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Syndicate DisOrientated
OED adj. confused (someone) so that that they have lost their bearings.
n. Inept escapades of a dropout English journo trapped in the Far East. An eighteen-month evasion from reality.
31 March 2003
After this I ended up in Vang Vieng en route to Phonsavan, another ancient site. Vang Vieng, despite a majestic setting, had a Balearic feel ie. like the Costa Del Sol. Like Bangkok's Kao San Road except wider. Not nice. Spent half the evening trying to eject an aggressive drunken Kurt-Cobain alike from a bar. At Phonsavan, thousands of thousand year old jars litter the heavily bombed plains, hence the name Plain of Jars. Like Stonehenge, no one seems to know what these jars are for. Maybe coffins, maybe beer barrels. Very photogenic, but left the unremarkable town (where electricity only comes on at 6pm) this morning for Luang Prabang.
28 March 2003
The next day, departing at 7.15am I took the gruelling bus journey to the capital Vientiene. Not a bad ride altogether, but upon reaching the city the next day found that a basket of fish had leaked all over my belongings such that a pungent aroma arose. Needed washing anyway.
After exploring Vientiene - not much there, to be honest - I and a couple of sisters from Bury St Edmunds I'd met on the bus headed for Lao Pako, a small resort on the Nam Ngum river. One of them needed advising that bumpy roads and low-cut tops do not mix but I held my tongue. Very peaceful place in a beautiful setting, though a noisy gecko seemed to be competing with a noisy cat. The next day rowed a boat across the river and strolled around the jungle, seeing a variety of interesting trees. Personal highlight was seeing a big preying mantis. It was green with red eyes.
After exploring Vientiene - not much there, to be honest - I and a couple of sisters from Bury St Edmunds I'd met on the bus headed for Lao Pako, a small resort on the Nam Ngum river. One of them needed advising that bumpy roads and low-cut tops do not mix but I held my tongue. Very peaceful place in a beautiful setting, though a noisy gecko seemed to be competing with a noisy cat. The next day rowed a boat across the river and strolled around the jungle, seeing a variety of interesting trees. Personal highlight was seeing a big preying mantis. It was green with red eyes.
25 March 2003
Su Bai' Di from Laos.
The overnight train from Ayutthaya to Ubon Ratchani near the Eastern Thai-Lao border was punctual to the minute, unlike my bowels which with impeccably poor timing decided to act while I was at the station. Did a runner from loos and got on the train. Several sangthaew (pickup truck bus conversion) trips later and I was on the ferry across the Mekong to Champasak, south Laos. Some Vientiene businessmen working for Skandia gave me a lift to the ruin here, an Angkor era temple complete with steep flower-strewn terraces.
From here a few more sangthaews, complete with fellows drinking Lao Lao (sake) at 9am in the morning (not to mention the crickets-on-a-stick snack); I partook of the strong liquor in the interest of international relations but forewent the chirruping insect. After an unscheduled stop to fill the truck to the roof with bamboo the truck took me to Si Phan Don, an area of the Mekong river with 'Four Thousand Islands'. Had a pleasant day's cycling with a girl called Sarah. Any slim chance I might have had went out of the window when I trapped her finger in the spokes of her bike while trying to extract a stick. Claret everywhere. During the evening ran into someone from college whose name escaped me.
The overnight train from Ayutthaya to Ubon Ratchani near the Eastern Thai-Lao border was punctual to the minute, unlike my bowels which with impeccably poor timing decided to act while I was at the station. Did a runner from loos and got on the train. Several sangthaew (pickup truck bus conversion) trips later and I was on the ferry across the Mekong to Champasak, south Laos. Some Vientiene businessmen working for Skandia gave me a lift to the ruin here, an Angkor era temple complete with steep flower-strewn terraces.
From here a few more sangthaews, complete with fellows drinking Lao Lao (sake) at 9am in the morning (not to mention the crickets-on-a-stick snack); I partook of the strong liquor in the interest of international relations but forewent the chirruping insect. After an unscheduled stop to fill the truck to the roof with bamboo the truck took me to Si Phan Don, an area of the Mekong river with 'Four Thousand Islands'. Had a pleasant day's cycling with a girl called Sarah. Any slim chance I might have had went out of the window when I trapped her finger in the spokes of her bike while trying to extract a stick. Claret everywhere. During the evening ran into someone from college whose name escaped me.
21 March 2003
Since I last wrote, I spent a couple of days in Ayutthaya, Thailand, where the ruins within the town are considerably more extensive and interesting than those in Sukhothai. I was tempted to jump the train and go to Lopburi, where the tracks passed an Angkor Wat-Style ruin teeming with monkeys but decided to visit that later. The view from the Grand Palace walls across to the spires of three stupas (Taj-Mahal-like towers for keeping ashes in) was strangely reminiscent of the view across Oxford meadows. To be honest I am getting slightly bored of museums and suchlike crammed with ancient Bhuddas, but they make good shelters when the rains come in.
19 March 2003
Hello again from Sukhothai, in North Thailand. Had my first touch of diarrhoea this morning but nothing serious.
Yesterday (Tuesday) I departed Chiang Mai in a supposedly aircon bus, which turned out to be a five hour slog. Here in Sukhothai I'm in a teak guesthouse with quite some character. It seems to be run by an 11-year-old girl who speaks very good though American English. I bought here a Toblerone at the 7-11 but it melted, so I ate it instead. Today I visited the historical park, an area of ruins outside town - not dissimilar to Angkor Wat but far smaller. It got very hot indeed and I gave up and returned to town, from where I write these words. Saw a bus crash on the way back, claret everywhere.
Tomorrow I head for Ayutthaya, where there are more ruins of one of Thailand's original capitals, and then for Laos.
Yesterday (Tuesday) I departed Chiang Mai in a supposedly aircon bus, which turned out to be a five hour slog. Here in Sukhothai I'm in a teak guesthouse with quite some character. It seems to be run by an 11-year-old girl who speaks very good though American English. I bought here a Toblerone at the 7-11 but it melted, so I ate it instead. Today I visited the historical park, an area of ruins outside town - not dissimilar to Angkor Wat but far smaller. It got very hot indeed and I gave up and returned to town, from where I write these words. Saw a bus crash on the way back, claret everywhere.
Tomorrow I head for Ayutthaya, where there are more ruins of one of Thailand's original capitals, and then for Laos.
17 March 2003
Had a fairly quiet time in Chiang Mai, visiting the Doi Suthep temple about 25km out of town. This wat has a large staircase flanked by huge banisters in the form of snakes, plus a golden coloured pointy thing in the middle. Also got beaten by the massage people until the pain wet - shame about the wallet, which felt the pain instead.
On Friday myself and a small group with guides headed out into the highlands for a couple of days. On day one, there was some mild walking culminating in a visit to a Hmong village. Much of the region is inhabited by these and other isolated tribes though the Hmongs did have a jolly nice garden and the Karen we visited the next night had a satellite dish. Still, the places were relatively rural and overrun with pie dogs, cats (one of which made an alien sound in the night), pigs, cockerels etc. Not much chance for sleep. The Hmongs kind of Hmonged a bit and I never did meet Karen though I am sure she was very nice.
Saturday was considerably more arduous, wit about five hours walking through steep jungle terrain but the guides were pretty competent. One of them did have a banana leaf spliff permanently attached, which was kind of concerning. There followed the standard elephant ride and bamboo rafting etc. before a visit to a modern temple at north Thailand's highest point, Doi Inthanon and some hot springs were eggs were boiled.
On Friday myself and a small group with guides headed out into the highlands for a couple of days. On day one, there was some mild walking culminating in a visit to a Hmong village. Much of the region is inhabited by these and other isolated tribes though the Hmongs did have a jolly nice garden and the Karen we visited the next night had a satellite dish. Still, the places were relatively rural and overrun with pie dogs, cats (one of which made an alien sound in the night), pigs, cockerels etc. Not much chance for sleep. The Hmongs kind of Hmonged a bit and I never did meet Karen though I am sure she was very nice.
Saturday was considerably more arduous, wit about five hours walking through steep jungle terrain but the guides were pretty competent. One of them did have a banana leaf spliff permanently attached, which was kind of concerning. There followed the standard elephant ride and bamboo rafting etc. before a visit to a modern temple at north Thailand's highest point, Doi Inthanon and some hot springs were eggs were boiled.
14 March 2003
Monday - visited Jim Thompson's house, the residence of an architect, silk entrepreneur and art collector who disappeared in 1967. Built from seven reconstructed traditional teak houses, it's one of the finest buildings in modern Bangkok. But had to get away from the city - like London but without the cold and the Underground - so boarded the night train to Chiang Mai in the north.
Arrived there this morning after a cramped but pleasant ride on the train. Spent the day exploring with a couple of Danish blokes from the guesthouse and tomorrow plan to visit a wat outside town before heading out into the Highlands with another tour group.
Still no ladyboy want boom boom but having felt my neck cramp up badly on the train after my bridge dive required a massage. No extras were offered or requested but I was pummelled for two hours by the Thai masseuse and her student, a 24-year-old Swede with long blonde hair called Jenny. I later went for a drink and a movie with the latter. If this sounds too good to be true, it is: her boyfriend in London owns some kind of security consultants and is clearly ex-SF.
Arrived there this morning after a cramped but pleasant ride on the train. Spent the day exploring with a couple of Danish blokes from the guesthouse and tomorrow plan to visit a wat outside town before heading out into the Highlands with another tour group.
Still no ladyboy want boom boom but having felt my neck cramp up badly on the train after my bridge dive required a massage. No extras were offered or requested but I was pummelled for two hours by the Thai masseuse and her student, a 24-year-old Swede with long blonde hair called Jenny. I later went for a drink and a movie with the latter. If this sounds too good to be true, it is: her boyfriend in London owns some kind of security consultants and is clearly ex-SF.
09 March 2003
On Friday headed out west to Kanchanaburi near the Thai/Burma border. It was here that the first Bridge over the River Kwai was built - it was destroyed in 1944 not by Alec Guinness falling on the detonator in an ironic moment of clarity but by Allied bombers. A new one was built later. The Thai museum a fair show but a trifle tacky with its not very representative papier-mache figurines (including effigies of Hitler and Churchill etc.). Perhaps 6,000 prisoners died on the railway - not including the uncounted Asian workers. The place still features Japanese in numbers, but with Nikons and not whips and rifles these days. That afternoon visited the Hellfire Pass, hewn from the rock face by POWS at breakneck speed. A very classy museum built with Australian money.
Stayed in a fine little wooden hut by the riverside, chatting to fine Dutch and Danish girls but with no success. The next day walked around the Erawan waterfall and delved in some nearby caves. Got soaked by downpour and actually felt cold for the first time. Sunday, bamboo rafting and diving off bridges in to the river - finally got to ride the Death railway itself before heading back to Bangkok.
Stayed in a fine little wooden hut by the riverside, chatting to fine Dutch and Danish girls but with no success. The next day walked around the Erawan waterfall and delved in some nearby caves. Got soaked by downpour and actually felt cold for the first time. Sunday, bamboo rafting and diving off bridges in to the river - finally got to ride the Death railway itself before heading back to Bangkok.
06 March 2003
Phil Sen here, reporting on the first leg of his 18-month drop out.
Flight from Gatwick to Dubai was fine, Emirates providing their usual excellent and admirable service. Was a bit miffed by the fifty or so Malaysians hawking and coughing all night at Dubai airport and on the 6hr flight to Bangkok, but get used to it I suppose.
Arrived Bangkok and headed for a guesthouse picking a basic but adequate place with a mainly French clientele. Kao San Road full of hippies and tattooed students that I can do without. Spent a couple of days wandering around Bangkok's Wats (temples) while acclimatising and getting over jetlag. Did not go looking for ladyboys as some people have inferred were my plans. However, did nearly get arrested for dropping a fag butt - solved the issue by picking it up again and putting it in a bin, thus deferring my stay in the Bangkok Hilton for the moment.
Flight from Gatwick to Dubai was fine, Emirates providing their usual excellent and admirable service. Was a bit miffed by the fifty or so Malaysians hawking and coughing all night at Dubai airport and on the 6hr flight to Bangkok, but get used to it I suppose.
Arrived Bangkok and headed for a guesthouse picking a basic but adequate place with a mainly French clientele. Kao San Road full of hippies and tattooed students that I can do without. Spent a couple of days wandering around Bangkok's Wats (temples) while acclimatising and getting over jetlag. Did not go looking for ladyboys as some people have inferred were my plans. However, did nearly get arrested for dropping a fag butt - solved the issue by picking it up again and putting it in a bin, thus deferring my stay in the Bangkok Hilton for the moment.
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