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My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
Happy 2015 to all. May everyone have a great eBidding year!:o
NOTE: Trip posts frequency will depend on WiFi net access in remote areas:( (but we'll catch up later)
http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rc...,d.dGY&cad=rja
above is a wiki link to Laos FYI
Well Bro & Sil have decided to take things a bit easier this trip & will be spending more time in fewer places, unlike the previous trip/s, where they seemed to be constantly on the move. I guess old age does catch up eventually;)
The cunning plan this time is to see as much of the area they're in, before moving on.
Bro & Sil fly out of Brizvegas at 2pm today, with a one night stop over in Bangkok, then direct into Luang Prabang which is in about the upper middle of Laos.
Hope you all enjoy the ride & I'll be adding info/pix etc. as they come in!
In the meantime, this may get ya taste buds tingling:confused::rolleyes: Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kmq2S7h9G0
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
All right, my favorite thread is back! Can't wait for the pix and travelogue, guess I'll have to read up a bit first. :)
Happy holidaze and best wishes for many sales to all,
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
What a great start to the year. I wish them an enjoyable and safe journey and look forward to 'travel'with them
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Looking forward to seeing the sights!! Thanks!
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
Here we go, here we go, here we go-oh! The early pix are in!:o
After being selected for an explosives check in Sydney, & having HIS photo taken at Bangkok airport, Bro is thinking his beard is at fault, & may have to go???
No eBid cap in sight as yet, but I'm tipping it will appear at Beerlao time beside the Mekong in Laos!
Bro & Sil say Sabaidi to all. (pronounced - "sar - bar - dee" meaning both hello & goodbye in Lao)
1. Bro in their digs at the Grand Pinnacle Hotel, Khet Phra Nakhon suburban Bangkok.
2. Sil on the hotel balcony.
3. Bro in background when told breakfast would be late!
4. Apparently Thai sheep are made of spark plugs.
5. A quiet day in Khet Phra Nakhon.
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
Ooh, lovely to see the travellers again - what a great start to the New Year :)
Love the Thai sheep!
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sucadot
Ooh, lovely to see the travellers again - what a great start to the New Year :)
Love the Thai sheep!
Ditto :)
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
I could have sworn I replied to this in the early hours. Well, great pictures and the sheep is my favourite
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
Well our travelers are currently ensconced at the Philaylack Villa1 in Luang Prabang, pronounced 'Long Prabarring' by the locals according to bro.
There was much drama leaving Bangkok, & to cut the story short, bro & sil mistook the departure time of 2pm, which turned out to be the actual "arrival time" for Luang Prabang. You can imagine all kinds of panic ensued.:rolleyes:
Add to this a less than comfortable night in their "quiet" hotel room - quiet that is, until the Karaoke bar kicked in & raged into the wee hours!:mad:
Personally, I don't have a high regard for karaoke, but I can imagine what special torture Thai karaoke must be! ;)
ATM, our heroes are hoping their new digs are in fact quiet. (I wonder if there's a Lao karaoke equivalent:confused:)
1. Sil winding down at Philaylack Villa1 (after checking for western toilets no doubt)
2. The Mekong River at Luang Prabang
3. Beerlao time at a handy bar (note the light is so strong in Laos, it bores a hole right thru you!)
4. Ditto sil - (perhaps a certain "cap" would have been handy???)
5. Back in the shade beside the Mekong (yet still close enough to the pub) Good at prioritizing is bro!
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
I think I spotted some towel origami on the bed. Only posh hotels have that, surely. They both look happy, so maybe the stress has already been forgotten.
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
That brings back memories....
I drifted down the Mekong from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang on a slow boat many years ago, journey took 2 days and was fabulous.
Mind you the authorities in Luang Prabang did threaten to deport me for breaching communist regulations.
Great country - they will have a blast.
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
Dare I ask what regulations they were?
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In 1998, as a foreigner, by law you had to be signed in to every town you visit by the police - you were given paperwork to do so on entering the country. It was just typical communist procedure so they could track your movements - as I didn't really want them to know where I was going then the paperwork was blank. They were a bit sensitive that there were areas in the north which were largely under the control of bandits (their words) and that I may have spent time in those areas.
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
meebo1
I think I spotted some towel origami on the bed. Only posh hotels have that, surely. They both look happy, so maybe the stress has already been forgotten.
You are correct there, & bro calls it towel torture!
Their room ATM is costing the princely sum of $A24.00 per night.:o
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
deanosaur1972
That brings back memories....
I drifted down the Mekong from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang on a slow boat many years ago, journey took 2 days and was fabulous.
Mind you the authorities in Luang Prabang did threaten to deport me for breaching communist regulations.
Great country - they will have a blast.
Seems like things have changed a lot since those days Deano, at least, Bro & Sil are not having any probs like that ATM?
I believe the Marxist-leninist state system have come to accept the value of our filthy capitalist $'s.:)
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
Wow, gorgeous and so colorful! What an amazing place, thanks for sharing the pix and the travel info., may have to add this to my must see places list when I win the lottery. :)
Good thing I'm not there, I'd have to buy all the earrings. :)
Best wishes for many sales to all,
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
The Morning Market & a 4 Hour Stroll
Leaving their hotel for the morning market, our heroes decided to take a quiet stroll down the nearest thoroughfare!
Four hours later - they finally managed to find the hotel again. Anyhow, a couple of Beerlao's later (apparently one was for me) they now have the lay of the land. I'm wondering if there exists Rumlao???
I'm told that the market breakfast consisted of very nice French style baguettes, bacon, egg, greenery, mayo & a large cup of Lao coffee. Said coffee is OK, but not a patch on the Vietnamese equivalent says bro!
Note: our eBid cap makes its first appearance at the market - Yeah!
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Sil tucks in with gusto
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More vendors stalls
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Some of the crowd shopping
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The That Chomsi Stupa
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Trust Bro to find motor bikes
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Here we find the rare porcelain tree in full fruit (note the catching umbrellas to avoid breakages)
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Got ya! They're only wind chimes after all.
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Another street cafe
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Street art
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More continued next post.
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
Well, those markets would bankrupt me. Only the luggage allowance on the flight would stop me
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
Ooh, same here on the markets Meebo :D
What a lovely tonic this thread is on a cold winter's morning!
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1 Attachment(s)
Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sucadot
Ooh, same here on the markets Meebo :D
What a lovely tonic this thread is on a cold winter's morning!
Isn't it just!
Oh for some of that sun/warmth!
Attachment 48045
Wednesday night promises a thunderstorm (according to BBC) ~ I wonder if it will be a flash in the pan (lol!) or last for a while. I have no idea about Laos rainfall at all.... :confused:
.
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
Wow, even warmer than here, 75 today but stormy. Much prettier, too. Love the pix! :)
Best wishes for many sales to all,
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
Boat trip to the Ban Pak Ou Caves
After an early morning breakfast at the market, it was back to the hotel for a Tuk Tuk ride to the Mekong river, & a boat upstream, to a cave system called Pak Ou that houses a Buddhist temple.
A stop along the way at the "Whiskey Village" which sells several types of the said drink, & woven goods!
The 8.30am 13.6 degree temp got a lot cooler once scooting along the river.
After a short stay, it was back to Luang Prabang & dinner that night at the Riverside BBQ Restaurant, for the local specialty. (this will be covered later)????
Cave info!
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The Boat
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I think it's this way?
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Sil becomes a Lao bandit!
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View along the way
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Some fellow bandits - er I mean - tourists
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Goddess of Whiskey Village shows how to pour whiskey via hose!
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Bro finds something amusing after sampling all the whiskeys
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Bro kept shouting - "are we there yet"
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Arriving at the caves - Yeah!
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cont. over!
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
They are so brave - I would not go into the caves
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Loved the fairyland grotto to Buddha :)
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
BBQ Dinner Lao Style
I've done a cut & paste job here from Bros blog to explain their evening which looked very enjoyable & a unique? idea.
After our boat trip, it being cold and all, we needed a decent feed for dinner.
A couple of local people we have chatted with recommended the Riverside Barbeque Restaurant & as it is located nearby we thought we would try it out.
We got there early as it fills up fast. There are many tables, some overlooking the Mekong, and each has a curious clay receptacle fitted which, once you are seated, is then filled with large burning embers.
An aluminium 'dome' is then placed over the top of the clay 'hot pot'. This dome has a number of holes drilled into its surface, these designed to allow the heat to pass through the dome more easily.
At this point you move to a number of tables in the centre of the Restaurant and select all types of fresh meats & seafood, together with lots of Asian 'greens'. This is then taken back to the table and the meat & seafood is placed on the aluminium dome to cook. On the top of the dome are placed two pieces of pork fat which slowly cook away and assist the other items to cook while doing so.
There is a 'moat' of sorts around the perimeter of the aluminium dome and into this is poured a vegetable stock. The 'greens' and, say, prawns are slowly blanched / cooked within.
I am sorry if this is a bit boring but it's such a good idea and one I haven't struck before.
Everyone in the Restaurant really gets into the spirit of things, helped along by liberal amounts of Beerlao.
Speaking of which, there are two types: the standard 5% alcohol version and the 'dark' type @ 6.5% - both being quite nice on a hot day.
All up, an enjoyable evening and the photos that I wlll upload will give you an idea of a BBQ, Lao-style.
Cheers.
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Hmmnnn! Where do I start?
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Try this one!
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Yum Yum
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Bro eyes off another Beerlao
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It pays to get in early
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Because later!
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It gets a bit busy
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One of the friendly staff
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cont over.
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
Quote:
Question - are you all as hungry as I am right now:confused:;)
Chopsticks - so I would starve lol!! :D
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I like eating with chopsticks
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
I did notice in one photo Sil was using proper cutlery! :o
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
Trip to the Royal Palace Museum (including the Pha Bang building), & That Chomsi Stupa
I'm doing another "copy/paste" job here because, A - I'm lazy & B - bro can explain their experience better than I could.
Today we visited the Royal Palace Museum in the 'Old Town' part of LP.
Photos of the interior of the Museum are not allowed unfortunately so you will just have to imagine the high quality, rambling timber structure which contains many interesting art pieces, including Buddha images (rescued in many cases from ransacked or destroyed Stupas), gold object d'art, swords, furniture and the like, plus some clothing and personal items of the last King of Laos. There is also a modest car collection (no photos!) which includes two 1960's Lincoln Continentals, a rare 'wing edged' 1958 Ford Edsel and a sadly dilapidated Citroen DS (my favourite).
There is a separate building within the grounds - an elaborately styled one that you will see in the photos - which houses (to quote Lonely Planet) the Pha Bang, an 83cm tall gold-alloy Buddha for which the whole city is named.
This is a beautiful object which legend says was cast in Sri Lanka (there's a coincidence) in the first Century A.D. before arriving in Laos in 1512.
Directly across the road from the Museum are the 328 steps which lead up the Phu Si hill to the That Chomsi Stupa.
The Stupa itself is quite a modest structure - not that it is any less important as a result - but the hill offers very good views over the Town, rivers and the mountains beyond.
As an aside, we climbed the steps twice on the day as the first time we did so the Camera battery was exhausted - as were Desley & I after we went back to the Hotel, re-charged the battery and climbed the steps again.
We hope you enjoy the photos.
Royal Palace Museum x 4 pix
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The Pha Bang Building x 3 pix
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more trip cont. next:
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
I am sure the scooter belongs to Barbie ;)
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
meebo1
I am sure the scooter belongs to Barbie ;)
Yes Barbielao :):o:D;)
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
Yikes! all those steps twice - those beers were very well deserved :)
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
The Kuang Si Waterfalls & Bear Rescue Centre at Ban Tat
Here's me being lazy again by letting Bros blog do the description for me.
What an amazing oasis this place must be. I love the change rooms! The water was c'c'ccold.
Check out that shirt, what a beaudy!
A terrific day with a 30 klm trip from LP by mini van to the Kuang Si waterfalls. As a double bonus the Bear Rescue Centre is on the same site.
Bear Rescue first.................
This is a part of the larger, world wide 'Free The Bears' organisation. Have a look at www.freethebears.org for details. At Kuang Si they seem to deal with Sun Bears, although in this part of the world Asiatic Black Bears are also in need of rescue from humans.
The bears here certainly look well feed and generally have a pretty good time of it - fair enough too when you consider they have all previously been kept in tiny cages having bile extracted from their bile ducts for very dubious 'medical' reasons. Lazing around eating or sleeping seems to be the main agenda for these bears. Me too actually.
Bro says "no thanks I couldn't eat a "thing" but we'll get a pick-a-nick basket for the Yogis"
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The lookout
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I see ya!
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Makin' his bed
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Where's me picnic basket?
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Spot the fake bear? - That's right, the one on the left;)
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!
With my interest in orchids, this place just has to be dripping in same???
What a magical area!
The Waterfalls............
We took some video of the falls [files are too large to upload here sorry] and as we approached the first pool I can be heard saying 'this can't be real'.
The photos are pretty good but they don't really show the naturally occurring azure blue of the water.
It's like a fantasy movie set, especially at the main 25 meter high waterfall.
Desley & I did go in for a swim and the water is initially very, very cold but does become bearable (bad pun sorry) after a short while.
We'll let the photo's do the talking.
Ciao.
The change rooms!
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cont. over:
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Re: My eBid Cap Trip to Laos & Cambodia!