We were very lucky that our camping trip to Dorset coincided with a beautiful later summer’s weekend.
As well as visiting the River Cottage Autumn Fair for the birthday of Hugh’s biggest fan. We also enjoyed walking, a spot of mackerel fishing off Lyme Regis (and cooking the spoils), eating too much and sampling some of the local ales and rather too much of the local cider.
We arrived in Paris by TGV from Basel. A comfortable journey made all the more entertaining by the conductors attempts to seamlessly switch between German, French and English.
We spent the afternoon wandering around the 5th and 6th arrondissements and reading a collection of posters outside the Jardin du Luxembourg. The final night of our trip was spent enjoying a delicious meal with Dominique and Christian.
We enjoyed a great two days in Basel with Nicole and Christian. While we were there we explored the old town, took in the views from Bölchenflue, visited the Roman amphitheatre at Augusta Raurica, cheekily enjoyed a free beer at the Feldschlösschen brewery, took in a spot on the Rhein where France, Germany and Switzerland meet and crossed the Rhein by means of an ingenious ferry which used the power of the river to take us from one side to the other.
Nicole and Christian were determined that we sample a wide range of edible Swiss delights during our visit. These included the classic fondue, waldfest (forest party), Alpen macaroni, white asparagus plus a huge selection of Swiss cheeses and beers.
Following a short taxi ride from our treks end point at Phedi we arrived back to some luxury at Hotel Nirvana. We enjoyed a few celebratory beers before attempting to cleanse ourselves of the previous five days worth of grime. That night we treated ourselves to steak at the Everest Steak House, washed down, of course with a few more bottles of Nepal Ice.
The next day was Pam’s last full day with us. Pam and I decided to relieve some of our post-trek aches and pains by indulging in a massage. We saw a sign for ‘massage’ on the street and followed it. It lead to an appartment block where we were ushered into a bedroom and told to strip off. The mother and daughter team were very excited by our custom and even invited us to dinner with their family that evening. The whole experience, although slightly bizarre, was enjoyable and we left feeling relaxed and refreshed.The rest of the day was spent being rowed across Phewa lake before walking up to the World Peace Pagoda to take in the views of Pokhara.
Pam left for Kathmandu the following day. We were able to watch her board the tiny Buddha Air plane and watch it take off into the distance. Matthew and I hung around in Pokhara for a few more days generally being lazy.
After much deliberation we decided on a trek from Nayapul to Ghorepani then across to Ghandruk and back to Phendi and Pokhara via Landruk and Dhampus.
Our start was delayed by a bout of sickness suffered by Mam but we were soon on our way to Nayapul one hour away from Pokhara by taxi. From Nayapul we crossed the Modi Khola to Birethani. The first obstacle to be negotiated was a band of kids demanding ’school pen,’ ‘chocolate’ and ‘rupee.’ This didn’t bode well for the rest of the trek.
After having our permits checked in Birethani we set off. The trail was easy to follow and we made good progress on the gentle slopes as we passed by rice terraces and fields where vegetables were being grown.
We stopped off for lunch at one of the numerous trail side lodges. We ordered three dal bhat and were surprised when the bill came and the lunches were Rs. 250 (Nepali rupees) each. It turns out that prices at the lodges have been fixed throughout the Annapurna region and most of the lodges not only have identical prices but identical menus. It wasn’t so much the prices that disappointed us (rooms were so cheap that we never paid more that Rs. 1500 for the three of us to have dinner, bed and breakfast) rather being handed identical menus everywhere we went for breakfast, lunch and dinner proved a little demoralising (especially when the menu read like one at the worst sort of traveller cafe.)
We planned to spend the first night at Tikehedunnga. When we arrived there, however, we decided that we still had enough in the tank to make a start at the 3421 stone steps up to Ulleri. We stopped at the Annapurna View Guest house about two thirds of the way up where we were the only guests. We woke in the morning to the incredible view of Annapurna South looming over us from the clear blue sky.
Day two provided a long, continuous climb up to the village of Ghorepani (2750m). A hard but pleasant days walking. On arriving in Ghorepani we signed in with ACAP and settled into a very comfortable cottage at Sunny View. We did some laundry and after a hot shower retreated to the dinning room as the sun disappeared and the temperature began to drop. After a decent meal rounded off with apple pie and custard (not quite as Mother makes it.) We headed to bed and climbed into our sleeping bags wearing more clothes than we had worn all day.
Despite the cold we all slept well and we had no problems getting up at five in the morning for the walk up Poon Hill. According to our guidebook, watching the sun rise from the top of Poon Hill (3193m) is the ‘most done thing in the trekking universe.’ When we’d made the ascent to the top it was easy to see why. The incredible panorama and beautiful sunrise were truly staggering. Once we’d soaked it all in and taken enough photographs we descended and tucked into porridge and chiya before setting off for Tadapani.
Or so we thought, we soon realised that we’d taken the wrong path out of Ghorepani and after retracing our steps we find the correct trail and we’re on our way up and along the ridge to Deurali. The views from the ridge top were awesome and we felt as though we might bump into the Annapurnas they appear so close. We stopped in Deurali for dal bhat with a friendly Tibetan family before continuing our way through a cold misty rhododendron filled valley passing and impressive gorge to Tadapani.
Mam and Rhian were disappointed with the selection of lodges in Tadapani but eventually (after looking at every room in the village) they settled for Panorama Point (the first place they’d looked at) which had decent rooms and a heated viewing tower where we ate a curious dinner of fried potatoes, veg, egg and cheese.
Day three and in order to fit our planned trek into five days (our guidebook suggests six or seven) a long days walking was required. We set off from Tadapani foregoing breakfast with plans to stop at Ghandruk. We were soon stopped in our tracks however by a group of langurs who we watch swinging through the trees for ten minutes or so before continuing on our way.
We make good progress to Ghandruk where we stopped for an almost inedible poached egg on toast (I’d told Mam that it wasn’t worth ordering something like this.) From Ghandruk we made the long steep descent to the Modi Khola then climbed up the other side of the valley to Landruk where we paused for a well deserved chiya. The final one and a half hour walk to Tolka was an enjoyable walk along the side of the valley with a short and steep final ascent into the village.
In Tolka we stayed at the comfortable International Guest house (more to Mam and Rhian’s liking) where we enjoyed a delicious and very filling dal bhat.
The final day of our trek started with a steep ascent to Bitchok Deurali. On the climb we passed numerous tour groups heading in the opposite direction on their way to the Annapurna sanctuary. Once at the top of the ridge we celebrated with a hot chiya safe in the knowledge that the long climbs were behind us. The stretch between Bitchok Deurali and Dhampus proved to be a pleasant walk through attractive forest with good views back at the Annapurnas which are fast disappearing behind the afternoon cloud. As we approached Dhampus we got fantastic views of the circling vultures but they were out of luck today as we were all feeling on top form as we arrived in the village in time for lunch.
We had a decent plate of fried rice with a friendly Dutch chap who’s cycled most of the way from the Netherlands to Nepal. Then, after phoning Kulman, our friendly taxi driver (who had lived in Brecon while his father was in the British army), to pick us up we descended to Phedi past wonderful views of the valley. At the bottom Kulman was waiting for us and before we knew it we were sitting on the hotel balcony back in Pokhara enjoying a cold ‘Nepal ice’ beer.
We had to returned to Kuala Lumpur in order to pick up our Indian visas and to make our first flight of the trip (to Chennai.) After much deliberation we decided to stay in Kuala Lumpur a few more days in order to spend Christmas there.
We had been given some gift vouchers for the Marriott Hotel by Geraint as a wedding present. Following our twenty four hours of living it up at the Renaissance Marriott in Kuala Lumpur a few weeks earlier we decided that Christmas was the perfect time to use these vouchers and enjoy a bit of luxury.
Yet again we checked in at the club level desk and were shown to our amazing room. Matthew had cheekily informed the staff that we were on our honeymoon (strictly true I suppose.) Within a few hours of our arrival a delicious chocolate cake was delivered to our room.
We stayed at the hotel for three nights, yet again making the most of all the delicious complimentary food and drink on offer. On Christmas day we opened the presents sent from home (Christmas pants and socks), watched TV, sat by the pool and ate and drunk us much as we could.
Our journey from Ko Mook to Ko Lipe was something to remember. Although we were completely soaked by the time we disembarked the thrilling journey made up for it. After an unpleasant night at a guesthouse on Hat Pattaya we packed up and moved to the friendly Pooh’s.
We had managed to escape the grey skies that hung over on Mook and we took the opportunity to enjoy the crystal clear sea and soak up some rays.
Although the island was a lot more developed than our two year old guidebook lead us to believe we were still able to enjoy long stretches of beach to ourselves.
Geraint and I spent an excellent day snorkelling around some of the wonderful reefs to be found in the Tarutao National Marine Park (Ko Jabang, Ko Hin Ngam, Ko Rawi & Ko Adang).
Although a lot more expensive than the night market fare we were used to the food on Lipe was excellent. We enjoyed great fish barbecues and sour seafood curries.
After leaving Kanchanburi we headed south for the much anticipated islands of Thailand. Our first stop was the coastal town of Krabi where we were to meet Geraint who would be holidaying with us for the next two weeks. I had somehow become confused with dates and we had a shock to find Geraint suddenly appear at the Krabi night market a day earlier than anticipated.
After a night in Krabi we journeyed further south to Trang. Our twenty four hours in Trang turned out to be a bit of a disaster. Yet again Matthew was suffering with his bowels and therefore confined to our hotel room. The hotel was undoubtedly one of the worst we had stayed in during our trip. Advertised as ‘five star backpackers’ we were expecting something slightly more comfortable than what we found. I don’t really know where to begin with describing this place maybe I should let the photos do the talking.
Myself and Geraint made a trip to he Tesco Lotus on the outskirts of town to purchase a much needed bed sheet for Geraint. This was a surreal experience, it felt as though we could have been a Tesco in Llansamlet or Kingston park with exactly the same layout. On entering we instinctively knew which aisle to head to for the bedding.
We manged to survive the night wihout contracting any serious diseases. We were up and packed bright and early ready for the minibus which took us to the longtail boat for the short crossing to Ko Mook.
Lots of tourists make the journey west of Bangkok to Kanchanaburi to ride the infamous Death Railway. The Thailand-Burma Railway, as it was officially known, was built by allied POWs during the second world war and it is possible to ride the remaining section from Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok.
Kanchanaburi, as well as being the location of the famous bridge over the Khwae Yai river, is also the site of two allied war cemeteries. Visiting these and learning the story of the railway at the excellent Thailand-Burma Railway Centre proved a moving experience. My Grandfather had spent time in India and Burma during the second world war and it made be consider how close he might have come to suffering the same fate as these men.
As well as taking the train to Nam Tok and visiting the excellent Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum we also took a day out on bicycles to explore the area. After much nagging, Rhian finally coaxed me into visiting the Kanchanaburi Monkey School.
Eating in Kanchanaburi is a no-brainer. The excellent night market provided a fantastic selection of vendors and the food was excellent value. Rhian was particularly fond of the banana and condensed milk rotis for dessert.
We arrived at our chosen hotel in Louang Phabang and were greeted by hysterical laughter from the builders who were in the early stages of reconstruction. Our next guest house could have done with a bit of work itself. The place certainly had character but I suspect it wasn’t really what Pete and Hannah had in mind for their relaxing holiday in Laos.
Louang Phabang is a picturesque UNESCO world heritage town. There are plenty of attractive colonial buildings and relaxed riverside restaurants. We spent our first evening at one of these restaurants where we enjoyed a DIY dinner cooked over a barbecue/hot pot hybrid.
The sites within the town were visited on a very informative walking tour courtesy of Hannah and here trusty Lonely Planet guide book. As well as a number of wats we also visited the humble palace built by the French in the 1920s.
We took a boat trip up the Mekong to the highly amusing Pak Ou Budda caves, a place where the raggy dolls of the Buddha world are housed. These poor figures have been somehow maimed or were deemed too unattractive and so have been brought together to live in a collection of caves. We also stopped off at a lao-lao producing village where they distilled the unpalatable rice wine which I have been forced to drink throughout South East Asia.
One morning we got up before dawn to watch the Louang Phabang monks collecting alms. We had expected to see a handful of other tourists stupid enough to get up at such an unsociable hour to watch the ritual. We weren’t anticipating the hundreds of Thai tourists who arrived in air-con minibuses and took their places on stools lining the streets. Offerings were elaborate and plentiful. The more upmarket guest houses appeared to be competing to see who could produce the most extravagant selection of offerings for their guests. There was a huge sense of excitement in the air. Soon after six o’clock the monks emerged. They walked the circuit piling up absurd amounts of sticky rice given to them by Thai people eager to gain merit thereby improving their chances of reaching Nivarna or at the very least, being reincarnated as a man.
Whilst staying in Louang Phabang we also visited the Kouang Si waterfall. We enjoyed several hours here appreciating the scenery, clowning around in the pools and risking life and limb walking along the top of the waterfall.
