Paradisiacle Perhentian

After a compilation of transport including flights from Cairns to Coolangatta, Coolangatta to Kuala Lumpur, and Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu, followed by an hour taxi, and 30 minutes in a speed boat across the South China Sea, we find ourselves in the Perhentian Islands. There are two islands in this magical group, the “small island” (Palau Kecil) and the “big island” (Palau Besar). We chose to stay on Kecil since it is more geared to the budget traveler and is less dominated by tourists and resorts. This place really can’t be compared to anywhere else we’ve been. Upon arrival we were both awe struck and all Brandon could say was “Wow, this place is paradise”…it really is. The water is crystal clear for at least 100 meters out followed by shade upon shade of stunning turquoise. The shoreline is lined with secluded white sand beaches, scenic boulders, and tropical vegetation. This place is island living at its best. Two years ago the accommodations on offer were nothing more than Malaysian bungalows with bug netting and a fan-if you were lucky. With many new properties popping up, seeking a little more comfort, we opted to stay at a brand new place which includes hot water, TV, and AC. We don’t usually mind roughing it a bit but seeing as we are rounding the home stretch of the trip we are stepping it up and splurging for luxury here and there. This is definitely the kind of place people come for a week and stay the whole season. There is an impressive chilled out vibe, the locals here are friendly and super hospitable, and the surroundings are picture perfect. After 3 months in Australia, penny pinching and self catering, there is a striking contrast being back in Asia living like royalty on a poor man’s pocketbook. There are nightly BBQs serving a variety of fresh caught fish and seafood and for a few bucks we couldn’t ask for more.

Seeing as we are dealing with a low-tech island in Malaysia, it is almost impossible to make advance reservations for any of the accommodations in the Perhentians. Upon arrival we booked in for 4 nights as the place we were staying was full beginning the 24th. We enquired with reception of nearly every place on the island in order to secure a room for the remaining 3 days of our stay but each place told us that they didn’t know if they had availability and that we would have to check the morning of the 24th. We continued to ask here and there over our first 4 days but still having no luck we booked the water taxi back to the mainland as a backup. After a typhoon class rain storm the night of the 23rd, we were sure that some people would unexpectedly check out leaving an opening for us. We planned to go diving on the 24th, one in the morning followed by a second dive in the afternoon. We were up early and headed across the island for our dive which started at 9am. As we assumed the visibility on this dive was limited due to the run-off from the intense rain showers the previous night. The variety of life however, was plentiful and we caught a glimpse of some new and unique underwater species including giant Titan Trigger Fish, tons of Nudibranchs, as well as a Blue Spotted Sting Ray. After our dive we were on a mission to find a place to sleep for the night. We noticed tons of people arriving by boat; most only to wander the beaches in the extreme heat and then re-board a boat returning to the mainland. We ran around like mad people but after checking with each place on both sides of the island, it became clear to us that we were totally out of luck. We were pretty disappointed but our only choice was to cancel our afternoon dive and return to the mainland like the rest of them. Having a flight booked from Kota Bharu in only 3 days, we weren’t sitting on enough time to venture elsewhere so we booked into a place just beyond the Kuala Besut Jetty. This town is tiny consisting of a few booking offices, a couple local restaurants and a mosque. I think that 3 nights here must be a record stay for foreigners because even the woman at our guest house asked us why we were staying for so long. We started our time here with a positive attitude enjoying the fact that we were seeing a different side of the country over the next few days. We figured we could stand to learn a little more about the Muslim faith which dominates the region. We laid very low for our time in Kuala Besut. Our most adventurous day took us on a 12km return walk to the closest supermarket. We browsed the bric-a-brac and picked up some fresh fruit and veggies to keep us going for the 3 days. Amongst the regular local crowd, we enjoyed a couple good meals at the small seaside restaurant. Since we weren’t able to enjoy our time on the island, we found a little satisfaction in the crumby weather which filled those 3 days. The clouds didn’t break and it rained sporadically, we felt like we hadn’t missed out on too much paradise on the island.

July 17th-Brandon's B-day

We would spend our final day in Cairns celebrating Brandon’s Birthday. Yet another great day in the Land of Oz, today was all about being spoiled. First, we sat down at a local café for a late breakfast. We had a great meal including home made falafel, gourmet focaccia sandwich, and delicious thick milkshakes. It was such a nice treat to eat out since we had been self catering and eating pretty simply for the last 3 months. In the afternoon we went to the movies and laughed our asses off at Sasha Cohen’s Bruno. We had scoped out some nice places to eat and agreed to sit down at a nice restaurant specializing in upscale aboriginal/bush food, Ochre. With only a couple days left in the country, it was time for us to taste the local delicacies which we had yet to try. Our meal started with an Australian Antipasto plate. This tasting platter was made up of: Dukka crusted Kangaroo, Emu paté, Crocodile stuffed wontons, pickled beat with Kingfish, and rich goat cheese. The plate included many traditional bush spices and ingredients and all were incredibly delicious. For our main course we went with the night’s special of Wallaby shank with cardamom spiced potato and traditional bush salsa. We were stuffed and satisfied. The meal was awesome, a true taste of fine Australian tucker. Our night ended with a lovely stroll back to our accommodation. We packed up our things and prepared to leave in a few hours to catch our early morning flight to the Coolangatta coast.

Agincourt Ribbon Reefs

Since we were without wheels after giving up Fran, we didn’t have too much planned for our last week in the country. We just enjoyed the city, the sun, and living a care free life. Everything that could have caused issues leading up to our departure had gone smoothly and this was great because we really were able to enjoy a stress-free final week. We had decided in advance to hold off on our trip out onto the Great Barrier Reef in order to add some excitement to our vehicle-less days. We decided we would leave ourselves a nice 2-day window between diving and flying so we reserved 2 spots on the reputable SilverSonic vessel on July 16th, departing from Port Douglas. The general rule for diving in Australia is that the outer and more northerly areas of the reef are most stunning and pristine. We really wanted this dive to be the experience of our lives so we opted for what appeared to be a more high-end option taking us to the Agincourt Ribbon Reefs. Since the weather had been great for a couple days, we were sure visibility would be high so we decided to rent an underwater camera. Our day started with a luxury coach trip to Port Douglas about an hour away from Cairns. It was such a relief to take part in an ultra organized tour, polar opposite to much of the tours we participated in, in Asia. The vessel was huge which kept it from feeling overcrowded and maintained a nice smooth ride to the outer reef. The area where we would be diving, Agincourt Reef, is located along the continental shelf which translates to incredible diversity of life and pristine conditions. We decided to make the most of the day so we would do the limit of 3 dives over the course of the day. Taking in 3 different locations, we were thrilled with the quality of the experience. This was by-far the most pristine underwater world either of us had experienced. This met even the highest of expectations and over the course of the three dives we saw countless varieties of fish and healthy, colourful coral. The last dive of the day was truly a highlight as we partook in our first drift dive. Since we were located on the outside edge of the reef for our final dive, the swells were approaching 3 meters in height. Equipment and people were strewn about the vessel as we were gearing up. Anxiety levels peaked; the certified divers jumped into the insanely strong current before the boat relocated to a more tranquil area for the others. Upon entry we had to descend quickly to avoid being swept out into the deep blue by the ferocious waves. The first 100 meters were tough because we were fighting the natural underwater current. Our bodies became tired swimming against the tow but once we rounded a massive reef pinnacle we were able to relax and travel with the current for the remainder of the dive. Just as we rounded the coral mass into the “safety zone”, 2 large green turtles swam along side our group. We watched in awe as they went about their business with such grace. Being on the edge of the reef, we were warned to keep an eye on the deep dark blue because these kinds of location can attract sharks. Lucky for us, no man eaters approached by we did see 2 moderately sized reef sharks which was excitement enough. These dives were awesome! Totally warn out after an action packed; we were ready to sleep like babies after the bus ride back to our bed.

Last Journeys in our Sweet 1979 Toyota Hiace

Along our alternate route we made a few quick stops to take in a couple popular tourist sights. One of these must-sees included the views of the emerald green waters at Mossman Gorge. After whipping up lunch at the Gorge we continued onto Cairns where we made a quick stop. From there we traveled inland through the countryside until we arrived at the infamous Cathedral Fig Tree. Fig trees are found all over Australia but this one in particular is more than 500 years old and is a monster of a plant. The tree stands 48 meters tall and it would take more than 24 people linking arms to span its girth. Standing next to it you feel like a teeny tiny, insignificant creature in the rainforest. After ogling the tree for a while we moved on to the Millaa Millaa lookout for sunset. This spot is surrounded by miles of rolling green hills and on a clear day you can see all the way to the ocean. After a peaceful night camping in Millaa Millaa, we carried on to Crawford’s Lookout which towers over the rainforest at 2000 meters above the forest floor. There was a walking track which extended from the lookout so we figured we would venture on a little trek. The first section of the trail led us to a grassy area overlooking the mouth of 3 rivers as well as the forest below. We had the place to ourselves for hours and relaxed allowing the rainforest to come alive around us. From here we decided to do some further exploring so we walked down to the river’s edge. After taking in some more of Mother Nature’s wonder, we started back up the track to the car. The route down was an easy going descent but we were completely exhausted by the time we climbed back up to the parking area. We were sweaty and our bodies were like rubber. We deserved a healthy fill of food and after refueling our bodies we were back on the trail towards the Babinda Boulders. We planned to camp the night at this impressive gorge but unfortunately the camping area was full so after a quick stop, we looped back and traveled the short distance back to Cairns. Lucky for us we were able to bump up our reservation and checked into the accommodations which we had booked starting the following night. This gave us the opportunity to take our time moving out of Fran and into the apartment accommodations where we would spend the following week. We drove into town the following day around noon and met up with Amy and Ewan to make the final hand off. Quick and easy, cash for keys, we made our exchange and away we went on foot. Our next stop that afternoon was at the mall for a little free spending. We picked up a couple CDs and a few articles of clothing and wrapped up our day with a date night at the movies.

Daintree and Cape Tribulation

The area of the northern cape of Queensland is some of the most beautiful land we have set our eyes on. Our journey began from Cairns and we planned to head to our most northerly destination first, followed by stops along the route as we travelled south back to Cairns. As we drove along the highway we were overwhelmed by the massive beauty around us. This section of the highway remains tight to the coastline which makes for spectacular views across the ocean and along the pristine, unspoiled beaches scattered on the shore. As we drove, we couldn’t resist stopping at the popular Rex Lookout. We couldn’t have asked for a clearer day, the skies were impeccably blue and the sun was shining. This spot is bursting with the kind of scenery that leaves you jaw dropped. You find yourself looking away in disbelief only to refocus on the absolutely flawless backdrop. I think what keeps this area looking so pristine is that the region is World Heritage Listed for the Great Barrier Reef as well as the Rainforests which meet the shores. Development has been backed off the “absolute beachfront” here leaving a buffer of rich greenery along every beach. After being blown away by some of the first views, we stopped at the Port Douglas lookout which must be one of the loveliest views overlooking a beach town. After stocking up on supplies in Port “Dougy”, we set out for Cape Trib. In order to get to Cape Tribulation, we had to travel across the Daintree River on the car ferry. This is essentially a platform which transports vehicles from one side of the river to the other, back and forth every 15 minutes. After our 2 minute putt across the mangrove-lined river we were ready to start our adventures through the oldest rainforest in the world, the Daintree Rainforest. Conventional vehicles (those lacking 4WD) can only drive as far as Cape Tribulation even though dirt roads continue all the way to the north shore. This area was discovered by Captain James Cook in 1770 and incredibly enough, the views remain true to what he first explored so many years ago. Although there are a few accommodations and common conveniences none of these properties have compromised the natural area and therefore the coastline remains seamless. We stopped for the night at Myall Beach at Cape Tribulation Camping. We spent the day on the untouched white sands of Myall Beach but decided to check out the following morning since the place was way overpriced and the facilities here were very much sub-pare. We checked into the Rainforest Jungle Lodge where we were able to get power for the van and adequate facilities. We walked along Myall Beach taking in the incredible sights around us. We decided we would embark on a small hike in order to take a look at Cape Tribulation Beach. Yet another unspoiled area with top notch views. After another peaceful sleep deep in the rainforest we woke to a rather gloomy day which inspired us to venture elsewhere. There were a few places which had sparked our interest so we decided to make a couple stops before venturing back to Cairns to hand over our baby.

Rockin' out in the Rainforest

I know the term “Melting Pot” is way overused but I really think it’s appropriate when describing the Australian scene. Maybe the place has a strong identity and feeling of independence because of its geographical isolation, for whatever the reason there are many strong and distinctive sub-cultures here. The population on the whole seems fairly artistic, creative, and entrepreneurial. This is definitely what gives Australia a lot of its character and charm. Coming from Canada, we can relate very much to the pace of life and similar overall social aspects. Over here however, there seems to be less of a “mold” to follow when compared to our highly Americanized province, and nation. There seem to be niche communities all over the country here. One place where we really felt the freedoms on offer in this glorious land, was the Kuranda Roots Festival. We decided, on a whim, to get tickets since we had missed all the other events on tour here. We weren’t sure what to expect but from our previous Aussie experience we thought it to be laid back, interesting, and more than likely a good time. We checked into the Kuranda Rainforest Park where we would spend the following 2 nights of the festival. We were a short and very pleasant, rainforest walk away from the Kuranda Amphitheatre. We walked around town to take in some of the sights. After all the town of Kuranda is a classic tourist town. It has all the attractions from scenic railway, butterfly sanctuary, bird aviary, snake and bat farms, the local candy shop, and countless souvenir shops. The place is famous for its rainforest markets which are super cool. We tasted some of the splendid local fruit wines; lychee, mango, lime and spicy chili…all delish. We stopped at the general store and finally at the Bottle-O to pick up the weekend beverages. The evening concert didn’t start until 6:30 so we figured we would have dinner and a couple drinks, and head over. To our pleasant surprise, as Friday afternoon was winding down, we already had 3 interested buyers for the van. Buyers were eager, wanting the van immediately and offering us cash over the phone. We realized that we would have more say in when, where, and to whom we sold so we informed all those interested that we would be back in Cairns Sunday afternoon, giving everyone a chance to view and test-drive. I guess we got a little too into the “Goon” (Big box of cheap Australian wine) because we didn’t make it to any of the pre-festival events on the Friday night. After having our own private party and some good laughs, we headed to bed fairly early to get a jump start on the following day.

Early Saturday we had a light breakfast and walked down to the amphitheatre. The weather was great and from the buzz around town we could tell we were in for an awesome day. As we entered the park we were impressed from the start. There were three separate stages showcasing local Reggae and Dub talent. This place was unique and cool to say the least. Continuing the rainforest theme, the tiered seating was carved into the earth and the beats reverberated within the natural surrounding forest. There were several local artisan stalls selling a variety of handy crafts as well as an assortment of healthy gourmet foods. We chilled out all afternoon watching and dancing along to one impressive act after the other. The energy here was warm and overwhelming as hundreds of people, young and old, moved to the music. The festivities carried on straight through the day and after a quick stop back at the van park to bundle up for the cool Rainforest evening, we were back at the theatre for the night show. The crowd had doubled or even tripled in size after dark, all in anticipation of the headliner, Ash Grunwald. The party crowd was wild as he pounded through his set, everyone was happy and the place was glowing like a modern day Woodstock. We had such a great weekend and were so happy that we decided to take part in this annual event. By weekend’s end we had at least 8 people who would meet us for the van. One buyer in particular was super keen and made sure she was the first to see it come Sunday afternoon. She turned out to be a nice Scottish girl traveling with her brother and after taking a look and a quick spin, they were anxious about missing their chance once others arrived so they made us an offer on the spot. We were still counting on having the van for another week in order to travel north into Daintree and Cape Trib so when they agreed to wait until the 12th plus give us what we were asking…we couldn’t refuse. With a handshake and a down payment, we called off all other potential buyers. We knew Fran was the best vehicle listed in her price range but we were impressed that she sold to the very first person to take a look. Fran served us well as transportation and accommodation and she gave us the ability to self-cater which saved us hundreds of dollars. She turned out to be a great investment fetching exactly what we had paid plus an extra $100. Even though it was sad to let her go, we celebrated our ongoing good luck and sudden influx of cash, with a pizza party and would start our northerly road trip the following morning.

Love and let go...

Cairns, Australia really is a lovely place. The city is fairly large yet maintains a rather low-key charm. The buildings remain to code, all low-rise, with so many incredible places to dine, drink, party, shop, anything. It’s funny because nearly every place along the coast has a beach close to the main street or often the beach is the main street. Cairns however, has a neatly landscaped harbour with a large artificial lagoon swimming area. The lagoon extends into a park with an extensive promenade attracting a variety of enthusiasts. We actually arrived in town the same day as a U.S. Naval War Ship, the largest ever to dock in the scenic Cairns Harbour. Since our arrival US Sailors have flooded the recreational area along the esplanade, usually jogging or cruising the streets in uniform attracting a fair bit of attention. We spent a few days in Cairns knowing that soon enough we would have to put our van up for sale. Winter, particularly July and August, are the high season months for Cairns and we immediately noticed that the place was full of tourists and backpackers. The notice boards around town were full of ads selling vehicles of all kinds. We didn’t want to leave it too late so we figured we would give ourselves about 2 weeks to turn her over. For the next couple weeks Cairns would act as a home base and we had a few small trips planned from here. We didn’t want to travel too far away incase we had to show off Fran. The first weekend in July we had plans to attend the Kuranda Roots Festival about 30 minutes out of town. Seeing as we were scheduled to fly in exactly 2 weeks, we thought we would post our ad before leaving for the festival just to see how much initial interest she would fetch. We picked up a pay-as-you-go cell phone to field interested buyers’ calls and put together an impressive flyer. Friday morning before leaving for Kuranda, we walked around the main streets of Cairns locating 16 different bulletin boards where we placed our ad…here’s hoping, fingers crossed…

An overnight stop in Japoondale as we move a little further north.

I had visited Paronella Park on my first trip to Australia 2 years ago but after having issues with my camera card, I lost all my photos. For the two of us to be able to enjoy it together; made the experience even better the second time. Virtually an unknown site 2 years ago, today the park has been voted #1 tourist attraction in all of Queensland. We were greeted by an outgoing gentleman (exact same man who I encountered 2 years prior) who gave us the run-down and informed us Canadians of how this park was to be featured on the CBC. After a short conversation about Mr. Dressup we checked in with smiles on our faces. Included in our admission was overnight accommodation in the adjoining rainforest park. First and second impressions, we were already really impressed. So Paronella Park is a Spanish castle which was built by Joseph Paronella who migrated to Australia from Spain. Once a bustling residence and recreational area, what remains today is only a moss-covered stone shell. The park is set on the Mena Creek with a large tumbling waterfall. The property winds its’ way through lush green rainforest and is complete with secret passageways, peaceful gardens, a waterfall which Joseph built for his daughter, and child-like fantasy all around. This amazing place was in its’ glory throughout the 60’s and 70’s when it was used as the local tennis courts, community dinners and banquets were held in the ballroom, and it was also a popular picnicking hot spot. One thing is clear and that is that Joseph was a dreamer and he re-created a fairytale land for people to enjoy well after his death. It’s not hard to see why he selected this picture perfect location to fulfill his dreams. The surrounding area is lush with amazing ferns, palms, vines, trees, and ancient wet tropic vegetation. After being ravaged by fire and extreme weather only the castle's shell remains. The staff are constantly renovating and making repairs due to its’ surrounding climate. The wet jungle has eaten away at the once pristine buildings but this age has also produced an incredibly mystical character by covering the stone and concrete with vibrate green mosses and life. We toured the area at our leisure in the afternoon and after a great supper (nachos with fabulous Australian Avocado), we headed out for the night tour. This tour was organized by the Park Staff and is lead by a guide who gives you fascinating information about the history of the grounds or native bush tidbits. By night, views of the castle suck you further into the fairytale. Under the moonlight and densely starry sky, the magic of the place comes alive. Staying the night is a great experience because after the night tour, the overnight guests get free range as the place becomes our own backyard for the night. We saw a ton of new insects and forest creatures as well as plants and stunning trees. One new species that particularly caught our attention was the specimen hanging a foot above the entrance to the ladies washroom. The spider was bigger than our hands. It was alarmingly large and frightening and warranted a prolonged photo section in the afternoon. Later on during our stay, we were informed that this variety of spider is called the Yellow Orb Spider and that the material from which they spin their webs is, relatively, stronger than steel. We also read an article about how their webs can catch huge moth, bats, and even small birds. Talk about frightening! Also, the staff there told us of the location of an even bigger Yellow Orb on the property so of course we checked it out. This one was easily the size of our head with its legs extended. Its’ two body segments were at least the length of a long finger with the larger section being plumper than either of our thumbs. This thing was insane. We watched it for about 15 minutes and in this time it caught and consumed about 4 medium sized insects…we now know how they get so big. Eeeks! We gave ourselves enough willies to flashback for the rest of the day. We drove the short drive back to the highway, enjoying the green pastures and hillsides all around. On to Cairns where we will get down to business.

Lucinda to Mission Beach

Ahh Lucinda…this little town is sandwiched between the lovely coast off of Hitchinbrook Island N.P and hundreds of miles of vibrant green sugar cane fields. Lucinda and many of the towns in the surrounding area rely greatly on farming for survival. Sugar Cane fields border the Bruce Hwy and often stand a full meter above the vehicles. Visually out of place from the lush mountain tops and seas of green cane, are the refineries which are a necessary evil. Lucinda stands apart as the main shipping port for the tones of cane which is processed and shipped from its shores. At 5.6 km in length, Lucinda’s shipping jetty is quite the sight. The jetty is essential to the town’s ability to export its main crop and has been somewhat of a coastal “eyesore” since 1979. Wanderer’s Caravan Park just 500 meters off the beach is where we set up camp. Although the main draw here is fishing, we still found our peaceful place in the sand without a soul around, where we soaked up some sun for a couple days.

Leaving Lucinda we stopped in the quiet town of Halifax for a look at their Sunday market. A cool small-town vibe but not much that perked our interest in terms of buying. Another great afternoon followed by a great drive up to Mission Beach. To our delight, as we drove in to Mission Beach, our path was intercepted by an adult with 2 young Cassowary. The Mission Beach area has the highest Cassowary population in all of Australia. This sighting was much less rare than our first but, for us, equally as exciting. We pulled into Dunk Island View Van Park and new immediately that this was more what we had been looking for. We were within walking distance of Woolworths (big local grocer), a couple bars, the spectacular Wongaling Beach and everything we could need. We decided we would likely stay the whole week since they had a 7th night free promotion. We were tucked in on a pretty, shaded spot and took an introductory stroll around the area. Upon arrival at the grocery store, we wished we hadn’t taken the scenic route as we found that Woolworths was closing since it was 5pm on Sat (the usual in many Aussie towns). Not only was the store closing this early but it would be closed on Sunday. We had thought that this area would be accommodating tourists and therefore be open later but it turned out to be more “small town”, which was perfectly ok by us. We would survive for a couple days. We really enjoyed our time in Mission Beach. We were able to get into a real routine here which was nice for a change. I got up early every morning, tried to catch as many sunrises as possible. We would have something to eat, go for a walk or hit the beach. We started a mini workout and enjoyed staying put. On our last night we treated ourselves to another serving of hearty fish and we were thrilled to be able to order a little Canadiana in a POUTINE as our sidedish!

Cassowary Crossing...

Today was a great day. The morning at Taylor’s Beach Caravan Park started crisp. We have now found the lovely sunny weather but through the night the temperature drops quite a bit and the mornings are consistently cool. One of my favourite things to do is to watch the sun start her day. It’s really something when life allows you to take the time to live by the sun and appreciate the beginning and end of daylight. I woke early so I took advantage and headed the 300 meters to the beach in order to get some shots of the sun rise. Along the coast there is a regular break-of-day crowd, joggers, hikers, dog walkers etc. I sat along the quiet coast watching the sunrise and the passer-bys. After a couple nights at Taylor’s beach and a major sun-soak yesterday, we decided we would move on this morning and relocate. As we headed further North, a stop at the Wallaman Falls National Park, was on the agenda. We travelled the high-winding road into the park taking in the lush greenery surrounding us at every side. The weather was sunny, warm, and the falls were incredible. After a tough couple of kilometers down the track to the base of the falls, we were rewarded with some absolutely breathtaking views. Wallaman Falls is the highest straight drop falls in all of Australia at 265 meters. As the water falls with such force, there are 2 permanent rainbows which linger at the misty bottom. We made ourselves comfortable on a boulder at the bottom of the falls. We sat in awe of the force of the water, the colours of the rainbows, the beauty of the sun, the swirling mist, and the overall sights and sounds around us. After a nice afternoon taking in the natural wonder, we started back towards the parking lot at the summit. On the way down you definitely don’t consider how exhausting the route up will be but we made it without to much difficulty. After a worthy visit we were set to head back down the 50km route, returning to beach territory. To our (somewhat) surprise, Fran’s battery was out of juice. We were lucky to be stuck at a pretty popular parking spot as we were fairly isolated otherwise. After one unsuccessful attempt, recruiting assistance was easy enough as an older Aussie couple was travelling with a battery-jump-pack. We have found thus far that the Aussies we have encountered have been super kind and helpful. Since the country is vast and there are tremendous distances between settlements, the typical Aussie is prepared for anything. Within seconds our baby was started up and we were back on the road headed for the sandy coast. We couldn’t help but think how car issues in the “real world” are inconvenient, can ruin your day, and can be super stressful. Bottom line for us, we have no schedule, no job to be at, and since our house is on wheels and therefore always with us, if we were to get stuck; we would just pop our roof, and settle in for the night. We have food in the fridge, a stove to cook, a roof over our head, and a bed to sleep in. About 20 minutes later as we headed out of the rainforest, we noticed a truck stopped on the side of the road. We recognized it as the older couple who had just helped us out and the driver was waving his arm directing us to slow down and stop. As we rolled up, we noticed something truly amazing. In the bush, just feet beyond our vehicle was standing, the endangered Southern Cassowary. In its natural environment, right before our eyes was Australia’s largest free-flight bird. This bird is something else and there are only 1500 of them left in the world. Its’ looks are one thing which make it unique but cassowaries are terribly important to the rainforests’ survival. Over 70 species of trees produce fruit which is too big for the consumption of other birds and therefore these trees rely on the cassowary to eat and pass the fertilized seeds. We sat in amazement as it stood there relatively unaffected by our being there. We were able to snap a couple photos but remained in the vehicle as these birds stand as tall as we do and they have a reputation for being very aggressive. Wow! We thought, this was really a rare occasion. We couldn’t help but consider how our timing had placed us there just in time. Maybe the dead battery was meant to be…

It became clear to us as we sputtered along the country side, that we would be lucky if we made it to town. As we approached Ingham, Fran was struggling to keep running. We took a fateful turn down the street and she came to a dead stop right in front of a Goodyear garage. We spoke to the people at Goodyear and they directed us to another local garage specializing in electrical and battery issues. Unfortunately for us, it was nearly 5pm so all the shops in town were just about to close. Goodyear was able to arrange for us to get our van looked at the following morning. The kind folks there gave us a map and directions to the other shop and they were wonderful enough to give us a free boost so we could move on. We located the other shop and parked our van across the street where we would sleep for the night. It wasn’t the most ideal neighborhood but (free of charge) we had a decent sleep. First thing in the morning the shop boosted the van and started at it. They drove us into town where we killed time by visiting some local shops and chowing down on a couple classic hot meat pies. We were more than pleasantly surprised when we returned to the shop to see our van was already fixed up and even better than that it cost us less than $150. Once again we felt fortunate and were thankful for how easy everything seemed to be happening for us. Finally we were ready to hit the beach. We relocated to Lucinda where we planned to stay put and enjoy some quality beach time.

Fantastic Voyage

We spent a few days over the long weekend at a gorgeous free camping area. Calliope camping spot is very popular as there must have been well over 100 camping units scattered along the river and throughout the approx. 3km square forested grounds. We were so impressed at the fact that this area was equipped with toilets and sinks and basically was more scenic, lovely, and quiet than any of the places which we had paid for up until this point. The nights here were still freezing but the sun was warm during the day which allowed for us to bask and do a little exploring around the area. We slept for free at Calliope until we could stand our smell no longer. The van just wasn’t big enough for the two of us and OUR STINK! It was time to spend some money and get ourselves a place with a shower. Our next stretch of travel took us through the city of Rockhampton. Rocky is a larger city and therefore we made sure we took care of all the business needed, before pushing on to more isolated areas. Now that we were essentially permanently camping, Brandon was going through some serious withdrawal (it had been 5 months), he needed to get his hands on a guitar. We stopped at a major music shop in Rocky where he treated himself to something in our snack-bracket, a Martinez classical guitar. Now that we could supply ourselves with music for entertainment without battery or electricity, we were ready to embrace the “Van Lifestyle” and pushed on.

Continuing north we were aiming for the Alva Beach Holiday Park. At this point we were hunting for a quiet beach where we could hopefully hang our hats for a while and catch up on some sun. We selected this park because it wasn’t far off the highway and it advertised being within 300 meters of the beach. Seeing as our van is our current home, finding the right camping park can be like relocating to a beachfront apartment for us. We were in search of a realistic place to “live”, I guess. The owners were kind and bubbly and their facilities were kept immaculately. After 2 nights here with a good day on the beach, we thought the weather was still a little cold. We needed to find the perfect mix between proximity to common conveniences and beach seclusion. The plan was to drive. We needed to cover some ground and cross into the Tropical North where we could almost guarantee sunny weather. We agreed that Bowen was worth a look so we stopped along the way. We parked at a gorgeous deserted coastline where we sat back and took it all in over some muesli and yogurt. We spent the afternoon wandering and discovering the many interesting creatures living on the rocky shoreline. We carried on this afternoon just past Mackay, where we came to a stop at Black’s Beach. Pulling in here we were immediately impressed with the absolute beachfront of Seawinds Caravan park. We woke early and enjoyed our morning coffee as we sat in the sand. The views and beach were beautiful but we were torn about staying as the wind was fierce and rather chilly. As this area was still experiencing unseasonably cool weather, we would keep on truckin. Our, trustee camping guide recommended a place right on the beach which was a free-stay site so we thought we had to check it out. We arrived in the town of Rollingstone and located the rest stop at Balgal Beach. There were many people parked within the overnight area but we found a great spot in the front row only 100 meters to the beach. This stop in particular made us appreciate the lifestyle over here. We met a nice couple in their later years; after all, grey haired folk are “our people” these days. Seeing as we are avoiding the mega-touristic backpacker stops, we find ourselves moving from spot to spot with the older crowd. The great thing about retirement here is that you can get yourself a home on wheels and relocate as you choose based the seasons. There are countless free places to stop or camp, meaning that for them, there is very little cost of living. One thing for sure, if you spend any time surrounded by the touring crowd in Australia, it doesn’t take long to see that they are living it. We were limited to 48hours at Balgal and we would have loved to stay longer. We had our first serving of scrumptious fish and chips from the restaurant/general store, The Fisherman’s Landing. After 2 solid days of sun we were off. We were headed to Paluma Range National Park which is described as one of the most scenic drives in all of Queensland. The road was high and winding and through the walls of trees and vines along the narrow road, we could see miles of the seamless coastline. As we approached Paluma Village high in the mountains, we thought, we probably should have filled up on petrol before coming all this way…We noticed a sign for gas located another 30km away in Hidden Valley. We figured we would go the extra distance now and then once we turned around we would stop and visit, explore the area, and walk about. It seemed much further than 30 k, as it does when you fear you may run out of gas. The road narrowed to what was not much more than a bumpy dirt path. We expected there to be some sort of sign posted but we found ourselves driving in no-mans land, with only a couple simple shacks in sight. The places out there looked abandoned or condemned, and for a moment we worried we would be chased off the land by a shot-gun yielding bush man. Lucky for us we found the isolated Hidden Valley Eco-Lodge which was the only source of fuel in the entire area. The owner of the lodge greeted us when we pulled in for a fill. He explained a bit about his property and how they are a zero carbon footprint resort. He explained a bit about their use of solar power which went right over our heads so he invited us to see the set-up. He showed us their panels and power conversion room which was educational and fascinating. He explained how he and his wife had lived out there for 20 years without power but now with their solar power capabilities they have electricity 24hours a day. We visited a bit with the man, he explained how one of his sons was living in Western Canada and that he had been to visit and just loved our country. As duty-called, he had to excuse himself and therefore we were rolling again. Back through the wild we made it to Paluma Village. We stopped at a park where we used the facilities and when we returned to the van, she wouldn’t start. This wasn’t good. There were a couple Aussie men lunching in the park so we asked them if they could be of assistance to us poor tourists. Lucky for us, we caught them just as they were about to head back to work. They pulled up, gave us a boost, and within minutes we were both back on our planned route. Unsure of the exact cause of our flat battery, our solution was to drive to our next destination without stopping. We arrived at Taylor’s Beach and were glad to leave our car-troubles behind us.

Caught up in Coldness

Even though we were really enjoying this unique view of Queensland and NSW, we were finding the temperatures just too cold for us. We even had to stop in Armidale and buy some woollies. We needed some thicker layers but set ourselves a $15 limit each to warm up (not wanting to waste money as we hoped we wouldn’t need the items for the long term). I picked up a hat and some fleece trackers, Brandon got a tuque(Aussie=beanie), some stylish jeans, and we also bought matching thick, wool slipper-socks. It was getting pretty darn cold at night and on more than a few occasions we had to wear all our buys to bed with everything else we had to stay warm. We knew we would need to make a dramatic move towards warmth if we were going to be comfortable and happy. We were lucky to inherit an awesome Australian camping guide. We plotted our route back towards the coast according to attractions and recommended camping spots along the way. Because of the mountainous lush tropics of the area and the overall vastness of the country, there are a number of secluded camping spots and many of them are free. We took full advantage as a means of saving money for the time being before hitting the sun shiny coast. We connected with the coast at Coffs Harbour but the massive weather system which had been drowning the area for weeks was still lingering so we pushed on through Byron Bay and stopped for the night off the coast in Lismore.

The following day we travelled about 300km, we try not to make driving the bulk of any day. Leaving Lismore we stopped in a couple towns as we travelled the small country roads. Mid afternoon we arrived in Noosa and the sun shined for what seemed to be the first day in a while. Tons of other people appeared to be as happy to see the sun as we were. The area was busy with tourists and locals alike. There were hundreds of surfers making the most of the gorgeous day not to mention all the other folks who were walking, biking, swimming, etc. We took a hike through the Noosa National Park which is full of spectacular scenery and beaches. Satisfied and Vitamin D boosted, we left town as the sun was setting. We stayed the night for free just outside Rainbow Beach at a tiny general store. We were the only people at this stop, which seemed crazy to us since the facilities were great. Waking in the morning, a beach day didn’t seem promising so we skipped our planned stop at Rainbow Beach and motored onto a camping spot at Lake Monduran. We laid low here for a couple days before we continued to Agnes Waters and the Town of 1770. Although these spots are scenic and fairly quiet, we would only able to stay one night since unbeknownst to us; we had pulled in on the Friday of the Queen’s B-day long weekend.

Inland Gems...

We were pumped to officially be on the road since we hadn’t slept a night in the van since we picked her up and headed for Geoff’s. The sun was shining and we were eager to arrive in our first destination. It was mid afternoon when we pulled into the tiny town of Goondiwindy, Gundy as it’s referred to by locals. We had read that there was a drive-in theatre so we were keen to find out the details for a great night out in our new wheels. We followed the town map and spotted the over sized screens in the distance. We pulled in to find a Mother with her Daughter playing on a small swing-set. As Aussies do the woman asked “Are ya alright?”. We inquired about the drive-in and with a laugh she told us it had been closed down for nearly 15 years. Well, we’re not tourists are we?...From there we checked into a basic van park and planned just to stop in for the night. The owner was blessed with the gift of gab and filled us in on most everything we needed to know about “Gundy”. Taking her advice, we started out on the riverside path leading through town. The river in town marks the state border between New South Whales and Queensland. We were just in time for the gorgeous sunset and were both totally impressed by the riverside activity as the sun went down. There were hundreds of birds of countless varieties and the hour or so which we spent along the river had made it all worth the drive.

Another highlight to this inland loop, was the opal mining community of Lightning Ridge. The most westerly point reached on our track, the area was full of character and reminded us of images we had come to know from classic western films. The town was equipped with little shops, a wild-west-styled tavern, the only thing it seemed to be missing were the tumbleweeds. The land around the region is vast yet gorgeous with emptiness. We decided to bunker down at an old cattle ranch called Lorne Station (Station in Aussie=Ranch). It was like being in the middle of no where. Over the few days we stayed there we noticed that the prospect of finding a rare profitable opal attracts an eclectic crowd. It’s quite common for people to mine the land with hope until frustration finally leads to their abandoning of the land, mine shafts, and dreams. It would have been nice to discover our own one of a kind piece but we left the hard work to the professionals and I bought a gorgeous piece of Queensland Bolder Opal from a local shop, the Opal Cave. Opal dates back to dinosaur times and is a form of silica, chemically similar to quarts. The colours produced by the opal are a result of the silica trapping white light and splitting that light into different shades. Bolder Opal can be fossilized organic matter, (bones, shells, etc.) and can be thousands or even millions of years old. There are many varieties and the Australian Outback produces 95% of the worlds Opal. My ring has colourful secrets to reveal at every angle, I love it.
Shortly after leaving Lightning Ridge we thought it was time to take a dip in the infamous Bore Baths. There are several places here where natural hot springs pump from within the earth, producing natural spouts. Several areas, even public swimming pools, use this hot mineral water for baths. We stopped at Burren Junction where we joined about a dozen older folks for a dip. After a little relaxation and rejuvenation we were back on the road towards Mount Kaputar National Park.

Soaker of a Start-up

Man, how the time flies. We find ourselves beginning the second leg of our journey, our escape into pure independence as travelers on the open road. Our super cheap flight was on a HUGE plane. The aircraft was a little cramped but it was brand new and suited us just fine. I enjoyed the company of a highly intelligent 4 year old girl from New Zealand who was seated beside me and after a quick sleep (8 hours later) we arrived at the Coolangatta Airport. Basics of our first week here: We arrived in Brisbane with a personal limit of 5 days of car hunting before we would take a bus or rent a car, to van shop elsewhere. We had already picked over the camper vans online on gumtree.com.au which is basically the Australian form of KIJIJI. What we were in search for was an old converted van with big buy-back potential, so we can resell it without a hitch when we leave the country. Basically the auto market in Oz is flooded with old 70’s and 80’s vans which have been suited with a convertible bed, fridge, stove, and sink, all we will need to be highly self sufficient throughout our Aussie travels. Our flight came in on Saturday morning and by the afternoon we had found ourselves the cheapest double in all of Brisbane at $70/night. Pricey, but in Oz and in the city, we were looking at spending $60 a night for a couple bunks in a dorm room at a backpackers. We contacted our first pick and arranged to meet him the following morning at an organic produce market where he and his partner would be selling jewelery. We were eager to get “in” the van ASAP as it was costing us so much to eat out, sleep in the city, etc. Brandon jumped right in as he had to test drive the 1979 Toyota Hiace, oversized with old-school column gear-shifting. In addition to all of these considerations he had to master this on the opposite side of the road. With only a little bit of a natural leftward lean, Brandon eased the old van through the little Brisbane suburb. We had to act fast because we knew she was a steal. Even while we were taking a look at her ourselves, 2 other callers tried to arrange test drives. We had looked for a while and knew what was out there, we told them we wanted it right away and arranged to get her turned over as fast as possible. It took much longer than we had wished but with the two of them wanting to keep the van another week and us hoping to sleep in it the following night, we came to a compromise of Wednesday. This meant we would have to wait 3 more days but we were happy with what we got. We took in some of the city over the next few days. Unfortunately for us, we arrived at the beginning of the largest rainfall in 30 years.

Our last 48 hours in the city were full of rain and when Wednesday came around the precipitation was insane. We couldn’t get away from the city fast enough. We would head about 100km inland in order to pick- up our registration sticker from a fella in nearby Toowoomba. We spent about 3 hours on the highway covering a total of 20km. The rain was bringing the city and entire Central Eastern Coast to a stand still. The waterways swelled and poured onto the highways. Only an hour after we waded through the road hazards, the highways had to be closed, stranding hundreds of people. We really weren’t sure how the rain and flooding would affect our travels but when we stopped to pick up our sticker and were offered dinner and a place to stay for the night, we were happy to accept. Geoff owns a car dealership and has been involved with this particular van for the past couple years. Basically as the van has been passed between owners, most of them being from overseas, Geoff has provided his address as the permanent local address for the ownership. Geoff is incredibly kind and with an extra bed and bathroom we were set. The rain was still falling along the coast and the news was covering stories of extreme flooding and evacuations all throughout the region where we had planned to start our road trip. We stayed with Geoff for 5 days, enjoying all the comforts of having a home and his laid-back style. While Geoff was working we took it easy and became friendly with his two Cockatiels, Susie and Perky Bird. Geoff was even generous enough to loan us a vehicle from his car lot as he suggested we take a couple day trips using his place as a home base. We left out big van parked in his lot and were able to zip around taking in some of the wine and farming regions. Even as far inland as we were, throughout our journeys we encountered many bodies of water which were swollen beyond belief. Since it would still be a while before the rain stopped or the flooding would be cleaned up, with Geoff’s local expertise, we embarked on an alternate route.

Chiang Mai->KL->Brisbane

May 14th...13th!

Today we really impressed ourselves. We woke early, showered, packed everything up, arranged for an airport transfer, and then checked out of our room. We were thrilled that they only charged us for 4 nights rather than 5. We were eating breakfast when we questioned how they would have miscalculated the number of nights we stayed with them. Just 15 minutes before we were meant to be picked up, we thought that maybe we should double check today’s date. The two of us ran in opposite directions, one finding out what the heck day it was and the other to double check our flight date online. Like 2 fools (or maybe just two travelers who had become oblivious to the time/day/date) we found that it was only Wednesday, May 13^th. We marched back to the front desk, reclaimed our room key, and canceled our airport transportation. No harm done other than that we were both ready to move on, we had made an extra effort to spend all our final Baht the day prior, and now we had an extra day to kill. I guess today was simply a dress rehearsal and by tomorrow we will be more than ready to go…fools. Just one night in Kuala Lumpur, hopefully some fresh haircuts while we’re there, and then Brisbane, Australia, May 16^th. We so look forward to starting our next adventures.

After a little of a “misunderstanding/swindle-the-tourist situation” transferring in the city from the KL Airport, we checked back into our new found “second home” in Malaysia. Tropical Guesthouse is located in the Golden Triangle and therefore centrally located in the heart of the city. We found ourselves back in the same room we had stayed a couple months prior when we passed through on our way to Cambodia. We were thrilled to see the same welcoming and cheery hostess, Jennifer. She is a wild Chinese Lady who loves life and loves her youth. She parties hard and loves entertaining foreigners who bunker down in her Tropical Guest House for a night or two or more. Anyway, it was her Birthday the following day and as to be expected there were festivities to be had. We really had planned on heading to bed early in order to get a jump on the day the following morning, seeing some of the city and getting our precious haircuts. Well our simple stop-over turned into one of the most wild nights. The night rolled on into the early hours of the morning as we sat curbside sipping from a grab bag of drinks including some paralyzing Chinese Wine (worst thing we’ve ever tried and apparently if you drink too much you bleed from the nose and eyes…excellent…). This was the most diverse and multicultural social settings we’ve found ourselves in. Along the sidewalk out front of our guesthouse, about a dozen men and women of all ages sat happily around the table. The group was made up of people from Indonesia, Nepal, Iran, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Canada, Finland and maybe others. It was a great night and needless to say the only thing we managed to accomplish the following day was plunk ourselves into a couple salon chairs by the middle of the afternoon. Sidenote: 2 more celebrity treatment haircuts at Thomas and Guys, Kuala Lumpur.

Welcome to Laos

As soon as we boarded our flight into Luang Prabang we could sense the change. The flight attendants were smiling and friendly and even though we were only in the air for 1hour we were still served one of the best airline meals ever. We arrived on the little airstrip of Laos Airlines and marched into a small office where we picked up our visas and walked onwards through customs. We were so relieved to see a peaceful and organized transfer service desk just outside the airport doors. Hassel and rip-off free, we took a taxi to the guest house we had in mind. Immediately we felt welcomed and were happy to have arrived in, the lovely, Laos. After settling into a clean and comfortable room we headed out on foot to see what this town was all about. Right away we agreed that this was one of the prettiest places we had visited. The town is a peninsula with the Mekong and Khan Rivers running through it. There are several lovely riverside restaurants as well as great shops and cafes in the centre of town. We strolled through the streets feeling at peace and enlightened by our first impressions of Laos. We also noticed an incredibly colourful night market along the main street so we popped through for a look. This market was large and incredibly impressive. The streets were lined with silver jewellery and goods, traditional clothing, lanterns, so many beautiful handicrafts, and the quality of craftsmanship was better than anything else we had seen. Lucky for us, the lavish market is a nightly event. We knew that we would be coming back to pick up some amazing one of a kind take-homes. At the end of the market we found the food section where we picked up 2 savory sandwiches with chicken breast, an assortment of fresh vegetables, and EVEN MAYO and MUSTARD!! What a breath of fresh air. We noticed that many shops seemed to be closing up early and then we learned that Luang Prabang has an 11:30 town-wide curfew. With that, we decided to retire to our quiet room. We spent some time reflecting on the past few hours and all the reasons we have already found to love Laos. Our first morning in Luang Prabang started with a great little breakfast along side the mighty Mekong. We celebrated the pleasant service and spectacular views, such a classic setting it was. We took in some sights including the incredible hilltop Wat Phou Si. From here we could see the entire city with its spectacular rivers and rolling green hills. Luang Prabang has tons to offer and after a great few days we decided that we would be back to this city after we explored a little more of the country.

As we headed to Vang Vieng we learned that road trips in Laos are also shockingly different from our experience elsewhere in S.E.A. We found ourselves touring leisurely through the soaring mountains. This was by far the most carefree and scenic bus trip of the past 3 months, and likely of our entire lives. Now Vang Vieng is considered a rite of passage on any South East Asian-backpacker-tour. It is a small town nestled beside the Nam Song (Song River) and surrounded by dramatic limestone karsts. This place is legendary for its lazy river tubing and for the array of mind bending “Happy” pizzas, brownies, milkshakes, and other concoctions which travelers can experiment with. We didn’t know quite what to expect as we had read so much hype about wild times to be had and so far we’ve found ourselves more into steering clear of the blazing backpacker trail. The town was much nicer than we anticipated, just full of spectacular natural beauty. Granted the small-town nature has been completely abandoned as the streets are lined with bars and restaurants catering to the western tourists. Within the first couple hours of being there we stumbled upon a sign post for a great cave. We followed the footpath to the entrance where we paid a small ticket fee which included a young guide and flashlight for assistance. At the entrance of the cave was a sparkling round stalactite, the most pristine we have seen. Intrigued, we followed the small kids through the narrow passage way. After wedging ourselves between the next openings we found two huge gleaming blue stalactites coming from the roof. The kids pointed out a family of bats hanging in the darkness and that’s when I noticed an ENORMOUS spider (about the size of my hand) right beside me on my way down the makeshift ladder. Considering the close quarters there really was no escaping it and therefore when it jumped onto my leg at lightning fast speed the only thing to be done was SCREAM my face off and try not to freak out completely. We then quickly learned the worst thing to do in a cave, and that is to look around for the creepy unknowns lurking in the darkness. With our flashlight we spotted yet another crazy cave spider above us only this one was nearly twice the size of the first. With available oxygen decreasing and temperatures and anxiety rising, we were sufficiently wigged out to decline from lying on our stomachs to squeeze even deeper. Panicked and dirty we emerged from the darkness for a final creepy crawler check and about 15 minutes of recovery. So we concluded that the cave was awesome but our future as spelunkers was not going to be bright.

We really settled into great eating while in Vang Vieng too. In the evenings we dined at the oldest and most authentic restaurant in town which had amazing Lao BBQ and other dishes. We also took full advantage of the Organic Mulberry Farm Café, enjoying scrumptious mulberry milkshakes, teas, pancakes and so much more. Even the late night food in Vang Vieng was awesome as we could get fresh crepes or great baguette sub-sandwiches for only $1. Our final day in Vang Vieng we decided we would embark on our passage on the Nam Song. We rented our tubes and jumped in a tuk-tuk with another 6 tubers travelling up to the launch point. When we pulled up to the riverside launching ground it looked and sounded like college spring break. The riverside was lined with wooden deck bars, tons of half naked-fully loaded people, and thumping tunes. Unlike the masses we were seeking a little more of a tranquil float down the river so, belongings in hand, we carefully propped ourselves into our tubes and onto the river. As we drifted away from this area we had to keep a watchful eye as there were foreigners flying through the air and into the water in every direction. There were zip lines, rip cords, huge water swings, and line ups for all of them. The tubing was pretty lazy as there really wasn’t much current in most areas and therefore it felt more like lounging in the pool but there was one feature better than the typical swim-up bar. As you float down the river there are numerous riverside bars looking for you to stop in for some drinks or maybe a bucket or two. The great part is that they use their bamboo fishing rods (without hooks…) to bring you in. Once it’s been established that you’re thirsty, they throw out the line and basically reel you in for a cold one. Even with the markup for convenience, you can still make off with a giant bottle for about $1.50. Just like Luang Prabang, we could have stayed in Vang Vieng for MUCH MUCH longer but as the days dwindled before out May 14th flight, we had to keep up a steady pace off moving along.
Next stop, Phonsavon. Although Northern Laos is very small and the distance between the major sights is no more than 250km, the bus rides are long. The longest route we travelled was 240km but each bus ride took around 7 hours. The main road of the north is so mountainous that we figure you spend about 450km ascending, descending and winding back and forth while only about 200km are accomplished in the direction you want to go. The driving speed doesn’t top 45km/hour as the road is narrow and winds high on the mountain tops. Again, the greatest sight seeing journey. We imagined how great it would be to have a couple motorbikes to cruise through the countryside at our own leisure…maybe next time. We arrived in Phonsavon in the afternoon and soon realized that the town was certainly not the main attraction here. There was one main street lined with some simple guest houses and restaurants but the place lacked any special character. The reason tourists stop in Phonsavon is due to its proximity to the Plain of Jars. We checked into our simple guesthouse and immediately booked our tour out to the Jars for the following day. Phonsavon is located in the Xiang Khoang province in Laos. Xiang Khoang is the most heavily bombed province in the most heavily bombed country per capita in ALL wars in world history. Since Laos is landlocked by China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia, it has suffered the consequences of all sides that targeted nearby enemies. The statistics for Laos are as follows: between the years of 1969 and 1974, A HALF TON OF BOMBS WERE DROPPED FOR EVERY PERSON IN THE COUNTRY. For this reason, there are many efforts by different organizations to clear the areas of unexploded bombs and debris. We visited the local MAG museum who aims to educate locals and tourists of the dangers of these bombs. The group also helps to form community bomb clearing initiatives in the nearby countryside. We learned a lot about their efforts and the reality which locals face due to the impact of war. Many areas are still so heavily littered with unexploded bombs that people are always facing the treat of serious injury or even death. One thing which perpetuates famine and poverty is the fear and risk involved in expanding farm land to grow more crops. Similar to Cambodia with its threat of countless landmines, Laos still suffers greatly due to the amount of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO). The following morning we joined a group of 6 others on our way to visit the illustrious Plain of Jars. The tour consisted of visiting the 3 main sites of jars as well as a whisky (Lao-Lao) making village and an abandoned Russian tank. Arriving at site 1, we had to read safety warnings about the plains we would explore. The signs explained how the areas surrounded by white route markers have been cleared of UXO using metal detection and the areas with red route markers are of greater risk as they have only been visually inspected for bombs. Treading lightly and sticking to the well beaten trails, we explored the area. The jars lay in clusters, scattered across hillsides. The jars vary in shape and size as well as numbers in the groupings. Each site was slightly different and each was very impressive. Although they have been studied for years, there is no way to date the jars and their function is still unknown. It is believed the jars are one solid piece and were carved from enormous boulders. Even how they transported the heavy boulders, to the distant hillsides, from the rock quarries is unknown. The origin of the jars really is mysterious. Some people reckon they were used to store rice or water nearly 2000 years ago. Other thoughts are that they were used as family tombs yet there have never been remains discovered to prove this theory. There is also an ancient story that around 3000 years ago there was a great king who won a battle and to celebrate, he had all of these enormous jars constructed in order to ferment rice wine-if this is the case then hundreds of people would have been drunk for hundreds of years. Regardless of the theory, none has been proven so the jars are still a great mystery of civilization. After our tour we enjoyed some incredible Indian cuisine in town and prepared ourselves for an early rise to head back to Luang Prabang in the morning.
The 7 hour bus journey was cut down to 4hours as we arranged for a minivan to take us back to Luang Prabang. Granted it was nice to shave 3 hours off the ride but at the same time traveling that much faster on the winding roads tossed us allover. It was exhausting just trying to stay in our seat for the wild ride. Bottom line, we made it back for our last few days in Laos. We spent the next couple days just taking it easy, soaking in the town, and picking up our last great finds from the lovely night market. Our final day here, we had a great lunch on the river and walked around town taking it all in. We strolled through the sunny streets in absolute awe of all the exotic specimens found around each corner. From insects, spiders, plants, and beautiful varieties of flowers, we saw more here in Laos in just 10 days than everywhere else combined. Without enough time to explore the country further we booked a flight from Luang Prabang to Chiang Mai in the North of Thailand.

Magestic Halong Bay

Hanoi is certainly the commercial center of the country. While HCMC is equally as large and impressive, the circumstances of its involvement during the war have left it less developed in terms of trade and commerce. Hanoi’s main tourist area is in the heart of the Old City, a 20km squared area where we decided to hang our hats for a couple nights. The streets in the Old City are littered with cyclos, ladies carrying fresh fruit, shoe-repair guys, moto-taxis, everything and anything-just navigating them on-foot is exhausting. The surprisingly tidy streets are named after the main trade practiced on them Hang Bac (silversmith street), Hang Gai (chicken street), Lo Ren(blacksmith street), and Hang Dien (leather street), it’s logical and truly classic to the ancient city. We enjoyed a traditional form of entertainment when we spent the evening at The Water Puppet Theatre. Somehow we lucked out and were seated in the 2nd row, which was great. The show was filled with live music, singing, and quite the puppetry depicting many aspects of Vietnamese life.

For many tourists, including ourselves, Hanoi is a jump-off point to the spectacular Halong Bay. City Gate Guesthouse, where we were staying, pitched to us a 3 day tour through Halong Bay at a price we couldn’t refuse. Halong Bay is another UNESCO heritage site but our guess is that being designated as one of these sites hasn’t helped the area environmentally. An army of 300 plus boats lined the shore of Halong City harbour waiting for tourists to arrive by the bus load. On our cruise, we would spend one full day on Halong Bay including one night’s accommodation and then the following afternoon we would travel to Cat Ba Island where would sleep our second night. We paid 65$ each for two nights accommodations, a 3 day tour of the best sites in the bay, a trip through Cat Ba National Park, caving, kayaking, and 3 large meals a day… so when our boat didn’t have sails and the pictures we had been shown weren’t really relevant, we marked another point for Vietnam and moved past it as it was still pretty great value for our money. The first day was unfortunately very hazy and visibility wasn’t too great for photos but the weather was nice and cool making it perfect for relaxing on the upper deck. Two couples from Australia, a single Dutchman from Amsterdam, and two naïve and bubbly girls from HCMC, were the cast of characters we would spend the next few days with. Perched high in a limestone karsts, we visited a cave which was only just discovered in 1993 by a fisherman and opened to the public in 1997. For both of us this was the most amazing cave we had ever seen. This was a pleasant surprise as we weren’t aware of it on our itinerary. A path lead through tight passages that opened up into cathedral sized rooms decorated in stalactite and mites of every shape and size. The rock formations in the cave were strategically accented by green, red, and purple floodlights and it turned the cave into a very surreal and gothic landscape. We cruised past the souvenir booths and got back on the boat to cross the cove to a floating village where we would spend some time kayaking. One of the most magical experiences to date was the time we spent on the level with Halong Bay in our kayak. It was peaceful and magnificent and we wished we could stay out on the water for the whole day. As we paddled along it was like cruising through a lively rainforest, only on water. We saw water snakes, lizards, exotic birds, butterflies, and even several wild monkeys. There were caves to paddle through and just so much to see. Definitely a super special place for our first time kayaking together. Our night on the boat was really great. Everyone got on really well and with every round of beers the conversation flowed. When there was a pause in action we sat gazing at the star-filled sky just amazed at the beautiful silence. It was such a nice escape from the non-stop, honking traffic of the city, as well as most of the rest of Vietnam. Starting day 2 we did some cycling through Cat Ba National Park and although it rained, the scenery was great. After another great meal, we headed to land to check into our hotel and enjoy some free-time for the afternoon. We visited a couple beaches and took an incredibly scenic walk around a cliff-side walkway. In the evening we hit a local bar with our tour guide and another Canadian couple, had some drinks and tried rice wine...there’s a reason it’s known for knocking your socks off. Looking around at the sights of Halong Bay made us so thankful for our experience. We both reflected on how many times we had seen it depicted in movies, magazines, and documentaries. It really is one of those magical places which you can’t believe you are seeing with your very own eyes.

Once we returned to Hanoi, we were pretty keen on getting ourselves to Laos. We had intended on visiting another area of Northern Vietnam but after some reflection on past bus trips and some calculating of days, we decided we would head to Laos as soon as possible. We booked a bus from our guesthouse although we were much less than excited for the 24hour bus trip. We were picked up at 5:30 in the afternoon in order to catch the 7pm bus. We should have known something was wrong when they piled 17 foreigners in a 14 passenger van (each of us with enough baggage to account for another person) but this was only our transfer so we let it slide. When we arrived at the bus station the minibus pulled over around the back and we filed out onto the sidewalk. The snaky character who was “in charge” of getting us on a bus really sealed the deal for the two of us that night. While ALL 17 of us sat helpless on the sidewalk down a shady side street, the joker spent his time producing a whole lot of nothing as he tried to arrange transportation for all. The catch here is that he gets paid a fixed amount by the booking agencies so he then tries to barter directly with bus drivers so he can shave as much off the cost as possible, leaving the remainder for his pocket. Basically the way that evening went was him pretending to try and get us a bus, him making excuses, him telling lies, him getting hopped up on goof balls (aka cocaine, meth/who knows what)…and US SITTING ON OUR BACKPACKS ON THE CURB! At 11pm he finally came straight and let us know that we would not be getting the bus tonight. After FIVE+ hours of waiting the only things he managed to produce were taxis back into the city. On top of our wasted time and tested patience, the taxis which we had been told he was taking care of, ran the meter and expected to be paid. Fuming upon our return to Hanoi’s Old Quarter, we ditched the cab and took off on foot seeking some right in this situation. We marched back to where we had booked and paid for the bus ticket and demanded a refund. With only a little initial resistance, they returned our money. We stayed the night there, and booked the first plane out the following day. One thing we learned: the weather is not the only thing which is CONSISTENTLY hazy in Vietnam…

Splendid Hoi An

We thought since we were travelling by night-bus, leaving the busy beach town of Nha Trang, that we would be gently rocked to sleep through the night, waking come morning upon arrival in the ancient river village of Hoi An. Unfortunately the “night bus” just resulted in faster speeds due to less congested roads. Along the way there was even a motorbike and a big rig flipped over on the shoulder, evidence that many of the vehicles we encountered were operated by reckless, sleep deprived or drunk drivers. We finally arrived in Hoi An around 8am and were a little less than bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. We spent the first couple hours catching up on some zzzz, refueling, and watching some HBO.
Thanks to its UNESCO World Heritage Site status, pace of life in Hoi An is slow- which we love. We were pretty hungry after the long bus ride, so we headed to the Old Quarter, the main attraction here, to grab some lunch. Again, due to its historical status, cars are not allowed on the old streets and motorcycles must follow strict speed laws. The lack of vehicles combined with a slow river running through the south end of town results in an Old Quarter oozing with atmosphere. The river is picturesque and soothing. It’s hard to believe that almost yearly the town is faced with seasonal flooding. Hoi An is surrounded by water with a substantial river in the centre of town and lakes all around. These bodies tend to swell during the rainy season (November to January) and we’ve heard that during these times, the streets are navigated only by boat. The shops and homes on either side of the river front are outfitted with small docks so they can still go about their daily lives even during the wettest of times. The income of nearly all the people who call the Old Quarter home is connected to the overwhelming cloth and tailoring industry. Shop after shop, line, street after street, all competing with sample jackets, dresses, and suits at the front of their shop. After eyeing the one of-a-kind goods for days, we decided to have a few items personalized for us. We realized that you really can’t do anything in Vietnam without an underlying shadiness. They definitely tried to swindle us by producing really cheap quality goods quite similar to those which we had picked out but we are nobody’s fool so we called them on there poor business practice and had the items remade to our liking. The two of us will never forget the day we came so close to ringing a “sweet little Vietnamese girl’s” neck or the sound of her whining as she told us we were “TERRRRRible people” who “forget what you order”. All in all we’d like to think we came out on top as we refused to buy the items which were wrong and made off with some great custom items to take home. Lesson learned-take photographs of items which you commit to so you don’t have to argue for an hour with a manipulative saleswoman…

A real highlight in Hoi An is the more high end dining available. There are countless really great places to eat and we tried some amazing foods including the local specialties; White Rose-a delicious fresh wonton filled with shrimp, Banana and Shrimp Spring rolls, and Cao Lau, a mix of vermicelli, pork, sprouts, and croutons in broth. Hoi An is a foodie haven so we signed ourselves up for a 1 day cooking course with the most reputable place in town. We started our morning early meeting at the café for a fresh fruit drink and to meet the others in our class. We lucked out having only 4 others in the group, being 2 laid back couples from Australia, who we got on well with. We started by visiting their huge organic vegetable and herb gardens followed by an informative trip to the local market. Here we even had the chance to try betel nut (bitternut), a fruit/nut chewed by elder women. It’s easy to spot the ladies who “chew for a high” because in addition to their doped up giggling, over time their teeth and mouth dye a dark red/black…ever so appealing. Anyway, we found the effects minimal other than a numbing like an Anbesol product but the taste was god-awful and there was an incredibly stubborn aftertaste.

A few kilometers from town we settled for an afternoon of cooking at the Red Bridge Cooking School. The grounds were stunning as an elite chef from Australia keeps them private for the classes and his personal entertaining. The place is set right on the river. There is a pool, a huge outdoor patio and bar, as well as a state of the art open air cooking/dining facility. The class was taught by a Vietnamese Master Chef (Phi), and he was great. From scratch: we learned to make rice paper and noodles, Pho (beef noodle soup), BBQ-banana leaf-shrimp, fish clay pot, and an elegant chicken and mango salad with grilled sesame rice paper. Everything was absolutely scrumptious and we were so happy with the quality and how thorough the instruction was. We had lots of fun as a group cooking. The booze flowed freely, the food was to die for, and all and all we were so happy with the experience.

As it was time to move along we had set our sights on the capital in the north, Hanoi. The Reunification Express is the legendary railway system spanning 1700km connecting HCMC to Hanoi. There is a train station in Hoi An and we had discussed that the countryside would be best taken in by rail, so we wandered into a travel office to purchase some tickets. Well…seems the popularity with tourists has driven the cost up substantially…(mind you the Vietnamese still pay peanuts for the same trip-a fact that applies to everything “foreigner fees…”). Our options worked out to $40/person for a 14 hour train ride in a car without a window or a 45 MINUTE plane ride for $5 more per person. Seeing as the train seemed a little less magical than we had envisioned, we opted to forgo the classic rail trail and high-tail-it to the capital. HANOI HERE WE COME!

Burgers, Busses, and Underwater Beauty...

Now this bus ride has to go down in the record books. Throughout our travels we have endured some wild careless driving and been pulled over for a variety of deserving reasons. This guy however should have been locked away for his reckless road warring. You have to wonder if many of the locals have a touch of suicidal tendencies with their kamikaze ways. The route was rough and winding and although he was driving a 40-50 passenger bus we weaved in and out of traffic nearly colliding with transport trucks and an array of oncoming and with-going traffic. He clipped people on their motos and checked in his rearview to verify they were still upright and therefore apparently good to go. He didn’t get so lucky with one of the young ladies he hit and swiped alongside the bus as he was pulled over for it shortly down the road. He may have been written up but more than likely things went as they tend to go here, and he paid them a couple bucks before he jumped back in the driver seat to finish his route in record time. Arriving in Nha Trang we were happy to be alive and were seriously re-evaluating further bus travel.

The best way to describe Nha Trang is the “Surfer’s Paradise” of Vietnam. The town is a relatively upscale tourist locale with a long swooping beach which runs the length of the city. There is a well kept promenade and countless restaurants, beach bars, and accommodations to suite any budget. Our main goal here in Nha Trang was to get some more Scuba Diving in. As soon as we arrived, we checked in to a great hotel with a 24hour restaurant, beautiful rooftop terrace, and a room with all the comforts for 12 dollars/night. We were immediately introduced to the range of tours/sightseeing packages available and signed up for some diving for the following day. One thing for sure, you can’t beat the price of diving here. For a mere $35 each, we were promised: hotel pick up, 1 hour offshore boat travel, 2 fully equipped fun dives (for certified divers) with a dive master, lunch, and return. An early start in the morning as we were picked up at 7:30am, we arrived at the harbour to find that the two of us were the only people who had signed up that day. We felt like high rollers buying the whole thing out, having the huge boat and all its crew to ourselves. We dove at 2 different locations off Mun Island and both were great spots. We saw an array of vibrant reef fish and colourful coral. We had a terrific lunch of stir fried beef and veg, tuna, egg omelet, and the staple steamed rice. We had a wonderful day and agreed that for this value we would prolong our stay in Nha Trang and most definitely get out on the water at least once more time before leaving. We thanked our Master Diver, Huan, and arranged to join him again after one day’s rest. We spent our day off walking throughout the city. We visited the Long Son Pagoda where we found ourselves stuck in a wicked afternoon rainstorm. The rain was a welcomed break from the intense heat. The storm and wind were awesome, and according to the monks, this weather brings about good luck. The pagoda was one of the loveliest we’ve seen so far. It has a beautiful temple, huge reclining Buddha, and enormous sitting Buddha perched high in the hills. The views from here were amazing as it overlooks the whole city, definitely a special place. We intended on visiting some Cham ruins but since Thailand, Laos, and Cambodian are celebrating the New Year, we decided we weren’t up for the crowds and enjoyed the remainder of our day lazing on our sunny rooftop terrace.

We were geared up this morning to head out and secure two more open water dives under our belts. It wasn’t a private trip today as there were 6 other divers onboard but it is always nice to get to know divers of different experience levels. We rented an underwater camera so we hoped visibility would be good enough to catch some vivid underwater life. Again we were paired up with Dive Master Huan and had him to ourselves which was great. Huan mentioned that since we had dove with him the other day, he would keep things fresh on this dive by going to a greater depth as well as experiencing our first cavern swim throughs. Our first dive was at a new location, Madonna Rock, although visibility wasn’t great at only 7 meters, we still saw so much life, and were both stoked by the exciting cave. There were hundreds, maybe thousands of fish within the darkness of the cavern. The dive was colourful and cool as we reached a maximum depth of 20 meters. We are finding that each dive is different from the last and variety of locations and dive characteristics makes you hungry for more. During our surface interval on the boat, we munched some fruit and reflected on the highlights of our first dive. For our second dive, we returned to Moray Bay where we had been yesterday. To make things a little more exciting for the two of us, the boat dropped us about 200 meters away from where it anchored and we caught up travelling the distance underwater. This spot had much better visibility with lots of sunlight and we enjoyed another great dive. We gained a whole new respect for underwater photography that’s for sure. Not only are your subjects moving quickly as they swim around but you are battling light, visibility, and your own motion due to water current. Needless to say we didn’t shoot any stunners. After another satisfying day of diving, we have now completed 8 open water dives and look forward to many more to come. We got cleaned up and spent the remainder of our day winding down on the hotel terrace. Dinner tonight was a real treat! We headed down the street to the Buffalo Steak House…Steak is well beyond our budget but we shared a gorgeous salad and cheeseburger with fries. After 2 ½ month getting by on noodles and rice we devoured the New Zealand beef like it was our last supper. Man, was it a refreshingly delicious and satisfying meal. Yummy! Mmm…

Highlands and Sand Dunes

From Saigon we headed northeast to the beach town of Mui Ne. This place is famous for its sand dunes. We hired a couple moto drivers to take us around to the many sights including the local fishing village as well as a trip to the dunes. The dunes were beautiful and we even tried sand sledding. The sledding wasn’t too thrilling compared to home town tobogganing in the snow, but it was still good fun. From Mui Ne we took an incredibly scenic yet bumpy ride to Vietnam’s central highlands. We arrived in the gorgeous lakeside town of Dalat and immediately knew we would be in no rush to leave. The city is small enough to walk everywhere yet big enough that it has everything needed. The people here are incredibly friendly and there is a distinct laid back vibe throughout the city. You could mistake this place for a picturesque village in the French Alps. We paired up with a couple drivers from a popular tour organization called the Easy Riders. These guys are more like “traditional bikers” who offer a range of short and long tours. We arranged to head outside the city on their one day “special tour”. We visited coffee plantations, we saw silk worms busy at work building their cocoons, and we also toured the silk processing factory. We stopped at a hilltribe village where we viewed their traditional methods of weaving and we picked up some intricate hand made silk goods. We made a stop at Elephant Falls which are spectacular, and then we grabbed some lunch at a nearby eatery. Our guides entertained us with an impressive spread. We tried two kinds of chicken, sweet and sour pork, dried fish, pickled bamboo, pumpkin leaf, field leaf beef rolls, spring rolls, and some fresh fruit for dessert. Lunch was great and feeling stuffed to the brim we hopped back on the bikes to see more of the countryside. Our tour ended with a stop in the city at the famous Hang Nga Crazy House. This is a guest house art installation combining Dalat’s Bohemianism and a touch of classic Asian kitsch. We felt like we were travelling through Alice’s Wonderland in this place. It was like climbing through an eerie funhouse and was certainly a one-of-a-kind experience. The following day we laid low, toured the market and picked up some different souvenirs and goods. We were more than happy to rid ourselves of the extra 16 kilos which we had been slugging around, finally shipping them home to Canada. Another good time in Dalat, we enjoyed a night out, drinking and socializing with some other backpackers. We also toured the gorgeous flower gardens as well as spent an afternoon sightseeing around the town lake. With a little resistance we had to move on (we could have stayed here for weeks) so we boarded the bus onwards to Nha Trang.

Tunneling through Saigon

After a hot bumpy trip, and a long day, we arrived in HCMC (Saigon). The bus we travelled in on was not a tourist bus so we couldn’t effectively communicate with any of the locals or people on the bus. We were a little unclear about where we would be dropped off since the city is so large. We tried deciphering the complicated Vietnamese street names but we couldn’t locate ourselves on our map. One thing we did understand was when they shooed us off at the end of the line. So we were stopped at a local sidewalk eatery somewhere in Saigon. The driver motioned, with his hand to mouth, that we should eat so since we were pretty well lost, had been on a bus all day, and had nowhere else to be, we copped a squat Vietnamese style and enjoyed a dinner of pork chop, vegetables, and rice. After our meal we tried orienting ourselves as we walked through the neighborhood. It became clear that we were in the wrong end of town as we were the only 2 white faces to be seen and the locals almost taunted us with snickering “hellos”. Finally, we gave in and hired a couple motos to take us to “the backpacker district”. We still don’t know where it was we started from but we would have been all night on foot as the drivers must have taken us a good 5 km. Our first experience here was extreme as we weaved crazily through the chaotic Saturday night streets. At times like these I like to revert to a childlike innocence by abandoning any knowledge of safe driving and road rules. The best way to get through it without having an anxiety or heart attack is to hand your self over to the rollercoaster like thrills rather than retain any awareness of the recklessness. When we arrived at our destination we were more than happy to follow a timid Vietnamese girl who offered us accommodation for $10. We followed her down an alley and into her family home where we found a quiet and nicely appointed room. We were more than pleased to lay down our heads for the night.

Saigon was a typical bustling city with tons of bars, restaurants, and the huge Ben Thanh Market. One of the highlights in the Saigon area was the day trip which we took to the Cu Chi Tunnels. This network of tunnels was used by the Viet Cong during the war. We saw original weapons, tanks, and shelters which were used to fight against the Americans. We learned that the VC were simply people living in the village of Cu Chi. They worked the land in the day and they used the tunnels to evade the American fighters as well as for surprise attacks in the evenings. The entrances to the tunnels weren’t much bigger than a household heating vent and the space inside would have provoked claustrophobia in most. There are 125km and 3 levels of tunnels with an enlarged section for tourists to crawl through. All and all, it was a very informative morning.

Final Joys of Cambodia

A bittersweet departure the next morning, beginning with a quick bus ride to the nearby town of Kompong Chhnang. Stepping off the bus we immediately realized how much slower the pace of life was here. Where we were dropped off, there were only a handful of moto drivers to be seen. These guys actually let us walk away without harassing us for our business. Again, we hooked up with a local who would show us the sights around town the following day. This guy was a far cry from Philay (perhaps quite drunk during our first conversation on the street), but his transportation was reliable and we took in the sights we had in mind. We found some beautiful clay work in a village at the foot of a huge mountain and visited some other great places like floating villages and enormous riverside markets.

Thanks to the advice of our moto-driver, we stood on the side of the road leaving town and waited for some cheap transportation to come to us. We hitched a ride in a minivan towards Oudong, the next town in our path. Rolling through town we second guessed our choice and decided to push on another 30km to Phnom Penh to stay one night. Now a little Phnom Penh savvy, we checked into a nice hotel on the Tonle Sap riverfront and treated ourselves to a great mid-day breakfast. We arranged a bus to Sihanoukville for the next day. A pleasant surprise in the morning, our 7$ bus ticket got us a plush, reclining seat on a modern bus with perks like sweet bread and bottled water. Six hours to Sihanoukville and about 30 minutes into it the driver pops in a Khmer Karaoke VHS tape. The “music” was cranked to a volume level any Metallica fan would approve of. 5 straight hours of this definitely helped us understand the frequently used term “CRAZY KHMER MUSIC”.

Upon arrival in Sihanoukville we met a mild mannered taxi driver and jumped in his Corolla. After the rundown from him, we cruised to a quiet end of a beach front road. Only 13$ for the night, with A/C, hot water, and only 200m away from Occheuteal Beach. We made the most of being located on a breezy and quieter section of sand and stayed 6 nights. Sihanoukville is a classic bustling beach town offering up entertainment including the red-light district, clubs and nightlife, a casino, and 4 km of beach to sleep it all off on. This was a nice place to hang our hats for awhile and work on our tans.

From here, we pushed on entering a new province, Kampot. This province is famous for its salt flats, and world renowned first-class peppercorns. The van dropped us at Kampot Guesthouse. Soon after check-in the resident baby kitty quickly latched on to us and joined us for an afternoon nap in the room. The guesthouse was complete with an inviting garden café and tasty food for a good price. Kampot was even more relaxed and stunning than we anticipated. We watched smiling locals leisurely peddle around town amongst the old French-era shops. The town is centered on a stunningly atmospheric riverfront where an endless supply of fresh seafood is available. We couldn’t help but feel like we were in the middle of a movie-set in this picture perfect location.

Next, we were on to Kep the “City of Ghosts”. This French coastal town, once booming and full of big money, is now dotted with the blackened shells of luxurious homes, owned in the 60’s by Cambodia’s high rollers. Even to this day, the destruction left behind from the Khmer Rouge is obvious. Although only ruins of homes, these places are all inhabited today by people who have no where else.

Located only a 25 minute boat ride south across Kep Bay lies Koh Tonsay, “Rabbit Island”. This place is rustic and undeveloped to say the least. Without any common comforts such as a fan, electricity, or even a toilet, we settled in to a super basic bungalow for a minimum of one night to start. After a quick walkabout we discovered that the shores weren’t the paradise we expected. Other than the main beach where we slept, trash and fishing nets covered the remainder of the coast. There were herds of local livestock grazing freely as well as wild hunting dogs and free-range chickens. We truly enjoyed the peace and quiet though, without any motors or noise. We watched the day float away as we lounged in hammocks reading and enjoying some time for reflection. Late in the evening as we lay on our bungalow mat surrounded by protective bug netting we heard a storm brewing in the distance. Soon enough the island was roaring with the most incredible thunder and lightening either of us have ever experienced. We sat out on our porch and watched the show. The intensity of the storm was so great that for a moment, we questioned our safety in our little shack in the middle of the sea. The flashes cracked right beside us lighting up the whole area as though it were daylight. After a while the storm moved across the water and faded into the distance. When we woke in the morning we were comforted by the light of day. Seems that the storm wasn’t the only close call we had through the night. As we un-tucked our bug net we found a LIVE SCORPION which had made its way through the net and right under our mat below our pillows!! A little shaken we swatted the scorpion through the slats of wood and decided that one night of “island paradise” would suffice…We relaxed for the day until the afternoon taxi boat returned to Kep mainland.

Since Kep had really made an impression on the two of us, we decided that we would cut out our next stop and would remain here the extra few days. Another 4 nights in Kep, we took in some of the local sights and enjoyed staying put for awhile. We rented a Honda Dream and day tripped on our own. We also took a tuk-tuk tour to some local farms including the famous Kampot pepper fields, cashew and mango farms, as well as the local salt flats. Our Vietnam visas became valid on the 3rd of April so we arranged for transportation to take us to the border. We weren’t really sure what to expect as this entry point was newly opened to foreigner crossings and we had been warned that the road becomes very rough and people often get ditched by their ride, basically we just had to hope for the best. Our driver picked us up in the morning and drove us the 30km towards the border by tuk-tuk. We were both very sad to say goodbye, not only to Kep but also to Cambodia. We experienced so much in our time here. The scenery we took in, knowledge we gained, and most of all the human interactions we had will remain with us forever. After a wonderful month here, we couldn’t have asked for a more sentiment-filled final morning. As we travelled towards the border, excited children popped up in every direction. They shouted “Hello” and “Goodbye” waving and running happily alongside, this was totally emotionally overwhelming. This was something we experienced here from day 1 to day 30 and it truly was the most suiting send off. Once the road became only a trail in the middle of nowhere, we transferred to 2 motorbikes for the rest of the journey. It was a little dodgy as we were quite vulnerable but the guys pulled through and delivered us safely. The extent of customs at the crossing was a stamp in the passport and then 2 more motos drove us about 10km to the town of Hatien. Not much to see or do in Hatien but we decided we would stay one night in order to break up the distance to Ho Chi Minh City. We sipped coffee along the river enjoying our afternoon and took a stroll through the night bizarre.