’eau… dommage.

De retour au village, nous voulions nous consoler avec un massage traditionnel Lao mais on entend dire que la masseuse n’est pas géniale. Comme n’importe qui aurait fait, nous nous rabattons sur des bières. Ce soir la nous faisons la rencontre de deux Australiens et d’une Américaine, prof d’histoire de l’art a la retraite, tous les trois super sympas et intéressants. Nous passons une agréable soirée à discuter dans un cadre idyllique.

Photos par ici.

Muang Ngoi Neua, 18 au 19 février 2010.

Le matin suivant, nous rejoignons Julie pour le petit dejeuner car nous prenons le même bateau pour remonter la rivière jusqu'à Muong Ngoi Neua, un village encore plus petit que celui ou nous nous trouvons et accessible uniquement par bateau, a une de Nong Kiaw. Le ciel est tres gris et il fait plus frais encore que la veille. La remontée secoue un peu car la rivière est très basse et le fond du bateau tape souvent sur les galets. Le paysage qui nous entoure est cependant un des plus beaux que nous ayons vu en Asie du Sud Est.

Le village n’est pas si isole et traditionnel que ce que nous pensions. Il y a apparemment beaucoup de marches à faire a partir du village mais nous décidons de remettre ca au lendemain. Nous allons dejeuner, marchons un peu dans le village et faisons une sieste. C’est la pluie torrentielle qui va nous réveiller. Nous sommes assez heureux d’être surpris pas la pluie dans notre sommeil et pas sur un sentier à 3 kilomètres du village. Le soir nous dinons dans le seul restaurant qui est encore ouvert après 20h ! La, nous achetons une bouteille de Lao-Lao, l’alcool de riz fait maison, et rentrons a la chambre pour quelques verres et une partie de cartes. Cette nuit la, entre la pluie, le voisin qui ronfle fort et les bagarres de chats, nous ne dormirons pas beaucoup. Nous nous levons le matin extenués et décidons de prendre le bateau jusqu'à Nong Kiaw et de la un bus direct jusqu'à Luang Prabang. S’il avait fait beau, nous aurions certainement pris les 7 heures de descente en bateau.

Photos par ici.

Luang Prabang, 19 au 22 février 2010.

Vendredi après midi, nous arrivons donc à Luang Prabang et entamons nos 2 heures de recherche pour un hôtel qui rentre dans notre budget. Les prix sont ridiculement élevés depuis que le site a été classe par L’UNESCO. Les hôteliers en profitent un maximum, ce qui fait fuir les habitants de Luang Prabang a l’extérieur de la ville car beaucoup moins cher. Nous avons la chance de tomber sur Sarah et Jean-Noël (rencontres dans le bus de Luang Nam Tha) qui nous indique leur hôtel, peu cher mais il faut voir la gueule de l’hôtel.

Nous avons enfin une chambre. Nous prenons une bière en bas avec Sarah et Jean-Noël et partons rejoindre Julie pour quelques verres de vin. La nous faisons la rencontre d’une canadienne Heather que Julie avait rencontre quelques jours plus tôt a Nong Kiaw. Heather est une personne assez extraordinaire. Elle passe trois mois par an à visiter les prisonniers étrangers dans l’énorme prison de Bangkok. Souvent c’est uniquement pour discuter avec eux, essayer de leur faire garder en tête qu’ils sont encore des êtres humains. En Thaïlande, la possession de drogue (a peine plus d’un joint) est considérée comme du trafic et passible de la prison a vie ou de la peine de mort. A part le gouvernement américain qui a un accord avec le gouvernement thaï pour le rapatriement de ces ressortissants, les gouvernements des autres pays ne peuvent rien faire pour vous si vous vous faites arrêter. Heather nous a donne le lien vers son site internet : http://luna-rose-ca qui explique en détails sa démarche et nous a aussi conseille de lire « The Damage Done » de Warren Fellows. Nous n’avons pas encore eu le temps de le lire donc nous ne pouvons pas vraiment vous en dire plus sur le bouquin.

Ce soir la, nous finissons la soirée avec Sarah, Jean-Noël et Heather à nous en mettre plein la panse dans un marche de nuit.

Nous passons le reste de notre séjour a Luang Prabang a visiter, admirer les innombrables temples ainsi que les maisons coloniales en tres bon état, a boire du vin rouge et a manger dans des bons petits restaurants. Nous en profitons aussi pour commencer à mettre à nous jour nos CV car le retour en Europe se rapproche. Renu découvre aussi son premier cheveu blanc. Pas cool…

Photos par ici.

Vang Vieng, 22 au 23 février 2010.

Notre instinct nous dit de ne même pas perdre de temps à s’arrêter dans ce village car c’est la que tous les ados en voyage s’arrêtent pour descendre poser leurs fesses dans des chambre a air et descendre la rivière ou des bars de fortunes avec de la mauvaise musique sont aménagés sur les berges… Pas vraiment notre tasse de the mais sur notre chemin pour Vientiane et nous décidons donc de couper le trajet. Il doit surement y avoir autres chose à faire que du tubing. Nous arrivons le lundi après midi. Les alentours ont l’air superbes mais la nuit la musique à fond jusqu'à 3h va nous empêcher de dormir dans notre petite cabane en bambou. Prives de sommeil (deux nuits d’affile), Nico tape une crise et décide que nous partirons sur le champ. Nous sommes dans le bus pour Vientiane à 9h30.

Les Photos.

Vientiane, 23 au 26 février 2010.

Donc, nous sommes déjà allés a Marrakech et plus tard nous serons en Inde, mais Vientiane doit certainement être une des villes dans le monde ou il fait le plus chaud. Nous descendons du touk-touk qui nous a pris a la gare routière et avant même d’avoir nos sacs sur le dos nous sommes en sueur. Nous décidons que Renu restera dans un café avec les sacs pendant que Nico ira chercher une chambre. Le reste de la journée, nous nous camouflons au frais dans la chambre pour récupérer des deux dernières nuits sans sommeil.

Mercredi, nous louons un scooter pour visiter les alentours et réalisons tres vite que Vientiane est aussi certainement la plus calme, petite et détendue de toutes les capitales d’Asie. Tout comme Luang Prabang, les rues sont pleines de magnifiques bâtiments et maisons datant de l’ère coloniale française. Nous profitons au maximum de Vientiane : massage, nourriture française, vin rouge et Ricard. Nous trouvons également un super petit bar en dehors de la ville, perche sur des pilotis au dessus du Mékong ou nous allons prendre une bière en admirant le coucher de soleil. Nous rencontrons deux français expatries dans ce petit bar qui nous conseille un restaurant local a 1 minute en scooter du bar. Excellent recommandation…

Les photos.

Ca y est, notre séjour au Laos touche à sa fin. Vendredi, nous prenons un bus jusqu'à Nong Khai en Thaïlande, juste à la frontière. De la nous prenons un train de nuit jusqu'à Bangkok. Ce pays fut tout simplement « le pays » que nous avons préféré en Asie du Sud Est. Peut être ex-æquo avec le nord de la Thaïlande. Nous aurions aime y passer plus de temps mais nous y retournerons surement. Les habitants sont probablement les plus sympathiques que nous ayons rencontres en Asie et le pays est tout simplement magnifique… Nous espérons que tout reste dans cet état et que le tourisme ne pourrira pas les gens et l’environnement comme c’est le cas dans les pays voisins.

Northern Thailand: Tuesday 2nd – Wednesday 10th February 2010 - Nord Thaïlande: mardi 2 au mercredi 10 février 2010.

2010-02-23T11:17:00.007Z

Chiang Mai, 2nd – 4th February

Not long after landing in Chiang Mai do we realise that we’re going to enjoy it here. It’s a really chilled out city and we feel that from the moment we land, the people are nice and you don’t feel like a wallet on legs here. We’ve booked a bungalow at a guesthouse named The Pub, owned by an English guy (could only have been a Brit or an Irish dude with that name). A fabulous place just outside of town (so quiet and relaxed) with new and superbly clean bungalows, very pretty garden and a pub ... of course.

That afternoon we walk into town, have lunch and then decide to hire a scooter for two days. A brilliant way to discover the surroundings! We spend the afternoon discovering the city centre and it’s abundance of wonderful temples, and that evening we spend at Chiang Mai’s brilliant night market where we have a yummy soup and admire all the funky things for sale. We finish off the evening at a little bar not far from our guesthouse. Though we are outside of the city moat, we find that we still happen to be in one of the town’s hippest areas for bars, clubs and restaurants ... but for once the whole area is packed not with tourists, but with the hip young locals, that have a wicked dress sense and drive cool vespa scooters ... it’s great :-) We return here a few times during our stay in Chiang Mai.

The next day we take a beautiful ride up a mountain (actually more of a hill), where there was a lovely panoramic view of the city. A lovely sensation being on the bike, with the wind in your face, looking out at the view, feeling utterly free. Once at the top, we visited the wonderful Wat Phra That Doi Suthep ... a gorgeous Buddhist temple. Back in town that afternoon, visiting more of the delightful temples in the city before dropping of the bike and doing a mini-pub crawl back to the hotel. We visit a really cool market that is just in front of the guesthouse that evening, that had on sale some really great funky clothes ... and addiction even for the non-shopaholic. An early night though, as we have a busy schedule ahead of us ...

Click here for the pics.

MaeTang Elephant Park, 5th – 7th February

Friday morning, we wake up early to pack our bags, feeling very excited. We’ve decided to spend three days at an elephant conservation park to learn to be a Mahout, an elephant keeper. This is dream material for both of us, being huge animal lovers.

There are many elephant parks around Chiang Mai. The elephants were once used as logging trucks and work companions, but once logging had been made illegal in Thailand, the elephants were made redundant, so to speak. Unable to survive alone in the wild, as they had been domesticated, and in any case having little space in the wild to go back to, the Thais made an effort to take care of these beautiful animals in another way. As a result the area saw a surge of elephant parks springing up all over the place. The aim of these parks is to provide a safe place for these mammals, providing them with shelter, food, medical care, companionship and a new job ... entertaining tourists. The side benefit to this is that as they now have a better lifestyle, and so live much longer, and also allows more successful breeding of this endangered species. There are now only 3000 Asian Elephants worldwide ... their cousins, the more aggressive African Elephant also have dwindling numbers, hence the importance of such projects. Some may find the idea of elephants being trained to entertain tourists rather distasteful ... we also did, but it must be remembered that these are no longer 100% wild animals and so rely on humans greatly to survive. The ‘work’ that they do now is not hard on their bodies or minds as their previous work was, and we can now vouch for them being well looked after ... they are very happy elephants (at least at the park where we stayed). The money that is made from tourist interaction into two pockets; firstly back to the park and thus meaning towards everything the elephant needs (such as food and medical care), secondly towards the mahout (the elephant keeper) ... each elephant has a mahout that takes care of it (feeding, bathing, training etc) ... which keeps them from using the elephants in less favourable manners (such as logging work).

We spent three days with each of our elephants. Nico was to take care of Dtaaeng Moh (Watermelon in English ... she did look like one too!), and Renu took care of the young Sinone – an 8 year old cheeky little boy. We were expected to ride them bare back (wearing our oversized uniforms) following the routes along the river that they would normally takes tourists on, through the mountains for them to feed, cut corn and have them fed, clean out their living corners, bathe them in the river and give them a mud bath at the end of the day to keep the insects away from them ... and of course give them a great supporting hand when they do their shows for the tourists every morning. So much fun!!! We also had the chance to see how they make paper out of elephant dung!

It was magical to spend so much time with them and really have the chance to start to understand them. They are magnificent animals ... big (!) ... scary at first, until you see how tame they are, and of course hugely intelligent ... we knew this before of course, but we were still shocked to see to what level their intelligence stretched. We learnt to respect them, even if they are tame, at heart they are still wild animals, and if you show them any lack of respect they will not hesitate to show you how strong they are...standing next to them we felt like what an ant must feel like standing next to us. They are tied up at night, but should they want to, they do have to strength to break away from those chains. We fell in love with all of them, especially with the babies, and even more so with Dtaaeng Moh and Sinone ... it was very very sad to say goodbye when it was time to leave. We still thing of them every day and imagine where they must be in their daily routines.

Elephant pics are here.

Chiang Mai, 7th – 9th February

We’re back in Chiang Mai on Sunday evening and spend two more days in this wonderful city before moving on again. We hire a scooter again for a day to get some bit and pieces sorted out. Nico gives Renu a quick lesson on how to drive a scooter in the evening ... Renu now has dreams of ridining a massive Harley Davidson. The next day Nico decides to not where his helmet (just like all the locals) cause it’s too small for him, expect he chooses the only day in the year that the police are out patrolling for helmet use and so gets caught and fined. Funny.

It's here for more pics.

Chiang Khong, 10th February

Wednesday morning, we’re up very early to get a bus to Chiang Khong, the town bordering Loas, where we cross the border to the Laotian town, Huay Xai. The whole process goes very smoothly, everything is very straight forward ... exit stamp at one side of the river, hop into a boat for a 5 minute crossing and them visa applications for Laos on the other side. Great.

More pics here.

We have a short time to travel northern Loas, before we will be back in Thailand, to catch our flight to Sri Lanka from Bangkok on the 28th February.

Nord Thaïlande: mardi 2 au mercredi 10 février 2010.

Chiang Mai, mardi 2 au jeudi 4 février 2010.

Nous réalisons peu après être sortis de l’aéroport que nous allons beaucoup aime cette ville. Les gens sont bien plus relax que dans le sud de la Thaïlande et nous considèrent moins comme des portefeuilles sur pattes. Nous avons réservé un bungalow a The Pub, dirige par un anglais installe en Thaïlande depuis une vingtaine d’années. Ca fille vient même nous récupérer a l’aéroport pour rien, c’est vous dire le changement. The Pub est un endroit super calme à peine en dehors du centre ville et notre bungalow est super frais et propre. Le jardin est impeccable et le pub-restaurant est fidele à ceux que l’on trouve de l’autre cote de la Manche.

Nous marchons un peu en ville, déjeunons et décidons de louer une petite moto pour deux jours. Parfait pour découvrir La ville et ses environs. Nous nous promenons toute l’après midi dans Chiang Mai a la découverte de sa multitude de temples et le soir nous allons faire un tour au grand marche de nuit ou nous trouvons un très bon stand de soupes puis jetons un œil au marche. Nous finissons la soirée dans un petit bar assez cool dans le quartier ou nous dormons. Bien qu’en dehors du centre, notre quartier est plein de restos, bars, hôtels, etc.… Et cette fois, pas beaucoup de touristes donc on a vraiment l’impression de vivre au même rythme que les locaux, des jeunes un peu branches dans des fringues funky sur de magnifiques scooters anciens (Vespa et Lambretta). Nous retournerons à ce bar plusieurs fois durant notre séjour à Chiang Mai.

Le jour suivant nous partons en moto sur une petite route de montagne. En haut, la vue sur la ville est superbe et le temple bouddhiste également (Wat Phra That Doi Suthep). De retour en ville l’après midi nous visitons d’autres temples avant de faire une petite tournée des pubs avant de rentrer. Juste en face de The Pub, un des meilleures marches de la ville pour les t-shirts et autres articles de mode. Nous nous couchons assez tôt ce soir la.

Photos.

Mae Tang Elephant Park, vendredi 5 au dimanche 7 février 2010.

Vendredi matin nous nous levons tôt pour faire nos sacs car nous avons un weekend charge. Nous allons passe 3 jours dans un centre de conservation des elephants. Nous allons nous immerger dans la peau des mahouts.

Il y beaucoup de parcs avec des éléphants autour de Chiang Mai. Ils étaient quasiment tous utilises dans l’activité forestière pour transporter et manipuler le bois mais lorsque la déforestation est devenue un problème ils se sont retrouves au chômage. Incapables de survivre seuls dans la nature, les Thaïs ont cherche a trouve un moyen pour les garder en vie et pour continuer de donner du travail a leurs mahouts. D’où le nombre de fermes a éléphants dans le coin. L’objectif de ces parcs est de leur fournir un abri, de la nourriture, un accès a des soins vétérinaires si nécessaire et nouveau boulot… occuper les touristes. Le cote positif de ces parcs est que les animaux vivent du coup plus longtemps et que le taux de natalité a augmente alors que l’espèce était en danger. A ce jour, il n’y a plus qu’environ 3000 éléphants d’Asie dans le monde. Leur cousin africain qui est beaucoup plus agressif est moins domesticable, est également en danger, d’où l’importance de ce genre de programmes de conservation impliquant l’argent du tourisme. En ce qui concerne les éléphants dans ce genre de parcs en Thaïlande, il faut comprendre qu’ils ne sont plus du tout sauvages et qu’ils dépendent de l’homme à 100% pour survivre. L’argent paye par les touristes va d’une part au parc pour payer la nourriture, les soins et les salaires, et d’autre part aux mahouts pour survivre sans avoir besoin de mendier dans les rues de Bangkok ou ailleurs avec leur éléphant.

Nous passons trois jours avec nos éléphants et leur mahout. Nicolas avec Dtaaeng Moh (« Pastèque » en français, elle ressemble vraiment a une pastèque…), une mémère de 30 ans, et Renu avec Sinone, une jeune star de 8 ans. Nous les montons a cru dans nos uniformes de mahout trop grands. Nous longeons une rivière, la traversons, puis montons dans la jungle, allons avec les autres mahouts couper du mais dans un champ pour que chaque éléphant ait sa ration quotidienne de 250kg de nourriture, nous les baignons et jouons avec eux dans la rivière avant de leur faire prendre un bain de boue. Ils adorent ca et nous aussi. Le parc confectionne aussi du papier 100% organique avec les excréments d’éléphants et évidemment tous les matins a 9h30 nos petits protégés font leur show pour les touristes de passage.

Ces trois jours passent a une vitesse folle et nous en garderont un merveilleux souvenir. Ces animaux sont tellement intelligents et tellement attachants. Les aux-revoir furent tristes. Nous pensons encore souvent à eux et chaque fois que nous regardons la montre, nous savons a peu près à quel moment de leur journée ils en sont.

Photos.

Chiang Mai, dimanche 7 au mardi 9 février 2010.

Nous sommes de retour à Chiang Mai le dimanche soir et passerons deux autres jours sur place. Nous louons une autre petite moto pour faire quelques courses et Nico donnera une leçon de conduite rapide à Renu sur un parking le soir. Elle rêve maintenant de conduire une énorme Harley… Le lendemain, Nicolas décide de ne pas mettre son casque car il est trop petit et évidemment il se fait arrêter par la police et prend une amende de 200 Bhats.

Photos.

Chiang Kong, 10 février 2010.

Mercredi matin, nous parons de la gare routière de Chiang Mai vers 7h30 pour Chiang Kong, la ville à la frontière avec le Laos. Nous faisons tamponner nos passeports a la douane de Chiang Kong et prenons un petit bateau pour traverser le Mékong jusqu'à Huay Xai. Tout se passe tres rapidement et simplement. Arrives a Huay Xai, Nicolas aperçoit des Lao qui jouent a la pétanque, un souvenir de la période coloniale.

Photos.

Southern Thailand: Wednesday 20th January – Tuesday 2nd February 2010 - Sud Thaïlande: mercredi 20 jan au mardi 2 fev 2010.

2010-02-21T03:31:00.004Z

Bangkok, 20^th – 22^nd January

We leave Siem Reap early Wednesday morning in crappy bus that takes us to Poipet where we cross the border to Thailand. We cross on foot, and take serious note of the sign to all tourists that reads something along these lines: “ ... any dealings with illegal substances may lead to life imprisonment or execution...” Sorry, did we read that right “execution!!!” ... scary. We walk on through with a shiver down our spines. Once we’ve finished with immigration formalities, we hang around waiting for everyone for an hour before then walking for about 1km with our big bags to somewhere for lunch and to catch our minivan to Bangkok, Khao San Road.

Our first impression of Bangkok ... super touristy, but still pretty funky ... would have enjoyed it more at 18 years old. We rest off the bus for a few hours before making ourselves pretty to meet Seb and Liz at 8pm on Soi Rambutri. We’re so excited to see them ... so many places that we’ve passed we’ve thought of them and how much they would have loved it ... they must have heard our thoughts, because they have also left Ireland to travel for a year. It was a great catch up night with them over drinks and dinner.

Thursday, Nico and I start the day with a swim in the rooftop swimming pool of our hotel. The morning is then spent looking for a new place to stay the night for all of us, lunch with Seb and Liz, bus ticket purchasing to go down south and of course, and evening of Thai boxing ... watching it, not doing it, of course. Before going into the arena, we stop at a food stall to fill our bellies with some delicious soup ... this is where we discover that one of the “don’ts” in Asia is taken quite seriously over here. Liz snuggles up to her man and gives him a little kiss ... public displays of affection are not accepted in most parts of Asia ... Seb and Liz found the man or woman (not sure which) come running towards them waving his/her finger at them, screeching in a witch like voice to them ‘ugly’. We got the message. The boxing match was super cool though!

Friday is started with a swim again, and then some more cultural activities. We visit the Ko Ratanakosin area where we marvel at the beautiful temples and especially at the ‘Reclining Buddha’ ... which is more than impressive! We have a blissful massage at the Wat Pho Thai Massage School while we are there and then head back towards the hotel to eat the greatest street Pad Thai in the country! It’s then to the bus station to catch our night bus to Surat Thani ... the plan is to relax on the beach for a few days...

See here for the pictures.

Krabi, 23^rd– 26^th January

It’s a difficult journey, especially as the stewardess on the bus is a (for want of a better word) bitch. She screams at Liz and Renu ‘You go now!’ as they are a bit long gathering their stuff to get off of the bus. To top it off, once we arrive in Surat Thani at 5am, we then get screwed by a tuc-tuc taxi driver that takes us to an agency to buy our tickets for Krabi, instead of direct to the bus station. So of course, the ticket is more expensive and it all takes longer ...never mind, it’s our own fault really, we should have got a direct bus to Krabi from Bangkok. We eventually get to Krabi around 10.30am Saturday morning, where we take a long-tail boat to Hat Rai Leh, to the Ya Ya resort, simple but effective bungalows.

We spend the few days here relaxing on the different beaches, getting massages, eating, watching the sunset, and drinking cocktails on the lounge mats at some cool bars. General beach lifeJ

Nico and Renu had planned to leave on the Monday morning to Koh Phi Phi, but Renu had a light bout of sun stroke and so we postponed until Tuesday.

Pictures are here.

Koh Phi Phi, 26^th January – 1^stFebruary; Phuket, 1^st – 2^nd February

Tuesday morning, we take the ferry, together with Seb and Liz to Koh Phi Phi Island. As we hadn’t booked anywhere, we find ourselves staying at Twin Palms resort, right on the party beach. The bungalows were very sweet, but the ‘boom boom’ was loud until 1am. The first night we joined in the party and Nico got accused of stealing someone’s flip flops ... funny. The next day, Nico and Renu spent their time on quiet Long Beach and found a place to stay the following night. The beautiful Viking Resort that had its own little private beach. Renu also manages to pull a muscle in her leg, very practical for walking in the sand. That night we had a quiet drink at a little bar up the beach, called the Sunflower bar and then laughed in our rooms as we tried to sleep while the bungalow walls vibrated with the music on the beach.

Thursday morning, we all gather our bags and get a transfer boat the Viking resort. When we get there, though we still think the place is beautiful, we realise that the staff are inept, and that they’d put us in a bungalow that was a ten minute walk away through the forest. We end up having to pay three times more than we expected to get a bungalow at a reasonable distance. Nico gets so angry with the whole situation that he goes into a huff for the day, sulking like a three year old, while Renu has to refrain herself from dunking his head in the water to get him out of it!

Despite the difficult start, we end up having a wonderful time here. The setting is really quite perfect, and we spend our time lazing about on the beach, feeling very special to be sipping at Pina Colada’s on our private beach that is beautifully decorated, playing cards on our veranda, making our way back and forth to Long Beach climbing over the rocks, and soaking in the sun.

On Saturday, we have a wonderful day as we take a boat trip around Phi Phi Island, out to Maya beach where they filmed the Leonardi Di Caprio movie, The Beach (not very exciting), snorkelling in a few different places, stop at Monkey Island and Bamboo Island. We see dolphins and even a Manta Ray that jumps into the air about a meter out of the water! We snorkel at Sharks Point where we try to see Reef Sharks, but unfortunately it’s not the right time of day.

The next day Renu and Nico go out again on their own, early in the morning, to try to spot them, but they soon give up as the current is far too strong and we have difficulty swimming against it. We were sad to not see them, but at least we tried. It’s full moon that night ... and this is where we really see with our own eyes how the moon and the tide are linked. That evening, the tide is so low that you can walk right out and around to Long Beach from our beach ... it was so strange to see. We have a last dinner with the Fleury’s ... where we think we see a flying UFO, but actually turns out to be a lantern that is lit for weddings ... and then say goodbye to them the next morning as we take our boat to Phuket. As lovely as it was, we found ourselves getting bored with beach life, we needed to be more active, so we’d booked a flight out of Phuket to Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand. In Phuket we do nothing but hang around our hotel and watch films.

Click here and here for the pics.

Sud Thaïlande: mercredi 20 janvier au mardi 2 février 2010.

Bangkok, mercredi 20 au vendredi 22 janvier 2010.

Mercredi matin, nous prenons un bus de Siem Reap à Poipet ou nous effectuons les formalités douanières de sortie du territoire cambodgien et d’entrée du territoire thaïlandais. Nos passeports sont revenus la veille avec nos visas d’une validité de 2 mois donc tout va bien. En traversant la frontière a pied, nous avons note un panneau du cote thaïlandais qui indique clairement que toute personne se faisant prendre avec de la drogue sera juge et encourt des peines allant de la prison a vie jusqu'à la peine de mort. On ne va donc pas acheter de drogue en Thaïlande. En tout cas, pas aujourd’hui. Passée la douane, nous attendons le reste des passagers de notre bus et marchons un bon petit kilomètre avec les sacs jusqu'à un des paillottes ou nous déjeunons et ou les mini vans viennent nous prendre pour nous conduire jusqu'à Khao San Road, Bangkok.

La première impression que nous nous faisons de Bangkok n’est pas géniale. Plein d’attrape touristes a tous les coins de rue et pleins d e touristes qui s’y font attraper. A part cela, ca grouille d’adolescents européens venant se faire tatouer ou se bourrer la gueule. On aurait du leur dire qu’ils pouvaient faire la même chose pour moins cher en Espagne. Notre hôtel, le Rambuttri Village Inn, n’est pas trop mal avec ses deux piscines sur le toit et un peu plus au calme. Nous nous rafraichissons et descendons prendre un verre dans Soi Rambuttri en attendant Seb et Liz qui sont arrives la veille et dont l’hôtel se trouve a l’autre bout de la ville. C’est bon de revoir des visages familiers cette soirée nous passons de la bière au mojito et tares vite la fatigue s’empare de nous tous.

Jeudi matin, nous commençons la journée avec un petit détour par la piscine pour faire quelques longueurs, hygiène de vie oblige. Nous partons ensuite a la recherche de deux chambres car notre hôtel est complet ce soir la. Nous déjeunons avec Seb et Liz, prenons un taxi jusqu'à la gare ferroviaire se renseigner sur les billets pour Surat Thani et décidons finalement que nous prendrons le bus. Donc on saute dans un autre taxi pour la gare routière cette fois et achetons nos billets pour un bus de nuit confortable pour le lendemain soir. Le soir nous allons voir une réunion de Muay Thaï et avant ca nous restaurons dans des petits restos de rue a l’entrée de la salle. Seb et Liz découvrent rapidement qu’il est mal vu en Thaïlande de témoigner son affection en public… Uglyyyyyyyy !!! Les combats de Muay Thaï sont pas mal du tout.

Vendredi, nous commençons la journée pas un petit plongeon encore une fois. Ensuite nous allons visiter Ko Ratanakosin, un quartier rempli de temples bouddhistes et un Bouddha allonge de plus de 20 mètres de long. Nous nous faisons masser a l’école de massage thaï de Wat Pho et repartons ensuite vers notre hôtel pour boire un coup, manger un des meilleurs pad thaïs de Thaïlande et se diriger enfin vers la gare routière.

Pour les photos, c'est par ici.

Krabi, samedi 23 au mardi 26 janvier 2010.

Le trajet en bus est long et pénible d’autant plus que l’hôtesse fait un peu sa conasse. Renu et Liz ont mal vécu le fait de se faire crier dessus a 5h du mat pour sortit du bus car nous étions arrives a destination a Surat Thani. A la gare, nous nous faisons alpaguer par un taxi qui nous propose de nous amener à une autre gare pour un bus en direction de Krabi. Il nous dépose en fait à l’agence de voyage de son pote ou nous payons plus cher que le prix normal pour prendre un bus pourave qui en fait part d’un autre endroit. Bref, 3h de bus supplémentaire et des dizaines de clopes plus tard nous arrivons enfin a Krabi ou nous petit déjeunons et ou un bateau nous prend et nous débarque a Hat Rai Leh. Nous nous posons a Ya Ya Resort, épuisés et heureux d’être enfin arrives a la playa.

Nous passons les quelques jours qui suivent a prendre le soleil, nager, faire l’apéro le soir a la fraiche, manger et fumer un peu d’herbe locale qui fait perdre a Nicolas son sens de la communication. La vie de plage quoi…

Renu et Nico avaient prévu de partir pour Koh Phi Phi le lundi mais nous avons retarde le départ d’un jour car Renu souffre d’une insolation.

Photos.

Koh Phi Phi, mardi 26 janvier au lundi 1^er février 2010.

Nous embarquons sur un énorme yacht/ferry le matin avec Seb et Liz. Comme nous n’avions rien réservé nous posons nos sacs au Twin Palms Resort, en plein milieu de la plage ou tous les soirs la musique cartonne jusqu'à minuit et les gens bourres trainent jusqu’au matin. Les bungalows sont sympas mais pas du tout insonorises. Le soir nous allons prendre un verre et un mec bourre de presque deux mètres accuse Nico de lui avoir vole ses claquettes. Comment lui expliquer ? Le jour suivant Nico et Renu passent la journée sur Long Beach et dénichent un autre hôtel pour le lendemain. Le Viking Resort, jolis bungalows en bois avec super déco et plage privée. Renu se fait même un petit claquage en sautant d’un rocher. Pratique pour marcher dans le sable. Le soir nous prenons un verre peinards au Sunflower bar et rions nerveusement en essayant de nous endormir alors que notre bungalow saute au rythme des basses.

Jeudi matin, nous rassemblons nos sacs et prenons un petit dej sur le port avant de monter sur un bateau qui nous débarque au Viking Resort. Bien que l’endroit soit magique, nous réalisons vite que le staff est nul (surtout le staff non-thaï et spécialement deux blondes anglaises inutiles). Ils nous ont mis dans des bungalows à dix minutes à pied de la plage et nous devons donc payer 2 fois plus cher pour avoir ce qui était prévu. Enflures ! Nico fait la gueule toute la journée comme un gosse de 3 ans a cause de ca et Renu se retient de lui en mettre une, ou deux…

Malgré ce début difficile, nous passons un merveilleux moment. Encore une fois, nous passons notre temps sur la plage, au bar ou au lit pendant qu’en Europe il neige !

Samedi, journée magnifique, nous prenons un bateau pour faire le tour de Phi Phi, et nager avec masques et tuba a Maya Beach (la plage du film « The Beach »), Monkey Island et Bamboo Island. Nous avons pu voir des dauphins et également une raie immense qui sautait hors de l’eau juste avant le coucher de soleil. Nous avons également essaye d’observer des petits requins de corail mais ce n’était pas le bon moment de la journée et le courant était très fort.

Le lendemain matin, Renu et Nico décident de retenter l’expérience avec les requins mais le courant est encore plus fort qu’hier et ils n’ont pas de bateau qui puisse les secourir en cas de pépin, sans succès donc. Au moins nous aurons essaye. Ce soir la c’est pleine lune et nous avons droit a une très grande marée. Tous les coraux de la plage jusqu'à 100 mètres au large sont hors de l’eau. Nous avons notre dernier diner avec les Fleury… pendant lequel nous pensons être témoins de vols d’OVNI mais il ne s’agit que de lanternes de mariage qui s’envolent. Nous leur disons au revoir le lendemain matin et prenons notre bateau pour Phuket ou nous allons passer la nuit avant notre vol pour Chiang Mai dans le nord de la Thaïlande.

Photos ici et ici.

Cambodia – 9th – 20th January 2010 - Cambodge – 9-20 janvier 2010

2010-02-01T13:36:00.002Z

Phnom Penh – 9^th – 10^th January

Saturday afternoon, we arrive in Phnom Penh around 6.30pm, after a long boat journey through the Mekong Delta, where we witnessed some beautiful landscapes along the way, this followed by a short bus journey into the city. We take a tuk-tuk to the Top Banana Guesthouse where we stay for two days. It’s a nice place, with very simple rooms, good enough for our short stay in the city. We have dinner in a restaurant that specialises in Khmer and Thai food ... spicy like fire and simply delicious. We’re in bed very early that night and sleep like babies.

Sunday morning, we have breakfast on a lovely terrace just across from the hotel, but unfortunately the food was crap and the price extortionate ... wasn’t Cambodia supposed to be cheap? We then jump into a tuk-tuk that takes us to the S-21 prison, where the Khmers Rouge did a lot of their interrogations on their ‘prisoners’, and thus carried out some very brutal torture techniques on them. They also show a heart-rending video on the life of a family under the Pol Pot regime. We take a look around the rest of the building, that was once a school, in tears. Too much suffering, in such a recent time. Are humans really capable of this stuff? It’s too hard for us, we leave with a massive frog in our throat.

We keep walking for a while, towards the Royal Palace, but the heat of the day is too fierce for us to take that we make our way back towards the hostel. Lunch in the same place as last night ... super spicy!!! ... siesta, diner and sleep again :-)

Photos.

Sihanoukville – 11^th – 12^th January.

At the bus station Monday morning, getting a bus to Sihanoukville, in the south, to enjoy some chilled out beach time. Here, just before boarding, we meet an Aussie that tries to rip us off ... he asks for a few dollars cause apparently his bags got stolen ... he’s apparently there every morning! Once on the bus, we’re excited to see that they put the video on for a film; our hearts then sink when we see that it’s a karaoke video ... just surreal.

Our hearts sink once again when we arrive in Sihanoukville. The hotel is nice enough ... but both the town and the beach a both great catastrophes! Maybe we’re now spoilt after having seen so many beautiful place already ... but it is important to note that there was nothing here before the end of the 50’s ... the French then created a little fishing port, and so tourism started to grow here, but in a rather hap-hazard way. The buildings are ugly, the beach is dirty and together with some rather off-putting odours (most likely coming from the beach bars and restaurants) there’s not a whoel lot of reason to stay. We planned on staying a few days, but instead decide to leave the next day on a night bus for Siem Reap. Dinner at the hotel and an early night.

The next day we spend hanging around the hotel, waiting for our bus to get out of there.

Siem Reap – 13^t^h – 20^th January 2010.

We spend the night in a ‘disco-bus’, and arrive in Siem Reap at around 7am Wednesday morning. The tuk-tuk driver gives us a bit of a headache with his sales pitch to take us to see the temples, we kindly try to make him understand that we’re knackered and just want to sleep, and he eventually starts the engine to take us to the hotel. The room is not ready, so we take a walk and have breakfast. Our first impression is that Siem Reap is a really pretty little town, and the people seem lovely.

After a massage with the blind again (really not bad, though the setting is hardly your regular luxury spa), we meet Sam at his hostel for a drink (the American guy we met in Chau Doc, Vietnam) and end up having a real laugh with some other guys we meet there. It’s quite late by the time we realize that we haven’t had dinner yet, so end up having a yummy noodle soup at one of the street stands.

See the Photos.

Thursday morning, we decide to move to Sam’s hostel, the Garden Village Guesthouse, much cheaper and much nicer. We hire some bikes to discover the town a bit and hunt for a swimming pool … with no success :-(

That evening we have drinks again with Sam at the hostel, and with the Canadian couple we met last night, Melanie and Justin, as well as Michael from France.

Friday, wake up at 4.30am … it’s hard as the night before we’d stayed up late and had quite a few. We leave by tuk-tuk with Michael at 5am to watch the sunrise at Angkor Wat and then spent the morning visiting the other amazingly beautiful temples in the area. This is probably the largest collection of religious structures in the world, and is the symbol of Cambodia’s great past. It was really serene wondering through these semi-ruins soaking in the hot sun and the beautiful colours.

The only disappointing part, which is probably the most important part, is that we later learn that the $20 you pay to get in does not go to the Cambodian people, or to its government to help build a country where there is less poverty, or even to the restoration of these gorgeous buildings … but instead to a foreign private company that the Cambodian government sold the place to. For this reason, we made a hard decision not to return as we disagreed with where our money was going, and so we missed out on seeing some of the other beautiful temples we didn’t see that day … a real shame.

Click on the temple for the photos: Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Som, East Mebon and Pre Rup.

From Saturday to Wednesday, there’s not much to tell. We spent the days relaxing at the hotel, updating the blog ... taste the famous, and delicious Cambodian BBQ, apply for an extended visa for Thailand (crossing our fingers that they do not lose our passports!), a fish massage - designed to eat the dead skin from your feet (!!!) ... very funny, but quite useless … and more blog updates.

We are very disappointed at not having enough time to see the North-East part of the country … but we have to leave for Thailand … notably Bangkok, where we meet Liz and Seb! Our bus leaves at 8am on Wednesday morning for Poipet, a casino town on the border. We cross the border on foot, and then wait for another bus that is to take us to Khao San road in Bangkok.

More Photos.

We will certainly come back to Cambodia, our time here was too short … but we still thoroughly enjoyed it and really appreciated how wonderful the people are.

Phnom Penh – 9-10 Janvier 2010.

Samedi 9 janvier 2010 :
Nous arrivons a Phnom Penh vers 18h30 après une longue journée en bateau démarrée dans le delta du Mékong et pendant lequel nous avons traverse des paysages magnifiques suivi d’un court trajet en bus. Nous sautons dans un touk-touk en direction de notre hostel (le Top Banana Guesthouse). L’accueil est plutôt sympa, la chambre très simple mais cela nous suffira pour deux nuits car nous n’avons pas l’intention de nous attarder a Phnom Penh plus que ca. Nous dinons dans un resto de spécialités Khmers et Thaïs. Délicieux. Et nous endormons comme des bébés très tôt.

Dimanche 10 janvier 2010 :
Petit dejeuner très moyen en face de l’hostel. On prend un touk-touk jusqu'à ce qui fut la prison S-21 lors de la folie des Khmers rouges. Nous y voyons un documentaire poignant sur la vie d’une famille sous le régime de Pol Pot et visitons rapidement le reste du bâtiment qui était à la base une école. Dur. Nous marchons ensuite un peu vers le Palais Royal mais la chaleur est telle que nous rentrons vite vers l’hostel, déjeunons dans le même petit resto que la veille (super épicé !!!). Sieste. Achat des billets de bus pour partir a Sihanoukville le lendemain matin. Diner. Dodo.

Photos.

Sihanoukville – 11-12 janvier 2010.

Lundi 11 janvier 2010 :
Bus local avec karaoké à fond jusqu'à Sihanoukville, ville nouvelle en bord de mer dans le sud du pays. Nous avons décidé de passer quelques jours au bord de l’eau avant de remonter vers Siem Reap. Quelle déception a l’arrivée à Sihanoukville… L’hôtel est assez sympa mais la ville et la plage sont deux catastrophes. Il faut savoir qu’il n’y avait rien ici jusqu'à la fin des années 50. Puis les français ont construit un petit port de pèche et enfin le tourisme a pris le dessus de manière assez anarchique. Les bâtiments sont vilains et la plage jonchée d’ordures provenant essentiellement des bars de plage. Nous décidons donc de repartir le lendemain soir en bus de nuit pour Siem Reap. Le soir nous dinons à l’hôtel et nous couchons de bonne heure.

Mardi 12 janvier 2010 :
Rien à signaler, nous passons la majeure partie de la journée à attendre avec impatience que la journée se termine pour prendre le bus pour Siem Reap.

Siem Reap – 13-20 janvier 2010.

Mercredi 13 janvier 2010 :
Nous arrivons vers 7h du mat à Siem Reap après une nuit en discobus. Le chauffeur du touk-touk qui doit nous conduire à l’hôtel commence à nous déballer son speech de commercial pour nous emmener visiter les temples… On lui fait gentiment comprendre que nous sommes fatigues et nous arrivons enfin à l’hôtel. Vu que la chambre n’est pas prête nous partons marcher un peu et prendre un petit dejeuner. Siem Reap est a première vue une petite ville tres agréable et les locaux le sont aussi. Après le petit dej, nous retournons a l’hôtel rattraper notre nuit, puis ensuite nous enchainons dejeuner, massage, et apéro avec Sam que nous avions rencontres a Chau Doc. Nous rencontrons des gens sympas ce soir la et rentrons nous coucher après un diner tardif.

Photos.

Jeudi 14 janvier 2010 :
Nous changeons d’hôtel pour rejoindre le Garden Village Guesthouse, beaucoup moins cher et bien plus sympa. Nous louons des vélos pour balader un peu et rechercher une piscine… sans succès…
Le soir nous restons au Garden Village à discuter avec Sam, Justin et Melanie. Nous faisons également la connaissance de Michael avec qui nous irons visiter quelques temples le lendemain.

Vendredi 15 janvier 2010 :
Lever difficile a 4h30 car la veille nous avons un peu picole. Nous partons en touk-touk avec Michael a 5h pour aller observer le lever de soleil a Angkor Wat, traverser furtivement Angkor Thom et s'attarder sur Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Som, East Mebon et Pre Rup.
La visite s’achève vers midi sous une chaleur étouffante. Nous sommes vraiment heureux d’avoir eu la chance de voir ces merveilles mais vraiment tres déçus d’apprendre que les 20 dollars US de droit d’entrée ne vont pas au gouvernement ni aux locaux mais a une société privée étrangère qui gère le site. De ce fait nous décidons de boycotter et de ne pas retourner voir les temples que nous n’avons pas eu le temps de visiter ce jour.

Samedi 16 Janvier 2010 :
Rien à signaler. Mise à jour du blog et le soir barbecue cambodgien.

Dimanche 17 janvier 2010 :
RAS. Recherche d’une piscine que nous ne trouverons jamais + mise à jour du blog.
Le matin nous laissons nos passeports a la réception du Garden Village pour obtention d’un visa d’au moins un mois pour la Thaïlande car nous allons passer la frontière a pied et dans ce cas le visa délivré n'est valable que 2 semaines. Nous croisons les doigts pour que les passeports reviennent mardi, la veille de notre départ en bus pour la Thaïlande.

Lundi 18 janvier :
Idem + massage des pieds par poissons dans un aquarium géant. Rigolo mais assez inutile…

Photos des trois derniers jours.

Mardi 19 janvier :
Mise à jour du blog. Nos passeports reviennent avec un visa valable 2 mois pour la Thaïlande.

Mercredi 20 janvier :
Nous sommes profondément déçus de ne pas être restes plus longtemps pour découvrir le nord-est du pays. Notre bus part à 8h pour Poipet, ville casino à la frontière. La nous traversons à pied et nous retrouvons en Thaïlande à entendre un autre bus qui cette fois doit nous déposer sur Khao San road à Bangkok.

Nous sommes certains de retourner un jour Cambodge tant les gens sont différents de ce que nous avons vu au Vietnam.

Vietnam – Vietnam – Tuesday 29th December 2009 – Saturday 9th January 2010 - mardi 29 décembre 2009 – samedi 9 janvier 2010

2010-01-19T15:14:00.002Z

Hoi An – 29^th December 2009 – 2^nd January 2010

After about 4 hours in a weird but comfy half-sleeper bus, we arrive (Laurent, Nico and Renu) in Hoi An from Hue. Hoi An is a little town on the east coast, at the mouth of a river. Due to its positioning, It was once (a few centuries back) an important capital for trade with China and many other places in the world. Upon arrival, we’re not that impressed, however, after a short rest at the hotel and some photo shots of the boys in sexy dressing gowns (!) we go out to discover the town, and very quickly change our minds. Thanks to some local government intervention, the old buildings have been well preserved, and the streets have a wonderful laid-back feeling to them. We arrive on a very special night, full moon party, where all street lighting has been cut and replaced by candles and lanterns in the streets and floating in the river. We have a yummy dinner by the riverside, take a walk around before going back to collapse in our beds.

The next day we borrow some bikes from the hotel and take off to the beach. % km later, following the river edge, under the scorching sun, we’re stopped by some guard on the road that wants us to pay to leave our bikes there, as he claimed we’re not allowed to take them further (even though all the locals we’re clearly allowed). No chance. We carry on another kilometre down a back road, and cross over to the beach, finding a perfect spot behind some fisherman’s huts. We stay there for the morning, reflecting on how strange it is to be on a beach between Christmas day and New Year. Laurent and Nico lend a hand to the fishermen to pull out their strange floating device for catching fish, while Renu takes a long walk along the beach. On the way back we stop and have a drink on the pretty terrace of one of the little cafes on the riverside.

After a little nap, we’re back in town we see a little bit more by bike. It’s just before sunset as we’re riding around, and tonight we really get a feel for the Asian continent ... with the dogs and chickens getting in your way, all over the road, Buddhist chanting in the background as you see an charming old woman emerging from the cloud of dust in front of you. Her wrinkles are well engrained into her leathery skin; she smiles at you as she walks by revealing nothing but one rotten tooth. The sun is glistening off the river, and the wind in your face as you peddle harder reminds you exactly what t was you went away for. That evening we wonder around town checking out the pretty little lamp boutiques.

Thursday 31^st December, it’s an early morning for us, we’re up at 5.30am to visit the ancient temples at My Son. The beautiful Buddhist and Hindu representations are gorgeous to admire in the early morning sunlight with few tourist around. Back in time for a well deserved nap before lunch at Cafe 43; probably the best eatery in Hoi An. We take a little walk, on the way Laurent and Nico get kidnapped by some local kids to play a kind of football ... tiny disks with a big feather attached to it, that is kicked around with the aim of keeping it constantly in the air. We eventually find ourselves walking through rice fields as we watch the sun go down for the last time in 2009. Back at the hotel, we make ourselves ‘pretty’ for the night ahead, but before hitting the first bar, Renu goes go get measured for some traditional clothes, that turn out to be very nice. So New Year’s eve is here, we make the most of happy hour with a practically open bar of bacardi-cokes and vodka-tonics while playing pool. We have a quick bite to eat before finishing off the night on the terrace of a little wine bar that caught our eye the day before.

3, 2, 1 ... Goodbye 2009, Welcome 2010, best wishes to all!!!

It’s a fairly quite celebration and we’re not in bed to late, but nevertheless Renu is not on top form the next morning, so decides to have an ultra long lay-in, while Nico and Laurent go back t o the beach. Probably a first in their lives that they find themselves on a beach on the 1^st of January, without a hangover!

Once back from the beach, Renu is up and we make our way back to Cafe 43 for a late lunch / cooking lesson. We learn to make spring rolls, fried stuffed squid, and fish cooked in banana leaves. Quite delicious, and if you are really nice, we may make it for you on our return! J

See here for the photos.

Ho Chi Minh City – 2^nd – 4^th January 2010

Saturday 2^nd January, in taxi to Danang airport, where we board our plane for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The childish nasty side come out of Renu and Laurent as the take the piss out of Nico for being scared for the hour and half journey ;-). When we land, it’s a feeling of Déjà vu, though the city is a lot more modern compared to Hanoi, it is still the abomination of traffic, noise and pollution. We dump our bags and straight out again to discover. It’s hot, humid and stuffy … we walk through a market and stop at a real ‘locals’ place for lunch, where they specialise in crab dishes.

It’s too hot, we decide to spend the rest of the afternoon in our air-conditioned room until it cools down a bit. We head out again and take a walk around a park where we have a fresh sugar cane juice and snack on green mangoes mixed with chilli and salt ... a common snack in Mauritius, but proves to be far to bitter for Lola’s pallet ... that is less impressed with the taste. We decide to treat ourselves to a massage done by blind people. Interesting concept and reports are all great except for Renu, who receives her second useless massage in Vietnam.

The next day, we try hard to work out the bus system, but fail miserably. Instead we head to the War museum, where we learn a little more about the American’s war with Vietnam. For any human being with half a heart, it’s a tough visit. Interesting to learn a little more on such a major part 20^th Century history, but heart-breaking to learn what evil humans are capable of.

That evening, we take a walk around the local fun fair, and finish the evening playing pool at a little bar right near the hotel.

See the photos here.

Ben Tre – 4^th – 5^th January 2010

We take a taxi to the bus station, as we are determined to try to organise out travel alone, instead of going through an agency. On arrival, there is not one tourist in site amongst the hustle and bustle of the bus station ... there are people everywhere, some shouting, others arguing ... utter chaos. We are greeted at the taxi by a guard at the bus station, that starts to shout at the taxi driver, we guessed it was because he’d bought tourists here, instead of taking us to an agency where they could have made more money out of us ... of course this is pure paranoia speculation ... he was shouting in and treat ourselves to a massage done by blind people Vietnamese so we had no clue what he was saying really!

We eventually get into a mini-bus that takes us for two hours to Ben Tre in the Mekong Delta region. We try to get a room in the least dodge of all dodgy hotels by the lake ... of course once we’re in the room, it seems that we failed miserably. It was like a grim hotel room you see in a horror movie! We take a walk around town, unfortunately, there is nothing to report on Ben Tre, it is pretty boring, other than that we had some great food at the street stalls.

Photos.

Can Tho – 5^th – 6^th January

We leave early for Can Tho, another town in the Delta Mekong, famous for its floating markets. On the bus, Nico and Lolo make friends with an old Vietnamese dude that was born in France and so speaks good French ... he uses his language abilities to continually ask us for money. Other than that, he was a nice guy.

Upon arrival, it takes us a while to find a hotel that is within budget and not to dirty. We quickly notice a an old woman behind us, that does not seems to be all with it, that will follow us around that day for 7 hours in an attempt to sell us a boat tour to see the market. Yes, that’s right, 7 hours. We take a nap in the hotel, come down and she’s there waiting for us. We have lunch and she waits outside for us. She unsubtly sneaks around 20m behind us, hiding behind a tree or pretending to be on the phone every time we turn around. Nutcase. She gives up only once she sees that we purchase our tour somewhere else.

We decide that Can Tho is pretty cool, though very touristy. We’re also disappointed with most of the restaurants we eat at. Hardly worth staying around really.

The next day, we’re up at 4.30am, and on a beautiful little boat at 5.30am to visit the floating market. It’s quiet and peaceful at this time, with no other tourists. We see the sun rise and the market setting up. A very enjoyable morning.

A burger for breakfast, a little nap and then back on a very hot and sweaty minibus to Chau Doc (not far from the Cambodian border), with a driver that thinks he races in F1. This is not before being harassed at the bus station by every vendor trying to sell us the ticket.

Photos.

Chau Doc – 6^th – 9^th January 2010

We get very hot and sweaty and we walk for what seemed like forever on a search for a decent hotel. Our time at Chau Doc is of little interest. We take a bike ride around the unimpressive Mount Sam under the scorching sun, narrowly avoiding bout of sun stroke.

The evenings are spent at a little bar close to the hotel, with Samuel, a lovely American guys we met at the restaurant on the first day.

On the 9^th, Nico and Renu leave early that morning to take a boat to cross the Cambodian border across the Mekong river, to Phnom Penh. We say a sad goodbye to Lolo … we’re back on our own again after six weeks of travelling with friends. We’re surprised to see Lolo running after us 5 minutes later, all out of breath … Nico had forgotten his trimmer in the hotel room, and Laurent had run to give it back. Funny. Laurent takes a bus later that day back to Saigon, where he spends the night before his plane the next day for Hanoi and then Paris.

Renu and Nico cross the border around midday, relieved to be leaving Vietnam, and going somewhere new. It’s been an experience, a superbly beautiful country but unfortunately ruined by mass tourism. Tourism doesn’t always necessarily ruin a place, it in this case, it does seem to be so. The scenery and all the images you have of Vietnam in your head are still there, but the country seems to have lost its soul … to the visitors’ eye anyway. It’s hard to see the beauty when you are constantly hassled for money and pushed into booking through agencies to see things. It seems that we are fifteen years too late in visiting the country. Without speaking the language and spending a lot of time there, it will be difficult to discover the real Vietnam.

Another disappointing side, though this is not particular to Vietnam, more of an issue across all of Asia … we are animal lovers, and some of the things we saw here were hard to stomach. The worst is that you are powerless, you can just stand, watch and cry as animals are tied up or caged purely for the pleasure of us humans.

Though, despite the difficult parts, it was still special to be there. After growing up hearing a lot about this country, reading about the war and seeing films made here, it was incredible to see it with your own eyes.

It was not a relaxing month in Vietnam to say the least, but we saw some beautiful things, and even more, got to share those moments with friends. A big kiss to all three of you.

See here for the photos.

Hoi An – mardi 29 décembre 2009 – samedi 2 janvier 2010.

Après environ 4h dans un bus (assez confortable) depuis Hue, nous arrivons, Laurent, Renu et Nico, a Hoi An. Petite ville en bord de mer a l’embouchure d’un fleuve. Elle avait une importance capitale il y a quelques siècles, de par sa position, pour les échanges avec la Chine et le reste du monde. Le premier feeling que nous avons a l’arrivée n’est pas super mais une fois nos sacs déposés a l’hôtel (et la séance photo en robe de chambre), notre petit tour en centre ville nous fait changer d’avis. Les bâtiments anciens sont très bien conserves grâce à un programme de la ville et les rues sont très agréables, sans trop de circulation. Nous arrivons un soir spécial, fête de la pleine lune, aucun éclairage public n’est allume et l’atmosphère est vraiment géniale avec des bougies et des lampions de toutes parts. Nous mangeons au bord du fleuve et faisons un tour rapide avant de rentrer.
Le lendemain nous prenons les vélos mis a dispo par l’hôtel et filons a la playa. 5km après et sous un soleil de plomb, un gardien veut nous obliger à laisser les vélos dans un parking payant. Pas question. 1km plus loin nous trouvons un bout de plage derrière des huttes de familles de pécheurs et nous installons pour la matinée. C’est la première fois que nous sommes à la plage entre noël et jour de l’an et je crois que nous ne réalisons pas vraiment. Laurent et Nico filent un coup de main à un pécheur pour ramener son étrange embarcation près des huttes et après ca Renu part se promener sur la plage. De retour nous nous arrêtons pour boire un verre à une terrasse au dessus du fleuve et passons le reste de la journée à balader en vélo dans la ville avant de retourner diner au bord du fleuve et de faire un tour des boutiques des lampions.
Jeudi 31, nous ne levons très tôt pour aller voir les temples de My Son. De retour, siesta, dejeuner au Café 43, certainement la meilleure adresse de Hoi An. Petit tour dans les rizières derrière l’hôtel pour voir le dernier coucher de soleil de 2009 puis on se fait belles pour le réveillon. Avant d’entamer l’apéro nous accompagnons Renu chez le tailleur pour prendre ses mesures pour des vêtements sur mesure qui au final seront vraiment très beaux. Donc pour le soir du 31, apéro/billard, et après moult bacardi/coke-vodka/tonic nous décidons de manger quelque chose rapidement avant de se poser en terrasse d’un bar à vin repéré la veille.
3, 2, 1… Bonne année !!! Adieu 2009, meilleurs vœux à tous.
Nous ne coucherons pas aux aurores mais le lendemain Renu à du mal à se lever alors Nicolas et Laurent partent seuls en amoureux à la plage à bicycleeeeetteee. Il fait trop beau, c’est vraiment la première fois que nous sommes debout ci tôt un premier janvier sans gueule de bois a la plage !!!
De retour, Renu est réveillée. En milieu d’après midi, nous prenons un cour de cuisine au Café 43. Au menu, Nems, Poulet cuit dans des feuilles de bananiers et seiche farcie poêlée. Un vrai régal. On garde les recettes mais si vous êtes sages vous pourrez gouter à notre retour.
Photos.

Ho Chi Minh City – samedi 2 - lundi 4 janvier 2010.

Le samedi 2 janvier, nous prenons un taxi pour l’aéroport de Danang ou nous prendrons l’avion pour Ho Chi Minh. Renu et Laurent se feront un malin plaisir de pousser Nico à bout pendant l’heure et demi d’avion. A l’arrivée, comme un air de déjà vue. Bien que la ville soit bien plus neuve que Hanoi, le trafic y est tout aussi abominable et les rues assommantes de bruit. On pose nos sacs, on part manger et on rentre à l’hôtel siester avant de ressortir pour se faire masser et diner.
Le lendemain, on traine un peu le matin et l’après midi on visite le musée de la guerre duquel on ressortira assez chamboules. Le soir, diner puis quelques parties de billard dans un bar tout proche de l’hôtel.
Photos.

Ben Tre – lundi 4 - mardi 5 janvier 2010.

De Ho Chi Minh on prend un bus le matin pour Ben Tre dans le delta du Mékong. A l’arrivée nous prenons une chambre dans le plus communiste des hôtels communistes et partons faire un tour dans le village. RAS.
Photos.

Can Tho – mardi 5 - mercredi 6 janvier 2010.

On repart de Ben Tre en bus le lendemain pour Can Tho, une autre ville du delta réputée pour ses marches flottants. Des notre arrivée nous avons du mal à trouver un hôtel dans notre budget et pas trop sale. Une femme qui n’a pas l’air d’avoir toute sa tête va nous suivre pendant 7h ce jour la pour essayer de nous vendre un tour en bateau.
Le lendemain matin, nous prenons un bateau a 5h30 pour aller visiter un marche flottant puis retour a Can Tho 3h plus tard. Nous prenons un minibus en début d’après midi pour Chau Doc, pas loin de la frontière cambodgienne.
Photos.

Chau Doc – 6-9 janvier 2010.

Nous arrivons à Chau Doc après 2h de route en minibus avec un chauffeur qui se prend pour un pilote de F1. Nous marchons 2 bons km sous un soleil de plomb avant de trouver un hôtel potable.
Le reste du séjour a Chau Doc n’a rien d’intéressant. Une ballade a vélo rapide dans le centre et au Mont Sam tout proche. Quelques verres le soir dans un café proche de l’hôtel avec Samuel, un américain rencontre dans un resto à Chau Doc.
Le 9, Renu et Nicolas partent tôt le matin prendre un bateau pour traverser la frontière cambodgienne et rejoindre Phnom Penh. Après s’être dit au revoir, nous nous séparons et, surprise, quelques minutes plus tard nous revoyons Laurent tout essoufflé accourir vers nous avec la tondeuse de Nicolas oubliée dans la chambre. On rit. Laurent reprendra un bus plus tard dans la matinée pour Ho Chi Minh ou il passera une nuit avant de prendre un avion pour Hanoi et un autre pour Paris.
Nous traversons la frontière Vietnam/Cambodge vers midi.
Photos.

Ce séjour d’un mois au Vietnam ne fut pas de tout repos mais nous sommes tellement contents d’avoir revu nos potes. On vous embrasse tous les trois et on vous dit a tres vite.

Vietnam – Tuesday 22nd - Thursday 29th December 2009 - mardi 22 décembre 2009 – mardi 29 décembre 2009.

2010-01-18T12:01:00.002Z

Hanoi – 22nd December

The train pulls up into Hanoi station around 5am. Our hotel has organised a pickup for us, unfortunately though, when we get there, our room is not yet ready. We decide to go for a walk around Hanoi Lake, and are taken back by the calm of the morning, hardly a sound from a motorbike or car, but instead a large number of people gathered around doing their morning exercises. There are aerobic classes and tai chi chuan classes held on the roadside, while others are jogging or doing push-ups on the benches ... improvised body building. The sun starts to rise, the roads start to fill up, and once again that oppressing Asian city noise. That morning, Renu and Nico get back their passports from the Indian Embassy, with the visas for later on. Nico almost kills a woman who skips the queue and takes our place after we were waiting...you understand, utter exhaustion and deep hunger are not a great cocktail for Nico’s personality. We pick up some French goodies in a speciality shop (camembert and rillettes – our treat for Christmas) and also pick up Celine’s traditional dress that she had made up especially for her.

Today is another big day, but bitter sweet. Excited cause Nico’s friend, nicknamed Fifi (also Celine) arrives from Bangkok to spend a week with us, but it’s also sad as it’s Cap’taine’s last day with us, as she goes back to France to spend Christmas with her family. That afternoon we go to organise our second trip to Ha Long Bay with the same agency, as Fifi and Lolo have not yet been, this time we spend two nights there. We also try to book to see the traditional water puppets show, but tickets are sold out, so instead we have a drink on a terrace that has a great view of the city. That night we eat at Hanoi Garden, they have probably the best nems in all of Hanoi, and also a very yummy Loa (a Vietnamese fondue with beef and vegetables). We finish off with some drinks near the hotel.

See here for the photos.

Ha Long Bay – 23rd – 25th December

It’s an emotional goodbye to Celine that morning. After more than three weeks with us, a hell of a lot of miles, bus, plane, metro and train (not to mention the jeepneys and tricycles!), unforgettable moments shared with her company, it is time for us to get back on a bus towards Ha Long Bay, and for Celine to return to Europe and spend Christmas with her family in France.

It’s a similar day to last week; lunch on the boat, enjoy the scenery (this time with better weather and sunning time on the deck), a stop for kayaking, but this time the water levels are higher so we get to see some other caves...the boat then goes back to an area where all other boats with tourists on them, stop for the night. We spend that night on the boat, a quiet evening ... everybody’s in bed early.

The next morning we’re woken up earlier than expected...the scratching and scurrying of rats trapped somewhere in the room prevents us from finding sleep again. The anchor is lifted around 8.30am, as we’re on our way to visit the ‘Amazing Cave’, it is exactly as the name suggests, a beautiful, enormous cave, discovered by the French at the beginning of the 20th century.

We change boats and head towards the island we stayed on with Celine last week, where we will spend Christmas eve far from the family, whom we happen to be missing very much at this time of year. On the way we dig into the camembert and rillettes, together with a glass of disgusting Vietnamese red wine to celebrate on the deck. The weather is lovely, warm … it really doesn’t feel like Christmas. We have lunch on the island, and while Renu takes a nap, Fifi, Lolo and Nico venture up a hill that is supposed to give a magnificent view from the top of the island … wasn’t worth the effort. Fifi and Lolo take a kayak around the island, before we start the evening with a bottle of Bordeaux on the terrace of our bungalows. Christmas eve dinner is served on the beach, and start to become a little suspicious as our guide forbids us from going on to the terrace of bar-restaurant above us. Only after dinner are we allowed to go up for a few drinks and a couple of games of pool. The big surprise is a 6m long buffet, filled with food, despite having eaten already! It is also open bar for beer and yukky red wine. A very badly disguised Vietnamese Father Christmas makes a special appearance for us … we’re crossed legged to save from weeing ourselves, we’re laughing so much. Watching him tell his crappy jokes was touching, cause he really was making an effort! We put on our ludicrous pointy hats, and decide that the best way to have a laugh that night is to hog the pool table, drink until the barrel is empty and make funny faces for the camera. We discover that Laurent is particularly gifted at this. Later on, Renu puts Celine into bed as she’s not been well with tummy issues, and returns for the grand spectacle that Laurent is performing for us … he is hogging the karaoke machine singing in English and Vietnamese until his audience can’t take it anymore!

A painful wake up at 7am, to get back on to the mainland, have lunch in a disgusting restaurant (Christmas dinner … great), arriving that evening in Hanoi, knackered but happy with our little trip to Ha Long Bay.

The photos are here.

Hanoi – 26th December

Happy Birthday to Renu’s dad!
We spend the day in Hanoi trying not to get killed by the traffic. We visit one of the first universities of the city and then make our way to the train station. We board a horrific train that we are to spend the night on, which will take us to Hue. Laurent and Nico have the marvelous idea of buying a bottle of rice vodka containing 39 degrees of ethanol (!) to get us through the night. We play cards to try to forget our sorrows of being on this dump f a train, all the while avoiding touching anything, it’s so disgusting.

See here for the photos.

Hue – 27th – 29th December

The morning (actually, the whole day) is a hard one for Nico, as he thought it would be a clever idea to finish off the bottle of rice vodka we had started. As the train screeches to a stop, Nico feels his head doing the same … we arrive at Hue train station at about 8am, where someone from the hotel is there to pick us up. We’re bloody glad to be out of that disgusting train. Once in our rooms, Nico and Renu go straight to bed for a few hours, while Fifi and Lolo brave the melting sun and take a walk around Hue. We arrange to meet in front of the citadel at 1.30pm to lunch together, and then spend the afternoon visiting the imperial city. It was a beautiful afternoon of architecture admiration and photograph taking. That evening we have dinner near the hotel, in probably the least touristic area of town, a restaurant that has only local patrons and so obviously no menu in English … it was interesting making our order  The food is good and cheap. We end the night at a cute little local bar, Celine and Nico go back as they’re tired, while Renu and Laurent continue at the opposite bar.

The next day we borrow some bicycles from the hotel and take to the roads to discover the enormous citadel. The traffic is mad and illogical! Nothing makes sense you are used to Western, well organised roads. The traffic on the M25 makes London seem like a little village in comparison! The day is spend with Lolo and Nico pissing themselves laughing as Fifi and Renu scream their heads off every time they cross a junction. It is the best way to discover the place, in and out of these little roads … really lovely. We have a drink in a bar in the middle of a take before having lunch in a fancy restaurant that the guidebook rants and raves about. The place is very pretty, the food presentation is splendid, the taste is average, and the price is extortionate.

Back on the bikes … Renu’s one doesn’t go straight and Nico’s peddle falls off, entirely. The weather starts turning, we know it’s gonna rain soon, so we decide it’s time to make our way back ‘home’. On the way we stop at the loudest supermarket ever, it’s massive with about ten different speakers in a small space, each playing something different at top volume … painful! Laurent and Celine rest for a little while Renu and Nico go for a massage. Renu comes out steaming, for it was the worst massage she’d ever had, while Nico is in the clouds with the angels!

We have dinner at a Japanese restaurant, thinking that the profits they make go towards an local orphanage, but we later found out that we got the wrong restaurant :-( We finish the evening off at the hotel with some cans of beers that we bought at the supermarket… they were not nice, and gave us all a dodgy stomach that night!

That morning we hope to rent some bikes again to go and visit the ancient tombs outside of the city, but none are available, so instead we end up walking for miles discovering the streets outside the citadel walls, and find that this is really where the soul of the city is. The people are so friendly, and we meet the most delightful bunch of kids! It’s hot and stuffy that day, and have trouble keeping the pace up. By midday we get closer to the hotel for lunch, before going back to get our bags together. Laurent, Nico and Renu are due to take a bus to Hoi An to see through the end of 2009 there, and Fifi goes back to Hanoi for one night, as she flies back to London the next day.

Photos are here.

Hanoi – mardi 22 décembre 2009.

Le train arrive à la gare d’Hanoi vers 5h du matin. Un employé de notre hôtel nous attend et nous fait monter dans des taxis. Malheureusement, notre chambre n’est pas prête et nous devons donc attendre au moins jusqu'à midi. Nous en profitons pour aller marcher autour du lac d’Hanoi et somme surpris par le calme qui y règne. Quasiment pas un bruit de voiture ou de moto, mais un grand nombre de personnes qui y font de l’exercice. Des cours d’aérobic et de tai chi chuan sont organises sur le trottoir, d’autres courent ou bien soulèvent de la fonte sur des bancs de musculation improvises. Le jour se lève enfin et les rues commencent à se remplir et le bruit à se faire omniprésent. Ce matin nous récupérons nos passeports avec nos visas pour l’Inde et Nicolas est a deux doigts de tuer quelqu’un lorsqu’une femme passe devant eux dans la queue a l’ambassade (comprendre fatigue et faim). Nous faisons quelques achats dans une épicerie de produits français (camembert et rillettes) et récupérons le costume traditionnel que Celine s’est fait faire sur mesure.
Aujourd’hui est un autre grand jour car Fifi arrive de Bangkok pour passer une semaine avec nous mais aussi un jour triste car Cap’taine repart le lendemain pour passer les fêtes de Noel en famille. L’après midi nous allons réserver notre seconde excursion pour la baie d’Ha Long avec la même agence car Laurent et Fifi n’y sont pas encore allé. Cette fois nous allons passer la première nuit sur le bateau et le réveillon de Noel sur la petite ile dans les bungalows. Le soir nous dinons au Hanoi Garden, probablement les meilleurs nems d’Hanoi et un merveilleux Lao (fondue vietnamienne au bœuf et aux légumes).
Photos.

Baie d’Ha Long – mercredi 23 - vendredi 25 décembre 2009.

Ce n’est pas sans émotion que nous disons au revoir a Celine ce matin la. Après trois semaines avec nous, un grand nombre de kilomètres, d’heures de bus, d’avions, de métro et de train, d’inoubliables moments partages en sa compagnie, il est temps pour nous de partir pour la baie d’Ha Long et pour elle de rentrer en France pour passer Noel avec les siens.
Comme la première fois, nous reprenons un bus vers Ha Long puis embarquons sur la jonque pour un tour dans la baie, dejeuner a bord puis un stop pour le kayak, sauf que cette fois ci le niveau de l’eau est plus haut et nous pouvons donc visiter plus de grottes. De retour sur la jonque, celle-ci se dirige dans une baie ou nous allons passer la nuit au milieu d’une autre bonne centaine de jonques remplies de touristes comme nous. Soirée calme. Tout le monde se couche tôt.
Le lendemain, nous nous levons tous à cause des bruits de rongeurs qui sont certainement caches dans les parois des chambres. Nous levons l’ancre vers 8h30 pour aller visiter une grotte immense et magnifique découverte par un équipage français au début du 20eme siècle. Après, nous changeons de bateau et filons vers notre petite ile ou nous allons passer le réveillon de Noel loin de la famille qui nous manque. En route, nous dégustons rillettes, camembert et mauvais vin vietnamien sur le pont du bateau. Il fait beau et chaud, on n’a vraiment pas l’impression que c’est Noel. Nous déjeunons a notre arrivée sur l’ile et pendant que Renu fait la sieste, Fifi, Lolo et Nico vont s’aventurer sur un chemin douteux qui doit mener a un point de vue de l’autre cote de l’ile. De retour, apéro au Bordeaux sur la terrasse de nos bungalows avant de s’avancer pour notre repas de Noel. Nous dinons sur la plage et nous sommes légèrement suspicieux car le guide nous interdit formellement de monter sur la terrasse du resto/bar pendant le repas. Ce n’est qu’a la fin de notre repas que nous sommes autorises à monter pour picoler et jouer au billard. Surprise, il y a un buffet long de 6m plein de nourriture et un bar au fond plein de boissons en libre service. Un père noël vietnamien maléfique fait son apparition et on est a deux doit de se faire dessus tellement on rit. Il annonce la couleur. Ses blagues sont pourries mais c’est touchant car il se donne vraiment beaucoup de peine. Nous enfilons nos chapeaux pointus ridicules et décidons que le meilleur moyen de s’amuser est de squatter le billard, boire à gogo et faire des grimaces ridicules sur les photos. Nous découvrons ainsi un talent cache de Laurent a ce petit jeu. Plus tard dans la soirée Renu va coucher Celine qui a des petits problèmes gastriques et revient pour admirer le show inoubliable de Laurent polyglotte qui squatte le karaoké et chante en anglais et vietnamien jusqu'à épuisement des auditeurs.
Réveil le lendemain a 7h pour retour sur la terre ferme. Nous arrivons à Ha Long pour dejeuner dans un resto horrible ou la nourriture est vraiment immangeable. Nous arriverons le soir a Hanoi assez crevés mais contents de ce petit séjour a Ha Long.
Photos.

Hanoi – samedi 26 décembre 2009.

Joyeux anniversaire au papa de Renu.
Nous passons la journée à Hanoi à essayer de ne pas nous faire tuer dans le trafic. Nous visitons la plus ancienne/première université de la ville et prenons un train de nuit horrible pour Hue. Laurent et Nico ont la merveilleuse idée d’acheter une bouteille de vodka de riz à 39 degrés d’éthanol… Le soir nous jouons aux cartes en évitant de toucher quoi que ce soit dans le compartiment car c’est bien pourri.
Photos.

Hue – dimanche 27 - mardi 29 décembre 2009.

Le réveil est difficile pour Nicolas qui a décidé la veille de finir la bouteille de vodka de riz. Le train tangue et sa tête aussi. Nous arrivons à la gare de Hue vers 8h du matin et un employé de l’hôtel vient nous récupérer. Nous nous installons et Fifi et Laurent partent balader alors que Nicolas et Renu se recouchent encore quelques heures. Nous nous retrouvons devant la citadelle vers 13h30 pour dejeuner et passer l’après-midi à visiter la cite impériale. Le soir nous dinons près de l’hôtel, loin de la zone touristique, dans un resto fréquenté uniquement par des locaux. C’est bon et pas cher. Et nous prenons un verre dans le coin avant de rentrer.
Le lendemain nous empruntons des vélos à l’hôtel pour balader dans la citadelle qui est immense. Renu et Fifi n’en peuvent plus de crier de peur. Le trafic est terrible et tout le monde fait n’importe quoi. Le midi nous déjeunons dans un restaurant conseille dans le guide. La présentation est soignée et l’addition salée. La nourriture ne nous laissera pas de souvenir impérissable. Le vélo de Renu ne roule pas très droit, celui de Nicolas perd une pédale et le temps commence à tourner à la pluie. Il est temps de rentrer tranquillement à l’hôtel. Laurent et Celine se repose pendant que Renu et Nicolas vont se faire masser. Renu en ressortira très énervée du fait son mauvais massage, quant a Nicolas il est aux anges… Nous dinons dans un restaurant japonais pensant qu’une partie de leurs bénéfices sert a financer la formation en cuisines de jeunes orphelins de Hue mais on s’aperçoit plus tard que nous nous sommes trompes de restaurant. On finira la soirée en buvant quelques verres en ville.
Le jeudi 29, nous voulions louer des vélos car ceux de l’hôtel ne sont pas disponibles mais nous finirons par marcher des kilomètres a la découverte d’un quartier bien en dehors des sentiers battus ou l’on sent vraiment l’âme de la vieille ville a l’est de la citadelle. Il fait une chaleur étouffante ce jour la et nous avons beaucoup de mal a avancer. Vers midi nous nous rapprochons de l’hôtel pour dejeuner et rentrons faire nos sacs car Laurent, Renu et Nico partons en bus pour Hoi An pour passer la fin 2009 alors que Fifi va rentrer a Hanoi par avion et passer une nuit la bas avant de repartir sur Londres le 30.
Photos.

Vietnam, Sunday 13th – Monday 21st December 2009 - Vietnam – dimanche 13 décembre 2009 – lundi 21 décembre 2009.

2010-01-18T06:31:00.002Z

Hanoi, 13^th – 14^th December

The three of us arrive in Hanoi late that afternoon. The hotel we booked sends a taxi to pick us up at the airport and then drives us through Hanoi’s Old Quarter. We’re in the middle of the most ridiculous traffic we’ve ever witnessed, where cars are a rarity, and motorbikes are like mosquitoes in the Amazon, and where the horn is second nature to any self respecting Vietnamese driver.

We start the evening with a drink besides Hanoi lake, are spirits are up, we’re happy to be here. We dine at a restaurant named Little Hanoi, recommended by the Lonely Planet and by our hotel. A great choice, the food is delicious and we’re particularly excited to taste our first real Vietnamese Nems (spring rolls). Unfortunately though, that night we do not get a wink of sleep partly due to the competitive beeping horns and partly due to the karaoke cockerels that sing all night ... in the middle of the city centre. It sounds mad, but in Asia, anything is possible.

The next day is spent trekking around the city after leaving our passports at the Indian embassy so they can prepare our visas. Next task is to organise our trip to Halong Bay. Meanwhile, the sweet girl at the hotel reception feels sorry for us for having had no sleep and transfers to another hotel with which they are partnered with, Hanoi Lakeside Hotel, where we are treated to a more ‘modern’ room, with a lot less noise, for the same price.

See here for photos.

Ha Long Bay, 15^th – 16^th December

An early start, making our way towards the tour agency (Ocean Tours) from whom we bought the tickets to visit Ha Long Bay, a few minutes from the hotel. A 3 hour bus ride, with an obligatory tourist stop, supposedly to use the toilets, but not really, at a crafts market where you can spend your millions on rubbish souvenirs. We later learn that this is quite the norm in Vietnam, it’s all pre-organised. We arrive at Ha Long town where we board a replica of a traditional junk (boat) a little before midday.

Though, just before boarding, we know that we will be back one week later with Nico’s friends, Fifi and Lolo ... we attempt to book something there ourselves for the following week, to avoid going through an agency again (and effectively getting ripped off), but it is pretty much impossible, or at least very difficult, if you want to be assured of the quality of the trip. Another thing that is very normal in Vietnam, it’s hard to organise anything yourself, you are almost forced to go through an agency!

Once on the boat, we lunch like royalty! Nems, all sorts of seafood, rice, chicken, everything you want! We look outside, it’s foggy, but this only adds to the feel of the place, romantic and mysterious ... as we’re cruising through the 1969 islands of Ha Long bay, Celine realises that in being here one of her life dreams has just come true ... a very sweet moment. Around 3pm, the boat comes to a stop, throws out the anchor and we all disembark into kayaks to paddle around and through some incredible caves, we even see monkeys on one of the islands! It was just delightful!

We board a different boat, and take to the sea for another 3 hours, until we arrive at a little island opposite Cat Ba island, where we sleep in pretty little bungalows. The transfer from the big boat to the island is both hilarious and scary as hell! It’s dark already, and we find ourselves about 50 metres from the shore line on a flat (ie no edges) boat, that looked like it was made of straw! The water kept coming on to the boat, and we were thinking, with all our weight and the luggage, the boat is never going to make it! But luckily, we did! That evening we get drunk on cocktails and play pool with a funny german girl J

The next morning we have a rather hefty breakfast, before getting on another boat to Cat Ba island, for a quick visit of the town. The market is interesting, but the rest of the town is frankly quite hideous, it’s a cheapo Las Vegas of Vietnam! We then visit ‘Cave Hospital’, exactly as the name suggests, a hospital built into a massive cave, that was used by the Vietnamese soldiers during the war with the United States. It was quite impressive; it’s amazing what the human race can come up with when it is faced with little choice. This is followed by a 10km bike ride, up and down some ridiculous hills! Renu admits defeat and gives up half way, going the rest in the van, whereas Celine and Nico are brave souls and make it to the end! We lunch in a little restaurant that feels like it’s in the middle of nowhere and then get on a boat that takes us to Hai Phong (dreadfully ugly!), then back on a bus for 4 hours to Hanoi.

See the photos here and here.

Perfume Pagoda – 17^th December

After a 1 ½ hour bus ride we find ourselves at a riverside we getting into a little canoe-like boat, rowed by a seemingly sweet Vietnamese lady. This again, is apparently quite the norm in Vietnam, for two reasons. Communism puts man and woman on an equal standpoint, meaning that there are same expectations from both. Also, during the war, men were expected to be at war, while the woman ‘at home’ were doing all the other jobs that were expected in any society. An hour after on the boat with some stunning scenery, we arrive at the foot of the Huong Tich Mountain, where above us is a complex of pagodas and Buddhist shines built into the mountains limestone cliffs.

Upon arrival, our guide suggests that we take the cable cart up, as otherwise it’s a two hour walk up to the ‘main’ pagoda, and will not be back in time for lunch. So we pay for the ride, but once there, we meet a couple that tells us they did it in twenty five minutes… The pagoda, built into a large cave, is quite incredible, and despite the hordes of tourists, you still have a certain felling of serenity once in there. We decide to go back down by foot, it would have been picturesque if it wasn’t for the terribly littered surroundings…quite sad that something so lovely should be ruined by something so trivial.

We have lunch before getting back in the boat for the return trip. Before this, our guides warns us not to give one cent for a tip until we arrive, and once we do so, to run as quickly as you can to the bus! When we arrive, we understand why. The lady that brings us there asks for a tip many times on the way, and apparently if you do this, they stop rowing in the middle of the journey, and refuse to move any further, claiming that it is not enough and ask for more! What’s more is that once we arrived, we gave a generous tip, but they still pushed their luck and kept asking for more, tugging on our sleeves until we got to the bus! Some verged on being antagonistic towards tourists for not giving more!

The drive back to Hanoi is long, Vietnam is playing in a football match in the South East Asia Games, the roads are crazy as the Vietnamese party hard in the streets.

See here for the photos.

Hanoi – 18^th December

It’s a big day for Nico, his mate Laurent is due to arrive from Paris, and travel with us for 3 weeks! We take a walk around Hanoi market and return back to the hotel to find him waiting for us. Despite his long journey, there’s no rest for Lolo. He has time for a shower, and then we’re straight out into town for lunch, at a place called Nem Nem, where they specialise in, well, Nems. We spend the day trying to keep Lolo awake by trying to fix his visa for a longer stay and visiting the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex, where we see the respect the Vietnamese have for this great historical character that played such an instrumental role in liberating their country.

That night we’re have a horrific overnight train ride to Lao Cai, final destination is north, to Sapa. To our surprise (or not), we are not at all in the class of train that we were led to believe to have paid for. It’s not so bad; we down a couple of beers, eat lots of chocolate and try to sleep as when our eyes find themselves closing naturally. Of course, Laurent is the only one that gets any sleep that night, having been deprived of it for the last 24 hours.

Photos are here.

Sapa – 18^th – 21^st December

We arrive bloody early in Lao Cai, and get straight into a mini-bus for a one hour journey to Sapa. It’s still dark. Renu, fast asleep, almost falls out of the bus as the hotel staff open the bus door on arrival. Cold shower and breakfast, and before we know it our French speaking guide is ready and waiting for us to trek to Cat Cat village (derived from the French for waterfall ‘cascade’).

So we make our way down, as our guide gives us a fair bit of information about the different ethnic groups in this mountainous region, bordering Laos and China. It’s a shame as it’s hard to appreciate what would have been some lovely views, for the low clouds and light rain. We caught a few glimpses and imagined how amazing it must be when the sun is shining. We stop at a makeshift café facing the waterfall, where we have glutinous rice coked in bamboo, yummy, and some grilled pork brochettes with herbs. On our walk, we saw exactly where this delicious meat came from, the little black pigs that are left to roam wherever they please around the village … that’s free range! Of course we also try something else, the local apple ‘cider/vodka’ … it’s only 10.30 am, but it’s just the kick up the backside that we needed to continue our day! Of course it’s so delicious that we leave with a bottle of the stuff J

We’re back at the freezing cold hotel, with a power cut, for lunch. After a little nap, Nico continues to sleep, while Celine, Lolo and Renu go out to discover misty Sapa in the night. Though it’s hard to see, there’s a really special atmosphere in the air, you feel almost like you’re in a film. Back at the hotel we polish off the rest of the good apple stuff, have dinner, and then find ourselves in a cute, but cold, little bar, where we spend the night on the karaoke machine! The few clients that are there leave soon after we start singing J Nico and Lolo are also fascinated by the large jar on the counter that is filled with some kind of alcohol, and within it is soaking the hand of a bear, with the fingers cut off … nice. WE have a great night, enjoying ourselves so much that the owner ends up having to bring in his friends so they could heavily hint to us that it was time to close!

The next day, the four of us leave the hotel around 9am with Duc, our guide, and followed by the ladies of the Hmong noir ethnic minority. The ladies walk with us all the way as we trek through very muddy and slippery, mountainous terrain and rice fields. The help all the way, holding our hands and steadying us to be sure we do not fall. The views all the way are spectacular, that is if you are brave enough to lift your eyes from your walking boots. We really believed that the presence of the Hmong noir people was totally spontaneous, but once we arrive at Lao Chai for lunch, we understand that no help comes for free. These ladies follow groups of tourists every day on their excursions, and help them along the way, for in return you are to buy some souvenirs from them at exorbitant prices. At this point it’s ok, we enjoyed their company, and yes, they did help us a lot, and more than anything, they were not too pushy (just heavily persuasive) about us buying something … so we each buy a little something.

The frustrating part is here: we had just about finished handing over the cash for our new useless souvenirs, and about to go for lunch, when already the next group of ladies, this time from Dzao rouge tribe, start to hassle us. They keep telling us ‘I’m your new friend’, watching how much we spend and telling us that we will later spend the same amount with them! So we finish lunch, and the Dzao rouge ladies are waiting impatiently for us. This annoys Nico, we walk along some more muddy paths (but nothing compared to that morning) for about 45 minutes, and Nico systematically refuses their help, as he does not want to feel under any obligation to buy something. Not that it is needed anyway. We arrive at the village where we are to spend the night at a family’s home. Here we are hassled by all the ladies, being told that we have to buy from each lady, and that we should spend ‘x’ amount with each. Renu makes it very clear to them how unhappy she is about their comportment. Nico stays stubborn on how much he is prepared to spend, which upsets the ladies. We hear Celine bargaining hard in the background, while Laurent is cornered by about twelve ladies, all insisting that he has to buy something! It was exhausting, and we all felt quite pissed off after the event. The four of us took a short walk through the rice fields to calm our nerves.

Back at the family’s house, Duc is replaced by another Vietnamese French speaking guide, Yen, who plays cards with us all evening. The house is freezing, and as the little fire in the middle of the room dies out, we move on to drinking the local rice wine to keep us warm. Dinner is delicious J

The next day we wake up to a breakfast fit for a king! Fresh made pancakes with banana and honey J We skip the shower, cause it’s freezing, and are back on the road again for the last half day of trekking. Once again, we haven’t even tied the laces of our trekking boots, and already there is another group of ladies waiting to walk with us. Nico asks Yen to explain to them that we would be happy for them to walk with us, however, we will not be buying anything this time, so it’s maybe best they find another group. They follow anyway. This one is even harder than the day before, clambering through mudslides, rocks and steep climbs make it a real challenge for all of us. Nico once again refuses all help, and finds himself on his arse quite a few times. As before, the landscape is marvelous, and must be something really special when the sun is out, shame that it was not out today. Of course, when we arrive, we are pressured like never before to buy more souvenirs. This time we stand our ground, and tell them that they had the opportunity to walk with someone else. Renu finds it difficult to keep her cool. We understand that tourism helps give these people better lives, but we were bitterly disappointed with that kind of pushy behavior, and what’s sad, have no desire to go back (even though it is stunningly beautiful) and have no reason to recommend going to anyone else.

We lunch with very tired legs, before a mini-bus takes us back to Sapa, where we have time to shower and have an early lunch before we go back to Lao Cai to catch our night train to Hanoi. This time the train carriage is what we expected, and have a much more comfortable night J

See here for the photos.

Hanoi – 13-14 décembre 2009.

Nous arrivons à Hanoi avec Celine en milieu d’après midi. Le taxi envoyé par l’hôtel nous attend et nous conduit dans le vieux quartier d’Hanoi au milieu d’un trafic chaotique et d’une symphonie de klaxons assourdissante.

Le soir nous allons diner au restaurant Little Hanoi, recommande par Lonely Planet et par l’hôtel. Bon choix. Nous ne dormirons pas bien cette nuit la a cause des coqs (en plein centre ville c’est rare mais en Asie tout est possible) et au petit matin par les klaxons qui prennent le relais. Le lendemain nous trainons dans Hanoi après avoir déposé nos passeport a l’ambassade indienne pour nos visas et ensuite nous organisons notre excursion a la baie d’Ha Long. Entre temps, nous nous transférons dans un autre hôtel (le Hanoi Lakeside Hotel, jumelé avec notre premier hôtel le Hanoi Guesthouse) ou on nous donne une chambre plus récente et surtout beaucoup mois bruyante pour le même prix.

Photos.

Baie d’Ha Long – 15-16 décembre 2009.

Réveil tôt ce matin la, direction l’agence (Ocean Tours) qui nous a vendu les billets et qui se trouve a quelques minutes de l’hôtel. 3h de bus avec a mi chemin une pause dans un village d’artisans pour touristes (on apprendra qu’au Vietnam c’est normal et c’est tout le temps !!) et nous arrivons a Ha Long ou nous embarquons sur une réplique de jonque peu avant midi. Le temps est plutôt maussade et cela rend le paysage de la baie d’autant plus mystérieux. Le dejeuner sur le bateau est royal, nems, fruits de mer, poulet, riz… la totale. C’est un peu comme naviguer au milieu d’un rêve que de se retrouver la au milieu des 1969 iles de la baie.

Peu après, le bateau jette l’ancre et nous prenons des kayaks pour aller visiter quelques grottes avant de changer de bateau et reprendre la mer pendant 3 heures jusqu'à la petite ile ou nous dormirons dans des bungalows sur la plage en face de Cat Ba. Le soir nous prenons quelques verres et jouons au billard avec une allemande super sympa.

Le lendemain, petit dejeuner copieux et bateau jusqu'à Cat Ba pour visite rapide des deux marches de la ville (pas jolie du tout il faut le dire), visite d’un hôpital cache dans une grotte qu’utilisait l’armée vietnamienne pendant la guerre face aux Etats-Unis et ensuite ballade de 10km en velo jusqu’au petit resto ou nous déjeunons avant de reprendre un bateau jusqu'à Hai Phong. De la, retour en minibus a Hanoi ou nous arrivons en fin de journée.

Photos la et la.

Pagode des Parfums – 17 décembre 2009.

Nous arrivons à un petit embarcadère après 1h30 de bus. De la nous embarquons dans un petit bateau a rame pilote par une vietnamienne. Une heure après nous arrivons au début du chemin qui mène a la pagode cachée en bas d’une grotte. Le guide nous dit qu’il faut deux heures pour y monter et qu’il serait mieux que nous prenions la télécabine payante pour s’y rendre si on veut être revenu à temps pour dejeuner. Arrivés a la pagode nous rencontrons un couple qui nous dit avoir mis 25 minutes pour monter. On commence à comprendre qu’il ne faut jamais prendre les conseils de qui que se soit pour argent comptant, surtout ceux des guides, destinés à vous faire dépenser toujours plus. Nous décidons de redescendre a pied. La route est jonchée d’étals fermés et de poubelles. Décevant… Nous déjeunons, et remontons dans le bateau qui nous ramène au bus. Avant cela, le guide nous dit ne pas donner de pourboire a la rameuse avant d’être arrivés et surtout de filer directement au bus une fois le pourboire versé. Arrivés à l’embarcadère nous comprenons pourquoi. La rameuse nous file au train pour nous demander plus de tunes. Certaines sont limite agressives avec d’autres touristes.

Photos.

Hanoi – 18 décembre 2009.

Grand jour pour Nico, Laurent arrive de Paris et va rester avec nous pendant 3 semaines. Nous partons faire un tour et a notre retour nous sommes ravis de voir qu’il est bien arrive. Nous filons dejeuner et marcher dans Hanoi pour ne pas qu’il s’endorme après son voyage de 12h. Ce soir la nous prenons un train de nuit pour nous rendre a Lao Cai. A notre grande surprise la classe du train ne correspond pas du tout avec ce pour quoi nous pensions avoir paye. Une autre spécialité des agences au Vietnam : vous glisser des petites quenelles des qu’elles le peuvent car il est quasi impossible d’organiser ses déplacements seuls. Ce n’est pas grave, on boit quelques bières, mange des Ferrero et joue au rami jusqu'à ce que le sommeil nous prennent tous.

Photos.

Sapa – 18-22 décembre 2009.

A l’arrivée a Lao Cai, nous montons dans des minibus pour Sapa et arrives a l’hôtel, nous petit déjeunons et déjà notre guide francophone est la pour notre marche vers le village de Cat Cat (dérivé du mot « cascade » en français). Nous descendons donc vers Cat Cat et traversons quelques villages. Notre guide nous donne pas mal d’infos sur les différentes ethnies de cette région montagneuse proche du Laos et de la Chine et sur les deux jours de marche que nous entamerons le lendemain. Arrives a Cat Cat nous nous rassasions de riz gluant cuit dans du bambou, de brochettes de poulet aux herbes et d’un petit alcool de pomme local dont nous repartirons avec une bouteille. Après le dejeuner a l’hôtel, Nico fait la sieste pendant que Celine, Lolo et Renu vont faire un tour dans la brumeuse Sapa. Le soir, apéro a l’alcool de pomme, diner et après cela nous nous retrouvons dans un petit bar/karaoké d’où le peu de clients vont fuir des que nous commençons a chanter :-). Autre chose insolite, sur le comptoir Laurent et Nico sont intrigues par un gros bocal d’alcool ou trempe une patte d'ours dont les doigts ont été coupes… sympa…

Le lendemain, nous partons de l’hôtel vers 9h avec notre guide et suivi par des femmes Hmong noir qui vont nous accompagner sur des chemins boueux et glissants ainsi que dans des rizières. Nous pensions que leur présence était totalement spontanée mais une fois arrives a Lao Chai pour dejeuner nous comprenons que la raison pour laquelle elles suivent et aident (il faut le reconnaitre) les groupes en excursion est qu’elles attendent que nous leur achetions en retour quelques souvenirs a des prix exorbitants. Ce qui est frustrant c’est que déjà d’autres femmes sont la et nous harcèlent en nous disant « I’m your new friend » et regardent combien nous dépensons en souvenirs et nous demandent de dépenser autant avec elles… Nous repartons donc de Lao Chai suivis par un autre groupe mais cette fois il s’agit de femmes de tribus Dzao rouge dont Nicolas refuse systématiquement l’aide car il ne veut pas se sentir oblige d’acheter quoi que ce soit. Nous traversons encore des rizières et des chemins pentus et très boueux avant d’atteindre le village ou nous allons passe la nuit chez une famille. Encore une fois, nous sommes harcelés par les femmes qui nous ont suivi tous le long de la marche et Renu leur fait bien comprendre notre énervement pendant que Laurent est assailli de toute part par une dizaine d’entre elles qui ne veulent pas le lâcher. Notre guide est remplace par Yen, une vietnamienne qui parle aussi tres bien français et avec qui nous jouerons aux cartes une bonne partie de la soirée.

Le lendemain, nous avons droit à un petit dejeuner gargantuesque à base de crêpes et de bananes avant de se mettre en route pour une dernière demi-journée de marche. Nous n’avons même pas enfilé nos chaussures de marche que déjà un autre groupe de femmes nous attend. La, Nicolas demande a Yen de leur expliquer que si elle veulent nous suivre c’est avec plaisir mais que nous n’achèterons rien et qu’il vaut donc mieux qu’elles trouvent un autre groupe. La marche est tout aussi agréable bien que la pluie des jours précédents ait rendu les chemins quasi impraticables, les paysages doivent certainement être superbes quand il fait beau. Dommage pour nous. Nous arrivons donc à la fin de notre marche et une fois de plus nous retrouvons sollicites comme jamais par ces femmes pour acheter des souvenirs. Nous leur expliquons que nous les avions prévenues et que nous n’achèterons donc rien. Nous déjeunons et un minibus vient nous chercher pour nous ramener a Sapa ou nous avons le temps de nous doucher avant qu’un autre minibus ne nous ramène a la gare de Lao Cai pour notre train de nuit jusqu'à Hanoi.

Cette fois-ci la cabine du train et correspond a ce pour quoi nous avons paye et est plus confortable qu’a l’aller.

Photos.

Hong Kong – 10-13 Décembre 2009

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Thursday 10^th December

We land at around 3pm at make our way directly to the Tsim Sha Tsui area, where we have booked a room for 3 nights.

Navigating your way around Hong Kong using the underground tube station is as easy as a walk in the park. So after a train ride, a long walk through stations and a couple of tube rides, we arrive in about an hour. The whole is system is so well organised, and surprisingly clean!

Our room is a match box; there are two miniature double beds, separated by a space of about 30cm, a desk with a match box TV on it, so small that we didn’t notice it until later that evening, and the shower room is the toilet, a two in one job, where you shower almost standing on top of the toilet. We are told that this is the norm in Hong Kong, for all living quarters.

We go off to explore the area a little, especially with the aim of finding somewhere to eat, as our difficult experience in the Philippines had left us craving all sorts of lovely things to eat. The difference in quality is shocking, but then, so is the price. The rest of the evening is spent walking about the night market on Temple Street, where you find millions of street food stalls, antiques, gadgets and souvenirs of all kinds!

Hong Kong is one of a kind. A city, both delightful and frightful, for already we’ve witnessed thousands of skyscrapers to make up for the lack of space and huge population, every sign is lit up at night (and there’s a lot of them) displaying what looks like almost an electrical fireworks show ... and in the middle of all this you find pagodas and temples, some more than an century old, and parks especially set up for relaxing, meditating and generally creating an atmosphere of peace. The mix and interconnection between modernity and tradition is astounding.

Friday 11^th December

We have a lay-in today, leaving the hotel late morning; we make our way to the north of Kowloon to take a walk in the enormous gardens of Nan Lian. Inspired by traditional Chinese gardens, this park was constructed in 2003, and offers an area of serenity in the middle of the Hong Kong rush life, that could be likened to the activity of an ants nest.

From here we take the tube towards Temple Hau Wong, walk through Kowloon City park and have lunch in a little restaurant where the menus are in mandarin; we choose our meals in a picture menu J

The rest of the afternoon is spent walking around the jade market, where Celine and Renu try not to purchase the entire market. That evening we go to see the Lights Show at Victoria Harbour, which is quite unimpressive on a cloudy evening.

Saturday 12^th December

We leave early to visit Shau Kei, an old fishing village, where there are a few shops that remind you of its past, but otherwise most houses have been here too, replaced with enormous concrete towers.

We then try to escape a ten storey(!) shopping mall we found ourselves in (it makes you feel dizzy!), then we have lunch in Soho (Central District) before continuing through the antiques market (which is something quite special) in Lascar Row. We also make a short stop at Ko Shing, a street where all shops specialise in Chinese herbal medicines.

That evening, we take a dip into local life. We visit the goldfish market, where you find hundreds of little shops selling a multitude of different species of fish in tiny plastic bags. It all looked quite cruel to us. It seemed that they live the same life in Hong Kong as what they had forced onto these poor fish, all cooped up, with no room to move.

After the goldfish trauma, we walk through a gigantic clothes market and then go back to Tsim Sha Tsui for dinner. We go to a soup place, where the food is super spicy. The lady rechecks with Celine when she orders her dish;

“Ok, so you order fry noodle with vegetable, but you like penis?”

We answer with;

“Sorry!!! Can you repeat, we didn’t catch what you said”

The waitress looks puzzled and replies ;

“Penis, it has penis in it, you like penis?”

We look at each other in shock and disbelief. She continues;

“You don’t like penis, you know what is penis?”

Nico, slightly agitated, replies;

“Of course she knows what’s penis!”

Celine looks at Nico disapprovingly for making her out to be ‘that kind of girl’.

Renu cannot stop giggling.

The waitress continues;

“You know, I ask if you like penis, because some people are allergic to penis”

Then it suddenly hits Nico what she means;

“Oh, PEANUTS, yes that’s fine, she eats PEANUTS, no problem!”

We laugh out loud as we wipe the sweat from our brows!

To digest the peanuts, we take a walk to the famous Clock Tower, as well as the immense, super retro-futuristic cultural centre of Hong Kong. We finish off in an Irish pub to remind us of the good old days, before returning to our matchbox.

Sunday 13^th December

It’s time to go back to the airport, where Celine makes an emergency visit to a doctor, desperately in need of an anti-biotic and pain killers to deal with rebellious tooth that decides to give her tooth ache in the middle of her holidays and only 2 weeks before her scheduled visit to the dentist! Our plane for Hanoi takes off around 4pm. These three days in Hong Kong have been interesting and fun, but it must be said that life in this city is exhausts you with its noise and lights. Three days was enough, and we’re happy to leave.

For the pictures, click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here!!!

Jeudi 10 décembre 2009 :

Nous atterrissons à Hong Kong vers 15h et traçons directement vers le Quartier Tsim Sha Tsui ou nous avons réservé une chambre pour 3 nuits.
Prendre le train et le métro à Hong Kong est un jeu d’enfants et nous arrivons à destination environ une heure plus tard.
La chambre est une boite d’allumettes : deux lits espaces de 30cm, un bureau et la douche dans les toilettes (au dessus des toilettes).
Nous filons explorer les alentours et surtout manger quelque chose car notre séjour au Philippines fut rude niveau nourriture. La différence de qualité est frappante (les prix également). Après cela nous nous dirigeons vers le marche de nuit de Temple Street, plein restaurants de rue, stands d’antiquaires et gadgets et souvenirs en tous genres.
Hong-Kong est définitivement une ville à part de ce que nous avons vu jusqu'à présent : des gratte-ciels pour palier le manque d’espace et au milieu des temples et pagodes dont certains sont vieux de plus d’un siècle. Le mélange/interconnexion entre modernité et tradition est frappant.

Vendredi 11 décembre 2009 :

Ce matin nous partons vers 11h pour aller balader dans les immenses jardins Nan Lian au nord de Kowloon. S’inspirant des jardins traditionnels chinois, ce parc fut construit en 2003 afin d’offrir un endroit calme et relaxant au milieu de la fourmilière qu’est Hong Kong. Nous y passons environ une heure avant de prendre un métro vers le temple Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin.
De la nous reprenons un métro vers le temple Hau Wong, traversons le parc de Kowloon City et mangeons dans un petit restaurant ou le menu étant en mandarin nous choisissons nos repas sur photos.
Nous passons la fin d’après midi au marche de jade ou les filles font quelques achats et le soir nous allons voir la Symphonie de Lumières à Victoria Harbour.

Samedi 12 décembre 2009 :

Nous partons tôt pour aller promener a Shau Kei Wan, ancien village de pécheurs ou quelques boutiques subsistent mais ou la plupart des maisons ont la aussi été remplacées par des immenses tours de beton. Nous prenons un aperçu furtif d’un immense centre commercial de Hong Kong (plus de 8 étages, ca donne le tournis) et déjeunons dans Soho (Central District) avant de continuer vers le marche des antiquaires (bien fourni) de Lascar Row et la rue des herboristeries (Ko Shing).
Le Soir nous allons prendre une cure de vie locale au marche des poissons rouges ou des centaines de petits magasins vendent des multitudes d’espèces de poissons dans des sacs plastique minuscules et traversons un immense marche de vêtements avant de retourner diner dans Tsim Sha Tsui et de finir par une petite marche digestive vers Clock Tower et l’immense et super retro-futuriste centre culturel de Hong Kong. Nous finissons dans un pub irlandais pour un verre avant de retourner dans notre boite d’allumettes.

Dimanche 13 décembre 2009 :

Il est temps de repartir en direction de l’aéroport ou Celine fera une petite pause médecin pour un mal de dent rebelle. Notre avion pour Hanoi décolle vers 16h. Ces trois jours a Hong Kong furent intéressants, bien remplis mais il faut le dire, la vie la bas est épuisante de bruit et de lumières…

Pour les photos c'est: la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la et la.

Manila, 9th-10th December 2009 - Manille, mercredi 9 au jeudi 10 décembre 2009.

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It’s our last day in the Philippines, and considering how harsh on we had been Manila the first time, we thought it only fair to give it another chance.

Arriving quite early at Bianca’s Garden hotel, we set down our bags and head out for breakfast. The hotel is lovely with a sweet courtyard and swimming pool, but situated right in the middle of a shanty town. Though you don’t feel like it when you first arrive, it’s actually perfectly safe.

After breakie, we took a jeepney to the local markets where we picked up some bits and pieces and got a personalised badge made up especially for us!

We treated ourselves to a horse and carriage ride around Intramuros, an old walled city, being the centre piece of Manila under Spanish rule, and then later took a walk around inside the walls.

We finished our day off with not only the best meal we’ve had in the Philippines, but could also be possibly classed as the best falafel sandwich we’d ever tasted, at the very same middle eastern restaurant we ate at when Celine first arrived.

Back at the hotel for a quick dip in the pool, a beer, and a super fast dinner at a restaurant down the road. We decide that Manila is not as bad as the first impression we had, but it’s not that much better either.

The next day is a quick breakfast, for we’re back at the airport again to board our plane for Hong Kong!

For the pics, click here.

Manille, mercredi 9 au jeudi 10 décembre 2009.

C’est notre dernière journée aux Philippines, et nous avons été tellement dégoutés de Manille la première fois que nous décidons de lui accorder une deuxième chance.

Nous arrivons asses tôt a Bianca’s Garden Hotel, nous posons nos sacs et sortons prendre un petit dej. L’hôtel est charmant avec une petite cour bien propre et une piscine. Le tout en plein centre de Manille, nous avons du mal à y croire.

Après le petit dej, nous prenons un jeepney jusqu’au grand marche local ou nous nous faisons fabriquer des écussons personnalises pour nos sacs a dos. Vous les verrez lorsque nous rentrerons si la poste a bien fait son travail. Nous prenons ensuite une charrette tirée par un cheval pour une visite rapide Intramuros. Nous finissons la journée avec un des meilleurs repas que nous avons eu aux Philippines et aussi parmi les meilleurs falafel que nous ayons goutes. Tout cela au même restaurant que le soir de l’arrivée de Celine a Manille.

De retour a l’hôtel, un petit plouf dans la piscine, une bière et diner super rapide a cote de l’hôtel. Finalement Manille n’est pas si mal que ca mais ce n’est pas on plus la folie.

Le jour suivant, petit dej ultra rapide et puis direction l’aéroport. Destination Hong Kong !

Pour les photos, c'est par ici.

Naga, 4th-9th December 2009 - Naga, vendredi 4 au mercredi 9 décembre 2009.

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Typhoons had recently hit the area; it had been raining, but still, seeing the villages and views of the rainforest on the way were great. We arrive at Naga bus station at around 6pm, where we take a tricycle to our soul-less hotel (getting into the tricycle thing now!). Time for a shower, a cheap dinner at a Chinese restaurant nearby, and finish off at the karaoke bar of the hotel!

Our initial plan was to keep on going towards the coast, but for a number of different reasons, we ended up staying in Naga and exploring the surroundings for a few days. Sunday was spent just relaxing and walking around Naga city. Monday we spent the afternoon by a pool and getting massages at a sports complex specialising in wake boarding.

Tuesday, we wanted to have some beach tome so we took a minibus to Sapacao. This is more of a local’s beach not far from Naga. We got out at the village and walked through this very basic, yet peaceful and beautiful neighbourhood. A few kilometres down the road, we eventually found the beach. It wasn’t a particularly pretty beach, strewn with rubbish. We hung out for a while there, just reading. Nico hated it. Celine and Renu were quite enjoying being away from the city traffic, even if it wasn’t the nicest place on earth. ..that is until Renu nearly got her arse bitten off by two stray dogs on the beach. At this point, we decided to leave. We took a tricycle back to the bus, a few days ago, we thought it was a heavy load with the three of us and our bags, but this time, to our shock, the tricycle moved down the very bumpy road with, wait for it, TWELVE of us on the bloody thing, along with two cockerels!!! We couldn’t believe. When we first got on, there were seven of us, and we thought that this was a squeeze, but the guy just kept on stopping and picking people up along the way!

Once in Naga, we stopped for a late lunch at a Japanese restaurant in the shopping mall, where the eateries appeared to be the cleanest of all Naga. As we finish our meal, Nico finds a great big fat fly in the sauce that he pours over his rice ... how appetising!

Wednesday as probably our favourite day in all the Philippines. We took a jeepney to Mount Isarog National Park (Panicuason). We’d planned another day of hiking here. First we register ourselves at the tourist office, recommended when hiking in the Philippines, just in case anything should happen. We enquire about the surroundings and ask if it would be advisable to hire a guide, but we were assured that conditions were good and so didn’t need one ...even better!

We set off first on a long walk to a waterfall, hidden deep in the dense jungle. It’s not as crazy as it sounds, as there are paths that show the way. It so picturesque, when we arrive, the feeling of peace that comes over you as you hear the water gushing down onto the rocks and the blue pool of water below. What’s more, it’s starts to rain, and it’s so blissful to feel the warm raindrops on your face as you admire this gorgeous view.

On the way back we take a detour to see a swimming pool that has been built into the banks of the river. Funny. We keep going to find some natural hot springs that we had planned to spend the afternoon at. On our way, the heavens open and it starts to pour down on us in bucket full’s. We try to shelter ourselves under a tree, but it’s not use, within minutes, we’re soaked to the skin. As we’re discussing what are next plans are, Nico and Celine spot a snake in the bush! Celine and Renu win the majority vote, and so we continue on despite the rain ... much to Nico’s dismay as he wanted to turn back.

We arrive after a long, long walk, change into our swimming gear and slip ourselves into a pool of water at 38 degrees in temperature. We look around us, the mountains and trees surrounding us, the mist above us, and the rain falling on our faces. At this point, Nico has to admit that we did the right thing. It was an idyllic setting, with five pools all at different temperatures. We had our picnic lunch there, cheese and cucumber sandwiches and then had a last dip before heading back to Naga.

While at the springs we met a family whom we befriended. They offered to show us the way back to catch the jeepney. We walked for a little while before one of the ladies flagged down a tricycle, did some hard negotiating and then signalled us to get on with them. So there we were again, 10 of us on a tricycle! They were all very sweet, and they insisted on paying the tricycle ride for us. As a tourist, you get so used to being asked for money, that when it happens the other way around, it’s real novelty.

It’s our last night in Naga, so we pack ready to take our plane early the next morning for Manila. For the sake of an extra 10 Euros, we couldn’t bear another gruelling 11 hour bus journey.

For the pictures, click here, here, here and here.

Naga, vendredi 4 au mercredi 9 décembre 2009.

Des typhons ont récemment frappe la région, il a donc beaucoup plu et les paysages de villages en bambous et toits de palmiers ainsi que de foret tropicale sont sublimes. Nous arrivons a la gare routière de Naga vers 18h, sautons dans un touk-touk et arrivons a notre hôtel dépourvu d’âme (l’hôtel et nous aussi) pour une douche avant de diner dans un restaurant chinois pas trop mal et de finir au bar karaoké de l’hôtel.

Notre plan initial était de continuer jusqu'à la cote mais pour des raisons diverses et variées nous sommes restes a Naga à explorer les alentours pendant quelques jours. Nous passons la journée de dimanche à ne rien faire et visiter un peu la ville. Lundi nous passons l’après midi dans le plus grand centre artificiel dédié au wakeboard, au bord de la piscine et les filles en profitent pour se faire masser.

Mardi, nous voulions voir un peu la plage et nous prenons donc un minibus en direction de Sapacao. Une plage plutôt réservée aux locaux des environs de Naga. Nous descendons dans le village de Sapacao et marchons quelques kilomètres jusqu'à la plage. Ce n’est pas particulièrement beau ou propre. Nous nous arrêtons vite fait pour prendre un verre. Nico a détesté. Renu et Celine était heureuses d’être loin des bruits et des odeurs de la ville même si il ne s’agissait pas du plus bel endroit sur Terre. Renu a apprécié le moment jusqu'à ce qu’un roquet essaie de la croquer alors qu’elle se dirigeait vers l’eau. Nous partons donc et hélons un touk-touk sur la route qui avait déjà deux passagères à bord plus le chauffeur. Avec nous cela fait donc six et sur la route nous prenons encore six passagers plus deux coqs de combat. Oui vous avez bien compte, 12 au total sur un véhicule sensé ne pouvoir transporter que trois passagers et quelques sacs.

De retour a Naga, nous prenons un dejeuner tardif dans un resto japonais du centre commercial car il semblait que l’endroit fut plus propre que les autres. Changement d’avis lorsque Nico découvre une mouche morte caramélisée dans le bol de sauce soja alors qu’il en versait le contenu sur son riz. Bon appétit !

Mercredi fut probablement la journée la plus mémorable de notre séjour aux Philippines. Nous prenons un jeepney pour Mount Isaroe National Park et descendons à Panicuason. Nous avons prévu de marcher un peu ce jour la. Première chose, nous nous enregistrons a l’office de tourisme afin qu’ils lancent des recherches si on ne revenait pas au bout de quelques jours. Les conditions sont a priori bonnes pour marcher sans guide jusqu'à une cascade toute proche, mais tout de même bien cachée dans la jungle. Le calme est prenant lorsque nous arrivons en bas du chemin menant à la cascade et qu’une pluie tropicale commence à nous tomber dessus.

Sur le chemin du retour nous faisons un petit détour pour aller voir des piscines alimentées par des sources d’eau chaude naturelle (le volcan est tout proche et bien actif). La c’est un déluge qui s’abat sur nous. Nous sommes complètement trempes au bout de deux minutes. Alors que nous essayons de décider si nous continuons à descendre jusqu’aux sources, Celine et Nico aperçoivent un serpent a quelques mètres a peine qui des qu’il se sent découvert disparait dans la jungle. Celine et Renu gagne le vote et nous continuons donc à descendre le chemin sur près d’un kilomètre.

Arrives a destination nous nous changeons et nous précipitons dans une piscine ou l’eau est a 38 degrés. Autour de nous, la foret tropicale, les montagnes, les nuages et la pluie rendent le moment magique. Nico doit reconnaitre que nous avons bien fait de continuer. Cinq piscines aux températures allant de 28 à 40 degrés s’offrent à nous. Nous pique-niquons sur place et nous baignons une dernière fois avant de repartir en même temps qu’une famille avec qui nous avons sympathise sur place. Ils nous ont aimablement offert la course de touk-touk (a dix cette fois) jusqu‘au village ou nous devons reprendre un jeepney pour Naga.

C’est notre dernière soirée à Naga. Nous préparons nos sacs car nous prenons l’avion le lendemain pour rentrer à Manille en une heure seulement au lieu de 11 heures de bus.

Pour les photos, c'est ici, ici, ici et ici.

Cordillera – Sagada, Bontoc, Banaue, 1st – 3rd December 2009 - Cordillera – Sagada, Bontoc, Banaue: mardi 1er au jeudi 3 décembre 2009.

2010-01-12T06:51:00.001Z

The saying is ‘no rest for the wicked’, in this case though, we changed this to ‘no rest for the innocent’, as we got poor Celine onto another 7 hour hard seated bus ride to Sagada, north of Baguio. However, it was one thing to be on a bus with the hardest seats on the planet for 7 hours, it was quite another thing to be clinging to each other and exchanging glances of fear as we pass on roads where the bus tyres are a razor blade distance from the cliff edge. The roads looked like they had been melted away by the sun, sunken in, falling in on themselves to the point where at some points there was literally half the road missing! The roads were actually in that state due to all the typhoons the Philippines had recently experienced. It’s a common case where such countries have to constantly rebuild roads every few years as they’ve been destroyed by landslides after a storm has hit.

We met two French dudes on the bus, Henri and Thibaud, who very kindly sorted us out with a small but pleasant enough room (with a great view) at Sagada Homestay, the hostel that they were staying at...though it was cold at night and the owner charged Celine for the use of an extra blanket! There’s a first time for everything!

It’s late afternoon by the time we set out into the very pretty and peaceful village of Sagada. We have a drink at a little cafe overlooking the valley, mainly to calm our nerves from the bus ride and then we take a short walk through the village. Here, we felt really far from everything...it was a good feeling. We stop at the market to buy a few bits and pieces for our lunch the following day as we decided tht we wanted to stay put for at least a day, the idea alone of taking another bus exhausts us!

After our walk around the market we bump into Henri and Thibaud again, and invite them for a drink to thank them for finding us a bed to sleep in for the night. We stop in a little cafe where they have possibly the worst toilets we’ve ‘experienced’ on our travels so far, and of course, they also sold dog meat ... a speciality of Filipino cuisine!

At this point, we’ll take the opportunity to explain a little about the food in this country. While not every meal we was un-appetising ...most were difficult to manage. Of course, we recognise here, that this is simply a question of tastes and flavours that you are used to and have been brought up with. Though we are all open to food from around the world, we have to say that we found Filipino food a challenge to stomach. We were tried many things, and it must be said that we are not at all fussy with our food, but we never really grew fond of the local food. This inevitably led to us not eating much at all.

Besides dog meat, there is another speciality – a popular snack (both of which are quite common in many parts of Asia), in the Philippines they named this ‘Ballute’. A quick translation; a boiled egg (so far so good) containing the semi-formed embryo of a duck, with feathers and all! Hard core! We didn’t try it ... though we did have fun imitating the ladies that passed by in the early mornings with baskets full of the stuff, shouting repeatedly in a loud high-pitched voice ‘BAALLUUUTE!’ It became our them tune throughout the Philippines.

So now you’ll understand why that evening we opted for a French restaurant near the hostel, that had glowing reviews...but that was crap too!

The next day, we’re up early-ish, fresh and ready for a day of hiking. We make our way through the village, stop for breakfast at the Yoghurt House and continue a few kilometres further, gazing at the beautiful rice terraces, with the scenic mist as a backdrop to our view.

We pass some ‘hanging coffins’ – a very strange concept (to us), where the elite class of the region pay a lot (either through money or cattle), to be mummified, put in wooden coffins and suspended from high cliff edges. It’s mad to see, how on earth did they get those coffins up there?! One of our pictures shows a skull sat on top of one of the coffins, if you look closely enough.

Our next destination is a scary cave ... though quite beautiful...and full of bats! We’re looking for another cave though, a burial cave, that is apparently filled with coffins, similar to those hanging that we saw. We met some other tourists that had hired a guide (we didn’t bother) that told us where to find it. We made our way back towards the village, and lucky that we were told, cause we would never had guessed that this little pathway led to what we were looking for. At the entrance we were shocked to find hundreds of coffins piled up on top of each other, the site was breathtaking.

Now, back through the village to the other side, past an odd looking church, past a school as the children came out for lunch and laughed as they stared in utter fascination at the three of us walking up the hill. We were looking for Echo Valley, where if you shout out loud, well, it echoes...it’s also where you can get a better view of the coffins. We had trouble finding the place, it was only after climbing another hill through a cemetery did we find it...even then it wasn’t so obvious...this is the beauty of the Philippines. We’re in a place where not many tourists have set foot, so as a result, there are no obvious paths or signposts leading you to where you want to go. We had fun for a few minutes calling out each others’ names, and Nico calling out naughty words (little rascal) ... but still, the hanging coffins are nowhere to be seen. We climb up another bit of rock and then down a bit again, until finally there they are. One glitch, you can only see them if you kind of lurch the upper part of your body over the edge of the cliff ... the height thing became a bit much for Renu and Celine so they stepped back into safety ... Nico on the other hand may have a deep fear or flying, but has no fear of heights when on a cliff edge. So there he is sanding on the edge, taking photos, while watching him almost puts Celine and Renu into a state of cardiac arrest!

We walk back to the hotel to make up our tuna and salad sandwiches before setting out again. Next destination is a lake a few kilometres away, round the back of the village up a gravel path. We stop at a pottery shop where we meet a lady who is at work and very kindly shows us around her place and all her different work. The massive spider on the wall puts us off from staying too long though. We continue on until we reach the un-impressive lake, take a few photos of the funny flowers around and then back to the hostel to shower and freshen up.

Back to the Yoghurt House for some pre-dinner drinks, Renu and Celine sit on the veranda and chatter away, while Nico sits inside and updates the blog. We stay for dinner, eating downstairs as there’s a cosy fire burning. Dinner is quite good, and we eat reflecting on what a great day it’s been!

We need to get to Bontoc, which is a one hour jeepney ride away. The view are just lovely all the way, but of course we’re a little nervous to be back on the typhoon destroyed roads again, especially as it rained last night.

We spend the morning in Bontoc, first at the museum to see some fascinating objects and pictures of the northern population of the Philippines, learning a little more about the culture, including a tribe known as the Headhunters that would cut off the heads of their enemies and bring them back to their people as a prize!

We walk around Bontoc for a while, really nothing to see, before we’re back in another jeepney for 3 hours heading for beautiful Banaue. We stop a little before Banaue where there is the most spectacular view of the rice terraces. It’s breathtaking to see, the three of us stand there taking in the fresh air and reflecting on how lucky we are to be there. Here we meet three sweet old ladies chewing on some red substance that is apparently supposed to prevent tooth decay ... as lovely as they were, looking at their teeth, this red stuff didn’t seem to work very well!

We continue walking for a bit, until we pass the tourist police station, where they suggest we take a tricycle to the village, as it’s quite far, especially with our bags. We chat with the policeman for a while until he eventually flags one down for us. We look wondering how on earth we’re going to fit all of our bags as well as ourselves on this thing. We manage of course, but then we clasp our hands in prayer as the tricycle rolls down the hill, and with all our weight, at great speed! The driver is lovely and stops twice for us to take pictures. Once are nerves have calmed, we look out and realise what a lovely walk it could have been if we didn’t have our bags. If we weren’t on a short time scale we would have stayed longer to enjoy the area a little.

As it happens, we have time for a late lunch at a big ugly hotel (but with a great view), and a few beers with Henri and Thibaud before we were back on a freezing cold air-conditioned bus to Manila, 11 hours away. In Manila in the early hours of the morning, we go to grab breakfast, Renu has a taxi reverse into her as we cross the road, and then we’re back on a bus to Naga, another 11 hours away, southeast of the north island of Luzon.

For the pictures, click here, here and here.

Cordillera – Sagada, Bontoc, Banaue: mardi 1er au jeudi 3 décembre 2009.

« Pas de repos pour les innocents !»Nous forçons Celine à monter dans un nouveau bus aux sièges durs comme du bois, et ce pour un trajet de 7 heures jusqu'à Sagada, au nord de Baguio. Les filles se lancent des regards apeures tout au long du trajet alors que le bus emprunte des routes accrochées aux falaises avec parfois des à pic de plus de 100 mètres. Des glissements de terrain ca et la réduisant la chaussée de moitie nous rappellent qu’en cas de pluie il vaut mieux éviter les voyages dans ce pays.

Dans le bus nous sympathisons avec deux Français, Henri et Thibault. Henri aura la gentillesse de nous réserver une chambre par téléphone dans une petite pension, Sagada Homestay, car il connait le coin. Etant en stage à Manille pendant quelques mois il a eu le temps de s’échapper de cet enfer pour voir un peu de pays. Les nuits sont fraiches et la patronne demandera un petit extra à Celine en échange d’une couverture supplémentaire. Comme quoi il ya une première fois a tout !

Il est tard dans l’après midi lorsque nous partons nous aventurer dans Sagada, petit village joli et calme. Nous prenons un verre dans un petit café a flanc de colline pour nous détendre du voyage en bus et reprenons notre petite visite du village (une rue principale). Qu’il est bon de sentir loin de tout. Nous faisons une halte au marche pour faire des provisions pour le lendemain car nous avons décidé de rester quelques jours. L’idée de reprendre un bus trop tôt nous étant insupportable.

Nous retombons par hasard sur nos deux Français et les invitons à prendre un verre pour les remercier de nous avoir trouvé la chambre. Les toilettes du café sont probablement les pires que nous ayons vues dans notre voyage et la spécialité du café et bien évidemment la viande de chien… une spécialité culinaire du nord des Philippines.

Bien que tous nos repas n’est pas été immangeables, la plupart nous ont demande beaucoup d’effort. Bien sur tout n’est qu’une question de gouts. Mais nous sommes quand même assez ouverts d’un point de vue culinaire et force est d’admettre que la cuisine Philippine est un challenge pour l’estomac. Tout cela nous a amène à limiter notre consommation de nourriture pendant notre séjour aux Philippines. J’entends déjà les moqueurs qui vont s’empresser de trouver cela une très bonne idée pour Nicolas...

Hormis la viande de chien, il ya une autre spécialité appelé « ballut ». Un met apprécié des fins gourmets, un snack populaire. Il s’agit d’un œuf contenant un fœtus de canard au stade de développement avance, bouilli et consomme dans sa coquille. Il n’est pas rare d’y trouver quelques plumes et un bec… nous ne nous y sommes pas essayes mais nous avons beaucoup ri en imitant les cris des vendeurs ambulants de ballut : « balluuuuuuuuut !!! ». Ce cri est devenu notre cri de ralliement aux Philippines.

Vous comprendrez donc pourquoi ce soir la nous avons opte pour un soi-disant restaurant français proche de notre pension dont les critiques dans le guide étaient assez élogieuses… en vérité ce n’était que très moyen.

Le jour suivant, levés tôt, frais et prêts pour une journée de marche. En traversant le village nous faisons halte pour un petit dejeuner au Yoghurt House et continuons sur quelques kilomètres, admirant les rizières en terrasses, la brume en arrière plan de ce magnifique paysage.

Nous passons des cercueils suspendus à la falaise, un concept assez étrange pour nous, dans lesquels seules les personnes faisant partie de l’élite du village ont le droit de se faire momifier en échange de beaucoup d’argent ou d’animaux d’élevage. Une des photos que nous avons postées montre un crane pose sur un cercueil si vous regardez de près. Nous nous dirigeons ensuite vers une grotte qui on nous a dit était pleine de chauve souris. Un autre lieu de sépulture qui est emplie de cercueils, similaires a ceux suspendus sur la falaise. Nous rencontrons d’autres touristes qui ont paye les services d’un guide pour s’aventurer dans la cave et qui nous indique comment s’y rendre. Nous sommes bien surpris lorsqu’arrives a l’entrée de la grotte nous apercevons un entassement de plus d’une centaine de ces cercueils.

De retour nous passons le village, une étrange église, une école d’où les enfants sortent pour aller dejeuner et nous regardent d’un air amuse alors que nous montons une colline a la recherche de la vallée de l’écho. Un point de vue d’où il est possible de mieux observer les cercueils suspendus. Nous avons eu du mal à trouver car il fallait traverser un cimetière sur une autre colline. C’est ce qui est beau aux Philippines. Le fait que peu de touristes décident de visiter certaines régions fait que les sentiers et les indications pour aller d’un point d’intérêt à un autre sont quasiment inexistants. Après s’être amuses à vérifier la véracité du nom de la vallée en criant nos noms et des obscénités (surtout Nicolas) nous cherchons toujours les cercueils. Il nous faudra escalader d’autres rochers pour pouvoir enfin les admirer. Le vertige s’empare de Renu et Celine mais Nicolas (qui soit dit en pensant est mort de trouille quand il faut prendre l’avion) n’a pas l’air de trouver cela effrayant et se penche dans tous les sens pour prendre des photos, provoquant une sensation d’arrêt cardiaque chez Renu et Celine.

Nous retournons vers l’hôtel pour manger nos sandwiches avant de repartir vers un lac a quelques kilomètres de la. En route nous en profitons pour visiter un atelier de poterie ou une femme travaillant seule nous explique les différentes étapes et procédés avant bien sur de nous conduire a la boutique ou une araignée énorme nous pousse à ne pas rester trop longtemps. Nous continuons donc jusqu'à ce petit lac dénué de tout intérêt, prenons quelques photos et rentrons a l’hôtel pour nous rafraichir un peu.

De retour au Yoghurt House pour l’apéro, Renu et Celine s’installe sur le balcon pour papoter alors que Nicolas reste à l’intérieur pour mettre à jour le blog. Nous restons pour diner près du feu (enfant un bon repas) et parlons de la journée que nous venons de vivre.

Le lendemain nous décidons de nous rendre à Banaue via Bontoc. Bontoc est à une heure de Jeepney de Sagada. Pour info, les jeepneys sont des répliques des jeeps de l’armée américaine des années 30-40 lorsque celle-ci avait établi une base aux Philippines pour combattre les japonais. Les Américains sont partis de l’ile mais ont laisse derrière eux les lignes de production des véhicules.

En route, le paysage est magnifique mais nous serrons les fesses car la route est défoncée et il a bien plu la vieille. Nous passons la matinée a Bontoc, d’abord au musée qui retrace la culture indigène dans la Cordillera et plus particulièrement celle d’un groupe appelé les chasseurs de têtes qui décapitait leurs ennemis et ramenait la tête au village en souvenir de guerre.

Nous déambulons dans Bontoc un petit moment, pas grand-chose a raconter a ce sujet, avant de remonter dans un jeepney pour 3 heures de routes qui nous séparent de Banaue ou des rizières en terrasses vieilles de plus de 2000 ans nous attendent. Nous descendons du jeepney un peu avant Banaue ou la vue des rizières est spectaculaire. Nous prenons un grand bol d’air frais devant la beauté du paysage et croisons trois vieilles femmes aux lèvres et aux gencives rouges sang mastiquant du bétel et a qui il manque 95% des dents. Elle nous explique alors que le bétel est censé renforcer les dents… nous pensons que quelqu’un a du leur mentir a un moment ou a un autre, certainement leur dentiste qui est entre autre le dealer de bétel du coin.

Nous marchons un peu jusqu'au poste de police ou on nous conseille de prendre un touk-touk jusqu’au village car il ya 4 kilomètres et avec les sacs cela risque de faire un peu loin. Nous discutons un peu avec le policier et il arrête un touk-touk pour nous trois. Sur le coup nous nous jetons des regards amuses en essayant de réfléchir a la meilleure manière de tout monter sur l’engin, nous trois, nos sacs et le chauffeur. Nous voila parti pour 4 kilomètres en descente les dents et les fesses serrées. Le chauffeur a la gentillesse de s’arrêter pour que l’on prenne quelques photos.

Une fois en bas, nous avons le temps de dejeuner dans un immense hôtel digne de Shining ou Twin Peaks, au choix, et de prendre quelques bières et quelques rhums avec Henri et Thibault avant d’embarquer dans le bus de nuit pour Manille, a 11 heures d’ici. Nous arrivons a Manille très tôt le matin, prenons un petit dejeuner dans une autre gare routière ou Renu manque de se faire broyer par un taxi qui fait marche arrière et fait mine de rien le salop, et nous voila dans un autre bus en direction de Naga cette fois-ci, a 11 heures de Manille, au sud est de l’ile de Luzon.

Pour les photos, c'est ici, ici et ici.

Manila 29th -30th Nov, Baguio (Cordillera) 30th Nov – 1st Dec - Manille du 29 au 30 nov, Baguio du 30 nov au 1er dec.

2010-01-10T12:56:00.001Z

Manila 29th -30th Nov, Baguio (Cordillera) 30th Nov – 1st Dec

Nico and Renu arrive in Manila a few hours before Celine is due to arrive. We originally wanted to meet Celine at the airport, but we were advised that it wouldn’t be possible as security would only allow you in the airport if you are taking a flight. Instead, Celine will take a taxi and meet us at the hotel around 5pm.

We leave our bags at the Southern Cross Hotel and decide to go exploring a bit before Celine arrives. We walk 5 minutes and already we’re being hassled by people in the streets for money, we walk 10 minutes ad we are drenched from head to toe in sweat for the humidity and heat, and further 10 minutes, we have headache from the crazy traffic noise and pollution, as well as the unpleasant city odours and general dirt. We walk for another half hour and decide to head back to the hotel. We make a concrete and common decision that Manila is hell on earth, and that we want to get out of there as quickly as possible.

Back at the hotel, we hide away in the ‘safety’ of the hotel bar watching the goings on around us. After a while we start to realise that there is something strange about the clientele of this hotel. It seemed to be filled with older and rather ugly European men, using the venue to pick up younger ... note very young ... Filipino girls, and by the sound of some of the conversation, and by the look of the (lack of) clothes hanging ... they were not necessarily there for their own enjoyment ... business seemed to be thriving for them.

We sit there as if nothing dodgy is going on, waiting impatiently for Celine! We’re excited, it’s gonna be so cool to see Celine again, especially in such a bizarre location as this ... our parting words in Europe were ‘see you in Asia!’, hoping hard that it would really happen. Now here we are, the moment has come, in the middle of this crazy city, the taxi pulls up outside the hotel, and there she is!

After jumping around, hugs and kisses, we sit in the hotel bar for a few more hours, catching up on the last six months of our lives. Hungry, after all that, we feel brave enough again to venture out into the streets of Manila. Once we’re out, it’s a similar story to earlier, except in the dark. We try hard to find a restaurant with local cuisine, but life out in the streets exhausts us so much that we end up at the first restaurant that looks clean-ish, and this happens to be a middle eastern restaurant ... more chatting and repletion of the phrase ‘It’s so weird to see you here!’.

Celine’s short exposure to Manila led her to confirm our earlier decision, so instead of staying in Manila for a second night to allow Celine to rest a little from her 30 hour journey to come and meet us, we throw her straight in the deep end, finding ourselves at the bus station the following morning at 8am, buying tickets for the next bus north to Baguio.

We have breakfast at the station before getting on the bus. Nico buys some local pork dish from a greasy faced transvestite serving ‘home made food’. Celine and Renu opt out. When Nico opens his food box, he finds a great big thick black hair in the pork sauce ... seems that the food was even more ‘home made’ than we thought! It really looked like it had come from the private bodily parts of the guy-girl that served him...though to be fair, it was more likely to be a pigs hair. Nonetheless, the pork goes un-tasted straight into the bin. We all have breakfast next door instead, the classic Filipino breakie, and fried egg with sweet pork and garlic rice ... we’d had this in Boracay and it was nice enough, but this time, not at all.

It’s a seven hour journey on an arse-bashing bus, we arrive around 4pm. It should be noted here that if you are travelling in the Philippines, but not going to the well known beach islands, the country has very few tourists (especially the south island of Mindanao, which should by the way be avoided at all costs for the political unrest there). The advantage of fewer tourists, is that there are no crowds and so you can really feel far from everything and enjoy your surroundings. It also means that you can avoid booking trips through tour agents, which is always a pain and a rip-off, you can do it all yourself. The downside is that everything takes longer, and when it comes to transport, you travel with the locals, which is really great, especially with the Filipinos who happen to be some of the sweetest people we’ve ever come across, but after a while you realise what uncomfortable journeys these people have to endure to get from one place to another.

First task is to find somewhere to sleep, we stop at a few unsuitable candidates, and eventually find a room for three at a hotel we don’t remember the name of. Baguio is a lot easier o deal with than Manila ... cleaner and calmer. It was interesting to get a more accurate view of how Filipinos live in the city, and was also a great place to catch some pictures of the cool jeepneys. However, after walking around for a few hours, taking pictures and trying to find the Buddhist temple that was closed in the end, we realise that we’ve seen all we need / want to see of the city (other than the parks on the outskirt) and accepted that we could probably leave the morning after.

That evening we have dinner at a really lovely little restaurant, secluded from the craziness of the streets. Our first proper meal with Celine and so no better reason than that to crack open a good bottle of red :-).

For the pictures, click here.

Manille du 29 au 30 nov, Baguio du 30 nov au 1er dec.

Manille: dimanche 29 au lundi 30 novembre; Baguio (Cordillera): lundi 30 novembre au mardi 1er décembre 2009.

Nous arrivons à Manille quelques heures seulement avant Celine. Nous voulions l’accueillir à l’aéroport mais pour des raisons de sécurité seules les personnes munies d’un billet ou d’une autorisation spéciale sont autorisées à entrer dans le hall des arrivées. Elle nous rejoint donc dans notre hôtel de passe miteux, le Southern Cross Hotel, vers 17h.

Nous laissons nos sacs à l’hôtel et partons faire un petit tour à pied en attendant Celine. Au bout de 5 minutes nous n’en pouvons plus de toutes ces personnes qui nous courent après pour nous de l’argent. Au bout de 10 minutes nous sommes trempes de sueur, l’atmosphère est chaude et humide comme jamais. Et encore 10 minutes plus tard, le trafic, la pollution, la saleté de la ville en général nous donne mal a la tête. Nous décidons d’un commun accord que Manille est l’enfer sur terre et que nous devons partir de la aussi vite que possible.

De retour a l’hôtel, nous nous posons au bar et regardons la clientèle autour de nous. Nous nous apercevons sans surprise qu’elle est composée en majorité d’hommes étrangers d’au moins 45ans et de jeunes Philippines de 20 ans tout au plus. Nous attendons donc la quelques instants que le taxi de Celine arrive et la dépose.

Après les retrouvailles, nous nous asseyons quelques moments dans le bar pour nous mettre au fait des événements de ces 6 derniers mois. Il commence à faire faim et nous décidons de braver les rues alentours. Des que nous sortons de l’hôtel nous sommes assaillis par des mendiants, de nuit cette fois. Après avoir tourne en rond quelques temps, nous entrons dans le premier restaurant qui nous parait à peu près propre. Spécialités du Moyen-Orient.

Le peu de temps passe par Celine à Manille l'amène à penser, comme nous, qu’il faut partir au plus vite. Donc au lieu de rester un deuxième jour a Manille pour permettre a Celine de récupérer de ses 30 heures de voyage, nous nous dirigeons vers la gare routière prendre le bus de 8h du matin pour Baguio. Nous prenons notre petit dejeuner à la gare routière. Nico opte pour le petit dejeuner local au porc fait maison par un vilain travesti au visage graisseux. Renu et Celine passent. Quand Nico ouvre la boite qui contient le petit dej, il y trouve un énorme poil noir dans la sauce, confirmant que le petit dej est bel et bien fait maison. Nico fourre le tout dans une poubelle et mangera comme les filles. Œufs au plat avec porc sauce aigre-douce et riz frit a l’ail. La première fois que nous avions pris un tel petit dejeuner était à Boracay et il était bon, pas ce matin à la gare.

7 heures de trajet dans un bus d’un autre monde. Nous arrivons à Baguio vers 16h. Il faut préciser que si vous voyagez aux Philippines et que vous décidez d’aller ailleurs que sur les iles aux plages de sable blanc, le pays voit très peu de touristes (surtout le sud et l’ile de Mindanao, qui de toute manière est déconseillée même aux Philippins). L’avantage pour le peu de touristes qui décident donc d’explorer les Philippines est qu’il n’y a pas d’énormes groupes de touristes et qu’on se sent donc bien dépaysé et loin de tout. Cela signifie aussi qu’il est possible d’organiser ses propres déplacements sans avoir à payer une commission à un tour operateur. La contrepartie à tout cela est que tout est beaucoup plus long et qu’en termes de transport, vous voyagez donc avec des locaux qui sont probablement les gens les plus sympathiques rencontres jusqu'à présent, mais tout est particulièrement peu confortable.

La première mission à Baguio est de trouver un endroit ou dormir. Nous éliminons d’emblée les deux premiers candidats et trouvons une chambre pour trois dans un hôtel du centre dont le nom nous a échappé. Baguio est bien plus facile à vivre que Manille, plus propre et plus calme (également beaucoup plus petit). Après avoir marche au centre pendant quelques heures et avoir essaye de trouver le temple bouddhiste (qui au bout du compte était ferme), nous réalisons que nous avons tout vu de Baguio (a part le parc a l’extérieur de la ville) et acceptons le fait qu’il nous faudra certainement reprendre la route le lendemain matin.

Le soir nous dinons dans un restaurant très sympa, loin de la frénésie du centre. Notre premier vrai repas avec Celine et donc une bonne occasion pour une bonne bouteille de vin.

Pour les photos, c'est par ici.

Philippines : Manila, Boracay – 24th – 29th November - Manille, Boracay: mardi 24 au dimanche 29 novembre 2009.

2010-01-08T13:01:00.001Z

We arrive in Manila around 5pm, and go straight to the airport hotel for food and sleep, exhausted after the long flight. We’re up in the middle of the night to take our flight to Boracay at 5am, a holiday island further south. The plane is tiny, but with Nico’s fear of flying, he did his research before hand and was reassured that this plane model was perfectly safe. We land at 6am and take a crazy looking boat to the island of Boracay.

Once on land, we take what is probably one of the most common means of transport in the Philippines, a tricycle, that takes us to our hostel, Frenz Hotel. It’s an experience taking a tricycle down a busy Filipino road, especially when you’re still spaced out from all the travelling!

The hostel is great, 100m from the long white beach, run by an Aussie guy, named Steve, and his Filipino wife, with the rest of the family helping out. They were so lovely, that we became quite accustomed to their company over the few days we were there. The traditional style room was lovely and very comfortable.

We loved the few days we were in Boracay, which were mainly spent purely relaxing, laying on the beach, taking in the sun, drinking cocktails in the evenings at the funky beach bars , massages ... you get the picture.

The Philippines is one for some of the best diving in the world. So here, we decided would be the perfect place to confront one of our deepest fears in life ... being more than 3m under water ... we decided to take a beginners diving course. While watching the safety videos, getting the pep talk from our guide, along with practising the basic skills in shallow water, the nerves in both of us began to multiply at the rate a rabbit has babies!

However, the strangest thing was that once we were under water, the beauty of what we saw, brought an almost immediate air of calm over us. Thousands of curious fish swimming all around us, nibbling at our fingers to see what we are. The colours are sublime ... the fish and corrals ... it’s like an artist that has gone crazy with his paints on the canvas. Other than the natural sound of your own breathing, it’s a silent world, but as you float through the water, the feast for your eyes just gets bigger and bigger.

That night, we decided to stay at the hotel, as that morning, we’d been to the market and bought ourselves some yummy ingredients ... squid, prawns, veggies and spices...that the chef at the hotel then cooked up for us. Such a great concept, and absolutely delicious!

We became so greedy for more of that same underwater feeling, that we went back again the next day for another dive near an island named Crocodile Island for its shape. We never thought that we would accept to find ourselves falling backwards off the side of a boat with a big tank attached to our backs ... let alone going back for more. There were less fish this time, but the corrals were even more amazing than the first time. Renu had difficulty getting her buoyancy right in the water and so had a little difficulty either swimming straight or going in the direction she wanted, so the guide held on to her like a puppy for the whole time! We went as deep as 10m on both dives and stayed under for about 45 minutes each time. The second time Nico felt a little stressed being under water, but we still both loved it and felt very proud of ourselves for having broken that barrier we had in our heads for so long ... we even have the certificate to prove it! J

As we’d had such a great time with the family the night before, we decided to stay at the hotel again and have a few beers there to get over Nico’s stress from being in the water earlier (an excuse! J) That evening, three Slovenian guys checked in at the hotel. They were great fun and we had a good laugh together. It’s their first night in the Philippines, so they start drinking with us and buying rounds for everyone ... and of course the shots were soon on the table ... by midnight, Renu decided to quit while she was ahead and went to bed. Nico on the other hand was having such a great laugh, he decided to go and party on the beach with the boys. The next Renu saw of Nico was at three in the morning when he walked into the room, naked, after having striped off on the terrace, cause he’d decided to go for a swim with all his clothes on. He turns on all the lights, making the assumption that Renu was fully awake, and proceeds to tell Renu about twenty times with puppy dog eyes that he’d lost his flip flops. Somebody had stolen them on the beach while he was night swimming. Drunk, is a very mild way of describing Nico’s state at this point. Of course, he was very sick all night, waking even our neighbours as he painted the toilet. As well as being shoeless, he suffered terribly the physical consequences the next day!

Sunday, it’s time to leave and we’re quite sad, we weren’t expecting to love Boracay as much as we did. It was time to take our plane back to Manila ... managing to get an earlier flight as we arrived at the airport very early. Though we’re sad to leave Boracay, we’re still exited to get to Manila as we have something even better coming up ... our lovely ‘Captaine’ Celine is on a plane on her way to Manila to travel with us for a little less than a month. So excited to see her!!!

For the pictures, click here and here.

Manille, Boracay: mardi 24 au dimanche 29 novembre 2009.

Arrivée à Manille vers 17h. Nous allons directement à l’hôtel de l’aéroport pour diner et dormir. Le vol fut long et pénible. Après seulement quelques heures de sommeil, nous partons très tôt le matin pour l’aéroport local prendre notre vol pour Boracay, une petite ile à une heure de vol au sud de Manille, décollage prévu à 5h. L’avion a hélices est minuscule (32 sièges) et Nico qui a la trouille de voler plus qu’avant a fait ses recherches sur la compagnie et sur le modèle de l’avion donc aucun souci. Nous atterrissons à 6h et embarquons sur un petit bateau qui fait la traversée de 15 minutes jusqu'à Boracay.

Au port nous sautons dans un touk-touk, le moyen de transport le plus répandu sur l’ile, qui nous dépose tout près de notre hôtel, Frendz Hotel. Les quelques kilomètres parcourus en touk-touk du port a l’hôtel sont assez effrayants quand vous y ajoutez le décalage horaire et le manque de sommeil.

L’hostel est parfait, a 100m de la longue plage de sable blanc, géré par un Australien, Steve (un ancien policier a la retraite), et sa femme (une Philippine) et le reste de la famille philippine compose le staff. Ils sont tout simplement adorable et le bungalow traditionnel très confortable.

Nous adorons les journées passées à Boracay, remplies de farniente, plage, cocktails, massages sur la plage… vous imaginez un peu.

Les Philippines font partie des meilleurs endroits du monde pour la plongée, nous décidons donc de faire le pas et dépasser une de nos plus grosses peurs. Nous prenons un cours pour débutants et pendant que nous regardons les vidéos, discutons avec le moniteur et nous exerçons aux gestes de base dans une eau peu profonde, nous pouvons sentir la pression monter. Une fois dans l’eau cependant, la beauté qui s’offre à nous nous procure une sensation de calme et sérénité immédiate. Des centaines de poissons nous entourent et viennent gouter le bout de nos doigts pour voir de quoi il s’agit. Les couleurs des poissons et coraux sont magnifiques. A part notre propre respiration et les bulles qui remontent à la surface tout est parfaitement silencieux.

Le soir nous passons la soirée a l’hôtel car le matin nous sommes allés au marche acheter des crevettes, de la seiche, des légumes et des épices que le cuisiner des lieux nous a préparés de manière divine.

Le surlendemain nous retournons plonger a cote d’une petite ile nommée Crocodile Island. Nous voyons moins de poissons cette fois. Renu avait du mal à régler sa descente et sa montée dans l’eau et donc à nager et s’orienter. Le moniteur la tiendra donc par la poignée de son gilet pendant toute la plongée. Nous somme descendus a environ 10m à chaque fois et sommes restes à environ 45 minutes. La seconde fois, Nico a légèrement stressé car il n’expirait pas assez fort mais finalement nous avons adore plonger et sommes fiers d’avoir enfin surpassé notre peur. On a même un certificat pour vous le prouver !

Comme nous avions passé un agréable moment a l’hôtel la veille, nous décidons d’y rester une nouvelle fois ce soir la afin que Nico fasse disparaitre le stress de la plongée a l’aide de quelques San Miguel (excuse bidon). Ce soir, trois nouveaux clients arrivent, des Slovènes. Les tournées de bière s’enchainent au bar, le patron met les siennes et sa femme est obligée de le coucher 15 minutes plus tard. A minuit, Renu décide qu’il est temps pour elle de s’éclipser et Nico enchaine avec les trois en direction des bars de plage. Quelques heures et de nombreuses bières plus tard, Renu voit débarquer Nico dans la chambre, sans ces vêtements (restes sur la terrasse), sortant d’un bain de nuit habille. Il allume toutes les lumières pensant évidemment que Renu est encore totalement réveillée et lui répète au moins 20 fois avec des yeux de chien battu qu’on lui a vole ses claquettes (pendant qu’il se baignait habille). Bourré n'est pas assez fort pour décrire l'état de Nico cette nuit la. Il a été tellement malade qu’il a même réussi à réveiller nos voisines de chambre. Le lendemain fut rude….

Dimanche, il est temps de repartir en direction de Manille. Nous ne nous attendions pas à apprécier autant Boracay. Nous arrivons même à prendre un vol plus tôt que prévu car l’avion n’est pas plein. Bien que tristes de quitter Boracay, nous sommes excites de retrouver Celine qui nous rejoint plus tard dans la journée a Manille et qui va passer un peu moins d’un mois avec nous.

Pour les photos, c'est ici et ici.

Australia, Monday 9th Nov 2009 – 24th Nov 2009 - Australie, lundi 9 au mardi 24 novembre 2009.

2009-12-31T06:01:00.002Z

We’re excited to land in Sydney. We’ve waited years for our feet to touch the ground of a country we’ve heard so much about since we were kids, a land so vast, so wild, and so far from home, at last we’re ‘down under’!

Seeing this fabulous land only accounts for part of our excitement. The main reason we are here is to spend time with our dear friends Luca and Rosie, and their wonderful children, Asia and Damien who left Dublin for OZ a year and half ago. We’ve waited so long to see them! The anticipation for seeing them was already at full throttle three or four months ago, and now, finally we are here!

Out of the plane, we’re happy to see that it’s warm, we grab a taxi that takes us to Middle Cove. At last, the moment we’ve been looking forward to for so long. We come out of the taxi and turn to see beautiful Rosie standing with open arms to greet us!

The week that follows is simply great. The evenings are spend around the table on their terrace, overlooking the swimming pool, with some mean BBQ’s, some great red wine, and of course champagne to celebrate our meeting again. We all suffered from some sore heads the morning after. The days are spend eating Rosie’s yummy pasta, playing in the pool and taking the opportunity to get our visas for other countries and do some mid-way checkpoints at the doctor, optometrist, physio-therapy, etc.

Some of the highlights are, being gathered around in the living room watching films together ... telling Nico and Luca off for trying to scare Damien in the scary movies (but it didn’t work cause he’s stronger than that ), Damien taking the mickey out of Nico’s haircut, Renu making jewellery with Asia, Rosie’s strong motherly ‘NO’ when she insists on paying for coffee, and of course Luca entertaining us with YouTube video’s that very quickly become the theme of our stay in OZ, namely, ‘blood’!

Renu and Rosie also take the opportunity to have a girl’s night out, which was just wonderful ... wondering around the night market, getting through a bottle of wine so slowly for chatting so much ... and so all the restaurants are closed and we end up having a gourmet meal, at MacDonald’s! Still a great night nevertheless! While Renu and Rosie are out town, Luca and Nico take Damien and Asia out to the cinema and enjoy a take away pizza at home.

Saturday, Luca has very kindly organised a mini-party for us, where we meet John and Cathy again after not seeing them for over a year since they left Dublin. It’s a real treat to be with old friends again, familiar faces, in a real home with a lovely family feel.

On Sunday we walked around the markets with all the family and had a yummy lunch at a lovely Italian restaurant. A very pleasant day indeed. By now, we feel like part of the family with how Luca and Rosie, as well as Asia and Damien, welcomed us so well and were just so good to us. And so now, we’re really starting to regret that we only have two weeks in Australia to spend with them.

Sydney is a great city. Good food, great weather, on the coast, vibrant, with lots to do. It was surreal to see the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House for the first time. The short time that we’ve spent here has wet our appetites for more, we’d really love to come back and spend more time here.

A week into our stay, we thought it only fair to give the Vingiani-Nastro family a rest from us for a few days, so Tuesday morning we make our way to the airport to catch our flight to Melbourne. This is our third reunion with friends since arriving in Australia, we’re staying with Mike and Lara whom we met in South America and travelled with for a bit in Peru and Bolivia. We spent two nights at home with them, with some great food and lots of laughs, and the last night getting tipsy with some yummy pub food, kangaroo burgers.

Our first day in Melbourne, presented us with another reunion, though quite unexpected. After some quick email exchanges, we found ourselves on a train to Balarat to meet Annabelle, one of Renu’s old friends from university in Rouen. Similar to meeting Joana in Brazil, they hadn’t seen each other in 9 years, but it didn’t feel like so much time had passed once they met again. We had a lovely day with Annabelle and her beautiful daughter Tily ... Bela took us for a yummy lunch and drove us all around her home town before it was time to head back to Melbourne. What a great day!

The next day we went down to the coast for a wonder around, and then into the city for some exploration, stopping at the state library to see an exhibition on Ned Kelly and at another museum, where we saw a very interesting exhibition on Asian Culture. Good preparation for the days to come.

Melbourne is a really funky city, hosting the ‘alternative’ crowd., though it has a strange air about the place, to us, for the dryness of the region. The trams around the city are super cool! Can certainly understand why it rivals Sydney.

Back ‘home’ in Sydney, we arrive on Friday night and Luca takes us straight out to a dinner party at some friends of theirs, Damien and Teresa ... a funny evening. The following night we see John and Cathy again at a birthday party of a mutual friend of theirs. The six of us have a great night of jokes and laughter.

Sunday night, Luca treated us to the most amazing home-made gourmet meal. It was so delicious that it’s difficult to describe ... home-made pasta in a lobster sauce with large prawns and muscles, followed by pan fried veal in butter. It was absolutely mouth-wateringly divine, and rates as one of the best meals we’ve had so far on our trip. Thank you Luca, it was very special .

Australia seems to be the place for reunions. Monday was the fifth one for Renu, and she managed to get into town just in time ... it was touch and go ... to meet crazy Helene, a friend from Dublin on holiday in OZ. That was so cool!

That same evening, Renu was presented with a gift from Asia and Damien, some earrings they had made especially for her. Renu was so touched that she had to fight to keep the tears back. It was a very beautiful and sweet gift to offer, they’ve been wrapped carefully and sent back to Europe to be sure they do not get lost on the journey. It was a very sad last night with the family for Nico and Renu. We had such a wonderful time. Damien and Asia, continue to be as great as you are, you are both such lovely kids, and we really enjoyed spending time with you. Rosie, Luca, what can we say? It was wonderful to see our dream of Australia come true, thank you for everything. We still really miss you guys and think of you often, hope we can find a way to meet again soon ...

Australia was a real surprise for us. We were not expecting to like it as much as we did, seeing the country through Rosie and Luca’s eyes probably helped this. Although the Aussies are not as ‘laid-back’ as we expected them to be (the image we have in Europe), the country still almost seems to beg you to return. It’s a wild land that we have a lot of admiration for ... despite being in a large city and well developed, it is one of the few places that reminds human beings how small they are and how much stronger nature is ... with its coarse dry land, sharks (not friendly ones) and dolphins making their way into the bay, all sorts of dangerous (or not) snakes and spiders all over the place, big fat lizards that sit on the side of the road and scare you as you walk by ...
It is a great reminder that we she should are of how we treat our planet, for our own sakes, if we want humanity to continue, cause in any case, with or without us, nature is stronger and will survive in one form or another, even if our race is wiped out. See you soon OZ!

Pictures here, here and here.

Australie, lundi 9 au mardi 24 novembre 2009.

Nous sommes tout excites lorsque nous atterrissons a Sydney. Nous avions tellement entendu parle de ce vaste et sauvage pays. Finalement nous sommes à l’autre bout du monde, la tête en bas.

Mise a part la réalisation d’un fort désir de connaitre un jour ce pays, nous sommes surtout la pour revoir nos amis, Luca et Rosie ainsi que leurs deux enfants, Asia et Damien. Rencontres au boulot a Dublin, ils ont quitte l’Irlande pour Sydney en juillet 2008. Nous leur avions fait la promesse que ce n’était qu’un au revoir et l’excitation est à son comble pour nous depuis au moins 3 mois.

En sortant de l’avion, nous sommes heureux de voir qu’il fait un temps magnifique. Nous prenons un taxi qui nous dépose à Middle Cove chez Luca et Rosie. C’est Rosie qui nous accueille ce jour la, Luca est au travail, et elle part ensuite chercher Asia et Damien au basket.

La semaine qui s’ensuit est tout simplement géniale. Nous passons la plupart de nos soirées sur la terrasse, avec vue sur la piscine, un barbecue plein à craquer, du bon vin et bien sur quelques bouteilles de champagnes pour fêter nos retrouvailles. Nous passons la plupart de nos journées dans la piscine, à table (la buonissima pasta di Rosie), nous en profitons également pour faire notre demande de visa au consulat général du Vietnam et pour faire quelques visites de mi-parcours chez l’opticien, le médecin et le kiné.

Les bons moments de la semaine sont par exemple regarder un film (qui fait peur) en famille dans le salon… Luca et Nico se font engueuler car ils font peur a Damien, Damien qui se moque de la coupe de cheveux de Nico, Renu fait des bijoux avec Asia, l’autorité maternelle de Rosie qui refuse que l’on paie le café, Luca qui nous tue avec des vidéos hilarantes (pour les anglophones essayez de chercher, « Blood, not funny »sur YouTube)… pour ne citer que quelques exemples.

Rosie et Renu en profitent pour passer une soirée entre filles, ballade au marche de nuit dans Sydney Harbour, quelques verres de vins et elles parlent tellement qu’elles ne voient pas le temps passer. Les restaurants ferment et elles sont obligées de finir au Mc Do comme deux alcoolos. Pendant ce temps, Luca, Nico, Asia et Damien sont au ciné, peinards, pop corn, soda… le film est « 2012 », on vous le déconseille. Puis on prend quelques pizzas sur la route pour finir devant un autre film chez les Vingiani-Nastro.

Le samedi, Luca a organise une petite fête chez eux ou apparaissent Cathy et John (de Dublin) qui ont émigré a Sydney un peu avant Luca et Rosie. Ca fait du bien après quelques mois passes seuls de se retrouver en si bonne compagnie.

Dimanche, nous nous baladons dans un marche de Sydney avec toute la famille et déjeunons dans un excellent restaurant italien (ils sont partout, pires que les irlandais). Une bien agréable journée. C’est si bon de se sentir en famille. Luca, Rosie, Asia et Damien nous ont accueillis comme si nous étions des leurs et nous commençons à regretter de n’avoir prévu que deux semaines.

Sydney est une ville super avec pleins de bons petits restaus, un climat parfait et beaucoup d’endroit pour sortir prendre l’air ou s’amuser. Dommage que nous n’y soyons pas reste assez pour en profiter.

Après une semaine chez eux, il était naturel de laisser la famille Vingiani-Nastro respirer un peu, nous décidons donc de prendre un avion pour Melbourne et de passer quelques jours chez Mike et Lara que nous avions rencontres pendant notre trek au canyon de Colca et avec qui nous avons voyage quelques semaines au Pérou et en Bolivie. On va bien rire, bien boire et bien manger (miam-miam le burger de kangourou) pendant deux nuits chez eux.

Notre premier jour à Melbourne, nous avons pris un train pour Ballarat. Après quelques échanges d’emails entre Renu et Annabelle, une copine rencontrée à la fac à Rouen et qu’elle n’avait pas vue depuis, c’est le moment des retrouvailles. Un peu comme revoir Joana au Brésil, 9 ans après, il semble que les années n’ont rien change entre elles. Nous passons donc une excellente journée avec Annabelle et sa fille Tily. Dejeuner dans un café très sympa et ensuite petit tour de Ballarat suivi d’une bière chez Annabelle avant de reprendre le train pour Melbourne en fin d’après midi.

Le jour suivant, nous prenons le tram pour la cote et nous baladons ici et la, un arrêt dans un musée avec une expo sur les arts asiatiques (bonne préparation pour les jours à venir), et un autre arrêt a la bibliothèque nationale avec une expo sur Ned Kelly (encore un irlandais…).

Melbourne est une ville assez branchée (plus que Sydney il nous a semble), pleines de pubs supers cools de vieux immeubles et de vieux tramways… grosse compétition entre Melbourne et Sydney.

De retour a la « maison » à Sydney, Luca nous attend pour nous inviter à un diner chez des amis italo-australiens, Damien et Teresa… une super soirée. Le lendemain soir nous retrouvons John et Cathy dans un pub a une soirée anniversaire. John en profite d’avoir un Français en face de lui ce soir la pour extérioriser sa haine contre Thierry Henry qui a prive les irlandais de coupe du monde. Luca passe la majeure partie de a soirée a dégonfler les ballons d’anniversaire remplis d’hélium et a parler a Rosie (qui est morte de rire) avec sa nouvelle voix de robot. Encore une excellente soirée (pour de vrai).

Dimanche soir, Luca nous prépare un diner 4 étoiles. Pates fraiches au homard et aux moules, escalopes de veau poêlées au beurre, nous vous passons les détails de la suite car ce n’est pas encore l’heure de manger. Ce fut probablement le meilleur repas de notre voyage jusqu'à présent. Merci Luca, tu nous a s régalés !

L’Australie semble être le pays des retrouvailles car lundi Renu parvient à retrouver Helene, une collègue de travail en vacances, dans un pub irlandais du centre ville.

Le soir, Renu se voit offrir une paire de boucles d’oreilles faites par Asia et Damien. Elle a du mal à retenir ses larmes. Nous les avons renvoyées en Europe en espérant qu’elles ne se perdent pas en route. Cette soirée fut quelque peu triste car nous partions le lendemain. Nous avons passe de magnifiques moment « en famille », surtout ne Asia, Damien, Rosie et Luca, ne changez rien, on vous aime. Nous sommes déterminés à revenir vous voir et qui sait peut être nous installer chez vous pour plus de temps…

Au final, notre séjour en Australie fut bien plus agréable que ce a quoi nous nous attendions. Même si les Australiens ne sont peut être pas aussi relax que ce que nous pensons en Europe, le pays a cet effet étrange. Il vous appelle a revenir. C’est toujours une terre sauvage qui force l’admiration et bien que nous ayons passe notre séjour dans des grandes villes, elle rappelle a l’Homme combien ils sont petits et combien la nature est forte… avec ses vastes étendues de terres arides, ses requins (et pas les plus inoffensifs) et ses dauphins qui se fraient un chemin le long des cotes de Sydney et du reste du pays, ses serpents et ses araignées de toutes sortes, ses gros lézards a la langue bleue qui vous surprennent lorsque vous marchez au bord de la route…. C’est une grosse piqure de rappels sur la diversité qui fait notre fragile environnement et auquel nous ne prêtons pas assez attention si nous voulons que notre race survive. Car avec ou sans nous, la Terre survivra et la nature reprendra ses droits. A bientôt les kangourous !

Pour les photos c'est ici, ici et ici.

Fiji - 2nd-9th November 2009 - Fidji – 2-9 Novembre 2009

2009-12-02T12:22:00.002Z

Fiji

Nadi – Monday 2^nd November2009

We take off from Auckland in the early afternoon landing four hours later in Nadi, the capital of the Fiji islands.

The change is a drastic one. It’s hot and humid, even in the airport. We pick up our bags, pass customs, receive the traditional ‘Bula’ welcome together with being presented a necklace made of shell, and then make our way to the hostel we had booked, who very kindly came to pick us up. Already the tropical air, the smell, the vegetation, the people and the way of life reminds us very much of Mauritius J We pick up Mama on the way (the owner of the hostel), and arrive very shortly afterwards at Mama’s Tropic of Capricorn Resort, where Mama’s son Poni shows us our rooms and reserves a room for us at Oarsman’s Bay Lodge for the next day. The hostel is a very charming place, calm, clean, good food and of course Mama is just adorable. (pictures)

Oarsman’s Bay Lodge – Tuesday 3^rd November

After falling into a deep coma after diner, the alarm goes off at 6am. We pack our bags, again, have breakfast and jump on the free bus that picks up tourists from all the hostels and takes them to the port to catch the Awesome Adventures Fiji catamaran that goes around all the Yasawas islands. As we’re only here for a week, we thought that we’d make the most of it by seeing as many islands as possible … first stop is Oarsman’s Bay Lodge on the island of Nacula. The boat left at 8.15am, and we arrive around 2pm. We jump into a water taxi, when coming off the big boat, to finally arrive at our destination. Another example of when not to put too much trust in the Lonely Planet guidebook, especially if the last publication is a few years old. The beach is amazing, but the building is in quite an old ‘falling apart’ state, the price to stay just stupidly high, the personnel are quite abrupt, aside from one lady who was just adorable and made up for everything single handedly with her great personality. Our Bure (living quarters, or beach hut) is simple and clean, but unfortunately too close to the building works on the resort next door. An orchestra of painful ear-bashing while trying to take an afternoon nap was hard. We asked to changed rooms, and told it was no problem, but nothing was really done about it. The food was terrible, and to try and lift our moods, the lovely lady that works there did her best by proposing a series of very sill games after dinner. She was really lovely though. (pictures)

Waya Lailai – Wednesday 4^th November

After breakfast, Nicolas decides to go on a guided tour with another couple into a cave that’s a 20 minute boat ride away, while Renu goes with three other people to visit the village that is situated mid-way between the hostel and the cave. Nicolas enjoys his visit to the cave, though a little intimidating on first site, but once in the water he marvels at the beauty of the cave as the light from outsides comes streaming down inside. Renu loved her visit to the village, it reminded her a lot of life in Mauritius, where she got to meet the locals, buy some pretty jewelry and gasp at the beautiful voices of the children at the school that sang for her.

Back to Oarsman’s Bay, and after a yucky lunch, a water taxi takes us back to the big boat which we take towards Waya Lailai.

We arrive two hours later. There is a marked difference between to the places. Waya Lailai is a simple resort run by the inhabitants of the three villages of that island. The profits generated are spent on the community for the maintenance of the existing infrastructures, building schools for the children and so on. While the inhabitants take turns to work at least one week in the month at the resort for a decent enough salary. The atmosphere is much more relaxed to that of Oarsman’s Bay and the people are so much friendlier.

Unfortunately on arrival, Nicolas notices that once again, there are construction works on part of the resort, where a loud generator is running continuously for the electric hammer drill. What bad luck. This time we take the bull by the horns, we go down to the beach and ask one of the villagers if he would take us across to the island opposite, Kuata, to see if this resort is quieter.

The place is just perfect and we book a room for the next day.

Back at Waya Lailia, we take a little walk along the beach, and watch a group of locals playing rugby on the beach, including one of them that plays for the Fiji International team. A little drink before the spectacular Fijian evening starts, where Nicolas is designated chief of the tribe for that night and has the honour of tasting the all important traditional Kava drink (non-alcoholic, but apparently hallucinogenic) before everyone else …that with a few rums also send him to bed before everyone else. Dinner is a traditional Fijian dinner cooked under the earth, and quite delicious.

That evening we meet Paul, from Scotland, who teaches Nico some very cool card tricks, that he has now perfected. (pictures)

Kuata – Thursday 5^th November 2009

After a good night’s sleep to digest the Kava and the rum, and of course a good breakfast, we persuade ourselves that it’s a good idea to visit the coral barrier with a guide and swim with the reef sharks! (Yes, idea almost put us into a state of cardiac arrest too…)

We arrive feeling rather nauseous after a 25 minute arse-bashingly bumpy boat ride. Nerves start to set in, especially given that Renu has never really snorkeled before.

We’re equipped with our snorkeling equipment and of course a life jacket for Renu, as she’s not feeling so confident. A quick jump in and we’re in the water, as easy as that. The sun is beating down, the water is so warm and completely transparent 10 meters down. We stay in our groups and following the guide and watching him as he dives down to feed the friendly little sharks, one and half meters in length. Nico holds on to Renu’s arm for the first five minutes in the water until she gains a bit of confidence, and then once she’s left to swim alone he still lifts his head out of the water every ten seconds or so to make sure everything is still going well. The corals are so beautiful, with so many gorgeous multi-coloured and crazy shaped fish swimming among them. The sharks a just majestic and so shy that they swim only a little way out of the coral, poking their heads out to see what is happening above them. Once in the water, our nerves are gone and we a just spell bound by the beauty we are seeing below us. The time goes to quick and when it’s time to board the boat, we don’t want to leave. We took some amazing pictures of the sharks, but unfortunately we won’t be able to show them to you …

After forty minutes in the water, we make our way back to Waya Lailai for lunch. After lunch, there’s a proposition made to any of those that have the force and the guts to swim across the small channel to Kuata, where we have booked to stay that night. The distance is at least one kilometer. Nicolas is not prepared to admit defeat here and so swims across with four other lads, while Renu makes the sage decision of staying in the boat that carries the bags and follows the boys across, just in case one of them should need it.

The welcome is as warm as that on the opposite island. We loved this resorts for it was very small, intimate and calm. We take a walk along the beach where a few centimeters away for the water’s edge we see a little shark about a meter in length. Renu follows it along for quite a while, until it sees her and shoots off as fast as anything. On the way back Nico stops off for a game of volley ball on the beach with the locals from the village and a few other tourists. After a tiring game we go to watch the beautiful sun set at the end of the island, and then we get ready for our nightly ritual of a pre-dinner drink, and a stuff your face meal.

Dinner that evening is a traditional one and quite delicious. The chef insists on Nicolas taking photos of the presentation of the buffet, so they could then pass these on to their manager to show how well they are doing. It’s true, everything is just great, dinner, the musicians and dancers, the fire show, all is wonderful. What an excellent evening that night. (pictures)

Botaira Beach Resort – Friday 6^th November

We’re up early and after breakfast make the most of the 2 hours we have before taking the boat again by melting in the hot sun on the beach. The boat leaves at 10am towards Naviti island, more precisely, Botaira Beach Resort. This place had been highly recommended to us by Scottish Paul and by a Kiwi girl we met at Oarsman’s Bay. We arrive an hour and half later.

On arrival we understand immediately why it is so highly recommended. We are greeted with a traditional welcome song and a beautiful flower necklace. The beach is heaven, but it’s when we are showed our Bure (beach hut) that we are blown away. It’s an art-house. The wood that is used is fine and rich, the bed is enormous, the bathroom quite perfect, and of course, the beach is just 5m away from the entrance…what a hard life, cause we had to dodge our hammock hanging between two palm trees to be able to access the beach J

Here we meet a lovely Australian couple that have been coming on holiday for at least a week every year for the last five years to this very island. There are hear with their three children, Jamie, Erika and Michael (aged between 23 and 35). It’s understandable why they keep coming back, this island is just paradise on earth. We also meet another Aussie couple Tom and Georgie. The waiters and barman are unbelievably lovely. That evening at dinner, the Horvath family celebrate Jamie’s 23^rd birthday and we share the table with Tom and Georgie.

Bounty Island – Saturday 7^th November

Now suckers for swimming in the open sea, that morning we leave on a boat in a big group (Jamie, Erika, Michael, Tom, Georgie, the barman, the boat driver and his co-pilot ) to swim with Manta-Rays! At this time of year, the rays come to swim between two islands close to Botaira in search of food.

The passage between the two islands where we go to swim with these majestic creatures is a not so deep and as a result has a very strong current. That said, are confidence is still on the up after having swam amongst the corals with the reef sharks. That is until we jump into the water and realize just what a ‘strong current’ actually means. Too strong even for Nicolas, who is also worried like hell for Renu who is struggling as she doesn’t have a lot of experience in the water. We do alright to keep up with the group, but this does not prevent Nicolas from stressing for how Renu is doing, despite her wearing a life jacket and the boat being very close by.

The display below us is fascinating. The rays are only a few meters below us and swim with such grace. Being so close you marvel at their enormity, with a span of 3m, they make you feel small in the water.

The first time we follow them in the direction of the current, so no worries, we just let ourselves be carried by the water. Once they’ve made their u-turn and come back again though, things become a little more complicated. The current is so powerful that the boat comes to our aid, they throw out a rope to us at the back of the boat for us to hold on to so they can drag us against the current, back to where the manta-rays are. What we see is just captivating, magic. These enchanting creatures swimming and flipping around below us with such elegance. This is the kind of thing that we would only ever expect to witness through nature programs on television. On the second u-turn, unfortunately something very unlucky is about to happen. Renu struggles to catch on to the boat’s cord as she is starting to tire in the water, Nico see’s this and comes straight to her rescue to help her along, just as we clasp onto the cord, Nico realises that Renu’s waterproof camera is no longer in its case, it must have got caught in the current and found its way down to the bottom amongst the coral. That was ‘good-bye’ to our beautiful photos of the sharks and the manta-rays. It’s sad that we won’t be able to show you these, but the images with stay engraved in our memories forever.

Nico’s day is ruined. He’s so angry with himself, kicking himself so hard for it is the second camera he has lost in six months. Though he shouldn’t be blaming himself for this, most would agree that it’s better he lost the camera in the water that losing Renu in the current, which is all he was concerned about. The locals are all in the water for a good hour looking for it, but with the current and the corals, it’s impossible to find and their efforts are in vain.

We eventually get back to Botaira (the boat’s motor wouldn’t start), we lunch around 2pm and then take the boat again towards Bounty Island … an island closer to Nadi where the carp television show, Celebrity Love Island was filmed, though we don’t know for which TV channel, nor which country, and frankly we couldn’t care less.

On the big yellow boat again, Nicolas see’s a magnificent sailing boat pass by, flying the French flag, to which he shouted with an air of pride ‘Vive La France’. Our arrival at Bounty island is a disastrous one. While transferring from the big yellow boat to the small Bounty Island boat, Nicolas forgets for the first time to take off his flip-flops, and so slips on the boat hard onto his bum (leaving a rather nasty bruise there), narrowly avoiding falling into the water with his back-pack on, that contained amongst other things, his camera, the laptop and our i-pods. Needless to say, today is not his day. It is only is book (apparently very good: Weather Makers by Tim Flannery … that took weeks to dry) and a bottle of water found its way into the sea, that were soon rescued once on passengers were on board.

Bounty Island should be avoided at all costs. The only cool thing about it is that it is miniscule, and so can be walked around in 20 minutes. The beach that sounds the island is badly maintained covered with piles of rubbish (glass and plastic bottles, plastic bags, etc), and the Bure’s are ugly with no windows … the staff are also unpleasant. Strangely though, the food was not bad at all. We have a few drinks on the beach with the aim of forgetting this difficult day and then return to our horrible boxed in room.

Sunday 8^th November

That morning we make use of the free equipment available to snorkel for a while in the sea, and then also made use of the free lesson they offered to learn how to use the scuba diving equipment in the hotel pool. We then have lunch and a few more drinks, as poor Nicolas still needs some help to forget the events of the day before.

On the way to fetch something from the room, Nicolas stubbles across, and recognizes immediately, the guys that was on the sailing boat we saw yesterday, flying the French flag. So another Frenchman, Michel, also surprised to see another Frenchman on the other side of the world. And proof that the world is a small place, he turns out to be from Avignon and lived in Villeneuve les Avignon … a lovely little place in the South of France where Nicolas is from. Unbelievable.

We become friends over a beer and Michel then invites us to see his Damien (the name of this type of sailing boat). We board his little transporter boat, and 15 minutes later we find ourselves on his boat. After a tour of the boat, where absolutely nothing is missing to survive out at sea, we sit and dream a little at Michel’s diving photos and listen to his stories of his travels, a journey that started when he left France three years ago. After a while, Nicolas notices at the corner of his eye, that Renu is starting to lose the colour in her face, and felt the same starting to happen to him. The boat was rocking a little, but we’re not as at ease out at sea as others might be. In any case, we can’t be too late to get back to the island as we have to catch our yellow boat back to the port of Nadi for our last night in Fiji.

So Michel, if you are reading this, it was a pleasure to meet you, we will be in Mauritius at the beginning of May, so if you happen to be sailing by, hop off for a while a it will be our round for drinks.

We stay stay the same hostel as when we arrived a week previously. Mama was so lovely that it would be a crime not to have gone back to her place. A conversation with the bloody idiots at Mastercard France (never go with them if you can avoid it) does our heads in that evening, so we’re in bed early, reflecting on our week in Fiji before taking our flight the next day for Sydney.

(pictures here, here and here)

Sydney, this is where we had promised one year and a half earlier, that we would meet again our much loved friends Rosy and Luca, and of course their adorable children, Asia and Damien.

Fidji – Nadi – lundi 2 Novembre 2009 :

Nous décollons d’Auckland en début d’après midi et atterrissons 4 heures plus tard à l’aéroport de Nadi, la capitale des iles Fiji.

Le changement est radical. Chaud et humide. Nous récupérons nos sacs, passons la douane, avons droit au traditionnel « Bula » (bonjour/bienvenue) et collier de coquillages et filons vers notre hostel qui nous a envoyé une navette. Après avoir récupérer Mama sur la route (la patronne de l’hostel) nous arrivons au Mama’s Tropic of Capricorn Resort ou le fils Poni nous dirige vers nos chambres et avec qui nous réservons notre nuit du lendemain a Oarsman’s Bay Lodge. L’hostel est charmant, calme, propre, la nourriture est bonne et Mama est adorable. (Photos)

Mardi 3 novembre 2009 :

Après avoir sombre dans un coma profond après diner, l’alarme du téléphone nous réveille à 6h du matin. On refait nos sacs, prend un petit dejeuner et on embarque dans le bus gratuit qui fait le tour des hostels emmener les touristes au port d’où part le catamaran d’Awesome Adventures Fiji. Comme nous ne restons qu’une semaine nous avons décidé de nous contenter de quelques iles de l’archipel des Yasawas. Notre première destination est Oarsman’s Bay Lodge sur l’ile de Nacula. Le bateau part à 8h15 et nous arrivons près de l’ile vers 14h. Nous sautons dans un water taxi et arrivons finalement à destination. Encore un autre bon exemple de ne pas trop faire confiance au guide Lonely Planet.
La plage est magnifique mais les bâtiments semblent ne plus être entretenus depuis de nombreux mois, le personnel mis à part une personne est assez désagréable et les prix sont exorbitants. Notre Bure (cabane) est simple et propre mais malheureusement trop proche du resort voisin ou des ouvriers s’adonnent a un concert pour tronçonneuses et scies sauteuses. Pas facile pour la sieste et bien que nous ayons demande à changer de chambre personne n’a l’air de vraiment se préoccuper de nous. La nourriture n’est vraiment pas terrible et le soir la seule personne sympa du resort essaie de nous dérider en nous proposant des jeux débiles. Elle est ceci dit adorable. (Photos)

Mercredi 4 novembre 2009 :

Ce matin après le petit dejeuner Nicolas décide de partir avec un guide et un autre couple visiter une grotte a 20 minutes de bateau de l’hostel pendant que Renu et trois autres personnes vont aller visiter le village de l’ile à mi chemin entre notre hostel et la grotte. La visite de la grotte est plutôt sympa, un peu impressionnante au début mais une fois dans l’eau tout se passe très bien. Renu reviendra quant à elle ravie de sa visite au village d’où elle ramènera quelques bijoux. Et de bons souvenirs de la visite de l’école.
Nous rentrons a Oarsman’s Bay et après dejeuner un water taxi nous ramène au bateau, direction Waya Lailai.
Nous arrivons là-bas 2 heures après. Le contraste est flagrant. Waya Lailai est un endroit gère par les habitants des 3 villages de l’ile Waya Lailai. Les profits générés vont aux communautés pour la construction d’écoles et le maintien des infrastructures existantes pendant les habitants se relaient pour que chacun travaille au moins une semaine par mois pour un salaire raisonnable. L’ambiance est beaucoup plus décontractée qu’a Oarsman’s, les gens bien plus sympas.
Malheureusement a l’arrivée Nicolas remarque qu’encore une fois une partie du resort est en travaux est qu’un compresseur tourne en continue pour le marteau piqueur. Décidément pas de chance. Cette fois ci, nous prenons le taureau par les cornes, descendons sur la plage ou nous demandons a un villageois de nous emmener en bateau sur l’ile de Kuata juste en face pour voir si il y a moins de bruit la bas. On embarque, 5 minutes après nous arrivons sur place et sommes ravis. Nous reviendrons le lendemain. De retour a Waya Lailai, petite promenade sur la plage ou des locaux (dont un international fidjien) jouent au rugby. Petit apéro avant la soirée Fidjienne ou Nico est désigné chef de tribu et aura l’honneur de déguster le Kava avant tous les autres (ce qui l’enverra au lit avant tout les autres aussi…). Ce soir la nous rencontrons un écossais très sympa, Paul, qui nous fera quelques tours de cartes que Nicolas a depuis perfectionne…. (Photos)

Jeudi 5 novembre 2009 :

Après une bonne nuit de sommeil pour digérer le kava et le rhum et un bon petit dejeuner, nous nous convainquons de partir avec un guide pour découvrir la barrière de corail et nager avec des requins de corail.
Le trajet de 25 minutes en barque de pêcheur est bien mouvemente et c’est avec la nausée que nous arrivons sur place. Nous enfilons nos palmes, masque, tuba et gilet de sauvetage pour Renu qui n’est pas très confiante. Ca y est nous sommes dans l’eau, il fait chaud, l’eau est transparente jusqu'à 10 mètres et en groupe nous suivons le guide qui descends nourrir des petits requins d’1m50. Nicolas tient Renu par le bras les 5 premières minutes le temps qu’elle s’habitue et plus tard lèvera la tête de l’eau toutes les 10 secondes pour vérifier si tout va bien. Les coraux sont magnifiques, remplis de centaines de poissons multicolores et multiformes. Les requins sont tout simplement majestueux et si timides qu’ils sortent à peine voir ce qui se passe au dessus d’eux. Nous prenons des photos magnifiques des requins mais malheureusement nous ne pourrons pas vous les montrer.
Après 40 minutes dans l’eau nous rentrons à Waya Lailai pour dejeuner. Après le dejeuner on propose à ceux qui en ont la force et le courage de traverser a la nage jusqu'à Kuata, un bon kilomètre. Nicolas ne se dégonfle pas et le fait avec trois autres personnes. Renu elle, se contente de suivre sagement dans le bateau qui est la juste au cas où et qui transporte nos sacs jusqu'à Kuata.
L’accueil est tout aussi chaleureux que celui reçu a l’ile d’en face. Ce qui nous a tout de suite plu à Kuata c’est la taille minuscule de l’établissement. Tout est très calme. Nous partons faire une promenade sur la plage ou à quelques centimètres du bord nous apercevons un petit requin d’un mètre qui disparait aussitôt qu’il nous aperçoit. De retour, Nicolas se joint a une partie de volley sur la plage avec des gens du village et d’autres touristes. Après cela nous allons voir le soleil se coucher au bout de la plage et nous préparons pour le rituel apéro-repas.
Le repas ce soir la est très traditionnel et très fin. Le chef insiste pour que Nicolas prenne des photos de la présentation du buffet qu’ils puissent par la suite montrer a leur chef a quel point tout est bien réglé. Et tout est absolument parfaitement réglé. Le repas, les musiciens et danseurs sont tous très bons. Nous avons passe une excellente soirée. (Photos)

Vendredi 6 Novembre 2009 :

Nous nous levons assez tôt ce matin la et après le petit dejeuner profitons des 2h que nous avons avant le bateau pour descendre profiter de la plage. Nous embarquons a 10h en direction de l’ile Naviti, plus précisément pour Botaira Beach Resort dont Paul (l’écossais) et une néo-zélandaise rencontrée a Oarsman’s Bay nous ont fait les louanges. Nous arrivons sur place une heure et demie plus tard.
Le changement est flagrant et on comprend tout de suite les raisons pour lesquelles on nous a recommande de venir y passer au moins une nuit. On nous accueille avec la chanson traditionnelle et un magnifique collier de fleurs de tiare. Mais c’est lorsqu’on nous montre notre Bure (cabane traditionnelle) que nous comprenons vraiment. Tout est fait dans les règles de l’art. Le bois utilise est absolument magnifique, le lit immense, la salle de bain absolument nickel et enfin, la plage est a 5m en face de l’entrée. Seule ombre au tableau, il faut contourner notre hamac pendu entre deux palmiers pour rejoindre la plage… ;-)
Sur place nous rencontrons un couple d’australiens qui vient sur cette ile au moins une semaine par an depuis 5 ans. Ils sont accompagnes de leurs enfants, Jamie, Erika et Michael (qui ont entre 23 et 30 ans… facile a deviner pour quoi ils partent en vacances avec leurs parents a leur âge… c’est le paradis sur terre cette ile!). Nous rencontrons également sur place un autre couple d’australien, Thomas et sa femme Georgina. Les serveurs et le barman sont absolument géniaux. Le soir au diner, la famille Horvath fête les 23 ans de Jamie et nous partageons notre table avec Thomas et Georgina.
Le lendemain, encore une fois nous nous faisons violence et décidons de partir avec Jamie, Erika, Michael, Georgina, Thomas, le barman le pilote du bateau et son copilote, nager avec des raies Manta !
Les raies en cette saison ont l’habitude de venir nager entre deux iles toutes proches de Botaira pour se nourrir. Le passage entre les deux iles ou nous allons nager avec elles et peu profond et le courant est par conséquent assez fort, trop fort même pour Nicolas qui s’en fait pour Renu et pour Renu qui a peu d’expérience dans l’eau. Nous sommes ceci dit en confiance car la veille nous avons nagé au dessus de requins de coraux. Ce n’est que lorsque nous nous jetons à l’eau que nous comprenons ce que signifie un « fort courant ». Nous parvenons tant bien que mal à suivre le groupe mais Nicolas est très stresse pour Renu bien qu’elle porte en permanence son gilet de sauvetage et bien que le bateau n’est jamais bien loin. Le spectacle est fascinant. Les raies sont a quelques mètres seulement au dessous de nous et nage gracieusement, immenses de leur 3m et quelques d’envergures. La première fois nous les suivons dans le sens du courant donc pas de soucis car il n’y a qu’à se laisser porter. Lorsque ces dernières font demi-tour cela devient plus complique. Le courant est tellement puissant que le bateau vient a notre rescousse et le pilote nous demande de tenir la corde a l’arrière du bateau pour nous amener a contre courant a l’endroit ou les raies vont a nouveau faire demi tour. Le spectacle est a n’en pas y croire nos yeux. Ce sont pour nous des images vues uniquement dans les reportages du grand commandant Cousteau. Au deuxième demi tour malheureusement quelque chose d’inattendu va se passer. Au moment d’attraper la corde, Nicolas va s’apercevoir que l’appareil photo étanche de Renu n’est plus dans son étui. Au revoir les photos, des requins et des raies. On ne pourra pas vous les montrer mais pour nous elles resteront a jamais gravées dans nos mémoires.
Bref, la journée est foutue pour Nicolas qui s’en veut terriblement car c’est tout de même le deuxième appareil photo qu’il perd en moins de 6 mois. Le pilote du bateau et le barman vont passer une bonne partie de leur temps dans l’eau pour voir s’ils le retrouvent mais étant donne la force du courant, leurs efforts seront vains. Nous rentrons tant bien que mal a Botaira (le moteur du bateau ne voulaient plus repartir) nous déjeunons et vers 14h nous reprenons un bateau en direction de l’ile Bounty (Bounty Island pour les anglophones), une des iles les plus proches de Nadi et ou la merde télévisée (pléonasme) Celebrity Love Island a été tournée (par contre on ne sait pour quelle chaine ni quel pays et a vrai dire on s’en moque).

Sur le grand bateau jaune qui nous rapproche du départ à vitesse grand V, Nicolas aperçoit un magnifique voilier battant pavillon français a qui il fait de grands signes. L’arrivée à Bounty Island est désastreuse. Lors du transfert du gros bateau jaune au petit bateau de Bounty Island, Nicolas glisse (quel idiot d’avoir garde ses claquettes aux pieds aussi…) et manque de peu de se retrouver a l’eau avec son sac a dos qui contient entre autres son appareil photo, l’ordinateur portable et les iPods. Autant dire que ce n’est pas du tout son jour. Seuls son livre (très bon par ailleurs, Weather Makers de Tim Flannery) et une bouteille partirons a l’eau mais seront récupérés une fois tous les passagers assis a bord.
Bounty Island est à éviter absolument. Les plages qui entourent l’ile minuscule (il faut 20 minutes a pied pour faire le tour de l’ile) sont jonchées de détritus (bouteilles en verre et plastique, sacs plastique etc.…) et les chambres sur la plage n’ont pas de fenêtre. Le personnel, en tout cas le barman, n’est pas des plus efficaces ni des plus aimables. Etrangement, le chef cuisinier n’est pas mauvais du tout. Nous prenons quelques verres sur la plage après manger avant de retourner dans notre horrible cellule.
Le lendemain matin nous profitons de la gratuite de la chose pour essayer une première fois de plonger avec bouteilles dans la piscine de l’hôtel. Nous prendrons par la suite notre dejeuner et quelques verres pour aider Nicolas à oublier les événements de la veille.
C’est en se dirigeant vers la chambre que Nicolas tombe nez à nez et reconnait immédiatement celui qui la veille était à la barre du voilier français. Il s’agit donc d’un autre français, Michel, bien surpris lui aussi de tomber sur un français de l’autre cote du monde. Et comme le monde est finalement bien petit dans ce genre de situations, Michel est originaire d’Avignon et a vécu à Villeneuve les Avignon. Incroyable. Nous sympathisons donc et Michel nous propose de visiter son Damien (le nom de ce type de deux mats). Nous embarquons sur l’annexe et nous retrouvons 15miniutes plus tard sur le bateau de Michel. Après le tour du propriétaire d’un bateau ou absolument rien ne manque, Michel nous fait rêver devant ces photos de plongée et nous raconte son périple commence 3 ans auparavant en France. Nicolas s’aperçoit du coin de l’œil que Renu n’a plus toutes ses couleurs et a priori lui aussi est en train de perdre les siennes. Nous n’avons pas le pied marin. De toute façon nous ne devons pas tarder car nous devons prendre notre bateau jaune qui nous ramène au port de Nadi pour la dernière soirée aux Fidji. Michel si tu nous lis, ce fut un plaisir de faire ta connaissance, nous serons à l'ile Maurice début mai et donc si tu es dans le coin on paie la tournée…

Nous passons la soirée dans le même hostel qu’a notre arrivée une semaine plus tôt. Mama est tellement géniale que ce serait un crime de ne pas rester chez elle. Le soir nous nous prenons la tête au téléphone avec des abrutis de chez Mastercard (ne prenez pas de Gold et encore moins chez eux) et rentrons nous coucher et méditer sur notre semaine aux Fidji avant notre avion le lendemain matin pour Sydney.
Sydney ou nous allons, comme nous leur avions promis un an et demi plus tôt, rendre visite a Rosie, Luca et leurs adorables enfants Asia et Damien. (Photos la, la et la)

New Zealand – South Island – Week 4 - Nouvelle-Zélande – Ile Sud – Semaine 4

2009-11-25T00:14:00.000Z

New Zealand – South Island – Week 4
Day 23: Sunday 25th October

The sun is out again, we drive along the pretty coast to Dunedin, and stop off for a pint at an Irish pub, in the beer garden to take in the sun rays. The drive goes on to the beautiful Otago Peninsula, where we stop for lunch at Taiaroa Point, at the tip of the peninsula ... known for spotting interesting wildlife. After lunch we take a little walk and spot a sea lion and a Royal Albatross! Big impressive birds!

The road goes on (and on and on and on) past (cold) Shag Point, and past Oamaru, where we hope to see some Blue Penguins (another type), but they charge $22, so we gave that a miss ... instead we admired the lovely old buildings at the port and then moved on to our campsite at Saint Andrews, treating ourselves to a ‘Hokey Pokey’ ice cream on the way :-)

At the campsite we spend a funny evening with Mary, her two sons (Reece and Ethan), Pete and a German girl (Constance Sheike ... see the porn jokes that can be made out of that name!) and some other people, making funny remarks around a fire.

Day 24: Monday 26th October

We leave early, to avoid paying the camping fees (cheeky) and stop just before Hinds, literally neck to a railway line, for breakfast and a shower. The drive to Christchurch through Rolleston is hideously boring. So it’s a very quick stop in boring Christchurch before driving on to Lyttelton, where we stop at one of the port pubs for a quick drink on a sunny terrace / roadside ... we feel privileged though as the weather forecast is rain for the day.

The rest of the day is spent driving around the Banks Peninsula, and visiting the ‘French’ town Akaroa. It where the French landed in New Zealand with plans to colonise, but as the British where already on land, when they heard of the French arrival, they rushed to he peninsula to plant the British flag. If the French would have arrived two years earlier, it would have been a very different country today. Akaroa, however, is a funny place, cause it still has remnants from the first French settlers, it’s funny to see all the street names in French. We walk around for a bit, have a disappointing white bait sandwich as a fish and chip shop, visit the old French cemetery and then make our way to our campsite at Okains Bay. It’s such a great place to camp, literally on the beach amongst the trees. To make it even better, it’s a warm evening and we sit with the doors wide open after a little game of Frisbee on the beach.

Day 25: Tuesday 27th October

We wake up to a rainy start, and have a rather scary drive through the mist covered mountain to exit the peninsula. We stop near Duvauchelle, alongside a lake for breakfast, shower and to start preparing our bags ... it’s a sad day because it’s our last day with the van. We make our way back to Chritchurch and find ourselves a massive motor camp in the middle of town, Stonehurst (ugly, but could be worse), where we do all necessaries to prepare the van ... finish the food, clean up and do the laundry.

That evening we take a boring walk into down, stop for a quick drink at another Irish pub, and then back to the van for our last meal, lamb chops ... it’s sad to say goodbye to our home :-(

Day 26: Wednesday 28th October

The van is prepared to be returned, our bags packed, a parcel sent back to Europe with all our winter gear (relieving us of 6kg from our bags and a deep belief that from Fiji onwards, it’s gonna be short and t-shirt weather!).

Sushi in Christchurch centre for lunch, followed by some yummy donuts, a film and a nap back at the hostel (The Old Country House ... cute but cold at night), and then of course more delicious Japanese / Korean food for dinner, after a pint in an Irish pub of course.

As always, not much to report on life in the city.

Day 27: Thursday 29th October

Breakfast at a ‘greasy spoon cafe’ before getting our plane to Wellington at midday. Renu finally accepts that she should think about purchasing extra memory capacity, as she realises in the transfer to the hostel that she had forgotten her handbag in the plane, that contained her passport, driving licence and spare credit card. Since she stopped work, he brain seems to be getting lazier and lazier. No harm, other than another return trip to the airport ... the bag was found with nothing missing.
A pre-dinner drink at the Southern Cross pub, before an unimpressive meal at an Indian restaurant, Tulsi, and then back to the hostel (YHA Wellington) for possibly one of the worst night’s sleep on record or known to man. We have a pretty enough view from the room of the port (and a supermarket building ... nice). Unfortunately, as it overlooks a main road (in a city), the sound of; the fire engine sirens going off all night, the drunken people screaming, the nightclub and its loud drum n bass music (or something similar), the supermarket fans turning (yes ... those enormous ones), the millions of cars (with ridiculously loud exhausts) zooming past ... all drove us to despair. This is probably the best way of sending someone to a mental institute ... subject them to three continuous nights of that, and they are a guaranteed top class nutcase ... it was hard to break out of the foetal position we found ourselves in when the sun came out, thumbs in our mouths and rocking back and forth...

Day 28: Friday 30th October
Needless to say, after such a hideous night, our fist mission was to get our room changed ... and then down to a cafe for a very large breakfast to give us the energy to continue through the day. The morning was spent catching up on internet business, fish n chips for lunch (greasy enough to settle that craving for the next three years), a wonder around town, and then to the cinema to watch “Food Inc.” ... it certainly makes you think, worth watching. The evening, we hunt for a good Pizza place, but all is closed and settle for a crappy Chinese meal, followed by a drink at an Irish pub (we must be missing the place!).

Day 29: Saturday 31st October

A new room, this time a listening to the sound of the lifts going up and down ... but still a better night’s sleep than the one before. Breakfast at the same place again, and then another wonder around town, dipping our noses into all off Wellington’s cool second hand bookshops.
The big night arrives, the Fat Freddy’s Drop concert!!! Though the venue has to deal with some crazy teenage girls, the band are on top form, delivering an excellent Halloween night of music. Very special to see them on their homeland, and was worth hanging around for!

Day 30: Sunday 1st November
We wake up completely exhausted, late night – early morning, ie; 3 hours sleep, ready to take our plane to Auckland. At Auckland airport, we attempt to take our flight to Fiji that that day (instead of the day later as scheduled), but there is only one seat left on the plane, so we go to our hostel (Lantana Backpackers Lodge) and sleep for most of the day. The hostel is simple, a big house, but has free internet (finally!!!). That evening we venture out to the supermarket to grab some dinner, as the hostel has a kitchen, catching the last of the beautiful sunny day, reflecting on what a great time we had in New Zealand, despite the bad weather (which the Kiwi’s claim has not been that bad in the last half a century .. just our luck).

Day 31: Monday 2nd November
Goodbye New Zealand :-(. We’ve had the best time here, a big recommendation to anyone who loves nature, walking, being out in the wild, and eating lamb chops, this is the country for you! But come in mid-November to miss the spring rains, and don’t stay in hostels (this last week has been a bit boring), get a camping car, it’s the best way to see and enjoy the country.
A few morning phone calls, and then to Auckland airport to catch our plane to Fiji :-) Sun, sun, sun !!!

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Nouvelle-Zélande – Ile Sud – Semaine 4

Jour 23 : dimanche 25 octobre 2009.

Le soleil brille toujours et nous conduisons le long de la cote jusqu'à Dunedin ou nous prenons une pinte dans un le beer garden d’un pub irlandais. Nous reprenons la route vers la magnifique péninsule d’Otago ou nous faisons une pause dejeuner à Taiaroa Point, à la pointe de la péninsule, après quoi nous marchons un peu et observons d’immenses et majestueux Albatros voler à quelques mètres au dessus de nos têtes.

La route est longue, très longue. Nous passons Shag Point (ou il fait très froid) et nous passons Oamaru ou nous espérons pouvoir observer une autre espèce de manchots (les "blue Penguins") mais contrairement a ce que l’on pensait il faut payer pour entrer dans la réserve ou les tours sont guides. Bref, nous ne nous attardons pas du tout et repartons en direction de notre camp pour la nuit à Saint Andrews en dégustant une glace parfum hokey pokey.

Au camping, nous passons une amusante soirée avec Mary, ses deux fils (Reece et Ethan), Pete, Constance (une allemande qui passait la nuit la et dont le nom prononce en anglais lui vaut de bonnes blagues bien salaces) et d’autres personnes avec lesquelles nous discutons autour du feu.

Jour 24 : lundi 26 octobre 2009.

Nous partons tôt pour éviter d’avoir à payer le camping et nous arrêtons sur une aire de pique nique juste avant Hinds en bordure de voie ferrée pour douche et petit dejeuner. La route jusqu'à Christchurch par Rolleston et d’un ennui mortel. On s’arrête vite fait dans l’ennuyeuse Christchurch pour faire quelques courses et nous décidons d’aller à Lyttelton ou nous prenons une bière dans un des pubs du port, en terrasse au soleil, chanceux que la météo se soit a nouveau trompée.

Nous passons le reste de la journée à conduire sur la péninsule de Banks ou nous visitons le village français d’Akaroa. La, des français arrivèrent avec l'idée de coloniser la Nouvelle-Zélande. Les anglais étant déjà dans l’ile et ayant eu vent de l’arrivée d’un bateau français se dépêchèrent de rappliquer pour planter l drapeau britannique avec l’accord des tribus locales. Si les français étaient arrives deux ans plus tôt, le pays aurait certainement connu un destin bien différent. Ceci dit, Akaroa est assez amusante car le nom de certaines rue est reste français. Nous mangeons un sandwich dans un fish n’ chips assez décevant, marchons un peu jusqu’au cimetière des premiers français à avoir vécu la et reprenons la route vers notre base pour la nuit a Okains Bay. Un endroit génial, sur la plage au milieu des arbres. Une soirée agréable s’en suit, portes ouvertes, petit ballon de rouge.

Jour 25 : mardi 27 octobre 2009.

Il pleut ce matin et la route qui monte et monte pour sortir de la baie est assez effrayante avec brouillard épais, pluie et vent. Nous nous arrêtons près de Duvauchelle au bord d’un lac pour petit dejeuner, se doucher et préparer nos sacs tristement car c’est notre dernier jour dans le camion. Nous rentrons sur Christchurch ou nous trouvons un énorme camping-hôtel-motel-restaurant-pub (Stonehurst) dans le centre-ville. La nous finissons ce qui reste dans les placards et le frigo, faisons une lessive et nettoyons le camion pour le lendemain.

Ce soir la, nous marchons sans en avoir envie dans les rues de Christchurch non loin de notre camping, prenons un verre dans un autre pub irlandais et retournons au camion pour diner. Tristes de devoir dire au revoir a notre maison de ce dernier mois.

Jour 26 : mercredi 28 octobre 2009.

Le camion est prêt pour être rendu, nos sacs sont également prêts, les affaires d’hiver en moins car nous les renvoyons ce jour dans un carton en France. 6 kilos en moins ca se sent dans les sacs. A partir des Fiji ce sera short et t-shirts pour nous.

A midi, sushis suivi par café et donuts, un film et une sieste a l’hostel (The Old Country House… mignon mais froid la nuit). Et le soir, pub irlandais et resto japonais/coréen.

Comme toujours, pas grand choses à dire sur la vie dans la ville.

Jour 27 : jeudi 29 octobre 2009.

Petit dejeuner dans un café pas loin de l’hostel avant de prendre notre avion pour Wellington a midi.

Arrives a Wellington, Renu se rend compte alors que nous sommes dans la navette en route vers notre hostel qu’elle a oublie son sac a main avec passeport, permis de conduire et carte de crédit dans l’avion. Le fait de ne plus travailler n’aide pas notre cerveau à rester au top de sa forme. Tout se termine plutôt bien si ce n’est le fait qu’elle fait un aller retour supplémentaire vers l’aéroport. Rien ne manque dans le sac. Ouf !

Le soir, petit apéro au pub Southern Cross près de Cuba Street avant un diner qui n’a rien d’exceptionnel dans un resto indien (Tulsi) avant de rentrer a l’hostel (YHA Wellington). La chambre est probablement une des plus bruyantes que nous avons eues jusqu'à présent. La vue sur le port et le supermarché n’est pas trop mal. Malheureusement la caserne de pompiers n’est pas loin et toute la nuit les sirènes vont hurler sous la fenêtre, les gens sortant de boite, la musique de la boite et tôt le matin des travaux dans la rue nous empêcheront de fermer l’œil. Nous étions tous deux en position fœtale, pouce dans la bouche en train de nous balancer quand le soleil s’est levé….

Jour 28 : vendredi 30 octobre.

Première chose, demander à être changes de chambre et seconde chose énorme petit dejeuner pour nous donner la force d’affronter la journée. Nous passons par la case internet après le petit dejeuner. Fish n’ chips a midi (assez gras pour vous enlever l’envie d’en manger un autre pour trois ans). Petite marche dans la ville avant d’aller au cinéma voir « Food Inc. » intéressant, on vous laisse juger. Le soir nous recherchons une pizzeria sans succès et nous rabattons sur un resto asiatique juste moyen suivi par un verre dans un pub irlandais (cela nous manque beaucoup apparemment).

Jour 29 : samedi 31 octobre 2009.

Cette fois la chambre nous donne une parfaite audition des cages d’ascenseurs mais c’est quand même mieux que la veille. Petit dejeuner au même endroit que la veille et encore un petit tour dans les librairies d’occasion de Wellington.

Le grand soir arrive avec le concert de Fat Freddy’s Drop ! Malgré un trio d’adolescentes survolte le groupe est en top forme et le concert un vrai plaisir. C’est assez sympa de les voir performer a domicile.

Jour 30 : dimanche 1^er novembre 2009.

Nous nous réveillons complètement à la masse. Couches tard-levés tôt. 3h de sommeil, prêt à prendre notre avion pour Auckland. A l’aéroport nous tentons de changer nos billets pour les Fiji afin de partir le jour même mais il ne reste qu’uns place dans l’avion. Dommage. Direction notre hostel (Lantana Backpackers Lodge) ou nous dormons tout le reste de la matinée. L’hostel est très simple, une grande maison mais une bonne atmosphère et enfin Internet gratuit. Le soir nous faisons quelques courses pour cuisiner a l’hostel et profitons des derniers rayons de soleil de ce jour tout en se remémorant tout ce que nous avons vecu en Nouvelle-Zélande (a part pour le mauvais temps dont les kiwis disent même qu’ils n’ont rien vu de pareil depuis un demi siècle… notre chance légendaire).

Jour 31 : lundi 2 novembre 2009.

Au revoir la Nouvelle Zélande… nous avons passe un mois inoubliable et nous recommandons vivement à tout le monde d’y passer si vous en avez la chance. Ne faites pas comme nous, venez y a la mi-novembre pour éviter les pluies de printemps. Et surtout ne restez pas dans des hostels… le camping car est vraiment le meilleur moyen de voir un maximum de pays.

Quelques appels à faire ce matin la avant de nous rendre a l’aéroport d’Auckland pour prendre notre vol pour les Fiji... soleil et rhum…

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