Over to Laos

Posted on July 20, 2007
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We came up to Chiang Khong today on the bus from Chiang Mai. It took over 6 hours, and we were in the back seat most of the way, right by the toilet and in the bumpiest part of the bus. It was pretty cramped, even though it was 1st class (I’m having trouble imagining 2nd and 3rd.)
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Chiang Mai (+Photos)

Posted on July 18, 2007
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After a surprisingly painless and efficient day of air travel, we arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand’s ancient capitol and second largest city. Far from being a beachy paradise, Chiang Mai is old world all the way - a walled city, over 300 temples or “wats”, and a moat!

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Now We’re Cooking (+Photos)

Posted on July 18, 2007
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Iron Chef Audition

One of the activities we’ve been most looking forward to on this trip is attending a cooking school in each of the countries or regions we visit. Today we started by doing a course at the Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School.

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Krabi Music

Posted on July 17, 2007
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The ‘Old West’ bar - right round the back of our guest house. When we walked past on the way to dinner they were playing Four Non-Blondes, ‘What’s going on.’ That was enough to make us go in for a drink to hear what else was in the rotation.

Tenacious D - ‘The Greatest Song in the World (Tribute)’ (which the Thai bar back was singing along with vigorously, leading us to wonder if non-english speakers realize that TD is a comedy band…)
Beats International - ‘Dub be good to me’ (Caitlin didn’t recognize it so must have been a british thing)
Radiohead - Creep

What I’m Packing

Posted on July 16, 2007
Filed Under Travel Tech | 5 Comments

Here’s a list of the gizmos I’m lugging around on my back into areas with no electricity…
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Krabi Town

Posted on July 16, 2007
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From Phi Phi we took the ferry to Krabi, and from there a Songetheaw in to Krabi Town. We stayed at the Chan Cha Lay guest house. The room was fantastic, aqua blue throughout, and with an outdoor bathroom and shower (in a cool way!)

The ferry was smaller, but faster, than the one we took from Phuket to Phi Phi. There were more locals on board, so it felt a little less like the eurostar and more like SE Asia. It was a pretty funky boat, definitely been plowing the seas for many years. The sea was calm, much more pleasant than the last journey.

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1-2-Crap

Posted on July 16, 2007
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I bought a SIM card our first day here so I don’t have to pay Cingular roaming charges. I’d read a rave review of a pay as you go plan called 1-2-call when I was researching our trip, so I found a 1-2-call starter kit in a cell phone shop first day.

As a side note, the cell phone shops are in some of the nicest pieces of real estate in Thailand. There’s a huge selection, and everyone carries at least one phone, many also have a PDA device (haven’t seen a blackberry yet though.) The mobile phone really is an amazing piece of technology.
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Power

Posted on July 16, 2007
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On Phi Phi we kept getting shocked by the computer and the iPod (when they were plugged in to the wall.) I think this might have been bad wiring at the resort, since it hasn’t happened elsewhere. It’s also 230v with no ground, which might be part of the problem…

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Phi Phi (+Photos)

Posted on July 16, 2007
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We’re staying at the Paradise Beach Resort, (or is it bungalows?) not to be confused with Paradise Pearl Beach Resort (right next door.) Four nights. Beach time, and diving.

Ko Phi Phi is simply beautiful. Long beach, where we are staying, is about 2km long, with bungalows set back about 20 meters from the beach the whole way, and a step incline into jungle about another 100 meters behind those.
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Diving

Posted on July 15, 2007
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We spent two of our days on Ko Phi Phi doing our SCUBA checkout dives. It was definitely a good choice, the reefs here have been really beautiful. On our first dive we saw a turtle, which was unexpected and fantastic. The dive sites were a 30 min boat ride away off of the other Phi Phi island, Phi Phi Ley, and one was a tad further off of Boi Noc. The seas have been relatively heavy, so the crossings were quite rocky, and the Boi Noc dive site was tough to get in and out of. But under the water things were pretty calm.

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