Thailand...

Nous voila en Thailande! Cela fait presque une semaine que nous sommes arrives et il nous aura fallu quelques jours avant de raconter nos impressions sur la Thailande. Tout le monde a entendu parle de la Thailande et de ses plages paradisiaques, des vacances pas cheres... et c'est ce a quoi nous nous attendions. Ca plus ou moins evident, mais on ne s'attendait pas a des endroits si commercialises, remplis de touristes et des prix assez eleves. Nous avons commence par Phuket ou nous avons passe quelques jours pres de la plage de Karon. Des chaises longues et parasols recouvraient la plage si bien qu'on pouvait a peine voir le sable. Malgre ca, nous avons quand meme passe 3 jours agreables.

Ensuite nous avons pris le bateau pour l'ile de Koh Phi Phi qui, selon le guide, serait en premiere position pour une des plus belles iles du monde. En arrivant, nous avons voulu prendre un hotel pas cher et avons atteri dans une petit ville de stands, bars, restaurants, absolument remplis de soulards et tattoues horribles, musique a fond... autant dire qu'on etait un peu decu du deplacement... Le lendemain on a marche jusqu'a l'autre bout de l'ile et avons trouve un petit hotel sur une petite plage privee. Les chambres sont legerement plus cheres mais ca vaut le coup! On a un bungalow pres de la mer, l'hotel est agreable et acceuillant et la petite plage privee est toute mignone. Et la nourriture Thailandaise est delicieuse! On va rester la quelques jours pour se reposer. Apres ca, on fera notre chemin vers Kuala Lumpur pour s'envoler vers l' Indonesie le 29 Novembre!

Here we are in Thailand! We've been here for nearly a week and we've needed some time to tell our impressions about the place. Everybody raves about the country, its stunning beaches, cheap prices... and that's what we came for! It was to plan but we didn't expect all the tourists, drunken chavs and horrible tattoed people and prices are not that cheap at all. We started in Phuket near Karon beach. The beach was covered in long chairs and parasols so we could bearly see the sand! Despite this, we spent 3 nice days there. When then took a boat to Koh Phi Phi which is, according to the guide, a frontrunner for one of the most beautiful islands in the world. When we arrived, we went for a cheap hotel and landed in a town absolutely packed with drunken chavs and extra loud music... no need to say we got a bit disappointed with the move... The next day we walked to the other side of the island and found a cosy little resort with its private beach. It's a bit more expensive but worth it. We've got a bungalow near the beach, the hotel is very nice. We're relaxing and snorkelling and the food is delicious! We're staying there a few days and will then make our way to Kuala Lumpur to fly to Indonesia!

Quelques jours au Cambodge

Nous voila arrives au Cambodge. Seulement quelques metres apres la frontiere, on voyait deja une difference avec le Vietnam. Les paysages sont completement differents et il ne nous aura pas fallu longtemps pour se rendre compte que le Cambodge nous plairait beaucoup.

Les paysages sont plus uniformes, les maisons sur pilotis sont charmantes et les gens ont de beaux visages. Nous avons voyage jusqu a Siem Reap directement pour alller visiter les temples d'Angkor Wat. Siem Reap est une ville sympa et les gens sont tres acceuillants.

Hier nous avons passe la journee a Angkor Wat et c'etait absolument magnifique. Ces temples osnt vraiment impressionants par leur architecture, complexite, details.... J'ai mis des photos sur Facebook.

Nous allons rester quelques jours ici puis irons vers la Thailande pour se relaxer sur les plages...

Here we are, in Cambodia. Only a few meters after the border, we could already spot a difference with vietnam and we didn't long to realise we'd like the country very much.

Landscapes, stilts houses, people are beautiful. We've travelled to Siem Reap to visit the Angkor temples. Siem Reap is a really nice little town with welcoming people.

Yesterday we spent the day in angkor Wat. It was absolutely amazing. The temples are so impressive with their architecture, complexity, details... I've put some photos on Facebook.

We'll stay here for a few days and then will head to Thailand for a bit of relaxation on the beach...

Le Vietnam, bientot fini.

Apres quelques jours passes a se relaxer a Mui Ne, nous repartons demain pour Saigon. On y passera seulement quelques heures avant de partir pour Angkor au Cambodge.

Mui Ne est un endroit tres sympa. On a bien profite des piscines des hotels prives (avant de retourner a notre hotel pas cher...), la plage et on a visite les dunes de sables qui etaient aussi tres chouettes.

On aura eu des moments mitiges, mais on a passe de bons moments au Vietnam. Et on a surtout bien apprecie de manger du poisson frais tous les jours.

After a few days spent relaxing in Mui Ne, we're heading to Saigon tomorrow. We'll only stay for a few hours before going to Angkor in Cambodia.

Mui Ne is a very nice place. We've made the most of the private resorts' swimming pools (before going back to our cheap hotel...), the beach and the sand dunes were also very nice.

Although we've had mixed impressions and adventures in Vietnam, we've had a good time. And we've enjoyed eating fresh fish everyday.

Mirinae storm crosses our way

We won't finish experiencing new adventures on the bus... After we left Hoi An a couple of days ago, the storm got worse along the way. The roads and houses were flooded, massive stones were falling on roads... the road we took was along the coast (only one road) and the sea had come to the road level, flooding all the trees and houses on the side.

The bus had to stop half-way as it was getting unsafe. After a day spent waiting in a windy and unpleasant restaurant, we managed to carry on and got to Nha Trang. Supposed to be a nice coast town with turquoise water and coloured fish, we've been welcome by a brown sea and devastated beach. The rain has stopped and the locals are trying to clear the beaches.

We'll head to Mui Ne tomorrow morning hoping that the weather will clear.

The storm was quite bad and the country was more affected than planned. You can view some info on http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8340772.stm

On a pas fini de vivre de nouvelles experiences dans le bus... Apres avoir quitte Hoi An il y a environ deux jours, la tempete a empire sur le chemin. Les routes et maisons etaient inondees, des roches enormes tombaient sur la route... la route que nous avons pris longeait la cote (il n'y a qu'une route) et le bus a du s'arreter a mi-chemin car les conditions etaient impratiquables. Apres un jour passe a attendre dans un restaurant gris et evente, on a pu reprendre la route pour Nha Trang. La ville est supposee avoir une mer bleur turquoise avec des poissons colores, mais on a ete accuillis par une mer marron et une plage devastee par la tempete.

La tempete s'est arretee maintenant et les locaux deblaient la plage.

On partira pour Mui Ne demain, esperant que le ciel se sera eclairci.

La tempete a ete pire que prevue, vous pouvez voir des infos sur http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iLHRg_fOBnXfy437uedr8c92fSdA

Prochaine destination... next destination...

Apres quelques jours passes a Hoi An, nous voila de retour sur les routes pr Mui Ne. La ville a ete tres sympa et on s'est bien reposes entre les cafes, la plage, la piscine...

Hoi An etant la meilleure ville au Vietnam pour faire des vetements sur mesure, eveidement je n'ai pas loupe le coup et ai pris le temps de refaire ma garde robe pr une somme tres modeste!

Nous partons ce soir en bus de nuit, pourvu que ce ne soit pas le meme que l'autre nuit, pour Mui Ne. Le typhon est arrive sur la cote vietnamienne et on se prend de grosses douches. Ce n'est pas aussi grave que prevu alors esperons que notre prochain sejour dans les dunes de sables ne va pas etre trop compromis...

After several days spent in Hoi An, we're ready to hit the road again. The city has been very nice and we've had time to relax, between the cafes, swimming pool and the beach...

Hoi An being the best city in Vietnam to get tailored made clothes, you can imagine that I didn't miss the opportunity and got my wardrobe refurnished for a tiny amount!

We're leaving tonight on the night bus, hoping it;s not going to be the same as last time, for Mui Ne. The typhoon has arrived on the Vietnamese coast so we hope that our trip in the sand dunes is not going to be compromised...

From hell to paradise

-Make sure you read the article below before this one!-

So after our terrific journey on the night bus and hours of waiting we eventually got on the second bus to Hoi An. And the situation turned around, from the worse bus ever we went onto the best bus, or at least the best bus we've had so far! Beds (although middle of afternoon) were normally sized and really comfortable! After 3 hours we arrived in Hoi An and none stole our stuff on arrival, the people were lovely and helpful and we got the second best hotel so far! Swiming pool, room and bathtub (something I had forgotten existed...). And it became even better when we went to the town which was so lovely and the food delicious and looooots of clothes shops... Ahh finally we're seeing the nice side of Vietnam!!

Bon apres notre horrible voyage dans le bus de nuit et quelques heures d'attente, nous voila enfin dans le second bus pour Hoi An. La situation a completement change, passant du pire au meilleur bus que l'on ait eu depuis le debut du voyage! Les lits (bien que l'apres-midi) etaient parfaitement confortables! Apres 3 heures de voyage, on est arrive a Hoi An et personne n'a tente de vole nos affaires, les gens etaient tres serviables et on a trouve le 2e meilleur hotel depuis notre depart! Pisicine, baignoire (j'avais oublie l'existence des baignoires...). Et c'est devenu encore quand nous sommes alles dans la ville. C'est tres mignon, la nourriture delicieuse et il y a pleins de magasins de vetements.... Bon enfin on decouvre le bon cote du Vietnam!!

Oscars ceremony of the .... most uncomfortable journey!!!

Last night we got on board of a supposidely luxury bus. After 1.5 hours of delay, the doors finally opened for us to enter ... a confined and clostrophobic area. After a few minutes of trying to fit in our bodies, it came to my mind that we have to organise an oscar ceremony for the worse journey ever.... After 11 weeks of travelling, we have had our fair share of travel and some exciting experiences...

Nominees are:
China - Night bus to Inner Mongolia: Remember the horrible toilet experience, the non-sleep on top of the back wheels and the massive ripp-off around all the area's motorways.
China - 14 hour bus on road devastated by the earthquake and full of dust, bipping....
Nepal - Trip in Jeep with 27 other people packed on top of each other, on the roof, the sides...
Nepal - Bus to Jomsom, bumpy to the roof, techno music ultra loud and dust everywhere.
Vietnam - Bus to Hoi An: let me tell you more about it before we proceed to the elections....

So as I said, it was a bit of a challenge to get our bodies to fit into the confined space to sleep. To give you a better idea, it's a bit as if you were sleeping on a children's slide, jsut the height of your body. So your back is bent upward and your legs are stuck underneath a metallic basket. It's also a mix with sleeping in a supermarket trolley with having to put your legs on the children seat to get your blood circulating. Fancy getting on a bus like that?????

We managed to sleep a few hours in between the Vietnamese putting their arms in our faces and I was actually finding it quite funny last night. This morning though, it didn't make me laugh at all when I was all achy.... and even less when I adventured to the toilets to find a squat filled in with pee, charming.... had to keep it in again! I'm used to it now...

Not finished though! We've only arrived half way as I'm writing now. We've been dropped off at a hotel to wait for the second bus. Whilst the driver was offloading all our bags in front of the hotel, the hotel staff stole stuff from the bags!! And our own bag!!!! Not very clever though as we saw her and told her to give us the stuff she put in her pocket. She was not really disturbed and giggled when I told her "You're a lier, a thieve and you should be ashamed of you!"

So coming back to the oscars for the most uncomfortable trip..... I think we can give it to Vietnam!!! Impressions are getting better and better.... and we still have 4 hours till we get to Hoi An.... That's travelling for you baby!