Jon the Traveller

Chiang Mai. One of those cities you HAVE to arrive by train in, as it shows off its location to the best, ESPECIALLY when arriving as the sun rises over the nearby peaks. Its a stunning view to be awake for, and lucky I had a window berth, however my camera does not like the idea of murky window’s being in the way, so folks you’ll have to come to the region to see it for yourselves!

As for Chiang Mai itself, it seems very compact, and compared to Bangkok, very quiet as far as traffic goes, which makes walking around it a joy, and I do like to walk around places don’t I? Oh and as Lucy mentioned on Facebook the other day “Monk, Monk, Monk, Monk…”, but what do you expect in a small city with nearly as many Wat (including Wat U Mong!) as Bangkok?

Off to the Night Bazaar tonight – or maybe I’ll stroll down Moon Muang and find a bar to chill out in, either way I am looking forward to my time here in the North – including some treks, maybe massage classes. Honestly I am not really sure, don’t even know how long I’ll remain here, either way there is a huge amount for me to do should I stay a good while.

So a tad over 3 weeks to go now. I really dont know if I have missed anything in all my preparations of late.

I have pulled out the old faithful backpack and am repeatedly deciding what to take / not to take. First few nights accomodation are all taken care in a few early destinations, I am doing that to slowly ease myself out of the comfort zone I have been in for the past couple of years. I’ve made my lists of important numbers and sent them to the four corners of the world in case of emergencies.

I really am stuck for wondering what else there is to do bar eat and sleep for the next 3 weeks! I hate this part of pre-trip preparations for that reason, and I hate the organised part of me more!

I was recently recommended a movie called “A Map For Saturday“, about a documentary maker/producer who jacked in his cushy NYC life and travelled the world backpacker style for nearly a year, its amazing how true to the majority of travellers it is, the comments made within it are what we concern ourselves with everyday while we are away from our own cushy lives.

Vietnam.

The very name conjours up images of jungle, of soldiers and of burning civilians.  However, while a dark period in it’s history that has undeniably left its mark on Vietnam, the country has so much more to offer the traveller in the way of culture, history and landscape.  It is not a place I have seen before for much more than a week here and there, so this time I’d like to delve deeper into the country, and see more of what it has to offer, in addition to some of the more “traditional” sites on the “banana pancake trail”.

• Saigon: A rapidly moving city that is looking forward to the future more than its sister city, Hanoi in the north;
• Chu Chi Tunnels: Demonstrating the lengths that the VC and the North Vietnamese Army went to during the conflict with the United States;
• Mekong Delta: One of the worlds most diverse delta regions that even a nature luddite like myself can appreciate;
• Hue: Former Imperial Capital and by all accounts one of the most stunning places in Asia to visit;
• Halong Bay: Think Karsts. Think Sea. Think Junk boats meandering.  Then mulitply it by thousands, and you have Halong Bay;
• Hoi An: Old world majesty in an asian setting.

Some of the above is probably crossed information on my part – my mind isnt functioning that well, given that it is 4 weeks until I leave and I keep wondering if it will all go well – but its a small list of what I’d like to see and experience while in the most enigmatic of countries within the region.

Ive booked early accomodation, sorted some overnight train tickets and have all necessary visa’s, there is not much left for me to do now but wait it out!

Kampuchea. Khmer Rouge. Killing fields. Tomb Raider.

All of these conjour images of Cambodia, another destination for my upcoming trip. Cambodia is a country with nearly as violent a history as its neighbour Vietnam, yet another ex-francophile country that since the end of French colonialism has been torn by civil war and political upheaval that have left huge scars on the country and its people.

At this stage, I am uncertain as to how and when I shall I enter the country, either way it shall be an adventure in itself, as even today Cambodia has a “frontier” feeling to it, that makes every step you take there most interesting.

The main highlights in Cambodia are:

• Angkor Wat: Simply the most enthralling temple complex I have ever visited, it will be a joy to spend more time wandering the temples and ruins that this UNESCO site has to offer;
• Pnomh Penh: A city hugely influenced by the French in its architecture, as well as the Russians during the communist era. Has a great riverside culture to it yet beneath that is the heart of a city trying hard to move on from it’s bloody past – hard with Tuol Sleng and The Killing Fields in such close proximity to the city;
• Sihanoukville & Kampot: Beaches, islands and hillstations.

There is much more, but I have not yet fully read up cambodia, I’d like it to be a surprise, as I havent really ventured beyond the above in the past…

Well folks, its getting closer to my jump off date!

In the past few weeks I have dithered about things, and spent a touch to much money, but not enough to prevent this trip from happening.

However, that has all changed recently and with renwed vigour I am back on planning this excursion!  I have bought my insurance from Insureandgo.com at an awesome price; My parents have arranged a trip out to Thailand for Easter 2010 to visit me and feed me for two weeks and I finally got my hair cut so I’ll look respectable on the numerous photo’s I need for all the visa’s.

I had doubts about the trip, but I have been wanting this for so long that to not go would be a disservice to myself.

Jesus! It has gotten closer than I had thought.

I had not forgotten you dear readers, I have just been a very distracted person.

I have turned 30, played EVE alot, worked hard and tried to fight my spender tendencies, thats the hardest of the lot to do – worried alot about my costs for this trip, but however I end up I’ll manage, Ive had little cash on trips and in general before too!

I have started a travelblog over on Travelpod, mainly because I like the little widget you can see to the side of these posts.

It will show my route as it happens and any images I link to the blog over there.  Do not be alarmed though, the majority of my posts will still be made here!

Follow this link to my Travelpod blog and marvel at it’s emptiness – however I do have a great image of Angkor Wat as my blogs image on that site

…to the region he loves the most.  Yes folks, I’ll be off to Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, The Phillipines & Indonesia in a little under 10 months.  Planning has only just begun for this trip, and I am not going to plan too much like I normally do either. Just get there and take things as they come.

Rural Vietnam Refueling in Cambodia

… And my next adventure begins.

I’ll be posting more often from now on.