Home again!

After 6 months of travelling, visiting 11 countries, hearing at least 10 different languages, living between 4200 m and 17 meters below sealevel, inextremeheat and cold,and eating food from at least a dozen different cuisines, we are back home again.

We are so grateful for the beautiful experiences we had, all new things that we've learned, all wonderful surprises and jaw-dropping sights that nature offered us around the world.

And all interesting and very nice people we met on our path that were willing to share their stories andexperiences with us.We feel inspired and enriched.

Louis Armstrongwas absolutely right : 'What a wonderful world!'

The last two days ...

We had booked ourselves a beautiful little hotel in Bangkok. Splurging for the last 2 nights. But we were very disappointed when we got there. This was not how we would like to end this amazing trip. So we immediately decided to check out the next morning and find ourselves a better place. But first we had to get up at 05:30 am to go on a bicylce tour we already booked. This was great! Cycling through narrow alleyways discovering Bangkok off the beaten track. We drove around for 3 hours and crossed the river by riverboat with the bicycles. When we got back to the hotel, we got our bags and went to our new hotel.

P.S. taxidrivers in Bangkok... unbelievable! They can't do anything right. But at least it's cheaper and cooler than a tuk-tuk, at least if you can convince them to use the meter!

Our new hotel, whooohooo! Yes! This is the perfect place to spend the last 30 hours of our more or less 4344 hour round the world trip. Relax, eat some great food, shop for some last-minute souvenirs, etc.

It's funny how the mind works. Mentally you grow to the point that the trip is over. Because we know it's over, you actually a more or less ready to go back. Partly even glad, to be able to see all of you life again, have a permanent place to stay, eat rice twice a week in stead of twice a day.

Of course, we want more, of course we don't want to go back. But of course we also do like to go back at the same time.

Our taxi to the airport will go in 11 hours.

This is it! This WAS it! It's been fantastic! We are coming home!

Battambang & Phnom Penh

There are so many details to be told, that don't end up on the blog. The little things that make travelling so very interesting. We already told you about the differences between Lao and Cambodian people a little. There is a saying called 'lao time'. That means that everything takes longer than expected. This also accounts voor Cambodians. In Laos and Cambodia it is normal to pick you up from your hostal to take you to the busstation where your long distance bus leaves. Even if the bus station is only 15 minutes away. So if your bus leaves at 10:30 am than you are picked up at 09:30 am. At least that's what they say. They mean to say 'Be ready to be picked up from 09:30 am'. Which makes sense if they are going around more hotels to pick up passengers. But it is not what they say.
When you arrive at the bus station, also don't expect to be leaving at the appointed time. In the above example the bus should leave at 10:30 am. The bus almost always leaves an hour later. Always for different strange reasons. They were stupified when I asked why the bus was an hour late. Nobody has ever asked this question... The bus to Battambang takes about 3 hours, but because of 'lao time' it takes 5 hours. One extra hour for the pick up. One extra hour for delay. By the way, it is not possible to go to the busstation on your own. If you ask this, people fall silent and don't understand any more. They really don't understand that you really want to pay extra and make extra effort to win 45 minutes.
I'll get back to you on lao time.

Now it is time for : offering services and not waiting for people to ask.
This starts and is usually in its most agressive formwhen you come out of a long distance bus. The moment we arrive at Battambang you can already see dozens of touts running around the bus trying to seal a deal with you in sign language before you get out. If you get out, that is, because the touts make it virtually impossible for you to get out of the bus. Then of course you have to get your bags from the storage under the bus. This is the worst part. Fighting through to get your bag and answering questions like: 'Tuk-tuk, sir? Where do you want to go? Where are you staying. Where are you from?'
Let me tell you, this is both fantastic fun and terribly annoying. Expecially because of 'losing face'. This means you are not supposed toever raise your voice or get angry and always keep smiling. This is a great challenge the first 10 times. After that it becomes a lot more difficult :-)
Luckily our hotel in Battambang was next to the bus station.

Battambang was less pitoresque than we expected, but it was actually a very nice little town!
We spent a day cycling around, absorbing the local life not fully changed by tourists yet, and seeing wats (temples) and colonial buildings. The next day we rented a tuk-tuk to explore the surrounding sites. We made a trip on a bambu train. This is like a bambu raft, but with train weels under it. It takes about 1 minute to take it apart and throw it on the side of the track. This is neccesary not only for bambu trains to pass each other coming from different directions, but also to be able to let the real train pass.
The train with the least number of passengers has to disassemble. Motorbikes are pulling rank though.
A bit touristy but really great.
Afterwards we visited a wat which was so high up the mountain that I found myself swetting more than I ever did in southeast asia.
The next visit was to the killing cave. The Khmer Rouge used this cave to dispose of people; men, women and children. Children were killed holding up a knife in the air, throwing the child in the air and landing it on the knife. With one throw the child was then thrown in the cave. 3000 people were found in this cave after liberation, 900 of them children. Our guide found this cave himself after returning there after liberation, when he was a boy of around 8 years old. Chills down our spines! While we were in the cave a weather hell broke loose. This became one of the worst downpoors during our time in southeast asia. This was a day of extremes.
The next day we took the bus to Phnom Penh (6 hours). So it was time for Lao, or Cambodia,time again. The bus actually left 09:15 am. 15 minutes later than sceduled. But after 10 minutes we ended up in a line of 15 busses waiting to go on the highway. Why we could not get through was impossible to find out. The bus drove back to the bus station. Talking to the staff there didn't get me any answers. Even talking to the manager was useless. The manager said at least 2 hours (so 3 in lao time). There were 8 tourists in the bus so we deceided to rent a minivan together. I was away for 2 minutes when Suzan came to get me. The bus was leaving again!? We left at 10:00 am. 1 hour later.

Arriving in Phnom Penh the touting ritual started again. I had to use both our big bags to push my way through the crowd. We arranged a tuk-tuk for 3 US$, which was too much, but you really don't want to bargain to long at such moments. By the way, the US dollar is the second currency in Cambodia. From the ATM's we could only get US dollars. All prices for tourists are in dollars. Sometimes you get Cambodian Riel back. The hotel we had arranged was great. A good room, good breakfast and a pool! We ate arabic/mediterranean that night with couscous, hummus and tagine. A good wine would have made it perfect, but that has to wait, because choosing between a bottle of wine for 30 US$ or a cocktail for 3 US$ isn't really that difficult :)

The next day was heavy, mentally. We started at Tuol Sleng Prison. This was the interrogation and torture prison during the Khmer Rouge regime under Pol Pot. The executions took place at the Killing Fields (30 minutes by tuk-tuk from Phnom Penh). Seeing Tuol Sleng, seeing the movie, seeing the pictures of all prisoners, left us silent and sick in the stomac for a while. Humanity at its worst! How it all could get to this is a little bit explained under 'Rode Khmer' on the dutch wikipedia. It looks to me as if it all boils down to one line of text here. 'Als de Rode Khmer een provinciestad hadden ingenomen hervatte het dagelijks leven zich meestal binnen enkele dagen, waarop Pol Pot onthutst reageerde. Als alles bij het oude bleef, zou de hele revolutie geen nut hebben. Hierop bedacht de partij meer radicale oplossingen, zoals het deporteren van de bevolking en begon deze in praktijk te brengen.' Though I doubt that it is as simple as this.

Afterwards we had to set our minds to something else for a few hours, shopping at the Russian market. Bargaining is always fun, though I always end up paying too much. After this we made the trip to the Killing Fields to conclude our lesson on genocide happening all over the world over and over again. If you ever visit Phnom Penh, think about skipping the Killing Fields. The fields are the national memorial for all deaths during the Khmer Rouge period, but it sure doesn't look like it. It's in private hands, so the entrance fee is going to the owner alone. The place is notreally good taken care of. Poorly marked and as you walk between the pits (like walking through the rice fields) you actually step on clothes of the victims! All the bones are gone, but stepping on their clothes feels almost as bad. I don't understand that this place is not looked after better by the Cambodian government. Then again the Cambodian govermentdoes not seem to do much right. But I am elaborating too much now.

The last day in Cambodia we spent relaxing at the pool and enjoying good food. (But we have to be honest: Lao cuisine 1st place, Cambodian cuisine 2nd place)

South Laos + Siem Reap (Angkor Wat)

After 10 wonderful days in Luang Prabang, we flew to Pakse, in the south of Laos. After the experience we had in Luang Prabang, Pakse is like a cold shower. Very commercial and dull, nothing to do in town, all restaurants with plastic tables and chairs and TL-light (is that the same in English?).

Luckily we directly went on to wonderful rural Champasak, 40 minutes south of Pakse along the Mekong river. In Champasak the lifes of the people haven't changed muchbecause of the tourists. There are about 5 hotels/guesthouses and a few more restaurants. There are onlyvery small house shops, no ATM, and changing money at the bank isa rather thrilling event: ittakes 3 people. One person to help youfill out the form, who will alsosign your form, asecond person to give a 2nd signature and a third person, the cassier who actually gives you the money.

We discovered Champasak on foot, by bicycle and scooter. By scooter we went to the closeby temple of Wat Phu which is like a mini Angkor Wat, same-same but different. It's older than some parts Angkor,andChampasak was ofgreat importance to the Angkorian Kingdom.It was nice to see this as a kind of appetizer before seeing Angkor.

The village of Champasak is really easy-going, with kids playing on the streets, cows walking around together with the ducks, catsand chickens. We also visitedDon Deang, an island in the middle of the Mekong river. There are no cars on the island, just bicycles and scooters. We were warped back in time about100 years. All activity ceases during the hot midday hours. The whole family gathers UNDERNEATH the house on poles and rests on big low tables, just to be off the ground. Cooking is done outside as well and the toilet is a squat house about 30 meters away. Showering does not exist for the people on Don Daeng. You can take a bath in the Mekong or pour water over yourself from a big tub outside the house. We spent the day walking around the island, absorbing the slow wonderful Lao-life and saying SABAIDEE about 1000 times to everybody, especially kids. In one of the villages, I said Sabaidee and one little boy offered me one of his candies, a salty chilli stick. Andwhen I thanked him, by saying Kapchai lai lai (thank you very much), hesmiled from ear to ear.We made a lot of friends that day :-)

We had to go back to Pakse for 2 nights because of a flue we both catched and flew to Siem Reap in Cambodia instead of going over land into Cambodia via Kratie. Siem Reap is the Las Vegas of South East Asia, one shiny big hotel after the other. The centre of town is one big tourist hub (or maybe trap). You know the hype of the little fish that eat the dead skincells off your feet? Dr. Fish? Well, they have a tub with fish every 20 meters! 15 minutes for US$ 1. 25 minutes for US$ 2 and a free beer. By the way, the fish are way bigger then they are supposed to be, so I lost a lot of hair from my legs as well, hahaha :)

But any way, Siem Reap is big business. We tried to escape it as much as we could and still tried a little bite of it as well. The fish that eat your dead skin cells, taking a massage and buying the T-shirt (Same Same ; but different). I also wanted the T-shirt (No tuk tuk; No Massage), but couldn't find the right color.

It took us 3 days to see most of the beautiful temples around Siem Reap. We found Angkor Thom, Bayon and Bantai Srei (30 kmnorth ofSeam Reap) the most beautiful, all for different reasons. We just took the bus from Siem Reap to Battambang, where we will explore the surrounding villages and wats by tuk-tuk. Then we still have 2 days in Phnom Penh and 2 days in Bangkok. Unfortunately this wonderful trip is almost over. We definately don't want it to be over. But we would also be lying if we said we are not looking forwardto talking to all of you again face to face. So, one more story to be told and a few more pictures!

Laos - Luang Prabang and surroundings

Bangkok Airways takes us to the beautiful and royal city of Luang Prabang. It's not hard to understand why people are very positive about this town. It's very beautiful, surrounded by the Mekong river and Nam Khan river, nice scenery and is in general very quiet and peaceful. We decide to take in the scenery and the amosphere and leave it at that for our first day. Maybe 4 countries in 5 days isn't such a good idea afterall, we simply need time to adjust and process all experiences!

After a day of rest, we did a trekking to a Hmong village and through the jungle. Amazing nature, crazy plants, and sounds we hade never heard before. On the downside: leeches, soooooooo many mosquitos, and even more rain. Yep, it's the rainy season and it does make itself known to us. Next day, we therefore take a cooking class :) Let me tell you, that was GOOOOODDDDDD! We first went to the local market to see some of the ingredients that we were about to cook. And yes, we saw some stuff that is crazy to our Western eyes, like alive rice paddy eel, frogs, waterbuffalo belly, and gellified pigblood. Lao food is something completely different from the food of its neighboors, and has a lot - and when I say a lot, I mean a lot - of taste. Herbs, spices, wood, vegetables, sauces, everything that can give taste to a meal is used. And lots of chilli as well :) We learn to make a steamed fish dish in banana leaves, a water buffalo stew, lemongrass filled with chicken, dips, sticky rice, and a desert of red rice and coconut milk. Men, so very good! I start druling all over my keyboard here, so I will tell you about our elephant adventure.

Close to Luang Prabang, there's an elephant village in which former working elephants are given shelter, nursed back to health, offered a better and still useful life. If the elephant village would not exist, these elephants would either be killed or would die of starvation, because the lumbering jobs they were used for until recently are now banned by the government. So, we rode on an elephant. First in the saddle-like basket, and afterwards on its neck. Absolutely fabulous! You're balancing from right to left when riding and you can feel and see the thick skin and all the little hairs on the elephant's head. We even got to feed the elephant some bananas :) She gently took them from me and afterwards tried to get some more from the table closeby. Smart ass!

From the elephants, we took a kayak back to Luang Prabang. Nice scenery, and the sun had come out, so our trip was really beautiful. In LP itself is much to see as well. We visited the main temple from the 16th century, and some of the other temples as well. We also saw the alms procession of the monks in the early morning, in which they receive small amounts of sticky rice from the villagers. This is a ritual that has existed for some centuries and it is special to be a witness to it. Take a look at the pictures to know what I mean. Closeby to LP is a lot to see and do as well. We headed up north to the small village of Nong Khiaw. This sheds a completely different light on life in Laos, much more rural, much poorer as well, but with super friendly and welcoming people and gorgeous scenery. LP already was quiet and had a low pace, this town has it even more. We also had upstream along the Nam Ou river for a day to the village of Muong Ngoi Neua, which can only be reached by boat. Again, beautiful scenery, and very special to experience a little bit of the lifes and work of the Northern Laos people. The boattrip back from Muong Neua to LP is gorgeous and we feel very priviliged and thankful to have experienced these couple of days.

Back on the northern hemisphere again!

Singapore & Bangkok

After leaving from Cairns and again some bad experiences in Darwin (delayed plane and some really small crappy room to wait in for 6 hours with 1000 people, not funny!) we arrive in Singapore. What a city! Huge, very modern, truly Asian and with many different cultures and influences.
The next morning we head for Kampung Glam, the Malaysian quarter. Within a couple of streets we leave the Western atmosphere and fall right down into muslim Malaysia. A big mosque, small shops, Malay food (breakfast with fried rice and all sorts of really nice meat, egg and vegetable dishes, a bit like Indonesian ' rijsttafel'), a perfume shop with nice floral essences, etc. And it s friday so the mosque calls its beliefers to attend the sermon. After breakfast, we take a walk to Little India, and travel once more to a whole different country within Singapore. Many buddhist and Hindu temples, and jewellers that sell the yellowish gold of India, alongside beautil colourful cloth and traditional Indian dresses.
After visiting 2 countries in 1 morning, we head out to the modern part of the city, the Marina bay. Really ugly skyscrapers and posh buildings, some colonial hotels and of course we make a boattrip, see photos, in which we see the Merlion, Singapore's icon, which is half lion, half fish. Our guide explains to us that the fish part of the Merlion refers to the traditional part and hisory of Singapore, being a sea town, and the lion symbolizes its strength and refers to the original name of Singpore, Singapura = Lion city.
We join the hip and trendy of Singapore for a steamboat dinner ( a big bowl with 2 types of boiling hot soup , in which you cook your fish, meat or vegetables, a bit like fondue) at a bustling streetcorner and head for a nightcap to the Quays, to conclude the day with a Singapore sling. Of course!

The next day we leave from the ultra modern airport of Singapore for Bangkok. This is something really different. Where Singapore is a mix between East and West, Bangkok is really East. Our hotel is in the quarter of Banglamphu, which has a very quiet and sort of authentic feel to it. Closeby is the horrible Walt-Disney-fied Kaosan Road, with a branch of restaurant The Golden Arches - also known as Mc Donalds :) - and many tourist trap restaurants. If you are planning to go to Bangkok, don' t go here! We flee to another part of town to see the Royal Palace and Temple. So much gold, so much glitz, so many amazing buildings, and so many tourists, it' s almost too much to take in at once. We therefore head out to the more quiet and peaceful temple of What Pho, which is truly gorgeous. Take a look at some of the pictures!
And then, boattrip time! We jump into a local boat, which dangerously tends to one side, but hey, we can swim :) It turns out, that will not be necessary, and we arrive back in Banglamphu again. After some Tiger beer, yep, we're definately in Thailand and some curry we call it a night and nexy day we fly to Luang Prabang in Laos.

Please note we have posted 7 new stories today!

Cairns - Diving at the Great Barrier Reef

Ridiculously early, we arrived at Cairns airport. What a very nice town and nice weather as well!!! We spent all day getting ourselves organized for our 5-day diving experience. The next morning we were picked up at 8.30 to go to the training pool and dive school. We got some nice PADI books and spent a morning learning all sorts of theory. Lots of things you do not realize or do not know. The afternoon we spent at the doctor's to get ourselves medically approved for diving, and then our first dive in confined water = swimming pool. Really strange to be breathing under water but cool as well. Day 2 consisted of more pool training and more theory including our exam: we both passed :) At night we took a reef teach session, in which we learned a little bit about what we were going to see on our 3 days at the reef: what kind of animals, plants, corals, etc. Cool stuff and some really nice stories!

And then: heading out by boat for 3 days of practically non-stop diving. Dive 1 and 2 in open water = sea. We kind of were all over the place but the views of the reef were already amazing. Not bad to take a look at all these beautiful fish and corals. The next day ,we first had still 2 more training dives to do and by lunchtime were certified Open Water Divers. Jeeehaaaa!!!!!

After this, the real fun began. Exploring the reef, determining course, compass reading, and of
course: a million fish, corals, sharks, turtles, etc. We saw 2 types of reef sharks, 2 types of turtles, a moray eel, blue spotted rays, anemone fish (all sorts of relatives of Nemo :) ), sea stars, hard and soft corals, and millions of other fish! Diving is really cool and it opens a whole new world to explore :)

One problem: it is highly addictive! You just want to go again and again!

And with this last episodeDown Under, our 5 monthson the southern hemisphere are over! No more southern Cross at night in the sky and no longer hanging upside down. Back on our feet again , hahahah :)