Ayutthaya and out

Yesterday we flew down from Chaing Rai airport, arriving at Don Muang (Bangkok) at about 11:55. We got to the railway station and took the North bound train to the former capital of Siam, Ayutthaya.
From the station at Ayutthaya, our hotel, the Baan Thai House was walking distance and on arrival it was hot in Southern Thailand.
The accomodation was stunning. A stilted Thai Villa by a lake. As it turned out, inhabited by an extremely large lizard the size of an 11 year old child fed exclusively on Haribo!!.
You could paddle around the lake and I did.
The pool was hotter than a hot bath and the restaurant was very nice.
We ventured out on bicycles today to the historical park which is on an island roughly 3k x 2k. We got a ferry across the river and visited the ruins of the 1767 attack by the Burmese that meant that Bangkok became the capital of modern Thailand.
We spent our last afternoon by the pool and then took the train back to Bangkok at 16:40.
We got to the Vie Hotel in Ratchetewi at 19:00. The Vie had come up trumps and upgraded us.
We had a massage and then got a tuk tuk for our traditional Koh San Road trip. It was a bit disappointing as Songkran is very much in full swing here.
We have checked in for our return flight so its all systems go. Breakfast at the Vie tomorrow

The Mekong cruise

Our guide, Sai, from Mekong Smile cruises picked us up from our hotel at 6:45 and we met our travelling companions Michelle and Lance from San Francisco. As it turned out, they were our only travelling companions and we had a huge boat to ourselves. On our first day we stopped at the caves at Pak Ou. The caves are full of Buddhas of all sizes. They have been placed there mainly by those sailing down the river over the past 300 years to ask for a fortunate voyage.
The scenery and the weather were equally stunning as we ploughed on for our halfway point stop, Pak Beng. We stayed at the Riverside Lodge which is traditional but not in the 50USD bracket.
After a sound sleep we embarked on day two. A very relaxing day

Chaing Rai

Tonight is our third night at the Nak Nakara hotel in Chaing Rai, right up in the top right hand side of Thailand.
Yesterday we tuk tuked to the White Temple then we went to a hot springs which was quite strange. We got an ice cream and proceeded back to the hotel pool. However, as I am a cretin, I spilled ice cream on myself. I realised this when I saw the massive lady Buddha statue. Sue was trying to dab it off me and I was looking down when we turned a corner straight into four boys armed with washing up bowls full of cold water. We got completely Songkranned and it was a day early.
Today we went a long way north to indulge in a day of karting/bugging. Anyway it was great fun. Tomorrow it's the South and a flight to Bangkok.

Foot Laos

We left a drizzly Hanoi and arrived in tropically hot Luang Prabang yesterday. The hotel we are staying in is the Maison Dalabua and it is perfect for us.
We went straight for the sunbeds and the pool as soon as we saw our room.
We had a very traditional night planned and crossed a bamboo bridge to the Dyen Sabai restaurant followed by a perusal of the night market.
Today we took a tuk-tuk out the 15 miles south and west to the Kuang Si falls which were spectacular. After lunch of pork/chicken kebab on the way back.it was the pool that once again beckoned.
We cycled around town just before darkness fell to a full moon.
Dinner was taken at Tangor, an atmospheric restaurant past the night market. We wale early tomorrow for our boat trip up the mekong to Pak Beng.

Halong time no see

The rumours of our demise have been greatly exaggerated. Sue and I are alive and well and back in Hanoi after three nights in Halong bay, about 150 miles East of the Vietnamese capital.
There was no Internet in the bay so we couldn't blog - sorry.
We left Hanoi at half eight on Tuesday morning and by one pm we were on the Viola, cruising into the uniqueness of Halong Bay. We met Colin and Pauline from Melbourne and visited a pearl farm and a cute little islet beach.
Upon our return, we had a sumptuous 8 course dinner. I ended the night unsuccessfully squid fishing.
Day 2 was a bit of a non runner but more on that tomorrow. We met Lucas and his family from Argentina via Singapore, Colin and Julia from Macao and Deighton and his wife from Christchurh. Then on Day 3 Andy and Karen and their daughter Jasmine from Melbourne (half of Melbourne were in Halong Bay) and an English couple, Jeremy and Wincey from Canning Town.
Halong bay was spectacular but it was almost continuously cloudy and we didn't witness a sunrise or me catching a squid.
We got back to Hanoi at 5pm and went to a real find of a restaurant - KOTO at 59 Van Mieu Street opposite the Temple of Literature.
It's a training restaurant for disadvantaged young adults and the food was the best we've had in Vietnam. The 3 course set menu is 250,000 VND - about 9GBP each.
A Bia Hoi - a Hanoi street draught beer speciality at 9,000VND (35p) for about 3/4 of a pint then home to bed.
Off to Luang Prabang, Laos tomorrow. A new country!!!!

Das Capital

After 15 hours by train, we arrived 415 miles north of Hue in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi. The SE20 train was bouncier than its SE2 counterpart and about 15% smaller, width wise, in terms of living space. I cannot say where the extra 15% went because the gauge of the track remains the same throughout Vietnam.
We are amazed just how quickly the Vietnamese go to sleep. I estimate it at 30 seconds.
We were both too tired for the fact that Hanoi is a louder, more chaotic and cramped version of Saigon.
After checking into this comfy hotel, The Golden Cyclo, on the edge if the old quarter we explored the streets and had our first Egg Coffee, a Tonkinese speciality.
We have an early ride out to Halong Bay tomorrow for our three day cruise so we are in bed now at half six, both completely exhausted.

Putting the wey hey in Hue

The weather north of the Hai Van pass has certainly been unpredictable.
The sky looked like it would be certain to bring rain. We decided to bring an umbrella and raincovers.
Obviously we forgot the umbrella but thankfully it didn't rain!
We visited the tombs of Emperor Minh Mang and Khai Dinh. Minh Mang ruled in a time of paintings and obviously killed anyone that painted him in any way other than looking ferocious or ruthless.
Khai Dinh ruled in a time of photography and looked ridiculous when all dressed up.
This ridiculousness became widely known thanks to the Vietnam equivalent of snappy snaps and the game was up for the monarchy.
We then visited the much older Pagoda of Thein Mu on the banks of the Perfume River before winding up at the Citadel in Hue.
A strange lower leg and foot massage followed by a rickshaw ride took us to the hullabaloo of the Dong Ba market. A warren of dried fish, material for unfeasibly small women and ubiquitous t-shirts for 'westerners'.
I came in search of casual shorts. I was described as Buddha size and much commotion followed as women were despatched to all corners of this maze for 'bigger size, bigger size'. This was shouted around the market while I stood with my pants on underneath a curtain which doubled as the least discreet changing room in the socialist republic.
The women then go from fun to serious as they discuss exchange rates of VND to USD with the expertise of a foreign currency trader in the square mile.
Negotiation opened at 36USD I said my limit was 20USD. This was laughed at.
"I can get these shorts cheaper in England" I said.
"Not this quality, this top quality and very cheap" came the reply.
We settled at 25USD. I handed over 30USD.
"Only have change in Dong" my diminutive nemesis snapped.
"OK says I," still sensing a chance to beat these uneducated natives at their own game.
"24000 Dong to the dollar" I say confidently.
"NO, 1 Dollar fixed at 22000 Dong" She shot back assuredly to nods all round the market as if the whole world knew the exchange rate.
An experience!