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Vien Vieng
Vang Vieng is the most chilled-out town in Laos. For tourists, anyway. The big draw here is tubing down the river. It's just like tubing down the Guadalupe in Texas, except there are bars ever 50-200 meters or so. And crazy-ass contraptions like giant ziplines, rickety-rope swings that reach towards the sky, and a giant waterslide, none of ( Read more... ) -
It's Lao, not Laos
So the boat ride to Luang Prabang wasn't so bad. It wasn't the most comfortable transportation I've ever taken, but it was far better than the 8-hour, 3rd-class train ride I took from the south of Thailand to Bangkok ( Read more... ) -
Northern Thailand
Northern Thailand is great. I took a two-day trek through the jungle, past wild elephants, to a hilltribe on top of a mountain at 1500 meters where I slept in a bamboo hut with a gaggle of young European girls. The villagers cooked us curry and stirfry over and open fire (in the hut) and sold us cheap Thai beer. It was . . great ( Read more... ) -
To Chiang Mai!
I searched high and low to find the best slow-boat down the Mekong into Vietnam. And when I finally found one (it was difficult!) I find out that I can't go. The Vietnamese embassy is closed all week for New Year's. I can't get a visa. Oh well ( Read more... ) -
Cambodia
Quick update: I met a dude from New York in Bangkok, and we hung out for a week or so in Bangkok and then down at a beach town. It was really nice to talk to an American. I had forgotten how effortless communication could be. He could even understand my sarcasm; no one else I've encountered out here can claim that. Yay for a taste of home ( Read more... ) -
Ridiculousness
Well the drops the Thai doctor gave me for my ear haven't helped at all. My left ear still feels clogged all the time despite the fact that I can equalize pressure through my eustacian tubes with no problem.
Meanwhile, I got an even worse sunburn the other day by hanging out in the shade on the beach for a few hours. I'm on Koh Pha Ngan, home ( Read more... ) -
SCUBA FTW
I finished my SCUBA open-water training course on Koh Tao with my new German friend Anne. She's headed to South Africa in two weeks to do cage diving with Great White sharks(!) but first we're thinking of heading to Khao Lak to do the advanced open-water course in Similian Islands Marine National Park. Should be fantastic, if a bit more expensive ( Read more... ) -
SCUBA
I just completed my first full day of SCUBA instruction on the tiny island of Koh Tao off the coast of Thailand. It's absolutely beautiful here! I spent the evening lounging on the beach with some German chick, drinking giant beers for $2 and watching the molotov cocktails burn away. That's right, they fill bottles with gas, shove rags in them, ( Read more... ) -
Melbourne
Melbourne's a cool town. I guess I never stopped to think that Australia would have burgeoning metropolises. This is the most urban place I've been since Manhattan ( Read more... ) -
Yay, more pics
Back in New Zealand. Having tons of fun hitchhiking around the mountains here. Many more pics on The Picasa Page.
I'm headed to Melbourne on Friday for my first CouchSurfing experience. Looking forward to it!
